We study the mean field equation derived by Neri in the context of the statistical mechanics description of 2D-turbulence, under a “stochastic” assumption on the vortex circulations. The ...corresponding mathematical problem is a nonlocal semilinear elliptic equation with exponential type nonlinearity, containing a probability measure P∈M(−1,1) which describes the distribution of the vortex circulations. Unlike the more investigated “deterministic” version, we prove that Neri's equation may be viewed as a perturbation of the widely analyzed standard mean field equation, obtained by taking P=δ1. In particular, in the physically relevant case where P is non-negatively supported and P({1})>0, we prove the mass quantization for blow-up sequences. We apply this result to construct minimax type solutions on bounded domains in R2 and on compact 2-manifolds without boundary.
We introduce a multi-species chemotaxis type system admitting an arbitrarily large number of population species, all of which are attracted versus repelled by a single chemical substance. The ...production versus destruction rates of the chemotactic substance by the species is described by a probability measure. For such a model, we investigate the variational structures, in particular, we prove the existence of Lyapunov functionals, we establish duality properties as well as a logarithmic Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev type inequality for the associated free energy. The latter inequality provides the optimal critical value for the conserved total population mass.
Abstract Introduction Work engagement is a positive state of mind related to work, characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. It is measured through the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), ...which has shown good psychometric properties across occupational types and languages. Besides, some individuals may more easily experience work engagement than others, suggesting that individual stable tendencies could predict this state of mind. Objectives In this article, we aim to: (1) present the psychometric properties of the French versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9 and UWES-17), and (2) assess whether work engagement can be associated with personality traits and impulsivity. Method For this purpose, 661 French-speaking workers ( Mage = 40.86, SDage = 12.35) were recruited in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Two hundred and eleven subjects responded to the UWES-17, the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) and the UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale (UPPS), and 450 subjects responded to the UWES-9 and the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory Revised (NEO-FFI-R). Results Results showed that UWES-9 reached better psychometric properties than UWES-17. Moreover, it appeared that individuals who were active, conscientious, emotionally stable, and extroverted were more prone to experience work engagement than others. Discussion Thus, the path to experiencing work engagement seems to differ as a function of personal stable characteristics. Further studies should analyse how personal characteristics interact with working conditions in determining work engagement.
Vitis vinifera ssp. silvestris, the spontaneous subspecies of V. vinifera L., is believed to be the ancestor of present grapevine cultivars. In this work, polymorphism at 13 SSR loci was investigated ...to answer the following key question: are wild plants (i) true silvestris, (ii) hybrids between wild and cultivated plants or (iii) or 'escapes' from vineyards? In particular, the objective of the present study was to identify truly wild individuals and to search for possible hybridization events. The study was performed in Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, which is characterized by a large and well-described number of both grape cultivars and wild populations. This region was ideal for the study because of its spatial isolation and, consequently, limited contamination from outside material. The results of this study show that domesticated and wild grapevine germplasms are genetically divergent and thus are real silvestris. Pure lineages (both domesticated and wild) show very high average posterior probabilities of assignment to their own clusters, with a low level of introgression.
Euphorbia spinosa
, a perennial xerophilous shrub naturally distributed across the Italian peninsula, was selected for examination of the role of the Ligurian Alps and Apennines in glacial survival. ...The Italian Peninsula is considered to be one of the principal glacial refugia in Europe, but few plant population genetic and phylogeography studies have been undertaken in this region. The combined analysis of chloroplast and nuclear loci (ITS, cpSSR and ISSR) enabled us to detect extensive DNA variation and proved to be a very powerful tool for the reconstruction of the phylogeography. Molecular data support the hypothesis of a long-term separation of the Northwestern (Maritime Alps, Sardinia, Corsica, Northern Apennines) and Southeastern (Southern Apennines and Balkan area) lineages in glacial refugia. The existence of allopatrically fragmented lineages is most probably the result of isolation in different glacial refugia, possibly due to the Last Glacial Maximum cooling and the topographic complexity of the Italian peninsula. The most plausible hypothesis assumes the formation of two migration paths during more recent periods: the first one starting with southward migration and the second one moving northwards. The Central Apennines should be considered the confluence of migration routes radiating from separate refugia according to this hypothesis.
Brassica rupestris Raf. is a chasmophyte species that includes two subspecies, both endemic to Central-Western Sicily (Italy). Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers were used to detect genetic ...diversity within and among eight populations representative of the species' distribution range. High levels of genetic diversity were revealed both at the population (PPB = 53.88%, HS = 0.212, Sh = 0.309) and at the species level (PPB = 96.55%, HT = 0.307, Sh = 0.464). The correlation between genetic and geographical distances was negative (Mantel test, r = −0.06, P < 0.95). The two subspecies of B. rupestris, subsp. rupestris and subsp. hispida, showed remarkable genetic similarity and molecular data did not unequivocally support their distinctness. The pattern of genetic variation revealed by our study bears important consequences for conservation management: It is desirable to preserve B. rupestris populations in situ with a “dynamic” strategy, while, ex situ conservation programmes might be improved to safeguard maximum genetic diversity.
Sibling sex ratio (the ratio of brothers to sisters) was calculated for 444 boys with gender identity disorder (or with behaviors consistent with this diagnosis). The probands were ascertained from ...several researchers with expertise with this disorder and from the English language case report literature between 1938 and 1995. Among the probands with at least one sibling (N= 333), the results showed that boys with gender identity disorder had a significant excess of brothers to sisters, 131.1:100, when compared with the expected secondary sex ratio of 106:100. The excess of brothers replicated a previous study by Blanchard, Zucker, Bradley, and Hume (1995), in which the sibling sex ratio was 140.6:100. Further analyses showed that the probands were born later relative to their brothers than they were relative to their sisters. These findings are amenable to several psychosocial and biological explanations, which require further investigation.
This study presents the validation of a French version of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale in four Francophone countries. The aim was to re-analyze the item selection and then compare this newly ...developed French-language form with the international form 2.0. Exploratory factor analysis was used as a tool for item selection, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the structure of the CAAS French-language form. Measurement equivalence across the four countries was tested using multi-group CFA. Adults and adolescents (N=1707) participated from Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Items chosen for the final version of the CAAS French-language form are different to those in the CAAS international form 2.0 and provide an improvement in terms of reliability. The factor structure is replicable across country, age, and gender. Strong evidence for metric invariance and partial evidence for scalar invariance of the CAAS French-language form across countries is given. The CAAS French-language and CAAS international form 2.0 can be used in a combined form of 31 items. The CAAS French-language form will certainly be interesting for practitioners using interventions based on the life design paradigm or aiming at increasing career adapt-ability.
► Describes the development of a new French form of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale ► Validation of this French form adopting a cross-national multi-centric approach ► Of interest for practitioners using interventions based on the life design paradigm
The aim of the study was to verify in the context of prenatal diagnosis if the communicative style in consultations is modified in relation to the seriousness of the diagnosis. Videoed consultations ...after executing amniocentesis and ultra-sound scanning of II level were included in the study with the consent of participants. Only visits with Italian speaking couples without psychiatric problems were analyzed for the study. Selected visits were grouped into "low" (L, minor anomalies) and "high" (H, serious anomalies) visits. A modified version of the RIAS tailored for the specific context was used in the analysis. 27 visits, respectively 13 H and 14 L, were studied. Analysis of the communicative structure of the consultations did not show significant differences between the two groups. The communication during the consultation seems to be mostly influenced by a highly disease-centered model that is not dependent on the content of the consultation itself. Only emotional exchanges showed a marginally significant decrease in the H visits (t = 1.995, p = 0.057), suggesting the probable difficulty of the disease-centered model to manage emotional items during a highly dramatic consultation. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, further research is needed to test the preliminary results.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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