The process towards Brexit will impact on the entire global trading system and significantly influence the global value chains that rely on ease of trade and investment within a single European ...market. In light of this process, Australia with its high levels of international economic integration and interdependency of trade and investment to and from the European region, now faces a stark challenge in forging an economic position that best suits its national interests. This paper analyses the possible implications of Brexit on Australia’s economic governance position, with specific regard to the global value chains that rely on ease of trade and investments in the European single market. The exploration relies on empirical analysis that distinguishes between and disaggregates data on Australian trade and investment with the UK and the rest of the European Union. This analysis indicates that it is in Australia’s best interest is to prioritise a preferential partnership with the EU over a new free trade agreement with the UK. However, in order to maximise Australia’s position, the paper argues that, under the present political climate and technical difficulties, a multi-pronged and decoupled approach of concerted unilateralism with the UK and preferential bilateralism with the EU is best placed to enhance Australia’s geo-economic role in Europe in the post-Brexit era.
After a period of mild eruptive activity, Stromboli showed between 2017 and 2018 a reawakening phase, with an increase in the eruptive activity starting in May 2017. The alert level of the volcano ...was raised from “green” (base) to “yellow” (attention) on 7 December 2017, and a small lava overflowed the crater rim on 15 December 2017. Between July 2017 and August 2018 the monitoring networks recorded nine major explosions, which are a serious hazard for Stromboli because they affect the summit area, crowded by tourists. We studied the 2017–2018 eruptive phase through the analysis of multidisciplinary data comprising thermal video-camera images, seismic, geodetic and geochemical data. We focused on the major explosion mechanism analyzing the well-recorded 1 December 2017 major explosion as a case study. We found that the 2017–2018 eruptive phase is consistent with a greater gas-rich magma supply in the shallow system. Furthermore, through the analysis of the case study major explosion, we identified precursory phases in the strainmeter and seismic data occurring 77 and 38 s before the explosive jet reached the eruptive vent, respectively. On the basis of these short-term precursors, we propose an automatic timely alarm system for major explosions at Stromboli volcano.
Wound healing is the process by which a complex cascade of biochemical events is responsible of the repair the damage. In vivo, studies in humans and mice suggest that healing and post-healing ...heterogeneous behavior of the surgically wounded myometrium is both phenotype and genotype dependent. Uterine wound healing process involves many cells: endothelial cells, neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, myometrial cells as well a stem cell population found in the myometrium, myoSP (side population of myometrial cells). Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) isoforms, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-β) are involved in the wound healing mechanisms. The increased TGF- β1/β3 ratio reduces scarring and fibrosis. The CTGF altered expression may be a factor involved in the abnormal scars formation of low uterine segment after cesarean section and of the formation of uterine dehiscence. The lack of bFGF is involved in the reduction of collagen deposition in the wound site and thicker scabs. The altered expression of TNF-β, VEGF, and PDGF in human myometrial smooth muscle cells in case of uterine dehiscence, it is implicated in the uterine healing process. The over-and under-expressions of growth factors genes involved in uterine scarring process could represent patient's specific features, increasing the risk of cesarean scar complications.
Continuous-wave photoinjectors operating at high accelerating gradients promise to revolutionize many areas of science and applications. They can establish the basis for a new generation of ...monochromatic x-ray free electron lasers, high-brightness hadron beams, or a new generation of microchip production. In this Letter we report on the record-performing superconducting rf electron gun with CsK2 Sb photocathode. The gun is generating high charge electron bunches (up to 10 nC / bunch ) and low transverse emittances, while operating for months with a single photocathode. This achievement opens a new era in generating high-power beams with a very high average brightness.
Children with Special Needs represent a highly heterogeneous group in terms of neurofunctional, behavioral, and socio-cognitive characteristics, but they have in common a frequent impairment of ...Executive Functions. Educational Robotics is generally dedicated to study the effects of constructing and programming robots based on children's learning and academic achievement. Recently, we found that being engaged in progressively more challenging robot planning and monitoring (ER-Lab) promotes visual-spatial working memory and response inhibition in early childhood during typical development, and that an ER-Lab can be a feasible rehabilitative tool for children with Special Needs. The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of the ER-Lab on Executive Functions in children with Special Needs for the first time by using an RCT within their school environment. To pursue these aims, this study reports the results obtained in 42 first-grade children with Special Needs engaged in school Educational Robotics Laboratories (ER-Lab) to promote Executive Functions by means of enjoyable, intensive, and incrementally more challenging activities requiring them to program a bee-shaped robot called Bee-bot
(Campus Store). Several adaptations were done to meet different motor, cognitive, and social needs. All children were evaluated by means of standardized tests performed by each child before and at the end of the ER-Lab activities. Children with Special Needs had significantly improved inhibition skills, and children with attentional impairment had more benefits in their inhibition of motor responses tasks with respect to children with a language deficit. Results of the study and future perspectives on how ER-Lab programs could become a powerful tool in classrooms with children with special needs are discussed.
Educational robotics (ER) uses robotic kits as a channel for education and collaborative learning in a play setting. Thanks to adaptability of robots, ER could facilitate inclusion of special-needs ...children, such as children with Down syndrome (DS), in learning programs. In a previous study, we provided evidence that ER could promote superior cognitive functions, such as executive functions, which are involved in problem solving, reasoning and planning in typically developing preschool children. In this preliminary study, we aimed to evaluate ER training feasibility, adapting methodology and previously experimented activities to promote executive functions in DS children. Eight DS children carried out 45-min weekly group sessions for 8 weeks in an ER laboratory (ER-Lab) using the Bee-Bot. Training setting was generally well-suited for this small sample of DS children. Due to sample heterogeneity, qualitative results of only two exemplificative children are presented and discussed. Results indicate that Bee-Bot is a very significant device for promoting interest, attention and interaction with adults and peers. Promotion of executive functions seemed to be possible in one child, who eagerly participated in ER-Lab activities.
In July and August 2019, Stromboli volcano underwent two dangerous paroxysms previously considered “unexpected” because of the absence of significant changes in usually monitored parameters. We ...applied a multidisciplinary approach to search for signals able to indicate the possibility of larger explosive activity and to devise a model to explain the observed variations. We analysed geodetic data, satellite thermal data, images from remote cameras and seismic data in a timespan crossing the eruptive period of 2019 to identify precursors of the two paroxysms on a medium-term time span (months) and to perform an in-depth analysis of the signals recorded on a short time scale (hours, minutes) before the paroxysm. We developed a model that explains the observations. We call the model “push and go” where the uppermost feeding system of Stromboli is made up of a lower section occupied by a low viscosity, low density magma that is largely composed of gases and a shallower section occupied by the accumulated melt. We hypothesize that the paroxysms are triggered when an overpressure in the lower section is built up; the explosion will occur at the very moment such overpressure overcomes the confining pressure of the highly viscous magma above it.
Identifying and characterizing the dynamics of explosive activity is impelling to build tools for hazard assessment at open-conduit volcanoes: machine learning techniques are now a feasible choice. ...During the summer of 2019, Stromboli experienced two paroxysmal eruptions that occurred in two different volcanic phases, which gave us the possibility to conceive and test an early-warning algorithm on a real use case: the paroxysm on July, 3 was clearly preceded by smaller and less perceptible changes in the volcano dynamics, while the second paroxysm, on August 28 concluded the eruptive phase. Among the changes observed in the weeks preceding the July paroxysm one of the most significant is represented by the shape variation of the ordinary minor explosions, filtered in the very long period (VLP 2–50 s) band, recorded by the Sacks-Evertson strainmeter installed near the village of Stromboli. Starting from these observations, the usage of two independent methods (an unsupervised machine learning strategy and a cross-correlation algorithm) to classify strain transients falling in the ultra long period (ULP 50–200 s) frequency band, allowed us to validate the robustness of the approach. This classification leads us to establish a link between VLP and ULP shape variation forms and volcanic activity, especially related to the unforeseen 3 July 2019 paroxysm. Previous warning times used to precede paroxysms at Stromboli are of a few minutes only. For paroxysmal events occurring outside any long-lasting eruption, the initial success of our approach, although applied only to the few available examples, could permit us to anticipate this time to several days by detecting medium-term strain anomalies: this could be crucial for risk mitigation by prohibiting access to the summit. Our innovative analysis of dynamic strain may be used to provide an early-warning system also on other open conduit active volcanoes.
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