The Asiago-ESO/RASS QSO Survey. III. Clustering analysis and its theoretical interpretation

This is the third paper of a series describing the Asiago-ESO/RASS QSO survey (AERQS), a project aimed at the construction of an all-sky statistically well-defined sample of relatively bright QSOs (B<15) at z<0.3. We present here the clustering analysis of the full spectroscopically identified database (392 AGN). The clustering signal at 0.02<z<0.22 is detected at a 3-4 sigma level and its amplitude is measured to be r_0=8.6\pm 2.0 h^{-1} Mpc (in a LambdaCDM model). The comparison with other classes of objects shows that low-redshift QSOs are clustered in a similar way to Radio Galaxies, EROs and early-type galaxies in general, although with a marginally smaller amplitude. The comparison with recent results from the 2QZ shows that the correlation function of QSOs is constant in redshift or marginally increasing toward low redshift. We discuss this behavior with physically motivated models, deriving interesting constraints on the typical mass of the dark matter halos hosting QSOs, M_DMH= 10^{12.7} h^{-1} M_sun (10^{12.0}-10^{13.5}h^{-1} M_sun at 1 sigma confidence level). Finally, we use the clustering data to infer the physical properties of local AGN, obtaining M_BH=2 10^8 h^{-1} M_sun (10^7-3 10^9 h^{-1} M_sun) for the mass of the active black holes, tau_{AGN}= 8 10^6 yr (2 10^{6}-5 10^{7} yr) for their life-time and eta = 0.14 for their efficiency (always for a LambdaCDM model).Comment: 37 pages, Astronomical Journal in press. Changes to match the referee comment

The search of a new logic of public administration reforms: the case of metropolitan areas in Italy

The aim of this paper is to formulate some recommendations for the currently undergoing reform of Italian metropolitan areas. This case is particularly relevant since it clearly represents how, even if expected by law, reforms might not happen on the implementation side. We draw the recommendations from some basic assumptions of the collaborative governance model. Recommendations deal with the development of a systemic, collaborative and leadership oriented view of reforms. Indeed, reforms should be intended not only as a legislative process, but also as a complex change management process characterized by the decisive role of the human factor

Endoscopic Bronchopleural Fistula Repair Using Autologous Fat Graft.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) represents a not rare catastrophic complication of pulmonary resection with high mortality rates. While surgical treatments of BPF are often technically difficult and can only be tolerated by a limited number of patients, less invasive endoscopic approaches showed variable success rates, mainly related to the size of the fistula. With this report, we describe for the first time the successful treatment of large BPF by means of endoscopic autologous fat implantation and we discuss the surgical technical details of the procedure

Prevalence and development of chronic critical illness in acute patients admitted to a respiratory intensive care setting

Introduction- Chronic Critical Illness (chronic CI) is a condition associated to patients surviving an episode of acute respiratory failure (ARF). The prevalence and the factors associated with the development of chronic CI in the population admitted to a Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) have not been yet elucidated. Methods- An observational prospective cohort study was undertaken at the RICU of the University Hospital of Modena (Italy). Patients mechanically ventilated with ARF in RICU were enrolled. Demographics, severity scores (APACHEII, SOFA, SAPSII), and clinical condition (septic shock, pneumonia, ARDS) were recorded on admission. Respiratory mechanics and inflammatory-metabolic blood parameters were measured both on admission and over the first week of stay. All variables were tested as predictors of chronic CI through univariate and multivariate analysis. Results- chronic CI occurred in 33 out of 100 patients observed. Higher APACHEII, the presence of septic shock, diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) at sonography, multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection, the occurrence of a second infection during stay, and a C-reactive protein (CRP) serum level inceasing 7 days over admission were associated with chronic CI. Septic shock was the strongest predictor of chronic CI (AUC=0.92 p&lt;0.0001). Conclusions- Chronic CI is frequent in patients admitted to RICU and mechanically ventilated due to ARF. Infection-related factors seem to play a major role as predictors of this syndrome

Integrated endoscopic treatment of primitive unresectable tracheal tumor: the INTACT retrospective cohort study.

Introduction- Primitive tracheal tumors represent a rare entity whose management, when unresectable, remains challenging. Primary aim of this study was to explore the survival and the factors influencing prognosis of patients with unresectable primitive tracheal tumor undergoing multimodal treatment integrating interventional bronchoscopy and radiotherapy. Materials and methods- This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the University Hospital of Modena (Italy) over a 10-year period (January 2010-January 2020) analyzing patients with unresectable primary tracheal tumor receiving interventional bronchoscopy treatment followed by radiotherapy. Survival analysis was conducted for the whole population and according to histology, development of metastasis, stent placement and the onset of disease relapse. The raw and independent association between potential risk factor and 5-year mortality and the reported complications were investigated. Results- A total of 12 patients were included. Five-year survival rate was 42% with a median survival time of 26.7 (4.1 – 82) months. Survivors showed a higher prevalence of cystic-adenoid histology (80% VS 14%, p=0.07), while patients who were dead at 5 years were those with a more advanced T (prevalence of T2 71% VS 0%, p=0.03) and a lower response to first line treatment (57% VS 0%). Treatment complications accounted for stent dislocation (33%) and the onset of granuloma (18%), while no major side effects were reported. The presence of cystic-adenoid histology resulted in significantly improved 5-year survival rate (80% versus 14%, p=0.01). The onset of distal metastasis, the occurrence of disease relapse and the placement of tracheal stent did not result significantly associated with lower survival. Among analysed variables, only the presence of cystic-adenoid histology resulted independently associated with survival (OR=0.1, p=0.04). Conclusions- Multimodal treatment including interventional bronchoscopy and associated radiotherapy for unresectable primary tracheal tumors seems not burdened by significant complications and may provide benefits in terms of survival for those patients with cystic-adenoid histology

Molecular biology and therapeutic targets of primitive tracheal tumors: focus on tumors derived by salivary glands and squamous cell carcinoma.

Primary tracheal tumors are rare, constituting approximately 0.1&ndash;0.4% of malignant diseases. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) account for about two-thirds of these tumors. Despite most primary tracheal cancers being eligible for surgery and/or radiotherapy, unresectable, recurrent and metastatic tumors may require systemic treatments. Unfortunately, the poor response to available chemotherapy as well as the lack of other real therapeutic alternatives affects the quality of life and outcome of patients suffering from more advanced disease. In this condition, target therapy against driver mutations could constitute an alternative to chemotherapy, and may help in disease control. The past two decades have seen extraordinary progress in developing novel target treatment options, shifting the treatment paradigm for several cancers such as lung cancer. The improvement of knowledge regarding the genetic and biological alterations, of major primary tracheal tumors, has opened up new treatment perspectives, suggesting the possible role of biological targeted therapies for the treatment of these rare tumors. The purpose of this review is to outline the state of knowledge regarding the molecular biology, and the preliminary data on target treatments of the main primary tracheal tumors, focusing on salivary-gland-derived cancers and squamous cell carcinoma

Infestazione intestinale da Schistosoma mansoni: un caso emblematico di importazione

Viene descritto, sia dal punto di vista clinico che parassitologico, un caso di importazione di schistosomiasi intestinale da S. mansoni contratta durante un soggiorno in Tanzania. Dopo circa 50 giorni da un contatto casuale ma ripetuto con le acque del Lago Vittoria, al soggetto, giovane adulto in missione umanitaria, compare febbre elevata, accompagnata da astenia (presente da più giorni) cui segue un episodio di diarrea acuta. La comparsa anche di una ipereosinofilia, dapprima assente, spinge il curante ad eseguire immediatamente un esame coproparassitologico standard (in precedenza sempre negativo) che risulta positivo per uova di S. mansoni. La terapia condotta con praziquantel risolve il caso e porta a guarigione il soggetto, cui inizialmente era stata esclusa la malaria, allorché dopo circa 1 mese dal rientro aveva presentato rialzo termico con disturbi respiratori