Progettazione di bottali in PPH per impieghi nel settore conciario

Il presente lavoro di tesi si inserisce nel contesto di un'attività di stage, presso l'azienda ITALPROGETTI Spa di San Romano (PI), relativa all'analisi di un bottale di dimensioni 4200x4200 mm in polipropilene. Suddetta azienda presentava il problema di dover verificare, in maniera scientifica, l'enorme esperienza maturata negli anni dai loro tecnici nella progettazione del bottale. In particolare il bottale in PPH (polipropilene) di dimensioni 4200x4200 mm, che negli ultimi anni sta prendendo campo nel mercato estero, presenta una zona critica nella quale si è verificata una rottura. Per questo motivo, è stata eseguita un'analisi strutturale su tale macchina, al fine di rendere oggettiva l'esperienza pregressa dell'azienda e proporre una nuova soluzione che possa ridurre la criticità e apportare eventuali vantaggi economici. Partendo dalla visione di disegni costruttivi di tutti i componenti meccanici costituenti il bottale, il lavoro di tesi è consistito nello sviluppo di diversi modelli per condurre un'analisi strutturale di tutto il sistema. Tali modelli sono stati analizzati con diverse condizioni di carico, permettendo di verificare i componenti utilizzati e di individuare una particolare criticità dove si è verificata realmente una rottura. Su tale zona è stata effettuata una verifica a fatica e sulla base dei coefficienti di sicurezza calcolati è stata proposta una nuova soluzione strutturale, la quale ha apportato una riduzione delle tensioni

Laboratory markers included in the Corona Score can identify false negative results on COVID-19 RT-PCR in the emergency room

After December 2019 outbreak in China, the novel Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has very quickly overflowed worldwide. Infection causes a clinical syndrome encompassing a wide range of clinical features, from asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic course to acute respiratory distress and death. In a very recent work we preliminarily observed that several laboratory tests have been shown as characteristically altered in COVID-19. We aimed to use the Corona score, a validated point-based algorithm to predict the likelihood of COVID-19 infection in patients presenting at the Emergency rooms. This approach combines chest images-relative score and several laboratory parameters to classify emergency room patients. Corona score accuracy was satisfactory, increasing the detection of positive patients’ rate

Clinical laboratory automation: a case study

Background. This paper presents a case study of an automated clinical laboratory in a large urban academic teaching hospital in the North of Italy, the Spedali Civili in Brescia, where four laboratories were merged in a unique laboratory through the introduction of laboratory automation. Materials and Methods. The analysis compares the preautomation situation and the new setting from a cost perspective, by considering direct and indirect costs. It also presents an analysis of the turnaround time (TAT). The study considers equipment, staff and indirect costs. Results. The introduction of automation led to a slight increase in equipment costs which is highly compensated by a remarkable decrease in staff costs. Consequently, total costs decreased by 12.55%. The analysis of the TAT shows an improvement of nonemergency exams while emergency exams are still validated within the maximum time imposed by the hospital. Conclusions. The strategy adopted by the management, which was based on re-using the available equipment and staff when merging the pre-existing laboratories, has reached its goal: introducing automation while minimizing the costs

Pentraxin 3 Plasma Levels and Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

SLE is an autoimmune disorder that involves polyclonal autoimmunity against multiple autoantigens. PTX3, a marker of the acute-phase inflammatory response, plays an important role in innate immunity and in modulation of the adaptive immune response. Our study tried to resolve some rather controversial aspects of the use of PTX3 as a biomarker of disease activity in SLE patients. We demonstrated that plasma PTX3 concentration of the SLE patients was significantly higher than the healthy control groups and reflected disease activity. ROC curve analysis was used to determine best cut-off point (2.8 ng/mL) with a good sensitivity and specificity. In patients with SLE, PTX3 concentrations were correlated with SLEDAI. Trend to remission (TTR) curve was created by plotting PTX3 levels and SLEDAI and we applied the curve as a model for the analysis of two patients with different follow-up. PTX3 plasma levels declined significantly and this decline occurred parallel to the clinical improvement with a complete remission of disease. In patients who experienced a clinical relapse, an increase in PTX3 levels followed the lupus flare. The proposal of PTX3 cut-off associated with TTR and monitoring of PTX3 plasma levels could be an innovative approach to follow-up of SLE patients

Steroid treatment in the management of destructive thyrotoxicosis induced by PD1 blockade

Objective: Destructive thyroiditis is the most common endocrine immune related adverse event (iRAEs) in patients treated with anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents. Given its self-limited course, current guidelines recommend no treatment for this iRAE. Nevertheless in patients with enlarged thyroid volume and a poor performance status, thyrotoxicosis may be particularly severe and harmful. Aim of the study is to evaluate if steroid treatment might be useful in improving thyrotoxicosis in subjects with a poor performance status. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, comparing the course of thyrotoxicosis of 4 patients treated with oral prednisone at the dosage of 25 mg/d (tapered to discontinuation in three weeks) and an enlarged thyroid volume to that of 8 patients with similar thyroid volume who were left untreated. Results: The levels of thyroid hormones were lower in subjects treated compared to those untreated at time 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 60 and 90 days (P<0.05 at each time). The time to remission of thyrotoxicosis was 24 days in patients treated with steroids and 120 days in untreated patients (P<0.001). At 6 months, the rate of evolution to hypothyroidism was similar in the 2 groups (4/4 in steroid group vs 7/8 in untreated group, P=0.74) and no difference was found in tumor progression (P=0.89). Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggest that in patients with a poor performance status experiencing a severe destructive thyrotoxicosis induced by PD-1 blockade, a short period of administration of oral prednisone is effective in obtaining a quick reduction of the levels of thyroid hormones

Results of the Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative 2015

cheatham2016aInternational audienceOntology matching consists of finding correspondences between semantically related entities of two ontologies. OAEI campaigns aim at comparing ontology matching systems on precisely defined test cases. These test cases can use ontologies of different nature (from simple thesauri to expressive OWL ontologies) and use different modalities, e.g., blind evaluation, open evaluation and consensus. OAEI 2015 offered 8 tracks with 15 test cases followed by 22 participants. Since 2011, the campaign has been using a new evaluation modality which provides more automation to the evaluation. This paper is an overall presentation of the OAEI 2015 campaign

Elevations of inflammatory markers PTX3 and sST2 after resuscitation from cardiac arrest are associated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and early death

BACKGROUND: A systemic inflammatory response is observed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We investigated two novel inflammatory markers, pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), in comparison with the classic high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), for prediction of early multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), early death, and long-term outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS: PTX3, sST2, and hsCRP were assayed at ICU admission and 48 h later in 278 patients. MODS was defined as the 24 h non-neurological Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score 6512. Intensive care unit (ICU) death and 12-month Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 82% of patients survived to ICU discharge and 48% had favorable neurological outcome at 1 year (CPC 1 or 2). At ICU admission, median plasma levels of hsCRP (2.8 mg/L) were normal, while levels of PTX3 (19.1 ng/mL) and sST2 (117 ng/mL) were markedly elevated. PTX3 and sST2 were higher in patients who developed MODS (p<0.0001). Admission levels of PTX3 and sST2 were also higher in patients who died in ICU and in those with an unfavorable 12-month neurological outcome (p<0.01). Admission levels of PTX3 and sST2 were independently associated with subsequent MODS [OR: 1.717 (1.221-2.414) and 1.340, (1.001-1.792), respectively] and with ICU death [OR: 1.536 (1.078-2.187) and 1.452 (1.064-1.981), respectively]. At 48 h, only sST2 and hsCRP were independently associated with ICU death. CONCLUSIONS: Higher plasma levels of PTX3 and sST2, but not of hsCRP, at ICU admission were associated with higher risk of MODS and early death

Results of the Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative 2014

dragisic2014aInternational audienceOntology matching consists of finding correspondences between semantically related entities of two ontologies. OAEI campaigns aim at comparing ontology matching systems on precisely defined test cases. These test cases can use ontologies of different nature (from simple thesauri to expressive OWL ontologies) and use different modalities, e.g., blind evaluation, open evaluation and consensus. OAEI 2014 offered 7 tracks with 9 test cases followed by 14 participants. Since 2010, the campaign has been using a new evaluation modality which provides more automation to the evaluation. This paper is an overall presentation of the OAEI 2014 campaign

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p &lt; 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p &lt; 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p &lt; 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p &lt; 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p &lt; 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice