Evaluation of the DMX Process for Industrial Pilot Demonstration – Methodology and Results

The SP3 Subproject of the OCTAVIUS EU FP7 project was dedicated to the demonstration of the DMX CO2 capture process, developed by IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) and licensed by PROSERNAT, on the 3.5 MWe equivalent industrial pilot of ENEL at Brindisi. The DMX process is based on the particular property of demixing solvents to form, for specific CO2 loadings and temperature conditions, two immiscible liquid phases. The light phase being almost free of CO2, only the high capacity heavy phase is sent to the stripper, which makes possible energy savings but also requires an adapted process flow scheme and extra equipment. Prior to launch the corresponding retrofit and perform the pilot tests, two conditions were settled. First, a quantitative evaluation of the process must show a significant interest in comparison with the benchmark MEA 30wt.%. To evaluate this first conditions, 24 criteria were considered. Second, an acceptable cost for the retrofit of the existing industrial pilot, determined from a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study must be obtained. Most of this paper deals with the evaluation of these two conditions which ended in November 2013 and a small section is dedicated to the FEED study. It is shown that most of the parameters considered for the process evaluation are in good agreement with the initial targets. The proposed evaluation methodology could be used for any new process prior to demonstration. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of GHGT

The mediating effect of mood spectrum on the relationship between autistic traits and catatonia spectrum

BackgroundIn the recent years, several studies have shown a correlation between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and catatonia. It is also known that both conditions are found to be associated with mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autistic traits and catatonic symptoms, as well as the potential mediating role of mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between them.MethodsThe total sample of 514 subjects was composed by four diagnostic groups, composed by patients affected by catatonia (CTN), borderline personality disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HC). Subjects were assessed with the SCID-5-RV, the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Catatonia Spectrum (CS) and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR). Statistical analyses included Pearson’s coefficient calculation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis.Resultsall the correlations appear to be strongly positive and significant with the strongest coefficient emerging between AdAS Spectrum total score and CS total score (r = 0.762, p < 0.001). The Mediation Analysis showed that AdAS Spectrum total score showed a significant indirect effect on CS total score through MOODS-SR total score (b = 0.168, 95% bootstrapped CI [0.127:0.207]).ConclusionThe present study highlights the presence of a mediating role of the mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between autistic traits and the catatonia spectrum

Depression after a cardiac arrest: an unpredictable issue to always investigate for

Authors evaluated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors in a catchment area of half million inhabitants. A clinical psychologist administered PHQ-9 questionnaire focused to the first two weeks after the patient was discharged. 18.7% of patients reached the PHQ-9 score for mild depression; another 18.7% schowed the score for moderately severe or severe depression. These findings confirm that depression in OHCA survivors is not negligible and should be always considered

Neuropsychological outcomes after pulmonary endarterectomy using moderate hypothermia and periodic circulatory arrest

BACKGROUND: In this prospective, single-center, observational study, we investigated the association between repeated short periods of circulatory arrest with moderate hypothermia during pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and different neuropsychological dimensions. METHODS: We examined 70 patients with CTEPH, >18 to 80 years of age, who had been treated with PEA. Neuropsychological testing was performed. RESULTS: Learning ability and delayed memory remained well within the normal range for patients' age. We found a statistically significant post-surgical improvement in motor speed, which was accompanied by a better quality of life and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: PEA with repeated short periods of circulatory arrest in CTEPH did not result in any neuropsychological complications and may even lead to post-surgical psychological improvements

Catatonia Spectrum: Validation of a Questionnaire Investigating Catatonia Spectrum

AimA growing body of literature has demonstrated the utility of a dimensional perspective on mental disorders. The current study aims to determine the psychometric properties of the Catatonia Spectrum (CS), a new questionnaire specifically tailored to assess the spectrum of catatonia, from full blown forms to subthreshold ones. Methods86 adults with at least three symptom criteria for catatonia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), 81 adults affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD), 104 adults with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), and 105 subjects without mental disorders (CTL), were recruited from six Italian University Departments of Psychiatry and administered the: Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI), and CS. ResultsCS scale demonstrated a high level of internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability for total and domain scores. CS domain scores were positively and significantly correlated with each other (p < 0.001) with Pearson's coefficients ranging from 0.337 to 0.663. All the CS domain scores were highly correlated with the CS total score. The correlation coefficients between CS and alternative measures of catatonia appeared all significant and positive. Significant differences among diagnostic groups on both CS domains and total scores were found. CS total scores increased significantly and progressively from the CTL, to the MDD and the BDP group, up to the catatonia group, which reported the highest value. ConclusionThe CS showed excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability and strong convergent validity with alternative dimensional measures of catatonia. The questionnaire performed differently across the four diagnostic groups, with an increasing score gradient from healthy controls to patients with MDD, BPD and up to the catatonia group

Investigating suicidality across the autistic-catatonic continuum in a clinical sample of subjects with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder

BackgroundRecent literature has highlighted that catatonia may be more prevalent among psychiatric patients than previously thought, beginning from autism spectrum disorders (ASD), for which it has been suggested to represent a severe late consequence, but also among individuals with mood disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Interestingly, one critical point shared by these conditions is the increased risk of suicidality. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the presence and the prevalence of catatonic symptoms may shape and correlate with suicidal risk in a sample of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) or BPD.MethodsWe recruited two clinical samples of subjects (BPD and MDD) and a control group without a diagnosis according to DSM-5 (CTL). Subjects were assessed with the catatonia spectrum (CS) and the MOODS-SR for evaluating suicidality.ResultsIn the total sample, suicidality score was significantly and positively correlated with all CS domains and CS total score. Correlation and regression analyses highlighted specific patterns of association among Catatonia spectrum domains and suicidality in the MDD and BPD group and in the total sample.ConclusionIn both disorders, higher catatonic traits are linked to higher suicidal tendencies, confirming the high risk of suicide for this population. However, different patterns of association between catatonic symptoms and suicidality were highlighted in the two disorders

Changes of consultation-liaison psychiatry practice in Italian general hospitals: A comparative 20-year multicenter study

Conducted under the auspices of the Italian Society of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (SIPC) the aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) activity in Italy (SIPC-2-2018) over the past 20 years by comparing with data from the first Italian nation-wide study (SIPC-1-1998)

Polyp measurement and size categorisation by CT colonography: effect of observer experience in a multi-centre setting

The extent measurement error on CT colonography influences polyp categorisation according to established management guidelines is studied using twenty-eight observers of varying experience to classify polyps seen at CT colonography as either 'medium' (maximal diameter 6-9 mm) or 'large' (maximal diameter 10 mm or larger). Comparison was then made with the reference diameter obtained in each patient via colonoscopy. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess agreement between observer measurements and colonoscopy, and differences in measurement and categorisation was assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-squared test statistics respectively. Observer measurements on average underestimated the diameter of polyps when compared to the reference value, by approximately 2-3 mm, irrespective of observer experience. Ninety-five percent limits of agreement were relatively wide for all observer groups, and had sufficient span to encompass different size categories for polyps. There were 167 polyp observations and 135 (81%) were correctly categorised. Of the 32 observations that were miscategorised, 5 (16%) were overestimations and 27 (84%) were underestimations (i.e. large polyps misclassified as medium). Caution should be exercised for polyps whose colonographic diameter is below but close to the 1-cm boundary threshold in order to avoid potential miscategorisation of advanced adenomas

Intra-arterial transplantation of HLA-matched donor mesoangioblasts in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Intra-arterial transplantation of mesoangioblasts proved safe and partially efficacious in preclinical models of muscular dystrophy. We now report the first-in-human, exploratory, non-randomized open-label phase I-IIa clinical trial of intra-arterial HLA-matched donor cell transplantation in 5 Duchenne patients. We administered escalating doses of donor-derived mesoangioblasts in limb arteries under immunosuppressive therapy (tacrolimus). Four consecutive infusions were performed at 2-month intervals, preceded and followed by clinical, laboratory, and muscular MRI analyses. Two months after the last infusion, a muscle biopsy was performed. Safety was the primary endpoint. The study was relatively safe: One patient developed a thalamic stroke with no clinical consequences and whose correlation with mesoangioblast infusion remained unclear. MRI documented the progression of the disease in 4/5 patients. Functional measures were transiently stabilized in 2/3 ambulant patients, but no functional improvements were observed. Low level of donor DNA was detected in muscle biopsies of 4/5 patients and donor-derived dystrophin in 1. Intra-arterial transplantation of donor mesoangioblasts in human proved to be feasible and relatively safe. Future implementation of the protocol, together with a younger age of patients, will be needed to approach efficacy