Asymptotic base loci on singular varieties

We prove that the non-nef locus and the restricted base locus of a pseudoeffective divisor coincide on KLT pairs. We also extend to KLT pairs F. Russo's characterization of nef and abundant divisors by means of asymptotic multiplier ideals.Comment: Improved exposition. To appear in "Math. Z.

Localization of the atrial natriuretic factor in the human inferior turbinates. An immunohistochemical study

In man, the architecture of the turbinates is able to modify some of the physiochemical characteristics of the air inhaled. These modifications depend on the nervous system and on the action of neurotransmitters such as vasoactive intestinal peptide. Substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide and other neuropeptides. As atrial natriuretic factor has been detected in the trachea and lung, the present immunohistochemical study was carried out to establish the presence and localisation of the atrial natriuretic factor on the inferior turbinates of the human being. The findings show atrial natriuretic factor to be present in the serous epithelial cells and in some cells of the tonaca propria near the sinusoids and the arteriovenous shunts and the acinar cells of the glands. Atrial natriuretic factor, therefore, could play a part in the stratification of mucus on the luminal surface and also regulate the blood flow of the capillaries, modifying, in this way, the physiochemical features of the air inhaled

Factors affecting purchasing process of digestate: evidence from an economic experiment on Sicilian farmers' willingness to pay

Abstract In this study, we evaluate from the perspective of the theory of commitment costs if the level of farmer understanding about digestate attributes could influence the willingness to pay (WTP) for it. For this purpose, we carried out a research on a sample of 223 Sicilian farmers to correlate their WTP for digestate with a set of eight attributes which usually characterise organic soil conditioners. An experimental design was set up so that participants were given different waiting times to decide on their WTP and different levels of information on the attributes of organic soil conditioners. The results highlight a positive WTP, but farmers are strongly influenced by how much information is available on digestate. Without it, farmers' WTP decreases drastically probably due to phenomena correlated to what economic theory calls commitment costs

Health Pedagogy and Narrative-based Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating Behaviours and Prevent Obesity in Schoolchildren: an Experimental Protocol Designed in Salento

Overweight and obesity in paediatric population are becoming serious public health problems, reaching epidemic proportions in the world and being recognized as the "new pandemic of the twenty first century". Food choices and nutritional habits are strictly linked to the cultural dimension of communities and symbolic representations of food. Even in Italy, young generations are moving away from the culture of Mediterranean Diet (MD) – recognized as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO – being at risk of losing both their identity and the health benefits associated with MD. In this frame, health pedagogy (i.e. nutritional education) can play a fundamental role in promoting the adoption of healthy eating behaviours since childhood, addressing at the same time such crucial binomials as food-health and environment-sustainability. In the last decades, a huge variety of school-based obesity prevention programs have been introduced. Among those, according to scientific evidence, narrative-based strategies may be helpful in promoting healthy nutritional habits among schoolchildren. Actually, narration is a useful tool in didactic practice, impacting on the emotional and motivational dimension of learning, thus represent-ing a valuable vehicle of health contents. On these bases, as DREAM Laboratory of Health Pedagogy, we have proposed to the Department of Prevention of the Local Health Authority ASL Lecce – specifically involving the Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service (SIAN) – to implement a research protocol aimed at assessing if narrative-based strategies could be more effective than other educational approaches in promoting the adoption of healthy eating behaviours among schoolchildren

Activated Carbons: In Vitro Affinity for Aflatoxin B1 and Relation of Adsorption Ability to Physicochemical Parameters

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Prevention of disease caused by fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole: the way forward

Few months after the publication of the monographic section of Annali dell’Istituto Superioredi Sanità second issue of 2014 “Health impact of fibres with fluoro-edenitic composition”, the carcinogenicity of fluoro-edenite was assessed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in the frame of Monograph 111. The IARC Working Group concluded that there is sufficient evidence in humans that exposure to fluoroedenite fibrous amphibole causes mesothelioma, and sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. Fluoro-edenite was allocated to Group 1 (the agent is carcinogenic to humans). Now, in view of the recent IARC evaluation, eventive action in Biancavilla requires an upgrade. First of all, environmental monitoring has to be further implemented. All operations of house cleaning should be performed employing wet tools, in order to avoid dust-raising. It is very important that environmental and biological monitoring be related to epidemiological surveillance. The recently approved act of the Sicilian Government concerning a plan of health interventions in Biancavilla will favour cooperation between national, regional and local health institutions with the common goal of improving the quality and appropriateness of diagnostic and therapeutics procedures offered by the health services

Gingival crevicular blood as a potential screening tool: a cross sectional comparative study.

Background: Diabetes is known to be one of the major global epidemic diseases, significantly associated with mortality and morbidity worldwide, conferring a substantial burden to the health care system. The epidemiological transition of this chronic disease tends to worsen unless preventive health strategies are implemented. Appropriate screening devices and standardized methods are crucial to prevent this potentially inauspicious life condition. Currently, the glucometer is the conventional device employed for blood glucose level determination that outputs the blood glucose reading. Glucometer performed in the dental oce may be an important device in screening diabetes, so it can be addressed during a periodontal examination. Because gingival blood is a useful source to detect the glucose level, the focus is placed on the opportunity that might provide valuable diagnostic information. This study aimed to compare gingival crevicular blood with finger-stick blood glucose measurements using a self-monitoring glucometer, to evaluate whether gingival crevicular blood could be an alternative to allow accurate chairside glucose testing. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was performed among a 31–67-year-old population. Seventy participants with diagnosed type 2 diabetes and seventy healthy subjects, all with positive bleeding on probing, were enrolled. The gingival crevicular blood was collected using a glucometer to estimate the blood glucose level and compared with finger-stick blood glucose level. Results: The mean capillary blood glucose and gingival crevicular blood levels from all samples were, respectively, 160.42 31.31 mg/dL and 161.64 31.56 mg/dL for diabetic participants and 93.51 10.35 mg/dL and 94.47 9.91 mg/dL for healthy patients. In both groups, the dierence between gingival crevicular blood and capillary blood glucose levels was non-significant (P < 0.05). The highly significant correlation between capillary blood glucose and gingival crevicular blood (r = 0.9834 for diabetic patients and r = 0.8153 for healthy participants) in both the groups was found. Conclusions: Gingival crevicular blood test was demonstrated as a feasible and useful primary screening tool test for detecting diabetes and for glucose estimation in non-diabetic patients. Use of gingival crevicular blood for screening is an attractive way of identifying a reasonable option of finger-stick blood glucose measurement under the appropriate circumstances. Rapid assessment may precede diagnostic evaluation in diabetic as well as healthy patients with acute severe bleeding. In addition, gingival crevicular blood levels may be needed to monitor the diabetic output

TELERILEVAMENTO MULTISPETTRALE DA DRONE PER IL MONITORAGGIO DELLE COLTURE IN AGRICOLTURA DI PRECISIONE. UN’APPLICAZIONE ALLA CIPOLLA ROSSA DI TROPEA

Recently, the International Society for Precision Agriculture (ISPA) defined Precision Agriculture (PA) as ‘a management strategy that gathers, processes and analyses temporal, spatial and individual data and combines it with other information to support management decisions according to estimated variability for improved resource use efficiency, productivity, quality, profitability and sustainability of agricultural production’. In the framework of PA the present paper shows a specific case study applied to the red onion of Tropea (Cipolla Rossa di Tropea) crop. The aim was the monitoring of fields using multispectral imagery acquired by a fixed-wings UAV, and through the use of different vegetation indexes. Multitemporal surveys were carried out using the eBee fixed-wing UAV, equipped with a multispectral camera Sequoia Parrot (R-G-RedEdge-NIR). UAV MS imagery were calibrated using a panel with known reflectance and verified with spectroradiometer measurements using the Apogee Ps-300 on bare soil and vegetation. The UAV monitoring has been implemented on three surveys carried out from November 2018 to January 2019. The results of the analysis of the three datasets showed a high correlation of GNDVI and NDVI vegetation indexes with SAVI. Therefore, the latter was chosen to analyse the vegetative vigour by applying the VI to onion crop’s masks extracted after segmentation and classification of the three images by a geographical object-based image classification (GEOBIA). The obtained results are promising although additional experiments are expected

Application of field surveys and multitemporal in-SAR interferometry analysis in the recognition of deep-seated gravitational slope deformation of an urban area of Southern Italy

The analysis of 4 year In-SAR Interferometry images and a detailed geomorphological survey have been carried out to detect a large Deep-Seated Gravitational Slopes (DSGSD) affecting the urban area of the Episcopia village, in Southern Italy. The DSGSD largely develops within phyllites of the Liguride Units and, in the upper slope, within Pleistocene sand and conglomerate deposits of the Sant'Arcangelo Basin. Field survey has shown trenches at the top and an evident bulge at the base of the DSGSD, corresponding to the Talweg of the Sinni River. Geological and geomorphological field surveys allowed us to hypothesize a listric geometry of the DSGSD subsurface plane reaching about 700 m of depth. Furthermore, the multi-temporal In-SAR Interferometry analysis collected from November 2014 to May 2017 revealed that a ground deformation of ±30 mm was occurred, and the process is still active in the whole area