The Effective Theory of Quantum Black Holes

We explore the quantum nature of black holes by introducing an effective framework that takes into account deviations from the classical results. The approach is based on introducing quantum corrections to the classical Schwarzschild geometry in a way that is consistent with the physical scales of the black hole and its classical symmetries. This is achieved by organizing the quantum corrections in inverse powers of a physical distance. By solving the system in a self-consistent way we show that the derived physical quantities, such as event horizons, temperature and entropy can be expressed in a well defined expansion in the inverse powers of the black hole mass. The approach captures the general form of the quantum corrections to black hole physics without requiring to commit to a specific model of quantum gravity.Comment: Revised version, added references, refined text and added explanatory footnote. 23 pages, 13 figure

Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Patients with Suspected COVID-19 in Emergency Department (RESILIENCY Study II)

COVID-19 may show no peculiar signs and symptoms that may differentiate it from other infective or non-infective etiologies; thus, early recognition and prompt management are crucial to improve survival. The aim of this study was to describe clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to those with other infective or non-infective etiologies. We performed a prospective study from March 2020 to February 2021. All patients hospitalized for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were prospectively recruited. All patients were evaluated according to a predefined protocol for diagnosis of suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary endpoint was evaluation of clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics associated or not with COVID-19 etiology at time of hospitalization in an emergency department. A total of 1036 patients were included in the study: 717 (69%) patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 319 (31%) without COVID-19, hospitalized for other causes. The main causes of hospitalization among non-COVID-19 patients were acute heart failure (44%) and bacterial pneumonia (45.8%). Overall, 30-day mortality was 9% among the COVID-19 group and 35% in the non-COVID-19 group. Multivariate analysis showed variables (fever > 3 days, dry cough, acute dyspnea, lymphocytes 250 ng/mL) independently associated with COVID-19 etiology. A decision tree was elaborated to early detect COVID-19 patients in the emergency department. Finally, Kaplan-Meier curves on 30-day survival in COVID-19 patients during the first wave (March-May 2020, n = 289 patients) and the second wave (October-February 2021, n = 428 patients) showed differences between the two study periods (p = 0.021). Patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 may show peculiar characteristics at time of hospitalization that could help physicians to distinguish from other infective or non-infective etiologies. Finally, a different 30-day mortality rate was observed during different periods of the pandemic

Requirements analisys of a bike sharing system based on ITS applications

Pubblicato su CD con codice paper 321

The Effective Theory of Quantum Black Holes

We explore the quantum nature of black holes by introducing an effective framework that takes into account deviations from the classical results. The approach is based on introducing quantum corrections to the classical Schwarzschild geometry in a way that is consistent with the physical scales of the black hole and its classical symmetries. This is achieved by organizing the quantum corrections in inverse powers of a physical distance. By solving the system in a self-consistent way we show that the derived physical quantities, such as event horizons, temperature and entropy can be expressed in a well defined expansion in the inverse powers of the black hole mass. The approach captures the general form of the quantum corrections to black hole physics without requiring to commit to a specific model of quantum gravity

Assessing the Sorting Efficiency of Plastic Packaging Waste in an Italian Material Recovery Facility: Current and Upgraded Configuration

The first step in reintroducing plastic waste into the recycling cycle is to use material recovery facilities (MRFs). However, while the composition and types of plastic waste are changing over time, the layout of MRFs does not always adapt to this change. In this paper, an existing MRF in Southern Italy was chosen as a reference to evaluate its current performance and to estimate possible improvements in sorting through a specific upgrade. First, an analysis of the amount, composition, and sources (in terms of type of waste and distance from the MRF) of the input waste was conducted. The composition of the input waste was then compared with the amount of selected output waste streams in order to calculate the current sorting efficiency of each stream and compare it with the values obtained from the upgrade. Lastly, the current performance of the plant was compared with a previous assessment of the same MRF in order to highlight possible variation. Results showed how the incoming waste was mainly composed of packaging plastic waste, and that some plastic waste not yet selected by the plant ended up in specific output streams. Therefore, the current performance of the MRF resulted high for PET and PE bottles (80.2% and 92.8%, respectively), in contrast to mixed or flexible packaging, where the efficiency achieved lower values (55–50%). These values were caused by a weakness in the 2D flow sorting line, which the upgrade mostly addressed. The upgraded configuration increased the production of recyclable waste from 34.32% to 50.39%, especially due to the recovery of small flexible packaging films in PE and biopolymers

Spaceport and Ground Segment assessment for enabling operations of suborbital transportation systems in the Italian territory

Italy, as well as many other countries, has increasing interest in Commercial Space Transportation and in particular, in suborbital flights. A suborbital space transportation system is an opportunity to involve the Italian industry in the development of new technologies, exploit opportunities of microgravity experimentation and pilots/astronauts training, as well as catalyse the national industry. The central position of Italy in the Mediterranean basin, the generically favourable climate condition, the touristic vocation resulting in hospitality at the highest level, pretty much allow year round suborbital operations and unique customer experience. Consequently, Italy appears to be a suitable location to host a Spaceport, even though the density of population has to be factored in as a key aspect, together with a proper environmental assessment. This paper outlines the current Italian approach that, instead of focusing on the development of new Spaceport from scratch, evaluates the capabilities of existing airports and their possible upgrades to achieve the Spaceport license, when a proper regulatory frame is established. Advances in the technical activities that are being conducted to assess various Italian sites of interest are described, including trade off methodologies and ranking criteria. Different aspects are considered, from the availability of civil and military airports, to the identification of the best location between coastline or inland sites but, first of all, in compliance to the safety requirements. Some specific Spaceport infrastructure and operational aspects are described, along with their integration with the already existing ones. These include hangars, propellant storage facilities, ground support equipment, high and low airspace surrounding the airport area, ascent and descent corridors, as well as tracking telemetry station to support specific mission profiles in integrated fashion with the existing airport infrastructure and air traffic. The paper will also describe the approach to the definition of a harmonized cooperative regulatory framework, according to the Aviation Authority, that represents the basis to assess suborbital operations and allows the relevant missions execution. In this activity, basing upon an established Memorandum of Cooperation between FAA, ENAC and the Italian Space Agency, the existing FAA/AST regulatory work frame is considered as reference benchmark and further tailored to the Italian case. Some considerations will also be developed relevant to initial challenges to be faced, by interested stakeholders, in starting commercial spaceflight initiatives as a new ground and emerging business opportunity

Neonato con tumore miofibroblastico infiammatorio associato a trombocitopenia

Neonato di sesso maschile, nato a termine da parto eutocico. Gravidanza insorta da ICSI omologa, normodecorsa. IgG materne per CMV positive, IgM negative. Sierologia materna per toxoplasma, treponema, HIV e HCV, HBsAg, tamponi vagino-rettali negativi. Apgar 9-10, riscontro di tumefazione ovalare dell’avambraccio sinistro, dura, disomogenea, calda, con cute sovrastante integra. Contemporaneo riscontro di piastrinopenia (PLT 9000). PCR per CMV, EBV, ADV su sangue, indici infiammatori ed emocoltura negativi. Principali anticorpi anti-piastrine assenti. Eco-encefalo, eco-addome e radiografia del torace nella norma. Un’ecodoppler della tumefazione evidenziava una formazione espansiva di 35x21x25 mm, con margini lineari, ecostruttura disomogenea e accentuati segnali vascolari, in sede sovrafasciale. Una RM confermava un quadro suggestivo per anomalia vascolare. Veniva formulata l’ipotesi che si trattasse di emangioendotelioma kaposiforme e si attribuiva la trombocitopenia ad una verosimile sindrome di Kasabach-Merritt. Dopo l’asportazione della lesione all’analisi istologica veniva posta diagnosi di tumore miofibroblastico infiammatorio infantile. Normalmente la sindrome di Kasabach-Merritt si associa all’emangioendotelioma kaposiforme, mentre il tumore miofibroblastico infiammatorio si presenta spesso associato a trombocitosi, veniva quindi meno l’ipotesi diagnostica posta per l’eziologia della piastrinopenia. Per il persistere della piastrinopenia si approfondiva con: antigeni/anticorpi HIV, sottopopolazioni linfocitarie ed immunità umorale, dosaggio di LDH, creatinina, tutti risultati nella norma. L’aspirato midollare metteva in evidenza midollo a cellularità discreta, non elementi indifferenziati, rari megacariociti, numerosi aggregati piastrinici (recente terapia trasfusionale con concentrati piastrinici), esami genetici in corso. All’esame istologico della biopsia midollare si riscontrava midollo emopoietico con normale rappresentazione delle popolazioni cellulari. PCR per CMV, EBV, Parvovirus B19 e HHV6 su midollo osseo negative. All’immunofenotipo su aspirato midollare non rilevate popolazioni anomale. Venivano quindi escluse altre cause più rare di piastrinopenia quali la trombocitopenia amegacariocitica congenita (TAMC). Considerata l’origine periferica, venivano somministrate immunoglobuline endovena per due giorni consecutivi, con risoluzione della piastrinopenia. Discussione: Nel nostro caso i principali anticorpi antipiastrine risultavano assenti e si era ipotizzato che la piastrinopenia fosse dovuta alla sindrome di Kasabach-Merritt. La diagnosi istologica della lesione è risultata però essere di tumore miofibroblastico infiammatorio, normalmente non associato a trombocitopenia; quest’ultima tra l’altro persisteva nonostante l’escissione della lesione. Esami di secondo livello hanno permesso di identificare la condizione come periferica. Nonostante l’assenza dei principali anticorpi antipiastrine, si è deciso di somministrare immunoglobuline. Tale strategia ha portato alla immediata e persistente risalita dei valori delle piastrine, confermando quindi la diagnosi di trombocitopenia causata da anticorpi antipiastrine. Si ribadisce quindi la possibilità di interpretare la piastrinopenia come alloimmune anche se gli autoanticorpi principali dovessero risultare negativi. Nei laboratori generalmente vengono valutati i principali e non tutti i possibili anticorpi antipiastrine, tale esame rappresenta quindi un primo screening e per quanto la sua normalità ci possa far protendere verso altre diagnosi non dovrebbe far escludere a priori dalle possibili diagnosi differenziali la trombocitopenia causata da anticorpi contro le piastrine. Nel nostro specifico caso vista l’età del paziente si trattava verosimilmente di una NATP (Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenic Purpura), considerando anche il fatto che l’anamnesi patologica materna negativa per trombocitopenia permetteva teoricamente di escludere una ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) materna

Cultivar classification of Apulian olive oils: Use of artificial neural networks for comparing NMR, NIR and merceological data

The development of an efficient and accurate method for extra-virgin olive oils cultivar and origin authentication is complicated by the broad range of variables (e.g., multiplicity of varieties, pedo-climatic aspects, production and storage conditions) influencing their properties. In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were applied on several analytical datasets, namely standard merceological parameters, near-infra red data and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) fingerprints, obtained on mono-cultivar olive oils of four representative Apulian varieties (Coratina, Ogliarola, Cima di Mola, Peranzana). We analyzed 888 samples produced at a laboratory-scale during two crop years from 444 plants, whose variety was genetically ascertained, and on 17 industrially produced samples. ANN models based on NMR data showed the highest capability to classify cultivars (in some cases, accuracy > 99%), independently on the olive oil production process and year; hence, the NMR data resulted to be the most informative variables about the cultivars