Vernacular architecture and seismic risk. The case of Mugello in Tuscany

[EN] Vernacular architecture contemplates by its nature a variety of forms and construction techniques self- designed by the communities that inhabit it in response to specific needs. In Tuscany, an area with a me- dium-high seismic risk and a long seismic tradition such as Mugello, local building techniques can be identified with a common purpose: to improve the resistance of buildings. Using traditional techniques, the vernacular architecture of this area has seen the use of particular expedients as protective measures, in some cases adopted precisely in response to the movements and stresses to which buildings in this area may be subjected. In the past, the choice of appropriate materials together with traditional building sys- tems has played in some cases a precise role in preserving architecture from damage due to telluric events, through the practice of ancient constructive knowledge. In the territory of analysis, the systems or constructive elements adopted in the examples of vernacular architecture would lead to the identification of an already present concept of safeguarding structures and their use would prove the awareness of local workers with respect to the specific static functions to be performed. The documentation on tradi- tional construction systems inherent to the historical building therefore becomes a fundamental investiga- tion tool for the knowledge of the building. In this sense, the analysis of the material and construction characteristics of the local architecture allows to have a definition of the methods adopted over time in relation to the context and to establish their compatibility with the material culture of the territory in the individual restoration interventions.Bordoni, P. (2022). Vernacular architecture and seismic risk. The case of Mugello in Tuscany. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 773-780. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.1436977378

A rare case of true carcinosarcoma of the breast

AbstractBackgroundTrue carcinosarcoma of the breast is an extremely rare condition, accounting for 0.08–0.2% of all breast malignancies.The correct definition of this tumor requires both a carcinomatous component and a malignant non-epithelial component of mesenchymal origin, without evidence of a transition zone between the two elements.Case presentationWe present a case of a 49-year-old woman presenting with a 4cm mass at the level of her left breast upper-outer quadrant with a histologic diagnosis of true carcinosarcoma of the breast.DiscussionThe most appropriate therapeutic regimens for breast carcinosarcoma are still unclear because of the rarity of this condition, but Breast Conserving Treatment (BCT) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy seems to provide a prognosis equalling that of usual Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the breast

Site characterization of station IV.LAV9 (LANUVIO) of Italian National Seismic Network

Final report illustrating array measurements performed at IV.LAV9 station of the Italian national seismic network. This report is part of the Project: DPC-INGV 2016 agreement All. B2 Task B: Seismic characterization of accelerometric sites

Short- and long-term effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program in patients implanted with a left ventricular assist device

The efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation in heart-failure patients who received a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) instead of heart transplantation (HTx) is still unclear. This study aims to evaluate whether cardiac rehabilitation is beneficial in LVAD as HTx patients in the short term and whether its effects in LVAD patients persist over time. Twenty-five LVAD patients were evaluated by functional and psychological tests at admission (T0) and discharge (T1) of a 4-week inpatient structured rehabilitation program, and follow-ups 3 (T2), 6 (T3), and 12 months (T4) after discharge. Twenty-five matched HTx patients were also studied from T0 to T1 to compare the improvements in the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The quality-of-life scores substantially improved in LVAD patients and the 6MWT showed the same functional recovery as in HTx patients from T0 to T1. After T1, numerous LVAD patients withdrew from the study. However, the 6MWT outcome increased further from T1 to T3, with a positive trend during the follow-ups. Hemoglobin and the ventilatory performance increased, and the psychological perception of heart-failure symptoms and pain further improved at T2. In conclusion, exercise-based rehabilitation programs provide similar beneficial effects in LVAD and HTx patients, without deterioration in LVAD patients up to 12 months after discharge

Evaluation of human gene variant detection in amplicon pools by the GS-FLX parallel Pyrosequencer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A new priority in genome research is large-scale resequencing of genes to understand the molecular basis of hereditary disease and cancer. We assessed the ability of massively parallel pyrosequencing to identify sequence variants in pools. From a large collection of human PCR samples we selected 343 PCR products belonging to 16 disease genes and including a large spectrum of sequence variations previously identified by Sanger sequencing. The sequence variants included SNPs and small deletions and insertions (up to 44 bp), in homozygous or heterozygous state.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The DNA was combined in 4 pools containing from 27 to 164 amplicons and from 8,9 to 50,8 Kb to sequence for a total of 110 Kb. Pyrosequencing generated over 80 million base pairs of data. Blind searching for sequence variations with a specifically designed bioinformatics procedure identified 465 putative sequence variants, including 412 true variants, 53 false positives (in or adjacent to homopolymeric tracts), no false negatives. All known variants in positions covered with at least 30× depth were correctly recognized.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Massively parallel pyrosequencing may be used to simplify and speed the search for DNA variations in PCR products. Our results encourage further studies to evaluate molecular diagnostics applications.</p

Local site effects estimation at Amatrice (Central Italy) through seismological methods

We present the results of seismological and geophysical investigations performed by the “Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia” team operating in Amatrice village (Central Italy), in the emergency phases following the Mw 6.0 event of August 24th 2016, that caused severe damage in downtown and surrounding areas. Data from seven seismic stations equipped with both weak and strong motion sensors are analyzed in terms of standard spectral ratio to empirically define amplification function using a bedrock reference site. Ambient vibration spectral ratios between horizontal and vertical component of motion are also evaluated in a large number of sites, spread out in the investigated area, to recover the resonance frequency of the soft soil outcropping layers and to generalize the results obtained by earthquake data. Ambient noise vibration are also used for applying a 2D array approach based on surface waves techniques in order to define the near-surface velocity model and to verify its lateral variation. The results allows to better understand the amplification factors in the investigated area, showing spatial variation of site effects despite of the homogeneous shallow geological condition indicated by the microzonation studies available at moment of the described field campaign. The analysis reveals a diffuse amplification effect which reaches its maximum values in downtown area with a resonant frequency of about 2 Hz. The obtained results were used to integrate the microzonation studies and they can be used for urban planning and reconstruction activities.Published5713–57394T. Sismicità dell'ItaliaJCR Journa

Site effects estimation and their effects on strong ground motion at Amatrice village (Central Italy)

We present a summary of seismological and geophysical investigations at Amatrice (Central Italy), a village seated on an alluvial terrace and severely stroke by the Mw 6.0 event of August 24th 2016. The high vulnerability alone could not explain the heavy damage (X-XI MCS), whereas the vicinity of the seismic source and the peculiar site effects should be claimed to understand the ground motion variability. After the first mainshock, we investigated the Amatrice terrace for microzonation purposes together with several Italian institutions (Priolo et al., Bull. Earthquake Eng. 2019). In particular: (i) we installed 7 seismic stations as a part of the 3A network (DOI: 10.13127/SD/ku7Xm12Yy9; Cara et al., Sci. Data 2019); we performed (ii) an extensive campaign of 60 single-station ambient noise measurements (downtown stations recorded also few earthquakes), and (iii) several 2D passive seismic arrays aimed at obtaining Vs profiles down to a depth of few tens of meters (Milana et al., Bull. Earthquake Eng. 2019). Earthquake recordings were used to empirically evaluate ground motion amplification effects through spectral ratio approaches, and noise data were collected for defining the spatial distribution of the resonance frequencies. Data analysis reveals a diffuse amplification effect that reaches its maximum values in downtown area with a resonant frequency (f0) of about 2 Hz. Seismic amplification is also characterized by spatial variation and directional amplification, mainly in downtown to the west side of the alluvial terrace, and related to both stratigraphic and topographic effects. This effect tends to decrease and almost vanishes in the central part of the terrace, and it increases again moving towards its eastern edge with a clear shift of f0 towards higher frequencies. Empirical transfer functions were then used to recover the ground motion that could have hit the historical center of Amatrice during the August 24th mainshock, through the convolution with the only record in the vicinity (IT.AMT station experienced a PGA of 0.87 g). The reconstructed peak values are much greater than expected from ground motion models, showing that detailed studies on local site response can largely modify the seismic hazard assessment.PublishedSan Francisco, California (USA)4T. Sismicità dell'Italia5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismic

Human Haemato-Endothelial Precursors: Cord Blood CD34+ Cells Produce Haemogenic Endothelium

Embryologic and genetic evidence suggest a common origin of haematopoietic and endothelial lineages. In the murine embryo, recent studies indicate the presence of haemogenic endothelium and of a common haemato-endothelial precursor, the haemangioblast. Conversely, so far, little evidence supports the presence of haemogenic endothelium and haemangioblasts in later stages of development. Our studies indicate that human cord blood haematopoietic progenitors (CD34+45+144-), triggered by murine hepatocyte conditioned medium, differentiate into adherent proliferating endothelial precursors (CD144+CD105+CD146+CD31+CD45-) capable of functioning as haemogenic endothelium. These cells, proven to give rise to functional vasculature in vivo, if further instructed by haematopoietic growth factors, first switch to transitional CD144+45+ cells and then to haematopoietic cells. These results highlight the plasticity of haemato-endhothelial precursors in human post-natal life. Furthermore, these studies may provide highly enriched populations of human post-fetal haemogenic endothelium, paving the way for innovative projects at a basic and possibly clinical level. \uc2\ua9 2012 Pelosi et al

The bnt162b2 vaccine induces humoral and cellular immune memory to sars-cov-2 Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant in children 5 to 11 years of age

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines prevent severe COVID-19 by generating immune memory, comprising specific antibodies and memory B and T cells. Although children are at low risk of severe COVID-19, the spreading of highly transmissible variants has led to increasing in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations also in the youngest, but vaccine coverage remains low. Immunogenicity to mRNA vaccines has not been extensively studied in children 5 to 11 years old. In particular, cellular immunity to the wild-type strain (Wuhan) and the cross-reactive response to the Omicron variant of concern has not been investigated. We assessed the humoral and cellular immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine in 27 healthy children. We demonstrated that vaccination induced a potent humoral and cellular immune response in all vaccinees. By using spike-specific memory B cells as a measurable imprint of a previous infection, we found that 50% of the children had signs of a past, undiagnosed infection before vaccination. Children with pre-existent immune memory generated significantly increased levels of specific antibodies, and memory T and B cells, directed against not only the wild type virus but also the omicron variant

Sub-surface characterization of the Anphiteatrum Flavium Area (Rome, Italy) through single-station ambient vibration measurements

The Amphiteatrum Flavium in Rome (Italy) is one of the most known monument in the world. With the aim of understand the seismic response of the area where the Amphiteatrum Flavium is build and investigate possible soil-structure interactions, we performed a seismic experiment in 2014, based on ambient vibration (AMV) recordings. The measurements were performed at the original ground level, on the foundation and at different floors of the monument. Data were analyzed in terms of standard Fourier analysis (FAS) and horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique (H/V). Moreover, we performed an active P-wave seismic tomography analysis of the foundation materials to better understand their influence on the recorded signals. Our results point out that there is a strong temporal and spatial stability of the H/V curves, suggesting a uniform seismic response at the monument site. Conversely, spectral amplitudes of AMV show relevant temporal and spatial variability at the investigated site, due to the daily variations of AMV levels and to the low-pass filtering effect of the stiff Amphiteatrum Flavium foundation that strongly attenuates the signals for frequencies above 4 Hz, i.e. those mostly originated by traffic vibrations. Moreover, we observe that the main vibration frequencies of the super-structure are not present as energetic peaks in the spectra of the ground-motion recorded at its base