Ergodicity breaking in strong and network-forming glassy system

The temperature dependence of the non-ergodicity factor of vitreous GeO$_2$, $f_{q}(T)$, as deduced from elastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering experiments, is analyzed. The data are collected in a wide range of temperatures from the glassy phase, up to the glass transition temperature, and well above into the undercooled liquid state. Notwithstanding the investigated system is classified as prototype of strong glass, it is found that the temperature- and the $q$-behavior of $f_{q}(T)$ follow some of the predictions of Mode Coupling Theory. The experimental data support the hypothesis of the existence of an ergodic to non-ergodic transition occurring also in network forming glassy systems

Electrical Impedance Tomography and Prone Position During Ventilation in COVID-19 Pneumonia: Case Reports and a Brief Literature Review

At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases, with high needs of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. It is still unclear whether different types of COVID-19 pneumonia require different ventilator strategies. With electrical impedance tomography (EIT) we evaluated, in real time and bedside, the distribution of ventilation in the different pulmonary regions before, during, and after pronation in COVID-19 respiratory failure. We present a brief literature review of EIT in non-COVID-19 patients and a report of 2 COVID-19 patients: one that did not respond well and another one that improved during and after pronation. EIT might be a useful tool to decide whether prone positioning should or should not be used in COVID-19 pneumonia

Ion density fluctuations in liquid metals: the strongly interacting ion-electron plasma

An unified description of liquid metals dynamics based on an interacting two-component model for the ionelectron plasma is tempted. The propagation velocity of the collective modes in alkali and polyvalent metals, derived from inelastic neutron and x-rays scattering experiments, is compared with the estimates obtained by different theoretical approximations for the strongly-interacting plasma. Using accurate results for the electron gas correlation energy, and taking into account the ion finite size effects, a good overall description of a large set of liquid metals is obtained. The observed trend for the damping of the collective modes in liquid metals is also discussed within the framework of the two-component description.Робиться спроба узагальненого опису динамiки рiдких металiв на основi взаємодiючої двокомпонентної моделi для iон-електронної плазми. Швидкiсть поширення колективних мод у лужних та полiвалентних металах, отримана з експериментiв по непружному розсiянню нейтронiв та рентгенiвських променiв, порiвнюється з оцiнками, отриманими рiзними теоретичними наближеннями для сильно взаємодiючої плазми. Використовуючи точнi результати для кореляцiйної енергiї електронного газу та враховуючи ефекти скiнченого розмiру iонiв, отримано в цiлому добрий опис великого набору рiдких металiв. Спостережувана тенденцiя до згасання колективних мод у рiдких металах також обговорюється в рамках двокомпонентного опису

Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Eufortyn® Colesterolo Plus on Serum Lipids, Endothelial Reactivity, Indexes of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Systemic Inflammation in Healthy Subjects with Polygenic Hypercholesterolemia: The ANEMONE Study. Nutrients. 2022 May 18;14(10):209

We aimed to evaluate if dietary supplementation with a nutraceutical compound (Eufortyn® Colesterolo Plus) containing standardized bergamot polyphenolic fraction phytosome (Vazguard®), artichoke extract (Pycrinil®), artichoke dry extract. (Cynara scolymus L.), Q10 phytosome(Ubiqosome®) and zinc, could positively affect serum lipids concentration, systemic inflammation and indexes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 60 healthy subjects with polygenic hypercholesterolemia. Participants were adhering to a low-fat, low-sodium Mediterranean diet for a month before being randomly allocated to 8-week treatment with 1 pill each day of either Eufortyn® Colesterolo Plus or placebo. Dietary supplementation with Eufortyn® Colesterolo Plus was associated with significant improvement in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and endothelial reactivity (ER) in comparison with baseline, and with significant reductions in waist circumference, TC, LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, lipid accumulation product and fatty liver index compared to placebo. The study shows that dietary supplementation with standardized bergamot polyphenolic fraction phytosome, artichoke extracts, Q10 phytosome and zinc safely exerts significant improvements in serum lipids, systemic inflammation, indexes of NAFLD and endothelial reactivity in healthy subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia

Learning from the italian experience during covid-19 pandemic waves: Be prepared and mind some crucial aspects

COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide causing a serious challenge to the global medical community. Italy was struck hard during the first wave earlier this year and several weaknesses as well as general unpreparedness of the national healthcare system were acknowledged. Learning essential lessons from the past, we realized how implementing contingency response measures, human resources and social dynamics could have changed the outcome if promptly adopted. This review translates the previous experience into strategic actions that has to be considered when developing appropriate national and regional operational plans to respond to a pandemic

Efficacy and safety of Armolipid Plus®: an updated PRISMA compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Armolipid Plus® is a multi-constituent nutraceutical that claims to improve lipid profiles. The aim of this PRISMA compliant systematic review and meta-analysis was to globally evaluate the efficacy and safety of Armolipid Plus® on the basis of the available randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trials (RCTs). A systematic literature search in several databases was conducted in order to identify RCTs assessing the efficacy and safety of dietary supplementation with Armolipid Plus®. Two review authors independently identified 12 eligible studies (1050 included subjects overall) and extracted data on study characteristics, methods, and outcomes. Meta-analysis of the data suggested that dietary supplementation with Armolipid Plus® exerted a significant effect on body mass index (mean difference (MD) = -0.25 kg/m2, p = 0.008) and serum levels of total cholesterol (MD = -25.07 mg/dL, p < 0.001), triglycerides (MD = -11.47 mg/dL, p < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 1.84 mg/dL, p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = -26.67 mg/dL, p < 0.001), high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP, MD = -0.61 mg/L, p = 0.022), and fasting glucose (MD = -3.52 mg/dL, p < 0.001). Armolipid Plus® was well tolerated. This meta-analysis demonstrates that dietary supplementation with Armolipid Plus® is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in serum lipids, glucose, and hs-CRP. These changes are consistent with improved cardiometabolic health

Sand supply from shoreface to foredunes: aeolian transport measurements and morphological evolution of a Tuscany beach stretch (Italy)

The coastal dunes are a highly dynamic sedimentary environment characterized by a continuous time-space readjustment in terms of morphology, shape and dimension. This is mainly due to the periodic fluctuation of the volume of sand available and by the force of the deflation processes, which are in turn driven by the interplay among pattern of vegetation cover, surface roughness and local-regional wind regime. The aim of our research is to quantify the deflation, transport and deposition of sands in a natural coastal field dune system located in the northern coast of Tuscany, Italy. The northern part of the investigated area is characterized by stable coastline condition while southwards strong erosive processes took place since 1800 year. Sedimentological data come from a series of sand collectors spaced along transects orthogonal to the coastline from the backshore to the semi stable dune field. The collectors were constructed of PVC pipe 100 x height 10 cm, with two openings 7 cm wide and 50 cm tall arranged on opposite sides of the tube. Opening willing to windward served for sand collection, and to leeward, covered with a metal wire 60μm opening. Collectors were buried along, until the base of the free window coincide with the surface of the ground about 1,5 m. The sand trapped within each collector was sampled every two hours for three consecutive times. In laboratory sand samples were weighed and subject to grain size analysis by means of mechanical sieves. The local winds parameters and their fluctuation with the time were acquired through a Meteorological mobile station. The station is equipped with three ammeters located to three different heights from ground surface: 40, 120 and 180 cm. A wireless sensor allows the constant output of data (each 5 sec) to a device. Temperature, and relative humidity value are furnished every 30 minutes. Analysis of data has evidenced the time-space fluctuation of sand volume in the two study area (stable area and under erosion). Basing on this methodological approach the time-space fluctuation of sand volume experienced by the two study areas (stable area and under erosion) has been estimated

PM10 source apportionment based on PMF and chemical tracers during different cruises in Western Mediterranean

In the Western Mediterranean Basin, frequently exposed to high levels of air pollutants, an important source of pollution which influence the emission, is the intensive ship traffic. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC, EC) has started a long-term monitoring program along different years over the Mediterranean Sea based on observations from a cruise ship following a regular route in the Western Mediterranean, in collaboration with the Department of Physics of University of Genoa. In this framework, an intensive PM10 sampling campaign was organized in the summer of 2011, in order to fill in the gap of data recovered (in term of PM speciation) during the previous campaigns (Schembari et al., 2014) and to get a better and complete description of PM sources. During this campaign the route of the ship was Civitavecchia-Savona-Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca- Malta (Valletta)-Palermo-Civitavecchia (see Figure 1). The PM samples were collected on Quartz and Teflon filters (47mm diameter, flow rate 2.3 m3/h) using in parallel two Sven Leckel Ingenieurburo sequential samplers, placed on the top of the cabin where the monitoring and meteorological station was located. Samples were analyzed with different techniques: Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence at the Department of Physics of Genoa (Ariola et al, 2006); Ion Chromatography (Chow and Watson, 1999) at Department of Chemistry of University of Milan; Thermo-optical analysis (Birch and Cary, 1996) at the JRC laboratory. Ion Beam Analysis measurements of the Teflon filters sampled during the week of September 2011, using simultaneously PIXE, EBS and PESA techniques (Chiari, 2005), were performed at the 3 MV Tandetron accelerator of the LABEC laboratory of INFN in Florence. The data were used to identify and characterize the main PM10 sources along the ship route, with a focus on ship emissions, through apportionment Positive Matrix Factorization receptor modelling, PMF (Paatero et al, 1994). Particular attention was given to the evidence of emissions from heavy fuel oil combustion by ships, known to be an important source of secondary sulphate aerosol. Five sources of aerosol were resolved by the PMF analysis with a new database. The analysis allows distinguishing between secondary and primary particle mass resulting from ship emissions: V and Ni were found to be suitable tracers of heavy fuel oil combustion source during the campaign. The source having the largest impact on PM10 was identified as Sulphate source by PMF. The correlations between Sulphate and V and Ni showed the influence of ship emissions on sulphate in marine air masses