Importanza e distribuzione spazio-temporale delle frazioni organiche disciolte dell\u27azoto e fosforo nel bacino del nord Adriatico

The effects of continental inputs and biological processes acting on dissolved inorganic (DIN and DIP) and organic (DON and DOP) nitrogen and phosphorus are discussed in the North-western Adriatic Sea. The allocthonous contributions of DIN are evidenced, particularly in winter, in the mixed layer (up to 18 μmol-N?dm-3) while the other fractions of nitrogen and phosphorous show behaviours which depend more on the biological activity in the marine environment. The presented. data evidence the importance of DON and DOP which can constitute, in this basin, up to 93% and 96% of the available nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Moreover, the phosphorus deficiency, when compared to nitrogen, has been evidenced not only in the inorganic fraction (DIN/DIP ratios from 25 up to 3000) but also in the organic fraction(DON/DOP ratios from 50 up to 1500). At last, spatial and seasonal trends of these parameters suggest the uncoupling between these nutrients and indicate a faster recycling of phosphorus with respect to nitrogen through the biological compartments of the ecosystem

Single injection dual phase CBCT technique ameliorates results of trans-arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular cancer

Cone-beam CT (CBCT) application to the field of trans-arterial chemoembolization has been recently the focus of several researches. This imaging modality is performed with a rotation of the C-arm around the patient, without needs of patient repositioning. Datasets are immediately processed, obtaining volumetric CT-like images with the possibility of post-processing and reconstruction of images. Dual phase CBCT recently introduced in clinical practice consists in a first arterial acquisition followed by a delayed acquisition corresponding to a venous phase. The introduction of this feature has overcome the limit of single-phase acquisitions, allowing lesions characterization. Moreover these recent advantages have several intra-procedural implications. Detailed technical and acquisition parameters will be widely exposed in this review with particular attention to: catheter positioning, acquisition delay, injection parameters, patient positioning and contrast dilution. Comparison with standard of practice second line imaging [multidetector computer tomography (MDCT) and MDCT/arteriography] demonstrate the capability of detecting occult nodules providing some clinical implications thus potentially identifying a sub set of patients with aggressive disease behaviour. Other intra-procedural advantages of dual phase CBCT usage consist in a better tumor feeder visualization, reduction of proper DSA and fluoroscopic time, suggestion the presence of an extrahepatic parasitic feeder thus resulting in a more accurate treatment. Finally, the volumetrical intraprocedural evaluation of accumulation of embolic agent has proved to be correlate with treatment response if compared with MRI

Distributions of pHT, total alkalinity and CO2 fugacity in the Adriatic Sea during the SESAME campaigns, winter and late summer 2008. CIESM

pH experimental data of good quality are still scarce in the Mediterranean as in the Adriatic Sea. Here are presented the results of two repeated surveys at basin scale, conducted within SESAME project, showing significant longitudinal and seasonal variabilities of the pH and other carbonate system parameters

New observations of CO2 - induced acidification in the northern Adriatic Sea.

In the Mediterranean area the North Adriatic is one of the most suitable sites for studying the response of marine pH to increased atmospheric CO2 levels because of its shallow depth and being exposed to strong cold winds during winter. During VECTOR VECSES 1 cruise (15 to 19 February 2008), pH and total alkalinity (AT) were measured over the North Adriatic basin. These data were compared with that collected during ASCOP 2 cruise (30 April to 8 May 1983), 25 years before. During ASCOP 2 cruise pH was determined at 25 ?C using a potentiometric method in NBS scale (pHNBS) while during VECSES 1 cruise it was measured by the spectrophotometric method (precision ? 0.003) and the results expressed on "total scale" at 25?C (pHT). To allow a comparison the pHNBS values were converted into the total scale and the reliability of the conversion was checked. Comparable North Adriatic dense water bodies were identified according to T, S and AOU data from both the datasets and the carbonate system parameters were compared. Results at 25?C showed an acidification of -0.063 pHT units from 1983 and 2008 and a decrease in carbonate ion concentration (-19.6Qmol kg-1), whereas total alcalinity (+ 74 Qmol kg-1), dissolved inorganic carbon (+ 110 Qmol kg-1) and CO2 (+ 108 Q atm) exhibited a net increase over the same period. The drivers of these changes were analyzed and the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration was identified as the main forcing that determined the acidification observed. It would correspond to an acidification rate of -0.0025 pH units/year, that is of the same order of magnitude of the rate measured in other oceanic regions. This study, even if it was based on the comparison of only two datasets spanning 25 years is the first published work (Luchetta et al., Chem. and Ecol., 2010, vol. 26, 1-17) assessing the ocean acidification process in the Mediterranean region and one of the few based on the analysis of experimental data

Toward an assessment of ocean acidification in the Adriatic sea and its impact on the biogeochemistry of marine carbonate system

The increase of CO2 amount in the atmosphere has created great concern: it will in all probability result in changes in temperature, precipitation and/or their seasonal amplitudes with consequences not only on sea level rise but also on chemical equilibrium of the CO2 system in seawater, mainly reducing pH and carbonate ion concentration (Ocean Acidification). The process is now well documented in field data from all around the world. However is not sufficiently witnessed in the Mediterreranean Sea, due to the scarcity of good quality data. On this concern, results for the Adriatic Sea are presented: from experimental measures of pH and total alkalinity, two seasonal pictures of pH and carbonate system parameters have been drawn. In addition, a pH decrease of 0.063 pHT units with related chemistry changes has been inferred in the North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) over the two last decades. These results, although preliminary, merit attention as confirm that N. A. sea has been affected by OA, being sensitive to the climate forcing. Potential impacts of OA are several and should be assessed, as many might even exacerbate hyopoxia/anoxia events, already affecting the area. OA might also affetc the food web, as the carbonate reduction has the potential to alter the distribution and abundance of marine organisms that use calcium carbonate to build their shells or skeletons (corals, plankton) and the organisms that depend on them for survival (fishes, marine mammals)

Carbonate chemistry dynamics and saturation states of calcium carbonate in the surface waters of the Adriatic Sea

The amount of high quality measured carbonate system properties (pH, TA, TCO2, fCO2) is so scarce in the Mediterranean Sea that is almost impossible to have any precise idea of their distribution throughout this semi-enclosed sea (Touratier & Goyet, 2010). The carbon chemistry is even more poorly known in the Adriatic Sea, although this basin is affected by the gradual process of ocean acidification (OA), at least in the northern part (Luchetta A. et al. 2010), receives the runoff of several rivers and hosts sites of dense water formation by two different mechanisms (bottom convection on the shallow shelf in the northern sub-basin and open sea deep convection in the southern sub-basin). This contribute presents the results of two cruises along the Adriatic Sea, in 2008, that investigated the carbonate chemistry dynamics of surface seawaters (pHT, TA and derived parameters as TCO2, fCO2, CO3=, HCO3-) and the saturation states with respect to aragonite (Ar) and calcite (Ca). The two campaigns were conducted under very different seasonal conditions: characteristic of wintry season in February, as shown by the low sea surface temperature (8?C<SST<14?C) and the high quite homogeneous density (29.15<<29.45) all along the basin, except on the western slope affected by river runoff, and conditions characteristic of late summer in October, as shown by the warm SST (17 ?C <SST<21 ?C) and the higher density stratification (26.5<<29.4) all along the basin. Surface waters exhibited large spatial and temporal variations in pHT (7.945<pH<8.100) and TA (2620 ?m/KgSW <TA< 2750 ?m/KgSW) at 25 ?C, as well as large variations at in situ temperature in fCO2 (230 ?atm< fCO2< 415 ?atm), TCO2 (2275 ?m/KgSW <TCO2<2450 ?m/KgSW), HCO3- (2075 ?m/KgSW< HCO3- < 2250 ?m/KgSW) and CO3= (195 ?m/KgSW < CO3=<265 ?m/KgSW ), depending on the main drivers (physical pump, biological processes, river runoff). The average in situ values of pHT, TCO2, CO3=, Ca and Ar exhibited by Adriatic surface waters in the two seasons have been compared to those of other oceanic regions (Feely et al. 2009), they show that Adriatic Sea contains the highest amount of dissolved inorganic carbon, thus assessing that Adriatic marine system is able to absorb significant amounts of atmospheric CO2. In the end, the computed saturation states of calcium carbonate are presented as an interesting example of impacts of OA; actually such parameters have been shown to control the impacts of OA on many marine calcifying organisms. Ca and Ar largely vary (4.75<Ca<6.45; 3.1<Ar<3.9) in space, within the same cruise, and in time, between the two seasons, in dependence of the major drivers. However their values, being well above the limit (=1)under which calcium carbonate dissolves, indicate a good environmental status for surface waters of the Adriatic Sea

Diffusion weighted imaging in cystic fibrosis disease: beyond morphological imaging

To explore the feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to assess inflammatory lung changes in patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) METHODS: CF patients referred for their annual check-up had spirometry, chest-CT and MRI on the same day. MRI was performed in a 1.5&nbsp;T scanner with BLADE and EPI-DWI sequences (b = 0-600&nbsp;s/mm(2)). End-inspiratory and end-expiratory scans were acquired in multi-row scanners. DWI was scored with an established semi-quantitative scoring system. DWI score was correlated to CT sub-scores for bronchiectasis (CF-CTBE), mucus (CF-CTmucus), total score (CF-CTtotal-score), FEV1, and BMI. T-test was used to assess differences between patients with and without DWI-hotspots

Two-dimensional kinematics in gait evaluation of Bardigiano Horse breeding stock

Kinematics studies the change of position of the body segments in space during a speci- fied time: motion is described quantitatively by linear and angular variables. The data are displayed graphi- cally. In this preliminary study the kinematics parameters at trot of an Italian horse breed are considered, in order to develop an objective method for gait analysis in field condition. Six Bardigiano mares were considered. Fourteen markers were glued on the left side of the standing mares at previously defined skel- etal reference points. The recordings were made using a video digital camera and analyzed using the SIMI Motion System. The obtained joint angle-time diagrams are similar to those found by other authors in other breeds. A horse showed an elbow motion diagram quite different from the others. The data were compared with judges scores. This study is a first step to obtain a reliable method for gait evaluation in this breed