Encefalopatia ipertensiva cronica (EIC): sensibilita\u300 delle sequenze GE-T2* a confronto con le SWI nell'identificazione dei micro-sanguinamenti

L'EIC e\u300 caratterizzata dalla presenza di lesioni parenchimali irreversibili, risultato di una lunga esposizione a regimi pressori patologici specie in pazienti che non seguono o non rispondono alle comuni terapie mediche. Si riscontrano quali reperti tipici multipli esiti gliotici, leucoaraiosi e multiple lesioni lacunari con predilezione per le localizzazioni profonde ai nuclei lenticolari, ai talami e al ponte. Piu\u300 raramente possono evidenziarsi minuti foci emorragici parenchimali, piu\u300 frequentemente localizzati nei gangli della base ma anche nel ponte e nel cervelletto, che in alcuni casi possono rappresentare la manifestazione principale della patologia: questi microsanguinamenti, visibili incostantemente in TC, sono classicamente ben individuabili in RM come aree di netta ipointensita\u300 di segnale in GRE (Gradient Recalled Echo) T2* pesate. Scopo del nostro lavoro e\u300 quello di presentare due casi in cui l'EIC si manifesta prevalentemente con un quadro micro-emorragico confrontando la sensibilita\u300 delle convenzionali sequenze GRE T2* pesate con sequenze sensibili al fenomeno della suscettivita\u300 magnetica (Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging, SWI) di piu\u300 recente introduzione nella routine diagnostica

WASTE PLASTICS MANAGEMENT IN MUNICIPALITIES: LOGISTICS AND PROCESSES IN LOMBARDIA (NORTHERN ITALY)

A partnership of 49 Municipalities lying in Lombardia (Northern Italy) and belonging to the District \u201cMonza and Brianza\u201d has entrusted the management of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to two Public Companies: \u201cC.E.M. Ambiente S.p.A.\u201d - which owns and operates a transfer station and a multi-material centre - and \u201cSERUSO S.p.A.\u201d, whose single facility is set up and equipped for a high performance factory sorting of the dry fraction of the urban waste. The catchment area is populated by 448 000, living in an area of 366 km2. The management system starts with household sorting for multi-bin curbside collection; followed by hauling to selection and physical treatment facilities; and last, transport of the selected fractions to final destinations. The yearly throughput of \u201cC.E.M. Ambiente\u201d is about 296 000 t, of which over 70% home-sorted. Extra-CEM customers add to this amount about 40 000 t/yr. When calculated on the partner municipalities, the waste generation rate is almost 1.8 kg/capita per day including waste from craftsmen and workshops. Less than 1% of the collected waste goes to landfill and about 8% to incineration with energy recovery (WTE). Since \u201cC.E.M. Ambiente\u201d operates mainly the logistics, however; and part of the materials recovery is actually made downstream its gate at \u201cSERUSO\u201d facility, where some by-products are unavoidably generated; the overall share of WTE will be slightly higher. Electric energy produced from the combustible by-products of \u201cC.E.M. Ambiente\u201d and \u201cSERUSO\u201d covers largely the energy needs of the recovery and cleaning processes. It is worthwhile stressing that in this district also waste from street sweeping \u2013 as much as 8 200 t/yr \u2013 is turned into sand, gravel and like for civil works. \u201cC.E.M. Ambiente\u201d uses also fuel energy, to operate collection and hauling vehicles and factory handling machines, all of them powered by Diesel engines. Fuel requirements for TS and MMC in 2011 were 78 405 and 14 605 litres, respectively. Regrettably, these needs cannot be satisfied in any way with recovered energy

The safety assessment of Campotosto Lake dams following 2016-2017 seismic sequence in Central Italy. Focus on Poggio Cancelli embankment dam

The Campotosto Lake is one of the biggest reservoirs of Europe, with a storage capacity exceeding 200 million of m3. The natural original lake was confined with three large dams owned by Enel. In the recent past, the lake and the dams have been subjected to a series of seismic events known as the seismic sequence of L'Aquila in 2009 and the seismic sequence of Central Italy in 2016-17. Following the last one, Enel promptly decided to temporarily lower the water level to carry out surveys, measurements and automatic monitoring activities. Based on available data, in order to verify, ensure and asseverate the safety conditions of the dams and the lake’s slopes, a series of multi-disciplinary studies and in-depth analysis were specifically conducted. Detailed studies were developed for the Poggio Cancelli embankment dam: geotechnical surveys, geophysical in situ tests and “advanced” laboratory tests in order to define at best the foundation soil characteristics, thus reasonably excluding the liquefaction risk applying sophisticated methods of analysis. Moreover, InSAR analysis allowed to retrieve the displacement history of the sites and confirmed the topographic measurements taken before and after the earthquakes. Displacement data, together with the real accelerograms recorded at the dam toe were used for a back analysis of the settlements by means of a FEM model of the dam. With this validated model, it was possible to simulate the seismic response of the embankment in the catastrophic scenario represented by the worst expected earthquake at the site. However, recent and important research contributed to establish the position and associated potential magnitude of the Campotosto fault. They indicate that the seismic scenario adopted by our analysis is precautionary, therefore our results are conservative. Seismic assessments on the other dams and InSAR analysis of the slopes surrounding the reservoir were also carried out. All these studies were concluded in 2020 showing good results and satisfactory safety factors, allowing Enel to set up again Campotosto reservoir to normal water levels

Empathic and cognitive processing in people with schizophrenia: a study on an Italian sample

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among empathy processes in terms of self-report empathy evaluation and recognition of emotional cues and Theory of Mind components. We used the Empathy Quotient – short form (EQ-s), the Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA) system, a (ToM) Irony appreciation task and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), respectively. The Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) were also used to investigate the relationship with symptomatology and functioning. The sample consisted of 30 participants with diagnosis of schizophrenia. Our results found no significant correlations between EQ-s and other cognitive or clinical variables. PoFA total score and recognition of fear correlated with time spent to give a correct response to the ToM irony comprehension. Time spent to correctly respond to both ToM and physical vignettes correlated with negative symptoms. Positive, negative and cognitive clusters of the PANSS correlated with the GAF. The relationships we found among the considered constructs suggest that empathic processing acts on functionality improving the personal efficiency, in terms of readiness and rapidity, to cope with one’s environment, in the multifaceted social setting. Given that emotion perception in particular has been connected to social competence, independent living and community functioning, it is conceivable that emotion processing may be a potential catalyst within the mindreading process, which can have an impact both on symptomatology and social functioning

Role of MDCT virtopsy in valuation of burned bodies and its comparison with traditional autopsy

The objective of virtopsy is not only to improve the objectivity of findings made by traditonal autopsy but also to solve those cases that are difficult to solve with conventional post-mortem examination. Modern cross-sectional imaging and postprocessing techniques can provide strong forensic evidence for use in legal proceedings; particularly we want to show how it can supplement traditional autopsy of burned cadavers, helping finding the primary cause of the death, the presence of foreign bodies and the identification of the corpses

Metacognition and emotion regulation as treatment targets in binge eating disorder: a network analysis study

Background: This study aims to examine the underlying associations between eating, affective and metacognitive symptoms in patients with binge eating disorder (BED) through network analysis (NA) in order to identify key variables that may be considered the target for psychotherapeutic interventions. Methods: A total of 155 patients with BED completed measures of eating psychopathology, affective symptoms, emotion regulation and metacognition. A cross-sectional network was inferred by means of Gaussian Markov random field estimation using graphical LASSO and the extended Bayesian information criterion (EBIC-LASSO), and central symptoms of BED were identified by means of the strength centrality index. Results: Impaired self-monitoring metacognition and difficulties in impulse control emerged as the symptoms with the highest centrality. Conversely, eating and affective features were less central. The centrality stability coefficient of strength was above the recommended cut-off, thus indicating the stability of the network. Conclusions: According to the present NA findings, impaired self-monitoring metacognition and difficulties in impulse control are the central nodes in the psychopathological network of BED whereas eating symptoms appear marginal. If further studies with larger samples replicate these results, metacognition and impulse control could represent new targets of psychotherapeutic interventions in the treatment of BED. In light of this, metacognitive interpersonal therapy could be a promising aid in clinical practice to develop an effective treatment for BED

Geophysical signature of a World War i tunnel-like anomaly in the Forni Glacier (Punta Linke, Italian Alps)

Global warming and the associated glacier retreat recently revealed the entrance to an ice\u2013rock tunnel, at an altitude of 3c3600 m a.s.l., in the uppermost portion of the Forni Glacier in the Central Italian Alps. The tunnel served as an entrance to an Austro-Hungarian cableway station excavated in the rocks during the Great War just behind the frontline. A comprehensive geophysical survey, based on seismic and ground-penetrating radar profiling, was then undertaken to map other possibleWorldWar I (WWI) remains still embedded in the ice. The ice\u2013rock interface was reconstructed over the entire saddle and in the uppermost portion of the glacier. A prominent linear reflector was surprisingly similar to the common response of buried pipes. The reflector orientation, almost longitudinal to the slope, does not seem to be compatible with a glacial conduit or with other natural features. Numerical simulations of a series of possible targets constrained interpretation to a partly water-filled rounded shape cavity. The presence of a preserved WWI tunnel connecting Mount Vioz and Punta Linke could be considered a realistic hypothesis. The Forni glacier could be still considered polythermal and comprised of cold ice without basal sliding in its top portion

A Sustainable Hydroxypropyl Cellulose-Nanodiamond Composite for Flexible Electronic Applications

Designing fully green materials for flexible electronics is an urgent need due to the growing awareness of an environmental crisis. With the aim of developing a sustainable, printable, and biocompatible material to be exploited in flexible electronics, the rheological, structural and charge transport properties of water-based hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC)-detonation nanodiamond (DND) viscous dispersions are investigated. A rheological investigation disclosed that the presence of the DND affects the orientation and entanglement of cellulose chains in the aqueous medium. In line with rheological analyses, the NMR diffusion experiments pointed out that the presence of DND modifies the hydrodynamic behavior of the cellulose molecules. Despite the increased rigidity of the system, the presence of DND slightly enhances the ionic conductivity of the dispersion, suggesting a modification in the charge transport properties of the material. The electrochemical analyses, performed through Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), revealed that the HPC-DND system is remarkably stable in the explored voltage range (−0.1 to +0.4 V) and characterized by a lowered bulk resistance with respect to HPC. Such features, coupled with the printability and filmability of the material, represent good requirements for the exploitation of such systems in flexible electronic applications