Applicazione della classificazione National Health Service Breast Screening Pathology (NHSBSP) nella comparazione cito-istologica dei tumori mammari della cagna = NHSBSP classification use in the correlation of canine mammary tumour cytology and histopathology

Canine mammary tumours (CMT) are the most common neoplasia in bitches. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a fast and inexpensive technique well-tolerated by animals. Few reports have shown how difficult cytological diagnosis of CMT is and how difficult benign or malignant tumours are to classify using FNAC. Cytological diagnosis has often been inconclusive in veterinary pathology. In the diagnosis of human breast cancer, FNAC efficacy is beyond doubt due to its high specificity. In this preliminary study, our aim is to evaluate the efficacy of NHSBSP classification, applied to CMT. Secondly, we wish to test the usefulness of H&H stain in FNAC for CMT diagnosis. 75 FNAC specimens, from 41 dogs with mammary tumours were examined. 72/75 underwent the NHSBSP classification Histological examination of the tumours was performed in each case for comparison purposes. All the CMTs fell under the five categories: C1 (3 cases), C2 (7 cases), C3 (38 cases), C4 (15 cases), C5 (9 cases). As regards H&H staining in our view it was more efficacious than M.G.G. staining in distinguishing morphological cell details. Our results showed that the NHSBSP classification gave a 94.4% correspondence level between cytological and histological findings

Battery models for battery powered applications: A comparative study

Battery models have gained great importance in recent years, thanks to the increasingly massive penetration of electric vehicles in the transport market. Accurate battery models are needed to evaluate battery performances and design an efficient battery management system. Different modeling approaches are available in literature, each one with its own advantages and disadvantages. In general, more complex models give accurate results, at the cost of higher computational efforts and time-consuming and costly laboratory testing for parametrization. For these reasons, for early stage evaluation and design of battery management systems, models with simple parameter identification procedures are the most appropriate and feasible solutions. In this article, three different battery modeling approaches are considered, and their parameters' identification are described. Two of the chosen models require no laboratory tests for parametrization, and most of the information are derived from the manufacturer's datasheet, while the last battery model requires some laboratory assessments. The models are then validated at steady state, comparing the simulation results with the datasheet discharge curves, and in transient operation, comparing the simulation results with experimental results. The three modeling and parametrization approaches are systematically applied to the LG 18650HG2 lithium-ion cell, and results are presented, compared and discussed

Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus infection in women from North Sardinia, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several disorders of the genital tract, skin and oropharynx. The aims of our study were to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in women between 15 and 54 years of age in North Sardinia, Italy, to identify the prevalence of High Risk - Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) genotypes and to establish a correlation between molecular and cytological results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2007 to 2009 we consecutively enrolled women aged 15-54 years admitted to public and private outpatient settings. All the participants filled in a questionnaire about the socio-cultural state, sexual activity and awareness about HPV. 323 cervical specimens were tested for HPV-DNA and HPV genotypes with INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping CE Amp kit. Samples showing positivity to some HPV genotypes were re-tested using "in house" quantitative Real-Time PCR assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall HPV-DNA positivity was detected in 35.9% of the women. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among HPV positive samples was 93.1% with a specific prevalence of HPV 16, 51, 31, 53 and 18 of 54.3%, 37.9%, 10.3%, 6.9% and 5.2%, respectively. Co-infection with any HPV, HR-HPV, LR-HPV and HR/LR-HPV type was 18.3%, 14.9%, 0.9% and 2.5%, respectively; HPV 16/51 co-infection was detected in 64.6% of the HR-HPV co-infection group. The most frequent HPV-genotypes detected were 16 (32.5%) and 51 (22.7%). Among the 57 patients harboring mono-infection the most prevalent HPV genotypes were 16 (38.6%) and 31(10.5%). A multivariate analysis identified a statistical significant association between HPV infection and age and between HPV infection and previous sexual transmitted diseases. A statistically significant association between cytological cervical lesions and generic HPV exposure was identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first survey evaluating the prevalence of HPV infection in Northern Sardinia and drawing attention to the unusual high proportion of genotype HPV 51. Given the recent implementation of a widespread immunization program with vaccines not containing HPV 51, it has been relevant to prove the high prevalence of this HPV genotype from the start of the vaccination campaign, in order to avoid in the future attributing to the vaccination program a possible selection effect (HPV replacement).</p

Vaccination coverage in healthcare workers: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Italy

IntroductionIn recent years, a phenomenon known as "vaccine hesitancy" has spread throughout the world, even among health workers, determining a reduction in vaccination coverage (VC). A study aimed at evaluating VC among healthcare workers (HCWs) in 10 Italian cities (L'Aquila, Genoa, Milan, Palermo, Sassari, Catanzaro, Ferrara, Catania, Naples, Messina) was performed.Materials and methodsAnnex 3 of the Presidential Decree n. 445 of 28 December 2000 was used to collect information on the vaccination status of HCWs. The mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated with regard to the quantitative variable (age), while absolute and relative frequencies were obtained for categorical data (sex, professional profile, working sector, vaccination status). The connection between VC and the categorical variables was evaluated by chi-square method (statistical significance at p&lt;0.05). The statistical analyses were performed by SPSS and Stata software.ResultsA total of 3,454 HCWs participated in the project: 1,236 males and 2,218 females. The sample comprised: physicians (26.9%), trainee physicians (16.1%), nurses (17.2%) and other professional categories (9.8%). Low VC was generally recorded. Higher VC was found with regard to polio, hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria, while coverage was very low for measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, chickenpox and influenza (20-30%). ConclusionsThis study revealed low VC rates among HCWs for all the vaccinations. Measures to increase VC are therefore necessary in order to prevent HCWs from becoming a source of transmission of infections with high morbidity and/or mortality both within hospitals and outside

Engineering Reconnaissance Following the October 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes - Version 2

Between August and November 2016, three major earthquake events occurred in Central Italy. The first event, with M6.1, took place on 24 August 2016, the second (M5.9) on 26 October, and the third (M6.5) on 30 October 2016. Each event was followed by numerous aftershocks. As shown in Figure 1.1, this earthquake sequence occurred in a gap between two earlier damaging events, the 1997 M6.1 Umbria-Marche earthquake to the north-west and the 2009 M6.1 L’Aquila earthquake to the south-east. This gap had been previously recognized as a zone of elevated risk (GdL INGV sul terremoto di Amatrice, 2016). These events occurred along the spine of the Apennine Mountain range on normal faults and had rake angles ranging from -80 to -100 deg, which corresponds to normal faulting. Each of these events produced substantial damage to local towns and villages. The 24 August event caused massive damages to the following villages: Arquata del Tronto, Accumoli, Amatrice, and Pescara del Tronto. In total, there were 299 fatalities (www.ilgiornale.it), generally from collapses of unreinforced masonry dwellings. The October events caused significant new damage in the villages of Visso, Ussita, and Norcia, although they did not produce fatalities, since the area had largely been evacuated. The NSF-funded Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) association, with co-funding from the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences at UCLA and the NSF I/UCRC Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) at BYU, mobilized a US-based team to the area in two main phases: (1) following the 24 August event, from early September to early October 2016, and (2) following the October events, between the end of November and the beginning of December 2016. The US team worked in close collaboration with Italian researchers organized under the auspices of the Italian Geotechnical Society, the Italian Center for Seismic Microzonation and its Applications, the Consortium ReLUIS, Centre of Competence of Department of Civil Protection and the DIsaster RECovery Team of Politecnico di Torino. The objective of the Italy-US GEER team was to collect and document perishable data that is essential to advance knowledge of earthquake effects, which ultimately leads to improved procedures for characterization and mitigation of seismic risk. The Italy-US GEER team was multi-disciplinary, with expertise in geology, seismology, geomatics, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering. The composition of the team was largely the same for the two mobilizations, particularly on the Italian side. Our approach was to combine traditional reconnaissance activities of on-ground recording and mapping of field conditions, with advanced imaging and damage detection routines enabled by state-of-the-art geomatics technology. GEER coordinated its reconnaissance activities with those of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), although the EERI mobilization to the October events was delayed and remains pending as of this writing (April 2017). For the August event reconnaissance, EERI focused on emergency response and recovery, in combination with documenting the effectiveness of public policies related to seismic retrofit. As such, GEER had responsibility for documenting structural damage patterns in addition to geotechnical effects. This report is focused on the reconnaissance activities performed following the October 2016 events. More information about the GEER reconnaissance activities and main findings following the 24 August 2016 event, can be found in GEER (2016). The objective of this document is to provide a summary of our findings, with an emphasis of documentation of data. In general, we do not seek to interpret data, but rather to present it as thoroughly as practical. Moreover, we minimize the presentation of background information already given in GEER (2016), so that the focus is on the effects of the October events. As such, this report and GEER (2016) are inseparable companion documents. Similar to reconnaissance activities following the 24 August 2016 event, the GEER team investigated earthquake effects on slopes, villages, and major infrastructure. Figure 1.2 shows the most strongly affected region and locations described subsequently pertaining to: 1. Surface fault rupture; 2. Recorded ground motions; 3. Landslides and rockfalls; 4. Mud volcanoes; 5. Investigated bridge structures; 6. Villages and hamlets for which mapping of building performance was performed

A Quasi-Z-Source-Based Inductive Power Transfer System for Constant Current/Constant Voltage Charging Applications

This article proposes a quasi-Z-source (qZS)-based Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) system for Electric Vehicles (EVs) charging applications. The IPT systems use the magnetic field to transfer power between two coils wirelessly, achieving improved reliability, safety and less environmental impact. Compared to the conventional IPT system, the proposed qZS-IPT system simultaneously achieves DC/DC regulation and DC/AC conversion through a single-stage conversion, thus lowering the cost and complexity of the system. Moreover, the reliability of the system is improved thanks to the qZS network shoot-though immunity and the reduced number of switches. To ensure the battery efficient charging and long service life, the constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) method is considered. With the proposed innovative modulation scheme, the qZS can easily change between buck and boost modes, respectively, lowering or increasing the secondary side current. A theoretical analysis is presented for system design. Simulation results based on a 25 kW (200 V/135 A) low duty EV charger are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Experimental tests are performed on a 150 W scale-down prototype to validate the analysis and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed qZS-IPT system for CC/CV chargers

Hybrid Energy Storage Modeling And Innovative Solutions For Energy Storage Management Systems

La presente tesi riguarda la modellazione di diverse fonti di accumulo di energia elettrica, in particolare batterie e supercondensatori (SC), e di nuove configurazioni di metodi di gestione di sistemi di accumulo di energia ibridi . Il crescente bisogno di domanda di energia e il desiderio di raggiungere uno sviluppo sostenibile, si riflettono nell'uso di Generatori Distribuiti (DG) basati sulle Fonti energetiche Rinnovabili (FER). L'uso di un controllo di supervisione intelligente e il raggruppamento locale della domanda e della generazione possono portare a notevoli miglioramenti nell'efficienza, affidabilità e resilienza del sistema elettrico. Il problema principale della DG basata sulle FER è la variazione naturale di alcune fonti rinnovabili, come il vento e il sole. Per ridurre l'impatto della generazione intermittente delle FER, la soluzione più efficace e pratica è l'impiego di sistemi di stoccaggio dell'energia.The present dissertation concerns about the modeling of different electrical energy storage sources, in particular batteries and supercapacitors (SCs), and of novel configurations of Hybrid Energy Storage Management Systems (HESMS). The growing need for energy demand and the desire to achieve sustainable development, are reflected in the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs)-based Distributed Generators (DG). The use of smart supervisory control and local clustering of demand and generation can lead to marked improvements in the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the electrical system. The main problem of RESs-based DG is the natural variation of some renewable sources, such as wind and solar. To reduce the impact of intermittent RES generation, the most effective and practical solution is the employment of Energy Storage Systems (ESSs)