Hydrogen blending effect on fiscal and metrological instrumentation: A review

A green hydrogen (H2) economy requires a sustainable, efficient, safe, and widespread infrastructure for transporting and distributing H2 from production to consumption sites. Transporting a hydrogen/natural gas (H2NG) mixture, including pure H2, through the existing European natural gas (NG) infrastructure is considered a cost-effective solution, particularly in the transitional phase. Several reasons justify the H2NG blending option. The NG infrastructure can be efficiently repurposed to transport H2, by blending H2 with NG, to operate as H2 daily storage, matching production and demand and to enable large-scale seasonal H2 storage. Although many benefits exist, the potential of existing NG grids for transporting and distributing green H2 may face limitations due to technical, economic, or normative concerns. This paper focuses on the state of the art of the European NG transmission and distribution metrology normative framework and identifies the gaps to be filled in case of H2NG flowing into the existing grids. The paper was revised to provide a comprehensive analysis of the practical implications resulting from the H2NG blend option

A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DIVERSITY STUDY IN PLANT COMMUNITIES OF SOME NATURAL PARKS.

UPPSALA, SWEEDE

FLORISTIC AND PHYTOGEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY IN SOME PROTECTED AREAS IN ITALY.

The aim of this paper is to study the distribution of plant chorotypes in some protected areas located in two bioclimatic regions of Italy, the Euro-Siberian and the Mediterranean, which are representative of different types of protection and habitats. The flora of 26 areas were examined and 3 800 species entered into a data bank, set up using a DBase III Plus system. The floristic and phytogeographical diversity was analyzed with specific software and their relationships were considered in order to characterize the environmental quality of protected areas studied through diversity and naturalness. The data obtained showed that environmental quality is more critical in the Quercetea ilicis communities of Mediterranean protected areas and in the relics of Querco-Carpinetum in the alluvial plain of the Po Valley.Dans cette étude, les auteurs ont analysé la flore de 26 espaces protégés d’Italie, soumis à différents régimes de protection, localisés dans deux régions bioclimatiques : eurosibérienne au nord et méditerranéenne au sud. Ces espaces sont caractérisés respectivement par des milieux alpins, montagnards et de plaines humides, ainsi que par des milieux franchement méditerranéens et méditerranéo-montagnards (Apennins). Les flores ont été examinées du point de vue chorologique et les 3800 espèces ont été archivées dans une banque de données Dbase III Plus. On a analysé à l’aide d’un logiciel la diversité floristique et phytogéographique, puis on a étudié leur corrélation, dans le but de donner une mesure de la qualité de l’environnement en fonction de la diversité floristique et de son caractère naturel. Les résultats montrent que la condition la plus critique, du point de vue de la vulnérabilité de l’environnement, se retrouve dans les communautés méditerranéennes des Quercetea ilicis et celles relictuelles de Querco-Carpinetum de la plaine alluviale de la vallée du Pô.Testi Anna, Napoleone Ileana, Cigni Adriana. Floristic and phytogeographical diversity in some protected areas in Italy. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 22 n°3-4, 1996. pp. 81-100

Blood to skin recirculation of CD4(+) memory T cells associates with cutaneous and systemic manifestations of psoriatic disease

Blood to skin recirculation could play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. To investigate this possibility we dissected the phenotype of circulating T cells in psoriasis patients, calculated the correlation the clinical parameters of the disease and performed a parallel bioinformatics analysis of gene expression data in psoriatic skin. We found that circulating CCR6(+) CD4(+) TEM and TEFF cells significantly correlated with systemic inflammation. Conversely, the percentage of CXCR3(+) CD4(+) TEM cells negatively correlated with the severity of the cutaneous disease. Importantly CLA(+) CD4(+) TCM cells expressing CCR6(+) or CCR4(+)CXCR3(+) negatively correlated with psoriasis severity suggesting recruitment to the skin compartment. This assumption was reinforced by gene expression data showing marked increase of CCR7 and CLA-encoding gene SELPLG expression in psoriatic skin and strong association of their expression. The data enlightens a role for CD4(+) T cells trafficking between blood and skin in cutaneous and systemic manifestations of psoriasis

Functional upper airway space endoscopy: A prognostic indicator in obstructive sleep apnea treatment with mandibular advancement devices

Purpose: The use of a mandibular advancement device (MAD) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a consolidated therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of awake upper airways (UA) functional endoscopy in identifying the outcome of MAD therapy. Methods: This observational prospective study included 30 adult OSA patients, all patients underwent pre-treatment awake UA functional endoscopy, during the exam subjects were instructed to advance their mandible maximally, and they were divided into three different groups according to the response of the soft tissue, group A (expansion), group B (stretch), group C (unchanged). The results of this test were used in combination with other noninvasive indexes to predict the treatment outcome in terms of apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) reduction. Results: We found that a substantial AHI reduction occurred in group A and group B while e slight AHI reduction was measured in group C. Conclusion: Based on our experience the awake UA endoscopy is a valid prognostic exam for discriminating responder and non-responder patients; in addition our results indicate the possibility of predicting a range of post-treatment AHI index values