A factor analytic study of the Italian National Institute of Health Quality of Life – Core Evaluation Form (ISSQoL-CEF)

Objectives: The Italian National Institute of Health Quality of Life - Core Evaluation Form (ISSQoL-CEF) is a specific questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life for human immunodeficiency virus-infected people in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. The main goal of this study was to examine the construct validity of this questionnaire by confirmation of its hypothesized dimensional structure. Methods: Baseline quality of life data from four clinical studies were collected and a confirmatory factor analysis of the ISSQoL-CEF items was carried out. Both first-order and secondorder factor models were tested: Model 1 with nine correlated first-order factors; Model 2 with three correlated second-order factors (Physical, Mental, and Social Health); Model 3 with two correlated second-order factors (Physical and Mental/Social Health); Model 4 with only one second-order factor (General Health). Results: A total of 261 patients were surveyed. Model 1 had a good fit to the data. Model 2 had an acceptable fit to the data and it was the best of all hierarchical models. However, Model 2 fitted the data worse than Model 1. Conclusions: The findings of in this study, consistent with the results of previous study, pointed out the construct validity of the ISSQoL-CEF. © 2010 Lauriola et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd

Long term variations at Campi Flegrei (Italy) volcanic system highlighted by the monitoring of hydrothermal activity

Long time-series of chemical composition of fumaroles and of soil CO2 flux reveal that important variations in the activity of Solfatara fumarolic field, the most important hydrothermal site of Campi Flegrei, occurred in the 2000- 2008 period. A continuous increase of the CO2 concentration and a general decrease of the CH4 concentration are interpreted as the consequence of the increment of the relative amount of magmatic fluids, rich in CO2 and poor in CH4, hosted by the hydrothermal system. Contemporaneously the H2O-CO2-He-N2 gas system shows remarkable compositional variations in the samples collected after July 2000 with respect to the previous ones, indicating the progressive arrival at the surface of a magmatic component different from that involved in the 1983-84 bradyseism. The change starts in 2000 concurrently with the occurrence of relatively deep long periods seismic events which, in our interpretation, were the indicator of the opening of an easy pathway for the transfer of magmatic fluids towards the shallower, brittle domain hosting the hydrothermal system. Since 2000 this magmatic gas source is active and causes ground deformations, seismicity as well as the expansion of the area interested by diffuse soil degassing of deeply derived CO2

Sustained virologic response to direct-acting antiviral agents predicts better outcomes in hepatitis C virus-infected patients: A retrospective study

Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are extremely effective in eradicating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in chronically infected patients. However, the protective role of the sustained virologic response (SVR) achieved by second- and third-generation DAAs against the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and mortality is less well established

CARATTERIZZAZIONE MICROCHIMICA DELL’ INTERFACCIA FIBRA-MATRICE NEL COMPOSITO TI6AL4V-SICf

Il materiale composito costituito da una matrice Ti6Al4V, rinforzato con fibre lunghe di SiC (tipo SCS-6), è stato caratterizzato sia allo stato di fabbricazione che dopo trattamenti termici in vuoto. Attraverso la microanalisi EDS e la spettroscopia di fotoemissione (XPS) e Auger (AES), è stata determinata la concentrazione dei principali elementi, operando su sezioni metallografiche. Le analisi sono state eseguite in varie posizioni: tra le interfaccie di fibra, nel rivestimento in carbonio e nella matrice. I dati sperimentali nella zona di reazione sono stati discussi e confrontati con andamenti teorici

Analisi del comportamento a creep della superlega Nimonic 263

Il comportamento a creep della superlega Nimonic 263 è stato studiato a carico e temperatura costantenell’intervallo 750-30MPa/600-950°C. I risultati sperimentali hanno mostrato che la forma della curva dicreep dipende fortemente dalle sollecitazioni applicate. Nelle prove eseguite a sollecitazioni superiori al caricodi snervamento, le curve di creep consistono essenzialmente nel solo stadio primario/decelerante, mentre persollecitazioni inferiori, ed in particolare ai più bassi carichi ed elevate temperature qui studiati, lo stadioprimario diventa molto piccolo e breve, ed altri stadi di deformazione dominano le curve di creep.In questo lavoro si dimostra che un’unica e semplice equazione costitutiva, basata sulla moltiplicazione eannichilazione delle dislocazioni mobili, è in grado di descrivere e interpolare correttamente le curve di creepin tutto l’intervallo di sollecitazioni/temperature esplorat

Level of carbon dioxide diffuse degassing from the ground of Vesuvio: comparison between extensive surveys and inferences on the gas source

An extensive campaign of diffuse CO2 soil flux was carried out at the cone of Vesuvio in October 2006 with two main objectives: 1) to provide an estimation of CO2 diffusely discharged through the soils in the summit area and 2) to evidence those sectors of the volcano where structural and morphological conditions could favour the gas output. The survey consisted of 502 measurements of soil CO2 flux homogenously distributed over an area of about 1.8 km2. Results of this survey were compared with those obtained during a similar campaign carried out by Frondini et al. in 2000, from which we have taken and reinterpreted a subset of data belonging to the common investigated area. Graphical statistical analysis showed three overlapping populations in both surveys, evidencing the contribution of three different sources feeding the soil CO2 degassing process. The overall CO2 emission pattern of 2006 is coherent with that observed in 2000 and suggests that a value between 120 and 140 t/day of CO2 is representative of the total CO2 discharged by diffuse degassing from the summit area of Vesuvio. The preferential exhaling area lies in the inner crater, whose contribution resulted in 45.3% of the total CO2 emission in 2006 (with 62.8 t/day) and in 57.4% (with 70.3 t/day) in 2000, although its extension is only 13% of the investigated area. This highly emissive area correlated closely with the structural discontinuities of Vesuvio cone, mainly suggesting that the NW-SE trending tectonic line is actually an active fault leaking deep gas to the bottom of the crater. The drainage action of the fault could be enhanced by the “aspiration” effect of the volcanic conduit