Geochemical processes that explain arsenic in groundwater in a basin developed in the Pampean Mountains and piedmont, Córdoba, Argentina

Las Peñas stream basin, developed in the Pampean Mountains of Córdoba (Argentina), has hydrogeological characteristics of high interest for local human activities. The objective of this study is to interpret the influence of the geomorphological and lithological features of the basin, their control on the main hydrodynamic and hydrochemical processes and the factors that constrain the occurrence of arsenic (As) in groundwater. The unconfined aquifer develops in fractured rocks and sediments of diverse origin and provenance. Hydraulic gradients and groundwater geochemistry are conditioned by lithology and relief. The groundwater is mainly fresh (electrical conductivities between 586 and 2000 µS/cm), although there are brackish-type samples (up to 3900 µS/cm) located in the piedmont. The groundwater showed calcium and sodium bicarbonate geochemical types, with the local occurrence of mixed types (sodium-calcium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate-sulfate). The dominant geomorphological and lithological aspects condition the chemical composition of groundwater while controlling the distribution and concentration of As in solution. The highest As values were found in gently undulating reliefs where loess sediments prevail, especially in the main relict paleosurface area located in the upper basin. Taking this into account, it is assumed that the abundant volcanic glass—which is known as an arsenic bearer—in the regional sediments, is the possible source of this chemical element as a result of hydrolysis. Also, desorption processes in Fe and Mn oxy-hydroxides present in the loess sediments are related to the passage of As ions to the solution. As it is known, not only the source but a specific geochemical environment to allow the transference of chemical elements from minerals to groundwater is needed. In this way, the results, including a multivariate statistical analysis, demonstrate that the highest As values in groundwater, well correlated with high fluoride (F) contents, are related to an alkaline environment of sodium bicarbonate groundwater with high pH values.Fil: Pramparo, Santiago Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; ArgentinaFil: Blarasin, Mónica Teresa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; ArgentinaFil: Degiovanni, Susana Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geologia. Cat.de Hidrogeologia; ArgentinaFil: Giacobone, Daniela Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; ArgentinaFil: Lutri, Veronica Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pascuini, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; Argentin

Systematic versus on-demand early palliative care: results from a multicentre, randomised clinical trial

Background Early palliative care (EPC) in oncology has been shown to have a positive impact on clinical outcome, quality-of-care outcomes, and costs. However, the optimal way for activating EPC has yet to be defined. Methods This prospective, multicentre, randomised study was conducted on 207 outpatients with metastatic or locally advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer. Patients were randomised to receive ‘standard cancer care plus on-demand EPC’ (n = 100) or ‘standard cancer care plus systematic EPC’ (n = 107). Primary outcome was change in quality of life (QoL) evaluated through the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Hepatobiliary questionnaire between baseline (T0) and after 12 weeks (T1), in particular the integration of physical, functional, and Hepatic Cancer Subscale (HCS) combined in the Trial Outcome Index (TOI). Patient mood, survival, relatives' satisfaction with care, and indicators of aggressiveness of care were also evaluated. Findings The mean changes in TOI score and HCS score between T0 and T1 were −4.47 and −0.63, with a difference between groups of 3.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10–7.57) (p = 0.041), and −2.23 and 0.28 (difference between groups of 2.51, 95% CI 0.40–4.61, p = 0.013), in favour of interventional group. QoL scores at T1 of TOI scale and HCS were 84.4 versus 78.1 (p = 0.022) and 52.0 versus 48.2 (p = 0.008), respectively, for interventional and standard arm. Until February 2016, 143 (76.9%) of the 186 evaluable patients had died. There was no difference in overall survival between treatment arms. Interpretations Systematic EPC in advanced pancreatic cancer patients significantly improved QoL with respect to on-demand EPC

Il Futuro della Cybersecurity in Italia: Ambiti Progettuali Strategici

Il presente volume nasce come continuazione del precedente, con l’obiettivo di delineare un insieme di ambiti progettuali e di azioni che la comunità nazionale della ricerca ritiene essenziali a complemento e a supporto di quelli previsti nel DPCM Gentiloni in materia di sicurezza cibernetica, pubblicato nel febbraio del 2017. La lettura non richiede particolari conoscenze tecniche; il testo è fruibile da chiunque utilizzi strumenti informatici o navighi in rete. Nel volume vengono considerati molteplici aspetti della cybersecurity, che vanno dalla definizione di infrastrutture e centri necessari a organizzare la difesa alle azioni e alle tecnologie da sviluppare per essere protetti al meglio, dall’individuazione delle principali tecnologie da difendere alla proposta di un insieme di azioni orizzontali per la formazione, la sensibilizzazione e la gestione dei rischi. Gli ambiti progettuali e le azioni, che noi speriamo possano svilupparsi nei prossimi anni in Italia, sono poi accompagnate da una serie di raccomandazioni agli organi preposti per affrontare al meglio, e da Paese consapevole, la sfida della trasformazione digitale. Le raccomandazioni non intendono essere esaustive, ma vanno a toccare dei punti che riteniamo essenziali per una corretta implementazione di una politica di sicurezza cibernetica a livello nazionale. Politica che, per sua natura, dovrà necessariamente essere dinamica e in continua evoluzione in base ai cambiamenti tecnologici, normativi, sociali e geopolitici. All’interno del volume, sono riportati dei riquadri con sfondo violetto o grigio; i primi sono usati nel capitolo introduttivo e nelle conclusioni per mettere in evidenza alcuni concetti ritenuti importanti, i secondi sono usati negli altri capitoli per spiegare il significato di alcuni termini tecnici comunemente utilizzati dagli addetti ai lavori. In conclusione, ringraziamo tutti i colleghi che hanno contribuito a questo volume: un gruppo di oltre 120 ricercatori, provenienti da circa 40 tra Enti di Ricerca e Università, unico per numerosità ed eccellenza, che rappresenta il meglio della ricerca in Italia nel settore della cybersecurity. Un grazie speciale va a Gabriella Caramagno e ad Angela Miola che hanno contribuito a tutte le fasi di produzione del libro. Tra i ringraziamenti ci fa piacere aggiungere il supporto ottenuto dai partecipanti al progetto FILIERASICURA

The Italian Experience in the Development of Mesothelioma Registries: A Pathway for Other Countries to Address the Negative Legacy of Asbestos

International audienceAsbestos (all forms, including chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) is carcinogenic to humans and causally associated with mesothelioma and cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovary. It is one of the carcinogens most diffuse in the world, in workplaces, but also in the environment and is responsible for a very high global cancer burden. A large number of countries, mostly with high-income economies, has banned the use of asbestos which, however, is still widespread in low- and middle-income countries. It remains, thus, one of the most common occupational and environmental carcinogens worldwide. Italy issued an asbestos ban in 1992, following the dramatic observation of a large increase in mortality from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in exposed workers and also in subjects with non-occupational exposure. A mesothelioma registry was also organized and still monitors the occurrence of mesothelioma cases, conducting a case-by-case evaluation of asbestos exposure. In this report, we describe two Italian communities, Casale Monferrato and Broni, that faced an epidemic of mesothelioma resulting from the production of asbestos cement and the diffuse environmental exposure; we present the activity and results of the Italian mesothelioma registry (ReNaM), describe the risk-communication activities at the local and national level with a focus on international cooperation and also describe the interaction between mesothelioma registration and medical services specialized in mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment in an area at high risk of mesothelioma. Finally, we assess the potential application of the solutions and methods already developed in Italy in a city in Colombia with high mesothelioma incidence associated with the production of asbestos-cement materials and the presence of diffuse environmental asbestos pollution

The Pyramid Quantized Weisfeiler-Lehman Graph Representation

status: publishe

A&P : Revista de la Facultad de Arquitectura, Planeamiento y Diseño Nº15

En este número está organizado alrededor del tema de las migraciones de arquitecturas y arquitectos. El lector encontrará numerosas y variadas aproximaciones: la reconstrucción de las peripecias de un arquitecto francés interesado en “marcar” estas latitudes con su obra en los años ’40; el relato de una reciente contribución proyectual urbana de colegas rosarinos en el Uruguay; la consideración de una original experiencia de enseñanza de la arquitectura en Chile a la luz de una peculiar reformulación de los principios pedagógicos y estéticos de las vanguardias europeas; la rememoración de un seminario internacional realizado en y sobre Rosario hace una década; el análisis de una experiencia proyectual para nuestra ciudad llevada a cabo recientemente por alumnos de una prestigiosa universidad estadounidense; tres visiones orientadas a otras tantas arquitecturas de origen “foráneo” en Rosario (el Centro Cultural Parque España y los Centros de Distrito Oeste y Centro); y cerrando la sección principal, una entrevista a uno de nuestros arquitectos “migrantes”. También la contribución de un reconocido arquitecto catalán; así como en Proyectos encontramos, junto a los resultados de un premio instituido por nuestra Facultad para trabajos de alumnos, los de un premio internacional del mismo tipo (Arquisur); y en reseña registramos, la exhibición de un trabajo de arquitectos rosario “migrado” a Córdoba, la visita de un destacado y profesor suizo y el curso dictado en nuestra Facultad por un colega peruano “migrado" a los Estados Unidos. La Sección Bibliográfica, con su recensión de cuatro textos europeos, “habla” también de esta fluir de ideas y de personajes y, en cierto modo, a lo mismo aluden incluso los Dibujos que se publican, obra de un reconocido colega rosarino “transplantado” a Cerdeña.Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Arquitectura, Planeamiento y Diseñ