A study of the adhesion and cohesion of metals first quarterly progress report, mar. 9 - jun. 9, 1965

Solid state metal cohesion and adhesion - bonding mechanism contro

Knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices of food service staff in nursing homes and long-term care facilities

The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge, attitudes and practices of food service staff in nursing homes and long-term care facilities for the elderly in Sicily, Italy. Association with some demographic and work-related variables was also investigated. This survey provides information and outlines many complex questions concerning the basics of food hygiene. Education level, length of service in the employment and attending courses on food hygiene influenced the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food service staff. This study has evidenced the need for continuous training among food service staff regarding food safety in LTCF and nursing homes

Rapporto sulle misure di CO2 e mercurio nei suoli e nell’atmosfera e sui dati in continuo di radon nel suolo presso la zona sommitale dell’Etna (17 Luglio 2006)

A seguito dell’attività eruttiva iniziatasi sull’Etna giorno 14 Luglio, sono state effettuate varie misure di gas sia nei suoli che in atmosfera nell’intorno di Torre del Filosofo (Figura 1), dove già da tempo si monitorizza l’emissione di CO2 e radon nel terreno sia in maniera continua (radon) che discontinua (CO2). Inoltre, sono state anche effettuate misure di concentrazione di mercurio sia nei suoli che nell’aria, accoppiate alle misure di CO2. Infine, sono stati scaricati i dati di radon dalla sonda in continuo istallata nello stesso sito nel Luglio 2005 (Neri et al., 2006)

Gastrointestinal tumors: Phytochemical and drug combinations targeting the hallmarks of cancer

Cancer is a worldwide burden resulting in millions of deaths each year. In particular, gastrointestinal tumors are life-threatening malignancies and one of the leading reasons for death in developed countries. Phytochemicals can be found in grains, vegetables, fruits and several foods. Many phytochemicals, such as curcumin, genistein, luteolin, vitexin-2-O-xyloside, avenanthramides, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, sulforaphane, piperine and thymoquinone have been used in combination with different chemotherapeutic agents for their synergistic anticancer effects against various forms of cancer. In this review, we describe the antitumor properties and biological effects of combinations of phytochemicals and anticancer drugs against gastrointestinal tumors: colon cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer. We focus on the molecular pathways, oncoproteins and tumor suppressors modulated by the combination of phytochemicals with antitumor drugs and on the biomarkers of the hallmarks of cancer influenced by these therapeutic strategies in cancer cell lines, xenograft models and clinical trials. The increased knowledge of biomarkers and molecular pathways regulated by the combination of phytochemicals and conventional anticancer drugs in both in vitro and in vivo models will remarkably improve the efficacy of these therapeutic strategies against gastrointestinal tumors in future innovative clinical applications

Temporal variability of major and trace elements concentrations in the groundwaters of Mt. Etna (Italy): effects of transient input of magmatic fluids highlighted by means of Cluster Analysis

Data for major, minor and trace elements in groundwaters from Mt. Etna volcano collected in 1994, 1995 and 1997 were analysed using Cluster Analysis (CA). Two groups of sampling sites were identified (named clusters A and B), mainly on the basis of their different salinity and content of dissolved CO2. The highest levels of both of these parameters were observed in the sites of cluster A, located in the lower south-western and central eastern flanks of the volcano. For both of the statistical groups, CA was repeated taking into account the mean values of each parameter in time, and the results allowed us to recognize four distinct groups of parameters for each group of sites on the basis of their temporal patterns. Four different types of temporal patterns were recognised: concave, convex, increasing, decreasing. The observed changes were basically interpreted as a result of the different response of dissolved chemical elements to changes in the aqueous environment and/or in their solubility/mobility in water due to different rates of input of magmatic gases to Etna’s aquifers. The main changes occurred in 1995, when Etna’s volcanic activity resumed after a two-year period of rest. The temporal changes of the majority of the studied parameters (water temperature, water conductivity, Eh, pH, Al, Mg, B, Ca, Cl-, Hg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Se, Si, Sr, Cr Zn and pCO2) were not cluster-dependent, therefore they were not apparently affected by differences in water salinity between the two groups of sampling sites. A limited number of parameters (Ti, K, Li, HCO3-, As, Fe, SO42-, Cu and V), however, showed different behaviours depending on the cluster of sites which they belonged to, thus suggesting their apparent dependency on water salinity

Cluster of legionnaires’ disease in an Italian prison

Background: Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is the most common etiologic agent causing Legionnaires’ Disease (LD). Water systems offer the best growth conditions for Lp and support its spread by producing aerosols. From 2015 to 2017, the Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis of Palermo monitored the presence of Lp in nine prisons in Western Sicily. During this investigation, we compared Lp isolates from environmental samples in a prison located in Palermo with isolates from two prisoners in the same prison. Methods: We collected 93 water samples from nine Sicilian prisons and the bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) of two prisoners considered cases of LD. These samples were processed following the procedures described in the Italian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Legionellosis of 2015. Then, genotyping was performed on 19 Lp colonies (17 from water samples and 2 from clinical samples) using the Sequence-Based Typing (SBT) method, according to European Study Group for Legionella Infections (ESGLI) protocols. Results: Lp serogroup (sg) 6 was the most prevalent serogroup isolated from the prisons analyzed (40%), followed by Lp sg 1 (16%). Most of all, in four penitentiary institutions, we detected a high concentration of Lp >104 Colony Forming Unit/Liter (CFU/L). The environmental molecular investigation found the following Sequence Types (STs) in Lp sg 6: ST 93, ST 292, ST 461, ST 728, ST 1317 and ST 1362, while most of the isolates in sg 1 belonged to ST 1. We also found a new ST that has since been assigned the number 2451 in the ESGLI-SBT database. From the several Lp sg 1 colonies isolated from the two BALs, we identified ST 2451. Conclusions: In this article, we described the results obtained from environmental and epidemiological investigations of Lp isolated from prisons in Western Sicily. Furthermore, we reported the first cluster of Legionnaires’ in an Italian prison and the molecular typing of Lp sg 1 from one prison’s water system and two BALs, identified the source of the contamination, and discovered a new ST

K 3-22: a D-type symbiotic star

A goal of the IPHAS survey is to determine the frequency and nature of emission-line sources in the Galactic plane. According to our selection criteria, K 3-22 is a candidate symbiotic star, but it was previously classified as a planetary nebula. To determine its nature, we acquired a low-resolution optical spectrum of K 3-22. Our analysis of our spectroscopy demonstrates that K 3-22 is indeed a D-type symbiotic star, because of its high excitation nebular spectrum and the simultaneous presence of Raman-scattered O VI emission at 6825 and 7082 angstrom, which is detected primarily in symbiotic stars.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysic