Introduction to the thematic issue: Mineral deposits exploration and environmental geochemistry: case studies in Italy and in China

Raw materials are fundamental to the economy, and hence to growth and jobs, and they are essential for maintaining and improving our quality of life. Securing reliable, sustainable and economic access to certain 'critical' raw materials is of growing concern around the globe. But it is as well a priority to acquire detailed information about the distribution of PTE and POP both at regional and local scales for environmental issues. The latter are of fundamental importance for environmental risk assessment and analysis that have a crucial role in the evaluation of human health risk, especially in mining and intensive urbanized areas. In addition, geochemical knowledge of the territory and mostly of top soils, where the main agricultural products grow, to become the foods for citizens, may be useful for land-use planning. Geochemical exploration methods are widely used to manage, visualize, analyse and interpret data for further identifying geochemical anomalies, for both the discovery of new ore bodies and for environmental purposes

A construção e a apropriação de traços identitários brasileiros em anúncios publicitários do Instituto Brasileiro de Turismo

Este trabalho apresenta a síntese dos resultados da investigação desenvolvida na dissertação de mestrado intitulada Olhar do Instituto Brasileiro de Turismo sobre os traços identitários brasileiros: estudo da publicidade turística institucional. Com o objetivo de investigar como o Ministério do Turismo do Brasil, através do Instituto Brasileiro do Turismo – Embratur –, realiza a incorporação de traços identitários brasileiros na construção da imagem turística do país veiculada em outros países, através de campanhas publicitárias voltadas para os públicos internacionais podemos concluir que, embora seja representada uma maior diversidade de atrativos turísticos em relação à campanhas anteriores promovidas pela Embratur, notamos uma visão unificada e homogeneizante sobre as identidades brasileiras, associada especialmente à alegria e à hospitalidade. Por meio da utilização de estereótipos socialmente validados acerca do país (como a capoeira e o futebol) e sua conjunção com aspectos menos difundidos a respeito da imagem turística do Brasil (a exemplo do maracatu), a Embratur apresenta um país com uma rica diversidade cultural

The GEMAS Project: Geochemistry of European agricultural and grazing land soils.

Viene illustrato il progetto GEMAS che ha interessato la campionatura e le analisi di suoli dell'ntero continente Europeo da parte dei Servizi Geologici d'Europa, nell'ìambito delle attività dell'EuroGeoSurvey

The occurrence of OCPs, PCBs, and PAHs in the soil, air, and bulk deposition of the Naples metropolitan area, southern Italy: Implications for sources and environmental processes

I am often reminded of the famous saying of Goethe: "Vedi Napoli e poi muori! - See Naples and die!". Sadly, Naples is now confronted with a number of serious, ongoing problems with a need to alleviate pressure on the worsening environment. One serious problem facing the environment is the presence of the potentially hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs), although few systematic studies at regional scale have been conducted. In this study, samples of soil, air, and bulk deposition were collected in Naples metropolitan area (NMA) to characterize the status of POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results obtained showed that most of these compounds are pervasive in all the studied environmental matrices, especially in some hotspot areas, such as the Bagnoli Brownfield Site and the infamous "Triangle of the Death", where unwanted ecological risk conditions for PAHs and Endosulfan were determined, respectively. The interactional complexity between urban and the surrounding rural areas was also confirmed, as is the role that urban areas play in the migration and transformation process of POPs. High urban-rural gradients for atmospheric PAHs and PCBs were observed in the NMA, and the urban areas were identified as the emission source of these contaminants. Similarly, the OCP residues, historically originated from the nearby agricultural regions, experience long-term soil re-emission and continuously influence the connected urban environment via atmospheric transport processes. Keywords: Persistent organic pollutants, Emission sources, Geochemical baseline, Atmospheric transport, Naple

Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Urologic Procedures in Paediatric Patients: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study in Italy

The main aim of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) in urologic procedures is to prevent bacteraemia, surgical site infections (SSIs), and postoperative urinary tract infections (ppUTIs). Guidelines for SAP in paediatric urology are lacking. Only some aspects of this complex topic have been studied, and the use of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to surgical procedures seems to be more often linked to institutional schools of thought or experts' opinions than to rules dictated by studies demonstrating the most correct and preferred management. Therefore, the aim of this Consensus document realized using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method is to provide clinicians with a series of recommendations on SAP for the prevention of bacteraemia, SSIs, and ppUTIs after urologic imaging and surgical procedures in paediatric patients. Despite the few available studies, experts agree on some basilar concepts related to SAP for urologic procedures in paediatric patients. Before any urological procedure is conducted, UTI must be excluded. Clean procedures do not require SAP, with the exception of prosthetic device implantation and groin and perineal incisions where the SSI risk may be increased. In contrast, SAP is needed in clean-contaminated procedures. Studies have also suggested the safety of eliminating SAP in paediatric hernia repair and orchiopexy. To limit the emergence of resistance, every effort to reduce and rationalize antibiotic consumption for SAP must be made. Increased use of antibiotic stewardship can be greatly effective in this regard

Peri-Operative Prophylaxis in Patients of Neonatal and Pediatric Age Subjected to Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study

Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a potential complication of surgical procedures, with a significant impact on mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery are often considered patients at high risk of developing SSIs. This consensus document aims to provide information on the management of peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis for the pediatric and neonatal population undergoing cardiac and non-cardiac thoracic surgery. The following scenarios were considered: (1) cardiac surgery for the correction of congenital heart disease and/or valve surgery; (2) cardiac catheterization without the placement of prosthetic material; (3) cardiac catheterization with the placement of prosthetic material; (4) implantable cardiac defibrillator or epicardial pacemaker placement; (5) patients undergoing ExtraCorporal Membrane Oxygenation; (6) cardiac tumors and heart transplantation; (7) non-cardiac thoracic surgery with thoracotomy; (8) non-cardiac thoracic surgery using video-assisted thoracoscopy; (9) elective chest drain placement in the pediatric patient; (10) elective chest drain placement in the newborn; (11) thoracic drain placement in the trauma setting. This consensus provides clear and shared indications, representing the most complete and up-to-date collection of practice recommendations in pediatric cardiac and thoracic surgery, in order to guide physicians in the management of the patient, standardizing approaches and avoiding the abuse and misuse of antibiotics

In Vitro Evaluation of Graft-versus-Graft Alloreactivity as a Tool to Identify the Predominant Cord Blood Unit before Double Cord Blood Transplantation

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Analise das propriedades do concreto no estado fresco e endurecido com a adição de fibras de aço / Analysis of the properties of concrete in the fresh and hardened state with the addition of steel fibers

O concreto é um dos materiais mais utilizados no mundo, seu destaque se deve ao seu baixo custo e grande capacidade de adequação a variadas produções, além da possibilidade de moldar peças de acordo com a necessidade de projeto. Contudo, as fibras de aço adicionadas a esses, aumentam a resistência, ajudam a controlar a fissuração e dispõem de outras vantagens. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo, identificar as propriedades do concreto tanto no estado fresco como endurecido na presença e adição de fibras de aço. Qualificando-se ainda em uma pesquisa de cunho quantitativa, descritiva, explicativa e experimental para a então análise das características como trabalhabilidade, resistência, ductilidade etc. No experimento, foram moldados e rompidos 30 corpos de prova aos 28 dias de cura úmida e ensaios de resistência à tração na flexão, resistência à compressão e o slump test para todos os traços na análise do concreto no estado fresco e endurecido com a adição de fibras de aço. Os estudos realizados mostraram que o aumento da resistência é diretamente proporcional a adição de fibras de aço, sendo para esforços de tração na flexão e compressão, já a trabalhabilidade diminuía à medida que se adicionaram as fibras, tendo o menor abatimento de tronco de cone de 49 mm com ductilidade afetada positivamente pela adição. Portanto, pode-se afirmar que em quantidades adequadas, a adição das fibras é vantajosa em diversas características, bem como o aumento da resistência a compressão e a tração quando submetido a cargas elevadas, incluindo redução da fissuração

Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Neonates and Children Undergoing Neurosurgery: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study

Pediatric neurosurgery is a highly specialized branch of surgery in which surgical site infections (SSIs) are potentially serious complications that can also adversely affect a good surgical outcome, compromising functional recovery and, in some cases, even putting the patient's life at risk. The main aim of this consensus document is to provide clinicians with a series of recommendations on antimicrobial prophylaxis for neonates and children undergoing neurosurgery. The following scenarios were considered: (1) craniotomy or cranial/cranio-facial approach to craniosynostosis; (2) neurosurgery with a trans-nasal-trans-sphenoidal approach; (3) non-penetrating head injuries; (4) penetrating head fracture; (5) spinal surgery (extradural and intradural); (6) shunt surgery or neuroendoscopy; (7) neuroendovascular procedures. Patients undergoing neurosurgery often undergo peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis, with different schedules, not always supported by scientific evidence. This consensus provides clear and shared indications, based on the most updated literature. This work has been made possible by the multidisciplinary contribution of experts belonging to the most important Italian scientific societies, and represents, in our opinion, the most complete and up-to-date collection of recommendations on the behavior to be held in the peri-operative setting in this type of intervention, in order to guide physicians in the management of the patient, standardize approaches and avoid abuse and misuse of antibiotics