Performances of the Italian seismic network, 1985-2002: the hidden thing

Seismic data users and people managing a sesimic network are both interested in the potentiality of the data, with the difference that the former look at stability, the second at improvements. In this work we measure the performances of the Italian Telemetered Seismic Network in 1985-2002 by defining basic significant parameters and studying their evolution during the years. Then, we deal with the geological methods used to characterise or to plan a seismic station deployment in a few cases. Last, we define the gain of the network as the percentage of located earthquakes with respect to the total recorded earthquakes. By analysing the distribution of non-located ("missed") earthquakes, we suggest possible actions to take in order to increase the gain. Results show that completeness magnitude is 2.4 in the average over the analysed period, and it can be as low as 2.2 when we consider non-located earthquakes as well. Parameters such as the distance between an earthquake and the closest station, and the RMS location decrease with time, reflecting improvements in the location quality. Methods for geologic and seismological characterisation of a possible station site also proved to be effective. Finally, we represent the number of missed earthquakes at each station, showing that nine stations control more that 50% of all missed earthquakes, and suggesting areas in Italy where the network might be easily improved.Comment: 17 pages, 1 table, 11 figures. Submitted to Annals of Geophysic

The unbearable lightness of bone marrow homeostasis

The anatomical and functional dimensions of bone marrow topography have been at the forefront of modern bone and immunological research for many years and remain a source of complexity and perplexity due to the multitude of microhabitats within this microenvironment. In fact, research has uncovered fascinating functional aspects of bone marrow residents, and the bone marrow niche has been identified as the foremost reservoir of a variety of cells including hematopoietic, skeletal and endothelial stem/progenitor cells. The physical interactions of the marrow residents, combined with the release of cytokines and growth factors, organize well-defined operative compartments, which preserve bone and immune cell homeostasis. In a simplistic view, both the hematopoietic and bone marrow stromal (mesenchymal) stem/progenitor cell populations dwell at the interface between the endosteum and the bone marrow area (endosteal niche) and in the perivascular space (vascular niche). Indeed, the tantalizing hypothesis of bone marrow regulatory dependency on these niches is supported by current research insofar as the increase in the number of osteoblasts results in a concomitant increase in the hematopoietic population, indicating that the osteoblasts and the endosteal niche are key components of HSC maintenance. On the other hand, impaired function of the vascular niche compromises the endosteal niche's ability to support hematopoiesis. These fascinating discoveries indicate that there are strong ties between bone marrow inhabitants within the confines of the bone marrow itself. When these ties fail, niche-niche communication suffers and results in reduced bone formation, enfeebled hematopoiesis and unrestrained HSC migration through blood circulation. This study focused on the extraordinary homeostatic equilibrium and function of both bone and immune cells within the spatially defined microenvironment of bone marrow. But how important is the anatomically outlined scenery in which the bone marrow entity supports and hosts the hematopoietic elements

Poverty Indicators at Local Level: Definitions, Comparisons in Real Terms and Small Area Estimation Methods

The importance of computing poverty measures at sub-national level is nowadays widely attested. Local poverty indicators are relevant both for a detailed planning of the policy actions against poverty and social exclusion, and for the citizens to evaluate their effects. However, there are still open problems to compute adequate sub-national poverty indicators. They refer to: 1) the definition of poverty lines; 2) the methods for accounting the spatial variation of the cost of living to make comparisons in ‘real terms’ between different areas; 3) the use of Small Area Estimation methods when the sample size is not enough to obtain accurate estimates of the indicators at local level. In this paper, we discuss the issues above by presenting some analyses on the impact of using different poverty lines on the value of the poverty rate for the 20 Italian Regions, which represent a planned domain of study in Italy. Then, we estimate the poverty rate for the 110 Italian Provinces, unplanned domains in Italy, by using specific parametric models and SAE methods. The key results highlight strong differences in the territorial distribution of the poverty rate by using national versus sub-national specific poverty lines. The effect of the heterogeneity of the general spatial price indexes on the poverty rates seems instead less important in comparison with the relevant territorial differences in the cost of housing. Moreover, the different methods of estimation of poverty rates at local level provides interesting first results and indicates the route for further research to improve the methods of estimation of poverty at the sub-regional level

On-Site Inspection Form in Veterinary Cases: The Parma Veterinary Form

Simple Summary In veterinary practice, the on-site inspection of the scene of an animal dead body is crucial for a correct interpretation of the autopsy results, in particular to determine the manner, mechanism and cause of death, as an important role in the control of public health including the prevention of zoonoses. It is also fundamental for the recognition and the contrast of crimes against animals and to animal abuse phenomena, considered an alert sign of an anti-social or violent behavior of humans, theory known as "The Link". A good practice is the presence of a veterinary pathologist on the scene. Although photographs and information made available by the police officers on the place of discovery of the animal cadaver can be useful, the information that can be achieved by a direct examination of the scene is irreplaceable. Today the best veterinary procedure requires an accurate collection of evidence at the scene that can be then handed to experts belonging to other forensic sciences for further evaluation and data interpretation. In this paper authors suggest a form aiming to facilitate either the on-site and the autopsy activities. The suggested form can contribute to guarantee the quality of the forensic process from the discovery site up to the court. Particular attention is paid to the training of non-medical personnel who often represent the first, and sometimes, the only figure to be present on the scene. The form proposed is inspired by the interdisciplinary form developed by the European Council of Legal Medicine. This form represents an initial tool to improve a multidisciplinary activity in close synergy with other forensic experts. The on-site inspection of the scene of an animal cadaver is crucial for a correct interpretation of the autopsy results, to determine the manner, method, and cause of death. This information plays a crucial role in the control of public health including the prevention of zoonoses. It is also fundamental for the recognition and the contrast of crimes against animals and to animal abuse phenomena, considered an alert sign of an anti-social or violent behavior of humans. Today the best veterinary procedure requires an accurate collection of the evidence at the scene that can be then handed to experts belonging to other forensic disciplines for further evaluation and data interpretation. In this paper authors suggest a form aiming to facilitate either the on-site and the autopsy activities, as a guarantee of the quality of the forensic process starting from the discovery scene up to the reconstruction of the case. Essential is training of non-medical personnel who often represent the first responder to be present on the scene. The form is inspired by the interdisciplinary form developed by the European Council of Legal Medicine and represents an initial tool to stimulate a multidisciplinary activity in close synergy with other forensic experts

Role of PTH in Bone Marrow Niche and HSC Regulation

Purpose of Review. The bone marrow microenvironment hosts a multicellular complex that is extraordinary in its interdependence and function. The composite machinery within the axial and long bones is involved in the homing, maintenance, differentiation, and egress of hematopoietic/ progenitors stem cells (HSCS) as well as mesenchymal/ stromal stem cells (MSCs) that dwell in specific anatomical areas inside the marrow space, described as niches. The need for more efficient hematopoietic stem cell transplantation protocols and bonemarrow manipulation techniques has motivated scientists to identify effective niche regulators such as the parathyroid hormone (PTH). Recent Findings PTH treatment is increasingly used with promising outcomes in autologous and allogeneic transplantation of HSCs, because PTH operates as a significant mediator in HSC engraftment, expansion, and mobilization. In addition to the well-established anti-osteoporotic effect of PTH, there is evidence that it may also coordinate hematopoietic stem cell activities. Summary. This report provides up-to-date information about PTH action within marrow niches and highlights the importance of this hormone in the behavior of hematopoietic elements in the bone marrow

Alexithymia for cardiologists: a clinical approach to the patient

Alexithymia literally meaning ‘no words for emotions’ is a term used in mental health settings to describe people who have difficulties in identifying and verbalizing their emotional states. There is evidence in the literature that this personality trait may influence negatively the illness behavior when an acute coronary event occurs. In fact, people with high alexithymia are more likely to experience wrong appraisal and interpretation of symptoms, and because of their difficulty in describing feelings to others, they can be poor in reporting symptoms at the first consultation with a physician. This behavioral pattern (alexithymic) may put patients with acute myocardial infarction at higher risk for delayed medical care. Here, we aim to present an overview of alexithymia from the perspective of the clinical cardiologist, with a focus on the definition, clinical recognition, and potential impact on cardiovascular health

Child brides: the age estimation problem in young girls

The aim of this work is to study a sample of girls from 15 different countries using Third Molar Maturity Index (I3M ), to assess the probability that a girl has reached the legal age of 18 years. The studied sample consisted of 3228 Orthopantomograms of healthy female subjects from 15 different countries. The cut- off value of I3M = 0.08 was tested to discriminate adults (≥18 years) and minors (<18 years). X-ray images were processed by computer-aided drafting program ImageJ. The information on sensitivity and specificity of I3M coming from the 15 countries was pooled together using a bivariate Bayesian modeling approach. Specificity of the I3M test did not change when the country was considered, and its value remains greater than 85% for each studied country. This method is useful to estimate the age of the girls involved in suspected early marriage because of the high probability of correctly identifying a minor with similar results observed among tested populations

Six-Year Prescription Pattern of Antimicrobial Use in Cats at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Pisa

: The use of antimicrobials has greatly contributed to improving animal health. However, their inappropriate use reduces their effectiveness in treating bacterial infections and contributes to the selection of resistance. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the six-year pattern (2017-2022) of antimicrobial use in cats visiting the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) of the University of Pisa (Italy). The total number of prescribed antimicrobials, the number of animals for which an antimicrobial was prescribed, and the total number of antimicrobial prescriptions showed a significant time trend decrease during the study period, except for the fixed-dose combinations. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobials were amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Synulox) (39.1%) followed by enrofloxacin (29.8%). These antimicrobials were mostly prescribed to treat infections affecting the genitourinary tract (~30%), followed by the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory system affections. Antimicrobials in empirical associations represented 13.0% of the total antimicrobial prescriptions, and the combination of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Synulox) with enrofloxacin accounted for the majority. The oral route represented the main route of administration of prescribed antimicrobials, followed by parenteral and topical ones. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Synulox) (37.2%), ceftriaxone (2.7%), and tobramycin (2.8%) were the most prescribed antimicrobials for the oral, parenteral, and topical routes, respectively. Antimicrobial prescriptions complied with prudent use recommendations in terms of availability of diagnosis, respect to the dose range, duration of treatment, and the use of medicinal products approved for the species. On the contrary, antimicrobial susceptibility tests were used infrequently (5.2%), lacking compliance with the existing guidelines observed in companion animal practice. Overall, additional interventions are required not only to improve the responsible use of antimicrobials in our feline practice but also to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs, enhancing diagnostics such as culture and sensitivity testing in the future