Damage Detection by Template Matching of Scattered Waves

A method based on template matching is presented to detect and locate damage in buildings following severe shaking by an earthquake. The templates are constructed by finite‐element simulations of a suite of damage scenarios, with the solutions evaluated at the location (and orientation) of each sensor in the structure. The damage detection is carried out by cross‐correlating the templates with recordings acquired from earthquakes. A dense distributed network of sensors is important for detecting anomalies in the presence of ambient noise. The cross correlation of the templates with themselves provides a measure of the resolution of the damage location

Parametric Estimation of Wave Dispersion for System Identification of Building Structures

The linear-elastic response of a building structure subjected to an earthquake base excitation can be approximated as the response of a continuous, spatially inhomogenous, dispersive, viscoelastic solid subjected to vertically incident plane shear waves. The frequency-dependent phase velocity and attenuation of seismic energy at different wavelengths, together with the inertial properties of the multilayer solid characterize the response of the building structure. The objective of this study is to identify the structural system by estimating the parameters that characterize the propagation of seismic waves in an equivalent multilayer viscoelastic solid. To pursue this objective, first, the measured dynamic responses of a building structure are used to derive the frequency response functions (FRFs) of the floor absolute acceleration with respect to the base excitation using a seismic interferometry approach. The FRFs obtained from the measured structural responses are then compared with the FRFs estimated using analytical models for one-dimensional shear wave propagation in a multilayer Kelvin-Voigt dispersive medium. Through a recursive Bayesian estimation approach, the parameters characterizing the phase velocity and damping ratio of the multilayer medium are estimated. This study provides a step forward in seismic interferometric identification of building structures by proposing a new method for parametric estimation of shear wave velocity and damping dispersion at the story level of a building structure. The estimated shear wave velocities before and after a damage-inducing event can be used to identify permanent loss of effective lateral stiffness of the building structure at the story level, thus can provide an alternative method for structural health monitoring and damage identification

Gender influence on professional satisfaction and gender issue perception among young oncologists. A survey of the Young Oncologists Working Group of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM)

Background: The professional gender gap is increasingly recognised in oncology. We explored gender issues perception and gender influence on professional satisfaction/gratification among young Italian oncologists. Methods: Italian oncologists aged 6440 years and members of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology were invited to participate in an online survey addressing workload/burnout, satisfaction in professional abilities and relations, relevant factors for professional gratification, and gender barriers. \u3c72 test for general association or \u3c72 test for trend was used to analyse the data. Results: 201 young oncologists participated in the survey: 67% female, 71% aged 30-40 years, 41% still in training and 82% without children. Women and men were equally poorly satisfied by the relations with people occupying superior hierarchical positions. There was heterogeneity between women and men in current (p=0.011) and expected future (p=0.007) satisfaction in professional abilities: women were more satisfied by current empathy and relations with colleagues and were more confident in their future managerial and team leader skills. The most important elements for professional gratification indicated by all participants were, in general, work-life balance (36%) and intellectual stimulation/research (32%); specifically for women, work-life balance (48%) and intellectual stimulation/research (20%); and specifically for men, career (29%) and social prestige/recognition (26%). Heterogeneity within the same gender emerged. For example, the elements indicated by men as the most important were intellectual stimulation/research (39%) and work-life balance (21%) in general, versus social prestige/recognition (24%) and career (24%), respectively, specifically for men (p<0.0001). More women versus men perceived gender issue as an actual problem (60% vs 38%, p=0.03); men underestimated gender barriers to women's career (p=0.011). Conclusions: Satisfaction in professional abilities varied by gender. Work-life balance is important for both women and men. Stereotypes about gender issues may be present. Gender issue is an actual problem for young oncologists, mostly perceived by women

Involvement of Notch signaling in the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells stimulated by pulsed electromagnetic fields

Biophysical stimulation with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs), used in clinics to promote bone repair, favour osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), however their molecular mechanisms are not clarified. Notch is a pathway regulating cell fate decisions which play a role in skeletal development. Notch signaling is initiated by binding a Notch ligand to a cell surface Notch receptor, resulting in a cleavage of receptor and releasing Notch intracellular domain which translocates to the nucleus and activates transcription of nuclear Notch target genes, such as the Hes/Hey family.The aim of this study is to establish if the known PEMF-induced osteogenic effects may occur through the modulation of Notch pathway. Bone marrow hMSCs cultured in basal condition (control) and in osteoinductive medium (OM) for 28 days were unexposed or continuously exposed to PEMFs (75 Hz, 1.5 mT) (Igea, Carpi, Italy). To block Notch pathway, the Notch inhibitor DAPT was used to treat a series of hMSCs cultured in OM. At different time points (day 1,3,7,14,21,28), osteogenic markers (alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin and matrix mineralization), mRNA expression of osteogenic transcription factors (Runx2, Dlx5, Osterix) as well as of Notch receptors (Notch1-4), their ligands (Jagged1, Dll1 and Dll4) and nuclear target genes (Hey1, Hey2, Hes1, Hes5) were analysed.Our results showed that osteogenic markers and transcription factors increased in OM compared to control and they were further stimulated by PEMFs. Notably, PEMFs significantly increased the expression of Notch4, Dll4, Hey1, Hes1 and Hes5 in the middle phase of differentiation in OM compared to control. In the presence of DAPT, osteogenic markers as well Hes1 and Hes5 expression were significantly inhibited, in unexposed and PEMF-exposed hMSCs. Hey1 was not inhibited by DAPT suggesting a possible regulation by other signaling pathway.These new findings show that PEMFs favor osteogenic differentiation acting through Notch pathway, adding important knowledge concerning the molecular mechanisms by which PEMFs can modulate osteogenesis. This work was supported by grants from IGEA, Carpi, Italy

Downtown Los Angeles 52-Story High-Rise and Free-Field Response to an Oil Refinery Explosion

The ExxonMobil Corp. oil refinery in Torrance, California experienced an explosion on February 18, 2015 causing ground shaking equivalent to a magnitude 2.0 earthquake. The impulse response for the source was computed from Southern California Seismic Network data for a single force system with a value of 2×10^5 kN vertically downward. The refinery explosion produced an air pressure wave that was recorded 22.8 km away in a 52-story high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles by a dense accelerometer array that is a component of the Community Seismic Network. The array recorded anomalous waveforms on each floor displaying coherent arrivals that are consistent with the building's elastic response to a pressure wave caused by the refinery explosion. Using a finite-element model of the building, the force on the building on a floor-by-floor scale was found to range up to 1.42 kN, corresponding to a pressure perturbation of 7.7 Pa

Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors and Risk of Death in Patients Hospitalised with COVID-19: A Retrospective Italian Cohort Study of 43,000 Patients

Introduction The epidemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been spreading globally, raising increasing concerns. There are several controversial hypotheses on the potentially harmful or beneficial effects of antihypertensive drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, there is accumulating evidence, based on several observational studies, that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) do not increase the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection. On the other hand, conflicting findings regarding the role of ACEIs/ARBs as prognosis modifiers in COVID-19 hospitalised patients have been reported. Objective The aim of this large-scale, retrospective cohort study was to investigate whether prior exposure to ACEIs and/or ARBs was associated with all-cause mortality among over 40,000 hospitalised COVID-19 patients compared with calcium channel blockers (CCBs), a potential therapeutic alternative. Methods This study was conducted using COVID-19 registries linked to claims databases from Lombardy, Veneto and Reggio Emilia (overall, 25% of Italian population). Overall, 42,926 patients hospitalised between 21 February and 21 April 2020 with a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction tests were included in this study. All-cause mortality occurring in or out of hospital, as reported in the COVID-19 registry, was estimated. Using Cox models, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause mortality (along with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were estimated separately for ACEIs/ARBs and other antihypertensives versus CCBs and non-use. Results Overall, 11,205 in- and out-of-hospital deaths occurred over a median of 24 days of follow-up after hospital admission due to COVID-19. Compared with CCBs, adjusted analyses showed no difference in the risk of death among ACEI (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.89-1.06) or ARB (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.89-1.06) users. When non-use of antihypertensives was considered as a comparator, a modest statistically significant increase in mortality risk was observed for any antihypertensive use. However, when restricting to drugs with antihypertensive indications only, these marginal increases disappeared. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses confirmed our main findings. Conclusions ACEI/ARB use is not associated with either an increased or decreased risk of all-cause mortality, compared with CCB use, in the largest cohort of hospitalised COVID-19 patients exposed to these drugs studied to date. The use of these drugs therefore does not affect the prognosis of COVID-19. This finding strengthens recommendations of international regulatory agencies about not withdrawing/switching ACEI/ARB treatments to modify COVID-19 prognosis

New Prostate Cancer Targets for Diagnosis, Imaging, and Therapy: Focus on Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen

The rising incidence rate of the cancer in the prostate gland has increased the demand for improved diagnostic, imaging, and therapeutic approaches. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), with folate hydrolase and carboxypeptidase and, internalization activities, is highly expressed in the epithelial cells of the prostate gland and is strongly upregulated in prostatic adenocarcinoma, with elevated expression correlating with, metastasis, progression, and androgen independence. Recently, PSMA has been an active target of investigation by several approaches, including the successful utilization of small molecule inhibitors, RNA aptamer conjugates, PSMA-based immunotherapy, and PSMA-targeted prodrug therapy. Future investigations of PSMA in prostate cancer (PCa) should focus in particular on its intracellular activities and functions. The objective of this contribution is to review the current role of PSMA as a marker for PCa diagnosis, imaging, and therapy

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and adenosine receptors modulate prostaglandin E2 and cytokine production in human osteoarthritic synovial fibroblasts

Objective. Synovial fibroblasts (SFs) contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA) by the secretion of a wide range of pro-inflammatory mediators, including cytokines and lipid mediators of inflammation (1). Previous studies show that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) may represent a potential therapeutical approach to limit cartilage degradation and to control inflammation associated to OA, and that they may act through the adenosine pathway (2). On this basis the aim of this study was to investigate if EMFs might modulate inflammatory activities of human SFs derived from OA patients (OASFs) and the possible involvement of adenosine receptors (ARs) in mediating EMF effects. Design. SFs obtained from OA patients, undergoing total hip joint replacement surgery, were exposed to EMFs (1.5 mT; 75 Hz) for 24 hours. In control and EMF-exposed cells, ARs were evaluated by western blotting, quantitative real-time RT-PCR and saturation binding experiments and cAMP levels were measured by a specific assay. In the absence and in the presence of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), used as a pro-inflammatory stimulus, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cytokine and matrix degrading enzyme production was evaluated in OASFs exposed to EMFs and treated with selective adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists. Results. EMF exposure induced a selective increase in A2A and A3 ARs. These increases were associated to changes in cAMP levels, indicating that ARs were functionally active in EMF-exposed cells. In IL-1β-treated OASFs, functional data obtained in the presence of  A2A and A3 adenosine agonists and antagonists showed that EMFs inhibit the release of (PGE2) and of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), whilst stimulate the release of interleukin-10 (IL-10), an antinflammatory cytokine. Further, results show that these effects appear to be mediated by the EMF-induced upregulation of A2A and A3 ARs. No effects of EMFs or ARs have been observed on matrix degrading enzymes production. Conclusions: EMFs display anti-inflammatory effects in human OASFs and these EMF-induced .ffects are in part mediated by the adenosine pathway, specifically by the A2A and A3 ARs activation. Taken together, these results suggest that SFs could represent potential therapeutic targets cells for EMF treatment and open new clinical perspectives to the control of inflammation associated to joint diseases. 1. Martel-Pelletier J et al. Eklem Hastalik Cerrahisi. 2010; 21(1):2-14. 2. De Mattei M et al. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009; 17(2):252-262

Advanced liver disease outcomes after hepatitis C eradication by human immunodeficiency virus infection in PITER cohort

Liver disease progression after Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) eradication following direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in the real-life setting according to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) coinfection was evaluated