Stiffness effects on the dynamics of the bar-mode instability of Neutron Stars in full General Relativity

We present results on the effect of the stiffness of the equation of state on the dynamical bar-mode instability in rapidly rotating polytropic models of neutron stars in full General Relativity. We determine the change in the threshold for the emergence of the instability for a range of the adiabatic $\Gamma$ index from 2.0 to 3.0, including two values chosen to mimic more realistic equations of state at high densities.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1403.806

The evolution of autologous breast reconstruction.

With breast cancer (BC) becoming more treatable, breast reconstruction has become an integral part of BC treatment. Nowadays, implant-based breast reconstruction is more common. However, there is a growing interest in autologous breast reconstruction due to the increasing awareness of implant-related complications. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of autologous reconstruction techniques of the breast and the nipple-areolar complex (NAC)

Formulating the in-plane frictional resistances and collapse mechanisms for multi-storey masonry block walls

In this paper a macro-block model accounting for frictional resistances is presented to assess the lateral strength of a multi-storey masonry block wall. The kinematic approach of limit analysis is used to define the load factor causing the onset of rocking-sliding mechanism under in-plane horizontal loading. A dry frictional contact condition is assumed at the rigid block interfaces, according to the Coulomb's law with non-associated flow rule. The key aspect of the proposed approach is the introduction of a criterion to evaluate the contribution of the actual frictional resistances depending on the inclination angle of the crack line. An accurate assessment of the frictional resistances is also obtained by distinguishing two different contributions (the wall own weight and additional vertical loads) and their application points. Hence, a sensitivity analysis is performed with respect to the overloading condition, the friction coefficient, and geometrical parameters such as the shape ratios of the wall and the unit block and the number of rows.  The analytical results of the proposed model are also validated against results from other existing macro and micro-block modelling approaches in terms of load factor. The comparison confirms the reliability of the proposed model that allows, with similar results, great simplification of the computational effort with respect to micro-block models

infrared thermography for the characterization of painted vaults of historic masonry buildings

The infrared thermography is a type of non-destructive investigation which can find interesting application in acquiring information about the structural features of ancient masonry buildings. In this case, in fact, the needs of preservation of the historical values have to be compound with the needs of achieving a proper level of knowledge of the parameters influencing the structural behaviour in order to perform a reliable evaluation of their seismic safety. A recent application of the infrared thermography was proposed in the framework of the Project on the seismic evaluation of the Museum of Capodimonte in Naples (Italy). The objective was to clarify if the painted vaults covering some rooms could have structural function and to identify their constructive typology. In this circumstance, an interesting methodological approach, with more general validity, has been developed by integrating the instrumental investigations with different sources of information, such as historical documents and hypotheses of critical interpretation

Autologous Fat Grafting in the Treatment of Painful Postsurgical Scar of the Oral Mucosa

Background. Persistent pain as a consequence of surgical treatment has been reported for several common surgical procedures and represents a clinical problem of great magnitude. Material and Methods. We describe the case of a 47-year-old female who presented a retractile scar that adhered to deep planes at the upper right of the vestibule due to surgical removal of maxillary exostosis, which determined important pain symptoms extending till the right shoulder during both chewing and rest. We subsequently treated her with autologous fat grafting according to Coleman’s technique. Results. Clinical assessments were performed at 5 and 14 days, 1, 3, and 6 months, and 1 year after surgical procedure. We observed a progressive release of scar retraction together with an important improvement of pain symptoms. Conclusion. The case described widens the possible application of autologous fat grafting on a new anatomical site as buccal vestibule and in one specific clinical setting confirming its promising biological effects

Breast Fistula Repair after Autologous Fat Graft: A Case Report

We report the case of a 55-year-old female patient who attended our clinic for the presence of a scar retraction in the upper pole of the left breast as a complication of breast augmentation. In the scar area, we observed an orifice that probing revealed to be a fistula. The patient was referred to surgical intervention under general anesthesia to obtain scar contracture release using autologous fat graft; one month after autologous fat injection, following healing of the fistula, the patient underwent a second surgical procedure to replace the left breast implant. Unexpectedly, two weeks after the surgical procedure, complete healing of the breast fistula within the scar area was observed; this observation was confirmed during the second surgical step for left breast implant repositioning, when we observed the absence of the fistula orifice in the breast implant cavity. Upon clinical examination at 1-year followup, tissue integrity was preserved. The patient's satisfaction was excellent. We have observed a possible additional effect of fat graft

Management of multi-source information to identify the typology of the horizontal structures in historical masonry buildings: the case study of the Museum of Capodimonte in Naples (Italy)

The evaluation of the seismic safety of ancient masonry buildings usually requires compounding the need of preservation of the historical values with the need of achieving a proper level of knowledge of the parameters influencing their structural behaviour. To this aim, non-destructive techniques of instrumental investigation have lately attracted increasing attention, although the provided data are frequently not exhaustive and require to be integrated with different sources of information, such as historical documents and hypotheses of critical interpretation. Therefore, the management of this multi-source information is a crucial aspect in defining a methodological approach to the structural evaluation of the cultural heritage. This paper describes an integrated approach developed in the framework of the Project on the seismic evaluation of the Museum of Capodimonte in Naples (Italy) with reference to the typological identification of the horizontal structures at the first level of the building. The management of the data derived from the application of the infrared thermography, integrated with the information from the visual inspections, the architectural survey and the historic analysis, has allowed obtaining a complete characterization of the structures under study

Autologous fat grafting efficacy in treating PostMastectomy pain syndrome: A prospective multicenter trial of two Senonetwork Italia breast centers.

Postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) represents a common complication following breast surgery defined as a chronic neuropathic pain located in the front of the chest, in the axilla and in the upper arm that for more than 3 months after surgery. Several medications prove to be ineffective while autologous fat grafting revealed to be an innovative solution in the treatment of neuropathic pain syndromes based on retrospective studies. For this reason, we performed a prospective multicenter trial to reduce the memory bias and further increase the evidence of the results. From February 2018 to March 2019, 37 female patients aged between 18 and 80 years, underwent mastectomy or quadrantectomy with pathologic scarring and chronic persistent neuropathic pain, compatible with PMPS, are been included in the study and treated with autologous fat grafting. During the enrollment phase, patients were asked to estimate pain using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and POSAS questionnaire in order to evaluate scar outcomes. The VAS scale, starting from 6.9 (1.3), decreased in the first month by 3.10 (1.59), continuing to fall by 0.83 (1.60) to 3 months and by 0.39 (2.09) at 6 months. Statistical analysis showed a significant reduction after 1 month (P < .0001) and 3 months (P < .005). All POSAS grades documented a statistically significant reduction (P < .0001) of the scores by both observers and patients. We observed that no significant association was found between age, BMI, menopausal status of patients, days from oncologic surgery to autologous fat grafting and reduction of VAS values over time while both smoking and axillary dissection were observed as the main factor significantly associated with a reduced clinical efficacy (respectively, P = .0227 and P = .0066). Our prospective multicenter trial confirms the efficacy of fat grafting in the treatment of PMPS based on the principle of regenerative medicine with a satisfactory response in terms of pain reduction and improvement of the quality of the treated tissues. Clinical questionnaires show that the cicatricial areas improve in terms of color, thickness, skin pliability, and surface irregularities. Regenerative effect is based also on the adoption of needles. The combined effect of fat grafting and needles determines a clinical full response

Applicability of molecular markers to determine parasitic infection origins in the animal trade: a case study from Sarcoptes mites in wildebeest

The development of non-manipulative molecular tools to determine the origin of parasite infections in the animal trade (if infected before their export or import) is of great interest worldwide for both the animal trade industry and for animal welfare. Molecular tools have a wide range of applications, including forensic identification, wildlife preservation and conservation, veterinary public health protection, and food safety. Nonetheless, genetic markers were not reported to detect the source of infection in the animal trade. In this study we tested the applicability of molecular tools to detect the origin of Sarcoptes mite infection of wildebeest imported by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) from Tanzania. Using one multiplex of seven microsatellite markers and control samples from UAE, Kenya and Italy, we demonstrated the usefulness of the multiplex STR-typing as a molecular tool of pivotal interest to help commercialist, authorities, and conservationists, to identify the geographical origin of parasitic infection