The effects of vent location, event scale and time forecasts on pyroclastic density current hazard maps at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)

This study presents a new method for producing long-term hazard maps for pyroclastic density currents (PDC) originating at Campi Flegrei caldera. Such method is based on a doubly stochastic approach and is able to combine the uncertainty assessments on the spatial location of the volcanic vent, the size of the flow and the expected time of such an event. The results are obtained by using a Monte Carlo approach and adopting a simplified invasion model based on the box model integral approximation. Temporal assessments are modeled through a Cox-type process including self-excitement effects, based on the eruptive record of the last 15 kyr.Mean and percentilemaps of PDC invasion probability are produced, exploring their sensitivity to some sources of uncertainty and to the effects of the dependence between PDC scales and the caldera sector where they originated. Conditional maps representative of PDC originating inside limited zones of the caldera, or of PDC with a limited range of scales are also produced. Finally, the effect of assuming different time windows for the hazard estimates is explored, also including the potential occurrence of a sequence of multiple events. Assuming that the last eruption of Monte Nuovo (A.D. 1538) marked the beginning of a new epoch of activity similar to the previous ones, results of the statistical analysis indicate a mean probability of PDC invasion above 5% in the next 50 years on almost the entire caldera (with a probability peak of 25% in the central part of the caldera). In contrast, probability values reduce by a factor of about 3 if the entire eruptive record is considered over the last 15 kyr, i.e., including both eruptive epochs and quiescent periods

Real Time Quality Assessment of General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS) by means of Multiblock-PLS Applied on On-line Sensors Data

In the petrochemical industry, in order to control the final product quality over time and to detect potential plant failures, the amount of lab (off-line) analysis performed every day is very demanding in terms of resources and time. Hence, at/in-line monitoring can be an efficient solution to decrease chemical wastes and operators’ efforts and to perform a fast detection of deviations from normal operative conditions. Moving toward this implementation requires both installation of analytical sensors and the development of models capable to predict in real time the quality parameters of the polymers based on both process and analytical sensors. The primary aim of the current work has been the development of real time monitoring models by advanced chemometric tools for the prediction of a General Purpose PolyStyrene (GPPS) quality property, fusing Near Infrared (NIR) and process sensors data. In the plant considered, in addition to standard process sensors, along the GPPS production line, operating in continuous, two NIR probes are installed in-line. After the arrangement of the available data in different blocks, aiming at studying the specific contribution of the two types of sensors and of the main phases of the process, Multiblock-PLS (MB-PLS) method was employed to fuse the different blocks and to assess which were the most relevant sensors and plant phases for the prediction of the two quality parameters. Good prediction performances were achieved, allowing identifying the most significant data blocks for the GPPS quality prediction. Moreover, prediction errors obtained by models computed without considering blocks of data belonging to the final stages of the process were similar to those involving all the available data blocks. Therefore, a good real time assessment of the GPPS quality can be obtained even before the production is completed, which is very promising in view of minimizing the number of off-line laboratory analyse

A Multiblock Approach to Fuse Process and Near-Infrared Sensors for On-Line Prediction of Polymer Properties

Petrochemical companies aim at assessing final product quality in real time, in order to rapidly deal with possible plant faults and to reduce chemical wastes and staff effort resulting from the many laboratory analyses performed every day. In order to answer these needs, the main purpose of the current work is to explore the feasibility of multiblock regression methods to build real-time monitoring models for the prediction of two quality properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) by fusing near-infrared (NIR) and process sensors data. Data come from a production plant, which operates continuously, and where four NIR probes are installed on-line, in addition to standard process sensors. Multiblock-PLS (MB-PLS) and Response-Oriented Sequential Alternation (ROSA) methods were here utilized to assess which of such sensors and plant areas were the most relevant for the quality parameters prediction. Several prediction models were constructed exploiting measurements provided by sensors active at different ABS production process stages. Both methods provided good prediction performances and permitted identification of the most relevant data blocks for the quality parameters’ prediction. Moreover, models built without considering recordings from the final stage of the process yielded prediction errors comparable to those involving all available data blocks. Thus, in principle, allowing final ABS quality to be estimated in real-time before the end of the process itself

Tubal factor infertility: which is the possible role of tubal microbiota? A fresh look to a busy corner focusing on the potential role of hysteroscopy.

There is a growing body of evidence regarding the importance of the urogenital microbiota associated to reproductive outcomes, both for achieving pregnancy naturally or with the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The role of the vaginal and endometrial microbiota in potential infertility can be applied to the tubal milieu, which is currently a hot topic in clinical research. Given that the incidence of tubal infertility factor is constantly increasing, and the incidence of previously known infectious causes is declining, it is extremely important to encourage research to identify the real composition of the tubal microbiota. On the other hand, the potential importance of the role of hysteroscopy in elucidating tubal infertility factor is currently underestimated and not completely clarified. This short review article presents the most recent evidence on the possible role of tubal microbiota on female infertility, focusing on the role of its potential diagnostic effectiveness and, in particular, on the role of hysteroscopy

Pertussis-associated persistent cough in previously vaccinated children

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Bioactive compound profiling of olive fruit: the contribution of genotype

The health, therapeutic, and organoleptic characteristics of olive oil depend on functional bioactive compounds, such as phenols, tocopherols, squalene, and sterols. Genotype plays a key role in the diversity and concentration of secondary compounds peculiar to olive. In this study, the most important bioactive compounds of olive fruit were studied in numerous international olive cultivars during two consecutive seasons. A large variability was measured for each studied metabolite in all 61 olive cultivars. Total phenol content varied on a scale of 1–10 (3831–39,252 mg kg1) in the studied cultivars. Squalene values fluctuated over an even wider range (1–15), with values of 274 to 4351 mg kg1. Total sterols ranged from 119 to 969 mg kg1, and total tocopherols varied from 135 to 579 mg kg1 in fruit pulp. In the present study, the linkage among the most important quality traits highlighted the scarcity of cultivars with high content of at least three traits together. This work provided sound information on the fruit metabolite profile of a wide range of cultivars, which will facilitate the studies on the genomic regulation of plant metabolites and development of new olive genotypes through genomics-assisted breeding.EEA San JuanFil: Mousavi, Soraya. National Research Council. Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources; ItaliaFil: Stanzione, Vitale. National Research Council. Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems of the Mediterranean; ItaliaFil: Mariotti, Roberto. National Research Council. Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources; ItaliaFil: Mastio, Valerio.Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Juan; Argentina.Fil: Mastio, Valerio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Azariadis, Aristotelis. Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. Department of Horticultural Genetics and Biotechnology; GreciaFil: Passeri, Valentina. National Research Council. Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems of the Mediterranean; ItaliaFil: Valeri, Maria Cristina. National Research Council. Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources; ItaliaFil: Baldoni, Luciana. National Research Council. Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources; ItaliaFil: Bufacchi, Marina. National Research Council. Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems of the Mediterranean; Itali

Androgen-stimulated DNA synthesis and cytoskeletal changes in fibroblasts by a nontranscriptional receptor action

In NIH3T3 cells, 0.001 nM of the synthetic androgen R1881 induces and stimulates association of androgen receptor (AR) with Src and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (Pl3-kinase), respectively, thereby triggering S-phase entry. 10 nM R1881 stimulates Rac activity and membrane ruffling in the absence of the receptor–Src–PI3-kinase complex assembly. The antiandrogen Casodex and specific inhibitors of Src and PI3-kinase prevent both hormonal effects, DNA synthesis and cytoskeletal changes. Neither low nor high R1881 concentration allows receptor nuclear translocation and receptor-dependent transcriptional activity in fibroblasts, although they harbor the classical murine AR. The very low amount of AR in NIH3T3 cells (7% of that present in LNCaP cells) activates the signaling pathways, but apparently is not sufficient to stimulate gene transcription. This view is supported by the appearance of receptor nuclear translocation as well as receptor-mediated transcriptional activity after overexpression of AR in fibroblasts. In addition, AR-negative Cos cells transiently transfected with a very low amount of hAR cDNA respond to low and high R1881 concentrations with signaling activation. Interestingly, they do not show significant transcriptional activation under the same experimental conditions. Fibroblasts are the first example of cells that respond to steroid hormones with activation of signaling pathways in the absence of endogenous receptor transcriptional activity. The data reported also show that hormone concentration can be crucial in determining the type of cell responsiveness

Digitalización Automática de Gráficos de Ecosondas Analógicas

Las ecosondas son las principales fuentes para realizar relevamientos de la topografía submarina. Estos equipos son portátiles, pudiendo ser instalados en embarcaciones durante las campañas de relevamiento. Éstas pueden ser de dos tipos de tecnologías tanto analógicas, más antiguas, como digitales, más modernas y versátiles. Las ecosondas digitales son ideales en la actualidad para la gran mayoría de las tareas de investigación. Sin embargo, el precio de las mismas las hace de difícil acceso a grupos de trabajo con presupuestos bajos, quienes muchas veces además disponen de sondas analógicas. Independiente de ello, existe en los archivos de los institutos oceanográficos e hidrológicos como así también en organismos portuarios una gran cantidad de registros batimétricos cuyo análisis ha sido solamente muy básico debido a lo extensivo del trabajo manual para leer las fajas. Por ello, hay cúmulos importantes de información que, de contar con un sistema rápido y eficiente, permitiría rescatar y preservar esa información.Eje: Computación Gráfica, Visualización e ImágenesRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI