Session VI. Industrybreakthroughs.-Adaptica: products outline and technology developments

Abstract Adaptica is a Spin-off company of the University of Padova (incorporated in February 2009). It is composed by six young scientists and three collaborators. The background expertise of Adaptica’s R&D division is in adaptive optics for ultrashort pulses laser technology, astronomy, non linear optics and embedded systems for digital electronics. Moreover Adaptica CEO is a thirty years experienced manager in the field of technologies for automation and ophthalmic diagnostic system productions. This vertical approach is fostering new technologies, very compact and with friendly interfaces with the goal to make Adaptive Optics a technology for many optical applications. The mixture of academic and company organization maximizes both productivity and innovation, with high quality in the components. The same approach brought consequently to the submission of two patents in the first 8 months of activity. The products of Adaptica are based on adaptive optics systems composed by a highly embedded digital electronic system, deformable optics and aberration sensors. On this base, Adaptica is presenting on the market state of the art membrane deformable mirrors, electronic control units based on embedded PC, Shack Hartmann wavefront sensors and LCD/LCOS spatial light modulators. By means of these standard laboratory products, Adaptica produces also a series which is internationally distributed by Edmund Optics Inc (USA). Moreover Adaptica is recently producing and distributing a tool for teaching Adaptive Optics to universities courses and R&D industry division. In this talk it will be presented a description of Adaptica's product line with particular attention on the specifications, constraints and typical applications. In the conclusions we will outline a summary of some recent results and future developments

Mineralogy and Zn chemical speciation in a soil-plant system from a metal-extreme environment: a study on Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum (Campo Pisano Mine, SW Sardinia, Italy)

Environmental contamination due to human activities is a worldwide problem that has led to the development of different remediation techniques, including biotechnological approaches such as phytoextraction and phytostabilization. These techniques take advantage of pioneer plants that naturally develop tolerance mechanisms to survive in extreme environments. A multi-technique and multi-disciplinary approach was applied for the investigation of Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum samples, bulk soil, and rhizospheres collected from a metal-extreme environment (Zn-Pb mine of Campo Pisano, SW Sardinia, Italy). Zinc, Pb, and Cd are the most abundant metals, with Zn attaining 3 w/w% in the rhizosphere solid materials, inducing oxidative stress in the roots as revealed by infrared microspectroscopy (IR). X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical analysis coupled with synchrotron radiation-based (SR) techniques demonstrate that quartz, dolomite, and weddellite biominerals precipitate in roots, stems, and leaves, likely as a response to environmental stress. In the rhizosphere, Zn chemical speciation is mainly related to the Zn ore minerals (smithsonite and hydrozincite) whereas, in plant tissues, Zn is primarily bound to organic compounds such as malate, cysteine, and histidine molecules that act as metal binders and, eventually, detoxification agents for the Zn excess. These findings suggest that H. microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum has developed its own adaptation strategy to survive in polluted substrates, making it a potential candidate for phytostabilization aimed at mitigating the dispersion of metals in the surrounding areas

Trace-element XAFS sensitivity: a stress test for a new XRF multi-detector

X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy can assess the chemical speciation of the elements providing their coordination and oxidation state, information generally hidden to other techniques. In the case of trace elements, achieving a good quality XAFS signal poses several challenges, as it requires high photon flux, counting statistics and detector linearity. Here, a new multi-element X-ray fluorescence detector is presented, specifically designed to probe the chemical speciation of trace 3d elements down to the p.p.m. range. The potentialities of the detector are presented through a case study: the speciation of ultra-diluted elements (Fe, Mn and Cr) in geological rocks from a calcareous formation related to the dispersal processes from Ontong (Java) volcanism (mid-Cretaceous). Trace-elements speciation is crucial in evaluating the impact of geogenic and anthropogenic harmful metals on the environment, and to evaluate the risks to human health and ecosystems. These results show that the new detector is suitable for collecting spectra of 3d elements in trace amounts in a calcareous matrix. The data quality is high enough that quantitative data analysis could be performed to determine their chemical speciatio

Italian pediatric nutrition survey

Introduction the prevalence of malnutrition in children and its impact on clinical outcomes is underrecognized by clinicians in Italy as well as worldwide. A novel definition of pediatric malnutrition has been recently proposed by a working group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.), based on the correlation between illness and the use of zscores of anthropometric measurements. Aim to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition and related nutritional support among hospitalized children in Italy, in a nationwide survey performed in a single day (16/4/2015). Methods an open access website (http://nday.biomedia.net) was used to collected data from 73 hospitals and 101 wards in 14 Italian regions (1994 patients). Anonymous information was collected on hospitals' characteristics, patient's anthropometry, admission diagnosis, presence of chronic diseases and use of nutritional support: oral nutritional supplements (ONS), enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral nutrition (PN). Z-scores of anthropometric measurements, calculated with Epi Info 7.1.5, defined nutritional status: wasting was identified by BMI or Weight-for-Length z-score (<−1 mild, <−2 moderate, <−3 severe), stunting by Height-for-Age Z-score <−2. WHO 2006 and CDC 2000 growth charts were used respectively for children younger and older than 2 years old. Results 1790 complete records were obtained for hospitalized patients aged 0–20 years, with median age 6.16 (0.1–20 years and 53.3% males). 52.9% were aged 0–6 years and 58.8% of children suffered from chronic diseases. Wasting was detected in 28.7% of the total sample with higher occurrence observed in age ranges 0–6 and 14–20 years, while 17.3% of patients showed stunting; surprisingly almost 27% of them were aged 0–2. A ranking of the admission diagnosis with the highest rate of malnutrition was complied. The prevalence of wasting was significantly (p < 0.005) higher amongst children with chronic diseases (34.1% vs. 27.1%); stunting prevalence tripled in patients with chronic disease (24.5% vs. 8.3%). Only 23.5% of malnourished children (17%, 25.6% and 36.7%, respectively mild, moderate and severe malnutrition) received nutritional support: 11.7% received oral nutrition supplements (ONS, modular or complete), 11.5% enteral nutrition (EN, 6.4% via nasogastric tube, 5.1% via gastrostomy) and 6.8 % received parenteral nutrition (PN); in some patients a combination of two. Nutritional support is more commonly used among stunting patients, 39.5% of children under treatment. Conclusion Malnutrition of any grade was observed in nearly 1/3 and stunting in 17% of the reported hospitalized children, and it is likely to be underrecognized as the nutritional support reached only a small part of the malnourished children

Italian pediatric nutrition survey

Introduction the prevalence of malnutrition in children and its impact on clinical outcomes is underrecognized by clinicians in Italy as well as worldwide. A novel definition of pediatric malnutrition has been recently proposed by a working group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.), based on the correlation between illness and the use of zscores of anthropometric measurements. Aim to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition and related nutritional support among hospitalized children in Italy, in a nationwide survey performed in a single day (16/4/2015). Methods an open access website (http://nday.biomedia.net) was used to collected data from 73 hospitals and 101 wards in 14 Italian regions (1994 patients). Anonymous information was collected on hospitals' characteristics, patient's anthropometry, admission diagnosis, presence of chronic diseases and use of nutritional support: oral nutritional supplements (ONS), enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral nutrition (PN). Z-scores of anthropometric measurements, calculated with Epi Info 7.1.5, defined nutritional status: wasting was identified by BMI or Weight-for-Length z-score (<â\u88\u921 mild, <â\u88\u922 moderate, <â\u88\u923 severe), stunting by Height-for-Age Z-score <â\u88\u922. WHO 2006 and CDC 2000 growth charts were used respectively for children younger and older than 2 years old. Results 1790 complete records were obtained for hospitalized patients aged 0â\u80\u9320 years, with median age 6.16 (0.1â\u80\u9320 years and 53.3% males). 52.9% were aged 0â\u80\u936 years and 58.8% of children suffered from chronic diseases. Wasting was detected in 28.7% of the total sample with higher occurrence observed in age ranges 0â\u80\u936 and 14â\u80\u9320 years, while 17.3% of patients showed stunting; surprisingly almost 27% of them were aged 0â\u80\u932. A ranking of the admission diagnosis with the highest rate of malnutrition was complied. The prevalence of wasting was significantly (p < 0.005) higher amongst children with chronic diseases (34.1% vs. 27.1%); stunting prevalence tripled in patients with chronic disease (24.5% vs. 8.3%). Only 23.5% of malnourished children (17%, 25.6% and 36.7%, respectively mild, moderate and severe malnutrition) received nutritional support: 11.7% received oral nutrition supplements (ONS, modular or complete), 11.5% enteral nutrition (EN, 6.4% via nasogastric tube, 5.1% via gastrostomy) and 6.8 % received parenteral nutrition (PN); in some patients a combination of two. Nutritional support is more commonly used among stunting patients, 39.5% of children under treatment. Conclusion Malnutrition of any grade was observed in nearly 1/3 and stunting in 17% of the reported hospitalized children, and it is likely to be underrecognized as the nutritional support reached only a small part of the malnourished children