APPLICATION OF ACTION CAMERA VIDEO FOR FAST AND LOW-COST PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SURVEY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

The research work focuses on the growing of fast and low-cost data surveying methods (both in the acquisition and processing phases), to be used mainly as a support for the management and enhancement of architectural heritage. Attention is paid on the diffusion of action cameras, characterized by wide-angle lenses and 4K video shooting, with more and more affordable prices and on the elaboration of the data with photogrammetry software. The high-resolution videos captured by these tools, in fact, allow the selection of frames characterized by sufficient overlap, necessary for point cloud generation through Structure for Motion (SfM) processes. The focus is on indoor environment characterized by architectural value and on the data processing not only with professional photogrammetric application but also with cloud server-based system. Hence, the frames extracted from the video have been processed with different, both professional, economic, and user-friendly software tools, achieving several results. Finally, the output data have been compared with a survey method now well established in this field, such as laser scanning. The results of the analyses will be critically discussed in the paper to highlight the great potentialities and the possibility to apply this methodology in the future for heritage preservation

Tight Regulation of Mechanotransducer Proteins Distinguishes the Response of Adult Multipotent Mesenchymal Cells on PBCE-Derivative Polymer Films with Different Hydrophilicity and Stiffness

: Mechanotransduction is a molecular process by which cells translate physical stimuli exerted by the external environment into biochemical pathways to orchestrate the cellular shape and function. Even with the advancements in the field, the molecular events leading to the signal cascade are still unclear. The current biotechnology of tissue engineering offers the opportunity to study in vitro the effect of the physical stimuli exerted by biomaterial on stem cells and the mechanotransduction pathway involved in the process. Here, we cultured multipotent human mesenchymal/stromal cells (hMSCs) isolated from bone marrow (hBM-MSCs) and adipose tissue (hASCs) on films of poly(butylene 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylate) (PBCE) and a PBCE-based copolymer containing 50 mol% of butylene diglycolate co-units (BDG50), to intentionally tune the surface hydrophilicity and the stiffness (PBCE = 560 Mpa; BDG50 = 94 MPa). We demonstrated the activated distinctive mechanotransduction pathways, resulting in the acquisition of an elongated shape in hBM-MSCs on the BDG50 film and in maintaining the canonical morphology on the PBCE film. Notably, hASCs acquired a new, elongated morphology on both the PBCE and BDG50 films. We found that these events were mainly due to the differences in the expression of Cofilin1, Vimentin, Filamin A, and Talin, which established highly sensitive machinery by which, rather than hASCs, hBM-MSCs distinguished PBCE from BDG50 films

Worst cases for an one-hop high frequency link

The characterisation of a HF channel by means of monthly electron density profiles can be complemented with a detailed study of radio propagation «worst cases» on situations with extremes conditions of radiopropagation for a given period. These «worst cases» correspond to conditions that can be identified by means of cumulative distributions of the key parameter f0F2. In this paper, the main parameters of the HF channel: time delay, apogee, elevation angle and transmission frequency with mean and extreme conditions are analysed. The method used to characterise the ionospheric channel is based on ray-tracing techniques

Design of a regulated lentiviral vector for hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy of globoid cell leukodystrophy

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) is a demyelinating lysosomal storage disease due to the deficiency of the galactocerebrosidase (GALC) enzyme. The favorable outcome of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC)-based approaches in GLD and other similar diseases suggests HSPC gene therapy as a promising therapeutic option for patients. The path to clinical development of this strategy was hampered by a selective toxicity of the overexpressed GALC in the HSPC compartment. Here, we presented the optimization of a lentiviral vector (LV) in which miR-126 regulation was coupled to codon optimization of the human GALC cDNA to obtain a selective and enhanced enzymatic activity only upon transduced HSPCs differentiation. The safety of human GALC overexpression driven by this LV was extensively demonstrated in vitro and in vivo on human HSPCs from healthy donors. No perturbation in the content of proapoptotic sphingolipids, gene expression profile, and capability of engraftment and mutlilineage differentiation in chimeric mice was observed. The therapeutic potential of this LV was then assessed in a severe GLD murine model that benefited from transplantation of corrected HSPCs with longer survival and ameliorated phenotype as compared to untreated siblings. This construct has thus been selected as a candidate for clinical translatio

TA treatment of depression : a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design study - ‘Deborah’

This study is the third of a series of seven, and belongs to the second Italian systematic replication of findings from two previous series (Widdowson 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2013; Benelli, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c) that investigated the effectiveness of a manualised transactional analysis treatment for depression through Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design (HSCED). Major Depression and Subthreshold Depression are often in comorbidity with Anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence and represent a risk factor for ongoing mental health problems in adulthood. The therapist was a white Italian woman with 15 years of clinical experience and the client, Deborah, was a 15-year old white Italian female adoloscent who attended sixteen sessions of transactional analysis psychotherapy. The conclusion of the judges was that this was a good-outcome case: the depressive and anxious symptomatology clinically and reliably improved over the course of the therapy and these improvements were maintained throughout the duration of the follow-up intervals. Furthermore, the client reported significant change in her post-treatment interview and these changes were directly attributed to the therapy. In this case study, the transactional analysis manualised treatment for depression in adulthood has demonstrated its effectiveness also in treating depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescence

TA treatment of depression : a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design study - ‘Deborah’

This study is the third of a series of seven, and belongs to the second Italian systematic replication of findings from two previous series (Widdowson 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2013; Benelli, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c) that investigated the effectiveness of a manualised transactional analysis treatment for depression through Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design (HSCED). Major Depression and Subthreshold Depression are often in comorbidity with Anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence and represent a risk factor for ongoing mental health problems in adulthood. The therapist was a white Italian woman with 15 years of clinical experience and the client, Deborah, was a 15-year old white Italian female adoloscent who attended sixteen sessions of transactional analysis psychotherapy. The conclusion of the judges was that this was a good-outcome case: the depressive and anxious symptomatology clinically and reliably improved over the course of the therapy and these improvements were maintained throughout the duration of the follow-up intervals. Furthermore, the client reported significant change in her post-treatment interview and these changes were directly attributed to the therapy. In this case study, the transactional analysis manualised treatment for depression in adulthood has demonstrated its effectiveness also in treating depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescence

Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Consumption as Early Markers of Neurosurgery-Related Brain Injury in Children

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lipid peroxidation represents a marker of secondary brain injury both in traumatic and in non-traumatic conditions-as in major neurosurgical procedures-eventually leading to brain edema amplification and further brain damage. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, and ascorbate, a marker of antioxidant status, can represent early indicators of this process within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We hypothesized that changes in cerebral lipid peroxidation can be measured ex vivo following neurosurgery in children. METHODS: Thirty-six children (M:F = 19/17, median age 32.9 months; IQR 17.6-74.6) undergoing neurosurgery for brain tumor removal were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the postoperative period with an indwelling intraventricular catheter for intracranial pressure monitoring and CSF drainage. Plasma and CSF samples were obtained for serial measurement of MDA, ascorbate, and cytokines. RESULTS: An early brain-limited increase in lipid peroxidation was measured, with a significant increase from baseline of MDA in CSF (p = 0.007) but not in plasma. In parallel, ascorbate in CSF decreased (p = 0.05). Systemic inflammatory response following brain surgery was evidenced by plasma IL-6/IL-8 increase (p 0.0022 and 0.0106, respectively). No correlation was found between oxidative response and tumor site or histology (according to World Health Organization grading). Similarly, lipid peroxidation was unrelated to the length of surgery (mean 321 ± 73 min), or intraoperative blood loss (mean 20.9 ± 16.8% of preoperative volemia, 44% given hemotransfusions). Median PICU stay was 3.5 days (IQL range 2-5.5 d.), and postoperative ventilation need was 24 h (IQL range 20-61.5 h). The elevation in postoperative MDA in CSF compared with preoperative values correlated significantly with postoperative ventilation need (P = 0.05, r2 0168), while no difference in PICU stay was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that lipid peroxidation increases consistently following brain surgery, and it is accompanied by a decrease in antioxidant defences; intraventricular catheterization offers a unique chance of oxidative process monitoring. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether monitoring post-neurosurgical oxidative stress in CSF is of prognostic utility

Dengue fever complicated by liver dysfunction due to possible co-infection with hepatitis E in a returning traveller from Cuba

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne infection that co-circulates with Chikungunya and Zika virus infection in many parts of the world. Dengue virus (DENV) is occasionally responsible for acute hepatitis and a few cases of acute hepatitis due to co-infection with DENV and hepatitis E virus have been described in India. A 37-year-old Cuban woman living in Italy was admitted to our hospital with a presumed arboviral infection upon her return to Italy short after a 15-day trip to her home-country to visit relatives. An acute infection due to DENV serotype 1 was initially diagnosed, following a clinical course characterized by signs of liver dysfunction that were possibly due to co-infection with hepatitis E virus

Silent spontaneous uterine rupture in a term pregnancy with extrusion of an intact amniotic sac and without maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality

Background. Uterine rupture in pregnancy is a rare and catastrophic complication with a high incidence of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Silent spontaneous uterine rupture without maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality is very rare. Case presentation. We describe a case of silent spontaneous uterine rupture diagnosed during a planned cesarean section in a patient at 38+4 weeks’ gestation with two previous cesarean sections. The mother and newborn were discharged three days later in good health and without complications. Conclusions. Worldwide, the frequency of cesarean deliveries has increased in recent decades and uterine rupture is a very rare catastrophic emergency that can have dramatic consequences. Our case report shows that uterine rupture can occur in pregnancy before labour without any signs or symptoms. Despite the uterine rupture with extrusion of the intact amniotic sac, there were no complications for the mother or the foetus. Timely diagnosis is crucial and future research should find more reproducible parameters to objectify the risk of silent uterine rupture and define the timing of delivery of previous cesarean sections requiring a new surgical delivery. All patients with previous cesarean sections should be counselled about the possibility of early delivery by cesarean section

On the sub-micron aerosol size distribution in a coastal-rural site at El Arenosillo Station (SW – Spain)

This study focuses on the analysis of the sub-micron aerosol characteristics at El Arenosillo Station, a rural and coastal environment in South-western Spain between 1 August 2004 and 31 July 2006 (594 days). The mean total concentration (NT) was 8660 cm−3 and the mean concentrations in the nucleation (NNUC), Aitken (NAIT) and accumulation (NACC) particle size ranges were 2830 cm−3, 4110 cm−3 and 1720 cm−3, respectively. Median size distribution was characterised by a single-modal fit, with a geometric diameter, median number concentration and geometric standard deviation of 60 nm, 5390 cm−3 and 2.31, respectively. Characterisation of primary emissions, secondary particle formation, changes to meteorology and long-term transport has been necessary to understand the seasonal and annual variability of the total and modal particle concentration. Number concentrations exhibited a diurnal pattern with maximum concentrations around noon. This was governed by the concentrations of the nucleation and Aitken modes during the warm seasons and only by the nucleation mode during the cold seasons. Similar monthly mean total concentrations were observed throughout the year due to a clear inverse variation between the monthly mean NNUC and NACC. It was related to the impact of desert dust and continental air masses on the monthly mean particle levels. These air masses were associated with high values of NACC which suppressed the new particle formation (decreasing NNUC). Each day was classified according to a land breeze flow or a synoptic pattern influence. The median size distribution for desert dust and continental aerosol was dominated by the Aitken and accumulation modes, and marine air masses were dominated by the nucleation and Aitken modes. Particles moved offshore due to the land breeze and had an impact on the particle burden at noon, especially when the wind was blowing from the NW sector in the morning during summer time. This increased NNUC and NAIT by factors of 3.1 and 2.4, respectively. Nucleation events with the typical "banana" shape were characterised by a mean particle nucleation rate of 0.74 cm−3 s−1, a mean growth rate of 1.96 nm h−1 and a mean total duration of 9.25 h (starting at 10:55 GMT and ending at 20:10 GMT). They were observed for 48 days. Other nucleation events were identified as those produced by the emissions from the industrial areas located at a distance of 35 km. They were observed for 42 days. Both nucleation events were strongly linked to the marine air mass origin