Towards the de\ufb01nition of a new river water line for North-Eastern Italy

In the last decades there has been active research on the relation between the stable isotopic composition of precipitation and climate variations at the regional scale. Particularly, the analysis of meteoric water lines is an important tool to understand climate processes at the local/regional scale. In this view, considering the strict relation between the isotopic composition of river water and the one of precipitation, surface running waters (i.e. rivers, streams, creeks) and their catchments can be considered as \u201cnatural pluviometers\u201d. In this study the analysis of the isotopic composition of surface waters was carried out in order to develop a new meteoric water line of North-East Italy. The dataset includes samples collected between 2012 and 2016 from i) small catchments, typically < 30 Km2 (Ressi Creek, Bridge Creek and Vauz Creek, Noce Bianco stream, Posina river), where it is easier to relate the stream water isotopic composition to distinct meteoric end-members (e.g., rainfall,snowmeltandglaciermelt);andii)largebasins(Adige:12,100Km2 andPo:71,000Km2)whichintegrate multiple components giving information at the regional scale. Preliminary results show that distinct river water lines are characterized by different slopes and intercepts. The slopes vary between 5.46 and 8.02, whereas the intercepts vary between -9.15 and 11.82. In particular river meteoricwaterlinesde\ufb01nedforRessiCreek(\u3b4Dh\uaf7.48 \u3b418O+10.27,n=831;R2 =0.88)andNoceBiancostream (\u3b4Dh\uaf7.66 \u3b418O+7.27, n=484; R2 = 0.95) con\ufb01rm the similarity with the meteoric line developed for northern Italy. On the contrary, the isotopic composition of streams in small (< 10 Km2) snow-dominated catchments (Bridge Creek and Vauz Creek) deviate from the North Italy meteoric line due to the important contribution of snowmelt that is typically characterized by a different isotopic signature compared to the precipitation input. River water lines for large basins (Po and Adige) are characterized by slopes and intercepts in the range of the Global Meteoric Water Line. Finally, it is important to emphasize that the current dataset, progressively updated, represents a snapshot of a short monitoring period and that future investigations are useful to highlight seasonal variations and on-going environmental changes

Historical Single-Use Heritage Assets: A Treasure to be Catalogued and Preserved

Special-purpose historical assets are those built in the twentieth century, in certain environmental, social, industrial, economic, infrastructural contexts, which carried out a single function. This unique function determined the dimensions, partitions, accesses and, in short, the very particular and specific characteristics that excluded their reuse. Having lost their usefulness, they are destined in the space of a few years to disap­pear, to be demolished, their past lost without leaving any memory or mark, because they are not protected by current legislation.The proposed cataloging and conservation of these structures is aimed at focus­ing attention on the afore-mentioned historical assets and protecting these significant testimonies not only from an architectural perspective but also from that of the history of work, popular culture and social aggregation.Gli edifici finalizzati sono quelle costruzione sorte, nel Novecento, in determinati contesti ambientali, sociali, industriali, economici, infrastrutturali, che svolgevano una unica funzione. Questa unica funzione ne ha determinato le dimensioni, le ripartizioni, gli accessi e, in sintesi, le caratteristiche così particolari e specifiche che fanno esclu­dere riutilizzi. Perdendo la loro utilità, sono destinati nel giro di pochi anni a scomparire, ad essere demoliti, a perdersi nella memoria senza lasciare spoglie anche perché non oggetto di tutela da parte delle Normative vigenti.La proposta di catalogazione e conservazione degli edifici finalizzati è finalizzata a porre l’attenzione sui suddetti manufatti e a tutelare queste testimonianze significative dal punto di vista non solo architettonico ma anche della storia del lavoro, della cultura popolare, della aggregazione sociale

Diabetic kidney disease. new clinical and therapeutic issues. Joint position statement of the Italian Diabetes Society and the Italian Society of Nephrology on "the natural history of diabetic kidney disease and treatment of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function"

Recent epidemiological studies have disclosed heterogeneity in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). In addition to the classical albuminuric phenotype, two new phenotypes have emerged, i.e., “nonalbuminuric renal impairment” and “progressive renal decline”, suggesting that DKD progression toward end-stage kidney disease in diabetic patients may occur through two distinct pathways heralded by a progressive increase in albuminuria and decline in renal function independent of albuminuria, respectively. Besides the natural history of DKD, also the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and reduced renal function has profoundly changed in the last two decades. New anti-hyperglycemic drugs have become available for treatment of these individuals and the lowest estimated glomerular filtration rate safety thresholds for some of the old agents have been reconsidered. This joint document of the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) reviews the natural history of DKD in the light of the recent epidemiological literature and provides updated recommendations on anti-hyperglycemic treatment with non-insulin agents in DKD patients

Equivalent weight: Application of the assessment method on real task conducted by railway workers wearing a back support exoskeleton

Commonly used risk indexes, such as the NIOSH Lifting Index, do not capture the effect of exoskeletons. This makes it difficult for Health and Safety professionals to rigorously assess the benefit of such devices. The community requires a simple method to assess the effectiveness of back-support exoskeleton's (BSE) in possibly reducing ergonomic risk. The method introduced in this work is termed “Equivalent Weight†(EqW) and it proposes an interpretation of the effect built on the benefit delivered through reduced activation of the erector spinae (ES). This manifests itself as an apparent reduction of the lifted load perceived by the wearer. This work presents a pilot study where a practical application of the EqW method is used to assess the ergonomic risk in manual material handling (MMH) when using a back support exoskeleton (StreamEXO). The results are assessed by combining observational measurements from on-site testing with five different workers and quantitative measures of the muscle activity reduction achieved during laboratory evaluation with ten workers. These results will show that when lifting, lowering, and carrying a 19 kg load the StreamEXO can reduce risk by up to two levels (from “high†to “low†) in the target sub-tasks. The Lifting index (LI) was reduced up to 64% when examining specific sub-tasks and the worker's movement conduction

Painting the black box white: experimental findings from applying XAI to an ECG reading setting

The shift from symbolic AI systems to black-box, sub-symbolic, and statistical ones has motivated a rapid increase in the interest toward explainable AI (XAI), i.e. approaches to make black-box AI systems explainable to human decision makers with the aim of making these systems more acceptable and more usable tools and supports. However, we make the point that, rather than always making black boxes transparent, these approaches are at risk of \emph{painting the black boxes white}, thus failing to provide a level of transparency that would increase the system's usability and comprehensibility; or, even, at risk of generating new errors, in what we termed the \emph{white-box paradox}. To address these usability-related issues, in this work we focus on the cognitive dimension of users' perception of explanations and XAI systems. To this aim, we designed and conducted a questionnaire-based experiment by which we involved 44 cardiology residents and specialists in an AI-supported ECG reading task. In doing so, we investigated different research questions concerning the relationship between users' characteristics (e.g. expertise) and their perception of AI and XAI systems, including their trust, the perceived explanations' quality and their tendency to defer the decision process to automation (i.e. technology dominance), as well as the mutual relationships among these different dimensions. Our findings provide a contribution to the evaluation of AI-based support systems from a Human-AI interaction-oriented perspective and lay the ground for further investigation of XAI and its effects on decision making and user experience.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Mimicking the Hierarchical Organization of Natural Collagen: Toward the Development of Ideal Scaffolding Material for Tissue Regeneration

Biological materials found in living organisms, many of which are proteins, feature a complex hierarchical organization. Type I collagen, a fibrous structural protein ubiquitous in the mammalian body, provides a striking example of such a hierarchical material, with peculiar architectural features ranging from the amino acid sequence at the nanoscale (primary structure) up to the assembly of fibrils (quaternary structure) and fibers, with lengths of the order of microns. Collagen plays a dominant role in maintaining the biological and structural integrity of various tissues and organs, such as bone, skin, tendons, blood vessels, and cartilage. Thus, "artificial" collagen-based fibrous assemblies, endowed with appropriate structural properties, represent ideal substrates for the development of devices for tissue engineering applications. In recent years, with the ultimate goal of developing three-dimensional scaffolds with optimal bioactivity able to promote both regeneration and functional recovery of a damaged tissue, numerous studies focused on the capability to finely modulate the scaffold architecture at the microscale and the nanoscale in order to closely mimic the hierarchical features of the extracellular matrix and, in particular, the natural patterning of collagen. All of these studies clearly show that the accurate characterization of the collagen structure at the submolecular and supramolecular levels is pivotal to the understanding of the relationships between the nanostructural/microstructural properties of the fabricated scaffold and its macroscopic performance. Several studies also demonstrate that the selected processing, including any crosslinking and/or sterilization treatments, can strongly affect the architecture of collagen at various length scales. The aim of this review is to highlight the most recent findings on the development of collagen-based scaffolds with optimized properties for tissue engineering. The optimization of the scaffolds is particularly related to the modulation of the collagen architecture, which, in turn, impacts on the achieved bioactivity

FEM analysis of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments to fatigue stress conditions: influence of geometrical parameters and design optimization

The aim of this paper was to analyse the mechanical behaviour of NiTi endodontic rotary instruments when subjected to fatigue stresses. Four different commercial endodontic files, characterized by different cross-section shapes, were tested. Two finite element models were built to identify the cross-section shape with the best performance. In the first FEM model, rotary instruments were fixed near the tip, while a transverse displacement was applied to the bottom. Von Mises equivalent stresses were evaluated to compare the bending response of the different instruments. In the second FEM model the low-cycle fatigue life of these instruments was examined, when constrained to displace in a curved root canal and contemporary rotate. The comparison of the results, in terms of cyclic fatigue, allowed to identify the commercial instrument whose particular geometric conformation ensures better mechanical strength under test conditions. Subsequently, an analysis of geometry parameters influences on the fatigue life was performed and a design optimization was carried out. In the design optimization process, the output parameter is the total deformation. The results obtained showed that it is possible to achieve an increase in fatigue life of up to 50%. Finally, the fatigue life of the optimized geometry has furthermore tested in a double curvature root canal

Long-Term Survival and Predictors of Failure of Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy

Objective: High tibial valgus osteotomy (HTO) is a widely accepted procedure indicated for varus knee with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the medial compartment. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating long term results of this procedure. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) for isolated osteoarthritis in the medial compartment of the knee. The secondary objective was to identify independent predictors of conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: This is a long term retrospective study of 296 cases of open wedge HTOs performed at a single center (level of evidence IV) between January 2005 and August 2015. Opening wedge medial HTO was always performed after diagnostic arthroscopy. Eighty-three percent of the population (233 patients, 247 procedures) was followed up at a mean 11.6 years (6-17) by telephone interview, to evaluate the possible conversion to TKA. Mean age at the index operation was 42.8 years (range 15-70) and most patients were male (70%). Associated procedures (e.g., platelet rich plasma supplementation, microfractures, meniscectomy, etc.) were carried out at the time of the HTO in 80 (32%) cases. Survival of HTO and its association with age, sex, body mass index, smoking habit, preoperative severity of varus deformity, cartilage status at surgery, and associated procedures were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: Thirty-three of the 247 HTOs (13.4%) were converted to knee replacement, with 86.6% of the original procedures surviving at a mean 12-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 17 years for HTO were 75.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66.7-84.3). There was significant difference (P < 0.001) in the 17-year survival rate between obese (55.5%; 95% CI 35.3-75.6) and non-obese (79.7%; 95% CI 70.1-89.2) patients. The determinants of conversion to knee arthroplasty detected at multivariate Cox regression analysis were body mass index, severity of cartilage degeneration in the medial compartment (Outerbridge grade), and age. Conclusion: The long-term survival of open wedge HTO for osteoarthritis in the medial compartment of the knee is satisfactory. The risk of conversion to TKA is significantly increased in obese patients. Advanced age and severity of pre-existing cartilage damage may also contribute to the risk of conversion to TKA

Rievocando Guido Davide Neri

La morte di Guido Davide Neri, di cui quest’anno ricorre il ventennale, ha determinato la presa di coscienza – nei suoi maestri, amici, colleghi e allievi – dell’irreparabilità dell’evento, della definitività del venir meno di una voce così teoreticamente stimolante ed eclettica. Perdita tragicamente vissuta nella cerchia della sua frequentazione, ma, parallelamente, inserita nell’ampio contesto del dibattito culturale nazionale e internazionale, in cui Neri era organicamente inserito. Pare a noi, che non lo abbiamo conosciuto e gli siamo temporalmente più distanti rispetto a quanti ne hanno sinora scritto, quasi inusuale che, a un filosofo mancato da così poco tempo, sia stata consacrata una già così importante quantità di ricerche e studi. Al di là della retorica che spesso accompagna, in ambiente accademico, il ritiro dall’attività didattica o la scomparsa di un docente, e abituati alla necessità della sedimentazione storica per la messa a punto del bilancio storiografico, ci ha stupito l’intensità con cui Neri è stato ricordato e la varietà degli interventi sulla sua figura, l’insegnamento e la produzione scientifica. Se da un lato questo acuisce, in noi, il rimpianto di non averlo incrociato nel mondo, dall’altro stimola la volontà di tornare a lui, al suo pensiero, alle sue opere. Un ritorno che, non mediato dall’influenza personale, potrà certo apparire privo di taluni elementi importanti, come la testimonianza diretta o la compartecipazione a certe esperienze determinanti, ma, insieme, si potrà giovare del giusto distacco critico, trovando ora nel prezioso Fondo Guido Davide Neri, conservato presso l’Università degli Studi di Milano, la fonte privilegiata dell’accesso alla sua opera teorica. Questo, si potrebbe dire, è il fil rouge che accomuna i nostri brevi contributi, diversi per tematiche e occasione di elaborazione, ma tutti contraddistinti dall’interesse e dalla volontà di avvicinare un po’ meglio la figura di Neri: le carte dell’archivio personale per noi hanno rappresentato e rappresentano la possibilità di accedere al suo laboratorio, di scoprire da esse l’uomo e il filosofo e di dare concretezza documentaria alla dialettica tra pensiero, letture ed esperienze. Certo il lavoro da svolgere è ancora molto e solo lo scandaglio approfondito del materiale permetterà di penetrare a fondo l’officina neriana. Quello che noi qui, più limitatamente, offriamo, è soltanto un piccolo esempio di quanto di rilevante e ancora da vedere è racchiuso nei faldoni e aspetta di essere portato alla luce. Il nostro, in altre parole, vorrebbe essere un invito a ripensare Neri attraverso le carte, convinti della loro imprescindibilità ai fini della ricostruzione storico-critica del suo percorso filosofico e coscienti del loro straordinario valore intrinseco (per certi versi anche estetico). Gli interventi che presentiamo – ne siamo convinti – sono poi una ulteriore testimonianza della capacità di Neri e del suo pensiero di porsi in dialogo, anche a distanza, con una sempre nuova varietà di interlocutori

Enriched sera protein profiling for detection of non-small cell lung cancer biomarkers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the major cause of cancer related-death. Many patients receive diagnosis at advanced stage leading to a poor prognosis. At present, no satisfactory screening tests are available in clinical practice and the discovery and validation of new biomarkers is mandatory. Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (SELDI-ToF-MS) is a recent high-throughput technique used to detect new tumour markers. In this study we performed SELDI-ToF-MS analysis on serum samples treated with the ProteoMiner™ kit, a combinatorial library of hexapeptide ligands coupled to beads, to reduce the wide dynamic range of protein concentration in the sample. Serum from 44 NSCLC patients and 19 healthy controls were analyzed with IMAC30-Cu and H50 ProteinChip Arrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comparing SELDI-ToF-MS protein profiles of NSCLC patients and healthy controls, 28 protein peaks were found significantly different (p < 0.05), and were used as predictors to build decision classification trees. This statistical analysis selected 10 protein peaks in the low-mass range (2-24 kDa) and 6 in the high-mass range (40-80 kDa). The classification models for the low-mass range had a sensitivity and specificity of 70.45% (31/44) and 68.42% (13/19) for IMAC30-Cu, and 72.73% (32/44) and 73.68% (14/19) for H50 ProteinChip Arrays.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These preliminary results suggest that SELDI-ToF-MS protein profiling of serum samples pretreated with ProteoMiner™ can improve the discovery of protein peaks differentially expressed between NSCLC patients and healthy subjects, useful to build classification algorithms with high sensitivity and specificity. However, identification of the significantly different protein peaks needs further study in order to provide a better understanding of the biological nature of these potential biomarkers and their role in the underlying disease process.</p