The fluorine in surface waters: origin, weight on human health, and defluoridation techniques

In order to understand the distribution of fluorine in surface environments, also linked to fluoride deposits, this paper discusses the role of rift systems in fluorine enrichment of surface waters, with two examples: the Sardinia Island and the East African Rift. The main goal of this study is aimed to highlighting the areas that could potentially host fluorine in the surface waters in order to make it easier the lecture also for people to search and read not experts in the field, such as the biomedical field. Furthermore, potentialities and limitations of the currently available defluoridation techniques were examined, in order to identify the best intervention technology. From a careful review of the literature, to the addition of the extensive field observations in Sardinia and Ethiopia carried by the authors in the previous decades, we highlight the origin, processes and evolution of F-migration in Rift systems. The given examples of Sardinia and Ethiopia show that the origin and consequent behaviour of fluorine is strictly controlled by the rift systems. In this framework, the availability of fluorine for surface waters depends on two possible types of sources: a direct supply and an indirect supply. Directly from spring waters and ground waters fed by hydrothermal systems related to rifting, and indirectly from the leaching of products of rift-related activities, such as fluorite-bearing deposits, sedimentary or meta-sedimentary rift-related sequences, and volcanic or metavolcanic complexes emplaced along rift structures. The whole geological history of a given area must be taken into account in interpreting its present fluorine geochemistry. In conclusion, we underline the aspects of a possible control of these areas where fluoride exposure might lead to a long-term harm to local communities and we point out the nowadays best remediation-technologies, discussing their pro and cons in their applicability to different scales and social-contexts

Improving CPAP Adherence in Adults With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Scoping Review of Motivational Interventions

Objective: This scoping review aims to provide an accessible summary of available evidence on the efficacy of motivational interventions to increase adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) among patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and of their specific aspects and strategies by assessing adherence measures. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases using the concepts of “obstructive sleep apnea syndrome,” “continuous positive airway pressure,” “motivational intervention,” and “adherence.” Rigorous inclusion criteria and screening by at least two reviewers were applied. Data were extracted to address the review aims and were presented as a narrative synthesis. Results: Search for databases produced 11 randomized controlled trials, all including naïve CPAP users. Findings showed that motivational interventions were more effective than usual care and educational programs in increasing adherence to CPAP, despite results were not always maintained over time across studies. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first scoping review of the literature aimed to explore the characteristics and impact of motivational interventions to promote adherence to CPAP in patients with OSAS. More research providing a detailed description of motivational strategies, and testing of their association with positive treatment outcomes via both direct and indirect measures are needed to increase awareness on active mechanisms of change

Analysis of sarcopenic obesity prevalence and diagnostic agreement according to the 2022 ESPEN and EASO Consensus in hospitalized older adults with severe obesity

BackgroundSarcopenic obesity (SO) is a clinical disorder characterized by increased adiposity and decreased muscle mass and function, commonly observed in older adults. However, most of the studies that investigated SO prevalence rates were not based on current standardized diagnostic methods. Thus, this study aims to estimate the prevalence rates of SO and their level of agreement using different instruments proposed by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) Consensus, in a sample of hospitalized older adults with severe obesity.MethodsA cross-sectional study with 90 older adults (≥ 60 years) with severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m/²) seeking an in-hospital multidisciplinary body weight reduction program. Skeletal muscle function was assessed using the five-repetition Sit-Stand test (5-SSt) and Handgrip Strength (HGS). Body composition was evaluated by high percentages of fat mass (FM), low appendicular lean mass (ALM/W), and skeletal muscle mass (SMM/W), adjusted to body weight. The stage of SO was assessed on the presence of at least one comorbidity and specific cut-offs were adopted for each step. All analyses were performed according to gender and age range.ResultsThe prevalence rates of SO in the total sample were 23.3%, 25.5%, 31.1%, and 40.0% considering altered values of 5-SSt+FM+ALM/W, HGS+FM+ALM/W, 5-SSt+FMSSM/W, and HGS+FM+SSM/W, respectively. Higher prevalence rates were observed among female and old elderly subgroups, regardless of the diagnostic combination. There were weak agreements between the muscle function tests (5-SSt versus HGS) using both muscle mass indexes in the total sample and all subgroups. Moderate agreements were observed between muscle mass indexes (SMM/W versus ALM/W) in the total sample, male and younger older adults (using 5-SSt), and strong agreements for men and younger older adults (using HGS).ConclusionThe discrepancies observed between the prevalence rates and their levels of agreement reinforce the need for new studies in similar populations aiming for better standardization of SO assessment

The AGILE Mission

AGILE is an Italian Space Agency mission dedicated to observing the gamma-ray Universe. The AGILE's very innovative instrumentation for the first time combines a gamma-ray imager (sensitive in the energy range 30 MeV-50 GeV), a hard X-ray imager (sensitive in the range 18-60 keV), a calorimeter (sensitive in the range 350 keV-100 MeV), and an anticoincidence system. AGILE was successfully launched on 2007 April 23 from the Indian base of Sriharikota and was inserted in an equatorial orbit with very low particle background. Aims. AGILE provides crucial data for the study of active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, unidentified gamma-ray sources, galactic compact objects, supernova remnants, TeV sources, and fundamental physics by microsecond timing. Methods. An optimal sky angular positioning (reaching 0.1 degrees in gamma- rays and 1-2 arcmin in hard X-rays) and very large fields of view (2.5 sr and 1 sr, respectively) are obtained by the use of Silicon detectors integrated in a very compact instrument. Results. AGILE surveyed the gamma- ray sky and detected many Galactic and extragalactic sources during the first months of observations. Particular emphasis is given to multifrequency observation programs of extragalactic and galactic objects. Conclusions. AGILE is a successful high-energy gamma-ray mission that reached its nominal scientific performance. The AGILE Cycle-1 pointing program started on 2007 December 1, and is open to the international community through a Guest Observer Program

Evaluation of a Smectite Adsorption-Based Electrostatic System to Decontaminate F⁻ Rich Thermal Waters

Several studies have shown the presence of fluoride levels much higher than the 1.5 mg/L threshold concentration recommended by WHO in the spring waters and wells of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Available defluoridation techniques can be costly, present complicated technical aspects, and show limited effectiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to devise innovative, sustainable, and effective solutions. This study proposes an alternative method of intervention to the known techniques for removing fluoride from water, particularly suitable for smaller rural communities. In particular, in this work, the possibility to use electromagnetic fields as a physical method for removing the excess fluoride was investigated. The study was carried out by developing a multiphysics model used for studying and envisaging the design of a device. In this framework, the combination of this approach with the use of highly reactive smectite clay was numerically studied. The results obtained, although preliminary, indicate that the proposed system could significantly impoverish the waters of the Rift Valley from fluoride, with the consequence of obtaining a resource suitable for human consumption, in particular for rural communities. However, further theoretical investigations and experimental phases will be necessary to achieve the desired results

Evaluation of a Smectite Adsorption-Based Electrostatic System to Decontaminate F− Rich Thermal Waters

Several studies have shown the presence of fluoride levels much higher than the 1.5 mg/L threshold concentration recommended by WHO in the spring waters and wells of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Available defluoridation techniques can be costly, present complicated technical aspects, and show limited effectiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to devise innovative, sustainable, and effective solutions. This study proposes an alternative method of intervention to the known techniques for removing fluoride from water, particularly suitable for smaller rural communities. In particular, in this work, the possibility to use electromagnetic fields as a physical method for removing the excess fluoride was investigated. The study was carried out by developing a multiphysics model used for studying and envisaging the design of a device. In this framework, the combination of this approach with the use of highly reactive smectite clay was numerically studied. The results obtained, although preliminary, indicate that the proposed system could significantly impoverish the waters of the Rift Valley from fluoride, with the consequence of obtaining a resource suitable for human consumption, in particular for rural communities. However, further theoretical investigations and experimental phases will be necessary to achieve the desired results

Preliminary Study and Numerical Investigation of an Electrostatic Unit for the Removal of Fluoride from Thermal Water of Ethiopian Rift Valley

This article deals with the numerical modeling of the multiphysics investigation of an electric-field-based device for the defluoridation of Ethiopian water to mitigate fluorosis while satisfying the World Health Organization quality requirement for potable water. A tubular reactor with metallic parallel plates, connected to a static voltage source, exerts an electric force on the ion in solution, attracting it to the electrodes. Meanwhile, the ion is drifted by the laminar water flow which, in turn, allows us to separate and collect the F − -rich stream from the potable one. In this system, the electrostatic problem and the mass transport are coupled according to the highly nonlinear modified Poisson–Nernst–Planck–Stokes equations system. Therefore, carefully modeling the dielectric permittivity, the ionic diffusivity, and mobility as function of fluoride concentration and temperature, the set of operating parameters to ensure the highest fluoride removal from Ethiopian thermal water is identified

Short-Term Benefits of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Cognition in the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Retrospective Study

The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) significantly impacts cognitive functioning. The prolonged use (more than 3 months) of ventilotherapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) seems to have positive effects in restoring cognitive difficulties. However, there is poor evidence about its possible short-term effect. We investigated whether the short use (less than 15 days at testing) of CPAP improved the cognitive functioning in fifty individuals with OSAS by collecting retrospective neuropsychological measures about verbal memory and learning, information processing speed, attention (i.e., alerting, orienting, and executive system), and executive functions (i.e., strategic reasoning, problem-solving, and mental planning). The predictive role of days of CPAP use on the neuropsychological scores was assessed by hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses, over and above the possible role of demographics, body mass index, level of OSAS severity, and the level of anxiety and depression. The average number of days since CPAP adaptation was 4.70 (SD = 3.90; range = 0–15). As the days of CPAP adaptation increased, verbal learning and long-term memory significantly improved, contrary to the other assessed domains. Our results show a significant improvement in some cognitive functions even after a short treatment with CPAP, pointing to the importance of the early use of ventilotherapy to rapidly improve cognitive functioning. Identifying which cognitive functions can or cannot be restored with CPAP use may enable the design of complementary neuropsychological interventions focused on those residual difficulties, possibly enhancing patients’ compliance to the treatment

The Morra Game: Developing an Automatic Gesture Recognition System to Interface Human and Artificial Players

Morra is an ancient hand game still played nowadays. In its more popular variant, two players simultaneously extend one hand in front of the opponent to show a number of fingers, while uttering a number from 2 to 10. The player who successfully guesses the total number of fingers scores a point. Morra can be defined as a serious game, as it has the potential to positively affect cognition and to improve cognitive and perceptual skills. Moreover, with its involvement of many perceptual, cognitive and motor skills, morra is ideal to test several cognitive processes. This paper describes aspects of Gavina 2121, an artificial Morra player that successfully predicts the numbers of human opponents taking advantage of the limited ability of humans in random sequence generation. This study focuses on automatic gesture recognition. We developed and tested a system to allow Gavina 2121 to detect and count in real time the number of extended fingers in a human hand. The system is based on the open source MediaPipe Hand framework developed by Google. Our tests indicate that the system is able to accurately recognize the number of fingers extended by a human hand in real time, both in prone and supine positions. The system is still imprecise in semi-naturalistic conditions of an actual morra game, where the fingers of two hands need to be computed simultaneously. Our test, still in its pilot phase, shows promising results towards a flexible implementation of an artificial morra player that can sensibly expand the educational, rehabilitation and research applications of Morra

Dynamics of GH secretion during incremental exercise in obesity, before and after a short period of training at different work-loads

International audience<b>Background</b>. Growth hormone (GH) is normally sensitive to physical exercise. Intensity and duration of exercise, fitness as well as age, all can influence GH response to exercise. In obesity, GH secretion is decreased both in basal conditions and in response to exercise. <b>Objective</b>. To analyse the dynamics of GH response to a progressive cycloergometric test conducted up to exhaustion in adult normal subjects and obese patients, after a reconditioning program at different workloads. <b>Design and methods</b>. We studied 8 lean subjects (4 males, mean age 34.3 yrs, range 26-47 yrs, mean BMI 22.1 kg/m²). GH was sampled at baseline and during the last 30 s of each power output increase. Anaerobic threshold (AT) was detected by the V-slope method. The same test was carried out in 16 obese subjects (7 males, mean age 39.1 yrs, range 20-59 yrs, mean BMI 35.8 kg/m²) and repeated after a 4-week reconditioning program consisting of aerobic workout (Group A, 8 subjects, 3 males, mean age 40.5 yrs, range 22-59 yrs, mean BMI 33.6 kg/m²), and aerobic plus anaerobic work (group B, 8 subjects, 4 males, mean age 37.6 yrs, range 20-56 yrs, mean BMI 38.0 kg/m²) for 6 days/wk, with no dietary restrictions. <b>Results</b>. Mean exercise peak occurred at higher intensity in controls (140 vs. 110 W, p<0.05) and AT exceeded at higher work outputs than in obese subjects (102 vs. 74 W, p<0.05). In controls, GH response to exercise was prompt and further sustained after AT; in obese subjects, GH increased slowly and unsignificantly before AT, thereafter it increased to lower levels than in controls (p<0.001). Following the reconditioning period, both Group A and Group B of obese subjects failed to improve exercise performance as well as GH response to exercise before AT; beyond AT, a greater GH response to exercise occurred in Group B than Group A (7.59 ± 0.32 μg/l at peak of exercise) with significantly different Delta AUCs following AT: 30.5 ± 12 μg-min/l in the Group A vs 124.2 ± 38 μg-min/l in the Group B, p < 0.05. <b>Conclusions</b>. Our results confirm the blunted GH response to exercise in obese adults when compared to lean counterparts. With obesity, aerobic training poorly increases the GH response beyond AT while supplemental anaerobic workload appears to increase GH response beyond AT. These observations may have implications for prescription of physical exercise, which is one of the recommendations in the management of obesity