numerical analysis on the effect of focusing metasurfaces in energy harvesting applications

The aim of this thesis work is to describe Metasurfaces for Wireless Energy Harvesting (WEH) applications. The goal is to introduce newly conceptualized designs for focusing EM radiation into a predefined region with the aim of increasing the overall energy harvested by the system. The methodology behind the design of Metasurfaces for focusing applications will be described, with particular emphasis on PGMS (Phase-Shift Metasurfaces), together with their interaction with the freely propagating signals to obtain the desired ranging capability. Two models have been proposed, operating at 2.45 GHz, for increasing the received power and therefore enhancing the overall efficiency of a WEH link. The structures, completely passive, present a symmetric topology composed by concentric rings: the first one (3 rings model) allows to precisely focus the power at 20 cm of distance with 6.6 dB gain, while the second one (2 rings model) focuses the power at 2.5 cm with a gain 3 dB with less precision but proposing a compact design. The results have been obtained considering a link of 1 m where the transmitter and receiver are planar patches and it has been demonstrated how the presence of the metasurfaces increases the received power level, highlighting them as one of the most promising solutions for WEH applications

Contrasting styles of (U)HP rock exhumation along the Cenozoic Adria-Europe plate boundary (Western Alps, Calabria, Corsica)

Since the first discovery of ultrahigh pressure (UHP) rocks 30 years ago in the Western Alps, the mechanisms for exhumation of (U)HP terranes worldwide are still debated. In the western Mediterranean, the presently accepted model of synconvergent exhumation (e.g., the channel-flow model) is in conflict with parts of the geologic record. We synthesize regional geologic data and present alternative exhumation mechanisms that consider the role of divergence within subduction zones. These mechanisms, i.e., (i) the motion of the upper plate away from the trench and (ii) the rollback of the lower plate, are discussed in detail with particular reference to the Cenozoic Adria-Europe plate boundary, and along three different transects (Western Alps, Calabria-Sardinia, and Corsica-Northern Apennines). In the Western Alps, (U)HP rocks were exhumed from the greatest depth at the rear of the accretionary wedge during motion of the upper plate away from the trench. Exhumation was extremely fast, and associated with very low geothermal gradients. In Calabria, HP rocks were exhumed from shallower depths and at lower rates during rollback of the Adriatic plate, with repeated exhumation pulses progressively younging toward the foreland. Both mechanisms were active to create boundary divergence along the Corsica-Northern Apennines transect, where European southeastward subduction was progressively replaced along strike by Adriatic northwestward subduction. The tectonic scenario depicted for the Western Alps trench during Eocene exhumation of (U)HP rocks correlates well with present-day eastern Papua New Guinea, which is presented as a modern analog of the Paleogene Adria-Europe plate boundary

Three-row versus two-row circular staplers for left-sided colorectal anastomosis: a propensity score-matched analysis of the iCral 2 and 3 prospective cohorts

Background: Since most anastomoses after left-sided colorectal resections are performed with a circular stapler, any technological change in stapling devices may influence the incidence of anastomotic adverse events. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of a three-row circular stapler on anastomotic leakage and related morbidity after left-sided colorectal resections. Materials and methods: A circular stapled anastomosis was performed in 4255 (50.9%) out of 8359 patients enrolled in two prospective multicenter studies in Italy, and, after exclusion criteria to reduce heterogeneity, 2799 (65.8%) cases were retrospectively analyzed through a 1:1 propensity score-matching model including 20 covariates relative to patient characteristics, to surgery and to perioperative management. Two well-balanced groups of 425 patients each were obtained: group (A) – true population of interest, anastomosis performed with a three-row circular stapler; group (B) – control population, anastomosis performed with a two-row circular stapler. The target of inferences was the average treatment effect in the treated (ATT). The primary endpoints were overall and major anastomotic leakage and overall anastomotic bleeding; the secondary endpoints were overall and major morbidity and mortality rates. The results of multiple logistic regression analyses for the outcomes, including the 20 covariates selected for matching, were presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Group A versus group B showed a significantly lower risk of overall anastomotic leakage (2.1 vs. 6.1%; OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.15–0.73; P = 0.006), major anastomotic leakage (2.1 vs. 5.2%; OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.17–0.87; P = 0.022), and major morbidity (3.5 vs. 6.6% events; OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.24–0.91; P = 0.026). Conclusion: The use of three-row circular staplers independently reduced the risk of anastomotic leakage and related morbidity after left-sided colorectal resection. Twenty-five patients were required to avoid one leakage

MEDIS —A comprehensive spatial database on Mediterranean islands for biogeographical and evolutionary research

International audienceMotivation The intrinsic characteristics of islands make them a unique study system for the investigation of ecological and evolutionary dynamics. The Mediterranean Basin, an island‐rich biodiversity hotspot, still lacks a comprehensive spatial database for these geographic features. This study presents the first comprehensive spatial database of all Mediterranean islands larger than 0.01 km 2 , aiding ecological investigations and interdisciplinary research. Main types of variable contained The MEDIS spatial database offers detailed information on 39 geographic, climatic, ecological and land‐use variables, including island area, perimeter, isolation metrics, climatic space, terrain data, land cover, palaeogeography, road networks and geological information, providing a multifaceted view of each island's characteristics. Spatial location and grain The study encompasses 2217 islands in the Mediterranean Basin larger than 0.01 km 2 . The spatial grain of the datasets on which the selected variables are based varies from 10 m (ESA WorldCover) to 1 km (CHELSA‐BIOCLIM+). Time period and grain The spatial database incorporates data from various sources, each with its own timeframe, such as the Global Shoreline Vector from 2014 Landsat imagery and the WorldCover dataset from 2021. Historical data like the Paleocoastlines GIS dataset offer insights into island configurations during the Last Glacial Maximum. Major taxa and level of measurement While not focusing on specific taxa, the study lays the foundation for comprehensive research on Mediterranean islands, facilitating comparisons and investigations into the distribution of native, endemic or alien species. The level of measurement is extensive, encompassing a wide range of variables and providing polygonal features rather than centroids' coordinates

Diagnostic pathways to wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a multicentre network study

Aim Epidemiology of wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt-CA) remains poorly defined. A better characterization of pathways leading to ATTRwt-CA diagnosis is of key importance, and potentially informative of disease course and prognosis. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of contemporary pathways leading to ATTRwt-CA diagnosis, and their potential association with survival.Methods and results This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with ATTRwt-CA at 17 Italian referral centres for CA. Patients were categorized into different 'pathways' according to the medical reason that triggered the diagnosis of ATTRwt-CA (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [HCM] pathway, heart failure [HF] pathway, incidental imaging or incidental clinical pathway). Prognosis was investigated with all-cause mortality as endpoint. Overall, 1281 ATTRwt-CA patients were included in the study. The diagnostic pathway leading to ATTRwt-CA diagnosis was HCM in 7% of patients, HF in 51%, incidental imaging in 23%, incidental clinical in 19%. Patients in the HF pathway, as compared to the others, were older and had a greater prevalence of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV and chronic kidney disease. Survival was significantly worse in the HF versus other pathways, but similar among the three others. In multivariate model, older age at diagnosis, NYHA class III-IV and some comorbidities but not the HF pathway were independently associated with worse survival.Conclusions Half of contemporary ATTRwt-CA diagnoses occur in a HF setting. These patients had worse clinical profile and outcome than those diagnosed either due to suspected HCM or incidentally, although prognosis remained primarily related to age, NYHA functional class and comorbidities rather than the diagnostic pathway itself

I TUMORI IN ITALIA - RAPPORTO 2013: Tumori multipli = ITALIAN CANCER FIGURES - REPORT 2013: Multiple tumours

OBJECTIVES: This collaborative study, based on data collected by the network of Italian association of cancer registries (AIRTUM), provides updated estimates on the incidence risk of multiple primary cancer (MP). The objective is to highlight and quantify the bidirectional associations between different oncological diseases. The quantification of the excess or decreased risk of further cancers in cancer patients, in comparison with the general population, may contribute to understand the aetiology of cancer and to address clinical follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data herein presented were provided by AIRTUM population-based cancer registries, which cover nowadays 48% of the Italian population. This monograph utilizes the AIRTUM database (December 2012), considering all malignant cancer cases diagnosed between 1976 and 2010. All cases are coded according to ICD-O-3. Non-melanoma skin cancer cases, cases based on death certificate only, cases based on autopsy only, and cases with follow-up time equal to zero were excluded. To define multiple primaries, IARC-IACR rules were adopted (http://www.iacr.com.fr/MPrules_july2004.pdf). Data were subjected to standard quality control procedures (described in the AIRTUM data management protocol) and specific quality control checks defined for the present study. A cohort of cancer patients was followed over time from first cancer diagnosis until the date of second cancer diagnosis, death, or the end of follow-up, to evaluate whether the number of observed second cancer cases was greater than expected. Person years at risk (PY) were computed by first cancer site, geographic area (North, Centre, South and Islands), attained age, and attained calendar-year group. All second cancers diagnosed in the cohort's patients were included in the observed numbers of cases. The expected number of cancer cases was computed multiplying the accumulated PY by the expected rates, calculated from the AIRTUM database stratified by cancer site, geographic area, age, and calendar-year group. The Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) was calculated as the ratio of observed to expected cancer cases. The Excess Absolute Risk (EAR) beyond the expected amount were calculated subtracting the expected number of subsequent cancers from the observed number of cancer cases; the difference was then divided by the PY and the number of cancer cases in excess (or deficit) was expressed per 1,000 PY. Confidence intervals were stated at 95%. The two months (60 days) after first cancer diagnosis were defined as "synchronicity period", and in the main analysis observed and expected cases during this period were excluded. It was estimated the excess risk in the period after first diagnosis (≥ 0 months), excluding the synchronicity period (≥ 2 months), and during the following periods: 2-11, 12-59, 60-119 and 120 months after diagnosis. First-cancer-site-and-gender-specific sheets are presented, reporting both SIRs and EARs. RESULTS: For 5,979,338 person-years a cohort of 1,635,060 cancer patients (880,361 males and 754,699 females) diagnosed between 1976 and 2010 was followed. The mean follow-up length was 14 years. Overall, 85,399 metachronous (latency ≥2 months) cancers were observed, while 77,813 were expected during the study period: SIR: 1.10 (95%CI 1.09-1.10), EAR: 1.32 x 1,000 person-years (95%CI 1.19 - 1.46). The SIR was 1.08 (95%CI 1.08-1.09) for men (54,518 observed and 50,260 expected) and 1.12 (95%CI 1.11-1.13) for women (30,881/27,553), and the EAR 1.61 (95%CI 1.37-1.84) and 1.08 x 1,000 person-years (95%CI 0.93-1.24), respectively.Moreover, during the first two months after first cancer diagnosis (synchronous period) 14,807 cancers were observed while 3,536 were expected (SIR: 4.16; 95%CI 4.09-4.22); the SIR was 4.08 (95%CI 4.00-4.16) for men and 4.32 (95%CI 4.20-4.45) for women.The mean age of patients at first cancer diagnosis was 67.0 years among males and 65.8 among females.The risk of MP was related to age being higher for younger patients and lower for older ones. In relation to the time of first cancer diagnosis, the SIR was very high at the beginning and then decreased, although remaining constantly over 1, and then rose over time. No strong differences were evident across the different incidence periods, which all showed an increased MP risk.Women had higher SIRs than expected for 18 cancer sites, men for 12. The statistically significantly SIRs lower than 1 were 2 and 8, respectively. Increased overall MP risk was observed for patients of both sexes with a first primary in the oral cavity (SIR men: 1.93; SIR women: 1.48), pharynx (SIR men: 2.13; SIR women: 1.99), larynx (SIR men: 1.57; SIR women: 1.79), oesophagus (SIR men: 1.45; SIR women: 1.41), lung (SIR men: 1.09; SIR women: 1.13), kidney (SIR men: 1.14; SIR women: 1.15), urinary bladder (SIR men: 1.29; SIR women: 1.22), thyroid (SIR: 1.22 in both sexes), Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR men: 1.59; SIR women: 1.94), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR men: 1.13; SIR women: 1.12), and for the heterogeneous group "other sites" (SIR men: 1.09; SIR women: 1.07). Moreover, men had a higher MP risk if the first cancer was in the testis (SIR: 1.24), while the same was true for women with gallbladder (SIR: 1.21), skin melanoma (SIR: 1.17), bone (SIR: 1.41), breast (SIR: 1.12), cervix uteri (SIR: 1.23) and corpus uteri (SIR: 1.23), and ovarian cancer (SIR: 1.18). On the contrary, a first liver or pancreas cancer were associated with a decreased MP risk in both sexes (liver SIR: 0.86 and 0.81 for men and women, respectively; pancreas SIR: 0.70 and 0.78 for men and women, respectively), as were those of colon (SIR: 0.93), rectum (SIR: 0.83), gallbladder (SIR: 0.80), prostate (SIR: 0.93), mesothelioma (SIR: 0.65), and central nervous system (SIR: 0.82) among men. Among the cancers for which the EAR is statistically significant, those with higher Excess Absolute Risk of MP were those of the oral cavity (EAR: 16.0 x 1,000 person-years in men and 5.4 in women), pharynx (17.6 and 9.1), larynx (11.4 and 8.8), and oesophagus (8.5 and 4.8). DISCUSSION: This descriptive study provides quantitative information on the risk of developing a second cancer in an Italian population-based cohort of approximately 1.65 million cancer patients, compared to the risk of the general population. During the follow-up time (on average 14 years) cancer patients had an MP risk that was 10% higher in comparison to the general population and an Excess Absolute Risk of 1.32 x 1,000 person-years. Study of MPs and their risk measures are dependent on methods used in the calculation. The definition of MP is not univocal and using different rules can greatly change the number of cancers in a patient with MPs. However, the AIRTUM cancer registries adopt the same recommendations for MP definition. This monograph was therefore made possible by the shared rules and standards used by AIRTUM registries. The cancer site-specific sheets, which represent the core of the monograph, can be useful to highlight and quantify the bidirectional associations among different diseases and therefore provide indications for clinical follow-up. Lifestyle changes in more healthful directions can have a positive effect in the cancer patient population and should always be recommended