Multi-scale analysis of the European airspace using network community detection

We show that the European airspace can be represented as a multi-scale traffic network whose nodes are airports, sectors, or navigation points and links are defined and weighted according to the traffic of flights between the nodes. By using a unique database of the air traffic in the European airspace, we investigate the architecture of these networks with a special emphasis on their community structure. We propose that unsupervised network community detection algorithms can be used to monitor the current use of the airspaces and improve it by guiding the design of new ones. Specifically, we compare the performance of three community detection algorithms, also by using a null model which takes into account the spatial distance between nodes, and we discuss their ability to find communities that could be used to define new control units of the airspace.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figure

The effects of seasonal variability of precipitation and vegetation cycle on enhanced weathering for carbon sequestration

Enhanced weathering (EW) is one of the most promising technologies for sequestering atmospheric carbon. It consists on accelerating the chemical weathering fluxes naturally occurring in soils, by means of the addition of silicate minerals (i.e., forsterite), used as amendments, to the soil. If crushed into micrometer-sized particles, these minerals are characterized by high dissolution rates, that may be further improved under high soil water content and low pH conditions. Before actually applying EW technique at the global scale for carbon sequestration, an in-depth characterization of weathering and carbon sequestration rates, under different environmental conditions, is needed, also looking at correlated beneficial/detrimental effects. In this context, modeling approaches may play a pivotal role, since they allow to achieve this goal without affording costs required by laboratory and field experiments. The present study describes the application of a dynamic mass balance model connecting ecohydrological, biogeochemical and olivine dissolution dynamics. The model is composed of four connected components and is solved through an explicit system of eight mass balance total differential equations and an implicit one having 22 algebraic equations. In this study, the model is applied to two sites in Italy (i.e., Sicily, in the south and the Padan plain, in the north) and two in the USA (i.e., California, in the south-west and Iowa, in the north-central area). The most common crops for the case studies, i.e., wheat for Sicily and California and corn for the Padan plain and Iowa are here considered, along with the most frequent soil types, namely the clay loam for Sicily and California and the silty clay loam for the Padan plain and Iowa. Maps of lithological composition of bedrocks and spatial distributions of soil pH have been also used to calibrate the background weathering flux, responsible of the H+ consume from all the minerals naturally present in the soil. Apart from deriving the most suitable locations, among those presented, providing the highest weathering and carbon sequestration rates, these simulations allow to assess the role of different climate, crop and soil types on EW dynamics, in perspective to find the combination that maximizes the CO2 sequestration

Hashimoto ThYroiditis Coexistent with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Several studies report a higher rate of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), indicating a possible correlation between the two diseases. We studied a group of 89 subjects undergoing surgery for thyroid carcinomas compared with a control group of 89 subjects operated on for normofunctioning goiter, and a second group of 47 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for HT. Association with HT was found in 19 of the 71 PTC subjects (26.7%) and in 8 goiter patients (8.9%), which was a significant difference (P < 0.02). Thirteen of the HT patients, mostly with the nodular form, showed coexistent PTC (27.6%). HT and PTC coexisted in several morphological, immunohistochemical, and biomolecular aspects; increased incidence of PTC in HT patients might therefore indicate that HT is a precursor of thyroid cancer. Further studies are required, however, in order to confirm this hypothesis; until then, HT patients should undergo careful clinical and technical follow-up

Second-Generation Antipsychotics' Effectiveness and Tolerability: A Review of Real-World Studies in Patients with Schizophrenia and Related Disorders

Despite methodological limitations, real-world studies might support clinicians by broadening the knowledge of antipsychotics' (APs) effectiveness and tolerability in different clinical scenarios and complement clinical trials. We conducted an extensive literature search in the PubMed database to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability profiles of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) from real-world studies to aid clinicians and researchers in selecting the proper treatment for patients with schizophrenia and related disorders. The present review evidenced that SGAs demonstrated superior effectiveness over first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) in relapse-free survival and psychiatric hospitalization rate and for treating negative symptoms. Persistence and adherence to therapy were higher in SGAs than FGAs. Most studies concluded that switching to long-acting injectables (LAIs) was significantly associated with a lower treatment failure rate than monotherapy with oral SGAs. Considerable improvements in general functionality, subjective well-being, and total score on global satisfaction tests, besides improved personal and social performance, were reported in some studies on patients treated with LAI SGAs. Clozapine was also associated with the lowest rates of treatment failure and greater effectiveness over the other SGAs, although with more severe side effects. Effectiveness on primary negative symptoms and cognitive deficits was rarely measured in these studies. Based on the data analyzed in the present review, new treatments are needed with better tolerability and improved effectiveness for negative, affective, and cognitive symptoms

LigaSure in total thyroidectomy.

PURPOSE: LigaSure is a bipolar diathermy system, which achieves vessel sealing with reduced thermal spread. The device has been used successfully in abdominal operations and because of its features, it has been applied recently in thyroid surgery to minimize the risk of complications such as laryngeal nerve palsy and hypocalcemia, and also to reduce the operating time. METHODS: Between June and December 2005, we performed total thyroidectomy for various disorders in 105 patients. We used the LigaSure diathermy system in 53 patients and traditional hemostatic procedures in the other 52. We evaluated the demographic features, histopathological diagnosis, operating times, and relevant postoperative complications. RESULTS: The two study groups had similar demographic and histopathological features. The mean operating time +/- SD was not significantly shorter in the LigaSure group than in the traditional group (104 +/- 12.7 vs 110 +/- 15.6 min). None of the patients in either group suffered hemorrhage, definitive hypocalcemia, or definitive laryngeal nerve palsy. Transient hypocalcemia and transient laryngeal nerve palsy developed in 7.54% and in 1.88%, respectively, of the patients in the LigaSure group, and in 7.69% and 1.92%, respectively, of the patients in the traditional group; these differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: LigaSure is a safe and effective method of hemostasis control, but it did not reduce the incidence of complications or operating times compared with traditional hemostatic procedures; moreover, the operative costs were higher

Application of a predictive model of axillary lymph node status in patients with sentinel node metastasis from breast cancer. A retrospective cohort study

Background and objectives The Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND) is the standard treatment in patients with invasive breast cancer and sentinel node metastasis, but in 60% of the cases there is no further axillary neoplastic involvement, so this invasive intervention represents an overtreatment. The purpose of the study is to identify patients with low risk of additional nodal metastases, to omit ALND. Methods The MSKCC Additional nodal metastasis nomogram was applied on a sample of 175 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent ALND after detection of macrometastasis with the extemporaneous examination of the sentinel lymph node. Patients were classified as “low risk” when the result of the nomogram was ≤50%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and AUC (Area Under Curve) of the ROC curve of the nomogram were then calculated. Results A cut-off by 50% yielded 92.3% sensitivity, 81,4% specificity, 80% positive predictive value and 92.9% negative predictive value. The ROC curve AUC in these patients was 0.885. Conclusions The MSKCC nomogram has proven to be an effective tool in estimating the axillary lymph node status and it can potentially be used to better select the patients with sentinel node macrometastasis who can actually benefit from ALND

Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk Factors Related to Acute Psychiatric Relapses in Patients with Severe Mental Disorders: A Preliminary Study

Previous studies have indicated that vitamin (Vit) D deficiency is frequent in psychiatric patients, regardless of diagnostic category. We aimed to assess whether acute psychiatric relapses in inpatients was associated with Vit D deficiency compared to stabilized outpatients. The cohort (152 total patients, 75 males and 77 females) had a mean age of 47.3 ± 14.4 years at admission and was grouped according to psychiatric diagnosis. Psychopathological symptom severity was assessed by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), a multidimensional symptom inventory. Total calcium serum levels were measured using standard laboratory methods, while plasma levels of 25-OH-Vit D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured by automated chemiluminescence immunoassays. The psychiatric inpatient subgroup showed a significant difference in serum levels of 25-OH-Vit D and PTH (p &lt; 0.001). Correlation analysis between serum levels of 25-OH-Vit D and BPRS total and subitem scores indicated a significantly negative relationship. In addition, linear regression analysis evidenced that the inpatient condition might predict low PTH and 25-OH-Vit D serum levels. Hospitalized psychiatric patients are at increased risk for Vit D deficiency regardless of their diagnostic categories. The mechanism underlying the association between acute psychiatric relapses and Vit D deficiency remains unclear. Therefore, screening for Vit D deficiency should pertain to the health assessment of patients with major psychiatric disorders

Statistical Regularities in ATM: network properties, trajectory deviations and delays

One of the key enabler to the productivity and efficiency shift foreseen by SESAR will be the business-trajectory concept. The path to a deep understanding of how this new concept impacts on the future SESAR Air Traffic Management scenario goes through a better understanding of the actual air traffic network, and this will be done in the present paper by analyzing traffic data within the framework of complex network analysis. In this paper we will consider flights trajectory data from the Data Demand Repository database. In a first investigation, we perform a network study of the air traffic infrastructure starting from the airports and then refining our analysis at the level of navigation points in order to understand what are the main features that may help explaining why some nodes of the network happen to be found in the same community, i.e. cluster. In a second investigation we perform a study at the level of flight trajectories with the aim of identify statistical regularities in the spatio-temporal deviations of flights between their planned and actual 4D trajectories

A systematic review on shared biological mechanisms of depression and anxiety in comorbidity with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa

Background. Mental disorders in comorbidity with chronic skin diseases may worsen disease outcome and patients’ quality of life. We hypothesized the comorbidity of depression, anxiety syndromes, or symptoms as attributable to biological mechanisms that the combined diseases share. Methods. We conducted a systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement searching into PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus databases. We examined the literature regarding the comorbidity of psoriasis (Ps), atopic dermatitis (AD), or hidradenitis suppurativa with depression and/or anxiety in adults ≥18 years and the hypothetical shared underlying biological mechanisms. Results. Sixteen studies were analyzed, mostly regarding Ps and AD. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways arose as shared mechanisms in Ps animal models with depression- and/or anxiety-like behaviors. Activated microglia and neuroinflammatory responses emerged in AD depressive models. As to genetic studies, atopicdermatitis patients with comorbid anxiety traits carried the short variant of serotonin transporter and a polymorphism of the human translocator protein gene. A GA genotype of catechol-O-methyltransferase gene was instead associated with Ps. Reduced natural killer cell activity, IL-4, serotonin serum levels, and increased plasma cortisol and IgE levels were hypothesized in comorbid depressive AD patients. In Ps patients with comorbid depression, high serum concentrations of IL-6 and IL-18, as well as IL-17A, were presumed to act as shared inflammatory mechanisms. Conclusions. Further studies should investigate mental disorders and chronic skin diseases concurrently across patients’ life course and identify their temporal relation and biological correlates. Future research should also identify biological characteristics of individuals at high risk of the comorbid disorders and associated complications

Utopia e distopia nel progetto digitale

Sono passati più di venti anni dalla pubblicazione di Being Digital, il celebre libro di Nicholas Negroponte, all’interno del quale il fondatore del MIT Media Lab affermava che “il passaggio dagli atomi ai bit è irreversibile e inarrestabile”. Tale preannunciata rivoluzione, sembra oggi giunta a una fase più matura coinvolgendo sia la sfera pubblica che quella privata, le professioni, la politica e l’economia. Il digitale, facilitando e razionalizzando di giorno in giorno processi precedentemente analogici, è diventato ubiquo. Se da un lato gli aspetti positivi di queste trasformazioni sono evidenti, altrettanto palesi appaiono le aporie: dalla dipendenza tecnologica al rapporto con i social media, fino alla diffusione di una superficiale cultura dell’immagine che mette a rischio gli aspetti più complessi della disciplina architettonica. Il digitale maturo è caratterizzato inoltre dal fenomeno dei Big Data e dalla conseguente diffusione dei metodi di Machine Learning, che mettono ulteriormente in discussione i fondamenti ermeneutici del metodo scientifico, indicando l’inizio di una nuova era in cui non sarebbe più necessario costruire regole e formule per descrivere e comprendere i fenomeni naturali, ma sarebbe sufficiente trovare delle “correlazioni” computazionali (The end of theory, Anderson 2008). In questo numero abbiamo l’opportunità di tornare su un tema sicuramente dibattuto, ma sempre attuale per il frastagliato mondo dell’architettura, che come altri settori ha subito e adottato il digitale e i suoi metodi.It is been over twenty years since the well-known book by Nicholas Negroponte Being Digital has been published. In this book the founder of the MIT Media Lab stated that “change from atoms to bits is irrevocable and unstoppable”. It seems today that this announced revolution is in an advanced stage, investing the public and the private sphere, the professions, the politics, the economics. The digital, by simplifying and rationalizing analogic processes, is today a ubiquitous phenomenon. On one hand positive aspects may appear evident, on the other aporias are undeniable. Technological dependency, pathological relations with social medias, the diffusion of a superficial culture of the image that compromises the most complex aspects of architectural practice are just few of the problems that the digital may provoke. The contemporary phase of the digital is also characterized by the Big Data phenomenon and by the resulting Machine Learning methods. They challenge the hermeneutics principles of the scientific methods showing the beginning of a new era in which it will be possible just to find computational “correlations” (The end of theory - Anderson 2008) instead of rules and formulas. In this issue of IN FOLIO entitled “Utopia and dystopia in the digital project”, we have the opportunity to go back to a topic that has been long discussed. Nevertheless, it remains an actual theme for architecture. Digital techniques affected the way a project is produced, displayed, measured and communicated. Just as in our life, in our cities and in our offices, data become more and more important. Just think about how the BIM and its growing diffusion enrich architectural projects with digital information. Therefore, we invite you to send us original articles on the impact of the digital on architectural and urban design, on construction, on urban studies the history of art and architecture