Results of the first European Source Apportionment intercomparison for Receptor and Chemical Transport Models

In this study, the performance of the source apportionment model applications were evaluated by comparing the model results provided by 44 participants adopting a methodology based on performance indicators: z-scores and RMSEu, with pre-established acceptability criteria. Involving models based on completely different and independent input data, such as receptor models (RMs) and chemical transport models (CTMs), provided a unique opportunity to cross-validate them. In addition, comparing the modelled source chemical profiles, with those measured directly at the source contributed to corroborate the chemical profile of the tested model results. The most used RM was EPA- PMF5. RMs showed very good performance for the overall dataset (91% of z-scores accepted) and more difficulties are observed with SCE time series (72% of RMSEu accepted). Industry resulted the most problematic source for RMs due to the high variability among participants. Also the results obtained with CTMs were quite comparable to their ensemble reference using all models for the overall average (>92% of successful z-scores) while the comparability of the time series is more problematic (between 58% and 77% of the candidates’ RMSEu are accepted). In the CTM models a gap was observed between the sum of source contributions and the gravimetric PM10 mass likely due to PM underestimation in the base case. Interestingly, when only the tagged species CTM results were used in the reference, the differences between the two CTM approaches (brute force and tagged species) were evident. In this case the percentage of candidates passing the z-score and RMSEu tests were only 50% and 86%, respectively. CTMs showed good comparability with RMs for the overall dataset (83% of the z-scores accepted), more differences were observed when dealing with the time series of the single source categories. In this case the share of successful RMSEu was in the range 25% - 34%.JRC.C.5-Air and Climat

Transmission of SEN virus from mothers to their babies

Sera from 30 women at high risk for infection, one half of which were SEN virus positive (SENV+), were collected at delivery to study SENV mother-to child transmission. Thirteen of their babies were positive for at least one SENV strain: one baby was SENV+ at birth, eight became positive within 6 months from delivery, and four became positive in the following months. Our data indicate that vertical transmission of SENV does occur, presumably, at delivery, but it may not induce persistent viremia. This is supported by the fact that, generally, SENV is not detected at birth, by the high SENV homology in the sequences found in the mothers and in their children, by a lack of other risk factors for infection of the babies, and by the irregular detection of SENV in the follow-up. No clinical events surely linked to SENV infection were found, but transient elevations of alanine aminotransferase were observed in babies followed for a long period of time. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Synthesis and preliminary study of NdxAE2-xMnO4±δ (AE: Ca, Sr) for symmetrical SOFC electrodes

International audienc

Synthesis and study of NdxM2-xMnO4±δ (M: Ca, Sr) as Symmetric SOFC electrode materials

International audienc

Synthesis of Two Unnatural Oxygenated Aaptaminoids

Two unprecedented oxygenated aaptaminoids have been synthesized starting from cheap and easily available 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid with the satisfactory overall yields of 31% and 34%. The key step of the procedure is the divergent thermic 5-<i>exodig</i> vs base-promoted 6-<i>endodig</i> cyclization of a 5-alkynylquinolinone derivative

Synthesis of Two Unnatural Oxygenated Aaptaminoids

Two unprecedented oxygenated aaptaminoids have been synthesized starting from cheap and easily available 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid with the satisfactory overall yields of 31% and 34%. The key step of the procedure is the divergent thermic 5-<i>exodig</i> vs base-promoted 6-<i>endodig</i> cyclization of a 5-alkynylquinolinone derivative

Palliative Electrochemotherapy in Vulvar Carcinoma: Preliminary Results of the ELECHTRA (Electrochemotherapy Vulvar Cancer) Multicenter Study

Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare disease of which recurrence poses management problems due to patients&#8217; advanced age and comorbidities, and to the localization of the disease. Palliative treatments, allowing local disease control in patients previously treated with multimodal therapies or with comorbidities, are lacking. In this study we tested electrochemotherapy (ECT) on recurrent VC refractory to standard therapies to assess the tumor response and to define the selection criteria for patient&#8217;s candidate to ECT. This is a multicenter observational study carried out in five Italian centers. Data about patients and tumor characteristics, treatment, toxicity, and clinical response were recorded. In all procedures, intravenous bleomycin was administered according to European Standard Operative Procedure ECT (ESOPE) guidelines. Sixty-one patients, with a median age 79 years (range: 39&#8211;85) and mainly affected by squamous cellular carcinoma (91.8%), were treated with ECT. No serious adverse events were reported. Patients were discharged after three days (median, range: 0&#8211;8 days). Two months after ECT, the clinical response rate was 83.6% and was not related to age, body mass index, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, number of treated nodules, or previous treatments. ECT is a safe procedure with a favorable cost-effectiveness ratio and should be considered as a treatment option for local disease control in patients unsuitable for standard therapies

Study of La4BaCu5−xCoxO13+δ series as potential cathode materials for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell

International audienc