Fibrous mineral detection in natural soil and risk mitigation (1(st) paper)

The paper describes a fibrous mineral detection methodology, which is based on the use of alternating rotary motion sieving equipment. The equipment was redesigned to meet additional requirements with respect to initial ones. Under this methodology, the fine fraction passing through the sieves was recovered and analysed to determine the sedimentology, mineralogy and morphology of the potentially particulating fraction. Reliance was made on the following analytical techniques: laser granulometry, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) and polarised and phase contrast light microscopy (PLM, PCLM) for fibrous mineral identification and Walton-Beckett / whole field fibre counting. The samples for the analyses came from known areas with fibrous minerals, e.g. Lauria (Basilicata), and less known areas, e.g. the Natural Reserve of Mt. Rufeno (Latium) and Biancavilla (Sicily). With this methodology, fibres may be directly detected in both farmed and unfarmed soil with fibrous minerals and the process may be repeated in the various stages of farming or during works for creation of fire barriers or lanes, hydrogeological restoration etc. The goal is to identify risks arising from the natural occurrence of asbestos upon atypical activities, such as farming and forestry. With regard to exposure, consideration was given to fibrous minerals not currently classified in the relevant legislation, thus going beyond the search for asbestiform minerals in quarry sites located in ophiolite outcrop areas

Statistical properties of acoustic emission signals from metal cutting processes

Acoustic Emission (AE) data from single point turning machining are analysed in this paper in order to gain a greater insight of the signal statistical properties for Tool Condition Monitoring (TCM) applications. A statistical analysis of the time series data amplitude and root mean square (RMS) value at various tool wear levels are performed, �nding that ageing features can be revealed in all cases from the observed experimental histograms. In particular, AE data amplitudes are shown to be distributed with a power-law behaviour above a cross-over value. An analytic model for the RMS values probability density function (pdf) is obtained resorting to the Jaynes' maximum entropy principle (MEp); novel technique of constraining the modelling function under few fractional moments, instead of a greater amount of ordinary moments, leads to well-tailored functions for experimental histograms.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Nutritional stress enhances cell viability of odontoblast-like cells subjected to low level laser irradiation

In spite of knowing that cells under stress are biostimulated by low level laser (LLL) irradiation, the ideal condition of stress to different cell lines has not yet been established. Consequently, the aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of a defined parameter of LLL irradiation applied on stressed odontoblast-like pulp cells (MDPC-23). The cells were seeded (12500 cells/cm2) in wells of 24-well plates using complete culture medium (DMEM) and incubated for 24 hours. Then, the DMEM was replaced by a new medium with low concentrations (nutritional stress condition) of fetal bovine serum (FBS) giving rise to the following experimental groups: G1: 2% FBS; G2: 5% FBS; and G3: 10% FBS. The cells were irradiated three times with LLL in specific parameters (808±3 nm, 100 mW, 1.5 J/cm2) every 24 hours. No irradiation was carried out in groups G4 (2% FBS-Control), G5 (5% FBS-Control), and G6 (10% FBS-Control). For all groups, the cell metabolism (MTT assay) and morphology (SEM) was evaluated. The experimental groups showed enhanced cell metabolism and normal cell morphology regardless of FBS concentration. A slight increase in the cell metabolism was observed only in group G2. It was concluded that cell nutritional stress caused by reducing the concentration of FBS to 5% is the most suitable method to assess the biostimulation of LLL irradiated MDPC-23 cells.FAPESP (07/50646-3, 08/08424-6, and 08/54785-0)CNPq (476137/2006, 301029/2007-5

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 \ub1 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys