182 research outputs found

    Improving Childbirth and Maternal Care - How to Foster the Use of Good Practices for Patient Safety

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    Despite the global effort toward improving childbirth and maternity care, there are still complications (hemorrhage, infections, and high blood pressure) that may arise unexpectedly. To end preventable mortality, every woman needs skilled care at birth. The aim of this chapter is to present some solutions implemented by Frontline professionals and healthcare organizations made available through the Italian Observatory on Good Practices for Patient Safety, a national program to improve patient safety by promoting diffusion and active dissemination of evidence-based practices

    Unveiling hidden active nuclei in MaNGA star-forming galaxies with HeIIλ\lambda4686 line emission

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    Nebular HeIIλ\lambda4686\AA~line emission is useful to unveil active galactic nuclei (AGN) residing in actively star-forming (SF) galaxies, typically missed by the standard BPT classification. Here we adopt the HeII diagnostic to identify hidden AGN in the Local Universe using for the first time spatially-resolved data from the Data Release 15 of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO survey (MaNGA DR15). By combining results from HeII and BPT diagnostics, we overall select 459 AGN host candidates (∼\sim10% in MaNGA DR15), out of which 27 are identified as AGN by the HeII diagram only. The HeII-only AGN population is hosted by massive (M∗≳1010_*\gtrsim10^{10} M⊙_{\odot}) SF Main Sequence galaxies, and on average less luminous than the BPT-selected AGN. Given the HeII line faintness, we revisit our census accounting for incompleteness effects due to the HeII sensitivity limit of MaNGA. We thus obtain an overall increased fraction (11%) of AGN in MaNGA compared to the BPT-only census (9%), which further increases to 14% for galaxies more massive than 101010^{10} M⊙_{\odot}; interestingly, on the SF Main Sequence the increase is by about a factor of 2. A substantial number of AGN in SF galaxies points to significant, coeval star formation and black hole accretion, consistently with results from hydrodynamical simulations and with important implications on quenching scenarios. In view of exploring unprecedented high redshifts with JWST and new ground-based facilities, revisiting the standard BPT classification through novel emission-line diagnostics is fundamental to discover AGN in highly SF environments.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

    C677T Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Homozygosis and Vitamin Supplement in Migraineur Children

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    Purpose: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) variant C677T has been associated with an increased genetic risk in migraine susceptibility. Individuals with the homozygous genotype show higher levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) [1,2,3]. Methods: Open-label study evaluating clinical trial was performed on 148 children migraineurs among 236 children suffering from headache, admitted to the Headache Regional Centre in l'Aquila (Italy)-Neuropsychiatric clinic, recruited and observed sequentially during the years 2015-2017. 31 patients (16,6% of all the sample) MTHFR homozygous were selected and underwent clinical evaluation of migraine characteristics (frequency, severity of pain and use of acute treatment) at baseline and after a 12 month-period of daily supplement of vitamins B9(2 mg), B6(25 mg), B12(400 mcg). In 20 patients with hyper Hcy (>95° percentile for age) the second collection of blood sample was obtained for Hcy assessment. Diagnosis of headache according to ICHD-III criteria. Statistical analysis is made by Wilcoxon test. Results: 20 children suffer from Migraine without aura (MwoA) and 11 from Migraine with aura (MA). 86% of children aged >10 years had significantly higher Hcy values compared with controls (p 95°percentile. In all the sample the vitamin supplementation was effective in producing significant reduction in Hcy levels (p=0.0001) and a significant improvement of migraine disability of frequency (p<0.0001), severity of pain (p<0.0003) and use of acute treatment (p<0.0001). Conclusions: The study results are encouraging and emphasize the importance of a comprehensive therapy in paediatric migraines

    Investigation of the Physical Processes Involved in GNSS Amplitude Scintillations at High Latitude: A Case Study

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    The storm onset on 7 September 2017, triggered several variations in the ionospheric electron density, causing severe phase fluctuations at polar latitudes in both hemispheres. In addition, although quite rare at high latitudes, clear amplitude scintillations were recorded by two Global Navigation Satellite System receivers during the main phase of the storm. This work attempted to investigate the physical mechanisms triggering the observed amplitude scintillations, with the aim of identifying the conditions favoring such events. We investigated the ionospheric background and other conditions that prevailed when the irregularities formed and moved, following a multi-observations approach. Specifically, we combined information from scintillation parameters and recorded by multi-constellation (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) receivers located at Concordia station (75.10°S, 123.35°E) and SANAE IV base (71.67°S, 2.84°W), with measurements acquired by the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager on board the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites, the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, the Swarm constellation and ground-based magnetometers. Besides confirming the high degree of complexity of the ionospheric dynamics, our multi-instrument observation identified the physical conditions that likely favor the occurrence of amplitude scintillations at high latitudes. Results suggest that the necessary conditions for the observation of this type of scintillation in high-latitude regions are high levels of ionization and a strong variability of plasma dynamics. Both of these conditions are typically featured during high solar activity

    Influence of Irradiance, Flow Rate, Reactor Geometry, and Photopromoter Concentration in Mineralization Kinetics of Methane in Air and in Aqueous Solutions by Photocatalytic Membranes Immobilizing Titanium Dioxide

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    Photomineralization of methane in air (10.0–1000 ppm (mass/volume) of C) at100%relative humidity (dioxygen as oxygen donor) was systematically studied at318±3 K in an annular laboratory-scale reactor by photocatalytic membranes immobilizing titanium dioxide as a function of substrate concentration, absorbed power per unit length of membrane, reactor geometry, and concentration of a proprietary vanadium alkoxide as photopromoter. Kinetics of both substrate disappearance, to yield intermediates, and total organic carbon (TOC) disappearance, to yield carbon dioxide, were followed. At a fixed value of irradiance (0.30 W⋅cm-1), the mineralization experiments in gaseous phase were repeated as a function of flow rate (4–400 m3⋅h−1). Moreover, at a standard flow rate of 300 m3⋅h−1, the ratio between the overall reaction volume and the length of the membrane was varied, substantially by varying the volume of reservoir, from and to which circulation of gaseous stream took place. Photomineralization of methane in aqueous solutions was also studied, in the same annular reactor and in the same conditions, but in a concentration range of 0.8–2.0 ppm of C, and by using stoichiometric hydrogen peroxide as an oxygen donor. A kinetic model was employed, from which, by a set of differential equations, four final optimised parameters,k1andK1,k2andK2, were calculated, which is able to fit the whole kinetic profile adequately. The influence of irradiance onk1andk2, as well as of flow rate onK1andK2, is rationalized. The influence of reactor geometry onkvalues is discussed in view of standardization procedures of photocatalytic experiments. Modeling of quantum yields, as a function of substrate concentration and irradiance, as well as of concentration of photopromoter, was carried out very satisfactorily. Kinetics of hydroxyl radicals reacting between themselves, leading to hydrogen peroxide, other than with substrate or intermediates leading to mineralization, were considered, and it is paralleled by a second competition kinetics involving superoxide radical anion

    NGC 2992: The interplay between the multiphase disk, wind and radio bubbles

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    We present an analysis of the gas kinematics in NGC 2992, based on VLT/MUSE, ALMA and VLA data, aimed at characterising the disk, the wind and their interplay in the cold molecular and warm ionised phases. CO(2-1) and Hα \rm \alpha~ arise from a multiphase disk with inclination 80 deg and radii 1.5 and 1.8 kpc, respectively. We find that the velocity dispersion of the cold molecular phase is consistent with that of star forming galaxies at the same redshift, except in the inner 600 pc region, and in the region between the cone walls and the disk. This suggests that a disk-wind interaction locally boosts the gas turbulence. We detect a clumpy ionised wind distributed in two wide opening angle ionisation cones reaching scales of 7 kpc. The [O III] wind expands with velocity exceeding -1000 km/s in the inner 600 pc, a factor of 5 larger than the previously reported wind velocity. Based on spatially resolved electron density and ionisation parameter maps, we infer an ionised outflow mass of Mof,ion=(3.2±0.3)× 107 M⊙M_{\rm of,ion} = (3.2 \pm 0.3) \times \, 10^7 \, M_{\odot}, and a total ionised outflow rate of M˙of,ion=13.5±1\dot M_{\rm of,ion}=13.5\pm1 \sfr. We detected clumps of cold molecular gas located above and below the disk reaching maximum projected distances and velocities of 1.7 kpc and 200 km/s, respectively. On these scales, the wind is multiphase, with a fast ionised component and a slower molecular one, and a total mass of Mof,ion+mol=5.8×107 M⊙M_{\rm of, ion+mol}= 5.8 \times 10^7 \, M_{\odot}, of which the molecular component carries the bulk of the mass. The dusty molecular outflowing clumps and the turbulent ionised gas are located at the edges of the radio bubbles, suggesting that the bubbles interact with the surrounding medium through shocks. We detect a dust reservoir co-spatial with the molecular disk, with a cold dust mass Mdust=(4.04±0.03)× 106 M⊙M_{\rm dust} = (4.04 \pm 0.03) \times \, 10^{6} \, M_{\odot}.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables; Accepted by A&
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