Bayesian models of thermal and pluviometric time series in the Fucino plateau

This work was developed within the Project Metodologie e sistemi integrati per la qualificazione di produzioni orticole del Fucino (Methodologies and integrated systems for the classification of horticultural products in the Fucino plateau), sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, Strategic Projects, Law 448/97. Agro-system managing, especially if necessary to achieve high quality in speciality crops, requires knowledge of main features and intrinsic variability of climate. Statistical models may properly summarize the structure existing behind the observed variability, furthermore they may support the agronomic manager by providing the probability that meteorological events happen in a time window of interest. More than 30 years of daily values collected in four sites located on the Fucino plateau, Abruzzo region, Italy, were studied by fitting Bayesian generalized linear models to air temperature maximum /minimum and rainfall time series. Bayesian predictive distributions of climate variables supporting decision-making processes were calculated at different timescales, 5-days for temperatures and 10-days for rainfall, both to reduce computational efforts and to simplify statistical model assumptions. Technicians and field operators, even with limited statistical training, may exploit the model output by inspecting graphs and climatic profiles of the cultivated areas during decision-making processes. Realizations taken from predictive distributions may also be used as input for agro-ecological models (e.g. models of crop growth, water balance). Fitted models may be exploited to monitor climatic changes and to revise climatic profiles of interest areas, periodically updating the probability distributions of target climatic variables. For the sake of brevity, the description of results is limited to just one of the four sites, and results for all other sites are available as supplementary information

Trees and water: smallholder agroforestry on irrigated lands in Northern India

Trees / Populus deltoids / Agroforestry / Afforestation / Reforestation / Models / Water use / Water balance / Evapotranspiration / Precipitation / Remote sensing / Irrigation requirements / India

Tecnologie intelligenti per l’accessibilità ambientale = Smart technologies for environmental accessibility : Atti della conferenza OQX (Oltre il Quadrato e la X)

La conferenza “OQX – Oltre il Quadrato e la X” è giunta alla quinta edizione approfondendo il tema dell’accessibilità allo spazio antropico attraverso le “tecnologie intelligenti”, intese come soluzioni e applicazioni evolute che favoriscono l’autonomia delle persone con disabilità non solo motorie, ma anche psico-motorie, cognitive, sensoriali, legate a problemi di salute non evidenti o limitazioni multi-generazionali. L’obiettivo della conferenza è stato dare voce agli studi, ai progetti e ai prodotti più innovativi per ciò che concerne la risposta alle disabilità secondo i principi dell’Universal Design, che mirano a realizzare uno spazio equamente accessibile dalla popolazione e nel rispetto della diversità umana. I temi approfonditi della conferenza sono stati: “mobilità e servizi accessibili” e “smart devices, macchine e robotica per l’accessibilità”. Questo volume ne raccoglie gli atti. / The fifth edition of conference “Smart technologies for environmental accessibility. OQX – Oltre il Quadrato e la X” has deepened the accessibility to anthropic space through “smart technologies”, i.e. solutions and applications that guarantee the independence of people with impairments: motor impairment, but also psycho-motor, cognitive, sensory, linked to non-evident health problems or multi-generational limitations. The objective of the conference was to know and to make known the most innovative studies, projects and products that help people with disabilities according to the principles of Universal Design. The themes explored at the conference were: “accessible mobility and services” and “smart devices, machines and robotics for accessibility”.This volume collects the proceedings of the conference

Understanding the Private Worlds of Physicians, Nurses, and Parents: A Study of Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions in Italian Paediatric Critical Care

This study's aim was to describe: (a) How life-sustaining treatment (LST) decisions are made for critically ill children in Italy; and (b) How these decisional processes are experienced by physicians, nurses and parents. Focus groups with 16 physicians and 26 nurses, and individual interviews with 9 parents were conducted. Findings uncovered the 'private worlds' of paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) physicians, nurses and parents; they all suffer tremendously and privately. Physicians struggle with the weight of responsibility and solitude in making LST decisions. Nurses struggle with feelings of exclusion from decisions regarding patients and families that they care for. Physicians and nurses are distressed by legal barriers to LST withdrawal. Parents struggle with their dependence on physicians and nurses to provide care for their child and strive to understand what is happening to their child. Features of helpful and unhelpful communication with parents are highlighted, which should be considered in educational and practice changes

Mobilità verticale per l'accessibilità = Vertical mobility for accessibility : oltre il quadrato e la X

Il volume affronta il tema dell’accessibilità nell’ambiente costruito raccogliendo i risultati di ricerche accademiche, casi studio, nuove applicazioni del comparto industriale degli ascensori, presentati in occasione della quarta edizione del convegno “Oltre il Quadrato e la X – Mobilità verticale per l’architettura” organizzato presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia il 20 marzo 2020. Questa edizione ha rappresentato un’importante occasione di dibattito e confronto fra il mondo accademico e produttivo affrontando il tema dell’accessibilità dello spazio costruito attraverso sistemi di sollevamento meccanizzato. Il progetto, nato nel 2012 da un gruppo di ricerca Iuav, fa ora parte del Cluster AA-Accessibilità Ambientale della Società Italiana della Tecnologia dell’Architettura – SITdA, un ampio programma di ricerca scientifica e interdisciplinare avente lo scopo di indagare e diffondere la cultura dell’accessibilità del patrimonio architettonico e ambientale. The volume deals with the topic of accessibility in the built environment by gathering the results of academic research, case studies and new applications in the industrial sector of lifts, presented during the fourth edition of the conference “Oltre il Quadrato e la X – Vertical mobility for accessibility” organized at the Iuav University of Venice on March 20th 2020. This edition of the conference represented an important opportunity for a proactive discussion between the academic and productive world, to address the issue of accessibility to the built enivironment through mechanized lifting systems. The project, born in 2012 from a research group of the Iuav, is now part of the Accessibility Cluster of the Italian Society of Architecture Technology - SITdA, a broad scientific and interdisciplinary research program with the aim of investigating and spreading the culture of accessibility in the architectural and environmental heritage

Small leucine rich proteoglycans are differently distributed in normal and pathological endometrium

BACKGROUND: During the woman's fertile period, the non-pregnant uterus is subject to constant cyclic changes. The complex mechanisms that control the balance among proliferation, differentiation, cell death and the structural remodeling of the extracellular matrix can contribute to the benign or malignant endometrial pathological state. The small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are important components of cell surface and extracellular matrices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that the distribution patterns of SLRPs were completely modified in the pathological compared to normal endometrium. RESULTS: The expression of SLRPs was low/absent in all endometrial pathologies examined compared to normal endometrium. We observed an increase of lumican from proliferative to secretory phase of the endometrium and a decrease of fibromodulin, biglycan and decorin. In menopause endometrial tissue, the level of expression of fibromodulin, biglycan, decorin and lumican dramatically decreased. CONCLUSION: The results revealed the prominence and importance of proteoglycans in the tissue architecture and extracellular matrix organization

Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma: A pre and intraoperative diagnostic challenge. report of two cases and review of the literature

Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma is a rare benign pulmonary tumor of primitive epithelial origin. Because of the unspecific radiological features mimicking malignancies and its histological heterogeneity, the differential diagnosis with adenocarcinoma and carcinoid tumors is still challenging. We report our experience of two cases of sclerosing pneumocytoma, as well as a review of the literature. Immunohistochemical findings showed intense staining of the cuboidal epithelial cells for cytokeratin-pool and TTF-1, with focal positivity for progesterone receptors. Round and spindle cells expressed positivity for vimentin, TTF-1 and focally for the progesterone receptor. Cytologic diagnosis of pulmonary pneumocytoma requires the identification of its dual cell population, made up of abundant stromal cells and fewer surface cells. Since the pre-and intraoperative diagnosis should guide surgical decision making, obtaining a sufficient specimen size to find representative material in the cell block is of paramount importance