Energy Costs Division and Plant Modification in a Large Research Complex: the Experience of Padova National Research Council (CNR) Area

The CNR area was built in the 1970s in Padova (Italy): many buildings hosting different Institutes are served by the central heating and cooling system and a common Medium and Low voltage supply. Costs division criteria, mainly based on the number of personnel units and the size of buildings of each Institute, were used in the past; due to current high costs of energy, these criteria have been revised and based on more objective parameters. This paper deals with the methods that have been studied to reduce thermal and cooling energy consumption, based on the operative conditions of buildings and specific characteristics of area HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) plants. As a result of this optimization, some plant modifications have been evaluated and implemented. The results of new plant configuration and energy consumption are presented and discussed

Variation in neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury

Background: Neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is challenging, with only low-quality evidence. We aimed to explore differences in neurosurgical strategies for TBI across Europe. Methods: A survey was sent to 68 centers participating in the Collaborative European Neurotrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. The questionnaire contained 21 questions, including the decision when to operate (or not) on traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and intracerebral hematoma (ICH), and when to perform a decompressive craniectomy (DC) in raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Results: The survey was completed by 68 centers (100%). On average, 10 neurosurgeons work in each trauma center. In all centers, a neurosurgeon was available within 30 min. Forty percent of responders reported a thickness or volume threshold for evacuation of an ASDH. Most responders (78%) decide on a primary DC in evacuating an ASDH during the operation, when swelling is present. For ICH, 3% would perform an evacuation directly to prevent secondary deterioration and 66% only in case of clinical deterioration. Most respondents (91%) reported to consider a DC for refractory high ICP. The reported cut-off ICP for DC in refractory high ICP, however, differed: 60% uses 25 mmHg, 18% 30 mmHg, and 17% 20 mmHg. Treatment strategies varied substantially between regions, specifically for the threshold for ASDH surgery and DC for refractory raised ICP. Also within center variation was present: 31% reported variation within the hospital for inserting an ICP monitor and 43% for evacuating mass lesions. Conclusion: Despite a homogeneous organization, considerable practice variation exists of neurosurgical strategies for TBI in Europe. These results provide an incentive for comparative effectiveness research to determine elements of effective neurosurgical care

A new deflection technique applied to an existing scheme of electrostatic accelerator for high energy neutral beam injection in fusion reactor devices

A scheme of a neutral beam injector (NBI), based on electrostatic acceleration and magneto-static deflection of negative ions, is proposed and analyzed in terms of feasibility and performance. The scheme is based on the deflection of a high energy (2 MeV) and high current (some tens of amperes) negative ion beam by a large magnetic deflector placed between the Beam Source (BS) and the neutralizer. This scheme has the potential of solving two key issues, which at present limit the applicability of a NBI to a fusion reactor: the maximum achievable acceleration voltage and the direct exposure of the BS to the flux of neutrons and radiation coming from the fusion reactor. In order to solve these two issues, a magnetic deflector is proposed to screen the BS from direct exposure to radiation and neutrons so that the voltage insulation between the electrostatic accelerator and the grounded vessel can be enhanced by using compressed SF6 instead of vacuum so that the negative ions can be accelerated at energies higher than 1 MeV. By solving the beam transport with different magnetic deflector properties, an optimum scheme has been found which is shown to be effective to guarantee both the steering effect and the beam aiming

Papillary thyroid carcinoma in thyroglossal duct cyst: Case reports and literature review

Although thyroglossal duct cysts represent a common developmental abnormality of the thyroid gland, malignant transformation is rare and occurs in only 1% of cases. This article describes four clinical cases observed at the Surgical Science Department of "La Sapienza" University of Rome between 1996 and 2000. Histologic examination indicated two pure papillary carcinomas, a sclerosing papillary carcinoma, and a follicular variant of papillary carcinoma. In all cases, treatment involved removal of the body of the hyoid bone and total thyroidectomy, which we associated with removal of the thyroglossal duct cyst. In one case, laterocervical lymphectomy was performed. Carcinoma multifocality was found in one patient. We recommend associating total thyroidectomy with removal of the tumor of the thyroglossal duct and of the body of the hyoid bone, because the carcinoma may be multifocal and there may be lymphatic invasion of the thyroid and to ensure a correct follow-up

Un caso di sarcoma misto retroperitoneale gigante

Riportiamo un raro caso di sarcoma misto retroperitoneale gigante in una donna di 41 anni ricoverata per astenia, dimagramento progressivo e disturbi dispeptici in presenza di neoformazione addominale. La TC evidenziava una voluminosa massa addominale solida, di tipo espansivo, ad origine sottodiaframmatica sinistra, con fenomeni compressivi e dislocativi a carico del lobo sinistro del fegato, della milza, dello stomaco, del pancreas e del rene. Con l’intervento chirurgico si procedeva all’asportazione di un voluminoso tumore retroperitoneale che all’esame istologico definitivo risultava essere di tipo misto: liposarcoma pleomorfo e angiosarcoma ad alto grado di malignità con positività per vimentina, fattore VIII, CD34, CD31 e negatività per S-100, CD68, AMS, AML. La prognosi di questo tipo di tumori è strettamente correlata alle recidive locali che a loro volta dipendono dal tipo istologico, dalle dimensioni e dalla radicalità chirurgica. Un tumore a basso grado di malignità, ridotte dimensioni e che sia stato completamente resecato ha prognosi migliore. Un approccio chirurgico aggressivo rimane fondamentale per il trattamento di tali neoplasie. La radioterapia e la chemioterapia non sembrano avere un ruolo importante nel prevenire la recidiva. La resezione degli organi circostanti è spesso richiesta per realizzare una radicalità chirurgica, ma alcuni Autori rimangono scettici su questa determinazione

Energy Costs Division and Plant Modification in a Large Research Complex: the Experience of Padova National Research Council (CNR) Area

The CNR area was built in the 1970s in Padova (Italy): many buildings hosting different Institutes are served by the central heating and cooling system and a common Medium and Low voltage supply. Costs division criteria, mainly based on the number of personnel units and the size of buildings of each Institute, were used in the past; due to current high costs of energy, these criteria have been revised and based on more objective parameters. This paper deals with the methods that have been studied to reduce thermal and cooling energy consumption, based on the operative conditions of buildings and specific characteristics of area HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) plants. As a result of this optimization, some plant modifications have been evaluated and implemented. The results of new plant configuration and energy consumption are presented and discussed

The Full-Size Source and Injector Prototypes for ITER Neutral Beams

The development of the NBI systems for ITER requires unprecedented parameters (40A of negative ion current accelerated up to 1MV for one hour) so that a test facility is in the final phase of construction at Consorzio RFX (Padova, Italy), housing two experiments. A full-size negative ion source, SPIDER, aims at demonstrating the creation and extraction of a D-/H- current up to 50/60A on a wide surface (more than 1m2) with uniformity within 10 %. The second experimental device is the prototype of the whole ITER injector, MITICA, aiming to develop the knowledge and the technologies to guarantee the successful operation of the two injectors to be installed in ITER, including the capability of 1MV voltage holding at low pressure. The key component of the system is the beam source, whose design results from a trade-off between requirements of the optics and real grids with finite thickness and thermo-mechanical constraints due to the cooling needs and the presence of permanent magnets. Numerical simulations are a necessary supplement to the experimental effort to optimise the accelerator optics and to estimate heat loads and currents on the various surfaces. In this paper the main requirements for ITER NBI will be discussed. The design and the status of the main components and systems will be described. Particularly a review of the accelerator physics and a comparison between the designs of the SPIDER and MITICA accelerators are presented. Complex network theory will be applied to the NBI system in order to identify the hidden functional relationships and the most important parameters for the operation. \ua9 2016 The Japan Society of Plasma

Transduodenal excision of giant tumour of the ampulla of Vater: a case report.

Carcinoma of the papilla is a rare cancer of the digestive tract; 5% of all gastrointestinal tract malignant neoplasms are periampullary. The authors report and discuss the case of one of their patients aged 79 years suffering from a tumour of the papilla. The case was characterized by the large size of the neoplasm (5.5 cm in diameter) and by the poor clinical conditions of the patient, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease and was at high operative risk. The surgical strategy chosen involved transduodenal excision of the tumour with duodenum-bile duct anastomosis and internal duodenum-Wirsung duct anastomosis. The authors first examine the hypothesis that carcinoma of the papilla may represent the evolution of an adenomatous lesion and then go on to assess the therapeutic strategy adopted in the treatment of these neoplasms: in patients at high operative risk a transduodenal excision of the tumour with duodenum-bile duct anastomosis and internal duodenum-Wirsung duct anastomosis may be a valid alternative to the conventional Whipple procedure

Plasma-Activated Water Triggers Rapid and Sustained Cytosolic Ca²⁺ Elevations in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

Increasing evidence indicates that water activated by plasma discharge, termed as plasma-activated water (PAW), can promote plant growth and enhance plant defence responses. Nevertheless, the signalling pathways activated in plants in response to PAW are still largely unknown. In this work, we analysed the potential involvement of calcium as an intracellular messenger in the transduction of PAW by plants. To this aim, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) seedlings stably expressing the bioluminescent Ca2+ reporter aequorin in the cytosol were challenged with PAW generated by a plasma torch. Ca2+ measurement assays demonstrated the induction by PAW of rapid and sustained cytosolic Ca2+ elevations in Arabidopsis seedlings. The dynamics of the recorded Ca2+ signals were found to depend upon different parameters, such as the operational conditions of the torch, PAW storage, and dilution. The separate administration of nitrate, nitrite, and hydrogen peroxide at the same doses as those measured in the PAW did not trigger any detectable Ca2+ changes, suggesting that the unique mixture of different reactive chemical species contained in the PAW is responsible for the specific Ca2+ signatures. Unveiling the signalling mechanisms underlying plant perception of PAW may allow to finely tune its generation for applications in agriculture, with potential advantages in the perspective of a more sustainable agriculture