Enhanced apatite precipitation on a biopolymer-coated bioactive glass

AbstractIn this work, sintered pellets of a silica-based bioactive glass were dip-coated with a biocompatible natural-derived polymer in order to investigate the influence of the organic coating on the glass bioactivity. After the sintering process optimization, uncoated and coated pellets have been characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM, EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and pH measurements, after the immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF). An increased apatite forming ability and a better control of the pH during soaking of the samples in SBF were observed in the presence of the biopolymer. This result opens a new insight on the simple fabrication of highly bioactive hybrid inorganic-organic materials for medical applications

Main clinical features in patients at their first psychiatric admission to Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards. The PERSEO study

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on subjects presenting to acute wards for the first time with psychotic symptoms. The aims of this paper are (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients at their first psychiatric admission (FPA), including socio-demographic features, risk factors, life habits, modalities of onset, psychiatric diagnoses and treatments before admission; (ii) to assess the aggressive behavior and the clinical management of FPA patients in Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura = psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). METHOD: Cross-sectional observational multi-center study involving 62 Italian SPDCs (PERSEO – Psychiatric EmeRgency Study and EpidemiOlogy). RESULTS: 253 FPA aged <= 40 were identified among 2521 patients admitted to Italian SPDCs over the 5-month study period. About half of FPA patients showed an aggressive behavior as defined by a Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) score greater than 0 Vs 46% of non-FPA patients (p = 0.3651). The most common was verbal aggression, while about 20% of FPA patients actually engaged in physical aggression against other people. 74% of FPA patients had no diagnosis at admission, while 40% had received a previous psychopharmacological treatment, mainly benzodiazepines and antidepressants. During SPDC stay, diagnosis was established in 96% of FPA patients and a pharmacological therapy was prescribed to 95% of them, mainly benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. CONCLUSION: Subjects presenting at their first psychiatric ward admission have often not undergone previous adequate psychiatric assessment and diagnostic procedures. The first hospital admission allows diagnosis and psychopharmacological treatment to be established. In our population, aggressive behaviors were rather frequent, although most commonly verbal. Psychiatric symptoms, as evaluated by psychiatrists and patients, improved significantly from admission to discharge both for FPA and non-FPA patients

Clinical features and therapeutic management of patients admitted to Italian acute hospital psychiatric units: the PERSEO (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The PERSEO study (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) is a naturalistic, observational clinical survey in Italian acute hospital psychiatric units, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura; in English, the psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). The aims of this paper are: (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients, including sociodemographic features, risk factors, life habits and psychiatric diagnoses; and (ii) to assess the clinical management, subjective wellbeing and attitudes toward medications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 62 SPDCs distributed throughout Italy participated in the study and 2521 patients were enrolled over the 5-month study period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Almost half of patients (46%) showed an aggressive behaviour at admission to ward, but they engaged more commonly in verbal aggression (38%), than in aggression toward other people (20%). A total of 78% of patients had a psychiatric diagnosis at admission, most frequently schizophrenia (36%), followed by depression (16%) and personality disorders (14%), and no relevant changes in the diagnoses pattern were observed during hospital stay. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly prescribed drugs, regardless of diagnosis, at all time points. Overall, up to 83% of patients were treated with neuroleptic drugs and up to 27% received more than one neuroleptic either during hospital stay or at discharge. Atypical and conventional antipsychotics were equally prescribed for schizophrenia (59 vs 65% during stay and 59 vs 60% at discharge), while atypical drugs were preferred in schizoaffective psychoses (72 vs 49% during stay and 70 vs 46% at discharge) and depression (41 vs 32% during stay and 44 vs 25% at discharge). Atypical neuroleptics were slightly preferred to conventional ones at hospital discharge (52 vs 44%). Polypharmacy was in general widely used. Patient attitudes toward medications were on average positive and self-reported compliance increased during hospital stay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results confirm the widespread use of antipsychotics and the increasing trend in atypical drugs prescription, in both psychiatric in- and outpatients.</p

Minimality of tensors of fixed multilinear rank

We discover a geometric property of the space of tensors of fixed multilinear (Tucker) rank. Namely, it is shown that real tensors of the fixed multilinear rank form a minimal submanifold of the Euclidean space of tensors endowed with the Frobenius inner product. We also establish the absence of local extrema for linear functionals restricted to the submanifold of rank-one tensors, finding application in statistics

Monitoring Harvesting degree of red ‘Scarlet’ Apples using DR-UV–Vis and NIR Spectroscopy

The identification of the harvest date has a fundamental role in the agro food chain as the quality of fruits depends primarily on the right harvesting time and storage conditions in post-harvest period. The marked need and the importance of rapid, reliable and non destructive tools for the determination of the ripeness level become apparent. This work is focused on the study of red apples ripening (Scarlet cv), with the aim of better identifying harvest date characterizing each stage of fruit ripening on trees using classical analysis and non destructive analysis. Non destructive NIR analysis has been applied to starch and sugar content and firmness, while UV-Vis analysis was applied to monitor variation of chlorophyll concentration in the skin of red apples. A further approach was tested considering UV-Vis and NIR data together, and using GA-PLS algorithm to elaborate a multivariate model based on the difference (in days) between every sampling and the harvest

Applicazione della spettroscopia FT-NIR per un’identificazione rapida e non distruttiva di diverse varietà di riso e risone

L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è quello di valutare le potenzialità della spettroscopia nel vicino infrarosso (FT-NIR) associata ad un’analisi di tipo chemiometrico come metodo non distruttivo per la classificazione di diverse varietà di riso. Il riso (Oryza sativa L.) è un alimento basilare per l’alimentazione umana, che contribuisce al sostentamento di due terzi della popolazione mondiale. In termini di qualità finale del prodotto, la varietà è un fattore fondamentale, che implica differenze in termini di dimensioni, forma e composizione. Una gestione del raccolto non ottimale può determinare una limitata purezza varietale e di conseguenza una drastica riduzione della qualità. Emerge dunque la necessità di elaborare un metodo veloce, accurato e non distruttivo per classificare il riso appartenente a differenti cultivar. Per questo studio sono stati usati 72 campioni di riso grezzo (risone) e 72 campioni di riso lavorato; si utilizzano due varietà aromatiche (Venere e Apollo) e sei varietà non aromatiche (Carnaroli, Carnise, Carnise precoce, Selenio, Cerere, Antares). La risaia sperimentale si trova a Trino (VC). L’identificazione della varietà di riso viene realizzata attraverso l'elaborazione di un modello predittivo, che comprende campioni sottoposti a diverse condizioni per rappresentare una più ampia variabilità sperimentale. I contributi spettrali sono stati acquisiti mediante uno spettrofotometro MPA (Bruker Optics, Germania) nel range NIR da 12500 a 3500 cm-1, in modalità di riflettanza. I dati spettrali sono stati elaborati ed analizzati mediante tecniche chemiometriche, che prevedono un pre-trattamento degli spettri (smoothing e SNV), e l’applicazione di algoritmi di classificazione (SIMCA e LDA). Questo studio vuole dimostrare l’applicabilità della spettroscopia FT-NIR come tecnica rapida e non-distruttiva, volta all’identificazione delle varietà di riso nei test di routine. Il modello elaborato è stato inoltre utilizzato per caratterizzare una nuova varietà di riso e verificare quanto le sue caratteristiche siano comparabili a quelle di una nota varietà commerciale

Prediction of the optimum harvest time of ‘Scarlet’ apples using DR-UV–Vis and NIR spectroscopy

The identification of harvest date plays a key role in the agro-food chain as the quality of fruit depends on the right harvesting time and appropriate storage conditions during the postharvest period. Destructive techniques, such as the use of some ripening parameters, suffer from several drawbacks that highlight the need for reliable non-destructive tools to determine ripeness stage. This work is focused on the study of ripening of red apples (‘Scarlet’), with the aim of better identifying the harvest date, by means of non-destructive analysis, through the characterization of each fruit ripening stage on the trees, with classical methods as a reference. UV–Vis analysis was applied in diffuse reflectance (DR) mode to monitor variations in the Chl content of the skin of red apples during ripening on the tree, since the colour variation in red apples is difficult to observe during ripening, and the ground colour cannot be considered a valid tool to identify ripening. On the other hand, variation in the chlorophyll content, measured by means of in situ DR-UV–Vis spectroscopy, is a reliable indicator of the ripeness stage. The novelty of this work is that a backward interval–GA–partial least squares (PLS) model, based both on NIR and UV–Vis data, was used to predict the optimal harvesting time in a direct way. We also established an overview of fruit maturation through a comparison with UV–Vis analysis and calibrations of the ripening parameter