Subtransmission overhead lines mechanical monitoring for fast detection of damaging events

Different harmful events affecting high voltage overhead lines (OHLs) cause changes in the mechanical tension (tensile strength) of conductors. A mechanical monitoring of OHLs, therefore, can provide useful additional information (compared with the information provided by the widely used SCADA systems) about the power system state. The tension measurements combined with a few environmental measurements (air temperature, wind speed) can be used for an automatic (fast) detection of different events and for their approximate location along an OHL, reducing the impact of these events. Referring to 132-150 kV sub-transmission OHLs, this paper proposes some original algorithms, based on the mechanical monitoring of OHLs, for the automatic detection of the following events: conductor breaking, fall of trees on the conductors, ice/snow sleeve accretion on the conductors, strands breaking and galloping. The proposed algorithms require a limited number of sensors placed along the OHLs for measurements of the conductor tension and weather-related quantities

The role of sexual orientation in the relationships between body perception, body weight dissatisfaction, physical comparison, and eating psychopathology in the cisgender population

Purpose: Body weight dissatisfaction (BWD) and visual body perception are specific aspects that can influence the own body image, and that can concur with the development or the maintenance of specific psychopathological dimensions of different psychiatric disorders. The sexual orientation is a fundamental but understudied aspect in this field, and, for this reason, the purpose of this study is to improve knowledge about the relationships among BWD, visual body size-perception, and sexual orientation. Methods: A total of 1033 individuals participated in an online survey. Physical comparison, depression, and self-esteem was evaluated, as well as sexual orientation and the presence of an eating disorder. A Figure Rating Scale was used to assess different valences of body weight, and mediation analyses were performed to investigated specific relationships between psychological aspects. Results: Bisexual women and gay men reported significantly higher BWD than other groups (p < 0.001); instead, higher body misperception was present in gay men (p = 0.001). Physical appearance comparison mediated the effect of sexual orientation in both BWD and perceptual distortion. No difference emerged between women with a history of eating disorders and without, as regards the value of body weight attributed to attractiveness, health, and presence on social media. Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding the relationship between sexual orientations and body image representation and evaluation. Physical appearance comparisons should be considered as critical psychological factors that can improve and affect well-being. The impact on subjects with high levels of eating concerns is also discussed. Level of evidence: Level III: case\u2013control analytic study

Detecting neurodevelopmental trajectories in congenital heart diseases with a machine-learning approach

We aimed to delineate the neuropsychological and psychopathological profiles of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and look for associations with clinical parameters. We conducted a prospective observational study in children with CHD who underwent cardiac surgery within five years of age. At least 18\ua0months after cardiac surgery, we performed an extensive neuropsychological (intelligence, language, attention, executive function, memory, social skills) and psychopathological assessment, implementing a machine-learning approach for clustering and influencing variable classification. We examined 74 children (37 with CHD and 37 age-matched controls). Group comparisons have shown differences in many domains: intelligence, language, executive skills, and memory. From CHD questionnaires, we identified two clinical subtypes of psychopathological profiles: a small subgroup with high symptoms of psychopathology and a wider subgroup of patients with ADHD-like profiles. No associations with the considered clinical parameters were found. CHD patients are prone to high interindividual variability in neuropsychological and psychological outcomes, depending on many factors that are difficult to control and study. Unfortunately, these dysfunctions are under-recognized by clinicians. Given that brain maturation continues through childhood, providing a significant window for recovery, there is a need for a lifespan approach to optimize the outcome trajectory for patients with CHD

Hemorrhagic uterine necrosis after surgical vessel ligation and B-Lynch suture in persistent post-cesarean uterine atony: case report and review of literature

Uterine necrosis is a rare life-threatening condition reported in few case reports and series, associated with uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroids or postpartum hemorrhage. We report a hemorrhagic uterine necrosis in a nulliparous 35 years-old woman underwent cesarean section at 40+1 weeks of gestation for obstructed labor, presenting post-partum persisting bleeding and uterine atony and congestion. Bleeding stopped only after placement of two set of compressive sutures, curettage of uterine cavity and placement of Bakri Balloon but the uterine body never contracted and become congested. Notwithstanding an effective antibiotic therapy, the patient developed an intermittent fever and signs of severe anemia. Clinical and radiological diagnosis with CT and MRI scan were compatible with uterine necrosis characterized by hemorrhagic infarction of the uterine wall and decomposition of its muscular tissue. Hysterectomy was discussed with patient and performed on day 32 after C-section. Uterine apoplexy, a rare life-threatening disease, was detected with CT by lack of uterine contrast enhancement and a gas-filled uterine cavity and necrosis was confirmed with MRI by showing fluid degeneration of the myometrium. Failure to recognize a necrotic uterus on imaging can cause delayed hysterectomy, which is mandatory and potentially life-saving

Dominance of charged excitons in single quantum dot photoluminescence spectra

Single InxGa1-xAs/GaAs quantum dot photoluminescence spectra, obtained by low-temperature near-field scanning optical microscopy, are compared with theoretically derived optical spectra. The spectra show shell filling as well as few-particle fine structure associated with neutral and charged multiexcitons, in good agreement with the many-body calculations. There appears to be a greater tendency to charged-exciton formation, which is discussed in terms of the high diffusivity of photogenerated electrons

Salt stress in olive tree shapes resident endophytic microbiota

Olea europaea L. is a glycophyte representing one of the most important plants in the Mediterranean area, both from an economic and agricultural point of view. Its adaptability to different environmental conditions enables its cultivation in numerous agricultural scenarios, even on marginal areas, characterized by soils unsuitable for other crops. Salt stress represents one current major threats to crop production, including olive tree. In order to overcome this constraint, several cultivars have been evaluated over the years using biochemical and physiological methods to select the most suitable ones for cultivation in harsh environments. Thus the development of novel methodologies have provided useful tools for evaluating the adaptive capacity of cultivars, among which the evaluation of the plant-microbiota ratio, which is important for the maintenance of plant homeostasis. In the present study, four olive tree cultivars (two traditional and two for intensive cultivation) were subjected to saline stress using two concentrations of salt, 100 mM and 200 mM. The effects of stress on diverse cultivars were assessed by using biochemical analyses (i.e., proline, carotenoid and chlorophyll content), showing a cultivar-dependent response. Additionally, the olive tree response to stress was correlated with the leaf endophytic bacterial community. Results of the metabarcoding analyses showed a significant shift in the resident microbiome for plants subjected to moderate salt stress, which did not occur under extreme salt-stress conditions. In the whole, these results showed that the integration of stress markers and endophytic community represents a suitable approach to evaluate the adaptation of cultivars to environmental stresses

Covid-19 management in the pediatric age: Consensus document of the covid-19 working group in paediatrics of the Emilia-Romagna Region (re-co-ped), Italy

Since December 2019, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread, becoming the first pandemic of the 21st century by number of deaths (over 2,000,000 worldwide). Many aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents remain unclear, and optimal treatment has not yet been defined. Therefore, our goal was to develop a consensus document, practically synthesizing the accumulated data and clinical experience of our expert group. Literature research was carried out using the keywords “COVID-19” or “SARS-CoV-2” and “children” or “pediatrics” and “prevention” or “diagnosis” or “MIS-C” or “treatment” in electronic databases (MEDLINE, PUBMED), existing guidelines and gray literature. The fact that the majority of the problems posed by SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric age do not need hospital care and that, therefore, infected children and adolescents can be managed at home highlights the need for a strengthening of territorial pediatric structures. The sharing of hospitalization and therapeutic management criteria for severe cases between professionals is essential to ensure a fair approach based on the best available knowledge. Moreover, the activity of social and health professionals must also include the description, management and limitation of psychophysical-relational damage resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the health of children and adolescents, whether or not affected by COVID-19. Due to the characteristics of COVID-19 pathology in pediatric age, the importance of strengthening the network between hospital and territorial pediatrics, school, educational, social and family personnel both for strictly clinical management and for the reduction in discomfort, with priority in children of more frail families, represents a priority

Sudakov Electroweak effects in transversely polarized beams

We study Standard Model electroweak radiative corrections for fully inclusive observables with polarized fermionic beams. Our calculations are relevant in view of the possibility for Next Generation Linear colliders of having transversely and/or longitudinally polarized beams. The case of initial transverse polarization is particularly interesting because of the interplay of infrared/collinear logarithms of different origins, related both to the nonabelian SU(2) and abelian U(1) sectors. The Standard model effects turn out to be in the 10% range at the TeV scale, therefore particularly relevant in order to disentangle possible New Physics effects.Comment: 5 pages,4 figure

CTLA-4 and PD-1 Ligand Gene Expression in Epithelial Thyroid Cancers

The dysregulation of PD-1 ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) and CTLA-4 ligands (CD80 and CD86) represents a tumor strategy to escape the immune surveillance. Here, the expression of PD-L1, PD-L2, CD80, and CD86 was evaluated at the mRNA level in 94 patients affected by papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and 11 patients affected by anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Variations in the mRNAs in PTC patients were then correlated with clinicopathological features. The expression of all genes was deregulated in PTC and ATC tissues compared to normal tissues. In particular, the downregulation of CD80 was observed above all in ATC. In addition, the increased expression of CD80 associated with longer disease-free survival in PTC. Higher expression of PD-L1 associated with the classical histological variant and with the presence of BRAFV600E mutation in PTC. The increased PD-L2 expression correlated with BRAFV600E mutation and lymph node metastasis, while its lower expression correlated with the follicular PTC variant. The latter was also associated with the CD80 downregulation, which was also related to the absence of lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, we documented the overall dysregulation of PD-1 and CTLA-4 ligands in PTC and ATC tissues and a possible prognostic value for CD80 gene expression in PTC