Urban Geology for the Enhancement of the Hypogean Geosites: the Perugia Underground (Central Italy)

AbstractUrban geology analyses natural risks and promotes geoheritage in urban areas. In the cities, characterized by a high cultural value, the hypogean artificial cavities, often present in the downtown, offer a unique opportunity to show the geological substratum. Moreover, these places could be a point of interest in urban trekking with the abiotic component of the landscape as a topic (geotourism). To investigate these areas, rigorous bibliographic research and a geomorphological assessment are the first steps, but, besides, non-invasive methods are new techniques increasingly in demand. In this paper, we present a multidisciplinary study on the Etruscan Well (third century B.C.), one of the most important Etruscan artefacts in Perugia (Umbria region, Central Italy). The characteristics of the sedimentary deposits outcropping along the perimeter walls have been collected. Moreover, to show the underground geoheritage, we provide a 3D model of the well and the surrounding area integrating a georeferenced laser scanner survey with ground-penetrating radar prospecting. We aim to obtain a tridimensional mapping of accessible internal rooms to depict the geological characteristics of the Etruscan Well, also revealing a surrounding network of buried galleries. The results are not only a meaningful advancement in the archaeological, geological and historical knowledge of the downtown of Perugia but are a hint for the geoheritage promotion and dissemination, providing images and 3D reconstruction of underground areas

Combining Information on Nocturnal Rem Sleep Latency and Atonia to Facilitate Diagnosis of Pediatric Narcolepsy Type 1

the diagnosis of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) at its onset in children and adolescents is often difficult, with substantial diagnostic delay. We aimed to test and validate the effectiveness of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep latency (REML), the REM sleep atonia index (RAI), and their combination for the automatic identification of pediatric patients with NT1 based on the standard scoring of nocturnal polysomnograms

Combining Information on Nocturnal Rem Sleep Latency and Atonia to Facilitate Diagnosis of Pediatric Narcolepsy Type 1

Study objectives: the diagnosis of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) at its onset in children and adolescents is often difficult, with substantial diagnostic delay. We aimed to test and validate the effectiveness of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep latency (REML), the REM sleep atonia index (RAI), and their combination for the automatic identification of pediatric patients with NT1 based on the standard scoring of nocturnal polysomnograms. Methods: a retrospective cohort of 71 pediatric patients with NT1 and 42 controls was subdivided in test and validation cohorts. A novel index (COM) was developed as a nonlinear function of REML and RAI. The effectiveness of REML, RAI, and COM in identifying patients with NT1 was assessed with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: REML, RAI and COM significantly identified patients with NT1 both in the test and validation cohorts. Optimal thresholds that maximized identification accuracy were estimated in the test cohort (REML, 49.5 min; RAI, 0.91; COM, 4.57 AU) and validated in the other cohort. COM performed significantly better in identifying patients with NT1 than either REML or RAI, with ROC area under the curve of 94-100%, sensitivity 85-96%, and specificity 92-100%, and with good night-to-night agreement (Cohen's k = 0.69). Conclusions: the analysis of REML, RAI, and particularly their combination in the COM index may help shorten diagnostic delay of NT1 in children and adolescents based on the standard scoring of nocturnal polysomnography

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, altered sleep architecture, and muscle overactivity during nocturnal sleep in pediatric patients with narcolepsy type 1

arterial blood pressure (ABP) decreases during sleep compared to wakefulness and this change is blunted in mouse models of and adult patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1). We tested whether: 1) pediatric patients with NT1 have similar cardiovascular autonomic abnormalities during nocturnal sleep; and 2) these abnormalities can be linked to hypocretin-1 cerebrospinal fluid concentration (CSF HCRT-1), sleep architecture or muscle activity

Buone intenzioni e cattive conseguenze

The contribution highlights the unintentional and perverse effects that the italia system of evaluation of the research can produce on the Italian Unviersity system, emphasizing the main arising problems and some ways of solutio

Current knowledge about physical properties of innovative probiotic spray-dried powders produced with lactose-free milk and prebiotics

Lactose-free probiotic powders were obtained by mixing Bifidobacterium BB-12 suspensions with lactose-free milk powder or lactose-free milk powder and prebiotics (inulin or oligofructose). A thorough investigation was performed to know their water sorption properties and physical and thermal characteristics. By evaluating the water sorption properties, the Peleg model fitted well to the experimental sorption data, showing that the equilibrium moisture content of powders increased as the relative humidity increased. The isotherm found for all samples was a Type III Isotherm, commonly observed in most foods. For both morphology and particle size, the use of different carrier agents affected these properties; however, all the spray-dried powders presented good size to be added in food products. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed us amorphous structure for all powders, and typical bands of the milk constituents and sugars, respectively. Regarding the spray-dried powders thermal properties, it was possible to confirm that the addition of prebiotics gave higher thermal stability, highlighting the sample produced with inulin. We concluded that a good quality of lactose-free milk based probiotic powder could be obtained using spray drying technique, with great potential to be applied in lactose-free dairy products.We are grateful to Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, Brazil) [CAPES-PRINT, Project number 88887.310560/2018-00]; to National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil) by the financial support [CNPq, 405965/2016-8], and to Coordination of Improvement of HigherObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraPostprint (updated version

Sequential Multicomponent Strategy for the Diastereoselective Synthesis of Densely Functionalized Spirooxindole-Fused Thiazolidines

We developed two Ugi-type three-component reactions of spirooxindole-fused 3-thiazolines, isocyanides, and either carboxylic acids or trimethylsilyl azide, to give highly functionalized spirooxindole-fused thiazolidines. Two diverse libraries were generated using practical and robust procedures affording the products in typically good yields. The obtained thiazolidines proved to be suitable substrates for further transformations. Notably, both the Ugi-Joullié and the azido-Ugi reactions resulted highly diastereoselective, affording predominantly the trans-configured products, as confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis

Sequential Multicomponent Strategy for the Diastereoselective Synthesis of Densely Functionalized Spirooxindole-Fused Thiazolidines

We developed two Ugi-type three-component reactions of spirooxindole-fused 3-thiazolines, isocyanides, and either carboxylic acids or trimethylsilyl azide, to give highly functionalized spirooxindole-fused thiazolidines. Two diverse libraries were generated using practical and robust procedures affording the products in typically good yields. The obtained thiazolidines proved to be suitable substrates for further transformations. Notably, both the Ugi-Joullié and the azido-Ugi reactions resulted highly diastereoselective, affording predominantly the trans-configured products, as confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis