Approximation of sets of finite fractional perimeter by smooth sets and comparison of local and global ss-minimal surfaces

This article is divided into two parts. In the first part we show that a set E has locally finite s-perimeter if and only if it can be approximated in an appropriate sense by smooth open sets. In the second part we prove some elementary properties of local and global s-minimal sets, such as existence and compactness. We also compare the two notions of minimizer (i.e., local and global), showing that in bounded open sets with Lipschitz boundary they coincide. Conversely, in general this is not true in unbounded open sets, where a global s-minimal set may fail to exist (we provide an example in the case of a cylinder Omega x R)

Psychometric Evaluation of the Care Transition Measures in a Sample of ACS Patients: Results from Transitions, Risks, and Actions in Coronary Events – Center for Outcomes Research and Education (TRACE-CORE)

Background: Quality of transitional care is associated with important health outcomes such as rehospitalization and costs. A widely used measure of the construct, the Care Transitions Measure (CTM-15), was developed with classical test theory approach. Its short version (CTM-3) was included in the CAHPS® Hospital Survey. Methods: As part of TRACE-CORE 1545 participants were interviewed during hospitalization for ACS providing information on general health status (SF-36). At 1 month post-discharge, patients completed CTM-15, health utilization and care process questions. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the CTM using classical and item response theory analyses. We compared the measurement precision of CTM-15, CTM-3, and a CTM-IRT based score using relative validity (RV). Results: Participants were 79% non-Hispanic white, 67% male, 27% with a college education or higher (27%) and average age of 62 years. The CTM scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha=0.95), but demonstrated strong acquiescence bias (8.7% participants responded “Strongly agree”, 19% “Agree” to all 15 items) and limited score variability. IRT based item parameters were estimated for all items. The CTM-15 differentiated between groups of patients defined by self-reported health status, health care utilization, and care transition process indicators. Differences between groups were small (2-3 points). There was no gain in measurement precision for the scale from IRT scoring. The CTM-3 was not significantly lower for patients reporting rehospitalization or emergency department visits. Conclusion: We identified psychometric challenges of the CTM, which may limit its value in research and practice. The strong acquiescence bias in the measure leads to highly skewed, clustered scores with restricted score variance. In the absence of guidelines on meaningfully important differences, it is hard to determine whether detected statistically significant differences in CTM are important. These results are in line with emerging evidence of gaps in the validity of the measure

¿Afecta la calidad del hábitat alimentario a la capacidad reproductiva de la garceta común, Egretta garzetta?

In order to understand the role of foraging habitat quality on fecundity parameters we measured habitat use, breeding parameters, and body condition of chicks in six colonies of Little Egrets in southern France. The foraging habitat available differed between colonies; it was mainly natural marshes around the Carrelet colony, agricultural lands (rice fields and dry crops) around the Agon colony, a mix of agricultural and natural lands around the Redon and Fiélouse colonies, a mix of natural and urbanised/industrial lands around the Palissade colony, and mainly cultivated and urbanised lands around the Chaumont colony. The habitat attractiveness to adult Little Egret breeding was higher for natural marshes than for other habitat types. Agricultural marshes (rice fields) came next. Other human–made habitats came last. Clutch size and body condition index of chicks did not differ between colonies. Brood size was influenced by both the association of the proportion of natural marshes in the foraging area and clutch size, and the association of clutch size and the total number of heron pairs in the colony. The effect of the proportion of natural marshes could not be distinguished from the effects of the colony size. The potential influence of other parameters not taken into account in this study is discussed.Con la finalidad de conocer el papel que ejerce la calidad del hábitat alimentario sobre los parámetros de fecundidad, se evaluaron el uso del hábitat, los parámetros reproductivos y las condiciones físicas de los polluelos de seis colonias de garceta común en el sur de Francia. El hábitat alimentario disponible variaba de unas colonias a otras, siendo principalmente marismas naturales en el entorno de la colonia de Carrelet, terrenos agrícolas (campos de arroz y cultivos de secano) alrededor de la colonia de Agon, una combinación de terrenos agrícolas y naturales alrededor de las colonias de Redon y Fiélouse, una combinación de terrenos naturales y urbanizados/industriales alrededor de la colonia de Palissade, y principalmente terrenos cultivados y urbanizados alrededor de la colonia de Chaumont. En la época de reproducción, los adultos de garceta común se sienten atraídos principalmente por las marismas naturales, en detrimento de otros tipos de hábitat. Las tierras agrícolas anegadas (campos de arroz) siguen en orden de preferencia, mientras los hábitats construidos por el hombre ocupan el último lugar. El tamaño de la puesta y el índice de estado físico de los polluelos no mostraron diferencias entre las colonias. El tamaño de la nidada estuvo influenciado tanto por la asociación de la proporción de marismas naturales en el hábitat alimentario y el tamaño de la puesta, como por la asociación del tamaño de la puesta y el número total de parejas de garzas de la colonia. El efecto de la proporción de marismas naturales no se puede diferenciar del ejercido por el tamaño de la colonia. Se discute también la influencia potencial de otros parámetros que no se han tenido en cuenta en este estudio

Spring diet of the pine marten in Sardinia, Italy

Alimentación primaveral de la marta en Cerdeña, ItaliaEl conocimiento del comportamiento de alimentación de un carnívoro es esencial para entender su ecología. La marta Martes martes se define comúnmente como un depredador generalista oportunista, porque su dieta en Europa incluye mamíferos, frutas, aves y invertebrados. A partir del análisis de las heces, hemos descrito los hábitos alimenticios en primavera y la amplitud del nicho trófico de la marta en ambiente mediterráneo en Cerdeña (Italia central). Los pequeños mamíferos (sobre todo Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus y Eliomys quercinus) representan la fuente más importante de alimentación de la marta, ya que constituyen aproximadamente el 52% del volumen medio. Otra fuente importante de alimentos secundarios la constituyen los invertebrados (especialmente escarabajos y larvas de insectos) y las aves (paseriformes casi exclusivamente), mientras que los grandes mamíferos, los lagomorfos, los reptiles y las frutas están poco representados en la dieta. La composición de la dieta y el valor del índice de Levins indican que la marta en Cerdeña es un depredador especialista facultativo, con una especialización en la depredación de los micromamíferos.Knowledge of a carnivore’s foraging behaviour is essential to understand its ecology. The pine marten Martes martes is commonly defined as an opportunistic generalist predator since its diet in Europe includes mammals, fruits, birds and invertebrates. Based on faecal analyses, we evaluated spring feeding habits and trophic niche breadth of the pine marten in a Mediterranean landscape on the island of Sardinia (Central Italy). The most important source of food for the pine marten was small mammals (mainly Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus and Eliomys quercinus), accounting for 52% of the percent mean volume. Important secondary foods were invertebrates (mainly beetles and insect larvae) and birds (almost exclusively passerines), whereas large mammals, lagomorphs, reptiles and fruits made little contribution to the diet. The diet composition and the Levins’ index value suggest that the pine marten in Sardinia behaves as a facultative specialist predator, with a specialization towards small mammals.Alimentación primaveral de la marta en Cerdeña, ItaliaEl conocimiento del comportamiento de alimentación de un carnívoro es esencial para entender su ecología. La marta Martes martes se define comúnmente como un depredador generalista oportunista, porque su dieta en Europa incluye mamíferos, frutas, aves y invertebrados. A partir del análisis de las heces, hemos descrito los hábitos alimenticios en primavera y la amplitud del nicho trófico de la marta en ambiente mediterráneo en Cerdeña (Italia central). Los pequeños mamíferos (sobre todo Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus y Eliomys quercinus) representan la fuente más importante de alimentación de la marta, ya que constituyen aproximadamente el 52% del volumen medio. Otra fuente importante de alimentos secundarios la constituyen los invertebrados (especialmente escarabajos y larvas de insectos) y las aves (paseriformes casi exclusivamente), mientras que los grandes mamíferos, los lagomorfos, los reptiles y las frutas están poco representados en la dieta. La composición de la dieta y el valor del índice de Levins indican que la marta en Cerdeña es un depredador especialista facultativo, con una especialización en la depredación de los micromamíferos

The Phillip island penguin parade (A mathematical treatment)

Penguins are flightless, so they are forced to walk while on land. In particular, they show rather specific behaviours in their homecoming, which are interesting to observe and to describe analytically. We observed that penguins have the tendency to waddle back and forth on the shore to create a sufficiently large group, and then walk home compactly together. The mathematical framework that we introduce describes this phenomenon, by taking into account "natural parameters", such as the eyesight of the penguins and their cruising speed. The model that we propose favours the formation of conglomerates of penguins that gather together, but, on the other hand, it also allows the possibility of isolated and exposed individuals. The model that we propose is based on a set of ordinary differential equations. Due to the discontinuous behaviour of the speed of the penguins, the mathematical treatment (to get existence and uniqueness of the solution) is based on a "stop-and-go" procedure. We use this setting to provide rigorous examples in which at least some penguins manage to safely return home (there are also cases in which some penguins remain isolated). To facilitate the intuition of the model, we also present some simple numerical simulations that can be compared with the actual movement of the penguin parade

West Nile virus: the Italian national transplant network reaction to an alert in the north-eastern region, Italy 2011

We report four cases of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission following a single multiorgan donation in north-eastern Italy. The transmissions were promptly detected by local transplant centres. The donor had been tested for WNV by nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) prior to transplantation and was negative. There were no detected errors in the nationally implemented WNV safety protocols

Psychometric Evaluation of the Care Transition Measure in TRACE‐CORE: Do We Need a Better Measure?

Background: The quality of transitional care is associated with important health outcomes such as rehospitalization and costs. The widely used Care Transitions Measure (CTM‐15) was developed with a classic test theory approach; its short version (CTM‐3) was included in the CAHPS Hospital Survey. We conducted a psychometric evaluation of both measures and explored whether item response theory (IRT) could produce a more precise measure. Methods and Results: As part of the Transitions, Risks, and Actions in Coronary Events Center for Outcomes Research and Education, 1545 participants were interviewed during an acute coronary syndrome hospitalization, providing information on general health status (Short Form‐36), CTM‐15, health utilization, and care process questions at 1 month postdischarge. We used classic and IRT analyses and compared the measurement precision of CTM‐15–, CTM‐3–, and CTM‐IRT–based score using relative validity. Participants were 79% non‐Hispanic white and 67% male, with an average age of 62 years. The CTM‐15 had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.95) but demonstrated acquiescence bias (8.7% participants responded “Strongly agree” and 19% responded “Agree” to all items) and limited score variability. These problems were more pronounced for the CTM‐3. The CTM‐15 differentiated between patient groups defined by self‐reported health status, health care utilization, and care transition process indicators. Differences between groups were small (2 to 3 points). There was no gain in measurement precision from IRT scoring. The CTM‐3 was not significantly lower for patients reporting rehospitalization or emergency department visits. Conclusion: We identified psychometric challenges of the CTM, which may limit its value in research and practice. These results are in line with emerging evidence of gaps in the validity of the measure

Management of the Sickle Cell Trait: An Opinion by Expert Panel Members.

The number of individuals with the sickle cell trait exceeds 300 million worldwide, making sickle cell disease one of the most common monogenetic diseases globally. Because of the high frequency of sickle cell disease, reproductive counseling is of crucial importance. In addition, unlike other carrier states, Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) seems to be a risk factor for several clinical complications, such as extreme exertional injury, chronic kidney disease, and complications during pregnancy and surgery. This expert panel believes that increasing knowledge about these clinical manifestations and their prevention and management can be a useful tool for all healthcare providers involved in this issue

Potential Applications of Essential Oils for Environmental Sanitization and Antimicrobial Treatment of Intensive Livestock Infections

The extensive use of antibiotics has contributed to the current antibiotic resistance crisis. Livestock infections of Salmonella spp, Clostridium spp. and E. coli antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represent a public threat to human and animal health. To reduce the incidence of these zoonoses, essential oils (EOs) could be effective antibiotic alternatives. This study aims at identifying EOs safe for use, effective both in complementary therapy and in the environmental sanitization of intensive farming. Natural products were chemo-characterized by gas chromatography. Three S. Typhimurium, three C. perfringens and four E. coli strains isolated from poultry and swine farms were used to assess the antimicrobial properties of nine EOs and a modified GR-OLI (mGR-OLI). The toxicity of the most effective ones (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cz; Origanum vulgare, Ov) was also evaluated on porcine spermatozoa and Galleria mellonella larvae. Cz, Ov and mGR-OLI showed the strongest antimicrobial activity; their volatile components were also able to significantly inhibit the growth of tested strains. In vitro, Ov toxicity was slightly lower than Cz, while it showed no toxicity on G. mellonella larvae. In conclusion, the study confirms the importance of evaluating natural products to consolidate the idea of safe EO applications in reducing and preventing intensive livestock infections

Large-sized Fetal Striatal Grafts in Huntington’s Disease Do Stop Growing. Long-term Monitoring in the Florence Experience.

Development of six large nodules of solid tissue after bilateral human fetal striatal transplantation in four Huntington’s disease patients has raised concern about the safety of this experimental therapy in our setting. We investigated by serial MRI-based volumetric analysis the growth behaviour of such grafts. After 33-73 months from transplantation the size of five grafts was stable and one graft showed a mild decrease in size. Signs neither of intracranial hypertension nor of adjuctive focal neurological deficit have ever been observed. This supports long-term safety of the grafting procedure at our Institution