ORIGIN OF LIGHT SCATTERING FROM DISORDERED SYSTEMS

Anelastic light scattering is computed numerically for model disordered systems (linear chains and 2-dimensional site and bond percolators), with and without electrical disorder. A detailed analysis of the vibrational modes and of their Raman activity evidences that two extreme mechanisms for scattering may be singled out. One of these resembles scattering from finite size systems, while the other mechanisms originates from spatial fluctuations of the polarizability and is such that modes in even small frequency intervals may have very different Raman activities. As a consequence, the average coupling coefficient $C(\omega)$ is the variance of a zero-average quantity. Our analysis shows that for both linear chains and 2-dimensional percolators the second mechanism dominates over the first, and therefore Raman scattering from disordered systems is essentially due to spatial fluctuations.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, 7 figures available on request

Total Hemi-overgrowth in Pigmentary Mosaicism of the (Hypomelanosis of) Ito Type: Eight Case Reports.

Pigmentary mosaicism of the (hypomelanosis of) Ito type is an umbrella term, which includes phenotypes characterized by mosaic hypopigmentation in the form of streaks, whorls, patchy, or more bizarre skin configurations (running along the lines of Blaschko): these cutaneous patterns can manifest as an isolated skin disorder (pigmentary mosaicism of the Ito type) or as a complex malformation syndrome in association with extracutaneous anomalies (most often of the musculoskeletal and/or nervous systems) (hypomelanosis of Ito). Affected individuals are anecdotally reported to have also partial or total body hemi-overgrowth (HOG), which often causes moderate to severe complications.We studied the occurrence and features of HOG in the 114 children and adults with mosaic pigmentary disorders of the Ito type diagnosed and followed up (from 2 to 22 years; average follow-up 16 years) at our Institutions.Eight patients (5 M, 3 F; aged 4 to 25 years; median age 16 years) out of the 114 analyzed (7%) fulfilled the criteria for unilateral HOG, with differences in diameter ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 cm (upper limbs) and 1.0 to 9.0 cm (lower limbs). Moreover, among these 8 patients, 5/8 filled in the 75th to 90th percentile for height; 6/8 had associated kyphoscoliosis; and 5/8 showed cognitive delays. No tumour complications were recorded. Overall, 6/8 HOG patients presented with additional (extracutaneous) syndromic manifestations, apart from the HOG (ie, with a clinical phenotype of hypomelanosis of Ito).The present study, which includes children and adults with the longest follow-up so far recorded, confirms the association between pigmentary mosaicism of the Ito type and HOG lowering previous estimates (7% vs 16%) for HOG in the context of mosaic hypopigmentation. A careful examination, looking at subtle to moderate asymmetries and associated complications within the spectrum of these mosaic pigmentary disorders, is recommended

New Insights in Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in many countries in Europe although considerable efforts have been made in recent decades to address this disease in an even more “comprehensive” approac

Microsurgical Disconnection of Ruptured Intracranial Pial Arteriovenous Fistula Guided by Indocyanine Green Videoangiography.

Intracranial arteriovenous fistulas, rare causes of spontaneous intracerebral bleeding, are direct communications between an arterial feeder and an arterialized vein that drains a normal brain. Arteriovenous disconnection is the only effective treatment for this type of vascular malformation, which is often reached microsurgically due to the difficult endovascular access. Intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) is a valuable help in identifying the arterialized draining vein and its direct communication with the arterial feeder and in confirming real-time interruption of the fistula. We describe the case of a 46-year-old man presenting with sudden onset of headache and left arm motor and sensory deficits associated with a frontoparietal hematoma evacuated 1 week earlier in another institution. Digital subtraction angiography showed a direct communication between an anterior parietal branch of the right middle cerebral artery and a parietal vein. Given the difficulty to reach the point of the fistula endovascularly because of the small caliber and tortuosity of the arterial feeder, as well as the short and relatively rapid flow through the arteriovenous communication, we decided to proceed with microsurgical treatment. Under intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring the fistula was located with the aid of ICG-VA and interrupted (Video 1). Both control ICG-VA and postoperative angiogram confirmed resolution of the fistula. At a 3-month follow-up the patient had a complete neurologic recovery

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among agricultural workers: Results of an Italian a cross-sectional study

Background: Working age is increasing across Europe. Seasonal influenza (SID) and pneumococcal disease (PND) immunization programmes might be successfully implemented at the workplace. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among to assess SID and PND vaccine status, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in a representative sample of agricultural workers (AWs) aged ≥55 years in North-Eastern Italy. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered in person by trained personnel. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify behavioral and work-related factors associated with SID and PND vaccine uptake. Results: Among 707 participants, 238 were aged 55 years or more (33.7% of total). Of them, 39.1% had an up-to-date immunization status towards influenza, and 17.6% towards pneumococcus. Factors associated with inadequate immunization were doubts about influenza vaccine safety (40.0%) and the confidence in natural immunity towards pneumococcus (30.8%). Attitude towards vaccinations was somehow favorable in 44.5% of participants for SID, and 37.8% for PND. Overall, 37.4% and 21.8% workers were aware of national recommendations on SID and PND immunization, respectively. This factor was characterized as a significant predictor for SID vaccination (multivariated Odds Ratio, OR 32.688 95%CI 12.015-88.930), as well as the perception of SID as a severe disease (OR 7.539 95%CI 3.312-17.164), and the perceived value of preventing new infections (OR 3.215 95%CI 1.205-8.578). A somehow favorable attitude towards vaccinations was the main predictor (OR 39.214 95%CI 10.179-151.1) for PND vaccination. Conclusions: Our study indicates that older workers lack appropriate knowledge of national recommendations and correct risk perception of SID and PND infections, but also vaccines’ side effects. As the latter has been recognized as predictive factor for SID vaccination, our results stress the importance for tailored informative interventions in the workplaces aimed to increase risk perception and vaccine acceptance. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Acoustic Nature of the Boson Peak in Vitreous Silica

New temperature dependent inelastic x-ray (IXS) and Raman (RS) scattering data are compared to each other and with existing inelastic neutron scattering data in vitreous silica (v-SiO_2), in the 300 - 1775 K region. The IXS data show collective propagating excitations up to Q=3.5 nm^-1. The temperature behaviour of the excitations at Q=1.6 nm^-1 matches that of the boson peak found in INS and RS. This supports the acoustic origin of the excess of vibrational states giving rise to the boson peak in this glass.Comment: 10 pages and 4 figure

Ernesto de Martino: etnografia e storia

Pubblicazione degli Atti dei seminari di Napoli, Roma e Venezi

Post-graduate medical education in public health: The case of Italy and a call for action

Public health technical expertise is of crucial importance to inform decision makers\u2019 action in the field of health and its broader determinants. Improving education and training of public health professionals for both practice and research is the starting point to strengthen the role of public health so that current health challenges can be efficiently tackled. At the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) Deans\u2019 & Directors\u2019 2017 Annual Retreat, we presented the structure and management of public health training system in Italy, and we reported recent data on Italian public health specialists\u2019 educational experience, employment opportunities and job satisfaction. Public health training in Italy is implemented in the context of the post-graduate medical education residency programme in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, delivered by 34 University-based Schools of Public Health. We report relatively high employment rates across the county and wide spectrum of career opportunities for young public health specialists. However, job security is low and training expectations only partially met. We call upon other Schools of Public Health to scale up the survey within the broad ASPHER community in a shared and coordinated action of systematically collecting useful data that can inform the development of public health education and training models, their implementation and fruitful interaction with population health, health systems and services