Statistical Laws in Urban Mobility from microscopic GPS data in the area of Florence

The application of Statistical Physics to social systems is mainly related to the search for macroscopic laws, that can be derived from experimental data averaged in time or space,assuming the system in a steady state. One of the major goals would be to find a connection between the statistical laws to the microscopic properties: for example to understand the nature of the microscopic interactions or to point out the existence of interaction networks. The probability theory suggests the existence of few classes of stationary distributions in the thermodynamics limit, so that the question is if a statistical physics approach could be able to enroll the complex nature of the social systems. We have analyzed a large GPS data base for single vehicle mobility in the Florence urban area, obtaining statistical laws for path lengths, for activity downtimes and for activity degrees. We show also that simple generic assumptions on the microscopic behavior could explain the existence of stationary macroscopic laws, with an universal function describing the distribution. Our conclusion is that understanding the system complexity requires dynamical data-base for the microscopic evolution, that allow to solve both small space and time scales in order to study the transients.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures .jpg, use imsart.cl

PRISMA applications for territorial and urban planning

The Italian Tuscany Region, as part of its competences related to the knowledges of land use discipline, has been using, promoting, and maintaining functional territorial information since the 1970s. Nowadays, this activity is carried out not only for the needs of public administration technicians related to territory planning and management, but also for freelancers and citizens free information. However, while for some types of services in administrative procedures, territorial information from an aerial platform is still preferred, attention in recent years has also shifted to the possible use of optical satellite data. For this reason, the Tuscany Region in 2018 started an agreement with ASI and begun a pilot project in collaboration with UniSI and CNR. The project, still in progress, has as its first objective the mapping of the main materials that make up the city roofs (brick, cement conglomerates, bituminous conglomerates, metal, plastic, silicon, etc.) with the goal of implementing the attributes of their Land Use/Land Cover databases that are stably issued, every 3 years, since 2007. The first results clearly express the fundamental contribution of the hyperspectral data but, at the same time, highlight some intrinsic limits to the PRISMA mission, easily to be overcome and, we hope, interesting proposals for future hyperspectral missions

Componenti della produttività ed effetto del-l’irrigazione sulla cascola pre-raccolta dei frutti in olivi della cultivar Frantoio

Gli effetti dell’irrigazione sulla cascola pre-raccolta dei frutti e sulle componenti produttive dell’olivo sono stati valutati in un esperimento condotto in un oliveto (Olea europaea L., cv Frantoio) intensivo di 6 anni di età. La piena restituzione del fabbisogno idrico dell’albero (PI) durante tutto il periodo irriguo è stata confrontata con un’ir-rigazione di soccorso (IS). Settimanalmente è stato misurato il peso fresco del frutto, l’indice di maturazione e il conte-nuto in olio nella polpa. La raccolta è stata effettuata 142 giorni dopo la piena fioritura (GDPF), ad eccezione di 3 alberi per tesi raccolti 185 GDPF. A partire da 106 GDPF, e per ogni settimana fino a 185 GDPF, sugli alberi selezionati per una raccolta tardiva è stata misurata la cascola dei frutti, distinta tra cascola fisiologica e causata da B. oleae. I frutti degli alberi IS hanno mostrato un minor peso fresco durante tutto il periodo irriguo (-24%) e un maggior indice di matu-razione alla raccolta di ottobre (+25%) rispetto agli alberi PI. Non sono emerse differenze significative tra le tesi in merito al contenuto in olio nella polpa. Le produzioni ad albero nella tesi PI sono state superiori di circa il 30%rispetto a quelle degli alberi IS. A partire da 163 GDPF, e fino alla seconda raccolta, le maggiori percentuali di casco-la sono state misurate sugli alberi sottoposti ad irrigazione di soccorso. Tale cascola, prevalentemente fisiologica, è imputabile al crescente livello di stress idrico subito dagli alberi in asciutto nel corso del periodo estivo. Al contrario, la piena irrigazione ha comportato un maggior livello di infestazione di B. oleae, stimata come % di frutti con foro d’uscita, sulle produzioni alla raccolta 142 GDPF. Considerando il regime irriguo e le perdite legate alla cascola, il periodo di raccolta utile per ottenere produzioni superiori al 90% della produzione massima stimata è stato compreso tra i 263 e i 298 e tra i 273 e i 295 GDPF per la tesi PI e IS, rispettivamente

The reconstruction of drawn architecture

Among the many cases concerning the process of digital hypothetical 3D reconstruction a particular case is constituted by never realized projects and plans. They constitute projects designed and remained on paper that, albeit documented by technical drawings, they pose the typical problems that are common to all other cases. From 3D reconstructions of transformed architectures, to destroyed/lost buildings and part of towns. This case studies start from original old drawings which has to be implemented by different kind of documentary sources, able to provide - by means evidence, induction, deduction, analogy - information characterized by different level of uncertainty and related to different level of accuracy. All methods adopted in a digital hypothetical 3D reconstruction process show us that the goal of all researchers is to be able to make explicit, or at least intelligible, through a graphical system a synthetic/communicative level representative or the value of the reconstructive process that is behind a particular result. The result of a reconstructive process acts in the definition of three areas intimately related one each other which concur to define the digital consistency of the artifact object of study: Shape (geometry, size, spatial position); Appearance (surface features); Constitutive elements (physical form, stratification of building/manufacturing systems) The paper, within a general framework aimed to use 3D models as a means to document and communicate the shape and appearance of never built architecture, as well as to depict temporal correspondence and allow the traceability of uncertainty and accuracy that characterizes each reconstructed element.  

The Novel Phosphodiesterase 9A Inhibitor BI 409306 Increases Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Levels in the Brain, Promotes Synaptic Plasticity, and Enhances Memory Function in Rodents.

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) is an established cellular model underlying learning and memory, and involves intracellular signaling mediated by the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). As phosphodiesterase (PDE)9A selectively hydrolyses cGMP in areas of the brain related to cognition, PDE9A inhibitors may improve cognitive function by enhancing NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. This study aimed to pharmacologically characterize BI 409306, a novel PDE9A inhibitor, using in vitro assays and in vivo determination of cGMP levels in the brain. Further, the effects of BI 409306 on synaptic plasticity evaluated by LTP in ex vivo hippocampal slices and on cognitive performance in rodents were also investigated. In vitro assays demonstrated that BI 409306 is a potent and selective inhibitor of human and rat PDE9A with mean concentrations at half-maximal inhibition (IC50) of 65 and 168 nM. BI 409306 increased cGMP levels in rat prefrontal cortex and cerebrospinal fluid and attenuated a reduction in mouse striatum cGMP induced by the NMDA-receptor antagonist MK-801. In ex vivo rat brain slices, BI 409306 enhanced LTP induced by both weak and strong tetanic stimulation. Treatment of mice with BI 409306 reversed MK-801-induced working memory deficits in a T-maze spontaneous-alternation task and improved long-term memory in an object recognition task. These findings suggest that BI 409306 is a potent and selective inhibitor of PDE9A. BI 409306 shows target engagement by increasing cGMP levels in brain, facilitates synaptic plasticity as demonstrated by enhancement of hippocampal LTP, and improves episodic and working memory function in rodents. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This preclinical study demonstrates that BI 409306 is a potent and selective PDE9A inhibitor in rodents. Treatment with BI 409306 increased brain cGMP levels, promoted long-term potentiation, and improved episodic and working memory performance in rodents. These findings support a role for PDE9A in synaptic plasticity and cognition. The potential benefits of BI 409306 are currently being investigated in clinical trials

FDG PET/CT Response Evaluation in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Treated with Talc Pleurodesis and Chemotherapy

Purpose: Talc pleurodesis (TP) is employed worldwide for the management of persistent pneumothorax or pleural effusion, particularly of malignant origin. However, there are very little available data on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (18F FDG PET/CT) response evaluation in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients treated with TP and chemotherapy

The effects of dietary counseling on children with food allergy: a prospective, multicenter intervention study.

Although dietary counseling is generally recommended in children with food allergy (FA), its effect on the nutritional status of these patients has not yet been evaluated. Our nonrandomized multicenter prospective intervention study was undertaken to investigate the effects of dietary counseling on children with FA. Anthropometric data, dietary intakes, and laboratory biomarkers of nutritional status were evaluated in children with FA (aged 6 to 36 months) before and after dietary counseling, by multidisciplinary teams composed of pediatricians, dietitians, and nurses. Ninety-one children with FA (49 boys and 42 girls; mean age 18.9 months, 95% CI 16.5 to 21.3) were evaluated; 66 children without FA (41 boys and 25 girls; mean age 20.3 months, 95% CI 17.7 to 22.8) served as controls providing baseline values only. At enrollment, energy and protein intakes were lower in children with FA (91 kcal/kg/day, interquartile range [IQR]=15.1, minimum=55.2, maximum=130.6; and 2.2 g/kg/day, IQR=0.5, minimum=1.5, maximum=2.7, respectively) than in children without FA (96 kcal/kg/day, IQR=6.1, minimum=83.6, maximum=118.0; and 4.6 g/kg/day, IQR=1.2, minimum=2.0, maximum=6.1, respectively; P<0.001). A weight to length ratio <2 standard deviations was more frequent in children with FA than in children without FA (21% vs 3%; P<0.001). At 6 months following dietary counseling, the total energy intake of children with FA was similar to the baseline values of control children. Dietary counseling also resulted in a significant improvement of their anthropometric and laboratory biomarkers of nutritional status. The results of our study support the crucial role of dietary counseling in the clinical management of children with FA

The effects of dietary counseling on children with food allergy: a prospective, multicenter intervention study.

Although dietary counseling is generally recommended in children with food allergy (FA), its effect on the nutritional status of these patients has not yet been evaluated. Our nonrandomized multicenter prospective intervention study was undertaken to investigate the effects of dietary counseling on children with FA. Anthropometric data, dietary intakes, and laboratory biomarkers of nutritional status were evaluated in children with FA (aged 6 to 36 months) before and after dietary counseling, by multidisciplinary teams composed of pediatricians, dietitians, and nurses. Ninety-one children with FA (49 boys and 42 girls; mean age 18.9 months, 95% CI 16.5 to 21.3) were evaluated; 66 children without FA (41 boys and 25 girls; mean age 20.3 months, 95% CI 17.7 to 22.8) served as controls providing baseline values only. At enrollment, energy and protein intakes were lower in children with FA (91 kcal/kg/day, interquartile range [IQR]=15.1, minimum=55.2, maximum=130.6; and 2.2 g/kg/day, IQR=0.5, minimum=1.5, maximum=2.7, respectively) than in children without FA (96 kcal/kg/day, IQR=6.1, minimum=83.6, maximum=118.0; and 4.6 g/kg/day, IQR=1.2, minimum=2.0, maximum=6.1, respectively; P<0.001). A weight to length ratio <2 standard deviations was more frequent in children with FA than in children without FA (21% vs 3%; P<0.001). At 6 months following dietary counseling, the total energy intake of children with FA was similar to the baseline values of control children. Dietary counseling also resulted in a significant improvement of their anthropometric and laboratory biomarkers of nutritional status. The results of our study support the crucial role of dietary counseling in the clinical management of children with FA

The Domains of Human Nutrition: The Importance of Nutrition Education in Academia and Medical Schools

open28noHuman nutrition encompasses an extremely broad range of medical, social, commercial, and ethical domains and thus represents a wide, interdisciplinary scientific and cultural discipline. The high prevalence of both disease-related malnutrition and overweight/obesity represents an important risk factor for disease burden and mortality worldwide. It is the opinion of Federation of the Italian Nutrition Societies (FeSIN) that these two sides of the same coin, with their sociocultural background, are related to a low "nutritional culture" secondary, at least in part, to an insufficient academic training for health-care professionals (HCPs). Therefore, FeSIN created a study group, composed of delegates of all the federated societies and representing the different HCPs involved in human nutrition, with the aim of identifying and defining the domains of human nutrition in the attempt to more clearly define the cultural identity of human nutrition in an academically and professionally oriented perspective and to report the conclusions in a position paper. Three main domains of human nutrition, namely, basic nutrition, applied nutrition, and clinical nutrition, were identified. FeSIN has examined the areas of knowledge pertinent to human nutrition. Thirty-two items were identified, attributed to one or more of the three domains and ranked considering their diverse importance for academic training in the different domains of human nutrition. Finally, the study group proposed the attribution of the different areas of knowledge to the degree courses where training in human nutrition is deemed necessary (e.g., schools of medicine, biology, nursing, etc.). It is conceivable that, in the near future, a better integration of the professionals involved in the field of human nutrition will eventually occur based on the progressive consolidation of knowledge, competence, and skills in the different areas and domains of this discipline.openDonini, Lorenzo M; Leonardi, Francesco; Rondanelli, Mariangela; Banderali, Giuseppe; Battino, Maurizio; Bertoli, Enrico; Bordoni, Alessandra; Brighenti, Furio; Caccialanza, Riccardo; Cairella, Giulia; Caretto, Antonio; Cena, Hellas; Gambarara, Manuela; Gentile, Maria Gabriella; Giovannini, Marcello; Lucchin, Lucio; Migliaccio, Pietro; Nicastro, Francesco; Pasanisi, Fabrizio; Piretta, Luca; Radrizzani, Danilo; Roggi, Carla; Rotilio, Giuseppe; Scalfi, Luca; Vettor, Roberto; Vignati, Federico; Battistini, Nino C; Muscaritoli, MaurizioDonini, Lorenzo M; Leonardi, Francesco; Rondanelli, Mariangela; Banderali, Giuseppe; Battino, Maurizio; Bertoli, Enrico; Bordoni, Alessandra; Brighenti, Furio; Caccialanza, Riccardo; Cairella, Giulia; Caretto, Antonio; Cena, Hellas; Gambarara, Manuela; Gentile, Maria Gabriella; Giovannini, Marcello; Lucchin, Lucio; Migliaccio, Pietro; Nicastro, Francesco; Pasanisi, Fabrizio; Piretta, Luca; Radrizzani, Danilo; Roggi, Carla; Rotilio, Giuseppe; Scalfi, Luca; Vettor, Roberto; Vignati, Federico; Battistini, Nino C; Muscaritoli, Maurizi

West Nile virus Epidemic in Horses, Tuscany Region, Italy

During the late summer of 1998, veterinary authorities in Tuscany, Italy, received reports of cases of neurologic disease among horses residing in a large wetland area located in the provinces of Florence and Pistoia. West Nile virus was isolated from two of the six horses that died or were euthanized. A retrospective epidemiologic study identified 14 clinical neurologic cases that occurred from August 20 to October 6 (attack rate of 2.8%). A serologic survey conducted over a 700-km2 area in stables with and without apparent clinical cases confirmed a wider spread of the infection, with an overall seroprevalence rate of 38% in the affected area. No significant differences in age-specific prevalence were observed, suggesting that the horses residing in the area had not been exposed previously to West Nile virus and supporting the hypothesis of its introduction in the wetland area during the first half of 1998