Applicazione di metodi di potenziale in aree attive: uno studio sistematico e multiparametrico dell’Arcipelago di Panarea (Isole Eolie)

La caratteristica generale dei metodi gravimetrici, magnetici ed elettromagnetici, è quella di aver il pregio di integrare gli effetti di un fenomeno su un grande volume; anche in assenza di manifestazioni locali, come un terremoto o l’apertura di una frattura, le modificazioni del campo di stress o dello stato termodinamico, ad esempio all’interno di un edificio vulcanico, possono indurre variazioni della densità, della magnetizzazione e della resistività elettrica delle rocce. In questa ottica nel maggio 2005 è stata condotta una campagna nell’Arcipelago di Panarea, area di attuale interesse per fenomeni di attività esalativa (S.G.A.,1993; Italiano e Nuccio, 1991) attraverso uno studio microgravimetrico, magnetico e prelievo di campioni per analisi di suscettività magnetica e di densità. Lo scopo è quello di acquisire un gran numero di informazioni geofisiche differenti da affiancare alle attuali misurazioni geodetiche e di batimetria condotte dal gruppo INGV-CNT (Anzidei, 2000; Anzidei et al., 2003a) per produrre modelli dell’area sempre più vincolati e nello stesso tempo attraverso una ripetizione delle campagne nel tempo ottenere una visione 4D dei fenomeni finalizzati al monitoraggio dell’assetto dinamico dell’apparato di Panarea. Nel presente lavoro vengono presentati i risultati preliminari ottenuti dalla prima campagna di misure in cui sono state acquisite 53 stazioni microgravimetriche e magnetiche totali (di cui 6 sugli isolotti di Bottaro e Lisca Bianca) distribuite nel modo più omogeneo possibile compatibilmente con la logistica del territorio. Sono stati inoltre prelevati 14 campioni di rocce nelle principali litologie dell’isola su cui sono state eseguite misure di suscettività magnetica in laboratorio. Per le misure di gravità sono stati utilizzati Microgravimetri L&R modello Alliod 100x (di proprietà ENI) mentre per le misure di campo magnetico, un magnetometro portatile a protoni Scintrex. I risultati delle prime elaborazioni (fig.1) mostrano un’andamento qualitativo dei principali trends di anomalie in generale accordo tra loro. Nella carta residuata di anomalia di Bouguer, preliminarmente corretta per un valore di densità standard di 2.67 g/cm3 (in attesa di poter effettuare sui campioni delle misure di densità) ed ottenuta mediante sottrazione dall’anomalia in aria libera del contributo relativo alla topografia dell’isola mediante un Digital elevation terrain model, si nota una anomalia negativa localizzata nel fianco occidentale dell’isola (zona con quote più elevate) che sembra svilupparsi lungo gli affioramenti della formazione Punta Cardosi (PC2 e PC2a) costituita da colate di lava omogenee andesitiche e duomi di lava dacitici (Calanchi et al., 1999) di età più recente. La stessa formazione presenta i valori di suscettività più elevati misurati sull’isola, tra 3 e 4x10-2 SI (insieme alla formazione della fossa affiorante nella parte centro-orientale dell’isola tra il paese di San Pietro e Drauto) che si riflettono anche nella mappa di anomalia magnetica di campo totale, con un trend di anomalie con valori elevati in direzione circa Sud-Ovest. La fascia di anomalie distribuite lungo la costa risentono di un effetto spurio di bordo (limite del campionamento) e quindi per poterne meglio descriverne la forma sarebbe necessario poter condurre un rilievo marino circostante l’isola utile anche per collegare le misure acquisite sugli isolotti

The future of European Nephrology 'Guidelines' - a declaration of intent by European Renal Best Practice (ERBP)

The disparities of medical practice, together with a growing number of possible interventions, have increased the demand for well-conceived guidance for practitioners [1]. However, this development is hampered by the number and quality of scientific studies that test medical hypotheses, which are often unsatisfactory. This is especially true in nephrology, where well-conducted controlled trials are rare [2]. Because patients with renal failure are generally excluded from controlled studies in the general population [3], the development of sufficiently well-founded guidance in nephrology has always been difficult. With the development of European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG), the European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplantation Association (ERA–EDTA) has created its own guidance-generating process. Similar initiatives have also arisen in the USA (Kidney Disease Outcome Initiative—K/DOQI), Australia (Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment—CARI), Canada (Canadian Society of Nephrology—CSN), the UK (United Kingdom Renal Association—UKRA), as well as at several other locations around the world. These institutions have generated a plethora of often parallel recommendations on similar topics but sometimes with different messages [4]. The question can be asked: ‘Is there still a place for an institution generating European nephrology guidance?’ If there is, how should such an initiative be managed to conform with current demands? To answer these questions, the Council of ERA–EDTA set up a commission that convened three times in the course of 2008–09. The present text is a distillation of the discussions, reflections and final conclusions of this commission. It is an ad hoc document, reflecting the current status. In the future, concepts and attitudes might change, as medical thinking is influenced by changes in practice, needs, general philosophy, ethics and political/financial conditions

Content and Face Validity of the Evaluation Tool of Health Information for Consumers (ETHIC): Getting Health Information Accessible to Patients and Citizens

Background: Health information concerns both individuals’ engagement and the way services and professionals provide information to facilitate consumers’ health decision making. Citizens’ and patients’ participation in the management of their own health is related to the availability of tools making health information accessible, thus promoting empowerment and making care more inclusive and fairer. A novel instrument was developed (Evaluation Tool of Health Information for Consumers—ETHIC) for assessing the formal quality of health information materials written in Italian language. This study reports ETHIC’s content and face validity. Methods: A convenience sample of 11 experts and 5 potential users was involved. The former were requested to evaluate relevance and exhaustiveness, the latter both readability and understandability of ETHIC. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated for ETHIC’s sections and items; experts and potential users’ feedback were analyzed by the authors. Results: All sections and most items were evaluated as relevant. A new item was introduced. Potential users provided the researchers with comments that partly confirmed ETHIC’s clarity and understandability. Conclusions: Our findings strongly support the relevance of ETHIC’s sections and items. An updated version of the instrument matching exhaustivity, readability, and understandability criteria was obtained, which will be assessed for further steps of the validation process

Making patient centered care a reality: A survey of patient educational programs in Italian Cancer Research and Care Institutes

Background: Educational intervention represents an essential element of care for cancer patients; while several single institutions develop their own patient education (PE) programs on cancer, little information is available on the effective existence of PE programs at the level of research and care institutes. In Italy such institutes - Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico - are appointed by the Ministry of Health, and 11 (Cancer Research & Care Istitute-CRCI) of the 48 are specific for cancer on the basis of specific requirements regarding cancer care, research and education. Therefore, they represent an ideal and homogeneous model through which to investigate PE policies and activities throughout the country. The objective of this study was to assess PE activities in Italian CRCI. Methods: We carried out a survey on PE strategies and services through a questionnaire. Four key points were investigated: a) PE as a cancer care priority, b) activities that are routinely part of PE, c) real involvement of the patients, and d) involvement of healthcare workers in PE activities. Results: Most CRCI (85 %) completed the survey. All reported having ongoing PE activities, and 4 of the 11 considered PE an institutional activity. More than 90 % of CRCI organize classes and prepare PE handouts, while other PE activities (e.g., Cancer Information Services, mutual support groups) are less frequently part of institutional PE programs. Patients are frequently involved in the organization and preparation of educational activities on the basis of their own needs. Various PE activities are carried out for caregivers in 8 (73 %) out of 11 institutes. Finally, health care workers have an active role in the organization of PE programs, although nurses take part in these activities in only half of CRCI and pharmacists are seldom included. Conclusions: The information arising from our research constitutes a necessary framework to identify areas of development and to design new strategies and standards to disseminate the culture of PE. This may ultimately help and stimulate the establishment of institutional integrated PE programs, including policies and interventions that can benefit a significant proportion of cancer patients

Evidenze di lineamenti strutturali da dati aeromagnetici mediante tecniche di filtraggio direzionale

In questo lavoro vengono presentati i risultati derivanti da analisi dei dati della nuova Carta Aeromagnetica d’Italia (Eni Exploration & Production division e Cunispe, 2002) relativi all’area del Tirreno centrale mediante le tecniche di filtraggio direzionale. L’area in analisi comprende la regione del Tirreno centrale in particolare la fascia geografica del 41° parallelo. Lungo questo parallelo sono allineate diverse strutture geologiche come, seamount, faglie profonde e le strutture vulcaniche dell’area campana......

ASCA X-ray source catalogue in the Galactic Center region

The ASCA satellite made 107 pointing observations on a 5 x 5 deg^2 region around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy (the Galactic Center) from 1993 to 1999. In the X-ray images of the 0.7--3 keV or 3--10 keV bands, we found 52 point sources and a dozen diffuse sources. All the point sources are uniformly fitted with an absorbed power-law model. For selected bright sources, Sgr A*, AX J1745.6-2901, A 1742-294, SLX 1744-300, GRO J1744-28, SLX 1737-282, GRS 1734-292, AX J1749.2-2725, KS 1741-293, GRS 1741.9-2853, and an unusual flare source XTE J1739-302, we present further detailed spectral and timing analyses, and discuss their nature. The dozen extended X-ray sources comprise radio supernova remnants, giant molecular clouds, and some new discoveries. Most show emission lines from either highly ionized atoms or low-ionized irons. The X-ray spectra were fitted with either a thin thermal or power-law model. This paper summarizes the results and provides the ASCA X-ray source catalogue in the Galactic Center region.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJS, also found in http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~mas/research/paper/#Sakano2001apj

The variability plane of accreting compact objects

Recently, it has been shown that soft-state black hole X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei populate a plane in the space defined by the black hole mass, accretion rate and characteristic frequency. We show that this plane can be extended to hard-state objects if one allows a constant offset for the frequencies in the soft and the hard state. During a state transition the frequencies rapidly move from one scaling to the other depending on an additional parameter, possibly the disk-fraction. The relationship between frequency, mass and accretion rate can be further extended by including weakly accreting neutron stars. We explore if the lower kHz QPOs of neutron stars and the dwarf nova oscillations of white dwarfs can be included as well and discuss the physical implications of the found correlation.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Post-transplant recurrence of steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome in children: the Italian experience

Background: Steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is a frequent cause of end stage renal disease in children and post-transplant disease recurrence is a major cause of graft loss. Methods: We identified all children with SRNS who underwent renal transplantation in Italy, between 2005 and 2017. Data were retrospectively collected for the presence of a causative gene mutation, sex, histology, duration of pre-transplant dialysis, age at onset and transplant, HLA matching, recurrence, therapy for recurrence, and graft survival. Results: 101 patients underwent a first and 22 a second renal transplant. After a median follow-up of 58.5 months, the disease recurred on the first renal transplant in 53.3% of patients with a non-genetic and none with a genetic SRNS. Age at transplant > 9 years and the presence of at least one HLA-AB match were independent risk factors for recurrence. Duration of dialysis was longer in children with relapse, but did not reach statistical significance. Overall, 24% of patients lost the first graft, with recurrence representing the commonest cause. Among 22 patients who underwent a second transplant, 5 suffered of SRNS recurrence. SRNS relapsed in 5/9 (55%) patients with disease recurrence in their first transplant and 2 of them lost the second graft. Conclusions: Absence of a causative mutation represents the major risk factor for post-transplant recurrence in children with SRNS, while transplant can be curative in genetic SRNS. A prolonged time spent on dialysis before transplantation has no protective effect on the risk of relapse and should not be encouraged. Retransplantation represents a second chance after graft loss for recurrence