Ultrasound-guided percutaneous treatment of a calcific acromioclavicular joint: A case report

Rationale:Calcific tendinopathy is one of the most frequent causes of nontraumatic shoulder pain. However, intra-articular calcifications appear to be an infrequent condition. We herein report a rare case study of an intra-articular calcification of the acromioclavicular joint.Patient concerns:A 46-year-old man presented with an acute pain in the anterior superior region of the left shoulder which also radiated to the left cervical region. The man during the physical evaluation also presented severe functional limitation of the shoulder movements in all planes of motion.Diagnoses:The diagnosis was carried out through a radiographic and an echotomographic examination, highlighting the intra-articular calcific formation associated to a reactive inflammatory reaction.Interventions:An ultrasound-guided percutaneous treatment following the guidelines for calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder was carried out.Outcomes:The posttreatment was satisfactory with the disappearance of the pain and the recovery of the shoulder movements in all planes of motion.Lessons:We can affirm that the ultrasound-guided percutaneous treatment in patients with calcification of the acromion-clavicular joint represents a valid and nonpainful therapeutic treatment

PLUMBAGO AURICULATA LAM. (Plumbaginaceae) IN SICILIA OCCIDENTALE: NUOVI DATI SULLA SUA DIFFUSIONE COME ESOTICA CASUALE

Plumbago auriculata Lam. (Plumbaginaceae) in western Sicily: new data on its spread as casual alien. In questa nota si fornisce un quadro aggiornato sui casi di naturalizzazione di Plumbago auriculata Lam. (Plumbaginaceae) nella Sicilia occidentale e sul suo status invasivo a livello nazionale ed internazionale. Questa xenofita viene segnalata per la prima volta in diverse aree delle province di Agrigento, Palermo e Trapani, dopo essere stata segnalata per la prima volta presso l'isola di Linosa, nell'arcipelago delle Pelagie

Primi segnali di spontaneizzazione di Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) in Sicilia.

Si riportano i primi casi di naturalizzazione di Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) osservati in Sicilia

Recycling of Heterogeneous Mixed Waste Polymers through Reactive Mixing

Anything that is not recycled and/or recovered from waste represents a loss of raw materials. Recycling plastics can help to reduce this loss and to reduce greenhouse gases, improving the goal of the decarbonization of plastic. While the recycling of single polymers is well assessed, the recycling of mixed plastics is very difficult because of the strong incompatibility among the different polymers usually present in urban waste. In this work, heterogeneous mixed polymers, i.e., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylenetherephthalate (PET) were processed using a laboratory mixer under different conditions of temperature, rotational speed and time to evaluate the effect of the above parameters on morphology, viscosity and mechanical properties of the final blends. Morphological analysis shows a strong incompatibility between the polyethylene matrix and the other dispersed polymers. The blends show, of course, a brittle behavior, but this behavior slightly improves with decreasing temperature and increasing rotational speed. A brittle-ductile transition was observed only at a high level of mechanical stress obtained by increasing rotational speed and decreasing temperature and processing time. This behavior has been attributed to both a decrease in the dimensions of the particles of the dispersed phase and to the formation of a small amount of copolymers that act as adhesion promoters between matrix and dispersed phases

The occurrence of mycorrhizal fungi in Betula aetnensis Raf. roots: from ecological role to conservation strategies

Betula aetnensis Raf. is an endemic tree species of particular conservation value. It only thrives in the north-eastern slopes of Mount Etna (Sicily), from 1200 to 2100 m a.s.l. This pioneer plant is able to begin primary succession on nutrient-poor and water-limited soils (C = 0.17%; N = 0.05 \u2030; P2O5 = 4.1 ppm), where beneficial mycorrhizal fungi (MF) may play a crucial role. In order to investigate MF role in B. aetnensis, plant roots from natural sites and nursery grown specimens were analyzed for both ectomycorrhizal and endomycorrhizal structures. Typical structures of both symbiosis were detected by root staining and morphological observations. Ectomycorrhizae (EM) were more abundant in natural sites ( 4888%) than in nursery ( 4877%). Clear morphological differences in the EM root tips suggest the occurrence of different fungal species. About 50% of roots had arbuscular structures, both in natural habitats and nursery. The community structure of EM and AM fungal symbionts was characterized by DGGE analysis. Mycorrhizal dependence trials are in progress to elucidate the relative importance of ectoand endomycorrhizal symbionts for this endemism, whose conservation could be strongly linked to mutualistic associations established at root level

The effects of nanoclay on the mechanical properties, carvacrol release and degradation of a pla/pbat blend

The formulation of polymeric films endowed with the abilities of controlled release of antimicrobials and biodegradability is the latest trend of food packaging. Biodegradable polymer (Bio-Flex)-based nanocomposites containing carvacrol as an antimicrobial agent, and a nanoclay as a filler, were processed into blown films. The presence of such hybrid loading, while not affecting the overall filmability of the neat matrix, led to enhanced mechanical properties, with relative increments up to +70% and +200% in terms of elastic modulus and elongation at break. FTIR/ATR analysis and release tests pointed out that the presence of nanoclay allowed higher carvacrol loading efficiency, reasonably hindering its volatilization during processing. Furthermore, it also mitigated the burst delivery, thereby enabling a more controlled release of the antimicrobial agent. The results of mass loss tests indicated that all the formulations showed a rather fast degradation with mass losses ranging from 37.5% to 57.5% after 876 h. The presence of clay and carvacrol accelerated the mass loss rate of Bio-Flex, especially when added simultaneously, thus indicating an increased biodegradability. Such ternary systems could be, therefore, particularly suitable as green materials for food packaging applications, and for antimicrobial wrapping applications

UN CASO SINGOLARE DI CRESCITA DI KALANCHOË DAIGREMONTIANA RAYM.-HAMET & H. PERRIER (Crassulaceae) SU PLUMERIA RUBRA L. (Apocynaceae)

Si riporta un caso singolare di crescita di Kalanchoë daigremontiana Raym.-Hamet & H. Perrier (Crassulaceae) su Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae)

Gli uccelli delle isole circumsiciliane

Gli autori sintetizzano tutte le informazioni bibliografiche e inedite sulle specie che sino al 30 agosto 2015 sono state contattate almeno una volta nelle 14 isole circumsiciliane (Eolie, Ustica, Egadi, Pantelleria e Pelagie), confrontando alla fine la lista complessiva con quella delle isole Maltesi. In totale sono ad oggi note 434 specie (isole Maltesi incluse); molte di esse hanno mostrato nel corso dei secoli una notevole capacità di colonizzazione, fluttuando nel tempo o addirittura estinguendosi e ricolonizzando alcune isole. Questi piccoli territori in mezzo al mare rappresentano ottimi siti di controllo dell’andamento delle migrazioni nel corso dei decenni; alcune specie hanno chiaramente cambiato il loro status rispetto al passato, aumentando o diminuendo. Nel corso di circa 15 anni in alcune di queste isole (Ustica, Marettimo, Lampedusa e Linosa) sono stati condotti dei campi di inanellamento sia primaverili sia autunnali che hanno permesso di inanellare 102.208 uccelli, in gran parte Passeriformes; ciò ha consentito di raccogliere una notevole mole di dati sulle strategie migratorie, che vengono qui brevemente presentati. Le piccole isole sono davvero importanti per gli uccelli migratori transahariani, che devono sostare durante i loro lunghi viaggi per recuperare energie; la disponibilità di risorse sotto forma di frutti selvatici o di insetti (a seconda delle specie) consente a queste masse di migratori di continuare il loro viaggio. La conservazione degli uccelli è dettata dalla Direttiva Uccelli e l’istituzione delle Zone di Protezione Speciale ha proprio lo scopo di salvaguardare alcune specie in determinati territori. Questo è un impegno preso da parte di tutti i Paesi dell’Unione Europea, proprio perché le popolazioni di uccelli non conoscono confini amministrativi e la loro tutela va al di là delle competenze e degli interessi di un singolo Paese. Per quanto riguarda le specie nidificanti, è risultata un’elevata correlazione negativa (r=-0,746), altamente significativa (P=0,002) tra la capacità dispersiva media delle specie e la superficie in km2 delle isole. Le specie con minore capacità dispersiva hanno colonizzato le isole di maggiori dimensioni, ma non quelle più piccole; questo con molta probabilità dipende dalla eterogeneità ambientale, a sua volta legata alla dimensione delle isole ed alla loro posizione geografica. Nel caso delle isole circumsiciliane, sembra che non sia tanto la distanza dalla costa a determinare il numero di specie, quanto le condizioni ambientali e la posizione geografica; indubbiamente la posizione tirrenica delle isole settentrionali rappresenta un vantaggio per la presenza di habitat differenziati e la conseguente colonizzazione di specie ad essi legate, mentre la posizione meridionale, influenzata dall’aridità africana, riduce alcune possibilità colonizzatrici da parte di alcune specie di uccelli e rende altresì problematica la stessa esistenza di habitat diversificati. Il numero delle specie nidificanti in un’isola è variabile nel tempo, essendovi specie che vi nidificano in modo irregolare. La correlazione area/N° specie nelle isole circumsiciliane è pari a 0,58, ma se si esclude l’isola di Pantelleria, sale a 0,86; essa è pari a 0,92 per le sole isole settentrionali (Eolie, Ustica ed Egadi), mentre risulta 0,99 per le sole tre isole meridionali del Canale di Sicilia.Authors summarize all bibliographic and unpublished information on bird species that have been detected at least one time up to 30th August 2015 in the 14 circum-sicilian islands (Eolian, Ustica, Egadi, Pantelleria and Pelagian Is.). The Appendix 1 compares overall lists with that of the Maltese Is., also lying in the Sicilian waters. On the whole, 434 species are known till now (Maltese Is. included); many of them showed a high colonizing capacity along the centuries, fluctuating or even becoming extinct and re-colonising some islands. These small territories in the middle of the Mediterranean sea are very good check-control sites of long-term migration trend; compared to the past, some species changed their status, increasing or declining. Additionally, during the last 15 years in some of these islands (Ustica, Marettimo, Lampedusa and Linosa) bird ringing activity has been carried out, both in spring and in autumn; it allowed to ring 102,208 birds, mainly Passeriformes; this opportunity allowed to collect a remarkable amount of data on migration strategy, here presented. The small islands are very important stop-over sites for transsaharan migratory birds, that must rest during their long journey to recover fuel in the form of fat; the availability of natural resources, such as wild fruits or insects, allows these masses of migrant birds to continue their trip. The conservation of birds has been established by the Bird Directive and the institution of Zones of Special Protection has the aim to safeguard some species in some territories. This agreement was signed by all countries of the EU, because bird populations do not know administrative borders and their conservation lies beyond the interests and authorities of a single country. Concerning breeding birds, a high negative correlation (r=-0.746, P=0.002) has been found between the average dispersal power of species and the area in km2 of islands. Species with minor dispersal power colonized the biggest but not the smallest islands; this, very probably depended on habitat heterogeneity of islands, in turn linked to the size of them and to the geographical position, more than to the distance from the continental land. Tyrrhenian position of northern islands is certainly an advantage for the presence of diversified habitats and birds inhabiting them, whereas southern position of Pantelleria and Pelagian Is., as well as Maltese Is., affected by African dryness, decreases colonizing probabilities of some bird species and the same existence of diversified habitats. The number of breeding species in each island varied along the time and some species bred irregularly. The correlation area/No. species in the islands surrounding Sicily resulted to be 0.58, but if we exclude Pantelleria Is., it grows to 0.86; besides, it grows to 0.92 if we consider only northern islands (Eolian, Ustica and Egadi Is.), and to 0.99 if we consider only southern islands

Durabilità del cemento armato e le classi di esposizione ambientale.

Le cause di aggressione dovute all’ambiente possono essere formalmente suddivise in chimiche, fisiche, meccaniche e biologiche (tabella 4.1). In realtà, difficilmente in un processo di degradazione esiste un solo fenomeno aggressivo, spesso sono più cause che concorrono al deterioramento del materiale; tuttavia però esiste sempre quella che può essere definita la causa fondamentale che innesca il processo degradante. Per garantire la durabilità delle strutture in calcestruzzo armato ordinario o precompresso, esposte all’azione dell’ambiente, si devono adottare i provvedimenti atti a limitare gli effetti di degrado indotti dall’attacco chimico, fisico e derivante dalla corrosione delle armature e dai cicli di gelo e disgelo, in relazione alla norma europea UNI-EN 206-1. In accordo con la norma UNI-EN 206-1 e con quella italiana UNI 11104 il livello di rischio per una determinata opera dipende dall’ambiente cui la stessa è esposta. The causes of aggression due to the environment can be formally divided into chemical, physical, mechanical and biological (table 4.1). In reality, in a degradation process there is hardly a single aggressive phenomenon, often there are several causes that contribute to the deterioration of the material; however, there is always what can be defined as the fundamental cause that triggers the degrading process. To ensure the durability of ordinary or pre-stressed reinforced concrete structures exposed to the action of the environment, measures must be taken to limit the effects of degradation induced by chemical and physical attack and resulting from the corrosion of the reinforcements and cycles of freeze and thaw, in relation to the European standard UNI-EN 206-1. In accordance with the UNI-EN 206-1 standard and the Italian UNI 11104 standard, the level of risk for a given work depends on the environment to which it is exposed