6‐1: Invited Paper: Measuring Health Parameters with Large‐Area Organic Photodetector Arrays

2021

Solution-processed organic photodetectors (OPDs) have witnessed great progress in the past few years. With silicon-like performance achieved, OPDs enable new medical imaging applications by offering cost-effective light detection over large area. Herein, we illustrate the compelling advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution OPD arrays for medical X-ray detectors and wearable pulse oximeters.

Variant Arterial Supply of the Descending Colon by the Coeliac Trunk: A Case Report

2021

Background and Objectives: Knowledge of arterial variations of the intestines is of great importance in visceral surgery and interventional radiology. Materials and Methods: An unusual variation in the blood supply of the descending colon was observed in a Caucasian female body donor. Results: In this case, the left colic artery that regularly derives from the inferior mesenteric artery supplying the descending colon was instead a branch of the common hepatic artery. Conclusions: Here, we describe the very rare case of an aberrant left colic artery arising from the common hepatic artery in a dissection study.

Analysis of plasticization and reprocessing effects on the segmental cooperativity of polylactide by dielectric thermal spectroscopy

2021

Abstract In the present study, the dielectric properties of both neat and plasticized polylactide submitted to repeated extrusion and injection processes to simulate recycling were analysed. The dielectric relaxation spectrum, consisting of β and α relaxation, revealed the relevance of both acryl-PEG based plasticization and thermo-mechanical degradation induced by repeated extrusion and grinding-injection reprocessing cycles on polylactide (PLA). The β-relaxation has its origin in the intramolecular local motions of pendant groups of the PLA backbone, while the α-relaxation is representative of the intermolecular large-scale segmental motions of the PLA backbone. The addition of acryl-PEG …

Freshening of the Mediterranean Salt Giant: controversies and certainties around the terminal (Upper Gypsum and Lago-Mare) phases of the Messinian Sa…

2021

The late Miocene evolution of the Mediterranean Basin is characterized by major changes in connectivity, climate and tectonic activity resulting in unprecedented environmental and ecological disruptions. During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.97-5.33 Ma) this culminated in most scenarios first in the precipitation of gypsum around the Mediterranean margins (Stage 1, 5.97-5.60 Ma) and subsequently > 2 km of halite on the basin floor, which formed the so-called Mediterranean Salt Giant (Stage 2, 5.60-5.55 Ma). The final MSC Stage 3, however, was characterized by a "low-salinity crisis", when a second calcium-sulfate unit (Upper Gypsum; substage 3.1, 5.55-5.42 Ma) showing (bio)geochemica…

Ultrastiff graphene

2021

Graphene has exceptionally high in-plane strength, which makes it ideal for various nanomechanical applications. At the same time, its exceptionally low out-of-plane stiffness makes it also flimsy and hard to handle, rendering out-of-plane structures unstable and difficult to fabricate. Therefore, from an application point of view, a method to stiffen graphene would be highly beneficial. Here we demonstrate that graphene can be significantly stiffened by using a laser writing technique called optical forging. We fabricate suspended graphene membranes and use optical forging to create stable corrugations. Nanoindentation experiments show that the corrugations increase graphene bending stiffn…

High prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders and risk factors in a semi-urban brazilian city: a population-based cross-sectional study

2021

Background Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) are defined as lesions with a greater likelihood of progressing to cancer. Population-based studies that evaluate the prevalence of OPMDs are scarce in Brazil. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of OPMDs and associated risk factors in a semi-urban Brazilian population. Material and Methods This is a cross-sectional study, whose universe included individuals aged 40 years or older residing in a medium-sized city of northeastern Brazil. Data collection was divided into two steps: interview and oral examination. The outcome variable was the presence of OPMDs. The predictor variables were sociodemographic characte…

L’Ordine di Malta nella storiografia italiana. La fine di una latitanza?

2021

Il saggio offre una ricognizione critica degli studi sull’Ordine di Malta pubblicati in Italia negli ultimi cinquant’anni, mettendo in rilievo le connessioni con la storiografia internazionale, quella iberica in particolare. Emerge un quadro di ricerche che, nonostante gli stimolanti temi di indagine e l’interesse delle fonti consultate, sono ancora caratterizzate da un approccio marcatamente settoriale. In conclusione, si propone un’auspicabile collaborazione interdisciplinare tra storici e giuristi al fine di allargare il contesto spaziale e cronologico degli studi sull’Ordine. This paper provides an historiographical overview of Italian studies on the Order of Malta, which have been publ…

Parte IV Capitolo I. Impresa agricola e mercato agro-alimentare

2021

The chapter deals with the regulation of agri-food markets in the new European scenario, inspired by the new objectives of art. 39 TFEU and re-read in the light of the strategies of the New Deal. The chapter highlights the need for a change of perspective and rethinking with regard to the objectives of art. 39 TFEU, looking at sustainable development and the new organization of the agricultural market.

In the places of “Fragmenta”

2021

Leggere i testi, le riflessioni e le digressioni, che catturano il lettore nella loro complementarità, significa seguire “piste” di curiosità. La nuova iniziativa editoriale della Bramea Editore riflette l’intento d’interpretare il fare architettura con dei libri che guardano il campo della cultura del progetto, dell’architettura con un raggio d’azione internazionale. Ed è proprio attraverso questa unità di intenti, ravvisabile nella progettualità editoriale della Bramea, che si fondano alcuni presupposti di riconoscibilità. I testi contenuti nei libri aprono uno scenario dove si collocano i progetti e dove l’“architetto militante” è protagonista. In quest’area culturale si muove “Fragmenta…

Influence of Resilience and Optimism on Distress and Intention to Self-Isolate: Contrasting Lower and Higher COVID-19 Illness Risk Samples From an Ex…

2021

The study investigated the influence of resilience and dispositional optimism on, first, emotional distress and, second, the intention to self-isolate, experienced by people with a lower and higher illness risk, during the lockdown imposed in Spain during the first COVID-19 wave. These effects were investigated against the background of the Health Belief Model (HBM). A convenience sample of N = 325 participants completed an online survey including an ad-hoc questionnaire measuring the HBM core factors: Perceived health threat (susceptibility and severity of getting infected), and perceived quarantine benefits and costs. Self-efficacy and perceived social pressure were also measured. Based o…

X-ray emitting structures in the Vela SNR: ejecta anisotropies and progenitor stellar wind residuals

2021

The Vela supernova remnant (SNR) shows several ejecta fragments protruding beyond the forward shock (shrapnel). Recent studies have revealed high Si abundance in two shrapnel (A and G), located in opposite directions with respect to the SNR center. This suggests the possible existence of a Si-rich jet-counterjet structure. We analyzed an XMM-Newton observation of a bright clump, behind shrapnel G, which lies along the direction connecting A and G. The aim is to study the physical and chemical properties of this clump to ascertain whether it is part of this putative jet-like structure. We produced background-corrected and adaptively-smoothed count-rate images and median photon energy maps, a…

Antineoplastic dosing in overweight and obese cancer patients: an Associazione Italiana Oncologia Medica (AIOM)/Associazione Medici Diabetologi (AMD)…

2021

Most anticancer molecules are administered in body-size-based dosing schedules, bringing up unsolved issues regarding pharmacokinetic data in heavy patients. The worldwide spread of obesity has not been matched by improved methods and strategies for tailored drug dosage in this population. The weight or body surface area (BSA)-based approaches may fail to fully reflect the complexity of the anthropometric features besides obesity in cancer patients suffering from sarcopenia. Likewise, there is a lack of pharmacokinetic data on obese patients for the majority of chemotherapeutic agents as well as for new target drugs and immunotherapy. Therefore, although the available findings point to the …

Systematic Analysis of Combined Thrombolysis Using Ultrasound and Different Fibrinolytic Drugs in an in Vitro Clot Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

2021

Adequate removal of blood clots by minimally invasive surgery seems to correlate with a better clinical outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs). Moreover, neurotoxic effects of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator have been reported. The aim of this study was to improve fibrinolysis using an intra-clot ultrasound application with tenecteplase and urokinase in our established ICH clot model. One hundred thirty clots were produced from 25 or 50 mL of human blood, incubated for different periods and equipped with drainage, through which an ultrasound catheter was placed in 65 treatment clots for 1 h, randomly allocated into three groups: administration of ultrasound, admi…

The neuroinflammation collection: a vision for expanding neuro-immune crosstalk in Brain

2021

Quasi-RRHO approximation and DFT study for understanding the mechanism and kinetics of nitration reaction of benzonitrile with nitronium ion

2021

Abstract The nitration reaction of benzonitrile with nitronium cation, NO2+, has been studied within the Molecular Electron Density Theory at the MN15-L/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. For this electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) reaction, three regioisomeric reaction paths have been studied. Quasi-RRHO approximation was applied to consider the vibrational contribution to entropy and correct the Gibbs free energy profile of the reaction in the solvent phase. Benzonitrile is less nucleophilically activated than benzene due to the presence of the electron-withdrawing CN group the meta position is the more favorable reaction path of this EAS reaction. The analysis of ELF and AIM demonstrate…

Is the risk of childhood leukaemia associated with socioeconomic measures in Denmark? A nationwide register‐based case‐control study

2021

The aetiology of childhood leukaemia is poorly understood. Knowledge about differences in risk by socioeconomic status (SES) may enhance etiologic insights. We conducted a nationwide register-based case-control study to evaluate socioeconomic differences in the risk of childhood leukaemia in Denmark and to access whether associations varied by different measures of SES, time point of assessment, leukaemia type and age at diagnosis. We identified all cases of leukaemia in children aged 0 to 19 years, born and diagnosed between 1980 and 2013 from the Danish Cancer Registry (N = 1336) and sampled four individually matched controls per case (N = 5330). We used conditional logistic regression mo…

A nationwide cross-sectional epidemiological study of cardiovascular risk factors as a tool for management of primary and secondary prevention in Lat…

2021

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LATVIA Background. An increasing prevalence (PREV.) of noncomunicable diseases is a major public health concern  in Latvia. Regular nationwide epidemiological studies present an opportunity to estimate the dinamics of PREV of health risk factors (RF) and thus assist in planning resources and improving prevention strategies at national level. Objective.  The aim  was to analyze the PREV of cardiovascular  RF identified in a  epidemiological study in 2019-2020. To assess changes in RF prevalence, the results were compared to data from a simi…

Case Report: Unmasking Hypercalcemia in Patients With Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Experience From Six Italian Referral Centers

2021

BackgroundHypercalcemia is a common paraneoplastic syndrome which can occur in up to 10% of patients with advanced neoplasms. Paraneoplastic parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) represents the most frequent cause of this syndrome. In neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) paraneoplastic hypercalcemia is rare.Case SeriesThe present series includes all patients with NENs and paraneoplastic hypercalcemia from four Italian centres: (I) A 40-year-old man was hospitalized for repeated episodes of falls, hyposthenia and drowsiness. Severe hypercalcemia was found. Metastatic pancreatic G2 NEN and PTHrP-related hypercalcemia were diagnosed. The patient started therapy with somatostatin analogs (SSA)…

Density and activity patterns of Pallas's cats, Otocolobus manul, in central Mongolia

2021

Abstract Context. The ranges of many small, at-risk felid species occur almost entirely in unprotected areas, where research efforts are minimal; hence data on their density and activity patterns are scare. Aims. We estimated density and activity patterns of Pallas’s cats on unprotected lands in central Mongolia during two periods (May–August and September–November) in 2019. Methods. We used spatially explicit capture–recapture models to estimate population density at 15.2 ± 4.8 individuals per 100 km2. Key results. We obtained 484 Pallas’s cat images from 153 detections during 4266 camera-days. We identified Pallas’s cats using pelage markings and identified 16 individuals from 64 detectio…

University experience of a tutorial action programme during the COVID-19 lockdown in teacher training at a Valencian University (Spain)

2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is perceived as the worst modern-times pandemic. This entirely new health situation entailed a new challenge to the education system. To our knowledge, the impact of alternative teaching methods derived from the social distancing imposed by COVID-19 on university student perception in teacher education has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyse an educative experience developed in a Faculty of Teaching from March 2020 to July 2020 in order to overcome the challenge imposed by COVID-19. A qualitative approach was used for data collection and analysis using four information sources: (a) The final written documents developed by the worki…

Sarcopenia and fall-related injury among older adults in five low- and middle-income countries

2021

Sarcopenia is a common condition in older people and increasing evidence suggests that it can be considered as a potential risk factor for falls and fractures. However, no studies on this topic from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are available. Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from five LMICs (China, India, Ghana, Mexico, and Russia). Community-based, nationally representative, cross-sectional data of the Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of low skeletal muscle mass based on indirect population formula, and either slow gait or low handgrip strength. The presence of fall-related injury was ascertained t…

Stereoselective synthesis and transformation of pinane-based 2-amino-1,3-diols

2021

A library of pinane-based 2-amino-1,3-diols was synthesised in a stereoselective manner. Isopinocarveol prepared from (−)-α-pinene was converted into condensed oxazolidin-2-one in two steps by carbamate formation followed by a stereoselective aminohydroxylation process. The relative stereochemistry of the pinane-fused oxazolidin-2-one was determined by 2D NMR and X-ray spectroscopic techniques. The regioisomeric spiro-oxazolidin-2-one was prepared in a similar way starting from the commercially available (1R)-(−)-myrtenol (10). The reduction or alkaline hydrolysis of the oxazolidines, followed by reductive alkylation resulted in primary and secondary 2-amino-1,3-diols, which underwent a reg…

Parte IV. Cap IV. Impresa agricola e mercato agro-alimentare

2021

The chapter addresses the liability profile of the agricultural producer. The aim is to identify a new model of responsibility of the agricultural producer according to the provisions contained in the Italian Civil Code from a European viewpoint. A model of multilevel responsibility that focuses on the agricultural activity in its moment of production and marketing of the agricultural product, but also in the pursuit of sustainability objectives through non-market services.

Experimental and Modeling Analyses of Human Motion Across the Static Magnetic Field of an MRI Scanner

2021

It is established that human movements in the vicinity of a permanent static magnetic field, such as those in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners induce electric fields in the human body; this raises potential severe risks of health to radiographers and cleaners exposed routinely to these fields in MRI rooms. The relevant directives and parameters, however, are based on theoretical models, and accurate studies on the simulation of the effects based on human movement data obtained in real conditions are still lacking. Two radiographers and one cleaner, familiar with MRI room activities and these directives, were gait analyzed during the execution of routine job motor tasks at different…

Visioni dell’America. Viaggio, spazialità e narrazione in De Amicis e Amado

2021

Nella prospettiva della geografia culturale l’odeporica offre l’opportunità di studiare alcune dinamiche di (ri)produzione simbolica relative al modo di concepire e rappresentare concetti chiave quali lo spazio, il paesaggio e le interazioni umane. Questo lavoro, partendo dall’analisi di alcuni brani significativi di due raccolte di scritti, In America (1897) di Edmondo De Amicis e In giro per le Americhe (2001) di Jorge Amado, studia, con un approccio geografico-culturale e semiotico, le modalità di costruzione e descrizione dello spazio fisico e simbolico comprese le «frontiere», nonché le interazioni e la socialità attraverso la testualizzazione di esperienze diverse. La comparazione fra…

Motivational configurations of cultural intelligence, social integration, and performance in global virtual teams

2021

Abstract Global virtual teams (GVTs), electronically connected workgroups of geographically dispersed team members in multinational settings, may suffer from less social integration. However, they may also benefit from an increased ability to process information due to a richer portfolio of ideas and problem-solving approaches that the team’s diversity provides. We propose that the cultural intelligence (CQ) of team members contributes positively to social integration in GVTs and improves performance. Using data from 263 GVTs, we utilized both structural equation modeling and necessary condition analyses to explore the associations between motivational CQ and a team’s social integration and…

Glycated Albumin for Glycemic Control in T2DM Population: A Multi-Dimensional Evaluation.

2021

Lucrezia Ferrario,1 Fabrizio Schettini,1 Angelo Avogaro,2 Chiara Bellia,3 Federico Bertuzzi,4 Graziella Bonetti,5 Antonio Ceriello,6 Marcello Ciaccio,3,7 Massimiliano Corsi Romanelli,8,9 Elena Dozio,9 Luca Falqui,10 Angela Girelli,11 Antonio Nicolucci,12 Gianluca Perseghin,13,14 Mario Plebani,15 Umberto Valentini,11 Martina Zaninotto,15 Silvana Castaldi,9,16 Emanuela Foglia1 1Centre for Health Economics, Social and Health Care Management, Università Carlo Cattaneo - LIUC, Castellanza, Italy; 2Department of Medicine, University-Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy; 3Section of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Medicine, Department of Biopathology and Medical Biotechnologie…

Cigarette Smoking Is Related to Endothelial Dysfunction of Resistance, but Not Conduit Arteries in the General Population—Results From the Gutenberg …

2021

Aims: Cigarette smoking is one of the most complex and least understood cardiovascular risk factors. Importantly, differences in the tobacco-related pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction, an early event in atherogenesis, between circulatory beds remain elusive. Therefore, this study evaluated how smoking impacts endothelial function of conduit and resistance arteries in a large population-based cohort.Methods and results: 15,010 participants (aged 35–74 years) of the Gutenberg Health Study were examined at baseline from 2007 to 2012. Smoking status, pack-years of smoking, and years since quitting smoking were assessed by a computer-assisted interview. Endothelial function of conduit an…

Analysis of demographic, psychological and cultural aspects associated with the practice of sexting in Mexican and Spanish adolescents

2021

Abstract Sexting is an increasingly frequent phenomenon among adolescents, and it involves risky behaviors such as sextortion or even grooming. This study aims to analyze demographic, psychological, and cultural variables that may explain the nature of this phenomenon. The sample consisted of 471 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old from two countries, Spain and Mexico, with dissimilar levels of gender inequality. Results highlight important differences in sexting behavior between the two countries. We have found higher levels of sexting behaviors in Mexican adolescents (41.5 %) than in Spanish adolescents (24.6 %) as well as an earlier start in Mexican adolescents. Moreover, adolescents in …

Commentary on: Microwave Ablation for Metastatic Spinal Tumors

2021

Slow relaxation of the magnetization in a {CoIIIMnIII} heterometallic brick-wall network

2021

Abstract The use of the cyanide-bearing dicobalt(III) complex (PPh4)2[Co2III(μ−2,5-dpp)(CN)8] as a metalloligand towards [Mn(salen)(H2O)]ClO4 afforded the heterobimetallic two-dimensional compound of formula [{MnIII(salen)}2{(μ-NC)4Co2III(μ−2,5-dpp)(CN)4}]n (1) [PPh4+ = teraphenylphosphonium cation, 2,5-dpp = 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine and H2salen = N,N’-ethylenebis(salicylideneimine)] whose structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 exhibits a neutral brick-wall structure, where each [Co2III(μ−2,5-dpp)(CN)8]2− unit adopts a tetrakis-monodentate bridging mode towards four {MnIII(salen)}+ fragments through four of its eight cyanide ligands. Each cobalt(III)…

Eolian sedimentation in central European Auel dry maar from 60 to 13 ka

2021

AbstractThe climate in central Europe during the last 60 ka is characterized by rapid temperature and moisture changes and strong cold periods (Heinrich events). All these variations are preserved in sediments of marine and also some terrestrial archives. Here we present a continuous, terrestrial sediment record with almost all Greenland stadials and Heinrich events between 60 and 13 ka visible from carbonate roundness of the Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive Dust Stack-20 and CaCO3 data for central Europe. The carbonate roundness data show almost all stadials between 60 and 13 ka. CaCO3 data show a general transport system change with the beginning of Heinrich event 3. Since there are no ca…

The Role of Interleukin 10 and 18 in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Pathogenesis in the Context of Angioedema Coexistence

2021

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined using clinical symptoms as spontaneous occurrence of itchy wheals and/or angioedema for at least 6 weeks. Angioedema is underdiagnosed in CSU patients, and its presence has significant negative impact on health-related quality of life, daily activities, health care resource utilization, and work. Various cytokines have been found to be involved in pathogenesis of CSU. To study levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-18 in CSU patients and to look for the differences in CSU subgroups divided with regard to angioedema reoccurrence, we included consecutive CSU patients into the study. To assess disease activity, urticaria activity score was used. In …

Nonlinear Optical Characterization of InP@ZnS Core-Shell Colloidal Quantum Dots Using 532 nm, 10 ns Pulses

2021

InP@ZnS core-shell colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized and characterized using the z-scan technique. The nonlinear refraction and nonlinear absorption coefficients (γ = −2 × 10−12 cm2 W−1, β = 4 × 10−8 cm W−1) of these CQDs were determined using 10 ns, 532 nm pulses. The saturable absorption (β = −1.4 × 10−9 cm W−1, Isat = 3.7 × 108 W cm−2) in the 3.5 nm CQDs dominated at small intensities of the probe pulses (I ≤ 7 × 107 W cm−2) followed by reverse saturable absorption at higher laser intensities. We report the optical limiting studies using these CQDs showing the suppression of propagated nanosecond radiation in the intensity range of 8 × 107–2 × 109 W cm−2. The role of nonline…

Effective Degradation of Cigarette Butts via Treatment with Old Landfill Leachates

2021

In this paper, results of feasibility study on microplastics (MPs) assessment in leachates from the Latvian solid municipal landfill Getliņi are discussed. The application of leachates for the treatment of cigarette butts (CGB) was evaluated. Methods of fluorescent microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and FTIR-microscopy were used for the identification and characterization of MPs in the leachates and analysis of CGB. Presence of the secondary MPs (e.g., degraded polyolefin mixtures) was determined in the tested landfill leachates, while cellulose acetate (CA) was not determined in these products. The leachates were tested as potential media for the thermophilic (55°C)…

Hindrances to recognition in Finnish music schools

2021

This article examines recognition relations between students and teachers in Finnish music schools. The research is based on written texts by music school students. The texts are analysed for difficulties in recognition relations, namely, hindrances to recognition in music schools. In the texts, some of the respondents describe situations that can be analysed as hindrances to recognition. The author analyses four different types of recognition-related problems in the data, the main issue being a tension between caring for people (respecting them) and promoting musical values (emphasising esteem). In addition to discerning problems, the article attempts to alleviate this tension. This might…