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After its successful campaign of measurements beyond the Polar Arctic Circle, the PolarquEEEst experiment measured the cosmic charged particle rate at sea level in a latitude interval between 35◦ N and 82◦ N. In this paper, these measurements are described and the corresponding results are discussed.

After its successful campaign of measurements beyond the Polar Arctic Circle, the PolarquEEEst experiment measured the cosmic charged particle rate at sea level in a latitude interval between 35 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ N and 82 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ N. In this paper, these measurements are described and the corresponding results are discussed.

After its successful campaign of measurements beyond the Polar Arctic Circle, the PolarquEEEst experiment measured the cosmic charged particle rate at sea level in a latitude interval between 35◦ Nand 82◦ N. In this paper, these measurements are described and the corresponding results are discussed.

As our climate system climbs through its current warming path, temperature and precipitation are greatly affected also in their extremes. There is a general concern that climate change may affect also the magnitude and frequency of river floods and that existing and planned hydraulic structures and flood defenses may become inadequate to provide the required protection level in the future. At the same time, land-use changes and river training also have affected, are affecting, and will affect river floods in the future.Deterministic rainfall-runoff models are used in nearly all hydrologic planning, design, and management activities, and in theory can account for changes in forcing and processes due to climate and environmental change. Yet they are not easily transferred to ungauged locations, and they cannot properly reproduce extreme design quantiles obtained from commonly accepted statistical methods. We aim at coupling a newly developed methodology for regional model parameter calibration based on machine learning techniques, which allow for tuning models in a distributed way over large areas, to a post-processing approach that adds a stochastic error to the deterministic model predictions and reduces the bias in the estimation of extreme discharges associated to low exceedance probabilities.The research questions are:How well can the stochastic post-processing of the outputs of rainfall-runoff models, designed to reproduce everyday river flow dynamics, reproduce the statistics of extreme events obtainable through flood frequency analysis?How well regionally distributed rainfall-runoff models with post-processed outputs compare to regional flood frequency analysis outcomes?Preliminary results will be discussed during the presentation., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

The last three decades have witnessed substantial developments in data-driven models for landslide prediction. However, this improvement has been mostly devoted to models that estimate locations where landslides may occur, i.e., landslide susceptibility. Although susceptibility is crucial when assessing landslide hazard, another equally important piece of information is the potential landslide area once landslides initiate on a given slope. This manuscript addresses this gap in the literature by using a Generalized Additive Model whose target variable is the topographically-corrected landslide areal extent at the slope unit level. In our case, the underlying assumption is that the variability of landslide areas across the geographic space follows a Log-Normal probability distribution. We test this framework on co-seismic landslides triggered by the Kaikōura earthquake (7.8 Mw on November 13th 2016). The model performance was evaluated using random and spatial cross-validation. Additionally, we simulated the expected landslide area over slopes in the entire study area, including those that did not experience slope failures in the past. The performance scores revealed a moderate to strong correlation between the observed and predicted landslide areas. Moreover, the simulations show coherent patterns, suggesting that it is worth extending the landslide area prediction further. We share data and codes in a GitHub repository https://github.com/mmorenoz/GAM_LandslideSize to promote the repeatability and reproducibility of this research.

Landslides of the slide-type movement represent a potential threat to people and infrastructure in mountain areas all over the world. At regional scales, data-driven models are typically used to assess landslide susceptibility, i.e., to map where landslides are more or less likely to occur. Such assessments frequently serve as basic input for landslide risk assessment, applications in spatial planning, and landslide early warning. Data-driven landslide susceptibility models strongly rely on the quality of the landslide inventory data, and therefore, their explanatory power depends on various errors associated with the underlying landslide data collection process. Previous research has highlighted how ignoring systematic errors inherent in the landslide data can lead to erroneous model inference and landslide susceptibility maps with limited practical applicability. In this context, this study aims to counteract the challenge of spatial landslide-inventory biases (e.g., incomplete landslide mapping far from infrastructure) by testing several possibilities to consider information on Effectively Surveyed Areas (ESA). The concept of ESA was introduced in previous research as the areas which were explicitly surveyed during the preparation of the landslide inventory, and hence, landslides occurring outside these areas are not usually reflected in the inventory data. Consequently, accounting for ESA may lead to landslide susceptibility maps more suitable for practical applications. In this contribution, we carried out a comparative analysis of three different landslide susceptibility models that focus on different strategies to handle information on ESA. The analyses focused on the Italian province of South Tyrol (7,400 km²) and built upon landslide data from 2000 to 2020. This data relates to damage-causing and infrastructure-threatening landslide events and therefore ignores slope instability far from the elements at risk. The first tested strategy focused on accounting for the ESA during model fitting while averaging out its effect for the prediction into space. The second strategy builds upon the first strategy but additionally excludes easy-to-classify “trivial” terrain (e.g., alluvial plains, rock faces, water bodies). The third strategy does not account for the ESA during model fitting but considers its information during the preceding sampling process (i.e., the sampling of stable and unstable mapping units is based on an ESA mask). The workflow comprised the delineation of slope units, the derivation of the ESA, and the spatial aggregation of the predisposing factors (e.g., lithology, land cover, topographic indices). The subsequent exploratory data analysis was conducted to explore the association of each factor with landslide occurrence data. Generalized Additive Models were implemented to derive linear or non-linear relationships between shallow landslide occurrence and the predisposing factors and to assess relative variable importance. The results were validated through random cross-validation, spatial cross-validation, and geomorphic plausibility checks. The findings confirmed the importance and benefits of accounting for the ESA. The various results showed how not accounting for the ESA can lead to a misleading depiction of landslide susceptibility in certain areas. This study was framed within the PROSLIDE project, that has received funding from the research program Research Südtirol/Alto Adige 2019 of the Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano – Südtirol/Alto Adige.

Deep gullies in the Dashtiari Region prompted us to couple different morphometric indices obtained from a UAV-derived DEM to automatically extract gully signatures. The extraction of gully signatures is commonly undertaken via pattern recognition techniques, whose recent advancements seem to require more data and rather cumbersome modeling processes, making it even more difficult for those who are not well-versed in such contexts. Among these methods, object-based image analysis (OBIA), machine learning, and deep learning techniques are the most common. Conversely, here we took advantage of simple morphometric indices and their combinations for gully extraction, including valley depth (VD), topographic position index (TPI), positive openness (PO), red relief image map (RRIM), elevation, slope degree, and the coupled PO-DEM. Furthermore, we compared the automatically derived gully patterns to the manually extracted ones (treated as the ground truth), and their spatial autocorrelation was investigated. Additionally, the application of the classification tree (CT) as a powerful machine learning model was comparatively assessed for morphometric indices. The performance of the adopted pattern extraction techniques was estimated using four different metrics: precision index, true skill statistics (TSS), Cohen's kappa, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). The results revealed that the single use of PO, TPI, and RRIM indices failed to reliably capture the gullies’ pattern, leading to partial success. Notably, combinations of indices showed that the coupled PO-DEM could successfully classify the gully presence locations from the absences and outperform the CT model in terms of both goodness-of-fit and generalization capacity (prediction power), considering all four-performance metrics. Hence, comparing the amount of time spent for manual delineation of gullies, the application of simple morphometric indices, and machine learning models is beyond comparison.

Background: Chemotherapy plus 1-year trastuzumab is the standard adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The efficacy of less extended trastuzumab exposure is under investigation. The short-HER study was aimed to assess the non-inferiority of 9 weeks versus 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy. Patients and methods: HER2-positive breast cancer patients with node-positive or, if node negative, with at least one risk factor (pT>2 cm, G3, lympho-vascular invasion, Ki-67 > 20%, age 35 years, or hormone receptor negativity) were randomly assigned to receive sequential anthracycline-taxane combinations plus 1-year trastuzumab (arm A, long) or plus 9 weeks trastuzumab (arm B, short). This study was designed as a non-inferiority trial with disease-free survival (DFS) as primary end point. A DFS hazard ratio (HR)

Environmental monitoring is crucial factor in the safeguard and conservation of the cultural heritage. Unsuitable environmental conditions can easily accelerate the degradation of several materials and, as consequence, damage the stored artifacts. Moreover, environmental conditions can easily change in an unpredictable way and, therefore, the employment of an environmental monitoring system is mandatory in almost all locations, including museums, storage rooms and outdoor exhibitions. This paper tries to explain the main constraints required for environmental monitoring in the cultural heritage field. Moreover, a novel distributed monitoring system, developed at Politecnico di Torino, is described and compared to several solutions that are commercially available. The proposed solution demonstrated excellent characteristics which satisfy the requirements of environmental monitoring in the cultural heritage at a very competitive cost.

SummaryBackground Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a heterogeneous syndrome, characterised by an increased number and/or abnormal type of bacteria in the small bowel. Over the past decades, rifaximin has gained popularity for this indication despite its use is not evidence based. Aim To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarise evidence about the efficacy and safety of rifaximin to eradicate SIBO in adult patients. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, CCRCT, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 16, 2015 for RCTs and observational studies. Furthermore, abstract books of major European, American and Asian gastroenterological meetings were also examined. Results Thirty-two studies involving 1331 patients were included. The overall eradication rate according to intention-to-treat analysis was 70.8% (95% CI: 61.4–78.2; I2 = 89.4%) and to per protocol analysis 72.9% (95% CI: 65.5–79.8; I2 = 87.5%). Meta-regression identified three covariates (drug dose, study design and co-therapy) independently associated with an increased eradication rate. The overall rate of adverse events was 4.6% (95% CI: 2.3–7.5; I2 = 63.6%). In the subset of studies (n= 10) allowing the analysis, improvement or resolution of symptoms in patients with eradicated SIBO was found to be 67.7% (95% CI: 44.7–86.9; I2 = 91.3%). Conclusions Rifaximin treatment seems to be effective and safe for the treatment of SIBO. However, the quality of the available studies is generally poor. Well-designed RCTs are needed to substantiate these findings and to establish the optimal regimen.

In the past decades, complex hydrides and complex hydrides-based materials have been thoroughly investigated as materials for energy storage, owing to their very high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen capacities and interesting cation and hydrogen diffusion properties. Concerning hydrogen storage, the main limitations of this class of materials are the high working temperatures and pressures, the low hydrogen absorption and desorption rates and the poor cyclability. In the past years, research in this field has been focused on understanding the hydrogen release and uptake mechanism of the pristine and catalyzed materials and on the characterization of the thermodynamic aspects, in order to rationally choose the composition and the stoichiometry of the systems in terms of hydrogen active phases and catalysts/destabilizing agents. Moreover, new materials have been discovered and characterized in an attempt to find systems with properties suitable for practical on-board and stationary applications. A significant part of this rich and productive activity has been performed by the research groups led by the Experts of the International Energy Agreement Task 32, often in collaborative research projects. The most recent findings of these joint activities and other noteworthy recent results in the field are reported in this paper.

The geomorphological community typically assesses the landslide susceptibility at the catchment or larger scales through spatial predictive models. However, the spatial information is conveyed only through the geographical distribution of the covariates. Spatial dependence, which allows capturing similarities at neighboring sites that are not directly explained by covariate information, is typically not accounted for in the landslides literature, whilst such spatial models have become commonplace in the geostatistical literature. Here we explain step by step how to rigorously model and predict activations of debris flow based on an adequate statistical model by using the R-INLA library from the statistical software R in the context of a real multiple landslide event. This chapter follows the analysis of Lombardo, Opitz, and Huser with a few modifications; it is written in a tutorial style to provide the geomorphological community with a hands-on guide to replicate similar analyses in R. While our focus here is on implementation and computing, more details about the underlying statistical theory, modeling, and estimation can be found in the original work by Lombardo, Opitz, and Huser Our modeling approach deviates fundamentally from the commonly used regression models fitted to binary presence/absence data. Specifically, we use a Bayesian hierarchical Cox point process model to describe landslide counts at high resolution (i.e., at the pixel level), while capturing spatial dependence through a latent spatial effect defined at lower resolution over slope units. Our point process modeling approach allows us to derive the distribution of aggregated landslide counts for any areas of interest. Crucially, the latent spatial effect represents the unexplained but spatially structured component in the data when the linear or nonlinear effects of covariates are removed. Thus, in the case of sparse rain gauge or seismic networks, we suggest using the latent spatial effect to uncover the trigger distribution over space. In particular, for landslides triggered by extreme precipitation, the meteorological stress can play a dominant role with respect to the covariates that are typically introduced in predictive models; therefore, accounting for the trigger in modeling may dramatically improve the performance of landslide prediction.

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This study aims to assess gully erosion susceptibility and delineate gully erosion-prone areas in Toroud Watershed, Semnan Province, Iran. Two different methods, namely, logistic regression (LR) and evidential belief function (EBF), were evaluated, and a new ensemble method was proposed using the combination of both methods. We initially created a gully erosion inventory map using different resources, including early reports, Google Earth images, and Global Positioning System-aided field surveys. We subsequently split this information randomly and selected 70% (90) of the gullies for calibration and 30% (38) for validation. The method was constructed using a combination of morphometric and thematic predictors that include 16 conditioning parameters. We also assessed the following: (a) potential multicollinearity issues using tolerance and variance inflation factor indices and (b) covariate effects using LR coefficients and EBF class weights. Results show that land use/land cover, lithology, and distance to roads dominate the method with the greatest effect on gully occurrences. We produced three susceptibility maps and evaluated their predictive power through area under the curve (AUC) and seed cell area index analyses. AUC results revealed that the ensemble method presented a considerably higher performance (AUC = 0.909) than did the individual LR (0.802) and EBF (0.821) methods. Similarly, seed cell area index displayed a constant decrease from the ensemble to single methods. The resulted gully erosion-susceptibility map could be used by decision makers and local managers for soil conservation, and for minimising damages in development activities including construction of infrastructures such as roads and the route of gas and electricity transmission lines.

Problemstellung/Ziele: Professionelle intra- und interpersonelle Kompetenzen (iiCs) sind ein essentieller Teil medizinischer Expertise. Sie werden momentan in der klinischen Phase – bis auf Kommunikation – wenig gezielt ausgebildet und nehmen während der Aus- und Weiterbildung[zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL], Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung (GMA)

The aim of this case series was to evaluate the clinical outcome of preformed titanium foil (PTF) to perform guided bone regeneration (GBR) in posterior mandibular atrophies. Thirteen patients (4 male; 9 female; mean age 58.85±10.16 years), with class II division C atrophy, according to Misch, were selected to perform GBR by means of PTF, using a moldable allograft paste as graft material. The devices, made of a 0.2mm thick pure titanium foil, were pre-shaped using stereolithographic models obtained from CT-scan of the patients' recipient sites. In the second stage, performed at 6.35±2.15 months, 23 cylindrical two-piece implants were placed and the devices removed. At four months, the implants were exposed and submitted to progressive prosthetic load for a span of 4 months. The cases were finalized by means of metal-ceramic cementable restorations. The post finalization follow-up was at 12 months. Survival rate (i.e. SVR) was 100% since no fixtures were lost. At the one-year follow up, the clinical appearance of the soft tissues was optimal and no pathological signs on probing were recorded. The success rate (i.e. SCR) was 82.6% and the average peri-implant bone reabsorption was 0.99±0.59 mm. The results suggest good potentialities of this method for bone volume augmentation in distal mandibular atrophies, allowing to maximize the outcome and simplifying the surgical phase.

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate survival rate (SVR - i.e. fixtures still in place at the end of the observation period) and success rate (SCR - i.e. bone resorption around the implant neck) of two tapered implant systems. Both systems were equipped with a tapered connection, one requiring bone-level (BL) placement, while the other required soft-Tissue-level (STL) placement. In the period between January 1996 and October 2011, 133 fixtures were inserted, 90 in females and 43 in males, with a mean age of 60±11 years. The mean post-surgical follow-up was 64±38 months. Several clinical parameters were evaluated as potential outcome conditioners. An SPSS program was used for statistical analysis and a Cox analysis was performed. The SVR was 100% since no fixtures were lost. SCR, expressed through the mean marginal bone loss, was 88%. No significant differences were found, for most of the variables investigated with the exception of bone grafting and implant type: STL implants showed a better clinical outcome than BL implants when bone grafting was performed simultaneously with implant placement. Tapered implants are reliable devices for oral rehabilitation of jaws.

Zielsetzung: Im Workshop werden den Teilnehmer/innen theoretische Inhalte zum Thema vermittelt, das Format des Klinischen Reflexionstraining vorgestellt, mit den Teilnehmer/innen durchgeführt und Implementierungsmöglichkeiten für verschiedene Settings erarbeitet. Relevanz:[zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL], Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung (GMA) und des Arbeitskreises zur Weiterentwicklung der Lehre in der Zahnmedizin (AKWLZ)

Implant oral rehabilitation has become one of the most successful dentistry techniques over the last 30 years. However, peri-implantitis is the most important complication in implant dentistry. Peri-implantits can be caused by inadequate implant-Abutment connections (IAC). The aim of our study is to evaluate the influence of "conical plus octagonal" (i.e. I-Fix connection) on implant survival and success rate. All the implants included in this study were of a completely new type (I-Fix implants and abutments by FMD Falappa Medical Devices S.p.A. Rome, Italy). Sixty-six implants were inserted in males and females. The implants were of different diameters and lengths, inserted both in the mandible and in the maxilla with immediate or delayed loading, with guided bone regeneration (GBR), and post-extractive surgery. All implants were provided with I-Fix connection, 64 abutments using passing screws and 2 using full screws. None of the 66 implants were lost (i.e. survival rate - SVR = 100 %). Cox-regression analysis demonstrated that diabetes (p=0.0074), GBR (p=0.0115), maxilla (p=0.0117) and smoking (p=0.0194) have a statistical significant impact on clinical outcome (i.e. greater bone resorption around implant neck). Our data show that I-Fix connection did not influence SVR. This finding demonstrates that I-Fix design seemed to significantly affect the survival rate of the implants in a recent meta-Analysis. In spite of the limits of our study, I-Fix connection has been demonstrated to be efficient in closing the gap between implant and abutment and maintaining a good connection over time.

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the survival rate (SVR - i.e. fixtures still in place at the end of the observation period) and success rate (SCR - i.e. bone resorption around implant neck) of an implant system characterized by cylindrical and tapered implants, both provided with an internal hexagonal connection. In the period between January 1996 and October 2011, 52 implants with internal hexagonal connection were inserted in 21 females and 31 males, mean age 54±11 years. The mean post-surgical follow-up was 44.6±34.4 months. Several parameters were evaluated as potential outcome conditioners: age, gender, smoking, replaced tooth, periodontal disease, fixture shape (i.e. cylindrical or tapered), jaw location (i.e. maxilla or mandible), bone graft, immediate loading, post-extractive placement, type of prosthesis (i.e. single crown or bridge), edentulism, implant diameter and length. An SPSS statistical program was used and Cox regression analysis performed. SVR was 100% since no fixtures were lost. SCR, expressed through the mean marginal bone loss, was 77%. No significant differences were found, for most of the parameters analyzed, with the exception of prosthetic bridges, where implants supporting this type of rehabilitation showed a worse clinical outcome in comparison to single crown rehabilitations. Internal hexagonal connection is a reliable tool for oral rehabilitation.

Cushing's disease (CD) is a severe endocrine condition caused by an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-pro- ducing pituitary adenoma that chronically stimulates adrenocortical cortisol production and with potentially serious complications if not or inadequately treated. Active CD may produce a fourfold increase in mortality and is associated with significant morbidities. Moreover, excess mortality risk may persist even after CD treatment. Although predictors of risk in treated CD are not fully understood, the importance of early recognition and ade- quate treatment is well established. Surgery with resection of a pituitary adenoma is still the first line therapy, being successful in about 60-70 % of patients; however, recur- rence within 2-4 years may often occur. When surgery fails, medical treatment can reduce cortisol production and ameliorate clinical manifestations while more definitive therapy becomes effective. Compounds that target hypo- thalamic-pituitary axis, glucocorticoid synthesis or adre- nocortical function are currently used to control the deleterious effects of chronic glucocorticoid excess. In this review we describe and analyze the molecular basis of the drugs targeting the disease at central level, suppressing ACTH secretion, as well as at peripheral level, acting as adrenal inhibitors, or glucocorticoid receptor antagonists. Understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms in CD and of glucocorticoid biology should promote the development of new targeted and more successful therapies in the future. Indeed, most of the drugs discussed have been tested in limited clinical trials, but there is potential ther- apeutic benefit in compounds with better specificity for the class of receptors expressed by ACTH-secreting tumors. However, long-term follow-up with management of per- sistent comorbidities is needed even after successful treatment of CD.

Debris flows are shallow landslides triggered by extreme meteorological events and propagating into the drainage lines of a slope as a fluid. A debris flow susceptibility map depicts the spatial probability for future phenomena to be triggered in a given area. Stochastic approaches are widely used in landslide studies for the assessment of the susceptibility. In fact, they allow to obtain a predictive function which relates a response variable (presence/absence of landslides) and a set of physical-environmental variables which are expected to control the slope failure phenomena. Future landslide occurrences are typically predicted by studying a past landslide inventory, under the basic assumption that “new landslides will occur under the same conditions which drove the past ones”. The present research is aimed at testing the basic assumption, in case of extreme event triggered landslide scenarios. The study case is the debris flow event occurred in the Messina area in 2009. In particular, by applying logistic regression, a model was calibrated by exploiting an inventory dated at 2007 and validated with respect the 2009 inventory (forward chrono-validation). Moreover, a model was calibrated with the 2009 and validated in predicting the 2007 landslides (backward chrono-validation). Under the basic assumption, the two modelling procedures should achieve the same results. Cross-validation procedures have been applied to investigate precision, reliability and robustness of the models, both in terms of predictive performance and inner structure of the model. The results of the research attest for high performance and good agreement between the two chrono-validated models. However, some differences arose, indicating possible limits in the basic assumption.

Introduzione: L’epatiteC è stata generalmente trattata con PEGinterferone associato alla Ribavirina per un periodo di 24-48 settimane in funzione del genotipo. L’Azienda Gilead ha sviluppato un antivirale per il trattamento dell’infezione cronica da HCV: il Sofosbuvir GS-7977. L’ISMETT di Palermo ha avviato nel 2014 l’utilizzo per i propri pazienti. Il farmaco verrà fornito gratuitamente dalla stessa azienda farmaceutica grazie al DM 8/5/2003. Materiali e Metodi: Sono state valutate le cartelle cliniche informatizzate e condotta una ricognizione bibliografica su Pubmed e bancadati AIFA. Risultati: I candidati al trattamento con Sofosbuvir sono pazienti con cirrosi epatica HCV+ in lista d’attesa per trapianto e pazienti con ricorrenza di epatite HCV+ dopo trapianto di fegato. Presso l’ISMETT di Palermo 36 sono i pazienti in trattamento con Sofosbuvir 30 maschi e 6 femmine di età media 56 anni. 12 pazienti in lista d’attesa per il trapianto di fegato; 24 in post-trapianto. Non sono stati riscontrati ad oggi effetti collaterali attribuibili al Sofosbuvir ; invece si sono verificati 2 casi di anemia dovuti a Ribavirina, rientrati in seguito alla riduzione del dosaggio. Conclusioni: L’utilizzo dei nuovi farmaci con attività diretta contro l’epatite C, di cui il Sofosbuvir è il primo ad essere introdotto nell’uso in Italia, consente di raggiungere la completa guarigione dall’infezione in oltre il 90% dei pazienti trattati. Si tratta di farmaci in genere ben tollerati assunti per os per periodi brevi. Il principale ostacolo all’utilizzo su ampia scala è rappresentato dal costo elevato.

The steep Mediterranean catchments underwent drastic socio economic changes in the last decades. Moreover, these basins are also subject to climate variability and potential future climate change effects. Due to mechanization in agriculture a lot of surfaces changed from terraced vineyards and olive growth to abandoned land. The terraced areas are less productive and more cost and labour intensive and hence cannot compete with a highly mechanized agriculture. Furthermore, tourism based on the natural and cultural heritage of the region is more and more important for the income of the inhabitants. The abandonment has effects on the entire landscape system in terms of hydrological dynamics, sediment dynamics as well as soil characteristics and the terraces itself. These changes are leading to a succession in vegetation, destabilization of slope systems, and changes on the runoff and sediment discharges leading to disasters such as the Vernazza event on the 25.10.2011 or the Messina event on the 01.10.2009. In this study, we present a comparison between the two mentioned areas located respectively in Liguria in the Cinque Terre National park (World heritage site-UNESCO) and in the Messinean area, Sicily (Italy) and a test of transferability aimed to assess debris flow susceptibility. In the framework of this research extensive fieldwork, remote sensing and terrain analysis have been performed in order to parameterize both stochastic and physically based models. Moreover, few attempts of reproducing extreme events have been made. The results show that these Mediterranean catchments are highly sensitive to changes in landuse and climate. Hence, the study contributes to the understanding of landscape dynamics under global change conditions.

Premesse e Scopo dello studio: Lo studio ha lo scopo di analizzare i casi di intossicazione presso il P.O. Sant’Antonio Abate di Trapani con l’obiettivo di stimare e identificare l’incidenza delle intossicazioni afferenti al Pronto Soccorso. Materiali e Metodi: Sono stati raccolti dati individuali in un campione di 1220 soggetti, che presentavano un quadro sintomatologico da riferire in tutto o in parte all’intossicazione. Sono stati inclusi nello studio i casi da prodotti industriali, veleni per animali, antiparassitari, gas e vapori tossici, prodotti domestici, cosmetici, farmaci, prodotti chimici non farmaceutici, droghe e alcool, veleni animali e vegetali. Risultati: I maschi sono 810 (66,4%), mentre le femmine sono 410 (33,6%). Le percentuali maggiormente rappresentative sono costituite da: alcool il 34,34% per uso voluttuario (20-49 anni), e farmaci il 19,18% non a scopo suicidario (con maggiore frequenza, l’amiodarone, la digitale, l’ACE-inibitori e i betabloccanti) (età >50 anni). ConclusionI: Questo studio rappresenta un tentativo di definire l’incidenza delle intossicazioni con particolare riguardo a sostanze di abuso ma soprattutto a farmaci. Diventa ragionevole concludere come l’intervento del farmacista clinico per la valutazione della terapia farmacologica ma soprattutto delle interazioni che stanno poi alla base dell’inefficacia terapeutica o peggio ancora del sovradosaggio come la casistica riportata, oltre che la presa in carico del paziente per migliorarne l’aderenza terapeutica possa ridurre l’incidenza delle intossicazioni nei soggetti che ne fanno uso.

The determination of soil properties is considerable challenge when it is aimed to evaluate the spatial distribution of one or more parameters across significant surfaces. In fact, terrain sampling and field data are punctual measurement; therefore, quantitative models are needed to predict the spatial distribution of soil attributes. The spatialization of field and laboratory data is a very important information in landslide studies. Raster layers displaying soil properties can be used both for statistical models and for the parameterization of physically based models. The purpose of this work is to produce a detailed hydrological and mechanical characterization of the soil affected by shallow landsliding processes. The study area is located in Messina (Southern Italy) where a debris flow event occurred on the 1st October 2009. In particular, two small and independent (2 km2) hydrological units were chosen: Racinazzi and Saponarà catchments. The sample sites were selected using a provisional predictive pedologic model based on the topographic attributes Topographic Wetness Index and Steepness of slope. The field analyses were aimed to determine soil thickness, hydraulic conductivity and other soil mechanical properties. The fieldwork was carried out using: (1) Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (2) Amoozemeter (3) Auger sampler. The laboratory analysis of the collected samples have performed in order to characterize granulometry and the Atterberg limits. Stochastic approaches have been then adopted to regionalize the punctual information for each of the collected properties resulting in robust spatial distributions used to characterize landslide prone conditions. The results show the slope instability mainly affect the terraced areas characterized by the presence of a thin layer of soil which, according to the laboratory analysis, testifies an incomplete pedogenesis.

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]ARCEAU [TR2_IRSTEA]RIVAGE; Depuis 2007, Météo-France et IRSTEA portent le projet RHYTMME (Risques Hydro-météorologiques en Territoires de Montagnes et Méditerranéens) destiné à mieux anticiper les aléas liés aux précipitations auxquels la Région Provence – Alpes – Côte d’Azur est particulièrement soumise. Ce projet, financé par la Région, l’Union européenne et le Ministère en charge de l’Écologie, au titre du Contrat de Projet État-Région 2007-2013, a permis l’élaboration d’une plate-forme de services, accessible via internet et diffusant, en temps réel, des cartes destinées à aider l’anticipation et la gestion de ces aléas naturels. Cette plate-forme, innovante et gratuite pour les utilisateurs, vise à fournir des éléments d’aide à la décision en période de phénomènes intenses. Après avoir été testée pendant quatre ans dans les trois départements des Alpes du Sud grâce à un groupe d’expérimentateurs, cette plate-forme devient opérationnelle à compter de janvier 2016. La plate-forme RHYTMME est un site internet donnant accès à des services cartographiques pour l’anticipation et le suivi des aléas naturels liés aux précipitations (crues soudaines, crues torrentielles, mouvements de terrains) dont l’accès se fait par des identifiants propres à chaque utilisateur. La plate-forme RHYTMME a été conçue comme un outil d’appui à l’anticipation et au suivi de situations hydrométéorologiques à risques. La durée de rétention d’affichage de la plupart des informations est de deux à cinq jours, ce qui permet d’utiliser aussi l’outil en analyse post-événementielle. Cette notice pour but de décrire les fonctionnalités de la plate-forme RHYTMME et ses limites, afin de guider l'utilisateur vers des usages appropriés de cette plate-forme.

Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) (1) has been reported to possess antioxidant and anticancer properties. In an attempt to enhance intrinsic activity of this natural compound, some derivatives were synthesized. Eugenol was extracted from cloves oil and further, the eugenol analogues (2-6) were obtained through acetylation and nitration reactions. Eugenol (1) and its analogues (2-6) were examined by in vitro model of cancer using two human cancer cell lines: DU-145 (androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells) and KB (oral squamous carcinoma cells). Cell viability, by tetrazolium salts assay, was measured. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release was also investigated to evaluate the presence of cell toxicity as a result of cell disruption, subsequent to membrane rupture. In the examined cancer cells, all compounds showed cell-growth inhibition activity. The obtained results demonstrate that the compounds 5-allyl-3-nitrobenzene-1,2-diol (3) and 4-allyl-2-methoxy-5-nitrophenyl acetate (5) were significantly (p < 0,001) more active than eugenol, with IC50 values in DU-145 cells of 19.02 x 10-6 and 21.5 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively, and in KB cells of 18.11 × 10-6 and 21.26 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively, suggesting that the presence of nitro and hydroxyl groups could be important in the activity of these compounds. In addition, our results seem to indicate that apoptotic cell demise appears to be induced in KB and DU-145 cells. In fact, in our experimental conditions, no statistically significant increase in LDH release was observed in cancer cells treated with eugenol and its analogues. Propriedades antioxidante e anticancerígena foram relatadas para o Eugenol (4-alil-2-metoxifenol) (1). Na tentativa de aumentar a atividade intrínseca deste composto natural, alguns derivados foram sintetizados. O eugenol foi extraído do óleo de cravo da Índia e seus análogos (2-6) foram obtidos por reações de acetilação e nitração. Eugenol (1) e seus análogos (2-6) foram avaliados in vitro frente a duas linhagens de células de câncer humanas: DU-145 (células de câncer de próstata, insensíveis a andrógeno) e KB (células de carcinoma escamoso oral). A viabilidade celular foi avaliada por ensaios com sal de tetrazólio. A liberação de desidrogenase lática (LDH) também foi investigada para avaliar a toxicidade celular como um resultado do rompimento celular subseqüente à ruptura da membrana. Todos os compostos apresentaram atividade inibitória sobre o crescimento das células cancerosas examinadas. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os compostos 5-alil-3-nitrobenzeno-1,2-diol (3) e acetato de 4-alil-2-metoxi-5-nitrofenol (5) foram significativamente mais ativos que o eugenol (p < 0,001), com valores de IC50 em células DU-145 de 19,02 × 10-6 e 21,5 × 10-6 mol L-1 respectivamente, sugerindo que a presença dos grupos nitro e hidroxila podem ser importantes na atividade destes compostos. Os resultados também parecem indicar que a morte por apoptose está sendo induzida em células KB e DU-145. Nas condições experimentais avaliadas, não foi observado qualquer aumento estatisticamente significativo na liberação de LDH pelas células de câncer quando tratadas com eugenol e seus análogos.

Premesse e Scopo dello studio: Le eparine a basso peso molecolare vengono utilizzate per la prevenzione e il trattamento della coagula- zione del sangue, l’obiettivo è quello di ridurre al minimo gli effetti collaterali in seguito alla somministrazione delle varie molecole. Metodi e Risultati: L’analisi stata effettuata presso il Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale e di Urgenza dell’A.O. Ospedali riuniti Villa Sofia - Cervello, su un campione di circa 80 pazienti con età compresa tra i 35-80 anni, 50 sono di sesso femminile e 30 sono di sesso maschile, sono stati riscontrati dall'osservazione effettuata i seguenti effetti collaterali: per quanto riguarda la Parnaparina e la Bemiparina sanguinamento delle gengive durante il lavaggio dei denti maggiormente in soggetti anziani (3 donne); mestruazioni particolarmente abbondanti (7 donne); eccessiva perdita di sangue per tagli o piccole ferite (5 donne e 5 uomini); ematomi in sede d'inezione (in tutti i pazienti osservati). Conclusioni: Dalle analisi finali possiamo dedurre che la Parnaparina e la Bemiparina svolgono un’intensa e rapida dissoluzione di trombi che possono essersi formati nelle arterie o nelle vene mentre con la Nadroparina e con l’Enoxaparina non abbiamo mai osservato variazioni dell'A.P. E della P.T.T.

Mental disorders are among the worst and widespread health problems, they are associated with important repercussions on the psychosocial sphere and to high economic costs. Antipsychotic drugs used in treatments of these pathologies belong to different chemical classes, but associated to biochemical effects, pharmacological, and in part super imposable. A retrospective survey has been led on external patients, they were under antipsychotic drug treatments already in the archive and arrived to the attention of the Pharmacy of the F.lli Parlapiano Hospital, Ribera (AG), Italy in 2013. For each patient have been extrapolated: gender, date of birth, place of residence, ICD-9CM, pharmacological therapy, and prescribing centre. Collected data have been calculated through Microsoft Office Excel to notice: prevalent diagnosis; prescribed drugs; prevalence by age group; gender, and off label prescribing in patients suffering from dementia. This survey is composed of 535 patients: 463 suffering from mental disorders and 72 suffering from degenerative diseases of SNC (especially Alzheimer). The distribution of psychic and neurological disorders in the two genders is balanced and the average age is 61.55. 64.7% live in the province of Agrigento and are treated at CSM of Ribera. 434 patients suffer from non organic psychosis; 14 patients suffer from organic psychosis; 70 patients suffer from a moderate form of Alzheimer, 2 suffer from other forms of dementia, while for 25 patients no diagnosis has been noticed as the medical prescription had been done by prescription SSN. Prescribed drugs have shown the following percentages: olanzapine 33.04%; quetiapine 33.19%, risperidone 17.97%; aripiprazole 7.4%; clozapine 4.02%; asenapine 1.69%; paliperidone 1.27%, ziprasidone 0.42%. It is a common opinion in the international scientific literature that a wise use of antipsychotic drugs of second generation gives important

Premesse e Scopo dello studio: Valutare il beneficio dell’uso del- l’EBMP nella profilassi del paziente oncologico poiché questi presen- tano un rischio tromboembolico elevato. Metodi e Risultati: Nell’ultimo triennio presso il Dipartimento di Chi- rurgia Generale e di Urgenza dell'Az. Ospedali riuniti Villa Sofia - Cervello sono stati operati per cancro al retto sigma e sottoposti ad intervento di emicolectomia sx e resezione anteriore del retto 87 pazienti di cui 34 uomini e 53 donne, di questi 13 donne e 5 uomini hanno sviluppato durante il follow-up terapeutico oncologico complicanze a carico di sto- mie cutanee. In tutti i pazienti venuti alla nostra osservazione si sono evidenziati a 15-20 gg dalla sospensione della terapia con EBMP, non appena iniziata radio e chemioterapia i seguenti sintomi: edemi arti in- feriori in 8 pz, pesantezza e parestesie in 2 pz, arrossamento cutaneo in 3 pz, linfedema in 1, ritenzione idrosalina in 1 pz. Conclusioni: Insieme all’oncologo si è concordato di riprendere la te- rapia con EBMP: enoxaparina 4000 UI al dì e i sintomi sono migliorati già nei primi 7-10 giorni di terapia. La stessa è stata proseguita per tutto il periodo delle cure oncologiche con ottimi risultati in media per 30-45gg.

Introduzione. La distonia è un disturbo associato ad anomalie nel movimento e nella postura causato da contrazioni muscolari involontarie. Esistono tre tipi di classificazione sulla base della: distribuzione anatomica(focale, segmentale, o generalizzata), età di insorgenza dei sintomi (giovanile o adulta esordio) ed eziologia, primaria, secondaria, o sintomatica.Dal mese di marzo 2014 attraverso l’ambulatorio dell’U.O. MedicinaFisica e Riabilitativa del P.O. di Ag è possibile attuare il trattamento con la tossina botulinica ai pazienti candidati. Materiali e metodi. È stata fatta condotta una ricognizione bibliografica attraverso PubMed e la position paper sulla tossina botulinica della Società Italiana di Farmacologia (SIF). Risultati. La tossina botulinica di tipo A ceppo Clostridium agisce presinapticamente bloccando la liberazione del neurotrasmettitore acetilcolina a livello della giunzione neuromuscolare, questo meccanismo si è rivelato utile nel trattamento della distonia. Le opzioni terapeutiche comprendono le iniezioni di tossina botulinica per il trattamento dei sintomi localizzati, la terapia farmacologica con anticolinergici (essenzialmente il triexifenidile) per la distonia generalizzata, e interventi chirurgici, come la stimolazione cerebrale profonda del pallido interno o l’iniezione di baclofene intratecale nei casi gravi. Conclusioni. I farmaci biologici immessi in commercio sono tre Xeomin®, Dysport®, Botox®, dalla position paper della SIF emerge che tra le differenti formulazioni a base di tossina botulinica attualmente disponibili non vi è sovrapponibilità in senso assoluto né per i pazienti naive né per i pazienti in continuità terapeutica. Viste le caratteristiche di tali farmaci ed il costo è insorta la necessità di un adeguato e zelante controllo proceduto all’elaborazione di una richiesta personalizzata di farmaci contenenti la tossina botulinica di tipo A, una richiesta per ogni singola specialità, in generale in questi modelli si riportano:l’U.O. richiedente, le generalità del paziente, l’indicazione di uso del farmaco barrando la casella relativa e la parte finale riguardante la farmacia in particolare le quantità effettivamente dispensate ed il farmacistaresponsabile dell’operazione. In tal modo s’intende perseguire l’obiettivo di monitoraggio, appropriatezza prescrittiva e controllo della spesa.

This study had the aim of comparing two different methods of analysing dentin sialoprotein (DSP) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF): the conventional eLISA approach and a new method involving the use of magnetic micro-beads coated with an antibody specific for DSP prior to eLISA analysis.GCF was taken from six patients following twelve weeks of orthodontic treatment using paper strips inserted into the mesial and distal sulci of the upper incisors, and analysed using both methods.Statistical analysis of the results using the Mann-Whitney non-parametric test showed that the micro-bead approach conferred more reliability and less variability on the conventional eLISA approach. Furthermore, this method, for the first time, enables the quantification of the DSP in the sample in ng/μl.The innovative micro-bead/eLISA approach proposed provides a reliable means of quantifying the DSP in the GCF.

Il fenomeno della diffusione delle sostanze di abuso tra i giovani ha assunto aspetti preoccupanti. Lo spaccio di droga avviene in tutte le strutture a cui accedono i giovani, nessuna esclusa e oggi anche nel web, una delle nuove frontiere del traffico illecito. All’interno di questo scenario la figura del farmacista ha dato contributi validi nella divulgazione, per tentare di salvaguardare la salute dei giovani anche attraverso la promozione diretta di campagne di educazione/sensibilizzazione che forniscano all’utente le informazioni necessarie a difendere la propria salute. Materiali e metodi: Abbiamo realizzato due conferenze inerenti l’informazione sulle sostanze di abuso e la nuova diffusione su Internet, presso le Scuole di Cefalù: Liceo Classico Mandralisca, e I.P.S.S.E.O.A Alberghiero. Nel questionario pre-conferenza sono state rivolte domande per indagare su quali fossero le reali conoscenze sulle sostanze di abuso da parte dei ragazzi e delle figure con cui normalmente si relazionano. Per il post-conferenza si puntava a capire,attraverso un altro questionario, se la visione nei confronti delle sostanze di abuso fosse cambiata dopo avere ascoltato i pericoli che si corrono. Risultati: Alla ricerca hanno partecipato 26 maschi di età compresa tra 16-24 anni con una prevalenza di età di 17 e 51 femmine di età compresa tra 16-20 anni con prevalenza di 17-18 anni. In pre-conferenza il 95% ha risposto negativamente alla domanda se ritenessero di avere una buona conoscenza sulle sostanze di abuso. Al quesito se avessero assunto sostanze di abuso, hanno risposto tutti no, tranne un ragazzo che però non ha specificato quale sostanza. Per quanto riguarda il post conferenza è stato chiesto se ritenessero positiva l’esperienza, hanno risposto tutti di si .Alla domanda se avessero adesso una maggiore conoscenza delle sostanze e dei loro pericoli, hanno risposto tutti di si, aggiungendo di essere più spaventati, dopo l’ascolto, all’idea di provarle. Conclusioni: Questo fa capire come i ragazzi agiscano da soli, cercando autonomamente informazioni su internet, proprio perché quasi sempre nessuno affronta con loro questi argomenti. Le differenze tra pre/post-conferenza, il 95% era all’oscuro sugli effetti delle droghe, sottolineano quanto sia importante la divulgazione della conoscenza in materia di sostanze d’abuso attraverso l’intervento del farmacista anello di congiunzione diretta con il cittadino verso una corretta educazione sanitaria. Questo sottolinea l’importanza della prevenzione sotto forma di informazione, specie se portata agli adolescenti, oggi sempre più vittime di falsi miti e della nuova frontiera dell’illegalità che si chiama Internet.

Introduzione. Le misure di contenimento della spesa farmaceutica sono state le principali prerogative previste dal Piano di Rientro della Regione Sicilia ( adempimento A.1.2), in tal senso le realtà delle singole ASP si sono adeguate alle direttive regionali mostrando una classifica tra le Asp siciliane che vedono come protagonista virtuosa l’Asp di Agrigento, prima in classifica. La disamina dei dati fa riferimento al triennio 2010/2011/2012. Materiali e metodi. La rilevazione concerne farmaci rimborsati dal SSN ed erogati tramite canale convenzionale privato, farmaci distribuiti direttamente e quelli utilizzati in ambito ospedaliero nel triennio 2010/2011/2012, attraverso report sulla spesa farmaceutica della regione Sicilia. Risultati. Nel 2010 la spesa farmaceutica annua è stata per l’ASP 1 di Agrigento di € 102.942.864,99, questa grazie all’incremento della distribuzione diretta, di cui al PHT D.A.2205/08 attraverso l’introduzione di molecole appartenenti alla categoria N05A (l’11,03 % della spesa totale nell’anno 2011) secondi solo agli antianemici categoria B03X (26,93 % della spesa totale) già presenti nel 2010. La spesa della distribuzione diretta nel 2011 è stata di € 13.973.336,60 mentre la distribuzione attraverso le farmacie private avrebbe fatto lievitare la spesa totale a € 25.006.073,81 nel 2012 invece l’importo è stato di € 14.953.719,04 ed attraverso il canale privato convenzionato avremmo avuto un costo di € 29.530.504,13 . La spesa totale dell’Asp è passata dunque da € 102.942.864,99 nel 2010, a € 92.883.552,99 nel 2011, a € 91.128.889,13 nel 2012. Conclusioni. Le misure adottate per il contenimento della spesa hanno previsto l’introduzione a partire dal 2011 degli antipsicotici atipici, ed il potenziamento del primo ciclo di terapia per il periodo susseguente alla dimissione ospedaliera in base ai criteri dettati dal D.A. 0150/08 portando l’ASP di Ag ad essere tra le più virtuose della regione Sicilia passando dunque dalla sesta posizione in classifica nel 2010 alla prima nel 2012 con un risparmio pari al 11,48 %, il passaggio degli antipsicotici è stato dettato anche dalla necessità dei pazienti che hanno nell’essere sottoposti a controlli periodici da parte degli specialisti ma anche alla valutazione dell’appropriatezza prescrittiva che in quest’ultimo caso è affidato al farmacista ospedaliero. Un altro obiettivo dell’ASP 1 di Agrigento mirato ad un ulteriore contenimento della spesa è quello di estendere la distribuzione diretta anche alla prescrizione successiva ad ogni visita specialistica ambulatoriale.

Background and aim of the study: The aim of the following review is that of stimulating and highlighting the importance of pharmacovigilance, examining all the data about ketaprofen (a well known NSAD) photodermatosis cases reported in literature, especially those occurred in patients under topical therapy that have been revealed to be adverse reactions. Materials and methods: Analysed data concern studies carried out from 1991 to 2011 among different European countries, in particular at the Swedish University of Lund, Katholieke University of Leuven in Belgium, and in France. All the data arrived through the Italian national pharmacovigilance network. Results: Evidences show that the basic mechanisms of ketoprofen phototoxicity are not clearly known. A necessary but not sufficient condition for the adverse reaction to be revealed is ketoprofen irradiation via UVA rays. Conclusions: The results highlight a consistent quantity of appearances during summer with maximum peaks between June and August and this supports the correlation between UVA rays and the degradability of the molecule; the products of photoreduction (free radicals), are responsible for all the events that lead to ketoprofen acute dermatitis. Surely these empiric studies encourage to delve into the pharmacologic and toxicologic functions of the NSAD in subject, but not only of this specific one, with a final intent of guarantee the patient's health.