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Background: Airflow limitation alone is unable to capture the complexity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), better explained by comprehensive disease-specific indexes. Frailty is a clinical condition characterized by high vulnerability to internal and external stressors and represents a strong predictor of adverse outcomes. Aims: Primary objective was to test the association between indexes of lung function and COPD severity with frailty index (FI), and secondary to evaluate the association between FI and comorbidities, cognitive and physical function, BODE index, and mortality. Methods: 150 stable COPD outpatients were enrolled and followed up to 4 years. At baseline, participants performed a geriatric multidimensional assessment, pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, 6-min walking test, and bioimpedance analysis. BODE and FI were calculated. Spearman's ρ was used to assess correlations. Mortality was assessed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: Participants were followed up for a median of 39 months. Mean age was 73 years and median frailty index 0.15 (IQR 0.11–0.19). FI was higher in frequent exacerbators (≥ 2/year) (mean 0.18 vs 0.15, p 0.01) and dyspnoeic patients (mMRC ≥ 2) (mean 0.21 vs 0.14, p < 0.01) and correlated with lung volumes, expiratory flows, and pressure of arterial oxygen. FI was positively correlated with the number of comorbidities, depressive symptoms, cognitive decline, and BODE index. Mortality was higher in patients with BODE higher than 3 (HR 3.6, 95% CI 1.2–10.9), and not associated with FI. Discussion: FI positively correlates with all clinical drivers orienting the choice of treatment in COPD. Conclusions: FI associates with lung function and COPD severity, but does not associate with mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos-mineral fibres can be associated with lung diseases. The pathogenic effects are related to the dimension, biopersistence and chemical composition of the fibres. In addition to the major mineral elements, mineral fibres contain trace elements and their content may play a role in fibre toxicity. To shed light on the role of trace elements in asbestos carcinogenesis, knowledge on their concentration in asbestos-mineral fibres is mandatory. It is possible that trace elements play a synergetic factor in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral fibres. In this paper, the concentration levels of trace elements from three chrysotile samples, four amphibole asbestos samples (UICC amosite, UICC anthophyllite, UICC crocidolite and tremolite) and fibrous erionite from Jersey, Nevada (USA) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For all samples, the following trace elements were measured: Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, U. Their distribution in the various mineral species is thoroughly discussed. The obtained results indicate that the amount of trace metals such as Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn is higher in anthophyllite and chrysotile samples, whereas the amount of rare earth elements (REE) is higher in erionite and tremolite samples. The results of this work can be useful to the pathologists and biochemists who use asbestos minerals and fibrous erionite in-vitro studies as positive cyto- and geno-toxic standard references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international standard ISO 140-5 for the measurement of the sound insulation of building facades has been recently replaced by the new standard ISO 16283-3. The revised standard includes the procedure for measurements at low frequencies down to 50 Hz. The uncertainty of facade sound insulation, in particular at low frequencies, was evaluated by a Round Robin Test, conducted in a full-scale experimental building at the Construction Technologies Institute of the National Research Council of Italy (ITC-CNR). Each of the 10 teams involved in the RRT replicated the tests 5 times, for a total of 50 measurements. The different measurement positions inside the receiving room were compared. In particular, all the teams involved in the RRT followed the low-frequency procedure, assessing corner and center room positions; the energy average values according to ISO 16283-3 were considered and the relative uncertainty, in terms of repeatability and in situ reproducibility standard deviations, was compared with the ones measured and calculated following the default measurement procedure. It was found that the uncertainty of the low-frequency procedure is higher than that of the default procedure. This would suggest the need to investigate further the reliability of the low-frequency procedure. At high frequency, the significant uncertainty values found are probably caused by the loudspeakers directivity and position; this aspect need to be investigated in greater detail, as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the sound absorption properties of two types of plants for indoor applications are analyzed. The aim of this research is to investigate the feasibility of using Nephrolepis Exaltata (Boston Fern) and Helxine soleirolii (Baby Tears) in green walls for indoor applications, in order to improve the acoustic quality of indoor environments. The normal incidence sound absorption coefficient of ten specimens of Fern and three of Baby Tears was measured in presence and in absence of a substrate. The chosen substrate is made of coconut and perlite soil, commonly used in hydroponics; its composition allows to obtain high porosity values. The sound absorption coefficient spectra were measured in the frequency range of 50–1600 Hz using a vertically mounted impedance tube with a diameter of 100 mm; measurements were carried out in accordance with ISO 10534-2 method. After measuring the normal incidence sound absorption coefficient with impedance tube, the equivalent fluid model for sound propagation proposed by Miki was used to deduce non-acoustical properties of the samples. The inverted Miki's model allowed to find the theoretical tortuosity ( α ∞ ) and the flow resistivity ( σ ). These non-acoustic properties were then related to morphological characteristics of specimens. It is shown that the leaf area density is closely related to flow resistivity, at least for Boston Fern; the data allowed to identify a semi-empirical relation between them. Finally an application of the developed green system for the acoustic treatment of a real case study is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]