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Abstract In the lower atmosphere, CO2 emissions impact human health and ecosystems, making data at this level essential for addressing carbon-cycle and public-health questions. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 is crucial in urban areas due to its connection with air quality, pollution, and climate change, becoming a pivotal parameter for environmental management and public safety. In volcanic zones, geogenic CO2 profoundly affects the environment, although hydrocarbon combustion is the primary driver of increased atmospheric CO2 and global warming. Distinguishing geogenic from anthropogenic emissions is challenging, especially through air CO2 concentration measurements alone. This study presents survey results on the stable isotope composition of carbon and oxygen in CO2 and airborne CO2 concentration in Naples’ urban area, including the Campi Flegrei caldera, a widespread hydrothermal/volcanic zone in the metropolitan area. Over the past 50 years, two major volcanic unrests (1969–72 and 1982–84) were monitored using seismic, deformation, and geochemical data. Since 2005, this area has experienced ongoing unrest, involving the pressurization of the underlying hydrothermal system as a causal factor of the current uplift in the Pozzuoli area and the increased CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. To better understand CO2 emission dynamics and to quantify its volcanic origin a mobile laboratory was used. Results show that CO2 levels in Naples’ urban area exceed background atmospheric levels, indicating an anthropogenic origin from fossil fuel combustion. Conversely, in Pozzuoli's urban area, the stable isotope composition reveals a volcanic origin of the airborne CO2. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring stable isotopes of atmospheric CO2, especially in volcanic areas, contributing valuable insights for environmental and public health management.

Abstract Gas leakage from deep geologic storage formations to the Earth’s surface is one of the main hazards in geological carbon sequestration and storage. Permeable sediment covers together with natural pathways, such as faults and/or fracture systems, are the main factors controlling surface leakages. Therefore, the characterization of natural systems, where large amounts of natural gases are released, can be helpful for understanding the effects of potential gas leaks from carbon dioxide storage systems. In this framework, we propose a combined use of high-resolution geoelectrical investigations (i.e. resistivity tomography and self-potential surveys) for reconstructing shallow buried fracture networks in the caprock and detecting preferential gas migration pathways before it enters the atmosphere. Such methodologies appear to be among the most suitable for the research purposes because of the strong dependence of the electrical properties of water-bearing permeable rock, or unconsolidated materials, on many factors relevant to CO2 storage (i.e. porosity, fracturing, water saturation, etc.). The effectiveness of the suggested geoelectrical approach is tested in an area of natural gas degassing (mainly CH4) located in the active fault zone of the Bolle della Malvizza (Southern Apennines, Italy), which could represent a natural analogue of gas storage sites due to the significant thicknesses (hundreds of meters) of impermeable rock (caprock) that is generally required to prevent carbon dioxide stored at depth from rising to the surface. The obtained 3D geophysical model, validated by the good correlation with geochemical data acquired in the study area and the available geological information, provided a structural and physical characterization of the investigated subsurface volume. Moreover, the time variations of the observed geophysical parameters allowed the identification of possible migration pathways of fluids to the surface.

Abstract Despite its known reconstructed volcanic history, the structural setting and present state of the Astroni Volcano of the Campi Flegrei caldera in Italy are still poorly defined. Through structural, geophysical, and geochemical investigations, we elucidate the structure and present volcanic activity of the Astroni Volcano, which hosts tuff cones, scoriae cones, lava domes, and lakes on the crater floor. A volcano‐tectonic analysis focused on the entire volcano edifice, coupled with electrical resistivity tomography of the shallower part of the Astroni crater, revealed the main rock formations, faults, and possible fluid patterns within the first 150 m depth. Two main NE–SW and NW–SE trending fault sets were imaged using electrical resistivity modeling and measurements along the wall of the volcanic edifice; they likely delimit a maar‐like structure resulting from the highest energetic subplinian Astroni 6 eruption event and acted as magma pathways during the late eruptive activity stage. A 3D view of the reconstructed resistivity model revealed both deep root‐conduit‐like structures and shallower dome‐like shapes for volcanic edifices on the crater floor. Gas and carbon compositions in the NNE sectors of the Astroni Lago Grande are similar to those of the Solfatara fumarole fluids, suggesting common hydrothermal origin and a possible link with a deep hydrothermal reservoir. This fluid‐emission area along the border of the younger volcanic structure exhibits a +40°C maximum soil‐temperature anomaly. The proposed volcano‐tectonic architecture should improve the unrest scenarios in case of reactivation in this Campi Flegrei caldera sector and the monitoring strategies for the Astroni Volcano.

Questions under study: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children. Medical management is constantly being refined, and thus results should improve. The aim of the present study was to analyse our data of recent years and to compare them with previous series (1978-83 and 1988-92). Patients and methods: The data of 51 children (1 month to 16 years old) with severe blunt TBI treated in our unit from 1994 to 1998 were analyzed retrospectively. Severe TBI was defined by immediate loss of consciousness and an admission Glasgow coma scale (GCS)

Abstract The analysis of the benefits and costs of social distancing is a crucial aspect for understanding how individual and community actions can mitigate and manage the costs of a pandemic. In this study, we aimed to investigate the extent to which personality factors and emotional intelligence (EI) contributed to the subjective assessment of the benefits and costs of social distancing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also aimed at determining whether EI served as a mediator in the relationship between personality traits and the evaluation of social distancing consequences. Data was collected via online surveys from a sample of 223 Italian-speaking participants (age: 30.78 ± 9.97; 86.1% females) between March and April 2021. Findings indicate that the tendency to prioritize the benefits of social distancing over personal costs was positively associated with emotional stability and emotion regulation, but negatively associated with extroversion. The following mediational analyses revealed that the emotion regulation facet of EI mediated the associations between personality dimensions (emotional stability and extroversion) and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of social distancing. These findings provide useful indications and implications for developing appropriate communication strategies aimed at reaching the general population and suggest that, during health-related crises, emphasis should be placed on offering courses and programs to improve and develop individuals’ EI.

Abstract Introduction Lung weight is an important study endpoint to assess lung edema in porcine experiments on acute respiratory distress syndrome and ventilatory induced lung injury. Evidence on the relationship between lung–body weight relationship is lacking in the literature. The aim of this work is to provide a reference equation between normal lung and body weight in female domestic piglets. Materials and methods 177 healthy female domestic piglets from previous studies were included in the analysis. Lung weight was assessed either via a CT-scan before any experimental injury or with a scale after autopsy. The animals were randomly divided in a training (n = 141) and a validation population (n = 36). The relation between body weight and lung weight index (lung weight/body weight, g/kg) was described by an exponential function on the training population. The equation was tested on the validation population. A Bland–Altman analysis was performed to compare the lung weight index in the validation population and its theoretical value calculated with the reference equation. Results A good fit was found between the validation population and the exponential equation extracted from the training population (RMSE = 0.060). The equation to determine lung weight index from body weight was: $${\text{Lung}} {\text{Weight}} {\text{Index}} \left(\frac{{\text{g}}}{{\text{kg}}}\right)=26.26*{10}^{-0.011*{\text{Body}} {\text{Weight}} \left({\text{kg}}\right)}.$$ LungWeightIndex g kg = 26.26 ∗ 10 - 0.011 ∗ BodyWeight kg . At the Bland and Altman analyses, the mean bias between the real and the expected lung weight index was − 0.26 g/kg (95% CI − 0.96–0.43), upper LOA 3.80 g/kg [95% CI 2.59–5.01], lower LOA − 4.33 g/kg [95% CI = − 5.54–(− 3.12)]. Conclusions This exponential function might be a valuable tool to assess lung edema in experiments involving 16–50 kg female domestic piglets. The error that can be made due to the 95% confidence intervals of the formula is smaller than the one made considering the lung to body weight as a linear relationship.

OBJECTIVES:. In patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure, controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) is often necessary during the acute phases of the disease. Weaning from CMV to pressure support ventilation (PSV) is a key objective when the patient’s respiratory functions improve. Limited evidence exists regarding the factors predicting a successful transition to PSV and its impact on patient outcomes. DESIGN:. Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING:. Twenty-four Italian ICUs from February 2020 to May 2020. PATIENTS:. Mechanically ventilated ICU patients with COVID-19-induced respiratory failure. INTERVENTION:. The transition period from CMV to PSV was evaluated. We defined it as “failure of assisted breathing” if the patient returned to CMV within the first 72 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:. Of 1260 ICU patients screened, 514 were included. Three hundred fifty-seven patients successfully made the transition to PSV, while 157 failed. Pao2/Fio2 ratio before the transition emerged as an independent predictor of a successful shift (odds ratio 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99–1.00; p = 0.003). Patients in the success group displayed a better trend in Pao2/Fio2, Paco2, plateau and peak pressure, and pH level. Subjects in the failure group exhibited higher ICU mortality (hazard ratio 2.08; 95% CI, 1.42–3.06; p < 0.001), an extended ICU length of stay (successful vs. failure 21 ± 14 vs. 27 ± 17 d; p < 0.001) and a longer duration of mechanical ventilation (19 ± 18 vs. 24 ± 17 d, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS:. Our study emphasizes that the Pao2/Fio2 ratio was the sole independent factor associated with a failed transition from CMV to PSV. The unsuccessful transition was associated with worse outcomes.

IntroductionThe recent COVID-19 pandemic has compelled various governments to trace all contacts of a confirmed case, as well as to identify the locations visited by infected individuals. This task, that requires the activation of our autobiographical memories, can make a difference in the spread of the contagion and was based primarily on telephone interviews with infected people. In this study, we examined whether participants were able to provide contact tracing information and whether their memories were influenced by salient events occurring during the initial phases of the pandemic.MethodsParticipants were asked to fill in an online standardized form in which they recounted every day of the 2 weeks before, reporting as much information as possible. The time period selected included, among other things, the day on which the Italian government issued the decree initiating the COVID-19 lockdown. The task was completed twice, the first time relying solely on their memory, and the second time using external aids (diaries, mobile phones etc.). Reports were then coded using a scheme that segmented accounts into informational details, divided into two broad categories, internal and external.ResultsOur findings showed that (i) the use of external aids was effective only when participants had to recall the day furthest away or if to-be-recalled events have low distinctiveness, and (ii) memories of internal details were recalled better than memories of external details. Participants were overall accurate and reported a large amount of information about people and places. However, because of the connection with key pandemic-related events, the effect was somewhat stronger on specific days (e.g., the day in which the lockdown was announced).DiscussionThe results of this work could provide a useful tool for improving the design of contact tracing procedures in the event of an unwanted future public health crisis caused by a highly infectious agent.

In previous studies, anti-vaccination attitudes have been attributed either to far-right voters or to both far-left and far-right voters. The present study investigated the associations of political orientation with vaccine hesitancy and intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and the potential mediating roles of trust in science and belief in misinformation. A total of 750 Italian respondents completed an online questionnaire in the period between the second and the third wave of COVID-19 (from 9th March to 9th May 2021). The results showed that political orientation had both direct and indirect associations with vaccine hesitancy and vaccine intention, mediated by trust in science and belief in misinformation. Specifically, right-wing adherents were less trustful of scientists and believed in COVID-19-related misinformation more than left-wing adherents, and these two factors accounted for their higher vaccine hesitancy and reduced willingness to receive an anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings are in line with the predictions of the mindsponge theory and suggest that communicative campaigns aimed at improving the rates of vaccine acceptance in right-wing adherents should be specifically focused on enhancing trust in science and reducing belief in misinformation.

The dynamics of a quantum system, undergoing unitary evolution and continuous monitoring, can be described in term of quantum trajectories. Although the averaged state fully characterizes expectation values, the entire ensemble of stochastic trajectories goes beyond simple linear observables, keeping a more attentive description of the entire dynamics. Here we go beyond the Lindblad dynamics and study the probability distribution of the expectation value of a given observable over the possible quantum trajectories. The measurements are applied to the entire system, having the effect of projecting the system into a product state. We develop an analytical tool to evaluate this probability distribution at any time t . We illustrate our approach by analyzing two paradigmatic examples: a single qubit subjected to magnetization measurements, and a free hopping particle subjected to position measurements.

IntroductionRemembering where negative events occur has undeniable adaptive value, however, how these memories are formed remains elusive. We investigated the role of working memory subcomponents in binding emotional and visuo-spatial information using an emotional version of the object relocation task (EORT).MethodsAfter displaying black rectangles simultaneously, emotional pictures (from the International Affective Pictures System) appeared sequentially over each rectangle. Participants repositioned the rectangles as accurately as possible after all stimuli had disappeared. During the EORT encoding phase, a verbal trail task was administered concurrently to selectively interfere with the central executive (CE). The immediate post-encoding administration of an object feature-report task was used to interfere with the episodic buffer (EB).ResultsOnly the EB-interfering task prevented the emotion-enhancing effect of negative pictures. The latter effect was not observed with a concurrent executive task.DiscussionOverall, our findings suggest that pre-attentive automatic processes are primarily involved in binding emotional and visuo-spatial information in the EB.

Abstract Background Prone positioning improves survival in moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) unrelated to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This benefit is probably mediated by a decrease in alveolar collapse and hyperinflation and a more homogeneous distribution of lung aeration, with fewer harms from mechanical ventilation. In this preliminary physiological study we aimed to verify whether prone positioning causes analogue changes in lung aeration in COVID-19. A positive result would support prone positioning even in this other population. Methods Fifteen mechanically-ventilated patients with COVID-19 underwent a lung computed tomography in the supine and prone position with a constant positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) within three days of endotracheal intubation. Using quantitative analysis, we measured the volume of the non-aerated, poorly-aerated, well-aerated, and over-aerated compartments and the gas-to-tissue ratio of the ten vertical levels of the lung. In addition, we expressed the heterogeneity of lung aeration with the standardized median absolute deviation of the ten vertical gas-to-tissue ratios, with lower values indicating less heterogeneity. Results By the time of the study, PEEP was 12 (10–14) cmH2O and the PaO2:FiO2 107 (84–173) mmHg in the supine position. With prone positioning, the volume of the non-aerated compartment decreased by 82 (26–147) ml, of the poorly-aerated compartment increased by 82 (53–174) ml, of the normally-aerated compartment did not significantly change, and of the over-aerated compartment decreased by 28 (11–186) ml. In eight (53%) patients, the volume of the over-aerated compartment decreased more than the volume of the non-aerated compartment. The gas-to-tissue ratio of the ten vertical levels of the lung decreased by 0.34 (0.25–0.49) ml/g per level in the supine position and by 0.03 (− 0.11 to 0.14) ml/g in the prone position (p

Abstract Background Survivors of severe COVID-19 are at risk of impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and persistent physical and psychological disability after ICU and hospital discharge. The subsequent social burden is a major concern. We aimed to assess the short-term HRQoL, physical function and prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms of invasively mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients treated in our ICU. Methods Prospective, observational cohort study in a follow-up clinic. Patients completed a 6-min walking test (6MWT) to assess their cardio-pulmonary function around 2 months (early follow-up) from hospital discharge, the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire for quality of life assessment around 2 months and at 6 months from hospital discharge and an anonymous web-based Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaire for Post-Traumatic Stress symptoms at 2 months. Results 47 patients attended our follow-up program, mean age 59 ± 10 years, median pre-morbid Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) 2 [2–3]. The median distance walked in 6 min was 470 [406–516] m, 83 [67–99]% of the predicted value. Overall 1 out 3 patients and 4/18 (22%) among those with a good functional baseline prior to COVID-19 (CFS of 1 or 2) had lower (84%) than predicted 6MWT. EQ-5D-5L quality of life VAS was 80 [70–90] out of 100 at early follow-up with a slight improvement to 85 [77.5–90] at 6 months. Mobility, self-care and usual activities improved between the two timepoints, while pain/discomfort and depression/anxiety did not improve or got worse. The IES-R total score was greater than the threshold for concern of 1.6 in 27/41(66%) respondents. Conclusions Patients recovering from severe COVID-19 requiring invasive mechanical ventilation surviving hospital discharge present with early mild to moderate functional impairment, mildly reduced quality of life from hospital discharge with an overall improvement of mobility, self-care and the ability of performing usual activities, while a worsening of pain and depression/anxiety symptoms at 6 months and a large proportion of symptoms of post-traumatic distress soon after hospital discharge.

Abstract Background The physiological behavior of lungs affected by the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) differs between inspiration and expiration and presents heterogeneous gravity-dependent distribution. This phenomenon, highlighted by the different distribution of opening/closing pressure and by the hysteresis of the pressure–volume curve, can be studied by CT scan, but the technique expose the patient to radiations, cannot track changes during time and is not feasible at the bedside. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could help in assessing at the bedside regional inspiratory and expiratory mechanical properties. We evaluated regional opening/closing pressures, hysteresis and atelectrauma during inspiratory and expiratory low-flow pressure–volume curves in ARDS using electrical impedance tomography. Methods Pixel-level inspiratory and expiratory PV curves (PVpixel) between 5 and 40 cmH2O were constructed integrating EIT images and airway opening pressure signal from 8 ARDS patients. The lower inflection point in the inspiratory and expiratory PVpixel were used to find opening (OPpixel) and closing (CPpixel) pressures. A novel atelectrauma index (AtI) was calculated as the percentage of pixels opening during the inspiratory and closing during the expiratory PV curves. The maximal hysteresis (HysMax) was calculated as the maximal difference between normalized expiratory and inspiratory PV curves. Analyses were conducted in the global, dependent and non-dependent lung regions. Results Gaussian distribution was confirmed for both global OPpixel (r2 = 0.90) and global CPpixel (r2 = 0.94). The two distributions were significantly different with higher values for OPpixel (p

RESUMO O direito fundamental à privacidade passou, nesses últimos meses, a entrar em um embate até então não dimensionado pelo ordenamento jurídico brasileiro em relação ao direito fundamental à saúde. Com a pandemia instaurada pela Covid-19, gestores públicos viram-se obrigados a buscar de maneira efetiva e ágil a resolução da crise no setor público de saúde. A tecnologia de monitoramento e rastreio de dados pessoais demonstrou ser a solução mais eficaz para se atingir esse escopo. O presente artigo visa, pelo estudo do Direito comparado e técnicas de monitoramento e rastreio existentes, propor um método de ação que auxilie o poder público a conter a disseminação da Covid-19, sem olvidar a relevância atrelada ao direito à privacidade.

On a quantum superconducting processor we observe partial and infinite-temperature thermalization induced by a sequence of repeated quantum projective measurements, interspersed by a unitary (Hamiltonian) evolution. Specifically, on a qubit and two-qubit systems, we test the state convergence of a monitored quantum system in the limit of a large number of quantum measurements, depending on the non-commutativity of the Hamiltonian and the measurement observable. When the Hamiltonian and observable do not commute, the convergence is uniform towards the infinite-temperature state. Conversely, whenever the two operators have one or more eigenvectors in common in their spectral decomposition, the state of the monitored system converges differently in the subspaces spanned by the measurement observable eigenstates. As a result, we show that the convergence does not tend to a completely mixed (infinite-temperature) state, but to a block-diagonal state in the observable basis, with a finite effective temperature in each measurement subspace. Finally, we quantify the effects of the quantum hardware noise on the data by modelling them by means of depolarizing quantum channels.

Abstract Background High inspiratory flow might damage the lungs by mechanisms not fully understood yet. We hypothesized that increasing inspiratory flow would increase lung stress, ventilation heterogeneity, and pendelluft in ARDS patients undergoing volume-controlled ventilation with constant tidal volume and that higher PEEP levels would reduce this phenomenon. Methods Ten ARDS patients were studied during protective volume-controlled ventilation. Three inspiratory flows (400, 800, and 1200 ml/s) and two PEEP levels (5 and 15 cmH2O) were applied in random order to each patient. Airway and esophageal pressures were recorded, end-inspiratory and end-expiratory holds were performed, and ventilation distribution was measured with electrical impedance tomography. Peak and plateau airway and transpulmonary pressures were recorded, together with the airway and transpulmonary pressure corresponding to the first point of zero end-inspiratory flow (P1). Ventilation heterogeneity was measured by the EIT-based global inhomogeneity (GI) index. Pendelluft was measured as the absolute difference between pixel-level inflation measured at plateau pressure minus P1. Results Plateau airway and transpulmonary pressure was not affected by inspiratory flow, while P1 increased at increasing inspiratory flow. The difference between P1 and plateau pressure was higher at higher flows at both PEEP levels (p

The geoelectrical features of the Travale geothermal field (Italy), one of the most productive geothermal fields in the world, have been investigated by means of three-dimensional (3D) magnetotelluric (MT) data inversion. This study presents the first resistivity model of the Travale geothermal field derived from derivative-based 3D MT inversion. We analyzed MT data that have been acquired in Travale over the past decades in order to determine its geoelectrical dimensionality, directionality, and phase tensor properties. We selected data from 51 MT sites for 3D inversion. We carried out a number of 3D MT inversion tests by changing the type of data to be inverted, the inclusion of static-shift correction at some sites where new time-domain electromagnetic soundings (TDEM) were acquired, the grid rotation, as well as the starting model in order to assess the connection between the inversion model and the geology. The final 3D model herein presents deep elongated resistive bodies between the depths of 1.5 and 8 km. They are transverse to the Apennine structures and suggest a correlation with the strike-slip tectonics. Comparison with a seismic velocity model and well log data suggests a highly-fractured volume of rocks with vapor-dominated circulation. The outcome of this study provides new insights into the complex geothermal system of Travale.

Inspired by the idea that quantum computers can be useful in advancing basic science, we use a quantum processor to experimentally validate a number of theoretical results in non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics, that were not (or were very little) corroborated so far. In order to do so, we first put forward a novel method to implement the so called two-point measurement scheme, which is at the basis of the study of nonequilibrium energetic exchanges in quantum systems. Like previously established methods, our method uses an ancillary system, but at variance with them, it provides direct access to the energy exchange statistics, and is, accordingly more effective, at least when applied to small quantum systems. Using a quantum computer as a remotely programmable experimental platform, we first validate our ancilla-assisted two-point measurement scheme, and then apply it to (i) experimentally verify that fluctuation theorems are robust against projective measurements, a theoretical prediction, which was not validated so far; (ii) experimentally verify the so-called heat-engine fluctuation relation, by implementing a swap quantum heat engine; (iii) experimentally verify that the heat-engine fluctuation relation holds for measurement-fueled quantum heat engines, by implementing the design at the basis of the so-called quantum-measurement-cooling concept. For both engines, we report the measured average heat and work exchanged and single out their operation mode. Our experiments constitute an experimental basis for the understanding of the nonequilibrium energetics of quantum computation and for the implementation of energy-management devices on quantum processors.

We exploit the concept of the geothermal favourability, widely used for hydrothermal and EGS systems, to present an innovative methodology for assessing geopressured-geothermal resources occurring in terrigenous units in sedimentary basin plays. Geopressured-geothermal systems are an unconventional resource for power trigeneration exploiting three forms of energy from hydrocarbons, hydrothermal fluids, and well-head overpressure. This paper is intended to be a practical analytical framework for the systematic integration of the relevant data required to assess geopressured-geothermal resources. For this purpose, innovative parameters were also implemented in the methodology. The final result is the favourability map for identifying prospective areas to be further investigated for the appraisal of the geopressured-geothermal potential. We applied our methodology to the foredeep-foreland domains of the Apennines thrust belt in the Abruzzo region (central Italy). We analysed hundreds of deep hydrocarbon wells in order to create 3D geological and thermo-fluid dynamic models at a regional scale as well as to obtain information on the pressure regimes and on the chemistry of the system. The final favourability map for the Abruzzo case study is a first attempt at ranking these kinds of unconventional geothermal resources in a region that has been historically explored and exploited mostly for hydrocarbons.

We present an effective evolution equation for a coarse-grained distribution function of a long-range-interacting system preserving the symplectic structure of the noncollisional Boltzmann, or Vlasov, equation. First, we derive a general form of such an equation based on symmetry considerations only. Then we explicitly derive the equation for one-dimensional systems, finding that it has the form predicted on general grounds. Finally, we use this equation to predict the dependence of the damping times on the coarse-graining scale and numerically check it for some one-dimensional models, including the Hamiltonian mean-field model, a scalar field with quartic interaction, a 1-d self-gravitating system, and a self-gravitating ring.

Background. Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition characterized by cognitive impairment, dysmorphism, central obesity, and diabetes mellitus, among other abnormalities. Although some of these characteristics are known independent risk factors for endometrial cancer and its precursors, the association between BBS and endometrial cancer is underreported. Case. We present the case of a 26-year-old patient with BBS and clinical signs of hyperestrogenism who presented with abnormal uterine bleeding and was diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. She ultimately underwent definitive surgical treatment with hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy. Conclusions. This is one of only a few reports in the literature describing the association of BBS and endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma. Given the association of BBS with risk factors for hyperestrogenism such as truncal obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and ovulatory dysfunction, providers should have increased suspicion for endometrial cancer in young patients with BBS and abnormal uterine bleeding.

The behaviour of soil salinity in dry conditions is investigated by means of analytical tools. We present a closed solution for advective transport, and apply it to two typical real-world scenarios: i) a finite depthdistributed (i.e. Heaviside-type), and ii) an instantaneous top-surface broadcasted (i.e. Dirac-type) saline pulse. Our analytical solution is then incorporated into a stochastic stream tube model to compute the mean salinity profile in a heterogeneous field. An unusual phenomenon of plume contraction is observed when the soil is getting drier and drier (typically at long times during a water redistribution period). It is emphasized that our results are in agreement with previous analytical studies (see e.g. [22,23,24]), and match quite well synthetic as well as real data provided that sandy soils are dealt with.

Improving the efficiency of irrigation piping-systems represents a fundamental prerequisite to achieve a sustainable irrigation under both the environmental the economic point of view. Such an issue is important not only in areas with limited water-budget, but even in those areas where the increasing reduction of the water availability has become a worrying perspective. In the last twenty years, the reduction in water-availability and the increasing costs of system-management have highly limited the cultivated areas which are irrigated by means of water-distribution nets. In the recent years, most of the Italian investments in the irrigation-field have been oriented toward upgrading the open-channels irrigation nets, which were built starting from 50’, by substituting these latter with pipes. The modernization of the piping-systems has been achieved via innovative design solutions, such as back and loading water tanks or towers, which have lead to an improvement into the flexibility of the net management. Nearby the employment of such technologies, nowadays it is also possible to use the knowledge of the physical processes involved in the management of an irrigation system, starting from energy as well as mass exchange in the continuum soil-plant-atmosphere till to a detailed hydraulic description of a water distribution net under different flow regimes. Such a type of knowledge may be used to improve as well as buildup mathematical models for a decisions-support toward the management of complex irrigation districts. The acquirement of the data needed to implement such models has been deeply improved thanks to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and techniques to analyze satellite-data coming from the Earth observation, which enable to characterize and monitor vegetation at different spatial, spectral and radiometric resolutions.