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El Comité Permanente del Debate Nacional por la Paz en El Salvador ante la propuesta política del FMLN, de convertir las elecciones en una contribución para Ja paz, manifiesta al pueblo salvadoreño y a la comunidad internacional lo siguiente.

In recent years, hydrothermal treatment has been considered as among the most promising option for sludge solubilisation and carbon recovery in terms of sludge management. In this study, the effect of different individual hydrothermal operating conditions like temperature (110–250 °C), sludge pH (6–13) and reaction time (0.5–3 h) were varied to understand their influence on sludge solubilisation. The most effective hydrothermal conditions (severity factor of 9.7) were found to be at 200 °C, sludge pH of 12 and reaction time of 1 h which solubilised about 1743 mg/g and 131 mg/g of COD and carbohydrates respectively into the aqueous phase. Also, gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was done that identified the organic compounds in the treated liquid phase to be mainly carboxylic acids, phenols, esters, and their derivatives. Although further studies are required to efficiently separate and recover the different organic compounds present, this work provides more insights for future valorisation of the organic rich hydrothermally treated liquid phase.

Textos: Sufragio y sufragismo femenino en la Santa Fe agroexportadora. Una breve selección de fuentes acerca de reglamentaciones, argumentos, actorxs y realidades

Humans consider the parameters linked to movement goal during reaching to adjust their control strategy online. Indeed, rapid changes in target structure or disturbances interfering with their initial plan elicit rapid changes in behavior. Here, we hypothesize that these changes could result from the continuous use of a decision variable combining motor and cognitive components. We combine an optimal feedback controller with a real-time evaluation of the expected cost-to-go, which considers target- and movement-related costs, in a common theoretical framework. This model reproduces human behaviors in presence of changes in the target structure occurring during movement and of online decisions to flexibly change target following external perturbations. It also predicts that the time taken to decide to select a novel goal after a perturbation depends on the amplitude of the disturbance and on the rewards of the different options, which is a direct result of the continuous monitoring of the cost-to-go. We show that this result was present in our previously collected dataset. Together our developments point towards a continuous evaluation of the cost-to-go during reaching to update control online and make efficient decisions about movement goal.

Presentación de la Sección Textos: Conmemoraciones y Homenajes: A los treinta y cinco años de nuestra revista Historia Regional

The host epigenetic landscape rapidly changes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and evidence suggest that severe COVID-19 is associated with durable scars to the epigenome. Specifically, aberrant DNA methylation changes in immune cells and alterations to epigenetic clocks in blood relate to severe COVID-19. However, a longitudinal assessment of DNA methylation states and epigenetic clocks in blood from healthy individuals prior to and following test-confirmed non-hospitalized COVID-19 has not been performed. Moreover, the impact of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines upon the host epigenome remains understudied. Here, we first examined DNA methylation states in the blood of 21 participants prior to and following test-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at a median time frame of 8.35 weeks; 756 CpGs were identified as differentially methylated following COVID-19 diagnosis in blood at an FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05. These CpGs were enriched in the gene body, and the northern and southern shelf regions of genes involved in metabolic pathways. Integrative analysis revealed overlap among genes identified in transcriptional SARS-CoV-2 infection datasets. Principal component-based epigenetic clock estimates of PhenoAge and GrimAge significantly increased in people over 50 following infection by an average of 2.1 and 0.84 years. In contrast, PCPhenoAge significantly decreased in people fewer than 50 following infection by an average of 2.06 years. This observed divergence in epigenetic clocks following COVID-19 was related to age and immune cell-type compositional changes in CD4+ T cells, B cells, granulocytes, plasmablasts, exhausted T cells, and naïve T cells. Complementary longitudinal epigenetic clock analyses of 36 participants prior to and following Pfizer and Moderna mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination revealed that vaccination significantly reduced principal component-based Horvath epigenetic clock estimates in people over 50 by an average of 3.91 years for those who received Moderna. This reduction in epigenetic clock estimates was significantly related to chronological age and immune cell-type compositional changes in B cells and plasmablasts pre- and post-vaccination. These findings suggest the potential utility of epigenetic clocks as a biomarker of COVID-19 vaccine responses. Future research will need to unravel the significance and durability of short-term changes in epigenetic age related to COVID-19 exposure and mRNA vaccination.

One of the main by product obtained during beer production in the brewing industry is brewer’s spent grains (BSG). They are rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and proteins. The aim of the work is to explore the effect of acid and alkali pre-treatments on BSG by studying the solubilisation behaviour of the organic molecules. BSG is chemically pre-treated using (alkali addition using NaOH, acid addition- HCl) by varying the concentration. After the pre-treatments, analyses such as pH measurements, total sugars using refractometer, reducing sugars using 3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) Miller’s method, total polyphenols using Folin–Ciocalteu method, proteins using Lowry method are carried out on the liquid phase. The results obtained could provide better insights into efficient chemical pre-treatment studies of BSG and further valorisation.

Salt crystallization is one of the most dangerous forms of degradation affecting frescoes. This phenomenon can lead to cracking, flaking and detachment of the pictorial layer, ultimately ruining the work of art. However, the characterization of soluble salts via chemical analysis can be employed to determine the conditions of the artifact and establish the proper restoration and/or conservation strategies to be adopted. In this archaeometric study, a first-ever characterization of the soluble salts and related degradation phenomena on the frescoes by Saturnino Gatti in the church of San Panfilo in Villagrande di Tornimparte (L’Aquila) was carried out. Sampling was performed in areas with evident detachments, exfoliations and saline crystallization (efflorescences). Eleven samples of powder and fragments were taken from different panels of the fresco: nine were taken from Panels A, C, D and E and two from the top part of the vault. Chemical characterizations were performed using two analytical techniques: ion chromatography (IC) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Ion chromatography was used for the quantification of the main ions and to evaluate the presence of soluble salts, whereas infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the mineralogical phases. The results show efflorescence consisting of newly formed gypsum and carbonate in samples taken closer to the ground. Furthermore, a good correlation between sodium and chloride ions was observed, indicating the presence of an efflorescence composed of newly formed sodium chloride. Capillary rise and infiltration were highlighted as the main sources of soluble salts. This information will be crucial in guiding future restoration or conservation operations.

This research aimed to characterise pigments used to decorate a polychrome earthenware bas-relief of the 15th century entitled “Madonna with Child, Saint Catherine of Siena, and a Carthusian Prior”, attributed to Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (Pavia, 1447–Milan, 1522) and owned by the Sforzesco Castle Museum of Milan. The artwork underwent a cleaning procedure whose aims were the removal of the dark coating that obscured its surface and restoration work that could bring back its original features. Before the cleaning, six microsamples were collected and analysed using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDXS), and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy in ATR mode (ATR-FTIR), providing the restorers with decisive information on the materials underlying the coating. After the cleaning, the terracotta appeared vibrantly coloured, mainly with bright red, blue, green, black, and white tones. Then, some in situ, non-destructive, spectroscopic measurements were performed by a portable Raman spectrometer on some of the areas that could not otherwise have been sampled. The analyses revealed the presence of natural pigments, including lead white, azurite, yellow ochre, carbon black, calcite, cinnabar, and gypsum. For Madonna’s mantle, cobalt and Prussian blue were employed. Furthermore, the presence of barium sulphate was widely evidenced on the bas-relief. Albeit cobalt blue is of synthetic origin, its presence is compatible with the 15th-century palette, whereas Prussian blue and barium sulphate could be imputed to a previous restoration. Finally, the use of true gold for the background of the earthenware attests to the artwork’s importance and value.

We present the design of a novel K-band radar architecture for short-range target detection. Applications include direction finding systems and automotive radar. The developed system is compact and low cost and employs substrate-integrated-waveguide (SIW) antenna arrays and a $4\times 4$ Butler matrix (BM) beamformer. In particular, the proposed radar transmits a frequency modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) signal at 24 GHz, scanning the horizontal plane by switching the four input ports of the BM in time. Also, in conjunction with a new processing method for the received radar signals, the architecture is able to provide enhanced resolution at reduced computational burden and when compared to more standard single-input multiple-output (SIMO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The radar performance has also been measured in an anechoic chamber and results have been analyzed by illuminating and identifying test targets which are 2° apart, while also making comparisons to SIMO and MIMO FMCW radars. Moreover, the proposed radar architecture, by appropriate design, can also be scaled to operate at other microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies, while also providing a computationally efficient multi-channel radar signal processing platform.

Abstract Aims The introduction of sacubitril/valsartan (an angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor) is likely to change the approach to the management of patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The Assessment of Real Life Care–Describing European Heart Failure Management (ARIADNE) registry will evaluate patient characteristics, practice patterns, outcomes, and healthcare resource utilization in the outpatient setting across Europe, with the main focus on factors that guide physicians' decisions to start and continue sacubitril/valsartan in patients with HFrEF. Methods and results ARIADNE, a prospective, observational registry will enrol 9000 ambulatory patients with HFrEF in 23 European countries Supplement 1. The study will describe 4500 patients treated with conventional treatment (including an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker), and 4500 patients started on sacubitril/valsartan. In each country, patients will be enrolled consecutively over an expected period of 12 months, and followed‐up for 12 months. The primary objective is to describe the baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with chronic HFrEF, which guide the decision of the treating physician to initiate sacubitril/valsartan or to continue conventional treatment. A co‐primary objective is to identify the baseline characteristics that are associated with the likelihood of reaching the target dose of sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg twice daily during follow‐up. Conclusions The ARIADNE registry will provide a comprehensive profile of patients with chronic HFrEF in Europe, will elucidate how management varies between countries, and will help clarify the usage and outcomes associated with use of sacubitril/valsartan in real life.

An isolation technique, which does not require conventional circulators, is proposed for the realization of a simple and low-cost aperture-coupled circularly polarized antenna for application to full-duplex devices. The approach is based on the use of slotlines loops to provide surface current cancellation in specific regions of the antenna structure, leading to improved axial ratio and isolation between the ports in excess of 50 dB. Circular polarization is achieved by introducing a double-box hybrid coupler, which is optimized to obtain good matching and isolation of the quadrature signals. On this basis, both right- and left-hand circularly polarized beams are achieved by interchanging the transmitting and receiving antenna ports, enabling full-duplex operation and reconfigurability. While the antenna structure is designed for 2.45 GHz operation, one can take advantage of the proposed approach to tune the frequency of maximum isolation. Both single-element prototypes as well as a 2 x 2 array are fabricated and measured, showing good agreement with the simulations and validating the proposed isolation approach. The beam steering capabilities as well as the application to a Van Atta retrodirective antenna array and the possibilities of achieving delta and sum patterns for monopulse operation are also reported. The proposed full-duplex antenna can also represent an excellent solution for narrowband wireless power transmission systems.

A planar antenna radiating twisted beams with different azimuthal order and a consistent beam angle is designed by employing a single uniform circular array embedded in a Fabry-Perot cavity. Circular phased arrays placed in free space are commonly employed to radiate conical beams carrying orbital angular momentum. However, the beam angle depends on both the array radius and the azimuthal order of the beam, thus requiring the use of multiple concentric circular arrays in order to produce beams with different azimuthal order and a common beam angle. In the proposed design, this is simply achieved by exciting higher-order cylindrical leaky waves through a single circular array feeding a Fabry-Perot cavity. Such waves radiate conical patterns whose beam angle is mainly determined by the relevant radial wavenumber and only weakly depends on the azimuthal order. In particular, we propose here an antenna design capable of radiating beams with azimuthal orders 0, ±1, ±2, and ±3 in the microwave range. The cavity is fed by an array of coaxial probes optimized for input matching through the inclusion of parasitic metal pins. Numerical full-wave simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed design in terms of radiation patterns, passive input scattering parameters, and active input reflection coefficients.

A significant quantity of space-borne Global Navigation Satellite Systems-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data over land was made available in the last decade, leading to an increasing interest in the assessment of the potentialities of this new remote sensing technique for land monitoring. In this frame, an electromagnetic simulator, such as the Soil And VEgetation Reflection Simulator (SAVERS), has the key role to support the understanding of the physical mechanism involved in the bistatic scattering and to identify the surface features mainly contributing to the observed signal. Originally developed for ground and airborne GNSS-R observations over homogeneous areas, in this study, SAVERS was upgraded to account for space-borne systems. The new version of SAVERS takes into account the inhomogeneity characterizing the large area observed from space altitudes, due to a variable surface elevation and land cover. Coherent and incoherent scattering and polarization rotation are computed taking into account the local slope and elevation of the surface. The simulator was validated against TechDemoSat-1 observations over a bare surface with a complex topography and over a forested surface with a gentle topography. The validation results show the capability of SAVERS to correctly estimate the effect of the topography, enhancing the understanding of the observations. Moreover, it was found that the sensitivity to soil moisture is independent of the topography (about 1.5 dB for a 10% variation of soil moisture). Whereas a saturation of the GNSS-R reflectivity over a variable topography is reached for lower values of biomass, earlier than in the flat case.

The article of the freeze/thaw dynamic of high-latitude Earth surfaces is extremely important and informative for monitoring the carbon cycle, the climate change, and the security of infrastructures. Current methodologies mainly rely on the use of active and passive microwave sensors, while very few efforts have been devoted to the assessment of the potential of observations based on signals of opportunity. This article aims at assessing the performance of spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) for high-spatial and high-temporal resolution monitoring of the Earth-surface freeze/thaw state. To this aim, reflectivity values derived from the TechDemoSat-1 (TDS-1) data have been collected and elaborated, and thus compared against the soil moisture active passive (SMAP) freeze/thaw information. Shallow subsurface soil temperature values recorded by a network of in situ stations have been considered as well. Even if an extensive and timeliness cross availability of both types of experimental data is limited by the spatial coverage and density of TDS-1 observations, the proposed analysis clearly indicates a significant seasonal cycle in the calibrated reflectivity. This opens new perspectives for the bistatic L-band high-resolution satellite monitoring of the freeze/thaw state, as well as to support the development of next-generation of GNSS-R satellite missions designed to provide enhanced performance and improved temporal and spatial coverage over high latitude areas.

In this study, the capability of Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry in evaluating forest biomass from space has been investigated by using data coming from the TechDemoSat-1 (TDS-1) mission of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. and from the Cyclone Satellite System (CyGNSS) mission of NASA. The analysis has been first conducted using TDS-1 data on a local scale, by selecting five test areas located in different parts of the Earth's surface. The areas were chosen as examples of various forest coverages, including equatorial and boreal forests. Then, the analysis has been extended by using CyGNSS to a global scale, including any type of forest coverage. The peak of the Delay Doppler Map calibrated to retrieve an “equivalent” reflectivity has been exploited for this investigation and its sensitivity to forest parameters has been evaluated by a direct comparison with vegetation optical depth (VOD) derived from the Soil Moisture Active Passive L-band radiometer, with a pantropical aboveground biomass (AGB) map and then with a tree height (H) global map derived from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System installed on-board the ICEsat satellite. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the decreasing trend of the observed equivalent reflectivity for increasing biomass, with correlation coefficients 0.31 ≤ R ≤ 0.54 depending on the target parameter (VOD, AGB, or H) and on the considered dataset (local or global). These correlations were not sufficient to retrieve the target parameters by simple inversion of the direct relationships. The retrieval has been therefore based on Artificial Neural Networks making it possible to add other inputs (e.g., the incidence angle, the signal to noise ratio, and the lat/lon information in case of global maps) to the algorithm. Although not directly correlated to the biomass, these inputs helped in improving the retrieval accuracy. The algorithm was tested on both the selected areas and globally, showing a promising ability to retrieve the target parameter, either AGB or H, with correlation coefficients R ≃ 0.8.

In the present work, the microclimatic conditions (temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and illuminance (I)), together with the air quality (both aerosol particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants), were monitored to evaluate the environmental conditions inside the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in Saronno (VA), a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. For this purpose, dataloggers were used to carry out the T, RH, and I measurements, whereas an optical particle counter (OPC) was employed to perform the particle count and determine the concentration of the aerosol PM. Finally, diffusive passive samplers were used to determine the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes). To identify possible spatial variations, the studies were conducted at different sites and different heights in the Sanctuary. Particular focus was given to the Easter week during which liturgical services attracting large numbers of people were carried out. Additionally, a comparison with the outdoor values was performed to highlight the accumulation phenomena and other variations in the concentrations of the species. Despite the indoor concentrations of pollutants and variations in the thermohygrometric parameters being generally lower compared to the outdoors (e.g., 5.2–15.0 µg m−3 versus 17.7–45.3 µg m−3 for NO2), the microclimatic conditions were often not in line with the Italian legislation and technical standards.

The cleaning of textile artefacts and in particular historical tapestries is generally carried out using standard methods. Different cleaning procedures, including a new method based on a hydro-aspiration mechanism, recently developed by restorers with the aim of improving the efficiency of the cleaning system, were applied to a historical tapestry belonging to the lower edge of one of the tapestries of the “Ulysses Stories” series exhibited at the Quirinale Palace (Rome). The tapestry was made of wool and silk and has precious decorations made of metal yarns, which are particularly fragile. The new cleaning system was compared with the traditional methods commonly used by restorers for tapestry cleaning. For this purpose, the quantity and chemical composition of the particles removed and collected on quartz fibre filters by applying the different cleaning systems, were estimated by means of analytical techniques, such as IC (Ion Chromatography) for the quantification of the ionic species collected into the rinsing water, the TOT (Thermal Optical Transmittance) method for the quantification of the carbonaceous particles and SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) for yarn morphological characterization and elemental analysis of the deposited particles. The objective of this study is to identify the correct cleaning method to apply to the polymaterial tapestry and, in particular, to the gilded silver and gold metallic yarns, whose conservation state requires the preservation of the “self-protection” patina necessary for the future exhibition inside the Quirinale Palace. The new hydro-aspiration method was found to be more efficient in removing dirt and preserving the structure of the metallic threads being in this way less invasive in detaching the fragile surface patina and at the same time more effective in removing dirt.

Different Light-Absorbing Snow Impurities (LASI) can deposit on snow- and ice-covered surfaces. These particles are able to decrease snow and ice albedo and trigger positive albedo feedback. The aim of this work was to develop a new method to quantify the carbonaceous fractions that are present in snow and ice samples that contribute significantly to their darkening. Currently, in the literature, there is an absence of a unified and accepted method to perform these studies. To set up the method proposed here, snow samples were collected at two Italian locations, Claviere and Val di Pejo (Northern Italy). The samples were analyzed using two main techniques, Total Organic Carbon analysis (TOC analysis) and Thermal Optical analysis in Transmittance mode (TOT), which enabled the speciation of the carbonaceous fraction into organic (OC), inorganic (IC), and elemental carbon (EC), and further into the soluble and insoluble parts. The results highlighted a correlation between the nature of the sample (i.e., location, age, and exposure of the snow) and the experimental results, giving validity to the method. For example, the abundant presence of terrigenous constituents was reflected in high amounts of insoluble IC. Moreover, due to the trend between insoluble IC and Elemental Carbon (EC), the role of IC in TOT analysis was investigated. Indeed, IC turned out to be an interfering agent, suggesting that the two techniques (TOC analysis and TOT) are complementary and therefore need to be used in parallel when performing these studies. Finally, the results obtained indicate that the newly proposed method is suitable for studying the carbonaceous fractions in snow samples.

This study describes the surgical treatment of multiple humeral fractures in a Caretta caretta sea turtle referred by the ‘Centro Faunistico del Parco Regionale Bosco e Paludi di Rauccio’, in the area surrounding the city of Lecce, in southern Italy. Radiographs showed an evident detachment of the distal humeral epiphysis, compatible with a type II Salter-Harris fracture, as well as a transverse fracture of the diaphysis. After the surgical fracture reduction, radiographic follow-up was performed at 2, 4, 12, 16, and 24 months, showing a progressive healing and the formation of poorly mineralized callus tissue. Unfortunately, three months after his release at sea, the turtle was caught dead at a depth of 40 m. Histological and histomorphometric examinations of the surgically treated humerus were carried out on the corpse to collect further information about the bone tissue repair mechanisms in these animals.

Currently, the specifications for the assessment of saffron quality are contained in the ISO 3632 technical standard. This norm evaluates saffron quality through a UV-Vis spectrophotometric method and grades the spice into three commercial categories. However, numerous studies have highlighted several weaknesses and limitations of the ISO method. For this reason, a new multi-analytical approach for the determination of saffron quality is proposed in this work. Different techniques were employed to assess saffron quality: UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The results show that the commercial grading based on the ISO 3632 methodology is not always in line with the observations made with the other techniques. Moreover, the use of two new techniques in the field of saffron quality determination, i.e., SEM-EDX and ICP-OES, proved to be effective for the determination of elemental composition and metal content, which are two important parameters to take into consideration when assessing the quality of the spice.

The study investigated the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in 100 competitive athletes in contact sports, equally grouped by the practiced game: Soccer (SoG), Rugby (RG), American Football (AFG), Boxing (BoG), Basketball (BaG), compared to a randomly control group of 20 non-athletes (CG). Symptoms and signs were examined according to the standardized Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders through a questionnaire and clinical evaluation. Arthralgia showed significant differences between RG and CG and between AFG and CG (p < 0.05). Study groups reported masticatory muscle pain during function, neck and shoulder pain more frequently than CG, except for BoG. Closing click was significantly more present in study groups than CG, while crepitation was significantly higher only in RG and AFG. The deviation was wider in SoG, RG and AFG compared to CG (p < 0.05). Tukey’s multiple comparisons test showed a statistically significant reduction in right laterotrusion in RG vs. CG (p < 0.05); the comparison showed a decrease in right laterotrusion in RG vs. SoG and BoG (p < 0.05), a decrease in endfeel in RG vs. CG, BaG and AFG (p < 0.05). The data seem to support a relationship between the prevalence of TMD symptoms and signs in competitive athletes in contact sports, especially in RG and AFG compared to CG.

Congenital syngnathia is a very rare condition of unknown etiology with multiple clinical manifestations due to different combinations of bony or soft tissue adhesions between the mandible and maxilla. It shares possible association with other congenital anomalies in the head and neck region, or with other syndromes. The aims of the present work were: (1) to perform a literature review on bony syngnathia in order to obtain a general framework on epidemiology and management protocol; (2) to describe a case of a two-year-old boy with a left unilateral bony fusion treated with a distraction protocol of three months. Original articles were searched through PubMed, Cochrane Central database and Embase with a cut-off date of June 2022. In total, 94 articles were identified through database searching. After 39 exclusions, 55 articles were included in the review process. Eighty-seven cases of bony syngnathia have been reported from 1936 to 2022, and different classifications have been suggested in terms of location, extension, functional outcomes and management protocol. Complications may range from feeding difficulty to aspiration pneumonia and respiratory arrest. Early surgery is generally required to release the ankylosis and to establish good mandible function.

During the pandemic, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., face masks) to specialized personnel and general population represented a critical point to prevent virus spread; in addition, a huge variety of new manufacturers and products entered the market, widening the time required to test and validate the equipment’s performances according to the current regulations. In this study, we employ a simple method recently developed in our laboratory, to discriminate the filtering capability of a set of KN95-certified face masks from different producers. The method is based on a methylene blue (MB) solution which is sprayed towards a pneumatic lung simulator, connected to a dummy head dressed in different types of masks. The amounts of MB droplets passing through the tested devices are collected by a cotton pad and analyzed through UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance. In the framework of interdisciplinary collaborations between the University and the Hospital, additional characterization techniques were performed including light optical and scanning electron microscopy morphological characterization, pressure decay, and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE). All masks were compared to a reference one, considered the gold standard for filtering performances.

Species of the ecological opportunistic, avirulent fungus, Trichoderma are widely used in agriculture for their ability to protect crops from the attack of pathogenic fungi and for plant growth promotion activity. Recently, it has been shown that they may also have complementary properties that enhance plant defense barriers against insects. However, the use of these fungi is somewhat undermined by their variable level of biocontrol activity, which is influenced by environmental conditions. Understanding the source of this variability is essential for its profitable and wide use in plant protection. Here, we focus on the impact of temperature on Trichoderma afroharzianum T22, Trichoderma atroviride P1, and the defense response induced in tomato by insects. The in vitro development of these two strains was differentially influenced by temperature, and the observed pattern was consistent with temperature-dependent levels of resistance induced by them in tomato plants against the aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, and the noctuid moth, Spodoptera littoralis. Tomato plants treated with T. afroharzianum T22 exhibited enhanced resistance toward both insect pests at 25°C, while T. atroviride P1 proved to be more effective at 20°C. The comparison of plant transcriptomic profiles generated by the two Trichoderma species allowed the identification of specific defense genes involved in the observed response, and a selected group was used to assess, by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), the differential gene expression in Trichoderma-treated tomato plants subjected to the two temperature regimens that significantly affected fungal biological performance. These results will help pave the way toward a rational selection of the most suitable Trichoderma isolates for field applications, in order to best face the challenges imposed by local environmental conditions and by extreme climatic shifts due to global warming.

Newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are at increased risk of health care-associated infections. Serratia marcescens represent the third most common pathogen in NICU outbreaks. Here we present an outbreak investigation performed using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analyses and the control measures implemented to limit the spread of S. marcescens in the NICU of an Italian hospital. In February 2023 S. marcescens was isolated from six newborns, when in 2022 this pathogen was isolated only from two samples in the same ward. Measures for infection prevention were adopted. Routinary surveillance screening, performed with rectal swabs collected at admission and weekly thereafter, was implemented to search for S. marcescens presence. Environmental samples were collected. All the isolates, obtained from the conjunctival swab of six newborns, from rectal swab of two newborns who did not develop infections, as well as from the aerators of two faucets, were sequenced. WGS analyses showed no correlation between the isolates from newborns and environmental isolates. The implementation of the measures for infection prevention and control had enabled us to successfully control the outbreak within a short period. WGS analyses proved to be crucial in outbreak investigation to limit the spreading of the pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A planar and low-cost parallel-plate waveguide (PPW) launcher based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology is proposed. It can launch the fundamental TEM mode with a collimated wave front into a PPW structure while also being low profile and easy to fabricate. The launcher is implemented using a network of SIW transmission lines and its design is based on the leaky-wave (LW) theory. In our proposed structure, a selection of the SIW lines is made to leak power into the desired PPW region by means of a partially reflective surface, enabling planar wave front propagation of the TEM mode where efficiency values of over 90% are achieved. Measurements of a fabricated prototype are also reported at 15 GHz to demonstrate the design procedure and validate structure operation. When compared with similar co-axial and metallic waveguide launchers, our proposed SIW structure represents a compact, integrated, and unique design solution which may be useful to feed planar parallel-plate slot arrays and end-fire antennas. In addition, our novel and simple approach for PPW excitation can also be applied to other parallel-plate-based guides, low-cost transitions, and compact dividing/combining circuits for a new antenna and non-radiating LW feed systems at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies.

The design of a K-band radial leaky-wave antenna is presented for polarization diversity applications. The antenna structure is constituted by an annular, radially periodic, and metallic strip grating printed on top of a single-layer grounded dielectric slab. The integrated feeding system is defined by a 2 × 2 array of planar slot sources for cylindrical surface-wave excitation. By the addition of the grating, the surface wave is perturbed and enables cylindrical leaky-wave radiation by means of a fast n = -1 space harmonic, whose behavior is characterized through a full-wave dispersive analysis. By proper phasing and spacing of the four independent TM feeds, positioned close to the center of the annular grating and on the ground plane, we demonstrate the possibility of radiating directive broadside beams offering linear, left or right-handed circularly polarized radiation, and sum and delta patterns. Thus, we propose an original solution to flexibly control the polarization of a high-gain beam by means of a simple and low-cost feeding system, made by the minimum number of integrated array sources. To accurately assess the antenna features and performance, the role of a zeroth and first-order cylindrical leaky waves propagating along the antenna aperture is also discussed. The proposed antenna design may be of interest for direction-of-arrival estimation by means of monopulse radars, as well as for a wide class of applications where flexible control of the polarization is desired, such as satellite and terrestrial point-to-point communication systems and earth observation.

This paper presents the design of a circularly polarized (CP) meshed patch antenna fully integrated within a solar panel for operation on CubeSats and other microsatellites. The structure has been designed to ensure optimal antenna performance at S-band as well as to minimize any shadowing effects that can reduce the received power at the solar cells. To generate CP, the antenna is driven by two orthogonal feed points, penetrating through a transparent borosilicate glass layer, as well as a silicon and PCB substrate. Simulated and measured performances, on both a preliminary FR4 design and a fully integrated prototype, demonstrate a good impedance bandwidth, satisfactorily axial ratio, as well as stable radiation patterns and minimum shadowing levels. The proposed antenna can be useful for communications between satellites as well as with the ground station, and since the structure is compact and completely integrated, the design can be an alternative approach to new-phased arrays on solar panels and other beam-steering systems.