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Grapevine simulation models are mostly used to estimate plant development, growth and yield at plot scale. However, the spatial variability of pedologic and micro-climatic conditions can influence vine growth, leading to a sub-field heterogeneity in plant vigor and final yield that may be better estimated through the assimilation of high spatial resolution data in crop models. In this study, the spatial variability of grapevine intercepted radiation at fruit-set was used as input for a grapevine simulation model to estimate the variability in biomass accumulation and yield in two Tuscan vineyards (Sites A and B). In Site A, the model, forced with intercepted radiation data as derived from the leaf area index (LAI), measured at canopy level in three main vigor areas of the vineyard, provided a satisfactory simulation of the final pruning weight (r2 = 0.61; RMSE = 19.86 dry matter g m−2). In Site B, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2A images was firstly re-scaled to account for canopy fraction cover over the study areas and then used as a proxy for grapevine intercepted radiation for each single pixel. These data were used to drive the grapevine simulation model accounting for spatial variability of plant vigor to reproduce yield variability at pixel scale (r2 = 0.47; RMSE = 75.52 dry matter g m−2). This study represents the first step towards the realization of a decision tool supporting winegrowers in the selection of the most appropriate agronomic practices for reducing the vine vigor and yield variability at sub-field level.

Sardinian metallurgy produced samples of high artistic and historical value. In particular, ship models are rare and unmatched examples of the mastery reached by Sardinian metallurgists and their production process deserves an in-depth analysis of all the phases involved in the making. In this work, we examined a Sardinian boat model to obtain information about its composition, microstructure and manufacturing technique. The object is a small bronze ship model that was found near the Nuraghe Colovros, located in north-east Sardinia (Italy). It was analysed by means of neutron imaging and neutron diffraction experiments at the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source laboratory (Harwell, UK). Neutron techniques are relatively new in the field of archaeometry, but they are a very effective tool for the study of archaeological objects: they permit to survey complete artefacts, determine compositions and structures, assess the conservation status and address questions of effective use and casting techniques. This type of data can add new and different insights to existing archaeological information, especially where sampling is not permitted. The outcome of the study reveals a peculiar approach to the manufacturing of the boat model.

Traffic fatigue cycles generated in steel bridge components is one of the major issues that can affect these types of structures. This paper introduces a strategy aimed at the fatigue damage assessment and remaining fatigue life prediction of concrete—steel composite bridges under traffic loads using monitoring data. The novelty of the proposed approach consists in the possibility of performing the assessment by means of indirect measurements, i.e. predicting damage at structural sections different from sensors positions. The proposed predictive model can work with real monitoring data collected, providing information on the fatigue life of selected hotspots, thus contributing to plan lifetime maintenance. To support real-time lifecycle management of infrastructures, the acquired data and the corresponding fatigue predictions are visualized in the BIM model. The strategy has been developed in the context of the European Project RAGTIME European Commission Research and Innovation Action, Horizon 2020 [1] and has been applied on a real viaduct in the northern Italy, the Mondalavia viaduct.

Sierra Leone is the country with highest maternal mortality and infections are the underlying cause in 11% of maternal deaths, but the real burden remains unknown. This study aims to determine the incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI) post-caesarean section (CS) in women admitted to Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A prospective case-control (1:3 ratio) study was implemented from 1 May 2018 to 30 April 2019 and 11 women presenting with suspected or confirmed infection post-CS were screened for inclusion as a case. For each case, three patients undergoing CS on the same day and admitted to the same ward, but not presenting with SSI, were selected as controls. The post-CS infection rate was 10.9%. Two hundred and fifty-four clinically confirmed cases were enrolled and matched with 762 control patients. By multivariable analysis, the risk factors for SSI were: being single (odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-1.66), low education level (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.55-1.84), previous CS (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.10-1.52), presenting with premature membranes rupture (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.18-1.88), a long decision-incision time (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.74-2.24) and a high missing post-CS antibiotic doses rate (OR 2.52, 95% CI 2.10-2.85). Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Aim: To validate the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS) 31, in its Italian version, for the diagnosis of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in a clinic-based, single-centre study. Methods: A total of 73 participants with diabetes (age 55 ± 14 years) completed the COMPASS 31 questionnaire before undergoing cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic polyneuropathy assessment according to cardiovascular reflex tests, neuropathic symptoms and signs, and vibration and thermal thresholds. Results: The COMPASS 31 total weighted score differed between participants with and without cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (29.9 ± 19.5 vs 16.1 ± 14.7; P = 0.003) and with and without diabetic polyneuropathy (28.9 ± 19.1 vs 12.7 ± 11.3; P < 0.0001). It was related to cardiovascular reflex tests score (rho = 0.38, P = 0.0013) as well as diabetic polyneuropathy symptoms (rho=0.61, P < 0.0001) and signs scores (rho = 0.49, P < 0.0001). Receiver-operating curve analysis showed a fair diagnostic accuracy of total score for cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (area under the curve 0.748 ± 0.068, 95% CI 0.599-0.861) and diabetic polyneuropathy (area under the curve 0.742 ± 0.061, 95% CI 0.611-0.845). The best score thresholds were 16 for early cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (sensitivity 75.0%, specificity 64.9%, positive predictive value 37.5% and negative predictive value 90.2%), and 17 for both confirmed cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic polyneuropathy (sensitivity 70.0% and 65.5%, respectively; specificity 66.7% and 79.5%, respectively; positive predictive value 25.0% and 67.9%, respectively; and negative predictive value 93.0% and 77.8%, respectively). COMPASS 31 had a good internal consistency according to Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.73. Conclusions: COMPASS 31 can represent a valid, easy-to-use, quantitative assessment tool for autonomic symptoms in diabetic neuropathy, with a fair diagnostic accuracy for both cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and diabetic polyneuropathy.

An integrated monitoring platform was developed for real-time monitoring of air pollution and traffic flows in urban areas. The air quality monitoring unit, integrating the “Arduino” open-source technology with low-cost and high-resolution sensors, collects concentrations of CO, NO 2 and CO 2 . The traffic monitoring device, equipped with a camera sensor and a video analysis software, collects vehicles’ counts, speed and size. Air pollution and traffic readings are archived on a spatial data infrastructure composed of a central GeoDatabase, a GIS engine, and a web interface. A platform's description and the results of its installation in Florence (Italy) are presented.

This article proposes a discrete-time Minimal Control Synthesis (MCS) algorithm for a class of single-input single-output discrete-time systems written in controllable canonical form. As it happens with the continuous-time MCS strategy, the algorithm arises from the family of hyperstability-based discrete-time model reference adaptive controllers introduced in (Landau, Y. (1979), Adaptive Control: The Model Reference Approach, New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.) and is able to ensure tracking of the states of a given reference model with minimal knowledge about the plant. The control design shows robustness to parameter uncertainties, slow parameter variation and matched disturbances. Furthermore, it is proved that the proposed discrete-time MCS algorithm can be used to control discretised continuous-time plants with the same performance features. Contrary to previous discrete-time implementations of the continuous-time MCS algorithm, here a formal proof of asymptotic stability is given for generic n-dimensional plants in controllable canonical form. The theoretical approach is validated by means of simulation results.

An integrated monitoring platform (IMP) was developed for real-time monitoring of traffic flows and related air pollution in urban areas. The IMP includes: (i) an air quality monitoring unit, integrating the “Arduino” open-source technology with low-cost and high-resolution sensors, to measure air pollutant concentrations; (ii) a traffic monitoring device, equipped with a camera sensor and a video analysis software, to detect vehicles’ counts, speed and category; (iii) a spatial data infrastructure, composed of a central GeoDatabase, a GIS engine, and a web interface, for data storage and management. The IMP was tested in Florence (Italy) by installing sensor devices at a road site where a 1-year measuring campaign was carried out. A reference meteorological station in the city centre was used to provide observations of wind speed and direction, air temperature, and relative humidity. In this work, a statistical analysis was performed to investigate the influence of local road traffic and meteorological conditions on CO, NO2 and CO2 concentrations. Two different methods were applied: a linear regression model and an artificial neural network. To investigate the role played by emissions from road traffic, the influence of all drivers by period of the year (cold vs. warm months) and day of the week (weekdays vs. weekends) was analysed. As a result, the contribution of local road traffic on pollutant concentrations proved to be lower than meteorological parameters.

Purpose DRLs provide guidance regarding appropriate or conventional levels of radiation dose to be delivered to patients. DRLs should be used to supplement, not replace, professional judgment and do not provide a dividing line between good and bad medicine but they offer a tool to educate imaging clinics on best practices. We assert that national DRLs have a limited role to promoting optimal practice, that is sufficient image quality at the minimum dose. In contrast, each clinic can set local DRLs based on local resources (imaging equipment, time for examinations). This study was focus precisely on local reference levels as guidance to ensure that certain radiation doses not exceed and to optimize quality images with to improve patient care. Methods The data of all diagnostic examinations were collected from 2012 and 2016. The 75th percentile of the distribution and the average administrated activity were calculated and the average effective dose per examination were estimated using dose conversion factors. Results For each examination the average administered activity was lower than national DRLs, except for 99mTc-MAA pulmonary perfusion imaging which was larger for the need of tomographic acquisition. Furthermore, during last five years the average administered activity decreased with improvements in imaging equipment and the review regularly of local reference levels. For the 2 common examinations, 18F-FDG whole body and 99mTc-MDP bone planar, the radiation dose estimated according to models recommended in ICRP106 were 5,1 mSv and 4,2 mSv, respectively. Conclusions The main outcome of this internal survey is that local reference levels should continuously reconsidered to optimize protocols, to ensure best practices and to reduce dosimetry to patient and workers.

A very tall skeleton was found during archaeological excavations in the territory of Fidenae, an administrative centre of the Roman territorial organization, situated along the Via Salaria about 7 km north of Rome (Italy). The individual was a young male, dated back to the Imperial Age (3rd century AD), presenting a very tall but normally proportioned stature, estimated around 202 cm. The long bones showed incomplete epiphyseal union; therefore, the stature would probably have been taller, if he had lived longer. In this work, the metric data are compared with those from the Roman Imperial Age population, and differential diagnosis is discussed. The skeletal evidence is characteristic of a form of gigantism, a rare growth disease that may be linked to different syndromes. The most common etiology is associated with a dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which causes overproduction of the growth hormone (hGH) during childhood. This endocrine disorder stimulates cartilaginous activity at the growth plate, delaying epiphyseal fusion and resulting in increased bone length. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

International audience; In gene-for-gene interactions, avirulence genes interact, directly or not, with host resistance genes, triggering several defense mechanisms and resulting in no disease development. This kind of interaction was shown to occur in many host-pathogen relationships, including the one between Malus * domestica and Venturia inaequalis, the causal agent of apple scab. In the specific interaction between the host cultivar 'Golden Delicious' and V. inaequalis race 7, both the resistance gene Vg and the avirulence gene AvrVg have been identified and their map position determined in the host and in the pathogen genome respectively. Focusing on the fungal avirulence gene AvrVg, we constructed a genomic library of an AvrVg avirulent isolate and performed a chromosome walking, isolating and sequencing a 330 kb genomic region carrying this gene. Four different in silico gene predictions were performed on the genomic sequence resulting in a total of 169 genes grouped in 60 coding regions, some predicted by all four predictions to encode for the same identical protein and other regions where differences between the different predictions were found in the splicing sites. A second analysis was performed by software, allowing the identification of 40 regions coding for genes predicted to be secreted extracellularly, either by signal peptide or by non-classical secretion, these being the most common feature among avirulence genes. The next step toward identification of the real avirulence gene is the investigation of the expression of such candidate avirulence gene identified in silico as well as the examination of their possible alleles in virulent isolates. The results of the in silico gene prediction in the AvrVg region and preliminary results of candidate avirulence gene expression experiments will be presented.

The Authors report the case of a patient who underwent resection of a huge anterior mediastinal mass, revealing to be a necrotic thymoma. The patient had been previously submitted to surgical biopsies of the mass yielding non-diagnostic results due to extensive necrosis. A sternotomy was then performed to resect the mediastinal mass originating from the thymus, en-bloc with the mediastinal fat and the apparently infiltrated lung. Histopathology showed a possible cyst/thymoma in massive necrosis, not further definable; revision by a specialized experienced pathologist (J. Rosai) confirmed total mass necrosis and no lung infiltration, thus orientating diagnosis towards a necrotic thymoma and excluding a lymphoblastic lymphoma, with similar histopathological features but more frequent in children or characterized by neoplastic infiltration of surrounding lung. Total body computed tomography (CT) scan and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET)/CT, show neither local recurrence, nor distant metastases two years after surgery. In case of anterior mediastinal mass with difficult histopathological diagnosis due to massive necrosis, the hypothesis of a necrotic thymoma should be considered. After radical removal prognosis is generally favourable and no adjuvant treatment is required.

Musculoskeletal manifestations in a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients.Salvarani C, Vlachonikolis IG, van der Heijde DM, Fornaciari G, Macchioni P, Beltrami M, Olivieri I, Di Gennaro F, Politi P, Stockbrugger RW, Russel MG; European Collaborative IBD Study Group.Dept. of Rheumatology, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy. salvarani.carlo@asmn.re.itBACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Wide ranges of prevalence have been reported depending on the criteria used to define spondylarthropathy and on the selection of patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical spectrum of musculoskeletal manifestations in an inception cohort of European IBD patients. METHODS: From 1 October 1991 to 30 September 1993, 202 IBD patients were diagnosed in three centres of two countries (Italy and The Netherlands) by means of a population-based inception cohort study. Of this group of patients, 160 (79%) were interviewed and examined by a rheumatologist and a gastroenterologist in the period June-September 1996. A total of 139/160 patients had an antero-posterior radiograph of the pelvis, and in 140/160 HLA-B27 was determined. RESULTS: 53 (33.1%) of the 160 patients had experienced at least one musculoskeletal manifestation, 29 (18.1%) satisfied the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) criteria for spondylarthropathy and 5 (3.1%) satisfied the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis. However, 23 (14.4%) patients developed one or more spondylarthropathy-related manifestations without fulfilling any of the classification criteria. In patients satisfying ESSG criteria a significantly higher frequency of women (P = 0.03), of ocular and liver involvement (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), and use of immunosuppressive drugs (P = 0.02) was observed. CONCLUSION: Our study shows a high prevalence of musculoskeletal manifestations in an inception cohort of IBD patients. The clinical spectrum is broader than that defined by spondylarthropathy criteria.

In 1997 a new collaborative research project was initiated by the British School at Rome. This project draws on a variety of sources of archaeological information to explore the regional impact of the City of Rome throughout the period from 1000 BC to AD 1300. The project provides a common collaborative research framework which brings together a range of archaeologists and historians working in various institutions. In this paper those involved in different aspects of this new project outline their work and its overall objectives.

Viticoltura, gestione della chioma, vendemmia manuale e meccanica, tecniche di vinificazione, impiego di colture miste di lieviti, fermentazione malolattica, microssigenazione: un libro sullo stato dell'arte della ricerca scientifica applicata in questi campi. Il testo riporta la sintesi delle linee della ricerca che il Consorzio Tuscania ha coordinato nel quadriennio 2007-2010. Ognuna delle linee di ricerca è stata condotta in collaborazione con alcune delle più importanti istituzioni scientifiche del settore: CNR Ibimet, DIPROVE (Università di Milano), IASMA-FEM, Università di Firenze (Dipartimenti DEISTAF, DIPSA, DIBA), SAIFET (Università Politecnica delle Marche), DISAABA (Università di Sassari). L'opera fornisce utili spunti per aggiornare le tecniche di produzione dei vini rossi di qualità

A large body of evidence indicates that proteinuria is a strong predictor of morbidity, a cause of inflammation, oxidative stress and progression of chronic kidney disease, and development of cardiovascular disease. The processes that lead to proteinuria are complex and involve factors such as glomerular hemodynamic, tubular absorption, and diffusion gradients. Alterations in various different molecular pathways and interactions may lead to the identical clinical end points of proteinuria and chronic kidney disease. Glomerular diseases include a wide range of immune and nonimmune insults that may target and thus damage some components of the glomerular filtration barrier. In many of these conditions, the renal visceral epithelial cell (podocyte) responds to injury along defined pathways, which may explain the resultant clinical and histological changes. The recent discovery of the molecular components of the slit diaphragm, specialized structure of podocyte-podocyte interaction, has been a major breakthrough in understanding the crucial role of the epithelial layer of the glomerular barrier and the pathogenesis of proteinuria. Thispaper provides an overview and update on the structure and function of the glomerular filtration barrier and the pathogenesis of proteinuria, highlighting the role of the podocyte in this setting. In addition, current antiproteinuric therapeutic approaches are briefly commented.

In a previous study, we showed the ability of technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) scan to identify active disease in patients with multiple myeloma (Eur J Nucl Med 1998; 25: 714–720). In particular, a semiquantitative score of the extension and in- tensity of bone marrow uptake was derived and correlated with both the clinical status of the disease and plasma cell bone marrow infiltration. In order to estimate quantitatively 99mTc-MIBI bone marrow uptake and to verify the intracellular localization of the tracer, bone marrow samples obtained from 24 multiple myeloma patients, three patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and two healthy donors were studied for in vitro uptake. After centrifugation over Ficoll-Hypaque gradient, cell suspensions were in- cubated with 99mTc-MIBI and the uptake was expressed as the percentage of radioactivity specifically retained within the cells. The cellular localization of the tracer was assessed by micro-autoradiography. Twenty-two out of 27 patients underwent 99mTc-MIBI scan within a week of bone marrow sampling. Whole-body images were ob- tained 10 min after intravenous injection of 555 MBq of the tracer; the extension and intensity of 99mTc-MIBI uptake were graded using the semiquantitative score. A statistically significant correlation was found between in vitro uptake of 99mTc-MIBI and both plasma cell infil- tration (Pearson's coefficient of correlation r=0.69, P

e12502 Background: The extradomain B (ED-B) of fibronectin (FN) is a highly expressed marker of tumor angiogenesis and thus provides a molecular target for radioimmunotherapy (RIT). The RIT agent 1...

8063 Background: The extra-domain A1 (ED-A1) of tenascin-C is a highly expressed component of the tumor extracellular matrix and constitutes a valuable target for radionuclide therapy. Tenarad is a human antibody which is capable of recognizing ED-A1, has been labeled with I-131 and is expressed as small immunoprotein (SIP) for improving its biodistribution properties. Previous phase I/II studies with a similar compound (131I-L19SIP) have shown efficacy in a variety of cancer types. In this ongoing phase I/II trial, Tenarad is administered to patients with progressive Hodgkin lymphoma refractory to conventional treatment. Methods: Eight patients (4 M, 4 F, 19-41 yo) have been enrolled between April and December 2010. All patients had undergone at least three lines of chemotherapy; seven pts had prior external beam radiation therapy and six had prior autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation. All patients presented with nodal disease and some had involvement of the bone (n=3), lung (n=2) or liver...

A case of primary biliary cirrhosis occurred during the first quarter of pregnancy in a 29-years-old primipara is described. Possible relationships with a former anti-hepatitis B vaccination and with positive familiarity reduction of IgA are discussed. Follow-up to the patient after two years therapy with colchicine 1 mg a day is also described.

The Authors report the case of a patient who underwent resection of a huge anterior mediastinal mass, revealing to be a necrotic thymoma. The patient had been previously submitted to surgical biopsies of the mass yielding non-diagnostic results due to extensive necrosis. A sternotomy was then performed to resect the mediastinal mass originating from the thymus, en-bloc with the mediastinal fat and the apparently infiltrated lung. Histopathology showed a possible cyst/thymoma in massive necrosis, not further definable; revision by a specialized experienced pathologist (J. Rosai) confirmed total mass necrosis and no lung infiltration, thus orientating diagnosis towards a necrotic thymoma and excluding a lymphoblastic lymphoma, with similar histopathological features but more frequent in children or characterized by neoplastic infiltration of surrounding lung. Total body computed tomography (CT) scan and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET)/CT, show neither local recurrence, nor distant metastases two years after surgery. In case of anterior mediastinal mass with difficult histopathological diagnosis due to massive necrosis, the hypothesis of a necrotic thymoma should be considered. After radical removal prognosis is generally favourable and no adjuvant treatment is required.

In the last years it has become possible to combine high spatial resolution imagery, quick turnaround times and low operational complexity and costs in order to generate useful remote sensing products for vegetation monitoring applied to viticulture and the environment. Remote sensing platforms based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a tool for this purpose, providing low-cost approaches to meet the critical requirements of spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions. An open-source/low-cost UAV has been developed and tested in real field conditions proving to be an effective and inexpensive tool for mapping vineyard vigour areas of vineyards and thereby providing information relevant for precision viticulture applications. Two additional preliminary research activities have tested the capacity of the UAV system to evaluate diseases and bio char effects on vine vigour. Future prospects point to, the development of advanced UAV systems that allow a greater payload, and the consequent integration with more complex sensors in terms of weight and operation, such as thermal and hyper spectral cameras.