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Point-of-care brain ultrasound and transcranial doppler or color-coded doppler is being increasingly used as an essential diagnostic and monitoring tool at the bedside of critically ill neonates and children. Brain ultrasound has already established as a cornerstone of daily practice in the management of the critically ill newborn for diagnosis and follow-up of the most common brain diseases, considering the easiness to insonate the brain through transfontanellar window. In critically ill children, doppler based techniques are used to assess cerebral hemodynamics in acute brain injury and recommended for screening patients suffering from sickle cell disease at risk for stroke. However, more evidence is needed regarding the accuracy of doppler based techniques for non-invasive estimation of cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial pressure, as well as regarding the accuracy of brain ultrasound for diagnosis and monitoring of acute brain parenchyma alterations in children. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview for clinicians of the technical, anatomical, and physiological basics for brain ultrasonography and transcranial doppler or color-coded doppler, and of the current status and future perspectives of their clinical applications in critically ill neonates and children. Conclusion: In critically ill neonates, brain ultrasound for diagnosis and follow-up of the most common cerebral pathologies of the neonatal period may be considered the standard of care. Data are needed about the possible role of doppler techniques for the assessment of cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity of the critically ill neonate with open fontanelles. In pediatric critical care, doppler based techniques should be routinely adopted to assess and monitor cerebral hemodynamics. New technologies and more evidence are needed to improve the accuracy of brain ultrasound for the assessment of brain parenchyma of critically ill children with fibrous fontanelles. What is Known: • In critically ill neonates, brain ultrasound for early diagnosis and follow-up of the most common cerebral and neurovascular pathologies of the neonatal period is a cornerstone of daily practice. In critically ill children, doppler-based techniques are more routinely used to assess cerebral hemodynamics and autoregulation after acute brain injury and to screen patients at risk for vasospasm or stroke (e.g., sickle cell diseases, right-to-left shunts). What is New: • In critically ill neonates, research is currently focusing on the use of novel high frequency probes, even higher than 10 MHz, especially for extremely preterm babies. Furthermore, data are needed about the role of doppler based techniques for the assessment of cerebral perfusion and vasoreactivity of the critically ill neonate with open fontanelles, also integrated with a non-invasive assessment of brain oxygenation. In pediatric critical care, new technologies should be developed to improve the accuracy of brain ultrasound for the assessment of brain parenchyma of critically ill children with fibrous fontanelles. Furthermore, large multicenter studies are needed to clarify role and accuracy of doppler-based techniques to assess cerebral perfusion pressure and its changes after treatment interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a deep neck infection occurring in childhood. The gold standard technique for diagnosis is computerised tomography (CT) with a contrast medium. The aim of this study is to answer the question of whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be an alternative in diagnosing RPA and predicting pus drainage at surgery. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted at the paediatric emergency department of a tertiary level children hospital. The medical records of 31 children admitted to the Otorhinolaryngology and Paediatric ward, with a suspected diagnosis of RPA, were reviewed. The primary study outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of CT and MRI in predicting the amount of pus during surgery. Results: Twenty‐two patients (71%) underwent surgery. Among them, 18 had imaging before surgery. Eleven patients evaluated with CT scan underwent surgery: four had non‐significant purulent drainage, three of them were reported to have a significant fluid collection (negative predictive value 66% and positive predictive value of 55%). Nine patients evaluated with MRI underwent surgery: four cases had non‐significant purulent drainage, three of them showed a significant fluid collection at MRI (negative predictive value of 60%; positive predictive value of 56%). Conclusion: MRI and CT scans showed similar accuracy in predicting successful pus drainage during surgery; therefore, it could be a valid alternative in the diagnosis of RPA in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multidisciplinary study of the dolomitized bodies present in the Lower Cretaceous platform carbonates of Mt. Faito (Southern Apennines – Italy) was carried out in order to explore the connection between early dolomite formation and fluctuating climate conditions. The Berriasian-Aptian investigated succession is 466 m thick and mainly consists of shallow-water lagoonal limestones with frequent dolomite caps. The dolomitization intensity varies along the succession and reaches its peak in the upper Hauterivian-lower Barremian interval, where it is present a completely dolomitized interval about 100-m-thick. Field relations, petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the analyzed dolomite bodies allowed identifying two populations of early dolomites, a fine-medium crystalline (FMdol) and a coarse crystalline dolomite (Cdol), both interpreted as the product of mesohaline water reflux. According to our interpretation, FMdol precipitated from concentrated brines in the very early stage of the reflux process, producing typical sedimentary features as dolomite caps. In the successive step of the process, the basin-ward ‘latent’ reflux precipitated Cdol from less concentrated brines. A peculiar feature of the studied succession is the great consistency between stratigraphic distribution of dolomite bodies and their geochemical signature. The completely dolomitized Hauterivian-Barremian interval, in fact, is characterized by geochemical values suggesting an origin from distinctly saltier brines. Considering that the observed near-surface dolomitization process is controlled by physical and chemical parameters reflecting the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions during dolomite formation, we propose that the stratigraphically controlled dolomitization intensity reflects periodic fluctuations in the salinity of dolomitizing fluid, in turn controlled by long-term climate oscillations. The present work highlights that the stratigraphic distribution of early diagenetic dolomite may be used as proxy to define the climatic fluctuations that have influenced the sedimentary dynamics in the Early Cretaceous. Moreover, considering that a comparable early dolomite distribution is present also in the Dinaric Platform, we suggest that a regional scale climate control acted on early dolomite formation and distribution. Refining the knowledge of such a key control may have a significative impact on hydrocarbon reservoir characterization and exploration in the Periadriatic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to contribute to the energy transition, this study provides an integrated picture of the geothermal system hosted in the West Netherlands Basin and shows how the reconstruction of the basin's geological history can contribute to the correct exploration and exploitation of its geothermal resources. In the West Netherlands Basin, the main geothermal targets are found in the Cretaceous and Jurassic strata that were deposited during the rifting and post-rifting stages and were deformed during the subsequent basin inversion. Despite multiple studies on the tectonic setting, the timing and tectono-stratigraphic architecture of the rift system and its overall control on the development and evolution of geothermal systems are still to be fully deciphered. In this study, a detailed seismo-stratigraphic interpretation of the syn- and post-rift intervals in the West Netherlands Basin will be given within the framework of geothermal exploration. A recently released and reprocessed 3D seismic cube is used, covering a large portion of the onshore section of the basin. We identified two major Jurassic rifting episodes and a Late Cretaceous inversion event. During the Jurassic rifting phases, the compartmentalization of the basin and the creation of accommodation space led to the deposition of the Late Jurassic Nieuwerkerk Formation, which is the main regional geothermal producing target. Within this formation, we individuate growth synclines located in the central portions of the Jurassic half-grabens as sites that show good potential for geothermal exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectonic evolution of rift basins can strongly influence the petrophysical properties of its sedimentary infills at various scales and, therefore, influence the characteristics of present resources. Understanding the tectonic evolution of a rift basin is therefore decisive, as it can have consequences for the parameters that influence the planning of geothermal doublets. In this framework, this study gives a detailed interpretation of the syn- and post-rift episodes in the West Netherlands Basin, since Jurassic times. Despite multiple studies on the geotectonic setting of the West Netherlands Basin, a detailed understanding of its syn- and post-rift phases in the context of geothermal exploration is still fundamentally lacking. With a renewed interpretation of a seismic 3D cube, covering a large portion of the onshore section of the basin, we identified two important Jurassic rifting episodes and one Cretaceous inversion event. Rifting caused compartmentalisation of the main producing geothermal target in the area; the Late Jurassic Nieuwerkerk Formation. Yet, the central portions of the half-grabens show good potential for geothermal exploration. Subsequent inversion could have caused local breaching of the aquifer, forming a potential risk. Therefore, only non to moderately inverted areas should be considered for geothermal exploration. This study provides a better understanding of the multi-phase rifting history in the West Netherlands Basin, providing important constraints on the reservoir-seal integrity and with that, the amount of heat that can be safely produced from a geothermal reservoir rock. Aiming to contribute to the energy transition, this study provides an integrated picture of the West Netherlands Basin and shows how a basin's geological history can affect its geothermal resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the night of August 19, 2000, at the foot of Castel del Monte, an 8-year-old girl was brutally murdered. The perpetrators were identified as five young men who captured their victim and sexually abused her. The policemen found the cadaver by following “Mario,” one of the five, who had been discovered lying on the ground, near the castle. Investigation led to demonstrate that the murder was not premeditated. The only desire of the group was to sexually molest the little girl. Mario showed signs of psychiatric pathology and for that he underwent psychiatric evaluation by judicial authorities. Analysis of this case, combined with a criminological and medical-legal perspective led to conclusions very much different from the expectations of Mario’s defense attorneys. Mario, a marginal figure and seemingly the least intelligent, played the role of group instigator, both in the initiation of sexually abusing the child, as well as in the elimination of an inconvenient witness. However, the group was able to activate Mario’s sadistic fantasies and his sexual perversions, and he ended up in a catalyzing role influencing the behavior of others and realizing what would otherwise remain only fantasies. The circularity of the group allows people like Mario, who are apparently subordinate, to influence the behavior of others. Mario was found to have a mental disorder but it was not sufficient to diminish his personal responsibility related to the crime. In fact, according to Italian judicial code, it is necessary that the motivation for the crime was psychopathological. It was for this reason that, according to Italian law, all of the members of the group were considered to be responsible for the crimes committed and were condemned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault zones can often display a complex internal structure associated with antithetic faults, branch and tip points, bed rotations, bed-parallel slip surfaces, and subordinate synthetic faults. We explore how these structural complexities may affect the development of fault-related fractures as displacement accumulates. We analysed in detail an incipient fault zone within well-bedded, shallow-water carbonates of the southern Apennines thrust belt (Italy). The fault zone crops out with quasi-complete exposure at a reservoir scale on an inaccessible sub-vertical cliff face, and fault and fracture mapping were carried out on a 3D virtual outcrop model of the exposure built for this study using photogrammetry. Comparing the structure of the fault zone and the density of 9444 mapped fractures allowed us to unravel their spatial relationships. Our results show that the areas of denser fractures coincide with: (i) rock volumes bounded by antithetic faults developed within the fault zone, (ii) branch points between these antithetic faults and fault zone-bounding fault segments, (iii) fault zone-bounding fault segments associated with significant displacement gradients, and (iv) relay zones between subordinate synthetic faults. These findings may aid locating sub-seismic resolution volumes of dense fracturing and associated enhanced permeability within faulted reservoirs. • Fault zones display complex internal structure. • Fault zone structure affects the density of fault-related fractures. • Variability in fault-related fracture density influences fluid flow in faulted reservoir. • Fault analysis on 3D virtual outcrop model built with photogrammetric techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium rhodizonate test is a simple colorimetric technique used to identify traces of lead and barium. A positive test provides rapid and photographically documentable results for shots fired at distances not exceeding 50 cm. Usually, this method is not used for identification of the firing hand, which is detected by electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis (SEM-EDX), requiring the removal of any particles on the surface to be analyzed by STUB. The use of Sodium Rhodizonate, which is undoubtedly less selective, has the disadvantage of target element solubilization (lead and barium) and thus the loss of the preliminary morphological investigation of the particles. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the two indicated methods can be considered complementary in the following order: 1. buffer sampling for electron microscopy investigation (STUB); 2. and subsequent performance of the Sodium Rhodizonate Test. In some special cases, when it is necessary to obtain the result more quickly, with regards to respecting the chronology of the aforementioned tests, it may be useful to carry out the Sodium Rhodizonate Test first, especially when particular and perhaps antiquated weapons were used for suicidal purposes causing considerable gas dispersion and shot residues from the mechanisms. This research illustrates how significant results were obtained substantiating the suicide hypothesis, following the use of an old revolver (year of manufacture around 1915-1920). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Residue Interaction Networks (RINs) map the crystallographic description of a protein into a graph, where amino acids are represented as nodes and non-covalent bonds as edges. Determination and visualization of a protein as a RIN provides insights on the topological properties (and hence their related biological functions) of large proteins without dealing with the full complexity of the three-dimensional description, and hence it represents an invaluable tool of modern bioinformatics. Results: We present RINmaker, a fast, flexible, and powerful tool for determining and visualizing RINs that include all standard non-covalent interactions. RINmaker is offered as a cross-platform and open source software that can be used either as a command-line tool or through a web application or a web API service. We benchmark its efficiency against the main alternatives and provide explicit tests to show its performance and its correctness. Conclusions: RINmaker is designed to be fully customizable, from a simple and handy support for experimental research to a sophisticated computational tool that can be embedded into a large computational pipeline. Hence, it paves the way to bridge the gap between data-driven/machine learning approaches and numerical simulations of simple, physically motivated, models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the late Early Cretaceous, at the beginning of the Africa-Europe convergence, some portions of Adria experienced an enigmatic post-rift subsidence acceleration. According to many, this event is likely associated with extensional tectonics, which, however, hardly fits the Aptian-Cenomanian convergent framework of the central Mediterranean area and suffers from the apparent lack of coeval faults unquestionably linked to crustal stretching. Here we reconcile the tectonic and geodynamic records of Adria by introducing a syn-sedimentary extensional fault system exposed in the Lattari Mts. (southern Italy), currently forming the largest exposed Aptian-Cenomanian extensional system of Adria. Our structural reconstruction shows that the extensional displacement of the main fault is 2 km, at least 0.7 km of which was acquired during the Cretaceous. Radiometric dating indicates that reactivation and further growth of the fault occurred at 12.8 ± 0.5 Ma and 5.8 ± 3.4 Ma. To explain extensional tectonics in the framework of Africa-Europe convergence, we propose a slab pull mechanism, in which the traction exerted by the subducting Neotethys Ocean was responsible for the stretching of continental ribbons of Adria. • We document Aptian-Cenomanian syn-sedimentary normal faults in the southern Apennines. • The larger fault has an offset of 2 km, nearly half of which being Cretaceous. • Cretaceous extension relates with slab pulling induced by Neotethys subduction. • U–Pb dating indicates reactivation of the extensional system at 13 Ma and 6 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of studying vital injuries at the sternal head insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the medico-legal assessment of death by hanging. Materials and Methods: Study material was obtained from eight bodies of people who died from hanging. The control group included as many specimens collected from people who died from traumatic causes other than hanging (precipitation from medium to large heights and traffic accidents). The structures under study were examined histologically with a BX-51 light microscope (Olympus). An analysis of the extravasated erythrocytes was performed by counting the number per mm2 in the histologic section on 10 HPF (400×), and Student's t-test for a comparison of the averages was applied for all parametric values. The authors noted that the key finding, indicative of the subject's viability at the time of discontinuation, was the presence of recent hemorrhagic infiltrate (in the absence of hemosiderin) at the tendon insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the proximal part of the muscle itself. Results: All specimens tested were positive for the presence of hemorrhagic infiltrate at the portions tested in a statistically significant manner. In contrast, in the control cases there was no or, where present, no statistically significant (p < 0.05) presence of recent hemorrhagic infiltrate. The limitation of the study is the low number of samples examined. In any case, the results obtained are strongly indicative of the possibility of using this type of forensic pathological investigation in cases where there is a doubt in terms of a differential diagnosis between hanging (suicidal type) and suspension of a corpse in a simulation of hanging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemoglobin levels assessment is a crucial part of neonatal intensive care practice, the painful experience of repeated heel pricks and venepunctures blood sampling may negatively affect neonatal clinical course. To date the reliability of haemoglobin levels obtained by point-of-care testing (POCT) analysis if compared to standard blood cell count remains controversial. Retrospective study conducted on all inborn premature infants (gestational age < 32 weeks) admitted to NICU of the IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Institute during the period May 2021–April 2023. We considered blood samplings occurred within the first 28 days of life recording the laboratory haemoglobin levels (Hblab) (reference method), the point-of-care haemoglobin levels (HbPOCT) (alternative method) and the type of puncture (arterial, venous and capillary). A Bland-Altman analysis was performed to evaluate the Hb agreement, it determines the bias (mean difference between the reference and alternative methods) and limits of agreement (LOA; lower, l-LOA; upper, u-LOA) of measures. An acceptable limit of agreement was 1 g/dl according to the existing literature. We considered 845 blood samplings from 189 enrolled patients. The comparison between the reference and the alternative method showed a good agreement for the capillary sampling technique with l-LOA of −0.717 (−0.776; −0.659) and u-LOA of 0.549 (0.490; 0.607), these results were not achievable with the other techniques, with LOAs over ±1 g/dl threshold (venous

In recent years, violence against minors has been the subject of in-depth study in all its historical, social and cultural dimensions, being able to be identified and treated according to rigorous scientific methodologies. The A.A. report the case of an 8-year-old girl, who disappeared in a rural area, found dead a few hours later, on the recommendation of a young man who, despite having admitted to having gone away with the child, had not provided further details. The forensic inspection revealed that the discovery area included an area with burnt undergrowth about 4 meters in diameter. Examination of the external genitalia showed that the hymen was hemorrhagic in the right hemicycle, at 11 o'clock, with laceration of the most superficial layers of the anterior face. In the present case, therefore, despite having limited historical and circumstantial data, it was possible to reconstruct the following damaging dynamic: the little girl, after having gone away with her aggressor, was first the victim of an attempt of sexual violence by the latter and later immobilized by placing a foot on the slender abdomen. She had been covered with brushwood which the attacker had set fire to, thus killing her. This reconstruction of the criminal events, proposed to the investigating magistrate, was confirmed in each passage by the confessions made by the murderer, during the various degrees of trial, so much so that the final sentence reported in full the specific steps of the medico-legal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this case report is to describe two cases of sexual abuse by elderly subjects for which the Judge commissioned an expert psychiatric-forensic opinion. The elderly are generally believed to commit nonviolent crimes, whereas the two cases we observed feature forcible rape committed by elderly offenders, who showed no form of mental disease and had rationally planned their offense. They had never previously committed similar acts and had no history of homosexuality; both had been married for many years before the death of their wives and had adult children. Finally, no previous episodes of rape emerged in their personal histories during interrogations. The sociocultural context in which the crimes were committed was identical and arouses interest as regards both the method employed and how the crimes were discovered. The legal authorities then commissioned accurate investigations including medicolegal and psychiatric-forensic evaluations of the offenders and their victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of conditions have been mistaken for abuse. Differentiating accidental injuries from inflicted injuries is important in the management of injured children. In this work, the authors describe two cases of accidental perineal-vaginal injury in children. In case 1, a 4-year-old girl suffered a vaginal tear caused by violent stretching during play; in case 2, a 3-year-old girl had minor lacerations of labia minora and majora. The intervention of a multi-specialist team including a forensic pathologist and forensic psychiatrist was the key factor in being able to exclude abuse by third parties in the described cases.. This leads to the appropriate recommendations to be adopted in the forensic medicine setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethal injuries due to large animal attack are uncommon in routine forensic practice in Europe. Specifically, few incidents are reported concerning tiger/lion attacks that usually involve captive circus or zoo animals. We present the case of a 61-year old animal tamer who was mauled to death by four tigers while he was training them for a circus performance. Careful investigation of the circumstances surrounding the fatality revealed that the tamer had most likely been struck with a tiger paw and then mauled by additional tigers resulting in serious and fatal injuries. Although a full medico-legal autopsy was not authorized, total body CT scan coupled with post-mortem external examination allowed a reconstruction of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present the results of a rockfall trajectory study performed on the south-western slope of Mt. Catiello (Sorrento Peninsula, southern Italy). Such a study develops within a multi-methodological approach which integrates different types of remote sensing data and techniques. Specifically, ground-truth data (e.g., rock mass geo-structural information, rock block inventory) were generated by geologically-supervised interpretations of high-resolution virtual outcrop models (VOMs). These data were then used for reconstructing the in-situ fractured rock mass attributes of the Mt. Catiello peak, as provided by a Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model, and to prepare the subsequent numerical simulations of rockfall trajectories. The resulting rockfall scenarios are consistent with the ground-truth data, both in terms of size and spatial distribution. Thus, we believe that the proposed approach can be effectively applied to other areas, characterized by similar geological features but higher levels of exposure and vulnerability. • A multi-methodological approach for rockfall simulations: from slope face to valley • Integration of UAV-SfM and satellite-based data for rock mass and debris analysis • Obtaining ground-truth information from different types of virtual outcrop models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body-alarm reaction results from the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which can lead to physio-psychological phenomena such as an exclusion/occlusion of the sense of hearing. One hypothesis to explain this alteration consists in a hydromechanical dysfunction of the internal ear attributable to antidiuretic hormone. In this study, we evaluated the perception of acoustic stimuli administered in stressful conditions in 14 phobic patients and in 20 healthy subjects, in order to assess the influence of stress on perceiving capabilities. We also measured the concentration of salivary cortisol and IL-1β and neurovegetative parameters to objectivise and quantify the physiological reactions. Our results show a worse perception of the frequencies of the human voice under stress; these findings could have a dual value: in the legal field, concerning criminal liability, and on the operative context, regarding the efficiency of verbal communication among law enforcement officers in situations inducing intense emotional stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mass disaster is a situation that involves criticality between the number of victims and resources, in terms of both men and means, present on the site of an event that is mostly unexpected and sudden. In the multidisciplinary teams that intervene, the role of forensic pathologists, who are responsible for the direction and coordination of post-mortem operations, is central, and must remain so. The authors report the case of an explosion of a pyrotechnic artifice factory, as a result of which numerous victims and injuries are recorded. So, the team completed the autopsies and created a protocol to obtain biological samples (bones, blood, teeth, muscles), while the forensic pathologists contacted the families of the alleged victims and each provided a blood sample that was collected for the DNA. The geneticist, using the method of gene extraction and amplification, obtained the DNA from each bone, tooth, and muscle of blood taken from the victims and then compared it with that extracted from the blood samples of the relatives; the electropherograms showed at least one allele for each genetic marker of the "Combined DNA Index System" in common between the victims and the families, thus allowing to establish the identity of all the subjects involved in the event. Having established the identity of all workers, it was possible to determine their whereabouts in the environment at the time of the location of fires and explosions. The results of the various forensic analyzes (autopsies, genetic investigations and even traumatological investigations) have allowed us to validate a scientific method useful in all mass disasters even when any type of anthropological or forensic dental research is difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]