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In previous works, the authors showed that nylon nanofibers in the form of a random mat (nanomat) obtained by electrospinning can be used in bonded joints, where they may also work as an adhesive carrier. In those works, the setup of the bonding procedure started from a low-viscosity epoxy resin for hand layup in order to facilitate wetting of the nanomat, then a medium viscosity, two-component, unfilled epoxy adhesive was employed as an intermediate development step towards the addition of the nanomat to a high-viscosity, high strength, two-component epoxy adhesive system. The present work is therefore aimed at analyzing the performance of an epoxy adhesive for structural bonding, modified with the addition of a nylon nanomat generated by electrospinning. The adhesive is mixed and air bubbles are evacuated, then the nanomat is immersed in the adhesive, gently squeezed through two adjacent drums, counter-rotating at a given distance, in order to eliminate excess adhesive and to calibrate the wet nanomat thickness. The wet nanomat strip is finally placed between AA 6082-T4 adherents and let to consolidate to obtain Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) bonded specimens. Fracture tests are performed and the mode-I fracture toughness with and without the nanomat is compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence (PL) and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements were used to study the origin of optical emissions in the 0.8-1.0 eV region of selected oxygen precipitated and dislocated silicon samples. It was shown that the D1 band, present in both types of samples, is the convolution of different sub-bands, narrowly spaced between 0.802 and 0.820 eV. The emission at 0.807 eV, assigned in the literature to dislocations, was found only in samples where dislocations were intentionally generated by plastic deformation or induced by the clustering of self-interstitials generated during the growth of oxide precipitates. A comparison of the results of PL, DLTS, and optical DLTS measurements allows the assignment of levels involved in the radiative recombination processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess the efficacy of an integrated water safety plan (WSP) in controlling Legionella re-growth in a respiratory hydrotherapy system located in a spa centre, supplied with sulphurous water, which was initially colonized by Legionella pneumophila. Heterotrophic plate counts, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella spp. were detected in water samples taken 6-monthly from the hydrotherapy equipment (main circuit, entry to benches, final outlets). On the basis of the results obtained by the continuous monitoring and the changes in conditions, the original WSP, including physical treatments of water and waterlines, environmental surveillance and microbiological monitoring, was integrated introducing a UV/ultrafiltration system. The integrated treatment applied to the sulphurous water (microfiltration/UV irradiation/ultrafiltration), waterlines (superheated stream) and distal outlets (descaling/disinfection of nebulizers and nasal irrigators), ensured the removal of Legionella spp. and P. aeruginosa and a satisfactory microbiological quality over time. The environmental surveillance was successful in evaluating the hazard and identifying the most suitable preventive strategies to avoid Legionella re-growth. Ultrafiltration is a technology to take into account in the control of microbial contamination of therapeutic spas, since it does not modify the chemical composition of the water, thus allowing it to retain its therapeutic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Simkania negevensis in the chlorinated water of spa swimming pools and domestic network systems. Methods and Results A total of 10 and 36 samples were collected from two domestic water supplies and four spa facilities, respectively. Simkania negevensis was isolated in Acanthamoeba castellanii monolayers and detected by Gimenez staining and immunofluorescence test. Simkania negevensis DNA, extracted from the positive samples, was confirmed by a nested PCR assay followed by sequencing. Simkania negevensis was detected in 41·3% of samples (domestic water: 50%; untreated spa supply water: 25%; chlorinated spa pool water: 42·9%) from all the examined water systems in successive samplings performed in 1 year. The presence of S. negevensis was not correlated with the counts of Heterotrophic Bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Unlike Legionella spp., which were never isolated from the swimming-pool water samples, S. negevensis was also detected in chlorinated spa water. Conclusions This investigation shows that Simkania is widespread in natural and man-made aquatic environments, which may represent possible sources of infection: in the swimming pools, in particular, the aerosol generated by the water movement could increase the risk of inhalation of infected particles. Significance and Impact of the Study This study represents the first evidence of the presence of S. negevensis in spa pool water. Sero-epidemiological surveys on spa users could help to clarify its transmission in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 and HHV8 first spotted together: an affair under electron microscopy Despite the publication of articles about dermatopathology of COVID-related skin lesions,1 only a few among these investigate patients with SARS-CoV-2 and other viral co-infections showing cutaneous manifestations. Finding both COVID-19 and HHV8 viruses in a patient's specimen observed under TEM3 led us to speculate the mechanisms of co-infection of these pathogens. [Extracted from the article]

The transfer of chemical vapor deposited graphene is a crucial process, which can affect the quality of the transferred films and compromise their application in devices. Finding a robust and intrinsically clean material capable of easing the transfer of graphene without interfering with its properties remains a challenge. We here propose the use of an organic compound, cyclododecane, as a transfer material. This material can be easily spin coated on graphene and assist the transfer, leaving no residues and requiring no further removal processes. The effectiveness of this transfer method for few-layer graphene on a large area was evaluated and confirmed by microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and four-point probe measurements. Schottky-barrier solar cells with few-layer graphene were fabricated on silicon wafers by using the cyclododecane transfer method and outperformed reference cells made by standard methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A successful therapy needs high level of adherence consisting in right drug intake in terms of persistence and compliance. Our study suggests adherence is higher if spot (less than 30 days) therapies are excluded; the analysis of spot therapy causes underlines the importance of the interpersonal aspects of medical practice. Introduction: A successful therapy needs a high level of adherence consisting in right drug intake in terms of persistence and compliance. The aim of this study was to evaluate anti-osteoporotic therapies recorded in general practitioner databases in the area of Rome, which used the same computerized medical record management. The study focused on evaluating therapy adherence, any adherence changes excluding spot therapies (less than 30 days), and any cause of early therapy discontinuation in a subgroup of patients randomly selected. Methods: Thirty-one databases were evaluated, including a total of 6,390 anti-osteoporotic therapies: 5,853 were prescribed to women and 537 to men. The prescribed drugs were: vitamin D (13 %), calcium (8.7 %), vitamin D + calcium (40.1 %), raloxifene (3.3 %), alendronate (16.4 %), risedronate (7.7 %), clodronate (10.4 %), or other drugs (0.4 %). Spot therapies represented 53.7 % of the total prescriptions. The difference between adherence in the total group (24.64 %) and the group excluding spot therapies (43.38 %) is significant. The main factors influencing low adherence were side effects (27 %), misinformation given by the physician (17 %), insufficient motivation (9 %), difficult intake (9 %), and no perceived benefits (9 %). Results: Our study suggests adherence is high and similar to other chronic diseases if spot therapies are excluded. The analysis of spot therapy causes suggests that an important role is played by the physician and the interpersonal aspects of medical practice, especially at the first prescriptions. Conclusions: The physician should collaborate with patients in choosing a personalized medical treatment. Reducing spot therapy could be the real goal in order to improve anti-osteoporotic therapy adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the AREVA Logistics Business Unit has been developing the TN833 and TN837 cask models for the transportation of bitumen waste and of cemented technological waste respectively. This development has evolved from a very simple towards a more sophisticated design to take into account the radiolytic and thermal degradation of waste, the thermal reactivity of the bitumen matrix and more stringent requirements imposed by the Competent Authorities. The specific characteristic of these casks is the thermal insulation that protects the contents from a possible external fire or high thermal source, in the case of accident conditions during transport. A Type B(U)F-IAEA 2005 certificate of approval is expected in 2012 for the TN833 cask and subsequently for the TN837 cask. The TN837 design is similar with different geometrical dimensions (larger and shorter than TN833). The introduction of H2 gettering systems is planned to limit the quantity of H2 present in the cavity due to the radiolytic and thermal degradation phenomena in the cemented technological waste. These innovative solutions for thermal insulation and for hydrogen trapping will make it possible for TN to propose two cask models able to transport various wastes that are subject to radiolytic and thermal degradation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ Raman scattering studies allow following real-time evolutions of volume or surface structures under extreme conditions. In nuclear materials sciences, ion irradiation-induced atomic organization modification and water radiolysis are of a major interest. In order to better understand these phenomena, we have developed an in situ versatile portable Raman spectroscopy system coupled with a cyclotron accelerator, allowing monitoring of a solid/liquid interface under irradiation and thus giving access to effects of radiolysis. The different parts of the system and their improvements are described in details. The system efficiency is highlighted by a comparative study of the time dependence of UO2 surface modification induced, on one hand by contact with water under irradiation by 5 MeV He2+ particles, and on the other hand by pure chemical alteration, through contact with a hydrogen peroxide solution. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of combustion kinetics in the gas-phase is decisive for wild land fire behavior modeling. However, the use of detailed reaction mechanisms, which involves a large number of species and reactions, is impractical due to large computational time requirements. The present work proposes a five-step chemical kinetic mechanism to simulate the gas phase combustion processes taking place in wildland fires. Both experimental data and data from simulations run using the PSR code from the CHEMKIN-II package with a detailed kinetic mechanism (GDF-kin 3.0) have been used to calibrate and evaluate the global model under typical wild land fire conditions in terms of the inlet mixture composition, equivalence ratio, and range of temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To compare the standard culture method with a new, rapid test (ScanVIT-Legionella™) using fluorescently labelled gene probes for the detection and enumeration of Legionella spp. The new technique was validated through experiments conducted on both artificially and naturally contaminated water and through an inter-laboratory comparison. Methods and Results: All samples were processed by the ScanVIT test according to the manufacturer's instructions and by a culture method (ISO 11731). ScanVIT detected significantly more positive samples, although concentrations were similar and a strong positive correlation between the two methods was observed ( r = 0·888, P < 0·001). The new test was more accurate in identifying the co-presence of Legionella pneumophila and Leg. non- pneumophila. ScanVIT showed a slightly higher Legionella recovery from water samples artificially contaminated with Leg. pneumophila alone or together with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lastly, the inter-laboratory comparison revealed that the ScanVIT test exhibits a lower variability than the traditional culture test (mean coefficient of variation 8·7 vs 16·1%). Conclusions: The results confirmed that the ScanVIT largely overlaps the reference method and offers advantages in terms of sensitivity, quantitative reliability and reduced assay time. Significance and Impact of the Study: The proposed method may represent a useful validated alternative to traditional culture for the rapid detection and quantification of Legionella spp. in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study is conducted on the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by Rosmarinus officinalis plants when exposed to an external radiant flux. The thermal radiation heats the plant and causes the emission of VOCs. The thermal radiation simulates the radiant flux received by vegetation in a forest fire. The results of the experiments are used in a simplified analysis to determine if the emissions of VOCs in an actual forest fire situation could produce a flammable gas mixture and potentially lead to the onset of an accelerating forest fire. The experiments consist of placing a plant in a hermetic enclosure and heating it with a radiant panel. The VOCs produced are collected and analyzed with an automatic thermal desorber coupled with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (ATD-GC/MS). The effects of the fire intensity (radiant panel heat flux) and the fire retardant on the VOCs emission are then investigated. Two thresholds of the VOCs emission are observed. The first is for plant temperatures of around 120°C and appears to be caused by the evaporation of the water in the plant, which carries with it a certain amount of VOCs. The second one is around 175°C, which is due to the vaporization of the major parts of VOCs. The application of a fire retardant increases the emission of VOCs due to the presence of the water (80%) in the fire retardant. However, the use of the retardant results in a lower production of VOCs than using water alone. The measurements are used to estimate the concentration of VOCs potentially produced during the propagation of a specific fire and compared to the flammability limits of α-pinene. It is concluded that the quantities of VOCs emitted by Rosmarinus officinalis shrubs under certain fire conditions are capable of creating an accelerating forest fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Do species traits explain differences in productivity in grazed and ungrazed plots? Location: Río de la Plata grasslands, Uruguay (31°54′S, 58°15′W). Methods: In a greenhouse experiment, we measured the relative growth rate (RGR) of grasses with contrasting responses to grazing (increasers and decreasers). We performed six harvests at weekly intervals in order to calculate the RGR and assess 12 plant traits. We compared the RGR between increaser and decreaser species after 2 and 5 weeks using t-tests. Linear and potential regression models were fitted to time versus natural logarithm of total dry biomass relationships. The RGR temporal trajectories of increaser and decreaser species were obtained from the derivatives of the best-fit functions. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to sort species according to their traits. Results: The RGR of decreaser grasses was higher than that of increasers at the second week, while at the fifth week the opposite was observed. The RGR of decreasers dropped through time, while the RGR of increaser species was constant. The PCA separated increaser from decreaser species. The attributes related to increaser species were: high specific leaf area, tillering rate, green leaf rate, total leaf number, root weight ratio and leaf weight ratio; while those associated with decreaser species were: high dead biomass, senescence rate, reproductive biomass, leaf elongation rate and total biomass. Conclusions: Traits possessed by decreasers reduce light availability and increase the reproductive investment, explaining the drop in RGR. Specific differences in RGR seem to scale up to the ecosystem level and would explain the pattern in aboveground net primary production observed in the field under contrasting grazing regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, calorimetric experiments were performed in order to study the thermal oxidative degradation of rockrose, heather, strawberry tree and pine. Firstly, lignin, holocellulose and cellulose were extracted from the fuels and their contents were calculated according to normalized chemical methods. Then, Differential Scanning Calorimetry was used under air sweeping with dynamic mode on the temperature range [400–900 K] in order to obtain reaction enthalpy. Finally, a simple enthalpy model was developed based on the enthalpy of the thermal degradation of each biopolymer with their respective proportions in the fuels. The results showed that the model agreed satisfactorily to experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

e. leoni, g. de luca, p.p. legnani, r. sacchetti, s. stampi and f. zanetti. 2004.An evaluation was made of the prevalence ofLegionellaspecies in hot water distribution systems in the city of Bologna (Italy) and their possible association with bacterial contamination (total counts and Pseudomonadaceae) and the chemical characteristics of the water (pH, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Total Organic Carbon, TOC).A total of 137 hot water samples were analysed: 59 from the same number of private apartments, 46 from 11 hotels and 32 from five hospitals, all using the same water supply.Legionellaspecies were detected in 40·0% of the distribution systems,L. pneumophilain 33·3%. The highest colonization was found in the hot water systems of hospitals (93·7% of samples positive forL. pneumophila, geometric mean: 2·4 × 103 CFU l−1), followed by the hotels (60·9%, geometric mean: 127·3 CFU l−1) and the apartments with centralized heating (41·9%, geometric mean: 30·5 CFU l−1). The apartments with independent heating systems showed a lower level of colonization (3·6% forLegionellaspecies), with no evidence ofL. pneumophila. Correlation analysis suggests that copper exerts an inhibiting action, while the TOC tends to favour the development ofL. pneumophila. No statistically significant association was seen with Pseudomonadaceae, which were found at lower water temperatures than legionellae and in individual distribution points rather than in the whole network.The water recirculation system used by centralized boilers enhances the spreading of legionellae throughout the whole network, both in terms of the number of colonized sites and in terms of CFU count.Differences inLegionellacolonization between types of buildings are not due to a variation in water supply but to other factors. Besides the importance of water recirculation, the study demonstrates the inhibiting action of copper and the favourable action of TOC on the development ofL. pneumophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various sample pre-treatment techniques and different growth media for the isolation of Legionellae from hot water supplies in public buildings were compared. A total of 102 hot water samples from taps and showers was examined. The highest recovery frequency was obtained with the heat pre-treatment method and using the selective medium GVPC. However, the results differed according to the concentration of legionellas. In the case of low plate counts (≤5000 cfu 1[sub -1]), the heat pre-treatment technique gave a significantly higher percentage of positive samples compared with other techniques (P < 0.05). With increasing concentration, the differences between the procedures decreased until they became statistically not significant for concentrations above 50 000 cfu 1[sup -1]. The direct inoculum method allowed a significantly higher detection of concentrations (P < 0.001) compared with heat and acid decontamination methods, which brought about a 67-68% reduction in detectable Legionellae. Heat decontamination techniques show greater sensitivity and specificity. However, they underestimate the number of legionellas. In environmental surveillance programmes, this underestimate must be taken into consideration when assessing the health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two samples of virgin olive oil and one sample of hexane-extracted husk oil coming from Iran were examined. The analyses included physical and chemical characteristics, the composition of total fatty acids and fatty acids at the glyceride 2-position by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) of methyl esters, the triglycerides composition calculation according to Vander Wal theory, the separation of the alcoholic fractions (sterols, 4-methylsterols, triterpene alcohols, triterpene dialcohols and aliphatic alcohols) of the unsaponifiable matter by thin layer chromatography (TLC), the quantitation and the composition of these fractions by GLC of TMS derivatives. The results were in line with data from literature for olive oils of different origin, with the exception of: a high content of unsaponifiable matter (1.75 and 1.95% for virgin oils, 5.33% for husk oil); a high amount of sterols for husk oil (562 mg/100 g oil); a low content of SE 30 apparent β-sitosterol for husk oil (91.1%); a low amount of triterpene dialcohols (1 mg/100 g oil) and triterpene alcohols (78 and 91 mg/100 g oil) for virgin oils; a content of cycloartenol (60.2-66.9%) higher than the 24-methylenecycloartanol one (22.8-26.6%; a content of C linear saturated alcohol (33.9-38.0%) slightly higher than the C alcohol one (29.3-32.8%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of hepatitis A is described involving thirteen cases in a town in central-northern Italy. The consumption of infected clams, caught in a polluted coastal area of the Adriatic Sea, caused hepatitis A in all five members of a family consisting of mother, father and children, two of whom attended primary school. The epidemic subsequently spread to the primary school with a secondary attack rate of 7.9%, 0 for female pupils and 18.9% for males. The epidemiological and environmental investigations showed that the critical exposure took place in the boys' toilet in the primary school (OR: 32.79, 95% CI: 6.83–157.45). To prevent the spreading of contagion, extra disinfection was carried out in the whole school and health education campaigns were mounted. The good basic hygienic conditions of the homes, together with the cooperation of school staff in surveillance and providing information, allowed the epidemic to be controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Background: Little is known about the modifications in gambling patterns during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has shown signs of increase, particularly for individuals with preexisting gambling problems. Objectives: Our aim was to assess the behaviour of a cohort of patients in the Trentino Region. Methods: A semi structured questionnaire containing Hamilton Depression Rating Scale as well as open-ended questions on gambling activities, specifically online gambling, was administred over the telephone. The survey was administred for two months over the lockdown period (april-june 2020) and took approximately 20 minutes to complete. Results: About 50 responsens were collected. Data are currently been analyzed and will be avaiable at the time of the Congress. Conclusions: Will be show at the time of the Congress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of non-tubercular mycobacteria in swimming pool environments. The bacteria in question were found in 88·2% of pool water samples. The most frequent species were Mycobacterium gordonae (73·5% of samples; range 1–840 cfu 100 ml-1 ), M. chelonei (38·2% 2–360 cfu 100 ml-1 ) and M. fortuitum (35·3% 2–250 cfu 100 ml-1 ). The same species were also recovered from the water at the different phases of the treatment cycle, with relative percentages similar to those of the pool water. Shower floors and pool edges also presented high concentrations of the mycobacteria (100% of samples) and M. marinum was isolated from the surfaces of pool edges on two occasions (4·5% of samples). The swimming pool environment provides a suitable habitat for the survival and reproduction of mycobacteria. Although mycobacteria are common in swimming pools, human mycobacterial disease associated with their use is rare. Apart from superficial infections with M. marinum , the risk of more serious diseases in subjects with weakened immune systems should not be underestimated, given the widespread presence of mycobacteria that are possible opportunistic pathogens and the direct contact bathers have with the water and aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shellfish (mussels and clams) and shellfish-growing waters were examined for indicator bacteria according to the EC regulations, Salmonella spp., coliphages and anti-Salmonella phages. Samples were collected both from natural-growing areas along the coast and from authorized shellfish-harvesting beds. The coastal area was affected by organic pollution and extensive faecal contamination and, according to the legal requirements, was unsuitable for shellfish farming. The shellfish collected along the coast also showed faecal contamination at levels which did not conform to legal standards. No significant differences were observed between the frequency of isolation of somatic coliphages and indicator bacteria from sea water. In contrast, both the authorized and wild coastal shellfish were contaminated by coliphages at a significantly higher level than the corresponding bacterial indicators for faecal contamination (χ2 test, P < 0·01). Coliphage concentrations were significantly correlated with faecal indicators in marine waters (P < 0·001) and sediments (P < 0·05), but no correlation was found in shellfish, thus showing their low specificity as indicators of faecal pollution of human origin in shellfish of economic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]