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Thiophosphate-based all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are considered the most promising candidate for the next generation of energy storage systems. However, thiophosphate-based ASSBs suffer from fast capacity fading with nickel-rich cathode materials. In many reports, this capacity fading is attributed to an increase of the charge transfer resistance of the composite cathode caused by interface degradation and/or chemo-mechanical failure. The change in the charge transfer resistance is typically determined using impedance spectroscopy after charging the cells. In this work, we demonstrate that large differences in the long-term cycling performance also arise in cells, which exhibit a comparable charge transfer resistance at the cathode side. Our results confirm that the charge transfer resistance of the cathode is not necessarily responsible for capacity fading. Other processes, such as resistive processes on the anode side, can also play a major role. Since these processes usually depend on the state of charge, they may not appear in the impedance spectra of fully charged cells; i.e., analyzing the impedance spectra of charged cells alone is insufficient for the identification of major resistive processes. Thus, we recommend measuring the impedance at different potentials to get a complete understanding of the reasons for capacity fading in ASSBs.

ABSTRACT Fired bricks have been used for construction purposes in China for at least two thousand years. Since the mid-19th century the manufacture of bricks has shifted from an old [...]

ABSTRACTAbsolute dating of plasters and mortars clearly represents a key information to study important structures and buildings that may have undergone a difficult story starting from their construction. This is for instance the case of the architectures in the archaeological site of Hierapolis (Denizli, Turkey). However, when discussing about the possibility to apply radiocarbon (14C) dating, in this site the presence of different sources of contaminants, due to the geological and geochemical conditions and to the used raw materials, prevents the binder dating. As an alternative, we thus decided to focus on the small fragments of straw that had been used as additives in the mortar/plaster matrices. The fragments were identified, selected and dated using a 14C experimental set-up specifically optimized for microgram-sized samples. The obtained results were satisfying, even though the measured 14C ages also pointed out some possible criticalities in dating such small samples collected from a carbonaceous matrix.

Structural properties of 2-butanol aqueous solutions at different concentrations have been studied using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. The experimental structure factors have been accurately reproduced by the simulations, allowing one to explain their variation with concentration and to achieve a detailed description of the structural and dynamic properties of the studied systems. The analysis of experimental and computational data has shown that 2-butanol, the simplest aliphatic chiral alcohol, tends to form aggregates at a concentration above 1 M, affecting also both the structural and dynamic properties of the solvent.

In this paper, we compute and compare the surface energy of various Ga liquid droplets wetting a cylindrical cavity in various configurations. While for some of these configurations, the surface energy can be computed explicitly; for others, numerical computation is needed. Motivated by the results obtained for the cylindrical cavities, we explore the case of the more realistic situation, conical cavities. Our results provide a relation between the geometry of the conical cavity and the equilibrium wetting angles of the droplet on the bottom and on the sidewall of the cavity, which insures the dewetting of the lateral surface. This is an important result toward the control of the verticality during nanowire growth by the vapor–liquid–solid method.

Study objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize the elemental composition of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in order to identify new biomarkers of exposure and susceptibility in COPD [...]

It has been suggested that a genetic factor(s) or a familial predisposition may contribute to the clinical manifestations of disc herniation; moreover, no genetic linkage between spinal disc herniation and [...]

ABSTRACTThis study focused on the transition from upper-secondary school to university. Specifically, it examined whether prior academic achievements and conceptions of learning at the time of completion of upper-secondary school predicted short- and long-term university success (grades at the bachelor’s and master’s levels). A total of 171 psychology students (Mage = 23.99) participated in this retrospective longitudinal study. At the end of upper-secondary school, they completed the self-report instrument Learning Conceptions Questionnaire. Subsequently, their upper-secondary school-leaving certificate grades and grades at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels were retrieved from their university database. The analytic results of Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) revealed that upper-secondary school-leaving certificate grades and grades at the bachelor’s and master’s degree were significantly associated with each other. Furthermore, the conception of learning as ‘Opportunities and self-efficacy’ significantly predicted both upper-secondary school-leaving certificate grades and grades in bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Upper-secondary school students’ conception of learning was linked to psychological engagement and personal agency, as well as high school-leaving certificate grades increasing the likelihood of attaining successful university performance.

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is a new treatment for certain types of liver cancers; recent studies have reported it is more effective than surgery. The treatment involves injecting ethanol (an alcohol) with a needle into the tumor. The needle is guided by ultrasound (US), an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves. The technique has the advantage of not destroying healthy tissue, because the alcohol does not diffuse out of the tumor. This study examined the effectiveness of PEI for treating a variety of types of cancer in the liver. It was performed on 14 patients with a total of 21 liver tumors; these tumors were the result of metastasis, or spreading of cancer from primary cancers located in other parts of the body. The primary cancer was a colorectal adenocarcinoma in seven patients, a stomach adenocarcinoma in four patients, an abdominal leiomyosarcoma in one patient, and a bronchial carcinoid in one patient. A total of 204 injections were performed on the 21 tumors. Results showed that treatment caused a complete response in 11 tumors and a partial response in two tumors. Five tumors showed no change and three grew. Nine of the 11 tumors that responded completely were less than 2 centimeters in diameter. Four of the lesions that responded completely were in two patients, one with gastrinoma and the other with carcinoid, both being endocrine cancers. These results indicate that PEI is effective only for treating single, small tumors that are either endocrine metastases or metastases of adenocarcinoma. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

ABSTRACTObjective: To investigate the relationship between the presence of ectopic calcification in the elongation of the styloid process (SP) and its possible clinical manifestation (Eagle syndrome) in a population of kidney-transplant patients previously treated with hemodialysis.Methods: Digital orthopantomography of 92 kidney-transplanted patients and 68 control subjects were analyzed to measure the length of SPs. Calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) blood levels were also available for comparison.Results: The mean length of SPs was significantly different between groups, as were phosphate and PTH values.Discussion: Renal transplant patients who have been treated with hemodialysis present elongated SPs, presumably due to alterations in phosphate balance and PTH levels. Thus, in cases of orofacial pain in patients with a history of altered bone metabolism, particularly when due to renal insufficiency, Eagle syndrome should be suspected as the main cause of symptoms.

The present paper investigates the application of artificial intelligence to improve the results from simple, non-instrumented, tensile tests, performed with a desktop-size MaCh3D smart universal testing machine. Non-instrumented tensile tests, performed on any testing machine, are affected by both deterministic and random factors that introduce errors in the test results. Specific features of the MaChh3D tester minimize random factors effects on test results while introducing a larger effect of deterministic factors. Artificial intelligence is identified as a novel approach to correct errors in non-instrumented tensile test, capable of simulating a direct strain measure onto the test, replacing traditional contact or non-contact instrumentations (like strain-gages, extensometer and optical measures) that introduce complexity into test procedure and require time for setup. The resulting AI model implementation is described and its performance evaluated in comparison with instrumented tests, also comparing different training strategies. The developed AI-extensometer(artificial intelligence virtual extensometer), is capable of a precise mechanical properties evaluation, with errors from 0 to 10% depending on the specific parameter.

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to characterize nutritional status, body composition, oxidative stress, and inflammatory activity and to determine the possible associations between nutritional status and clinical variables in advanced cancer patients.Method:This was a cross-sectional study of 46 elderly cancer patients under palliative care with a prognosis of 30 days or more. Nutritional status, food intake, anthropometry, body composition (deuterium oxide method), metabolic profile, inflammation damage (C-reactive protein), oxidative damage (8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine), and symptom intensity were evaluated.Results:Among elderly cancer patients, 36.9% were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Systemic inflammation was detected, with a correlation between worse nutritional status and higher C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.01, r= −0.57), while lower lean mass (p < 0.01, r = 0.62) and higher fat mass percentages (p < 0.01, r = 0.62) correlated with higher levels of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine. Furthermore, daily energy (n = 25; 57.4%) and protein intake (n = 24; 52.2%) were lower than recommended in more than half the patients. The most prevalent symptoms were anxiety, impairment of well-being, drowsiness, tiredness, and lack of appetite.Conclusions:Despite preserved functionality, patients already had clinical and laboratory changes that, together with inadequate food intake, risk of malnutrition, systemic inflammation, and the presence of uncontrolled symptoms, alerted to the importance of an early and comprehensive palliative approach.

Developmental accounts of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) state that infants and children with ASD are spontaneously less attracted by and less proficient in processing social stimuli such as faces. This is hypothesized to partly underlie social communication difficulties in ASD. While in some studies a reduced preference for social stimuli has been shown in individuals with ASD, effect sizes are moderate and vary across studies, stimuli, and designs. Eye tracking, often the methodology of choice to study social preference, conveys information about overt orienting processes but conceals covert attention, possibly resulting in an underestimation of the effects. In this study, we recorded eye tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) during fast periodic visual stimulation to address this issue. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 typically developing (TD) control boys, matched for age and IQ. Streams of variable images of faces were presented at 6 Hz alongside images of houses presented at 7.5 Hz or vice versa, while children were engaged in an orthogonal task. While frequency-tagged neural responses were larger in response to faces than simultaneously presented houses in both groups, this effect was much larger in TD boys than in boys with ASD. This group difference in saliency of social versus non-social processing is significant after 5 sec of stimulus presentation and holds throughout the entire trial. Although there was no interaction between group and stimulus category for simultaneously recorded eye-tracking data, eye tracking and EEG measures were strongly correlated. We conclude that frequency-tagging EEG, allowing monitoring of both overt and covert processes, provides a fast, objective and reliable measure of decreased preference for social information in ASD.

Background: Organ involvement often occurs in early systemic sclerosis and has been related to premature death. Identifying patients at diagnosis at risk of developing early organ involvement would be useful to optimize screening and management strategies.Objective: To develop prediction models for the 5-year development of interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension and death.Methods: A European multicentre inception cohort was created. For modelling, predefined clinical variables with known predictive value at diagnosis were used. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were done to select baseline predictors and build the prediction models. The models were tested using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve comparing observed and expected frequencies.Results: Of 735 patients, 23% developed interstitial lung disease, 8% developed pulmonary arterial hypertension 12% died. The interstitial lung disease model included diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (OR = 1.8), systemic sclerosis disease duration < 3 years (OR = 1.4), puffy fingers (OR = 1.6), and anti-topoisomerase-I-antibodies (OR = 1.8). The pulmonary arterial hypertension model included age > 65 years (OR = 3.2), forced vital capacity < 70% (OR = 2.5) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide < 55% (OR = 1.9). Death was predicted best by age > 65 years (OR = 4.1), male gender (OR = 1.9), no anti-centromere antibodies (OR = 0.5), proteinuria (OR = 1.9), forced vital capacity < 70% (OR = 1.8) and pulmonary arterial hypertension at diagnosis (OR = 10.1). The area under the receiver operating characteristic was 0.66 (95% CI 0.64–0.67), 0.66 (95% CI 0.64–0.68) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.69–0.72), respectively.Conclusion: We have shown that it is possible to predict interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension and death using established variables already available at the moment of systemic sclerosis diagnosis. Discriminatory performance of the models was suboptimal. Further research including new variables is necessary to improve performance.

AbstractObjective:The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the accuracy and the diagnostic reliability of kinesiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosis of patients presenting temporomandibular disorders.Methods:A literature survey carried out through PubMed, SCOPUS, LILIACS, and the Cochrane Library from the inceptions to the last access on August 18 2016 was performed to locate randomized clinical trials, controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, or retrospective studies (with or without a control group), that examined the diagnostic reliability of recording devices of mandibular movements in comparison to MRI.Results:From the results, it was found that a significant correlation between these electronic devices and MR images could not be detected in case of disc displacement.Discussion:The scientific evidence does not support the usefulness in clinical practice of the jaw-tracking devices to diagnose temporomandibular disorders because their diagnostic reliability is poor.

AbstractSubmerged freshwater macrophytes are frequently used in hydraulic laboratories to study flow–plant interactions and the role of plants in aquatic ecosystems, but environmental conditions in flume facilities are often suboptimal for plants and can cause plant stress. Physiological responses of plants under stress can trigger modifications in plant biomechanics, which may affect plant–flow interactions and compromise experimental results. In the extreme, dead plants cannot be expected to reveal how live plants interact with flowing water, but stressed plants that are not visibly unhealthy may also affect experimental results. The present work aims to assess if and how environmental conditions typical of flume facilities can impact plant health status and induce variations in plant biomechanics. Using chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, a standard method for assessing plant health, we found that freshwater macrophytes can be significantly stressed under conditions typically found in hydraulic laboratories. Even though the abiotic factors investigated affected different species in different ways, exposure to tap water and low irradiance were the most stressful conditions for freshwater macrophytes. Biomechanical properties with a primary role in flow–plant physical interactions (e.g. flexural rigidity) changed significantly as a result of exposure to stressful conditions. In general, plant stress was associated with a reduction in flexural rigidity at the top of plant stems, suggesting a potential effect on plant hydrodynamics when leaves and petioles are considered. The maximum quantum yield of photosystem II, used as proxy of plant health status, was positively correlated with flexural rigidity of plant stems.

Copyright of Vie Économique (Berne) is the property of State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A consensus on digital ulcer (DU) definition in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been recently reached (Suliman et al., J Scleroderma Relat Disord 2:115-20, 2017), while for their evaluation, classification and categorisation, it is still missing. The aims of this study were to identify a set of essential items for digital ulcer (DU) evaluation, to assess if the existing DU classification was useful and feasible in clinical practice and to investigate if the new categorisation was preferred to the simple distinction of DU in recurrent and not recurrent,in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). DeSScipher is the largest European multicentre study on SSc. It consists of five observational trials (OTs), and one of them, OT1, is focused on DU management. The DeSScipher OT1 items on DU that reached ≥ 60% of completion rate were administered to EUSTAR (European Scleroderma Trials and Research group) centres via online survey. Questions about feasibility and usefulness of the existing DU classification (DU due to digital pitting scars, to loss of tissue, derived from calcinosis and gangrene) and newly proposed categorisation (episodic, recurrent and chronic) were also asked. A total of 84/148 (56.8%) EUSTAR centres completed the questionnaire. DeSScipher items scored by ≥ 70% of the participants as essential and feasible for DU evaluation were the number of DU defined as a loss of tissue (level of agreement 92%), recurrent DU (84%) and number of new DU (74%). For 65% of the centres, the proposed classification of DU was considered useful and feasible in clinical practice. Moreover, 80% of the centres preferred the categorisation of DU in episodic, recurrent and chronic to simple distinction in recurrent/not recurrent DU. For clinical practice, EUSTAR centres identified only three essential items for DU evaluation and considered the proposed classification and categorisation as useful and feasible. The set of items needs to be validated while further implementation of DU classification and categorisation is warranted. Observational trial on DU (OT1) is one of the five trials of the DeSScipher project (ClinicalTrials.gov; OT1 Identifier: NCT01836263, posted on April 19, 2013).

This study was aimed at inquiring the relationships between conceptions of learning and academic outcomes in middle school students, also considering gender differences. Students' conceptions of learning were investigated in 136 participants by means of a self-report questionnaire and their academic outcomes were collected. General Linear Models were used to analyze the relationships among the variables. Conceptions of learning predicted the academic outcomes, even considering gender differences. Conceptions of learning as a ‘co-constructive and cultural process’ and as a ‘personal challenge, self-efficacy and personal growth’ were positively related to academic outcomes. Instead, a conception of learning as ‘reduction of a deficit through individual effort’ was a negative predictor. Furthermore, females showed a higher predictive association between a conception of learning as a ‘co-constructive and cultural process’ and academic outcomes, compared with this predictive association shown in males.

The need to reduce the use of pesticides in viticulture is increasing the interest in wines produced using fungal-resistant grapevine varieties, which are characterized by relevant contents of both monoglucoside and diglucoside anthocyanins. Aging in wooden barrels induces oxygen permeation into wine, but little is known about diglucoside anthocyanin evolution. Cabernet cortiswine was subjected to addition of oxygen and oak chips, and the anthocyanin changes were followed for 1 month. Decreases of 90% total monoglucosides, 80% acylated monoglucosides, 65% diglucosides, and 90% acylated diglucosides were observed. Monoglucosides formed pyranoanthocyanins, and the lower steric hindrance favored their polymerization with flavanols. Instead, the decrease in diglucosides was correlated to the number of hydroxyl groups of ring B, indicating the predominant oxidation of aglycones. However, three flavonol–anthocyanin–diglucoside derivatives named (epi)catechin-ethyl-Mv-dihexoside, (epi)catechin-ethyl-Pn-dihexoside, and (epi)catechin-Mv-dihexoside A-type were identified in wine for the first time. These research findings are useful for tuning suitable oenological practices to stabilize the color of these wines (type of barrel, aging times, oxygenation practices) and lower the malvin content, which currently is recommended by the OIV at a maximum of 15 mg/L and is a critical issue for their commercialization.

Graphical Abstract:

Plummer disease is a form of hyperthyroidism, the secretion of excess thyroid hormone. In Plummer disease, thyroid nodules independent of the thyroid gland are responsible for the hyperthyroidism. These nodules are routinely treated with surgery and radioiodine therapy. Successful treatment of parathyroid tumors with percutaneous ethanol injections (PEI) lead to the investigation of this treatment for thyroid nodules. Eight Plummer disease patients with thyroid nodules that were identified with ultrasound (US) imaging agreed to receive this treatment. This procedure involves injecting alcohol directly into the nodule once or twice a week, providing a total of three to six injections per lesion. These nodules are well demarcated and the alcohol did not perfuse into the surrounding tissue. No anesthesia was needed for this procedure, and all of the patients tolerated it well with minimum discomfort. All of the patients had positive results, with the symptoms and signs of hyperthyroidism subsiding in each case. The normal thyroid tissue was not harmed in any way, and this procedure has fewer side effects than surgery and radioiodine therapy. Further study may conclude that PEI is the most viable treatment for thyroid nodules. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Introduction: The aims of the PROBIT trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03131284) were to prevent overweight or obesity occurring at two years of life, and improve feeding patterns during infancy. Methods: The trial compared 252 northern Italian newborns whose paediatricians offered their parents an educational programme from the child’s birth to the age of two years (intervention arm) with 216 newborns whose parents did not undergo the programme (control arm). This sample size was 80% powerful to detect, with a 0.05 a error, a 40% lower prevalence of overweight/obesity and a 57% lower prevalence of obesity in the intervention arm. At each well visit, the parents of the children in the intervention arm were given oral and written information about protective behaviours, with particular emphasis on responsive feeding. Overweight and obesity at two years of age were, respectively, defined as a body mass index of more than the 85th and the 95th percentile in accordance with the WHO growth charts. The sample size had 80% power to detect a 40% lower prevalence of overweight/obesity and a 57% lower prevalence of obesity in the intervention arm. Results: At the age of two years, the prevalence of obesity in the intervention arm was 35% lower than among the controls, but the difference was not statistically significant (8.7% vs. 13.4%; p?=?0.10) There was no difference in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between the groups (26.8% vs. 28.3%; p?=?0.49). At the age of three months, a higher proportion of the infants in the intervention group were fed on demand (93% vs. 80%, p?&lt;?0.001). Conclusions: The PROBIT trial failed to detect a significantly lower prevalence of obesity in the intervention arm, but did improve early feeding patterns. More powerful trials and meta-analyses are required to establish whether educating newborns’ parents can decrease the prevalence of early obesity.

AbstractThis paper reports the morphology of a natural patch of Ranunculus penicillatusand presents high-resolution measurements of flow velocities in its wake using a stereoscopic PIV field measurement system. The patch was 3.80 m long, 1.24 m wide and caused substantial changes to downstream mean velocities and turbulence. Vertical profiles of streamwise mean velocity were not logarithmic and flow was redirected under the positively buoyant canopy, enhancing vertical turbulent mixing in the wake and generating a large region where the velocity covariance was positive. Turbulent kinetic energy was enhanced downstream from the patch lateral shear layer, but not at the centre of the wake. Spectra downstream from the patch showed that turbulence was neither dominated by fine-scale nor large-scale structures, likely due to the low energy of the flow conditions and lack of a developed vortex street within the measurement domain. Sedimentation was observed at the upstream end of the patch, but not underneath the floating canopy. The methods and results of this work will be useful for planning other in situstudies. Also, the reported data on macrophyte geometry and biometrics will assist with the design of more realistic replicas for use in laboratory studies.

The recent evolution of European health policies and tourism market trends highlights the increasing attention to health promotion strategies along with healthcare tourism innovation. Thermal industry, considered as a set of places of care, represents a possible field for the integration of territorial health tourism services, thanks to its border-crossing connotation and its recognition by the European Commission as main subsector of health tourism. Although Italy represents one of the most attractive European health tourism destination, the thermal sector is still underdeveloped, in extremely heterogeneous and fragmented conditions, unable to catalyze socioeconomic potentialities as well as optimize the use of relevant built heritage. Therefore, it is necessary to develop reliable tools and decision-making models for improving the sector in terms of health, tourism and territorial qualities. Starting from previous studies, the aim of the article is to present the development of archiTHERMability tool and discuss the results of the application on different typologies of thermal facilities. The methodological path followed three steps: (a) a review was conducted among different assessment tools to understand the state of the art; (b) the existing Italian thermal heritage was mapped, and appropriate criteria and macroareas were selected and weighted based on interviews structured with multidisciplinary experts in architecture/territory/management areas; (c) the tool was tested on two different categories of thermal facilities. The tool application on four different thermal facilities highlighted, as expected, the relevance of the managerial field. Nevertheless, the importance of the territorial context and its levels of accessibility plays a fundamental role in the structure's characterization. ArchiTHERMability hence represents an innovative tool for analyzing and understanding the Italian thermal heritage potentialities. Further investigation is necessary to test the tool on a wider sample and with different weights of criteria.

This paper presents the results of archaeometric and archaeological study of the fragments of painted plaster discovered during the recent archaeological investigations inside the Church of the Apostle Philip in Hierapolis of Phrygia, one of the great Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine cities of southwestern Turkey (Pamukkale, Denizli Province).

Copyright of Vie Économique (Berne) is the property of State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The restoration of architectural monuments constituted a common practice in the ancient Mediterranean world and the use of artificial binders in repairing blocks is attested both by literary sources and archaeological evidence. However, the knowledge on the use of these ancient binders and their components is limited, due to the shortness and indefiniteness of the ancient recipes and the difficulty of obtaining and analyzing samples from blocks that have remained exposed to atmospheric agents and have undergone degradation.

Some abnormalities in nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC), such as the presence of micro-haemorrhages (MHEs), micro-thromboses (MTs), giant capillaries (GCs) and reduction in the number of capillaries (nCs), suggest a disease activity (DA) phase in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In a previous paper, we showed that the number of micro-haemorrhages and micro-thromboses (the so-called NEMO score) was the NVC feature more closely associated with DA. The present study was aimed at validating the NEMO score as a measure of DA in patients with SSc. Two cohorts of 122 and 97 patients with SSc who were referred to two different rheumatology units, one in Milan and one in Naples, respectively, constituted the validation cohorts. The NEMO score, the total number of GCs and the mean nCs per digit were the parameters defined in each patient by eight-finger NVC. An expert operator analysed the NVCs in each of the participating units. The European Scleroderma Study Group (ESSG) index was used to define the DA level in each patient at the time of NVC examination. The NEMO score was the NVC parameter more strictly correlated with the ESSG score in both the Milan and Naples cohorts (p< 0.0001), and it was the only one among the NVC variables that gave a significant contribution in a logistic model where the ESSG score represented the dependent variable. ROC curve analysis confirmed that the NEMO score had the best performance in measuring DA. The AUC of the NEMO score was significantly greater than the AUCs obtained by plotting the sensitivity and specificity of the number of GCs and the mean nCs (p< 0.0001 in all cases). The NEMO score values that showed the best sensitivity-specificity balance in capturing patients with a relevant DA level were slightly higher in the Naples cohort than in the Milan cohort. This study confirms that the presence of a certain number of MHEs and MTs in NVC may be considered a strong warning signal of a current phase of DA in patients with SSc.

We demonstrate that the ubiquitous off-stoichiometry of LiNiO2in the form of Li1–zNi1+zO2slows the kinetics of the material by both diminishing the number of ionic charge carriers and increasing the length of diffusion paths. The positive charge of excess Ni in the Li layer, along with the accompanying local chemomechanical strain, creates an attractive potential for Li vacancies, thereby reducing their energy compared to defect-free regions. This attractive field extends over a radius of two lattice sites and also considerably lowers the migration barrier for a Li vacancy to approach the defect, effectively making excess Ni a sink for lithium vacancies. A similar argument can be made for divacancies, which are split by the extra Ni and pinned in the form of single vacancies. In addition to pinning effects, which could vary depending on the Li concentration, excess Ni also constitutes an obstacle to Li migration because it is rather immobile and does not undergo site exchange with an adjacent Li vacancy.

The aim of this paper is to identify the mechanisms responsible for the chromatic alteration of Pietra Serena sandstone, the stone used in Florentine Renaissance architecture. This stone has a bluish-grey colour when fresh, but is often oxidized acquiring an ochre-brown or reddish colour on buildings. A mineralogical, chemical, petrographic and physical characterization was carried out on the blocks of Pietra Serena used for the Waldensian Church, located in the centre of Florence, showing a characteristic reddish colouring, and on samples from the quarry from which these blocks were extracted. Micro-Raman and SEM-EDS analyses were performed on the red surfaces of the samples in order to highlight the mineralogical and chemical transformations. The results confirmed that the chromatic alteration of Pietra Serena is caused by the mobilization of Fe2+ (prevalent in the clay minerals that make up the matrix of this sandstone and in aluminosilicates such as biotite), which is easily oxidized to Fe3+ in an oxidative environment. This is a consequence of a particular condition of decay, such as the presence of water, CO2, low pH.

Vasodepressor syncope (fainting) is a result of dilation of peripheral blood vessels, but a failure of mechanisms that would usually compensate for this change may also be involved. Since a group of compounds, the beta endorphins, are known to inhibit sympathetic discharge (one of the normal compensatory mechanisms), it is possible that beta endorphin levels are elevated prior to fainting. This was tested by evaluating healthy five patients who had experienced fainting. Blood samples taken during fainting and 24 hours later were evaluated for their beta endorphin content. A control group of eight healthy volunteers were also tested twice; three minutes after exercise, and 24 hours later. The results showed very high levels of beta endorphin activity in the patients during syncopal episodes; the levels were comparable to those that have been reported for septic shock. The physiology of vasodepressor syncope is discussed. Further research should attempt to determine whether the release of beta endorphins is a primary or secondary event in the genesis of this kind of fainting. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Objective: Cyclodextrins have been used to catalyze chemical reactions in the synthesis of different materials. The aim of this study is to produce nanoparticles using cyclodextrin as a nanoreactor.

The most frequently used material in Florentine Renaissance architecture was Pietra Serena, a sandstone that nowadays is found in a quite satisfactory state of conservation. The reason for this is that architects and stone cutters in the past made careful selections of the materials they employed. This conscientious picking out was very important because most sandstone layers have a composition that is not always suitable for assuring an acceptable durability. This paper deals with the mineralogical, chemical, petrographical and physical characteristics of the Pietra Serena sandstone quarried in the hills near Florence in order to verify what was affirmed by Vasari (1568), Tuscan painter, architect and historian of art of the 16th century, and other Tuscan naturalists regarding the quality of this sandstone.As a matter of fact, analyses demonstrate that the Pietra Serena sandstones quarried in the hills of Settignano (to the northeast of Florence) and in the Gonfolina area (Lastra a Signa, to the west of Florence), are composed of layers particularly rich in calcite present mainly as sparitic cement. This calcitic cement gives great durability to the stone as is demonstrated by the good state of conservation of some Florentine monuments realized with Pietra Serena.

The availability of a reliable speed and travelled distance estimation is relevant for the efficiency and safety of automatic train protection and control systems. This paper investigates the main features of an innovative localization algorithm that integrates tachometers and inertial measurement units. Nowadays, the estimation is performed by an odometry algorithm that relies on wheel angular speed sensors. The objective is to increase the accuracy of the odometric estimation, especially in critical adhesion conditions, through sensor fusion techniques based on Kalman filter theory. The Italian company ECM S.p.A. has supported the project, providing a custom inertial measurement unit based on micro electro-mechanical system sensors for the on-track testing of the algorithm. The preliminary results show a significant improvement of the position and speed estimation performances compared to those obtained with SCMT (Italian acronym for ‘Sistema Controllo Marcia Treno’) algorithms, currently in use on the Italian railway network. A wide set of simulated test results, showing the improvement of the estimation process, is presented and discussed. An accurate train navigation that scarcely relies on information from the infrastructure will open a road map for the development of a more and more effective and efficient exploitation of the railway infrastructure.

Train braking performance is important for the safety and reliability of railway systems. The availability of a tool that allows evaluating such performance on the basis of the main train features can be useful for train system designers to choose proper dimensions for and optimize train’s subsystems. This paper presents a modular tool for the prediction of train braking performance, with a particular attention to the accurate prediction of stopping distances. The tool takes into account different loading and operating conditions, in order to verify the safety requirements prescribed by European technical specifications for interoperability of high-speed trains and the corresponding EN regulations. The numerical results given by the tool were verified and validated by comparison with experimental data, considering as benchmark case an Ansaldo EMU V250 train—a European high-speed train—currently developed for Belgium and Netherlands high-speed lines, on which technical information and experimental data directly recorded during the preliminary tests were available. An accurate identification of the influence of the braking pad friction factor on braking performances allowed obtaining reliable results.

Dans l’étude SENSCIS, des patients atteints d’une ScS-PID ont été randomisés pour recevoir le nintédanib ou le placebo jusqu’à ce que le dernier patient ait atteint la semaine 52 mais sans dépasser 100 semaines. Les patients ayant arrêté prématurément le traitement devaient venir aux visites jusqu’à la semaine 100 (S100) ou la fin de l’étude. Le nintédanib a réduit le taux de déclin de la CVF sur 52 semaines vs placebo (−52,4 vs −93,3mL/an ; différence 41,0mL/an [IC à 95 % : 2,9 ; 79,0]). L’effet du nintédanib sur le déclin de la CVF a été étudié sur l’ensemble de l’étude.

The results of an extensive research project about second language acquisition in South Tyrol are the starting point for some reflections about German language learning in Italy and the motives which best support it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]