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• Monkeypox virus and SARS-CoV-2 infections can occur simultaneously. • Flu-like symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 positivity should not exclude monkeypox in high-risk individuals. • Monkeypox is often diagnosed in subjects with a previous or concomitant sexually transmitted infection. • The oropharyngeal swab for monkeypox virus may still be positive for several days after clinical remission. • Since there is no widely available treatment or prophylaxis, rapid diagnosis is key to containment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of the force exerted during a gesture in human motion analysis can provide direct and indirect information regarding the expended energy, especially during the execution of a sport gesture. In this field, assessment and improvement of the performance can be supported by instrumented devices able to measure and process mechanical quantities. In cycling, strain gauges-based instrumented pedals represent one of the last innovations in the sector, because they can provide data about the power exerted (produced) during training and the pedal efficiency. Optimization of the strain-gauges positioning is thus required to improve accuracy in the exerted force estimation. A new technique to give a support for evaluating the best compromise between maximum sensitivity and ease of assembly was developed in the present work, based on a Finite Element Model (FEM) and a parametric analysis of the strain field at different sensor placements. Optimal positions were identified as those combining high sensitivity and low dependence from positioning inaccuracies. Parametric strain-load trends obtained from the developed model show a linear behavior of strain gauges pairs and confirm that there is a good sensitivity of the adopted sensors if they are mounted in handy positions of the developed load cell. The conducted analysis enables to calculate the sensitivity of the load cell to the exerted forces, and evaluates its dependence to the positioning of strain gauges, and makes it possible to appropriately choose strain gauges positioning in areas where border effects are minimized. The strain distributions obtained by the FEM analysis in the presented load cells gives useful indications for all the situations where small strain gauges are requested to be mounted on a reduced offered area. • In cycling, estimation of exerted force through force sensors requires high accuracy. • Design of the sensor placement on the pedal can profit from FEM analysis. • Parametric strain-load curves give sensitivity to force and position dependence. • Optimal placement: trade-off between sensitivity and dependence to position changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)

Green roofs present a viable solution for increasing rainwater retention while improving the energy performance of both new and existing buildings. Considering the widespread occurrence of existing buildings, it is worthwhile to conduct an in-depth analysis of green roof feasibility for retrofitting these buildings. In such cases, the first constraint is related to structural compatibility. Therefore, the use of lightweight systems should be prioritized to minimize overloading of the existing roof. Another possible constraint concerns the viability of green roofs. The main advantages of green roofs are their energy savings and environmental benefits. In this study, different green roof solutions were evaluated and their performance was compared against the findings of previous studies. The analysis was carried out in the Mediterranean city of Catania, and the results show that only green roof solutions with a load limit of 1.46 kN/m 2 are suitable for retrofitting existing buildings. As regards the energy savings, energy consumption for cooling was reduced by 31–35%, and during winter, energy consumption for heating decreased by 2–10%. The environmental benefits were quantified during summer and compared to those of non-vegetated roofs. The results show removals of 1.35 kg m -2 ·y −1 of CO 2 and 0.03 kg m -2 ·y −1 of NO 2 . Finally, the economic analysis indicates that the discounted payback time of the investment varies from 13 to 18 years depending on the substrates and vegetation used on the green roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In energy generation systems including a photovoltaic park, fluctuations are the norm: both production and demand levels can vary on hourly basis. Hence, energy management and dispatching systems have to cope with the possibility of inadequate production while satisfying as much as possible user demands. We put forward a management solution that models the behaviour of each production plant and consumption device, and determines energy allocation. For this, gathered data are wavelet transformed to let us retain only the useful characteristics of data on both large and small scales of the signal. Models are handled by several neural networks which perform predictions in advance of 48-h, with a granularity of half an hour. Moreover, according to realtime user demands, the management solution determines energy flows between production plants and consumption devices. Therefore, while in some cases it might be necessary to postpone the activation of some consumption devices, in others we can take advantage of a production surplus. Thanks to the proposed solution proper actuators can be programmed beforehand to improve the fairness to users, and use peaks of energy production, thus reducing green energy shortage, and extra costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the bottom of the circalittoral zone of the Mediteranean Sea, prevalently calcareous algae, and subordinately bryozoans, sponges and serpulids give rise to bioconstructions called Coralligenous (algal reef). It with different aspects, mostly columnar or dome-shaped, and different zoo-phitological compositions represent a true biodiversity hot spots on the sea bottom. Ostracod and foraminifer do not participate directly in the construction of the reef but they can contribute significantly to the increase in its degree of biodiversity. The present study wants to be the first attempt to analyze the composition and structure of the microfaunas associated with bioconstructions in an area located along the Ionian coast of SE Sicily offshore Marzamemi (SR, Italy). For this purpose, seven samples, picked up from the surface of the bioconstructions, were collected between 33 and 37 m depth using the sorbona sampling device. Living ostracod associations include 22 taxa: clearly dominant are the specimens belonging to the genus Xestoleberis , followed by the genera Neonesidea, Tenedocythere, Aurila, Loxoconcha, Urocythereis ; poorly represented are the genera Carinocythereis, Paradoxostoma and Polycope. Foraminifers associations are almost exclusively represented by benthic phytal taxa and include over 3700 specimens belonging to 130 different taxa. The families quantitatively prevalent, both in terms of richness of species and abundance, are Elphidiidae, followed by Hauerinidae, Cibicididae, Ammoniidae, Homotrematidae, Planorbulinidae, Textulariidae, Cribrolinoididae, Asterigerinatidae, Rosalinidae, Spiroloculinidae and Globigerinidae that are subordinate, while little represented are Astrononionidae, Haplophragmoididae, Polymorphinidae, Ammodiscidae, Ellipsolagenidae, Spirillinidae etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial areas frequently present a high concentration of production operations which are source of anthropic risks. For this reason Smart Public Safety is receiving an increasing attention from industry, research and authorities. Moreover, due the consequences of global warming, these areas could be subject to risk events with increased probability with respect to the past. Information technologies enable an innovative approach towards safety management, which relies on the evolution of tools for environmental monitoring and citizens’ interaction. This work presents the preliminary results of the Italian research project SIGMA - sensor Integrated System in cloud environment for the Advanced Multi-risk Management. The proposed system includes a continuous monitoring of the different information sources, thus reducing human control as much as possible. At the same time, the communication system manages multiple data flows in a flexible way, adapting itself to different working scenarios, enabling smarter applications. SIGMA intends to acquire, integrate and compute heterogeneous data, coming from various sensor networks in order to provide useful insights for the monitoring, forecasting and management of risk situations through services provided to citizens and businesses, both public and private. Based on the integration of different interoperating components, the system is able to provide a complete emergency management framework through simulations/optimizations and heterogeneous data manipulation tools. The prototype solution is detailed by a use case application in an industrial area located in the region of Sicily, Italy. In particular, web based modular applications connected through SIGMA allow the monitoring of the industrial environment through data gathering from different sensor networks, such as outdoor sensors mounted in the surroundings of large industrial areas, and support of the design of the logistics network aimed at covering the industrial risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)

Objective To investigate the ability of neck ultrasounds (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (FDG-PET/TC) in detecting residual nodal disease after chemoradiotherapy in patients with advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Methods From 2006 to 2009, 36 consecutive patients affected by OPSCC with bulky nodal disease (>3 cm), treated with primary concurrent chemoradiotherapy, were enrolled prospectively. Nodal response to treatment was assessed by using US, MRI and FDG-PET/CT. Planned neck dissection (ND) was performed in all the patients, and the histopathological node status was compared to the imaging findings in order to establish sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and predictive values of each technique. Results Metastatic disease was assessed in 18/37 (48.6%) hemi-necks, always localized in levels II–IV. US showed greater sensitivity (77.8%) and, combined with FDG-PET/TC, produced the highest negative predictive value (93.3%). US, MRI and FDG-PET/TC scans showed the highest specificity (100%), accuracy (93.8%) and positive predictive values (100%). Conclusions In the presence of advanced OPSCC with bulky nodal disease, US combined with FDG-PET/TC could be a reliable and cost-effective strategy to identify patients with complete nodal response to chemoradiotherapy that might not require post-treatment ND but only observation. When residual disease in the neck was detected, selective ND was recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Voltage-sensitive dyes are important tools for mapping electrical activity in the heart. However, little is known about the effects of voltage-sensitive dyes on cardiac electrophysiology. Objective: To test the hypothesis that the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS modulates cardiac impulse propagation. Methods: Electrical and optical mapping experiments were performed in isolated Langendorff perfused guinea pig hearts. The effect of di-4-ANEPPS on conduction velocity and anisotropy of propagation was quantified. HeLa cells expressing connexin 43 were used to evaluate the effect of di-4-ANEPPS on gap junctional conductance. Results: In electrical mapping experiments, di-4-ANEPPS (7.5 μM) was found to decrease both longitudinal and transverse conduction velocities significantly compared with control. No change in the anisotropy of propagation was observed. Similar results were obtained in optical mapping experiments. In these experiments, the effect of di-4-ANEPPS was dose dependent. di-4-ANEPPS had no detectable effect on connexin 43–mediated gap junctional conductance in transfected HeLa cells. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS directly and dose-dependently modulates cardiac impulse propagation. The effect is not likely mediated by connexin 43 inhibition. Our results highlight an important caveat that should be taken into account when interpreting data obtained using di-4-ANEPPS in cardiac preparations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)

Two stratigraphic sections referable to the late Messinian have been identified and studied in eastern Tunisia; the first, south of Cape Bon (Salakta-SAL section), the second in the Sahel region (Wadi el Kebir–OK section). The analysis of the ostracod fauna content (assemblages) has revealed that in some stratigraphic levels some taxa are certainly attributable to the Lago-Mare fauna, while other taxa, observed in subsequent or previous stratigraphic levels, are referable to true shallow-water marine environments. From these latter shallow water marine levels, several ostracods species were recognized; some of which, due to their morphological particularities, have been described as new species. Consequently, in this article, 24 species belonging to the genera Cytherella , Paijenborchellina , Cimbaurila , Pokornyella , Dorukella , Graptocythere , Capsacythere , Chrysocythere , Okadaleberis , Ruggieria , Cytheretta , and Neomonoceratina are described and illustrated as new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulva australis Areschoug (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) is traditionally used as a foodstuff in Korea and to treat several diseases, such as hyperlipidemia and urinary ailments. It is now considered an invasive species of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). This work explored U. australis as a potential source of bioactive molecules with biotechnological applications. For that purpose, organic and water extracts were prepared from dried biomass of U. australis and evaluated for radical scavenging activity (RSA), metal chelating activities and for in vitro inhibition of enzymes related with several disorders, namely Alzheimer's disease (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase), hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase), obesity (lipase), Type-2 diabetes mellitus (α-glucosidase, α-amylase) and skin sagging (elastase). Extracts were also evaluated for total contents of phenolics, flavonoids condensed tannins and carbohydrates. Finally, the fatty acids methyl esters profile of the biomass was established by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Extracts had low to moderate radical scavenging activity on DPPH, and a higher ability to chelate Fe2+ than Cu2+, and the maximum Fe2+ chelating capacity was observed in the tincture (IC 50 = 4.82 mg/mL). Samples had a higher ability to inhibit α-amylase and microbial α-glucosidase than the other tested enzymes. The biomass of U. australis presented a highly saturated fatty acids profile, enriched in palmitic acid. These data suggest U. australis as a promising source of natural products with anti- diabetic properties and as a desirable species for biodiesel production. • U. australis is a potential source of bioactive molecules • Extracts from U. australis has low to moderate Radical scavenging activity • Extracts are rich in phenolics, tannins, flavonoids and polysaccharides • U. australis shows a highly saturated fatty acids profile • Fatty Acid profile of U. australis might be desirable for biodiesel production [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to correlate the physical dose to non-target tissues to the radiation-induced chromosome damage in terms of the dicentrics and micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) after radium-223 chloride (223RaCl2) therapy in patients with bone metastasis derived from prostate cancer [1] . Methods Four patients undergoing 223RaCl2 therapy for skeletal diseases have been enrolled in this prospective clinical study. The effective dose to non-target tissues per injected activity was calculated considering the alpha, beta and gamma emission of Ra-223 and considering a standard man weight of 70 kg. PBL cultures for dicentric assay and micronuclei induction were performed before treatment (T0), 6 days (T1) and 30 days (T2) after the first cycle of treatment. Haematological toxicity parameters (blood cell count) have been monitored during therapy and analysed along with doses to blood and non-target tissues. Results The administration of 223RaCl2 produces a high dose dependent increase of radiation-induced chromosome damage in terms of dicentrics and micronuclei observed in the circulating lymphocytes (non target-tissue). Surprisingly, this increase of chromosome damage observed is not due to an 223RaCl2 addition dose, suggesting that circulating lymphocytes were exposed to an extra dose by the emissions from the target organs. In addition, clinical monitoring during the treatment showed a progressive increasing fatigue, leucopenia and anemia with a partial recovery after some months after the end of therapy. Conclusions The cytogenetic data seem to suggest a persistence of the radiation emission from the target tissue to non-target ones and seem to be correlated to the observed haematological toxicity, highlighting possible adverse effects related to this therapy. These data need further investigation in order to evaluate the potential side effects to normal, non-target tissue in patients treated with alpha emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Radioembolization (RE) with 90 Y-microspheres is a well-established treatment modality for treating liver malignancies. At a time of increasing evidence for dose–effect relationships in RE with 90 Y microspheres [1,2] , the general consensus is that there is an urgent need for accurate dosimetry in patients undergoing RE treatment. This work aimed at estimating absorbed doses to lesions and normal liver in a novel anthropomorphic set-up. Methods AbdoMan is a 3D-printed phantom provided with a fillable liver section and multiple inserts for lesion representation. A SPECT/CT Symbia Intevo provided with the proprietary xSPECT quantitative software was used to image the phantom according to the acquisition protocol currently used for RE patients. Specific regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on MIM 6.1.7 system. A homemade tool was developed in MATLAB for image analysis and dose calculation based on two methods: I) convolution kernel and II) local deposition method. The accuracy of the two different dosimetric methods was evaluated by comparing dose-rate volume histograms (DrVHs). Moreover, γ -index was used to compare the dose distributions obtained by the two activity-to-dose methods. Results Differences calculated by the 3D γ -index are within 2%-2 mm for all AbdoMan inserts. The dose-kernel results in a γ  < 1. The deposition method provided a poorest γ as well as several image artefacts. In particular, an apparent over-dosage (about 25%) was observed in inserts with larger diameter, most likely due to spill-in and spill-out phenomena. The DrVHs for considered ROIs are within 2%-2 mm for both methods. Conclusions In RE treatment planning the dose-kernel method proved to be more accurate with respect to deposition method based on full 3D dose distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to correlate the physical dose to non-target tissues (blood) to the radiation-induced chromosome damage in terms of the dicentrics and micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) after radium-223 (223RaCl2) therapy in patients with bone metastasis derived from prostate cancer [1]. Methods Four patients undergoing 223RaCl2 therapy for skeletal diseases have been enrolled in this prospective clinical study. The effective dose to blood per injected activity was calculated considering the alpha, beta and gamma emission of Ra-223 and considering a standard man weight of 70 kg. PBL cultures for dicentric assay and MN were performed before treatment (T0), 6 days (T1) and 30 days (T2) after the first cycle of treatment and after the end of the therapy (T3). Haematological toxicity parameters (blood cell count) have been monitored during therapy and analysed along with doses to blood. Results The administration of 223RaCl2 produces a high dose dependent increase of radiation-induced chromosome damage in terms of dicentrics and MN induction observed in the circulating lymphocytes. Surprisingly, the increase of chromosome damage observed between T1 and T2 is not due to an 223RaCl2 addition dose, suggesting that circulating lymphocytes were exposed to an extra dose by the emissions from the target areas. In addition, clinical monitoring during the treatment showed a progressive increasing fatigue, leucopenia and anemia with a partial recovery after some months after the end of therapy. Conclusions The cytogenetic data suggest a persistence of the radiation emission from the target tissue to non-target ones and seem to be correlated to the observed haematological toxicity, highlighting possible adverse effects related to this therapy. These data need further investigation in order to evaluate the potential side effects to normal, non-target tissue in patients treated with alpha emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Radioembolization (RE) with 90 Y-microspheres has gained widespread acceptance as a safe and effective technique for treating liver malignancies. Accurate quantification in RE is a key step in treatment planning optimization and it is becoming a pressing issue in the light of the Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, stating that individual dose planning must be enforced in legislation by EU member states by February 2018. The aim of this study was to develop a SPECT/CT imaging protocol for quantitative imaging optimization in RE based on a novel anthropomorphic 3D-printed phantom. Methods and materials A SPECT/CT system provided with a novel software for imaging quantification was used to assess the quantitative accuracy of 99m Tc-MAA SPECT imaging for treatment planning in RE. Gamma camera calibration factors and recovery coefficients were determined performing preliminary SPECT/CT acquisitions of a homogeneous and a NEMA/IEC phantom, respectively. The quantification procedure was then validated using a 3D-printed anthropomorphic phantom provided with a fillable liver section and multiple inserts. Raw data reconstruction was performed using two independent software: i) the built-in xSPECT package, using both the Ordered Subset Expectation–Maximization (OSEM) and the Ordered Subset Conjugated Gradient (OSCG) algorithm; ii) the commercially available QSPECT software based on OSEM method. All reconstructed images were manually fused and appropriate regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on the MIM 6.1.7 system. Results The measured activity concentration is consistent within 3% with the expected activity concentration values. This is in keeping with the overall accuracy ( < 10%) stated by the manufacturer. No substantial differences were reported between xSPECT with OSCG or OSEM in terms of relative activity. However, a 20% difference was found between ROIs extracted from images reconstructed with xSPECT and QSPECT using OSEM. Several artifacts were visible in the QSPECT reconstruction, likely due to the limited area used for attenuation and scatter corrections within the software. Conclusions The investigated protocol based on the innovative xSPECT tool allows an accurate absolute quantification within 3%. QSPECT software provides the poorest results with several artifacts as well as intrinsic dishomogeneities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]