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Uncontrolled emission of greenhouse gases caused by consumption of fossil fuels has led to the urgent need to develop low-emitting energy technologies such as those exploiting renewable energies. In this context, hydrogen (H2) represents an opportunity to enhance the development of such technologies, in light of the possibility to use it as an energy storage for non-programmable renewables, and for its potential to decarbonize key emitting sectors such as transport sector. This study is therefore focused on photocatalytic generation of H2 using cellulose as sacrificial agent, with the aim of valorizing renewable resources like solar energy and the chemical energy contained in an abundant biopolymer. The types of cellulose which are most suitable for this application were determined, and the influence on the rate of H2 production of parameters like pH of the reaction medium, and concentrations of cellulose and photocatalyst was clarified. It was found that an acidic pH, a relatively high concentration of photocatalyst and a relatively low concentration of cellulose constitute the most advantageous configuration to maximize the performances. An estimation of the conversion efficiency from light energy to H2 energy is provided, and the performances allowed by cellulose are compared to those allowed by more commonly used sacrificial agents. Finally, attempts to synthesize advanced photocatalysts with the aim of increasing the efficiency are reported. Se dokumentfil

Aims: The Pros-IT CNR project aims to monitor a sample of Italian males ≥18years of age who have been diagnosed in the participating centers with incident prostate cancer, by analyzing their clinical features, treatment protocols and outcome results in relation to quality of life. Methods: Pros-IT CNR is an observational, prospective, multicenter study. The National Research Council (CNR), Neuroscience Institute, Aging Branch (Padua) is the promoting center. Ninety-seven Italian centers located throughout Italy were involved. The field study began in September 1, 2014. Subjects eligible were diagnosed with biopsy-verified prostate cancer, naïve. A sample size of 1500 patients was contemplated. A baseline assessment including anamnestic data, clinical history, risk factors, the initial diagnosis, cancer staging information and quality of life (Italian UCLA Prostate Cancer Index; SF-12 Scale) was completed. Six months after the initial diagnosis, a second assessment evaluating the patient’s health status, the treatment carried out, and the quality of life will be made. A third assessment, evaluating the treatment follow-up and the quality of life, will be made 12months after the initial diagnosis. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th assessments, similar to the third, will be completed 24, 36, 48 and 60months after the initial diagnosis, respectively, and will include also a Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Discussion: The study will provide information on patients’ quality of life and its variations over time in relation to the treatments received for the prostate cancer.

Background COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread in Italy in late February 2020. Almost all surgical services have been reorganized, with the aim of maintaining an adequate therapeutic path, especially for surgical emergencies. The knowledge of how surgeons dealing with emergency surgery have reacted to the epidemic in the real life can be useful while drafting clinical recommendations. Methods Surgeons from multiple Italian regions were invited answering to an online survey in order to make a snapshot of their current behaviors towards COVID-19-positive patients bearing urgent surgical diseases. Questions about institutional rules and personal approach for patient treatment and to limit epidemic spread were included in a 37-item questionnaire. Results Seventy-one questionnaires from institutions dealing with emergency surgery were accepted. Participating surgeons were equally subdivided from a geographical point of view, with a large proportion of public (97.2%) and non-academical (91.5%) centers. In 80.3% of cases, the hospitals treated COVID-19 patients; in 69.1% of centers, a change in work plan was necessary, and 33.8% of teams had almost a surgeon infected or in preventive quarantine. The vast majority of surgeons operated only on urgent cases (73.9%), but the number of interventions significantly dropped. Up to 40% of non-traumatic abdominal emergency cases had an unusual delayed treatment. The laparoscopic approach was used in 69.6% of interventions on COVID-19 patients. Strategies to protect health care workers against COVID-19 infection and to identify asymptomatic infected surgeons were suboptimal with respect to the WHO recommendations in 70.4% and 90.2% of centers, respectively. Advanced personal protective equipment for operating room workers was adopted for all surgeries in only 12.7% of centers. Discussion This survey confirms that the COVID-19 outbreak is dramatically changing the practice of emergency surgery centers in Italy. Despite the reduction in number, urgent cases were on average more challenging owing to diagnostic delay. Recommendations from the International Scientific Societies are frequently not complied concerning the use of laparoscopic approach, the availability of personal protective equipment in the operating rooms, and the testing of both asymptomatic physicians and patients scheduled for surgery. A further evaluation of the short-term results of these attitudes is warranted to modulate international recommendations.

This retrospective study aims to test the third molar maturity index (I(3M)) cut-off value of 0.08 for 18 years old in Dominican Republic population. Orthopantomograms of 513 subjects (284 females and 229 males) were evaluated, intra- and inter-observer agreement, ICC (intra-class correlation coefficient) values were 0.88% (95% CI 0.86% to 0.91%), and 0.93% (95% CI 0.90% to 0.96%), for the intra- and inter-observer reliability, respectively. Accuracy in females was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97); the sensitivity was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96-0.99) and specificity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86-0.95). In males, the accuracy was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93-0.98); the sensitivity was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-0.97) and specificity was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99). The PPV (Positive Predictive Value) was 0.93 for females and 0.99 for males. The results of this study show that I(3M) can be used for discriminating adults from minors in Dominican Republic subjects around the legal age of 18 years old.

RESUMEN: La estimación de la edad es uno de los procedimientos más importantes para la identificación humana. Cameriere et al. propusieron un método para estimación de edad evaluando la relación área pulpa/diente utilizando radiografías dentales, basado en la aposición de dentina secundaria. El objetivo de este estudio, fue desarrollar modelos de regresión lineal para la estimación de la edad, mediante la relación de área pulpa/diente en caninos y premolares mandibulares utilizando ortopantomografías (OPGs) en una población chilena de individuos adultos de edad y sexo conocidos. Se analizaron 162 OPGs digitales (67 hombres y 95 mujeres) mediante el programa ImageJ, con el fin de medir las áreas señaladas. Mediante análisis de regresión, se estudiaron las posibles interacciones entre la edad, sexo y relación de área pulpa/diente. Esta relación disminuyó regularmente con la edad y varió de 0,03 a 0,6 para premolares y 0,04 a 0,6 para caninos respectivamente. El mejor modelo de estimación de edad fue para la relación del canino inferior izquierdo obteniendo un coeficiente de determinación de R2=8,7 %. La media de error absoluto, con un intervalo de confianza del 95 %, osciló entre 5,6 y 5,72 años. El análisis de ANCOVA no mostró diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres para la estimación de edad, al igual que para ambos lados de la cavidad oral. Según los resultados obtenidos, la relación de área pulpa/diente es una metodología fiable para la estimación de la edad en adultos. Sin embargo, los resultados demuestran que, en casos reales, es necesario contar con métodos adicionales de estimación ya que, al menos en la muestra analizada, el ajuste indicado por los coeficientes de determinación demostró falta de certeza en las estimaciones etarias producidas por los modelos de regresión lineal. SUMMARY: Age estimation is one of the most important procedures for human identification. Cameriere et al. proposed a method for age estimation based on the analysis of the pulp/tooth ratio by using dental x-rays, based on the apposition of secondary dentine. The objective of this study was to develop linear regression models for age estimation, by means of the pulp/tooth ratio of mandibular canines and premolars using orthopantomographies (OPGs) in a Chilean population of adults of known age and sex. We analyzed 162 digital OPGs (67 men and 95 women) through ImageJ software, in order to measure these areas. By means of regression analysis, the possible interactions between age, sex and pulp / tooth ratio were studied. This relationship decreased regularly with age and ranged from 0.03 to 0.6 for premolars and 0.04 to 0.6 for canines, respectively. The best model of age estimation was for the relation of the lower left canine, obtaining a coefficient of determination of R2=8.7 %. The mean absolute error, with a confidence interval of 95 %, ranged between 5.6 and 5.72 years. The ANCOVA analysis showed no significant differences between men and women for age estimation, as well as for both sides of the oral cavity. According to the results, the pulp/tooth ratio is a reliable methodology for estimating age in adults. However, the results showed that, in actual cases, it is necessary to use additional estimation methods since, at least in the sample analyzed, the adjustment indicated by coefficients of determination showed uncertainty in age estimation produced by the linear regression models.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is becoming a “fashionable” solution to increase transport users’ satisfaction and accessibility, by providing new services obtained by optimally integrating sustainable modes, but also guaranteeing mass transport and less sustainable modes, guaranteeing fast and lean access/egress to the mass transport. In this context, the understanding and prediction of travellers’ mode choices is crucial not only for the effective management of multimodal transport networks, but also successful implementation of new transport schemes. Traditional studies on mode choices typically treat travellers’ decision-making processes as planned behaviour. However, this approach is now challenged by the widely distributed, multi-sourced, and heterogeneous travel information made available in real time through information and communication technologies (ICT), especially in the presence of a variety of available mode options in dense urban areas. Some of the real-time factors that affect mode choices include availability of shared vehicles, real-time passenger information, unexpected disruptions, and weather. These real-time factors are insufficiently captured by existing mode choice models. This chapter aims to propose an introduction to MaaS, a literature review on mode choice paradigms, then it proposes a novel behavioural concept referred to as the hypermode. It will be illustrated a two-level mode choice decision architecture, which captures the influence of real-time events and travellers’ adaptive behaviour. A pilot survey shows the relevance of some real-time factors, and corroborates the hypothesized adaptive mode choice behaviour in both recurrent and occasional trip scenarios.

The gradual penetration of new transport modes and/or new technologies (advanced information systems, automotive technologies, etc.) requires effective theoretical paradigms able to interpret and model transportation system users’ propensity to purchase and use them. Along with the traditional approaches mainly based on random utility theory, it is a common opinion that numerous nonquantitative variables (such as psychological factors, attitudes, perceptions, etc.) may affect users’ behaviors. Different traditional approaches and more advanced ones (e.g. hybrid choice model (HCM) with latent variables, theory of planned behaviour, regret theory, prospect theory, etc.) may be identified and properly applied in the literature. In particular, the chapter will focus on the hybrid choice modeling with latent variables, aiming to incorporate users’ perceptions, attitudes and concerns in order to model the user’s propensity to use and the willingness to buy a new technology. The methodology overview and the results of the application at real data are discussed.

Objective: Extended pelvic lymph nodes dissection (EPLND) allows the removal of a higher number of lymph nodes than limited PLND. The aims of this study were to describe our robot-assisted EPLND (RAEPLND) technique with related complications, and to report the number of lymph nodes removed and the rate of lymph nodal metastasis. Materials and Methods: 153 patients underwent RAEPLND prior to robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Indications were defined according to Briganti nomogram, to predict risk of lymph-nodal metastasis. Lymphatic packages covering the distal tract of the common iliac artery, the medial portion of the external iliac artery, the external iliac vein and the internal iliac vessels, together with the obturator and the presacral lymphatic packages were removed on both sides. Results: Median preoperative PSA was 7.5 ng/mL (IQR 5.5–11.5). Median operative time was 150 min (135–170). Median RAEPLND alone operative time was 38 min (32.75–41.25); for right and left side, 18 (15–29) and 20 min (15.75–30) (p=0.567). Median number of lymph nodes retrieved per patient was 25 (19.25–30); 13 (11–16) and 11 (8–15) for right and left side. In 19 patients (12.41%) metastasis was found at the level of pelvic lymph nodes. Median number of positive lymph nodes was 1 (1–4.6) per patient. Complications occurred in 11 patients (7.3%). Conclusions: the number of lymph nodes removed was comparable to published data about open series, allowing the increase of detection rate of lymph nodal metastasis for minimally invasive approach without compromising complications' rate if performing the procedure following reported technique.

Although the technical literature contains numerous efforts to simulate container terminal performance, little attention has been paid to setting up, calibrating and validating models for handling equipment activities. This paper presents results from the estimation of activity duration concerning three different types of handling equipment: mobile harbor cranes, gantry cranes and reach stackers. Two estimation approaches (sample means vs. random variables) were investigated with respect to different hypotheses with regard to activity aggregation and container type (undifferentiated, 20’, 40’, full or empty). A concise but exhaustive state of art is proposed, an in-depth descriptive analysis of experimental data is carried out, several probability distribution functions were tested and more than 60 statistical models are proposed. The results can be easily implemented in any terminal simulation model.