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This article, titled "Pictorial Review of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features in Hand and Finger Masses: Experience from a Musculoskeletal Reference Center," aims to analyze the MRI features of palpable masses in the hand and fingers. The study reviewed MRI examinations and case records of patients referred to the institution between January 2011 and January 2013. The results showed that most soft tissue masses in the hand are benign and can be characterized using ultrasound. However, when ultrasound is inconclusive, MRI can provide further information and rule out malignancy. In some cases, biopsy is necessary for a definitive diagnosis. [Extracted from the article]

This paper describes a theory for the approximated analytical determination of pressure distribution in the gap of a generic finite length journal bearing in isothermal laminar lubrication conditions as the position assumed by the journal axis varies in a reference frame fixed in the bearing. The same theory is used to set up lubricated finite length journal bearing models in order to obtain an analytical description of the fluid film force, which is characterized by considerable prediction accuracy in the whole field defining the length-diameter ratio. In order to assess the model's prediction accuracy, the static characteristics of the journal bearing are analytically determined. The theoretical results, presented in the form of diagrams, are compared with the corresponding results obtained numerically.

Friedel-Crafts substitution reaction between 3,4-dimethoxytoluene and 2-(methoxymethylene)-3-methoxypropanenitrile followed by condensation with guanidine yields 75-85% ormetoprim, a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor and potentiator of sulfadimethoxine. This synthetic route towards 2, 4-diamino-5-benzylpyrimidines is restricted by the benzyl substituent. However, an equally efficient technique is the base-catalyzed isomerization of cinnamonitrile. The second method is used in the synthesis of trimethoprim, a potentiator of sulfamethoxazole and a potent antibacterial drug itself.

• Electroactive river sediment consortium as biosensing element for water monitoring. • Sensitivity towards different toxicants: glutaraldehyde, nickel(II) and chromium(III). • Reusability of the Microbial Fuel Cell based biosensor. • Novel algorithm for efficient and energy saving data analysis. The development of tools to monitor water quality is mandatory in a scenario where clean water resources are decreasing. Here, the biosensing capability of an electroactive river sediment consortium was tested towards three model contaminants (glutaraldehyde, nickel(II) and chromium(III)). The proposed biosensor is a small membrane-less single chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), fabricated by 3D printing. Its semi-continuous mode of operation resulted in long-term current profile stability and reproducibility. A linear trend of response was obtained for glutaraldehyde in a concentration range of 5–1000 ppm. After the recovery of the electroactive consortium activity, the MFC-based biosensors were shown to be sensitive towards Ni(II) and Cr(III), at concentrations above 2 mg L−1. To effectively analyze biosensor response, a novel algorithm was proposed, offering advantages for the realization of energy-saving protocols for MFC-biosensor data transmission. Implementation of the device and method, from laboratory test to real environment, can offer a low cost in situ system for detection of water contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of elementary social studies textbooks published between 1970 and 1980 showed that few of the innovations resulting from the "new social studies" movement found their way into social studies texts. The profit motive of publishing companies is blamed. (RM)

The present work investigates the fluid dynamic distribution in two different geometries of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), a squared shape MFC and a drop-like one, and explores their use as possible biosensors. For both architectures, air-cathode single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) with an inner volume of 12.5 mL have been developed. Simulations based on Navier-Stokes equations were used to investigate the motion of fluid, i.e., the electrolyte, inside the MFCs. The aim was to define the effective exposed area for each introduced architecture, and to correlate this parameter to the variation of the device performances in terms of current densities, together with their response to the variation of sodium acetate concentration. For this purpose, the fluid dynamic simulations have been implemented using two different flow rate values, namely, 12.5 mL h−1 and 100 mL h−1. The experimental amperometric response of drop-like SCMFCs and squared shape SCMFCs, fabricated by 3D printing, have been correlated with the variation of sodium acetate concentration and the relative sensitivity analyzed. The optimized drop-like SCMFC showed the better behavior, with an effective concentration of sodium acetate close to the nominal one and an improved sensitivity for high flow rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris-flow erosion patterns were investigated for two adjacent catchments, Molinara and Val del Lago creeks (Eastern Alps, Trento Province, Italy), where two debris flows were triggered by an intense storm in the summer of 2010. Both basins have been inactive over the last two centuries. The debris flows were activated by channel and bank erosion under stable bed conditions before the event. The erosive process was analysed by combining a field campaign (two hundred cross sections were surveyed along the creeks) and pre- and post-event LiDAR surveys. Data were analysed by selecting morphologically-homogenous channel reaches and deriving for each reach: erosion depth, creek width, eroded volume and peak discharge. Investigating the frequency distribution of the erosion depth we found out that it follows an EV1 probability distribution. On this basis, a new approach has been proposed to predict event volumes when the expected maximum potential depth erosion is known. The procedure would be of high interest in predicting debris flow volume in mountain channels characterized by long silent periods.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in the diagnosis and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, by comparing it with High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT). Patients and methods: All consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalized in COVID Centers were enrolled. LUS and HRCT were carried out on all patients by expert operators within 48–72 h of admission. A four-level scoring system computed in 12 regions of the chest was used to categorize the ultrasound imaging, from 0 (absence of visible alterations with ultrasound) to 3 (large consolidation and cobbled pleural line). Likewise, a semi-quantitative scoring system was used for HRCT to estimate pulmonary involvement, from 0 (no involvement) to 5 (>75% involvement for each lobe). The total CT score was the sum of the individual lobar scores and ranged from 0 to 25. LUS scans were evaluated according to a dedicated scoring system. CT scans were assessed for typical findings of COVID-19 pneumonia (bilateral, multi-lobar lung infiltration, posterior peripheral ground glass opacities). Oxygen requirement and mortality were also recorded. Results: Ninety-nine patients were included in the study (male 68.7%, median age 71). 40.4% of patients required a Venturi mask and 25.3% required non-invasive ventilation (C-PAP/Bi-level). The overall mortality rate was 21.2% (median hospitalization 30 days). The median ultrasound thoracic score was 28 (IQR 20–36). For the CT evaluation, the mean score was 12.63 (SD 5.72), with most of the patients having LUS scores of 2 (59.6%). The bivariate correlation analysis displayed statistically significant and high positive correlations between both the CT and composite LUS scores and ventilation, lactates, COVID-19 phenotype, tachycardia, dyspnea, and mortality. Moreover, the most relevant and clinically important inverse proportionality in terms of P/F, i.e., a decrease in P/F levels, was indicative of higher LUS/CT scores. Inverse proportionality P/F levels and LUS and TC scores were evaluated by univariate analysis, with a P/F–TC score correlation coefficient of −0.762, p < 0.001, and a P/F–LUS score correlation coefficient of −0.689, p < 0.001. Conclusions: LUS and HRCT show a synergistic role in the diagnosis and disease severity evaluation of COVID-19.

This paper verifies methods for the prediction of mean flow velocity at the reach scale in mountain streams, investigating the kinematics of a series of two small-scale artificial step-pool sequences and a transitional reach between plane-bed and step-pool under well-controlled hydraulic conditions, and improving the estimation of the energy expenditure between the step crest and the downstream pool. Experimental data were collected using three fish ladder reaches with slopes between 2.6 and 10%. Four types of field measurements were conducted: topographical surveys to extract the thalweg profiles and cross-sectional geometry of reference cross sections; grain size analyses of the bed surface; steady state runs with a given flow rate (0.005-0.234 m3/s), and surveying of the water profile in the most significant cross sections. The following main conclusions were reached: (i) the dominance of spill resistance at the lowest discharge (pool water depth-step height ratios of 0.4) causes primary dimensionless head losses of up to 80%, and these losses progressively decrease to approximately 40% when the water discharge and related pool water depth submerge the upstream step height. A specific predictive equation for the head loss was calibrated and then verified via data from the Rio Cordon. (ii) The verification of literature-sourced equations to predict the reach-averaged flow velocity provided suitable results for several of these equations indicating that the use of a specific step-pool equation does not appear to be crucial to achieving accurate predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the application of the free-volume viscosity model in a Newtonian elastohydrodynamic line and point contact simulation using a more effective multigrid approach. According to recent experimental studies using high pressure viscometers, the free volume-based pressure-viscosity relationship closely represents the realistic piezo-viscous behavior for the high pressure typically encountered in elastohydrodynamic applications []. The effects of different pressure-viscosity relationships, including the exponential model, the Roelands model, and the free-volume model are investigated through an example with poly-alpha-olefin lubricant. It is found that the real pressure-viscosity behavior predicted by the free-volume model yields a higher viscosity at the low-pressure area, which results in a larger central film thickness. The fact that film thickness is formed mainly by the entraining action at the inlet area significantly weighs the importance of viscosity variation from different models in this area. The inlet area is a low-pressure area, and accordingly, the real viscosity of the lubricant predicted by Doolittle model undergoes a rapid increase in a convex function, being apparently larger than the Roelands one. Furthermore, the Doolittle model leads to higher pressure spike amplitude than that observed using the Roelands model. To solve the problem, a full multigrid approach has been used upon the assumptions of isothermal condition. Multigrid is more effective because it uses coarser grid levels to remove errors of different frequencies, which could be more quickly smoothed away than those on simply the fine grid alone. The developed coarse grid correction cycle proves to be an efficient tool to solve the EHL problem for a wide range of load conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a patient with non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy caused by long-term parenteral nutrition. The diagnosis is based on clinical and magnetic resonance findings. We also reviewed the literature review in typical and atypical findings at MR examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alluvial fans are often present at the outlet of small drainage basins in alpine valleys; their formation is due to sediment transport associated with flash floods and debris flows. Alluvial fans are preferred sites for human settlements and are frequently crossed by transport routes. In order to reduce the risk for economic activities located on or near the fan and prevent loss of lives due to floods and debris flows, torrent control works have been extensively carried out on many alpine alluvial fans. Hazard management on alluvial fans in alpine regions is dependent upon reliable procedures to evaluate variations in the frequency and severity of hydrogeomorphic processes and the long-term performance of the torrent training works. An integrated approach to the analysis of hydrogeomorphic processes and their interactions with torrent control works has been applied to a large alluvial fan in the southern Carnic Alps (northeastern Italy). Study methods encompass field observations, interpretation of aerial photographs, analysis of historical documents, and numerical modelling of debris flows. The overall performance of control works implemented in the early decades of 20th century was satisfactory, and a reduction of hazardous events was recognised from features observed in the field and in aerial photographs, as well as from the analysis of historical records. The 2-D simulation of debris flows confirms these findings, indicating that debris flow deposition would not affect urban areas or main roads, even in the case of a high-magnitude event. Present issues in the management of the studied alluvial fan are representative of situations frequently found in the European Alps and deal with the need for maintenance of the control structures and the pressures for land use changes aimed at the economic exploitation of the fan surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on an analytical approximate fluid film pressure solution in finite porous journal bearings. Exploring the dynamic behaviour of a rotor on porous bearings, such as the fluid film force, the authors find in an analytical model an effective approach to provide a more readable description of the interaction between rotor and bearings. Furthermore, this kind of method for analysing the behaviour of a system is more effective than a numerical procedure and allows covering not only the individual case, but also the whole class to which the system in question belongs. The proposed model provides a quick analytical calculation of the fluid film force for different values of the permeability factor, aspect ratio, and eccentricity ratio in the whole domain of dynamic states. The results are in good agreement with those achieved using the numerical solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SHETRAN model for determining the sediment yield arising from shallow landsliding at the scale of a river catchment was applied to the 180-km² Valsassina basin in the Italian Southern Alps, with the aim of demonstrating that the model can simulate long term patterns of landsliding and the associated sediment yields and that it can be used to explore the sensitivity of the landslide sediment supply system to changes in catchment characteristics. The model was found to reproduce the observed spatial distribution of landslides from a 50-year record very well but probably with an overestimate of the annual rate of landsliding. Simulated sediment yields were within the range observed in a wider region of northern Italy. However, the results suggest that the supply of shallow landslide material to the channel network contributes relatively little to the overall long term sediment yield compared with other sources. The model was applied for scenarios of possible future climate (drier and warmer) and land use (fully forested hillslopes). For both scenarios, there is a modest reduction in shallow landslide occurrence and the overall sediment yield. This suggests that any current schemes for mitigating sediment yield impact in Valsassina remain valid. The application highlights the need for further research in eliminating the large number of unconditionally unsafe landslide sites typically predicted by the model and in avoiding large overestimates of landslide occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical analysis of the dynamic behaviour of mech anical systems characterized by coupled elements subjected to friction force from the sliding surface is proposed. With reference to systems with one degree of freedom and approximating the friction force as a piecewis e linear function, i.e. straight line segments with a suitable slope, the positioning errors in the stop phase are studied. Dimensionless analytical relations used to predict the size of positioning errors and dimensionless diagrams are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous allodynia (CA) is a frequent complaint during migraine attacks, recently associated with migraine transformation as well as psychiatric comorbidities. The aim of our study was to define the clinical features of allodynic migraineurs, in particular, the relationship between CA and personality profile. Between October 2008 and December 2009, 410 migraineurs admitted for the first time to our Headache Center underwent Allodynia Symptom Checklist, MIgraine DIsability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and psychometric tests [Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y 1-2), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)]. Allodynia was present in 63% of cases, mostly in females. In CA patients, an association with female sex, chronic migraine, higher values of MIDAS, BDI, harm avoidance (HA, a TPQ dimension) and STAI Y-2 was found. Interestingly, CA appears to be associated with depression and a particular personality profile characterized by higher values of HA, suggesting an involvement of the serotonergic system in the development of CA in migraine. In conclusion, CA is associated with progression of migraine and it could be a marker of psychiatric comorbidities, in particular, depression and anxious trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a male patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy presenting extensive diffuse hypertrophy of the nerve roots of peripheral nerves. Since adolescence the patient has had a slow and progressive mainly distal loss of sensitivity and muscle weakness in all four limbs. He presented with diffuse muscle atrophy with enlarged palpable nerve trunks. Electromyography disclosed impaired sensory and motor responses in the bilateral median nerves and the right ulnar nerve. CSF examination showed elevated protein content, while MR scans depicted extensive hypertrophy of the spinal nerve roots. The patient benefitted from corticosteroid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Apoptosis is a critical biological phenomenon, executed under the guidance of the Apoptotic Machinery (AM), which allows the physiologic elimination of terminally differentiated, senescent or diseased cells. Because of its relevance to BioMedicine, we have sought to obtain a detailed characterization of AM Omics in Homo sapiens, namely its Genomics and Evolution, Transcriptomics, Proteomics, Interactomics, Oncogenomics, and Pharmacogenomics. Methods This project exploited the methodology commonly used in Computational Biology (i.e., mining of many omics databases of the web) as well as the High Throughput biomolecular analytical techniques. Results In Homo sapiens AM is comprised of 342 protein-encoding genes (possessing either anti- or pro-apoptotic activity, or a regulatory function) and 110 MIR-encoding genes targeting them: some have a critical role within the system (core AM nodes), others perform tissue-, pathway-, or disease-specific functions (peripheral AM nodes). By overlapping the cancer type-specific AM mutation map in the fourteen most frequent cancers in western societies (breast, colon, kidney, leukaemia, liver, lung, neuroblastoma, ovary, pancreas, prostate, skin, stomach, thyroid, and uterus) to their transcriptome, proteome and interactome in the same tumour type, we have identified the most prominent AM molecular alterations within each class. The comparison of the fourteen mutated AM networks (both protein- as MIR-based) has allowed us to pinpoint the hubs with a general and critical role in tumour development and, conversely, in cell physiology: in particular, we found that some of these had already been used as targets for pharmacological anticancer therapy. For a better understanding of the relationship between AM molecular alterations and pharmacological induction of apoptosis in cancer, we examined the expression of AM genes in K562 and SH-SY5Y after anticancer treatment. Conclusion We believe that our data on the Apoptotic Machinery will lead to the identification of new cancer genes and to the discovery of new biomarkers, which could then be used to profile cancers for diagnostic purposes and to pinpoint new targets for pharmacological therapy. This approach could pave the way for future studies and applications in molecular and clinical Medicine with important perspectives both for Oncology as for Regenerative Medicine.

Spatial and temporal behavior of hydrochemical parameters in groundwater can be studied using tools provided by geostatistics. The cross-variogram can be used to measure the spatial increments between observations at two given times as a function of distance (spatial structure). Taking into account the existence of such a spatial structure, two different data sets (sampled at two different times), representingconcentrations of the same hydrochemical parameter, can be analyzed by cokriging in order to reduce the uncertainty of the estimation. Inparticular, if one of the two data sets is a subset of the other (that is, an undersampled set), cokriging allows us to study the spatialdistribution of the hydrochemical parameter at that time, while alsoconsidering the statistical characteristics of the full data set established at a different time. This paper presents an application of cokriging by using temporal subsets to study the spatial distributionof nitrate concentration in the aquifer of the Lucca Plain, central Italy. Three data sets of nitrate concentration in groundwater were collected during three different periods in 1991. The first set was from 47 wells, but the second and the third are undersampled and represent 28 and 27 wells, respectively. Comparing the result of cokriging with ordinary kriging showed an improvement of the uncertainty in terms of reducing the estimation variance. The application of cokriging to the undersampled data sets reduced the uncertainty in estimating nitrate concentration and at the same time decreased the cost of the field sampling and laboratory analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]