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Karst aquifers are indispensable, yet vulnerable, resources; therefore, they require a comprehensive protection strategy. Since springs are the terminal points of the karst flow systems, knowledge of their distribution is a key element for the better understanding of groundwater flow, availability and vulnerability. The present study aims to introduce a data-driven analysis by the application of a spatial statistical technique (Weights of Evidence (WofE)) for the evaluation of factors influencing spring distribution in karst areas. A workflow was developed for investigating two questions: where will the springs locate, and where will the permanent springs evolve? This workflow has the potential for application to unconfined karst areas. This enhanced approach was applied to an unconfined transboundary aquifer, the Gömör–Torna Karst (HU and SK). The roles of five factors was statistically investigated: terrain elevation, distance to faults, distance of the carbonate–non-carbonate rock contact, distance to sinkholes, and precipitation distribution. The validation procedures confirmed the effectiveness of the approach. The resulting predictive maps are useful for decision-makers to delineate areas holding potential karst springs and to address water availability problems and protection measures. In addition, the WofE technique improved the comprehension of the geological conditions favourable for the formation of the springs.

A bio-derived power harvester from mechanical vibrations is here proposed. The harvester aims at using greener fabrication technologies and reducing the dependence from carbon-based fossil energy sources. The proposed harvester consists mainly of biodegradable matters. It is based on bacterial cellulose, produced by some kind of bacteria, in a sort of bio-factory. The cellulose is further impregnated with ionic liquids and covered with conducting polymers. Due to the mechanoelectrical transduction properties of the composite, an electrical signal is produced at the electrodes, when a mechanical deformation is imposed. Experimental results show that the proposed system is capable of delivering electrical energy on a resistive load. Applications can be envisaged on autonomous or quasi-autonomous electronics, such as wireless sensor networks, distributed measurement systems, wearable, and flexible electronics. The production technology allows for fabricating the harvester with low power consumption, negligible amounts of raw materials, no rare elements, and no pollutant emissions.

Entry of hepatitis C virus (HCV) into hepatocytes is a complex process that involves numerous cellular factors, including the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1), the tetraspanin CD81, and the tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-1 (CLDN1) and occludin (OCLN). Despite expression of all known HCV-entry factors, in vitro models based on hepatoma cell lines do not fully reproduce the in vivo susceptibility of liver cells to primary HCV isolates, implying the existence of additional host factors which are critical for HCV entry and/or replication. Likewise, HCV replication is severely impaired within hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue in vivo, but the mechanisms responsible for this restriction are presently unknown. Here, we identify tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2), one of the most downregulated genes in primary HCC tissue, as a host factor that interacts with CLDN1 and OCLN and regulates their cellular localization. TACSTD2 gene silencing disrupts the typical linear distribution of CLDN1 and OCLN along the cellular membrane in both hepatoma cells and primary human hepatocytes, recapitulating the pattern observed in vivo in primary HCC tissue. Mechanistic studies suggest that TACSTD2 is involved in the phosphorylation of CLDN1 and OCLN, which is required for their proper cellular localization. Silencing of TACSTD2 dramatically inhibits HCV infection with a pan-genotype effect that occurs at the level of viral entry. Our study identifies TACSTD2 as a novel regulator of two major HCV-entry factors, CLDN1 and OCLN, which is strongly downregulated in malignant hepatocytes. These results provide new insights into the complex process of HCV entry into hepatocytes and may assist in the development of more efficient cellular systems for HCV propagation in vitro.

A PWID man, HCV/HBV-HDV/HIV-infected, underwent liver transplantation (LT) for HCC in 2012 at the age of 52 years. HCC tissue showed high HDV-RNA (88,400 copies/cell), low total HBV-DNA (0.00001 c/c), and HBVcccDNA0.00008 c/c), without detectable HBV-RNA. High-throughput HBV integration sequencing (HBIS) identified 657 HBV integration sites.HBV integrants were predominantly represented by HBx gene sequences. After LT, Tacrolimus, Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/TAF, and anti-HBs immunoglobulin were administered, yielding HBsAg, HDV-RNA, and HCV-RNA negativity. In 2018, HBsAg reversion was observed with undetectable HBV-DNA and HDV-RNA >19,000 c/ml. In 2019, HDV-related hepatitis occurred. Intrahepatic HBcAg, HBsAgHBV DNA, HBVcccDNA, and HBV-RNA were undetectable. HDV RNA concentrations were very high in the liver (3,920,000 c/c) but low in the serum (214 IU/mL). CT scan (CTs) suspected an isolated HCC recurrence in the left adrenal gland, confirmed by adrenalectomy. Real-time PCR in the tumor from the adrenal gland revealed high levels of HDV RNA (5.5 c/c) but low levels of HBV DNA (0.00009 c/c) and HBVcccDNA (0.00001 c/c). HBV RNA was undetectable. HBIS identified 3497 HBV integrations, most of which included HBs gene sequences. After adrenalectomy, HBsAg and HDV-RNA became undetectable. Anti-HBs immunoglobulin was continued with Everolimus. In 2021, CTs showed two HCC nodules in the liver and one in the right adrenal gland. TACE was performed, and TKI therapy was started. In 2023, new HDV hepatitis occurred, with HDV-RNA>3,631,360 UI/ml and HBV-DNA <10UI/ml. For the progression of HCC, RFA on the right adrenal gland was performed, and Bulevirtide was started. After 3 months, HDV-RNA was 48,638 c/ml, and transaminases were normal. This case demonstrates HDV replication in extrahepatic HCC recurrence, despite low levels of HBVcccDNA. The decreased HDV RNA levels after RFA and BLV therapy suggest that HCC metastases may serve as HBsAg production sites following HBV integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gradual population aging is creating a new set of needs in the general population. Memory capacity decreases with age, and memory deficits are considered an early symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), one of the most prevalent cognitive disorders in older people. Numerous studies have shown that grape polyphenolic compounds (GPs) are able to attenuate cognitive impairment and reduce brain lesions in experimental AD animal models. These GP effects are associated with improvement in brain antioxidant status and prevention of free radical-induced neuronal damage. We designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the potential beneficial effects of a Vitis vinifera-based dietary supplement on cognitive function and neuropsychological status in healthy older adults.Methods: One-hundred eleven subjects were recruited and randomly divided in two groups: one group received the V. vinifera-based dietary supplement Cognigrape® for 12 weeks (250 mg/day) and the second group received placebo over the same period of time. Before and after the end of the supplementation period, cognitive function and neuropsychological status were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) evaluations.Results: MMSE scores were significantly improved after supplementation with Cognigrape® in comparison with baseline levels (p < 0.0001) and placebo (r = 0.59, 0.95% CI 0.11, 1.22; p < 0.0001). Cognigrape® supplementation produced a significant reduction in BDI (-15.8%) and HARS (-24.9%) scores with respect to baseline levels (p < 0.0001) and placebo (p < 0.0001 for BDI and p < 0.05 for HARS). RBANS total score was significantly improved by Cognigrape® with respect to baseline levels and placebo (r = 0.55, 0.95% CI 0.48, 6.07; p < 0.0001). The comparison with the placebo revealed improvements in several parameters among participants receiving Cognigrape®: attention (p < 0.001); language (p < 0.05); immediate memory (p < 0.0001); and delayed memory (p < 0.0001). Visuospatial/constructional abilities were not modified. During the study, no adverse effects were detected.Conclusion: The results show that 12 weeks of Cognigrape® supplementation is safe, can improve physiological cognitive profiles, and can concurrently ameliorate negative neuropsychological status in healthy older adults.

This paper discusses the results of a study that focused on the perceived preparedness of recent graduates. Fifty-five St. John's University MLS students surveyed 348 practitioners in public libraries (181) and school libraries (167) concerning perceived preparedness of recent MLS graduates for the realities of working in libraries. The overriding research question sought to answer if the students/recent graduates are prepared to meet the expectations of professionals. This research indicates that the perceived gap between LIS education and the realities of the workplace may be larger for some specializations than others. (Contains 8 figures and 3 tables.)

In several application fields, plasmonic sensor platforms combined with bio-receptors are intensively used to obtain biosensors. Most of these commercial devices are based on a disposable chip. Usually a gold chip, functionalized with a specific bio-receptor, inside a costly sensor system, is used. In this work, we propose a low-cost and small-size sensor system, used for monitoring a disposable plasmonic chip, based on an innovative optical waveguide made of bacterial cellulose (BC). In particular, we have sputtered gold on the green slab waveguide that is able to excite localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Experimental results are presented on the capabilities of using the BC-based composite as an eco-friendly plasmonic sensor platform, which could be exploited for realizing disposable biosensors. The sensor has been used with optical fibers and simple equipment. More specifically, the fibers connect the green disposable LSPR sensor with a light source and with a spectrometer. The novel plasmonic sensing approach has been tested using two different optical waveguide configurations of BC, with and without ions inside BC.

We use as optical waveguide a green composite, based on bacterial cellulose (BC). More specifically, we have sputtered a thin gold film on this innovative slab waveguide for obtaining a Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) sensor. Experimental results confirm the possibility of using the BC based composite as an environmental friendly optical sensor platform with plasmonic capabilities, which could be exploited for realizing disposable biosensors. The new optical sensor has been used by combining it with optical fibers. The fibers connect the green disposable optical sensor with a light source and with a spectrometer. The device has been tested by measuring the refractive index of different water-glycerin solutions.

Contamination by chlorinated solvents is typically associated with point sources, which are able to release high concentrations and to generate well defined plumes. Nevertheless, in urban settings (especially in functional urban areas—FUAs), multiple-point sources are frequently present, consisting of a series of unidentifiable small sources clustered within large areas, generating a diffuse, anthropogenic contamination. This situation results in the coexistence of single plumes with higher contaminant concentrations, and larger areas where the concentration is lower but still higher than the maximum admissible concentration limits. This paper proposes a methodology devised to cope with the diffuse contamination by chlorinated solvents within shallow aquifers due to multiple-point sources in FUAs. The approach is based on a Bayesian model that helps to spatially evaluate the likelihood of having active multiple-point sources, and to relate their impact on the shallow aquifer to the hydrogeological features of the area. Moreover, the approach allows testing of the efficiency of the monitoring network to properly characterize the contamination in the aquifer. The consistency of the results of the analysis was also checked for the Milan FUA (Italy) by a comparison to a previous study, performed through an inverse numerical modelling approach within a Monte Carlo statistical framework to identify the areas with the highest likelihood to host potential multiple-point sources.

The use of inexpensive gas sensors is a real need for many applications requiring the use of disposable sensors. This work deals with the realization and characterization of a low cost CO2 sensor realized by rapid prototyping techniques. In particular, the sensor consists of a set of InterDigiTed electrodes, over which a double sensing layer made of PEDOT/PSS (CLEVIOS™ PHCV4, by H.C.Starck) and a solution of pristine graphene powder has been deposited. A silver nano-particle solution is used for inkjet printing the electrodes onto the PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) substrate, through a commercial inkjet printer. The sensing strategy is based on the variation of the electrical conductance of graphene due to gas molecules adsorption. The device responsivity observed in two different operating conditions (50 °C and 60 °C), is 4.0 µΩ/Ω/ppm and 4.7 µΩ/Ω/ppm. The corresponding values of the resolution are 400 ppm and 420 ppm. Main advantages of the developed sensor consist in the cost-effective fabrication techniques and the device flexibility, which are strategic for applications requiring disposable and shapeable devices to be installed into irregular surfaces.

Musique et poésie sont intimement liées depuis toujours. La musicalité ne dépend pas seulement de l’accompagnement d’un instrument ou de la voix, mais aussi des sonorités et du rythme des mots de la langue. D’un côté la musique, dans son univocité, est l’art de combiner les sons, caractérisés par la fréquence, l’intensité et le timbre; ceux-ci ont une structure métrique qui est le rythme et se développent de façon linéaire dans la mélodie ou simultanément, donc verticalement, obéissant aux règles abstraites de l’harmonie. De l’autre, la poésie est plus difficile à cerner à cause de l’ambivalence fondamentale du langage verbal pivotant sur l’articulation signifiant/signifié. La notion de rythme définie chacun à sa manière par Benveniste, Meschonnic et Bonnefoy se situe à mi-chemin et synthétise l’ancienne alliance entre les deux arts cousins.

It has been shown that the presence of Aδ-fiber laser evoked potentials (Aδ-LEP) in patients suffering from chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC), such as vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), may be the expression of a residual cortical pain arousal. Interestingly, the study of C-fiber LEP (C-LEP) could be useful in the assessment of cortical pain arousal in the DOC individuals who lack of Aδ-LEP. To this end, we enrolled 38 DOC patients following post-anoxic or post-traumatic brain injury, who met the international criteria for VS and MCS diagnosis. Each subject was clinically evaluated, through the coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) and the nociceptive coma scale-revised (NCS-R), and electrophysiologically tested by means of a solid-state laser for Aδ-LEP and C-LEP. VS individuals showed increased latencies and reduced amplitudes of both the Aδ-LEP and C-LEP components in comparison to MCS patients. Although nearly all of the patients had both the LEP components, some VS individuals showed only the C-LEP ones. Notably, such patients had a similar NCS-R score to those having both the LEP components. Hence, we could hypothesize that C-LEP generators may be rearranged or partially spared in order to still guarantee cortical pain arousal when Aδ-LEP generators are damaged. Therefore, the residual presence of C-LEP should be assessed when Aδ-LEP are missing, since a potential pain experience should be still present in some patients, so to properly initiate, or adapt, the most appropriate pain treatment.

The aim of this study is to consider the cost-effectiveness of a nurse-led, home-based intervention (HBI) in cardiac patients with private health insurance compared to usual post-discharge care. A within trial analysis of the Young @ Heart multicentre, randomized controlled trial along with a micro-simulation decision analytical model was conducted to estimate the incremental costs and quality adjusted life years associated with the home based intervention compared to usual care. For the micro-simulation model, future costs, from the perspective of the funder, and effects are estimated over a twenty-year time horizon. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, along with Incremental Net Monetary Benefit, is evaluated using a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. Sub-group analyses are conducted for men and women across three age groups separately. Costs and benefits that arise in the future are discounted at five percent per annum. Overall, home based intervention for secondary prevention in patients with chronic heart disease identified in the Australian private health care sector is not cost-effective. The estimated within trial incremental net monetary benefit is -$3,116 [95% CI: -11,145, $4,914]; indicating that the costs outweigh the benefits. However, for males and in particular males aged 75 years and above, home based intervention indicated a potential to reduce health care costs when compared to usual care (within trial: -$10,416 [95% CI: -$26,745, $5,913]; modelled analysis: -$1,980 [95% CI: -$22,843, $14,863]). This work provides a crucial impetus for future research to understand for whom disease management programs are likely to benefit most.

According to Yves Bonnefoy, the “task” of the translator coincides with a quest, a sounding of the depths of a sea as every language is, in order to search for the authentic word across the “threshold” of a meaning which seems to slip away, though overcoming the linguistic barriers. In translating his own verse the poet can retrace the path of poetic creation, reliving the emotions associated with his first experience. In this article we suggest to read In the threshold’s lure, a self-translation of his Dans le leurre du seuil, as a retracing of his steps back towards an original locus of plenitude that is to say the child’s perception of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Récit fantastique-visionnaire, Véra peut être considéré une œuvre d’art soigneusement construite et pensée qui au niveau sémantique paraît l’emblème d’une traduction dénaturée et d’une vérité inatteignable. Dans cette étude nous analyserons trois traductions italiennes dont chacune, tout en créant des effets différents, voire antithétiques, vise à restituer le texte original. Il est indéniable que très souvent un problème apparemment insoluble dans la traduction d’une œuvre littéraire peut faire affleurer des côtés abstrus du sens, tout en appelant le traducteur à un véritable creusement du texte. En l’occurrence, le conte Véra se prête à l’approfondissement des concepts de « réalité » et de « vérité », dans une perspective aussi bien philosophique que linguistique. Dès lors les interrogatifs : peut-on connaître la vérité ? Existe-t-il une réalité vraie ou plutôt celle-ci n’est qu’une représentation mentale existant seulement en relation au sujet et à ses paramètres de jugement ?

Ninety percent of the olive trees are destined to oil production in the Mediterranean basin. Within a wide study of Southern Italian olive oils, with a particular reference to Sicily, several varieties of olive have been studied. The result of an analytical study carried out with two cultivars "Nocellara del Belice" and "Cerasuola" for six consecutive years is described in this paper. Parameters related to olive oil purity and shelf-life together with the composition (%) of sterols and fatty acids of the single oils are shown. Data were analyzed by the univariate non-parametric Mann-Whitney test and the multivariate procedure of Factor Analysis.

The work presents a brief report of the main results of a study carried out by the Spatial Engineering Division of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Engineering of the University of Bologna, within a broader PRIN 2005 research project concerning landscape and economic analysis, planning and programming. In particular, the study focuses on the design of spatial analysis methods aimed at building knowledge frameworks of the various natural and anthropic resources of rural areas. The goal is to increase the level of spatial and information detail of common databases, thus allowing higher accuracy and effectiveness of the analyses needed to achieve the goals of new generation spatial and agriculture planning. Specific in-depth analyses allowed to define techniques useful in order to reduce the increase in survey costs. Moreover, the work reports the main results regarding a multicriteria model for the analysis of the countryside defined by the research. Such model is aimed to assess the various agricultural, environmental and landscape features, vocations, expressions and attitudes, and support the definition and implementation of specific and targeted planning and programming policies.

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As is known, new technologies have profoundly changed the way content is produced, shared and disseminated. One of the most recent (and worrying) changes is the phenomenon of 'fake news', especially since disinformation and intentional misrepresentation of real information have started to affect individual decision-making in the political sphere. It is a worrying phenomenon because the dissemination of fake news can challenge democratic values and undermine national security. Against this background, can copyright play a role in the fight against fake news? And what is the relationship between such news and copyright in the first place? Fake news in theory falls within copyright subject matter and may often meet the requirements for protection. The paper analyses three recent examples of fake news which have been widely disseminated online – and makes the point that copyright may subsist in such news. Yet, despite such content being potentially capable of attracting protection, we propose to remove any copyright which may arise on grounds of public interest. Indeed, when a work is protected by copyright, right holders have an incentive to exploit it, as the monopoly granted to them increases the ability to extract profits out of the work, for example via licensing. This may contribute to encouraging creators of fake news to spread such content across multiple channels to reach wide audiences. Excluding copyright could therefore help make fake news less appealing. A short reference will also be made to copyright defences which may be relied on by entities and individuals who check news' accuracy (fact-checkers) – that is, the fair use doctrine under US law and several exceptions under EU (and UK) law, namely transient use, text and data mining, criticism and review and public security. * All authors contributed equally to this manuscript and are listed alphabetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]