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To evaluate the decline of antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection, the individuals resident in 5 municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Northern Italy, who resulted IgG positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (NC) in May 2020, were tested four months later.Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NC antibodies were detected using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. Samples that gave a negative result were re-tested using the Liaison SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay to assess anti-spike (S) S1/S2 antibodies. The fifty-percent tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) neutralizing assay was performed on a subgroup of formerly positive sera. Statistical analysis was performed by STATA version 16.1 (STATA Corp., College Station, Texas, USA).Overall, 480 out of 1159 participants became seronegative for anti-NC IgG antibodies. Age above 70 years and cough were associated with persistent anti-NC IgG levels. Most anti-NC IgG negative sera were positive for anti-S IgG (77.9%). The neutralization assay showed high concordance with anti-S antibodies positivity.In conclusion, a decline of anti-NC IgG values was recorded four months after the first evaluation. A high proportion of anti-NC seronegative individuals were positive for anti-spike IgG antibodies, which appear to persist longer and to better correlate with neutralization activity.

Nel panorama delle tecnologie alimentate da fonti rinnovabili, i sistemi che sfruttano la fonte solare rappresentano probabilmente le tecnologie oggi più affidabili. Gli stessi impianti sono peraltro soggetti ad una continua evoluzione tecnologica con rapidi tempi di recepimento da parte dell’industria. Questo articolo rappresenta una analisi sul ciclo di vita (LCA, Life Cycle Assessment) di un impianto solare termico a collettore sottovuoto, a circolazione naturale, utilizzato per la produzione di acqua calda sanitaria e per il riscaldamento. L’analisi svolta ha permesso di valutare in termini energetici, ambientali ed economici la convenienza di un siffatto impianto solare termico con riferimento ad un edificio monofamiliare. Le analisi energetiche sono state elaborate, simulando l’esercizio dell’impianto in tre diverse località italiane (Palermo, Roma e Bologna).

Non-Newtonian fluid flow in fractured media is of interest to hydrologists, geophysicists, and mining engineers. Since laboratory and field investigations evidence a strong degree of variability in fracture aperture, a large body of literature is specifically concerned with evaluation of an equivalent aperture (or permeability), adopting different constitutive equations and aperture variability models. The equivalent aperture for non-Newtonian fluid flow is defined as the parallel plate aperture which would permit a given volumetric flux under an assigned pressure gradient, thereby generalizing the concept of hydraulic aperture used for Newtonian flow. In this paper, the Bingham model with yield stress t0 has been adopted to describe the fluid rheology; the aperture is taken to vary as a spatially homogeneous and correlated random field with a lognormal aperture density distribution of assigned mean and variance s2. The equivalent fracture aperture is derived for a specific geometry where the flow is perpendicular to the aperture variation. Under ergodicity, results are obtained by discretizing the fracture into elements of equal aperture and assuming that the resistances due to each aperture element are in parallel. The equivalent fracture aperture is greater than the mean, and their ratio is found to depend on aperture variability, represented by log-aperture variance s2, and on a dimensionless parameter w, equal to the wall shear stress in a fracture with aperture equal to divided by the Bingham yield stress. The ratio is weakly dependent on w, and tends to increase as s2 increases. When w tends to infinity, all our expressions reduce to those derived in the past for Newtonian flow and lognormal aperture distribution.

Six patients affected by toxic thyroid nodules (Plummer disease) were treated by percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI). Treatment was performed injecting under ultrasound guidance 2-4 mL of 95% sterile ethyl alcohol through a spinal needle (22 gauge, 75 mm length). Treatment was performed once-twice weekly and repeated as an outpatient procedure 4-6 times. PEI induced clinical improvement and hormonal control by the end of the treatment (one month) and no complications took place. After PEI all hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules became smaller at clinical and ultrasound examination. Three months after PEI hot areas appeared cold at 99mTc and 1311 scintiscan. Serum levels of FT3, FT4, AbT, AbM, TG reached the normal range and serum TSH levels were significantly increased and responsive to TRH stimulation.

CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed on the patients with pulmonary or mediastinal masses to obtain material for cytologic/histologic diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy and safety of the technique were evaluated in 75 patients affected with thoracic lesions still undiagnosed after thorough radiological and endoscopic investigations. The cytologic and/or microhistologic samples allowed a correct diagnosis to be made in 61 cases (81%), with no false positives and 7 false negatives (9%). The samples were inadequate for diagnostic purposes in 7 cases (9%). Specificity, sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy were 68%, 76%, and 81%, respectively. No major complication was recorded and a case of asymptomatic pneumothorax resolved spontaneously within 48 hours. CT-guided FNAB of space-occupying lesions in the lung and mediastinum is therefore a rapid and valuable diagnostic tool and is quite safe when performed by skilled operators.

Energy performance certificate is retrieved and implemented by Directive 2010/31/EU which requires Member States to create independent control systems. In Italy, there is still a unique control system on the certificates and energy efficiency technical certification, only some regions were activated in this way. In this work we try to draw the picture with the laws of the control systems and certified auditors, developing on the basis of the regions that have implemented such controls, critical analysis and reasoned on the results obtained.

Following the approval by the European Parliament of the directive on energy efficiency of public buildings, a great effort has been directed towards enhancing low-emission systems such as fuel cells (FC), photovoltaic systems (PVS) or solar thermal systems (STS), especially in all public facilities, such as hospitals, characterized by relevant energy requirements. This paper develops a theoretical analysis which focuses on the environmental benefits achievable through a shift from the conventional systems, normally operating in hospitals, to various hybrid plants. The model site is a hospital located near Ferrara (Italy). Several hybrid schemes were investigated and compared: PAFCs (phosporic acid fuel cells), STS and PVS. An energy analysis was developed for each option assuming, as a benchmark, the conventional systems operating today in the medical center. The results, presented with reference to the primary energy requirements and the pollutant emissions, demonstrate that in the case of existing systems being upgraded with these hybrid plants, overall emissions could be abated with a significant reduction in fossil energy consumption. Finally, an economic study, even taking external factors into account, is developed for all the retrofit scenarios in terms of annual return, simple payback period and IRR.