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Abstract In this work, the design of a monolithic softener obtained by geopolymer gel conversion is proposed. The softener used consists in a geopolymeric macroporous matrix functionalized by the co-crystallization of zeolite A and X in mixture. The dual nature of the proposed material promotes a softening process based on the synergistic effect of cation exchange and alkaline precipitation. A softening capacity of 90% and 54% for Ca2+ and Mg2+ respectively was attained in 24 h. In fact, the softener reported a Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) value of 4.43 meq g−1. Technical features such as density, porosity and mechanical resistance were also measured. The use of this monolithic softener can improve performance and sustainability of hardness removal from tap water, reducing the production of sludge and adding the possibility to partially regenerate or reuse it.

Pancreatic surgery is one of the surgeries burdened with the highest mortality and morbidity rate. This is due both to the aggressive biological nature of the pathology affecting the organ and to the technical difficulties associated with surgery. A further aspect on which research is focusing is represented by inflammation related to oncological pathology. Inflammation plays an important role in tumor progression, and growing evidence has confirmed that the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) is an important prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in malignant tumors.Inflammatory markers had demonstrated also a role in the prediction of postoperative complication after pancreatic surgery.We speculate that FAR, as an easily available, cost-effective, and non-invasive prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer patients, could help to identify patients at increased risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). We therefore retrospectively analyzed the data relating to 117 pancreatic resections relating direct and indirect markers of inflammation with the incidence of post-operative complications.

Portable and simple analytical devices based on microfluidics with chemiluminescence detection are particularly attractive for point-of-care applications, offering high detectability and specificity in a simple and miniaturized analytical format. Particularly relevant for infectious disease diagnosis is the ability to sensitively and specifically detect target nucleic acid sequences in biological fluids. To reach the goal of real-life applications for such devices, however, several technological challenges related to full device integration are still to be solved, one key aspect regarding on-chip integration of the chemiluminescence signal detection device. Nowadays, the most promising approach is on-chip integration of thin-film photosensors.We recently proposed a portable cartridge with microwells aligned with an array of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photosensors, reaching attomole level limits of detection for different chemiluminescence model reactions. Herein, we explore its applicability and performance for multiplex and quantitative detection of viral DNA. In particular, the cartridge was modified to accommodate microfluidic channels and, upon immobilization of three oligonucleotide probes in different positions along each channel, each specific for a genotype of Parvovirus B19, viral nucleic acid sequences were captured and detected.With this system, taking advantage of oligoprobes specificity, chemiluminescence detectability, and photosensor sensitivity, accurate quantification of target analytes down to 70 pmol L−1 was obtained for each B19 DNA genotype, with high specificity and multiplexing ability. Results confirm the good detection capabilities and assay applicability of the proposed system, prompting the development of innovative portable analytical devices with enhanced sensitivity and multiplexed capabilities. Keywords: Integrated analytical system, Amorphous silicon photosensors, Chemiluminescence, Nucleic acids detection, Oligonucleotide array, Point-of-care

In this paper we have integrated a two-channel microfluidic network, fabricated by molding two polydimethilsiloxane channels, with a balanced photodiode constituted by two series-connected amorphous silicon/silicon carbide n-i-p stacked junctions, deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition on a glass substrate. The structure takes advantage of the differential current measurement to reveal very small variations of photocurrent in a large background current signal suitable for biomedical application. The microfluidic network has been fabricated with dimensions of 3 cm × 2 mm × 150 μm (L × W × H) for each channel. The experiments have been carried out measuring the differential current in several conditions. All the experiments have been executed under a large background light intensity to reproduce realistic operating conditions in biomedical applications. We have found that the proposed device is able to detect the presence or absence of water flow in the channel and the presence of fluorescent marker. In particular, under identical channel conditions the differential current is at least a factor 60 lower that the current flowing in each diode.

An ever growing number of patients go to the emergency room (ER) for toxic exposure to various causal agents. Yet, the actual number of acute poisoning still remains unknown and the epidemic data are only partly available. Cases of acute poisoning in the ER of Salerno Hospital from April 2009 to September 2011 (30 months’ period) are reported. Data are divided according to the criteria of gender, age, aetiologic agent, place and reasons of poisoning, and risk evaluation. Out of the total 220,165 patients, the acute poisoning cases were 1,347 (0.61%). Among these, 189 (14.1%) patients were admitted to hospital while 3 (0.2%) died. Alcool acute poisonings are the most frequent (43.6%), followed by drugs poisonings (30.6%). Acute poisonings are more common among males (59.9%) and in people aged 20-50 years. Out of all the acute poisoning cases, 27.8% requested a consult to the Anti-Poisoning Centre. The results aim at contributing to the epidemic research for acute poisoning in ER.

Giant cell arteritis is a systemic vasculitis characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the aorta and its main vessels. Cardiovascular risk, both for arterial and venous thromboembolism, is increased in these patients, but the role of thromboprophylaxis is still debated. It should be suspected in elderly patients suffering from sudden onset severe headaches, jaw claudication, and visual disease. Early diagnosis is necessary because prognosis depends on the timeliness of treatment: this kind of arteritis can be complicated by vision loss and cerebrovascular strokes. Corticosteroids remain the cornerstone of the pharmacological treatment of GCA. Aspirin seems to be effective in cardiovascular prevention, while the use of anticoagulant therapy is controversial. Association with other rheumatological disease, particularly with polymyalgia rheumatica is well known, while possible association with antiphospholipid syndrome is not established. Large future trials may provide information about the optimal therapy. Other approaches with new drugs, such as TNF-alpha blockades, Il-6 and IL-1 blockade agents, need to be tested in larger trials.

Numerous security domains would benefit from improved employee risk recognition and reporting through effective security training. This study assesses the effectiveness of a new skills-based training approach to improve risk recognition and reporting of malicious elicitations. Malicious elicitations are techniques that strategically use conversation (i.e., online, in writing, in person, or over the phone) with the sole purpose of collecting sensitive, non-publicly available information about business operations, people, or technological assets without raising suspicion. To an untrained observer, a skilled elicitor can make conversations seem analogous to many professional networking situations such as those experienced over email and at conferences. A 12-month longitudinal experimental study was conducted to test training effectiveness on employees of a large corporation that focuses on serving national security needs and the public interest. Half of participants were randomly assigned to receive traditional awareness-based training (i.e., reviewing informational slides) while the other half of participants received a new skills-based training that allowed them—over the course of five weeks—to iteratively practice skills learned in the training and receive feedback on their performance in their day-to-day work environment. Following training for both experimental groups, malicious elicitations and benign professional networking test messages were sent (via email & text message) to unaware employee participants for 12 months. Findings revealed that skills-based training improved reporting of malicious elicitations and lasted for up to 12 months compared to traditional awareness-based training.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) presents in a variety of clinical forms associated with a diverse grade of neurological impairment, different prognosis and, possibly, multiple pathogenic mechanisms. Thus, whereas relapsing-remitting (RR) MS appears to be largely driven by inflammatory processes, neurodegeneration, partially independent from inflammation, drives primary progressive (PP) and secondary progressive (SP) MS. An extensive analysis of neuroinflammation in the different forms of MS was performed by evaluating immunophenotypic and functional parameters in MBP-stimulated T lymphocytes of 103 MS patients (26 benign (BE) MS, 30 RRMS, 33 SPMS and 14 PPMS) and 40 healthy controls (HC). Results showed that: i) IL-17-producing and RORC/γt-expressing CD4+ T cells (TH17 lymphocytes), as well as IL-6 expressing CD14+ cell were augmented in all patients; ii) IL-22-expressing cells were increased in all forms of MS with the exception of PPMS; iii) TGF-β-expressing B cells were increased only in RRMS; and iv) GATA3-, NFATc-1, IL-13-, and IL-25-expressing cells (TH2 lymphocytes) were augmented in RRMS and BEMS patients alone. Data herein indicate a pivotal pathogenic role of TH17-driven inflammation in all clinical forms of MS and suggest that control over disease (RRMS and BEMS) is associated not with lack of inflammation per se, but rather with the activation of immune-mediated anti-inflammatory mechanisms. These results could help the design of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.