Search

International audience; Design of Rockfall Protection Embankments and estimation of their capacity to control the trajectory of rock boulders are complex issues, which give considerable room for research and improvement. A lack of detailed models for the simulation of block rebound in the embankment vicinity is mainly due to the large number of parameters that influences the phenomenon. Therefore, the evaluation of the embankment efficiency in satisfactorily acting on the block trajectory, as a function of the site characteristics and boulder kinematics, is still precluded to design engineers.In the present paper, the open-source code YADE, based on a discrete element method (DEM), is used to model the bouncing of a rock block on the embankment face, while taking into account a certain number of parameters with influence on the impact.By contrast with previously developed models (DEM, FEM or coupled approaches), the aim is here to propose a model with limited computation cost. In this purpose, the embankment is modelled as a membrane interacting with the rock block. The embankment body is not represented because it would require a large number of particles, and, consequently, a high computational time. Various elements implemented in YADE are used to model the embankment surface, with the aim of mimicking the mechanisms involved during the rock boulder rebound. The validity of the approach is addressed comparing simulation results with the few experimental data available from the literature. The influence of characteristics of the impacting block (radius and weight) and kinematic parameters (impact angle and velocity) on the restitution coefficients is explored. In particular, the normal (R-n), tangential (R-t) and energetic (R-TE) coefficients of restitution are monitored. The goal of defining an efficient model in a realistic range of these parameters is pursued.

In this paper it will be investigated the distinction – supported by experimental data – of two different degrees within the so-called face perception: 1) The automatic perception/detection of faces; 2) The recognition of a specific face, that concerns personal meanings association – a story, we could say – to that first automatic perceptual configuration. In general, the first degree is a basic perception process, a universal, innate and early capacity belonging to all human beings. It includes three face-selective regions in the brain, with the OFA and the STS who process the partial data of faces, and the FFA that “produces” the overall basic form. The second degree consists in a complex recognition process, which implies the activation of many cerebral areas with different functions such as, for example, the subcortical regions responsible for emotions modulation (amygdala, insula), the intraparietal sulcus, the auditory cortex. It associates a given perceptual pattern with specific semantic entities, which compose a qualitative complex of experience, knowledge and subjective understanding., Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol 7, No 1 Suppl. (2019)

In human and wildlife populations, the natural microbiota plays an important role in health maintenance and the prevention of emerging infectious diseases. In amphibians, infectious diseases have been closely associated with population decline and extinction worldwide. Skin symbiont communities have been suggested as one of the factors driving the different susceptibilities of amphibians to diseases. The activity of the skin microbiota of amphibians against fungal pathogens, such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, has been examined extensively, whereas its protective role towards the cutaneous infectious diseases caused by Amphibiocystidium parasites has not yet been elucidated in detail. In the present study, we investigated, for the first time, the cutaneous microbiota of the Italian stream frog (Rana italica) and characterized the microbial assemblages of frogs uninfected and infected by Amphibiocystidium using the Illumina next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. A total of 629 different OTUs belonging to 16 different phyla were detected. Bacterial populations shared by all individuals represented only one fifth of all OTUs and were dominated by a small number of OTUs. Statistical analyses based on Bray-Curtis distances showed that uninfected and infected specimens had distinct cutaneous bacterial community structures. Phylotypes belonging to the genera Janthinobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium were more abundant, and sometimes almost exclusively present, in uninfected than in infected specimens. These bacterial populations, known to exhibit antifungal activity in amphibians, may also play a role in protection against cutaneous infectious diseases caused by Amphibiocystidium parasites.

BACKGROUND: The presence of oxidative stress in patients with asthma is well documented; however, the role of oxidative stress in allergic rhinitis has received less attention, although it is likely to be similar to that observed in patients with asthma. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) are compounds formed by the transformation of macromolecules, including proteins, which can serve as densitometric markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in several diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of AGEs and AOPPs as new markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients affected by allergic rhinitis. METHODS: AGE and AOPP levels were determined in the sera of 25 patients with allergic rhinitis and 64 healthy controls. AGEs and AOPPs were detected using spectrofluorimetry and spectrophotometry, respectively. RESULTS: AGE levels in patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P < .0001). These levels were not affected by the presence of asthma. No statistically significant differences were found between AOPP levels in patients or controls (P = .38). CONCLUSIONS: Formation of AGEs and AOPPs may be accelerated in immunological and respiratory disorders such as asthma. Depending on the marker evaluated, the presence or absence of oxidative stress in allergic rhinitis is controversial. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing the possible involvement of AGEs in allergic rhinitis. The different behavior observed for these 2 biomarkers is very likely due to the activation of specific related biochemical pathways (eg, the myeloperoxidase pathway) associated with the condition under study.

Estrogen receptor 1 gene polymorphisms (ESR1) have been found to be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) in both Japanese and Finnish populations. We investigated the association between ESR1 polymorphisms (PvuII and XbaI) and MS in a study of 132 MS patients and 129 controls from the same geographic background (southern Italy). Allelic and genotypic frequencies were not different between MS patients and population controls for either the PvuII or XbaI polymorphism. This result suggests that the association between a given disease and a genomic characteristic must be confirmed by separate investigations in different populations. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Airborne meteorological and aerosol measurements have been performed in Longyearbyen (Svalbard islands) in the summer of 2018, coupling an instrumental aerosol payload with a meteorological radiosonde deployed on a tethered balloon. More than 70 vertical profiles of aerosol and meteorological properties have been recorded up to a maximum altitude of 1.2 km. As a main result, the present work provides a homogeneous gridded dataset of vertical profiles of equivalent black carbon (eBC) and nanoparticles (NP) concentrations and associated meteorological data (temperature, T, relative humidity, RH, pressure, P) to be employed for future modelling studies of Arctic pollution. Mean values (±SD) of eBC and NP below 500 m were 110 ± 10 ng m−3 and 1400 ± 400 particles cm−3, respectively. Mean values above 500 m were 150 ± 30 ng m−3 and 1000 ± 350 particles cm−3, respectively. Group medians of maximum eBC and NP concentrations in vertical profiles with temperature inversions were significantly higher than for those without inversion. The dataset has been complemented by continuous ground measurements of eBC with an average value of 208 ± 130 ng m−3 (median value 110 ± 70 ng m−3) for the entire campaign; the ground-based background (absence of local emission) eBC value was below 100 ng m−3 while maximum values were in the 1000–2000 ng m−3 range. Median eBC concentration measured at ground for 2 h before the tethered balloon launch was higher when temperature inversion was observed. The ground-based measurements, coupled with aerosol optical depth measurements, allowed for a preliminary discussion of two case studies related to high pollutants concentration events.

Airborne bacteria were characterized over a 2-y period via high-throughput massive sequencing of 16S rRNA gene in aerosol samples collected at a background mountain European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) Network site (Monte Martano, Italy) located in the Central Mediterranean area. The air mass origin of nineteen samples was identified by air mass modelling and a detailed chemical analysis was performed. Four main origins (Saharan, North-western, North-eastern, and Regional) were identified, and distinct microbial communities were associated with these air masses. Samples featured a great bacterial diversity with Protobacteria being the most abundant phylum, and Sphingomonas followed by Acidovorax, Acinetobacter and Stenotrophomonas the most abundant genera of the dataset. Bacterial genera including potential human and animal pathogens were more abundant in European and in Regional samples compared to Saharan samples; this stressed the relevance of anthropic impact on bacterial populations transported by air masses that cross densely populated areas. The principal aerosol chemical characteristics and the airborne bacterial communities were correlated by cluster analysis, similarity tests and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, explaining most of the variability observed. However, the strong correlation between bacterial community structure and air mass origin hampered the possibility to disentangle the effects of variations in bacterial populations and in dust provenance on variations in chemical variables., Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • distinctive air masses origins show different bacterial communities • North African air masses show a relatively low number of genera with high abundance • European long-range air masses show a highly diverse and even community • bioaerosol community correlates moderately with chemical composition • potential pathogens are more abundant in European and Regional samples

Freshwater species are in serious decline all over the world. Thus, monitoring of freshwater ecosystems and species is crucial to guide policy actions and dragonflies are generally considered to be good indicators for these systems. The aquatic life stage of the Odonata is inherently more susceptible to changes in water quality than the imago and therefore exuviae give better insights into site-specific effects. However, utilizing exuviae for monitoring purposes introduces a number of problems. For example, they often do not persist long in the environment. Some of these problems have been addressed. However, there are no published data that distinguish the influence of sampling frequency and total sampling effort on the faunal completeness. Also the number of exuviae necessary to define local assemblages has not been investigated. These questions were addressed by analyzing the data on exuviae collected in seven sites and we found that for any given total amount of time invested, it was always preferable to conduct more short surveys, rather than fewer surveys lasting longer. The study also showed that a sample size of 300 exuviae allowed us to reliably estimate the similarity of two assemblages from different sites. However, when collecting 40 exuviae or less, the reliability was low. Based on our findings we recommend sampling exuviae for a minimum of 5 days, evenly spread out over the entire season during which Odonata emerge, to sample each time for approximately 60min and aim to collect not less than 300 exuviae in total.

In this paper, we present a comprehensive taxonomic survey of the bacterial community and accurate quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with an intense Saharan dust advection, which impacted Central Mediterranean area in the whole 2014–2015 period. This work is part of an intensive field campaign at the EMEP regional background site of Monte Martano (Central Italy), considered well representative of long-range transport in the Central Mediterranean area. 22 samples have been characterized in their provenance region and have been considered for the chemical and biological characterization. The event described in the present paper was exceptionally intense at the sampling site allowing a detailed evaluation of the dust load on a regional scale, an estimation of the impact of PAH based on the Toxic Equivalency Factor methodology and a thorough characterization of the airborne bacterial fraction performed by High Throughput Sequencing approach. Afterward, we cultured viable bacteria and evaluated several enzymatic activities and conducted UV survival tests. Principal findings include: (i) the striking evidence that, during the Saharan dust event, a highly diverse and abundant bacterial community was associated with PAH concentrations higher than the yearly mean; (ii) the tangible presence of cultivable microbes; (iii) the proof that the isolates recovered from Saharan dust had the potential to be metabolically active and that almost all of them were able to persist following UV radiation exposure. Comparisons of results for the present case study with mean values for the 2014–2015 experimental campaign are presented. The bacterial community and chemical speciation associated with the Saharan dust advection were specific and very different from those associated with other air masses. The particular case of North-Western Atlantic, which represents one of the most typical advection route reaching the sampling site is discussed in detail.

This paper compares a fuzzy model, expressed in rule-form, with a well known statistical approach (i.e. logistic regression model) for diagnostic decision making in patients with chronic nasal symptoms. The analyses were carried out using a database obtained from a questionnaire administered to 1359 patients with nasal symptoms containing personal data, clinical data and skin prick test (SPT) results. Both the fuzzy model and the logistic regression model developed were validated using a data set obtained from another medical institution. The accuracy of the two models in identifying patients with positive or negative SPT was similar. This study is a preliminary step to the creation of a software that primary care doctors can use to make a diagnostic decision, when deciding whether patients with nasal symptoms need allergy testing or not.

We identified two new variants in the third exon of the alpha-globin gene in families from southern Italy: the Hb Rogliano, alpha1 cod108 ACC>AAC or alpha1[alpha108(G15)Thr->Asn] and the Hb Policoro, alpha2 cod124 TCC>CCC or alpha2[alpha124(H7)Ser->Pro]. The carriers showed mild alpha-thalassemia phenotype and abnormal hemoglobin stability features. These mutations occurred in the G and H helices of the alpha-globin both involved in the specific recognition of AHSP and alpha1 chain. Molecular characterization of mRNA, globin chain analyses and molecular modelling studies were carried out to highlight the mechanisms causing the alpha-thalassemia phenotype. The results demonstrated that the alha-thalassemia defect associated with the two Hb variants originated by different defects. Hb Rogliano showed an intrinsic instability of the tetramer due to anomalous intra- and inter-chain interactions suggesting that the variant chain is normally synthesized and complexed with AHSP but rapidly degraded because it is unable to form the alpha1beta1 dimers. On the contrary in the case of Hb Policoro two different molecular mechanisms were shown: the reduction of the variant mRNA level by an unclear mechanism and the protein instability due to impairment of AHSP interaction. These data highlighted that multiple approaches, including mRNA quantification, are needed to properly identify the mechanisms leading to the alpha-thalassemia defect. Elucidation of the specific mechanism leads to the definition of a given phenotype providing important guidance for the diagnosis of unstable variants.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of inventory record inaccuracy due to behavioral aspects of workers on the order and inventory variance amplification. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a continuous-time analytical approach to describe the effect of inbound throughput on the inventory and order variance amplification due to the workload pressure and arousal of workers. The model is numerically solved through simulation and results are analyzed with statistical general linear model. Findings – Inventory management policies that usually dampen variance amplification are not effective when inaccuracy is generated due to workers’ behavioral aspects. Specifically, the psychological sensitivity and stability of workers to deal with a given range of operational conditions have a combined and multiplying effect over the amplification of order and inventory variance generated by her/his errors. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of the research is that the authors model workers’ behavior by inheriting a well-known theory from psychology that assumes a U-shaped relationship between stress and errors. The authors do not validate this relationship in the specific context of inventory operations. Practical implications – The paper gives suggestions for managers who are responsible for designing order and inventory policies on how to take into account workers’ behavioral reaction to work pressure. Originality/value – The logistics management literature does not lack of research works on behavioral decision-making causes of order and inventory variance amplification. Contrarily, this paper investigates a new kind of behavioral issue, namely, the impact of psycho-behavioral aspects of workers on variance amplification.

We used a commercially available specific IgE qualitative serological assay to screen for allergic sensitization. Two hundred twenty-eight elderly subjects took part in the study. Skin-prick tests (SPTs) to a panel of relevant aeroallergens present in the study area were used as the diagnostic reference procedure (gold standard). Subjects with at least one positive SPT (≥3 mml n = 76) were considered to have developed an allergic sensitization. The qualitative assay correctly classified subjects as sensitized to an allergen or not sensitized in 257 of 288 cases (accuracy, 88.9%; 95% CI, 85.0-92.0%). The qualitative assay sensitivity was 70.0 (95% CI, 58.1-79.7) and specificity was 95.7 (95% CI, 92.1-98.0), positive predictive value (PPV) was 85.4 (95% CI, 85.1-93.4), negative predictive value (NPV) was 89.8 (95% CI, 85.1-93.4), positive likelihood ratio (LR(+)) was 16.5 (95% CI, 8.7-31.6), negative LR (LR(-)) was 0.31 (95% CI, 0.21-0.43), and the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 52.2 (95% CI, 21.5-133.6). In the elderly subjects with respiratory symptoms, the qualitative assay correctly classified subjects as allergen sensitized or nonsensitized in 81 of 89 cases (accuracy, 91.0; 95% CI, 85.0-96.9). In this subgroup, the qualitative assay sensitivity was 94.6 (95% CI, 85.1-98.8), specificity was 84.8 (95% CI, 68.1-94.9), PPV was 91.3 (95% CI, 81.0-97.1), and NPV was 90.3 (95% CI, 74.2-97.9). LR(+) was 6.2 (95% CI, 3.0-14.2), LR(-) was 0.06 (95% CI, 0.02-0.17), and the DOR was 98.9 (95% CI, 18.0-621.4). The qualitative serological assay is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of allergic sensitization in a population of elderly subjects.