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"Obesity affects the population worldwide. A hypercaloric diet associated with a sedentary life, stress, and genetic background, triggers various metabolic disorders, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cognitive impairment. A healthy diet correlated with physical activity, not smoking, and moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing metabolic diseases. The Mediterranean diet contains antioxidants, fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and compounds with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity properties. In a wide variety of species including humans, the reduction of calories between 20-40% significantly improves health, increaseslongevity, and delaysthe development of various pathologies. The main aim of this review is to present the comparative effects of the Mediterranean diet versus the hypercaloric diet on insulin sensitivity. "

This work reports a new approach for the determination of 36Cl in radioactive waste samples from nuclear decommissioning, wherein novel plastic scintillator (PS) materials were used for the concentration of 36Cl prior to the detection with scintillation counting. Different plastic scintillator (PS) materials were tested for their selective absorption and detection of 36Cl activity in solid samples. PS microspheres (PSm), cross-linked PSm (CPSm) and PS resin have been investigated. PS resin was identified as the most suitable material for 36Cl analysis. Pyrolysis and subsequent trapping of the volatile elements in a bubbler was used. The trapping solution was finally loaded onto a cartridge of the PS resin. Scintillation counting and ion chromatography were used to determine the activity concentration and the chemical recovery, respectively

This work reports a new approach for the determination of

During the optimization of 36Cl determination in solid wastes from nuclear decommissioning, a residual 36Cl signal was observed in procedural blanks measured after processing active samples. To uncover the possible causes, we investigated the interaction of chlorine with the components of a Pyrolyser-6 Trio™, as well as the chemicals used during the procedure. Diferent treatments for identifying the source of chlorine carryover were thoroughly investigated, demonstrating that the 36Cl memory efect arises from the interaction with pyrolyser components and that it occurs almost every time when the analysis procedure is performed. Therefore, results obtained using this analysis procedure need to be corrected for this memory efect by measuring procedural blank samples before and after measuring 36Cl-containing samples

Background Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a drop in overall stroke hospitalizations. Additionally, there is a well-known association between stroke and socioeconomic status. This study aims to assess the COVID-19 effect on stroke admissions in France during the first national lockdown and investigate the factors associated with its spatial heterogeneity. Methods In this retrospective nationwide study, we used data from the French hospital discharge database (PMSI) to estimate rates of admission for stroke to all public and private hospitals in 2019 and 2020. We used negative binomial regression to test for a nationwide change in stroke admissions during the first lockdown, compared to the same period in 2019 (from week 12 to week 19). We conducted a multivariate analysis to explore the factors associated with the stroke admission incidence rate ratio variation (2020 incidence rate/2019 incidence rate) at the county level. Results We found a significant nationwide reduction in stroke admissions during the first wave of COVID-19 (incidence rate ratio 0,91 [0,86 - 0.97]), with notable geographic variations. After adjustment on hospital bed capacity, cumulative in-hospital COVID-19 incidence, standardized death rate at age 65 and unemployment rate, a higher share of labourers at the county level was associated with a higher incidence rate ratio (p < 0.01). Conclusions During the first national lockdown, there has been an overall decrease in stroke admission rates. Socio-economic determinants such as low-skilled jobs were independently associated with an increase in the stroke admission incidence rate ratio, while we did not find any independent effect from the local COVID 19 burden and hospital capacities. Key messages The first national lockdown led to an overall decrease in stroke admissions in France. This decrease varied between counties according to socio-economic determinants.

The paper presents a procedure of simulation for a transistor with Pentacene to calibrate the simulated static characteristics among the experimental I- V points. The main parameters that change the simulated profile are: semiconductor band gap, carriers mobility, density of acceptor and Poole-Frenkel model parameters for mobility. The paper offers the methodology to extract the simulation parameters for an optimal matching simulation-measurement. By this general approach, the procedure can be easily applied for other new organic semiconductors.

The FELIX system is used as an interface between front-end electronics and commodity hardware in the server farm. FELIX is using RDMA through RoCE to transmit data from its host servers to the software readout driver using off-the-shelf networking equipment. RDMA communication is implemented using software on both end of the links. Exploring opportunities to improve data throughput as part of the high luminosity LHC upgrade, an implementation for RDMA support in the front-end FELIX FPGA is being developed. We present a proof-of-concept RDMA FPGA implementation, which will help inform the design of the FELIX platform for high luminosity LHC.

In Belgium, Boom Clay is considered a potential host rock for the deep geological disposal of nuclear waste such as Eurobitum, an intermediate-level nitrate-containing radioactive waste form. The presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Boom Clay may play an important role in the mobility of radionuclides due to complexation and/or reduction of redox-sensitive radionuclides. The biodegradation of this DOM could therefore affect the barrier function of the Boom Clay. Due to the presence of nitrate leaching from Eurobitum into the clay formation, the biodegradation of DOM by a nitrate-reducing population cannot be ruled out in the Boom Clay surrounding a Eurobitum repository. In this paper, the biodegradability of DOM in Boom Clay pore water (BCPW) under nitrate-reducing conditions was investigated in the presence or absence of additional nutrients (i.e., acetate and phosphate) expected to be present in the clay surrounding a Eurobitum repository. The results of these experiments indicate that microbial nitrate reduction and the related degradation of DOM are performed by a syntrophic microbial community but are characterised by very slow kinetics. Nitrate-reducing microorganisms seem to be (at least partially) dependent on fermentation products such as acetate provided by fermenting microorganisms. The observed slow biodegradation of DOM appears to be linked to the characteristics of Boom Clay DOM, rather than to a limitation of nutrients necessary for microbial growth. The addition of phosphate only boosts the microbial growth of certain microbial species but not the biodegradation of DOM. On the other hand, acetate significantly enhances the microbial degradation of DOM. This result can be attributed to the use of acetate as an efficient C source for certain DOM-degrading microbial species and/or as a co-substrate to stimulate DOM degradation.

Results from proficiency tests gathered over the past two decades by the laboratory for low level radioactivity measurements for liquid scintillation counting of 3H (184 results) and 14C (74 results) are used to verify the validated measurement methods used by the laboratory, in particular the estimated uncertainty budget of the method and its reproducibility and stability. A linear regression approach is used for the analysis of the results, described in the literature as the long term uncertainty in measurement method. The present study clearly indicates the advantages of using proficiency test results in identifying possible constant or proportional bias effects as well as the possibility to compare the laboratory performance with the performance of peer laboratories.

Deep geothermal energy is a local energy resource that is based on the heat generated by the Earth. As the heat is continuously regenerated, geothermal exploitation can be considered as a renewable and, depending on the techniques used, a sustainable energy production system. In September 2015, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) started drilling an exploration well targeting a hot water reservoir at a depth of about 3 km on the Balmatt site near Mol. Geothermal hot water contains naturally occurring gases, chemicals and radionuclides at variable concentrations. The actual concentrations and potentially related hazards strongly depend on local geological and hydrogeological conditions. This paper summarizes the radiological characterization of several rock samples obtained from different depths during the drilling, the formation water, the salt and the sediment fraction. The results of our analyses show low values for the activity concentration for uranium and thorium in the formation water and in the precipitate/sediment fraction. Also, the activity concentrations of 210 Pb and 210 Po are low in these samples and the activity concentration of 226 Ra is dominant. From the analysis of the rock samples, it was found that the layer above the reservoir has a higher uranium and thorium concentration than the layer of the reservoir, which on the other hand contains more radium than the layer above it.

The present essay includes the main results of the research project on community-based cooperatives, promoted in 2018 by Fondosviluppo and FEDAM, and implemented by researchers of University of Molise. The volume highlights the potential and the modes of operating of community-based cooperatives, which carry out a mix of productive and socially useful activities for local community well-being. The research, through a new methodological and operational path, reaches the following results: a) devise a strategy to detect the degree of social, economic and environmental vulnerability levels of Italian inner areas; b) outline the needs of local communities; c) define the role of community-based cooperatives in bridging regional gaps, also identifying their possible policy support.Il presente volume riprende i principali risultati del progetto di ricerca sulle cooperative di comunita promosso nel 2018 da Fondosviluppo e FEDAM, e realizzato da ricercatori dell’Universita del Molise. Il volume mette in luce le potenzialita e le modalita di funzionamento delle cooperative di comunita, che creano nuove forme di condivisione e co-producono beni e/o servizi. La ricerca, sperimentando un nuovo percorso metodologico-operativo, permette di raggiungere i seguenti risultati: a) delineare una strategia per individuare il grado di vulnerabilita sociale, economica e ambientale del territorio; b) definire i fabbisogni delle comunita locali; c) indicare il ruolo di ipotetiche cooperative di comunita a supporto dei fabbisogni individuati e individuarne i canali di finanziamento.

Basing on multivariate statistical methods, text and sentiment analysis, and profitability analysis, a study is performed, with the aim to define the role of Community-based cooperatives in the development process of the inner areas of the Italian region of Molise. Census data, direct interviews data, and balance sheets data are employed to identify a new model of local development based on cooperative principles.

BACKGROUND : In a previous quality control assessment of the management of STEMI in our centre–a tertiary centre in a rural area–we observed a decrease in intrahospital delays over time (2004→2013) from 98→39 minutes (median) but unchanged extrahospital delays (203–220 minutes). AIM :To elucidate the determinants of these long extrahospital delays, 181 patients, undergoing PCI for STEMI (2013–2017) in our centre, were carefully interviewed. The first medical contact (FMC) allowed to assess 2 periods: onset of symptoms–FMC (period 1) and FMC–diagnosis (period 2). Results are given as mean values (median). RESULTS :In 36%, the FMC took place via the general practitioner (GP). Period 1 was associated with the type of FMC (GP: 210 ± 294, median = 79 min/EM call: 78 ± 114, median = 43 min/direct hospital admission: 222 ± 44, median = 115 min), the moment of symptoms onset (0–4 am: 198 ± 192, median 142 min/8–12 am: 96 ± 126, median 60 min), age (70–80 y: 262 ± 324, median 120 min/50–60 y: 198 ± 438, median 63 min) and the distance to our PCI centre expressed in minutes by car (< 30′: 108 ± 156, median = 60 min/ > 60′: 216 ± 288, median = 116 min). Period 2 was depending on the type of FMC (GP: 234 ± 600, median 56 min/EM call: 31 ± 29, median 22 min/direct hospital admission: 25 ± 55, median 10 min). CONCLUSION :In our local experience, FMC via the GP in case of STEMI is a major determinant for a longer extrahospital delay and should therefore be discouraged.

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) operated very successfully in the years 2008 to 2013, a period identified as Run 1. ATLAS achieved an overall data-taking efficiency of 94%, largely constrained by the irreducible dead-time introduced to accommodate the limitations of the detector read-out electronics. Out of the 6% dead-time only about 15% could be attributed to the central trigger and DAQ system, and out of these, a negligible fraction was due to the Control and Configuration sub-system. Despite these achievements, and in order to improve the efficiency of the whole DAQ system in Run 2 (2015-2018), the first long LHC shutdown (2013-2014) was used to carry out a complete revision of the control and configuration software. The goals were three-fold: properly accommodate additional requirements that could not be seamlessly included during steady operation of the system; re-factor software that had been repeatedly modified to include new features, thus becoming less maintainable; and seize the opportunity of modernizing software written even before Run 1, thus profiting from the rapid evolution in IT technologies. This upgrade was carried out retaining the important constraint of minimally impacting the mode of operation of the system and public APIs, in order to maximize the acceptance of the changes by the large user community. This paper presents, using a few selected examples, how the work was approached and which new technologies were introduced into the ATLAS DAQ system, and how they were performing in course of Run 2. Despite these being specific to this system, many solutions can be considered and adapted to different distributed DAQ systems.

In this paper we present a novel approach to the optimisation of complex systems affected by epistemic uncertainty when system and uncertainty evolve dynamically with time; we propose a new modelling approach that uses Evidence Theory to capture epistemic uncertainty A system is considered which is affected by the time during the operational life (failure rate, performance degradation, function degradation, etc.). The goal is to obtain a resilient design: robust with respect to performance variability and reliable against possible partial failures of one or more components. We propose to enhance the Evidence Network Model (ENM) with time-dependent reliability functions and decompose the problem into subproblems of smaller complexity. Through this decomposition uncertainty quantification of complex systems becomes affordable for a range of real-world applications. The method is here applied to a simple resource allocation problem where the goal is to optimally position subsystems within a spacecraft [1]

Among the meson decays, K → π ν ν ‾ are the cleanest environment, from the theoretical point of view, where to search for new physics effects. The NA62 Experiment at CERN SPS aims to measure the BR ( K + → π + ν ν ‾ ) with a 10% precision by the end of 2018. It has been commissioned with technical runs in 2014 and 2015, and some preliminary results of the detector performances and quality of data are here reported.

In Belgium, compatibility studies are performed in view of the final disposal of nitrate-containing bituminised intermediate-level radioactive waste in Boom Clay, which is considered as a potential host formation. Due to the presence of large amounts of nitrate in the waste, a slow release of nitrate (and to a smaller extent also nitrite) into the Boom Clay is expected. Nitrate and/or nitrite reduction by redox-active components of the host rock may cause a geochemical perturbation of the clay and subsequently might affect its barrier function against the migration of radionuclides. This paper therefore addresses the possible oxidation of one of the main redox-active components of the Boom Clay, i.e. dissolved organic matter, by nitrate and nitrite. For this, abiotic and microbially mediated nitrate and nitrite reduction was studied during long-term batch tests (2–2.5 years) in Boom Clay pore water, containing 155 ± 15 mg C/l present as humic and fulvic acids. Changes in the reducing capacity of the DOM due to oxidation were assessed successfully using two oxidants, namely ferricyanide and ferric citrate. The results of these experiments indicate that an abiotic reaction between DOM and nitrate does not occur or is characterised by very slow kinetics. On the other hand, a slow microbial nitrate reduction to nitrite was observed and the associated oxidation of DOM was confirmed by a decrease in the (partial) reducing capacity of DOM for ferric citrate. In contrast to nitrate, nitrite was shown to oxidise DOM both abiotically and mediated by microbes through (chemo)denitrification, although these reactions also seem to occur only at a rather slow rate. No significant change in the maximally obtainable reducing capacity of DOM (using ferricyanide) was detected during any of the observed reactions, suggesting that the impact of such a slow heterotrophic nitrate reduction is very limited.

The European Union published in 2013 a new Drinking Water Directive with stricter requirements for measuring natural radioactivity. In order to adhere to this, a method for sequential separation of 210Pb, 210Po, 238U and 234U in drinking water was applied using UTEVA® and Sr resins. Polonium-210, 238U and 234U were quantified using alpha-particle spectrometry and 210Pb using liquid scintillation counting. Radium-226 and 228Ra were determined using 3M Empore Radium RAD Disks, and their quantification was done using a Quantulus™ 1220 liquid scintillation counter.

The implementation of the one-pass-through separation technique using two stacked chromatography columns of TEVA - TRU resins for the separation of

A new reference material for the activity concentration of (137)Cs, (40)K and (90)Sr in a dried berry matrix was certified from a batch of bilberries collected in the vicinity of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Radionuclides in this material were metabolised by the plants, therefore no spiking had to be performed. The material was processed at IRMM and homogeneity and stability of the certified parameters were demonstrated. The certified property values for (137)Cs, (40)K and (90)Sr were determined in the course of a supplementary comparison, CCRI(II)-S8.

Imagining a certain movement produces changes in the subject's EEG motor rhythm in the same manner in which the real execution of the movement does. These variations are reflected by Even-Related Desynchronizations (ERD) and appear asa magnitude decrease of the frequency components comprising the mu band. By monitoring the amplitude and power changes, the automatic detection of imagery or movement can be conducted. Furthermore, features can be extracted and used for real-time classification of these events. It is known that in most cases, the majority of changes are constrained within a narrow frequency interval representing the subject's reactive band. This provides means to increase the efficiency of interpreting desynchronizations by working only with the most representative information. The paper presents three improved methods of adaptively modelling the EEG signal, based on a Band Limited Multiple Fourier Linear Combiner (BMFLC). The time-frequency decomposition thus obtained is subsequently exploited in order to automatically identify the subject's specific reactive band. This process is conducted by detecting the highest decrease in power with the purpose of using a selection of power information as features for the classifier. The final goal of the investigated algorithms is to allow discrimination between left and right hand motor imagery, as demanded by a brain computer interface rehabilitation system.

The $K^+\rightarrow \pi^+ \nu \bar \nu$ decay is one of the theoretically cleanest meson decay where to look for indirect effects of new physics complementary to LHC searches. The NA62 experiment at CERN is designed to measure the branching ratio (BR) of this decay with 10\% precision. NA62 has been successfully launched in October 2014, took data in pilot runs in 2014 and 2015 reaching the final designed beam intensity. The NA62 experimental setup is illustrated and quality of data acquired in view of the final measurement is reported. The $K^+\rightarrow \pi^+ \nu \bar \nu$ decay is theoretically one of the cleanest meson decays and so a good place to look for indirect effects of new physics complementary to LHC searches. The NA62 experiment at CERN is designed to measure the branching ratio of this decay with 10\% precision. NA62 was commissioned in October 2014, took data in pilot runs in 2014 and 2015. The NA62 experimental setup is illustrated and data quality is reported. The K+→π+νν‾ decay is theoretically one of the cleanest meson decays and so a good place to look for indirect effects of new physics complementary to LHC searches. The NA62 experiment at CERN is designed to measure the branching ratio of this decay with 10% precision. NA62 was commissioned in October 2014, took data in pilot runs in 2014 and 2015. The NA62 experimental setup is illustrated and data quality is reported.

Motor imagery, one of the first investigated neural process for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) still provides a great challenge nowadays. Aiming a better and more accurate control, multiple researches have been conducted by the scientific community. Nevertheless, there is still no robust and confident application developed. In order to augment the potential referring to motor imagery, and to attract user's interest, we propose multiple motor imagery tasks in combination with different visual or auditory stimuli. We use multi-class classification for discrimination and we observe confident classification performance for the task related to user's background.

This article proposes a pilot study regarding the influence of sounds (music) on EEG activity involved in BCI implementations, based on EEG analysis. The Independent Component Analysis is applied to extract the most relevant ICA components for which the event related (de)synchronization in the alpha/beta bands is furtherly considered for tracking the effect of the musing on brain activity, using on open access EEG dataset. The results are promising, allowing a clear desynchronization in the alpha/beta bands.

Motor imagery and actual movement are both tasks that bring forth a noticeable change in the subject's EEG mu rhythm known as Even-Related Desynchronisation (ERD). They appear as magnitude decreases of the frequencies included in the said band and can be tracked and measured for the automatic real-time detection and classification of the events. It has been proven that an important percent of the changes happen within a narrow frequency band called a reactive band, providing thus the means to significantly improve the efficiency of the interpretation of such events by concentrating the decisive information. The algorithm presented in this paper automatically identifies a subject's specific reactive band by detecting the highest decrease in power. The decision is made after the recorded EEG signal is modeled with a Band-Limited Multiple Fourier Linear Combiner (BMFLC). The method adaptively estimates the amplitude of each frequency component in the given band of interest and produces a precise time-frequency map that can be afterwards used for increasingly accurate classification and BCI applications.

Objective. We previously showed that DU significantly increased global and hand disability with a significant impact on activities of daily living (ADLs) and work disability. This study aims to evaluate the impact of digital ulcer (DU) healing on disability and daily activity limitations in SSc. Methods. From January 2008 and June 2009, we prospectively evaluated 189 SSc patients for DU history, disability, employment and occupational status during meetings of the French SSc Patient Association (n = 86, 45.5%) or during hospitalization (n = 103, 54.5%)1. Among the 60 patients with at least one active DU at baseline (M0), 40 patients were followed longitudinally over 6 (3) months. These patients were evaluated for DU history, global and hand disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), daily activity limitation and employment status. Results. The median (IQR) age was 57.5 (43.5-68) years and the median (IQR) disease duration was 8.3 (3-16.5) years. Twenty-two (55%) patients had diffuse SSc and 34 (85%) were females. At baseline, a mean of 2.9 (2.8) DU per patient was reported. Thirty-three (82.5%) patients had ischaemic DU, 7 (17.5%) patients had >1 DU associated with calcinosis and 13 (32.5%) patients had mechanical DU. Thirteen (32.5%) patients had >4 DU at baseline. Among the 40 patients, 16 (40%) patients showed complete ulcer healing. In these patients with DU, the presence of calcinosis was associated with a lower probability of healing (P = 0.03). Comparison between healed and no-healed DU patients showed an improvement of hand disability provided by an improvement of the Cochin Hand Function score (P = 0.05)) and a trend towards HAQ domain dressing and grooming (P = 0.06) between M0 and M6 (3) visit in healed patients but not in no-healed patients. Concerning HRQoL, there were no difference for Mental and Physical component Scores of SF-36 but significant improvement of Bodily Pain score (P = 0.04) and Physical Role score (P = 0.05) between M0 and M6 (3) visit in patients with healed DU. The absence of healing was associated with significantly decreased work productivity (P = 0.05), whereas the performance in ADL was not significantly decreased (P = 0.15). Patients who were on sick-leave and who received some help for household tasks at the time of active DU were more likely to heal. Conclusion. For the first time, we provide prospective data with evidence that DU healing is associated with an improvement in hand function. Sick leave was associated with better healing of DU

In 2007/2008 the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) organised an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) on the determination of 226Ra, 228Ra, 234U and 238U activity concentrations in mineral water. This paper describes the determination of the reference values for the activity concentrations of 234U and 238U by radiochemical separation and α-particle spectrometry performed at two independent laboratories. The experimental uncertainty of the reference values is discussed in detail.

Spinel-type ZnGa2O4 and ZnAl2O4 powders doped with Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions, including dual doping, have been prepared by solid phase reactions and by deposition from chemical solutions. XRD analysis demonstrates the high quality of spinel grains constituting the powder. The luminescence shows that the rare earth ions are incorporated in the defect regions at the grain boundaries. The emission spectra of the samples with europium are characterized by an intense emission in red region due to the 5D0 7F1,2 transitions of Eu3+ ions, whereas in the case of terbium the highest intensity corresponds to the green emission due to the 5D4 7F5 transitions of Tb3+ ions. The possibility to change the color of the emission from green to red by the variation of Tb and Eu doping concentration is demonstrated. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Aims Perform an agreement and reproducibility study of the estimation of iron overload in highly transfused pediatric patients comparing R2* relaxometry (R2* = 1000/T2*) to the reference technique liver/muscle signal intensity ratio (SIR). Patients and methods Ninety-two MRI were performed in 68 children who were mainly transfused for sickle cell disease, mean age 9.9 years old. The examination included six sequences for the SIR protocol and a single multiecho T2* sequence. R2* relaxometry was measured by two radiologists independently, either by a region of interest (ROI) in the right liver, or an outline of the whole liver. Hepatic iron load was determined by the Wood formula (Fe mg/g = R2* × 0.0254 + 0.202). The validity of R2* relaxometry compared to SIR was evaluated by the coefficient of variation and the quadratic weighted Kappa value. Results The correlation between R2* relaxometry and SIR was very good with a Pearson coefficient of 0.89 and a coefficient of variation of 17.3%. The inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of the measurement of R2* relaxometry by ROI and whole liver mapping was excellent. However, we observed a common positive variation of one class between SIR and R2* relaxometry, with higher hepatic iron content values with SIR than with R2* relaxometry. Conclusion Hepatic iron content can be rapidly and precisely estimated on MRI by multiecho gradient-echo sequences.

Capillaroscopy is performed to evaluate the morphology, frequency and blood flow of nailfold capillaries as well as relevant extracapillary changes in rheumatic conditions. The main indication is the differentiation between primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. Various rheumatic conditions show different and partially typical pathognomonic alterations of the microcirculation or capillary patterns. This simple, noninvasive, inexpensive and effective technique is well suited for early diagnosis, especially of connective tissue diseases. The specific significance is highest for systemic sclerosis which is the most frequently evaluated entity. The corresponding microscopic alterations allow stage-adapted conclusions concerning the acuity of inflammation to be formed. That is not the only reason why capillaroscopy represents an important tool in follow-up controls and together with other techniques, such as flow measurement by laser Doppler, further conclusions can be drawn.

The kidney is the most commonly injured genitourinary organ. The diagnosis and treatment depend on the mechanism of injury (blunt or penetrating trauma), the clinical presentation, and the extent of the lesions. Knowledge of the different appearances of the posttraumatic kidney on imaging studies is essential for prompt and effective treatment of patients. This pictorial essay reviews the imaging evaluation and principal imaging findings associated with blunt and penetrating renal trauma. The role of computed tomography is emphasized because it is a very sensitive, specific, and accurate modality in detecting the presence or absence of injury and defining its extent.

L'intuizione occupa un ruolo fondamentale nella capacità di ragionamento degli esseri umani. L'obiettivo del lavoro è la progettazione di un'infrastruttura in grado di fornire informazioni che oltre ad appoggiarsi ad un insieme di conoscenze basato su regole sia dotata anche di capacità intuitive. A tal fine è presentato un sistema preliminare che rappresenta il primo passo verso la realizzazione di tale infrastruttura. Il sistema permette ad un utente di interagire con una comunità di chat-bot aventi competenze specifiche in modo da navigare in uno spazio concettuale generato automaticamente con il paradigma di analisi della semantica latente (LSA). La base di conoscenza di ciascun chat-bot è stata creata nel contesto dei beni culturali e successivamente codificata sub-simbolicamente nello spazio semantico creato con la tecnica LSA. In virtù di tale approccio i chat-bot sono in grado di stimare la propria competenza riguardo le domande formulate dall'utente, anch'esse codificate all'interno dello stesso spazio semantico.

Libration Point Orbits (LPOs) and Highly Elliptical Orbits (HEOs) are often selected for astrophysics and solar terrestrial missions. No guidelines currently exist for their end-of life; however, it is a critical aspect to other spacecraft and on-ground safety. This paper presents an analysis of possible disposal strategies for LPO and HEO missions as a result of an ESA study. The dynamical models and the design approach are presented. Five missions are selected: Herschel, Gaia, SOHO as LPOs, and INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton as HEOs. A trade-off is made considering technical feasibility, as well as the sustainability context and the collision probability.

In 2009, the CCRI approved a supplementary comparison to be organised by the IRMM as pilot laboratory for the activity concentrations of 137Cs, 90Sr and 40K in a matrix material of dried bilberries. The organisation of this comparison and the material and measurement methods used are described. The supplementary comparison reference value (SCRV) for each of the three radionuclides are given together with the degrees of equivalence of each participating laboratory with the SCRV for the specific radionuclide. The results of this supplementary comparison allow the participating NMIs/designated institutes to declare calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) for the given radionuclides in a similar type of food matrix, an important aspect seen the relatively few supplementary comparisons for activity in matrix materials organised so far., JRC.D.4-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards