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To promote judicious prescribing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-active therapy for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), we previously developed an MRSA risk assessment tool. The objective of this study was to validate this risk assessment tool internationally.A multicenter, prospective cohort study of adults with purulent SSTI was performed at seven international sites from July 2016 to March 2018. Patient MRSA risk scores were computed as follows: MRSA infection/colonization history (2 points); previous hospitalization, previous antibiotics, chronic kidney disease, intravenous drug use, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), diabetes with obesity (1 point each). Predictive performance of MRSA surveillance percentage, MRSA risk score, and estimated MRSA probability (surveillance percentage adjusted by risk score) were quantified using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (aROC) and compared. Performance characteristics of different risk score thresholds across varying baseline MRSA prevalence were examined.Two hundred three patients were included. Common SSTI were wounds (28.6%), abscess (25.1%), and cellulitis with abscess (20.7%). Patients with higher risk scores were more likely to have MRSA (P 0.001). The MRSA risk score aROC (95%CI) [0.748 (0.678-0.819)] was significantly greater than MRSA surveillance percentage [0.646 (0.569-0.722)] (P = 0.016). Estimated MRSA probability aROC [0.781 (0.716-0.845)] was significantly greater than surveillance percentage (P 0.001) but not the risk score (P = 0.192). The estimated negative predictive value (NPV) of an MRSA score ≥ 1 (i.e., a score of 0) was greater than 90% when MRSA prevalence was 30% or less.The MRSA risk score and estimated MRSA probability were significantly more predictive of MRSA compared with surveillance percentage. An MRSA risk score of zero had high predictive value and could help avoid unnecessary empiric MRSA coverage in low-acuity patients. Further study, including impact of such risk assessment tools on prescribing patterns and outcomes are required before implementation.

Scientific background Environmental sampling of SARS-CoV-2 is a fundamental tool for evaluating the effectiveness of non-specific prophylaxis measures in counting their spread. The purpose of our work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the different sampling methods in the hospital setting to assess their correlation with the structural, functional, and operational situation of the monitored departments and to define the dynamics of the spread of the virus in indoor environments. Methods The monitoring was carried out at the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital (Genoa, Italy) in the period from April 2020 to June 2021. The presence of viral RNA in the collected samples was evaluated by qPCR. The infection capacity of the sample collected was also evaluated by an in vitro challenge test on cells sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results The percentage of positivity with respect to the number of tests performed (sensitivity) were bubbler 50%, wipe test 17%, and challenge test 11%. Only 20% of the samples tested positive in the wipe test and 43% of the samples tested positive in the bubbler sampling were also positive in the challenge test. All the positivity obtained was detected at a distance of less than 2 m and height of less than 1.5 from COVID-19 patient. Conclusions Environmental contamination from SARS-CoV-2 detected at the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital is found lower than similar assessments performed in other hospitals both in Italy and abroad. Our study predicted that environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 must be carried out in an integrated way by not using a single sampling method, as each individual test has a different biological significance and performance. However, the virus detected by wipe test is not a degraded viral fragment but an intact infecting virion, only in a modest percentage of cases.

Most patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) experience mild, non-specific symptoms, but many develop severe symptoms associated with an excessive inflammatory response. Elevated plasma concentrations of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) provide early warning of progression to severe respiratory failure (SRF) or death, but access to suPAR testing may be limited. The Severe COvid Prediction Estimate (SCOPE) score, derived from circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein, D- dimers, interleukin-6, and ferritin among patients not receiving non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation during the SAVE-MORE study, offers predictive accuracy for progression to SRF or death within 14 days comparable to that of a suPAR concentration of ≥6 ng/mL (area under receiver operator characteristic curve 0.81 for both). The SCOPE score is validated in two similar independent cohorts. A SCOPE score of 6 or more is an alternative to suPAR for predicting progression to SRF or death within 14 days of hospital admission for pneumonia, and it can be used to guide treatment decisions. © 2022 The Author(s)

Acoustic insulation optimization of the ship decks to contain impact noise is generally obtained by adopting suitable types of viscoelastic resilient materials. For this purpose, it is necessary to be able to make a correct choice of material. This is obtained by experimentally identifying the vibro-acoustic behavior of the combined semi-reverberant room and floor system according to an ISO standard (ISO 16283-2). These tests are generally onerous as they require the availability of the floor with both trimmed and untrimmed configurations. In addition, qualified technicians are needed to correctly spread the material on the floor. Finally, after the test has ended, the material must be removed and disposed of properly. To reduce this wasted time and cost, in this paper, a new methodology is proposed that predicts the vibro-acoustic behavior of the floor and viscoelastic material assembled together starting from separate dynamic information of the two components. Once these two elements are properly experimentally identified, the proposed method foresees the vibro-acoustic response of the overall system in presence of an impact footfall excitation.

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 356 Site U1461 represents one of the few records from the North West Australian shelf that provides information about aridity fluctuations in Australia during the Quaternary. A combination of chronostratigraphic indicators revealed the (partial) preservation of two major glaciations (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and MIS 12) in the sedimentary record. The faunal content (mainly benthic foraminifera, corals and bryozoans) was analyzed to estimate paleo-environments and paleo-depths in order to determine if these sediments have been remobilized by reworking processes. Despite the occurrence of a depositional hiatus (including MIS 5d to MIS 9-time interval), the excellent preservation of faunal content suggests that the preserved sediment is in situ. The geochemical composition of the sediments (Nd and major elements) indicates that during MIS 12 riverine input was likely reduced because of enhanced aridity, and the sediment provenance (mainly atmospheric dust) is likely in the central (Lake Eyre) or eastern (Murray Darling Basin) parts of the Australian continent. MIS 2 is confirmed to be one of the driest periods recorded in Australia but with mixed dust sources from the eastern and western parts of the continent. More humid conditions followed the glacial maximum, which might correspond to the peak of the Indian-Australian Summer Monsoon. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) encompass a variety of pathological conditions that involve the skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue, fascia, or muscle, ranging from simple superficial infections to severe necrotizing infections. SSTIs are a frequent clinical problem in surgical departments. In order to clarify key issues in the management of SSTIs, a task force of experts met in Bertinoro, Italy, on June 28, 2018, for a specialist multidisciplinary consensus conference under the auspices of the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the Surgical Infection Society Europe (SIS-E). The multifaceted nature of these infections has led to a collaboration among general and emergency surgeons, intensivists, and infectious disease specialists, who have shared these clinical practice recommendations. © 2018 The Author(s).

BACKGROUND: Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) has a considerable cost in terms of mortality and morbidity. We sought to study the epidemiology, characteristics and outcome of elderly (>75 years old) versus non-elderly patients with IAC and risk factors for mortality in elderly patients. METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of a retrospective multinational cohort study over a 3-year period (2011-2013). RESULTS: Of 482 patients, 124 (25.7%) were elderly and 358 (74.3%) were non-elderly. The mean age was 80.4±3.9 and 56.3±13.8 years, respectively. Fifty-four of 124 (43.5%) and 75/358 (20.9%) died until the end of observation. The majority of isolates were Candida albicans. Echinocandins were the most prescribed initial agent. Elderly patients were more likely to have a higher APACHE II Score, and to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease. Non-elderly patients were more likely to be treated with immunosuppressants and steroids, and to have received solid organ transplantation. Mortality was significantly higher in the elderly group. Regarding risk factors for mortality in elderly patients, non-survivors were more likely to be males, reoperated, develop septic shock, receive vasopressors, suffer from end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and have inadequate abdominal source control within 48 hours. They had a higher APACHE II Score and a higher number of acquired organ dysfunction. ESRD and inadequate abdominal source control were significantly associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Factors independently predicting mortality in elderly patients with IAC were ESRD and inadequate abdominal source control. Elderlies were found to have more pulmonary and cardiac morbidities and had higher mortality than non-elderlies.

The actual European regulations for the acceptance of railway vehicles prescribe the measurement of not only accelerations but also contact forces exchanged at wheel–rail interface, in order to assess the level of running safety, track loading and vibration behaviour. It is important to point out that the standards do not prescribe any specific method to measure forces, or define the measurement of forces. The aim of this paper is to investigate the metrological properties of a dynamometric wheelset in order to determine the associated measurement uncertainty and to verify its readiness in the range of frequencies where the force analysis must be performed. With reference to a specific instrumented wheelset, a method for increasing the accuracy of the measure when critical running conditions (i.e. large values of the derailment coefficient Y/Q) are detected is proposed. The proposed method can be applied to any instrumented wheelset, but it is particularly effective on non-conventional wheelsets, where only few measurements are available and the classical methods cause large estimation errors.

The clinical course of intensive care unit (ICU) patients may be complicated by a large spectrum of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), defined by specific epidemiological, clinical and microbiological aspects. A European network for ICU-related respiratory infections (ENIRRIs), supported by the European Respiratory Society, has been recently established, with the aim at studying all respiratory tract infective episodes except community-acquired ones. A multicentre, observational study is in progress, enrolling more than 1000 patients fulfilling the clinical, biochemical and radiological findings consistent with a LRTI. This article describes the methodology of this study. A specific interest is the clinical impact of non- ICU-acquired nosocomial pneumonia requiring ICU admission, non-ventilator-associated LRTIs occurring in the ICU, and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis. The clinical meaning of microbiologically negative infectious episodes and specific details on antibiotic administration modalities, dosages and duration are also highlighted. Recently released guidelines address many unresolved questions which might be answered by such large-scale observational investigations. In light of the paucity of data regarding such topics, new interesting information is expected to be obtained from our network research activities, contributing to optimisation of care for critically ill patients in the ICU. © ERS 2017.

Coastal marine environment is a complex system and its management requires adequate information. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are considered pilot sites useful to define innovative tools for the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Their management however requires acquaintance with the relationships between the protected site and the status of the coastal neighbouring areas in order to assess mutual effects and influences. There is the need of monitoring systems capable of highlighting physical and biological phenomena, and possible oceanographic anomalies at local scale, to assess possible existing differences between MPAs and their neighbouring unprotected zones. The present study proposes an integrated analysis of data sets coming from in situ and remote-sensing data to evaluate the reliability of satellite sensors for coastal zone monitoring and to better understand the short-term environmental dynamics on a coastal area centred on the Portofino MPA (Ligurian Sea).

Cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis (CHP) is a rare panniculitis characterized by systemic features, due to histiocytic infiltration along with haemophagocytosis, which may also appear in bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes, and liver. Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a group of autoinflammatory disorders, which include macrophage activation syndrome, sometimes observed in the course of systemic autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile chronic polyarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or vasculitis, and infection-associated haemophagocytic syndrome; if not promptly recognised and treated, HLH can be fatal. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic disease caused by different forms of Leishmania spp., an intracellular protozoa. VL is endemic in tropical countries such as in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The typical clinical and laboratory features are fever, hepato-splenomegaly, hypergammaglobulinaemia and pancytopenia. The features of VL may mimic some haematologic diseases. We report a case of cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis and HLH, triggered by a previous visceral leishmania infection. Cyclosporine was quickly effective in this case, after failure of high-dose glucocorticoids, anakinra and etoposide.

Aspergillus osteomyelitis is a rare complication of invasive aspergillosis after organ transplantation. This is the report of a 46-year-old man who underwent a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation, complicated by an Aspergillus osteomyelitis and diskitis of the lumbar spine. Prompt diagnosis with needle biopsy, followed by antifungal therapy using caspofungin, a new antifungal agent recommended for the treatment of refractory aspergillosis, in combination with amphotericin B and an early surgical intervention led to clinical resolution of the infection. Reported cases of spinal aspergillosis after transplantation are reviewed in terms of clinical presentation, risk factors, therapeutic options, and outcome.

Sensor nodes are innovative devices that can perform measurements on a large scale and communicate over a network. One of the most significant problems regarding the sensor nodes is how to supply power to a large number of devices. For this reason, they greatly benefit from energy harvesting techniques which can provide energy recovered directly from the environment. A study of the design and the modeling of an autonomous sensor node, powered by a vibrational piezoelectric harvester, is reported here. Subject of the first part of the analysis is a piezoelectric bimorph: an analytical model is proposed in order to estimate the performance, giving particular attention to the optimal mechanical and electrical parameters. The model is then validated through experimental tests, assuming different kinds of real scenarios. Then the results are used to design a device that can benefit from this harvester. In particular a wireless sensor node is developed, for which the energy scavenging ensures energy autonomy and long-term operability. Thanks to a particular harvesting circuit and opportune algorithms for energy management, this system is able to extract energy from vibrations and store it into capacitors. The embedded accelerometer and a wireless module make this device ideal for Structure Health Monitoring purposes.

The work deals with the design of an active smart damper based on a proof-mass actuator to suppress vibration in structures. The device is stand-alone and does not requires any additional real-time board to perform the control or sensors to obtain feedback signals as it mounts on board all the electronics needed to carried out this task.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

Diabetic foot pathology represent the more disabling complication of diabetes. More the 1 million of diabetes patients undergo a lower limb amputation per year; 85% of these amputation are preceded by un ulcer that can be avoided by a prevention program. Critical limb ischemia (CLI), the only independent cause of major amputation in diabetic population, can be correctly treated when an early diagnosis is made. Both endoluminal and surgical revascularization procedures can be applied in diabetes with high rate of success when performed by skilled operator. Infection of diabetic foot, in particular in patients suffering from peripheral artery disease (PVD), may rapidly evolves in severe local or systemic infection putting the patient at high risk of major amputation or death. Together with an early diagnosis of infection and ischemia it is mandatory to apply a correct medical and surgical treatment protocol with the aim to control infection and to improve blood perfusion to the foot. In case of infection surgical procedure should be applied first while revascularization procedure will follow soonest. Antibiotic therapy should be chosen considering different local biological pattern and different type of infection. Reconstructive surgery, the last step in treatment of any diabetic foot lesion, must obtain a functional residual foot or a stump that will allow the patient to go back walking soonest with residual good walking capacity.

In a prospective study of acute pharyngitis in Italian children, 69 (38.3%) of 180 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes were resistant to macrolides. S. pyogenes was eradicated in 12 (63.1%) of 19 patients with erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes treated with clarithromycin and in 22 (88%) of 25 patients with erythromycin-susceptible strains. The constitutive-resistant phenotype was correlated with failure of macrolide treatment.

Rowing ergometers are used by athletes for indoor training and performance improvement. Typical commercial ergometers provide some information (for example power output and covered distance), but these indications are typically estimated starting from the fan speed and thus are not very reliable as already pointed out in the literature. The present paper presents the work done to fully instrument a commercial rowing ergometer in order to directly measure all relevant quantities for improved training: the seat, the handlebar and the stretchers have been redesigned and equipped with force and displacement sensors able to measure both the dynamic and kinematic behavior of the athlete. In this way the interaction of the athlete with the rowing machine is fully known, together with the direct measurement of the instantaneous rowing power output. Some results are also presented and discussed.

Clostridium difficile represents one of the main causes of infectious diarrhea due to a bacterial strain in the hospital setting. C. difficile is a common nosocomial pathogen, particularly among intensive care unit (ICU) patients, whose clinical characteristics often include important risk factors for C. difficile infection, such as severe underlying disease and treatment with antimicrobials. Prolonged ICU stay has been identified among the risk factors for C. difficile infection [1]. Furthermore, C. difficile-associated disease may cause fulminant colitis requiring admission to the ICU [2]. Rates of C. difficile infection have risen rapidly over the past decade, along with a trend to increased rates of complications, nosocomial outbreaks, difficult-to-treat recurrent infection, and all-cause mortality within 30 days of C. difficile infection [2, 3].

alfa,beta-Unsaturated gamma- and delta-lactones are important classes of five- and six-membered heterocycles largely present in biologically active compounds of natural and unnatural origin, for which the ring-closing metathesis approach has disclosed simplified synthetic strategies en route or in the final step toward the target molecules. Following from early examples of formation of macrolide rings, this account describes the RCM reactions of allyl and homoallyl acrylic esters promoted by different ruthenium carbene catalysts, and shows how the evolution of catalyst design and performance has accompanied the growth of the RCM application profile in the synthesis of butenolides and pentenolides from increasingly challenging substrates. In addition, selected recent examples of various classes of natural products featuring the unsaturated lactone rings and nowadays accessible via the RCM of acyclic diene precursors are presented, which highlight the impact of the process in the synthesis of biomolecules.

In order to meet the need for indoor training, Rodby has developed a special ski-skating treadmill that allows cross-country skiers to test their physical performance under laboratory conditions, using classical and freestyle techniques on roller skis by adjusting both the inclination of the slope as well as its speed. However, both inclination and speed are adjusted manually by an operator or set at the beginning of the test thus making it very difficult to recreate real skiing conditions. Thanks to the cooperation with the Italian national ski team, the treadmill was equipped with some additional sensors that allowed to continuously adjust the slope to simulate a real track of cross-country skiing as well as the speed to account for the different skiing performances of the athletes under test. Both the design of the additional measurement system as well as of the control algorithm is presented.

In many mechanical applications, measuring accelerations along three orthogonal directions is very important. Especially in railway application a rugged, easy-to-configure and low-noise device could be useful to measure the dynamics of the train. Moreover, freight or passenger trains behave very differently and for homologation purposes accelerometers have to be placed both on the axel-boxes, on the bogies and on the carbody. Therefore, accelerometers with different scales along X,Y and Z axes are required. The present paper presents the design, calibration and test on a freight train of new low cost MEMS accelerometers having sensibility that can be interactively adjusted between ±2g, ±16g and ±40g independently over the three axes. The output of these accelerometers can be set either to digital or to analog (with compensation of the cable length). In the paper the design of the nodes both from the electronic and mechanical points of view is presented. The results of the calibration and of the experimentation are also shown.Copyright © 2013 by ASME

For the homologation of railway vehicles, standards ([1, 2]) require the measurement of wheel-rail contact forces as well as the accelerometric monitoring of all bogies along the train. Moreover, also carbody accelerations are usually measured for assessing passenger comfort. Obviously, measuring ranges of accelerometer mounted on axle boxes, bogies and carbodies are significantly different and require different types of accelerometer. Besides the measuring range, also other requirements are important for this type of application: accelerometers have to be rugged, easy-to-configure, low-noise and sealed and, due to the possibility of having long cables (long distances between the measuring point and the acquisition system), measured signals have to be pre-amplified at the measuring point. Weight and dimensions, instead, are of less importance. In the present paper, a low cost, sealed, rugged, easy-to-configure, low-noise, amplified triaxial multi-range MEMS based accelerometer for railway applications is designed, produced, calibrated and tested on a freight train. Acceleration ranges, ±2, ±16 and ±40 g, along the three axis can be adjusted interactively and independently and the output can be set either to digital or to analog (with compensation of the cable length). In the paper the design of the acceleration nodes both from the electronic and mechanical point of view is presented. The results of the calibration and of the experimentation are also shown.

YoYo Technology™ commercializes a training instrument called YoYo Squat™, a gravity independent flywheel-based ergometer, that allows to train quadriceps and adductors as well as supporting trunk and core muscle groups unloading the shoulder and spine. This ergometer, however, is equipped only with an optical sensor (encoder) to measure the rotation of the flywheel thus making it almost impossible to determine the instantaneous power generated by the athlete as well as the force as a function of the number of repetitions. It was therefore decided to equip the YoYo Squat™ with miniaturized single axis load cells, a linear position transducer parallel to the strap and strain gauge force plates for both feet. This has allowed to assess not only the above mentioned quantities but also the point of application of the normal load on the two feet thus further improving the training output and the feedback to both the athlete and the trainee for improved performance and/or more focused training.

The application of a telemetry system for train axle fatigue monitoring is analyzed in this paper. Monitoring of the axle bending deformation at critical points is of great importance for both high speed and freight trains. The fatigue life of the axle may be significantly reduced due to accidental peak loads. Commonly used telemetry systems require special pick-ups for transmitting electrical power to the electronics placed on the rotating axle and for transferring back sensor signals. Inductive power transfer is performed through a high frequency magnetic field linking a rotating winding. Sensor signals are modulated on top of the power signal and transferred at an even higher frequency to be immune to the inductive magnetic field. In this paper a new approach for an inductive power transfer system, completely decoupled from the transfer of sensor signals, is analyzed. The layout of the energy transmission system has been simplified with respect to traditional telemetry systems and its efficiency is increased. Also the immunity of the measurements against the power magnetic field, the distance of the power head and all the electrical noise induced results have been improved. The combination of a simple power induction system, a fast data processing unit and a low power RF data transmission system lead to an easy and reliable telemetry system for train axle monitoring.

LH and FSH are composed of a common alpha-subunit and a noncovalently associated hormone-specific beta-subunit. Unassociated beta LH and beta FSH can be retained in the cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This phenomenon is particularly evident in gonadotropes of castrated animals where beta-subunits are expressed in larger amounts than the alpha-subunit. Because little was known about the fate of the gonadotropin beta-subunits retained in the ER, we carried out immunocytochemical studies on ultrathin frozen sections of anterior pituitaries of castrated rats. After castration, the intracellular levels of the beta-subunits were found to increase more than that of the alpha-subunit. When the subcellular localization of the alpha- and beta-subunits and secretogranin II (a regulated secretory protein present in the secretory granules of gonadotropes of many species) was investigated by double immunoelectron microscopy, both gonadotropin subunits were colocalized in secretory granules with secretogranin II. However, only the beta-subunits, not the alpha-subunit and secretogranin II, were localized in the dilated cisternae of the ER as well as in irregularly shaped vacuoles. Using markers for the endoplasmic reticulum, the prelysosomal compartment and lysosomes (cathepsin D and lgp120), we found that these vacuoles correspond to a degradative compartment with two types of intermediates: 1) one with small amounts of lgp120, and cathepsin D preferentially localized at the periphery of a central dense matrix; and 2) the other with larger amounts of lgp120, and cathepsin D present all over the matrix of the vacuole. These vacuoles do not derive from autophagy because vesicles surrounded by a double or multilamellar membrane containing profiles of ER cisternae together with small amounts of the cytoplasm were never detected. Moreover, they do not correspond to crinophagic bodies because the latter contained beta-subunits as well as alpha-subunit and SgII. Our data indicate that gonadotropin beta-subunits, probably retained as unassociated subunits in the endoplasmic reticulum of castrated rat gonadotropes, undergo degradation in vacuoles that acquire lysosomal enzymes. This process appears different from the classical autophagy, but similar to the nonautophagic pathway for the diversion to lysosomes of the intracisternal granules accumulated in the ER of hyperstimulated thyrotropes.

The application of an energy transmission system to a rotating shaft by using a counter-weighted-free-wheeled-rotor permanent magnet synchronous machine is analyzed in this paper. This solution avoids slip rings and can generate a power amount which can be significantly higher if compared to other contact-less solutions. The guidelines for the design of such a machine are discussed by considering the maximization of the power transmission. To this purpose, an analytical model of the conversion system including generator, diode bridge rectifier and dc-dc converter is formulated. The results of a case study concerning the application of the system to a rotating shaft are presented and discussed.

Intensive care units (ICUs) represent high-risk areas for nosocomial infections. One third of hospital-acquired infections are related to the ICU, where a patient has a 5- to 7-fold greater risk of nosocomial infection compared to another hospitalized in a different ward [1]. Gram-positive organisms play an important part in this setting, being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in ICUs [2]; moreover, several reports have shown an increase in antimicrobial resistance for these isolates in recent years [3].

Indoor training of rowers is mainly carried out on rowing machines. Modern rowing machines are equipped with a small computer that allows to register both the effort done by the athlete and the covered distance. However, the effort is measured indirectly and it is not possible to determine, within the rowing movement, how this effort is distributed. Moreover, no information is provided on the forces exerted on the footrests, thus preventing trainers to determine the configuration that maximizes performances.

The contact between the ski base and/or ski edges and the snow strongly modifies the modal response of the ski itself. It has therefore not much sense to analyze the dynamic behavior of the skis in free-free conditions or with the ski pressed against a solid ground as can be done in laboratory. In order to assess the ski’s characteristics in real working conditions, sensor nodes, including a three-axial accelerometer and a GPS, were designed and produced at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Politecnico di Milano. A test campaign was carried out on SL and GS skis of most of the top ski firms. Qualitative feelings of a professional ski tester were compared with the measured accelerations and trajectories.

As the mortality associated with invasive Candida infections remains high, it is important to make optimal use of available diagnostic tools to initiate antifungal therapy as early as possible and to select the most appropriate antifungal drug. A panel of experts of the European Fungal Infection Study Group (EFISG) of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) undertook a data review and compiled guidelines for the clinical utility and accuracy of different diagnostic tests and procedures for detection of Candida infections. Recommendations about the microbiological investigation and detection of candidaemia, invasive candidiasis, chronic disseminated candidiasis, and oropharyngeal, oesophageal, and vaginal candidiasis were included. In addition, remarks about antifungal susceptibility testing and therapeutic drug monitoring were made. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2012 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

A feasibility study has been carried out for high-precision measurements of two-photon reactions leading to hadrons at the DAΦNE electron-positron collider. This new facility will operate at a c.m. energy of 1.02 GeV and up to a maximum of 1.5 GeV. It will have a luminosity ofL⋍5·1032 cm−2s−1, 100 times larger than the present available e+e− colliders. DAΦNE offers an excellent opportunity to study γγ reactions at low energy with high statistics, using the KLOE detector equipped with electron tagging facilities as described in this report. Among the various topics that one may address in these studies, we concentrate on the following: 1) Precision measurements of the polarizabilities of charged and neutral pions via the two-photon reactions γγ→ππ. These will allow tests of chiral theories and chiral perturbation techniques, as well as other theoretical approaches. 2) Measurements for the first time of the azimuthal correlations of the γγ→ππ and other two-photon reactions. These provide new tests of the validity of chiral and other theories. 3) Formation of theC=+1 light pseudoscalar mesons, π0, η and η′. This allows the study of the\(q\bar q\) and possibly gluonic inner structure of these mesons. For the π0 its measured radiative width will also improve the currently known lifetime. 4) The possibility to realize a double tagging at DAΦNE will allow reliable measurements of the currently little known total γγ→hadrons cross-section below 1 GeV, to be compared with several models. The physics program described abovecannot be realized without tagging the two-photon reactions to suppress the background from e+e− annihilation channels and other sources.

Candida ist der Hauptausloser schwerer Pilzinfektionen weltweit und eine zunehmende Gefahr fur den Intensivpatienten. Besonders der septische Schock auf dem Boden einer Candidamie ist durch eine hohe Mortalitat gekennzeichnet. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht Einflussfaktoren bezuglich der Mortalitat betroffener Patienten.

This paper describes the organization of infection control in Italy with respect to regulatory requirements, the tasks and training of the infection control physician and nurse, and the function and responsibilities of the infection control committee. Moreover, the paper reports on incidence and prevalence of hospital-acquired infections (HAI), antibiotic usage and antimicrobial resistance in Italy.

DNA analysis from ancient and old remains offers new tools to answer archaeozoological questions and investigate the origin of the genetic variability in domestic animal species. Molecular genetics techniques contribute to identify the species supporting classical osteological studies and to establish the relationship to modern species and breeds.Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences are useful to reconstruct the history of maternal lineages comparing haplotype variations of present and old DNA samples. Mitochondrial data from modern cattle populations show a high diversity in Anatolia and in the Middle East supporting a near-Eastern matrilineal centre of origin. On the contrary in Europe a single family of mitochondrial haplotypes strongly dominates.A number of recent studies reported the successful recovery of ancient and old nuclear DNA (nuDNA) sequences. Such studies represent an important breakthrough, as nuDNA can be used for the characterisation of genetic loci directly involved in phenotypic...