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Among musical instruments, Piano is one of the most important and fascinating ones of all years for its completeness from a harmonic point of view and for the importance it has held in the world of classical music of the great composers. In this context, old pianos can be considered as real pieces of art thus their conservation is included in the preservation of cultural heritage. The aim of this work is to study the deterioration of some lead weights of piano keys from an important, luxury and one of the best grand pianos for its characteristics such as construction materials, sound, and craftsmanship. Analytic techniques such as X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy and Ionic chromatography were employed to characterize the superficial layer of deteriorated lead weights, comparing it with the non-deteriorated ones. Knowing the nature of degradation products is fundamental to evaluate the degradation phenomena occurring over time due to the environmental conditions at which they are exposed and consequently identify the proper conservation strategy of such piece of art and history of music, in order to preserve its original sound and resonance.

The first-passage-time problem for a Brownian motion with alternating infinitesimal moments through a constant boundary is considered under the assumption that the time intervals between consecutive changes of these moments are described by an alternating renewal process. Bounds to the first-passage-time density and distribution function are obtained, and a simulation procedure to estimate first-passage-time densities is constructed. Examples of applications to problems in environmental sciences and mathematical finance are also provided.

L'articolo introduce una sezione monografica della rivista, a cura degli autori, dedicata al '68 (con articoli di R. Baritono, N. Pizzolato, B. Bosteels, R. Samaddar, M. Filippini). Gli autori sottolineano il carattere positivamente elusivo e indeterminato del "68", tanto dal punto di vista delle sue geografie quanto dal punto di vista delle sue coordinate temporali. Enfatizzano il carattere di rottura storica che deve comunque essere riconosciuto all'"evento" del '68, ne mettono in evidenza gli aspetti fondamentali e discutono le principali linee attraverso cui l'ordine messo in discussione dal "68" si è ricomposto, trasformandosi profondamente, negli anni successivi.

The nicotine market has rapidly evolved with the emergence of newer forms of smoking device that have been expanded worldwide, such as electronic cigarettes (eCig) which heat a solution (e-liquid) to create vapour and heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco products, which heats tobacco at a temperature below the point of combustion. Their use is increasing at an alarming rate; it is believed it will surpass the use of traditional cigarettes in next 5 years, mostly among never-smokers and young people.There are not many studies investigating knowledge and behaviour about heat tobacco products (HTP) among teenagers, so the aim of this study is to validate the SECRHET questionnaire (Smoking E-CigaRette and HEat-noT-burn products) on knowledge and behaviour on cigarette and HTP among youth.The study was conducted in February and March 2019 inside Sapienza University of Rome and high school Giulio Cesare of Rome. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was performed to investigate smoking habits and measures knowledge about HTP among Italian teenagers.A sample of 60 students took part in the validation of the questionnaire. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0,635, corresponding to a sufficient reliability.There is little or no data on consumption or perceptions of HTP products among youth and evidence suggests the usefulness of a standardized and validated questionnaire available to monitoring of awareness, interest in trying and prevalence of use of these novel products among young people.

The cognitive disability associated with stress in patients presenting cancer disease may exert a significant impact on the psychological health of the individual and even deteriorate the clinical diagnosis. The present study consists of a review of the available literature and an analysis of the association between psychopathologic disease and cancer by selecting useful contributions to the medicosocial discussion of the topic. Interesting considerations have emerged on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the association between psychopathology and cancer that initiated possibilities towards a greater accuracy in the assessment of the patient that is not only limited to oncologic problems and outcomes.

R. Reifarth et al: ; 12 págs.; 9 figs.; Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 3.0 ; Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VI (NPA6), The nucleosynthesis of elements beyond iron is dominated by neutron captures in the s and r processes. However, 32 stable, proton-rich isotopes cannot be formed during those processes, because they are shielded from the s-process ow and r-process -decay chains. These nuclei are attributed to the p and rp process. For all those processes, current research in nuclear astrophysics addresses the need for more precise reaction data involving radioactive isotopes. Depending on the particular reaction, direct or inverse kinematics, forward or time-reversed direction are investigated to determine or at least to constrain the desired reaction cross sections. The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) will oer unique, unprecedented opportunities to investigate many of the important reactions. The high yield of radioactive isotopes, even far away from the valley of stability, allows the investigation of isotopes involved in processes as exotic as the r or rp processes., This project was supported by the HGF Young Investigators Project VH-NG-327, EMMI, H4F, HGS-HIRe, JINA, NAVI, DFG and ATHENA.

Introducción: La posición en decúbito prono al dormir se ha identificado como el principal factor de riesgo para el síndrome de muerte súbita del lactante (SMSL). Objetivo: Conocer los cambios en la prevalencia de la posición al dormir en lactantes de hasta 6 meses en un período de 10 años, durante los cuales se realizó una intervención educativa para modificar los factores de riesgo del SMSL en un hospital general universitario. Material y métodos: Estudio prospectivo y analítico. Se definió como posición recomendada (PR) el decúbito supino y/o lateral y como posición no recomendada (PNR) el decúbito prono y/o indiferente.Las pruebas de chi al cuadrado de tendencia y chi al cuadrado se consideraron significativas con un valor de p menor de 0,05. Resultados: Se obtuvieron 100 encuestas en los años 1996, 1998-2001, 2004 y 2006. El porcentaje de madres que colocaron a sus hijos en la PR a dormir fue del 49 % en el año 1996 frente al 90 % en el año 2006 (p = 0,0001). Se dividió en dos intervalos de tiempo el cumplimiento de la PR: 1996-1998 (59 %) y 1999-2006 (88 %), p = 0,0002. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de lactantes acostados en decúbito prono fue disminuyendo sustancialmente en la población estudiada. Sin embargo, a partir de 1999 no hubo una mejoría significativa en el cumplimiento de la PR y sólo en los años 1999 y 2004 la prevalencia de la posición en decúbito prono durante el sueño incluyó a menos del 10 % de los lactantes, que es el objetivo propuesto en los países desarrollados. : Introduction: The prone sleeping position has been identified as the main risk factor for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Objectives: The aim was to asses the prevalence of the different sleeping positions of infants, between 1 and 6 months, who attended the immunizations office of the “Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires” during a ten year period. During this time an important educational intervention, called “Project Link” was developed. Material and methods: An analytical, prospective study was developed. The recommended position (RP) was the supine position,as well as the side position, to place infants to sleep. Mothers were advised to avoid the prone position or a non-recommended position (NRP). Results: A hundred completed questionnaires were obtained each year in 1996, 1998-2001, 2004 and 2006. The percentage of mothers who placed their infants in sleep supine was 49 % in 1996 vs. 90 % in 2006 (p = 0.0001). The accomplishment of the RP was divided in two periods: 1996-1998 (59 %) and 1999-2006 (88 %), p = 0.0002. Conclusions: The prevalence of the infant prone sleeping position reduced gradually in the studied population. Nevertheless, it is imperative to emphasize the benefits of the RP, because only during 1999 and 2004 was the percentage of prone position less than 10 %, as in developed countries.

Focal fluid accumulations in the supracollicular region are commonly termed quadrigeminal cysts and may be either subclinical or associated with neurologic deficits in dogs. Little published information is available on normal imaging anatomy and anatomic relationships for the canine quadrigeminal cistern. Objectives of this observational, cross-sectional study were to describe normal quadrigeminal cistern anatomy and determine the prevalence and characteristics of supracollicular fluid accumulations in dogs. Normal descriptions were accomplished using computed tomographic (CT) cisternography in one canine cadaver, and CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain in four prospectively recruited dogs with no evidence of intracranial disease. Prevalence and characteristics descriptions were accomplished using a retrospective review of brain CT or MRI studies performed during the period of 2005-2015. The normal quadrigeminal cistern consistently exhibited a complex H shape and was separated from the third ventricle by a thin membrane. Prevalence of supracollicular fluid accumulations (SFAs) was 2.19% among CT studies (n = 4427) and 2.2% among MRI studies (n = 626). Dogs with SFA were significantly younger than control dogs (P0.0001). Shih-tzu (OR = 111.6), Chihuahua (OR = 81.1), and Maltese (OR = 27.6) breed dogs were predisposed (P0.0001). Among dogs with SFAs, the following three patterns were defined: (1) third ventricle (49.54%), (2) quadrigeminal cistern (13.51%), and (3) both third ventricle and quadrigeminal cistern (36.93%). Authors recommend that the term supracollicular fluid accumulation (SFA) should be used rather than the term quadrigeminal cyst to describe these focal fluid accumulations in dogs.

The restoration of a normal body weight is a key strategy in the treatment of eating disorders, in order to eliminate the adverse effects of starvation on health and on the eating disorder psychopathology. Unfortunately, weight regain is frequently hindered by changes in body shape, in particular a protrusion of the abdomen, which may lead underweight patients to stop their nutritional rehabilitation program. In adult patients with underweight eating disorders, studies using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, skinfold thickness, dual photon absorptiometry and circumference measurements found a preferential accumulation of body fat in the central regions rather than the extremities during the process of weight regain. These data, however, were not confirmed in adolescents and in young adults with eating disorders. To date, the mechanism(s) implicated in the preferential accumulation of abdominal fat (e.g., low level of estrogens, fast rate of weight regain) have not been settled by experimental research, nor is it settled whether the preferential accumulation is a transient phenomenon or it persists after complete and stable weight restoration. Available data indicate that weight regain produces an increase in bone mineral density, initially greater in the hip than in the spine, but in the long-term bone recovery is never complete, especially whenever the eating disorder starts during adolescence and peak bone mass has not been attained. As lack of exercising may contribute to decrease bone mass, to increase the risk for atherosclerosis and to decrease compliance with the program, clinicians tend to incorporate healthy and social exercising in the nutritional rehabilitation. Preliminary findings indicate that this procedure helps patients get out of the isolation of their disease, overcome the urge to exercise, accept weight gain and changes in shape, and increase lean body mass, while it does not reduce the short-term gain of body fat or BMI.

Little is known of long-term processes affecting microbial abundance in buried marine sediments. In collaboration with geochemists and sedimentologists involved in ODP Leg169S, we undertook a study of bacterial and viral abundance throughout the entire Holocene sediment section in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. Sediments were sampled at 1.5-m intervals from the sediment surface down into Pleistocene sequences at depths of >100 m. Preparations of formalin-fixed sediment were stained with the nucleic acid stain Yo-Pro and bacteria and viruses were enumerated using epifluorescence microscopy. Viral presence was confirmed by electron microscopy. More widely spaced measurements of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the biogenic pore water gases H 2 , CH 4 and CO were used as indices of microbial metabolic activity. Bacterial and viral abundances were high (>10 9 gdw −1 ) in these organic-rich sediments relative to oceanic areas, and were highly correlated, indicating a probable close functional dependence characteristic of predator–prey relations. The upper Holocene section showed a significant subsurface peak in microbial abundance that was correlated negatively with sediment organic matter content, but corresponded with biogenic gas accumulation. The interpretation of these and other significant trends is discussed in relation to the Holocene/late Pleistocene history of organic matter sedimentation and diagenetic processes.

In the past few years a large number of molecular biology problems have been formulated as combinatorial optimization problems, including sequence alignment problems, genome rearrangement problems, string selection and comparison problems, and protein structure prediction and recognition. This paper describes the combinatorial formulation of some among the most interesting molecular biology problems and surveys the most efficient state‐of‐the‐art techniques and algorithms to exactly or approximately solve them.

We compare microwave and thermal curing of DGEBA thermosets hardened with BDMA catalyzed HHPA. The glass transition temperature and (complex) dielectric constant are monitored throughout the process, for variable hardener contents and curing times.

In the course of industrial fermentation of dark-fired cigar filler leaf tobacco which was previously stored in a modified atmosphere (air and carbon dioxide), some anomalies, such as a slow temperature increase, mould development, unpleasant odours, little or no ammonia production, were observed. For the investigation of these phenomena a laboratory fermentation system was developed. This model system made it possible to change the values of the main parameters influencing the course of fermentation, to take samples for microbiological and chemical analyses, and to carry out some qualitative evaluations. Fermentations of tobacco stored in modified atmosphere and artificially inoculated with bacteria (Gen. Bacillus) were carried out.

Voriconazole is used for treating invasive Aspergillosis, Fusarium and Scedosporium infections as well as resistant candidiasis. It is referred to as a second generation triazole. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concordance of the results of antifungal voriconazole susceptibility tests for yeast isolates, comparing the Sensititre YeastOne method, Atb Fungus 3 and Etest. In all, 138 yeast isolates (42 C. tropicalis, 36 C. glabrata, 14 C. albicans, 8 C. famata, 6 C. parapsilosis, 4 C. dubliniensis, 3 C. krusei, 3 C. lusitaniae, 2 C. zeylanoides, 20 Candida spp.) were tested for susceptibility to amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole , itraconazole and voriconazole with Atb Fungus 3 method. The concordance between the Sensititre YeastOne method, Atm Fungus 3 and Etest for voriconazole was high (90%).

The prone sleeping position has been identified as the main risk factor for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).The aim was to assess the prevalence of the different sleeping positions of infants, between 1 and 6 months, who attended the immunizations office of the "Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires" during a ten year period. During this time an important educational intervention, called "Project Link" was developed.An analytical, prospective study was developed. The recommended position (RP) was the supine position,as well as the side position, to place infants to sleep. Mothers were advised to avoid the prone position or a non-recommended position (NRP).A hundred completed questionnaires were obtained each year in 1996, 1998-2001, 2004 and 2006. The percentage of mothers who placed their infants in sleep supine was 49 % in 1996 vs. 90 % in 2006 (p = 0.0001). The accomplishment of the RP was divided in two periods: 1996-1998 (59 %) and 1999-2006 (88 %), p = 0.0002.The prevalence of the infant prone sleeping position reduced gradually in the studied population. Nevertheless, it is imperative to emphasize the benefits of the RP, because only during 1999 and 2004 was the percentage of prone position less than 10 %, as in developed countries.

We review the recent proposal that the most fascinating brain properties are related to the fact that it always stays close to a second order phase transition. In such conditions, the collective of neuronal groups can reliably generate robust and flexible behavior, because it is known that at the critical point there is the largest abundance of metastable states to choose from. Here we review the motivation, arguments and recent results, as well as further implications of this view of the functioning brain., Proceedings of BIOCOMP2007 - Collective Dynamics: Topics on Competition and Cooperation in the Biosciences. Vietri sul Mare, Italy (2007)

The Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck neuronal model is reviewed, and estimation of the input parameters from first‐passage times are being discussed. Three methods previously suggested in the literature are compared through simulations; namely what we have denoted the Moment Method, the Laplace Transform method, and the Integral Equation method. Finally the methods are also applied to experimental data, where the membrane potential is also recorded intracellularly. This permits to compare the methods based on the limited information contained in first‐passage times only to evaluations from more complete observations of the otherwise hidden membrane potential.