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Mild Data-Driven Inversion for Microwave Nondestructive Diagnostics of Plants and Trees
No full textThe nondestructive diagnosis of pathologies in plants or trees has a great importance in agriculture and green management. In the context of microwave-based diagnostic techniques, a quantitative imaging method is proposed here to obtain two-dimensional reconstructions of the internal dielectric properties of trunks, starting from scattered-field measurements. The method, which aims at solving a nonlinear and ill-posed inverse problem, combines a mild data-driven approach with an inexact-Newton scheme. In particular, the goal of the data-driven methodology, which is adopted here for the first time in this application, is to introduce prior information about the trunk structure, helping the reconstruction process. The proposed algorithm has been tested with numerical simulations involving different working frequencies and dimensions of the considered trunks
Neurological Complications and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: Results From International Neurological Study Group From the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium
No full textBackground: In this COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium (CCCC) sub-study, we qualified neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV2 infection. Methods: The CCCC is an international, multicenter study. Eligible patients were COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) across 23 centers between 1/7/2020 to 6/23/2022. Incidence of neurological complications was estimated as number of events per hospital days and per admission using Poisson regression. Associations between neurological complications and risk factors were assessed using multivariable Poisson regression. Results: 713 patients were included. Median age = 56 years (interquartile range (IQR) = 45-65). Neurological complications reported in 61/480 patients (12.7%) with the majority being ischemic stroke (2.9%), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) (2.8%), and seizures (2.6%). Multivariable analysis for neurological complications per admitted days showed comorbid neurological conditions (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 6.35, 2.57-15.7) were an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (IRR = 5.32, 1.52-18.6), low-middle income countries (LMIC) vs high income countries (HIC) (IRR = 4.70, 1.62-13.7), and age >55 (IRR = 3.66, 1.23-10.9) were independent risk factors for ICH. Co-morbid neurological conditions (IRR = 3.43, 1.11-10.6), LMIC vs HIC (IRR = 8.69, 2.15-35.2), July-December 2020 vs January-June 2020 (IRR = 0.17, 0.04-0.69) and age >55 (IRR = 4.05, 1.15-14.3) were independent risk factors for seizure.ConclusionsDecision-making should incorporate salient risk factors to inform management of SARS-CoV2 infection and avoid neurological complications
I Doria e l'antico
No full textIl contributo prende in esame quattro affreschi presenti a Palazzo del Principe a Genova dove sono raffigurati i tre trionfi del console Lucio Emilio Paolo Macedonico e il trionfo del dio Bacco in India che celebra indirettamente Andrea Doria nel suo ruolo di pacificatore di Genova. Gli affreschi sono attribuiti a Perin del Vaga
The global, regional, and national burden of cancer, 1990-2023, with forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
No full textBackground: Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. Accurate cancer burden information is crucial for policy planning, but many countries do not have up-to-date cancer surveillance data. To inform global cancer-control efforts, we used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 framework to generate and analyse estimates of cancer burden for 47 cancer types or groupings by age, sex, and 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, cancer burden attributable to selected risk factors from 1990 to 2023, and forecasted cancer burden up to 2050. Methods: Cancer estimation in GBD 2023 used data from population-based cancer registration systems, vital registration systems, and verbal autopsies. Cancer mortality was estimated using ensemble models, with incidence informed by mortality estimates and mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Prevalence estimates were generated from modelled survival estimates, then multiplied by disability weights to estimate years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were estimated by multiplying age-specific cancer deaths by the GBD standard life expectancy at the age of death. Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were calculated as the sum of YLLs and YLDs. We used the GBD 2023 comparative risk assessment framework to estimate cancer burden attributable to 44 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. To forecast cancer burden from 2024 to 2050, we used the GBD 2023 forecasting framework, which included forecasts of relevant risk factor exposures and used Socio-demographic Index as a covariate for forecasting the proportion of each cancer not affected by these risk factors. Progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4 aim to reduce non-communicable disease mortality by a third between 2015 and 2030 was estimated for cancer. Findings: In 2023, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, there were 18·5 million (95% uncertainty interval 16·4 to 20·7) incident cases of cancer and 10·4 million (9·65 to 10·9) deaths, contributing to 271 million (255 to 285) DALYs globally. Of these, 57·9% (56·1 to 59·8) of incident cases and 65·8% (64·3 to 67·6) of cancer deaths occurred in low-income to upper-middle-income countries based on World Bank income group classifications. Cancer was the second leading cause of deaths globally in 2023 after cardiovascular diseases. There were 4·33 million (3·85 to 4·78) risk-attributable cancer deaths globally in 2023, comprising 41·7% (37·8 to 45·4) of all cancer deaths. Risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 72·3% (57·1 to 86·8) from 1990 to 2023, whereas overall global cancer deaths increased by 74·3% (62·2 to 86·2) over the same period. The reference forecasts (the most likely future) estimate that in 2050 there will be 30·5 million (22·9 to 38·9) cases and 18·6 million (15·6 to 21·5) deaths from cancer globally, 60·7% (41·9 to 80·6) and 74·5% (50·1 to 104·2) increases from 2024, respectively. These forecasted increases in deaths are greater in low-income and middle-income countries (90·6% [61·0 to 127·0]) compared with high-income countries (42·8% [28·3 to 58·6]). Most of these increases are likely due to demographic changes, as age-standardised death rates are forecast to change by –5·6% (–12·8 to 4·6) between 2024 and 2050 globally. Between 2015 and 2030, the probability of dying due to cancer between the ages of 30 years and 70 years was forecasted to have a relative decrease of 6·5% (3·2 to 10·3). Interpretation: Cancer is a major contributor to global disease burden, with increasing numbers of cases and deaths forecasted up to 2050 and a disproportionate growth in burden in countries with scarce resources. The decline in age-standardised mortality rates from cancer is encouraging but insufficient to meet the SDG target set for 2030. Effectively and sustainably addressing cancer burden globally will require comprehensive national and international efforts that consider health systems and context in the development and implementation of cancer-control strategies across the continuum of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Funding: Gates Foundation, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, and St Baldrick's Foundation
2D hexagonal boron nitride-based anticorrosion coatings
No full textThe corrosion of metallic surfaces poses significant challenges across industries such as petroleum, energy, and biomedical sectors, leading to structural degradation, safety risks, and substantial maintenance costs. Traditional organic and metallic coatings provide some protection, but their limited durability and susceptibility to harsh environmental conditions necessitate the development of more advanced and efficient solutions. This has driven significant interest in two-dimensional materials, with graphene being extensively studied for its exceptional mechanical strength and impermeability to gases and ions. However, while graphene offers short-term corrosion protection, its high electrical conductivity presents a long-term issue by promoting galvanic corrosion on metal surfaces. In contrast, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has emerged as a promising alternative for anticorrosion coatings. h-BN combines exceptional chemical stability, impermeability, and electrical insulation, making it particularly suited for long-term protection in highly corrosive or high-temperature environments. While h-BN holds promise as anticorrosion material, challenges such as structural defects, agglomeration of nanosheets, and poor dispersion within coatings limit its performance. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in addressing these challenges, including novel functionalization strategies, scalable synthesis methods, and hybrid systems that integrate h-BN with complementary materials. By bridging the gap between fundamental research and industrial applications, this review outlines the potential for h-BN to revolutionize anticorrosion technologies. These obstacles necessitate advanced strategies such as surface functionalization to improve compatibility with polymer matrices and dispersion optimization to minimize agglomeration. Recent advancements highlight the incorporation of h-BN into composite materials, which have shown significant advances in durability, adhesion, and overall performance. Future directions for h-BN research emphasize scalable fabrication techniques to produce large-area, defect-free coatings suitable for industrial deployment. Furthermore, hybrid systems that integrate h-BN with complementary materials are proposed to enhance corrosion resistance and address specific environmental and operational demands. These approaches hold the potential to establish h-BN as a transformative material for next-generation anticorrosion technologies
Understanding the main factors affecting TD-NMR data on tyre products: MDOE and data compression index.
No full textTime Domain – Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) is a non-destructive analytical technique increasingly used in the analysis of tyre and rubber products. Its greater use is due to the nature of the signal obtained by this technique. Indeed, a decay over time is
obtained which is strongly correlated with the polymeric mobility of the materials analyzed.
Therefore, any factor that affects polymeric mobility will also affect the signal obtained, such as the temperature of the sample analyzed, the compound formulation and the curing or not of the compound.
It is therefore essential for the daily use of this technique to know the impact of these factors. To the aim, a Design of Experiment (DoE) strategy was applied in which the effect of the following three factors was evaluated:
1. Temperature of the sample → Three levels (coded as: -1, 0, +1)
2. Ratio between the amount of component A and component B → Two levels (coded as: -1, +1)
3. Curing or not curing → Two levels (coded as: -1, +1)
For each level of temperature, all compounds obtained by combining the second and third factor levels were analysed at TD-NMR (1H-20 MHz applying Carr Purcell Meiboom Gill sequence). On the obtained dataset, a strategy of data compression was applied in order to obtain a parameter which holds all the information contained in the data.
In this regards, several parameters were studied. The most promising one is the time at which a specific intensity is reached by the signal. The strategy DoE + data compression index allows to obtain response surfaces that are an indication of how the parameter, and subsequently the signal, vary with the variation of the factors analysed. Through this approach, interesting information can be obtained which may allow a more conscious use
of the analytical technique
Dovlatov, scrittore russo a New York. Sulle manipolazioni traduttive e la censura identitaria
No full textDovlatov was not a dissident, nor an American writer, nor did he hate his country. His Soviet past is the main subject of his povesti, and even the pages focused on his American emigration express a critical and humorous approach which does not line with dissident ideological axioms. Dovlatov’s sense of belonging to Russian culture («I just want to be a Russian writer») is aware and explicit, and crucial to the interpretation of his work and style. The very ethical and aesthetic distance between the writer and the American sovietophobia oh his days explains some obvious mani-pulations of the American translation of his texts. We will see the exemplary case of chap. 13 of Naši (cfr. Ours 1989), where A. Frydman produces a surprising re-writing, erasing both the author’s ethical-identarian values and his refined Russian humo