Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Pavia
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Falerii (Civita Castellana, VT): Gli scavi nell'abitato 1992-2005. Le indagini in località Scasato (1992)
No full textFluid biomarkers across the Alzheimer's disease continuum: assessing their relationship with the patients’ clinical variant and profile
No full textBACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) molecular hallmarks are the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides and phosphorylated tau proteins in the patients' cerebral cortex. For this reason, the measurement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of phosphorylated tau at threonine 181 (pTAU181), Aβ40, and Aβ42 is a routine clinical evaluation that, together with other diagnostic tools, helps providing a correct diagnosis. However, CSF collection is an invasive procedure. Hence, this study aims to compare these biomarkers concentration in CSF and plasma, assess their diagnostic accuracy within AD clinical continuum and determine the clinical variant and profile effect on their concentrations. METHOD: Patients were assigned to a specific diagnosis, variant (typical vs atypical AD) and clinical profile (single or multidomain) following the NIA-AA criteria. Plasma samples were collected from a total of 85 healthy control (HC), 17 mild-cognitive impairment (MCI non-AD), 14 MCI presenting positive AD markers (MCI-AD) and 51 AD patients. CSF was obtained from 10 MCI non-AD, 12 MCI-AD and 42 AD dementia cases. APOE genotype was assessed using TaqManTM SNP Genotyping Assay (Applied Biosystems, USA). Both plasma and CSF biomarkers measurements were performed using the LUMIPULSE® G600II instrument (Fujirebio, Japan) with relative kits. RESULT: Plasma concentrations of the three biomarkers and relative ratios followed a trend confirmed both by CSF measurements and by literature. Furthermore, both biofluid biomarker levels appeared to change coherently with the change in patients' MMSE score, further supporting that cognitive function impairment is mirrored by a variation in CSF and most importantly blood biomarker levels. Considering the clinical variant, atypical patients displayed higher pTAU181 and lower Aβ42 concentrations, reflecting their lower MMSE score. As for the clinical profile, the Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) one appeared to deviate from the others, showing higher pTAU181 and lower Aβ42 levels. Lastly, pTAU181 and Aβ42 were observed to be the best AD predictors. CONCLUSION: pTAU181, Aβ42, and the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio were confirmed to be good indicators of AD pathology. Although further analyses are needed to accurately define the role of these biomarkers in distinguishing between the clinical variants, data hints at a possible difference between AD typical and atypical form
Thermal water inhalation for allergic rhinitis and recurrent respiratory infections: a narrative review of the evidence
No full textAllergic rhinitis (AR) and recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) are common conditions that significantly impact quality of life and healthcare systems. Thermal water inhalation therapies have emerged as a potential non-pharmacological option due to their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This narrative review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermal water inhalations in managing patients with AR and RRIs. The inclusion criteria were pertinent articles written in English and published in journals listed in PubMed. Six studies conducted in Italy, involving 548 participants (most of whom were children and adolescents), met the inclusion criteria. Significant improvements were observed in nasal mucociliary transport time, with reductions ranging from 2 to 8 min across treatment groups. Total Symptom Scores decreased significantly (one study reported a > 50% reduction). The frequency and duration of upper respiratory tract infections were reduced considerably in the treatment groups compared to the controls. However, results for nasal cytology were inconsistent, and heterogeneity in study designs limited comparability. The reviewed studies highlighted the potential of thermal water therapies to enhance mucociliary clearance, alleviate symptoms, and reduce reliance on other pharmacological treatments. On the other hand, these studies have a regional limitation and this review was not systematic. In conclusion, this narrative review may suggest that thermal water inhalations could be a promising option for managing patients with AR and RRIs, providing an alternative therapy with significant clinical benefits. Nevertheless, further high-quality, standardized, and international studies are necessary to confirm these findings and facilitate meta-analyses. These treatments could play a valuable role in reducing the burden of respiratory and allergic conditions
Un orologio notturno di Lorenzo De Ruggiero: orologiaio e collezionista napoletano tra il Marchese del Carpio e Paolo De Matteis
No full textStature is the key: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the role of stature and body mass in physical fitness through allometric modeling
No full textObjectives: To evaluate how stature and body mass influence youth physical fitness performance across different test modalities using allometric modeling, and to quantify domain-specific allometric exponents for stature and body mass. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science (July 2024;CRD420251030848). Sixteen cross-sectional studies involving youth populations (aged 7–19 years) met inclusion criteria. Extracted allometric exponents for stature and body mass were synthesized across four fitness domains: cardiorespiratory fitness, upper-limb strength, lower-limb explosive strength, and speed–agility. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using Restricted Maximum Likelihood estimation. Heterogeneity was assessed via I2 and Cochran's Q. Results: Stature showed a consistently positive association with performance across all domains, with allometric exponents ranging from 0.40 to 1.39 (p < 0.001). Body mass demonstrated divergent patterns: negative exponents for cardiorespiratory fitness (boys: − 0.24; girls: − 0.22), explosive strength, and speed–agility; but positive associations for upper limb strength (boys: 0.31; girls: 0.30). All models showed high heterogeneity; moderation and sensitivity analyses confirmed test-type-independent results. Conclusions: Stature shows a consistent positive association with physical fitness independently of test modalities, whereas body mass exponents are domain-specific, negative in weight-bearing tasks and positive in upper-limb strength. These pooled estimates suggest clear trends in size-performance scaling, though substantial heterogeneity and the absence of independent model validation limit their generalizability. Allometric modeling remains a useful approach to reduce size-related bias when applied alongside sport-specific and developmental considerations
INTRODUCTORY REFLECTIONS ON ARTS GOVERNANCE: Progress or prospect?
No full textAsking probing questions and furthering debates about arts governance is the objective of this edited Companion, to determine how much progress has been made and what prospects there are for future research. In these ways, this chapter widens and deepens understanding of the field. Together with international debates about arts governance, there is a growing desire to address the differences, nuances, and perspectives as to how governance in the arts can be interpreted by various disciplines and in different contexts. The volume includes 25 chapters that examine arts governance at various levels of analysis and from different perspectives, as governance in the arts seeks further legitimacy. This is a first since little has been written in one volume deploying such variations. Through the contributions in this book, we have identified five levels of analysis of arts governance, reflecting legitimacy and power dynamics, extending theory in the arts governance field. Much work on arts governance has been devoted to boards, however, our contributors confirm that governance occurs beyond the boardroom. One implication of this insight is that arts governance embraces cultural governance through international debates. Future research is recommended on arts governance from multiple perspectives and at multiple levels, including diverse and inclusive practices, in order to boost legitimacy and understand power
How mineralogical transformations impact the rheology of rocks at high pressure and temperature
No full textIl quarzo, uno dei minerali più abbondanti della crosta continentale, subisce due importanti transizioni di fase nella crosta inferiore: la transizione α-β e la trasformazione quarzo–coesite. Entrambe influenzano la reologia e le proprietà fisiche delle rocce. La transizione α-β modifica le proprietà termodinamiche ed elastiche del quarzo, influenzando la propagazione delle onde sismiche; tuttavia, il suo comportamento ad alta pressione e temperatura (PT) è ancora poco compreso. In contesti di collisione continentale, il quarzo può trasformarsi in coesite, causando indebolimento meccanico e localizzazione della deformazione, fino alla nucleazione di fratture (transformational faulting). Il meccanismo che innesca la rottura ad alte pressioni, è tuttavia, ancora dibattuto.
In questa tesi ho studiato le due transizioni di fase del quarzo, ad alte PT per chiarirne il ruolo nella reologia crostale. Le proprietà elastiche del quarzo attraverso la transizione α-β sono state misurate con una Large Volume Press presso l’European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Grenoble, Francia), combinando misure di Vp e Vs con la diffrazione a raggi X. Successive misure sono state effettuate utilizzando la spettroscopia Brillouin in Diamond Anvil Cell. I risultati, rivelano che la fase β è meno rigida di quanto previsto dai modelli fino ad ora utilizzati. Questi dati stanno quindi contribuendo allo sviluppo di una nuova equazione di stato per il quarzo in condizioni crostali.
La trasformazione quarzo–coesite è stata analizzata tramite esperimenti di deformazione in LVP con diffrazione a raggi X e registrazione di emissioni acustiche (AE) presso il sincrotrone PETRA III ad Amburgo (Ge). È emerso che la nucleazione di fratture avviene solo quando la cinetica della trasformazione è lenta, e che il processo è controllato principalmente dalla variazione di volume piuttosto che dal rilascio di calore latente, come era previsto per le trasformazioni di fase dell'olivina, definite come trigger per la nucleazione di terremoti profondi.
In sintesi, i risultati mostrano che la fase β del quarzo è meno rigida di quanto previsto e che la transizione quarzo–coesite può innescare rotture senza significativo rilascio di calore. Ciò suggerisce cautela nell’interpretazione dei contrasti di velocità sismica attribuiti alla transizione α-β. Inoltre, questa tesi mostra come la rottura ad alte pressioni possa avvenire senza sostanziale variazione del calore latenete ma solo con una variazione di volume. Infine, questo lavoro sottolinea il ruolo cruciale delle transizioni di fase del quarzo nella reologia della crosta.Quartz, one of the most abundant minerals in Earth’s continental crust, undergoes two phase transitions in the lower crust: the α-β and the quartz–coesite transitions. Both have significant implications for the rheology and physical properties of quartz-bearing rocks. The α-β transformation involves variations in thermodynamic and elastic properties, which affect seismic wave propagation. While it is well-characterized at ambient pressure, the behavior of this transition at both high Pressure and Temperature (PT) remains poorly constrained. In the context of continent-continent collisions, crustal material can attain depths that induce the transformation of quartz into coesite. This transformation causes mechanical weakening and strain localization. Transformational faulting is an extreme case where strain accumulation leads to faulting. However, the conditions under which this mechanism triggers seismicity and its universality across other geodynamical settings remain subject to ongoing debate. In this thesis, I describe my investigations of the α-β quartz and quartz-coesite phase transitions at high PT, which were aimed at understanding their role in crustal rheology.
The elastic properties of quartz through the α-β transformation at high PT were first explored using a Large Volume Press (LVP) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, combining ultrasonic measurements and X-ray diffraction. This phase transition was further investigated using Brillouin spectroscopy on a single crystal in a diamond anvil cell. Thanks to these new data, the properties of the phase transition at high PT were reevaluated. In particular, the β phase proved softer than predicted by previous models. These new datasets are being used in the development of an updated equation of state for quartz under crustal conditions.
The quartz-coesite transformation was studied using an LVP at the Petra-III synchrotron at DESY, where deformation experiments were conducted while collecting both diffraction patterns and acoustic emissions (AEs). The primary objective was to determine whether this transformation could result in transformational faulting. Experiments were conducted under various PT conditions to investigate how reaction kinetics influence rheological behavior. Numerous AEs were recorded in all experiments, but the micro-seismic events showed an evolution similar to fault propagation only when the kinetics were slow.
In summary, the elastic properties of β quartz exhibit pressure-dependent deviations from commonly employed models. Therefore, this thesis highlights the need for caution when interpreting velocity contrasts typically attributed to the α-β quartz transition in seismic tomography. In addition, the present work shows that transformational faulting during the quartz–coesite transition can proceed without substantial latent heat release, contrary to predictions drawn from the olivine phase transitions. Instead, this phenomenon is primarily driven by the volume change of the transformation. These findings emphasize the intricate role of quartz phase transitions in crustal rheology
Corrigendum to “Dynamic field testing of a 15-year-old friction pendulum base-isolated residential building” (Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (2026) 200(PA), (S0267726125005962), (10.1016/j.soildyn.2025.109802))
No full textNo affiliations were included. The authors regret that no authors’ affiliations were included in the paper. Please, update the paper including authors’ affiliations: P.M. Calvi – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA A. Rapone and G.J. O'Reilly – University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy T.C. Becker – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California, Berkeley, California H. Sucuoglu – Department of Civil Engineering Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey G. Gabbianelli and B. Chalarca – Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy I. Lanese, E. Rizzo-Parisi and F. Dacarro – European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering, Pavia, Italy The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
Assessing Effective Engagement with Digital Behavior Change Intervention: The Case Study of the CAPABLE Project
No full textDigital Behavior Change Interventions (DBCIs) can support the development of new health behaviors. Evaluating their effectiveness is crucial for improving them and understanding the factors that contribute to their success. Building on the CAncer PAtients Better Life Experience (CAPABLE) project, this study proposes both a conceptual framework mapping the relationships between patient motivation, engagement, and outcomes, and a set of testable hypotheses to evaluate these relationships. The framework and hypotheses are specifically designed for small-scale studies, which we demonstrate through an implementation aimed at supporting cancer patients in maintaining their physical functioning during treatment. We find that acting on patients’ initial motivation through clinician prescriptions increases sustained engagement with DBCIs, and that engaging with a DBCI once a week is sufficient to maintain well-being
