1,720,999 research outputs found
Telerilevamento a supporto del monitoraggio delle risorse idriche invasate
No full textLa Regione Sardegna, così come avviene nel resto del Mediterraneo, è interessata ciclicamente da fenomeni siccitosi importanti. Tra i più critici si ricordano il 1987, 1990, il 2000 fino al 2003 e gli anni recenti 2015-2016. Tali eventi siccitosi hanno portato in alcuni anni ad una riduzione della capacità utile di oltre il 50% superando in alcuni anni anche l’80% , costringendo i gestori a ricorrere alle acque morte. È importante perciò stimare quantitativamente e qualitativamente le risorse invasate (70% su scala nazionale) e monitorarne l’evoluzione nel tempo. Le tecniche di Telerilevamento integrate in ambiente GIS forniscono in questi ambiti ed in particolari condizioni di emergenza idrica un valido supporto per la stima della riduzione dei volumi idrici disponibili in termine di superficie. oltre che dei fenomeni di eutrofizzazione, utilizzando algoritmi oramai messi a punto in campo ottico. I parametri rilevati a terra vengono integrati e validati con quelli rilevati da satellite. Ai fini dello studio, in itinere, è stato utilizzato come area campione l’invaso del Mulargia. I dati da satellite sono stati confrontati con i dati reali acquisiti da Enas (bollettini giornalieri dei volumi disponibili, grado % di riempimento dell’invaso oltre che gli afflussi giornalieri - periodo 2009-2016), e dall’Agenzia di Distretto della Sardegna (ADIS) che predispone nei primi mesi dell’anno nell’ambito del Piano di gestione della crisi idrica tramite indicatori di stato degli invasi che determinano i seguenti puntatori di allerta: il regime ordinario, il livello di vigilanza, il livello di pericolo ed il livello di emergenza. Sono state esaminate 120 immagini Landsat a cavallo degli anni 1984-2016 (Landsat 8, ETM7 e TM 4/5) disponibili gratuitamente sul sito dell’USGS (https://www.usgs.gov) ed importate su QGIS. La scelta delle immagini si è focalizzata sui periodi di massima criticità dei livelli idrici da rapportare a quelli di massimo invaso. Su ogni immagine è stata digitalizzata la superficie idrica utile al fine di rapportarla con quella del massimo invaso e stimarne le riduzioni in kmq ed in percentuale. I risultati sono stati messi a confronto con il grado di riempimento % rilevato dei bollettini giornalieri. Sulle immagini del periodo 2015-2016 sono stai poi testati vari indici disponibili in bibliografia per l’estrazione della superficie idrica; ma si è reso necessario metterne a punto uno nuovo che ha mostrato ottimi indici di correlazione con i dati oggettivi
Acute complications of pulmonary hydatidosis. Apropos 44 cases
No full textThe authors examine a series of 44 patients with an acute complication of the hydatid disease of the lung. Clinical data, diagnostic features, surgical procedures and short and long term results are compared with those of 80 cases presenting no complications. Acute complication has in many cases a non specific clinical presentation and its evidence can only be found by means of radiology. The basic principles of surgical treatment are the same of the non complicated cysts, even though resection is more often performed (56.8%) since contextual lung and bronchial involvement is frequent. The authors report no significant difference between short- and long-term results in the two series
Colorectal cancer in old age. Our experience
No full textTwo hundred and thirty-three patients treated for colorectal cancer during the period 1976-1991 were divided into three groups (A: 74 yr) in order to perceive possible statistically significant differences in patients older than 75 years. Epidemiological features are similar among the three groups, while a greater diagnostic delay (p = 0.013), a higher incidence of emergency procedures (p = 0.006) and a more advanced AP stage were found in group C. The high anesthesiological risk determined a conservative surgical approach only in 4.1% of patients, while a curative resection was performed on 51% of group C vs 72.7% of group A (p = 0.016). Postoperative complications and mortality for curative resections were 28% and 12% in group C vs 24.6% and 2.9% in group A (p = n.s.); the overall 5 years survival rate was 62.9%, 51.7% and 42.2% in groups A, B, and C. It is concluded that age alone should not be considered as a contraindication to curative surgery for colorectal cancer, for life expectancy and quality are considerably worse in the elderly undergoing derivative surgery
Primary lactase deficiency and past malarial endemicity in Sardinia
No full textBackground. It has recently been suggested that primary lactase deficiency might have been selected for by malaria as occurred for β-thalassaemia and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. However, recently we have found that the prevalence of primary lactase deficiency in the area of Sassari (Northern Sardinia), where, in the past, there was intermediate malarial endemicity, is comparable to that observed in the adult population from other areas of Southern Italy where malaria was less endemic. Aims. To address the problem further, we have determined the prevalence of primary lactase deficiency, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency deficiency and β-thalassaemia trait in the population of three Sardinian villages which differ in altitude above sea-level, socioeconomic features, history of endemic malaria and prevalence of b-thalassaemia and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Subjects. We tested 138 adult males: 53 were from Fonni (a non-malarial mountain village, with a strong pastoral tradition), 38 from Lode (a village with a similar pastoral tradition, but high malarial endemicity in the past) and 47 from Terralba (a lowland fishing village with an agricultural tradition and heavy malarial morbidity and mortality). Methods. A blood sample was obtained in all subjects for determination of HbA2 and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. Lactase deficiency was assessed by measuring breath hydrogen production after oral administration of lactose (50 g), by gas-chromatography. Results. The frequencies of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and of β-thalassaemia trait in the non-malarial village of Fonni were strikingly low, compared to frequencies found in the two villages (Terralba and Lode) with a very high past malarial morbidity. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of lactase deficiency in the three groups of subjects from the three villages. Conclusions. These data obtained in Northern Sardinia do not support the hypothesis of a selection of primary lactase deficiency by malaria. For definitive conclusions, however, the malaria hypothesis should be tested in other parts of the world
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Oncolytic viruses: a potential breakthrough immunotherapy for multiple myeloma patients
No full textOncolytic virotherapy represents an innovative and promising approach for the treatment of cancer, including multiple myeloma (MM), a currently incurable plasma cell (PC) neoplasm. Despite the advances that new therapies, particularly immunotherapy, have been made, relapses still occur in MM patients, highlighting the medical need for new treatment options. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) preferentially infect and destroy cancer cells, exerting a direct and/or indirect cytopathic effect, combined with a modulation of the tumor microenvironment leading to an activation of the immune system. Both naturally occurring and genetically modified viruses have demonstrated significant preclinical effects against MM cells. Currently, the OVs genetically modified measles virus strains, reovirus, and vesicular stomatitis virus are employed in clinical trials for MM. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain, including the efficiency of the virus delivery to the tumor, overcoming antiviral immune responses, and the specificity of the virus for MM cells. Different strategies are being explored to optimize OV therapy, including combining it with standard treatments and targeted therapies to enhance efficacy. This review will provide a comprehensive analysis of the mechanism of action of the different OVs, and preclinical and clinical evidence, focusing on the role of oncolytic virotherapy as a new possible immunotherapeutic approach also in combination with the current therapeutic armamentarium and underlying the future directions in the context of MM treatments
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