43 research outputs found
Spectroscopic classification of 14 different microalgae species: a first steps towards spectroscopic measurement of phytoplankton diversity
No full textBackground: Phytoplankton species composition and abundance may reflect the nutritional status of aquatic environments. Species-specific spectral signatures and spectral features dependent on the nutritional status of cells can be derived by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy.
Aims: This study uses analytical methods to objectively and automatically identify microalga species and their environmen- tal conditions based on FTIR data.
Methods: Fourteen species and two growth regimes were used for this study. Each of these species–nutrient combinations constituted a ‘class’. The assignment of a sample to a class was based on the similarity of its FTIR spectrum to known class members, derived from correlation coefficients. To assess to what extent classes could be discriminated and how reliable this discrimination was, each spectrum was correlated with all others. The unknown was assigned to all classes with whose members it had a high similarity.
Results: Correct classifications were achieved in >90% cases. Subsequently, an unambiguous classification was performed by assigning an unknown to the class with which it had the highest similarity. Use of derivative spectra for baseline shifts removal increased the success percentage to 94.
Conclusions: Chemometric methods applied to FTIR spectra of microalgae allow to discriminate species and nutritional conditions to which the cells had been exposed
Co-Ni mineralization in the Punta Corna hydrothermal vein system (Piemonte, Italy): preliminary results
No full textThe Punta Corna polymetallic hydrothermal vein system is located in the municipalities of Usseglio and Balme, Lanzo Valleys (Piemonte, Italy). The area has been well known since the Middle Ages for the
exploitation of Ag, Fe, and minor Co (commonly used for pigments production), until the 20th century.
The global concern about the green transition and critical raw materials (CRMs) supply, such as Co, which is critical for the manufacture of electric vehicles and storage power stations, has raised a renewed exploration interest in old mining sites, where the CRMs economic potential was not fully investigated. Since 2018 the
Junior Exploration Company AltaMin ltd. owns the exploration license of the Punta Corna area, for assessing the economic viability of the ore. The deposit consists of a complex vein system interpreted as the product of late Alpine hydrothermal events (Castelli et al., 2011) and it is hosted in the metaophiolitic suite of the Internal Piedmont Zone (IPZ), representing a portion of oceanic lithosphere and its sedimentary cover of the Jurassic Alpine Tethys (Dal Piaz et al., 2003). The IPZ recorded eclogite-facies metamorphism during the early phases of the Alpine orogeny and a re-equilibration under greenschist facies conditions during exhumation. The mineralized veins are almost exclusively hosted in metabasic rocks, locally preserving primary basaltic structures.
Based on literature data, the vein system can be divided into two different areas of geochemical significance:
i) the western sector, where Fe mineralization prevails, and ii) the eastern sector, dominated by Co-Ni-Fe arsenides +Fe carbonates, quartz and calcite gangue ± Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag sulfides ± baryte. Mineral assemblage and deposition below 200°C from metal-rich brines (from preliminary fluid inclusion analyses) suggest analogies with five element-vein deposits (Moroni et al., 2019).
The present work is part of a Ph.D. project focused on the geological, geochemical, and mineralogical investigation on the Punta Corna mineralized veins aimed to deepen the knowledge of the structural control of the ore bodies and metal distribution. New field campaigns (Spring-Summer 2022) planned to collect samples and data, are particularly aimed to understand the brittle deformation stages related to the mineralizing events. Petrographic, mineralogical and chemical characterization were performed on 23 new samples collected from different hydrothermal veins by means of optical microscopy, XRD, wet-chemical analyses and SEM-EDS techniques at the University of Torino
Quantitative analysis of Hepatitis B Virus DNA by real-time amplification.
No full textDiagnostic assays allowing the quantification of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA over a wide range of concentrations are important for monitoring patients during antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to develop a new real-time method for HBV DNA quantification. Primers and probe were selected in a highly conserved region of the HBV S gene, and a plasmid containing the pre-S/S region was used as a standard. Linear quantification of the standard was obtained between 10 and 10(9) copies/reaction, with high correlation between ayw and adw genomes (P<0.001). HBV DNA was detected in serial dilutions of a high-titer serum sample with linear results until 2.4 x 10(3) copies/ml. One hundred eight serum samples positive for hepatitis B surface antigen were tested in both the real-time assay and the Digene Hybrid Capture assay (Digene, USA). HBV DNA could be detected by both assays in 70 samples, with significant correlation of results (P<0.001). Results for 38 samples were below the sensitivity limit of the Digene assay, but they could be quantified by the real time polymerase chain reaction assay. These results show that real-time polymerase chain reaction allows sensitive, rapid and linear quantification of HBV DNA in serum
The internet and health promotion: a content analysis of the official websites of Italian Public Health Authorities
No full textCyberdrugs: a cross sectional study of online pharmacies characteristics
No full textAs e-commerce and online pharmacies (OPs) arose, the potential impact of the Internet on the world of
health shifted from merely the spread of information to a real opportunity to acquire health services
directly. Aim of the study was to investigate the offer of prescription drugs in OPs, analysing their
characteristics, using the content analysis method. The research performed using the Google search
engine led to an analysis of 118 online pharmacies. Only 51 (43.2%) of them stated their precise
location. Ninety-six (81.4%) online pharmacies did not require a medical prescription from the
customer’s physician. Online pharmacies rise complex issues in terms of patient–doctor relationship,
consumer empowerment, drug quality, regulation and public health implications
Le Aziende Sanitarie Locali italiane nella rete del web: analisi dei siti ufficiali in termini di caratteristiche tecniche, interattività, servizi e contenuti di promozione della salute
No full textUse of information systems for managing healthcare services in a long-term care facility
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a patient data management information system in a long-term care facility in Brescia (Italy). A survey was conducted among the facility's nursing staff to investigate work organization and identify critical areas that could be improved through the implementation of an information system. A specific patient data management system was then developed and performance indicators were identified. Performance indicators were measured before implementation and then at 6 and 30 months. Managing daily patient healthcare through the use of an information system has allowed an improvement of the appropriateness and quality of care, as well as improved efficiency by saving valuable nursing time
