ALBERT

Description: Nature-based solutions have been identified by the European Union as being critical for the enhancement of environmental qualities in cities, where urban and peri-urban forests play a key role in air quality amelioration through pollutant removal. A remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) approach was applied to the Metropolitan City (MC) of Rome to assess the seasonal particulate matter (PM10) removal capacity of evergreen (broadleaves and conifers) and deciduous species. Moreover, a monetary evaluation of PM10 removal was performed on the basis of pollution externalities calculated for Europe. Deciduous broadleaves represent the most abundant tree functional group and also yielded the highest total annual PM10 deposition values (1769 Mg). By contrast, PM10 removal efficiency (Mg·ha−1) was 15%–22% higher in evergreen than in deciduous species. To assess the different removal capacity of the three functional groups in an area with homogeneous environmental conditions, a study case was performed in a peri-urban forest protected natural reserve (Castelporziano Presidential Estate). This study case highlighted the importance of deciduous species in summer and of evergreen communities as regards the annual PM10 removal balance. The monetary evaluation indicated that the overall PM10 removal value of the MC of Rome amounted to 161.78 million Euros. Our study lends further support to the crucial role played by nature-based solutions for human well-being in urban areas.

Description: A general review of the extended finite element method and its application to the simulation of first-order phase transitions is provided. Detailed numerical investigations are then performed by focusing on the one-dimensional case and studying: (i) spatial and temporal discretisations, (ii) different numerical techniques for the interface-condition enforcement, and (iii) different treatments for the blending elements. An embeddeddiscontinuity finite element approach is also developed and compared with the extended finite element method, so that a clearer insight of the latter can be given. Numerical examples for melting/solidification in planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry are presented and the results are compared with analytical solutions.

Description: A general review of the extended finite element method and its application to the simulation of first-order phase transitions is provided. Detailed numerical investigations are then performed by focusing on the one-dimensional case and studying: (i) spatial and temporal discretisations, (ii) different numerical techniques for the interface-condition enforcement, and (iii) different treatments for the blending elements. An embeddeddiscontinuity finite element approach is also developed and compared with the extended finite element method, so that a clearer insight of the latter can be given. Numerical examples for melting/solidification in planar, cylindrical, and spherical symmetry are presented and the results are compared with analytical solutions.

Description: The ability to classify asphalt surfaces is an important goal for the selection of suitable non-variant targets as pseudo-invariant targets during the calibration/validation of remotely-sensed images. In addition, the possibility to recognize different types of asphalt surfaces on the images can help optimize road network management. This paper presents a multi-resolution study to improve asphalt surface differentiation using field spectroradiometric data, laboratory analysis and remote sensing imagery. Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer (MIVIS) airborne data and multispectral images, such as Quickbird and Ikonos, were used. From scatter plots obtained by field data using λ = 460 and 740 nm, referring to MIVIS Bands 2 and 16 and Quickbird and Ikonos Bands 1 and 4, pixels corresponding to asphalt covering were identified, and the slope of their interpolation lines, assumed as asphalt lines, was calculated. These slopes, used as threshold values in the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classifier, obtained an overall accuracy of 95% for Ikonos, 98% for Quickbird and 93% for MIVIS. Laboratory investigations confirm the existence of the asphalt line also for new asphalts, too.

Description: Forests, Vol. 8, Pages 320: Effects of the Antiozonant Ethylenediurea (EDU) on Fraxinus ornus L.: The Role of Drought Forests doi: 10.3390/f8090320 Authors: Elisabetta Salvatori Lina Fusaro Fausto Manes Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical known to protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of tropospheric ozone (O3). Although many studies have proposed the use of EDU for studying the O3 effects under field conditions, its mechanism of action is not fully understood, and it is unclear whether it exerts a specific antiozonant action, or if it may also interact with other oxidative stresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of EDU on forest species in a Mediterranean environment where, during summer, vegetation is exposed to multiple oxidative stresses, such as O3 and drought. The experiment was conducted on Fraxinus ornus L. (Manna ash) plants growing in six mesocosms, three maintained under full irrigation, while the other three were subjected to drought for 84 days. In each mesocosm, three plants were sprayed every 15 days with 450 ppm EDU. Gas exchange and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence measurements carried out through the experimental period highlighted that EDU did not affect stomatal conductance and had an ameliorative effect on the functionality of drought-stressed plants, thus suggesting that it may act as a generic antioxidant. The implications of these findings for the applicability of EDU in field studies are discussed.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 959: Inflamed Phylloides Tumour in a Girl: A Challenging Diagnosis in Paediatric Breast Lesions International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15050959 Authors: Ilaria Testa Cristina Salvatori Marco Prestipino Maria Elena Laurenti Paolo Gerli Giuseppe Di Cara Nicola Principi Susanna Esposito Mirko Bertozzi Introduction: Phylloides tumours (PTs) are rare fibroepithelial neoplasms that account for 0.3–0.9% of all breast tumours. These tumours typically occur in women aged 30–70 years. The occurrence of these tumours in older children and adolescents poses particular diagnostic and therapeutic problems. However, early diagnosis is mandatory because although most of the cases of PTs in children are benign, the borderline and malignant cases with potential negative outcomes cannot be excluded. Case presentation: A 12-year-old girl presented at the Paediatric Emergency Department for hyperaemia and warmth of the left breast that occurred a few days prior without fever. The girl experienced menarche 8 months previously. She experienced no previous trauma and she had no family history of breast cancer. On physical examination, the left breast was painful, enlarged and tender. The overlying skin was erythematous and warm. A breast ultrasonography (US) revealed a large mass with features of an abscess, including a hyperechoic wall, scattered internal echoes and hypoechoic peripheral lacunae of apparent colliquative nature. After 4 days of unsuccessful antibiotic therapy, surgical drainage was performed due to the suspicion of a mammary abscess. At the surgical incision site, the lesion was not-well circumscribed and lacked a capsule. In addition, purulent material was not detected. Histological examination revealed that the tissue alterations were compatible with benign PT. With this diagnosis, the girl underwent definitive surgical removal of the lesion. The postoperative period passed without negative events. An US performed 6 months later revealed that no new mass was present at this time, suggesting no recurrence of the tumour. Conclusion: This case shows that in the presence of a clinical picture suggesting the inflammation of the breast in adolescent females, PT should be considered as a possible diagnosis and US-guided core biopsy should be considered to confirm this suspicion. Thereafter, when surgical excision is performed, particular attention must be paid to both the preservation of all the normal breast parenchyma and future aesthetic problems.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1525: Childhood Asymmetry Labium Majus Enlargement (CALME): Description of Two Cases International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071525 Authors: Cristina Salvatori Ilaria Testa Marco Prestipino Maria Elena Laurenti Sara Riccioni Giuseppe Di Cara Nicola Principi Susanna Esposito Mirko Bertozzi Background: Childhood asymmetry labium majus enlargement (CALME) is an uncommon, benign condition that occurs in pre- and early pubertal girls and is characterized by a painless, fluctuating, non-tender labial swelling with normal overlying skin. Recognition of this benign condition is essential. Differentiation with several other diseases that mimic CALME and require different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is mandatory. Two cases of CALME are described in this report. Differential diagnoses and therapeutic approaches are highlighted. Case presentation: The first case was an 11-year-old Caucasian girl referred to our hospital for the evaluation of right labium majus, which showed a palpable, painless, soft, non-tender, non-erythematous enlargement measuring approximately 2 cm with indistinct borders. Ultrasound showed a mass 23 × 18 × 12 mm in diameter. Surgical excision of the mass was performed and in the histopathological evaluation, the tissue specimens were composed of haphazardly arranged vascular channels, adipose tissue and nervous elements that were components of the vulvar soft tissue and were compatible with the diagnosis of CALME. Case 2 was a 6-year-old Caucasian girl who presented a post-traumatic painless mass of left labium majus swelling that progressively increased in volume. Ultrasound study evidenced an ill-defined heterogeneous echotexture mass 26 × 15 × 10 mm in diameter and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these findings. Histopathological examination was performed after bioptic sampling evidencing normal constituents of vulvar soft tissue, including fibroblast, collagen, adipose tissue, blood vessels and nerves compatible with CALME. Conclusions: CALME is a particular clinical condition that occurs mainly in pre-pubertal girls and has a benign course but poses numerous problems in differential diagnosis that can be solved only with careful clinical observation and with a careful use of radiological imaging techniques. Our cases, in agreement with recent literature, suggest that radical excision is not recommended and that surgical biopsy should be taken into consideration only in cases of doubt.

Description: (1) Background: a cell evaluation focused to verify the self-regenerative antioxidant activity is performed on cerium doped bioactive glasses. (2) Methods: the glasses based on 45S5 Bioglass®, are doped with 1.2 mol%, 3.6 mol% and 5.3 mol% of CeO2 and possess a polyhedral shape (~500 µm2). Glasses with this composition inhibit oxidative stress by mimicking catalase enzyme (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities; moreover, our previous cytocompatibility tests (neutral red (NR), 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Bromo-2-deoxyUridine (BrdU)) reveal that the presence of cerium promotes the absorption and vitality of the cells. The same cytocompatibility tests were performed and repeated, in two different periods (named first and second use), separated from each other by four months. (3) Results: in the first and second use, NR tests indicate that the presence of cerium promotes once again cell uptake and viability, especially after 72 h. A decrease in cell proliferation it is observed after MTT and BrdU tests only in the second use. These findings are supported by statistically significant results (4) Conclusions: these glasses show enhanced proliferation, both in the short and in the long term, and for the first time such large dimensions are studied for this kind of study. A future prospective is the implantation of these bioactive glasses as bone substitute in animal models.

Description: Passive commercial gauzes were turned into interactive wound dressings by impregnating them with a chitosan suspension. To further improve healing, and cell adhesion and proliferation, chitosan/bioactive glass wound dressings were produced with the addition of (i) 45S5, (ii) a Sr- and Mg-containing bioactive glass, and (iii) a Zn-containing bioactive glass to the chitosan suspension. SEM and FTIR analyses evidenced positive results in terms of incorporation of bioactive glass particles. Bioactivity was investigated by soaking chitosan-based bioactive glass wound dressings in simulated body fluid (SBF). Cell viability, proliferation, and morphology were investigated using NIH 3T3 (mouse embryonic fibroblast) cells by neutral red (NR) uptake and MTT assays. Furthermore, the wound-healing rate was evaluated by means of the scratch test, using NIH 3T3. The results showed that bioactive glass particles enhance cell adhesion and proliferation, and wound healing compared to pure chitosan. Therefore, chitosan-based bioactive glass wound dressings combine the properties of the organic matrix with the specific biological characteristics of bioactive glasses to achieve chitosan composites suitable for healing devices.

Description: Highly accurate and stable current references are especially required for resistive-sensor conditioning. The solutions typically adopted in using resistors and op-amps/transistors display performance mainly limited by resistors accuracy and active components non-linearities. In this work, excellent characteristics of LT199x selectable gain amplifiers are exploited to precisely divide an input current. Supplied with a 100 µA reference IC, the divider is able to exactly source either a ~1 µA or a ~0.1 µA current. Moreover, the proposed solution allows to generate a different value for the output current by modifying only some connections without requiring the use of additional components. Experimental results show that the compliance voltage of the generator is close to the power supply limits, with an equivalent output resistance of about 100 GΩ, while the thermal coefficient is less than 10 ppm/°C between 10 and 40 °C. Circuit architecture also guarantees physical separation of current carrying electrodes from voltage sensing ones, thus simplifying front-end sensor-interface circuitry. Emulating a resistive-sensor in the 10 kΩ–100 MΩ range, an excellent linearity is found with a relative error within ±0.1% after a preliminary calibration procedure. Further advantage is that compliance voltage can be opposite in sign of that obtained with a passive component; therefore, the system is also suitable for conditioning active sensors.