Abstract Since 2004, several papers on the analysis of the apposition of secondary dentine have been published. The aim of this paper was to study a sample of peri-apical X-ray images of upper and ...lower incisors, both lateral and medial, to examine the application of pulp/tooth area ratio as an indicator of age. A sample of 116 individuals, 62 men and 54 women, aged between 18 and 74 years, was studied. Data were fitted with age as a linear function of the pulp/tooth ratio of incisors. The total variance explained by the regression equation ranged from 51.3% of age, when lower lateral incisors were used as explanatory variable, to 81.6% when upper lateral incisors were used. The accuracy of the corresponding regression model yielded ME = 8.44 and 5.34 years, respectively. These results show that, although incisors are less reliable than canines or lower premolars, they can be used to estimate age-at-death when the latter are absent.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of using the growth of the body of C4 vertebra for the estimation of age in children and young adolescents. We used the fact that the ...proportions between the radiologic projections of the posterior and anterior sides of the C4 vertebral body, which forms a trapezoidal shape, differ with age: in younger individuals, the posterior side is higher, whereas in older individuals, the projections of the sides of the vertebral body form a rectangular shape with the two sides equal or with the anterior side slightly higher. Cephalograms of 444 Italian subjects (214 female and 230 male individuals) aged between 5 and 15 years and with no obvious development abnormalities were analyzed. The projections of the anterior side (a) and of the posterior side (b) of each C4 body were measured, and their ratio (Vba), as a value of the C4 body development, was used for age estimation. Distribution of the Vba suggested that it does not change after 13 years in female and 14 years in male subjects. Consequently, we restricted our analysis of the Vba growing model until 14 years in both sexes. We used a Bayesian calibration method to estimate chronological age as function of Vba as a predicting variable. The intra- and inter-observer agreement was satisfactory, using intra-class correlation coefficient of Vba on 30 randomly selected cephalograms. The mean absolute errors were 1.34 years (standard deviation 0.95) and 1.01 years (standard deviation 0.71), and the mean inter-quartile ranges of the calibrating distribution were 2.32 years (standard deviation 0.25) in male and 1.72 years (standard deviation 0.39) in female individuals, respectively. The slopes of the regression of the estimated age error to chronological age were 0.02 in male and 0.06 in female individuals, where both values did not result significantly different from 0 (
p
> 0.12). In conclusion, although our Bayesian calibration method might not really outperform the classical regression models in the precision of its estimates, it appears to be more robust, to greatly reduce the typical bias inherent in the regression model approach, and to have the ability to incorporate multiple predictors.
Current guidelines recommend vancomycin and linezolid as first-line agents against methicillin-resistant
(MRSA) nosocomial pneumonia. Telavancin is a potential new therapeutic alternative, ...specifically in monomicrobial MRSA pneumonia. This study compared the efficacies of telavancin versus linezolid in a porcine model of severe MRSA pneumonia. In 18 mechanically ventilated pigs (32.11 ± 1.18 kg), 75 ml of 10
CFU/ml of MRSA was administered into each pulmonary lobe. After the onset of pneumonia, pigs were randomized into three groups: a control group, a group receiving 22.5 mg/kg of body weight every 24 h (q24h) of telavancin, and a group receiving 10 mg/kg q12h of linezolid intravenously. Tracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were cultured every 24 h. After 48 h of treatment, tissue samples were collected from the ventral and dorsal sections of each lobe. Microbiological and histopathological analyses were performed. Lung tissue concentrations differed among the groups (
= 0.019), with the lowest MRSA lung burden in the telavancin group (
< 0.05 versus the control). MRSA was detected in 46.7%, 40.0%, and 21.7% of the lung tissue samples from the control, linezolid, and telavancin groups, respectively (
< 0.001). MRSA concentrations differed among the groups in tracheal aspirate fluid (
= 0.011) but not in BAL fluid. Furthermore, there was no increased risk of kidney injury during telavancin use. Thus, telavancin has higher bactericidal efficacy than linezolid during the first 48 h of treatment in a porcine model of severe MRSA pneumonia. However, studies are needed to confirm the benefits of telavancin in treating MRSA nosocomial pneumonia.
Spatial equity and high-speed rail systems Biggiero, L.; Pagliara, F.; Patrone, A. ...
International journal of transport development and integration,
01/2017, Letnik:
1, Številka:
2
Journal Article
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In the literature by spatial accessibility it is meant a measure of spatial equity represented by the ease of travelling from an origin to a destination with a given transport mode. Recent ...investments in highspeed rail (HSR) systems have brought an increase in accessibility as well as equity issues, which will be discussed in this contribution. Indeed equity impacts, due to the extension of the HSR network in Italy, are here evaluated through the results of a joint revealed preference/stated preference (RP/SP) survey. In the first part of the questionnaire submitted to Italian travellers, i.e. the RP exercise, socio-economic data about the users together with information concerning their trip have been collected. In the second part of the questionnaire, the SP exercise has been employed. Specifically, nine hypothetical scenarios have been submitted to respondents with the objective of understanding what was the transport mode chosen, within a given context, and to see whether HSR was the preferred alternative (or it was an element of spatial exclusion). The main policy implications of this study are that investors in HS should take into account not only the economic benefits brought by them, but also the spatial imbalance brought by these systems.
•HSR had impacts on socio-economic, territorial and transport systems in several countries.•The paper analyses the impacts induced by HSR services in Italy after ten years of operation.•Italy ...represents the first case of competitive HSR market without public subsidies.•Competition between HSR operators brought a significant decrease in ticket prices (-40%)•HSR passengers/year passed from 15 to 45 millions (+200%) in 10 years.•HSR contributed, in 10 years, to an increase of the rail-based transport accessibility up to + 30%•HSR contributed to an extra growth of per capita GDP of + 2.6–5.6% in 10 years.•Regional equity in terms of travel time accessibility decreased by 11% in 10 years.•Extension of the HSR network would increase accessibility (+18%), economic growth (+3.6%) and equity (+49%)
The deployment of HSR services in the recent decades has been, arguably, the most significant innovation for intercity travel around the globe. HSR has brought impacts which have been widely studied in different countries in relation to the different socioeconomic, territorial and transport characteristics.
This paper analyses the economic growth, the transport accessibility and the social impacts observed in Italy after ten years of HSR operation, as well as the estimated impacts of the system completion. The Italian case study is of particular interest since along the 1,467 km of new high speed line (300 km/h), a combination of major cities distances and a unique HSR competitive market, producing prices reductions and more daily trains, brought a 200% increase of HSR demand (from 15 to 45 millions of passengers/year). Estimations results show that, on average, HSR in Italy contributed to a significant increase in transport accessibility (+32%) for the zones along the HSR network, while only marginal for the others (+6%). Impacts on the economic growth show that HSR has contributed to an extra growth of per capita GDP of + 2.6% in 10 years and would have contributed to a further increase of 3.6% if the final project scenario (HSR_N) would had been completed by 2018. Regional (horizontal) equity impacts were evaluated in terms of the Gini indexes variations with respect to the distribution of the transport accessibility. It results that HSR in Italy has decreased equity in terms of users’ travel time accessibility of 11%, increasing the differences between the zones served by HSR and those not. If the HSR_N scenario would have been completed equity indices would have increased of 29% with respect to the pre-HSR 2008 scenario, thus reducing regional inequalities in the country.
Results show that the HSR project was a country-level “game changer” in Italy, suggesting that the wider economic benefits, the assumptions on market regulation, the effects on regional disparities and the compensatory measures should be included in the ex ante and ex post evaluation of similar projects.
In this paper the impact of High Speed Rail (HSR) on the tourism market is analysed. The original and added value of this contribution is in the proposed methodology, which considers the ...Geographically Weighted Regression technique, incorporated within a Poisson model. This approach allows measuring the relationship between independent and dependent variables with respect to space. The case study comprises 99 Italian provinces, analysed in the time period 2006–2016. The main outcome of the analysis is that HSR affects tourists 'choices of a given destination.
The analysis of how tourists select their holiday destinations along with the factors determining their choices is very important for promoting tourism. In particular, transportation is supposed to ...have a great influence on the tourists’ decisions. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of High Speed Rail (HSR) systems with respect to a destination choice. Two key tourist destinations in Europe namely Paris, and Madrid, have been chosen to identify the factors influencing this choice. On the basis of two surveys to obtain information from tourists, it has been found that the presence of architectural sites, the quality of promotion of the destination itself, and cultural and social events have an impact while make a choice. However the availability of the HSR systems affects the choice of Paris and Madrid as tourist destinations in a different way. For Paris, TGV is considered a real transport mode alternative among tourists. On the other hand, Madrid is chosen by tourists irrespective of the presence of an efficient HSR network. Data collected from the two surveys have been used for a further quantitative analysis. Regression models have been specified and parameters have been calibrated to identify the factors influencing holidaymakers to revisit Paris and Madrid and visit other tourist places accessible by HSR from these capitals.
This paper highlights the expected impacts of the High Speed/High Capacity Rail project in Italy on tourism. An empirical analysis has been carried out with the aid of a database containing ...information both on tourism and transport for 77 Italian municipalities, during the 2006–2013 period. The specification of a panel model simultaneously considering the effects on all the municipalities has been proposed. The main results of the analysis show that the impacts of HSR on the number of Italian visitors and the number of nights spent at destination are positive in all the municipalities served by HSR. Moreover an airport traffic model specification has been proposed as well in order to show the impact of plane on Italian tourists 'mode choices.
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