The aim of this outcome study was to evaluate the effectiveness and prognostic factors of inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We analysed ...230 consecutive inpatients with MS admitted to an MS rehabilitation ward who followed an individualized, goal-oriented, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. Every patient was submitted to a neurological examination and evaluated by means of Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), with its functional systems (FS), Barthel Index (BI) and the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). We observed an effectiveness (percentage of potential improvement achieved during rehabilitation) of nearly 16% on BI and 8% on RMI, corresponding to an improvement in 124 patients (54%) on BI and 113 patients (49%) on RMI. Basal EDSS (β= -0.32, p<0.001), cognitive status (β= -0.15, p<0.05) and disease duration (β= -0.13, p<0.05) were negatively associated with effectiveness of treatment on BI (adjusted R2=0.176), whereas effectiveness on RMI was correlated only with the EDSS score (β=-0.34, p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.113). In the logistic regression analysis, the absence of severe sphincteric disturbances was correlated with the probability of improvement on BI that was nearly twice as high (OR=2.25, 95% CI 1.24-4.08) as that of other patients. Moreover, patients without severe cognitive deficits showed a similar probability (OR-2.37, 95% CI 1.05-5.33) of improvement on RMI. The results of this study provide further evidence that intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation in MS is effective in the majority of MS patients and that early treatment may favour functional recovery.
Two uniferous strawberry cultivars, 'Marmolada®Onebor' and 'Elsanta', were tested in three experimental fields located at 1,200 m asl; phenological phases and fruit quality of first and second season ...crops were compared. Harvesting tune in the first year crop occurred 40 days later than in the second season crop. Cultivar significantly affected fruit skin brightness and chroma index, flesh firmness, titratable acidity and yield in the first season crop; the experimental field location exerted a significant effect also on fruit weight and diameter, but not on total acidity. Fruit weight was higher in the second season crop, and 'MarmoladadDOnebor' fruits (22.7 g) resulted heavier than those of 'Elsanta 9 (19.7 g). Total solid soluble content ranged from 1A to 8°Brix in 'Elsanta', compared to 6.2 to 7.4°Brix in 'Marmolada®Onebor'. Neither diseases nor arthropod attacks were noticed on plants and fruits.
Soil Radon has been monitored at two fixed sites located in the northeastern and southeastern flank of Mt. Etna. In this study we report the comparison between in-soil Radon concentration trend ...recorded in the SE flank and that one recorded in the NE one, where an in-soil Radon detection system is operating since 2001.
The aim of this work was to implement the investigation area finding a suitable radon detection site, in the south-east flank of Mt. Etna, in order to better understand possible links between Radon anomalies and volcano dynamic.
Radon data collected in NE and SE sites were compared with the volcanic tremor, frequency of occurrence of earthquakes and seismic strain-release recorded at a fixed 3D digital seismic station placed in the NE site.
Same general in-soil Radon trends and anomalies were found in both sites. These results have confirmed the suitability of the chosen southeastern site for the in-soil Radon monitoring at Mt. Etna. The comparison of the recorded Radon concentration anomalies with seismicity and volcanic tremor trends, has also verified a possible link with the volcanic activity, as observed in our previous published studies.
Soil radon has been monitored at one fixed site located in the northeastern flank of Mt. Etna, high-risk volcano in Sicily. The aim of this study was the evaluation of a possible link between magma ...uprising and soil radon concentration. Continuous radon measurements were performed since July 2001. Comparison between the in-soil radon trend and the acquired meteorological series (Temperature, Humidity and Pressure) seems to confirm a general seasonal correlation; nevertheless some anomalies suggest a possible dependence of the radon concentration on volcanic dynamics, as confirmed by the volcanic tremor and strain-release analysis.
Copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO
2
) is considered as a potential candidate for thermoelectric applications. Partially magnesium-doped CuAlO
2
bulk pellets were fabricated using solid-state reactions, ...hot-pressing, and pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) techniques. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were adopted for structural analysis. High-temperature transport property measurements were performed on hot-pressed samples. Electrical conductivity increased with Mg doping before secondary phases became significant, while the Seebeck coefficient displayed the opposite trend. Thermal conductivity was consistently reduced as the Mg concentration increased. Effects of Mg doping, preparation conditions, and future modification on this material’s properties are discussed.
Cu-based ternary chalcogenide semiconductors are a promising class of
p
-type thermoelectric materials. Here we show that S for Se substitution is a promising route for improving the thermoelectric ...performance of these compounds, in particular for Cu
3
SbSe
4
and Cu
2
SnSe
3
. Phonon scattering due to the combined effects of the atomic mass and size difference between S and Se produces a significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity over a wide temperature range, and limits the phonon mean free path to its minimum possible value at high temperature. The small electronegativity difference between S and Se is ideal for conserving carrier mobility, as demonstrated by the reasonably large hole mobility in the disordered Cu
3
Sb(Se
1−
x
S
x
)
4
compounds. These effects along with the low-cost, environmentally benign nature of S, make S for Se substitution a simple yet effective method of improving the thermoelectric performance of Cu-based ternary selenides.
In the last ten years we carried out several radioactivity investigations in the aetnean area, a peculiar site characterized by both tectonicand volcanic features. In particular, continuous ...measurements in-soilradon gas carried out from 2001 until 2006 in the eastern flank of Mt. Etna, while several volcanic events occurred, showed a possible correlation between radon concentration and geodynamic activity, in particular magma uprising. We report in particular on the survey performedin order to determine vertical radon concentration profiles at differentdepths in sites near active faults in order to extract radon diffusion coefficients for the different sites. Moreover laboratory analysis alloweddetermining radionuclide contents (via γ-spectroscopy) and radon exhalation rate (via Can-technique) for different rock samples from themonitored sites. This study represents a contribution to better definethe radon transport process through fractured media, in particular in volcanic area.
PDF
