Effect of Moisture Content on the Processing and Mechanical Properties of a Biodegradable Polyester.

This work is focused on the influence of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties of a biodegradable polyester used for applications in injection molding. The pellets of the biodegradable polyester were exposed under different relative humidity conditions at a constant temperature before being compression molded. The compression-molded specimens were again placed under the above conditions before the mechanical testing.

Evaluation of triticale as energy crop in Italy.

The promotion of renewable energy represents a target of the European 2020 strategy for economical growth and sustainable competitiveness. Cereals are considered a promising biomass producing crop in temperate regions of Europe to be used for both fuel alcohol and biogas production. Among cereals, triticale represents a good candidate for this kind of application, showing a number of advantages such as high grain yield even in marginal environments, tolerance to drought, tolerance to more acid soils, lower production costs and lower susceptibility to biotic stresses.

EEG patterns and epileptic seizures in acute phase stroke.

Background: The rate of early post-stroke epileptic seizures ranges from 2 to 33%. This wide range is likely due to differences in study design, patient selection and type of neurophysiological monitoring. Electroencephalography (EEG), which is not used in the routine work-up of acute stroke, is the best neurodiagnostic technique for detecting epileptic activity, especially in patients with non-convulsive post-stroke epileptic activity.

Feasibility and clinical utility of transesophageal echocardiography in the acute phase of cerebral ischemia.

We evaluated the feasibility and clinical utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the early management of ischemic stroke. TEE was performed in consecutive patients with acute cerebral ischemia within 48 hours of symptoms onset. The data were analyzed by age (<55 vs ≥55 years), and the baseline stroke etiology was classified (determined vs undetermined).