A novel approach to the classification of terrestrial drainage networks based on deep learning and preliminary results on solar system bodies.

Several approaches were proposed to describe the geomorphology of drainage networks and the abiotic/biotic factors determining their morphology. There is an intrinsic complexity of the explicit qualification of the morphological variations in response to various types of control factors and the difficulty of expressing the cause-effect links. Traditional methods of drainage network classification are based on the manual extraction of key characteristics, then applied as pattern recognition schemes.

Heat stress assessment in artistic glass units.

Heat stress in glass industry is mainly studied in large and highly mechanized manufacturing Units. To the contrary, few studies were carried out in small factories specialized in hand-made products. To stress the need of combined objective and medical surveys in these environments, this paper deals with a simultaneous climatic and physiological investigation of working conditions in artistic crystal glass factories in Tuscany (Italy).

On the Effect of Thermophysical Properties of Clothing on the Heat Strain Predicted by PHS Model.

Procedures and equations reported in ISO 9920 for the correction of basic thermophysical clothing properties taking into account pumping effect and air movement are very different from those used by the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) model in ISO 7933. To study the effect of these differences on the assessment of hot environments using the PHS model, an analysis focusing on the modelling of the dynamic thermal insulation and the vapour resistance of the clothing reported in ISO 9920 and ISO 7933 standards will be discussed in this paper. The results are useful evidence to start a discussion on the best practice for dealing with clothing thermophysical properties and underline the need to harmonize the entire set of standards in the field of the Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment.

Feature Selection Based on Machine Learning in MRIs for Hippocampal Segmentation.

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with structural changes in the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can show these variations and therefore can be used as a supportive feature for a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The hippocampus has been known to be a biomarker for Alzheimer disease and other neurological and psychiatric diseases.

WBGT index revisited after 60 years of use.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) seems to be still used world widely for the evaluation of heat stress conditions and it is recommended by ISO and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists as a screening method. Unfortunately, many occupational health practitioners and users appear to be unaware of its limitations. As the ISO 7243 Standard, based on WBGT, is presently under revision, it is an appropriate time to review the validity and applicability of this empirical approach to evaluate heat stress.

Notes on the implementation of the IREQ model for the assessment of extreme cold environments.

Unlabelled: This paper has been devoted to the difficulties that practitioners, skilled ergonomists or occupational health experts could find in the assessment of cold environments by means of (insulation required) IREQ model at the base of the (International Standardization Organization) ISO 11079 Standard. The in-depth analysis discussed here has underlined several difficulties about: (a) the graphical calculation of the predicted limit exposures; (b) some differences in both IREQ and (duration limit exposure) DLE values reported in ISO 11079; and (c) some errors and incongruities in the program available online for the assessment of DLEs. These occurrences lead to the systematic overestimation of the DLE that exceed up to 4 h, those obtained by means of the figures reported in the Standard with the consequent unreliable assessment.

On the transition thermal discomfort to heat stress as a function of the PMV value.

ISO 15265 Standard - Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Risk assessment strategy for the prevention of stress or discomfort in thermal working conditions - can be considered as a key document for helping responsible for the health protection and prevention of working situations. According to the SOBANE strategy, this standard provides a three-step protocol aimed to the prevention, elimination or reduction of risks affecting the workplaces. Although both methods and procedures suggested by ISO 15265 appear very clear, this standard could bring in confusion both beginners and not specialists in occupational health concerning Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) threshold values consistent with comfort - hot discomfort and the discomfort - hot stress transitions.

On the problems related to natural wet bulb temperature indirect evaluation for the assessment of hot thermal environments by means of WBGT.

This paper deals with the indirect evaluation of the natural wet bulb temperature, t (nw), one of the two quantities forming the basis of the well-known wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index, considered worldwide to be a suitable and user-friendly tool for the preliminary assessment of hot thermal environments. This quantity can be measured by a wet bulb thermometer (a temperature sensor covered with a wetted wick naturally ventilated) or, if this is not available, calculated from other microclimatic parameters (i.e.

Thermal environment assessment reliability using temperature--humidity indices.

A reliable assessment of the thermal environment should take into account the whole of the six parameters affecting the thermal sensation (air temperature, air velocity, humidity, mean radiant temperature, metabolic rate and thermo-physical properties of clothing). Anyway, the need of a quick evaluation based on few measurements and calculations has leaded to like best temperature-humidity indices instead of rational methods based on the heat balance on the human body. Among these, Canadian Humidex, preliminarily used only for weather forecasts, is becoming more and more widespread for a generalized assessment of both outdoor and indoor thermal environments.

Role of anticoagulation therapy after pulmonary vein antrum isolation for atrial fibrillation treatment.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of atrioembolic stroke. However, the role of anticoagulation therapy (OAT) in preventing cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) after intracardiac echocardiography-guided pulmonary vein antrum isolation (ICE-PVAI) is still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the incidence of CVA following the interruption of OAT 3 months after ICE-PVAI.

An exaggerated systolic blood pressure response to exercise is associated with cardiovascular remodeling in subjects with prehypertension.

Background: Although many observers consider the cardiovascular risk associated with isolated prehypertension to be low and not worth pharmacological treating, the cardiovascular disease rate is increased among individuals within this blood pressure stratum.

Methods: We performed Doppler echocardiography and submaximal bicycle ergometry in 20 nonsmoking sedentary prehypertensive subjects and 20 age- and sex-matched nonsmoking sedentary normotensive subjects, and investigated the association between the systolic blood pressure response to exercise (SBPRE) and hypertensive target organ damage. An exaggerated SBPRE (E-SBPRE) and a normal SBPRE (N-SBPRE) were diagnosed using the mean +2 standard deviations of systolic blood pressure at 100 W in normotensives.

Effects of biventricular pacing on interstitial remodelling, tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression, and apoptotic death in failing human myocardium.

Aims: Recent data from the COMPANION trial have documented that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with biventricular (BiV) pacing reduces mortality and hospitalization in patients with advanced CHF, but little is known regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of CRT. Our aim is to evaluate interstitial remodelling, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression, and apoptosis in patients with advanced CHF treated with CRT.

Methods And Results: We performed endomyocardial biopsies in 10 patients, aged 62, with dilated cardiomyopathy before and 6 months after the implantation of a BiV pacing device.