The Role of Testosterone in the Elderly: What Do We Know?

Testosterone is the most important hormone in male health. Aging is characterized by testosterone deficiency due to decreasing testosterone levels associated with low testicular production, genetic factors, adiposity, and illness. Low testosterone levels in men are associated with sexual dysfunction (low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction), reduced skeletal muscle mass and strength, decreased bone mineral density, increased cardiovascular risk and alterations of the glycometabolic profile. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) shows several therapeutic effects while maintaining a good safety profile in hypogonadal men. TRT restores normal levels of serum testosterone in men, increasing libido and energy level and producing beneficial effects on bone density, strength and muscle as well as yielding cardioprotective effects. Nevertheless, TRT could be contraindicated in men with untreated prostate cancer, although poor findings are reported in the literature. In addition, different potential side effects, such as polycythemia, cardiac events and obstructive sleep apnea, should be monitored. The aim of our review is to provide an updated background regarding the pros and cons of TRT, evaluating its role and its clinical applicability in different domains.     

Issues in the characterization of power quality instruments

This paper analyzes some issues related to the metrological characterization of instruments for power quality monitoring, in order to move a step toward the definition of a full performance verification protocol. This protocol should include not only the test situations reported in corresponding standards, but also an array of different voltage and current fluctuations – linked to common power quality issues – that may be encountered in actual power systems. This performance analysis is particularly interesting because it can be found that different power quality instruments, fully meeting characteristics prescribed in standard, still may significantly disagree in some actual measurements. This is due for the existence of unresolved technical and theoretical issues related to the metrological characterization through the classical approaches of these instruments. The aim of the discussion carried out in this paper is also the specification of requirements of a test system devoted to calibration and verification of a power quality monitor, such as it is done in type testing. After a preliminary discussion about technical and theoretical issues related to the performance analysis of these instruments, a proposal of test protocol definition, with reference to some power quality phenomena and based on the design of experiment, is presented.     

The Somma–Vesuvius complex and the Phlaegrean Fields caldera: New chronological data of several eruptions of the Copper–Middle Bronze Age period

Radiocarbon dating of short-lived sample materials is a useful tool applied to date deposits of volcanic eruptions. Several archaeological sites discovered and excavated in Campania witnessed important volcanic eruptions, which occurred in the Copper and Middle Bronze Ages. These eruptions come from the Somma–Vesuvius complex and the Phlaegrean Fields caldera. At least four Plinian eruptions have been identified in the eruptive history of Somma–Vesuvius, interspersed by interplinian events, called protohistoric, which occurred between Avellino and Pompeii. At S. Paolo Belsito a stratigraphic sequence below Avellino and above the first two protohistoric events after Avellino were highlighted; while Nola (Naples) gives new information on the chronology of Avellino. Sites like Caivano and Gricignano D’Aversa, involved by the Agnano 3, Paleoastroni 2 and Agnano Monte Spina eruptions were highlighted and investigated. In this work, we want to clarify the chronology of some eruptions by comparing our results with previous data. Charcoal, bone and seed samples were collected, treated and measured at the CIRCE laboratory in Caserta.     

Reforming of olive mill wastewater through a Pd-membrane reactor

This work investigates the exploitation of olive mill wastewater (OMW) for producing hydrogen in a membrane reformer.     

Agent-based architecture for designing hybrid control systems

When designing very complex control strategy using hybrid technology, one usually faces the challenge of balancing effective realization of multi-control modeling with design simplicity. To better manage this difficulty we have used the agent paradigm as a simple and powerful bridge between asynchronous/distributed computation and Matlab environment. The proposed architecture has been used to design a complex hybrid control environment using multi-objective, fuzzy c-means, and genetic algorithms optimization to design hybrid control strategies suitable for the energy flows management on board of hybrid electric vehicles.     

Evidence against colonic mucosa colonisation by Helicobacter pylori. Lack of a specific antibody response in homogenates of rectal endoscopic biopsies

Aim of this study is to provide indirect evidence that human colonic mucosa harbour Helicobacter pylori. The antibody response of IgG and IgA class against Helicobacter pylori was examined in autologous homogenate of gastric and rectal endoscopic biopsies from 26 patients and in rectal samples of a further 36. All had a documented (histology and/or serology) Helicobacter pylori status. Helicobacter pylori specific IgG and IgA were measured by an in-house ELISA. In Helicobacter pylori positive patients having both gastric and rectal homogenate, mean level of Helicobacter pylori IgG and IgA was higher in gastric than in rectal samples (0.810 +/- 0.668 optical density vs 0.329 +/- 0.509 optical density for IgG, p = 0.007 and 0.660 +/- 0.477 vs 0.116 +/- 0.229 for IgA, p < 0.001, respectively). In each patient, level of the two isotypes was clearly higher in gastric than in autologous rectal sample. In the overall study population, mean level of Helicobacter pylori IgG in rectal homogenate was not significantly (p = 0.16) different between Helicobacter pylori positive (48/62, 77%, 0.243 +/- 0.388 optical density) and negative (14/62, 23%; 0.095 +/- 0.088) patients. In same material, levels of Helicobacter pylori IgA were very low and undetectable either in Helicobacter pylori positive or negative patients. Although Helicobacter pylori IgG are detectable in rectal homogenates of Helicobacter pylori positive patients, present data suggest that these antibodies may not be local in origin but rather reflect circulating response. These observations do not support the view that large bowel mucosa is colonised by Helicobacter pylori.     

On the determination of mechanical properties of composite laminates using genetic algorithms

This paper describes a method which combines finite element analysis and genetic algorithms (GAs) for identifying the elastic constants of composite laminates by using vibration test data. A procedure updates the elastic constants in a numerical model so that the output from the numerical code fits the results from vibration testing. In this approach, the elastic constants can be readily identified in a single test without damaging the structure. The GA, developed on a personal computer using the language MATLAB, applies the general-purpose numerical code MSC-NASTRAN to carry out the modal analysis.     

Fabrication of photoactive heterostructures based on quantum dots decorated with Au nanoparticles

Silica based multifunctional heterostructures, exhibiting near infrared (NIR) absorption (650–1200 nm) and luminescence in the visible region, represent innovative nanosystems useful for diagnostic or theranostic applications. Herein, colloidal synthetic procedures are applied to design a photoactive multifunctional nanosystem. Luminescent silica (SiO₂) coated quantum dots (QDs) have been used as versatile nanoplatforms to assemble on their surface gold (Au) seeds, further grown into Au spackled structures. The synthesized nanostructures combine the QD emission in the visible region, and, concomitantly, the distinctive NIR absorption of Au nanodomains. The possibility of having multiple QDs in a single heterostructure, the SiO₂ shell thickness, and the extent of Au deposition onto SiO₂ surface have been carefully controlled. The work shows that a single QD entrapped in 16 nm thick SiO₂ shell, coated with Au speckles, represents the most suitable geometry to preserve the QD emission in the visible region and to generate NIR absorption from metal NPs. The resulting architectures present a biomedical potential as an effective optical multimodal probes and as promising therapeutic agents due to the Au NP mediated photothermal effect.