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Background Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) is a contactless technique capable of estimating superficial stresses on components subjected to dynamic loads. Surface stresses can be obtained by means of calibration methods that require the assessment of the thermoelastic constants. However, these methods can lead to errors in stress evaluation in those materials where the effect of the mean stress on the thermoelastic signal cannot be neglected (e.g., titanium). Objective The aim is the development of an analytic formulation of error made in first stress invariant amplitude evaluation for a biaxial stress state, when neglecting mean stress effect. Methods By considering the general theory of thermoelastic stress analysis accounting for the mean stress effect, the formulation of the thermoelastic effect in the presence of a biaxial stress state was obtained. The results were compared to those obtained by a numerical simulation and the proposed formulation has been validated for titanium by means of experimental tests. Results Firstly, the new formulation of thermoelastic temperature variations accounting for mean stress effect in presence of a biaxial stress state was provided. Secondly, an error analysis provided an analytical formulation for the error made in case mean stress effect is neglected for different case studies. Conclusions The error in stress evaluation can be considered as the error originating from the use of an incorrect calibration formula (traditional one)”. The new analytical formulation accounting for the general theory of thermoelastic stress analysis allows to account for the mean stress on titanium in the presence of a uniaxial and biaxial stress states and to evaluate the error made in neglecting such a second order effect when using TSA.

Blanching of almonds was examined for reducing the aflatoxin content of contaminated nuts. Almonds with intact pellicles were spiked with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and blanched at 85°C. Following blanching, almond kernels and pellicles contained 20 and 19% of the spiked AFB1, respectively. The blanching water contained an additional 41% of the spiked AFB1. In a separate study, postblanching water was spiked with AFB1 and used for subsequent blanching of uncontaminated almonds. The resulting blanched kernels acquired 3.3% of the AFB1 from the spiked water, demonstrating a low level of cross-contamination from reused contaminated blanching water. The effect of the blanching temperature on partitioning of AFB1 from almonds to blanching water was significant at a 20-ppb spiking level, but not at 100 ppb. AFB1 levels that were unaccounted for in the mass balance of blanching components were presumed to be lost due to binding to water-solubilized almond components and were independent of pH and blanching time. Blanching reduced total aflatoxins in naturally contaminated almonds by 13 to 76%, depending on almond quality, as well as blanching time and temperature. These results indicate that the association between almond components and aflatoxin generated through mold contamination is more complex than in spiking experiments.

Purpose To explore the role of fully hybrid 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/MR imaging and radiomic parameters in predicting histopathological prognostic factors in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) undergoing surgery. Methods One hundred eighty-seven consecutive 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/MRI scans (March 2018–June 2020) performed for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumour were retrospectively evaluated; 16/187 patients met the eligibility criteria ( 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/MRI for preoperative staging of PanNET and availability of histological data). PET/MR scans were qualitatively and quantitatively interpreted, and the following imaging parameters were derived: PET-derived SUVmax, SUVmean, somatostatin receptor density (SRD), total lesion somatostatin receptor density (TLSRD), and MRI-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), arterial and late enhancement, necrosis, cystic degeneration, and maximum diameter. Additionally, first-, second-, and higher-order radiomic parameters were extracted from both PET and MRI scans. Correlations with several PanNETs’ histopathological prognostic factors were evaluated using Spearman’s coefficient, while the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate parameters’ predictive performance. Results Primary tumour was detected in all 16 patients (15/16 by 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET and 16/16 by MRI). SUVmax and SUVmean resulted good predictors of lymphnodal (LN) involvement (AUC of 0.850 and 0.783, respectively). Second-order radiomic parameters GrayLevelVariance and HighGrayLevelZoneEmphasis extracted from T2 MRI demonstrated significant correlations with LN involvement (adjusted p  = 0.009), also showing good predictive performance (AUC = 0.992). Conclusion This study demonstrates the role of the fully hybrid PET/MRI tool for the synergic function of imaging parameters extracted by the two modalities and highlights the potentiality of imaging and radiomic parameters in assessing histopathological features of PanNET aggressiveness.

BackgroundAutoimmune disorders can occur together especially in genetically predisposed individuals.Objectives:We here aimed to assess the occurrence of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in association with other systemic immune-mediated conditions.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of our routinely followed patients with IgG4-RD for pre-existing or concomitant immune-mediated disorders. IgG4-RD was diagnosed based on histological findings and on the 2011 Comprehensive Diagnostic criteria. Associated immune-mediated disorders were diagnosed based on available classification and/or diagnostic criteria.ResultsTwo-hundred and thirty-four patients with a definitive diagnosis of IgG4-RD were included in this study. A pre-existing immune-mediated connective tissue disease was reported in 6/234 patients (3%): one case each of sarcoidosis, Takayasu arteritis (TA), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangitis (EGPA), and rheumatoid arthritis; and two cases of granulomatosis with polyangitis (GPA). Organs involved by IgG4-RD included the lungs, the pancreas, the peritoneum, lacrimal glands, meninges and orbits. Sarcoidosis, EGPA, and TA preceded the onset of IgG4-RD. GPA preceded IgG4-RD onset in one case and occurred simultaneously in the other case. Rheumatoid arthritis occurred together with IgG4-RD in one case.ConclusionIgG4-RD can present in the context of pre-existing systemic immune-mediated disorders. Our observation suggests that “secondary” IgG4-RD may preferentially complicate chronic granulomatous conditions including large- and small-vessels vasculitis as well as sarcoidosis.Table 1Characteristics of IgG4RD and other immunological diseasesPatient#1#2#3#4#5#6Sex (age)M (69)F (16)M (67)F (34)F (51)M (65)IgG4-related diseaseOrgans involvedSalivary glands, pancreas, biliary tract, lungPeritoneumPancreasEyelidPeriorbital region, lacrimal glandMeninges, abdominal aortaACR/EULAR CC3626262021242011 CDC [13]definitedefinitedefiniteprobabledefinitedefiniteOrgan biopsyLungPeritoneal lesionPancreasPeriorbital tissuePeriorbital tissue, lacrimal glandMeningesTherapyPDN + RTXSurgery + PDN + MTXSurgeryPDNMPDN + RTXPDN + MTXResponseYYYYYYSystemic Rheumatic DiseaseDiagnosisSarcoidosisTakayasuRAGPAGPAEGPAClinical manifestationsLymph nodesSubclavian, common carotid, anonymous, and right pulmonary arteries + artery, thoracic and suprarenal abdominal aortaWristssubglottic stenosisLung nodules, scleritisRespiratory tract (asthma), skin, peripheral nervous system, blood eosinophiliaFulfillment of disease specific CCNAY#Y^Y*Y*Y§AutoantibodynonenoneFR, ACPAc-ANCAc-ANCAp-ANCADefinite histological diagnosisLymph nodesNANANALung noduleSkinOnset vs IgG4-RDPriorPriorConcomitantPriorConcomitantPriorYears before IgG4-RD114-1303TherapyaPDN + MTXIFX → TCZPDN + MTXPDN + AZAMPDN + RTXPDN + CYCResponseYYYYYY#Modified diagnostic criteria for Takayasu arteritis. Shanna et al. 1995; *ACR/ EULAR 2017 provisional classification criteria for GPA; ^ACR/EULAR 2010 Classification criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis; §ACR 1990 Classification criteria for EGPA Abbreviations: ACPA: Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; ANCA: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; RA: Rheumatoid Arthritis; AZA: Azathioprine; CYC: Cyclophosphamide; EGPA: Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis; ENG: electroneurography; GPA: Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis; IgG4-RD: IgG4-Related Disease; IFX: Infliximab; TCZ: tocilizumab; F: female; M: male; MPDN: Methylprednisolone; MTX: Methotrexate; N: No; PDN: Prednisone; RTX: RituximabREFERENCES:NIL.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.

IntroductionIn recent years the increasing presence of refugees and asylum seekers displaced from their country of origin, determined significant social, economic, humanitarian and public health implications in host nations. Advancing the knowledge on factors contributing to these implications, could foster the implementation of new public-health plans for these population. As a matter of fact, to date, the rates of mental disorders in these population are uncertain due to the high variability of methods used in the studies on topic, and of risk and protective factors analyzed. The most replicated finding is the high prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression in refugees and asylum seekers as compared to the population of host countries.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate the needs for mental health prevention, care and rehabilitation of adult refugees and asylum seekers in Italy, performing a multidisciplinary evaluation of migrants who were guests in two refugees’ centers in Campania (Salerno and Avellino).MethodsThe Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was assessed in 303 migrants, in order to evaluate the presence or not of a psychiatric diagnosis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to investigate differences between migrants with a mental disorder vs migrants without a mental disorder in terms of cognitive functions, depressive and anxiety symptoms, traumatic events and pre-migration risk factors. Person’s correlation was performed to investigate relationships between the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-t25) psychopathological index with all the other above-mentioned variables. Logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated to the presence of a current mental disorder.ResultsAt least one mental disorder was found in 90 subjects (29.7% of the sample). Most prevalent diagnoses were major depressive disorder, lifetime panic disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder. People with at least one psychiatric illness showed impaired global (F=6.62; p=.011) and social (F=8.22; p=.004) cognition, higher trauma levels (F=70.59; p<.0001) and more severe anxiety and depressive symptoms (F=61.84; p<.0001) compared to healthy migrants. Only trauma levels significantly correlated with HSCL-t25 psychopathological index. Trauma levels, global cognition, occupation, and migration status were associated to the presence of a current mental disorder.ConclusionsThe results of the present study demonstrated that almost 1/3 of the guests of refugee centers in Campania have a mental disorder. The identification of risk factors associated to the onset of mental disorder and to severity of psychopathology in refugees and asylum seekers, may contribute to plan preventive and early psychiatric care in this population.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Direct laser metal deposition (LMD–DED) is an additive manufacturing (AM) process that is used to build up and repair high-quality metal components. It works by overlapping layers of powder material and melting them with a laser. To get a stable process without defects and to reach, at the same time, high mechanical properties, a robust assessment and control of the process parameters, and above all of their combination, is required. The ideal goal is to assure the online control, to stop or correct the process in case of unexpected anomalies. In this work, a robust online monitoring of the laser metal deposition (LMD–DED) process based on the use of infrared thermography was developed and proposed. After choosing the suitable process parameters, a customized design of experiments (DOE) was set, and the statistical analysis of different thermal features was carried out to develop the most robust models that correlate them with the input process parameters (laser power, scanning speed, and powder flow rate). The proposed procedure was based on the extraction of different thermal features from suited regions of interest (ROI), performing statistical analyses by means of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and building regression models to correlate the process parameters with the thermal behavior. The obtained results demonstrated the possibility to control the process by means of the chosen thermal features, independent of the position of the ROI. Moreover, the possibility to use the models to detect typical AM defects, and anomalies, online directly during the process, has been proved and verified by destructive macrographs carried out on the manufactured coupons.

The capability of Active Thermography (AT) techniques in detecting shallow defects has been proved by many works in the last years, both on metals and composites. However, there are few works in which these techniques have been used adopting simulated defects more representative of the real ones. The aim of this work is to investigate the capability of Pulsed Thermography of detecting shallow spherical defects in metal specimens produced with laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process and characterized by a thermal behaviour very far from the flat bottom hole and so near to the real one. In particular, the quantitative characterization of defects has been carried out to obtain the Probability of Detection (PoD) curves. In fact, it is very common in non-destructive controls to define the limits of defect detectability by referring to PoD curves based on the analysis of flat bottom holes with a more generous estimation and therefore not true to real defect conditions. For this purpose, a series of specimens, made by means of Laser-Powder Bed Fusion technology (L-PBF) in AISI 316L, were inspected using Pulsed Thermography (PT), adopting two flash lamps and a cooled infrared sensor. To improve the quality of the raw thermal data, different post-processing algorithms were adopted. The results provide indications about the advantages and limitations of Active Thermography (AT) for the non-destructive offline controls of the structural integrity of metallic components.

IntroductionSocial cognition and skill deficits have been largely documented in subjects with schizophrenia (SCZs), and have a strong influence on the functional outcome of these subjects. Different behavioural interventions have been developed to target and improve social skills in SCZs. For instance, the Social Skills Training (SST) focuses on improving communication skills and assertiveness to facilitate disease management, independent living and real-life functioning of SCZs. SST seems also to have an impact on negative symptoms and social cognition.ObjectivesThe study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of SST in improving social cognition and negative symptoms in SCZs.MethodsThe sample included 8 chronic SCZs (age between 18 and 60), who completed 6 months of SST. The intervention consisted of two weekly group sessions of 2 hours each. We assessed psychopathology, neurocognition, real-life functioning, functional capacity and social cognition at baseline and after training. Paired samples t-tests were performed to evaluate the differences of the variables considered after completing the treatment.ResultsSignificant improvements in negative symptoms (p<.05), social cognition (p<.05), functional capacity (p<.001), activities of daily living (p<.001) and interpersonal relationships (p<.011) were found.ConclusionsThe present findings suggest that SST might ameliorate social cognition and negative symptoms which are generally not influenced by antipsychotic treatment. The integration of pharmacological and SST interventions might have an impact on major determinants of poor real-life functioning in SCZs.

IntroductionCognitive deficits are considered a key feature of schizophrenia due to their substantial influence on the psychosocial outcome of subjects affected by this disorder. Several studies showed that moderate to severe cognitive impairments, including dysfunctions of social cognition, are already present during the early phases of the illness, in subjects with first-episode psychosis (FEPs). Psychosocial interventions, such as social skill training (SST), could therefore be implemented already upon occurrence of the first episode of psychosis to improve the overall functional outcome of schizophrenia, which represents to date an unmet need in the care of these patients.ObjectivesThe study aims to evaluate the use of SST to enhance social skills and real-life functioning in FEPs.MethodsThe sample included 7 FEPs (age between 15 and 40). The SST intervention included 30 sessions lasting 2 hours and delivered twice a week. Psychopathology, neurocognition, real life functioning, functional capacity and social cognition were assessed at baseline ad after training. Paired samples t-tests were performed to evaluate the effects of the intervention. All subjects were treated with second generation antipsychotics.ResultsSignificant improvements were observed in negative symptoms, social cognition, problem solving skills, as well as in global functioning (all p<0.05). Within real-life functioning, the improvement was greater for the domain of interpersonal relationships.ConclusionsThese preliminary findings suggest that SST might complement pharmacological treatment in FEPs to improve functional outcome in these subjects. Further studies with a higher sample size and a longer follow-up are required in order to confirm the present results.

Pulsed phase thermography (PPT) is a well-established algorithm used for processing thermographic data in frequency domain with the aim to extract information about the defect size and depth. However, few works demonstrated the capability of PPT technique in defects evaluation in real components. The aim of this work is the assessment of capability of PPT technique in determining delaminations in CFRP components used in aeronautics. The component chosen for implementing the technique has a non-uniform geometry and the defects inside it are not simulated, but they are real and generated during the production process. The specimen has been investigated through the application of both the ultrasonic technique and the thermographic one. Thermographic phase images elaborated with a suitable computational processing have been compared with Ultrasonic C-scan images and, the agreement between the location and depth of defects has been verified. Besides, the ultrasonic technique has been used to validate the PPT results.