The study explores how different dimensions of perfectionism influence psychological well-being (PWB) in emerging adults. Literature has deepened the relationships between maladaptive perfectionism (e.g., excessive self-criticism, perceived discrepancy from the standards) and low PWB. Less is known about whether and how adaptive perfectionism (e.g., pursuing personal standards) relates to PWB. Secondly, the study has investigated whether self-compassion (i.e., self-benevolence, seeing personal imperfections as a common condition) may mediate the relationships between adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism and PWB. Participants (N=217, 18-35 y. o.) completed self-report questionnaires measuring: adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism (Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, APS-R: high standards and order/discrepancy, respectively), PWB, and self-compassion (SCS). Adaptive perfectionism resulted associated with PWB, particularly higher presence of purpose in life, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, and personal growth. Conversely, discrepancy resulted the most robust predictor of low PWB (β=-.68), followed by high standards with a positive direction (β=.23; Rc²=.514, p<.001). A strong negative association emerged between discrepancy and SCS (r=-.67, p<.001). A mediation analysis shows that self-compassion has an indirect effect reducing the strength of the relationship between discrepancy and low PWB. Results suggest focusing on self-compassion as a buffer factor that reduces the negative impact of maladaptive perfectionism on psychological well-being. Implications for education and health psychology are discussed.

Honey is a sweet substance extensively consumed in the world for its nutritional and healthy properties. However, residues of pesticides and environmental contaminants can compromise its quality. For this reason, the physicochemical parameters, and the organic contamination of monofloral and multifloral honeys from three regions of Algeria (Tiaret, Laghouat and Tindouf) were monitored to evaluate the quality of honey and the safety for consumers. In general, the results obtained from the physicochemical analyses were in line with the EU standards. In terms of contamination, pesticides authorised and used in Algerian agriculture (matalaxyl-M and cyromazine), as well as banned pesticide (carbaryl), were found in almost all the samples. However, only the concentration of cyromazine was higher than the relative EU maximum residue levels. PCB 180, PCB 189, anthracene, fluorene and phenanthrene were mainly detected. All the honeys show traces of DiBP, DBP, DEHP and DEHT, but no traces of bisphenols were found. Moreover, the dietary exposure assessment shows that a small amount of Algerian honey can be safely consumed. Overall, data from this study should motivate the Algerian government to enhance their monitoring activities in beekeeping and to find solutions for implementing more sustainable agricultural practices harmonizing with the international legislation.

Daridorexant, as the first Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist (DORA) marketed in Europe, offers a novel therapeutic approach to insomnia. However, data regarding its real-world safety are scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess its safety profile using a large-scale pharma-covigilance database. Daridorexant-related Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System were scrutinized, and ADRs were selected using reporting odds ratio (ROR) as a measure of disproportionality. Frequencies of events related to daridorexant were compared to all other drugs (reference group, RG1) and only to other DORAs (RG2). Only significant disproportionalities to both RGs were evaluated in-depth. A total of 845 dari-dorexant-related reports were selected; nightmares (n = 146; Dari vs. RG1: ROR = 113.74; 95%CI[95.13, 136]; Dari vs. RG2: ROR = 2.35; 95CI%[1.93, 2.85]), depression (n = 22; Dari vs. RG1: 2.13; [1.39, 3.25]; Dari vs. RG2: ROR = 2.31; 95CI%[1.45, 3.67]), and hangover (n = 20; Dari vs. RG1: ROR = 127.92; 95CI%[81.98, 199.62]; Dari vs. RG2: 3.38; [2.04, 5.61]) were considered as safety signals. These data provide valuable insights into the real-world safety profile of dari-dorexant, supporting the existence of safety signals related to nightmares, depression, and hang-over.

The impact of systemic vascular resistance (SVR) in hypertrophic (HCM) and amyloid cardio-myopathies has been seldom investigated. We studied pressure-strain loop derived myocardial work (MW) indices and SVR in patients with either sarcomere HCM or wild type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR), presented with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF) at the outpatient cardiology units at Messina and Catania University Hospitals (Italy). Patients were in sinus rhythm and needed to have good transthoracic ultrasound imaging quality to undergo transthoracic strain-echocardiography. Other than conventional parameters, SVR and GWI (global work index) were measured. Based on cross-tabulation (a way to assess the ventricular-arterial coupling), the patients were then classified in 4 classes according to the cut-off values suggested by previous studies of 1,440 dyne/s/cm-5 for SVR (Stefadouros et al., 1973) and 1576 mm Hg% for GWI (Olsen et al., 2022). Sixty patients, 30 in each group, aged 61±16 years, 78% males, were studied. HCM were younger than ATTR patients and in a better clinical status (23% HCM vs 77% ATTR were NYHA class 3, p<0.001). Overall, 51 patients (85%) showed high SVR, of whom 21 were HCM (70%) and 30 ATTR (100%) (p<0.005). Both, SVR and GWI were impaired (the poorest class C) in 43% HCM patients (with greater left ventricular concentric hypertrophy) vs 93% of ATTR patients (in advanced NYHA class) (p<0.001). In conclusion, assessing SVR and GWI in HFpEF patients with HCM or ATTR can help clinicians to interpret the pathophysiological and clinical features of such complex diseases.

The Cohen-Macaulay vertex splittable ideals are characterized. As a consequence, we recover several Cohen-Macaulay classifications of families of monomial ideals known in the literature by new simpler combinatorial proofs.

Keywords: Marine Coasts; Protected Areas; Defense and Conservation; Asbestos Cement Materials; Wastes; Contamination; Human Health Risk; Medical Geology.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) now represents the mainstay in the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. Owing to its exceptional procedural efficacy and safety, TAVI has been extended to include patients at lower surgical risk, thus now encompassing a diverse patient population receiving this treatment. Yet, long-term outcomes also depend on optimal medical therapy for secondary vascular prevention, with antithrombotic therapy serving as a cornerstone. Leveraging data from multiple randomized controlled trials, current guidelines generally recommend single antithrombotic therapy, with either single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) or oral anticoagulation (OAC) alone in those patients without, or with atrial fibrillation respectively. Yet, individualization of this pattern, as well as specific case uses, may be needed based on individual-patient characteristics and concurrent procedures. This review aims to discuss the evidence supporting antithrombotic treatments in patients treated with TAVI, indications for a standardized treatment, as well as specific considerations for an individualized approach to treatment.

The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic analysis was applied to investigate the differences within nineteen Sicilian Nocellara del Belice mono varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO), grown in two zones different for altitude and soil composition. Several classes of endogenous olive oil metabolites were quantified through a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) three-experiment protocol coupled with a yet developed data-processing called MARA-NMR. This method, taking around one-hour experimental time per sample, faces the possible quantification of different class of compounds at different concentration’s range which would require at least three alternative traditional methods. NMR results were compared with the data of traditional analytical methods to quantify free fatty acidity (FFA), fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and total phenol content. The presented NMR methodology is compared with traditional analytical practices and its consistency is also tested through slightly different data treatment. Despite the rich literature about the NMR of EVOOs, the paper points out that there are still several advances potentially improving this general analysis and overcoming the other cumbersome and multi-devices analytical strategies. Monovarietal EVOO’s composition is mainly affected by pedoclimatic conditions in turn relaying upon the nutritional properties, quality, and authenticity. Data collection, analysis and statistical processing are discussed touching the important issues related to the climate changes in Sicily and to the specific influence of pedoclimatic conditions.

The growing interest in Kv7.2/7.3 agonists originates from the involvement of these channels in several brain hyperexcitability disorders. In particular, Kv7.2/7.3 mutants have been clearly associated with epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) as well as with a spectrum of focal epilepsy disorders, often associated with developmental plateauing or regression. Nevertheless, there is a lack of available therapeutic options, considering that retigabine, the only molecule used in clinic as broad-spectrum Kv7 agonist, has been withdrawn from the market in the late 2016. This is why several efforts have been made both by both academia and industry in the search for suitable chemotypes acting as Kv7.2/7.3 agonists. In this context, in silico methods have played a major role, since the precise structures of different Kv7 homotetramers have been only recently disclosed. In the present review the computational methods used for the design of Kv.7.2/7.3 small molecule agonists and the underlying medicinal chemistry are discussed in the context of their biological and structure-function properties.

Background: Glioma surgery was remarkably renewed in the past 2 decades, with improved safety and limited but yet improved life expectations. Fluorescence-guided resection of high-grade gliomas (HGG) plays a central role in this sense, by allowing higher degrees of extent of resection (EOR). The introduction of the exoscopic guided surgery may be considered an implementation for fluorescence techniques over the traditional microscopes. We present the application and the advantages of the exoscopic guided surgery compared to the microscopic surgery in tumor resection guided by 5-ALA fluorescence in patients with HGG. Methods: ten consecutive patients underwent a surgery for HGG resection. The surgery was performed via an exoscopic-guided procedure (Olympus Orbeye) and after oral administration of Gliolan 5 hours before the procedure. During surgery, the procedure was shifted to microscope (Kinevo 900, Zeiss) view. The intensity of the fluorescence under the two different was subjectively measured in different picture samples during the surgery in a 1 to 5 (from minimum to maximum) scale. The brightness of the surgical field and the detailing of the anatomy were also analyzed comparatively. Results: among the ten patients the histopathological diagnosis was an high grade glioma in all cases. In 9 cases was possible to achieve the gross total resection. There was no perioperative mortality. The median fluorescence intensity, on a scale of 1–5, was 4.5 in the exoscope group and 3.5 in the microscope group (p<0.01). Conclusions: The exoscopic guided surgery adds advantages to the traditional fluorescence- guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid. Beyond the important advantage of low cost and the possibility to perform collaborative surgeries, it adds a plain and continuous visualization of the tumor and the surgical field in the fluorescence guided glioma surgery compared to the microscopic guided one.

Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathological processes that trigger various chronic liver diseases and contributes to the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. Antioxidants from natural sources trap free radicals by converting them into non-harmful products and minimize oxidative stress, playing a crucial function in the treatment of free radical-induced diseases. However, the activity of these antioxidants is limited due their poor bioavailability, which is why various nano-drug delivery systems have been developed to improve their stability, promote smooth release, and targeted delivery for liver cancer treatment. Specifically, this review aims to report recent scientific findings of novel nano-formulations containing natural antioxidant molecules targeted for the treatment of liver cancer.

Glycosylation is a complex post-translational modification that conveys functional diversity to glycoconjugates. Cell surface glycosylation mediates several biological activities such as induction of intracellular signaling pathway and pathogen recognition. Red blood cell (RBC) membrane N-glycans determine blood type and influence cell lifespan. Although several proteomic studies were carried out, glycosylation of RBC membrane proteins has not been systematically investigated. This work aims at exploring the human RBC N-glycome by high-sensitivity MALDI-MS techniques to outline a fingerprint of RBC N-glycans. To this purpose, MALDI-TOF spectra of healthy subjects harboring different blood groups were acquired. Results showed the predominant occurrence of neutral and sialylated complex N-glycans with bisected N-acetylglucosamine, core- and/or an-tennary fucosylation. In the higher mass region these species presented with multiple N-acetyllactosamine repeating units. Amongst the detected glycoforms, the presence of glycans bearing ABO(H) antigens allowed us to define a distinctive spectrum for each blood group. For the first time, advanced glycomic techniques have been applied to a comprehensive exploration of human RBC N-glycosylation, providing a new tool for the early detection of distinct glycome changes associated with disease conditions as well as to understand pathogens molecular recognition.

The issue of antibiotic resistance represents a significant threat that extends beyond human health, encompassing animal welfare and the sustainability of the natural environment. The inappropriate use of antibiotics, poor sanitation and inadequate control measures, have contributed to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread at the human-animal-environment interface. The documented presence of antimicrobials in agriculture, veterinary medicine and human medicine has convinced all stakeholders of the need to contribute to the development of a "One Health" approach, which recognises the interrelationships between animals, humans and their environment and the need to adopt a common strategy encompassing these sectors to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Although a number of countries have implemented integrated surveillance systems to monitor antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance, available data suggest that the use of antibiotics in humans, animals and the environment is increasing worldwide. Consequently, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is becoming a recurring concern. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the measures that are necessary to be taken and implemented in order to guarantee global health security.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive skin cancer characterized by two etiologies: the first one, observed in most cases, is attributed to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a DNA tumor virus, while the second one is due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. Currently, there are limited diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers available for MCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but regulate various cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been associated with a wide range of cancers since they can act as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. This paper aims to collect, summarize and re-organize the recent discoveries concerning miRNAs, whose dysregulation in the pathogenesis and progression of MCC is slowly emerging. Furthermore, the potential clinical applications of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, possible differentiation between MCPyV-related and unrelated MCC, predictors of response to therapy and prognostics are also discussed. From this review, it emerges that miRNAs may have, in the near future, the potential to become clinically significant in improving the diagnostic accuracy, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic options of MCCs. Finally, the new perspectives on the poorly explored field of artificial intelligence in MCC are provided.

This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable protein sources in aquaculture due to the depletion of marine resources and rising costs. Animal protein sources, particularly poultry by-product meal (PBM) and insect exuviae meal, are investigated as viable alternatives to fishmeal (FM). Research confirms the successful replacement of FM with a combination of PBM and insect exuviae meal (up to 50%) in the diet of European seabass without compromising growth, feed conversion, gut health and liver fat content. In particular, growth performance was robust with both PBM formulations, with the 25% PBM diet showing better results. Histological examinations showed good gut and liver health, contradicting the concerns of previous studies. The study emphasizes the importance of holistic analyzes that go beyond growth parameters and include histomorphological investigations. The results show that PBM in combination with insect/exuviae meal is well tolerated by seabass, which is consistent with literature reports of mitigating negative effects on gut health. A detailed analysis of the microbiota revealed a decrease in the Firmicutes/Proteobacteria ratio due to an increase in potentially pathogenic bacteria. However, the formulation containing insect exuviae partially counteracted this effect by preserving the beneficial Lactobacillus and promoting the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), particularly butyrate. Chitin-rich components from insect exuviae were associated with improved gut health, which was supported by increased production of SCFA, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. The study concludes that a combination of PBM and insect/exuviae meal can replace up to 50% of FM in the diet of seabass, supporting sustainable aquaculture practices. Despite some changes in the microbiota, the negative effects are mitigated by the addition of insect exuviae, highlighting their potential as a prebiotic to increase fish productivity and contribute to a circular economy in aquaculture.

Dissimilar welds between ferritic and austenitic steels represent a good solution for exploiting the best performance of stainless steels at high and low temperatures and in aggressive environments, while minimizing costs. Therefore, they are widely used in nuclear and petrochemical plants, however, due to the different properties of the steels involved, the welding process can be challenging. Fusion welding can be specifically addressed to connect low-carbon, or low-alloy steels, with high-alloy steels, which have similar melting point. Welding of thick plates can be performed with electric arc in multiple passes or in a single pass by means of a laser beam equipment. Since microstructure and consequently mechanical properties of the weld are closely related to composition, the choice of the filler metal and processing parameters, which in turn affects the dilution rate, plays a fundamental role. Numerous technical solutions were proposed for welding dissimilar steels and much research was developed on the weldment metallurgy; therefore, this article is aimed at a review of the most recent scientific literature on the issues relating to the fusion welding of ferritic / austenitic steels. Two specific sections are dedicated respectively to electric arc and laser beam welding; finally, metallurgical issues, related to dilution and thermal field are debated in the discussion section.

The study was conducted on a cohort of 16 subjects, who were monitored with infrared images captured from their hands, following a specific protocol established by a preliminary analysis. Experimental results revealed that thermography can detect focal points and regions exhibiting either hyper- or hypo-thermia across the skin surface and muscular regions. This capability allows for extracting and categorizing precise medical data, difficult to determine during the early stages of the disease, thus facilitating ongoing monitoring efforts and early diagnosis in Parkinson research.

Background: Amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) have been identified as the main pathogenic agents in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Soluble Aβ oligomers, rather than monomer or insoluble amyloid fibrils, show membrane-binding capacity to red blood cells (RBCs) and trigger several morphological and functional alterations in RBCs that can result in impaired oxygen transport and delivery. Since bioactive lipids have been recently proposed as potent protective agents against Aβ toxicity, we investigated the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in signaling pathways involved in the mechanism underlying ATP release in Aβ-treated RBCs. Methods: In RBCs following different treatments, ATP, 2,3 DPG, cAMP levels, and caspase 3 activity were determined by spectrophotometric and immunoassay. Results: S1P rescued the inhibition of ATP release from RBCs triggered by Aβ through a mechanism involving caspase-3 and restoring 2,3 DPG and cAMP levels within the cell. Conclusions: These findings reveal the molecular basis of S1P protection against Aβ in RBCs and suggest new therapeutic avenues in AD.

An Oscillating Water Column device, specifically a Savonius turbine, underwent comprehensive testing within an air duct to evaluate its performance under varying rotational speeds, flow directions, and the presence of power augmenters positioned both in front of and behind the device. The experimental setup involved the utilization of load cells and pressure transducers, with their data utilized to calculate pressure differentials across the turbine and torque. Subsequently, a predictive model based on decision trees was developed using Machine Learning. This model was then used to analyze the influence of various features on predicting the pressure difference, considered as the output. The results of the validation (10-fold cross-validation) and test phases were thoroughly investigated. Moreover, obtaining a predictive model allows for the exploration of different scenarios without relying solely on physical experimentation, thereby broadening the scope for further testing.

Protein 53 (P53) shows different functions either to support or to contrast malignant growth. P53 history tells that discoveries of molecular features have contributed to the emergence of P53 functions. Conversely, the shift of paradigms demonstrates that P53 functions coexist even if are in conflict with one another. Since 1979, five paradigms have been assembled then deconstructed by taking into account P53 functions of viral protein, oncogene, tumor suppressor gene, transcription factor, apoptotic factor. By summarizing the past five disassembled P53 paradigms, in this investigation the current paradigm involving P53 in the modulation of a composite bio-morphological entity namely, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is analyzed. The aims of this investigation were to provide an overview of solid and validated knowledge occurring in all P53 paradigms and to determine P53 abilities to modify TIME through manipulation of viruses. As a result, definitive P53 evidence concerns its genetic localization, amino acids composition, its isoforms and subcellular expression in organelles. P53 “mutome” assembles all mutations affecting this complex protein. Lastly, both categories of tumor promoting and non-oncogenic viruses related to P53 were scrutinized. In conclusion, paradigms teach that P53 is undruggable because its drugs inevitably target all P53 functions.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of medicinal plants and phytochemicals as potential treatments for acne vulgaris. This condition, characterized by chronic inflammation, predominantly affects adolescents and young adults. Conventional treatment typically targets the key factors contributing to its development: the proliferation of Cutibacterium acnes and the associated inflammation. However, these treatments often involve the use of potent drugs. As a result, the exploration of herbal medicine as a complementary approach has emerged as a promising strategy. By harnessing the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants and phytochemicals, it may be possible to address acne vulgaris while minimizing the reliance on strong drugs. This approach not only offers potential benefits for individuals seeking alternative treatments but also underscores the importance of natural remedies in dermatological care. The primary aim of this study was to assess the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of plants and their phytochemical constituents in the management of mild acne vulgaris. A comprehensive search of scientific databases was conducted from 2018 to September 2023. The findings of this review suggest that medicinal plants and their phytochemical components hold promise as treatments for mild acne vulgaris. However, it is crucial to note that further research employing high-quality evidence and standardized methodologies is essential to substantiate their efficacy and safety profiles.

Micro-Raman spectroscopy was carried out to evaluate the localized residual stresses in commercial Gallium Nitride-based devices, specifically AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) in a novel packaging design provided by STMicroelectronics S.r.l. The packaging plays a key role in protecting the device core against the external environment, thus minimizing damages caused by mechanical shocks, exposure to light, and contact with chemicals, conjointly achieving an efficient heat dissipation rate. Even though the packaging is a required step for the proper functioning of ready-to-use electronic devices, its application typically may introduce mechanical stress to AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, which can result in various reliability issues. In this paper, we investigate the impact of packaging on residual stress by analyzing the frequency shift of the E2 Raman peak along GaN layers and at the GaN/Si interface. An extensive evaluation was conducted using both a packaged device and a wafer-level device. The correlation between Raman frequency shifts of the E2 mode was accurately quantified, revealing a stress mitigation of approximately 0.1 GPa. This reduction is ascribed to the compressive stress introduced by the packaging, which partially offsets the intrinsic tensile stress of the wafer-level device. The proposed methodology could, in principle, be implemented to improve the development of a packaging.

Wolfram syndrome 1 (WS1) is an uncommon autosomal recessive neurological disorder that is characterized by diabetes insipidus, early-onset non-autoimmune diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness (DIDMOAD). Other clinical manifestations are neuropsychiatric symptoms, urinary tract alterations, and endocrinological disorders. The rapid clinical course of WS1 results in death by the age of 30. Severe brain atrophy leads to central respiratory failure, which is the main cause of death in WS1 patients. Mutations in the WFS1 gene, located on chromosome 4p16, account for approximately 90% of WS1 cases. The gene produces wolframin, a transmembrane glycoprotein widely distributed and highly expressed in retinal, neural, and muscular tissues. Wolframin plays a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis, insulin signaling, and ER calcium homeostasis, as well as the ER stress response. WS1 has been designated as a neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorder due to the numerous abnormalities in the ER stress-mediated system. WS1 is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects patients and their families. Early diagnosis and recognition of the initial clinical signs may slow the disease's progression and improve symptomatology. Moreover, it is critical to provide genetic counseling to the patient's relatives in order to reduce the risk of transmitting WS1. Regrettably, there are currently no specific drugs for the therapy of this fatal disease. A better understanding of the etiology of WS1 will make possible the development of new therapeutic approaches that may enhance the life expectancy of patients. This review will examine the pathogenetic mechanisms, development, and progression of neuropsychiatric diseases commonly associated with WS1. A thorough understanding of WS1's neurophysiopathology is critical for achieving the goal of improving patients' quality of life and life expectancy.

The benthic matrix acts as a key natural archive where the memory of long-term timescale environmental changes is recorded. Some ecological and chemical features of fjord sediments were explored during the AREX cruise carried out in the Svalbard archipelago in summer 2021. The activity rates of the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) and community-level physiological profiles (CLPP) were studied with the aim of determining the functional diversity of the benthic microbial community, while bacterial isolates were screened for their susceptibility to antibiotic molecules in order to explore the role of these extreme environments as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Enzyme activity rates were obtained by fluorogenic substrates, CLPP by Biolog Ecoplates; antibiotic susceptibility assays were performed through the standard disk diffusion method. Spatial trends observed in the functional profiles of the microbial community suggested the variability in the microbial community composition, presumably related to the patchy distribution of organic substrates. Complex Carbon sources, carbohydrates and amino acids were the organic polymers preferentially metabolized by the microbial community. Multiple resistance to ampicillin, clindamycin and gentamycin was detected in all the sampled sediments, excepting in the southern Hornsund area, stressing the role of sediments as a potential reservoir of chemical wastes ascribable to antibiotic residuals. This study provides new insights on the health status of fjord sediments of West Spitsbergen applying a dual ecological and biochemical approach. Microbial communities in the fjord sediments showed globally a good functional diversity, suggesting their versatility to rapidly react to changing conditions.

Calcium sulphate (CS) is currently used as a bioabsorbable, completely synthetic and sterile material in the management of infected tissues and dead spaces (DS) mainly resulting from surgical procedures. Residual DS in the postoperative, may create an environment where hematomas fill up and bacteria can proliferate, leading to a high incidence of postoperative infections. Considering the available reviews in the literature, CS has been mainly studied in orthopedic surgery mostly giving brilliant results and low complication rates. Nowadays, orthopedists avail it in the form of pearls both as a bone void filler and as an “off-label” delivery agent for antibiotics in arthroplasty, chronic osteomyelitis and open fractures, paving the way of its application in many other contexts given its natural dis-position to biodegradation. In the last years, CS beads have been gaining ground in the general, vascular and endocrinological surgical specialties. Despite its clear potential and the increasing number of scientific evidences on the safety and effectiveness of CS application in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections, there are not many studies reporting on its application in fields other than orthopedics, with a substantial paucity in plastic and reconstructive surgery literature. This is some-how surprising, since reconstructive surgery often deals with complex wounds secondary to bone and soft tissue exposure, suture dehiscence, trauma, and surgical site infections. As far as we know this is the first updated systematic review assessing the state of the art, indications and new perspectives on the application of CS beads in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Investigation of sea-level positions during the highly-dynamic Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3: 29-61 kyrs BP) proves difficult because: i) in stable and subsiding areas, coeval coastal sediments are currently submerged at depths of few to several tens of meters below present sea level; ii) in uplifting areas, the preservation of geomorphic features and sedimentary records is limited due to the erosion occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with sea level at depth of -130 m, followed by marine transgression that determined the development of ravinement surfaces. This study discusses previous research in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, and describes new fossiliferous marine deposits laying on metamorphic bedrock of Cannitello (Calabria, Italy). Radiocarbon ages of marine shells (about 43 kyrs cal BP) indicate that these deposits, presently between 28 and 30 meters above sea level, formed during MIS 3.1. Elevation correction of the Cannitello outcrops (considered in an intermediate-to-far-field position with respect to the ice sheet) with the local vertical tectonic rate and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) rate allows to propose a revision of the eustatic depth for this highstand. Our results are consistent with recently proposed estimates based on a novel ice sheet modelling technique.

The recent availability of commercial platforms for behavioral analysis in zebrafish larvae based on video-tracking technologies has exponentially increased the number of studies analyzing different behaviors in this model organism to assess neurotoxicity. Among the most commonly used assays in zebrafish larvae are basal locomotor activity (BLA) and visual motor response (VMR). However, the effect of different intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can significantly alter the outcome of these assays is still not well understood. In this work we have analyzed in 143 larvae the influence of age (5-8 days post-fertilization), time of day (8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00; 16:00, 18:00, and 20:00 h), and experiment (three experiments performed at different days) on BLA and VMR results (4,004 analyses for each behavior). Results from both behaviors were adjusted to a Random-Effects linear regression model using generalized least squares (GLS), including in the model the effect of the three variables, the second-way interactions between them and the three-way interaction. The results presented in this manuscript show a specific effect of all three intrinsic factors and their interactions on both behaviors, supporting the view that the most stable time period for performing these behavioral assays is from 10:00 am to 04:00 pm, with some differences depending on age of the larva and the behavioral test.

Abstract: The VSI represents a significant advancement in the assessment of gastrointestinal-specific anxiety among patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). However, an Italian version of the instrument is not yet available for the reference population. This study utilized a national sample of 500 individuals, including healthy controls and patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, to test the validity and reliability of the Italian VSI. Using back-translation methodology to ensure translation fidelity, the research applied a questionnaire and the VSI through an online format to 500 participants. Data analysis revealed that the Italian VSI had excellent psychometric properties, demonstrating high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.95) and construct validity. The scale proved sensitive in detecting significant differences in visceral sensitivity among groups, highlighting its utility as a clinical and research assessment tool. Specifically, the Italian VSI exhibited a unidimensional factorial structure and maintained a strong correlation with other measures of anxiety and the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms, confirming its role in enhancing the understanding and management of IBS and IBD in Italy.

This work focuses on the design improvement of a tri-axial piezoresistive accelerometer specifically designed for head injuries monitoring where medium-G impacts are common, for example in sports such as racing cars or American Football. The device requires the highest sensitivity achievable with a single proof mass approach, and a very low error (<1%) as the accuracy for these types of applications is paramount. The optimization method differs from previous work as it is based on the progressive increment of the sensor mass moment of inertia (MMI) in all three axes. The work numerically demonstrates that an increment of MMI determines an increment of device sensitivity with a simultaneous reduction of cross-talk in the particular axis under study. The final device shows a sensitivity increase of about 80% in the Z-axis and a reduction of cross-talk of 18% respect to state-of-art sensors available in the literature. Sensor design, modelling and optimization are presented, concluding the work with results, discussion and conclusion.

Background: Recent years have seen chaos in the neonatology use of antibiotics with diverse opinions and recommendations in international guidelines and societies. This has created great uncertainty in which cases to use, for how long, and which tests apply to make these decisions. We conducted a retrospective cohort study about the use of antibiotics in the EpicLatino neonatal units and a Latin American network database, after noting these variations in the 2019 report. Methods: For the year 2019 using the EpicLatino database, we included cases (only first admission) ≤32 weeks gestational age at birth, excluding one unit that did not accept to participate. The number of cases and days receiving antibiotics were recorded as well as the progression for each unit. Inappropriate use of antibiotics was defined as greater than 3 days in patients with negative cultures (blood/CSF cultures) excluding: major malformations, urinary tract infections, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and cases with suspected chorioamnionitis in the mother (the latter two only during the course of diagnosis of NEC or chorioamnionitis). This study was approved by the EpicLatino board of directors and by the participating units. Results: A total of 6,543 days of antibiotics were observed, 49.5% of cases had at least one positive blood/CSF culture. A total of595 days of antibiotics without justification were found in 72 courses in 61 cases; 14/72(19.4%) had no diagnosis of infection in the database, 7/72(9.7%) did not document any culture throughout their stay, and 37/72(51,4%) obtained only one blood/CSF culture during their entire stay. Most diagnosis were clinical sepsis and in 24/58(41%) curses, a diagnosis of pneumonia with a poor positive culture correlation was found. Furthermore, 74% of the units didn´t use pneumonia as a justification to use antibiotics. Other diagnosis found: Conjunctivitis, NEC 1A and rotavirus NEC. Conclusions: Although the method of reviewing the use of antibiotics in a database has a number of limitations, especially the cause that motivated the use of antibiotics and other tools used for diagnosis of infections, the notable differences between units is striking. Although it is difficult to make recommendations to all units, it is important to control infections in some units and in others to reduce the excessive use of antibiotics, especially with diagnosis of pneumonia in neonates and negative blood/CSF cultures.

Introduction The climate crisis is essentially a public health crisis. Response is imperative to prevent economic and social crises associated with the growing burden of climate impacts on human health and the health care sector. Green Podiatry Pillars By adopting the three pillars of Exercise, Evidence, and Everyday changes, podiatrists can contribute to more sustainable health and health care. Discussion Educating our patients to use their feet for low carbon active transport, eliminating interventions not supported by evidence, and reducing fossil fuel driven supply chains and energy use, are three impactful measures that all podiatrists, and indeed, all health and medical personnel, need to adopt. The avoidable suffering, enormous and costly use of resources for diabetic foot disease, is a scourge that must realise its preventable potential. It is too late, too costly, too polluting, and too sad, to continue to direct health care and research efforts and budgets, to an expensive modifiable diabetes disease process, potentiated by poor food and physical inactivity. Affected patients require skilled support, to avert such chronic disease processes, often not of their making. Conclusions Healthcare contributes 5 to 8% of green house gases (GHG), and non-communicable diseases (NCD) are increasing, so healthcare must lead on primary health. As citizens and health professionals, we must advocate for better community health, and educate our patients. Future Directions All health and medical personnel need to consider planetary health and sustainable healthcare within their daily work. Healthcare must act to address climate change, and realise benefits for people and planet.

Time estimation was investigated in 24 healthy adults, 12 women and 12 men, before and after an exhaustive exercise. We compared the capability of estimating time intervals in the range from 1 to 5 s using tasks requiring mental count and tasks that did not allow the mental count. Time estimation and blood lactate levels were evaluated before and at the end of the exercise. We found that the perception of time intervals between 1 and 5 s was affected at the end of the exercise. The observed effects, associated with a significant increase in blood lactate levels, were different in the two types of time estimation used in the present study. In experimental conditions in which participants had to evaluate duration of the time interval by mental counting, at the end of exercise a significant reduction in the overestimation of time made at rest was observed. On the other hand, when participants had to assess the difference in duration between two events without the possibility to mentally count, at the end of the exercise a significant deterioration in performance was observed. In both cases, no gender differences were seen.

Introduction. Anesthesia is widely used in various fields of dentistry to reduce patient discomfort when the treatment would be painful. The dentist may need to infiltrate the anesthetic into multiple locations and this is usually done with the same needle which passes through the soft tissues several times to distribute the anesthetic solution over a larger area. The present study aims to evaluate, through a morphological analysis under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), how the beveled tip of a 30G needle, used to inject anesthetic several times into different areas of the vestibular mucosa, changes. Materials and methods. 30G needles with two different brands were tested, in vivo used for a variable number of sequential injections from 1 to 6 on 192 patients. The specimens were analyzed under SEM observation to evaluate any deformations induced by contact with the vestibular soft tissues. Results. The amount of deformation, measured along the axis parallel to the needle, was proportional to the number of injections. The protrusion of deformations, measured on an axis perpendicular to the needle, were maximum on the needles used 3 times. For the needles used 4,5 and 6 injections, no further increase in deformations was noted. Conclusion. From the data it seems that the tested needles are not produced to withstand multiple injections consequently after the first injection on soft tissues, they undergo a deformation which could increase the risk of injury to the mucosa itself or to nerves and vessels with which they come into contact. It would be advisable to use the single needle for a reduced number of injections.

Background: This article evaluates the perception of drug use control and strategies in Valencia City (Spain) in a general and clinical population, in two independent studies. Material and Methods: 1071 people participated. In the Study 1 (n= 924) the entire sample came from general population (GP), and in the Study 2 (n=147), 68 were drug users being treated in an Addictive Behaviors Unit (ABU), and 79 people of the GP. The drug use control perception and strategies in both subgroups were compared. The participants filled in the Drug Use Strategies Scale and a Drug Use Survey. Results: A high level of perception of drug control in GP was obtained (72,7% in the Study 1 and 67,5% in the Study 2), and 32.5% in ABU subgroup. People in the PG and drug users in treatment differ in some control strategies. A predictive profile of the perception of control was obtained for the Study 2. Conclusion: The high degree of perception of controlling drug use in the GP, and partially in drug users being treated, and the specific control strategies reported suggests that moderate use and drug control strategies are a great value alternative to bear in mind compared to abstinence.

In the Mediterranean, the probability of tsunamis is lower than in other coastal areas such as the Pacific Ring, where tsunamis are more familiar and memory of past events and anticipatory signals and protective measures is preserved by local culture, along with media and scientific sources, therefore tsunami risk is more likely to be downplayed or neglected. Past research identified socio-demographic and spatial factors that may affect tsunami risk perception. This research is based on a sample of 5842 CATI interviews to investigate whether and how risk perception and risk knowledge were affected by a major event such as the 1908 Reggio Calabria Messina tsunami, by making a comparison between areas hit by that event and unaffected areas, also providing some explanatory hypotheses. Despite differences between Calabria and Sicily, data anyway show higher levels of tsunami risk perception in the area affected by the 1908 event, along with a major role of interpersonal sources, playing a relevant role in information gathering and understanding. Research also suggests the need to better integrate different sources of knowledge to improve people’s understanding as to effectively cope with tsunami risk.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, present a cost-effective solution for the swift collection of data from vast and remote areas that are otherwise difficult to access. The Mediterranean Basin, known for being a hot spot for plant biodiversity, hosts several habitats and taxa of significant naturalistic value. However, many of these areas are often inaccessible to botanists, making exploration and research challenging. The aim of this paper is to involve the utilization of drone surveys and open-source software for botanical research. Our primary goal is to show the effectiveness of these tools in the field and demonstrate their practical application in Natura 2000 sites. The protected area chosen for this research is Rocca di Novara, situated in northeastern Sicily. Thanks to our drone investigations, we were able to capture images of the mountain’s side that is inaccessible to humans. This allowed us to observe the habitat of some species in detail. One of the most fascinating discoveries was the reappearance of Saxifraga callosa subsp. australis, which had not been confirmed in this area for over 140 years. Using drones for botanical research can boost field research, making monitoring easier and more cost-effective over time, especially in Natura 2000 sites.

Background: The coexistence of HIV infection and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) presents a significant public health concern due to the increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) reactivation and progression to active disease. The multicenter observational cohort study, TUBHIVIT, conducted in Italy from 2017 to 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence of LTBI among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their outcomes following LTBI screening and therapy initiation. Methods: We performed a prospective study in 5 referral centers for HIV care in Italy. PLHIV who consented to participate underwent QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus and clinical, microbiological, and radiological assessments to exclude subclinical tuberculosis, as opportune. PLHIV diagnosed with LTBI that started chemoprophylaxis were followed until the ending of therapy. Results: A total of 1105 PLHIV were screened for LTBI using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test, revealing a prevalence of 3.4% of positive results (38/1105). Non-Italy-born individuals exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of testing positive. Thirty-one were diagnosed with LTBI, 1 showed active subclinical TB, 6 were lost to follow-up before discriminating between latent and active TB. Among PLHIV diagnosed with LTBI, 83.9% (26/31) started chemoprophylaxis. Most individuals received 6-9 months of isoniazid-based therapy. Of the 26 PLHIV commencing chemoprophylaxis, 18 (69.2%) completed the therapy, while 3 discontinued it and 5 were still on treatment at the time of the analysis. Adverse events were observed in two cases, while in one case the patient refused to continue the treatment.

In the conservation of monumental heritage, the collection and utilization of information are of primary importance. The Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) procedure harnesses the potential of three-dimensional models, offering significant advantages in accessing documentation, interoperability, multidimensionality of intervention design, cost evaluation and maintenance management. Attention here is focused on the Certosa di Pisa, a large historical complex built in the 14th century as a monastery of the Carthusian order, currently in a state of deterioration and in need of restoration and re-functionalization. The multifaceted nature of this monumental complex, with its intricate interplay of architectural elements spanning different historical periods and featuring diverse techniques, poses a significant challenge for structural safety assessment. This case study presents an opportunity to explore an HBIM approach to streamline the diagnostic process and facilitate the intervention design phase. The goal is achieved by utilizing an accurate 3D model enriched with data from multiple sources and automating certain operations for structural assessment. The usefulness of the HBIM methodology is highlighted as a valuable tool in the realm of Cultural Heritage structures for both technicians and scholars alike.

Background: Depression presents with altered energy regulation and neural plasticity. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) studies showed that practice increases power in beta range (13-30 Hz) in healthy subjects but not in those with impaired plasticity. Here, we ascertain whether depression presents with alterations of spectral activity and connectivity before and after practice. Methods: We used publicly available resting state EEG (64 electrodes) of 122 subjects. Based on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score, they were assigned to either high BDI (hBDI, BDI&gt;13, N=46) or control (CTL, BDI&lt;7, N=75) group. We analyzed spectral activity, theta-beta and theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of EEG recorded before and after a learning task. Results: At baseline, compared to CTL, hBDI group exhibited greater beta power over fronto-parietal regions and gamma over right parieto-occipital area. After practice, increases in all frequency ranges were observed only in CTL. Theta-beta and theta-gamma PAC were greater in hBDI before the task but not after the task. Conclusions: The lack of substantial post-task growth of beta power in depressed subjects likely represents power saturation due to greater baseline values. We speculate that inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, altered plasticity mechanisms, and energy dysregulation present in depression may contribute to this phenomenon.

Long Covid is a debilitating condition that has been well-documented over the past 4 years and shares many similarities with other post-viral chronic illnesses. Despite this, clinicians are not confident in recognising the signs of Long Covid, or effectively managing the symptoms of their patients. This paper presents a single patient case report from a biomedical researcher who has had Long Covid for 2 years; it is written in relatively plain language to be accessible to both patients and clinicians across multiple specialities. The author has had the ability and expertise to keep up with the Long Covid research literature, and from that has cobbled together a management strategy that has alleviated her own symptoms, and those of other people with whom she has shared her protocol. The author’s experience of developing and managing her Long Covid is presented here, in the hopes that it may be of assistance to clinicians in identifying and managing Long Covid in their own patients.

Introduction: In general, everyone believes that the smallest preterm infants should achieve normal intrauterine growth rates, but many thinks that this is not possible with current nutrition guidelines. There is resistance to giving enough nutrition for fear of "toxicity". The difference in weight Z-score between birth and a corrected gestational age (CGA) at discharge is assess in postnatal growth in our unit. Material and methods: An observational study was done between January 2018 and December 2020 where all cases that had ≤ 29 weeks of GA at birth and survived to 36 weeks corrected GA or that were discharged home. An aggressive nutrition protocol including parenteral as well as enteral nutrition was followed. Patients and their weight trajectory was plotted on the Fenton 2013 growth curve. The patients who had had a smaller WZP difference were also plotted. Results: A total of 32 cases were found. The median change in Z-score between birth and discharge of the whole group was -0.52 (IQR 0.53). Six of 32 (19%) had a more than one WZP, all of whom had severe pathologies. The median decline in Z score for this group with poor growth was 1.24 (IQR 0.22). There were 26 cases with a < 1 WZP (81%) and a median Z score fall of 0.39 (IQR 0.55). No important complications secondary to the ingested volumes or parenteral nutrition were reported. Conclusion: The group of cases with a > 1 WZP drop had severe pathologies. All the other cases had adequate growth parallel to normal weight growth charts and a few cases had some catch-up growth. The study showed that it is possible for many preterm infants to achieve normal intrauterine growth rates if they are given enough nutrition, but bigger multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The period of study in the online environment can be a very demanding trial for students and masters, especially for those who are not familiar with computer technology. This is largely due to a complex of factors that come from the changes to which they are subjected, such as: leaving the parental home and settling into another living environment (living in dormitories or other forms of accommodation) but also settling with an unfamiliar and very different educational environment from what they were familiar with. Along with all the changes occurring in the family and social plan, the students had to adapt to the educational system made exclusively online. Higher educa-tion institutions in Romania use, as a method of knowledge transmission, traditional learning methods, namely they use face-to-face lecture-type courses in a lecture hall or practical and ex-planatory activities in a seminar/laboratory room. The emergence of this pandemic forced higher education institutions to switch to an online teaching mode for all types of activities included in the educational process.

Urban planning is recognized as an interaction between the state and society, which aims to articulate public policies in the territory, facilitating their administration in favor of greater development and well-being of society. However, this interaction becomes complex because consumption demands increase, and the needs of the community exceed the capacity of the urban ecosystem to supply them, hindering its sustainable functionality. With this panorama, it becomes relevant to study urban planning from a sustainable environmental planning perspective, based on four topics: urban planning, sustainability, resilience and smart cities. The methodology used is based on a bibliometric study through a PRISMA adjustment to 87 articles, supported by VOSviewer® to construct and visualize the co-occurrence networks of important terms extracted from a body of scientific literature. The main result is to consider cities with a complex systems approach that works like a gear, that is, there is a connective element between inter- and intra-urban processes. This relationship is the key factor that allows understanding their synchronization, stating that the deepening of each of these topics is crucial to the ideal of a territorial administration through time scales, by means of adaptive cycles, allowing to provide new tools to concepts such as carrying capacity and the measurement of the environmental footprint.

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, is a rare form of necrotizing granulomatous inflammation that predominantly affects medium and small size vessels. Generally respiratory tracts and kidneys are the most affected organs. Neurological manifestations of GPA usually involve the peripheral nervous system causing mononeuritis multiplex or and cranial nerve palsies. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare and characterized by cerebral vasculitis, meningeal inflammation, or mass lesions. The CNS involvement is often linked to Ear Nose Throat (ENT) system disease. In this report, we present two cases of patients diagnosed with GPA who exhibit CNS involvement as first symptom. In the first one with an ischemic stroke while in the second with an atypical headache. In the first patient, a positive medical history indicating involvement of the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) facilitated a precise diagnosis through the prompt execution of autoimmune screening. This, in turn, enabled a timely commencement of treatment, resulting in neurological improvement. In the second case, the significance of ENT involvement was initially overlooked in the context of pathological definition, leading to a substantial delay in diagnosis and an ultimately grim prognosis for the patient. The ENT involvement could be an easy marker to suspect GPA in patient with atypical CNS presentation and could help to make a prompt diagnosis.

We present a numerical calculation of the heat transport in a Bragg mirror configuration made of materials that do not obey Fourier's law of heat conduction. The Bragg mirror is made of materials that are described by the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation. By analyzing the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation's solutions, we define the thermal wave surface impedance to design highly reflective thermal Bragg mirrors. Even for mirrors with a few layers, very high reflectance is achieved ($>90\%$). The Bragg mirror configuration is also a system that makes evident the wave-like nature of the solution of the Cattaneo-Vernotte equation by showing frequency pass-bands that are absent if the materials obey the usual Fourier's law.

Background: In a Beveridgean decentralized healthcare system, like the Italian one, where regions are responsible for their own health planning and financing, the analysis of patients’ migration appears very interesting as it has economic and social implications. The study aims to analyze both patients’ migration for hospital rehabilitation and if the beds endowment is a driver for these flows; Methods: from 2011 to 2019, admissions data were collected from the Hospital Dis-charge Cards database of the Italian Ministry of Health, population data from Italian National Institute of Statistics and data of beds endowment from the Italian Ministry of Health website. To evaluate patients’ migration, we used Gandy’s Nomogram, while to assess if beds endowments are mobility drivers, we have created two matrices, one with attraction indexes (AI) and one with escape indexes (EI). The beds endowment, for each Italian region, were correlated with AI and EI. Spearman’s test was carried out through STATA software; Results: Gandy’s Nomogram showed that only some northern regions had good hospital planning for rehabilitation. A statistically significant correlation between beds endowment and AI was found for four regions, while with EI for eight regions. Conclusions: Only some northern regions appear able to satisfy the care needs of their residents, with an attraction minus escapes positive epidemiological balance. The beds endowment seems to be a driver of Patients’ migration, mainly for escapes. Certainly, the search for mobility drivers needs further investigation given the events in Molise and Basilicata.

Background: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have bothersome symptoms that may assess using the visual analog scale (VAS). Asthma frequently is associated with AR. The present study investigated the role of VAS in children with newly-diagnosed AR. Methods: Parameters were VAS for nasal and asthma symptoms, and doctor’s perception of these diseases, medication use, and asthma comorbidity. Results: 67% of AR children had asthma. Severity of perceived nasal symptoms was associated with more intense asthma symptoms and doctor’s perception of disease severity (p<0.001 and p=0.02, re-spectively. Conclusions: Allergic rhinitis frequently is associated with asthma in child-hood. Symptom perception assessment using VAS is a simple tool for assessing their intensity. Moreover, the severity of nasal symptoms is associated with asthma symptom severity. Therefore, asthma should be carefully considered in AR children and require appropriate symptom perception assessment.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe personality disorder whose neural bases are still unclear. Indeed, previous studies reported inconsistent findings concerning alterations in cortical and subcortical areas. In the present study we applied for the first time an unsupervised machine learning approach known as mCCA+jICA, in combination with a supervised machine learning approach known as Random Forest, to possibly find covarying GM-WM circuits that separate BPD from controls and that are also predictive of this diagnosis. To this aim, we analyzed the structural images of patients with BPD and matched HCs. Results showed that two GM-WM covarying circuits, including basal ganglia, amygdala, and portions of the temporal lobes and of the orbitofrontal cortex, correctly classified BPD against HC. Notably, these circuits are affected by specific child traumatic experiences (emotional and physical neglect, and physical abuse) and predict symptoms severity in the interpersonal and impulsivity domains. These results support that BPD is characterized by anomalies in GM and WM circuits related to early traumatic experiences and specific symptoms.

In implantology, among the key choices, to obtain predictable results, it’s essential to establish, using CBCT, the bone site where to insert the implants; these sites must be identified on the mucosa and secondarily, during the surgical phase, on the cortical bone. Surgical templates are a valid aid especially in complex cases which require sev-eral implants. In cases of single implant, on the other hand, surgical guides are rarely used and the implant is inserted freehand and the identification of the implant site on the oral mucosa is more difficult; for this reason the clinician uses the teeth in the arch as a ref-erence. This experimental study is based on the use of a thermo-printed mask, con-taining radiopaque references which, worn by edentulous patients during the execu-tion of the CBCT, helps to evaluate the identification of the implant sites on the patient when surgical guides are not used and the free hand technique is adopted. This method is certainly reserved for experienced operators capable of identifying the correct angle of the implants with the freehand technique. The level of experience remains fundamental in the clinician's decision whether or not to use surgical guides; in fact, doctors with little experience should use surgical guides even in the simplest cases to reduce the risk of error.

In implantology, among the key choices, to obtain predictable results, it is essential to establish, on the basis of radiographic examinations, the bone site where to insert the implants; these selected locations must be identified first on the mucosa and then on the cortical bone. Surgical guides represent a valid aid especially in complex cases with more than 3 or 4 implants, whereas in single implant cases they are rarely used. This study evaluates the clinical precision with which the implant sites, on the patient's mucosa, are identified in surgical procedures planned without any templates. The verification of this precision is carried out through thermo-printed templates with radiopaque references which could however help the clinician to identify these sites in a simple, rapid and economical way.

The study of the human psyche has elucidated a bipartite structure of logic reflecting the quantum--classical nature of the world. Accordingly, we posited an approach toward studying the brain by means of the quantum--classical dynamics of a mixed Weyl symbol. The mixed Weyl symbol can be used to describe brain processes at the microscopic level and, when averaged over an appropriate ensemble, can provide a link to the results of measurements made at the meso and macro scale. Within this approach, quantum variables (such as, for example, nuclear and electron spins, dipole momenta of particles or molecules, tunneling degrees of freedom, and so on) can be represented by spinors, whereas the electromagnetic fields and phonon modes can be treated either classically or semi-classically in phase space by also considering quantum zero-point fluctuations. Quantum zero-point effects can be incorporated into numerical simulations by controlling the temperature of each field mode via coupling to a dedicated Nos\'e-Hoover chain thermostat. The temperature of each thermostat was chosen in order to reproduce quantum statistics in the canonical ensemble. In this first paper, we introduce a general quantum--classical Hamiltonian model that can be tailored to study physical processes at the interface between the quantum and the classical world in the brain. While the approach is discussed in detail, numerical calculations are not reported in the present paper, but they are planned for future work. Our theory of brain dynamics subsumes some compatible aspects of three well-known quantum approaches to brain dynamics, namely the electromagnetic field theory approach, the orchestrated objective reduction theory, and the dissipative quantum model of the brain. All three models are reviewed.

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is an idiopathic condition that manifests itself primarily with the onset of burning sensation. The aim of the research was to perform Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBM) using a diode laser on the oral mucosa of BMS patients, followed by an objective evaluation of the morphological changes in the vascular bed underlying the mucosa using polarized light videocapillaroscopy. A group of 40 patients were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups (using simple randomization): 20 patients were assigned to the laser group and 20 patients were assigned to the placebo group. Each patient of the laser group received 8 irradiations (with 4 Watt of power, wavelength 800nm, energy 1200 Joules, irradiation time for 300 seconds of time, energy density 50J/cm2 , 60 mW continuous wave laser, irradiance 180mW/cm2 ), twice a week, blinded to the type of irradiation administered, for four consecutive weeks. The patients in the placebo group underwent the same sessions as the others, the only difference being the non-emission of the laser. An initial check of the vascular bed was performed with a polarized light videocapillaroscope. This was followed by treatment with a therapeutic diode laser and a subsequent check with a videocapillaroscope. It was possible to observe that in the group of patients that underwent laser therapy, there was a lasting improvement in symptoms. The capillary oral bed in the placebo groups did not show any statistically significant difference (P>0.05). In the laser group we observed: in the buccal mucosa the diameter of the capillary had a reduction of 3μm; in the upper lip mucosa a reduction of 3μm; in the lower lip mucosa, there was a reduction of 3μm; in the dorsal lingual surface, there was a reduction of 2 μm. An increase in capillary length was also obtained in all irradiated regions in the laser group patients (P < 0.05). PBM induces microcirculatory changes that are still present at a distance of time, such as an improvement in the clinical picture. The improvement in the symptoms has been correlated to the reduction of the capillary diameter. Placebo effect only leads to a temporary improvement in symptoms that are unrelated to changes in the microcirculatory pattern.

Objective. It is unknown whether the public accurately estimate socioeconomic health inequality and whether they wish to see it reduced or eliminated. Methods. Representative samples of the UK and US indicated the perceived and ideal lifespan of people working in “higher managerial/professional” and “routine” occupations. We present perceived and desired lifespan ratios for each sample and for key socio-demographic variables. Results. The UK public estimated the lifespan of professionals to be 5.9% longer than routine workers (true value of 5.8%), and 67.8% (UK) and 53.7% (US) participants correctly identified that professionals live longer than routine workers. In both populations, the median respondent expressed equal ideal lifespans for routine workers and professional workers. Conclusion. The UK public appear well-appraised on the average lifespan for professionals and routine workers. Across nationalities and most socio-demographic groups, the median respondent was aware of social class inequalities in lifespan and preferred that they be eliminated.

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis of universal distribution, highly endemic in the Americas. It is caused by a dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum. It affects both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals where progressive and disseminated forms are observed. A very important risk factor is HIV infection/AIDS, with a mortality rate of 20-40% in Latin America. The diagnosis of this mycosis is made by conventional and molecular methods or by antigen and antibody detection. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a commercial kit for the detection of Histoplasma antigen by an EIA (HC-Ag) technique in 50 patients with histoplasmosis associated with AIDS. In addition, its performance was compared with that of other diagnostic techniques routinely used in our laboratory. HC-Ag had a sensitivity (S) of 94%, specificity (E) 95.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) 94% and negative predictive value (NPV) 95.5%. The delay time of the results was 4 days, similar to that of antibody detection and n-PCR and much less than that of blood cultures. The combination of methods improved S and NPV: 100%; with similar values in E and PPV. The HC-Ag method demonstrated its usefulness in the diagnosis of progressive disseminated histoplasmosis and the combination of methods is a good option to increase sensitivity and decrease the time to reach the diagnosis of certainty. This allows improving the strategy in the management of the disease and decreasing its case-fatality rate.

Treating central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) is challenging due to high recurrence rates and variable therapy responses. This study examines the efficacy of various treatments in reducing CGCG recurrence. A literature review explored outcomes of surgical excision, curettage, intralesional corticosteroid injection, and adjuvant therapy, considering factors like lesion location, size, and histological features. Aggressive surgical techniques such as en bloc resection were found to potentially lower recurrence rates compared to conservative approaches. However, treatment should be tailored to individual patient needs. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and improve treatment strategies. A concise literature review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, focusing on papers published from 1986 to 2024. Search terms included "central giant cell granuloma," "recurrence," "treatment modalities," and "surgical excision". Studies reporting recurrence rates and treatment outcomes for CGCG were analyzed. Twenty-nine studies were reviewed, including six studies on surgical excision and curettage, eight studies on intralesional corticosteroid injections, six studies on calcitonin therapy, five studies on interferon alpha therapy and four studies on the therapy with denosumab. Analysis indicated that aggressive surgical treatments like en bloc resection were associated with lower recurrence rates compared to conservative methods. Predictors of recurrence included lesion size (&gt;3 cm), location (mandible), and aggressive histopathological features. Aggressive surgical excision combined with nonsurgical methods may lower recurrence rates, while conservative techniques remain viable in some cases. Further prospective research is needed to validate these findings and enhance CGCG treatment options.

Background There is increasing awareness of problems associated with global warming but a lack of a systematic approach on how to deliver more environmentally sustainable dental care. A sustainable world aims to ensure that basic needs and quality of life of everyone are met, now and for future generations. The carbon footprint is an indicator of environmental sustainability. Aim The aim is to suggest an environmental management change for the dental practice focusing on the objective of carbon footprint reduction. Environmental management change design The management change is based on the concept of “Plan-Do-Check-Act”, as recommended by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and described through the environmental aspects of the dental practice. The approach focuses on establishing and implementing environmental objectives, followed by monitoring results and taking actions to improve continually. The environmental aspects considered for the dental practice are activities causing an impact on the carbon footprint: energy use, travel, product purchasing, waste production, emission to air, water use, and contamination of land. Conclusions The “Plan-Do-Check-Act” ISO 14100-2015 model can be effectively integrated into the dental practice setting for its environmental management. A reduction of the carbon footprint of the dental practice is achieved by applying the environmental management change described for each activity.

Significant efforts in the past decades to teach evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation has emphasized increasing knowledge of EBP and developing interventions to support adoption to practice. These efforts have resulted in only limited sustained improvements in the daily use of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice in most health professions. Many new interven-tions with limited evidence of effectiveness are readily adopted each year - indicating openness to change is not the problem. The selection of an intervention is the outcome of an elaborate and complex cognitive process which is shaped by how they represent the problem in their mind and is mostly invisible processes to others. Therefore, the complex thinking process which support appropriate adoption of interventions should be taught more explicitly. Making the process visible to clinicians increases the acquisition of the skills required to judiciously select one in-tervention over others. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the selection process and the critical analysis that is required to appropriately decide to trial or not trial new intervention strategies with patients.

Semi-arid Namibia is marginal for agricultural production. Low soil fertility combined with low and variable rainfall restrict the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who often struggle to produce enough food. Although historically communities have adopted a number of coping mechanisms, climate change threatens to further reduce agricultural production. There are many additional options available to smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change, but they are not necessarily adopting these measures despite having noticed increasing temperatures and declining rainfall. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in three villages in Onesi constituency to examine what agricultural practices smallholder crop farmers use, perception of changes in their yields, their perspective on future yields and whether they are planning on changing their agricultural practices. The results suggest that to sustain the livelihoods of rural communities in north-central Namibia support is needed from local and regional authorities, as well as traditional and religious leaders to assist with enhancing access to information, enabling information sharing on adaptation options, and increasing awareness on climate change, it’s impacts and what can be done about it. In addition to this the implementation of adaptation action also requires demonstration sites and building capacity to enable the development of self-help groups.

This paper aims to review the challenges, toxicity, and routes of synthesis and usage of silver nanoparticles in different applications but also highlighting their sustainability from both medical and environmental issues. Regarding their toxicity, it is known that silver nanoparticles can destroy over 650 microorganisms comparing with antibiotics. Supplementary, will be presented in a comparative manner some conventional synthesis routes (physical and chemical methods) and green synthesis routes using plant extracts. The approach using plant extracts have various advantages comparing with physical, chemical and microbial synthesis methods because there is no need to use chemicals, wasteful purifications and high energy requirements. The paper presents an overview on “green nanotechnology” focused on using either biological micro-organisms or plant extracts as an alternative to the classical chemical and physical methods. An important issue discussed in the paper is an overview of the synthesis routes of silver nanoparticles, some expected applications of silver based active agents and their toxicity and challenges that must be overcome. Also, it needs to focus our attention on the dismissal of silver nanoparticles into the environment and especially in water systems, fact which suggests that this issue must be fully understood and applied the law.

A newly synthesized upper rim azocalix[4]arene, namely, 5,11,17,23-tetra[(4-ethylacetoxyphenyl) (azo)]calix[4]arene, CA-AZ was fully characterized and its chromogenic and selective properties for anions are reported. The receptor is selective for the fluoride anion and its mode of interaction in solution is discussed. The kinetics of the complexation process was found to be very fast as reflected in the immediate color change observed with a naked eye resulting from the receptor-anion interaction. Emphasis is made about the relevance in selecting a solvent in which the formulation of the process is representative of the events taking place in the solution. The composition of the fluoride complex investigated by UV/VIS spectrophotometry, conductance measurements and titration calorimetry was 1:1 and the thermodynamics of complexation was determined. The fluoride complex salt was isolated, and a detailed investigation was carried out to assess its ability to remove CO₂ from the air. Recycling of the complex was easily achieved. Final conclusions are given.

The exploration and identification of targets and pathways for Atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment and diagnosis are critical for AD control. The conventional target exploration approach such as the literature review is not satisfying in terms of efficiency and accuracy. Recently, the bioinformatic approach is drawing attention for its unique advantage of high-volume data analysis for target and pathway exploration; Open Targets Platform is the targets source for this study to extract top 200 high-rank proteins from 3122 AD associated proteins. STRING, Cytoscape, CytoHubba, ClueGo, and CluePedia function had been applied for data analysis. The KEGG Mapper search & colour pathway was the pathway map resource for identified pathways; 23 key hub genes (VDR, KIT, BCL2L11, NFKBIA, KRAS, IL13, JAK2, STAT3, IL21, IL4R, REL, PDGFRB, FOXP3, RARA, RELB, EGFR, IL21R, MYC, CREBBP, NR3C1, IL2, JAK1, and KITLG). Additionally, 8 correlated pathways and the biological process had been identified; Through this study, a viable approach for target and pathway exploration had been presented. The identified AD targets and pathways will be tested for upcoming research for traditional Chinese medicinal herb interactions

Because Canadian Nitrogen (N) fertilizer use has more than doubled since 1990 (1.2 to 2.9 MtN by 2021), a better understanding of this trend is needed. A comprehensive set of Recommended N Rates (RNR) that agreed with fertilizer sales data from 1996 and 2001 was compared with the Fertilizer Use Survey (FUS). The FUS was conducted from 2014 to 2021, with 2017 being the most representative year for these data. Using non-parametric statistics, confidence intervals were derived from the histograms used to present the FUS data. N application rates from the RNR for Canola, Spring and Duram wheat, and Oats in the west were all below their respective FUS confidence intervals, whereas N application rates for Grain corn showed almost no difference in N use between the RNR and FUS. Crop-specific N application rates interpolated from the RNR and FUS were integrated over their respective crop areas and plotted against national fertilizer sales records from 1990 to 2021. The rapid increase in N use between 2001 and 2017 (0.89 MtN), 90% of it (0.80 MtN) in Western Canada, was primarily due to increased application rates per crop, rather than crop area changes. The FUS-RNR interpolations were a good approximation of N sales records and could improve farm GHG emissions modelling. The economically important crops in Western Canada should be the main focus for N-related GHG reduction measures, but production losses need to be avoided.

The issue of environmental sustainability is increasingly topical and one of the most impactful sectors is that of the construction industry. As stated in the reports of the GlobalABC, the building sector is the main responsible for GHG emissions, generating about 37% of global CO2e emissions. Already during the phases of production and construction of buildings about 10% of global emissions are produced, while the remaining part comes from their use, from the energy for air conditioning and lighting. Reducing emissions in the pre-use phase of buildings is therefore a crucial issue for combating climate change. The research investigates the potential of timber construction systems, thanks to the carbon storage property of the material. The proposed calculation methodology is structured according to the LCA-Life Cycle Assessment approach, referring to the C2H phase (from Cradle-To-Handover), and evaluates emissions related to the production and construction of buildings. To identify the timber construction system that minimizes CO2e emissions, within the limits of the investigation (A1-A5 phases), the method was applied to two buildings built with different technologies: one with X-Lam panels and one with a framed structure. The results were analyzed, compared, and discussed to demonstrate that the timber buildings are the most virtuous solution in the Net Zero Carbon perspective by 2050.

Introduction: Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) is a devastating condition mostly in preterm infants at < 30 weeks GA with large morbidities and mortality usually in the first 72 hours after birth. Prevention seems to be the only way to completely deal with this problem. The IVH prevention in this age group has been studied and includes some strategies such as prenatal corticosteroids, cesarean delivery, careful extraction among others, but still, it has an unacceptably high incidence in this population. A protocol with the name Drive to Zero IVH Prevention Project that was presented in one of EpicLatino conferences some years ago. As with any quality improvement in practices, we adapted this project to our unit. Objective: To compare the IVH incidence in our unit after the protocol implementation with and historic cohort from the same unit and with all other units un the epilactino network. Material and method: In October 2017 we begun to implement a neuro protection protocol. For this analysis we include every patient born <30 weeks of GA, inborn or outborn but less than 2 days old, that survived at least three days and had a neuroimaging preformed. We include cases until July 2022, and we use the EpicLatino, a Latin-American database, from 2018 to 2020 excluding our own unit for comparison as well as an historical cohort from our unit from 2010-2017. The protocol consists of: Minimal manipulation, low volume ventilation, one routine fiscal exam a day, neutral head position, one blood pressure measured per shift, no keel stick measurements, continuous dim light and low noise level, minimal touch, no vasoactive therapy except in extreme cases, temperature and humidity at 80%, catheters, when possible, fluid restriction followed with diuresis, no PDA therapy or Echo if possible and routine therapy with hydrocortisone, erythropoietin, caffeine, parenteral nutrition, and trophic feeding. e performed a univariate analysis for IVH and groups and a logistic regression model with variables that had statistical significance in the univariate analysis. Results: The study group included 64 cases, the historic cohort 123 and the EpicLatino 1029. Demographic characteristics were similar with few statistically significant differences. We found four grade 1-2 and six grade 3-4 IVH in the study group (some caused by very traumatic delivery with multiples hematomas in head, body, and extremities), all significantly lower that the other two groups. The logistic regression model confirmed the independent statistically significant result in the study group. Conclusion: The hemorrhage during delivery must be prevented by the obstetric team. Afterwards, a set of interventions like very gentle handling with minimal manipulation and unnecessary strict lab managing seams to decrease the incidence of IVH.

Introduction: Some of the practices in medicine are carried out of habit without proven benefits. This is the case of premature babies from 30 to 34 weeks of gestation who are always given parenteral fluids, even though this practice has been associated with an increase incidence of infection. At the end of 2017, we started a protocol of rationalization in the use of parenteral fluid. To administer nutrition/fluids, we used oral fluids by suction if this was possible or otherwise by oral/nasogastric tube at volumes of 70-80 mL/Kg/day divided every 3 hours, with 5 mL increments every 12-24 hours until 200 mL/K/day was achieved, always using breast milk when possible. Material and methods: The present study sought to compare results before and after this new policy. For this work, we review all premature babies between 30-34 weeks of gestation in two time periods, the first from 01/01/2010 to 12/31/2017 and the second from 01/01/2018 to 08/15/2022. The number of cases with and without parenteral fluids (PF), the incidence of infection, the weight at admission and discharge, and the change in the weight Z score between birth and discharge were compared. Both the anthropometric and outcome variables were compared using the different statistical methods according to each variable. Results: were found 920 cases with the described characteristics. The groups before and after the intervention did not show significant differences in their general demographic characteristics. We observed a decrease use of PF in the second period, from 425 cases (82.0%) before to 297 (26.2%) after implementation, p <0.0001 and fewer days of use (4.1 days/average before vs 1.3 after, p <0.0001) of PF. The weight at discharge and the change in weight Z-score were the same in both groups. Infections went from nine cases before to two cases after but it was not statistically significant. There were no complications due to less use of PF. Discussion: This study showed that the use of PF is not associated with significant changes in outcomes of interest, which reinforces that its use does not generate any benefit for the patient. Larger number of cases is required to detect differences in low incidence events such as infections.

In recent years, soil addition with organic amendments, such as biochar and compost, has gained attention as an effective agronomic practice to sustain soil fertility, enhance plant growth and crop yield. Well known are the positive effects of compost on yield of a wide crop varieties, while both positive and negative responses are reported for biochar Therefore, the aim of the study was to verify the effect of biochar mixed with three types of compost on quanti-qualitative response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. cycla), a leafy green vegetable rich in dietary antioxidants, largely consumed worldwide. A factorial experiment in pots with two factors, including biochar (without biochar and with biochar from vine pruning residues) and compost (without compost, with compost from olive pomace, with vermicompost from cattle manure and with compost from cattle anaerobic digestate), was setup. Two growth cycles were considered and a set of quantitative (height of plants, number, area and fresh weight of leaves) and qualitative parameters (carotenoid, chlorophyll, total N and NO3-content of leaves) were analyzed. Biochar decreased plant growth and NO3- leaf content; on the contrary, it increased total N leaf content, while compost improved all the considered parameters. The interactive effect of biochar and compost was evident only on total N and NO3- leaf content. In our experimental conditions, the compost showed to be the best option to improve Swiss chard growth and increase the phytopigments content, while the biochar-compost mixtures didn’t produce the expected effect.

Little is known about fertility preservation within the TGD community. Few receive adequate counseling placing them at risk for decision regret. The goal of this project was to develop, and pilot test the Transgender Fertility Preservation Knowledge Scale (TFPKS) to support the development and evaluation of health education resources. A community engaged; cross sectional retrospective design was used. Participants (n=189) provided information describing demographics, healthcare decision-making preferences, experiences/knowledge of fertility preservation, and treatment decision regret. The sample included 189 TGD adults. Most were white and aged 26-35 (33.3%) and not offered a consultation (73.0%). Many (41.2%) report they would have participated if offered. Knowledge regarding fertility preservation to support this desire was low. Most participants identified a patient-centered (69.4%) decision making preference. Much remains to address the healthcare inequities within the TGD population regarding fertility preservation. Overall participants had low levels of knowledge to support decision making. Further, healthcare system and individual barriers to fertility preservation remain prevalent. A foundational step towards addressing these disparities, is the identification of a valid and reliable instrument to measure TGD knowledge of fertility preservation.

Residual dizziness after a liberating maneuver is often referred to by patients as a more disabling set of symptoms than the positional vertigo itself. This situation seems to involve more than half of subjects with labyrintholithiasis. The authors examine the hypothesis according to which residual dizziness involves subjects with labyrintholithiasis on the basis of otoconia.

The aim of this article is to review hydrogen combustion applications within the energy transition framework. Hydrogen blends are also included, from the well known hydrogen enriched natural gas (HENG) to the hydrogen and ammonia blends whose chemical kinetics is still not clearly defined. Hydrogen and hydrogen blends combustion characteristics will be firstly summarized, in terms of standard properties like the laminar flame speed and the adiabatic flame temperature, but also evidencing the critical role of hydrogen preferential diffusion in burning rate enhancement and the drastic reduction in radiative emission with respect to natural gas flames. Then, combustion applications in both thermo-electric power generation (based on internal combustion engines, i.e., gas turbines and piston engines) and hard-to-abate industry (requiring high temperature kilns and furnaces) sectors will be considered, highlighting the main issues due to hydrogen addition related to safety, pollutant emissions, and potentially negative effects on industrial products (e.g., glass, cement and ceramic).

Nicaragua is preparing the construction of an interoceanic canal that will be the longest and largest canal on earth. An environmental and social impact assessment has been published in 2014 supporting a general viability of the canal. Nonetheless, several scientist and societal actors raised serious concerns regarding the social, economic and ecological sustainability. Despite an open dispute within the Nicaraguan society, no independent, transparent and scientifically sound assessment has been carried out. Only the environmental and social impact assessment, charged by the canal constructor, has so far been realized. The aim of this study is to contribute to an open scientific debate through an objective and independent quantification of land use and hydrological impacts. This article presents a transparently documented and comprehensible impact assessment investigation of the West Canal Segment of the Nicaragua Canal. Based on publically available data and scientifically sound and recognized methods land use, hydrological (water availability) and socio-economic impacts (streets, population) are described, quantified and compared with official declarations in the impact assessment. While some results support official declarations other do not. The number of affected population and the water use of the Brito Lock resulted much higher in this study, for instance. Hence, society and water availability could be affected much higher than estimated in the impact assessment.

Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma pancreatic (PDAC) is characterized by poor prognosis and short survival. Today, the use of new polytherapeutic regimens increases clinical outcome of these patients opening new clinical scenario. A crucial issue related to the actual improvement achieved with these new regimens is represented by the occasional possibility to observe a radiological complete response of metastatic lesions in patients with synchronous primary tumor. What could be the best therapeutic management of these patients? Could surgery represent an indication? Herein we reported a case of a patient with a PDAC of the head with multiple liver metastasis, who underwent first line chemotherapy with mFOLFIRINOX. After 10 cycles, he achieved a complete radiological response of liver metastases and a partial response of pancreatic lesion. A, duodenocephalopancreasectomy was performed. Due to liver a lung metastases after 8 months from surgery, a second line therapy was started with a disease free survival and overall survival of 8 months and 45 months, respectively. Improvement in the molecular characterization of PDAC could help in the selection of patients suitable for multimodal treatments.

Targeted Protein Silencing (TPS) is an elegant approach to investigate protein function and its role in the cellular landscape, overcoming limitations of genetic perturbation strategies. In contrast to CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA interference, these systems act in a reversible manner and reduce off-target effects. Several TPS have been developed and wisely improved, including compartment delocalization tools and protein degradation systems. In this review, we focus on Anchor-Away, deGradFP, auxin inducible degron (AID) and dTAG technologies, and discuss their recent applications and advances. Finally, we propose Nano-Grad, a novel nanobody-based protein degradation tool to specifically proteolyze endogenous tag-free target protein.

An analysis of the curve of Spee in relation to muscle activity, assessed by electromyographic analysis, on a group of 16 young adults with previous fixed orthodontic treatment is proposed as a pilot study. Given the high incidence of this type of dental treatment, it is important to point out how, in this field of dentistry, there is a marked tendency to level and flatten this anatomical occlusal curve, as proposed by Andrews. If in orthodontics there is a standardized levelling of the curve of Spee, in the prosthetic and restorative field, the management of the curve of Spee requires greater attention and often even an individualized approach. The purpose of this study is to investigate what the levelling of the antero-posterior occlusal curve entails in terms of masticatory effectiveness and harmony. From the results obtained, it can be seen that in order to optimize the harmony of the stomatognathic apparatus, the curve of Spee is a parameter that requires individual attention: modifying it through standardized levelling has inevitable consequences.

This work seeks to approach the comparative analysis of the distribution of POFs (polymeric optical fibers) arranged in a random and sorted manner in the manufacture of translucent concretes. The following characteristics were analyzed: compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, capillary water absorption and light transmittance. Portland cement, water, fine aggregate (sand), silica fume, polycarboxylate ether-based superplasticizer and polymeric optical fiber were used in the production of the composites. Except the fiber content, the mixture of all other inputs was kept as a fixed parameter. Groups with the following levels of POFs were produced: 0%, 2%, 3.5% and 5%. The POF content is the sum of the areas of the fiber sections in the composite with the total area of the translucent surface. The results showed that for the analysis of mechanical behavior (flexural tensile and compressive strength) and durability (capillary water absorption), composites with random and sorted fibers within the 2% POF presented to belong to statistically distinct groups. For the other fiber contents, there was no pattern of behavior, that is, it cannot be said that there is a difference within 3.5% or 5% POF between sorted and random fibers in relation to the mechanical and durability characteristics analyzed. As for the light transmittance, it was attributed that the statistical difference between the fiber arrangements only within the 5% POF content can be a consequence of their accumulation in certain points of the material, thus influencing this characteristic measured by a light meter.

All allergic responses to food indicate failure of immunological tolerance but it is unclear why cow’s milk and egg (CME) allergies resolve more readily than reactivity to peanuts (PN). We sought to identify differences between PN and CME allergies through constitutive immune status and responses to cognate and non-cognate food antigens. Children with confirmed allergy to CME (n=6), PN (n=18) non-allergic (NA) (n=8) controls were studied. Constitutive secretion of cytokines was tested in plasma and unstimulated mononuclear cell (PBMNC) cultures. Blood dendritic cell (DC) subsets were analyzed alongside changes in phenotypes and soluble molecules in allergen stimulated MNC cultures with or without cytokine neutralization. We observed that in allergic children constitutively high plasma levels IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 but less IL-12p70 than in non-allergic children was accompanied by spontaneous secretion of sCD23, IL-1β, IL-2 IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12p70, IFN- and TNF- in MNC cultures. Furthermore, blood DC subset counts differed in food allergy. Antigen-presenting cell phenotypic abnormalities were accompanied by higher B and T cell percentages with more Bcl-2 within CD69+ subsets. Cells were generally refractory to antigenic stimulation in vitro but IL-4 neutralization led to CD152 downregulation by CD4+ T cells from PN allergic children responding to PN allergens. Canonical discriminant analyses segregated non-allergic and allergic children by their cytokine secretion patterns, revealing differences and areas of overlap between PN and CME allergies. Despite an absence of recent allergen exposure, indication of in vivo activation, in vitro responses independent of challenging antigen and the presence of unusual costimulatory molecules suggest dysregulated immunity in food allergy. Most important, higher Bcl-2 content within key effector cells implies survival advantage with potential to mount abnormal responses that may give rise to the manifestations of allergy. Here, we put forward the hypothesis that the lack of apoptosis of key immune cell types might be central to the development of food allergic reactions.

In this paper, we compare the performance between systems of ordinary and (Caputo) fractional differential equations depicting the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) models of diseases. In order to understand the origins of both approaches as mean-field approximations of integer and fractional stochastic processes, we introduce the fractional differential equations as approximations of some type of fractional nonlinear birth--death processes. Then, we examine validity of the two approaches against empirical courses of epidemics; we fit both of them to case counts of three measles epidemics that occurred during the pre-vaccination era in three different locations. While FDEs appear more flexible in fitting empirical data, our ODEs offered better fits to two out of three data sets. Important differences in transient dynamics between these modeling approaches are discussed.

Ribotoxin-like proteins (RL-Ps) are specific ribonucleases found in mushrooms that are able to cleave a single phosphodiester bond located in the Sarcin-Ricin Loop (SRL) of the large rRNA. The cleaved SRL interacts differently with some ribosomal proteins (P-stalk). This action blocks protein synthesis because the damaged ribosomes are unable to interact with elongation factors. Here, the amino acid sequence of eryngitin 3 and 4, RL-Ps isolated from Pleurotus eryngii fruiting bodies, was determined to: i) obtain structural information on this specific ribonuclease family from edible mushrooms; and ii) explore the structural determinants which justify their different biological and antipathogenic activities. Indeed, eryngitin 3 (exhibited higher toxicity with respect to eryngitin 4 against tumoral cell lines and model fungi. Structurally, eryngitin 3 and 4 consist of 132 amino acids, most of them identical and exhibit a single free cysteinyl residue. The amino acidic differences between the two toxins are: i) an additional phenylalanyl residue at the N-terminus of eryngitin 3, not retrieved in eryngitin 4; and ii) an additional arginyl residue at C-terminus of eryngitin 4, not retrieved in eryngitin 3. The 3D-models of eryngitins show slight differences at the N- and C-terminal regions. In particular, the positive electrostatic surface at C-terminal of eryngitin 4 is due to the additional arginyl residue not retrieved in eryngitin 3. This additional positive charge could interfere with the binding to the SRL (substrate) or with some ribosomal proteins (P-stalk structure), during substrate recognition.

Several epidemiological studies and intervention trials have demonstrated that flavanols present in grapes and blueberries can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms of action of these compounds remain unclear due to their low bioavailability. A polyphenol-rich grape and blueberry extract (PEGB) contained about 16% flavanol, of which 11% was monomer and 4% was dimer. A sensory test investigated the oral perception of a PEGB. At concentrations where quercetin had almost no detectable taste, PEGB exhibited significant astringency. Furthermore, in comparing the redox properties against O2･- using a luminescence method, PEGB acted as a prooxidant at low concentrations, promoting O2･-production and scavenging O2･-at high concentrations under pH conditions similar to oral cavity and intestine. In contrast, quercetin showed antioxidant activity at any concentration. A single oral administration of PEGB to rats showed a significant increase in skeletal muscle arteriolar blood flow. According to these results, PEGB containing flavanols displays a potent astringent flavor, increases O2･-production at low concentrations in a neutral pH environment as well as oral and intestine, and considerably enhances blood flow to skeletal muscles after a single dose in rats. The results of this study indicate a need to investigate the causal relationship between oral perception, redox properties, and bioactivity of polyphenols.

Despite the popularity of Zumba in several countries, research is scarce about its impact on older adults. Meanwhile, the integration of cognitive tasks with physical exercises, known as dual-tasking, is an evolving strategy to facilitate activities for older people. This study investigated the perceptions of older adults regarding Zumba and the potential of implementing it in a dual-task program. We conducted a qualitative-descriptive research involving 44 Filipino older adults from August to November 2020. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data. Four themes were identified: moving towards match or mismatch; balancing benefits with burdens; dual-tasking as innovative yet potentially challenging; and overcoming barriers with enablers. While Zumba is an inclusive and beneficial activity, individual and contextual limitations could hinder its suitability for older people. Dual-tasking in Zumba was also recognized as an innovative approach, although challenges should be addressed to promote its utility. Several strategies could support the design of these programs in communities. This is the first study to explore older adults’ perceptions towards Zumba and its potential utilization as a dual-tasking program. Findings could guide the implementation of appropriate Zumba and dual-tasking activities that seek to integrate cognitive and physical training for older adults.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are reprogrammed cells that have hallmarks similar to embryonic stem cells including the capacity of self-renewal and differentiation into cardiac myocytes. The improvements in reprogramming and differentiating methods achieved in the past 10 years widened the use of hiPSCs, especially in cardiac research. hiPSC-derived cardiac myocytes (CMs) recapitulate phenotypic differences caused by genetic variations, making them human attractive disease models and useful tools for drug discovery and toxicology testing. In addition, hiPSCs can be used as source cells for cardiac regeneration in animal models. Here, we review the advances in the genetic and epigenetic control of cardiomyogenesis that underlies the significant improvement of the induced reprogramming of somatic cells to CMs. We also cover the phenotypic characteristics of the hiPSCs derived CMs, their ability to rescue injured CMs through paracrine effects, the novel approaches in tissue engineering for hiPSC-derived cardiac tissue generation, and finally, their potential use in biomedical applications.

The physical environment is of critical importance to child development. Understanding how exposure to domains of the physical environment such as greenspace, urbanicity, air pollution or noise affects externalising problems in typical and neurodiverse children is of particular importance given the significant long-term impact of those problems. In this narrative review we investigated the evidence for domains of the physical environment that may ameliorate or contribute to the display of externalising behaviours. We have considered a broad range of study designs that include typically developing and neurodiverse children and young people aged 0-18 years. We used the GRADE system to appraise the evidence. Searches were performed in 8 databases in July 2020 and updated in June 2022. Additional articles were further identified by hand-searching reference lists of included papers. The protocol for the review was preregistered with PROSPERO. Results: We retrieved 7174 studies of which 67 are included in this review. The studies reported on green space, environmental noise and music, air pollution, meteorological effects, spatial density, urban or rural setting, and home elements (e.g., damp/sensory aspects/colour). They all used well validated parent and child reported measures of externalising problems. Most of the studies were rated as having high or probably high risk of bias. Greenspace rurality and interior design had most evidence, although the certainty of the association was low. As expected, noise, air pollution, urbanicity, spatial density, colour and humidity appeared to increase the display of externalising behaviours. There was a dearth of studies on the role of the physical environment in neurodiverse children. The studies were heterogeneous and measured a range of externalising behaviours from symptoms to full syndromes. Greenspace exposure was the most common domain studied but certainty of evidence for the association between environmental exposures and externalising problems in the child or young person was low across all domains. We found a large knowledge gap in the literature concerning neurodiverse children, which suggests that future studies should focus on these children, who are also more likely to experience adverse early life experiences including living in more deprived environments as well as being highly vulnerable to the onset of mental ill health. Such research should also aim to dis-aggregate the mechanisms of action for both environmental influences on the externalising problems the results of which may point to pathways for public health interventions and policy development to address inequities that can be relevant to ill health in neurodiverse young people.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The main issue is the absence of a screening test available in clinical practice; the identification of non-invasive biomarkers is thus an urgent clinical necessity. Currently, low-dose computed tomography (LD-CT) demonstrates a 20% reduction of lung cancer mortality. However, it is not particularly suitable for clinical practice because of the costs, radiation, and the false positive rate. Several studies have therefore focused on research into biomarkers in body fluids. Despite the power of certain molecules to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy subjects, no biomarker has yet been shown to significantly and reliably influence clinical decisions or to be translated from the laboratory to clinical practice. We performed an overview of the peer-reviewed biomedical literature published in the last 10 years on the research regarding biomarkers for the early diagnosis of lung cancer via a comprehensive analysis of the reviews published this past year. Our main aim was to bring to light the limitations and strengths of the research already conducted. Furthermore, future prospectives have been explored, bearing in mind the management of clinical trials and their integration into clinical practice.

Climate change affects water resources through the decrease of rainfall and the increase in temperatures and evapotranspiration. An indirect impact of climate change is also the increase of water uses by human activities. In this review, 320 papers were retrieved, of which 134 spanning five continents impacts and solutions to be used to better understand the effects of climate change on water resources, ecosystems, human health, security and socio-economic aspects were selected. Here, suggestions and proposals by scientists from around the world towards solutions, tips and ideas to deal with climate change and the best solutions for future water management were presented. The main solutions highlighted concern integrated water resources management, political direction, policies, increase in knowledge and new technologies. Furthermore, most of the papers analyzed underline that water resources management needs to incorporate protection and restoration of ecosystems and their services. Nature-based solutions need to be the starting point of new scientific and innovative ways to deal with climate change and towards future climate adaptation. In this complex evolution of the water resource, where is the management of the water resource in Italy going?

Chironomids are the species richest family among macroinvertebrates and are often used as indicators of ecological condition in inland waters. High taxonomic expertise is needed for identification and new species are still described even in the well-known West Palaearctic region. Data were filed in a Microsoft Access relational database and analysed using the R environment. Our database comprises data on Chironomid species collected in rivers and lakes in Italy and some other European countries over a period of about 50 years, often associated with physical-chemical data, but in some cases only benthic macroinvertebrates are available with no associated environmental data. In this case, the possibility of estimating water quality with only species composition available is discussed. Traits summarizing the species response to environmental variables were evaluated, with emphasis on natural and man influenced factors: current velocity, water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients. Traits calculations was possible using the subset of database including both environmental data and Chironomid abundances. The relations between sites, species and traits were evaluated using correspondence analysis and other multivariate methods. The response of species showed an interaction among different factors, with the possibility to order species along a single environmental gradient, extending from cold running waters to warm standing waters, with few exceptions. The utility and limits of the use of ecological traits are discussed.

Atherosclerosis, a complex metabolic-immune disease characterized by a chronic inflammation driven by the buildup of lipid-rich plaques within arterial walls, has emerged as a pivotal factor in the intricate interplay between cancer and cardiovascular disease. This bidirectional relationship, marked by shared risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of how these two formidable health challenges intersect and influence each other. Cancer and its treatments can contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis while atherosclerosis with its inflammatory microenvironment can exert profound effects on cancer development and outcomes. Both cancer and cardiovascular disease involve intricate interactions between general and personal exposomes. In this review we want to summarize the state-of-the-art of translational data and try to show how oncologic studies on cardiotoxicity can broaden our knowledge of crucial pathways in cardiovascular biology with a positive impact on precision cardiology and cardioncology.

Cryptococcosis is one of the most serious opportunistic diseases in patients living with HIV. For this reason, it is important to have early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Objectives. The aim of the study was to know the evolution of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis by detection of Cryptococcus antigen in serum by lateral flow (CrAg LFA) without nervous system involvement and with treatment in accordance with the results. Materials and Methods. A retrospective, longitudinal, analytical study was performed. Seventy patients with cryptococcosis initially diagnosed by serum CrAg LFA without meningeal involvement between January 2019 and April 2022 were analyzed for medical records. The treatment regimen was adapted to the results of blood culture, respiratory material or pulmonary tomography imaging. Results. Seventy patients were included, 13 had probable pulmonary cryptococcosis, 4 had proven pulmonary cryptococcosis, 3 had fungemia and 50 had pre-emptive therapy without microbiological or imaging findings compatible with cryptococcosis. Among the 50 patients with pre-emptive therapy, none had meningeal involvement or cryptococcosis recurrences to date. Conclusion. Pre-emptive therapy avoided progression to meningitis in patients with CrAg LFA-positive patients. Pre-emptive therapy with dose adjustment of fluconazole in patients with the mentioned characteristics was useful despite the use of lower doses than recommended.

Telomeres are crucial structures that preserve genome stability. Their progressive erosion over rounds of DNA duplication determines senescence of cells and organisms. Telomere length homeostasis is critical for cancer development then telomere maintenance mechanisms are established targets in cancer treatment. Besides telomere elongation, telomere’s dysfunction impinges on intracellular signalling pathways, in particular DNA damage signalling and repair affecting cancer cell survival and proliferation. This review summarizes and discusses about the recent findings in anti-cancer drug development targeting different “telosome” components.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) was first described in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; and produced by a novel coronavirus designed as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Covid-19 has become a pandemic reaching over 1.3 million confirmed cases and 73,000 deaths. Several efforts have been done to identify pharmacological agents that can be used to treat patients and protect healthcare professionals. The sequencing of the virus genome not only has offered the possibility to develop a vaccine, but also to identified and characterize the virus proteins. Among these proteins, main protease (M^pro) has been identified as a potential therapeutic target, since it is essential for the processing other viral proteins. Crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro and inhibitors has been described during the last months. To describe additional compounds that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 M^pro, in this study we performed a molecular docking-based virtual screening against a library of experimental and approved drugs. Top 10 hits included Pictilisib, Nimorazole, Ergoloid mesylates, Lumacaftor, Cefuroxime, Cepharanhine, and Nilotinib. These compounds were predicted to have higher binding affinity for SARS-CoV-2 M^pro than previously reported inhibitors for this protein, suggesting a higher potential to inhibit virus replication. Since the identified drugs have both pre-clinical and clinical information, we consider that these results may contribute to the identification of treatment alternative for Covid-19. Nevertheless, in vitro and in vivo confirmation should be performed before these compounds could be translated to the clinic.

We studied the link between carbon and water fluxes to understand the response of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) to water availability conditions of three different potato water regimes cropping systems [full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and rainfed (RF)]. Through the eddy covariance technique, we measured CO₂ and water vapor exchanges and determined surface resistances, omega factor, and inherent water use efficiency (IWUE). Additionally, continuous plant growth determinations of leaf area index (LAI) and specific leaf area (SLA) were made over the three cropping systems. The RF potato was a net carbon source (NEE = 187.21 ± 3.84 g C m⁻²), while both, FI (NEE= −311.96 ± 12.82 g C m⁻²) and DI (−17.3 ± 4.6 g C m⁻²) were a net carbon sink. Greater sink activity is due to high fluxes of gross primary productivity (GPP) [where the GPP > ecosystem respiration (R_eco)] and evapotranspiration (ET), and the high efficiency in the exchange of carbon and water. Without water limitations, the larger canopy, with greater photosynthetic activity (GPP/R_eco > 2) as well as with low internal resistance offers a greater area for water and carbon exchange, and the highly coupled and synchronized ET – GPP fluxes are primarily controlled by the radiative environment. The lower sink capacity of the DI potato crop and the carbon source activity from the RF, are consequences of a smaller area for water and carbon exchange due to the smaller canopy, and a low IWUE from decoupled and desynchronized carbon and water exchange caused by unbalanced restrictions on ET and GPP fluxes. Specifically, at DI potato, ET remained at a high rate, while GPP was reduced by means of non-stomatal limitations. In the rainfed potato, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) played a significant role increasing midday canopy resistance (Rc) up to 13 times compared to irrigated sites, when VPD was around 0.8 kPa. In consequence, ET and GPP fluxes decreased together, but GPP decreased more than ET because of stomatal and non-stomatal limitations.

Mediterranean climate is marked by arid climate conditions in summer, therefore, crop irrigation is crucial to sustain plant growth and productivity in this season. If groundwater is utilized for irrigation, an impressive water pumping is needed to satisfy crop water requirements at catchment scale. Consequently, irrigation water quality gets worse, specifically considering groundwater salinization near the coastal areas due to seawater intrusion, also triggering soil salinization. With reference to an agricultural coastal area in the Mediterranean basin (Southern Italy), close to the Adriatic sea, an assessment of soil salinization risk due to processing tomato cultivation was carried out. A simulation model was arranged to perform, on daily basis, a water and salt balance along the soil profile. Long-term weather data and soil physical parameters representative of the considered area were utilized in applying the model, also considering three salinity levels of irrigation water. Based on the climatic analysis performed and the model outputs, the probability of soil salinity came out very high, such as to seriously threaten tomato yield. Autumn-winter rainfall resulted frequently insufficient to leach excess salts away from the soil profile and reach sustainable conditions of tomato cultivation. Therefore, alternative cropping strategies were prospected.

The consequences of a fall on an elderly person can be reduced if the accident is attended by medical personnel within the first hour. Independent elderly people use to stay alone for long periods of time, being in more risk if they suffer a fall. The literature offers several approaches for detecting falls with embedded devices or smartphones using a triaxial accelerometer. Most of these approaches were not tested with the target population, or are not feasible to be implemented in real-life conditions. In this work, we propose a fall detection methodology based on a non-linear classification feature and a Kalman filter with a periodicity detector to reduce the false positive rate. This methodology requires a sampling rate of only 25 Hz; it does not require large computations or memory and it is robust among devices. We test our approach with the SisFall dataset achieving 99.4% of accuracy. Then, we validate it with a new round of simulated activities with young adults and an elderly person. Finally, we give the devices to three elderly persons for full-day validations. They continued with their normal life and the devices behaved as expected.

Paper is one of the most promising materials for food packaging and wrapping due to its low environmental impact, but surface treatments are often needed to improve some performance, e.g. the resistance to fats and oils. In this context, this research is focused on the formulation of a new paper bio-coating. Paper was coated with liquids containing Poly(hexano-6-lactone) (PCL), Glycerol and variable percentages of starch (5 - 10% w/w PCL dry weight), agar agar (0 - 1.5% w/w PCL dry weight) and PEG (5% or 15% w/w PCL dry weight) to improve coating uniformity and diffusion. A Design of Experiments approach was implemented to find statistically reliable results in terms of best coating formulation. Coated paper was characterized through mechanical and physical properties. Results showed that agar content (1.5% w/w PCL dry weight) has a beneficial effect on increasing the resistance to oil. Furthermore, the best coating composition has been calculated, and it is: 10% w/w PCL dry weight of Starch, 1.5% w/w PCL dry weight of agar and 15% w/w PCL dry weight of PEG.

The purpose of this study is to identify gender by highlighting common coordinates and discriminating coordinates in the two sexes through palatal rugoscopy, comparing sagittal sections of the hard palate and evaluating the assistance given by digital technology and its applicability in this method. In this study, 85 digital impressions were examined. The impressions were in .stl format. The palatal rugae, retroincisal papilla, and the palatal cusps of the second premolars were isolated using Meshmixer software (Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA) by eliminating everything else from the scan. Then the impressions were aligned using the same software so as to be subsequently imported to Geomagic® Control 14 software (3D System, NC, USA). Results: 2,223 impression sections were studied and 145 coordinates that were present with a frequency greater than 50% in one or both groups were obtained: 52 discriminating traits (DT) in the male group, 29 discriminating traits in the female group, and 64 common traits (CT). The sum of all the coordinates found in the 57 impressions was 9,328: 4,569 in the male group and 4,759 in the female group (P=0). The DTs in the female group showed no statistically significant difference from the same coordinates in the male one (P=0.832). Statistically significant differences were observed in the DTs in the male group compared to the same coordinates in the female group (P=0.018). No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequency of DTs in both sexes (P=0.056). Further research in forensic odontology is needed to determine its scientific certainty. It is certain that digital technology may one day be a valuable support for the forensic odontologist but to date the lack of dedicated and certified programs limits its reliability.

The patellofemoral joint (PFJ) is a complex articulation between the patella and the femur, in-volved in the extensor mechanism of the knee. Patellofemoral disorders can be classified into ob-jective patellar instability, potential patellar instability, and patellofemoral pain syndrome. An-atomical factors such as trochlear dysplasia, patella alta, and tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance contribute to instability. Patellofemoral instability can result in various types of dislocations, and the frequency of dislocation can be categorized as recurrent, habitual, or per-manent. Primary patellar dislocation requires diagnostic framing, including physical examina-tion and imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for assessing the extent of damage, such as bone bruises, osteochondral fractures, and medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) rupture. Treatment options for primary dislocation include urgent surgery for oste-ochondral fragments or conservative treatment for cases without lesions. Follow-up after treat-ment involves imaging screening and assessing principal and secondary factors of instability. Detecting and addressing these factors is crucial for preventing recurrent dislocations and opti-mizing patient outcomes.

Welding between two or more pieces of metal is a widely used practice in various fields of medicine such as dentistry which also makes use of the support of dental laboratories where complex welding procedures are applied. The welding techniques available today are many and also very different from each other; they often require very different background knowledge, just as the results obtained may differ. Welds can be made at various stages of making a product that will be used on the patient; for example some welds are made directly by the manufacturer during the industrial processing phase. We then move on to the more common welding techniques carried out in dental laboratories and finally we also arrive at the intraoral welding carried out by the clinician inside the patient's oral cavity. This enormous variety of conditions in which those who practice welding can find themselves presupposes the application of the most appropriate technique; this review looks at the different methods and fields of application.

In this paper, we report a comprehensive and consistent annotation of the locus encoding the horse T cell receptor b-chain (TRB), as inferred from the most recent genome assembly. The horse TRB locus spans approximately 1 Mb, making it the largest locus among the mammalian species stud-ied to date, with a significantly higher number of genes related to extensive duplicative events. In the region, 136 TRBV, belonging to 29 subgroups, 2 TRBD, 13 TRBJ and 2 TRBC genes, were iden-tified. The general genomic organization resembles that of other mammals, with a V-cluster of 135 TRBV genes, located upstream of two in-tandem aligned TRBD-J-C clusters, and an inverted TRBV gene at the 3’ end of the last TRBC gene. However, the horse b-chain repertoire would be affected by a high number of non-functional TRBV genes. Thus, we queried a transcriptomic da-taset derived from splenic tissue of a healthy adult horse, using each TRBJ gene as a probe to ana-lyse clonotypes encompassing the V(D)J junction. This analysis provided insights into the usage of the TRBV, TRBD and TRBJ genes and the variability of the juxtaposition region. Our results clearly demonstrated that the horse β-chain constitutes a complex level of variability broadly like that described in other mammalian species.

In response to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Medicine Research Initiative, the Precision Medicine Research (PreMeR) Diversity Consortium was formed by four institutions from the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Translational Research Network (RTRN). This synergistic approach proposed evidence-based, best practices used by experienced researchers to engage, recruit and retain diverse populations in the All of Us initiative. Conceptualization of the proposed approach was aided by social influence theories to better understand how people’s beliefs and opinions should be modified to affect change leading to action [1]. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM), for Health Promotion [2], from Stokols [1] and Community-Based Participatory (CBPR) Models[3],[4] guided proposed engagement, recruitment, and retention strategies contextualized with the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy spheres of influence. The PreMeR produced a partnership to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of current engagement, recruitment, and retention strategies for minority participation in scientific studies. This approach illustrates the need to incorporate multiple methods of engagement to reach a diverse audience to participate in scientific research. Engagement, recruitment, and retention strategies in community and biomedical research must be viewed as community engaged public health interventions, utilizing the same theoretical principles and approaches.

The larvae of some species of the subgenus Orthocladius s. str. (Diptera, Chironomidae) are here described for the first time with corrections and additions to the descriptions of adult males and pupal exuviae. The identification of larvae is generally not possible without association with their pupal exuviae and/or adult males, so the descriptions here are based only on reared material or on pupae with the associated larval exuviae. Usually, Chironomidae larvae can be separated on the basis of morphometric characters, and the most discriminant characters ones are: 1- the ratio between the width of median tooth of mentum (Dm) and the width of the first lateral tooth (Dl) = mental ratio (DmDl), 2- the ratio between the length of the first antennal segment (A1) and the combined length of segments 2-5 (A(2-5)2-5) = antennal ratio (AR). The shape of mandible, maxilla, and other body parts are almost identical in all the species considered in this study. The larva of Orthocladius (Symposiocladius) lignicola is very characteristic and can be separated by the shape of mentum and the larvae of all the known species of Symposiocladius are characterized by the presence of large Lauterborn organs on antennae and of tufts of setae on abdominal segments. The larvae of Orthocladius (Orthocladius) oblidens and Orthocladius (Orthocladius) rhyacobius can be distinguished from other species basing on their large Dm and to each other by AR. A principal component analysis was carried out using 5 characters: 1- Dm, 2- Dl, 3- length of A1, 4- width of A1 (A1W), 5- combined length of segments 2-5 (A2-5). The most discriminant characters were Dm and A1, confirming that DmDl and AR can be used to separate species at larval stage, but the large superposition of morphometric characters in different species confirms that association with pupal exuviae is in any case needed to identify larvae. In future perspective, the development of reference DNA barcodes from specimens identified by specialists is recommended since possibly the best tool for larvae identification, but association of barcodes with morphotypes is in any case fundamental.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are involved in nucleosomes sliding, eviction and/or histone variants incorporation into chromatin to facilitate several cellular and biological processes, including DNA transcription, replication and repair. The DOM/TIP60 chromatin remodeling complex of Drosophila melanogaster contains 18 subunits, including the DOMINO (DOM), an ATPase that catalyzes the ex-change of the canonical H2A with its variant (H2A.V); and TIP60, a lysine-acetyltransferase that acetylates H4, H2A and H2A.V histones. In the last decade, different experimental evidence showed that ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors, in addition to their role in chromatin organization, have a functional relevance in cell division. In particular, emerging studies suggested direct roles of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex subunits in controlling mitosis and cytokinesis in both humans and D. melanogaster. However, little is known about their possible involvement during meiosis Meiotic chromosomes non-disjunction led to aneuploid offspring, which are often inviable/poorly viable or sterile due to gene dosage imbalance. Therefore, studying the role of DOM/TIP60 complex in D. melanogaster meiosis can provide new insights on our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cell division control in gametogenesis.

_{he present study was conducted to quantify the heavy metals cadmium, lead, copper, chromium, nickel, and zinc in the bivalve mollusk concha prieta (Anadara tuberculosa) using in- ductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). This research aims to identify whether the bioaccumulate content of heavy metals exceeds the maximum limits established by various public health bodies such as the ONU, FAO, Codex Alimentarius, EEC, and NHI. Samples of the species were collected randomly from three locations in Puerto El Morro, Playas Municipal Market, and La Libertad Seafood Market in the Gulf of Guayaquil. Thirty-three soft tissue samples of (Anadara tuberculosa) were evaluated, and the values quantified in mg/kg were in the following order: Zn>Cu>Cd>Ni>Cr>Pb.}