This comprehensive review scrutinizes tissue culture and micropropagation methodologies in geophytes, focusing on bulbous plants. The examination encompasses key stages, including somatic embryogenesis, bulb growth, dormancy breaking, and planting. Studies underscore the pivotal role of plant growth regulators in plant regeneration and bulb growth. Bioreactor systems for healthy plant regeneration, rooting methods, acclimatization strategies, and considerations for ex vitro survival are elucidated. The review also delves into somaclonal variation dynamics and acknowledges the burgeoning field of genetic editing, particularly CRISPR studies, as a promising avenue for enhancing valuable compound content in geophytes. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity of a multifaceted approach integrating biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology to address existing challenges and propel tissue culture protocols for diverse geophyte species.

The “red code” (RD) represents the highest levels of emergency in the emergency department (ED). The study retrospectively analyzed RDs in the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital ED, a regional referral center in north Italy, between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2023. The aim was to describe RD characteristics and to identify significant correlations between presenting complaints and clinical management. The study includes 934 RDs (0.9% of overall ED admissions); 64% were assigned based on the Pediatric Assessment Triangle alteration. Most patients, 86.5%, followed the medical pathway, while 13.5% were surgical cases. Admission complaints were respiratory (46.9%), neuropsychiatric (26.7%), traumatic (11.8%), cardiologic (9.3%), metabolic (3.8%), and surgical (1.5%). Seventy-six per cent of patients received vascular access, and intraosseous access was obtained in 2.2% of them. In one-third of RDs, an urgent critical care evaluation was necessary, and 19% of cases required admission to the intensive care unit. The overall mortality rate was 3.4% (0.4% in ED setting). The study identified six distinct diagnostic pathways, each associated with specific characteristics in clinical presentation, management, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes: this underscored the significance of a systematic approach in improving outcomes in pediatric RD management.

This study aims to investigate the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange (STE) events and ozone trends over Irene (25.5°S, 28.1°E). Twelve years of ozonesondes data (2000–2007, 2012–2015) from Irene station operating in the framework of the Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesodes (SHADOZ) was used to study the troposphere (0–16 km) and stratosphere (17– 28 km) ozone (O₃) vertical profiles. Ozone profiles were grouped into three categories (2000–2003, 2004–2007 and 2012–2015) and average composites were calculated for each category. Fifteen O₃ enhancement events were identified over the study period. These events were observed in all seasons (one event in summer, four events in autumn, five events in winter and five events in spring), however, they predominantly occur in winter and spring. The STE events presented here are observed to be influenced by the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex. During the STE events, the advected potential vorticity maps assimilated using Modélisation Isentrope du transport Méso–échelle de l’Ozone Stratosphérique par Advection (MIMOSA) model for the 350 K (~12–13 km) isentropic level indicated a transport of high latitude air masses which seems to be responsible for the reduction of the O₃ mole fractions at the lower stratosphere over Irene which takes place at the same time with the enhancement of ozone in the upper troposphere. In general, the stratosphere is dominated by higher Modern Retrospective Analysis for Research Application (MERRA-2) potential vorticity (PV) values compared to the troposphere. However, during the STE events, higher PV values from the stratosphere were observed to intrude the troposphere. Ozone decline was observed from 12 km to 24 km with highest decline occurring from 14 km to 18 km. An average decrease of 6.0 and 9.1% was calculated from 12 to 24 km in 2004–2007 and 2012–2015 respectively. The observed decline occurred in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere with winter and spring showing more decline compared with summer and autumn.

Fibrosis is an important health problem and its pathogenetic activation is still largely unknown. It can develop either spontaneously or, more frequently, as a consequence of various underlying diseases, such as chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Fibrotic tissue is always characterized by mononuclear immune cells infiltration. The cytokine profile of these cells shows clear proinflammatory and profibrotic characteristics. Furthermore, the production of inflammatory mediators by non-immune cells, in response to several stimuli, can be involved in the fibrotic process. It is now established that defects in the abilities of non-immune cells to mediate immune regulation may be involved in the pathogenicity of a series of inflammatory diseases. The convergence of several, not yet well identified, factors results in the aberrant activation of non-immune cells, such as epithelial cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts, that producing pro-inflammatory molecules, exacerbate the inflammatory condition leading to the excessive and chaotic secretion of extracellular matrix proteins. However, the precise cellular mechanisms involved in this process have not yet been fully elucidated. In this review we explore the latest discoveries on the mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate the vicious circle of abnormal communications between immune and non-immune cells, responsible for fibrotic evolution of inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

Fibrosis represents a process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. It often represents the evolution of pathological conditions, causes organ failure, and can, in extreme cases, compromises the functionality of the organs to the point of causing death. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying fibrotic evolution and to identify possible therapeutic strategies. Great interest has been aroused by the discovery of a molecular association between epithelial to mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), in particular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and fibrogenesis, which has led to the identification of complex molecular mechanisms closely interconnected with each other, which could explain EMT-dependent fibrosis. However, the result remains unsatisfactory from a therapeutic point of view. In recent years, advances in epigenetics, which is based on chromatin remodeling through various histone modifications or through the intervention of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), have provided more information on the fibrotic process, and this could represent a promising path forward for the identification of innovative therapeutic strategies for organ fibrosis. In this review, we summarize current research on epigenetic mechanisms involved in organ fibrosis, with a focus on epigenetic regulation of EMP/EMT-dependent fibrosis.

Fibrosis is the end result of persistent inflammatory responses induced by a variety of stimuli, including chronic infections, autoimmune reactions, and tissue injury. Fibrotic diseases affect all vital organs and are characterized by a high rate of morbidity and mortality in the developed world, although currently there are no approved antifibrotic therapies. In recent years, high levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) have been associated with chronic inflammatory diseases with fibrotic complications, that culminate in organ failure. In this review, we provide an update on the role of IL-17 in fibrotic diseases, with particular attention to the most recent lines of research in the therapeutic field represented by the epigenetic mechanisms that control IL-17 levels in fibrosis. A better knowledge of the IL-17 signalling pathway implications in fibrosis could design new strategies for therapeutic benefits.

Solar concentration is the ability to harness solar radiation to increase the temperature of a receiver. The receiver is the component into which a heat transfer fluid can be flowed for an ORC system and produce electricity, or it can be used for high-temperature thermal storage, or even to implement thermochemical cycles. The choice of material is critical to ensure optimal performance and long-lasting operation. It is also essential that such material can operate at high temperatures and high thermal gradients. In short, material identification involves high thermal stresses that result in structural deformation. Different metal alloys were used to verify that the yield strength limit was not exceeded due to thermal stress induced by concentrated solar radiation. The problem was implemented in Matlab starting from the general heat equation. The purpose is to test whether thermal stress exceeds the yield strength, which is the condition in which elastic bonds in the material are changed, causing deformation. The best material identified was Inconel 740H, which had a high yield strength value and the lowest temperature difference. Under extreme working conditions, it can withstand thermally induced shocks.

Interleukin (IL)-23 is a central proinflammatory cytokine with a broad range of effects on immune responses. The pathological consequences of excessive IL-23 signaling have been linked to its ability to promote the production of inflammatory mediators such as IL-17, IL-22 by stimulating the differentiation and proliferation of T helper type 17 (Th17 cells). Emerging evidence suggests a potential pro-fibrotic role for IL-23 in the development of chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases characterized by intense fibrosis. In this review, we summarized the biological features of IL-23 and gathered recent research on the role of IL-23 in fibrotic autoimmune conditions, which could provide a theoretical basis for clinical targeting and drug development.

We know that quantum logics are the most prominent logical systems associated to the lattices of closed Hilbert subspaces. But what does it happen if, following a quantum computing perspective, we want to associate a logic to the process of quantum registers measurements? This paper gives an answer to this question, and, quite surprising, shows that such a logic is nothing else that the standard propositional intuitionistic logic.

Background: By 2025, road traffic injuries are projected to rank third in the global burden of disease, posing a significant challenge that affects health, social well-being, and economic aspects. According to data from the Romanian Police National Statistics Center, there has been an average of 342 traffic accidents per year involving pediatric patients over the past 10 years. Materials and Methods: A retrospective research study was conducted, encompassing 358 cases of road traffic accidents identified for the study. Data collection was conducted at "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children in Iasi, Romania, from January 2015 to December 2022. To facilitate statistical analyses, participants were categorized into three specific age groups, correlating between the anatomical region affected and different types of accidents was examined, and the classification of injury types was determined based on the characteristics of the harm inflicted. Results: An oscillating trend is observed from 2015 to 2020, with its lowest value recorded in 2017 at around 6.8% and its peak in 2019 at 20.1%. Notably, post-pandemic (Covid-19), the cases underwent a substantial decline of approximately 50%. At least 78.7% of those who did not undergo orthopedic reduction required surgery, whereas among those who underwent orthopedic reduction, only 23.4% needed surgery. Regarding the frequency of complications 7,9% of the total cases experienced complications. Conclusion: The increased frequency of pediatric traffic accidents is attributed to the extensive services provided by "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children, Iasi, to a significant number of patients from both rural and urban areas across the seven counties of the Moldova, Romania.

Keywords: Vascular Malformation, Diode Laser, Angioma, Blue light, Conservative

There is considerable interest in delineating the molecular mechanisms of action of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), considered as central player in a plethora of human conditions, including cancer, fibrosis and autoimmune disease. TGF-β elicits its biological effects through membrane bound serine/threonine kinase receptors which transmit their signals via downstream signalling molecules, SMADs, which regulate the transcription of target genes in collaboration with various co-activators and co-repressors. Until now, therapeutic strategy for primary Sjӧgren’s syndrome (pSS) has been focused on inflammation, but, recently, the involvement of TGF-β/SMADs signalling has been demonstrated in pSS, although TGFβ family members seems to have ambiguous effects on the function of pSS salivary glands. Based on these premises, this review highlights recent advances in unravelling the molecular basis for the multi-faceted functions of TGF-β in pSS that are dictated by orchestrations of SMADs, and describe TGF-β/SMADs value as both disease markers and/or therapeutic target for pSS.

The environmental exposure of human in the daily and occupational activities to plasticizers may adversely affect human health, and thus represents a global issue. The altered expression of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) exerts an important pathogenic role linked also to the exposure to plasticizers. This systematic review summarizes the recent findings showing modified ex-pression of miRNAs in cancer due to plasticizers exposures. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, we performed a systematic review of the past ten years, focusing on the relationship between plasticizer exposures and expression of miRNAs cancer. Starting by 535 records, 17 articles were included. Results support the hypothesis that exposure to plasticizers cause changes or deregulation of a number of oncogenic miRNAs and showed that plasticizers interaction with several redundant miRNAs, such as let-7f, let-7g, miR-125b, miR-134, miR-146a, miR-22; miR-192, miR-222, miR-26a, miR-26b, miR-27b, miR-296, miR-324, miR-335, miR-122, miR-23b, miR-200, miR-29a and miR-21, might induce deep alterations. These genotoxic and oncogenic responses can eventually lead to abnormal cell signaling pathways and metabolisms that participate in many overlapped cellular processes, and miRNA level changes can be a useful tool for the toxicological assessment of environmental pollutants, including plastic additives and plasticizers

Background: Adiposity rebound (AR) refers to the second rise of the BMI curve that usually occurs physiologically between 5 and 7 years of age. AR timing has a great impact on children´s health, being the early adiposity rebound (EAR) associated with the development of metabolic disease later in life. Aim: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of EAR in a cohort of preterm newborns. Secondary outcomes evaluated if some determinants such as (1) gender (male/female), (2) type of delivery (caesarean/vaginal), (3) birth weight (SGA/NGA/LGA), (4) type of feeding (5) duration of breastfeeding, (6) timing of introduction of solid food, (7) parental education and (8) parental pre-pregnancy BMI can influence EAR in this cohort. Tertiary aim was to evaluate the prevalence of obesity or overweight at 7 years of age in children according to early versus timely AR. Methods: This is a perspective, population-based longitudinal study, where infants born preterm were evaluated at birth and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 months and 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 years of gestational-corrected age. Weight and height data were analyzed, and BMI was calculated. AR was assessed in the growth trajectory in a body mass index (BMI) plot. Results: Of the 250 preterm newborns included, 100 completed the 7 years follow-up and entered in the final analysis. The prevalence of EAR in our cohort of preterm newborns was 54%. EAR was associated with being LGA at birth. No other factors were associated to EAR. Early adiposity rebounders have a significant higher BMI at 7 years compared to children with timely AR (17.2 ±2.7 vs 15.6 ± 2.05, p=0.021). No significant differences were found in the prevalence of obesity or overweight at 7 years of age in children with early or timely AR (29% vs 14% p=0.202). Conclusions: Clinical management of preterm infants should focus on reducing excess weight gain to prevent long-term metabolic risk. Others neonatal factors are not associated to an higher risk of EAR.

Abstract: For decades, researchers have suggested the existence of a bilingual cognitive advantage, especially in tasks involving executive functions such as inhibition, shifting, and updating. Recently, an increasing number of studies have questioned whether bilingualism results in change in executive functions, highlighting conflicting data published in the literature. The present study compared the performance of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade bilingual and monolingual children on attentional and cognitive tasks. Participants were 61 monolingual and 74 bilingual children (M = 114.6 months; SD = 8.48 months) who were tested on two versions of the Attention Network Task (ANT), with and without social stimuli, as well as tests investigating working memory, short-term memory, narrative memory, and receptive vocabulary. Data on families’ socioeconomic status and children’s reasoning abilities were also collected. The results showed that bilingualism and socioeconomic status affected attentional networks in tasks involving social stimuli. In tasks involving non-social stimuli, socioeconomic status only affected the alerting and executive conflict networks. Consistent with the literature, a positive relationship emerged between socioeconomic status and executive control in the context of social stimuli, and a negative relationship emerged between socioeconomic status and the alerting network in the context of non-social stimuli. Interestingly, neither socioeconomic status nor social attentional networks correlated with working memory. Therefore, although more investigations are required, the results suggest that differences in social contexts mainly affect attentional functions.

In recent years, change in behaviour towards the environment has gained prominence as a policy tool to influence positive environmental value. Simultaneously, the role played by social identity in promoting pro-environmental action is gaining recognition. Within this work, the intersection between collective group identity and environmental behaviour has received very little attention. Group norms are considered a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, yet the influence of social identity and collective action on environmental action has not been adequately investigated in a multi-ethnic setting. Within this context, this study examines the affective component of social identity influence on pro-environmental action. More succinctly, this study demonstrates how outgroups and in-groups’ relations and broader socio-cultural structures, values, interest, and norms impact environmental and sustainability transitions behaviours. Through interviews with participants across the four dominant social groups in South Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that country wide expressions of social identity and in-group dynamics shapes the individual behaviour regarding environmental and sustainability concerns and further strengthen the individual’s perspective for social environmental transformation. This study advances the need for a social-identity centred approach to foster pro-environmental and sustainability outcomes.

Fabry disease (FD) is a recessive monogenic inheritance disease linked to chromosome X, secondary to mutations in the GLA gene. Its prevalence is estimated between 1:8,454 and 1:117,000 among males and is probably underdiagnosed. Mutations in the GLA gene lead to the progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Gb3 accumulates in lysosomes of different types of cells of the heart, kidneys, skin, eyes, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal system, and may lead to different clinical scenarios. The impairment of the nervous system, in addition to the acroparesthesias, is characterized by hypohidrosis and cerebrovascular accidents. Gb3-accumulation supports the hypothesis that Gb3 is not solely responsible for disease manifestation. Overloading of lysosomes with Gb3 may simply lead to the rupture of cytoplasma and in consequence to cell death .Secondary effects of Gb3 accumulation which might be responsible for disease pathology include also inflammatory processes. Perturbed leukocyte function in Fabry disease compared to healthy controls and abnormal numbers of different immune cells, including lymphocytes, monocytes, CD8+ cells, B cells and dendritic cells . Noteworthy other studies reported no correlation between CRP-levels as a global inflammatory marker and the Mainz-Severity-Score-Index (MSSI) as a marker for disease severity . Other authors reported on auto-immunological reactions in α-galactosidase A deficiency. Others researchers found higher expressions of neuronal apoptosis inhibiting protein as a key anti-apoptotic mediator in children with Fabry disease compared to healthy controls. Noteworthy, this upregulation did not change after institution of ERT, whereas apoptosis inducing factor appears to be upregulated under ERT. The authors were not able to explain their observations, but further research has to be directed on this topic. Gb3-accumulation has been reported to induce oxidative stress and/or the formation reactive oxygen species (ROS). Lipids and proteins may be oxidised and may be unable to function. Of note, ERT increased the generation of ROS in vitro, and up-regulated the intracellular adhesion molecule ICAM 1. The authors hypothesized that ERT may enhance endothelial damage, allowing to understand continuously occurring strokes in patients on treatment. Furthermore, Gb3-accumulation has been reported to induce oxidative stress and/or the formation reactive oxygen species (ROS). Lipids and proteins may be oxidised and may be unable to function. Of note, ERT increased the generation of ROS in vitro, and up-regulated the intracellular adhesion molecule ICAM 1. Another gateway into alteration of endothelial function may be given by the Nitric-Oxide-Synthase-3-genotypes. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide is a key regulator of vessel wall function and cardiovascular homeostasis. Thus, neurological complications seem to be linked to different pathogenetic molecular mechanisms.Progressive accumulation of GB3 represent a possible pathogenetic event of peripheral nerve involvement, whereas central nervous involvement in the clinical setting of cerebrovascular ischemic events seem to be due to the endotheliopathy of Anderson-Fabry Disease with lacunar lesions and white matter hyperintensities ( WMHs) . In this review manuscript we revised molecular mechanisms of peripheral and central neurological complications of Anderson-Fabry Disease.

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.

Among young children, parents are a main factor of children's preferences for food served as they are responsible for purchasing and providing Functional Foods (FFs) and they are role models for them. This revies study conducted according PRISMA guidelines and aimed to review the recent data about the consumption of FC into families as part of a balanced diet. The literature search was conducted via online academic search engines PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar. The search process was restricted to research papers published in English in reviewed journals from 2012 to 2023. Thirty six articles were ultimately included in the present review. The results showed that there is a correlation between several socio-demographic and a higher probability of buying FFs for children. There is a positive effect on purchasing frequencies of gender (female), higher household annual income and education level, together with higher levels of nutritional knowledge and trust in positive scientific evidence regarding FFs. Also, parents’ socio-demographic factors affect the children’s F/V consumption. The summary of evidence concludes on the point that parents are the role models about their children’s eating behavior and eating habits.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is multi-faceted world-wide distributed disorder exerting deep effects on the sleeping brain. In the latest years strong efforts have been dedicated to find novel measures assessing the real impact and severity of the pathology, traditionally trivialized by the simplistic apnea/hypopnea index. Due to the unavoidable connection between OSA and sleep we reviewed the key aspects linking the breathing disorder with sleep pathophysiology, focuings on the role of cyclic alternating pattern (CAP). Sleep structure, reflecting the degree of apnea-induced sleep instability, may provide topical informations to stratify OSA severity and foresee some of its dangerous consequences such as excessive daytime sleepiness and cognitive deterioration.

This paper investigates the classical but yet intriguing question of modeling orthotropic RC floor systems endowed with lightening elements, by means of a uniform orthotropic slab, in order to describe accurately the building response under seismic loads. The simplified method, commonly adopted by engineers, based on the equivalence between the transverse stiffness of the RC elements of the real floor and those of the orthotropic slab is presented. A case study in which this simplified method is used is also provided. Then, an advanced finite elements (FE) based method to determine the elastic properties of the equivalent homogenized orthotropic slab is proposed. Based on the results obtained from the application of this method to a case study, a discussion on the adequacy of the simplified method is also provided.

In a constantly changing environment brought about by the climate crisis and escalated anthropogenic perturbations driven by the growing population, harmful algal bloom dynamics and their impacts are expected to shift, necessitating adaptive management strategies and comprehensive research efforts. Similar to primary productivity, HABs have been thought to be driven primarily by major nutrients such as N, P, and Si. However, recent investigations on the role and importance of micronutrients as limiting factors in aquatic environments have been highlighted. This paper provides a review of metal and phytoplankton interactions, with a specific emphasis on pertinent information on the influence of trace nutrients on growth, toxin production, and other underlying mechanisms related to the dynamics of HABs. Low to near-depleted levels of essential nutrients including Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Co, and Mo, negatively impact cell growth and proliferation of various marine and freshwater HAB species. However, evidence shows that at elevated levels, these trace elements along with other non-essential ones, could still cause toxic effects to certain HAB species manifested by decreased photosynthetic activities, oxidative stress, ultrastructure damage, and cyst formation. Interestingly, while elevated levels of these metals mostly result in increased toxin production, Co (i.e., yessotoxins, gymnodimine, and palytoxins) and Mn (i.e., isodomoic acid, okadaic and diol esters) enrichments revealed otherwise. In addition to toxin production, releasing dissolved organic matter (DOM) including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic substances was observed as an adaptation strategy, since these organic compounds have been proven to chelate metals in the water column, thereby reducing metal-induced toxicity. Whilst current research center on free metal toxicity of specific essential elements such as in Cu and Zn, a comprehensive account of how trace metals contribute to the growth, toxin production, and other metabolic processes under conditions reflective of in-situ scenarios of HAB-prone areas, would yield new perspectives on the roles of trace metals in HABs. With the growing demands of the global population for food security and sustainability, substantial pressure is exerted on the agriculture and aquaculture sector, highlighting the need for effective communication of information regarding the interactions of macro- and micronutrients with HABs to improve existing policies and practices.

In an era driven by technology and connectivity, where the sphere of learning goes beyond conventional classrooms, e-Service-Learning (e-SL) merges the possibilities of technology with the principles of experiential education in a powerful blend [1]. Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposal that has been cited by UNESCO [2] as an innovative educational tool through which to address the complex challenges of our society. The Sustainable Development Goals [3] provide a framework around which to structure the SL projects and thus develop the skills needed to act on the full range of goals. Embedding digital means open a debate on the intricate relationship between technology, education, and societal impact [4]. By analyzing two focus groups involving faculty, students and community partners, this contribution aims to explore the potential of combining SL and digital empowerment (DE). The focus group participants discussed the opportunities for innovation, the expected impact on them and the society at large, their needs and the pre-conditions needed to make SL and DE successful, and limitations. The results are presented according to the six principles of sustainability education in the university environment, highlighting the transformative potential of combining these principles within SL and DE.

Background: Effectiveness of Anastrozole and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD, Mirena®) in the treatment of endometriosis. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Elegibility criteria: Endometriomas >3×4 cm, CA-125>35 U/mL and symptoms suggestive of endometriosis. Thirty-one women were randomized to anastrozole+Mirena®+Conservative Surgery(CS) (n=8), anastrozole+Mirena®+transvaginal ultrasound-guided puncture-aspiration(TUGPA) (n=7), Mirena®+CS (n=9), or Mirena®+TUGPA (n=7). Interventions: Anastrozole 1 mg/day and/or only Mirena® for 6 months. CS or TUGPA one month after starting medical treatment. Results: A significant improvement in symptoms during the treatment (difference of 43%, 95% CI 29.9-56.2) occurred, which was maintained at 1 and 2 years. It was more significant in patients treated with anastrozole. For CA-125, the most significant decrease was observed without anastrozole. After CS for endometriosis, a reduction of findings of endometriomas and long-term recurrences occurred, with or without anastrozole, although anastrozole seems to delay recurrences. At 4,2±1,7 years, 88% of the patients who underwent CS were asymptomatic, compared to only 21% if TUGPA was performed, with or without anastrozole (p=0.019). Conclusion: Dosing anastrozole for 6 months, starting one month before CS of endometriosis, reduces more significantly the painful symptoms and delays recurrences, but has no other significant advantages over the single insertion of LNG-IUD (Mirena®) during the same time.

In the realm of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and teleoperation applications, haptic feedback plays a role in enhancing task performance. One of the main goals of this study is to simplify haptic device hardware while improving its capacity to provide various stimuli at different intensities. In response to these challenges, this research introduces the Pneumatic Unit Cell (PUC), a soft-pneumatically driven device—a hollow silicone cylinder with the ability to provide both static pressure and vibrotactile feedback. Furthermore, Pneumatic Unit Cell's design simplicity has the potential for scalability, modularity, and the flexibility to mount the device on any part of the human body. The focus of the current paper is to study PUCs as an actuator and lay the foundation for future perceptual studies. The characterization studies encompass fabrication and verification of fabrication accuracy through dimensional measurements, characterizing PUCs under static pressure conditions (measuring free deflection and blocking force), and frequency conditions (measuring free deflection). In the static pressure conditions, we applied pressures ranging from 0 to 40 KPa to measure free deflection and from 0 to 30 KPa to measure blocking force. In the frequency conditions, we applied pressures of 10, 20, and 30 KPa, with inflation/deflation rates varying between 0.5 Hz and 100 Hz. The measurements of free deflection under static pressure conditions revealed that 0.9 mm and 1.2 mm PUCs exhibit a linear increase of free deflection with increase in inflation pressure. The results of free deflection measurements under the frequency conditions indicate a direct relationship between free deflection magnitude and applied pressure. The results also demonstrate an inverse relationship to the frequency of inflation/deflation. The characterization results demonstrate a broad range of free deflection observed under both static pressure and frequency conditions, encouraging the potential application of Pneumatic Unit Cell actuators as haptic devices.

Population concentration in cities brings new risks as an increase in pollution, which causes urban health problems. In order to address this problem, traffic reduction measures are being implemented, as pedestrianization areas and the definition of Low Emissions Zones (LEZ). When the effectiveness of these types of measures is in doubt, smart city tools provide data that can be used to scientifically asses their impact. This article analyzes the situation of Madrid Central (Spain), a LEZ subject to controversy. We apply statistical and regression analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of this measure to reduce air pollution and outdoor noise. According to the results, this LEZ was able to significantly reduce NO$_2$, PM$_{2.5}$, and PM$_{10}$ concentration locally, having the same positive impact in the rest of the city. In terms of noise, this measure is able to mitigate background noise levels generated by the road traffic.

Background: In healthy children, the frequency of anomalous persistence of primitive reflexes (PRs) and craniosacral blocks (CBs) are unknown, as well as their impact on neurodevelopment, behaviour disorders and related consequences. We aim to know the prevalence of anomalous PRs and CBs in apparently healthy children and its relationships with behavior and neurodevelopment anomalies. Methods: Participants (n=120) were evaluated through physical examination to detect PRs and CBs, an ad hoc parent survey to collect perinatal events, and children behavior assessment by teachers using Battelle score. Results: PRs were present in 89.5%. Moro (70.8%), cervical asymmetric (78.3%) and cervical symmetric PRs (67.5%) were the most frequent observed PRs. CBs were found in 83.2%, and the most frequent CBs were dura mater (77.5%) and sphenoid bone (70%) blocks. Moro, cervical asymmetric and cervical symmetric active primitive reflexes are significantly associated to cranial blocks of dura mater, parietal zones, and sphenoid bone sway. Gestational disorders or perinatal complications were associated to a higher frequency of PRs and CBs. The presence of PRs and CBs were associated with abnormal Battelle scores and neurobehavioral problems. Conclusion: Presence of PRs and CBs in children without diagnosed diseases are frequent and related with disturbances in childhood neurodevelopment.

Psychotherapy is one of the evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of depression in older adults with dementia. Randomized Controlled Trials are often the first methodological choice to gain evidence, yet they are not applicable to a wide range of humanistic psychotherapies. Amongst all, the efficacy of the Gestalt therapy (GT) is under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to present a research protocol aiming to assess the effects of a GT-based intervention on people with dementia (PWD) and the indirect influence on their family carers. The study implements the Single-Case Experimental Design with Time-Series Analysis that will be carried out in Italy and Mexico. Ten people in each country, who received a diagnosis of dementia and present depressive symptoms, will be recruited. Eight or more GT sessions will be provided whose fidelity will be assessed by the GT Fidelity Scale. Quantitative outcome measures are foreseen for monitoring participants’ depression, anxiety, quality of life, carers’ burden, and the caregiving dyad mutuality, at baseline and follow-up. The advantages and limitations of the research design are considered. If GT will result effective in the treatment of depression in PWD, it could enrich the range of evidence-based interventions provided by healthcare services.

Vulnerability is the big issue of the small inland urban centers exposed to the risk of depopulation. In the climate and in the context of an increasing seismic risk in the center-northern part of Italy, seismic vulnerability can become the determinant cause of the final abandonment of a small town. In some Italian regions, as well as Emilia Romagna, municipalities are implementing seismic vulnerability reduction policies based on the Emergency Limit Condition that has become a basic reference for ordinary land planning. This study proposes a valuation planning approach to the seismic vulnerability reduction carried out within the general planning framework concerning the Faentina Union, a group of five small towns located in the south-western part of the Province of Ravenna, Italy. The approach consists of three main stages: knowledge – the typological, constructive and technological description of the buildings specifically concerning their vulnerability degree; interpretation – the analyses aimed to outline a range of hypotheses about the damages in case of seism; planning – identifying the works intended to definitely reduce the vulnerability of the buildings. This stage includes a cost modelling tools aimed at outlining the trade-off between the extension and the intensity of the vulnerability reduction works, given the budget.

Overweight/obesity is one of the most important health problem worldwide. Birth by cesarean section has been shown to influence long-term health outcome including obesity. The aim of this systematic review-meta-analysis is to examine whether cesarean section increases the risk of offspring’ s overweight/obesity. The study follows the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A systematic literature search was con-ducted on Scopus, PubMed, and WoS until December 2020. For inclusion, studies must have re-ported either (I) both Birth by cesarean section and adult (≥ 18 years) offspring BMI, (II) cohort or case–control study design and (III) a risk estimate. Heterogeneity testing was performed using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed by Egger’s test and Begg’s test. Me-ta-analysis was performed through a random effect model. Eleven studies with a combined population of 180.408 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analysis (n = 18) yielded a combined risk estimate for overweight/obesity of 1.19 (95% CI 1.08-1.31) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=53,37 (I2 = 70,37 %, P≤0•0001). The risk of offspring obesity is 1.23 (95% CI 1.09-1.39) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=39.50 (I2= 72,15%, P≤0•0001). Children born by cesarean section have an increased risk of developing obesity in adulthood

In this paper, we present an experimental procedure to enhance the dimensional accuracy of fabrication via Stereolithography (SLA) of features at the micro-scale. Using a custom benchmark part, deviations in feature dimensions (micro-pores diameters and depths) were detected and measured by confocal microscopy. Samples characterization and experimental observations allowed the identification of inaccuracy sources, mainly due to the laser beam scanning strategy and to the incomplete removal of uncured liquid resin in post-processing (i.e., IPA washing). As a technology baseline, the measured dimensional errors on pores diameters were up to -46%. A compensation method of the nominal laser spot diameter (85m) was defined and implemented resulting in relevant improvements in dimensional accuracy of 9.8% and 11.3% on full-open pores diameter and depth, respectively. Further investigation was performed on a customized test part to adjust the calibration procedure. The measurements revealed that the estimate of the laser beam spot size is 968m. Measurements on micro-pores having different sizes revealed that a constant compensation parameter (i.e., C=85, 96, 120m) is not fully effective at the micro-scale, where average errors still remain at -24%, -18.8%, and -16% for compensations equals to 85, 96 and 120m, respectively. A further experimental campaign allowed the identification of an effective nonlinear compensation law where the compensation parameter depends on the micro-feature size C= f (D). Results show a sharp improvement in dimensional accuracy on micro-pore fabrication, with errors consistently below +8.2%. The proposed compensation method can be extended for the fabrication of any micro-features without restrictions on the specific technology implementation. Concerning the inaccuracy introduced by the laser path, experimentation with a customized part allowed the optimization of the part orientation to reduce the errors and their differences along the X and Y machine axes.

This contribution is aimed to measure for the first time the amount of biogenic amines (BAs) in one of the most ancient and traditional sheep cheese produced in Sardinia, Italy: the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Fiore Sardo. For doing this, an original RP-HPLC-DAD-UV method has been developed, completely validated in terms of LoD, LoQ, linearity, precision and trueness, and tested on 36 real Fiore Sardo PDO cheese samples produced by four different cheesemakers and marketed by four stores. The average total concentration of the eight BAs (i.e. tyramine, tryptamine, histidine, putrescine, cadaverine, 2-phenylethylamine, spermine and spermidine) measured in Fiore Sardo cheese was 700 mg/kg, with a range between 170 mg/kg and 1100 mg/kg. A great variability in the total amount of BAs has been evidenced among the Fiore Sardo marketed in the four stores as well as for the cheeses purchased in different times in the same store. Tyramine (350 mg/kg), putrescine (150 mg/kg), histamine (80 mg/kg) and cadaverine (30 mg/kg) are the most abundant BAs found in this matrix. Among many factors concurring, the dominant microflora of Fiore Sardo PDO is likely the principal cause of the qualitative and quantitative distribution of BAs in this matrix. Finally, the total amount of BAs found in Fiore Sardo PDO is not able to cause any situation of health alert for consumers.

High Brassicaceae consumption reduces the risk of developing several cancer types, probably due to their glucosinolate amount. Extracts from Sinapis nigra L. and Sinapis alba L. have been obtained from leaves and seeds under different conditions using ethanol/water mixtures because well accepted by food industry. The EtOH/H2O 8:2 mixture gives better yields in glucosinolate amounts from grinded seeds, mainly sinalbin in S. alba and sinigrin in S. nigra. The highest antiproliferative activity in both non-tumour and tumour cell lines was induced by S. alba seeds extract. To evaluate whether Sinapis spp effect was only due to glucosinolate content or it was influenced by the extracts’ complexity, cells were treated with extracts or glucosinolates, in the presence of myrosinase. Pure sinigrin did not modify cell proliferation, while pure sinalbin was less effective than the extract. The addition of myrosinase increased the antiproliferative effects of the S. nigra extract and sinigrin. Antiproliferative activity was correlated to MAPKs modulation, which was cell and extract-dependent. Cell-cycle analysis evidenced a proapoptotic effect of S. alba on both tumour cell lines and of S. nigra only on HCT 116. Both extracts showed good antimicrobial activity in disc diffusion tests and on ready-to-eat fresh salad. These results underline the potential effects of Sinapis spp in chemoprevention and food preservation.

In the last three decades the presence of phospholipids in the nucleus has been shown and thoroughly investigated. A great interest raised about nuclear inositol lipids mainly because of their role in signalling acting. Here we review the main issues of nuclear phospholipid localization and the role of nuclear inositol lipids and their related enzymes in cellular signaling both in physiological and pathological conditions.

A bioelectrochemical study of charge transfer in the biofilm/chalcopyrite interface was performed to investigate the effect of surficial sulfur reduced species (SRS), as non-stochiometric compounds or polysulfides (S_n^2-), and elemental sulfur (S⁰) on a biofilm structure during the earliest stages (1, 12 and 24 h) of chalcopyrite biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone and adding Leptospirillum sp. The surface of massive chalcopyrite electrodes was exposed to the bacteria, which were analyzed electrochemically, spectroscopically, and microscopically. At the studied earlier times, charge transfer and significant differences in the biofilm structure were detected, depending on the presence of Leptospirillum sp. acting on A. thiooxidans biofilms. Such differences were a consequence of a continuous chalcopyrite pitting and promoting changes in biofilm hydropathy. A. thiooxidans modifies the reactive properties of SRS and favors an acidic dissolution, which shifts into ferric when Leptospirillum sp. is present. A. thiooxidans allows H⁺ and Fe³⁺ diffusion, and Leptospirillum sp. allows surpassing the charge transfer (reactivity) barrier between the mineral interface and the ions. The observed changes of hydropathy on the interface are associated to ions and electrons activity and transfer. Finally, a model of S⁰ biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone or with Leptospirillum sp., is proposed.

: Responsible consumption is defined in environmental, cultural, economic, ethical, and social terms. The subject has been studied for at least 50 years. Currently, the description of the responsible consumer is relevant, given the climatic complications that humanity is facing. Having an instrument to identify responsible food consumption in the adolescent population will make a significant contribution to both the scientific field and group interventions. The objective of this research was to design and validate a scale to measure responsible food consumption in adolescents (Escala de Consumo Responsable de Alimentos en Adolescentes ECRAA) using a sample of 288 junior high school students. The scale has 23 items distributed in four dimensions—knowledge, attitudes, emotions, and practice—and was designed and validated with a cross-sectional study. Aiken's V coefficient was used to validate the content of the scale, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the construct validity, and reliability was measured by calculating Cronbach's alpha. The ECRAA was found to have adequate properties. All 23 items received a positive evaluation from experts. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the structure with favorable goodness-of-fit indices, and the reliability of the data was found to be acceptable. Thus, the ECRAA is valid and reliable for measuring responsible food consumption in adolescents.

This paper shows the results of applying high-resolution Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) photogrammetric surveying on a large landslide. A real case study, where permanently installing GCPs could be complex, where natural shaped and formed land pose severe limitations in deploying ground targets with optimal geometric configuration. We analysed performances in terms of survey accuracy obtained by performing photogrammetric surveys through the Zenmuse P1 DJI optical camera and Phantom 4 Pro 2. In combination with DJI Matrice 300 UAS, the P1 camera allows direct georeferencing through GNSS observations in RTK mode. Photogrammetric surveys, performed through different georeferencing methods, have been compared. Several targets have been permanently installed on the ground over the maximum vegetation height to guarantee long-lasting reference over the years in the area, which is characterised by a diffuse short vegetation coverage. Multitemporal UAS surveys have been then compared using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) algorithms, and deformation maps have been produced. Afterwards, DIC results were compared with observations made by the GNSS ground-based permanent receivers resulting in a standard deviation of 0,077 m. Through results analysis, good accordance between ground-based GNSS observations and DIC analysis on the photogrammetric surveys have been identified for the same time span. To conclude, this type of landslide presents a moderate deformation speed; in such a case, effective deformations monitoring could be achieved using pseudo-direct georeferencing, which permitted a 0.24 m accuracy on the whole tested area.

This paper describes the physico-chemical study of the adsorption of dysprosium (Dy³⁺) in aqueous solution onto two types of activated carbons synthesized from spent coffee ground. KOH activated carbon is a microporous material with a specific BET surface area of 2330 m²·g^-1 and pores with a diameter of 3.2 nm. Carbon activated with water vapor and N₂ is a solid mesoporous, with pores of 5.7 nm in diameter and a specific surface of 982 m²·g^-1. A significant dependence of the adsorption capacity on the solution pH was found, while it does not depend significantly neither on the dysprosium concentration nor on the temperature. A maximum adsorption capacity of 31.26 mg·g^-1 and 33.52 mg·g^-1 for the chemically and physically activated carbons, respectively, were found. In both cases, the results obtained from adsorption isotherms and kinetic study were better fit to a Langmuir model and a pseudo-second-order kinetics. In addition, thermodynamic results indicate that dysprosium adsorption onto both activated carbons is an exothermic, spontaneous and favorable process.

Calicotome villosa is a eurioic legume with broad distribution in the south of Europe. It can grow in almost any type of soils as well as in humid and dry and nutrient deficient ecosystems. The broad distribution and eurioic nature of C. villosa may be attributed to its ability to establish symbiotic associations with plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria housed in the nodules and rootless. This study examined legume-microbe symbiosis of C. villosa growing in two contrasted locations, hill top with high sun irradiance and drought; and a valley bottom, with low level or radiation and sufficient soil humidity for plant growth. Calicotome villosa adult plants established symbiotic in-teractions with bacteria in six genera, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevicacterium and Rhizobium as well as one uncultured bacteria. Plants growing in the hill top had associated lower bacterial richness than those grown at the valley bottom. All strains were drought tolerant and produced siderophores, IAA, HCN and NH3 that stimulated plant performance in both, C. villosa plants and other four legumes commonly present in the understory of the shrubs communities The legumes’ capacity to selectively host symbiotic bacteria that enhance plant survival in harsh conditions partly accounts for the diverse partnerships between C. villosa plants and their symbionts, ultimately explaining the wide distribution of this plant species.

Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein that plays key roles in integration of cytoskeletal functions, and therefore in basic cellular processes such as cell division and migration. Consequently, vimentin has complex implications in pathophysiology. Vimentin is required for a proper immune response, but it can also act as an autoantigen in autoimmune diseases or as a damage signal. Although vimentin is a predominantly cytoplasmic protein, it can also appear at extracellular locations, either in a secreted form or at the surface of numerous cell types, often in relation to cell activation, inflammation, injury or senescence. Cell surface targeting of vimentin appears to associate with the occurrence of certain posttranslational modifications, such as phosphorylation and/or oxidative damage. At the cell surface, vimentin can act as a receptor for bacterial and viral pathogens. Indeed, vimentin has been shown to play important roles in virus attachment and entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV), dengue and encephalitis viruses, among others. Moreover, the presence of vimentin in specific virus-targeted cells and its induction by proinflammatory cytokines and tissue damage contribute to its implication in viral infection. Here, we recapitulate some of the pathophysiological implications of vimentin, including the involvement of cell surface vimentin in interaction with pathogens, with a special focus on its role as a cellular receptor or co-receptor for viruses. In addition, we provide a perspective on approaches to target vimentin, including antibodies or chemical agents that could modulate these interactions to potentially interfere with viral pathogenesis, which could be useful when multi-target antiviral strategies are needed .

In recent years, farmers and policymakers have faced ample challenges and have struggled to support the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Sustainable agriculture encompasses multiple concepts, and its performance produces extensive debate about data requirements, appropriate indicators, evaluation methods, and tools. Under the European Union (EU) financed project FLINT (Farm Level Indicators for New Topics in policy evaluation), detailed data have been collected at the farm level to provide broader coverage of sustainability indicators on a wide range of relevant topics to facilitate the assessment of sustainability performance. The approach has been applied in a pilot network of representative farms at the EU level, considering the heterogeneity of the EU farming sector to provide data infrastructure with up to date information for sustainability indicators. This study aims to assess sustainability performance at the farm level in Greece. Representative and dominant agricultural systems, such as permanent crops, olive trees, arable crops, and livestock (sheep) farms, comprise the Greek sample. It uses the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology and attempts to gain insights into the sustainability performance of agricultural systems. The outcome of the sustainability assessment reveals knowledge and develops support for strategic farm choices in order to support both farmers and policymakers towards more sustainable development plans. The results indicate that three typical Mediterranean farming systems, like permanent crops, olive trees, and extensive livestock systems (sheep farms), are more sustainable in contrast to intensive and arable crop farms.

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is an impairment that affects the majority of patients in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). FOG can lead to sudden falls and injuries, negatively impacting the quality of life for the patients and their families. Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) can be used to help patients recover from FOG and resume normal gait. RAS might be ineffective due to the latency between the start of a FOG event, it’s detection and initialization of RAS. We propose a system capable of both FOG prediction and detection using signals from tri-axial accelerometer sensors that will be useful in initializing RAS with minimal latency. We compared the performance of several time frequency analysis techniques, including moving windows extracted from the signals, handcrafted features, Recurrence Plots (RP), Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), Discreet Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Pseudo Wigner Ville Distribution (PWVD) with Deep Learning (DL) based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). We also propose three Ensemble Network Architectures that combine all the time frequency representations and DL architectures. Experimental results show that our ensemble architectures significantly improve the performance compared with existing techniques. We also present the results of applying our method trained on publicly available dataset to data collected from patients using wearable sensors in collaboration with A.T. Still University.

Esterases are hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. The development of fluorescent probes for detecting esterases is of great importance due to their wide spectrum of biological and industrial applications. These probes can provide a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the presence and activity of esterases in various samples, including biological fluids, food products, and environmental samples. Fluorescent probes can also be used for monitoring the effects of drugs and environmental toxins on esterase activity, as well as to study the functions and mechanisms of these enzymes in several biological systems. Additionally, fluorescent probes can be designed to selectively target specific types of esterases, such as those found in pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent fluorescent probes described for the visualization of cell viability and some applications for in vivo imaging. On the other hand, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear-based molecular imaging modality of great value to study the activity of enzymes in vivo. We provide some examples of PET probes for imaging acetylcholinesterases and butyrylcholinesterases in brain, which are valuable tools for diagnosing dementia and monitoring the effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous system.

Preterm birth (PTB), a multi-causal syndrome, is one of the global epidemics. Maternal nutrition, but also neonatal and placental telomere length (TL), are among the factors affecting PTB risk. However, the exact relationship between these factors and the PTB outcome, remains obscure. The aim of this review, was to investigate the association between PTB, maternal nutrition and placental-infant TL. Observational studies were sought, with the keywords: maternal nutrition, placenta TL, newborn, TL, and PTB. No study was found that included all keywords simultaneously, and thus, the keywords, were searched in dyads, to reach assumptive conclusions. The findings show that maternal nutrition affects PTB risk, through its influence on maternal TL. On the other hand, maternal TL independently affects PTB risk, and at the same time PTB is a major determinant of offspring TL regulation. The strength of the associations and the extent of the influence from covariates, remains to be elucidated in future research. Furthermore, the question of whether maternal TL, is simply a biomarker of maternal nutritional status and PTB risk, or a causative factor of PTB, to date, remains to be answered.

Large datasets play a crucial role in the progression of surgical robotics, facilitating advancements in the fields of surgical task recognition and automation. Moreover, public datasets enable the comparative analysis of various algorithms and methodologies, thereby assessing their effectiveness and performance. The ROSMA (Robotics Surgical Maneuvers) dataset provides 206 trials of common surgical training tasks performed with the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK). In this work, we extend ROSMA dataset with two annotated subsets: ROSMAT24, which contains bounding box annotations for instrument detection, and ROSMAG40, which contains high and low level gesture annotations. We propose an annotation method that provides independent labels for the right-handed tool and the left-handed tool. For instrument identification, we validate our proposal with a YOLOv4 model in two experimental scenarios. We demonstrate the generalization capabilities of the network to detect instruments in unseen scenarios. For gesture segmentation, we propose two label categories: high-level annotations that describe gestures at a maneuvers level, and low-level annotations that describe gestures at a fine-grain level. To validate this proposal, we have designed a recurrent neural network based on a bidirectional long-short term memory layer. We present results for four cross-validation experimental setups, reaching up to a 77.35% mAP.

Several chronic diseases derive from metabolic, genetic, or inflammatory causes and often these causes are interconnected. Pharmacological treatments, although effective, often lead to unpleasant side effects. In this context, preventive approaches are of growing interest. The literature data of recent years support that the dietary intake of bioactive compounds can positively influence the biological functions of an organism. Among the bioactive compounds in the diet, polyphenols are widely recognized for their beneficial effects on health, as useful compounds for preventing/combating a series of pathologies related to lifestyle, metabolism, and aging. The artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.), a member of the Asteraceae family, is widely used in the food and herbal medicine fields for its beneficial properties. Artichokes are rich in polyphenols (including cynarin), flavonoids and their derivatives, and, for this reason, they have aroused interest in their pharmacological properties. The best-known activity of polyphenols is antioxidant activity. Through it, they help to neutralize free radicals, preventing cellular damage and the subsequent risk of conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Related to the antioxidant action we find the anti-inflammatory activity. This is an important benefit since chronic inflammation is a cause or contributory cause of many chronic diseases. Although many scientific results are of great interest and potential, there are still gaps to be filled. In this review, we report and discuss new insights providing documented evidence regarding the benefits of the artichoke compounds and their possible use to support the pharmacological treatment of pathologies associated with inflammation.

Since the 1960s Rare earths (REs) applications gradually have expanded to everyday life. REs have great strategic importance in industrial and technological development, so it is expected an increase in their demand. Among the REs the European Commission considered Cerium and Lanthanum as critical raw materials. This research article studies the adsorption of Ce and La onto two carbon nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carboxylic functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT_ox). The latter has slightly more affinity for REs than MWCNT. The recovery percentage for Ce were 89 and 98% and in the case of for La were 99 and 92% using 0.8 g of MWCNT and 0.2 g of MWCNT_ox respectively. The adsorption process fits a pseudo second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm best represented the metal uptake.

Within the framework of theoretical developments in so-called participatory culture and the context of funds of identity, incorporated within what is known as the funds of knowledge approach, an innovative teaching methodology is implemented that allows students to actively participate in knowledge construction. The project translates into a proposal for educational contextualization and personalization based on the students’ funds of identity, that is, those resources (people, artifacts, places, activities, institutions) they consider to be most relevant and significant to define themselves. Once these have been identified through identity artifacts, such as collages or self-drawings, students link some of these funds of identity to curricular content of the subject and produce a video that shows the results of this academic work. The final product is shared on a YouTube channel containing the videos of all of the students in the class. The phases of the project are described and illustrated. We argue that the proposed teaching and learning project, which is cross-disciplinary in nature, allows for principles such as educational contextualization, funds of identity, and participatory culture to be incorporated into what we call here the funds of identity 2.0 approach, putting it into educational practice.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging flavivirus, primarily circulating among avian hosts and mosquito vectors, causing periodic outbreaks in humans and horses, often leading to neuroinvasive disease and mortality. Spain has reported several outbreaks, most notably in 2020 with seventy-seven human cases and eight fatalities. WNV has been serologically detected in horses in the Community of Madrid, but to our knowledge, it has never been reported from wild birds in this region. To estimate the seroprevalence of WNV in wild birds and horses in the Community of Madrid, 159 wild birds at a wildlife rescue center and 25 privately owned equines were sampled. Serum from thirteen birds (8.2%) and one equine (4.0%) tested positive with a WNV competitive ELISA designed for WNV antibodies detection, but sensitive to cross-reacting antibodies to other flaviviruses. VNT confirmed WNV antibodies in four bird samples (2.5%), and antibodies to undetermined flavivirus in four additional samples. One equine sample (4.0%) tested positive for WNV, although this horse previously resided in a WN-endemic area. ELISA positive birds included both migratory and resident species, juveniles and adults. Two seropositive juvenile birds suggest local flavivirus transmission within the Community of Madrid, while WNV seropositive adult birds may have been infected outside Madrid. The potential circulation of flaviviruses, including WNV, in birds in Madrid Community raises concerns, although further surveillance in mosquitos, wild birds and horses in Madrid is necessary to establish the extent of transmission, and the principal species involved.

Cancers of the head and ne¬ck and their treatment can cause disfigurement and loss of functioning, with a profound negative impact on the person’s self-image and psychosocial wellbeing. This can lead to experiences of shame and stigma, which are important targets for psychosocial interventions. Accurate measurement and identification of these problems enables clinicians to offer appropriate interventions and monitor patients’ progress. This study aimed to validate the Canadian version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) among French and English speaking head and neck cancer patients. Data from 258 patients from two major Canadian hospitals was analysed. The existing 4-factor structure of the SSS was supported, with the following subscales: Shame with Appearance, Sense of Stigma, Regret, and Social/Speech Concerns. The Canadian SSS showed adequate convergent and divergent validity and test-retest reliability. Rasch analysis suggested scale improvement by removing two misfitting item and two items with differential functioning between French and English speaking patients. The final 16-item scale version had adequate fit to the Rasch model. The SSS provides more accurate measures for people with high levels of shame and stigma, and thus has utility in identifying patients with more severe symptoms who may be in need of psychosocial interventions.

This study examines the effectiveness of the peer-delivered, school-based intervention Healthy by Design (HbD). Data were collected in two cross-sectional surveys before and after invention implementation. In total 1,177 vocational students (before: 557, after: 620) participated in an online health behaviour survey. Multilevel logistic and multilevel linear models explored the effect of the intervention over time and the effect of the intervention dose received on (determinants of) dietary of physical activity behaviours. A significant positive effect over time was found for moderate intensity physical activity. A high intervention dose was positively associated with increased water, breakfast and fruit consumption and higher levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity compared to no intervention dose received. A moderate and high intervention dose was negatively associated with high calorie snacks consumption compared to no intervention dose received. Effects of HbD on the investigated dietary and physical activity behaviours over time are limited, but these effects may be hard to demonstrate and link to the intervention due to the nature of the intervention design and the natural school-setting of this quasi-experimental study. However, a higher intervention dose showed a strong relation with healthier dietary and physical activity behaviours.

The coordination polymer [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ exhibits the rare phenomenon of spin crossover in an attractive temperature range, i.e., somewhat above room temperature. Spin crossover in [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is manifest by thermochromism, which is accompanied by a magnetic transition from diamagnetism to paramagnetism. However, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is brittle and difficult to process, which limits its use. In this study, we show that [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ can be co-processed with ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which possesses outstanding mechanical properties, particularly when tensile drawn. Therefore, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂–UHMWPE blends were gel-processed by extrusion, employing a relatively poor solvent, which has recently been shown to offer advantages compared to good solvents. Uniform and flexible films, ribbons and fibers with [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ fractions as high as 33.3% m/m were obtained that could be readily drawn. Spin crossover in the coordination polymer is retained in these materials, as evident from their thermochromism. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the blends exceed those of typical commodity polymers. Thus, the films, ribbons and fibers constitute a special class of multifunctional materials that combine the flexibility and excellent mechanical properties of drawn UHMWPE with the spin crossover behavior of [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂.

The seasonal variation in fatty acids and minerals concentrations was investigated through the analysis of Pecorino Romano cheese samples collected in January, April, and June. A fraction of samples contained missing values in their fatty acid profile. Probabilistic Principal component analysis coupled with Linear Discriminant Analysis was employed to classify cheese samples on a production season basis while accounting for missing data and quantifying the missing Fatty acids concentration for the sample in which they were absent. The levels of rumenic acid, vac-cenic acid and omega-3 compounds were positively correlated with the spring season, while the length of the saturated fatty acids increased throughout the production seasons. Concerning the classification performances, the optimal number of principal components (i.e., 5) achieved an ac-curacy in cross-validation equal to 98 %. Then, when the model was tasked to impute the lacking Fatty acid concentration values, the optimal number of principal components resulted in an R2 value in cross-validation of 99.53%

Background: Cognitive-behavioral alterations can occur after an acquired brain injury. It is a stressful situa-tion for patient and relatives. Objectives: To develop and evaluate a synchronous online training program on emotional intelligence (EI) for caregivers of adult patients with cognitive-behavioral impairment due to acquired brain injury. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was designed, a target population of ten caregivers attended to a one-month virtual synchronous course about EI. The emotional status of caregivers was registered one-month-previous and one-month-post program using comparative measures: The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results: Median age of the ten caregivers was 48 years, 80% of women with a median care-time of 6 years. 50% of them were spouses of the patients. 60% of the patients were affected by stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic cause). The main cognitive impairment of the patients reported by relatives was memory deficit. After re-ceiving training, favorable changes were found regarding emotional affect measured with the PANAS, both positive (increase) and negative (decrease), as well as with the TMMS-24-mood-repair area (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Training in EI helps caregivers to make their mood more positive and improve aspects of their emotional intelligence such as emotional regulation.

This study analyses key aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. In the social changes of last two decades profoundly impacted the well-being of teachers putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) were interviewed from different areas of Italy, data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. Through data analysis were summa-rize and emphasize eight core themes. The results show the effects of a gradual impoverishment of the recognition of the role of teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers of renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and of reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for the development of a teaching methodology attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context, in which a competent organizational function is often absent. Practical psychological implications are discussed.

Abstract: Background: In 2021, two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), TheraP and VISION, demonstrated that 177Lu-PSMA-617 as monotherapy was more effective for enhancing the decline of PSA than the comparator third-line treatments. Methods: Our review summarizes new RCTs that add to the use of radioligand therapy (RLT) for patients with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Results: Five past and present RCTs include 1139 patients. A RCT, ENZA-p, studied first-line treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC). A combination of enzalutamide (ENZA) and 177Lu-PSMA-617 gave longer progression-free survival than ENZA as monotherapy. Other RCTs of patients with mCRPC, including the PSMAfore, and SPLASH trials, showed 177Lu-PSMA-617 as second-line treatment gave better progression-free survival than androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (combined p value 6 x 10-8). Conclusion: Patients with PCa may gain if they are given PSMA-RLT early in the treatment of PCa and as part of combination therapies.

This review delves into the significance of chemical communication in mammals, with an emphasis on the role of the vomeronasal system in sensing pheromone-mediated interactions. The vomeronasal system shapes a variety of social and sexual behaviors, including reproduction, hierarchy formation, maternal bonding, and species recognition. Intriguingly, this system presents a vast degree of evolutionary variability, more so than variations observed in the olfactory system. This adaptive diversity underscores the challenges in studying the vomeronasal system, emphasizing the need for detailed research into its neuroanatomy and functional morphology. This review traverses an array of topics central to our understanding of chemical communication in mammals. We begin with the foundational role and basic concepts of chemocommunication. This is followed by an in-depth exploration of the olfactory systems. Subsequently, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of the vomeronasal system are juxtaposed against those of the olfactory system. Our focus then shifts to an exhaustive study of the sensory element of the vomeronasal system, the vomeronasal organ, and the integrating center of this information, the accessory olfactory bulb. The discussion extends to secondary projections of both the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in the light of the dual olfactory hypothesis. The review culminates with a detailed look at four specific models of vomeronasal system organization belonging to four evolutionarily distinct mammalian families: rodents, marsupials, herpestids, and bovids. These have been meticulously analyzed by the authors, aiming to spotlight the significant morphofunctional differences stemming from the adaptive changes imprinted on the system.

Radiomics represents the science of extraction and analysis of a multitude of quantitative features from medical imaging, unrevealing quantitative potentiality of Radiologic images. This scientific review aims to provide radiologists a comprehensive understanding of radiomics, emphasizing its principles, applications, challenges, limits, and future prospects. Limits of standardization of actual scientific production are analyzed with the possible solutions proposed by some papers reported and commented. As the continuous evolution of medical images is ongoing, radiologists must be aware of new perspective to perform a central role in patients management.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are widespread worldwide as the most popular pets. This medium-sized carnivore have well-known negative effects on biodiversity, but there is still need to better understand the proximate causes of its predation. Based on a citizen science project, we assessed the role of spatiotemporal (i.e., latitude, longitude and seasons), climatic (i.e., rainfall), anthropogenic (i.e., human footprint, HFI) and individual (i.e., sex and age) variables on the number of preys returned home by cats in metropolitan France. Over the 5 048 cats monitored between 2015 and 2022, prey from 12 different classes (n= 36 568) were returned, being 68% mammals, 21% birds and 8% squamates. Shrews brought home by cats peaked during summer, while rodents were recorded during summer-autumn. Birds brought home by cats peaked in spring-summer and in autumn, and lizards in spring and in late summer. Lower HFI was associated with more voles and mice brought home and the opposite trend was observed for lizards and birds. Younger cats were more prone to bring home shrews, birds and reptiles. Although environmental factors play a minor role in prey brought home by cats, some geographical characteristics of prey species distribution partly explains the hunting behaviour of cats.

: This study was aimed at assessing adaptation and bonding of discontinuous (short) glass fiber-reinforced composite to intraradicular dentin EverX Flow (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), when used as intracanal composite filling and anchorage instead of traditional fiber posts. (2) Methods: Seventy intact extracted human teeth were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10), depending on the materials used in the post space. In Group 1, a 2-bottle universal adhesive G2 Bond Universal + EverX Flow were tested. In group 2, a single-component universal adhesive G-Premio Bond + EverX Flow were used. In groups 3 and 4 the same materials are tested, but after cleaning of the canal walls with 17% EDTA and final irrigation with 5.25% NaOCl Ultrasound Activated. In the last three Groups (5-7) traditional prefabricated GC Fiber Posts 1.6 mm silanized with G-Multi Primer for 1 minute are cemented with a dual-cured composite resin cement (GradiaCore), after ultrasonic irrigation in the groups 6 and 7. In each group, 1 mm-thick slices from each sample (n=10) were cut for light microscope and SEM inspection for study materials adaption to the dentin and for measuring push-out strength of post / cemement material to the dentin / prefabricated post. These results were statistically analyzed: as the data distribution was not normal, the Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance by Ranks had to be applied. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Push-out forces varied between 6.66-8.37 MPa. No statistically significant differences were recorded among the groups. Microscopic examination showed that ultrasonic irri-gation increased adaptation of the materials to the dentin surface. There was a trend of higher bond strength among the tested groups when EverX Flow was used. Also, the type of failure was more often cohesive when ultrasonic irrigation and two-step adhesive system were used. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it may be concluded that when EverX Flow was used for intracanal anchorage in the post-endodontic recon-struction, similar push-out retentive forces and strength to those of traditional fiber posts cemented with particulate filler resin composite cements were achieved. Although further studies are necessary, EverX Flow represents an effective alternative to traditional fiber post adhesion in particular when used in combination with the two-step adhesive system and ultrasonic activation.

Responsible innovation combines philanthropic and economic aspects and it is common to refer to entrepreneurs who lead it as "social entrepreneurs". The present study of 100 Mexican SMEs, provides knowledge of exploratory nature about what the models of organization are conducive to SMEs in the generation and development of responsible innovations. Through the statistical technique of cluster analysis, this study identified and characterized four models of organization according to the level of social entrepreneurship reached: (1) “The techno-scientific organization”, (2) “The techno-social organization”, (3) “The capitalist-social organization” and (4) “The capitalist organization”. While in Europe the dominant discourse about responsible innovation focuses on the control of the risk of social rejection of the advance of science and technology; in contexts such as the Mexican, the phenomenon is configured as the mechanism through which entrepreneurs articulate its technological and scientific capabilities to solve priority and specific problems of the society, however, the social impact does not crucially affect their business initiatives. The techno-scientific organization (50% of studied SMEs) is proposed as the model of organization with greater viability for Mexican entrepreneurs.

In this study, the mechanical and piezoresistive properties of mortars reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon micro fibers (CMFs) are determined. Silica fume as well as a polymer with polyalkylene glycol graft chains were used as dispersant agents for the CNTs and CMFs incorporation into the cement paste. The mechanical properties of the mortar composites were investigated in respect to their flexural and compressive strength. A four-probe method was used for the estimation of their piezoresistive response. The test outcomes revealed that the combination of the dispersant agents along with a low content of CNTs and CMF by weight of cement (bwoc) result in the production of a stronger mortar with enhanced mechanical performance and durability. More specifically, there was an increase in flexural and compressive strength up to 38% and 88%, respectively. Moreover, the piezoresistive response of the reinforced cementitious materials was attributed to the variation of electrical resistivity due to tunneling transport of electrons stemming from two different mechanisms due to the incorporation of the conductive admixtures (CNTs and CMF). This work aims to contribute to the progress acceleration in the field of developing structural materials with self-sensing and electrical actuation related properties.

The advent of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized genome editing, enabling the attainment of once-unimaginable goals. CRISPR/Cas's groundbreaking attributes lie in its simplicity, versatility, universality, and its independence from customized DNA-protein systems, erasing the need for specialized expertise and broadening its scope of applications. Beyond its editing prowess, the discovery of novel Cas-based systems has spawned an array of additional biotechnological tools, empowering both fundamental and applied research. Researchers have harnessed CRISPR/Cas for gene regulation, deepening insights into gene expression and epigenetic changes. Precisely targeting DNA or RNA sequences, CRISPR/Cas effectively identifies and counters pathogens. Furthermore, it aids in genome imaging and sequencing, revealing genome spatial organization and chromatin dynamics. The non-editing applications of CRISPR/Cas exhibit tremendous potential across diverse domains, including diagnostics, biotechnology, and fundamental research. This article reviews and critically evaluates the primary CRISPR/Cas-based tools developed for plants and animals, underlining their transformative impact.

Over the past thirty years, the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata in the Mediterranean Sea has faced increasing threats, including heat waves and human activities such as fishing and diving. Epibiosis on damaged gorgonian colonies is generally used as an indirect indication of stressed conditions. The density and height of P. clavata and the percentage of colonies affected by epibiosis and entangled in lost fishing gear were studied to investigate the phenomenon and its trend over time in the Ligurian Sea. Analyses were based on transects collected during ROV campaigns between 2015 and 2022 at depths of 33-90 meters. A strong correlation was observed between fishing effort in the study area and the level of epibiosis. Maximal percentages of colonies affected by epibiosis and entanglement were recorded at depths of 50-70 meters. Temporally, marine heat waves before 2019 were identified as the primary cause of damage to P. clavata. The decrease in epibiosis percentages after 2019, despite the 2022 heat wave, may be due to a quick recovery ability of the populations and a reduction in fishing activities during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Long-term monitoring programs are essential to understand the changes in marine benthic communities exposed to different stressors.

Nucleic acid delivery through extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a well-preserved evolutionary mechanism in all life kingdoms including eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and plants. EVs naturally allow horizontal transfer of native as well as exogenous functional mRNA, that once incorporated in EVs is protected from enzymatic degradation. The possible use of EVs as carriers for vaccine has been investigated showing that EVs expressing recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S protein induced an immune response. Moreover, EV-based vaccines presenting the natural configuration of viral antigens have advantages in conferring long lasting immunization and lower toxicity than synthetic nanoparticles. To overcome the manufacturing limitations of EVs derived from eukaryotic cells, edible plant-derived EVs have been studied as an attractive alternative for vaccine delivery, especially for mucosal administration. We recently showed that EVs obtained from orange juice (oEVs) loaded with SARS-CoV-2 mRNAs protected their cargo from enzymatic degradation and were stable at room temperature for one year. Lyophilized oEVs containing the S1 mRNA were administered to rats by gavage and they induced a specific humoral immune response with generation of blocking antibodies, including IgA, that are the first mucosal barrier in the adaptive immune response. Moreover, a Th1 cytokine secretion occurred, suggesting a specific lymphocyte activation. In conclusion, mRNA-containing oEVs could be used for developing new oral vaccines due to optimal mucosal absorption, resistance to stress conditions, and the ability to stimulate a humoral and cellular immune response.

Introdução: Os fatores de risco vasculares são decisivos na evolução da doença aterosclerótica e a ecografia Doppler carotídea e vertebral permite acompanhar o seu aparecimento e evolução. A medida do espessamento da parede arterial permite o diagnóstico precoce da doença potencializando seu tratamento e controle dos fatores de risco vasculares. Objetivo: Analisar a presença de doença ateromatosa em indivíduos com idade > 65 anos e compreender sua transformação com fatores de risco vascular. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo observacional transversal, em indivíduos com idade > 65 anos manifestados ao ecoDoppler carotídeo entre 1º de janeiro de 2012 e 31 de dezembro de 2021. Foi calculado o índice médio-intimal, a presença de placas ateromatosas, sua repercussão hemodinâmica e fatores de risco vascular foram registrados. Resultados: Obteve-se uma amostra de 5885 indivíduos, sendo 41,8% do sexo feminino e 58,2% do sexo masculino. A média de idade foi de 76,59 anos, variando entre 65 e 98 anos (+6,69). A hipertensão arterial foi a mais prevalente 81,3%. Houve relação positiva significativa entre índice médio-intimal, idade e história pessoal de doenças cardiovasculares e cerebrovasculares (p=0,001). Na presença de placas, sexo masculino, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, dislipidemia, tabagismo e história pessoal de doenças cardiovasculares e cerebrovasculares apresentadas de forma positiva. Conclusões: Nesta amostra, fatores de risco vascular não modificáveis ​​parecem ser determinantes na presença de aumento da espessura da parede arterial. Na presença de sinais de um estágio mais avançado da doença aterosclerótica, os fatores de risco vascular modificáveis ​​​​são decisivos,

Legumes are a diverse and important group of plants that play a vital role in agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability. Rhizobia are symbiotic bacteria that form nitrogen-fixing nodules on legume roots, providing the plant with a valuable source of nitrogen. Phenolic acids are a group of secondary metabolites produced by plants that have a wide range of biological functions, including defense against pests and diseases, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and nutrient uptake. In the context of climate change and the imperative for sustainable agriculture, this study delves into the dynamic responses of legume species to varying light intensities and their intricate interactions with soil microorganisms. We investigated the impact of light intensity and rhizobial inoculation on the biomass, nitrate reductase, acid phosphatase, and production of phenolic acids in the roots of four legume species, Trifolium repens, Vicia sativa, Ornithopus compressus, and Coronilla juncea. Plants were grown under three light intensity regimes (low, medium, and high) and inoculated with either rhizobia or a non-inoculated control. The results highlights that shaded-light-adapted species, T. repens and V. sativa, increased root exudate production when exposed to high light intensity. This response aligns with their mining strategy, effectively allocating resources to optimize nutrient acquisition under varying conditions. In contrast, species hailing from well- illuminated environments, O. compressus and C. juncea, displayed distinct strategies by significantly increasing biomass under high irradiance, capitalizing on the available light and nutrients. The mining strategy of legumes emerged as a central theme, influencing biomass production, nitrogen dynamics, and enzymatic activities. The strong correlations between biomass and total nitrogen accumulation underscore the role of the mining strategy in efficient nutrient acquisition. Inoculated plants, which rely more on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), exhibited lower δ15N values, indicative of a successful mining strategy to acquire and utilize atmospheric nitrogen. Enzymatic activities and phenolic acids exhibited significant interspecies variations, reflecting the adaptability of legumes to different light conditions. The findings of this study could be used to develop new strategies for improving legume stress tolerance, nutrient uptake capacity, and rhizosphere health.

This study aims at providing a systematic and critical review on the state-of-the-art of life cycle applications from the circular economy point of view. In particular, the main objective is to un-derstand how researchers adapt life cycle approaches for the measurement of the empirical cir-cular pathways of agri-food systems along the overall lifespan. To perform the literature review, PRISMA protocol was considered to conduct a review by qualitative synthesis. Specifically, an evaluation matrix has been set up to gather and synthesize research evidence, by classifying pa-pers according to several integrated criteria. The literature search was carried out employing scientific databases. Findings evidence that the most common circularity topics are about closed-loop production systems, i.e. nutrient recovery for agricultural purposes, production of renewable energy, valorization of residues and wastes as fertilizers, food waste, and agro-wastes recycling for agriculture. To evaluate the benefits/impacts of CE strategies, Life Cycle Assess-ment (LCA) proved to be the most common methodology applied by authors, as it can help to meet the main CE requirements slowing and closing resource loops.

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.

Background: Traditional omic analysis relies on p-value and fold change as selection criteria. There is an ongoing debate on their effectiveness in delivering systemic and robust interpretation, due to their dependence on assumptions of conformity with various parametric distributions.Here, we propose a threshold-free selection method based on robust, non-parametric statistics, ensuring independence from the statistical distribution properties and broad applicability. Such methods could adapt to different initial data distributions, contrary to statistical techniques based on fixed thresholds. Methods: Our work extends the Rank Products methodology with a neutral selection method of high information-extraction capacity. We introduce the calculation of the RP distribution’s entropy to isolate the features of interest by their contribution to the distribution’s information content. The aim is a methodology performing threshold-free identification of the differentially expressed features, which are highly informative about the phenomenon under scrutiny. Conclusions: Applying the proposed method on microarray (transcriptomic and DNA methylation) and RNAseq count data of varying sizes and noise presence, we observe robust convergence for the different parameterisations to stable cutoff points. Functional analysis through BioInfoMiner and EnrichR was used to evaluate the information potency of the resulting feature lists. Overall, the derived functional terms provide a systemic description highly compatible with the results of traditional statistical hypothesis testing techniques. The methodology behaves consistently across different data types. The feature lists are compact and information-rich, indicating phenotypic aspects specific to the tissue and biological phenomenon i nvestigated. Selection by information content measures efficiently addresses problems, emerging from arbitrary thresholding, thus facilitating the full automation of the analysis.

Diets that restrict the amount of carbohydrates positively affect markers related to metabolic syndrome (MS). However, completely carbohydrate-free diets have been studied in lesser extent, being their effect on biochemical and morphometric parameters in a rat model of MS the main objective of this study. MS was induced by a high-glucose diet for 20 weeks in male Wistar rats with a subsequent exposition to an essentially carbohydrate-free diet (CFD) for 20 weeks. Daily measurements of food consumption and monthly measurements of body weight were made. At week 40, glucose, insulin, lipid profile, ketone bodies, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine, liver and muscle glycogen, and serum, hepatic, renal and pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. Exposition to CFD showed decrease in caloric intake and body weight. Likewise, the group showed normalization in liver and serum MDA parameters, insulin, lipid profile, ALT, liver glycogen, and creatinine. The CFD decreased glucose concentration and the inflammatory state, also, increased the concentration of ketone bodies and urea. The change towards CFD reverses the metabolic alterations generated with MS except for glycemia and uremia, probably due to the high rate of gluconeogenesis generated by the high protein content in the diet.

A selection of 36 commercial probiotic fermented dairy products from UK and Europe markets were evaluated for the numbers, types and viability of Lactobacillus strains against the stated information on their packages. A comparative study was carried out on selectivity of MRS-Clindamycin, MRS-Sorbitol and MRS-IM Maltose, to select the right medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus. Based on selectivity of medium for recovery of the targeted lactobacilli and also simplicity of preparation, MRS-Clindamycin was chosen as the best medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus in fermented milks. The results of enumeration of lactobacilli showed that 22 out of a total 36 tested products contained more than 106 colony forming units/g at the end of their shelf- life, which comply with the recommended minimum therapeutic level for probiotics. Rep-PCR using primer GTG-5 was applied for initial discrimination of isolated strains, and isolates, which presented different band profile, were placed in different groups. The isolated Lactobacillus spp. were identified mainly as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus paracasei by analysis of partial sequences of the 16S ribosomal RNA and rpoA genes. In conclusion, it is unknown to recommend the adequate number of probiotic bacteria to be consumed to ensure the beneficial properties.

Office workers often experience occupational musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of the current systematic review was to investigate the effectiveness of workplace exercise intervention on the oldest age group of office workers who have been reported in the literature so far, in terms of workability and well-being. Randomized Controlled Trials were used and the methodological guidelines of PRISMA were followed. The keywords used were: office workers, older, exercise intervention, workplace, microbreaks, workability and well-being. The databases searched were: PubMed, PEDro, ResearchGate, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Science Direct. PROSPERO ID: CRD42022329656. Five studies (total number of participants: 1190, mean age: 46,4) met the inclu-sion criteria. Their quality was deemed to be moderate to high, according to PEDro and MPSER scales. Workplace interventions of gradually increased strengthening and moderate stretching exercises, isometric positioning and postural reminders, either with or without supervision, result in decreasing musculoskeletal pain, disability, sick-leave from work and in the improvement of quality of life and physical activity of the middle-aged office workers, without negative impact on their workability. Despite the worldwide aging workforce, there is a knowledge gap due to research absence in the field of microbreak exercise interventions in the group of older office workers.

The tri-trophic interactions between plants, insects, and insect predators and parasitoids are often mediated by chemical cues. The attraction to Herbivore-Infested Plant Volatiles (HIPVs) has been well documented for arthropod predators and parasitoids, and more recently for insectivorous birds. The attraction to plant volatiles induced by the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a phytohormone typically produced in response to an attack of chewing herbivores, have provided controversial results, both in arthropod and avian predators. In this study, we aimed to examine whether potential differences in the composition of bouquets of volatiles produced by Herbivore-infested and MeJA-treated Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica) were related to differential avian attraction, as results from a previous study suggested. Results showed that the overall emission of volatiles produced by MeJA-treated and Herbivore-infested trees did not differ, and were higher than emissions of Control trees, although MeJA treatment showed more significant reaction and released several specific compounds in contrast to Herbivore-induced trees. These slight differences in the volatile composition may explain why avian predators were not so attracted to MeJA-treated trees as observed in a previous study in this plant-herbivore system. Unfortunately, the lack of avian visits to the experimental trees in the current study does not allow us to confirm this result and points out the need to perform more robust predator studies.

This paper contributes to the current debate about Benefit Corporations, presenting the development of this organisational model in Italy, the first country to introduce this hybrid form after the US. Grounded on an institutional logic perspective, it provides a picture of the institutional dynamics that have characterised the rise of this new entrepreneurial form outside the US. The analysis provides an in-depth foundational study of the Italian case and highlights the relevant influence of different institutional pressures in explaining the rise of and constraints in the diffusion of Benefit Corporations. Empirically, it combines secondary data, available from different public sources, and primary data collected through interviews with a series of knowledgeable informants. Based upon the analysis, two aspects appear peculiar for the development of Benefit Corporations in Italy: the interplay between the Benefit Corporation legal form and the certified B Corp model, and the rise of tensions between social entrepreneurship and the third sector ecosystem. This paper concludes that the peculiar institutional pressures leading to the birth of Benefit Corporations in Italy may be source of permanent tensions and of concern for the diffusion of the model.

Sustainable development is inconceivable without healthy real estate market. A housing project can be regarded as sustainable only when all the dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) are dealt with. There has been an increased interest in using sustainability indicators for evaluating the impacts of the new development projects. Past and recent experiences have shown that sustainability indicators can be useful tools for measuring the outcomes of new construction, when used appropriately and adequately. The aim of this article is to propose an integrated, hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators to be used for assessment of the new housing development projects in the Baltic States. This aim is achieved through accomplishing three objectives. First, based on a review of literature related to assessing building project performance and sustainable development in construction, the paper proposes a hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators. Second, based on a survey of experts from the Baltic States, significances of criteria are estimated by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Finally, paper proposes recommendations to government authorities and real estate developers as to how to enhance the performance of new residential projects according to the principles of sustainability.

A new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have determined a pneumonia outbreak in China (Wuhan and Hubei) on December 2019. While pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical intervention strategies are strengthened worldwide, the scientific community has been studying the risk factors associated with SARS-Cov-2, to enrich epidemiological information. For a long time, before the industrialized era, air pollution has been a real and big health concern and it is today a very serious environmental risk for many diseases and anticipated deaths in the world. It has long been known that air pollutants increasing the invasiveness of pathogens for humans by acting as a carrier and making people more sensitive to pathogens through a negative influence on the immune system. Based on scientific evidences, the hypothesis that air pollution, resulting from a combination of factors such as meteorological data, level of industrialization as well as regional topography, can acts both as an infection carrier as a harmful factor of the health outcomes of COVID-19 disease has been raised recently. This hypothesis is turning in scientific evidence, thanks to the numerous studies that have been launched all over the world. With this review, we want to provide a first unique view of all the first epidemiological studies relating the association between air pollution and SARS-CoV-2. Major findings are consistent, highlighting the important contribution of air pollution on the COVID-19 spread and with a less extent also PM₁₀.

Beef dry aging consist in a selection of unpackaged primal cuts that are placed in a refrigerator room with controlled environment for several weeks. The goals are the concentration of flavor, like nutty and beefy and tenderness improvement. In this study it was intended verify the microbiological and physicochemical behavior and the meat sensorial perception during a process example of meat dry aging. Twelve beef loins were selected for 90 days of dry aging and placed in a refrigerator room with average temperature, relative humidity and forced air 3.17 ± 0.68 °C, 60.65 ± 4.23 % and 0.5-2 m/s, respectively. On 1, 14, 21, 35, 60 and 90 days of dry aging, were taken two samples, crust and lean meat for microbiological counts, pH, aw, color L*a*b* and sensorial analysis. During drying, there weren´t any pathogenic bacteria counts and the average counts were higher for the crust. The aw and pH had an average of 0.98 ± 0.02 and 5.77± 0.015, with a slightly decrease and increase respectively (P&lt;0.05) along aging days. The dry aging process practices, with room refrigeration at RH&lt;65.00% and temperature &lt;4.00 °C can be the reason for aw&lt;0.98 and meat pH&lt;6.00 and therefore for the absence of pathogenic bacteria. The lower microbial counts on the lean meat and the overall acceptability assessed by the sensory panel confirm the importance of the good trimming and storage practices for the dry aged beef.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that predominantly affects women in the childbearing age. Pregnancy in SLE patients poses unique challenges due to the po-tential impact on maternal and fetal outcomes. We provide an overview of the management of SLE during pregnancy, including pre-conception risk stratification and counselling, treatment, and disease activity monitoring. These assessments are critical to minimize maternal and fetal adverse events in SLE pregnant patients. Disease flares, preeclampsia, antiphospholipid syn-drome complications, and maternal mortality are the major risks for a woman with SLE during gestation. Timely treatment of SLE relapse, differentiation of preeclampsia from lupus nephritis, and tailored management for antiphospholipid syndrome are essential for a successful pregnan-cy. Fetal outcomes include neonatal lupus (NL), preterm birth, cesarean delivery, fetal growth re-striction (FGR), and small for gestational age (SGA) infants. We focused on NL, linked to mater-nal anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies, which can lead to various manifestations, partic-ularly cardiac abnormalities in newborns. While there is a common consensus regarding the pre-ventive effect of hydroxychloroquine, the role of echocardiographic monitoring and fluorinated steroid treatment is still debated. Finally, close postpartum monitoring and counseling for sub-sequent pregnancies are crucial aspects of care.

Resveratrol is one of the most investigated natural polyphenolic compounds and is contained in more than 70 types of plants and in red wine. The widespread interest in this polyphenol derives from its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Several studies have established that resveratrol regulates animal reproduction. However, the mechanisms of action and the potential therapeutic effects are still unclear. This review aims to clarify the role of resveratrol in the male and female reproductive functions, with a focus on animals of veterinary interest. In the female, resveratrol has been considered a phytoestrogen due to its capacity to modulate ovarian function and steroidogenesis via sirtuins, SIRT1, in particular. Resveratrol has also been used to enhance aged oocyte quality, and as a gametes cryo-protectant with mainly antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects. In the male, resveratrol enhanced testes function and spermatogenesis through activation of AMPK pathway. Furthermore, resveratrol has been supplemented to semen extenders improving the preservation of sperm quality. In conclusion, resveratrol has potentially beneficial effects for ameliorating ovarian and testes function. However, due to unclear data, further studies are necessary to consolidate these findings.

Selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene was carried out under solvent-free conditions using supported AuPd nanoparticles catalyst, prepared by modified impregnation method (MIm), as efficient catalyst. >99% yield of aniline (AN) was obtained after 15 hours at 90 °C, 3 bar H2 that can be used without any further purification or separation, therefore reducing cost and energy input. Supported AuPd nanoparticles catalyst, prepared by MIm, was found to be active and stable even after 4 recycle experiments whereas the same catalyst prepared by SIm deactivated during the recycle experiments. The most effective catalyst was tested for the chemoselective hydrogenation of 4-chloronitrobenzene (CNB) to 4-chloroaniline (CAN). The activation energy of CNB to CAN was found to be 25 kJ mol-1, while that of CNB to AN was found to be 31 kJ mol-1. Based on this, the yield of CAN was maximized (92%) by lowering the reaction temperature to 25 °C.

Peri-implant bone resorption has been reported around some implants after loading and this could create problems for the long-term stability of peri-implant soft and hard tissues. The causes are still not completely known, but a relevant importance could be assumed by the presence of a bacterial contamination at the micro-gap level of the implant-abutment junction. In this regard, external and internal implant-abutment assemblies have been shown to be much more permeable to bacterial colonization than Cone-Morse or conical connections. A subcrestal implant placement could have aesthetic advantages allowing a better prosthetic emergence profile. In literature controversial experimental and clinical results have been reported about bone resorption around implants placed equicrestally and subcrestally. Interestingly, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) studies revealed to be extremely useful for assessing the peri-implant bone strain and stress. Thus, the aim of this study was a FEA evaluation of implants with a Cone-Morse implant-abutment assembly (Implacil De Bortoli, São Paulo, Brazil) inserted into a bone block model (width: 10 mm, vertical height: 17.5 mm, thickness of the cortical area: 1.5 mm) mimicking equicrestal and subcrestal placements (1 and 2 mm). The results demonstrated that maximum stresses were observed within the cortical bone around the equicrestally placed implants, the lowest in the implant placed 2-mm subcrestally and intermediate stresses within the implant placed 1-mm subcrestally. Cortical bone was more stressed under lateral loads than axial loads. In conclusion, this FEA study suggested that implant placement at -1 mm could be recommended.

The behaviour of oxidized and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the adsorption of lanthanum(III) from aqueous solutions is described. Metal uptake is studied as a function of several variables such as the stirring speed of the system, pH of the aqueous solution and metal and nanomaterial concentrations. The experimental results are fitted to various kinetics and isotherm models, being the rate law fitted to the film diffusion and particle diffusion models, when the non-oxidized and the oxidized nanomaterials are used to remove lanthanum from the solution, respectively. Sulphuric acid solutions seem to be appropriate to recover the metal from La-loaded nanomaterials.

A definitive transcriptome atlas for the non-coding expressed elements of pathogenic mycobacteria does not exist. Incomplete lists of non-coding transcripts can be obtained for some of the reference genomes (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv) but to what extent these transcripts have homologues in closely related species or even strains is not clear. This has implications for the analysis of transcriptomic data; non-coding parts of the transcriptome are often ignored in the absence of formal, reliable annotation. Here, we review the state of our knowledge of non-coding RNAs in pathogenic mycobacteria, emphasising the disparities in the information included in commonly used databases. We then proceed to review ways of combining computational solutions for predicting the non- coding transcriptome with experiments that can help refine and confirm these predictions.

Landscape configuration and forest structure assume an increasing importance as determinants of animal communities. This paper focused on nocturnal lepidoptera inhabiting alder patches in the Sila National Park, Italy. According to their shape, patches were divided into linear and compact ones to disentangle the role of forest structure and landscape configuration in determining the composition of nocturnal lepidopteran communities at different observation scales. We used the Mann-Whitney test for medians to Shannon diversity, Equitability, Fisher’s alpha, and nestedness to test differences among moth communities. We found that compact patches inhabit richer and more abundant communities. The abundance-based Correspondence Analysis showed moth communities clustered according to woodlot shape, except a compact woodlot having a linear-like moth community because entirely surrounded by grasslands. Percentage of forested area and abundance and composition of communities are positively correlated at 50 and 200 m buffers, while correlations are absent at smaller and larger buffers. Our results demonstrated that a width of 50 m may not be sufficient to give proper functionality to the wooded area, at least for moths. As consequence, planning of forest restorations should consider the importance to increase structural habitat continuity at larger scales.

Protein oligomerzation is key to countless physiological processes, but also to abnormal amyloid conformations implicated in over 25 mortal human diseases. Angiogenin (h-ANG), a ribonuclease A family member, produces RNA fragments that regulate ribosome formation, the creation of new blood vessels and stress granule function. Too little h-ANG activity leads abnormal protein oligomerization resulting in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson’s disease. While a score of disease linked h-ANG mutants has been studied by X-ray diffraction, some elude crystallization. There is also debate regarding the structure that RNA fragments adopt after cleavage by h-ANG. Here, to better understand the beginning of the process that leads to aberrant protein oligomerization, the solution secondary structure and residue-level dynamics of WT h-ANG and two mutants: H13A and R121C, are characterized by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy under near physiological conditions. All three variants are found to adopt well folded and highly rigid structures in solution, although the elements of secondary structure are somewhat shorter than those observed in cystallography studies. R121C alters the environment of nearby residues only. By constrast, the mutation H13A affects local residues as well as nearby active site residues residues K41 and H119. The conformation characterization by CD and 1D 1H NMR spectroscopies of tRNAAla before and after h-ANG cleavage reveals a retention of most duplex structure and little or no G-quadruplex formation.

The emerging whitefly-transmitted crinivirus Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) causes substantial economic losses by inducing yellow leaf disorder in tomato crops. This study explores potential resistance mechanisms by examining early-stage molecular responses to ToCV. A time-course transcriptome analysis compared naïve, mock and ToCV-infected plants at 2, 7, and 14 days post-infection (dpi). Gene expression changes were most notable at 2 and 14 dpi, likely corresponding to whitefly feeding and viral infection. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed key genes and pathways associated with ToCV infection, including those related to plant immunity, flavonoids and steroids biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and hormone signalling. Additionally, virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsRNAs) originating from ToCV predominantly came from RNA2 and were 22 nucleotides in lengt. To confirm these findings, two genes involved in plant immunity, Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90) and its co-chaperone Sgt1 (suppressor of the G2 allele of Skp1) were targeted through viral-induced gene silencing (VIGS), showing potential contribution to basal resistance against viral infections since their reduction correlated with increased ToCV accumulation. This study provides insights into tomato plants responses to ToCV, with potential implications for developing effective disease control strategies.

Deep eutectic solvents have emerged as a greener alternative and have attracted so much interest in the last two decades. This paper present alternative synthesis method to classical heating-stirring. The ultrasound method is one of the most promising syntheses DESs in terms of yield and energy. So, ultrasound synthesis method was studied to obtain hydrophobic (Aliquat 336: L-Menthol 3:7; Li-docaine: decanoic acid 1:2) and hydrophilic DESs based on Choline chloride and urea, ethylene glycol and oxalic acid. The physical characterization of DESs by comparison of FTIR spectra no show difference between DESs obtained by heating-stirring and ultrasound synthesis methods. The RMN spectra of the DESs obtained by heating-stirring revealed the DESs formation. Density and viscosity properties of DESs were evaluated. The density values are similar for both synthesis methods. However, lower viscosity values are obtained to the hydrophilic DESs prepared by ul-trasound methods.

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer (PC) that commonly emerges through a transdifferentiation process from prostate adenocarcinoma and evades conventional therapies. Extensive molecular research has revealed factors that drive lineage plasticity, uncovering novel therapeutic targets to be explored. A diverse array of targeting agents is currently under evaluation in pre-clinical and clinical studies with promising results in suppressing or reversing the neuroendocrine phenotype and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. This new knowledge has the potential to contribute to development of novel therapeutic approaches that may enhance clinical management and prognosis of this lethal disease.

This article presents the copper ions adsorption process using an activated carbon from winemaking wastes. The pH, temperature, activated carbon amount and initial copper concentration were varied based on a full factorial 2^k experimental design. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies were also carried out. The adsorption kinetics was found follow a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption data fit better to the Langmuir isotherm. The ANOVA demonstrated that both pH of the solution and activated carbon dosage had the greatest influence on copper adsorption. The activation energy was -32 kJ·mol^-1 suggesting that the copper adsorption is a physic-sorption process. The best fit to a linear correlation was the moving boundary equation that controls the kinetics for the adsorption copper ions onto the activated carbon. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal the existence of different copper species (Cu²⁺, Cu⁺ and or Cu⁰) on the surface of the carbonaceous adsorbent after the adsorption, which could suggest a simultaneous reduction process.

This paper focuses on the characterization approach to evaluate the decay state of Pietra Serena of historic buildings in Florence (Italy). Pietra Serena is a Florentine sandstone largely used in the city especially during the Renaissance; it is a symbol of cultural heritage of Florence and constitutes a large part of the city center, which was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Unfortunately, many environmental factors negatively affect the stone, increasing damage and the danger of falling material. Any detachment of stone fragments, in addition to constitute a loss in cultural heritage, can be dangerous for citizens and the many tourists that visit the city. The use of Non-Destructive Techniques (NDTs) as ultrasonic and Schmidt hammer tests can quantitatively define some mechanical properties and help to monitor the decay degree of building stone. In this study, the NDTs were combined with mineralogical, petrographical, chemical and physical analyses to investigate the stone materials, in order to correlate their features with the characteristics of the different artefacts in Pietra Serena. Correlations between the NDTs results and the compositional characteristics of the on-site stone were carried out; such discussion allows to identify zones of weakness and dangerous unstable elements.

Oxygen is a limiting factor both in the environment and production systems, so reduction may become a stressor. Diel cyclic hypoxia occurs with varying frequency and duration in freshwater habitats. Under a stressful situation fish activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI) which triggers the release of cortisol that induces secondary and tertiary responses. The recovery of individuals depends on their ability to modulate physiological, and biochemical responses to maintain homeostasis. The aim of this study is to determine the hematological and physiological responses of rainbow trout under repeated hypoxic stress in different time points. The methodology of the experiment consisted of dividing the fish in 5 different treatment groups, 2 control groups and 3 hypoxia groups. Every exposure consisted in decrease the dissolved oxygen concentration from 8mg O2/L to 2mg O2/L for 1 hour. After the exposure the fish went to a recovery tank until the sampling procedure. Hematological and physiological results show a habituation of the fish to different parameters such as hematocrit, hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume among others. Overall, our results indicate an ability of rainbow trout to resist this type of hypoxic exposures and a habituation of fish to repeated hypoxia as observed in the different measured parameters.

The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze the level of agreement of a sample of Italian people with the rights of people with physical and psychical disabilities (PwPHDs and PwPSYDs) to have satisfying sexuality, to marry, to adopt a child; (2) to inquire if PwPSYDs were subject to less recognition than PwPHDs; (3) to verify if socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, education, occupation, geographical origin, relational status, sexual orientation, and religiosity, associated with being against these sexual and parenting rights (SPRs). An online anonymous questionnaire inquired the level of agreement or disagreement with statements regarding the SPRs of PwPHDs and PwPSYDs. 973 participants, aged 18 – 84 years (71.1% females) were considered for analyses; At least 7 out of 10 participants declared in favor of the SPRs of PwPHDs, while the SPRs of PwPSYDs were always subjected to higher underrecognition. Religiosity almost invariably associated to being against the SPRs of PwDs. Being male, of higher age and lower education also associated with lower recognition. A better identification of the less tolerant respondents and of the less recognized categories may allow for specific strategies for promoting the recognition of the SPRs for PwDs.

Metals are indispensable in the life of all organisms, in fact, their dysregulation causes various disorders caused by an interruption of their homeostasis. Nowadays different transition metals are incorporated into pharmaceutical products as diagnostic and therapeutic agents because of their electronic structure which gives them versatility in terms of tuning molecule properties, differently from organic molecules. Hence the interest in the study of metal-drug complexes from different points of view was born and many approaches were developed for the characterization, activation, delivery and molecular mechanisms clarification. The integration of these different approaches starting from chemoproteomics passing through nanoparticle systems to different activation strategies allows the understanding of the cellular responses of metallic drugs, which can be the basis for the design of new drugs and/or modification of drugs currently in use. This review aims to briefly summarize the recent advances in this area by describing the technological platforms and their possible applications to identify protein targets for discovering the mechanisms of action of metallodrugs, and to improve their efficiency in terms of administration.

Immune surveillance and adaptive immune responses, involving continuously circulating and tissue-resident T-lymphocytes, provide host defense against infectious agents and possible malignant transformation while avoiding autoimmune tissue damage. Activation, migration, and deployment of T-cells to affected tissue sites are crucial for mounting an adaptive immune response. An effective adaptive immune defense depends on the ability of T-cells to dynamically reprogram their metabolic requirements in response to environmental cues. Inability of the T-cells to adapt to specific metabolic demands may skew cells to become either hyporesponsive creating immunocompromised conditions or hyperactive causing autoimmune tissue destruction. Here, we review maladaptive T-cell metabolic fitness that can cause autoimmune diseases and discuss how T-cell metabolic programs can potentially be modulated to achieve therapeutic benefits.

Repeated air pollution exposure is one of the major threats to skin health. Air pollution causes skin damage and accelerates skin ageing mainly through oxidative stress mechanisms. Since it is difficult to minimize skin exposure from air pollutants, especially in urban areas, strategies to protect the skin are needed. On the other hand, plant phenolic compounds have been found to be effective in attenuating cellular oxidative stress and inflammation induced by different air pollutants. Therefore, we conducted a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study to assess the efficacy of a polyphenol-enriched dietary supplement (comprised of olive leaf, lemon verbena, rosemary and Sophora japonica extracts) in reducing pollution-induced oxidative stress and in improving different skin parameters related to skin ageing of Caucasian and Asian volunteers living in a polluted urban European area (Milan). One hundred healthy women were recruited and randomized in the placebo or in the test dietary supplement treatment arms. To assess the efficacy of the dietary supplement, the total antioxidant capacity on saliva (FRAP) was determined, as well as the oxidative damage on skin (lipoperoxides content), the skin moisture (corneometry), the trans-epidermal water loss (Tewameter), the skin radiance and the skin colour, (spectrophotometry), the skin elasticity (cutometry), the skin sebum content (sebumeter), and the skin roughness (image analysis). As a result, both inter-group and intra-group analysis proved that the dietary supplement improved all clinical and biochemical monitored parameters, in both Caucasian and Asian individuals. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate a reduced oxidative stress-induced skin damage in both Asian and Caucasian women living in a polluted urban area.

Keywords: artificial bone; conical implants; cylindrical implants; dental implants; implant stability quotient; insertion torque; polyurethane; post-extraction sites; removal torque.

The vomeronasal system serves as a pivotal element in mammalian sensory biology, allowing the perception of chemical signals essential for social communication via the activation of two main receptor families, V1R and V2R. The expression of V1Rs and V2Rs is linked with that of the G-protein alpha-subunits, Gαi2 and Gαo, respectively. The exploration of the evolutionary pathways of V1Rs and V2Rs across all mammalian species remains a main challenge, juxtaposing available genomic data against emerging immunohistochemical evidence. However, recent investigations, in contrast to what is predicted by the currently annotated genomic sequences, have revealed the expression of Gαo in the vomeronasal neuroepithelium of wild canids, including wolves and foxes. In the present study, the employment of a specific antibody raised against the mouse V2R2, member of the C-family of vomeronasal receptors, V2Rs, has confirmed the expression of this receptor in the fox and wolf, but it has revealed the lack of expression in the dog. This may reflect the impact of domestication on the regression of the VNS in this species, in contrast to their wild counterparts, and underscores the effects of artificial selection on sensory functions. Thus, these findings suggest a more refined chemical detection capability in wild species.

Workplace bullying is common among nurses affecting negatively several work-related variables, such as job burnout and job satisfaction. However, no study until now has examined the impact of workplace bullying on quiet quitting among nurses. Thus, our aim was to examine the direct effect of workplace bullying on quiet quitting and to investigate the mediating effect of coping strategies on the relationship between workplace bullying and quiet quitting in nurses. We conducted a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 650 nurses in Greece. We collected our data during February 2024. We used the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, the Quiet Quitting Scale and the Brief COPE to measure workplace bullying, quiet quitting and coping strategies, respectively. We found that workplace bullying and negative coping strategies were positive predictors of quiet quitting, while positive coping strategies was a negative predictor of quiet quitting. Our mediation analysis showed that positive and negative coping strategies partially mediated the relationship between workplace bullying and quiet quitting. In particular, positive coping strategies caused competitive mediation, while negative coping strategies caused complimentary mediation. Nurses’ managers and policy makers should improve working conditions by reducing workplace bullying and strengthening positive coping strategies among nurses.

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium causing a range of mild to life-threatening infections including bone infections such as osteomyelitis. S. aureus is able to invade and persist within non-professional phagocytic cells such as osteoblasts. In the present study four different S. aureus strains, 2SA-ST239-III, 5SA-ST5-II, 10SA-ST228-I, and 14SA-ST22-IVh were tested for their ability to modulate cell viability in MG-63 osteoblast-like cells following a successful invasion and persistence. Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) ATCC-12598-ST30 was used as control. Despite the demonstrated similar abilities of internalization and persistence of ATCC-12598-ST30, 2SA-ST239-III, and 14SA-ST22-IVh strains in MG-63 osteoblast-like cells under our experimental conditions, we demonstrated that the decrease in cell viability was due to the different behavior of the considered strains, with the number of intracellular bacteria playing a limited role. We focused our attention on different cellular biochemical functions related to inflammation, cell metabolism, and oxidative stress during osteoblast infections. We were able to show that: 1) ATCC-12598-ST30 and 2SA-ST239-III were the only two clones able to persist and maintain their number into the cellular hostile environment during the entire period of infection; 2) 2SA-ST239-III was the only clone able to significantly increase the gene expression (3 and 24 h) and protein secretion (24 h) of both interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in MG-63 osteoblast-like cells; 3) the same clone determined a significant up-regulation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and the metabolic marker glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNAs at 24 h post infection; 3) neither the MSSA nor the four MRSA strains induced oxidative stress phenomena in MG-63 cells, although a very different expression pattern towards nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream gene heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activation was observed among the different clones. Our results can open a new way of considering therapies, going in the direction of an individualized therapeutic strategy that should take into account the difference existing between MSSA and MRSA as well as the distinctive features of the different clones. Not only, therefore, a different antibiotic approach but also a starting point for considering different host factors, i.e. the modulation of specific cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β1.