De novo metastatic hormone-sensitive PC (mHSPC) accounts for 5-10% of all prostate cancer (PC) diagnoses but it is responsible for nearly 50% of PC-related deaths. Since 2015, the prognosis of mHSPC has slightly improved thanks to the introduction of new hormonal agents and chemotherapy combined with androgen deprivation therapy from the first-line setting. This review describes the current therapeutic opportunities in de novo mHSPC, focusing on potential molecular biomarkers identified in the main clinical trials that have changed the standard of care, the genomic features of de novo mHSPC, and the principal ongoing trials that are investigating new therapeutic approaches and the efficacy of a biomarker-guided treatment in this setting. The road towards a personalized treatment for de novo mHSPC is still long considering that the randomized clinical trials, which have furnished the basis of the current therapeutic options, stratified patients according to clinical criteria that not necessarily reflect the biological rationale of the chosen therapy. The role of transcriptomic profiling of mHSPC as predictive biomarker requires further validation, as well as it remains to ascertain how the genomic alterations detected in mHSPC, that are considered predictive in the castration-resistant disease, can be exploited in the mHSPC setting.

Tomato pomace (TP), an agricultural industrial waste product from the tomato processing industry, was valorized by being used as a rearing substrates for Tenebrio molitor (L.). This study evaluated bran-based diets with increasing tomato pomace (0%, 27%, 41% and 100%). Protein sources, as brewer’s spent grain and yeast, are used in TP27 and TP41 diets, respectively, to ensure equal protein content to control diet (TP0). Results showed larval survival, larval and pupal weight no different between diets; however, growth time significantly increases in TP100 compared at all diets. The feed conversion rate progressively increases from 2.7 to 4.3, respectively from TP0 to TP100. Conversely, Lycopene and β-Carotene increases in the larvae. Fatty acid composition improves by increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly -Linoleic acid). Although the best nutritional quality was obtained in T100, the TP41 is the optimal diet for balance between larval performance and qualitative improvement of larvae. Therefore, tomato pomace is suitable for the formulation of mealworm diets, even in high dosages when supplemented with sustainable protein sources.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the second most common cancer of the urinary system. The current therapeutic strategies are based on partial or total nephrectomy and/or targeted therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors to which patients are often refractory. Preventive and screening strategies are not existing and the few available biomarkers for RCC are characterized by the lack of sensitivity, outlining the need of novel noninvasive and sensitive biomarkers for an early diag-nosis and a better disease monitoring. Blood liquid biopsy (LB) is a non- or minimally invasive procedure for a more representative view of tumor heterogeneity than the tissue biopsy, poten-tially allowing real-time monitoring of cancer evolution. Growing interest is focused on the extra-cellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by either healthy or tumoral cells and recovered in a variety of bio-logical matrices, blood included. EVs are involved in cell-to-cell crosstalk transferring their mRNAs, miRNAs, and proteins content. In particular, transferred miRNAs may regulate the tu-morigenesis and proliferation also impacting on resistance to apoptosis, thus representing poten-tial useful biomarkers. Here we present the latest efforts in the identification of circulating miR-NAs in blood samples, focusing on the potential use of EV derived miRNAs as RCC diagnostic, prognostic markers.

We have studied the very large amount of literary works written by the Italian mystic Maria Valtorta to assess similarities and differences in her writings because she claims that most of them are due to mystical visions. We have used mathematical and statistical tools developed for specifically studying deep linguistic aspects of texts. The general trend indicates that the literary works explicitly attributable to Maria Valtorta differ significantly from her other literary works, that she claims are attributable to the alleged characters Jesus and Mary. Mathematically, they seem to have been written by different authors. The comparison with the Italian literature is very striking. A single author, namely Maria Valtorta, seems to be able to write texts so diverse to cover the entire mathematical range (suitable defined) of the Italian literature of seven centuries.

Background: Sacubitril/valsartan has been shown to be superior to enalapril in reducing the risks of death and hospitalization for heart failure (HF). However the effect on cardiac performance remains unknown. We sought to evaluate the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on clinical, bioumoral and echocardiographic parameters in patients with HFrEF. Methods: Sacubitril/valsartan was administered to 205 HFrEF patients. Results: Among 230 patients (mean age 59 ± 10 years, 46% with ischemic heart disease) 205 (89%) completed the study. After a follow–up of 10.49 (2.93±18.44) months, the percentage of patients in NYHA class III changed from 40% to 17% (p<0.001). Median N–Type natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) decreased from 1865 ± 2318 to 1514 ± 2205 pg/mL, (p=0.01). Furosemide dose reduced from 131.3 ± 154.5 to 120 ± 142.5 (p=0.047). Ejection fraction (from 27± 5.9% to 30 ± 7.7% (p<0.001) and E/A ratio (from 1.67 ± 1.21 to 1.42 ± 1.12 (p=0.002)) improved. Moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (from 30.1% to 17.4%; p=0.002) and tricuspid velocity decreased from 2.8 ± 0.55 m/sec to 2.64 ± 0.59 m/sec (p<0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Sacubitril/valsartan induce “hemodynamic reverse remodeling” and in association with Nt-proBNP concentrations lowering improve NYHA class despite a diuretic dose reduction.

Cryonotothenioidea is the main group of fishes that thrive in the extremely cold Antarctic environment, thanks to the acquisition of peculiar morphological, physiological and molecular adaptations. We have previously disclosed that IgM, the main immunoglobulin isotype in teleosts, display typical cold-adapted features. Recently, we have analyzed the gene encoding the heavy chain constant region (CH) of the IgT isotype from the Antarctic teleost Trematomus bernacchii (family Nototheniidae), characterized by the near-complete deletion of the CH2 domain. Here, we aimed to track the loss of the CH2 domain along notothenioid phylogeny and to identify its ancestral origins. To this end, we obtained the IgT gene sequences from several species belonging to the Antarctic families Nototheniidae, Bathydraconidae and Artedidraconidae. All species display a CH2 remnant of variable size, encoded by a short Cτ2 exon, which retains functional splicing sites and therefore is included in the mature transcript. We also considered representative species from the three non-Antarctic families: Eleginopsioidea (Eleginops maclovinus), Pseudaphritioidea (Pseudaphritis urvillii) and Bovichtidae (Bovichtus diacanthus and Cottoperca gobio). Even though only E. maclovinus, the sister taxa of Cryonotothenioidea, shared the partial loss of Cτ2, the other non-Antarctic notothenioid species displayed early molecular signatures of this event. These results shed light on the evolutionary path that underlies the origins of this remarkable gene structural modification.

In the Mediterranean area, vegetation dynamics and phenology analyzed over a long time can have an important role in highlighting changes in land use and cover as well as the effect of climate change. Over the last 30 years, remote sensing has played an essential role in bringing about these changes thanks to many types of observations and techniques. Satellite images are to be considered an important tool to grasp these dynamics and evaluate them in an inexpensive and multidisciplinary way thanks to Landsat and Sentinel satellite constellations. The integration of these tools holds a dual potential: on one hand, allowing to obtain longer historical series of reflectance data, while on the other hand, making data available with a higher frequency even within a specific timeframe. The study aims to conduct a comprehensive cross-comparison analysis of long-time series pixel values in the Mediterranean regions. For this scope comparisons between Landsat-7 (ETM+), Landsat-8 (OLI), and Sentinel-2 (MSI) satellite sensors were conducted based on surface reflectance products. We evaluated these differences using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Major Axis linear regression (RMA) analysis on points extracted from over 15,000 images across the Mediterranean basin area from 2017 to 2020. Minor but consistent differences were noted, necessitating the formulation of suitable adjustment equations to better align Sentinel-2 reflectance values with those of Landsat-7 or Landsat-8. The results of the analysis are compared with the most used harmonization coefficients proposed in the literature, revealing significant differences. The root mean square deviation, the mean difference and the orthogonal distance regression (ODR) slope show an improvement of the parameters for both models used (OLS and RMA) in this study. The discrepancies in reflectance values lead to corresponding variations in the estimation of biophysical parameters, such as NDVI, showing an increase in the ODR slope of 0.3. Despite differences in spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics, we demonstrate that integration of these datasets is feasible through the application of band-wise regression corrections for a sensitive and heterogeneous area like those of the Mediterranean basin area.

A nutritional approach could be a promising strategy to prevent or slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, since there is no effective therapy for these diseases so far. The beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids are now well established by a plethora of studies through their involvement in multiple biochemical functions, including synthesis of antinflammatory mediators, cell membrane fluidity, intracellular signalling and gene expression. This systematic review will consider epidemiological studies and clinical trials that assessed the impact of supplementation or dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Indeed, treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, being safe and well tolerated, represent a valuable and biologically plausible tool in the management of neurodegenerative diseases in their early stages.

Cardiotoxicity is the main side effect of several chemotherapeutic drugs. Doxorubicin (Doxo) is one of the most used anthracyclines in the treatment of many tumors, but the development of acute and chronic cardiotoxicity limits its clinical usefulness. Different studies focused only on the effects of long-term Doxo administration, but recent data show that cardiomyocyte damage is an early event induced by Doxo after a single administration that can be followed by progressive functional decline, that lead to overt heart failure. The knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in the early stage of Doxo induced cardiotoxicity is of paramount importance to treat and/or prevent it. This review aims to illustrate several mechanisms considered to underlie Doxo-induced cardiotoxicity, such as oxidative and nitrosative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, here we report data from both in vitro and in vivo studies indicating new therapeutic possibilities to prevent Doxo-induced cardiotoxicity.

Main pathogens affecting carob (Ceratonia siliqua) tree in the Mediterranean basin are described in this overview. The most widespread diseases periodically occurring on carob orchards are powdery mildew (Pseudoidium ceratoniae) and cercospora leaf spot (Pseudocercospora ceratoniae). The causal agents of so-called “black leaf spots” (e.g. Pestaliotiopsis, Phyllosticta and Septoria spp.) are responsible for similar symptoms to above mentioned foliar diseases but are reported on carob orchards with a negligible frequency. Likewise, canker and branch diebacks caused by fungal species belonging to Botryosphaeriaceae are almost never recorded. Among wood diseases that may compromise old or previously damaged carob specimens, “brown cubical heart rot” caused by Laetiporus sulphureus is the most widespread and recurrent issue; this pathogen is also well-known for edible fruit bodies that are also appreciated for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. On the other hand, “white decays” caused by Fomes and Ganoderma species are less common and reported for the first time in this review. Like-gall protuberances on twigs at uncertain aetiology or tumours on branches associated to Rhyzobium radiobacter are described although these symptoms are seldom detected as it happens also for necrotic leaf spots caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. ciccaronei. A list of worldwide pathogens not yet recorded but at high-risk potential of introduction in Italian carob producing area is also provided. Finally, some concerns are addressed to new phytopathogenic fungi vectored by invasive Xylosandrus compactus ambrosia beetle. Comprehensively, all described pathogens could potentially in near future become limiting factors for carob production, because they could be favoured by high-density orchards, increasing global network of trade exchanges and high frequency through which extreme events of climate changes globally occur. Thus, symptoms and signs, causal agents, epidemiology and whenever applicable recommendations for disease prevention and management are provided in this review.

This paper studies the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group in homogeneous projective coordinates, because it is then possible to write all transformations of such a group in a manifestly linear way. The 2-sphere metric, Bondi-Metzner-Sachs metric, asymptotic Killing vectors, generators of supertranslations, as well as boosts and rotations of Minkowski spacetime, are all re-expressed in homogeneous projective coordinates. Last, the integral curves of vector fields which generate supertranslations are evaluated in detail. This work prepares the ground for more advanced applications of the differential geometry of asymptotically flat spacetimes in projective coordinates.

Mercury (Hg) fish and seafood contamination is a global concern and needs worldwide sea investigations in order to protect consumers. The aim of this study was to investigate the Hg concentration by means of a rapid and simple analytical technique with direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80) in pelagic fish species, Tetrapturus belone (spearfish), Thunnus thynnus (tuna) and Xiphias gladius (swordfish) caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Hg contents were evaluated also in Salmo salar (salmon) as pelagic fish not belonging to the Mediterranean area. The results obtained were variable ranging between 0,015-2,562 mg kg-1 for T. thynnus specie, 0,477-3,182 mg kg-1 for X. gladius, 0,434-1,730 mg kg-1 for T. belone and 0,004-0,019 mg kg-1 for S. salar, respectively. The total Hg tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and % tolerable weekly intake (TWI%) values according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) were calculated. The results highlighted that the pelagic species caught in the Mediterranean Sea should be constantly monitored due to their high Hg contents as well as their TWI and TWI% with respect to S. salar samples.

During summer 2016 in the District of Palermo, Italy, the rapid succession of four cases of invasive meningococcal disease among young adults, with one death, have had an extraordinary emphasis by Local and National mass media. The resultant “epidemic of panic” among general population overloaded vaccination Units of the Palermo District during following months. Strategies implemented by Sicilian and Local Public Health Authorities to counteract “meningitis fear” were: a) extension of active and free of charge anti-meningococcal tetravalent vaccination from age class 12–18 to 12–30 years old; b) implementation of vaccination units usual opening hours and rooms tailored for vaccine administration; c) development of informative institutional tools and timely communications throughout local mass media to reassure general population. In 2016, was observed an increase of anti-meningococcal coverage in Palermo District (+18% for 16th y.o. and + 14% for 18th y.o. cohorts) and at Regional Level (+11.2% and +13.5% respectively). Concurrent catch-up of other recommended vaccination for age (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-poliomyelitis and papillomavirus), resulted in further increase of doses administered. The fear for meningitis, managed by Sicilian Public Health Authorities, had positive reverberations in terms of prevention. In particular, informative strategies adopted sensibly contributed to get Sicilian young adults closer to vaccination issues.

Cell identity is determined by chromatin structure and the profiles of gene expression, which are dependent on chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation of regions critical for gene expression, such as enhancers and promoters. These epigenetic modifications are required for mammalian development and are essential for the establishment and the maintenance of the cellular identity. DNA methylation was once thought to be a permanent repressive epigenetic mark, but systematic analysis in various genomic contexts reveals a more dynamic regulation than previously thought. In fact, both active DNA methylation and demethylation occur during cell fate commitment and terminal differentiation. To link methylation signatures of specific genes to their expression profiles, we have determined the methyl-CpG configurations of the promoters of five genes switched on and off during murine postnatal brain differentiation by bisulfite-targeted sequencing. We report here the structure of significant, dynamic and stable methyl-CpG profiles associated with silencing or activation of expression of genes during neural stem cell and brain postnatal differentiation. Strikingly, these methylation cores mark different mouse brain areas and cell types derived from the same areas during differentiation.

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

In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the “pandemic state” due to COVID-19 imposing strict confinement of the world population. People were forced to spend more time at home, changing some daily routines, including social interactions, the possibility to perform sports, and diet habits. These changes could exert a greater impact on patients suffering from chronic diseases, such as endocrine patients. This study aimed to assess the effects of Covid-19 induced quarantine on daily habits in a group of patients with endocrine disorders, focusing on food consumption, eating, and sleep habits during the confinement. Eighty-five endocrine patients were enrolled. A structured interview was administered investigating: socio-demographic information, general medical conditions and habits adopted during the quarantine. All patients underwent the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y1) to assess state anxiety. Subjects had mainly a sedentary lifestyle. We found a significant increase in the number of cigarettes in smokers, an increase of meals consumed during the confinement and a high rate of sleep disorder occurrence, especially insomnia. The changes of daily habits were, probably, due to the alterations of routine, that determined more bore and inactivity during the day.

Water resources management is one of the most important challenges worldwide because water represents a vital resource for sustaining life and environment. In the aim of sustainable groundwater management, the identification of aquifer recharge areas is a useful tool for water resources protection. In a well-developed karst aquifer, environmental isotopes provide support for identifying aquifer recharge areas, residence time and interconnections between aquifer systems. This study deals the use of environmental isotopes to identify the main recharge area of a karst aquifer in the Upper Valley of Aniene River (Central Italy). The analysis of 18O/16O and 2H/H values and their spatial distribution in the aquifer, make it possible to trace back groundwater recharge areas based on average isotope elevations. The Inverse Hydrogeological Balance Method was used to validate spring recharge elevations obtained by the use of stable isotopes. Areas impacted by direct and rapid rainfall recharge into the study area were delineated, showing groundwater flowpaths from the boundaries to the core of the aquifer. The results of this study demonstrate the contribution that spatial and temporal isotope changes can provide to the identification of groundwater flowpaths in a karst basin, taking into account the hydrogeological setting

Phytophthora cinnamomi is a devastating soil-borne plant pathogen. The primary source of P. cinnamomi infection is the soil, where the pathogen can persist for long periods. Effective prevention and management of this pathogen in tree crops require an early and reliable detection method. In this study, we develop a simple, fast, reliable, and sensitive method based on real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for P. cinnamomi detection and quantification directly in plant or soil samples. Primers were developed targeting the nuclear single-copy ras-related protein gene Ypt1, suitable for Phytophthora-specific PCR. The specificity of the assay was confirmed by testing it against genomic DNA from 50 isolates across 8 different Phytophthora clades, including very similar P. parvispora. The efficiency and reliability of the qPCR protocol were evaluated on challenging environmental samples, such as plant tissue of different host trees (walnut, chestnut, oak) and naturally infected soils in walnut orchards. The main outcome was the development of a qPCR method for the specific identification and quantification of P. cinnamomi in natural soil samples. Additionally, this study established a systematic and repeatable soil sampling method and developed an efficient soil DNA extraction technique to apply the developed qPCR in naturally infested soils of walnut orchards.

Airborne micro- and nanoplastics are widely spread and pose a risk to human health. The effects of virgin (v) and home oxidised (ox) nano- and micropolystyrene (nPS/mPS) (0.1 and 1 µm) were studied on the human alveolar cells (A549). Ox-nPS/mPS, simulating photoaging, allowed effects due to environmental wear to be assessed. Cellular uptake was quantified using FITC-functionalised nPS/mPS, while cytotoxicity, changes in the acidic compartment, ROS production, mitochondrial function and DNA damage were assessed to study the effects of internalised v- and ox-nPS/mPS. The uptake was dose-dependent and very fast, since, at the lowest dose, 20.8% and 21.8% of nPS and mPS, respectively, were internalised after 1 h. Compared to v-, significant ROS increases, DNA damage and mitochondrial impairment were observed after exposure to ox-nPS/mPS. The enhancement of effects due to environmental aging processes highlighted the true potential impact on human health of these airborne pollutants.

New technologies such as "connected" and "autonomous" vehicles are going to change the future of traffic signal control and management and possibly will introduce new traffic signal systems that will be based on floating car data (FCD). The use of floating car data to regulate, in real-time, traffic signal systems has the potential for an increased sustainability of transportation in terms of energy efficiency, traffic safety and environmental issues. However, research has never explored how not "connected" vehicles would benefit by the implementation of such systems. This paper explores the use of floating car data to regulate in real-time traffic signal systems in terms of cooperative-competitive paradigm between "connected" vehicles and conventional vehicles. In a dedicated laboratory, developed for testing regulation algorithms, results show that "invisible vehicles" for the system (which are not "connected") in most simulated cases also benefit when real time traffic signal settings based on floating car data are introduced. Moreover, the study estimates the energy and air quality impacts of signal regulation by evaluating fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. Specifically, the study demonstrates that significant improvements in air quality are possible with the introduction of FCD regulated traffic signals.

The p53 tumor suppressor protein shows antiviral activity. The replication of viruses is also antagonized by interferons (IFNs) – cytokines, which control immunity genes by the STAT transcription factors. The best studied interferons belong to type I (e.g. IFNα) and type II (IFNγ) groups. IFNα and IFNγ both induce activating phosphorylation of STAT1 on Tyr701. Previously, we noticed that p53 activates SOCS1, which is a negative regulator of STAT1 phosphorylation. Thus, we hypothesized that p53 by activating SOCS1 expression reduces phosphorylation of STAT1 and attenuates activation of genes stimulated either by IFNα or IFNγ. To test this hypothesis, we exposed p53-proficient and p53-deficient cells to strong p53 activators, and either to IFNα or IFNγ. Subsequently, we estimated the phosphorylation status of STAT1 and the expression of genes regulated by either of these cytokines. Strong activation of p53 reduced the phosphorylation of STAT1 on Tyr701, however surprisingly it did not lead to reduced expression of most tested interferon-stimulated genes. On contrary, p53 and IFNγ synergized in the activation of CASP1, IFIT1 and IFIT3 genes. We conclude that the interactions between p53 and interferon-activated pathways are more complicated than initially expected, but the apparent cooperation between p53 and IFNγ deserves further studies.

Background. To improve maternal and child health, it is essential to adhere to health-promoting and preventive measures. However, reliable information as well as effective tools are not easy to identify in this field. Our cross-sectional study investigated the needs and expectations of expectant and new mothers and fathers -primary users of an app supporting the first 1000 days of life. Methods. Between May and August 2022, we recruited expectant and new parents by administering a 71-item 5-point Likert scale questionnaire related to content, functionalities, and technical features of a hypothetical app. We stratified responses by sociodemographic characteristics and then performed ward hierarchical clustering. Results. The 94 women and 69 men involved in our study generally agreed with the proposed content, but expressed low interest in certain app functionalities, especially those related to interaction mechanism and interactivity. Women were generally more demanding than men, and family income declined as the needs and expectations increased. Conclusions. Our findings, resulting from the engagement of end-users, may be useful for designers and technology providers to implement mHealth solutions that, in addition to conveying reliable information, are tailored to the needs and preferences of end-users in the first 1000 days of life.

Introduction: In recent years, generative Artificial Intelligence models, such as ChatGPT, have been increasingly utilized in healthcare. Despite acknowledging the high potential of AI models in terms of quick access to sources and formulating a response to a clinical question, the results obtained using these models still require validation through comparison with established clinical guidelines. This study compares the responses of the AI model to eight clinical questions with the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines for ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods: The authors used the Delphi method to evaluate responses from ChatGPT and the AIOM guidelines. An expert panel of healthcare professionals assessed responses based on clarity, consistency, comprehensiveness, usability, and quality using a 5-point Likert scale. The GRADE methodology assessed the evidence quality and the recommendations' strength. Results: A survey involving 14 physicians revealed that the AIOM guidelines consistently scored higher averages compared to the AI models with a statistically significant difference. Post-hoc tests showed that AIOM guidelines significantly differed from all AI models, with no significant difference among the AI models. Conclusions: While AI models can provide rapid responses, they must match established clinical guidelines regarding clarity, consistency, comprehensiveness, usability, and quality. These findings underscore the importance of relying on expert-developed guidelines in clinical decision-making and highlight potential areas for AI model improvement.

We performed the accuracy assessment of three different Normalized Difference Water Indices (NDWIs) in water bodies during April 2019, a period in which floods occurred in a large proportion of the Southwest of the Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). The accuracy of the estimations using spaceborne medium-resolution multi-spectral imaging, and the reliability of three NDWIs to highlight shallow water features in satellite images, was evaluated using a high resolution airbone imagery as ground-truth. It is shown that these indices computed using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 imagery are only loosely correlated to the actual flooded area in shallow waters. Indeed, NDWI values vary significantly depending on the satellite mission used and the type of index computed.

Nonsense mutations cause several genetic diseases such as Cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, β-thalassemia, and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. These mutations induce the formation of a premature termination codon (PTC) inside the mRNA sequence that leads to the aberrant translation, resulting in the synthesis of truncated polypeptides. Nonsense suppression therapy mediated by translational readthrough-inducing drugs (TRIDs) is a promising approach to correct these genetic defects. TRIDs generate a ribosome miscoding of the PTC named “translational readthrough” and restore the synthesis of full-length and potentially functional protein. The new oxadiazole-core TRIDs NV848, NV914, and NV930 showed translational readthrough activity in nonsense-related in vitro systems. In this work, the possible off-target effect of NV molecules on natural termination codons (NTCs) was investigated. Two different in vitro approaches were used to assess if the NV molecules treatment induce NTCs readthrough: 1) A study of translational induced p53 molecular weight and functionality; 2) the evaluation of two housekeeping proteins (Cys-C and β2M) molecular weights. Our results showed that the treatment with NV848, NV914, or NV930 do not induce any translation alterations in both experimental systems. Data suggested that NV molecules have a specific action for the PTCs and an undetectable effect on the NTCs.

The meridian line is a basic instrument for positional astronomy, it was used to study the motion of Sun, Moon, planets and the position of stars by measuring position and time of their passage through the meridian plane. The accuracy of such positions was dependent on precise theories of the atmospheric refraction (Cassini, 1655 and Laplace, 1825) and by the use of reference marks present originally on the meridian line, and now cancelled by the centuries. From October 27, 2018 the new pinhole of the meridian line in the Basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli in Rome (1702) is a circle 25 mm wide and 6.11 mm thick and its position is fixed, in order to perform a series of observations of astrometric quality, the IGEA campaign. The comparison of the observed positions of the meridian passages of the Sun, Southern and Northern limbs, with the ephemerides of Calsky.org and Stellarium 0.20.2 for the Sun are examined for the dates of the ingresses into the zodiacal signs, when the ecliptic longitude is exactly 0°/180° (Aries and Libra, spring and fall equinox), 30°/150° (Taurus, Virgo), 60°/120° (Gemini, Leo), 90° (Cancer), 330°/210° (Pisces, Scorpio), 300°/240° (Aquarius/Sagittarius), 270° (Capricorn). The former geometrical calibration of the marks present on the line, with a total station, is compared with another calibration done with a metal and laser meter. The first star on the floor of the Basilica representing the position of the Sun on August 20, 1702 when the pope Clement XI visited the meridian line, financed by him, has been calibrated with the solar image. The present pinhole is 4.4±0.1 mm South with respect to the original one of 1702.

Pain is a complex multidimensional feeling combined with sensorial and emotional features. The majority of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment reported various degrees of pain, which is perceived as widely variable between individuals, even when the stimulus is the same. Orthodontic pain is considered the main cause of poor-quality outcomes, patients' dissatisfaction, and lack of collaboration up to the interruption of the therapy. A deep understanding of pain and how it influences the patient’s daily life is fundamental to establishing proper therapeutic procedures and obtaining the correct collaboration. Because of its multifaced and subjective nature, pain is a difficult dimension to measure. The use of questionnaires and their relative rating scales is actually considered the gold standard for pain assessment. Depending on the patient’s age and cognitive abilities is possible to choose the most appropriate instrument for self-reported pain records. Although several scales have been proposed and a lot of them are applied, it remains uncertain which of these tools represents the standard and performs the most precise, universal, and predictable task. This review aims to give an overview of the aspects which describe pain, specifically the pain experienced during orthodontic treatment, the main tool to assess self-perceived pain in a better and more efficient way, the different indications for each of them, and their correlated advantages or disadvantages.

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

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is an activator of transcription. Diverse stress factors lead to various sets of posttranslational modifications of p53 what results in different sets of upregulat-ed genes. We noticed that actinomycin D and nutlin-3a (A+N) synergize in inducing activating phosphorylations of p53 and upregulation of selected p53-target genes. Here we found that one of these genes is DUSP13, which codes for poorly-studied, dual-specificity phosphatase having at least two isoforms, one expressed in testis and the other in skeletal muscles. In cancer cells ex-posed to A+N, DUSP13 is expressed from an alternative promoter in intron, what results in ex-pression of isoform named TMDP-L1. The luciferase reporter tests demonstrated that this pro-moter is activated by both endogenous and ectopically expressed p53. We showed for the first time that mRNA expressed from this promoter actually produces the protein, which can be de-tected by Western blotting in all examined cancer cell lines with wild-type p53 exposed to A+N. In some cell lines it is also induced by clinically relevant camptothecin or by nutlin-3a acting alone. This isoform, fused with green fluorescent protein localizes in perinuclear region of cells. Thus, TMDP-L1 isoform may be an important element of p53-regulated stress response system.

Background: Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) believe that diet is a key factor in the pathogenesis of their disease and in worsening their symptoms; they often follow restrictive diets that can lead to malnutrition, anxiety, and stress. Recent studies have found an association between eating disorders and IBD, particularly anorexia nervosa and ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). None of these studies report the association with orthorexia nervosa, that is the obsession with healthy and natural foods. Aim: to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa in patients with IBD. Methods: 158 consecutive subjects were recruited, including 113 patients diagnosed with IBD and 45 controls. The Donini standardized questionnaire ORTO-15 was administered to assess the risk of orthorexia; clinical and demographic data were also collected. Results: patients with IBD have a prevalence of orthorexia of 77%, significantly higher than the 47% observed in the control group. In patients with IBD, the risk of orthorexia is associated with lower BMI and history of previous surgery. Conclusion: Many patients with IBD develop orthorexia nervosa that impacts the patient's psychological and social sphere, exposes them to a high risk of nutritional deficiencies, and affects quality of life. Further high quality studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical impact of orthorexia and its correlation with clinical features and frank eating disorders.

In the area of dental healthcare services, where patients and professionals deal with multiple auditory stimuli, this cross-sectional study reports on the intricate dynamics of sound preferences, noise obstacles, and the profound impact of music on anxiety reduction within dental office set-tings. The sample comprises of 134 dental patients, primarily females (56.7%), with varying age groups, education levels, and therapy durations in the university clinics of the department of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and four private dental offices at the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. Notably, 92.5% of the participants report no hearing loss, and 56.7% exhibit some level of noise sensitivity. The study reveals a moderate to good perceived health status (M=3.84, SD=0.95) among participants, with low perceived noise disturbance in university dental clinics. Preferences for instrumental music, foreign pop, and classical music are prominent during waiting times. Potential irritations include impersonal treatment (44%) and staff behavior (41.8%). Music player usage within the settings of the dental clinic involves radios (49.3%) and headphones (41.0%). Correlations and predictors indicate associations between health status, music preferences, and noise disturbances. More specifically, visiting the university dental clinics (β = .300, p = .005) as well as younger age (β = .300, p = .034) were significant predictors of better perceived health status. Clearer perception of external sounds while using the music player (β = .190, p = .039) was a significant predictor of better perceived health status, while poorer health was predicted by the preference of Greek folk songs (β = -.200, p = .030). Also, the use of smartphones for playing music was related to poorer health (β = -.370, p < .001). Following, younger age (β = -.270, p = .015), lower education (β = -.210, p = .035), higher noise sensitivity (β = .190, p = .027), as well as feelings of anxiety and nervousness due to ambient noise from people and machines (β = .510, p = .027) were significant predictors of noise disturbance from machines. Also, visiting private clinics (β = .240, p = .018), preferences of specific playlist (β = .310, p = .012), no music (β = .280, p = .016) and use of smartphones to play music (β = .230, p = .029) were significant predictors of noise disturbance from patients or staff. Finally, the preference of listening to a specific playlist was related to better health status (r = .190, p < .05). Findings aim to optimize eco-soundscapes in dental offices, con-tributing to enhanced patient well-being. The research underscores the potential of music inter-ventions to alleviate dental anxiety and improve the overall dental experience and quality care.

The cold-pressed hempseed oil (HO) has been increasingly exploited in human diet for its excellent nutritional and healthy properties. However, it has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and chlorophylls, which inevitably accelerate its oxidative deterioration, especially in presence of light. In this scenario, the filtration technology may ameliorate the oxidative stability of the oil, with positive effects on its nutritional quality and shelf-life. Therefore, in this study, the oxidative stability and minor compounds of non-filtered and filtered HO (NF-HO and F-HO) were monitored over 12 weeks of storage in transparent glass bottles. F-HO showed a better hydrolytic and oxidative status than NF-HO during storage. As a result, F-HO displayed also a better preservation of total MUFA and PUFA in the autoxidation process. Filtration consistently reduced chlorophylls, thus, causing a variation of the natural color of HO. Accordingly, F-HO not only revealed an increased resistance to photooxidation but was also suitable for storage in clear bottles within 12 weeks. F-HO predictably showed lower carotenoids, tocopherols, polyphenols, and squalene compared to NF-HO. However, filtration appeared to play a “protective role” toward these antioxidants, which had lower degradation rates in F-HO than NF-HO for 12 weeks. Interestingly, the element profile of HO was not affected by filtration and remained stable during the study period. Overall, this study may be of practical use to both producers and marketers of cold-pressed HO.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent bacterial infection in both community and healthcare settings. They account for approximately 40% of all bacterial infections and require around 15% of all antibiotic prescriptions. Although antibiotics have traditionally been used to treat UTIs for several decades, the significant increase in antibiotic resistance in recent years has made many previously effective treatments ineffective. Biofilm on medical equipment in healthcare settings creates a reservoir of pathogens that can be easily transmitted to patients. Urinary catheter infections are frequently observed in hospitals and are caused by microbes that form a biofilm after the catheter is inserted into the bladder. Managing infections caused by biofilms is challenging due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Biofilms enable pathogens to evade the host's innate immune defences, resulting in long-term persistence. The incidence of sepsis caused by urinary tract infections that have spread to the bloodstream is increasing, and drug-resistant infections may be even more prevalent. While the availability of upcoming tests to identify the bacterial cause of infection and its resistance spectrum is critical, it alone will not solve the problem; innovative treatment approaches are also needed. This review analyses the main characteristics of biofilm formation and drug resistance in recurrent uropathogen-induced UTI. The importance of innovative and alternative therapies to combat biofilm-caused UTI is emphasised.

Our work is regarding the analysis of land use changes, in the light of “saving soil” against the expansion due to unearned plus value of land: The loss of natural and agricultural surface in front of the expanding urban environment is a critical aspect of unsustainability of urban development, especially in the way it was carried out in the past decades. The measure of the physical transition of land use and characters from a more natural condition of land surface to a new artificial one, joint with a parallel analysis of the increase of land value due to such change is nowadays a major land-policy tool. The interplay of urban economics regulation with planning, reveals new key issues in urban governance and environmental preservation. In this paper it will be shown some experiment about the impact assessment of soil take, related with the seek of valorization of property inside the planning process. Our paper reports as well about the experimental activity carried out inside the MITO Lab of the Polytechnic of Bari, where reports about property values and environmental values have been produced, specially looking at the reality of the Apulia, a southern Italian Region, that is rich of farmlands and coastlines, often invaded by constructions with a severe loss of nature, landscape and ecosystems services.

Aujeszky Disease Virus (ADV) is a double-stranded DNA virus with a lipoprotein envelope. The natural hosts of the infection are suidae, but the virus can infect many other mammals. The gold-standard method identified by the WOAH for the diagnosis of Aujeszky disease is ELISA method. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of meat juice and oral fluid matrices using a commercial ELISA kit designed for serum. A total of 80 blood and oral fluid samples were collected from four pig farms selected for this study. Diaphragm muscle samples of about 100 g and blood samples were collected from 213 animals at the abattoir. These biological matrices were collected from the same animals and tested using a competitive ELISA kit to detect antibodies against ADV. The relative accuracy of the meat juice compared to that of the serum was 96.7% (95% CI: 93.3%-98.7%), with 206 correct results out of 213. The relative accuracy of the oral fluid compared to that of the serum was 61.3% (95% CI: 49.7%-71.9%), with 58 correct results out of 80. Meat juice has a better combination of sensitivity and specificity than oral fluid. The usage of meat juice in routine diagnostic examinations could be achieved after further investigations to optimize the procedure.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has proven to be effective in reducing the rate of recurrence and disease as secondary prevention (evidence-based intervention) in patients who have suffered from myocardial infarction (MI). CR is a multidisciplinary path in which the patient is followed pharmacologically, from a psychological, nutritional, nursing and physiotherapy point of view. Post-MI patients present a reduction in the performance of the diaphragm muscle, the main inspiratory muscle, and this condition can become a risk factor for further relapses or for the onset of heart failure. Despite the solidity of the international guidelines for CR, the latter are lacking in specifically indicating an evaluation and training path regarding the inspiratory muscles in post-MI patients who have not undergone cardiac surgery. The article reviews the information on the adaptation of the diaphragm post-MI and highlights the need for clearer indications for a rehabilitation process that gives importance to the diaphragm.

Reducing GHG emissions is a crucial challenge in urban areas, characterized by high energy consumption and reduced exposure to nature. In this context, the urban green system could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars analyzed both the ability of species-specific and layout-specific green infrastructures to increase carbon sequestration and the best location sites of new green infrastructures, to increase the provision of overall ecosystem services. There is a lack of studies helping green urban planners and designers choose where and which green infrastructure to implement, based on vegetation species-specific performance and local carbon emissions of city components. This paper uses tree inventory data from a medium-sized city in central Italy (Perugia) to develop a spatial analysis of the urban parks' performance in carbon sequestration. Then, the method evaluates the carbon emission of a public city building to generate a spatialized balance between buildings’ demand and trees’ supply, to support local decisions about the best locations for new green infrastructures and the choice between species. The paper contributes to GIS-based tools that vary the recommended location sites and species for new green infrastructures based on the demanded ecosystem service.

The rapid introduction of DAAs has revolutionized the treatment of chronic HCV infection, however some concerns have been arose about their early and long term safety in real life settings. Therefore, these drugs achieve a robust and sustained virological response in a short duration of treatment, being a quick winning option, but, what then? At now an extensive follow-up in real life settings does not exist particularly on HCC occurrence as recently suggested in a Cochrane review . In this regard from February 2015 to December 2017 a group of 5 Hospital and Academic Centers in Southern Italy (Campania Region) managed an observational, prospective, real-life study on efficacy and safety of DAAs treatment schedule enrolling 1022 consecutive HCV patients treated with IFN-free DAAs regimens being followed-up for 24 months. Our preliminary data on the first 360 patients out of 1022 whose completed at least 66 weeks follow-up, based on clinical, laboratory and expert ultrasonography every three months, showed an SVR in 342 out 360 (95%) patients of which 9 had a new diagnosed HCC (2.63%). Specifically HCC developed in mean after 16,2 months after end of treatment as one or more nodules (2-3 cm in mean) with an increase in alpha-fetoprotein 10 x u.n.v (n.v. <15 UI/mL) in patients with F4 fibrosis staging at the time of treatment enrolment. In conclusion, in view of our findings and literature evidences, regular clinical, laboratory and expert ultrasonography follow-up should carefully performed also on these patients and the current Faster, Higher, Stronger approach to the new antivirals development should strongly be revisited in the light of possible late adverse events like HCC occurrence and the relative economic impact on health care system cost.

Seafood products are the main dietary source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), which are essential for human health. However, due to the widespread use of processed fish products, the presence of these n-3 PUFAs may be subject to changes related to different processing methods. The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acid composition, with a focus on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), in different processed fish and shellfish food of EU and non-EU origin purchased in supermarkets and ethnic food shops in Messina (Italy), using gas chromatography with flame-ionization detector (GC-FID). From the fatty acid profile, the atherogenic index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI) and flesh-lipid quality index (FLQ) were determined: 0.13-1.04 (AI), 0.31-9.84 (TI) and 0.41-29.90 (FLQ). The percentages of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids had the following ranges: 13.55-50.48%, 18.91-65.58%, 13.84-52.73%, respectively. All samples showed a good presence of PUFAs and, in particular, eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) were the main n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA).

This observational study aims to depict the impact of gender and socio-economic issues on the health status of Italian Orthopaedic patients during the COVID-19 lockdown. An Ad Hoc ques-tionnaire was developed and online administered. The following data were extracted from the questionnaire: age, body mass index (BMI), education level, distance from hospital, orthopaedic disease, concomitant medical comorbidities, living status (with/without cohabitants) and physical activity level (according to Tegner Activity Scale). The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was studied analyzing differences related to the above-mentioned parameters. A significant increase of the call number to general practitioner and to the orthopaedic surgeon was observed during the COVID-lockdown, especially in patients with higher education level. Nonetheless, a reduced compliance in drugs assumption was observed in patients with higher education level during lockdown (p=0.007). Almost all the analyzed items were significantly in-fluenced by the distance between patient’s domicile and the nearest hospital. However, no sig-nificant differences were observed comparing pre-COVID to COVID lockdown. In the present study patients’ gender and education level revealed a significant impact on the social behavior during the COVID lockdown, compared with the pre-COVID period.

Food production is a complex matter, affecting people’s lives, organizations’ profits, and the well-being of the whole planet and has multifaceted ethical considerations surrounding its production, distribution, and consumption. This paper addresses the pressing need to confront ethical challenges within the food system, encompassing issues such as environmental sustainability, food security, and individual food choices for better oral and systemic health of all individuals around the globe. From agricultural practices to global trade and food waste, ethical implications are addressed across various domains, highlighting the interconnectedness of ethical decision-making in the food industry. Central themes explored include the ethical dimensions of food production methods, the impact of global trade on food ethics, and the role of individuals in making ethically informed food choices. Additionally, the paper dives into the spiritual and physical significance of food, particularly through the lens of oral health as a gateway to holistic well-being. Recognizing the complexity of the food ecosystem, the paper calls for serious interventions in legislation and economics to promote ethical protocols and techniques for sustainability reasons. It emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in food safety management systems, regulatory frameworks, and quality standards. Moreover, the paper underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to address ethical dilemmas and moral values inherent in the food industry and oral health policies, advocating for the adoption of the precautionary principle and ethical decision-making frameworks. The article aims to serve as a call to action for stakeholders across the food industry and the healthcare sector, to prioritize ethical practices, promote transparency, rearrange economic parameters and work towards a more sustainable and equitable food system for inner and outer oral and systemic health and human sustainability for all.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia caused by both immune-mediated platelet destruction and impaired platelet production in the bone mar-row, in the absence of any other identifiable cause of low platelets count. ITP in adult patients is a disease that frequently relapses and/or becomes refractory to multiple treatments during its course, with only a small minority of adult patients attaining a sustained complete remission off-therapy. Treatment of refrac-tory ITP can be challenging, due to the unlikeliness of attaining complete response over time. On the other hand, isolated thrombocytopenia may be due to a misdiagnosed clonal myeloid disorder, such as myelodys-plastic syndrome (MDS) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), thus mimicking ITP. We here per-form a narrative review on the association between ITP and MDS/CMML and the possibility of overlap and misdiagnosis between these conditions, while we report also the case a patient treated for a severe re-fractory thrombocytopenia which bone marrow examination led to suspect an overlap of MDS and ITP. Our clinical case describes ITP which is refractory to glucocorticoids, high-dose immunoglobulins, Rituxi-mab, splenectomy, thrombopoietin receptor agonists and Fostamatinib, that ultimately attained a short-lived response to a hypometylating agent that was initiated due to bone marrow examination that aroused the suspect of MDS.

Background: The aim of this experimental work was to confirm the individual uniqueness of lip prints, to verify the presence of recurrent patterns according to the Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification and to search for characteristics that can be used in establishing the sex of a subject. Methods: Lip prints were taken from a sample of 172 volunteers using liquid lipstick and transparent adhesive tape and were digitally analyzed. Results: 59 prints (35.3%) were not considered for Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification due to quality errors and the impossibility of visualizing lip wrinkles in one or more sextants, all the digitized prints revealed themselves to be unique after having been analyzed using superimposition. Qualitatively valid prints indicated a prevalence of Type II in both male and female and the presence of sex-linked features. A major problem was that the analysis of the same print by different operators often resulted in a different attribution of a Type. Conclusions: The potential of cheiloscopy lies mainly in the matching of prints, given their uniqueness, and can be a valid tool in gender determination but the absence of a database greatly limits its use. It is necessary to establish an acquisition protocol for taking and analyzing prints that could reduce the errors committed by the operator.

Introduction: The image of the nurse is a source of concern because of its impact on recruitment to the profession, policy decisions about the profession, funding of nursing services, consumer use of nursing services and how the image of the nurse affects nursing practice. Aim: This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Nursing Attitudes Questionnaire (NAQ-IV). Methods: 564 persons between the years 2022 and 2023 with heterogeneous ages and occupations from Northern, Central and Southern Italy participated in the study. Cronbach's alpha, item versus total correlations, skewness and kurtosis were calculated; factor analysis was performed using principal axis factoring and the viramax rotation method. Results: The results showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 on the scale and between 0.88 and 0.89 between the factors; all items tested for correlation between the item and the total and the criteria for variance in the responses. Factor analysis showed a 4-factor model explaining more than 59.91% of the variance, with the largest variance being explained by the 'Role & professionalism' factor (25.96%). Conclusion: These results allow for a discussion regarding the theoretical framework of the NAQ-IV and provide a reliable and valid instrument for the comparison of welfare, organisation of health services, role, professionalism, stereotypes, values, advocacy, motivation and perceived satisfaction with the figure of the nurse and nursing care.

In Italy HPV vaccination was implemented for girls since 2007 but its coverage was lower than recommended level. Sicily is one of the Italian administrative regions with lower vaccination coverage, ranging in the birth cohorts 1996–1999 from 59% to 62%. Aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with refusal of anti-HPV vaccination among young adult women of Palermo, Italy. A cross-sectional study was conducted through the administration of a telephone questionnaire, consisting of 23 items on HPV infection and vaccination knowledge based on Health Belief Model framework. The eligible population were young women with at least a previous vaccination among all included in Sicilian Vaccination schedule, without starting or completing anti-HPV vaccination schedule. Overall, 141 young women were enrolled, of them 84.4% were unvaccinated and 15.6% had at least one dose of HPV vaccine. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with the failure to perform the HPV vaccination were degree as school level (OR = 10.2, p = 0.041), lower participation at school seminar on HPV (OR = 0.2, p = 0.047) and lower perception of anti-HPV vaccine benefits (OR = 0.4, p = 0.048). Public health educational program focusing and tailored on benefits perception of anti-HPV vaccine and HPV disease severity, especially if carried out at school, can improve HPV vaccination uptake.

Chorioamnionitis (CA) at term of pregnancy can have infectious and/or inflammatory origin and is associated with adverse outcomes. Triple I (Intrauterine Inflammation, Infection or both, TI) has been proposed to reduce the overdiagnosis of infection and the neonatal overtreatment. The aim of the study is to identify clinical and histological variables predicting adverse outcomes when TI has been suspected and/or confirmed. This retrospective cohort study included 404 pregnancies ≥37 g.a. that were divided into 5 all-inclusive and mutually exclusive groups. TI was defined according to NICHD definition of 2015 and it could be confirmed (TI+) or not (TI-) by histological examination. Signs of infection/inflammation not respecting the definition of TI were classified as “Clinical suspicion”, supported (CS+) or not (CS-) by histology. Histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) without clinical manifestation represented fifth group. Whole Placental Involvement (WPLI), was defined as a histological inflammation involving maternal and fetal side. There were 113 TI+, 30 TI-, 186 CS+, 35 CS- and 40 isolated HCA. WPLI was diagnosed in 133 cases (39.2%). Composite neonatal outcome (CNO) occurred in 114 cases (28.2%) while composite maternal outcome (CMO) occurred in 192 cases (47.5%). TI+ compared to CS+ was more predictive of CNO (p=0.001), CMO (p<0.001) and WPLI (p=0.005). WPLI was related both to CNO (p<0.001) and CMO (p=0.046). TI+ and WPLI showed similar sensitivity but different specificity in predicting CNO. At logistic regression, CNO was independently predicted by TI+ (OR 2.21; p=0.001) and by WPLI (OR 2.23; p=0.001). TI, compared to CS, is a better predictor of CNO and can be useful for the identification of newborns at risk.

Continuous technological progress places significant demands on the materials used in increasingly modern devices. An important parameter is often the long-term thermal resistance of the material. The use of heat-resistant polymer materials worked well in technologically advanced products. An economically justified direction in searching for new materials is the area of polymer nanocomposite materials. It is necessary to appropriately select both the polymer matrix and the nanofillers best able to demonstrate the synergistic effect. A promising area of exploration for such nanocomposites is the use of organosilicon polymers, which results from the unique properties of these polymers related to their structure. This review presents the results of the analysis of the most important literature reports regarding organosilicon polymer nanocomposites with increased thermal resistance. Particular attention was paid to modification methods of silicone nanocomposites focused on the increase of their thermal resistance related to the modification of siloxane molecular structure and by making nanocomposites using inorganic additives, carbon nanomaterials. Attention was also paid to such important issues as the influence of the dispersion of additives in the polymer matrix on the thermal resistance of silicone nanocomposites and the possibility of modifying the polymer matrix and permanently introducing nanofillers thanks to the presence of various reactive groups. The thermal stability mechanism of these nanocomposites was also analysed.

Monitoring of clients living with HIV encompasses a specific array of activities that routinely check on various aspects of ART following its initiation depending on the availability of resources in that particular state, among other factors as per guidelines from the World Health Organisation. This is a significant practice as it promotes positive health outcomes for patients and efficient utilisation of ART regimens to reduce resistance to the medication – hence it is a measure to guard avoidable costs. It also forms a basis on which decisions are made from. It can be done clinically by assessing for signs e.g., skin rash and symptoms e.g., nausea and vomiting, checking vital organ function and measuring weights across all populations, or can be also be done by assessing specimens for their respective viral loads, white blood cell count, pregnancy status or other infections such as hepatitis B. There have not been any special indications required for one to be eligible for monitoring during ART in developing countries; all qualify for routine monitoring even though some may be more frequent than others in cases of comorbidities such as renal failure where medications can be attributed to exacerbating the condition.

Aim: To evaluate the panmacular subthreshold micropulse laser treatment results among patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and their correlation with functional and morphological parameters. Material and methods: The examined group included 10 non-treated and 41 treated patients with acute, recurrent, and chronic CSC (13 F, 38 M, mean age 44.11±6.5) and 14 healthy controls (6 F, 8 M, mean age 45±9.3). The BCVA examination, ophthalmoscopy, microp-erimetry, angio-OCT and OCT were performed. The medical history regarding chronic general disorders and known risk factors were recorded. Results: Complete resorption of SRF was obtained in 100% aCSC, 86.66% cCSC, and 63.63% r CSC. BCVA and RetSens significantly improved most of the patients treated in aCSC. The lowest BCVA and RetSens, but the largest pachyvessel and disease duration, were found in rCSC. A strong negative correlation between final BCVA and disease duration was found. No patient demonstrated laser lesions following treatment. Conclusions: The panmacular MPLT therapy leads to long-term enhancement of functional and morphological parameters in all CSC patients. The acute CSC patients showed the most significant improvement. The procedure is safe and could be considered a preferred treatment option for all active CSC cases. Timely treatment is crucial for beneficial outcomes.

Human exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can cause health issues due to their chemical–physical features and biological interactions. These nanostructures cause oxidative stress, also due to endogenous ROS production, which increases following mitochondrial impairment. The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the health effects, due to mitochondrial dysfunction, caused by a sub-chronic exposure to a non-acutely toxic dose of multi walled CNTs (raw and functionalised). The A549 cells were exposed to MWCNTs (2 µg mL^-1) for 36 days. Periodically, cellular dehydrogenases, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), cytochrome c release, permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, transmembrane potential (Δψ m), apoptotic cells, and intracellular ROS were measured. The results, compared to untreated cells and to positive control formed by cells treated with MWCNTs (20 µg mL^-1), highlighted the efficiency of homeostasis to counteract ROS overproduction, but a restitutio ad integrum of mitochondrial functionality was not observed. Despite the tendency to restore, the mitochondrial impairment persisted. Overall, the results underlined the tissue damage that can arise following sub-chronic exposure to MWCNTs.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

The mantis shrimp Rissoides pallidus (Giesbrecht, 1910) is among the rarely reported crustacean species in the Central Mediterranean Sea. In December 2020, during a trawl survey off Mazara del Vallo harbour (Strait of Sicily), two specimens of R. pallidus were captured on coastal detritus and coastal terrigenous mud bottoms at about 132 and 152 m depths. This current note, therefore, updates the existing knowledge of R. pallidus in the Strait of Sicily. Additional information specific to biometrics, bottom types, depth preference, habitats, and geographic distribution of this crusta-cean species are provided.

Evaluation of road safety is a critical issue having to be conducted for successful safety management in road transport systems, whereas safety management is considered in road transportation systems as a challenging task according to the dynamic of this issue and the presence of a large number of effective parameters on road safety. Therefore, evaluation and analysis of important contributing factors affecting the number of crashes play a key role in increasing the efficiency of road safety. For this purpose, in this research work, two machine learning algorithms including the group method of data handling (GMDH)-type neural network and a combination of support vector machine (SVM) and the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) are employed for evaluating the number of vehicles involved in the accident based on the seven factors affecting transport safety including the Daylight (DL), Weekday (W), Type of accident (TA), Location (L), Speed limit (SL), Average speed (AS) and Annual average daily traffic (AADT) of rural roads of Cosenza in southern Italy. In this study, 564 data sets of rural areas were investigated and relevant effective parameters were measured. In the next stage, several models were developed to investigate the parameters affecting the safety management of road transportation for rural areas. The results obtained demonstrated that "Average speed" has the highest level and "Weekday" has the lowest level of importance in the investigated rural area. Finally, although the results of both algorithms were the same, the GOA-SVM model showed a better degree of accuracy and robustness than the GMDH model.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p&lt;0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p&lt;0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

This study aimed to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the development of the cat-owner/dog-owner relationship scales. The method encompassed several stages: conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement, and functional equivalence. Processes included translations, synthesis of translations, back-translations, consensus on the English versions, external evaluation by the original authors, expert committee evaluation, and pre-tests. The study involved surveying 342 pet owners throughout Brazil using a 20-item questionnaire. Data analyses utilized confirmatory factor analysis, covariance-based modeling, and multigroup analysis. The techniques confirmed that the scale preserved its psychometric properties and showed no variance between dog and cat owners, indicating that the measured constructs are universal and unaffected by specific cultural nuances. Hence, the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the scale facilitate applying and testing concepts and measures in diverse contexts, enriching our understanding of the dynamics between owners and their pets (dogs and cats) in different living situations. In addition, this research holds particular significance in Brazil, given the country’s vast cultural diversity.

The bioactive marine sulfated polysaccharides ulvan and carrageenan, formulated in gels at 1.5, 5.0 and 10% w/w concentrations, were evaluated for their wound healing potential on second-degree burn wounds. The polysaccharide-based gels were administered on the burn-inflamed skin of hairless female SKH-hr2 mice, and the therapeutic effect of the various treatments was assessed based on histopathological analysis, the clinical condition of mice, photo-documentation, evaluation of biophysical skin parameters, and FT-IR spectroscopy.Clinical and histopathological assessment, as well as the reduction rate of the burn wound area, indicated that the 10% w/w carrageenan gel significantly enhanced wound healing, especially at the early stages of the healing process, recovering both the α-helix of collagen and the glycosaminoglycans configuration as evidenced by the FT-IR absorption bandsof skin in vivo and ex vivo. At later stages, the healing effect of the 5% w/w ulvan gel was also notably significant, indicating that carrageenan and ulvan wound dressing gels could potentially contribute to the efficient wound healing of burn wounds.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects around 2 % of women of reproductive age. Primary RPL is defined by ≥2 pregnancy losses and no normal birth delivery. In secondary RPL, the losses are after a normal pregnancy and delivery. Most cases have no clear aetiology, although primary cases are the most complex. Several gene polymorphisms have been associated with RPL. Some polymorphisms are increased in women of Asian or Caucasian race. In admixed RPL populations, the information on possible genetic links is scarce and contradictory. The study aimed to assess the frequency of two SNP in different enzymes involved in medical conditions observed during pregnancy. Microsomal epoxy hydrolase (mEPH) is involved in detoxifying xenobiotics. It is present in ovaries, and it is hormonally regulated. The endothelial nitric oxide synthase forms nitric oxide from arginine and is involved in vascular tone. Two SNPs, rs1051740 and rs1799983, were assessed. The study included 26 controls and 63 primary RPL patients. Significant differences were observed in the frequencies of both SNP (p<0.05). The frequency of mutated alleles was higher in patients. Double mutated homozygotes were encountered only in RLP patients (p<0.05). Genetic polymorphisms rs1051740 and rs1799983 may be involved in primary RPL in the Venezuelan admix population. Genetic studies could provide crucial information on the aetiology of primary RPL.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the possibility of discriminating between the two sexes through the simultaneous use of cheiloscopy and palatine rugoscopy. Materials and methods: 80 palate and lip impressions (40 male and 40 female) were analyzed. The palate impressions were acquired using both analogue and digital methods. The lip impres-sions were first acquired analogically and then scanned. The morphology of the palatine rugae in the palate impressions was analyzed, with the exclusion of segmental rugae. The lip prints were analyzed in sextants and the morphology of the lip wrinkles was evaluated. Results: Palatine rugoscopy shows that women have more curvy rugae than men and that men have more rugae on the left side than on the right. Cheiloscopy gave no statistically significant re-sults. Discussion: Palatine rugoscopy showed some differences between the sexes, however, these re-sults were not solid enough for reliable sex discrimination. Differences between the results of dif-ferent studies can be attributed to ethnic and methodological variations. Cheiloscopy, on the other hand, did not provide statistically significant results for sex discrimination. Conclusions: Given the scant results obtained from palatine rugoscopy and the lack of statisti-cally relevant results in cheiloscopy, together with a lack of concordance among the data found in literature, it is believed that it is not possible to discriminate between the two sexes by using the two methods contemporarily. Further research is needed.

Long-term safety of a nutraceutical combination based on agnus castus and magnolia extracts combined with soy isoflavones (SI) and lactobacilli, and effectiveness on vasomotor symptoms and sleep disorders in postmenopausal women, were assessed. A controlled study was carried-out in menopausal women comparing this nutraceutical combination (ESP group) with formulation containing isoflavones alone (C group), at the dosage recommended. Kuppermann index, PSQI, and SF-36 were determined at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Endometrial thickness, mammary density and liver function were evaluated at baseline and after 12 months. 180 women (100 in ESP group and 80 in C group, mean age 55.5 years, in menopause for about 36 months) were enrolled in the study. At the treatment end, mammary density, endometrial thickness, and hepatic function did not show substantial differences between groups. Kuppermann index, and particularly hot flushes, were progressively and significantly decreased in frequency and severity during ESP versus C treatment. No adverse events were observed. Agnus castus and magnolia, combined with SI + lactobacilli, can effectively and safely be used in symptomatic postmenopausal women, mainly when quality of sleep is the most disturbing complaint. Endometrium, mammary glands and liver function, were unaffected after 12 months treatment.

Despite notable advancements in immunotherapy in the past decades, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains a promising, potentially curative treatment modality. Only a limited number of studies has performed a direct comparison of two prevalent rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG) formulations — specifically, Thymoglobuline (ATG-T, formerly Genzyme) and Grafalon (ATG-G, formerly Fresenius). The primary objective of our retrospective analysis was to compare the outcomes of adult patients undergoing matched or mismatched unrelated donor (MUD/MMUD) allo-HCT, with a graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis based on either ATG-T or ATG-G. A total of 87 patients undergone allo-HCT between 2012 and 2022 were included. We observed no significant differences between ATG-T and ATG-G concerning the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), regardless of its severity. Conversely, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) occurred less frequently in the ATG-T group compared to ATG-G (7.5% vs. 38.3%, p=0.001). Patients treated with ATG-T manifested a higher incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivations (70% vs. 31.9%, p&lt;0.001), with a shorter time between transplant and CMV (&lt;61 days, 77.8% vs. 33.3%, p=0.008) and a higher median CMV copy number (1000 vs. 0, p=0.004). Notably, despite a higher occurrence of CMV reactivations in the ATG-T cohort, most patients were asymptomatic compared to ATG-G (85.7% vs. 43.8%, p=0.005). Finally, we observed no significant differences in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year probability of relapse while comparing ATG-T and ATG-G (32.0% vs 40.3%, p=0.423; 63.9% vs 55.7%, p=0.438, respectively).

Background: The aim of this experimental work was to evaluate cheiloscopy potential: to confirm the individual uniqueness of lip prints, to verify the presence of recurrent patterns according to the Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification and to search for characteristics that can be used in establishing the sex of a subject, with a focus on assessing the method's limitations. Methods: Lip prints were taken from a sample of 172 volunteers using liquid lipstick and transparent adhesive tape and were digitally analyzed. Results: 59 prints (35.3%) were not considered for Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification due to quality errors and the impossibility of visualizing lip wrinkles in one or more sextants. All the digitized prints revealed themselves to be unique after having been analyzed using superimposition. Qualitatively valid prints indicated a prevalence of Type II in both male and female. A major problem was that the analysis of the same print by different operators often resulted in a different attribution of a Type. Conclusions: The potential of cheiloscopy lies mainly in the matching of prints, given their uniqueness, but the absence of a database greatly limits its use. Additionally, its use for sex identification does not seem to be reliable. It is necessary to establish an acquisition protocol for taking and analyzing prints that could reduce the errors committed by the operator.

The strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a Lean Learning Factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center, which allows students to learn, experiment, and research, in an environment similar to that of enterprises, the new Lean Manufacturing methods and techniques, and Industry 4.0. The research presented in this study had as its objective identifying the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators who serve two differently organized workstations, one classic, the other including digital techniques, but on which the same assembly operation is performed. Several indicators were considered in the analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a Lean manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

In this follow-up study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of the “I do not smoke, I exercise”, anti-smoking preventive health education program. The program was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior supplemented with life-skills teaching and targeted at high school students. The intervention comprised ten one-hour online sessions, administered by physical education instructors. The study cohort comprised 222 students (109 boys, 113 girls) from 11 secondary schools, with an average age of 16.42 ± 1.36 years. Data collection involved pre- and post-intervention self-assessment questionnaires. The examined variables included attitudes towards smoking, intention to smoke, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge about smoking, smoking behavior, exercise behavior, attitudes toward the program's implementation, and satisfaction with the program. Separate paired samples t-test revealed a significant improvement in students' knowledge about smoking, perceived behavioral control, and overall program satisfaction following the intervention. However, no significant changes were observed in the remaining variables. These findings suggest that the health education smoking prevention intervention incorporates techniques and strategies that influence the Perceived Behavioral Control variable, emphasizing students' strong interest in educationally theorized programs integrating technology into their design. Future studies should consider further examination of tobacco control strategies within the high school context.

Background: The purpuse was to investigate the influence induced by magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and zinc gluconate (ZnG) supplementation on liver and kidney injuries experimentally-induced with acetaminophen (AAPh) and potentiated by ciprofloxacin addition in rats. Material and methods: The experiment was performed on 5 animals groups: group 1 – control, treated for 6 weeks with normal saline, 1mL/kg; group 2 – AAPh, treated for 6 weeks with AAPh, 100 mg/ kg/day; group 3 – AAPh+C, treated AAPh 100 mg/kg/ day for 6 weeks and ciprofloxacin, 50mg /kg/day, only in the last 14 days of the experiment; group 4 – AAPh+C+Mg, with the same treatment as group 3, but, and in the last 14 days, MgCl2 10 mg/ kg/day was added; group 5 – AAPh+C+Zn, with the same treatment as group 3, but, and in the last 14 days, zinc gluconate (ZnG),10 mg/kg/day was added. All administrations were performed by oral gavage. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for biochemistry examinations. Results: Treatment with AAPh for 6 weeks determined an alteration of the liver function (increases in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase and, and gamma-glutamyl transferase) and of renal function (increases in serum urea and creatinine) (P < 0.001 group 2 vs. group 1 for all mentioned parameters). Also, the antioxidant defense capacity was impaired in group 2 vs. group 1 (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity decreased in group 2 vs. group 1, 0.001 < P < 0.01, respectively 0.01 < P < 0.05). The addition of ciprofloxacin, 50 mg/kg/day during the last 14 days resulted in further increases in alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea and creatinine (0.01 < P < 0.05, group 3 vs. group 2). MgCl2 provided a slight protection against liver enzymes increase and a more pronounced protection against the increase in serum urea and creatinine (0.001 < P < 0.01 group 4 vs. group 3). MgCl2 provided a slight protection against the decrease in superoxide dismutase (0.01 < P < 0.05 group 4 vs. group 3), but not against decrease of glutathione peroxidase. The improvement of mentioned parameters could also be seen in case of ZnG, to a higher extent especially in the case of alanine aminotransferase and lactic dehydrogenase (0.01 < P < 0.05 group 5 vs. group 4). Conclusions: This study represents a furthermore proof for beneficial effect of magnesium and zinc salts against toxicity induced by different agents, including antibacterials added to the analgesic and antipyretic acetaminophen; the protection is proven on the liver and kidney’s function; the antioxidant profile improvement has a key role, especially in case of zinc gluconate.

Nowadays the dynamism induced by the constant change of strategic decisions on the markets produces an extra difficulty in the management of an organization. The strategic decisions made by managers can become obsolete in a short period of time. One of the major difficulties in managing a commercial organization is to predict, with some precision degree, the impact some strategic decisions have on the financial results. Business Intelligence (BI) is an area widely used to help managers to make strategic decisions. But the methods used, behind the scenes, to achieve the conclusions are kept secret by BI company-based services. Modelling the environment can be a good option to study the impact of an action, provided by a strategic decision, in a real environment. A good model should give an approximate result of an action applied to a previous state of the environment. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are proven to be excellent in modeling environments with some level of data noise. The same strategic action can have different results in different organizations. A tool that allows an evaluation of a strategic action applied to an environment should have a major importance in the management scope. Modeling the environment should save time and money for the organization to improve the performance of the strategic plan. If one evaluates the state of the environment after a strategic action being applied, it can be possible to mitigate the risk of failure of the strategic plan. As we will be able to verify, it is possible to use ANNs to model strategic environments that should allow the prediction of sales and operating results by the used strategies with some precision, although the level of success will be directly related with the user’s necessity.

Polypharmacy and malnutrition are common health issues among older adults. In older people, there is a high prevalence of polypharmacy and malnutrition, and preliminary data also indicates that there is a significant of Food Supplements (FS) use, increasing the risk of duplication of thera-pies and several adverse reactions and drug-FS and FS-FS interactions. The intervention of health professionals in mitigating these risks is essential. This review not only underscores and discusses the potential association between polypharmacy, malnutrition, and food supplements but also presents current scientific evidence on polypharmacy, malnutrition, and the use of food supplements by the elderly. The work reviews the challenges, advantages and risks of using FS for the elderly who are polymedicated and/or malnourished, focusing on the good practices needed to support healthy ageing. In this regard, the paper intends to help health professionals better deal with the issue of polypharmacy and the use of multiple FS to overcome the malnutrition problem and improve the health and well-being of older adults.

Background: Breast cancer remains a significant health concern among women globally. Despite advancements in awareness and diagnostic techniques, it persists as a leading cause of death, with profound impacts on affected individuals' quality of life. Primary and secondary prevention, including regular screenings and practices like Breast Self-Examination (BSE), are pivotal in ensuring early diagnosis. The NHS in Italy offers screenings for women aged 50-69 every two years, managed by the Local Health Authority. However, the participation rates, especially among the Chinese female population residing in Italy, are not well-understood. Methods: Using a snowball method, we electronically disseminated a survey to investigate how Chinese women living in Italy engage with available NHS screening programs. The survey also explores their practice of BSE, the use and impact of technological tools on prevention, and aims to understand their depth of knowledge and misconceptions about breast cancer. Results: The data revealed a significant gap in breast cancer screening adherence and knowledge among Chinese women in Italy, with a notable discrepancy between the general population and those who have previously encountered cancer. Conclusions: The results highlight the urgent need for interventions that are culturally sensitive, stressing that these actions are not only desirable but essential.

There is a growing trend among consumers to seek out natural foods and products with natural ingredients. This shift in consumer preferences had a direct impact on both food and pharmaceutical industries, leading to a focus of scientific research and commercial efforts to meet these new demands. The aim of this work is to review recent available scientific data on foods of interest, such as artichoke, gooseberry, and polygonoideae plants, as well as olive oil and red raspberries. Interestingly, the urgency of solutions to the climate change emergency has brought new attention to by-products of grapevine bunch stem and cane, which have been found to contain bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. There is a pressing need for a faster process of translating scientific knowledge from the laboratory to real-world applications, especially in the face of the increasing societal burden associated to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), environmental crises, the post-pandemic world, and ongoing violent conflicts around the world.

Although the anti-COVID-19 vaccination has proved to be an effective preventive tool, "break-through infections" have been documented in patients with complete primary vaccination course. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies pro-duced after SARS-CoV-2 infection target the spike protein receptor-binding domain which has an important role in facilitating viral entry and infection of the host cells. SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the ability to evolve by accumulating mutations in the spike protein to escape the humoral response of the host. The aim of this study is to compare the titers of neutralizing an-tibodies against the variants of SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing the sera of recovered and vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs). 293 HCWs were enrolled and divided into three cohorts as follows: 91 recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection (nVP); 102 vac-cinated who became positive after the primary cycle (VP); 100 vaccinated with complete primary cycle who concluded the follow-up pe-riod without becoming positive (VN). Higher neutraliza-tion titers were observed in the vaccinated subjects’ arms com-pared to the nVP arm. Differences in neutralization titers between arms for single variant were statistically significant (p<0.001) except for titers against the Alpha variant (p<0.05) between nVP and VP. Within the nVP group, the number of subjects with the absence of neutralizing antibodies was high. The presence of high-er titers in patients with a complete primary cycle compared to patients recovered from the infec-tion suggests a better efficacy of artificial immunization compared to natural im-munization, further encouraging the promotion of vaccination even in subjects with previous infection.

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

In the context of sustainable development, integrating the work aspect into health promotion systems is essential, ensuring that employees maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives, which respects and amplifies the potential of every individual. Lately, there has been a noticeable shift of medical professionals from the public to the private sector. This trend paints a bleak picture, highlighting the vulnerabilities of a system teetering on the brink of failure, with significant impacts on patient care. Among the myriad reasons behind this shift, burnout stands out prominently. Medical professionals face increasing pressures due to understaffing, limited organizational support, and insufficient resources, leading to feelings of cynicism, exhaustion, and detachment from their roles. Utilizing the Maslach et al. questionnaire, we assessed the risk of burnout among physicians in public hospitals to identify and underscore preventive measures and improvements, correlating our findings with key aspects of organizational empowerment. Our research indicates that enhancing interpersonal relationships and resources—both within teams and between the organization and its physicians—is crucial for the revival of the healthcare system. This approach aims at improving the delivery of healthcare services and offering appropriate recognition to healthcare professionals, aligning with the principles of sustainable employment.

In this review, we summarize recent progress in crystal growth and understanding the influence of crystal structure on the superconductivity in pure and Pb-doped Bi2Sr2CuOy (Bi-2201) materials belonging to the overdoped region of high temperature cuprate superconductors. The crystal growth of Bi-2201 superconductors faces challenges due to intricate materials chemistry and lack of knowledge of corresponding phase diagrams. Historically, a crucible-free floating zone method has emerged as the most promising growth approach for these materials, resulting in high-quality single crystals. This review outlines the described in the literature and the authors' synthesis endeavors, encompassing Pb-doped Bi-2201 crystals, detailed structural characterization of as-grown and post-growth annealed samples, and highlights optimal growth conditions that yield large-size, single-phase, and compositionally homogeneous Bi-2201 single crystals.

Background: Ankle fractures, comprising about 10% of musculoskeletal injuries, pose a significant healthcare burden with an increasing incidence, particularly among an aging population. This study focuses on isolated Danis-Weber type B fractures. Recent trends lean towards surgical intervention for anatomical restoration, quicker recovery, albeit with associated complications. This report aims to assess the safety and efficacy of NewClip narrow locking plate system with early weight bearing in treating isolated fibular fractures. Methods: The study includes patients with Danis-Weber type B fractures surgically treated with NewClip narrow locking plate system. Exclusions involved nondisplaced fractures, open fractures, or those requiring additional fixation.Results: Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study. Minor complications, including wound swelling, were observed in two cases. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain exhibited a steady decline postoperatively, with almost complete resolution by the third month. At three months, the FAOS demonstrated excellent results, and final follow-up at twelve months revealed complete osseous healing without complications.Conclusions: The use of this type of plates in treating isolated fibular fractures with early weight bearing shows promising results in terms of fracture healing, pain resolution, and functional outcomes warranting further investigation with larger cohorts.

Menin inhibitors are new and promising agents currently in clinical development that target the HOXA/MEIS1 transcriptional program which is critical for leukemogenesis in histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A rearranged (KMT2Ar) and in NPM1-mutated (NPM1mut) acute leukemia. The mechanism of action of this new class of agents is based on the disruption of menin-KMT2A complex (constitute of chromatin remodelling proteins), leading to the differentiation and apoptosis of AML cells expressing KMT2A or mutated NPM1. This new class of drugs has been tested alone, or in combination with synergistic drugs, in phase I and II clinical trials (AUGMENT-01 and 02, KOMET-01 and 07, SAVE, COVALENT trial and others), showing promising results in terms of response rates and safety in heavily pre-treated acute leukemia patients. In this review, we summarise the key findings on menin inhibitors, focusing on the mechanism of action and preliminary clinical data of this emerging and promising class of agents, in particular revumenib and ziftomenib.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a prevalent congenital disorder diagnosed with high frequency, affecting approximately 0.8% to 1.2% of all live births. Research has demonstrated that the use of pulse oximetry and clinical examination as a screening tool for CHD diagnosis has proven extremely valuable. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study over a 3-year period that involved screening 1188 newborns admitted to the NICU during the first 72 hours of life within this timeframe. 201 newborns were diagnosed with CHD. Almost all (n=198) had a positive screening test during the 72-hour period, while 3 had a negative screening test, but were later diagnosed using echocardiography. The prevalence rate was 16.67%. A confusion matrix was constructed with 198 true positives (TP), 3 false negatives (FN), no false positives (FP), and 987 true negatives (TN). The sensitivity of the screening test was 98.51%, while the specificity 100%, with no false positives. In our study, a total of 9 deaths occurred. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, the survival probability appeared to be slightly above 0.9 (95.5%), indicating that almost all patients survived past 72 hours after being diagnosed with CHD. Pulse oximetry is an effective, low cost and easy-to-use method and a useful tool to assess and lead to the diagnosis of CHD.

Stimulation of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) has shown beneficial effects in several acute inflammatory disease models. This study aims to examine whether treatment with the selective α7nAChR agonist PHA 568487 can dampen inflammation and thereby improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction in mice. The possible anti-inflammatory properties of α7nAChR agonist PHA 568487 were tested in vivo using the air pouch model and in a permanent occlusion model of acute myocardial infarction in mice. Hematology parameters and cytokine levels were determined. Infarct size and cardiac function were assessed via echocardiography 24 h and one week after the infarction. Treatment with α7nAChR agonist PHA 568487 decreased 12 (CCL27, CXCL5, IL6, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL1, CCL2, MIP1a, MIP2, CXCL16, CXCL12 and CCL25) out of 33 cytokines in the air pouch model of acute inflammation. However, α7nAChR agonist PHA 568487 did not alter infarct size, ejection fraction, cardiac output or stroke volume at 24 h nor at 7 days after the myocardial infarction compared with control mice. In conclusion, despite promising immunomodulatory effects in the acute inflammatory air pouch model, α7nAChR agonist PHA 568487 did not affect infarct size or cardiac function after a permanent occlusion model of acute myocardial infarction in mice. Consequently, this study does not strengthen the hypothesis that stimulation of the α7nAChR is a future treatment strategy for acute myocardial infarction when reperfusion is lacking. However, whether other agonists of the α7nAChR can have different effects remains to be investigated.

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.

The concept of vulnerable carotid plaques is pivotal in understanding the pathophysiology of is-chemic stroke secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. At the macroscopic evaluation, vulnera-ble plaques are characterized by one or more of the following features: microcalcification, neo-vascularization, lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), thin fibrous caps, plaque surface ulceration, huge dimension determining stenosis, and plaque rupture. Recognizing these macroscopic characteristics is crucial to estimating the risk of cerebrovascular events, also in case of non-significant (less than 50%) stenosis. Inflammatory biomarkers, such as cytokines and adhesion molecules, lipid-related markers like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrix components are among the key molecules that will be scrutinized for their associative roles in plaque instability. Through their quantification and evaluation, these biomarkers reveal intricate molecular cross-talking govern-ing plaque inflammation, rupture potential, and thrombogenicity. Current evidence demonstrates that plaque vulnerability phenotypes are multiple and heterogeneous and are associated with as many highly complex molecular pathways that determine the activation of an immune-mediated cascade that culminates in thromboinflammation. This narrative review provides a comprehen-sive analysis of current knowledge on molecular biomarkers expressed by symptomatic carotid plaques. It explores the association of these biomarkers with the structural and compositional at-tributes that characterize vulnerable plaques

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease. This term covers a broad spectrum of liver lesions, from simple steatosis to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The patho-genesis of ALD is multifactorial and not fully elucidated due to complex mechanisms related to direct ethanol toxicity with subsequent hepatic and systemic inflammation. The accumulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines promote the development and progression of ALD. To date, there are no targeted therapies to counteract disease progression and prevent acute liver failure. Corticosteroids reduce mortality by acting on the hepatic-systemic inflammation. On the other hand, several studies analyzed the effect of the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the stimulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines as potential therapeutic targets in ALD. This narrative review aims to clarify the role of the cy-tokines in the pathogenesis and treatment of ALD.

Background and Objectives Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1 MIM # 162200), also known as von Recklinghausen disease, is among the most common autosomal dominantly transmitted disorders characterized mainly by neurocutaneous manifestations such as café au lait spots, intertriginous freckling, various types of neurofibromas (cutaneous neurofibromas or plexiform tumors), neurological manifestations, and bone abnormalities. It occurs with an incidence of 1:3000–1:4000 cases. Cone-rod dystrophies belong to the large group of retinal dystrophies, a highly heterogeneous group of disorders clinically manifested mainly by damage to cone and rod cells and have a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Many genes are involved in their etiology, with more than 100 currently identified, including the CRX gene responsible for the autosomal dominant form of cone-rod dystrophy (ad CORD). Materials and Methods: The authors present an intriguing case of a patient diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) as an infant and ocular involvement (myopia and astigmatism onset at age 15), which yielded a surprising molecular testing result. Results: Molecular DNA analysis identified a rare occurrence of two mutational variants, including a pathogenic variant in the NF1 gene, c.3871-2A, and a likely pathogenic variant in the CRX gene c.119G>A. Conclusions: The authors present this case to highlight the surprises offered by molecular testing in a condition where the diagnosis is usually based on clinical criteria, thus providing patients with competent genetic advice.

Oral mucositis is most frequently a toxic effect of chemotherapeutic and/or radiotherapeutic treatment, resulting from complex multifaceted biological events involving DNA damage. The clinical manifestations have a negative impact on the life quality of cancer patients. Preventive measures and curative treatment of mucositis are still not well established. The glycine has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and cytoprotective actions, being a potential therapeutic in mucositis. The objective was to evaluate the effects of glycine on the expression of collagen and growth factors, platelet and epidermal in oral mucositis. The mucositis of which was induced by the protocol of Sonis. 40 hamsters were used, divided into two groups: Group I- control; Group II- supplemented with 5% intraperitoneal glycine, 2,0 mg/g diluted in hepes. Histopathological sections were used to perform the immune-histochemical method, the evaluation collagen expression and the growth factors: EGF and PDGF. It was observed that the group supplemented with glycine higher amounts of collagen expression and predominance type of collagen I. The glycine group presented lower immunoexpression of the growth factors, EGF and PDGF. The group supplemented with glycine showed a marked healing process of the oral mucosite, demonstrated by the predominance of collagen type I and reduction of growth factors, EGF and PDGF.

In this study, the physical properties of briquettes produced from two different biomass feedstocks (sawdust and date palm trunk) and different plastic wastes were investigated, without using any external binding agent. The biomass feedstocks were blended with different ratios of two WEEE plastics (halogen-free wire and print circuit boards (PCB)) and automotive shredder residues (ASR). The briquettes production is studied at different waste proportions (10-30%), pressures (22-67 MPa) and temperatures (room-130 ˚C). Physical properties as density and durability rating were measured, usually increasing with temperature. Palm trunk gave better results than sawdust in most cases, due to its moisture content and the extremely fine particles that are easily obtained.

The growing demand for nutritious foods has spurred investigations into alternative sources of nutrition beyond traditional options. For this reason, the present study approaches the amaranth, which is a plant with high potential, highlighting the morphological growth, grain biomass pro-duction, and quantitative traits of seven varieties of amaranth cultivated in the pedoclimatic con-ditions of Somes meadow in Transylvania. A bifactorial trial was implemented with factors ama-ranth species and amaranth varieties. Two amaranth species and seven varieties were studied. Differences are reported between morpho-productive and quantitative traits of the seven amaranth varieties studied in this research. The interrelationships between amaranth morphological traits quantified by using Pearson simple correlations show that morphological traits moderately con-tribute to grain fresh biomass yield, while morphological traits and fresh biomass strongly con-tributed to grains dry biomass yield. Our study shows that morpho-productive, and nutritional characteristics of the seven amaranth varieties comprised by our study recommend the plans to be used in various nutritional aims, being a valuable replacer of traditional raw materials in specific food and feed industry sectors.

The objectives of the study were to determine the spatial rate of CO₂ flux (Net Ecosystem Exchange) and soil moisture in a wetland ecosystem applying Sentinel-1 IW (Interferometric Wide) data of VH (Vertical Transmit/Horizontal Receive—cross polarization) and VV (Vertical Transmit/Vertical Receive—like polarization) polarization. In-situ measurements of carbon flux, soil moisture, and LAI (Leaf Area Index) were carried out over the Biebrza Wetland in north-eastern Poland. The impact of soil moisture and LAI on backscattering coefficient (σ°) calculated from Sentinel-1 data showed that LAI dominates the influence on σ° when soil moisture is low. The models for soil moisture have been derived for wetland vegetation habitat types applying VH polarization (R² = 0.70 to 0.76). The vegetation habitats: reeds, sedge-moss, sedges, grass-herbs, and grass were classified using combined one Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) and three TerraSAR-X (TSX) ScanSAR VV data. The model for the assessment of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) has been developed based on the assumption that soil moisture and biomass represented by LAI have an influence on it. The σ° VH and σ° VV describe soil moisture and LAI, and have been the input to the NEE model. The model, created for classified habitats, is as follows: NEE = f (σ° Sentinel-1 VH, σ° Sentinel-1 VV). Reasonably good predictions of NEE have been achieved for classified habitats (R² = 0.51 to 0.58). The developed model has been used for mapping spatial and temporal distribution of NEE over Biebrza wetland habitat types. Eventually, emissions of CO₂ to the atmosphere (NEE positive) has been noted when soil moisture (SM) and biomass were low. This study demonstrates the importance of the capability of Sentinel-1 microwave data to calculate soil moisture and estimate NEE with all-weather acquisition conditions, offering an important advantage for frequent wetlands monitoring.

Assessment of renal function is critical to diagnose and manage renal age-related decline, disease (KD), and failure, which are prevalent in the elderly population. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is widely used as an indicator of kidney function, but its direct measurement is challenging, as are its age and gender caveats. This makes difficult the differential diagnosis, between age-related physiological decline and KD and/or failure. Currently, the inflammation-based modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) is emerging as promising biomarker of several inflammatory acute/chronic diseases. In this study, the large variability of eGFR with age and gender was evaluated, as the association of eGFR values with mGPS levels. A population of 57449 adult participants (age ≥18 years) was enrolled. Appropriate circulating biomarkers were measured to detect eGFR and mGPS values. The data obtained demonstrated a significant decrease of eGFR in men vs. women across the four selected age classes (18-40, 40-60, 60-80, 80-100 years), eGFR classes were significantly associated with mGPS (p<0.001), as age-classes and gender with mGPS categories. Accordingly, the percentage of people having a mGPS score= 2 significantly increased across the eGFR classes: with a 11% in the G1/eGFR class to achieve the 44% in G5/eGFR. Thus, the combination of mGPS with eGFR could represent the best benchmark risk model for differentiating age-related renal decline from a very KD, and for a better identification of different degrees of KD severity.

Salmorejo is a homogenate based on tomato, olive oil and breadcrumbs commercialized as a “fresh-like” cold puree in Spain and other European countries. Salmorejo is thermolabile and requires pasteurising upon High Temperature, Short Time (HTST) conditions to inhibit microbes and enzymes. Due to its penetration, dielectric heating by radiofrequency (RF) might improve pasteurisation results of conventional heating (CH) in viscous products. The objective was to validate the pasteurisation temperature (70-100 °C, at 5 ºC intervals) for salmorejo processed by radiofrequency (operating at 27.12 MHz for 9.08 s) or conventional continuous heating. Salmorejo was prone to thermal damage upon HTST conditions. Main heat-induced changes include: orangeness, flavour homogenisation, loss of freshness, thickening, loss of vitamin C and lipid oxidation. A ‘fresh-like’ good quality salmorejo can be obtained using either conventional or radiofrequency pasteurisers. Both CH and RF equivalent treatments allowed a strong reduction of total and sporulated mesophilic microorganisms, and an adequate inhibition of the pectinmethylesterase, peroxidase and, to a lesser extent, polyphenoloxidase, but did not inhibit the polygalacturonase enzyme. Pasteurisation at 80 °C for 9.8 s (RF) or 10.9 s (CH) provided a good equilibrium in levels of microbiological and enzymatic inhibition and thermal damage to the product. Increasing this temperature does not improve enzyme inactivation levels and salmorejo may become overheated.

This article explores the emerging concept of atrial myopathy (AM) and its potential role as a risk factor for stroke and dementia, both independently and in association with atrial fibrillation (AF). AM refers to structural and functional abnormalities of the atria, potentially causing blood clots formation and their subsequent embolization even in patients without AF. Echocardiography, particularly Left Atrial (LA) strain analysis, is a promising non-invasive tool for AM evaluation and might offer additional risk stratification beyond the established CHADS2-VASc score, potentially impacting anticoagulation decisions. By understanding AM and utilizing advanced imaging techniques like LA strain, clinicians can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of thromboembolic risk in specific patient groups. Integrating LA strain analysis into routine clinical practice holds promise for improved patient management and targeted therapies, allowing for better risk stratification in AF patients. However, standardized definitions and diagnostic criteria for AM are essential for consistent evaluation and research. Further studies are needed to explore the efficacy and safety of anticoagulation in AM patients without AF.

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.

In this article, we investigate two types of double dispersion equations in two dierent dimensions. Double dispersion equation were derived to describe long nonlinear wave evolution in a thin hyperelastic rod. Conservation laws are obtained for these equations by the application of the multiplier method. Finally, travelling waves and line travelling waves are respectively considered for these two equations.

In the face of 21st-century environmental challenges, including climate change, migration pressures, and waste disposal issues, certain healthcare sectors, notably dentistry, pose a significant global environmental footprint with concerns about carbon emissions and waste production. This scoping review delves into the paradox that healthcare, while dedicated to safeguarding health, inadvertently contributes to environmental degradation through waste accumulation and disposal. The analysis of relevant pertinent literature emphasizes the imperative for an environmentally sustainable approach to dental waste measurement, disposal methods, and comprehensive education for stakeholders. Aligned with the World Conference on Sustainable Development and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, the study adhered to PRISMA-ScR scoping review guidelines and Institute of Medicine's recommendations. The study utilized Medline/PubMed and international organization websites for data retrieval, employing Boolean operator queries in Medline. A systematic literature analysis identified six cross-sectional studies (2004-2018) highlighting variations in dental waste composition due to the lack of standardized identification methods. This heterogeneity underscores the need for a proposed research model, emphasizing comprehensive methodologies and healthcare staff training in waste management. The study advocates for environmentally conscious dental practices, contributing to broader sustainable healthcare goals through sharing of a research protocol for dental solid waste management.

In Mexico viticulture represents the second source of employment in the agricultural area after the fruit and vegetable sector. In developed countries, remote sensing is widely used for vineyard monitoring, however, this tool is barely used in developing countries of Iberoamerica. In this re-search, our overall objective is to characterize two vineyards in the state of Queretaro (Mexico) using Sentinel-2 and meteorological data, specifically spectral and thermal indices. Results showed that spectral indices obtained from Sentinel-2 bands have characterized adequately the phenolog-ical evolution of the different varieties of the vineyards. The Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) was adequately used to discriminate the first stages of vineyards, while the Nor-malized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was useful to monitor vineyards during the rest stages of vineyards. Thermal indices have shown that the best grape varieties were those that can adapt to both cooler and warmer temperatures, have a reasonable ripening period, and can produce wines with balanced acidity and flavors. In conclusion, the combination of meteorological (including thermal indices) and remote sensing data (NDVI and MSAVI) provide information for choosing the suitable grape variety for this region.

In vertebrates, oligodendrocytes (OLs) are glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) responsible for the formation of the myelin sheath that surrounds the axons of neurons. The myelin sheath plays a crucial role in the transmission of neuronal information by promoting the rapid saltatory conduction of action potentials and providing neurons with structural and metabolic support. Saltatory conduction, first described in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), is now generally recognized as a universal evolutionary innovation to respond quickly to the environment: myelin helps us think and act fast. However, the function of myelin in the CNS, particularly in the brain, is not necessarily to act quickly, but rather to act correctly. In this respect, myelin should primarily play a role in synchronizing the different neuronal networks, a synchrony that occurs in the form of oscillations (or rhythms) relevant for specific information processing. Interestingly, myelin has been directly involved in different types of cognitive processes relying on brain oscillations, and myelin plasticity is currently considered to be part of the fundamental mechanisms for memory formation and maintenance. However, despite ample evidence showing the involvement of myelin in cognition and neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by cognitive impairments, the link between myelin, brain oscillations, cognition and disease is not yet fully understood. In this review, we aim to highlight what is known and what remains to be explored to understand the role of myelin in high order brain processes.

Introduction: maxillary hypoplasia and mandibular asymmetry may be corrected with orthognathic surgery at the completion of growth. Many patients require segmental Le Fort I osteotomies to obtain the most stable results. Unfortunately, if Invisalign is chosen for pre-surgical preparation, ClinCheck © software does not allow for prediction when these complex surgeries are planned. The objective of this paper was to show the potential of aligners beyond its software in most complex cases like multiple-piece maxillary osteotomies in cleft and non-cleft patients. Method: Thirteen patients who underwent pre-surgical treatment with clear aligners-Invisalign (study group) were matched in terms of diagnosis, surgical procedure, and orthodontic complexity with thirteen patients treated using fixed appliances (control group). A technique based on simple superimposition was devised to enhance the software for creating a suitable occlusion for segmental pre-surgical treatments. Virtual curves following the lower arch were employed to guide the correct pre-surgical positions of the upper teeth. The amount of impressions required in both groups to achieve satisfactory pre-surgical alignment of the segmented arches was compared. Results: one or no refinement phase were needed in the Invisalign group to reach an acceptable pre-surgical occlusion while the amount of pre-surgical impressions taken in order to reach adequate coordination with fixed appliance treatment was slightly higher. The average overall treatment duration did not show a statistically significant variation between the groups. Conclusions: it appears that clear aligner could serve as an effective treatment for individuals with skeletal discrepancies, including cleft and craniofacial anomalies, necessitating segmental Le Fort I osteotomies when aided by the suggested superimposition approach during digital pre-surgical movement simulations. More sophisticated softwares will certainly be implemented in the future.

Background:Caregiving for individuals with neurological disease involves providing physical, emotional, and social support, which can be a challenging and stressful experience. This study aims to compare the caregivers' burden, including the impact on mental and physical health, social support, and quality of life, in different neurodegenerative disorders. Methods:Fifty-five primary caregivers (F=41;mean age=53.07±12.29) of patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD=26), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA=16), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS=13), took part in the study. Standardized screening scales for the quality of life (EQ-5D/EQ-VAS and PQoL), levels of the caregiving burden (CBI and FSQ), and the assessment of the anxiety-depressive axis (HADS) were administered. Results: The mean CBI score was higher for caregivers of MSA patients (28.81±21.90) and ALS (25.15±16.23) than for caregivers of PD patients (16.08±10.34; p=0.036). Critical burden (cut-off>36) was present in the caregivers of MSA (31.3%), ALS (23.1%), and PD (19.2%) patients. Caregivers of patients with ALS had a worse perception of quality of life (EQ-5D total score) than caregivers of patients with MSA and PD (p

This paper describes different variants of broadband and simple attenuator modules for beamforming applications, based on Radio Frequency Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (RF-MEMS), framed within Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) structures. The modules proposed in the first part of this work differ in their actuation voltage, topology, and desired attenuation level. Fabricated samples of basic 1-bit attenuation modules, characterized by a moderate footprint of 690 x 1960 µm2 and aiming at attenuation levels of -2, -3 and -5 dB in the 24.25-27.5 GHz range, are presented in their variants featuring both low actuation voltages (5-7 V) as well as higher values (~ 45V), the latter ones ensuring larger mechanical restoring force (and robustness against stiction). Beyond the fabrication non-idealities that affected the described samples, the substantial agreement between simulations and measurement outcomes proved that the proposed designs could provide precise attenuation levels up to 40 GHz, ranging up to nearly -3 dB and -5 dB for the series and shunt variants, respectively. Moreover, they could be effective building blocks for future wideband and reconfigurable RF-MEMS attenuators. In fact, in the second part of this work, combinations of the discussed cells and other configurations meant for larger attenuation levels will be investigated.

Although ovarian cystic teratoma is the most common ovarian tumor, complications are quite rare. However, it is important to be recognized by the radiologist in order to avoid inaccurately diagnosing them as malignant lesions. This case report describes a 61-year-old postmenopausal woman, who presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain following a minor blunt abdominal trauma. In this context, a CT scan was performed, which showed the presence of round, hypodense masses randomly distributed in the peritoneum, with coexisting ascites in moderate amount; ovarian carcinoma with peritoneal carcinomatosis was suspected. The patient was hospitalized and an MRI of the abdomen and pelvis was recommended for a more detailed lesion characterization. Following this examination, the patient was diagnosed with mature cystic ovarian teratoma complicated by rupture. Surgery was performed, and the outcome was favorable. The cases of ruptured cystic teratomas are rare, and to our knowledge, this is the first occurrence described in literature. Special attention must be paid when confronting with such a case in medical practice, since it can easily misdiagnosed as peritoneal carcinomatosis

Transketolase (TKT) is an essential thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme of the non-oxidative branch of pentose phosphate pathway, with the glucose-6P flux through the pathway regulated in various medically important conditions. Here, we characterize the brain TKT regulation by acylation in rats with perturbed thiamine-dependent metabolism, known to occur in neurodegenerative diseases. The perturbations are modelled by administration of oxythiamine inhibiting ThDP-dependent enzymes in vivo, or by reduced thiamine availability in the presence of metformin and amprolium, inhibiting intracellular thiamine transporters. Compared to control rats, chronic administration of oxythiamine does not significantly change the modification level of the two detected TKT acetylation sites (K6 and K102), but doubles malonylation of TKT K499, concomitantly decreasing 1.7-fold the level of demalonylase sirtuin 5. The inhibitors of thiamine transporters do not change average levels of TKT acylation or sirtuin 5. TKT structures indicate that the acylated residues are distant from the active sites. The acylations-perturbed electrostatic interactions may be involved in conformational shifts and/or formation of TKT complexes with other proteins or nucleic acids. Acetylation of K102 may affect the active site entrance/exit and subunit interactions. Correlation analysis reveals that the action of oxythiamine is characterized by significant negative correlations of K499 malonylation or K6 acetylation with TKT activity, not observed upon the action of the inhibitors of thiamine transport. However, the transport inhibitors induce significant negative correlations between the TKT activity and K102 acetylation or TKT expression, absent in the oxythiamine group. Thus, perturbations in the ThDP-dependent catalysis or thiamine transport manifest in the insult-specific patterns of the brain TKT malonylation and acetylations.

Background: high-altitude work exposes individuals to reduced oxygen levels, imposing physi-ological adaptations. These conditions can induce alterations in the cardiovascular system, po-tentially exacerbating pre-existing health issues and impacting overall well-being of workers in such environments. This study has investigated the cardiovascular challenges for the high-altitude worker on Etna volcano. Methods: Through an observational study, ten healthy, non-smoking male participants underwent cardiovascular and pulmonary function tests at alti-tudes below 500m and above 3000m, simulating work conditions on the volcano. Results: signif-icant findings include elevated systemic blood pressure and heart rate, indicating an increased cardiovascular workload necessary for adaptation to hypoxia. Conclusions: the study highlights the importance of acclimatization to high altitude for minimizing cardiovascular risks among workers. It calls for the development of safety protocols, underlining the critical role of preven-tative measures and specific safety protocols for high-altitude workers.

Norovirus (NoV) is recognised as a major cause of epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in all age groups. Information on the genetic diversity of the NoVs circulating in the 1980s and 1990s, before the development and adoption of dedicated molecular assays, is limited compared to the last decades. In the period 1986-2020, uninterrupted viral surveillance was conducted in symptomatic children hospitalized for AGE in Palermo, Italy, providing a unique time capsule for exploring the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of enteric viruses. In this 35-year long time span NoVs of genogroup II (GII) were detected in 15.6% of AGE requiring hospitalization, whilst GI NoVs in 1.4%. Overall, the predominant NoV capsid (Cap) genotype was GII.4 (60.8%), with temporal replacement of the GII.4 Cap variants and associated polymerase (Pol) types. The chronology of emergence and circulation of the different GII.4 variants were consistent with the data available in literature. Also, for GII.3 and GII.2 NoVs the circulation of different lineages/strains, differing in either the Cap or Pol genes or in both, was observed. This long-term study revealed the ability of NoVs to modify continuously and rapidly their genomic makeup and highlights the importance of surveillance activities for vaccine design.