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Introduction: Neuropathic pain is defined as pain induced by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are frequently employed. In the current clinical investigation, we assessed the effects of sex on the safety and effectiveness of medications used to treat neuropathic pain. Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis between 1 February 2021 and 20 April 2024, involving patients with neuropathic pain referred to the Ambulatory of Pain Medicine of "Renato Dulbecco" University Hospital in Catanzaro (Calabria, Italy). Patients over 18 years old with signs of neuropathic pain (Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questionnaire ≥ 4) were included. Exclusion criteria comprised patients with Alzheimer's disease; patients with nociplastic or nociceptive pain; and patients with neoplasms. Patients with fewer than two accesses to ambulatory care were excluded, as were those who did not sign the informed consent. Clinical data were collected from each enrolled patient and subsequently analyzed, considering clinical outcomes. Sex and gender differences in efficacy were estimated using multivariate linear modeling and propensity-score matching. Results: During the study, 531 patients were screened, and 174 were enrolled (33.5%, mean age 61.5 ± 13.1; 64 males and 110 females, mean age 60.6 ± 13.4 and 61.96 ± 13.0) in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only minor differences in treatment prescription were observed based on age, body mass index, and comorbidities. Smoking, sex, educational level, and body mass index did not induce a significant change in pain perception. Males required slightly higher, though not significantly, doses of drugs for pain control than females. The treatment was not significantly more effective for females than for males. Females did not exhibit a significantly lower number of adverse drug reactions compared to males. Conclusions: The current study found that there are no appreciable differences between the sexes when it comes to the treatment of neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N)-fixing symbiosis is critical to terrestrial ecosystems, yet possession of this trait is known for few plant species. Broader presence of the symbiosis is often indirectly determined by phylogenetic relatedness to taxa investigated via manipulative experiments. This data gap may ultimately underestimate phylogenetic, spatial, and temporal variation in N-fixing symbiosis. Still needed are simpler field or collections-based approaches for inferring symbiotic status. N-fixing plants differ from non-N-fixing plants in elemental and isotopic composition, but previous investigations have not tested predictive accuracy using such proxies. Here we develop a regional field study and demonstrate a simple classification model for fixer status using nitrogen and carbon content measurements, and stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C), from field-collected leaves. We used mixed models and classification approaches to demonstrate that N-fixing phenotypes can be used to predict symbiotic status; the best model required all predictors and was 80–94% accurate. Predictions were robust to environmental context variation, but we identified significant variation due to native vs. non-native (exotic) status and phylogenetic affinity. Surprisingly, N content—not δ15N—was the strongest predictor, suggesting that future efforts combine elemental and isotopic information. These results are valuable for understudied taxa and ecosystems, potentially allowing higher-throughput field-based N-fixer assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Quantifying the phylogenetic diversity of temperate trees is essential for understanding the processes that have shaped the modern distribution of temperate broadleaf forest and other major forest biomes. Here, we focus on Fagales, an iconic member of forests worldwide, to uncover global diversity and endemism patterns and investigate the distribution of root nodule symbiosis (RNS), an important morphological specialisation in this clade, as a key factor behind these patterns. Location: Global. Taxon: Fagales. Methods: We combined phylogenetic data covering 60.2% of living species, fine‐scale distribution models covering 90% of species, and nodulation data covering all species to investigate the distribution of species richness and phylogenetic diversity at fine spatial scales compared to the distribution of RNS. We identify abiotic environmental factors associated with RNS and with Fagales diversity in general. Results: We find the highest species richness in temperate east Asia, eastern North America, and equatorial montane regions of Asia and Central America. By contrast, relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD) is highest at higher latitudes, where RNS also predominates. We found a strong spatial structuring of regionalisations of Fagales floras, reflecting distinct Northern and Southern Hemisphere floras (except a unique Afro‐Boreal region), each with distinct RNS‐environment relationships. Main Conclusions: Although species richness and phylogenetic regionalisation for Fagales accord well with traditional biogeographic concepts for temperate forests, this is not the case for RPD. RNS is almost universal in the highest RPD regions, which may reflect ecological filtering promoting RNS in these regions. Our results highlight the utility of global‐scale, clade‐specific spatial phylogenetics and its utility for understanding drivers of diversity in species‐rich clades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between sepsis and thrombotic complications is still not well known. Different mechanisms have been shown to be involved in the sepsis-induced prothrombotic state, but clinical scenarios may differ. In this review, we have summarized the role that bacterial products such as porins and toxins can have in the induction of the prothrombotic state during sepsis and the interaction that they can have with each other. Furthermore, the above-mentioned mechanisms might be involved in the pattern of the clinical presentation of thrombotic events during bacterial sepsis, which would secondarily explain the association between sepsis and venous thromboembolism, the association between sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and the association between sepsis and microangiopathic venous thromboembolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Although SARS-CoV-2 infection is a significant risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), data on the impact of the use of non-invasive ventilation support (NIVS) to mitigate the risk of VTE during hospitalization are scarce. Methods: Data for 1471 SARS-CoV-2 patients, hospitalized in a single hub during the first pandemic wave, were collected from clinical records, including symptom duration and type, information on lung abnormalities on chest computed tomography (CT), laboratory parameters and the use of NIVS. Determining VTE occurrence during hospital stays was the main endpoint. Results: Patients with VTE (1.8%) had an increased prevalence of obesity (26% vs. 11%), diabetes (41% vs. 21%), higher CHA2DS2VASC score (4, IQR 2–5 vs. 3, IQR 1–4, age- and sex-adjusted, p = 0.021) and cough (65% vs. 44%) and experienced significantly higher rates of NIVS (44% vs. 8%). Using a stepwise multivariate logistic regression model, the prevalence of electrocardiogram abnormalities (odds ratio (OR) 2.722, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.039–7.133, p = 0.042), cough (OR 3.019, 95% CI 1.265–7.202, p = 0.013), CHA2DS2-VASC score > 3 (OR 3.404, 95% CI 1.362–8.513, p = 0.009) and the use of NIVS (OR 15.530, 95% CI 6.244–38.627, p < 0.001) were independently associated with a risk of VTE during hospitalization. NIVS remained an independent risk factor for VTE even after adjustment for the period of admission within the pandemic wave. Conclusions: Our study suggests that NIVS is a risk factor for VTE during hospitalization in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Future studies should assess the optimal prophylactic strategy against VTE in patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection candidate to non-invasive ventilatory support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between statin use and mortality in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has not been rigorously evaluated. We used the data in the RIETE registry to examine the association between statin use and mortality at 3 months. We used mixed effects survival models accounting for clinical covariates and clustering of patients in enrolling centers. From January 2009 through April 2022, there were 46,440 patients with isolated DVT in RIETE (in the lower-limbs 42,291, in the upper limbs 4149). Of these, 21 % and 18 %, respectively, were using statins. Statin users were older than non-users (72 ± 12 vs. 62 ± 18 years), and more likely had diabetes, hypertension, prior myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, or were receiving antiplatelets. The 3-month mortality rates were: 6.0 % vs. 5.8 %, respectively. On multilevel multivariable analysis, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for all-cause death in statin users vs. non-users was 0.77 (95%CI: 0.69–0.86). The 3-month risk of death in statin users was significantly lower than in non-users in patients with upper-limb DVT (aHR: 0.81; 95%CI: 0.72–0.91), distal lower-limb DVT (aHR: 0.48; 95%CI: 0.32–0.72), or proximal lower-limb DVT (aHR: 0.69; 95%CI: 0.50–0.95), and in those receiving simvastatin (aHR: 0.73; 95%CI: 0.60–0.90), atorvastatin (aHR: 0.70; 95%CI: 0.59–0.85), or rosuvastatin (aHR: 0.47; 95%CI: 0.27–0.80). Major bleeding, used as a falsification endpoint, did not show an association with use of statins at 3-month follow-up. Statin users with isolated DVT were at significantly lower risk for death at 3 months than non-users. • Statins possess antithrombotic and profibrinolytic properties • We compare the 3 months all-cause mortality in patients with DVT according to the use of statins • Statin users with isolated DVT were at lower adjusted risk for death at 3 months • Randomized trials are needed to confirm these data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by thrombotic or obstetric events occurring in individuals who have persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare and potentially fatal form of APS characterized by severe thrombotic complications occurring in multiple organs over a short period of time or simultaneously. CAPS is associated with a high (50%) death rate. Infections, multi-organ failure, and cerebral and heart thrombosis represent the main complications of this syndrome. Generally, anticoagulants, glucocorticoids, therapeutic plasmapheresis (TPE), and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) are used in combination for treatment. Multidisciplinary care involving different specialists from hematology, rheumatology, nephrology, infectious disease, critical care, and obstetrics is often required due to the complexity of the disease. Recent data emphasize the effectiveness of biologics such as anti-TNF-a monoclonal antibodies (adalimumab, certolizumab), anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (daratumumab), BAFF/Blys inhibitor (belimumab), and BTK inhibitor (zanubrutinib) against CAPS. In order to understand the underlying causes of CAPS, one future possibility involves investigating and characterizing the hereditary and acquired risk factors associated with CAPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnostic criteria for silent sinus syndrome (SSS) are still controversial, especially for the post-traumatic/surgery cases that are, nowadays, excluded from the diagnosis of SSS because lacking of spontaneously. We present a systematic review of the last 10 years and our case series of SSS associated to previous trauma/surgery, proposing a new interpretation of SSS. In this work, following the PRISMA guide lines for systematic reviews, we collected 86 articles published on PubMed, Cochrane Library and Medline Plus since 2013 to 2023 about SSS. We divided them in six groups forming the structure of the review: (1) epidemiology, (2) clinical presentation, (3) imaging, (4) etiopathogenesis, (5) sss and craniofacial trauma and (6) treatment. We reported two explicative clinical cases: two men of 34 and 37 years old, involved in motorcycle accident in 2020 and 2014, respectively, and underwent surgery. They came back in 2023 referring diplopia documented by Hess-Lancaster test. CT-scan reported two clear cases of SSS. Basing on what is reported in literature, and basing on our experience, the post-traumatic/surgery SSS are more frequent than the idiopathic ones. Our proposal is to considered them as two individual entities. We propose to adopt the name of Post-traumatic sinus syndrome, or CDR syndrome (Catalfamo-De Rinaldis), for all cases that respect four specific diagnostic criteria reported into the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly miRNAs, play key roles in a plethora of biological processes both in health and disease. Although largely operative in the cytoplasm, emerging data indicate their shuttling in different subcellular compartments. Given the central role of mitochondria in cellular homeostasis, here we systematically profiled their small ncRNAs content across mouse tissues that largely rely on mitochondria functioning. The ubiquitous presence of piRNAs in mitochondria (mitopiRNA) of somatic tissues is reported for the first time, supporting the idea of a strong and general connection between mitochondria biology and piRNA pathways. Then, we found groups of tissue-shared and tissue-specific mitochondrial miRNAs (mitomiRs), potentially related to the "basic" or "cell context dependent" biology of mitochondria. Overall, this large data platform will be useful to deepen the knowledge about small ncRNAs processing and their governed regulatory networks contributing to mitochondria functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statins are powerful lipid-lowering drugs that inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis via downregulation of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase, which are largely used in patients with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. Available data on thromboembolic disease include primary and secondary prevention as well as bleeding and mortality rates in statin users during anticoagulation for VTE. Experimental studies indicate that statins alter blood clotting at various levels. Statins produce anticoagulant effects via downregulation of tissue factor expression and enhanced endothelial thrombomodulin expression resulting in reduced thrombin generation. Statins impair fibrinogen cleavage and reduce thrombin generation. A reduction of factor V and factor XIII activation has been observed in patients treated with statins. It is postulated that the mechanisms involved are downregulation of factor V and activated factor V, modulation of the protein C pathway and alteration of the tissue factor pathway inhibitor. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that statins exert antiplatelet effects through early and delayed inhibition of platelet activation, adhesion and aggregation. It has been postulated that statin-induced anticoagulant effects can explain, at least partially, a reduction in primary and secondary VTE and death. Evidence supporting the use of statins for prevention of arterial thrombosis-related cardiovascular events is robust, but their role in VTE remains to be further elucidated. In this review, we present biological evidence and experimental data supporting the ability of statins to directly interfere with the clotting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symphyotrichum (Asteraceae) is a well-circumscribed genus on the basis of morphological and molecular data, but species boundaries remain poorly understood. Here, the species delimitation of the contentious Symphyotrichum subulatum group (Symphyotrichum subg. Astropolium) is illuminated using morphometric, phylogenomic, and geographical analyses. Symphyotrichum mexicanum sp. nov., a new species endemic to central Mexico, is described and distinguished from Symphyotrichum expansum based on its morphometric attributes, phylogenetic placement, geographic range, and ecological specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cat social behaviour and cognition has received a growing interest during the last decades. Recent studies reported that cats efficiently engage in interspecific communication with humans and suggest that cats are sensitive to human emotional visual and auditory cues. To date, there is no evidence on the social and informative role of human emotional odours, which may affect human-cat communication. In this study, we presented cats with human odours collected in different emotional contexts (fear, happiness, physical stress and neutral) and evaluated the animals' behavioural responses. We found that "fear" odours elicited higher stress levels than "physical stress" and "neutral", suggesting that cats perceived the valence of the information conveyed by "fear" olfactory signals and regulate their behaviour accordingly. Moreover, the prevalent use of the right nostril (right hemisphere activation) with the increase of stress levels, particularly in response to "fear" odours, provides first evidence of lateralized emotional functions of olfactory pathways in cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by thrombotic or obstetric events occurring in patients with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. Thrombotic APS is characterized by venous, arterial, or microvascular thrombosis. The diagnosis is accepted when both one clinical and one laboratory criteria according to the updated Sapporo classification are established. APS may occur in combination with other autoimmune diseases, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus, or in its primary form. Long-term anticoagulation with a vitamin K antagonist is the standard of care for patients who develop thrombosis, considering the high rate of recurrent thrombosis. The current international guidelines are not in favor of recommending direct oral anticoagulants for secondary prevention of thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome, especially in the context of arterial thrombosis and triple-positive antiphospholipid patients. The most common approach, endorsed by the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines is the combination of heparin and low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg) daily for women who fulfill the clinical and serologic criteria for obstetric APS. New potential therapeutic approaches are under evaluation but actually the anticoagulation remains the cornerstone of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber attacks and anomaly detection are problems where the data is often highly unbalanced towards normal observations. Furthermore, the anomalies observed in real applications may be significantly different from the ones contained in the training data. It is, therefore, desirable to study methods that are able to detect anomalies only based on the distribution of the normal data. To address this problem, we propose a novel objective function for generative adversarial networks (GANs), referred to as STEP-GAN. STEP-GAN simulates the distribution of possible anomalies by learning a modified version of the distribution of the task-specific normal data. It leverages multiple generators in a step-by-step interaction with a discriminator in order to capture different modes in the data distribution. The discriminator is optimized to distinguish not only between normal data and anomalies but also between the different generators, thus encouraging each generator to model a different mode in the distribution. This reduces the well-known mode collapse problem in GAN models considerably. We tested our method in the areas of power systems and network traffic control systems (NTCSs) using two publicly available highly imbalanced datasets, ICS (Industrial Control System) security dataset and UNSW-NB15, respectively. In both application domains, STEP-GAN outperforms the state-of-the-art systems as well as the two baseline systems we implemented as a comparison. In order to assess the generality of our model, additional experiments were carried out on seven real-world numerical datasets for anomaly detection in a variety of domains. In all datasets, the number of normal samples is significantly more than that of abnormal samples. Experimental results show that STEP-GAN outperforms several semi-supervised methods while being competitive with supervised methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of research. Cirsium ("thistles"), the most speciose genus in the Compositae (Asteraceae) subfamily Carduoideae native to North America, comprises a rapid endemic radiation. Hummingbird pollination is rare in Compositae, but approximately 10% of all Cirsium in North America are adapted to this pollination syndrome. Although Cirsium is an example of a continent-wide evolutionary radiation, the biotic and abiotic factors contributing to this remarkable diversification have never been studied. Methodology. Sixty-four taxa of Cirsium representing its distribution in North America were sequenced using the MYbaits Compositae 1061 1kv1 kit. These results were used to infer a time-calibrated phylogeny to estimate divergence times and diversification rates. Ancestral area reconstructions for eight biogeographical areas and 10 habitats were performed with BioGeoBEARS. A model-fitting approach was used to test whether (1) different environmental variables were related to diversification, (2) pollinator type was related to differences in environment, and (3) pollinator type was related to diversification. Phylogenetic least squares models against diversification rates were used to test whether environmental variables, pollinator type, or morphological traits influenced diversification. Pivotal results. Cirsium in North America originated approximately 2 mya, with the majority of the diversification occurring in three nearly simultaneous bursts during the onset of the Pleistocene ice age. Although most traits showed evidence of phylogenetic signal, there were no significant morphological innovations that contributed to overall diversification in Cirsium. Precipitation and semiaridity were the main catalysts for diversification. Hummingbird pollination was associated with near-significant lower rates of diversification than insect pollination. Conclusions. The integrated effects of niche conservatism and glacial-interglacial cycles played a role in shaping current distributional patterns, particularly in alpine mountain systems and canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Although hummingbird pollination was associated with lower rates of diversification in Cirsium , the switch to this syndrome may have facilitated expansion across post-Pleistocene fragmented landscapes. Ultimately, this study offers important insights into the drivers of a rapid, continent-wide radiation and the impact of Pleistocene glaciation cycles on the flora of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The visual recognition of objects with different spatial orientations has been observed in the animal kingdom. This ability allows animals to adapt efficiently to a changing environment. A recent study indicated that dogs might be capable of recognizing rotated 2D objects, although differences between individuals were observed. To investigate dogs' abilities to recognize rotated objects further, we trained six dogs to discriminate between 3D objects and their rotated versions (45° and 180°), which were presented on a computer screen. Our results revealed that dogs recognized three-dimensional objects and their rotated versions, and performed better when the target stimuli were presented in the left side of their attentional visual field, indicating the possible role of cerebral lateralization in mental rotation tasks. The ability to recognize rotated objects has been widely reported in the animal kingdom. Studies on animal and human spatial cognition highlighted the importance of visuo-spatial cognitive capability for surviving in a dynamic world. Although domestic animals are frequently involved in activities requiring a high level of visuo-spatial ability, currently, little is known about their visuo-spatial skills. To investigate this issue, we trained six dogs to discriminate between 3D objects (using a modified version of the Shepard–Metzler task) that were then reproduced digitally on a computer. We found that the dogs recognized three-dimensional objects and their rotated versions (45° and 180°) more easily when presented on the left side of the screen, suggesting right hemisphere superiority in the control of visuo-spatial functions. Moreover, we report inter-individual variability in their performance in the visuo-spatial task. Our preliminary results suggest that dogs could use a rotational invariance process for the discrimination of 3D rotated shapes that deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by thrombotic or obstetric events occurring in patients with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. Thrombotic APS is characterized by venous, arterial, or microvascular thrombosis. The diagnosis is accepted when both one clinical and one laboratory criteria according to the updated Sapporo classification are established. APS may occur in combination with other autoimmune diseases, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus, or in its primary form. Long-term anticoagulation with a vitamin K antagonist is the standard of care for patients who develop thrombosis, considering the high rate of recurrent thrombosis. The current international guidelines are not in favor of recommending direct oral anticoagulants for secondary prevention of thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome, especially in the context of arterial thrombosis and triple-positive antiphospholipid patients. The most common approach, endorsed by the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines is the combination of heparin and low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg) daily for women who fulfill the clinical and serologic criteria for obstetric APS. New potential therapeutic approaches are under evaluation but actually the anticoagulation remains the cornerstone of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Origins of New Testament Christology: An Introduction to the Traditions and Titles Applied to Jesus" by Stanley E. Porter and Bryan R. Dyer is a valuable resource for understanding the unique claims of Christianity and the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. The book explores the use of designated titles in the New Testament to demonstrate Jesus' ontological uniqueness for human salvation. Drawing on Jewish and Greco-Roman concepts, the authors argue that the highest Christology is evident in the Second Testament texts. The book focuses on specific titles of Jesus and examines the traditions and practices that influenced the portrayal of Jesus in the biblical texts. It is a significant contribution to biblical scholarship and can aid in clarifying the original meanings assigned to Jesus' identity. [Extracted from the article]

"The Many Faces of Jesus Christ: Intercultural Theology" by Volker Küster is a book that explores the diverse ways in which believers around the world understand and theologize about Jesus. Küster emphasizes the importance of recognizing that different cultural contexts require different theological understandings, and that no single representation of Jesus can fully capture the richness and complexity of Christianity. The book examines various theological perspectives, including African Christologies and Eastern religious perspectives, and addresses issues of social justice, race, class, gender, and religious pluralism. It is recommended for students and scholars seeking a global awareness of Christology beyond traditional understandings of Jesus. [Extracted from the article]

There is now scientific evidence that, in dogs, distinctive facial actions are produced in response to different emotionally-arousing stimuli suggesting a relationship between lateralized facial expressions and emotional states. Although in humans, relationships between facial asymmetry and both emotional and physiological distress have been reported, there are currently no data on the laterality of dogs' facial expressions in response to social stimuli with respect to canine behavioral disorders. The aim of the present work was to investigate the facial asymmetries of dogs with fear and aggressive behavior towards humans during two different emotional situations: (1) while the dogs were alone in the presence of their owners and (2) during the approach of an unfamiliar human being. Overall, our results demonstrated high levels of asymmetries in facial expressions of dogs displaying fear and aggressive behaviors towards humans indicating that measuring facial asymmetries in dogs could prove to be a useful non-invasive tool for investigating physiology-based behavioral disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With stroke being the leading global cause of disability in adults, the use of clinical rating scales in stroke patients is important not only for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes but also for prognostic and care implications. Scales that quantify neurological disability can be particularly useful for assessing and guiding decisions in acute management and rehabilitative treatment. We analyzed and discussed some of the main rating scales most used in stroke in clinical practice, which measure both acute neurological deficit and functional outcome in stroke. In acute stroke, it is that in most cases, the scales evaluate a neurological deficit attributable to an alteration of the anterior and not posterior circulation and most of them assess a moderate stroke rather than a mild or severe one. In a rehabilitation treatment, they are sometimes too simplified; thus, the patient can reach a near-normal score and can have significant cognitive deficits that can affect both the possibility of communication and the reliability of responses. A patient with autonomy in the activities of daily living may not be completely autonomous. In future, the use of composite rating scales could be useful for a detailed measurement of neurological deficits in acute stroke and better assess the efficacy of a treatment and functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining population genetic structure of isolated or fragmented species is of critical importance when planning a conservation strategy. Knowledge of the genetic composition and differentiation among populations of a rare or threatened species can aid conservation managers in understanding how, and which, populations to protect. The whorled sunflower, Helianthus verticillatus (Asteraceae), is a federally endangered sunflower species endemic to the southeastern United States. The distribution of the species comprises four known populations within three states: Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Recently, new populations were discovered in Marshall County, Mississippi, and Franklin County, Virginia. Here, we carry out a population genetic study of these new populations using nuclear microsatellite markers and compare our results to those from previously known populations of H. verticillatus. Our results show that both newly discovered populations contain novel genetic variation, with Mississippi containing the most private alleles out of all populations tested. The Virginia population is genetically similar to the previously known populations but is under the most conservation concern given the recovery of only two unique genetic individuals found in this population. These results indicate these new populations are worthy of protection and conservation efforts given the unique genetic variation they harbor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus (Fabaceae) is astoundingly diverse in temperate, cold arid regions of Earth, positioning this group as a model clade for investigating the distribution of plant diversity in the face of environmental challenges. Here, we identify the spatial distribution of diversity and endemism in Astragalus using species distribution models for 752 species and a phylogenetic tree comprising 847 species. We integrated these to map centers of species richness (SR) and relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD) and used randomization approaches to investigate centers of endemism. We also used clustering methods to identify phylogenetic regionalizations. We then assembled predictor variables of current climate conditions to test environmental factors predicting these phylogenetic diversity results, especially temperature and precipitation seasonality. We find that SR centers are distributed globally at temperate middle latitudes in arid regions, but the Mediterranean Basin is the most important center of RPD. Endemism centers also occur globally, but Iran represents a key endemic area with a concentration of both paleo‐ and neoendemism. Phylogenetic regionalization recovered an east‐west gradient in Eurasia and an amphitropical disjunction across North and South America; American phyloregions are overall most closely related to east and central Asia. SR, RPD, and lineage turnover are driven mostly by precipitation and seasonality, but endemism is driven primarily by diurnal temperature variation. Endemism and regionalization results point to western Asia and especially Iran as a biogeographic gateway between Europe and Asia. RPD and endemism highlight the importance of temperature and drought stress in determining plant diversity and endemism centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death of malignant tumors worldwide. Recent studies point to a role for the adiponectin‐receptor axis in colorectal carcinogenesis, and in particular to the oncosuppressive properties of the T‐cadherin receptor. In addition, the loss of T‐cadherin expression in tumor tissues has been linked to cancer progression and attributed to aberrant methylation of its promoter. Recognizing the pivotal role of microRNAs in CRC, this study explores their possible contribution to the downregulation of T‐cadherin. A systematic bioinformatics analysis, restricted by microRNA expression data in the colon or in cultured colorectal cell lines, predicted twelve top‐ranking target miRNA sites within the 3ʹ UTR of T‐cadherin. Experimental validation analyses based on luciferase reporter constructs and miRNA mimic or miRNA inhibitor transfections toward colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines indicated that miR‐377‐3p was able to directly bind to the T‐cadherin sequence, and thus downregulating its expression. Given the oncogenic activity of miR‐377 and the oncosuppressive activity of T‐cadherin in CRC, the regulatory circuit highlighted in this study may add new insights into molecular mechanisms driving colorectal carcinogenesis, and perspectively it could be exploited to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Phylogenetic studies in the Compositae are challenging due to the sheer size of the family and the challenges they pose for molecular tools, ranging from the genomic impact of polyploid events to their very conserved plastid genomes. The search for better molecular tools for phylogenetic studies led to the development of the family‐specific Compositae1061 probe set, as well as the universal Angiosperms353 probe set designed for all flowering plants. In this study, we evaluate the extent to which data generated using the family‐specific kit and those obtained with the universal kit can be merged for downstream analyses. Methods: We used comparative methods to verify the presence of shared loci between probe sets. Using two sets of eight samples sequenced with Compositae1061 and Angiosperms353, we ran phylogenetic analyses with and without loci flagged as paralogs, a gene tree discordance analysis, and a complementary phylogenetic analysis mixing samples from both sample sets. Results: Our results show that the Compositae1061 kit provides an average of 721 loci, with 9–46% of them presenting paralogs, while the Angiosperms353 set yields an average of 287 loci, which are less affected by paralogy. Analyses mixing samples from both sets showed that the presence of 30 shared loci in the probe sets allows the combination of data generated in different ways. Discussion: Combining data generated using different probe sets opens up the possibility of collaborative efforts and shared data within the synantherological community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, the generation and use of biodiversity data and their associated specimen objects have been primarily the purview of individuals and small research groups. While deposition of data and specimens in herbaria and other repositories has long been the norm, throughout most of their history, these resources have been accessible only to a small community of specialists. Through recent concerted efforts, primarily at the level of national and international governmental agencies over the last two decades, the pace of biodiversity data accumulation has accelerated, and a wider array of biodiversity scientists has gained access to this massive accumulation of resources, applying them to an ever‐widening compass of research pursuits. We review how these new resources and increasing access to them are affecting the landscape of biodiversity research in plants today, focusing on new applications across evolution, ecology, and other fields that have been enabled specifically by the availability of these data and the global scope that was previously beyond the reach of individual investigators. We give an overview of recent advances organized along three lines: broad‐scale analyses of distributional data and spatial information, phylogenetic research circumscribing large clades with comprehensive taxon sampling, and data sets derived from improved accessibility of biodiversity literature. We also review synergies between large data resources and more traditional data collection paradigms, describe shortfalls and how to overcome them, and reflect on the future of plant biodiversity analyses in light of increasing linkages between data types and scientists in our field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multifunctional role of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in lung diseases is well established. As the lungs are greatly affected in COVID-19, we evaluated serum NSE levels in COVID-19 patients with and without dyspnea. In this study, we evaluated both SARS-CoV-2-infected and uninfected patients aged >18 years who were referred to hospitals in Catanzaro, Italy from March 30 to July 30, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and outcome data were recorded and reviewed by a trained team of physicians. In total, 323 patients (178 men, 55.1% and 145 women, 44.9%) were enrolled; of these, 128 were COVID-19 patients (39.6%) and 195 were control patients (60.4%). Westergren's method was used to determine erythroid sedimentation rate. A chemiluminescence assay was used for measurement of interleukin-6, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and NSE. We detected significantly higher NSE values (P<0.05) in COVID-19 patients than in controls. Interestingly, within the COVID-19 group, we also observed a further significant increase in dyspnea (Dyspnea Scale and Exercise score: 8.2 ± 0.8; scores ranging from 0 to 10, with higher numbers indicating very severe shortness of breath). These data provide the background for further investigations into the potential role of NSE as a clinical marker of COVID-19 progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daratumumab (DARA) is a human IgG-K monoclonal antibody (MoAb) targeting CD38 that is approved alone or in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone or lenalidomide and dexamethasone for relapsed or refractory MM (RRMM) in patients previously exposed or double refractory to proteasome inhibitors (PI) and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). However, there are limited data on its clinical activity and tolerability in real-world patients. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to determine the efficacy and toxicity profile of daratumumab in a real-life setting. In this study, we report the experience of the multiple myeloma GIMEMA Lazio Group in 62 relapsed/refractory MM patients treated with daratumumab as monotherapy who had previously received at least two treatment lines including a PI and an IMiDs or had been double refractory. Patients received DARA 16 mg/kg intravenously weekly for 8 weeks, every 2 weeks for 16 weeks, and every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The overall response rate to daratumumab was 46%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival reached 2.7 and 22.4 months, respectively. DARA was generally well tolerated; however, 2 patients interrupted their therapy due to adverse events. Present real-life experience confirms that DARA monotherapy is an effective strategy for heavily pre-treated and refractory patients with multiple myeloma, with a favorable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in ruminal microbial community can affect animal productivity, nutrient utilization efficiency, and environmental impact. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two levels of supplementation plus a blend of phytogenic additives (essential oils, saponins, and spices) on the ruminal bacterial community in beef cattle grazing tropical pastures. The experiment was conducted at the Beef Cattle Sector of UNESP, Jaboticabal-BR, and lasted 84 days. Nine castrated Nellore steers (body weight of 262 ± 31.2 kg) cannulated in the rumen were assigned to 3 simultaneous 3 × 3 Latin square designs. Animals were kept on pasture of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu during the rainy season. The treatments included ad libitum mineral supplementation (MS) as the control group, added mineral supplementation of 0.1% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic blend (AMSP), and energetic-protein supplementation, 0.3% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic blend (EPSP). Ruminal samples were collected on day 26 of each experimental period. A mix of liquid and solid rumen content (6 mL) was taken before supplementation and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Total genomic DNA was extracted using the Quick-DNA Fecal/Soil Microbe kit. The V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were amplified using universal primers 341F and 806R. The PCR fragments were submitted to sequencing on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 PE 250 platform. The sequences were processed using mothur, grouped into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using a similarity cut-off value of 97%, and the bacterial OTUs were classified using the SILVA database. Bacterial community composition was compared between treatments using a Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon's post-hoc test using Rstudio. A total of 27 phyla, 224 families, and 577 genera were assigned by the taxonomic analysis of the ruminal bacterial community (Figure 1). The phyla Bacteroidetes (44.45 ± 9.43) and Firmicutes (42.50 ± 7.18) represent over 86% of the total relative abundance in the rumen of Nellore steers and were not influenced by the supplementation (P = 0.250). The relative abundances of the Spirochaetes phylum, Spirochaetaceae family, and Treponema genus decreased in the rumen of AMSP supplemented animals (P = 0.037) and were similar between MS and EPSP (Figure 2). Additionally, the EPSP supplementation resulted in decreased relative abundances of TM7, TM7 family Incertae sedis, and TM7 genus Incertae sedis relative abundances compared with those in MS (P = 0.031) but not between AMSP and EPSP supplementations. The addition of phytotherapy blend in the supplements led to decreased SR1, SR1 family Incertae sedis, and SR1 genus Incertae sedis abundances in the rumen (P = 0.012). This study indicates that the relative abundance of the dominant phyla was not affected by the supplementation levels, but the addition of the phytogenic blend in the supplement decreased the relative abundances of specific bacterial phyla, families, and genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of phytogenic compounds that have antimicrobial activity in cattle supplements can promote changes in ruminal bacterial diversity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two levels of supplementation plus a blend of phytogenic additives (essential oils, saponins, and spices) on the measures of alpha and beta diversity in the rumen of beef cattle grazing tropical pasture. The experiment was carried out in the Beef Cattle Sector of UNESP, Jaboticabal-BR. The trial lasted 84 days and nine castrated Nellore steers (body weight of 262 ± 31.2 kg) cannulated in the rumen were assigned in 3 simultaneous 3 × 3 Latin square designs. Animals were kept on the pasture of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu in the rainy season. The treatments were: ad libitum mineral supplementation (MS) as control group; added mineral supplementation, 0.1% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic blend (AMSP); and energetic-protein supplementation, 0.3% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic blend (EPSP). Ruminal samples were collected on day 26 of each experimental period. A mix of liquid and solid rumen content (6 mL) was taken before supplementation, placed in cryogenic tubes, and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. All samples were stored at -80 ℃ until DNA extraction and analysis. Total genomic DNA was extracted using the Quick-DNA Fecal/Soil Microbe Miniprep kit. The V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were amplified primers 341F (CCTACGGGNGGCWGCAG) and 806R (GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT). The PCR fragments were submitted to sequencing on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 PE 250 platform. The sequences were processed using mothur, grouped into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using a similarity cut-off value of 97%, and the bacterial OTUs were classified using the SILVA database. Alpha diversity indices including Shannon, Simpson, Fisher, Chao1, and ACE, were calculated using the phyloseq package, while beta diversity was determined using the vegan package, both in Rstudio. Alpha diversity indices were compared between treatments using a non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon's post-hoc test. Beta diversity was tested using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) based on the Bray-Curtis similarity index. The AMSP and EPSP did not affect measures of alpha diversity (Figure 1), such as Shannon and Fisher indices (P = 0.219) as well as the richness index measured using Chao1 and ACE (P = 0.363). A negative effect of supplementation on alpha diversity (P = 0.004) was only observed with Simpson's Index of Diversity. Additionally, the supplementation did not change the beta-diversity of the ruminal bacterial community based on Bray-Curtis similarity index (P = 0.510; Figure 2). In conclusion, the addition of phytogenic compounds in the two levels of supplementation showed only a minor impact on the alpha diversity in the rumen of grazing beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytogenic additives are used as food additives in ruminant nutrition due to their potential to alter the nitrogen (N) excretion route and minimize N emissions into the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two levels of supplementation plus a mixture of phytogenic additives (essential oils, saponins and spices) on the efficiency of N utilization by beef cattle in tropical pastures. The experiment was conducted at the Beef Cattle Sector of UNESP, Jaboticabal-BR, and lasted 84 days. Nine castrated Nelore steers (body weight 262 ± 31.2 kg) cannulated in the rumen were distributed in 3 simultaneous 3 × 3 Latin square designs. The animals were kept in pasture of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu during the rainy season. Treatments included ad libitum mineral supplementation (MS) as a control group, mineral supplementation added 0.1% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic mixture (AMSP) and energyprotein supplementation, 0.3% of body weight per day plus Cargill phytogenic mixture (EPSP). Point urine and fecal samples were collected in the last three days of each experimental period. The concentration of total nitrogen in the urine was analyzed by the Kjeldahl procedure. The nitrogen composition of forage, supplements and feces was estimated by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) using a modular FT-NIR spectrometer (NIRFlex N500, Büchi Labortechnik AG, Flawil, Switzerland). Nitrogen retention was calculated using the following equation: NR = N intake (g/d) - [N excretion in feces (g/d) + N excretion in urine (g/d)]. The nitrogen metabolism data were analyzed as a 3 × 3 Latin square with 3 replications, balanced for residual effects. Considering as fixed effect the treatment, and as random effect the Latin square, period, steer, steer × period interaction, and residues corresponding to the model. The data obtained were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (P = 0.05), using the statistical program R, version 3.4.4. The addition of phytogenic additives in the supplements led to decreased (P < 0.036) urinary excretion of N (g/day) from 41.16 g/day to 28.38 g/day and urinary excretion of N (% of N intake) from 30.66% to 23.21%, but did not differ between the different levels of phytogenic supplementation (Table 1). In addition, retained N (% of N intake) was greater (P < 0.01) in animals supplemented with AMSP and EPSP compared with MS, increasing N retention from 26.78% to 33.88%. This study indicates that the different levels of supplementation plus the addition of the phytogenic mixture improved the efficiency of N utilization by decreasing the excretion of N in the urine and increasing the retained N compared with MS supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen fertilization can improve the chemical composition of tropical forages, as nitrogen is required at all stages of plant development. The aim of this study was to verify the chemical composition of Urochloa brizantha cv. marandu fertilized with different sources of nitrogen fertilizers from the following treatments: without nitrogen fertilization (CO), fertilization with urea (UR), fertilization with ammonium nitrate (NI) and fertilization with ammonium sulfate (SA). The study was carried out from December 2021 to April 2022, in the cerrado biome of Brazil at the FCAV/UNESP Forage Sector, Jaboticabal Campus, during the rearing phase of Nelore cattle, non-castrated males kept on pasture, managed in a continuous stocking system and variable load capacity. In treatments with fertilization, 150 kg of N· ha-1 were applied, divided into 3 applications. The design used was in randomized blocks (DBC). The evaluation of the chemical composition of the forage was carried out from collections every 28 days of samples of the fraction of the forage consumed by the animals through the hand-plucking method. The samples were dried at 55℃ for 72 hours and ground in a Willey mill, with a 1 mm mesh sieve. The chemical composition of the forage was estimated by spectroscopy in the near infrared light region, NIRS (Near Infrared Spectrometer), using a modular FT-NIR spectrometer. The data obtained were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (P = 0.05), using the statistical program R, version 3.4.4. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the organic matter content of the forage (P = 0.001). The organic matter content of the non-fertilized treatment was 91.97%, while the average of the fertilized treatments was 92.22%. The percentage of crude protein in the forage also showed a significant difference (P < 0.001) between the non-fertilized treatment, which had an average of 10.64%, and the fertilized treatments, which had an average of 17.75%. The neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber components also differed from the application of nitrogen fertilizer (P < 0.001) but did not differ between the types of fertilizers. The neutral detergent fiber content was significantly different (P < 0.001) between the non-fertilized treatment (59.21%) and the fertilized treatments (54.30%). The observed data for acid detergent fiber were 31.46% for the treatment without the use of fertilizers and 30.24% for the treatments with the use of fertilizers. Non-fibrous carbohydrates and liguinin components were also analyzed, but showed no difference between treatments, P = 0.078 and P = 0.209, respectively. This study confirms that the chemical composition of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu can be significantly improved through the application of nitrogen fertilizers. However, our results showed no significant difference between the types of fertilizers tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hallmark of flowering plants is their ability to invade some of the most extreme and dynamic habitats, including cold and dry biomes, to a far greater extent than other land plants. Recent work has provided insight to the phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary mechanisms which have enabled this success, yet needed is a synthesis of evolutionary perspectives with plant physiological traits, morphology, and genomic diversity. Linking these disparate components will not only lead to better understand the evolutionary parallelism and diversification of plants with these two strategies, but also to provide the framework needed for directing future research. We summarize the primary physiological and structural traits involved in response to cold‐ and drought stress, outline the phylogenetic distribution of these adaptations, and describe the recurring association of these changes with rapid diversification events that occurred in multiple lineages over the past 15 million years. Across these threefold facets of dry‐cold correlation (traits, phylogeny, and time) we stress the contrast between (a) the amazing diversity of solutions flowering plants have developed in the face of extreme environments and (b) a broad correlation between cold and dry adaptations that in some cases may hint at deep common origins. Numerous flowering plant groups explosively diversified in the face of a drier and colder late Miocene climate (since 15 million years ago); we synthesize the literature to show a correlation among these plant radiations at three levels (physiological and morphological traits, phylogeny, and climatic history), suggesting that the remarkable diversity of adaptations to these environments may belie deeper evolutionary origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteraceae account for 10% of all flowering plant species, and 35%–40% of these are in five closely related tribes that total over 10 000 species. These tribes include Anthemideae, Astereae, Calenduleae, Gnaphalieae, and Senecioneae, which form one of two enormous clades within Subfamily Asteroideae. We took a phylogenomics approach to resolve evolutionary relationships among these five tribes. We sampled the nuclear and plastid genomes via HybSeq target enrichment and genome skimming, and recovered 74 plastid genes and nearly 1000 nuclear loci, known as Conserved Orthologous Sequences. We tested for conflicting support in both data sets and used network analyses to assess patterns of reticulation to explain the early evolutionary history of this lineage, which has experienced whole‐genome duplications and rapid radiations. We found concordance and conflicting support in both data sets and documented four ancient hybridization events. Due to the timing of the early radiation of this five‐tribe lineage, shortly before the Eocene–Oligocene extinction event (34 MYA), early lineages were likely lost, obscuring some details of their early evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small-non coding RNAs endowed with great regulatory power, thus playing key roles not only in almost all physiological pathways, but also in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Surprisingly, genomic distribution analysis revealed the highest density of miRNA sequences on the X chromosome; this evolutionary conserved mammalian feature equips females with a larger miRNA machinery than males. However, miRNAs contribution to some X-related conditions, properties or functions is still poorly explored. With the aim to support and focus research in the field, this review analyzes the literature and databases about X-linked miRNAs, trying to understand how miRNAs could contribute to emerging gender-biased functions and pathological mechanisms, such as immunity and cancer. A fine map of miRNA sequences on the X chromosome is reported, and their known functions are discussed; in addition, bioinformatics functional analyses of the whole X-linked miRNA targetome (predicted and validated) were performed. The emerging scenario points to different gaps in the knowledge that should be filled with future experimental investigations, also in terms of possible implications and pathological perspectives for X chromosome aneuploidy syndromes, such as Turner and Klinefelter syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature coefficients of the resistivity (TCR) of Cu, Ru, Co, Ir, and W thin films have been investigated as a function of film thickness below 10 nm. Ru, Co, and Ir show bulk-like TCR values that are rather independent of the thickness, whereas the TCR of Cu increases strongly with the decreasing thickness. Thin W films show negative TCR values, which can be linked to high disorder. The results are qualitatively consistent with a temperature-dependent semiclassical thin-film resistivity model that takes into account phonon, surface, and grain boundary scattering. The results indicate that the thin-film resistivity of Ru, Co, and Ir is dominated by grain boundary scattering, whereas that of Cu is strongly influenced by surface scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that attributing violence to the fundamental teachings of Christianity is tantamount to affirming that God is a malevolent God who works through his people to spread evil in the world. It mentions that Christianity is one of the primary reasons why violence breaks out in the first place; and also mentions that in light of the fundamental Christian conviction that all people are created in the image of God.

Owing to wake effects, the power production of each turbine in a wind farm is highly coupled to the operating conditions of the other turbines. Wind farm control strategies must take into account these couplings and produce individual power commands for each turbine. In this case, centralized control approaches might be prone to failures due to the high computational burden and communication dependency. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a non-centralized scheme based on splitting the wind farm into almost uncoupled sets of turbines by solving a mixed-integer partitioning problem. In each set of turbines, a model predictive control strategy seeks to optimize the distribution of the power set-points among turbines such that the impact of the power losses due to the wake effect is reduced. Then, a supervisory controller coordinates the generation of each group to satisfy the power demanded by the grid operator. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme in terms of reduction of computational costs and power regulation is confirmed by simulations for a wind farm of 42 turbines. • The computation costs are consistently reduced compared to a full centralized strategy. • A non-centralized approach eases real-time implementation and improves reliability. • The partitioning approach splits the farm in subsets based on the wake propagation. • Local controllers seek to maximize power reserve available for ancillary services. • A central predictive controller ensures tracking of the power demanded by the TSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses my long-term ethnography inside Slow Food's international headquarters in Italy, as well as inside the French association, in order to analyse the place that Slow Food occupies in France and its capacity to oppose the industrial food system. International association, non-profit organisation, and economic enterprise, negotiating with a large spectrum of political and economic actors, Slow Food is a political and economic object. The leaders of Slow Food have always considered France as the country of gastronomy, valuing French food culture highly from the first years of the association. But, paradoxically, in France the movement has never really grown. What accounts for this marginal position? What does this particular case of 'food activism' elucidate about the contradictions of the French food system? Using an anthropological perspective and methodology, and paying attention to the different points of view of people involved inside the movement, I analyse the ambivalent relationship between its French branch and the international one, highlighting their reciprocal misunderstandings. Finally, I explore the relationships that Slow Food members – and especially producers – have established with other associations and initiatives, such as the AMAPs (Association pour le maintien de l'agriculture paysanne). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical outcomes during the course of anticoagulation in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) using statins remain controversial. We used the RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) registry to compare the risk for VTE recurrences, major bleeding or death during anticoagulation, according to the use of statins at baseline. We used propensity score-matching (PSM) to adjust for confounding variables. From February 2009 to January 2018, 32,062 VTE patients were included. Of these, 7,085 (22%) were using statins. Statin users were 10 years older (73±11 vs. 63±19 years, respectively) and more likely to have comorbidities or to be using antiplatelets or corticosteroids at baseline than non-users. During the course of anticoagulation (median, 177 days), 694 patients developed VTE recurrences, 848 bled and 3,169 died (fatal pulmonary embolism 176, fatal bleeding 121). Statin users had a similar rate of VTE recurrences (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.82–1.17), a higher rate of major bleeding (HR: 1.29; 95%CI: 1.11–1.50) and a similar mortality rate (HR: 1.01; 95%CI: 0.93–1.10) than non-users. On PSM analysis, statin users had a significantly lower risk for death (HR: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.48–0.79) and a similar risk for VTE recurrences (HR: 0.98; 95%CI: 0.61–1.57) or major bleeding (HR: 0.85; 95%CI: 0.59–1.21) than non-users. During anticoagulation for VTE, patients using statins at baseline had a lower risk to die than non-users. • In venous thromboembolism, statin users had a lower risk to die than non-users. • The rate of venous thromboembolism recurrences is similar in the two groups. • The rate of major bleeding is similar in the two groups. • Intervention studies specifically designed to confirm these findings are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many travelers-writers have described the characteristics of the areas visited from a critical point of view, with wit and sense of observation. One of the most significant and unknown works concerning this literary current is the tale of the trip from Paestum to Policastro made in 1828 by C.T. Ramage: his sketchbooks are not only a description of the evidence of the past and of the archaeological remains of the Ancient Greece, but a small geo-history of the Cilento (shortly before its insurrection of that same year), as the first stage of a journey that returns a fresco of the South of Italy as it was before the process of Italian unification, respect to its agricultural landscapes, customs and dietary habits, attitudes, superstitions, society, culture, religious and political affairs, comparable with the present context of the same territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most of legal theories in the twentieth century have always asserted that rules are product of linguistic utterances and that they have nothing to do with "visual culture". In this paper I show, on the contrary, that the visual dimension is crucial to understand and found some legal-philosophical discourse. The relationship between images and law is always bi-directional, by the first direction following the way from law to images, and by the second one, vice versa, passing from images into the universe of normative discourse. In these pages I do not explore the second direction; I limit myself to investigate the first way asking two questions relevant for the construction of the legal order: Are there visual signs in the normative language? And, if so, what function do they have? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertigo represents about 4% of access to the Emergency Department (ED). Several conditions, such as general medical illnesses, otovestibular diseases and neurological diseases (including posterior circulation stroke) cause acute vertigo. The incidence of cerebrovascular disease in patients with vertigo in ED varies from 3 to 5%. Although neurosonology studies on acute vestibular syndrome are scarce, the use of transcranial Doppler (TCD) and transcranial color Doppler (TCCD) in the management of vertigo patients has several advantages: it can be performed at the patient's bedside and repeated and, furthermore, its use is low-cost. In an acute stroke, with an experienced doctor, it can help distinguish an ischemic stroke from a hemorrhagic stroke. In acute central vertigo induced by posterior circulation stroke, the TCD or TCCD can be a screening test before angiographic neuroradiological studies for stenosis of vertebral or basal arteries. As a matter of fact, the clinical outcome, particularly in the posterior circulation stroke, is mainly related to a rapid diagnosis and subsequent treatment that will be able to quickly restore the blood flow. In conclusion, TCD and TCCD are useful in the differential diagnosis of vertigo in the ED, although we recognize the indisputable importance of clinical examination as a first step in vertigo management. In the evaluation of patients with acute central vertigo due to suspected posterior circulation stroke, the use of TCD or TCCD can rapidly reveal steno-occlusive disease of the posterior circulation, arterial dissections and give indirect signs of vertebra-basilar insufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Campi Flegrei caldera is a large volcanic complex lying in the Campanian Plain, Southern Italy. During its history the caldera experienced episodes of bradyseism and intense swarm seismicity. The mechanism leading to unrest episodes is still debated, and great efforts are ongoing to improve the knowledge of this structure and its evolution due to the high volcanic risk in such a densely populated area. Here we present a resistivity model from a two‐dimensional inversion of audiomagnetotelluric data acquired along an approximately 5.6‐km long profile crosscutting the Solfatara‐Pisciarelli district and the Agnano plain. The resistivity model shows (1) very low resistivity values confined in the first 500 m of depth both in correspondence of the Solfatara‐Pisciarelli districts and the Agnano depression; (2) a resistive plume that extends underneath the Solfatara crater down to 2,000‐ to 3,000‐m depth, and (3) an adjoining relative conductive unit eastward. We discuss the resistivity structures in a multidisciplinary framework integrating inedited geochemical and seismological observations with existing surface geology and subsurface information. The Solfatara‐Pisciarelli district and the Agnano plain, both being expression of intense hydrothermal activity, show different characteristics. Below the Solfatara‐Pisciarelli area, the shallow conductive zone is interpreted as a faulted clay cap that overlies a highly active vapor‐dominated reservoir characterized by a convective mechanism. Conversely, below the Agnano plain, a liquid phase seems to prevail in the reservoir. The spatiotemporal variations of seismicity imply a combined action of preexisting tectonic lineaments and fluid interaction between the gas/steam reservoir and the outflow zone. Key Points: We present new audiomagnetotelluric, geochemical, and seismological observations data collected in the central‐eastern sector of Campi Flegrei calderaThe multidisciplinary analysis provides information on the structure and properties of the hydrothermal reservoir and of the fluid pathwaysSeismic events seem linked to the combined action of tectonic lineaments and fluid interactions between gas/steam reservoir and the outflow zone [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motivation or ability to experience pleasure has been scarcely studied in celiac disease (CeD). We aimed to investigate the hedonistic feelings/anhedonia and sexual pleasure in CeD patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD) compared to controls. We recruited adult CeD patients at follow-up consecutively visited from April 2017 to April 2018 and controls from the hospital staff and friends of CeD patients. Participants completed the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale, measuring the levels of anhedonia, and answered three questions about physical contact, sexual activity, and modification of their life on a GFD. We included 178 CeD patients and 173 healthy controls. Seventeen patients (9.5%) and fourteen controls (8.1%) had anhedonia. We did not find any correlation between the presence of anhedonia and the length in years of GFD neither with the dietary compliance and age at the test. 10.7% patients and 8.7% controls reported of not having pleasure in physical contact and 5.06% CeD and 3.5% controls in feeling attraction for another person; 36.56% said a worsening of their life on a GFD. Our results show that CeD patients on a GFD are similar to controls in anhedonia and sexual problems, despite one-third reported a worsening of their life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nowadays, in many countries wind energy is responsible for a significant part of the electricity generation. For this reason, Transmission System Operators (TSOs) are now demanding the wind power plants (WPPs) to contribute with ancillary services such as frequency support. To this end, WPPs must be able to temporally increase the active power delivered into the grid to compensate consume and demand imbalances. This implies that WPPs now work below their maximum capacity to keep some power reserve to be able to inject extra power into the grid when needed. This reserve depends on the available wind power, which is directly connected with the wind speed faced by each turbine within the WPP. However, wind speed is negative affected by the wakes caused by the upstream turbines. This paper proposes a control algorithm to distribute the power contribution of each turbine seeking to minimize the wake effects and thus maximize the power reserve. The proposed algorithm is evaluated by simulations for the case of a WPP of 12 wind turbines. Highlights • A redistribution of the power contributions from each turbine improves power reserve. • Generating larger power from the most downstream turbines improves available power. • Frequency support is improved while the power demanded by the TSO is satisfied. • Significant increase in power reserve is achieved compared to conventional strategies. • Promising results are shown especially for low wind and high power demand conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]