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AbstractThis study explores how the individual contexts of 146 international English teachers influence their TPACK developed in a Global Online Course (GOC). Employing an explanatory sequential design, the study investigates how teachers evaluated a technologically mediated collaborative writing task in ways revealing their likelihood of TPACK adoption in future pedagogy. Our findings show that teachers from different countries described similar intersections of TPACK shaped by micro situational contexts, seen in evaluations of classroom actions and practices. However, discourse analysis indicates that teachers from different regions differed in evaluating their own and students’ behavior and reactions to TPK, with some teachers not maximizing the affordances of Google Docs. This study provides new avenues for directly understanding how context shapes teachers’ forms of TPACK via analyzing reflective writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies investigating the integration of technology using the framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) have frequently relied on self-reported data analyzed through qualitative or quantitative methods focusing on TPACK regardless of their contexts. Targeting this need to better understand how teachers' individual factors influence their TPACK development, the current study uses reflective writing assignments from 45 international English teachers participating in a global online course (GOC) on educational technology in the classroom to identify how details related to classroom, school, and/or national context influence TPACK gained from an activity involving Google Docs. Further drawing on a systemic functional approach using the APPRAISAL system to examine how teachers use evaluative language to successfully demonstrate TPACK through reflective writing, our qualitative discourse analysis reveals that participants often used positive and negative evaluation of their own and student behavior (JUDGEMENT) and, more rarely, emotions (AFFECT) to describe changes in TPACK shaped by new understandings of specific uses of technology in classroom contexts. Findings also show that participants often mentioned details related to their classroom actions and practices yet rarely provided contextual details related to school, community, or national/societal factors in these assignments. By utilizing qualitative analysis of reflective writing to capture how in-service teachers develop TPACK shaped by their individual contexts, this study provides avenues for understanding TPACK through professional development materials rather than teachers' self-reports while suggesting methods useful for both global online course design and future studies operationalizing context as part of the TPACK framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have enabled large-scale analysis of the role of genetic variants in human disease. Despite impressive methodological advances, subsequent clinical interpretation and application remains challenging when GWAS suffer from a lack of statistical power. In recent years, however, the use of information diffusion algorithms with molecular networks has led to fruitful insights on disease genes. Results We present an overview of the design choices and pitfalls that prove crucial in the application of network propagation methods to GWAS summary statistics. We highlight general trends from the literature, and present benchmark experiments to expand on these insights selecting as case study three diseases and five molecular networks. We verify that the use of gene-level scores based on GWAS P -values offers advantages over the selection of a set of 'seed' disease genes not weighted by the associated P -values if the GWAS summary statistics are of sufficient quality. Beyond that, the size and the density of the networks prove to be important factors for consideration. Finally, we explore several ensemble methods and show that combining multiple networks may improve the network propagation approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causal attribution of asbestos-related diseases to past asbestos exposures is of crucial importance in clinical and legal contexts. Often this evaluation is made based on the history of exposure, but this method presents important limitations. To assess past asbestos exposure, pleural plaques (PP), lung fibrosis and histological evidence of ferruginous bodies (FB) can be used in combination with anamnestic data. However, such markers have never been associated with a threshold value of inhaled asbestos. With this study we attempted to shed light on the dose–response relationship of PP, lung fibrosis and FBs, investigating if their prevalence in exposed individuals who died from malignant mesothelioma (MM) is related to the concentration of asbestos in lungs assessed using scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Moreover, we estimated the values of asbestos concentration in lungs associated with PP, lung fibrosis and FB. Lung fibrosis showed a significant positive relationship with asbestos lung content, whereas PP and FB did not. We identified, for the first time, critical lung concentrations of asbestos related to the presence of PP, lung fibrosis and FB at histology (respectively, 19 800, 26 400 and 27 400 fibers per gram of dry weight), that were all well-below the background levels of asbestos identified in our laboratory. Such data suggest that PP, lung fibrosis and FB at histology should be used with caution in the causal attribution of MM to past asbestos exposures, while evaluation of amphibole lung content using analytical electron microscopy should be preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asbestos lung content is regarded as the most reliable tool for causal attribution of malignant mesothelioma (MM) to previous asbestos exposures. However, there is a lack of studies on asbestos burden in lungs of MM patients in comparison with healthy individuals. This study aims to provide such a comparison, investigating, as well, differences in asbestos lung burden with sex and time trends. Methods: Asbestos lung content has been assessed on formalin-fixed lung fragments using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) on individuals deceased from MM (cases) and healthy subjects without any lung disease who died from violent causes (controls) between 2005 and 2023. Results: Asbestos and asbestos bodies (ABs) were found, respectively, in 73.7% and 43.2% of cases and in 28 and 22% of controls; in MM cases the most represented asbestos types were crocidolite and amosite, whereas in controls it was tremolite-actinolite asbestos. The concentration of both asbestos fibers and ABs was statistically significantly higher in MM cases compared to controls. The mean asbestos fibers width was also significantly higher in cases than controls. Males and females with MM showed similar asbestos and ABs concentrations, but females had higher concentrations of chrysotile, and significantly lower fibers width compared to males. Time trends show that MM lung asbestos concentrations decreased starting in 2011. Discussion: The results suggest a correlation between asbestos burden in lungs and MM risk. The different concentration of chrysotile, as well as the different width of asbestos fibers in MM males and females might reflect a sex difference in response of the lung microenvironment to inhaled asbestos. Finally, this study provides the first pathological evidence of the effect of the ban of asbestos use, demonstrating a significant decrease of asbestos lung content after 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Large-scale clinical proteomics datasets of infectious pathogens, combined with antimicrobial resistance outcomes, have recently opened the door for machine learning models which aim to improve clinical treatment by predicting resistance early. However, existing prediction frameworks typically train a separate model for each antimicrobial and species in order to predict a pathogen's resistance outcome, resulting in missed opportunities for chemical knowledge transfer and generalizability. Results We demonstrate the effectiveness of multimodal learning over proteomic and chemical features by exploring two clinically relevant tasks for our proposed deep learning models: drug recommendation and generalized resistance prediction. By adopting this multi-view representation of the pathogenic samples and leveraging the scale of the available datasets, our models outperformed the previous single-drug and single-species predictive models by statistically significant margins. We extensively validated the multi-drug setting, highlighting the challenges in generalizing beyond the training data distribution, and quantitatively demonstrate how suitable representations of antimicrobial drugs constitute a crucial tool in the development of clinically relevant predictive models. Availability and implementation The code used to produce the results presented in this article is available at https://github.com/BorgwardtLab/MultimodalAMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rare diseases (RD) are a heterogeneous group of diseases, sharing aspects of complexity. Prognosis is variable, even in individuals with the same disease. Real-world data on RD as a whole are scarce. The aim of this study is to provide data on mortality and survival for a substantial group of RD deriving from a population-based registry, which covers the Veneto region in Italy (4.9 million inhabitants). Results: During the study period, 3367 deaths occurred, mainly in males (53.9%), elderly patients (63.5%) and patients with diseases having a reported prevalence of 1–9/100000 (65.6%). When standardizing by age, the mortality ratio was higher in RD patients than in the general population, SMR = 1.93 (95% CI 1.84–2.11), with an observed gender difference, 2.01 (95% CI 1.88–2.29) in females and 1.86 (95% CI 1.73–2.10) in males. The lowest survival rates are experienced by patients with rare neurologic diseases, rare skin diseases and rare systemic or rheumatologic diseases, 58%, 68% and 81%, respectively, after a 15-year observation period. It should be noted that only 18% of patients diagnosed with motor neuron diseases were alive after 15 years from diagnosis. Conclusions: Despite progress in diagnosis, treatment and care in recent years, RD patients globally have higher mortality rates and reduced survival compared to the general population, with specific variations according to gender, age and disease group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimates of rare disease (RD) population impact in terms of number of affected patients and accurate disease definition is hampered by their under-representation in current coding systems. This study tested the use of a specific RD codification system (ORPHAcodes) in five European countries/regions (Czech Republic, Malta, Romania, Spain, Veneto region-Italy) across different data sources over the period January 2019-September 2021. Results: Overall, 3133 ORPHAcodes were used to describe RD diagnoses, mainly corresponding to the disease/subtype of disease aggregation level of the Orphanet classification (82.2%). More than half of the ORPHAcodes (53.6%) described diseases having a very low prevalence (< 1 case per million), and most commonly captured rare developmental defects during embryogenesis (31.3%) and rare neurological diseases (17.6%). ORPHAcodes described disease entities more precisely than corresponding ICD-10 codes in 83.4% of cases. Conclusions: ORPHAcodes were found to be a versatile resource for the coding of RD, able to assure easiness of use and inter-country comparability across population and hospital databases. Future research on the impact of ORPHAcoding as to the impact of numbers of RD patients with improved coding in health information systems is needed to inform on the real magnitude of this public health issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Estimating mortality in rare diseases using a population-based registry, 2002 through 2019" published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. The correction states that Figure 5 in the original article was missing parts C and D. The correct version of Figure 5 is provided in the correction notice. The original article has been updated accordingly. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral in terms of jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Monica Mazzucato, Laura Visonà Dalla Pozza, Cinzia Minichiello, Ema Toto, Andrea Vianello, and Paola Facchin. [Extracted from the article]

Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are at high risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE). Recently, antithrombotic therapies employing antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs have proven to be valid in reducing MACE in patients with PAD and polyvascular disease and MALE, particularly in patients who have already been revascularized and remain at increased risk of MALE. However, more aggressive antithrombotic therapies lead to an increased risk of bleeding. Antithrombotic therapy and revascularization procedures entail an increased hemorrhagic risk that is also linked to having received more vigorous antithrombotic therapies. Therefore, it appears crucial to have specifically targeted scores for a PAD patient to assess bleeding and thrombotic risks. The correct utilization of a risk score will determine the variable risk factors for bleeding that can be corrected or modified, as well as identify patients at high risk that require regular reexamination and follow-up. Clinical risk scores do not represent the absolute reality, and inter-score variability must be taken into account. Moreover, several risk scores have been created to be basic and to facilitate and improve clinical decisions in daily practice. Many risk scores based on points vary according to the configuration of the studies, population type, and ethnic group, and many of the risk factor elements in a specific score are unlikely to sustain same weight for that risk. The best approach continues to be devising an uncomplicated, functional, validated, and precise score that can be adjusted to different clinical contexts and populations, while considering the mutable composition of clinical risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguistic studies of emergency calls have explored their interactional structure (Zimmerman, 1984; Natrass et al., 2017) and the practices used by callers to successfully describe the nature and location of their problems (Paoletti, 2012; Garcia, 2015). Building on research on emergency calls to university police (Kevoe-Feldman, 2016) and on how callers and call-takers in these calls negotiate misunderstandings (Tracy, 1997), this paper addresses the following research question: What practices do university police call-takers use to describe situations to 911 when relaying information from calls with members of the university community? Examining three pairs of calls where members of the university community first call university police followed by the university police call-taker calling 911 about the same situation, I use discourse analysis to identify how university police call-takers highlight their shared social background or "comembership" (Erickson, 2011) while recycling, rekeying, and reframing information from laypeople (Tannen, 2006) in calls to 911. By highlighting how university police call-takers use such practices to overcome discursive challenges in managing events with laypeople and 911 call-takers, this paper provides practical applications for training of university police and 911 call centers and introduces directions for research on improving interactions between callers and call-takers. • University police and 911 call-takers negotiate a range of discursive challenges in calls from laypeople and to 911. • Institutional expectations in an emergency call consider callers as having first party access to a situation. • University police call-takers relay information from laypeople as serious and deserving of service from 911. • Expressing social similarity or comembership with call-takers aids the progression of an emergency call. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In both the epidemiological and legal context, the causal attribution of asbestos-related lung diseases requires retrospective exposure assessment (REA). Aims To assess the correlation between the retrospective assessment of occupational and anthropogenic environmental exposure to asbestos and its content in the lung tissue. Methods Based on the available exposure information, a team of occupational physicians retrospectively assessed cumulative exposure to asbestos in 24 subjects who died of asbestos-related diseases. The asbestos lung content was analysed using analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS). The Log10 asbestos fibre count in the autoptic samples was predicted as a function of the Log10 estimated cumulative exposure using univariate regression analysis. Results The median count of asbestos fibres by grams of dry weight (ff/gdw) in the lung tissue was 81 339 (range 0–2 135 849.06); it was 287 144 (range 0–2 135 849.06) among the occupationally exposed, and 29 671 (range 0–116 891) among the subjects who only had anthropogenic environmental and/or household exposure. Amphiboles, and particularly amosite (52%) and crocidolite (43%), were detected in all the study subjects. Chrysotile was not detected in any of the samples. Overall, the retrospective estimate of lifetime cumulative exposure to asbestos showed a moderate correlation with the total asbestos fibre count in the autoptic lung, with the regression model explaining 38–55% of the total variance. Conclusions Detailed information on occupational, environmental and household exposure circumstances would be indispensable for experienced industrial hygienists and/or occupational physicians to reliably assess past exposure to amphiboles or mixed types of asbestos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bressanone (Brixen) pluton, cropping out at the culmination of the Southalpine indenter between the North Giudicarie and the Pustertal-Gailtal faults, is mainly composed of Permian granodiorite to granite, with minor gabbros and diorites in its southern part. New U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages reveal two distinct crystallization episodes at 289.7 ± 3.2 and 280 ± 2.2 Ma, respectively. The pluton is affected by a hydrothermal potassic to sodic + Cu metasomatic alteration, which has long been ascribed to a late phase of the Permian magmatism. In contrast with this hypothesis, we report new 39Ar–40Ar data for different generations of metasomatic K-feldspar, which indicate formation ages between 35.3 ± 0.3 and 27.8 ± 0.5 Ma. This interval overlaps with the ages of the widespread 'Periadriatic' calc-alkaline magmatism, which extends from the Western to the Eastern Alps straddling the Periadriatic Fault System. The observed hydrothermalism has geochemical characteristics compatible with those of the coeval calc-alkaline Periadriatic magmatism. These data altogether suggest the release of fluids from a hidden intrusion during the main stage of the Alpine orogenic magmatism. Our results provide the first evidence of Oligocene magmatic activity in the Southern Alps east of the Giudicarie Line, bridging the gap between the western-central and eastern Alpine magmatic plutons. A fairly continuous Oligocene magmatic belt straddling the Periadriatic Fault System is consistent with a triggering of the magmatism by slab steepening or slab break-off, either of which are considered to be an essential driver for the Miocene lithospheric rearrangement in the Eastern Alps. Our finding is particularly relevant given that the outcropping area of the Bressanone pluton is centred above the imaged subducting lithosphere gap that separates the Western-Central and the Eastern Alps, hence at a location where mantle upwelling should have been easier although no relevant magmatism was found to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring of side effects after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has become an important issue for health systems worldwide to ensure its safety. Recently cases of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune hepatitis have been described: the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are still debated. We report on a patient who presented with DVT and acute hepatitis 8 days after receiving the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 adenoviral vector vaccine against COVID-19. The patient is a 56-year-old male who was already affected by a rare form of axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease linked to MME (membrane metalloendopeptidase) gene variation and associated with mild symptoms. His blood exams did not have any evidence of thrombocytopenia but D-dimer, troponin T, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase were abnormal, suggesting the presence of a blood clot and acute hepatitis. The patient was treated with subcutaneous enoxaparin for 15 days and with rivaroxaban for the following 8 months: his symptoms improved and his exams showed recanalization of the veins and a healed liver. The pathogenesis of thrombosis and hepatitis after vaccination is still unclear, especially in subjects affected by rare comorbidities and this may affect the safety of vaccination in this type of population. We highlight the importance of careful monitoring of side effects after vaccination: clinical suspicion must rise when patients complain of symptoms that differ from their usual presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonising the naval shipping sector is of paramount importance to decrease global CO 2 emissions. This work presents a techno-economic analysis of onboard solvent-based carbon capture for an ultra-large container ship, powered by two dual-fuel engines fed with either heavy fuel oil or liquefied natural gas. Different case studies are proposed depending on the fuel used by the ship and on the chosen design to supply the necessary heat and electricity to the carbon capture unit. Aside a conventional strategy based on heat provided via fuel combustion in a boiler, a novel configuration based on electric heat pump is investigated. The economic analysis is based on a real inter-continental journey. The results highlight that onboard carbon capture determines an increase in fuel consumption with respect to the unabated ship, that varies depending on the exhaust gas CO 2 content (hence, on the ship fuel) and on the selected process design. The integration of the electric heat pump leads to a significant decrease in this additional fuel consumption and better results in terms of CO 2 avoidance and costs. The carbon abatement cost is found in the range of 64–149 €/t of CO 2 avoided. • CO 2 capture onboard an ultra-large container ship is investigated. • A novel configuration based on electric heat pump for reboiler duty is proposed. • Electrified heat leads to better results compared to fuel steam boilers. • The cost of CO 2 avoidance is found between 64–149 €/t of CO 2. • Onboard CO 2 capture is cost-competitive for about 100 €/t carbon tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasu-Hakola disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder associated to mutations in TREM2 and DAP12 genes, neuropathologically characterized by leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids. We report the neuropathologic findings of a 51-year-old female with a homozygous mutation (Q33X) of TREM2 gene. Beside severe cerebral atrophy and hallmarks of Nasu-Hakola disease, significant Alzheimer's disease lesions were present. Neurofibrillary changes showed an atypical topographic distribution being severe at spots in the neocortex while sparing the mesial temporal structures. Our finding suggests that TREM2 genetic defects may favor Alzheimer's disease pathology with neurofibrillary changes not following the hierarchical staging of cortical involvement identified by Braak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: Second language researchers have focused increasingly in recent years on "heritage language learners," or adult learners who wish to learn, relearn, or improve their linguistic proficiency in a family language they spoke while growing up. The present study examines this domain with a particular focus on Arabic. Design/Methodology/Approach: We present in this paper a "scoping review" that systematically examines the theoretical approaches, methods, contexts, instruments, and linguistic foci found in empirical research on Arabic heritage language learning and learners. Following a comprehensive search, 34 empirical studies (27 journal articles and seven dissertations/theses) were identified that met our criteria. Data and Analysis: Each study was coded for the samples, designs, theoretical approaches, data collection instruments, and a number of other substantive and methodological features and practices. Frequencies and percentages of study features were then calculated. Findings/Conclusions: Among other results, the study revealed a variety of approaches to defining heritage learners/learning. Although studies in this domain most often employed cross-sectional designs and interviews to collect data, a variety of theoretical approaches both socially and cognitively oriented can be found. Originality: This study presents the first attempt to apply synthetic research techniques to the growing body of research on heritage language learning/learners. Significance/Implications: Our results describe this growing domain, identifying current trends and potentially fruitful directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abnormal ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) is a marker of the risk for increased total and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. However, it is not clear whether it is associated with an even worse prognosis in patients with previous CV events or with cancer mortality. Consecutive subjects undergoing ABI assessment for suspected peripheral artery disease or for stratification of CV risk in ten centers in the Veneto Region (northeast Italy), between 2011 and 2014 were enrolled. The ABI was expressed as normal ≥0.9 to ≤1.3, and abnormal <0.9 or >1.3. All-cause mortality and CV or cancer mortality and hospitalizations for CV disease were collected from administrative databases up to December 2018. The study enrolled 1,177 patients. ABI was abnormal in 57.2%. Median follow-up was 61.6 months (53.4–70.1). All-cause, CV and cancer mortality were higher in patients with abnormal than normal ABI, with hazard ratios (HR) respectively 2.0 (95% CI 1.48–2.69), 1.98 (95% CI 1.24–3.17) and 1.85 (95% CI 1.09–3.15). Among subjects with abnormal ABI, the risk of overall mortality, HR 1.57 (95% CI 1.17–2.12), and CV mortality, HR 2.39 (95% CI 1.43–3.99), was higher in those with previous CV events. These latter also had a higher risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction and stroke: HR 1.85 (95% CI 1.023.37) and 2.17 (95% CI 1.10–4.28). The co-existence of abnormal ABI and a history of CV events identifies subjects at higher risk, who call for a more aggressive approach. Abnormal ABI is also a predictor of cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A silver coin recently found by detectorists in the environs of Trilj can be attributed to Issa, a Greek city on the island of Vis, on cogent epigraphic, iconographic, and stylistic grounds. It is the first example of an Issaean silver coin on record and may be dated between 200 and 175 BC. The coin's weight (4.84 g) suggests that it could have circulated as a reduced Corcyraean didrachm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rare Issaean bronze coin was found in 2019 by Ivan Pamić, an avocational archaeologist, at Grad (Nakovana), an Illyrian hillfort near the western tip of the Pelješac Peninsula, in south-central Dalmatia. Only three other examples of this issue, which were struck by the same pair of dies, were previously known in museum collections in Venice, Vienna, and Split. A major stronghold located at the intersection of two of the primary sea lanes in the Dalmatian Archipelago, and within sight of the islands of Vis, Hvar, and Korčula, Grad was linked to regional and Mediterranean trade networks. As the first documented find of Issaean currency inside an Illyrian hillfort, the discovery of this coin corroborates the evidence from nearby Nakovana Cave (Spila), which has yielded a large quantity of pottery made at Issa. It points to direct social and economic contacts between the Issaeans and the occupants of the hillfort in the late Hellenistic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Posterior shoulder dislocation is often associated with bone defects. Surgical treatment is often necessary to address these lesions. The aim of the present systematic review was to analyse the available literature concerning bone block procedures in the treatment of bone deficiencies following posterior dislocation. In addition, the methodology of the articles has been evaluated through the Coleman methodology score.Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the keywords "posterior shoulder instability", "posterior shoulder dislocation", "bone loss", "bone defect", "bone block", and "bone graft" with no limit regarding the year of publication. All English-language articles were evaluated using the Coleman methodology score.Results: Fifty-four articles were identified, and 13 articles met inclusion criteria. The initial cohort included 208 shoulders, and 182 were reviewed at an average follow-up of 72.7 months (±55.2). The average Coleman score was 57.2 (±8.0). The most lacking domains were the size of study population, the type of study, and the procedure for assessing outcomes. All the articles showed an increase in the outcome scores. Radiographic evaluation revealed degenerative changes such as osteoarthritis and graft lysis in most of the series.Conclusions: This review confirms the lack of studies with good methodological quality. However, bone grafting is a reliable option since significant improvement in all scores is reported. Although a low incidence of recurrence is generally described, there are concerns that the results may deteriorate over time as evidenced by graft lysis and glenohumeral osteoarthritis in up to one-third of patients.Level Of Evidence: Systematic review, Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to understand more about the role of asbestos in causing human diseases, first of all mesothelioma, by investigating a large series of deaths due to asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The main aim is to clarify if even very low amounts of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other ARDs, as well as to find out if a different individual vulnerability can be important. This retrospective study included 188 subjects who died from asbestos related diseases in 2000-2017 in the area around Broni, Italy, where an important asbestos cement factory had been active from 1932 until 1993. In each case, a forensic autopsy has been performed. In order to perform the present study, the records were retrieved, including the clinical files, the autopsy, and the histological report. The statistical analysis performed showed that there was a significant relation between the cause of death (mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis) and the kind of exposure (occupational, neighborhood or household), showing that all the subjects not exposed occupationally (and, therefore, exposed to lower amounts of asbestos) died from mesothelioma, whereas the individuals who used to work at the plant died also from other caused (asbestosis, lung cancer). Significant differences were highlighted examining the distribution of the causes of death according to the smoking habits. Moreover, among the mesothelioma patients, the survival time was shorter in the subjects with a neighborhood or household exposure than in the occupationally exposed individuals. The study provided meaningful data about the role of asbestos in causing human pathologies. In particular, the present data appear to support the hypothesis that even an exposure to a very little amount of asbestos can cause mesothelioma in hypersusceptible subjects (probably, on a genetic basis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute medial dissection of aorta can occur in the context of a sudden and unexpected death. For medico-legal reasons it is important to estimate as accurately the histological age of dissections. We evaluated the additional value of a systematic application of immunohistochemistry, compared with conventional histology only, in determining chronological steps of injury and repair. Thirty two paraffin embedded specimens of aortic dissection were retrospectively allocated to one of four defined stages: acute (I), subacute (II), early organizing (III) and scarring (IV) using Hematoxylin and Eosin and Elastica van Gieson stained sections. Subsequent immunohistochemically staining was performed with the following markers: (myeloperoxidase (neutrophils), citrullinated-Histone 3 (neutrophil extracellular traps), CD68 (macrophages), CD3 (T-cells), CD31 and CD34 (endothelial cells), and smooth muscle actin. Immune stained sections were scored semi-quantitatively. Histologically, five cases were identified as stage I, 16 as II, 7 as III and 4 as IV. Additional immunostaining for smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells altered the classification in 25% of cases (all in groups II and III). Immunostaining and semi-quantitative grading of involvement of neutrophils, macrophages and NETs also provided specific distribution patterns over the 4 age categories, including unexpected involvement of the peri adventitial fat tissue. In conclusion, it appears that semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry of resident vascular wall cells, inflammatory cells and NETS represents a useful adjunct in detailed histopathological grading of the chronological age of aortic dissections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Deaths from electricity, generally, do not have specific findings at the autopsy. The diagnosis is commonly based on the circumstances of the death and the morphologic findings, above all the current mark. Yet, the skin injury due to an electrocution and other kinds of thermal injuries often cannot be differentiated with certainty. Therefore, there is a great interest in finding specific markers of electrocution. The search for the metallization of the skin through Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) probe is of special importance in order to achieve a definite diagnosis in case of suspected electrocution.Materials and Methods: We selected five cases in which the electrocution was extremely likely considering the circumstances of the death. In each case a forensic autopsy was performed. Then, the skin specimens were stained with Hematoxylin Eosin and Perls. On the other hand, the skin lesions were examined with a scanning electron microscope equipped with EDS probe in order to evaluate the morphological ultrastructural features and the presence of deposits on the surface of the skin.Results: The typical skin injury of the electrocution (current mark) were macroscopically detected in all of the cases. The microscopic examination of the skin lesions revealed the typical spherical vacuoles in the horny layer and, in the epidermis, the elongation of the cell nuclei as well as necrosis. Perls staining was negative in 4 out 6 cases. Ultrastructural morphology revealed the evident vacuolization of the horny layer, elongation of epidermic cells, coagulation of the elastic fibers.Eds-microanalysis: In the specimens collected from the site of contact with the conductor of case 1 and 2, the presence of the Kα peaks of iron was detected. In the corresponding specimens taken from cases 2, 4, 5 the microanalysis showed the Kα peaks of titanium. In case 3, titanium and carbon were found.Conclusions: In the suspicion of electrocution, the integrated use of different tools is recommended, including macroscopic observation, H&E staining, iron-specific staining, scanning electron microscopy and EDS microanalysis. Only the careful interpretation of the results provided by all these methods can allow the pathologist to correctly identify the cause of the death. Particularly, the present study suggests that the microanalysis (SEM-EDS) represents a very useful tool for the diagnosis of electrocution, allowing the detection and the identification of the metals embedded in the skin and their evaluation in the context of the ultrastructural morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the contributions of Africanist Arnold Rubin to the study of African art in the 21st century. Rubin challenged the assumptions of his own academic traditions and discussed his thoughts on the development of the field of African art studies at a conference at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1979. As an "African Arts" editor in the first decade of its publication, he was able to express his goals for Africanist art history. Information on the history of the journal is also provided.

The authors present a case which brings out a unique modality of child homicide by placing the baby in a washing machine and turning it on. The murder was perpetrated by the baby's mother, who suffered from a serious depressive disorder. A postmortem RX and then a forensic autopsy were performed, followed by histologic examinations and toxicology. On the basis of the results of the autopsy, as well as the histology and the negative toxicological data, the cause of death was identified as acute asphyxia. This diagnosis was rendered in light of the absence of other causes of death, as well as the presence of typical signs of asphyxia, such as epicardial and pleural petechiae and, above all, the microscopic examinations, which pointed out a massive acute pulmonary emphysema. Regarding the cause of the asphyxia, at least two mechanisms can be identified: drowning and smothering. In addition, the histology of the brain revealed some findings that can be regarded as a consequence of the barotrauma due to the centrifugal force applied by the rotating drum of the washing machine. Another remarkable aspect is that we are dealing with a mentally-ill assailant. In fact, the baby's mother, after a psychiatric examination, was confirmed to be suffering from a mental illness-a severe depressive disorder-and so she was adjudicated not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity. This case warrants attention because of its uniqueness and complexity and, above all, its usefulness in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this particular manner of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are being proposed in combination with radiotherapy to improve tumor control. However, the exact mechanisms underlying GNP radiosensitization are yet to be understood, thus, we present a new approach to estimate the nanoparticle-driven increase in radiosensitivity. Methods A stochastic radiobiological model, derived from the Local Effect Model (LEM), was coupled with Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the increase in radiosensitivity produced by the interactions between photons and GNPs at nanometric scale. The model was validated using in vitro survival data of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells containing different concentrations of 2 nm diameter GNPs receiving different doses using 160 kVp, 6 MV, and 15 MV photons. A closed analytical formulation of the model was also derived and a study of RBE and TCP behavior was conducted. Results Results support the increased radiosensitivity due to GNP-driven dose inhomogeneities on a nanometric scale. The model is in good agreement with experimental clonogenic survival assays for 160 kVp, 6 MV, and 15 MV photons. The model suggests a RBE and TCP enhancement when lower energies and lower doses per fraction are used in the presence of GNPs. Conclusions The evolution of the local effect model was implemented to assess cellular radiosensitization in the presence of GNPs and then validated with in vitro data. The model provides a useful framework to estimate the nanoparticle-driven radiosensitivity in treatment irradiations and could be applied to real clinical treatment predictions (described in a second part of this paper) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although archaeologists and numismatists have used J. Brunšmid's 1898 study of the coinage of Issa for over a century, his chrono-typological classification must be updated in light of the archaeological evidence and of a much broader numismatic database. After reviewing recent finds of Issaean coins in the Adriatic region and their pattern of distribution, the author discusses the value of overstrikings and archaeological contexts for a better understanding of the metrology, iconography, and chronology of some of Issa's most distinctive issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to describe the precise anatomy of the so-called 'Comma Sign' which has been observed during arthroscopy in retracted subscapularis (SSC) tears. Methods: Fourteen fresh cadaveric shoulders were prepared to obtain an articular view comparable to arthroscopic posterior portal view. A step-by-step dissection was carried out to verify the presence of any anatomic structure inserting directly on the lateral margin of the SSC tendon. A sequential detachment of the superior gleno-humeral ligament (SGHL), the coraco-humeral ligament (CHL), and the SSC tendon from their bony humeral insertions was performed. Under intra-articular and extra-articular view, the SSC and its connections with the supraspinatus (SS), the SGHL and the CHL were evaluated. Results: The detachment of the CHL and the SGHL from the humerus did not reveal any structure directly inserted on the superior-lateral margin of the SSC tendon. However, when the SSC tendon was excised from the lesser tuberosity and pulled medially, a bundle of fibers, which inserted directly onto its superior-lateral edge, was constantly observed. Conclusions: We constantly found an effective link between the superior-lateral corner of the SSC tendon and a bundle of fibers coming from SS and CHL. It became visible only after medial traction of the detached SSC. This structure yields the 'Comma Sign' in subscapularis tendon tears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paragangliomas are cromaffin tumors arising from the neural crest cells of parasympathetic or sympathetic ganglia. They are known to be rare causes of sudden death. Here we present the autopsy findings, as well as microscopical and immunohistochemistry study, of a 48-years-old woman who died suddenly after a percutaneous alcohol injection of a peri-renal cyst previously diagnosed as a common complex cyst. She manifested a multiorgan failure, with acute heart failure, systemic and pulmonary vasoconstriction with hypoxia, metabolic acidosis (pH 6.974). It was therefore enacted resuscitation that was ineffective. The autopsy pointed out, close to the upper right renal pole, a cyst characterized by very friable walls and septa, with a thickness of approximately 0.5 cm and containing about 75 cm³ of hemoserous fluid. Microscopically, through immunohistochemical examinations, the cyst showed the presence of chromaffin cells, containing enzymes involved in the synthesis of catecholamines, in particular noradrenalin. So, the cause of the death was ascertained in an multi-organ failure caused by a massive release of catecholamines (noradrenaline) from the cyst, identified post-mortem (on the basis of histologic and immunohistochemical examinations) in a noradrenalin-secreting paraganglioma, that remained silent until the cyst ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical cyclization ( eATRC) has been developed as an easy and clean method allowing the synthesis of halogenated cyclic compounds. This method has been successfully applied to the copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical cyclization of some N-allyl-α,α-dichloroamides in acetonitrile (CH3CN) using a copper complex with tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA) with a metal loading of 1%. The catalyst is introduced as [Cu(II)TPMA]2+ and is activated and continuously regenerated to its active copper(I) form by reduction at a platinum (Pt) electrode. During the ATRC process a new copper(II) complex, namely, [ClCu(II)TPMA]+, whose reduction potential is ca. 0.350 V more negative than that of the starting [Cu(II)TPMA]2+, is formed. Therefore, the choice of the applied potential is critical and should be done taking care that all copper(II) species are reduced to copper(I). The compounds undergo very high conversions (79-100%) in a few hours of electrolysis, producing a cyclic γ-lactam (yield 60-98%) as a mixture of two isomers, with a good cis-diastereoselectivity [ dr ( cis/ trans)=59/41-83/17]. [Cu(II)PMDETA]2+ (PMDETA= N, N, N′, N′′, N′′-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine), which is much cheaper, albeit less reactive than [Cu(II)TPMA]2+, was also investigated but the results were not satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carthage minted its final series of gold coins during the Third Punic War. G.K. Jenkins and J. Alexandropoulos described them as a unit and a fraction, identified as a 2/5 sheqel and a 1/5 sheqel because the larger coin weighs about 3 g. However, the existence of a sheqel bearing the same types as those of the 2/5 sheqels suggests that this coinage had at least three denominations. The earliest 2/5 sheqels have either no control marks or single Punic letters, representing an alphabetical sequence, of which a coin with the letter gimel, in the Kadman Numismatic Pavilion, provides a missing link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaths due to decapitation, especially related to traffic accidents, are rarely found in forensic practice. The present case involves a man and a woman who died from decapitation due to an unusual mechanism while they were riding on a motorbike down a mountain road. The autopsy, which was completed as a physics study, allowed the accident to be reconstructed as follows: A plastic cable that had detached from a timber-transporting machine whipped the road and hit the two motorcyclists. The impact resulted in the complete severing of both riders' heads. Involving different scientists in this accident investigation was crucial to understanding the dynamics of the accident. In fact, in addition to scene inspection and autopsy, a physics study was carried out on the cable and the clamp involved, which led to an explanation for the abrupt movement of the cable and, thus, to a thorough reconstruction of the accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noncompaction cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder, often associated with cardiac and noncardiac malformations. Hirschsprung's disease, a well-known aganglionosis, is associated with congenital heart diseases and has been reported to be due to impairment migration and differentiation of neural crest cells. Here, we present an 8-month-old male infant who died for cardiogenic shock after surgical resection of the involved bowel segment. The child was affected by both noncompaction cardiomyopathy and Hirschsprung's disease, two entities which can share a common neural crest-derived etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although rare diseases have become a major public health issue, there is a paucity of population-based data on rare diseases. The aim of this epidemiological study was to provide descriptive figures referring to a sizable group of unrelated rare diseases. Methods Data from the rare diseases registry established in the Veneto Region of north-east Italy (population 4,900,000), referring to the years from 2002 to 2012, were analyzed. The registry is based on a web-based system accessed by different users. Cases are enrolled by two different sources: clinicians working at Centers of expertise officially designated to diagnose and care patients with rare diseases and health professionals working in the Local Health Districts. Deaths of patients are monitored by Death Registry. Results So far, 19,547 patients with rare diseases have been registered, and 23% of them are pediatric cases. The overall raw prevalence of the rare diseases monitored in the population under study is 33.09 per 10,000 inhabitants (95% CI 32.56-33.62), whilst the overall incidence is 3.85 per 10,000 inhabitants (95% CI 3.67-4.03). The most commonly-recorded diagnoses belong to the following nosological groups: congenital malformations (Prevalence: 5.45/10,000), hematological diseases (4.83/10,000), ocular disorders (4.47/10,000), diseases of the nervous system (3.51/10,000), and metabolic disorders (2,94/10,000). Most of the deaths in the study population occur among pediatric patients with congenital malformations, and among adult cases with neurological diseases. Rare diseases of the central nervous system carry the highest fatality rate (71.36/1,000). Rare diseases explain 4.2% of general population Years of Life Lost (YLLs), comparing to 1.2% attributable to infectious diseases and 2.6% to diabetes mellitus. Conclusions Our estimates of the burden of rare diseases at population level confirm that these conditions are a relevant public health issue. Our snapshot of their epidemiology is important for public health planning purposes, going to show that population-based registries are useful tools for generating health indicators relating to a considerable number of rare diseases, rather than to specific conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of Bar Kokhba tetradrachms and denars, and a bronze ring, acquired by Henry Gillman while U.S. consul in Jerusalem, come from a hoard said to have been found at Hebron in 1889. The coins are presumed to be the first assemblage of Bar Kokhba currency known to modern scholars. Some of these specimens were subsequently divided between the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. The hoard included a large number of coins struck in the final stage of the rebellion and was hidden before some of the latest issues were dispersed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a wooden female figure from the Lagoon region of the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), focusing on how African American artists have related to the statue. The author traces the provenance of the statue, which was exported to France and purchased by art dealer Paul Guillaume in 1914 before being given to artist Marius de Zayas and photographer Alfred Stieglitz, who exhibited the work in New York City. The statue was later donated by artist Georgia O'Keeffe to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949. Specific topics addressed include other Lagoon-region sculptures, religious uses of Lagoon statues by the Lagoon peoples, possible contexts for the creation and export of the statue, photography of the statue, and African American relation to African heritage.

Abstract: In the Kharta area, east of Mount Everest, the Greater Himalayan Crystallines are significantly richer in mafic rocks than the surrounding areas, Sikkim–West Bhutan and Makalu–Cho Oyu. These rocks are lenses with a complex metamorphic history. The mafic lenses of Shao La, in the Greater Himalayan Sequence south of Kharta, are here considerated as dismembered dykes apparently escaped the Himalayan high-temperature metamorphism and only record a low-grade metamorphic event. They are calc-alkaline medium-K basalts to basaltic andesites, consisting of plagioclase (core 62% An and rim 55% An), augite (Wo43–47En3636–37Fs16–20), hypersthene (Wo1.6–3.3En50–52Fs46–48), and minor brown hornblende, biotite and ilmenite. They show strong enrichment in low ionic potential elements relative to high-field-strength elements, and only minor Ce and P enrichment with respect to MORB. Combined Sr–Nd systematics suggest contamination of a basic magma from a subcontinental mantle source with a small amount of crust (about 4 vol.%). This in turn indicates that the Shao La basalts and basaltic andesites have the geochemical fingerprint of a supra-subduction zone magma. U–Pb dating of zircon from one sample yielded an age of 457±6Ma for the crystallisation of the Shao La basic rocks, assigning them to the Cambro-Ordovician Bhimphedian orogenic event. The age and geochemical characteristics of the Shao La rocks are similar to those of the basic rocks of the Cambro-Ordovician Mandi pluton further west. This suggests the existence of an extensive supra-subduction zone magmatism along the Indian margin of Gondwana. Like the bimodal granite-gabbro magmatism in the Mandi-Kaplas area, the Shao La basic rocks are contemporaneous with the emplacement of granitic plutons in the Everest-Kharta area. This acid plutonism is interpreted as crustal melt triggered by the upwelling of metasomatised mantle in a back-arc setting. The age of basic and acidic plutonism in the Everest-Kharta area is evidence that the Bhimphedian Orogeny was still active as late as the Late Ordovician [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The SIGENP Group has created an Italian Liver Transplantation database. The study considers all patients under 18 yr of age on the waiting list or transplanted between 1984 and 2005. Demographic and clinical data were collected and a descriptive analysis was conducted. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were calculated and Cox’s proportional-hazards regression analysis were performed to identify predictors of death after transplantation. Twenty-two Italian centers took part and data were collected on 622 cases: only 53.8% of the transplants performed up until 1998 were carried out in Italy, while this was true of 97.7% of the operations performed between 1999 and 2005. Recipient survival curve analysis revealed one-, two- and five-yr survival rates of 88, 87 and 84%, respectively, and a significant improvement in survival after 1998 (p = 0.0322). Cox’s analysis identified the following risk factors for death after liver transplantation, i.e. transplantation before 1998, neoplasms or fulminant hepatic failure as indications, being in intensive care at the time of transplantation and retransplantation. The center where the transplant is performed also revealed an influence on patient survival. Thanks to a better patient follow-up and more cooperation between specialists, the mean survival after liver transplantation is improving and Italian children can be transplanted in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mafic alkaline lavas from the Venetian Volcanic Province (NE Italy) contain orange–brown zircon megacrysts up to 15 mm long, subhedral to subrounded and showing equant morphology, with width-to-length ratios of 1:2–1:2.5. U–Pb ages of zircon (51.1±1.5 to 30.5±0.51 Ma) fit the stratigraphic age of the host lava (Middle Eocene and Oligocene) and their oxygen isotope composition (δ 18O=5.31–5.51‰) is similar to that of zircon formed in the upper mantle. Cathodoluminescence images and crystal chemical features, e.g. depletion of incompatible elements such as REE, Y, U and Th at constant Hf content, indicate that centre-to-edge zircon zoning is not consistent with evolution of the melt by fractional crystallization. All the above features, together with the fact that zircon and host basalts are coeval, indicate that the studied Zr megacrysts crystallised from a primitive alkaline mafic magma, which later evolved to the less alkaline host magma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photodynamic therapy is a promising approach for the prevention of arterial restenosis, which frequently occurs after balloon angioplasty, largely owing to abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and their migration from the media to the intima, where they originate intimal hyperplasia (IH). We investigated the efficacy of Zn(II)–phthalocyanine-photosensitised processes in promoting the inactivation of VSMC. This liposome delivered phthalocyanine is readily taken up by VSMC, largely partitions in the Golgi apparatus, and upon photoactivation causes >95% cell mortality using mild irradiation conditions (e.g. 5min irradiation at 1μM ZnPc). Cell death occurs through the parallel development of random necrotic and apoptotic processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article explains why the exhibit's categorization of Lagoon works of Côte d'Ivoire as twentieth century African art is a reassessment of the ways African art has been viewed in the past, and why the inclusion of the full range of art works produced by twentieth century Lagoon artists will be both controversial and provocative. Some types of Lagoon arts have clearly been made for periods spanning hundreds of years, including funerary terracottas.

In the Higher Himalaya of the region from Cho Oyu to the Arun valley northeast of Makalu, the Miocene leucogranites are not hosted only in the upper High Himalayan Crystallines (HHC); a network of dykes also cuts the lower HHC and the Lesser Himalayan Crystallines (LHC).The plutons and dykes are mainly composed of two-mica (muscovite+biotite±tourmaline±cordierite±andalusite±sillimanite) leucogranite, with tourmaline≤2.6% and biotite>1.5% modal, and tourmaline (muscovite+tourmaline±biotite±sillimanite ±garnet±kyanite±andalusite±spinel±corundum) leucogranite, with tourmaline>2.2% and biotite<1.5% modal.Both leucogranite types were produced by partial melting in the andalusite–sillimanite facies series, under LP/HT conditions constrained by the occurrence of peritectic andalusite and cordierite. The geochemical features of the leucogranites suggest that tourmaline leucogranite was produced by muscovite dehydration melting in muscovite-rich metapelites at P∼350 MPa and T≥640°C, whereas two-mica leucogranite was produced by biotite dehydration melting in biotite-rich metapelites at P∼300 MPa and T≥660–710 °C.Melting in fertile muscovite-rich metapelites of the top of both the HHC and LHC produced magmas which were emplaced at the same structural level in which they had been generated. Melting in the biotite-rich gneiss of both the HHC and LHC produced hotter magmas which were transported upwards by dyking and eventually coalesced in the plutons of the upper HHC. A similar process also produced a network of two-mica granite at the top of the LHC in the Ama Drime–Nyo¨nno Ri Range northeast of Makalu.The prograde character of leucogranite melt-producing reactions in the Everest–Makalu area suggests that, here, the generation of Miocene leucogranites took place in a regime of nearly isobaric heating following nearly adiabatic decompression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare tumor associated with asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma carcinogenesis is related to enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and iron overload. Despite the recent advances in biomedical sciences, to date the only available treatments include surgery in a small fraction of patients and platinum-based chemotherapy in combination with pemetrexed. In this view, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of the newly synthetized platinum prodrug Pt(IV)Ac-POA compared to cisplatin (CDDP) on human biphasic mesothelioma cell line MSTO-211H using different complementary techniques, such as flow-cytometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and immunocytochemistry. Healthy mesothelial cell lines Met-5A were also employed to assess the cytotoxicity of the above-mentioned compounds. Our in vitro results showed that Pt(IV)Ac-POA significantly interfere with iron metabolisms and more importantly is able to trigger cell death, through different pathways, including ferroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis, in neoplastic cells. On the other hand, CDDP triggers mainly apoptotic and necrotic cell death. In conclusion, Pt(IV)Ac-POA may represent a new promising pharmacological agent in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Secondary cuff failure after shoulder replacement is disabling and often requires additional surgery. Increased critical shoulder angle (CSA) has been found in patients with cuff tear compared to normal subjects. The interobserver reliability of the CSA and the relationship between CSA and symptomatic secondary cuff failure after shoulder replacement were investigated.Materials and Methods: Nineteen patients with symptomatic cuff failure after anatomic shoulder replacement (mean FU 45 months) were compared to a control group of 29 patients showing no signs of symptomatic cuff failure (mean FU 105.7 months). The CSA was measured by two blinded surgeons at a mean follow-up of 45 and 105.7 months, respectively. Inter-observer reliability was calculated.Results: The mean CSA in the study group in neutral, internal and external rotations were 33°, 34° and 34°, respectively. Corresponding values in the control group were 32°, 32° and 32°. The interclass correlation coefficient for the whole population between the two examiners were 0.956 (P < 0.01), 0.964 (P < 0.01) and 0.955 (P < 0.01), respectively.Conclusion: There were no significant differences of CSA values between patients who had undergone shoulder replacement and experienced late cuff failure and those in whom the same procedure had been successful. A good inter-observer reliability was found for the CSA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Symptomatic glenoid erosion is one of the most common causes of functional impairment after shoulder hemiarthroplasty. A decrease in the critical shoulder angle (CSA) has been associated with the development of shoulder arthritis. The inter-observer reliability of the CSA and the relationship between CSA and symptomatic glenoid erosion after shoulder hemiarthroplasty were investigated.Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight patients with symptomatic glenoid erosion after anatomic hemiarthroplasty were compared to a control group of 30 patients with no signs of symptomatic glenoid erosion. The CSA was measured by two blinded shoulder surgeons at a mean follow-up of 105.2 and 54.7 months, respectively. The inter-observer reliability was calculated.Results: The mean CSA in the control group in neutral, internal, and external rotations was 34°, 33°, and 33°, respectively. The corresponding values in the study group were 33°, 33°, and 33° (<0.01). The interclass correlation coefficient between the two examiners was 0.917 (P < 0.01), 0.924 (P < 0.01), and 0.948 (P < 0.01), respectively. The Mann-Whitney test between the control group and the study group were, respectively, 0.907, 0.932, and 0.602.Conclusion: There were no significant differences of CSA values between the two groups. Good inter-observer reliability was found for the CSA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy and the United States are two of the countries most affected by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), with more than 240,760 confirmed cases in Italy and 2,699,658 in the United States (as of July 2, 2020). The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial changes in many fields of medicine, specifically in the forensic discipline. Medicolegal activities related to conducting autopsies have been largely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Postmortem examinations are generally discouraged by government regulations due to the risk of spreading the disease further through the handling and dissection of bodies from patients who succumbed to COVID-19 infection. There is a paucity of data regarding the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in bodies, as well as concerning the reliability of swabbing methods in human remains. On the other hand, the autopsy is an essential tool to provide necessary information about the pathophysiology of the disease that presents useful clinical and epidemiological insights. On this basis, we aim to address issues concerning general medical examiner/coroner organization, comparing the Italian and American systems. We also discuss the pivotal roles of forensic pathologists in informing infectious disease surveillance. Finally, we focus on the impact of COVID-19 emergency on medicolegal practices in Italy and the United States, as well as the responses of the forensic scientific community to the emerging concerns related to the pandemic. We believe that stronger efforts by authorities are necessary to facilitate completing postmortem examinations, as data derived from such assessments are expected to be paramount to improving patient management and disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]