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Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most prevalent non-Hodgkin lymphomas that comprise cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), accounting for more than 70% of cases. Following the Tumor Lymph nodes Metastasis Blood system, disease staging is carried out, and within ten years, about thirty percent of patients in the early stages will have advanced disease. Plaques, folliculotropism, and age over 60 are risk factors for progression. A 5-year survival rate of less than 20% is associated with LCT in MF. Treatment requires an interdisciplinary approach; skindirected therapies are available for early stages of the disease, but there are no curative options for advanced stages of the disease other than allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Because of their severe symptoms and poor treatment efficacy, patients in advanced stages have a lower quality of life and a lower chance of survival. In patients with CD30-expressing CTCL, Brentuximab Vedotin has demonstrated better response rates and progression-free survival (PFS); in advanced SS, mogamulizumab has significantly increased PFS. These findings emphasize the need to standardize prognostic factors and improve CTCL treatment.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplastic diseases in which dermatological examination plays the pivotal role toward a management which must be multidisciplinary by definition [...].

Cervical spinal cord injuries (cSCI) severely affect upper limb function, yet research on post-injury neuromotor abilities is limited. In response, we developed an assessment integrating clinical, kinematic and muscle activity measures. Twelve cSCI (C5-C7) and six unimpaired participants underwent a clinical (Range Of Motion and Manual Muscle tests) and an instrumented assessment. During the latter, bilateral upper body kinematics and muscle activity were recorded as participants performed a set of unilateral movements, i.e. reaching movements toward different heights-directions and an object transfer along an arch-shaped structure (arc task). Kinematics and neuromuscular indicators were analyzed following a two-tiered approach: comparing unimpaired and cSCI and differentiating more and less impaired arms within the cSCI cohort based on their ability to complete the arc task. Clinical tests revealed shoulder mobility and strength limitations in cSCI participants, with a significant weakness in elbow extension noted in more impaired arms. The instrumented assessment revealed reduced movement speed, smoothness and accuracy in the cSCI cohort, primarily due to weaknesses in the pectoralis muscle affecting contralateral movements and deltoids affecting ipsilateral movements. Muscle activations were detected in the non-moving arm of cSCI participants, particularly noticeable during movements toward greater heights or in a contralateral direction. The pronounced weakness in the pectoralis muscle of the more impaired cSCI arms explained the related ability to complete only 28% of the arc task. Our findings provide a thorough insight into changes in upper limb neuromotor function following cSCI, underscoring motor deficits and related alterations in bilateral muscle activity.

Clear cell acanthoma (CCA) is an uncommon benign epidermal tumor of unknown origin and etiology. It is often solitary, and the presence of multiple CCAs in the same individual is rare. Typically, it presents as a slowly growing plaque or nodule located on the legs with a peripheral scaling collarette. Diagnosis is primarily based on clinical and histopathological findings, with dermoscopy enhancing diagnostic accuracy. The differential diagnosis includes various skin tumors and inflammatory dermatoses. The preferred treatment is surgical excision, as these lesions do not regress spontaneously. We describe a case of a large CCA on the right thigh associated with multiple small nodular lesions scattered across the legs.

Aquifer karstic structures, due to their complex nature, present significant challenges in accurately mapping their intricate features. Traditional methods often rely on invasive techniques or sophisticated equipment, limiting accessibility and feasibility. In this paper, a new approach is proposed for a non-invasive, low-cost 3D reconstruction using a camera that observes the light projection of a simple diving lamp. The method capitalizes on the principles of structured light, leveraging the projection of light contours onto the karstic surfaces. By capturing the resultant light patterns with a camera, three-dimensional representations of the structures are reconstructed. The simplicity and portability of the equipment required make this method highly versatile, enabling deployment in diverse underwater environments. This approach is validated through extensive field experiments conducted in various aquifer karstic settings. The results demonstrate the efficacy of this method in accurately delineating intricate karstic features with remarkable detail and resolution. Furthermore, the non-destructive nature of this technique minimizes disturbance to delicate aquatic ecosystems while providing valuable insights into the subterranean landscape. This innovative methodology not only offers a cost-effective and non-invasive means of mapping aquifer karstic structures but also opens avenues for comprehensive environmental monitoring and resource management. Its potential applications span hydrogeological studies, environmental conservation efforts, and sustainable water resource management practices in karstic terrains worldwide.

Considering that the current water crisis is largely a governance crisis, improving water governance will help to address current and future water challenges. Water governance is defined as the range of political, institutional and administrative rules, practices and processes through which decisions are taken and implemented, stakeholders can articulate their interests and have their concerns considered, and decision makers are held accountable for water management. The Water Governance Principles proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) contribute to the creation of tangible public policies oriented toward effectiveness, efficiency, reliability and participation. The aim of this research is to apply the OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework at a local level and to identify gaps and challenges for water governance in the General Pueyrredon Municipality (GPM), Buenos Aires Province (BAP), Argentina. This framework was used as a diagnostic tool to assess water governance policy frameworks (what), institutions (who) and instruments (how). In general terms, there is a robust legal framework, there are enforcement institutions regarding water management and there is a good connection with them. However, the main challenges identified were in the ‘how’, since most of the instruments are partly or not implemented. HIGHLIGHTS The OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework was applied in the General Pueyrredon Municipality, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.; Gaps and challenges for water governance at a local scale were identified.; The policy framework is robust and the institutions that implement it are in place.; The main challenges regarding water governance are linked to the implementation of water policy instruments.;

This Letter reports the first observation of the onset of fully developed turbulence in the solar corona. Long time series of white-light coronal images, acquired by Metis aboard Solar Orbiter at 2 minutes cadence and spanning about 10 hr, were studied to gain insight into the statistical properties of fluctuations in the density of the coronal plasma in the time domain. From pixel-by-pixel spectral frequency analysis in the whole Metis field of view, the scaling exponents of plasma fluctuations were derived. The results show that, over timescales ranging from 1 to 10 hr and corresponding to the photospheric mesogranulation-driven dynamics, the density spectra become shallower moving away from the Sun, resembling a Kolmogorov-like spectrum at 3 R _⊙ . According to the latest observation and interpretive work, the observed 5/3 scaling law for density fluctuations is indicative of the onset of fully developed turbulence in the corona. Metis observation-based evidence for a Kolmogorov turbulent form of the fluctuating density spectrum casts light on the evolution of 2D turbulence in the early stages of its upward transport from the low corona.

BackgroundTopical chlormethine (CL) is recommended as a first-line treatment for early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) and in 2017, the European Medicines Agency approved the CL gel formulation to treat adult patients. More recently, to increase patient compliance and adherence, clinicians have developed flexible protocols that allow the concomitant use of CL gel with topical corticosteroids in daily practice regimens. Therefore, sharing real-life data on CL gel use and side effects management may help improve the use of this agent.ObjectivesTo expand knowledge about the actual use of CL gel in patients with MF, the present study assessed the improvement of MF skin lesions after CL gel treatment and provided information on the management of cutaneous adverse events (AEs) in a real-life setting.MethodsThis was an Italian retrospective study conducted among six dermatology referral centers. Patients ≥18 years affected by MF and in treatment with CL gel (160 µ/g), alone or in combination according to routine clinical practice, between December 2019 and December 2021 were considered. The study’s primary aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of CL gel in terms of overall response rate (ORR) after 3 months of treatment.ResultsA total of 79 patients (61% male) with different stages of MF (84% early stage) were included. CL gel was prescribed mainly in association with topical corticosteroids (66% of patients). ORR after 3 months of treatment was 42%, with no differences between early- and advanced-stage MF. Response rates improved over time up to 97% after 18 months of treatment. Overall, 66 AEs were reported in 67% of patients; most were hyperpigmentation (45%) and irritant contact dermatitis (37%). Six AEs led to treatment discontinuation, and five out of six (83%) patients who reported these events resumed treatment after interruption. No AEs were classified as severe.ConclusionsOur observations support the use of CL gel in patients with early- and advanced-stage MF, making it a valuable treatment option.

Introduction: Canines comprise a significant number of pets worldwide, and the associated pet sector has increased accordingly, with Brazilian pet sector revenues categorized as the third largest economy in terms of worldwide turnover. Industrialized animal feeds are the main food source for domestic dogs living in households, formulated according to nutritional dog needs and classified as standard, premium and super premium, depending on the raw material. However, dog-feed contamination by metals has recently become a concern, and several reports have indicated toxic metal levels in dog feed. No studies on rare earth elements (REE) in this regard are, however, available. Objective: Evaluate REE contents in different standard, premium and super premium dog-feed brands marketed in Southeastern Brazil by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: Many of the evaluated brands from the three feed classes surpassed the only known maximum permissible concentration for ΣREE (China), many due to high data dispersal. The REE that most contributed to surpassing the stipulated ΣREE limit of 0.7 mg kg−1 were Nd, La and Ce, for all three feed classes, mainly due to inter-lot variability Conclusions: This is one of the only studies available on REE dog feed contents. The source of these elements in the evaluated dog feeds may comprise the raw materials used in the manufacturing process and the addition of functional compounds such as zeolites. Rare Earth Elements exposure from dog feed through inhalation is a possibility, due to volatilization processes, both during dog feed industrial production and during dog feeding events and should be further investigated concerning dog and human health.

Chile, recognized as one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations, has gained valuable insights from significant earthquakes, such as those in 1985 and 2010, which have influenced updates to the nation’s design codes. Although Chile’s seismic design approach has been largely effective in recent earthquakes and demonstrated an “operational” performance level in most structures, performance-based design (PBD) methods have not yet been officially incorporated as valid approaches in the Chilean seismic design codes for buildings. However, in 2017, the Chilean Association on Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (ACHISINA) introduced a PBD approach, primarily for verification purposes, based on the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council (LATBSDC) framework. In this work, firstly, we provide an overview of Chile’s PBD methodology, focusing on the thresholds for various performance levels. These levels are established through experimental and numerical analysis, correlating performance with permissible damage levels. The second part of the paper examines the seismic performance of a residential building, designed before the 2010 Maule earthquake and subsequently damaged, using Chile’s PBD guidelines. This case study highlights the implementation and effectiveness of PBD for assessing seismic resilience in Chilean structures.

Acute or chronic infections have been described among causes of chronic urticaria (CU). Anisakidosis is a human disease caused by the ingestion of larval nematodes of the family Anisakidae. The infestation is acquired by eating raw seafood or undercooked fish and squid. There are considerable variations in the frequency of underlying causes in the different studies and in different countries, such as differences in diets and the prevalence of infections. Anisakis simplex has been recognized as a trigger of both acute and chronic urticarial manifestations. However, there is still lack of evidence about its management and treatment in dermatology. We, therefore, reviewed some biologic properties of Anisakis simplex in order to understand the relationship between its biology and the mechanism it uses to establish chronic dermatological conditions such as urticaria and cause late complications. In addition, we herein report some concerns about the effectiveness of systemic treatment in preventing complications and management in the dermatological settings.

Pruritus is a common dermatological condition; only few studies have investigated pruritus in old patients. To investigate the prevalence and features of pruritus in old patients which refer to the Dermatology Unit, Galliera Hospital in Genoa. We evaluated the demographic characteristics of all the patients attending for any skin condition the Outpatient Clinic at the Dermatology Unit, selecting those with pruritus and particularly focusing on patients aged more than 65 years.Pruritus was present in 36/262 patients (14%; M:F=20:16; mean age:59.55 years). Patients with pruritus older than 65 years were 20/262 (8%; M:F=14:6; mean age:74.6 years), that represented 14% out of the 140 patients aged ≥65 years. We found no statistically differences among patients aged≥65 years (20/36) and patients aged65. In none of these patients an anamnestic association between drug intake and the onset of pruritus was recorded. We confirm that pruritus is a common skin problem, that is equally frequent both sex, in young and old patients, that in almost all cases is related to an underlying skin condition (mainly psoriasis) and that is rarely anamnestic related to a new drug intake.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic neoplasm (less than 1% of primary cutaneous lymphomas and acute leukemia) with a highly aggressive clinical course and frequent skin, bone marrow and central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Despite a frequent initial response to chemotherapy, relapses with eventual leukemic dissemination are extremely common, leading to poor outcomes and a median overall survival (OS) ranging from 8 to 14 months in first line setting, with standard combination chemotherapy regimens. The skin is the first affected site (in almost 90% of patients) where BPDCN may remain confined for weeks or even months (sanctuary?) until a rapid second step with multiorgan involvement occurs. Therefore, it is of uppermost importance to suspect and recognize early skin lesions and to perform and report a skin biopsy as soon as possible. A multidisciplinary approach with coordination among dermatologists, pathologists and hematologists is definitively crucial in diagnosis and management of BPDCN.

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) often results in bilateral impairment of the arms, leading to difficulties in performing daily activities. However, little is known about the neuromotor alterations that affect the ability of individuals with cSCI to perform coordinated movements with both arms. To address this issue, we developed and tested a functional assessment that integrates clinical, kinematic, and muscle activity measures, including the evaluation of bilateral arm movements. Twelve subjects with a C5-C7 spinal lesion and six unimpaired subjects underwent an evaluation that included three tests: the Manual Muscle Test, Range Of Motion test and Arm stabilisation test, a subsection of the “Van Lieshout arm/hand function test”. During the latter, we recorded kinematic and muscle activity data from the upper-body during the execution of a set of movements that required participants to stabilize both arms against gravity at different configurations. Analytical methods, including muscle synergies, spinal maps, and Principal Component Analysis, were used to analyse the data. Clinical tests detected limitations in shoulder abduction-flexion of cSCI participants and alterations in elbows-wrists motor function. The instrumented assessment provided insight into how these limitations impacted the ability of cSCI participants to perform bilateral movements. They exhibited severe difficulty in performing movements involving over-the-shoulder motion and shoulder internal rotation due to altered patterns of activity of the scapular stabilizer muscles, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis, and triceps. Our findings shed light on the bilateral neuromotor changes that occur post-cSCI addressing not only motor deficits, but also the underlying abnormal, weak, or silent muscle activations.

Laura Caruso,1 Alessia Castellino,2 Daniela Dessì,3 Leonardo Flenghi,4 Antonio Giordano,5 Adalberto Ibatici,6 Cesare Massone,7 Alessandro Pileri,8 Ilaria Proietti,9 Livio Pupo,10 Pietro Quaglino,11 Serena Rupoli,12 Pier Luigi Zinzani13,14 1Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico G. Rodolico - San Marco Di Catania, Catania, Italy; 2Department of Hematology, Santa Croce E Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy; 3Department of Hematology, Businco Hospital Arnas AOB, Cagliari, Italy; 4Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Santa Maria Della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, Italy; 5Department of Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli—IRCCS, Rome, Italy; 6Hematology and Transplant Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; 7Dermatology Unit, Ospedali Galliera, Genova, Italy; 8Dermatology Unit, IRCCS S. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy. Department of Specialistic, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 9Dermatology Unit”Daniele Innocenzi”, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Bio-Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Terracina, Italy; 10UOC Lymphoproliferative Diseases, Fondazione PTV Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 11Dermatologic Clinic, Department of Medical Sciences University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy; 12Clinic of Hematology, Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Ancona, Italy; 13IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia “Seràgnoli”, Bologna, Italy; 14Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, Bologna, ItalyCorrespondence: Pier Luigi Zinzani, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology, and Department of Specialized, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 9, Bologna, 40138, Italy, Tel +39 051 2144042, Fax +39 051 2144037, Email pierluigi.zinzani@unibo.itAbstract: Mycosis fungoides and Sèzary syndrome are the most studied subtypes common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The current treatment objective is to improve the clinical manifestations of the disease in the affected areas, to relieve symptoms and to halt disease progression. Patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides are usually managed with skin-directed therapies, whereas patients with resistant or advanced-stage mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome often require systemic drugs. Over the last decade, new drugs have been developed, increasing the breadth of treatment options for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas patients. Mogamulizumab is a first-in-class defucosylated humanized IgG1 κ monoclonal antibody, which exerts its anti-tumour action by selectively binding to C-C chemokine receptor 4 and increasing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity against malignant T-cells. Several clinical trials showed that mogamulizumab is able to effectively control the cutaneous T-cell lymphomas in each site (skin, blood, lymph nodes and viscera), improving patients’ symptoms, function and overall quality of life with a manageable safety profile. In this report, we discuss 12 cases of patients with mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome successfully treated with mogamulizumab in real-life clinical practice in Italy.Keywords: cutaneous T- cell lymphoma, mycosis fungoides, Sèzary syndrome, mogamulizumab

BackgroundStaging of melanoma and follow up after melanoma diagnosis aims at predicting risk and detecting progression or recurrence at early stage, respectively in order to timely start and/or change treatment. Tumor thickness according to Breslow, status of the sentinel node and value of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are well-established prognostic markers for metastatic risk, but reliable biomarkers identifying early recurrence or candidates who may benefit best from medical treatment are still warranted. Liquid biopsy has emerged to be a suitable method for identifying biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic response prediction, and patient follow-up. Liquid biopsy is a blood-based non-invasive procedure that allows analyzing circulating analytes, including extracellular vesicles.MethodsIn this study we have explored the use of 7 miRNAs, namely hsa-miR-149-3p, hsa-miR-150-5p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-200c-3p, hsa-miR-134-5p, hsa-miR-144-3p and hsa-miR-221-3p in plasma exosomes to discriminate melanoma patients from controls without melanoma in a cohort of 92 individuals.Results and discussionOur results showed that three out seven miRNAs, namely hsa-miR-200c-3p, hsa-miR-144-3p and hsa-miR-221-3p were differentially expressed in plasma-derived exosomes from melanoma patients and controls. Furthermore, the expression of the three miRNAs may be a promising ancillary tool as a melanoma biomarker, even for discriminating between nevi and melanoma.

Granuloma faciale (GF) is a rare benign chronic inflammatory dermatosis often difficult to distinguish clinically from other diseases, both inflammatory and neoplastic. Dermoscopy can be a helpful diagnostic tool and indeed several dermoscopic criteria observed in GF have been described in literature. We present two patients affected by GF in which we have observed rosettes.

This study addresses the prediction of geomagnetic disturbances by exploiting machine learning techniques. Specifically, the Long Short-term Memory recurrent neural network, which is particularly suited for application over long time series, is employed in the analysis of in situ measurements of solar wind plasma and magnetic field acquired over more than one solar cycle, from 2005 to 2019, at the Lagrangian point L1. The problem is approached as a binary classification aiming to predict 1 hr in advance a decrease in the SYM-H geomagnetic activity index below the threshold of −50 nT, which is generally regarded as indicative of magnetospheric perturbations. The strong class imbalance issue is tackled by using an appropriate loss function tailored to optimize appropriate skill scores in the training phase of the neural network. Beside classical skill scores, value-weighted skill scores are then employed to evaluate predictions, suitable in the study of problems, such as the one faced here, characterized by strong temporal variability. For the first time, the content of magnetic helicity and energy carried by solar transients, associated with their detection and likelihood of geoeffectiveness, were considered as input features of the network architecture. Their predictive capabilities are demonstrated through a correlation-driven feature selection method to rank the most relevant characteristics involved in the neural network prediction model. The optimal performance of the adopted neural network in properly forecasting the onset of geomagnetic storms, which is a crucial point for giving real warnings in an operational setting, is finally showed.

Particle acceleration is a fundamental process arising in many astrophysical objects, including active galactic nuclei, black holes, neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts, accretion disks, solar and stellar coronae, and planetary magnetospheres. Its ubiquity means energetic particles permeate the Universe and influence the conditions for the emergence and continuation of life. In our solar system, the Sun is the most energetic particle accelerator, and its proximity makes it a unique laboratory in which to explore astrophysical particle acceleration. However, despite its importance, the physics underlying solar particle acceleration remain poorly understood. The SPARK mission will reveal new discoveries about particle acceleration through a uniquely powerful and complete combination of γ-ray, X-ray, and EUV imaging and spectroscopy at high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions. SPARK’s instruments will provide a step change in observational capability, enabling fundamental breakthroughs in our understanding of solar particle acceleration and the phenomena associated with it, such as the evolution of solar eruptive events. By providing essential diagnostics of the processes that drive the onset and evolution of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, SPARK will elucidate the underlying physics of space weather events that can damage satellites and power grids, disrupt telecommunications and GPS navigation, and endanger astronauts in space. The prediction of such events and the mitigation of their potential impacts are crucial in protecting our terrestrial and space-based infrastructure.

Models of particle acceleration in solar eruptive events suggest that roughly equal energy may go into accelerating electrons and ions. However, while previous solar X-ray spectroscopic imagers have transformed our understanding of electron acceleration, only one resolved image of γ-ray emission from solar accelerated ions has ever been produced. This paper outlines a new satellite instrument concept—the large imaging spectrometer for solar accelerated nuclei (LISSAN)—with the capability not only to observe hundreds of events over its lifetime, but also to capture multiple images per event, thereby imaging the dynamics of solar accelerated ions for the first time. LISSAN provides spectroscopic imaging at photon energies of 40 keV–100 MeV on timescales of ≲10 s with greater sensitivity and imaging capability than its predecessors. This is achieved by deploying high-resolution scintillator detectors and indirect Fourier imaging techniques. LISSAN is suitable for inclusion in a multi-instrument platform such as an ESA M-class mission or as a smaller standalone mission. Without the observations that LISSAN can provide, our understanding of solar particle acceleration, and hence the space weather events with which it is often associated, cannot be complete.

In recent years, targeted (biological) therapies have become available also for primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (PCTCLs) including anti-CD30 (brentuximab vedotin) in mycosis fungoides, primary cutaneous anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma, lymphomatoid papulosis; anti-CCR4 (mogamulizumab) in Sezary syndrome; anti-CD123 (tagraxofusp) in blastic plasmocytoid cell neoplasm. Moreover, anti-PD1 (nivolumab), anti-PDL1 (pembrolizumab, atezolizumab), anti-CD52 (alemtuzumab), anti-KIR3DL2-CD158k (lacutamab), and anti-CD70 (cusatuzumab) have been tested or are under investigations in phase II trials. The expression of these epitopes on neoplastic cells in skin biopsies or blood samples plays a central role in the management of PCTCL patients. This narrative review aims to provide readers with an update on the latest advances in the newest therapeutic options for PCTCLs.

Abstract Reinforced concrete structural walls (RCSWs) are one of the most efficient lateral force-resisting systems used in buildings, providing sufficient strength, stiffness, and deformation capacities to withstand the forces generated during earthquake ground motions. Identifying the failure mode of the RCSWs is a critical task that can assist engineers and designers in choosing appropriate retrofitting solutions. This study evaluates the efficiency of three ensemble deep neural network models, including the model averaging ensemble, weighted average ensemble, and integrated stacking ensemble for predicting the failure mode of the RCSWs. The ensemble deep neural network models are compared against previous studies that used traditional well-known ensemble models (AdaBoost, XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost) and traditional machine learning methods (Naïve Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbors, Decision Tree, and Random Forest). The weighted average ensemble model is proposed as the best-suited prediction model for identifying the failure mode since it has the highest accuracy, precision, and recall among the alternative models. In addition, since complex and advanced machine learning-based models are commonly referred to as black-box, the SHapley Additive exPlanation method is also used to interpret the model workflow and illustrate the importance and contribution of the components that impact determining the failure mode of the RCSWs.

In September 2021 on the platform of the Italian Association of Hospital Dermatologists (ADOI; https://www.adoi.it/) a monthly on-line live session of teledermatopathology was started involving collegial discussion among experienced Italian pathologists about challenging melanocytic tumors using the virtual microscope [...].

This Letter reports the first observational estimate of the heating rate in the slowly expanding solar corona. The analysis exploits the simultaneous remote and local observations of the same coronal plasma volume, with the Solar Orbiter/Metis and the Parker Solar Probe instruments, respectively, and relies on the basic solar wind magnetohydrodynamic equations. As expected, energy losses are a minor fraction of the solar wind energy flux, since most of the energy dissipation that feeds the heating and acceleration of the coronal flow occurs much closer to the Sun than the heights probed in the present study, which range from 6.3 to 13.3 R _⊙ . The energy deposited to the supersonic wind is then used to explain the observed slight residual wind acceleration and to maintain the plasma in a nonadiabatic state. As derived in the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin limit, the present energy transfer rate estimates provide a lower limit, which can be very useful in refining the turbulence-based modeling of coronal heating and subsequent solar wind acceleration.

This case was presented at the on-line telepathology meeting on the ADOI platform held on October 19th 2022 by Dr Luongo.

Here, we present a set of algorithms using the Python programming language, that will allow using a routine for object detection and tracking in experimental videos. We developed a script, under the fundamentals of background subtraction and image thresholding (using the OpenCV package), that makes it possible to track a wide spectrum of animals under different conditions. We have validated this script through testing on semi-terrestrial and aquatic crustacean species and under different experimental scenarios (laboratory and field sampling and using video created under nocturnal and diurnal conditions). The open-source nature of the script allows for flexibility and scalability, so it can be easily customized and is thus transferable to other species/experiments in the context of behavioral ecology. The tracking script is easy customizable and free alternative to commercial video tracking systems and therefore, applicable to a wide variety of both educational and research programs.

ABSTRACT Firewood is still a major source of household energy in most parts of the world, including Brazil. This study establishes baseline fuelwood consumption for domestic cooking by rural families in Bahia, Brazil, as part of a socioenvironmental project centered on stove substitution. The project, titled “Fogão do Mar” (Seaside Stove), engaged families in adopting more efficient stoves to replace the traditional open-air, rudimentary models. The study involved household visits and interviews with 103 low-income rural families to estimate firewood consumption for domestic cooking. The results showed that all households have liquid petroleum gas (LPG) stove, but most of the families prefer to use a firewood stove for cooking. The annual per capita consumption of firewood was estimated to be 1,297±952 kg, which is higher than estimate by governmental data (560 kg), as well as other rural regions. Therefore, the consumption of firewood is regionalized. Economic factors are decisive in the choice of fuel for cooking.

Abstract Low cycle fatigue life of high-strength reinforcing steel bars (ASTM A706 Grade 80), using photogrammetry by RGB methodology is evaluated. Fatigue tests are performed on specimens under constant axial displacement with total strain amplitudes ranging from 0.01 to 0.05. The experimental observations indicate that buckling of high-strength reinforcing bars results in a damaging degradation of their fatigue life performance as the slenderness ratio increases, including an early rebar failure as the total strain amplitude increases since it achieves the plastic range faster. In addition to this, the results show that the ratio of the ultimate tensile strength to yield strength satisfies the minimum of 1.25 specified in ASTM A706 for reinforcement. On the other hand, the RGB methodology indicates that the axial strains measured by photogrammetry provide more accurate data since the registered results by the traditional experimental setup do not detect second-order effects, such as slippage or lengthening of the specimens within the clamps. Moreover, the RGB filter is faster than digital image correlation (DIC) because the RGB methodology requires a fewer computational cost than DIC algorithms. The RGB methodology allows to reduce the total strain amplitude up to 45% compared to the results obtained by the traditional setup. Finally, models relating total strain amplitude with half-cycles to failure and total strain amplitude with total energy dissipated for multiple slenderness ratios (L/d of 5, 10, and 15) are obtained.

La cuenca del Río Quequén Grande constituye una región representativa de los sistemas agrícolas pampeanos. El acuífero en esta región es la principal fuente de abastecimiento de agua para todos los usos, lo que pone de manifiesto la importancia de desarrollar los elementos necesarios para el estudio de la movilidad de los contaminantes a través de los suelos hacia la zona saturada. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue obtener parámetros hidráulicos bajo condiciones de saturación en columnas intactas de distintos tipos de suelos de la región, contemplando suelos de uso agrícola y natural. Se estudiaron dos series de suelo: Serie Azul y Serie Semillero Buck, con muestras tomadas en dos sectores próximos a las localidades de Lobería y La Dulce, respectivamente. Las columnas fueron eluidas con una solución acuosa de iones cloruro y se midió el incremento progresivo de conductividad. A partir de las curvas de arribo obtenidas, se ajustó la ecuación de transporte, obteniendo los valores de dispersividad y porosidad. Dichos parámetros no presentaron diferencias significativas según el uso para los suelos de Lobería, de textura franco arcillosa, indicando que la labranza no produciría modificaciones evidentes en el perfil del suelo. En La Dulce, donde los suelos poseen una textura más arenosa, los parámetros variaron según el uso del suelo, presentando una mayor dispersividad y menor porosidad del suelo bajo explotación agrícola extensiva.

We present a patient affected by Monkeypox, showing the typical clinical signs and symptoms of this emergent viral disease. We report a new observation: dermoscopic features of Monkeypox infection.

We report a 47 years old women affected by lymphomatoid papulosis and concomitant mucinous adenocarcinoma of the sigma. Our experience underlines the relevance of performing accurate staging investigations in all lymphomatoid papulosis patients at the time of diagnosis, even in those that are asymptomatic, like our patient, not only for correct classification but also for cancer screening. Clinicians must be aware of the increased risk of lymphomatoid papulosis patients to develop haematological malignancies and non-haematological malignancies compared to general population at the time of diagnosis and at follow-up and therefore lymphomatoid papulosis patients must regularly follow cancer screening programs.

Psoriasis is a complex disease often needing a multidisciplinary approach. In particular, the collaboration between dermatologist and rheumatologist is crucial for the management of patients suffering from both psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Here we report a series of recommendations from a group of experts, as a result of a Consensus Conference, defining the circumstances in which it is preferable or even mandatory, depending on the available settings, to rely on the opinion of the two specialists, jointly or in a deferred manner. Indications are given on how to organize a 3rd level joint Dermatology- Rheumatology care unit, in connection with 1st and 2nd level clinicians of both specialties, GPs, and other specialists involved in the management of psoriasis. A potential patient journey is suggested, that can be used as a basis for future design and validation of national and/or local diagnostic therapeutic and assistance pathways.

Abstract After spinal cord injury (SCI), patients face many physical and psychological issues including intestinal dysfunction and comorbidities, strongly affecting quality of life. The gut microbiota has recently been suggested to influence the course of the disease in these patients. However, to date only two studies have profiled the gut microbiota in SCI patients, months after a traumatic injury. Here we characterized the gut microbiota in a large Italian SCI population, within a short time from a not only traumatic injury. Feces were collected within the first week at the rehabilitation center (no later than 60 days after SCI), and profiled by 16S rRNA gene-based next-generation sequencing. Microbial profiles were compared to those publicly available of healthy age- and gender-matched Italians, and correlated to patient metadata, including type of SCI, spinal unit location, nutrition and concomitant antibiotic therapies. The gut microbiota of SCI patients shows distinct dysbiotic signatures, i.e. increase in potentially pathogenic, pro-inflammatory and mucus-degrading bacteria, and depletion of short-chain fatty acid producers. While robust to most host variables, such dysbiosis varies by lesion level and completeness, with the most neurologically impaired patients showing an even more unbalanced microbial profile. The SCI-related gut microbiome dysbiosis is very likely secondary to injury and closely related to the degree of completeness and severity of the lesion, regardless of etiology and time interval. This microbial layout could variously contribute to increased gut permeability and inflammation, potentially predisposing patients to the onset of severe comorbidities.

This research study sought to evaluate aimed at evaluating the possible advantages of using Fuzzy Logic as opposed to Boolean Logic to assess environmental contamination and source appraisal for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Results obtained through traditional assessment tools for two different tropical coastal areas through using traditional clustering and principal components analysis were compared with those derived from the Fuzzy Logic, using the by Fuzzy C-means algorithm. The feedings achieved through Fuzzy Logic showed a greater qualitative detail than those derived from traditional tools. The abrupt and unnatural changes obtained from the usual classification methods were avoided by having membership values varying continuously in space, providing a more accurate picture of environmental contamination in complex and multiple sources environments. Furthermore, by not depending on statistic suppositions distribution of data like other methods, becomes more suitable for environmental data. Although Fuzzy Logic does not produce quantitative interpretations, its application generates adequate the data needed to avoid environmental management bias in the inference of contamination sources.

A scientific cruise between November 15 and December 18, 2019 aboard R/V Vital de Oliveira collected offshore seawater samples at 59 stations between the states of Ceará and Bahia. The objective was to identify hydrocarbon levels potentially associated with the mysterious oil spill that reached the northeastern coast of Brazil. Median concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs, 0.79 µg L-1) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 5.39 ng L-1) do not indicate contamination by crude oil and are comparable to baseline levels previously found in other areas of the Brazilian continental margin. The detailed composition of both groups of hydrocarbons revealed that some samples were contaminated during sampling and/or handling on-board. The data set presented herein highlights the difficulty in tracking small oil patches spread over a huge ocean area and, more importantly, the need for improving protocols of national research vessels used to collect seawater samples for trace organic analyses.

Abstract Oil spills, intrinsically related to the petroleum production chain, represent a risk to the marine environment and a potential threat to humans through seafood consumption. We revised the NE Brazil oil spill and other accidents along the Brazilian coast, with a focus on seafood contamination, covering topics such as bioaccumulation, bioaccessibility, and risk analysis. Comprehensive knowledge of the impacts of spills helps in the interpretation of the dynamics of hydrocarbons released into the sea, contributing to actions to control their negative impacts. Currently, no legal limits have been established permanently in Brazil for PAHs in seafood edible tissues.

Long-term ecological data is essential to identify impacts of global change or to analyse the response of local systems to perturbations. Thus, ecologists are facing the compromise to collect and process longer-term data while specific funding for those purposes is extremely scarce. Although more funding to gather and store long term data would be ideal, it is unlikely to occur, at least in the short term. Another (most plausible) option could be to dive among the many spreadsheets belonging to one or more colleagues with shared variables and from several projects over the years. Obviously, this might be an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. To simplify this and save time, it would be ideal to store as much data as possible (individual or lab generated) in a single comprehensive database. Given that the process of building, maintaining and doing queries on such databases could be scary for ecologists not familiarized, here we provide a step-by-step guide to build 1) a generic and versatile ecological database, and 2) a graphical user interface to load, update, verify, view and download data. The scripts to build them are programmed on open-software (MariaDB and R), and we also provide instructions to change them according to many usual situations.

In 2019, as well as being my last year of service in the hospital, I thought that it would also be the last as the organizer of melanocyte meetings. So, I thought of organizing these meeting as traveling sessions. In February and in March we were hosted in Modena by Anna Maria Cesinaro, in April and May in Reggio Emilia by Simonetta Piana, then in Trento by Mattia Barbareschi [...].

Groundwater plays a substantial role in resource supply, in ecosystem functioning and human well-being. The aim of this study is develop a tool to assess the groundwater vulnerability through of fuzzy predicates in an area in the Pampas Plain in Argentina. Knowledge is represented as a main fuzzy predicate whose degree of truth is computed by means of numerical variables to determine a degree of groundwater vulnerability. Thematic Fuzzy System (TFS) software has been developed using MATLAB® to design and optimize a fuzzy predicates based model. The results in the final fuzzy map identified the middle and lower basin as areas with high and very high truth values for the main predicate “Groundwater is vulnerable”, thus, these sectors were defined as the main areas of greatest vulnerability. This study showed that fuzzy models are more efficient computer-base tools for decision-makers in the water resources management due to high discrimination of the territory, producing successful results using fewer variables than other ordinary approaches.

Abstract Purpose Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to neuromuscular palsy and death. We propose a computational approach to [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT images to analyze the structure and metabolic pattern of skeletal muscle in ALS and its relationship with disease aggressiveness. Materials and methods A computational 3D method was used to extract whole psoas muscle’s volumes and average attenuation coefficient (AAC) from CT images obtained by FDG PET/CT performed in 62 ALS patients and healthy controls. Psoas average standardized uptake value (normalized on the liver, N-SUV) and its distribution heterogeneity (defined as N-SUV variation coefficient, VC-SUV) were also extracted. Spinal cord and brain motor cortex FDG uptake were also estimated. Results As previously described, FDG uptake was significantly higher in the spinal cord and lower in the brain motor cortex, in ALS compared to controls. While psoas AAC was similar in patients and controls, in ALS a significant reduction in psoas volume (3.6 ± 1.02 vs 4.12 ± 1.33 mL/kg; p < 0.01) and increase in psoas N-SUV (0.45 ± 0.19 vs 0.29 ± 0.09; p < 0.001) were observed. Higher heterogeneity of psoas FDG uptake was also documented in ALS (VC-SUV 8 ± 4%, vs 5 ± 2%, respectively, p < 0.001) and significantly predicted overall survival at Kaplan–Meier analysis. VC-SUV prognostic power was confirmed by univariate analysis, while the multivariate Cox regression model identified the spinal cord metabolic activation as the only independent prognostic biomarker. Conclusion The present data suggest the existence of a common mechanism contributing to disease progression through the metabolic impairment of both second motor neuron and its effector.

Abstract Background The p.E318K variant of the Melanocyte Inducing Transcription Factor (MITF) has been implicated in genetic predisposition to melanoma as an intermediate penetrance allele. However, the impact of this variant on clinico-phenotypic, as well as on dermoscopic patterns features of affected patients is not entirely defined. The purpose of our study was to assess the association between the p.E318K germline variant and clinic-phenotypical features of MITF+ compared to non-carriers (MITF−), including dermoscopic findings of melanomas and dysplastic nevi. Methods we retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of 1386 patients recruited between 2000 and 2017 who underwent genetic testing for CDKN2A, CDK4, MC1R and MITF germline variants in our laboratory for diagnostic/research purposes. The patients were probands of melanoma-prone families and apparently sporadic single or multiple primary melanoma patients. For all, we collected clinical, pathological information and dermoscopic images of the histopathologically diagnosed melanomas and dysplastic nevi, when available. Results After excluding patients positive for CDKN2A/CDK4 pathogenic variants and those affected by non-cutaneous melanomas, our study cohort comprised 984 cutaneous melanoma patients, 22 MITF+ and 962 MITF−. MITF+ were more likely to develop dysplastic nevi and multiple primary melanomas. Nodular melanoma was more common in MITF+ patients (32% compared to 19% in MITF−). MITF+ patients showed more frequently dysplastic nevi and melanomas with uncommon dermoscopic patterns (unspecific), as opposed to MITF− patients, whose most prevalent pattern was the multicomponent. Conclusions MITF+ patients tend to develop melanomas and dysplastic nevi with histopathological features, frequency and dermoscopic patterns often different from those prevalent in MITF− patients. Our results emphasize the importance of melanoma prevention programs for MITF+ patients, including dermatologic surveillance with digital follow-up.

Diagnosis of early invasive breast cancer relies on radiology and clinical evaluation, supplemented by biopsy confirmation. At least three issues burden this approach: a) suboptimal sensitivity and suboptimal positive predictive power of radiology screening and diagnostic approaches, respectively; b) invasiveness of biopsy with discomfort for women undergoing diagnostic tests; c) long turnaround time for recall tests. In the screening setting, radiology sensitivity is suboptimal, and when a suspicious lesion is detected and a biopsy is recommended, the positive predictive value of radiology is modest. Recent technological advances in medical imaging, especially in the field of artificial intelligence applied to image analysis, hold promise in addressing clinical challenges in cancer detection, assessment of treatment response, and monitoring disease progression. Radiomics include feature extraction from clinical images; these features are related to tumor size, shape, intensity, and texture, collectively providing comprehensive tumor characterization, the so-called radiomics signature of the tumor. Radiomics is based on the hypothesis that extracted quantitative data derives from mechanisms occurring at genetic and molecular levels. In this article we focus on the role and potential of radiomics in breast cancer diagnosis and prognostication.

ObjectivesTumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most common pediatric solid tumors, where low grade (LGG) and high grade gliomas (HGG) represent up to 55% of CNS tumors. Current molecular classification of these tumors results in a more accurate diagnosis and risk stratification, which ultimately enables individualized treatment strategies. Identifying known alterations is a suitable approach, particularly in developing countries, where NGS approaches are not easily accessible. We sought to assess molecular alterations in BRAF and histone 3 genes.Study designFISH, IHC and Sanger sequencing were performed in a series of 102 pediatric glial and glioneuronal tumors. We also correlated these results with clinical and histological findings to evaluate their usefulness as diagnostic and/or prognostic tools.ResultsWe found that the KIAA1549-BRAF gene fusion was a relevant diagnostic tool for pilocytic astrocytoma, but not related to progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). BRAFV600E mutation was associated with a decreased OS in LGG, and with decreased PFS and OS among pilocytic astrocytomas. All HGG of the midline were H3K27M mutants, while H3G34R mutant cases were located in brain hemispheres. HGG harboring the H3K27M variant were associated with a decreased PFS and OS.ConclusionsAssessing druggable molecular markers with prognostic value is particularly important in those cases where complete resection or further radiation therapy is not possible. These potential diagnostic/prognostic markers may be suitable as further screening tests to reduce the requirement on NGS, which is not available in all laboratories. Furthermore, these results broaden data on BRAF and Histone 3 alterations in children from geographic regions, other than USA and Europe.

CLEAN is an iterative deconvolution method for radio and hard-X-ray solar imaging. In a specific step of its pipeline, CLEAN requires the convolution between an idealized version of the instrumental point-spread function (PSF), and a map collecting point sources located at positions from where most of the flaring radiation is emitted. This step has highly heuristic motivations and the shape of the idealized PSF, which depends on the user’s choice, impacts the shape of the reconstruction. This study introduces a user-independent release of CLEAN for image reconstruction from observations recorded by the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) on board Solar Orbiter. Specifically, we show here that this unbiased release of CLEAN outperforms the standard version of the algorithm, with reconstructions in line with the ones offered by other imaging methods developed in the STIX framework.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) correspond to dramatic expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the solar corona into the heliosphere. CMEs are scientifically relevant because they are involved in the physical mechanisms characterizing the active Sun. However, more recently, CMEs have attracted attention for their impact on space weather, as they are correlated to geomagnetic storms and may induce the generation of solar energetic particle streams. In this space weather framework, the present paper introduces a physics-driven artificial intelligence (AI) approach to the prediction of CMEs’ travel time, in which the deterministic drag-based model is exploited to improve the training phase of a cascade of two neural networks fed with both remote sensing and in situ data. This study shows that the use of physical information in the AI architecture significantly improves both the accuracy and the robustness of the travel time prediction.

Multiple neural network architectures, with different structural composition and complexity, are implemented in this study with the aim of providing multi-hour-ahead warnings of severe geomagnetic disturbances, based on in situ measurements of the solar wind plasma and magnetic field acquired at the Lagrangian point L1. First, a statistical analysis of the interplanetary data was performed to point out which are the most relevant parameters to be provided as input to the neural networks, and a preprocessing of the data set was implemented to face its heavy imbalance (the Earth’s magnetosphere is in fact mostly at rest). Then, neural networks were tested to evaluate their performance. It turned out that, in a binary classification problem, recurrent approaches are best at predicting critical events both 1 and 8 hr in advance, achieving a balanced accuracy of 94% and 70%, respectively. Finally, in an attempt at multistep prediction of the criticality of future geomagnetic events from 1–8 hr ahead, more complex neural networks, built by merging the different types of basic convolutional and recurrent architectures, have been shown to outperform single-step and state-of-the-art approaches with a balanced accuracy of at least 70%. Interestingly, the accuracy peaks at 4 hr, corresponding to the waiting time between the detection of solar drivers at L1 and the onset of the geomagnetic storm (as previously obtained by statistical investigations), suggesting that on average this is the time the Earth’s magnetosphere takes to react to the solar event.