Search

ObjectivesAim of this study was to investigate the expression of interleukin (IL)-40, a new cytokine associated with B cells homoeostasis and immune response, in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and in pSS-associated lymphomas.Methods29 patients with pSS and 24 controls were enrolled. Minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from patients, controls and parotid gland biopsies from pSS-associated lymphoma were obtained. Quantitative gene expression analysis by TaqMan real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for IL-40 were performed on MSG. MSG cellular sources of IL-40 were determined by flow-cytometry and immunofluorescence. Serum concentration of IL-40 was assessed by ELISA and cellular sources of IL-40 were determined by flow-cytometry. An in vitro assay with recombinant IL-40 (rIL-40) was performed to detect the effect on cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).ResultsIL-40 was significantly increased in the lymphocytic infiltrated MSG of patients with pSS and correlated with focus score and with IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β expression. In addition, IL-40 was increased in the serum of pSS and its levels correlated with the EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index score. B cells from patients were shown to be the major source of IL-40 at both tissue and peripheral level. PBMCs from patients, exposed to rIL-40 in vitro, released proinflammatory cytokines, specifically interferon-γ from B cells and T-CD8+and tumour necrosis factor-α and IL-17 from both T-CD4+and T-CD8+. IL-40 expression in parotid glands of pSS-associated lymphomas was also increased. Moreover, IL-40-driven NETosis was evidenced in neutrophils obtained from pSS.ConclusionOur results suggest that IL-40 may play a role in pSS pathogenesis and pSS-associated lymphomas.

Background Evidence suggests that LPA risk genotypes are a possible contributor to the clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). This study aimed at determining the prevalence of LPA risk variants in adult individuals with FH enrolled in the Italian LIPIGEN (Lipid Transport Disorders Italian Genetic Network) study, with (FH/M+) or without (FH/M-) a causative genetic variant. Methods and Results An lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] genetic score was calculated by summing the number risk-increasing alleles inherited at rs3798220 and rs10455872 variants. Overall, in the 4.6% of 1695 patients with clinically diagnosed FH, the phenotype was not explained by a monogenic or polygenic cause but by genotype associated with high lp(a) levels. Among 765 subjects with FH/M- and 930 subjects with FH/M+, 133 (17.4%) and 95 (10.2%) were characterized by 1 copy of either rs10455872 or rs3798220 or 2 copies of either rs10455872 or rs3798220 (lp(a) score ≥1). Subjects with FH/M- also had lower mean levels of pretreatment low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than individuals with FH/M+ (t test for difference in means between FH/M- and FH/M+ groups

The design of multifunctional nanostructured materials is the key to the development of smart wearable devices. For instance, nanostructures endowed with both piezoelectric and photocatalytic activities could well be the workhorse for solar-light-driven self-cleaning wearable sensors. In this work, a simple strategy for the assembly of a flexible, semitransparent piezophotocatalytic system is demonstrated by leveraging rational wet chemistry synthesis of ZnO-based nanosheets/nanoflowers (NSs/NFs) under basic pH conditions onto flexible ITO/PET supports. A KMnO4 pretreatment before the ZnO synthesis (seeded ZnO) allows for the control of the density, size, and orientation of the NSs/NFs systems compared to the systems produced in the absence of seeding (seedless ZnO). The electrical response of the sensors is extracted at a 1 V bias as a function of bending in the interval between 0 and 90°, being the responsivity toward bending significantly enhanced by the KMnO4 treatment effect. The photocatalytic activity of the sensors is analyzed in aqueous solution (methylene blue, 25 μM) by a solar simulator, resulting in similar values between seedless and seeded ZnO. Upon bending the sensor, the photocatalytic activity of seedless ZnO is almost unaffected, whereas that of seeded ZnO is improved by about 25%. The sensor’s reusability and repeatability are tested in up to three different cycles. These results open up the way toward the seamless integration of bending sensitivity and photocatalysis into a single device.

Modern “omics” sciences, including metabolomics and microbiomics, are currently being applied to inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to investigate the interplay between microbiota, metabolic function, and the immune system. In recent decades, robust evidence has suggested that disruption of the normal composition of the microbiome, known as dysbiosis, in the gut and mouth of RA patients contributes to immune dysregulation and alterations in the metabolic pathways, shaping the pathogenesis of the disease and playing a central role in the risk and progression of RA. Metabolic pathways can be influenced by various agents such as the surrounding environment, lifestyle, and exposure to microbiota imbalance. In turn, the body’s metabolic homeostasis influences the immune response, making metabolomics helpful not only to understand pathogenesis pathways, but also to improve early disease detection and therapeutic chances. Combined gut microbiome and metabolome studies set out to unravel the interactions between these two entities, providing insights to discover new treatment targets and potential biomarkers to prevent joint damage. The purpose of this review is to summarize the main recent findings that suggest promising new research directions for the pathogenesis of RA.

Background: Adding immunotherapy to first-line chemotherapy might improve outcomes for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. We aimed to compare carboplatin and paclitaxel versus avelumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment with avelumab given concurrent to chemotherapy and as maintenance after the end of chemotherapy. Methods: MITO END-3 is an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial conducted at 31 cancer institutes, hospitals, and universities in Italy. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with histologically confirmed advanced (FIGO stage III–IV) or recurrent endometrial cancer, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0–1, and no previous systemic anticancer therapy as primary treatment for advanced or metastatic disease. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using a computerised minimisation procedure stratified by centre, histology, and stage at study entry, to either receive carboplatin (area under the curve [AUC] 5 mg/mL × min) and paclitaxel (175 mg/m2; standard group) intravenously every 3 weeks for six to eight cycles or avelumab (10 mg/kg intravenously) added to carboplatin and paclitaxel (experimental group) every 3 weeks and then every 2 weeks as a single maintenance treatment after the end of chemotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients, treating clinicians, and those assessing radiological examinations were not masked to study treatment. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival, measured in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Patients who received at least one dose of study drug were included in the safety analysis. Experimental group superiority was tested with 80% power and one-tailed α 0·20. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03503786) and EudraCT (2016–004403–31). Findings: From April 9, 2018, to May 13, 2021, 166 women were assessed for eligibility and 39 were excluded. 125 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive carboplatin and paclitaxel (n=62) or avelumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (n=63) and included in the ITT population. The median follow-up was 23·3 months (IQR 13·2–29·6) and was similar between the two groups. 91 progression-free survival events were reported, with 49 events in 62 patients in the standard group and 42 events in 63 patients in the experimental group. The median progression-free survival was 9·9 months (95% CI 6·7–12·1) in the standard group and 9·6 months (7·2–17·7) in the experimental group (HR of progression or death 0·78 [60% CI 0·65–0·93]; one-tailed p=0·085). Serious adverse events were reported more frequently in the experimental group (24 vs seven events in the standard group); neutrophil count decrease was the most frequent grade 3–4 adverse event (19 [31%] of 61 patients in the experimental group vs 26 [43%] of 61 patients in the standard group). Two deaths occurred in the experimental group during treatment (one respiratory failure following severe myositis [possibly related to treatment] and one cardiac arrest [not related to treatment]). Interpretation: Adding avelumab to first-line chemotherapy deserves further testing in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, although consideration of mismatch repair status is warranted.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate CSF findings in relation to clinical and electrodiagnostic subtypes, severity, and outcome of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) based on 1,500 patients in the International GBS Outcome Study. METHODS: Albuminocytologic dissociation (ACD) was defined as an increased protein level (>0.45 g/L) in the absence of elevated white cell count (4 days 84%. High CSF protein levels were associated with a demyelinating subtype, proximal or global muscle weakness, and a reduced likelihood of being able to run at week 2 (odds ratio [OR] 0.42, 95% CI 0.25-0.70; p = 0.001) and week 4 (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.72; p = 0.001). Patients with the Miller Fisher syndrome, distal predominant weakness, and normal or equivocal nerve conduction studies were more likely to have lower CSF protein levels. CSF cell count was

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is due to a mutation in the β-globin gene causing production of the toxic sickle hemoglobin (HbS; α(2)β(S)(2)). Transplantation of autologous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) transduced with lentiviral vectors (LVs) expressing an anti-sickling β-globin (βAS) is a promising treatment; however, it is only partially effective, and patients still present elevated HbS levels. Here, we developed a bifunctional LV expressing βAS3-globin and an artificial microRNA (amiRNA) specifically downregulating β(S)-globin expression with the aim of reducing HbS levels and favoring βAS3 incorporation into Hb tetramers. Efficient transduction of SCD HSPCs by the bifunctional LV led to a substantial decrease of β(S)-globin transcripts in HSPC-derived erythroid cells, a significant reduction of HbS(+) red cells, and effective correction of the sickling phenotype, outperforming βAS gene addition and BCL11A gene silencing strategies. The bifunctional LV showed a standard integration profile, and neither HSPC viability, engraftment, and multilineage differentiation nor the erythroid transcriptome and miRNAome were affected by the treatment, confirming the safety of this therapeutic strategy. In conclusion, the combination of gene addition and gene silencing strategies can improve the efficacy of current LV-based therapeutic approaches without increasing the mutagenic vector load, thus representing a novel treatment for SCD.

Acute haemorrhagic oedema of infancy (AHEI) is a small vessel vasculitis that affects boys between 4 months and 2 years. It presents with a characteristic purpuric skin rash but with marked bruising and “typical” localizations in auricles and is often accompanied by oedema of face and extremities. It is typically post-infectious, especially after infections of the upper respiratory tract and rarely can be associated with gastrointestinal, renal, articular or testicular complications. The paper reports the case of a 2-year-and-5-month-old boy who, 5 days after the resolution of a febrile infection of the upper airways (with subsequent detection of positive IgM and IgG serology for SARS-Cov-2), presented with a rash with ecchymotic/purpuric lesions in his lower limbs, face and auricles associated with intense arthralgia, arthritis of a knee and deterioration of general conditions. The diagnosis of acute infantile haemorrhagic oedema was clear but the clinical presentation required an “important” therapeutic approach with intravenous steroids and an infusion of immunoglobulins.

The growing interest for the use of 4H-SiC in photonics is triggering the interest for more accurate characterizations of this semiconductor from the optical and opto-electronic point of view. In this work we report about new measurements run on an undoped 4H-SiC substrate, finalized at determining the precise dependence of its refractive index on temperature in the visible spectrum, and precisely at the wavelength of λ=632.8 nm, in a temperature range from room temperature (RT) to 400K. Measurements are performed by exploiting the properties of a Fabry-Perot cavity interrogated with a laser beam. It is known that the transmitted radiation intensity shows fringes that shift with temperature and the refractive index. By precisely monitoring the transmitted signal, the thermo-optic coefficient dn/dT can be determined with a resolution that approaches 10-6 K-1.

Introducción: Las parasitosis son enfermedades ampliamente distribuidas en el mundo. Las mismas son de carácter zoonótico y han adquirido una enorme importancia como problemática en el área de Salud Pública, siendo de interés médico y veterinario. Las heces caninas representan un riesgo para el medioambiente, debido a la contaminación y la transmisión de enfermedades, a través de parásitos presentes en los excrementos; por lo tanto, la finalidad del estudio, fue identificar parásitos gastrointestinales en muestras de heces de canes, en espacios urbanos públicos, del casco viejo de la ciudad de Cochabamba. Metodología: El trabajo es cuantitativo, descriptivo, observacional, transversal y prospectivo. La población de estudio fueron 61 muestras de heces de canes, las cuales fueron obtenidas de 5 áreas verdes mediante un muestreo probabilístico por conglomerados monoetápico. Asimismo, se empleó el análisis estadístico inferencial. Posteriormente, las mismas fueron analizadas en un laboratorio a través de pruebas coproparasitológicas Resultados: un 54,1 % de las muestras de heces dieron positivas a parásitos, con un Intervalo de Confianza del 95 %. Los parásitos identificados correspondieron en 27,9 % a Ancylostoma spp., 14,8 % a Toxocara canis, 6,5 % a Giardia duodenalis y 4,9 % a Trichuris vulpis. Discusión: Todos los parásitos identificados y analizados fueron de interés en salud pública, ya que representan un riesgo zoonótico. En comparación con otros estudios similares, se observó que las proporciones obtenidas en la presente investigación son cercanas e inclusive se encuentran por encima de los valores reportados en los diferentes países de la región.

In a future warmer climate, extremely dry, warm summers might become more common. Soil weathering is affected by temperature and precipitation, and climate change and droughts can therefore affect soil chemistry and plant nutrition. In this study, climate change and drought effects on soil weathering rates and release of Ca, Mg, K and Na were studied on seven forest sites across different climates in Sweden, using the dynamical model ForSAFE. Two climate scenarios were run, one medium severity climate change scenario from IPCC (A1B) and one scenario where a future drought period of 5 years was added, while everything else was equal to the first scenario. The model results show a large geographical variation of weathering rates for the sites, without any geographical gradient, despite the strong dependence of temperature on weathering and the strong gradient in temperature in Sweden. This is because soil texture and mineralogy have strong effects on weathering. The weathering rates have a pronounced seasonal dynamic. Weathering rates are low during winters and generally high, but variable, during summers, depending on soil moisture and temperature. According to the model runs, the future yearly average weathering rates will increase by 5 %–17 % per degree of warming. The relative increase is largest in the two southeastern sites, with low total weathering rates. At sites in southern Sweden, future weathering increase occurs throughout the year according to the modelling. In the north, the increase in weathering during winters is almost negligible, despite larger temperature increases than in other regions or seasons (5.9 ∘C increase in winter in Högbränna; the yearly average temperature increase for all sites is 3.7 ∘C), as the winter temperatures still will mostly be below zero. The drought scenario has the strongest effect in southern Sweden, where weathering during the later parts of the drought summers decreases to typical winter weathering rates. Soil texture and amount of gravel also influence how fast the weathering decreases during drought and how fast the soil rewets and reaches normal weathering rates after the drought. The coarsest of the modelled soils dries out and rewets quicker than the less coarse of the modelled soils. In the north, the soils do not dry out as much as in the south, despite the low precipitation, due to lower evapotranspiration, and in the northernmost site, weathering is not much affected. Yearly weathering during the drought years relative to the same years in the A1B scenario are between 78 % and 96 % for the sites. The study shows that it is crucial to take seasonal climate variations and soil texture into account when assessing the effects of a changed climate on weathering rates and plant nutrient availability.

The growing impact of extreme weather phenomena in different areas of the globe and the empirical evidence of the economic, social and environmental damage caused by global warming, urgently, calls for appropriate responses. Urban areas are part of the planet where the greatest social costs of global warming will be paid, and so it seems very important to take on the issue of climate change adaptation in land use and urban planning. In several cities, new planning instruments and projects have been developed that highlight a profound cultural change and approach to urban planning that we have known for the last two centuries. The lack of adequate management measures concerning increasingly frequent disasters lead to environmental, economic (e.g., exposure to risks and costs associated with extreme weather events), and social impacts (e.g., health impacts related to air quality, heat islands, etc., with an increase in chronic ailments and various diseases). As recognised by Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11), the United Nations (UN) New Urban Agenda and the World Forum on Urban Forests, green and blue infrastructures (GBIs) and nature-based solutions (NBSs) can reduce these impacts by promoting population health shaping as an adaptation strategy to climate change. GBIs and NBSs for the sustainability, resilience and well-being of urban communities are increasingly considered efficient strategies to mitigate climate change-dependent disasters, but they are not yet considered in a systematic way within urban planning. The paper aims to investigate the role of GBIs and NBSs in the resilience of cities and urban communities against the risks associated with the climate crisis. Furthermore, the paper suggests how GBI and NBS could be interwoven into visions, urban planning, and design to create resilient places for people and resilient community behaviours.

During the years of post-war reconstruction in Italy, the project represented an instrument of revenge on the ruins inherited from the war and industry seemed to be the answer to the needs of a society that was rebuilding itself. The bond between project and industry thus spreads to all sectors of artistic production and the common thread is the use of words borrowed from the world of industry, thus raising the phenomenon of industrialisation. Olivetti’s experience is placed in this scenario, characterised by his interest beyond the factory, aimed at architectural, urban planning, cultural, publishing, and political issues. The Olivetti ideal focuses on aspects ranging from the typewriter to the city. The best architects work for Olivetti, and among them is Marco Zanuso. The factory is the topos of the project, in which theories of building industrialisation are synthesised. Zanuso experiments with the material’s potential to address issues related to the factory; in the reinforced concrete, he discovers the possibility of rationalising the composition process. Thus, the structure finds the perfect balance between technique and expressive language, generating space, light, form, and function. The beam-pillar system, an ideal synthesis of the architecture for Olivetti in Argentina and Brazil, discloses the capacity to conceive space as a single entity, in which the recognisability of the construction system becomes the identifying key of the factory itself.

Introdução: Ao se tratar da dimensão humana, é imprescindível abordar a religiosidade e espiritualidade (R/E), pois há uma necessidade de ser compreendida em sua totalidade. Objetivo: Descrever o impacto da R/E durante a formação acadêmica e verificar de que modo influencia a saúde, a percepção e as relações interpessoais ou profissionais dos acadêmicos. Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão bibliográfica integrativa baseada na leitura, pesquisa e interpretação de artigos científicos nacionais das seguintes bases de dados: Capes, Scielo, BVS. Resultados: Observou-se que a maioria dos artigos estudados possui ação benéfica na vida dos universitários, como: prevenção ao suicídio e utilização de drogas lícitas e ilícitas, o aumento da autoestima e de pensamentos positivos, e ainda auxilia na melhora dos seus relacionamentos profissionais e pessoais. Conclusão: A R/E é um fator capaz de promover o bem-estar dos discentes em seu cotidiano, sendo um instrumento para lidar com as adversidades desse período da sua vida. Esta pesquisa pode abrir discussões a respeito da temática nos centros universitários e a inclusão desse assunto nas grades curriculares, buscando ampliar e conhecer os aspectos positivos, negativos e neutros na comunidade acadêmica.

Sinapic acid, 3,5-dimethoxyl-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, belonging to the class of hydroxycinnamic acids, shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, renoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, and antibacterial activity. The aim of this work was to incorporate sinapic acid into solid lipid nanoparticles in order to improve its bioavailability. SLNs were prepared using the hot high-speed homogenization method. The pharmaco-technological properties and thermotropic profile of SLNs encapsulated with sinapic acid, as well as their interaction with biomembrane models, were evaluated. SLNs showed promising physicochemical properties and encapsulation efficiency, as well as a desirable release profile; moreover, they facilitated the interaction of sinapic acid with a biomembrane model made of multilamellar vesicles. In conclusion, this formulation can be used in further studies to assess its suitability to improve sinapic acid activity.

Background: Perioperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) are common complications after noncardiac surgery. Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both disorders. The COP-AF trial tests the hypothesis that colchicine reduces the incidence of perioperative AF and MINS in patients undergoing major noncardiac thoracic surgery. Design: The 'COlchicine for the Prevention of Perioperative Atrial Fibrillation' (COP-AF) trial is an international, blinded, randomized trial that compares colchicine to placebo in patients aged at least 55 years and undergoing major noncardiac thoracic surgery with general anesthesia. Exclusion criteria include a history of AF and a contraindication to colchicine (e.g., severe renal dysfunction). Oral colchicine at a dose of 0.5 mg or matching placebo is given within 4 hours before surgery. Thereafter, patients receive colchicine 0.5 mg or placebo twice daily for a total of 10 days. The two independent co-primary outcomes are clinically important perioperative AF (including atrial flutter) and MINS during 14 days of follow-up. The main safety outcomes are sepsis or infection and non-infectious diarrhea. We aim to enroll 3,200 patients from approximately 40 sites across 11 countries to have at least 80% power for the independent evaluation of the two co-primary outcomes. Summary: COP-AF is a large randomized and blinded trial designed to determine whether colchicine reduces the risk of perioperative AF or MINS in patients who have major noncardiac thoracic surgery. Population Health Research Institute

Focus: To take time to identify and recognize the sounds in the spaces around us. Learning objectives: With this activity, we will draw attention to our surrounding environment through listening. This can function as a stand-alone activity. However, you can also use it as a starting point before transferring the experience to deep- sea environments in the activity called “Cold Seeps Symphony”. Key words: Spatial awareness, listening, sound walk, noise pollution.

Focus: To get to know some of the creatures in the deep-sea that use color and the lack of light to camouflage themselves. Learning objectives: With these TWO activities, we use vision to explore life forms in the deep sea which have adapted to extreme conditions. Through the activities, the pupils will also become familiar with some organisms well-hidden at the bottom of the ocean. Key words: Camouflage strategies, Deep sea ocean, Physical effects of light, Characteristics of sea lifeforms

Focus: Where are and what happens at cold seeps and how scientists study them. Learning objectives: After this lesson, students should be able to: Relate different datasets by observing and describing scientific maps Differentiate between carbon dioxide and methane gas Clarify misconceptions about greenhouse gas Explain what cold seeps are and why most gas/methane hydrates occur at continental margins Describe some of the methods scientists use to locate and study methane/gas hydrates Prerequisites: Prior to this lesson, students should be familiar with understanding maps, molecular structure and bonding, and the greenhouse effect and gases. Key words: Arctic Ocean, Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Gas Hydrate, Cold Seep, Greenhouse Gases.

Focus: To listen to the Arctic Ocean’s sounds and to learn about the Arctic Ocean’s biodiversity, particularly near cold seeps. We will experiment with creating new sound expressions inspired by the Ocean. For pupils with hearing impairment, pupils can create a bodily expression of this and/or use instruments they are comfortable with. Learning objectives: With this activity pupils will start to understand: The multitude of sounds audible in the Ocean and near to cold seeps at the sea-bed. That the oceans, including the Arctic Ocean, harbors great biodiversity. What an oceanographic ship is, and the anthropic sounds related to it. Key words: Ocean research, exploration, human/non-human relationship within ocean, sounds, place, noise.

Focus: To understand what water temperature is, and why it is important for life in the ocean. What factors influence water temperature (e.g., sunlight, solar radiation, heat transfer)? Learning objectives: In this activity, pupils will learn that temperature is an important factor influencing water, water quality, and altering the physical and chemical properties of water. Key words: Temperature, solar radiation, heat transfer, changes & drivers, consequences.

Focus: To understand that hydrogen sulphide indicates that there is life at the bottom of the deep-sea. Learning objectives: With this activity, we create a nasty smell similar to hydrogen sulphide from rotting organic matter. We use that smell as a foundation for a discussion/lesson on interesting life, animals and food webs from the deep sea floor. Key words: Deep-sea, hydrogen sulphide, chemosynthesis, nematodes, tube worms, food webs.

Focus: To gain an appreciation of ocean depth using ideas of scale and physical education. Learning objectives: With these TWO activities, pupils will begin to understand (and feel) how deep the ocean can be in relation to their own size and height. They will get a feeling of the difference between height (above ground) and depth (in relation to water). Key words: Height, (ocean) depth.

Focus: To understand the meaning of the human ecological footprint. Pupils will think about questions like how do our actions (e.g., research) affect the environment around us and, what can we do to reduce the human impact on the oceans? Learning objectives: In this activity, pupils will learn to develop an understanding of their relationship with the oceans and the marine environment and hopefully be inspired to turn their knowledge into action. Key words: Human impact, footprints, action.

Focus: To learn about foraminifera through practicing and presenting the song “The Foraminifera Boogie”. Pupils and teachers can also decide to play instruments along with the recorded soundtrack. Learning objectives: In this activity, pupils will practice listening to one another and the music. They will learn lyrics and use their voices to sing the song. This can be combined with playing actual musical instruments or using instruments the pupils have made themselves (for example see the activity “Cold Seeps Symphony”). This activity brings together music with the scientific story of the Foraminifera. Key words: Ocean, researchers, little known beings in the Arctic Ocean, co-living of humans and non-human beings, planetary time.

Focus: To understand the role of sedimentation in creating the unique conditions of ocean floor ecosystems. Learning objectives: With this activity, pupils will gain a basic understanding of how sediments in the ocean settle on the ocean floor (sedimentation) and what this looks like. Key words: Settling, sediment, terrigenous, pelagic.

Sin resumen

Atividades extensionistas representam um dos pilares da formação universitária, compondo conjuntamente a pesquisa e o ensino as bases da almejada formação acadêmica cidadã e socialmente comprometida . O Curso de Bacharelado em Biotecnologia da Universidade Federal de Pelotas integra o Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CDTEC), e promove diversas atividades de extensão desde 2010. Esta pesquisa teve como propósito compilar as ações de extensão registradas no período de 2010 à 2019, registrando de forma organizada programas e projetos e quantificando os esforços extensionistas da comunidade acadêmica. Foram reunidos os dados compreendendo o período 2010-2019 disponibilizados nos sistemas Cobalto e SIEX. Ao todo, o curso de biotecnologia desenvolveu no período mais de 17 projetos de extensão, contando com significativa participação e envolvimento da comunidade acadêmica reforçando a vocação do curso e o compromisso em prol da popularização da ciência e da biotecnologia.

Juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD) is a pediatric disease, which begins with an osteonecrotic lesion in the secondary ossification center which, over time, results in the separation of the necrotic fragment from the parent bone. JOCD predisposes to early-onset osteoarthritis. However, the knowledge gap in JOCD pathomechanisms severely limits current therapeutic strategies. To elucidate its etiology, we conducted a study with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from JOCD and control patients. iPSCs from skin biopsies were differentiated to iMSCs (iPSC-derived mesenchymal stromal cells) and subjected to chondrogenic and endochondral ossification, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress induction assays. Our study, using 3 JOCD donors, showed that JOCD cells have lower chondrogenic capability and their endochondral ossification process differs from control cells; yet, JOCD- and control-cells accomplish osteogenesis of similar quality. Our findings show that endoplasmic reticulum stress sensing and response mechanisms in JOCD cells, which partially regulate chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation, are related to these differences. We suggest that JOCD cells are more sensitive to ER stress than control cells, and in pathological microenvironments, such as microtrauma and micro-ischemia, JOCD pathogenesis pathways may be initiated. This study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to realize the important role that resident cells and their differentiating counterparts play in JOCD and to put forth a novel etiological hypothesis that seeks to consolidate and explain previously postulated hypotheses. Furthermore, our results establish well-characterized JOCD-specific iPSC-derived in vitro models and identified potential targets which could be used to improve diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies in JOCD.

The elites of many past cultures have sought to romanticise agricultural labour—often the source of their wealth and hence their status. A recently discovered winery at the Villa of the Quintilii on the Via Appia Antica, near Rome, provides only the second known example from the Graeco-Roman world of an opulent wine production complex built to facilitate vinicultural ‘spectacle’. The authors present the architectural and decorative form of the winery and illustrate how the annual vintage was reimagined as ‘theatrical’ performance. Dating to the mid third century AD, the complex illuminates how ancient elites could fuse utilitarian function with ostentatious luxury to fashion their social and political status.

Effective screening tools can help providers with treatment decisions, including when to refer patients for neuropsychological evaluations, which are the gold standard for cognitive assessment of neurodegenerative disease. The authors examined whether performance on the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Third Edition (ACE-III), a readily available cognitive screening tool for older adults, predicted performance on subsequent neuropsychological evaluations.In total, 217 patients referred for neurocognitive concerns completed a neuropsychological evaluation, including the ACE-III. Patients were diagnosed as having normal cognition (NC, N=67), mild neurocognitive disorder (mild NCD, N=105), or major NCD (N=45). Regression analyses were used to determine whether ACE-III subscale scores predicted performance on neuropsychological measures assessing similar constructs. Logistic regression was used to assess whether ACE-III total score and overall neuropsychological test performance predicted diagnosis. Separate analyses compared those with higher and lower educational attainments. ACE-III subscales and total scores were compared by diagnostic group.Across all groups, ACE-III subscale scores predicted within-construct neuropsychological performances with moderate to strong effects (p0.001) but were less predictive for those with lower educational attainment. ACE-III total score was less sensitive than overall neuropsychological test performance in predicting neurocognitive disorders. ACE-III subscale and total scores distinguished diagnostic groups (NCmild NCDmajor NCD, p0.001).ACE-III subscale scores predicted performance on neuropsychological measures assessing similar constructs. However, overall performance on neuropsychological testing was more sensitive than ACE-III total score in predicting neurocognitive disorder diagnosis. Total ACE-III score differed by level of cognitive impairment. Comprehensive neuropsychological testing is recommended for patients who have lower educational status or complex symptom presentations or are younger.

Protected areas are spaces created to protect nature. However, these areas are contradictory because they are designed to protect the nature of the destructive human power, which provides a dichotomous vision between nature and society. Nevertheless, protected areas are not merely places where human presence is unwanted; these areas have social, economic, cultural, educational potential, among others. The protected areas view based on the idea that the human is not part of nature is seen by some authors as reflex the fragmentation of knowledges, which prevents the totality contemplation of the environmental issue. Thereby, the present work searched understand, through the creation historical process of the Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba, the relation between the aspects related to the natural sciences and the political aspects, social and economic.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Surgery is the most potentially curative therapeutic option for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The five-year survival for these patients remains poor and variable, depending on the stage of disease at diagnosis, and the risk of recurrence following tumor resection is high. During the last 20 years, there has been a modest improvement in the therapeutic strategies for resectable NSCLC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), alone or in combination with chemotherapy, have become the cornerstone for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC patients. Recently, their clinical development has been shifted in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings where they have demonstrated remarkable efficacy, leading to improved clinical outcomes. Based on the positive results from phase III trials, ICIs have become a therapeutic option in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. On October 2021 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved atezolizumab as an adjuvant treatment following surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with NSCLC whose tumors express PD-L1 ≥ 1%. In March 2022, nivolumab in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy was approved for adult patients with resectable NSCLC in the neoadjuvant setting. The current review provides an updated overview of the clinical trials exploring the role of immunotherapy in patients with early-stage NSCLC, focusing on the biological rationale for their use in the perioperative setting. We will also discuss the role of potential predictive biomarkers to personalize therapy and optimize the incorporation of immunotherapy into the multimodality management of stage I-III NSCLC.

This paper aims to understand how the first phase of exit from the pandemic has changed the temporality of everyday life and produced an affective atmosphere characterized by a positive attitude towards the future. I will start by analyzing the link between utopia and everyday life: on the one hand, as a privileged area of prefigurative practices in the different versions of utopian realism, and on the other, as trapped in the present in the theories of presentification. I will then examine some emblematic cases of a ‘need for the future’ that emerged in the first exit from the pandemic in the spring-summer 2021. Finally, starting from the affective and temporally complex nature of the present as conceptualized by Berlant (Berlant, 2011; Berlant, 2008) and Coleman (Coleman, 2020b; Coleman, 2020a), I will try to account for the push toward the future that the partial exit from the pandemic has perhaps brought out.

Abstract Perfectly incompressible materials do not exist in nature but are a useful approximation of several media which can be deformed in non-isothermal processes but undergo very small volume variations. In this paper, the linear analysis of the Darcy-Bénard problem is performed in the class of extended-quasi-thermal-incompressible fluids, introducing a factor $$\beta$$ β which describes the compressibility of the fluid and plays an essential role in the instability results. In particular, in the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation, a more realistic constitutive equation for the fluid density is employed in order to obtain more thermodynamically consistent instability results. The critical Rayleigh-Darcy number for the onset of convection is determined, via linear instability analysis of the conduction solution, as a function of a dimensionless parameter $$\widehat{\beta }$$ β ^ proportional to the compressibility factor $$\beta$$ β , proving that $$\widehat{\beta }$$ β ^ enhances the onset of convective motions. Article Highlights The onset of convection in fluid-saturated porous media is analyzed, taking into account fluid compressibility effect. The critical Rayleigh-Darcy number is determined in a closed algebraic form via linear instability analysis. The critical Rayleigh-Darcy number is shown to be a decreasing function of the dimensionless compressibility factor.

A produção das cidades desiguais exemplificada em nossa realidade, no contexto brasileiro, apresentada em forma de segregação socioespacial, também produzida por políticas de mobilidade urbana elitistas, acaba criando o modelo de cidades espraiadas e fragmentadas, processo segregatório responsável pela irrealização do Direito à Cidade. Neste artigo, os autores se propõem a apresentar a relação entre mobilidade urbana e segregação socioespacial e como o descaso dos governantes colabora para tal crise na democracia das cidades. Apresenta, assim, proposições de enfrentamento desses conflitos, como o Desenvolvimento Orientado ao Transporte – DOTS, juntamente com acesso ao transporte gratuito, também conhecido como Tarifa Zero, em seus aspectos e desdobramentos dentro da temática.

Fixation of humeral shaft fractures is frequently performed with large-fragment (4.5 mm) plates to accommodate immediate weight bearing. Use of small-fragment (3.5 mm) plates as an alternative carries theoretical benefits. We examined nonunion rates and postoperative radial nerve palsy (RNP) rates in a retrospective cohort of patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation of humeral shaft fractures with 3.5-mm or 4.5-mm plates. Two hundred thirty-six patients with 241 humeral shaft fractures were included. Small 3.5-mm plates were used in 83% of the patients, and large 4.5-mm plates were used in 17% of the patients. Fifty-three percent were made weight bearing as tolerated following surgical fixation. There was a 7% incidence of nonunion and a 10% incidence of RNP in the 3.5-mm plate group. There was a 7% incidence of nonunion and a 15% incidence of RNP in the 4.5-mm plate group. No statistically significant relationship was shown between nonunion or RNP and plate size ( P =.74 and P =.39). No relationship was shown between nonunion and postoperative weight-bearing status ( P =.45). Subgroup analysis according to plate size additionally showed no association of nonunion with postoperative weight bearing in both the 4.5-mm ( P =.55) and the 3.5-mm ( P =.25) cohorts. Small-fragment and large-fragment plating of humeral shaft fractures resulted in comparable union and RNP rates, regardless of postoperative weight-bearing status. Our findings suggest that 3.5-mm plate fixation of humeral shaft fractures is a safe alternative to 4.5-mm plate fixation. [ Orthopedics . 202x;4x(x):xx–xx.]