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Extended risk stratification and optimal management of patients with a permanently increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) are becoming increasingly important. There are several clinical conditions where the risk of arrhythmic death is present albeit only transient. As an example, patients with depressed left ventricular function have a high risk of SCD that may be only transient if there will be a significant recovery of function. It is important to protect the patients while receiving and titrating to the optimal dose the recommended drugs that may lead to an improved left ventricular function. In several other conditions, a transient risk of SCD can be observed even if the left ventricular function is not compromised. Examples are patients with acute myocarditis, during the diagnostic work-up of some arrhythmic conditions or after extraction of infected catheters while eradicating the associated infection. In all these conditions, it is important to offer a protection to these patients. The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is of particular importance as a temporary non-invasive technology for both arrhythmia monitoring and therapy in patients with increased risk of SCD. Previous studies have shown the WCD to be an effective and safe therapy for the prevention of SCD caused by ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. The aim of this ANMCO position paper is to provide a recommendation for clinical utilization of the WCD in Italy, based upon current data and international guidelines. In this document, we will review the WCD functionality, indications, clinical evidence, and guideline recommendations. Finally, a recommendation for the utilization of the WCD in routine clinical practice will be presented, in order to provide physicians with a practical guidance for SCD risk stratification in patients who may benefit from this device.

Os medicamentos descartados em locais inapropriados como esgoto, lixo residencial ou aterro sanitário constituem uma preocupação devido ao risco de contaminação do meio ambiente. O aumento de consumo de medicamentos no mundo e, especificamente no Brasil, requer políticas e práticas de trabalhadores da área da saúde para que os danos ao meio ambiente sejam reduzidos e a população, seja conscientizada. Assim, o objetivo geral deste trabalho foi avaliar a percepção dos trabalhadores da atenção básica de saúde sobre o descarte de medicamentos, quais informações são fornecidas aos usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e o conhecimento sobre os potenciais riscos à saúde e ao meio ambiente. Desta forma, foi aplicado um questionário aos trabalhadores de três Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) e da Farmácia Pública de um município do norte do Espírito Santo. Participaram deste estudo 71 trabalhadores e em sua maioria eram mulheres (81,29%), possuíam 40-49 anos (33,8%) e em relação a escolaridade, com ensino médio completo (49,9%). Quando questionados sobre o local correto para descartar os medicamentos não utilizados ou vencidos, 45% dos participantes não sabiam o local correto, apesar de conhecer o qual é o destino final dos medicamentos descartados no vaso sanitário ou lixo comum. Entretanto, quando questionados sobre a orientação dada, 83% dos trabalhadores participantes deste estudo afirmaram que informam ao usuário a entregar os medicamentos que precisam ser descartados nas UBS ou na Farmácia Pública. Desta forma, os dados mostram que a maior parte dos trabalhadores entrevistados orientam os usuários a entregar os medicamentos não utilizados ou vencidos nos serviços de saúde, entretanto, desconhecem o local correto para faze-lo. Políticas públicas para implantar pontos de coleta de medicamentos e promover educação em saúde precisam ser fomentadas para a reduzir o dano ao meio ambiente.

The Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS) measures the degree of sociocultural competence in new cultural settings, and, despite its popularity, research aiming at evaluating its dimensionality is lacking and has incongruent results. Moreover, the dimensionality of the scale has been mainly tested on different samples adjusted to Eastern culture. We administered the SCAS to 266 international students sojourning in Los Angeles to test which underlying dimensionality emerges if the measure is used to assess sociocultural adaptation to Western culture, also verifying its measurement invariance across sex. Findings from EFA showed a three-factor solution: Diversity Approach, Social Functioning, and Distance and Life Changes, and the CFA indicated a plausible goodness-of-fit to the empirical data. The examination of MGCFA suggested that the questionnaire showed an invariant structure across sex. Our results suggest that the dimensionality of the SCAS may differ according to the sojourners’ country of settlement, emphasizing Western–Eastern differences.

Although follicular lymphoma (FL) patients relapsing within 24 months after first-line treatment (POD24) have a poor prognosis, some cases show notable survival after first relapse (SF1R). We aimed to characterize the POD24 FL population and to identify the main prognostic factors at progression. We selected 162 POD24 patients (80F; median age at first relapse 59 years) from a cohort of 1067 grades 1-3a FL-treated patients. The remaining 905 patients treated with first-line immunochemotherapy and diagnosed during the same period were used to compare outcomes in terms of survival. After a median follow-up of 11.0 years, 96 patients died (10y-SF1R of 40%). Age over 60 years (p 0.001), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p 0.001), haemoglobin (Hb) less than 120 g/L (p 0.001), advanced stage (p 0.001), high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) (p 0.001), histological transformation (HT) (p0.001) and reaching less than complete response (CR) after salvage therapy (p 0.001), predicted poor SF1R at relapse. In multivariate analysis only high-risk FLIPI and HT maintained prognostic significance for SF1R. POD24 patients not transformed and with low/intermediate FLIPI at relapse behaved better than the remaining cases. POD24 patients showed an excess mortality of 38% compared to the general population. Although outcome of POD24 FL patients is poor, a considerable group of them (low/intermediate FLIPI and not transformed at first relapse) behave better.

To define the prevalence of subclinical synovitis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a large cohort of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in clinical remission and to evaluate its predictive value in terms of disease flare and joint deterioration.Ninety patients with clinically inactive JIA who underwent a contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI of a previously affected joint were retrospectively included. Each joint was evaluated for synovitis, tenosynovitis, and bone marrow edema. Baseline and follow-up radiographs were assessed to evaluate structural damage progression.CE-MRI was acquired in 45 wrists, 30 hips, 13 ankles, and 2 knees. Subclinical synovitis was detected in 59 (65.5%) of 90 patients and bone marrow edema in 42 (46.7%) of 90 patients. Fifty-seven of 90 (63.3%) patients experienced a disease flare during follow-up. Forty-four of 59 (74.6%) patients with subclinical synovitis experienced a disease flare versus 13 (41.9%) of 31 patients with no residual synovitis on MRI (P = 0.002). The presence of subclinical synovitis was the best predictor of disease flare on multivariable regression analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 2.45, P = 0.003). Baseline and follow-up radiographs were available for 54 patients, and 17 (31.5%) of 54 patients experienced radiographic damage progression. The presence of bone marrow edema (HR 4.40, P = 0.045) and being17 years old (HR 3.51, P = 0.04) were strong predictors of joint damage progression in the multivariable analysis.MRI-detected subclinical inflammation was present in a large proportion of patients with JIA despite clinical remission. Subclinical synovitis and bone marrow edema have been shown to play a role in predicting the risk of disease relapse and joint deterioration, with potential implications for patients' management of the disease.

Purely cutaneous Rosai–Dorfman disease is a self-limiting and benign histiocytosis; however, some patients may be concerned about the aesthetic appearance, with a negative effect on quality of life. Even though many treatments have been proposed, no specific therapies are available and there is insufficient evidence supporting the superiority of any particular approach. Here we report the improvement of purely cutaneous Rosai–Dorfman disease with topical rapamycin.

As Sarcoptes scabiei is becoming less sensitive to permethrin, clinicians have started to prescribe oral ivermectin (OI) as a first-line treatment. Guidelines suggest OI 200 µg kg–1 as two doses, 1 week apart. However, the black box of the ivermectin registered in Italy recommends a single dose. To compare these two regimens, we collected 71 cases of scabies and treated them according to this protocol [single-dose group (SDG)]. This population was compared to 68 patients who received two doses 1 week apart [double-dose group (DDG)]. Clearance of the disease was achieved in 98% of DDG patients. In the SDG, treatment was successful in only 58% of patients. This study confirms that the absence of a second intake of OI is one of the main predictors of treatment failure (P < 0.001), which may also increase the likelihood of emerging resistance in S. scabiei.

Summary The increasing prevalence and importance of machine learning in biological research have created a need for machine learning training resources tailored towards biological researchers. However, existing resources are often inaccessible, infeasible or inappropriate for biologists because they require significant computational and mathematical knowledge, demand an unrealistic time-investment or teach skills primarily for computational researchers. We created the Machine Learning for Biologists (ML4Bio) workshop, a short, intensive workshop that empowers biological researchers to comprehend machine learning applications and pursue machine learning collaborations in their own research. The ML4Bio workshop focuses on classification and was designed around three principles: (i) emphasizing preparedness over fluency or expertise, (ii) necessitating minimal coding and mathematical background and (iii) requiring low time investment. It incorporates active learning methods and custom open-source software that allows participants to explore machine learning workflows. After multiple sessions to improve workshop design, we performed a study on three workshop sessions. Despite some confusion around identifying subtle methodological flaws in machine learning workflows, participants generally reported that the workshop met their goals, provided them with valuable skills and knowledge and greatly increased their beliefs that they could engage in research that uses machine learning. ML4Bio is an educational tool for biological researchers, and its creation and evaluation provide valuable insight into tailoring educational resources for active researchers in different domains. Availability and implementation Workshop materials are available at https://github.com/carpentries-incubator/ml4bio-workshop and the ml4bio software is available at https://github.com/gitter-lab/ml4bio. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

The role of Vedolizumab (VDZ) as therapeutic option for the postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) following ileocolonic resection is unknown.To assess the effectiveness of VDZ in this setting.All consecutive CD patients with a baseline colonoscopy at 6-12 months from the ileocolonic resection showing postoperative recurrence (Rutgeerts score ≥i2) and treated with VDZ after the baseline colonoscopy were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (SN-IBD). The primary outcome was endoscopic success, assessed at the first colonoscopy following initiation of VDZ and defined as reduction of at least one point of Rutgeerts score. The secondary outcome was clinical failure, assessed at one year and at the end of follow-up.Fifty-eight patients were included (mean follow-up: 24.8 ± 13.1 months). Endoscopic success was reported in 47.6% of patients. Clinical failure was reported in 19.0% of patients at one year, and in 32.8% of patients at the end of follow-up. A new resection was required in 7 patients (12.1%).VDZ may be an effective option for the treatment of postoperative recurrence of CD.

Background Data from the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic suggested that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not at higher risk of being infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) than the general population and that a worse prognosis is not associated with immunomodulatory drugs, with the possible exception of systemic steroids. Methods This retrospective, observational study included consecutive IBD patients from the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD) cohort who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction–confirmed presence of the viral genome in a nasopharyngeal swab) during the second COVID-19 pandemic wave (September 2020 to December 2020). Data regarding demographics, IBD features and treatments, and comorbidities were analyzed in correlation with COVID-19 clinical outcomes. Results Data on 122 patients (mean age, 43.9 ± 16.7 years; males, 50.0%; Crohn’s disease, 62.3%; ulcerative colitis, 37.7%) were reported. Twelve patients developed COVID-19-related pneumonia (9.8%), 4 (3.3%) required respiratory assistance (nonmechanical ventilation or orotracheal intubation), and 4 died (case fatality rate, 3.3%). In a multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.034; 95% CI, 1.006–1.147; P = .032) and severe IBD activity (OR, 13.465; 95% CI, 1.104–164.182; P = .042) were independent predictors of COVID-19-related pneumonia, while severe IBD activity (OR, 15.359; 95% CI, 1.320–178.677; P = .030) was the only independent predictor of severe COVID-19, a composite endpoint defined as the need for respiratory assistance or death. A trend towards a protective role of tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors on pneumonia development was reported (P = .076). Conclusions In this cohort of patients with IBD and SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe IBD activity was the only independent risk factor for severe COVID-19.

Sebbene molti contributi abbiano posto in evidenza la struttura dialettica presente nelle opere teologiche di Abelardo, sorprende la completa assenza di studi relativi all’impiego dei luoghi dialettici a servizio del discorso teologico. Pertanto, il presente studio intende avviare una riflessione in merito a questo specifico aspetto dell’opera del maestro palatino, allo scopo di illustrare la modalità con cui i luoghi dialettici esposti in sede logica siano stati successivamente messi a servizio dell’esegesi del testo sacro. Le mie conclusioni sono che ‘l’esegesi topica’ esprime lo spazio di autonomia assegnato alla ragione umana in cerca di un fondamento, se non razionale almeno ragionevole, dell’alto grado di verosimiglianza di quanto trasmesso dalla Rivelazione.

We evaluated outcomes of 18 patients with isolated extramedullary disease (iEMD) relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treated with the CD19-directed CAR T cells ARI-0001 in two centers (adult and pediatric), including patients treated in the CART19-BE-01 trial and the consecutive compassionate use program. iEMD was detected by PET-CT in 78% (14/18), and/or by cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 28% (5/18). Patients received cyclophosphamide and fludarabine followed by 1 x 10(6) ARI-0001 cells/kg, initially as a single dose (first patient) and later split into three fractions (10%, 30%, and 60%). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 50% (9/18) of patients, with no cases of grade >= 3 CRS, and 1 case (6%) of grade 1 neurotoxicity. Tocilizumab was used in 6% of patients (1/18). Procedure-related mortality was 0% at 2 years. Objective responses were seen in 94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73%-99%) of patients, with complete responses (CR) seen in 78% (95% CI: 52%-94%) of them. Progression-free and overall survival were 49% (95% CI: 30%-79%) and 61% (95% CI: 40%-92%) at 2 years. In conclusion, the use of ARI-0001 cells in patients with R/R ALL and iEMD was associated with a safety and efficacy profile that is comparable with what is observed in patients with marrow involvement and in line with other CART19 products.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) has become the treatment of choice for AVNRT due to high success and low complication rate. A 3-D reconstruction of the atrial endocardial anatomy created by mapping system is useful because anatomic variances or unusual slow pathway locations may affect the effectiveness of classical anatomical approach. Voltage mapping is useful to identify a low voltage area in the Koch triangle (KT) called low-voltage-bridge (LVB); propagation mapping identifies the collision point (CP) of atrial wavefront convergence. These technique may be helpful to improve the localization of the slow pathway. Purpose Our purpose is to conduct a prospective study to evaluate the relationship of the propagation map to voltage mapping and successful site of ablation; moreover we would identify a cut-off value of LVB able to standardized the procedure. Methods Voltage maps of KT (at least 150 points) were obtained through the ablation catheter. Voltage values were adjusted until LVB was observed and classified in two types (Pic 1): Type I is a clear, large area; Type II is a narrow corridor or small areas. The collision point is the area in which the atrial wavefront during sinus rhythm collided on the propagation map indicating the area of slow pathway conduction. Ablation site was selected by LVB position or collision point, confirmed on anatomic position or AV ratio. Ablation of the slow pathway was performed using radio-frequency (RF) or cryotherapy. Results Eighteen consecutive patients were included; one patient was excluded because of inadequate voltage map. Ten patients were female. The median age was 51. In all patients inducible typical AVNRT was present. In 8 patients RF energy was used. Mean procedure time was 109 minutes; mean fluoroscopy time was 3,4 seconds (zero-fluoro procedure in 13 patients). Procedure success (no inducible AVNRT and no more than a single AV node echo beat) was achieved in all patient. No procedural complications were observed. No recurrence at 1 year follow up. The LVB was present in all patients; 9 patients had a type 1 LVB. Voltage map was created adjusting voltage high and low ranges in order to visualize LVB. Limited of LVB visualization is the leak of standard range of value for map creation. Post procedural evaluation identified standard cut-off of 0.3-1mv useful for LVB identification (only one patient had lower voltage range). The collision point was present in all patients. A correlation between LVB and CP was observed in 17/18 patients (Pic 2). In 16 patients successful ablation site was within 5mm of the wave collision. Conclusion In our prospective study, we found correlation between LVB and CP and the site of effective slow pathway ablation in most patients, and we identified a voltage range useful for standardized LVB identification during voltage mapping. Moreover, these techniques are useful to identify ablation site and minimize radiation exposure.

Purpose:We analyzed the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a prospective population-based cohort to determine the mutational profile, assess tumor burden, and estimate its impact in response rate and outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Experimental Design:A total of 100 patients were diagnosed with DLBCL during the study period. Mutational status of 112 genes was studied in cfDNA by targeted next-generation sequencing. Paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples and volumetric PET/CT were assessed when available.Results:Appropriate cfDNA to perform the analyses was obtained in 79 of 100 cases. At least one mutation could be detected in 69 of 79 cases (87%). The sensitivity of cfDNA to detect the mutations was 68% (95% confidence interval, 56.2–78.7). The mutational landscape found in cfDNA samples was highly consistent with that shown in the tissue and allowed genetic classification in 43% of the cases. A higher amount of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) significantly correlated with clinical parameters related to tumor burden (elevated lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin serum levels, advanced stage, and high-risk International Prognostic Index) and total metabolic tumor volume assessed by PET/CT. In patients treated with curative intent, high ctDNA levels (>2.5 log hGE/mL) were associated with lower complete response (65% vs. 96%; P < 0.004), shorter progression-free survival (65% vs. 85%; P = 0.038), and overall survival (73% vs. 100%; P = 0.007) at 2 years, although it did not maintain prognostic value in multivariate analyses.Conclusions:In a population-based prospective DLBCL series, cfDNA resulted as an alternative source to estimate tumor burden and to determine the tumor mutational profile and genetic classification, which have prognostic implications and may contribute to a future tailored treatment.

1 - Serum and tumor cytokines according to MYD88 mutational status 2- Discrepancies in cell of origin distribution between gene expression and immunohistochemistry

Purpose: Mutations in MYD88 are found in different lymphoproliferative disorders associated with particular biologic characteristics and clinical impact. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of MYD88 mutations and its clinical impact in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Experimental Design: The incidence, clinicobiological features, and outcome of 213 patients (115 M/98 F; median age, 65 years) with DLBCL treated with immunochemotherapy in a single institution according to MYD88 mutational status as assessed by an allele-specific PCR assay were analyzed. The cell of origin (COO) was determined in 129 cases by gene expression.Results: MYD88 mutations were found in 47 cases (22%), including L265P in 39 and S219C and M232F in 4 cases, respectively. Patients with MYD88 L265P were older, presenting frequent extranodal involvement, and mostly corresponded to activated B-cell like (ABC) subtype, whereas no preference in COO was observed in patients with other MYD88 mutations. Five-year overall survival (OS) for MYD88 wild-type, MYD88 L265P, and other variants was 62%, 52%, and 75%, respectively (P = 0.05). International Prognostic Index (IPI) (HR, 2.71; P < 0.001) and MYD88 L265P (HR, 1.786; P = 0.023) were independent variables predicting OS in the multivariate analysis. However, MYD88 L265P lost its independent value when COO was included in the model.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that MYD88 L265P mutations, but no other variants, identify a subgroup of DLBCL mainly of ABC origin, with extranodal involvement and poor outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 22(11); 2755–64. ©2016 AACR.

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Suppplementary Methods and Figures

This manuscript aims at updating the knowledge on the clinico-biological characteristics, pathogenesis, and the diagnostic challenges of T-LGLL and CLPD-NK disorders and reviews the advances in the management and treatment of these patients.It has been shown that clonal large granular lymphocyte (LGL) expansions arise from chronic antigenic stimulation, leading to resistance to apoptosis. All the above findings have facilitated the diagnosis of LGLL and provided insights in the pathogenesis of the disease. At present, there is no standard first-line therapy for the disease. Immunosuppressive agents are the treatment routinely used in clinical practice. However, these agents have a limited capacity to eradicate the LGL clone and induce long-lasting remission. Advances in the knowledge of pathogenesis have made it possible to explore new therapeutic targets with promising results. Since LGLL is a rare disease, international efforts are needed to carry on prospective clinical trials with new potentially active drugs that could include a large number of patients.

In this paper, we present the first results from an investigation performed on nanometric thin pellicles based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) of potential interest for manufacturing large area optical blocking filters to protect soft X-ray detectors in astrophysics space missions. In order to evaluate the effective capability of such materials to block UV/VIS/IR radiation, while being highly transparent in the soft X-rays and strong enough to withstand the severe launch stresses, we have performed a suite of characterization measurements. These include: UV/VIS/IR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy on bare and Al coated small self-standing pellicles; static mechanical tests on small freestanding samples.

The intrinsic stability of the 5 V LiCoPO4-LiCo2P3O10 thin-film (carbon-free) cathode material coated with MoO3 thin layer is studied using a comprehensive synchrotron electron spectroscopy in situ approach combined with firstprinciple calculations. The atomic-molecular level study demonstrates fully reversible electronic properties of the cathode after the first electrochemical cycle. The polyanionic oxide is not involved in chemical reactions with the tluoroethylene-containing liquid electrolyte even when charged to 5.1 V vs Li+/Li. The high stability of the cathode is explained on the basis of the developed energy level model. In contrast, the chemical composition of the cathode-electrolyte interface evolves continuously by involving MoO3 in the decomposition reaction with consequent leaching of oxide from the surface. The proposed mechanisms of chemical reactions are attributed to external electrolyte oxidation via charge transfer from the relevant electron level to the MoO3 valence band state and internal electrolyte oxidation via proton transfer to the solvents. This study provides a deeper insight into the development of both a doping strategy to enhance the electronic conductivity of high-voltage cathode materials and an efficient surface coating against unfavorable interfacial chemical reactions.

Career sustainability is a broad and kaleidoscopic concept that requires review and investigation as it is not yet clearly described in the literature. A sustainable career can be defined as a sequence of paid and unpaid work experience cultivated over time and in different social spaces that provides healthy, happy and productive lives to individuals. Career sustainability is essential to both researchers and practitioners due to the changes in work nature and in the social and economic conditions of the work context. This study will address the knowledge gap about the construct definitions, models, measures, antecedents, and consequences of a sustainable career via a systematic review method.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a progressive form of kidney disease defined by glomerular deposition of IgA. Here we performed a genome-wide association study of 10,146 kidney-biopsy-diagnosed IgAN cases and 28,751 controls across 17 international cohorts. We defined 30 genome-wide significant risk loci explaining 11% of disease risk. A total of 16 loci were new, including TNFSF4/TNFSF18, REL, CD28, PF4V1, LY86, LYN, ANXA3, TNFSF8/TNFSF15, REEP3, ZMIZ1, OVOL1/RELA, ETS1, IGH, IRF8, TNFRSF13B and FCAR. The risk loci were enriched in gene orthologs causing abnormal IgA levels when genetically manipulated in mice. We also observed a positive genetic correlation between IgAN and serum IgA levels. High polygenic score for IgAN was associated with earlier onset of kidney failure. In a comprehensive functional annotation analysis of candidate causal genes, we observed convergence of biological candidates on a common set of inflammatory signaling pathways and cytokine ligand-receptor pairs, prioritizing potential new drug targets.

Exploring components and correlates of attitudes, behaviour, emotions and feelings of the general population towards perpetrators or victims of crime

Introduction: The healthcare systems in Europe are rapidly changing due to increased complexity of healthcare needs, specifically for the ageing population with chronic disease. Patients should be supported in increasing their quality of life, well-being, health outcomes and self-management. Future nurses play a key role in providing care for patients with chronic diseases, encouraging patients’ own care by enhancing their health literacy. The aim of this study is to analyse the health literacy in nursing student literature to guide research development in this topic. Methods and analysis: A scoping review will be conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. In developing the study, we will refer to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. A systematic search will be performed by two researchers using the electronic databases of MEDLINE, ERIC and CINAHL. We will include any paper that focuses on health literacy, considering nursing students at the nursing-degree level. We will select every primary study (quantitative, qualitative and mixed method) published in peer-reviewed journals until February 2023, in either Italian or English. We have chosen to not impose a time limitation due to the lack of a literature review about health literacy and nursing student research. Ethics and dissemination: The findings of this scoping review will guide research development in this field and help researchers to increase evidence about health literacy in nursing students. We will give a strong methodological implication to develop this research area, we will identify the research gap and the effective teaching strategies to develop this skill during nursing education.

A sense of community is defined as the belief of the members of a group that they are important to each other and to the group itself, and as the shared conviction that the needs of group members will be met through their being together. Schools and universities are often considered as small towns, communities in which students stay for a certain period of time. In this sense, students are part of a community that they create and by which they are influenced. The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the possible relationships between the university's sense of community, well-being, quality of life and student satisfaction on the one hand and the risk of university drop-out or failure on the other.

Protein subcellular localization is an important factor in normal cellular processes and disease. While many protein localization resources treat it as static, protein localization is dynamic and heavily influenced by biological context. Biological pathways are graphs that represent a specific biological context and can be inferred from large-scale data. We develop graph algorithms to predict the localization of all interactions in a biological pathway as an edge-labeling task. We compare a variety of models including graph neural networks, probabilistic graphical models, and discriminative classifiers for predicting localization annotations from curated pathway databases. We also perform a case study where we construct biological pathways and predict localizations of human fibroblasts undergoing viral infection. Pathway localization prediction is a promising approach for integrating publicly available localization data into the analysis of large-scale biological data.

In the last decades, different multivariate techniques have been applied to multidimensional dietary datasets to identify meaningful patterns reflecting the dietary habits of populations. Among them, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis represent the two most used techniques, either applied separately or in parallel. Here, we propose a workflow to combine PCA, hierarchical clustering, and a K-means algorithm in a novel approach for dietary pattern derivation. Since the workflow presents certain subjective decisions that might affect the final clustering solution, we also provide some alternatives in relation to different dietary data used. For example, we used the dietary data of 855 women from Catania, Italy. Our approach—defined as clustering on principal components—could be useful to leverage the strengths of each method and to obtain a better cluster solution. In fact, it seemed to disentangle dietary data better than simple clustering algorithms. However, before choosing between the alternatives proposed, it is suggested to consider the nature of dietary data and the main questions raised by the research.

Few data are available regarding the prevalence of left atrium (LA) thrombi in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients treated with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Methods: We evaluated the prevalence and predictors of LA/LA appendage (LAA) thrombi in non-valvular AF patients treated with NOACs referring to a single centre for a scheduled electrical cardioversion (ECV) or catheter ablation (CA). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed within 12 h prior to the index procedure. A total of 352 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF treated with NOACs were included in this analysis (ECV group n = 176 and CA group n = 176) between 2013 and 2018. 85 patients (24.2%) were on dabigatran, 150 (42.7%) on rivaroxaban, 104 (29.6%) on apixaban and 13 (3.7%) on edoxaban. A LA/LAA thrombus was detected by TEE in 27 (7.7%) patients, 18 in the ECV group and nine in the ablation group; 18 (5.1%) patients presented dense LA/LAA spontaneous echo contrast (SEC). Predictors of LA/LAA thrombi were a CHA2DS2-VASc score > 3 (OR 4.54, 95% CI 1.50 − 13.70, p value = .007) and obesity (OR 6.01, 95% CI 1.95 − 18.50, p value = .001). Among real-world patients with non-valvular AF treated with NOACs, we found a high incidence of LA/LAA thrombi compared to previous reports. The main predictors of LA/LAA thrombosis were a CHA2DS2-VASc score > 3 and obesity.

Hybrid inorganic/organic heterointerfaces are promising systems for next-generation photocatalytic, photovoltaic, and chemical-sensing applications. Their performance relies strongly on the development of robust and reliable surface passivation and functionalization protocols with (sub)molecular control. The structure, stability, and chemistry of the semiconductor surface determine the functionality of the hybrid assembly. Generally, these modification schemes have to be laboriously developed to satisfy the specific chemical demands of the semiconductor surface. The implementation of a chemically independent, yet highly selective, standardized surface functionalization scheme, compatible with nanoelectronic device fabrication, is of utmost technological relevance. Here, we introduce a modular surface assembly (MSA) approach that allows the covalent anchoring of molecular transition-metal complexes with sub-nanometer precision on any solid material by combining atomic layer deposition (ALD) and selectively self-assembled monolayers of phosphonic acids. ALD, as an essential tool in semiconductor device fabrication, is used to grow conformal aluminum oxide activation coatings, down to sub-nanometer thicknesses, on silicon surfaces to enable a selective step-by-step layer assembly of rhenium(I) bipyridine tricarbonyl molecular complexes. The modular surface assembly of molecular complexes generates precisely structured spatial ensembles with strong intermolecular vibrational and electronic coupling, as demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The structure of the MSA can be chosen to avoid electronic interactions with the semiconductor substrate to exclusively investigate the electronic interactions between the surface-immobilized molecular complexes.