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The Catalan vaulting have succeeded in reducing reliance on support centers, resulting in lowered costs and expedited construction processes. This research advances the study of Catalan vaulting by exploring innovative, environmentally friendly earth-based materials. The study conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of load-bearing behaviors across distinct vault elements: those fabricated from terracotta, raw-earth tiles, and shot-earth. Constructed and tested at a 4-meter span, full-scale vault specimens are subjected to varying distributed load configuration, followed by rupture testing employing a linear load at a quarter of the span. Experimental evidence, corroborated by FE results, indicates that both terracotta and raw earth tile vaults offer commendable performance, yet their failure loads are surpassed by vaults constructed using shot-earth. Therefore, shot-earth emerges as a sustainable alternative for constructing vault elements. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that incorporating reinforcement within shot-earth vaults increases their strength and ductility.

The transition to a more sustainable livestock sector represents one of the major challenges of our time. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is recognised as the gold standard methodology for assessing the environmental impact of farming systems. Simultaneously, animal welfare is a key component of livestock production and is intrinsically related to human and environmental well-being. To perform an overall on-farm sustainability assessment, it would be desirable to consider both the environmental impact and the welfare of the animals. The present work aimed to summarise and describe the methodologies adopted in peer-reviewed papers published to date, that combine animal welfare evaluation with LCA. Citations, retrieved from four bibliographical databases, were systematically evaluated in a multi-stage approach following the JBI and PRISMA scoping review guidelines. The searches identified 1 460 studies, of which only 24 were compliant with the inclusion criteria. The results highlighted how the environmental LCA was undertaken with a much more homogenous and standardised method than animal welfare assessment. When studies were grouped based on the type of animal welfare assessment performed: 16.7% used single welfare indicators, 45.8% multiple indicators, 8.3% applied existing validated protocols (i.e., TGI-200 and TGI-35L), 16.7% used non-validated protocols and 12.5% employed other methods. The papers were further classified with respect to the “5 Animal Welfare Domains Model”: the most assessed domain was “environment” (90.5% of the papers%), followed by “health” (52.4%), “nutrition” (33.3%), “behavioural interactions” (28.6%) and “mental state” (9.5%). None of the studies assessed all the domains simultaneously. In addition, 66.7% of papers (n = 16) aggregated the animal welfare indicators into a final score. Within these, only four papers proposed to associate the animal welfare scores with the LCA functional unit. An overall sustainability score, calculated with several different approaches to summarise the information, was provided by 46% of the papers. In summary, despite the topic’s relevance, to date, there is neither a consensus on the animal welfare assessment approach to be carried out (indicators selection and their aggregation) nor on the standardisation of an integrated animal welfare-LCA evaluation. The present review provides a basis for the development of common future guidelines to carry out a comprehensive, true-to-life and robust farm sustainability assessment.

In the face of global climate threats, farm and land-management decisions must balance climate concerns with profitability, animal welfare, and ecosystem health. However, few comprehensive studies have quantified the relationship between animal welfare and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and no study focuses specifically on sheep farms. The present study aims to quantify the effects of impaired welfare on GHG emissions for common welfare challenges faced in UK lowland (L) and hill (H) sheep farming systems. Two case study research farms in Scotland, representative of high welfare conditions, were used as baselines for semi-intensive L and extensive H systems. In this study, "high welfare conditions" are defined as situations where animals have access to adequate feeding, suitable housing, good health, and opportunities to express natural behaviours. From each high-welfare baseline, scenarios representing common levels of impaired welfare conditions were modelled, using parameters retrieved from the published literature. The selected poor-welfare scenarios included lameness, gastrointestinal nematodes, blowfly strike, liver fluke, inadequate shelter provision, inadequate feeding during lamb growth and late gestation, and high lamb mortality rate. GHG emissions were estimated "from-cradle-to-farm-gate" using Agrecalc ©, a Life Cycle Assessment tool for the agricultural sector. Total GHG emissions and emission intensities (EI) in kg of CO 2 equivalent per kg live weight were compared across the baseline and the scenarios. Gross farm emissions and product-level EIs demonstrated divergent patterns in response to impaired welfare. Most impaired welfare scenarios led to a slight decrease in total farm emissions (0.03-3%), with a few exceptions. On the other hand, EI increased across all impaired welfare scenarios relative to the baseline, because meat production decreased by 1.3-16.6% across all impaired welfare scenarios, reducing resource use efficiency. Lameness was identified as particularly impactful, resulting in 18 and 10% increases in EI on H and L farms, respectively. This was primarily due to the high lamb mortality associated with lameness in published studies. Inadequate shelter provision was associated with an 8-15% increase in EI. Scenarios related to ineffective parasite control contributed to an EI increase ranging from 1 to 13%, while inadequate feeding management caused a 3-4% increase in EI. This study highlights the potential for reducing emission intensity through system-specific interventions, emphasising the importance of integrating animal welfare into GHG mitigation strategies., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dietary supplementation with plant-based products may arise as part of an alternative strategy to using antibiotics as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Garlic powder (GP) possesses antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The aim was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of GP on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of the Japanese quail. A total of 240, day-old mixed gender Japanese quail were assigned to 4 treatment groups, each group being replicated 4 times and containing 15 birds in each replication. Birds were provided with either a basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1% and 2% GP for 5 wk. At slaughter age, birds fed 1% GP had higher (P < 0.05) live weight and body weight gain when compared to the control. Supplementation with different levels of GP had no influence (P > 0.05) on feed intake, feed conversion ratio except 3rd wk, carcass traits and abdominal fat. Thiobarbituric acid, peroxide and pH values in breast meat of birds receiving GP (1% or 2%) after storage (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 d) were lower (P < 0.05) than the birds in control. Furthermore, total psychrophilic bacteria count was lower in breast meat of birds supplemented with GP at any dose compared to the birds of control. Sensory characteristics such as color, aroma, juiciness and tenderness were observed significantly better (P < 0.05) in GP supplemented groups especially when fed 1% GP. In conclusion, supplementing the diet with 1% to 2% GP demonstrated growth-promoting effects and positively impacted meat quality, including sensory characteristics., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

The default mode network (DMN) typically deactivates to external tasks, yet supports semantic cognition. It comprises medial temporal (MT), core, and frontotemporal (FT) subsystems, but its functional organization is unclear: the requirement for perceptual coupling versus decoupling, input modality (visual/verbal), type of information (social/spatial), and control demands all potentially affect its recruitment. We examined the effect of these factors on activation and deactivation of DMN subsystems during semantic cognition, across four task-based human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets, and localized these responses in whole-brain state space defined by gradients of intrinsic connectivity. FT showed activation consistent with a central role across domains, tasks, and modalities, although it was most responsive to abstract, verbal tasks; this subsystem uniquely showed more "tuned" states characterized by increases in both activation and deactivation when semantic retrieval demands were higher. MT also activated to both perceptually coupled (scenes) and decoupled (autobiographical memory) tasks and showed stronger responses to picture associations, consistent with a role in scene construction. Core DMN consistently showed deactivation, especially to externally oriented tasks. These diverse contributions of DMN subsystems to semantic cognition were related to their location on intrinsic connectivity gradients: activation was closer to the sensory-motor cortex than deactivation, particularly for FT and MT, while activation for core DMN was distant from both visual cortex and cognitive control. These results reveal distinctive yet complementary DMN responses: MT and FT support different memory-based representations that are accessed externally and internally, while deactivation in core DMN is associated with demanding, external semantic tasks., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 Shao et al.)

The Italian pig sector requires heavy pigs (raised for at least nine months and slaughtered at >160 kg). In order to avoid boar taint and lower the impact on welfare, immunocastration provides an alternative to surgical castration. This study investigated the effects of immunocastration compared to surgical castration on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of loins ( longissimus dorsi muscle) and adipose tissue in Italian heavy pigs raised for dry-cured ham. Twenty-four male pigs were subjected to surgical castration ( n = 12) or immunocastration ( n = 12). Carcass parameters were monitored at slaughter, and samples of longissimus dorsi muscle and subcutaneous fat were analysed. This study showed no significant differences in carcass characteristics and proximate composition of fresh meat. However, variations were observed in the fatty acid profiles of meat and adipose tissue between groups. Notably, saturated fatty acids, particularly stearic acid (18:0), were higher in the intramuscular fat (IMF) of the immunocastrated pigs compared to the surgically castrated pigs. Conversely, monounsaturated fatty acids, predominantly oleic acid (18:1n-9), were higher in the IMF from the surgically castrated pigs compared to the immunocastrated pigs. While immunocastration may offer benefits in terms of animal growth and carcass composition, it could lead to unfavourable lipid changes in fresh loin meat for Italian heavy pigs.

Introduction: Discrete choice experiments (DCE) are commonly used to elicit patient preferences and to determine the relative importance of attributes but can be complex and costly to administer. Simpler methods that measure relative importance exist, such as swing weighting with direct rating (SW-DR), but there is little empirical evidence comparing the two. This study aimed to directly compare attribute relative importance rankings and weights elicited using a DCE and SW-DR., Methods: A total of 307 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer in Italy and Belgium completed an online survey assessing preferences for cancer treatment using DCE and SW-DR. The relative importance of the attributes was determined using a random parameter logit model for the DCE and rank order centroid method (ROC) for SW-DR. Differences in relative importance ranking and weights between the methods were assessed using Cohen's weighted kappa and Dirichlet regression. Feedback on ease of understanding and answering the 2 tasks was also collected., Results: Most respondents (>65%) found both tasks (very) easy to understand and answer. The same attribute, survival, was ranked most important irrespective of the methods applied. The overall ranking of the attributes on an aggregate level differed significantly between DCE and SW-ROC ( P  < 0.01). Greater differences in attribute weights between attributes were reported in DCE compared with SW-DR ( P  < 0.01). Agreement between the individual-level attribute ranking across methods was moderate (weighted Kappa 0.53-0.55)., Conclusion: Significant differences in attribute importance between DCE and SW-DR were found. Respondents reported both methods being relatively easy to understand and answer. Further studies confirming these findings are warranted. Such studies will help to provide accurate guidance for methods selection when studying relative attribute importance across a wide array of preference-relevant decisions., Highlights: Both DCEs and SW tasks can be used to determine attribute relative importance rankings and weights; however, little evidence exists empirically comparing these methods in terms of outcomes or respondent usability.Most respondents found the DCE and SW tasks very easy or easy to understand and answer.A direct comparison of DCE and SW found significant differences in attribute importance rankings and weights as well as a greater spread in the DCE-derived attribute relative importance weights., Competing Interests: The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: J. Veldwijk, I. P. Smith, S. Oliveri, S. Petrocchi, L. Lanzoni, Isabelle Huys, Rosanne Janssens, Ardine de Wit, and C. G. M. Groothuis-Oudshoorn declare no conflict of interest. M. Y. Smith is a full-time employee of Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease and is a shareholder in the company. The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study formed part of the PREFER project. The Patient Preferences in Benefit-Risk Assessments during the Drug Life Cycle (PREFER) project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 115966. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and EFPIA. The PREFER project aims to strengthen patient-centric decision-making through evidence-based recommendations guiding stakeholders on how and when patient preference studies should inform medical product development and evaluation. Financial support for this study was provided entirely by a grant from Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant No. 11966. The funding agreement ensured the authors’ independence in designing the study, interpreting the data, writing, and publishing the report.

Objective: High rates of non-adherence to oral medications in breast cancer (BC) patients have been reported. Here we provide an up-to-date systematic review of the interventions aimed at increasing adherence to oral medication in BC patients, with a particular focus on the content of the interventions., Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Ovid databases and reference lists of relevant studies were searched through October 2022. Studies which (1) described an intervention aimed at increasing adherence to oral anticancer medication, (2) included (or planned to include) at least one sub-group of BC patients, (3) were written in English, and (4) with full-text available were included. The contents of the interventions were coded using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy. Quality assessment was conducted using Downs and Black scale., Results: Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and involved a total sample of 28,528 BC patients. Interventions were mainly delivered with eHealth devices (n = 21) and most of them used mobile app. Other studies used in-person modalities (e.g., CBT, relaxation technique) or written materials (e.g., psycho-educational booklet). The behavior change techniques most frequently implemented were "problem solving," "social support," "information about health consequences," and "prompts/cues". Quality assessment revealed that the higher risk of bias refers to the selection process., Conclusions: The use of reminders, monitoring patients' medication-taking behaviors and giving feedback were the most frequently implemented techniques in those interventions that resulted significant. If these preliminary observations were to be confirmed by future comparative studies, they should be taken into account when developing new interventions., (© 2023 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Cows experience many physiological, nutritional and social changes during transition period. This study aims to evaluate the differences in nutrients total-tract digestibility (nTTD) between primiparous (PP) and multiparous (MP) cows through the transition period. From -23, -5, 0, 7, 14, and 30 days from calving a sample of feed and feces samples were collected from 25 Holstein cows (11 PP and 14 MP) as well as daily rumination time through accelerometers. The results show that average nTTD were different ( p  ≤ 0.02) for amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber organic matter (aNDFom) and potentially digestible neutral detergent fiber (pdNDF 240 ; 52.5 vs. 54.0 and 78.8 vs. 81.3, respectively in PP vs. MP), while no differences were found regarding pdNDF 24  and starch (88.5 vs. 88.6 and 95.1 vs. 96.1, respectively in PP vs. MP). Total-tract starch digestibility (TTstarchD) was different among timepoints ( p <  0.01), going from an average of 91.40 up to 97.39% of starch, on times -23 and 14, respectively. Differences in total-tract digestibility of aNDFom among timepoints ( p <  0.01) was expected because of differences in diet composition among lactating and non-lactating cows. No differences in daily rumination time ( p  = 0.92), TTstarchD and total-tract potentially digestible NDF digestibility at 24 h (TTpdNDF 24 D) were recorded. Our findings show that fiber digestibility during the transition period is higher in MP probably for a different ruminal retention time. These differences should be considered when formulating rations for groups with different parity number., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: The Italian Society of Echography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand the volumes of activity, modalities and stressors used during stress echocardiography (SE) in Italy., Methods: We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved through an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website., Results: Data were obtained from 228 echocardiographic laboratories, and SE examinations were performed in 179 centers (80.6%): 87 centers (47.5%) were in the northern regions of Italy, 33 centers (18.4%) were in the central regions, and 61 (34.1%) in the southern regions. We annotated a total of 4057 SE. We divided the SE centers into three groups, according to the numbers of SE performed: <10 SE (low-volume activity, 40 centers), between 10 and 39 SE (moderate volume activity, 102 centers) and ≥40 SE (high volume activity, 37 centers). Dipyridamole was used in 139 centers (77.6%); exercise in 120 centers (67.0%); dobutamine in 153 centers (85.4%); pacing in 37 centers (21.1%); and adenosine in 7 centers (4.0%). We found a significant difference between the stressors used and volume of activity of the centers, with a progressive increase in the prevalence of number of stressors from low to high volume activity ( P = 0.033). The traditional evaluation of regional wall motion of the left ventricle was performed in all centers, with combined assessment of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) in 90 centers (50.3%): there was a significant difference in the centers with different volume of SE activity: the incidence of analysis of CFVR was significantly higher in high volume centers compared to low - moderate - volume (32.5%, 41.0% and 73.0%, respectively, P < 0.001). The lung ultrasound (LUS) was assessed in 67 centers (37.4%). Furthermore for LUS, we found a significant difference in the centers with different volume of SE activity: significantly higher in high volume centers compared to low - moderate - volume (25.0%, 35.3% and 56.8%, respectively, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: This nationwide survey demonstrated that SE was significantly widespread and practiced throughout Italy. In addition to the traditional indication to coronary artery disease based on regional wall motion analysis, other indications are emerging with an increase in the use of LUS and CFVR, especially in high-volume centers., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cardiovascular Echography.)

Background: In the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) the combination of Immuno- Oncotherapy (IO) and chemotherapy (CT) has been found to be superior to IO or CT alone for patients' survival. Patients and clinicians are confronted with a preference sensitive choice between a more aggressive treatment with a greater negative effect on quality of life versus alternatives that are less effective but have fewer side effects., Objectives: The aims of this study were to: (a) quantify patients' preferences for relevant attributes related to Immuno-Oncotherapy treatment alternatives, and (b) evaluate the maximum acceptable risk (MAR)/Minimum acceptable benefit (MAB) that patients would accept for treatment alternatives., Methods: An online preference survey using discrete-choice experiment (DCE) was completed by NSCLC patients from two hospitals in Italy and Belgium. The survey asked patients' preferences for five patient- relevant treatment attributes. The DCE was developed using a Bayesian D-efficient design. DCE analyses were performed using mixed logit models. Information regarding patient demographics, health literacy, locus of control, and quality of life was also collected., Results: 307 patients (158 Italian, 149 Belgian), stage I to IV, completed the survey. Patients preferred treatments with a higher 5-year survival chance as the most important attribute over all the other attributes. Preference heterogeneity for the attribute weights depended on health literacy, patients' age and locus of control. Patients were willing to accept a substantially increased risks of developing side effects in exchange for the slightest increase (1%) in the chance of surviving at least 5 years from the diagnosis of cancer. Similarly, patients were willing to accept a switch in the mode of administration or complete loss of hair to obtain an increase in survival., Conclusion: In this study, the proportion of respondents who systematically preferred survival over all other treatment attributes was particularly high. Age, objective health literacy and locus of control accounted for heterogeneity in patients' preferences. Evidence on how NSCLC patients trade between survival and other NSCLC attributes can support regulators and other stakeholders on assessing clinical trial evidence and protocols, based on patients' conditions and socio-demographic parameters., Competing Interests: Author MYS was employed by company Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston, MA, United States. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Oliveri, Lanzoni, Veldwijk, de Wit, Petrocchi, Janssens, Schoefs, Smith, Smith, Nackaerts, Vandevelde, Louis, Decaluwé, De Leyn, Declerck, Petrella, Casiraghi, Galli, Garassino, Girvalaki, Huys and Pravettoni.)

Pregnant sows from commercial pig farms may experience painful states, such as lameness, an essential indicator in assessing sow welfare. We investigated the effect of lameness during the last third of pregnancy on reproductive performance and placental glucocorticoid concentrations in sows. Periodic locomotion assessments were carried out on two commercial pig farms using a validated 0-5 scoring system (from 0: normal locomotion; to 5: a downer animal). Sows from both farms (N = 511) were grouped based on their average locomotion scores. On Farm 1, 30 sows were selected and grouped as either Not Lame (NL = 16; X¯ = 0-1) or Lame (L = 14; X¯ > 1). On Farm 2, 39 sows were selected and grouped as either Not Lame (G1 = 12; X¯ = 0-1), Moderately Lame (G2 = 13; X¯ = 1.1-2), or Severely Lame (G3 = 14; X¯ ≥ 2.1). Reproductive data (gestation length, litter weight, average piglet weight, litter size, and the number of piglets born alive/mummified/stillborn) were recorded on both farms. Moreover, on Farm 2, piglet intrauterine growth restriction score and the number of piglets dead during the first week were also recorded, and placenta samples were collected to determine their cortisol/cortisone concentrations. A linear mixed model was used to analyze the data. The proportion of lameness in pregnant sows (N = 511) was >40%, and the gestation length tended to decrease with the presence of lameness ( p < 0.1) in both farms. G2 sows had a higher placental cortisol/cortisone ratio than G1 and G3 sows ( p < 0.01). In conclusion, lameness was high in the sows assessed, which may decrease sow gestation length and reduce placental efficiency in protecting the offspring from the sows' stress response.

Background: The Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) conducted a national survey to understand better how different echocardiographic modalities are used and accessed in Italy., Methods: We analyzed echocardiography laboratory activities over a month (November 2022). Data were retrieved via an electronic survey based on a structured questionnaire, uploaded on the SIECVI website., Results: Data were obtained from 228 echocardiographic laboratories: 112 centers (49%) in the northern, 43 centers (19%) in the central, and 73 (32%) in the southern regions. During the month of observation, we collected 101,050 transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examinations performed in all centers. As concern other modalities there were performed 5497 transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) examinations in 161/228 centers (71%); 4057 stress echocardiography (SE) examinations in 179/228 centers (79%); and examinations with ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) in 151/228 centers (66%). We did not find significant regional variations between the different modalities. The usage of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was significantly higher in the northern (84%) versus central (49%) and southern (45%) centers ( P < 0.001). Lung ultrasound (LUS) was performed in 154 centers (66%), without difference between cardiology and noncardiology centers. The evaluation of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was evaluated mainly using the qualitative method in 223 centers (94%), occasionally with the Simpson method in 193 centers (85%), and with selective use of the three-dimensional (3D) method in only 23 centers (10%). 3D TTE was present in 137 centers (70%), and 3D TEE in all centers where TEE was done (71%). The assessment of LV diastolic function was done routinely in 80% of the centers. Right ventricular function was evaluated using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in all centers, using tricuspid valve annular systolic velocity by tissue Doppler imaging in 53% of the centers, and using fractional area change in 33% of the centers. When we divided into cardiology (179, 78%) and noncardiology (49, 22%) centers, we found significant differences in the SE (93% vs. 26%, P < 0.001), TEE (85% vs. 18%), UCA (67% vs. 43%, P < 0001), and STE (87% vs. 20%, P < 0.001). The incidence of LUS evaluation was similar between the cardiology and noncardiology centers (69% vs. 61%, P = NS)., Conclusions: This nationwide survey demonstrated that digital infrastructures and advanced echocardiography modalities, such as 3D and STE, are widely available in Italy with a notable diffuse uptake of LUS in the core TTE examination, a suboptimal diffusion of PACS recording, and conservative use of UCA, 3D, and strain. There are significant differences between northern and central-southern regions and echocardiographic laboratories that pertain to the cardiac unit. This inhomogeneous distribution of technology represents one of the main issues that must be solved to standardize the practice of echocardiography., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Cardiovascular Echography.)

A direct assessment of the methane (CH4) emission level and its variability factors is needed in each animal species in order to target the best mitigation strategy for the livestock sector. Therefore, the present study aimed to (1) test a laser methane detector (LMD) for the first time in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes (IMB), a non-invasive tool to quantify CH4 emissions; (2) test the effect of season on the emissions; and (3) compare the results measured directly with the ones estimated with the existing equations. CH4 emissions of twenty non-productive IMB, under the same feeding regimen, were monitored for 12 days in summer and winter. Significantly higher THI (74.46 ± 1.88 vs. 49.62 ± 4.87; p < 0.001), lower DMI (2.24 ± 0.04 vs. 2.51 ± 0.03% DMI/kg live weight; p < 0.001) and lower emission intensities (0.61 ± 0.15 vs. 0.75 ± 0.13; p < 0.001) were found during the summer period when compared with winter. LMD was found to be a versatile tool to be used in buffaloes, and it was clear that a summer increase in THI could act as a stressor for the animals, influencing their emissions. In addition, measured emissions were significantly higher than when estimated with the existing equations (p < 0.001), suggesting the need for further research in this area., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Semantic therapy in post-stroke aphasia typically focusses on strengthening links between conceptual representations and their lexical-articulatory forms to aid word retrieval. However, research has shown that semantic deficits in this group can affect both verbal and non-verbal tasks, particularly in patients with deregulated retrieval as opposed to degraded knowledge. This study, therefore, aimed to facilitate semantic cognition in a sample of such patients with post-stroke semantic aphasia (SA) by training the identification of both strong and weak semantic associations and providing explicit pictorial feedback that demonstrated both common and more unusual ways of linking concepts together. We assessed the effects of this training on (i) trained and untrained items; and (ii) trained and untrained tasks in eleven individuals with SA. In the training task, the SA group showed improvement with practice, particularly for trained items. A similar untrained task using pictorial stimuli (Camel and Cactus Test) also improved. Together, these results suggest that semantic training can be beneficial in patients with SA and may show some degree of generalization to untrained situations. Future research should seek to understand which patients are most likely to benefit from this type of training.

Although the full primary structures of the alfa and beta subunits of reference r-hFSH-alfa and its biosimilars are identical, cell context-dependent differences in the expressing cell lines and manufacturing process can lead to variations in glycosylation profiles. In the present study, we compared the structural features of reference r-hFSH-alfa with those of five biosimilar preparations approved in different global regions outside Europe (Primapur ® , Jin Sai Heng ® , Follitrope ® , Folisurge ® , and Corneumon ® ) with respect to glycosylation, macro- and microheterogeneity, and other post-translational modifications and higher order structure. The mean proportion of N -glycosylation-site occupancy was highest in reference r-hFSH-alfa, decreasing sequentially in Primapur, Jin Sai Heng, Corneumon, Follisurge and Follitrope, respectively. The level of antennarity showed slightly higher complexity in Corneumon, Primapur and Follitrope versus reference r-hFSH-alfa, whereas Jin Sai Heng and Folisurge were aligned with reference r-hFSH-alfa across all N -glycosylation sites. Sialylation level was higher in Corneumon and Follitrope, but small differences were detected in other biosimilar preparations compared with reference r-hFSH-alfa. Jin Sai Heng showed higher levels of N -glyconeuramic acid than the other preparations. Minor differences in oxidation levels were seen among the different products. Therefore, in summary, we identified var ious differences in N -glycosylation occupancy, antennarity, sialylation and oxidation between reference r-hFSH-alfa and the biosimilar preparations analyzed.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of including linseed (L) or linseed plus vitamin E (LE) in the diet of Marchigiana young bulls on the oxidative stability, color measurements, microbiological profile and fatty acid composition (FA) of burgers treated with and without a blend of essential oils (Rosmarinus officinalis and Origanum vulgare var. hirtum) (EOs). For this aim, the burgers were analysed for pH, thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content, Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP), vitamin E and colour measurements (L, a*, b) at 3, 6, 9, 12 days of storage: the TBARs were the highest in group L compared to C and LE after 12 days of storage (0.98, 0.73, and 0.63 mg MDA/kg, respectively). The TBARS content was also influenced by the use of EO compared to burgers not treated with EO (p < 0.05). The vitamin E content was influenced by the diet (p < 0.01), but not by the EO. The meat of the L group showed the lowest value of redness (a*) compared to C and LE (p < 0.01), while the use of EO did not affect colour parameters. The microbiological profile of the burgers showed a lower Pseudomonas count for L and LE at T0 (2.82 ± 0.30 and 2.30 ± 0.52 Log CFU/g, respectively) compared to C (3.90 ± 0.38 Log CFU/g), while the EO did not influence the microbiological profile. The FA composition was analysed at 0 and 12 days. The burgers from the LE group showed the highest value of polyunsaturated FA compared to the L and C groups (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the inclusion of vitamin E in a concentrate rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids is useful to limit intramuscular fat oxidation and to preserve the colour stability of burgers from young Marchigiana bulls enriched with healthy fatty acids. Moreover, linseed and vitamin E had a positive effect on microbial loads and growth dynamics, containing microbial development through time.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a negative psychological impact on the population at scale, yet it is possible that vulnerable patient populations may experience a heavier burden with increased feelings of anxiety and distress. Cancer patients have to trade-off between the fear of exposing themselves to the virus and the need to continue life-saving medical procedures. The present study investigated the prevalence of generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in a population of Italian cancer patients and healthy participants in the months following the COVID-19 outbreak. Using standardized measures of PTSS (impact of event scale revised; IES-R) and generalized anxiety (generalized anxiety scale; GAD-7), we found that patients experienced higher levels of adverse mental health outcomes. Several variables were found to negatively affect PTSS and anxiety in this population, including the younger age of respondents, having children, and the impossibility to attend regular medical check-ups. These findings stress the importance of maintaining a clear and regular communication with patients throughout future waves of the pandemic and ensure continuity of care in this vulnerable population. Furthermore, this study indicates the need to establish psychological interventions aimed at patients with cancer, targeting especially younger generations who are more likely to experience adverse psychological outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lanzoni, Brivio, Oliveri, Guiddi, Chichua, Mazzocco and Pravettoni.)

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major threat to public health, especially in the hospital environment, and the massive use of disinfectants to prevent COVID-19 transmission might intensify this risk, possibly leading to future AMR pandemics. However, the control of microbial contamination is crucial in hospitals, since hospital microbiomes can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are particularly frequent and severe in pediatric wards due to children having high susceptibility., Aim: We have previously reported that probiotic-based sanitation (PCHS) could stably decrease pathogens and their AMR in the hospital environment, reduce associated HAIs in adult hospitals, and inactivate enveloped viruses. Here, we aimed to test the effect of PCHS in the emergency room (ER) of a children's hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Conventional chemical disinfection was replaced by PCHS for 2 months during routine ER sanitation; the level of environmental bioburden was characterized before and at 2, 4, and 9 weeks after the introduction of PCHS. Microbial contamination was monitored simultaneously by conventional culture-based CFU count and molecular assays, including 16S rRNA NGS for bacteriome characterization and microarrays for the assessment of the resistome of the contaminating population. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 was also monitored by PCR., Results and Conclusions: PCHS usage was associated with a stable 80% decrease in surface pathogens compared to levels detected for chemical disinfection ( P < 0.01), accompanied by an up to 2 log decrease in resistance genes ( Pc < 0.01). The effects were reversed when reintroducing chemical disinfection, which counteracted the action of the PCHS. SARS-CoV-2 was not detectable in both the pre-PCHS and PCHS periods. As the control of microbial contamination is a major issue, especially during pandemic emergencies, collected data suggest that PCHS may be successfully used to control virus spread without simultaneous worsening of the AMR concern., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Soffritti et al.)

The study investigated and compared welfare conditions and gastrointestinal (GI) parasites distribution among organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farms in central Italy. Five ORG and five CONV farms were assessed for animal welfare with an adapted version of the AssureWel protocol. Faecal samples collected from the rectum of the animals both in ORG ( n = 150) and CONV ( n = 150) were analysed using conventional copromiscroscopy. The presence of skin damages in the rear legs was significantly predominant ( p < 0.001) in CONV (26.7%) compared with ORG farms (10.0%). No differences were found for lameness, cleanliness, Body Condition Score, hair loss, body lesions and swelling prevalence. Data concerning the productive performances, e.g., total milk, fat and protein yields standardised in mature equivalent (ME) were collected. ME milk yield (ORG: 9656.9 ± 1620.7 kg; CONV: 12,047.2 ± 2635.3) and ME fat yield (ORG: 396.6 ± 66.8; CONV: 450.3 ± 102.8) were significantly lower in ORG farms ( p < 0.001). Anthelmintics were used regularly in 4/5 CONV and 0/5 ORG farms. In 2 CONV farms (40%) and 4 ORGs (80%) at least one animal tested positive for GI parasites. No significant differences in parasites prevalence emerged (ORG = 10.7%; CONV = 8%). These data indicate that ORG farming does not influence parasite prevalence and animal welfare status.