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Galaxy cluster number counts are an important probe to constrain cosmological parameters. One of the main ingredients of the analysis is the selection function, and in particular the completeness, associated to the cluster sample one is considering. Incorrectly characterising this function can lead to biases in the cosmological constraints. In this work we study the selection function of the Planck cosmological cluster catalogue. In particular, we detail the case in which the cluster model assumed in the detection method differs from the true galaxy clusters, both in terms of profile and shape. We find that varying the cluster pressure profile has a significant effect on the completeness, with clusters with steeper profiles producing a higher completeness than ones with flatter profiles. On the other hand, cluster shapes seem to have a smaller impact on the completeness.

We provide a new scaling relation using a sample of clusters from a full re-observation by the X-ray Chandra telescope of the Planck ESZ catalogue, and compare it to the results of the Planck collaboration obtained from a smaller sample of XMM-Newton observations. We discuss the expected effects of the change of the scaling relation parameters on the cosmological constraints obtained from the Planck cluster sample, and the remaining steps to obtain final constraints from this new scaling relation.

The gas mass fraction in galaxy clusters is a quantity which can be used as a robust cosmological probe. It is however subject to various effects from the baryonic physics inside galaxy clusters, which may bias the obtained cosmological constraints. Among different aspects of the baryonic physics, in these proceedings we focus on the impact of the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption. From X-ray measurements of cluster gas fraction in the Planck-ESZ sample, we analyse the hydrostatic mass bias B, constraining a possible mass and redshift evolution of this quantity and its impact on the cosmological constraints. We show a degeneracy between the redshift dependence of the bias and cosmological parameters. In particular we find a 3.8σ evidence for a redshift dependence of the bias when assuming a Planck prior on Ωm. On the other hand, assuming a constant mass bias would lead to the extreme large value of Ωm > 0.860. We however show these results to be depending on the mass and redshift selections inside the main sample. Nevertheless, in all the analyses we find a value for the amplitude of the bias that is consistent with B ∼ 0.8, as expected from hydrodynamical simulations and local measurements, but still in tension with the low value of B ∼ 0.6 derived from the combination of cosmic microwave background primary anisotropies with cluster number counts. We also discuss cosmological constraints obtained from gas fraction data, combined with other probes like cluster number counts.

We show the results for the first combined analysis of clusters detected by the Planck satellite and the South Pole Telescope. The combination of these two experiments, with different resolution, mass and redshift range, allows to track the full cosmological evolution of galaxy clusters and the interplay between astrophysics and cosmology. In particular, we exploit the cosmological constraining power of SPT-SZ clusters to provide an independent calibration of Planck scaling relations, and therefore a new estimation of Planck cluster masses. Combining the two cluster catalogs we are thus able to test the hypotheses of self-similarity and hydrostatic equilibrium. We show therefore the huge potentiality of combining catalogs from different experiments, in improving the cosmological analysis and the treatment of different astrophysical and systematic uncertainties.

We show the improvement to cosmological constraints from galaxy cluster surveys with the addition of cosmic microwave background (CMB)-cluster lensing data. We explore the cosmological implications of adding mass information from the 3.1σ detection of gravitational lensing of the CMB by galaxy clusters to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) selected galaxy cluster sample from the 2500 deg2 SPT-SZ survey and targeted optical and X-ray follow-up data. In the ΛCDM model, the combination of the cluster sample with the Planck power spectrum measurements prefers σ8ωm/0.30.5=0.831±0.020 . Adding the cluster data reduces the uncertainty on this quantity by a factor of 1.4, which is unchanged whether the 3.1σ CMB-cluster lensing measurement is included or not. We then forecast the impact of CMB-cluster lensing measurements with future cluster catalogs. Adding CMB-cluster lensing measurements to the SZ cluster catalog of the ongoing SPT-3G survey is expected to improve the expected constraint on the dark energy equation of state w by a factor of 1.3 to σ(w) = 0.19. We find the largest improvements from CMB-cluster lensing measurements to be for σ 8, where adding CMB-cluster lensing data to the cluster number counts reduces the expected uncertainty on σ 8 by respective factors of 2.4 and 3.6 for SPT-3G and CMB-S4.

We provide a new scaling relation between YSZ, the integrated Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal and M500YX, the cluster mass derived from X-ray observations, using a sample of clusters from the Planck Early Sunyaev-Zeldovich (ESZ) catalogue observed in X-rays by Chandra, and compare it to the results of the Planck collaboration obtained from XMM-Newton observations of a subsample of the ESZ. We calibrated a mass bias on a subset of the Planck cosmological cluster sample using published weak-lensing data from the Canadian Cluster Cosmology Project (CCCP) and Multi Epoch Nearby Cluster Survey (MENeaCS), for the new scaling relation as well as that from the Planck collaboration. We propose a novel method to account for selection effects and find a mass bias of (1 − b) = 0.89 ± 0.04 for the Chandra-calibrated scaling relation, and (1 − b) = 0.76 ± 0.04 for the XMM-Newton-calibrated scaling relation. We applied the scaling relations we derived to the full Planck cosmological cluster sample and obtain new constraints on the cosmological parameters. We find identical constraints regardless of the X-ray sample used, with σ8 = 0.77 ± 0.02, Ωm = 0.31 ± 0.02, and S8 ≡ σ8 √(Ωm/0.3) = 0.78 ± 0.02. We also provide constraints with a redshift evolution of the scaling relation fitted from the data instead of fixing it to the self-similar value. We find a redshift evolution significantly deviating from the self-similar value, leading to a higher value of S8 = 0.81 ± 0.02. We compare our results to those from various cosmological probes, and find that our S8 constraints are competitive with the tightest constraints from the literature. When assuming a self-similar redshift evolution, our constraints are in agreement with most late-time probes and in tension with constraints from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) primary anisotropies. When relaxing the assumption of redshift evolution and fitting it to the data, we find no significant tension with results from either late-time probes or the CMB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: An increasing number of robotic hysterectomies are being performed and the most common indication is fibroids. Fibroid uterus is common indication for hysterectomy for enlarged uteri. The role of robotic approach for complex pathologies as enlarged uterus is still debatable. The study aimed to analyze the feasibility of robotic hysterectomy in patients with enlarged uteri and the impact of uterine weight on surgical outcomes and on operative time length. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-eight patients who underwent robotic hysterectomy for benign indications at the 2nd Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa were consecutively enrolled. RESULTS: Data of patients undergoing robotic surgery for benign indications were collected. Patients were stratified in two groups based on their uterine weight, to analyze the effective impact of uterine weight and dimension on surgical performance, operative time and postoperative outcomes. Conversion rate was 0%. Median uterine weight was 615 g (range 400-1900 g). Median total operating time was 131 minutes (range 70-255 minutes). Increase in uterine weight significantly increased operative times (p=0.003) and morcellation time (p=0.001). On the other hand, operative time was just partially influenced by route for removal of the uterus (p=0.085) but significantly affected by uterine weight (p=0.008), previous surgeries (p=0.003) and BMI of the patient (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Robotic hysterectomy is feasible and safe for challenging cases as large uteri. This technique could enable patients with outsized uteri, not suitable for vaginal hysterectomy, to undergo minimally invasive surgery with excellent results. Larger studies to investigate and compare robotic with other surgical approaches for difficult hysterectomies are needed to confirm these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small-scale CMB angular power spectrum contains many contaminants from secondary anisotropies created by large-scale structures. Although their contribution is taken into account in the analyses, their cosmological dependence is often ignored. We propose a new analysis of SPT data focusing on the cosmological contributions of the Sunyaev Zel’dovich effects (tSZ and kSZ). After modelling these two effects and building a power spectrum emulator, we show that using the cosmological information of the tSZ and kSZ in addition to that of the primordial CMB contained in the small-scale SPT data provides comparable constraints on the reionisation history to those of the large-scale data of Planck.

Small scale CMB angular power spectrum contains not only primordial CMB information but also many contaminants coming from secondary anisotropies. Most of the latter depend on the cosmological model but are often marginalised over. We propose a new analysis of the SPT data focusing on the cosmological contribution of the thermal Sunyaev Zel’dovich (tSZ) effect. We model the tSZ angular spectrum with the halo model and train a random forest algorithm to speed up its computation. We show that using the cosmological information of the tSZ on top of the primordial CMB one contained in SPT data bring more constraints on cosmological parameters. We also combine for the first time Planck tSZ angular power spectrum with SPT ones to put further constraints. This proof of concept study shows how much a proper modelling of the foregrounds in the cosmological analyses is needed.

In this talk I focus on how the modelling of the mass-observable relation and the halo mass function can impact the accuracy and precision of cosmological constraints inferred from galaxy clusters. I present a new analysis of clusters detected in mm wavelengths by the Planck satellite, highlighting the need of an improved description and calibration for the mass-observable relation. I also discuss how to improve our analysis in view of future cluster surveys, with a particular focus on the impact of the halo mass function calibration and the need for a universal definition.

The gas mass fraction in galaxy clusters is a convenient tool to use in the context of cosmological studies. Indeed this quantity allows to constrain the universal baryon fraction Ωb/Ωm, as well as other parameters like the matter density Ωm, the Hubble parameter h or the Equation of State of Dark Energy w. This gas mass fraction is also sensitive to baryonic effects that need to be taken into account, and that translate into nuisance parameters. Two of them are the depletion factor ϒ, and the hydrostatic mass bias B = (1 - b). The first one describes how baryons are depleted in clusters with respect to the universal baryon fraction, while the other encodes the bias coming from the fact that the mass is deduced from X-ray observations under the hypothesis of hydrostatic equilibrium. We will show preliminary results, obtained using the Planck-ESZ clusters observed by XMM-Newton, on both cosmological and cluster parameters. We will notably discuss the investigation on a possible redshift dependence of the mass bias, which is considered to be non-existent in hydrodynamic simulations based on Λ-CDM, and compare our results with other studies.

Objective: Novel mRNA-based vaccines have been proven to be powerful tools in combating the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 protecting individuals, especially the immunocompromised, from COVID-19. Still, it remains largely unknown how solid organ transplant and different immunosuppressive medications affect development of vaccine-induced immunity., Methods: In this work, we monitored humoral and cellular memory responses after mRNA SARS-CoV-2 two-doses and booster doses vaccination in cystic fibrosis lung transplanted patients (CFT) and compared them with both cystic fibrosis patients without lung transplant (CF) and with kidney transplant recipients (KT). In particular, we investigated the effects of immunosuppressive regimens on immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 after mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in transplanted patients., Results: Our results showed that immunocompromised transplanted patients displayed a weak cellular and humoral memory to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. In addition, obtained data clearly demonstrate that immunosuppressive therapy regimen including antimetabolites, further reduces patients' ability to respond to vaccination at both humoral and cell-mediated level. Notably, patient treated with antimetabolites showed a lower humoral and cellular response also after a booster dose vaccination., Conclusion: These results, even if obtained on a small patient's cohort, question whether immunocompromised patients need interventions to improve vaccine SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine response such as additional jab or modulation of immunosuppressive therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Regarding the submission of our manuscript entitled “Effect of antimetabolite regimen on cellular and humoral immune response to SARS-COV-2 vaccination in solid organ transplant recipients”, I'm writing to confirm that the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Infections that are unusually severe or caused by opportunistic pathogens are a hallmark of primary immunodeficiency (PID). Anti-cytokine autoantibodies (ACA) are an emerging cause of acquired immunodeficiency mimicking PID. Nocardia spp. are Gram-positive bacteria generally inducing disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients, but seldom also occurring in apparently immunocompetent hosts. Anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies are associated with autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). In those patients, an increased incidence of disseminated nocardiosis and cryptococcosis has been observed. It is unclear whether the PAP or the autoantibodies predispose to the infection. We report an apparently immunocompetent woman presenting with disseminated nocardiosis without any evidence of PAP. Clinical data and radiological images were retrospectively collected. Lymphocyte populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies were measured by ELISA. A 55-year-old otherwise healthy woman presented with cerebral and pulmonary abscesses. Personal and familial history of infections or autoimmunity were negative. After extensive examinations, a final diagnosis of disseminated nocardiosis was made. Immunologic investigations including neutrophilic function and IFN-γ/IL-12 circuitry failed to identify a PID. Whole-exome sequencing did not find pathogenic variants associated with immunodeficiency. Serum anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies were positive. There were no clinical or instrumental signs of PAP. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and imipenem were administered, with progressive improvement and recovery of the infectious complication. We identified anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies as the cause of disseminated nocardiosis in a previously healthy and apparently immunocompetent adult. This case emphasizes the importance of including ACA in the differential diagnosis of PID, especially in previously healthy adults. Importantly, anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies can present with disseminated nocardiosis without PAP., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

We report the first case of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)-positive dermatomyositis as a systemic immune-related adverse event in a 64-year-old man receiving pembrolizumab to treat advanced lung cancer. The patient experienced hypothyroidism, myalgia, skin involvement, dyspnoea and diarrhoea. Laboratory tests revealed raised inflammatory markers, hypercreatinekinasemia and anti-MDA5 autoantibodies. Electroneuromyography and pathognomonic signs on physical examination confirmed the diagnosis of pauci-myopathic dermatomyositis. Pembrolizumab was discontinued and immunosuppressive therapy led to rapid and progressive improvement, with complete remission of dermatomyositis. This case report widens the spectrum of systemic immune-related adverse events associated with pembrolizumab.

Seasonal hunger is the most common food insecurity experience for millions of small dryland farmers. This study tests the relationships between food insecurity, farm forests, and biomass poverty using a longitudinal dataset from the Amhara region of Ethiopia. These data form part of the Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey, which collected panel data over three survey rounds from 530 households between 2011 and 2016. This dataset represents a collection of unique socioeconomic, wellbeing, and micro-land use measures, including farm forests. Hierarchical mixed effect regression models assessed the relationship between food insecurity and farm forests as well as the conditional effects of biomass poverty among the poorest farmers and women-headed households. Over a six-year study period, farmers reported increased stress from smaller land holdings, higher prices, and climate-related shocks. A clear trend towards spontaneous dispersed afforestation is observed by both researchers and satellite remote sensing. Model results indicate, dedicating approximately 10% of farm area to forest reduces months of food insecurity by half. The greatest reductions in food insecurity from farm forests are reported by ultra-poor and crop residue-burning households, suggesting that biomass poverty may be a major constraint to resilient food security on these farms. This research provides novel quantitative evidence of induced intensification and food security impacts of farm management preserving and building stores of biomass value as green assets. The results reported here have important implications for nature-based solutions as a major strategy to achieve sustainable development in some contexts., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The association between MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been well established. Pulmonary fibrosis may coexist with, follow, or even precede the diagnosis of AAV, and its presence adversely affects the prognosis. The optimal approach to investigating ANCA in patients with ILD remains a subject of ongoing debate. Here we aim to describe presentation and progression of MPO-ANCA ILD. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of a cohort of individuals diagnosed with MPO-ANCA ILD, with or without accompanying renal impairment, at the Immunology and Cell Therapy Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, between June 2016 and June 2022. Clinical records, imaging studies, pathologic examinations, and laboratory test results were collected. Among the 14 patients identified with MPO-ANCA ILD, we observed a significant association between MPO-ANCA titers assessed at the time of ILD diagnosis and renal involvement. Renal impairment in these cases often manifested as subclinical or slowly progressive kidney damage. Interestingly, complement C3 deposits were consistently found in all renal biopsy specimens, thereby suggesting the potential for novel therapeutic targets in managing renal complications associated with MPO-ANCA ILD. The presentation of MPO-ANCA vasculitis as ILD can be the first and only clinical manifestation. MPO-ANCA levels at ILD diagnosis could warn on the progression to renal involvement in patients with MPO-ANCA ILD, hence caution is needed because renal disease can be subclinical or smoldering., 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Oral targeted therapy with hedgehog pathway inhibitors has revolutionized the standard of care for patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC). These patients are frail and elderly, have various comorbidities, and receive pharmacological polytherapy. Moreover, adverse events may have a significant impact on therapeutic adherence, which must be managed by the clinician. We evaluated the impact of caregivers on the treatment of patients with advanced BCC in terms of continuation of therapy over time. All patients included in this observational prospective study had histologically confirmed metastatic or locally advanced BCC (LaBCC) and were treated with hedgehog pathway inhibitors from January 2016 to December 2021 at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Florence, Italy. The collected patient data included: age, sex, BCC site and area of spread; number of cycles, dose, duration and tolerability of therapy; marital status (single, divorced, married/living with a partner, widow/widower); and information such as living with someone, and the presence of any caregivers. Of the 34 patients included, 33 had LaBCC and one metastatic BCC. There were 11 females (32.4%) and 23 males (67.6%). Patients who were married or living with a caregiver -tolerated therapy better than single patients who lived alone. Indeed, patients with married/live-in caregivers and/or those with an adequate caregiver experienced greater therapeutic adherence and tolerance of adverse events. Given the greater therapeutic adherence of patients with live-in caregivers as partners, it is essential to consider patients' marital status. It is advisable to involve the caregiver early on, and there should be a training discussion on the various possible adverse events and the best way to mitigate them. Therapeutic success is linked not only to patients being informed but also to training of caregivers.

Background: Pru p 7 was the first gibberellin-regulated protein (GRP) to be identified as a food allergen as the basis of a pollen food allergy syndrome., Objective: To clinically and biologically characterize a group of patients with suspected allergy to Pru p 7 to optimize the diagnostic workup of GRP sensitization., Methods: Allergy to Pru p 7 was suspected in the presence of a systemic allergic reaction to plant food, positive skin prick test results for cypress pollen and lipid-transfer protein-enriched peach extract, and absence of Pru p 3-specific immunoglobulin E. Controls were patients with food allergies, patients sensitized to Pru p 3, and patients with cypress allergy without food allergy. Diagnostic workup included skin tests, basophil activation test, Western blot, and single and multiplex assays., Results: In total, 23 patients and 14 controls were enrolled. The most implicated food was peach (91.3%). Approximately 70% of patients reacted to multiple foods. Mueller 4 reactions were 8.7%. In 26.1% of cases, a cofactor triggered the reaction. The basophil activation test results were positive for rPru p 7 in 87% of the patients. Specific immunoglobulin E to Pru p 7 was detected in 95.7% by singleplex and in 73.9% by multiplex assays in patients with suspected allergies; 73.9% of them also reacted to cypress pollen GRP (Cup s 7) in Western blot analysis., Conclusion: Patients with Pru p 7-Cup s 7 allergy in our cohort confirm a mild-to-severe clinical syndrome characterized by pollen and food allergy. The diagnosis may benefit from the proposed selection criteria that can be used as preliminary steps to further characterize the cross-reactive GRP sensitization., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with B-cell lymphoma are a fragile category of subjects, particularly exposed to infections and characterized by an impaired vaccination response due to the disease itself and, even more, to the chemotherapy regimen. For this reason, extensive knowledge of the immune response status of these subjects is of fundamental importance to obtain possible indications for a tailored immunization strategy., Methods: We enrolled two cohorts of patients with B-cell lymphoma under rituximab treatment or 3-24 months after treatment. In all patients, we evaluated both humoral and cellular immunological memory toward SARS-CoV-2, after standard vaccination and upon one booster dose., Results: We observed no Spike-specific IgG production in patients (n = 25) under anti-CD20 treatment, whereas patients (n = 16) vaccinated after the completion of chemotherapy showed a higher humoral response. Evaluating SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response, we found that patients in both cohorts had developed robust cellular immunity after vaccination. Of the 21 patients (51%) that experienced a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection, only six patients developed severe disease. Interestingly, these six patients had all been treated with rituximab plus bendamustine. Notably, we observed that Spike-specific IgG levels in patients treated with rituximab plus bendamustine were absent or lower compared with those in patients treated with rituximab plus other chemotherapy, whereas Spike-specific T-cell response was not different based on chemotherapy regiment., Discussion: Our results show that, in patients with B-cell lymphoma under rituximab therapy, anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination induces a weak or absent humoral response but a consistent T-cell response. In addition, chemotherapy regimens with bendamustine further reduce patients' ability to mount a Spike-specific humoral response even after a long time period from chemotherapy discontinuation. These results provide evidence that different chemotherapeutics display different immunosuppressive properties that could be taken in to account in the choice of the right drug regimen for the right patient. Moreover, they question whether immunocompromised patients, particularly those treated with bendamustine, need interventions to improve vaccine-induced immune response., 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. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Vanni, Salvati, Mazzoni, Lamacchia, Capone, Francalanci, Kiros, Cosmi, Puccini, Ciceri, Sordi, Rossolini, Annunziato, Maggi and Liotta.)

Testing density-dependence and path-dependence in long-term population dynamics under differentiated local contexts contributes to delineate the changing role of socioeconomic forces at the base of regional disparities. Despite a millenary settlement history, such issue has been rarely investigated in Europe, and especially in highly divided countries such as those in the Mediterranean region. Using econometric modeling to manage spatial heterogeneity, our study verifies the role of selected drivers of population growth at ten times between 1921 and 2021 in more than 8000 Italian municipalities verifying density-dependent and path-dependent dynamics. Results of global and quantile (spatial) regressions highlight a differential impact of density and (lagged) population growth on demographic dynamics along the urban cycle in Italy. Being weakly significant in the inter-war period (1921-1951), econometric models totalized a high goodness-of-fit in correspondence with compact urbanization (1951-1981). Model's fit declined in the following decades (1981-2021) reflecting suburbanization and counter-urbanization. Density-dependence and path-dependence were found significant and, respectively, positive or negative, with compact urbanization, and much less intense with suburbanization and counter-urbanization. A spatial econometric investigation of density-dependent and path-dependent mechanisms of population dynamics provided an original explanation of metropolitan cycles, delineating the evolution of socioeconomic (local) systems along the urban-rural gradient., (© 2023. The Author(s).)