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Abstract Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as indigenous knowledge and practices used for maintaining health and treating illnesses, traditional medicine (TM) represents a rich reservoir of ancient healing practices rooted in cultural traditions and accumulated wisdom over centuries. Five indigenous Kenyan plant species traditionally used in African TM, named Afzelia quanzensis, Azadirachta indica, Gigasiphon macrosiphon, Grewia bicolor, and Lannea schweinfurthii, represent a valuable resource in healing practices, yet their chemical composition and bioactivity remain understudied. To depict a primary bio-chemical characterization of these plants, their antioxidant and antimicrobial features have been evaluated by the use of methods validated in this context. G. bicolor, and G. macrosiphon were found to have great potential as sources of bioactive metabolites, such as chlorophyll a (1456.29 µg/ g DW; 1104.33 µg/ g DW), chlorophyll b (712.48 µg/ g DW; 443.31 µg/ g DW), and carotenoids (369.71 µg/ g DW; 300 µg/ g DW) as well as phenols (31.78 mg GAE/g DW; 27.54 GAE/g DW), and exhibiting high antioxidant activity, according to TEAC, DPPH and FRAP assays. Additionally, L. schweinfurthii and G. macrosiphon demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, as well as against Gram-positive ones, S. aureus and B. subtilis.

Il lavoro si sofferma sullo spazio e sul ruolo assegnato ai linguaggi specialistici nella didattica della lingua italiana, con riferimento a esperienze di didattica universitaria condotte in Italia (si dà anche conto della presenza e della distribuzione di corsi e insegnamenti dedicati, nel contesto della L1 e della L2/LS). Si offrono poi spunti per un’ipotesi di progettazione didattica dell’italiano specialistico L1 pensata per un corso universitario di secondo livello di ambito non linguistico-letterario e non umanistico. The L1 specialist Italian in university as a professionalizing Italian (with ideas for a didactic proposal between rewriting and IA) The work focuses on the space and role assigned to specialist languages in the teaching of the Italian language, with reference to university teaching experiences conducted in Italy (The presence and distribution of courses and teaching in the context of L1 and L2/LS is also taken into account). It is then presented a hypothesis of didactic design of the specialized Italian L1 designed for a university course of second level of non-linguistic-literary and non-humanistic scope.

Survival rate of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) patients are still to date very poor, and the application of innovative clinical approaches are urgently needed. Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) are partially ionized gases that have shown anti-tumor effectiveness over a wide range of cancer types with potential application into clinics. However, the comprehension of the mechanisms underlying indirect CAP effects plays a key role for the prediction of treatment outcomes. In our work, we assessed the potential application of indirect CAP, by using plasma activated media (PAM) and plasma-treated liquids (PTL), as therapeutic strategies for HNSCC treatment. The impact of PAM obtained from exposure to CAP for different times was evaluated in three head and neck cancer (HNC) cell lines (HSC3, FaDu, CAL-27). Cytotoxic effects as inhibition of proliferation, apoptosis rate and cell cycle modifications were tested for the different PAM, showing a time- and cell culture media-dependence tightly related to the chemical composition of PAM considered. In addition, cytotoxic effects were also observed on HNC, two bladder cancer models and one breast cancer cell line when considering PTL, paving the way for their application into a clinical setting.

IntroductionIn recent years, the use of Clear aligners (CA) has been diffused among children and adolescents. This systematic review aimed to summarize the literature regarding the effects of CA therapy in growing patients, including dentoalveolar and skeletal effects, periodontal changes, and quality of life measurements.MethodsAn electronic search on four databases was performed until September 2023, and studies including patients

Summary: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma, arises in skeletal muscle and remains in an undifferentiated state due to transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators. Among its subtypes, fusion-negative RMS (FN-RMS) accounts for the majority of diagnoses in the pediatric population. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that modulate cell identity via post-transcriptional regulation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). In this study, we identify miRNAs impacting FN-RMS cell identity, revealing miR-449a and miR-340 as major regulators of the cell cycle and p53 signaling. Through miR-eCLIP technology, we demonstrate that miR-449a and miR-340 directly target transcripts involved in glycolysis and mitochondrial pyruvate transport, inhibiting the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) complex. Pharmacological MPC inhibition induces a similar metabolic shift, reducing metastatic potential and leading to cell cycle exit. Overall, miR-449 and miR-340 orchestrate FN-RMS cell identity, positioning MPC inhibition as a strategy to shift FN-RMS cells toward a non-tumorigenic, quiescent state.

The local press often reports on women’s harassment in transit, which poses a significant problem for the female community at Sapienza University of Rome, particularly during evening commutes. A dedicated night transport service could serve as a solution. However, research questions revolve around service acceptance and affordability among the so-called “Sapienza women” (female students and teaching and administrative staff), along with service profitability for the university acting as an operator. A feasibility study of a gender-dedicated university-to-home paratransit night service called MinervaMove from Sapienza’s main campus for commuting home in the evening is conducted. The service analyzes the Sapienza Women’s stated preferences to assess its acceptance and willingness to pay for it, followed by building operational scenarios accordingly. A detailed cost–benefit analysis, duly described in the paper, stresses the prospective profitability of MinervaMove, with the research goals to showcase an example of a methodology to design a women-reserved night service, replicable in other university campuses, and advance knowledge in the field of gender-driven transportation supply.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate, in distance runners, the acute effects of moderate durations (60 s per leg) of static (SS) and dynamic stretching (DS) on running economy (RE) and performance. Methods: Twelve recreational runners completed a randomized crossover design. Initially, the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) and the speed associated with the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) (vVO2max) were determined through an incremental test. Then, participants completed submaximal continuous-running (75%VT2 and 85%VT2) and running-until-exhaustion (vVO2max) tests preceded by 3 warm-ups: running plus SS or DS (SS or DS conditions) and running without stretching (NS condition). The SS and DS conditions consisted of 5 minutes of running plus 10 minutes of SS or DS, respectively, and the NS condition consisted of 15 minutes of running without stretching. RE at 75%VT2 and 85%VT2, time to exhaustion, and total running distance were evaluated. Rating of perceived exertion was also assessed. Results: Running economy at 75%VT2 resulted significantly better in the DS than in the NS (P <.001) and in the SS (P <.05). Time to exhaustion and total running distance were significantly improved in DS compared with NS (P <.001) and SS (P <.01). No differences in rating of perceived exertion among conditions were found. Conclusions: Our results showed that, in recreational distance runners, a preexercise moderate-duration bout of DS improved RE and enhanced total running distance and time to exhaustion, whereas 60 seconds of SS did not induce significant improvements. Overall, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of moderate DS durations in optimizing RE and performance parameters, showing that such effects depend on the stretching modality used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusions\nKEYPOINTSThe first-episode psychosis (FEP) and clinical high-risk (CHR) team within the child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) service receives referrals by psychiatric units, CAMH service, schools, and general practitioners. This audit evaluated the implementation of the FEP-CHR team in Ferrara, Italy.The FEP-CHR team provides standardised assessment and up to 2-year individualised treatment including pharmacological prescription, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, and vocational activities. Data regarding access and pathways to care, assessment, and outcome of all patients admitted to this service from January 2019 to June 2023 were analysed. Descriptive statistics were reported and discussed.The service admitted 29 patients (19 FEP, 10 CHR), mostly females. FEP referrals primarily came from families via general practitioners, while half of CHR patients were already receiving CAMH care. One in three in the total sample had psychiatric hospitalisation during treatment. At discharge, most transitioned to usual or specialised mental health care and five patients achieved full recovery.The audit revealed a lower-than-expected incidence rate, a sub-optimal adherence to the standardised assessment, and a need for improved outcome monitoring. It promoted quality improvement initiatives including professional training to improve psychiatric differential diagnosis, drug prescribing, and transition to adult psychiatric services.The female sex prevailed among CHR individuals suggesting a different help-seeking behaviour and clinical presentation compared to the male sex in adolescents.A significant portion of CHR and FEP patients were already receiving care prior to their psychosis diagnosis, highlighting the importance of training the community to identify early signs of psychosis.The findings prompted initiatives to improve service quality, including professional training to refine psychiatric differential diagnosis, optimise pharmacological prescribing practices, and facilitate smoother transitions to adult mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as indigenous knowledge and practices used for maintaining health and treating illnesses, traditional medicine (TM) represents a rich reservoir of ancient healing practices rooted in cultural traditions and accumulated wisdom over centuries. Five indigenous Kenyan plant species traditionally used in African TM, named Afzelia quanzensis, Azadirachta indica, Gigasiphon macrosiphon, Grewia bicolor, and Lannea schweinfurthii, represent a valuable resource in healing practices, yet their chemical composition and bioactivity remain understudied. To depict a primary bio-chemical characterization of these plants, their antioxidant and antimicrobial features have been evaluated by the use of methods validated in this context. G. bicolor, and G. macrosiphon were found to have great potential as sources of bioactive metabolites, such as chlorophyll a (1456.29 µg/ g DW; 1104.33 µg/ g DW), chlorophyll b (712.48 µg/ g DW; 443.31 µg/ g DW), and carotenoids (369.71 µg/ g DW; 300 µg/ g DW) as well as phenols (31.78 mg GAE/g DW; 27.54 GAE/g DW), and exhibiting high antioxidant activity, according to TEAC, DPPH and FRAP assays. Additionally, L. schweinfurthii and G. macrosiphon demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, as well as against Gram-positive ones, S. aureus and B. subtilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the complex connections between gentrification, heritage and othering in Amsterdam Oost, a district shaped by intertwined (post)colonial and (post)migrant histories. It does so by examining two temporary heritage‐making initiatives coordinated by the nearby ethnographic Tropenmuseum to celebrate the rich immigration history of the area. Building on the notion of 'gentrification consciousness' (Sze, 2010), we draw attention to the ambivalent position of the museum towards gentrification in Amsterdam Oost, and how this ambivalence may contribute to the unfolding of neoliberal urban redevelopment in the area. The projects at the centre of our analysis promote a positive and edifying representation of local diversity as an asset to be protected, celebrated, and valorized; yet they also mobilize problematic colonial tropes that are instrumental in transforming the area into a space of aestheticized multicultural urbanity attractive to a Dutch middle class with an increasingly cosmopolitan outlook. While scholarship on heritage‐led gentrification and cosmopolitan urbanism has amply discussed how local governments, developers and newcomers alike strategically mobilize ethnic heritage discourses and practices to trigger or sustain gentrification, our study reveals heritage institutions as emergent subjectivities in neoliberal urban politics and problematizes their growing imbrication within processes of gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatotoxicity can lead to the discontinuation of approved or investigational drugs. The evaluation of the potential hepatoxicity of drugs in development is challenging because current models assessing this adverse effect are not always predictive of the outcome in human beings. Cell lines are routinely used for early hepatotoxicity screening, but to improve the detection of potential hepatotoxicity, in vitro models that better reflect liver morphology and function are needed. One such promising model is human liver microtissues. These are spheroids made of primary human parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells, which are amenable to high throughput screening. To test the predictivity of this model, the cytotoxicity of 152 FDA (US Food & Drug Administration)-approved small molecule drugs was measured as per changes in ATP content in human liver microtissues incubated in 384-well microplates. The results were analyzed with respect to drug label information, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) concern class, and drug class. The threshold IC50ATP-to-Cmax ratio of 176 was used to discriminate between safe and hepatotoxic drugs. "vMost-DILI-concern" drugs were detected with a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 89%, and "vMost-DILI-concern" drugs affecting the nervous system were detected with a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 91%. The robustness and relevance of this evaluation were assessed using a 5-fold cross-validation. The good predictivity, together with the in vivo-like morphology of the liver microtissues and scalability to a 384-well microplate, makes this method a promising and practical in vitro alternative to 2D cell line cultures for the early hepatotoxicity screening of drug candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The environmental footprint of the healthcare sector is widely acknowledged and increasingly impacting decision-making in health policy. This study aims to explore what methods and metrics have been proposed to measure environmental impact of health technologies, and to investigate the feasibility and consequences of its inclusion in economic evaluations. This study is part of a larger Horizon Europe project, HI-PRIX. Methods: We conducted a PRISMA-ScR-guided scoping review of the scientific publications in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus between 2013 and November 2023. For the grey literature, the international HTA database and HTA agencies websites were searched to identify ongoing or published HTA dossiers. The search strategy was developed around two concepts: environment and health technology assessment. Any study or report that described a conceptual framework, methodology, or approach used or theorized to integrate environmental impacts of health technologies in an HTA was considered eligible for inclusion. Results: Starting from 12,336 records, 16 scientific publications and 6 HTA dossiers were included for analysis. One-third of the contributions were published in 2023 and were mostly opinions, editorials, reviews, or economic evaluations. Lifecycle assessment was considered the preferred approach to investigate environmental impacts, yet difficulties exist; for example, methodologies for measuring greenhouse gas emissions are established, while for other dimensions are under development. Nevertheless, methods to incorporate environmental impact into economic models appear viable. About half of the papers analyzed cost–utility analysis, multiple-criteria decision analysis, and cost–benefit analysis as potential approaches. Fewer papers addressed budget impact, cost-effectiveness analysis, or other approaches. Conclusions: Incorporating the environmental impact of health technologies in economic evaluations is under development, but consensus is still lacking on appropriate, feasible methodologies for its uptake. Before considering it in pricing or reimbursement-related decisions, the preferred method to maximize utility levels of different stakeholders (e.g., HTA agencies, industry) needs clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Innovative pricing and payment schemes have been proposed to address the affordability issues raised by new health technologies or the uncertainty about their long-term safety and effectiveness. As part of the Horizon Europe project HI-PRIX, we investigated the nature, scope, and impact of these arrangements. Methods: We undertook a PRISMA-ScR-compliant review in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, from 2010 to 2023. We also searched health technology assessment (HTA) agency websites. The search strategy was structured around two blocks: "pricing/payment schemes," and "innovativeness." Studies illustrating pricing/payment schemes with sufficient level of details to explain their functioning were selected, also through a nested evaluation of an artificial-intelligence-powered tool for systematic reviews. These schemes were classified according to several criteria, such as their purpose, nature, governance, product category, data collection needs, foreseen distribution of risk, and implementation challenges. The study protocol was published in PROSPERO (CRD42023444824). Results: "Innovative payment and pricing schemes" were defined as arrangements that go beyond price per unit of the technology, simple price/volume agreements, or expenditure caps. Seventy innovative schemes were identified, of which 25 were only illustrated theoretically, while 45 have been implemented in practice. So far, 170 real cases of implementation have been identified. The schemes target pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and/or medical devices. Whether designed to incorporate unique features of a given technology, or to address specific challenges, the schemes can be classified by different value drivers, including type of technology, therapeutic indication, or timeline of the agreement. Conclusions: Available pricing and payment schemes have the potential to offer a comprehensive toolkit to policymakers facing reimbursement and access decisions, highlighting that it is not the scheme per se that is innovative, rather its application/use in a given context or for a given challenge. The catalog populates the Pay for Innovation Observatory, a publicly available repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to now, studies on environmental, climatic, socio-economic factors, and non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) show diverse associations, often contrasting, with COVID-19 spread or severity. Most studies used large-scale, aggregated data, with limited adjustment for individual factors, most of them focused on viral spread than severe outcomes. Moreover, evidence simultaneously evaluating variables belonging to different exposure domains is scarce, and none analysing their collective impact on an individual level. Our population-based retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the comprehensive role played by exposure variables belonging to four different domains, environmental, climatic, socio-economic, and non-pharmacological interventions (NPI), on individual COVID-19-related risk of hospitalization and death, analysing data from all patients (no. 68472) tested positive to a SARS-CoV-2 swab in Modena Province (Northern Italy) between February 2020 and August 2021. Using adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, investigating dose-response relationships through restricted cubic spline modelling for hazard ratios. Several significant associations emerged: long-term exposure to air pollutants (NO 2 , PM 10 , PM 2.5) was linked to hospitalization risk in a complex way and showed an increased risk for death; while humidity was inversely associated; temperature showed a U-shaped risk; wind speed showed a linear association with both outcomes. Precipitation increased hospitalization risk but decreased mortality. Socio-economic and NPI indices showed clear linear associations, respectively negative and positive, with both outcomes. Our findings offer insights for evidence-based policy decisions, improving precision healthcare practices, and safeguarding public health in future pandemics. Refinement of pandemic response plans by healthcare authorities could benefit significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]