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Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by atherosclerosis in the lower extremities, which leads to a spectrum of life-altering symptomatology, including claudication, ischemic rest pain, and gangrene requiring limb amputation. Current treatments for PAD are focused primarily on re-establishing blood flow to the ischemic tissue, implying that blood flow is the decisive factor that determines whether or not the tissue survives. Unfortunately, failure rates of endovascular and revascularization procedures remain unacceptably high and numerous cell- and gene-based vascular therapies have failed to demonstrate efficacy in clinical trials. The low success of vascular-focused therapies implies that non-vascular tissues, such as skeletal muscle and oxidative stress, may substantially contribute to PAD pathobiology. Clues toward the importance of skeletal muscle in PAD pathobiology stem from clinical observations that muscle function is a strong predictor of mortality. Mitochondrial impairments in muscle have been documented in PAD patients, although its potential role in clinical pathology is incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss the underlying mechanisms causing mitochondrial dysfunction in ischemic skeletal muscle, including causal evidence in rodent studies, and highlight emerging mitochondrial-targeted therapies that have potential to improve PAD outcomes. Particularly, we will analyze literature data on reactive oxygen species production and potential counteracting endogenous and exogenous antioxidants.

A correct injection technique is essential in order to ensure the effectiveness of insulin and to achieve good metabolic control, and the use of suitable needles is fundamental. Today, technological evolution has transformed insulin needles into innovative tools able to guarantee an effective and safe administration of insulin, to reduce local complications, such as lipodystrophies that are an obstacle to the effectiveness of the treatment itself, and to minimize the pain of the injection, a crucial factor in the acceptance of therapy and for compliance. The steering committee of the scientific society SIMDO has commissioned the scientific committee and some members of the board to draw up an official SIMDO point of view/consensus on the use of insulin needles. In this way, a group that has combined the experience gained in their field of expertise—diabetologists operating in the public and private sectors, nurses, psychologists, and patients—was set up. The aim is to give indications regarding insulin injection techniques, combining themes such as technology innovation, education in self-management, and psychological support for the patient into a unified approach based on the priority area of patient quality of life. The document will provide operational recommendations that integrate the directions regarding the standards of care for diabetes resulting from the most recent scientific acquisitions with the concept of quality at 360°, as it emerged from the point of view of all the operators involved, but with the patient’s interests as a central focal point.

There are many existing buildings for which seismic rehabilitation interventions are required, especially in earthquake-prone areas like Italy. At the same time, the huge energy cost increase in Europe highlights the need for sustainable techniques that are able to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. These issues are even more significant for weak social groups living in social housing buildings, often in poor and vulnerable conditions. In order to address the solution regarding building renovations from the social, structural, and energy efficiency perspectives, in the framework of the Horizon Europe REHOUSE (Renovation packagEs for HOlistic improvement of EU’s bUildingS Efficiency, maximizing RES generation and cost-effectiveness) Project, this paper proposes an integrated methodology of building assessment that was tested on a social housing building in Margherita di Savoia, a small town of Apulia Region, Italy. In addition to the structural and energy aspects, the social one is particularly important since the building is located in the “Capitanata Area”, considered to be one of the most socially vulnerable areas in Italy. For this reason, an assessment methodology must consider reducing the overall impact of the assessment activities while explaining to tenants the purpose of the assessment and future renovation actions, maintaining the accuracy of the assessment results. Therefore, this study outlines an assessment methodology, demonstrated through its application to the case study building, that integrates the structural, energy, and social aspects, showing that the tenants’ involvement is also crucial for the technical evaluations. The final result is a low-impact approach for the building knowledge gathering needed to start a deep renovation intervention in social housing.

Background and Objectives: Axillary lymph node (ALN) staging is crucial for the management of invasive breast cancer (BC). Although various radiological investigations are available, ultrasound (US) is the preferred tool for evaluating ALNs. Despite its immediacy, widespread use, and good predictive value, US is limited by intra- and inter-operator variability. This study aims to evaluate US and Elastosonography Shear Wave (SW-ES) parameters for ALN staging to develop a predictive model, named the Cassandra score (CS), to improve the interpretation of findings and standardize staging. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three women diagnosed with BC and treated at two Italian hospitals were enrolled in the study. A total of 529 lymph nodes were surgically removed, underwent intraoperative US examination, and were individually sent for a final histological analysis. The study aimed to establish a direct correlation between eight US-SWES features (margins, vascularity, roundness index (RI), loss of hilum fat, cortical thickness, shear-wave elastography hardness (SWEH), peripheral infiltration (PI), and hypoechoic appearance) and the histological outcome (benign vs. malignant). Results: Several statistical models were compared. PI was strongly correlated with malignant ALNs. An ROC analysis for Model A revealed an impressive AUC of 0.978 (S.E. = 0.007, p < 0.001), while in Model B, the cut-offs of SWEH and RI were modified to minimize the risk of false negatives (AUC of 0.973, S.E. = 0.009, p < 0.001). Model C used the same cut-offs as Model B, but excluded SWEH from the formula, to make the Cassandra model usable even if the US machine does not have SW-ES capability (AUC of 0.940, S.E. = 0.015, p < 0.001). A two-tiered model was finally set up, leveraging the strong predictive capabilities of SWEH and RI. In the first tier, only SWES and RI were evaluated: a positive result was predicted if both hardness and roundness were present (SWES > 137 kPa and RI < 1.55), and conversely, a negative result was predicted if both were absent (SWES < 137 kPa and RI > 1.55). In the second tier, if there was a mix of the results (SWES > 137 kPa and RI > 1.55 or SWES < 137 kPa and RI < 1.55), the algorithm in Model B was applied. The model demonstrated an overall prediction accuracy of 90.2% in the training set, 87.5% in the validation set, and 88.9% across the entire dataset. The NPV was notably high at 99.2% in the validation set. This model was named the Cassandra score (CS) and is proposed for the clinical management of BC patients. Conclusion: CS is a simple, non-invasive, fast, and reliable method that showed a PPV of 99.1% in the malignancy prediction of ALNs, potentially being also well suited for young sonographers.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of eye drops with antiseptic and re-epithelizing properties (Keratosept®, Bruschettini, Genova, Italy) on 50 eyes affected by punctate keratitis of suspected microbial origin. A biomicroscopic examination, fluorescein dye staining test (Fluotest), tear break-up time test (TBUT), and the ocular surface disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire were used to assess treatment efficacy. Treatment success was defined as a negative Fluotest and an OSDI score ®, either alone or in combination with antibiotics, was effective in over 80% of microbial and nonmicrobial forms. Conjunctival swabs were taken from all patients for culture examination with an antibiogram and sensitivity test for Keratosept®; 32/43 (74.4%) forms with positive culture for the bacteria were sensitive to Keratosept®. A total of 35/38 (92%) eyes treated with this product alone achieved full treatment success without any apparent adverse effects. These results suggest the use of Keratosept® eye drops in punctate keratitis as an alternative or in combination with established antibiotic therapies. Further studies are needed to evaluate its efficacy in different infectious forms and identify other indications for using this product.

The authors performed an ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of the ultrastructural effects on the conjunctival epithelial cells of a new multiple-action tear substitute containing cross-linked hyaluronic acid, lipids and trehalose (Trimix®), using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with conjunctival impression cytology. The ex vivo study highlights the persistence and distribution of the product at 5 and 60 min on a monolayer of conjunctival epithelial cells and an increase in microvilli density at the 60 min evaluation. In vivo examination was conducted on three subjects with different grades of ocular surface inflammation, treated with one drop of the product twice daily for thirty days. At the baseline (T0) and twelve hours after the last administration of the tear drop (T30), impression cytology of the upper bulbar conjunctiva for SEM evaluation of conjunctival epithelial cells was carried out. Slit lamp examination (SLE), corneal and conjunctival Fluotest, tear film break-up time (TBUT), and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaires were also performed to correlate the ultrastructural results with the clinical findings. After 30 days of treatment, a significant improvement in all clinical and symptomatic parameters and in the condition of the ocular surface was detected, with microvillar regeneration and strengthening in all the patients, and a complete restoration in 2/3 of them. The persistence and distribution of the product on the epithelial cells was also noted 12 h after the last administration. The results, therefore, suggest a marked epitheliotropic effect along with a high residence time of the tear substitute.

Background and Objectives: The facial skin defects associated with aging are common concerns in the aging population. Hyaluronic-acid-based intradermal gels have established themselves as safe and effective treatments for addressing these concerns. Recently developed enriched products aim to enhance the efficacy of these gels, yet their effectiveness lacks thorough validation in the existing literature. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we investigated the outcomes of intradermal gel treatments in 103 patients with soft tissue defects. This study included three groups: 35 patients received amino-acid-enriched hyaluronic acid gel, another 35 were treated with hydroxyapatite-enriched hyaluronic acid gel, and the remaining 33 underwent hyaluronic acid treatment only. The efficacy of the treatments was assessed using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) score, while patient satisfaction was gauged through a detailed questionnaire. Any adverse event was monitored. Results: The treatments demonstrated remarkable efficacy, as evidenced by mean GAIS scores of 1.714 points for those treated with amino acid-enriched hyaluronic acid gel, 1.886 points for individuals receiving hydroxyapatite-enriched hyaluronic acid gel, and 1.697 for those treated with hyaluronic acid alone, all showing statistical significance (p < 0.0001). Patient satisfaction was very high. Significantly, there were no recorded instances of major adverse events. Conclusions: Hyaluronic gels, particularly those enriched with amino acids and hydroxyapatite, are effective and safe interventions for addressing facial skin aging defects. They serve as valuable tools in mitigating age-related blemishes and contribute to the overall improvement of skin aesthetics.

Comprehending the regulatory mechanisms influencing blood pressure control is pivotal for continuous monitoring of this parameter. Implementing a personalized machine learning model, utilizing data-driven features, presents an opportunity to facilitate tracking blood pressure fluctuations in various conditions. In this work, data-driven photoplethysmograph features extracted from the brachial and digital arteries of 28 healthy subjects were used to feed a random forest classifier in an attempt to develop a system capable of tracking blood pressure. We evaluated the behavior of this latter classifier according to the different sizes of the training set and degrees of personalization used. Aggregated accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score were equal to 95.1%, 95.2%, 95%, and 95.4% when 30% of a target subject’s pulse waveforms were combined with five randomly selected source subjects available in the dataset. Experimental findings illustrated that incorporating a pre-training stage with data from different subjects made it viable to discern morphological distinctions in beat-to-beat pulse waveforms under conditions of cognitive or physical workload.

Ocular surface staining for assessing corneal and conjunctival epithelium integrity is typically conducted using fluorescein, lissamine green, or rose Bengal dyes. Recently, a novel vital dye, REmark®, based on riboflavin, has been proposed for ocular surface examination. In the management of corneal and ocular surface diseases (OSD), the use of contact lenses is integral to therapeutic strategies. This study explores the compatibility of REmark® with four different types of disposable or bi-weekly soft contact lenses. Morphological variations observed under stereomicroscopy and ultraviolet (UV) ray transmittance in the visible spectrum (VIS) were evaluated at 2 and 4 h post-immersion of the contact lenses in both the original fluid and the new dye. The findings indicate no significant differences between the group treated with the original liquid and those immersed in REmark®, except for a yellow hue observed in the latter group, which dissipates after 8 h in physiological solution. This study highlights the potential of utilizing the new vital dye for ophthalmologic examinations even in the presence of applied soft contact lenses, offering a promising avenue for improved diagnostic practices and patient comfort.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which derive from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system that specializes in producing hormones and neuropeptides and arise in most cases sporadically and, to a lesser extent, in the context of complex genetic syndromes. Furthermore, they are primarily nonfunctioning, while, in the case of insulinomas, gastrinomas, glucagonomas, vipomas, and somatostatinomas, they produce hormones responsible for clinical syndromes. The GEP-NEN tumor grade and cell differentiation may result in different clinical behaviors and prognoses, with grade one (G1) and grade two (G2) neuroendocrine tumors showing a more favorable outcome than grade three (G3) NET and neuroendocrine carcinoma. Two critical issues should be considered in the NEN diagnostic workup: first, the need to identify the presence of the tumor, and, second, to define the primary site and evaluate regional and distant metastases. Indeed, the primary site, stage, grade, and function are prognostic factors that the radiologist should evaluate to guide prognosis and management. The correct diagnostic management of the patient includes a combination of morphological and functional evaluations. Concerning morphological evaluations, according to the consensus guidelines of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), computed tomography (CT) with a contrast medium is recommended. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), is usually indicated for use to evaluate the liver, pancreas, brain, and bones. Ultrasonography (US) is often helpful in the initial diagnosis of liver metastases, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can solve problems in characterizing the liver, as this tool can guide the biopsy of liver lesions. In addition, intraoperative ultrasound is an effective tool during surgical procedures. Positron emission tomography (PET-CT) with FDG for nonfunctioning lesions and somatostatin analogs for functional lesions are very useful for identifying and evaluating metabolic receptors. The detection of heterogeneity in somatostatin receptor (SSTR) expression is also crucial for treatment decision making. In this narrative review, we have described the role of morphological and functional imaging tools in the assessment of GEP-NENs according to current major guidelines.

Pheochromocytomas (PCCs) and Paragangliomas (PGLs), commonly known as PPGLs to include both entities, are rare neuroendocrine tumors that may arise in the context of hereditary syndromes or be sporadic. However, even among sporadic PPGLs, identifiable somatic alterations in at least one of the known susceptibility genes can be detected. Therefore, about 3/4 of all PPGL patients can be assigned to one of the three molecular clusters that have been identified in the last years with difference in the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, biochemical phenotype, metastatic potential, and prognosis. While surgery represents the mainstay of treatment for localized PPGLs, several therapeutic options are available in advanced and/or metastatic setting. However, only few of them hinge upon prospective data and a cluster-oriented approach has not yet been established. In order to render management even more personalized and improve the prognosis of this molecularly complex disease, it is undoubtable that genetic testing for germline mutations as well as genome profiling for somatic mutations, where available, must be improved and become standard practice. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding diagnosis and treatment of PPGLs, supporting the need of a more cluster-specific approach in clinical practice.

Background and Objectives. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common inherited rod–cone dystrophy (RCD), resulting in nyctalopia, progressive visual field, and visual acuity decay in the late stages. The autosomal dominant form (ADRP) accounts for about 20% of RPs. Among the over 30 genes found to date related to ADRP, RP1 pathogenic variants have been identified in 5–10% of cases. In a cohort of RCD patients from the Palermo province on the island of Sicily, we identified a prevalent nonsense variant in RP1, which was associated with ADRP. The objective of our study was to analyse the clinical and molecular data of this patient cohort and to evaluate the potential presence of a founder effect. Materials and Methods. From 2005 to January 2023, 84 probands originating from Western Sicily (Italy) with a diagnosis of RCD or RP and their relatives underwent deep phenotyping, which was performed in various Italian clinical institutions. Molecular characterisation of patients and familial segregation of pathogenic variants were carried out in different laboratories using Sanger and/or next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results. Among 84 probands with RCD/RP, we found 28 heterozygotes for the RP1 variant c.2219C>G, p.Ser740* ((NM_006269.2)*, which was therefore significantly prevalent in this patient cohort. After a careful interview process, we ascertained that some of these patients shared the same pedigree. Therefore, we were ultimately able to define 20 independent family groups with no traceable consanguinity. Lastly, analysis of clinical data showed, in our patients, that the p.Ser740* nonsense variant was often associated with a late-onset and relatively mild phenotype. Conclusions. The high prevalence of the p.Ser740* variant in ADRP patients from Western Sicily suggests the presence of a founder effect, which has useful implications for the molecular diagnosis of RCD in patients coming from this Italian region. This variant can be primarily searched for in RP-affected subjects displaying compatible modes of transmission and phenotypes, with an advantage in terms of the required costs and time for analysis. Moreover, given its high prevalence, the RP1 p.Ser740* variant could represent a potential candidate for the development of therapeutic strategies based on gene editing or translational read-through therapy for suppression of nonsense variants.

The ARGO-USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle for ARchaeological GeO-application) is a technological project involving a marine drone aimed at devising an innovative methodology for marine geological and geomorphological investigations in shallow areas, usually considered critical areas to be investigated, with the help of traditional vessels. The methodological approach proposed in this paper has been implemented according to a multimodal mapping technique involving the simultaneous and integrated use of both optical and geoacoustic sensors. This approach has been enriched by tools based on artificial intelligence (AI), specifically intended to be installed onboard the ARGO-USV, aimed at the automatic recognition of submerged targets and the physical characterization of the seabed. This technological project is composed of a main command and control system and a series of dedicated sub-systems successfully tested in different operational scenarios. The ARGO drone is capable of acquiring and storing a considerable amount of georeferenced data during surveys lasting a few hours. The transmission of all acquired data in broadcasting allows the cooperation of a multidisciplinary team of specialists able to analyze specific datasets in real time. These features, together with the use of deep-learning-based modules and special attention to green-compliant construction phases, are the particular aspects that make ARGO-USV a modern and innovative project, aiming to improve the knowledge of wide coastal areas while minimizing the impact on these environments. As a proof-of-concept, we present the extensive mapping and characterization of the seabed from a geoarchaeological survey of the underwater Roman harbor of Puteoli in the Gulf of Naples (Italy), demonstrating that deep learning techniques can work synergistically with seabed mapping methods.

The taxonomic status of many Southern European taxa of the Ranunculus auricomus complex remains uncertain despite this region’s proximity to the native ranges of the sexual progenitor species of the complex. We investigated whether additional sexual progenitor species are present in the Mediterranean region. Utilizing target enrichment of 736 single-copy nuclear gene regions and flow cytometry, we analyzed phylogenomic relationships, the ploidy level, and the reproductive mode in representatives of 16 populations in Southern Europe, with additional sequence data from herbarium collections. Additionally, phased sequence assemblies from suspected nothotaxa were mapped to previously described sexual progenitor species in order to determine hybrid ancestry. We found the majority of Mediterranean taxa to be tetraploid, with hybrid populations propagating primarily via apomixis. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that except for the progenitor species, the Mediterranean taxa are often polyphyletic. Most apomictic taxa showed evidence of mixed heritage from progenitor species, with certain progenitor genotypes having mapped more to the populations from adjacent geographical regions. Geographical trends were found in phylogenetic distance, roughly following an east-to-west longitudinal demarcation of the complex, with apomicts extending to the southern margins. Additionally, we observed post-hybridization divergence between the western and eastern populations of nothotaxa in Southern Europe. Our results support a classification of apomictic populations as nothotaxa, as previously suggested for Central Europe.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of lesions originating from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system. NENs may involve different sites, including the gastrointestinal tract (GEP-NENs). The incidence and prevalence of GEP-NENs has been constantly rising thanks to the increased diagnostic power of imaging and immuno–histochemistry. Despite the plethora of biochemical markers and imaging techniques, the prognosis and therapeutic choice in GEP-NENs still represents a challenge, mainly due to the great heterogeneity in terms of tumor lesions and clinical behavior. The concept that biomedical images contain information about tissue heterogeneity and pathological processes invisible to the human eye is now well established. From this substrate comes the idea of radiomics. Computational analysis has achieved promising results in several oncological settings, and the use of radiomics in different types of GEP-NENs is growing in the field of research, yet with conflicting results. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive update on the role of radiomics on GEP-NEN management, focusing on the main clinical aspects analyzed by most existing reports: predicting tumor grade, distinguishing NET from other tumors, and prognosis assessment.

Enterococcus hirae is a rare pathogen in human infections, although its incidence may be underestimated due to its difficult isolation. We describe the first known case of E. hirae infective endocarditis (IE), which involves the mitral valve alone, and the seventh E. hirae IE worldwide. Case presentation: a 62-year-old male was admitted to our department with a five-month history of intermittent fever without responding to antibiotic treatment. His medical history included mitral valve prolapse, recent pleurisy, and lumbar epidural steroid injections due to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Pre-admission transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed mitral valve vegetation, and Enterococcus faecium was isolated on blood cultures by MALDI-TOF VITEK MS. During hospitalization, intravenous (IV) therapy with ampicillin and ceftriaxone was initiated, and E. hirae was identified by MALDI-TOF Bruker Biotyper on three blood culture sets. A second TEE revealed mitral valve regurgitation, which worsened due to infection progression. The patient underwent mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve and had an uncomplicated postoperative course; he was discharged after six weeks of IV ampicillin and ceftriaxone treatment.

Obesity is an increasingly widespread disease worldwide because of lifestyle changes. It is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, primarily type 2 diabetes mellitus, with an increase in major cardiovascular adverse events. Bariatric surgery has been shown to be able to reduce the incidence of obesity-related cardiovascular disease and thus overall mortality. This result has been shown to be the result of hormonal and metabolic effects induced by post-surgical anatomical changes, with important effects on multiple hormonal and molecular axes that make this treatment more effective than conservative therapy in determining a marked improvement in the patient’s cardiovascular risk profile. This review, therefore, aimed to examine the surgical techniques currently available and how these might be responsible not only for weight loss but also for metabolic improvement and cardiovascular benefits in patients undergoing such procedures.

While silicon has been a steadfast semiconductor material for the past 50 years, it is now facing competition from other materials, especially for detector design. In that respect, due to its high resistance to radiation damage, silicon carbide is one of the most promising materials. In this work, we discuss the radiation damage studies of a new, large area, p-n junction silicon carbide device developed by the SiCILIA collaboration. We have studied the general performances of several devices, as a function of fluence, irradiated in different experimental conditions with different beams. A standard p-n junction silicon detector was also irradiated for comparison. The new detectors manifest excellent performance in terms of stability of the main parameters, linearity, defect distribution, charge collection efficiency, energy resolution, leakage current, etc. Experimental results evidence a radiation resistance of SiC devices more than two order of magnitude higher than Si devices. The new construction technology applied to silicon carbide material has made it possible to create very robust devices with excellent performance. These devices will soon be available for all those scientific projects where a high resistance to radiation damage is required.

Tumors of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses (TuNSs) are rare and heterogeneous malignancies, presenting different histological features and clinical behavior. We reviewed the literature about etiology, biology, and clinical features of TuNSs to define pathologic features and possible treatment strategies. From a diagnostic point of view, it is mandatory to have high expertise and perform an immunohistochemical assessment to distinguish between different histotypes. Due to the extreme rarity of these neoplasms, there are no standard and evidence-based therapeutic strategies, lacking prospective and large clinical trials. In fact, most studies are retrospective analyses. Surgery represents the mainstay of treatment of TuNSs for small and localized tumors allowing complete tumor removal. Locally advanced lesions require more demolitive surgery that should be always followed by adjuvant radio- or chemo-radiotherapy. Recurrent/metastatic disease requires palliative chemo- and/or radiotherapy. Many studies emphasize the role of specific genes mutations in the development of TuNSs like mutations in the exons 4–9 of the TP53 gene, in the exon 9 of the PIK3CA gene and in the promoter of the TERT gene. In the near future, this genetic assessment will have new therapeutic implications. Future improvements in the understanding of the etiology, biology, and clinical features of TuNSs are warranted to improve their management.

Dacarbazine is an important drug in the therapeutic landscape of leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Alkylating agents are subjected to resistance mechanisms based on anti-apoptotic pathways and repair mechanisms, including the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). In this retrospective study, the methylation status of the MGMT promoter in histological tumor samples from patients with LMS, dacarbazine-based regimens-treated, was measured and correlated with clinical outcomes aimed at optimizing the use of dacarbazine in soft tissue sarcomas. The patients with unmethylated MGMT had better outcomes than those with methylated MGMT. Patients without MGMT methylation had better Progression Free Survival (PFS) when aged ≥62 years compared to those aged MGMT was less favorable independently of age (p = 0.0054). The patients without a methylated MGMT gene had higher Disease control rate (DCR). These results are not in agreement with the role of the methylated MGMT gene in other tumors, and with this study, we demonstrated the correlation between methylated MGMT and poor prognosis; despite that, sample smallness, heterogeneity of LMS and of treatment history could be selection bias. Predictive markers of response to chemotherapies in sarcomas remain an unmet need.

In recent years, several new applications of SiC (both 4H and 3C polytypes) have been proposed in different papers. In this review, several of these emerging applications have been reported to show the development status, the main problems to be solved and the outlooks for these new devices. The use of SiC for high temperature applications in space, high temperature CMOS, high radiation hard detectors, new optical devices, high frequency MEMS, new devices with integrated 2D materials and biosensors have been extensively reviewed in this paper. The development of these new applications, at least for the 4H-SiC ones, has been favored by the strong improvement in SiC technology and in the material quality and price, due to the increasing market for power devices. However, at the same time, these new applications need the development of new processes and the improvement of material properties (high temperature packages, channel mobility and threshold voltage instability improvement, thick epitaxial layers, low defects, long carrier lifetime, low epitaxial doping). Instead, in the case of 3C-SiC applications, several new projects have developed material processes to obtain more performing MEMS, photonics and biomedical devices. Despite the good performance of these devices and the potential market, the further development of the material and of the specific processes and the lack of several SiC foundries for these applications are limiting further development in these fields.

The Posidonia oceanica meadows represent a fundamental biological indicator for the assessment of the marine ecosystem’s state of health. They also play an essential role in the conservation of coastal morphology. The composition, extent, and structure of the meadows are conditioned by the biological characteristics of the plant itself and by the environmental setting, considering the type and nature of the substrate, the geomorphology of the seabed, the hydrodynamics, the depth, the light availability, the sedimentation speed, etc. In this work, we present a methodology for the effective monitoring and mapping of the Posidonia oceanica meadows by means of underwater photogrammetry. To reduce the effect of environmental factors on the underwater images (e.g., the bluish or greenish effects), the workflow is enhanced through the application of two different algorithms. The 3D point cloud obtained using the restored images allowed for a better categorization of a wider area than the one made using the original image elaboration. Therefore, this work aims at presenting a photogrammetric approach for the rapid and reliable characterization of the seabed, with particular reference to the Posidonia coverage.

In this paper, the locomotion and steering control of a simulated Mini Cheetah quadruped robot was investigated in the presence of terrain characterised by low friction. Low-level locomotion and steering control were implemented via a central pattern generator approach, whereas high-level steering control manoeuvres were implemented by comparing a neural network and a linear model predictive controller in a dynamic simulation environment. A data-driven approach was adopted to identify the robot model using both a linear transfer function and a shallow artificial neural network. The results demonstrate that, whereas the linear approach showed good performance in high-friction terrain, in the presence of slippery conditions, the application of a neural network predictive controller improved trajectory accuracy and preserved robot safety with different steering manoeuvres. A comparative analysis was carried out using several performance indices.

Plant species complexes represent a particularly interesting example of taxonomically complex groups (TCGs), linking hybridization, apomixis, and polyploidy with complex morphological patterns. In such TCGs, mosaic-like character combinations and conflicts of morphological data with molecular phylogenies present a major problem for species classification. Here, we used the large polyploid apomictic European Ranunculus auricomus complex to study relationships among five diploid sexual progenitor species and 75 polyploid apomictic derivate taxa, based on geometric morphometrics using 11,690 landmarked objects (basal and stem leaves, receptacles), genomic data (97,312 RAD-Seq loci, 48 phased target enrichment genes, 71 plastid regions) from 220 populations. We showed that (1) observed genomic clusters correspond to morphological groupings based on basal leaves and concatenated traits, and morphological groups were best resolved with RAD-Seq data; (2) described apomictic taxa usually overlap within trait morphospace except for those taxa at the space edges; (3) apomictic phenotypes are highly influenced by parental subgenome composition and to a lesser extent by climatic factors; and (4) allopolyploid apomictic taxa, compared to their sexual progenitor, resemble a mosaic of ecological and morphological intermediate to transgressive biotypes. The joint evaluation of phylogenomic, phenotypic, reproductive, and ecological data supports a revision of purely descriptive, subjective traditional morphological classifications.

65 consecutive patients with presumed microbial keratitis and negative culture tests for bacteria and fungi obtained by corneal curettage were evaluated. All patients had undergone local broad spectrum antibiotic therapy for at least 5 days with no clinical improvement. After 48–72 h of wash-out they underwent scraping of the superior tarsal conjunctiva for cytological examination of cellular morphology in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The presence of pathogenic microorganisms was detected with this method in 62 of these patients, towards which specific therapy was carried out. Clinical improvement and eradication of microorganisms previously detected by SEM examination were observed in all positive patients over a time between 10 and 49 days. In three patients, no microorganisms were detected, but the presence of inflammatory cells (eosinophils and mast cells) or dry eye findings. This method could be useful to detect the presence of non-isolated microorganisms at common culture tests. The resolution of the infectious keratitis and the eradication of the pathogens at the subsequent cytological examination of cellular morphology in Scanning Electron Microscopy support the validity of the proposed method.

Acoustic emission (AE) sensing is an increasingly researched topic in the context of orthopedics and has a potentially high diagnostic value in the non-invasive assessment of joint disorders, such as osteoarthritis and implant loosening. However, a high level of reliability associated with the technology is necessary to make it appropriate for use as a clinical tool. This paper presents a test-retest and intrasession reliability evaluation of AE measurements of the knee during physical tasks: cycling, knee lifts and single-leg squats. Three sessions, each involving eight healthy volunteers were conducted. For the cycling activity, ICCs ranged from 0.538 to 0.901, while the knee lifts and single-leg squats showed poor reliability (ICC < 0.5). Intrasession ICCs ranged from 0.903 to 0.984 for cycling and from 0.600 to 0.901 for the other tasks. The results of this study show that movement consistency across multiple recordings and minimizing the influence of motion artifacts are essential for higher test reliability. It was shown that motion artifact resistant sensor mounting and the use of baseline movements to assess sensor attachment can improve the sensing reliability of AE techniques. Moreover, constrained movements, specifically cycling, show better inter- and intrasession reliability than unconstrained exercises.

The growing attention to environmental issues is leading to an increasing integration of renewable energy sources into electrical grids. This integration process could contribute to power system decarbonization, supporting the diversification of primary energy sources and enhancing the security of energy supply, which is threatened by the uncertain costs of conventional energy sources. Despite these environmental and economical benefits, many technological and regulatory problems should be fixed in order to significantly increase the level of penetration of renewable power generators, which are connected to power transmission and distribution systems via power electronic interfaces. Indeed, these converter-interfaced generators (CIGs) perturb grid operation, especially those fueled by non-programmable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar generators), affecting the system stability and making power systems more vulnerable to dynamic perturbations. To face these issues, the conventional operating procedures based on pre-defined system conditions, which are currently adopted in power system operation tools, should be enhanced in order to allow the “online” solution of complex decision-making problems, providing power system operators with the necessary measures and alerts to promptly adjust the system. A comprehensive analysis of the most promising research directions and the main enabling technologies for addressing this complex issue is presented in this paper.

During the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, each country has adopted different control measures to contrast the epidemic’s diffusion. Restrictions to mobility, public transport, and social life in general have been actuated to contain the spread of the pandemic. In this paper, we consider the deterministic SIRD model with delays proposed by Calleri et al., which is improved by adding the vaccinated compartment V (SIRDV model) and considering a time-dependent contact frequency. The three delays take into account the incubation time of the disease, the healing time, and the death time. The aim of this work is to study the effect of the vaccination campaigns in Great Britain (GBR) and Israel (ISR) during the pandemic period. The different restriction periods are included by fitting the contact frequency on real datasets as a piecewise constant function. As expected, the vaccination campaign reduces the amount of deaths and infected people. Furthermore, for the different levels of restriction policy, we find specific values of the contact frequency that can be used to predict the trend of the pandemic.

The aim of the present study is to check the relationship between virus detection on the conjunctival swabs by RT-PCR and the systemic and ocular clinical data, treatments, and to the modalities of administration of supplemental oxygen. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA reverse-transcriptase PCR assay of conjunctival brushing samples and the corneal/conjunctival clinical findings were evaluated in 18 eyes of 9 consecutive patients admitted to the COVID-19 Sub-intensive Unit of Salerno Hospital University, Italy. Conjunctival swabs were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 13 eyes of 7 patients; corneal epithelial defects were detected in 9 eyes. The seven patients with ocular involvement from SARS-CoV-2 had undergone treatment with a full-face mask or oxygen helmet in the last week, while the two subjects with negative conjunctival swabs had been treated with high flow nasal cannula. The positivity to the conjunctival test for SARS-CoV-2 was higher (72%) than that reported in the literature (10–15%) and related in all cases to the use of facial respiratory devices. These results suggest that exposure of unprotected eyes to aerosols containing high concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 could cause a keratoconjunctival viral infection. Further studies are needed to verify the causal link with the use of respiratory facial devices in patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia.

The European and national regulations in the decarbonisation path towards 2050 promote district heating in achieving the goals of efficiency, energy sustainability, use of renewables, and reduction of fossil fuel use. Improved management and optimisation, use of RES, and waste heat/cold sources decrease the overall demand for primary energy, a condition that is further supported by building renovations and new construction of under (almost) zero energy buildings, with a foreseeable decrease in the temperature of domestic heating systems. Models for the simulation of efficient thermal networks were implemented and described in this paper, together with results from a real case study in Italy, i.e., University Campus of Parma. Activities include the creation and validation of calculation codes and specific models in the Modelica language (Dymola software), aimed at investigating stationary regimes and dynamic behaviour as well. An indirect heat exchange substation was coupled with a resistive-capacitive model, which describes the building behaviour and the thermal exchanges by the use of thermos-physical parameters. To optimise indoor comfort conditions and minimise consumption, dynamic simulations were carried out for different operating sets: modulating the supply temperature in the plant depending on external conditions (Scenario 4) decreases the supplied thermal energy (−2.34%) and heat losses (−8.91%), even if a lower temperature level results in higher electricity consumption for pumping (+12.96%), the total energy consumption is reduced by 1.41%. A simulation of the entire heating season was performed for the optimised scenario, combining benefits from turning off the supply in the case of no thermal demand (Scenario 3) and from the modulation of the supply temperature (Scenario 4), resulting in lower energy consumption (the thermal energy supplied by the power plant −3.54%, pumping +7.76%), operating costs (−2.40), and emissions (−3.02%). The energy balance ex-ante and ex-post deep renovation in a single user was then assessed, showing how lowering the network operating temperature at 55 °C decreases the supplied thermal energy (−22.38%) and heat losses (−22.11%) with a slightly higher pumping consumption (+3.28%), while maintaining good comfort conditions. These promising results are useful for evaluating the application of low-temperature operations to the existing district heating networks, especially for large interventions of building renovation, and confirm their potential contribution to the energy efficiency targets.

Nucleocytoplasmic transport has been found dysregulated in many types of cancer and is often described as a poor prognostic factor. Specifically, Exportin-1 (XPO1) has been found overexpressed in many tumors and has become an attractive target in molecular oncology and therapeutics development. The selective inhibitor of nuclear export, Selinexor, is one of the most scientifically interesting drugs that targets XPO1 in clinical development. In this review, we summarized the most relevant preclinical and clinical results achieved for non-solid tumors, sarcomas, and other kind of solid tumors.

The common approach of the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is made with an analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid or the study of retinal fundus and the plaques formation through optical corneal tomography (OCT), or more simply with a fundus camera. Tears analysis is widely discussed in literature as an essential method to describe molecular and biochemical alterations in different diseases. The aim of our study was the identification with immunocytochemistry of Amyloid Beta-42 in tears from patients with or without familiarity for Alzheimer Disease, in order to make the diagnosis earlier and more accessible compared to other invasive methods. Our study was performed on tears from three phenotypically healthy subjects: two of them were Caucasian with Alzheimer familiarity (48 and 55 years old) and the other one was Asian without Alzheimer familiarity (45 years old) and affected by an adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis at the moment of withdrawal. Tear samples were collected from eye fornix and were examinated by immunocytochemistry (ICC) assay using anti-Amyloid Beta X-42 antibody. Two out of three tears samples showed positive Amyloid Beta-42. Considering that our patients were phenotypically healthy, the identification of Amyloid Beta-42 by ICC could be a candidable method to make the diagnosis of the disease earlier and more accessible and available then other current and invasive methods and it could be a candidate for a screening method too.

Athletic performance, technique assessment, and injury prevention are all important aspects in sports for both professional and amateur athletes. Wearable technology is attracting the research community’s interest because of its capability to provide real-time biofeedback to coaches and athletes when on the field and outside of more restrictive laboratory conditions. In this paper, a novel wearable motion sensor-based system has been designed and developed for athletic performance assessment during running and jumping tasks. The system consists of a number of components involving embedded systems (hardware and software), back-end analytics, information and communications technology (ICT) platforms, and a graphical user interface for data visualization by the coach. The system is able to provide automatic activity recognition, estimation of running and jumping metrics, as well as vertical ground reaction force (GRF) predictions, with sufficient accuracy to provide valuable information as regards training outcomes. The developed system is low-power, sufficiently small for real-world scenarios, easy to use, and achieves the specified communication range. The system’s high sampling rate, levels of accuracy and performance enables it as a performance evaluation tool able to support coaches and athletes in their real-world practice.

The increased use of sensor technology has been crucial in releasing the potential for remote rehabilitation. However, it is vital that human factors, that have potential to affect real-world use, are fully considered before sensors are adopted into remote rehabilitation practice. The smart sensor devices for rehabilitation and connected health (SENDoc) project assesses the human factors associated with sensors for remote rehabilitation of elders in the Northern Periphery of Europe. This article conducts a literature review of human factors and puts forward an objective scoring system to evaluate the feasibility of balance assessment technology for adaption into remote rehabilitation settings. The main factors that must be considered are: Deployment constraints, usability, comfort and accuracy. This article shows that improving accuracy, reliability and validity is the main goal of research focusing on developing novel balance assessment technology. However, other aspects of usability related to human factors such as practicality, comfort and ease of use need further consideration by researchers to help advance the technology to a state where it can be applied in remote rehabilitation settings.

The main contraindication to the anti-SARS CoV2 vaccine is an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine component. The need to vaccinate allergic people who are at higher risk can be of public health interest and this report shows a case of an allergic reaction to PEG of a HCW who had received the first dose of anti-SARS CoV2 vaccine. For 5 h after the administration of the vaccine, she had the appearance of erythematous spots on the face and neck, and a feeling of a slurred mouth and hoarseness. In order to treat the event, she was administered 8 mg intravenous dexamethasone, 1 vial intravenous chlorphenamine maleate, 250 mL intravenous 0.9% NaCl, and conventional oxygen therapy (2 L/min) with complete resolution of the suspected adverse drug reaction. According to the contraindication to the cutaneous test for this patient, BAT was used for further investigations. The patient who suffered the adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine and other five allergic patients who did not report any adverse reaction after the vaccination were tested. There was a significant activation of the vaccine-reactive patient’s basophils with 14.79 CD203chigh% at the concentration of 0.2 mg/mL, while other patients were negative. People who have a confirmed reaction to a vaccine component should undergo further investigation to discover other possible cross-reactions and select the right vaccine to immunize them.

Double charge exchange (DCE) reactions could provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double-β decay. To achieve this goal, a detailed description of the reaction mechanism is mandatory. This requires the full characterization of the initial and final-state interactions, which are poorly known for many of the projectile-target systems involved in future DCE studies. Among these, we intend to study the 20Ne + 130Te and 18O + 116Sn systems at 15.3 AMeV, which are particularly relevant due to their connection with the 130Te→130Xe and 116Cd→116Sn double-β decays. We measure the elastic and inelastic scattering cross-section angular distributions and compare them with theoretical calculations performed in the optical model, one-step distorted wave Born approximation, and coupled-channel approaches using the São Paulo double-folding optical potential. A good description of the experimental data in the whole explored range of transferred momenta is obtained provided that couplings with the 21+ states of the projectile and target are explicitly included within the coupled-channel approach. These results are relevant also in the analysis of other quasi-elastic reaction channels in these systems, in which the same couplings should be included.

One of the main issues for the navigation of underwater robots consists in accurate vehicle positioning, which heavily depends on the orientation estimation phase. The systems employed to this end are affected by different noise typologies, mainly related to the sensors and to the irregular noise of the underwater environment. Filtering algorithms can reduce their effect if opportunely configured, but this process usually requires fine techniques and time. This paper presents DANAE++, an improved denoising autoencoder based on DANAE (deep Denoising AutoeNcoder for Attitude Estimation), which is able to recover Kalman Filter (KF) IMU/AHRS orientation estimations from any kind of noise, independently of its nature. This deep learning-based architecture already proved to be robust and reliable, but in its enhanced implementation significant improvements are obtained in terms of both results and performance. In fact, DANAE++ is able to denoise the three angles describing the attitude at the same time, and that is verified also using the estimations provided by an extended KF. Further tests could make this method suitable for real-time applications in navigation tasks.

This paper proposes an analysis of the energy efficiency of a small quadruped robotic structure, designed based on the MIT Mini Cheetah, controlled using a central pattern generator based on the FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron. The robot’s performance evaluated on structurally complex terrain in a dynamic simulation environment is compared with other robotic structures on wheels and with hybrid architectures. The energy cost involved in carrying out an assigned task involving the need to traverse uneven terrain is calculated as a relevant index to be taken into account. In particular, simple control strategies impacting the leg trajectories are taken into account as the main factors affecting the energy efficiency in different terrain configurations. The adaptation of the leg trajectories is evaluated depending on the terrain characteristics, improving the locomotion performance.

Transport engineering has recently undergone several significant changes and innovations, one of which is the appearance and spread of autonomous vehicles; with this technology becoming more common and ordinary by the day, it is now necessary to implement some systems and contexts to facilitate autonomous vehicle operations. Consequently, a different perspective is now arising when dealing with road infrastructures, aiming to simplify and improve efficiency and maintenance of the existing roads, increase the life cycle of newly built ones, and minimize the economic and financial impact at the same time. Roadway pavements are one of the primary factors affecting vehicle operations; over time, this distinctive aspect has gone through various mechanical and physical changes due to the adoption of new materials or design methods. Consequently, to the spread of autonomous vehicles, scientific research has begun to study and develop systems to make road pavements and platforms not exclusively aimed at bearing loads, but rather at considering them as a means of communication and information exchange, if not even as a source of energy. This new approach introduces the so-called “Smart Roads,” i.e., road infrastructures capable of communicating with vehicles and self-monitoring fundamental perspectives concerning driverless vehicles and the roadway platform life cycle. This paper examines the characteristics of Smart Roads, considering their broad field of application and their potential advantages and drawbacks. This paper also pursues the objective of describing the global vision, the possible future direction of these innovations concerning the automotive and transport industries, and a particular focus on infrastructures and roadways.

A large part of the archaeological remains still to be discovered and excavated are not in remote and depopulated areas of the earth but are often beneath urban centres that have buried them with centuries of debris and later constructions. Excavating in these contexts is much more complex than digging in rural or sparsely inhabited areas because of the constraints imposed by existing buildings and infrastructure. It should also be considered that within an urbanised area, any archaeological remains are concentrated in the subsoil of the historic centre, which is, therefore, often surmounted by buildings that are more recent than the remains but historical as well, and thus, of considerable value and vulnerability. For this reason, an archaeological excavation in an urban area must be preceded by a real feasibility study, where the potential risks for the structures above are minimised and accurately quantified. In many situations, as in the case under study, the discovery of a small segment of a structure is the only clue to reconstruct the development of the remaining part still to be excavated, which may stretch tens or hundreds of metres away from the measurable part. As a consequence, an error of a few centimetres in the survey of the excavated part can lead to errors of metres in estimating the positions of the far parts still to be excavated, and this, in many cases, as in the one under study, must absolutely be avoided. In practice, high-precision geomatic surveys, in support of the archaeological and historical interpretation of the observable structures, will help to establish the exact locations to possibly continue the excavations, helping the accurate planning of the excavation itself. Here, we have shown how the various techniques, compared to each other, have made it possible to reconstruct the location of a short stretch (less than 7 m) of the Emperor Augustus’ Sundial, the only currently visible evidence of a scientific instrument of imposing dimensions (tens of metres in length and height) that served to define some of the characteristics of the calendar that we still use today. The portion of the sundial currently observable, according to the most reliable hypotheses, is located approximately at one end of a structure and extends for several tens of metres. The accurate positioning of the observable parts in a geodetic reference system will enable to identify with certainty the possible areas in which excavation may continue and will also allow to accurately reconstruct the principle of operation of the sundial through an approach that could be defined as “reverse engineering” of the scientific instrument itself. The aim of this work is to study and thus define the combination and integration of existing geomatic techniques for this specific field of application.

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder, and the gut microbiome has been suggested to contribute to its onset. In order to better clarify the role of the microbiome in obesity, we evaluated the metatranscriptome in duodenal biopsies from a cohort of 23 adult severely obese and lean control subjects using next generation sequencing. Our aim was to provide a general picture of the duodenal metatranscriptome associated with severe obesity. We found altered expressions of human and microbial genes in the obese compared to lean subjects, with most of the gene alterations being present in the carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolic pathways. Defects were also present in several human genes involved in epithelial intestinal cells differentiation and function, as well as in the immunity/inflammation pathways. Moreover, the microbial taxa abundance inferred by our transcriptomic data differed in part from the data that we previously evaluated by 16S rRNA in 13/23 individuals of our cohort, particularly concerning the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla abundances. In conclusion, our pilot study provides the first taxonomic and functional characterization of duodenal microbiota in severely obese subjects and lean controls. Our findings suggest that duodenal microbiome and human genes both play a role in deregulating metabolic pathways, likely affecting energy metabolism and thus contributing to the obese phenotype.

In this paper, we analyze local spectral properties of operators R,S and RS which satisfy the operator equations RnSRn=Rj and SnRSn=Sj for same integers j≥n≥0. We also continue to study the relationship between the local spectral properties of an operator R and the local spectral properties of S. Thus, we investigate the transmission of some local spectral properties from R to S and we illustrate our results with an example. The theory is exemplified in some cases.

The goal of civil engineering has always been the research and implementation of methods, technologies, and infrastructures to improve the community’s quality of life. One of the branches of civil engineering that has the strongest effect on progress is transport. The quality of transport has a profound economic and social impact on our communities regarding trade (freight transport) and city livability (public transport systems). However, innovation is not the only way to improve the features above-mentioned, especially public transport, considering that it is usually beneficial to enhance and repurpose vehicles with appropriate adjustments to offer more efficient services. Other perspectives that influence public transport systems are the costs and times of design and construction, maintenance, operating costs, and environmental impact, especially concerning CO2 emissions. Considering these issues, among the various types of existing public transport systems, those of the so-called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) offer worthwhile results. The BRT system is a type of public road transport operated by bus on reserved lanes, and it is significantly profitable, especially from an economic point of view, in areas where there are existing bus routes. Nonetheless, for the construction of works minimization, it is closely linked to other features that improve its usefulness, depending on the vehicles’ quality such as capacity, but above all, the propulsion or driving autonomy that would guarantee high efficiency. This paper introduces an analysis of some BRT systems operating worldwide, presenting the background, general technical features, and the correlation with autonomous vehicles.

The rapid technological advancements of Industry 4.0 have opened up new vectors for novel industrial processes that require advanced sensing solutions for their realization. Motion capture (MoCap) sensors, such as visual cameras and inertial measurement units (IMUs), are frequently adopted in industrial settings to support solutions in robotics, additive manufacturing, teleworking and human safety. This review synthesizes and evaluates studies investigating the use of MoCap technologies in industry-related research. A search was performed in the Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Only studies in English, from 2015 onwards, on primary and secondary industrial applications were considered. The quality of the articles was appraised with the AXIS tool. Studies were categorized based on type of used sensors, beneficiary industry sector, and type of application. Study characteristics, key methods and findings were also summarized. In total, 1682 records were identified, and 59 were included in this review. Twenty-one and 38 studies were assessed as being prone to medium and low risks of bias, respectively. Camera-based sensors and IMUs were used in 40% and 70% of the studies, respectively. Construction (30.5%), robotics (15.3%) and automotive (10.2%) were the most researched industry sectors, whilst health and safety (64.4%) and the improvement of industrial processes or products (17%) were the most targeted applications. Inertial sensors were the first choice for industrial MoCap applications. Camera-based MoCap systems performed better in robotic applications, but camera obstructions caused by workers and machinery was the most challenging issue. Advancements in machine learning algorithms have been shown to increase the capabilities of MoCap systems in applications such as activity and fatigue detection as well as tool condition monitoring and object recognition.

This study aimed to verify noteworthy findings between genetic risk factors and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by employing the false positive report probability (FPRP) and the Bayesian false-discovery probability (BFDP). PubMed and the Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) catalog were searched from inception to 1 August, 2019. We included meta-analyses on genetic factors of ASD of any study design. Overall, twenty-seven meta-analyses articles from literature searches, and four manually added articles from the GWAS catalog were re-analyzed. This showed that five of 31 comparisons for meta-analyses of observational studies, 40 out of 203 comparisons for the GWAS meta-analyses, and 18 out of 20 comparisons for the GWAS catalog, respectively, had noteworthy estimations under both Bayesian approaches. In this study, we found noteworthy genetic comparisons highly related to an increased risk of ASD. Multiple genetic comparisons were shown to be associated with ASD risk; however, genuine associations should be carefully verified and understood.