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The PRIMULA study evaluated the impact of daratumumab on peripheral blood stem cell mobilization, collection, and post-transplant engraftment in multiple myeloma patients eligible for autologous transplantation. Results showed that daratumumab reduced stem cell collection, necessitated more frequent mobilization attempts, and delayed platelet recovery compared to standard treatment. Despite these challenges, the feasibility and safety of autologous stem cell transplantation were not compromised. Daratumumab's negative effects on stem cell yield and engraftment kinetics could have financial implications and affect treatment strategies for certain high-risk patients, but its benefits in treating multiple myeloma remain significant. [Extracted from the article]

Calcareous lithics are commonly found within the products of some explosive eruptions of Somma-Vesuvius. The pumice fragments from the final phase of the Plinian fallout event of the Pomici di Avellino eruption contain abundant calcareous xenoliths. Previous work on that eruption, including numerical simulations, suggested that the release of CO2 from the entrapment of carbonates may have prolonged the magmatic phase of the eruption by maintaining sufficient driving pressure in the feeding dike. The texture and thermo-metamorphic reactions of carbonate xenolith-bearing pumice fragments of the Pomici di Avellino eruption are analyzed through petrography, scanning electron microscope images, energy dispersive spectrometer analyses, and micro-computed X-ray tomography to deduce the behavior of short-term carbonate-magma interaction and its contribution to the eruption dynamics. Results show that calcareous xenoliths experienced short-term magma-carbonate interaction, which took place in three steps: (i) entrainment, i.e., the mechanical process of carbonate xenoliths entrapment into a magma; (ii) decarbonation, related to high-temperature decomposition reaction of the xenoliths; and (iii) digestion or dissolution of the incorporated calcareous xenoliths into the melt with diffusion of Ca and Mg. The CO2 released during the syn-eruptive decarbonation process thus provided extra volatiles to the rising magma, which may have maintained magma buoyancy longer than expected if only magmatic volatiles were involved in the eruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of moiré systems have explained the effect of superlattice modulations on their properties, demonstrating new correlated phases1. However, most experimental studies have focused on a few layers in two-dimensional systems. Extending twistronics to three dimensions, in which the twist extends into the third dimension, remains underexplored because of the challenges associated with the manual stacking of layers. Here we study three-dimensional twistronics using a self-assembled twisted spiral superlattice of multilayered WS2. Our findings show an opto-twistronic Hall effect driven by structural chirality and coherence length, modulated by the moiré potential of the spiral superlattice. This is an experimental manifestation of the noncommutative geometry of the system. We observe enhanced light–matter interactions and an altered dependence of the Hall coefficient on photon momentum. Our model suggests contributions from higher-order quantum geometric quantities to this observation, providing opportunities for designing quantum-materials-based optoelectronic lattices with large nonlinearities.Opto-twistronic Hall effect driven by structural chirality and coherence length is observed in a three-dimensional self-assembled twisted spiral superlattice of WS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary article describes the results of a Delphi Method discussion between an interdisciplinary team of state dyslexia policy implementers. The authors argue that the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) definition of dyslexia from 2001 skews toward the perspectives of the research community, inadvertently creating implementation challenges for school practice. The article describes how the authors reached this determination; why they believe Vaughn et al.'s (Annals of Dyslexia, 2024) proposed definition marks an improvement over the 2001 IDA definition; and the need for continued support in the dyslexia policy implementation process, including knowledge dissemination efforts and updates to other relevant policy documents. This collaboration between policymakers, educators, and researchers contributes to the special issue by considering how the definition of dyslexia is situated in policy and practice. In so doing, it addresses a longstanding gap in academic research on how policy implementers understand and use the IDA definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a challenge to standard libertarian views that is based on an imagined neuroscientificdiscovery that is incompatible with satisfaction of a standard libertarian requirement for mainstream free decision making, and it explores potential libertarian responses to this discovery. The requirement at issue may beformulated as follows: In mainstream cases, an agent freely decided at t to A only if, given the past and the laws of nature, the agent was able right up to t to do something else intentionally at t than decide to A. The imagined discovery is about a point of no return for the making of any particular decision in a mainstream scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For many tumors, radiomics provided a relevant prognostic contribution. This study tested whether the computed tomography (CT)-based textural features of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and peritumoral tissue improve the prediction of survival after resection compared with the standard clinical indices. Methods: All consecutive patients affected by ICC who underwent hepatectomy at six high-volume centers (2009–2019) were considered for the study. The arterial and portal phases of CT performed fewer than 60 days before surgery were analyzed. A manual segmentation of the tumor was performed (Tumor-VOI). A 5-mm volume expansion then was applied to identify the peritumoral tissue (Margin-VOI). Results: The study enrolled 215 patients. After a median follow-up period of 28 months, the overall survival (OS) rate was 57.0%, and the progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 34.9% at 3 years. The clinical predictive model of OS had a C-index of 0.681. The addition of radiomic features led to a progressive improvement of performances (C-index of 0.71, including the portal Tumor-VOI, C-index of 0.752 including the portal Tumor- and Margin-VOI, C-index of 0.764, including all VOIs of the portal and arterial phases). The latter model combined clinical variables (CA19-9 and tumor pattern), tumor indices (density, homogeneity), margin data (kurtosis, compacity, shape), and GLRLM indices. The model had performance equivalent to that of the postoperative clinical model including the pathology data (C-index of 0.765). The same results were observed for PFS. Conclusions: The radiomics of ICC and peritumoral tissue extracted from preoperative CT improves the prediction of survival. Both the portal and arterial phases should be considered. Radiomic and clinical data are complementary and achieve a preoperative estimation of prognosis equivalent to that achieved in the postoperative setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the extensive amount of evidence in the literature regarding the benefits of agroforestry systems including carbon sequestration, soil erosion reduction, climate change resilience, biodiversity conservation and other ecosystem services, the adoption of agroforestry practices presents several barriers for farmers and other stakeholders, thus requiring comprehensive examination from the scientific community. We performed a systematic literature review following the methodology described in the PRISMA framework, to provide a novel comprehensive and systematic overview of what is present in the literature regarding the obstacles stakeholders perceive with regards to agroforestry adoption, gathered through participatory research methods, which are methodologies that engage stakeholders in the research process. In this work, we highlighted and categorized 31 obstacles that stakeholders around the globe perceive according to the examined literature (n = 90) with regards to agroforestry adoption, pertaining to i) technical-agronomic, ii) socio-economic and iii) policy-legislative aspects. We produced a consultable database of the examined literature presenting the extracted and categorized data including 1) Region of interest; 2) Investigated agroforestry system; 3) Methodologies utilized in the papers; 4) Number, gender ratio and type of stakeholders; 5) Main relevant obstacles found in the paper. We highlighted the five most frequently encountered issues i) the availability or quality of knowledge or experience on technical and agronomic matters, or knowledge diffusion necessary to implement or maintain agroforestry systems ii) the perceived socio-economic issue related to the market, marketing of agroforestry products, supply chain or jobs in agroforestry; iii) issues related to the amount of labor or time necessary to implement or maintain agroforestry systems; iv) issues related to the upfront economic investment necessary to establish an agroforestry system and availability of capital; and v) issues related to the availability of technical support necessary to implement or maintain agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing perennial legumes in the understory layer in agroforestry systems is a strategy to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems, i.e., by increasing land productivity, fostering carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling and reducing reliance on inorganic nitrogen fertilizers for tree crops. In many parts of Central Italy, sulla, a biennial autochthonous legume, is widely adopted in forage cropping systems for its productivity and nutritive value and it is often intercropped with ryegrass for a better utilization as grazed temporary grassland. To evaluate the agronomic performance of these perennial species grown under different levels of light reduction, an artificial shade plot trial was established in the coastal plain of Pisa, Central Italy, with the aim to simulate the effect of tree presence with different levels of shade intensification in rainfed conditions. The experiment layout complies with a 2-way completely randomized design with four replicates. The two factors tested were the forage species (namely sulla, ryegrass and their intercropping) and the level of shade (no shade, moderate shade − 30% light reduction-, and intense shade − 50% light reduction-). Shading significantly reduced the above ground biomass (AGB) production, especially for the intense shading (on average about − 20% with respect to the full sun). The mixture resulted as the most productive crop, yielding on average about + 30 and + 40% AGB in comparison to sulla and ryegrass pure stands, respectively. The findings about the effect of the shading on AGB production showed that mixture was a suitable sward, especially under moderate shading conditions. Further studies are needed with the purpose to investigate the productive performance of these swards in real agroforestry conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In 2022, in Italy, general practitioners (GPs) have been allowed to prescribe SGLT2i in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) under National Health Service (NHS) reimbursement. In the pivotal clinical trial named DECLARE-TIMI 58, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, CV death and kidney disease progression compared to placebo in a population of T2D patients. This study evaluated the health and economic impact of dapagliflozin for T2D patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Italian GPs setting. Methods: A budget impact model was developed to assess the health and economic impact of introducing dapagliflozin in GPs setting. The analysis was conducted by adopting the Italian NHS perspective and a 3-year time horizon. The model estimated and compared the health outcomes and direct medical costs associated with a scenario with dapagliflozin and other antidiabetic therapies available for GPs prescription (scenario B) and a scenario where only other antidiabetic therapies are available (scenario A). Rates of occurrence of cardiovascular and renal complications as well as adverse events were captured from DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial and the literature, while cost data were retrieved from the Italian tariff and the literature. One-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the impact of model parameters on the budget impact. Results: The model estimated around 442.000 patients eligible for the treatment with dapagliflozin in the GPs setting for each simulated year. The scenario B compared to scenario A was associated with a reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular and renal complication (−1.83%) over the 3 years simulated. Furthermore, the scenario A allowed for an overall cost saving of 102,692,305€: 14,521,464€ in the first year, 33,007,064€ in the second and 55,163,777€ in the third. The cost of cost of drug acquisition, the probability of cardiovascular events and the percentage of patients potentially eligible to the treatment were the factor with largest impact on the results. Conclusions: The use of dapagliflozin in GPs setting reduce the number of CVD events, kidney disease progression and healthcare costs in Italy. These data should be considered to optimize the value produced for the T2D patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistance to liquefaction of soils can be significantly increased by slightly reducing the degree of saturation. Many experimental studies demonstrated that the augmented compressibility of the pore fluid mixture composed by entrapped bubbles within a continuous fluid phase reduces the amount of seismically induced excess pore water pressure. On the contrary, interpretation through constitutive models of the cyclic response of nearly saturated soils, often referred to as gassy soils, is by far less explored in the literature. This paper addresses this topic by considering the gas–water mixture as a homogeneous equivalent fluid whose compressibility has been used along with the elastoplastic constitutive model formulated by Dafalias and Manzari (2004). The model has been calibrated on the experimental data obtained from monotonic triaxial tests on saturated sandy soils and then validated with the results of cyclic triaxial tests on saturated and non-saturated liquefiable sandy soils. The selected calibration has been used to perform parametric analyses by varying the initial conditions of the soil (i.e., the relative density and degree of saturation), thus further emphasizing the beneficial effect of quasi-saturated fluid to delay the onset of liquefaction instabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Frailty is common in critically ill patients but the timing and optimal method of frailty ascertainment, trajectory and relationship with care processes remain uncertain. We sought to elucidate the trajectory and care processes of frailty in critically ill patients as measured by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Frailty Index (FI). Methods: This is a multi-centre prospective cohort study enrolling patients ≥ 50 years old receiving life support > 24 h. Frailty severity was assessed with a CFS, and a FI based on the elements of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) at intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hospital discharge and 6 months. For the primary outcome of frailty prevalence, it was a priori dichotomously defined as a CFS ≥ 5 or FI ≥ 0.2. Processes of care, adverse events were collected during ICU and ward stays while outcomes were determined for ICU, hospital, and 6 months. Results: In 687 patients, whose age (mean ± standard deviation) was 68.8 ± 9.2 years, frailty prevalence was higher when measured with the FI (CFS, FI %): ICU admission (29.8, 44.8), hospital discharge (54.6, 67.9), 6 months (34.1, 42.6). Compared to ICU admission, aggregate frailty severity increased to hospital discharge but improved by 6 months; individually, CFS and FI were higher in 45.3% and 50.6% patients, respectively at 6 months. Compared to hospital discharge, 18.7% (CFS) and 20% (FI) were higher at 6 months. Mortality was higher in frail patients. Processes of care and adverse events were similar except for worse ICU/ward mobility and more frequent delirium in frail patients. Conclusions: Frailty severity was dynamic, can be measured during recovery from critical illness using the CFS and FI which were both associated with worse outcomes. Although the CFS is a global measure, a CGA FI based may have advantages of being able to measure frailty levels, identify deficits, and potential targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a critique of the current version of Derk Pereboom's "disappearing agent argument" against event-causal libertarianism. Special attention is paid to a notion that does a lot of work in his argument—that of settling which decision occurs (of the various decisions it is open to the agent to make at the time). It is argued that Pereboom's disappearing agent argument fails to show that event-causal libertarians lack the resources to accommodate agents' having freedom-level control over what they decide. The connection between the disappearing agent argument and the problem of present luck is explored, as is the connection between settling which decision one makes and luck. Pereboom's disappearing agent argument also is distinguished from another argument with the same name that targets intentional action itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This retrospective study aimed to assess the safety and technical efficacy of preoperative direct puncture embolization using a nonadhesive ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer-based liquid embolic agent (LEA) combined with balloon occlusion at the origin of the external carotid artery for head and neck paragangliomas (HNP). Methods: We conducted a review of all consecutive cases of HNPs treated with direct puncture embolization using EVOH-based LEAs between 2017 and 2022 in 2 tertiary high-volume hospitals. Results: A total of 25 cases of HNPs in 24 patients underwent direct puncture embolization (12 males, 12 females, mean age 50.9 ± 15.6 years). The average lesion volume was 299.95 mm3. The mean procedure time was 139.11 min, and the mean volume of EVOHs used per case was 19.38 mL. Successful complete devascularization was achieved in all cases, with a homogeneous and deep penetration of the embolic agent into the tumor vessel bed regardless of the LEA type. Conclusion: Preoperative embolization of HNPs using a direct puncture technique and EVOHs is a safe, efficient, and feasible treatment option with a low risk of complications. This procedure facilitates surgery by transforming tumors into avascular masses that are well-delineated against the surrounding normal tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospun nanofibres of polylactic acid (PLA) are suggested for a variety of uses, including scaffolds for tissue engineering, components of drug delivery devices, sustainable packaging materials and membranes for liquid filtration/purification. For all these applications, it is critical to consider the stability of the PLA electrospun materials once in operation. Exposure to certain liquids and temperatures can modify their dimensions, shape, surface topography and mechanical response and compromise their performance. In this study, electrospun PLA mats were exposed to water and ethanol solutions, at different temperatures and for defined time periods, and changes in their properties were analysed. It was found that the impact of water on area shrinkage and fibre arrangement strongly depended on temperature, particularly if the treatment was performed at the glass transition temperature of PLA. Ethanol, instead, induced significant alterations in the size, morphology, and elastic modulus of the electrospun mats, even at room temperature and determined the formation of crimped structures. This work provides insights into the conditions that can critically affect the properties of PLA electrospun fibres and, hence, impact on their usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-TeV muon colliders promise an unprecedented potential for exploring the particle-physics energy frontier, and, at the same time, can probe with fantastic accuracy the precise structure of the Standard Model, and in particular of the Higgs boson sector. Here we consider the possibility to measure the loop-suppressed single-, double-, triple-Higgs boson production mediated by the collinear-photon scattering in the channels μ + μ - → μ + μ - γ ∗ γ ∗ → μ + μ - [ H , H H , H H H ] . We study total rates and kinematical distributions in the Standard Model, and compare them with the corresponding vector-boson-fusion processes V ∗ V ∗ → H , H H , H H H at muon collisions center-of-mass energies 1.5 TeV TeV. Possible strategies for enhancing the γ γ → H , H H , H H H signal over the dominant vector-boson-fusion production are proposed. The sensitivity of total rates to possible anomalies in the Higgs-boson self-couplings is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel approach to identify the presence of a latent factor in the co-movements of gasoline and diesel prices in the three major European Union economies, (France, Germany, and Italy) using daily data from January 3, 2005, to June 28, 2021. More precisely, we advance an artificial neural networks algorithm estimated through a machine learning experiment through the backpropagation system to show that the neural signal is altered by an element that could coincide with a latent factor in the fuel price co-movements. We consider the role of the fuel tax systems and the connection between gasoline and diesel prices in these countries. The estimations indicate the presence of an unobservable component (the latent factor) in the fuel price co-movements, capable of influencing NN. This result validates the previous findings reported in the literature, indicating an excess co-movement in fuel prices. It also has implications in terms of fuel price forecasts in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early stages of ageing are a critical time window in which the ability to detect and identify precocious molecular and cognitive markers can make the difference in determining a healthy vs unhealthy course of ageing. Using the 6-different object task (6-DOT), a highly demanding hippocampal-dependent recognition memory task, we classified a population of middle-aged (12-month-old) CD1 male mice in Impaired and Unimpaired based on their short-term memory. This approach led us to identify a different microRNAs expression profile in the hippocampus of Impaired mice compared to Unimpaired ones. Among the dysregulated microRNAs, miR-153-3p was upregulated in the hippocampus of Impaired mice and appeared of high interest for its putative target genes and their possible implication in memory-related synaptic plasticity. We showed that intra-hippocampal injection of the miR-153-3p mimic in adult (3-month-old) mice is sufficient to induce a short-term memory deficit similar to that observed in middle-aged Impaired mice. Overall, these findings unravel a novel role for hippocampal miR-153-3p in modulating short-term memory that could be exploited to prevent early cognitive deficits in ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Na+,HCO3–-cotransporter NBCn1/Slc4a7 accelerates murine breast carcinogenesis. Lack of specific pharmacological tools previously restricted therapeutic targeting of NBCn1 and identification of NBCn1-dependent functions in human breast cancer. Methods: We develop extracellularly-targeted anti-NBCn1 antibodies, screen for functional activity on cells, and evaluate (a) mechanisms of intracellular pH regulation in human primary breast carcinomas, (b) proliferation, cell death, and tumor growth consequences of NBCn1 in triple-negative breast cancer, and (c) association of NBCn1-mediated Na+,HCO3–-cotransport with human breast cancer metastasis. Results: We identify high-affinity (KD ≈ 0.14 nM) anti-NBCn1 antibodies that block human NBCn1-mediated Na+,HCO3–-cotransport in cells, without cross-reactivity towards human NBCe1 or murine NBCn1. These anti-NBCn1 antibodies abolish Na+,HCO3–-cotransport activity in freshly isolated primary organoids from human breast carcinomas and lower net acid extrusion effectively in primary breast cancer tissue from patients with macrometastases in axillary lymph nodes. Inhibitory anti-NBCn1 antibodies decelerate tumor growth in vivo by ~50% in a patient-derived xenograft model of triple-negative breast cancer and pH-dependently reduce colony formation, cause G2/M-phase cell cycle accumulation, and increase apoptosis of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer cells in vitro. Conclusions: Inhibitory anti-NBCn1 antibodies block net acid extrusion in human breast cancer tissue, particularly from patients with disseminated disease, and pH-dependently limit triple-negative breast cancer growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the role of voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) in patients with duplex system ureterocele (DSU) undergoing endoscopic decompression (ED). Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of 75 consecutive patients with DSU undergoing ED [median (range) age, 6 (1–148) months]. Patients were divided into 3 groups, 33 with a VCUG showing vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) before ED (VUR-group), 22 with a VCUG negative for VUR (No-VUR-group), and 20 who did not undergo a VCUG (No-VCUG-group). Secondary surgery (SS) rate was compared among groups. Results: Groups were comparable for baseline characteristics. SS rate was 82% (27/33) in VUR-group vs. 32% (7/22) in the No-VUR-group (p = 0.0001), and 25% (5/20) in the No-VCUG-group (p = 0.001 vs. VUR-group, and 1 vs. No-VUR-group). In the VUR-group, 9 patients underwent preemptive endoscopic treatment of VUR during ED and SS rate was 44% (4/9) vs. 96% (23/24) in the remainder, p= 0.003. In the No-VCUG-group, a VCUG was performed during follow-up in 9/15 patients and showed reflux in all, although only 2 of these developed a (single) urinary tract infections. Conclusions: SS rate was significantly higher in patients with preoperative VUR. Instead, it was not significantly different between patients without VUR and those who did not undergo a VCUG before ED, despite all the latter who underwent a VCUG during follow-up had evidence of VUR generally in the absence of symptoms. In our opinion, a VCUG could be limited to patients developing symptoms after ED. If a VCUG is performed before ED, a preemptive treatment of VUR should be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies reported that iron may have an indispensable role in the risk of hypertension (HTN). However, the result of the studies on the relationship between iron and risk of HTN is inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the association between the association of dietary iron intake and HTN in the Iranian population. This case–control study was conducted on 4184 people aged 35 to 70, including 1239 people with HTN and 2945 people with normal blood pressure (BP) in Sabzevar, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Nutritionist IV software was used in terms of the assessment of dietary intake of iron. An inverse association was found between iron intake and HTN (OR = 0.97, CI 95%: 0.94–0.99, P = 0.04). The association remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, drinking alcohol, calorie intake, and BMI (OR = 0.94, CI 95%: 0.89–0.98, P = 0.01). As a conclusion, iron intake was inversely associated with HTN. Further longitudinal studies on the effect of iron intake on BP are required to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The incidence of anal cancer is on the rise in the US, especially among high-risk groups. This study examined the prevalence and determinants of awareness of the causal relationship between HPV and anal cancer among US adults. Methods: Study data was obtained from the 2017 to 2020 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey. The prevalence of awareness that HPV causes anal cancer was estimated among HINTS respondents who were aware of HPV in general. Survey weights were used to provide estimates representative of the adult US population. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between awareness that HPV causes anal cancer and cancer-related behaviors/perceptions and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Results: Two thousand six hundred and eighty four (27.2%) of the study population were aware that HPV caused anal cancer. Those of gay sexual orientation were more aware than heterosexuals [OR 2.27; 95% CI (1.24, 4.14)]. Compared to respondents with a high school diploma or less, individuals with some college education [OR 1.38; 95% CI (1.03, 1.85)] and those with at least a college degree [OR 1.52; 95% CI (1.17, 1.98)] were more likely to be aware. Participants who had positive cancer information seeking behavior were more aware of the HPV-anal cancer link compared to those who did not [OR 1.57; 95% CI (1.30, 1.89)]. Conclusion: Population-level awareness that HPV causes anal cancer remains critically low in the US. Sexual orientation, level of education and cancer information seeking behavior are associated with increased awareness of the causal relationship between HPV and anal cancer. Efforts should be directed toward addressing the awareness gap among individuals with lower education levels and promoting curiosity-driven information seeking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila melanogaster is unique among animal models because it has a fully defined synthetic diet available to study nutrient-gene interactions. However, use of this diet is limited to adult studies due to impaired larval development and survival. Here, we provide an adjusted formula that reduces the developmental period, restores fat levels, enhances body mass, and fully rescues survivorship without compromise to adult lifespan. To demonstrate an application of this formula, we explored pre-adult diet compositions of therapeutic potential in a model of an inherited metabolic disorder affecting the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids. We reveal rapid, specific, and predictable nutrient effects on the disease state consistent with observations from mouse and patient studies. Together, our diet provides a powerful means with which to examine the interplay between diet and metabolism across all life stages in an animal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemics have the potential to change how people behave and feel. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception; thus, it may serve as a "challenging context" for understanding how pandemics affect people's minds. In this study, we used high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural correlates of fear of contagion during the most critical moments of COVID-19 in Italy (i.e., October 2020–May 2021). To do that, we stimulated participants (N = 17; nine females) with artificial-intelligence-generated faces of people presented as healthy, recovered from COVID-19, or infected by SARS-CoV-2. The fMRI results documented a modulation of large bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal functional brain networks. Critically, we found selective recruitment of cortical (e.g., frontal lobes) and subcortical fear-related structures (e.g., amygdala and putamen) of the so-called social brain network when participants observed COVID-19-related faces. Consistently, EEG results showed distinct patterns of brain activity selectively associated with infected and recovered faces (e.g., delta and gamma rhythm). Together, these results highlight how pandemic contexts may reverberate in the human brain, thus influencing most basic social and cognitive functioning. This may explain the emergence of a cluster of psychopathologies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study underscores the need for prompt interventions to address pandemics' short- and long-term consequences on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nail gun injuries are a forensic problem; it can be difficult to distinguish self-inflicted injuries from accident and homicide instances. This kind of injuries shares some characteristics with both gunshot and puncture wounds. We describe a peculiar case of a man who committed suicide driving nails into his skull using a pneumatic nail gun. Entrance wounds were found on both temporal regions of the head. Reviewing scientific literature, this is the first case in Italy reporting the macroscopic data of bilateral head and brain nail gun injuries during an autopsy. Circumstantial elements were not sufficient to clarify if these lesions were self-inflicted, inflicted by accident, or else. Radiological examination can be helpful to show the exact location of the nails, but it has also its own limitations. We firmly believe that autopsy, especially the head section, is crucial to identify the nature and the extension of these lesions, thus giving us much more information about the mechanism of death and the circumstances in which it occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several bio-based and biodegradable polymers have been lately introduced on the market as potential substitutes for conventional plastics in order to decrease the environmental impacts related to plastics manufacturing and especially end of life disposal. The most applied route for the management of these types of bioplastics once they enter the waste stream is co-treatment with biowaste in anaerobic digestion and/or composting plants that may lead to their recycling as digestate and/or compost. Several studies however, have reported the incomplete biodegradation of these materials at lab-scale and/or in conventional treatment plants and the significant content of small inert particles, including microplastics, in the final products. This could represent an obstacle to the agricultural use of the produced digestate and/or compost. It is therefore necessary to study all the possible options for the recycling of these types of materials based on the specific characteristics of the polymers that constitute them. In this study, four different types of bio-based biodegradable plastics were characterized by chemical-physical analysis. In particular, the main properties investigated included the content of volatile and non-volatile phases, crystallinity, main elemental composition, content of different phases by spectroscopic investigation using Fourier Transform InfraRed spectra and of metals and metalloids of potential environmental concern. The results of the thermogravimetry analysis indicated that all of the recycling/recovery options considered (compost production via biodegradation, chemical recycling and energy recovery) could be potentially applicable for the examined bioplastics, since they showed to contain polymers that volatilize below 550 °C. The highest volatile matter contents were measured for PLA cups and starch-based films, while the highest ash contents were found for the other two types of rigid bioplastics, which also showed the highest concentrations of elements of potential environmental concern, that were anyhow quite limited, and reduced higher heating values estimated by elemental analysis compared to PLA or starch-based films. In addition, the rigid bioplastics tested exhibited a higher degree of crystallinity, which could be associated to a lower biodegradability. With regard to chemical recycling processes, the results of the chemical-physical investigations indicated that pyrolysis could be a technically viable process to apply for the treatment of all of the bioplastic samples examined. Thus, PLA, which is manufactured through lactic acid condensation, chemical recycling by rapid depolymerization through pyrolysis was evaluated applying a numerical model implemented in Aspen plus®. Results indicated that the best yields in terms of lactide recovery could be obtained at an temperature of 400 °C and 10 s residence time and that other valuable products may be obtained potentially by fractional condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiomyopathies are myocardial diseases characterized by mechanical and electrical dysfunction of the heart muscle which could lead to heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Certainly, an accurate anamnesis, a meticulous physical examination, and an ECG are cornerstones in raising the diagnostic suspicion. However, cardiovascular imaging techniques are indispensable to diagnose a specific cardiomyopathy, to stratify the risk related to the disease and even to track the response to the therapy. Echocardiography is often the first exam that the patient undergoes, because of its non-invasiveness, wide availability, and cost-effectiveness. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging allows to integrate and implement the information obtained with the echography. Furthermore, cardiomyopathies' genetic basis has been investigated over the years and the list of genetic mutations deemed potentially pathogenic is expected to grow further. The aim of this review is to show echocardiographic, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic features of several cardiomyopathies: dilated cardiomyopathy (DMC), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), myocarditis, and takotsubo cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an effective approach to realise circular construction with concrete, and shows Unreinforced Masonry as a foundational building block for it. The paper outlines the importance of circularity in building structures. It specifically focuses on the impact of circular construction with concrete on improving the sustainability of the built environment in a rapidly urbanising world economy. Subsequently, the relevance of principles of structural design and construction of unreinforced masonry to achieve circularity is articulated. Furthermore, the paper presents and summarises recent developments in the field of Unreinforced Concrete Masonry (URCM) including digital design tools to synthesise structurally efficient shapes, and low-waste digital fabrication techniques using lower-embodied-emission materials to realise the designed shapes. The paper exemplifies these using two physically realised, full-scale URCM footbridge prototypes and a commercially available, mass-customisable building floor element, called the Rippmann Floor System (RFS). The paper also outlines the benefits of mainstream, industrial-scale adoption of the design and construction technologies for URCM, including accelerating the pathway to decarbonise the concrete industry. In summary, the paper argues that URCM provides a solution to significantly mitigate the carbon emissions associated with concrete and reduce the use of virgin resources whilst retaining its benefits such as widespread and cheap availability, endurance, fire safety, low maintenance requirements and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many geotechnical problems, the stress state may be approximated by a simple shear stress state. Owing to that, simple shear tests, in which the principal axes of stresses and strains are free to rotate, should be preferred to investigate the soil mechanical behaviour. However, the most common simple shear devices (rigid boundaries) do not allow to completely know the stress state of the specimen. Therefore, the interpretation of this test type has always been developed only theoretically. In order to improve the basic understanding of simple shear stress paths, a more innovative simple shear device with flexible boundaries was used in this research. The specimen is enclosed with an unreinforced membrane and confined by cell pressure. The diameter is kept constant through a sophisticated control system, which well approximates a K0 condition. The undrained monotonic and cyclic simple shear tests on an Italian sand are presented and discussed. Based on some hypotheses, the stress state is reasonably determined and represented by Mohr's circles. The theoretical interpretations show that the soil failure—under monotonic and cyclic loading—is reached when the effective intermediate principal stress is midway between the major and minor principal effective stresses (b = 0.5; θ = 0), while the principal stress directions tend to reach a slope of 45°. Finally, the mechanical response of the tested sand is compared with the results of triaxial tests from a static and cyclic point of view. In agreement with several results reported in the literature, the friction angle in critical state conditions is higher in simple shear tests compared to that achieved in triaxial tests due to the rotation of principal stress directions. Moreover, the results of cyclic simple shear tests, in terms of liquefaction resistance (CRR15 ≈ 0.13), are consistent with those performed in cyclic triaxial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable new nonlinear responses, metamaterials are created by organizing structural units (meta-atoms), which are typically on the scale of about a hundred nanometres. However, truly altering the atomic symmetry and enabling new nonlinear responses requires control at the atomic scale, down to a few ångströms. Here we report three-dimensional nonlinear optical materials realized by the precise control and twist of individual two-dimensional van der Waals interfaces. Specifically, new nonlinear crystals are achieved by adding pseudo-screw symmetries to a multiple of four-layer WS2 stacks (for example, four layer, eight layer and so on). Nonlinear susceptibility and circular selectivity of the resulting three-dimensional crystals are fundamentally different from natural WS2, demonstrating a microscopic analogue to the fabrication of metamaterials with unique optical properties. Furthermore, we show that the magnitude of the newly enabled nonlinearity is enhanced by controlling the number of interfaces and the excitation wavelength. Our findings suggest a new approach to redesign the intrinsic nonlinearity in artificial atomic configurations, scalable from a few-nanometre-thick unit cells to bulk materials. Three-dimensional nonlinear optical metamaterials are realized by directly engineering the symmetries of electronic wavefunctions at the atomic scale by stacking individual two-dimensional van der Waals interfaces into a precisely designed three-dimensional configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal internal states can be expressed via social behaviors that are known to shape group dynamics (i.e., allogrooming, social play, agonistic encounters) and that can be flexibly used after experiencing negative stimuli. In extensively bred domestic species, animals are not always used to human handling, and thus also mandatory health checks can alter group dynamics. Here, we investigated possible fluctuations in social behaviors according to the presence and distance from the health check in a group of young Maremmana heifers and steers in semi-extensive conditions. We found that aggression did not change in relation to the health check. On the contrary, the time individuals spent playing and affiliating with each other drastically reduced in the day after the routinary check (Post 1, 0–24 h) if compared to days far from the event (Control): after that, it reached the highest level in the following day (Post 2, 24–48 h). This rebound effect might allow animals to compensate for the previous lack of social interactions and to restore social homeostasis. The findings suggest that social interactions in Maremmana cattle are informative about their internal states. Additionally, social play and allogrooming appear to function as coping strategies for these cattle. The routinary check for health status and performance can provoke distress in cattle. Social play and affiliation drastically reduced the day after the check (Post 1, 0–24 h). In the Post 2 (24–48 h), these social activities had a rebound effect. Aggression did not change in relation to the presence of the health check. On the whole, these findings suggest that social play and allogrooming could be effective coping strategies after handling procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the problem of answering complex questions formulated by users in natural language. Since traditional information retrieval systems are not suitable for complex questions, these questions are usually run over knowledge bases, such as Wikidata or DBpedia. We propose a semi-automatic approach for transforming a natural language question into a SPARQL query that can be easily processed over a knowledge base. The approach applies classification techniques to associate a natural language question with a proper query template from a set of predefined templates. The nature of our approach is semi-automatic as the query templates are manually written by human assessors, who are the experts of the knowledge bases, whereas the classification and query processing steps are completely automatic. Our experiments on the large-scale CSQA dataset for question-answering corroborate the effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the role of agency in transitions in tracked education systems or whether it varies by socioeconomic background. This study addressed this gap by estimating structural equation models based on longitudinal data that are representative of the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (N = 1273 individuals, surveyed from age 6 to 18, mean age at wave 1: Mage = 6.54, SDage = 0.50, female = 49%). The findings reveal that agency (captured by study effort and occupational aspirations) and socioeconomic background (measured by parental education and family income) significantly predicted students' transitions to academically demanding tracks in lower- and upper-secondary education. In the transition to upper-secondary education, students with fewer socioeconomic resources benefitted less than their more advantaged peers from ambitious aspirations, but they benefitted more from exerting effort. These findings suggest that both an optimistic forward-looking orientation and the exertion of effort are required to make it to an academic track. Effort may serve as a "substitutive" resource for less socioeconomically advantaged students, whereas ambitious aspirations may enhance the positive effect of family socioeconomic resources on academic educational trajectories. Overall, the evidence from this study calls for greater attention to investigating not only how agency shapes adolescents' educational trajectories and opportunities but also how its role differs across social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For fixed sequences u = (u i) i ∈ N , φ = (φ i) i ∈ N , we consider the weighted composition operator W u , φ with symbols u , φ defined by x = (x i) i ∈ N ↦ u (x ∘ φ) = (u i x φ i) i ∈ N . We characterize the continuity and the compactness of the operator W u , φ when it acts on the weighted Banach spaces l p (v) , 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞ , and c 0 (v) , with v = (v i) i ∈ N a weight sequence on N . We extend these results to the case in which the operator W u , φ acts on sequence (LF)-spaces of type l p (V) and on sequence (PLB)-spaces of type a p (V) , with p ∈ [ 1 , ∞ ] ∪ { 0 } and V a system of weights on N . We also characterize other topological properties of W u , φ acting on l p (V) and on a p (V) , such as boundedness, reflexivity and to being Montel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the impact of different periodontal surgical treatments on the quality of life and postoperative morbidity. Materials and methods: The present study is a single-center, prospective, observational cohort trial. One hundred fifty-five patients, referred to the Periodontal Department of Bologna University who needed periodontal surgical treatment, were recruited. The self-reported perception of the postoperative course was assessed using the following anonymous questionnaires: Italian oral health impact profile (I-OHIP-14), visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate the intensity of the pain, and 5-point Likert scale. Results: Patients reported a mean OHIP-14 total score of 9.87±8.5 (range 0–42), significantly influenced by the female sex, flap extension, and periodontal dressing. A mean VAS score of 2.96±2.39 (range 0–9) was calculated, and was found to be influenced by the presence of vertical releasing incisions and palatal flap extension. Of the 155 subjects, 40 (25.8%) patients reported bleeding as a post-surgical complication, 96 (61.9%) swelling, 105 (67.7%) eating discomfort, and 44 (28.4%) reported speech discomfort. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the nature of the present study, periodontal surgical procedures have a low impact on patients' quality of life evaluated through the OHIP-14 and VAS pain questionnaires. Clinical relevance: Periodontal surgical procedures are safe procedures, with a limited duration of postoperative discomfort as well as the incidence of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only few ES-SCLC patients experience long-term survival benefit by maintenance IT. Adipokines-induced metabolic meta-inflammation has been related to enhanced responsiveness to IT in obese patients; however, their prognostic role in SCLC is currently controversial. Methods: Pre-treatment CT scan was used for determining distribution of abdominal adiposity, and blood samples were collected at fasting for measuring glycemia, insulin, ghrelin, leptin and adipokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and MCP-1). Patients with known history of DM type II or metabolic syndrome with HOMA index > 2.5 were considered insulin resistant (IR). Results: In ES-SCLC pts receiving maintenance IT, increased leptin concentration and higher leptin/visceral adipose tissue (VAT) ratio were significantly associated with prolonged PFS. By applying a hierarchical clustering algorithm, we identified a cluster of patients characterized by higher leptin values and lower pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-6) who experienced longer PFS (13.2 vs 8.05 months; HR: 0.42 [0.18–0.93] p = 0.02) and OS (18.04 vs 12.09 mo; HR: 0.53 [0.25–1.29] p = 0.07). Conclusions: Adipokines can play a crucial role to determining effectiveness of anti-cancer immunotherapy. The role of metabolic immune dysfunctions needs further pre-clinical validation and is currently investigated in the larger prospective cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the best polymer coatings due to its wide range of advantages such as easy fabrication, lightness, non-toxicity, durability, adhesion, flexibility, and strength. However, some of its drawbacks make it a suitable choice for the manufacturing of nanocomposites to enhance its properties. Hydrophobicity and flame retardancy are two of the most crucial characteristics of a polymer nanocoating. Magnesium hydroxide (MH), with its ability to be produced in a multitude of morphologies and exceptional properties, especially in flame retardancy, has always attracted the interest of researchers. One of the best methods for synthesizing high-purity, controlled-size, and controlled-shape nanoparticles is the hydrothermal technique. In this paper, magnesium chloride and sodium hydroxide were utilized as raw materials to synthesize four different morphologies of MH, such as plate, flake, spherical, and disk, functionalized using 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). In the following, PU nanocomposites were fabricated by drop casting method including 3 % w.t. of different synthesized MH. The influence of each morphology on different properties of PU/Mg(OH) 2 was then investigated using different analyses such as spectroscopy, mechanical, and hydrophobicity tests. The observations indicated that different surface topography would result from the presence of nanoparticles with various morphologies on the nanocomposite's surface. Extremely high water contact angles were attained as a result of the surface roughness, revealing the super hydrophobic behavior of the produced nanocoatings. Also, the presence of MH in PU matrix improved the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite, depending on the aspect ratio and particle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a realist review of state-authorized dyslexia pilot projects to understand how they have been implemented and evaluated, and the extent to which they adhere to best practice recommendations. We found that states have piloted broadly similar policy programs minimally consisting of professional development, universal screening, and instructional intervention. However, none of the pilot report documents we reviewed included explicit logic models or theories of action, which makes it difficult to understand the pilot projects and their results. Officially, most of the pilot project evaluations sought to establish the effectiveness of their programs. However, only two states used evaluation designs that are well-suited to making causal inferences about program effects, which complicates the interpretation of pilot project results. To make future pilot projects more useful to evidence-based policymaking, we make recommendations to improve their design, implementation, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM1) is a monogenic rare disease that is characterized by migraine attacks accompanied by unilateral weakness and is caused by mutations in the CACNA1A gene. We report the case of a patient with a clinical history consistent with hemiplegic migraine who underwent genetic testing that revealed a variant in the CACNA1A gene. Case presentation: A 68-year-old woman was evaluated for progressive postural instability and subjective cognitive decline. She had suffered from recurrent migraine episodes accompanied by fully reversible unilateral weakness that had started around the age of thirty and had fully disappeared at the time of evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an extensive leukoencephalopathy, with features suggestive of small vessel disease, significantly progressing over the years. Exome sequencing revealed the heterozygous variant c.6601C>T (p.Arg2201Trp) in the CACNA1A gene. This variant, located in a highly conserved region, causes the substitution of arginine with tryptophan at codon 2202 of exon 47, with a high likelihood of a damaging effect on protein activity and/or structure. Discussion: This is the first report describing the missense mutation c.6601C>T (p.Arg2201Trp) in heterozygosity in the CACNA1A gene in a patient with clinical features of hemiplegic migraine. The presence of a diffuse leukoencephalopathy on MRI is not typical of hemiplegic migraine and may suggest a phenotypic variant related to this mutation or result from the combined effect of the patient's comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impact of timing of repair on outcomes of patients repaired with Hepp-Couinaud hepatico-jejunostomy (HC-HJ) after bile duct injury (BDI) during cholecystectomy remains debated. This is an observational retrospective study at a tertiary referral hepato-biliary center. HC-HJ was always performed in patients without sepsis or bile leak and with dilated bile ducts. Timing of repair was classified as: early (≤ 2 weeks), intermediate (> 2 weeks, ≤ 6 weeks), and delayed (> 6 weeks). 114 patients underwent HC-HJ between 1994 and 2022: 42.1% underwent previous attempts of repair at referring institutions (Group A) and 57.9% were referred without any attempt of repair before referral (Group B). Overall, a delayed HC-HJ was performed in 78% of patients; intermediate and early repair were performed in 17% and 6%, respectively. In Group B, 10.6% of patients underwent an early, 27.3% an intermediate, and 62.1% a delayed repair. Postoperative mortality was nil. Median follow-up was 106.7 months. Overall primary patency (PP) attainment rate was 94.7%, with a 5- and 10-year actuarial primary patency (APP) of 84.6% and 84%, respectively. Post-repair bile leak was associated with PP loss in the entire population (odds ratio [OR] 9.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64–57.87, p = 0.012); no correlation of PP loss with timing of repair was noted. Treatment of anastomotic stricture (occurred in 15.3% of patients) was performed with percutaneous treatment, achieving absence of biliary symptoms in 93% and 91% of cases at 5 and 10 years, respectively. BDI can be successfully repaired by HC-HJ regardless of timing when surgery is performed in stable patients with dilated bile ducts and without bile leak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]