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Abstract Background and Objectives Depressive symptoms are frequently reported in patients affected by frontotemporal dementia (FTD). At structural MRI, cortical features of depressed FTD patients have been poorly described. Our objective was to investigate correlations between cortical measures and depression severity in FTD patients. Methods Data were obtained from the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Neuroimaging Initiative (FTLDNI) database. We included 98 controls and 92 FTD patients, n = 38 behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD), n = 26 non‐fluent variant Primary Progressive Aphasia (nfvPPA), and n = 28 semantic variant Primary Progressive Aphasia (svPPA). Patients underwent clinical and cognitive evaluations, as well as a 3D T1‐weighted MRI on a 3 Tesla scanner (Siemens, Trio Tim system). Depression was evaluated by means of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Surface‐based analysis was performed on T1‐weighted images to evaluate cortical thickness, a measure of gray matter integrity, and local gyrification index (lGI), a quantitative metric of cortical folding. Results Patients affected by svPPA were more depressed than controls at NPI and depression severity at GDS was higher in svPPA and bvFTD. Severity of depression correlated with a decrease in lGI in left precentral and superior frontal gyrus, supramarginal and postcentral gyrus and right precentral, supramarginal, superior parietal and superior frontal gyri. Furthermore, depression severity correlated positively with cortical thickness in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex. Discussion We found that lGI was associated with depressive symptoms over brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder. This finding provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms in FTD.

Societal Impact Statement We found evidence that larger fruited plant species are more likely to be found in aseasonal wet areas of Malesia. These areas are likely to be impacted by increasing human encroachment, which threatens both large‐fruited species and the large fauna that are most likely responsible for their dispersal. This synergistic threat could drive the loss of fruit‐crop relatives that potentially have key traits for resilient fruit crops of the future. Summary It is unclear how fruit size determines distributions of megadiverse tropical flora. Energetic constraints of ecosystems suggest plant species with larger fruit should be found in the higher productivity, aseasonal wet tropics. However, the probability of seed dispersal over large scales should be increased by fruits being smaller, due to being available to a greater number of dispersal agents. We use a Bayesian phylogenetic model of species occurrence for >3400 species in Malesia to test how fruit size and environment interact to determine species distributions across the archipelago. We show that larger fruited species are more likely to occur in aseasonal wet areas. We also found that smaller fruit size was associated with species occurrence in more mountainous areas. Fruit size interacts with environmental variables to shape plant distributions across the megadiverse Malesian islands. The evolutionary processes that influence the patterns we have observed require further examination.

Abstract Background The clinical diagnosis of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) in patients with a history of primary psychiatric disorder (PPD) is challenging. PPD shows the typical cognitive impairments observed in patients with bvFTD. Therefore, the correct identification of bvFTD onset in patients with a lifetime history of PPD is pivotal for an optimal management. Methods Twenty‐nine patients with PPD were included in this study. After clinical and neuropsychological evaluations, 16 patients with PPD were clinically classified as bvFTD (PPD‐bvFTD+), while in 13 cases clinical symptoms were associated with the typical course of the psychiatric disorder itself (PPD‐bvFTD–). Voxel‐ and surface‐based investigations were used to characterize gray matter changes. Volumetric and cortical thickness measures were used to predict the clinical diagnosis at a single‐subject level using a support vector machine (SVM) classification framework. Finally, we compared classification performances of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data with automatic visual rating scale of frontal and temporal atrophy. Results PPD‐bvFTD+ showed a gray matter decrease in thalamus, hippocampus, temporal pole, lingual, occipital, and superior frontal gyri compared to PPD‐bvFTD– (p

Abstract Background The goal of mucoactive therapies in cystic fibrosis (CF) is to enhance sputum clearance and to reduce a progressive decline in lung function over the patient's lifetime. We aimed to investigate the level of consensus among specialists from Italian CF Centers on appropriateness of therapeutic use of dornase alfa (rhDNase) for CF patients. Method A consensus on appropriate prescribing in CF mucoactive agents was appraised by an online Delphi method, based on a panel of 27 pulmonologists, coordinated by a Scientific Committee of six experts in medical care of patients with CF. Results Full or very high consensus was reached on several issues related to therapeutic use of dornase alfa for CF patients in clinical practice. Conclusions The consensus reached on a number of topics regarding use of mucoactive agents in patients with CF can help guide clinicians in daily practice based on expert experience and define the most appropriate therapeutic strategy for the individual patient.

Abstract The viability of wild bee populations and the pollination services that they provide are driven by the availability of food resources during their activity period and within the surroundings of their nesting sites. Changes in climate and land use influence the availability of these resources and are major threats to declining bee populations. Because wild bees may be vulnerable to interactions between these threats, spatially explicit models of population dynamics that capture how bee populations jointly respond to land use at a landscape scale and weather are needed. Here, we developed a spatially and temporally explicit theoretical model of wild bee populations aiming for a middle ground between the existing mapping of visitation rates using foraging equations and more refined agent‐based modeling. The model is developed for Bombus sp. and captures within‐season colony dynamics. The model describes mechanistically foraging at the colony level and temporal population dynamics for an average colony at the landscape level. Stages in population dynamics are temperature‐dependent triggered by a theoretical generalized seasonal progression, which can be informed by growing degree days. The purpose of the LandscapePhenoBee model is to evaluate the impact of system changes and within‐season variability in resources on bee population sizes and crop visitation rates. In a simulation study, we used the model to evaluate the impact of the shortage of food resources in the landscape arising from extreme drought events in different types of landscapes (ranging from different proportions of semi‐natural habitats and early and late flowering crops) on bumblebee populations.

Abstract Mechanisms that determine how, where, and when ontogenetic habitat shifts occur are mostly unknown in wild populations. Differences in size and environmental characteristics of ontogenetic habitats can lead to differences in movement patterns, behavior, habitat use, and spatial distributions across individuals of the same species. Knowledge of juvenile loggerhead turtles' dispersal, movements, and habitat use is largely unknown, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. Satellite relay data loggers were used to monitor movements, diving behavior, and water temperature of eleven large juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) deliberately caught in an oceanic habitat in the Mediterranean Sea. Hidden Markov models were used over 4,430 spatial locations to quantify the different activities performed by each individual: transit, low‐, and high‐intensity diving. Model results were then analyzed in relation to water temperature, bathymetry, and distance to the coast. The hidden Markov model differentiated between bouts of area‐restricted search as low‐ and high‐intensity diving, and transit movements. The turtles foraged in deep oceanic waters within 60 km from the coast as well as above 140 km from the coast. They used an average area of 194,802 km2, where most individuals used the deepest part of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea with the highest seamounts, while only two switched to neritic foraging showing plasticity in foraging strategies among turtles of similar age classes. The foraging distribution of large juvenile loggerhead turtles, including some which were of the minimum size of adults, in the Tyrrhenian Sea is mainly concentrated in a relatively small oceanic area with predictable mesoscale oceanographic features, despite the proximity of suitable neritic foraging habitats. Our study highlights the importance of collecting high‐resolution data about species distribution and behavior across different spatio‐temporal scales and life stages for implementing conservation and dynamic ocean management actions.

Abstract Introduction Disorder of consciousness is a clinical condition due to severe brain damage. The impact of consciousness disorder on the family is characterized by a combination of biopsychosocial factors. The burden and suffering perceived by caregivers can cause psychological distress characterized by anxiety, depression, and physical illness. The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction between family dynamics and caregiver burden. Methods We enlisted 35 caregivers of subjects in a minimally conscious state. Two skilled psychologists administered the Olson's Adaptability and Family Cohesion Assessment Scale and the Novak's Burden Inventory Caregiver Scale to assess family function and family burden, respectively. Results We found that the caregiver burden correlates with the family adaptability and cohesion, as well as with enmeshment, rigidity, and disengagement. Conclusion Findings suggest that the traumatic event does not affect the family structure. Families are able to maintain a balanced functioning and control distress.

Abstract Late‐onset migration of pacing leads in the left hemithorax is a rare but potentially life‐threatening complication. Radiological examinations are required to detect any involvement of either left ventricle or lung parenchyma, prompting immediate surgical extraction in this setting. Identification of high‐risk patients is mandatory to prevent this complex iatrogenic complication.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) utilizes the angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐2 (ACE‐2) receptor to enter human cells. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor antagonists (ARB) are associated with ACE‐2 upregulation. We hypothesized that antecedent use of ACEI/ARB may be associated with mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Methods and Results We used the Coracle registry, which contains data of patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 in 4 regions of Italy, and restricted analyses to those ≥50 years of age. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Among these 781 patients, 133 (17.0%) used an ARB and 171 (21.9%) used an ACEI. While neither sex nor smoking status differed by user groups, patients on ACEI/ARB were older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure. The overall mortality rate was 15.1% (118/781) and increased with age (PTrend

Purpose. To report the surgical treatment and follow-up of tumors of the anterior uvea and epithelial cysts of the anterior chamber in 4 patients submitted to block excision and tectonic corneal graft between 2008 and 2012. Methods. This is a retrospective, nonrandomized case series. Two patients were affected by anterior uveal malignant melanoma, and 2 patients were referred to us for large epithelial iris cysts with anterior chamber angle involvement and partial corneal failure. A simultaneous block removal of the lesion and adjacent iris, cornea (when necessary), ciliary body, and sclera was performed; the resulting defect was covered by a tectonic whole thickness corneal graft. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 7 years (mean time: 5 ± 1.6 MD). Results. Local control of malignant melanoma was observed during the follow-up, but cataract surgery was planned in both patients and pars plana vitrectomy for vitreous hemorrhage occurred in one case. No recurrence of cysts was detected. After iris cysts excision, a planned second-time surgery was necessary in one patient: optical penetrating keratoplasty, centered on the visual axis, implantation of one refractive IOL (intraocular lens) in the bag, and one cosmetic IOL in the sulcus, to restore the iris diaphragm. Conclusions. Block excision followed by the tectonic corneal graft seems to be the treatment of choice for selected cases of epithelial cysts of the anterior chamber and anterior uvea melanomas with epibulbar extension. Further surgery, as a second step, could be required to improve functional results of this challenging technique.