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The polar regions have relatively low richness and diversity of plants and animals, and the basis of the entire ecological chain is supported by microbial diversity. In these regions, understanding the microbial response against environmental factors and anthropogenic disturbances is essential to understand patterns better, prevent isolated events, and apply biotechnology strategies. The Antarctic continent has been increasingly affected by anthropogenic contamination, and its constant temperature fluctuations limit the application of clean recovery strategies, such as bioremediation. We evaluated the bacterial response in oil-contaminated soil through a nutrient-amended microcosm experiment using two temperature regimes: (i) 4 °C and (ii) a freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) alternating between -20 and 4 °C. Bacterial taxa, such as Myxococcales, Chitinophagaceae, and Acidimicrobiales, were strongly related to the FTC. Rhodococcus was positively related to contaminated soils and further stimulated under FTC conditions. Additionally, the nutrient-amended treatment under the FTC regime enhanced bacterial groups with known biodegradation potential and was efficient in removing hydrocarbons of diesel oil. The experimental design, rates of bacterial succession, and level of hydrocarbon transformation can be considered as a baseline for further studies aimed at improving bioremediation strategies in environments affected by FTC regimes.

The polar regions have relatively low richness and diversity of plants and animals, and the basis of the entire ecological chain is supported by microbial diversity. In these regions, understanding the microbial response against environmental factors and anthropogenic disturbances is essential to understand patterns better, prevent isolated events, and apply biotechnology strategies. The Antarctic continent has been increasingly affected by anthropogenic contamination, and its constant temperature fluctuations limit the application of clean recovery strategies, such as bioremediation. We evaluated the bacterial response in oil-contaminated soil through a nutrient-amended microcosm experiment using two temperature regimes: (i) 4 °C and (ii) a freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) alternating between -20 and 4 °C. Bacterial taxa, such as Myxococcales, Chitinophagaceae, and Acidimicrobiales, were strongly related to the FTC. Rhodococcus was positively related to contaminated soils and further stimulated under FTC conditions. Additionally, the nutrient-amended treatment under the FTC regime enhanced bacterial groups with known biodegradation potential and was efficient in removing hydrocarbons of diesel oil. The experimental design, rates of bacterial succession, and level of hydrocarbon transformation can be considered as a baseline for further studies aimed at improving bioremediation strategies in environments affected by FTC regimes.

Chile, recognized as one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations, has gained valuable insights from significant earthquakes, such as those in 1985 and 2010, which have influenced updates to the nation’s design codes. Although Chile’s seismic design approach has been largely effective in recent earthquakes and demonstrated an “operational” performance level in most structures, performance-based design (PBD) methods have not yet been officially incorporated as valid approaches in the Chilean seismic design codes for buildings. However, in 2017, the Chilean Association on Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (ACHISINA) introduced a PBD approach, primarily for verification purposes, based on the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council (LATBSDC) framework. In this work, firstly, we provide an overview of Chile’s PBD methodology, focusing on the thresholds for various performance levels. These levels are established through experimental and numerical analysis, correlating performance with permissible damage levels. The second part of the paper examines the seismic performance of a residential building, designed before the 2010 Maule earthquake and subsequently damaged, using Chile’s PBD guidelines. This case study highlights the implementation and effectiveness of PBD for assessing seismic resilience in Chilean structures.

Acute or chronic infections have been described among causes of chronic urticaria (CU). Anisakidosis is a human disease caused by the ingestion of larval nematodes of the family Anisakidae. The infestation is acquired by eating raw seafood or undercooked fish and squid. There are considerable variations in the frequency of underlying causes in the different studies and in different countries, such as differences in diets and the prevalence of infections. Anisakis simplex has been recognized as a trigger of both acute and chronic urticarial manifestations. However, there is still lack of evidence about its management and treatment in dermatology. We, therefore, reviewed some biologic properties of Anisakis simplex in order to understand the relationship between its biology and the mechanism it uses to establish chronic dermatological conditions such as urticaria and cause late complications. In addition, we herein report some concerns about the effectiveness of systemic treatment in preventing complications and management in the dermatological settings.

Pruritus is a common dermatological condition; only few studies have investigated pruritus in old patients. To investigate the prevalence and features of pruritus in old patients which refer to the Dermatology Unit, Galliera Hospital in Genoa. We evaluated the demographic characteristics of all the patients attending for any skin condition the Outpatient Clinic at the Dermatology Unit, selecting those with pruritus and particularly focusing on patients aged more than 65 years.Pruritus was present in 36/262 patients (14%; M:F=20:16; mean age:59.55 years). Patients with pruritus older than 65 years were 20/262 (8%; M:F=14:6; mean age:74.6 years), that represented 14% out of the 140 patients aged ≥65 years. We found no statistically differences among patients aged≥65 years (20/36) and patients aged65. In none of these patients an anamnestic association between drug intake and the onset of pruritus was recorded. We confirm that pruritus is a common skin problem, that is equally frequent both sex, in young and old patients, that in almost all cases is related to an underlying skin condition (mainly psoriasis) and that is rarely anamnestic related to a new drug intake.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic neoplasm (less than 1% of primary cutaneous lymphomas and acute leukemia) with a highly aggressive clinical course and frequent skin, bone marrow and central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Despite a frequent initial response to chemotherapy, relapses with eventual leukemic dissemination are extremely common, leading to poor outcomes and a median overall survival (OS) ranging from 8 to 14 months in first line setting, with standard combination chemotherapy regimens. The skin is the first affected site (in almost 90% of patients) where BPDCN may remain confined for weeks or even months (sanctuary?) until a rapid second step with multiorgan involvement occurs. Therefore, it is of uppermost importance to suspect and recognize early skin lesions and to perform and report a skin biopsy as soon as possible. A multidisciplinary approach with coordination among dermatologists, pathologists and hematologists is definitively crucial in diagnosis and management of BPDCN.

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) often results in bilateral impairment of the arms, leading to difficulties in performing daily activities. However, little is known about the neuromotor alterations that affect the ability of individuals with cSCI to perform coordinated movements with both arms. To address this issue, we developed and tested a functional assessment that integrates clinical, kinematic, and muscle activity measures, including the evaluation of bilateral arm movements. Twelve subjects with a C5-C7 spinal lesion and six unimpaired subjects underwent an evaluation that included three tests: the Manual Muscle Test, Range Of Motion test and Arm stabilisation test, a subsection of the “Van Lieshout arm/hand function test”. During the latter, we recorded kinematic and muscle activity data from the upper-body during the execution of a set of movements that required participants to stabilize both arms against gravity at different configurations. Analytical methods, including muscle synergies, spinal maps, and Principal Component Analysis, were used to analyse the data. Clinical tests detected limitations in shoulder abduction-flexion of cSCI participants and alterations in elbows-wrists motor function. The instrumented assessment provided insight into how these limitations impacted the ability of cSCI participants to perform bilateral movements. They exhibited severe difficulty in performing movements involving over-the-shoulder motion and shoulder internal rotation due to altered patterns of activity of the scapular stabilizer muscles, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis, and triceps. Our findings shed light on the bilateral neuromotor changes that occur post-cSCI addressing not only motor deficits, but also the underlying abnormal, weak, or silent muscle activations.

Laura Caruso,1 Alessia Castellino,2 Daniela Dessì,3 Leonardo Flenghi,4 Antonio Giordano,5 Adalberto Ibatici,6 Cesare Massone,7 Alessandro Pileri,8 Ilaria Proietti,9 Livio Pupo,10 Pietro Quaglino,11 Serena Rupoli,12 Pier Luigi Zinzani13,14 1Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico G. Rodolico - San Marco Di Catania, Catania, Italy; 2Department of Hematology, Santa Croce E Carle Hospital, Cuneo, Italy; 3Department of Hematology, Businco Hospital Arnas AOB, Cagliari, Italy; 4Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Santa Maria Della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, Italy; 5Department of Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli—IRCCS, Rome, Italy; 6Hematology and Transplant Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; 7Dermatology Unit, Ospedali Galliera, Genova, Italy; 8Dermatology Unit, IRCCS S. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy. Department of Specialistic, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 9Dermatology Unit”Daniele Innocenzi”, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Bio-Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Terracina, Italy; 10UOC Lymphoproliferative Diseases, Fondazione PTV Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 11Dermatologic Clinic, Department of Medical Sciences University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy; 12Clinic of Hematology, Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Ancona, Italy; 13IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia “Seràgnoli”, Bologna, Italy; 14Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, Bologna, ItalyCorrespondence: Pier Luigi Zinzani, IRCCS University Hospital of Bologna, Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology, and Department of Specialized, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 9, Bologna, 40138, Italy, Tel +39 051 2144042, Fax +39 051 2144037, Email pierluigi.zinzani@unibo.itAbstract: Mycosis fungoides and Sèzary syndrome are the most studied subtypes common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The current treatment objective is to improve the clinical manifestations of the disease in the affected areas, to relieve symptoms and to halt disease progression. Patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides are usually managed with skin-directed therapies, whereas patients with resistant or advanced-stage mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome often require systemic drugs. Over the last decade, new drugs have been developed, increasing the breadth of treatment options for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas patients. Mogamulizumab is a first-in-class defucosylated humanized IgG1 κ monoclonal antibody, which exerts its anti-tumour action by selectively binding to C-C chemokine receptor 4 and increasing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity against malignant T-cells. Several clinical trials showed that mogamulizumab is able to effectively control the cutaneous T-cell lymphomas in each site (skin, blood, lymph nodes and viscera), improving patients’ symptoms, function and overall quality of life with a manageable safety profile. In this report, we discuss 12 cases of patients with mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome successfully treated with mogamulizumab in real-life clinical practice in Italy.Keywords: cutaneous T- cell lymphoma, mycosis fungoides, Sèzary syndrome, mogamulizumab