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Breast conservative surgery is the primary therapeutic choice for non-aggressive early breast cancers, and a minimally-invasive approach is strongly recommended. The breast localization represents a modern challenge for surgery. Wire-guided localization is still the gold standard technique, but new wireless systems have been proposed, such as radiofrequency identification with LOCalizerTM (Hologic, Santa Carla, CA, USA), which reports encouraging results. The current study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and efficacy of the combined use of LOCalizerTM and ultrasound compared with the results obtained using LOCalizerTM alone for the detection of non-palpable breast cancer. Ninety-six patients who were candidates for breast localization were enrolled. Group A received a combined localization with LOCalizerTM and US, while group B underwent only LOCalizerTM identification. Oncological radicality was reached in 100% of the patients in Group A and in 89.2% of the patients in Group B, with p = 0.006. The mean specimens' volume was 13.2 ± 0.6 cm3 for Group A and 16.1 ± 1.4 cm3 for Group B, while mean specimen weights were 21.8 ± 2.2 and 24.4 ± 1.8 g, respectively (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively). LOCalizerTM with ultrasound, in the current series, has resulted in the preferred option for the localization of non-palpable breast cancer, allowing limited resection (in weight and volume), guaranteeing excellent oncological outcomes, and great satisfaction for patients and physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing biocompatible nitric oxide (NO) photoreleasing nanoconstucts is of great interest in view of the large variety of biological roles that NO plays and the unique advantage light offers in controlling NO release in space and time. In this contribution, we report the supramolecular assemblies of two NO photodonors (NOPDs), NBF-NO and RHD-NO, as water-dispersible nanogels, ca. 10 nm in diameter, based on γ-cyclodextrins (γ-CDng). These NOPDs, containing amino-nitro-benzofurazan and rhodamine chromophores as light harvesting antennae, can be activated by visible light, are highly hydrophobic and can be effectively entrapped within the γ-CDng. Despite being confined in a very restricted environment, neither NOPD suffer self-aggregation and preserve their photochemical and photophysical properties well. The blue light excitation of the weakly fluorescent γ-CDng/NBF-NO complex results in effective NO release and the concomitant generation of the highly green, fluorescent co-product, which acts as an optical NO reporter. Moreover, the green light excitation of the persistent red fluorescent γ-CDng/RHD-NO triggers NO photorelease without significantly modifying the emission properties. The activatable and persistent fluorescence emissions of the NOPDs are useful for monitoring their interactions with the Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, whose growth is significantly inhibited by γ-CDng/RHD-NO upon green light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasite infection is one of the many environmental factors that can significantly contribute to carcinogenesis and is already known to be associated with a variety of malignancies in both human and veterinary medicine. However, the actual number of cancerogenic parasites and their relationship to tumor development is far from being fully understood, especially in veterinary medicine. Thus, the aim of this review is to investigate parasite-related cancers in domestic and wild animals and their burden in veterinary oncology. Spontaneous neoplasia with ascertained or putative parasite etiology in domestic and wild animals will be reviewed, and the multifarious mechanisms of protozoan and metazoan cancer induction will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare, acute, severe cutaneous adverse reaction mainly attributed to drugs, although other triggers, including infections, vaccinations, ingestion of various substances, and spider bites, have also been described. AGEP is characterized by the development of edema and erythema followed by the eruption of multiple punctate, non-follicular, sterile pustules and subsequent desquamation. AGEP typically has a rapid onset and prompt resolution within a few weeks. The differential diagnoses for AGEP are broad and include infectious, inflammatory, and drug-induced etiologies. Diagnosis of AGEP depends on both clinical and histologic criteria, as cases of overlap with other disease processes have been reported. Management includes removal of the offending drug or treatment of the underlying cause, if necessary, and supportive care, as AGEP is a self-limited disease. This review aims to provide an overview and update on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, reported precipitating factors, differentials, diagnosis, and management of AGEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition has become a promising therapeutic option for several tumors, especially for those harboring a BRCA 1– 2 mutation or a deficit in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway. Nevertheless, to date, PARP inhibitors are still not largely used for thoracic malignancies neither as a single agent nor in combination with other treatments. Recently, a deeper understanding of HRR mechanisms, alongside the development of new targeted and immunotherapy agents, particularly against HRR-deficient tumors, traced the path to new treatment strategies for many tumor types including lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. The aim of this review is to sum up the current knowledge about cancer-DNA damage response pathways inhibition and to update the status of recent clinical trials investigating the use of PARP inhibitors, either as monotherapy or in combination with other agents for the treatment of thoracic malignancies. We will also briefly discuss available evidence on Poly(ADP-Ribose) Glycohydrolase (PARG) inhibitors, a novel promising therapeutic option in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is the leading cause of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related deaths. Therefore, the identification of accurate biomarkers predictive of metastasis is needed to better stratify high-risk patients to provide preferred management and reduce mortality. In this study, we identified 13 new genes that modified circulating tumor cell numbers using a genome-wide genetic screen in a whole animal CRC model. Candidate genes were subsequently evaluated at the gene expression level in both an internal human CRC cohort of 153 patients and an independent cohort from the TCGA including 592 patients. Interestingly, the expression of one candidate, PLA2G12A, significantly correlated with both the time to recurrence and overall survival in our CRC cohort, with its low expression being an indicator of a poor clinical outcome. By examining the TCGA cohort, we also found that low expression of PLA2G12A was significantly enriched in epithelial–mesenchymal transition signatures. Finally, the candidate functionality was validated in vitro using three different colon cancer cell lines, revealing that PLA2G12A deficiency increases cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Overall, our study identifies PLA2G12A as a prognostic biomarker of early-stage CRC, providing evidence that its deficiency promotes tumor growth and dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with HIV (PWH) report higher rates of cannabis use than the general population. It is unclear how cannabis use among PWH has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for the health and wellbeing of PWH. Objectives: To describe changes in frequency of cannabis use among a sample of PWH during the pandemic, reasons for those changes, and implications of the findings. Methods: The data are cross-sectional and come from questions asked in a follow-up phone survey administered to a prospective cohort of PWH in Florida between May 2020 and March 2021. Participants who used cannabis were asked about changes in their frequency of cannabis use in a quantitative survey and reasons for changes in a qualitative open-ended question. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Among 227 PWH (mean age 50, 50% men, 69% Black/African American, 14% Hispanic/Latino), 13% decreased frequency of cannabis, 11% increased frequency, and 76% reported no change. The most common reasons for increasing frequency of cannabis use were reducing anxiety/stress, trying to relax, coping with grief or reducing symptoms of depression, and reducing boredom during the pandemic. Supply or access issues, health concerns, and having already wanted to reduce cannabis use were common reasons for decreased frequency. Conclusion: Nearly 25% of the sample changed their cannabis use frequency during the pandemic. These findings shed light on the behaviors and motivations of PWH who use cannabis and can inform clinical practice and interventions during public health emergencies and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, it is estimated that 15% of human neoplasms globally are caused by infectious agents, with new evidence emerging continuously. Multiple agents have been implicated in various forms of neoplasia, with viruses as the most frequent. In recent years, investigation on viral mechanisms underlying tumoral transformation in cancer development and progression are in the spotlight, both in human and veterinary oncology. Oncogenic viruses in veterinary medicine are of primary importance not only as original pathogens of pets, but also in the view of pets as models of human malignancies. Hence, this work will provide an overview of the main oncogenic viruses of companion animals, with brief notes of comparative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), first line treatment options usually include combination regimens of folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX or mFOLFIRINOX) or gemcitabine based regimens such as in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel (GEM + nab-PTX). After progression, multiple regimens including NALIRI + 5-FU and folinic acid, FOLFIRINOX, 5-FU-based oxaliplatin doublets (OFF, FOLFOX, or XELOX), or 5-FU-based monotherapy (FL, capecitabine, or S-1) are considered appropriate by major guidelines. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare the efficacy of different treatment strategies tested as second-line regimens for patients with mPDAC after first-line gemcitabine-based systemic treatment. Methods: Randomized phase II and III clinical trials (RCTs) were included if they were published or presented in English. Trials of interest compared two active systemic treatments as second-line regimens until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. We performed a Bayesian NMA with published hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different second-line therapies for mPDAC. The main outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), secondary endpoints were grade 3–4 toxicities. We calculated the relative ranking of agents for each outcome as their surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA). A higher SUCRA score meant a higher ranking for efficacy outcomes. Results: A NMA of 9 treatments was performed for OS (n = 2521 patients enrolled). Compared with 5-FU + folinic acid both irinotecan or NALIRI + fluoropyrimidines had a trend to better OS (HR = 0.76, 95%CI 0.21–2.75 and HR = 0.74, 95%CI 0.31–1.85). Fluoropyrimidines + folinic acid + oxaliplatin were no better than the combination without oxaliplatin. The analysis of treatment ranking showed that the combination of NALIRI + 5-FU + folinic acid was most likely to yield the highest OS results (SUCRA = 0.7). Furthermore, the NMA results indicated that with the highest SUCRA score (SUCRA = 0.91), NALIRI + 5-FU + folinic acid may be the optimal choice for improved PFS amongst all regimens studied. Conclusions: According to the NMA results, NALIRI + 5-FU, and folinic acid may represent the best second-line treatment for improved survival outcomes in mPDAC. Further evidence from prospective trials is needed to determine the best treatment option for this group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular megaprostheses (MPs) are commonly used after bone-tumor resection, but they can offer a limb salvage solution in massive bone defects. The aim of this systematic review of the Literature is to provide a comprehensive data collection concerning the use of MPs in non-oncologic cases, and to provide an overview of this topic, especially from an epidemiologic point of view. Three different databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for relevant articles, and further references were obtained by cross-referencing. Sixty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting on cases of MP in non-oncologic cases. A total of 2598 MPs were retrieved. Among these, 1353 (52.1%) were distal femur MPs, 941 (36.2%) were proximal femur MPs, 29 (1.4%) were proximal tibia MPs and 259 (10.0%) were total femur MPs. Megaprostheses were most commonly used to treat periprosthetic fractures (1158 cases, 44.6%), in particular in the distal femur (859, 74.2%). Overall, complications were observed in 513 cases (19.7%). Type I (soft tissue failures) and type IV (infection) according to the Henderson classification were the most frequent (158 and 213, respectively). In conclusion, patients with severe post-traumatic deformities and/or significant bone loss who have had previous septic complications should be considered as oncologic patients, not because of the disease, but because of the limited therapeutic options available. The benefits of this treatment include relatively short operative times and immediate weight-bearing, thus making MP particularly attractive in the lower limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoid organs are unusual multicellular tissues: they are densely packed, but the lymphocytes trafficking through them are actively moving. We hypothesize that the intriguing ability of lymphocytes to avoid jamming and clogging is in part attributable to the dynamic shape changes that cells undergo when they move. In this work, we test this hypothesis by investigating an idealized system, namely, the flow of self-propelled, oscillating particles passing through a narrow constriction in two dimensions (2D), using numerical simulations. We found that deformation allows particles with these properties to flow through a narrow constriction in conditions when non-deformable particles would not be able to do so. Such a flowing state requires the amplitude and frequency of oscillations to exceed threshold values. Moreover, a resonance leading to the maximum flow rate was found when the oscillation frequency matched the natural frequency of the particle related to its elastic stiffness. To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been described previously. Our findings could have important implications for understanding and controlling flow in a variety of systems in addition to lymphoid organs, such as granular flows subjected to vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preschool age (i.e. children under six years of age) represents a red flag for requiring neuroimaging to exclude secondary potentially urgent intracranial conditions (PUIC) in patients with acute headache. We investigated the clinical characteristics of preschoolers with headache to identify the features associated with a greater risk of secondary "dangerous" headache. Methods: We performed a multicenter exploratory retrospective study in Italy from January 2017 to December 2018. Preschoolers with new-onset non-traumatic headache admitted to emergency department were included and were subsequently divided into two groups: hospitalized and discharged. Among hospitalized patients, we investigated the characteristics linked to potentially urgent intracranial conditions. Results: We included 1455 preschoolers with acute headache. Vomiting, ocular motility disorders, ataxia, presence of neurological symptoms and signs, torticollis and nocturnal awakening were significantly associated to hospitalization. Among the 95 hospitalized patients, 34 (2.3%) had potentially urgent intracranial conditions and more frequently they had neurological symptoms and signs, papilledema, ataxia, cranial nerves paralysis, nocturnal awakening and vomiting. Nevertheless, on multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found that only ataxia and vomiting were associated with potentially urgent intracranial conditions. Conclusion: Our study identified clinical features that should be carefully evaluated in the emergency department in order to obtain a prompt diagnosis and treatment of potentially urgent intracranial conditions. The prevalence of potentially urgent intracranial conditions was low in the emergency department, which may suggest that age under six should not be considered an important risk factor for malignant causes as previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the managed beech forests of Central Italy (Molise), the diversity of saproxylic species is potentially under threat by intensive management. To evaluate the impact of forestry on the biodiversity of these ecosystems, we analyzed the relationship between abundance of saproxylic beetles and (i) forest stand exposure and elevation, (ii) deadwood availability (coarse woody debris – CWD – and stumps), (iii) abundance of microhabitats. Four sampling sectors with different altitudes and exposure were identified in a 400-ha study area in the Appenine mountains. Fifteen circular plots (13 m radius) were established in each sector where deadwood and microhabitats were surveyed and saproxylic beetles sampled. We fitted joint species distribution models to quantify the relationship between forest attributes and saproxylic species’ abundance, including the interactions with their family and trophic category. Overall, 2334 specimens belonging to 64 species of saproxylic beetles were collected. Both abundance and species richness were higher in the sectors with high elevation (respectively, 55% and 44%) and South exposure (respectively, 28% and 44%). Average deadwood volumes were low (stumps: 7.6 m³ ha-1; CWD: 0.3 m³ ha-1; snags: 0.4 m³ ha-1), and insect galleries were the most abundant microhabitat (380 records over a total of 434). The most important variables affecting abundance were stump characteristics (model deviance = 81.2), elevation (deviance = 64.7), and CWD characteristics (deviance = 58.0). Our results show that topographical variables and forest structure jointly affect the abundance patterns of saproxylic beetle communities in managed beech forests. These ecological interactions imply that management has different impacts on the saproxylic communities in different topographic conditions. To acknowledge this complexity we advocate for a landscape-level forest management supporting the local beetle diversity maintaining a mosaic of semi-natural forest characteristics in different topographic contexts. The ecological value of the forest landscape will be further enhanced by the application of closer-to-nature management interventions based on deadwood retention, microhabitat creation and tree retention, in line with the guidelines of the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TikTok, a social media platform for creating and sharing short videos, has seen a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. To analyse the Italian vaccine conversation on TikTok, we downloaded a sample of videos with a high play count (Top Videos), identified through an unofficial Application Programming Interface (consistent with TikTok's Terms of Service), and collected public videos from vaccine sceptic users through snowball sampling (Vaccine Sceptics' videos). The videos were analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods, in terms of vaccine stance, tone of voice, topic, conformity with TikTok style, and other characteristics. The final datasets consisted of 754 Top Videos (by 510 single users) plus 180 Vaccine Sceptics' videos (by 29 single users), posted between January 2020 and March 2021. In 40.5% of the Top Videos the stance was promotional, 33.9% were indefinite-ironic, 11.3% were neutral, 9.7% were discouraging, and 3.1% were ambiguous (i.e. expressing an ambivalent stance towards vaccines); 43% of promotional videos were from healthcare professionals. More than 95% of the Vaccine Sceptic videos were discouraging. Multiple correspondence analysis showed that, compared to other stances, promotional videos were more frequently created by healthcare professionals and by females, and their most frequent topic was herd immunity. Discouraging videos were associated with a polemical tone of voice and their topics were conspiracy and freedom of choice. Our analysis shows that Italian vaccine-sceptic users on TikTok are limited in number and vocality, and the large proportion of videos with an indefinite-ironic stance might imply that the incidence of affective polarisation could be lower on TikTok, compared to other social media, in the Italian context. Safety is the most frequent concern of users, and we recorded an interesting presence of healthcare professionals among the creators. TikTok should be considered as a medium for vaccine communication and for vaccine promotion campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to leverage the innovation of generative AI outside of the general knowledge/search context where the technology has begun its life will depend upon an organization's learning to expose its own material to a large language model capable of answering questions in terms of the organization's strategy. Data and AI require storage and processing power, thus proper infrastructure is necessary to unlock the value of an organization's intellectual capital. Based on an organization's strategy, data will be stored either in a local or data center environment, and the data center may be owned and operated by the organization or by a third party (cloud computing). Based on the previous stages of the data lifecycle, the organization is in the position to leverage its valuable data through technology or tools that enable operations to align with the organization's strategy. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Disease prevention, including biosecurity, surveillance, and traceability are key aspects to minimize the risk of animal diseases causing harm to society. Diseases for which biosecurity are needed depend on species of interest, e.g., African swine fever, avian influenza, or foot-and-mouth disease. However, several definitions of biosecurity co-exist in the literature. A survey was set up to investigate the level of agreement of participants regarding eight existing definitions of the (livestock) biosecurity, to rank keywords to consider before attempting a more consolidated definition, and to select the desirable qualities of a definition of livestock biosecurity. Respondents had a male–female gender ratio close to one, were mostly between 25 and 54 years old, and had animal health as the main first field of expertise (30% were government officials). The significant most popular biosecurity definition was the one that conceptualized the rules of 5B's (bio-exclusion, bio-containment, bio-compartmentation, bio-prevention, and bio-preservation). The top two keywords to consider for the consolidation of the biosecurity definition were "prevention" and "measures". The optimal biosecurity definition needs to be operational and related to animal health but also comprehensible, simple, and related to public health. The survey results highlight the need for the integration of more aspects in the existing definitions of livestock biosecurity (e.g., prevention of zoonoses and preservation of the environment and diversity). Disease prevention, including biosecurity, surveillance, and traceability are key aspects to minimize the risk of animal diseases causing harm to society. Diseases for which biosecurity are needed depend on species of interest, e.g., African swine fever, avian influenza, or foot-and-mouth disease. However, several definitions of biosecurity co-exist in the literature. Under the new COST Action "Biosecurity Enhanced Through Training Evaluation and Raising Awareness" (BETTER) CA20103, we launched an initial survey on the agreement with eight existing definitions of (livestock) biosecurity, to rank keywords to consider before attempting a more consolidated definition, and to select the desirable qualities of a definition of livestock biosecurity. Respondents (N = 316) had a male–female gender ratio close to one, were mostly between 25 and 54 years old, and had animal health as the main field of expertise (30% were government officials). The significant most popular biosecurity definition was the one that conceptualized the rules of 5B's (bio-exclusion, bio-containment, bio-compartmentation, bio-prevention, and bio-preservation). The top two keywords to consider for the consolidation of the biosecurity definition were "prevention" and "measures". The optimal biosecurity definition needs to be operational and related to animal health but also comprehensible, simple, and related to public health. The survey results highlight the need for the integration of more aspects in the existing definitions of livestock biosecurity (prevention of zoonoses and preservation of the environment and diversity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a set of primeval marine incursions identified in two drill cores, 1PS-06-CE, and 1PS-10-CE, which recovered the Barbalha Formation, Araripe Basin, Brazil. Based on a multi-proxy approach involving stratigraphy, microbiofacies, ichnofossils, and microfossils, three short-lived marine incursions were identified, designated Araripe Marine Incursions (AMI) 1–3. AMI-1 and AMI-2, which occur within the shales of the Batateira Beds (lower part of the Barbalha Formation), were identified by the occurrence of benthonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils, dinocysts, and a mass mortality event of non-marine ostracods. AMI-3 was recognized in the upper part of the Barbalha Formation, based on the occurrence of ichnofossils and planktonic foraminifera. The observation of the planktonic foraminifera genus Leupoldina for the first time in the basin indicates early Aptian/early late Aptian age for these deposits, and the first opportunity of correlation with global foraminifera biozonation. Our findings have implications for the breakup of the Gondwana Supercontinent, as these incursions represent the earliest marine-derived flooding events in the inland basins of northeastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tomatoes, grafting onto resistant rootstocks represents an effective strategy to control several soil-borne diseases that reduce crop profitability, especially for landraces with little or no resistance to multiple pathogens/pests. In this study, the high-value 'Corbarino' tomato landrace was grafted onto seven commercial Solanum interspecific rootstocks to evaluate graft compatibility, yield performance, and qualitative characteristics under greenhouse healthy conditions. Three rootstocks were the most effective in improving fruit yield without negatively affecting the carpometric, technological, and health-related traits of the traditional tomato. 'Dinafort' rootstock increased fresh and dry yield, harvest index, and fruit/clusters, while mean fruit weight, shape index, total and soluble solid content, simple sugars, organic acids, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and trans -lycopene content did not differ with respect to the ungrafted 'Corbarino'. 'Interpro' rootstock also showed promising results for the overall yield and quality traits, although it reduced the trans -lycopene content in the fruit. 'Silex' rootstock showed the highest harvest index as result of decreased vigour. The fruit quality induced by 'Silex' was satisfactory and high levels of simple sugars, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and trans -lycopene were also observed. However, graft success, especially for 'Dinafort' and 'Silex', needs to be improved by investigating more suitable methods for seedling production, grafting, acclimatization, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study is a sub-analysis from the patient cohort of the STARTER (Sonographic Tenosynovitis Assessment in RheumaToid arthritis patiEnts in Remission) study. The aim was to evaluate differences in ultrasound-detected joint and/or tendon involvement between patients receiving therapies based on a combination of conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) and biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) and those who were treated with either csDMARDs or bDMARDs in monotherapy. Material and methods Four hundred and twenty-seven consecutive patients with a diagnosis of RA were recruited between October 2013 and June 2014. They were divided into three subgroups based on their therapy at baseline: patients with bDMARD in monotherapy, patients with csDMARD in monotherapy and patients in combination therapy (csDMARD + bDMARD). At baseline, 6 months and 12 months, a clinical examination (28 joint count) and an ultrasound evaluation were performed in each patient. A score of grey-scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) synovitis and tenosynovitis was calculated based on the OMERACT scoring systems. Results Two hundred and fifty-six patients completed the observation period: 48 patients from the bDMARD group (18.75%), 152 patients from the csDMARD group (59.38%) and 56 patients from csDMARD + bDMARD group (21.88%). The analysis showed that GS tenosynovitis and PD tenosynovitis are better controlled in combination therapy than they are with csDMARD alone (P  = 0.025 and P  = 0.047, respectively); for PD synovitis, there was a better response in those who were treated with the combination therapy when compared with the patients receiving csDMARD (P  = 0.01) or bDMARD (P  = 0.02) alone. Conclusions The analysis showed a lower prevalence of subclinical inflammatory manifestations detected with ultrasound imaging in those patients treated with the combination therapy than in those in monotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical tool, which might improve models in which the particle-in-a-box approach has been applied and that may be also used when the thin disk approximation could not be longer appropriate. The dispersion velocity is the root-mean-square planetesimal, asteroid, or Kuiper belt object velocity with respect to the local mean circular orbit. This velocity is a function of the object orbital eccentricity and inclination. We calculate a general expression of the dispersion velocity for the planar case in which the object's orbit has no inclination with respect to the local mean circular orbit and for the spatial case in which it has an inclined orbit. Our general expression of the square of the dispersion velocity may be expanded around any value of e for the planar and spatial cases, being in space an exact solution of the orbital inclination i. We expanded our expression around e = 0 with i = e / 2 to study solid accretion rates and collision probabilities. We find that in the whole range of eccentricities and inclinations, our results are lower than solid accretion rates and collision probabilities computed by using the expressions of the dispersion velocity usually adopted in the literature. We apply our expressions of the square of the dispersion velocity expanded around e=0 and up to sixth order in e in our numerical model of planetary formation with planetesimal fragmentation and in our model of the collisional frequency on large asteroids. Our formalism, although generally giving lower values than previous approximations, validates the formerly used estimates for the applications presented here. In addition, we calculate the statistical velocity dispersion obtaining a straightforward expression as a function of the eccentricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common primary systemic vasculitis in western countries, prevalently affecting elderly people. Both early diagnosis and regular monitoring are necessary for the correct management of GCA. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, government decisions aiming at reducing the contagion led to reductions in health activities, limiting them to urgent cases. At the same time, remote monitoring activities have been implemented through telephone contacts or video calls carried out by specialists. In line with these deep changes affecting the worldwide healthcare system and in consideration of the high risk of GCA morbidity, we activated the TELEMACOV protocol (TELEmedicine and Management of the patient affected by GCA during the COVID-19 pandemic) in order to remotely monitor patients affected by GCA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine in the follow-up of patients already diagnosed with GCA. This was a monocenter observational study. Patients with a previous diagnosis of GCA admitted to the Rheumatology Unit of the University Hospital "Città della Salute e della Scienza" in Turin were monitored every 6–7 weeks by means of video/phone calls from 9 March to 9 June 2020. All patients were asked questions concerning the onset of new symptoms or their recurrence, exams carried out, changes in current therapy, and satisfaction with video/phone calls. We performed 74 remote monitoring visits in 37 GCA patients. Patients were mostly women (77.8%) and had a mean age of 71.85 ± 9.25 years old. The mean disease duration was 5.3 ± 2.3 months. A total of 19 patients received oral glucocorticoids (GC) alone at the time of diagnosis with a daily dose of 0.8–1 mg/kg (52.7 ± 18.3 mg) of prednisone, while 18 patients were treated with a combination of oral steroids (at the time of diagnosis, the prednisone mean dose was 51.7 ± 18.8 mg) and subcutaneous injections of tocilizumab (TCZ). During the follow-up, patients additionally treated with TCZ reduced their GC dose more than patients treated with GC alone (p = 0.03). Only one patient, who was treated with GC alone, had a cranial flare and needed to increase the dosage of GC, which led to rapid improvement. Furthermore, all patients proved very adherent to the therapies (assessed by Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS)) and considered this type of monitoring very satisfactory according to a Likert scale (mean score 4.4 ± 0.2 on a 1–5 range). Our study shows that telemedicine can be safely and effectively used in patients with GCA under control as a possible alternative, at least for a limited period of time, to traditional visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of autologous platelet-rich plasma (a-PRP) as an adjuvant to revisional vitrectomy for refractory full-thickness macular holes (rFTMHs). We conducted a prospective, non-randomized interventional study including patients with rFTMH after a pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane peeling and gas tamponade. We included 28 eyes from 27 patients with rFTMHs: 12 rFTMHs in highly myopic eyes (axial length greater than 26.5 mm or a refractive error greater than -6D or both); 12 large rFTMHs (minimum hole width > 400 μm); and 4 rFTMHs secondary to the optic disc pit. All patients underwent 25-G PPV with a-PRP, a median time of 3.5 ± 1.8 months after the primary repair. At the six-month follow-up, the overall rFTMH closure rate was 92.9%, distributed as follows: 11 out of 12 eyes (91.7%) in the highly myopic group, 11 out of 12 eyes (91.7%) in the large rFTMH group, and 4 out of 4 eyes (100%) in the optic disc pit group. Median best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved in all groups, in particular from 1.00 (interquartile range: 0.85 to 1.30) to 0.70 (0.40 to 0.85) LogMAR in the highly myopic group (p = 0.016), from 0.90 (0.70 to 1.49) to 0.40 (0.35 to 0.70) LogMAR in the large rFTMH group (p = 0.005), and from 0.90 (0.75 to 1.00) to 0.50 (0.28 to 0.65) LogMAR in the optic disc pit group. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. In conclusion, a-PRP can be an effective adjuvant to PPV in the management of rFTMHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the application of crime-fraud exceptions to the attorney-client privilege and work conduct doctrine to bad-faith litigation and proposes amended language to Proposed Rule 503(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Simple Summary: Nervous system lymphoma (NSL) is reported to be uncommon in dogs and rare in cats. The literature on this topic is fragmentary with heterogeneous results. Current knowledge is based on a few case series and mostly on single case reports. Therefore, the aim of our study was to retrospectively analyze 92 cases of canine and feline NSL, collecting data on breed, age, gender, clinical signs, type, neurolocalization, and assessing pathological patterns and phenotype. Finally, our results were compared with previously published studies and an extensive review of the literature was provided. The literature about nervous system lymphoma (NSL) in dogs and cats is fragmentary, based on a few case series and case reports with heterogeneous results. The aim of our study was to retrospectively analyze 45 cases of canine and 47 cases of feline NSL and compare our results with previously reported data, also providing an extensive literature review. Breed, age, gender, clinical signs, type, and neurolocalization were recorded for each case. The pathological patterns and phenotype were assessed by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. The occurrence of central and peripheral NSL was similar between the two species in both primary and secondary types. NSL occurred with a slightly higher prevalence in Labrador Retrievers, and spinal cord lymphoma (SCL) was associated with young age in cats. The most frequent locations were the forebrain in dogs and the thoracolumbar segment in cats. Primary central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) in cats most frequently involved the forebrain meninges, particularly as a B-cell phenotype. Peripheral NSL mostly affected the sciatic nerve in dogs and had no preferred location in cats. Nine different pathological patterns were identified, with extradural as the most prevalent SCL pattern in both species. Finally, lymphomatosis cerebri was described for the first time in a dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this publication, we report preliminary toxicity results of a prospective phase II trial where the first 20 patients with in lung presence of pleural mesothelioma were treated with accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy. No G3-G4 acute and late toxicity was found, while the most common acute toxicity was pneumonitis with 65.0% G1 and 10% G2. The median OS was 33.1 months (95% CI:14.4–not estimable) and the median Time To Progression was 18.2 months (95% CI:11.3–not estimable). The trial is ongoing, but these results can be considered encouraging. Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy with an overall poor prognosis. The standard therapeutic strategy in early-stage disease is trimodality therapy. In this publication, we report the preliminary toxicity results of the first 20 patients treated with accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy. Between July 2017 to June 2019, 20 MPM patients were enrolled and treated with accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy using helical tomotherapy and intensity-modulated arc therapy. The prescription dose was 30 Gy in five daily fractions, while an inhomogeneous dose escalation to 40 Gy was prescribed based solely upon the presence of gross residual tumor. Only one case of G3 toxicity was reported, which was a bilateral pneumonitis that occurred two years after treatment probably due to superinfection. Median Time to Progression reached 18.2 months while one- and three-year Overall Survival rates were 85% (95% CI:60.4–94.9) and 49.5% (95% CI:26.5–68.9), respectively. Treatment of the intact lung with pleural intensity-modulated arc irradiation is a novel treatment strategy that appears to be safe, feasible, and without a high grade of lung toxicity. Survival rates and Time to Progression are encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polymorph of 5-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole, polymorph II, has been discovered. This polymorph is obtained by crystallization from solutions containing Cu(II) ions, which inhibit the formation of the already known polymorph I. The packings of the two polymorphs (actual crystal structures) are compared between each other and also with seven virtual polymorphs generated from the crystal structures of similar compounds retrieved from the CSD and optimized by ab initio calculations with periodic boundary conditions. The comparison is based on the analysis of the synthons present in the different crystal structures, and on calculated lattice energy and density. For the specific case examined, our analysis suggests that among crystal structures containing a given synthon, or a given combination of synthons, only the one with the lowest Ulat is observed; crystal structures with slightly higher Ulat (within 2 kcal mol−1) can be observed, but they must be based on different synthons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A learner's perception of what a career in physics is like has a major impact on their decision to pursue physics professionally. This decision can also be influenced by a high school student's awareness of issues concerning diversity within the physics community. We surveyed current high school physics students and investigated their perception of physics careers and knowledge of diversity issues within the field. When we explored student responses, we found that students are generally unaware of the variety of careers available within physics. In addition, we see that many students are uninformed about issues regarding diversity within the physics community. Furthermore, we found physics teachers can have a noticeable impact on how students perceive these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a measurement of the equation of state of superfluid 4 He ( T ∼ 1 K) at negative pressure. A stimulated Brillouin gain spectrometer, used together with an optical interferometer, allows us to probe simultaneously both the compressibility and the density of acoustically driven metastable states of the liquid. In the pressure range 0 > P > - 1 bar, the measured equation of state is in agreement with available theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Foxp3+ cells have immunosuppressive properties that can interfere with beneficial anti-tumor immunity, enabling tumors to elude the host antitumor immune response. It has already been suggested that these cells play a role in canine mammary tumor progression, but the literature on this topic is poor. Our work aims to investigate Foxp3+ cells in 59 canine mammary tumors by immunohistochemistry and to evaluate associations with clinicopathological, immunohistochemical features, and overall survival (OS). Our findings confirm that the number of Tregs is significantly higher in canine mammary carcinomas than adenomas and that a high number of Foxp3+ cells were associated with negative prognostic factors and shorter overall survival (OS). Foxp3+ cell counts were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 59 canine mammary tumors, 20 adenomas, and 39 carcinomas in three different compartments: intratumoral, within the adjacent stroma, and in the distant stroma. Foxp3+ lymphocyte counts were compared with histotype, grading, presence of lymphatic invasion, immunohistochemical expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, expression of c-erbB-2, and the overall survival (OS). Our findings confirmed that Foxp3+ cells were significantly higher in canine mammary carcinomas compared to adenomas. A significantly higher number of Foxp3+ cells were detected in grade III carcinomas compared to grade II carcinomas, as well as in tumors with lymphatic invasion and loss of ER-expression. Finally, a high number of Foxp3+ cells was associated with poor prognosis. In conclusion, our findings highlighted the association of Foxp3+ lymphocytes with negative clinicopathological features and shorter overall survival (OS), thus confirming the role of Tregs as a negative prognostic marker in canine mammary carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators represent targeted therapies directly acting on the CFTR channel. The triple therapy Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) has been demonstrated to improve lung function and quality of life in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. However, the effects of ELX/TEZ/IVA on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and respiratory muscle strength are poorly studied. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ELX/TEZ/IVA in patients with CF and severe lung disease on cardiorespiratory polygraphy parameters, maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) measures. Methods: patients with CF aged ≥ 12 who started treatment in a compassionate use program were retrospectively studied through the evaluation of nocturnal cardiorespiratory polygraphy parameters, MIP and MEP; and six-minute walk test (6MWT) at baseline and at months 3, 6, and 12 of treatment. Results: Nine patients (mean age 30.3 ± 6.5 years) with severe CF (mean baseline ppFEV1 34.6 ± 5.1%) were evaluated. A significant improvement in nocturnal oxygenation measured by mean SpO2 (92.4 vs. 96.4%, p < 0.05), time spent with SpO2 ≤ 90% (−12.6, −14.6, −15.2 min from baseline at months 3, 6, and 12, respectively, p < 0.05), and respiratory rate (RR) was shown, at month 12 and across the time points compared with baseline, as well as in respiratory muscle strength, although only the change in MEP was significant. Conclusions: We provide further evidence on the efficacy of the CFTR modulators ELX/TEZ/IVA, adding information about their effect on the respiratory muscles' performance and cardiorespiratory polygraphy parameters in CF patients with severe lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) plays an important role in cardiometabolic risk. EAT is a modifiable risk factor and could be a potential therapeutic target for drugs that already show cardiovascular benefits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of cardiometabolic drugs on EAT reduction. Methods: A detailed search related to the effect on EAT reduction due to cardiometabolic drugs, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i), and statins was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Eighteen studies enrolling 1064 patients were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results: All three analyzed drug classes, in particular GLP-1 RA, show a significant effect on EAT reduction (GLP-1 RA standardize mean difference (SMD) = − 1.005; p < 0.001; SGLT2-i SMD = − 0.552; p < 0.001, and statin SMD = − 0.195; p < 0.001). The sensitivity analysis showed that cardiometabolic drugs strongly benefit EAT thickness reduction, measured by ultrasound (overall SMD of − 0.663; 95%CI − 0.79, − 0.52; p < 0.001). Meta-regression analysis revealed younger age and higher BMI as significant effect modifiers of the association between cardiometabolic drugs and EAT reduction for both composite effect and effect on EAT thickness, (age Z: 3.99; p < 0.001 and Z: 1.97; p = 0.001, respectively; BMI Z: − 4.40; p < 0.001 and Z: − 2.85; p = 0.004, respectively). Conclusions: Cardiometabolic drugs show a significant beneficial effect on EAT reduction. GLP-1 RA was more effective than SGLT2-i, while statins had a rather mild effect. We believe that the most effective treatment with these drugs should target younger patients with high BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, crystalline silicon-based solar cells are the dominant technology for PV modules, with over 95% market share. Double Linker Triphenylamine Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Developing solar energy conversion devices is one key driver of the energy transition pathway [[1]]. On the other hand, PSCs rival silicon-based solar cells for their high-power conversion efficiency (PCE up to 25% in 2022) and are characterized by simple fabrication processes [[4]]. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Mast cell tumor (MCT) is the most common malignant skin tumor in dogs. In order to gain more information on the prognostic markers of MCT, the role of the eosinophil granulocytes infiltrates was investigated and assessed by the evaluation of tumor-associated tissue eosinophilia (TATE) in 87 canine cutaneous MCTs. In human medicine, high TATE are often described in highly angiogenic tumors: we therefore assessed the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in neoplastic mast cells. TATE and VEGF expression were compared between themselves, with other variables expressing the biological behavior of the tumor, and with the recurrence. High grades of TATE resulted to be associated with less differentiated tumors, with higher recurrence rates, and with aberrant expression of KIT. This is the first evaluation of the association between TATE and the biologic behavior of MCTs. This study suggests that TATE investigation could be an important source of information for this tumor and for other neoplasms. Mast cell tumor (MCT) is the most common malignant skin tumor in dogs. In order to gain more information on the prognostic markers in MCT, the role of the eosinophil granulocytes infiltrates was investigated and assessed by the evaluation of tumor-associated tissue eosinophilia (TATE) in 87 canine cutaneous MCTs. In human medicine, high TATE are often described in highly angiogenic tumors: we therefore assessed the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in neoplastic mast cells. TATE and VEGF expression were compared between themselves, with histological grading, immunohistochemical expression of KIT and Ki-67, and with the recurrence. We found a statistically significant correlation between TATE and Patnaik grading (p = 0.041), Kiupel grading (p = 0.022), immunohistochemical KIT expression (p = 0.015), and tumor recurrence (p = 0.000). No associations were observed with Ki-67 and VEGF expression. This is the first evaluation of TATE and its prognostic value in canine MCTs in veterinary oncology. This study suggest that this investigation could be an important source of information for this tumor and for other neoplasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influenza is a persistent public health problem associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Drug use is related to myriad health complications, but the relationship between drug use and severe influenza outcomes is not well understood. The study objective was to evaluate the relationship between drug use and severe influenza‐associated outcomes. Methods: Data were collected by the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv‐NET) from the 2016–2017 through 2018–2019 influenza seasons. Among persons hospitalized with influenza, descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to analyze differences in demographic characteristics, risk and behavioral factors, and severe outcomes (intensive care unit [ICU] admission, mechanical ventilation, or death) between people who use drugs (PWUD), defined as having documented drug use within the past year, and non‐PWUD. Results: Among 48,430 eligible hospitalized influenza cases, 2019 were PWUD and 46,411 were non‐PWUD. PWUD were younger than non‐PWUD and more likely to be male, non‐Hispanic Black or Hispanic/Latino, smoke tobacco, abuse alcohol, and have chronic conditions including asthma, chronic liver disease, chronic lung disease, or immunosuppressive conditions. PWUD had greater odds of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation, but not death compared with non‐PWUD; however, these findings were not statistically significant after adjustment. Opioid use specifically was associated with increased risk of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: These results support targeted initiatives to prevent influenza in this population, including influenza vaccination, which remains one of the most important tools to prevent influenza infection and associated severe outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) is a complex, multifactorial, progressive clinical condition affecting 64.3 million people worldwide, with a strong impact in terms of morbidity, mortality and public health costs. In the last 50 years, along with a better understanding of HF physiopathology and in agreement with the four main models of HF, many therapeutic options have been developed. Recently, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) HF guidelines enthusiastically introduced inhibitors of the sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT2i) as first line therapy for HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in order to reduce hospitalizations and mortality. Despite drugs developed as hypoglycemic agents, data from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial encouraged the evaluation of the possible cardiovascular effects, showing SGLT2i beneficial effects on loading conditions, neurohormonal axes, heart cells' biochemistry and vascular stiffness, determining an improvement of each HF model. We want to give a boost to their use by increasing the knowledge of SGLT2-I and understanding the probable mechanisms of this new class of drugs, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and providing a brief comment on major trials that made Gliflozins a cornerstone in HF therapy. Finally, aspects that may hinder SGLT2-i widespread utilization among different types of specialists, despite the guidelines' indications, will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological data on the association between fibrinogen levels and mortality are scarse and controversial. Longitudinal analyses were performed, separately by sex, on 17,689 individuals from the Moli-sani study [53% women, ≥35 years, free from cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer at enrolment], to evaluate the association between plasma fibrinogen and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Over a median follow-up of 11.2 years, 1,058 deaths (34.7% CVD, 36.3% cancer) were ascertained. Both in the lowest (1.12-2.64 g/L) and highest (=3.62 g/L) fibrinogen quintiles, women had an increased all-cause mortality hazard, when compared with third quintile (2.97-3.23 g/L). Dose-response analyses showed a U-shaped relationship in women (P overall <0.0001; P non-linear association <0.0001), but a positive linear association for all-cause mortality in men (P overall 0.0038; P nonlinear association 0.76). Similar trends for a U-shaped association were observed for CVD mortality, while no association was observed with cancer deaths. A U-shaped association of fibrinogen levels with other-cause mortality was also found in both sexes. This study shows that not only higher but also lower fibrinogen levels represent hazard for mortality when compared to normal levels; U-shaped curves being prevalently observed in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osmoderma eremita and Cerambyx cerdo are saproxylic beetle species, included in the IUCN Red List and in the EU/92 Habitats Directive. Their occurrence has been recorded, through appropriate traps, in several localities in Italy, including urban and peri-urban parks, mostly associated with veteran trees. In this study, traps were tested over 17 veteran oak trees in the Castelporziano Presidential Estate (Latium, Rome province, central Italy) and the abundance of sampled saproxylic beetles was related to the growing stock volume (GSV) and the abundance of microhabitats. Moreover, we compared three different trapping methods: a trap designed to monitor C. cerdo (CC), and two traps designed for monitoring O. eremita, i.e., the Black Cross Window Trap (BCWT) and the Black Bottle Traps (BBT). We found that larger trees hosted a great variety of microhabitats, in particular cavities, which abundance was correlated with the number of specimens sampled, especially O. eremita species. Both classic traps (i.e., CC traps and BCWT) and the herein-introduced BBT variants were effective for capturing large saproxylic beetles. In this work, we underline the importance of the preservation of veteran trees to the occurrence of threatened saproxylic beetles, and we contributed to (i) extending general knowledge of the habitat preferences of saproxylic beetles and (ii) improving new cost-effective trapping system variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domenico Starnone ed Elena Ferrante hanno studiato le funzioni che l'immaginazione assolve nella vita di individui o comunità. Starnone si è concentrato sulla componente illusoria dell'immaginazione: un suo person-aggio "ha gli occhi vuoti di stelle, ne ha desiderio [...] in assenza di 'cielo stellato, lo disegna quasi per gioco, se lo finge". Ferrante si è concentrata invece sulla componente produttiva/politica dell'immaginazione: il reale, senza di essa, non sembra "una faccia vera, ma una maschera" L'articolo analizza i tipi di immaginazione che i due autori (o, se si preferisce, le due voci narranti) rappresentano rivelando il dialogo intertestuale fra i loro testi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Venus Express Radio Science Experiment (VeRa) was part of the scientific payload of the Venus Express (VEX) spacecraft and was targeted at the investigation of Venus' atmosphere, surface, and gravity field as well as the interplanetary medium. This paper describes the methods and the required calibrations applied to VEX-VeRa raw radio occultation data used to retrieve vertical profiles of Venus' ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. In this work we perform an independent analysis of a set of 25 VEX, single-frequency (X-band), occultations carried out in 2014, recorded in open-loop at the NASA Deep Space Network. Our temperature, pressure and electron density vertical profiles are in agreement with previous studies available in the literature. Furthermore, our analysis shows that Venus' ionosphere is more influenced by the day/night condition than the latitude variations, while the neutral atmosphere experiences the opposite. Our scientific interpretation of these results is based on two major responsible effects: Venus' high thermal inertia and the zonal winds. Their presence within Venus' neutral atmosphere determine why in these regions a latitude dependence is predominant on the day/night condition. On the contrary, at higher altitudes the two aforementioned effects are less important or null, and Venus' ionosphere shows higher electron density peaks in the probed day-time occultations, regardless of the latitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of smooth muscle origin and represents 10–20% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Primary colon and rectal sarcomas constitute < 0.1% of all large bowel malignancies. In Li–Fraumeni syndrome, sarcomas are the second most frequent cancer (25%). Li–Fraumeni syndrome is a genetic disease with a familial predisposition to multiple malignant neoplasms. This syndrome has an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and high penetrance characterized by germline TP53 mutations. Patients with a history of cancer who do not meet all the "classic" criteria for Li–Fraumeni syndrome are considered to have Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first report of a patient with rectal leiomyosarcoma as the initial phenotypic manifestation of Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome. The authors also present a literature review. Case presentation: A 67-year-old Brazilian woman underwent anterior rectosigmoidectomy and panhysterectomy secondary to rectal leiomyosarcoma. She subsequently developed carcinomatosis and died 2 years after the operation. Her family medical history consisted of a daughter who died at 32 years of age from breast cancer, a granddaughter diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma at 6 years of age and two siblings who died from prostate cancer. A genetic study was carried out to identify a pathogenic variant of Li–Fraumeni syndrome. In the DNA extracted from the peripheral blood leukocyte, restriction fragment length polymorphism was analyzed to search for mutations in the TP53 gene. The DNA sequencing identified the germline pathogenic variant p. R337H heterozygous in exon 10 of TP53. The patient was classified as having Li–Fraumeni-like syndrome. Conclusion: In patients with rectal leiomyosarcoma, it is advisable to investigate the family history of cancer and perform genetic studies to screen for Li–Fraumeni syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2021, the Juno spacecraft executed a close flyby of Ganymede. During the encounter, Juno passed behind Ganymede for 15 min as observed from Earth, providing the geometry to conduct a radio occultation experiment to probe Ganymede's tenuous ionosphere. X‐band and Ka‐band radio links were transmitted from Juno to antennas at the Deep Space Network. Electrons encountered along the radio propagation path advance the signal's phase and a linear combination the two frequencies allows for a direct measurement of the electron content along the propagation path. On occultation ingress, an ionosphere peak of 2,000 ± 500 (1‐σ) cm−3 near the surface was observed. On occultation egress, no statistically significant ionosphere was detected. Ingress observation viewed where Ganymede's intrinsic magnetic field lines are open whereas egress observation viewed where the field lines are closed, implying electron impact ionization plays a key role in the generation of the ionosphere. Plain Language Summary: Juno conducted a flyby of Ganymede, the largest Galilean moon of Jupiter, on 7 June 2021. During the flyby, the Juno spacecraft set behind Ganymede as observed by the Earth. Juno's radio signals were captured by the Deep Space Network during this time to make radio occultation measurements of Ganymede's ionosphere. Elevated electron density was measured on occultation ingress but no statistically significant ionosphere was detected on egress. These results are consistent with Galileo's radio occultation observations and provide insight into the generation mechanisms of Ganymede's ionosphere. Key Points: A dual‐frequency radio occultation experiment of Ganymede's ionosphere was conducted with the Juno spacecraft on 7 June 2021Ingress observed an ionosphere with peak density 2,000 ± 500 (1‐σ) cm−3 but no statistically significant signature was detected on egressIngress detection occurred in the open field line region, where higher electron impact ionization rates may increase the electron density [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: We evaluated the clinical and neurophysiological efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in a neurophysiologically homogeneous group of patients with monoclonal gammopathy and immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti‐myelin‐associated glycoprotein antibody (anti‐MAG) demyelinating polyneuropathy. Methods: Twenty three anti‐MAG‐positive polyneuropathic patients were prospectively evaluated before and for 2 years after treatment with RTX 375 mg/m2. The Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) disability scale (INCAT‐ds), modified INCAT sensory score (mISS), Medical Research Council sum score, Patients' Global Impression of Change scale were used, IgM levels were assessed and extensive electrophysiological examinations were performed before (T0) and 1 year (T1) and 2 years (T2) after RTX treatment. Results: At T1 and T2 there was a significant reduction from T0 both in mISS and in INCAT‐ds, with a p value < 0.001 in the inferential Friedman's test overall analysis. Ulnar nerve Terminal Latency Index and distal motor latency significantly changed from T0 to T1 and in the overall analysis (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002), and ulnar nerve sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude was significantly increased at T2 from T1, with a p value < 0.001 in the overall analysis. Analysis of the receiver‐operating characteristic curves showed that a 41.8% increase in SNAP amplitude in the ulnar nerve at T2 from T0 was a fair predictor of a mISS reduction of ≥2 points (area under the curve 0.85; p = 0.005; sensitivity: 90.9%, specificity: 83.3%). Conclusions: This study suggests that RTX is effective in patients with clinically active demyelinating anti‐MAG neuropathy over 2 years of follow‐up, and that some neurophysiological variables might be useful for monitoring this efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay proposes to think about whether the practices we carry out through community intervention are political. The answer would not take long to arrive and it would be the expected one: it would affirm that they are political. And they are political because they seek to intervene in a social sector where social organization has not achieved, by action and omission, the consolidation of subjectivities proposed by modernity. It is perceived that it is in the decision to intervene on the consequences and not on the structural causes that the ideology of the matter lies. Therefore, if we were to make the mistake of approaching the community from the non-place, what we would be reinforcing in the communities -most of the time devastated- would be the non-community, that is, the denial of this articulation of meanings and relations of domination that is established as a counterpart of all types of individualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report intrinsic viscosity and flow curve measurements on a set of five industrial poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) samples, with varying degree of hydrolysis, molecular weight, and concentration in two solvents: water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solutions exhibit clear features of associative polymers, and the hydroxyl-carbonyl hydrogen bonds seem to dominate polymer chain associations. We propose a "sticky-blob" model, applicable to any associating polymer solution with many stickers inside each correlation blob, which predicts the concentration dependence of the specific viscosity and the chain relaxation time in the entanglement regime. When PVOH polymers are dissolved in DMSO, a strong hydrogen bond acceptor, chain-chain associations are fully prevented for all relevant degrees of hydrolysis. The specific viscosity and the relaxation time of the chain recover the expected concentration dependences for nonassociating flexible polymers in DMSO. The same concentration dependences are exhibited by literature data on 100% hydrolyzed PVOH in water, as the acetate content, dominating interchain associations, is zero. Comparing entangled aqueous and DMSO solutions at the same concentration enables the experimental measure of the time delay due to associations as the ratio between the terminal relaxation time of solutions in water and DMSO. The concentration dependence of such a time delay was also captured by the simple sticky-blob model introduced in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-stroke, in addition to sensorimotor signs and symptoms, could lead to cognitive deficits. Theories of embodiment stress the role of sensorimotor system and multisensory integration in sustaining high-order cognitive domains. Despite conventional post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation being effective, innovative technologies could overcome some limitations of standard interventions and exploit bodily information during cognitive rehabilitation. This systematic review aims to investigate whether 'multisensory technologies' compared to usual care treatment can be a viable alternative for cognitive rehabilitation. By applying PRISMA guidelines, we extracted data and assessed the bias of 10 studies that met the required criteria. We found that multisensory technologies were at least comparable to standard treatment but particularly effective for attention, spatial cognition, global cognition, and memory. Multisensory technologies consisted principally of virtual reality alone or combined with a motion tracking system. Multisensory technologies without motion tracking were more effective than standard procedures, whereas those with motion tracking showed balanced results for the two treatments. Limitations of the included studies regarded the population (e.g., no study on acute stroke), assessment (e.g., lack of multimodal/multisensory pre-post evaluation), and methodology (e.g., sample size, blinding bias). Recent advancements in technological development and metaverse open new opportunities to design embodied rehabilitative programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Diseases emerging from wildlife represent a growing public health issue. Cervids share many pathogens with domestic species and humans, representing useful spontaneous models to evaluate host-pathogen balance. Histology and immunohistochemistry can help in fully understanding the pathogenesis of infection in these species, but few studies have been conducted to characterize immune cell markers. This study highlights that lymphocytes and macrophagic subsets in roe and fallow deer lymphoid tissue can be identified by a panel of commercial antibodies developed against humans. A description of the main immune cell distribution was provided. These results may support future investigations on immune cell response and pathogenesis in roe and fallow deer diseases. Roe and Fallow deer are common wild ruminants widely distributed in Italy. Infectious diseases of these species can potentially pose health risks to domestic animals and humans. However, few studies have been conducted in which immune system cells in these species were phenotyped. The aims of this study were to determine the cross-reactivity of a wide anti-human panel of commercial antibodies on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and to describe the distribution of roe and fallow deer main immune cell subsets in the lymph nodes and spleen. Twenty retromandibular lymph nodes (RLNs) and spleen samples were collected from 10 roe deer and 10 fallow deer and were tested by a panel of 12 commercial anti-human antibodies. The CD79a, CD20, CD3, Iba-1, MAC387, and AM-3K antibodies were successfully labeled cells in cervine tissue, while the Foxp3 and the CD68 did not show suitable immunostaining. This study supplies the first immunohistochemical description of immune cell subpopulations in non-pathological spleen and RLNs from roe and fallow deer and provides an easily repeatable manual IHC protocol to immunolocalize cervine B-, T-cells, and macrophages subsets in FFPE tissue samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) calculations used during the planning of ion therapy treatments are generally based on the microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) and the local effect model (LEM). The Mayo Clinic Florida MKM (MCF MKM) was recently developed to overcome the limitations of previous MKMs in reproducing the biological data and to eliminate the need for ion-exposed in vitro data as input for the model calculations. Since we are considering to implement the MCF MKM in clinic, this article presents (a) an extensive benchmark of the MCF MKM predictions against corresponding in vitro clonogenic survival data for 4 rodent and 10 cell lines exposed to ions from 1H to 238U, and (b) a systematic comparison with published results of the latest version of the LEM (LEM IV). Additionally, we introduce a novel approach to derive an approximate value of the MCF MKM model parameters by knowing only the animal species and the mean number of chromosomes. The overall good agreement between MCF MKM predictions and in vitro data suggests the MCF MKM can be reliably used for the RBE calculations. In most cases, a reasonable agreement was found between the MCF MKM and the LEM IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are few real-world setting studies focused on apremilast effectiveness (i.e., retention rate) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The main aim of this retrospective observational study is the assessment of apremilast 3-year retention rate in real-world PsA patients. Moreover, the secondary objective is to report the reasons of apremilast discontinuation and the factors related to treatment persistence. Methods: In fifteen Italian rheumatological referral centers, all PsA consecutive patients who received apremilast were enrolled. Anamnestic data, treatment history, and PsA disease activity (DAPSA) at baseline were recorded. The Kaplan–Meier curve and the Cox analysis computed the apremilast retention rate and treatment persistence-related risk factors. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The 356 enrolled patients (median age 60 [interquartile range IQR 52–67] yrs; male prevalence 42.7%) median observation period was 17 [IQR 7–34] months (7218 patients-months). The apremilast retention rate at 12, 24, and 36 months was, respectively, 85.6%, 73.6%, and 61.8%. The main discontinuation reasons were secondary inefficacy (34% of interruptions), gastro-intestinal intolerance (24%), and primary inefficacy (19%). Age and oligo-articular phenotype were related to treatment persistence (respectively hazard ratio 0.98 IQR 0.96–0.99; p = 0.048 and 0.54 IQR 0.31–0.95; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Almost three-fifths of PsA patients receiving apremilast were still in treatment after 3 years. This study confirmed its effectiveness and safety profile. Apremilast appears as a good treatment choice in all oligo-articular PsA patients and in those ones burdened by relevant comorbidities. Key Points • Apremilast retention rates in this real-life cohort and trials are comparable. • The oligo-articular phenotype is associated with long-lasting treatment (i.e., 3 years). • No different or more prevalent adverse events were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transitioning of nanotechnology from laboratory to industrial-scale manufacturing poses various challenges in nanoparticle realization. From this perspective, beside the conventional synthetic procedure, based on the seed-mediated growth approach, a reshaping thermal strategy has been investigated to improve the control on gold nanorods aspect ratio, with the aim to point out a potential and encouraging way to better manage the scalability and reproducibility of nanoparticles. For this purpose, nanorods covered with CTAB and nanorods enclosed within a silica shell of tuned thickness have been synthesized and submitted to a post-thermal treatment at various temperatures, up to 300 °C for CTAB recovered gold nanorods (AuNR@CTAB), and up to 500 °C for silica-shell embedded gold nanorods (AuNR@SiO2). For AuNR@CTAB, through accurate temperature control, the longitudinal plasmonic band can be moved very close to the transversal one upon slight reduction of their length. Instead, for AuNR@SiO2, owing to the fully inorganic shell, a higher temperature of treatment can be reached leading to the possibility of reshaping the nanorods into spheres without the observation of any by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]