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Mascia Benedusi,1 Delphine Kerob,2 Anna Guiotto,3 Franco Cervellati,1 Francesca Ferrara,4 Erika Pambianchi5 1Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; 2L’Oreal Dermatological Beauty, Levallois, France; 3Department of Environmental Sciences and Prevention, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; 4Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; 5North Carolina Research Campus, Plants for Human Health Institute, Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, 28081, USACorrespondence: Mascia Benedusi, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Borsari 46, Ferrara, 44121, Italy, Tel +390532455462, Email bndmsc@unife.itPurpose: Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation (UV) or ozone (O3) results in stressed skin, leading to the alteration of the skin physical barrier and defence functions. In this work, the preventive benefit of a dermocosmetic, M89PF, containing Vichy mineralising water, probiotic fractions, antioxidant vitamins and hyaluronic acid, in the alteration of skin physical barrier and skin defence functions after exposure to O3 and UV, alone or combined, was assessed.Methods: Untreated and treated (M89PF) skin explants were exposed to O3, to UV rays or to O3+UV. Immunofluorescence was performed for skin barrier, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers after one and four days of exposure to the pollutants.Results: M89PF significantly (p≤ 0.05) prevented the decrease of the expression level of different skin barrier markers, and significantly (p≤ 0.05) prevented the induction of OxInflammatory markers and inflammasome components by UV, O3, or both combined.Conclusion: M89PF prevents skin barrier damage, as well as oxidative stress and inflammatory markers induced by exposome factors, such as UV, O3, or both combined.Keywords: ultraviolet radiation, ozone, skin barrier, oxidative stress, inflammation

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Equistasi®, a wearable device, on the relationship between muscular activity and postural control changes in a sample of 25 Parkinson’s disease (PD) subjects. Gait analysis was carried out through a six-cameras stereophotogrammetric system synchronized with two force plates, an eight-channel surface electromyographic system, recording the activity of four muscles bilaterally: Rectus femoris, tibialis anterior (TA), biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL). The peak of the envelope (PoE) and its occurrence within the gait cycle (position of the peak of the envelope, PPoE) were calculated. Frequency-domain posturographic parameters were extracted while standing still on a force plate in eyes open and closed conditions for 60 s. After the treatment with Equistasi®, the mid-low (0.5–0.75) Hz and mid-high (0.75–1 Hz) components associated with the vestibular and somatosensory systems, PoE and PPoE, displayed a shift toward the values registered on the controls. Furthermore, a correlation was found between changes in proprioception (power spectrum frequencies during the Romberg Test) and the activity of GL, BF (PoE), and TA (PPoE). Results of this study could provide a quantitative estimation of the effects of a neurorehabilitation device on the peripheral and central nervous system in PD.

Abstract Background Ankylosing spondylitis is a major chronic rheumatic disease that predominantly affects axial joints, determining a rigid spine from the occiput to the sacrum. The dorsal hyperkyphosis may induce the patients to stand in a stooped position with consequent restriction in patients’ daily living activities. The aim of this study was to develop a method for quantitatively and objectively assessing both balance and posture and their mutual relationship in ankylosing spondylitis subjects. Methods The data of 12 healthy and 12 ankylosing spondylitis subjects (treated with anti-TNF-α stabilized), with a mean age of 51.42 and 49.42 years; mean BMI of 23.08 and 25.44 kg/m2 were collected. Subjects underwent a morphological examination of the spinal mobility by means of a pocket compass needle goniometer, together with an evaluation of both spinal and hip mobility (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index), and disease activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index). Quantitative evaluation of kinematics and balance were performed through a six cameras stereophotogrammetric system and a force plate. Kinematic models together with a test for evaluating balance in different eye level conditions were developed. Head protrusion, trunk flexion-extension, pelvic tilt, hip-knee-ankle flexion-extension were evaluated during Romberg Test, together with centre of pressure parameters. Results Each subject was able to accomplish the required task. Subjects’ were comparable for demographic parameters. A significant increment was observed in ankylosing spondylitis subjects for knee joint angle with the target placed at each eye level on both sides (p Conclusions Our findings confirm the need to investigate both balance and posture in ankylosing spondylitis subjects. This methodology could help clinicians to plan rehabilitation treatments.

The RFX-mod2 device, the upgraded version of the previous RFX-mod with a modified magnetic boundary, is presently under realization and will start to be operated in 2025. Significant upgrades of the diagnostic capabilities have been proposed and are under development. These include a largely increased number of in-vessel magnetic and electrostatic sensors, a new fast reciprocating manipulator for the exploration of the edge plasma in a wide range of experimental conditions, the improved Thomson scattering and soft x-ray diagnostics system for a detailed determination of the behavior of the electron temperature profile, new dedicated systems for the space and time resolved analysis of x-ray spectra and neutron rate, a reflectometric diagnostic for real-time determination of plasma position, two diagnostics devoted to the imaging of light impurities and influxes behavior along with arrays of halo current sensors. These diagnostic upgrades will be accompanied by a significant effort to improve the control of the electron density and of the impurity influxes by means of proper treatment of plasma facing components with in-vessel fixed electrodes distributed over the first wall. The described advancements will allow a deeper understanding of physics phenomena in the wide variety of magnetic configurations, including the tokamak, the reversed-field pinch and the Ultra-low q, which can be produced in RFX-mod2 thanks to its flexibility and unique MHD control capabilities.

Astronomy is a discipline primarily reliant on visual data. However, alternative data representation techniques are being explored, in particular “sonification,” namely, the representation of data into sound. While there is increasing interest in the astronomical community in using sonification in research and educational contexts, its full potential is still to be explored. This study measured the performance of astronomers and nonastronomers to detect a transit-like feature in time-series data (i.e., light curves), which were represented visually or auditorily, adopting different data-to-sound mappings. We also assessed the bias that participants exhibited in the different conditions. We simulated the data of 160 light curves with different signal-to-noise ratios. We represented them as visual plots or auditory streams with different sound parameters to represent brightness: pitch, duration, or the redundant duration and pitch. We asked the participants to identify the presence of transit-like features in these four conditions in a session that included an equal number of stimuli with and without transit-like features. With auditory stimuli, participants detected transits with performances above the chance level. However, visual stimuli led to overall better performances compared to auditory stimuli and astronomers outperformed nonastronomers. Visualisations led to a conservative response bias (reluctance to answer “yes, there is a transit”), whereas sonifications led to more liberal responses (proneness to respond “yes, there is a transit”). Overall, this study contributes to understanding how different representations (visual or auditory) and sound mappings (pitch, duration, and duration and pitch) of time-series data affect detection accuracy and biases.

The skin is the outermost layer of the body and, therefore, is exposed to a variety of stressors, such as environmental pollutants, known to cause oxinflammatory reactions involved in the exacerbation of several skin conditions. Today, inflammasomes are recognized as important modulators of the cutaneous inflammatory status in response to air pollutants and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. In this study, human skin explants were exposed to the best-recognized air pollutants, such as microplastics (MP), cigarette smoke (CS), diesel engine exhaust (DEE), ozone (O3), and UV, for 1 or 4 days, to explore how each pollutant can differently modulate markers of cutaneous oxinflammation. Exposure to environmental pollutants caused an altered oxidative stress response, accompanied by increased DNA damage and signs of premature skin aging. The effect of specific pollutants being able to exert different inflammasomes pathways (NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRP6, and NLRC4) was also investigated in terms of scaffold formation and cell pyroptosis. Among all environmental pollutants, O3, MP, and UV represented the main pollutants affecting cutaneous redox homeostasis; of note, the NLRP1 and NLRP6 inflammasomes were the main ones modulated by these outdoor stressors, suggesting their role as possible molecular targets in preventing skin disorders and the inflammaging events associated with environmental pollutant exposure.

Novel psychological approaches are needed to improve psychological symptoms following stroke. Positive psychology for stroke recovery can support people to shift their focus from disabilities and stimulate engagement with positive thinking and personal strengths. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of a single-session character strengths-focused positive psychotherapy group for patients on acute stroke wards (N=19). Feasibility was measured through adherence to session components and participant engagement. Acceptability was measured with self-reported Likert scale mood scores pre- and post-session (0-10). Nine sessions were delivered with high adherence to session components (72.82%). Mean mood scores were significantly higher post-session (M=7.62, SD=1.75) than pre-session (M=5.95, SD=2.80), Z=2.961, p=0.03, with large effect (d=0.85). Findings indicated that the intervention was feasible and acceptable. Qualitative feedback indicated that patients found the intervention helpful and enjoyable. This preliminary pilot study highlights the potential of positive psychotherapy on acute stroke wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) noninvasively measures the stiffness of tissue by producing and measuring tissue deformation. Scar formation, a crucial aspect of wound healing, can lead to functional and aesthetic complications when pathological. While SWE has shown promise in dermatological evaluations, its role in surgical scar assessment remains underestimated. Our study aims to investigate SWE in evaluating surgical scars at the donor site after forearm free flap surgery in transgender patients. Methods: After radial forearm free flap harvesting, the donor site was grafted with a split-thickness skin graft with or without interposition of Matriderm. Eleven patients were evaluated more than one year after surgery, using SWE alongside scar characteristics, sensory outcomes, and patient satisfaction surveys. Results: Our study revealed no significant difference in stiffness (p > 0.15), pigmentation (p = 0.32), or erythema (p = 0.06) between operated and non-operated sides. The interposition of Matriderm did not influence the stiffness. Patients significantly (p < 0.0001) reported a loss of discrimination. Patients' subjective scar evaluation appeared in line with our quantitative and objective results. Conclusions: This study contributes to the evolving understanding of SWE's role in scar assessment, highlighting its feasibility in evaluating surgical scars. However, continued research efforts are necessary to establish SWE as a reliable and objective method for surgical scar evaluation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several small to medium-scale magnetic confinement fusion devices operate using deuterium as fuel. These low neutron rate (108–1010 n/s) devices rely on 2.45 MeV neutron measurements to validate physical models and to assess their performance. Given the modest rate, neutron monitors have to be placed as close as possible to the machine to maximize data gathering. In these regions, intense stray magnetic fields could affect the detector's performance. In this work, the development of a neutron detector based on an EJ-276D scintillator crystal coupled with a SiPM and a custom-made readout system is presented. The detector has particle discrimination capability and is insensitive to magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to environmental stressors like particulate matter (PM) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) induces cutaneous oxidative stress and inflammation and leads to skin barrier dysfunction and premature aging. Metals like iron or copper are abundant in PM and are known to contribute to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Aims: Although it has been suggested that topical antioxidants may be able to help in preventing and/or reducing outdoor skin damage, limited clinical evidence under real‐life exposure conditions have been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of a topical serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol (CF Mix) to prevent oxinflammatory skin damage and premature aging induced by PM + UV in a human clinical trial. Methods: A 4‐day single‐blinded, clinical study was conducted on the back of 15 females (18–40 years old). During the 4 consecutive days, the back test zones were treated daily with or without the CF Mix, followed by with/without 2 h of PM and 5 min of UV daily exposure. Results: Application of the CF Mix prevented PM + UV‐induced skin barrier perturbation (Involucrin and Loricrin), lipid peroxidation (4HNE), inflammatory markers (COX2, NLRP1, and AhR), and MMP9 activation. In addition, CF Mix was able to prevent Type I Collagen loss. Conclusion: This is the first human study confirming multipollutant cutaneous damage and suggesting the utility of a daily antioxidant topical application to prevent pollution induced skin damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]