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Francesca Benevento,1 Anna Pecorelli,2 Horia Stefanescu,3 Zeno Sparchez,3 Ranka Vukotic,1,4 Irene Pettinari,2 Crina-Anca Grigoras,3 Francesco Tovoli,1,5 Federico Ravaioli,1 Bernardo Stefanini,1 Pietro Andreone,6 Fabio Piscaglia1,5 1Department of Medicine and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 2Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 3Gastroenterology Department, Liver Unit & Ultrasound Laboratory, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 4Medicina Interna 4, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy; 5Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; 6Divisione di Medicina Interna a Indirizzo Metabolico-Nutrizionale, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, ItalyCorrespondence: Fabio Piscaglia, Email Fabio.piscaglia@unibo.itBackground: Malignancies are generally considered a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and may hamper the recanalisation of thrombosed veins.Aim: We investigate whether the natural course and response to anticoagulant treatment of bland portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with cirrhosis complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differ from those without HCC.Methods: Retrospective study in two hepatology referral centres, in Italy and Romania where patients with a diagnosis of PVT on cirrhosis and follow-up of at least 3 months with repeated imaging were included.Results: A total of 162 patients with PVT and matching inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified: 30 with HCC were compared to 132 without HCC. Etiologies, Child-Pugh Score (7 vs 7) and MELD scores (11 vs 12, p=0.3679) did not differ. Anticoagulation was administered to 43% HCC vs 42% nonHCC. The extension of PVT in the main portal trunk was similar: partial/total involvement was 73.3/6.7% in HCC vs 67.4/6.1% in nonHCC, p=0.760. The remainder had intrahepatic PVT. The recanalization rate was 61.5% and 60.7% in HCC/nonHCC in anticoagulated patients (p=1). Overall PVT recanalisation, including treated and untreated patients, was observed in 30% of HCC vs 37.9% of nonHCC, p=0.530. Major bleeding incidence was almost identical (3.3% vs 3.8%, p=1). Progression of PVT after stopping anticoagulation did not differ (10% vs 15.9%, respectively, HCC/nHCC, p=0.109).Conclusion: The course of bland non-malignant PVT in cirrhosis is not affected by the presence of active HCC. Treatment with anticoagulation in patients with active HCC is safe and as effective as in nonHCC patients, this can potentially allow us to use otherwise contraindicated therapies (ie TACE) if a complete recanalization is achieved with anticoagulation.Keywords: LC, liver cirrhosis, HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma, PVT, portal vein thrombosis

Objective: Trichothiodystrophy (TTD) is a rare hereditary disease whose prominent feature is brittle hair. Additional clinical signs are physical and neurodevelopmental abnormalities and in about half of the cases hypersensitivity to UV radiation. Although the mutations involved in this condition have been characterized, the correlation between the molecular defects and the plethora of clinical symptoms is not well understood. Recently, the presence of a redox imbalance in TTD has been suggested although no clear evidence has been reported on this aspect. Methods: In the present study, we evaluated the redox status of fibroblasts isolated from a TTD patient. In addition, to understand the ability of TTD cells to respond to oxidative insults, the cells were challenged with H2O2. Mitochondrial O2•− and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured in different oxidative conditions. In addition, protein levels of NRF2 and BACH1 were also analyzed in response to H2O2. Results: The results suggested an aberrant mitochondrial response to oxidative stimuli, an increased baseline oxidative stress status in TTD, and an altered NRF2/BACH1 level. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the altered redox homeostasis in TTD pathogenesis and mitochondria functionality. Significance statement Focusing on mitochondria homeostasis and redox imbalance could represent an alternative therapeutic target for this condition to improve patients’ clinical features.

Test flakiness arises when a test case exhibits inconsistent behavior by alternating between passing and failing states when executed against the same code. Previous research showed the significance of the problem in practice, proposing empirical studies into the nature of flakiness and automated techniques for its detection. Machine learning models emerged as a promising approach for flaky test prediction. However, existing research has predominantly focused on within-project scenarios, where models are trained and tested using data from a single project. On the contrary, little is known about how flaky test prediction models may be adapted to software projects lacking sufficient historical data for effective prediction. In this paper, we address this gap by proposing a large-scale assessment of flaky test prediction in cross-project scenarios, i.e., in situations where predictive models are trained using data coming from external projects. Leveraging a dataset of 1,385 flaky tests from 29 open-source projects, we examine static test flakiness prediction models and evaluate feature- and instance-based filtering methods for cross-project predictions. Our study underscores the difficulties in utilizing cross-project flaky test data and underscores the significance of filtering methods in enhancing prediction accuracy. Notably, we find that the TrAdaBoost filtering method significantly reduces data heterogeneity, leading to an F-Measure of 70%.

Background: the aim of this study is to assess the performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and outcome in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Materials and Methods: ninety-four patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pre- and post-neoadjuvant treatment were retrospectively enrolled. Three regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn on three different slices of the tumor for every DWI sequence. ROIs were positioned to include only high signal areas and avoid artifacts or necrotic areas. ROIs were automatically copied onto the corresponding ADC maps and the system derived three different ADC values, distinguishing between mean, maximum, and minimum values, and the standard deviation (SD). Only mean ADC values were considered. After surgical intervention, pTNM and the Mandard tumor regression grade (TRG) were obtained. Patients with a TRG of 1–2 were classified as responders, while patients with a TRG from 3 to 5 were classified as non-responders. Results: no correlation was found between pre-ADC values and TRG classes, while post-ADC and ΔADC values showed a significant correlation with TRG classes (r = −0.285, p = 0.002 and r = −0.290, p = 0.019, respectively). Post-ADC values were statistically different between responders and non-responders (p = 0.019). When considering the relation between overall survival (OS) and ADC values, pre-ADC showed a negative correlation with OS (r = −0.381, p = 0.001), while a positive correlation was found between ΔADC values and OS (r = 0.323, p = 0.013). According to ΔADC values, the mean OS time between responders and non-responders showed a significant difference (p = 0.030). A statistical difference was found between TRG classes and OS (p = 0.038) and by dividing patients in responders and non-responders (p = 0.019). Conclusions: the pre-ADC and ΔADC values could be used as useful predictors for patient prognosis, thus helping the treatment planning. On the other hand, the post-ADC values, thanks to their relationship with the TRG classes, could be the ideal tool to predict the histopathological response and plan a conservative approach to the treatment of rectal cancer.

The detection and quantification of polar pesticides in liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry present significant analytical challenges. This study compares the performance of three LC columns (Hypercarb™, Raptor Polar X™, and Anionic Polar Pesticide™) in separating and quantifying eleven polar pesticides in chicken eggs using a score-based methodology. Analytes include glyphosate, its metabolites, and other high-polarity pesticides like Ethephon, Glufosinate, and Fosetyl aluminum, included in the EU’s official control plan. Polar pesticides, characterized by high polarity and hydrophilicity, lead to analytical issues such as poor retention and unconventional peak shapes with traditional reversed-phase methods. Their weak interaction with hydrophobic stationary phases complicates separation, necessitating specific stationary phases to enhance retention and selectivity. This study evaluates these columns’ efficacy in complex matrices like chicken eggs and other food samples. Chromatographic separation was performed using a UPLC system coupled with a Q-TOF mass spectrometer; extraction and purification involved freeze-out, centrifugation, and filtration steps. The study highlights the critical role of column selection in achieving accurate and reliable separation and quantification of highly polar analytes in matrices of animal origin, offering in the meantime an easy-to-apply methodology of selection for the right determination of the best chromatographic column for different purposes.

Regular exercise and physical activity are now considered lifestyle factors with positive effects on human health. Physical activity reduces disease burden, protects against the onset of pathologies, and improves the clinical course of disease. Unlike pharmacological therapies, the effects mediated by exercise are not limited to a specific target organ but act in multiple biological systems simultaneously. Despite the substantial health benefits of physical training, the precise molecular signaling processes that lead to structural and functional tissue adaptation remain largely unknown. Only recently, several bioactive molecules have been discovered that are produced following physical exercise. These molecules are collectively called “exerkines”. Exerkines are released from various tissues in response to exercise, and play a crucial role in mediating the beneficial effects of exercise on the body. Major discoveries involving exerkines highlight their diverse functions and health implications, particularly in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation. These molecules, including peptides, nucleic acids, lipids, and microRNAs, act through paracrine, endocrine, and autocrine pathways to exert their effects on various organs and tissues. Exerkines represent a complex network of signaling molecules that mediate the multiple benefits of exercise. Their roles in metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and muscle adaptation highlight the importance of physical activity in maintaining health and preventing disease.

IntroductionUreteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) syndrome is one of the most common causes of neonatal hydronephrosis. Management varies from simple monitoring to surgical intervention, with indications differing between institutions. A consensus of 8 societies recently described a new Urinary Tract Dilation (UTD) classification which aims to standardize ultrasound description of hydronephrosis, but which is also supposed to have predictive value in children with hydronephrosis. Our aim was to compare, in a monocentric prospective cohort of children with UPJO, the ability of UTD to predict the occurrence of a clinically significant event within the first year of life, as compared to anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis (APD).Study designWe used a preexisting cohort of children followed in a prospective study on UPJO. A pediatric radiologist, blinded to the children's outcome, classified the last antenatal ultrasound and postnatal ultrasound according to the UTD-A and UTD-P classification. He also confirmed the APD-A and APD-P measures. We defined a clinically significant event as being: increased pelvic dilation (>5 mm) and/or the presence of a febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) and/or impaired renal function on initial nuclear scan (5 mm in dilation, 6 presented an episode of fUTI and 9 had impaired function of the affected kidney. APD-A was the most effective individual criterion for predicting the occurrence of a significant clinical event (AUC = 0.867).ConclusionIn our series, for children with UPJO, the most significant marker was prenatal APD >15 mm to predict an increase in dilation >5 mm.

IntroductionBladder profile in boys with Posterior Urethral Valves can be very varied with a spectrum going from high pressure, unstable, hypocompliant small bladders to hypercompliant, large acontractile bladders, with some being near-normal. Our question was whether appearance, specifically of the bladder, on initial VCUG was correlated to prenatal features and whether it could predict early postnatal outcome.MethodWe used a prospectively gathered database of boys with prenatally suspected PUV. We analyzed whether the appearance, specifically of the bladder, was related to date of prenatal diagnosis, presence of a megacystis on prenatal ultrasound, presence of vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR), presence of abnormal DMSA scan, nadir creatinine or presence of febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) during the first two years of life.ResultsThe database comprised 90 cystograms. 15% of bladders were judged normal/regular, 54 % were small/diverticular and 31% were large/diverticular. Bladder appearance was not associated with presence of prenatal megacystis, abnormal DMSA scan, VUR, nor rate of fUTI. The only significant associations were normal/regular bladder and early prenatal diagnosis (p = 0.04) and normal/regular bladder and elevated nadir creatinine (>75µmol/l) (p = 0.01).DiscussionWe believe that when focusing solely on the appearance of the bladder, excluding information about the urethra and presence of reflux, the cystogram alone is insufficient to inform on future bladder function. This could be used as an argument in favor of performing early urodynamics in this population.

Marta Arnaldi. The Diasporic Canon: American Anthologies of Contemporary Italian Poetry 1945-2015. Legenda, 2022. In The Diasporic Canon: American Anthologies of Contemporary Italian Poetry 1945- 2015, Marta Arnaldi presents a [...]