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This cross-border narrative analyzes the intercultural perspectives of two doctoral students, one Chinese and the other Italian, who are international doctoral students conducting research in the United States. The first author is doing a doctorate in education in international adult and higher education, while the second author is undertaking a doctorate in adult and community education. Utilizing reflection rooted in Kolb's (1984) model of experiential learning and adopting a collaborative autoethnography framework, the cross-border narrative seeks to draw comparisons between their respective intercultural learning and living experiences. It underscores the interconnectedness of these experiences despite their diverse cultural backgrounds. The reflection contributes to a better understanding of their varied intercultural experiences, leading to the conclusion that self-awareness is the initial step toward improving intercultural competence.

Abstract Sea cucumbers are deposit feeding members of marine benthic communities. The over-exploitation of sea cucumber natural stocks, especially in the Mediterranean basin, is having negative impacts on the marine ecosystem. This concerns had led the Italian government to take legal actions to preserve these important marine resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of genetic diversity and population structures within two sympatric Holothuria sea cucumber species, H. polii and H. tubulosa, across ten Mediterranean areas along Italy. A 323 bp portion of the COI mitochondrial gene was sequenced in a total of 441 holothurians (251 H. polii, 177 H. tubulosa and 13 from other species). Genetic diversity analyses and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) suggest that H. polii and H. tubulosa species are distinct, but within and among populations are homogeneous, indicating active gene flows across the Mediterranean areas investigated. H. polii showed a lower genetic diversity than H. tubulosa, probably related to differences in life history traits. Phylogenetic analyses showed a clear differentiation between the two species, even if six specimens morphologically assigned to a species clustered within the other species, indicating a possible occurrence of hybridization events. These data will be useful in implementing conservation actions for these holothurian genetic resources.

Abstract Background The integration of nuclear mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the mammalian genomes is an ongoing, yet rare evolutionary process that produces nuclear sequences of mitochondrial origin (NUMT). In this study, we identified and analysed NUMT inserted into the pig (Sus scrofa) genome and in the genomes of a few other Suinae species. First, we constructed a comparative distribution map of NUMT in the Sscrofa11.1 reference genome and in 22 other assembled S. scrofa genomes (from Asian and European pig breeds and populations), as well as the assembled genomes of the Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons) and warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). We then analysed a total of 485 whole genome sequencing datasets, from different breeds, populations, or Sus species, to discover polymorphic NUMT (inserted/deleted in the pig genome). The insertion age was inferred based on the presence or absence of orthologous NUMT in the genomes of different species, taking into account their evolutionary divergence. Additionally, the age of the NUMT was calculated based on sequence degradation compared to the authentic mtDNA sequence. We also validated a selected set of representative NUMT via PCR amplification. Results We have constructed an atlas of 418 NUMT regions, 70 of which were not present in any assembled genomes. We identified ancient NUMT regions (older than 55 million years ago, Mya) and NUMT that appeared at different time points along the Suinae evolutionary lineage. We identified very recent polymorphic NUMT (private to S. scrofa, with

Abstract The conservation of the genetic integrity of Apis mellifera subspecies has emerged as an important objective. In 2019, the Emilia-Romagna region became the first Italian regional authority to issue a law specifically addressing the protection of the native Apis mellifera ligustica subspecies. In this study we analysed a highly informative portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), widely used for assessing genetic diversity of honey bee populations. By analysing 1143 honey bees sampled after the introduction of this law, we provided a snapshot of the distribution of mtDNA haplotypes in this region. The two most frequent mtDNA haplotypes were C1 (characteristic of A. m. ligustica) and C2 (characteristic of A. m. carnica), reported in 86.5% and 11.0% of the analysed bees, respectively. About 1.3% and 1.1% of the analysed bees carried mtDNA haplotypes of the A and M lineages (haplotypes A1a, A1e, A4, A26, A65 and two novel ones, A2w and A6a; M3, M3a, M4 and M79). Continued genetic monitoring will be important to assess the impact of this regional law over the coming years. Based on the obtained results, we recommend a more stringent policy to prevent the erosion of the genetic integrity of the native subspecies A. m. ligustica.

Sabrina Bimonte,1,* Piergiacomo Di Gennaro,2,* Anna Crispo,2 Sergio Coluccia,2 Assunta Luongo,2 Alfonso Amore,3,4 Egidio Celentano,2 Francesco Del Prato,1 Daniela Schiavo,1 Davide Nocerino,1 Marco Cascella,5 Arturo Cuomo1 1Division of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; 2Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; 3Melanoma and Sarcoma Surgery Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; 4PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 5Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Anna Crispo, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Via Mariano Semmola 53, Naples, Italy, Tel +39 081 17770298, Email a.crispo@istitutotumori.na.itPurpose: Breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) is a temporary exacerbation of pain that “breaks through” a phase of adequate pain control by an opioid-based therapy. The non-predictable BTcP (NP-BTcP) subtype occurs in the absence of any specific activity. Evidence showed that gender differences exist in pain response sensitivity and clinical pain risk. This analysis aimed to signify the gender differences for the NP-BTcP phenomenon.Patients and Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Italian Oncologic Pain multiSetting-Multicentric Survey (IOPS-MS), the largest study on BTcP. The subset of NP-BTcP cases for non-gender-specific cancer was considered. Univariable and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify gender differences for the NP-BTcP profile about its intensity, number of episodes per day, and type. A metastatic status-stratified analysis was performed to compare gender with the main clinical variables among the population with NP-BTcP.Results: Males exhibited a higher occurrence of BTcP in the thorax region compared to females (15% vs 11%, respectively, p = 0.03). Males also had a higher onset of BTcP, a higher BTcP therapy dosage (33% vs 28%, p = 0.04, mean: 201 vs 186, p = 0.02) and a lower Karnofsky score (mean: 46.9 vs 49.2, p = 0.03) compared to females. Similar gender differences were found for metastatic patients in the BTcP site (14% vs 8.5%, respectively; p = 0.01), peak onset (33% vs 27%, p = 0.02), BTcP therapy dosage (199 vs 185, p=0.04), and Karnofsky score (mean 47.5 vs 50.4, p = 0.009). Phenotype 2 was more characterized by non-metastatic males (41% vs 23%, p = 0.020) while non-metastatic females presence was predominant among others.Conclusion: In this study, gender differences according to site, onset and dosage of BTcP were found. The phenotype characterization of BTcP needs to be further investigated for a possible useful function in the management of cancer-related pain in non-metastatic patients.Keywords: non-predictable breakthrough cancer pain, gender cancer pain, cluster analysis

Studies on the COVID-19 pandemic highlight detrimental effects of social distancing on mental health. These effects were also observed among caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who undergo particular challenges in this context. This study aimed to identify the coping strategies adopted by caregivers of people with IDD in the period of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to signs of mental illness. Forty-eight caregivers of people with IDD who were users of a non-governmental organization for the assistance of people with IDD and their families in southeastern Brazil undertook an on-line survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, multiple regression, and the word cloud technique. Results indicate that most caregivers employed healthy coping strategies and used negative words to describe their feelings towards the pandemic. Confrontation, withdrawal, self-control, social support, acceptance, and escape correlated with psychological symptoms (stress, depression, or loneliness). Those symptoms were more prevalent among participants using escape as a coping strategy. These findings indicate that caregivers of people with National Deworming Day (NDD) used mostly positive coping strategies to face the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have contributed to the low prevalence of psychological burden in this population.

The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic diversity of the Nero d’Aspromonte (NA) pig population. NA is a subpopulation derived from the Apulo Calabrese (AC) breed that has been reared in total isolation within the Polsi area of Aspromonte, Calabria, Italy. NA is traditionally recognised and used by local farmers for the production of typical products. The growing interest in this subpopulation has led local farmers to create a cooperative to promote NA pig meat and help preserve the cultural heritage associated with this local population. A total of 40 NA pigs were included in our study and genotyped with the Illumina GGP Porcine array. Admixture, TreeMix, and run of homozygosity (ROH) analyses were performed to investigate genetic diversity within the NA subpopulation and its relationship with the AC breed and other Italian pig breeds. The NA population clearly originated from the AC breed. The lower inbreeding and average ROH size in NA compared to AC may indicate that NA differentiated from the original AC genetic pool with the contribution of admixture from other genetic backgrounds in addition to the effects of genetic isolation and genetic drift. The analysis of the genetic diversity of the NA subpopulation showcases the utility of genomic analyses to reconstruct the genetic history of local populations. A specific conservation program for this genetic resource may further support the sustainable development of local pig production systems based on traditional farming practices as a part of agricultural cultural heritage.

The sponge Pachymatisma johnstonia (Bowerbank in Johnston, 1842), surveyed mainly along the north-east Atlantic coast, is recorded for the first time in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The specimen is collected at a depth of 228 m, off the Gargano coast (Apulia, Italy). The present study analyzes morphological characters, skeletal elements (spicules), and habitat of P. johnstonia and discusses a comparison between the Atlantic specimens. Moreover, this record extends the distribution of this uncommon species in the Mediterranean Sea.

Patellar fractures represent approximately 1% of all fractures and the pattern is influenced by the quality of the bone and the energy of the trauma. Transverse fractures are associated with extensor mechanism failure and interruption of joint congruence. Patellar fractures are generally fixed using tension band principles, through K-wires and metal cerclage. The tension band was conceived to transform the considerable tensile force applied to the patella into a compressive one to obtain a stable fixation. The use of metal implants might be associated with a significant discomfort, mostly related to the irritating action of K-wires and cerclage on the surrounding soft tissues, often leading to the need for implant removal. Therefore, we introduced an original technique for fix patellar fractures by using only a non-adsorbable braided polyblend suture. Postoperative care included progressive range of motion recovery using an articulated knee brace and a specific protocol. The suture-only tension band technique seems to be a useful technique in terms of complications and reoperation rate while allowing secure and early mobilization.

Jacklyn D Foley,1,2 Lauren B Bernier,1,3 Stephanie Schiavo,4 Madison J Davis,1 Abigail W Batchelder1,2,5 1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 2Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; 3Department of Psychological and Brain Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; 4Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 5Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USACorrespondence: Jacklyn D Foley, Email jdfoley@mgh.harvard.eduAbstract: In the era of expanded access to effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), the life expectancy of the estimated 1.2 million people with HIV (PWH) in the United States has significantly increased. There is a timely need to develop and evaluate interventions for older PWH to improve their health and functioning. The primary objective of the present work was to describe the pilot trial methodology that aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for HIV and Symptom Management – “CHAMP” designed to promote healthy aging by way of decreasing psychological distress, health risk behaviors, and inflammation among older PWH. Ultimately, these data will be used to refine the intervention and study methods, and inform a future efficacy trial.Keywords: aging, HIV, cognitive behavioral therapy, clinical trials methodology

Summary: Efficient long-range axonal transport is essential for maintaining neuronal function, and perturbations in this process underlie severe neurological diseases. Nodes of Ranvier (NoR) are short, specialized unmyelinated axonal domains with a unique molecular and structural composition. Currently, it remains unresolved how the distinct molecular structures of the NoR impact axonal transport dynamics. Using intravital time-lapse microscopy of sciatic nerves in live, anesthetized mice, we reveal (1) similar morphologies of the NoR in fast and slow motor axons, (2) signaling endosomes and mitochondria accumulate specifically at the distal node, and (3) unique axonal transport profiles of signaling endosomes and mitochondria transiting through the NoR. Collectively, these findings provide important insights into the fundamental physiology of peripheral nerve axons, motor neuron subtypes, and diverse organelle dynamics at the NoR. Furthermore, this work has relevance for several pathologies affecting peripheral nerves and the NoR.