Population concentration in cities brings new risks as an increase in pollution, which causes urban health problems. In order to address this problem, traffic reduction measures are being implemented, as pedestrianization areas and the definition of Low Emissions Zones (LEZ). When the effectiveness of these types of measures is in doubt, smart city tools provide data that can be used to scientifically asses their impact. This article analyzes the situation of Madrid Central (Spain), a LEZ subject to controversy. We apply statistical and regression analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of this measure to reduce air pollution and outdoor noise. According to the results, this LEZ was able to significantly reduce NO$_2$, PM$_{2.5}$, and PM$_{10}$ concentration locally, having the same positive impact in the rest of the city. In terms of noise, this measure is able to mitigate background noise levels generated by the road traffic.

In recent years, change in behaviour towards the environment has gained prominence as a policy tool to influence positive environmental value. Simultaneously, the role played by social identity in promoting pro-environmental action is gaining recognition. Within this work, the intersection between collective group identity and environmental behaviour has received very little attention. Group norms are considered a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, yet the influence of social identity and collective action on environmental action has not been adequately investigated in a multi-ethnic setting. Within this context, this study examines the affective component of social identity influence on pro-environmental action. More succinctly, this study demonstrates how outgroups and in-groups’ relations and broader socio-cultural structures, values, interest, and norms impact environmental and sustainability transitions behaviours. Through interviews with participants across the four dominant social groups in South Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that country wide expressions of social identity and in-group dynamics shapes the individual behaviour regarding environmental and sustainability concerns and further strengthen the individual’s perspective for social environmental transformation. This study advances the need for a social-identity centred approach to foster pro-environmental and sustainability outcomes.

Fabry disease (FD) is a recessive monogenic inheritance disease linked to chromosome X, secondary to mutations in the GLA gene. Its prevalence is estimated between 1:8,454 and 1:117,000 among males and is probably underdiagnosed. Mutations in the GLA gene lead to the progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Gb3 accumulates in lysosomes of different types of cells of the heart, kidneys, skin, eyes, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal system, and may lead to different clinical scenarios. The impairment of the nervous system, in addition to the acroparesthesias, is characterized by hypohidrosis and cerebrovascular accidents. Gb3-accumulation supports the hypothesis that Gb3 is not solely responsible for disease manifestation. Overloading of lysosomes with Gb3 may simply lead to the rupture of cytoplasma and in consequence to cell death .Secondary effects of Gb3 accumulation which might be responsible for disease pathology include also inflammatory processes. Perturbed leukocyte function in Fabry disease compared to healthy controls and abnormal numbers of different immune cells, including lymphocytes, monocytes, CD8+ cells, B cells and dendritic cells . Noteworthy other studies reported no correlation between CRP-levels as a global inflammatory marker and the Mainz-Severity-Score-Index (MSSI) as a marker for disease severity . Other authors reported on auto-immunological reactions in α-galactosidase A deficiency. Others researchers found higher expressions of neuronal apoptosis inhibiting protein as a key anti-apoptotic mediator in children with Fabry disease compared to healthy controls. Noteworthy, this upregulation did not change after institution of ERT, whereas apoptosis inducing factor appears to be upregulated under ERT. The authors were not able to explain their observations, but further research has to be directed on this topic. Gb3-accumulation has been reported to induce oxidative stress and/or the formation reactive oxygen species (ROS). Lipids and proteins may be oxidised and may be unable to function. Of note, ERT increased the generation of ROS in vitro, and up-regulated the intracellular adhesion molecule ICAM 1. The authors hypothesized that ERT may enhance endothelial damage, allowing to understand continuously occurring strokes in patients on treatment. Furthermore, Gb3-accumulation has been reported to induce oxidative stress and/or the formation reactive oxygen species (ROS). Lipids and proteins may be oxidised and may be unable to function. Of note, ERT increased the generation of ROS in vitro, and up-regulated the intracellular adhesion molecule ICAM 1. Another gateway into alteration of endothelial function may be given by the Nitric-Oxide-Synthase-3-genotypes. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide is a key regulator of vessel wall function and cardiovascular homeostasis. Thus, neurological complications seem to be linked to different pathogenetic molecular mechanisms.Progressive accumulation of GB3 represent a possible pathogenetic event of peripheral nerve involvement, whereas central nervous involvement in the clinical setting of cerebrovascular ischemic events seem to be due to the endotheliopathy of Anderson-Fabry Disease with lacunar lesions and white matter hyperintensities ( WMHs) . In this review manuscript we revised molecular mechanisms of peripheral and central neurological complications of Anderson-Fabry Disease.

This comprehensive review scrutinizes tissue culture and micropropagation methodologies in geophytes, focusing on bulbous plants. The examination encompasses key stages, including somatic embryogenesis, bulb growth, dormancy breaking, and planting. Studies underscore the pivotal role of plant growth regulators in plant regeneration and bulb growth. Bioreactor systems for healthy plant regeneration, rooting methods, acclimatization strategies, and considerations for ex vitro survival are elucidated. The review also delves into somaclonal variation dynamics and acknowledges the burgeoning field of genetic editing, particularly CRISPR studies, as a promising avenue for enhancing valuable compound content in geophytes. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity of a multifaceted approach integrating biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology to address existing challenges and propel tissue culture protocols for diverse geophyte species.

Among young children, parents are a main factor of children's preferences for food served as they are responsible for purchasing and providing Functional Foods (FFs) and they are role models for them. This revies study conducted according PRISMA guidelines and aimed to review the recent data about the consumption of FC into families as part of a balanced diet. The literature search was conducted via online academic search engines PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar. The search process was restricted to research papers published in English in reviewed journals from 2012 to 2023. Thirty six articles were ultimately included in the present review. The results showed that there is a correlation between several socio-demographic and a higher probability of buying FFs for children. There is a positive effect on purchasing frequencies of gender (female), higher household annual income and education level, together with higher levels of nutritional knowledge and trust in positive scientific evidence regarding FFs. Also, parents’ socio-demographic factors affect the children’s F/V consumption. The summary of evidence concludes on the point that parents are the role models about their children’s eating behavior and eating habits.

This paper describes the physico-chemical study of the adsorption of dysprosium (Dy³⁺) in aqueous solution onto two types of activated carbons synthesized from spent coffee ground. KOH activated carbon is a microporous material with a specific BET surface area of 2330 m²·g^-1 and pores with a diameter of 3.2 nm. Carbon activated with water vapor and N₂ is a solid mesoporous, with pores of 5.7 nm in diameter and a specific surface of 982 m²·g^-1. A significant dependence of the adsorption capacity on the solution pH was found, while it does not depend significantly neither on the dysprosium concentration nor on the temperature. A maximum adsorption capacity of 31.26 mg·g^-1 and 33.52 mg·g^-1 for the chemically and physically activated carbons, respectively, were found. In both cases, the results obtained from adsorption isotherms and kinetic study were better fit to a Langmuir model and a pseudo-second-order kinetics. In addition, thermodynamic results indicate that dysprosium adsorption onto both activated carbons is an exothermic, spontaneous and favorable process.

In an era driven by technology and connectivity, where the sphere of learning goes beyond conventional classrooms, e-Service-Learning (e-SL) merges the possibilities of technology with the principles of experiential education in a powerful blend [1]. Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposal that has been cited by UNESCO [2] as an innovative educational tool through which to address the complex challenges of our society. The Sustainable Development Goals [3] provide a framework around which to structure the SL projects and thus develop the skills needed to act on the full range of goals. Embedding digital means open a debate on the intricate relationship between technology, education, and societal impact [4]. By analyzing two focus groups involving faculty, students and community partners, this contribution aims to explore the potential of combining SL and digital empowerment (DE). The focus group participants discussed the opportunities for innovation, the expected impact on them and the society at large, their needs and the pre-conditions needed to make SL and DE successful, and limitations. The results are presented according to the six principles of sustainability education in the university environment, highlighting the transformative potential of combining these principles within SL and DE.

In recent years, farmers and policymakers have faced ample challenges and have struggled to support the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Sustainable agriculture encompasses multiple concepts, and its performance produces extensive debate about data requirements, appropriate indicators, evaluation methods, and tools. Under the European Union (EU) financed project FLINT (Farm Level Indicators for New Topics in policy evaluation), detailed data have been collected at the farm level to provide broader coverage of sustainability indicators on a wide range of relevant topics to facilitate the assessment of sustainability performance. The approach has been applied in a pilot network of representative farms at the EU level, considering the heterogeneity of the EU farming sector to provide data infrastructure with up to date information for sustainability indicators. This study aims to assess sustainability performance at the farm level in Greece. Representative and dominant agricultural systems, such as permanent crops, olive trees, arable crops, and livestock (sheep) farms, comprise the Greek sample. It uses the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology and attempts to gain insights into the sustainability performance of agricultural systems. The outcome of the sustainability assessment reveals knowledge and develops support for strategic farm choices in order to support both farmers and policymakers towards more sustainable development plans. The results indicate that three typical Mediterranean farming systems, like permanent crops, olive trees, and extensive livestock systems (sheep farms), are more sustainable in contrast to intensive and arable crop farms.

Background: Effectiveness of Anastrozole and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD, Mirena®) in the treatment of endometriosis. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Elegibility criteria: Endometriomas >3×4 cm, CA-125>35 U/mL and symptoms suggestive of endometriosis. Thirty-one women were randomized to anastrozole+Mirena®+Conservative Surgery(CS) (n=8), anastrozole+Mirena®+transvaginal ultrasound-guided puncture-aspiration(TUGPA) (n=7), Mirena®+CS (n=9), or Mirena®+TUGPA (n=7). Interventions: Anastrozole 1 mg/day and/or only Mirena® for 6 months. CS or TUGPA one month after starting medical treatment. Results: A significant improvement in symptoms during the treatment (difference of 43%, 95% CI 29.9-56.2) occurred, which was maintained at 1 and 2 years. It was more significant in patients treated with anastrozole. For CA-125, the most significant decrease was observed without anastrozole. After CS for endometriosis, a reduction of findings of endometriomas and long-term recurrences occurred, with or without anastrozole, although anastrozole seems to delay recurrences. At 4,2±1,7 years, 88% of the patients who underwent CS were asymptomatic, compared to only 21% if TUGPA was performed, with or without anastrozole (p=0.019). Conclusion: Dosing anastrozole for 6 months, starting one month before CS of endometriosis, reduces more significantly the painful symptoms and delays recurrences, but has no other significant advantages over the single insertion of LNG-IUD (Mirena®) during the same time.

In the realm of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and teleoperation applications, haptic feedback plays a role in enhancing task performance. One of the main goals of this study is to simplify haptic device hardware while improving its capacity to provide various stimuli at different intensities. In response to these challenges, this research introduces the Pneumatic Unit Cell (PUC), a soft-pneumatically driven device—a hollow silicone cylinder with the ability to provide both static pressure and vibrotactile feedback. Furthermore, Pneumatic Unit Cell's design simplicity has the potential for scalability, modularity, and the flexibility to mount the device on any part of the human body. The focus of the current paper is to study PUCs as an actuator and lay the foundation for future perceptual studies. The characterization studies encompass fabrication and verification of fabrication accuracy through dimensional measurements, characterizing PUCs under static pressure conditions (measuring free deflection and blocking force), and frequency conditions (measuring free deflection). In the static pressure conditions, we applied pressures ranging from 0 to 40 KPa to measure free deflection and from 0 to 30 KPa to measure blocking force. In the frequency conditions, we applied pressures of 10, 20, and 30 KPa, with inflation/deflation rates varying between 0.5 Hz and 100 Hz. The measurements of free deflection under static pressure conditions revealed that 0.9 mm and 1.2 mm PUCs exhibit a linear increase of free deflection with increase in inflation pressure. The results of free deflection measurements under the frequency conditions indicate a direct relationship between free deflection magnitude and applied pressure. The results also demonstrate an inverse relationship to the frequency of inflation/deflation. The characterization results demonstrate a broad range of free deflection observed under both static pressure and frequency conditions, encouraging the potential application of Pneumatic Unit Cell actuators as haptic devices.

This review delves into the significance of chemical communication in mammals, with an emphasis on the role of the vomeronasal system in sensing pheromone-mediated interactions. The vomeronasal system shapes a variety of social and sexual behaviors, including reproduction, hierarchy formation, maternal bonding, and species recognition. Intriguingly, this system presents a vast degree of evolutionary variability, more so than variations observed in the olfactory system. This adaptive diversity underscores the challenges in studying the vomeronasal system, emphasizing the need for detailed research into its neuroanatomy and functional morphology. This review traverses an array of topics central to our understanding of chemical communication in mammals. We begin with the foundational role and basic concepts of chemocommunication. This is followed by an in-depth exploration of the olfactory systems. Subsequently, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of the vomeronasal system are juxtaposed against those of the olfactory system. Our focus then shifts to an exhaustive study of the sensory element of the vomeronasal system, the vomeronasal organ, and the integrating center of this information, the accessory olfactory bulb. The discussion extends to secondary projections of both the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in the light of the dual olfactory hypothesis. The review culminates with a detailed look at four specific models of vomeronasal system organization belonging to four evolutionarily distinct mammalian families: rodents, marsupials, herpestids, and bovids. These have been meticulously analyzed by the authors, aiming to spotlight the significant morphofunctional differences stemming from the adaptive changes imprinted on the system.

Background: In healthy children, the frequency of anomalous persistence of primitive reflexes (PRs) and craniosacral blocks (CBs) are unknown, as well as their impact on neurodevelopment, behaviour disorders and related consequences. We aim to know the prevalence of anomalous PRs and CBs in apparently healthy children and its relationships with behavior and neurodevelopment anomalies. Methods: Participants (n=120) were evaluated through physical examination to detect PRs and CBs, an ad hoc parent survey to collect perinatal events, and children behavior assessment by teachers using Battelle score. Results: PRs were present in 89.5%. Moro (70.8%), cervical asymmetric (78.3%) and cervical symmetric PRs (67.5%) were the most frequent observed PRs. CBs were found in 83.2%, and the most frequent CBs were dura mater (77.5%) and sphenoid bone (70%) blocks. Moro, cervical asymmetric and cervical symmetric active primitive reflexes are significantly associated to cranial blocks of dura mater, parietal zones, and sphenoid bone sway. Gestational disorders or perinatal complications were associated to a higher frequency of PRs and CBs. The presence of PRs and CBs were associated with abnormal Battelle scores and neurobehavioral problems. Conclusion: Presence of PRs and CBs in children without diagnosed diseases are frequent and related with disturbances in childhood neurodevelopment.

Responsible innovation combines philanthropic and economic aspects and it is common to refer to entrepreneurs who lead it as "social entrepreneurs". The present study of 100 Mexican SMEs, provides knowledge of exploratory nature about what the models of organization are conducive to SMEs in the generation and development of responsible innovations. Through the statistical technique of cluster analysis, this study identified and characterized four models of organization according to the level of social entrepreneurship reached: (1) “The techno-scientific organization”, (2) “The techno-social organization”, (3) “The capitalist-social organization” and (4) “The capitalist organization”. While in Europe the dominant discourse about responsible innovation focuses on the control of the risk of social rejection of the advance of science and technology; in contexts such as the Mexican, the phenomenon is configured as the mechanism through which entrepreneurs articulate its technological and scientific capabilities to solve priority and specific problems of the society, however, the social impact does not crucially affect their business initiatives. The techno-scientific organization (50% of studied SMEs) is proposed as the model of organization with greater viability for Mexican entrepreneurs.

Legumes are a diverse and important group of plants that play a vital role in agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability. Rhizobia are symbiotic bacteria that form nitrogen-fixing nodules on legume roots, providing the plant with a valuable source of nitrogen. Phenolic acids are a group of secondary metabolites produced by plants that have a wide range of biological functions, including defense against pests and diseases, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and nutrient uptake. In the context of climate change and the imperative for sustainable agriculture, this study delves into the dynamic responses of legume species to varying light intensities and their intricate interactions with soil microorganisms. We investigated the impact of light intensity and rhizobial inoculation on the biomass, nitrate reductase, acid phosphatase, and production of phenolic acids in the roots of four legume species, Trifolium repens, Vicia sativa, Ornithopus compressus, and Coronilla juncea. Plants were grown under three light intensity regimes (low, medium, and high) and inoculated with either rhizobia or a non-inoculated control. The results highlights that shaded-light-adapted species, T. repens and V. sativa, increased root exudate production when exposed to high light intensity. This response aligns with their mining strategy, effectively allocating resources to optimize nutrient acquisition under varying conditions. In contrast, species hailing from well- illuminated environments, O. compressus and C. juncea, displayed distinct strategies by significantly increasing biomass under high irradiance, capitalizing on the available light and nutrients. The mining strategy of legumes emerged as a central theme, influencing biomass production, nitrogen dynamics, and enzymatic activities. The strong correlations between biomass and total nitrogen accumulation underscore the role of the mining strategy in efficient nutrient acquisition. Inoculated plants, which rely more on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), exhibited lower δ15N values, indicative of a successful mining strategy to acquire and utilize atmospheric nitrogen. Enzymatic activities and phenolic acids exhibited significant interspecies variations, reflecting the adaptability of legumes to different light conditions. The findings of this study could be used to develop new strategies for improving legume stress tolerance, nutrient uptake capacity, and rhizosphere health.

A bioelectrochemical study of charge transfer in the biofilm/chalcopyrite interface was performed to investigate the effect of surficial sulfur reduced species (SRS), as non-stochiometric compounds or polysulfides (S_n^2-), and elemental sulfur (S⁰) on a biofilm structure during the earliest stages (1, 12 and 24 h) of chalcopyrite biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone and adding Leptospirillum sp. The surface of massive chalcopyrite electrodes was exposed to the bacteria, which were analyzed electrochemically, spectroscopically, and microscopically. At the studied earlier times, charge transfer and significant differences in the biofilm structure were detected, depending on the presence of Leptospirillum sp. acting on A. thiooxidans biofilms. Such differences were a consequence of a continuous chalcopyrite pitting and promoting changes in biofilm hydropathy. A. thiooxidans modifies the reactive properties of SRS and favors an acidic dissolution, which shifts into ferric when Leptospirillum sp. is present. A. thiooxidans allows H⁺ and Fe³⁺ diffusion, and Leptospirillum sp. allows surpassing the charge transfer (reactivity) barrier between the mineral interface and the ions. The observed changes of hydropathy on the interface are associated to ions and electrons activity and transfer. Finally, a model of S⁰ biooxidation by A. thiooxidans alone or with Leptospirillum sp., is proposed.

Calicotome villosa is a eurioic legume with broad distribution in the south of Europe. It can grow in almost any type of soils as well as in humid and dry and nutrient deficient ecosystems. The broad distribution and eurioic nature of C. villosa may be attributed to its ability to establish symbiotic associations with plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria housed in the nodules and rootless. This study examined legume-microbe symbiosis of C. villosa growing in two contrasted locations, hill top with high sun irradiance and drought; and a valley bottom, with low level or radiation and sufficient soil humidity for plant growth. Calicotome villosa adult plants established symbiotic in-teractions with bacteria in six genera, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevicacterium and Rhizobium as well as one uncultured bacteria. Plants growing in the hill top had associated lower bacterial richness than those grown at the valley bottom. All strains were drought tolerant and produced siderophores, IAA, HCN and NH3 that stimulated plant performance in both, C. villosa plants and other four legumes commonly present in the understory of the shrubs communities The legumes’ capacity to selectively host symbiotic bacteria that enhance plant survival in harsh conditions partly accounts for the diverse partnerships between C. villosa plants and their symbionts, ultimately explaining the wide distribution of this plant species.

Office workers often experience occupational musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of the current systematic review was to investigate the effectiveness of workplace exercise intervention on the oldest age group of office workers who have been reported in the literature so far, in terms of workability and well-being. Randomized Controlled Trials were used and the methodological guidelines of PRISMA were followed. The keywords used were: office workers, older, exercise intervention, workplace, microbreaks, workability and well-being. The databases searched were: PubMed, PEDro, ResearchGate, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Science Direct. PROSPERO ID: CRD42022329656. Five studies (total number of participants: 1190, mean age: 46,4) met the inclu-sion criteria. Their quality was deemed to be moderate to high, according to PEDro and MPSER scales. Workplace interventions of gradually increased strengthening and moderate stretching exercises, isometric positioning and postural reminders, either with or without supervision, result in decreasing musculoskeletal pain, disability, sick-leave from work and in the improvement of quality of life and physical activity of the middle-aged office workers, without negative impact on their workability. Despite the worldwide aging workforce, there is a knowledge gap due to research absence in the field of microbreak exercise interventions in the group of older office workers.

This paper shows the results of applying high-resolution Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) photogrammetric surveying on a large landslide. A real case study, where permanently installing GCPs could be complex, where natural shaped and formed land pose severe limitations in deploying ground targets with optimal geometric configuration. We analysed performances in terms of survey accuracy obtained by performing photogrammetric surveys through the Zenmuse P1 DJI optical camera and Phantom 4 Pro 2. In combination with DJI Matrice 300 UAS, the P1 camera allows direct georeferencing through GNSS observations in RTK mode. Photogrammetric surveys, performed through different georeferencing methods, have been compared. Several targets have been permanently installed on the ground over the maximum vegetation height to guarantee long-lasting reference over the years in the area, which is characterised by a diffuse short vegetation coverage. Multitemporal UAS surveys have been then compared using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) algorithms, and deformation maps have been produced. Afterwards, DIC results were compared with observations made by the GNSS ground-based permanent receivers resulting in a standard deviation of 0,077 m. Through results analysis, good accordance between ground-based GNSS observations and DIC analysis on the photogrammetric surveys have been identified for the same time span. To conclude, this type of landslide presents a moderate deformation speed; in such a case, effective deformations monitoring could be achieved using pseudo-direct georeferencing, which permitted a 0.24 m accuracy on the whole tested area.

The tri-trophic interactions between plants, insects, and insect predators and parasitoids are often mediated by chemical cues. The attraction to Herbivore-Infested Plant Volatiles (HIPVs) has been well documented for arthropod predators and parasitoids, and more recently for insectivorous birds. The attraction to plant volatiles induced by the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a phytohormone typically produced in response to an attack of chewing herbivores, have provided controversial results, both in arthropod and avian predators. In this study, we aimed to examine whether potential differences in the composition of bouquets of volatiles produced by Herbivore-infested and MeJA-treated Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica) were related to differential avian attraction, as results from a previous study suggested. Results showed that the overall emission of volatiles produced by MeJA-treated and Herbivore-infested trees did not differ, and were higher than emissions of Control trees, although MeJA treatment showed more significant reaction and released several specific compounds in contrast to Herbivore-induced trees. These slight differences in the volatile composition may explain why avian predators were not so attracted to MeJA-treated trees as observed in a previous study in this plant-herbivore system. Unfortunately, the lack of avian visits to the experimental trees in the current study does not allow us to confirm this result and points out the need to perform more robust predator studies.

This paper contributes to the current debate about Benefit Corporations, presenting the development of this organisational model in Italy, the first country to introduce this hybrid form after the US. Grounded on an institutional logic perspective, it provides a picture of the institutional dynamics that have characterised the rise of this new entrepreneurial form outside the US. The analysis provides an in-depth foundational study of the Italian case and highlights the relevant influence of different institutional pressures in explaining the rise of and constraints in the diffusion of Benefit Corporations. Empirically, it combines secondary data, available from different public sources, and primary data collected through interviews with a series of knowledgeable informants. Based upon the analysis, two aspects appear peculiar for the development of Benefit Corporations in Italy: the interplay between the Benefit Corporation legal form and the certified B Corp model, and the rise of tensions between social entrepreneurship and the third sector ecosystem. This paper concludes that the peculiar institutional pressures leading to the birth of Benefit Corporations in Italy may be source of permanent tensions and of concern for the diffusion of the model.

Sustainable development is inconceivable without healthy real estate market. A housing project can be regarded as sustainable only when all the dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) are dealt with. There has been an increased interest in using sustainability indicators for evaluating the impacts of the new development projects. Past and recent experiences have shown that sustainability indicators can be useful tools for measuring the outcomes of new construction, when used appropriately and adequately. The aim of this article is to propose an integrated, hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators to be used for assessment of the new housing development projects in the Baltic States. This aim is achieved through accomplishing three objectives. First, based on a review of literature related to assessing building project performance and sustainable development in construction, the paper proposes a hierarchically structured system of sustainability indicators. Second, based on a survey of experts from the Baltic States, significances of criteria are estimated by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Finally, paper proposes recommendations to government authorities and real estate developers as to how to enhance the performance of new residential projects according to the principles of sustainability.

Overweight/obesity is one of the most important health problem worldwide. Birth by cesarean section has been shown to influence long-term health outcome including obesity. The aim of this systematic review-meta-analysis is to examine whether cesarean section increases the risk of offspring’ s overweight/obesity. The study follows the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A systematic literature search was con-ducted on Scopus, PubMed, and WoS until December 2020. For inclusion, studies must have re-ported either (I) both Birth by cesarean section and adult (≥ 18 years) offspring BMI, (II) cohort or case–control study design and (III) a risk estimate. Heterogeneity testing was performed using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed by Egger’s test and Begg’s test. Me-ta-analysis was performed through a random effect model. Eleven studies with a combined population of 180.408 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analysis (n = 18) yielded a combined risk estimate for overweight/obesity of 1.19 (95% CI 1.08-1.31) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=53,37 (I2 = 70,37 %, P≤0•0001). The risk of offspring obesity is 1.23 (95% CI 1.09-1.39) and the test of heterogeneity resulted Q=39.50 (I2= 72,15%, P≤0•0001). Children born by cesarean section have an increased risk of developing obesity in adulthood

A definitive transcriptome atlas for the non-coding expressed elements of pathogenic mycobacteria does not exist. Incomplete lists of non-coding transcripts can be obtained for some of the reference genomes (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv) but to what extent these transcripts have homologues in closely related species or even strains is not clear. This has implications for the analysis of transcriptomic data; non-coding parts of the transcriptome are often ignored in the absence of formal, reliable annotation. Here, we review the state of our knowledge of non-coding RNAs in pathogenic mycobacteria, emphasising the disparities in the information included in commonly used databases. We then proceed to review ways of combining computational solutions for predicting the non- coding transcriptome with experiments that can help refine and confirm these predictions.

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is an impairment that affects the majority of patients in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). FOG can lead to sudden falls and injuries, negatively impacting the quality of life for the patients and their families. Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) can be used to help patients recover from FOG and resume normal gait. RAS might be ineffective due to the latency between the start of a FOG event, it’s detection and initialization of RAS. We propose a system capable of both FOG prediction and detection using signals from tri-axial accelerometer sensors that will be useful in initializing RAS with minimal latency. We compared the performance of several time frequency analysis techniques, including moving windows extracted from the signals, handcrafted features, Recurrence Plots (RP), Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), Discreet Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Pseudo Wigner Ville Distribution (PWVD) with Deep Learning (DL) based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). We also propose three Ensemble Network Architectures that combine all the time frequency representations and DL architectures. Experimental results show that our ensemble architectures significantly improve the performance compared with existing techniques. We also present the results of applying our method trained on publicly available dataset to data collected from patients using wearable sensors in collaboration with A.T. Still University.

Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein that plays key roles in integration of cytoskeletal functions, and therefore in basic cellular processes such as cell division and migration. Consequently, vimentin has complex implications in pathophysiology. Vimentin is required for a proper immune response, but it can also act as an autoantigen in autoimmune diseases or as a damage signal. Although vimentin is a predominantly cytoplasmic protein, it can also appear at extracellular locations, either in a secreted form or at the surface of numerous cell types, often in relation to cell activation, inflammation, injury or senescence. Cell surface targeting of vimentin appears to associate with the occurrence of certain posttranslational modifications, such as phosphorylation and/or oxidative damage. At the cell surface, vimentin can act as a receptor for bacterial and viral pathogens. Indeed, vimentin has been shown to play important roles in virus attachment and entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV), dengue and encephalitis viruses, among others. Moreover, the presence of vimentin in specific virus-targeted cells and its induction by proinflammatory cytokines and tissue damage contribute to its implication in viral infection. Here, we recapitulate some of the pathophysiological implications of vimentin, including the involvement of cell surface vimentin in interaction with pathogens, with a special focus on its role as a cellular receptor or co-receptor for viruses. In addition, we provide a perspective on approaches to target vimentin, including antibodies or chemical agents that could modulate these interactions to potentially interfere with viral pathogenesis, which could be useful when multi-target antiviral strategies are needed .

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer (PC) that commonly emerges through a transdifferentiation process from prostate adenocarcinoma and evades conventional therapies. Extensive molecular research has revealed factors that drive lineage plasticity, uncovering novel therapeutic targets to be explored. A diverse array of targeting agents is currently under evaluation in pre-clinical and clinical studies with promising results in suppressing or reversing the neuroendocrine phenotype and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. This new knowledge has the potential to contribute to development of novel therapeutic approaches that may enhance clinical management and prognosis of this lethal disease.

Esterases are hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. The development of fluorescent probes for detecting esterases is of great importance due to their wide spectrum of biological and industrial applications. These probes can provide a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the presence and activity of esterases in various samples, including biological fluids, food products, and environmental samples. Fluorescent probes can also be used for monitoring the effects of drugs and environmental toxins on esterase activity, as well as to study the functions and mechanisms of these enzymes in several biological systems. Additionally, fluorescent probes can be designed to selectively target specific types of esterases, such as those found in pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent fluorescent probes described for the visualization of cell viability and some applications for in vivo imaging. On the other hand, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear-based molecular imaging modality of great value to study the activity of enzymes in vivo. We provide some examples of PET probes for imaging acetylcholinesterases and butyrylcholinesterases in brain, which are valuable tools for diagnosing dementia and monitoring the effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous system.

This study examines the effectiveness of the peer-delivered, school-based intervention Healthy by Design (HbD). Data were collected in two cross-sectional surveys before and after invention implementation. In total 1,177 vocational students (before: 557, after: 620) participated in an online health behaviour survey. Multilevel logistic and multilevel linear models explored the effect of the intervention over time and the effect of the intervention dose received on (determinants of) dietary of physical activity behaviours. A significant positive effect over time was found for moderate intensity physical activity. A high intervention dose was positively associated with increased water, breakfast and fruit consumption and higher levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity compared to no intervention dose received. A moderate and high intervention dose was negatively associated with high calorie snacks consumption compared to no intervention dose received. Effects of HbD on the investigated dietary and physical activity behaviours over time are limited, but these effects may be hard to demonstrate and link to the intervention due to the nature of the intervention design and the natural school-setting of this quasi-experimental study. However, a higher intervention dose showed a strong relation with healthier dietary and physical activity behaviours.

Since the 1960s Rare earths (REs) applications gradually have expanded to everyday life. REs have great strategic importance in industrial and technological development, so it is expected an increase in their demand. Among the REs the European Commission considered Cerium and Lanthanum as critical raw materials. This research article studies the adsorption of Ce and La onto two carbon nanomaterials, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carboxylic functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT_ox). The latter has slightly more affinity for REs than MWCNT. The recovery percentage for Ce were 89 and 98% and in the case of for La were 99 and 92% using 0.8 g of MWCNT and 0.2 g of MWCNT_ox respectively. The adsorption process fits a pseudo second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm best represented the metal uptake.

Within the framework of theoretical developments in so-called participatory culture and the context of funds of identity, incorporated within what is known as the funds of knowledge approach, an innovative teaching methodology is implemented that allows students to actively participate in knowledge construction. The project translates into a proposal for educational contextualization and personalization based on the students’ funds of identity, that is, those resources (people, artifacts, places, activities, institutions) they consider to be most relevant and significant to define themselves. Once these have been identified through identity artifacts, such as collages or self-drawings, students link some of these funds of identity to curricular content of the subject and produce a video that shows the results of this academic work. The final product is shared on a YouTube channel containing the videos of all of the students in the class. The phases of the project are described and illustrated. We argue that the proposed teaching and learning project, which is cross-disciplinary in nature, allows for principles such as educational contextualization, funds of identity, and participatory culture to be incorporated into what we call here the funds of identity 2.0 approach, putting it into educational practice.

This article presents the copper ions adsorption process using an activated carbon from winemaking wastes. The pH, temperature, activated carbon amount and initial copper concentration were varied based on a full factorial 2^k experimental design. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies were also carried out. The adsorption kinetics was found follow a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption data fit better to the Langmuir isotherm. The ANOVA demonstrated that both pH of the solution and activated carbon dosage had the greatest influence on copper adsorption. The activation energy was -32 kJ·mol^-1 suggesting that the copper adsorption is a physic-sorption process. The best fit to a linear correlation was the moving boundary equation that controls the kinetics for the adsorption copper ions onto the activated carbon. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal the existence of different copper species (Cu²⁺, Cu⁺ and or Cu⁰) on the surface of the carbonaceous adsorbent after the adsorption, which could suggest a simultaneous reduction process.

Immune surveillance and adaptive immune responses, involving continuously circulating and tissue-resident T-lymphocytes, provide host defense against infectious agents and possible malignant transformation while avoiding autoimmune tissue damage. Activation, migration, and deployment of T-cells to affected tissue sites are crucial for mounting an adaptive immune response. An effective adaptive immune defense depends on the ability of T-cells to dynamically reprogram their metabolic requirements in response to environmental cues. Inability of the T-cells to adapt to specific metabolic demands may skew cells to become either hyporesponsive creating immunocompromised conditions or hyperactive causing autoimmune tissue destruction. Here, we review maladaptive T-cell metabolic fitness that can cause autoimmune diseases and discuss how T-cell metabolic programs can potentially be modulated to achieve therapeutic benefits.

Background: Cognitive-behavioral alterations can occur after an acquired brain injury. It is a stressful situa-tion for patient and relatives. Objectives: To develop and evaluate a synchronous online training program on emotional intelligence (EI) for caregivers of adult patients with cognitive-behavioral impairment due to acquired brain injury. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was designed, a target population of ten caregivers attended to a one-month virtual synchronous course about EI. The emotional status of caregivers was registered one-month-previous and one-month-post program using comparative measures: The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results: Median age of the ten caregivers was 48 years, 80% of women with a median care-time of 6 years. 50% of them were spouses of the patients. 60% of the patients were affected by stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic cause). The main cognitive impairment of the patients reported by relatives was memory deficit. After re-ceiving training, favorable changes were found regarding emotional affect measured with the PANAS, both positive (increase) and negative (decrease), as well as with the TMMS-24-mood-repair area (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Training in EI helps caregivers to make their mood more positive and improve aspects of their emotional intelligence such as emotional regulation.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging flavivirus, primarily circulating among avian hosts and mosquito vectors, causing periodic outbreaks in humans and horses, often leading to neuroinvasive disease and mortality. Spain has reported several outbreaks, most notably in 2020 with seventy-seven human cases and eight fatalities. WNV has been serologically detected in horses in the Community of Madrid, but to our knowledge, it has never been reported from wild birds in this region. To estimate the seroprevalence of WNV in wild birds and horses in the Community of Madrid, 159 wild birds at a wildlife rescue center and 25 privately owned equines were sampled. Serum from thirteen birds (8.2%) and one equine (4.0%) tested positive with a WNV competitive ELISA designed for WNV antibodies detection, but sensitive to cross-reacting antibodies to other flaviviruses. VNT confirmed WNV antibodies in four bird samples (2.5%), and antibodies to undetermined flavivirus in four additional samples. One equine sample (4.0%) tested positive for WNV, although this horse previously resided in a WN-endemic area. ELISA positive birds included both migratory and resident species, juveniles and adults. Two seropositive juvenile birds suggest local flavivirus transmission within the Community of Madrid, while WNV seropositive adult birds may have been infected outside Madrid. The potential circulation of flaviviruses, including WNV, in birds in Madrid Community raises concerns, although further surveillance in mosquitos, wild birds and horses in Madrid is necessary to establish the extent of transmission, and the principal species involved.

This study analyses key aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. In the social changes of last two decades profoundly impacted the well-being of teachers putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) were interviewed from different areas of Italy, data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. Through data analysis were summa-rize and emphasize eight core themes. The results show the effects of a gradual impoverishment of the recognition of the role of teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers of renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and of reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for the development of a teaching methodology attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context, in which a competent organizational function is often absent. Practical psychological implications are discussed.

The coordination polymer [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ exhibits the rare phenomenon of spin crossover in an attractive temperature range, i.e., somewhat above room temperature. Spin crossover in [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is manifest by thermochromism, which is accompanied by a magnetic transition from diamagnetism to paramagnetism. However, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is brittle and difficult to process, which limits its use. In this study, we show that [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ can be co-processed with ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which possesses outstanding mechanical properties, particularly when tensile drawn. Therefore, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂–UHMWPE blends were gel-processed by extrusion, employing a relatively poor solvent, which has recently been shown to offer advantages compared to good solvents. Uniform and flexible films, ribbons and fibers with [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ fractions as high as 33.3% m/m were obtained that could be readily drawn. Spin crossover in the coordination polymer is retained in these materials, as evident from their thermochromism. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the blends exceed those of typical commodity polymers. Thus, the films, ribbons and fibers constitute a special class of multifunctional materials that combine the flexibility and excellent mechanical properties of drawn UHMWPE with the spin crossover behavior of [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂.

Maldivian coral reefs have been experiencing significant degradation due to a combination of global climate change and local anthropogenic pressures. To enforce the conservation of coral reefs worldwide, coral restoration is becoming a popular tool to restore ecosystems actively. In the Maldives, restoration interventions are performed only around touristic islands, where there are economic resources available to support these projects. Unfortunately, on local islands, coral restoration does not benefit from the same support and is rarely boosted. A challenging coral restoration intervention has been performed, for the first time, a on a local island of the Maldives affected by intense human pressures that caused the degradation of its reefs. A total of 242 coral fragments were collected from impacted colonies and transferred to the coral nursery of the island. Survival and growth rates of the fragments were monitored for 12 months. After one year, a survival rate of 70.2% was recorded. Although this rate might appear lower when compared to other restoration experiences, it is very promising considering the origin of the fragments and the poor quality of the environment where they have been transplanted. Some potential threats to the success of this restoration have also been identified, i.e., water temperature anomaly, diseases and parasites, the latter being the leading causes of coral mortality. The procedure presented here is comparatively less expensive than the typical relocation of entire coral colonies from donor healthy reefs to degraded reefs, thus providing an opportunity and a viable option also for local islands to restore their reefs and preserve local biodiversity.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are widespread worldwide as the most popular pets. This medium-sized carnivore have well-known negative effects on biodiversity, but there is still need to better understand the proximate causes of its predation. Based on a citizen science project, we assessed the role of spatiotemporal (i.e., latitude, longitude and seasons), climatic (i.e., rainfall), anthropogenic (i.e., human footprint, HFI) and individual (i.e., sex and age) variables on the number of preys returned home by cats in metropolitan France. Over the 5 048 cats monitored between 2015 and 2022, prey from 12 different classes (n= 36 568) were returned, being 68% mammals, 21% birds and 8% squamates. Shrews brought home by cats peaked during summer, while rodents were recorded during summer-autumn. Birds brought home by cats peaked in spring-summer and in autumn, and lizards in spring and in late summer. Lower HFI was associated with more voles and mice brought home and the opposite trend was observed for lizards and birds. Younger cats were more prone to bring home shrews, birds and reptiles. Although environmental factors play a minor role in prey brought home by cats, some geographical characteristics of prey species distribution partly explains the hunting behaviour of cats.

Diets that restrict the amount of carbohydrates positively affect markers related to metabolic syndrome (MS). However, completely carbohydrate-free diets have been studied in lesser extent, being their effect on biochemical and morphometric parameters in a rat model of MS the main objective of this study. MS was induced by a high-glucose diet for 20 weeks in male Wistar rats with a subsequent exposition to an essentially carbohydrate-free diet (CFD) for 20 weeks. Daily measurements of food consumption and monthly measurements of body weight were made. At week 40, glucose, insulin, lipid profile, ketone bodies, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine, liver and muscle glycogen, and serum, hepatic, renal and pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. Exposition to CFD showed decrease in caloric intake and body weight. Likewise, the group showed normalization in liver and serum MDA parameters, insulin, lipid profile, ALT, liver glycogen, and creatinine. The CFD decreased glucose concentration and the inflammatory state, also, increased the concentration of ketone bodies and urea. The change towards CFD reverses the metabolic alterations generated with MS except for glycemia and uremia, probably due to the high rate of gluconeogenesis generated by the high protein content in the diet.

Cancers of the head and ne¬ck and their treatment can cause disfigurement and loss of functioning, with a profound negative impact on the person’s self-image and psychosocial wellbeing. This can lead to experiences of shame and stigma, which are important targets for psychosocial interventions. Accurate measurement and identification of these problems enables clinicians to offer appropriate interventions and monitor patients’ progress. This study aimed to validate the Canadian version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) among French and English speaking head and neck cancer patients. Data from 258 patients from two major Canadian hospitals was analysed. The existing 4-factor structure of the SSS was supported, with the following subscales: Shame with Appearance, Sense of Stigma, Regret, and Social/Speech Concerns. The Canadian SSS showed adequate convergent and divergent validity and test-retest reliability. Rasch analysis suggested scale improvement by removing two misfitting item and two items with differential functioning between French and English speaking patients. The final 16-item scale version had adequate fit to the Rasch model. The SSS provides more accurate measures for people with high levels of shame and stigma, and thus has utility in identifying patients with more severe symptoms who may be in need of psychosocial interventions.

Human Insulin (HI) is a well-characterized natural hormone which regulates glycose levels into the blood-stream and is widely used for diabetes treatment. Numerous studies have manifested that despite significant efforts devoted to structural characterization of this molecule and its complexes with organic compounds (ligands), there is still a rich diagram of phase transitions and novel crystalline forms to be discovered. Towards the improvement of drug delivery, identification of new insulin polymorphs from polycrystalline samples, simulating the commercially available drugs, is feasible today via macromolecular X- ray powder diffraction (XRPD). This approach has been developed and is considered as a respectable method, which can be employed in biosciences for various purposes such as observing phase transitions and characterizing bulk pharmaceuticals. An overview of structural studies on human insulin complexes performed over the past decade employing both synchrotron and laboratory sources for XRPD measurements, is reported herein. This review aims to assemble all recent advances in diabetes treatment field in terms of drug formulation, verifying in parallel the efficiency and applicability of protein XRPD for quick and accurate preliminary structural characterization in large scale.

Preterm birth (PTB), a multi-causal syndrome, is one of the global epidemics. Maternal nutrition, but also neonatal and placental telomere length (TL), are among the factors affecting PTB risk. However, the exact relationship between these factors and the PTB outcome, remains obscure. The aim of this review, was to investigate the association between PTB, maternal nutrition and placental-infant TL. Observational studies were sought, with the keywords: maternal nutrition, placenta TL, newborn, TL, and PTB. No study was found that included all keywords simultaneously, and thus, the keywords, were searched in dyads, to reach assumptive conclusions. The findings show that maternal nutrition affects PTB risk, through its influence on maternal TL. On the other hand, maternal TL independently affects PTB risk, and at the same time PTB is a major determinant of offspring TL regulation. The strength of the associations and the extent of the influence from covariates, remains to be elucidated in future research. Furthermore, the question of whether maternal TL, is simply a biomarker of maternal nutritional status and PTB risk, or a causative factor of PTB, to date, remains to be answered.

Abstract: Autoimmune encephalitis is a complex and multifaceted pathology that involves the immune-mediated inflammation of the brain. It is characterized by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the brain tissue, leading to a cascade of inflammatory processes. What makes autoimmune encephalitis vast is the wide range of causes, mechanisms, clinical presentations, and diagnostic challenges associated with the condition. The clinical presentations of autoimmune encephalitis are broad and can mimic other neurological disorders, making it a challenging differential diagnosis. This diverse clinical presentation can overlap with other conditions, making it crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain a high level of suspicion for autoimmune encephalitis when evaluating patients. The diagnostic challenges associated with autoimmune encephalitis further contribute to its vastness. Due to the variable nature of the condition, there is no definitive diagnostic test that can confirm autoimmune encephalitis in all cases. In this context, personalized patient management is crucial for achieving favorable outcomes. Each patient's treatment plan should be tailored to their specific clinical presentation, underlying cause, and immune response. Our objective is to raise awareness about the frequent yet under-diagnosed nature of autoimmune encephalitis by sharing five cases we encountered, along with a brief literature review.

Introdução: Os fatores de risco vasculares são decisivos na evolução da doença aterosclerótica e a ecografia Doppler carotídea e vertebral permite acompanhar o seu aparecimento e evolução. A medida do espessamento da parede arterial permite o diagnóstico precoce da doença potencializando seu tratamento e controle dos fatores de risco vasculares. Objetivo: Analisar a presença de doença ateromatosa em indivíduos com idade > 65 anos e compreender sua transformação com fatores de risco vascular. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo observacional transversal, em indivíduos com idade > 65 anos manifestados ao ecoDoppler carotídeo entre 1º de janeiro de 2012 e 31 de dezembro de 2021. Foi calculado o índice médio-intimal, a presença de placas ateromatosas, sua repercussão hemodinâmica e fatores de risco vascular foram registrados. Resultados: Obteve-se uma amostra de 5885 indivíduos, sendo 41,8% do sexo feminino e 58,2% do sexo masculino. A média de idade foi de 76,59 anos, variando entre 65 e 98 anos (+6,69). A hipertensão arterial foi a mais prevalente 81,3%. Houve relação positiva significativa entre índice médio-intimal, idade e história pessoal de doenças cardiovasculares e cerebrovasculares (p=0,001). Na presença de placas, sexo masculino, hipertensão arterial, diabetes, dislipidemia, tabagismo e história pessoal de doenças cardiovasculares e cerebrovasculares apresentadas de forma positiva. Conclusões: Nesta amostra, fatores de risco vascular não modificáveis ​​parecem ser determinantes na presença de aumento da espessura da parede arterial. Na presença de sinais de um estágio mais avançado da doença aterosclerótica, os fatores de risco vascular modificáveis ​​​​são decisivos,

This study aims at providing a systematic and critical review on the state-of-the-art of life cycle applications from the circular economy point of view. In particular, the main objective is to un-derstand how researchers adapt life cycle approaches for the measurement of the empirical cir-cular pathways of agri-food systems along the overall lifespan. To perform the literature review, PRISMA protocol was considered to conduct a review by qualitative synthesis. Specifically, an evaluation matrix has been set up to gather and synthesize research evidence, by classifying pa-pers according to several integrated criteria. The literature search was carried out employing scientific databases. Findings evidence that the most common circularity topics are about closed-loop production systems, i.e. nutrient recovery for agricultural purposes, production of renewable energy, valorization of residues and wastes as fertilizers, food waste, and agro-wastes recycling for agriculture. To evaluate the benefits/impacts of CE strategies, Life Cycle Assess-ment (LCA) proved to be the most common methodology applied by authors, as it can help to meet the main CE requirements slowing and closing resource loops.

Socio-demographic factors are responsible of health inequalities also in vaccination. The aim of this study was to evaluate their role at population level through a population-based study performed on the whole population entitled to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Umbria Region, Italy, and registered to the Regional Healthcare Service as of February 28th, 2021. Socio-demographic characteristics and vaccination status in terms of uptake at least one dose of any available vaccine, completion of the primary vaccination cycle and uptake of the booster doses as of February 28th, 2022 were col-lected from the Umbria regional database. The percentage of eligible population who did not initiate the COVID-19 vaccination, complete the full vaccination cycle and get the booster dose was 11.8%, 1.2% and 21.5% respectively. A younger age, being a not-Italian citizen, and not holding an ex-emption for chronic disease/disability and a GP/FP were associated to all the endpoints. Females, as compared to males, were more likely to not initiate the vaccination but less likely to not receive the booster dose. On the contrary, results on the deprivation index were not conclusive. The findings, beyond confirming current knowledge at population level, provide new inputs for better tailoring vaccination campaigns.

Background: Traditional omic analysis relies on p-value and fold change as selection criteria. There is an ongoing debate on their effectiveness in delivering systemic and robust interpretation, due to their dependence on assumptions of conformity with various parametric distributions.Here, we propose a threshold-free selection method based on robust, non-parametric statistics, ensuring independence from the statistical distribution properties and broad applicability. Such methods could adapt to different initial data distributions, contrary to statistical techniques based on fixed thresholds. Methods: Our work extends the Rank Products methodology with a neutral selection method of high information-extraction capacity. We introduce the calculation of the RP distribution’s entropy to isolate the features of interest by their contribution to the distribution’s information content. The aim is a methodology performing threshold-free identification of the differentially expressed features, which are highly informative about the phenomenon under scrutiny. Conclusions: Applying the proposed method on microarray (transcriptomic and DNA methylation) and RNAseq count data of varying sizes and noise presence, we observe robust convergence for the different parameterisations to stable cutoff points. Functional analysis through BioInfoMiner and EnrichR was used to evaluate the information potency of the resulting feature lists. Overall, the derived functional terms provide a systemic description highly compatible with the results of traditional statistical hypothesis testing techniques. The methodology behaves consistently across different data types. The feature lists are compact and information-rich, indicating phenotypic aspects specific to the tissue and biological phenomenon i nvestigated. Selection by information content measures efficiently addresses problems, emerging from arbitrary thresholding, thus facilitating the full automation of the analysis.

Light alloys machining is a widely implemented process that have usually used in presence of cutting fluids to reduce the wear impact and increase tool life. However, current environmental protection policies require their elimination in order to improve process sustainability. This fact forces to work under aggressive cutting conditions, producing adhesion wear that affects the integrity of the part surface. This study describes cutting tool wear mechanisms in machining of UNS A92024 samples under dry cutting conditions. EDS analysis showed the different composition of the adhered layers, while roughness was also positively affected by the change of the cutting geometry produced in the tool.

: This study was aimed at assessing adaptation and bonding of discontinuous (short) glass fiber-reinforced composite to intraradicular dentin EverX Flow (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), when used as intracanal composite filling and anchorage instead of traditional fiber posts. (2) Methods: Seventy intact extracted human teeth were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10), depending on the materials used in the post space. In Group 1, a 2-bottle universal adhesive G2 Bond Universal + EverX Flow were tested. In group 2, a single-component universal adhesive G-Premio Bond + EverX Flow were used. In groups 3 and 4 the same materials are tested, but after cleaning of the canal walls with 17% EDTA and final irrigation with 5.25% NaOCl Ultrasound Activated. In the last three Groups (5-7) traditional prefabricated GC Fiber Posts 1.6 mm silanized with G-Multi Primer for 1 minute are cemented with a dual-cured composite resin cement (GradiaCore), after ultrasonic irrigation in the groups 6 and 7. In each group, 1 mm-thick slices from each sample (n=10) were cut for light microscope and SEM inspection for study materials adaption to the dentin and for measuring push-out strength of post / cemement material to the dentin / prefabricated post. These results were statistically analyzed: as the data distribution was not normal, the Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance by Ranks had to be applied. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Push-out forces varied between 6.66-8.37 MPa. No statistically significant differences were recorded among the groups. Microscopic examination showed that ultrasonic irri-gation increased adaptation of the materials to the dentin surface. There was a trend of higher bond strength among the tested groups when EverX Flow was used. Also, the type of failure was more often cohesive when ultrasonic irrigation and two-step adhesive system were used. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it may be concluded that when EverX Flow was used for intracanal anchorage in the post-endodontic recon-struction, similar push-out retentive forces and strength to those of traditional fiber posts cemented with particulate filler resin composite cements were achieved. Although further studies are necessary, EverX Flow represents an effective alternative to traditional fiber post adhesion in particular when used in combination with the two-step adhesive system and ultrasonic activation.

A selection of 36 commercial probiotic fermented dairy products from UK and Europe markets were evaluated for the numbers, types and viability of Lactobacillus strains against the stated information on their packages. A comparative study was carried out on selectivity of MRS-Clindamycin, MRS-Sorbitol and MRS-IM Maltose, to select the right medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus. Based on selectivity of medium for recovery of the targeted lactobacilli and also simplicity of preparation, MRS-Clindamycin was chosen as the best medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus in fermented milks. The results of enumeration of lactobacilli showed that 22 out of a total 36 tested products contained more than 106 colony forming units/g at the end of their shelf- life, which comply with the recommended minimum therapeutic level for probiotics. Rep-PCR using primer GTG-5 was applied for initial discrimination of isolated strains, and isolates, which presented different band profile, were placed in different groups. The isolated Lactobacillus spp. were identified mainly as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus paracasei by analysis of partial sequences of the 16S ribosomal RNA and rpoA genes. In conclusion, it is unknown to recommend the adequate number of probiotic bacteria to be consumed to ensure the beneficial properties.

Commercially available oxidized (carboxylic groups) and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were studied as adsorbents of cerium(III) in batch operation mode. Several variables affecting the rare earth adsorption were investigated, including: the stirring speed applied to the system, the pH of the solution and the metal concentration and carbon dosages. Although the removal of cerium from the solution is different and dependent upon the adsorbent type: i) adsorption in non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, ii) cation exchange in the case of using oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, the adsorption kinetics, the rate law and the isotherm models are the same for both adsorbents: pseudo-second order, film diffusion and Langmuir Type-1, respectively. Cerium is desorbed from loaded adsorbents using acidic solutions.

The behaviour of oxidized and non-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the adsorption of lanthanum(III) from aqueous solutions is described. Metal uptake is studied as a function of several variables such as the stirring speed of the system, pH of the aqueous solution and metal and nanomaterial concentrations. The experimental results are fitted to various kinetics and isotherm models, being the rate law fitted to the film diffusion and particle diffusion models, when the non-oxidized and the oxidized nanomaterials are used to remove lanthanum from the solution, respectively. Sulphuric acid solutions seem to be appropriate to recover the metal from La-loaded nanomaterials.

Ridesharing effectively tackles urban mobility challenges by providing a service comparable to private vehicles while minimising resource usage. Our research primarily concentrates on dynamic ridesharing, which conventionally involves connecting drivers with passengers in need of transportation. The process of one-to-one matching presents a complex challenge, particularly when addressing it on a large scale, as the substantial number of potential matches make the attainment of a global optimum a challenging endeavour. This paper aims to address the absence of an optimal approach for dynamic ridesharing by refraining from conventional heuristic-based methods, commonly used to achieve timely solutions in large-scale ride-matching. We propose a novel approach that provides snapshot optimal solutions for various forms of one-to-one matching, ensuring they are generated within an acceptable timeframe for service providers. Additionally, we introduce and solve a new variant where the system itself provides the vehicles. The efficacy of our methodology is substantiated through experiments carried out with real-world data extracted from the openly available New York City taxicab dataset.

Beef dry aging consist in a selection of unpackaged primal cuts that are placed in a refrigerator room with controlled environment for several weeks. The goals are the concentration of flavor, like nutty and beefy and tenderness improvement. In this study it was intended verify the microbiological and physicochemical behavior and the meat sensorial perception during a process example of meat dry aging. Twelve beef loins were selected for 90 days of dry aging and placed in a refrigerator room with average temperature, relative humidity and forced air 3.17 ± 0.68 °C, 60.65 ± 4.23 % and 0.5-2 m/s, respectively. On 1, 14, 21, 35, 60 and 90 days of dry aging, were taken two samples, crust and lean meat for microbiological counts, pH, aw, color L*a*b* and sensorial analysis. During drying, there weren´t any pathogenic bacteria counts and the average counts were higher for the crust. The aw and pH had an average of 0.98 ± 0.02 and 5.77± 0.015, with a slightly decrease and increase respectively (P&lt;0.05) along aging days. The dry aging process practices, with room refrigeration at RH&lt;65.00% and temperature &lt;4.00 °C can be the reason for aw&lt;0.98 and meat pH&lt;6.00 and therefore for the absence of pathogenic bacteria. The lower microbial counts on the lean meat and the overall acceptability assessed by the sensory panel confirm the importance of the good trimming and storage practices for the dry aged beef.

The emerging whitefly-transmitted crinivirus Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) causes substantial economic losses by inducing yellow leaf disorder in tomato crops. This study explores potential resistance mechanisms by examining early-stage molecular responses to ToCV. A time-course transcriptome analysis compared naïve, mock and ToCV-infected plants at 2, 7, and 14 days post-infection (dpi). Gene expression changes were most notable at 2 and 14 dpi, likely corresponding to whitefly feeding and viral infection. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed key genes and pathways associated with ToCV infection, including those related to plant immunity, flavonoids and steroids biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and hormone signalling. Additionally, virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsRNAs) originating from ToCV predominantly came from RNA2 and were 22 nucleotides in lengt. To confirm these findings, two genes involved in plant immunity, Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90) and its co-chaperone Sgt1 (suppressor of the G2 allele of Skp1) were targeted through viral-induced gene silencing (VIGS), showing potential contribution to basal resistance against viral infections since their reduction correlated with increased ToCV accumulation. This study provides insights into tomato plants responses to ToCV, with potential implications for developing effective disease control strategies.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe personality disorder whose neural bases are still unclear. Indeed, previous studies reported inconsistent findings concerning alterations in cortical and subcortical areas. In the present study we applied for the first time an unsupervised machine learning approach known as mCCA+jICA, in combination with a supervised machine learning approach known as Random Forest, to possibly find covarying GM-WM circuits that separate BPD from controls and that are also predictive of this diagnosis. To this aim, we analyzed the structural images of patients with BPD and matched HCs. Results showed that two GM-WM covarying circuits, including basal ganglia, amygdala, and portions of the temporal lobes and of the orbitofrontal cortex, correctly classified BPD against HC. Notably, these circuits are affected by specific child traumatic experiences (emotional and physical neglect, and physical abuse) and predict symptoms severity in the interpersonal and impulsivity domains. These results support that BPD is characterized by anomalies in GM and WM circuits related to early traumatic experiences and specific symptoms.

Repeated air pollution exposure is one of the major threats to skin health. Air pollution causes skin damage and accelerates skin ageing mainly through oxidative stress mechanisms. Since it is difficult to minimize skin exposure from air pollutants, especially in urban areas, strategies to protect the skin are needed. On the other hand, plant phenolic compounds have been found to be effective in attenuating cellular oxidative stress and inflammation induced by different air pollutants. Therefore, we conducted a 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study to assess the efficacy of a polyphenol-enriched dietary supplement (comprised of olive leaf, lemon verbena, rosemary and Sophora japonica extracts) in reducing pollution-induced oxidative stress and in improving different skin parameters related to skin ageing of Caucasian and Asian volunteers living in a polluted urban European area (Milan). One hundred healthy women were recruited and randomized in the placebo or in the test dietary supplement treatment arms. To assess the efficacy of the dietary supplement, the total antioxidant capacity on saliva (FRAP) was determined, as well as the oxidative damage on skin (lipoperoxides content), the skin moisture (corneometry), the trans-epidermal water loss (Tewameter), the skin radiance and the skin colour, (spectrophotometry), the skin elasticity (cutometry), the skin sebum content (sebumeter), and the skin roughness (image analysis). As a result, both inter-group and intra-group analysis proved that the dietary supplement improved all clinical and biochemical monitored parameters, in both Caucasian and Asian individuals. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate a reduced oxidative stress-induced skin damage in both Asian and Caucasian women living in a polluted urban area.

Duplex and Super Duplex Stainless Steels are very prone to secondary phases formation related to ferrite decomposition at high temperatures. In the present paper the results on secondary phase precipitation in a 2510 Duplex Stainless Steel, heat treated in the temperature range 850-1050 °C for 3-30 minutes are presented. The precipitation starts at grain boundaries with a consistent ferrite transformation for very short times. The noses of the TTP curves are at 1000 °C for σ-phase and at 900 °C for χ-phase, respectively. The precipitation sequence involves a partial transformation of χ into σ, as previously evidenced in 2205 and 2507 grades. Furthermore, the experimental data were compared to the results of Thermo-Calc calculations.

Abstract: Bariatric surgery is increasingly used in women of childbearing age due to the rising prevalence of obesity and the effectiveness and availability of this treatment. Pregnancy in women with previous bariatric surgery deserves special attention. Weight loss induced by surgery re-duces the risks that obesity poses for pregnancy. But on the other hand, decreased intake and malabsorption may increase the risk of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency and negatively affect maternal and foetal health. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an updated anal-ysis on the impact of different bariatric surgery techniques on minerals and micronutrients status nutritional status during pregnancy and the possible effect on maternal-foetal health.

Metals are indispensable in the life of all organisms, in fact, their dysregulation causes various disorders caused by an interruption of their homeostasis. Nowadays different transition metals are incorporated into pharmaceutical products as diagnostic and therapeutic agents because of their electronic structure which gives them versatility in terms of tuning molecule properties, differently from organic molecules. Hence the interest in the study of metal-drug complexes from different points of view was born and many approaches were developed for the characterization, activation, delivery and molecular mechanisms clarification. The integration of these different approaches starting from chemoproteomics passing through nanoparticle systems to different activation strategies allows the understanding of the cellular responses of metallic drugs, which can be the basis for the design of new drugs and/or modification of drugs currently in use. This review aims to briefly summarize the recent advances in this area by describing the technological platforms and their possible applications to identify protein targets for discovering the mechanisms of action of metallodrugs, and to improve their efficiency in terms of administration.

Protein oligomerzation is key to countless physiological processes, but also to abnormal amyloid conformations implicated in over 25 mortal human diseases. Angiogenin (h-ANG), a ribonuclease A family member, produces RNA fragments that regulate ribosome formation, the creation of new blood vessels and stress granule function. Too little h-ANG activity leads abnormal protein oligomerization resulting in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson’s disease. While a score of disease linked h-ANG mutants has been studied by X-ray diffraction, some elude crystallization. There is also debate regarding the structure that RNA fragments adopt after cleavage by h-ANG. Here, to better understand the beginning of the process that leads to aberrant protein oligomerization, the solution secondary structure and residue-level dynamics of WT h-ANG and two mutants: H13A and R121C, are characterized by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy under near physiological conditions. All three variants are found to adopt well folded and highly rigid structures in solution, although the elements of secondary structure are somewhat shorter than those observed in cystallography studies. R121C alters the environment of nearby residues only. By constrast, the mutation H13A affects local residues as well as nearby active site residues residues K41 and H119. The conformation characterization by CD and 1D 1H NMR spectroscopies of tRNAAla before and after h-ANG cleavage reveals a retention of most duplex structure and little or no G-quadruplex formation.

This paper focuses on the characterization approach to evaluate the decay state of Pietra Serena of historic buildings in Florence (Italy). Pietra Serena is a Florentine sandstone largely used in the city especially during the Renaissance; it is a symbol of cultural heritage of Florence and constitutes a large part of the city center, which was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Unfortunately, many environmental factors negatively affect the stone, increasing damage and the danger of falling material. Any detachment of stone fragments, in addition to constitute a loss in cultural heritage, can be dangerous for citizens and the many tourists that visit the city. The use of Non-Destructive Techniques (NDTs) as ultrasonic and Schmidt hammer tests can quantitatively define some mechanical properties and help to monitor the decay degree of building stone. In this study, the NDTs were combined with mineralogical, petrographical, chemical and physical analyses to investigate the stone materials, in order to correlate their features with the characteristics of the different artefacts in Pietra Serena. Correlations between the NDTs results and the compositional characteristics of the on-site stone were carried out; such discussion allows to identify zones of weakness and dangerous unstable elements.

Vibrio is a bacterial genus widely distributed in natural aquatic systems. Some Vibrio species are pathogenic and can cause severe diseases in both marine organisms and humans. Previous studies revealed a link between the current climate change and increased incidence of the Vibrio-associated diseases recently causing sanitary, economic and/or ecological problems worldwide. The conventional culture-based methods (e.g. cultivation of TCBS agar) used to monitor the presence of Vibrio spp. in environmental samples are not always straightforward and can underestimate the number of cells, especially if the microbial population contains a fraction of ‘dormant’ cells (e.g. cells in Viable but not Culturable (VBNC) state). However, this problem can be overcome by using alternative culture-free approaches such as Catalyzed Reporter Deposition-Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH). To optimize CARD-FISH for efficient and reliable detection of Vibrio spp. in environmental samples, we have used both computer-assisted and experimental approaches. Our results demonstrate that the use of the optimized protocol along with a very specific probe, ViB572a, can offer the high sensitivity and selectivity of CARD-FISH detection of marine vibrios in natural seawater.

Vibrio is a bacterial genus widely distributed in natural aquatic systems. Some Vibrio species are pathogenic and can cause severe diseases in both marine organisms and humans. Previous studies revealed a link between the current climate change and increased incidence of the Vibrio-associated diseases recently causing sanitary, economic and/or ecological problems worldwide. The conventional culture-based methods (e.g. cultivation of TCBS agar) used to monitor the presence of Vibrio spp. in environmental samples are not always straightforward and can underestimate the number of cells, especially if the microbial population contains a fraction of ‘dormant’ cells (e.g. cells in Viable but not Culturable (VBNC) state). However, this problem can be overcome by using alternative culture-free approaches such as Catalyzed Reporter Deposition-Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH). To optimize CARD-FISH for efficient and reliable detection of Vibrio spp. in environmental samples, we have used both computer-assisted and experimental approaches. Our results demonstrate that the use of the optimized protocol along with a very specific probe, ViB572a, can offer the high sensitivity and selectivity of CARD-FISH detection of marine vibrios in natural seawater.

Prestrained at 5% and 15% duplex stainless steel UNS S32750 specimens have been subjected to electropulsing treatments with current density of 100 A/mm2 and 200 A/mm2 and 100 and 500 pulses for each current density value. Corrosion tests, X-ray diffraction, microhardness and residual stresses were collected before and after the electropulsing treatments. Tensile tests were performed after the electropulsing treatments in order to compare the mechanical response to the reference tensile tests performed before the pulsing treatments. Increase in fracture strain was observed after the pulsing treatment in comparison to the reference tensile tests. A decrease in microhardness was also observed after the electropulsing treatments for both degrees of prestrain. Electropulsing treatment almost eliminates the work-hardened state in the 5% prestrained specimens while partially recovered the 15% prestrained material increasing both uniform and fracture strain. The bulk temperature of the samples remained the same for all the duration of the treatments. The effect are to be addressed to a combined effect of the increase in atomic flux due to the electrical current and local joule heating in correspondence of crystal defects. Electropulsing treatment applied to metallic alloys is a promising technique to reduce the work hardening state without the need of annealing treatments in a dedicated furnace.

Immunohistochemistry is a powerful technique, widely used in biomedical research and clinics, that allows to determine the expression levels of some proteins of interest in tissue samples by means of the intensity of color due to the expression of biomarkers using specific antibodies. As such, immunohistochemical images are complex and problematic to be quantified. Recently we proposed a novel method including a first separation stage based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) that achieved good results. However, that method was highly dependent on sparseness and non-negativity parameter choice and on algorithm initialization. Furthermore, the previously proposed method needed a reference image as starting point for the NMF algorithm. In the present work, we propose a new, simpler and robust method for the automated unsupervised scoring of immunohistochemical images based on bright field. Our work is focused on images from tumor tissues marked with blue (nuclei) and brown (protein of interest). The new proposed method represents a simpler approach that, in one side, avoids the use of NMF for the separation stage, and in the other side, circumvents the need for a control image. This new approach determines the subspace spanned by the two colors of interest by means of principal component analysis (PCA) with dimension reduction. This subspace is a two-dimensional space, allowing the finding of color vectors by considering the peaks of density of points. The method also develops a new scoring stage by avoiding, again, reference images, making the procedure more robust and less dependent on the parameters. Experiments for the semi-quantitative scoring of images in five categories exhibit promising and consistent results when compared to manual scoring carried out by experts.

Background: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have bothersome symptoms that may assess using the visual analog scale (VAS). Asthma frequently is associated with AR. The present study investigated the role of VAS in children with newly-diagnosed AR. Methods: Parameters were VAS for nasal and asthma symptoms, and doctor’s perception of these diseases, medication use, and asthma comorbidity. Results: 67% of AR children had asthma. Severity of perceived nasal symptoms was associated with more intense asthma symptoms and doctor’s perception of disease severity (p<0.001 and p=0.02, re-spectively. Conclusions: Allergic rhinitis frequently is associated with asthma in child-hood. Symptom perception assessment using VAS is a simple tool for assessing their intensity. Moreover, the severity of nasal symptoms is associated with asthma symptom severity. Therefore, asthma should be carefully considered in AR children and require appropriate symptom perception assessment.

Oxygen is a limiting factor both in the environment and production systems, so reduction may become a stressor. Diel cyclic hypoxia occurs with varying frequency and duration in freshwater habitats. Under a stressful situation fish activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI) which triggers the release of cortisol that induces secondary and tertiary responses. The recovery of individuals depends on their ability to modulate physiological, and biochemical responses to maintain homeostasis. The aim of this study is to determine the hematological and physiological responses of rainbow trout under repeated hypoxic stress in different time points. The methodology of the experiment consisted of dividing the fish in 5 different treatment groups, 2 control groups and 3 hypoxia groups. Every exposure consisted in decrease the dissolved oxygen concentration from 8mg O2/L to 2mg O2/L for 1 hour. After the exposure the fish went to a recovery tank until the sampling procedure. Hematological and physiological results show a habituation of the fish to different parameters such as hematocrit, hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume among others. Overall, our results indicate an ability of rainbow trout to resist this type of hypoxic exposures and a habituation of fish to repeated hypoxia as observed in the different measured parameters.

When we talk about the Internet of Things, we are referring to the connecting of things to a1 physical network that is embedded with software, sensors, and other devices that allow information2 to be exchanged between devices. It is possible that the interconnection of devices will present3 issues in terms of security, trustworthiness, reliability, and confidentiality, among other things.4 The proposed approach is effective at detecting intrusions into the Internet of Things network.5 Initially, the privacy-preserving technology was deployed utilising a Blockchain-based methodology6 to ensure that personal information was protected. Patients’ health records (PHR) security is the7 most crucial component of encryption over the Internet because of the value and importance of these8 records, particularly in the context of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). The search terms access9 mechanism is one of the most common approaches used to access personal health records from a10 database, but it is vulnerable to a number of security flaws. However, while blockchain-enabled11 healthcare systems provide increased security, they may also introduce weaknesses into the current12 state of the art. Blockchain-enabled frameworks have been proposed in the literature as a means13 of resolving those challenges. These solutions, on the other hand, are primarily concerned with14 data storage, with Blockchain serving as a database. To enable secure search and keyword-based15 access to a distributed database, this study proposes the use of blockchain technology as a distributed16 database, together with a homomorphic encryption mechanism. Aside from that, the suggested17 system includes a secure key revocation mechanism that can be used to automatically update various18 policies.As a result, our proposed approach provides greater security, efficiency, and transparency19 while also being more cost-effective. We have compared the findings of our proposed models with20 those of the benchmark models, if appropriate. Our comparison research demonstrates that our21 suggested framework provides a more secure and searchable mechanism for the healthcare system22 than the current state of the art.

In recent years, new therapies have been developed based on molecules that target mo-lecular mechanisms involved in both the initiation and maintenance of the oncogenic process. Among these molecules are the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitors. PARP1 has emerged as a target with great therapeutic potential for some tumor types, drawing attention to this enzyme and resulting in many small molecule inhibitors of its enzymatic activity. Thus, many PARP inhibitors are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of homologous recombina-tion (HR)-deficient tumors, BRCA-related cancers, taking advantage of synthetic lethality. In ad-dition, several novel cellular functions unrelated to its role in DNA repair have been described, including post-translational modification of transcription factors, or acting through pro-tein-protein interactions as a co-activator or co-repressor of transcription. Previously, we report-ed that this enzyme may play a key role as a transcriptional co-activator of an important compo-nent of cell cycle regulation, the transcription factor E2F1. Here, we show that PARP inhibitors, which interfere with its activity in cell cycle regulation, do so without affecting its enzymatic function.

Milk is newborn’s food and an emulsion full of all necessary components for neonatal growth. Its consumption is worldwide and is the base for all dairy products. Because of the latter, many new technologies are growing, among them proteomics; in order to give new insights in milk’s compounds and to maximize the beneficial potential for consumers’ health. In this review, we aimed to gather data of proteomics studies for the majority of dairy animals and elucidate the role of milk bioactive compounds. Furthermore, special reference was made to milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) peptides and the result of thermal treatment in milk proteins. Finally, the proteomic approach regarding adulterations was included in the review.

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) are becoming increasingly popular for their nutritional and health benefits, and their economic value is therefore increasing. Loss of quality that can occur due to softening and fungal attack is an important consideration when marketing blueberries. Despite the added value of blueberries, no studies have been carried out on how the fruit arrives at the outlets just before purchase by the consumer in terms of firmness, physico-chemical parameters, phenolic compounds and fungal growth. The aim of this work has been, therefore, to investigate possible differences in quality parameters between blueberries purchased from ten different outlets, regardless of the supplier. The results showed that all samples were of acceptable quality, although they all had a low maturity index at the point of sale. On the other hand, differences in the parameters measured were observed between samples of the same cultivar while we could not find differences between conventionally and organically grown blueberries, suggesting that preharvest and postharvest factors could influence the final quality when they reach the consumer.

Low back pain (LBP) is a health problem that affects 70-80% of the population in Western countries. Because of the biomechanical relationship between the lumbar region and the hip, it is thought that strengthening the muscles of this joint could improve the symptoms of people with LBP. The objective of the study is to evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy of hip strengthening exercises to reduce pain and disability in people with LBP. Clinical trials were collected from PubMed, PEDro, and Scopus databases published up to September 2022. Based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and using CASpe and PEDro tools for methodological quality assessment, we selected studies that included hip strengthening exercises as part of LBP treatment and measured pain and/or disability parameters. Among the 966 records identified in the search, a total of 7 studies met the established selection criteria. Overall, participants who performed hip strengthening exercises had significantly improved in pain and disability. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed as “good”. In conclusion, the addition of hip muscle strengthening exercises iterating LBP effectively improving pain and disability.

Deep eutectic solvents have emerged as a greener alternative and have attracted so much interest in the last two decades. This paper present alternative synthesis method to classical heating-stirring. The ultrasound method is one of the most promising syntheses DESs in terms of yield and energy. So, ultrasound synthesis method was studied to obtain hydrophobic (Aliquat 336: L-Menthol 3:7; Li-docaine: decanoic acid 1:2) and hydrophilic DESs based on Choline chloride and urea, ethylene glycol and oxalic acid. The physical characterization of DESs by comparison of FTIR spectra no show difference between DESs obtained by heating-stirring and ultrasound synthesis methods. The RMN spectra of the DESs obtained by heating-stirring revealed the DESs formation. Density and viscosity properties of DESs were evaluated. The density values are similar for both synthesis methods. However, lower viscosity values are obtained to the hydrophilic DESs prepared by ul-trasound methods.

Retroviruses perpetuate their survival by incorporating a copy of their genome into the host cell, a critical step catalyzed by the virally encoded integrase. The viral capsid plays an important role during the viral life-cycle, including nuclear importation in case of lentiviruses and integration targeting events, hence, targeting the integrase and the viral capsid is a favorable therapeutic strategy. While integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are recommended as first-line regimens given their high efficacy and tolerability, lenacapavir is the first capsid inhibitor and the newest addition to the HIV treatment arsenal. These inhibitors are however designed for treatment of HIV-1 infection, and their efficacy against HIV-2 remains widely understudied and inconclusive, supported only by few limited phenotypic susceptibility studies. We therefore carried out inhibition profiling of a panel of second-generation INSTIs and lenacapavir against HIV-2 in cell culture, utilizing pseudovirion inhibition profiling assays. Our results show that the tested INSTIs and lenacapavir exerted excellent efficacy against ROD-based HIV-2 integrase, and interestingly, raltegravir also showed modest antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in antiviral assays carried out in Vero E6 cells.

This article aims to detect lung cavitations using lung ultrasound (LUS) in a cohort of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and correlate the findings with chest computed tomography (CT) and chest x-ray (CXR) to obtain LUS diagnostic sensitivity. Patients with suspected TB were enrolled after being evaluated with CXR and chest CT. A blinded radiologist performed LUS within 3 days after the admission at the Infectious Diseases Department. Finally, 82 patients were enrolled in the study. BAL confirmed TB in 58/82 (71%). Chest CT showed pulmonary cavitations in 38/82 (43.6%; 32 TB patients and 6 non-TB ones), LUS in 15/82 (18.3%; 11 TB patients and 4 non-TB ones) and CXR in 27/82 (33%; 23 TB patients and 4 non-TB ones). Patients with multiple cavitations were 12 detected at CT and only 1 at LUS. LUS sensitivity was 39.5%, specificity 100%, PPV 100%, NPV 65.7%. CXR sensitivity was 68.4% and specificity 97.8%. No false positive cases were found. LUS sensitivity is rather low as many cavitated consolidations do not reach the pleural surface. Aerated cavitations could be detected with LUS with relative confidence, highlighting a thin air-crescent sign towards the pleural surface within a hypoechoic area of consolidation, easily distinguishable from dynamic or static air-bronchogram.

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of moral resilience on quiet quitting, job burnout, and turnover intention among nurses. A cross-sectional study was implemented in Greece in November 2023. The revised Rushton Moral Resilience Scale was used to measure moral resilience among nurses, the Quiet Quitting Scale to measure levels of quiet quitting, and the single item burnout measure to measure job burnout. Moreover, a valid six-point Likert scale was used to measure turnover intention. All multivariable models were adjusted for the following confounders: gender, age, understaffed department, shift work, and work experience. The multivariable analysis identified a negative relationship between moral resilience and quiet quitting, job burnout, and turnover intention. In particular, we found that increased response to moral adversity and increased moral efficacy were associated with decreased detachment score, lack of initiative score, and lack of motivation score. Additionally, personal integrity was associated with reduced detachment score, while relational integrity was associated with reduced detachment score, and lack of initiative score. Moreover, response to moral adversity was associated with reduced job burnout. Also, increased levels of response to moral adversity were associated with lower probability of turnover intention. Moral resilience can be an essential protective factor against high levels of quiet quitting, job burnout, and turnover intention among nurses.

The cellular cytoskeleton provides the cell with a mechanical rigidity which allows mechanical interaction between cells and the extracellular environment. The actin structure plays a key role in mechanical events like motility, or establishment of cell polarity. From the earliest stages of development, as represented by ex vivo expansion of naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the critical mechanical role of the actin structure is becoming recognized as a vital cue for correct segregation and lineage control of cells and as a regulatory structure that controls several transcription factors. Naïve ESCs have a characteristic morphology and the ultrastructure that underlies this condition remains to be further investigated. Here, we investigate the 3D actin cytoskeleton of naïve mouse ESCs using super resolution optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). We investigate the morphological, cytoskeletal and mechanical changes in cells cultured in 2i or Serum/LIF media reflecting a homogenous preimplantation cell state and a state that is closer to embarking on differentiation. STORM imaging showed that the peripheral actin structure undergoes a dramatic change between the two media conditions. We also detected micro-rheological differences in the cell periphery between the cells cultured in these two media correlating well with the observed nano-architecture of the ESCs in the two different culture conditions. These results pave the way for linking physical properties and cytoskeletal architecture to cell morphology during early development.

Micro Injection molding combined with the use of removable inserts is one of the most promising manufacturing process for microfluidic devices, such as Lab-on-a-chip, that have the potential to revolutionize the healthcare and diagnosis system. In this work we have designed, fabricated and tested a compact and disposable plastic optical stretcher. To produce the mould inserts, two micro manufacturing technologies have been used. Micro Electro Discharge machining was used to reproduce the inverse of the capillary tube connection characterized by high aspect ratio. Thanks to the high accuracy of femtosecond laser machining, instead, we manufactured insert with perfectly aligned microfluidic channels and fiber slots, facilitating the final composition of the optical manipulation device. The optical stretcher operation is tested using microbeads and red blood cells solutions. The prototype presented in this work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach that should guarantee a real mass production of ready-to-use- Lab-on-a-chip.

Current research suggests that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) might originate in utero and implicates the placenta in its pathogenesis. Kisspeptin (KISS1) and neurokinin B (NKB) are produced by the placenta in high amounts, and they have been implicated in several pregnancy complications associated with placental dysfunction. However, their placental expression has not been studied in PCOS. We isolated mRNA after delivery from the placentae of 31 PCOS and 37 control women with term, uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies. The expression of KISS1, NKB, and neurokinin receptors 1, 2, and 3 was analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction, using β-actin as the reference gene. Maternal serum and umbilical cord levels of total testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and estradiol were also assessed. NKB placental mRNA expression was higher in PCOS versus controls in pregnancies with female offspring. NKB expression depended on fetal gender, being higher in pregnancies with male fetuses. NKB was positively correlated with umbilical cord FAI and AMH, and KISS1 with cord testosterone and FAI; there was also a strong positive correlation between NKB and KISS1 expression. Women with PCOS had higher serum AMH and FAI and lower SHBG than controls. Our findings indicate that NKB might be involved in PCOS-related placental dysfunction, and warrant further investigation. Studies assessing the placental expression of NKB should take fetal gender into consideration.

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in the Western world. Mutations in different genes, such as TP53 and ATM, and deletions in specific chromosomal regions, including 11q or 17p, have been associated with a worse prognosis for the disease. Recent research from our group has demonstrated that, contrary to the usual cancer development process through missense mutations, B-CLL is driven by the overexpression of the small GTPase RRAS2 in its wild-type form, without activating mutations. While some mouse models of this disease have been developed to date and are commonly used in B-CLL research, they come with various disadvantages, such as a long waiting period until the leukemia fully develops, the need for cell engraftment, or, in some cases, a failure to replicate the alterations found in human patients. We have recently introduced Rosa26-RRAS2fl/flxmb1-Cre as a new mouse model of B-CLL with full disease penetrance. In this work, we have validated this mouse model as a novel tool for the development of new therapies for B-CLL by testing two of the most widely applied targeted agents: ibrutinib and venetoclax. This also paves the way for the development of new targeted agents against R-RAS2 itself, an approach that has not yet been explored in clinical practice.

: An innovative and stable probiotics-containing mucoadhesive gel (AL0020), integrated with botanical extracts, has been developed to rebalance the dysbiosis associated with periodontal diseases. Tau-Marin gel was tested against some pathogenic bacteria, belonging to the so-called "red complex", recognized as the most important pathogens in plaque specimens, adherent to the epithelial lining of periodontal pockets. A detailed physico-chemical profile of AL0020 and its in vitro efficacy in protecting activity against pathogenic bacteria as well as soothing or irritative effect on gingival epithelium were reported. Moreover, a clinical-dermatological trial on 20 volunteers using the product once a day for 30 days was also performed.

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) has spread throughout the world, affecting more than 120 freshwater and marine fish species. While vaccination effectively prevents disease outbreaks, the difficulty of producing sufficient viruses using cell lines continues to be a significant disadvantage for producing inactivated vaccines. This study, therefore, explored the application of synthetic peptides as potential vaccine candidates for the prevention of NNV in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). Using the epitope prediction tool and molecular docking, three predicted immunogenic B cell epitopes (30-32 aa) derived from NNV coat protein were selected and synthesised, corresponding to amino acid positions 5 to 34 (P1), 133 to 162 (P2) and 181 to 212 (P3). All the predicted peptides interact with Asian sea bass’s MHC class II by docking. The antigenicity of these peptides was determined through ELISA and all peptides were able to react with NNV-specific antibodies. Subsequently, the immunogenicity of these synthetic peptides was investigated by immunisation of Asian seabass with individual peptides (30 μg/fish) and a peptide cocktail (P1+P2+P3, 10 μg each/fish) by intraperitoneal injection, followed by a booster dose at day 28 post-primary immunisation. There was a subset of immunised fish that were able to induce upregulation of CD4 in the head kidney and spleen. Importantly, antibodies derived from fish immunised with synthetic peptides reacted with whole NNV virions. Taken together, these findings indicate that synthetic linear peptides based on predicted B cell epitopes exhibited both antigenic and immunogenic properties, suggesting that they could be potential vaccine candidates for the prevention of NNV in fish.

In recent years, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have heen evaluated for treating homologous recombination-deficient tumors, taking advantage of synthetic lethality. However, increasing evidence indicates that PARP proteins exert several cellular functions unrelated with their role on DNA repair, including function as a co-activators of transcription through protein-protein interaction with E2F1. Since the RB/E2F1 pathway is among the most frequently mutated in many tumours types, we investigated whether the absence of PARP activity could counteract the consequences of E2F1 hyperactivation. Our results demonstrate that genetic ablation of Parp1 extends the survival of Rb-null embryos, while genetic inactivation of Parp1 results in reduced development of pRb-dependent tumors. Our results demonstrate that PARP1 plays a key role as a transcriptional co-activator of the transcription factor E2F1, an important component of the cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, impairment of PARP results in a reduction of tumor growth, that is not depending of the activity of PARP on DNA repair. Considering that most oncogenic processes are associated with cell cycle deregulation, the disruption of this PARP1-E2F1 interaction could provide a new therapeutic target of great interest and a wide spectrum of indications.

Biomass storage is an essential requirement in the supply chain of bio-refineries and power plants. This research aims to evaluate the influence of long-term outdoor storage (1 year) of baled rockrose (Cistus laurifolius L.) shrub biomass on biofuel´s quality, pre-treatment processes and on combustion emissions in an industrial boiler. The raw material was obtained from different rockrose shrublands in North-center Spain. 233 tWM (tones of wet matter) of biomass were used to produce biofuels (30 mm milled biomass and Ø 8 mm pellets) in the pre-treatment pilot plants at CEDER-CIEMAT. The combustion tests were conducted in an industrial moving grate boiler with a thermal power of 50 MWth, in a 17 MWe power plant. Outdoor storage improved some quality biofuels parameters, mainly the reduction in ash content, what allowed to classify 30 mm milled material as class I1 (ISO 17225-9:2022) and pellets as class I3 (ISO 17225-2-2021). No significant differences were observed in the total specific mass flow and energy consumptions in the pre-treatment processes. The combustion tests had similar results, being the emissions below the limits established in the Directive (EU) 2015/2193. The results obtained indicated that 1-year outdoor store of rockrose-baled biomass under Mediterranean conditions was feasible for its subsequent use as biofuel.

Introduction: The reduced implementation of surveillance programs and limited bedside infectious diseases consultations due to the pressure of COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare systems led to increased rates of irrational use of antimicrobials and incidence of infections by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the incidence of antimicrobial resistance and the management of bloodstream infections before and during COVID-19 pandemic at the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (Greece). Material-Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted from January 2018 to December 2022. Data were collected from the University Microbiology Laboratory per semester regarding the isolated strains of Gram positive and negative bacteria in blood cultures and respiratory samples in hospitalized patients in medical and surgical wards and in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Additionally, bloodstream infections with requested infectious diseases consultation were reported (n=400), determining whether these were carried out via telephone contact or at the patient's bedside. Demographic data, comorbidities, focus of infection, antimicrobial regimen, duration of treatment, length of hospitalization and clinical outcome were analysed. Results: A total of 4569 strains of Gram positive and negative bacteria were isolated. An increasing trend was reported compared to the pre-pandemic period in the incidence of resistant Gram-negative bacteria, particularly in ICUs. Prior antimicrobial use and the rate of hospital-acquired infections were increased significantly during the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic period 2018-2019, a total of 246 infectious diseases consultations were carried out, while during the period 2020-2022 154, with the percentage of telephone consultations 15% and 76% respectively. Detection of the source of infection and timely administration of appropriate antimicrobial agents were more frequently recorded before the pandemic and 28-day mortality was significantly reduced in cases with bedside consultations. Conclusion: Empowering of infectious diseases surveillance programs and committees, rational use of antimicrobials agents and bedside infectious diseases consultations are vital in order to reduce the impact of infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains.

Given the concerns of waning immunity from the primary COVID-19 vaccines and the first booster dose, we conducted an on-line cross-sectional study in May 2022 to investigate willingness to receive a second COVID-19 booster dose or a new COVID-19 vaccine and its associated factors. Overall, 22.7% of participants were willing to be vaccinated, 39.3% were unsure, but tend to be willing, 25.8% were unsure, 4.9% were unsure, but tend to be unwilling, and 7.4% were unwilling to be vaccinated. The main reasons against accepting a second COVID‐19 booster dose or a new COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 dose included concerns about the side effects, the opinion that further vaccination is unnecessary, and effectiveness uncertainties. Males, younger individuals, participants without a previous COVID-19 diagnosis, and those with good/very good self-perceived physical health were significantly more frequently willing to receive a second COVID‐19 booster dose or a new COVID-19 vaccine. Also, increased fear of the COVID-19, increased trust in COVID-19 vaccination and decreased fear of a second booster dose or a new COVID-19 vaccine were associated with increased willingness. Our results show some hesitancy and unwillingness toward further COVID-19 vaccination and indicate that fear of COVID-19 and trust in COVID-19 vaccination affect public opinion

Abstract: Social stress can affect the ability of the fish to respond to various stressors, such as pathogens or environmental variations. In this paper, the effects of social stress on gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata) were investigated. To study the effects of physiological stress, we evaluated biochemical and cellular parameters as cortisol, glucose, lactate, osmolarity and phagocytosis 24 hours after the establishment of social hierarchy. Social hierarchy was determined and characterised by behavioural observation (aggressive acts and feeding order) of the specimens (dominant “α”, subordinate “β” and “γ”). After the establishment of the social hierarchy, we observed that the levels of plasma cortisol and other biochemical stress markers (glucose and lactate) were higher in subordinate individuals than in dominant ones. In addition, the modulation of phagocytic activity of the peritoneal cavity cells (PEC) demonstrated that social stress appeared to affect the immune response. At last, principal component analysis clearly separated the subordinate fish groups from the dominant groups based on stress markers and phagocytic activity of the peritoneal exudates cells.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multisystem, and profoundly debilitating condition, probably of multifactorial etiology. No effective approved drugs are currently available for its treatment. Several studies have proposed symptomatic treatment with melatonin and zinc supplementation in chronic illnesses; however, little is known about the synergistic effect of this treatment on fatigue-related symptoms in ME/CFS. The primary endpoint of the study was to assess the effect of oral melatonin plus zinc supplementation on fatigue in ME/CFS. Secondary measures included participants’ sleep disturbances, anxiety/depression, and health-related quality of life. A proof-of-concept, 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted in 50 ME/CFS patients assigned to receive either oral melatonin (1 mg) plus zinc (10 mg) supplementation (n = 24) or matching placebo (n = 26) once daily. Endpoint outcomes were evaluated at baseline and then reassessed at 8 and 16 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks after treatment cessation, using self-reported outcome measures. Treatment was safe and well-tolerated. The most relevant results were the significant reduction in the perception of physical fatigue in the active group at the final follow-up versus placebo (p < 0.05), and the significant improvement in the physical component summary at all follow-up visits in the experimental group. Our findings suggest that oral melatonin plus zinc supplementation for 16 weeks is safe and potentially effective in reducing fatigue and improving the quality of life in ME/CFS. This clinical study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03000777).

Background: By 2025, road traffic injuries are projected to rank third in the global burden of disease, posing a significant challenge that affects health, social well-being, and economic aspects. According to data from the Romanian Police National Statistics Center, there has been an average of 342 traffic accidents per year involving pediatric patients over the past 10 years. Materials and Methods: A retrospective research study was conducted, encompassing 358 cases of road traffic accidents identified for the study. Data collection was conducted at "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children in Iasi, Romania, from January 2015 to December 2022. To facilitate statistical analyses, participants were categorized into three specific age groups, correlating between the anatomical region affected and different types of accidents was examined, and the classification of injury types was determined based on the characteristics of the harm inflicted. Results: An oscillating trend is observed from 2015 to 2020, with its lowest value recorded in 2017 at around 6.8% and its peak in 2019 at 20.1%. Notably, post-pandemic (Covid-19), the cases underwent a substantial decline of approximately 50%. At least 78.7% of those who did not undergo orthopedic reduction required surgery, whereas among those who underwent orthopedic reduction, only 23.4% needed surgery. Regarding the frequency of complications 7,9% of the total cases experienced complications. Conclusion: The increased frequency of pediatric traffic accidents is attributed to the extensive services provided by "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children, Iasi, to a significant number of patients from both rural and urban areas across the seven counties of the Moldova, Romania.

Long COVID (LC) encompasses a constellation of long-term symptoms experienced by at least 10% of people after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, and so far has affected about 65 million people. The etiology of LC remains unclear; however, many pathophysiological pathways may be involved, including viral persistence; chronic, low grade inflammatory response; immune dysregulation and defective immune response; reactivation of latent viruses; autoimmunity; persistent endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy; gut dysbiosis; hormonal dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction; and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. There are no specific tests for the diagnosis of LC, and clinical features including laboratory findings and biomarkers may not specifically relate to LC. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to develop and validate biomarkers that can be employed for the prediction, diagnosis and prognosis of LC and its therapeutic response. Promising candidate biomarkers that are found in some patients are markers of systemic inflammation including acute phase proteins, cytokines and chemokines; biomarkers reflecting SARS-CoV-2 persistence, reactivation of herpesviruses and immune dysregulation; biomarkers of endotheliopathy, coagulation and fibrinolysis; microbiota alterations; diverse proteins and metabolites; hormonal and metabolic biomarkers; as well as cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. At present, there are only two reviews summarizing relevant biomarkers; however, they do not cover the entire umbrella of current biomarkers or their link to etiopathogenetic mechanisms, and the diagnostic work-up in a comprehensive manner. Herein, we aim to appraise and synopsize the available evidence on the typical laboratory manifestations and candidate biomarkers of LC, their classification based on main LC symptomatology in the frame of the epidemiological and pathogenetic aspects of the syndrome, and furthermore assess limitations and challenges as well as potential implications in candidate therapeutic interventions.

Abstract: Background: Cancer and cancer treatments may affect aging processes, altering the trajectory of cognitive aging, but extant studies are limited in interval of assessment (2-5 years). We studied cognitive performance in a cohort of survivors and controls utilizing cross-sectional cognitive performance data from age 60 to 89 years as an indicator of potential aging trajectories and contrasted these trends with longitudinal data collected over two years. Methods: Female breast cancer survivors who had been diagnosed and treated at age 60 or older and were 5– to 15-year survivors (N=328) and non-cancer controls (N=158) were assessed at enrollment and at 8, 16 and 24 months with standard neuropsychological tests and comprehensive geriatric as-sessment. Results: Cross-sectional baseline analysis found the expected inverse association of age with cognition in both groups, with survivors performing lower than controls in learning and memory (LM) but not in attention, processing speed and executive function (APE). Younger survivors, i.e., those under 75 years of age, exhibited early decline in performance in both LM and APE compared to controls, with no differences between older survivors and controls, which tracked with deficit accumulation trends. Conclusion: Differences between survivors and controls were prominent in younger survivors, as was deficit accumulation, suggesting a mediating effect on cognition. Deficit accumulation may represent a modifiable risk factor in cancer survivorship that may be targeted for prevention and intervention.

The Yellow-legged Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) (YLH) is an invasive insect that arrived in Europe in 2004 and is now spread across nine countries. It is a threat to the native entomofauna and harmful to beekeeping and agriculture, as it is a ravenous predator of the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and other pollinating species. Its expansion has been unstoppable and all resources are needed to fight against it, including native vertebrate predators. Among these, the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) (EBE) is a potential one, but little is known about its predation on YLH. In a study carried out in Portugal, remains of YHL were detected in EBE nesting sites, which to the best of our knowledge is the first such report. This means that this bird could be one more agent in the biological control of this pest (although research on predation intensity is still needed), in conjunction with other natural predators and other strategies. In the Iberian Peninsula both species are allopatric in vast regions, so the role of EBE may be more limited. However, in the rest of Europe, at a country or continent scale, the scenario may be different and sympatry may occur to a greater extent.

Our primary objectives were a) to determine the need for, and the availability of point-of-care testing (POCT) for infectious diseases and b) to recommend point-of-care testing strategies and spatial care paths (SCPs) that enhance public health preparedness in regional districts of Thua Thien Hue Province (TTHP), Central Vietnam, where we conducted field surveys. Medical professionals in 7 community health centers (CHCs), 7 district hospitals (DHs) and 1 provincial hospital (PH) participated. Survey questions (English and Vietnamese) determined the status of diagnostic testing capabilities for infectious diseases and other acute medical challenges in TTHP. Infectious disease testing was limited: 6 of 7 CHCs (86%) lacked infectious disease tests. One CHC (14%, 1/7) had two forms of diagnostic tests available for the detection of Malaria. All CHCs lacked adequate microbiology laboratories. District hospitals had few diagnostic tests for infectious diseases (Tuberculosis, Syphilis), blood culture (29%, 2/7), and pathogen culture (57%, 4/7) available. The PH had broader diagnostic testing capabilities but lacked preparedness for highly infectious disease threats (e.g., Ebola, MERS-CoV, SARS, Zika, and Monkeypox). All sites reported having COVID-19 rapid antigen tests; COVID-19 RT-PCR tests were limited to higher tier hospitals. We conclude that infectious disease diagnostic testing should be improved and POC tests must be supplied near patients’ homes and in primary care settings for the early detection of infected individuals and mitigation of the spread of new COVID-19 variants and other highly infectious diseases.

Background: Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is caused by haploinsufficiency of porphobilin-ogen deaminase (PBGD) enzymatic activity. Acute attacks occur in response to fasting and altera-tions in glucose metabolism, insulin resistance and mitochondrial turnover may be involved in AIP pathophysiology. Therefore, we investigated the metabolic pathways in PBGD-silenced hepatocytes and assessed the efficacy of an insulin-mimic, the α-lipoic acid (α-LA) as a potential therapeutic strategy. Methods: HepG2 cells were transfected with a siRNA targeting PBGD (siPBGD). Cells were cul-tured with low glucose concentration to mimic fasting and exposed to α-LA alone or with glu-cose. Results: At baseline, siPBGD cells showed lower expression of genes involved in glycolysis and mitochondrial dynamics along with reduced total ATP levels. Fasting further unbalanced gly-colysis by inducing ATP shortage in siPBGD cells and activated DRP1, which mediates mito-chondrial separation. Consistently, siPBGD cells in fasted state showed the lowest protein levels of Complex IV which belong to the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) machinery. α-LA up-regulated glycolysis and prompted ATP synthesis and triglyceride secretion, thus possibly providing energy fuels to siPBGD cells by improving glucose utilization. Finally, siPBGD exposed to α-LA plus glucose raised mitochondrial dynamics, OXPHOS activity and energy production. Conclusions: α-LA-based therapy may ameliorate glucose metabolism and mitochondrial dys-functions in siPBGD hepatocytes. Keywords: AIP, PBGD, glucose metabolism, mitobiogenesis, α-lipoic acid

Aim: the purpose of the present prospective, case series study were to report implant survival rate and marginal bone remodeling expected five years after loading using dental implants placed in in the daily practice. Material and Methods: this research was designed as an open-cohort, prospective case series study. Any completely or partially edentulous patients scheduled to receive at least one bone leve were considered eligible for this study. Primary outcomes were: cumulative implant (ISR) and prosthetic (PSR) survival rates, and any complications experienced up the five years follow-up. Secondary outcomes were: marginal bone remodeling, implant insertion torque, implant stability quotient (ISQ), and thickness of gingival biotype. Results: ninety consecutive patients (34 males and 56 females; mean age 53.2±15.4 years; range of 24–81 years), 243 implants were placed and followed for at least five years after loading (mean of 65.4±3.1 months; range of 60–72 months). The mean implant insertion torque was 42.9±4.8 Ncm (range from 15 to 45 Ncm). Overall, 83.5% of the implants (n=203) were placed with an insertion torque between 35 and 45 Ncm. At the one year follow-up, no drop-outs were recorded, but 17 patients (18.9%) with 18 restorations (12.6%) delivered on 34 implants (14%) were lost at the five years examination. At the five-year examination, six implants failed in six patients, resulting in a cumulative ISR of 97.5%. At the five-year follow-up, four prostheses failed (2.8%) resulting in a cumulative PSR of 97.2%. At the five-year examination, five complications were reported by five different patients, resulting in a prosthetic success rate of 96.5%, measured at patient level. Five years after loading, mean MBL was 0.41 ± 0.30 mm (95% CI: 0.26–0.34). Difference from the one year data was 0.04 ± 0.19 mm (95% CI: 0.01–0.07). The mean ISQ value at implant placement was 71.6 ± 5.5 (range of 45–88). Six months later, the mean ISQ was 76.7 ± 4.4 (range of 66–89). The difference was statistically significant (P=0.0001). Statistically significant higher MBL was found for smokers, and patient with thin gingival biotype. Conclusions: High implant survival and success rates could be expected with stable marginal bone remodeling up to five years after loading. Smoking and thin tissue biotype were the most important variabilities associated with higher MBL. Further research are needed to confirm these results.

Immunotherapy is an effective therapeutic option for several cancers. In the last years, the introduction of checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has shifted the therapeutic landscape in oncology and improved patient prognosis in a variety of neoplastic diseases. However, to date, the selection of the best patients eligible for these therapies, as well as the response assessment is still challenging. Patients are mainly stratified using immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of anti-gens on biopsy specimens, such as PD-L1 and PD-1, on tumor cells, on peritumoral immune cells, and/or in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, the use and development of imaging biomarkers able to assess in-vivo cancer-related processes are becoming more important. Today, positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) is used routinely to evaluate tumor metabolism, and also to predict and monitor response to immunotherapy. Although highly sensitive, FDG-PET, in general, is rather unspecific. Novel radiopharmaceuticals (immuno-PET radiotracers) able to identify specific immune system targets are under investigation in pre-clinical and clinical settings. In this review, we will provide an overview of the main new immuno-PET radiotracers in development. We will also review the main players (immune cells, tumor cells, and molecular targets) involved in immunotherapy. Furthermore, we report current applications and the evidence of using [18F]FDG PET in immunotherapy, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

We tested the bioactivity of a dalbavancin + heparin (DH) vs. dalbavancin (D) against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC43300 (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC35984 (MRSE) comparing DH median value of cfu counts and metabolic activity with that obtained for D before and during storage under freezing up to 6 months. The addition of heparin to a dalbavancin lock solution did not affect its bioactivity against staphylococcal biofilms irrespective of its preservation time under freezing.

Altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) after spinal cord injury (SCI) has been described as being responsible for the main secondary responses, such as apoptosis. X-linked inhibitor apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a key apoptotic component involved in the progression of apoptotic programmed cell death. Several regulators have been described to modulate the XIAP's function, including the post-transcriptional regulator's miRNAs. The main aim of the present work is to identify miRNAs with altered expression after SCI which can regulate XIAP expression. Our bioinformatic analyses identified several candidate miRNAs that may regulate XIAP, among which miR-199a-5p may be involved in the downregulation of XIAP after SCI. Gene reporter assays and in vitro analyses in the neural C6 cell line confirmed the targeting of miR-199a-5p on the 3-UTR of the rat XIAP and its post-transcriptional regulation of XIAP protein level, but not at mRNA level. Analyses in a rat model of SCI revealed a trend towards increased expression of miR-199a-5p and a decrease in XIAP protein level at 3 days after injury. Finally, using a specific fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) probe for miR-199a-5p, we characterized the expression pattern of miR-199a-5p in cells of uninjured and rat-contused spinal cords. These findings provide new insights into apoptotic miRNA-mediated mechanisms after SCI, which will help us develop therapeutic strategies based on miRNAs for treating SCI.

Introduction/Aim: Central sensitivity to thyroid hormones refers to the sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis to changes in circulating free thyroxine (fT4). The relationship between fT4 levels and iodine intake is complex. The aim of the present study was to assess central sensitivity to thyroid hormones in pregnancy against iodine intake. Materials & Methods: One thousand one hundred two blood and urine samples were collected from pregnant women (with a mean age+SD of 30.4+4.6 years) during singleton pregnancies; women with known/diagnosed thyroid disease were excluded. Specifically, TSH & fT4 and 24-hour urinary iodine excretion (UI) were measured in each trimester and at two months postpartum. The Thyroid Feedback Quantile-based Index (TFQI) was calculated to assess central sensitivity to thyroid hormones. For the statistical analysis of TFQI by time period, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, while Pearson's correlation was used to assess TFQI versus UI. Results: The mean TFQI index ranged from -0.06 (first trimester) to -0.07 (two months postpartum), while the corresponding UI was 141 and 172 μg/L, respectively. The TFQI-UI correlation was negative (Pearson r: -0.325, p: 0.04 and r: -0.399, p: 0.023), for UI values over 250 μg/L, in the first and the third trimester of pregnancy, respectively. Discussion: TFQI is a new index reflecting central sensitivity to thyroid hormones. Lower TFQI indicates higher sensitivity to thyroid hormones. In our sample TFQI was inversely related to iodine intake, in the first trimester of pregnancy (the critical period of organogenesis) and the third trimester (the critical period of fetal growth). Thus, the observed changes in TFQI may reflect different ways of central action of thyroid hormones, according to the phase of pregnancy. The negative association between maternal TFQI (indicative of central sensitivity to thyroid hormone) and urine iodine levels during the third trimester of pregnancy may reflect the combined influence of maternal and fetal thyroid function. Our results are intriguing and have the potential to enhance our comprehension of the changes in the HPT axis’ function via variations in central sensitivity to thyroid hormones and its interplay with nutritional iodine status during pregnancy.