Search

This study aimed to develop and validate the Sustainable Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ), a comprehensive tool for assessing environmentally sustainable behaviors among Italian adults. Drawing on established theories and scales, the SBQ was refined through a two‐part study. Study 1 involved reviewing the literature, selecting items, and conducting exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on responses from 219 participants. This process resulted in a four‐factor structure: "purchase behavior and awareness," "reusing and recycling," "reducing," and "walking" and "use of public transport." Study 2, comprising 432 participants, confirmed the four‐factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and established the SBQ's convergent validity with Intention Sustainable Behavior (ISBQ) and Environment Sustainable Value and Norms (ESVN) measures. The SBQ demonstrated robust internal consistency, providing a reliable instrument for assessing sustainable behaviors. This research contributes to the field by offering a psychometrically sound questionnaire for evaluating sustainable behaviors among Italian adults and further understanding their role in promoting environmental conservation and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-Covid, characterized by persistent symptoms following acute Covid-19 infection, represents a complex challenge for the scientific community. Among the most common and debilitating manifestations, cognitive fog is a neurological disorder characterized by mental confusion and cognitive difficulties. In this study, we investigated the long-term effects of previous Covid-19 infection on cortical brain activity in patients experiencing cognitive fog symptoms in the medium and long term. Methods: A total of 40 subjects (20 females and 20 males) aged between 45 and 70 years (mean age (M) = 59.78, standard deviation (SD) = 12.93) participated in this study. This sample included individuals with symptoms of cognitive fog, both with and without anosmia, and a control group comprised of healthy subjects. All electroencephalography (EEG) data were collected in two sessions, 1 month and 8 months after recovery from Covid-19, to measure the neurophysiological parameters of P300 and beta band rhythms. Results: The results revealed significant differences in the neurophysiological parameters of P300 and beta band rhythms in subjects affected by cognitive fog, and these alterations persist even 8 months after recovery from Covid-19. Interestingly, no significant differences were observed between the participants with anosmia and without anosmia associated with cognitive fog. Conclusions: These findings provide a significant contribution to understanding the long-term effects of Covid-19 on the brain and have important implications for future interventions aimed at managing and treating brain fog symptoms. The longitudinal assessment of cortical brain activity helps highlight the persistent impact of the virus on the neurological health of Long-Covid patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular dementia, the second most common type of dementia, currently lacks a definitive cure. In the pursuit of therapies aimed at slowing its progression and alleviating symptoms, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) emerges as a promising approach, characterized by its non-invasive nature and the ability to promote brain plasticity. In this study, the primary objective was to investigate the effects of a two-week cycle of tDCS on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and neurophysiological functioning in thirty patients diagnosed with vascular dementia. Each participant was assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group, which received anodal tDCS to stimulate DPCFL, and the control group, which received sham tDCS. Neurophysiological functions were assessed before and after tDCS using P300 event-related potentials (ERPs), while neuropsychological function was evaluated through a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The results showed a reduction in P300 latency, indicating a faster cognitive process; an increase in P300 amplitude, suggesting a stronger neural response to cognitive stimuli; and a significant improvement in MMSE scores compared to the control group, indicating an overall enhancement in cognitive functions. These findings suggest that tDCS could represent a promising therapeutic option for improving both neurophysiological and cognitive aspects in patients with vascular dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizomania is one of the most destructive and damaging sugar beet diseases that has spread in different regions of Iran. In order to evaluate the genotypic, environmental, and genotype by environmental variability of sugar beet genotypes under rhizomania infection, variance components were estimated from the trial series in 7 years. Required data, such as yield and quality parameters, were collected from value for cultivation and use trials. Results of analysis of variance showed that the environment was the source that explained most of the variability, except for amino‐N and alkalinity. Quality traits were also influenced by the environment × cultivar interaction, so that 4.8% (white sugar content) to 46.1% (alkalinity) variance was observed. In contrast, genetic variation was much lower, between 1.2% (potassium) and 27.4% (amino‐N). A strong and negative correlation was found between root yield, sugar yield, and white sugar content with the disease index, which obviously illustrates the negative impact of the rhizomania on root weight and as a consequence on the dependent traits. The cluster analysis of the cultivars based on the quantitative and qualitative traits and the disease index showed that the range of variation in traits, such as the disease index, varied from 6.25 for the susceptible cultivar to 1.25 for the resistant one. This indicates the existence of sufficient genetic diversity among cultivars in terms of this trait. High impurity accumulation was observed in Shiraz region compared with Mashhad. In conclusion, it is observed that rhizomania has a significant effect on the impurity concentration in the root, especially sodium, potassium, and amino‐N. This is very important in the sugar industry because sugar extraction depends on the concentration of these impurities, in addition to the sugar content of each cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease with high mortality due to early metastatic dissemination and high chemoresistance. All these factors are favored by its extracellular matrix (ECM)-rich microenvironment, which is also highly hypoxic and acidic. Gemcitabine (GEM) is still the first-line therapy in PDAC. However, it is quickly deaminated to its inactive metabolite. Several GEM prodrugs have emerged to improve its cytotoxicity. Here, we analyzed how the acidic/hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) affects the response of PDAC cell death and invadopodia-mediated ECM proteolysis to both GEM and its C18 prodrug. Methods: For this, two PDAC cell lines, PANC-1 and Mia PaCa-2 were adapted to pHe 6.6 or not for 1 month, grown as 3D organotypic cultures and exposed to either GEM or C18 in the presence and absence of acidosis and the hypoxia inducer, deferoxamine. Results: We found that C18 has higher cytotoxic and anti-invadopodia activity than GEM in all culture conditions and especially in acid and hypoxic environments. Conclusions: We propose C18 as a more effective approach to conventional GEM in developing new therapeutic strategies overcoming PDAC chemoresistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, primarily associated with dopaminergic neuron depletion in the Substantia Nigra. Current treatment focuses on compensating for dopamine (DA) deficiency, but the blood–brain barrier (BBB) poses challenges for effective drug delivery. Using differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, we investigated the co-administration of DA and the antioxidant Grape Seed Extract (GSE) to study the cytobiocompability, the cytoprotection against the neurotoxin Rotenone, and their antioxidant effects. For this purpose, two solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) formulations, DA-co-GSE-SLNs and GSE-ads-DA-SLNs, were synthesized. Such SLNs showed mean particle sizes in the range of 187–297 nm, zeta potential values in the range of −4.1–−9.7 mV, and DA association efficiencies ranging from 35 to 82%, according to the formulation examined. The results showed that DA/GSE-SLNs did not alter cell viability and had a cytoprotective effect against Rotenone-induced toxicity and oxidative stress. In addition, this study also focused on the evaluation of Alpha-synuclein (aS) levels; SLNs showed the potential to modulate the Rotenone-mediated increase in aS levels. In conclusion, our study investigated the potential of SLNs as a delivery system for addressing PD, also representing a promising approach for enhanced delivery of pharmaceutical and antioxidant molecules across the BBB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease with a 5-year survival rate of around 11–12%. Surgery, being the treatment of choice, is only possible in 20% of symptomatic patients. The main reason is that when it becomes symptomatic, IT IS the tumor is usually locally advanced and/or has metastasized to distant organs; thus, early diagnosis is infrequent. The lack of specific early symptoms is an important cause of late diagnosis. Unfortunately, diagnostic tumor markers become positive at a late stage, and there is a lack of early-stage markers. Surgical and non-surgical cases are treated with neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy, and the results are usually poor. However, personalized targeted therapy directed against tumor drivers may improve this situation. Until recently, many pancreatic tumor driver genes/proteins were considered untargetable. Chemical and physical characteristics of mutated KRAS are a formidable challenge to overcome. This situation is slowly changing. For the first time, there are candidate drugs that can target the main driver gene of pancreatic cancer: KRAS. Indeed, KRAS inhibition has been clinically achieved in lung cancer and, at the pre-clinical level, in pancreatic cancer as well. This will probably change the very poor outlook for this disease. This paper reviews the genetic characteristics of sporadic and hereditary predisposition to pancreatic cancer and the possibilities of a personalized treatment according to the genetic signature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical theories of reasoning equate System 1 with biases and System 2 with correct responses. Refined theories of reasoning propose the parallel model to explain the two systems. The first purpose of the present article is to give a contribution to the debate on the parallel and default-interventionfist models: we hypothesized when logic and belief conflict both logical validity and belief judgments will be affected with greater level of response errors and/or longer response times. The second purpose of this article is to assess the relationship between decisional styles and performance in deductive reasoning. Seventy-two participants participated in the experiment and completed 64 modus ponens and modus tollens syllogistic reasoning tasks. Accordingly, we found that belief and logic judgments were affected by the conflict condition, both in easy syllogisms (i.e., modus ponens) and in complex syllogisms (i.e., modus tollens). Findings showed also that participants with a rational decision-making style were more strongly influenced by logic than belief, whereas those with an intuitive decision-making style were more strongly influenced by belief than logic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In disorders of consciousness, verticalization is considered an effective type of treatment to improve motor and cognitive recovery. Our purpose is to investigate neurophysiological effects of robotic verticalization training (RVT) in patients with minimally conscious state (MCS). Thirty subjects affected by MCS due to traumatic or vascular brain injury, attending the intensive Neurorehabilitation Unit of the IRCCS Neurolesi (Messina, Italy), were included in this retrospective study. They were equally divided into two groups: the control group (CG) received traditional verticalization with a static bed and the experimental group (EG) received advanced robotic verticalization using the Erigo device. Each patient was evaluated using both clinical scales, including Levels of Cognitive Functioning (LCF) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and quantitative EEG pre (T0) and post each treatment (T1). The treatment lasted for eight consecutive weeks, and sessions were held three times a week, in addition to standard neurorehabilitation. In addition to a notable improvement in clinical parameters, such as functional (FIM) (p < 0.01) and cognitive (LCF) (p < 0.01) outcomes, our findings showed a significant modification in alpha and beta bands post-intervention, underscoring the promising effect of the Erigo device to influence neural plasticity and indicating a noteworthy difference between pre-post intervention. This was not observed in the CG. The observed changes in alpha and beta bands underscore the potential of the Erigo device to induce neural plasticity. The device's custom features and programming, tailored to individual patient needs, may contribute to its unique impact on brain responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic prediction relates a set of markers to variability in observed phenotypes of cultivars and allows for the prediction of phenotypes or breeding values of genotypes on unobserved individuals. Most genomic prediction approaches predict breeding values based solely on additive effects. However, the economic value of wheat lines is not only influenced by their additive component but also encompasses a non-additive part (e.g., additive × additive epistasis interaction). In this study, genomic prediction models were implemented in three target populations of environments (TPE) in South Asia. Four models that incorporate genotype × environment interaction (G × E) and genotype × genotype (GG) were tested: Factor Analytic (FA), FA with genomic relationship matrix (FA + G), FA with epistatic relationship matrix (FA + GG), and FA with both genomic and epistatic relationship matrices (FA + G + GG). Results show that the FA + G and FA + G + GG models displayed the best and a similar performance across all tests, leading us to infer that the FA + G model effectively captures certain epistatic effects. The wheat lines tested in sites in different TPE were predicted with different precisions depending on the cross-validation employed. In general, the best prediction accuracy was obtained when some lines were observed in some sites of particular TPEs and the worse genomic prediction was observed when wheat lines were never observed in any site of one TPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. While a definitive cure for Parkinson's disease remains elusive, a range of treatments are available to slow its progression and counteract its symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) represents a non-invasive method to induce brain plasticity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two weeks of tDCS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on the neurophysiological functioning of Parkinson's patients. Methods: Thirty patients aged between 67 and 82 years with Parkinson's disease participated to the experiment. Fifteen underwent tDCS on the left DLPFC, while fifteen underwent sham tDCS. Neurophysiological functions were assessed before and after tDCS using electroencephalogram methods for alpha and beta band rhythms and P300 event-related potential latency. Results: tDCS led to a reduction in the onset latency of the P300 response and an increase in the power spectrum of the alpha and beta band rhythms. Conclusions: This research enhances our understanding of the potential effects of tDCS in the context of Parkinson's disease treatment, as the reduction in P300 latency and the increase in alpha and beta bands are associated with improvements in cognitive aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the intricate relationship among peace attitudes, personality traits, and sustainable behaviors in a diverse sample of 279 adults from different regions of Italy. Building upon the existing literature, this research affirms the influence of agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness as primary personality traits associated with sustainable behaviors. Additionally, this study scrutinizes the unique predictive power of peace attitudes. The Peace Attitude Scale (PAS), the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), and the Sustainable Behaviors Scale (SBS) were utilized to evaluate peace attitudes, personality traits, and sustainable behaviors. The analysis reveals that peace attitudes significantly predict sustainable behaviors, accounting for 31% of the variance. This predictability is attributed to intrinsic motivation and value alignment. Importantly, peace attitudes extend beyond environmental concerns to embrace social justice and equity, integral components of sustainability. The findings underscore the unique and substantial contribution of peace attitudes to understanding sustainable behavior. This study not only confirms the role of personality traits but also emphasizes the importance of intrinsic values in propelling pro-environmental actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that acute psychosocial stress impairs cognitive abilities, but recent studies suggest that this may be due to a decrease in willingness to engage in cognitive effort rather than a direct effect on performance. The aim of the present study was to replicate this last research and verify the influence of acute stress on avoidance of cognitive effort and cognitive performance. Fifty young, healthy individuals (26 females, 24 males) aged between 18 and 40 years were randomly assigned to two groups: a stress condition and a control condition. We used a Demand Selection Task paradigm (DST), in which participants chose between performing tasks that required either high or low cognitive effort. Stress was induced through the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and measured with both subjective and psychophysiological measurements. The results indicated that acute stress significantly increased participants' preference for less demanding behaviors, while no significant alterations in cognitive performance in task change activities were found. This study offers new perspectives on how stress affects behavior and decision‐making in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate situational (emotions) and individual factors (peace attitude and personality) on decision making, by using the prisoner's dilemma paradigm. The study involved 104 participants. The positive, neutral and negative emotional states were induced by watching a video. The prisoner's dilemma tasks were administered immediately after the video. Participants were divided into two groups, one with high and one with low levels of peace attitude, and an analysis of repeated measures of variance was subsequently applied. Results show how situational factors, such as exposure to positive rather than negative emotions, increase cooperative rather than competitive choice. For the individual factor of the peace attitude results showed that peaceful people prefer cooperation. This study suggests that both situational factors (emotions) and individual factors (attitude to peace) influence cooperative decision-making choices. Future research should further evaluate the role of situational and individual factors together and their interactions. This work seems to suggest that to achieve a more peaceful society interventions should be made involving both situational and individual factors. With reference to individual factors, learnt behaviors including the peace attitude has to become so automatized that it can overcame any negative emotions induced by the setting. Understanding the developmental pathways that can influence individual factors to consistently choose peace is important so as to promote a stable culture of peace across several levels of observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: DA-Gelucire® 50/13-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) administering the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and the antioxidant grape-seed-derived proanthocyanidins (grape seed extract, GSE) have been prepared by us in view of a possible application for Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment. To develop powders constituted by such SLNs for nasal administration, herein, two different agents, namely sucrose and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), were evaluated as cryoprotectants. (2) Methods: SLNs were prepared following the melt homogenization method, and their physicochemical features were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). (3) Results: SLN size and zeta potential values changed according to the type of cryoprotectant and the morphological features investigated by SEM showed that the SLN samples after lyophilization appear as folded sheets with rough surfaces. On the other hand, the AFM visualization of the SLNs showed that their morphology consists of round-shaped particles before and after freeze-drying. XPS showed that when sucrose or Me-β-CD were not detected on the surface (because they were not allocated on the surface or completely absent in the formulation), then a DA surfacing was observed. In vitro release studies in Simulated Nasal Fluid evidenced that DA release, but not the GSE one, occurred from all the cryoprotected formulations. Finally, sucrose increased the physical stability of SLNs better than Me-β-CD, whereas RPMI 2650 cell viability was unaffected by SLN-sucrose and slightly reduced by SLN-Me-β-CD. (4) Conclusions: Sucrose can be considered a promising excipient, eliciting cryoprotection of the investigated SLNs, leading to a powder nasal pharmaceutical dosage form suitable to be handled by PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive Rehabilitation (CR) is a therapeutic approach designed to improve cognitive functioning after a brain injury, including stroke. Two major categories of techniques, namely traditional and advanced (including virtual reality—VR), are widely used in CR for patients with various neurological disorders. More objective outcome measures are needed to better investigate cognitive recovery after a stroke. In the last ten years, the application of electroencephalography (EEG) as a non-invasive and portable neuroimaging method has been explored to extract the hallmarks of neuroplasticity induced by VR rehabilitation approaches, particularly within the chronic stroke population. The aim of this study is to investigate the neurophysiological effects of CR conducted in a virtual environment using the VRRS device. Thirty patients with moderate-to-severe ischemic stroke in the chronic phase (at least 6 months after the event), with a mean age of 58.13 (±8.33) for the experimental group and 57.33 (±11.06) for the control group, were enrolled. They were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, receiving neurocognitive stimulation using VR and the same amount of conventional neurorehabilitation, respectively. To study neuroplasticity changes after the training, we focused on the power band spectra of theta, alpha, and beta EEG rhythms in both groups. We observed that when VR technology was employed to amplify the effects of treatments on cognitive recovery, significant EEG-related neural improvements were detected in the primary motor circuit in terms of power spectral density and time-frequency domains. Indeed, EEG analysis suggested that VR resulted in a significant increase in both the alpha band power in the occipital areas and the beta band power in the frontal areas, while no significant variations were observed in the theta band power. Our data suggest the potential effectiveness of a VR-based rehabilitation approach in promoting neuroplastic changes even in the chronic phase of ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the scientific literature, climate change, due to human activities, can damage the environment, with psycho-physical consequences for humans. The scientific literature has highlighted how severe weather events can cause fear, stress, concern for the future, and eco-anxiety. In light of this information, this study aims to explore the concept of eco-anxiety. However, climate change is still perceived as a secondary problem. It would also be worth investigating the real importance that people attach to environmental issues compared to other circumstances, such as wars or pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by profound cognitive, communication, and motor impairments. Despite identified genotype/phenotype connections, the extent of clinical severity varies even among individuals sharing the same genetic mutation. Diverse sociocultural environments, such as the level of inclusivity of the scholar system, the time spent with family, and the intensity of the rehabilitative intervention provided, might influence their development diversely. This study examines the severity of RTT in people in Italy and Israel, countries with distinct contradictory approaches to caring for those with intricate disabilities, across two age groups. Data from 136 Italian and 59 Israeli girls and women with RTT were assessed and divided into two age categories: above and below 12 years. The RARS, a standardized RTT-specific clinical severity tool, was administered. Despite no differences in age and genetic characteristics, the Italian group showed better scores in the RARS motor and disease-related characteristics areas in both age groups. Moreover, the young Italian participants gathered better total RARS scores and emotional and behavioral characteristics area scores. Furthermore, the young group showed significantly less scoliosis, foot problems, and epilepsy than the older group. These findings endorse the inclusion of girls with RTT in the regular schooling system for a limited daily period, investing in high activity levels within the home and community environments, and suggest continuously providing the person with daily occasions of physical activity and socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FLAD1, along with its FAD synthase (FADS, EC 2.7.7.2) product, is crucial for flavin homeostasis and, due to its role in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and nuclear epigenetics, is closely related to cellular metabolism. Therefore, it is not surprising that it could be correlated with cancer. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated FLAD1 prognostic significance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Thus, in the present work, the FAD synthesis process was evaluated in two PDAC cell lines: (a) PANC‐1‐ and PANC‐1‐derived cancer stem cells (CSCs), presenting the R273H mutation in the oncosuppressor p53, and (b) MiaPaca2 and MiaPaca2‐derived CSCs, presenting the R248W mutation in p53. As a control, HPDE cells expressing wt‐p53 were used. FADS expression/activity increase was found with malignancy and even more with stemness. An increased FAD synthesis rate in cancer cell lines is presumably demanded by the increase in the FAD‐dependent lysine demethylase 1 protein amount as well as by the increased expression levels of the flavoprotein subunit of complex II of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, namely succinate dehydrogenase. With the aim of proposing FADS as a novel target for cancer therapy, the inhibitory effect of Chicago Sky Blue on FADS enzymatic activity was tested on the recombinant 6His‐hFADS2 (IC50 = 1.2 μm) and PANC‐1‐derived CSCs' lysate (IC50 = 2–10 μm). This molecule was found effective in inhibiting the growth of PANC‐1 and even more of its derived CSC line, thus assessing its role as a potential chemotherapeutic drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positivity effect can be defined as an age-related attentional preference for positive information. Previous research has investigated the positive effect through explicit measurements. To our knowledge, no study examined both implicit and explicit measurements. The main aim of the present study was to examine the positivity effect in older adults compared with younger adults, using both implicit and explicit measures. Fifty-nine younger (23 males and 36 females), age range 20–35, and 55 elderly (21 males and 34 females), age range 68–89, healthy adults participated in this study. As an explicit measure of the positivity effect, the index of optimism measured with the Life Orientation Test was used; as an implicit measure of the positivity effect, the Implicit Association Test was used. The results indicated that the older adults showed a higher optimism index than the younger adults. Also, the older adults showed a higher standardized difference on positive emotions compared with negative emotions, whereas the younger group showed an opposite trend. the present study confirms previous findings on positivity effect in the older adults and contributes preliminary evidence that suggests the positivity effect can be observed also when the experimental tasks do not explicitly address participants how processing the information and the task elicits an automatic processing of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work studies the response to hygrothermal ageing of natural fibre composites (NFCs) against synthetic fibre composites when using three different types of polymers as matrices. For ageing, coupons were fully immersed in distilled water at 23, 40, and 60 °C for a total ageing period of 56 days. Flax fibre-reinforced composites, using two recyclable polymer systems: (i) a bio-based recyclable epoxy and (ii) an acrylic-based liquid thermoplastic resin, were tested against conventional glass fibre-reinforced composites employing a synthetic (petroleum-based) epoxy. Different fibre/polymer matrix material combinations were tested to evaluate the effects of hygrothermal ageing degradation on the reinforcement, matrix, and fibre/matrix interface. The hygrothermal ageing response of unaged and aged composite coupons was assessed in terms of flexural and viscoelastic performance, physicochemical properties, and microscopy (SEM—Scanning Electron Microscopy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The components’ lightweighting has been pursued, especially in the transport industry, for greenhouse gas reduction. Topology optimization, being able to allocate the material within a provided design space, is a mathematical method that can support the design of lightweight components, preserving, at the same time, their mechanical performances. In this paper, a standard shape of a component, specifically an automotive bracket, was topology optimized by estimating the impacts of the new designs from an eco-friendly point of view. A subtractive, an additive and a casting manufacturing process were considered as possible manufacturing routes achieving an optimized geometry of the component for each of them. The topology optimizations were performed considering each processes’ peculiarities, introduced as constraints. Same strength for a given set of loads and boundary conditions was the target of each analysis. The component’s lightening can be considered environmentally friendly just after assessing the impacts associated with all the stages of the product’ life cycle. Indeed, each phase of the product’ life cycle can be affected, differently, by the performed topology optimization taking into account the peculiarities of the employed manufacturing process. The overall considerations on the most environmentally safe strategies can, therefore, change according to the specificities of the optimized shapes. The topology optimization showed its utmost potentiality, from a sustainable point of view, if applied to additive manufacturing techniques for the advantages arisen by the capability to manufacture complex shapes benefiting also of reduction time process owing to less material to be deposited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of migratory birds in the spread of ticks and tick-borne pathogens along their routes from Africa to Europe is increasingly emerging. Wild birds can host several tick species, often infected by bacteria responsible for zoonoses. The aim of the study is to assess the possible introduction of exotic ticks carried by migratory birds into Italy from Africa and to detect the presence of Rickettsia species and Coxiella burnetii they may harbor. During a two-year survey, we collected ticks from migratory birds captured during their short stop-over on Ventotene Island. Specimens were first identified by morphology or sequencing molecular targets when needed, and then tested by real-time PCR for the presence of selected pathogens. A total of 91% of the collection consisted of sub-Saharan ticks, more than 50% of which were infected by Rickettsia species belonging to the spotted fever group, mainly represented by R. aeschlimannii. In contrast, the suspected C. burnetii detected in two soft ticks were confirmed as Coxiella-like endosymbionts and not the pathogen. Although there are still gaps in the knowledge of this dispersal process, our findings confirm the role of migratory birds in the spread of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, suggesting the need for a continuous surveillance to monitor the potential emergence of new diseases in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor prognosis largely due to the intense fibrotic desmoplastic reaction, characterized by high levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen I that constitutes a niche for the cancer stem cells (CSCs). The role of the ECM composition in determining metabolic plasticity is still unknown. As ECM collagen I content increased, the CSCs switched from glucose to mostly glutamine metabolism. While all the bioenergetic modulators (BMs) decreased cell viability and increased cell death in all extracellular matrix types, a distinct, collagen I-dependent profile was observed in CSCs, in which the CSCs switched from glucose to mostly glutamine metabolism. Furthermore, all BMs synergistically potentiated the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel albumin nanoparticles (NAB-PTX) in both cell lines. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a 5-year survival rate of less than 10 percent largely due to the intense fibrotic desmoplastic reaction, characterized by high levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen I that constitutes a niche for a subset of cancer cells, the cancer stem cells (CSCs). Cancer cells undergo a complex metabolic adaptation characterized by changes in metabolic pathways and biosynthetic processes. The use of the 3D organotypic model in this study allowed us to manipulate the ECM constituents and mimic the progression of PDAC from an early tumor to an ever more advanced tumor stage. To understand the role of desmoplasia on the metabolism of PDAC parenchymal (CPC) and CSC populations, we studied their basic metabolic parameters in organotypic cultures of increasing collagen content to mimic in vivo conditions. We further measured the ability of the bioenergetic modulators (BMs), 2-deoxyglucose, dichloroacetate and phenformin, to modify their metabolic dependence and the therapeutic activity of paclitaxel albumin nanoparticles (NAB-PTX). While all the BMs decreased cell viability and increased cell death in all ECM types, a distinct, collagen I-dependent profile was observed in CSCs. As ECM collagen I content increased (e.g., more aggressive conditions), the CSCs switched from glucose to mostly glutamine metabolism. All three BMs synergistically potentiated the cytotoxicity of NAB-PTX in both cell lines, which, in CSCs, was collagen I-dependent and the strongest when treated with phenformin + NAB-PTX. Metabolic disruption in PDAC can be useful both as monotherapy or combined with conventional drugs to more efficiently block tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation is a challenge for the exocrine pancreas, where the luminal secretion of bicarbonate-rich fluid is accompanied by interstitial flows of acid. This acid–base transport requires a plethora of ion transporters, including bicarbonate transporters and the Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1), which are dysregulated in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PDAC progression is favored by a Collagen-I rich extracellular matrix (ECM) which exacerbates the physiological interstitial acidosis. In organotypic cultures of normal human pancreatic cells (HPDE), parenchymal cancer cells (CPCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) growing on matrices reproducing ECM changes during progression, we studied resting pHi, the pHi response to fluxes of NaHCO3 and acidosis and the role of NHE1 in pHi regulation. Our findings show that: (i) on the physiological ECM, HPDE cells have the most alkaline pHi, followed by CSCs and CPCs, while a Collagen I-rich ECM reverses the acid–base balance in cancer cells compared to normal cells; (ii) both resting pHi and pHi recovery from an acid load are reduced by extracellular NaHCO3, especially in HPDE cells on a normal ECM; (iii) cancer cell NHE1 activity is less affected by NaHCO3. We conclude that ECM composition and the fluctuations of pHe cooperate to predispose pHi homeostasis towards the presence of NaHCO3 gradients similar to that expected in the tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic prediction combines molecular and phenotypic data in a training population to predict the breeding values of individuals that have only been genotyped. The use of genomic information in breeding programs helps to increase the frequency of favorable alleles in the populations of interest. This study evaluated the performance of BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) in predicting resistance to tan spot, spot blotch and Septoria nodorum blotch in synthetic hexaploid wheat. BLUP was implemented in single-trait and multi-trait models with three variations: (1) the pedigree relationship matrix (A-BLUP), (2) the genomic relationship matrix (G-BLUP), and (3) a combination of the two matrices (A+G BLUP). In all three diseases, the A-BLUP model had a lower performance, and the G-BLUP and A+G BLUP were statistically similar (p ≥ 0.05). The prediction accuracy with the single trait was statistically similar (p ≥ 0.05) to the multi-trait accuracy, possibly due to the low correlation of severity between the diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Surgical gastrojejunostomy (GJJ) and endoscopic stenting (ES) are the two most available treatments for palliation of malignant gastric obstruction (MGOO). The aim of this study is to compare these two techniques regarding efficacy, safety, time of hospitalization and survival. Methods: We performed a literature search from January 2010 to September 2020 to identify available randomized controlled studies and observational studies that compared ES and GJJ for the treatment of MGOO. Results: A total of 17 studies were found. ES and GJJ showed similar technical and clinical success rate. ES was superior to obtain early oral re-feeding, shorter length of hospitalization and a lower incidence of complications than GJJ. Surgical palliation had a lower recurrence rate of obstructive symptoms and longer overall survival than ES. Conclusions: Both procedures have advantages and disadvantages. Probably we should not find the best palliation but the best approach based on the patient characteristics and tumor type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder among school-age children, characterized by persistent behavioral patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. These behaviors can create stress for teachers and negatively affect teacher–student interactions. This study hypothesized that a high frequency of ADHD students in the classroom can increase internal and external entropy, ultimately resulting in a negative stress impact on teachers. The physical concept of entropy, which measures the degree of disorder in a system, was used to better understand this relationship. The study evaluated 177 primary school teachers in their response to interacting with students with ADHD, using the Measurement of Psychological Stress (MPS) to evaluate subjective stress levels and the QUEIs and QUEIp questionnaires to measure structural and personal entropy. Path analysis was applied to identify the factors associated with the total score of MPS. The hypothesis was confirmed, as the frequency of ADHD students had a negative impact on teachers' entropy levels and personal entropy was found to significantly increase stress levels. The study highlights the negative impact of ADHD symptoms on stress levels and personal entropy of teachers when interacting with students with ADHD. These findings suggest the need for interventions aimed at balancing the frequency of students with ADHD and promoting positive training on stress reduction for teacher–student interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Survival rates for metastatic melanoma (MM) patients have improved in recent years, leading to major expenses and health resource use. We conducted a non-concurrent prospective study to describe the burden of hospitalization in a real-world setting for patients with MM. Methods: Patients were tracked throughout all hospital stays in 2004–2019 by means of hospital discharges. The number of hospitalizations, the rehospitalization rate, the average time spent in the hospital and the time span between consecutive admissions were evaluated. Relative survival was also calculated. Results: Overall, 1570 patients were identified at the first stay (56.5% in 2004–2011 and 43.7% in 2012–2019). A total of 8583 admissions were retrieved. The overall rehospitalization rate was 1.78 per patient/year (95%CI = 1.68–1.89); it increased significantly with the period of first stay (1.51, 95%CI = 1.40–1.64 in 2004–2011 and 2.11, 95%CI = 1.94–2.29 thereafter). The median time span between hospitalizations was lower for patients hospitalized after 2011 (16 vs. 26 months). An improvement in survival for males was highlighted. Conclusions: The hospitalization rate of patients with MM was higher in the last years of the study. Compared with a shorter length of stay, patients were admitted to hospitals with a higher frequency. Knowledge of the burden of MM is essential for planning the allocation of healthcare resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acidosis represents a key chemical marker of the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microenvironment (TME). It induces the selection of aggressive cancer cell phenotypes and promotes its progression. Here, we describe the impact of an acidic TME on different PDAC hallmarks such as proliferation, migration, extracellular matrix digestion, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. This was executed after establishing a model of pHe-selected cells that were cultured for different time periods in an acidic environment and then re-acclimated back to pHe 7.4. Our findings show that the acid selection contributes to PDAC cells' response and adaptation to the hostile acidic microenvironment, which is a requirement for the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype of PDAC cells. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an acidic microenvironment, which contributes to therapeutic failure. So far there is a lack of knowledge with respect to the role of the acidic microenvironment in the invasive process. This work aimed to study the phenotypic and genetic response of PDAC cells to acidic stress along the different stages of selection. To this end, we subjected the cells to short- and long-term acidic pressure and recovery to pHe 7.4. This treatment aimed at mimicking PDAC edges and consequent cancer cell escape from the tumor. The impact of acidosis was assessed for cell morphology, proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) via functional in vitro assays and RNA sequencing. Our results indicate that short acidic treatment limits growth, adhesion, invasion, and viability of PDAC cells. As the acid treatment progresses, it selects cancer cells with enhanced migration and invasion abilities induced by EMT, potentiating their metastatic potential when re-exposed to pHe 7.4. The RNA-seq analysis of PANC-1 cells exposed to short-term acidosis and pHe-selected recovered to pHe 7.4 revealed distinct transcriptome rewiring. We describe an enrichment of genes relevant to proliferation, migration, EMT, and invasion in acid-selected cells. Our work clearly demonstrates that upon acidosis stress, PDAC cells acquire more invasive cell phenotypes by promoting EMT and thus paving the way for more aggressive cell phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of modern technologies exposes many people to a high level of ambiguous and misleading information that can impact people's judgments and worldviews. This happens especially in a phase of life such as preadolescence when children are particularly sensitive to external conditioning. Critical thinking can be seen as the first line of defense against misleading information. However, little is known about the consequences of media use on the critical thinking skills of tweens. In this study, we evaluated the effects of problematic smartphone use on the various stages of critical thinking, comparing high and low tween smartphone users. The results confirm the main hypothesis, namely, that problematic smartphone use is related to the ability to think critically. There was a significant difference between high and low users in the third phase of critical thinking: evaluation of sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have already formulated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) in which the combination of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) and the antioxidant grape-seed-derived proanthocyanidins (grape seed extract, GSE) was supposed to be favorable for Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment. In fact, GSE supply would reduce the PD-related oxidative stress in a synergic effect with DA. Herein, two different methods of DA/GSE loading were studied, namely, coadministration in the aqueous phase of DA and GSE, and the other approach consisting of a physical adsorption of GSE onto preformed DA containing SLNs. Mean diameter of DA coencapsulating GSE SLNs was 187 ± 4 nm vs. 287 ± 15 nm of GSE adsorbing DA-SLNs. TEM microphotographs evidenced low-contrast spheroidal particles, irrespective of the SLN type. Moreover, Franz diffusion cell experiments confirmed the permeation of DA from both SLNs through the porcine nasal mucosa. Furthermore, fluorescent SLNs also underwent cell-uptake studies by using flow cytometry in olfactory ensheathing cells and neuronal SH-SY5Y cells, evidencing higher uptake when GSE was coencapsulated rather than adsorbed onto the particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a result of the technological progress, the use of sensors for crop survey has substantially increased, generating valuable information for modelling agricultural data. Plant spectroscopy jointly with statistical modeling can potentially help to assess certain chemical components of interest present in plants, which may be laborious and expensive to obtain by direct measurements. In this research, the phosphorus content in wheat grain is modeled using reflectance information measured by a hyperspectral sensor at different wavelengths. A Bayesian procedure for selecting variables was used to identify the set of the most important spectral bands. Additionally, three different models were evaluated: the first model assumes that the observations are independent, the other two models assume that the observations are spatially correlated: one of the proposed models, assumes spatial dependence using a Conditionally Autoregressive Model (CAR), and the other through an exponential correlogram. The goodness of fit of the models was evaluated by means of the Deviance Information Criterion, and the predictive power is evaluated using cross validation. Results: We have found that CAR was the model that best fits and predicts the data. Additionally, the selection variable procedure in the CAR model reveals which wavelengths in the range of 500–690 nm are the most important. Comparing the vegetative indices with the CAR model, it was observed that the average correlation of the CAR model exceeded that of the vegetative indices by 23.26%, − 1.2% and 22.78% for the year 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively; therefore, the use of the proposed methodology outperformed the vegetative indices in prediction. Conclusions: The proposal to predict the phosphorus content in wheat grain using Bayesian approach, reflect with the results as a good alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of telerehabilitation systems has shown a significant growth in the past years, demonstrating their crucial relevance in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many devices and sensors have been proposed to analytically measure parameters for patient assessment, with limitations due to costs or feasibility. In this paper, we present a motor telerehabilitation system with computer vision-assisted markerless measures for patients with Rett syndrome. Twenty-one RTT (Rett syndrome) patients, with ages ranging from age 4 to 31 (Median: 12.50; IQR (interquartile range): 9.50–17.25) were recruited. The study follows a pre-test–post-test design, where the patients were submitted to a pre-test, treatment, post-test 1, treatment, post-test 2 procedure. Progress in patient outcomes was assessed by measuring joint passive range of movement (PRoM). Results show the reliability of our system, and the feasibility of a telerehabilitation treatment for RTT patients, with significant improvements in shoulder mobility and in elbow flexion and extension. Limited results in lower limbs suggest that home treatment should be fostered to reduce sedentary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive and still incurable cancer. There is an urgent need to identify effective and reliable tools for detecting and diagnosing the early onset of MPM. In our study, we investigated the whole miRNAs expression profile from serum extracellular vesicles to identify early changes related to MPM development. miR-11400, miR-148a-3p, and miR-409-3p levels were increased in pre-clinical MPM patients up to five years before their diagnosis. The three-miRNA pattern showed a good discrimination capacity to distinguish pre-clinical MPM from cancer-free controls. The three miRNAs also displayed high diagnostic capabilities for differentiating between MPM patients and controls. This study identified a potential EV miRNA signature in preclinical MPM up to five years before diagnosis and raises the possibility of early intervention. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with a dismal prognosis. Early therapeutic interventions could improve patient outcomes. We aimed to identify a pattern of microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential early non-invasive markers of MPM. In a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, we screened the whole miRNome in serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) of preclinical MPM cases. In a subgroup of 20 preclinical samples collected five years prior MPM diagnosis, we observed an upregulation of miR-11400 (fold change (FC) = 2.6, adjusted p-value = 0.01), miR-148a-3p (FC = 1.5, p-value = 0.001), and miR-409-3p (FC = 1.5, p-value = 0.04) relative to matched controls. The 3-miRNA panel showed a good classification capacity with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.81 (specificity = 0.75, sensitivity = 0.70). The diagnostic ability of the model was also evaluated in an independent retrospective cohort, yielding a higher predictive power (AUC = 0.86). A signature of EV miRNA can be detected up to five years before MPM; moreover, the identified miRNAs could provide functional insights into the molecular changes related to the late carcinogenic process, preceding MPM development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the performance on five phases of critical thinking in gifted and nongifted children in two settings: ethical and neutral. Ninety-one children, 32 gifted (8–10 years old), 32 normally developing children matched for chronological age (8–10 years old) and 27 normally developing children matched for mental age (12–13 years old) completed critical thinking tasks. The findings confirmed that intellectually gifted children had higher critical thinking capacity than typically developing children. The results reveal that the basic factor determining best performances in critical thinking is mental age and not chronological age. However, critical thinking ability was the same in ethical and neutral settings. Analysis of the phases of critical thinking show that the first and the third phase, clarification and evaluation, specifically differentiates gifted from nongifted children. These phases refer to the ability to understand the type of problem rapidly and to assess the credibility of statements and to assess the logical strength of the actual or intended inferential relationships among statements, descriptions, questions or other forms of representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We agree with the author's working model, but we suggest that (a) the classical distinction between fast and slow processes as separable processes can be softened, and (b) human performance might result from an interplay between fast and slow processing and these processes may be mediated by systems that evolve to satisfy the need for operation in a complex environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Rare tumors (RT) collectively account for one quarter of all malignancies in Italy. The low frequency and the large heterogeneity in natural history and outcome of individual diseases, together with a scarcity of epidemiological information make them a challenge for clinical practice, as well as for public healthcare organizations. We conducted a retrospective study to quantify the burden of hospitalization in a real-word setting in patients diagnosed with these diseases in an Italian region. Methods: RT patients were tracked along all hospital stays from 2000 to 2019 using hospital discharge records. Frequency of hospitalizations, average time spent in hospital and median timespan between consecutive admissions were considered. Re-hospitalization rates were analyzed through a multivariable negative binomial regression analysis to adjust for confounding and allowing for over-dispersion in count data. Results: As a whole, 57,329 patients were identified at first stay for all studied tumors. A total of 183,959 admissions were retrieved, along a median of 3 hospitalizations per patient. Median timespan between hospitalizations shortened in the course of the study years (12.5 months in 2000–2004 to 5.4 months in 2015–2019). The overall re-hospitalization rate increased from 0.92 per patient/year (95% CI = 0.81–1.04) in 2000–2004 to 2.17 (95% CI = 1.90–2.47) in 2015–2019. Conclusions: Overall, the hospitalization rate of patients with a RT increased in the twenty years since the 2000 and particularly doubled starting from 2015. A higher burden of hospitalizations was found for tumors of the central nervous system, thoracic cavity, digestive tract and sarcomas. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper related to access to Italian healthcare facilities of patients with these tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YKL-40 is a heparin- and chitin-binding glycoprotein that belongs to the family of glycosyl hydrolases but lacks enzymatic properties. It affects different (patho)physiological processes, including cancer. In different tumors, YKL-40 gene overexpression has been linked to higher cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and vasculogenic mimicry, migration, and invasion. Because, in colorectal cancer (CRC), the serological YKL-40 level may serve as a risk predictor and prognostic biomarker, we investigated the underlying mechanisms by which it may contribute to tumor progression and the clinical significance of its tissue expression in metastatic CRC. We demonstrated that high-YKL-40-expressing HCT116 and Caco2 cells showed increased motility, invasion, and proliferation. YKL-40 upregulation was associated with EMT signaling activation. In the AOM/DSS mouse model, as well as in tumors and sera from CRC patients, elevated YKL-40 levels correlated with high-grade tumors. In retrospective analyses of six independent cohorts of CRC patients, elevated YKL-40 expression correlated with shorter survival in patients with advanced CRC. Strikingly, high YKL-40 tissue levels showed a predictive value for a better response to cetuximab, even in patients with stage IV CRC and mutant KRAS, and worse sensitivity to oxaliplatin. Taken together, our findings establish that tissue YKL-40 overexpression enhances CRC metastatic potential, highlighting this gene as a novel prognostic candidate, a predictive biomarker for therapy response, and an attractive target for future therapy in CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the present study was to examine the effects of psychosocial and cognitive stress on executive functions and automatic processes in healthy subjects. To achieve these purposes, we investigated whether cognitive stress impaired the controlled processing underlying cognitive flexibility, working memory and initial letter fluency performances, and whether social stress impaired both performance of executive processes and of semantic fluency. We employed the psychosocial stress paradigm in which cognitive assessment was superimposed on cognitive and social stressors soon after their introduction and was carried out concurrently while they were present. With reference to cognitive stress, we employed the dual-task paradigm that involves a primary task (performances related to executive functions and automatic task) and a secondary task (focusing attention and memorizing items in another cognitive task). Eighty-eight healthy subjects, between 18 and 30 years, participated in this study. They were randomly divided into three groups: two groups undergoing a stress procedure, respectively a cognitive stress group and a social stress group, and a control group. Results indicated that stress impaired cognitive flexibility, working memory and verbal fluency. Cognitive flexibility was affected to a greater extent by psychosocial stress than cognitive stress. This study suggests that the negative effects of stress on cognitive flexibility may be a consequence of the interplay between controlled and automatic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of a remotely supervised, home-based, family-centered individualized rehabilitation program of motor activities for individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) was evaluated. Thirteen participants with classic genetically confirmed RTT followed by a three-month program of motor activities at home. A total of 47 rehabilitative goals were set. Goals achievement, motor function, and parental satisfaction were evaluated. Each program was carried out by the participant's parents and remotely supervised via Skype calls, twice by a therapist experienced in RTT rehabilitation. Thirty-seven (78.7%) rehabilitative goals were achieved or overachieved. Ten participants (76.9%) significantly increased their gross motor functional level with a medium size effect (0.604). Parental reports of the involved families suggest, on average, a high level of usefulness of the program (4.4/5), adherence to the program (4.4/5), and general satisfaction (4.5/5). Our findings strongly support the implementation of such programs for this population. As these programs were remotely supervised, they can be implemented when the children are away from referenced facilities for long durations, such as during long holidays or a Covid-19 type lockdown. A remote supervised motor activity program carried out by the primary caregiver supports motor functioning in RTT. Therapists should consider family members' motivation to carry out the activities and integrate them into the family's daily routine. The program should be flexible to adapt to any sudden change in medical and environmental conditions, functional ability, and family members' motivational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a severe, neurodevelopmental disorder mainly caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene, affecting around 1 in 10,000 female births. Severe physical, language, and social impairments impose a wide range of limitations in the quality of life of the patients with RTT. Comorbidities of patients with RTT are varied and cause a lot of pain, but communicating this suffering is difficult for these patients due to their problems, such as apraxia that does not allow them to express pain in a timely manner, and their difficulties with expressive language that also do not permit them to communicate. Two studies, a pilot study and a single case study, investigate the manifestation of pain of patients with RTT and propose a suitable scale to measure it.Aims Of This Study: The first aim was to describe pain situations of RTT by collecting information by parents; the second aim was to test and compare existing questionnaires for non-communicating disorders on pain such as Pain assessment in advanced demenzia (PAINAD), the Critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) and the Non-communicating Children's Pain Checklist-Revised (NCCPC-R) to assess which of them is best related to the pain behavior of patients with RTT. The third aim was to identify the specific verbal and non-verbal behaviors that characterize pain in girls with Rett syndrome, discriminating them from non-pain behaviors.Method: Nineteen participants, eighteen girls with RTT and one girl with RTT with 27 manifestations of pain were video-recorded both in pain and base-line conditions. Two independent observers codified the 90 video-recording (36 and 54) to describe their behavioral characteristics.Results: The two studies showed that the most significant pain behaviors expressed by girls with respect to the baseline condition, at the facial level were a wrinkled forehead, wide eyes, grinding, banging teeth, complaining, making sounds, crying and screaming, and the most common manifestations of the body were tremors, forward and backward movement of the torso, tension in the upper limbs, increased movement of the lower limbs and a sprawling movement affecting the whole body.Conclusion: The results of the two studies helped to create an easy-to-apply scale that healthcare professionals can use to assess pain in patients with Rett's syndrome. This scale used PAINAD as its basic structure, with some changes in the items related to the behavior of patients with RTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replication is a fundamental aspect of cancer, and replication is about reproducing all the elements and structures that form a cell. Among them are DNA, RNA, enzymes, and coenzymes. All the DNA is doubled during each S (synthesis) cell cycle phase. This means that six billion nucleic acids must be synthesized in each cycle. Tumor growth, proliferation, and mutations all depend on this synthesis. Cancer cells require a constant supply of nucleotides and other macromolecules. For this reason, they must stimulate de novo nucleotide synthesis to support nucleic acid provision. When deregulated, de novo nucleic acid synthesis is controlled by oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that enable increased synthesis and cell proliferation. Furthermore, cell duplication must be achieved swiftly (in a few hours) and in the midst of a nutrient-depleted and hypoxic environment. This also means that the enzymes participating in nucleic acid synthesis must work efficiently. pH is a critical factor in enzymatic efficiency and speed. This review will show that the enzymatic machinery working in nucleic acid synthesis requires a pH on the alkaline side in most cases. This coincides with many other pro-tumoral factors, such as the glycolytic phenotype, benefiting from an increased intracellular pH. An increased intracellular pH is a perfect milieu for high de novo nucleic acid production through optimal enzymatic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Here, we demonstrate for the first time that ECM composition cooperates with CAFs to jointly regulate/modulate the highly dynamic interactions between the CPC and CSC cell lines and establish a continuum between tumor initiation and progression in primary PDAC tumors. Altogether, these findings propose a scenario in which the ECM composition and the cellular secretome of the CAFs cooperate to jointly regulate both growth and morphology of the CPC and CSC cell lines and, by modulating the highly dynamic interactions between them, establishes a continuum between tumor initiation and progression in primary PDAC tumors. Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest of all cancers, having one of the lowest five-year survival rates. One of its hallmarks is a dense desmoplastic stroma consisting in the abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, especially Collagen I. This highly fibrotic stroma embeds the bulk cancer (parenchymal) cells (CPCs), cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the main producers of the stromal reaction, the Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs). Little is known about the role of the acellular ECM in the interplay of the CAFs with the different tumor cell types in determining their phenotypic plasticity and eventual cell fate. Methods: Here, we analyzed the role of ECM collagen I in modulating the effect of CAF-derived signals by incubating PDAC CPCs and CSCs grown on ECM mimicking early (low collagen I levels) and late (high collagen I levels) stage PDAC stroma with conditioned medium from primary cultured CAFs derived from patients with PDAC in a previously described three-dimensional (3D) organotypic model of PDAC. Results: We found that CAFs (1) reduced CPC growth while favoring CSC growth independently of the ECM; (2) increased the invasive capacity of only CPCs on the ECM mimicking the early tumor; and (3) favored vasculogenic mimicry (VM) especially of the CSCs on the ECM mimicking an early tumor. Conclusions: We conclude that the CAFs and acellular stromal components interact to modulate the tumor behaviors of the PDAC CPC and CSC cell types and drive metastatic progression by stimulating the phenotypic characteristics of each tumor cell type that contribute to metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies investigated the effect of a structured and specific training for upper limb motor skills allowing complex movements such as reaching and grasping. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of motor training on attention, reaching skills, and stereotypies in patients with Rett syndrome (RTT). Methods: Twenty‐eight participants with RTT underwent cognitive and motor assessment to evaluate attention, reaching skills and stereotypies with an ABABABA design: before training (pre‐test phase), after a month of training (post‐test phase 1), after a month of the second training phase (post‐test phase 2) and at 1 month after the third training phase (post‐test phase 3). In all three B phases, participants received 30 minutes of motor training for 5 days a week over a 1‐month period. Results: Patients with RTT show long‐term improvements in seconds of attention and reaching skills and decreases in the intensity of stereotypies. Conclusions: This study suggests that motor abilities of participants with RTT can be improved with repeated, individual, well‐structured training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]