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Highlights Recombinant avipoxviruses as putative recombinant vaccines against MPXV. Different prime–boost regimens to improve immunization against orthopoxviruses. Mucosal and intramuscular immunization to enhance the humoral and neutralizing immune response.

Abstract Background Botulism is a rare and life-threatening disease caused by the potent botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which can be produced by Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) and related bacteria. Clinical manifestations, which include a symmetrical, descending muscular paralysis, generalized hypotonia, and potentially respiratory failure, are non-specific and diagnosis is challenging, especially when anamnesis does not reveal any typical risk factor, like honey consumption. Case Presentation We present what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first documented case of infant botulism (IB) in Sicily and discuss its peculiarities and the challenges faced in the diagnostic-therapeutic process. The infant was exclusively breastfed and no history of consumption of possibly contaminated foods, like honey, was found. The signs observed at presentation included poor suction, hypotonia, and hyporeactivity. A detailed anamnesis motivated the suspicion of botulism, due to the occurrence of constipation and exposure to dust from home renovation works during the days before the onset of symptoms. The botulinum antitoxin was administered and the diagnosis was confirmed through fecal examination, detecting toxin-producing C. botulinum. Conclusion IB should be considered in every infant with rapidly progressing hypotonia and a history of constipation. However rarely, transmission could occur through inhalation of dust particles containing the toxin, therefore it is important to explore all possible sources of exposure. In the case described, timely diagnosis and treatment determined the successful outcome, which highlights the importance of early intervention in managing IB.

The transition to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic uncovered criticalities in the participation of students with special educational needs. The BESt-DaD project responded to these difficulties by developing a user-friendly online platform aimed at accommodating these students' neurocognitive profiles, ultimately promoting inclusion. Together with the platform, specific adapted activities and personalized digital didactic materials were designed, and a training program was implemented to support teachers in using BESt-DaD's tools and functionalities. The effectiveness of BESt-DaD platform and the associated teacher training program were evaluated by questionnaires. Results showed that teachers who participated in the project appreciated the platform's accessibility and its positive effect on learner motivation and classroom interactions. Moreover, the "ad hoc" training motivated teachers to revise their educational-teaching methods with an inclusive approach. Although developed for distance learning, the BESt-DaD can be integrated into face-to-face teaching to promote the participation and inclusion of students with special educational needs.

Background: Collaborative storytelling can be a helpful tool to promote cognitive and social skills in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Aims: The current study aimed to explore the benefits of collaborative storytelling using traditional (TST), digital (DST), and tangible digital (TDST) methodologies. Materials and Methods: Fourteen Spanish students with mild to moderate intellectual disability and other neurodevelopmental comorbid disorders participated in collaborative storytelling sessions in the classroom, following an experimental, mixed, and cross-sectional design. The study comprised three individual assessments of narrative skills and eight collaborative storytelling sessions using different storytelling methodologies. Individual and collaborative stories were videotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analysed for formal and content characteristics. Behaviours and interactions during the collaborative storytelling were analysed for each group and session. Results: The results show a positive effect of collaboration on students' stories, compared to individual performance, regardless of the methodology used. Conclusion: Collaboration, technological device handling, and shared storytelling did not present a barrier for the participants.

Disordered iron germanium (FeGe) has recently garnered interest as a testbed for a variety of magnetic phenomena as well as for use in magnetic memory and logic applications. This is partially owing to its ability to host skyrmions and antiskyrmions—nanoscale whirlpools of magnetic moments that could serve as information carriers in spintronic devices. In particular, a tunable skyrmion–antiskyrmion system may be created through precise control of the defect landscape in B20-phase FeGe, motivating the development of methods to systematically tune disorder in this material and understand the ensuing structural properties. To this end, we investigate a route for modifying magnetic properties in FeGe. In particular, we irradiate epitaxial B20-phase FeGe films with 2.8 MeV Au4+ ions, which creates a dispersion of amorphized regions that may preferentially host antiskyrmions at densities controlled by the irradiation fluence. To further tune the disorder landscape, we conduct a systematic electron diffraction study with in situ annealing, demonstrating the ability to recrystallize controllable fractions of the material at temperatures ranging from ∼150 to 250 °C. Finally, we describe the crystallization kinetics using the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model, finding that the growth of crystalline grains is consistent with diffusion-controlled one-to-two dimensional growth with a decreasing nucleation rate.

The concept of modularity in neuropsychology remains a topic of significant debate, especially when considering complex, non-innate, hyper-learned, and adaptable modular systems. This paper critically examines the evolution of cognitive modularity, addressing the challenges of integrating foundational theories with recent empirical and theoretical developments. We begin by analyzing the contributions of Sternberg and Fodor, whose foundational work established the concept of specialized, encapsulated modules within cognitive processes, particularly in the domains of perception and language. Building on this, we explore Carruthers’ theory of massive modularity, which extends the modular framework to broader cognitive functions, though we reject its application to central amodal systems, which are overarching and resistant to modularization. We also evaluate recent discoveries, such as mirror neurons and the neural reuse hypothesis, and their implications for traditional modularity models. Furthermore, we investigate the dynamic interactions between the Default Mode Network (DMN), Central Executive Network (CEN), and Salience Network (SN), highlighting their roles in shifting between automatic and controlled states. This exploration refines existing theoretical models, distinguishing innate systems, genetically predisposed ones, and those hyper-learned through working memory, as exemplified by the three-level model of Moscovitch and Umiltà. We address the blurred boundary between domain-specific and domain-general systems, proposing modular versus non-modular states—indexed by automaticity and mandatoriness—as key discriminators. This systematization, supported by empirical literature and our own research, provides a more stable framework for understanding modular systems, avoiding interpretive confusion across varying levels of complexity. These insights advance both theoretical understanding and practical applications in cognitive science.

Introduction: Exercise dependence (ED) can be defined as a maladaptive pattern of excessive exercise that manifests in physiological and psychological and cognitive symptoms (Biggs et al 2021). Moreover, perfectionism is a multidimensional personality disposition characterized by setting exacting standards, striving for perfection and harsh criticism (Hill et al 2015). The aim of our study was to investigate the correlation between these two variables. Methods: The ED level of the participants was assessed using the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R) while the perfectionism we used the Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport” (MIPS). A specific survey online was performed. Correlations between variables were calculated using Pearson's r for normal distributed data and Spearman's rho for non-normal distributed data. For supplements consume we used a contingence analysis (Pearson's Chisquared test, 3 × 2). Results: On a sample of 341 Spanish athletes (mean age 25.6 years (SD 8.3), 57% men, 43% women), 6% were at risk of dependence (AR), 57% were non-dependent symptomatic (NDS) while 37% were non-dependent asymptomatic. EDS-R score was positively correlated with MIPS score (r=0.3692, p

Introduction: Attitude toward doping is a complex psychological process involving environmental and social cognitive factors (García-Grimau et al 2021). The aim of this study was to investigate how alcohol and nicotine consumption among athletes - normally higher than among nonathletes - could be associated to attitude towards doping. Methods: A specific survey online investigating the prevalence of nicotine and alcohol used by athletes was performed. The Performance-Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS), which is a self-reporting questionnaire instrument measuring the consciously thought and deliberately expressed (explicit) attitude toward doping was used (6-point Likert-type scale). We made a contingence analysis (Pearson's Chi-squared test) for alcohol and nicotine consume vs PEAS. Results: We collected 341 questionnaires (57% males, 43% females). The prevalence of nicotine and alcohol in the last 30 days was 23 and 72% respectively. PEAS mean score was 32.7 (SD=10.2) showing a general negative attitude toward doping (PEAS>33). Males mean score was significantly higher than female (p=0.010). No significant differences were found related with alcohol and nicotine. However, we found that nicotine was significant higher (p=0.046) in the ‘somewhat positive’ range group (PEAS >46). Conclusions: Our data confirmed a growing trend of alcohol and nicotine consumption among athletes comparing to general population. Further studies are needed to investigate if these drugs could influence attitude toward doping in athletes.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the cultural diplomacy of the two blocs began to focus on countries emerging from the process of decolonisation. The aim was to establish economic relations and influence their future development. Sport remained a privileged field for this cultural diplomacy, especially for the Hungarian People's Republic. Nevertheless, Hungarian cultural diplomacy had clear obstacles, product of the limitations Hungary had at the time: little coordination with the other countries of the Eastern Bloc and and extremely limited spending capacity.

The urban heat island effect exacerbates the vulnerability of cities to climate change, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning driven by data evidence. In the last decade, the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) model emerged as a key tool for categorizing urban landscapes, aiding in the development of urban temperature mitigation strategies. In this work, the contribution of hyperspectral satellite imagery to LCZ mapping, leveraging the Italian Space Agency (ASI)’s PRISMA satellite, is investigated. Mapping performances are compared with traditional multispectral-based LCZ mapping using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The Random Forest algorithm is utilized for LCZ classification, with evaluation conducted through spectral separability analysis and accuracy assessment between PRISMA and Sentinel-2 derived LCZ maps as well as with the benchmark LCZ Generator mapping tool. An initial experiment on the effect of PRISMA image pan-sharpening on LCZ spectral separability is also presented. Results obtained for Milan (Northern Italy) demonstrate the potential of hyperspectral imagery in enhancing LCZ identification compared to multispectral data, with promising improvements in LCZ maps overall accuracy. Finally, air temperature patterns within each LCZ class are explored, qualitatively confirming the influence of urban morphology on thermal comfort.

This study presents the first comprehensive proteomic profile of an Italian strain of Schizophyllum commune, a highly heterogeneous white-rot fungal species with significant potential for industrial, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and clinical applications. Three protein extraction methods and their impact on yield and resulting protein composition have been compared. Results revealed that the combination of Tris–Cl and urea increases the total protein yield and the variety of enzymatic species related to pivotal pathways. Notably, over 2000 proteins were identified, including enzymes involved in the growth and development of mycelium, trehalose biosynthesis, and different types of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). These enzymes are crucial for nutraceutical and agro-industrial applications of S. commune. The multiple-step proteomic approach used could be a model for investigating other fungal species.

Currently, problems related to antibiotic resistance are shifting the focus of pharmaceutical research towards natural molecules with antibacterial properties. Among them, flavonoids represent promising molecules with strong antibacterial features; however, they have poor biopharmaceutical properties. In this study, we developed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with the flavanone naringenin (NRG) to offer an option for treating bacterial infections. NRG-SLNs systems were prepared by a solvent emulsification/diffusion and ultrasonication method, using Compritol® 888 ATO (COM) as the lipid. The optimal formulation was obtained using a 10% (w/w) theoretical amount of NRG (NRG10-SLNs), exhibiting homogeneous sizes (approximately 50 nm and 0.15 polydispersity index), negative zeta potential (−30 mV), and excellent encapsulation parameters (an encapsulation efficiency percentage of 97.9% and a drug content of 4%). NRG10-SLNs presented good physical stability over 4 weeks. A cumulative drug release of 55% in 24 h and the prolonged release of the remaining amount over 10 days was observed. In addition, µ-Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction measurements were carried out to characterize the drug–lipid interactions. Finally, the in vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of NRG10-SLNs were assayed and compared to free NRG. NRG10-SLNs were bacteriostatic against Staphylococcus aureus, including the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli strains. An improvement in the antibacterial activity of NRG-loaded SLNs compared to the free molecule was observed against S. aureus strains, probably due to the interaction of the surfactant-coated SLNs with the bacterial surface. A similar trend was observed for the biofilm inhibition.

Background/Objectives: The literature highlights the importance of parental involvement in autism treatment. However, much research has predominantly focused on child outcomes and cognitive dimensions. This study explores the impact of an early intensive intervention with parental involvement, focusing on changes in parents’ affective exchanges. Notably, given the paucity of studies on fathers in the intervention context, this study examines the comparative trajectory of change considering both caregivers. Methods: Twenty autistic preschoolers were monitored for one year during a parental-based intervention. Child–mother and child–father play interactions were coded with the Emotional Availability Scales at baseline and at 12 months. Repeated measures linear mixed-effect models were employed to investigate time and caregiver effects and their interaction. Results: Results highlighted both similarities and differences in change trajectories between caregivers. Parental sensitivity, structuring, and non-intrusiveness significantly increased for both parents with fathers showing more prominent gains in structuring the interaction while being non-intrusive. Child responsiveness and involvement significantly increased, showing similar trajectories with both caregivers. Children were generally more involved while interacting with their fathers. Conclusion: Parent–child interactions with caregivers evolved toward more adaptive exchanges regarding emotional availability for children’s and parents’ dimensions. Fathers appeared to be particularly receptive regarding acquiring structuring abilities and non-intrusive behaviors. Our results underscore the importance of investigating parental features as well as the importance of actively involving caregivers to support distal outcomes and generalization.

ObjectivesThe prevalence of many psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression, is higher in individuals born extremely preterm (EP) than in term-born individuals during childhood and adolescence. In this prospective study of adolescents born EP, we examined associations between early-life risk factors (prenatal maternal health conditions, socioeconomic and social factors) and anxiety and depression at 15 years of age.MethodsWe included 682 participants (53.2% White, 57.8% male) who were born

Background: Socio-communicative difficulties are a core symptom of autism that deeply impact interaction with others. Despite that, research on bidirectional caregiver-child interaction variables has been notably scant and predominantly focused on autistic children's interactive differences and the consequences on parenting behaviors. Aim: The study aimed to assess parent-child interaction in the context of autism through observational validated instruments that consider qualitative and structural features in a complementary way to obtain a comprehensive characterization of the exchange within the dyad. Methods and procedures: This study involved 56 paired parent-child dyads of 28 autistic children (mean age = 38.60 months, sd = 9.50) playing with their mothers and their fathers for 10 min. The video-recorded sessions were coded through the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS) and the Interpersonal Synchrony (IS) coding system. Outcomes and results: Fathers and mothers do not show significant differences in ISexcept for mother widenings, which are more frequent and successful, and in Emotional Availability. Further, dyads present moderate levels of Emotional Availability, indicating that parents may struggle with structuring, sensitivity, and interactive abilities with their autistic children, which in turn present low levels of responsiveness and involvement. Further, we explored an association between IS and EA characteristics. Conclusion and implications: This study suggests the need for interventions to target interaction considering both caregivers, ultimately targeting both interaction structure and affect features. Research that includes fathers fosters strategies for individualization and treatment optimization.

In the last decade, several methods have been developed for Local Climate Zone (LCZ) mapping, encompassing Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) −based procedures. Combined approaches have also been proposed to compensate for intrinsic limitations that characterized their separate application. Recent work has disclosed the potential of hyperspectral satellite imagery for improving LCZ identification. However, the use of hyperspectral data for LCZ mapping is yet to be fully unfolded. A combined Remote Sensing and GIS-based method for LCZ mapping is proposed to exploit the integration of hyperspectral PRISMA and multispectral Sentinel-2 images with ancillary urban canopy parameter layers. Random Forest algorithm is applied to the feature sets to obtain the LCZ classification. The method is tested on the Metropolitan City of Milan (Italy), for the period from February to August 2023. A spectral separability analysis is carried out to investigate the improvement in LCZ identification using PRISMA in comparison to Sentinel-2 data, as well as improvements in LCZ spectral separability on PRISMA pan-sharpened images. The resulting maps’ quality is evaluated by extracting accuracy metrics and performing inter-comparisons with maps computed from the LCZ Generator benchmark tool. Inter-comparisons yield promising results with a mean Overall Accuracy increase of 16% using PRISMA for each LCZ class. Furthermore, we find that PRISMA improves the detection of LCZs compared to Sentinel-2, with a mean Overall Accuracy increase of 5%, in line with the higher spectral separability of PRISMA spectral signatures computed on the training samples.

Background: Infections caused by S. aureus strains encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL-SA) have become increasingly relevant in community settings and can cause severe conditions in pediatric populations. We present the pediatric case of an invasive disease caused by PVL-SA and provide a literature review of severe manifestations caused by these strains in children. Methods: A PubMed search (February 2024) found studies that included relevant clinical outcomes, diagnostics, and treatments, excluding cases of asymptomatic infection or in adult populations. A logistical multivariate analysis was used to find predictors of the need for intensive care. Results: A 10-year-old boy came to the attention of our Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit with fever, chest pain, and tachypnea. A rapid worsening of his clinical conditions was observed, with the development of necrotizing pneumonia, osteomyelitis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and multiple abscesses. Blood cultures confirmed the presence of PVL-producing methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The initial treatment included linezolid and ceftaroline and was later adjusted to clindamycin, daptomycin, and fosfomycin, with clinical improvement. Discussion: Our review collected 36 articles, including 156 pediatric cases of severe PVL-SA infection. Bacteremia was present in 49% of cases, lung infection in 47%, and osteomyelitis in 37%. The presence of pulmonary localization was predictive of the need for intensive care, O.R. 25.35 (7.46–86.09; p < 0.001). Anti-toxin molecules were used in about half the cases where information on treatment was reported. Our report highlights the capacity of PVL-SA to cause life-threatening complications in children, while also discussing the full range of its clinical spectrum and the most effective therapeutic approaches.

In this paper, an investigation focused on assessing the radon exhalation, the natural radioactivity level, and the mineralogy of natural stones of particular historical–artistic interest employed as building materials was carried out. The Closed Chamber Method (CCM) with the Durridge Rad7 apparatus for short-lived radon progeny alpha spectrometry and High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry were used to determine the radon exhalation rate and specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, respectively. Furthermore, several indices were evaluated to determine the radiological risk due to radiation exposure from the investigated natural stones, i.e., the absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the activity concentration index (ACI), and the alpha index (Iα). Finally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Micro-Raman Scattering (MRS) investigations were performed to correlate the chemical composition and mineralogical characteristics of natural stones with the radon exhalation rate and the natural radioactivity content. It is worth noting that the findings from this study can be used to guide future research into the background levels of radioactivity in stones used as construction materials.

Immunization is a preventive measure of crucial importance. As with any other medication, side effects are a possibility and include the rare occurrence of severe infections, such as osteomyelitis. We report an unusual case of pediatric osteomyelitis following vaccination and provide a review of similar reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Report System (VAERS), aiming to explore the association between the vaccination procedure and the occurrence of osteomyelitis in childhood. A previously healthy infant, with no history of trauma or infection, presented with hyperpyrexia, swelling, and functional impairment in the left leg and was eventually diagnosed with osteomyelitis of the left femur. An edema was noted at the site of the injection that he received days before for immunization purposes. The infection required surgical drainage and a four-week-long intravenous antibiotic treatment, and the patient was discharged upon showing improved clinical conditions. Forty-seven reports of similar cases submitted to VAERS between 1994 and 2023 were collected, and several cases from the literature, including a case of femoral osteomyelitis in a newborn vaccinated against Hepatitis B, attributed to improper injection technique. Another case was reported in a 15-year-old girl, which aligned with six similar cases of osteomyelitis in adolescents following HPV vaccines collected from VAERS. Despite the small sample number, the findings that in 77% of cases the infection was localized in the vaccinated limb and that symptoms appeared on average 4.3 days (IQR 1.0–5.7 days) post-vaccination suggest a possible link to the injection procedure and highlight the need to adhere to recommendations regarding skin preparation and the selection of the appropriate needle length and injection site.

Rapid urbanization and climate change are intensifying the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon across cities worldwide. There is a pressing need to implement evidence-based mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as to develop tools for effectively measuring the impact of such actions on UHI patterns. In this context, the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) concept is a well-established classification system commonly used for the assessment of UHI. With this in mind, we present here the LCZ-ODC project aiming to develop a methodology for LCZ mapping in the Metropolitan City of Milan (northern Italy) by leveraging multiple geospatial data and cutting-edge software tools, including the Open Data Cube (ODC). A key aim of the project is to develop user-oriented solutions facilitating the exploitation of the generated LCZ maps for different application tasks. In this paper, we first present a brief overview of the methodologies and data sources used in the literature for LCZ mapping. Then, we introduce the LCZ-ODC project, with a focus on the end-user requirements which were gathered through a questionnaire distributed to a sample of potential stakeholders. The primary objective of the survey was to collect insights and consolidate requirements related to the key features of LCZ maps that will be produced within the project. The outcomes of the survey play a pivotal role in guiding the project’s development phase, ensuring that the project outputs will effectively address the identified end-user needs.

Abstract In this paper we analyse how populist leaders in UK and Italy – namely Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon, Giorgia Meloni, and Matteo Salvini – reacted to the first and second lockdowns on their Twitter accounts, communicating directly to their people. The analysis was carried out following a combined qualitative and quantitative approach to discourse. The qualitative analysis focused on comparing populist leaders’ rhetorical and semiotic choices, while the quantitative analysis observed the response by the community of common Twitter users. This work aims on the one hand at unveiling the strategic use of social media by populist leaders and on the other at investigating conflictual interactional dynamics, especially in times of crisis.

In the field of organic solar cells, organic semiconductors with Y6‐based chemical structure and their corresponding quinoxaline‐based assemblies are settled down as promising materials in the field of OSCs. However, the chemical structure of Y6 derivatives does not allow an expansion in the electron‐withdrawing central core, in contrast to their quinoxaline‐based analogues. For this reason, herein, two different quinoxaline‐based A–D–A′–D–A derivatives with 2D π‐extended cores endowed with electroactive rylenimide moieties, named as Y6‐1Napht and Y6‐1Pery, are designed and synthesized. These enlarged fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs) allow to study the influence of the length of the ryleneimide moiety on its structural, optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties as well as the tailoring of the frontier molecular orbitals. These results are also supported by quantum chemical calculations and photoluminescence measurements that provide additional information about their thermal stability and the microstructure of the films. Finally, as a proof of concept and to study the influence of these chemical modifications on the central core, solar cells based on these π‐conjugated nonfullerene acceptors are fabricated.