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As the climate crisis intensifies, its impact on mental health becomes more apparent, leading to psychological distress such as eco-anxiety. Driven by growing scientific interest, standardized assessment tools for evaluating eco-anxiety are gaining traction. This study comprehensively validates the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) on a large sample of nearly 1300 participants across Italy and four generations. The scores obtained using the Italian HEAS demonstrate excellent reliability and support valid inferences regarding eco-anxiety levels. The original four-factor structure of the scale was upheld. Nonetheless, the scale proved to be reliable also in terms of a unique factor. Internal consistency was satisfactory, but stability over three months was not confirmed. The overall HEAS score was linked to pro-environmental behavior and reduced meat consumption. Additionally, the scale effectively identifies individuals engaged in public pro-environmental actions. Normative data were provided for age, gender, and education levels. These findings confirmed and extended the HEAS's validity and reliability, highlighting the importance of standardized assessment tools in this burgeoning research field and in clinical practice. Further exploration of its diagnostic efficacy in clinical settings for eco-anxiety detection is suggested.

(1) Background: Cultivating microgreens is emerging as an excellent market opportunity. Their easy, short, and sustainable production methods are the main reasons they are approved by growers. However, a feature that still prevents its further spread is the microbiological risk and their rapid senescence. The present study was conducted to evaluate the post-harvest storage and shelf life of arugula microgreens in different packaging through microbiological, physico-chemical, and sensory parameters; (2) Methods: Plants were stored at 5 °C in open air, vacuum sealed, and under modified atmosphere bags and tested at 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days; (3) Results: Microgreens stored in all packaging were safe for consumption within ten days. Regarding physical and chemical parameters, open packaging proved to be promising, with less weight loss and slower chlorophyll degradation. The sensory analysis demonstrated that the microgreens stored in the vacuum-sealed packaging showed a decrease in quality from the fifth day onwards for all attributes. However, the MAP presented good scores with a better visual quality, similar to the fresh microgreens.

Considering the need for functional foods and the use of by-products of the food industry, a potentially functional ice cream was developed, using soy extract, soy kefir and dehydrated jaboticaba peel. Five ice creams were produced using soy kefir (K) and soy extract (S): (1) GS—100% S; (2) GK1-75% S/25% K; (3) GK2-50% S/50% K; (4) GK3-25% S/75% K and (5) GK-100% K; The products were evaluated by physicochemical, microbiological and sensory (check all that apply) analyses. The addition of kefir was found to increase the acidity of the products. The concentrations of total phenolic compounds in the formulations with kefir were approximately ten times higher than the GS formulation. All products presented concentrations of thermotolerant coliforms Salmonella ssp. The viability of Lactobacillus ssp., Streptococcus spp. and Bifidobacterium ssp. was higher than 10 log CFU/g during the whole storage period. The GS and GK1 formulations had the lowest scores, while GK ice cream was preferred. The formulations showed distinct sensory profiles in the CATA, and the ice cream with 100% kefir was associated with desirable attributes. The ice creams exhibited microbiological and sensory characteristics that meet the expectations of the product’s target audience.

(1) Background: Cultivating microgreens is emerging as an excellent market opportunity. Their easy, short, and sustainable production methods are the main reasons they are approved by growers. However, a feature that still prevents its further spread is the microbiological risk and their rapid senescence. The present study was conducted to evaluate the post-harvest storage and shelf life of arugula microgreens in different packaging through microbiological, physico-chemical, and sensory parameters; (2) Methods: Plants were stored at 5 °C in open air, vacuum sealed, and under modified atmosphere bags and tested at 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days; (3) Results: Microgreens stored in all packaging were safe for consumption within ten days. Regarding physical and chemical parameters, open packaging proved to be promising, with less weight loss and slower chlorophyll degradation. The sensory analysis demonstrated that the microgreens stored in the vacuum-sealed packaging showed a decrease in quality from the fifth day onwards for all attributes. However, the MAP presented good scores with a better visual quality, similar to the fresh microgreens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite great interest in Mind Wandering, a fully validated questionnaire has been lacking. The Four Factors of Mind Wandering (4FMW) Questionnaire, presented here, meets this demand. First, 80 items were judged for content validity by two panels of experts. Those items that survived this content validity assessment were then tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on two independent samples of young adults. The 16 resulting items were shown to cluster into four factors (i.e., Failure in social interaction, Failure in interaction with objects, Unawareness, and Inattention). The 4FMW questionnaire showed good reliability, robust structure, and acceptable goodness-of-fit indices, as well as good convergent validity with another Mind Wandering questionnaire. Importantly, the 4FMW questionnaire was able to discriminate between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder symptoms. The 4FMW Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing mind wandering in the young adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-coma patients emerging from a minimally conscious state may have extensive motor disabilities and pose serious challenges to medical centers and home settings. To promote academic performance and communication skills of post-coma individuals with traumatic brain injuries emerging from a minimally conscious state through an Assistive Technology setup. To evaluate its effects on the participants' positive participation. To generalize the learning process. To assess the intervention's clinical and social validity. Study I included five adolescents exposed to an Assistive Technology setup enabling them with targeted adaptive behaviors. Study II involved fifty external raters in a social validation assessment. Data evidenced an improved performance of all the participants during the intervention, assessed through a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants. Social raters favorably scored the use of the technology. An Assistive Technology setup may be helpful to enhance the performance and positive participation of adolescents with traumatic brain injuries emerging from a minimally conscious state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute neuropsychiatric disorders are heterogeneous conditions resulting from interaction between genetic and environmental features. Among these, post infectious forms like Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are common. Preclinical studies suggest a role of CNS T-helper-17/interleukin-17 (IL-17) inflammatory mediated response in the pathogenesis of these disorders. We analyze serum and cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF)-IL-17 concentrations in a cohort of patients with acute neuropsychiatric disease., Methods: We retrospectively included patients <14 years with acute neuropsychiatric symptoms from 2016 to 2020. IL-17 was determined on serum and CSF by means of quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique, and values were compared to serum and CSF controls. Variables were identified using univariate analysis with Pearson's regression test and X 2 test., Results: 58 subjects were included (67.8 % males, average age: 8.5 years). 50.8 % were classified as PANDAS, 11.8 % as PANS. Mean concentrations of serum IL-17 were higher in the study group compared to controls (p < 0.0001). We observe a trend of increasing IL-17 in post-pubertal children both on serum (p = 0.05) and on CSF (p = 0.04). Coupled IL-17 concentration were higher in the CSF than in serum (p = 0.003), with a marked significance in the PANDAS and PANS group (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: IL-17 is elevated in children and adolescents with acute neuropsychiatric conditions, both on serum and CSF. IL-17 could be involved in the pathogenesis of acute neuropsychiatric disorders in childhood. Further studies are necessary to validate its potential role as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker., Competing Interests: Competing interests The Authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The risk of survivors developing a secondary bone sarcoma after being treated for pediatric cancers is well established. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with secondary osteosarcoma (SOS)., Methods: The study concerns survivors of childhood and adolescence primary neoplasms (PN) treated with chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy and surgery, subsequently diagnosed with SOS., Results: We identified 26 patients (13 females, 13 males) who developed SOS a median 7.3 years after being diagnosed with a PN (5/7 of these patients tested for Li-Fraumeni and found positive for the syndrome). The sample's median age was 8.0 and 15.0 years when their PN and SOS were diagnosed, respectively. To treat their PN, 24 out of 26 patients had been given radiotherapy, and 19 had received chemotherapy including doxorubicin. A considerable number of SOS occurred at unfavorable sites (nine hip bone, six skull). All but one patient received chemotherapy with tailored schedules, omitting doxorubicin in 19 cases. Eighteen of the 26 patients underwent surgery. The 5- and 10-year overall survival and probabilities after the diagnosis of SOS (95% confidence interval) were 50% (32.7-76.5%) and 38.9% (22.4-67.4%); 5- and 10-year progression-free survival was 47% (29.9-73.7%) and 35.2% (19.3-64.4%), respectively., Conclusions: The survival rates after SOS are lower than in patients with primary osteosarcoma, but not negligible. It is therefore mandatory to discuss the best choice of treatment for such patients at a referral center, in terms of their chances of cure and quality of life., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japan Society of Clinical Oncology.)

Objective: The space comprised between tumor and neck lymph nodes (T-N tract) is one of the main routes of tumor spread in oral cavity tumors. Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of T-N tract involvement on the postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) outcomes., Materials and Methods: Patients (pts) treated between 2000 and 2016 with indication to PORT were retrospectively retrieved. Inclusion criteria were: (a) locally advanced tumors of the oral cavity, (b) who received with indication to PORT (c) with a minimum follow-up of six months., Results: One hundred and fifty-seven pts met the inclusion criteria (136 pts treated with PORT and 21 pts not treated with PORT). In the PORT cohort, the T-N tract involvement had no impact on both OS (p = .09) and LRFS (p = .2). Among the non-PORT cohort, both OS (p = .007) and LRFS (p = .017) were worse for pts with positive T-N tract compared to those with negative T-N tract. PORT improved both OS (p = .008) and LRFS (p = .003) in pts with positive T-N tract but not in those with negative T-N tract (p = .36 and p = .37, respectively)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that involvement of T-N tract should be considered as prognostic factors informing the indication to PORT., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: The prognosis for patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) remains largely unsatisfactory despite the adoption of intensive multimodal therapy. To assess the role of different treatments adopted over the years, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients &lt;21 years old with metastatic RMS, treated from 1990 to 2020 at a referral center for pediatric sarcomas., Methods: Patients were treated using a multimodal approach that included surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy (both high-dose chemotherapy and maintenance therapy in some cases). The type of radiotherapy administered was categorized as radical (to all sites of disease); partial (to at least one, but not all sites of disease); or none. A landmark analysis was used to examine the impact of radiotherapy on survival, that is, patients who had an event before day 221 were excluded from the analysis., Results: The series included 80 patients. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates at 5 years were 17.3% and 21.3%, respectively. Survival was significantly associated with radiotherapy to metastatic sites, and with the radiotherapy category. In particular, 5-year EFS and OS rates were 70.6% and 76.0% for patients given radical radiotherapy, and 4.8% and 10.7%, respectively, for those given partial radiotherapy or none. Using the Cox multivariable analysis, OS correlated significantly with radiotherapy category., Conclusions: While confirming the poor overall outcome of patients with metastatic RMS, this study identified radiotherapy-when given to all sites of disease (including metastases)-as the main variable influencing survival., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: Recurrence incidence for paediatric/adolescent high-grade glioma (HGG) exceeds 80%. Reirradiation (reRT) palliates symptoms and delays further progression. Strategies for reRT are scarce: we retrospectively analysed our series to develop rational future approaches., Methods: We re-evaluated MRI + RT plans of 21 relapsed HGG-patients, accrued 2010-2021, aged under 18 years. All underwent surgery and RT + chemotherapy at diagnosis. Pathologic/molecular re-evaluation allowed classification based on WHO 2021 criteria in 20/21 patients. Survival analyses and association with clinical parameters were performed., Results: Relapse after 1st RT was local in 12 (7 marginal), 4 disseminated, 5 local + disseminated. Re-RT obtained 8 SD, 1 PR, 1PsPD, 1 mixed response, 10 PD; neurological signs/symptoms improved in 8. Local reRT was given to 12, followed again by 6 local (2 marginal) and 4 local + disseminated second relapses in 10/12 re-evaluated. The 4 with dissemination had 1 whole brain, 2 craniospinal irradiation (CSI), 1 spine reRT and further relapsed with dissemination and local + dissemination in 3/four assessed. Five local + disseminated tumours had 3 CSI, 1 spine reRT, further progressing locally (2), disseminated (1), n.a. (1). Three had a third RT; three were alive at 19.4, 29, 50.3 months after diagnosis. Median times to progression/survival after re-RT were 3.7 months (0.6-16.2 months)/6.9 months (0.6-17.9 months), improved for longer interval between 1st RT and re-RT (P = 0.017) and for non-PD after reRT (P < 0.001). First marginal relapse showed potential association with dissemination after re-RT (P = 0.081)., Conclusions: This is the biggest series of re-RT in paediatric HGG. Considering the dissemination observed at relapse, our results could prompt the investigation of different first RT fields in a randomized trial., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: There is increasing evidence that inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and in the development of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). However, the assessment and interpretation of classically defined inflammatory parameters is difficult in aSAH patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between easily assessable findings (hyperventilation, fever, white blood cell count (WBC), and C-reactive protein (CRP)) and the occurrence of DCI and unfavorable neurological outcome at discharge in aSAH patients., Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a single center cohort. We evaluated the potential of clinical signs of inflammation (hyperventilation, fever) and simple inflammatory laboratory parameters CRP and WBC to predict unfavorable outcomes at discharge and DCI in a multivariate analysis. A cutoff value for CRP was calculated by Youden's J statistic. Outcome was measured using the modified Rankin score at discharge, with an unfavorable outcome defined as modified Rankin scale (mRS) > 3., Results: We included 97 consecutive aSAH patients (63 females, 34 males, mean age 58 years) in the analysis. Twenty-one (22%) had major disability or died by the time of hospital discharge. Among inflammatory parameters, CRP over 100 mg/dl on day 2 was an independent predictor for worse neurological outcome at discharge. The average C-reactive protein level in the first 14 days was higher in patients with a worse neurological outcome (96.6, SD 48.3 vs 56.3 mg/dl, SD 28.6) in the first 14 days after aSAH. C-reactive protein on day 2 was an indicator of worse neurological outcome. No inflammatory parameter was an independent predictor of DCI. After multivariate adjustment, DCI, increased age, and more than 1 day of mechanical ventilation were significant predictors of worse neurological outcome., Conclusions: Early elevated CRP levels were a significant predictor of worse neurological outcome at hospital discharge and may be a useful marker of later deterioration in aSAH., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Extraosseous Ewing sarcoma is a rare entity and less is known about its clinical behavior and optimal treatment than for its counterpart in bone. This study is a retrospective analysis on a cohort of patients <21 years treated according to a "soft tissue sarcoma approach.", Methods: The "extraosseous" origin of the tumor was established on radiological findings, based on the lack of any bone involvement. Patients were treated using a multimodality approach including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. All patients received chemotherapy with alkylating agents and anthracyclines for 25 weeks (nine courses). Radiotherapy (45-54.8 Gy) was required for all cases except those who had an initial R0 resection of tumors smaller than 5 cm., Results: Fifty-seven patients (age 2-20 years, median 14) were treated from 1990 to 2020. Ten-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 77.5% and 85.5% in patients with localized disease, and 11.1% and 29.6% in those with metastatic disease (p < .001) (follow-up 5-349 months, median 107 months). In patients with localized disease, the most recent IVADo-IVE regimen achieved excellent survivals, that is, 10-year EFS 95.5%., Conclusions: Our study showed that satisfactory results were achieved in patients with localized extraosseous Ewing sarcoma treated with a tailored approach derived from soft tissue sarcoma protocols, which was less intensive and shorter as compared to the standards utilized for the management of bone Ewing sarcoma. Our study suggests that the extraskeletal site might be considered as a variable to stratify patients and modulate treatment intensity accordingly in Ewing sarcoma protocol., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

This study reports the treatment feasibility and efficacy of a novel multiagent intensive treatment program for young patients with desmoplastic small round cell tumor. This small series includes three patients and should be seen as a first suggestion of integration of the dose density and the maintenance chemotherapy concept. The IrIVA regimen (irinotecan, ifosfamide, vincristine, and actinomycin-D) is added-used at a short interval between chemotherapy administrations-at more classic intensive ifosfamide-based regimens. The vinorelbine and low-dose oral cyclophosphamide maintenance therapy is added at the end of conventional chemotherapy to achieve an antiangiogenic effect.