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Efficient grapevine downy mildew control necessitates the implementation of anti-resistance strategies to ensure the ongoing efficacy of available substances and optimal disease control. With the gradual disappearance of multi-site fungicides from the market, reliance on single-site fungicides poses a long-term risk of selecting strains resistant to multiple modes of action. Challenges in disease management encompass selecting optimal spray programs and monitoring field population sensitivity. This study evaluated the efficacy of anti-resistance strategies, including two single-site fungicides (mandipropamid and oxathiapiprolin), on disease control and fungicide sensitivity through a combination of field trials and laboratory tests for the biological and molecular characterization of the pathogen populations over a three-year period (2019–2021). Mandipropamid, a cellulose synthase inhibitor, is used since a long time for downy mildew control, while oxathiapiprolin, an OxySterol Binding Protein homologue Inhibitor, was introduced recently. Field trials demonstrated effective disease control, even in the presence of mandipropamid-resistant strains (with G1105S/V mutations in PvCesA3) and revealed a pronounced selection and spread of resistance to both fungicides in the vineyard where disease pressure was higher. Characterizing pathogen strains remained a significant obstacle in sensitivity monitoring, hindering precise determination of resistance frequencies related to fungicide programs. Traditional techniques, in fact, lack the resolution required for high-throughput isolation and characterization of resistant individuals. To address this challenge, we propose utilizing flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting on field sporangia populations, a method able to determine both the number of resistant isolates and isolate pathogen strains in a single assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We couple to group field theory (GFT) a scalar field that encodes the entanglement between manifold sites. The scalar field provides a relational clock that enables the derivation of the Hamiltonian of the system from the GFT action. Inspecting the Hamiltonian, we show that a theory of emergent gravity arises, and that this can be recast according to the Ashtekar’s formulation of general relativity. The evolution of the GFT observables is regulated by the Shrödinger equation generated by the Hamiltonian. This is achieved by imposing a renormalization group (RG) flow that corresponds to a simplified Ricci flow. As a consequence of the quantization procedure, the Hamiltonian is recovered to be non-Hermitian, and can be related to the complex action formalism, in which the initial conditions and the related future evolution of the systems are dictated by the imaginary part of the action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust and reputation systems play a pivotal role in modern decentralized environments, fostering cooperation and mitigating risks in various online interactions. This paper introduces a variational formulation approach to model and analyze trust and reputation systems. By formulating trust and reputation as variational problems, this approach offers a novel perspective on understanding the underlying mechanisms governing trust establishment. The variational formulation provides a mathematical framework to determine the equilibrium weighted trust values, taking into account that each trustee tries to maximize its gain, namely the benefit minus the costs. The paper illustrates the applicability of this variational formulation through a pletora of simulations, demonstrating its effectiveness in modeling trust and reputation systems. Insights gained from this approach offer valuable guidance for the design and implementation of more reliable and efficient trust and reputation mechanisms in decentralized environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss a novel window to probe the origin of our universe via the mass functions of primordial black holes (PBHs). The mass functions of PBHs are simply estimated using the conventional Press-Schechter formalism for two paradigms of cosmic origin, including inflationary ΛCDM and bounce cosmology. The standard inflationary ΛCDM model cannot generate an appreciable number of massive PBHs; however, non-trivial inflation models with blue-tilted power spectra at small scales and matter bounce cosmology provide formation mechanisms for heavy PBHs, which in turn, may seed the observed supermassive black holes (SMBHs). By fitting the SMBH mass functions at high redshift (z ∼ 6) derived from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Canada-France High-z Quasar Survey (CFHQS) quasars, for two paradigms of cosmic origin, we derive constraints on the PBH density fraction fPBH at z ∼ 6 and the characteristic mass M⋆, with the prior assumption that all SMBHs stem from PBHs. We demonstrate that this newly proposed procedure, relying on astronomical measurements that utilize deep-field surveys of SMBHs at high redshift, can be used to constrain models of cosmic origin. Additionally, although not the main focus of this paper, we evolve the mass function from z ∼ 6 to z ∼ 0 through an assumption of 3 × 108-year Eddington's accretion, and give a rough estimation of fPBH at z ∼ 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is one of the largest underground physics laboratory, a very peculiar environment suited for experiments in Astroparticle Physics, Nuclear Physics and Fundamental Symmetries. The newly established Bellotti Ion Beam facility represents a major advance in the possibilities of studying nuclear processes in an underground environment. A workshop was organized at LNGS in the framework of the Nuclear Physics Mid Term Plan in Italy, an initiative of the Nuclear Physics Division of the Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare to discuss the opportunities that will be possible to study in the near future by employing state-of-the-art detection systems. In this report, a detailed discussion of the outcome of the workshop is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to determine the effectiveness of the platelet-rich fibrin in the control of pain associated with alveolar osteitis. Materials and methods: Reporting was based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Scopus databases to identify all clinical studies on the application of platelet-rich fibrin in the control of pain caused by alveolar osteitis. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers and qualitatively described. Results: The initial search returned 81 articles, with 49 identified after duplicates removal; of these, 8 were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Three of the eight studies were randomized controlled clinical trials, and four were non-randomized clinical studies, two of which were controlled. One study was case series. In all of these studies, pain control was evaluated using the visual analog scale. Overall, the use of platelet-rich fibrin resulted effective in the control of pain determined by alveolar osteitis. Conclusions: Within the limits of this scoping review, the application of platelet-rich fibrin in the post-extra-extraction alveolus reduced the pain associated with alveolar osteitis in almost all the included studies. Nevertheless, high-quality randomized trials with adequate sample size are warranted to draw firm conclusions. Clinical relevance: Pain associated with alveolar osteitis causes discomfort to the patient and is challenging to be treated. Use of platelet-rich fibrin could be a promising clinical strategy for pain control in alveolar osteitis if its effectiveness will be confirmed by further high-quality studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suggest an appealing strategy to probe a large class of scenarios beyond the Standard Model simultaneously explaining the recent CDF II measurement of the W boson mass and predicting first-order phase transitions (FOPT) testable in future gravitational-wave (GW) experiments. Our analysis deploys measurements from the GW channels and high energy particle colliders. We discuss this methodology focusing on the specific example provided by an extension of the Standard Model of particle physics that incorporates an additional scalar SU (2) L triplet coupled to the Higgs boson. We show that within this scenario a strong electroweak FOPT is naturally realised consistently with the measured W boson mass-shift. Potentially observable GW signatures imply the triplet mass scale to be TeV-ish, consistently with the value preferred by the W mass anomaly. This model can be tested in future space-based interferometers such as LISA, DECIGO, BBO, TianQin, TAIJI projects and in future colliders such as FCC, ILC, CEPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide a contribution to the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, here we present the results of a study focused on the potentially toxic elements (PTE) content in agricultural soils' representative for the Mediterranean region. To reach this aim, samples of 22 Italian (NE Peloritani Mountains, Sicily) and 18 Turkish (Amik Plain, Hatay) soils were collected and analyzed to evaluate their PTE content. The Italian and Turkish sites have been selected because they represent very important cultivation zones. In Amik Plain (Turkey), the dominant crops consist of cotton, wheat, corn and olives, whereas in NE Peloritani Mountains, Sicily (Italy), an appreciate citrus variety, known as the "Interdonato lemon", guaranteed by Protected Geographical Indication label, is produced. The collected results include: (1) the assessment of PTE levels in soils; (2) the identification of the PTE sources; (3) the relationships between PTE contents and soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, CaCO3, and clay). Several multivariate statistical methods such as correlation matrix, cluster analysis and main component analysis were applied to individuate the anthropogenic vs natural origin of the PTE sources. The detected PTE levels are in decreasing order Mn > Zn > V > Cr > Cu > Ni > As > Pb > Co > Sb > Se > Cd for the Italian soils, and Mn > Ni > V > Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Se > Sb > Cd for the Turkish soils. The overall obtained results allowed to define: (a) a main lithogenic source for PTE detected in the Italian soils, except for Zn which origin is also associated to anthropogenic input; (b) a lithogenic origin for all of the PTE detected for the Turkish soils, with an associate anthropogenic contribution for Cr, Ni, V, Cu and V. The results obtained in this work enhance the knowledge in the individuation of PTE pollution sources in agricultural soils of the European Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New phenomenological implications of the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP), a modification of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP) are explored in light of constraints arising from underground experiments. An intimate link intertwines the symplectic structure of a theory, which is at the very base of the formulation of the HUP and thus a pillar of quantum mechanics, with the symmetries of space-time and the spin-statistics. Within this wide framework, a large class of non-perturbative GUPs inevitably lead to energy-dependent violations of the total angular momentum conservation rules, and imply hence tiny Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) violating transitions. Exotic PEP violating nuclear transitions can be tested, for example, through extremely high precision data provided by the DAMA/LIBRA experiment. We show that several GUP violations are already ruled out up to the quantum gravity Planck scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exotic compact objects with physical surfaces a Planckian distance away from where the horizon would have been are inspired by quantum gravity. Most of these objects are defined by a classical spacetime metric, such as boson stars, gravastars and wormholes. We show that these classical objects are gravitationally unstable because accretion by ordinary and dark matter, and by gravitational waves, forces them to collapse into a black hole by the Hoop conjecture. To avoid collapse, either their surface must be a macroscopic distance away from the horizon, or they must violate the null energy condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Real-world data on the comparative effectiveness and safety of switching among different epoetins (including originators and biosimilars) are limited. In light of current debate about interchangeability, prescribers, some patient groups and decision makers are calling for additional post-marketing evidence on the clinical effects of switching between originator and biosimilar epoetins in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of switching versus non-switching and of switching from originator/biosimilar epoetin alpha (ESA α) to any other epoetin in CKD patients.Methods: An observational, record-linkage, multi-database, retrospective cohort study was carried out in four Italian geographical areas. All subjects with at least one ESA α dispensing between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2015 were retrieved. Switching was defined as any transition between originator/biosimilar ESA α to any other epoetin in a series of two consecutive prescriptions up to 2 years. Switchers were matched 1:1 with non-switchers by baseline propensity score and by duration of ESA α treatment. Switchers and non-switchers were followed up from switching date to a maximum of 1 year. Lack of effectiveness and safety of switching versus non-switching were evaluated through Cox regression models (hazard ratio [HR], 95% confidence interval [CI]). A direct comparison between the two switcher categories (switchers from originator/biosimilar ESA α to any other epoetin) was also performed.Results: Overall, 14,400 incident users of ESA α for anaemia due to CKD (61.4% originator, 38.6% biosimilar) were available for analysis. During the follow-up, we found no differences on effectiveness (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.79-1.31 originators; HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.75-1.79 biosimilars) and safety outcomes (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.77-1.50 originators; HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.66-2.21 biosimilars) between switchers and non-switchers of ESA α. Cumulative probabilities of recording an adverse event, either in terms of lack of effectiveness or safety issue, were the same for two switching categories CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale Italian observational multi-database study, switching versus non-switching as well as switching from biosimilar/originator ESA α to any other epoetin in CKD patients is not associated with any effectiveness and safety outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: No official guidelines are available for the management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MR-ONJ). The additional benefit of surgery after pharmacological treatment is debated by both clinicians and patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in patients' MR-ONJ-related quality of life (QoL) after pharmacological treatment with or without surgery in a large cohort affected by MR-ONJ. Methods: Anonymized data on patients diagnosed with MR-ONJ were extracted from the database of the Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Treatment Center (University of Messina, Italy) in the years 2005-2015. QoL was evaluated at the moment of MR-ONJ diagnoses (T0), after pharmacological treatment with or without surgery (T1 and T2, respectively), based on scores from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL Module for Head and Neck Cancer (global oral health status [GOHS]) and a visual analog scale (VAS), stratified by indication for use. Results: Among 100 patients, 36% were affected by osteoporosis (OSTEO group) and 64% were affected by cancer (ONC group). Considering T0, QoL scores were higher in the OSTEO group then in the ONC group. At T1, GOHS and VAS increased in both groups (OSTEO group: +9.9% and +39.9%; ONC group: +35.4 and +97.2%, respectively). Pharmacological treatment was effective in reducing pain (OSTEO group: −22.0%; ONC group: −44.8%), and social contact troubles (OSTEO group: −40.3%; ONC group: −26.7%). At T2, GOHS and VAS further increased. Scores related to 'pain' and the troubles related to the 'social dimension' also decreased (OSTEO group: −91.3% and −72.0%; ONC group: 50.8% and −16.4%, respectively). Conclusions: MR-ONJ-related QoL increased after pharmacological treatment and, more notably, after surgery, which may offer benefits to selected patients. QoL data may help clinicians in promoting tailored management of MR-ONJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, marketing of highly innovative and costly biologics improved the management of high-burden diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cancers, and chronic renal failure. Several widely prescribed biologics have recently lost or will shortly lose their patents, thus opening avenues to the marketing of a growing number of biosimilars worldwide, which are products similar in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy to already licensed reference products, thus allowing for potential savings in pharmaceutical expenditure. Numerous debates about the interchangeability between biosimilars and reference products are still ongoing, owing to concerns about potential immunogenicity raised by switching, which may cause a lack of effect and toxicity. Patients successfully treated with biologic therapy may theoretically receive biosimilars to contain costs, if reference product and related biosimilar are judged as interchangeable. However, the positions of regulatory agencies on the interchangeability and automatic substitution of biologics with biosimilars are very different. The benefit-risk profile of biosimilars has been often questioned by clinicians owing to the limited amount of pre-marketing information on clinical efficacy and safety, despite biosimilarity being based on a comparability exercise with the reference product to gain the biosimilar approval. Nevertheless, after more than 10 years of marketing from the first biosimilar approval in Europe, no proof of differences in terms of the safety profile of biosimilars and originators has been reported. In this context, post-marketing evaluation of both biologics and biosimilars safety profiles through analyses from spontaneous reporting databases and claims databases is crucial. An important issue for the pharmacovigilance of biologics concerns the traceability, indicating the brand name and batch number in spontaneous adverse drug reaction reports, but this requirement is not frequently addressed. This review aims to provide an overview of the characteristics and potential challenges in the safety profile assessment of biologics with a focus on the post-marketing setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately, many errors were identified in the published article. The original article was corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Considering the clinical and economic burden of biological and non-biological targeted therapies in cancer treatment, it is necessary to explore how these drugs are used in routine care in Italy and how they affect the sustainability of the National Health Services. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of use and costs of biological and non-biological targeted therapies for cancer treatment in a general population of Southern Italy in the years 2010-2014.Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study using data from the healthcare administrative databases of Messina Province for the years 2010-2014. In this study, users of biological and non-biological targeted therapies for cancer treatment were characterized and the prevalence of use and costs were calculated over time. The potential impact of biosimilars on the expenditure was also estimated.Results: Of a population of 653,810 residents in the Messina area during the study years, 2491 (0.4%) patients received at least one study drug. The most frequently used were monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (n = 1607; 64.5%) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (n = 609; 24.4%). mAbs were mainly used by females (60.3%) for metastasis due to an unspecified primary tumor, lymphomas, or breast cancer (24.2, 16.7, and 13.7%, respectively). Most users of small molecules were males (56.3%) being treated for multiple myeloma, metastasis due to unspecified primary tumor, leukemia, and lung cancer (13.1, 12.6, 9.5, and 8.9%, respectively). During the study years, the prevalence of use doubled from 0.9 to 1.8 per 1000 inhabitants; likewise, the related expenditure grew from €6.6 to €13.6 million. Based on our forecasts, this expenditure will grow to €25 million in 2020. Assuming a 50% biosimilar uptake (trastuzumab and rituximab), a potential yearly saving of almost €1 million may be achieved.Conclusions: In recent years, the use and costs of biological and non-biological targeted therapies in cancer patients dramatically increased in a large population from Southern Italy. This trend may be counterbalanced by adopting biosimilars once they are available. Claims databases represent a valid tool to monitor the uptake of newly marketed biological drugs and biosimilars as well as other non-biological targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies carried out after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 showed that lichens are suitable biomonitors of the fall-out, given their long life expectancy. Cs activity concentrations were measured through HPGe gamma spectrometry in different epiphytic lichens ( Usnea SPP, Platismatia glauca, Pseudevernia furfuracea, Ramalina SPP), collected from three sampling sites in the Calabria region, south of Italy. Data on variations in the contents of airborne particulates heavy metals, As, Be, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn, measured in the thalli of the investigated lichens through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), were reported in accordance with a lichen thalli naturalness/alteration scale. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis in a scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX), with an electron beam of 20keV, that interacts with the sample leading to the emission of characteristic X-rays as secondary radiation, was also employed to investigate about the chemistry of the adherent particles to the surface of investigated lichens and about the possible interaction between them and the surrounding environment. Data obtained in this article provide useful information on the environmental risk of the studied area and can be further used for a radiological and chemical mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) are biological products for which the main indication of use is chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Biosimilars of G-CSFs have been available in Europe since 2007. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the prescribing pattern of G-CSFs in five Italian centres using different healthcare policy interventions to promote the use of biosimilars in routine care. Methods: This retrospective, population-based drug utilization study was conducted during the years 2009-2014 using the administrative databases of the Caserta, Treviso and Palermo Local Health Units (LHUs) and the Tuscany and Umbria regions. G-CSF users were characterized and the prevalence of use, proportion of biosimilar users and switching pattern of different G-CSFs were evaluated over time and across centres. Results: Overall, 30,247 patients were treated with G-CSFs in the years 2009-2014, of which 29,083 (96.2 %) were naïve users. The overall prevalence of G-CSF use increased from 0.8 per 1000 inhabitants in 2009 to 1.1 per 1000 in 2014. An increase in the proportion of the use of the biosimilar filgrastim by the total G-CSF users was observed in all centres: from 0.2 % (2009) to 66.2 % (2014). However, heterogeneity across different centres was reported, with the largest increase in Treviso LHU (from 0 to 89.1 % from 2009 to 2014). During the first year of treatment, switching between different G-CSFs was frequent (20.3 %). Conclusions: Heterogeneity in the use of G-CSF and, in particular, biosimilar filgrastim across different Italian centres was observed, probably due to different regional healthcare policy interventions. During the first year of treatment, switching between different G-CSFs was frequent. Considering the impact of biological drugs on pharmaceutical expenses, it is necessary to harmonize healthcare policies promoting the use of biological drugs with the lowest cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River sediment samples from different sites of the coast of Calabria, south of Italy, were analyzed to determine the natural radioactivity concentration of the studied area and to investigate about their geological provenience. The radioactivity investigation was performed by using HPGe gamma spectrometry. Activity concentration data were reported and the influence of the particle size on the radionuclides concentration was investigated. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) measurements were performed for the quantitative elemental analysis of the river sediments, revealing the major and minor elements present in the investigated samples. From XRF experimental results it was possible to estimate the geological provenience of the analyzed river sediments. Data obtained in this article provide useful information on the background radioactivity of the studied area and can be further used for radiological mapping of the coast of the Calabria rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the natural radioactivity concentrations and the geological provenience of beach sand samples from twelve different sites of the coast of Calabria, south of Italy, a popular tourist destination especially in summer. The radioactivity investigation was performed by using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. From the measured gamma-spectra, the average activity concentrations were determined for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K for a depth of 5–20 cm. Results of this study were compared to values from other locations around the world. The corresponding radiation hazards were also estimated. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) measurements were performed for the quantitative elemental analysis of the sands, revealing the major and minor elements present in the investigated samples. From XRF experimental results it was possible to estimate the geological provenience of the analyzed sands. These data record the radioactivity background levels in beach sands and could be used as reference information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several letters to the editor. Discussion of a case study related to the solitary rectal ulcer syndrome; Focus on the ileal resection and small bowel transplantation for large mesenteric desmoid tumor; Comment of a reader on the article "Surgical Treatment of Anal Atresia With Vestibular Anus in an Adult Woman," by M. Trompetto, E. Ganio, Luc A. Realis and G. Clerico.

Progressive lung infiltration is a major cause of death in Niemann–Pick disease type A and B (NPA, NPB) and in the recently defined type C2. In type C1 (NPC1), the main manifestations are neurological. We report a patient with a classic, neurological, late infantile form of NPC1 disease, carrying the mutation P474L and the variant I642M in the NPC1 gene, who suffered recurrent respiratory manifestations. Bronchoalveolar lavage of a lung segment due to deteriorating respiratory condition revealed many foamy macrophages and was followed by an improvement in symptoms. Pneumopathy may therefore be considered a feature of NPC1 disease for which a partial bronchoalveolar lavage could be a useful treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary adenocarcinomas of the retrorectal (presacral) space are uncommon and usually arise from cystic lesions developing from remnants of the embryological postanal gut (tail gut cysts) containing mucous-secreting epithelium. A singular case of a patient who presented with a retrorectal mass is described. A 70-year-old previously healthy man had a four-month history of perianal pain during defecation. Preoperative colonoscopy showed external compression of the lower rectum with normal mucosa; pelvic computed tomography demonstrated a 5.5×4.5 cm2 retrorectal oval mass, originating from the posterior lower rectal wall, containing cystic components and some small calcifications. The tumor, after complete resection via transanal approach, was shown to be a very rare case of primary adenocarcinoma of the presacral space. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and he is free from disease 4 years after surgery. Clinicopathological features and surgical treatment of this unusual tumor are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and simple method to prepare solid nanoparticles of water-soluble salts using water-in-oil microemulsions is described. In particular, starting from water/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate/ n-heptane microemulsions carrying inside the aqueous core of the reversed micelles some water-soluble salts [CaCl2, Na2HPO4, Cu(NO3)2], after evaporation of the volatile components (water and apolar organic solvent), the resulting inorganic salt/surfactant composites were found to be totally dispersible in pure n-heptane. The presence of nanoparticles in these resuspended composites was ascertained by transmission electron microscopy observation of samples obtained by gentle evaporation of the organic solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: No official guidelines are available for the management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MR-ONJ). The additional benefit of surgery after pharmacological treatment is debated by both clinicians and patients.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in patients' MR-ONJ-related quality of life (QoL) after pharmacological treatment with or without surgery in a large cohort affected by MR-ONJ.Methods: Anonymized data on patients diagnosed with MR-ONJ were extracted from the database of the Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Treatment Center (University of Messina, Italy) in the years 2005-2015. QoL was evaluated at the moment of MR-ONJ diagnoses (T0), after pharmacological treatment with or without surgery (T1 and T2, respectively), based on scores from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL Module for Head and Neck Cancer (global oral health status [GOHS]) and a visual analog scale (VAS), stratified by indication for use.Results: Among 100 patients, 36% were affected by osteoporosis (OSTEO group) and 64% were affected by cancer (ONC group). Considering T0, QoL scores were higher in the OSTEO group then in the ONC group. At T1, GOHS and VAS increased in both groups (OSTEO group: +9.9% and +39.9%; ONC group: +35.4 and +97.2%, respectively). Pharmacological treatment was effective in reducing pain (OSTEO group: -22.0%; ONC group: -44.8%), and social contact troubles (OSTEO group: -40.3%; ONC group: -26.7%). At T2, GOHS and VAS further increased. Scores related to 'pain' and the troubles related to the 'social dimension' also decreased (OSTEO group: -91.3% and -72.0%; ONC group: 50.8% and -16.4%, respectively).Conclusions: MR-ONJ-related QoL increased after pharmacological treatment and, more notably, after surgery, which may offer benefits to selected patients. QoL data may help clinicians in promoting tailored management of MR-ONJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two of four sisters have multiple sclerosis (MS), lamellar ichthyosis, beta thalassaemia minor and a quantitative deficit of factor VIII-von Willebrand complex. The mother and the other sisters have only beta thalassaemia minor. The association of MS and a cluster of genetically determined diseases is rare. Such families could offer a new approach to the investigation of the polygenetic background of MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the model of superfluid dark matter developed in Refs. Khoury (Phys Rev D 91(2):024022, 10.1103/PhysRevD.91.024022, arXiv:1409.0012 [hep-th], 2015), Berezhiani and Khoury (Phys Rev D 92:103510, 10.1103/PhysRevD.92.103510, arXiv:1507.01019 [astro-ph.CO], 2015) and Berezhiani and Khoury (Phys Lett B 753:639, 10.1016/j.physletb.2015.12.054, arXiv:1506.07877 [astro-ph.CO], 2016), which modifies the Newtonian potential and explains the galactic rotational curves, can be unitarized by the formation of classical configurations in the scattering amplitudes. The classicalization mechanism may also trigger the formation of the superfluid state from the early to the late Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss how inflation can emerge from a four-fermion interaction induced by torsion. Inflation can arise from coupling torsion to Standard Model fermions, without any need of introducing new scalar particles beyond the Standard Model. Within this picture, the inflaton field can be a composite field of the SM-particles and arises from a Nambu–Jona-Lasinio mechanism in curved space-time, non-minimally coupled with the Ricci scalar. The model we specify predicts small value of the r-parameter, namely r ∼ 10 - 4 ÷ 10 - 2 , which nonetheless would be detectable by the next generation of experiments, including BICEP 3 and the AliCPT projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We find an argument related to the existence of a Z 2 -symmetry for the renormalization group flow derived from the bare Yang–Mills Lagrangian, and show that the cancellation of the vacuum energy may arise motivated both from the renormalization group flow solutions and the effective Yang–Mills action. In the framework of the effective Savvidy's action, two Mirror minima are allowed, with exactly equal and hold opposite sign energy densities. At the cosmological level, we explore the stability of the electric and magnetic attractor solutions, both within and beyond the perturbation theory, and find that thanks to these latter the cancellation between the electric and the magnetic vacua components is achieved at macroscopic space and time separations. This implies the disappearance of the conformal anomaly in the classical limit of an effective Yang–Mills theory. In this picture, the tunneling probability from the Mirror vacua to the other vacua is exponentially suppressed in the quantum non-thermal state – similarly to what happens for electroweak instantonic tunneling solutions. Specifically, we show that, in a dynamical Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) cosmological background, the Nielsen–Olsen argument – on the instability of uniform chromo-electric and chromo-magnetic Mirror vacua – is subtly violated. The chromo-magnetic and chromo-electric uniform vacua are unstable only at asymptotic times, but at those times the attractor to a zero energy density is already reached. The two vacua can safely decay into one anisotropic vacuum that has zero energy-density inside the Fermi confinement volume scale. We also discover a new surprising pattern of solitonic and anti-solitonic space-like solutions, which are sourced by the Yang–Mills dynamics coupled to the Einstein's equations in FLRW. We dub such non-perturbative configurations, which are directly related to dynamical cancellation mechanism of the vacuum energy, as chronons, or χ -solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]