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Microgravity (µG) experienced during space flights promotes adaptation in several astronauts' organs and tissues, with skeletal muscles being the most affected. In response to reduced gravitational loading, muscles (especially, lower limb and antigravity muscles) undergo progressive mass loss and alteration in metabolism, myofiber size, and composition. Skeletal muscle precursor cells (MPCs), also known as satellite cells, are responsible for the growth and maintenance of muscle mass in adult life as well as for muscle regeneration following damage and may have a major role in µG-induced muscle wasting. Despite the great relevance for astronaut health, very few data are available about the effects of real µG on human muscles. Based on the MyoGravity project, this study aimed to analyze: (i) the cellular and transcriptional alterations induced by real µG in human MPCs (huMPCs) and (ii) the response of human skeletal muscle to normal gravitational loading after prolonged exposure to µG. We evaluated the transcriptomic changes induced by µG on board the International Space Station (ISS) in differentiating huMPCs isolated from Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies of a pre-flight astronaut and an age- and sex-matched volunteer, in comparison with the same cells cultured on the ground in standard gravity (1×g) conditions. We found that huMPCs differentiated under real µG conditions showed: (i) upregulation of genes related to cell adhesion, plasma membrane components, and ion transport; (ii) strong downregulation of genes related to the muscle contraction machinery and sarcomere organization; and (iii) downregulation of muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs). Moreover, we had the unique opportunity to analyze huMPCs and skeletal muscle tissue of the same astronaut before and 30 h after a long-duration space flight on board the ISS. Prolonged exposure to real µG strongly affected the biology and functionality of the astronaut's satellite cells, which showed a dramatic reduction of responsiveness to activating stimuli and proliferation rate, morphological changes, and almost inability to fuse into myotubes. RNA-Seq analysis of post- vs. pre-flight muscle tissue showed that genes involved in muscle structure and remodeling are promptly activated after landing following a long-duration space mission. Conversely, genes involved in the myelination process or synapse and neuromuscular junction organization appeared downregulated. Although we have investigated only one astronaut, these results point to a prompt readaptation of the skeletal muscle mechanical components to the normal gravitational loading, but the inability to rapidly recover the physiological muscle myelination/innervation pattern after landing from a long-duration space flight. Together with the persistent functional deficit observed in the astronaut's satellite cells after prolonged exposure to real µG, these results lead us to hypothesize that a condition of inefficient regeneration is likely to occur in the muscles of post-flight astronauts following damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goats are often affected by respiratory diseases and, despite ultrasonography can assess lung consolidations in several species, it is rarely used in these animals. So, this study evaluated the effectiveness of on-farm lung ultrasonography in detecting lung consolidations on 27 goats. The goats, scheduled for slaughter, underwent complete clinical examinations and lung ultrasonography. For the latter, both sides of the thorax were divided in four quadrants and examined using convex and linear probes before and after shaving the hair. Each quadrant was classified based on presence/absence of lung consolidation and maximum consolidation's depth (4-point scale: 0 healthy; 1 depth < 1 cm; 2 depth < 3 cm; 3 depth > 3 cm). The lungs were examined at necropsy, 66% of goats exhibited lung consolidations and sensitivity (83%-89%), specificity (100%), and κ coefficient values (0.67–0.72) were high with all techniques. An higher (p ≤ 0.01) percentage of class 1 lesions were found at necropsy compared to all the ultrasonographic techniques. All the ultrasonographic techniques effectively detected lung consolidation deeper than 1 cm. So, ultrasonography seems an effective tool for lung examination in goats with chronic pneumonia. The examination using the linear or the convex probes without shaving the hair could be a promising tool for the on-field diagnosis of pneumonia, although further research on larger sample sizes are necessary to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: One of the most severe complications in surgery of parotid tumors is facial palsy. Imaging of the intra-parotid facial nerve is challenging due to small dimensions. Our aim was to assess, in patients with parotid tumors, the ability of high-resolution 3D double-echo steady-state sequence with water excitation (DE3D-WE) (1) to visualize the extracranial facial nerve and its tracts, (2) to evaluate their relationship to the parotid lesion and (3) to compare MRI and surgical findings. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted including all patients with parotid tumors, who underwent MRI from April 2022 to December 2023. Two radiologists independently reviewed DE3D-WE images, assessing quality of visualization of the facial nerve bilaterally and localizing the nerve's divisions in relation to the tumor. MRI data were compared with surgical findings. Results: Forty consecutive patients were included (M:F = 22:18; mean age 56.3 ± 17.4 years). DE3D-WE could excellently visualize the nerve main trunk and the temporofacial division in all cases. The cervicofacial branch was visible in 99% of cases and visibility was good. Distal divisions were displayed in 34% of cases with a higher visibility on the tumor side (p < 0.05). Interrater agreement was high (weighted kappa 0.94 ± 0.01 [95% CI 0.92–0.97]). Compared to surgery accuracy of MRI in localizing the nerve was 100% for the main trunk, 96% for the temporofacial and 89% for the cervicofacial branches. Conclusions: Facial nerve MR-neurography represents a reliable tool. DE3D-WE can play an important role in surgical planning of patients with parotid tumors, reducing the risk of nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the spread of yeasts in natural ecosystems remains somewhat limited. The recent momentum of yeast ecology research has unveiled novel habitats and vectors that, alongside human activities, impact yeast communities in their natural environments. Yeasts, as non-airborne microorganisms, rely on animal vectors, predominantly insects. However, the overlooked actor in this interplay is the environmental matrix, a player potentially influencing yeast populations and their vectors. This study aims to delve deeper into the intricate, multi-layered connections between yeast populations and ecosystems, focusing on the interactions between the attributes of the environmental matrix, arthropod diversity, and the mycobiota within a renowned yeast-inhabited framework: the vineyard. To investigate these relationships, we sampled both invertebrate and yeast diversity in six organic and conventional vineyards described in terms of management and landscape composition. We identified 80 different invertebrate taxa and isolated 170 yeast strains belonging to 18 species. Notably, new species-specific yeast-insect associations were observed, including the exclusive association between Candida orthopsilosis and Hymenoptera and between Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Coleoptera. These newly identified potential associations provide valuable insights into insect and yeast physiology, hence holding the promise of enhancing our understanding of yeast and arthropod ecology and their collective impact on overall ecosystem health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge analytics receives an ever-increasing interest since processing streaming data closer to where they are produced, rather than transferring them to the cloud, ensures lower latency while also addresses data privacy issues. In this work, we deal with the placement of analytic tasks to heterogeneous geo-distributed edge devices while targeting three objectives, namely latency, quality of results, and resource utilization. In addition, we investigate this multi-objective problem in a multi-query setting, where we jointly optimize multiple analytic jobs while dynamically adjusting task placement decisions. We explore multiple solutions that we thoroughly evaluate; interestingly, in a multi-query setting, all three objectives can be improved simultaneously by our proposals in many cases. Furthermore, we develop a proof-of-concept prototype using Apache Storm. Our solutions are thoroughly evaluated and shown to yield improvements by more than 50% compared to advanced baselines targeting only latency. Moreover, our software prototype managed to achieve speedups of up to 6 × over the Resource Aware Apache Storm scheduler, with an average speedup of 2.76 × , when deployed over a small-scale infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an innovative methodology for seismic emergency planning and earthquake risk mitigation in central Italy by integrating three prototypal earthquake scenarios. The different scenarios derive maximum earthquake magnitudes from different input data. The first scenario utilizes local rheological, geological, and geophysical conditions; the second scenario considers the study area fault characteristics, while the third scenario relies on the cluster analysis of historical and instrumental earthquake records. The magnitudes and related uncertainties are combined using a conflation method to derive the expected ground motions for a grid of sites in central Italy. The resulting scenarios include peak ground acceleration and spectral ordinates, presented as maps and spectra for two selected localities. The vertical component of ground motion is also presented, because it is essential for accurately assessing the response of short-period structures. Our methodology complements the more classic seismic hazard analyses, offering additional insights for earthquake contingency planning and loss analysis. The proposed methodology is flexible; multiple models and ongoing advancements in scenario practice (near-field effects, vertical ground motion, and the choice of ground motion models) can be easily incorporated, increasing the effectiveness of seismic scenario modeling in seismic emergency planning and risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed this study to evaluate factors associated with antibiotic prescriptions in children with adenovirus infection, since no studies have attempted to address this aspect in the pediatric population. Retrospective study of children younger than 18 years of age tested positive for adenovirus on a syndromic nasopharyngeal test from 2018 to 2023. We compared the need of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), invasive ventilation, and other respiratory support, viral etiologies, clinical presentations, imaging, and laboratory results in the precovid (2018–2019) and covid (2020–2022) period. The use of antibiotics was studied with multivariable logistic regression including demographic as well as clinical data as covariates. Two hundred fifty-eight patients were enrolled. One hundred fifty-eight patients received an antibiotic (mean duration 6.2 (±2.7) days (median 4; IQR: 4–7)). Presence of seizures and C-reactive protein values as predictors for antibiotic prescription (OR for seizures: 12.17; 95% CI: 1.42–103.91; p = 0.022; OR for CrP: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.04; p = 0.001). Seventy-four patients received intravenous antibiotics (74/156, 47.4%). Risk factors for intravenous antibiotic were the presence of decay (OR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.25–11.71; p = 0.018), CrP values (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00–1.03; p = 0.001), and presence of seizures (OR: 16.34; 95% CI: 2.65–100.83; p = 0.003). Duration of intravenous antibiotics correlated with the presence of seizures (Coeff: 1.6; 95% CI: 0.41–2.89; p = 0.009) even when adjusted for CrP values. Conclusion: The clinical presentation of adenovirus infection in children is non-specific, leading to frequent antibiotic prescription despite bacterial co-infections was rare. Higher CrP values and presenting with seizures are significantly associated with a higher risk of receiving antibiotics. Rapid microbiological tests and newer biomarkers can help clinicians to improve antibiotic prescription in this cohort of children. What is Known: •Adenovirus infection is a common cause of fever and respiratory tract infections in children. •Children with adenovirus infections frequently receive antibiotics, but determinants of this practice are poorly established. What is New: • Higher C-reactive protein values and presenting with seizures are significantly associated with antibiotic prescription. • Since the beginning of COVID-19 and implementation of rapid diagnostics, less children with adenovirus infection received antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater biodiversity is rapidly declining worldwide, especially in tropical island environments which appear to be particularly vulnerable to alien species. Monitoring biodiversity using effective methods is crucial for conservation efforts. This study aims to examine the capacity of the eDNA-based method to provide accurate measures of fish and crustacean biodiversity, and how it can be implemented in the French West Indies. To this end, we conducted eDNA and electric fishing capture-based surveys in parallel, both upstream and downstream, in nine Guadeloupean rivers and during two different seasons. While both methods were congruent in terms of species richness and composition, the eDNA-based method generally exhibited greater efficacy and reliability in assessing biodiversity. The exception to this trend was observed during the second campaign for the crustacean community. The quantitative data (the numbers of individuals and percentages of sequences) also proved to be uncorrelated for crustaceans during the second campaign, indicating that further knowledge of crustacean biology is needed. Nevertheless, the eDNA-based method was able to detect the presence of alien, rare and cryptic species, showing that it can be used in tropical island conditions for biodiversity assessment or conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gate-tunable transmons (gatemons) employing semiconductor Josephson junctions have recently emerged as building blocks for hybrid quantum circuits. In this study, we present a gatemon fabricated in planar Germanium. We induce superconductivity in a two-dimensional hole gas by evaporating aluminum atop a thin spacer, which separates the superconductor from the Ge quantum well. The Josephson junction is then integrated into an Xmon circuit and capacitively coupled to a transmission line resonator. We showcase the qubit tunability in a broad frequency range with resonator and two-tone spectroscopy. Time-domain characterizations reveal energy relaxation and coherence times up to 75 ns. Our results, combined with the recent advances in the spin qubit field, pave the way towards novel hybrid and protected qubits in a group IV, CMOS-compatible material. A gatemon is a transmon-type superconducting qubit made using a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor approach enabling tunability with electric gates. Here the authors demonstrate a gatemon qubit in planar germanium, which is anticipated to have various advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines spatial disparities and associations between the social deprivation index (SDI) and Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia, and Heart Failure in Italy's Lazio Region. The primary goal is to assess how social deprivation impacts health inequalities by analysing SDI-disease correlations. This retrospective study uses 2020 socioeconomic data and 2021 epidemiological indicators in Lazio Region, Italy. The SDI, constructed following established guidelines, measures social deprivation. Statistical tools, including regression models, Moran's I test, and LISA techniques, are used to analyse spatial patterns. Utilizing a retrospective approach, we merge 2020 socioeconomic and 2021 epidemiological data for analysis. The SDI is computed using established methods. Spatial disparities are explored through regression models, Moran's I test, and LISA techniques. The study reveals significant disparities in disease incidence. District V in Rome exhibits high Type 2 Diabetes (113.75/1000) and Heart Failure (37.98/1000) rates, while Marcetelli has elevated Dementia incidence (19.74). Southern municipalities face high unemployment (up to 25%), whereas bordering areas have higher education levels (30–60%). Disease hotspots emerge in Rome and centre-north municipalities, aligning with social deprivation patterns. Regression models confirm the link between disease incidence and socioeconomic indicators. SDI ranges from − 1.31 to + 10.01. This study underscores a correlation between social deprivation and disease incidence. Further national-level research is essential to deepen our understanding of how social deprivation influences health outcomes, with potential implications for addressing health disparities both regionally and nationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze oncological outcomes of endoscopic surgical treatment of locally recurrent EBV-related undifferentiated non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (uNK-NPC) in a non-endemic area. Methods: Retrospective review of patients affected by recurrent uNK-NPC treated with nasopharyngeal endoscopic resection (NER) in a tertiary-care referral center from 2003 to 2022, by evaluating survival rates, prognostic factors, and follow-up strategies. Results: The oncological outcomes of 41 patients were analyzed, over a mean follow-up period of 57 months. The 5-year overall, disease-specific, and disease-free survival of the cohort were 60.7% ± 8.9%, 69% ± 9%, and 39.7% ± 9.2%, respectively. The local (rT) and regional (rN) extension of recurrent disease, stage of disease, and status of resection margins appeared to significantly influence survivals. After a mean follow-up period of 21 months, a further recurrence after NER was observed in 36.6% of cases. Skull base osteonecrosis induced by previous irradiation and post-surgical bone remodeling represent the major challenges for early detection of further local relapses during postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: NER appeared as a safe and effective treatment for recurrent uNK-NPC. The adequate selection of patients eligible for NER is essential, to maximize the chances to cure and minimize the risk of local complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The female labor force participation (FLFP) has a strong and significant dis-equalizing impact in at least three groups of developing countries, and relatively low initial participation levels, based on a macro- and micro-data comparison, whereas, in developed countries, both a cross-country comparison and a literature review have shown that the relationship is tendentially equalizing. Based on a decile-level data analysis in developing countries, we found that the FLFP showed higher levels of returns among top deciles compared to the lower ones. This evidence emphasizes the importance of developing policies to encourage participation among women belonging to lower deciles of the income distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is an innovative imaging tool for breast cancer detection, involving intravenous injection of a contrast medium and the assessment of lesion enhancement in two phases: early and delayed. The aim of the study was to analyze the topographic concordance of lesions detected in the early- versus delayed phase acquisitions. Materials and methods: Approved by the Ethics Committee (No. 118/20), this prospective study included 100 women with histopathological confirmed breast neoplasia (B6) at the Radiodiagnostics Department of the Maggiore della Carità Hospital of Novara, Italy from May 1, 2021, to October 17, 2022. Participants underwent CEM examinations using a complete protocol, encompassing both early- and delayed image acquisitions. Three experienced radiologists blindly analyzed the CEM images for contrast enhancement to determine the topographic concordance of the identified lesions. Two readers assessed the complete study (protocol A), while one reader assessed the protocol without the delayed phase (protocol B). The average glandular dose (AGD) of the entire procedure was also evaluated. Results: The analysis demonstrated high concordance among the three readers in the topographical identification of lesions within individual quadrants of both breasts, with a Cohen's κ > 0.75, except for the lower inner quadrant of the right breast and the retro-areolar region of the left breast. The mean whole AGD was 29.2 mGy. The mean AGD due to CEM amounted to 73% of the whole AGD (21.2 mGy). The AGD attributable to the delayed phase of CEM contributed to 36% of the whole AGD (10.5 mGy). Conclusions: As we found no significant discrepancy between the readings of the two protocols, we conclude that delayed-phase image acquisition in CEM does not provide essential diagnostic benefits for effective disease management. Instead, it contributes to unnecessary radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of childhood cancer (CC) could be a traumatic event that produces long-term emotional responses such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in survivors. The relationship between both PTSS and PTG is not clear in CC survivors. Assessing challenges to core beliefs and rumination could give information regarding the different paths that lead to traumatic responses. Thus, this study aims to identify childhood cancer survivors' profiles from PTSS and PTG measures and to examine the pathways of relationships between PTSS and PTG, rumination, and challenge to core belief. Sixty-two CC survivors completed surveys on their childhood cancer experience, PTSS, PTG, challenge to core beliefs, and rumination. High PTG scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 1), High PTSS scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 2), and Childhood cancer survivors without changes (Cluster 3). Network analysis found that the challenge to core beliefs is the central point in the relationship between the variables, in a direct and positive relationship with PTG. We found an indirect path from challenge to core beliefs to PTSS, mediated by intrusive and deliberative ruminations. The combined findings suggested that there are different profiles related to trauma in CC survivors and the relationship between PTSS and PTG is mediated by the challenge to core beliefs and deliberative and intrusive rumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented milks are a source of bioactive peptides with different potential benefits on human health and may be considered as functional foods. Sheep milk and fermented milk have been collected and a biochemical characterization, by a proteomic approach, GC/MS and microtiter plate assay methods, have been conducted to evaluate their peptide, fatty acid and aromatic profile, and to assess potential health promoting effects. Furthermore, a comparison between sheep-fermented milk (SFM) made with commercial starter cultures and YoAlp®, a sheep-fermented milk obtained using local strains of lactic acid bacteria, has been performed. Peptide's profile comparison shows a higher number of amino acidic frequencies using autochthonous starter cultures than commercial ones. Among these peptides, 20.78% and 29.87%, respectively, are supposed to be potentially bioactive. Furthermore, in both products, the fatty acid profile was similar to that of origin sheep milk, and concerning aromatic profile, YoAlp® shows yogurt typical aromatic assets. Considering bioactivity, ACE inhibitor activity is high for both samples. Similar values, as expected by peptide profile analysis, have been obtained. Even in the case of antioxidant capacity, peptide profile bioactivity prediction has been confirmed by the assay showing a DPPH inhibition higher for SFM than for YoAlp®, but this difference is not statistically significant. Local strains of lactic acid bacteria seem to work as well as the commercial, preserving biodiversity and typicality. However, further analyses are needed to understand microbial proteolytic activities and to investigate gastric digestion resistance of bioactive peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brønsted basicity is a fundamental chemical property featured by several kinds of inorganic and organic compounds. In this Review, we treat a particularly high basicity resulting from the mechanical entanglement involving two or more molecular subunits in catenanes and rotaxanes. Such entanglement allows a number of basic sites to be in close proximity with each other, highly increasing the proton affinity in comparison with the corresponding, non-entangled counterparts up to obtain superbases, properly defined as mechanically interlocked superbases. In the following pages, the development of this kind of superbases will be described with a historical perusal, starting from the initial, serendipitous findings up to the most recent reports where the strong basic property of entangled molecular units is the object of a rational design. Brønsted basicity can be greatly enhanced by the mechanical entanglement of two or more interlocked molecular subunits within catenanes and rotaxanes. Here, the authors discuss the development of such mechanically interlocked superbases, and outline challenges and opportunities for future directions of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational research requires data at multiple scales of biological organization. Advancements in sequencing and multi-omics technologies have increased the availability of these data, but researchers face significant integration challenges. Knowledge graphs (KGs) are used to model complex phenomena, and methods exist to construct them automatically. However, tackling complex biomedical integration problems requires flexibility in the way knowledge is modeled. Moreover, existing KG construction methods provide robust tooling at the cost of fixed or limited choices among knowledge representation models. PheKnowLator (Phenotype Knowledge Translator) is a semantic ecosystem for automating the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) construction of ontologically grounded KGs with fully customizable knowledge representation. The ecosystem includes KG construction resources (e.g., data preparation APIs), analysis tools (e.g., SPARQL endpoint resources and abstraction algorithms), and benchmarks (e.g., prebuilt KGs). We evaluated the ecosystem by systematically comparing it to existing open-source KG construction methods and by analyzing its computational performance when used to construct 12 different large-scale KGs. With flexible knowledge representation, PheKnowLator enables fully customizable KGs without compromising performance or usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The accurate prediction of treatment response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients undergoing MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is essential for optimising treatment strategies. This multi-institutional study aimed to investigate the potential of radiomics in enhancing the predictive power of a known radiobiological parameter (Early Regression Index, ERITCP) to evaluate treatment response in LARC patients treated with MRIgRT. Methods: Patients from three international sites were included and divided into training and validation sets. 0.35 T T2*/T1-weighted MR images were acquired during simulation and at each treatment fraction. The biologically effective dose (BED) conversion was used to account for different radiotherapy schemes: gross tumour volume was delineated on the MR images corresponding to specific BED levels and radiomic features were then extracted. Multiple logistic regression models were calculated, combining ERITCP with other radiomic features. The predictive performance of the different models was evaluated on both training and validation sets by calculating the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: A total of 91 patients was enrolled: 58 were used as training, 33 as validation. Overall, pCR was observed in 25 cases. The model showing the highest performance was obtained combining ERITCP at BED = 26 Gy with a radiomic feature (10th percentile of grey level histogram, 10GLH) calculated at BED = 40 Gy. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of this combined model was 0.98 for training set and 0.92 for validation set, significantly higher (p = 0.04) than the AUC value obtained using ERITCP alone (0.94 in training and 0.89 in validation set). Conclusion: The integration of the radiomic analysis with ERITCP improves the pCR prediction in LARC patients, offering more precise predictive models to further personalise 0.35 T MRIgRT treatments of LARC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Long-term treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors leads to initial changes in disease activity that can predict a late treatment response. This observational and retrospective study aimed to determine when it is possible to foresee the response to therapy in the case of long-standing rheumatoid arthritis comparing also the efficacy of the original biologics with their biosimilars. Methods: A total of 1598 patients were recruited and treated with the original biologics, adalimumab and etanercept, or with biosimilars. Patients were monitored over a period of 48 months and disease activity scores (28-Joint Disease Activity Score, Simplified Disease Activity Index, and Clinical Disease Activity Index) were measured every 6 months. Results: No differences in disease activity levels were observed in etanercept versus biosimilars (GP2015/SB4) and adalimumab versus biosimilar (GP2017) patient groups. All scores significantly decreased in all treatments during the first 18 months of therapy, and after 24 months reached a minimum that lasted up to 48 months. Conclusions: We conclude that biosimilars of adalimumab and etanercept have equivalent effectiveness over a long period of time compared to their originator drugs, and also that the levels of disease activity after 6 months of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (originator drugs and biosimilars) might predict the response to therapy at 4 years in patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the advancements in power wheelchair simulators, there is still a lack of standardized tests to determine a user's readiness to drive in real-world environments. Currently, professionals rely on subjective evaluations such as intellectual capacity, visual impairments, and physical limitations to assess prospective power wheelchair users. In this study, we propose a training protocol that utilizes virtual environments to evaluate power wheelchair users' driving performance, aiming to enhance therapeutic practices and inform the decision-making process for power wheelchair prescription. Methods: Six participants with spinal cord injuries, aged between 18 and 90, were selected for this study. The proposed training protocol consisted of three stages: (A) A basic skills test in a real power wheelchair; (B) Training sessions in a virtual environment; (C) A post-training assessment of basic skills in the real power wheelchair. Throughout all stages, we collected skill evaluation metrics, including the number of collisions, joystick commands, and total time. Performance evaluation of participants was conducted using descriptive statistics and the Shapiro-Wilk test. Results: We observed a positive correlation between participants' age and the number of collisions during the evaluation process. Conclusion: Our proposed training protocol can serve as a complementary tool for power wheelchair prescription, facilitating better decision-making in rehabilitation centers. The use of virtual environments to assess driving performance shows promise in enhancing therapeutic practices and ensuring the safe and efficient use of power wheelchairs in real-world settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lung cancer screening (LCS) by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) demonstrated a 20–40% reduction in lung cancer mortality. National stakeholders and international scientific societies are increasingly endorsing LCS programs, but translating their benefits into practice is rather challenging. The "Model for Optimized Implementation of Early Lung Cancer Detection: Prospective Evaluation Of Preventive Lung HEalth" (PEOPLHE) is an Italian multicentric LCS program aiming at testing LCS feasibility and implementation within the national healthcare system. PEOPLHE is intended to assess (i) strategies to optimize LCS workflow, (ii) radiological quality assurance, and (iii) the need for dedicated resources, including smoking cessation facilities. Methods: PEOPLHE aims to recruit 1.500 high-risk individuals across three tertiary general hospitals in three different Italian regions that provide comprehensive services to large populations to explore geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic diversities. Screening by LDCT will target current or former (quitting < 10 years) smokers (> 15 cigarettes/day for > 25 years, or > 10 cigarettes/day for > 30 years) aged 50–75 years. Lung nodules will be volumetric measured and classified by a modified PEOPLHE Lung-RADS 1.1 system. Current smokers will be offered smoking cessation support. Conclusion: The PEOPLHE program will provide information on strategies for screening enrollment and smoking cessation interventions; administrative, organizational, and radiological needs for performing a state-of-the-art LCS; collateral and incidental findings (both pulmonary and extrapulmonary), contributing to the LCS implementation within national healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a complex disease influenced by a heterogeneous landscape of both germline genetic variants and somatic aberrations. While there is growing evidence suggesting an interplay between germline and somatic variants, and a substantial number of somatic aberrations in specific pathways are now recognized as hallmarks in many well-known forms of cancer, the interaction landscape between germline variants and the aberration of those pathways in cancer remains largely unexplored. Utilizing over 8500 human samples across 33 cancer types characterized by TCGA and considering binary traits defined using a large collection of somatic aberration profiles across ten well-known oncogenic signaling pathways, we conducted a series of GWAS and identified genome-wide and suggestive associations involving 276 SNPs. Among these, 94 SNPs revealed cis-eQTL links with cancer-related genes or with genes functionally correlated with the corresponding traits' oncogenic pathways. GWAS summary statistics for all tested traits were then used to construct a set of polygenic scores employing a customized computational strategy. Polygenic scores for 24 traits demonstrated significant performance and were validated using data from PCAWG and CCLE datasets. These scores showed prognostic value for clinical variables and exhibited significant effectiveness in classifying patients into specific cancer subtypes or stratifying patients with cancer-specific aggressive phenotypes. Overall, we demonstrate that germline genetics can describe patients' genetic liability to develop specific cancer molecular and clinical profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and liver cirrhosis (LC). Inadequate food intake is considered a relevant driver of malnutrition in both entities. However, the contribution of habitual diet to impaired nutritional status is unclear. In a prospective, multicenter cross-sectional study, we recruited patients with confirmed CP or LC and healthy volunteers as a control group. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria. We comprehensively investigated habitual dietary intake on nutrient, food group, and dietary pattern level applying two validated food frequency questionnaires. We included 144 patients (CP: n = 66; LC: n = 78) and 94 control subjects. Malnutrition was prevalent in 64% and 62% of patients with CP or LC, respectively. In both CP and LC, despite slightly altered food group consumption in malnourished and non-malnourished patients there were no differences in energy or nutrient intake as well as dietary quality. Compared to controls patients showed distinct dietary food group habits. Patients consumed less alcohol but also lower quantities of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grain products (p < 0.001, respectively). Nevertheless, overall dietary quality was comparable between patients and healthy controls. Nutritional status in CP and LC patients is rather related to disease than habitual dietary intake supporting the relevance of other etiologic factors for malnutrition such as malassimilation or chronic inflammation. Despite distinct disease-related differences, overall dietary quality in patients with CP or LC was comparable to healthy subjects, which suggests susceptibility to dietary counselling and the benefits of nutrition therapy in these entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: One in five preschool children are overweight/obese, and increased weight status over time increases the risks of poorer future health. Motor skill competence may be a protective factor, giving children the ability to participate in health-enhancing physical activity. Yet, we do not know when the relationship between motor competence and weight status first emerges or whether it is evident across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum. This study examined the association between motor skill competence and BMI in a multi-country sample of 5545 preschoolers (54.36 ± 9.15 months of age; 50.5% boys) from eight countries. Methods: Quantile regression analyses were used to explore the associations between motor skill competence (assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second/Third Edition) and quantiles of BMI (15th; 50th; 85th; and 97th percentiles), adjusted for sex, age in months, and country. Results: Negative associations of locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence with BMI percentiles (p < 0.005) were seen, which became stronger at the higher end of the BMI distribution (97th percentile). Regardless of sex, for each raw score point increase in locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence scores, BMI is reduced by 8.9%, 6.8%, and 5.1%, respectively, for those preschoolers at the 97th BMI percentile onwards. Conclusions: Public health policies should position motor skill competence as critical for children's obesity prevention from early childhood onwards. Robust longitudinal and experimental designs are encouraged to explore a possible causal pathway between motor skill competence and BMI from early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motor competence has important developmental associations with aspects of physical health, but there has been no synthesis of longitudinal associations with cognitive and social-emotional health. Objectives: The first aim was to present a conceptual model that positions motor competence as a mediator between physical activity and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes. The second aim was to synthesize the association of motor competence and cognitive and social-emotional development using longitudinal observational and experimental evidence, in particular to (i) identify the role of task, individual, and environmental characteristics in moderating the association between motor and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes and (ii) synthesize the strength of evidence pertaining to domain-specific relationships. Methods: This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) were systematically searched. Following study screening and risk-of-bias assessment by two authors, 49 eligible studies were identified for inclusion and grouped by study design. Evidence for domain-specific paths between motor competence and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes was synthesized by calculating the significant analyses in the hypothesized direction, divided by the total number of analyses for that path. These percentages were then collated for each domain outcome. This collated influence was classified as either no association (0–33%), written as '0', or indeterminate/inconsistent (34–59%), written as '?' If there were fewer than three studies in the domain, the strength of evidence was classified as insufficient (I). Results: Of the 49 studies, 35% were able to satisfy six or more of the seven risk-of-bias criteria. Longitudinal observational evidence about domain-specific and global associations of motor competence and cognitive and social-emotional development is indeterminate. The included studies also did not provide evidence for a consistent moderating role of age and sex. Some preliminary experimental evidence does support the role of motor competence in moderating the influence of cognitively enriched physical activity on cognitive outcomes, especially working memory and social-emotional skills. However, too few studies were appropriately designed to acknowledge the moderating role of contextual mechanisms. Conclusions: Between-study heterogeneity means it was not possible to identify definitive domain- and construct-specific relationships between motor competence and cognitive and social-emotional outcomes. To further develop our understanding, it is important that researchers acknowledge the complexity of these relationships within rigorous study designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current approach to identify BRCA 1/2 carriers in the general population is ineffective as most of the carriers remain undiagnosed. Radiomics is an emerging tool for large scale quantitative analysis of features from standard diagnostic imaging and has been applied also to identify gene mutational status. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of integrating a radiogenomics model with clinical and family history data in identifying BRCA mutation carriers in the general population. This cost-effective analysis compares three different approaches to women selection for BRCA testing: established clinical criteria/family history (model 1); established clinical criteria/family history and the currently available radiogenomic model (49% sensitivity and 87% specificity) based on ultrasound images (model 2); same approach used in model 2 but simulating an improvement of the performances of the radiogenomic model (80% sensitivity and 95% specificity) (model 3). All models were trained with literature data. Direct costs were calculated according to the rates currently used in Italy. The analysis was performed simulating different scenarios on the generation of 18-year-old girls in Italy (274,000 people). The main outcome was to identify the most effective model comparing the number of years of BRCA-cancer healthy life expectancy (HLYs). An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was also derived to determine the cost in order to increase BRCA carriers-healthy life span by 1 year. Compared to model 1, model 2 increases the detection rate of BRCA carriers by 41.8%, reduces the rate of BRCA-related cancers by 23.7%, generating over a 62-year observation period a cost increase by 2.51 €/Year/Person. Moreover, model 3 further increases BRCA carriers detection (+ 68.3%) and decrease in BRCA-related cancers (− 38.4%) is observed compared to model 1. Model 3 increases costs by 0.7 €/Year/Person. After one generation, the estimated ICER in the general population amounts to about 3800€ and 653€ in model 2 and model 3 respectively. Model 2 has a massive effect after only one generation in detecting carriers in the general population with only a small cost increment. The clinical impact is limited mainly due to the current low acceptance rate of risk-reducing surgeries. Further multicentric studies are required before implementing the integrated clinical-radiogenomic model in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governmental research agencies from Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK have suggested the use of specific two- and three-parameter probability density functions (PDFs) for estimating the magnitude and frequency of annual maximum streamflow (AMS). In Brazil, there are no guidelines concerning the use of multiparameter PDFs to model AMS, with most applications relying on two-parameter distributions. Considering the worldwide promising results when using multiparameter PDFs, here we focused on the evaluation of ten PDFs to model AMS over all gauged streams of Brazil. The methodology developed for this study consisted of the: (i) acquisition of streamflow data; (ii) organization of the AMS series; (iii) screening of AMS series considering temporal and statistical criteria; (iv) fit of the following PDFs to the AMS series based on the L-moments method: Gumbel, Gamma, Generalized Logistic, Generalized Normal, Generalized Pareto, three-parameter Log-Normal, Pearson type 3, Generalized Extreme Value, Kappa, and Wakeby; (v) quantile estimation; and (vi) PDF performance assessment according to the Filliben test and the relative absolute error (RAE). Based on the almost 4 thousand AMS series considered on this study, we concluded that: (i) Gumbel and Gamma provided poor performance (more than 17% of non-satisfactory fits); (ii) the multiparameter PDFs (Wakeby and Kappa) outperformed all other PDFs; (iii) Gumbel and Generalized Extreme Value had the highest RAE values for quantile estimate; and (iv) this study contributes to the scientific advances reported in the recent statistical hydrology literature and can provide local decision makers with the necessary technical information for developing national design flood guidelines.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer stands as the most frequent malignancy and leading cause of death among women. Early and accurate detection of this pathology represents a crucial factor in enhancing both incidence and mortality rates. Ultrasound (US) examination has been extensively adopted in clinical practice due to its non-invasiveness, affordability, ease of implementation, and wide accessibility, thus representing a valuable first-line diagnostic tool for the study of the mammary gland. In this scenario, recent developments in nanomedicine are paving the way for new interpretations and applications of US diagnostics, which are becoming increasingly personalized based on the molecular phenotype of each tumor, allowing for more precise and accurate evaluations. This review highlights the current state-of-the-art of US diagnosis of breast cancer, as well as the recent advancements related to the application of US contrast agents to the field of molecular diagnostics, still under preclinical study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the medium-term clinical and radiographic results of current generation metal-on-metal resurfacing prostheses performed through anterolateral approach. Materials and methods: Fifty-seven hips in 52 patients underwent resurfacing arthroplasty. Two patients died from unrelated causes, leaving 55 hips in 35 males (3 bilateral) and 15 females (2 bilateral), with a mean age at surgery of 56.2 years (range, 27–70 years). Clinical and radiographic assessment was carried out preoperatively and at follow-up in all the survived cases. The cumulative survival rate was determined according to the method of Kaplan–Meier. Results: At a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (range, 1.8–9.1 years), 2 HRs of the same female patient were revised because of early loosening of the acetabular component. Deep venous thrombosis and transient femoral nerve palsy occurred both in 1 case. No specific complications of HR were observed. Average Harris hip score improved significantly from 59.8 points (range, 30.4–90.6) preoperatively to 93.7 points (range, 53–100) at the latest examination. Neck narrowing showed an average of 3.27%, but it never exceeded 10%. Nonprogressive acetabular radiolucencies and osteolysis were detected both in 2 hips. A high rate of patients (32, 60.4%) developed heterotopic ossifications, although low-grade in most cases (27, 84.4%). The cumulative survival rate at 9.1 years with revision for any reason as the end point was 93.0%. Conclusions: The early clinical and radiographic results of modern metal-on-metal hip resurfacing performed through an anterolateral approach are promising, but longer-term follow-up studies are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giraitis et al. (J Econom 224(2):394–415, 2021) proposed a kernel-based time-varying coefficients IV estimator. By using entirely different code, we broadly replicate the simulation results and the empirical application on the Phillips curve, but we note that a possible oversight might have affected some of the reported results. Further, we extend the results by using a different sample and a wider choice of smoothing kernels, including data-based ones; we find that the estimator is remarkably robust across a wide range of smoothing choices, but the effect of outliers may be less obvious than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The irrational use of water bodies has been a main concern worldwide, requiring the steady monitoring of water sources in order to track whether the water quality parameters are within the guidelines limits. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the water quality of Mirim Lagoon by using a water quality index and statistical methods. Also, this study seeks to analyze, by the correlation matrix, the influence of the parameters used in WQI on the results of the index for Mirin Lagoon, as well as compare and validate, via a significance test, the results of WQIValentini with the results of WQICETESB, widely applied in Brazil. The water samples analyzed in this study were collected over the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 from several monitoring points of Mirim Lagoon and analyzed regarding the parameters dissolved oxygen, thermotolerant coliforms, pH, biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, turbidity, and total solids. The WQICETESB results of the monitoring points in Mirim Lagoon ranged from 58.3 to 81, falling within acceptable and good water quality, respectively. Regarding the correlation-WQI parameter, phosphorus was the most representative parameter for the WQICETESB result in the monitoring points ML1, ML2, ML3, ML4, and ML5, while the thermotolerant coliforms was the most significant parameter for the points ML6 and ML7. On the other hand, the WQIValentini results ranged from 48.0 to 76.9, maintaining the absolute majority within acceptable and good ranges. Moreover, in order to compare the results of WQICETESB with the WQIValentini, and, hence, prove or disprove the equivalence of both, a paired t-test was used, demonstrating that there is no significant variation between both indexes. The results of this study enabled us to evaluate the Mirim Lagoon water quality by using WQICETESB and WQIValentini, as well as by using multivariate statistical methods. In addition, regarding the use of the WQIValentini to assess Mirin Lagoon water quality, there was evidence that this index generates results statistically indistinguishable from those generated by the WQICETESB, proving its applicability for water quality monitoring of this lagoon. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the use of an adequate equation with fewer variables provides a reduction in the costs of physicochemical and microbiological analysis, which may encourage environmental agencies to invest more in water quality monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plastics for the production of household objects represents a considerable fraction of the global plastic market. In this study, an environmental impact assessment was performed to identify the environmental burdens associated with the production of plastic trigger sprayers. The environmental impact of the analysed trigger sprayer is mainly determined by the extraction of raw materials, electricity consumption in the production stage and end-of-life treatment of wastes. The application of three improvements to the traditional process leads to a significant decrease in the environmental impact across all the considered impact categories: the benefits mainly arise from the use of renewable electricity and partly from the substitution of virgin material with recycled one. The carbon footprint related to a single plastic sprayer is decreased of around 23% upon the modifications applied to the traditional process, i.e., from 0.099 kg CO2 eq down to 0.077 kg CO2 eq that reported to the annual production of 15 million pieces, would lead to a reduction of around 339 ton CO2 eq released to the atmosphere. The obtained results indicate that to further improve the environmental performance of plastic dispensers (and of plastic objects in general), technologies suitable for the processing and manufacturing of recycled materials should be implemented. This will be achieved only through the improvement of a collection, sorting and recycling system able to provide high-quality secondary materials. Finally, the industrial process should be optimized decreasing the production scrap, using renewable energy sources and promoting its reuse for multiple times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous biting and nuisance insects are a noted cause of discomfort and stress to horses. Pyrethrins and pyrethroids have been used for many years in numerous formulations for the control of insect pests in animals, humans and environment. There are, however, few studies reporting their field efficacy in horses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the repellent activity of a spray formulation based on prallethrin and permethrin synergized with piperonyl butoxide (BRONCO® Equine Fly Spray, Farnam Companies, Inc., USA) against annoying and harmful insects for horses in field conditions. Nine horses of mixed breed were divided into 2 groups (treatment and control). Pre-treatment insect counts were compared to daily counts for 4 days post-treatment (pt). One minute after the administration of the product (day 0), all the horses were negative for the presence of insects. All counts up to the 6-h pt check remained negative for Hippobosca equina, tabanid flies and Simulium spp., showing 100% efficacy. This remained above 90% throughout the study. For the H. equina, the repellent efficacy remained > 99.7% for all 4 days pt, for tabanid flies > 93.3% and for Simulium spp. > 97.4%. The efficacy against Musca spp. decreased from 82.2% at day 0 to 62.2% at day 3. Treatment was well-tolerated. In conclusion, despite the low number of tested horses, Bronco® has demonstrated high insecticide and repellent efficacy and a good persistence, maintained for up to 4 days post-treatment, against the most common species of insects harmful for horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deforestation is a widespread disturbance for neotropical freshwater ecosystems. While biodiversity declines have been associated with deforestation, its functional consequences for stream and river fish faunas remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored how deforestation affects the different facets of the functional structure of fish communities inventoried using environmental DNA metabarcoding in 64 river and 35 stream sites of French Guiana. Specifically, we investigated how functional richness, divergence, evenness and identity of fish faunas are affected by deforestation. Results: We showed that anthropogenic disturbances in French Guiana are modifying the functional diversity of freshwater fish communities. These disturbances not only affected the amount of functional traits held by the communities but also the identity of the traits and the internal structure of the functional space. Consequently, different facets of the functional diversity supported by fish assemblages were altered. In streams, deforestation did not affect the overall diversity of traits but reduced functional redundancy, underlined by a shift in functional identity towards assemblages dominated by pelagic detritivores. In contrast, river fish faunas experienced a decline in functional richness, paired with shifts in functional identity and a loss of fish species with extreme functions. Conclusions: The response to deforestation differed between streams and rivers, but it supports the hypothesis that deforestation is linked to functional changes in fish assemblages. By diminishing the range of the functions in rivers or by jeopardizing the redundancy of functions in streams, deforestation could severely hamper the functioning and stability of neotropical freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective brushing is the basis for maintaining the oral health of millions of people. Since the 1960s, brushing has been described in mathematical models, but mainly through empirical in vivo and in vitro studies. The development of new materials and devices dedicated to the removal of oral biofilm, with a view to environmental sustainability, has necessitated the development of modern brushing simulation models. With the aim of making the estimation of the cleaning performance of a toothbrush quantitative, and in order to set up a numerical tool for supporting the design and optimization of the brushing operations, the present study describes the development of a novel computational model. It is able to estimate the forces exchanged between the bristles of the toothbrush and the tooth surface through numerical simulations. The innovative modeling approach, based on discrete flexible multibody techniques, allowed a three-dimensional description of the behavior of the bristles, obtaining accurate results with reasonable computational time. The verification of the model is performed through a dedicated test bench performing controlled movements. The comparison between the numerical model and experimental results demonstrates the reliability of the approach. The proposed approach is also tested on a complex three-dimensional case of brushing in order to verify the behavior in complex scenarios. The proposed novel simulation model has proven to be able to simulate the brushing action of a toothbrush composed of thousands of bristles on a detailed and three-dimensional dental surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arctic fjords are experiencing rapid environmental shifts due to climate change, which may have significant impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, the impact of climate change on fjord biodiversity is difficult to quantify given the low accessibility and high cost to sample these areas. In this study, we sampled locations from inside to outside an Arctic fjord and used environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess how the biodiversity of fish and eukaryotic plankton communities relate with environmental conditions. We detected a total of 12 fish taxa and 872 MOTUs for eukaryotes and found marked gradients of temperature and salinity driven by the distance to the glacier at the terminal part of the fjord and depth. Eukaryotic richness was mainly associated with lower temperature and chlorophyll a. Moreover, co-inertia analyses showed a shared structure between eukaryotes assemblages and the environmental gradients. A partial association between eukaryote and fishes suggest a potential shared effect of environmental gradients among these taxa. Our findings provide a baseline for future studies to assess how these assemblages may be impacted by ongoing environmental changes and highlight how fjord ice loss and warming might shift environmental gradients and species distribution under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased cycling is generally recognized as a highly important project in decarbonizing urban transport. Despite well-researched and broadly accepted benefits of cycling, bicycle mobility plays only a marginal role in the modal share for most cities. Purpose: To make sense of this paradox, this review article investigates how cycling research engages with the governance of cycling. The review focuses on how cycling mobility is envisioned, approached and described within the change-oriented field of sustainability transitions research. Findings: Through a systematic reading of 25 peer reviewed scientific journal articles, we find that the articles mainly focus on technological objects of change (e-bikes and bikesharing systems); incumbent actors; and established planning and policy measures applied to new contexts. Most studies are evaluative, lacking the forward-looking and change oriented ambition transitions research set out to address. To contribute to increased cycling mobility in urban contexts, we conclude that future cycling research might benefit from adopting more diverse and clear notions of governance objects, actors and measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of ultrashort pulses with simultaneously tailored spatial and temporal properties opens new horizons in multimode photonics, especially when the spatial degree of freedom is controlled by robust topological structures. Current methods to shape space–time beams with correlations between their topological charges and spectral components have yielded fascinating phenomena. However, shaping is currently limited to narrow topological and/or spectral bands, greatly constraining the breadth of achievable spatiotemporal dynamics. Here we introduce a Fourier space–time shaper for ultrabroadband pulses, covering nearly 50% of the visible spectrum and carrying a wide range of topological charges with values up to 80. Instead of relying on a conventional grating with linear geometry, our approach employs a diffractive axicon with circular geometry that allows to impart azimuthal phase modulations to beams carrying orbital angular momentum. We retrieve the spatiotemporal field by introducing a characterization technique based on hyperspectral off-axis holography. The tailoring of linear topological–spectral correlations enables the control of several properties of wave packets, including their chirality, orbital radius and number of intertwined helices, whereas complex correlations allow us to manipulate their dynamics. Our space–time beams with broadband topological content will enable a host of novel applications in ultrafast light–matter excitations, microscopy and multiplexing. Introduction of a diffractive axicon in a pulse shaper enables imparting topological–spectral correlation to ultrafast pulses over 200 nm in the visible region and with topological charges up to 80. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite electric scooter use has proliferated in Italy since 2019, actionable data regarding injury incidence and patterns associated with electric scooter accidents are limited. This study aims at analyzing the rate, clinical, and demographic features of electric scooter accidents accessed to the Emergency Department (ED) of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS (Rome, Italy). This retrospective study included all patients older than 18 years riding an electric scooter in the ED from June 2019 to April 2022. Personal data, injury circumstances, helmet use, and health data were collected. Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) codes of all diagnoses were recorded, and the Injury Severity Score (ISS) was calculated for each patient. The analysis includes 92 patients admitted to the ED due to an e-scooter accident during the study period, with an increase in years. Thirty-two patients presented bone fractures especially concerning the extremities and the face districts. The median Injury Severity Score in the study cohort was 3, with the highest AIS represented by AIS Pelvic-Extremity and AIS External. Moreover, statistical significance was found between AIS Head-Neck and severity of trauma. E-scooters have become a familiar sight in cities worldwide recently, with many new companies renting them for use. But their arrival has also brought new safety concerns. Although most injuries reported are minor, the meager rate of helmet use is critical. Implementing compulsory helmet use for electric scooters for all ages could be a protective factor for being patient with head trauma on urban streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an extended hydrodynamical model for plasmas, based on the moments of the electron distribution function which satisfies the Fokker–Planck–Landau (FPL) transport equation. The equations for the moments can be obtained by multiplying the FPL equation by the corresponding weight functions and integrating over the velocity space. The moments are decomposed in their convective and non–convective parts and closure relations for the fluxes and production terms can be obtained by using the maximum entropy distribution function, which depends on Lagrangian multipliers. These latter can be expressed in terms of the state variables by imposing the constraints that the maximum entropy distribution function reproduces the moments chosen as state variables. In particular, we will concentrate on the 13-moment system. As a first application, we treat the case of the relaxation towards equilibrium of a homogeneous plasma with a temperature anisotropy, showing that the results are in good agreement with those obtained by means of the Kogan solution of the kinetic equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic species assemblages at large spatial scales based on environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to enable evidence-based environmental policymaking. The spatial coverage of eDNA-based studies varies substantially, and the ability of eDNA metabarcoding to capture regional biodiversity remains to be assessed; thus, questions about best practices in the sampling design of entire landscapes remain open. We tested the extent to which eDNA sampling can capture the diversity of a region with highly heterogeneous habitat patches across a wide elevation gradient for five days through multiple hydrological catchments of the Swiss Alps. Using peristaltic pumps, we filtered 60 L of water at five sites per catchment for a total volume of 1800 L. Using an eDNA metabarcoding approach focusing on vertebrates and plants, we detected 86 vertebrate taxa spanning 41 families and 263 plant taxa spanning 79 families across ten catchments. For mammals, fishes, amphibians and plants, the detected taxa covered some of the most common species in the region according to long-term records while including a few more rare taxa. We found marked turnover among samples from distinct elevational classes indicating that the biological signal in alpine rivers remains relatively localised and is not aggregated downstream. Accordingly, species compositions differed between catchments and correlated with catchment-level forest and grassland cover. Biomonitoring schemes based on capturing eDNA across rivers within biologically integrated catchments may pave the way toward a spatially comprehensive estimation of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a moderated mediation model to examine the mediating effect of school subjective well-being and moderating effect of perceived social support in the relationship between bullying victimization and mathematics academic performance. A sample of 428 adolescents from northeast Brazil, ages ranging from 12 to 19 years (M = 14.88; SD = 1.70), students from middle and high school. Mediation analysis indicated that positive affects at school completely mediated the relationship been bullied and math grades. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that the overall perceived social support moderates the mediating pathway of bullying on school subjective well-being. The findings elucidated that positive feelings in the school context could benefit students' learning process, and the school's responsibility to improve the quality of social support provided to victims of bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased values of the FIB-4 index appear to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to develop and validate predictive mortality models, using data upon admission of hospitalized patients in four COVID-19 waves between March 2020 and January 2022. A single-center cohort study was performed on consecutive adult patients with Covid-19 admitted at the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS (Rome, Italy). Artificial intelligence and big data processing were used to retrieve data. Patients and clinical characteristics of patients with available FIB-4 data derived from the Gemelli Generator Real World Data (G2 RWD) were used to develop predictive mortality models during the four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. A logistic regression model was applied to the training and test set (75%:25%). The model's performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. A total of 4936 patients were included. Hypertension (38.4%), cancer (12.15%) and diabetes (16.3%) were the most common comorbidities. 23.9% of patients were admitted to ICU, and 12.6% had mechanical ventilation. During the study period, 762 patients (15.4%) died. We developed a multivariable logistic regression model on patient data from all waves, which showed that the FIB-4 score > 2.53 was associated with increased mortality risk (OR = 4.53, 95% CI 2.83–7.25; p ≤ 0.001). These data may be useful in the risk stratification at the admission of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand if GPs' spiritual competence, their personal spirituality and attitude towards enquiring about spirituality in practice interrelate, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 30 German GPs regarding issues of SC. We found correlations between GPs' personal spirituality, their spiritual competence and their attitudes towards SC. The ability to perceive spiritual needs of patients was the competence most strongly related to GPs' attitude towards SC. The competence with the strongest correlation to personal spirituality was Self-awareness and Proactive opening. No correlation was found between affiliation to a spiritual community and GPs' attitude towards SC. The results show that GPs' personal spirituality and spiritual competence are indeed related to addressing spirituality with their patients. To foster SC, training programmes should raise awareness for one's personal spirituality and encourage one to reflect on spiritual competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work correlates the impact of robotization on employment and households' income at the regional scale with the level of investment in R&D and education policies. This kind of policy, by raising the qualitative and quantitative levels of human capital, contributes to improving the complementarity effect between humans and robots, thus mitigating the substitution effect. To this end, we compute the Adjusted Penetration of Robots (APR) (a metric used to measure the extent to which robots are being used in a particular industry or sector) at the sectoral level, combining the International Federation of Robotics database for the stock of robots, EUROSTAT Regional database, and the STructural ANalysis database on 150 NUTS-2 regions of the Euro area. We then perform a spatial stacked-panel analysis on the investment in R&D and education level. Results supports the idea that regions that invest more in R&D and have higher levels of human capital can turn the risk of robotization into an increase in both income and "quantity of work," by enhancing complementarity between robots and the labor force. On the contrary, regions investing less in R&D and having lower levels of human capital may suffer a reduction in households' disposable income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]