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In this historical moment, the controversial reorganisation of the Italian education system is raising the necessity to reflect on the responsibility of education in defining more resilient societies. Primary schools are the first place where children can actively experience the dynamics of democratic coexistence, developing their relationship with society through a process of long-term encounters. Nowadays, students not only need to acquire basic skills but, above all, to address emerging social issues through education in terms of democratic culture, equality, sharing and collaboration. The research investigated how Service Design can activate participatory processes that can foster the co-creation of educational experiences aimed at raising awareness of social coexistence and democratic participation. OpenMind Handbook is a project that facilitates the implementation of new educational experiences and increases social relationships, enabling the involvement of the educational community within a long-term action process.

Abstract Data from real‐world studies and clinical trials have documented the long‐term efficacy and safety of guselkumab in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Limited data are available on the long‐term use of guselkumab in morbidly obese individuals with severe psoriasis. Here, we present data on the outcome of three patients with class III obesity (body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 kg/m2) with severe plaque psoriasis treated with 100 mg guselkumab. At baseline, mean BMI was 46.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2 and mean PASI was 46.0 ± 18.5 and all patients were biologic naïve. After 12 weeks of guselkumab treatment, mean PASI decreased to 9.7 ± 4 and to 4.0 ± 1.7 at 28 weeks. After 1 year, two patients achieved complete remission and one patient had PASI of 6 (achieving remission by week 140). All three patients are still in complete remission. Our real‐life results in specific patients burdened with class III obesity naïve to biologic treatment show excellent long‐term psoriasis outcome with guselkumab.

Accurate dosimetry of ultra-high dose-rate beams using diamond detectors remains challenging, primarily due to the elevated photocurrent peaks exceeding the input dynamics of precision electrometers. This work aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of compact gated-integration electronics in conditioning the current peaks (>20 mA) generated by a highly sensitive (S ≃ 26 nC/Gy) custom-made diamond photoconductor under electron FLASH irradiation, as well as in real-time monitoring of beam dose and dose-rate. For the emerging FLASH technology, this study provided a new perspective on using commercially available diamond dosimeters with high sensitivity, currently employed in conventional radiotherapy.

IntroductionIn Taranto, Southern Italy, adverse impacts on the environment and human health due to industrial installations have been studied. In the literature, associations have been reported between gender, environmental factors, and lung cancer mortality in women and men. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between gender, residence in areas with high environmental pressures, bronchus/lung cancer characteristics, and death rate.MethodsData from the Taranto Cancer Registry were used, including all women and men with invasive bronchus/lung cancer diagnosed between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2020 and with follow-up to 31 December 2022. Bayesian mixed effects logistic and Cox regression models were fitted with the approach of integrated nested Laplace approximation, adjusting for patients and disease characteristics.ResultsA total of 2,535 person-years were observed. Male gender was associated with a higher prevalence of histological grade 3 (OR 2.45, 95% CrI 1.35–4.43) and lung squamous-cell carcinoma (OR 3.04, 95% CrI 1.97–4.69). Variables associated with higher death rate were male gender (HR 1.24, 95% CrI 1.07–1.43), pathological/clinical stage II (HR 2.49, 95% CrI 1.63–3.79), III (HR 3.40, 95% CrI 2.33–4.97), and IV (HR 8.21, 95% CrI 5.95–11.34), histological grade 3 (HR 1.80, 95% CrI 1.25–2.59), lung squamous-cell carcinoma (HR 1.18, 95% CrI 1.00–1.39), and small-cell lung cancer (HR 1.62, 95% CrI 1.31–1.99). Variables associated with lower death rate were other-type lung cancer (HR 0.65, 95% CrI 0.44–0.95), high immune checkpoint ligand expression (HR 0.75, 95% CrI 0.59–0.95), lung localization (HR 0.73, 95% CrI 0.62–0.86), and left localization (HR 0.85, 95% CrI 0.75–0.95).DiscussionThe results among patients with lung cancer did not show an association between residence in the contaminated site of national interest (SIN) and the prevalence of the above mentioned prognostic factors, nor between residence in SIN and death rate. The findings confirmed the independent prognostic values of different lung cancer characteristics. Even after adjusting for patients and disease characteristics, male gender appeared to be associated with a higher prevalence of poorly differentiated cancer and squamous-cell carcinoma, and with an increased death rate.

IntroductionIn Taranto, Southern Italy, adverse impacts on the environment and human health due to industrial installations have been studied. In the literature, few associations have been reported between environmental factors and breast cancer mortality in women. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between residence in areas with high environmental pressures, female breast cancer characteristics, and death rate.MethodsData from the Taranto Cancer Registry were used, including all women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 01 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 and with follow-up to 31 December 2021. Bayesian mixed effects logistic and Cox regression models were fitted with the approach of integrated nested Laplace approximation, adjusting for patients and disease characteristics.ResultsA total of 10,445 person-years were observed. Variables associated with higher death rate were residence in the contaminated site of national interest (SIN) (HR 1.22, 95% CrI 1.01–1.48), pathological/clinical stage III (HR 2.77, 95% CrI 1.93–3.97) and IV (HR 17.05, 95% CrI 11.94–24.34), histological grade 3 (HR 2.50, 95% CrI 1.20–5.23), Ki-67 proliferation index of 21–50% (HR 1.42, 95% CrI 1.10–1.83) and > 50% (HR 1.81, 95% CrI 1.29–2.55), and bilateral localization (HR 1.65, 95% CrI 1.01–2.68). Variables associated with lower death rate were estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positivity (HR 0.61, 95% CrI 0.45–0.81) and HER2/neu oncogene positivity (HR 0.59, 95% CrI 0.44–0.79).DiscussionThe findings confirmed the independent prognostic values of different female breast cancer characteristics. Even after adjusting for patients and disease characteristics, residence in the SIN of Taranto appeared to be associated with an increased death rate.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the drug survival rate of dupilumab up to 2 years in a large real-world cohort of adult patients affected by moderate/severe atopic dermatitis (AD), and to investigate the clinical, demographic and predictive factors influencing the patients’ treatment persistence. Material and methods This study included adult patients affected by moderate-to-severe AD treated with dupilumab for at least 16 weeks who visited 7 dermatologic outpatient clinics in Lazio, Italy, from January 2019 until August 2021. Results A total of 659 adult patients (345 male [52.3%], mean age: 42.8 years) with an average treatment duration of 23.3 months were enrolled in the study. Overall, 88.6% and 76.1% of patients were still on treatment after 12 and 24 months, respectively. The drug survival rate for discontinuation due to AEs and dupilumab ineffectiveness was 95.0% at 12 months and 90.0% at 24 months. The main reasons for drug discontinuation included inefficacy (29.6%), failed compliance (17.4%), persistent efficacy (20.4%) and adverse events (7.8%). Adult AD onset (≥18 years) and EASI score severity measured at the last follow-up visit were the only factors significantly associated with lower drug survival. Conclusion This study revealed an increased cumulative probability of dupilumab survival at 2 years, reflected by a sustained effectiveness and a favorable safety profile of the drug.

Polyacetal electrolytes have been demonstrated as promising alternatives to liquid electrolytes and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries; however, the relationship between polymer structure and ion motion is difficult to characterize. Here, we study structure-property trends in ion diffusion with respect to polymer composition for a systematic series of five polyacetals with varying ratios of ethylene oxide (EO) to methylene oxide (MO) units, denoted as P(xEO-yMO), and PEO. We first use 7Li and 19F pulsed-field-gradient NMR spectroscopy to measure cation and anion self-diffusion, respectively, in polymer/lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt mixtures. At 90 °C, we observe modest changes in Li+ diffusivity across all polymer compositions, while anion (TFSI-) self-diffusion coefficients decrease significantly with increasing MO content. At a given reduced temperature (T - Tg), all polyacetal electrolytes exhibit faster Li+ self-diffusion than PEO. Intriguingly, P(EO-MO) and P(EO-2MO) also show slower TFSI- anion self-diffusion than PEO at a given reduced temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that shorter distances between acetal oxygen atoms (O-CH2-O) compared to ether oxygens (O-CH2-CH2-O) promote more diverse, often asymmetric, Li+ coordination environments. Raman spectra reveal that anion-rich ion clusters in P(EO-MO) and P(EO-2MO) lead to decreased anion diffusivity, which along with increased cation diffusivity, support the viability of polyacetals as high-performance polymer electrolytes.

Organic–inorganic hybrids offer great promise as solution-processable thermoelectric materials. However, they have struggled to surpass the performance of their rigid inorganic counterparts due, in part, to a lack of synthetic control and limited understanding of how inorganic nanostructure dimensions impact overall charge transport. While it has been hypothesized that length, diameter, and aspect ratio (AR) all impact electronic transport in hybrid nanowires, the field lacks clarity on the relative role of each. In this study, the experimental parameter of ligand molecular weight (MW) is investigated as a synthetic knob for modulating nanowire dimensions, as well as the deconvolution of nanowire length versus diameter impacts on electron transport. By increasing ligand MW, larger nanowire AR dispersions occur and an optimal power factor of ≈130 μWm−1 K−2 is achieved for a modest AR of 73. Power factors of this magnitude are thought to only be achievable in ultrahigh AR systems; representing a 183% increase in performance over literature reports with similar AR. Additionally, nanowire diameter is demonstrated to be a far more sensitive parameter for enhancing performance than modulating length. This study provides improved fundamental insight into rational synthetic design avenues for future enhancements in the performance of hybrid materials.

We studied the effect of salt addition on a diblock copolymer system with a negative Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, χ, indicative of attractive interactions between the two blocks. The system studied is poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PEO-PMMA) with added lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt. We studied two asymmetric block copolymers, PEO-PMMA(10-33) and PEO-PMMA(10-64), where the numbers refer to the molar masses of the blocks in kg mol-1. The small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) profiles for PEO-PMMA(10-33) were featureless at all salt concentrations. In contrast, PEO-PMMA(10-64) exhibited SAXS peaks when the salt concentration was between 0.22 ≤ m (mol Li/kg polymer) ≤ 0.44. The appearance of SAXS peaks only in PEO-PMMA(10-64) is consistent with the predictions of ionic self-consistent field theory developed by de la Cruz and co-workers, which predicts that in systems with negative χ, ordered phases are only found when the volume fraction of the ionic block is about 10%.

An important consideration when designing lithium battery electrolytes for advanced applications is how the electrolyte facilitates ion transport at fast charge and discharge rates. Large current densities are accompanied by large salt concentration gradients across the electrolyte. Nanostructured composite electrolytes have been proposed to enable the use of high energy density lithium metal anodes, but many questions about the interplay between the electrolyte morphology and the salt concentration gradient that forms under dc polarization remain unanswered. To address these questions, we use an in situ small-angle X-ray scattering technique to examine the nanostructure of a polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer electrolyte under dc polarization with spatial and temporal resolution. In the quiescent state, the electrolyte exhibits a lamellar morphology. The passage of ionic current in a lithium symmetric cell leads to the formation of concurrent phases: a disordered morphology near the negative electrode, lamellae in the center of the cell, and coexisting lamellae and gyroid near the positive electrode. The most surprising result of this study was obtained after the applied electric field was turned off: a current-induced gyroid phase grows in volume for 6 h in spite of the absence of an obvious driving force. We show that this reflects the formation of localized pockets of salt-dense electrolyte, termed concentration hotspots, under dc polarization. Our methods may be applied to understand the dynamic structure of composite electrolytes at appreciable current densities.

The design and engineering of composite materials is one strategy to satisfy the materials needs of systems with multiple orthogonal property requirements. In the case of rechargeable batteries with lithium metal anodes, the system requires a separator with fast lithium ion transport and good mechanical strength. In this work, we focus on the system polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) with bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt (LiTFSI). Ion transport occurs in the salt-containing poly(ethylene oxide)-rich domains. Mechanical rigidity arises due to the glassy nature of polystyrene (PS). If we assume that the salt does not interact with the PS-rich domains, we can describe ion transport in the electrolyte by three transport parameters (ionic conductivity, κ, salt diffusion coefficient, D, and cation transference number, t+0) and a thermodynamic factor, Tf. By systematically varying the volume fraction of the conducting phase, ϕc between 0.29 and 1.0, and chain length, N between 80 and 8000, we elucidate the role of morphology on ion transport. We find that κ is the strongest function of morphology, varying by three full orders of magnitude, while D is a weaker function of morphology. To calculate t+0 and Tf, we measure the current fraction, ρ+, and the open circuit potential, U, of concentration cells. We find that ρ+ and U follow universal trends as a function of salt concentration, regardless of chain length, morphology, or ϕc, allowing us to calculate t+0 for any SEO/LiTFSI or PEO/LiTFSI mixture when κ and D are known. The framework developed in this paper enables predicting the performance of any block copolymer electrolyte in a rechargeable battery.

Abstract When designing displays for the human senses, perceptual spaces are of great importance to give intuitive access to physical attributes. Similar to how perceptual spaces based on hue, saturation, and lightness were constructed for visual color, research has explored perceptual spaces for sounds of a given timbral family based on timbre, brightness, and pitch. To promote an embodied approach to the design of auditory displays, we introduce the Vowel–Type–Pitch (VTP) space, a cylindrical sound space based on human sung vowels, whose timbres can be synthesized by the composition of acoustic formants and can be categorically labeled. Vowels are arranged along the circular dimension, while voice type and pitch of the vowel correspond to the remaining two axes of the cylindrical VTP space. The decoupling and perceptual effectiveness of the three dimensions of the VTP space are tested through a vowel labeling experiment, whose results are visualized as maps on circular slices of the VTP cylinder. We discuss implications for the design of auditory and multi-sensory displays that account for human perceptual capabilities.

The primary sector has been completely reshaped by the assignation of specific functions to farmers over the last 25 years, since legislators noted the importance of quality food productions to the rural and agroindustrial sectors and formally established rural and agri-food districts as legal entities. Agro-towns and rural districts in Italy, despite their peculiarities, represent an element of continuity in the path of social and economic development of the Italian countryside, contrasting the risk of marginalisation in rural areas through a propulsive growth of social capital and human interactions. The main purpose of this research was to assess the development of rural districts in some Italian regions as a consequence of the diffusion of agrotowns. The method of investigation has been a theoretical approach aimed at assessing the diffusion of the rural districts from 2016 to 2019 and by a comparison among Italian regions using some maps. Drawing some final remarks, agro-towns represent a fundamental pillar for the growth of the rural district in Italy due to their specificities in terms of social capital and local development, which are able to give a special connotation to the surrounding rural territory in a process of economic growth. In conclusion, the model of the rural district represents a spearhead for the countryside, emphasising all the peculiarities of rural areas where the impact of agro-towns has been significant in the past. The main consequence has been a transition of agrotowns from being degraded structures, where the incidence of agricultural underemployment was high, to structures where, despite the diffusion of large estates, there is an advanced social and economic development able to create a cohesive space that works to contrast the marginalisation of the Italian countryside.

Objective The study aimed to measure the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) code F44.5 for functional seizure disorder (FSD) in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System electronic health record (VA EHR).Methods The study used an informatics search tool, a natural language processing algorithm and a chart review to validate FSD coding.Results The positive predictive value (PPV) for code F44.5 was calculated to be 44%.Discussion ICD-10 introduced a specific code for FSD to improve coding validity. However, results revealed a meager (44%) PPV for code F44.5. Evaluation of the low diagnostic precision of FSD identified inconsistencies in the ICD-10 and VA EHR systems.Conclusion Information system improvements may increase the precision of diagnostic coding by clinicians. Specifically, the EHR problem list should include commonly used diagnostic codes and an appropriately curated ICD-10 term list for ‘seizure disorder,’ and a single ICD code for FSD should be classified under neurology and psychiatry.

BackgroundCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment in selected patients suffering from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). It has been proposed that myocardial fibrosis and inflammation could influence CRT “response” and outcome. Our study investigated the long-term prognostic significance of cardiac biomarkers in HFrEF patients with an indication for CRT.MethodsConsecutive patients referred for CRT implantation were retrospectively evaluated. The soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), galectin-3 (Gal-3), N-terminal portion of the B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate their correlation with the primary composite outcome of cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalizations at a mean follow-up of 9 ± 2 years.ResultsAmong the 86 patients enrolled, 44% experienced the primary outcome. In this group, the mean baseline values of NT-proBNP, Gal-3, and sST2 were significantly higher compared with the patients without cardiovascular events. At the multivariate analyses, baseline Gal-3 [cut-off: 16.6 ng/ml, AUC: 0.91, p

Bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis are endemic in many areas worldwide. This work aims to study cytokines production and gene expression profiles of bovine macrophages infected with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis subsp. avium (MAP) strains to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers. Bovine bone marrow stem cells were differentiated into macrophages and subsequently infected in vitro with different spoligotypes of M. bovis and MAP field strains (as single infections and coinfections), using different multiplicity of infection. Supernatant and cell pellets were collected 24 h, 48 h, and one week post-infection. Preliminarily, gene expression on cell pellets of IL-1β, IL-2, INFγ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNFα was assessed by qRT-PCR one week p.i. Subsequently, IL-1β and IL-6 were measured by ELISA and qRT-PCR to investigated their production retrospectively 24 h and 48 h p.i. A variability in macrophages response related to the concentration of mycobacteria, the coinfection with MAP, and M. bovis spoligotypes was identified. An early and constant IL-6 increase was observed in the M. bovis infection. A lower increase in IL-1β was also detected at the highest concentration of the two M. bovis spoligotypes one week post-infection. IL-6 and IL-1 β production was reduced and differently expressed in the MAP infection. IL-6 appeared to be the earliest cytokines produced by bovine macrophages infected with M. bovis.

In this study, we investigate the role of microwave cooking in reducing mycotoxin contamination in plant-based food matrices, with a focus on veggie burgers (purchased and home-made) and their ingredients (soybean, potatoes, zucchini, carrots). Two different conditions were studied (Max–Min) that were 800 W for 60 s and 800 W for 90 s, respectively. The degradation patterns of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3), trichothecenes (T2, HT2, ZEA), and ochratoxin A (OTA) were studied. The extraction procedures were conducted with the QuEChERS extraction, and the analyses were conducted with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that degradation under microwave cooking varies considerably across different food matrices and cooking conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the degradation of mycotoxins during microwave cooking and underscores the need for more research in this area to ensure food safety.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and sarilumab have recently been approved for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). They also affect mood, even though their effect on the post-COVID-19 syndrome-related psychopathology still has to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate their effect on psychopathology in a sample of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included 246 patients (34% female, 66% male) aged 18–75 years who had been hospitalized for COVID. Patients were split into those who received anti-IL-6 receptor agents (Anti-IL-6-R, N = 88) and those who did not (Ctrl, N = 158). The former group was further split into those receiving tocilizumab (TOC, N = 67) and those receiving sarilumab (SAR, N = 21). Groups were compared based on clinical characteristics before and during COVID-19 as well as on physical and psychiatric symptoms after COVID-19. Ctrl had less psychiatric and physical symptoms during hospitalization and more post-COVID-19 diarrhea, headache, cough, and dyspnea upon exertion than those receiving IL-6-receptor inhibitors. Ctrl also showed greater difficulties in emotion regulation. These differences were driven by TOC vs. Ctrl, whereas differences between SAR and Ctrl or TOC did not reach significance. IL-6 receptor inhibitors are related to a lower post-COVID-19 illness burden and seem to be effective in emotion regulation. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Recently, the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic has been reported in domestic pigs and wild boars in several European Union Member States (EU MS) and epidemiological evidence has accumulated which indicates that wild boar play a key role in maintaining and spreading the disease. Thanks to the experience gained when managing ASF outbreaks in Sardinia (Italy) and Eastern Europe, Directive 2002/60 CE was issued. This directive represented an important step forward in controlling the disease, particularly the risk of spreading the virus to wild animals. Since 2021, according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which is also called “Animal Health Law—AHL”, when the MS competent authority suspects or confirms ASF (a cat. A listed disease) in wild animals, it is mandatory to conduct surveillance in the wild boar population and implement the necessary control measures. Within AHL, Regulations (EU) 2020/687 and 2023/594 established special ASF control measures in kept and wild porcine animals, and their products and by-products, focusing on and underlying old and new responsibilities that vets (both public and private ones) have to accomplish under the new regulations. The new change in the legal framework deals with specific measures to be applied in the wild and represents a great challenge for MS veterinary services. Some of these measures have been well established in the last two decades, particularly those related to application in the farming system, while other measures are still new to veterinary health management and require a holistic approach in terms of intensity, considering all geographical, ecological, productive, cultural and social features of the involved EU MS. In this contribution, the authors intend to focus on specific measures which have been issued in order to limit or stop the spread of ASF in a wild, “boundless” ecosystem. These measures expand the field of competence of the official veterinary service to wild areas in addition to farm activity.

The thermodynamics of block copolymer/salt mixtures were quantified through the application of Leibler's random phase approximation to disordered small-Angle X-ray scattering profiles. The experimental system is comprised of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt (LiTFSI), SEO/LiTFSI. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter determined from scattering experiments, χSC, was found to be a function of block copolymer composition, chain length, and temperature for both salt-free and salty systems. In the absence of salt, χ0,SC is a linear function of (NfEO)-1 in the presence of salt, a linear approximation is used to describe the effect of salt on χeff,SC for a given copolymer composition and chain length. The theory of Sanchez was used to determine χeff from χeff,SC to predict the boundary between order and disorder as a function of chain length, block copolymer composition, salt concentration, and temperature. At fixed temperature (100 °C), Ncrit, the chain length of SEO at the order-disorder transition in SEO/LiTFSI mixtures, was predicted as a function of the volume fraction of the salt-containing poly(ethylene oxide)-rich microphase, fEO,salt, and salt concentration. At fEO,salt > 0.27, the addition of salt stabilizes the ordered phase; at fEO,salt < 0.27, the addition of salt stabilizes the disordered phase. We propose a simple theoretical model to predict the block copolymer composition at which phase behavior is independent of salt concentration (fEO,salt = 0.27). We refer to this composition as the "isotaksis point". ©

The viability of next generation lithium and beyond-lithium battery technologies hinges on the development of electrolytes with improved performance. Comparing electrolytes is not straightforward as multiple electrochemical parameters affect the performance of an electrolyte. Additional complications arise due to the formation of concentration gradients in response to dc potentials. We propose a modified version of Ohm's law to analyze current through binary electrolytes driven by a small dc potential. We show that the proportionality constant in Ohm's law is given by the product of the ionic conductivity, κ, and the ratio of currents in the presence (iss) and absence (iΩ) of concentration gradients, ρ+. The importance of ρ+ was recognized by Evans et al. [Polymer 28, 2324 (1987)]. The product κρ+ is used to rank order a collection of electrolytes. Ideally, both κ and ρ+ should be maximized, but we observe a trade-off between these two parameters, resulting in an upper bound. This trade-off is analogous to the famous Robeson upper bound for permeability and selectivity in gas separation membranes. Designing polymer electrolytes that overcome this trade-off is an ambitious but worthwhile goal.

We demonstrate that lithium metal is sparingly soluble in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). 7Li NMR shows that when a PEO sample is placed in contact with lithium metal at elevated temperatures, a lithium species dissolves and diffuses into the bulk polymer. A lithium/PEO/lithium electrochemical cell, containing no lithium salts, shows increasing conductivity over time when annealed at 120 °C. Chronoamperometry shows that the annealed cell obeys Ohm's law, implying that conduction occurs without the development of concentration gradients. To explain the results, it is proposed that atomic lithium dissolves into PEO, where it exists as a lithium cation and free electron. The dissolution of lithium also affects the phase behavior of block copolymer electrolytes. These observations explain the strong adhesion between lithium metal and PEO and have important implications for lithium metal battery systems that contain PEO-based electrolytes.

The order-to-disorder transition temperature (TODT) in a series of mixtures of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt is identified by the disappearance of a quadrupolar 7Li NMR triplet peak splitting above a critical temperature, where a singlet is observed. The macroscopic alignment of ordered domains required to produce a quadrupolar splitting occurs due to exposure to the NMR magnetic field. Alignment is confirmed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The TODT determined by NMR is consistent with that determined using SAXS.

The order-to-disorder transition temperature (T ODT ) in a series of mixtures of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt is identified by the disappearance of a quadrupolar 7 Li NMR triplet peak splitting above a critical temperature, where a singlet is observed. The macroscopic alignment of ordered domains required to produce a quadrupolar splitting occurs due to exposure to the NMR magnetic field. Alignment is confirmed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The T ODT determined by NMR is consistent with that determined using SAXS.

Crystallization in an ordered lamellar diblock copolymer/salt mixture, polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt (SEO/LiTFSI), has been studied using a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and depolarized light scattering (DPLS). Such materials have applications as electrolyte membranes in solid-state lithium batteries. The grain structure of the electrolyte was controlled by manipulating thermal history. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) crystallization was confined within the microphase-separated morphology and did not affect the grain structure in the case of shallow quenches. Deep quenches resulted in unconfined crystallization, where crystal formation does not affect the microphase-separated morphology but does alter the grain structure. The difference between the two modes of crystallization can only be detected by DPLS. This knowledge is particularly relevant for nanostructured electrolytes wherein ion transport is a strong function of grain structure.

Abstract Background Severe clinical pictures and sequelae of COVID‐19 disease are immune mediated and characterized by a ‘cytokine storm’. Skeletal muscle has emerged as a potent regulator of immune system function. The aim of the present study is to define the prevalence of sarcopenia among COVID‐19 survivors and the negative impact of sarcopenia on the post‐acute COVID‐19 syndrome and its related risk factors. Methods A total of 541 subjects recovered from COVID‐19 disease were enrolled in the Gemelli Against COVID‐19 Post‐Acute Care between April 2020 and February 2021. They underwent a multidisciplinary clinical evaluation and muscle strength and physical performance assessment. Results Mean age was 53.1 years (SD 15.2, range from 18 to 86 years), and 274 (51%) were women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.5%, and it was higher in patients with a longer hospital stay and lower in patients who were more physically active and had higher levels of serum albumin. Patients with sarcopenia had a higher number of persistent symptoms than non‐sarcopenic patients (3.8 ± 2.9 vs. 3.2 ± 2.8, respectively; P = 0.06), in particular fatigue, dyspnoea, and joint pain. Conclusions Sarcopenia identified according to the EWGSOP2 criteria is high in patients recovered from COVID‐19 acute illness, particularly in those who had experienced the worst clinical picture reporting the persistence of fatigue and dyspnoea. Our data suggest that sarcopenia, through the persistence of inflammation, could be the biological substrate of long COVID‐19 syndrome. Physical activity, especially if associated with adequate nutrition, seems to be an important protective factor.

Using Italian data published by the Farm Accountancy Data Network, this study investigates whether certain variables such as labour, assets, crops, cost, and financial subsides allocated through the Common Agricultural Policy are able to act on the management and on the productive specialisation of Italian farms, and focuses on assessing the main relationships that exist between these variables and the items correlated to them in 8 main types of farming for the period 2004–2019. The results have revealed that while the type of farming practiced has had an influence on farm management, the impact of financial subsides allocated through the CAP has differed. This research fills a gap in the literature by investigating the main relationships that exist between farm specialisation and farm management through the PLSSEM. that enables the identification of which variables have the greatest influence on the management of Italian farms.

The importance of milkability as a trait is growing because of the need to efficiently use labor and machinery; therefore, it is crucial to update the statistical model for the trait to improve the accuracy of the estimated breeding values, and thus provide a more accurate tool for decision-making at the farm level. In the Italian Holstein Friesian cattle population, milkability is recorded twice a year by the milk recording system as a binary trait (slow, coded as 2, or not slow, coded as 1). Data consisted of 7,862,371 records from 2,945,249 cows collected between 2004 and 2021. A single-trait threshold animal model with repeated measures was used, with parity, days in milk class, calving season, and regression of production (fat + protein grams) within days in milk class as fixed effects and herd-year-season of recording, permanent environment, and animal as random effects. The results for heritability and repeatability were 0.275 and 0.5, estimated with the Gibbs sampler THRGIBBS1F90. Genomic validation, carried out using genotyped proven bulls born before 2009 as the training set, gave a result of 0.386 for reliability. The genetic correlations of this trait confirmed that both extremes of the estimated breeding value must be treated cautiously, because correlations with important traits such as mastitis resistance, body condition score, and teat length are unfavorable.

Abstract Background The impaired transplacental passage of IgG from mothers living with HIV to their infants could be one of the causes of the high vulnerability to infections of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants, but controversial results have been obtained in different settings. The aim of this study was to assess in 6-week old HEU and HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU) Malawian infants the total IgG levels, the subclasses profile and the concentrations of global anti-pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (anti-PCP) IgG and IgG2. Methods Dried blood spots were collected from 80 infants (40 HEU, 40 HUU) and antibodies concentrations determined by nephelometric method (total IgG and subclasses), or using ELISA (anti-PCP total IgG and IgG2). Results are expressed as median levels with IQR, while the proportions of each subclass out of the total IgG are used to describe the subclasses profile. Results At 6 weeks HEU infants had higher median levels of total IgG and IgG1 and a significantly lower level of IgG2 [0.376 (0.344–0.523) g/l vs 0.485 (0.374–0.781) g/l, p = 0.037] compared to the HUU counterparts. The IgG subclasses distribution confirmed the underrepresentation of IgG2 (IgG2 represented 5.82% of total IgG in HEU and 8.87% in HUU). The anti-PCP IgG and IgG2 levels were significantly lower in HEU infants [8.9 (5.4–15.1) mg/l vs 16.2 (9.61–25.8) mg/l in HUU, p

Abstract Background Neurological manifestations of Sars-CoV-2 infection have been described since March 2020 and include both central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. Neurological symptoms, such as headache or persistent loss of smell and taste, have also been documented in COVID-19 long-haulers. Moreover, long lasting fatigue, mild cognitive impairment and sleep disorders appear to be frequent long term neurological manifestations after hospitalization due to COVID-19. Less is known in relation to peripheral nerve injury related to Sars-CoV-2 infection. Case presentation We report the case of a 47-year-old female presenting with a unilateral chest pain radiating to the left arm lasting for more than two months after recovery from Sars-CoV-2 infection. After referral to our post-acute outpatient service for COVID-19 long haulers, she was diagnosed with a unilateral, atypical, pure sensory brachial plexus neuritis potentially related to COVID-19, which occurred during the acute phase of a mild Sars-CoV-2 infection and persisted for months after resolution of the infection. Conclusions We presented a case of atypical Parsonage-Turner syndrome potentially triggered by Sars-CoV-2 infection, with symptoms and repercussion lasting after viral clearance. A direct involvement of the virus remains uncertain, and the physiopathology is unclear. The treatment of COVID-19 and its long-term consequences represents a relatively new challenge for clinicians and health care providers. A multidisciplinary approach to following-up COVID-19 survivors is strongly advised.

Antimicrobial resistance is a widespread global health problem. The presence of resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes has been demonstrated not only in humans but also in animals, including pets. Stray cats share the urban environment with people and pets. This may facilitate transmission of resistant bacteria and resistance genes between stray animals, people and domestic animals. Several studies have investigated the role of stray cats as a fecal carrier of ESBL-producing bacteria. However, there are many genes and resistance mechanisms that can be detected in commensal E. coli, which, because of its genetic plasticity, is considered an indicator for monitoring antibiotic resistance. In this study, rectal swabs were collected from stray cats from colonies and shelters in the city of Monza (Monza Brianza, Italy) to isolate commensal E. coli. Phenotypic tests, such as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the double disc test (DDST), and molecular analyses to detect antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) were used to study the resistance of these isolates. The results obtained confirm that stray cats can carry ESBL-producing E. coli (6.7%) and genes conferring resistance to other important antibiotic classes such as tetracyclines and sulfonamides.

The understanding of the changes induced in the knee’s kinematics by a Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injury is still rather incomplete. This computational study aimed to analyze how the internal loads are redistributed among the remaining ligaments when the PCL is lesioned at different degrees and to understand if there is a possibility to compensate for a PCL lesion by changing the hamstring’s contraction in the second half of the swing phase. A musculoskeletal model of the knee joint was used for simulating a progressive PCL injury by gradually reducing the ligament stiffness. Then, in the model with a PCL residual stiffness at 15%, further dynamic simulations of walking were performed by progressively reducing the hamstring’s force. In each condition, the ligaments tension, contact force and knee kinematics were analyzed. In the simulated PCL-injured knee, the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) became the main passive stabilizer of the tibial posterior translation, with synergistic recruitment of the Lateral Collateral Ligament. This resulted in an enhancement of the tibial–femoral contact force with respect to the intact knee. The reduction in the hamstring’s force limited the tibial posterior sliding and, consequently, the tension of the ligaments compensating for PCL injury decreased, as did the tibiofemoral contact force. This study does not pretend to represent any specific population, since our musculoskeletal model represents a single subject. However, the implemented model could allow the non-invasive estimation of load redistribution in cases of PCL injury. Understanding the changes in the knee joint biomechanics could help clinicians to restore patients’ joint stability and prevent joint degeneration.

Abstract Background Prompt diagnosis of bone marrow lesion (BML) is difficult but critical for correct treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard, although expensive and time consuming. Simple and reliable clinical test for BML detection is lacking. Aim of the study is to describe a new manual clinical test called Percussion Test (PT) and to statistically determine its diagnostic accuracy in BML, compared to MRI imaging. Methods After evaluation of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 218 consecutive patients with unilateral knee pain and age comprised between 18 and 80 years old were enrolled in our observational prospective study. Informed consent was obtained for each patient. After medical history collection, PT was performed by a single operator as described. MRI was performed in the affected knee to detect the presence of BML. Coherence in PT and MRI assessment was evaluated in each quadrant of the knee via contingency tables, as sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. Results No correlation with a positive PT was demonstrated for the covariables gender (p = 0.156), age (p = 0.272) and BMI (p = 0.639). PT showed a sensitivity ranging from 60.6 (40.6–80.6) to 79.5 (63.0–96.0) and a specificity ranging from 85.7 (80.0–91.5) to 96.0 (93.1–98.9) depending on knee quadrant. Diagnostic accuracy ranged from 81.6 (75.9–86.6) to 89.4 (84.6–93.2), and p-value was

We present experimental results on the phase behavior of block copolymer/salt mixtures over a wide range of copolymer compositions, molecular weights, and salt concentrations. The experimental system comprises polystyrene- block-poly(ethylene oxide) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt. It is well established that LiTFSI interacts favorably with poly(ethylene oxide) relative to polystyrene. The relationship between chain length and copolymer composition at fixed temperature is U-shaped, as seen in experiments on conventional block copolymers and as anticipated from the standard self-consistent field theory (SCFT) of block copolymer melts. The phase behavior can be explained in terms of an effective Flory-Huggins interaction parameter between the polystyrene monomers and poly(ethylene oxide) monomers complexed with the salt, χeff, which increases linearly with salt concentration. The phase behavior of salt-containing block copolymers, plotted on a segregation strength versus copolymer composition plot, is similar to that of conventional (uncharged) block copolymer melts, when the parameter χeff replaces χ in segregation strength.