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In this contribution we illustrate and discuss the decolonial approach adopted in a research project exploring the potential of including in education a language spoken by children and families from refugee backgrounds. The international project team from Palestine and the UK collaboratively designed a bespoke Levantine Arabic language course for beginners tailored to the needs identified by primary school staff, Arabic speaking pupils from refugee backgrounds, and their parents/carers. The course was offered to primary school staff in Scotland, enabling them to offer “linguistic hospitality” (Phipps, 2012) to Arabic speaking pupils and families. By delinking common assumptions and norms about language teaching/learning, the project strived to change the terms and the content of the conversation, unlocking possibilities for thinking and doing otherwise (Mignolo, 2007, 2018). In particular, the study questioned: who should be learning a language in an educational context; the teaching of the standard version of a language; expectations of expertise in educational settings; and the knowledge flow in international research with partners in Global South countries.

BackgroundCardiac neuroendocrine tumour metastases (CNTM) are rare, but advancements in molecular imaging including somatostatin receptor PET/CT (SSTR-PET/CT) could lead to a more frequent identification. The aim of this article is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the detection of CNTM by SSTR-PET/CT.MethodsA comprehensive literature search of studies on CNTM detected by SSTR-PET/CT was carried out. Three different bibliographic databases were screened (Cochrane library, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE) until 20 August 2024. Two review authors independently selected the eligible original articles and performed the quality assessment and the data extraction. Main findings of eligible studies were summarized and a proportion meta-analysis on the prevalence of patients with CNTM among those with neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) performing SSTR-PET/CT was carried out using a random-effects model.ResultsTen articles reporting data on 163 patients with CNTM were included in the systematic review. SSTR was able to detect CNTM earlier compared to other radiological imaging techniques. Most patients with CNTM had other metastatic sites and CNTM were often asymptomatic. The meta-analysis of seven articles demonstrated a pooled prevalence of 1.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.0–1.9%) of patients with CNTM (n = 119) among those performing SSTR-PET/CT for NEN (n = 9,300). Moderate statistical heterogeneity was found (I2 test: 62%).ConclusionEvidence-based data demonstrate that SSTR-PET/CT enables early and better detection of CNTM compared to other radiological imaging methods. CNTM are encountered with a pooled prevalence of 1.5% of NEN patients performing SSTR-PET/CT. Prospective and multicentric studies are warranted to better clarify the impact of CNTM detection by SSTR-PET/CT on overall survival and clinical decision-making in NEN patients.

Viruses have brought humanity many challenges: respiratory infection, cancer, neurological impairment and immunosuppression to name a few. Virology research over the last 60+ years has responded to reduce this disease burden with vaccines and antivirals. Despite this long history, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to the field of virology. Some of this attention is focused on concern about the safe conduct of research with human pathogens. A small but vocal group of individuals has seized upon these concerns - conflating legitimate questions about safely conducting virus-related research with uncertainties over the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The result has fueled public confusion and, in many instances, ill-informed condemnation of virology. With this article, we seek to promote a return to rational discourse. We explain the use of gain-of-function approaches in science, discuss the possible origins of SARS-CoV-2 and outline current regulatory structures that provide oversight for virological research in the United States. By offering our expertise, we - a broad group of working virologists - seek to aid policy makers in navigating these controversial issues. Balanced, evidence-based discourse is essential to addressing public concern while maintaining and expanding much-needed research in virology.

Abstract The European Association of Urology (EAU) has proposed a risk stratification for patients harboring biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy: ISUP 12 months for low risk, and ISUP ≥ 4 or PSAdt ≤ 12 months for high risk. This dual-center retrospective study aims to investigate the correlation between the EAU risk stratification for BCR following radical prostatectomy and the detection rate of lesions using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT. Among the 71 included patients (58 high-risk, 13 low-risk), with a median PSA level of 1.43 ng/ml, PET/CT demonstrated a significantly higher positivity in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group (72.4% vs. 38.0%, p = 0.026). Analysis of recurrence sites revealed a similar proportion of pelvic-confined disease in both groups (24.1% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.935), but a significantly higher incidence of metastatic disease in the high-risk group (51.7% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.017), with detailed findings indicating an increased prevalence of bone metastases in the high-risk BCR group (37.8% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.048). Therefore, PSMA PET/CT offers valuable insights for treatment decisions, aligning with the evolving landscape of prostate cancer management.

Data supporting the clinical utility of multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) at the guideline-recommended 3-year interval have not been reported.Between April 2015 and July 2016, candidates for colorectal cancer screening whose providers prescribed the mt-sDNA test were enrolled. Participants with a positive baseline test were recommended for colonoscopy and completed the study. Those with a negative baseline test were followed annually for 3 years. In year 3, the mt-sDNA test was repeated and colonoscopy was recommended independent of results. Data were analyzed using the Predictive Summary Index (PSI), a measure of the gain in certainty for dichotomous diagnostic tests (where a positive value indicates a net gain), and by comparing observed versus expected colorectal cancers and advanced precancerous lesions.Of 2,404 enrolled subjects, 2,044 (85%) had a valid baseline mt-sDNA result [284 (13.9%) positive and 1,760 (86.1%) negative]. Following participant attrition, the year 3 intention to screen cohort included 591 of 1,760 (33.6%) subjects with valid mt-sDNA and colonoscopy results, with no colorectal cancers and 63 advanced precancerous lesions [22 (34.9%) detected by mt-sDNA] and respective PSI values of 0% (P = 1) and 9.3% (P = 0.01). The observed 3-year colorectal cancer yield was lower than expected (one-sided P = 0.09), while that for advanced precancerous lesions was higher than expected (two-sided P = 0.009).Repeat mt-sDNA screening at a 3-year interval resulted in a statistically significant gain in detection of advanced precancerous lesions. Due to absence of year 3 colorectal cancers, the PSI estimate for colorectal cancer was underpowered and could not be reliably quantified. Larger studies are required to assess the colorectal cancer study findings.Prevention relevanceUnderstanding the 3-year yield of mt-sDNA for colorectal cancer and advanced precancerous polyps is required to ensure the clinical appropriateness of the 3-year interval and to optimize mt-sDNA's screening effectiveness.

This study evaluated growth, yield and olive oil quality of mature pedestrian olive orchards. Trees of three Sicilian cultivars Calatina, Nocellara del Belice and Abunara were planted at four combinations of planting densities and training forms. Trees at 2 × 5 m were trained to central leader (CLx2), those at 3 × 5 m to free palmette (FPx3), those at 4 x 5 to globe vase (GVx4), and those at 5 x 5 to poly-conic vase (PVx5). ‘Calatina’ had the smallest trees in terms of trunk size in all growing systems, while canopy size of trees at higher densities was similar for all three cultivars. ‘Calatina’ was also the most growth efficient (m3 of canopy per cm2 of TCSA) and produced the least amount of pruning wood in the hedgerow systems (CLx2 and FPx3). Fruit yield per tree tended to be higher in more vigorous cultivars (Abunara and Nocellara) grown to 3D systems (GVx4 and PVx5), while ‘Calatina’ was the most yield efficient (kg of fruit per cm2 of TCSA) especially in the hedgerow growing systems. Fruit and oil yield per ha and average production value tended to be highest in CLx2 trees and lowest in GVx4 trees, with ‘Calatina’ showing the sharpest changes and ‘Nocellara’ the smallest changes among growing systems. According to the Jaen index, CLx2 tended to induce earlier fruit maturation, followed by PVx5, GVx4, and FPx3. The growing system did not affect oil fatty acid composition, while ‘Calatina’ had the highest amount of mono-unsaturated fatty acids and the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids. ‘Abunara’ oils exhibited the highest amount of total phenols in CLx2, while ‘Calatina’ and ‘Nocellara’ oils exhibited the highest amount in FPx3 and PVx5. Both, trans-2-hexenal (“cut grass” sensory note) and hexenyl acetate (“floral” sensory note) tended to be lowest in oils from trees grown at CLx2 and highest in those from trees grown at GVx4, showing a somewhat inverse relationship with fruit ripening degree. The outcome of the present study on mature pedestrian orchards shows that proper combinations of cultivars, planting densities, and training forms (canopy shape) may result in efficient intensive systems for growing olive in areas where super-high density systems cannot be profitable due to agronomic and environmental limitations (water shortage, steep sloping sites, small farm size, etc.). Pedestrian growing systems can also be used to exploit olive biodiversity by allowing the use of available local genotypes. For this reason, they may represent an effective and sustainable solution against unexpected climate changes and associated emerging diseases.

A 50-year-old patient with a history of limited cutaneous scleroderma began with polyarthralgia (left shoulder, elbows and hips) without stiffness or associated inflammatory syndrome. Treatment with oral anti-inflammatory drugs was started on suspicion of peripheral spondyloarthritis with partial response. This progressed with the appearance of stiffness and functional limitation of the hips as well as an increase in the inflammatory syndrome two weeks after onset. It was decided to perform an 18F-FDG-PET scan compatible with polymyalgia rheumatica. The patient was treated with oral corticosteroids with an excellent response after one week of treatment.

The phytocomplex of Cannabis is made up of approximately 500 substances: terpeno-phenols metabolites, including Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, exhibit pharmacological activity.Medical Cannabis has several pharmacological potential applications, in particular in the management of chronic and neuropathic pain. In the literature, a few data are available concerning cannabis pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety.Thus, aim of the present study was the evaluation of cannabinoid pharmacokinetics in a cohort of patients, with chronic and neuropathic pain, treated with inhaled medical cannabis and decoction, as a galenic preparation.In this study, 67 patients were enrolled. Dried flower tops with different THC and CBD concentrations were used: Bedrocan® medical cannabis with THC level standardized at 19% and with a CBD level below 1%, Bediol® medical cannabis with THC and CBD level standardized at similar concentration of 6.5% and 8%, respectively.Cannabis was administered as a decoction in 47 patients and inhaled in 11 patients. The blood withdrawn was obtained before the new dose administration at the steady state and metabolites plasma concentrations were measured with an UHPLC-MS/MS method.Statistically significant differences were found in cannabinoids plasma exposure between inhaled and oral administration of medical cannabis, between male and female and cigarette smokers.For the first time, differences in cannabinoid metabolites exposures between different galenic formulations were suggested in patients. Therapeutic drug monitoring could be useful to allow for dose adjustment, but further studies in larger cohorts of patients are required in order to confirm these data.

This article draws upon a research project on intercultural language education conducted online between 2014 and 2017 with people living in the Gaza Strip (Palestine). Because the Gaza Strip has been under blockade since 2007, people cannot travel in and out freely. This context thus prompts educators and scholars to reflect on intercultural competence from a context of protracted crisis and of forced immobility. This study considers pre-service and in-service English teachers' understandings of intercultural competence and how these educators encourage intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in their classrooms in the Gaza Strip, where neither teachers, nor students, may have travelled abroad or experienced a face-to-face intercultural encounter. Based on this analysis, this article argues that frameworks for intercultural education and ICC need to capture non-movement and the lack of face-to-face intercultural encounters as "agentic" in definitions of interculturality. In other words, ICC should be conceptualised in terms of the actual freedoms and opportunities that individuals have to develop and nurture it. In order to propose such a model, this article connects ICC with the capabilities approach (Nussbaum, 2011; Sen, 1999), the capability of mobility (de Haas, 2010), and with the capacity to aspire (Appadurai, 2004).

Background and Aims: The multitarget stool DNA (mt-sDNA) assay is a noninvasive average-risk colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test. A new biomarker panel was developed for a next-generation test to improve specificity while maintaining/increasing sensitivity. We aimed first to establish an algorithm and cutoff for the next-generation mt-sDNA test and then to validate it using archived samples from the pivotal DeeP-C study (NCT01397747) of the first-generation test. Methods: Algorithm development and cross-validation included 3011 samples from 2 specimen collection studies (NCT03821948 and NCT03789162). The algorithm and cutoff were locked before validation. Validation test set samples included 57 CRC, 583 advanced precancerous lesions (APLs), and 7022 samples negative for CRC or APLs from the DeeP-C study, which prospectively enrolled average-risk, asymptomatic adults aged 50–84 years before screening colonoscopy. Next-generation biomarkers included methylated DNA markers ceramide synthase 4 gene, leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 4 gene, serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A 56 kDa regulatory subunit gamma isoform gene, and zinc finger DHHC-type containing 1 gene (reference marker), and fecal hemoglobin. Primary validation end points were CRC sensitivity and specificity for the absence of advanced neoplasia. Secondary end points included APL sensitivity and specificity for non-neoplastic findings or negative colonoscopy. Results: Cross-validation and best-fit results from algorithm development closely matched, confirming algorithm reliability and reproducibility. For the test set, next-generation mt-sDNA test sensitivity was 93.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83.0%–98.1%) for CRC and 48.4% (95% CI, 44.2%–52.5%) for APLs. Specificity was 88.5% (95% CI, 87.7%–89.2%) for the absence of advanced neoplasia and 90.4% (95% CI, 89.5%–91.2%) for the combination of non-neoplastic findings or negative colonoscopy. Conclusion: Based on archived samples, the next-generation mt-sDNA test demonstrated promising CRC screening performance characteristics that will be further assessed in a prospective clinical validation study (BLUE-C; NCT04144738).

The serious widespread development of nematode resistance has motivated the use of combined anthelmintic formulations. However, the advantages/disadvantages of the combined use of anthelmintics require further scientific characterization. The goals of the current trial were a) to characterize the pharmacokinetics of closantel (CLO) and moxidectin (MXD) administered both subcutaneously (sc) and orally either separately or co-administered (CLO + MXD) to lambs; b) to compare the nematodicidal activity of both molecules given individually or co-administered to lambs infected with resistant nematodes. Seventy (70) Corriedale lambs naturally infected with multiple resistant gastrointestinal nematodes were involved in the pharmacokinetic and efficacy trials. The animals were allocated into six groups (n = 10) and treated with either CLO, MXD, or with the CLO + MXD combined formulation by both the oral and sc routes. Additionally, an untreated control group (n = 10) was included for the efficacy trial. The efficacy was estimated by the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Higher systemic exposure of both CLO and MXD was observed after the sc compared to the oral administration in lambs. The combined administration of CLO + MXD did not markedly alter their disposition kinetics. At 13 days post-treatment, the administration of both molecules as a single active principle reached efficacy levels ranging between 80% (MXDoral), 84% (CLOoral), 85% (CLOsc), and 92% (MXDsc). The combined oral and sc treatments reached 99% efficacy. No adverse effects were observed after the combined treatment of CLO + MXD, and their co-administration did not show any adverse pharmacokinetic interaction. The combined effect of CLO + MXD successfully restored the maximum efficacy levels, which were not reached by the individual active ingredients.

Ozone is a molecule that has gained increasing interest in recent years by food industries for sanitization of food-grade surfaces. Compared to chemical sanitizers such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or peracetic acid, ozone shows undeniable advantages, such as the absence of by-products that should affect human health or the possibility of generating it when needed. Therefore, the aim of this paper was the assessment of the resistance to ozonized water of two pathogenic bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella) and of three airborne food-spoiling fungi (Aspergillus brasiliensis, Hyphopichia burtonii, and Penicillium nordicum) inoculated on stainless steel tiles and treated in static conditions with 1 to 6 mg L−1 (pathogens) or 8.5 mg L−1 (filamentous fungi). Ozonized water gave different results based on the tested microorganisms: pathogenic bacteria proved markedly more sensible to ozone than filamentous fungi, even if great differences were observed at inter- and intra-specific levels for both categories of microorganisms. Nevertheless, the non-linear inactivation kinetics of the studied strains made the calculation of a punctual F-value difficult, so in industrial practice, adequate tailoring of the treatments to be applied, based on the registered extrinsic factors and the industrial bio-burden, would be appropriate.

In this article we discuss the outcomes of a project which taught Arabic as a 'refugee language' to primary school staff so they could welcome Arabic speaking children and families. The project was grounded in a commitment to social justice and inclusive education practices, and in an understanding of integration as a two-way process. The evaluation shows that teaching Arabic to primary staff had a positive impact on Arabic speaking children and families, on staff's own practice, and on the wider school community. We list a set of recommendation to expand the languages spoken and taught in educational contexts.

This article discusses the language needs analysis which informed the development of a beginner Arabic language course for Scottish primary education staff who work with Arabic-speaking refugee children and families. Interviews and focus group were carried out with: Scottish educators; Arabic-speaking refugee children; and parents/carers. They highlighted the following language needs for the course: (a) language for hospitality; (b) language for wellbeing; and (c) language for school. In this article we highlight the language needs as identified by refugee pupils and their families and we start a discussion on the importance of teaching a refugee language within formal educational settings.

Italy shows a multitude of languages and dialects bound to different areas, language communities, ethnicities and personal identities. Many of the historical minority languages of Italy are not known to everyone, not even to all Italians though living on the same territory. This special issue aims at describing such language varieties to be found in the Northern pat of Italy, dealing first of all with the history of a certain language variety. Each paper also describes the main linguistic charactericics, mainly at phonological, semantical and morphosyntactic level. Then some of the most important intiatives to preserve such valuable inheritage.

Abstract Prion disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by accumulation of an abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) in the central nervous system. To identify PrPSc aggregates for diagnostic purposes, pathologists use immunohistochemical staining of prion protein antibodies on tissue samples. With digital pathology, artificial intelligence can now analyze stained slides. In this study, we developed an automated pipeline for the identification of PrPSc aggregates in tissue samples from the cerebellar and occipital cortex. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first framework to evaluate PrPSc deposition in digital images. We used two strategies: a deep learning segmentation approach using a vision transformer, and a machine learning classification approach with traditional classifiers. Our method was developed and tested on 64 whole slide images from 41 patients definitively diagnosed with prion disease. The results of our study demonstrated that our proposed framework can accurately classify WSIs from a blind test set. Moreover, it can quantify PrPSc distribution and localization throughout the brain. This could potentially be extended to evaluate protein expression in other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Overall, our pipeline highlights the potential of AI-assisted pathology to provide valuable insights, leading to improved diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.

Abstract In this proof-of-concept study, we used a systems perspective to conceptualize and investigate treatment-related dynamics (temporal and cross-sectional associations) of symptoms and elements related to the manifestation of a common functional somatic syndrome (FSS), Globus Sensations (GS). We analyzed data from 100 patients (M = 47.1 years, SD = 14.4 years; 64% female) with GS who received eight sessions of group psychotherapy in the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Symptoms and elements were assessed after each treatment session. We applied a multilevel graphical vector-autoregression (ml GVAR) model approach resulting in three separate, complementary networks (temporal, contemporaneous, and between-subject) for an affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimension, respectively. GS were not temporally associated with any affective, cognitive, and behavioral elements. Temporally, catastrophizing cognitions predicted bodily weakness (r = 0.14, p

Abstract: People living with HIV (PLWH) may present atypical neurological complications. Recently, autoimmune manifestations of the central nervous system (CNS) have been described. We retrospectively described the features of PLWH presenting with acute neurological symptoms with positive anti-CNS antibodies. We analyzed relevant CSF characteristics. Twelve patients were identified, with demyelinating, inflammatory, or no MRI lesions. We observed CSF inflammatory features. Aspecific CSF anti-CNS antibodies were found in all subjects and a specific antibody (second-level blotting panel) was found in one. The cases presented a slow resolution of symptoms with sequelae. More studies are needed to better describe the spectrum and prognosis of autoimmune CNS diseases in PLWH.