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Abstract The black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) plays a significant role at the larval stage in the circular economy due to its ability to convert organic waste into valuable products for energy, food, feed, and agricultural applications. Many data are available on larval development and biomass generation, but basic research on this species is lacking and little is known about adult biology, in particular about the cues involved in sexual recognition. In the present study, using various instruments (stereomicroscope, scanning and transmission electron microscope, hyperspectral camera and spectrophotometer), wing ultrastructure of both sexes was analysed, reflectance and transmission spectra of the wings were measured and behavioural bioassays were carried out to measure male response to specific visual stimuli. The collected data showed the existence of sexual dimorphism in the wings of H. illucens due to iridescent structural colouration generated by a multilayer of melanin located in the dorsal lamina of the central part of the wing. Wing sexual dimorphism is particularly evident regarding the strong emission of blue light of female wings. Blue colour induces in males a strong motivation to mate. The obtained results can help to improve and optimize the breeding techniques of BSF.

Abstract We characterise in detail the larval and pupal cuticle of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), a key insect species in circular economy. In particular, we focus on ultrastructure using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, material characterization and composition (elements and minerals) with confocal laser scanning microscope, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, powder X-ray diffraction and mechanical properties with nanoindentation measurements. Calcium carbonate crystallizes on the epicuticle as blocks of calcite in the pupal cuticle. Calcium carbonate granules are stored in two specialised Malpighian tubules. CaCO3 is already present in the cuticle of young larval instars, but it is mainly in the form of amorphous calcium carbonate while the amount of calcite increases during larval development. The presence of calcite leads to cuticle hardening. Larval and pupal cuticles contain large amounts of resilin which guarantee cuticle flexibility.

In this paper we present our attempt at validating a self-report instrument developed in the field of empirical literary studies to capture absorption experiences, namely the Story World Absorption Scale (SWAS, Kuijpers, et al. 2014). We used the SWAS as the foundation for a tag set, that targets mentions of absorption in online book reviews. Online book reviews posted on social media platforms are a relatively new form of reader testimonials that can be of use to researchers from different disciplines to investigate reading experience and evaluation, as well as social discourse about reading. This paper discusses the annotation tag set, which was developed through an iterative process, presented alongside a series of inter-annotator agreement studies that show the validity of our annotation process. Finally, it will discuss the validation and reconceptualization of the Story World Absorption construct, where we consider instances of systematic disagreement during annotation and discuss new categories that we added to the tag set that indicate areas where absorption theory may need to be refined.

Delirium is highly prevalent among hospitalized older adults and is associated with unfavorable outcomes. However, delirium often remains undiagnosed in the hospital context. Having a valid, simple, and fast screening tool could help in limiting the additional workload for healthcare professionals, without leaving delirium undetected. The aim of this study was to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the Recognizing Acute Delirium As part of your Routine (RADAR) scale in an Italian hospital. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 150 patients aged ≥70 years were enrolled. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) criterion-defined delirium as the gold standard were plotted to evaluate the performance of the RADAR scale. The cut-off suggested by previous research was used to estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the RADAR scale. The involved patients were mostly females (60%; n = 90), with a median age of 84 years (I–III quartiles: 80–88). According to the CAM and the RADAR scale, 37 (25%) and 58 (39%) patients were classified as experiencing delirium, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the RADAR scale was 0.916. Furthermore, the RADAR scale showed robust sensitivity (95%), specificity (80%), and positive (60%) and negative predictive values (98%). The RADAR scale is thus suggested to be a valid tool for screening assessment of delirium in hospitalized older adults.

Micro- and nanostructures of the white and black scales on the tarsi of the mosquito Aedes albopictus are analysed using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. Reflectance spectra of the white areas are measured. No clear difference is present in the morphology of micro- and nanostructures of black and white scales in SEM and TEM, but black scales contain a dark pigment. The white colour of the scales has a structural origin. The structural white produced by the micro- and nanostructures of the scales on the tarsi of Ae. albopictus appears bright and is angle-dependent, since the reflected light changes according to the angle detection and according to the tarsus orientation. The optical appearance of the scale system of Ae. albopictus has a complex nature and can be explained by the combination of several effects. Among them, multiple refraction and reflection on the micro- and nanostructures of the scales are mainly responsible for the white appearance. The results suggest that mosquito scales, in addition to their superhydrophobic function, produce structural white. The biological role of white and black patches in mate recognition and defensive behaviour in the mosquitoes of the genus Aedes is hypothesized.

Miguel A. Cardona, the former commissioner of education in Connecticut, became the U.S. Secretary of Education on March 2, 2021, taking office in the midst of an historic pandemic that had profoundly reshaped the nation's schools. In his initial months on the job, Cardona- also a one-time public school teacher and principal--has focused closely on school reopenings and championed equity as a central education priority. In addition, he has been charged with overseeing the unprecedented $130 billion federal investment in K--12 schools provided in the American Rescue Plan. In the interview presented in this article, "Educational Leadership" asked Secretary Cardona about the challenges and opportunities facing schools and educators as they embark on this pivotal school year.

Enrico Torre,1 Sergio Di Matteo,2 Giacomo Matteo Bruno,3 Chiara Martinotti,2 Maria Chiara Valentino,2 Gianni Testino,4 Alberto Rebora,1 Luigi Carlo Bottaro,5 Giorgio Lorenzo Colombo3 1Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases Unit - ASL3, Genoa, Italy; 2S.A.V.E. Studi Analisi Valutazioni Economiche S.r.l., Health Economics & Outcomes Research, Milan, Italy; 3Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 4Unit of Addiction and Hepatology - ASL3, Genoa, Italy; 5General Direction, ASL3, Genoa, ItalyCorrespondence: Giorgio Lorenzo Colombo, Department of Drug Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pavia, Italy, Email giorgio.colombo@unipv.itBackground: Aim of our study is to evaluate the economic impact of NASH among diabetic population in Italy and potential benefits of treatments that can slow the disease progression.Methods: A Markov model was conducted from the Italian National Healthcare System perspective reporting results at 3, 5, 10 and 15 years. The model included NASH and T2DM patients with all stages of fibrosis (F0-F3), compensated cirrhosis (CC), decompensated cirrhosis (DCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver transplant (LT), post-LT and death. A 1-year model cycle length was considered, with each patient passing through the stages and exiting the model when reached one of mortality states. Transition probabilities and annual cost related to health states were derived from published literature. Moreover, the model made it possible to develop a scenario analysis to simulate the impact of treatments capable of slowing the disease progression in phases F0-F4 (CC).Results: The results highlighted an economic burden of NASH in T2DM patients of approximately € 1.4 billion, € 3.1 billion, and € 9.4 billion, respectively, after 3, 5 and 10 years, reaching about € 17.3 billion after 15 years. The slowing down of the progression in the early stages of the disease (fibrosis F0-CC) has led to significant savings corresponding to € 2.3 billion at 15 years. These savings were generated by the reduction of the patients in the advanced stages of the disease, which is linked to a reduction in deaths, equal to 92,208 deaths avoided over a 15-year time horizon.Conclusion: Patients with NASH and T2DM reported an important burden in Italy. It is important to investigate the potential clinical and economic benefits of antidiabetic drugs that have been shown to be effective in preventing the transition to advanced disease, simultaneously acting on the therapeutic goals of diabetic disease.Keywords: non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, burden of illness, treatment perspectives

BackgroundElectronic health databases are used to identify people at risk of poor outcomes. Using electronic regional health databases (e-RHD), we aimed to develop and validate a frailty index (FI), compare it with a clinically based FI, and assess its association with health outcomes in community-dwellers with SARS-CoV-2.MethodsData retrieved from the Lombardy e-RHD were used to develop a 40-item FI (e-RHD-FI) in adults (i.e., aged ≥18 years) with a positive nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 by May 20, 2021. The considered deficits referred to the health status before SARS-CoV-2. The e-RHD-FI was validated against a clinically based FI (c-FI) obtained from a cohort of people hospitalized with COVID-19 and in-hospital mortality was evaluated. e-RHD-FI performance was evaluated to predict 30-day mortality, hospitalization, and 60-day COVID-19 WHO clinical progression scale, in Regional Health System beneficiaries with SARS-CoV-2.ResultsWe calculated the e-RHD-FI in 689,197 adults (51.9% females, median age 52 years). On the clinical cohort, e-RHD-FI correlated with c-FI and was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. In a multivariable Cox model, adjusted for confounders, each 0.1-point increment of e-RHD-FI was associated with increased 30-day mortality (Hazard Ratio, HR 1.45, 99% Confidence Intervals, CI: 1.42–1.47), 30-day hospitalization (HR per 0.1-point increment = 1.47, 99%CI: 1.46–1.49), and WHO clinical progression scale (Odds Ratio = 1.84 of deteriorating by one category, 99%CI 1.80–1.87).ConclusionThe e-RHD-FI can predict 30-day mortality, 30-day hospitalization, and WHO clinical progression scale in a large population of community-dwellers with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity. Our findings support the need to assess frailty with e-RHD.

In this monocentric, open label, randomized controlled trial we aimed to compare the efficacy of combined High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) and Non invasive Ventilation (NIV) versus HFNC alone in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (hARF) in patients affected by Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). We enrolled 49 patients affected by CAP with moderate to severe hypoxemic respiratory failure (P/F < 300). The patients were randomized into two groups: one has been treated with HFNC alone (group A) while the other received NIV alternated to HFNC every 3 hours (group B). The primary outcome was P/F change from baseline to 21 hours. Secondary outcomes included variation of pH and pCO2, need to continue HFNC or NIV/HFNC after 45 hours, orotracheal intubation, mortality rate, and the devices comfort. Not statistical significant differences between the two arms were shown in the P/F change at 21 hours since baseline, in pCO2 and pH variation, mortality at hospital and at follow-up. We emphasize the importance of combined HFNC with NIV as a first step for severe pneumonia treatment whereas HFNC might represent as the first step treatment in less severe patients and during the NIV intervals.

Abstract Background Long-term pulmonary sequelae following hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia is largely unclear. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise pulmonary sequelae caused by SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia at 12-month from discharge. Methods In this multicentre, prospective, observational study, patients hospitalised for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and without prior diagnosis of structural lung diseases were stratified by maximum ventilatory support (“oxygen only”, “continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)” and “invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)”) and followed up at 12 months from discharge. Pulmonary function tests and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), 6 min walking test, high resolution CT (HRCT) scan, and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale were collected. Results Out of 287 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and followed up at 1 year, DLCO impairment, mainly of mild entity and improved with respect to the 6-month follow-up, was observed more frequently in the “oxygen only” and “IMV” group (53% and 49% of patients, respectively), compared to 29% in the “CPAP” group. Abnormalities at chest HRCT were found in 46%, 65% and 80% of cases in the “oxygen only”, “CPAP” and “IMV” group, respectively. Non-fibrotic interstitial lung abnormalities, in particular reticulations and ground-glass attenuation, were the main finding, while honeycombing was found only in 1% of cases. Older patients and those requiring IMV were at higher risk of developing radiological pulmonary sequelae. Dyspnea evaluated through mMRC scale was reported by 35% of patients with no differences between groups, compared to 29% at 6-month follow-up. Conclusion DLCO alteration and non-fibrotic interstitial lung abnormalities are common after 1 year from hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, particularly in older patients requiring higher ventilatory support. Studies with longer follow-ups are needed.

This paper presents an annotated metadata corpus of English language book reviews from Goodreads and annotation guidelines developed to tag online book reviews for mentions of story world absorption. The metadata corpus includes the segments of each review that have been annotated, the annotation category, the title and author of the book that is reviewed, the rating, the genre of the book reviewed, the length of the review in characters and tokens, and the on- and offset of the annotation. The corpus and guidelines could be used to further investigate the experience of absorption during reading.

The increasing livestock farming in the province of Mendoza requests the acquisition of further knowledge on winter forage crops, annual grasses that produce a large volume of good quality biomass in a short time. The most widely used winter forage crops in Argentina are oats, rye and barley. To assess forage productivity in the northern oasis of Mendoza, an experimental factorial design combined 2 sowing dates (March 21, 2019, and April 29, 2019) and three winter forage crops: oats (Blanca Cristal INTA), rye (Lisandro INTA) and barley (Alicia INTA). Results showed no interaction between sowing dates and forage species. March sowing date was 27% more productive and offered a longer grazing period than April sowing (more than five months in March sowing and more than one month in April sowing). Oat showed the highest yield, differing significantly from rye and barley. Highlights • March sowings produced more forage than April sowings. • Days from sowing to first grazzing are less in March sowings.

Abstract Aims Intense health‐care service use and high mortality are common in heart failure (HF) patients. This secondary analysis of the MOTIVATE‐HF trial investigates the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) in reducing health‐care service use (e.g. emergency service use and hospitalizations) and all‐cause mortality. Methods and results This study used a randomized controlled trial. Patients and caregivers were randomized to Arm 1 (MI for patients), Arm 2 (MI for patients and caregivers), or Arm 3 (control group). Data were collected at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Face‐to‐face MI plus three telephone calls were performed in Arms 1 and 2. The sample consisted of 510 patient (median age 74 years, 58% male patients) and caregiver dyads (median age 55 years, 75% female patients). At 12 months, 16.1%, 17%, and 11.2% of patients used health‐care services at least once in Arms 1, 2, and 3, respectively, without significant difference. At 3 months, 1.9%, 0.6%, and 5.1% of patients died in Arms 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Mortality was lower in Arm 2 vs. Arm 3 at 3 months [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.112, 95% CI: 0.014–0.882, P = 0.04]; no difference was found at subsequent follow‐ups. Mortality was lower in Arm 1 vs. Arm 3 at 3 months but did not reach statistical significance (HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.104–1.414, P = 0.15). Conclusion This study suggests that MI reduces mortality in patients with HF if caregivers are included in the intervention. Further studies with a stronger intervention and longer follow‐up are needed to clarify the benefits of MI on health‐care service use and mortality.

Egg parasitoids play an important role in biological control of pest species attacking and killing their hosts at an early stage of their development. During the antagonistic coevolution with their hosts, egg parasitoids have developed a great ability to locate their host using chemical cues. A considerable amount of literature is available on this topic, while nothing is known about a possible adaptation of egg parasitoids to topography and mechanical properties of egg surface features and its shape when attaching to the host egg for oviposition. In the present investigation, the attachment ability of adults of both sexes of the egg parasitoid Anastatus bifasciatus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) to artificial (polishing paper, flat glass, glass beads as dummies of the host egg) and natural surfaces (eggs of Halyomorpha halys and Nezara viridula, both Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), with different roughness and wettability, was measured using centrifugal force tester and traction force experiments. The parasitoid attachment devices and the egg surfaces were examined under cryo scanning electron microscope, wettability and roughness of natural and artificial substrates were characterised. We detected differences in the attachment devices and attachment ability of the two sexes. The collected data revealed a special ability of the female to attach to the eggs of the host species, thus suggesting an adaptation of the A. bifasciatus female to the surface features of the eggs during oviposition.

Background: The exoscope is a high-definition telescope recently introduced in neurosurgery. In the past few years, several reports have described the advantages and disadvantages of such technology. No studies have compared results of surgery with standard microscope and exoscope in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods: Our retrospective study encompassed 177 patients operated on for GBM (WHO 2021) between February 2017 and August 2022. A total of 144 patients were operated on with a microscope only and the others with a 3D4K exoscope only. All clinical and radiological data were collected. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) have been estimated in the two groups and compared by the Cox model adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., sex, age, Karnofsky performance status, gross total resection, MGMT methylated promoter, and operator’s experience). Results: IDH was mutated in 9 (5.2%) patients and MGMT was methylated in 76 (44.4%). Overall, 122 patients received a gross total resection, 14 patients received a subtotal resection, and 41 patients received a partial resection. During follow-up, 139 (73.5%) patients experienced tumor recurrence and 18.7% of them received a second surgery. After truncation to 12 months, the median PFS for patients operated on with the microscope was 8.82 months, while for patients operated on with the exoscope it was >12 months. Instead, the OS was comparable in the two groups. The multivariable Cox model showed that the use of microscope compared to the exoscope was associated with lower progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 3.55, 95%CI = 1.66–7.56, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The exoscope has proven efficacy in terms of surgical resection, which was not different to that of the microscope. Furthermore, patients operated on with the exoscope had a longer PFS. A comparable OS was observed between microscope and exoscope, but further prospective studies with longer follow-up are needed.

Plants and herbivorous insects, as well as their natural enemies such as predatory and parasitoid insects, are united by intricate relationships [...]

Hyponatremia is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients. An elevated value of the serum urea-to-creatinine ratio (UCR) has been proposed as a proxy of hypovolemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the UCR and in-hospital death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and hyponatremia. We studied 258 patients admitted for COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2021 with serum sodium at < 135 mmol/L. The primary end-point was all-cause mortality. A 5-unit increase in the serum UCR during hospital stays was associated with an 8% increase in the hazard of all-cause death (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.14, p = 0.001) after adjusting for potential confounders. In patients with a UCR > 40 at baseline, a > 10 mmol/L increase in serum sodium values within the first week of hospitalization was associated with higher odds of in-hospital death (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.03–8.36, p = 0.044) compared to patients who experienced a < 10 mmol/L change. This was not observed in patients with a UCR < 40. Hypovolemia developing during hospital stays in COVID-19 patients with hyponatremia detected at hospital admission bears an adverse prognostic impact. Moreover, in hypovolemic patients, a > 10 mmol/L increase in serum sodium within the first week of hospital stays may further worsen the in-hospital prognosis.

Manuela Rebora et al. use electron and fluorescence microscopy together with reflectance spectra to examine structural white patches present in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae. Their results suggest that white coloring is a result of transparent cuticle and modified air sacs within these patches, providing further insight into how structural white emerges in insects.