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After COVID-19 vaccination, a spectrum of axillary lymphadenopathy were observed in patients undergoing routine breast ultrasound. Malignancy remains the most serious differential in cases of unilateral axillary adenopathy. Knowledge of axillary ultrasound findings after COVID-19 vaccination is essential to prevent unnecessary biopsy or change in therapy in oncological patients. From March to May 2021, 10 female patients underwent breast ultrasound in our Department for the evaluation of axillary lumps. All the patients received their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine 20–30 days before the exam in the same extremity of the ultrasound evaluation where lymphadenopathy was found. Five patients had a personal history of previous breast cancer, and the radiologist decided to perform a core biopsy (the histology was negative for malignancy). The other five patients with no personal history of cancer underwent ultrasound and returned after a short-term follow-up. Regression of the enlarged lymph nodes was found.

To perform a radiomics analysis in local recurrence (LR) surveillance of limb soft tissue sarcoma (STS)

Silvia Ottaviani,1,2 Eleonora Rondanina,1,2 Floriana Arnone,3 Virna Brucato,3 Roberto Campigli,3 Massimo Della Bona,3 Luca Tagliafico,1,2 Ennio Ottaviani,4 Alessio Nencioni,1,2 Fiammetta Monacelli1,2 1Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, 16132, Italy; 2IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy; 3ASL5 Ospedale San Bartolomeo, Sarzana, Italy; 4Department of Mathematics (DIMA), University of Genoa, Genoa, 16132, ItalyCorrespondence: Fiammetta Monacelli, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche (D.I.M.I.) - Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 6, Genova, GE, 16132, Italy, Tel/Fax +39-010-353-7545, Email fiammetta.monacelli@unige.itPurpose: In recent times, growing uncertainty has emerged regarding the effectiveness of standard pressure ulcer (PU) risk assessment tools, which are suspected to be no better than clinical judgment, especially in the frail and comorbid elderly population. This study aimed to identify the primary clinical predictive variables for PU development and severity in hospitalized older adults, utilizing a multidimensional frailty assessment, and compare them with the Braden scale.Patients and methods: The population consisted of 316 patients, admitted to the Geriatric Unit and Transitional Care of San Bartolomeo Hospital in Sarzana (Italy) during the period 21/02/22-01/07/22. The collected information included both anamnestic and laboratory data. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed, including also anthropometric and physical performance measurements. Multivariate logistic analysis was used, both in a binary classification test and in the subsequent ordinal classification test of severity levels. The final performance of the model was assessed by ROC curve estimation and AUC comparison with the Braden scale.Results: Within the population, 152 subjects (48%) developed PU at different levels of severity. The results showed that age, Braden scale (subscales of mobility and friction/shear), Barthel scale, Mini Nutritional Assessment, hemoglobin, and albumin are predictors associated with the development of PU (AUC 85%). The result is an improvement over the use of the Braden scale alone (AUC 75%). Regarding the identification of predictive factors for PU severity, 4AT also emerges as potentially relevant.Conclusion: Assessing the subject’s nutritional status, physical performance, and functional autonomies enables the effective integration of the Braden scale in identifying patients most susceptible to developing PU. Our findings support the integration of a comprehensive set of methodologically robust frailty determinants into traditional risk assessment tools. This integration reflects the mutual interplay between patients’ frailty, skin frailty, and PU development in very old hospitalized patients.Keywords: chronic wounds, nutrition, pressure injury, health analytics, precision medicine, chronic diseases

La recolección de residuos reciclables en Argentina ha venido mutando sus formas y particularidades, especialmente en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Su deseable aprehensión cuantitativa, en tanto insumo para la elaboración de políticas focalizadas, representa enormes desafíos debido a la naturaleza trashumante, dispersa y heterogénea de la actividad. Para estimar su magnitud se han ejecutado diversas estrategias metodológicas. En este artículo analizamos algunas de ellas y promovemos un ejercicio reflexivo sobre su complejidad y necesidad de adaptación a los contextos locales.

IntroductionAge-related changes occurring in the kidney can lead to a reduction in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR); especially in older adults with multimorbidity and/or frailty, an accurate evaluation of kidney function is critical. For the estimation of GFR in patients over 70 years, CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) is often used. However, validated equations exist for old-age populations like BIS1 (Berlin Initiative Study 1) and FAS (Full Age Spectrum). Here we aimed to compare the performance of CKD-EPI, MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease), BIS1, and FAS in assessing eGFR in a population of patients over 70, to evaluate which equations show the most accurate performance in our setting.Materials and methodsA total of 499 older adults were consecutively recruited in the Orthogeriatric ward and Oncogeriatrics clinic of IRCCS Polyclinic San Martino in Genoa Italy. eGFR was calculated using CKD-EPI, MDRD, BIS1, and FAS, calculating mean, median, standard deviation, and interquartile range. Bland–Altman graphs were used to evaluate how each equation performs with respect to the others and the concordance of the attribution of the KDIGO CKD stage was performed with Cohen’s K constant and chi-squared test.ResultsPatients’ mean age was 82.6 years (± 7.44), and the mean creatinine value was 0.97 (± 0.71) mg/dl. The mean value of eGFR was 70 mL/min with CKD-EPI (± 20.6) and MDRD (± 25.7), 57 mL/min with BIS1 (± 16.7) and FAS (± 19.0), respectively. BIS1 and FAS estimated lower eGFR values than CKD-EPI and MDRD. As age increases, a steady decrease in filtrate value is observed with BIS1 and FAS. MDRD and CDK-EPI do not show the same trend. The performance of the equations at a fixed eGFR value of 30 mL/min is more linear for BIS1 and FAS compared with CKD-EPI and MDRD. Upon evaluation with chi-square, the attribution of KDIGO stage was statistically different among the various equations.DiscussionAn appropriate assessment of renal function is of key clinical relevance to prevent adverse outcomes and risk of drug accumulation in older adults. Our study originally showed that in persons aged more than 70 years old BIS1 is the most accurate formula in calculating eGFR values when only serum creatinine is available.

Introduction Microwave imaging presents several potential advantages including its non-ionising and harmless nature. This open, multicentric, interventional, prospective, non-randomised trial aims to validate MammoWave’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based classification algorithm, leveraging microwave imaging, to achieve a sensitivity exceeding 75% and a specificity exceeding 90% in breast screening.Methods and analysis 10 000 volunteers undergoing regular mammographic breast cancer screening will be recruited across 9 European centres and invited to participate in the clinical study, involving MammoWave testing on both breasts. MammoWave results will be checked against the reference standard, to be intended as the output of conventional breast examination path (with histological confirmation of cancer cases) with 2 years follow-up. Anonymised clinical and MammoWave’s results, including microwave images, associated features and a label provided by the AI-based classification algorithm, will be collected and stored in a dedicated electronic case report form. The prospective study will involve a comparative analysis between the output of the conventional breast examination path (control intervention) and the labels provided by MammoWave’s AI system (experimental intervention). These labels will categorise breasts into two groups: breast With Suspicious Finding, indicating the presence of a suspicious lesion or No Suspicious Finding, indicating the absence of a lesion or the presence of a low-suspicion lesion. This trial aims to provide evidence regarding the novel MammoWave’s AI system for detecting breast cancer in asymptomatic populations during screening.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Liguria Region (CET), Italy (CET-Liguria: 524/2023—DB id 13399), the Research Ethics Committee of Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo (CEIC), Spain (CEIC-1094), the National Ethics Committee for Clinical Research (CEIC), Portugal (CEIC-2311KC814), the Bioethical Committee of Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland (KB-006/23/2024) and the Zurich Cantonal Ethics Commission, Switzerland (BASEC 2023-D0101). The findings of this study will be disseminated through academic and scientific conferences as well as peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number NCT06291896.

Light is critical to coral growth through endosymbiont photosynthesis but can also act with elevated temperatures to cause coral bleaching. When more light is absorbed than can be used for photosynthesis, elevated irradiance can damage symbiont photosynthetic machinery. Hence, solar-radiation management through shading has been suggested to alleviate coral bleaching during marine heatwaves. Acropora divaricata and Acropora kenti were tested at two temperatures with 30% shading and an unshaded control to determine the relative impacts of light and temperature on coral bleaching severity. The coral bleaching response was assessed by photochemical (pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry), physiological (symbiont density, chlorophyll a concentration, catalase activity, and lipid peroxidation), and physical (mean intensity of grey or ‘percentage whiteness’) markers. Shading significantly reduced the bleaching response in A. divaricata, whilst for some parameters A. kenti responded negatively to shade. In A. divaricata, shading prevented photochemical collapse up to the experiment’s maximum 4.4 degree-heating weeks (DHW). Biomarkers of coral bleaching stress responded to shade and water temperature at 4.4 DHW; catalase activity was greatest in the shaded and ambient temperature treatment. Shading did not reduce the effects of bleaching in A. kenti; the mean intensity of grey and light saturation coefficient was greatest in the shaded treatment. Shading did, however, reduce lipid peroxidation at 3 DHW. Our results suggest shading during thermal stress may only protect some coral species, highlighting the need to consider species-specific responses when evaluating the potential efficacy of coral bleaching interventions.

Aging is associated with an increased risk of developing pain, especially in the presence of concurrent chronic clinical conditions. Similarly, multimorbidity can affect the perception and ability of older adults to appropriately respond to and communicate pain, and there is a clinical heterogeneity in the processing of painful sensations in different neurological conditions. The present narrative review is aimed at assessing the prevalent diseases associated with poor communication and pain in older adults, together with the available diagnostic instruments for the clinical assessment of pain in such a vulnerable population. Dementia was the most described pathology identified in the current literature associated with poor communication in older adults affected by pain, along with Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Notably, a common pattern of pain behaviors in these neurological disorders also emerged, indicating potential similarities in the clinical presentation and appropriate diagnostic workout. At the same time, there are many differences in the way patients express their pain according to their main neurological pathology. In addition to this, although a plethora of observation-based tools for pain in patients with dementia have been developed, there is no gold standard, and the clinical utility of such measurements is still largely unaddressed. Meanwhile, there is substantially no standardized observation-based tool for pain in non-communicative patients with Parkinson’s disease, and only a few for stroke. Overall, the present narrative review provides an update on the prevalent diseases beyond dementia associated with a communicative disability and a painful condition in older adults.

BackgroundSarcopenia, characterized by muscle mass, strength, and performance decline, significantly impacts outcomes in older adults. This study aims to assess the predictive value of calf circumference (CC), in conjunction with SARC-F and hand grip, concerning in-hospital complications and post-discharge mortality among hospitalized frail older adults.MethodsA cohort of 158 hospitalized patients aged over 65 years underwent Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and sarcopenia screening, including CC measurement. Multivariable regression analyses, adjusted for confounders, were conducted to assess predictive associations.ResultsThe study cohort, comprising 53% males with a median age of 86 years, exhibited significant sarcopenia prevalence based on SARC-F (85% indicating sarcopenia), hand grip strength (probable sarcopenia in 77% of males and 72% of females), and CC (sarcopenia in 83%). Multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, sex, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), demonstrated associations of CC and SARC-F with in-hospital complications, while CC also showed a significant association with reduced risks of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.441, 95% CI 0.257 to 0.754, p = 0.003) and 90-day mortality (OR 0.714, 95% CI 0.516 to 0.988, p = 0.043).ConclusionThis study provides insights into the predictive accuracy of sarcopenia screening tools on mortality in real-world hospitalized older adults with frailty. Notably, CC emerges as a robust predictor of mortality outcomes. Further research is warranted to validate and elucidate the respective contributions of CC and frailty to mortality in vulnerable populations.

Este trabajo apela a la etnografía como enfoque y metodología, complementado con entrevistas semiestructuradas, para describir el caso de la cooperativa de recuperadores de residuos reciclables Las Madreselvas de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, que forma parte desde 2013 de la gestión de residuos sólidos urbanos secos. Nos enfocamos en sus principales dinámicas socioproductivas, vinculadas a las actividades de recolección, clasificación y comercialización de materiales reciclables a gran escala. Asimismo, detectamos algunos de los nudos críticos que atraviesa esta experiencia de política pública orientada al reciclaje inclusivo, para luego mencionar posibles líneas de solución.

INTRODUCTION: The postnatal activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is usually known as 'minipuberty'. There are still open questions about its biological function and significance depending on sex, gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) with few available longitudinal data. METHODS: A single-centre, longitudinal study to quantify urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH), luteinizing hormone (uLH) and testosterone (uTs) in male neonates. Neonates were enrolled and stratified into three subgroups: full-term boys appropriate for GA (FT AGA); FT boys with BW ≤3rd centile [FT small for gestational age (SGA)]; and preterm (PT) boys ≤33 weeks of GA. Urinary hormones were correlated to simultaneous auxological parameters, linear growth and external genitalia at scheduled time-points. RESULTS: Forty-six boys were recruited, with subgroup sizes FT AGA n=23, FT SGA n=11 and PT n=12. PT boys display a pulsatile pattern of urinary gonadotropins (uGns) with higher levels of uLH and a gradual increase of uTs. Testicular descent started from 29-32 weeks with the peak of uTs. During the first 12-months post-term age (PTA), FT AGA boys displayed a better linear growth (p

The effects of fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles in reducing many aging and disease risk factors indicate it could affect Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we show that FMD cycles reduce cognitive decline and AD pathology in E4FAD and 3xTg AD mouse models, with effects superior to those caused by protein restriction cycles. In 3xTg mice, long-term FMD cycles reduce hippocampal Aβ load and hyperphosphorylated tau, enhance genesis of neural stem cells, decrease microglia number, and reduce expression of neuroinflammatory genes, including superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase (Nox2). 3xTg mice lacking Nox2 or mice treated with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin also display improved cognition and reduced microglia activation compared with controls. Clinical data indicate that FMD cycles are feasible and generally safe in a small group of AD patients. These results indicate that FMD cycles delay cognitive decline in AD models in part by reducing neuroinflammation and/or superoxide production in the brain.

The study aims to define a methodology to evaluate the optimal insulation thickness with reference to the annual energy balance, including both heating and cooling seasons, for different climatic zones, based on three real case studies. The reduction of the heating needs due to the insulation of walls in places with cold climates is a consolidated concept. However, the effects of a high level of insulation of the envelope on the cooling needs has not yet been deeply analysed.The heating and cooling needs have been computed according to UNI/TS 11300 Italian standard by means of a commercial numerical model, varying the sizes of the buildings, the climatic zone, and the level of insulation. All the simulations concern buildings made of reinforced concrete frames with cavity walls, because of their wide diffusion as typical building technology of post war constructions.The work highlights the negative impact of the coating on the cooling needs, especially in the climatic zones with lower degree days. In almost all the climatic zones, the cooling need decreases its peaks during the hottest months (e.g., July or August), while the monthly load increases in the mild months (e.g., May, September) due to the additional thermal load which is no longer dispersed by means of the envelope. In conclusion, a range of optimal thicknesses for insulation for the different Italian climatic zones has been identified based on the total energy need of the building (cooling and heating).

ObjectiveWe investigated the performance of enzyme linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in high-risk patients with hematologic malignancies.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled two cohorts of patients undergoing intensive myelosuppressive or immunosuppressive treatments at high risk for IA. ELISpot was performed to detect Aspergillus-specific T cells producing Interleukin-10.ResultsIn the discovery cohort, a derived cut-off of 40 spot forming cells (SFCs)/106 PBMCs has shown to correctly classify IA cases with a sensitivity and specificity of 89.5% and 88.6%, respectively. This cut-off is lowered to 25 SFC when considering the subset of possible IA patients, with sensitivity and specificity of 76% and 93%, respectively. The application of the 40 SFCs cut-off to the validation cohort resulted in a positivity rate of 83.3% in proven/probable cases and a negativity rate of 92.5% in possible/non-IA cases. Adopting the 25 SCFs cut-off, the assay resulted positive in 83.3% of proven/probable cases while it resulted negative in 66.7% of possible/non-IA cases.ConclusionsELISpot shows promises in the diagnosis of IA and the possibility to use two distinct cut-offs with similar diagnostic performances according to patients' different pre-test probability of infection can widen its use in patients at risk.

The synergic role of vitamin D and the intestinal microbiota in the regulation of the immune system has been thoroughly described in the literature. Vitamin D deficiency and intestinal dysbiosis have shown a pathogenetic role in the development of numerous immune-mediated and allergic diseases. The physiological processes underlying aging and sex have proven to be capable of having a negative influence both on vitamin D values and the biodiversity of the microbiome. This leads to a global increase in levels of systemic inflammatory markers, with potential implications for all immune-mediated diseases and allergic conditions. Our review aims to collect and analyze the relationship between vitamin D and the intestinal microbiome with the immune system and the diseases associated with it, emphasizing the effect mediated by sexual hormones and aging.

AbstractBackground Hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be classified into different clinical phenotypes based on their demographic, clinical, radiology, and laboratory features. We aimed to validate in an external cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients the prognostic value of a previously described phenotyping system (FEN-COVID-19) and to assess the reproducibility of phenotypes development as a secondary analysis.Methods Patients were classified in phenotypes A, B or C according to the severity of oxygenation impairment, inflammatory response, hemodynamic and laboratory tests according to the FEN-COVID-19 method.Results Overall, 992 patients were included in the study, and 181 (18%), 757 (76%) and 54 (6%) of them were assigned to the FEN-COVID-19 phenotypes A, B, and C, respectively. An association with mortality was observed for phenotype C vs. A (hazard ratio [HR] 3.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81–5.30, p