Walnut Consumption, Plasma Metabolomics, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

2021

BACKGROUND: Walnut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it is unknown whether plasma metabolites related to walnut consumption are also associated with lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify plasma metabolites associated with walnut consumption and evaluate the prospective associations between the identified profile and risk of T2D and CVD. METHODS: The discovery population included 1833 participants at high cardiovascular risk from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study with available metabolomics data at baseline. The study population included 57% women (baseli…

Questionnaire d’enquête sur les rotations de culture en Région Centre. Février 2016

2021

On the duration of sovereign ratings cycle phases

2021

Abstract Using long-term sovereign ratings data for a panel of 130 countries over the last three decades, we investigate the duration and determinants of sovereign rating phases through the lens of discrete-time Weibull models. We find that the likelihood of the end of the ‘speculative-grade’ phase increases as time goes by (i.e. there is positive duration dependence), but the ‘investment-grade’ phase is not duration dependent. Thus, for sovereigns rated as speculative, the build-up of reputation as good borrowers is a gradual process, whereas the reputation of investment-grade sovereigns solidifies and remains unchanged as time passes. However, the length of both phases significantly depen…

THE “SALT-TASTING” NEWBORN

2021

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1) is a rare genetic disease due to the peripheral resistance to aldosterone. Clinical spectrum with neonatal onset includes salt loss, hyponatremia, hypochloraemia, hyperkalaemia, metabolic acidosis and increased plasmatic levels of aldosterone. Two forms of the disease - renal and systemic – have been described, which are genetically distinct and with wide clinical expressivity. The most severe generalized PHA1 is caused by mutations in the genes encoding for the subunits of the epithelial sodium channels (ENaC). The paper reports the case of a newborn of the first pregnancy of healthy and consanguineous Sicilian parents, with a clinical and hormonal pic…

Rapid determination of pharmaceuticals in wastewater by direct infusion HRMS using target and suspect screening analysis

2021

Abstract A wide-scope screening of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their transformation products (TPs) in wastewater can yield valuable insights and pinpoint emerging contaminants that have not been previously reported. Such information is relevant to investigate their occurrence and fate in various environmental compartments. In this study, we explored the applicability of direct infusion high resolution mass spectrometry (DI-HRMS) for comprehensive and rapid detection of APIs and their TPs in wastewater samples. The method was developed using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) system and incorporated both wide-scope suspect screening and…

Temperature-induced microstructural changes in shells of laboratory-grown Arctica islandica (Bivalvia).

2021

Bivalve shells are increasingly used as archives for high-resolution paleoclimate analyses. However, there is still an urgent need for quantitative temperature proxies that work without knowledge of the water chemistry–as is required for δ18O-based paleothermometry–and can better withstand diagenetic overprint. Recently, microstructural properties have been identified as a potential candidate fulfilling these requirements. So far, only few different microstructure categories (nacreous, prismatic and crossed-lamellar) of some short-lived species have been studied in detail, and in all such studies, the size and/or shape of individual biomineral units was found to increase with water temperat…

Type and gene location of kit mutations predict progression-free survival to first-line imatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A look into the …

2021

In previous studies on localized GISTs, KIT exon 11 deletions and mutations involving codons 557/558 showed an adverse prognostic influence on recurrence-free survival. In the metastatic setting, there are limited data on how mutation type and codon location might contribute to progression-free survival (PFS) variability to first-line imatinib treatment. We analyzed the type and gene location of KIT and PDGFRA mutations for 206 patients from a GIST System database prospectively collected at an Italian reference center between January 2005 and September 2020. By describing the mutational landscape, we focused on clinicopathological characteristics according to the critical mutations and inve…

In the literature: February 2021

2021

The inattentive on-screen reading: Reading medium affects attention and reading comprehension under time pressure

2021

This study explored the influence of reading media and reading time-frame on readers' on-task attention, metacognitive calibration, and reading comprehension. One hundred and forty undergraduates were allocated to one of four experimental conditions varying on the reading medium (in print vs. on screen) and on the reading time-frame (free vs. pressured time). Readers' mindwandering while reading, prediction of performance on a comprehension test, and their text comprehension were measured. In-print readers, but not on-screen readers, mindwandered less on the pressured than in the free time condition, indicating higher task adaptation in print. Accordingly, on-screen readers in the pressured…

Sexual Health in HIV-Positive Men Under Stable Antiretroviral Therapy During a 12-Month Period

2021

Sexual health is becoming increasingly important for many HIV-positive men undergoing highly effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) but remains frequently unaddressed in routine clinical consultation.To comprehensively evaluate sexual health in male patients with HIV on stable ART over a 12-month period.The prospectively registered cohort study comprising 87 HIV-positive men on stable ART (median age: 43 years) was conducted between 2011 and 2015 at a university hospital. Patients were enrolled from the outpatient infectious disease unit and underwent an extensive andrological workup to assess parameters of sexual health (questionnaires, sex hormones, ultrasound, 2-glass urine test includin…

A Double Bypass? Tracing How the Aims of Religious Education Are Negotiated Across Different Dimensions of the Curriculum in Norway

2021

Religious education (RE) across Europe is drawn between promoting intercultural education and fostering national community. Examining the national curriculum and three RE textbooks in Norway, I fin...

Paths of hybridization among journalism, politics, and public sector communication in Italy

2021

This article argues that in Italy there is a new problematic relationship among journalism, politics, and public sector organizations due to the permanence of some traditional features in the informative context as well as to the success of infotainment logic and to the pervasive use of social media. In the new hybrid digi-tal ecosystem, a redefinition of the social role of information is necessary to un-derstand the perspectives for journalism and public sector communication. Info-tainment and politainment enhance the hybridization of Italian public sector communication formats and styles mainly on social media platforms. This process has consequences on interactions and overplays between …

Asymmetric hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate over aqueous dispersed Pt nanoparticles stabilized by a cinchonidine-functionalized β-cyclodextrin

2021

International audience; Cinchonidine-functionalized β-cyclodextrin was used as stabilizing agent for platinum nanoparticles dispersed in water, but also as chiral modifier for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate at 30 °C under 40 bar of hydrogen. This functionalized cyclodextrin allowed getting more stable, more catalytically active and also more enantioselective Pt nanoparticles compared to control catalytic systems. NMR and MALDI-MS analyses clearly showed the reduction of the vinyl group of the cinchonidine graft during the nanoparticles preparation. Under hydrogen pressure, the hydrogenation of the quinolinic moiety was also proven and can be responsible for the difficul…

Cmentarz Sapieżyński w Stanisławowie

2021

This article presents the history of one of the largest Polish cemeteries in the Eastern Borderlands. Thousands of Poles, including artists, poets, writers, sculptors, prominent politicians, local government officials and soldiers fighting for Polish independence in various uprisings, were buried in the Sapieżyński Cemetery during its 200-year-long history. The necropolis was closed down by the Soviet authorities in 1980, and the entire area was bulldozed. Crushed tombstones were transported outside the city, and a theater building and a hotel were developed on the site. The paper recreates the cemetery’s history and tells the life stories of the most prominent individuals who were laid to …

Spectral and structural insights of copper reduction pathways in the system of CuX2-R2S (X=Cl, Br; R=allyl, n-propyl)

2021

Abstract We have explored the behaviour of Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox couple in the system CuX2-R2S, X = Cl, Br; R = allyl, n-propyl, under anhydrous and anaerobic conditions, thus simulating the reduction half cycle in the copper catalyzed oxidation of thioethers. In doing so, the Cl−Br substitution was critical for tuning the reduction potentials, while the replacement of propyl group by allyl group supported the trapping of oxidation by-product, halogen molecules. It was therefore possible to use the spectrophotometric titration, thereby providing information on the distribution of complex species in acetonitrile solution. The study showed that the trinuclear mixed−valence copper (I-II-II) aggre…

Mirosław J. Leszka / Kirił Marinow (eds.). The Bulgarian State in 927–969. The Epoch of Tsar Peter I.

2021

Immunological characteristics of non-intensive care hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A preliminary report

2021

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is posing a threat to global health. This disease has different clinical manifestations and different outcomes. The immune response to the novel 2019 coronavirus is complex and involves both innate and adaptive immunity. In this context, cell-mediated immunity plays a vital role in effective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Significant differences have been observed when comparing severe and non-severe patients. Since these immunological characteristics have not been fully elucidated, we aimed to use cluster analysis to investigate the immune cell patterns in patients with COVID-19 who required hospitalization but not intensive care. We identi…

The Role of Autophagy in Eye Diseases

2021

Autophagy is a catabolic process that ensures homeostasis in the cells of our organism. It plays a crucial role in protecting eye cells against oxidative damage and external stress factors. Ocular pathologies of high incidence, such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are of multifactorial origin and are associated with genetic, environmental factors, age, and oxidative stress, among others; the latter factor is one of the most influential in ocular diseases, directly affecting the processes of autophagy activity. Alteration of the normal functioning of autophagy processes can interrupt organelle turnover, leading to the accumulation of cellula…

The Use of Winery by-Products to Enhance the Functional Aspects of the Fresh Ovine “Primosale” Cheese

2021

Fresh ovine “primosale” cheese was processed with the addition of grape pomace powder (GPP). Cheese making was performed using pasteurized ewes’ milk and four selected Lactococcus lactis strains (Mise36, Mise94, Mise169 and Mise190) inoculated individually. For each strain the control cheese (CCP) was not added with GPP, while the experimental cheese (ECP) was enriched with 1% (w/w) GPP. GPP did not influence the starter development that reached levels of 109 CFU/g in all final cheeses. The comparison of the bacterial isolates by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR showed the dominance of the added strains over indigenous milk bacteria resistant to pasteurization. GPP addition red…

Characterizing the Theory of Mind Network in Schizophrenia Reveals a Sparser Network Structure

2021

AbstractImpaired social functioning is a hallmark of schizophrenia and altered functional integration between distant brain regions are expected to account for signs and symptoms of the disorder. The functional neuroarchitecture of a network relevant for social functioning, the mentalizing network, is however poorly understood. In this study we examined dysfunctions of the mentalizing network in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls via dynamic causal modelling and an interactive social decision-making game. Network characteristics were analyzed on a single subject basis whereas graph theoretic metrics such as in-degree, out-degree and edge-connectivity per network node w…

An International Survey of Quality and Safety Programs in Radiology

2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the status of radiology quality improvement programs in a variety of selected nations worldwide. Methods: A survey was developed by select members of the International Economics Committee of the American College of Radiology on quality programs and was distributed to committee members. Members responded on behalf of their country. The 51-question survey asked about 12 different quality initiatives which were grouped into 4 themes: departments, users, equipment, and outcomes. Respondents reported whether a designated type of quality initiative was used in their country and answered subsequent questions further characterizing it. Results: The re…

Botāniskā dārza sekciju Augu daudzveidības pētījumi ex situ, Augu selekcija un introdukcija tēžu krājums

2021

Latvijas Universitātes 79. starptautiskās zinātniskās konferences Botāniskā dārza sekcijas Augu daudzveidības pētījumi ex situ un Augu selekcija un introdukcija notika 2021. gada 4. februārī. Krājumā ir 12 ziņojumu kopsavilkumi.

Motifs de démotorisation des actifs et retraités dans les aires urbaines françaises : premiers résultats statistiques de l'enquête MoDe

2021

Based on a nationwide quantitative survey conducted on 2,000 households (including 1,000 demotorised households and 1,000 non-demotorised twin households), we propose to provide an overview of demotorisation in France. This survey by questionnaire was conducted during the winter of 2017-2018 with a panel of households representative of the French population (from the Metaskope panel of Kantar-TNS ex-TNS-Sofres). Combined with the ?Parc Auto? panel survey (Kantar-TNS for Ademe-CCFA-Ifsttar-DSR), this survey is an original source of data on the French demotorised households. From two multinomial logit regression models, for both active and retired populations, this data allows to highlight th…

A pilot study on non-invasive treatment of migraine: The self-myofascial release

2021

The aims of this paper was to determine the effect of self-myofascial release (SMFR) on postural stability and to analyze if it can influence migraine condition. Twenty-five subjects (age 49.7±12.5) affected by migraine were enrolled. Assessments included a stabilometric analysis in order to evaluate balance and plantar support, with eyes open (OE) and closed (CE); cervical ROM measurement; evaluation of upper limb strength through handgrip. All the analysis were carried out before and after the administration of a single SMFR protocol, using medium density small balls laid in the three most painful trigger points in migraine patients: trapezius, sternocleidomastoids and suboccipital muscle…

An annihilator-based strategy for the automatic detection of exponential polynomial spaces in subdivision

2021

Abstract Exponential polynomials are essential in subdivision for the reconstruction of specific families of curves and surfaces, such as conic sections and quadric surfaces. It is well known that if a linear subdivision scheme is able to reproduce a certain space of exponential polynomials, then it must be level-dependent, with rules depending on the frequencies (and eventual multiplicities) defining the considered space. This work discusses a general strategy that exploits annihilating operators to locally detect those frequencies directly from the given data and therefore to choose the correct subdivision rule to be applied. This is intended as a first step towards the construction of se…

Durvalumab after definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced NSCLC: Data of the German EAP

2021

Following the PACIFIC trial, durvalumab has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for consolidation of locally advanced PD-L1-positive NSCLC after chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Patients were treated with durvalumab in the EAP from 22.11.2017 to 15.10.2018 allowing analysis of its efficacy and safety. 211 patients were registered by 90 German centres. Data were collected retrospectively by questionnaire and queries. 56 centres reported data on 126 patients who actually received at least one cycle of durvalumab. In contrast to the PACIFIC-trial population, some patients with oligometastatic disease and a history of autoimmune disease are included in the EAP population. Information o…

Gender differences in bicycle sharing system usage in the city of Valencia

2021

Abstract Bicycle sharing systems (BSS) in cities are an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil-fuel-based transport. Among the different factors that influence its use, the scientific literature points out that there are gender differences in the frequency of trips made. The present study analysed the movements of men and women who use the BSS in the city of Valencia during weekdays. Our database contained a total of 5,300,328 trips by users over a period of 4 years. Ridership networks were constructed through user's trips (arcs) between the bicycle exchange stations (nodes). Different parameters of centrality and density of the generated networks were calculated, and the Voronoi sp…

Narratives and Counter-Narratives about Radicalization: Experiences of Moderation of an Online Communication Campaign

2021

This paper presents the results of a cyber-ethnographic study. The research analyzes the dynamics that make, calm and increase the radicalization narratives. This study is part of the Oltre project (ISF - DG Migration and Home Affairs, EU) which directly involved 42 Italian and second generation youths in the dissemination and moderation of an online communication campaign in order to prevent radicalized behaviors. This paper illustrates how the young “moderators” interacted each other, highlighting how counter-narratives can represent useful tools for deconstructing "complex" issues such as radicalization. Furthermore, the paper shows (using social network analysis) how on the social media…

Multicompartmental Lipopolyplex as Vehicle for Antigens and Genes Delivery in Vaccine Formulations

2021

Vector design and its characterization is an area of great interest in current vaccine research. In this article, we have formulated and characterized a multicompartmental lipopolyplex, which associates multiple liposomes and polyplexes in the same complex. These particles allow the simultaneous delivery of lipid or water-soluble antigens associated with genes to the same cell, in much higher amounts than conventional lipopolyplexes. The vector characterization and optimization were carried out using liposomes with entrapped carboxyfluorescein and adapted electrophoretic assays. Two types of lipopolyplexes (containing hydrophilic or lipophilic antigens) were employed to evaluate their inter…

Decay of the key 92-keV resonance in the 25Mg(p,γ) reaction to the ground and isomeric states of the cosmic γ-ray emitter 26Al

2021

Abstract The 92-keV resonance in the 25Mg ( p , γ ) 26 Al reaction plays a key role in the production of 26Al at astrophysical burning temperatures of ≈100 MK in the Mg-Al cycle. However, the state can decay to feed either the ground, 26 g Al, or isomeric state, 26 m Al. It is the ground state that is critical as the source of cosmic γ rays. It is therefore important to precisely determine the ground-state branching fraction f 0 of this resonance. Here we report on the identification of four γ-ray transitions from the 92-keV resonance, and determine the spin of the state and its ground-state branching fraction f 0 = 0.52 ( 2 ) s t a t ( 6 ) s y s t . The f 0 value is the most precise report…

Twig and Shoot Dieback of Citrus, a New Disease Caused by Colletotrichum Species

2021

(1) Background: This study was aimed at identifying the Colletotrichum species associated with twig and shoot dieback of citrus, a new syndrome occurring in the Mediterranean region and also reported as emerging in California. (2) Methods: Overall, 119 Colletotrichum isolates were characterized. They were recovered from symptomatic trees of sweet orange, mandarin and mandarin-like fruits during a survey of citrus groves in Albania and Sicily (southern Italy). (3) Results: The isolates were grouped into two distinct morphotypes. The grouping of isolates was supported by phylogenetic sequence analysis of two genetic markers, the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA (ITS) and β-tubulin …

Prognostic Significance of Survivin Expression in Patients with Ovarian Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

2021

Background: Survivin belongs to the protein family of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) and is a regulator of the cell cycle and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and prognostic significance of expression survivin in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods: We systematically searched for articles in PubMed, the American Chemical Society (Publications), Medline, the Royal Society of Chemistry, Scopus and the Web of Science. Patient clinical data, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and survivin expression were extracted from individual studies. We performed statistical analysis using the STATA 16 package. Eighteen publications containing data from 2233 pat…

Growth and geomorphic evolution of the Ustica volcanic complex at the Africa-Europe plate margin (Tyrrhenian Sea)

2021

18 pages, 13 figures, 1 table

Are diabetes and its medications risk factors for the development of COVID-19? Data from a population-based study in Sicily

2021

Abstract Background and aims Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with higher incidence of severe cases of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients, but it is unknown whether DM is a risk factor for the overall COVID-19 incidence. The aim of present study was to investigate whether there is an association of DM with COVID-19 prevalence and case fatality, and between different DM medications and risk for COVID-19 infection and death. Methods and results retrospective observational study on all SARS-CoV-2 positive (SARS-CoV-2+) cases and deaths in Sicily up to 2020, May 14th. No difference in COVID-19 prevalence was found between people with and without DM (RR 0.92 [0.79–1.09]). Case fatality …

Small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding in patient with type 1 Neurofibromatosis: Management and laparos…

2021

Highlights • A multidisciplinary team is mandatory for the correct management of hemorrhagic GIST and its complications. • There is a well-known association between type 1 Neurofibromatosis and GIST. • Type 1 Neurofibromatosis-GIST and sporadic GIST have different behaviour. • In case of localised and resectable GIST surgical treatment is the mainstay. • Laparoscopic approach, if performed correctly, is safe and effective with better short-term outcomes then open surgery.

Lower than low: Perspectives on zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance

2021

Abstract The less-traveled low road in nuclear magnetic resonance is discussed, honoring the contributions of Prof. Bernhard Blumich, aspiring towards reaching ‘a new low.’ A history of the subject and its current status are briefly reviewed, followed by an effort to prophesy possible directions for future developments.