Neck Pain Rehabilitation

2022

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), Neck pain is defned as a pain that comes from an area between the nuchal line and another imaginary line passing through the lower end of the spinous process of frst thoracic vertebra and sagittal plans tangent to the side edges of the neck. Indeed, Neck pain is the most common disorders of the musculoskeletal system, second only to low back pain. It constitutes 40% of all backache and is the fourth cause of disability, with an annual incidence of 83 per 100,000 individuals, aged between 13 and 91 years, in the US [1]. This pain may also radiate to the upper limbs if there is a nerve root compression, the distribution …

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOS…

2022

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with…

HYPERBLEND: SIMULATING SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE AND TRANSMITTANCE OF LEAF TISSUE WITH BLENDER

2022

Abstract. Remotely sensing vegetation condition and health hazards requires modeling the connection of plants’ biophysical and biochemical parameters to their spectral response. Even though many models exist already, the field suffers from lack of access to program code. In this study, we will assess the feasibility of open-source 3D-modeling and rendering software Blender in simulating hyperspectral reflectance and transmittance of leaf tissue to serve as a base for a more advanced large-scale simulator. This is the first phase of a larger HyperBlend project, which will provide a fully open-source, canopy scale leaf optical properties model for simulating remotely sensed hyperspectral imag…

A single-point approach based on nonactive power factor for the assessment of harmonic distortion sources in power systems

2022

This paper presents a study on the use of power factor indicators for the assessment of harmonic distortion sources in power systems. In detail the analysis is focused on the comparison between the proposed nonactive power factor (Q1/N) and the indicators of the IEEE Std. 1459-2010, and on the indicators feasibility in identifying the presence of harmonic distortion sources. As discussed in the paper, the proposed indicator can be evaluated with good accuracy, by means of typical power quantities measurements at the point of common coupling (PCC). Thus its measurement can be feasibly implemented in commercial platforms used for smart metering applications. To verify the proposal validity, s…

Responsible cognitive digital clones as decision-makers: A design science research study

2022

This study uses a design science research methodology to develop and evaluate the Pi-Mind agent, an information technology artefact that acts as a responsible, resilient, ubiquitous cognitive clone – or a digital copy – and an autonomous representative of a human decision-maker. Pi-Mind agents can learn the decision-making capabilities of their “donors” in a specific training environment based on generative adversarial networks. A trained clone can be used by a decision-maker as an additional resource for one’s own cognitive enhancement, as an autonomous representative, or even as a replacement when appropriate. The assumption regarding this approach is as follows: when someone was forced t…

Effects of Central and Peripheral Fatigue on Impact Characteristics during Running.

2022

Fatigue and impact can represent an injury risk factor during running. The objective of this study was to compare the impact transmission along the locomotor system between the central and peripheral fatigued states during running. Tibial and head acceleration as well as shock attenuation in the time- and frequency-domain were analyzed during 2-min of treadmill running in the pre- and post-fatigue state in eighteen male popular runners (N = 18). The impact transmission was measured before and after a 30-min central fatigue protocol on the treadmill or a peripheral fatigue protocol in the quadricep and hamstring muscles using an isokinetic dynamometer. The time-domain acceleration variables …

Prostate health index (PHI) as a reliable biomarker for prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

2022

Abstract Objectives Prostate cancer (PCa) represents the second most common solid cancer in men worldwide. In the last decades, the prostate health index (PHI) emerged as a reliable biomarker for detecting PCa and differentiating between non-aggressive and aggressive forms. However, before introducing it in clinical practice, more evidence is required. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis for assessing the diagnostic performance of PHI for PCa and for detecting clinically significant PCa (csPCa). Methods Relevant publications were identified by a systematic literature search on PubMed and Web of Science from inception to January 11, 2022. Results Sixty studies, including…

Bi-coherent states as generalized eigenstates of the position and the momentum operators

2022

AbstractIn this paper, we show that the position and the derivative operators, $${{\hat{q}}}$$ q ^ and $${{\hat{D}}}$$ D ^ , can be treated as ladder operators connecting various vectors of two biorthonormal families, $${{{\mathcal {F}}}}_\varphi $$ F φ and $${{{\mathcal {F}}}}_\psi $$ F ψ . In particular, the vectors in $${{{\mathcal {F}}}}_\varphi $$ F φ are essentially monomials in x, $$x^k$$ x k , while those in $${{{\mathcal {F}}}}_\psi $$ F ψ are weak derivatives of the Dirac delta distribution, $$\delta ^{(m)}(x)$$ δ ( m ) ( x ) , times some normalization factor. We also show how bi-coherent states can be constructed for these $${{\hat{q}}}$$ q ^ and $${{\hat{D}}}$$ D ^ , both as con…

Contrasting temperature responses in seasonal timing of cercariae shedding by Rhipidocotyle trematodes

2022

AbstractGlobal warming is likely to lengthen the seasonal duration of larval release by parasites. We exposed freshwater mussel hosts, Anodonta anatina, from 2 high-latitude populations to high, intermediate and low temperatures throughout the annual cercarial shedding period of the sympatric trematodes Rhipidocotyle fennica and R. campanula, sharing the same transmission pathway. At the individual host level, under warmer conditions, the timing of the cercarial release in both parasite species shifted towards seasonally earlier period while its duration did not change. At the host population level, evidence for the lengthening of larvae shedding period with warming was found for R. fennica…

Acoustic wave tunneling across a vacuum gap between two piezoelectric crystals with arbitrary symmetry and orientation

2022

It is not widely appreciated that an acoustic wave can “jump” or “tunnel” across a vacuum gap between two piezoelectric solids, nor has the general case been formulated or studied in detail. Here, we remedy that situation, by presenting a general formalism and approach to study such an acoustic tunneling effect between two arbitrarily oriented anisotropic piezoelectric semi-infinite crystals. The approach allows one to solve for the reflection and transmission coefficients of all the partial-wave modes, and is amenable to practical numerical or even analytical implementation, as we demonstrate by a few chosen examples. The formalism can be used in the future for quantitative studies of the …

Investigating exotic heavy-light tetraquarks with 2+1 flavour lattice QCD

2022

Recovery of cork forests and enhancement of by-products

2022

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a tree species native to the western Mediterranean Basin (EUFORGEN 2019). Cork oak forests are human-shaped ecosystems that have to be managed to be preserved in a long-term perspective. Cork oak stands range from closed forests to open woodlands, provide high ecosystem services, mainly through cork production, support high biodiversity and provide carbon storage and water regulation services. Due to their important ecological role, these ecosystems are listed in the European Habitats Directive (Habitat 9330: Quercus suber forests, EEC, 1992). In the last years, especially in Italy, cork oak stands are undergoing a relevant regression due to the decline of tra…

Semileptonic $b \to u$ decays and $|V_{ub}|$

2022

Assessment of oral manifestations in pediatric patients with celiac disease in relation to marsh types

2022

To investigate the presence of molar-incisor hypoplasia and recurrent aphthous ulcers, the level of caries experience, and oral hygiene status, and to measure salivary flow rate, salivary buffer capacity, and salivary cariogenic microflora with Marsh types. A single-blind, prospective clinical study with 62 pediatric patients diagnosed with celiac disease with 64 controls. Clinical identification of molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) was followed according to the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry criteria. DMFS and dfs index were used for the caries experience of each child. The clinical diagnosis of RAU was present or not. Oral hygiene was surveyed by recording the OHI-S and the …

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Risk Perception during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Fear of COVID-19

2022

The COVID-19 pandemic, a period of uncertainty and risk, has presented a threat to people’s physical and mental health worldwide. Previous research has shown that pandemic-related uncertainty can contribute to individuals’ psychological distress and coping responses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and risk perception (i.e., individual’s perceived likelihood of becoming infected both for themselves and people in one’s own country and perceived severity of the infection), and the mediating role of fear of COVID-19. This two-wave longitudinal study (T1 = April 2020; T2 = May 2020) involved 486 youn…

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Antibodies Are Higher in Lupus Nephritis and Vasculitis than Other Glomerulonephritis Patients

2022

AbstractAngiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) antibodies are considered non-HLA (human leukocyte antigen) antibodies connected with humoral rejection after kidney transplantation. The role of AT1R antibodies in the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases and systemic vasculitis is unknown. We assessed the level of AT1R antibodies in 136 patients with different types of glomerulonephritis and systemic vasculitis and we observed kidney function and proteinuria, serum albumin and total protein levels for 2 years. The mean levels of AT1R antibodies were the following: 6.00 ± 1.31 U/ml in patients with membranous nephropathy (n = 18), 5.67 ± 1.31 U/ml with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (n =…

Diagnostic Multidisciplinary Investigations for Cultural Heritage at Etna Volcano: A Case Study from the 1669 Eruption in the Mother Church at the Ol…

2022

Misterbianco is located on the southern flank of Mt. Etna (Unesco site), in eastern Sicily (Italy). This site, also known as Monasterium Album, has a long and tormented history linked with volcanic activity of Mt. Etna and regional seismicity. This site received much attention in the 2000s when excavation works brought to light a 14th century church remains below the thick layer of the 1669 lava. This study documents the first diagnostic multidisciplinary survey performed at this site 350 years after the eruption: the investigations were performed by using techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, infrared thermography, a terrestrial laser scanner and a drone survey to analyze the site’s…

Solubility and solvation features of native cyclodextrins in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

2022

The comprehension of the mechanism entailing efficient solvation of cyclodextrins (CD) by green solvents is of great relevance to boost environmentally sustainable usages of smart supramolecular systems. Here, 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium acetate, an ecofriendly ionic liquid (IL), is considered as an excellent solvent for native CDs. This IL efficiently dissolves up to 40 wt.% β- and γ-CD already at ambient temperature and X-ray scattering indicates that CDs do not tend to detrimental flocculation under these drastic concentration conditions. Simu- lation techniques reveal the intimate mechanism of CD solvation by the ionic species: while the strong hydrogen bonding acceptor acetate anion i…

HL7 FHIR with SNOMED-CT to Achieve Semantic and Structural Interoperability in Personal Health Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study

2022

Heterogeneity is a problem in storing and exchanging data in a digital health information system (HIS) following semantic and structural integrity. The existing literature shows different methods to overcome this problem. Fast healthcare interoperable resources (FHIR) as a structural standard may explain other information models, (e.g., personal, physiological, and behavioral data from heterogeneous sources, such as activity sensors, questionnaires, and interviews) with semantic vocabularies, (e.g., Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine—Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT)) to connect personal health data to an electronic health record (EHR). We design and develop an intuitive health coaching (eCoach…

Depth-Aware Multi-object Tracking in Spherical Videos

2022

This paper deals with the multi-object tracking (MOT) problem in videos acquired by 360-degree cameras. Targets are tracked by a frame-by-frame association strategy. At each frame, candidate targets are detected by a pre-trained state-of-the-art deep model. Associations to the targets known till the previous frame are found by solving a data association problem considering the locations of the targets in the scene. In case of a missing detection, a Kalman filter is used to track the target. Differently than works at the state-of-the-art, the proposed tracker considers the depth of the targets in the scene. The distance of the targets from the camera can be estimated by geometrical facts pec…

IAEA Contribution to Nanosized Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals for Drug Delivery.

2022

The rapidly growing interest in the application of nanoscience in the future design of radiopharmaceuticals and the development of nanosized radiopharmaceuticals in the late 2000′s, resulted in the creation of a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2014. This CRP entitled ‘Nanosized delivery systems for radiopharmaceuticals’ involved a team of expert scientist from various member states. This team of scientists worked on a number of cutting-edge areas of nanoscience with a focus on developing well-defined, highly effective and site-specific delivery systems of radiopharmaceuticals. Specifically, focus areas of various teams of scientists com…

El bisbe Hug de Llupià, la Mare de Déu i Jaume I

2022

L’article examina la implicació del bisbe Hug de Llupià, àlies Bages (1397-1427), en la promoció del patrimoni artístic de la catedral de València a través de les figures de la Mare de Déu i del rei Jaume I. D’una banda, s’analitza la miniatura del foli 6r del Liber instrumentorum (Arxiu de la Catedral de València, Ms. 162) i els paral lelismes que aquesta obra estableix amb determinades imatges marianes. La devoció mariana del bisbe es constatava en un grup d’obres elaborades per destres artesans, que convé relacionar-les amb la defensa del dogma de la Immaculada Concepció. D’una altra, es comenta el document que certifica l’exposició de les armes de Jaume I –l’escut, l’esperó i el fre del…

Isolated childhood growth hormone deficiency: a 30-year experience on final height and a new prediction model

2022

Purpose We aimed to evaluate the near-final height (nFHt) in a large cohort of pediatricpatients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and to elaborate a new predictive method of nFHt. Methods We recruited GHD patients diagnosed between 1987 and 2014 and followed-up until nFHt. To predict the values of nFHt, each predictor was run in a univariable spline. Results We enrolled 1051 patients. Pre-treatment height was -2.43 SDS, lower than parental height (THt) (-1.09 SDS, p < 0.001). The dose of recombinant human GH (rhGH) was 0.21mg/kg/week at start of treatment. nFHt was -1.08 SDS (height gain 1.27 SDS), higher than pre-treatment height (p < 0.001) and comparable to THt. 1.6% of the pat…

Targeting of the Peritumoral Adipose Tissue Microenvironment as an Innovative Antitumor Therapeutic Strategy

2022

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in promoting and sustaining cancer growth. Adipose tissue (AT), due to its anatomical distribution, is a prevalent component of TME, and contributes to cancer development and progression. Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs), reprogrammed by cancer stem cells (CSCs), drive cancer progression by releasing metabolites and inflammatory adipokines. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional crosstalk among CAAs, CSCs, and stromal cells. Moreover, we focus on the recent advances in the therapeutic targeting of adipocyte-released factors as an innovative strategy to counteract cancer progression.

Determination of trace levels of organic fining agents in wines: Latest and relevant findings

2022

The production of red wine plays a key role in the local and international economies of several nations. During the winemaking process, to clarify the final product, before bottling, and to remove undesired substances (proteins, phenols, and tannins), fining agents are commonly added to wines. These substances have different origins (animal and vegetable proteins or mineral compounds), and they show a potential risk for the health of allergic subjects. For these reasons, the residues of fining agents, constituted by exogenous proteins based on gluten, egg, and milk proteins, should not be present in the final product and their trace residues should be quantified with accuracy. In the last d…

General and special education teachers’ knowledge about reading comprehension processes and instructional practices

2022

AbstractThe study investigated teachers’ knowledge of reading comprehension processes and reading comprehension instruction. The study was carried out among teachers (N = 65) in Estonia. The content analysis classified qualitative data from semi-structured interviews as quantitative data. The results showed that teachers’ content knowledge about reading comprehension processes and pedagogical knowledge of reading comprehension instruction were considerably variable yet mostly limited. Special education teachers (n = 37) mentioned a wider range of reading strategies than classroom teachers (n = 28). When describing how to support struggling readers, significant differences emerged between th…

Elaborating biodiversity offsetting towards ecological accounting of land use planning

2022

Suomen Akatemian hankerahoitus (TRANAPLAN, 333366) Ekologista kompensaatiota on ehdotettu keinoksi, jonka avulla myös Suomessa voitaisiin ratkoa maankäytön muutoksista aiheutuvan luontokadon ongelmaa. Esimerkiksi tonttituotantokohteiden tai rakennettavan liikenneväylän heikentämät luontoarvot tulisi hyvittää jossain toisaalla, jotta elinympäristöt ja luonnon monimuotoisuus eivät vähenisi hankkeen vaikutuksesta. Ekologisen kompensaation idea ei ole ongelmaton: sen voi perustellusti pelätä edistävän ympäristölle haitallisten hankkeiden toteuttamista. Kustannus, jonka maan käyttäjä luontoarvojen heikentämisestä saa vastattavakseen, voidaan mieltää ostetuksi luvaksi heikentää ympäristöä. Kompen…

Characterization of Colletotrichum strains associated with olive anthracnose in Sicily

2022

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is the most damaging olive fruit disease in many countries, including Italy. This disease has been sporadically detected in Sicily, but new agronomic practices can increase risk of olive anthracnose in this region. An etiological study of the disease focused on local olive cultivars growing at the International Olive Germplasm Collection (IOGC) in Villa Zagaria, Enna, Sicily has been undertaken. During 2018 and 2019, 137 Colletotrichum strains were isolated from olives. Colony morphology, conidium characteristics, and multilocus sequence analyses aided identification of three species: C. acutatum (affecting 70% of symptomatic olives), C. gloeosporio…

De la dévolution à l’indépendance ? L’Écosse après l’ouverture du Parlement de Holyrood en 1999

2022

International audience

La metodología de la Flipped Classroom (FC) en la práctica didáctica de los docentes universitarios. Hacia una definición del modelo didáctico a part…

2022

El trabajo de investigación que se presenta aborda el tema de la implementación del Flipped Classroom, o clase invertida, en el contexto universitario. Flipped Classroom es un método formativo activo, que consiste en invertir los tiempos y espacios de aprendizaje. Al implementarlo, el profesor prepara y proporciona al alumnado los contenidos a estudiar con antelación, de manera que, en el tiempo de clase, hay más posibilidades para hacer ejercicios y practicar los conceptos aprendidos durante el autoestudio. Además, en este proceso juega un papel fundamental el feedback que el docente da a sus alumnos sobre su nivel de comprensión, así como los resultados del aprendizaje y los comentarios q…

Colectomie droite par abord robotique. Recommandations formalisées d’experts sous l’égide de l’Association française de chirurgie (AFC)

2022

Twenty-seven experts under the aegis of the French Association of Surgery (AFC) offer this reference system with formalized recommendations concerning the performance of right colectomy by robotic approach (RRC). For RRC, experts suggest patient installation in the so-called “classic” or “suprapubic” setup. For patients undergoing right colectomy for a benign pathology or cancer, RRC provides no significant benefit in terms of intra-operative blood loss, intra-operative complications or conversion rate to open laparotomy compared to laparoscopy. At the same time, RRC is associated with significantly longer operating times. Data from the literature are insufficient to define whether the robo…

Hommages publics, autocélébration : les formulaires épigraphiques entre espace privé et espace public

2022

Les notables sont ceux que l’épigraphie nous permet de mieux cerner au niveau local. Contrôlant la gestion des espaces publics par le biais des décisions de l’ordo, ils mettent aussi en scène leur famille dans le cadre funéraire, privé. Néanmoins, les formules employées dans ces deux espaces témoignent de l’interpénétration des deux facettes de la vie des notables : sur certains forums, ce sont des textes que l’on pourrait croire privés qui sont mis en place, financés par le notable ou sa famille. A contrario, les inscriptions funéraires sont souvent le reflet de la vie politique locale, avec la mention des hommages funéraires publics offerts au défunt ; mais c’est parfois aussi dans la par…

On numerical broadening of particle-size spectra: a condensational growth study using PyMPDATA 1.0

2022

This work discusses the numerical aspects of representing the condensational growth of particles in models of aerosol systems such as atmospheric clouds. It focuses on the Eulerian modelling approach, in which fixed-bin discretisation is used for the probability density function describing the particle-size spectrum. Numerical diffusion is inherent to the employment of the fixed-bin discretisation for solving the arising transport problem (advection equation describing size spectrum evolution). The focus of this work is on a technique for reducing the numerical diffusion in solutions based on the upwind scheme: the multidimensional positive definite advection transport algorithm (MPDATA). S…

Influence of Nutritional Status and Physical Exercise on Immune Response in Metabolic Syndrome

2022

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic alterations mostly related to visceral adiposity, which in turn promotes glucose intolerance and a chronic systemic inflammatory state, characterized by immune cell infiltration. Such immune system activation increases the risk of severe disease subsequent to viral infections. Strong correlations between elevated body mass index (BMI), type-2-diabetes and increased risk of hospitalization after pandemic influenza H1N1 infection have been described. Similarly, a correlation between elevated blood glucose level and SARS-CoV-2 infection severity and mortality has been described, indicating MetS as an important predictor of clinical outcomes i…

Spatial Cognition and Frames of Reference in Indo-European

2022

The development of Frames of Reference (FoRs) as coordinate systems in space language has gained increasing attention in current linguistic, neurolinguistic, and psycholinguistic research (Diessel 2013: 687; Kemmerer 2010). Previous studies on typology of spatial expressions have traditionally been based on the universal status of the egocentric or relative FoR found in the Indo- European languages, in which the relation between Figure and Ground is specified by the deictic observer’s viewpoint (Mühlhäusler 2001). However, there is growing crosslinguistic evidence that many non-Indo-European languages do not make use of such deictic or ternary FoR, but interpret spatial relations by referri…

Thoracic dumbbell spinal metastasis secondary to neuroendocrine tumor of unknown origin: Case report and literature review

2022

Background: Dumbbell tumors are typically benign schwannomas, neurofibromas, and meningiomas and only rarely there are malignant variants of these lesions or other malignant histotypes. Here, a 34-year-old male presented with a thoracic spinal dumbbell metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary origin. Case Description: A 34-year-old male presented with 2 months of thoracic pain and progressive mid thoracic sensory loss. A post contrast thoracic MRI showed a dumbbell tumor localized between the T7 and T9 levels with extension laterally into the T7-T8 and T8-T9 foramina. The patient underwent a laminectomy for tumor resection following which his pain and gait improved. Histopath…