CBCT study on the prevalence, morphology and position of the mandibular incisive canal in a North-Brazilian population

2022

The mandibular incisive canal (MIC) is an anatomic structure to be considered in treatment planning for surgeries in the anterior region of the mandible. Awareness of the MIC increased with the use of 3D imaging for treatment planning, such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This study aimed to use CBCT to assess the prevalence, morphology and position of the MIC among North-Brazilians.The sample consisted of CBCT scans of 100 hemi-mandibles (50 individuals) that were assessed for the absolute (n) and relative frequency of the MIC. The morphological component of this study was the diameter (mm) of the detected MIC in five anatomic sites between the mental foramen and the midline. With…

Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production

2022

Vocal expression of emotions has been observed across species and could provide a non-invasive and reliable means to assess animal emotions. We investigated if pig vocal indicators of emotions revealed in previous studies are valid across call types and contexts, and could potentially be used to develop an automated emotion monitoring tool. We performed an analysis of an extensive and unique dataset of low (LF) and high frequency (HF) calls emitted by pigs across numerous commercial contexts from birth to slaughter (7414 calls from 411 pigs). Our results revealed that the valence attributed to the contexts of production (positive versus negative) affected all investigated parameters in both…

Nullité de la procédure engagée au nom d'une société en formation

2022

International audience; Note sous Cour de cassation (2e civ.), 4 mars 2021, no 19-22.829 (F-P)

Are credit screening contracts designed for men?

2022

AbstractAccess to credit is key to succeed in business. Theoretical models of credit under asymmetric information classify borrowers and grant or deny credit, typically based on incentive-compatible contracts with collateral. However, if women are particularly risk averse, female borrowers may be wrongly classified and denied credit. We conduct in three countries a laboratory experiment to study this systematic gender difference. Results show that incentive-compatible contracts with collateral fail to disclose women’s private information, while disclosing men’s private information. We suggest that banks should incorporate the gender difference in risk attitudes to avoid the glass ceiling in…

Natural and Synthetic Compounds for Management, Prevention and Treatment of Obesity

2022

For a long time, adipose tissue has been considered an inert tissue involved in fat accumulation. Indeed, this tissue acts as an energy reserve, synthesizing and storing triacylglycerols from an excess of lipids and carbohydrates in feeding conditions (or degrading them in fasting ones). However, over the last few decades, emerging evidences has highlighted that adipose tissue serves as endocrine organ which is able to synthesize and secrete a significant amount of hormones, cytokines, and enzymes [1]. The substances produced and released by adipose tissue are known as adipokines and are able to act locally through autocrine/paracrine mechanisms or to influence the response of many organs a…

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Police Officers: Systematic Review.

2022

Introduction: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is defined as the sensorineural hearing loss caused by acute acoustic trauma or chronic exposure to high-intensity noises. Exposure to noises can lead to irreversible damage to the inner ear and, consequently, to a permanent shift of the hearing threshold. Police officers are particularly at risk of acute or chronic hearing damages. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hearing loss of police officers in relation to the occupational risk factors and clinical-anamnestic characteristics by collecting and analyzing existing data and evidence available in public databases. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to th…

Pandemia e vaccinazione dei lavoratori nello scenario comparato

2022

The essay analyses Covid-19 workers’ vaccinations in the Italian, Spanish, French, and US legal frameworks. By using the function of cultural orientation of comparative method, the work highlights that in Southern-Europe workers’ vaccination may be mandated by the legislator with the aim to promote collective health. By the contrary the US system, centred on the freedom of economic initiative, allows employer-mandated vaccinations in lack of specific legislation. Il saggio analizza in chiave comparata la vaccinazione del lavoratore contro il virus Sars-Covid 19 negli ordinamenti italiano, spagnolo, francese e statunitense. Nel privilegiare la funzione di orientamento culturale della compara…

Revealing the nature of metakaolin-based concrete materials using artificial intelligence techniques

2022

In this study, a model for the estimation of the compressive strength of concretes incorporating metakaolin is developed and parametrically evaluated, using soft computing techniques. Metakaolin is a component extensively employed in recent decades as a means to reduce the requirement for cement in concrete. For the proposed models, six parameters are accounted for as input data. These are the age at testing, the metakaolin percentage in relation to the total binder, the water-to-binder ratio, the percentage of superplasticizer, the binder to sand ratio and the coarse to fine aggregate ratio. For training and verification of the developed models a database of 867 experimental specimens has …

The impact of oophorectomy on survival from breast cancer in patients with CHEK2 mutations

2022

BACKGROUND: To estimate the impact of oophorectomy and other treatments on the survival of breast cancer patients with a CHEK2 mutation. METHODS: Women with Stage I–III breast cancer who were treated at 17 hospitals in Poland were tested for four founder mutations in the CHEK2 gene. 974 women (10%) were positive for a CHEK2 mutation. Control patients without a CHEK2 mutation were selected from a database of patients treated over the same time period. Information on treatments received and distant recurrences were retrieved from medical records. Treatments included chemotherapy, hormonal therapy (tamoxifen) and radiation therapy. Oophorectomies were performed for the treatment of breast canc…

Analyzing central-line associated bloodstream infection prevention bundles in 22 countries: The results of ID-IRI survey

2022

International audience; BACKGROUND: Because central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant complication of central venous access, it is critical to prevent CLABSIs through the use of central line bundles. The purpose of this study was to take a snapshot of central venous access bundles in various countries. METHODS: The participants in intensive care units (ICUs) completed a questionnaire that included information about the health center, infection control procedures, and central line maintenance. The countries were divided into 2 groups: those with a low or low-middle income and those with an upper-middle or high income. RESULTS: Forty-three participants from 22…

Telemedicine Is an Effective Tool to Monitor Disease Activity in IBD Patients in the COVID-19 Era: A Single Centre Experience Based on Objective Data

2022

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has led IBD clinics to adopt a remote monitoring approach in order to guarantee an adequate follow-up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ensure the rules of social distancing. Aim: The aim of the study was to perform a survey on IBD patients who underwent remote monitoring in our tertiary referral center, to assess adherence, patients’ perceptions and satisfaction, and finally their opinions for future monitoring. Furthermore, we evaluated changes in disease activity and Quality of Life (QoL) using validated questionnaires. Methods: Consecutive patients with IBD scheduled for follow-up visits were switched to remote monitoring throu…

First-order visual interneurons distribute distinct contrast and luminance information across ON and OFF pathways to achieve stable behavior

2022

Source data of the paper Ketkar, Gür, Molina-Obando et al. 2022, eLife. We analyzed the behavioral contribution and physiological response properties of first order interneurons L1, L2 and L3 in the Drosophila melanogaster visual system. Data are sorted by figures and comprise either behavioral measurements of flies walking on an air-cushioned ball while being shown visual stimuli, or in vivo two photon microscopy recordings of L1-L3 calcium responses. Please find all relevant information to use the data in the README file. The code to analyze the data, either written in Matlab or Python, is found at https://github.com/silieslab/Ketkar-Gur-MolinaObando-etal2022

Relationships among Bicycle Rider Behaviours, Anger, Aggression, and Crashes in Finland

2022

Riding a bicycle is increasingly encouraged as a sustainable transport solution, especially in urban areas. However, safety concerns, both perceived and actual, can significantly lower the willingness to ride among the population. To support cycling planning and policy in the double task of increasing the levels of cycling while mitigating crash risk, there is a need to better understand the behaviours and attitudes of bicycle riders. In this manuscript, we study a cohort of Finnish bicycle riders through four questionnaires, the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ), Cyclist Risk Perception and Regulation Scale (RPRS), Cyclist Anger Scale (CAS), and Cyclist Aggression Expression Inventory …

Dynamic Role of Gold d-Orbitals during CO Oxidation under Aerobic Conditions

2022

High-energy-resolution fluorescence detection-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (HERFD-XANES) at the Au L3 edge was used to study gold catalysts supported on ceria in order to unravel the role of gold 5d orbital modifications during the activation of molecular oxygen. The variations in the HERFD-XANES resonance peak, which are directly correlated with the d-band occupancy, were monitored in situ during the redox process of the CO oxidation at room temperature under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Interestingly, upon the oxidation treatment and also during the aerobic CO oxidation treatment, the gold d-band fluctuates around an average value, proving that the gold clusters are part…

A Multivariate Approach to Study the Bacterial Diversity Associated to the Wooden Shelves Used for Aging Traditional Sicilian Cheeses.

2022

The present study was carried to correlate the microbial diversity of the biofilms developed on the wooden boards used for aging traditional Sicilian cheeses with cheese typology. To this end, the microbial diversity of the shelves in contact with the cheeses PDO Pecorino Siciliano, PDO Piacentinu Ennese, and TAP Caciocavallo Palermitano, during ripening, was evaluated by a multivariate statistical approach. The shelf biofilms of this study were previously analyzed for their microbial composition, but no correlation between biodiversity and cheese type was investigated. Canonical discriminant analysis confirmed a cheese typology effect on the microbial loads of the wooden shelves investigat…

Study on Supernova Remnants evolution and their gamma-ray emission

2022

The upcoming rise of SMEs in cross-border public procurement: is it a matter of networking capabilities?.

2022

La participación de las SME en licitaciones públicas es un tema recurrente en la literatura académica reciente, sin embargo, se ha prestado poca atención a la participación de las PYME en licitaciones internacionales o transfronterizas. Las SME que quieren participar en una licitación pública internacional debe superar barreras internas y externas que difcultan la tarea y minimizan las posibilidades de que le sea concedida la licitación. En este contexto, las capacidades dinámicas son fundamentales para que las PYME puedan enfrentarse y resolver dichas barreras en el contexto internacional. Especialmente son las capacidades de establecer redes las que pueden hacer que las PYME aumenten su d…

Sign-preserving solutions for a class of asymptotically linear systems of second-order ordinary differential equations

2022

We study multiplicity of solutions to an asymptotically linear Dirichlet problem associated with a planar system of second order ordinary differential equations. The existence of two sign-preserving component-wise solutions is guaranteed when the Morse indexes of the linearizations at zero and at infinity do not coincide, and one of the asymptotic problems has zero-index. The proof is developed in the framework of topological and shooting methods and it is based on a detailed analysis and characterization of the phase angles in a two-dimensional setting.

COVID-19 and the Dairy and Meat Supply Chain

2022

The Coronavirus health emergency and the lockdown adopted in Italy and many countries are head-hitting in the agricultural and agri-food sectors

Calcium Ascorbate Coating Improves Postharvest Quality and Storability of Fresh-Cut Slices of Coscia and Abate Fétel Pears (Pyrus communis L.)

2022

Flesh firmness is closely related to fruit ripeness and is typically a reliable indicator of shelf-life potential so it could be considered a crucial quality index for the determination of pear quality. Flesh softening after cutting could considerably affect consumer acceptance of fresh-cut pears (Pyrus communis L.). Indeed, mechanical stress (cutting, peeling, etc.) could lead to ethylene production that results in the hydrolysis of pectic substances in the cell walls. The effectiveness of an edible coating treatment on the physical-chemical, nutraceutical, and sensorial analysis was evaluated on two pear cultivars: the summer-ripening ‘Coscia’ and the late-ripening ‘Abat…

Testing for Lynch Syndrome in Endometrial Carcinoma: From Universal to Age-Selective MLH1 Methylation Analysis

2022

Simple Summary International guidelines recommend universal screening of endometrial carcinoma patients for Lynch syndrome, a hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome. Screening is based on mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry and reflex MLH1 methylation analysis to exclude the likely sporadic cases of MMR deficiency. As sporadic MLH1 protein loss is common in endometrial carcinoma, the ability to target methylation testing would save efforts and costs. We discovered that limiting methylation testing to patients under 65 years would have significantly reduced the testing effort while maintaining a low false negative rate for MLH1-LS detection (0% and 3% in our clinic and registry-b…

The Impact of COVID-19 in the Italian Wine and Olive Oil Sector

2022

Coronavirus has produced worldwide many negative effects on the food economy, but wine industry is one of the main sector affected by the crisis especially due to the lock down involving restaurants and other retail distributions. 2019 ended in an extremely encouraging way for the Italian wine industry and especially for the sparkling wine sector, with an increase in foreign demand growing by almost 15%, This increase was largely due to the success of sales in Anglo-Saxon nations, such as the United States and less so in the United Kingdom due to Brexit, not to underestimate even exports to Japan, Russia and China.

An Overview of Systematic Reviews of the Role of Vitamin D on Inflammation in Patients with Diabetes and the Potentiality of Its Application on Diabe…

2022

Almost two years have passed since the outbreak reported for the first time in Wuhan of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 coronavirus, rapidly evolved into a pandemic. This infectious disease has stressed global health care systems. The mortality rate is higher, particularly in elderly population and in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, chronic renal disease, and malignancy. Among them, subjects with diabetes have a high risk of developing severe form of COVID-19 and show increased mortality. How diabetes contributes to COVID-19 severity remains unclear. …

Methadone as First-line Opioid for the Management of Cancer Pain

2022

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and adverse effects of methadone when used as first-line therapy in patients that are either receiving low doses of opioids or none. Methods Patients with advanced cancer were prospectively assessed. Opioid-naive patients (L-group) were started with methadone at 6 mg/day. Patients receiving weak or other opioids in doses of <60 mg/day of OME (H-group) were started with methadone at 9 mg/day. Methadone doses were changed according to the clinical needs to obtain the most favorable balance between analgesia and adverse effects. Edmonton Symptom Asssement Score (ESAS), Memorial Delirium Assessment Score (MDAS), doses of metha…

Fatal neuroinvasion and SARS-CoV-2 tropism in K18-hACE2 mice is partially independent on hACE2 expression

2022

ABSTRACTAnimal models recapitulating distinctive features of severe COVID-19 are critical to enhance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2) represent a lethal model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The precise mechanisms of lethality in this mouse model remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection for up to 14 days post-infection. Despite infection and moderate pneumonia, rapid clinical decline or death of mice was invariably associated with viral neuroinvasion and direct neuronal injury (including brain and spinal neurons). Neuroinv…

Ecological momentary intervention to enhance emotion regulation in healthcare workers via smartphone: a randomized controlled trial protocol

2022

Abstract Background CUIDA-TE is an APP that offers transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy focused on enhancing emotion regulation. As a novelty, it incorporates ecological momentary interventions (EMI), which can provide psychological support in real time, when suffering arises. The main goal of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of CUIDA-TE to improve emotion regulation in healthcare workers, a population that has been particularly emotionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this three-arm, randomized controlled trial (RCT) the study sample will be composed of a minimum of 174 healthcare workers. They will be randomly assigned to a 2-month EMI group (CUIDA-TE APP, n …

Survival Risk Scores for Real-Life Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients Receiving Elotuzumab or Carfilzomib In Combination With Lenalidomide…

2022

The present study aimed to develop two survival risk scores (RS) for overall survival (OS, SRSKRd/EloRd) and progression-free survival (PFS, PRSKRd/EloRd) in 919 relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients who received carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd)/elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (EloRd). The median OS was 35.4 months, with no significant difference between the KRd arm versus the EloRd arm. In the multivariate analysis, advanced ISS (HR = 1.31; P = 0.025), interval diagnosis–therapy (HR = 1.46; P = 0.001), number of previous lines of therapies (HR = 1.96; P < 0.0001), older age (HR = 1.72; P < 0.0001), and prior lenalidomide exposure (…

Effectiveness of individualized training based on force-velocity profiling on physical function in older men.

2022

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an individualized power training program based on force–velocity (FV) profiling on physical function, muscle morphology, and neuromuscular adaptations in older men. Forty-nine healthy men (68 ± 5 years) completed a 10-week training period to enhance muscular power. They were randomized to either a generic power training group (GPT) or an individualized power training group (IPT). Unlike generic training, individualized training was based on low- or high-resistance exercises, from an initial force–velocity profile. Lower-limb FV profile was measured in a pneumatic leg-press, and physical function was assessed as timed up-and-go time (TUG), …

Psychological and Psychiatric Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic

2022

On the eve of 4th May, the date when the lockdown was to end, people could stand it no more! The wait was not only hard, but also full of doubts about what level of freedom people could enjoy in their future. That caused a serious crisis which came after a previous, serious legitimacy crisis that the western political system, and not only Italian, had been going through for a long time. In an interview available in L’Avvenire of last 15th April, the ninety-year-old sociologist Edgar Morin defined the present situation as a “poly-crisis.” Long ago, citizens had already ceased to trust the political system and every other type of power. But, since nowadays, in Europe and the United States, th…

Serawit Bekele Debele, Locating Politics in Ethiopia’s Irreecha Ritual

2022

Review

Navigating Turbulent Political Waters: From Corporate Political Advocacy to Scansis in the Case of NBA-China Crisis

2022

Drawing on insights from both rhetorical arena theory and contingency theory of conflict management, this study examines the role of political factors in shaping stakeholder groups’ perceptions and organizational responses and stances in a scansis of a multinational corporation. This study combined qualitative content analysis and semantic network analysis to analyze organizational responses, news coverage, and social media posts regarding the National Basketball Association (NBA)–China crisis in 2019, triggered by an online comment from a team executive supporting the Hong Kong protesters. The findings show (1) the presence of diverse and rich political-laden and politically divided discus…

Structure Monitoring with BIM and IoT: The Case Study of a Bridge Beam Model

2022

The diffusion of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a reference methodology, applied to the world of construction, leads to important changes in the design and the management of big constructions and infrastructures. However, although the BIM approach is necessary for managing the entire life cycle of a construction, today, this methodology is still rarely adopted beyond the design phase. This represents a major flaw because the management of every phase of the life cycle of buildings needs accurate preliminary planning. Certainly, one of the most complex and important phases of the life cycle of a construction is the monitoring phase, which represents a fundamental aspect for the main…

Using coupled hidden markov chains to estimate colonization and seed bank survival in a metapopulation of annual plants

2022

The study of ecological systems is often impeded by components that escape perfect observation, such as the trajectories of moving animals or the status of plant seed banks. These hidden components can be efficiently handled with statistical modeling by using hidden variables, which are often called latent variables.Notably, the hidden variables framework enables us to model an underlying interaction structure between variables (including random effects in regression models) and perform data clustering, which are useful tools in the analysis of ecological data.This book provides an introduction to hidden variables in ecology, through recent works on statistical modeling as well as on estima…

Hydropower: renewable and contributing to sustainable development? A critical analysis from the Mazar-Dudas project (Ecuador)

2022

The energy transition has provided a framework for designing and implementing renewable energy policies in a growing number of countries in recent years. The discourse from both international energy organisations and national governments around these renewable energy policies highlights its -supposed- sustainable nature. However, much evidence shows that the 'renewable' component of these energy policies and the impact on local communities' sustainable development are much smaller than what is claimed in their discourse. This paper analyses the Mazar-Dudas hydropower project (Ecuador) case study, which is officially classified as a small renewable energy project (21 MW) with presumable low …

Interstitial deletions of chromosome 1p: novel 1p31.3p22.2 microdeletion in a newborn with craniosynostosis, coloboma and cleft palate, and review of…

2022

Abstract Background Rearrangements of unstable DNA sequences may alter the structural integrity or the copy number of dose-sensitive genes, resulting in copy number variations. They may lead more frequently to deletions, in addition to duplications and/or inversions, which are the underlying pathogenic mechanism of a group of conditions known as genomic disorders (or also contiguous gene syndromes). Interstitial deletions of the short arm of chromosome 1 are rare, and only about 30 patients have been reported. Their clinical features are variable, in respect of the extent of the deleted region. They include global developmental delay, central nervous system (CNS) malformations, craniosynost…

Optimizing the Sampling Area across an Old-Growth Forest via UAV-Borne Laser Scanning, GNSS, and Radial Surveying

2022

Aboveground biomass, volume, and basal area are among the most important structural attributes in forestry. Direct measurements are cost-intensive and time-consuming, especially for old-growth forests exhibiting a complex structure over a rugged topography. We defined a methodology to optimize the plot size and the (total) sampling area, allowing for structural attributes with a tolerable error to be estimated. The plot size was assessed by analyzing the semivariogram of a CHM model derived via UAV laser scanning, while the sampling area was based on the calculation of the absolute relative error as a function of allometric relationships. The allometric relationships allowed the structural …