The impact of inflammatory markers on clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients following mechanical thrombectomy: A multicentre study

Background: Inflammation contributes to brain injury in acute ischemic stroke, but its role among patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) has not been fully established. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between functional prognosis and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and derived ratios in patients undergoing MT. Methods: This is a multicentre retrospective analysis of 970 consecutive patients treated with MT. Blood samples were collected on admission and after 24 h. Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between the ratios and 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0–2. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were used to estimate the ability of NLR and other ratios to predict the outcome. Restricted-cubic-spline (RCS) was used to investigate the association between NLR and 90-day mRS 3–6 and to determine a critical threshold. Results: The 24-h NLR showed the strongest predictive performance (AUC = 0.670 alone; AUC = 0.784 when combined with other clinical variables) in patients treated with MT. An optimal NLR cutoff of 4.30 was identified, with patients below this threshold less likely to have poor 90-day outcome (RR 0.76 [95 % CI 0.65–0.89] p = 0.001) and significant shift toward better 90-day mRS scores (cOR 0.55, 95 %CI 0.40–0.74; p < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline analysis confirmed the cutoff's significance in predicting unfavourable mRS shifts. Conclusions: This study highlights the 24-h NLR as a powerful predictor of stroke outcomes post-MT, with a threshold of 4.30 strongly associated with poor prognosis. These findings suggest that NLR can guide personalized treatment approaches to improve recovery trajectories

Insights into the Ogiek Orature: first data emerging from an unpublished corpus

This paper deals with the contribution that the study of oral tradition can make, both in terms of content and morphological and lexical features, to the reconstruction of the complex linguistic and historical development of remote areas of the world inhabited by hunter-gatherers (HG). The topic will be addressed using the example of an unpublished corpus of 23 stories, 7 songs and 2 riddles collected from the Ogiek of Mariashoni. The Ogiek are a group of semi-nomadic HGs with a delayed-return economy living surrounded by sedentary agricultural populations between the highlands and lowlands of the Mau Forest Escarpment in Kenya. For a more comprehensive perspective, the Ogiek corpus is here compared with a similar corpus of 16 Akie texts published in 2020 by König et al. Given the position of both the Ogiek and the Akie as Dorobo living in symbiosis with the Maasai tribes of the region, the data on Maasai oral tradition contained in Kipuri 1993 is also considered meaningful for comparison

Idarubicin-loaded chitosan nanobubbles to improve survival and decrease drug side effects in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Drug delivery strategies using chitosan nanobubbles (CS-NBs) could be used to reduce drug side effects and improve outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. To enhance their action, a targeting agent, such as the humanized anti-GPC3 antibody GC33 (condrituzumab), could be attached to their surface. Here, we investigated the use of idarubicin-loaded CS-NBs for HCC treatment and a GC33-derived minibody (that we named 4A1) to enhance CS-NB delivery. Methods: Various CS-NB formulations were prepared with or without 4A1 conjugation and idarubicin loading. Results: CS-NBs had a positive charge and a diameter of about 360 nm. In in-vitro experiments using the HCC-like HUH7 cell line, CS-NBs showed a cytotoxic effect once loaded with idarubicin. In-vivo biodistribution in HUH7 tumor-bearing xenograft mice demonstrated that CS-NBs can accumulate in the tumor mass. This effect was enhanced by 4A1 conjugation (p = 0.0317). In HUH7 tumor-bearing xenograft mice, CS-NBs loaded with idarubicin and conjugated or not conjugated with 4A1 were both able to slow tumor growth, to increase mouse survival time compared to free idarubicin (p = 0.00044 and 0.0018, respectively) as well as to reduce drug side effects. Conclusions: CS-NBs loaded with idarubicin can be a useful drug delivery strategy for HCC treatment

Valorization of Pyrolysis Products Derived from Waste

The demand for sustainable energy and circular resource management is driving research into bio-based and waste-derived materials. In this context, pyrolysis is emerging as an efficient and versatile technology, converting waste into oil, gas, and char fractions that can serve as raw materials for fuels, chemicals, and smart materials. This thesis focuses on valorizing pyrolysis-derived fractions from both lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic biomass, as well as plastic waste. Specifically, the first part of the research explores biochar, a solid fraction obtained by slow pyrolysis of biomass sources like hazelnut shells, rice husks, rice grains, and tannery leather shavings. These biochars were transformed into activated carbons to support Pd- and Co-based catalysts. Pd-supported catalysts were applied in benzaldehyde hydrogenation as model reaction to investigate the influence of biochar feedstock on catalytic performance. Activated rice husk biochar (A-RH) emerged as the optimal support. Additionally, co-pyrolyzing rice husk with leather shavings produced a new hybrid material with enhanced catalytic properties and selectivity. Leveraging these insights, Co-based catalysts were synthesized and applied in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of isoeugenol and furfural. These compounds represent the phenolic and furanic fractions of bio-oil, that could be used as alternative source of fuels, especially in the aviation sector. Co/A-RH demonstrated superior activity, attributed to its intrinsic properties and strong interaction with the metal phase, facilitating synergy between Co0 and Co2+ species. Lastly, part of this research targeted plastic-derived chars, successfully converting them into carbon monoxide via the Boudouard reaction, improving the carbon balance in chemical recycling of plastics and contributing to carbon capture and reutilization. Overall, this thesis highlights the transformative potential of waste-derived materials in catalysis, supporting sustainable fuel production and offering viable strategies for enhanced circular resource utilization.The demand for sustainable energy and circular resource management is driving research into bio-based and waste-derived materials. In this context, pyrolysis is emerging as an efficient and versatile technology, converting waste into oil, gas, and char fractions that can serve as raw materials for fuels, chemicals, and smart materials. This thesis focuses on valorizing pyrolysis-derived fractions from both lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic biomass, as well as plastic waste. Specifically, the first part of the research explores biochar, a solid fraction obtained by slow pyrolysis of biomass sources like hazelnut shells, rice husks, rice grains, and tannery leather shavings. These biochars were transformed into activated carbons to support Pd- and Co-based catalysts. Pd-supported catalysts were applied in benzaldehyde hydrogenation as model reaction to investigate the influence of biochar feedstock on catalytic performance. Activated rice husk biochar (A-RH) emerged as the optimal support. Additionally, co-pyrolyzing rice husk with leather shavings produced a new hybrid material with enhanced catalytic properties and selectivity. Leveraging these insights, Co-based catalysts were synthesized and applied in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of isoeugenol and furfural. These compounds represent the phenolic and furanic fractions of bio-oil, that could be used as alternative source of fuels, especially in the aviation sector. Co/A-RH demonstrated superior activity, attributed to its intrinsic properties and strong interaction with the metal phase, facilitating synergy between Co0 and Co2+ species. Lastly, part of this research targeted plastic-derived chars, successfully converting them into carbon monoxide via the Boudouard reaction, improving the carbon balance in chemical recycling of plastics and contributing to carbon capture and reutilization. Overall, this thesis highlights the transformative potential of waste-derived materials in catalysis, supporting sustainable fuel production and offering viable strategies for enhanced circular resource utilization

Search for bosons of an extended Higgs sector in b quark final states in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV

A search for beyond-the-standard-model neutral Higgs bosons decaying to a pair of bottom quarks, and produced in association with at least one additional bottom quark, is performed with the CMS detector. The data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.7–126.9 fb−1 , depending on the probed mass range. No signal above the standard model background expectation is observed. Upper limits on the production cross section times branching fraction are set for Higgs bosons in the mass range of 125–1800 GeV. The results are interpreted in benchmark scenarios of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, as well as suitable classes of two-Higgs-doublet models

Study of WH production through vector boson scattering and extraction of the relative sign of the W and Z couplings to the Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV

A search for the production of a W boson and a Higgs boson through vector boson scattering (VBS) is presented, using CMS data from proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV collected from 2016 to 2018. The integrated luminosity of the data sample is 138 fb−1. Selected events must be consistent with the presence of two jets originating from VBS, the leptonic decay of the W boson to an electron or muon, possibly also through an intermediate τ lepton, and a Higgs boson decaying into a pair of b quarks, reconstructed as either a single merged jet or two resolved jets. A measurement of the process as predicted by the standard model (SM) is performed alongside a study of beyond-the-SM (BSM) scenarios. The SM analysis sets an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 14.3 (9.9) on the ratio of the measured VBS WH cross section to that expected by the SM. The BSM analysis, conducted within the so-called κ framework, excludes all scenarios with λWZ < 0 that are consistent with current measurements, where λWZ = κW ∕κZ and κW and κZ are the HWW and HZZ coupling modifiers, respectively. The significance of the exclusion is beyond 5 standard deviations, and it is consistent with the SM expectation of λWZ = 1

Refining treatment strategies for non-small cell lung cancer lacking actionable mutations: insights from multi-omics studies

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a heterogeneous group of malignancies characterised by diverse histological and molecular features. Some NSCLCs, particularly adenocarcinomas, harbour genomic alterations in receptor tyrosine kinases or downstream RAS/RAF signalling pathways, which are targets of effective therapies. NSCLCs lacking actionable genomic alterations often benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, though only a minority of patients achieve long-term survival. These tumours often carry alterations in tumour suppressor genes like TP53, KEAP1, STK11, or NF1, for which pharmacological strategies are still under investigation. This review explores emerging therapeutic opportunities unveiled by multi-omics studies in NSCLCs without actionable genomic alterations. Proteogenomic approaches-integrating genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data-enable a comprehensive understanding of NSCLC molecular landscapes and signalling network dysregulation, helping to identify distinct tumour subtypes and potential therapeutic targets. These tumours exhibit alterations in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, immune signalling, epigenetic modulation and metabolic and redox pathways. Although therapies targeting tumour suppressor genes like p53 remain highly anticipated, extending our understanding of the broader molecular landscape in these tumours may reveal novel vulnerabilities and inform the development of novel drugs or combination strategies. This could further advance precision oncology for NSCLC

Impatti ambientali della viticoltura nel Collio Goriziano: un’indagine preliminare sulla possibile influenza dell’annata e delle pratiche agronomiche

In viticoltura, le condizioni siccitose stanno assumendo sempre più un carattere di maggiore frequenza e durata. Risulta pertanto di interesse valutare le conseguenze che potrebbero avere sugli impatti ambientali, quando si vanno a confrontare annate dal diverso andamento meteo-climatico. A questo proposito, è stata condotta un’analisi LCA considerando le pratiche colturali effettuate da dieci aziende in due annate dal profilo meteorologico e fitopatologico molto differente. Riferendosi alla varietà autoctona della Ribolla Gialla ed interpretando gli impatti stimati con una PCA, è stato possibile determinare delle possibili differenze, a seconda dei disciplinari viticoli adottati, relativamente al processo di produzione dei fitofarmaci

Performance of the LABDOS01 spectrometer in dosimetric measurements

This paper describes the performance of the LABDOS01, a silicon diode-based spectrometer suitable for dose measurements in mixed radiation fields. The instrument is currently being used in two high-altitude environmental dose monitoring projects: SAMADHA (South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly Dosimetry at High Altitude) at Chacaltaya (Bolivia, 5240 m a.s.l.) and CORDIAL (COsmic Rays Dosimetry In Antarctic Latitudes) at the Concordia station (Antarctica, 3233 m a.s.l.). Before installing two of these devices at the measurement sites, the detectors were tested on flight routes covering a wide range of geomagnetic latitudes. The collected dosimetric data were compared with the expectations derived by the CARI-7A software, which provides the absorbed dose rate in silicon due to cosmic ray secondaries at a given position on the Earth. The measured dose rates along the flights at variable altitude and rigidity cutoff agree well with the simulated ones. By analyzing the spectrum of the energy deposited in the silicon layer, we derive an empirical method to approximately evaluate the ambient dose equivalent H∗ (10), a quantity directly related to the biological damage caused by environmental radiation

Spectral analysis of block preconditioners for double saddle-point linear systems with application to PDE-constrained optimization

In this paper, we describe and analyze the spectral properties of a symmetric positive definite inexact block preconditioner for a class of symmetric, double saddle-point linear systems. We develop a spectral analysis of the preconditioned matrix, showing that its eigenvalues can be described in terms of the roots of a cubic polynomial with real coefficients. We illustrate the efficiency of the proposed preconditioners, and verify the theoretical bounds, in solving large-scale PDE-constrained optimization problems