Rationale and evidence for the incorporation of heparin to the diclofenac epolamine medicated plaster

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac epolamine (DHEP) formulated as a topical patch has demonstrated efficacy and safety in the localized treatment of acute pain from minor strains, sprains, and contusions, and for epicondylitis and knee osteoarthritis. The glycosaminoglycan heparin enhances the activity of topical NSAIDs formulated as a medicated plaster, even in the absence of any significant release of heparin. Therefore, DHEP Plus, a new formulation of the DHEP medicated plaster containing a small amount of heparin sodium as excipient has been developed. Methods: We reviewed the pivotal and supportive studies of the clinical development program of the new patch and evaluated the role of heparin as an enhancer in the treatment of localized pain/inflammation of musculoskeletal structures, associated with post-traumatic and/or rheumatic conditions. Results: The data were consistent with the concept that heparin increased the clinical activity of the DHEP Plus medicated plaster versus the reference DHEP medicated plaster through improved bioavailability due to enhanced movement of diclofenac from the plaster. Both DHEP formulations have the same dissolution profile, indicating that heparin does not change the physical and chemical characteristics of the plaster. Permeation testing showed that heparin is not released from the DHEP Plus medicated plaster. Efficacy studies showed that the DHEP Plus medicated plaster was significantly more effective in reducing pain than the reference marketed DHEP medicated plaster. Conclusions: The benefit/risk assessment of DHEP Plus 180 mg medicated plaster is favorable, with a safety profile equal to placebo and improved efficacy over the reference marketed DHEP medicated plaster

Suitability of composting process for the disposal and valorization of brewer’s spent grain

The brewing industry is characterized by the large production of by-products. Following the fundamentals of a circular economy, several attempts to recycle brewers’ spent grain (BSG) have been investigated. However, little information is available on its use for composting. Consid-ering the main parameters required for optimal development of composting, the objective of the present review was to analyze the literature to determine whether the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of BSG make it suitable for direct composting. As the main factors in the composting process, we considered the BSG moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, and pH. As described in the literature, the BSG moisture content, C/N ratio, and pH range from 70.6% to 81.3%, 7.1 to 26.5, and 3.8 to 6.9, respectively. This C/N ratio range is lower than the composting target range (20–30). Instead, the mean moisture content in the literature is higher than the 60% to 65% recommended for composting. Optimum pH for aerobic stabilization of compost ranges from 5.5 to 7.5, while the BSG pH in the literature is typically more acidic. Therefore, BSG is not suitable for direct composting. Addition of lignocellulosic bulking agents improves the reduction of moisture content during composting, while also optimizing the substrate properties, such as C/N ratio, air spaces, and pH, to positively affect the composting process. Moreover, livestock manure should be included as a starting material to promote the composting process. In this context, two hypothetical initial mixtures of BSG plus a lignocellulosic bulking agent and livestock manure are presented

The role of dental occlusion and neuromuscular behavior in professional Ballet dancers’ performance: A pilot study

Clinical practice and some scientific evidence seem to suggest that there is some kind of relationship between the components that form the postural chain. For professional dancers, good posture and balance are essential. The aim of the present retrospective study is to evaluate whether gnathological treatment could have an impact on the postural balance and sports performance of professional ballet dancers. Electromyographic (EMG) data and balance tests were recorded before and after six months of treatment with a customized occlusal splint. Twenty athletes were examined during ballet exercises in terms of balance and speed of execution by two experienced clinicians. The results showed statistically significant changes for all EMG tests carried out and the Flamingo Balance Test. It appears that the use of a customized occlusal device improved neuro-muscular coordination and the overall performance of dancers

Remote sensing reveals scale‐specific effects of forage crop mowing and landscape structure on a declining farmland bird

The effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AESs), the largest conservation-related expenditure for farmland biodiversity conservation within the European Union, is often compromised by a limited spatial scale of implementation. We focused on multiannual forage crops, a surrogate habitat for grassland birds, to assess the scale-dependent effects of mowing timing and frequency on the local population size of an iconic species, the skylark (Alauda arvensis). While there is much evidence for a negative impact of in-field mowing activities on grassland birds, whether such effects occur also at broader spatial scales is largely unknown. We surveyed breeding skylarks in the Po Plain (northern Italy) to determine (1) the association between landscape composition/configuration and abundance and (2) how abundance is affected by forage crop mowing timing and frequency. We addressed both questions through scale optimisation, identifying the most influential spatial scales for each covariate. Forage crop mowing timing was assessed through a novel remote sensing algorithm based on high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite images. We observed a strong scale dependence on the importance of different habitats in determining skylark abundance. Abundance increased with an increasing cover of forage crops locally (200 m) and of winter crops at a landscape scale (2600 m), suggesting that the species is favoured by heterogeneous agroecosystems. Locally (150–350 m), skylarks were more abundant when crops were aggregated, being negatively impacted by crop fragmentation caused by urbanization and by seminatural habitats. At the landscape scale (1150 m), the timing of mowing was consistent across years, with early-mown areas supporting fewer skylarks. This is probably because, over longer temporal scales, early-mown forage patches have limited or null productivity, eventually limiting local population size. Synthesis and applications. We provide a new perspective on the overarching influence of spatial scale in driving the abundance of a declining farmland bird species, supporting the urgency of designing landscape scale-effective AESs. This should be framed within the new EU Common Agricultural Policy reform and operated by farmer collectives, whereby management interventions should be monitored by state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques. These results suggest that implementing scale-optimized AESs could be crucial for effective farmland biodiversity conservatio

Intra-guild spatial niche overlap among three small falcon species in an area of recent sympatry

Climate warming and land-use change are reshuffling the distribution of wild organisms on a global scale. Some species may expand their ranges and colonize new regions, which may greatly affect ecological interactions among pre-existing species and colonizers. In the last decades, such processes have originated a unique condition of sympatry among three Eurasian small Falco species (common kestrel F. tinnunculus, lesser kestrel F. naumanni, red-footed falcon F. vespertinus) in the intensively cultivated farmland habitats of the Po Plain (Northern Italy). This provides an excellent opportunity to investigate patterns of spatial niche overlap during the initial phases of the establishment of sympatry. To investigate spatial niche overlap of the three falcon species, we relied on Environmental Niche Models (ENMs) based on widespread breeding occurrence data obtained through field surveys and citizen science programs (during the 2018-2020 period). ENMs were based on bioclimatic and land-use variables in an ensemble modelling framework. We estimated species-specific relative contributions of each climatic and land-use variable and its response curves effect. Eventually, we generated spatial correlation maps of the potential species' distributions to derive spatially-explicit predictions of potential co-occurrence areas among the three species. Overall, eco-climatic determinants of the distribution of lesser kestrel and red-footed falcon were similar, resulting in a strong association with intensive arable lands and dry continental climate. Consistently, we found a high spatial correlation between the suitability maps of the two species, with highly suitable areas located in the Central-Eastern area of the Po Plain, corresponding to the core range of both species. Conversely, the common kestrel emerged as a habitat generalist and was widely distributed throughout the Po Plain. Our findings suggest that the recent sympatry between lesser kestrels and red-footed falcons in the Po Plain may promote ecological interactions and intra-guild competition

SARS-COV-2 comorbidity network and outcome in hospitalized patients in Crema, Italy

We report onset, course, correlations with comorbidities, and diagnostic accuracy of nasopharyngeal swab in 539 individuals suspected to carry SARS-COV-2 admitted to the hospital of Crema, Italy. All individuals underwent clinical and laboratory exams, SARS-COV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on nasopharyngeal swab, and chest X-ray and/or computed tomography (CT). Data on onset, course, comorbidities, number of drugs including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-II-receptor antagonists (sartans), follow-up swab, pharmacological treatments, non-invasive respiratory support, ICU admission, and deaths were recorded. Among 411 SARS-COV-2 patients (67.7% males) median age was 70.8 years (range 5-99). Chest CT was performed in 317 (77.2%) and showed interstitial pneumonia in 304 (96%). Fatality rate was 17.5% (74% males), with 6.6% in 60-69 years old, 21.1% in 70-79 years old, 38.8% in 80-89 years old, and 83.3% above 90 years. No death occurred below 60 years. Non-invasive respiratory support rate was 27.2% and ICU admission 6.8%. Charlson comorbidity index and high Creactive protein at admission were significantly associated with death. Use of ACE inhibitors or sartans was not associated with outcomes. Among 128 swab negative patients at admission (63.3% males) median age was 67.7 years (range 1-98). Chest CT was performed in 87 (68%) and showed interstitial pneumonia in 76 (87.3%). Follow-up swab turned positive in 13 of 32 patients. Using chest CT at admission as gold standard on the entire study population of 539 patients, nasopharyngeal swab had 80% accuracy. Comorbidity network analysis revealed a more homogenous distribution 60-40 aged SARS-COV-2 patients across diseases and a crucial different interplay of diseases in the networks of deceased and survived patients. SARS-CoV-2 caused high mortality among patients older than 60 years and correlated with pre-existing multiorgan impairment. Copyright

Experimental nest cooling reveals dramatic effects of heatwaves on reproduction in a Mediterranean bird of prey

Future climatic scenarios forecast increases in average temperatures as well as in the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme events, such as heatwaves. Whereas behavioral adjustments can buffer direct physiological and fitness costs of exposure to excessive temperature in wild animals, these may prove more difficult during specific life stages when vagility is reduced (e.g., early developmental stages). By means of a nest cooling experiment, we tested the effects of extreme temperatures on different stages of reproduction in a cavity-nesting Mediterranean bird of prey, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), facing a recent increase in the frequency of heatwaves during its breeding season. Nest temperature in a group of nest boxes placed on roof terraces was reduced by shading them from direct sunlight in 2 consecutive years (2021 and 2022). We then compared hatching failure, mortality, and nestling morphology between shaded and non-shaded (control) nest boxes. Nest temperature in control nest boxes was on average 3.9 degrees C higher than in shaded ones during heatwaves, that is, spells of extreme air temperature (>37 degrees C for =2 consecutive days) which hit the study area during the nestling-rearing phase in both years. Hatching failure markedly increased with increasing nest temperature, rising above 50% when maximum nest temperatures exceeded 44 degrees C. Nestlings from control nest boxes showed higher mortality during heatwaves (55% vs. 10% in shaded nest boxes) and those that survived further showed impaired morphological growth (body mass and skeletal size). Hence, heatwaves occurring during the breeding period can have both strong lethal and sublethal impacts on different components of avian reproduction, from egg hatching to nestling growth. More broadly, these findings suggest that the projected future increases of summer temperatures and heatwave frequency in the Mediterranean basin and elsewhere in temperate areas may threaten the local persistence of even relatively warm-adapted species

Conservation front lines need experienced troops: the role of a scientific trust in a changing world

The active participation of scientific trusts, including CISO (Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici), in applied conservation actions plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges faced by natural and semi-natural landscapes, which are increasingly impacted by improper land-use and land-cover. This is particularly true for those landscapes where Large Infrastructures and Big Events (LIBEs) are planned. In these circumstances, researchers, professionals, and environmentalists typically express their concerns on the impacts of LIBEs through mediatic campaigns, often highlighting the ecological importance of vulnerable areas. These actions form the first, useful level of engagement in conservation. However, we advocate for a more proactive role of scientific trusts, which should entail forming task forces of conservation experts and providing scientific support in management decisions when LIBEs are being considered. In our opinion, scientists should locally produce original field studies by using effective sampling designs such as Before-After-Control-Impact surveys. We highlight that such a targeted level of action may support the public agencies when authorizing (or not) LIBEs, by providing evidence-based information about the ecological value of the target area and the potential impacts of LIBEs on ecosystem functions and local biodiversity. The aim is to avoid emotion-based social media loops, conflicts, and polarizations in the discussions about the ecological impacts of LIBEs