A Psychometric Properties Evaluation of the Italian Version of the Geriatric Depression Scale

Objective. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is an evaluation tool to diagnose older adult's depression. This questionnaire was defined by Yesavage and Brink in 1982; it was designed expressly for the older person and defines his/her degree of satisfaction, quality of life, and feelings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-IT). Methods. The Italian version of the Geriatric Depression Scale was administered to 119 people (79 people with a depression diagnosis and 40 healthy ones). We examined the following psychometric characteristics: internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity (factor structure). Results. Cronbach's Alpha for the GDS-IT administered to the depressed sample was 0.84. Test-retest reliability was 0.91 and the concurrent validity was 0.83. The factorial analysis showed a structure of 5 factors, and the scale cut-off is between 10 and 11. Conclusion. The GDS-IT proved to be a reliable and valid questionnaire for the evaluation of depression in an Italian population. In the present study, the GDS-IT showed good psychometric properties. Health professionals now have an assessment tool for the evaluation of depression symptoms in the Italian population

Seismic and Fire Assessment and Upgrading Process for Historical Buildings: The Case Study of Palazzo Colonna in Caggiano

The assessment and retrofit of existing masonry structures with historical and cultural value in highly seismic zones are challenging issues in earthquake engineering. In fact, the historic and recent earthquakes have shown the problem of the seismic vulnerability of existing masonry constructions. A historical masonry palace located in Caggiano (Salerno, Italy) is used herein as a case study, showing the vulnerability assessment and the seismic upgrading process. The case study building has a masonry structural type at the first two floors while there is a third floor realized in reinforced concrete and a fourth floor realized with a wood structure. The building was characterized by a remarkable seismic vulnerability and needed seismic upgrading operations. After the vulnerability assessment process, some design suggestions are proposed for the seismic upgrading of the building. The structure before and after the upgrading operations has been checked through nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. Then, coherently with the "Sismabonus" approach, the attribution of the seismic risk class, performed through numerical analyses, is founded on two parameters, namely, the expected annual mean losses (PAM), related to economic factors, and the Life Safety Index (IS-V), related to the structure seismic safety. Finally, the overcoming of the different classes of risk is shown and compared with the amount of the retrofit operations, their costs, and the impact on the existing space. Moreover, fire assessment has been investigated. In fact, in many cases, the buildings such as the case study structure are intended for public activities such as museums, so specific fire requirements, like fire resistance, are necessary. This topic became relevant especially if the structure is equipped with particular structural retrofit interventions which can be altered and modified in case of a fire. The paper presents the results of advanced thermomechanical analyses on the historical masonry palace under investigation. Since the case study building has a masonry structural type at the first two floors while there is a third floor realized in reinforced concrete, the fire analyses were conducted on the third and fourth floors, which may be more vulnerable to fire

Dihydroauroglaucin Isolated from the Mediterranean Sponge Grantia compressa Endophyte Marine Fungus Eurotium chevalieri Inhibits Migration of Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Cancer cell migration is a hallmark of the aggressiveness and progression of malignancies such as high-risk neuroblastoma. Given the lack of effective therapeutic solutions to counteract cancer progression, basic research aims to identify novel bioactive molecules with inhibitory potential on cancer cell migration. In this context, this work investigated the role of members of the salicylaldehyde secondary metabolite set from the sponge endophyte fungus Eurotium chevalieri MUT 2316 as potential inhibitors of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell migration. Since tetrahydroauroglaucin (TAG) and dihydroauroglaucin (DAG) were isolated in large amounts, both were evaluated for their anticancer properties towards SH-SY5Y cells. Both molecules were found to be non-cytotoxic by MTT assay and cytofluorimetric analysis. Moreover, DAG showed efficacy in inhibiting the highly migratory phenotype of SH-SY5Y cells by wound healing assay; whereas TAG, although structurally similar to DAG, showed no anti-migratory effect. Therefore, this work provides good reasons to conduct further in vitro and in vivo studies focusing on DAG as a potentially useful migrastatic natural marine molecule

Structural Analysis of Copolymers of Syndiotactic Polypropylene with 13C-Enriched Ethylene

A structural analysis of copolymers of syndiotactic polypropylene with small amounts of 13 C-enriched ethylene, in the range 0.4-2.6 mol %, is reported. X-ray diffraction and solid-state C-13 NMR CPMAS data indicate that the as-prepared copolymer samples are crystallized in the conformationally disordered modification of form II of sPP containing kink bands. The disorder corresponds to the presence of portions of chains in the trans-planar conformation in chains having a prevailing 2-fold helical conformation. A direct evidence of the partial inclusion of the ethylene units in the crystalline regions of the copolymers is provided

Synthesis of a rod-based porous coordination polymer from a nucleotide as a sequential chiral inductor

We report the two-step synthesis of a novel chiral rod-based porous coordination polymer (PCP). The chemical approach consists on the use of a previously prepared bis(ethylendiamine) copper monomer of formula [Cu(en)]2(NO3)2 [where en = ethylendiamine] reacting with the cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP) nucleotide. The bis(ethylendiamine) copper compound -stabilized by the axial coordination of nitrate counter-anions- reacts in the presence of sodium salt of CMP to yield right-handed copper(II) chains of P helicity with formula [Cu2(en)2(CMP)2] . 5H2O (1). The axial coordination of the CMP2- ligands through the N3 and O2 sites (free nitrogen and carbonyl groups) of the cytosine nucleobase and oxygen atoms of phosphate moieties, ensure the stabilization of the neutral chiral polymer. The supramolecular organization involves strong hydrogen bonding interactions to build supramolecular chains of the same helicity. The resulting PCP constitutes one of the few examples of CMP compounds exhibiting a such coordination involving both nucleobase and phosphate moieties, where a highly stable metal complex is used as precursor for the rational construction of rod-based hydrogen metal-organic frameworks (HMOFs). Furthermore, it is underlined the intrinsic capability of biomolecules to act as chiral transfer systems

Histone acetyltransferase inhibitor CPTH6 preferentially targets lung cancer stem-like cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumor initiation, progression, therapeutic failure and tumor relapse. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of the thiazole derivative 3-methylcyclopentylidene-[4-(4’-chlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl] hydrazone (CPTH6), a novel pCAF and Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase inhibitor, as a small molecule that preferentially targets lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs) derived from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Notably, although CPTH6 inhibits the growth of both LCSC and NSCLC cell lines, LCSCs exhibit greater growth inhibition than established NSCLC cells. Growth inhibitory effect of CPTH6 in LCSC lines is primarily due to apoptosis induction. Of note, differentiated progeny of LCSC lines is more resistant to CPTH6 in terms of loss of cell viability and reduction of protein acetylation, when compared to their undifferentiated counterparts. Interestingly, in LCSC lines CPTH6 treatment is also associated with a reduction of stemness markers. By using different HAT inhibitors we provide clear evidence that inhibition of HAT confers a strong preferential inhibitory effect on cell viability of undifferentiated LCSC lines when compared to their differentiated progeny. In vivo, CPTH6 is able to inhibit the growth of LCSC-derived xenografts and to reduce cancer stem cell content in treated tumors, as evidenced by marked reduction of tumor-initiating capacity in limiting dilution assays. Strikingly, the ability of CPTH6 to inhibit tubulin acetylation is also confirmed in vivo. Overall, our studies propose histone acetyltransferase inhibition as an attractive target for cancer therapy of NSCLC

Neuroelectrical Hyperscanning Measures Simultaneous Brain Activity in Humans

In this study we illustrate a methodology able to follow and study concurrent and simultaneous brain processes during cooperation between individuals, with non invasive EEG methodologies. We collected data from fourteen pairs of subjects while they were playing a card game with EEG. Data collection was made simultaneously on all the subjects during the card game. An extension of the Granger-causality approach allows us to estimate the functional connection between signals estimated from different Regions of Interest (ROIs) in different brains during the analyzed task. Finally, with the use of graph theory, we contrast the functional connectivity patterns of the two players belonging to the same team. Statistically significant functional connectivities were obtained from signals estimated in the ROIs modeling the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the prefrontal areas described by the Brodmann areas 8 with the signals estimated in all the other modelled cortical areas. Results presented suggested the existence of Granger-sense causal relations between the EEG activity estimated in the prefrontal areas 8 and 9/46 of one player with the EEG activity estimated in the ACC of their companion. We illustrated the feasibility of functional connectivity methodology on the EEG hyperscannings performed on a group of subjects. These functional connectivity estimated from the couple of brains could suggest, in statistical and mathematical terms, the modelled cortical areas that are correlated in Granger-sense during the solution of a particular task. EEG hyperscannings could be used to investigate experimental paradigms where the knowledge of the simultaneous interactions between the subjects have a value

A Clinical Decision Support System based on fuzzy rules and classification algorithms for monitoring the physiological parameters of type-2 diabetic patients

The use of different types of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) makes possible the improvement of the quality of the therapeutic and diagnostic efficiency in health field. Those systems, properly implemented, are able to simulate human expert clinician reasoning in order to suggest decisions on treatment of patients. In this paper, we exploit fuzzy inference machines to improve the quality of the day-by-day clinical care of type-2 diabetic patients of Anti-Diabetes Centre (CAD) of the Local Health Authority ASL Naples 1 (Naples, Italy). All the designed functionalities were developed thanks to the experience on the field, through different phases (data collection and adjustment, Fuzzy Inference System development and its validation on real cases) executed by an interdisciplinary research team comprising doctors, clinicians and IT engineers. The proposed approach also allows the remote monitoring of patients' clinical conditions and, hence, can help to reduce hospitalizations

Enhancement of the Intermolecular Magnetic Exchange through Halogen···Halogen interactions in Bisadeninium Rhenium(IV) Salts

Two novel Re^IV salts of general formula [H₂ade]₂[Re^IVX₆]­X₂·4H₂O [H₂ade²⁺ = 9<i>H</i>-adenine-1,7-diium; X = Cl­(<b>1</b>) and Br­(<b>2</b>)] have been synthesized and magnetostructurally characterized. <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> are isostructural salts that crystallize in the orthorhombic system with space group <i>Fdd</i>2. Both compounds are made up of discrete mononuclear [Re^IVX₆]^2– and X^– anions and doubly protonated adenine cations. The six-coordinate rhenium­(IV) ion is bonded to six halide ligands [X = Cl (<b>1</b>) and Br (<b>2</b>)] in an octahedral geometry. Short intermolecular Re^IV–X···X–Re^IV interactions, as well as Re^IV–X···H–N­(H₂ade) and Re^IV–X···H–O_w hydrogen bonds, are present in the crystal lattice of <b>1</b> and <b>2</b>. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on polycrystalline samples of <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> in the temperature range 2.0–300 K show the occurrence of significant intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions in both compounds, resulting in the observation of maxima in χ_M at ca. 6.0 (<b>1</b>) and 12.0 K (<b>2</b>). The larger spin delocalization from the Re^IV ion onto the peripheral bromide ligands when compared to the chloride ligands accounts for the enhancement of the magnetic exchange observed in <b>2</b>