Accelerated Ageing Procedures to Assess the Stability of an Unconventional Acrylic-Wax Polymeric Emulsion for Contemporary Art

This research evaluates the stability of an aqueous emulsion of acrylic copolymers and waxes. Edelwachs, generally applied on wood, has been recently used as an unconventional medium in contemporary painting. Through Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance (FT-IR-ATR) analyses, the composition of Edelwachs was defined as a mixture of acrylic polymers (MA, MMA, nBA, nBMA), Carnauba and microcrystalline waxes and additives. Mock-ups-obtained mixing Edelwachs with titanium white, zinc white and ultramarine blue were subjected to UV, high temperatures, and high relative humidity accelerated ageing. The effect of the ageing procedures was evaluated through optical microscopy, colourimetric measurements, FT-IR-ATR, Thermogravimetry and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) and wettability measures. FT-IR-ATR spectra do not show significant variations in terms of chemical stability, indicating a fair stability of Edelwachs as a painting binder. UV and high temperature treatments show the most relevant effects in terms of colorimetric changes (increasing of b*) and thermal stability. The TG-DSC highlights the influence of the pigments (specifically zinc white) mainly on the thermal behaviour of the acrylates. The unexpected decrease of wettability of the paint films, registered after ageing, may indicate a possible phase separation among acrylates and waxes.This research evaluates the stability of an aqueous emulsion of acrylic copolymers and waxes. Edelwachs, generally applied on wood, has been recently used as an unconventional medium in contemporary painting. Through Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance (FT-IR-ATR) analyses, the composition of Edelwachs was defined as a mixture of acrylic polymers (MA, MMA, nBA, nBMA), Carnauba and microcrystalline waxes and additives. Mock-ups-obtained mixing Edelwachs with titanium white, zinc white and ultramarine blue were subjected to UV, high temperatures, and high relative humidity accelerated ageing. The effect of the ageing procedures was evaluated through optical microscopy, colourimetric measurements, FT-IR-ATR, Thermogravimetry and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) and wettability measures. FT-IR-ATR spectra do not show significant variations in terms of chemical stability, indicating a fair stability of Edelwachs as a painting binder. UV and high temperature treatments show the most relevant effects in terms of colorimetric changes (increasing of b*) and thermal stability. The TG-DSC highlights the influence of the pigments (specifically zinc white) mainly on the thermal behaviour of the acrylates. The unexpected decrease of wettability of the paint films, registered after ageing, may indicate a possible phase separation among acrylates and waxes

Molecular basis of mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (Morquio A syndrome) : a review and classification of GALNS gene variants and reporting of 68 novel variants

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA, Morquio A syndrome) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) gene. We collected, analyzed, and uniformly summarized all published GALNS gene variants, thus updating the previous mutation review (published in 2014). In addition, new variants were communicated by seven reference laboratories in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and the United States. All data were analyzed to determine common alleles, geographic distribution, level of homozygosity, and genotype-phenotype correlation. Moreover, variants were classified according to their pathogenicity as suggested by ACMG. Including those previously published, we assembled 446 unique variants, among which 68 were novel, from 1190 subjects (including newborn screening positive subjects). Variants' distribution was missense (65.0%), followed by nonsense (8.1%), splicing (7.2%), small frameshift deletions(del)/insertions(ins) (7.0%), intronic (4.0%), and large del/ins and complex rearrangements (3.8%). Half (50.4%) of the subjects were homozygous, 37.1% were compound heterozygous, and 10.7% had only one variant detected. The novel variants underwent in silico analysis to evaluate their pathogenicity. All variants were submitted to ClinVar (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/clinvar/) to make them publicly available. Mutation updates are essential for the correct molecular diagnoses, genetic counseling, prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis, and disease management

“Gli aspetti innovativi dell’informativa finanziaria nelle “entità” del settore pubblico: gli IPSAS 5, 15, 18, 19 e 21”

Per il citato lavoro, che rappresenta un contributo alla ricerca della Scuola Superiore della Pubblica Amministrazione “Principi e metodi di contabilità economico-patrimoniale per lo Stato e le Pubbliche Amministrazioni nel quadro teorico ed operativo internazionale” (coordinatore Prof. L. Anselmi, anni 2007/2008), sono stati assolti gli obblighi di pubblicazione direttamente dall’autore, ai sensi della Legge 15.4.2006 n. 106 e del D.P.R. 03.05.2006, n. 252

Clinical Features, Cardiovascular Risk Profile, and Therapeutic Trajectories of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Candidate for Oral Semaglutide Therapy in the Italian Specialist Care

Introduction: This study aimed to address therapeutic inertia in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by investigating the potential of early treatment with oral semaglutide. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2021 and April 2022 among specialists treating individuals with T2D. A scientific committee designed a data collection form covering demographics, cardiovascular risk, glucose control metrics, ongoing therapies, and physician judgments on treatment appropriateness. Participants completed anonymous patient questionnaires reflecting routine clinical encounters. The preferred therapeutic regimen for each patient was also identified. Results: The analysis was conducted on 4449 patients initiating oral semaglutide. The population had a relatively short disease duration (42%  60% of patients, and more often than sitagliptin or empagliflozin. Conclusion: The study supports the potential of early implementation of oral semaglutide as a strategy to overcome therapeutic inertia and enhance T2D management

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI

A dopamine partial agonist and antagonist block amphetamine self-administration in a progressive ratio schedule

A recently characterized class of compounds, dopamine partial agonists, have been suggested as potential therapeutic candidates for pharmacological intervention in psychostimulant addiction. These drugs bind to dopamine receptors with high affinity and low intrinsic activity and are thought to behave as functional antagonists in conditions of high dopaminergic tone, and as agonists in conditions of low receptor occupancy by dopamine. The aim of the present study was to characterize the effects of terguride, a partial dopamine agonist at the D2 receptor subtype, on intravenous self-administration of amphetamine in a progressive ratio schedule and to compare it with the effects produced by the dopamine D2 antagonist eticlopride and the dopamine D2 full agonist quinpirole. Terguride at the doses of 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg ip significantly decreased the maximum number of responses delivered for a single injection of amphetamine ("breaking point"), an effect similar to that produced by the antagonist eticlopride (0.01-0.1 mg/kg sc). In contrast, administration of quinpirole (0.1-1 mg/kg sc) did not significantly modify the breaking point for amphetamine responding. Also, terguride dose-dependently increased responding for amphetamine self-administration on a continuous reinforcement schedule. These data further confirm the effects of terguride on psychostimulant self-administration and indicate that under these conditions partial dopamine agonists act as functional dopamine receptor antagonists. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc

Defective mRNA levels are responsible for a beta-thalassemia phenotype associated with Hb Federico II, a novel haemoglobin variant (beta 106 (G8) Leu->Val).

This study provides the first experimental evidence that a single nucleotide mutation within the coding region of the β-globin gene affects mRNA expression levels and causes a β-thalassemic defect. Furthermore, our data suggest that other regions besides the 3′UTR, whose role in constitutively regulation of this mechanism has been recently identified, may contribute to the stabilization of β-globin mRNA and could, therefore, help to characterize the molecular basis of thalassemic hemoglobinopathies

Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet in a population of South of Italy: factors involved and proposal of an educational field-based survey tool

We developed and validated a tool assessing the adherence to the Mediterranean diet based on current nutritional recommendations for health promotion (MEDI-Quest). Four-hundred-and-eleven clinically healthy subjects completed both the MEDI-Quest-score and the validated MedDietScore (MDS). A good accordance between MEDI-Quest and MDS was observed (R = 0.638), as well as for the percentage of individuals having similar scores with both methods for each food group. Regarding socio-cultural-factors, higher adherence was observed in people with older-age (OR = 1.030, p < .0001), more qualifier-employment (OR = 1.136, p < .005), higher-income (OR = 1.925, p < .0001), interest in reading-food-labels (OR = 2.057, p < .0001), and having frequent physical activity (OR = 1.608, p < .05). In conclusion, our findings show that (1) the MEDI-Quest score well correlate with MDS, and (2) the adherence to the Mediterranean diet is not particularly high due to less cultural roots. It could be necessary to improve people’s knowledge about food and nutrition, taking into consideration believes embedded in their family, tradition and religion