Magnetism of Cr10 wheels on Au(111) and Cu(111) surfaces

Trabajo presentado al X Meeting de GEFES (División de Física de la Materia Condensada de la Real Sociedad Española de Física), celebrado en Valencia del 24 al 26 de enero de 2018We report on the magnetic properties of {Cr10} wheels (Cr10(OMe)20(O2CCMe)10) UHVsublimated on Cu(111) and Au(111) single-crystals investigated by means of by XAS & XMCD, SQUID magnetometry and STM. We discuss the magnetic anisotropy and magnetic moment field-dependence of the grafted {Cr10} molecules, as a function of the metallic substrate and layer thickness, and compare it with bulk material. Our results demonstrate that evaporated molecules show negligible anisotropy and weak dependence with the substrate. A combination of XMCD and SQUID magnetometry show that Mono- and Multilayer {Cr10} samples exhibit a magnetic behavior stemming from a S = 9 ground state, ruling out some previous results. Montecarlo simulations show that the magnetic evolution can be explained by {Cr10} molecules magneticaly consisting of two semi-crowns containing 4 Cr ions interacting ferromagnetically, separated by 2 Cr ions with antiferromagnetic interactions, giving rise to the ground S = 9 state, in agreement with previous EPR data in literature. Evaporation of {Cr10} onto a substrate producing subtle structural changes induce strong changes in the Cr-Cr interactions and distinct magnetic behavior from the bulk.Peer Reviewe

Efficacy of animal assisted therapy on people with mental disorders: an update on the evidence

INTRODUCTION: Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is a structured form of animal assisted intervention (AAI), which specifically adopts animals in healthcare services and education facilities, to achieve therapeutic goals. Although such interventions are widely used, nowadays, evidence supporting them is still largely lacking. A previously published review of the literature highlighted some promising effects of AAT on people presenting psychiatric disorders, though the quality of the studies included was generally low. In order to provide an update of recent evidence, the aim of this study was to systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published since 2000, involving people affected by mental disorders and receiving AAT. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The following databases were searched: CINHAL, EBSCO Psychology and Behavioural Science Collection, PubMed and Web of Science. 115 papers were obtained and screened: 28 were from CINHAL, PsycINFO and Psychology and Behavioural Science Collection altogether, 15 from PubMed and 72 from Web of Science. In addition to this, grey literature and references of already published reviews and meta-analyses on the topic were searched, resulting in the addition of 6 further articles. After screening, 10 RCTs were included in this review. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Studies involving outpatients were more frequent than those involving inpatients; sample size was generally low. The majority of studies adopted scales routinely used in clinical trials, with a good level of validity and reliability. Five out of ten studies reported significant differences in the main outcomes favouring AAT. Most of the studies did not include any follow-up; yet, where prospective data were available, the benefits of AAT appeared long lasting. Drop-out rates were higher in studies involving outpatients. However, the only trial which enrolled both inpatients and outpatients showed a higher drop-out rate among the inpatients group, possibly due to their more severe psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: Though a paucity of available studies partly limits our findings, AAT seems to improve empathy, socialization and communication, and to favour therapeutic alliance among patients who have difficulties with therapeutic programs adherence. AAT appears to be a feasible and well-received intervention, potentially with few or no side effects reported. However there is a need for further studies with larger sample sizes and high-quality research standards

Minimally invasive surgery for ovarian endometriosis as a mean of improving fertility: Cystectomy vs. CO2 fiber laser ablation what do we know so far?

Minimally invasive surgery emerged in the 1980s as a safe and effective technique which requires smaller incisions and, usually, a shorter hospital stay compared to traditional surgery. Since then, minimally invasive surgery has expanded in many surgical specialties. One of its newest application in gynecology stands in the infertility management of young women with unexplained infertility or suspected endometriosis. In these cases, laparoscopy allows to diagnose and treat the disease aiming to increase at best the chances of spontaneous pregnancy or trough assisted reproductive technology. Nowadays, minimally invasive surgical approach of ovarian endometriosis consists of either laparoscopic cystectomy or ablative techniques such as laparoscopic CO2 fiber laser vaporization. Although cystectomy represents the gold standard according to the latest Cochrane review, some endometriosis experts are worried about its detrimental effect on healthy ovarian parenchyma and suggest preferring a less aggressive approach such as CO2 fiber laser vaporization. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the available evidences about the impact of the two surgical procedures on ovarian reserve markers and pregnancy outcome

Extra virgin olive oil extracts of indigenous Southern Tuscany cultivar act as anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant nutraceuticals

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the typical source of fats in the Mediterranean diet. While fatty acids are essential for the EVOO nutraceutical properties, multiple biological activities are also due to the presence of polyphenols. In this work, autochthonous Tuscany EVOOs were chemically characterized and selected EVOO samples were extracted to obtain hydroalcoholic phytocomplexes, which were assayed to establish their anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant properties. The polar extracts were characterized via 1H-NMR and UHPLC-HRMS to investigate the chemical composition and assayed in CaCo-2 cells exposed to glucose oxidase or rat aorta rings contracted by phenylephrine. Apigenin and luteolin were found as representative flavones; other components were pinoresinol, ligstroside, and oleuropein. The extracts showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties via modulation of NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways, respectively, and good vasorelaxant activity, both in the presence and absence of an intact endothelium. In conclusion, this study evaluated the nutraceutical properties of autochthonous Tuscany EVOO cv., which showed promising anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant effects

Role of HBcAb Positivity in Increase of HIV-RNA Detectability after Switching to a Two-Drug Regimen Lamivudine-Based (2DR-3TC-Based) Treatment: Months 48 Results of a Multicenter Italian Cohort

: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of anti-hepatitis B (HBV) c antibodies (HBcAb positivity) could influence the control of HIV viremia in patients living with HIV (PLWH) who switch to two-drug antiretroviral therapy (2DR) containing lamivudine (3TC) (2DR-3TC-based). A retrospective multicentre observational study was conducted on 160 PLWH switching to the 2DR-3TC-based regimen: 51 HBcAb-positive and 109 HBcAb-negative patients. The HBcAb-positive PLWH group demonstrated a significantly lower percentage of subjects with HIV viral suppression with target not detected (TND) at all time points after switching (24th month: 64.7% vs. 87.8%, p < 0.0001; 36th month 62.7% vs. 86.8%, p = 0.011; 48th month 57.2% vs. 86.1%, p = 0.021 of the HBcAb-positive and HBcAb-negative groups, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of HBcAb positivity (OR 7.46 [95% CI 2.35-14.77], p = 0.004) could favour the emergence of HIV viral rebound by nearly 54% during the entire study follow-up after switching to 2DR-3TC

An Open Platform for Full Body Interactive Sonification Exergames

This paper addresses the use of a remote interactive platform to support home-based rehabilitation for children with motor and cognitive impairment. The interaction between user and platform is achieved on customizable full-body interactive serious games (exergames). These exergames perform real-time analysis of multimodal signals to quantify movement qualities and postural attitudes. Interactive sonification of movement is then applied for providing a real-time feedback based on "aesthetic resonance" and engagement of the children. The games also provide log file recordings therapists can use to assess the performance of the children and the effectiveness of the games. The platform allows the customization of the games to address the children's needs. The platform is based on the EyesWeb XMI software, and the games are designed for home usage, based on Kinect for Xbox One and simple sensors including 3-axis accelerometers available in low-cost Android smartphones

Highly Sensitive HBsAg, Anti-HBc and Anti HBsAg Titres in Early Diagnosis of HBV Reactivation in Anti-HBc-Positive Onco-Haematological Patients

The role of novel HBV markers in predicting Hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R) in HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive oncohaematological patients was examined. One hundred and seven HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive oncohaematological patients, receiving anti-HBV prophylaxis for >18 months, were included. At baseline, all patients had undetectable HBV DNA, and 67.3% were anti-HBs positive. HBV-R occurred in 17 (15.9%) patients: 6 during and 11 after the prophylaxis period. At HBV-R, the median (IQR) HBV-DNA was 44 (27-40509) IU/mL, and the alanine aminotransferase upper limit of normal (ULN) was 44% (median (IQR): 81 (49-541) U/L). An anti-HBc > 3 cut-off index (COI) plus anti-HBs persistently/declining to <50 mIU/mL was predictive for HBV-R (OR (95% CI): 9.1 (2.7-30.2); 63% of patients with vs. 15% without this combination experienced HBV-R (p < 0.001)). The detection of highly sensitive (HS) HBsAg and/or HBV-DNA confirmed at >2 time points, also predicts HBV-R (OR (95% CI): 13.8 (3.6-52.6); 50% of positive vs. 7% of negative patients to these markers experienced HBV-R (p = 0.001)). HS-HBs and anti-HBc titration proved to be useful early markers of HBV-R. The use of these markers demonstrated that HBV-R frequently occurs in oncohaematological patients with signs of resolved HBV infection, raising issues of proper HBV-R monitoring

Contributo al femminile all’educazione tecnica e scientifica per le materie STEM. Fare rete tra scienziate/i, enti, università, associazioni, media e portatori d’interesse

Questo “contributo al femminile” è stato realizzato da un gruppo di perso- ne che ambisce a contribuire al miglioramento dell’educazione scolastica; è destinato a donne, uomini, ragazze, ragazzi, bambine e bambini per mettere in luce potenzialità, diseguaglianze, specificità di vita e professionali e favorire la parità di genere soprattutto negli ambiti tecnico-scientifici, in particolar modo nelle discipline STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)