Using Medicinal Plants in Valmalenco (Italian Alps): From Tradition to Scientific Approaches

This ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Caspoggio (Valmalenco, SO, Italy) with the purpose of investigating the traditional uses of medicinal plants. Moreover, a bibliographic research meant to validate or refute the uses, focusing on the potentially responsible compounds, was performed. Fifty-nine species, attributable to 30 families (Asteraceae, Pinaceae, Malvaceae, and Lamiaceae the most cited), were mentioned. Arnica montana, anti-inflammatory for traumas and musculoskeletal pains; Pinus mugo, expectorant; Malva sylvestris, anti-inflammatory and soothing; Achillea moschata, digestive. The compounds, responsible for the therapeutic activities, are often polyphenols and terpenoids: helenanin in A. montana, -pinene, -3-carene, and limonene in P. mugo, gossypin and malvin in M. sylvestris, luteolin and apigenin in A. moschata. Scientific evidence for at least one of the traditional activities described was found for 50 species but only in 26 out of 196 works consulted, it is possible to make a comparison between investigated extracts and traditional preparations. This study is thus a stimulus to new phytochemical investigations, mimicking as much as possible the traditional preparations. This work is part of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE project, aimed at creating a management model for the ongoing climate change and searching for new sources of territory valorization as attractions for tourists

Ethical Decision Making in Iot Data Driven Research: A Case Study of a Large-Scale Pilot

[EN] IoT technologies generate intelligence and connectivity and develop knowledge to be used in the decision-making process. However, research that uses big data through global interconnected infrastructures, such as the `Internet of Things¿ (IoT) for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA), is fraught with several ethical concerns. A large-scale application of IoT operating in diverse piloting contexts and case studies needs to be orchestrated by a robust framework to guide ethical and sustainable decision making in respect to data management of AHA and IoT based solutions. The main objective of the current article is to present the successful completion of a collaborative multiscale research work, which addressed the complicated exercise of ethical decision making in IoT smart ecosystems for older adults. Our results reveal that among the strong enablers of the proposed ethical decision support model were the participatory and deliberative procedures complemented by a set of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to operationalize core ethical values such as transparency, trust, and fairness in real care settings for older adults and their caregivers.This paper is part of the ACTIVAGE project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 732679.Segkouli, S.; Fico, G.; Vera-Muñoz, C.; Lecumberri, M.; Voulgaridis, A.; Triantafyllidis, A.; Sala-Soriano, P.... (2022). Ethical Decision Making in Iot Data Driven Research: A Case Study of a Large-Scale Pilot. Healthcare. 10(5):1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare1005095712110

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p < 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

Successful long‐term guselkumab treatment of severe plaque psoriasis in patients with class III obesity: A case series

Abstract Data from real‐world studies and clinical trials have documented the long‐term efficacy and safety of guselkumab in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Limited data are available on the long‐term use of guselkumab in morbidly obese individuals with severe psoriasis. Here, we present data on the outcome of three patients with class III obesity (body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 kg/m2) with severe plaque psoriasis treated with 100 mg guselkumab. At baseline, mean BMI was 46.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2 and mean PASI was 46.0 ± 18.5 and all patients were biologic naïve. After 12 weeks of guselkumab treatment, mean PASI decreased to 9.7 ± 4 and to 4.0 ± 1.7 at 28 weeks. After 1 year, two patients achieved complete remission and one patient had PASI of 6 (achieving remission by week 140). All three patients are still in complete remission. Our real‐life results in specific patients burdened with class III obesity naïve to biologic treatment show excellent long‐term psoriasis outcome with guselkumab

Terpene Profiles Composition and Micromorphological Analysis on Two Wild Populations of Helichrysum spp. from the Tuscan Archipelago (Central Italy)

Two wild populations of Helichrysum (Mill.) located at Elba Island (Tuscan Archipelago, Central Italy) were morphologically and phytochemically analyzed to taxonomically identify H. litoreum (population A) and H. italicum subsp. italicum (population B). Micromorphological and histochemical analyses were performed on the indumentum using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Light Microscope (LM). Morphometric analyses on vegetative and reproductive traits were also conducted. Finally, a chemotaxonomic analysis was carried out on the terpene profile of flowers, leaves and bark tissues using gas chromatography (GC-MS). Results suggested that morphological discriminant traits were mainly in leaves and cypselae glandular tissues. Phytochemical analysis indicated that a high relative content of α-pinene and β-caryophyllene were the main markers for population A, while a high relative content of neryl-acetate, α-curcumene, isoitalicene and italicene, especially in the terpene profile of bark tissue, were the main compounds for discriminating population B. The analysis suggested that the wild population A could be mainly ascribed to H. litoreum, whilst population B is defined by H. italicum

Elucidation of Rituals and Food in the 'Cult Area' of Roca Through Chemical Analyses

The application of analytical chemistry to archaeological research has increased substantially over the last half-century and today represents a major methodological subfield within archaeological science. The paper reports the results obtained onto a selection of Final Bronze Age ceramic materials from Bronze Age site of Roca. Two pithoi in fine fabric -figulina- and five vessels in coarse fabric -impasto- (one olla, one dipper, three small cups) have been selected and analyzed. Regarding the archaeological contexts of provenience, one pithos comes from the so called Capanna-Magazzino located in SAS VI and all the other materials come from the South-East sector of the so called Capanna-Tempio located in SAS IX. Using high temperature gas chromatography and compound specific isotopic ratio, it has been possible to identify different types of lipids absorbed by the ceramic core. The pithos from the Capanna-Tempio shows residues of lipids clearly identified as olive oil. The olla and the dipper show residues of lipids referable to non-ruminant animals. One of the three small cups does not contain any traces of lipids but quantities of beeswax and some evidence of conifer's resins. Two cups contain residues of animal lipids that can be attributed to ruminant animals, particularly to sheep. The pithos from the Capanna-Tempio demonstrates processes of accumulation of huge quantities of olive oil in a ritual context characterized by precise comparisons with the Bronze Age Aegean. The traces of resin in the pithos from the Capanna-Magazzino could be interpreted both as results of surface treatment or as residues of various contents different from olive oil, such as flavored wine. The animal lipids found in the olla seem to confirm the use of this shape in food-preparing activities

Alpine Diet in Valmalenco (Lombardy, Italy): Nutritional Features of Spontaneous Plants and Traditional Dishes

Background: Along the Alps, the Alpine diet is considered to be one of the most common nutritional models. Next to traditional animal-based products, spontaneous plants of the territory are collected and eaten. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the nutritional features of selected autochthonous plants of the territory and the typical recipe of green gnocchi. Methods: The analyses of proximate composition, carotenoid, total phenol, and mineral contents in raw and cooked plant samples and the chemical composition and in vitro starch digestibility in green and control gnocchi were performed. Results: Except for Aruncus dioicus, all the wild plants contained high levels of carotenoids (15–20 mg/100 g FW), mainly as xanthophylls. Rumex acetosa showed the highest levels of total phenols (554 mg GAE/100 g FW), and Urtica dioica can be considered to be a good dietary source of iron, calcium, and magnesium (4.9, 410, and 72 mg/100 g FW). Cooking significantly decreased the potassium and magnesium contents in all wild species, and total phenols and carotenoids in Aruncus dioicus, Blitum bonus-henricus, and Silene vulgaris (p p < 0.05). Conclusions: Traditional consumption of spontaneous plants in the Alpine regions might increase the dietary intakes of several bioactive substances and contribute to cover the nutritional needs of micronutrients