ACLEESCF. SP. FOVEATUS(COLEOPTERA CURCULIONIDAE), AN EXOTIC PESTOF FICUS CARICAIN ITALY: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DEFENCE BASEDON ALUMINOSILICATE MINERALS AS HOST PLANT MASKING SOLIDS

The exceptionally frequent entries of alien pest are a major source of concern for the farmers who haveto protect their crops from unknown insects, often without natural enemies in the new areas. A new pestbelonging to the Molytinae family (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), tribe Hylobiini, reported as Acleessp. cf.foveatusVoss, was recently introduced in Italy. The species is responsible for severe damages in many Italianfig nurseries and orchards, particularly in the Italian Central Northern regions, i.e. Tuscany, Ligury andLatium. Currently, no active ingredients are registered against this insect on fig crops. An innovative and eco-friendly approach for controlling this exotic weevil infestation was investigated, by using montmorillonite-based clays, either in their native state or containing copper(II) species, and clinoptilolite zeolites, in order tocheck the perception of the adults’ weevil towards the different solid materials and, subsequently, to evaluatethe capability of these innovative products to act as masking agent with respect to the host plant and/or asrepellent upon contact. The formulations containing copper(II)-exchanged clay and clinoptilolite zeoliteshowed preliminary promising results in terms of efficacy and environmental sustainability

Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020

Background The effectiveness trial “Stress echo (SE) 2020” evaluates novel applications of SE in and beyond coronary artery disease. The core protocol also includes 4-site simplified scan of B-lines by lung ultrasound, useful to assess pulmonary congestion. Purpose To provide web-based upstream quality control and harmonization of B-lines reading criteria. Methods 60 readers (all previously accredited for regional wall motion, 53 B-lines naive) from 52 centers of 16 countries of SE 2020 network read a set of 20 lung ultrasound video-clips selected by the Pisa lab serving as reference standard, after taking an obligatory web-based learning 2-h module ( http://se2020.altervista.org ). Each test clip was scored for B-lines from 0 (black lung, A-lines, no B-lines) to 10 (white lung, coalescing B-lines). The diagnostic gold standard was the concordant assessment of two experienced readers of the Pisa lab. The answer of the reader was considered correct if concordant with reference standard reading ±1 (for instance, reference standard reading of 5 B-lines; correct answer 4, 5, or 6). The a priori determined pass threshold was 18/20 (≥ 90%) with R value (intra-class correlation coefficient) between reference standard and recruiting center) > 0.90. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient statistics. Results All 60 readers were successfully accredited: 26 (43%) on first, 24 (40%) on second, and 10 (17%) on third attempt. The average diagnostic accuracy of the 60 accredited readers was 95%, with R value of 0.95 compared to reference standard reading. The 53 B-lines naive scored similarly to the 7 B-lines expert on first attempt (90 versus 95%, p = NS). Compared to the step-1 of quality control for regional wall motion abnormalities, the mean reading time per attempt was shorter (17 ± 3 vs 29 ± 12 min, p < .01), the first attempt success rate was higher (43 vs 28%, p < 0.01), and the drop-out of readers smaller (0 vs 28%, p < .01). Conclusions Web-based learning is highly effective for teaching and harmonizing B-lines reading. Echocardiographers without previous experience with B-lines learn quickly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea on the thoracic aorta and the main pulmonary artery: assessment by CT

The influence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on thoracic aortic size is debated. We aimed to identify possible relations between sleep parameters and the sizes of the ascending aorta (AA), the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) and the main pulmonary artery (MPA), in patients with untreated OSA and in a subgroup of participants without comorbidities capable of affecting the size of great thoracic vessels

Second-order grey-scale texture analysis of pleural ultrasound images to differentiate acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Discriminating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) may be challenging in critically ill patients. Aim of this study was to investigate if gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis of lung ultrasound (LUS) images can differentiate ARDS from CPE. The study population consisted of critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) with acute respiratory failure and submitted to LUS and extravascular lung water monitoring, and of a healthy control group (HCG). A digital analysis of pleural line and subpleural space, based on the GLCM with second order statistical texture analysis, was tested. We prospectively evaluated 47 subjects: 16 with a clinical diagnosis of CPE, 8 of ARDS, and 23 healthy subjects. By comparing ARDS and CPE patients’ subgroups with HCG, the one-way ANOVA models found a statistical significance in 9 out of 11 GLCM textural features. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons found statistical significance within each matrix feature for ARDS vs. CPE and CPE vs. HCG (P ≤ 0.001 for all). For ARDS vs. HCG a statistical significance occurred only in two matrix features (correlation: P = 0.005; homogeneity: P = 0.048). The quantitative method proposed has shown high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating normal lung from ARDS or CPE, and good diagnostic accuracy in differentiating CPE and ARDS. Gray-level co-occurrence matrix analysis of LUS images has the potential to aid pulmonary edemas differential diagnosis

Protection against Dental Erosion and the Remineralization Capacity of Non-Fluoride Toothpaste, Fluoride Toothpaste and Fluoride Varnish

Introduction: The oral cavity and the teeth are frequently subjected to numerous physiological pH variations, mainly due to the type of diet. These changes are the main cause of enamel demineralization and consequent breakage under mechanical forces. This causes severe sensitivity and sometimes pain, which endures unless the hard tissue is remineralized. Since enamel does not self-repair, the application of alloplastic materials that have the property of releasing remineralizing ions is strongly recommended. The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different toothpastes and a fluoride varnish in the prevention of demineralization, and their ability to remineralize enamel after it has undergone several acidifications. Methods: Eight human teeth with no caries or defects were prepared. The acid attack simulations were performed using a commercial cola carbonated drink. Samples were immersed in 5 mL of soft drink for two minutes at room temperature, and then were rinsed with distilled/deionized water. The immersion process lasted about 2 min, and was repeated four times for a total of eight minutes. Then, two different types of toothpaste, one with and one without fluoride, and a fluoride varnish were applied to the surfaces of the samples and rinsed off with demineralized water. A second acidification cycle was then carried out, with the subsequent reapplication of the three different products to evaluate their ability to protect against demineralization. SEM and profilometer analysis were then carried out to evaluate the results. Results: The statistical analysis showed a good remineralization capacity for all three products, especially in the fluoride-varnish-treated samples. However, regarding protection from demineralization, non-fluoride toothpaste was found to be ineffective, while fluoride toothpaste and varnish produced positive results. Conclusions: Dental professionals should advise fluoride toothpastes and varnishes over non-fluoride toothpastes. Fluoride toothpastes and varnishes represent a valid treatment for surface remineralization after a first acid attack and for protection from subsequent demineralization in an acid environment, such as that which can develop in the oral cavity

Protection against Dental Erosion and the Remineralization Capacity of Non-Fluoride Toothpaste, Fluoride Toothpaste and Fluoride Varnish

Introduction: The oral cavity and the teeth are frequently subjected to numerous physiological pH variations, mainly due to the type of diet. These changes are the main cause of enamel demineralization and consequent breakage under mechanical forces. This causes severe sensitivity and sometimes pain, which endures unless the hard tissue is remineralized. Since enamel does not self-repair, the application of alloplastic materials that have the property of releasing remineralizing ions is strongly recommended. The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different toothpastes and a fluoride varnish in the prevention of demineralization, and their ability to remineralize enamel after it has undergone several acidifications. Methods: Eight human teeth with no caries or defects were prepared. The acid attack simulations were performed using a commercial cola carbonated drink. Samples were immersed in 5 mL of soft drink for two minutes at room temperature, and then were rinsed with distilled/deionized water. The immersion process lasted about 2 min, and was repeated four times for a total of eight minutes. Then, two different types of toothpaste, one with and one without fluoride, and a fluoride varnish were applied to the surfaces of the samples and rinsed off with demineralized water. A second acidification cycle was then carried out, with the subsequent reapplication of the three different products to evaluate their ability to protect against demineralization. SEM and profilometer analysis were then carried out to evaluate the results. Results: The statistical analysis showed a good remineralization capacity for all three products, especially in the fluoride-varnish-treated samples. However, regarding protection from demineralization, non-fluoride toothpaste was found to be ineffective, while fluoride toothpaste and varnish produced positive results. Conclusions: Dental professionals should advise fluoride toothpastes and varnishes over non-fluoride toothpastes. Fluoride toothpastes and varnishes represent a valid treatment for surface remineralization after a first acid attack and for protection from subsequent demineralization in an acid environment, such as that which can develop in the oral cavity

Second-order grey-scale texture analysis of pleural ultrasound images to differentiate acute respiratory distress syndrome and cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Discriminating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) may be challenging in critically ill patients. Aim of this study was to investigate if gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) analysis of lung ultrasound (LUS) images can differentiate ARDS from CPE. The study population consisted of critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) with acute respiratory failure and submitted to LUS and extravascular lung water monitoring, and of a healthy control group (HCG). A digital analysis of pleural line and subpleural space, based on the GLCM with second order statistical texture analysis, was tested. We prospectively evaluated 47 subjects: 16 with a clinical diagnosis of CPE, 8 of ARDS, and 23 healthy subjects. By comparing ARDS and CPE patients' subgroups with HCG, the one-way ANOVA models found a statistical significance in 9 out of 11 GLCM textural features. Post-hoc pairwise comparisons found statistical significance within each matrix feature for ARDS vs. CPE and CPE vs. HCG (P <= 0.001 for all). For ARDS vs. HCG a statistical significance occurred only in two matrix features (correlation: P = 0.005; homogeneity: P = 0.048). The quantitative method proposed has shown high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating normal lung from ARDS or CPE, and good diagnostic accuracy in differentiating CPE and ARDS. Gray-level co-occurrence matrix analysis of LUS images has the potential to aid pulmonary edemas differential diagnosis

Impact of epicardial adipose tissue on cardiovascular haemodynamics, metabolic profile, and prognosis in heart failure

AIMS We evaluated the impact of echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) on cardiovascular haemodynamics, metabolic profile and prognosis in heart failure (HF) using combined cardiopulmonary-echocardiography exercise stress. METHODS AND RESULTS We analysed EAT thickness of HF patients with reduced (HFrEF, n = 205) and preserved (HFpEF, n = 188) ejection fraction, including 44 controls. HFpEF patients displayed the highest EAT, while HFrEF patients had lower values than controls. EAT showed an inverse correlation with natriuretic peptides, troponin T and C-reactive protein in HFrEF, while having a direct association with troponin T and C-reactive protein in HFpEF. EAT was independently associated with peak oxygen consumption (VO$_{2}$ ) and peripheral extraction (AVO$_{2}$ diff), regardless of body mass index. EAT was inversely correlated with peak VO$_{2}$ and AVO$_{2}$ diff in HFpEF, while a direct association was observed in HFrEF, where lower EAT values were associated with worse left ventricular systolic dysfunction. In HFpEF, increased EAT was related to right ventriculo-arterial (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure) uncoupling. After 21 months of follow-up, 146 HF hospitalizations and 34 cardiovascular deaths were recorded in the HF population. Cox multivariable analysis supported an independent differential role of EAT in HF cohorts (interaction P = 0.01): higher risk of adverse events for increasing EAT in HFpEF [hazard ratio (HR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.37] and for decreasing EAT in HFrEF (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.54-0.91). CONCLUSION In HFpEF, EAT accumulation is associated with worse haemodynamic and metabolic profile, also affecting survival. Conversely, lower EAT values imply higher left ventricular dysfunction, global functional impairment and adverse prognosis in HFrEF

The incremental value of multi-organ assessment of congestion using ultrasound in outpatients with heart failure

No abstract available