Studio nel myocardial work in pazienti con stenosi aortica severa sottoposti ad impianto transcatetere di valvola aortica

Il Myocardial work è recentemente emerso come nuova metodica che esplora la performance miocardica del VS, in maniera indipendente dal carico emodinamico. Obiettivo dello studio è stato valutare il Myocardial work come marker ecocardiografico precoce di reverse remodeling del VS ad un mese dalla TAVI ed il suo eventuale valore prognostico. In particolare un valore di MWE <= 92% post procedura è stato correlato significativamente con eventi clinici

Hybrid Green Materials Obtained by PCL Melt Blending with Diatomaceous Earth

In this work, diatomaceous earth (Diat) was explored as filler for polycaprolactone (PCL) to obtain composite green materials with promising viscoelastic and thermal properties. The composites were prepared by blending variable Diat amounts (5, 15 and 50 wt%) with a molten PCL matrix. The viscoelastic characteristics of PCL/Diat hybrids were studied by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) under an oscillatory regime, while the thermal properties were determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). We detected that the presence of Diat enhances the energy storage capacity of PCL for temperatures lower than the polymer melting point. Both DMA and DSC data revealed that the PCL melting temperature is slightly affected by the Diat addition, while the TGA results showed that the thermal stability of the polymer can be significantly improved by mixing PCL with diatomaceous earth. Moreover, we observed that the dispersion of Diat into the matrix favors the crystallization process of PCL. Interestingly, the improvements of PCL properties (elasticity, thermal stability, and crystallinity) are proportional to the Diat concentration of the composites. These findings reflect the interfacial compatibility between PCL and diatomaceous earth. In conclusion, this study highlights that the preparation of PCL/Diat hybrids by melt blending is suitable for the development of composite materials for technological applications, including the remediation of air pollutants within museum environments

Noli Me Tangere: Social Touch, Tactile Defensiveness, and Communication in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract: Tactile defensiveness is a common feature in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Since the first studies, tactile defensiveness has been described as the result of an abnormal response to sensory stimulation. Moreover, it has been studied how the tactile system is closely linked to socio-communicative development and how the interoceptive sensory system supports both a discriminating touch and an aective touch. Therefore, several neurophysiological studies have been conducted to investigate the neurobiological basis of the development and functioning of the tactile system for a better understanding of the tactile defensiveness behavior and the social touch of NDDs. Given the lack of recent literature on tactile defensiveness, the current study provides a brief overview of the original contributions on this research topic in children with NDDs focusing attention on how this behavior has been considered over the years in the clinical setting

“A warning from Mars”: effect of microclimate changes at the Specola Museum of Palermo

The Specola Museum is located at the Palermo Astronomical Observatory and preserves most of its material heritage. It is part of the Museum System of the University of Palermo (SiMuA) and its management and conservation are entrusted to the INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Palermo. Among the historical instruments on display, there is a 19th-century painted wooden globe reproducing the surface of Mars. It has been on display in a showcase, inside the Merz Telescope Hall, for about 20 years without undergoing any type of intervention or evident deterioration sign. From 2021, in less than two years, damages of its pictorial layers occurred at a progressive rate. The European Standard EN 15757 explains that hygroscopic materials are highly vulnerable to microclimate changes. The wooden globe was in good conditions after two decades of permanence at the museum, but the recent control and management of the indoor climate was not compatible with the past climate history of the globe to which it has adapted. The speed of the degradation made it evident that the microclimatic conditions of the room changed abruptly. The warning deduced from the Mars globe deterioration was hence easy to decode: there is something wrong with this climate! It is well known that museum microclimate plays a key role in the conservation of the objects on display. It may trigger or aggravate degradation processes of the materials constituting the object exhibited and affect their “life expectancy”. Moreover, each object responses peculiarly to environment variability, depending on its composition and conservation history. When an artifact is composed of different materials, unexpected synergistic effects may develop. Finding appropriate values range of temperature, relative humidity and illuminance and managing them to guarantee the conservation of the entire collection, and at the same time improving the thermal comfort for people working there, is a difficult task. The issue becomes even more challenging in buildings not originally designed for conservation purposes, as the Specola Museum, located in the ancient observatory rooms, built in 1790 on the top of the 12nd-century Royal Palace. An accurate restoration has been made, and conservation measures have been adopted, to stop the serious deteriorating processes affecting the model of Mars but the risk of further deterioration phenomena involving other objects is expected to increase substantially if no actions are taken. This contribution intends to present the results of the preliminary study concerning the thermo-hygrometric records taken in the Merz Telescope Hall over the last two years and propose specific actions to improve its microclimate conditions. References Carotenuto M. R., Randazzo D., Chinnici I., Genua G., Preventive Conservation Projects on LAM Materials at the INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Palermo “G.S. Vaiana”, Bulletin of the AAS, 54(2) (2022) Carotenuto M. R., Chinnici I. et al., Rapporto tecnico INAF 2022 - Il Museo della Specola: progetti per la conservazione, la fruizione, la comunicazione (2018-2020) Camuffo D., Microclimate for cultural heritage. Measurement, Risk Assessment, Conservation, Restoration, and Maintenance of Indoor and Outdoor Monuments, Elsevier, third Edition (2019) Antomarchi C., Pedersoli Jr., Michalski S., Guide to Risk Management, ICCROM (2016) Foderà Serio G., Chinnici I., L'Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Palermo (1997

The Palermo Capuchin Catacombs Project: a multidisciplinary approach to the study of a modern Mummy Collection (ca 1600-1900)

In this paper we present a multidisciplinary project for the study of the present conditions, history, bioanthropological features and conservation status of a large collection of modern human mummies, kept in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (Sicily, Italy). Due to the large amount of spontaneously and anthropogenically mummified human bodies, and to an abundant presence of associated artefacts, this collection provides a unique opportunity to carry out a large multidisciplinary survey useful for a thorough biocultural understanding of these remains, a conservation plan, and testing of new restoration protocols

Faces and Identities: is it possible measuring the reliability of the 3D craniofacial approximations

The craniofacial approximation (CFA) is largely used in forensic identification of unknown skeletonized bodies. Despite numerous forensic reports have proved successful in identifying a cadaver, it is very hard to assess the reliability of CFA methods. The present work aims to evaluate the accuracy of CFAs through the comparison of a blind facial approximation with a simultaneous faces array test. The blind CFA was made following the Manchester’s protocol. In our test the CFA was compared with a photographic array of ten faces, included the photo of the individual whom belonged the skull. The positive recognition was evaluated by a total of 320 unfamiliar assessors. During the test a survey was also conducted to evaluate which facial feature mostly drive the process of identification. The true positive recognition showed extremely poor results. Only the 5% of assessors match the CFA with the target individual photo. The nose was judged the most influential facial feature, but it is also the most problematic anatomical district to approximate due to the lack of strong relationships with the bony part of the skull. Our results seem to highlight clear limits in positive recognition for CFA based techniques. However, we should consider that positive recognitions of CFAs are usually made by someone in social proximity with the victim. This latter evidence strongly bias any face array test with unfamiliar assessors, keeping the question of CFA reliability still open

Atorvastatin combined to interferon to verify the efficacy (ACTIVE) in relapsing-remitting active multiple sclerosis patients: a longitudinal controlled trial of combination therapy.

A large body of evidence suggests that, besides their cholesterol-lowering effect, statins exert anti-inflammatory action. Consequently, statins may have therapeutic potential in immune-mediated disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Our objectives were to determine safety, tolerability and efficacy of low-dose atorvastatin plus high-dose interferon beta-1a in multiple sclerosis patients responding poorly to interferon beta-1a alone. Relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis patients, aged 18–50 years, with contrast-enhanced lesions or relapses while on therapy with interferon beta-1a 44 mg (three times weekly) for 12 months, were randomized to combination therapy (interferon+atorvastatin 20mg per day; group A) or interferon alone (group B) for 24 months. Patients underwent blood analysis and clinical assessment with the Expanded Disability Status Scale every 3 months, and brain gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging at screening, and 12 and 24 months thereafter. Primary outcome measure was contrast-enhanced lesion number. Secondary outcome measures were number of relapses, EDSS variation and safety laboratory data. Forty-five patients were randomized to group A (n 1⁄4 21) or B (n 1⁄4 24). At 24 months, group A had significantly fewer contrast-enhanced lesions versus baseline (p 1⁄4 0.007) and significantly fewer relapses versus the two pre-randomization years (p < 0.001). At survival analysis, the risk for a 1-point EDSS increase was slightly higher in group B than in group A (p 1⁄4 0.053). Low-dose atorvastatin may be beneficial, as add-on therapy, in poor responders to high-dose interferon beta-1a alone

Parental Stress and Parental Ratings of Behavioral Problems of Enuretic Children

Background: Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) may have a stressful impact on the everyday life of children and parents, and it may represent a cumulative stress factor increasing feelings of “learned helplessness.” Methods: The current study investigated parental stress in a group of parents (n = 330) of children affected by PMNE, compared to a group of parents (n = 330) of typical developing children (TDC). In addition, the study evaluated whether parents of PMNE children experience more emotional, social, and behavioral problems in their children, compared to parents of TDC. Finally, the study correlated frequency of enuresis with stress values and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) subscales and total stress with CBCL. Both groups were given The Parental Stress Inventory-Short Form (PSI-SF) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: Parents of PMNE children showed significantly higher stress level than parents of TDC. Nocturnal enuresis, as a demanding clinical condition difficult to control, represents a relevant stress factor. Mothers appeared as more vulnerable to stress than fathers. Parents of PMNE children reported higher behavioral and emotional problems, compared to reports of parents of TDC. PMNE children appeared to their parents as having lower competency in social activities, school performance, and social relationships than TDC. Moreover, they were rated as more withdrawn, anxious-depressed,more aggressive, inattentive, and withmore somatic complaints than healthy children. It was always the mother who rated a significantly higher number of emotional, social, and behavioral problems compared to fathers. Correlational analysis showed that the higher the frequency of enuresis, the greater the parental stress level, the lower the social activities, school performance and relational competencies and the higher the emotional, social and behavioral problems in children, according to the parents’ evaluations. The greater the parental stress level, the lower the competencies rated and the higher the behavioral problems detected by parents

Mystery(n) Phenotypic Presentation in Europeans: Report of Three Further Novel Missense RNF213 Variants Leading to Severe Syndromic Forms of Moyamoya Angiopathy and Literature Review

Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a rare cerebral vasculopathy in some cases occurring in children. Incidence is higher in East Asia, where the heterozygous p.Arg4810Lys variant in RNF213 (Mysterin) represents the major susceptibility factor. Rare variants in RNF213 have also been found in European MMA patients with incomplete penetrance and are today a recognized susceptibility factor for other cardiovascular disorders, from extracerebral artery stenosis to hypertension. By whole exome sequencing, we identified three rare and previously unreported missense variants of RNF213 in three children with early onset of bilateral MMA, and subsequently extended clinical and radiological investigations to their carrier relatives. Substitutions all involved highly conserved residues clustered in the C-terminal region of RNF213, mainly in the E3 ligase domain. Probands showed a de novo occurring variant, p.Phe4120Leu (family A), a maternally inherited heterozygous variant, p.Ser4118Cys (family B), and a novel heterozygous variant, p.Glu4867Lys, inherited from the mother, in whom it occurred de novo (family C). Patients from families A and C experienced transient hypertransaminasemia and stenosis of extracerebral arteries. Bilateral MMA was present in the proband's carrier grandfather from family B. The proband from family C and her carrier mother both exhibited annular figurate erythema. Our data confirm that rare heterozygous variants in RNF213 cause MMA in Europeans as well as in East Asian populations, suggesting that substitutions close to positions 4118-4122 and 4867 of RNF213 could lead to a syndromic form of MMA showing elevated aminotransferases and extracerebral vascular involvement, with the possible association of peculiar skin manifestations

Assessment of neuroactive steroids in cerebrospinal fluid comparing acute relapse and stable disease in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Previous studies have reported an involvement of neuroactive steroids as neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory agents in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS); an analysis of their profile during a specific clinical phase of MS is largely unknown. The pregnenolone (PREG), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and allopregnanolone (ALLO) profile was evaluated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) patients as well as those in patients affected by non-inflammatory neurological (control group I) and without neurological disorders (control group II). An increase of PREG and DHEA values was shown in CSF of male and female RR-MS patients compared to those observed in both control groups. The ALLO values were significantly lower in female RR-MS patients than those found in male RR-MS patients and in female without neurological disorder. During the clinical relapse, we observed female RR-MS patients showing significantly increased PREG values compared to female RR-MS patients in stable phase, while their ALLO values showed a significant decrease compared to male RR-MS patients of the same group. Male RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions showed PREG and DHEA values higher than those found in female RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions. Similary, male RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions showed PREG and DHEA values higher than male without gadolinium-enhanced lesions. Female RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions showed DHEA values higher than those found in female RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions. Male and female RR-MS patients with gadolinium-enhanced lesions showed ALLO values higher than those found in respective gender groups without gadolinium-enhanced lesions. ALLO values were lower in male than in female RR-MS patients without gadolinium-enhanced lesions. Considering the pharmacological properties of neuroactive steroids and the observation that neurological disorders influence their concentrations, these endogenous compounds may have an important role as prognostic factors of the disease and used as markers of MS activity such as relapses