THE DIAGNOSIS OF ROAD SURFACE DISTRESSES THROUGH IMAGE-BASED MODELING TECHNIQUES. EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY ON LABORATORY-RUTTED SAMPLES

In the past few years, there has been a drastic increase in the use of image-based modeling (IBM) techniques to create high quality, reality-based 3D models. The low costs of these techniques, as well as their attractive visual quality, have led many researchers and professionals to invest their energy and resources in several tests. IBM is rarely used in the field of road surface distresses as diagnosis is usually performed using other techniques and devices. Road safety statistics reveal that about a half of the total number of accidents occur mainly due to the deterioration of the pavement. The goal of effective road network management is often incompatible with economic resources designated for maintenance and rehabilitation. For this reason, IBM diagnosis of distresses seems necessary in order to both increase the level of road safety and to avoid incorrect interventions and treatments of road pavement. One of the strengthens of multi-view stereo techniques is the possibility to capture millions of points in a very short time, and to produce a 3D, textured polygonal model that can easily be used for visualizing and communicating digital assets. Our goal was to implement the IBM techniques on a laboratory-rutted sample and to verify the metric accuracy of the model and its validity for the distress diagnosis in terms of severity (rut depth). In order to assess the IBM technique, we compared its 3D model to the blue LED 3D scan (Artec Spider) of the same rutted sample

Gender influence on professional satisfaction and gender issue perception among young oncologists. A survey of the Young Oncologists Working Group of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM)

Background: The professional gender gap is increasingly recognised in oncology. We explored gender issues perception and gender influence on professional satisfaction/gratification among young Italian oncologists. Methods: Italian oncologists aged 6440 years and members of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology were invited to participate in an online survey addressing workload/burnout, satisfaction in professional abilities and relations, relevant factors for professional gratification, and gender barriers. \u3c72 test for general association or \u3c72 test for trend was used to analyse the data. Results: 201 young oncologists participated in the survey: 67% female, 71% aged 30-40 years, 41% still in training and 82% without children. Women and men were equally poorly satisfied by the relations with people occupying superior hierarchical positions. There was heterogeneity between women and men in current (p=0.011) and expected future (p=0.007) satisfaction in professional abilities: women were more satisfied by current empathy and relations with colleagues and were more confident in their future managerial and team leader skills. The most important elements for professional gratification indicated by all participants were, in general, work-life balance (36%) and intellectual stimulation/research (32%); specifically for women, work-life balance (48%) and intellectual stimulation/research (20%); and specifically for men, career (29%) and social prestige/recognition (26%). Heterogeneity within the same gender emerged. For example, the elements indicated by men as the most important were intellectual stimulation/research (39%) and work-life balance (21%) in general, versus social prestige/recognition (24%) and career (24%), respectively, specifically for men (p<0.0001). More women versus men perceived gender issue as an actual problem (60% vs 38%, p=0.03); men underestimated gender barriers to women's career (p=0.011). Conclusions: Satisfaction in professional abilities varied by gender. Work-life balance is important for both women and men. Stereotypes about gender issues may be present. Gender issue is an actual problem for young oncologists, mostly perceived by women

The place of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the era of CAR-T-cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells are a treatment option for patients with relapse/refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoid leukemia and multiple myeloma. To date, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have been successfully treated with CAR-T cells directed against the CD19 antigen. However, when R/R disease persists after several treatment lines, patients with these diseases are often referred to transplantation centres to receive allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ALLO-SCT). ALLO-SCT and CAR-T cells share mechanism of actions, inducing immune effects of T-cells (and other cells after transplantation) against lymphoma cells, but they differ in several other characteristics. These differences justify unique positioning of each therapy within treatment algorithms. In this paper, we analyzed the results obtained after ALLO-SCT and CAR-T-cell therapy in patients with aggressive lymphomas (large B-cell lymphoma and MCL) to identify the ideal scenarios in which these 2 immunological therapies should be employed

Characterisation of patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS) and multifactorial chylomicronaemia syndrome (MCS): establishment of an FCS clinical diagnostic score

Data presented in this article are supplementary material to our article entitled "Identification and diagnosis of patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS): expert panel recom mendations and proposal of an "FCS Score" (Moulin et al., 2018, in press). The data describe the genotypes of patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS) and multifactorial chylomicro naemia syndrome (MCS), from the validation and replication cohorts

A highly potent antibody effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Control of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is endangered by the emergence of viral variants with increased transmission efficiency, resistance to marketed therapeutic antibodies, and reduced sensitivity to vaccine-induced immunity. Here, we screen B cells from COVID-19 donors and identify P5C3, a highly potent and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody with picomolar neutralizing activity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) identified to date. Structural characterization of P5C3 Fab in complex with the spike demonstrates a neutralizing activity defined by a large buried surface area, highly overlapping with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) surface necessary for ACE2 interaction. We further demonstrate that P5C3 shows complete prophylactic protection in the SARS-CoV-2-infected hamster challenge model. These results indicate that P5C3 opens exciting perspectives either as a prophylactic agent in immunocompromised individuals with poor response to vaccination or as combination therapy in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals

The effect of excess weight on circulating inflammatory cytokines in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis individuals

Background: Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with both excess weight and psychosis. However, no previous studies have addressed the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) on basal serum cytokines in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of BMI on basal serum cytokine levels in FEP patients and control subjects, separating the total sample into two groups: normal-weight and overweight individuals. Methods: This is a prospective and open-label study. We selected 75 FEP patients and 75 healthy controls with similar characteristics to patients according to the following variables: sex, age, and cannabis and tobacco consumption. Both controls and patients were separated into two groups according to their BMI: subjects with a BMI under 25 were considered as normal weight and those with a BMI equal to or more than 25 were considered as overweight. Serum levels of 21 cytokines/chemokines were measured at baseline using the Human High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel protocol from the Milliplex® Map Kit. We compared the basal serum levels of the 21 cytokines between control and patient groups according to their BMI. Results: In the normal-weight group, IL-8 was the only cytokine that was higher in patients than in the control group (p = 0.001), whereas in the overweight group, serum levels of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, p = 0.000; IL-1?, p = 0.003), two chemokines (IL-8, p = 0.001; MIP-1?, p = 0.001), four Th-1 and Th-2 cytokines (IL-13, p = 0.009; IL-2, p = 0.001; IL-7, p = 0.001; IL-12p70, p = 0.010), and one Type-3 cytokine (IL-23, p = 0.010) were higher in patients than in controls. Conclusions: Most differences in the basal serum cytokine levels between patients and healthy volunteers were found in the overweight group. These findings suggest that excess weight can alter the homeostasis of the immune system and therefore may have an additive pro-inflammatory effect on the one produced by psychosis in the central nervous system.Funding: The present study was carried out at the Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, under the following grant support from MINECO SAF2013-46292-R, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla. No pharmaceutical company has participated in the study concept and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, and drafting of the manuscript. We thank the Valdecilla Biobank for blood sampling handling and storage. We also wish to thank the participants and their families for enrolling in this study. The study, designed and directed by B C-F, conformed to international standards for research ethics and was approved by the local institutional review board

Contemporary lipid-lowering management and risk of cardiovascular events in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: insights from the Italian LIPIGEN Registry

Aims: The availability of novel lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) has remarkably changed the clinical management of homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH). The impact of these advances was evaluated in a cohort of 139 HoFH patients followed in a real-world clinical setting. Methods and results: The clinical characteristics of 139 HoFH patients, along with information about LLTs and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels at baseline and after a median follow-up of 5 years, were retrospectively retrieved from the records of patients enrolled in the LIPid transport disorders Italian GEnetic Network-Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (LIPIGEN-FH) Registry. The annual rates of major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (MACE-plus) during follow-up were compared before and after baseline. Additionally, the lifelong survival free from MACE-plus was compared with that of the historical LIPIGEN HoFH cohort. At baseline, LDL-C level was 332 ± 138 mg/dL. During follow-up, the potency of LLTs was enhanced and, at the last visit, 15.8% of patients were taking quadruple therapy. Consistently, LDL-C decreased to an average value of 124 mg/dL corresponding to a 58.3% reduction (Pt &lt; 0.001), with the lowest value (∼90 mg/dL) reached in patients receiving proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors and lomitapide and/or evinacumab as add-on therapies. The average annual MACE-plus rate in the 5-year follow-up was significantly lower than that observed during the 5 years before baseline visit (21.7 vs. 56.5 per 1000 patients/year; P = 0.0016). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the combination of novel and conventional LLTs significantly improved LDL-C control with a signal of better cardiovascular prognosis in HoFH patients. Overall, these results advocate the use of intensive, multidrug LLTs to effectively manage HoFH

Borexino : geo-neutrino measurement at Gran Sasso, Italy

Geo-neutrinos, electron anti-neutrinos produced in beta-decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the Earth, are a unique direct probe of our planet's interior. After a brief introduction of the geo-neutrinos' properties and of the main aims of their study, we discuss the features of a detector which has recently provided breakthrough achievements in the field, Borexino, a massive, calorimetric liquid scintillator detector installed at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory. With its unprecedented radiopurity levels achieved in the core of the detection medium, it is the only experiment in operation able to study in real time solar neutrino interactions in the challenging sub-MeV energy region. Its superior technical properties allowed Borexino also to provide a clean detection of terrestrial neutrinos. Therefore, the description of the characteristics of the detected geo-neutrino signal and of the corresponding geological implications are the main core of the discussion contained in this work

Identification and diagnosis of patients with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS)

Familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS) is a rare, inherited disorder characterised by impaired clearance of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins from plasma, leading to severe hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) and a markedly increased risk of acute pancreatitis. It is due to the lack of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) function, resulting from recessive loss of function mutations in the genes coding LPL or its modulators. A large overlap in the phenotype between FCS and multifactorial chylomicronaemia syndrome (MCS) contributes to the inconsistency in how patients are diagnosed and managed worldwide, whereas the incidence of acute hypertriglyceridaemic pancreatitis is more frequent in FCS. A panel of European experts provided guidance on the diagn