A Potential Role for Phenotypic Plasticity in Invasions and Declines of Social Insects

This work was supported by a Fulbright Science and Technology Scholarship to AT and National Geographic Species Recovery Grant Number NGS-57001R-19 to MA and AT.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Candidate genes for cooperation and aggression in the social wasp Polistes dominula

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Amy Geffre for assistance with field work and experimental setup, and for providing all kinds of support for FM wasp-related work at ISU. We would also like to thank Ali Berens and Erin McCall for valuable feedback on rearing wasp colonies at ISU. Many thanks also to Jeanne Serb for providing support during the molecular work at ISU and Emilie Snell-Rood for guidance on collecting wasp colonies at the University of Minnesota. This work was supported by a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-15 IIF-625487).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Como elaborar vinho de qualidade na pequena propriedade.

bitstream/item/60701/1/CNPUV-DOC.-12-94.pd

Frequency of sleep bruxism behaviors in healthy young adults over a four-night recording span in the home environment

Objectives: This study aimed to assess frequency and multiple-night variability of sleep bruxism (SB) as well as sleep-time masticatory muscle activities (sMMA) in the home environment in healthy young adults using a portable device that provides electrocardiographic (ECG) and surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the masticatory muscles. Methods: The study was performed on 27 subjects (11 males, 16 females; mean age 28.3 ± 1.7 years) selected from a sample of healthy young students. Evaluation was carried out for four nights to record data on masticatory muscle activities using a compact portable device that previously showed an excellent agreement with polysomnography (PSG) for the detection of SB events. The number of SB episodes per sleep hour (bruxism index), and the number of tonic, phasic and mixed sMMA events per hour were assessed. A descriptive evaluation of the frequency of each condition was performed on all individuals, and gender comparison was investigated. Results: Mean sleep duration over the four recording nights was 7 ± 1.3 h. The average SB index was 3.6 ± 1.2. Most of the sMMA were tonic (49.9%) and phasic (44.1%). An ANOVA test showed the absence of significant differences between the four nights. No significant gender differences were detected for the SB index, phasic or tonic contractions; conversely, gender differences were detected for mixed sMMA events (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This investigation supports the concept that sMMA events are quite frequent in healthy adults. Differences over the four-night recording span were not significant. These data could be compared to subjects with underlying conditions that may lead to an additive bruxism activity and possible clinical consequences

Surgical and postsurgical wound care in hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Several medical treatments, with varying degree of efficacy, have been developed. However, in most cases of advanced (HS), the definitive treatment option is often represented by surgical excisions. Surgical techniques, reconstructive approach, and local wound care should be accurately designed in order to obtain the best result. In this letter, we analyzed the possible surgical treatments and local wound care. A literature review was performed on the various surgical treatments, reconstructive techniques, and local wound care. Surgical treatment is a common therapeutic modality for HS. Different surgical reconstructive techniques and postsurgical wound care approaches are described for the management of HS patients. There were few high-quality evidence-based studies evaluating the surgical management of HS. Many disparate HS severity scores were used in these studies making comparison between them difficult. Nonetheless, research into different surgical approaches and wound care management has increased substantially in the past decade and has given patients more surgical therapeutic strategies. The description of the best combinations and timing of surgery, wound care and medical therapies, will be a matter of future research for the definition of the optimal management of HS patient

La definizione di un sistema penale minorile conforme ai principi internazionali : le osservazioni del Comitato ONU sui diritti del fanciullo a trent’anni dalla Convenzione di New York

Con le Osservazioni generali del 18 settembre 2019, il Comitato ONU sui diritti del fanciullo, a (quasi) trent\u2019anni dalla Convenzione di New York del 20 novembre 1989, ha fornito interessanti spunti di riflessione e rilevanti indicazioni per rafforzare i diritti dei minori autori di reato, nonch\ue9 al fine di delineare un sistema penale minorile conforme ai principi internazionaliWith General Comment published on September 18th 2019, (almost) thirty years after the New York Convention, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has offered causes for reflection and recommendations in order to strengthen the rights of children accused of having infringed criminal law as well as to outline a juvenile criminal justice system in line with the international principles

Survival and clinical outcomes of diabetic peripheral artery disease patients following a pain-free homebased walking program

Aim: We retrospectively examined the impact on the rate of survival of pain-free home-based exercise in diabetic peripheral artery disease patients compared to patients receiving usual care. Methods: In total, 202 patients at Fontaine's Stage II with diabetes were studied. Half were enrolled in a structured home-based exercise program (E), whereas the other half received walking advice as the active control group (C). Long-term clinical outcomes at five years were gathered from the Emilia-Romagna Health Service Registry, with survival probability selected as the primary outcome. Results: At baseline, the two groups did not differ for any demographic or clinical characteristics. High adherence to the program was recorded in Group E (88% of home-walking sessions executed, with an average distance walked during the program of 174 km). After five years, a survival rate of 90% for Group E and 60% for Group C was observed, with a significantly (P < 0.001) higher mortality risk for Group C [Hazard ratio (HR) = 3.92]. Additionally, among secondary outcomes, Group E showed a significantly (P = 0.048) lower rate of peripheral revascularizations than Group C (15% vs. 24%, respectively; HR = 1.91), all-cause hospitalizations (P = 0.007; 61% vs. 80%, HR = 1.58), and amputations (P = 0.049; 6% vs. 13%, HR = 2.47). In a Cox multivariate-proportional regression model of the entire population, the predictors of survival probability were age (HR = 1.05), Charlson index (HR = 1.24), lower ankle-brachial index (HR = 6.66), and control group (HR = 4.99). Conclusion: A simple sustainable program aimed at improving mobility of diabetic patients with claudication at high cardiovascular risk was associated with better survival and long-term clinical outcomes

Lower All-Cause Mortality Risk in Females and Males with Peripheral Artery Disease following Pain-Free Home-Based Exercise: A 7-Year Observational Study

We evaluated the sex-specific difference in response upon participation in an exercise program with respect to the risk of adverse clinical outcomes among patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and claudication. The records of 400 PAD patients were assessed between 2012 and 2015. Two hundred of them were addressed to a walking program prescribed at the hospital and executed at home at symptom-free walking speed (Ex), while the remaining 200 acted as a control group (Co). The number and date of deaths, all-cause hospitalizations, and amputations for a 7-year period were collected from the regional registry. At baseline, no differences were observed (MEX n = 138; FEX n = 62; MCO n = 149; FCO n = 51). The 7-year survival rate was significantly higher in FEX (90%) than in MEX (82% hazard ratio, HR: 0.542 95% CI 0.331–0.885), FCO (45%, HR: 0.164 95% CI 0.088–0.305), and MCO (44%; HR: 0.157 95% CI 0.096–0.256). A significantly lower rate of hospitalization (p < 0.001) and amputations (p = 0.016) was observed for the Ex group compared to the Co group, without differences by sex. In conclusion, in PAD patients, active participation in a home-based pain-free exercise program was associated with a lower rate of death and better long-term clinical outcomes, particularly among women

Home-Based Exercise in Elderly Patients with Claudication and Chronic Kidney Disease Is Associated with Lower Progressive Renal Function Worsening: A 5-Year Retrospective Study

This observational study aimed to monitor the 5-year trends of kidney function in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) enrolled or not enrolled into a rehabilitative exercise program. Sixty-six patients (aged 72 ± 10, males n = 52) at KDOQI stages III-IV and PAD at Rutherford’s stage I-III were included in the study, with a group (Exercise, EX; n = 32) receiving a 6-month structured pain-free home-based walking program and a group (Control, CO; n = 34) receiving walking advice and optimal nephrological care. Outcomes included kidney function measured through serum creatinine (sCr) and clinical outcomes, including the rate of advance of CKD stages and admission to dialysis, revascularizations, and hospitalizations. At baseline, the two groups were comparable for age, nephropathy, medications, comorbidities, and PAD severity. Patients in the EX group safely completed the exercise program. SCr values were slightly increased in EX (baseline: 2.35 ± 0.32; 5-year: 2.71 ± 0.39 mg/dL) and progressively worsened in CO (baseline: 2.30 ± 0.31; 5-year 4.22 ± 0.42 mg/dL), with a significant between-group difference (p = 0.002). The control group also showed a higher number of dialysis admissions (5 vs. 0, p = 0.025) and advancing CKD stage as well a higher risks for lower limb revascularization (hazard ratio: 2.59; 95%CI: 1.11–6.02; p = 0.027) and for all-cause hospitalization (hazard ratio: 1.77; 95%CI: 1.05–2.97; p = 0.031). PAD-CKD patients enrolled in a low-moderate intensity home-exercise program showed more favorable long-term trends in kidney function and clinical outcomes than patients with usual care. These preliminary observations need to be confirmed in randomized trials