A modeling application of integrated nature based solutions (NBS) for coastal erosion and flooding mitigation in the Emilia-Romagna coastline (Northeast Italy)

Worldwide, climate change adaptation in coastal areas is a growing challenge. The most common solutions such as seawalls and breakwaters are expensive and often lead to unexpected disastrous effects on the neighboring unprotected areas. In recent years, this awareness has guided coastal managers to adopt alternative solutions with lower environmental impact to protect coastal areas, defined as Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs). NBS are quite popular around the world but are often analyzed and implemented individually at pilot sites. This contribution analyzes the effectiveness of two NBS to mitigate coastal impacts (coastal flooding and erosion) under three historical storms along the EmiliaRomagna coasts and the induced improvements due to their potential integration. Through numerical simulations with XBeach, this study demonstrated that the presence of seagrass meadows of Zostera marina produces an average attenuation of 32 % of the storm peak with a maximum attenuation of 89 % in incoming wave height. Seagrass also mitigates flooded areas and maximum inundation depths by 37 % and 58 % respectively. The artificial dune leads to higher mitigation in terms of inundation of the lagoon (up to 75 %), also avoiding any morphological variations behind it. Seagrass has also been shown to be able to reduce beach erosion volumes up to 55 %. The synergic effect of the two NBS improves the capacity to mitigate both inundation (with a benefit of up to 77 % for flooded area attenuation with respect to cases without any defenses) and coastal erosion. Results of the study suggest that the two NBS will work together to produce co-benefits in terms of preservation of their efficiency, development of habitats for organisms and vegetation species, and thereby offering an important social value in terms of possible tourism, recreation and research

Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus

Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. is a medicinal mushroom capable of inducing a large number of modulatory effects on human physiology ranging from the strengthening of the immune system to the improvement of cognitive functions. In mice, dietary supplementation with H. erinaceus prevents the impairment of spatial short-term and visual recognition memory in an Alzheimer model. Intriguingly other neurobiological effects have recently been reported like the effect on neurite outgrowth and differentiation in PC12 cells. Until now no investigations have been conducted to assess the impact of this dietary supplementation on brain function in healthy subjects. Therefore, we have faced the problem by considering the effect on cognitive skills and on hippocampal neurotransmission in wild-type mice. In wild-type mice the oral supplementation with H. erinaceus induces, in behaviour test, a significant improvement in the recognition memory and, in hippocampal slices, an increase in spontaneous and evoked excitatory synaptic current in mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. In conclusion, we have produced a series of findings in support of the concept that H. erinaceus induces a boost effect onto neuronal functions also in nonpathological conditions

VEGF-induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations are down-regulated and do not stimulate angiogenesis in breast cancer-derived endothelial colony forming cells.

Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) represent a population of truly endothelial precursors that promote the angiogenic switch in solid tumors, such as breast cancer (BC). The intracellular Ca2+ toolkit, which drives the pro-angiogenic response to VEGF, is remodelled in tumor-associated ECFCs such that they are seemingly insensitive to this growth factor. This feature could underlie the relative failure of anti-VEGF therapies in cancer patients. Herein, we investigated whether and how VEGF uses Ca2+ signalling to control angiogenesis in BC-derived ECFCs (BCECFCs). Although VEGFR-2 was normally expressed, VEGF failed to induce proliferation and in vitro tubulogenesis in BC-ECFCs. Likewise, VEGF did not trigger robust Ca2+ oscillations in these cells. Similar to normal cells, VEGF-induced intracellular Ca2+ oscillations were triggered by inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and maintained by store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). However, InsP3-dependent Ca2+ release was significantly lower in BC-ECFCs due to the down-regulation of ER Ca2+ levels, while there was no remarkable difference in the amplitude, pharmacological profile and molecular composition of SOCE. Thus, the attenuation of the pro-angiogenic Ca2+ response to VEGF was seemingly due to the reduction in ER Ca2+ concentration, which prevents VEGF from triggering robust intracellular Ca2+ oscillations. However, the pharmacological inhibition of SOCE prevented BC-ECFC proliferation and in vitro tubulogenesis. These findings demonstrate for the first time that BC-ECFCs are insensitive to VEGF, which might explain at cellular and molecular levels the failure of anti-VEGF therapies in BC patients, and hint at SOCE as a novel molecular target for this disease

Case Report: Post-COVID-19 Vaccine Recurrence of Guillain–Barré Syndrome Following an Antecedent Parainfectious COVID-19–Related GBS

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune neurological disorder often preceded by viral illnesses or, more rarely, vaccinations. We report on a unique combination of postcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine GBS that occurred months after a parainfectious COVID-19–related GBS. Shortly after manifesting COVID-19 symptoms, a 57-year-old man developed diplopia, right-side facial weakness, and gait instability that, together with electrophysiology and cerebrospinal fluid examinations, led to a diagnosis of post-COVID-19 GBS. The involvement of cranial nerves and IgM seropositivity for ganglioside GD1b were noteworthy. COVID-19 pneumonia, flaccid tetraparesis, and autonomic dysfunction prompted his admission to ICU. He recovered after therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). Six months later, GBS recurred shortly after the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Again, the GBS diagnosis was confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid and electrophysiology studies. IgM seropositivity extended to multiple gangliosides, namely for GM3/4, GD1a/b, and GT1b IgM. An IVIg course prompted complete recovery. This case adds to other previously reported observations suggesting a possible causal link between SARS-CoV-2 and GBS. Molecular mimicry and anti-idiotype antibodies might be the underlying mechanisms. Future COVID-19 vaccinations/revaccinations in patients with previous para-/post-COVID-19 GBS deserve a reappraisal, especially if they are seropositive for ganglioside antibodies

PET/CT with Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitors in Breast Cancer: Diagnostic and Theranostic Application—A Literature Review

Growing studies have recently reported on the promising application of radiolabeled-fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPIs) as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in various oncological populations. To exclusively evaluate the current evidence on the diagnostic and therapeutic role of FAPI radiotracers in patients with breast cancer (BC), a narrative review of the available literature was performed. A search algorithm from PubMed/MEDLINE, based on the combination of “PET” OR “positron emission tomography” and “FAPI” and ”cancer”, with a last update in February 2022, was applied. From 233 identified articles, 33 studies conducted in BC patients and with available data on PET imaging or radiolabeled-FAPI therapy were finally considered, for a total of 191 patients. Despite some clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the reviewed articles, 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT emerges as a valuable diagnostic tool in BC patients both at staging and restaging, also demonstrating several technical advantages and an overall better performance than 18F-FDG, especially in histotypes with well-known low 18F-FDG avidity. Moreover, although with still limited clinical evidence in BC, radiolabeled FAPIs emerge as promising therapeutic agents in a theranostic perspective, increasing the possibility of more personalized treatments. From these results, future research directions on FAPI radiotracers application in BC patients are suggested

PET/CT with Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitors in Breast Cancer: Diagnostic and Theranostic Application—A Literature Review

Growing studies have recently reported on the promising application of radiolabeled-fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPIs) as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in various oncological populations. To exclusively evaluate the current evidence on the diagnostic and therapeutic role of FAPI radiotracers in patients with breast cancer (BC), a narrative review of the available literature was performed. A search algorithm from PubMed/MEDLINE, based on the combination of “PET” OR “positron emission tomography” and “FAPI” and ”cancer”, with a last update in February 2022, was applied. From 233 identified articles, 33 studies conducted in BC patients and with available data on PET imaging or radiolabeled-FAPI therapy were finally considered, for a total of 191 patients. Despite some clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the reviewed articles, 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT emerges as a valuable diagnostic tool in BC patients both at staging and restaging, also demonstrating several technical advantages and an overall better performance than 18F-FDG, especially in histotypes with well-known low 18F-FDG avidity. Moreover, although with still limited clinical evidence in BC, radiolabeled FAPIs emerge as promising therapeutic agents in a theranostic perspective, increasing the possibility of more personalized treatments. From these results, future research directions on FAPI radiotracers application in BC patients are suggested

Association between type of anaesthesia and clinical outcome in patients undergoing endovascular repair of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms by fenestrated and branched endografts

Although the endovascular repair of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) is the treatment of choice in high-risk population not eligible for open surgical approach, little is known on the association between the type of anesthesia and complications. In the present study the short-term clinical outcomes of patients undergoing the visceral step of TAAA with fenestrated endograft aortic repair (FEVAR) and branched endograft aortic repair (BEVAR) under general anesthesia (GA) was compared to sedation with monitored care anesthesia (MAC)

Peroneal tendoscopy

Peroneal tendoscopy is an innovative technique that allows visualization of the tendons from the myotendinous junction to the peroneal tubercle, together with adjacent anatomic structures such as the recently unveiled vincula. Through a minimally invasive approach, it is possible to diagnose and treat several disorders, such as common tenosynovitis, accessory muscles, hypertrophic bony prominences, and thickened vincula, that can cause pain and tendon catching. Surgical morbidity and postoperative pain are significantly reduced when compared with open procedures. In this paper, the main indications for peroneal tendoscopy are discussed, the available literature is reviewed, and the surgical technique is described. Advantages of this procedure and current limitations are also presented. Anatomic and histological studies were also performed in order to verify: 1) the feasibility of peroneal tendoscopy for evaluation of peroneal tendons, using cadaver specimens; 2) the presence of nervous tissue in cadaver peroneal vincula as well as in tendoscopic vincula biopsies from patients undergoing surgery for chronic lateral ankle pain. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12178-012-9123-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users