Caratterizzazione dell’ambiente marino dei Campi Flegrei. Risultati preliminari della campagna oceanografica RICAMAR 2013

The caldera of the Phlegraean Fields (also known as Campi Flegrei) is one of the most dangerous and populated volcanic area in the world, covering an area that comprises the western part of Naples and the Gulf of Pozzuoli. The main peculiarity of current volcanic activity is the gradual and periodic lift (positive or negative) of part of the Earth\u27s surface (bradyseism) combined, only during the positive phase, with a strong sismicity and surficial hydrotermal activity. Deformative models, calibrated using land-based measurements, highlighted the Gulf of Pozzuoli as the area with the largest deformation. Although the network of monitoring sensors on land is well developed and structured, there is a lack of sensing systems for the marine deformation. The activities of RIlievi per la Caratterizzazione dell’Ambiente MARino nel Golfo di Pozzuoli 2013 (RICAMAR2013) project - sinergically conducted by the Italian Navy\u27s Survey Vessel Ammiraglio Magnaghi , the Italian Hydrographic Office (IIM) and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)- were targeted to fulfill this gap. In fact, the creation of marine observatories about the caldera\u27s phenomena will be based on the data collected during these bathymetric, magnetometric, stratigrafic and hydrologic surveys

A novel use of growth factors, CD34 positive cells, and fibrin for fingertip injury: Description of a case

Abstract Traumatic soft tissue injuries of the finger represent a frequent hand injury challenging hand surgeons. We report a case involving a 30-year-old man with a dorsal index finger soft tissue wound failing conservative treatment. The novel use of applied fibrin membranes and concentrated growth factors yielded complete resolution of the injury in 6 months without need for skin grafting

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Home-based palliative approach for people with severe multiple sclerosis and their carers: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Preliminary evidence suggests that palliative care may be useful for people with severe multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a home-based palliative approach (HPA) for people with severe MS and their carers. Methods/design: This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial with a nested qualitative study. Seventy-five severe MS-carer dyads are being randomized (at three centers, one in each area of Italy) to HPA or usual care (UC) in a 2:1 ratio. Each center has a specially trained team consisting of four professionals (physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker). The team makes a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the dyads. HPA content is then agreed on, discussed with the patient's caring physician, and delivered over six months. The intervention is not intended to replace existing services. At later visits, the team checks the HPA delivery and reviews/modifies it as necessary. Discussion: The results of our study will show whether the HPA is feasible and beneficial to people with severe MS and their carers living in the three Italian geographic areas. The nested qualitative study will add to the understanding of the strengths and limitations of the intervention

Las respuestas emocionales, psicofisiológicas y comportamentales producidas ante la exposición a situaciones de cyberbullying: dos estudios experimentales

Two experimental studies investigated whether the exposure to cyberbullying situations producesin bullied youth, and in young people in general, higher levels of stress, negative emotions, and atten-tion levels, in comparison to other peer interactions, including bullying. In both studies, participants\u2019physiological activation (Study 1 and 2) and behavioral data (Study 2) were recorded while watching four1-minute videos representing cyberbullying, face-to-face bullying, prosocial, and neutral interactions.Self-report questionnaires assessed participants\u2019 emotional responses to the videos, and victimization.Sixty-one adolescents (65.7% girls) participated in Study 1; 35 young adults (60% girls) participated inStudy 2. Results indicate that cyberbullying causes higher stress and negative emotions than prosocialand neutral peer interactions, but not than bullying. Cyberbullying also elicited higher levels of stressand negative emotions in victims than non-victims, but only for adolescents

VOCs as fingerprints for the chemical profiling of hashish samples analyzed by HS-SPME/GC–MS and multivariate statistical tools

Purpose The statistical evaluation of the chemical profile of seized hashish samples is a valuable tool to aid the estimation of the route through which the material has reached the dealers’ market.Methods In this study, the complete volatile organic compound (VOC) emission profiles of 48 seized hashish samples have been analyzed by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and evaluated with chemometric tools; multivariate statistical analyses, both hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analy-sis (PCA) methods have been performed on the results to assess the existence of possible patterns throughout the samples.Results The total VOC emission profiles sharply distributed the samples in clusters based on their batches of origin; this trend was also clearly shown in the PCA plot, in which samples coming from the same seizure were grouped together. The Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content analysis did not show a relevant trend in terms of lot of origin of the samples.Conclusions The evaluation of the VOCs released into the headspace traced a much more complete chemical profiling of the samples, as compared to the analysis of cannabinoids only, or the THC titration. The multivariate statistical analyses were very useful to estimate the origin of the seized material

Sex differences in antioxidant defence and the regulation of redox homeostasis in physiology and pathology

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a term that defines a group of unstable compounds derived from exogenous sources or endogenous metabolism. Under physiological conditions, low levels of ROS play a key role in the regulation of signal transduction- or transcription-mediated cellular responses. In contrast, excessive and uncontrolled loading of ROS results in a pathological state known as oxidative stress (OS), a leading contributor to aging and a pivotal factor for the onset and progression of many disorders. Evolution has endowed cells with an antioxidant system involved in stabilizing ROS levels to a specific threshold, maintaining ROS-induced signalling function and limiting negative side effects. In mammals, a great deal of evidence indicates that females defence against ROS is more proficient than males, determining a longer lifespan and lower incidence of most chronic diseases. In this review, we will summarize the most recent sex-related differences in the regulation of redox homeostasis. We will highlight the peculiar aspects of the antioxidant defence in sex-biased diseases whose onset or progression is driven by OS, and we will discuss the molecular, genetic, and evolutionary determinants of female proficiency to cope with ROS

Investigating Cerebellar Abnormalities in a mouse model of lysosomal lipid storage disease: Implication for Social Behavior

The cerebellum is a versatile brain region that regulates various motor/non-motor behaviors. Thus, impairments in its architecture and circuitry lead to a wide range of neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders. During postnatal development, the cerebellum undergoes changes in its cellular arrangement, guided by the Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which plays a role in appropriate development, synaptogenesis, and maintenance of cerebellar connectivity. In Niemann-Pick C1 disease (NPC1), a rare lysosomal lipid storage disease, we have previously shown that a decline in Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and BDNF expression in the first weeks of postnatal development disrupts cerebellar granule cell (GC) migration and maturation, influencing the final cerebellar cytoarchitecture. In Npc1 mice, through immunohistochemistry/ Neurolucida analysis at various stages of early postnatal life, we observed a significant decrease in the amount, size and tortuosity of glomeruli, the main synaptic contact between GC dendrites and axons of mossy fibers. These results prompted us to investigate the presence of functional abnormalities in mature glutamatergic synapses. Therefore, by subcellular protein fractionation, we examined the expression levels of specific presynaptic (Syntaxin 1A, VAMP2, SNAP-25) and postsynaptic (Drebrin, Shank3) proteins during different stages of postnatal development, finding a general SNAP-25 deficiency in Npc1 mice compared to wild type (wt) mice. Furthermore, through Golgi-Cox staining analysis, we characterized the density and morphology of GC dendritic spines in the internal granular layer, both in wt and mutant mice, to identify abnormalities in synapse maturation and pruning processes, during critical stages of cerebellar development. Finally, Npc1 male mice showed no preference for social/nonsocial cues in a typical task used to study autistic-like behavior, consistent with studies indicating reduced levels of cerebellar BDNF in autistic patients