Public Administration Owned Regional Telecommunication Networks as Strategic Asset During 2012 Earthquake in Emilia-Romagna

Abstract Telecom is the domain where innovation and spread of usage registered the quickest and most consistent growth in the latest ten years. Seismic event dated May 2012 in Emilia-Romagna region was a significant example of how spread and diffused presence of two PA (Public Administration) regional telecommunication networks (ERretre Regional Mobile Network for radio emergency and Lepida broadband Network) substantially contributed to address such a catastrophic situation, providing the right premises to its quick overcoming and a strategic criterion for the following reconstruction of the territory. In this situation the importance and the effectiveness of a flexible, modular and configurable regional emergency mobile network such as ERretre has been proved, but at the same time the synergies with Lepida broadband network have emerged, showing a new potential in building an enabling infrastructure not only for new services, but also for new networks

From the Smart City to the Smart Community, Model and Architecture of a Real Project: SensorNet

This article presents a conceptual, architectural and organizational model for the realization of a smart city based on a holistic paradigm as its cornerstone and on the new technologies as its enabling tools. The model is based on the concept of integration of the data belonging to different systems, through the development of a middleware, which allows the retrieval of data from various sources and their storage in a standard format in a new centralized database. The article also illustrates a real project concerning the integration of different sensor networks for the environmental monitoring that exemplifies and implements the main topics discussed. The issues related to its "governance" are also highlighted, not only from a strategic point of view, but also, and above all, from the perspective of its maintenance, which is an important and crucial feature for its "survival" over time

Activities Carried Out during the First COVID-19 Lockdown by Italian Citizens

: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has altered how citizens engage in activities. This study describes the new activities citizens engaged in during the first lockdown, factors that helped them cope with the confinement, the supports they used the most, and which supports they would have liked to receive. This cross-sectional study consists of an online survey made of 49 questions that was completed by the citizens of the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) from 4 May until 15 June 2020. The outcomes of this study were explored by focusing on four of the survey questions. Of the 1826 citizens who responded, 84.2% had started new leisure activities. Males, participants who lived in the plain or foothills, and those who experienced nervousness engaged less in new activities, while those whose employment status changed, whose lifestyle worsened, or whose use of alcohol increased engaged in more activities. The support of family and friends, leisure activities, continuing to work, and an optimistic attitude were perceived to be of help. Grocery delivery and hotlines providing any type of information and mental health support were used frequently; a lack of health and social care services and of support in reconciling work with childcare was perceived. Findings may help institutions and policy makers to better support citizens in any future circumstances requiring prolonged confinement

Employment rate and predictors of return to work in European cancer survivors: a systematic review.

Cancer incidence and survival are both increasing. Over 1/3 of cancer survivors (CSs) are in their working age1. CSs experience pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorders that may adversely affect social functioning2. Systematic reviews show a 64% employment rate for CSs, with high variability in different contexts (range 24% 94%)3. We reviewed the recent literature on the employment rate of CSs in Europe, investigating the factors influencing their return to work (RTW

Factors influencing return to work of cancer survivors: a population-based study in Italy

Little is known about return to work (RTW) of cancer survivors (CSs) in Central and Southern Europe. This study investigates the RTW rate of Italian CSs, describes their sick leave (SL) pattern, and explores factors affecting their RTW process. Methods A population-based cross-sectional survey involving CSs registered at the Cancer Registry of Reggio Emilia Province (Italy) was launched in July 2016. Eligibility was restricted to individuals with first diagnosis of cancer in 2012 (stages I–III), aged 20–59, and employed at the time of diagnosis. Results Of the 266 individuals interviewed, 140 (52.6%) were reintegrated without difficulty, 113 (42.5%) returned to work with some difficulty, and 13 did not RTW (4.9%). The majority of CSs (56%) took SL for some periods during treatment. Age > 50 years and higher income seemed to facilitate RTW (RR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.49–0.88 and RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.54–0.97, respectively), while being divorced acted as a barrier compared to being married (RR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04–2.01). Individuals uncertain about the type of company they were working for reported greater difficulty in RTW (RR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.03–2.72). Individuals who had undergone chemotherapy and those perceiving physical limitations had a higher risk of difficulty in the RTW process (RR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.42–2.24 and RR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.25–2.02, respectively). Conclusions Most CSs did RTW, with 2/3 combining work and treatment. However, almost half reported difficulty in RTW process. Factors affecting this process should be addressed throughout context-specific social and healthcare pathways aimed at preventing difficulties and potential job loss in this population

Patient-reported outcome measure to implement routine assessment of cancer survivors' unmet needs: An overview of reviews and COSMIN analysis

: As the number of cancer survivors (CSs) is increasing worldwide, providing services relevant to the specific, unmet needs of these individuals is crucial. There are currently various patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) whose aim is to identify the unmet needs of CSs. Still, limited guidance supports healthcare providers in choosing the most valid and reliable PROMs for this purpose. We conducted this overview of systematic reviews (SRs) on the psychometric properties of PROMs addressing the unmet needs of adult CSs suffering from non-cutaneous cancers. We searched databases for SRs published between 2012 and January 2023. Two SRs were included, covering 14 PROMs tested on 19,151 CSs. These were assessed according to the COSMIN methodology for SRs of PROMs for the quality of their measurement properties and risk of bias, thus providing guidance in selecting PROMs that appropriately reflect the unmet needs of CSs

Specific loop modifications of the thrombin-binding aptamer trigger the formation of parallel structures

Guanine-rich sequences show large structural variability, with folds ranging from duplex to triplex and quadruplex helices. Quadruplexes are polymorphic, and can show multiple stoichiometries, parallel and antiparallel strand alignments, and different topological arrangements. We analyze here the equilibrium between intramolecular antiparallel and intermolecular parallel G-quadruplexes in the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) sequence. Our theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that an apparently simple modification at the loops of TBA induces a large change in the monomeric antiparallel structure of TBA to yield a parallel G-quadruplex showing a novel T-tetrad. The present results illustrate the extreme polymorphism of G-quadruplexes and the ease with which their conformation in solution can be manipulated by nucleotide modification.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN (CTQ2010-20541, CTQ2012-38616, BIO2009-10964 and Consolider E-Science), the Generalitat de Catalunya, (2009/SGR/208), the University of Milano (PUR 2009 Funds), the funds de la Recherche ScientifiqueFNRS (VG research associate position and FRFC grant 2.4528.11) and PRIN09 (2009Prot- 2009J54YAP_005). RF is a recipient of a FPI predoctoral contract (MICINN) and a STSM from COST (G4net, MP0802). GP is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship. Collaborative research was funded by a Cost action (G4net, MP0802) and an Italian-Spanish collaborative action (IT2009-0067). CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.Peer reviewe

Exploring the stabilizing effect on the i-motif of neighboring structural motifs and drugs

Cytosine-rich DNA sequences may fold into a structure known as i-motif, with potential in vivo modulation of gene expression. The stability of the i-motif is residual at neutral pH values. To increase it, the addition of neighboring moieties, such as Watson-Crick stabilized loops, tetrads, or non-canonical base pairs have been proposed. Taking a recently described i-motif structure as a model, the relative effect of these structural moieties, as well as several DNA ligands, on the stabilization of the i-motif has been studied. To this end, not only the original sequence but different mutants were considered. Spectroscopic techniques, PAGE, and multivariate data analysis methods have been used to model the folding/unfolding equilibria induced by changes of pH, temperature, and the presence of ligands. The results have shown that the duplex is the moiety that is responsible of the stabilization of the i-motif structure at neutral pH. The T:T base pair, on the contrary, shows little stabilization of the i-motif. From several selected DNA-binding ligands, the G-quadruplex ligand BA41 is shown to interact with the duplex moiety, whereas non-specific interaction and little stabilization has been observed within the i-motif

Editorial: Nucleic acid-based aptamers in therapeutics and diagnostics

Aptamers have emerged as versatile and powerful tools in the fields of therapeutics and diagnostics. These molecules are single-stranded nucleic acids—either DNA or RNA—that fold into unique three-dimensional structures, allowing them to selectively bind to target molecules with high affinity and specificity. They can be identified through an iterative selection process called SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment).The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Peer reviewe