Embedding Participatory Governance

This symposium examines the challenges and opportunities of recent efforts at embedding participatory governance. It draws together original research that engages theoretically and empirically with some fundamental questions: •What are the challenges of embedding participatory governance in policy-making? •What happens when social movements have opportunities to shape the institutionalization of PG processes? Can they reanimate the radical potential of citizen participation for social transformation? •How can the tensions between the different demands of lay citizens, organized civil society, political parties, and public officials be managed? In this introductory article, we provide a definition of embeddedness, outlining its spatial, temporal, and practices dimensions, in so doing distinguishing embeddedness from institutionalization, with which it has often been used interchangeably. Our aim is to delineate the breadth of the concept, drawing together its many uses into a systematic framework that can both guide future research and practical experimentation. In particular, our hope is to turn more attention to the informal practices that are essential for embedding. The contributions to the symposium shift attention from institutional design to embedding dynamics and how these work to open or close spaces for meaningful citizen input

Higher education peer mentoring programme to promote student community using Mobile Device Applications

An Italian peer mentoring programme was implemented by second-year undergraduate students (peer mentors) to support first year students (mentees). The scheme aimed to promote student community building and endorse active learning. Twenty mentors and 32 mentees were recruited. Data were extracted through the use of semi-structured questionnaires. For their mentoring, peer mentorsused Mobile Device Applications [MDA]. A qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate students’ perceptions. The findings suggest that the use of MDA improved student academic experience generating a sense of community to facilitate students’ learning and social life. Students were satisfied with the adoption of MDA to foster active learning and community building between undergraduate students. Participants adopted MDA for promoting the peer mentoring scheme and planning events for mentees and to stay in touch throughout the peer mentoring programme. However, participants have highlighted criticisms and improvements

Retraction Note to: Effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) supplementation on positive and negative syndrome scale in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, (2019), 75, 3, (289-301), 10.1007/s00228-018-2595-1)

The authors have retracted this article 1 because there are fundamental errors in the data presented that undermine the conclusions drawn. All authors agree with this retraction. The authors are re-analysing their data and intend to submit a new manuscript for peer review in due course. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Uncovering neurodevelopmental paths to Autism Spectrum Disorder through an integrated analysis of developmental measures and neural sensitivity to faces

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is highly heterogeneous in etiology and manifestation. The neurobiological processes underlying ASD development are reflected in multiple features, from behavior and cognition to brain functioning. An integrated analysis of these features may optimize the identification of these processes. Methods: We examined cognitive and adaptive functioning, and ASD symptoms between 8 and 36 months in 161 infants at familial high-risk for ASD (HR) and 71 low-risk controls (LR), and neural sensitivity to eye-gaze at 8 months in a subsample of 140 HR and 61 LR. We used linked independent component analysis to extract patterns of variation across domains and development, and selected the patterns significantly associated with clinical classification at 36 months. Results: An early process at 8 months, indicating high levels of functioning and low levels of symptoms linked to higher attention to gaze shifts, was reduced in infants who developed ASD. A longitudinal process of increasing functioning and low levels of symptoms was reduced in infants who developed ASD, while another process suggesting a stagnation in cognitive functioning at 24 months was increased in infants who developed ASD. Limitations: Although results show a clear significant trend relating to clinical classification, there was substantial overlap between groups. Conclusions: We uncovered underlying processes acting together early in development and associated with clinical outcome. Results highlight the complexity of emerging ASD, which goes beyond the borders of clinical categories. Future work should integrate genetic data to investigate the specific genetic risks linked to these processes

Colombian essential oil of ruta graveolens against nosocomial antifungal resistant candida strains

Drug resistance in antifungal therapy, a problem unknown until a few years ago, is increasingly assuming importance especially in immunosuppressed patients and patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the past years, the use of essential oils as an approach to improve the effectiveness of antifungal agents and to reduce antifungal resistance levels has been proposed. Our research aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Colombian rue, Ruta graveolens, essential oil (REO) against clinical strains of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilopsis, Candida glabrata, and Candida tropicalis. Data obtained showed that C. tropicalis and C. albicans were the most sensitive strains showing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 4.1 and 8.2 µg/mL of REO. Time–kill kinetics assay demonstrated that REO showed a fungicidal effect against C. tropicalis and a fungistatic effect against C. albicans. In addition, an amount of 40% of the biofilm formed by C. albicans was eradicated using 8.2 µg/mL of REO after 1 h of exposure. The synergistic effect of REO together with some antifungal compounds was also investigated. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) showed synergic effects of REO combined with amphotericin B. REO Lead a disruption in the cellular membrane integrity, consequently resulting in increased intracellular leakage of the macromolecules, thus confirming that the plasma membrane is a target of the mode of action of REO against C. albicans and C. tropicalis

IFN-\u3b3 and other serum cytokines in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Altered immune responses have been reported in head and neck cancer, and some of these responses have been associated with poor clinical outcomes. A multiple-array technology platform was used to simultaneously evaluate the levels of 25 cytokines. Pre-treatment serum levels were evaluated in 31 HNSCC patients and 6 healthy controls. The levels of 8 cytokines, specifically IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-\u3b3 and IP-10, were significantly higher in patients than in controls. Among cancer patients we observed lower levels of IFN-\u3b3 and IL-7 in cases with nodal metastases compared to those with cN0 disease. We observed increases in the levels of some serum cytokines in HNSCC patients, as well as reductions in selected cytokines associated with regional progression. These findings provide an intriguing perspective on the development and validation of novel markers for follow-up evaluations and predictions of regional spreading in HNSCC patients

ACTA OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGICA ITALICA

Lo scopo del presente studio è stato quello di valutare lefficacia oncologica della laringectomia totale di salvataggio in pazienti precedentemente sottoposti a laringectomia subtotale open o microchirurgia laser transorale affetti da carcinoma squamocellulare laringeo. Abbiamo analizzato retrospettivamente le informazioni cliniche, chirurgiche e patologiche di 35 pazienti sottoposti a laringectomia totale di salvataggio dopo recidiva di carcinoma laringeo (laringectomia subtotale open o transorale). Le informazioni sono state analizzate tramite lutilizzo delle curve di Kaplan-Meier nonché tramite lanalisi univariata e multivariata dei fattori prognostici. Non sono emerse differenze statisticamente significative nel confronto tra il gruppo di pazienti precedentemente sottoposti a laringectomia subtotale ed il gruppo sottoposto a microchirurgia laser transorale sia in termini di overall survival (OS) e disease specific survival (DSS) a 3 anni (OS = 38% vs 52%, p = 0,16; DSS = 40% vs 61%, p = 0,057) che di controllo locoregionale (LRC) a 2 anni (LRC = 40% vs 54%, p = 0,056). È stata tuttavia messa in evidenza una tendenza che indica una sopravvivenza e controllo locoregionale peggiore nei pazienti sottoposti a laringectomia subtotale. La conservazione dello scheletro osteocartilagineo della microchirurgia laser transorale si traduce ipoteticamente in una maggiore probabilità di salvataggio delle recidive anteriori con diffusione extralaringea

Olfactory and gustatory function impairment in COVID-19 patients : Italian objective multicenter-study

Background: Objective data on chemosensitive disorders during COVID-19 are lacking in the Literature. Methods: Multicenter cohort study that involved four Italian hospitals. Three hundred and forty-five COVID-19 patients underwent objective chemosensitive evaluation. Results: Chemosensitive disorders self-reported by 256 patients (74.2%) but the 30.1% of the 89 patients who did not report dysfunctions proved objectively hyposmic. Twenty-five percentage of patients were seen serious long-lasting complaints. All asymptomatic patients had a slight lowering of the olfactory threshold. No significant correlations were found between the presence and severity of chemosensitive disorders and the severity of the clinical course. On the contrary, there is a significant correlation between the duration of the olfactory and gustatory symptoms and the development of severe COVID-19. Conclusions: Patients under-report the frequency of chemosensitive disorders. Contrary to recent reports, such objective testing refutes the proposal that the presence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction may predict a milder course, but instead suggests that those with more severe disease neglect such symptoms in the setting of severe respiratory disease