A Heuristic Approach to Analysis of the Genetic Susceptibility Profile in Patients Affected by Airway Allergies.

Allergic respiratory diseases such as asthma might be considered multifactorial diseases, having a complex pathogenesis that involves environmental factors and the activation of a large set of immune response pathways and mechanisms. In addition, variations in genetic background seem to play a central role. The method developed for the analysis of the complexities, as association rule mining, nowadays may be applied to different research areas including genetic and biological complexities such as atopic airway diseases to identify complex genetic or biological markers and enlighten new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Social robots and therapeutic adherence: A new challenge in pediatric asthma?

Social Robots are used in different contexts and, in healthcare, they are better known as Socially Assistive Robots. In the context of asthma, the use of Socially Assistive Robots has the potential to increase motivation and engagement to treatment. Other positive roles proposed for Socially Assistive Robots are to provide education, training regarding treatments, and feedback to patients.

A new species of Eutardigrade (Macrobiotidae) from New Zealand.

After examining the tardigrade specimens collected in New Zealand and attributed by Tumanov (2004) to Macrobiotus cf. coronatus, the authors considered it justifiable to describe for them a new species named Mesobiotus helenae. It is very similar to Mesobiotus pseudoblocki Roszkowska, Stec, Ciobanu Kaczmarek, 2016 but differs in lacking eyes, having differently shaped claws (the terminal portion of both claw branches are longer and more slender), and similar egg processes but not identically shaped, with almost invisible ornamentation on the basal portion.

A new species of Isohypsibiid (Eutardigrada) from Sicily.

Dastych (2016) analysed the holotype of Isohypsibius tetradactyloides (Richters, 1907) and noticed that it possesses a very faint cuticular sculpture. For this and other characters, Dastych considered the species to be a synonym of Isohypsibius asper (Murray, 1906). The authors re-examined specimens attributed to Isohypsibius tetradactyloides by Pilato (1971) from two Sicilian rivers, and noticed that they cannot be attributed to Isohypsibius asper but to a new species.

gen. nov., sp. nov. an interesting eutardigrade (Hypsibiidae, Itaquasconinae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia.

A new genus of Itaquasconinae, , and a new species, , are described. The new genus has characters present in other genera of Itaquasconinae but in a unique combination. The spiral thickening of the bucco-pharyngeal tube is also present anteriorly to the insertion point of the stylet supports, excluding only the short portion where the apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles (AISM) are present.

and , two new species of Eutardigrada (Tardigrada, Parachela) from Sicily.

Two new species of Eutardigrada are described from Sicily: Macrobiotus nebrodensis sp. nov. and Adropion vexatum sp.

Two new species of Milnesium (Tardigrada: Milnesiidae).

Two new species of Milnesium are described: Milnesium vorax sp. nov from Sicily and Milnesium tumanovi sp. nov.

Eremobiotus ginevrae sp. nov. and Paramacrobiotus pius sp. nov., two new species of Eutardigrada.

Two new eutardigrade species are described: Eremobiotus ginevrae sp. nov. and Paramacrobiotus pius sp.

Milnesium minutum and Milnesium sandrae, two new species of Milnesiidae (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela).

Two new species of Milnesium are described, Milnesium minutum sp. n. from Sicily and Milnesium sandrae sp.

Two new freshwater eutardigrade species from Sicily.

Two new species of freshwater Eutardigrada are described from Sicily: Isohypsibius rusticus sp. nov. and Isohypsibius zappalai sp.

Mixibius parvus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) ziliense sp. nov., two new species of Eutardigrada from Sicily.

Two new species, Mixibius parvus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) ziliense sp.

An exceptional event during the moulting process of an eutardigrade: two bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses present.

A specimen of Diphascon (Diphascon) procerum with two bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses (one of which should have been expelled during moulting process) is described, and that anomalous condition is discussed.

Two new tardigrade species from Sicily.

Two new species of tardigrades are described from Sicilian moss samples: Macrobiotus insuetus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) procerum sp.

A new tardigrade Doryphoribius maasaimarensis sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae) from Kenya.

A new tardigrade, Doryphoribius maasaimarensis sp. nov., is described from a moss sample collected in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya.

The taxonomic value of the structures for the insertion of the stylet muscles in the Eutardigrada, and description of a new genus.

The new genus Dastychius has been instituted for the species Isohypsibius improvisus Dastych, 1984. It has claws of the Isohypsibius type, rigid buccal tube without ventral lamina and with ridge-shaped apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles; peribuccal lamellae absent; peribuccal papulae seem to be present but the datum should be confirmed; pharyngeal bulb with apophyses and placoids, lunules present in the known species; smooth eggs laid in the exuvium. The apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles have some peculiarities that justify the institution of a new genus.

Ramazzottius thulini (Pilato, 1970) bona species and description of Ramazzottius libycus sp. nov. (Eutardigrada, Ramazzottidae).

Comparing the type series of Ramazzottius thulini with specimens of Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri, from the locus typicus, we confirmed there are morphological and metric differences between these two species. This evidence convinced us that R. thulini should be considered a bona species.

The problem of the origin of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in vertebrates: historical review and a possible solution.

A concise review of the articles about the origin of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in vertebrates is provided. Differences among various taxa concerning the origin of PGCs, not easily understandable on the base of traditional knowledge, are pointed out. All those differences can be explained taking into consideration the recent “theory of the endoderm as secondary layer”.

An exaggerated systolic blood pressure response to exercise is associated with cardiovascular remodeling in subjects with prehypertension.

Background: Although many observers consider the cardiovascular risk associated with isolated prehypertension to be low and not worth pharmacological treating, the cardiovascular disease rate is increased among individuals within this blood pressure stratum.

Methods: We performed Doppler echocardiography and submaximal bicycle ergometry in 20 nonsmoking sedentary prehypertensive subjects and 20 age- and sex-matched nonsmoking sedentary normotensive subjects, and investigated the association between the systolic blood pressure response to exercise (SBPRE) and hypertensive target organ damage. An exaggerated SBPRE (E-SBPRE) and a normal SBPRE (N-SBPRE) were diagnosed using the mean +2 standard deviations of systolic blood pressure at 100 W in normotensives.