The Impact of Lateral Ventricular Opening in the Resection of Newly Diagnosed High-Grade Gliomas: A Single Center Experience.

Given the importance of maximizing resection for prognosis in patients with HGG and the potential risks associated with ventricle opening, this study aimed to assess the actual increase in post-surgical complications related to lateral ventricle opening and its influence on OS and PFS. A retrospective study was conducted on newly diagnosed HGG, dividing the patients into two groups according to whether the lateral ventricle was opened (69 patients) or not opened (311 patients). PFS, OS, subependymal dissemination, distant parenchymal recurrences, the development of hydrocephalus and CSF leak were considered outcome measures.

Farm forests, seasonal hunger, and biomass poverty: Evidence of induced intensification from panel data in the Ethiopian Highlands.

Seasonal hunger is the most common food insecurity experience for millions of small dryland farmers. This study tests the relationships between food insecurity, farm forests, and biomass poverty using a longitudinal dataset from the Amhara region of Ethiopia. These data form part of the Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey, which collected panel data over three survey rounds from 530 households between 2011 and 2016.

Unraveling population trends in Italy (1921-2021) with spatial econometrics.

Testing density-dependence and path-dependence in long-term population dynamics under differentiated local contexts contributes to delineate the changing role of socioeconomic forces at the base of regional disparities. Despite a millenary settlement history, such issue has been rarely investigated in Europe, and especially in highly divided countries such as those in the Mediterranean region. Using econometric modeling to manage spatial heterogeneity, our study verifies the role of selected drivers of population growth at ten times between 1921 and 2021 in more than 8000 Italian municipalities verifying density-dependent and path-dependent dynamics.

A spatial regression analysis of Colombia's narcodeforestation with factor decomposition of multiple predictors.

In the current accelerated process of global warming, forest conservation is becoming more difficult to address in developing countries, where woodlands are often fueling the illegal economy. In Colombia, the issue of narcodeforestation is of great concern, because of the ramification of narcoactivities that are affecting forests, such as agribusinesses and cattle ranching for money laundering. In this study, we use spatially explicit regressions incorporating a factor decomposition of predictors through principal component analysis to understand the impact of coca plantations on global and local-scale deforestation in Colombia.

Did COVID-19 enlarge spatial disparities in population dynamics? A comparative, multivariate approach for Italy.

A short-term issue that has been occasionally investigated in the current literature is if (and, eventually, how) population dynamics (directly or indirectly) driven by COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to enlarge regional divides in specific demographic processes and dimensions. To verify this assumption, our study run an exploratory multivariate analysis of ten indicators representative of different demographic phenomena (fertility, mortality, nuptiality, internal and international migration) and the related population outcomes (natural balance, migration balance, total growth). We developed a descriptive analysis of the statistical distribution of the ten demographic indicators using eight metrics that assess formation (and consolidation) of spatial divides, controlling for shifts over time in both central tendency, dispersion, and distributional shape regimes.

Toward spatially polarized human pressure? A dynamic factor analysis of ecological stability and the role of territorial gradients in Czech Republic.

In light of global change, research on ecosystem dynamics and the related environmental policies are increasingly required to face with the inherent polarization in areas with low and high human pressure. Differential levels of human pressure are hypothesized to reflect development paths toward ecological stability of local systems vis à vis socioeconomic resilience. To delineate the latent nexus between socioeconomic development paths and ecological stability of local systems, we proposed a multidimensional, diachronic analysis of 28 indicators of territorial disparities, and ecological stability in 206 homogeneous administrative units of Czech Republic over almost 30 years (1990-2018).

Active governance of agro-pastoral, forest and protected areas mitigates wildfire impacts in Italy.

Wildfire regimes affected by global change have been the cause of major concern in recent years. Both direct prevention (e.g.

Delineating the Intrinsic, Long-Term Path of Land Degradation: A Spatially Explicit Transition Matrix for Italy, 1960-2010.

Vulnerability to land degradation in southern Europe has increased substantially in the last decades because of climate and land-use change, soil deterioration, and rising human pressure. The present work focuses on a quantitative evaluation of changes over time in the level of vulnerability to land degradation of a Mediterranean country (Italy) using a composite indicator, the environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI), which is the final outcome of a complex model conceived to assess land vulnerability on the basis of climate, soil, vegetation, and human pressure. Considering four different levels of vulnerability to land degradation (not affected, potentially affected, fragile, and critical), the main trajectories of this index were highlighted in a long-time perspective (1960-2010), discriminating dynamics over two sub-periods (1960-1990 and 1990-2010).

Investigating metropolitan change through mathematical morphology and a dynamic factor analysis of structural and functional land-use indicators.

We presented an operational rationale grounded on complex system thinking to quantify structural and functional landscape transformations along three stages representative of post-war metropolitan development in Rome, Italy (urbanisation with population/settlement densification, 1949-1974; suburbanisation with medium-density settlement expansion, 1974-1999; counter-urbanisation with settlement sprawl, 1999-2016). A mathematical morphology approach assessing the geometric form of land patches and a multi-way factor analysis (MFA) of landscape metrics were used to investigate the joint evolution of urban form and land-use functions over time. The empirical results of the MFA delineated the multivariate relationship between nine land-use classes (with distinctive socioeconomic functions) and seven morphological types (reflecting different landscape structures) according to four observation times (1949, 1974, 1999, 2016).

Distant Recurrence of a Cerebral Cavernous Malformation in the Vicinity of a Developmental Venous Anomaly: Case Report of Local Oxy-Inflammatory Events.

Background: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are a major type of cerebrovascular lesions of proven genetic origin that occur in either sporadic (sCCM) or familial (fCCM) forms, the latter being inherited as an autosomal dominant condition linked to loss-of-function mutations in three known CCM genes. In contrast to fCCMs, sCCMs are rarely linked to mutations in CCM genes and are instead commonly and peculiarly associated with developmental venous anomalies (DVAs), suggesting distinct origins and common pathogenic mechanisms.

Case Report: A hemorrhagic sCCM in the right frontal lobe of the brain was surgically excised from a symptomatic 3 year old patient, preserving intact and pervious the associated DVA.

Framing socioecological complexity: The long-term evolution of multiple dimensions of desertification risk in Italy.

Desertification risk depends on the interplay of biophysical and socioeconomic drivers, among which climate change, soil depletion, landscape modifications, and biodiversity decline are key factors of change in Southern Europe. The present study introduces a diachronic analysis of desertification risk in Italy adopting a multidimensional approach based on four dimensions (ecological, economic, demographic, and administrative) assessed at three dates (1961, 1991, and 2011). These risk components were evaluated separately in Southern Italy, a formerly affected region (sensu United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification), and Northern/Central Italy, a nonaffected region in the country.

Endogenous Population Dynamics and Metropolitan Cycles: Long-Term Evidence from Athens, an Eternally Mediterranean City.

Natural population growth is an intrinsic property of demographic systems that depends on (spatially) non-stationary processes of fertility and mortality. Assuming distinctive demographic dynamics as a characteristic attribute of urban, suburban and rural systems, analysis of spatial variability in natural population growth delineates nonlinear stages of metropolitan expansion, possibly reflecting divergent responses to socioeconomic stimuli. The present study investigates endogenous population growth (1956-2019) and the relationship with demographic density as basic attributes of individual stages of the city life cycle in Athens (Greece), a mono-centric metropolitan region in Southern Europe.

Systematic Review on Tumor Microenvironment in Glial Neoplasm: From Understanding Pathogenesis to Future Therapeutic Perspectives.

Despite the multidisciplinary management in the treatment of glioblastomas, the average survival of GBM patients is still 15 months. In recent years, molecular biomarkers have gained more and more importance both in the diagnosis and therapy of glial tumors. At the same time, it has become clear that non neoplastic cells, which constitute about 30% of glioma mass, dramatically influence tumor growth, spread, and recurrence.

Toward a spatially explicit analysis of land vulnerability to degradation: a country-level approach supporting policy strategies.

Vulnerability to land degradation in Mediterranean Europe increased substantially in the last decades because of the latent interplay of climate and land-use change, progressive soil deterioration, and rising human pressure. The present study provides a quantitative evaluation of the intrinsic change over time in the level of vulnerability to land degradation over a representative Mediterranean area (Italy) using a normative indicator, the percentage of land classified as 'critical' in total area. This indicator derives from a spatially explicit elaboration of the ESA (Environmental Sensitive Area) Index (ESAI), a standard methodology of land classification considering different levels of vulnerability to degradation at a particularly refined spatial scale (1 km).

Enlarging the divide? Per-Capita Income as a measure of social inequalities in a southern European City.

Earlier studies relating form and functions of cities address an intriguing and complex research issue, especially for specific urban typologies. Although with inherent differences on a local scale, Mediterranean cities represent diversified settlement morphologies and multifaceted socioeconomic contexts. The present study investigates the socioeconomic structure at the base of rapid development of a large Mediterranean agglomeration (Athens, Greece).

Found in Complexity, Lost in Fragmentation: Putting Soil Degradation in a Landscape Ecology Perspective.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) assumes spatial disparities in land resources as a key driver of soil degradation and early desertification processes all over the world. Although regional divides in soil quality have been frequently observed in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, the impact of landscape configuration on the spatial distribution of sensitive soils was poorly investigated in Southern Europe, an affected region UNCCD. Our study proposes a spatially explicit analysis of 16 ecological metrics (namely, patch size and shape, fragmentation, interspersion, and juxtaposition) applied to three classes of a landscape with different levels of exposure to land degradation ('non-affected', 'fragile', and 'critical').

Urbanisation-driven land degradation and socioeconomic challenges in peri-urban areas: Insights from Southern Europe.

Climate change and landscape transformation have led to rapid expansion of peri-urban areas globally, representing new 'laboratories' for the study of human-nature relationships aiming at land degradation management. This paper contributes to the debate on human-driven land degradation processes by highlighting how natural and socioeconomic forces trigger soil depletion and environmental degradation in peri-urban areas. The aim was to classify and synthesise the interactions of urbanisation-driven factors with direct or indirect, on-site or off-site, and short-term or century-scale impacts on land degradation, focussing on Southern Europe as a paradigmatic case to address this issue.

Foramen Caecum Vein Involved in Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Fed by Sphenopalatine Arteries: A Case Report.

Anterior cranial fossa (ACF) dural arteriovenous fistulas (ACF DAVFs) are an infrequent subtype of cranial DAVFs that are usually fed by the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) and ophthalmic artery (OA) branches. Due to the lack of dural venous sinus in the ACF, they directly drain into cortical veins, resulting in high bleeding tendency. For this reason, ACF DAVFs have to be treated regardless of whether they are symptomatic or not.

Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in 'affected' and 'unaffected' landscapes in Italy.

Southern Europe is a hotspot for desertification risk because of the intimate impact of soil deterioration, landscape transformations, rising human pressure, and climate change. In this context, large-scale empirical analyses linking landscape fragmentation with desertification risk assume that increasing levels of land vulnerability to degradation are associated with significant changes in landscape structure. Using a traditional approach of landscape ecology, this study evaluates the spatial structure of a simulated landscape based on different levels of vulnerability to land degradation using 15 metrics calculated at three time points (early-1960s, early-1990s, early-2010s) in Italy.

The Relevant Role of Navigated Tractography in Speech Eloquent Area Glioma Surgery: Single Center Experience.

Background: Gliomas are among the most challenging pathologies for neurosurgeons due to their infiltrative and recurrent nature in functionally relevant regions. Current knowledge confirms that gross total resection highly influence survival in patient with glioma. However, surgery performed in eloquent brain area, could seriously compromise the quality of life in patient with reduced life expectancy even more if it concerns the language function.

Unraveling spatial patterns of COVID-19 in Italy: Global forces and local economic drivers.

This article investigates the spatial patterns of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in Italy and its determinants from March 9 to June 15, 2020, a time interval covering the so-called first wave of COVID pandemics in Europe. The results, based on negative binomial regressions and linear spatial models, confirm the importance of multiple factors that positively correlate with the number of recorded cases. Economic forces, including urban agglomeration, industrial districts, concentration of large companies (both before and after the beginning of the 'lockdown') and a north-south gradient, are the most significant predictors of the strength of COVID-19 infection.

Fluorescence-Guided Surgery for High-Grade Gliomas: State of the Art and New Perspectives.

High-grade gliomas are aggressive tumors that require multimodal management and gross total resection is considered to be the first crucial step of treatment. Because of their infiltrative nature, intraoperative differentiation of neoplastic tissue from normal parenchyma can be challenging. For these reasons, in the recent years, neurosurgeons have increasingly performed this surgery under the guidance of tissue fluorescence.

Unravelling the Role of Socioeconomic Forces in the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly evolved into an acute health crisis with extensive socioeconomic and demographic consequences. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a refined (and more comprehensive) understanding of virus dissemination over space, transmission mechanisms, clinical features, and risk factors. In line with this assumption, the present study illustrates a comparative, empirical analysis of the role of socioeconomic and demographic dimensions in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic grounded on a large set of indicators comparing the background context across a global sample of countries.

Unraveling Urban Form and Collision Risk: The Spatial Distribution of Traffic Accidents in Zanjan, Iran.

Official statistics demonstrate the role of traffic accidents in the increasing number of fatalities, especially in emerging countries. In recent decades, the rate of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents in Iran, a rapidly growing economy in the Middle East, has risen significantly with respect to that of neighboring countries. The present study illustrates an exploratory spatial analysis' framework aimed at identifying and ranking hazardous locations for traffic accidents in Zanjan, one of the most populous and dense cities in Iran.

Meteorological patterns and the evolution of West Nile virus in an environmentally stressed Mediterranean area.

The present work investigates the increase of confirmed cases of West Nile virus and the relationship between weather-related patterns and the geographical expansion of West Nile virus in Greece, with a special focus on West Attica, Central Greece, a semi-arid, ecologically fragile Mediterranean area. Using data from the European Environment Agency, European Drought Observatory of Joint Research Centre, the pairwise relationship between surface air temperature anomalies, precipitation anomalies, soil moisture index anomalies, and the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation anomalies (fAPAR) was evaluated during summer time of 2018, a particularly intense virus outbreak. The empirical results of this study indicate that total precipitation during 2018 was extremely high, nearly 500% above the average.