The border effect in diamond microdosimeters and its impact on hadron therapy applications.

The increasing interest in hadron therapy has heightened the need for accurate and reliable methods to assess radiation quality and the biological effectiveness of particles used in treatment. Microdosimetry has emerged as a key tool for this, demonstrating its potential, reliability, and suitability. In this context, solid-state microdosimeters offer technological advantages over traditional tissue-equivalent proportional counters, and recent advancements have further improved their performance and reliability.

Visual Performance and Predictive OCT Biomarkers in Epiretinal Membrane Assessment: Beyond Distance Visual Acuity.

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively assess visual performance in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM). Additionally, it sought to explore the associations between optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging biomarkers and visual performance in patients with iERM.

Methods: In this prospective, non-interventional study, 57 participants with treatment-naïve iERM from the University of Turin, between September 2023 and March 2024 were enrolled.

Effects of black soldier fly larvae oil on lipid metabolism, liver fatty acid composition, and plasma metabolite profiles in gilthead seabream juveniles.

The potential of insects as alternative ingredients in animal feeds is well-established. However, limited information is available on the use of insect oils as alternative lipid sources in aquafeeds. To address this, a study was conducted on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles to evaluate the effects of including black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae oil (HIO).

Hermetia illucens larvae oil as an alternative lipid source: Effects on immune function, antioxidant activity, and inflammatory response in gilthead seabream juveniles.

Hermetia illucens larvae oil (HIO) is a promising new ingredient that can potentially be an alternative lipid source in aquafeeds. To assess its viability in gilthead seabream juvenile diets, a 10-week feeding trial was performed, and the effects on antioxidant, immune, and inflammatory responses were evaluated. Four diets were formulated to include HIO at increasing levels: 0, 4, 7.

Case report: Metastatic melanoma derived from a somatic-type malignant transformation of a mediastinal teratoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

The treatment of patients affected by a teratoma with somatic-type malignancy (STM) is challenging, since they are characterized by a poor prognosis, due to chemoresistance to standard cisplatin-based regimens. Only five more case reports were described for melanomatous STM and for which there are no data available for efficacy evidences of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this setting. Here we report the case of a patient with an initial diagnosis of mediastinal pure seminoma at the first biopsy.

The Role of Dietary Fatty Acids in Modulating Blue Crab () Physiology, Reproduction, and Quality Traits in Captivity.

The invasive blue crab is challenging the Mediterranean basin, progressively declining local populations. This reflects a lower prey availability and suitability of dietary nutrients (mainly n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFA). The present study aimed to challenge blue crab males and females with a feed source low in n-3 PUFA with respect to one showing a proper fatty acid profile and to investigate the responses in terms of growth, welfare, lipid characterization of target tissues, and reproductive status.

On the microdosimetric characterisation of the radiation quality of a carbon-ion beam and the effect of the target volume thickness.

Microdosimetry is gaining increasing interest in particle therapy. Thanks to the advancements in microdosimeter technologies and the increasing number of experimental studies carried out in hadron therapy frameworks, it is proving to be a reliable experimental technique for radiation quality characterisation, quality assurance, and radiobiology studies. However, considering the variety of detectors used for microdosimetry, it is important to ensure the consistency of microdosimetric results measured with different types of microdosimeters.

Efficacy and perceived satisfaction of 3-year SLIT in children with allergic rhinitis and asthma: a pilot study.

Background: Despite the presence of robust evidence, there is very limited data on the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for selected patients. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and perceived satisfaction of a 3-year course of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in a paediatric population with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma.

Methods: A pilot, monocentre, retrospective cohort study was performed.

Revealing Missing Protein-Ligand Interactions Using AlphaFold Predictions.

Protein-ligand interactions represent an essential step to understand the bases of molecular recognition, an intense field of research in many scientific areas. Structural biology has played a central role in unveiling protein-ligand interactions, but current techniques are still not able to reliably describe the interactions of ligands with highly flexible regions. In this work, we explored the capacity of AlphaFold2 (AF2) to estimate the presence of interactions between ligands and residues belonging to disordered regions.

The no-retina-touch technique: vitrectomy and platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of lamellar macular hole. New insights into pathogenesis.

Purpose: To explore the use of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a potential therapeutic adjuvant strategy for treating degenerative lamellar macular holes (LMHs).

Design: A prospective interventional case series.

Methods: Seven consecutive patients (8 eyes) with a diagnosis of LMH underwent a pars-plana vitrectomy with PRP injection under air tamponade.

Structuring lipid nanoparticles, DNA, and protein corona into stealth bionanoarchitectures for in vivo gene delivery.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) play a crucial role in addressing genetic disorders, and cancer, and combating pandemics such as COVID-19 and its variants. Yet, the ability of LNPs to effectively encapsulate large-size DNA molecules remains elusive. This is a significant limitation, as the successful delivery of large-size DNA holds immense potential for gene therapy.

Assessing environmental sustainability of substitute feeding formulas for gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) using Life Cycle Assessment.

The rise in fish and seafood consumption driven by aquaculture comes with its share of challenges and controversies, notably the need for expanded feed production. The use of fishmeal and fish oil to raise carnivorous fish has caused environmental problems, including ecosystem imbalance and habitat destruction, as well as ethical issues like fishing forage fish for feed instead of human consumption. Thus, the industry has been actively pursuing alternative feed ingredients to reduce reliance on fish-derived components.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Current Understanding and Challenges for the Future.

This perspective reviews the definition and current understanding of necrotizing enterocolitis and evaluates a future prevention approach to this multifactorial disease. An overview of the prevention approach in general is presented, where key aspects and emerging criticisms are identified. In addition, key elements of early diagnosis and treatment are presented, together with some of their challenges and ambiguities.

Small field chaos in spin glasses: Universal predictions from the ultrametric tree and comparison with numerical simulations.

Replica symmetry breaking (RSB) for spin glasses predicts that the equilibrium configuration at two different magnetic fields are maximally decorrelated. We show that this theory presents quantitative predictions for this chaotic behavior under the application of a external magnetic field, in the crossover region where the field intensity scales proportionally to [Formula: see text], being the system size. We show that RSB theory provides universal predictions for chaotic behavior: They depend only on the zero-field overlap probability function [Formula: see text] and are independent of other system features.

Fish Oil Containing Pro-Resolving Mediators Enhances the Antioxidant System and Ameliorates LPS-Induced Inflammation in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells.

Fish oil, renowned for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has gained considerable attention for its potential health benefits. EPA and DHA exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by promoting the production of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), such as resolvins and protectins. Fish oil has been studied for its potential to reduce bronchial inflammation, a key feature of respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.

Vitrectomy in Small idiopathic MAcuLar hoLe (SMALL) study: conventional internal limiting membrane peeling versus inverted flap.

Background: To compare conventional internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling versus inverted flap technique in small idiopathic macular hole.

Methods: Retrospective, multicentre cohort study including consecutive eyes with a ≤250 μm idiopathic macular hole treated with primary vitrectomy. The primary outcome was best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change and macular hole closure rate.

Beyond primary visual cortex: The leading role of lateral occipital complex in early conscious visual processing.

The study of the neural substrates that serve conscious vision is one of the unsolved questions of cognitive neuroscience. So far, consciousness literature has endeavoured to disentangle which brain areas and in what order are involved in giving rise to visual awareness, but the problem of consciousness still remains unsolved. Availing of two different but complementary sources of data (i.

Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) associated with Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy (PAMM) and Cilioretinal Artery Occlusion (CILRAO): multimodal imaging of a newly described clinical association.

Purpose: To report multimodal imaging features of a novel association of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM), and cilioretinal artery occlusion (CILRAO).

Methods: A 74-year-old male patient presented complaining of an acute subjective decline in visual acuity in the right eye over the previous days. This patient underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment, including multimodal retinal imaging and visual field test.

Comparison of diabetic retinopathy screening between hospital-based multidisciplinary and general practice-based settings: insights from a regional study in Italy.

Purpose: To compare diabetic retinopathy screening among patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes under care in two distinct setups: hospital-based multidisciplinary and general practice-based.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective observational case series, we collected data from a total of 133 diabetic patients: subjects from the hospital-based multidisciplinary setting were referred by the diabetologist and screened by an ophthalmologist using the Optomed Aurora IQ fundus camera. These patients were compared with those who underwent DR screening arranged through a general practice-based setting.

Clinical Picture, Diagnosis, Management of NEC, and Effects of Probiotics on its Prevention: A Narrative Review.

Preterm newborns represent a population at risk of developing intestinal dysbiosis as well as being predisposed to sepsis and Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Necrotizing Enterocolitis is a condition burdened by many complications and mortality due to an alteration of the intestinal barrier, an immaturity of the immune system, and intestinal dysbiosis. Low gestational age at birth, low birth weight, and early use of antibiotics are other predisposing factors.

Long-Term Surgical Outcomes of Scleral Flap versus Scleral Pocket Technique for Sutureless Intrascleral One-Piece Lens Fixation.

This study compared long-term surgical outcomes of the scleral flap versus scleral pocket technique for sutureless intrascleral one-piece intraocular lens (IOL) fixation. : A retrospective comparative study was conducted at a single center, involving consecutive patients undergoing sutureless intrascleral one-piece IOL implantation, between January 2020 and May 2022. Eyes were divided into two groups based on the surgical technique: group 1 underwent scleral flap = 64), and group 2 received scleral pocket technique ( = 59).