A Novel , , , , , and NGS Assay: A Non-Invasive Tool to Monitor Resistance Mechanisms to Hormonal Therapy and CDK4/6 Inhibitors.

: Patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC) generally receive hormonal therapy (HT) combined with CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i). Despite this treatment, resistance mechanisms to CDK4/6i emerge and the majority of these patients experience disease progression (PD). This highlight the necessity to uncover the resistance mechanism to CDK4/6i through the identification of specific biomarkers.

Blue Bounty: Italy's Dual-Use Solution for Crab Invasion, Nutritional Value, Safety, and Valorization.

In the past few years, non-native blue crab has been expanding its range in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas. However, when non-indigenous species establish a lasting presence in a novel ecosystem and actively expand into other regions, posing potential risks to local biodiversity and economic harm, they are classified as invasive species. For this study, two different batches of blue crabs were collected: one from the Mediterranean Sea and the other from the Adriatic coast area.

Dynamic Monitoring of Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: Plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a valuable resource for tumor characterization and for monitoring of residual disease during treatment; however, it is not yet introduced in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) routine clinical practice. In this retrospective exploratory study, we evaluated the role of ctDNA in patients with mCRC treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-three patients were characterized for and status on tumor tissue before the start of treatment.

Gourmet Table Salts: The Mineral Composition Showdown.

Table salts with their specialty flake size, textures, flavors, and colors can be considered a gastronomy niche food already increasing in demand worldwide. Being unrefined, they can contain trace elements potentially both healthy and toxic. In this study, 12 mineral elements (Al, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) in 10 different salts commercially available in southern Italy namely, Atlantic grey, Baule volante, Guerande, Hawaiian pink, Hawaiian black, Himalayan pink, Maldon, Mozia, Persian blue, and smoked salts were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and thermal decomposition amalgamation-atomic absorption spectrophotometry (TDA-AAS).

Impact of Somatic DNA Repair Mutations on the Clinical Outcomes of Bone Metastases from Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Up to 80% of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients develop bone metastases during the natural history of disease and about 25% harbor mutations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes. This retrospective observational study evaluated the prevalence of DDR alterations in CRPC patients and their effect on the clinical outcomes associated with bone metastases. The mutational status of CRPC patients was analyzed per FoundationOne analysis in tissue biopsy or, when it was not possible, in liquid biopsy performed at the onset of metastatic CRPC (mCRPC).

Toxic and Potentially Toxic Mineral Elements of Edible Gastropods Land Snails (Mediterranean Escargot).

The meat of snails can be considered a high-quality food for the human diet and demand is already increasing across Europe. Due to the bioaccumulation of trace elements in their tissues, land snails can be a significant tool also for environmental pollution evaluation. In this study, 28 mineral elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Na, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, V, Zn) in both the edible part and the shell of edible land snails commercially available in Southern Italy belonging to , , species were investigated by ICP-MS and direct mercury analyser.

A 10-year retrospective analysis (2012-2021) of hospitalizations resulting from dog bites in Southern Italy.

This study aimed to describe the incidence and characteristics of dog-bite injury hospitalizations (DBIH) in the largest administrative region of Italy (Sicily) over the 10-year period: 2012-2021. Four hundred and forty-nine cases were analyzed. Patients were divided into seven age groups: preschoolers (0-5 years), school-age children (6-12 years), teenagers (13-19 years), young adults (20-39 years), middle-aged adults (40-59 years), old adults (60-74 years), and the elderly (≥75 years).

Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy for luminal breast tumors: State of the art, challenges and future perspectives.

Neoadjuvant endocrine treatment (NET) associates to satisfactory rates of breast conservative surgery and conversions from inoperable to operable hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative breast cancer (BC), with less toxicities than neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and similar outcomes. Hence, it has been proposed as a logical alternative to NACT in patients with HR+/HER2- BC candidate to a neoadjuvant approach. Nevertheless, potential barriers to the widespread use of NET include the heterogeneous nature of patient response coupled with the long duration needed to achieve a clinical response.

Clinical Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing Multi-Gene Panel Highlighting the Landscape of Germline Alterations in Ovarian Cancer Patients.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most frequently mutated genes in ovarian cancer (OC) crucial both for the identification of cancer predisposition and therapeutic choices. However, germline variants in other genes could be involved in OC susceptibility. We characterized OC patients to detect mutations in genes other than BRCA1/2 that could be associated with a high risk of developing OC and permit patients to enter the most appropriate treatment and surveillance program.

Cell-Free DNA Fragmentomics: A Promising Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Prediction of Response in Breast Cancer.

Identifying novel circulating biomarkers predictive of response and informative about the mechanisms of resistance, is the new challenge for breast cancer (BC) management. The integration of omics information will gradually revolutionize the clinical approach. Liquid biopsy is being incorporated into the diagnostic and decision-making process for the treatment of BC, in particular with the analysis of circulating tumor DNA, although with some relevant limitations, including costs.

Evaluation of antibiotic resistance in Proteus spp: a growing trend that worries Public Health. Results of 10 Years of Analysis.

The genus Proteus includes several species among which Proteus mirabilis is by far the most commonly detected in clinical specimens. In the last twenty years, isolates with multiple acquired resistance genes have been detected, especially in the hospital environment, with a significant impact on the treatment of infections. This research is a ten-year cross-sectional study reporting the detection rates and the antibiotic susceptibility of Proteus spp.

Picosecond energy transfer in a transition metal dichalcogenide-graphene heterostructure revealed by transient Raman spectroscopy.

Intense light–matter interactions and unique structural and electrical properties make van der Waals heterostructures composed by graphene (Gr) and monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) promising building blocks for tunneling transistors and flexible electronics, as well as optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors, photovoltaics, and quantum light emitting devices (QLEDs), bright and narrow-line emitters using minimal amounts of active absorber material. The performance of such devices is critically ruled by interlayer interactions which are still poorly understood in many respects. Specifically, two classes of coupling mechanisms have been proposed, charge transfer (CT) and energy transfer (ET), but their relative efficiency and the underlying physics are open questions.

Primary Mediastinal and Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in Adolescents and Adults: A Comparison of Genomic Alterations and Clinical Implications.

Mediastinal germ cell tumors (MGCTs) share histologic, molecular and biomarkers features with testicular GCTs; however, nonseminomatous MGCTs are usually more aggressive and have poorer prognosis than nonseminomatous TGCTs. Most nonseminomatous MGCT cases show early resistance to platinum-based therapies and seldom have been associated with the onset of one or more concomitant somatic malignancies, in particular myeloid neoplasms with recent findings supporting a common, shared genetic precursor with the primary MGCT. Genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic features of testicular GCTs have been extensively studied, allowing for the understanding of GCT development and transformation of seminomatous and nonseminomatous histologies.

Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Strains Isolated from Sewage of Slaughterhouses Located in Sicily (Italy).

Antimicrobial resistance is presently one of the most public health critical concerns. The frequent and often incorrect use of antibiotics in animal husbandry has led to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in this setting. Wastewater from slaughterhouses can be contaminated with multidrug-resistant bacteria, representing a possible cross-contamination route.

Melphalan as a Promising Treatment for BRCA-Related Ovarian Carcinoma.

Introduction: Melphalan, as a bifunctional alkylating agent has been shown to be selectively efficient in BRCA-deficient case reports of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The clinical benefit of melphalan on unselected platinum-resistant EOC population and stratified by BRCA status has not been clearly elucidated. We aimed to determine the response to melphalan in patients with recurrent EOC after platinum-based therapy.

Moving beyond PARP Inhibition: Current State and Future Perspectives in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the most frequent and lethal tumor in women and finding the best therapeutic strategy for each patient is an important challenge. PARP inhibitors (PARPis) are the first, clinically approved drugs designed to exploit synthetic lethality in tumors harboring mutations. Recent evidence indicates that PARPis have the potential to be used both in monotherapy and combination strategies in breast cancer treatment.

Non-linear self-driven spectral tuning of Extreme Ultraviolet Femtosecond Pulses in monoatomic materials.

Self-action nonlinearity is a key aspect - either as a foundational element or a detrimental factor - of several optical spectroscopies and photonic devices. Supercontinuum generation, wavelength converters, and chirped pulse amplification are just a few examples. The recent advent of Free Electron Lasers (FEL) fostered building on nonlinearity to propose new concepts and extend optical wavelengths paradigms for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray regimes.

Immunosenescence in Testicular Cancer Survivors: Potential Implications of Cancer Therapies and Psychological Distress.

Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent solid tumor diagnosed in young adult males. Although it is a curable tumor, it is frequently associated with considerable short-term and long-term morbidity. Both biological and psychological stress experienced during cancer therapy may be responsible for stimulating molecular processes that induce premature aging and deterioration of immune system (immunosenescence) in TC survivors, leading to an increased susceptibility to infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy of single and multi-layer graphene.

Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy is a powerful characterization tool for graphene research. Its extension to the coherent regime, despite the large nonlinear third-order susceptibility of graphene, has so far proven challenging. Due to its gapless nature, several interfering electronic and phononic transitions concur to generate its optical response, preventing to retrieve spectral profiles analogous to those of spontaneous Raman.

Experimental measurement of forces during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy.

The measurement of mechanical effects associated with the dilatation phase of a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is of primary importance to identify the causes of major complications associated with this procedure, such as tracheal cartilage subluxation or fracture and bleeding. Such information can be very useful also for the design of better instruments and procedures. The aim of this study was to present a methodology to evaluate mechanical effects of the dilatation phase of a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy on the tracheal rings and adjacent anatomical structures.

Raman spectroscopy of graphene under ultrafast laser excitation.

The equilibrium optical phonons of graphene are well characterized in terms of anharmonicity and electron-phonon interactions; however, their non-equilibrium properties in the presence of hot charge carriers are still not fully explored. Here we study the Raman spectrum of graphene under ultrafast laser excitation with 3 ps pulses, which trade off between impulsive stimulation and spectral resolution. We localize energy into hot carriers, generating non-equilibrium temperatures in the ~1700-3100 K range, far exceeding that of the phonon bath, while simultaneously detecting the Raman response.

Incidence and characteristics of hospitalizations after dog's bite injuries in Sicily (Italy) between 2012‑2015.

There have been several studies focusing on dogs bite injuries and their epidemiology. To our knowledge, the incidence and characteristics of hospitalization after a dogs bite injury have not been examined quantitatively in Italy. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence and characteristics of dogs bite hospitalizations throughout Sicily (Italy) between 2012-2015.

Toward Plastic Smart Windows: Optimization of Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes for the Synthesis of Electrochromic Devices on Polycarbonate Substrates.

Plastic smart windows are becoming one of the key elements in view of the fabrication of inexpensive, lightweight electrochromic (EC) devices to be integrated in the new generation of high-energy-efficiency buildings and automotive applications. However, fabricating electrochromic devices on polymer substrates requires a reduction of process temperature, so in this work we focus on the development of a completely room-temperature deposition process aimed at the preparation of ITO-coated polycarbonate (PC) structures acting as transparent and conductive plastic supports. Without providing any substrate heating or surface activation pretreatments of the polymer, different deposition conditions are used for growing indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films by the radiofrequency magnetron sputtering technique.

Investigation into the elastic properties of ex vivo porcine corneas subjected to inflation test after cross-linking treatment.

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of cross-linking (CXL) on ex vivo porcine corneal elastic properties, using an inflation procedure.

Methods: Twelve corneas were subjected to standard CXL (370 nm, 3 mW/cm2, 30 minutes), while 12 were used as controls. Corneal thickness was measured by Visante optical coherence tomography, before and immediately after treatment, and before inflation test.