Noise power properties of a cone-beam CT scanner with unconventional scanning geometry.

Purpose: This work aims at investigating, via in-silico evaluations, the noise properties of an innovative scanning geometry in cone-beam CT (CBCT): eCT. This scanning geometry substitutes each of the projections in CBCT with a series of collimated projections acquired over an oscillating scanning trajectory. The analysis focused on the impact of the number of the projections per period (PP) on the noise characteristics.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Nutritional and Pharmacological Strategies for Obesity.

Purpose Of Review: This review examines the long-term efficacy and safety of various nutritional and pharmacological strategies for managing obesity. The focus is on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), very low-energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT), and pharmacological interventions such as naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide. Given the chronic nature of obesity, understanding the sustainability and impact of these treatments over time is critical.

BRCA testing in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: successes and troubles in a real world setting. An Italian Multicentric study.

Objective: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. BRCA1/2 genes are reported altered in approximately 1% and 8% of PCa cases, respectively. To date, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues have a consolidate use in the clinical practice, but with a significant drawback related to DNA/RNA degradation during the pre-analytical process.

Lower pain, less itching, and faster healing after ultrasound scalpel-assisted hemorrhoidectomy using an intimate cleaner containing chlorhexidine, acid hyaluronic acid, and natural anti-inflammatories: a multicenter observational case-control study.

Purpose: Postoperative pain is a major concern for patients undergoing ultrasound scalpel-assisted hemorrhoidectomy, potentially exacerbated by delayed wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an intimate cleansing gel containing chlorhexidine, hyaluronic acid, and other anti-inflammatory agents (Antroclean Fisioderm) on postoperative pain, itching, and wound healing in patients who had undergone this procedure.

Methods: This multicenter observational case-control study involved a cohort of consecutive adult patients who underwent hemorrhoidectomy using an ultrasound device.

Visual deprivation and axial myopia: Considerations on long-term ocular development.

Introduction: Severe visual deprivation during infancy can lead to long-term changes in ocular development, including significant differences in axial length (AL) between eyes. This case report presents three adult patients with monocular infantile visual deprivation who developed substantial AL interocular differences. The aim is to explore the impact of early visual deprivation on AL and its potential implications for myopia progression.

A new class of natural anthelmintics targeting lipid metabolism.

Parasitic helminths are a major global health threat, infecting nearly one-fifth of the human population and causing significant losses in livestock and crops. Resistance to the few anthelmintic drugs is increasing. Here, we report a set of avocado fatty alcohols/acetates (AFAs) that exhibit nematocidal activity against four veterinary parasitic nematode species: Brugia pahangi, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Heligmosomoides polygyrus, as well as a multidrug resistant strain (UGA) of Haemonchus contortus.

Self-assembly of defined core-shell ellipsoidal particles at liquid interfaces.

Hypothesis: Ellipsoidal particles confined at liquid interfaces exhibit complex self-assembly due to quadrupolar capillary interactions, favouring either tip-to-tip or side-to-side configurations. However, predicting and controlling which structure forms remains challenging. We hypothesize that introducing a polymer-based soft shell around the particles will modulate these capillary interactions, providing a means to tune the preferred self-assembly configuration based on particle geometry and shell properties.

Shielding siRNA by peptide-based nanofibers: An efficient approach for turning off EGFR gene in breast cancer.

Peptide-based self-assembled nanosystems show great promise as non-viral gene and siRNA delivery vectors. In the current study, we designed and functionalized nanofibers for the delivery of siRNA, targeting and silencing EGFR gene overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer. The nanofiber-mediated siRNA delivery was characterized in terms of zeta potential, morphology, and structural stability by circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Effects of a Dietary Multi-Mineral Bolus on Udder Health in Dairy Cows: A Clinical Assessment.

The clinical effects on the udder health of several trace elements-copper, iodine, cobalt, and selenium-contained in an intraruminal slow-release bolus were explored for the first time. Fifty-four dairy cows received the bolus (treated group, TG), while fifty-three were left untreated (control group, CG). Monthly composite milk samples were collected from 30 to 300 days in milk to measure somatic cell count (SCC); milk production was also recorded on the same days.

Effects of the Interaction of Salinity and Rare Earth Elements on the Health of : The Case of Praseodymium and Europium.

The growing use of products containing rare earth elements (REEs) may lead to higher environmental emissions of these elements, which can potentially enter aquatic systems. Praseodymium (Pr) and europium (Eu) are widely used REEs with various applications. However, their ecotoxicological impacts remain largely unexplored, with poorly understood risks to wildlife.

Microstructural and Surface Texture Evaluation of Orthodontic Microimplants Covered with Bioactive Layers Enriched with Silver Nanoparticles.

Bacterial infections are a common cause of clinical complications associated with the use of orthodontic microimplants. Biofilm formation on their surfaces and subsequent infection of peri-implant tissues can result in either exfoliation or surgical removal of these medical devices. In order to improve the properties of microimplants, hybrid coatings enriched with silver nanoparticles, calcium, and phosphorus were investigated.

A Longitudinal Multimodal Imaging Study in Patients with Temporo-Insular Diffuse Low-Grade Tumors: How the Inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus Provides Information on Cognitive Outcomes.

Background: Tractography allows the in vivo study of subcortical white matter, and it is a potential tool for providing predictive indices on post-operative outcomes. We aim at establishing whether there is a relation between cognitive outcome and the status of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus's (IFOF's) microstructure.

Methods: The longitudinal neuropsychological data of thirty young (median age: 35 years) patients operated on for DLGG in the left temporo-insular cortex along with pre-surgery tractography data were processed.

Oncological outcomes and prognostic implications of T1 histo-anatomic substaging in the management of high-Grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: results from a large single centre series.

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of T1 histo-anatomic substaging (T1a/T1b) for high grade (HG) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) over a large single-centre cohort.

Materials And Methods: Patients with primary HG T1 NMIBC were identified from our Institutional database, between 2011 and 2022. Data from diagnosis to repeated transurethral resection of bladder tumour (RE-TURBT), bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment and follow-up were collected.

Salinity modulation of neodymium and dysprosium toxicity in mussels: A comprehensive analysis of adult and sperm responses.

Neodymium (Nd) and dysprosium (Dy) are among the most commonly used rare earth elements (REEs) worldwide, leading to their increased concentrations in aquatic environments, with potential impacts on organisms. Additionally, organisms are also subjected to environmental stressors, such as salinity shifts, which can not only directly impact their health but also modulate the impacts of contaminants. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of Nd and Dy on adult mussels and sperm of the species Mytilus galloprovincialis after 28 days and 30 min of exposure, respectively.

Protective effect of Ocimum basilicum L. essential oil on Lactuca sativa L. treated with cadmium.

In recent years, essential oils (EO) are a sustainable and effective alternative to conventional chemical treatments in response to heavy metals in plants. These natural molecules can increase the resilience of plants under stress conditions. In the present work, the ability of EOs from the aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum L.

Paclitaxel for second-line treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: A multicenter retrospective Italian study.

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) accounts for 3% of all malignant tumors in Italy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy is first-line treatment for SCCHN; however, second-line treatment options are limited. Taxanes are widely used for combination therapy of SCCHN, as clinical trials have shown their efficacy in patients with this disease, particularly in patients with prior therapy.

Agriculture and Water Availability Show Contrasting Effects on Bats in a Mediterranean Island of Outstanding Chiropteran Biogeographical Value.

With their unique ecosystems and evolutionary dynamics, small islands offer fascinating contexts to explore animal diversity. Island bats are key players in maintaining ecological balance. However, their populations are threatened worldwide, necessitating comprehensive research and conservation strategies.

Brain fingerprint and subjective mood state across the menstrual cycle.

Background: Brain connectome fingerprinting represents a recent and valid approach in assessing individual identifiability on the basis of the subject-specific brain functional connectome. Although this methodology has been tested and validated in several neurological diseases, its performance, reliability and reproducibility in healthy individuals has been poorly investigated. In particular, the impact of the changes in brain connectivity, induced by the different phases of the menstrual cycle (MC), on the reliability of this approach remains unexplored.

Evaluation of the Biocompatibility of Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline)(BBL) Polymer Films with Living Cells.

The integration of organic electronic materials with biological systems to monitor, interface with, and regulate physiological processes is a key area in the field of bioelectronics. Central to this advancement is the development of cell-chip coupling, where materials engineering plays a critical role in enhancing biointerfacing capabilities. Conductive polymers have proven particularly useful in cell interfacing applications due to their favorable biophysical and chemical properties.

Landscape influences bat suppression of pine processionary moth: Implications for pest management.

Bats provide important ecosystem services, particularly in agriculture, yet integrating bat management into conservation plans remains challenging. Some landscape features considerably influence bat presence, diversity, and ecosystem service provision. Understanding the relationship between landscape structure, composition, pest suppression, and ecosystem services is crucial.

Humic extracts from raw or composted coffee husks as novel chitosan crosslinkers for the synthesis of sustainable nanoparticles with antioxidant properties.

Coffee husks have been valorised by isolating humic materials before (HLS-Raw) or after (HS-Comp) composting them. Such substrates were reacted with chitosan at different ratios to synthesize novel nanoparticles (NP) with radical scavenging properties. Size and antioxidant activity of nanomaterials increased at higher HS/chitosan ratio, while zeta potential decreased.

Impact of FESS on symptomatology and quality of life of patients with CRSsNP.

Purpose: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has an impact on health related quality of life (HRQOL). The objective of this study was to examine generic and disease specific HRQOL and symptoms in CRS patients before and 6 months after sinus surgery.

Methods: This prospective, observational study consisted of 30 patients with chronic sinusitis.

Intracardiac fluid dynamic analysis: available techniques and novel clinical applications.

There is a growing interest in the potential use of intracardiac fluid dynamic analysis to better understand cardiac mechanics and identify novel imaging biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Abnormalities of vortex formation and shape may in fact play a critical role in cardiac function, affecting both efficiency and myocardial workload. Recent advances in imaging technologies have significantly improved our ability to analyze these dynamic flow patterns in vivo, offering new insights into both normal and pathological cardiac conditions.

Confinement-sensitive volume regulation dynamics via high-speed nuclear morphological measurements.

Diverse tissues in vivo present varying degrees of confinement, constriction, and compression to migrating cells in both homeostasis and disease. The nucleus in particular is subjected to external forces by the physical environment during confined migration. While many systems have been developed to induce nuclear deformation and analyze resultant functional changes, much remains unclear about dynamic volume regulation in confinement due to limitations in time resolution and difficulty imaging in PDMS-based microfluidic chips.