Machine learning predicts pulmonary Long Covid sequelae using clinical data.

Long COVID is a multi-systemic disease characterized by the persistence or occurrence of many symptoms that in many cases affect the pulmonary system. These, in turn, may deteriorate the patient's quality of life making it easier to develop severe complications. Being able to predict this syndrome is therefore important as this enables early treatment.

Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairments (CRCIs) in Non-Central Nervous System Adult Patients: Outcome Measures and Methodology of Assessment: A Literature Review.

Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) represents one of the most common and debilitating effects in patients surviving after cancer treatments. Neurocognitive deficits are important causes of disability and burden in cancer survivors. The true magnitude of CRCI is difficult to define due to significant heterogeneity of literature data.

Organic matter ingestion and assimilation rates by the sea cucumber Holothuria (Holothuria) tubulosa (Gmelin, 1788) at different temperatures and potential effects on benthic trophic status.

We investigated the effects of different temperature anomalies (up to +12 °C) on the biochemical features of sediments offered to specimens of the sea cucumber Holothuria (Holothuria) tubulosa (Gmelin, 1788) and of its feces. We also estimated ingestion and assimilation rates of different classes of organic compounds after the different treatments. The exposure to temperature anomalies influenced the metabolism and organic matter assimilation efficiency of H.

Vaginal Mucosal Melanoma Cell Activation in Response to Photon or Carbon Ion Irradiation.

Purpose: Primary gynecological melanomas are uncommon with lower survival rates compared to cutaneous melanomas. Although melanocytes have been identified in a variety of mucosal membranes, little is known about their interactions or roles inside the mucosa layer. Melanin is a common pigment in nature and is endowed with several peculiar chemical, paramagnetic, and semiconductive characteristics.

The cognitive architecture of verbal humor in schizophrenia.

Previous literature showed that people with schizophrenia have difficulties in humor comprehension and might differ from controls in the appreciation of humor, i.e., in perceived funniness.

Functional changes of protist communities in soil after glacier retreat.

Soil hosts key components of terrestrial biodiversity providing essential services to the below- and above-ground ecosystems. The worldwide retreat of glaciers is exposing new deglaciated terrains, offering a unique opportunity to understand the development of soil ecosystems under a changing climate. Many studies have investigated how biotic communities change after deglaciation, but protists have often been overlooked despite their key role in multiple ecosystem functions.

Modeling traffic pollutants in a street canyon by CFD: Idealized line sources versus multiple realistic car sources.

Idealized sources are commonly used to reproduce the traffic emission in street canyons in experimental and numerical investigations. However, it remains unclear whether idealized sources can accurately reproduce the pollutant dispersion compared to more realistic sources. The goal of this paper is to investigate the impact of idealized and realistic sources on traffic-induced pollutant concentration in a street canyon by numerical simulation with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Pre-Stimulus Activity of Left and Right TPJ in Linguistic Predictive Processing: A MEG Study.

Background: The left and right temporoparietal junctions (TPJs) are two brain areas involved in several brain networks, largely studied for their diverse roles, from attentional orientation to theory of mind and, recently, predictive processing. In predictive processing, one crucial concept is prior precision, that is, the reliability of the predictions of incoming stimuli. This has been linked with modulations of alpha power as measured with electrophysiological techniques, but TPJs have seldom been studied in this framework.

The role of algae, fungi, and insect-derived proteins and bioactive peptides in preventive and clinical nutrition.

The current global trend in the nutrition, epidemiologic and demographic transitions collectively alarms the need to pursue a sustainable protein diet that respects ecosystem and biodiversity from alternative sources, such as algae, fungi and edible insects. Then, changing the nutrition reality is extremely important to impede the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition and climate change. This review aims to synthesize the published literature on the potential roles of alternative proteins and their derived bioactive peptides in preventive and clinical nutrition, identify research gaps and inform future research areas.

Enhancing biochar production: A technical analysis of the combined influence of chemical activation (KOH and NaOH) and pyrolysis atmospheres (N/CO) on yields and properties of rice husk-derived biochar.

The production of biochar from biomass has received considerable interest due to its potential in environmental applications; however, optimizing biochar properties remains a major challenge. The objective of the present study was to investigate the synergistic effects of pyrolysis atmospheres (N and CO) and chemical activation (pre- and post-pyrolysis) with NaOH and KOH on the properties of biochar useful for its environmental applications. In this study rice husk and biochar were impregnated with KOH and NaOH before and after pyrolysis, which was carried out at 600 °C under N₂ and CO₂ atmosphere.

Evaluation of the Adriatic Sea pollution using mesozooplankton as an environmental indicator.

The Adriatic Sea is an enclosed basin threatened by marine pollution due to its hydrographic features and anthropogenic pressure. Although zooplankton has been worldwide regarded as an immediate warning signal of contamination, limited information is available on the contamination of these organisms at the Adriatic level. Hence, this study provides comprehensive data on the presence and levels of multiple pollutants in zooplankton collected from 46 locations.

A millifluidic bioreactor allows the long term culture of primary lymphocytes or CD34 hematopoietic cells while allowing the detection of tumorigenic expansion.

Long-term culture of primary lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is pivotal to their expansion and study. Furthermore, genetic engineering of the above-mentioned primary human cells has several safety needs, including the requirement of efficient assays for unwanted tumorigenic events. In this work, we tested and optimized the Miniaturized Optically Accessible Bioreactor (MOAB) platform.

Towards an improved wind effect assessment for asbestos abatement: A methodology for reduced-scale experiments.

During building renovation or demolition, asbestos fibers can be released which can contaminate the environment, leading to potential occupational health and public health concerns. Strict asbestos abatement procedures and regulations are in place to mitigate this risk, which involve sealing the worksite and depressurizing it relative to the outdoor environment (i.e.

Decoding trace element speciation in mushrooms: Analytical techniques, comprehensive data review, and health implications.

This review focuses on trace element speciation in edible mushrooms, providing information on analytical methods, available literature data, and health risk assessment. All steps of analytical procedures were presented, including extraction, separation and quantification. It compiles fragmented literature data on trace element speciation, focusing on arsenic, chromium, selenium, mercury, and antimony.

A non-autonomous framework for climate change and extreme weather events increase in a stochastic energy balance model.

We develop a three-timescale framework for modeling climate change and introduce a space-heterogeneous one-dimensional energy balance model. This model, addressing temperature fluctuations from rising carbon dioxide levels and the super-greenhouse effect in tropical regions, fits within the setting of stochastic reaction-diffusion equations. Our results show how both mean and variance of temperature increase, without the system going through a bifurcation point.

Neuroinflammation and kynurenines in schizophrenia: Impact on cognition depending on cognitive functioning and modulatory properties in relation to cognitive remediation and aerobic exercise.

Background: In the last decade, the kynurenine pathway (KP) has gained attention in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia being at the croassroad between neuroinflammation and glutamatergic and cholinergic neurotransmission. However, clinical findings are scarse and conflicting, and the specific contributions of these two systems to the neurobiology of cognitive symptoms are far from being elucidated. Furthermore, little is known about the molecular underpinnings of non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive improvement, including rehabilitation strategies.

How do theory of mind and formal language skills impact metaphoric reference comprehension during children's school-age years.

Prior research has shown that school-aged children's metaphor comprehension becomes adultlike progressively. This has given rise to claims that the development of metaphor comprehension is due to children's evolving abilities with respect to theory of mind (ToM) or to formal language. The present work investigates the extent to which children's growing sophistication with metaphor is attributable to each of these.

Modeling interdependence between climatic factors, commodities, and financial markets.

This paper introduces a comprehensive approach to studying the impact of climate-related factors on commodity and financial markets using network analysis. We utilize a Bayesian network Vector Autoregressive model to investigate whether climate risk significantly influ-ences commodity prices and financial market returns. Our findings provide evidence of a climate effect on major commodities and global financial markets.

Particle Beam Radiobiology Status and Challenges: A PTCOG Radiobiology Subcommittee Report.

Particle therapy (PT) represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment, precisely targeting tumor cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissues thanks to the unique depth-dose profiles of the charged particles. Furthermore, their linear energy transfer and relative biological effectiveness enhance their capability to treat radioresistant tumors, including hypoxic ones. Over the years, extensive research has paved the way for PT's clinical application, and current efforts aim to refine its efficacy and precision, minimizing the toxicities.

Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis: Unraveling Variant Signatures and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers Associated with 5-FU-Based Chemotherapy Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Background: Drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC) is modulated by multiple molecular factors, which can be ascertained through genetic investigation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within key genes have the potential to impair the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Therefore, the identification of SNPs linked to drug resistance can significantly contribute to the advancement of tailored therapeutic approaches and the enhancement of treatment outcomes in patients with CRC.

Standardization of a Novel Semi-Automatic Software for Neurite Outgrowth Measurement.

Effective live-imaging techniques are crucial to assess neuronal morphology in order to measure neurite outgrowth in real time. The proper measurement of neurite outgrowth has been a long-standing challenge over the years in the neuroscience research field. This parameter serves as a cornerstone in numerous in vitro experimental setups, ranging from dissociated cultures and organotypic cultures to cell lines.

Exogenous melatonin application helps late-sown durum wheat to cope with waterlogging under Mediterranean environmental conditions.

In Mediterranean countries, late-sown durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) may face waterlogging (WL) at early stages.