Search Results (26)

(1) Background: The presence of metastatic disease significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in breast cancer, particularly during chemotherapy. Although not categorized as a highly thrombogenic malignancy, the elevated global prevalence of this cancer places a substantial number of patients at risk of thrombosis, which cannot yet be accurately predicted by validated risk assessment models (RAMs), highlighting the need for a dedicated model. (2) Aim: This study aims to develop a RAM for VTE in newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer patients enrolled in a prospective, observational, and multicenter study. (3) Methods: A cohort of 189 patients beginning antitumor therapy were enrolled and prospectively monitored for VTE and mortality. Blood samples collected at enrollment were tested for D-dimer, fibrinogen, FVIII, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2), and thrombin generation (TG). Competing risk analyses were performed to identify significant predictors. (4) Results: Within one year, the cumulative incidences of VTE and mortality were 7.0% and 12%, respectively. Univariable analysis identified high Ki-67, D-dimer, FVIII, fibrinogen, and TG levels, along with low hemoglobin levels, as independent predictors of VTE. Only Ki-67, fibrinogen, FVIII, and hemoglobin were retained as significant predictors in multivariable analysis. These variables were further examined by multiple linear regression, which revealed Ki-67 and fibrinogen as the most significant parameters. A continuous RAM was then developed based on Ki-67 and fibrinogen (c-statistics 0.78), categorizing patients into low-risk and high-risk groups for VTE (2% vs. 13%; SHR 3.6, p = 0.018). This stratification could not be achieved using currently validated models for VTE risk. (5) Conclusions: We developed an accurate RAM for VTE that enables the identification of metastatic breast cancer patients at high risk for VTE, which supports clinicians in personalized thromboprophylaxis strategies if externally validated. Full article

This study aimed to validate the 9-point body condition score (BCS) system in sled dogs by assessing its reliability and by comparing it with objective measures including real-time ultrasonography, plicometry, and anthropometry. Twenty-seven Siberian Huskies (11 females, 16 males) from three sled dog teams were assessed for BCS by three trained veterinarians and their respective mushers. Intra-observer reliability was substantial (Krippendorff’s α = 0.734), while agreement between expert raters (Kα = 0.580) and between the expert rater and mushers (Kα = 0.691) was moderate, with mushers tending to overestimate the BCS of their own dogs (median difference = −0.5). BCS showed positive correlations with body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous fat at the chest and flank via plicometry (for all: p < 0.05). Ultrasonography showed weak correlations with BCS, likely due to the different anatomical layers evaluated and the distinctively high muscle-to-fat ratio typical of sled dogs. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed sex- and neutering-related differences in body composition, with males generally presenting larger skeletal dimensions and neutering influencing patterns of fat distribution. These findings support the reliability and field applicability of the BCS system when used by trained evaluators, highlighting the importance of considering sex and anatomical site when assessing body condition in athletic dogs. The 9-point BCS, combined with accessible objective tools, represents a consistent, cost-effective method for monitoring body condition in long-distance performance sled dogs. Full article

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of blindness worldwide, and it is projected to affect several million individuals by 2040. The human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) degenerates in dry AMD, prompting the need to develop stem cell therapies to replace the lost tissue by autologous transplantation and restore the visual function. Nevertheless, the molecular factors behind the hRPE cell fate determination have not been elucidated. Here we identify all molecular determinants of the hRPE cell fate identity by comprehensive and unbiased screening of predicted pioneer factors in the human genome: such TFs mediate coordinated transitions in chromatin accessibility and transcriptional outcome along three major stages of the hRPE genesis. Furthermore, we compile a complete census of all transcription factor-specific binding sites by footprinting analysis of the human epigenome along the RPE developmental trajectory. Gene regulatory networks were found to be involved in cellular responses to glucose and hypoxia, RPE nitrosative stress, type II epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and type III tumorigenic EMT, providing routes for therapeutic intervention on pleiotropic targets dysregulated in AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and cancer progression. Genome editing technologies may leverage this repository to devise functional screenings of regulatory elements and pharmacogenomic therapies in complex diseases, paving the way for strategies in precision medicine. Full article

In Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle’s graphic novel Squad, protagonist Becca and her new friends at Piedmont High are not human adolescents but a pack of werewolves who must kill to stay alive and select teenage boys—“the WORST ones” (70)—as their meal of choice. The power of the pack’s “monstrous” bodies is a dangerous privilege and responsibility that Squad suggests is often misused to victimize innocents. The book critiques individualistic Western/liberal feminism—an ideology also critiqued by contemporary feminist writers—that encourages women and girls to gain power for themselves and then use it to perpetuate hierarchies of domination. Through an analysis of the figure of the werewolf and fantasies of revenge, this article suggests that both Squad’s narrative and its comic images guide readers toward an understanding of how liberal feminist ideology impedes collective empowerment. This article ultimately argues that Squad can be wielded as a potential feminist consciousness-raising tool for teaching about the ethics of different feminist ideologies. Full article

The need to find a trade-off between protecting water-related ecosystems and increasing safe water-use for human society is recognized in the 2030 Agenda of the European Union. We assess the ecological status of a riverine system in order to mitigate human impacts, considering its importance for supplying drinking water to more than 4 million users in Rome. We used an integrated approach, analyzing animal and plant communities at riverbanks and the riverbed. A macrobenthos analysis revealed a well-structured community with a good ecology for all sampling stations. The highest value was found immediately upstream and downstream of the springs collection system, while the lowest richness value was where the river collects urban wastewater. A floristic inventory showed Hemicryptophytes composing almost 45% of all species, and prevalence of Euroasiatic (35%) and Orophilous (34%) chorotypes. A positive correlation between riverbed vegetation and the quality of the benthic community was revealed, while tree height seems to have a negative trend. Our data suggest a river stretch affected by resurgence and water abstraction did not highlight irreversible alterations to the landscape. Indeed, the composition of vegetation and correlated animal communities mirrored a clinal gradient expected for an Apennine river system. Our study has the potential to improve the approach used to monitor the impacts of humans on freshwater ecosystems, aiming at preserving the integrity of the water-related landscape. Full article

The function of affectivity has generally focused on post-Council of Trent paintings, where artists sought a new visual language to address the imperative function of sacred images in the face of Protestant criticism and iconoclasm, either guided by the Council’s decree on images, post-Tridentine treatises on sacred art, or by the Counter-Reformation climate of late Cinquecento and early Seicento Italy. This essay redirects the origins of the transformation of the function of chiaroscuro from objective to subjective, from corporeal to spiritual, and from rational to affective to a much earlier period in late Quattrocento and early Cinquecento Milan with Leonardo da Vinci. By tracing the transformation of chiaroscuro as a vehicle of affect beginning with Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, it will become evident that chiaroscuro became a device used to focalize the viewers’ experience dramatically and to move viewers visually and mystically toward unification with God under the influence of the Franciscans. Full article

We present a case involving a 32-year-old man who ingested chlorine bleach with self-defeating intent. The ingestion of bleach can lead to a wide range of consequences, from mild mucosal burns to severe complications, rarely resulting in death. This case highlights the association between chlorine bleach ingestion and the development of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG), a radiological finding traditionally thought to carry poor prognoses. The HPVG in this case resolved spontaneously within 24 h with conservative management, indicating its transient nature. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for HPVG after the ingestion of toxic substances .remain only partially understood. One hypothesis suggests that extensive damage to the gastrointestinal wall caused by caustic agent may allow enteric gas to enter the portal system. While HPVG after toxic ingestion is often transient, its consequences and potential risks should be carefully considered. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is suggested in cases with neurological symptoms. In conclusion, HPVG is not a specific disease but rather a manifestation of various underlying factors, and its development in the context of chlorine bleach ingestion represents an additional insight to its understanding. It can be associated with severe medical conditions, but it is also found in less severe cases that can be managed conservatively. Full article

(1) Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication in ambulatory lung cancer patients during chemotherapy and is associated with increased mortality. (2) Methods: We analyzed 568 newly diagnosed metastatic lung cancer patients prospectively enrolled in the HYPERCAN study. Blood samples collected before chemotherapy were tested for thrombin generation (TG) and a panel of hemostatic biomarkers. The Khorana risk score (KRS), new-Vienna CATS, PROTECHT, and CONKO risk assessment models (RAMs) were applied. (3) Results: Within 6 months, the cumulative incidences of VTE and mortality were 12% and 29%, respectively. Patients with VTE showed significantly increased levels of D-dimer, FVIII, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2, and TG. D-dimer and ECOG performance status were identified as independent risk factors for VTE and mortality by multivariable analysis and utilized to generate a risk score that provided a cumulative incidence of VTE of 6% vs. 25%, death of 19% vs. 55%, and in the low- vs. high-risk group, respectively (p < 0.001). While all published RAMs significantly stratified patients for risk of death, only the CATS and CONKO were able to stratify patients for VTE. (4) Conclusions: A new prediction model was generated to stratify lung cancer patients for VTE and mortality risk, where other published RAMs failed. Full article

Parthenogenesis is an asexual form of reproduction, normally present in various animal and plant species, in which an embryo is generated from a single gamete. Currently, there are some species for which parthenogenesis is supposed but not confirmed, and the mechanisms that activate it are not well understood. A 10-year-old, wild-caught female ball python (Python regius) laid four eggs without any prior contact with a male. The eggs were not incubated and, after 3 days, were submitted to the University of Parma for analysis due to the suspicion of potential embryo presence. Examination of the egg content revealed residual blood vessels and a small red spot, indicative of an early-stage embryo. DNA was extracted from the three deceased embryos and from the mother’s blood, five microsatellites were analyzed to ascertain the origin of the embryos. The captive history data, together with the genetic microsatellite analysis approach, demonstrated the parthenogenetic origin of all three embryos. The embryos were homozygous for each of the maternal microsatellites, suggesting a terminal fusion automixis mode of development. Full article

A series of methane oxidation catalysts were prepared by doping Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15), a highly mesoporous silica sieve, with varying amounts of Zr (5, 10, and 15 wt%) and loading with 2 wt% Pd and 4 wt% Pt. The catalysts were characterized using various techniques, including BET, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). Fresh and aged catalysts were evaluated for methane oxidation. Aging was performed using a simulated lean burn natural gas (NG) engine exhaust containing water vapor (10% vol) and sulfur (10 ppm). It was found that the catalyst with 15 wt% zirconia was the most active and stable of the series, exhibiting the lowest T₅₀ of 481 °C after 40 h of aging. The Pd–Pt catalyst loaded on pure SBA-15 had a T₅₀ of 583 °C after aging, which was 102 °C higher than that of the Pd–Pt catalyst with 15 wt% Zr. The results suggest that the increased performance was due to the higher amount of reducible PtO_x species in the proximity of ZrO₂ and the sulfur scavenging effect of zirconia, which protected the active metals from forming inactive sulfur complexes. Overall, the Pd–Pt catalyst with 15 wt% Zr loaded on SBA-15 demonstrated excellent methane oxidation activity, hydrothermal stability, and sulfur resistance and can be considered a viable candidate for reducing the methane slip from a lean burn NG engine exhaust. Full article

San Salvador Metropolitan Area (MASS) is an urbanized territory in the country of El Salvador, located between the San Salvador volcano and the Ilopango caldera, in a sub-flat area called “Valle de las Hamacas” (Valley of the Hammocks). The high seismicity of this area is due to the subduction zone of the Cocos plate that causes strong seismic events such as the earthquakes that occurred on 13 January (7.6 M_w) and 13 February 2001 (6.6 M_w). As part of the international cooperation project between Italy (AICS) and El Salvador University, the CASTES project focussed on natural hazards in the territory of El Salvador was launched. Therefore, 2D simulations are carried out along two sections to evaluate the Local Seismic Response (LSR) in the Southeast part of MASS territory. Results show spatially variable amplifications (from 3 to 6.5) in the period ranging 0.1–0.7 s and evidence of lateral FA variations that can be calculated only through 2D numerical analyses. Two amplified periods are recognised, 0.1–0.5 s and 0.4–0.8 s, due to the presence of two types of subsoil volcanic deposits: the shallow and soft Tierra Blanca deposits and the deeper and stiffer Volcanic ash and Tuff. Full article

This article studies a leader–follower differential game with a finite horizon, where a single buyer reacts to the selling price set by an agency (water supplier). The Open-Loop Stackelberg equilibrium is calculated, assuming that the user demand is fully satisfied (that is, the interior solution is considered), and the following different tariff schemes are analyzed: linear scheme, increasing block tariff, and convex tariff. Numerical simulations highlight how tariff convexity and seasonality in buyer’s preferences affect water price and demand, and the dynamics of the basin over time. The study shows that synchrony or asynchrony between basin recharge and buyer cyclical demand can dramatically affect the dynamics and basin levels observed at the end of the time period considered. Additionally, the presence of a large number of fluctuations in buyer preferences affects basin fluctuations, while natural recharge may help in maintaining acceptable levels of future water demands. Full article

Competitions involving sled dogs are rapidly growing and body temperature assessment could represent a prompt and non-invasive method of screening for potential pathological conditions during or after activity. The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate if thermography is able to monitor the pre- and post-competition ocular and superficial body temperature variations during a sled dog competition. It subsequently compared the data relating to the ocular temperatures in different race types: mid-distance (30 km) and sprint (≤16 km). Results showed a statistically significant increase in post-competition ocular temperature of both eyes, regardless of the length of the race. The relative increase in the temperatures of the other body surfaces was lower than the expected values, probably due to the influence of environmental and subjective factors such as the type of coat of the Siberian Husky or subcutaneous fat. Infrared thermography has therefore proved to be useful method in sled dog competition conditions for screening superficial temperature variations, as the investigation is normally conducted in an external environment and often in demanding work conditions. Full article

In this study, the influence of a new plant-based biostimulant (Bortan) on physiological and aromatic traits of rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. var. Pamela) was monitored by evaluating physico-chemical parameters (fresh and dry weight, leaf color and chlorophyll content) and biochemical traits (total phenolic compound (TP), total flavonoids (TF), ascorbic acid (AA) and antioxidant activity (AOX). Volatile profiles were also analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, allowing the detection of 32 volatiles belonging to 5 chemical classes. Compared to the control, Bortan application enhanced leaf pigment content, including chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids (+10%, +16% and +28%, respectively) and increased TP (+34%), TF (+26%), AA (+19%) amonts and AOX value (+16%). Principal component analysis revealed a significant discrimination between the two samples. Specifically, treated samples were mainly associated with ”green-leaf” volatiles, namely hexanal and 2-hexenal, 3-hexenal and 1-penten-3-one, while control rocket was directly correlated with several alcohols and to all isothiocyanates, associated with the sulfur-like odor of rocket. These findings can add further support, both for farmers and the agro-food industry, in choosing PBs as a new and sustainable practice in complementing enhanced yields with premium-quality produce. To confirm these preliminary data, further experiments are needed by enlarging the sample size, testing different concentrations of Bortan and/or using other food crops. Full article

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of apixaban in patients with cancer for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) at a tertiary medical institution in Saudi Arabia. Methods: An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted on adult patients with cancer who were diagnosed with VTE and received apixaban therapy from August 2016 to October 2020. Results: A total of 478 patients were screened; 99 patients were included in the final analysis. Of those included, 38 (38%) were female, 74 (77.1%) had a solid tumor, and 36 (36.4%) were receiving apixaban therapy due to developing proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the mean age was 58.59 (±14.77). At six months, thrombotic events occurred in 11 patients (11.1%), and bleeding events occurred in 14 (14.1%) of the included individuals. Mortality occurred in 9 (9.09%) of the included individuals. Close to 32% individuals discontinued apixaban therapy at six months. Conclusion: The prevalence of recurrent VTE and bleeding events in patients with cancer using apixaban for treating VTE is in line with many other real-world studies but slightly higher compared to the patients enrolled in the Apixaban for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism Associated with Cancer (CARAVAGGIO) trial. Full article