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Porifera dominate vast areas of the Antarctic shelves and are successfully colonized by bacteria. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system based on bacterial population density that, enabling the coordination of group-based behaviour, plays a critical role in the successful colonization of higher organisms, also driving the formation of biofilm for adhesion to surfaces. In this study, the production of N-Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), signal molecules involved in the QS mechanism, was examined for 211 Antarctic sponge-associated Gram-negative bacteria. AHL production was screened by using three different AHL biodetection systems, i.e. Agrobacterium tumefaciens pZLR4, Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Pseudomonas putida pKR-C12 with optimal sensitivity to moderate-chain (C8–C12), short-chain (C4–C8) and long-chain (≥ C14) AHLs, respectively. 57.8% of tested isolates activated at least one of the monitor systems used and belonged mainly to bacterial genera that are known to be involved in surface colonization by biofilm production. A thin-layer chromatographic assay based on the A. tumefaciens reporter system was utilized to determine the AHL profiles of five selected positive isolates. Visible spots on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates were produced by Roseobacter sp. TB60 and Psychrobacter sp. TB67 (both from the sponge, Anoxycalyx joubini). The former probably produced N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (similar to the standard 3-oxo-C6-HSL), whereas the isolate TB67 produced molecules that were similar to the standard N-butanoyl-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL). The obtained results demonstrated that AHL-based signalling may play a key role in sponge–bacteria interactions also in the Antarctic environment.

This retrospective study draws on the experience of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at the Policlinico of Modena in managing Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) cases diagnosed between 2019 and 2024. We examined 60 cases of OLP, comprising 37 women and 23 men. The mean age was 61.28, and the median was around 62 years. We included smoking and alcohol consumption, gender, and clinical presentation as significant risk variables with high predictive power. It is crucial to note that individuals from our study population have advanced, unusual, or suspicious forms of OLP. We specifically chose to extrapolate the patients with erosive OLP diagnoses. According to the results, patients between the ages of 45 and 75 upon diagnosis had a higher chance of developing malignant transformation, and risk factors like drinking, smoking, and specific clinical patterns such as atrophic or erosive OLP were found to be significant. All the patients with SCC progression in our clinic were female.  

Most of the studies carried out in the past on economically important fish species rely on single species approach. Ecosystem dynamics are characterized by complex interaction among species, sharing common habitat needs and thus forming characteristic assemblages. The analysis of spatio-temporal variability of fish community, coupled to the analysis of spatial indices, provides a synthetic view of the fish community status evidencing, if any, the way a community changes. Such considerations drive also to the development of ecosystem-based fishery management paradigm. In the present study changes in pelagic fish community structure in an upwelling ecosystem of the central Mediterranean Sea during the last 10 years was analysed, by focusing the attention on the five most abundant small pelagic species: Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, Sardinella aurita, Trachurus trachurus and Boops boops. Our results evidenced a quite stable community structure, characterized by spatial occupation strongly driven by ecosystem characteristics and modulated according to specie-specific behaviour. Obtained results lead us to hypothesize that the observed stability of community could be linked to the presence of different environments leading to efficient space partitioning and resources utilization among species.

  The duration of orthodontic treatment often affects patient compliance and increases the likelihood of complications. Evaluation of the clinical uses, safety, and effectiveness of corticotomy and piezocision as surgical adjuncts for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement is the goal of this narrative review. A thorough search of the literature was done for research published between January 2019 and March 2025 using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. Information about patient demographics, dental sectors treated, length of therapy, and degree of tooth movement was extracted. Because techniques and results varied, studies were narratively summarized. The included studies showed significant variation in treatment procedures, patient ages, and sample sizes. The intervention that was examined the most was canine retraction. Piezocision and corticotomy both demonstrated efficacy in accelerating tooth movement, with treatment times ranging from two weeks to two years and movement values ranging from 0.53 mm to 6.48 mm. Despite occasional temporary postoperative swelling, piezocision was linked to lower surgical morbidity and demonstrated higher patient satisfaction.  Piezocision is a successful and minimally invasive technique for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. Although there is evidence of its therapeutic advantages, conclusive findings are limited by the heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures. Additional long-term, standardized research is required to improve procedures and validate its benefits over traditional corticotomy.

Background Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by difficulties in verbal emotional expression and a limited ability to use one’s imagination. Evidence of alexithymic characteristics was found in adults suffering from headache, while little is known about children. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of alexithymia in two different subgroups of children and adolescents suffering from primary headache. We also looked for correlation between alexithymia in children and in their mothers. Methods This study involved 89 participants: 47 (11 males, 36 females, aged 8 to 17 years) suffering from tension-type headache (TTH), and 42 (18 males, 24 females, aged 8 to 17 years) suffering from migraine (M), based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD 2013). A control group of 32 headache-free subjects (26 females and 6 males, aged 8 to17 years) was also considered. Two questionnaires were administered to measure alexithymia: the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children to young patients and controls, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to the mothers. Results Higher rates of alexithymia emerged in the TTH group compared to the M group. In particular, TTH sufferers had difficulty identifying their feelings. The mothers of children with headaches didn’t score higher in alexithymia compared to other mothers. In the M and in the control group, there was a significant correlation between the rates of alexithymia in young people and in their mothers. Conclusions To date no other study has investigated alexithymia in subgroups of primary headaches in developmental age. Our results suggest that patients suffering from TTH are more alexithymic than M patients. This pave the way to etiopathogenetic and clinical considerations, calling for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to tackle the problem of headache.

The Intensity Interferometry technique consists of measuring the spatial coherence (visibility) of an object via its intensity fluctuations over a sufficient range of telescope separations (baselines). This allows us to study the size, shape and morphology of stars with an unprecedented resolution. Cherenkov telescopes have a set of characteristics that coincidentally allow for Intensity Interferometry observations: very large reflective surfaces, sensitivity to individual photons, temporal resolution of nanoseconds and the fact that they come in groups of several telescopes. In the recent years, the MAGIC Collaboration has developed a deadtime-free Intensity Interferometry setup for its two 17 m diameter Cherenkov telescopes that includes a 4-channel GPU-based real-time correlator, 410–430 nm filters and new ways of splitting its primary mirrors into submirrors using Active Mirror Control (AMC). With this setup, MAGIC can operate as a long-baseline optical interferometer in the baseline range 40–90 m, which translates into angular resolutions of 0.5-1 mas. Additionally, thanks to its AMC, it can simultaneously measure the zero-baseline correlation or, by splitting into submirrors, access shorter baselines under 17 m in multiple u-v plane orientations. The best candidates to observe with this technique are relatively small and bright stars, in other words, massive stars (O, B and A types). We will present the science cases that are currently being proposed for this setup, as well as the prospects for the future of the system and technique, like the possibility of large-scale implementation with CTA.

Multiple myeloma is the second most hematological cancer. RUVBL1 and RUVBL2 form a subcomplex of many chromatin remodeling complexes implicated in cancer progression. As an inhibitor specific to the RUVBL1/2 complex, CB-6644 exhibits remarkable anti-tumor activity in xenograft models of Burkitt’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM). In this work, we defined transcriptional signatures corresponding to CB-6644 treatment in MM cells and determined underlying epigenetic changes in terms of chromatin accessibility. CB-6644 upregulated biological processes related to interferon response and downregulated those linked to cell proliferation in MM cells. Transcriptional regulator inference identified E2Fs as regulators for downregulated genes and MED1 and MYC as regulators for upregulated genes. CB-6644-induced changes in chromatin accessibility occurred mostly in non-promoter regions. Footprinting analysis identified transcription factors implied in modulating chromatin accessibility in response to CB-6644 treatment, including ATF4/CEBP and IRF4. Lastly, integrative analysis of transcription responses to various chemical compounds of the molecular signature genes from public gene expression data identified CB-5083, a p97 inhibitor, as a synergistic candidate with CB-6644 in MM cells, but experimental validation refuted this hypothesis.

A total of 253 hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterial isolates were achieved from eight Antarctic surface seawater samples enriched on diesel oil at 4°C. Isolates were screened by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis prior to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequences were compared to those in available databases using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool network service to determine their approximate phylogenetic affiliations. The majority of the isolates were affiliated to the Actinobacteria (75.9%) and the Gamma-Proteobacteria (22.9%). The Alpha- and Beta-Proteobacteria represented 0.8 and 0.4% of total isolates, respectively. The Actinobacteria were predominantly allocated to the genera Arthrobacter, Cryobacterium and Rhodococcus. The Gamma-Proteobacteria were mainly found to be related to the genus Pseudomonas. Conversely, the Alpha- and Beta-Proteobacterial isolates shared the highest degree of sequence identity with unclassified bacteria. Differences in the distribution of the detected phylotypes were observed among the analyzed samples. Isolates representing each phylotype were selected for further characterization, including phenotypic assays and screening for the growth ability in the presence of individual hydrocarburic substrates as the sole supplied carbon and energy source. Isolates possessed different patterns of substrate utilization. Aliphatic hydrocarbons supported the growth of a higher number of isolates than aromatics. Results confirm the ability of our Antarctic marine bacteria to utilize hydrocarbons at low temperature and therefore suggesting that isolates with different substrate specificities can act in nature as a consortium in the utilization of complex hydrocarburic mixtures.

We have previously shown that, assuming urea distribution volume (V) remains constant for 1 month, ionic dialysance (ID) allows the dialysis dose to be calculated without the need for blood sampling. The aim of this multicenter study was to verify whether the assumption of a constant V can be extended to 1 year. In clinically stable patients receiving thrice-weekly hemodialysis at 13 dialysis centers, V and Kt/V were assessed during three dialysis sessions at baseline and 1 year later using ID as dialyzer urea clearance and the single-pool urea kinetic model. Baseline albumin, hemoglobin, and C reactive protein were prespecified covariates for predicting the change in V over time. Of the 52 enrolled patients, 40 (25 males; age 63.0±13.5 years) completed the study. Baseline end-dialysis body weight (62.4±13.7 kg) showed a non-significant 1% reduction during follow-up (-0.6±2.8 kg; P=0.175), whereas V significantly decreased from 29.0±6.8 to 27.4±6.0 l (-1.6±3.0 l or 4.5%; P=0.002). The reduction in V was greater when baseline albumin was lower (P=0.001) and baseline V was higher (P=0.005). The single-pool Kt/V calculated using baseline V underestimated the actual value by 0.07±0.16 (P=0.008). The slight underestimate of Kt/V during follow-up suggests that annual V evaluations may be sufficient for dialysis dose quantification as the only risk is underestimating the actually delivered dialysis dose. However, the relationship between baseline albumin and the reduction in V over time may have nutritional value, and suggests more frequent V evaluations.