Effectiveness of elastodontic appliances in the treatment of malocclusions: a review of the literature

AIM

This paper aims to verify the effectiveness of using elastodontic devices in the treatment of malocclusions in growing patients. An English-language literature search was conducted. The following electronic databases were selected for searching from 2020 to June 2023: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Eight articles were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles examined highlight the ability of elastodontic devices to act in cases of malocclusion in a safe, simple and more comfortable way for the young patient. However, there is a lack of knowledge about this technique, so this study aims to review the most recent literature to provide the scientific community with new knowledge.

Fertility specialists' views, behavior, and attitudes towards the use of endometrial scratching in Italy

BACKGROUND

Endometrial scratching (ES) or injury is intentional damage to the endometrium performed to improve reproductive outcomes for infertile women desiring pregnancy. Moreover, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials demonstrated that ES is not effective, data on the safety are limited, and it should not be recommended in clinical practice. The aim of the current study was to assess the view and behavior towards ES among fertility specialists throughout infertility centers in Italy, and the relationship between these views and the attitudes towards the use of ES as an add-on in their commercial setting.

METHODS

Online survey among infertility centers, affiliated to Italian Society of Human Reproduction (SIRU), was performed using a detailed questionnaire including 45 questions with the possibility to give "closed" multi-choice answers for 41 items and "open" answers for 4 items. Online data from the websites of the infertility centers resulting in affiliation with the specialists were also recorded and analyzed. The quality of information about ES given on infertility centers websites was assessed using a scoring matrix including 10 specific questions (scored from 0 to 2 points), and the possible scores ranged from 0 to 13 points ('excellent' if the score was 9 points or more, 'moderate' if the score was between 5 and 8, and 'poor' if it was 4 points or less).

RESULTS

The response rate was of 60.6% (43 questionnaires / 71 infertility SIRU-affiliated centers). All included questionnaires were completed in their entirety. Most physicians (~ 70%) reported to offer ES to less than 10% of their patients. The procedure is mainly performed in the secretory phase (69.2%) using pipelle (61.5%), and usually in medical ambulatory (56.4%) before IVF cycles to improve implantation (71.8%) without drugs administration (e.g., pain drugs, antibiotics, anti-hemorrhagics, or others) before (76.8%) or after (64.1%) the procedure. Only a little proportion of infertility centers included in the analysis proposes formally the ES as an add-on procedure (9.3%), even if, when proposed, the full description of the indications, efficacy, safety, and costs is never addressed. However, the overall information quality of the websites was generally "poor" ranging from 3 to 8 and having a low total score (4.7 ± 1.6; mean ± standard deviation).

CONCLUSIONS

In Italy, ES is a procedure still performed among fertility specialists for improving the implantation rate in IVF patients. Moreover, they have a poor attitude in proposing ES as an add-on in the commercial setting.

AMASI epidemiological study on children living in L'Aquila

AIM

The aim of the study is to observe the statistical relationship between children's habits, oral heath, pregnancy history and breastfeeding.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out on the pupils of the first and second grades of the primary schools of the "Silvestro" and "Amiternum" school districts of L'Aquila (Italy). The study population consisted of 496 (244 females and 252 males) students. The data were collected through anamnesis carried out by qualified health personnel before dental examination. According to the WHO criteria clinical teething examination standard, the presence of caries was determined by the dmft index (decayed-filled-missing deciduous teeth). Shapiro-Wilk test, Chi-square test and t test used. P values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

There is not enough evidence to advise against breastfeeding lasting more than one year due to the risk of tooth decay. Supportive practices need to be implemented to counteract risk factors. A larger sample is needed to study the role of human milk.

Trigeminal electrical stimulation with ULFTENS of the dorsal anterior mucosal surface of the tongue: Effects on Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

BACKGROUND

Trigeminal electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior mucosal surface of the tongue has demonstrated its efficacy in a variety of neurological disorders in which anatomical or functional alterations are present. The pathogenesis of such disorders is often linked to altered arousal circuits, and the benefits of tongue stimulation are attributed to the rebalancing of this system. Dental ULFTENS shows efficacy in acting on the muscular, autonomic system and control of the descending pathways that modulate pain. It is administered at the skin level in the area anterior to the tragus and not on the mucosal surface of the tongue. The use of this stimulation technique at the tongue level could have new applications and clinical results if it were able to reduce the activity of arousal circuits.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A new intraoral device allowed electrical stimulation of the dorsal anterior mucosa of the tongue in 32 healthy young women. The effects on HRV were monitored by photoplethysmographic wave (PPG) and compared with a control group. The HRV parameters studied were RMSSD, HF, LF, LF/HF, REC, DET.

RESULTS

The group of stimulated subjects showed a significant change in some of the HRV parameters that was maintained even in the epoch after the end of electrical stimulation. This effect can be considered as a vagal activation and a change of HRV trend. The control group of unstimulated subjects showed an opposite trend. There were no undesirable or annoying effects of stimulation.

CONCLUSION

Stimulation of the dorsal anterior (trigeminal) mucosal surface of the tongue with ULFTENS applied with an intraoral device was shown to be able to increase HRV.

P-098 Male age does not affect sperm motility rate after thawing and laboratory outcomes of transnational oocyte donation programs

Study question

Can outcomes of transnational egg donation treatments, which involves the shipping of cryopreserved partner semen, be affected by advanced paternal age?

Summary answer

Male age does not affect percentage of motile spermatozoa after thawing. Advanced paternal age does not affect IVF laboratory outcomes of transnational egg donation treatments

What is known already

Studies on advanced paternal age are limited and a clear definition of advanced paternal age is still missing. The separation between advanced paternal and maternal age effects is hampered by the collinearity of maternal age with paternal age, since older males are often associated with older women. Many studies have focused on egg donation treatments, to overcome this problem. However, these studies reported conflicting results, such as a putative effect of advanced paternal age on ICSI outcomes, while some others not. This study analyzes paternal age in transnational egg donation program, which involves the shipping of cryopreserved partner semen

Study design, size, duration

A multicentric retrospective cohort study involving 101 couples and 327 blastocysts was performed from June 2018 up to December 2021. Two Italian IVF centers involved a Spanish center to perform a transnational fresh oocyte donation program. The aim of the study was to analyze the putative effect of male age on (i) semen parameters, (ii) fertilization rate and (iii) blastocyst rate.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Donations of both male and female gametes were excluded. We performed sperm cryopreservation of the male partner of the recruited couples. Frozen samples were shipped with a authorized courier, which certified the safety of the whole procedure. The day of donor’s egg retrieval, semen samples were thawed and ICSI was performed on fresh donated oocytes. Resulted blastocysts were vitrified and shipped to the centers where the frozen embryo transfers in the recipient patients were performed.

Main results and the role of chance

The mean of male partners age was 42.6 ± 6.5 (min 26- max 63). Overall fertilization rate was 81.6% (686/840), and blastocyst rate was 47.6% (327/686). Male age was analyzed as a continuous variable and divided into five groups calculated for 5-year intervals. No differences in terms of fertilization rates nor blastocysts rates were found (85.3% and 43.7% for <35-years; 84.7% and 54.0% for 36-39-years; 79.7% and 44.2% for 40-44-years; 89.6 and 48.1% for 45-49-years; 74.5% and 56.5 for >50-years). Although advanced paternal age has been correlated to the decrease of most of sperm parameters, in the present study we found that only progressive rapid motility was significantly affected by advanced paternal age (coefficient -0.261 , P = 0.009). To evaluate the predictive value of advanced paternal age and sperm parameters on fertilization and blastocysts formation, we performed a multiple linear regression analysis. We found that sperm parameters and male age in our sample are not predictive of the number of fertilized oocytes nor the number of obtained blastocysts. Importantly for the setting of the study, the percentage of progressive motile sperm at the thawing was not influenced by paternal age.

Limitations, reasons for caution

The main limitation of the study is the small sample size, which might mask the paternal age effect on the sperm parameters, as the volume, which tend to decrease in the classes of age, but did not reached the statistical significance. The multicentric nature of the study represent a strength

Wider implications of the findings

The discomfort for couples that need oocyte donation in countries where there is a low availability of egg donors is often underestimated. This study demonstrate that, independently of male age, the shipping of frozen sperm and the ICSI of freshly donated oocytes represent a valid option for these couples.

Trial registration number

not applicable

Protein aggregation and autophagy dysfunction: new lessons from mucopolysaccharidoses

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are inherited metabolic diseases with strong neurological involvement. MPSs are caused by defects in lysosomal enzymes involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which consequently accumulate into the lysosomes as primary storage. Macroautophagy/autophagy impairment is well known to drive neurodegeneration in MPSs, however, mechanisms underlying such dysfunction are still poorly understood. Recently, by studying a mouse model for MPS-III (Sanfilippo syndrome) we have shown that the progressive aggregation of amyloid proteins in neuronal cell bodies occurs downstream of the GAG storage and, in turn, impairs the autophagy pathway by affecting lysosomal-dependent autophagosome clearance.

Identifying potential gene biomarkers for Parkinson's disease through an information entropy based approach

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease and represents the most common disease of this type, after Alzheimer's dementia. It is characterized by motor and nonmotor features and by a long prodromal stage that lasts many years. Genetic research has shown that PD is a complex and multisystem disorder. To capture the molecular complexity of this disease we used a complex network approach. We maximized the information entropy of the gene co-expression matrix betweenness to obtain a gene adjacency matrix; then we used a fast greedy algorithm to detect communities. Finally we applied principal component analysis on the detected gene communities, with the ultimate purpose of discriminating between PD patients and healthy controls by means of a random forests classifier. We used a publicly available substantia nigra microarray dataset, GSE20163, from NCBI GEO database, containing gene expression profiles for 10 PD patients and 18 normal controls. With this methodology we identified two gene communities that discriminated between the two groups with mean accuracy of 0.88 ± 0.03 and 0.84 ± 0.03, respectively, and validated our results on an independent microarray experiment. The two gene communities presented a considerable reduction in size, over 100 times, compared to the initial network and were stable within a range of tested parameters. Further research focusing on the restricted number of genes belonging to the selected communities may reveal essential mechanisms responsible for PD at a network level and could contribute to the discovery of new biomarkers for PD.

SAT0311 BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE VECTOR ANALYSIS FOR NUTRITIONAL STATUS ASSESSMENT IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS AND ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS

Background:

Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a common non-invasive method for estimating body composition which ultimately allows to obtain information on subject’s nutritional status. So far no data about the use of BIVA in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have been published.

Objectives:

We used BIVA in a cohort of SSc patients in order to assess their nutritional status and any correlation with the various clinical characteristics of the disease, also evaluating the differences with the general population.

Methods:

We collected data from consecutive patients diagnosed with SSc according to EULAR/ACR criteria and from healthy controls (HC) matched for age and sex. Patients underwent BIVA for the assessment of fat mass (FM), free fat mass (FFM), total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), body cellular mass (BCM), basal metabolic rate (BMR) and ECM/BCM ratio, an early index of protein catabolism. Data included anthropometric and clinical features, Body Mass Index (BMI) and specific organ involvement with particular attention to gastrointestinal symptoms. Laboratory parameters, including haemoglobin and albumin levels, were also collected. Additionally, patients completed the UCLA GIT 2.0 questionnaire.

Results:

Data from 50 SSc patients (92% female; mean age 61.1±12.5 years; mean disease duration 13.4±10.2 years) and from 50 HC were compared. BIVA revealed that SSc patients presented a significant reduction in BMR, BCM and ECW values compared to HC (p<0.001 for all). The former also exhibited a higher ECM/BCM ratio (p<0.001). No significant differences regarding FM, FFM, TBW and BMI were found between the two groups. Among the cohort of SSc patients, a direct correlation was found between age and ECW (p=0.001; ρ=0.473) and between disease duration and FM (p=0.023; ρ=0.325), whereas age inversely correlated with BMR (p=0.012; ρ=-0.357). Patients with anaemia and/or hypoalbuminemia had significantly reduced BMR, BCM and TBW values; those with hypoalbuminemia also had elevated ECW levels (p=0.001). No other significant associations with BIVA values were found among the laboratory findings and among the gastrointestinal complaints. Results showed relevant interrelations between BIVA parameters and the SSc-related involvement of different organs, e.g. digital ulcers, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (See Table 1). In addition, a higher skin involvement inversely correlated with FM (p=0.038; ρ=-0.387). The only correlation that emerged from the UCLA GIT 2.0 questionnaire was the inverse relationship between TBW and GIT-reflux (p=0.017; ρ=-0.385). Four patients died during the study: they had significantly lower BMR and BCM, with an increased ECW.

Table 1.Ongoing digital ulcersHistory of digital ulcersInterstitial lung diseasePulmonary arterial hypertensionHeart involvementFMp=0.006nsp=0.042nsnsFFMp=0.019p=0.046nsnsnsTBWp<0,001nsp=0.007nsnsECWnsnsp=0.015p=0.004p=0.02BCMp=0.01p=0.047p=0.016p=0.013p=0.03BMRp=0.002p=0.036p=0.004p=0.015nsECM/BCMnsnsp=0.034nsns

Conclusion:

BIVA has shown that SSc patients have a worse nutritional status than HC. The parameters obtained with BIVA in SSc patients correlate with serological malnutrition markers (haemoglobin and albumin), with various organ-specific SSc manifestations (cardiopulmonary involvement and digital ulcers) and with mortality. BIVA could therefore play a role in the prognostic stratification of SSc patients.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Protein Aggregation and Dysfunction of Autophagy-Lysosomal Pathway: A Vicious Cycle in Lysosomal Storage Diseases

Many neurodegenerative conditions are characterized by the deposition of protein aggregates (mainly amyloid-like) in the central nervous system (CNS). In post-mitotic CNS cells protein aggregation causes cytotoxicity by interfering with various cellular functions. Mutations in different genes may directly cause protein aggregation. However, genetic factors together with aging may contribute to the onset of protein aggregation also by affecting cellular degradative functions, in particular the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP). Increasing body of evidence show that ALP dysfunction and protein aggregation are functionally interconnected and induce each other during neurodegenerative processes. We will summarize the findings supporting these concepts by focusing on lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), a class of metabolic inherited conditions characterized by global lysosomal dysfunction and often associated to a severe neurodegenerative course. We propose a model by which the inherited lysosomal defects initiate aggregate-prone protein deposition, which, in turns, worsen ALP degradation function, thus generating a vicious cycle, which boost neurodegenerative cascades.

Bruxism in children: Use of the Functional Plane of Monaco (FPM)

BACKGROUND

Bruxism is a condition that results from hyperactivity in the central nervous system, and factors such as stress or other anxious conditions increase the frequency of episodes. When bruxism occurs at a young age, tooth wear can occur. The extent of wear can lead to the need for restorative dentistry and prosthetic treatments to restore the morphological and functional integrity of the teeth, with high costs associated with such treatments.

CASE REPORT

A healthy 15-year-old boy presented to the orthodontist observation. His incisal ridges appeared thin, without mamelons, and with increased translucency. For treatment, the authors used only the Functional Plane of Monaco (FPM), a device which he had to wear 16 hours during the day.

CONCLUSION

The orthodontist successfully treated an orthopaedic/orthodontic case with the FPM device.

Trial latencies estimation of event-related potentials in EEG by means of genetic algorithms

OBJECTIVE

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are usually obtained by averaging thus neglecting the trial-to-trial latency variability in cognitive electroencephalography (EEG) responses. As a consequence the shape and the peak amplitude of the averaged ERP are smeared and reduced, respectively, when the single-trial latencies show a relevant variability. To date, the majority of the methodologies for single-trial latencies inference are iterative schemes providing suboptimal solutions, the most commonly used being the Woody's algorithm.

APPROACH

In this study, a global approach is developed by introducing a fitness function whose global maximum corresponds to the set of latencies which renders the trial signals most aligned as possible. A suitable genetic algorithm has been implemented to solve the optimization problem, characterized by new genetic operators tailored to the present problem.

MAIN RESULTS

The results, on simulated trials, showed that the proposed algorithm performs better than Woody's algorithm in all conditions, at the cost of an increased computational complexity (justified by the improved quality of the solution). Application of the proposed approach on real data trials, resulted in an increased correlation between latencies and reaction times w.r.t. the output from RIDE method.

SIGNIFICANCE

The above mentioned results on simulated and real data indicate that the proposed method, providing a better estimate of single-trial latencies, will open the way to more accurate study of neural responses as well as to the issue of relating the variability of latencies to the proper cognitive and behavioural correlates.

Time dependence of the helium flux measured by PAMELA

Precision measurements of the Z = 2 component in cosmic radiation provide crucial information about the origin and propagation of the second most abundant cosmic ray species in the Galaxy (9% of the total). These measurements, acquired with the PAMELA space experiment orbiting Earth, allow to study solar modulation in details. Helium modulation is compared to the modulation of protons to study possible dependencies on charge and mass. The time dependence of helium fluxes on a monthly basis measured by PAMELA has been studied for the period between July 2006 to January 2016 in the energy range from 800 MeV/n to ~ 20 GeV/n.

Conjugated linoleic acid prevents age-dependent neurodegeneration in a mouse model of neuropsychiatric lupus via the activation of an adaptive response

Oxidative stress is a key mediator of autoimmune/neurodegenerative disorders. The antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effect of a synthetic conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) mixture in MRL/MpJ-Fas lpr mice (MRL/lpr), an animal model of neuropsychiatric lupus, was previously associated with the improvement of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) defenses in the spleen and liver. However, little is known about the neuroprotective ability of a CLA mixture. This study investigated the age-dependent progression of oxidative stress and the hyperactivation of redox-sensitive compensatory pathways (macroautophagy, Nrf2) in old/diseased MRL/lpr mice brains and examines the effect produced by dietary CLA supplementation. Disrupted redox homeostasis was evidenced in the blood, liver, and brain of 21- to 22-week-old MRL/lpr (Old) mice compared with 8- to 10-week-old MRL/lpr (Young) animals. This alteration was associated with significant hyperactivation of compensatory mechanisms (macroautophagy, Nrf2, and astrocyte activation) in the brains of Old mice. Five-week daily supplementation with CLA (650 mg/kg-1 body weight) of 16-week-old (CLA+Old) mice diminished all the pathological hallmarks at a level comparable to Young mice or healthy controls (BALB/c). Such data demonstrated that MRL/lpr mice can serve as a valuable model for the evaluation of the effectiveness of neuroprotective drugs. Notably, the preventive effect provided by CLA supplementation against age-associated neuronal damage and hyperactivation of compensatory mechanisms suggests that the activation of an adaptive response is at least in part accountable for its neuroprotective ability.

Protective effect of Rumenic acid rich cow's milk against colitis is associated with the activation of Nrf2 pathway in a murine model

Dietary supplementation with pure cis9, trans11 isomer of Conjugated Linoleic Acid -known as Rumenic Acid (RA)- improves cytoprotective defenses downstream through the activation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2(Nrf2). This capability, when Rumenic Acid is consumed in the form of foods, is still unknown. The ability of standard (St) or cow milk naturally-enriched in RA (En) to activate Nrf2 pathway and its impact on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis was comparatively evaluated. Activity of Nrf2 pathway was investigated in colonic tissue of BALB/c mice, receiving 4-week supplement with skimmed milk (SK), St or St reinforced with pure RA (RSt) providing increasing RA dose (0, 124 or 404mg RA/kg^-1 b.w, respectively). Next, the anti-oxidant/ anti-inflammatory effect produced by St or En treatment (383mg RA/kg^-1 b.w.) was explored. Finally, macroscopic and histomorphologic features of colitis were evaluated in animals challenged with 5% (w/v) DSS, at the end of St or En treatment. Significant activation of Nrf2 pathway is associated with RSt and En intake (P<0.05), but not with SK or En treatment. En pre-treatment offers better protection, in comparison with St, against pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory signs (P<0.01) and macroscopic signs triggered by DSS. It can be concluded that Nrf2 activation by higher RA amount contained in En is, at least in part, responsible for the improved protection associated with En intake against DSS-induced colitis.

Aluminium chloride-induced toxicity in zebrafish larvae

Embryos at shield stage and larvae at protruding mouth stage were exposed to different concentrations of aluminium chloride (AlCl₃ ) for 72 h with the purpose to analyse their phenotype and lethality. After 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment, higher toxicity of the metal was observed on larvae with minimal lethal concentration of 0.25, 0.20 and 0.08 mm, respectively, while for embryos the corresponding values were 40, 25 and 16 mm. We observed pericardial oedema and alteration of heart rate in 50% of larvae after 48 h of exposure to 100 μm. In larvae exposed to the same concentration, there was also a neurological injury at the level of glial cells, with the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells being significantly reduced. This study confirms the toxic nature of this metal and shows that aluminium could also interestingly represent a cardiotoxin in addition to its neurotoxic ability.

TENS effects on salivary stress markers: A pilot study

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is extensively used as pain relief through endorphins release. Moreover, recent findings showed a role in the activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS); it was evidenced by modification in the heart rate variability and ANS-related marker. The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate salivary alpha amylase (sAA) as a marker of stress in two groups of healthy subjects, one receiving ultra-low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (ULF-TENS) and one without stimulation. Sixty healthy people were enrolled. The test group consisted of 30 participants (15 men, 15 women). The control group consisted of 30 participants (15 men, 15 women). Statistical analysis showed that sAA levels were statistically different between men and women independently from TENS; we hypothesize that treatment could influence sAA levels because it is thought to activate μ opioid receptors. The results of this study seem to indicate that the analysis of sAA, through a non-invasive saliva sample, could be an efficient aid for understanding the functions of the autonomic nervous system.

Effects of cadmium on the glial architecture in lizard brain

The glial cells are positioned to be the first cells of the brain parenchyma to face molecules crossing the blood-brain barrier with a relevant neuroprotective role from cytotoxic action of heavy metals on the nervous system. Cadmium is a highly toxic metal and its levels in the environment are increasing due to industrial activities. This element can pass the blood-brain barrier and have neurotoxic activity. For this reason we have studied the effects of cadmium on the glial architecture in the lizard Podarcis siculus, a significant bioindicator of chemical exposure due to its persistence in a variety of habitats. The study was performed on two groups of lizards. The first group of P. siculus was exposed to an acute treatment by a single i.p. injection (2 mg/kg-BW) of CdCl2 and sacrificed after 2, 7 and 16 days. The second one was used as control. The histology of the brain was studied by Hematoxylin/Eosin and Cresyl/Violet stains while the glial structures were analyzed by immunodetection of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the most widely accepted marker for astroglial cells. Evident morphological alterations of the brain were observed at 7 and 16 days from the injection, when we revealed also a decrease of the GFAP-immunopositive structures in particular in the rhombencephalic ventricle, telencephalon and optic tectum. These results show that in the lizards an acute exposure to cadmium provokes morphological cellular alterations in the brain but also a decrement of the expression of GFAP marker with possible consequent damage of glial cells functions.

Building Bridges for Innovation in Ageing: Synergies between Action Groups of the EIP on AHA

The Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) proposed six Action Groups. After almost three years of activity, many achievements have been obtained through commitments or collaborative work of the Action Groups. However, they have often worked in silos and, consequently, synergies between Action Groups have been proposed to strengthen the triple win of the EIP on AHA. The paper presents the methodology and current status of the Task Force on EIP on AHA synergies. Synergies are in line with the Action Groups' new Renovated Action Plan (2016-2018) to ensure that their future objectives are coherent and fully connected. The outcomes and impact of synergies are using the Monitoring and Assessment Framework for the EIP on AHA (MAFEIP). Eight proposals for synergies have been approved by the Task Force: Five cross-cutting synergies which can be used for all current and future synergies as they consider overarching domains (appropriate polypharmacy, citizen empowerment, teaching and coaching on AHA, deployment of synergies to EU regions, Responsible Research and Innovation), and three cross-cutting synergies focussing on current Action Group activities (falls, frailty, integrated care and chronic respiratory diseases).

Demographic history, current expansion and future management challenges of wild boar populations in the Balkans and Europe

Wild boar (Sus scrofa), one of the most widespread wildlife species, has entered a stage of continuous growth in Europe, and could even be considered a pest species. We analysed microsatellite variability in 723 wild boars from across Europe, including the northern Dinaric Balkans. Our aims were: (1) to define the population structure of wild boars in the Balkans and its relation with other European populations; (2) to estimate effective populations sizes, levels of intra- and inter-population diversity, inbreeding migration and gene flow patterns; (3) to test subpopulations for bottlenecks; (4) to interpret these results in light of current knowledge about the demographic history of wild boars in Europe; and (5) to discuss the relevance of these findings for management and conservation. Strong population structuring was observed and 14 subpopulations were revealed. High genetic diversity was found, and besides the well-known identity of the Italian populations of Sardinia and Castelporziano, we bring new insights into other potential relevant, refugial populations such as Littoral Slovenia, South Portugal, North-western Iberia and an entire cluster in the Balkans. There was evidence of gene flow going from these refugial subpopulations towards less peripheral and more admixed subpopulations. Recent population bottlenecks and expansions were detected, mostly in the peninsular refuge subpopulations. The results are consistent with the fluctuations of wild boar numbers in Europe since the beginning of the twentieth century. These results should be taken into account in future conservation and management plans for wild boar populations in Europe.

Time Dependence of the Electron and Positron Components of the Cosmic Radiation Measured by the PAMELA Experiment between July 2006 and December 2015

Cosmic-ray electrons and positrons are a unique probe of the propagation of cosmic rays as well as of the nature and distribution of particle sources in our Galaxy. Recent measurements of these particles are challenging our basic understanding of the mechanisms of production, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. Particularly striking are the differences between the low energy results collected by the space-borne PAMELA and AMS-02 experiments and older measurements pointing to sign-charge dependence of the solar modulation of cosmic-ray spectra. The PAMELA experiment has been measuring the time variation of the positron and electron intensity at Earth from July 2006 to December 2015 covering the period for the minimum of solar cycle 23 (2006-2009) until the middle of the maximum of solar cycle 24, through the polarity reversal of the heliospheric magnetic field which took place between 2013 and 2014. The positron to electron ratio measured in this time period clearly shows a sign-charge dependence of the solar modulation introduced by particle drifts. These results provide the first clear and continuous observation of how drift effects on solar modulation have unfolded with time from solar minimum to solar maximum and their dependence on the particle rigidity and the cyclic polarity of the solar magnetic field.

Electromyographic evaluation of a patient treated with extraoral traction: a case report

BACKGROUND

This work seeks to provide information on the utility of surface electromyography (SEMG) as an aid for diagnosing orthodontic conditions. Classic orthodontic monitoring by radiography, plaster models, cephalometry, and photography can be improved by using SEMG before and during treatment, to prevent clinical worsening and relapses.

CASE REPORT

This paper presents the SEMG results for a 10-year-old female patient, orthodontically treated by extraoral traction (EOT). Significant muscular variations in the patient's EMG were observed as she changed different postures and as headgear device was used.

CONCLUSION

SEMG should be performed prior to the orthodontic treatment to assess the neuromuscular patient's pattern, in order to prevent strain induced by extraoral forces. EMG can be a valid aid for evaluating the patient's neuromuscular condition before, during, and after orthodontic treatment.

Neuroglial alterations in the zebrafish brain exposed to cadmium chloride

Cadmium is an extremely toxic heavy metal that widely occurs in industrial workplaces with various hazardous effects on brain functions. The cytotoxic effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl₂ ) on the neuroglial components of the zebrafish brain were analysed by detecting the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and the mRNA levels of myelin genes mbp, mpz and plp1 in adult specimens exposed to cadmium for 2, 7 and 16 days. A significant decrease in the GFAP protein by Western blotting experiments was observed after 2 days of treatment, reaching 55% after 16 days. No change was observed in the mRNA levels. Using immunohistochemistry, a reduction in GFAP-positive structures was revealed with a progressive trend in all the brains at 2, 7 and 16 days of treatment. In particular, a considerable reduction in GFAP-positive fibres, with a different course, was observed in the ventricle areas and at the pial surface and in blood vessels after 16 days. Our experiments also showed a structural and chemical alteration of myelin and upregulation of mpz mRNA levels, the oligodendrocyte gene that is upregulated in experiments of neuronal injury, but not of plp1 and mbp mRNA levels, other myelin structural genes. These data confirm the toxic action of cadmium on the zebrafish brain. This action is time-dependent and involves the glial cells, key components of the protection and function of nerve cells, hence the basis for many neurological diseases. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Histological and hormonal changes in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) after exposure to environmental cocaine concentration

The aim of this study was the assessment of histological and hormonal changes induced in the European eel from environmental concentrations of cocaine. Silver eels were exposed to 20 ng L(-1) of cocaine during 50 days; at the same time, control, vehicle control and two post-exposure recovery groups (3 and 10 days) were made. The general morphology of the skin and the intestine, and the plasma levels of prolactin, cortisol and dopamine were evaluated. In the skin, cocaine decreased the number and size of mucous cells, increased the thickness of the epidermis and altered the club cells and the basal lamina. In the intestine, cocaine increased the thickness of the epithelium and the number of mucous cells and reactivated the structure of the intestine and of the intestinal musculature. Moreover, cocaine increased plasma prolactin, cortisol and dopamine levels. These results suggest that cocaine induced histological changes, directly and/or through the hormonal changes observed. Considering the complex life cycle of the eel, the changes induced by cocaine in the skin, the intestine and the endocrine system could threaten the ability of the eel to successfully migrate and reproduce.

New upper limit on strange quark matter abundance in cosmic rays with the PAMELA space experiment

In this work we present results of a direct search for strange quark matter (SQM) in cosmic rays with the PAMELA space spectrometer. If this state of matter exists it may be present in cosmic rays as particles, called strangelets, having a high density and an anomalously high mass-to-charge (A/Z) ratio. A direct search in space is complementary to those from ground-based spectrometers. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being potentially capable of directly identifying these particles, without any assumption on their interaction model with Earth's atmosphere and the long-term stability in terrestrial and lunar rocks. In the rigidity range from 1.0 to ∼1.0×10^{3}  GV, no such particles were found in the data collected by PAMELA between 2006 and 2009. An upper limit on the strangelet flux in cosmic rays was therefore set for particles with charge 1≤Z≤8 and mass 4≤A≤1.2×10^{5}. This limit as a function of mass and as a function of magnetic rigidity allows us to constrain models of SQM production and propagation in the Galaxy.

Patterns of CT lung injury and toxicity after stereotactic radiotherapy delivered with helical tomotherapy in early stage medically inoperable NSCLC

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate toxicity and patterns of radiologic lung injury on CT images after hypofractionated image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) delivered with helical tomotherapy (HT) in medically early stage inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

28 elderly patients (31 lesions) with compromised pulmonary reserve were deemed inoperable and enrolled to undergo SBRT. Patterns of lung injury based on CT appearance were assessed at baseline and during follow up. Acute (6 months or less) and late (more than 6 months) events were classified as radiation pneumonitis and radiation fibrosis (RF), respectively.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 4-20 months), 31 and 25 lesions were examined for acute and late injuries, respectively. Among the former group, 25 (80.6%) patients showed no radiological changes. The CT appearance of RF revealed modified conventional, mass-like and scar-like patterns in three, four and three lesions, respectively. No evidence of late lung injury was demonstrated in 15 lesions. Five patients developed clinical pneumonitis (four patients, grade 2 and one patient, grade 3, respectively), and none of whom had CT findings at 3 months post-treatment. No instance of symptomatic RF was detected. The tumour response rate was 84% (complete response + partial response). Local control was 83% at 1 year.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that HT-SBRT can be considered an effective treatment with a mild toxicity profile in medically inoperable patients with early stage NSCLC. No specific pattern of lung injury was demonstrated.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Our study is among the few showing that HT-SBRT represents a safe and effective option in patients with early stage medically inoperable NSCLC, and that it is not associated with a specific pattern of lung injury.