Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università dell'Insubria
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Efficacy of 4% 5-Fluorouracil Cream in the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Single-Center Experience
No full textBackground/Objectives: Actinic keratoses (AKs), also known as solar keratoses, are considered premalignant skin lesions that can evolve into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Among the available options, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) remains a cornerstone. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of our database of the non-melanoma skin cancer outpatient clinic. The main objective was to evaluate patients treated with 4% 5-FU cream for AK lesions. The efficacy of 4% 5-FU was evaluated retrospectively by measuring the percentage of patients who achieved complete clearance. A secondary efficacy measure was the percentage of partial clearance, defined as at least a 75% reduction in lesion count. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the safety of 4% 5-FU cream. Results: We included 150 patients clinically diagnosed with AK, treated with 4% 5-FU cream and evaluated 432 lesions. Complete clearance of lesions was observed in 138 patients (92%) with partial clearance in 12 patients (8%). At 12 months, the recurrence rate was 11%. Conclusions: Based on our analysis, 4% 5-FU cream is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for AKs, particularly in patients with extensive field cancerization. While local skin reactions are a natural part of its mechanism, they are manageable and do not outweigh clinical benefits
Amplitude symbolic analysis: a tool for the evaluation of the autonomic function complementary to traditional symbolic approach
Full text linkSymbolic analysis (SA) infers cardiac control from spontaneous stationary sequences of heart period (HP) by estimating the probability of symbolic pattern classes. Unfortunately, SA does not assess the fraction of HP variability associated with symbolic pattern families. This study proposes amplitude SA (ASA) accounting for absolute changes between consecutive HPs. ASA leverages uniform 6-bin quantization to symbolize HP, the delay embedding procedure to form length-3 symbolic patterns and a traditional strategy to group symbolic patterns into four classes families according to number and sign of variations between adjacent symbols. ASA computes the fraction of variance associated with symbolic pattern classes. ASA was applied to HP variability derived from: 1) healthy subjects during pharmacological challenges (n = 9; age: 25-46 yrs, 9 males); 2) healthy subjects during graded postural stimuli (n = 19; age: 21-48 yrs, 8 males); 3) Parkinson disease (PD) patients (n = 12; age: 55-79 yrs, 8 males) and matched healthy controls (n = 12; age: 58-72 yrs, 7 males). We computed both global and local ASA markers and we compared them with SA indexes. Over stationary HP series we found that: i) ASA provides a general method to decompose HP variance according to symbolic pattern classes; ii) ASA is useful to describe cardiac control; iii) ASA indexes are complementary to SA markers; iv) ASA emphasizes the link of HP variability markers expressed in absolute units with vagal control; v) global and local ASA approaches provide similar information. SA and ASA should be utilized concomitantly for a deeper characterization of cardiac control from spontaneous HP fluctuations
Subduction and Extrusion of an Ultra-High Pressure Oceanic Plate Interface (Lower Shear Zone, Monviso Massif, Western Alps)
No full textThe Lower Shear Zone (LSZ) of the Monviso Massif (Western Alps) constitutes a block-in-matrix remnant of the subduction plate interface, now tectonically emplaced into the Western Alpine orogenic belt. Here, we combine observations from cartographic to microscopic scales, focusing on garnet-bearing lithologies in both the mafic blocks and the serpentinite-metasedimentary matrix of the LSZ. Our study combines meso-to micro-scale study of different metamorphic foliations, identification of coesite in eclogitic garnets, geothermometry (Zr-in-rutile) and elastic geobarometry to constrain the LSZ activity during different stages of subduction and exhumation in the Alpine cycle. Garnet cores preserve a relict foliation related to the early stage of subduction along the plate interface, and it is restricted to the weaker metasedimentary layers. Both blocks and matrix within the LSZ record ultrahigh-pressure eclogite-facies conditions within the coesite stability field. This peak stage is also accompanied by the development of a high-pressure main foliation. During the early tectonic exhumation, favored by the return flow in the subduction channel, a fully transpositive, composite eclogite-facies foliation developed along the interface. Increasing viscosity contrast within the multi-layered plate -interface shear zone promoted progressive strain partitioning, producing a subduction-m & eacute;lange fabric. In the late stage of exhumation, the LSZ acts as the extraction-roof fault of an extruding wedge, and return-flow displacement is accommodated by progressive self-localizing tectonic disruption
“L’autrice dell’Odissea”: autorialità e personaggi femminili nella concezione di Butler
No full textHealth risks of pristine and leached polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics: an in vitro study on human dental pulp stem cells
Full text linkThe toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic life is well documented, yet limited
information is available on their effects in humans; moreover, most in vitro nanotoxicology
studies rely on cancer cells. This study examined the effects of pristine and aged polystyrene
micro- and nanoparticles on human dental pulp stem cells. While both particle sizes were
internalized by the cells, primarily through endocytosis, they did not affect cell viability.
In contrast, leachates from particles, aged for one month in culture medium, significantly
reduced viability, indicating that toxicity arises from degradation byproducts rather than the
particles themselves. Atomic force microscopy confirmed surface changes in aged plastics.
Both particle sizes disorganized the cytoskeleton, leading to reduced actomyosin cortex
integrity. Gene expression analysis revealed that leachates and aged particles activated
inflammatory pathways, markedly increasing IL-8 and TGF-β1 expression, while also
decreasing SOD levels associated with oxidative stress. No notable effects were observed
on genes related to stemness or senescence. These results suggest that, while pristine
micro- and nanoplastics may be relatively inert, their degradation products pose greater
toxicological risks to human health. The findings highlight the importance of considering
leachate toxicity in plastic pollution studies and demonstrate the value of stem cell-based
models for evaluating the cellular and molecular impacts of environmental contaminants
on human health
THE NEED FOR BRAKES: A FIELD-BASED INSIGHT INTO DECELERATION DEFICIT IN YOUTH FOOTBALL
No full textPurpose: Acceleration and deceleration are key components of
football performance. While sprint ability often develops early in
youth athletes, braking capacity may not develop in parallel, potentially
leading to a neuromuscular imbalance between propulsive and
braking abilities. This study investigated the association between
sprint and deceleration ability, and biological maturation in U15
football players.
Methods: Thirty-two U15 male football players (age:
14.5 ± 0.3 years) were assessed for linear sprint performance over
10 m and 15 m distances and underwent an on-field deceleration test
to calculate the deceleration deficit (DD) 1. Maturity offset (MO) and
age at peak height velocity (APHV) were estimated using the Mirwald’s
equation. Based on 10 m sprint times, athletes were divided
into tertiles (faster, moderate, and slower) for group comparisons.
Pearson’s correlations and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)
with Tukey’s post-hoc tests were used to examine relationships
between sprint time, DD, and maturation variables. A simple linear
regression was also conducted to evaluate whether sprint performance
could predict DD.
Results: DD showed a significant negative correlation with 10 m
sprint time (r = – 0.566, p\0.001), but no with MO and APHV. The
one-way ANOVA revealed that slower players had significantly lower
DD than both moderate (p = 0.012) and faster (p = 0.006) groups. No
difference was found between faster and moderate athletes
(p = 0.978). Linear regression confirmed that sprint time significantly predicted DD (b = – 0.566, p\0.001), explaining 32% of its variance
(R2 = 0.321).
Conclusions: Faster young players tend to exhibit higher deceleration
ability, independently of biological maturation. These findings highlight
a neuromuscular mismatch between propulsive and braking
abilities, underscoring the need for brakes in U15 youth football
players through targeted deceleration-focused training.
References: Clarke R, Read PJ, De Ste Croix MBA, Hughes JD. The
Deceleration deficit: a novel field-based method to quantify deceleration
during change of direction performance. J Strength Cond Res.
2022;36(9):2434–2439
Il palazzo di Odisseo: ricostruzioni tra mito e archeologia
No full textIndaga le ricostruzioni del palazzo reale di Odisseo, a partire
dai passi del poema epico che forniscono una descrizione della
struttura architettonica e degli interni, per poi giungere alle scoperte archeologiche dei probabili edifici afferibili alla reggia nei
siti di Itaca, Cefalonia e Aghios Athanasios
Smart screening of durum wheat: a comparative study of NIR portable sensors for protein and moisture content
Full text linkDurum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) is a strategic crop for the Italian agro-industrial sector, where rapid, non-destructive assessment of protein and moisture content is crucial for quality evaluation and processing performance. Portable Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrometers provide a promising approach for in-field and in-line analyses, overcoming limitations of conventional laboratory methods. This study evaluates two portable devices, NeoSpectra Scanner and PoliSPEC-NIR, for predicting protein and moisture in intact durum wheat kernels. Over 100 samples from various Italian regions were analyzed using different acquisition modes, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models were developed and externally validated to predict protein content and moisture in samples. Both sensors demonstrated satisfactory predictive capabilities, with higher accuracy for protein and best results achieved by PoliSPEC-NIR in scanning mode (RMSEP 0.35 g/100 g for protein content prediction and 0.21 g/100 g for moisture prediction). Acquisition mode and surface coverage significantly influenced model robustness, highlighting the need for standardized measurement protocols. These findings support the operational feasibility of miniaturized NIR spectrometers for rapid, non-destructive quality monitoring along the durum wheat value chain
In situ flip osteotomy bone block: an alternative bone graft harvesting site proposal for anterior maxillary bone defects. A case report at 3-year follow-up
No full textBackground: This article describes a novel approach for the reconstruction of vertical and horizontal bone defects in the anterior maxilla that involves the use of an autogenous block graft harvested and rotated from the same surgical site. A case with a 3-year follow-up, featuring a vertical-horizontal bone deficiency, is presented as an example. Case presentation: A bone deficiency is presented at the 2.2 position. Through the use of a piezoelectric instrument, a bone block apical to the defect is harvested. The osteotomy produces a preoperatively planned volume and shape of the bone block, which is then perfected, flipped upside down and fixed using osteosynthesis screws, with the thickest portion in the crestal area. The reconstruction provided sufficient volume for the implant rehabilitation. After 3.5 years, bone remodelling appears contained; the horizontal volume is maintained. Conclusions: When residual anatomy appears eligible for this approach, this technique may represent an alternative to ectopic bone harvesting, thus reducing the patient’s discomfort and surgical invasiveness