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Corticosteroid and antimicrobial therapy in macrolide-resistant pneumococcal pneumonia porcine model
No full textBackgroundStreptococcus pneumoniae, a primary cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), is typically treated with beta-lactams and macrolides or quinolones. Corticosteroids are now recommended as adjunctive therapy in severe CAP to improve outcomes. In this prospective randomized animal study, we evaluated the bactericidal efficacy of various antibiotic regimens combined with corticosteroids using a porcine pneumococcal pneumonia model.ResultsIn 30 White-Landrace female pigs, pneumonia was induced by intrabronchial inoculation of macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae 19A isolate. Animals were randomized to receive saline, ceftriaxone (CRO) with levofloxacin (LVX), CRO with azithromycin (AZM), or combinations of these with methylprednisolone (MP). The primary outcome, S. pneumoniae concentrations in lung tissue after 48 h of treatment, showed that the CRO + LVX, CRO + AZM, CRO + LVX + MP, and CRO + AZM + MP groups were equally effective in reducing bacterial load. However, complete bacterial eradication from lung tissue was achieved only in the CRO + AZM + MP group. Secondary outcomes, including bacterial burden in tracheal aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples, showed similar bactericidal activity across all treatment groups. The CRO + AZM + MP group demonstrated the most controlled inflammatory response, achieving baseline levels of inflammation, while other groups exhibited elevated inflammatory markers.ConclusionsDespite using a macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae isolate, the combination of CRO, AZM, and MP achieves similar or even superior results compared to other antibiotic combinations. This regimen provides both bactericidal and immunomodulatory benefits, suggesting its effectiveness in treating macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae pneumonia
A Non-parametric Approach to Exploring and Quantifying the Information Flow in Human-Robot Collaboration
No full textOvercoming the Short‐Wave Infrared Barrier in the Photoluminescence of Amino‐As‐Based InAs Quantum Dots
No full textAgroCities, Adaptive Cities: dalla rivoluzione del cibo all'evoluzione digitale
No full textNegli ultimi 50 anni il territorio antropizzato ha subito un profondo processo di trasformazione al fine di allinearsi alle politiche globali e rispondere alle esigenze della società contemporanea, primo fra tutti il bisogno primario di cibo. Dalla rivoluzione verde all’agricoltura urbana, il contesto urbano e peri-urbano si è evoluto verso vere e proprie AgroCities, questo rapporto ‘ruralità-urbanità’, con l’evoluzione tecnologica e l’avvio della digital trasformation, si è poi arricchito di nuove connotazioni (innovazione, creatività, sostenibilità), volte a ripensare il paradigma urbano della città proiettata al futuro. Il paper sintetizza questi processi di trasformazione utili a comprendere i fattori che hanno influenzato le città contemporanee e delineato i possibili scenari futuri
Formative Assessment in Upper Secondary Schools: Ideas, Concepts, and Strategies
No full textRecently, the European Commission issued a report on how to implement various assessment strategies in secondary schools. In particular, the Working Group on Schools emphasized the need to implement and balance assessment strategies that address both formative and summative aspects of learning. This study involves 716 Italian upper secondary teachers to highlight the ideas and concepts of formative assessment in Italian schools, to explore how teachers apply formative assessment strategies daily in their classrooms, and to understand whether formative assessment strategies support students’ learning processes. Through an analysis of quantitative and qualitative survey data collected during the school year of 2023–2024, the study explores the strategies used and strengths and weaknesses experienced by the teachers while applying formative assessment in classrooms. While the findings show that upper secondary teachers have heterogeneous and dissimilar ideas regarding formative assessments, they also indicate that using strategies based on feedback, self-assessment, Socratic methods, and metacognitive activities can foster students’ critical thinking and learning processes. Additionally, this study offers insights on how to create a meaningful link between summative and formative assessment procedures
Fused Filament Fabrication of Poly(l-Lactic Acid): A Thermal Analysis Approach to Optimize Processing Conditions
No full textFused filament fabrication (FFF) is an inexpensive and flexible additive manufacturing technology, widely used for thermoplastic polymers to produce parts with complex geometry. However, some thermoplastics may undergo thermal degradation upon FFF, with loss of material properties. This is the case of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), a biodegradable and bio-based semicrystalline polyester, largely used in FFF. For the temperature-sensitive polymers, FFF processing should be optimized, to limit as much as possible thermal degradation. In this work, the minimum temperature and time needed to melt PLLA, thus the best conditions to limit thermal degradation, have been determined by calorimetry. The attained results were used to produce 3D printed parts using a PLLA filament: the analysis of the effect of nozzle temperature and extrusion rate (the main processing parameters linked to polymer melting kinetics) on the thermal properties of the printed parts confirmed the need of proper setting of the melting conditions to optimize properties of FFF 3D printed products. Modeling and simulation of flow and temperature fields inside the liquefier, accounting for the filament melting, are also proposed and used to evaluate the molten fraction in several printing conditions
1158. Silene cordifolia All.
No full textSilene cordifolia is illustrated and discussed. It is a paleoendemic species growing in cliff cracks and boulders on granites and gneiss of the Maritime and Ligurian Alps (NW Italy). In this area the species is one of the main hosts of the Owlet Moth Hadena clara (Noctuide, Lepidoptera). A detailed description of S. cordifolia is provided, including
notes on its cytology and habitat. Despite its narrow distribution and its occurrence in few habitats it has no particular threats, and its conservation status is Least
Concern
Validity and reliability of the Home Health Care Survey of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System (HHCAHPS) tool: a multicentre cross-sectional study
No full textIntroduction. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of the Home Health Care Survey of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System (HHCAHPS) in the Italian context. Methods. This is a secondary analysis of data from the AIDOMUS-IT study. A total of 9,780 patients cared for by home healthcare services completed the HHCAHPS along with a measure of satisfaction for the care received. Structural validity was assessed with a confirmatory analytical approach (CFA). Construct validity was ascertained via hypothesis testing (convergent validity) by correlating the HHCAHPS scores with the scores derived from the measure of patient satisfaction for care. Internal consistency was assessed with the Omega (ω) coefficient. Results. Structural validity was confirmed, with satisfactory fit indices of the CFA model specified according to the conceptualized three-factor structure (“care of patients”, “communication with the providers”, and “specific care issues”). Construct validity was confirmed with moderate correlations between the level of satisfaction for care and the factors “communication with the providers” (r = 0.39, p < 0.001), “care of patients” (r = 0.34, p < 0.001), and “specific care issues” (r = 0.19, p < 0.001). Internal consistency was satisfactory for the “specific care issues” factor (ω = 0.81), while it was at the threshold of acceptability for the other factors (ω = 0.60-0.62). Conclusions. This study shows that the HHCAHPS is valid and sufficiently reliable when tested on the Italian population. Therefore, this tool can be supportive for promoting research and designing interventions to promote patient-centered care within home healthcare settings
Fourier convolutional decoder: reconstructing solar flare images via deep learning
No full textReconstructing images from observational data is a complex and time-consuming process, particularly in astronomy, where traditional algorithms like CLEAN require extensive computational resources and expert interpretation to distinguish genuine features from artifacts, especially without ground truth data. To address these challenges, we developed the Fourier convolutional decoder (FCD), a custom-made overcomplete autoencoder trained on simulated data with available ground truth. This enables the network to generate outputs that closely approximate expected ground truth. The model’s versatility was demonstrated on both simulated and observational datasets, with a specific application to data from the spectrometer/telescope for imaging X-rays (STIX) on the solar orbiter. In the simulated environment, FCD’s performance was evaluated using multiple-image reconstruction metrics, demonstrating its ability to produce accurate images with minimal artifacts. For observational data, FCD was compared with benchmark algorithms, focusing on reconstruction metrics related to Fourier components. Our evaluation found that FCD is the fastest imaging method, with runtimes on the order of milliseconds. Its computational cost is comparable to the most efficient reconstruction algorithm and 280× faster than the slowest imaging method for single-image reconstruction on a CPU. Additionally, its runtime can be reduced by an order of magnitude for multiple-image reconstruction on a GPU. FCD outperforms or matches state-of-the-art methods on simulated data, achieving a mean MS-SSIM of 0.97, LPIPS of 0.04, PSNR of 35.70 dB, a Dice coefficient of 0.83, and a Hausdorff distance of 5.08. Finally, on experimental STIX observations, FCD remains competitive with top methods despite reduced performance compared to simulated data