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Musculoskeletal manifestations in children with inflammatory bowel disease: a multicenter cohort study (GASTROREUM study)
No full textBackground: Musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms are the most common extra-articular manifestations of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel diseases (pIBD), and are associated with a more aggressive disease course. This study aims to characterize MSK manifestations in patients with pIBD, and to seek for predictors of persistently active arthritis one year after pIBD diagnosis. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted at 25 Italian pediatric rheumatology centers. Patients aged < 18 years with pIBD and MSK manifestations, followed for at least one year, were included. Data at onset of first MSK symptom, pIBD diagnosis, and one-year follow-up visit following pIBD diagnosis were collected. Results: A total of 180 patients were included, 111 (61.7%) with Crohn’s disease (CD), 55 (30.5%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 14 (7.8%) with unclassified IBD (IBDU). Arthralgia (72.8%) and arthritis (69.4%), were the most frequent MSK manifestations. Patients with CD had MSK symptoms prior to pIBD diagnosis more frequently than those with UC/IBDU (51.4% vs. 40.6%). Among the 125 patients with arthritis, 76.8% had peripheral arthritis, 14.4% had axial disease, and 8.8% had both peripheral and axial involvement. The most common articular pattern was oligoarthritis (52.0%), followed by monoarthritis (26.4%) and polyarthritis (21.6%). The most frequently affected joints were the knee, ankle, and hip. On multivariable analysis, antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity (OR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.05 – 8.89) and a polyarticular course of arthritis (OR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.13–10.38) were independently associated with persistence of active arthritis at year 1 after pIBD diagnosis. Conclusions: Most patients with pIBD and arthritis presented with peripheral oligoarthritis affecting lower limb joints. A positive ANA status and development of polyarthritis predicted sustained arthritis activity
Intervista a Roberto Chieppa: Mercato interno, golden power e autonomia strategica europea: quale equilibrio?
No full textThe interview continues a dialogue focused on the evolution of the European economic model and the complex interplay between market freedom, social cohesion, and strategic sovereignty. It is situated within the framework of the discussions promoted by Unione europea e Diritti, which seek to convene authoritative contributions from both academic and institutional actors on issues of pivotal significance for the future of the European project
Defense mechanisms, big five traits, and resilience in cancer: An exploratory, hypothesis-generating pilot study
No full textIntroduction: Psychological adaptation to cancer is thought to reflect the joint influence of dispositional traits and defensive functioning on resilience and trauma- related symptoms.
Objective: This pilot study explores associations among Big Five traits, defense mechanisms, psychological resilience, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in adult oncology patients.
Methods: Sixteen consecutively recruited patients with histologically confirmed cancer completed validated self-report measures: 10-item big five inventory (personality), defense mechanisms rating scales–self-report (30-item, assessing overall defensive functioning and defense levels/mechanisms), 14-item resilience scale (resilience), and impact of event scale–revised (PTSS). Primary analyses estimated Spearman’s ρ with bias-corrected and accelerated 95% confidence intervals; family- wise error was controlled using Holm adjustment (two-tailed α = 0.05).
Results: After controlling for multiple comparisons, no associations remained statistically significant, and confidence intervals were wide.
Conclusion: Findings are hypothesis-generating and consistent with a psychodynamically informed, multidimensional model in which defensive style and personality dispositions shape resilience and PTSS. Definitive inferences require larger, prospectively characterized cohorts, psychometrically stronger trait measures, and multivariate modeling (e.g., structural equation modeling), with pre-registered analytic plans and longitudinal follow-up to test mechanism-focused interventions that target defense restructuring and resilience enhancement
Un diritto fondato sulla sfiducia: riflessioni sparse intorno al D.L. Sicurezza
No full textQuesto articolo inquadra il tema della sicurezza a partire dalla distinzione tra due modelli di diritto. Il primo modello, egemone nel pensiero moderno, considera il diritto come uno strumento per fronteggiare l’atavica sfiducia tra gli esseri umani. Esso mette al centro dell’esperienza giuridica la nozione di autorità e, più in generale, quella di potere e guarda ai rapporti giuridici come a rapporti gerarchici e verticali. Il secondo modello ritiene che l’esistenza del diritto presupponga che vi sia una certa fiducia tra i consociati. Esso pone invece l’accento sull’intersoggettività e sull’affidamento reciproco e considera il diritto come una pratica sociale prevalentemente costituita da una rete di rapporti “orizzontali”. Sarebbe un errore considerare questi due modelli di diritto come radicalmente alternativi fra loro. Il punto è capire quale modello sia prevalente all’interno di una determinata comunità. È abbastanza evidente che oggi il primo modello stia rapidamente recuperando terreno rispetto al secondo. E questo ha delle ricadute anche sul nostro modo di intendere la sicurezza.This paper examines the security issue from the distinction between two models of law. The first model, hegemonic in modern thought, views law as a tool to deal with the ancestral distrust between human beings. It places the notion of authority and, more generally, power at the centre of legal experience and views legal relations as hierarchical and vertical. The second model holds that the existence of law presupposes a certain amount of trust between citizens. It emphasises intersubjectivity and mutual trust and views law as a social practice mainly consisting of a network of “horizontal” relationships. It would be a mistake to regard these two law models as radically alternative. The point is to understand which model is prevalent within a given community. The former model is rapidly catching up with the latter today, affecting our understanding of security
Promoting Stakeholder Interaction to Facilitate Wildfire Management: Insights From a Case Study in Monreale, Sicily
No full textWildfires in Southern European Mediterranean regions, exacerbated by climatic conditions and human activity, pose significant threats to ecosystems and human well-being. Current fire management policies tend to prioritize fire exclusion, neglecting traditional land use practices and socio-ecological interactions underlying the human–fire relationship. Diverging from exclusion-dominated management paradigms is challenging due to entrenched beliefs and conflicting interests across local stakeholders. Developing effective fire management and characterizing the mechanisms driving wildfire frequency and severity requires understanding the interests of stakeholder groups, the historical and institutional context these emerged in, and their interactions with land use management practices. We examine the diverse narratives shaping fire management attitudes and policy in fire-prone regions at the urban–wildland interface with a long history of land use management conflict. We focus on Monreale, Sicily, a region characterized by frequent catastrophic wildfires. Employing a participatory approach with representatives of local authorities, government agencies, and civil society, we formalize diverse stakeholder perspectives on land use and fire management, revealing the socio-economic and political dimensions that contribute to deep-rooted conflicts. We provide insights into the role of local governance, social, and institutional complexities and highlight the need for cross-stakeholder collaboration to foster resilient and sustainable fire management
A novel de novo AP2M1 variant in a patient with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and unexpected hemiplegic migraine
No full textThe adaptor-related protein AP2 is a heterotetrameric complex
consisting of α, β, μ, and σ subunits, which plays a crucial role in
clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and especially in the retrieval
of synaptic vesicles at nerve terminals. 1 Interestingly, several stud-
ies have elucidated that CME of plasma membrane proteins con-
trols the neuronal surface expression of γ- aminobutyric acid and
glutamate receptors involved in long-term plastic changes in neuro-
transmission and excitatory/inhibitory balance.1 However, only five
individuals with AP2M1 mutations associated with neurodevelop -
mental disorders have been reported in the literature so far, 1,2 and
the few clinical data available suggest that AP2M1 mutations cause
a variable phenotype ranging from severe intellectual disability,
autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy to isolated global develop -
mental delay (GDD). We report an individual carrying a novel de
novo AP2M1 variant with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and unexpected hemiplegic
migraine (HM)
Consonanti occlusive sorde aspirate (VOT) in area siciliana. Prime evidenze
No full textThe fundamental historical features of Sicilian consonantism are well known.
However, studies on the allophonic variation of some of these consonants and their distribution within our island are much less frequent. With regard to voiceless plosives, it is well known that these are realised with positive VOT in some southern dialects (especially in the Salento peninsula and Calabria) and in the corresponding regional Italian. However, there is no reference whatsoever in the literature to the presence of voiced occlusives articulated with positive VOT even in various dialects and varieties of Italian spoken in central Sicily. Here, we simply aim to highlight the presence of this consonantal phenomenon by analysing the voiceless plosives produced – in different phonetic and prosodic contexts, in dialectal and Italian words – by two young people from Canicattì (AG), leaving aside for another time the investigations that would allow us to trace the Sicilian isogloss relating to this phonetic feature and analyse its possible diastratic and, above all, historical implications
Deciphering the Ce3+ to Ce4+ Evolution: Insight from X-ray Raman Scattering Spectroscopy at Ce N4,5 Edges
No full textCerium oxide, or ceria, (CeO2) is one of the most studied materials for its wide range of applications in heterogeneous catalysis and energy conversion technologies. The key feature of ceria is the remarkable oxygen storage capacity linked to the switch between Ce4+ and Ce3+ states, in turn creating oxygen vacancies. Changes in the electronic structure occur with oxygen removal from the lattice. Accordingly, the two valence electrons can be accommodated by the reduction of support cations where the electrons can be localized in empty f states of Ce4+ ions nearby due to small polaron hopping resulting in the formation of Ce3+. Quantifying the different oxidation states in situ is crucial to understand and model the reaction mechanism. Beside the different techniques that have been used to quantify Ce3+ and Ce4+ states, we discuss the use of X-ray Raman Scattering (XRS) spectroscopy as an alternative method. In particular, we show that XRS can observe the oxidation state changes of cerium directly in the bulk of the materials under realistic environmental conditions. The Hilbert++ code is used to simulate the XRS spectra and quantify accurately the Ce3+ and Ce4+ content. These results are compared to those obtained from in situ X-ray Diffraction (XRD) collected in parallel and the differences arising from the two different probes are discussed
Flow Resistance due to Aquatic Vegetation in Streams and Flumes
No full textAlthough several studies regarding flow resistance due to aquatic vegetation for small-and full-scale are available, the scaling of small-scale results to full-scale conditions still needs to be investigated. In this paper, a theoretical flow resistance equation for open channels was tested using literature measurements performed for full-scale field channels and small-scale experimental flumes with aquatic vegetation. At first, the relationship between the scale factor Γ of the velocity profile, the Froude number and the channel slope was calibrated by using 27 field measurements by Nikora et al. (2008). This relationship was also tested by 39 field experimental series by Okhravi et al. (2022). Then, the proposed relationship for estimating Γ was coupled with the theoretical flow resistance law to assess the performance in the estimate of the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor values. The results
demonstrated that the proposed approach gives a more accurate estimate of the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor as compared to that obtained applying the literature relationships. The relationship between Γ, the Froude number and the channel slope obtained for the field condition was recalibrated by flume data changing only the scale coefficient. The analysis demonstrated that, for known hydraulic conditions (slope, Froude number), for scaling the Γ values estimated by field data (streams, rivers), ΓF, to values corresponding to laboratory conditions (flumes) ΓL, a scale factor of 0.5356 must be used. In conclusion, comparing the same hydraulic conditions, streams or rivers are characterized by friction factor values approximately twice those of a laboratory flume