IRIS Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
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The Role of Nursing Diagnoses in Enhancing Prognostic Accuracy in Home-Based Cancer Care: Insights From a Retrospective Cohort Study
Full text linkAims: To (1) describe the characteristics of patients with advanced cancer receiving home-based care, (2) identify the nursing diagnoses associated with 6-month mortality and (3) explore the predictive power of nursing diagnoses on 6-month mortality for patients with an advanced cancer diagnosis. Background: Nursing diagnoses have been shown to capture the complexity of patients' experiences and the specific nursing care related to patients' responses to illness, including increased mortality risk. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the relationship between nursing diagnoses and mortality among cancer patients receiving home-based care. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Between July 2021 and June 2023, patients with advanced cancer were consecutively admitted to a home-based care service. Medical data, prognostic indexes and nursing assessment data, including nursing diagnoses from NANDA International, assigned during the first home visit, were extracted from patient health records. Survival analysis was performed over the first 6 months using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Among 344 enrolled patients, the most frequent nursing diagnoses were chronic pain and constipation. The 45.9% of patients died at home within 6 months after discharge. Multivariate Cox regression identified a Palliative Prognostic Index ≥ 5, palliative status, terminal phase of illness and two nursing diagnoses-imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements and death anxiety-as significant predictors of 6-month mortality. Conclusions: Survival in advanced cancer patients receiving home care was primarily predicted by the terminal phase of illness, Palliative Prognostic Index, palliative status and two specific nursing diagnoses: imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements and death anxiety. Reporting method: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study. Patient or public contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution
Non-destructive assessment of crystallographic texture and mechanical behaviour in AZ31 magnesium alloys via pulsed laser thermography
No full textThis paper investigates the use of pulsed laser spot thermography as a non-destructive technique to evaluate mechanical properties and crystallographic texture changes in AZ31 magnesium alloys after thermal treatment. Eight AZ31 specimens were studied in two metallurgical conditions: three as-received (H24 tempered) and five annealed at 450°C for 10,000 seconds. Thermal diffusivity was measured non-destructively using laser spot thermography, while standard destructive methods provided hardness and grain size values for reference. Results highlighted an unexpected reduction in thermal diffusivity (around 18%) after annealing, despite a notable increase in grain size (approximately 75%) and a corresponding decrease in hardness (13%). Statistical analysis showed a clear negative correlation between grain size and thermal diffusivity (R = –0.907, p < 0.01), along with a moderate positive correlation between hardness and diffusivity (R = 0.745, p < 0.05). Unlike in steels, where increased grain size usually corresponds to higher thermal conductivity, the observed diffusivity decrease in AZ31 is likely due to microstructural complexities such as texture evolution, lattice distortions, and secondary phases. The study demonstrates–for the first time–that pulsed laser thermography effectively captures microstructural changes related to mechanical behaviour and crystallographic orientation in magnesium alloys, offering a rapid, non-destructive, and reliable alternative to traditional characterisation methods
Towards Ethical Prompt Engineering for Generative AI in SE: Limitations, Challenges and Research Roadmap
No full textOltre la tensione individuo-società. Il processo di empowerment come chiave di rigenerazione del legame sociale.
Full text linkPer oltre un secolo, il rapporto tra vissuto individuale e dimensione sociale è stato oggetto di un cruciale e approfondito dibattito nell’ambito della disciplina sociologica, poiché implica la comprensione del ruolo che i condizionamenti sociali esercitano sul comportamento della persona, sollevando così la questione di quanto le nostre azioni sia-no frutto di scelte libere o piuttosto influenzate da strutture esterne. Non si tratta, tuttavia, di riproporre la vecchia e sterile opposizione tra individuo e società, che costituirebbe una sorta di impasse concettuale, ma di esplorare le molteplici modalità attraverso cui le dinamiche sociali e le esperienze individuali si intrecciano nel processo di empowerment della persona e, in particolare, nel processo di empowerment femminile. Il volume propone di considerare l’empowerment come un processo multidimensionale, complesso e dinamico, che si configura al contempo come riconoscimento e azione. Tale processo è concepito come bidirezionale, progressivo ed evolutivo, nonché intrinsecamente relazionale e orientato al cambiamento. Inizialmente sono stati evidenziati i tratti salienti di alcune categorie tradizionali della teoria sociologica, mettendo in luce intuizioni rilevanti ma anche limiti e contraddizioni rispetto al rapporto individuo-società. L’attenzione poi è stata spostata sulla sociologia contemporanea nei nodi dell’attualità, per interpretare i cambiamenti sociali, culturali e politici legati al tema. Infine, attraverso l’indagine empirica, sono state esplorate le diverse forme di interazione tra contesti sociali ed esperienze soggettive all’interno del processo di empowerment femminile, anche per sollecitarne una più efficace applicabilità empirica
Annual level changes of serum neuronal and glial biomarkers in a German professional football club
Full text linkBackground Professional football players (PFP) experience repeated mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and have an increased long-term dementia risk. We aimed to assess annual level changes of blood neuronal (neurofilament light chain, NfL) and astroglial (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) biomarkers in PFPs over 2 years. Methods We measured with commercial immunoassays NfL and GFAP concentrations n = 129 serum samples obtained from n = 43 male PFPs playing for a German professional football team. Samples were collected at five time points over 2 years and before/after an index match. Associations between blood markers and potential sources of neuronal damage, such as intense physical activity, injuries, and headers, were tested. Results Serum NfL and GFAP concentrations in PFPs were significantly different at repeated measurements (p < 0.001) but were not associated with metrics of physical activity, total time of physical activity, total number of headers, and headers-per-match. After injuries with mild TBI, serum NfL and GFAP increased and returned to normal levels within few days. Before and after an index match, serum levels of NfL and GFAP were not significantly different, nor they were significantly associated with physical activity and headers. Discussion Serum NfL and GFAP may be used to monitor PFP over time. Repeated headers and intense physical activity in PFPs seem to be safe on a neurochemical level
A classification of module braces over the ring of -adic integers
No full textIn this paper we study the -braces such that is cyclic, where is the ring of -adic integers and is the product of the commutative and -nilpotent -algebra associated to . In particular, we give a classification up to isomorphism in the torsion-free case and up to isoclinism in the torsion case. More precisely, the isomorphism classes and the isoclinism classes of such algebras are in correspondence with particular equivalence classes of the bilinear forms defined starting from the products of the algebras
Ki67 as a proliferation marker: A study on odontogenic keratocysts and radicular cysts
Full text linkKi67 as a proliferation marker plays a critical role in assessing cellular activity in various pathological tissues, including cystic lesions. Odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) and radicular cysts (RCs) are two common types of jaw cysts that exhibit distinct biological behaviors, particularly in their proliferative patterns. OKCs are known for their aggressive nature and high recurrence rate, while RCs are typically less aggressive and exhibit lower recurrence risk. By evaluating the expression of Ki67, a nuclear protein linked to cell proliferation, researchers can gain valuable insights into the growth potential and recurrence tendencies of these cysts. The study involved analyzing 32 biopsy samples from patients with OKCs and RCs, using immunohistochemical techniques to assess Ki67 expression levels. These samples were surgically removed and prepared for histological examination, with Ki67-positive cells quantified in both basal and suprabasal layers of the cystic epithelium. The findings revealed that OKCs exhibited a higher concentration of Ki67-positive cells in the basal layers, while RCs showed proliferative activity in both basal and suprabasal layers. This differential pattern highlights the more aggressive proliferative behavior of OKCs. The statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in Ki67 expression between the two cyst types, underscoring the importance of this marker in differentiating OKCs from RCs. The confined expression of Ki67 in the basal layer of OKCs, as opposed to the broader distribution in RCs, suggests that OKCs have a higher proliferative potential, contributing to their increased recurrence rates
