IRIS Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
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Measurement of PDE5 concentration in human serum: proof-of-concept and validation of methodology in control and prostate cancer patients
Full text linkPurpose: We aimed to investigate if the type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5), an enzyme with cardinal biological functions in sexual and cardiovascular health, can be detected and quantited in human serum. Methods: Blood samples were collected from control male and female subjects. PDE5 levels were measured by a specific ELISA kit. ROC curves weighted for age and serum levels of PSA (male subjects), or age (female subjects) were used to identify the predictive ability in the detection of PCa. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values were determined for cut-off value determined during ROC curve analysis. Results: 41 control male subjects, 18 control female subjects, and 55 consecutive subjects, of which 25 were affected by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and 30 with histologically confirmed prostate cancer (PCa), were studied. PDE5 serum levels were detectable in all subjects (range: 5 to 65 ng/ml). Analysis by MANCOVA identified a significant difference in serum PDE5 between control subjects or hyperplasia patients and PCa patients. Marginal means of serum PDE5 concentrations showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). The ROC curve demonstrated that PDE5 serum levels can predict men with or without PCa, with 0.806 AUC value (p < 0.0001). Using a 12.705 ng/ml PDE5 serum cut-off yielded sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 83.3%, 77.27%, 62.5%, and 91.1% in detecting men with histologically proven PCa, respectively. Conclusions: We demonstrated, for the first time, that PDE5 levels can be detected in human sera and that PCa patients have significantly higher PDE5 concentration compared to BPH patients or male and female controls. While serum PDE5 level measurement may open new research avenues, the clinical relevance of PDE5 levels in PCa patients deserves further investigation
Strengthening all-of-society approaches for disaster resilient societies: a European research agenda
No full textTrust, Trustworthiness and the Moral Dimension in human-AI Interactions
Full text linkThe growing use of Autonomous Agents (AAs) in both private and public sectors raises crucial questions about trust. As AI systems take on increasingly complex tasks and decisions, their interactions with human agents (HAs) raise questions about the relevance and applicability of traditional philosophical concepts of trust and trustworthiness (sections 1 and 2). In this paper, I will explore the nuances of trust in AAs, arguing against both the complete dismissal of trust as misplaced (section 4) and the application of “genuine” trust frameworks (section 5). My aim is to lay the groundwork for the understanding that the moral complexity of interactions with AAs goes beyond the mere reliance we place on inanimate objects (section 6)
Interpretation and management of T wave inversion in athletes: An expert opinion statement of the Italian Society of Sports Cardiology (SICSPORT)
Full text linkT wave inversion (TWI) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) is a relatively common finding in athletes. It poses a diagnostic challenge, as it can indicate either a benign physiological pattern or an early sign of serious cardiac pathology. This expert opinion statement provides a comprehensive review of the current understanding of TWI in athletes, emphasizing the importance of its localization, associated clinical features, and demographic factors in guiding its interpretation and management. We explore the potential causes of TWI, including physiological adaptations such as the juvenile pattern and training-induced repolarization variants, as well as pathological conditions like cardiomyopathies, ion channel diseases, and other cardiac abnormalities. Additionally, we discuss the implications of TWI in different ECG leads—anterior, inferior, and lateral—and the diagnostic work-up needed to exclude underlying disease. The importance of follow-up in athletes with TWI is highlighted, particularly for young athletes, to monitor the potential development of cardiomyopathy. Finally, we address considerations for sports eligibility in athletes with TWI, stressing the need for a balanced approach that ensures athlete safety without imposing unnecessary restrictions and investigations
Serum hepcidin evaluation as a promising biomarker in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
No full textObjectives: An important area of research in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) aims to identify sensitive and reliable biomarkers of disease activity. The key iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin-25 (HEP) has been advocated as a potential biomarker to assess anaemia of chronic disease and iron deficiency in adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study evaluating the utility of serum HEP in 79 non-systemic onset JIA patients (14 males, 65 females), with/without anaemia, determining its correlations with disease activity, assessed by the JIA Disease Activity Score (JADAS)-27, anaemia parameters, and iron status indices. Results: Significant positive correlations for serum HEP levels were found with the JADAS-27 score (r=0.8988, p<0.0001), and significant differences were found in HEP serum levels between active and inactive patients (8.6 IQR 10.0 ng/mL vs. 2.9 IQR 1.9 ng/mL; p<0.0001). Mean serum HEP concentrations were significantly greater in high disease activity group than in others (p<0.0001). At the ROC curve, an HEP level >4.35 ng/mL discriminated subjects with active disease with a sensitivity of 91.8% and a specificity of 80.0% (AUC: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88-0.98). Moreover, HEP levels were significantly higher in anaemic, iron repleted and active disease patients. Conclusions: HEP is associated with JIA disease activity, and it could be useful in early detection and monitoring of disease exacerbations. These findings highlight that inflammation plays a major role in HEP induction and point out that HEP could be directly implicated in the JIA inflammatory cascade
Per una critica hauntologica del fumetto: spettri, precarietà e futuri perduti nel fumetto italiano contemporaneo
No full textThe present research aims to propose a systematic study of a corpus of contemporary Italian comics under the aesthetic lens of spectrality and hauntology, to investigate the aesthetic-representational modes through which the texts elaborate and conceptualize an inherently contemporary absence such as that of the future. It will be shown, in fact, how the cultural imaginary of our era has seen a progressive removal of futuribles horizons, in response to endemic phenomena of precariousness (laboral, economic, relational and existential). This absence leaves a deep mark on the contemporary imaginary, which seeks tools to represent and elaborate it: the spectre, as a metaphorical figure, indeed conceptualizes the return of a future that was considered lost, and thus stands as a key ontological presence to narrate and interpret the contemporary. Building on Jacques Derrida's early theorizations of hauntology, later reworked by Mark Fisher, the present research proposes an actualization of the theoretical framework related to the “ontology of the spectral” and its application to the comics medium. The latter proves to be particularly suited to be analyzed in the light of spectral aesthetics, both because of its porosity towards the contemporary imaginary and because of its medial specificities, its multimodal semiotic functions and the sense-making dynamics. These involve, at various levels, a continuous dialectic between presence and absence. This work will thus build an original methodology of analysis that focuses on the dialogue between comics, the imaginary and the most significant instances of our present, resulting in an investigation of the possibilities of negotiation that the comics medium can propose of the spaces and times of the contemporary through its aesthetics.
Enhancing defect detection in active infrared thermography using adaptive background suppression techniques
No full textRecent advancements in dimensionality reduction techniques have significantly contributed to the field of active infrared thermography (AIRT) for defect detection, aiding in data processing and feature extraction. Among these techniques, principal component thermography (PCT) and deep autoencoder thermography (DAT) are particularly notable. PCT is based on conventional linear multivariate analysis, while DAT leverages deep learning paradigms to better handle nonlinearity. These methods consolidate defect information from multiple thermograms into a concise set of feature images, enhancing the visibility of subsurface material defects. However, these feature images often suffer from disturbances, particularly non-uniform backgrounds caused by uneven heating in AIRT experiments. Such interferences can obscure defect information, necessitating further post-processing. In our research, we explore the efficacy of Adaptive Iteratively Reweighted Penalized Least Squares (AIR-PELS) as a refinement technique for PCT and DAT, focusing on background suppression. The adaptive iterative weighting with PELS smoothing effectively reduces noise and removes background disturbances. Case studies involving carbon fiber-reinforced polymer samples with inherent defects demonstrate the effectiveness of this post-processing approach
High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and their impact on outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy
Full text linkBackground: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is traditionally considered protective in cardiovascular disease, but its role in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains unclear, particularly in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). This study aimed to assess the association between HDL-C levels and clinical outcomes in AIS patients treated with MT for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO). Methods: We conducted a multicentre, observational, post-hoc analysis of AIS patients treated with MT between January 2016 and March 2023 across three stroke centres. HDL-C levels at admission were categorized, and outcomes included 90-day functional dependence (mRS 3-6), symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH), haemorrhagic transformation, and 90-day mortality. We used logistic regression with restricted cubic splines to define an HDL-C threshold associated with increased risk and applied inverse probability weighting (IPW) to adjust for confounding. Results: Among 2,166 patients (median age 71 years; 52.3% female), HDL-C levels >1.33 mmol/L were independently associated with a higher risk of poor functional outcome at 90 days (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.55-1.90), increased odds of sICH (RR 2.3, 95% CI 1.64-3.12), and higher mRS shift (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.79-2.46). Subgroup analyses revealed significant sex-specific differences, with women at greater risk of adverse outcomes at higher HDL-C levels. Conclusions: Elevated HDL-C levels (>1.33 mmol/L) are associated with worse functional outcomes and increased haemorrhagic complications following MT for anterior circulation AIS