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Sollecitare il potenziale trasformativo dei percorsi di faculty development attraverso strategie di feedback
No full textNell'attuale epoca delle evidenze, la dimensione valutativa gioca un ruolo sempre più ampio e predominante (Beach et al., 2016). La raccolta di dati attraverso strategie di valutazione consente di individuare e definire traiettorie specifiche per lo sviluppo professionale dei docenti, delle comunità di apprendimento interessate a specifiche innovazioni didattiche e dell'istituzione universitaria in senso più ampio.
I programmi di Faculty Development (FD) basati su approcci inquiry-based possono essere configurati, in particolare, come percorsi di apprendimento sia personali, sia organizzativi che possono dare origine a un processo di responsabilità congiunta in termini di sviluppo professionale (Silva, 2022). Sebbene una molteplicità di centri di FD siano attivamente impegnati nel monitorare la partecipazione e la soddisfazione nei confronti dei programmi da loro erogati, ne stiano valutando l’impatto sulla pratica didattica, sull’apprendimento degli studenti e sul cambiamento culturale e che i faculty developers, spesso tale processo non trova spazio di implementazione. Questo nonostante si disponga ormai di una molteplicità di modelli di valutazione, criteri ed esempi su come valutare meglio la qualità, i risultati e l'impatto dei programmi
Limitations of hemolysis-based correction for potassium measurement in hemolyzed whole blood samples
No full textThis study was conducted to identify potential post-analytical corrections to adjust potassium values in whole blood hemolyzed samples using the novel GEM Premier 7000 blood gas analyzer, which features an integrated module for detecting hemolysis in whole blood. A strong linear relationship was observed between HI and percentage increase in potassium concentration in hemolyzed samples, described by the equation: [Potassium variation (%)] = 0.000857 × [HI] + 1.035279; this excellent correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.978, p < 0.001) was then applied to recalculate potassium concentrations in the hemolyzed samples. A curve-fitting based on a polynomial regression (quadratic model) was not useful to generate a significantly better correlation (r = 0.980). Bland–Altman analysis showed a minimal mean difference of 0.3 % between measured and corrected potassium values, with no statistically significant overall bias (p = 0.691). However, in 17.8 % of all samples, the corrected potassium concentration exceeded the EFLM minimum total allowable error of 7.4 % (the same rate increased to 18.9% using the best-fitting model). These results highlight the limitations of post-analytical correction methods of potassium values in hemolyzed whole blood samples
Premature skeletal muscle aging in VPS13A deficiency relates to impaired autophagy
Get PDFVPS13A disease (chorea-acanthocytosis), is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations of the VPS13A gene encoding Vps13A. Increased serum levels of the muscle isoform of creatine kinase associated with often asymptomatic muscle pathology are among the poorly understood early clinical manifestations of VPS13A disease. Here, we carried out an integrated analysis of skeletal muscle from Vps13a-/- mice and from VPS13A disease patient muscle biopsies. The absence of Vps13A impaired autophagy, resulting in pathologic metabolic remodeling characterized by cellular energy depletion, increased protein/lipid oxidation and a hyperactivated unfolded protein response. This was associated with defects in myofibril stability and the myofibrillar regulatory proteome, with accumulation of the myocyte senescence marker, NCAM1. In Vps13a-/- mice, the impairment of autophagy was further supported by the lacking effect of starvation alone or in combination with colchicine on autophagy markers. As a proof of concept, we showed that rapamycin treatment rescued the accumulation of terminal phase autophagy markers LAMP1 and p62 as well as NCAM1, supporting a connection between impaired autophagy and accelerated aging in the absence of VPS13A. The premature senescence was also corroborated by local activation of pro-inflammatory NF-kB-related pathways in both Vps13a-/- mice and patients with VPS13A disease. Our data link for the first time impaired autophagy and inflammaging with muscle dysfunction in the absence of VPS13A. The biological relevance of our mouse findings, supported by human muscle biopsy data, shed new light on the role of VPS13A in muscle homeostasis
First-line treatment of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia in Italy: A multicenter real-life study on 547 patients to evaluate the long-term efficacy and tolerability of different chemoimmunotherapy strategies
No full textwe report that the BR regimen remains a highly effective treatment option for untreated WM patients even in the era of BTKis. This regimen showed a high ORR and exhibited excellent PFS even when the initial bendamustine dose was reduced to 70 mg/m2 and dose intensity was decreased up to 30% from the initial dose. Only in case of a relative dose intensity reduction of >30%, the PFS of BR-treated patients was comparable to those treated with DRC. Age over 75 years and CrCl lower than 70 mmol/L were the main risk factors for this significant dose reduction. Patients with these characteristics are likely to benefit less from the BR regimen and should be considered for alternative treatments
Italian radiologists and dual-energy CT: a state of the art from a shared document by the computed tomography subspecialty section of the Italian society of radiology
Get PDFObjective: The main objective was to assess the geographical distribution and main areas of use of dual-energy CT (DECT) scanners in Italy prior to the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) within the Next Generation EU (NGEU) framework. Secondary objectives included the level of knowledge of DECT among radiologists and some possible solutions to maximize its use. Methods: Between February and March 2022, an anonymous questionnaire was conducted among the members of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM), using the Google form platform. Results: A total of 261 radiologists (mean age 41 ± 11.7 years) from 90 Italian cities participated in the questionnaire. 42% of them worked in an academic center, and diagnostic imaging was the main area of work for most participants (87%). Most radiologists had some knowledge gap, especially those who did not have a DECT scanner available in their hospital (48.3%). Weekly use of DECT protocols varied widely between centers. Oncological imaging (70.4%) was the main area of use. Radiologists use DECT to improve contrast resolution (65.9%), characterize materials (64.4%), and reduce the amount of contrast agent (60%). 91.1% of participants reported that DECT improved their diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion: DECT scanners have become increasingly available in Italy in recent years, and their number is expected to increase with the NRRP. There is a wide variation in their use and in the expertise of radiologists, leading to a huge untapped potential, that can be improved by specific training. A similar questionnaire will be conducted at the end of the NRRP in 2027
Investigating the carbon sequestration potential in vineyard soils – The SUSTAIN project
No full textThe SUSTAIN project aims at assessing the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and vulnerability in vineyard in a climate change scenario. The accumulation and stabilization mechanisms of SOC and its relative distribution between pools having a different turnover are investigated.
Three experimental vineyards located in the Valpolicella area (Veneto region, North of Italy) were investigated to understand of how parent material and plant cultivar interactively control SOC accumulation and stabilization. These sites were characterized by the same climatic conditions, and by soils developed from different parent materials.
Three additional study areas were also selected and, in each of them, a randomized block design, consisting of 3 blocks composed of 8 plots each, and two factors, i.e., digestate application (amendment, cover crop, bare soil) and climate manipulation (ambient temperature, warming), was set up. In order to increase the temperature by ~2 °C (SSP2-4.5), open top chambers (OTC) were used. Soil samples are collected at four times (i.e., after 0, 6, 12 and 18 months from the OTC placement) and at 3 depths (i.e., 0-15, 15-30, 30-45 cm), and characterized from the physical, chemical and biological point of view. SOC storage and potential vulnerability to climate change were achieved by separating SOC into functionally defined fractions, namely particulate (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). In fact, being more protected from microbial degradation by soil minerals, MAOM is generally expected to be less prone to disturbance compared to POM.
The results of this project will help implementing agro-environmental management practices supported by the new common agricultural policy (CAP), including carbon farming payment schemes based not only on the quantity of SOC stocked, but also on its turnover or susceptibility to global warming. Moreover, such a study will provide highlights on vineyard vulnerability and possible changes in wine quality in a climate change scenario
Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Terminological Neologism Management (NeoTerm 2025)
No full textThe European Network on Lexical Innovation (ENEOLI, COST Action 22126)1 organized the first edition of the International Workshop on Terminological Neologism Management (NeoTerm 2025)2, held on June 18th, 2025, in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event took place at the Aristotle University Research Dissemination Center and was co-located with the 4th International Conference on Multilingual Digital Terminology Today (MDTT 2025)3, which followed on June 19-20. The workshop brought together researchers and professionals from a wide range of disciplines– terminology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and information science– fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue around one of the most dynamic aspects of language: the creation and management of new terms. The central aim of NeoTerm 2025 was to explore the challenges and opportunities involved in collecting, describing, processing, and representing newly coined terms in language resources. The workshop welcomed a number of different perspectives, encouraging contributions that addressed both practical applications and theoretical reflections on neology
'Learning from Post COVID-19 condition for epidemic preparedness' - Author's reply
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Evaluation of aggrephagy markers in myofibrillar myopathies
Get PDFMyofibrillar Myopathies (MFMs) are a growing group of muscular disorders genetically determined, whose diagnosis is based on histological features as myofibrillar degeneration, Z-disk disorganization and protein aggregates' accumulation. Protein aggregates that do not fit the proteasome's narrow pore are targeted for removal via a specialized form of autophagy, called aggrephagy. Our study aims to investigate the potential pathogenic role of aggrephagy in 52 muscle samples from an Italian MFM multicentric cohort. We measured, the percentage of positive areas of key aggrephagy proteins by immunofluorescence staining, of sequestosome 1 (p62/SQSTM1), Neighbor of BRCA1 Gene 1 (NBR1), and ubiquitinated proteins (FK2) in 11 DES-, 6 DNAJB6-, 5 FLNC-, 18 MYOT- and 12 TTN-mutated patients. We showed that all aggrephagy markers are increased in these patients, regardless of the mutated genes, suggesting a possible common pathomechanism; no positive signal was found in healthy, age-matched controls. We analyzed the association between positivity levels of these markers, measured as percentage of positive areas, and selected clinical features utilizing generalized linear mixed models with gamma distribution as the probability model and center-specific random effects to better capture possible heterogeneity across participating centers. Our findings indicate significant associations between levels of p62, NBR1, and FK2 with age at biopsy (p62 and NBR1 p-values < 0.001, FK2 p-value < 0.05), age of onset (p62 and NBR1 p-values < 0.001, FK2 p-value < 0.01) and disease severity through Walton & Gardner-Medwin (WGM) score at biopsy (all p-values < 0.001) and at the last visit (all p-values < 0.05). Noteworthy, the aggrephagic pathway is mostly activated in MYOT-mutated patients compared to the other subgroups. Moreover, the association between aggrephagy and WGM score at biopsy is stronger in this subgroup. Overall, our study emphasizes the role of aggrephagy in MFMs across all patients, and its association with specific clinical parameters
Clinical, Microbiological, and Biochemical Outcomes of Hyaluronic Acid in Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textAim: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the adjunctive use of hyaluronic acid (HA) in non-surgical periodontal therapy to improve clinical outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis. The aim was to assess its effectiveness in reducing probing pocket depth (PPD), improving clinical attachment level (CAL), and decreasing bleeding on probing (BOP). Methods: Four electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Grey Literature) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until January 2025 and involving otherwise healthy patients treated with scaling and root planing (SRP) plus HA after at least 12 weeks of follow-up. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.0; data were collected on clinical assessment, microbiological, and biochemical analysis and then analyzed using a fixed-effects or random-effects model considering the high heterogeneity of the included studies, which calls for caution when interpreting the results. Results: Fourteen of the 21 RCTs reviewed underwent a meta-analysis. Compared with SRP alone, the addition of adjunctive HA >= 0.8% led to an improvement in PPD, but the reduction in BOP was less consistent. Biochemical markers indicated less inflammation, oxidative stress, and selective antimicrobial activity. Although studies on 0.2% HA are still limited, improvements have been observed in clinical parameters, along with better biochemical and microbiological outcomes in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Despite moderate heterogeneity and methodological limitations, the evidence supports the use of HA combined with SRP in periodontal treatment