University of Verona
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Dissecting aneurysm in poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage
No full textObjective: Intracranial dissecting aneurysms (DAs) are rare and challenging lesions, often associated with high rates of rebleeding and poor clinical outcomes. There is limited evidence regarding optimal treatment strategies, timing, and outcomes, especially in the context of poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (pSAH). The authors aimed to describe the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients with DAs included in a national multicentric registry of pSAH and to identify independent outcome predictors within this subpopulation. Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the multicenter Poor-Grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (POGASH) registry, including consecutive patients admitted between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2024. Poor grade was defined as a pretreatment World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade IV-V. Outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. DAs were classified according to the Mizutani classification. Results: Of the 693 consecutive pSAH patients included in the registry, data from 60 patients with DA were analyzed. Among the 54 treated patients, 88.9% underwent endovascular treatment (vessel occlusion [48%], flow diversion [26%], and coiling [26%]), while 11.1% were treated surgically. The median (IQR) time to treatment was 6 (4-9) hours from symptom onset. Rebleeding occurred in 23.3% of patients, significantly more frequently than in the overall cohort (p < 0.048). Rebleeding independently predicted in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 7.4; 95% CI 1.5-35.1; p = 0.011) and long-term disability (adjusted OR 0.08; 95% CI 0.007-0.98; p = 0.04). Internal carotid artery blister aneurysms were independently associated with rebleeding (adjusted OR 8; 95% CI 1.2-50; p = 0.027). Conclusions: In the context of pSAH, DAs are characterized by distinct clinicoradiological features and carry a significant risk of ultra-early rebleeding, which strongly influences clinical outcome. These findings suggest a potential benefit of ultra-early or immediate treatment in this patient population, pending further validation
Teaching Colloquial Russian with TBLT: A Survey of Russian FL Teachers’ Perspectives
No full textColloquial Russian (CR), a variety of the Codified Standard Language (CSL), is
primarily used in oral communication and marked by spontaneity, informality, and direct interaction. Despite its importance for everyday communication, CR features are often absent from Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) textbooks, which prioritize CSL and neutral registers. This study examines how Task-Based Language Teaching can foster CR in RFL instruction, making learners’ real-life communication skills more authentic. We designed two classroom tasks, incorporating CR structures from social media, and asked 50 RFL teachers in Italy to evaluate them based on focus on meaning, engagement, real-world relevance, complexity, and suitability for different proficiency levels. Data were examined using a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative analyses. Our findings indicate positive teacher feedback but highlight concerns about the extent of CR use, task suitability for lower levels, and the role of AI tools, suggesting further adjustments to improve applicability in RFL instruction
Motor Activity, Handwriting and Perception Of Bodily Experience Exploratory Investigation
No full textClose contact with touch devices, on the one hand, promotes smart
interaction with the virtual world, on the other, risks contracting the
vitality of the body. This study represents a preliminary phase of an
exploratory investigation, conducted with a sample of 60 children
aged 10 and 11 years and investigates the relationship between
lifestyle, manual writing ability and perception of self-esteem in
relation to bodily experience, suggesting the need to protect and
promote rich and significant motor experiences
A NetLogo Tool for Exploring Value-Based Argumentation in Public Interest Communication
No full textWe present a NetLogo-based tool for simulating how public interest arguments influence diverse audiences over
time. Extending a previous theoretical model, agents are assigned profiles represented by value vectors that
evolve through interaction with neighbours, capturing social influence dynamics. The tool computes the variation
over time of the persuasive impact of arguments on the population on the basis of these evolving profiles. While
the model simplifies argument exposure as continuous and uniform, it offers a foundation for more realistic
simulations incorporating multiple arguments and competing campaigns in future work
Introduction
No full textThe book aims to explore the legal, social, and ethical dimensions of disability within the context of family relationships, offering a comprehensive analysis of how the rights and obligations of individuals with disabilities are protected, promoted, and challenged in contemporary societies. To this end, the book brings together contributions from numerous legal scholars from different universities worldwide on the topic. The various chapters entrusted to them not only offer independently appreciable research reflections but also contribute as a whole to investigate, in a synergistic and complementary way, the overall issue related to the legal status of persons with disabilities from different disciplinary perspectives, both legal and extra-legal, placing it in a strongly international and interdisciplinary framework
La circolazione dello status di rifugiato all’interno dello spazio giuridico europeo
No full textA partire da due sentenze rese dalla Grande Sezione della Corte di giustizia in data 18 giugno 2024, l’intervento intende riflettere sul tema della circolazione dello status di rifugiato (e di beneficiario di protezione sussidiaria) tra i paesi partecipanti al Sistema Europeo Comune di Asilo (SECA). Il tema si pone infatti in quanto nessuna norma del TFUE o di diritto derivato impone il riconoscimento del provvedimento positivo attributivo di tale status adottato in un altro Stato membro.
Pur affermando in modo molto chiaro che, allo stato attuale del SECA, nonostante l’obiettivo indicato dall’art. 78 TFUE, l’ordinamento UE non ha ancora raggiunto l’obiettivo del riconoscimento di uno status uniforme valido in tutta l’Unione, tuttavia, la Corte, valorizzando il principio della mutua fiducia e la tutela dei diritti fondamentali, arriva a riconoscere al provvedimento emesso da uno Stato membro una valenza anche per gli altri paesi le cui autorità si trovassero di fronte ad una seconda domanda di protezione internazionale.
Sebbene dalla giurisprudenza analizzata emerga come, all’attuale stato di sviluppo del diritto UE, la mutua fiducia non rappresenti, nell’ambito dello spazio di libertà, sicurezza e giustizia, un principio autonomo, applicabile indipendentemente dalla legislazione secondaria, non può non notarsi una forte incongruenza. Infatti, il mancato raggiungimento dell’obiettivo, previsto dal diritto primario, della circolazione dello status di rifugiato (e di beneficiario di protezione sussidiaria) desta perplessità nell’ambito di un sistema, quale il SECA, contraddistinto da norme materiali armonizzate circa le qualifiche in presenza delle quali gli Stati sono tenuti, con atto meramente ricognitivo e non costitutivo, ad attribuire tale status e da una giurisprudenza della Corte di giustizia che sta, notevolmente e progressivamente, ampliando le nozioni di persecuzione, imponendo agli Stati membri il riconoscimento dello status a categorie sempre più ampie di soggetti
Risk Factors for Persisting SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with B-Cell Malignancies in the Omicron Era: A Multicenter Cohort Study
No full textBackground: Patients with B-cell malignancies are at high risk of persisting SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may delay oncologic treatments and increase morbidity. We aimed to assess risk factors for persisting infection in this population. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study across five tertiary hospitals between January 1, 2022, and January 1, 2023. Adult patients with B-cell malignancies and SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. Persisting infection was defined as viral shedding ≥21 days with clinical and/or radiological signs. Risk factors were evaluated through multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among 307 patients, 26.1% developed persisting infection. The cohort included non-Hodgkin lymphoma (67.4%), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (19.2%), and Hodgkin lymphoma (9.1%). Independent risk factors included anti-CD20 therapy (OR 3.22; 95% CI 2.37-4.39; p<0.001), and hospital admission at diagnosis (OR 5.16; 95% CI 2.37-12.45; p<0.001). Early therapy with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.19-0.54; p<0.001), remdesivir (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.18-0.37; p<0.001) and sotrovimab (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.15-0.67; p=0.003) were protective. Mortality at 120 days was higher in the persisting group, though not statistically significant (12.5% vs. 8.4%; p=0.277). Conclusions: Our findings help define risk factors for persisting SARS-CoV-2 infection and support early treatment in patients with B-cell malignancies
ACE-Net: A-line coordinates encoding network for vascular structure segmentation in ultrasound images
No full textUltrasound (US) imaging enables the evaluation of vascular structures in real time, and it can provide morphological and pathological information during US-guided procedures. Automatic prediction of vascular structure boundaries can help clinicians in locating and measuring target structures more accurately and efficiently. Most existing US segmentation methods use per-pixel classification or regression, which require post-processing to obtain contour coordinates. In this work, we present ACE-Net, a novel approach that directly predicts the contour coordinates for every scanning line (A-line) in US images. ACE-Net combines two main modules: a boundary regression module that predicts the upper and lower coordinates of the target area for each A-line, and an A-line classification module that determines whether an A-line belongs to the target area or not. We evaluated our method on three clinical US datasets using, among others, dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and inference time as performance metrics. Our method outperformed state-of-the-art segmentation methods in inference time while achieving superior or comparable performance in DSC. ACE-Net is publicly available at https://github.com/bfarolabarata/ace-net
Status of Sepsis Care in European Hospitals: Results from an International Cross-Sectional Survey
No full textRationale: Early detection, standardized therapy, adequate infrastructure, and strategies for quality improvement should constitute essential components of every hospital's sepsis plan. Objectives: To investigate the extent to which recommendations from the sepsis guidelines are implemented and the availability of infrastructure for the care of patients with sepsis in acute-care hospitals. Methods: A multidisciplinary cross-sectional questionnaire was used to investigate sepsis care in hospitals. This included the use of sepsis definitions, the implementation of sepsis guideline recommendations, diagnostic and therapeutic infrastructure, antibiotic stewardship, and quality improvement initiatives (QIIs) in hospitals. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 1,023 hospitals in 69 countries were included. Most of them, 835 (81.6%), were in Europe. Sepsis screening was used in 54.2% of emergency departments (EDs), 47.9% of wards, and 61.7% of ICUs. Sepsis management was standardized in 57.3% of EDs, 45.2% of wards, and 70.7% of ICUs. The implementation of comprehensive QIIs was associated with increased screening (EDs, +33.3%; wards, +44.4%; ICUs, +23.8% absolute difference) and increased standardized sepsis management (EDs, +33.6%; wards, +40.0%; ICUs, +17.7% absolute difference) compared with hospitals without QIIs. A total of 9.8% of hospitals had implemented ongoing QIIs, and 4.6% had invested in sepsis programs. Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is considerable room for improvement in a large number of mainly European hospitals, particularly with regard to early identification and standardized management of sepsis, the availability of guidelines, diagnostic and therapeutic infrastructure, and the implementation of QIIs. Further efforts are required to implement a more comprehensive and appropriate quality of care
Introduction
No full textIntroduction to the Special issue "Receptions of Ophelia: From the Early Modern Period to the Fin-de-Siècle" edited by Emanuel Stelze