Archivio istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Parma
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Histological proven AI performance in the UKLS CT lung cancer screening study: Potential for workload reduction
No full textPurpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) could reduce lung cancer screening computer tomography (CT)-reading workload if used as a first-reader, ruling-out negative CT-scans at baseline. Evidence is lacking to support AI performance when compared to gold-standard lung cancer outcomes. This study validated the performance of a commercially available AI software in the UK lung cancer screening (UKLS) trial dataset, with comparison to human reads and histological lung cancer outcomes, and estimated CT-reading workload reduction. Methods: 1252 UKLS-baseline-CT-scans were evaluated independently by AI and human readers. AI performance was evaluated on two-levels. Firstly, AI classification and individual reads were compared to a EU reference standard (based on NELSON2.0-European Position Statement) determined by a European expert panel blinded from individual results. A positive misclassification was defined as a nodule positive read ≥ 100mm3 and no/<100mm3 nodules in the expert read; A negative misclassification was defined as a nodule negative read, whereas an indeterminate or positive finding in the expert read. Secondly, AI nodule classification was compared to gold-standard histological lung cancer outcomes. CT-reading workload reduction was calculated from AI negative CT-scans when AI was used as first-reader. Results: Expert panel reference standard reported 815 (65 %) negative and 437 (35 %) indeterminate/positive CT-scans in the dataset of 1252 UKLS-participants. Compared to the reference standard, AI resulted in less misclassification than human reads, NPV 92·0 %(90·2 %-95·3 %). On comparison to gold-standard, AI detected all 31 baseline-round lung cancers, but classified one as negative due to the 100mm3 threshold, NPV 99·8 %(99·0 %-99·9 %). Estimated maximum CT-reading workload reduction was 79 %. Conclusion: Implementing AI as first-reader to rule-out negative CT-scans, shows considerable potential to reduce CT-reading workload and does not lead to missed lung cancers
One-part geopolymer-like binders with calcium-based solid alkaline activators and metakaolin
No full textThe need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has promoted the development of sustainable materials for the building industry to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC). This work focuses on the development of one-part geopolymer-like binders using calcium-based solid alkaline activators and metakaolin. The alkaline activator was prepared by mixing Ca(OH)2 or CaO and Na-silicate or K-silicate, all in powders form. XRD, FTIR, TGA/DTG and solid-state NMR analyses show the coexistence of both geopolymer gel and hydrated aluminosilicates. Microscopical investigations show that the morphology of the binders is heterogeneous with micrometric agglomerates. TEM reveals that the binders are characterized by agglomerates of nanoparticles, with abundant amorphous material and rare crystalline phases. The mechanical properties demonstrate the potential of this product as an eco-friendly alternative to OPC. The use of powdered alkaline activators and the production process followed make the product suitable for the building industry to be used on construction sites
Da qualche parte, nella foresta. Lettere 1897-1939
No full textUna delle porte di accesso privilegiate a un autore è l'epistolario. A maggior ragione nel caso di un personaggio come Oskar Vladislas de Lubicz Milosz (1877-1939) che dalle terre slave arrivò in Francia e per vari decenni fu rappresentante culturale della Lituania a Parigi. Il poeta Joë Bousquet lo definisce negli anni Trenta «il più grande spirito di questo tempo». Gli oscuri passaggi dei suoi scritti mistico-metafisici e le sue etimologie che gettano sguardi sul messianismo; la sua poesia visionaria e romantica; l'opera diplomatica per la neonata Lituania dopo la Grande Guerra; e i suoi amori: tutto sembra dipanarsi in un lungo e appassionato racconto. Presentando l'antologia "Sinfonia di Novembre", Milan Kundera confessò di non aver mai trovato prima di Milosz «l'archetipo di una forma della nostalgia che si esprime, grammaticalmente, non attraverso il passato ma attraverso il futuro. Futuro grammaticale della nostalgia». Milosz era stato, per Kundera, uno degli autori letti da adolescente accanto a Rimbaud, Nerval, Apollinaire o Desnos. La poesia, per Milosz, fu come il "cuore messo a nudo" di Baudelaire. Il "re solitario", lo definisce Christophe Langlois presentandone le "Œuvres" pubblicate nel 2024 da Gallimard. E quel cognome: Milosz, così vicino, pur senza la grafia polacca, a quello del cugino Czesław, Nobel per la Letteratura, che non manca di riconoscerne la «prosa cartesiana disseminata di trappole poetiche»... slave. E non solo, vista la sua padronanza poliglotta. Quello strano profumo che promana dal suo tardo romanticismo supera le barriere degli ismi poetico letterari, per acquietarsi nella cura degli esseri che gli sono più vicini, nei boschi di Fontainebleau, quegli uccellini dietro il cui volo inquieto troverà la morte. Una storia personale e letteraria fatta di stili e modelli narrativi mescolati al suo essere sempre fuori posto, in esilio da una patria che troverà, forse, ai margini del bosco
SUNTEL pilot study: first school-based integration of the ugly duckling sign and a dedicated e-learning platform with peer education for melanoma prevention
No full textComparative analysis of official controls and voluntary certifications in ensuring food safety compliance: a review
No full text: Regulation (EU) 625/2017 emphasizes prevention over inspection, assigning primary responsibility for food safety to the food business operator. At the same time, official control systems ensure compliance with the European Union regulations. In recent years, voluntary third-party assurance programs have emerged as a complement to public regulations. This review explores their role, advantages, and challenges within this evolving regulatory landscape. Private standards have expanded rapidly in response to consumer demand for safer and more ethically produced food. While these certifications offer benefits, they also pose challenges, requiring continuous oversight and potential harmonization to ensure reliability. Some European countries now integrate private standards into official controls, recognizing their potential to strengthen regulatory frameworks. Certified food safety management systems, such as the British Retail Consortium or ISO 22000, can complement official control by improving compliance and efficiency. However, discrepancies between official inspections and third-party audits persist, necessitating careful coordination. To ensure effective integration, competent authorities must monitor the performance of private systems through audits and random checks. Despite some challenges, integrating private systems into official controls could be mutually beneficial. Future advancements will depend on effective collaboration among policymakers, industry, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, fostering a more robust food safety system
Exploring the correlations of lung ultrasound with delirium and other clinical outcomes in older patients with respiratory failure admitted in acute geriatric units (ECO-AGE): protocol for a multicentre, prospective, observational study from the GRETA Group (Gruppo di Ricerca in Ecografia Toracica nell'Anziano) of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG)
No full textIntroduction Point-of-care lung ultrasound (LUS) can assist in diagnosing acute respiratory diseases for its high accuracy and immediate availability at the bedside, including older patients with frailty. Delirium represents a frequent complication of hospitalisation in this setting, frequently triggered by acute respiratory diseases. LUS may therefore help identify individuals at risk of delirium, but the association between LUS abnormalities and delirium remains unexplored.Methods and analysis This study is a prospective, observational, multicentre study, with the main objective of assessing the correlation between LUS abnormalities and incident delirium during hospitalisation (primary outcome). The secondary objectives are to assess correlations between lung and diaphragm ultrasound parameters and clinical outcomes including duration of delirium, severity of respiratory failure and mortality. 480 patients aged >= 65 years old, urgently hospitalised after an emergency department visit for acute respiratory complaints, will be recruited in eleven acute geriatric wards located in eight teaching hospitals across Italy. LUS examinations will be performed by skilled clinicians prior to treatment whenever feasible, and in any case within 48 hours from admission. They will also undergo comprehensive geriatric assessment, and daily delirium assessment through the 4-AT tool. The association between LUS abnormalities, related parameters (LUS score, Pleural Effusion Score) and outcomes will be assessed by linear and logistic regression models.Ethics and dissemination Ethics Committee approval of the coordinating centre (Comitato Etico Territoriale Lombardia 3, reference ID 4369_20.03.2024_M) and collaborative centres has been obtained. All participants will provide written informed consent. Study results will be publicly available following peer-reviewed publication in international scientific journals.Trial registration number NCT06670118
Betacyanins, nitrates and the issue of standardization in red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) extracts and powders sold online
No full textThe growing popularity of red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) for enhancing athletic performance raises concerns regarding the actual composition of its food powders and dietary supplements. In this study, thirteen commercially available products purchased online were analyzed to determine nitrate content, levels of betacyanins and polyphenols, and antioxidant activity. Nitrate concentrations showed high variability (7.3-62.3 mg/g), often leading to potential intakes exceeding the Acceptable Daily Intake set by European regulations. Betacyanin (289-4004 mg/kg) and total phenolic contents (2030-16,140 mg GAE/kg) also varied considerably, affecting the antioxidant capacity as measured by DPPH and ABTS assays. LC-MS/MS analysis enabled a qualitative profiling of betacyanins, revealing notable differences among samples, some of which were linked to pigment degradation during post-harvest processing. These findings highlight the lack of consistency across products and support the need for improved phytochemical standardization at every step of the manufacturing process. Additionally, the lack of clear labeling information may lead to uncontrolled nitrate intake, raising concerns about both the nutritional efficacy and safety of these products for consumers
Disruptive behavior in the operating room: culture, responsibility, and the role of anesthesiologists
No full textLaplace convolutions of weighted averages of arithmetical functions
No full textLet G (g; x ):= Sigma(n <= x) g(n) be the summatory function of an arithmetical function g (n) . In this paper, we prove that we can write weighted averages of an arbitrary fixed number N of arithmetical functions g(j) (n), j is an element of {1 , ..., N } as an integral involving the convolution (in the sense of Laplace) of G(j)(x) , j is an element of{1, ... , N} . Furthermore, we prove an identity that allows us to obtain known results about averages of arithmetical functions in a very simple and natural way, and overcome some technical limitations for some well-known problems
Sexual health in cancer care: a narrative review and position statement from the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM)
No full textBackground: Sexual dysfunction is often underestimated in cancer patients and survivors due to a lack of communication with health care providers and a common belief that it is an inevitable consequence of the disease and treatment. In recent years, with dramatically improved survival rates, increased attention has been paid to aspects of quality of life, particularly sexual health, which consists of physical, psychological, and emotional dimensions. A dedicated Associazione Italiana Oncologia Medica (AIOM) working group was built to provide an updated overview on this topic, including specific insights on prevalence, available therapies, and dedicated treatment paths. Materials and methods: A narrative review was conducted to address the current understanding of sexual dysfunction in patients with cancer, treatment paradigms, and new available evidence. Conclusions: Sexual health must be considered as a main item in global quality-of-life evaluation, with oncological treatments that can differently impact individuals with diverse sexual habits. Discussion with patients on their sexual life will allow clinicians to rapidly identify and therefore treat potential disease and treatment complications, promoting an improved doctor–patient relationship and overall well-being. If clinically indicated, the specific problem should be discussed with a dedicated consultant, to promote a multidisciplinary and tailored approach for every patient