Archivio istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Parma
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Performance of a non-contact veterinary infrared thermometer and reference intervals of equine temperature at different body sites
No full textEvaluating the body temperature of horses (Equus caballus) is essential for monitoring
their health. Rectal thermometry is the most common method for determining the
temperatures of adult horses and foals. However, this method requires restraining
the animals for several seconds, and it poses potential risks to both horses and
humans. This study compared infrared and rectal thermometry in 126 horses,
evaluating age and measurement site influences on body temperature. Horses were
divided into three groups: foals (4–12 months), Shetland ponies (8–12 months),
and adult horses (2–30 years). Rectal, ocular, gingival, and perineal temperatures
were recorded to assess the potential of non-invasive infrared methods. Reference
intervals of temperature at different body sites are provided. No significant differences
were found in gingival and perineal temperatures among groups. Foals showed
significantly higher rectal temperatures than adults (p < 0.001), likely due to
age. Shetland ponies showed higher ocular temperatures than foals and adult
horses (p < 0.05, p < 0.001), probably because they were influenced by ambient
temperature, which significantly correlated with ocular readings. Significant positive
correlations existed between ocular and rectal (p < 0.01) and perineal and rectal
temperatures (p < 0.0001). Bias was −0.2°C (ocular vs. rectal) and 2°C (perineal
vs. rectal). Perineal temperature, despite numerical differences, correlated well
with rectal temperature, allowing indirect estimation with a correction factor,
and was unaffected by ambient temperature. This suggests infrared perineal
temperature may be a viable rectal thermometry alternative for estimating equine
body temperature, enhancing animal welfare through non-invasive methods
Pain mechanistic networks: the development using supervised multivariate data analysis and implications for chronic pain
Get PDF: Chronic postoperative pain is present in approximately 20% of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Studies indicate that pain mechanisms are associated with development and maintenance of chronic postoperative pain. The current study assessed pain sensitivity, inflammation, microRNAs, and psychological factors and combined these in a network to describe chronic postoperative pain. This study involved 75 patients with and without chronic postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty. Clinical pain intensity, Oxford Knee Score, and pain catastrophizing were assessed as clinical parameters. Quantitative sensory testing was assessed to evaluate pain sensitivity and microRNAs, and inflammatory markers were likewise analyzed. Supervised multivariate data analysis with "Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker Discovery" using Latent cOmponents (DIABLO) was used to describe the chronic postoperative pain intensity. Two DIABLO models were constructed by dividing the patients into 3 groups or 2 defined by clinical pain intensities. Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker discovery using Latent cOmponents model explained chronic postoperative pain and identified factors involved in pain mechanistic networks among assessments included in the analysis. Developing models of 3 or 2 patient groups using the assessments and the networks could explain 81% and 69% of the variability in clinical postoperative pain intensity. The reduction of the number of parameters stabilized the models and reduced the explanatory value to 69% and 51%. This is the first study to use the DIABLO model for chronic postoperative pain and to demonstrate how different pain mechanisms form a pain mechanistic network. The complex model explained 81% of the variability of clinical pain intensity, whereas the less complex model explained 51% of the variability of clinical pain intensity
Cytotoxic ROS-Consuming Mn(III) Synzymes: Structural Influence on Their Mechanism of Action
No full textROS (i.e., reactive oxygen species) scavenging is a key function of various Mn-based enzymes, including superoxide dismutases (SODs) and catalases, which are actively linked to oxidative stress-related diseases. In this study, we synthesized and characterized two novel Mn(III)-based synzymes (i.e., synthetic enzymes), designated C1 ([MnL1Cl(H2O)]Cl3H2O) and C2 ([MnL2Cl2]2H2O), which differ in the presence of a bridging aliphatic or aromatic group in the chelator. Using a range of analytical techniques, we found that the aromatic C2 bridge significantly influences the Mn(III) center's cis-beta configuration, unlike C1, which adopts a trans configuration. We then thoroughly evaluated the oxidation-reduction properties of C1 and C2, including their redox potentials (by cyclic voltammetry) and capacity to consume various ROS species (using DPPH, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide UV-visible spectrophotometric assays). The specific kinetics of the H2O2 dismutation process, as measured by a Clark-type electrode and time-resolved ESI-MS, revealed that both synzymes possess catalytic activity. Toxicological experiments using the Galleria mellonella larval model demonstrated the compounds' innocuous nature towards higher eukaryotic organisms, while cytotoxicity assays confirmed their selective efficacy against lung cancer cells. Additional cytological assays, such as the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay and caspase-3 activity and p53 expression analysis, reported that C1 and C2 induce cytotoxicity against cancer cells via apoptosis rather than necrosis and behave very differently towards redox substances and ROS-regulating enzymes in vivo. These findings suggest that the structural differences between C1 and C2 lead to distinct redox properties and biological activities, highlighting the potential of these novel Mn(III)-based synzymes as therapeutic agents for the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases, particularly lung cancer. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action and explore their clinical applications
On a conjecture by Sylwia Cichacz and Tomasz Hinc, and a related problem
No full textA r-magic rectangle set MRS Gamma(a, b; c) is a collection of c arrays of size a x b whose entries are the elements of an abelian group r of order abc, each one appearing once and in a unique array in such a way that the sum of the entries of each row is equal to a constant omega is an element of r and the sum of the entries of each column is equal to a constant delta is an element of r. In this paper we provide new evidences for the validity of a conjecture proposed by Sylwia Cichacz and Tomasz Hinc on the existence of an MRS Gamma(a, b; c). We also generalize this problem describing constructions of r-magic rectangle sets whose elements are partially filled arrays. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
L’attivismo connettivo del XXI secolo
No full textQuesto capitolo presenta le principali teorie e i concetti fondamentali riguardanti l’attivismo digitale, evidenziando la transizione da modalità organizzative basate su logiche reticolari a processi organizzativi ispirati da logiche aggregative e il passaggio dall’azione collettiva ad azioni “connettive”. Successivamente, si sofferma sull’attivismo dei dati e sull’attivismo algoritmico, discutendo fenomeni come il cosiddetto “hashtag activism” – che ha caratterizzato recenti movimenti antirazzisti (Black lives Matter) e femministi (Ni Una Menos) – e l’emergere di “movimenti partito” (come Podemos e il Movimento 5 Stelle) per i quali il digitale ha rappresentato un fattore organizzativo fondamentale
Effects of Cytokinins on Morphogenesis, Total (Poly)Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of In Vitro-Cultured Hop Plantlets, cvs. Cascade and Columbus
No full text(1) Background: Humulus lupulus L. plants constitute a rich source of bioactive compounds. The synthesis of bioactive compounds in plants is often triggered by the activation of secondary metabolism, which can be induced by biotic or abiotic elicitors. In vitro, the effect of the elicitors can be studied in a controlled environment and in a small space, independently of seasonal variations. Cytokinins are frequently used in plant tissue culture for bud regeneration, branching and shoot elongation due to their role in cell division enhancement. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different cytokinins on the growth parameters, total (poly)phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of in vitro-grown hop plants to evaluate hop vitro-derived biomass as a potential source of bioactive compounds. (2) Methods: unimodal hop (cvs. Cascade and Columbus) explants were cultured on media enriched with four cytokinins (kinetin, 6-benzylaminopurine, meta-topolin and 6-(gamma,gamma-dimethylallylamino)-purine) at four concentrations. (3) Results: A genotype-dependent response to different cytokinins was encountered. (4) Conclusions Columbus explants could root in culture media auxin-free, providing valuable opportunities for commercial nurseries. Moreover, cytokinins were confirmed to be valuable elicitors to stimulate the bioactive compound biosynthesis in micropropagated hop plants, making them a precious source for various industries
The Influence of Heat on Pediatric and Perinatal Health: Risks, Evidence, and Future Directions
No full text: Children, particularly infants and those with chronic conditions, are highly vulnerable to heat-induced health risks, similarly to the elderly. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the impact of heat exposure on pediatric and perinatal health. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE and manual reference checks, focusing on studies from 2000 to 2024. Findings indicate that maternal heat exposure is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and increased hospital admissions. Additionally, prenatal heat stress correlates with preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects, and stillbirth. In childhood, heat-related health consequences range from heatstroke and dehydration to renal impairment, respiratory diseases, and gastrointestinal infections. Psychosocial effects, including cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and mental health issues, have also been reported in school-age children and adolescents. Despite strong epidemiological evidence, critical knowledge gaps remain, including the exact temperature thresholds that increase disease risk and how these thresholds vary by age and underlying health conditions. Urgent public health measures are required to mitigate these risks, while further research is needed to define exposure-response relationships and effective interventions. Addressing the rising burden of heat-related pediatric illness is essential in the context of climate change and increasing global temperatures
Decoding communicative action vitality forms in social contexts
No full textThe form of an action conveys important information about the agent performing
it. Humans may execute the same action in different ways, e.g., vigorously, gently
or rudely. This fundamental affective component of the action has been named
vitality forms (VFs) by Stern. To date, despite the fundamental role of VFs in social
communication, the kinematic features characterizing them have been rarely
studied. The aims of the present study are twofold: to investigate spatiotemporal
characteristics of transitive and intransitive actions performed with different VFs;
to investigate whether and how it is possible to recognize these aspects of action
automatically. For this purpose, we asked two actors to perform seven actions with
VFs (gentle and rude) or without VFs (neutral, slow and fast). Thousand repetitions
of actions were collected, and their kinematics was recorded by using a motion
capture system. Twenty-two kinematic features were identified from kinematic
data. Results indicate that VFs are not merely characterized by a modulation of a
single motion parameter such as velocity or acceleration, but by a combination of
different spatiotemporal properties. Finally, we also demonstrate that automatic
recognition of VFs is possible using traditional machine learning methods, with an
accuracy of 87.3%. Moreover, this recognition is also feasible for action types do
not present in the training set, with an accuracy of 74.2%. These results will have
significant implications in the future across various fields, including neuroscience,
social robotics, and the development of virtual agents. For instance, it could
enable artificial agents to recognize human attitudes and adapt their behavior
appropriately to the partner during interactions. Moreover, understanding the VFs
features could be useful in designing rehabilitative interventions for conditions
involving social and communicative impairments, such as autism
