68994 research outputs found
Sort by
Data Certification Strategies for Blockchain-based Traceability Systems
No full textThe use of blockchains for data certification and traceability is now well established in both the literature and practical applications. However, while blockchain-based certification of individual data is clear and straightforward, the use of blockchain to certify large amounts of data produced on a nearly continuous basis still poses some challenges. In such a case, in fact, it is first necessary to collect the data in an off-chain buffer, and then to organize it, e.g., via Merkle trees, in order to keep the size and quantity of certification data to be written to the blockchain small. In this paper, we consider a typical system for blockchain-based traceability of a production process, and propose and comparatively analyze some strategies for certifying the data of such a process on blockchain, while maintaining the possibility of verifying their certification in a decentralized way
From Laws and Court Rulings to Daily Clinical Practice: The Role of Forensic Experts in Modelling Informed Consent Disclosure for Health Treatment
No full textInformed consent is a fundamental component of both the right to health and self-determination. Its violation, which occurs when the acquisition process is absent or flawed, can also lead to legal proceedings for isolated harm, regardless of the simultaneous existence of those related to biological and psychological harm. Across Europe, this remains a legal and ethical cornerstone, increasingly important in the context of cross-border care and culturally diverse healthcare settings. Many countries have enacted specific laws to ensure patients receive adequate information, while courts continue to refine its interpretation—often highlighting the inadequacy of informed consent in daily clinical practice. In Italy, in particular, recent rulings underscore the need for clear, comprehensive, and properly documented consent formats for health treatments. This review synthesizes rulings, regulations, and the scientific literature to offer practical guidance for improving informed consent practices in Italy, valuing the role of forensic experts in the integration in healthcare settings of the different interests at stake. The aim is to support both legal compliance and the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care. Courts and legislation in Italy demand clear and tailored informative disclosure for health treatments, with indications of the treatment and outcomes, to be in written form. Yet, foreseeable risks, more common complications, and alternative treatment options are often poorly communicated in practice—frequently forming the basis of claims for compensation. Integrating team-based consultations and multimedia tools can significantly enhance patient understanding and secure the informed consent process. Those key points are summarized in a brief table, ideally suggesting the minimal requirements for an informed consent form. Investing in standardizing informed consent protocols, and also fostering the sharing of best practices with forensic medicine experts, are crucial steps in ensuring shared decision-making in healthcare and trying to reduce legal disputes
Improved Plaque-Induced Gingivitis in Students Using Calibrated Interdental Brushes: Results of a 3-Month Multicenter Educational Intervention
No full textObjective: To evaluate the short-term clinical impact of daily use of calibrated interdental brushes (IDBs) on gingival bleeding among dental and dental hygiene students within academic curricula. Methods: A prospective cohort of 117 students from three Italian universities was followed over three months. All participants received personalized training and calibrated interdental brushes matched to their interdental spaces. The primary outcome was the percentage of interdental sites exhibiting bleeding on interdental brushing (BOIB), assessed at baseline (T0), one month (T1), and three months (T2). Adherence was self-reported. Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon tests, multivariate regression, and adjusted ANCOVA models. Results: Median bleeding scores decreased from 50.0% [IQR: 26.9–69.2] at baseline to 15.4% [IQR: 3.8–30.8] at one month and further to 11.5% [IQR: 0.0–26.9] at three months (p < 0.001). Regular interdental brush users showed a 15 to 16 percentage point greater reduction in bleeding compared to occasional users (p < 0.001). Dental hygiene students had significantly lower baseline bleeding scores than dental students, but both groups experienced comparable benefits from the intervention. Adjusted analyses confirmed a sustained beneficial effect of regular interdental brushing. Initial weak and transient correlations between behavioral factors and bleeding likely reflect multifactorial influences and variable adherence. Conclusions: Daily use of calibrated interdental brushes produces a rapid, significant, and sustained reduction in gingival bleeding among dental students. Systematic integration of this protocol within dental education programs is feasible and effective, promoting early adoption and maintenance of essential preventive oral health behaviors
In DePTH. Developing Pathways, Transforming Habitats
No full textIl contributo affronta il tema della rigenerazione dell’area della Conca di Perugia come occasione di riflessione sul rapporto tra paesaggio, città storica e spazi dell’abitare universitario. Il progetto In DePTH propone una strategia di riconnessione urbana e ambientale attraverso un approccio integrato che unisce architettura, infrastruttura e sostenibilità, interpretando la topografia del luogo come matrice di un nuovo sistema di connessioni pedonali, spazi pubblici e residenze studentesche. Il lavoro, frutto di una collaborazione interdisciplinare tra docenti e ricercatori del gruppo UNIVPM, si inserisce nel dibattito nazionale sulla città universitaria come laboratorio di innovazione sociale e ambientale
20 Years Since the Enactment of Italian Law No. 40/2004 on Medically Assisted Procreation: How It Has Changed and How It Could Change
No full textThe article examines the changes to Italian legislation on assisted reproductive technology (ART) resulting from rulings by Italian courts, highlighting unresolved ethical–legal issues and potential future regulatory approaches consistent with these decisions. Additionally, it addresses the amendment defining surrogacy as “universal crime”, effective as of 18 November 2024. Through an analysis of decisions by the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation, it emerges that Law No. 40/2004 has been deemed unconstitutional in relation to the following: heterologous fertilization, the number of embryos that can be created, cryopreservation, the implantation of only healthy embryos, and access to ART for fertile couples. Controversial aspects include the fate of surplus embryos, access to ART for single individuals, and the recognition of parenthood for same-sex couples. The “universal crime” classification of surrogacy raises the possibility of legal consequences for individuals engaging in surrogacy abroad, even where it is lawful. Courts are unlikely to legislate on the allocation of surplus embryos without parliamentary intervention or to allow single individuals access to ART, given the perceived inconsistency with the child’s best interests. However, case-by-case evaluations are essential for recognizing non-biological or non-genetic parents in same-sex relationships and for assessing the effectiveness of the universal crime approach in safeguarding rights and public health
An Automatic Registration System Based on Augmented Reality to Enhance Civil Infrastructure Inspections
No full textManual geometric and semantic alignment of inspection data with existing digital models (field-to-model data registration) and on-site access to relevant information (model-to-field data registration) represent cumbersome procedures that cause significant loss of information and fragmentation, hindering the efficiency of civil infrastructure inspections. To address the bidirectional registration challenge, this study introduces a high-accuracy automatic registration method and system based on Augmented Reality (AR) that streamlines data exchange between the field and a knowledge graph-based Digital Twin (DT) platform for infrastructure management, and vice versa. A centimeter-level 6-DoF pose estimation of the AR device in large-scale, open unprepared environments is achieved by implementing a hybrid approach based on Real-Time Kinematic and Visual Inertial Odometry to cope with urban-canyon scenarios. For this purpose, a low-cost and non-invasive RTK receiver was prototyped and firmly attached to an AR device (i.e., Microsoft HoloLens 2). Multiple filters and latency compensation techniques were implemented to enhance registration accuracy. The system was tested in a real-world scenario involving the inspection of a highway viaduct. Throughout the use case inspection, the system seamlessly and automatically provided field operators with on-field access to existing DT information (i.e., open BIM models) such as georeferenced holograms and facilitated the enrichment of the asset’s DT through the automatic registration of inspection data (i.e., images) with the open BIM models included in the DT. This study contributes to DT-based civil infrastructure management by establishing a bidirectional and seamless integration between virtual and physical entities
Mercury historical signature in the Central and Southern Adriatic Sea sediment cores
No full textThe Hg evolution and relation with sediment grain-size and depositional environment are studied in four sediment cores collected along areas of present active pelitic sedimentation located in the western part of the middle and south Adriatic Sea. The four cores exhibited different Hg concentrations, ranging from 0.120 +/- 0.016 to 0.040 +/- 0.010 mg/kg, with higher content in northern areas than in southern and deeper areas, and decreasing concentrations from the upper to the lower core sections. Hg content was always below the limit of 0.3 mg/kg set by the Italian sediment quality guidelines. The positive correlation found between Hg and silt marks the importance of the silty fraction for the Hg adsorption and distribution in the Western Adriatic and its continental origin. The Sediment Accumulation Rates obtained from the literature allowed a preliminary core dating. This dating suggests that the evolution of Hg content over time reflects both historical periods of industrial growth and war activities, as well as different input areas. Therefore, Hg could be considered as a proxy for Anthropocene in industrialized areas. In particular, Hg reflects discharges from ore exploitation of Idrija mines (Slovenia), industry of Ravenna Harbour, as well as bombings and movements during WWII. All these anthropogenic activities produced high Hg rich particulates that were deposited, reworked, transported, and accumulated by the hydrodynamics of the Adriatic Sea. This study suggests Hg contamination in Adriatic Sea sediments as a potential marker for defining the Anthropocene epoch in middle and southern Adriatic sediments, contributing to the ongoing debate on its definition
MACanalyzeR scRNAseq analysis tool reveals PPARγHIGH/GDF15HIGH lipid-associated macrophages facilitate thermogenic expansion in BAT
No full textMacrophages are key regulators of adipose tissue plasticity. Obesity impairs brown adipose tissue (BAT) function in humans, yet macrophage-mediated mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we introduce MACanalyzeR, a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) tool designed for comprehensive monocyte/macrophage metabolic profiling. Applying MACanalyzeR to BAT from obese male murine models (db/db and HFD-fed mice), we identify lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs) with foamy characteristics. Unlike db/db BAT LAMs, those in HFD BAT correlate with thermogenic gene expression and PPAR signaling activation. A distinct PpargHIGH LAM subcluster progressively accumulates in thermogenically active BAT. Macrophage-specific Pparg depletion disrupts BAT thermogenesis, inducing a white-like phenotype and metabolic dysfunctions. Mechanistically, PpargHIGH LAMs secrete GDF15, a key regulator of BAT identity and lipid metabolism under high-energy demand. Our study establishes MACanalyzeR as a powerful tool for immunometabolic interrogation and identifies PpargHIGH LAMs as critical mediators of BAT homeostasis
“Aging and epigenetic implications in radiotherapy: The promise of BNCT”
No full textAlthough cancer treatment strategies have made considerable progress in recent decades, the challenge of selectively killing tumor cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue remains. Radiotherapy (RT) continues to be crucial for tumor growth control when combined with surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. RT effectiveness depends on factors such as cancer type, tumor features, and the choice of external or internal treatment. Given its non-invasive nature and low systemic toxicity, RT is a suitable strategy for elderly patients. However, despite its efficacy, variations in cell sensitivity to radiation influence treatment outcomes, and normal cells surrounding the tumor can also be affected. Radiation-induced DNA damage can trigger cellular senescence, a permanent cell cycle arrest with a pro-inflammatory secretory phenotype, contributing to tissue damage in healthy cells and radio-resistance in tumor cells. RT causes not only DNA breakage but also epigenetic remodeling. Epigenetic pathways are involved in RT response, and the radiosensitivity of tumor cells can be modulated using epigenetic compounds. Emerging treatments based on more precise forms of RT, such as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), offer promising results by selectively targeting tumors while potentially preserving healthy tissues. BNCT has shown efficacy in glioblastoma, recurrent head and neck carcinoma, and melanoma. This review i) examines the mechanisms and challenges of conventional RT, focusing on aging and its role in treatment efficacy and tolerability, ii) describes the impact of senescence and epigenetic factors on resistance, iii) explores advances in BNCT, and iv) considers the potential of epigenetic drugs to optimize RT outcomes
Extension of the CityGML Schema for a New Model of Accessible Urban Environment
No full textThe study explores the extension of the CityGML schema to improve accessibility analysis in urban environments. Given the increasing focus on making cities more inclusive, particularly historical centres, managing urban accessibility requires a multidisciplinary approach integrating cartographic and architectural data. The methodology involves data collection by geomatic sensors to realize 3D urban models using CityGML, incorporating semantic, geometric, and topological information to assess accessibility barriers. Through the Application Domain Extension mechanism, a new "UrbanAccessibility" class is introduced, enabling detailed mapping of urban obstacles and facilitating the design of inclusive pathways. The process involves with data management by means mobile mapping system, followed by 3D modeling and semantic structuring in a GIS geodatabase. The resulting model allows for real-time analysis, supporting accessibility plans such as the PEBA (Barrier-Free Environmental Planning) and PAU (Plan for Urban Accessibility Plan). The integration of accessibility attributes by CityGML enhances decision-making tools for urban planners and policymakers, promoting sustainable and inclusive urban development. Furthermore, the approach not only ensures continuous monitoring and updating of accessibility data but also advances urban planning towards a more equitable and barrier-free environment