Search Results (34)

Background: prostate fusion biopsies are key in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa); however, the fusion imaging system is not always user-friendly or reliable. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, accuracy, and effectiveness of transperineal fusion biopsies performed with a novel fusion imaging device equipped with AI-driven auto-contouring. Methods: data from 148 patients who underwent MRI-targeted and systematic prostate fusion biopsy with UroFusion (Esaote) were prospectively collected. All biopsies were performed in-office, under local anaesthesia. Results: cancer detection rate was 64% overall and 56% for clinically significant PCa (csPCa, ISUP ≥ 2). PCa was detected in 35%, 65% and 84% of lesions scored as PI-RADS 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Outfield positive systematic cores were found in the contralateral lobe in one third of cases. Median device-time to obtain fusion imaging was 5 min and median biopsy duration was 15 min. Median difference in volume estimation between ultrasound and MRI auto-contouring was only 1 cc. Detection rate did not differ between experienced and novice, supervised users. Conclusions: in this initial prospective experience, fusion biopsies performed with UroFusion AI-driven auto-contouring system appeared time-efficient, accurate, well tolerated, and user-friendly, with comparable outcomes between experienced and novice users. Systematic biopsies remain highly recommended given the non-negligible rates of positive outfield cores. Full article

Phase Change Memory (PCM) has emerged as a promising non-volatile memory technology with significant applications in both edge computing and analog in-memory computing. This paper synthesizes recent research contributions on the use of PCM for smart sensing, structural health monitoring, neural network acceleration, and binary pattern matching. By examining key advancements, challenges, and potential future developments, this work provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of PCM in these domains, highlighting the possible employments of PCM technology in further edge computing scenarios including medical and human body monitoring. Full article

Background/Objectives: Listeria monocytogenes is a major foodborne pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a serious illness with high morbidity and mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations. Its persistence in food processing environments and resistance to conventional preservation methods pose significant food safety challenges. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) offer a promising natural alternative due to their antimicrobial properties, especially through the production of bacteriocins. This study investigates the competitive interactions between Lactococcus lactis and L. monocytogenes under co-culture conditions, with a focus on changes in their secretomes to better understand how LAB-derived bacteriocins can help mitigate the Listeria burden. Methods: Proteomic approaches, including Tricine-SDS-PAGE, two-dimensional electrophoresis, and shotgun proteomics, were employed to analyze the molecular adaptations of both species in response to bacterial competition. Results: Our results reveal a significant increase in the secretion of enolase by L. monocytogenes when in competition with L. lactis, suggesting its role as a stress-responsive moonlighting protein involved in adhesion, immune evasion, and biofilm formation. Concurrently, L. lactis exhibited a shift in the production of its bacteriocin, nisin, favoring the expression of Nisin Z—a variant with improved solubility and diffusion properties. This differential regulation indicates that bacteriocin production is modulated by bacterial competition, likely as a defensive response to the presence of pathogens. Conclusions: These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between LAB and L. monocytogenes, underscoring the potential of LAB-derived bacteriocins as natural biopreservatives. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial competition could enhance food safety strategies, particularly in dairy products, by reducing reliance on chemical preservatives and mitigating the risk of L. monocytogenes contamination. Full article

Introduction: The Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) technique has revolutionized outpatient hand surgery, enabling procedures such as carpal tunnel release and trigger finger release without a tourniquet. Its benefits include patient cooperation during surgery, especially for tendon repairs. However, WALANT has limitations, including a steep learning curve, longer operative preparation time, and risks such as digital ischemia and adrenaline-induced cardiac ischemia. This study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of local anesthesia with a tourniquet for short-duration outpatient hand surgeries. Materials and Methods: This case series included 300 patients undergoing carpal tunnel or trigger finger release between February 2023 and March 2024. Local anesthesia with lidocaine was administered, and a tourniquet was applied to the proximal arm. Demographic data, operative time, and pain levels during tourniquet use (measured by VAS) were recorded. Results: The average surgical time was 12 min. Most procedures involved carpal tunnel release. The average VAS pain score was 3.73, with older patients and longer surgeries reporting higher discomfort. Tourniquet release was required in only 1% of cases due to discomfort. Conclusions: For short outpatient hand surgeries, local anesthesia with a tourniquet is a safe, effective alternative to WALANT, challenging its routine use and highlighting the need for tailored anesthetic approaches. Full article

Growing evidence suggests that respiratory frequency (f_R) is a valid marker of effort during high-intensity exercise, including sports of an intermittent nature, like soccer. However, very few attempts have been made so far to monitor f_R in soccer with unobtrusive devices. This study assessed the validity of three strain-based commercial wearable devices measuring f_R during soccer-specific movements. On two separate visits to the soccer pitch, 15 players performed a 30 min validation protocol wearing either a ComfTech^® (CT) vest or a Bioharness^TM (BH) 3.0 strap and a Tyme Wear^TM (TW) vest. f_R was extracted from the respiratory waveform of the three commercial devices with custom-made algorithms and compared with that recorded with a reference face mask. The f_R time course of the commercial devices generally resembled that of the reference system. The mean absolute percentage error was, on average, 7.03% for CT, 8.65% for TW, and 14.60% for BH for the breath-by-breath comparison and 1.85% for CT, 3.27% for TW, and 7.30% for BH when comparison with the reference system was made in 30 s windows. Despite the challenging measurement scenario, our findings show that some of the currently available wearable sensors are indeed suitable to unobtrusively measure f_R in soccer. Full article

Background: Meniere’s disease (MD) is a disabling disease, especially in patients who are refractory to medical therapy. Moreover, selective vestibular neurectomy (VN), in these selected cases, can be considered a surgical alternative which preserves hearing function and facial nerve. Methods: We retrospectively studied 23 patients with MD diagnosis and history of failed extradural endolymphatic sac surgery (ELSS) who underwent combined micro-endoscopic selective VN, between January 2019 and August 2023, via a presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach. All patients were stratified according to clinical features, assessing preoperative and postoperative hearing levels and quality of life. Results: At the maximum present follow-up of 2 years, this procedure is characterized by a low rate of complications and about 90% vertigo control after surgery. No definitive facial palsy or hearing loss was described in this series. One patient required reintervention for a CSF fistula. Statistically significant (p = 0.001) difference was found between the preoperative and the postoperative performance in terms of physical, functional, and emotive scales assessed via the DHI questionnaire. Conclusions: Selective VN via a presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach is a safe procedure for intractable vertigo associated with MD, when residual hearing function still exists. The use of the endoscope and intraoperative neuromonitoring guaranteed a precise result, saving the cochlear fibers and facial nerve. The approach for VN is a familiar procedure to the otolaryngologist, as is lateral skull base anatomy to the neurosurgeon; therefore, the best results are obtained with multidisciplinary teamwork. Full article

Understanding how microbial communities survive in extreme environmental pressure is critical for interpreting ecological patterns and microbial diversity. Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area represents an intriguing model for studying the bacterial community since it is a protected and intact wild area of the Mongolian desert. In this work, the composition of a bacterial community of the soil from four oases was characterized by extracting total DNA and sequencing through the Illumina NovaSeq platform. In addition, the soil’s chemical and physical properties were determined, and their influence on shaping the microbial communities was evaluated. The results showed a high variability of bacterial composition among oases. Moreover, combining specific chemical and physical parameters significantly shapes the bacterial community among oases. Data obtained suggested that the oases were highly variable in physiochemical parameters and bacterial communities despite the similar extreme climate conditions. Moreover, core functional microbiome were constituted by aerobic chemoheterotrophy and chemoheterotrophy, mainly contributed by the most abundant bacteria, such as Actinobacteriota, Pseudomonadota, and Firmicutes. This result supposes a metabolic flexibility for sustaining life in deserts. Furthermore, as the inhabitants of the extreme regions are likely to produce new chemical compounds, isolation of key taxa is thus encouraged. Full article

The global charcoal trade is steadily growing, with high-income countries importing significant quantities of this material from regions where its production is often associated with severe environmental issues, including forest overexploitation, illegal logging, and environmental pollution. Promoting local charcoal production in high-income countries is crucial to addressing these challenges. In this study, we have chosen to focus on the European context, specifically emphasizing Italy as a case study. Our study aimed to comprehensively compare five distinct charcoal production systems, including both traditional and modern solutions, with a specific focus on evaluating the quality of the resulting charcoal. Additionally, improvements were evaluated to enhance production efficiency. Traditional systems cannot satisfy production requests, resulting in inefficiencies in manpower, costs, times, and yield. Conversely, recent innovations consider mobile and stationary kiln prototypes. Mobile kilns offer flexibility and cost savings but require operator expertise, limit automation, and have long cycles. In contrast, stationary systems operate continuously, increasing productivity and efficiency, despite higher investment costs. Notably, charcoal quality showed minimal differences. These findings highlighted the potential of new technologies to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and environmental impact, and promote sustainable charcoal production. Full article

This research aimed to evaluate the composition of wines made with white grapes which are particularly susceptible to sunburn symptoms due to the absence of anthocyanin. Sunburn is a complex physiological dysfunction leading to browning or necrosis of berry tissues. In vintage 2021, the canopy of ‘Verdeca’ grapevines grown in Salento, South Italy, was differently managed by sun exposing or shading the bunches. Micrometeorological conditions were studied at different levels. Grapes were vinified, comparing the winemaking with and without skin maceration. The vegetative-productive balance of plants was not substantially modified. On the contrary, a significant effect was observed on the quality and quantity of grapes produced: smaller berries with sunburn symptoms were found on unshaded bunches. This influenced the percentage distribution among skin, pulp and seeds, causing a decrease in must yield of up to 30%. The pH was significantly higher in macerated wines made using shaded grapes, due to a lower titratable acidity and to significant impacts on the acid profile. Obviously, maceration produced a higher extraction of phenolics in wines, which reached their maximum in wines made with sunburned grapes. The absorbance at 420 nm, index of yellow color, was also significantly higher in sunburned grapes, indicating greater oxidation. Even though excessive grape sun-exposure could negatively affect the perception of white wines made without maceration (resulting in more oxidative character), the sensory quality of orange/amber wines was not significantly impacted by the presence of sunburned grapes. Thus, this winemaking technique could be particularly interesting to set up a production strategy adapted to viticultural regions strongly affected by climate change. Full article

Background: The World Health Organization identified alcohol and tobacco consumption as the risk factors with a greater attributable burden and number of deaths related to non-communicable diseases. A promising technique aimed to modify behavioral risk factors by redesigning the elements influencing the choice of people is nudging. Methodology: A scoping review of the literature was performed to map the literature evidence investigating the use of nudging for tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention and/or control in adults. Results: A total of 20 studies were included. The identified nudging categories were increasing salience of information or incentives (IS), default choices (DF), and providing feedback (PF). Almost three-quarters of the studies implementing IS and half of those implementing PF reported a success. Three-quarters of the studies using IS in conjunction with other interventions reported a success whereas more than half of the those with IS alone reported a success. The PF strategy performed better in multi-component interventions targeting alcohol consumption. Only one DF mono-component study addressing alcohol consumption reported a success. Conclusions: To achieve a higher impact, nudging should be integrated into comprehensive prevention policy frameworks, with dedicated education sessions for health professionals. In conclusion, nudge strategies for tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention in adults show promising results. Further research is needed to investigate the use of nudge strategies in socio-economically diverse groups and in young populations. Full article

Goat cheese is an important element of the Mediterranean diet, appreciated for its health-promoting features and unique taste. A pivotal role in the development of these characteristics is attributed to the microbiota and its continuous remodeling over space and time. Nevertheless, no thorough study of the cheese-associated microbiota using two metaomics approaches has previously been conducted. Here, we employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomics to explore the microbiota of a typical raw goat milk cheese at various ripening timepoints and depths of the cheese wheel. The 16S rRNA gene-sequencing and metaproteomics results described a stable microbiota ecology across the selected ripening timepoints, providing evidence for the microbiologically driven fermentation of goat milk products. The important features of the microbiota harbored on the surface and in the core of the cheese mass were highlighted in both compositional and functional terms. We observed the rind microbiota struggling to maintain the biosafety of the cheese through competition mechanisms and/or by preventing the colonization of the cheese by pathobionts of animal or environmental origin. The core microbiota was focused on other biochemical processes, supporting its role in the development of both the health benefits and the pleasant gustatory nuances of goat cheese. Full article

Seed-associated microbiota are believed to play a crucial role in seed germination, seedling establishment, and plant growth and fitness stimulation, due to the vertical transmission of a core microbiota from seeds to the next generations. It might be hypothesized that medicinal and aromatic plants could use the seeds as vectors to vertically transfer beneficial endophytes, providing plants with metabolic pathways that could influence phytochemicals production. Here, we investigated the localization, the structure and the composition of the bacterial endophytic population that resides in Origanum heracleoticum L. seeds. Endocellular bacteria, surrounded by a wall, were localized close to the aleurone layer when using light and transmission electron microscopy. From surface-sterilized seeds, cultivable endophytes were isolated and characterized through RAPD analysis and 16S RNA gene sequencing, which revealed the existence of a high degree of biodiversity at the strain level and the predominance of the genus Pseudomonas. Most of the isolates grew in the presence of six selected antibiotics and were able to inhibit the growth of clinical and environmental strains that belong to the Burkholderia cepacia complex. The endophytes production of antimicrobial compounds could suggest their involvement in plant secondary metabolites production and might pave the way to endophytes exploitation in the pharmaceutical field. Full article

Loquat fruit, popular all over the world for its mild, subacid, and sweet taste, has been classified as a non-climacteric fruit with a very short postharvest life. The fruit decays quickly after harvest, and losses in titratable acidity, taste, and juiciness, and internal browning occurs rapidly during shelf life. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of cactus pear mucilage-based coating on quality, nutraceutical value, microbiological growth, and sensorial parameters of minimally processed white-flesh Martorana and orange-red-flesh Gigante Rossa loquat fruits during cold storage. The effect of mucilage edible coating on the postharvest life, qualitative attributes, and nutraceutical value of fruit were evaluated by coloring, firmness, total soluble solids content, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, total phenols, and total carotenoids content. Our data showed a significant effect of mucilage coating on preserving quality, nutraceutical value, sensorial parameters, and improving postharvest life of minimally processed loquat fruits. Furthermore, coated fruits showed a significantly lower microbiological growth than uncoated loquat fruits during the cold storage period. Our study suggests that minimally processing coated loquat fruit could allow producers to also sell to the market loquat fruits that present large spotted areas in the epicarp, which are usually considered unmarketable. Full article

The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, is a main insect pest for many field crops worldwide, with a particular preference for the species of the genus Allium. Aeolothrips intermedius is a banded thrips, whose larvae are considered the primary native predator of T. tabaci. Due of their predatory behaviour, A. intermedius larvae are considered a good candidate for biological control against thrips pests. However, limited information is available on the specific predation rate of A. intermedius against T. tabaci. The aim of our study was to evaluate the predatory efficiency of A. intermedius larvae against T. tabaci adults. Predation assays, performed under laboratory conditions, indicated that A. intermedius larvae begin to prey after an average of about 23 min, and the time taken by an A. intermedius larva to capture and subdue the prey until its death is about 26 min. Furthermore, the maximum number of prey that the A. intermedius larvae are able to kill in 12 h is up to eight adults of T. tabaci/A. intermedius larva. Full article