Application of latent class analysis in assessing the awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction of paediatricians on sleep disorder management in children in Italy.

AIM: To identify subgroups regarding paediatricians' awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction about management of Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) in Italy using Latent Class Analysis (LCA). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a large sample of Italian paediatricians. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the study collected information on 420 Paediatric Hospital Paediatricians (PHPs) and 594 Family Care Paediatricians (FCPs). LCA was used to discover underlying response patterns, thus allowing identification of respondent groups with similar awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction. A logistic regression model was used to investigate which independent variables influenced latent class membership. Analyses were performed using R 3.5.2 software. A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Two classes were identified: Class 1 (n = 368, 36.29%) "Untrained and poorly satisfied" and Class 2 (n = 646, 63.71%) "Trained and satisfied." Involving paediatric pneumologists or otorhinolaryngologists in clinical practice was associated with an increased probability of Class 2 membership (OR = 5.88, 95%CI [2.94-13.19]; OR = 15.95, 95% CI [10.92-23.81] respectively). Examining more than 20 children with SDB during the last month decreased the probability of Class 2 membership (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.14-0.61]). FCPs showed a higher probability of Class 2 membership than PHPs (OR = 4.64, 95% CI [3.31-6.55]). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the LCA approach can provide important information on how education and training could be tailored for different subgroups of paediatricians. In Italy standardized educational interventions improving paediatricians' screening of SDB are needed in order to guarantee efficient management of children with SDB and reduce the burden of disease

Crumbling of Amatrice clock tower during 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence: Advanced numerical insights

The dynamic behaviour and the seismic vulnerability of the ancient civic tower of Amatrice, dramatically damaged by the last shocks sequence of 2016 that occurred in Central Italy, have been studied in this paper by means of advanced 3D numerical analyses with the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Thus, a discontinuous approach has been used to assess the dynamic properties and the vulnerability of the masonry structure, through large deformations regulated by the Signorini's law, concerning the impenetrability between the rigid bodies, and by the Coulomb's law, regarding the dry-friction model. Afterward, different values have been assigned to the friction coefficient of the models and real seismic shocks have been applied in the nonlinear analyses. The major purpose of this study is to highlight that relevant data on the real structural behaviour of historical masonry can be provided through advanced numerical analyses. The comparison between the results of the numerical simulation and the survey of the existing crack pattern of the bell tower permitted to validate the approach used. Finally, from the results and conclusions of this case study, it is possible to affirm that the used methodology can be applied to a wide variety of historical masonry structure in Europe

Modulation of nucleosome dynamics in Huntington's disease

Transcriptional dysregulation and aberrant chromatin remodeling are central features in the pathology of Huntington's disease (HD). In order to more fully characterize these pathogenic events, an assessment of histone profiles and associated gene changes were performed in transgenic N171-82Q (82Q) and R6/2 HD mice. Analyses revealed significant chromatin modification, resulting in reduced histone acetylation with concomitant increased histone methylation, consistent with findings observed in HD patients. While there are no known interventions that ameliorate or arrest HD progression, DNA/RNA-binding anthracyclines may provide significant therapeutic potential by correcting pathological nucleosome changes and realigning transcription. Two such anthracyclines, chromomycin and mithramycin, improved altered nucleosome homeostasis in HD mice, normalizing the chromatin pattern. There was a significant shift in the balance between methylation and acetylation in treated HD mice to that found in wild-type mice, resulting in greater acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 and promoting gene transcription. Gene expression profiling in anthracycline-treated HD mice showed molecular changes that correlate with disease correction, such that a subset of downregulated genes were upregulated with anthracycline treatment. Improved nucleosomal dynamics were concurrent with a significant improvement in the behavioral and neuropathological phenotype observed in HD mice. These data show the ability of anthracycline compounds to rebalance epigenetic histone modification and, as such, may provide the rationale for the design of human clinical trials in HD patient

Mutant huntingtin's effects on striatal gene expression in mice recapitulate changes observed in human Huntington's disease brain and do not differ with mutant huntingtin length or wild-type huntingtin dosage

To test the hypotheses that mutant huntingtin protein length and wild-type huntingtin dosage have important effects on disease-related transcriptional dysfunction, we compared the changes in mRNA in seven genetic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) and postmortem human HD caudate. Transgenic models expressing short N-terminal fragments of mutant huntingtin (R6/1 and R6/2 mice) exhibited the most rapid effects on gene expression, consistent with previous studies. Although changes in the brains of knock-in and full-length transgenic models of HD took longer to appear, 15- and 22-month CHL2Q150/Q150, 18-month HdhQ92/Q92 and 2-year-old YAC128 animals also exhibited significant HD-like mRNA signatures. Whereas it was expected that the expression of full-length huntingtin transprotein might result in unique gene expression changes compared with those caused by the expression of an N-terminal huntingtin fragment, no discernable differences between full-length and fragment models were detected. In addition, very high correlations between the signatures of mice expressing normal levels of wild-type huntingtin and mice in which the wild-type protein is absent suggest a limited effect of the wild-type protein to change basal gene expression or to influence the qualitative disease-related effect of mutant huntingtin. The combined analysis of mouse and human HD transcriptomes provides important temporal and mechanistic insights into the process by which mutant huntingtin kills striatal neurons. In addition, the discovery that several available lines of HD mice faithfully recapitulate the gene expression signature of the human disorder provides a novel aspect of validation with respect to their use in preclinical therapeutic trial

Dynamic Behavior of an Inclined Existing Masonry Tower in Italy

The renaissance bell tower of San Benedetto in Ferrara (Italy) has been investigated to understand its nonlinear dynamics correctly with the Non-Smooth Contact Dynamic (NSCD) method. The masonry structure has been modeled with the Discrete Element Methods (DEM), assuming rigid blocks and frictional joints, with the aim to recreate the tower in the actual configuration with the inclination and in a fictitious perfect vertical shape in order to assess the influence of the initial slope on its dynamics. The contacts between blocks are governed by the Signorini's impenetrability condition and by dry-friction Coulomb's law. Both configurations have been analyzed inducing real seismic excitations of various types and intensities, corresponding to the six main seismic events of the last few decades in Italy. Thus, the seismic vulnerability of the examined tower is clearly expressed in the numerical results, proving the effects due to the inclination on the amplification of the vulnerability and the several possible collapse mechanisms. Moreover, the NSCD has demonstrated to be a powerful numerical technique to obtain highly accurate results in the structural analyses of masonry structures in the nonlinear range

Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens

[EN] Under intensive rearing conditions, the welfare of broiler chickens may be at risk depending on genotype and sex, due to their different growth rates. The practice of quantitative feed restriction may also impact on welfare. This study aimed to evaluate behaviour and corticosterone content in plasma and faeces at different ages using 896 one-day-old chicks housed in 32 pens, allocated to 8 groups, i.e., 2 genotypes (standard vs. high breast yield) × 2 sex × 2 feeding plans (ad libitum vs. restricted, AL vs. FR). The feeding system affected the percentage of standing (9.84% vs. 11.7% in AL vs. FR; p ¿ 0.001), feeding (7.51% vs. 8.17%; p ¿ 0.01) and sitting/lying (67.0% vs. 64.1%; p ¿ 0.001), and the faeces corticosterone content (12.2 vs. 13.6 ng/g in AL vs. FR; p ¿ 0.10). Sex affected the percentage of pecking other chickens, standing and comfort behaviours. Changes in behaviour were recorded between high and standard breast yield genotypes with faeces corticosterone which tended to be higher in the former (p ¿ 0.10). Significant interactions between the main factors and age were observed. Major changes in behaviour were due to feed restriction, which stimulated activity during restriction.This study was funded by the University of Padova (Year 2013; Research Project CUP: C24G14000090001). The Visiting Scientist grant held by Peter White is funded by the University of Padova (year 2019). The PhD grant held by Giulio Pillan is funded by Unismart and OFFICINE FACCO & C Spa (year 2019). The Ph.D. grant held by Francesco Bordignon is funded by the ECCEAQUA project (MIUR; CUP: C26C18000030004).Trocino, A.; White, P.; Bordignon, F.; Ferrante, V.; Bertotto, D.; Birolo, M.; Pillan, G.... (2020). Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens. Animals. 10(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani1005083010

Comparative study on the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in breast milk and infant formula and risk assessment

The study compared the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) profile of human milk collected from Italian mothers and different brands of infant formula available on Italian market. Levels of 14 PAHs most frequently occurred in food, PAH markers listed by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006, and carcinogenic PAHs classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. The average concentrations of total PAHs were 114.93 in breast milk and 53.68 μg kg-1in infant formula. Furthermore, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and the sum of ∑PAH4 markers (BaP, Chrysene, Benzo(a,h)anthracene and Benzo(b)fluoranthene) were higher than the permissible limit of 1 μg kg-1in 43% and 86% for breast milk and in 10% and 76% for infant formula samples, respectively. Breast milk showed higher levels (P < 0.05) of carcinogenic, and possible carcinogenic hydrocarbons than infant formula samples. Both in human and commercial milk, data showed the occurrence of low and high molecular weight PAHs, respectively from petrogenic and pyrolytic environmental sources, characterizing the infant and mother exposure. Particularly, waste incineration could have represented an important exposure source for infants during breastfeeding, through exposition of mothers resident in some areas of Southern Italy. High PAH levels detected in infant formula enriched with LC-PUFA might be related to the contamination of the vegetable oils added as ingredients. Results showed a high percentage of samples of both breast milk and infant formulas with margin of exposure (MOE) value indicating a potential concern for consumer health

Evolutionary genomics of a cold-adapted diatom: Fragilariopsis cylindrus

The Southern Ocean houses a diverse and productive community of organisms1, 2. Unicellular eukaryotic diatoms are the main primary producers in this environment, where photosynthesis is limited by low concentrations of dissolved iron and large seasonal fluctuations in light, temperature and the extent of sea ice3, 4, 5, 6, 7. How diatoms have adapted to this extreme environment is largely unknown. Here we present insights into the genome evolution of a cold-adapted diatom from the Southern Ocean, Fragilariopsis cylindrus8, 9, based on a comparison with temperate diatoms. We find that approximately 24.7 per cent of the diploid F. cylindrus genome consists of genetic loci with alleles that are highly divergent (15.1 megabases of the total genome size of 61.1 megabases). These divergent alleles were differentially expressed across environmental conditions, including darkness, low iron, freezing, elevated temperature and increased CO2. Alleles with the largest ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitutions also show the most pronounced condition-dependent expression, suggesting a correlation between diversifying selection and allelic differentiation. Divergent alleles may be involved in adaptation to environmental fluctuations in the Southern Ocean