Marche Polytechnic University

A submarine, hybrid cable for the simultaneous transfer of green electricity and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) in a 30 km-long pipeline from an offshore renewable power plant, in the Adriatic Sea is presented here. The superconducting (SC) cable is designed with MgB2 strands to carry the transport current with a significant margin. The SC strands are twisted around a bundle of normal conducting strands with the function of protecting against overcurrents and ensuring at the same time flexibility of the cable. The SC cable, covered by multiple layers of cold dielectric, is inserted into a corrugated pipe, constituting the inner part of a cryostat where LH2 flows. LH2 has the dual function of cryogen and energy carrier. The outer part of the cryostat is designed to limit the heat load to less than 2 W/m, and to withstand the pressure in operation due to the submarine installation at a maximum depth of ∼ 50 m.

This study focus on the synthesis of metallic magnetic nanosystems embedded in mesoporous silica (SiO 2 ), and the impact of matrix porosity, controlled by temperature treatment, on the efficiency of H 2 ...

New experimental and modeling results, referring to heating and evaporation of sessile and pendant water droplet on a biphilic surface, are presented. Two modeling approaches are used: one based on the previously developed variable density model in which the droplet shape in the presence of gravity is described by the Bashforth–Adams equation, and the other based on ANSYS Fluent. It is shown that the results predicted by both approaches almost coincide in the absence of gravity, which can be considered as verification of both approaches. The predictions of both approaches are shown to be close to experimental results for pendant droplets. For sessile droplets, however, both approaches tend to under-predict experimental data. The difference in model predictions, taking and not taking into account the effect of natural convection, is shown not to exceed 3% for the experimental conditions under consideration.

Besides mulberry fruit, mulberry ( Morus alba L. ) has many byproducts, including leaves, branches, and roots. Although these byproducts have long been used as traditional Chinese medicine, their use is limited mainly to rheumatism, diabetes, arthritis. These natural products have a variety of bioactive ingredients, including flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and other biological functions. This review introduces the bioactive ingredients of mulberry leaves, branches, and roots and discusses their potential in alleviating cardiovascular diseases from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid regulation, blood glucose regulation, vascular protection and other aspects.

Objective Cenobamate is an antiseizure medication (ASM) with a dual mechanism of action that was recently approved for the treatment of focal seizures in adults. This analysis aimed to describe the outcomes at 12 and 24 weeks after starting cenobamate therapy in a real‐world setting. Methods BLESS [NCT05859854] is an ongoing, observational, retrospective and prospective cohort study to evaluate the real‐world effectiveness and safety of adjunctive cenobamate in adults with uncontrolled focal epilepsy. Subgroup analysis was performed in subjects with 2 to 3 previous ASMs (early users) and those with >3 previous ASMs (late users). Results The second interim analysis of the BLESS study included 388 participants with a median (interquartile range) age of 43.0 (31.0–54.0) years. They had a median of 6.0 (4.0–9.0) prior ASMs and a median of 7.2 (3.0–20.6) monthly seizures at baseline. The median monthly seizure frequency was reduced by 59.9% (19.2%–87.3%) from baseline to 24 weeks; 229 (59.0%) subjects had a ≥50% seizure frequency reduction, and 44 (11.3%) showed sustained seizure freedom. The proportion of participants taking ≤2 concomitant ASMs increased from 217 (56.5%) at baseline to 239 (65.7%) at 24 weeks. Among the early users (n = 76, 19.6%), the median reduction in monthly seizure frequency at 24 weeks was 78.0% (50.0–97.1%), and 76.3% of subjects had a ≥50% response rate. The frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was 5.3% and 23.4% in early and late users. The most frequent ADRs were somnolence, dizziness, and balance disorder; after the occurrence of ADRs, 63.5% of participants maintained the prescribed dose, and 5.2% permanently discontinued treatment. Significance Cenobamate was effective in reducing seizure frequency in a real‐world setting and showed a manageable safety profile. The treatment with cenobamate also reduced the burden of concomitant ASMs in both early and late users.

Purpose This study aimed to explore the perceptions of geriatricians and experienced geriatric trainees in Europe of the complex relationship between dementia, delirium and frailty, including their relative prevalence, overlaps and causality. Methods An online anonymous survey was administered across 30 European countries, via the mailing list of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS), national member groups and the authors’ professional networks. Questions were framed in the context of recently hospitalised 80-year-old patients. Results Within the 440 included surveys, respondents particularly over-estimated frailty prevalence in older hospitalised patients, with two-thirds choosing between 41 and 80% prevalence, when the literature suggests only 23–46%, but paradoxically underestimated the frequency of frailty in people with delirium (more than three quarters of responses across 21–80%; literature suggests 71–93%). Severe dementia and previous delirium were correctly considered the strongest risks for future inpatient delirium. However, many considered pre-frailty a moderate (44%) or even strong (19%) risk for future delirium, while a minority considered severe dementia a low risk. Respondents viewed delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) as having the strongest influence on in-hospital mortality and discharge to residential care, dementia as having the strongest influence on future residential care admission, and frailty as the condition most strongly influencing future mortality. Conclusion Geriatricians and experienced geriatric trainees across Europe gave varied responses to questions about delirium, dementia and frailty prevalence, co-occurrence and consequences. This indicates a need for the performance and wide dissemination of robust, prospective research examining all three conditions in older hospital cohorts. We suggest a merging of selective delirium-frailty and dementia-delirium interests to the dementia-delirium-frailty triumvirate.

In this paper, we report a few numerical tests by using a slight extension of the Matlab © code fhbvm in [3], implementing Fractional HBVMs , a recently introduced class of numerical methods for solving initial value problems of fractional differential equations (FDE-IVPs). The reported experiments are aimed to give evidence of its effectiveness.

In this paper, we study the monodomain model of cardiac electrophysiology, which is widely used to describe the propagation of electrical signals in cardiac tissue. The forward problem, described by a reaction–diffusion equation coupled with an ordinary differential equation in a domain containing a perfectly insulating region, is first analysed to establish its well-posedness under standard assumptions on the conductivity and ionic current terms. We then investigate the inverse problem of identifying perfectly insulating regions within the cardiac tissue, which serve as mathematical representations of ischemic areas. These regions are characterised by a complete lack of electrical conductivity, impacting the propagation of electrical signals. We prove that the geometry and location of these insulating regions can be uniquely determined using only partial boundary measurements of the transmembrane potential. Our approach combines tools from elliptic and parabolic PDE theory, Carleman estimates, and the analysis of unique continuation properties. These results contribute to the theoretical understanding of diagnostic methods in cardiology.

Background Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) is a challenging malignancy with a poor prognosis, and the role of robotic surgery in its management remains debated. This systematic review aims to assess the feasibility of robotic surgery for PHC. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines in Medline, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for English-language studies on robotic surgery for PHC between 2000 and 2024. Results Of the initial 405 manuscripts identified, five studies comprising 110 patients met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis showed that operative time ranged from 276 (170–500) to 840 (770–890) minutes, with intraoperative blood loss between 125 (50–425) and 700 (600–800) ml. The rates of overall and major morbidity were 50.0% and 13.6%, respectively. The 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were 1.8% and 1.9%, respectively. R0 resections were achieved in 78.2% of patients, with a median lymph node retrieval of 7 (8 ± 6.6) to 11 (6–31). Follow-up duration ranged from 7.5 (8.3 ± 2.3) to 15 (19 ± 16) months, recurrence was observed in 14.3% (6/42) of patients. Conclusions Robotic surgery for PHC demonstrates promising perioperative outcomes; however, further studies are needed to assess its long-term oncological efficacy compared with traditional approaches.

Neuroinflammaging is the nervous system version of inflammaging, the low-grade inflammation that develops with advanced age, aside from active disease or infection. Despite neuroinflammaging has been widely investigated, some important issues still need to be resolved such as the analysis of the extremely old subjects and the evaluation of specific brain areas. On this background, we conducted a study to analyze expression of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes in Wistar rats of different ages, including the oldest-old, in different brain regions. We found that pro-inflammatory mediators were generally up-regulated with age in cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, especially in the oldest-old group. Specifically, TNF-α showed an increment in expression with age in striatum, IL-1β and IFN-γ in hippocampus, and MCP-1 in cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Conversely, CX3CL1 and NOS2 showed a significant reduction of expression in the cortex of the oldest-old group. A different situation was observed in dura mater where TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, CX3CL1, and MCP-1 expression decreased in the older groups in comparison with the younger groups. With age the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 were down-regulated in cortex, and TGF-β1 in dura mater, while IL-4 was up-regulated in the oldest-old group in hippocampus. Finally, we observed that female brains underwent an age-related increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines expression compared to males, except for striatum, and a general down-regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines within each age group. Protein validation of selected factors by ELISA tests supported the observed changes. These data may represent a basis for future research about the neurobiology of aging, in particular in the neurodegenerative disorder framework.

Gender- and sex-based disparities in response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has been reported in a variety of tumor types. Women have different anatomy with recurrent urinary tract infections, a different sex hormonal profile, and intrinsic differences in local and systemic immune systems and urobiome composition. Existing literature data in a pan-cancer context reveal contradictory results, and real-world evidence in urothelial carcinoma (UC) is lacking. This was a real-world, multicenter, international, observational study to determine the sex effects on the clinical outcomes in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) patients progressing or recurring after platinum-based therapy and treated with pembrolizumab as a part of routine clinical care. A total of 1039 patients, treated from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2023 in 68 cancer centers were included. Our data showed that women with metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab had shorter OS than men, with a 13% advantage in the 5-year OS rate for male patients. A deeper understanding of these results may inform sex-stratification in future prospective clinical trials and help develop strategies to reduce the magnitude of the sex disparities observed in urothelial cancer outcomes.

Background Colorectal polypectomy is operator dependent, with variable rates of complete resection. The currently available assessment tools do not provide specific competency-based evaluation of provider technique. We aimed to validate the Global Polypectomy Assessment Tool (GPAT), a novel competency assessment tool for colorectal polypectomy. Methods GPAT was derived from the ESGE Curriculum for Training in endoscopic mucosal resection in the colon. Members of the curriculum taskforce plus three invited trainees and three medical students (collectively: the assessors) anonymously assessed nine endoscopic-view only polypectomy videos. The primary end point was the correlation of the assessors’ GPAT scores with a consensus-derived reference GPAT score per video. Secondary end points were the assessors’ subjective impression versus their GPAT score and interobserver agreement among assessors’ GPAT scores. Results 171 GPAT assessments by 19 assessors (consultant gastroenterologists [n = 10], trainee gastroenterologists [n = 4], consultant surgeons [n = 2], and medical students [n = 3]) were analyzed. Reference GPAT scores did not differ significantly from those of the assessors (73.1 % [95 %CI 64.6 %–81.6 %] vs. 69.3 % [95 %CI 64.9 %–81.2 %]; P = 0.47). There was moderate IOA in GPAT scores among gastroenterologists (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.52 [moderate]) but not among nongastroenterologists (ICC 0.32 [poor]). GPAT correlated with assessors’ subjective impression of polypectomy quality (correlation coefficient 0.98 [95 %CI 0.90–1.00]; P < 0.001). Overall assessors’ qualitative usability scoring of GPAT was positive. Conclusions GPAT allows standardized scoring of polypectomies, with moderate IOA among gastroenterologists and correlation with subjective impressions of polypectomy quality. GPAT could standardize assessment of trainee polypectomy competency offering structured feedback on performance.

In solid‐state emitters, structural factors such as packing, molecular arrangement, and crystallinity significantly impact their photophysical properties. Organic molecules with internal degrees of freedom are ideal candidates for exploring how conformational changes affect their luminescent properties. Fluorescent materials with structure dependent properties have been more widely investigated to date, while room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) is rarely observed in organic compounds. In this context, the structural phenomena involved in changes in RTP parameters are herein presented. Recent examples involving organic compounds in the solid state are highlighted, demonstrating conformation dependent RTP as a feature with promising applications such as in mechano‐responsive materials, thermosensors, and vapochromic materials.

Purpose: In rowing, the effectiveness of adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) within the weekly training program on physiological adaptations and performance is still unclear. This study compared the effects of HIIT plus MICT (MIXED) versus MICT alone on physiological/metabolic responses and performance in adolescents. Methods: Twelve highly trained adolescent rowers (age: 15.7 [0.5] y) were divided into 2 groups: MIXED and MICT. Before and after a 7-week intervention period, rowers underwent an incremental step test to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), power at VO2peak (WVO2peak), power corresponding to a lactate concentration of 2 and 4 mmol·L−1, power output at lactate threshold, oxygen uptake at the second lactate threshold (VO2LT), and peak oxygen pulse. Training load from TRIMP was also measured. The training intervention consisted of 7 sessions per week including 2 “off-water,” 3 “on-water,” and 2 resistance-training sessions. The “on-water” and resistance-training sessions were the same for both groups, while during “off-water” sessions, the MIXED group performed HIIT (4 × 4 min at 85% WVO2peak) and the MICT group performed moderate-intensity training (80 min at 70% WVO2peak). Results: Statistical analysis showed that in the MIXED group, VO2LT was significantly increased and training load from TRIMP was significantly reduced (P < .00001) compared with the MICT group (P = .008). Both groups similarly improved VO2peak, peak oxygen pulse, WVO2peak, power output at lactate threshold, and power corresponding to a lactate concentration of 2 and 4 mmol·L−1. Conclusions: Our findings showed that, in adolescent rowers, MIXED training enhanced VO2LT, thus indicating HIIT as a valid and time-efficient addition to traditional MICT. However, given that adolescents were examined, data should be interpreted with caution, as training and/or growth/maturation may have contributed to performance changes.

Background The effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) depends on implantation accuracy. DBS initially employed a stereotactic frame (frame-based, FB), but technological advancements led to the development of less invasive methods based on fiducial markers (F + F) or intraoperative imaging (F-F). This study compares the accuracy and efficacy of three DBS-STN implantation techniques. Methods This retrospective study involved 18 patients with PD who underwent bilateral STN DBS between 2018 and 2023. Patients were divided into three groups: FB ( n = 6), F + F ( n = 7), and F-F ( n = 5). Postoperative CT and preoperative MRI fusion were used to evaluate electrode accuracy via deviations from planned targets in x, y, z axes, and calculate the radial error (RE) and vector error (VE). We analyzed Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III scores in four “on/off medication-stimulation” combinations, LEDD, and disease stage before DBS, and 3 and 12 months post-DBS. Results No statistically significant differences were observed between the three methods in|Δx| (FB = 1.30 ± 0.91; F + F = 1.05 ± 0.93; F-F = 1.33 ± 1.09 mm),|Δy| (FB = 0.95 ± 0.98; F + F = 1.11 ± 1.17; F-F = 1.28 ± 1.14 mm), RE (FB = 1.82 ± 0.29; F + F = 1,71 ± 0,36; F-F = 1,91 ± 1,49 mm) and VE (FB = 3,14 ± 0,35 mm; F + F = 4,92 ± 0,54 mm; F-F = 4,42 ± 1,22 mm). All groups demonstrated significant UPDRS III (> 50%) and LEDD reduction (> 40%) at 12 months, with no intergroup differences. Conclusions The study concludes that all three techniques provide equivalent accuracy and clinical efficacy. Centers should select DBS-STN methods based on available resources and expertise.