Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of currently available methods for the diagnosis and monitoring of skeletal, dental, and soft tissue changes, as well as the adequacy of follow-up protocols, in adolescents and adults treated with miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE). Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive electronic literature search was performed across five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science) to identify prospective and retrospective clinical studies evaluating dental, periodontal, and alveolar bone outcomes associated with MARPE in late adolescent and adult patients. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were independently performed by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies and the RoB 2 tool for randomized studies. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Owing to substantial methodological heterogeneity and limited follow-up duration, a structured qualitative (narrative) synthesis of the results was performed. Results: A total of 20 studies were included in the systematic review. The reported adverse events primarily involved hard and soft tissues and were identified using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), clinical and periodontal examination, panoramic and cephalometric radiography, and digital dental casts. Dental effects, including dental tipping, were frequently reported across the included studies. Alveolar bone loss was reported in 11 studies, buccal alveolar bone dehiscence in 3 studies, and failure of palatal suture opening in 6 studies. In most of the included studies, follow-up was either not reported or limited. Conclusions: The MARPE technique appears to be potentially effective in achieving transverse maxillary expansion in late adolescent and adult patients. However, the included studies report possible adverse events affecting periodontal and alveolar bone tissues, such as alveolar bone thinning and gingival hypertrophy, the assessment of which requires an integrated diagnostic approach combining CBCT imaging with clinical and periodontal examination. Overall, the certainty of the available evidence was low to very low, mainly due to a high risk of bias, methodological heterogeneity, and limited or absent follow-up in most studies. Therefore, the results should be interpreted with caution. Well-designed prospective controlled studies with standardized protocols and long-term follow-up are needed to conclusively evaluate the safety and long-term clinical stability of the MARPE technique.

Distal radius fracture (DRF) is the most common fall-related fracture and the most common fracture of the upper extremities. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain the effectiveness of paracetamol in pain modulation compared with paracetamol/tramadol in postoperative wrist fracture fixation. This interventional cohort study was conducted in a calculated sample size of 60 patients. The chosen criteria to evaluate the two groups during follow-up were: consumption of daily pain drugs; The Short Form (12) Health Survey; Visual analog scale (VAS); the Quick Disability Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Score (QDASH); Complications; and Correlation VAS and QDASH. The endpoints assessment after the infiltrations were: from the moment of trauma to 35 days after the surgery. The first group (n=30) was a group treated by 1 tablet a day of 75 mg Tramadol + 650 mg Paracetamol (PT). The second group (n=30) was a group of patients treated by 1 tablet of paracetamol (P) 1 gr as needed Maximum 3 times a day. At the 35 th day, the mean VAS difference was p=0.027 for PT, also the mean SF-12 difference was p=0.016 for PT. At the 14th day from the surgery, the mean QDASH difference was p=0.042 for PT. Based on a drugs daily use as pain killer, paracetamol/tramadol was significantly better than paracetamol alone with lesser systemic complication. This reported the paracetamol/tramadol combination had more effective pain modulation than alone paracetamol with less complication in postoperative wrist surgery pain management among elderly patients.

Clinical variability in COVID-19 is partly explained by host genetic factors, including inborn errors of immunity. We investigated a patient with a heterozygous nonsense mutation in the TLR3 gene (p.Trp769*) by generating human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and differentiating them into lung organoids (hLORGs). TLR3-mutated hLORGs showed reduced basal expression of TLR3 and downstream signaling genes. Following infection with a pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus and live SARS-CoV-2, RNA-Seq and qPCR analyses revealed significant upregulation of fibrinogen genes (FGA, FGG), which are associated with severe COVID-19. Interestingly, TLR3 expression remained inducible upon infection, despite the loss-of-function mutation. Our patient-derived hLORG model recapitulates the pathophysiological features of the patient and provides a platform to investigate host-virus interactions and test targeted therapies for genetically at-risk individuals.

founder of PEPS, who was widely recognized as the father of both Regional Science and Peace Science.Walter Isard has founded PEPS in 1993 with the aim to create a novel outlet for peace economists and peace scientists.In particular, PEPS was designed to attract contributions from an interdisciplinary community of scholars from a wide variety of disciplines such as economics and political science, as well as regional science, geography and mathematics.Moreover, PEPS was intended to combine both positive and normative studies alongside policy-oriented papers.Nowadays, PEPS follows not only the path defined by Walter Isard but also the advancements occurred in peace science in the latest years.Then, the 8th Walter Isard Annual Award goes to "Conflict Under Incapacitation and Revenge: A Game-Theoretic Exploration" authored by Puja Mukherjee and published in the issue 2 of the 2024 volume.This paper presents a game-theoretic analysis of revenge between combatants and its impact on the escalation or deescalation of conflicts.Using a two-period conflict game, it examines how the desire and capacity of combatants to exact revenge shape the intensity of the conflict.The analysis highlights that combatants' strategies are influenced by the value effect of revenge, self-deterrence, and incapacitation.It shows that the stronger combatant holds a strategic advantage, capable of deterring its opponent from engaging in a second period of conflict motivated by revenge.However, when combatants are of equal strength, the intensity of the conflict tends to diminish over time.The paper also draws on real-world conflicts and existing empirical research to substantiate its findings.

COVID-19 infection seems to have among its fundamental pathogenetic mechanisms the appearance of a pro-thrombotic state capable of causing severe damage to various organs (lungs, kidneys, eyes ...). Furthermore, the vaccines marketed in Italy in December 2020, used to slow the spread and mortality of this virus, also seem responsible for a possible pro-thrombotic state in the subjects to which they are inoculated. The authors of this work then wondered if the COVID-19 pandemic may have somehow altered the results of microsurgical anastomoses performed at their centers. More than 270 patients who had at least one microsurgical vascular suture, in one of the three centers involved in this study, in the last four years were then retrospectively evaluated (two years pre-COVID vs. two years post-COVID). Planned surgeries of oncological, post-infection, or post-trauma) patients treated with microsurgical flap and patients who underwent digital or hand reimplantation were included. Failure rates were compared, taking into consideration whether patients had tested positive for COVID-19 or had a COVID-19 vaccine shot in the six months before the surgery. The anastomosis success rate of the entire “pre-COVID” group is 70.4%, while that of the “COVID” group is 73.3%. Different subgroups are analyzed, and the only statistically significant difference in results is obtained by comparing the success rate of the “pre-COVID” group to the subgroup, in the COVID era, of patients who have tested positive for COVID or had at least one dose of vaccine. According to this study, failures of microsurgical anastomoses in patients previously affected by COVID or in previously vaccinated patients do not appear to have increased. On the contrary, COVID and/or vaccines might have a protective action.

Achieving optimal skin scarring after surgery is a major concern for patients and physicians worldwide. An innovative form of photobiomodulation, namely Fluorescent Light Energy (FLE), is increasingly used in clinical settings as an adjunct to the Standard of Care (SoC) to treat wounds. In Italy, a post-market observational investigation using data from the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of FLE in managing post-abdominoplasty scars as an adjunct to standard of care (SoC). The observational investigation involved the POSAS data of 27 patients treated with FLE treatment, namely LumiHeal. LumiHeal was applied for four weeks during dressing changes following surgery. POSAS questionnaires administered during follow-up visits at three (FU1) and six (FU2) months after surgery were investigated. POSAS scores' percentage decrease and statistically significant P value were calculated. The results showed a significant decrease in the mean values on POSAS Total Scores from FU1 to FU2, and on each sub-scale of the Observer POSAS, as well as on the Patient POSAS on colour, indicative of healthy healing and aesthetically pleasing scar outcomes. In addition, no patient developed complications, including wound dehiscence or infections, or skin lesions due to FLE applications. Observational POSAS data evaluation reveals to be a valid tool, suggesting that LumiHeal FLE treatment was an effective adjunctive treatment to the SoC on 27 patients in a real-life setting as an Italian clinic for postoperative scar management.

The evolving treatment landscape of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) increasingly warrants novel trial design to evaluate perioperative strategies aimed at bladder preservation. To establish standardized outcome measures for evaluating organ preservation strategies in MIBC, the International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG) and the Global Society of Rare Genitourinary Tumors (GSRGT) assembled an international, multidisciplinary consensus panel. The IBCG and GSRGT gathered global bladder cancer experts and patient advocates to establish a framework for risk-adapted bladder-sparing treatment approaches for MIBC. Working groups reviewed the literature and developed draft recommendations, which were discussed at a live meeting in December 2024 in Milan. This was followed by voting by the members using a modified Delphi process. Recommendations achieving ≥75% agreement during the meeting were further refined and presented. Clinical complete response (cCR) definition should encompass the absence of high-grade malignancy on pathology and malignant cells on urine cytology and no evidence of local or metastatic disease on cross-sectional imaging. Although cCR remains immature as a primary or coprimary end point in registrational trials, it could serve as a suitable end point in early-phase studies and risk-adapted investigations. Event-free survival (EFS) remains the preferred primary end point as it could reliably capture the durability of clinically meaningful benefit after omittance of surgical consolidation or chemoradiation. Given the composite nature of EFS, events should be prespecified, evaluated in an intention-to-treat approach, and meticulously collected. Continuous assessment of individual patient preferences should begin at the outset of perioperative therapy discussions, with informed decision making prioritized throughout. The consensus definition of cCR and the framework presented in this study can serve as a foundation for thorough testing of risk-adapted bladder-sparing treatment paradigms for MIBC.

This study examines the critical role of intercultural teacher education in modernizing the Albanian school system amid increasing cultural diversity. By assessing the perspectives of master’s students in the Faculty of Language and Literature at the University of Tirana, the research explores their attitudes, skills, and knowledge concerning intercultural competence. Utilizing a quantitative research design, the study employs a structured questionnaire to assess self-perceived intercultural competencies and identify key strengths and gaps in teacher preparation programs. The findings indicate that while students demonstrate strong intercultural attitudes, their base knowledge requires further development through structured training. The study provides policy recommendations to integrate intercultural education into teacher training curricula, ensuring that future educators are equipped to foster inclusive and culturally responsive classrooms. Received: 25 April 2025 / Accepted: 23 August 2025 / Published: 05 September 2025

This paper theoretically and empirically examines two key aspects of local government performance: (i) the relationship between performance assessment systems and the efficiency of local authorities in delivering public services, and (ii) whether inefficient local authorities can improve their assessment scores by raising more tax revenues thanks to a better local socioeconomic conditions. We address these issues using the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) program implemented in England (2002–2008) as a case study. We provide insights into the design of performance evaluation frameworks in an era of increasing data transparency. Our two-step approach involves estimating an efficiency index using non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and analyzing the relationship between technical efficiency and CPA scores through raw correlation analysis and a random-effects ordered probit model. We find that CPA scores are only moderately correlated with efficiency. Additionally, we provide evidence, in line with the theoretical framework, that inefficient councils can improve their CPA scores by increasing property tax rates. However, this strategy proves effective only under favorable local conditions. These findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers and local authorities in navigating the trade-offs between fiscal strategy and performance outcomes. • DEA is used to estimate the efficiency of English local governments (2002–2008). • CPA scores reflect local conditions more than actual efficiency levels. • Wealthier councils tend to receive higher CPA scores regardless of efficiency. • Some councils raise taxes strategically to improve their CPA performance ratings. • CPA frameworks may reward fiscal visibility over genuine service efficiency.