University Of Trieste Research Articles

The Italian lichens dataset from the TSB herbarium (University of Trieste).

The "Herbarium Universitatis Tergestinae" (TSB), with a total of ca. 50,000 specimens, includes the largest modern collection of lichens in Italy, with 25,796 samples collected from all over the country since 1984, representing 74% of all taxa known to occur in Italy. Almost all specimens have been georeferenced "a posteriori". The dataset is available through GBIF, as well as in ITALIC, the Information System of Italian Lichens. The TSB Herbarium hosts the largest modern lichen collection in Italy, with a total of ca. 50,000 specimens. This dataset contains all of the 25,796 specimens collected within the administrative borders of Italy. Amongst them, 98% are georeferenced and 87% have the date of collection. The dataset includes several type specimens (isotypes and holotypes) and exsiccata.

COVID-19 Incidence and Vaccine Effectiveness in University Staff, 1 March 2020-2 April 2022.

Background: University workers undergo intense social interactions due to frequent contact with students and colleagues and lectures in crowdy conditions. The aim of our study was to assess the incidence of COVID-19 infection and vaccine effectiveness in a cohort of workers of the University of Trieste from 1 March 2020 (start of the pandemic) through 2 April 2022. Methods: The University of Trieste implemented a number of public health policies to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on the campus, including prompt contact tracing, enhanced ventilation of all premises, fomites disinfection and mandatory use of face masks indoors. In compliance with the surveillance protocol of the local public health department, university personnel were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab on demand, in the event of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or for contact tracing, following close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. The incidence rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections were estimated as number of cases by number of person-days (p-d) at risk. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was employed to investigate the risk of primary COVID-19 infection, controlling for a number of potential confounders and expressing the risk as the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among university staff was lower than that of healthcare workers (HCWs) of the same area. Compared to unvaccinated colleagues (6.55 × 10,000 p-d), the raw incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher among university workers immunized with one (7.22 × 10,000 p-d) or two (7.48 × 10,000 p-d) doses of COVID-19 vaccines, decreasing in those receiving the booster (1.98 × 1000 p-d). The risk of infection increased only in postgraduate medical trainees (aHR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.04; 4.48), though this was limited to the Omicron transmission period. After the implementation of the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19, workers immunized with the booster were less likely than unvaccinated workers to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 both before (aHR = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.06; 0.16) and after (aHR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.27; 0.52) the Omicron transmission period. Vaccine effectiveness of the booster was 90% (=(1-0.10) × 100) before versus 63% (=(1-0.37) × 100) during the Omicron wave, without a significant difference between homologous (three doses of m-RNA vaccines) and heterologous immunization (first two doses of Vaxzevria followed by a third dose of m-RNA vaccine). Conclusions: The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in university staff was lower than that of HCWs of ASUGI, likely because the testing-on-demand schedule inevitably missed the vast majority of asymptomatic infections. Therefore, the observed significantly protective effect of the booster dose in university personnel referred to symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections. The infection prevention and control policies implemented by the University of Trieste managed to equalize the biological risk between administrative and teaching staff.

Italian Universities for Territorial Sustainable Development and Responsible Communities—The Case Study of the University of Trieste

Today, the active promotion of sustainability is acknowledged as a pivotal task for universities. Under the flagship of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the demand is to help cities and territories tackle complex challenges by providing innovative solutions and local actions. The call is for deep change in the ways universities address their fundamental missions and organisation, and the relationships with their internal and external stakeholders. From this perspective, a key issue to be investigated further is how new approaches and measures can concretely foster universities’ social responsibility towards SDGs. Taking a research-based approach, the article addresses this question through the critical analysis of actions and tools delivered by the Italian Universities Network for Sustainable Development (RUS), and the University of Trieste (UniTS). From sustainability and social reporting to civil engagement practices, the focus is on the nexus between the upgrading of universities’ overall performance, and the ways they can act as living labs, capacity builders, and hubs of knowledge transfer. Discussion and conclusions highlight some fields and key factors that can drive universities towards a more effective integration of sustainability measures involving their spatial assets, governance, and stable collaboration with their hosting cities, territories, and communities.

Making Sense of the Response to COVID-19 in Higher Education: A Case Study of Crisis Communication in Two Universities

The COVID-19 pandemic brought extreme challenges and disruption to higher education, resulting in hurried adoption of online teaching. From the point of view of crisis communication, the COVID-19 pandemic as experienced in HE institutions represents an interesting case, because crisis management and communication were primarily, if not exclusively, directed at internal stakeholders (essentially, students and staff ). We present a case study that compares and contrasts the COVID-related responses of two different universities: the University of Minnesota, in the U.S., and the University of Trieste, in Italy. In particular, we look at the sets of documents issued by the leadership of these universities over a period of 23 months between February 2020 (the start of the health crisis) and December 2021. The analysis of the documents revealed that unexpected spaces of freedom empowered instructors. We identify four discursive traits associated with these spaces: definitional change, code glossing, and the use of engagement markers and permissives. However, this empowerment changed over time, as universities became eager to go back to “normal” and reinstate restrictions from pre-pandemic times.

Procalcitonin as prognostic factor in patients with Fournier's gangrene.

Fournier's Gangrene (FG) has still a mortality rate up to 45%. Several studies identified prognostic factors but there is a knowledge gap concerning procalcitonin (PCT) levels and mortality risk in FG. This study is aimed to assess the role of PCT as prognostic factor in FG. The medical records of 20 male FG patients admitted at the Department of Urology of "Cattinara" Hospital, University of Trieste between January 2019 and November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, demographic, microbiological data were collected. The Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) was calculated for each patient. Thirteen (65%) of 20 patients survived. Median age was 58 years (IQR 51-88), 15 patients (75%) had a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score ⩾2, 1 (5%) equal to 0, 4 to 1 (20%). Median FGSI score was 6 (IQR 2-12) and median PCT 0.8 ng/ml (IQR 0.04-2.12). At multivariate analysis PCT levels >0.05 ng/ml were associated with an increased overall mortality risk (OR 2.14, CI 1.25-4.27, p = 0.002). CCI score ⩾2 (OR 1.51, CI 1.01-2.59, p = 0.04), Streptococcical etiology (OR 3.41, CI 2.49-4.61, p = 0.002) and FGSI score >9 (OR 1.41, CI 1.19-2.21, p = 0.004) were associated with unfavorable outcome. PCT might be a prognostic factor in FG. CCI and FGSI are useful tools in mortality risk stratification. Streptococcical etiology is associated with unfavorable outcome. Further larger clinical trials are pending.

466 OUT-OF-HOSPITAL CARDIAC ARREST: UNIVERSITY OF TRIESTE STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE OF CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION AND DEFIBRILLATOR USE

Abstract Background Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is the third leading cause of death in industrialized countries. Although most cardiac arrests are witnessed, survival is only 2-10%, since bystanders are often unable to correctly perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aims to assess the theoretical and practical knowledge of CPR and the use of the automatic external defibrillator (AED) in university students. Materials and methods The study involved a total of 1686 students from 21 different faculties of the University of Trieste, 662 students from health faculties and 1024 from non-health faculties. Basic life support and early defibrillation (BLSD) courses have been included in health faculties and made mandatory for students in their final years. Through the platform “EUSurvey” from March to June 2021, they were given an online questionnaire of 25 multiple choice questions to investigate the performance of BLSD. Results In the overall population, only 68.7% knew how to diagnose a cardiac arrest and the 47.5% knew the time frame after which irreversible brain damage occurs. Practical knowledge was analysed by evaluating the correct answers to all four questions on performing CPR (hand position during compressions, frequency of compressions, depth of compressions, and ventilations-compressions ratio). Health faculties students have better theoretical and practical knowledge of CPR than their colleagues in non-health faculties (11,2% vs 4,3%; p value <0.001). Final-year medical students, who attended the BLSD course and underwent retraining, have achieved better results than first year medical students (38,1% vs 2,7%; p value <0.001). Discussion The knowledge of cardiac arrest needs to be improved in the overall university population. The obligatory inclusion of BLSD courses in healthcare degree courses has led to a significant increase in knowledge on the issue. Given this, we believe it is important to extend these courses to all university students.

Energy Scheduling and Performance Evaluation of an e-Vehicle Charging Station

This paper proposes an energy management system (EMS) for a photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected charging station with a battery energy storage system (BESS). The main objective of this EMS is to manage the energy delivered to the electric vehicle (EV), considering the price and CO2 emissions due to the grid’s connection. Thus, we present a multi-objective two-stage optimization to reduce the impact of the charging station on the environment, as well as the costs. The first stage of the optimization provides an energy schedule, taking into account the PV forecast, the hourly grid’s CO2 emissions factor, the electricity price, and the initial state of charge of the BESS. The output from this first stage corresponds to the maximum power permitted to be delivered to the EV by the grid. Then, the second stage of the optimization is based on model predictive control that looks to manage the energy flow from the grid, the PV, and the BESS. The proposed EMS is validated using an actual PV/BESS charging station located at the University of Trieste, Italy. Then, this paper presents an analysis of the performance of the charging station under the new EMS considering three main aspects, economic, environmental, and energy, for one month of data. The results show that due to the proposed optimization, the new energy profile guarantees a reduction of 32% in emissions and 29% in energy costs.

Actions to support local charitable organizations in countering the spread of food insecurity

Abstract Background According to the Italian Statistic Institute data, in Italy between 2007 - 2020 individual absolute poverty (AP) grew from 4.1 to 9.4%. In 2020 13.5% of minors lived in AP, furthermore in 2017 22.3% of Italians lived in conditions of food poverty or food insecurity (FI), between 2018 - 2019 1 in 7 minors lived in conditions of FI. The scientific literature underlines how inadequate food access is one of the risk factors for the onset of chronic non-communicable diseases. The aims of the project were to evaluate in the 3 main local charitable organizations (LCOs) the qualitative - quantitative profile of the food basket and the content of protective components present in fruits and vegetables (FV) available for socially disadvantaged communities (SDCs); determine the main nutritional critical points (NCPs); and identify possible corrective actions (CAs). Methods The average composition of the food baskets available in 2021 for 1600 users by the 3 LCOs was compared with national nutritional recommendations. In February 2022, 23 samples of FV were collected from the LCOs for chemical analyses by the University of Trieste (UT). The outcomes were compared with the food composition database of the UT. Results The food baskets at the LCOs were characterized by: daily average availability of 50 to 145 g of FV (8 to 22% of the recommended requirement); weekly average availability from 26 to 200g of cheeses, from 0 to 132g of meat. The quantitative profile of the protective molecules present in FV samples was reduced by 11 to 40 % compared to the UT database. The main NCPs were lack of nutrition guidelines on targeted food programmes and of monitor systems to evaluate the food basket balance for SDCs. CAs have been planned to integrate food safety and food security in public health programs to support LCOs. Conclusions The results of the project can significantly support LCOs towards integrated actions in the food and nutritional policies at local and regional level. Key messages

Allergic Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccination in High-Risk Allergic Patients: The Experience of Trieste University Hospital (North-Eastern Italy).

Background. Allergic patients may develop reactions following COVID-19 vaccination more frequently than non-allergic individuals. The aim of our study was to assess the risk of reactions in high-risk allergic patients vaccinated for COVID-19 at the University Health Agency Giuliano-Isontina (ASUGI) of Trieste (northeastern Italy). Methods. Patients were considered at high risk for allergic reactions in case of: prior anaphylactic reaction to any drug/vaccine; multiple drug allergy; intolerance to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate 80 (PS80) containing drugs; and mast cell disorders. High-risk allergic patients were immunized in hospital by a dedicated allergy team supported by resuscitation staff. Patients were interviewed over the phone one month after vaccination to complete a structured questionnaire investigating signs and symptoms developed after immunization. Results. From March 2021 to February 2022, 269 patients with a history of severe allergic reactions were assessed, of whom 208 (77.3%) eventually received COVID-19 vaccination, 50 (18.6%) refused to be immunized, 10 (3.7%) were deferred for medical reasons and one was declared exempted due to testing positive for PS80. Mild reactions (urticaria, angioedema, rhinitis, erythema) to COVID-19 vaccines were reported by 30.3% of patients, 8.7% within 4 h and 21.6% > 4 h after immunization. No anaphylactic events were observed. Although they were 80 times (3.8%) more prevalent than in COVID-19 vaccinees from the general population (0.047%), vaccine allergic reactions in high-risk patients were mainly mild and late, more likely affecting women (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.22–7.65). Conclusions. High-risk allergic patients with urticaria and angioedema may experience mild flare-ups of mast cell activation-like symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination, supporting antihistamine premedication before vaccination and to be continued for one week afterwards.

COVID-19-Related Quantitative and Qualitative Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction: Long-Term Prevalence and Recovery Rate

Introduction: No studies have reported data on 2-year prevalence and recovery rates of self-reported COVID-19-related quantitative and qualitative olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to estimate the 2-year prevalence and recovery rate of self-reported COVID-19-related olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in a cohort of patients with antecedent mild-to-moderate disease. Methods: This is a prospective observational study, measuring the prevalence of altered sense of smell or taste at follow-up and their variation from baseline, on adult patients consecutively assessed at Trieste University Hospital, who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction during March 2020. Results: Overall, 174 (68.8%), 53 (20.9%), and 36 (14.2%) of 253 responders reported an altered sense of smell or taste (SNOT-22 >0) at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months, respectively. Among the 174 patients who have complained a COVID-19-associated olfactory or gustatory dysfunction at baseline, 138 (79.3%) reported complete resolution of smell or taste impairment with 17 subjects (9.8%) recovering after more than 1 year after the initial infection, 33 (19.0%) reported a decrease in the severity, and only 3 (1.7%) reported that the symptom was unchanged at the 24-month interview. Twenty subjects (7.9%) complained of at least one qualitative long-term symptom. Conclusion: Two years after the infection, most patients experience a favourable evolution of COVID-19-related olfactory or gustatory dysfunction. A late recovery was observed in 10% of subjects.

Challenges in temperature measurements in gas-phase photothermal catalysis

Luca Mascaretti completed his PhD in 2018 at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Afterwards, he has worked as a postdoc researcher at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University in Olomouc (Czech Republic). His research activity is related to titanium oxide/nitride-based nanostructured materials for solar energy conversion processes. Andrea Schirato is currently a physics PhD candidate across Politecnico di Milano and the Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa) under the supervision of Profs. G. Della Valle and R. Proietti Zaccaria. His research activities focus on the theoretical study and numerical modeling of ultrafast nonlinear phenomena driven by hot carriers, including non-equilibrium electronic and phononic energy transfer in nanostructured materials and metasurfaces. Tiziano Montini is associate professor at the University of Trieste in Italy. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Trieste in 2006, followed by a postdoc fellowship. His research activity concerns on nanomaterials as catalysts for renewable energy production and environmental protection. Alessandro Alabastri is currently an assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rice University. He received his PhD in nanosciences in 2014 from the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Genoa. In 2015, he was visiting researcher in the Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He worked on several aspects of light-to-heat conversion, photothermal effects in nanostructures, and heat recovery in light-powered thermofluidic devices. Alberto Naldoni is currently an associate professor at University of Turin, Italy. Since 2017, he is the co-leader of the photoelectrochemistry group at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc (Czech Republic). He obtained his PhD in chemical sciences from University of Milan (2010). From 2014 to 2017, he was visiting research faculty at the Birck Nanotechnology Center of Purdue University. His group focuses on nanomaterials for plasmonics, photocatalysis, and photoelectrochemistry. Paolo Fornasiero is a professor at the University of Trieste in Italy. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Trieste in 1997, followed by a postdoc fellowship at Reading University (UK). His group currently focuses on research into nanomaterials for environmental and energy-related applications.

Near-Real-Time Strong Motion Acquisition at National Scale and Automatic Analysis.

A strong motion monitoring network records data that provide an excellent way to study how source, path, and site effects influence the ground motion, specifically in the near-source area. Such data are essential for updating seismic hazard maps and consequently building codes and earthquake-resistant design. This paper aims to present the Italian Strong Motion Network (RAN), describing its current status, employment, and further developments. It has 648 stations and is the result of a fruitful co-operation between the Italian government, regions, and local authorities. In fact, the network can be divided into three sub-networks: the Friuli Venezia Giulia Accelerometric Network, the Irpinia Seismic Network, and all the other stations. The Antelope software automatically collects, processes, and archives data in the data acquisition centre in Rome (Italy). The efficiency of the network on a daily basis is today more than 97%. The automatic and fast procedures that run in Antelope for the real-time strong motion data analysis are continuously improved at the University of Trieste: a large set of strong motion parameters and correspondent Ground Motion Prediction Equations allow ground shaking intensity maps to be provided for moderate to strong earthquakes occurring within the Italian territory. These maps and strong motion parameters are included in automatic reports generated for civil protection purposes.

A Machine-Learning Approach for the Reconstruction of Ground-Shaking Fields in Real Time

ABSTRACT Real-time seismic monitoring is of primary importance for rapid and targeted emergency operations after potentially destructive earthquakes. A key aspect in determining the impact of an earthquake is the reconstruction of the ground-shaking field, usually expressed as the ground-motion parameter. Traditional algorithms compute the ground-shaking field from the punctual data at the stations relying on ground-motion prediction equations computed on estimates of the earthquake location and magnitude when the instrumental data are missing. The results of such algorithms are then subordinate to the evaluation of location and magnitude, which can take several minutes. To fill the temporal gap between the arrival of the data and the estimate of these parameters, a new data-driven algorithm that exploits the information from the station data only is introduced. This algorithm, consisting of an ensemble of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained on a database of ground-shaking maps produced with traditional algorithms, can provide estimates of the ground-shaking maps and their associated uncertainties in real time. Because CNNs cannot handle sparse data, a Voronoi tessellation of a selected peak ground parameter recorded at the stations is computed and used as the input to the CNNs; site effects and network geometry are accounted for using a (normalized) VS30 map and a station location map, respectively. The developed method is robust to noise, can handle network geometry changes over time without the need for retraining, and can resolve multiple simultaneous events. Although having a lower resolution, the results obtained are statistically compatible with the ones from traditional methods. A fully operational version of the algorithm is running on the servers at the Department of Mathematics and Geosciences of the University of Trieste, showing real-time capabilities in handling stations from multiple Italian strong-motion networks and outputting results with a resolution of 0.05° × 0.05°.

Parosmia assessment with structured questions and its functional impact in patients with long-term COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction.

Parosmia assessment with structured questions and its functional impact in patients with long-term COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction.

PyPore3D: An Open Source Software Tool for Imaging Data Processing and Analysis of Porous and Multiphase Media.

In this work, we propose the software library PyPore3D, an open source solution for data processing of large 3D/4D tomographic data sets. PyPore3D is based on the Pore3D core library, developed thanks to the collaboration between Elettra Sincrotrone (Trieste) and the University of Trieste (Italy). The Pore3D core library is built with a distinction between the User Interface and the backend filtering, segmentation, morphological processing, skeletonisation and analysis functions. The current Pore3D version relies on the closed source IDL framework to call the backend functions and enables simple scripting procedures for streamlined data processing. PyPore3D addresses this limitation by proposing a full open source solution which provides Python wrappers to the the Pore3D C library functions. The PyPore3D library allows the users to fully use the Pore3D Core Library as an open source solution under Python and Jupyter Notebooks PyPore3D is both getting rid of all the intrinsic limitations of licensed platforms (e.g., closed source and export restrictions) and adding, when needed, the flexibility of being able to integrate scientific libraries available for Python (SciPy, TensorFlow, etc.).

The Impact of Serum Albumin Levels on COVID-19 Mortality.

Low serum albumin (SA) correlates with mortality in critically ill patients, including those with COVID-19. We aimed to identify SA thresholds to predict the risk of longer hospital stay, severe respiratory failure, and death in hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted at the Infectious Diseases Unit of Trieste University Hospital (Italy) between March 2020 and June 2021. The evaluated outcomes were: (1) need of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); (2) length of hospital stay (LOS); and (3) 90-day mortality rate. We enrolled 864 patients. Hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dL) was detected in 586 patients (67.8%). SA on admission was significantly lower in patients who underwent IMV (2.9 vs. 3.4 g/dL; p < 0.001). The optimal SA cutoff predicting the need of IMV was 3.17 g/dL (AUC 0.688; 95% CI: 0.618–0.759; p < 0.001) and this threshold appeared as an independent risk factor for the risk of IMV in multivariate Cox regression analysis. The median LOS was 12 days and a higher SA was predictive for a shorter LOS (p < 0.001). The overall 90-day mortality rate was 15%. SA was significantly lower in patients who died within 90 days from hospital admission (3.1 g/dL; IQR 2.8–3.4; p < 0.001) as compared to those who survived (3.4 g/dL; IQR 3.1–3.7). The optimal SA threshold predicting high risk of 90-day mortality was 3.23 g/dL (AUC 0.678; 95% CI: 0.629–0.734; p < 0.001). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, SA of <3.23 g/dL appeared to be an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality. Our results suggest that low SA on admission may identify patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at higher risk of severe respiratory failure, death, and longer LOS. Clinicians could consider 3.2 g/dL as a prognostic threshold for both IMV and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Forms of the Void: Gorizia and the Border that No Longer Exists

For almost 60 years, the city of Gorizia has been divided by the state border separating Italy and Slovenia, where on the other side, the twin city of Nova Gorica has developed. In the past, these two urban realities have not been communicating on the urban and architectonic levels, negating each other’s existence, but are now a continuous entity and must find new ways to grow and develop together, even if they belong to two different nations. The University of Trieste, along with the Comune di Gorizia (Gorizia municipality), has developed a laboratory called the RRR lab, with the objective to redevelop and regenerate those urban spaces and buildings that have been put back in play after the fall of the border and the new urban geography that it has created. It is a landscape made up of areas and structures without use or significance, generated by the Dadaist collage of the two cities, that together were, at the time of the laboratory, candidates for the 2025 European Capital of Culture. Starting from this specific case, a more general theme of the research deals with the void. This aspect is easily recognizable in its architecture, where for the purpose of the quality of the work, the single parts that make up a building are not as important as the spaces that are indirectly determined by them. The void, then, can assume an architectonic quality and become the element on which to base the opening principle, “where there is nothing, everything is possible”.

A primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma case report and literature review. The new WHO classification

AbstractAimCyst‐like lesions in the mandible rarely develop into malignancies, and the reported incidence is between 0.3% and 2%. The present study describes a rare case of primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma of the mandible arising from an odontogenic cyst.Materials and MethodsAn 80‐year‐old male was referred to Trieste University Maggiore Hospital (Trieste, Italy), with acute pain in the left retromolar area.An initial examination revealed extra oral swelling without paresthesia of the IAN. Following an intraoral examination, the oral mucosa was edematous, percussion pain was experienced on the lower left second molar. Panoramic radiography revealed a retained lower left wisdom tooth and an irregular radiolucent area between the lower left second molar and the mandibular angle with clear margins. Computed tomography revealed diffuse bone resorption and an extensive loss of cortical bone on the lingual side.ResultsA biopsy was performed during the surgery to remove the second lower left molar and the wisdom tooth, the pathological diagnosis was of squamous cell carcinoma arising from the epithelial lining of the odontogenic cyst. MRI with contrast agent was also performed. Shortly after the patient has been proposed a complete resective surgery of the mass including the infiltrated areas and then a reconstructive part to restore the function and aesthetic.ConclusionThe follow‐up of a large inflammatory cyst is essential for early diagnosis of malignant neoplasm. This approach allows lower invasive treatments and major survival of these patients.

Abstract P4-10-12: The relevance of chemobrain in breast cancer survivors: An Italian exploratory study to measure incidence and psycho-social impact

Abstract Breast Cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. Despite the decreasing death-rate, a large portion of patients experience long-term side effects. One of the most common is “chemobrain”: a series of subtle but persistent cognitive deficits that affect attention, memory, and speed of processing. There is a lack of consensus regarding the exact rate of “chemobrain” incidence(from 12% to 86% of patients complaining cognitive sequelae after adjuvant-therapies) primarily due to the heterogeneity of assessment measures used to quantify it. Our first aim was to estimate the prevalence of perceived cognitive deficits in breast cancer-survivors, and to address the relevance of psycho-social factors that might affect perceived cognitive functioning. The second aim was to better understand the specific impact on patients comparing possible differences in perceived cognitive functioning between a cohort of breast cancer-survivors and an age-matched group of women without oncologic diagnosis. A total of 216 subjects submitted an anonymous online questionnaire that included FACTCog v.3and 41 items investigating clinical history, cognitive reserve, sleep quality, dietary and health habits. Inclusion criteria were being female, aged between 25 and 75, lack of known psychiatric or neurological diseases. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of University of Trieste. The study sample comprised 90 oncological patients, recruited through clinical oncology practices between Trieste - ASU GI and Cremona - ASST Breast Cancer Units, and 126 age-matched controls enrolled through LILT (Lega Italiana Lotta Tumori) - Trieste (Italy). To perform within and between groups comparisons, both populations (Breast-cancer patients’ and age-matched controls’) were subdivided in two subgroups each, based on FACTCog PCI18 score according to Van Dyk et al.(2020), cutpoints: Subjective Cognitive Complaints - SCC (PCI18&amp;lt;54) and No Subjective Cognitive Complaints - NSCC (PCI18 ≥54).Statistical analysis revealed that 36% of breast-cancer patients reported perceived cognitive deficits, while only for 18% of the age-matched control group this was the case (p&amp;lt;.001). We found a significant difference in perceived cognitive abilities (CogPCA p&amp;lt;.001), quality of life (CogQOL p&amp;lt;.001) and frequency of aerobic activity (moderate physical activity p&amp;lt;.01) between SCC versus NSCC patients with the former group showing worse scores in all reported measures. Between group analysis performed on breast-cancer group versus age-matched control group revealed a significant interaction of oncological diagnosis and SCC on measures of perceived cognitive abilities (CogPCA p&amp;lt;.001) and quality of life (CogQOL p&amp;lt;.001), indicating that SCC patients had worse scores on these measures. On the other hand, NSCC patients had higher scores on measures regarding how others (e.g., family members or close friends) perceived their cognitive abilities (p&amp;lt;.05).A significant effect of oncological diagnosis but not of SCC (or interaction between the two) was found on measures concerning sleep (Sleep quality index p&amp;lt;.05), indicating a strong effect of cancer diagnosis on sleep quality. Conversely when comparing the effect of cancer diagnosis on measures of physical activity no significant effect was found, instead a strong effect of SCC emerged (Physical activity index p&amp;lt;.01). Subjective perceived cognitive deficit affects the quality of life of breast cancer survivors, thus suggesting the usefulness of specific educational interventions to prevent stress-related effects. Citation Format: Thomas West, Bruna Scaggiante, Rita Ceccherini, Silva Foladore, Daniele Generali, Francesco Versace, Corrado Cavallero. The relevance of chemobrain in breast cancer survivors: An Italian exploratory study to measure incidence and psycho-social impact [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-10-12.

805 Educational programme based on bottom-up learning approach

Abstract A substantial part of the training programme for cardiologists in training includes several hours per week of face-to-face teaching. Since the pandemic's beginning, most of these activities in the universities have been conducted virtually using one of the available secure and reliable video platforms. The proven standard educational method is top-down education. The teacher guides the instruction, focuses on what the students ‘need to know’, and transmits the knowledge to the fellows, then verifies the learning. Unfortunately, this method does not stimulate critical, creative ability and does not always represent what the fellows ‘want to know’. A new additional model of education in the Board of Cardiology of the Magna Graecia University and the University of Trieste has been designed to develop education from the bottom up. The topics that have been chosen are those of the training programme in Cardiology and necessary to complete the training period. A participants list of 60 fellows in training and a panellist list of 3 teachers were then created. The first topic was ‘Myocarditis’. Next, each fellow was asked about one topic/question (Figure 1) (see additional data). All participants then had to vote for the best five from the pool of 60 questions. Therefore, a pyramid of priorities was made between the topics/questions and assigned to the three panellists, based on specific expertise, 3 days before the event (see additional data). Then a 1, 15 H zoom session was opened at 7:00 AM, and all participants were invited. In the digital session, the fellow authors of the first 15 questions read the question by his/herself, then the moderator entrusted the answer to one of the expert panellists. With this approach, the student started with a question of the selected topic, performs self-directed research or experimentation, and, finally, arrives at explicit knowledge. The general rule of this approach is that participants are the producers and advantages of this method are to teach students how to seek knowledge on their own, even outside the virtual event. In conclusion, this bottom-up educational programme presented can be a valuable teaching aid in the training trajectory of the new generation of physicians. 805 Figure 1.