This is an exploratory case–control study assessed levels of metals and essential trace elements in hair samples from children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and neurotypical controls, exploring potential differences according to sex. A total of 154 children (61 children with ASD and 93 controls) aged 4–18 years were enrolled at the same clinical site in Eastern Sicily. Demographic, perinatal, dietary, and exposure inform...

The growing demand for floating offshore structures calls for lightweight, impact-resilient, and sustainable design approaches. This study explores the optimization of composite fibree layup in a 30 m hull subjected to slamming-type hydrodynamic loads. Although based on a recreational vessel, the model serves as a transferable case for offshore applications such as wave energy devices, offshore wind platforms, and floating PV...

This paper presents a summary of the record of the cultivated plant macroremains from southern Italy during the early Middle Ages, with a focus on the recent discoveries of crop remains in Sicily. These have shed light on the introduction of new plants in the central Mediterranean region at ca. 500–1100 ce . Specifically, we are dealing with the first evidence of the adoption of two new varieties of crops, one of flax ( Linum...

This study investigates the structural behavior of a sailing catamaran subjected to wind, wave, and self-weight loads, with the ultimate goal of improving the structural design through redrawing techniques. A digital model was developed using Creo software 6 and analyzed through Finite Element Analysis (FEA), complemented by experimental deformation tests conducted under dry conditions and controlled loading. These tests provi...

Purpose To determine the best kinetic model to be applied on dynamic brain [ 18 F]FDG PET images by characterizing the regional brain glucose metabolism of normal Göttingen minipigs. Methods Nine Göttingen minipigs were scanned with a clinical PET/CT tomograph, starting from the injection of an intravenous bolus of [ 18 F]FDG, for about 25 min. Dynamic images were reconstructed and nine brain regions of interest (ROI), plus a...

Pollution and other types of environmental stress do not spare marine environments, especially those affected by high industrial pressure. Fish, especially coastal species, are used for monitoring the marine environment because they are particularly efficient as bioindicators thanks to their ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify along the trophic chain. The aim of this research is to evaluate the bioaccumulation and the indi...