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La ditta IngeniArs S.r.l. ha consegnato ai ricercatori di TINCARE i dispositivi da impiegare nello studio INTERCOACH, con i quali verrà valutata la fattibilità di un intervento di tele-monitoraggio gestito da un infermiere per i pazienti dimessi dall'ospedale dopo uno scompenso cardiaco.  I ricercatori di TINCARE hanno completato la formazione per utilizzare la piattaforme di tele-monitoraggio da remoto e sono pronti ad iniziare il reclutamento dei primi pazienti. Lo studio INTERCOACH inizierà ufficialmente nelle prossime settimane.    La piattaforma di tele-monitoraggio consente all'infermiere di monitorare a distanza i parametri vitali dell'assistito, ma anche di inviargli questionari o avviare una televisita qualora le sue condizioni di salute lo richiedano.  All'assistito verrà consegnato uno smartphone collegato ai dispositivi che permettono la rilevazione di peso, pressione arteriosa, frequenza cardiaca e saturazione per l'ossigeno.  Nel giorno e all'orario stabilito, il paziente riceverà un segnale sonoro che gli ricorderà di procedere alla rilevazione dei parametri richiesti. L'infermiere e i clinici dell'Ospedale Universitario Maggiore della Carità di Novara che avranno dimesso l'assistito potranno accedere alla piattaforma e verificare lo stato di salute della persona per intervenire prontamente in caso di necessità.  L'assistito potrà interagire con l'infermiere chiedendogli consigli o chiarimenti riguardo a stili di vita e comportamenti positivi per prevenire riacutizzazione di malattia. 

TINCARE researchers presented the results of their research at the congress of European Society of Biomechanics.  From June 30th to July 3th, the European Society of Biomechanics gathered in Edinburgh for its annual congress, the main European event bringing together experts in the field of biomechanics.  Young researchers from the group led by Professor Alberto Audenino participated in the event, who took the opportunity to disseminate some of the results of the research results from NEWBREATH, the Research Module of TINCARE aimed at developing a ventilation device to support patients in a home environment.  The researchers presented their work on numerical modeling and experimentation related to the performance and safety assessments of ventilator devices. Specifically, they introduced a new model capable of distinguishing the effects of CPAP therapy on different alveolar health conditions. This model can provide valuable insights not only on the most effective therapy but also on the risks that patients may face during treatment.   In addition, an experimental study was presented on the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the interfaces used for the administration of CPAP therapy to patients was presented. This study highlighted safety implications of the therapy, even when routine methods are employed in clinical practice.  The occasion was a stimulus and allowed the sharing of progress in research on non-innovative ventilation, the focus of NEWBREATH, with European researchers working in the field of respiratory biomechanics.  

On July 16th, the beautiful setting of Villa San Remigio, the General Assembly of the Ecosystem of Innovation NODES - Nord West Digital and Sustainable. The event was a valuable opportunity to compare the results of the 15 flagship project presented by the respective researchers, who enthusiastically participated in the Pitch&Poster competition. The competition featured three awards: best industrial impact, best social impact, and best quality of dissemination of results.    An extraordinary result was obtained by Spoke 5, led by University of Piemonte Orientale as the lead institution, which includes two main projects: INNDIANA and TINCARE.    The success of these projects was made possible thanks to the synergistic collaboration of the Politecnico di Torino, the University of Torino, the AOU Maggiore della Carità of Novara, and the IRCCS Auxologico, who contributed their valuable commitment and expertise.  A heartfelt thanks goes to the entire Spoke 5 - NODES team for achieving this extraordinary milestone, highlighting the value and the importance of collaboration in innovation and sustainable development in our region.   

From June 24 to 28, the 7th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society was held in Seattle. The event brought together experts from around the world, with an attendance of over 1,000 registrants. Representing the University of Piemonte Orientale, Dr Dalila Di Francesco and Dr Simona Casarella, PhD students led by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, Full Professor of Human Anatomy and scientific manager of the INNDIANA flagship project of the Spoke 5 of the NODES project.  Both presentations of the PhD students have attracted a lot of interest and have been useful to strengthen international collaborations with world reference groups in the field of regenerative medicine. Within the context of the presentations at the congress, the fundamental role of the NODES flagship in supporting and promoting research in the field of regenerative medicine clearly emerged.   NODES, through the INNDIANA project, is positioned at the forefront of research in regenerative medicine, facilitating collaboration between researchers and promoting discoveries that can revolutionize future medical care. The presentations not only highlight their commitment and talent, but also the support and guidance provided by NODES, consolidating the role of the University of Eastern Piedmont as a leader in scientific and technological research.

The software DINO by Paperbox Health is geared towards the identification of early signs of learning disorders in children, e.g. dyslexia. It is based on a statistical model which is being studied by a team of researchers of the start-up Paperbox Health and statisticians in the Department of Mathematical Sciences of Politecnico di Torino, a participant to the flagship project TINCARE of Spoke 5 of NODES. It will also be one of the core activities of a new doctoral student who will be recruited by the team in the secondo hald of 2024.    The main ideas laying the foundations of the statistical model are rooted on Psychometry and its digital applications, and in particular on interacting videogames evaluated using Item Response Theory (IRT), They have been presented by professor Mauro Gasparini at the 52nd Meeting of the Italian Statistical Society in Bari on June 20, 2024 on behalf of coauthors Cecilia Campanile (Politecnico di Torino), Stefano Piacentini (Sapienza Università di Roma) and Giacomo Pratesi (Paperbox Health s.r.l.). 

Advancement in polymer process engineering, driven by recent developments in fields such as nanotechnology, chemistry, informatics, engineering, electronics and textile technology itself, together with societal demand for promoting health, have led to the development of the innovative and multidisciplinary field of ''Smart Textile''. And it is from these premises that Research Module 2 (RM2) of the TINCARE Flagship Project, in collaboration with the ''Associazione Tessile e Salute'', wanted to invest in this field for the design of a new prototype T-shirt containing sections of nanoceramics.    The T-shirt has as peculiarity the ability to interact harmoniously with our body, adapting to every movement thanks to its fabric type, which provides high confort, resistance and elasticity with FIR (Far Infrared) technology thus obtaining  an elastic but non-compressive prototype.     The FIR radiation emitted by the nanoceramic particles is perceived at the skin level as a gentle radiant heat: the resulting epidermal temperature is higher when the skin is exposed to FIR. This depends on the mechanism of action associated with nanoceramics: the FIR energy emitted/dispersed normally by the human body is transferred to the ceramic particles, which act as ''reflective mirrors'' by transmitting the energy back to the skin.  Althought this may seem like an energetically neutral process, it's actually not because the material emitting FIR prevents its dispersion, allowing the body to derive the maximum benefit. Due to these properties, a clinical trial protocol has been developed for testing the prototype to explore its tolerability and beneficial properties for patients suffering from cervical and lumbar pain.  The primary objective of the study will be to explore the impact of the T-shirt on patients' quality of life, while simultaneously assessing muscle soreness and spasms. As of now, the study protocol has been drafted and we are awaiting approval from the Local Ethics Committee. 

The University of Turin and the Polytechnic  of Turin developing a metaverse where students explore 3D reconstructions of brains and participate in immersive virtual reality lessons.    The digital reproduction of the rooms in the Palace of the Anatomical Insitutes at the University of Turin (UNITO) makes it possible to visit these historical premises from all over the globe, and facilitates teaching in a completely new way.    The metaverse, a concept that combines virtual and augmented reality to create interactive digital worlds, is revolutionizing many sectors, including cognitive rehabilitation. In this context, the metaverse represents an innovative platform that allows users to interact immersivily and collaboratively within digital environments, providing new opportunities for learning and therapy.    The Department of Neuroscience of the University of Turin in collaboration with the digital media artists from the 'RKH' studio in Turin and the 3D Lab of the Department of Management and Production Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin, has developed a Metaverse that allows multi-user remote interaction, up to 50 users simultaneously.  As of today, Professor Calì, within Research Module 7 of the flagship project TINCARE, has tested the use of the platform in the Computer Vision II course of the Biotechnology for Neuroscience program. The platform utilizes three-dimensional reconstructions of nanoscale portions of the brain obtained from volume electron microscopy. This allows students to enlarge and literally immerse themselves inside small portion of the brain, exploring its processes and smallest synapses.   Furthermore, in the same manner, a group of students from IC Spaziani, Istituto Drovetti, from the first to the third grade, had the opportunity to experiment this new teaching method together. After vsiting the specialized room and observing real anatomical spcimens with their teachers, they participated in a VR lesson using some of the same specimens that had been digitized into 3D.    The goal of this work is to study the potential of an immersive environment: thorugh the typical interaction between teacher and students in a biology or anatomy class, this approach serves ad a proof-of-concept for the development usable in medical rehabilitation contexts. 

A workshop at the DiSIT in Alessandria to discuss about the exploration of new diagnostic probes and alternative MRI procedures capable of overcoming the challenges associated with gadolium use.    On friday, 31 may, at the Department of Science and Technological Innovation in Alessandria, the workshop  ''Exploring diagnostic probed and procedures beyond Gd(III) for MRI application'' was held. The event was coordinated by da Mauro Botta (DiSIT) and Giovanni Battista Giovenzana (DSF), both Full Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Piemonte Orientale.   The workshop is the results of a collaboration between Spoke 5 of flagship project INNDIANA within NODES project and the Italian Group of Magnetic Resonance Discussion (GIDRM) and it saw a significant participation of professors, researchers and doctoral students.    It was an opportunity to discuss the latest frontiers in the development of innovative probes for diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In response to potential future concerns regarding economic, political, and environmental aspects related to the use of gadolinium-based probes, research in recent years has focused on studying alternative probes with a better dustainability profile.   Thanks to interventions and discussions with leading experts from different universities and companies, participants were able to deepen their understanding of new diagnostic probes, related techniques, and their potential impacts on clinical practice. Technological innovation and the enhancement of human capital are key pillars of the NODES ecosystem. 

In Novara, at the SIMNOVA research center, the second edition of UPO Anatomy Talents took place: the students of the degree course in Medicine and Surgery were confronted about anatomical knowledge through interactive and tests simulation.    On Friday, 24 May, at the Centre of Simulation and Teaching innovative SIMNOVA of Novara, took place the second edition of UPO Anatomy Talents, event coordinated by Francesca Boccafoschi, associate professor of Human Anatomy at the University of Piemonte Orientale, as well as organizer and scientific manager of the project and coordinator of the flagship project INNDIANA of the project NODES.   The flagship project is strongly engaged in research projects in the biomedical sciences, with a particular focus on regenerative medicine, for which knowledge of human anatomy is an essential link.    The competition compared six teams of future doctors from as many Italian universities against each other: UPO, Milan, Cagliari, Genoa, Turin and Verona.    <<The texts were conducted with a rotation on six different rooms - explains Boccafoschi - with competitions related to topics from the first year of Human Anatomy - namely muscles and joints -, as well as the cardiovascular system and, for the first time in the hystory of the competition, also splanchnology. A completely new feature was the use of the immersive room, which presented the contestants with ultrasound anatomy images. Obviously, we don't talk about ultrasound in clinical terms, I want to emphasize it: the competitors have been asked to demonstrate how to interpret an X-ray image from an anatomical perspective>> .    The winner of the competition, as in the previous edition, was the team from the University of Piemonte Orientalale, composed of students of the first year of the degree course in Medicine and Surgery: Chiara Ferè, Nicoloò Virga, Arianna Zenullari and Massimo Zorgno. Their preparation was overseen by coaches Giada Zanetta and Michele Lapadula (second year) and Alessio Capacchione (fifht year).    The competition was extremely close: the University of Cagliari was tied with UPO until the end, while Milan and Verona followed just a few points away.    At the conclusion of the event, professor Boccafoschi said: <<The winner is due to the first-year students and the seniors who trained them intensively over in the last three months, with daily meetings during the week before the talent. The great success of UPO Anatomy Talents was not just in reinforcing anatomical knowledge among our students, but in creating a solid group of friends who stood out for their friendship>>. 

The fourth edition of the Biennale Tecnologia at the Politecnico di Torino  From 18 to 21 April, the Politecnico di Torino organized and hosted the fourth edition of Biennale Tecnologia, a cultural event dedicated to explore the relationship between technology and society. The chosen theme for this exhibition was ''Achievable Utopias'': an invitation to conceive the future with creativity and freedom, trasforming the idea into concrete project action. The event has been a great success with the participation of more than 50.000 visitors over the four days of activities.     The contribution of TINCARE Young researchers from  TINCARE affiliated with the Politecnico di Torino also partecipated in the event. They took the opportunity to share some of the results of their research activities conducted within Research Module 4, NEWBREATH, which aims to develop a ventilation device to support patients at home, and Research Module 3, MOVEWISE, whose ultimate goal is to develop a system to monitor in everyday life those mobility parameters more related to the risk of falling  The researchers presented interactive activities that involved visitors at the ''Politecnico Aperto'' event, promoting the importance of personalized medicine and sustainable medical technologies that have a significant impact on citizens.  The flagship TINCARE is now in full swing, and its commitment to disseminate the topics and results of the research is becoming increasingly active.  

On March 22, at the ''Perrone'' Campus in Novara, the University of Piemonte Orientale hosted the scientific dissemination event ''UniStem Day2024'' , coordinated by Professor Diego Cotella.  UniStem Day is an annual international event that, since 2009, offers to high school students the opportunity to explore scientific research on stem cell. During this day, students participate in interventions, discussions, film screening, lab visits and other activities that encourage interaction with researchers. This event offers a meaningful educational and emotional experience. 

Probiota Global 2024, the leading event in the microbiome industry, took place in the world's design capital and addressed key topics such as the gut-lung axis, new frontiers for the use of probiotics, marketing insisghts, customization, skin health improvement, next-generation innovation, and regulatory developments.    Participation in scientific conferences such as Probiota Global 2024 (Milan) always allows to involve researchers to present and discuss the results obtained, establishing a strong connection between universities, scientific communication and companies experienced in the field. In this context, the collaboration between Research Module 2 (RM2) of the flagship project TINCARE and the company Probionova SA (Lugano) was among the topics presented and discussed during this important scientific conference. The aim was to disseminate the significant results obtained by RM2 in the experimental characterization of a new probiotic formulation, produced by Probionova, aimed at supporting neuronal functions and not only. The purpose was precisely to build a new reality in the landscape of human microbioma research and development, aiming to improve health through the development of new applications related to the world of probiotics. At the same time, these probiotics were also evaluated as application in new therapeutic areas, allowing to amplify the role of RM2, still extending the studies in collaboration with the industrial reality.     The common thread on which the research was based is the real connection between health and disease states with the gut microflora. For this reason, the study wanted to evaluate how to promote and maintain health by preserving intestinal well-being (intestinal homeostasis), through the use of probiotics.   Probionova, convinced that they can actively contribute to the development of new strategies for the well-being of the individual, supported the study by providing high-performance probiotic strains, which have been studied by RM2 in the context of healthy aging.  The survey led to the publication of an interesting article in an indexed journal, focusing on the beneficial role of probiotic supplementation with strains such as B. bifidum novaBBF7, B. longum novaBLG2 and L. paracasei TJB8, on the maintenance of cognitive function. In addition, a subsequent publication is underway, aimed at outlining the use of probiotics, to mitigate molecular factors related to depression and anxiety, which are closely related to the processes of brain aging and neurodegeneration.     

This initiative, carried out in collaboration with TINCARE researchers, marked a significant moment in the advancement of the understanding and application of movement analysis through wearable sensors, promising new frontiers in research and practical application to improve patients' quality of life.   The workshop offered by the Italian Society of Clinical Movement Analysis (SIAMOC), free for members, took place simultaneously in the eight universities of Turin, Ancona, Milan, Bologna, Rome, Padua, Catania and Sassari. Over 200 participants registered for the event that had the peculiarity of combining the complementary points of view of various professionals in the industry, from engineering to the clinical practice, in a productive dialogue.    Highlighting recent innovations in the field of wearable inertial sensors, the workshop alternated theoretical sessions, led by movement experts, with practical moments where participants had the opportunity to engage with the technology thorugh hands-on exercises and case analysis. The high satisfaction recorded through post-event questionnaires reflects not only the appreciation for the educational approach, but also the achievement of the main objective: to increase awareness of the potential and limits of this increasingly widespread technology.    The Hub was represented by the Politecnico di Torino, where Engineer Marco Caruso (scientific director of the event) and Professor Andrea Cereatti (president of the society), both involved in the activities of TINCARE project within the NODES Ecosystem.        

On March 24, 2024, the Spoke 5 Stakeholder Committee met virtually to review the progress of the project and discuss key agenda items.  The project manager of Spoke 5, Professor Marco Invernizzi, introduced the NODES project, emphasing the importance of the Stakeholder Committee presence in guiding the project's objectives and purposes. On this occasion, the latest partner to join, called Associazione Cluster Tecnologico Nazionale Scienze della Vita - ALISEI, was introduced.     The meeting continued with the presentation of the first results of the cascade calls (both aimed at companies and researchers) and the progress of Spoke 5's flagship project, INNDIANA and TINCARE, highlighting the successes achieved and the scientific results obtained.  Finally, the training activities implemented by the NODES project, including the funding of industrial PhD and Lifelong Learning initiatives, were presented.    Soon after, a discussion among the attendees to discuss the new themes of the Roadmap, with particular emphasis on internalization and entrepreneurial development.  The next meeting has been scheduled for the end of 2024 to discuss the project's progress.      

On Friday, March 1st, at the Perrone Biomedical Campus in Novara, the initiative ''Ricercatori a Merenda'' took place, a scientific dissemination event organized by the Department of Health Sciences of UPO as part of ''Qualunquemente'' project. The event is part of initiatives open to the population and the number of high school students was high.  The researcher of the flagship project INNDIANA, coordinated by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, spoke about the themes of their research, giving a general overview of the state of the art and innovative approaches in the field of renerative and personalized medicine.   The students of the Hotel School ''Giuseppe Ravizza'' Insitute of Novara contributed to making the initiative special by preparing excellent themed snacks for each of the interventions.    Dr Manuela Rizzi and the Anatomy group of Prof. Boccafoschi (RM1) along with Dr. Giuseppe Cappellano (RM5) carried out dissemination activities related to the NODES project (Spoke 5).  Dr. Rizzi presented the snack ''The bionic man: when anatomy and innovative research meet together'', offering revolutionary perspectives in the field of tissue regeneration compromised by degenerative and inflammatory processes. With the advancement of science, we could see a new era in which tissue regeneration and the replacement of damaged organs will become easier, promoting suitable solutions to ensure an adequate quality of life even for elderly individuals affected by age-related degenerative diseases.     Dr. Cappellano presented ''Health in miniature. The future of Medicine is in the organs-on-chip'' illustrating the importance of organs-on-chip in personalized medicine, with a specific focus on rheumatoid arthritis. It was emphasized that not all patients react in the same way to the available drugs aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease.    The students showed great involvement, actively participating with questions and expressed great appreciation for the event.