Previous short-term disuse dictates muscle gene expression and physiological adaptations to subsequent resistance exercise.

Short-term unloading experienced following injury or hospitalisation induces muscle atrophy and weakness. The effects of exercise following unloading have been scarcely investigated. We investigated the functional and molecular adaptations to a resistance training (RT) programme following short-term unloading.

Recommendations for fast-track extubation in adult cardiac surgery patients: a consensus statement.

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery in selected low-risk patients, has the potential to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of healthcare costs. Anesthesia-related challenges play a major role in the successful implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, with particular emphasis placed on fast-track extubation. Acknowledging the importance of this practice, the Italian Association of Cardiac Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care (ITACTAIC) has advocated for an initiative to establish a consensus offering practical recommendations for fast-track extubation after adult cardiac surgery.

Different Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Patterns of Diseased Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery versus Internal Thoracic Artery.

Background: Oxidative stress and inflammation are typically implied in atherosclerosis pathogenesis and progression, especially in coronary artery disease (CAD). Our objective was to investigate the oxidative stress and inflammation burden directly associated with atherosclerotic plaque in patients with stable coronary disease undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Specifically, markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were compared in blood samples obtained from the atherosclerotic left anterior descending artery (LAD) and blood samples obtained from the healthy left internal thoracic artery (LITA), used as a bypass graft, within the same patient.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) modulates stress-induced autophagy in endothelial cells.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac hormone involved in the regulation of water/sodium balance and blood pressure, is also secreted by endothelial cells, where it exerts protective effects in response to stress. Autophagy is an intracellular self-renewal process involved in the degradation of dysfunctional cytoplasmic elements. ANP was recently reported to act as an extracellular regulator of cardiac autophagy.

Altered molecular and cellular mechanisms in KIF5A-associated neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental disorders.

Mutations targeting distinct domains of the neuron-specific kinesin KIF5A associate with different neurodegenerative/neurodevelopmental disorders, but the molecular bases of this clinical heterogeneity are unknown. We characterised five key mutants covering the whole spectrum of KIF5A-related phenotypes: spastic paraplegia (SPG, R17Q and R280C), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT, R864*), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, N999Vfs*40), and neonatal intractable myoclonus (NEIMY, C975Vfs*73) KIF5A mutants. CMT-R864*-KIF5A and ALS-N999Vfs*40-KIF5A showed impaired autoinhibition and peripheral localisation accompanied by altered mitochondrial distribution, suggesting transport competence disruption.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: the diagnostic assessment.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) presents a significant diagnostic challenge due to its complex and often nonspecific clinical manifestations. This review outlines a comprehensive approach to the diagnostic assessment of CTEPH, emphasizing the importance of a high index of suspicion in patients with unexplained dyspnea or persistent symptoms post-acute pulmonary embolism. We discuss the pivotal role of multimodal imaging, including echocardiography, ventilation/perfusion scans, CT pulmonary angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging, in the identification and confirmation of CTEPH.

A non-autonomous framework for climate change and extreme weather events increase in a stochastic energy balance model.

We develop a three-timescale framework for modeling climate change and introduce a space-heterogeneous one-dimensional energy balance model. This model, addressing temperature fluctuations from rising carbon dioxide levels and the super-greenhouse effect in tropical regions, fits within the setting of stochastic reaction-diffusion equations. Our results show how both mean and variance of temperature increase, without the system going through a bifurcation point.

Comparison of Infection Rate Between Sterile and Nonsterile Gloves During Mohs Micrographic Surgery: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a well-established technique for the removal of various types of skin cancers. While sterile gloves (SG) are commonly used in skin surgeries such as MMS, additional understanding of their effectiveness compared to nonsterile gloves (NSG) in preventing local infection is required.

Objective: We aimed to perform an updated systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the use of SG with NSG for local infection rate post-MMS and point out cost discrepancies between these 2 scenarios.

Neuromuscular impairment at different stages of human sarcopenia.

Background: Degeneration of the motoneuron and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and loss of motor units (MUs) contribute to age-related muscle wasting and weakness associated with sarcopenia. However, these features have not been comprehensively investigated in humans. This study aimed to compare neuromuscular system integrity and function at different stages of sarcopenia, with a particular focus on NMJ stability and MU properties.

Efficacy and Safety of Topical Roflumilast for the Treatment of Psoriasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background And Objective: Plaque psoriasis is commonly treated topically with glucocorticoids and vitamin D derivatives. However, potential side effects such as skin atrophy underscore the need for safe and effective alternative topical therapies. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada approved roflumilast 0.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: the therapeutic assessment.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) is a severe and complex condition that evolves from unresolved pulmonary embolism, leading to fibrotic obstruction of pulmonary arteries, pulmonary hypertension, and potential right heart failure. The cornerstone of CTEPH management lies in a multifaceted therapeutic approach tailored to individual patient profiles, reflecting the disease's heterogeneity. This review delves into the current therapeutic strategies for CTEPH, including surgical pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA), balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), and targeted pharmacological treatments such as PDE5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, sGC stimulators, and prostanoids.

Impact of gastrointestinal inoculation and benznidazole treatment on infection by Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain, DTU TcII) in Swiss mice.

In Brazil, where Chagas disease is endemic, the most frequent form of transmission of the parasite is the oral route, associated with greater severity and worse response to benznidazole (BZ), the drug used in its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of gastrointestinal infection (GI) and BZ treatment on the parasitological and histopathological parameters in mice inoculated with a strain of T. cruzi II.

Towards the Fifth Pillar for the Treatment of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction: Vericiguat in Older and Complex Patients.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) represents an emerging epidemic, particularly affecting frail, older, and multimorbid patients. Current therapy for the management of HFrEF includes four different classes of disease-modifying drugs, commonly referred to as 'four pillars', which target the neurohormonal system that is overactivated in HF and contributes to its progression. These classes of drugs include β-blockers, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

NOX2 as a Biomarker of Academic Performance: Evidence from University Students during Examination.

Background: Cortisol levels, oxidative stress, and lower cerebral performance seem to be closely related. This study aimed to evaluate the question of whether exam stress affected oxidative stress and endothelial function parameters in the salivary samples of students.

Methods: A total of 114 healthy students were recruited.

Comprehensive dosimetric characterization of novel silicon carbide detectors with UHDR electron beams for FLASH radiotherapy.

Background: The extremely fast delivery of doses with ultra high dose rate (UHDR) beams necessitates the investigation of novel approaches for real-time dosimetry and beam monitoring. This aspect is fundamental in the perspective of the clinical application of FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT), as conventional dosimeters tend to saturate at such extreme dose rates.

Purpose: This study aims to experimentally characterize newly developed silicon carbide (SiC) detectors of various active volumes at UHDRs and systematically assesses their response to establish their suitability for dosimetry in FLASH-RT.

Plastic scintillator-based dosimeters for ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) electron radiotherapy.

This paper reports the development of dosimeters based on plastic scintillating fibers imaged by a charge-coupled device camera, and their performance evaluation through irradiations with the electron Flash research accelerator located at the Centro Pisano Flash Radiotherapy. The dosimeter prototypes were composed of a piece of plastic scintillating fiber optically coupled to a clear optical fiber which transported the scintillation signal to the readout systems (an imaging system and a photodiode). The following properties were tested: linearity, capability to reconstruct the percentage depth dose curve in solid water and to sample in time the single beam pulse.