Spinal Apophyses Localization in Discretized Models of Human Backs by Shape Index Analysis.

Objective: The paper proposes a non-invasive original methodology to directly and automatically identify the spine line from the external position of vertebral apophyses, which are key anatomical landmarks.

Methods: Apophyses are detected directly on discrete high-density geometric models of human backs acquired by a 3D scanner. The methodology is inspired by the posturologist's approach that detects the spine line through the identification, by manual palpation, of the spinal apophyses.

Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab as SARS-CoV-2 Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Lung Transplant Recipients during the Omicron Wave: A Real-World Monocentric Experience.

Lung transplant recipients (LTRs) respond poorly to vaccination. SARS-CoV-2 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tixagevimab/cilgavimab (TIX/CIL) reduces the incidence of infection and the evolution to severe COVID-19. In vitro data show decreased activity against Omicron variants.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on the Outcome of Glioblastoma.

Background:  Rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020 led to an indirect effect on non-COVID patients. Since neuro-oncology cases are unique and brain tumors need a specific therapeutic protocol at proper doses and at the right times, the effects of the pandemic on health care services for patients with glioblastomas (GBs) and their impact on overall survival (OS) and quality of life are not yet known.

Methods:  We conducted a retrospective study of 142 GB patients who underwent surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy before and after the lockdown period, aiming to determine the differences in access to care, treatment modality, and adjuvant therapies, and how the lockdown changed the prognosis.

PHOCUS: A Phase 3, Randomized, Open-Label Study of Sequential Treatment with Pexa-Vec (JX-594) and Sorafenib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: Intratumoral administration of pexa-vec (pexastimogene devacirepvec), an oncolytic and immunotherapeutic vaccinia virus, given to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is associated with both local and distant tumor responses. We hypothesized subsequent treatment with sorafenib could demonstrate superior efficacy.

Methods: This random phase III open-label study evaluated the sequential treatment with pexa-vec followed by sorafenib compared to sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC and no prior systemic treatment.

Glucose-driven histone lactylation promotes the immunosuppressive activity of monocyte-derived macrophages in glioblastoma.

Immunosuppressive macrophages restrict anti-cancer immunity in glioblastoma (GBM). Here, we studied the contribution of microglia (MGs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to immunosuppression and mechanisms underlying their regulatory function. MDMs outnumbered MGs at late tumor stages and suppressed T cell activity.

Novel Ultrastructural Insights into the Clear-Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas: A Case Report.

Pancreatic cancer, most frequently as ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is the third leading cause of cancer death. Clear-cell primary adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (CCCP) is a rare, aggressive, still poorly characterized subtype of PDAC. We report here a case of a 65-year-old male presenting with pancreatic neoplasia.

The role of echocardiography in pulmonary embolism for the prediction of in-hospital mortality: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death, following myocardial infarction and stroke. The latest European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on PE recommend short-term prognostic stratification based on right ventricular (RV) overload detected by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) or contrast-enhanced chest CT. The aim of the study is to find out which of the signs of right ventricular dysfunction best predicts in-hospital mortality (IHM).

Infective Endocarditis After Percutaneous Device Closure of Atrial Septal Defects: Incidence, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Case Report and Literature Review.

Infective endocarditis (IE) on atrial septal defect (ASD) closure devices, while extremely rare, has been reported to be more frequent early after the procedure. We describe a case of late IE after percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO). We also performed a literature review on this subject.

Automatic Multiview Alignment of RGB-D Range Maps of Upper Limb Anatomy.

Digital representations of anatomical parts are crucial for various biomedical applications. This paper presents an automatic alignment procedure for creating accurate 3D models of upper limb anatomy using a low-cost handheld 3D scanner. The goal is to overcome the challenges associated with forearm 3D scanning, such as needing multiple views, stability requirements, and optical undercuts.

Predicting in-hospital mortality in patients admitted from the emergency department for pulmonary embolism: Incidence and prognostic value of deep vein thrombosis. A retrospective study.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the most common causes of death from cardiovascular disease. Although deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the leading cause of PE, its prognostic role is unclear. This study investigated the incidence and prognostic value of DVT in predicting in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients admitted from the emergency department (ED) for PE.

Adult IDH Wild-Type Glioblastoma Ultrastructural Investigation Suggests a Possible Correlation between Morphological Biomarkers and Ki-67 Index.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with an average life expectancy between 14 and 16 months after diagnosis. The Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a measure of cellular proliferation, is emerging as a prognostic marker in GBM. In this study, we investigated the ultrastructure of glioblastoma tissue from 9 patients with the same molecular profile (adult IDH wild-type glioblastoma, wild-type ATRX, and positive for TP53 expression, GFAP expression, and EGFR overexpression) to find possible ultrastructural features to be used as biomarkers and correlated with the only parameter that differs among our samples, the Ki-67 LI.

How to Improve Patients' Perceived Quality of Sleep During Hospitalization Through a Multicomponent "Good Sleep Bundle": A Prospective Before and After Controlled Study.

Introduction: Despite sound evidence on the importance of sleep for human beings and its role in healing, hospitalized patients still experience sleep disruption with deleterious effects. Many factors affecting patients' sleep can be removed or minimized. We evaluated the efficacy of a multicomponent Good Sleep Bundle (GSB) developed to improve patients' perceived quality of sleep, through which we modified environmental factors, timing of nighttime clinical interventions, and actively involved patients in order to positively influence their experience during hospitalization.

Development of a Novel Device for Decompressive Craniectomy: An Experimental and Cadaveric Study and Preliminary Clinical Application.

Background: Decompressive craniectomy is an intervention of established efficacy in patients with intractable cerebral edema.

Objective: To evaluate a new device used in alternative to decompressive craniectomy. This device is designed to perform an augmentative craniotomy by keeping the bone flap elevated using specific cranial suspension titanium plates and giving the brain enough room to swell.

Experimental Data Collection of Surface Quality Analysis of CuCrZr Specimens Manufactured with SLM Technology: Analysis of the Effects of Process Parameters.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is the most widely used laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF) technology for the additive manufacturing (AM) of parts from metallic powders. The surface quality of the SLM parts is highly dependent on many factors and process parameters. These factors include the powder grain size, the layer thickness, and the building angle.

Right vs left portal branch puncture in TIPS creation with controlled expansion covered stent: comparison of hemodynamic and clinical outcomes.

Purpose: To retrospectively compare outcomes of TIPS performed by puncturing left portal vein (LPV) vs right portal vein (RPV) to access the portal system.

Materials And Methods: One hundred ninety-three consecutive patients underwent TIPS with controlled expansion covered stent by using the LPV (37 patients) or the RPV (156 patients). Patients were followed until the last clinical evaluation, liver transplantation, or death.

Clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt with PTFE-covered stents after liver transplantation and technical results in split and whole liver graft recipients.

Objectives: To assess the outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation using PTFE-covered stents in liver transplant (LT) recipients and to analyze the technical result of TIPS creation in split grafts (SG) compared with whole liver grafts (WG).

Methods And Materials: Single-center, retrospective study, analyzing LT patients who underwent TIPS using PTFE-covered stents. Clinical and technical variables were analyzed.

Predicting in-hospital mortality in pulmonary embolism patients: development and external validation of the PATHOS score.

Objective: According to the 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on pulmonary embolism (PE), prognosis is calculated using the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), a complex score with debated validity, or simplified PESI (sPESI). We have developed and validated a new risk score for in-hospital mortality (IHM) of patients with PE in the emergency department.

Methods: This retrospective, dual-center cohort study was conducted in the emergency departments of two third-level university hospitals.

Vascular intracranial malformations and dementia: An under-estimated cause and clinical correlation. Clinical note.

Cerebrovascular malformations (CVMs) such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) or dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) represent a possible source of intracranial hemorrhage, but these malformations can also manifest with neurologic disorders secondary to ischemic penumbra from vascular steal. In the latter case, the clinical manifestations are less obvious and characteristic, and may include a varied clinical spectrum ranging from focal deficits to generalized malfunction of the brain parenchyma resulting in dementia. Dementias secondary to CVMs constitute a probably underestimated subpopulation of patients of great interest because they present with devastating but potentially reversible cognitive impairment.

Extradural Clinoidectomy in Clinoidal Meningiomas: Analysis of the Surgical Technique and Evaluation of the Clinical Outcome.

The surgical treatment of clinoidal meningiomas is currently still discussed in the literature. Different surgical approaches have been proposed and evaluated, in multiple studies, in order to improve the surgical outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the advantages of extradural clinoidectomy in the context of tumor removal radicality for visual function improvement.

Treatment of giant intracranial aneurysms: long-term outcomes in surgical versus endovascular management.

Aneurysms with a major diameter > 25 mm are defined as giant intracranial aneurysms (GIAs). Different clinical, pathological, and radiological factors were revealed as playing a role in choosing the best strategy between surgical and endovascular approaches. Despite the improvement of both techniques, the efficacy and safety of these different management are still debated.

Preoperative 3D volume reconstruction of the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus with Horos: A free, simple and reliable tool in endoscopic endonasal trans-sphenoidal surgery.

Background: The purpose of the study was to create computer-aided design models of the sphenoid sinus with a free-source software in order to perform a preoperative planning during trans-sphenoidal endoscopic surgery (TES) and clarify the three-dimensional anatomical features of the sphenoid sinus and its surrounding structures.

Methods: For each patient a 3D volume rendering of the sphenoid sinus was obtained from a thin slice head and maxilla-facial CT scan using a free-source DICOM viewer. The 3D models obtained preoperatively were examined preoperatively by six neurosurgeons in order to identify the boundaries of the sella.

Reducing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Using the Targeted Solution Tool: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is a worldwide urgent health problem. Hand hygiene (HH) is an effective intervention to reduce the spread of CRE.

Local Problem: In 2017, an increase in the rate of health care-associated (HA) CRE colonization was observed in a large multiorgan transplant center in Italy.

Giant Prolactinoma Embedded by Pseudoaneurysm of the Cavernous Carotid Artery Treated with a Tailored Therapeutic Scheme.

The coexistence of intracranial aneurysm (IA) is generally thought to be highest in patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs). Different mechanisms may play a role in aneurysm formation, but whether the PA contributes to aneurysm formation is still unclear. In the literature, there are numerous reported cases of this association; however, the analyses of the characteristics of PAs, aneurysms, and treatment management are rare and limited to a restricted number of case reports.