Outcome prediction for late-onset sepsis after premature birth.

Background: Our aim was to develop a quantitative model for immediately estimating the risk of death and/or brain injury in late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants, based on objective and measurable data available at the time sepsis is first suspected (i.e., time of blood culture collection).

Bacterial Meningitis in Infants Under 90 Days of Age: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Background: Bacterial meningitis (BM) in infants is a serious condition that can lead to significant complications. Lumbar puncture (LP) is essential to provide diagnoses, however false negatives may result if LP is performed after the starting of antibiotic therapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of infants of any gestational age with BM within their first 90 days of life and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Modena Policlinico between 1 January 2011, and 31 December 2023.

The combination of hyaluronic acids and collagen boosts human Achilles tendon-derived cell escape from inflammation and matrix remodeling in vitro.

Objective: This study explores whether hyaluronic acid (HA) of different molecular weights and collagen, given their role in tendon extracellular matrix maintenance, have a synergistic effect on human tendon-derived cells, with the aim to improve the treatment of tendinopathy.

Material: Human monocytes (CRL-9855™) and primary Achilles tendon-derived cells.

Treatment: The collagen/HA ratio was based on the formulation of the commercial food supplement TendoGenIAL™.

The C-terminal PHDVC5HCH tandem domain of NSD2 is a combinatorial reader of unmodified H3K4 and tri-methylated H3K27 that regulates transcription of cell adhesion genes in multiple myeloma.

Histone methyltransferase NSD2 (MMSET) overexpression in multiple myeloma (MM) patients plays an important role in the development of this disease subtype. Through the expansion of transcriptional activating H3K36me2 and the suppression of repressive H3K27me3 marks, NSD2 activates an aberrant set of genes that contribute to myeloma growth, adhesive and invasive activities. NSD2 transcriptional activity also depends on its non-catalytic domains, which facilitate its recruitment to chromatin through histone binding.

Prenatal multidisciplinary counseling for fetal congenital anomalies: A narrative review.

Introduction: Prenatal multidisciplinary counseling for fetuses with congenital anomalies involves a collaborative approach, integrating expertise from various medical fields.

Aims And Approach: This comprehensive strategy aims to provide expectant parents with accurate information about the diagnosis, potential outcomes, and available interventions. Genetic counselors, obstetricians, neonatologists, and other specialists work together to address medical, psychological, and ethical aspects.

Italian translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and the Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) for individuals post-stroke.

Purpose: This study aims to culturally adapt and validate the Stroke Upper Limb Capacity Scale (SULCS) and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) for use with post-stroke patients in Italy.

Methods: The original scales were translated and culturally adapted following the "Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures - Principles of Good Practice" guidelines. We assessed internal consistency and test-retest reliability, while concurrent validity was evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian version of the Disability Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH).

An Exploratory Study on the Effects of Souchard Postural Gymnastics in Parkinson's Disease Patients with Camptocormia: A Quasi-Experimental Approach.

: Parkinson's disease (PD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, leads to motor and non-motor impairments, affecting quality of life. Camptocormia can be one of the motor signs of PD, characterized by a severe and abnormal forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine that typically occurs when walking or standing. The following study aims to verify whether postural gymnastics can be an effective treatment for trunk control, balance, activities of daily living, and general well-being in patients with early-stage PD and camptocormia.

Can a Shorter Dwell Time Reduce Infective Complications Associated with the Use of Umbilical Catheters?

Background: Umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) are the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to administer fluids, parenteral nutrition and medications, although complications may occur, including central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs). However, the dwell time to reduce CLABSI risk remains an open issue.

Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective study of newborns hospitalized in the Modena NICU with at least one UVC inserted over a 6-year period (period 1: January 2011-December 2013; period 2: January 2019-December 2021).

A massive community-science dataset reveals convergent evolution of delayed flowering phenology in North American red-flowering plants.

The radiation of angiosperms is marked by a phenomenal diversity of floral size, shape, color, scent, and reward. Through hundreds of years of documentation and quantification, scientists have sought to make sense of this variation by defining pollination syndromes. These syndromes are the convergent evolution of common suits of floral traits across distantly related species that have evolved by selection to optimize pollination strategies.

Evaluation of Psychometric Proprieties of Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) in Italian Language: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) in post-stroke individuals. The original MASA scale was translated and culturally adapted from English to Italian following the international guidelines. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the MASA-IT were assessed, and its concurrent validity was examined through Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian versions of two established gold standard scales for dysphagia assessment: the Dysphagia Outcome Severity Scale (DOSS) and the De Pippo Test-Three Oz Water Swallow.

Outbreaks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Description and Management.

Healthcare settings, especially intensive care units, can provide an ideal environment for the transmission of pathogens and the onset of outbreaks. Many factors can contribute to the onset of an epidemic in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including neonates' vulnerability to healthcare-associated infections, especially for those born preterm; facility design; frequent invasive procedures; and frequent contact with healthcare personnel. Outbreaks in NICUs are one of the most relevant problems because they are often caused by multidrug-resistant organisms associated with increased mortality and morbidity.

Lung Recruitment Before Surfactant Administration in Extremely Preterm Neonates: 2-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: A multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) showed a lung recruitment maneuver using high-frequency oscillatory ventilation just before surfactant administration (ie, intubate-recruit-surfactant-extubate [IN-REC-SUR-E]) improved the efficacy of treatment compared with the standard intubate-surfactant-extubate (IN-SUR-E) technique without increasing the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes.

Objective: To examine follow-up outcomes at corrected postnatal age (cPNA) 2 years of preterm infants previously enrolled in an RCT and treated with IN-REC-SUR-E or IN-SUR-E in 35 tertiary neonatal intensive care units.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a follow-up study of infants recruited into the primary RCT from 2015 to 2018 at 35 tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Italy.

Antibiotic exposure for culture-negative early-onset sepsis in late-preterm and term newborns: an international study.

Background: Early-life antibiotic exposure is disproportionately high compared to the burden of culture-proven early-onset sepsis (CP-EOS). We assessed the contribution of culture-negative cases to the overall antibiotic exposure in the first postnatal week.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis across eleven countries in Europe, North America, and Australia.

The Motor Optimality Score-Revised Improves Early Detection of Unilateral Cerebral Palsy in Infants with Perinatal Cerebral Stroke.

Background: Neonatal cerebral stroke includes a range of focal and multifocal ischemic and hemorrhagic brain lesions, occurring in about one of 3000 live births. More than 50% of children with neonatal stroke develop adverse outcomes, mainly unilateral cerebral palsy. Asymmetries in segmental movements at three months have been proven to be an early sign of CP in infants with unilateral brain damage.

Validation of the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale in Rehabilitation Health Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Work-related quality of life (WRQoL) is a multidimensional concept related to life satisfaction. Evaluating WRQoL is essential in healthcare settings since employee satisfaction affects patient service quality. Only a few studies have focused on the quality of life of rehabilitation health workers.

Synthetic Protein Nanoparticles via Photoreactive Electrohydrodynamic Jetting.

Protein nanoparticles are an attractive class of materials for nanomedicine applications due to the intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and intrinsic functionality of their constituent proteins. Despite the clinical success of select protein nanoparticles, this class of nanocarriers remains understudied and underdeveloped compared to lipid and polymer nanoparticles due to challenges related to formulation optimization, large design space, and their structural complexity. In this work, a modular strategy for protein nanoparticle preparation based on the concept of photoreactive jetting is introduced.

The contribution of paramagnetic rim and cortical lesions to physical and cognitive disability at multiple sclerosis clinical onset: evaluating the power of MRI and OCT biomarkers.

Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), imaging biomarkers play a crucial role in characterizing the disease at the time of diagnosis. MRI and optical coherence tomography (OCT) provide readily available biomarkers that may help to define the patient's clinical profile. However, the evaluation of cortical and paramagnetic rim lesions (CL, PRL), as well as retinal atrophy, is not routinely performed in clinic.

Self-Reporting Therapeutic Protein Nanoparticles.

We present a modular strategy to synthesize nanoparticle sensors equipped with dithiomaleimide-based, fluorescent molecular reporters capable of discerning minute changes in interparticle chemical environments based on fluorescence lifetime analysis. Three types of nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of tailor-made molecular reporters, and it was found that protein nanoparticles exhibited greater sensitivity to changes in the core environment than polymer nanogels and block copolymer micelles. Encapsulation of the hydrophobic small-molecule drug paclitaxel (PTX) in self-reporting protein nanoparticles induced characteristic changes in fluorescence lifetime profiles, detected via time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.

School Participation Questionnaire (SPQ): Italian Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Pilot Testing in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Introduction: According to leading occupational therapy models, the environment appears to be a key element in fostering occupational performance and participation. There is an emerging need to identify an instrument that can assess these aspects in the school environment. Currently, there are no rating scales in Italy for the school participation of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Validity and reliability of the Italian version of the short Parkinson's evaluation scale (SPES/SCOPA).

Background: In the medical and rehabilitative field, it is essential to employ tools such as evaluation scales and performance tests to assess the impact of Parkinson's disease on QoL of affected individuals. The Short Parkinson's Evaluation Scale (SPES) is a reliable and valid tool, applicable both in research and clinical practices, useful in assessing motor damage, activities of daily living, and motor complications in patients with Parkinson's disease. The aim of the study is to investigate validity and reliability of the Italian version of the SPES-SCOPA scale.

The role and effectiveness of occupational therapy in prison rehabilitation programs: systematic review.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to research studies in the literature regarding the role of the occupational therapist within penitentiary facilities.

Design/methodology/approach: The study design is a systematic review using five different databases.

Findings: Findings can therefore ascertain the potential role of occupational therapists in penitentiary institutions because they can contribute to the rehabilitation of prisoners both inside and outside prisons with a view to their reintegration into society.

Patent ductus arteriosus (also non-hemodynamically significant) correlates with poor outcomes in very low birth weight infants. A multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: To standardize the diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and report its association with adverse neonatal outcomes in very low birth weight infants (VLBW, birth weight < 1500 g).

Study Design: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in Emilia Romagna from March 2018 to October 2019. The association between ultrasound grading of PDA and adverse neonatal outcomes was evaluated after correction for gestational age.

Guideline for reporting systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments (OMIs): PRISMA-COSMIN for OMIs 2024.

Purpose: Although comprehensive and widespread guidelines on how to conduct systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) exist, for example from the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) initiative, key information is often missing in published reports. This article describes the development of an extension of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline: PRISMA-COSMIN for OMIs 2024.

Methods: The development process followed the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) guidelines and included a literature search, expert consultations, a Delphi study, a hybrid workgroup meeting, pilot testing, and an end-of-project meeting, with integrated patient/public involvement.