Publications by authors named "Bernardo L"

Importance: Chronic pain is common among individuals with dialysis-dependent kidney failure.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pain coping skills training (PCST), a cognitive behavioral intervention, on pain interference.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter randomized clinical trial of PCST vs usual care was conducted across 16 academic centers and 103 outpatient dialysis facilities in the US.

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Involvement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been increasingly reported, affecting up to 87% of cases. This involvement generally occurs after the diagnosis of JIA has been established; however, in the authors' cases, as in a few others documented in the literature, patients presented with isolated TMJ arthritis as the sole joint involvement. The authors performed a narrative literature review on TMJ involvement in JIA and reported 2 cases that presented with isolated TMJ arthritis as the initial manifestation of JIA.

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Brazil's COVID-19 response has faced challenges due to the continuous emergence of variants of concern (VOCs), emphasizing the need for ongoing genomic surveillance and retrospective analyses of past epidemic waves to reassess and fine tune containment protocols. Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil's southernmost state, has international borders and trades with Argentina and Uruguay, along with significant domestic connections within Brazil. The identification of source and sink transmission chains at national and international scales can identify main hubs and pathways to target future interventions.

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  • The study investigates the genetic distinctness of two subspecies of Cirillo found in central and southern Italy, using nuclear and chloroplast markers.
  • The research reveals that one subspecies is more genetically uniform and restricted to mountainous areas, while the other shows greater variability and a wider geographical range.
  • Both subspecies have similar ecological needs but inhabit different temperature zones, and predictions indicate that their distribution may significantly shrink over time.
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The manufacture of composites with bioactive compounds represents a promising strategy for developing advanced materials in biomedical, food, and industrial applications. However, challenges such as stability, bioactivity retention, and controlled release hinder their effectiveness. Electrospinning emerges as a viable technique for encapsulating bioactive compounds, offering advantages such as high surface area, porosity, and gradual release, which are critical for maintaining the bioactivity of embedded compounds.

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  • About 0.5-1% of women of childbearing age have anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, potentially leading to Neonatal Lupus, primarily manifesting as complete heart block (AVB) in fetuses.
  • The study aims to assess the effectiveness of home monitoring of fetal heart rates using a handheld device in pregnant women with these antibodies and to see if early treatment can help.
  • Currently, patients are being recruited across 11 Italian centers for a prospective observational study, with regular monitoring and check-ups to track maternal and fetal health outcomes.
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Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are increasingly being used as a composite material in concrete slabs due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to corrosion. However, FRP-reinforced concrete slabs, similar to traditional systems, are susceptible to punching shear failure, a critical design concern. Existing empirical models and design provisions for predicting the punching shear strength of FRP-reinforced concrete slabs often exhibit significant bias and dispersion.

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Recurrent pericarditis, an inflammatory syndrome with a pathogenesis not fully elucidated, often presents diagnostic challenges. This study aims to assess the correlation of D-Dimer (D-D) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels with clinical, laboratory and imaging features in recurrent idiopathic pericarditis. We analyzed 412 patients with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis from 2019 to 2023 in our referral center.

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Background: Peripheral nerve injury is a recognized complication after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) that has mainly been studied at the level of the brachial plexus and its proximal branches. However, the impact of RSA on distal peripheral nerves and the influence of elbow and wrist position is not known. This cadaveric study aimed to analyze the effect of RSA implantation and upper limb position on tension in the distal median and radial nerves.

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Background: The host cellular immune response associated with two treatments for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) - paromomycin plus miltefosine (Arm 1), and liposomal amphotericin B plus miltefosine (Arm 2) - was examined in Sudanese patients before treatment (D0), at the end of treatment (D42), and during the post-treatment period (D180).

Methods: Whole blood samples were stimulated with soluble Leishmania antigen for 24 h (whole blood assay [WBA]) and the concentrations of Th1/Th2/Th17-associated cytokines, IP-10, PDL-1 and granzyme B were determined.

Results: The Arm 1 treatment (98.

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The risk of the use of toxic chemicals for unlawful acts has been a matter of concern for different governments and multilateral agencies. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which oversees the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), considering recent events employing chemical warfare agents as means of assassination, has recently included in the CWC "Annex on Chemicals" some organophosphorus compounds that are regarded as acting in a similar fashion to the classical G- and V-series of nerve agents, inhibiting the pivotal enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Therefore, knowledge of the activity of the pyridinium oximes, the sole class of clinically available acetylcholinesterase reactivators to date, is plainly justified.

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Background: The lack of standardized protocols for isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially from biobank-stored blood plasma, translates to limitations for the study of new biomarkers. This study examines whether a combination of current isolation methods could enhance the specificity and purity of isolated EVs for diagnosis and personalized medicine purposes.

Results: EVs were isolated from healthy human plasma stored for one year by ultracentrifugation (UC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), or SEC and UC combined (SEC + UC).

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Background: Nowadays children live in a digital world, exposed to relevant risks for their health and safety. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of multimedia devices in a sample of children and adolescents.

Methods: The study was performed between November 2018 and June 2019 in a third-level University Hospital, recruiting children and adolescents during general or specialistic follow-up visits.

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Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land-cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large-sized species.

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  • Brain plasticity and cognitive functions are influenced by nutrients, which have long-term health impacts and involve epigenetic changes.
  • * The study showed that different types of milk (cow, donkey, and human) affect mitochondrial function and inflammation in the brain of rats, leading to changes in synaptic plasticity.
  • * The findings underscore how nutrition can modulate DNA methylation and gene expression in the brain, highlighting the crucial role of mitochondria in these processes.
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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of co-micronized palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)/polydatin (PD) in the treatment of abdominal pain symptoms in pediatric patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods: This was a multicenter trial conducted at three Italian pediatric gastroenterology centers, employing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm design. Participants were ages 10 to 17 y and met Rome IV criteria for pediatric IBS.

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  • Trait-based ecology traditionally focuses on broad axes of trait variation, but this study emphasizes the importance of intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in understanding plant adaptive strategies.
  • By analyzing ITV across 167 species in various habitats in Italy, the research showed that ITV can rotate the axes of trait variation, enhance the variance explained by these axes, and influence the functional structure of trait space, albeit with small and context-dependent effects.
  • The findings call for a careful approach in applying ITV patterns to different traits and environments, providing a framework to better integrate ITV into future trait space analyses.
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  • Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) resolution relies on effective treatments and a functional immune system, but patients on immunosuppressants, like methotrexate (MTX), face greater risks of developing VL and may hesitate to take antileishmanial drugs.* -
  • A study investigated the interactions between antimony (Sb) and MTX on different strains of Leishmania infantum in dogs, revealing varied sensitivity and resistance patterns, with some strains displaying cross-resistance.* -
  • The findings suggest that the use of immunosuppressants may contribute to the emergence of Sb-MTX resistant parasites, potentially complicating VL treatment in areas where both VL and immunosuppressant use are prevalent.*
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Background: Norwegian scabies is a rare dermatological manifestation that usually affects the most fragile populations, such as elderly and immunocompromised patients, and its diagnosis is quite complex, due to its low prevalence in the general population and because of a broad spectrum manifestation.

Case Presentation: Here we describe a rare case of Norwegian scabies that was previously misdiagnosed in a sixteen year old patient affected by Down syndrome and we conducted a non-systematic literature review about this topic. Lesions were atypical, pruritic and associated with periodic desquamation of the palms and soles and after a series of specialist evaluations, she finally underwent topical treatment with complete remission.

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  • Immunosuppression significantly increases the severity and treatment challenges of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in patients taking drugs like anti-TNF and methotrexate.
  • Research on BALB/c mice showed that these treatments hindered the immune response, preventing effective elimination of the parasites from the body.
  • The study concluded that immunosuppressed mice lacked an adequate cellular immune response to the parasite, which may help explain the higher relapse rates in affected human patients.
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  • The HOPE Trial is a multicenter randomized trial aimed at reducing chronic pain and opioid use in patients on maintenance hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease.
  • Phase 1 involves randomly assigning participants to either Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST) or Usual Care, while Phase 2 offers buprenorphine to those on high doses of opioid medications.
  • The trial tracks outcomes like pain interference, hospitalizations, and mortality over 36 weeks, ultimately seeking to improve management strategies for chronic pain in this patient population.
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Testing shear-resisting plates in steel connections is one of the most challenging laboratory undertakings in steel construction, as the most common experimental layout design includes simulating the connection with its adjoining members. This significant hindrance gained particular magnitude as the need to test prototypes of topologically optimised shear cover plates became more pressing. Indeed, new code-compliant topology optimisation approaches for steel construction have recently been offered, and physically non-linear analyses have been demonstrated to be vital for assessing these elements.

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Background: Asthma is a common chronic disease in pediatric patients, and perimenstrual asthma (PMA), refers to the worsening of asthma symptoms during the perimenstrual period, mainly reported in adult women. However, there is limited information regarding the exacerbation of symptoms in the presence of premenstrual disorders (PMDs) in adolescents. The aim of this pilot observational study was to investigate the frequency and potential association of PMA and PMDs in a clinical sample of adolescents with asthma.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the COVID-19 health emergency, affecting and killing millions of people worldwide. Following SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 patients show a spectrum of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to very severe manifestations. In particular, bronchial and pulmonary cells, involved at the initial stage, trigger a hyper-inflammation phase, damaging a wide range of organs, including the heart, brain, liver, intestine and kidney.

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Mucocutaneous eruptions are associated with numerous infectious processes and can present as erythema multiforme (EM), reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME), Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS), or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Limited reports have detailed the association of these eruptions with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We present a series of eight cases of severe mucocutaneous blistering eruptions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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