Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Vitamin D Supplementations Partially Reversed Metabolic Disorders and Restored Gut Microbiota in Obese Wistar Rats.

Obesity is a global public health issue linked to various comorbidities in both humans and animals. This study investigated the effects of vitamin D (VD) and omega-3 fatty acids (ω3FA) on obesity, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic alterations in Wistar rats. After 13 weeks on a standard (S) or High-Fat, High-Sugar (HFHS) diet, the rats received VD, ω3FA, a combination (VD/ω3), or a control (C) for another 13 weeks.

A Computational Approach to Modeling Excitation Energy Transfer and Quenching in Light-Harvesting Complexes.

Light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) play a critical role in modulating energy flux within photosynthetic organisms in response to fluctuating light. Under high light conditions, they activate quenching mechanisms to mitigate photodamage. Despite their importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying these photoprotective processes remain incomplete.

[The CCM Project "Guidelines for the Social Reporting of Screening Programmes"].

The Social Report (SR) is a form of measurement and reporting, transparency, and communication, essential for sharing decisions, activities, and the value an institution generates with stakeholders from a social responsibility perspective. It is a useful tool for screening programmes to understand their objectives and structure, assess their effectiveness, and promote informed participation by citizens and stakeholders.This contribution explores the implementation of the SR in oncological screening programmes - a project conducted in the CCM 2019 Programme 'Guidelines for Social Reporting of Screening Programmes', coordinated by the Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO) in Tuscany Region in collaboration with the Centre for Oncological Screenings of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna Region) and the Population Screening Programmes Service of ATS Valpadana (Lombardy Region) - conducted between 2020 and 2022.

Insights into Energy Transfer in Light-Harvesting Complex II Through Machine-Learning Assisted Simulations.

Light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) is the major antenna of higher plants. Energy transfer processes taking place inside its aggregate of chlorophylls have been experimentally investigated with time-resolved techniques, but a complete understanding of the most relevant energy transfer pathways and relative characteristic times remains elusive. Theoretical models to disentangle experimental data in LHCII have long been challenged by the large size and complex nature of the system.

Composition of encephalic arteries and origin of the basilar artery are different between vertebrates.

Intracranial arterial anatomy is lacking for most mammalian and non-mammalian model species, especially concerning the origin of the basilar artery (BA). Enhancing the knowledge of this anatomy can improve animal models and help understanding anatomical variations in humans. We have studied encephalic arteries in three different species of birds and eight different species of mammals using formalin-fixed brains injected with arterial red latex.

Reduction of Post-Surgical Facial Edema Following Bromelain and Coumarin Intake in Traumatology: A Prospective Study with 100 Patients.

Bromelain and coumarins are recognized as safe and effective therapeutic agents, used by individuals to treat ailments such as postoperative edema, inflammation and other diseases. Bromelain has been proven to be well absorbed by the body after oral administration, and it has no major side effects even after prolonged use. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of bromelain and other nutraceuticals in reducing post-surgical swelling, pain and the need of anti-inflammatory drugs in maxillofacial post-traumatic surgery.

Customized orbital implant versus 3D preformed titanium mesh for orbital fracture repair: A retrospective comparative analysis of orbital reconstruction accuracy.

This study aimed to compare the accuracy of inferomedial orbital fracture restoration using customized orbital implant versus 3D preformed titanium mesh. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 underwent surgery with customized orbital implants and intraoperative navigation, while group 2 was treated using 3D preformed titanium meshes with preoperative virtual surgical planning (VSP) and intraoperative navigation.

Comparing accuracy of tomosynthesis plus digital mammography or synthetic 2D mammography in breast cancer screening: baseline results of the MAITA RCT consortium.

Aim: The analyses here reported aim to compare the screening performance of digital tomosynthesis (DBT) versus mammography (DM).

Methods: MAITA is a consortium of four Italian trials, REtomo, Proteus, Impeto, and MAITA trial. The trials adopted a two-arm randomised design comparing DBT plus DM (REtomo and Proteus) or synthetic-2D (Impeto and MAITA trial) versus DM; multiple vendors were included.

Orbital Fractures: A New CT-Based Protocol to Guide the Surgical Approach and Reconstruction Material Decision-Making.

Preoperative computer-assisted planning and intraoperative navigation are becoming popular for orbital fracture treatment. However, not all institutions currently have access to these computer-aided applications. The authors present a simple and intuitive operative algorithm to guide orbital fracture reconstructions.

Flow cytometry for the assessment and monitoring of aberrant intraepithelial lymphocytes in non-responsive celiac disease and non-celiac enteropathies.

Background: Few data are available on flow cytometry (FC) for monitoring intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in refractory celiac disease (RCD), non-responsive celiac disease (NRCD), and non-celiac enteropathies (NCEs).

Aims: 1) To investigate the significance of monitoring IELs immunophenotype with FC in patients with NRCD, RCD and NCEs; 2) to evaluate FC concordance with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and γ-TCR clonality analysis.

Methods: Patients investigated between January-2012 and February-2023 were divided into two groups: 1)confirmed RCD or NRCD being investigated for persistent symptoms and suspected complications of celiac disease (CD); 2)NCEs lacking clinical/histological response.

Testing behavioral economics messages to increase non-responders' participation in organized colorectal cancer-screening programs: A randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of behavioral economic-inspired messages on participation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. We conducted a randomized-controlled trial involving 11,505 non-responders to the CRC screening programs in Florence, Rome, and Turin in 2020. Participants aged 54-70 years were randomly assigned to four conditions.

Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty: Diamond Injection Technique for Nasal Tip Contouring.

A more pleasing nasal tip appearance is becoming the most frequent reason for nonsurgical aesthetic rhinoplasty procedures. To present the "Diamond Injection Technique," an innovative 4-point hyaluronic acid (HA) filler injection procedure for nasal tip refinement and to assess its aesthetic outcomes and efficacy. Data were collected from a prospective single-center cohort of patients undergoing nonsurgical rhinoplasty with injectable fillers.

The Impact of Professional Oral Hygiene in Orthognathic Surgery.

Introduction: Oral hygiene represents a fundamental element with regard to outcomes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Both basic hygiene that the patient must perform daily at home and obviously professional hygiene aimed at preventing any complications in the surgical field.

Methods: Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery in our Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Ancona, in a total number of 137 in the period studied (2016-2021), were divided into 2 groups: period 1, (2016-2018) and period 2 (2019-2021).

Buccal Fat Pad Flap in Orthognathic Surgery: Facial Soft Tissue Volume's Redistribution Strategy to Improve the Esthetic Outcomes.

Traditional osteotomic procedures can fail to restore the natural appearance of the face and can sometimes highlight the intrinsic decrease in the volume of soft tissues; in these cases, soft-tissue-improving procedures should be considered. The authors describe a new strategy that can help redistribute facial soft tissues and enhance facial esthetics in orthognathic surgery using a pedicled buccal fat flap to increase the volume of the malar soft tissue envelope. Between January 2017 and January 2021, 47 patients with dentoskeletal deformity who needed to increase the projection of the cheekbone contour underwent orthognathic surgery with simultaneous pedicled buccal fat pad flap for malar augmentation.

Integrating Psychophysiology within Clinical Practice: A Pilot Cross-sectional Study on Prodromal Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Emotion Regulation, and Personality Functioning.

Objective: To investigate the association between prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia, autonomic activity, and personality functioning.

Method: 10 adolescents underwent semi-structured interviews assessing prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia and personality functioning. Cardiac activity was recorded at baseline, during the clinical interviews, and at recovery to assess concurrent changes in autonomic functioning.

Customized and Navigated Primary Orbital Fracture Reconstruction: Computerized Operation Neuronavigated Surgery Orbital Recent Trauma (CONSORT) Protocol.

Combined orbital medial wall and floor fractures and large isolated orbital floor fractures commonly require surgical treatment due to the high probability of diplopia and enophthal-mos. Primary reconstruction of these orbital fractures requires a high-level surgeon with a great amount of technical surgical skill. The use of novel technology can greatly improve the accuracy of reconstruction and achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Human Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus specific immunity in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are endowed with the ability of establishing lifelong latency in human hosts and reactivating in immunocompromised subjects, including patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). We, therefore, aimed to investigate virus-specific immunity in UC patients. A cohort of 24 UC patients (14 responders and 10 refractory to therapy) and 26 control subjects was prospectively enrolled to undergo virus-specific serology (by ELISA assay) and assessment of both CD4 and CD8 virus-specific T-cell response (by interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospotanalysis).

Relationship between duodenal microbiota composition, clinical features at diagnosis, and persistent symptoms in adult Coeliac disease.

Background: Duodenal dysbiosis has been suggested to possibly influence the clinical manifestations of coeliac disease (CD), both at onset and when symptoms persist despite a gluten-free diet (GFD).

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between duodenal microbiota composition and: i) clinical phenotype of untreated CD (UCD); ii) presence and type of persistent symptoms despite a satisfactory serological and histological response to a strict GFD.

Methods: Duodenal microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and compared with i) clinical features in 12 adult UCD patients; ii) presence/absence and type of persistent symptoms (diarrhea-predominant vs.

Evaluation of injectate distribution after ultrasound-guided peribulbar injections in canine cadavers.

Objective: To describe a contrast medium distribution pattern after peribulbar injection in cadavers.

Study Design: A cadaveric study.

Animals: A group of eight male dogs and four canine cadaver heads.

Comparative Study of Salivary, Duodenal, and Fecal Microbiota Composition Across Adult Celiac Disease.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that an altered microbiota composition contributes to the pathogenesis and clinical features in celiac disease (CD). We performed a comparative analysis of the gut microbiota in adulthood CD to evaluate whether: (i) dysbiosis anticipates mucosal lesions, (ii) gluten-free diet restores eubiosis, (iii) refractory CD has a peculiar microbial signature, and (iv) salivary and fecal communities overlap the mucosal one.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study where a total of 52 CD patients, including 13 active CD, 29 treated CD, 4 refractory CD, and 6 potential CD, were enrolled in a tertiary center together with 31 controls.

Clinical phenotype and mortality in patients with idiopathic small bowel villous atrophy: a dual-centre international study.

Objective: Causes of small-bowel villous atrophy (VA) include coeliac disease (CD), its complications and other rare non-coeliac enteropathies. However, forms of VA of unknown aetiology may also exist. We defined them as idiopathic VA (IVA).

Functional polymorphisms of the receptor for the advanced glycation end product promoter gene in inflammatory bowel disease: a case-control study.

The receptor for the advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multiligand transmembrane receptor involved in chronic inflammation whose specific polymorphisms of the promoter gene were found to increase its transcriptional activity. We investigated the association of both allelic and genotypic -374T/A and -429T/C polymorphisms with inflammatory bowel disease. The STREGA guidelines were applied for planning and reporting.

There Is No Association between Coeliac Disease and Autoimmune Pancreatitis.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a rare disorder whose association with coeliac disease (CD) has never been investigated, although CD patients display a high prevalence of both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic affections. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the frequency of CD in patients with AIP and in further medical pancreatic disorders. The screening for CD was carried out through the detection of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies in sera of patients retrospectively enrolled and divided in four groups: AIP, chronic pancreatitis, chronic asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia (CAPH), and control subjects with functional dyspepsia.

Venous Valvular Distribution in the Thoracic and Pelvic Limbs of the Horse.

Dysfunction of venous valves can lead to hemodynamic disorders causing venous stasis, which would favour the occurrence of equine laminitis. However, very few studies have investigated venous valves in the horse digit. The purpose of this study was to compare valvular density between thoracic and pelvic limbs and to study the relationship between valvular density of veins and their location, diameter and wall thickness.