The paradoxical GH response at OGTT does not predict Pasireotide efficacy but matters for glucose metabolism.

Purpose: A paradoxical increase in GH after oral glucose load (GH-Par) characterizes about one-third of acromegaly patients and is associated with a better response to first-generation somatostatin receptor ligands (fg-SRLs). Pasireotide is typically considered as a second-/third-line treatment. Here, we investigated the predictive role of GH-Par in pasireotide response and adverse event development.

MaveDB 2024: a curated community database with over seven million variant effects from multiplexed functional assays.

Multiplexed assays of variant effect (MAVEs) are a critical tool for researchers and clinicians to understand genetic variants. Here we describe the 2024 update to MaveDB ( https://www.mavedb.

A generalizable normative deep autoencoder for brain morphological anomaly detection: application to the multi-site StratiBip dataset on bipolar disorder in an external validation framework.

The heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders makes researching disorder-specific neurobiological markers an ill-posed problem. Here, we face the need for disease stratification models by presenting a generalizable multivariate normative modelling framework for characterizing brain morphology, applied to bipolar disorder (BD). We used deep autoencoders in an anomaly detection framework, combined for the first time with a confounder removal step that integrates training and external validation.

Intra-articular injection of inorganic pyrophosphate improves IL-1β-induced cartilage damage in rat model of knee osteoarthritis in vivo.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of chronic joint disease, affecting mainly the elderly population. This disorder is caused by cartilage degeneration with complex changes in the chondrocyte phenotype. Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) was shown to counteract the detrimental effect of interleukin (IL)-1β challenging in an in vitro OA model based on rat articular chondrocytes.

Elderly Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Robotic Surgery Are More Likely to Harbor Adverse Pathology Features and Experience Disease Progression: Analysis of the Prognostic Impact of Adverse Pathology Risk Score Patterns Using Briganti's 2012 Nomogram and EAU Risk Groups.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is prevalent among men over 70. Treatment may involve interventions like radical prostatectomy. The objective of this study was to investigate the combination of adverse pathology patterns on PCa progression through the Briganti 2012 nomogram and EAU risk classes in elderly patients treated with robotic surgery.

Application of Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (nTMS) to Study the Visual-Spatial Network and Prevent Neglect in Brain Tumour Surgery.

Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has seldom been used to study visuospatial (VS) circuits so far. Our work studied (I) VS functions in neurosurgical oncological patients by using repetitive nTMS (rnTMS), (II) the possible subcortical circuits underneath, and (III) the correspondence between nTMS and direct cortical stimulation (DCS) during awake procedures. We designed a monocentric prospective study, adopting a protocol to use rnTMS for preoperative planning, including VS functions for lesions potentially involving the VS network, including neurosurgical awake and asleep procedures.

Empty sella syndrome: an update.

Introduction: Empty sella is characterized by a flattened profile of the pituitary gland that represents in most cases only a radiological incidental finding. When endocrine, ophthalmic, and neurological symptoms occur, this condition is described as empty sella syndrome.

Materials And Methods: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed database) with the data filter 2024-2009 using the keywords listed above.

Chondroitin Sulfate Nanovectorized by LC-PUFAs Nanocarriers Extracted from Salmon () by Green Process with Decreased Inflammatory Marker Expression in Interleukin-1β-Stimulated Primary Human Chondrocytes In Vitro Culture.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS), a glycosaminoglycan, supports health through various physiological functions, including tissue protection, bone growth, and skin aging prevention. It also contributes to anticoagulant or anti-inflammatory processes, with its primary clinical use being osteoarthritis treatment. This study presents the results of the valorization of lipids and CS, both extracted from salmon co-products through enzymatic processes.

IGF-I levels during standard Lanreotide dose predicts biochemical outcome of high-frequency regimen in acromegaly.

Introduction: First-generation somatostatin receptor ligands (fg-SRLs) are the cornerstone of acromegaly treatment. Additional benefits were shown using high dose (HD) or high frequency (HF), relatively short-term regimens. Although several predictors of response to standard dose (SD)-fg-SRLs were reported, outcome biomarkers for HF administration are not yet available.

Behavioural, cognitive, and neurophysiological effects of a synbiotic supplementation enriched with pigmented corn extract or cornstarch in drug-naïve children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A randomised, double-blind, comparison-controlled clinical trial.

Background & Aims: Considerable interest has been recently given to the potential role of the gut-brain axis (GBA) -a two-way communication network between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system- in the pathogenesis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting the potential usefulness of probiotic and synbiotic supplementations. In light of the limited available evidence, synbiotic efficacy in ADHD children not taking medications should be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a synbiotic dietary supplementation on fatty acids levels as well as on microbiota composition, behaviour, cognition, and brain function in children with ADHD.

Assessment of ComBat Harmonization Performance on Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measurements.

Data aggregation across multiple research centers is gaining importance in the context of MRI research, driving diverse high-dimensional datasets to form large-scale heterogeneous sample, increasing statistical power and relevance of machine learning and deep learning algorithm. Site-related effects have been demonstrated to introduce bias in MRI features and confound subsequent analyses. Although Combating Batch (ComBat) technique has been recently reported to successfully harmonize multi-scale neuroimaging features, its performance assessments are still limited and largely based on qualitative visualizations and statistical analyses.

Repair of the Bulbospongiosus Muscle to Suspend the Penis to the Pubic Bones in Proximal Hypospadias.

Background: In proximal hypospadias, ventral curvature is invariable and most have penoscrotal transposition, and we observed that the base of the penis (BOP) was located on the inferior aspect of the pubic bones in those, in contrast to the location of the BOP at the anterior end in normal penises. We also observed an unfused bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM) at surgery in those. The aim was to assess the impact of repairing the unfused BSM or transection and straightening of the urethral plate at the first operation on the low BOP.

Enhancing Antimicrobial Efficacy of Sandalwood Essential Oil Against for Food Preservation.

The growing emphasis on food safety and healthier lifestyles, driven by industrial expansion and scientific priorities, has highlighted the necessity of managing harmful microorganisms to guarantee food quality. A significant challenge in this domain is the control of pathogens that are capable of forming biofilms, entering a sessile state that enhances their resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Essential oils, renowned for their antibacterial properties, present a promising natural alternative for food preservation.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast: a multicenter retrospective Italian study.

Background: The aim of our retrospective study was to describe the immunophenotypic characteristics of neuroendocrine breast neoplasm (BNEN), a peculiar and rare type of breast carcinoma.

Methods: Pathological data from 51 patients affected by BNEN were retrospectively evaluated, and 44 patients were considered eligible (7 patients with incomplete data were excluded). The patients were followed in six different Italian hospitals between 2009 and 2019.

Preoperative Briganti Nomogram Score and Risk of Prostate Cancer Progression After Robotic Surgery Beyond EAU Risk Categories.

: We sought to investigate whether the 2012 Briganti nomogram may represent a potential prognostic factor of prostate cancer (PCa) progression after surgical treatment beyond European Association of Urology (EAU) risk categories. : From January 2013 to December 2021, data on PCa patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at a single tertiary referral center were extracted. The 2012 version of the Briganti nomogram assessing the risk of pelvic lymph node invasion was used.

LCM-RNAseq Highlights Intratumor Heterogeneity and a lncRNA Signature from Archival Tissues of GH-Secreting PitNETs.

Background: This study explores the potential for hidden variations within seemingly uniform regions of growth hormone-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (GH-PitNETs). We employed archived tissue samples using Laser Capture Microdissection Sequencing (LCM-RNAseq) to probe the molecular landscape of these tumors at a deeper level.

Methods: A customized protocol was developed to extract, process, and sequence small amounts of RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues derived from five patients with GH-secreting PitNETs and long-term follow-up (≥10 years).

Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, and Application of Essential Oil as an Antimicrobial Agent in Minimally Processed Eggplant Inoculated with .

is mostly grown for its usage in the food, medical, and perfume industries, while it is also used as an attractive plant in parks, gardens, and homes. The use of essential oil may yield new results in relation to the antimicrobial activity of essential oils and their use mainly in extending the shelf life of foods. This study investigates the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of essential oil (RDEO) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and various bioassays to explore its potential applications in food preservation and microorganism growth control.

Cardiac Surgery and Transcatheter Intervention for Valvular Heart Disease in Carcinoid Syndrome: Risk Factors, Outcomes, and Evolving Therapeutic Strategies.

Carcinoid heart disease (CHD) affects right-sided valves and causes significant mortality and morbidity. Even though the pathophysiology of the disease is not entirely understood, it is known that chronic exposure to high levels of circulating serotonin is the main factor responsible for developing valvular heart disease. Cardiac imaging plays a critical role in the management of CHD, so the final diagnosis can be performed through multimodal imaging techniques and the measurement of biomarkers.

Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery in Growth-Hormone Pituitary Adenomas (GH PitNETs): Current Indications, Limitations, and the Importance of a Multidisciplinary Approach.

Acromegaly and gigantism are rare diseases, usually caused by a growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma, recently renamed GH-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (GH-PitNET). The transsphenoidal approach is the mainstay of treatment, although a non-negligible number of patients require a multimodal approach with neo-adjuvant or adjuvant medical and radiation therapy. Understanding the clinical complexity of acromegaly and gigantism is essential to improve treatment safety and success.

Toxicological effects and potential reproductive risk of microplastic-induced molecular changes in protamine-like proteins and their DNA binding.

Today, plastic pollution is a widespread problem in all ecosystems and has a particularly severe impact on marine ecosystems and external fertilisers such as the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The present study aims to assess the toxicological reproductive health effects in this organism following exposure to two concentrations of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) (0.5 and 1 μg/L), representative of conditions in the Mediterranean Sea.

Disentangling Neurodegeneration From Aging in Multiple Sclerosis Using Deep Learning: The Brain-Predicted Disease Duration Gap.

Background And Objectives: Disentangling brain aging from disease-related neurodegeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is increasingly topical. The brain-age paradigm offers a window into this problem but may miss disease-specific effects. In this study, we investigated whether a disease-specific model might complement the brain-age gap (BAG) by capturing aspects unique to MS.

Cross-country comparison of depressive symptoms and social-emotional aspects in university students from Brazil and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from two cross-sectional surveys.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected students' mental health, increasing pre-existing psychosocial vulnerabilities. University students worldwide have presented differences in their mental health status; however, cross-country studies comparing students' mental health during the pandemic are lacking.

Aims: To investigate potential differences between university students from Brazil and those from Germany with respect to (a) depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug consumption, (b) social and emotional aspects (loneliness, self-efficacy, perceived stress, social support and resilience) and (c) attitudes towards vaccination.