Publications by authors named "Bianchini F"

Background: "Stepwise provisional stenting" is the most adopted approach for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in bifurcation lesions. During these procedures, side-branch (SB) may deserve treatment, but the best ballooning technique is still undetermined.

Objectives: To compare the stent configurations obtained by two SB ballooning sequences after the main vessel (MV) stent implantation: proximal-optimization-technique (POT)+kissing-balloon-inflation+final POT (PKP) versus POT+isolated-SB-dilation+final POT (PSP).

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Background: Current evidence on the long-term outcome and its determinants in patients with unprotected left main trifurcation (LMT) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is based on small-sized studies. We aimed to assess the clinical, anatomical and procedural factors impacting long-term clinical outcomes of patients with LMT treated by PCI.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study on consecutive patients with unprotected LMT in stable or acute coronary settings who underwent PCI with drug-eluting-stent implantation.

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IFO'S communication campaign for the Italian Lung Screening Network (RISP) study, used multiple online and offline channels to engage not only smokers but a diverse audience. Out-reach activities and lifelong learning helped to promote healthy lifestyles, research findings and precision medicine. The campaign has increased the enrollment in the screening program, which in IFO, two years after 'start-up, is 3300.

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Background: Trans-femoral (TF) represents the main access for TAVI. Although there are various technical strategies to conduct TF-TAVI (pacing modality, secondary arterial access, primary access puncture etc.), the optimal technique is not recognized.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists studied the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect using data from two telescopes, the South Pole Telescope and Herschel-SPIRE, covering a large area in the sky.
  • They found a strong signal indicating that there is a trispectrum, which is a kind of pattern in the data, but it had contributions from other sources too, like cosmic microwave background lensing and foregrounds.
  • By analyzing the data, they couldn't find just the kSZ signal alone, but they set limits on how long the reionization period lasted in the early universe, which helps us understand its history better.
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Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent the sub-population of cells shed into the vasculature and able to survive in the bloodstream, adhere to target vascular endothelial cells, and re-growth into the distant organ. CTCs have been found in the blood of most solid tumor-bearing patients and are used as a diagnostic marker. Although a complex genotypic and phenotypic signature characterizes CTCs, the ability to survive in suspension constitutes the most critical property, known as resistance to , e.

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Transfemoral access is nowadays required for an increasing number of percutaneous procedures, such as structural heart interventions, mechanical circulatory support, and interventional electrophysiology/pacing. Despite technological advancements and improved techniques, these devices necessitate large-bore (≥12 French) arterial/venous sheaths, posing a significant risk of bleeding and vascular complications, whose occurrence has been related to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, optimizing large-bore vascular access management is crucial in endovascular interventions.

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  • Approximately 50% of patients with severe aortic valve stenosis undergoing TAVI also have coronary artery disease (CAD), but the effects of CAD on TAVI outcomes and the best treatment strategies are not fully understood.
  • Current diagnostic methods for CAD include invasive coronary angiography and coronary computed tomography angiography, with the latter potentially reducing unnecessary procedures.
  • Evidence suggests that treating CAD after TAVI might lead to better outcomes, but further research is needed to create clear guidelines for managing CAD in these patients.
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Background: Hemodynamic impact of residual mitral regurgitation (MR) after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is not always univocally measured by transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) assessment alone. When analyzing TEER procedure result, operators often encounter discrepancy between TEE guidance and invasive hemodynamic monitoring.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the role of invasive hemodynamic monitoring during mitral valve TEER procedure on top of TEE guidance.

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Background: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) represents the gold standard in guiding the decision to proceed or not with coronary revascularization of angiographically intermediate coronary lesion (AICL). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows to carefully characterize coronary plaque morphology and lumen dimensions.

Objectives: We sought to develop machine learning (ML) models based on clinical, angiographic and OCT variables for predicting FFR.

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Background: Patients experiencing non-ST segment elevation acute-coronary-syndromes (NSTE-ACS) often present with multivessel-coronary-artery-disease (MVD). An immediate complete multivessel revascularization (MVR) - within the index hospitalization - may be considered the default therapeutic strategy, although its risk-to-benefit profile has not been definitively established through dedicated clinical trials.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis, adhering to MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines, was conducted to assess studies comparing immediate MVR versus a conservative culprit-only revascularization (COR) in NSTE-ACS with MVD.

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Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy [HFNC] on the diaphragm thickening fraction.

Design: Prospective, descriptive, cohort study SETTING: The study was conducted in the Physiology and Respiratory Care Laboratory, Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires.

Participants: Thirteen healthy subjects >18 years old INTERVENTIONS: High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Demographic data (age and gender), anthropometric data (weight, height, and body mass index), and clinical and respiratory variables (Diaphragm thickening fraction [DTf], esophageal pressure swing, respiratory rate [RR], esophageal pressure-time product per minute [PTPes/min]).

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The complex and continuously evolving features of the tumor microenvironment, varying between tumor histotypes, are characterized by the presence of host cells and tumor cells embedded in a milieu shaped by hypoxia and low pH, resulting from the frequent imbalance between vascularity and tumor cell proliferation. These microenvironmental metabolic stressors play a crucial role in remodeling host cells and tumor cells, contributing to the stimulation of cancer cell heterogeneity, clonal evolution, and multidrug resistance, ultimately leading to progression and metastasis. The extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-enclosed structures released into the extracellular milieu by tumor/host cells, are now recognized as critical drivers in the complex intercellular communication between tumor cells and the local cellular components in a hypoxic/acidic microenvironment.

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Aims: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a sensitive tool to assess pulmonary congestion (PC). Few data are available on LUS-PC evaluation in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of LUS-PC in patients with severe AS before and after TAVI.

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Article Synopsis
  • Coronary calcific disease poses significant challenges for interventional cardiologists, requiring careful lesion preparation and effective interventions.
  • Intravascular imaging through optical coherence tomography (OCT) is becoming essential, as it helps analyze the complex morphologies of calcified lesions and their clinical impacts, such as the association of spotty calcium with unstable plaques.
  • The review details treatment technologies like intravascular lithotripsy and atherectomy, highlighting how OCT enhances the understanding of lesion characteristics and aids in selecting and evaluating treatment success.
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  • The study looked at a new heart valve procedure called VIV-TAVI, which helps replace old heart valves.
  • It aimed to find a way to predict a problem called patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) that can happen with these valve replacements, which may make them less effective.
  • Researchers found that certain tests before the procedure could help identify patients at risk for PPM, and those with severe PPM had a higher chance of complications later on.
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New-generation transcatheter heart valves have significantly improved technical success and procedural safety of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures; however, the incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) remains a concern. This study aimed to assess the role of anatomic annulus features in determining periprocedural conduction disturbances leading to new PPI after TAVI using the last-generation Edwards SAPIEN balloon-expandable valves. In the context of a prospective single-center registry, we integrated the clinical and procedural predictors of PPI with anatomic data derived from multislice computed tomography.

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  • Flaviviruses like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause diseases primarily in tropical regions, while Powassan virus (POWV) is tick-borne and found in temperate areas.
  • Research shows that people in Mexico and Brazil have neutralizing antibodies against POWV, suggesting possible exposure to the virus.
  • Monoclonal antibodies P002 and P003 target a shared epitope on POWV, hinting that POWV or a similar virus could infect humans in tropical locations.
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Background: The possibility to resheath some transcatheter heart valves (THV) facilitates the optimization of self-expandable devices implantation. However, resheating manoeuvres (expecially when repeated) increase the interaction between the transcatheter prosthesis and the patient's tissues potentially causing side-effects.

Aims: To assess the clinical outcomes of resheathing at midterm follow-up with a focus on the safety of multiple resheathing.

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The introduction of transradial access for percutaneous coronary diagnostic and interventional procedures has led to a decrease in access site complications. The aim of this paper is to propose a combined stepwise technical approach where real time ultrasound ("echo-first" approach) can be used to select the best vascular access and, together with angiography, to manage the potential obstacles that may occur during transradial procedures. In each section, we summarize some tips and tricks based on both our experience and current literature that can be easily implemented in daily practice to increase the success of transradial procedures.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Paravalvular leakage (PVL) is a common issue following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), particularly with self-expandable transcatheter-heart-valves (SE-THV), and can impact long-term patient outcomes.
  • - A pilot study tracked changes in SE-THV dimensions and PVL in 25 patients over a 5-day period, showing that 28% of patients experienced improvement in PVL, while fluoroscopic measurements of the valve did not show significant changes.
  • - The study concluded that early PVL improvement may correlate with THV frame expansion, highlighting the need for further research to understand the clinical significance of these findings.
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Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) analysis shows that the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric Spike (S) protein adopts different quaternary conformations in solution. The relative abundance of the "open" and "close" conformations is temperature-dependent, and samples with different storage temperature history have different open/close distributions. Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) targeting the S receptor binding domain (RBD) do not alter the conformer populations; by contrast, a NAb targeting a cryptic conformational epitope skews the Spike trimer toward an open conformation.

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