Anterior Nutcracker Syndrome with Left Gonadal Vein Varicosities on Multiphasic Computed Tomography: An Unexpected Cause of Pyeloureteral Junction Obstruction.

The anterior nutcracker syndrome is defined by the compression of the left renal vein between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery, usually related to the occurrence of hematuria. We report the case of an uncommon complication of the nutcracker syndrome. A 75-year-old woman was referred to our institution for left flank pain without hematuria.

Anaesthetic management of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: results from the Italian CoreValve registry.

Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) represents a valid therapeutic alternative for patients with severe aortic stenosis at high surgical risk. However, there is no general consensus regarding the role of anaesthesia in TAVI management. The goal of this clinical project was to assess the safety and non-inferiority of local anaesthesia (LA) versus general anaesthesia (GA) in a large cohort of patients undergoing TAVI.

Antioxidant capacity index based on gold nanoparticles formation. Application to extra virgin olive oil samples.

A simple gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based colorimetric assay for the antioxidant activity determination has been developed. The AuNP formation is mediated by extra virgin olive oil (EVOO's) endogenous polyphenols; the reaction is described by a sigmoidal curve. The ratio KAuNPs/Xc(50) (slope of the linear part of the sigmoid/concentration at half value of the absorbance) was found to be the optimal parameter to report the antioxidant capacity with respect to the single KAuNPs or Xc(50) values.

Optical coherence tomography appraisal of residual thrombus burden in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing intraprocedural versus post-stenting prolonged bivalirudin infusion. Rationale and design of the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by TRansradial Access Site and angioX) OCT substudy.

Aims: Residual thrombus accumulation around stent struts has been observed after the end of primary PCI and may represent a risk factor for acute stent thrombosis. The aim of this study is to test whether a strategy of prolonged bivalirudin infusion may reduce thrombosis of stent struts as compared to an intraprocedural only administration in subjects undergoing primary PCI.

Methods And Results: One hundred and sixty patients will be selected from the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by TRansradial Access Site and angioX) study with all the following inclusion criteria: a) STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with stent implantation, b) randomisation to standard or prolonged bivalirudin treatment arm, and c) at least one critical (>70%) stenosis of non-infarct-related coronary vessels suitable for staged PCI.

Metformin increases APP expression and processing via oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and NF-κB activation: Use of insulin to attenuate metformin's effect.

Clinical and experimental biomedical studies have shown Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study demonstrates the effect of metformin, a therapeutic biguanide administered for T2DM therapy, on β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models. Furthermore, the protective role of insulin against metformin is also demonstrated.

The year in cardiology 2014: peripheral circulation.

In 2014, the debate on the indication of revascularization in case of asymptomatic carotid disease continued, while another one regarding the use of surgery vs. stenting addressed some new issues regarding the long-term cardiac risk of these patients. Renal arteries interventions trials were disappointing, as neither renal denervation nor renal artery stenting was found associated with better blood pressure management or outcome.

Extravirgin olive oil up-regulates CB₁ tumor suppressor gene in human colon cancer cells and in rat colon via epigenetic mechanisms.

Extravirgin olive oil (EVOO) represents the typical lipid source of the Mediterranean diet, an eating habit pattern that has been associated with a significant reduction of cancer risk. Diet is the more studied environmental factor in epigenetics, and many evidences suggest dysregulation of epigenetic pathways in cancer. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of EVOO and its phenolic compounds on endocannabinoid system (ECS) gene expression via epigenetic regulation in both human colon cancer cells (Caco-2) and rats exposed to short- and long-term dietary EVOO.

Italian Diffuse/Multivessel Disease ABSORB Prospective Registry (IT-DISAPPEARS). Study design and rationale.

Background: The Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold System (Absorb BVS) is an everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold able to provide temporary scaffolding and antiproliferative drug delivery for the treatment of coronary artery disease. This temporary scaffolding could be the true feature to overcome the limitations of the conventional metallic stents. A growing body of evidence worldwide is supporting its implementation into daily practice as being associated with comparable results as the second-generation everolimus-eluting stent.

CoreValve implantation for severe aortic regurgitation: a multicentre registry.

We sought to evaluate the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the CoreValve Revalving System (CRS-TAVR) in inoperable patients presenting with severe aortic regurgitation (AR), compared to in patients treated for severe native aortic stenosis (AS). From October 2008 to January 2013, 1,557 consecutive patients undergoing CRS-TAVR, of whom 26 (1.6%) presented with AR, were prospectively followed.

Optimization of solid state anaerobic digestion of the OFMSW by digestate recirculation: A new approach.

Dry anaerobic digestion (AD) of OFMSW was optimized in order to produce biogas avoiding the use of solid inoculum. Doing so the dry AD was performed irrigating the solid waste with liquid digestate (flow rate of 1:1.18-1:0.

[Technical features of Absorb(TM) BVS implantation in the IT-DISAPPEARS registry].

Currently, one of the most relevant innovations in interventional cardiology is the advent of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). Among the BVS developed so far, the AbsorbTM BVS 1.1 (Abbott®) is one of the two devices that achieved the CE mark for the use in clinical practice.

Impact of gene polymorphisms, platelet reactivity, and the SYNTAX score on 1-year clinical outcomes in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: the GEPRESS study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) and the SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score (SS) for risk prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Platelet function testing may be used to optimize antiplatelet therapy in high-risk patients, but identification of this category of patients remains challenging.

Methods: The GEPRESS (Gene Polymorphism, Platelet Reactivity, and the Syntax Score) study was a prospective, multicenter, observational study enrolling 1,053 patients with NSTEACS undergoing PCI and treated with clopidogrel.

Impact of balloon post-dilation on clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the self-expanding CoreValve prosthesis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical impact of balloon post-dilation (BPD) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the CoreValve prosthesis (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota).

Background: BPD is a widely adopted strategy to reduce the degree of paraprosthetic regurgitation in case of transcatheter heart valve underexpansion.

Mitochondrial dysfunction: different routes to Alzheimer's disease therapy.

Mitochondria are dynamic ATP-generating organelle which contribute to many cellular functions including bioenergetics processes, intracellular calcium regulation, alteration of reduction-oxidation potential of cells, free radical scavenging, and activation of caspase mediated cell death. Mitochondrial functions can be negatively affected by amyloid β peptide (Aβ), an important component in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, and Aβ can interact with mitochondria and cause mitochondrial dysfunction. One of the most accepted hypotheses for AD onset implicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are one of the primary events in the insurgence of the pathology.

Curcumin induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells via inhibition of AKT and Foxo3a nuclear translocation.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most frequent extracranial solid tumors in children. It accounts for 8-10% of all childhood cancer deaths, and there is a need for development of new drugs for its treatment. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a major active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been shown to exert anti-tumor activity on NB, but the specific mechanism by which curcumin inhibits cancer cells proliferation remains unclear.

Mediterranean diet and healthy ageing: a Sicilian perspective.

Traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is a common dietary pattern characterizing a lifestyle and culture proven to contribute to better health and quality of life in Mediterranean countries. By analyzing the diet of centenarians from the Sicani Mountains and eating habits of inhabitants of Palermo, it is reported that a close adherence to MedDiet is observed in the countryside, whereas in big towns this adherence is not so close. This has an effect on the rates of mortality at old age (and reciprocally longevity) that are lower in the countryside than in big towns.

Distal embolisation during carotid stenting is predicted by circulating levels of LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein.

Aims: Distal embolisation during carotid artery stenting (CAS) is the main cause of cerebral complications; thus, the amount of embolisation occurring during CAS can be considered as a surrogate endpoint of cerebral complications. Our aim was to find patient characteristics which are associated with a higher risk of embolisation during CAS.

Methods And Results: From January to December 2010 all consecutive patients undergoing CAS with embolic protection at three medium- to high-volume Italian centres were prospectively enrolled in this multicentre study.

Optical coherence tomography-guided treatment of very late stent thrombosis caused by inaccurate stent deployment in a bifurcation.

: A 65-year-old man presented at our institution with anterior wall reinfarction, due to very late stent thrombosis, 4 years after primary angioplasty on the first bifurcation of the left anterior descending artery. Using intravascular optical coherence tomography, we identified stent malapposition in the proximal left anterior descending artery, occurring during the first primary angioplasty, as the probable cause of the very late stent thrombosis. Imaging with optical coherence tomography guided our treatment strategy of mechanical and pharmacological thrombectomy, followed by staged stent postdilatation.

CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of cardiac ryanodine receptors regulates cell death in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Ca(2+)-calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) activation is deleterious in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Moreover, inhibition of CaMKII-dependent phosphorylations at the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) prevents CaMKII-induced I/R damage. However, the downstream targets of CaMKII at the SR level, responsible for this detrimental effect, remain unclear.

Did HEDIS get it right? Evaluating the quality of a quality measure: adherence to β-blockers and cardiovascular outcomes after myocardial infarction.

Background: As an example of the process that could be used to evaluate and optimize the performance of quality measures in routine practice, we evaluated whether the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measure assessing the "persistence of β-blocker treatment after a heart attack" correlates with post-myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes and whether or not there are alternative specifications of this construct which are better predictors and/or may be more easily applied.

Research Design: The study included a retrospective cohort of 8672 post-MI patients 18 years old and above. We assessed the strength of the association between the different adherence measures and the composite clinical outcome using multivariable Cox models.

Design of the rosuvastatin pretreatment to reduce embolization during Carotid Artery Stenting trial.

Background: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a worldwide diffuse intervention, but may be associated with distal plaque component embolization, and sometimes major and minor stroke. Statin use has been demonstrated to reduce atherosclerotic plaque burden, but its effect in reducing distal embolization during carotid stenting has not yet been well validated.

Aims: With the Rosuvastatin Pretreatment to Reduce Embolization during Carotid Artery Stenting trial, we aim to discover if a pretreatement with high doses of rosuvastatin in dyslipidemic patients is able to reduce periprocedural cerebral ischemic complications following carotid stenting.

Increased Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger expression/activity constitutes a point of inflection in the progression to heart failure of hypertensive rats.

Unlabelled: Spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) constitutes a genetic model widely used to study the natural evolution of hypertensive heart disease. Ca²⁺-handling alterations are known to occur in SHR. However, the putative modifications of Ca²⁺-handling proteins during the progression to heart failure (HF) are not well established.

Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis Can Simulate a Complex Cyst: Case Description and Review of Literature.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare and peculiar form of chronic pyelonephritis and is generally associated with renal lithiasis. Its incidence is higher in females. The peculiarity of this disease is that it requires a differential diagnosis, because it can often simulate dramatic pathologic conditions.

Comparison of Performance, Meat Lipids and Oxidative Status of Pigs from Commercial Breed and Organic Crossbreed.

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of rearing systems for pig production, as concerns performance, meat lipid content, the fatty acid profile, histidinic antioxidants, coenzyme Q10, and TBARs. One hundred pigs were assigned to one of three treatments: intensively reared commercial hybrid pig (I), free range commercial hybrid pig (FR) or organically reared crossbred pig (O), according to organic EU Regulations. I pigs showed the best productive performance, but FR and O increased: C20:1n9, Δ9-desaturase (C18) and thioesterase indices in meat.