Burden of RSV infections among young children in primary care: a prospective cohort study in five European countries (2021-23).

Background: The majority of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in young children are managed in primary care, however, the disease burden in this setting remains poorly defined.

Methods: We did a prospective cohort study in primary care settings in Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK during the RSV seasons of 2020-21 (UK only; from Jan 1, 2021), 2021-22, and 2022-23. Children aged younger than 5 years presenting to their general practitioner or primary care paediatrician with symptoms of an acute respiratory tract infection were eligible for RSV testing.

BRCA testing in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: successes and troubles in a real world setting. An Italian Multicentric study.

Objective: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. BRCA1/2 genes are reported altered in approximately 1% and 8% of PCa cases, respectively. To date, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues have a consolidate use in the clinical practice, but with a significant drawback related to DNA/RNA degradation during the pre-analytical process.

Second surgery for relapsed glioblastoma: an observational study on criteria for patient selection in real life.

There is little consensus on salvage management of glioblastoma after recurrence, for lack of evidence. A retrospective study of treatments in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Surgery at recurrence was related to better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RSV Disease Burden in Primary Care in Italy: A Multi-Region Pediatric Study, Winter Season 2022-2023.

Introduction: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most frequent causes of respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age, but its socioeconomic impact and burden in primary care settings is still little studied.

Methods: During the 2022/2023 winter season, 55 pediatricians from five Italian regions participated in our community-based study. They collected a nasal swab for RSV molecular test from 650 patients under the age of 5 with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and performed a baseline questionnaire.

Can Gastric Juice Analysis with EndoFaster Reduce the Environmental Impact of Upper Endoscopy?

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services are in third place as major contributors to CO emissions among healthcare facilities, especially due to their massive waste production. One of the measures suggested to reduce this environmental impact is a reduction in histological examinations performed on biopsy specimens taken during endoscopy. A reliable candidate to reduce the rate of biopsies and, consequently, the impact of CO emissions could be EndoFaster, an innovative medical device that allows one to suspect or rule out both infection and precancerous lesions on the gastric mucosa by analyzing a small amount of gastric juice aspirated during endoscopy in real time.

Discovery of Guanfacine as a Novel TAAR1 Agonist: A Combination Strategy through Molecular Modeling Studies and Biological Assays.

Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) is an attractive target for the design of innovative drugs to be applied in diverse pharmacological settings. Due to a non-negligible structural similarity with endogenous ligands, most of the agonists developed so far resulted in being affected by a low selectivity for TAAR1 with respect to other monoaminergic G protein-coupled receptors, like the adrenoreceptors. This study utilized comparative molecular docking studies and quantitative-structure activity relationship (QSAR) analyses to unveil key structural differences between TAAR1 and alpha2-adrenoreceptor (α-ADR), with the aim to design novel TAAR1 agonists characterized by a higher selectivity profile and reduced off-target effects.

The Molecular Tumor Board of the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute: from accrual to treatment in real-world.

Background: Molecular Tumor Boards (MTB) operating in real-world have generated limited consensus on good practices for accrual, actionable alteration mapping, and outcome metrics. These topics are addressed herein in 124 MTB patients, all real-world accrued at progression, and lacking approved therapy options.

Methods: Actionable genomic alterations identified by tumor DNA (tDNA) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling were mapped by customized OncoKB criteria to reflect diagnostic/therapeutic indications as approved in Europe.

Novel Thiazole-Based SIRT2 Inhibitors Discovered via Molecular Modelling Studies and Enzymatic Assays.

Recently, the development of sirtuin small molecule inhibitors (SIRTIs) has been gaining attention for the treatment of different cancer types, but also to contrast neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, and autoimmune syndromes. In the search for SIRT2 modulators, the availability of several X-crystallographic data regarding SIRT2-ligand complexes has allowed for setting up a structure-based study, which is herein presented. A set of 116 SIRT2 inhibitors featuring different chemical structures has been collected from the literature and used for molecular docking studies involving 4RMG and 5MAT PDB codes.

Microplastics and Antibiotic Resistance: The Magnitude of the Problem and the Emerging Role of Hospital Wastewater.

The role of microplastics (MPs) in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasingly attracting global research attention due to their unique ecological and environmental effects. The ubiquitous use of plastics and their release into the environment by anthropic/industrial activities are the main sources for MP contamination, especially of water bodies. Because of their physical and chemical characteristics, MPs represent an ideal substrate for microbial colonization and formation of biofilm, where horizontal gene transfer is facilitated.

Development of a somatic variant registry in a National Cancer Center: towards Molecular Real World Data preparedness.

The Biomedical Research field is currently advancing to develop Clinical Trials and translational projects based on Real World Evidence. To make this transition feasible, clinical centers need to work toward Data Accessibility and Interoperability. This task is particularly challenging when applied to Genomics, that entered in routinary screening in the last years via mostly amplicon-based Next-Generation Sequencing panels.

CIC-rearranged sarcoma presenting with superior vena cava syndrome: case report.

CIC-rearranged sarcomas are rare mesenchymal neoplasms belonging to the family of undifferentiated small round cell sarcomas. This report details the case of a 45-year-old man presenting with symptoms of mediastinal compression, radiological diagnosis of a mediastinal mass and rapid evolution to full-blown superior vena cava syndrome. The emergency was successfully managed with a pharmacological approach.

The Glioma-IRE project - Molecular profiling in patients with glioma: steps toward an individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Background: This study aimed to characterize the genetic profile of patients with glioma and discuss the impact of next-generation sequencing in glioma diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Between 2019 and 2022, we analyzed the genetic profile of 99 patients with glioma through the Oncomine Focus Assay. The assay enables the detection of mutations in 52 driver genes, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number variants (CNVs), and gene fusions.

Implementation of an Environmental Cleaning Protocol in Hospital Critical Areas Using a UV-C Disinfection Robot.

Improving the cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces is one of the core components of reducing healthcare-associated infections. The effectiveness of an enhanced protocol applying UV-C irradiation for terminal room disinfection between two successive patients was evaluated. Twenty high-touch surfaces in different critical areas were sampled according to ISO 14698-1, both immediately pre- and post-cleaning and disinfection standard operating protocol (SOP) and after UV-C disinfection (160 sampling sites in each condition, 480 in total).

Adoption of Improved Reprocessing Decreased Microbiological Non-Compliance for Bronchoscopes.

Background: In the past few decades, the inadequate reprocessing of bronchoscopes has been associated with several serious outbreaks caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. In this study we evaluated the improvement in the quality of reprocessing in a Bronchoscopy Unit (BU), after the introduction of a new procedure.

Methods: In 2019, observational and clinical audits were conducted in the BU.

Microbiological surveillance post-reprocessing of flexible endoscopes used in digestive endoscopy: a national study.

Introduction: Microbiological surveillance of endoscopes is a safety measure for verifying the quality of reprocessing procedures and identifying contaminated devices, but duodenoscope-related outbreaks are still reported.

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of duodenoscope reprocessing procedures in Italy.

Methods: Between December 2019 and April 2020, data obtained from microbiological surveillance post-reprocessing in 15 Italian endoscopy units were collected.

Good Practices on Endoscope Reprocessing in Italy: Findings of a Nationwide Survey.

: Correct reprocessing and microbiological surveillance on endoscopes are fundamental for preventing the transmission of multi-drug resistant strains and device-related infections. : A questionnaire with three domains was created: (1) centre characteristics; (2) endoscope reprocessing procedures; and (3) application of microbiological surveillance. Nurses working in endoscopic units across Italy were invited to anonymously fill out the questionnaire on the SurveyMonkey platform between November 2021 and February 2022.

Malignant Transformation of Giant Cell Tumour of Bone: A Review of Literature and the Experience of a Referral Centre.

Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is a benign, locally aggressive primary bone neoplasm that represents 5% of all bone tumours. The principal treatment approach is surgery. Although generally GCTB is considered only a locally aggressive disease, it can metastasise, and lung metastases occur in 1-9% of patients.

Effectiveness of a Water Disinfection Method Based on Osmosis and Chlorine Dioxide for the Prevention of Microbial Contamination in Dental Practices.

In dental clinics, the infections may be acquired through contaminated devices, air, and water. Aerosolized water may contain bacteria, grown into the biofilm of dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). We evaluated a disinfection method based on water osmosis and chlorination with chlorine dioxide (O-CD), applied to DUWL of five dental clinics.

A Real-World Systematic Analysis of Driver Mutations' Prevalence in Early- and Advanced-Stage NSCLC: Implications for Targeted Therapies in the Adjuvant Setting.

The approval of osimertinib for adjuvant treatment of stage I-II-III -mutated NSCLC (early stage) represents a paradigm shift, raising the question of whether other genotype-matched therapeutics approved for advanced-stage NSCLC can also provide clinical benefit in the adjuvant setting. However, there is a paucity of real-world data on the prevalence of actionable genomic alterations (GAs) in early-stage NSCLC. We used next-generation sequencing, complemented by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, to screen our single-institution cohort of 1961 NSCLC consecutive cases for actionable molecular targets.

Definition of the Prognostic Role of MGMT Promoter Methylation Value by Pyrosequencing in Newly Diagnosed IDH Wild-Type Glioblastoma Patients Treated with Radiochemotherapy: A Large Multicenter Study.

Background. O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG)-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status is a predictive factor for alkylating treatment efficacy in glioblastoma patients, but its prognostic role is still unclear. We performed a large, multicenter study to evaluate the association between MGMT methylation value and survival.