A stress-activated mid-insula to BNST pathway regulates susceptibility to abstinence-induced negative affect in female mice.

Stress is central to many neuropsychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Stress influences the initiation and continued use of alcohol, the progression to AUD, and relapse. Identifying the neurocircuits activated during stress, and individual variability in these responses is critical for developing new treatment targets for AUD, particularly to mitigate stress-induced relapse.

Delving into Uncontrolled or Severe Asthma: Perspectives from Patients and Healthcare Professionals in a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Despite the effectiveness of inhalation therapy, uncontrolled or severe asthma remains prevalent challenges in respiratory care Narrative Medicine (NM) offers a linguistic approach to comprehending illness experiences, thereby providing a framework for advancing healthcare.

Aim: The primary aim of this study was to gather narratives from individuals grappling with severe or uncontrolled asthma and their Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), in order to explore the intricate interplay among quality of care, quality of life, psychological and social determinants, and adherence patterns.

Methods: A cross-sectional NM study was conducted in Italy from February to December 2023, encompassing 135 patients with uncontrolled or severe asthma (54.

Early life psychosocial stress increases binge-like ethanol consumption and CSF1R inhibition prevents stress-induced alterations in microglia and brain macrophage population density.

Unlabelled: Early life stress (ELS) has lasting consequences on microglia and brain macrophage function. During ELS, microglia and brain macrophages alter their engagement with synapses leading to changes in neuronal excitability. Further, ELS can induce innate immune memory formation in microglia and brain macrophages resulting in altered responsivity to future environmental stimuli.

Sex Differences in Mouse Models of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking and Abstinence-Induced Negative Emotion.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a growing problem worldwide, causing an incredible burden on health and the economy. Though AUD impacts people of all backgrounds and demographics, increasing evidence has suggested robust sex differences in alcohol drinking patterns and AUD-induced negative emotionality or hyperkatifeia. Rates of problematic drinking have significantly risen among women, and women face more severe negative emotional consequences in abstinence such as increased risk of comorbidity with an anxiety or mood disorder and more severe symptoms of depression.

Effectiveness and Safety of Argon Plasma Coagulation in Patients with Haemoptysis Caused by an Endobronchial Malignancy.

Introduction: Patients with central neoplasms and haemoptysis show low survival rates. Symptom control without recurrence 48 h after bronchoscopic interventions may improve the prognosis of these patients. Bronchoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a useful technique for endobronchial management of haemoptysis in patients with central malignancies.

A master regulator of opioid reward in the ventral prefrontal cortex.

In addition to their intrinsic rewarding properties, opioids can also evoke aversive reactions that protect against misuse. Cellular mechanisms that govern the interplay between opioid reward and aversion are poorly understood. We used whole-brain activity mapping in mice to show that neurons in the dorsal peduncular nucleus (DPn) are highly responsive to the opioid oxycodone.

The current practice in the diagnostic work-up of patients with hemoptysis of unknown etiology: an international survey.

Background: Hemoptysis is a challenging and potentially life-threatening medical condition. The most appropriate diagnostic work-up is debated and several diagnostic approaches are implemented worldwide.

Methods: An international, online survey was carried out to investigate the current practice of the diagnostic work-up of patients with hemoptysis of unknown etiology.

Sustained Effectiveness of Benralizumab in Naïve and Biologics-Experienced Severe Eosinophilic Asthma Patients: Results from the ANANKE Study.

Purpose: Severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) patients often present overlapping inflammatory features rendering them eligible for multiple biologic therapies; switching biologic treatment is a strategy adopted to optimize asthma control when patients show partial or no response to previous biologics.

Patients And Methods: ANANKE is a retrospective, multicenter Italian study (NCT04272463). Here, we outline the characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes in naïve-to-biologics and biologics-experienced patients treated with benralizumab for up to 96 weeks.

Exploring the Potential Role of Metabolomics in COPD: A Concise Review.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a pathological condition of the respiratory system characterized by chronic airflow obstruction, associated with changes in the lung parenchyma (pulmonary emphysema), bronchi (chronic bronchitis) and bronchioles (small airways disease). In the last years, the importance of phenotyping and endotyping COPD patients has strongly emerged. Metabolomics refers to the study of metabolites (both intermediate or final products) and their biological processes in biomatrices.

The Genetic Basis, Lung Involvement, and Therapeutic Options in Niemann-Pick Disease: A Comprehensive Review.

Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease belonging to lysosomal storage disorders. Three types of NPD have been described: NPD type A, B, and C. NPD type A and B are caused by mutations in the gene coding for sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1, with a consequent lack of acid sphingomyelinase activity.

Kappa Opioid Receptors Negatively Regulate Real Time Spontaneous Dopamine Signals by Reducing Release and Increasing Uptake.

The role of the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system in dopamine (DA) regulation has been extensively investigated. KOR activation reduces extracellular DA concentrations and increases DA transporter (DAT) activity and trafficking to the membrane. To explore KOR influences on real-time DA fluctuations, we used the photosensor dLight1.

Switching of biological therapy to dupilumab in comorbid patients with severe asthma and CRSwNP.

Purpose: Nowadays, several efficacious biologic drugs are used for severe asthma with or without chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, it has been observed that not all comorbid patients (asthma/CRSwNP) receiving biologic treatment for asthma experience satisfactory control of both conditions equally.

Methods: We selected 20 patients who had both severe asthma and comorbid CRSwNP under biological treatment with benralizumab, omalizumab or mepolizumab with adequate control of asthma but inadequate control of nasal symptoms.

A tailored approach to refractory severe Mepolizumab-associated headache: a case study.

Introduction: Biologic drugs have been shown to reduce asthma exacerbations, improve lung function and quality of life, reduce oral corticosteroid use in appropriately selected patients. Mepolizumab has been demonstrated to have a safety profile that is similar to placebo, however, when present side effects may lead to treatment discontinuation. Among these, headache is one of the most common.

No Excess Total Mortality in Italy in the First Semester of 2023 at All Ages and in the Working Age Population.

Background: Italy experienced a sustained excess in total mortality between March 2020 and December 2022, resulting in approximately 226,000 excess deaths. This study extends the estimate of excess mortality in the country until June 2023, evaluating the persistence of excess mortality.

Methods: We used mortality and population data from 2011 to 2019 to establish a baseline for expected deaths during the pandemic.

Mediastinal lymphadenopathies and skin lesions in a 49-year-old Sinhalese man.

Leprosy is a neglected disease sporadically reported in high-income countries. Skin lesions and peripheral nerve involvement represent the most common manifestations. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy in the absence of superficial lymph node involvement is very rare.

PiRATeMC: A highly flexible, scalable, and low-cost system for obtaining high quality video recordings for behavioral neuroscience.

With the rapidly accelerating adoption of machine-learning based rodent behavioral tracking tools, there is an unmet need for a method of acquiring high quality video data that is scalable, flexible, and relatively low-cost. Many experimenters use webcams, GoPros, or other commercially available cameras that can be expensive, offer minimal flexibility of recording parameters, and not optimized for recording rodent behavior, leading to suboptimal and inconsistent video quality. Furthermore, commercially available products are not conducive for synchronizing multiple cameras, or interfacing with third-party equipment to allow time-locking of video to other equipment such as microcontrollers for closed-loop experiments.

ChatGPT: unlocking the potential of Artifical Intelligence in COVID-19 monitoring and prediction.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedent impact of everyday life with deleterious consequences on global health, economics, and society. Thus, accurate and timely information is critical for monitoring its spread and mitigating its impact. ChatGPT is a large language model chatbot with artificial intelligence, developed by OpenAI, that can provide both textual content and R code for predictive models.

Prior Robotic Console Expertise May Improve Basic Skills at the New Hugo RAS Simulator: Results from a Cohort Trial and Implications for Skill Transference Across Platforms.

Background: Robot-assisted surgery ensures minimal invasiveness; since the expiry of the Da Vinci patent, new robotic systems have entered the market. Recently, the Hugo RAS received CE approval for several surgical procedures. However, more is needed to know about skill acquisition at the new simulator.

SARS-CoV-2 infection sequelae on exercise response: persistent or reversible? A 2-year perspective.

https://bit.ly/3qFd97x.

Excess Total Mortality in Italy: An Update to February 2023 with Focus on Working Ages.

Background: Italy had a persistent excess of total mortality up to July 2022. This study provides updated estimates of excess mortality in Italy until February 2023.

Methods: Mortality and population data from 2011 to 2019 were used to estimate the number of expected deaths during the pandemic.

Bronchoscopy in the post-acute phase of COVID-19: an observational study.

Background: Bronchoscopy is a useful technique adopted in the management of patients with COVID-19. 10-40% of COVID-19 survivors experience persistent symptoms. A comprehensive description of the utility and safety of bronchoscopy in the management of patients with COVID-19 sequelae is lacking.