An Unsupervised Learning Tool for Plaque Tissue Characterization in Histopathological Images.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and a major cause of disability around the world, and the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries is generally considered the leading cause of severe cerebrovascular events. In recent years, new reports have reinforced the role of an accurate histopathological analysis of carotid plaques to perform the stratification of affected patients and proceed to the correct prevention of complications. This work proposes applying an unsupervised learning approach to analyze complex whole-slide images (WSIs) of atherosclerotic carotid plaques to allow a simple and fast examination of their most relevant features.

Artificial Intelligence Models for the Detection of Microsatellite Instability from Whole-Slide Imaging of Colorectal Cancer.

With the advent of whole-slide imaging (WSI), a technology that can digitally scan whole slides in high resolution, pathology is undergoing a digital revolution. Detecting microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer is crucial for proper treatment, as it identifies patients responsible for immunotherapy. Even though universal testing for MSI is recommended, particularly in patients affected by colorectal cancer (CRC), many patients remain untested, and they reside mainly in low-income countries.

The Effect of Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Infection on Humoral and Cellular Immunity in a Cohort of Patients with Immune-Mediated Diseases: A Pilot Study.

Immunization against COVID-19 is needed in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). However, data on long-term immunity kinetics remain scarce. This study aimed to compare the humoral and cellular response to COVID-19 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) compared to healthy controls.

An outbreak of COVID-19 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje due to Delta sub-lineages.

Introduction: A COVID-19 outbreak occurred at the end of October 2021 among pilgrims returning from Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Methodology: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological data, and phylogenetic analysis were used to reconstruct outbreak dynamics.

Results: The results suggest that only in one case, associated with the SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineage AY.

Autoimmune liver disease triggered by SARS-CoV-2: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: An increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and autoimmune liver disease (AILD) has been already described so far in the last three years. This rise has set up some diagnostic and therapeutic concerns, although steroid therapy has mostly been efficient, avoiding main significant side effects.

Case Report: We report the case of a 52-year-old subject displaying liver function impairment at the laboratory tests while positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) swab.

Humoral responses to wild type and ancient BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant after heterologous priming vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 booster dose.

Several countries have recommended a booster dose of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine for subjects under the age of 60, who have already received the first dose of ChAdOx1. This is due to several ChAdOx1 vaccine-associated adverse vascular events and thrombocytopenia. Neutralization assay and quantitative IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody (anti-S-IgG) were conducted to investigate the long-term responses to vaccine treatment in a cohort of Sardinian participants, who have received heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination via ChAdOx1 vector vaccine and a booster dose via BNT162b2.

Impact of Exposure to Vaccination and Infection on Cellular and Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 in CVID Patients Through COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the kinetics of response against SARS-CoV-2 elicited by vaccination and/or breakthrough infection (occurred after 3 doses of BNT162b2) in a cohort CVID patients.

Methods: We measured humoral and cellular immunity using quantitative anti-spike antibody (anti-S-IgG) and neutralization assay and specific interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) before and after the third or fourth dose of BNT162b2 and/or after COVID-19.

Results: In CVID, 58.

The human carotid atherosclerotic plaque: an observational review of histological scoring systems.

Objective: The atherosclerotic plaque is a complex dynamic pathological lesion of the arterial wall, characterized by multiple elementary lesions of different diagnostic and prognostic significance. Fibrous cap thickness, lipid necrotic core dimension, inflammation, intra-plaque hemorrhage (IPH), plaque neovascularization and endothelial dysfunction (erosions) are generally considered the most relevant morphological details of plaque morphology. In this review, the most relevant features able to discriminate between stable and vulnerable plaques at histological level are discussed.

The perception of professionals and users of the quality of care and respect for human rights in four outpatient care facilities of an Italian hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background: During the Covid-19 pandemic, delays in providing medical services, dissatisfaction, criticism toward health workers (HW) and the risk of burnout of HW in Italy have been documented. No studies have contrasted the point of view of HW and users on the quality of care and respect for human rights in health facilities.

Objective: To compare the perception of users of their satisfaction with the care provided with the perception of HW of their satisfaction with work as well as the perception of the respect of HW "s and users" human rights.

Changes in the oral status and periodontal pathogens in a Sardinian rural community from pre-industrial to modern time.

The oral microbial profile in humans has evolved in response to lifestyle changes over the course of different eras. Here, we investigated tooth lesions and the microbial profile of periodontal bacteria (PB) in dental calculus of a Sardinian pre-industrial rural community. In total, 51 teeth belonging to 12 historical individuals buried in an ossuary in the early 1800s and 26 modern teeth extracted from 26 individuals from the same geographical area were compared to determine the oral health status, bacterial load and amount of most relevant PB.

Expression of L1 Cell Adhesion Molecule (L1CAM) in extracellular vesicles in the human spinal cord during development.

Objective: L1  cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a glycoprotein characterized by three components: an extracellular region, a transmembrane segment, and a cytoplasmic tail. L1CAM is expressed in multiple human cells, including neurons. The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 has been implicated in a variety of neurologic processes, including neuritogenesis and cerebellar cell migration.

Differences in lethality and diffusion of Covid-19 in countries using different kinds of vaccines.

To verify if lethality and diffusivity of Covid-19 correlated with percentage of people vaccinated in different countries and whether results on these indicators were comparable under different types of vaccines. A linear regression analysis was conducted between vaccines/inhabitant, new cases/inhabitants and ratio deaths/cases. A comparison between the three indicators was carried out in countries subdivided by kind of vaccine.

Interindividual variability in L1CAM expression in the human kidney during development: are there implications for fetal programming of kidney diseases presenting in adulthood?

Objective: L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules. The present study investigated the expression of L1CAM during the development in the fetal human kidney at different gestational ages, to reach a better knowledge on the role of L1CAM in renal morphogenesis.

Materials And Methods: The immunohistochemical analysis for L1CAM was performed in 24 fetal kidneys of different gestational ages, ranging from 10 to 38 weeks.

Evaluation of humoral and cellular response to third dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients treated with B-cell depleting therapy.

Objective: to investigate the responses to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in a cohort of immunosuppressed patients affected by immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID).

Methods: we have measured humoral and cellular immunity using quantitative IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody (anti-S-IgG), neutralization assays and specific interferon-gamma (IFN-g) release assay (IGRA) before and after the third dose of BNT162b2. The response of those on anti-CD20 (n = 18) was then compared with healthy controls (HC, n = 18) and IMID naïve to anti-CD20 drugs (n = 13).

The role of fetal programming in human carcinogenesis - May the Barker hypothesis explain interindividual variability in susceptibility to cancer insurgence and progression?

The growing incidence of cancers is pushing oncologists to find out new explanations other than the somatic mutation theory, based on the accumulation of DNA mutations. In particular, the embryo-fetal exposure to an increasing number of environmental factors during gestation might represent a trigger able to influence the susceptibility of the newborn to develop cancer later in life. This idea agrees with the fetal programming theory, also known as the Barker hypothesis.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria: a low-grade disseminated intravascular coagulation only partially reversed by Omalizumab.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a disorder characterized by wheals and/or angioedema. The coagulation cascade and inflammation pathways are closely linked together. The aim of our study was first to investigate the dynamics of clot formation in plasma (Clot Waveform Analysis, CWA) in a group of 47 patients with CSU along with other coagulative parameters dedicated to the study of hypercoagulability, such as D-Dimer, F 1 + 2 peptide, Fibrinogen, Platelet count and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV).

Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) is highly expressed in the developing human kidney.

Objective: Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP), also known as diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), is a small phylogenetically conserved protein. This ancestral peptide is multifunctional, performing intracellular activities as ACBP protein or extracellular roles as DBI. Several studies showed its endless facets, including a relevant activity as appetite stimulator and as anabolic factor.

Strong ACE-2 expression in the choroidal vessels: do high choroid plexuses serve as a gateway for SARS-CoV-2 infection on the human brain?

Objective: Previous studies have confirmed the key mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells. It is well established that ACE2 is the receptor that can mark the beginning of the infection. In light of this, the organs that express higher levels of ACE2 are generally considered at higher risk, while those with lower levels should be somehow more protected.

Neutralizing Antibodies Responses against SARS-CoV-2 in a Sardinian Cohort Group Up to 9 Months after BNT162b2 Vaccination.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, has caused over 460 million cases of infection and over 6 million deaths worldwide. The pandemic has called for science, technology, and innovation to provide solutions and, due to an incredible scientific and financial global effort, several prophylactic and therapeutic apparatuses such as monoclonal antibodies and vaccines were developed in less than one year to address this emergency. After SARS-CoV-2 infection, serum neutralizing antibodies are produced by B cells and studies on virus-neutralizing antibodies' kinetics are pivotal.

New Analytical Approach for the Alignment of Different HE4 Automated Immunometric Systems: An Italian Multicentric Study.

Human epididymal secretory protein 4 (HE4) elevation has been studied as a crucial biomarker for malignant gynecological cancer, such us ovarian cancer (OC). However, there are conflicting reports regarding the optimal HE4 cut-off. Thus, the goal of this study was to develop an analytical approach to harmonize HE4 values obtained with different laboratory resources.

First detection of SARS-CoV-2 lineage A.27 in Sardinia, Italy.

Introduction: Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, since the end of 2020 have emerged in many geographical areas and are currently under surveillance worldwide highlighting the continuing need for genomic monitoring to detect variants previously not yet identified.

Methods: In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analysis to investigate A.27 lineage SARS-CoV-2 from Sardinia, Italy.

Covid-19 vaccines work but other factors play a relevant role: a data analysis on spread and mortality in 24 countries.

Background: The aim was to outline a methodology to monitor the impact of vaccinations in different countries comparing at two different times within countries and between countries the frequency of new cases and Covid-19 related deaths and the percentage of vaccinations conducted.

Design And Methods: The 25 countries with the largest increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases on 8 August 2021 were evaluated. In each nation was calculated the proportion of Covid-19 deaths divided per new cases x 100 and the proportion of new cases per 1.

Previous functional social and behavioral rhythms affect resilience to COVID-19-related stress among old adults.

Background: Functioning of Social Behavioral Rhythms (SBRs) may affect resilience toward stressful events across different age groups. However, the impact of SBRs on the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in elder people is yet to ascertain, representing the aim of the present report.

Design And Methods: Follow-up of a peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial on exercise on old adults (³65 years), concurrent to the onset of the pandemic-related lockdown.

Ultrastructural findings of lung injury due to Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombo- cytopenia (VITT) following COVID-19 vaccination: a scanning electron microscopic study.

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare new syndrome occurring after the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine immunization. Patients with VITT are characterized by a variable clinical presentation, likewise also the outcome of these patients is very variable. Here we report the lung ultrastructural findings in the course of VITT of a 58-year-old male patient.