Long-term results of edge-to-edge and neochordal mitral repair for isolated anterior leaflet lesion: a propensity match analysis.

Objectives: Mitral regurgitation due to anterior mitral leaflet lesions is associated with an increased risk of mitral regurgitation recurrence after mitral valve repair compared with posterior leaflet-related lesions. Both edge-to-edge (E-to-E) and neochordal repair, associated with ring annuloplasty, have been used in our institution to address isolated anterior mitral leaflet lesions. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and echocardiographic long-term results of those two approaches for isolated anterior mitral leaflet lesions by means of a propensity match analysis.

Distinct Responses of Cystic Fibrosis Epithelial Cells to SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the impact of viral infections on individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Initial observations suggested lower COVID-19 rates among CF populations; however, subsequent clinical data have presented a more complex scenario. This study aimed to investigate how bronchial epithelial cells from CF and non-CF individuals, including various CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations, respond to infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV.

A qualitative study of individuals with acquired brain injury' and program facilitators' experiences in virtual acquired brain injury community support programs.

Purpose: Acquired brain injury (ABI) community support programs aim to help support long-term needs through informational and psychosocial support. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many support programs adopted virtual program delivery. However, the experiences of facilitators and people with ABI who participate in virtual support programs are understudied.

Blood Vitamin C Levels of Patients Receiving Immunotherapy and Relationship to Monocyte Subtype and Epigenetic Modification.

The treatment of metastatic melanoma has been revolutionised by immunotherapy, yet a significant number of patients do not respond, and many experience autoimmune adverse events. Associations have been reported between patient outcome and monocyte subsets, whereas vitamin C (ascorbate) has been shown to mediate changes in cancer-stimulated monocytes in vitro. We therefore investigated the relationship of ascorbate with monocyte subsets and epigenetic modifications in patients with metastatic melanoma receiving immunotherapy.

Long-term Results of Clover and Edge-to-Edge Leaflet Repair for Complex Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: The aim of this study was to report the long-term results of the clover and edge-to-edge repair techniques for complex tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

Methods: This was a single-center observational study. A competing risks proportional-hazards regression model, using the Fine and Gray model, was performed to analyze the time to TR ≥2+, considering death as a competing risk.

Cellular Modeling of CLN6 with IPSC-derived Neurons and Glia.

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), type 6 (CLN6) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with progressive neurodegeneration leading to dementia, seizures, and retinopathy. encodes a resident-ER protein involved in trafficking lysosomal proteins to the Golgi. CLN6p deficiency results in lysosomal dysfunction and deposition of storage material comprised of Nile Red lipids/proteolipids that include subunit C of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (SUBC).

Best practices, errors, and perspectives of half a century of plant translocation in Italy.

Conservation translocations are becoming common conservation practice, so there is an increasing need to understand the drivers of plant translocation performance through reviews of cases at global and regional levels. The establishment of the Italian Database of Plant Translocation (IDPlanT) provides the opportunity to review the techniques used in 186 plant translocation cases performed in the last 50 years in the heart of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. We described techniques and information available in IDPlanT and used these data to identify drivers of translocation outcomes.

Single-Cell Sequencing of Lung Macrophages and Monocytes Reveals Novel Therapeutic Targets in COPD.

Background: Macrophages and monocytes orchestrate inflammatory processes in the lungs. However, their role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory condition, is not well known. Here, we determined the characteristics of these cells in lungs of COPD patients and identified novel therapeutic targets.

Modeling instream temperature from solar insolation under varying timber harvesting intensities using RPAS laser scanning.

Stream temperatures are influenced by the amount of solar insolation they receive. Increasing stream temperatures associated with climate warming pose detrimental health risks to freshwater ecosystems. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, timber harvesting along forested streams is managed using riparian buffer zones of varying widths and designations.

Textbook outcomes for liver resection: can a medium sized centre have acceptable outcomes?

Background: Textbook outcome (TO) is an objective, composite measure of clinical outcomes in surgery. TO in liver surgery has been used in previous international studies to define and compare performance across centres. This study aimed to review TO rates following liver resection at a single institution.

Co-Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Pathogens in Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts during Influenza Season 2022-2023 in Lazio Region.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) occur when there is a lower airway tract infection. They are well-known for increasing the susceptibility of patients to bacterial/fungal co-infections and super-infections. In this study, we present the results of our investigation, which involved 381 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital during the Influenza season from October 2022 to April 2023.

Neochordae implantation versus leaflet resection in mitral valve posterior leaflet prolapse and dilated left ventricle: a propensity score matching comparison with long-term follow-up.

Objectives: Uncorrected severe mitral regurgitation (MR) due to posterior prolapse leads to left ventricular dilatation. At this stage, mitral valve repair becomes mandatory to avoid permanent myocardial injury. However, which technique among neochoardae implantation and leaflet resection provides the best results in this scenario remains unknown.

The international reference system for beta-particle emitting radionuclides: Validation through the pilot study CCRI(II)-P1.Co-60.

The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) is developing a new transfer instrument to extend its centralized services for assessing the international equivalence of radioactive standards to new radionuclides. A liquid scintillation counter using the triple/double coincidence ratio method is being studied and tested in the CCRI(II)-P1.Co-60 pilot study.

TRI-SCORE: a single-centre validation study.

Objectives: The TRI-SCORE is a recently published risk score for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery (ITVS). The aim of this study is to externally validate the ability of the TRI-SCORE in predicting in-hospital and long-term mortality following ITVS.

Methods: A retrospective review of our institutional database was carried out to identify all patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve repair or replacement from March 1997 to March 2021.

Stuttering management practices in Sri Lanka: A mixed method study.

Purpose: Speech and language therapy is a growing profession in Sri Lanka, and little is known about how stuttering is currently managed in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the current stuttering management practices in Sri Lanka and to investigate any barriers to service provision.

Method: A convergent mixed methods design was employed across two phases.

A prospective study on the efficacy of dupilumab in chronic rhinosinusitis with type 2 inflammation.

Objective: Treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) includes endoscopic sinus surgery and topic and/or systemic corticosteroids, which have only temporary effects. The development of biologic therapies has provided a new treatment paradigm for CRSwNP. Dupilumab is the only biological approved in Italy for CRSwNP, but its efficacy in a real-life context is still scarce.

Trauma Team Activation: improved care of major trauma patients.

Aim: To assess whether Trauma Team Activation (TTA) at Christchurch Hospital is associated with reduced mortality or improves in-hospital care for major trauma patients, and review differences in the two-tier activation system (Trauma Call versus Trauma Standby).

Methods: A retrospective observational study of major trauma patients presenting to Christchurch Emergency Department (ED) 2018-2019. Univariate analyses were undertaken followed by multivariate analyses controlling for age and injury severity score (ISS).

AI-SCoRE (artificial intelligence-SARS CoV2 risk evaluation): a fast, objective and fully automated platform to predict the outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: To develop and validate an effective and user-friendly AI platform based on a few unbiased clinical variables integrated with advanced CT automatic analysis for COVID-19 patients' risk stratification.

Material And Methods: In total, 1575 consecutive COVID-19 adults admitted to 16 hospitals during wave 1 (February 16-April 29, 2020), submitted to chest CT within 72 h from admission, were retrospectively enrolled. In total, 107 variables were initially collected; 64 extracted from CT.

Mobilization-based chemotherapy-free engraftment of gene-edited human hematopoietic stem cells.

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell gene therapy (HSPC-GT) is proving successful to treat several genetic diseases. HSPCs are mobilized, harvested, genetically corrected ex vivo, and infused, after the administration of toxic myeloablative conditioning to deplete the bone marrow (BM) for the modified cells. We show that mobilizers create an opportunity for seamless engraftment of exogenous cells, which effectively outcompete those mobilized, to repopulate the depleted BM.

Long-term efficacy, safety and neurotolerability of MATRix regimen followed by autologous transplant in primary CNS lymphoma: 7-year results of the IELSG32 randomized trial.

219 HIV-negative adults ≤70 years with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) were enrolled in the randomized IELSG32 trial. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to receive methotrexate-cytarabine (arm A), or methotrexate-cytarabine-rituximab (B), or methotrexate-cytarabine-thiotepa-rituximab (MATRix; arm C). A second randomization allocated patients with responsive/stable disease to whole-brain irradiation (WBRT) or carmustine-thiotepa-conditioned autologous transplantation (ASCT).

Evaluation of In Vitro Tools to Predict the In Vivo Absorption of Biopharmaceuticals Following Subcutaneous Administration.

Purpose: For injectable biopharmaceuticals, the subcutaneous route of administration is increasingly preferred over intravenous administration. However, one of the challenges in the development of subcutaneously administered biopharmaceuticals is a reduced bioavailability, which is difficult to predict. Since animal models do not reliably reflect bioavailability in patients, in vitro models could help to develop drug candidates.

Erenumab for Migraine Prevention in a 1-Year Compassionate Use Program: Efficacy, Tolerability, and Differences Between Clinical Phenotypes.

During a 1-year compassionate use program, 156 patients with migraine self-administered a monthly dose of erenumab 140 mg with a subcutaneous autoinjector. Main inclusion criteria were: ≥ 4 migraine days/month and ≥two prior prophylactic treatment failures. The patients covered the migraine severity spectrum from episodic migraine (EM) ( = 80) to chronic migraine (CM) ( = 76).

Development of an affective database made of interactive virtual environments.

Despite the great potential of Virtual Reality (VR) to arouse emotions, there are no VR affective databases available as it happens for pictures, videos, and sounds. In this paper, we describe the validation of ten affective interactive Virtual Environments (VEs) designed to be used in Virtual Reality. These environments are related to five emotions.

Affective Virtual Reality: How to Design Artificial Experiences Impacting Human Emotions.

Computer graphics is-in many cases-about visualizing what you cannot see. However, virtual reality (VR), from its beginnings, aimed at stimulating all human senses: not just the visual channel. Moreover, this set of multisensory stimuli allows users to feel present and able to interact with the virtual environment.