Multidisciplinary Clinical Study on Retinal, Circulatory, and Respiratory Damage in Smoking-Dependent Subjects.

: Cigarette smoking is a widely prevalent risk factor in the global population, despite its well-recognized systemic impact. In this pilot study, an association was hypothesized between alterations in hemorheological and respiratory characteristics and damage at the chorioretinal level, considering that traditional cigarette smoking may increase oxidative stress, platelet activation, and thrombotic phenomena at the systemic level. Fundoscopy can provide information about the characteristics of the cerebral district and the entire circulatory system.

Phenotypic simulation for fruit-related traits in F progenies of chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) using genomic prediction based solely on parental information.

Chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) fruits are used as vegetables, spices, and ornamental plants, necessitating various fruit characteristics. However, their genetic improvement is challenging through conventional crossbreeding due to the quantitative traits, which makes it difficult to predict phenotypes in the progeny.

Autoplanning in the setting of stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung cancer.

Purpose: Automatic planning (AP) has been compared to manual planning (MP) in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to validate the former and to implement it in clinical practice.

Methods: A new developing Guided Planning System (GPS) engine was used to reoptimize 20 lung SBRT plans with the RayStation™ treatment planning system (TPS). The original manual plans were optimized to deliver 60 Gy in 5 or 8 fractions to the target with constraints on organs at risk (OARs) based on an internal protocol.

NLRP3 promoter methylation as a predictive biomarker for glucocorticoid response in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Glucocorticoids are used for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy; however nearly 50 % of IBD patients exhibit resistance or dependence. This study evaluates the relationship between methylation level at two CpG sites (cg21991396 and cg00448525) within NLRP3 promoter and glucocorticoid response of 94 IBD pediatrics (39 with Crohn's disease (40.4 %)) and 47 IBD adults (26 with Crohn's disease (55.

Uncovering the Fungal Community Composition of Alive and Dead Posidonia oceanica Matte.

Posidonia oceanica retains a large amount of carbon within its belowground recalcitrant structure, the 'matte,' which is characterized by low oxygen availability and biodegradation. Fungi may play a pivotal role in carbon sequestration within the matte, even if little/no information is available. To fill this gap, we profiled fungal communities from the upper and lower layers of alive and dead matte, by using an ITS2-5.

Anderson-Fabry Disease: Focus on Ophthalmological Implications.

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including severe complications, such as end-stage renal disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and cerebrovascular disease. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), when initiated early, has been shown to reduce the incidence of severe events and slow disease progression. In the classic form, characterized by the absence of α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) enzyme activity, diagnosis is straightforward.

One-year outcome and quality of life of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care unit: a single-center retrospective pilot study.

Patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) represent a group with distinctive characteristics and few data are available on long-term outcome in this population. We conducted a single-center retrospective study in an Italian intensive care unit. All patients with non-traumatic SAH (ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 430) admitted to ICU were included.

Corneal Alterations in Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta: An in vivo Corneal Confocal Microscopy Study.

Purpose: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare hereditary disorder of the connective tissue. Despite recent attention to corneal abnormalities in OI, understanding remains limited. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate corneal changes in a large sample of OI patients compared to controls using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Clinical Benefits and Utility of Pretherapeutic DPYD and UGT1A1 Testing in Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of the PREPARE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: To date, the clinical benefit and utility of implementing a DPYD/UGT1A1 pharmacogenetic-informed therapy with fluoropyrimidines and/or irinotecan have not been prospectively investigated.

Objective: To examine clinically relevant toxic effects, hospitalizations, and related costs while preserving treatment intensity and efficacy outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nonprespecified secondary analysis stems from Pre-Emptive Pharmacogenomic Testing for Preventing Adverse Drug Reactions (PREPARE), a multicenter, controlled, open, block-randomized, crossover implementation trial conducted from March 7, 2017, to June 30, 2020, and includes data from Italy according to a sequential study design.

Dysfunction and Morphological Involvement of Inner Macular Layers in Glaucoma.

This study aimed to study the inner retina functional and morphological impairment of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from specific macular rings and sectors to identify whether selective macular regions were more vulnerable than others within the 20 central degrees in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG). In total, 21 OAG patients [mean age 50.19 ± 7.

Polo-like kinase 2 targeting as novel strategy to sensitize mutant p53-expressing tumor cells to anticancer treatments.

Polo-like kinase 2 (Plk2) belongs to a family of serine/threonine kinases, and it is involved in tumorigenesis of diverse kind of tissues. We previously reported that Plk2 gene was a transcriptional target of the mutant p53/NF-Y oncogenic complex. Plk2 protein can bind to and phosphorylate mutant p53 triggering an oncogenic autoregulatory feedback loop involved in cancer cell proliferation and chemoresistance.

Sex Differences in Patient-rated Outcomes After Lumbar Spinal Fusion for Degenerative Disease: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Study Design: Heterogeneous data collection via a mix of prospective, retrospective, and ambispective methods.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of biological sex on patient-reported outcomes after spinal fusion surgery for lumbar degenerative disease.

Summary Of Background Data: Current literature suggests sex differences regarding clinical outcome after spine surgery may exist.

Adherence to ESMO guidelines on cancer pain management and their applicability to specialist palliative care centers: An observational, prospective, and multicenter study.

Introduction: Pain management in late-stage cancer patients is a complex clinical problem. The historical guidelines were from the World Health Organization (WHO). Recently, ESMO produced guidelines consistent with 52 recommendations applicable to the entire period of disease since the pain appears.

Combination of the PARPi and ARSi in advanced castration resistant prostate cancer: a review of the recent phase III trials.

Tumors with an impaired ability to repair DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination, including those with alterations in breast cancer 1 and 2 ( and ) genes, are very sensitive to blocking DNA single-strand repair by inhibition of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzyme. This provides the basis for a synthetic deadly strategy in the treatment of different types of cancer, such as prostate cancer (PCa). The phase 3 PROfound study was the first to lead to olaparib approval in patients with metastatic castration resistant PCa (mCRPC) and genes mutations.

Outcomes and Imaging Surveillance Adherence in Juxta-Renal Aortic Aneurysms Repairs: A VASQIP Retrospective Study.

Objective: Fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) has demonstrated its value in the management of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JAAA), but data were largely derived from clinical trials and high-volume centers. Although routine imaging surveillance is recommended following endovascular interventions, little is known regarding follow-up compliance post-FEVAR. We examined the real-world treatment outcomes and adherence to the postoperative follow-up protocol after elective interventions for JAAA at Veteran Affairs (VA) health care facilities, the largest integrated health care system in the United State.

Phosphatidylserine liposomes induce a phagosome acidification-dependent and ROS-mediated intracellular killing of in human macrophages.

(Mab) is an opportunistic nontuberculous mycobacterium responsible of difficult-to-treat pulmonary infections in vulnerable patients, such as those suffering from Cystic Fibrosis (CF), where it represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Additionally, due to the intrinsic extensive antimicrobial resistance spectrum displayed by this species and the side effects reported for some available antibiotics, the therapeutic management of such infections remains extremely difficult. In the present study, we show that phosphatidylserine liposomes (PS-L) enhance intracellular mycobacterial killing of Mab infected human macrophages with functional or pharmacologically inhibited cystic fibrosis conductance regulator (CFTR), by a mechanism involving phagosome acidification and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

Association of human papillomavirus genotype and phylogenic clade with oropharyngeal cancer outcomes.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV)+ oropharynx cancer (OPC) has a more favorable prognosis than HPV-negative disease, but the impact of specific HPV genotype and phylogenic clade on patient outcomes is not well understood and has profound implications for treatment de-intensification.

Methods: The objective of this single-institution cohort study was to investigate the association of HPV genotype (16 vs high-risk non-16) and clade (A9 vs A7) with OPC outcomes. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) in patients with M0 disease treated with curative intent.

Presepsin in Human Milk Is Delivery Mode and Gender Dependent.

Breast milk (BM) is a unique food due to its nutritional composition and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Evidence has emerged on the role of Presepsin (PSEP) as a reliable marker of early sepsis diagnosis. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the measurability of PSEP in BM according to different maturation stages (colostrum, C; transition, Tr; and mature milks, Mt) and corrected for delivery mode and gender.

Age-related epithelial defects limit thymic function and regeneration.

The thymus is essential for establishing adaptive immunity yet undergoes age-related involution that leads to compromised immune responsiveness. The thymus is also extremely sensitive to acute insult and although capable of regeneration, this capacity declines with age for unknown reasons. We applied single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, lineage-tracing and advanced imaging to define age-related changes in nonhematopoietic stromal cells and discovered the emergence of two atypical thymic epithelial cell (TEC) states.

Hepatic transcript profiling in beef cattle: Effects of feeding endophyte-infected tall fescue seeds.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) seeds intake on liver tissue transcriptome in growing Angus × Simmental steers and heifers through RNA-seq analysis. Normal weaned calves (~8 months old) received either endophyte-free tall fescue (E-; n = 3) or infected tall fescue (E+; n = 6) seeds for a 30-d period. The diet offered was ad libitum bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay combined with a nutritional supplement of 1.