Publications by authors named "Dini M"

: Over the past decade, TNF inhibitors such as Infliximab and Adalimumab have become central to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases treatment, greatly enhancing patient outcomes. However, immunogenicity-where anti-drug antibodies diminish effectiveness-remains an issue, often requiring dose changes or combination therapies. Pharmacogenomics is increasingly applied in IBD to personalise treatment, especially since genetic factors like the HLA-DQA1*05 variant heighten the immunogenicity risk with IFX.

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Objective: To describe the self-reported needs of family caregivers of service members and veterans (SMVs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at 10 to 15 years post-injury and to identify unique predictors of unmet family needs.

Setting: Five Department of Veterans Affairs Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers.

Participants: A total of 209 family caregivers of SMVs with TBI from the VA TBI Model Systems national database who completed a 10- or 15-year follow-up assessment.

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Objectives: This study investigates our enhanced recovery after minimally invasive cardiac surgery program "enhanced recovery after minimally invasive cardiac surgery" (ERMICS) following a 'Zero ICU' concept compared to standard-of-care treatment in terms of safety and clinical efficacy.

Methods: All patients who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve surgery for primary severe mitral valve regurgitation between 2021 and 2023 were included. Propensity score matching (2:1) was performed between patients who received standard-of-care treatment and those who underwent ERMICS.

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  • This study assessed the effectiveness of the TOMM 2 test among Spanish-speaking adults in Spain, involving 203 cognitively healthy participants.
  • All participants scored within the acceptable range when using the original TOMM cutoff scores, with only one individual potentially misclassified as having invalid performance under a lower threshold.
  • Results showed that Spanish adults performed better on Trial 1 than their English-speaking counterparts, indicating that the TOMM 2 maintains a high level of performance validity and specificity for this demographic.
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  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which are chronic immune-mediated conditions with unclear origins, hindering the development of new treatments.
  • Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), making up 8% of the human genome, can influence inflammatory and autoimmune disorders when activated, and their expression is regulated by proteins TRIM28 and SETDB1 involved in immune response.
  • A study using real-time PCR found that levels of HERV-H-pol and HERV-K-pol were significantly higher in IBD patients compared to healthy controls, while TRIM28 expression was decreased; these findings suggest that HERVs and TRIM28 may play key roles in IBD pathology,
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  • Intravascular and intracardiac masses include thrombi, tumors, and vegetations, impacting the heart's chambers and circulation.
  • Treatment has traditionally been surgical or involves anticoagulation, but there's a shift towards minimally invasive techniques due to patient complexities.
  • The AngioVac System, initially for right-sided heart thrombi, has expanded its use to treat right-sided endocarditis and left-sided masses effectively.
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  • Graves' disease is the main cause of hyperthyroidism in kids and teens, but data on how it affects Indonesian youth is scarce, making diagnosis and treatment difficult.
  • In a study of five pediatric GD patients, all showed symptoms like neck lumps and had low TSH and high FT4 levels before surgery; they all underwent total thyroidectomy, with some facing complications like hoarseness and hypocalcemia.
  • While total thyroidectomy can be an effective treatment, managing the surgery risks and monitoring for complications afterward is crucial for better patient outcomes.
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  • The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) are important tools for assessing cognitive functions such as constructional praxis and visuospatial skills, particularly in diagnosing neurological disorders.
  • This study aimed to establish normative data for these tests in Spanish-speaking adults in the U.S., using a sample of 245 cognitively healthy participants and analyzing factors like education, age, and language proficiency.
  • Findings indicated that education and age influenced test performance, highlighting the impact of bilingualism, while sex was not a significant factor; this research is crucial for improving neuropsychological assessments among Hispanic populations.
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Background: Computerized cognitive tests may extend the reach of cognitive screening and monitoring to those with mobility issues or living in remote areas. Moreover, it could enable frequent and autonomous remote cognitive assessments in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) on account of its reduced economic and organizational costs. This may further improve our understanding of longitudinal trends and significantly improve the standard of care for pwMS living in remote areas or with mobility limitations.

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Purpose/objective: Psychometric network analysis (PNA) is an application of dynamic systems theory that can inform measurement of complex rehabilitation phenomena such as depressive symptom patterns in veterans and service members (V/SMs) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study applied PNA to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a common measure of depressive symptoms, in a sample of V/SMs with TBI at Years 1 and 2 (Y1-2) postinjury.

Research Method/design: A sample of 808 V/SMs with TBI participated, 594 contributing PHQ-9 data at Y1 and 585 at Y2.

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Background: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a rare non-IgE-mediated food allergy that mainly impacts babies and 7toddlers. The exact mechanism of FPIES is not completely understood. By studying the expression of IL-10 and CXCL10 in pediatric FPIES patients, researchers can gain insights into the immune mechanisms underlying this disorder.

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This study developed and validated the Telepsychology Facilitators Scale (TFS), a novel measure that uses the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model as frameworks to assess factors that influence psychologists' openness to using telepsychology. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, an online sample of 2,619 psychologists completed initial items considered for the TFS, along with a measure assessing their actual use of telepsychology. The sample was split in half, with a preliminary exploratory factor analysis ultimately revealing a 13-item general scale with four distinct subscales (Positive Attitudes, Facilitating Infrastructure, Organizational Support, and External Policies).

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Recent metanalysis reported that certain probiotic strains, such as Limosilactobacillus reuteri and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (LGG), seem effective for treatment of infantile colic of exclusively breastfed infants; some reports have also linked probiotics to have an immunological effect, however further investigation are needed to fully understand the exact mechanism. The objective of this study was to assay white blood cells, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 values in peripheral blood in subjects treated in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for infantile colic with LGG. Fifty-eight infants were enrolled and followed for a study period of 28 days.

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Peripheral blood is the most practical tissue for human immune system gene expression profiling because it is easily accessible, whereas the site of primary infection in certain diseases may not be easily accessible. Due to the ex vivo instability of RNA transcripts, a key challenge in the gene expression analysis of blood samples is the rapid sample handling and stabilization of the mRNA by adding an RNA preservative (PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes, Tempus Blood RNA tubes, RNAlater Stabilization Reagent, RNAgard Blood Tubes). BioMole (Turin, Italy) has developed a novel blood stabilizer, called RNApro, in which RNA is stabilized during phlebotomy and sample storage.

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Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a frequent complication in cardiac surgery patients and lead to increased patient discomfort and extended hospitalization. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the protective role of single-use negative-pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) devices on closed surgical wounds after cardiac surgery, and explored their potential preventive application across all cardiac surgery patients. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on ScienceDirect, focusing on studies related to "negative pressure wound therapy" or "PICO negative pressure wound therapy" combined with "cardiac surgery" or "sternotomy," published between 2000 and 2022.

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Cognitive impairment affects 34-65% of People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), significantly impacting their quality of life. Clinicians routinely address cognitive deficits with in-clinic neuro-behavioural interventions, but accessibility issues exist. Given these challenges, coupled with the lifelong need for continuous assistance in PwMS, researchers have underscored the advantageous role of telerehabilitation in addressing these requirements.

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Introduction: The prevalence of thyroid carcinoma (TC) among pediatric and adolescent populations is infrequent, yet its global occurrence is escalating. Insufficient information pertaining to TC in the pediatric populace of Indonesia presents issues in the identification and management of patients with this condition. The objective of this study is to provide a detailed account of a collection of pediatric TC cases that were recorded at a tertiary care center throughout an extended interval of eight years.

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Nano pharmacology is considered an effective, safe, and applicable approach for drug delivery applications. Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLNs) colloids contain biocompatible lipids which are capable of encapsulating and maintaining hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs in the solid matrix followed by releasing the drug in a sustained manner in the target site. SLNs have more promising potential than other drug delivery systems for various purposes.

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Background And Objectives: To assess the current structures, knowledge, and readiness to integrate palliative care (PC) into Parkinson disease (PD) care at Parkinson's Foundation Centers of Excellence (COE) in the United States.

Methods: Three unique surveys were administered to health care professionals/staff at COEs to assess PC (1) resources, (2) knowledge and comfort, (3) clinical experience and processes, (4) barriers, and (5) readiness for implementation.

Results: Response rates for the 3 surveys were 97%, 98%, and 56%.

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In this study, we applied one-step real time rt-PCR technology type II INF signature to blood and nasopharyngeal (NPS) swabs of acute early recovery children < 1 years hospitalized for bronchiolitis with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection. A prospective observational case-control study was conducted in 2021-2022. The study took place in Children Hospital "Regina Margherita", Torino Italy.

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  • * Researchers analyzed DNA from families with spontaneous PTB and those with at-term births, but found no significant genetic differences between the groups.
  • * Notably, a specific genotype (LEPRA668G GG) in fathers was associated with PTB, suggesting a potential genetic risk factor, though further research is required for clearer insights.
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Background: Palliative care has the potential to address significant unmet needs in people with Parkinson's disease and related disorders, but models that rely on in-person specialty palliative care teams have limited scalability.

Aim: To describe patient and care partner experiences with a novel, community-based palliative care intervention for Parkinson's disease.

Design: Qualitative study embedded in a randomized clinical trial to document participant experiences with a novel palliative care intervention (community neurologist training and remote team-based specialist palliative care).

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Introduction: Outpatient palliative care offers an opportunity to improve the quality of life of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and families. While there are efforts to improve clinicians' palliative care knowledge and skills, there is limited knowledge on patients and carepartners' knowledge and perceptions of palliative care. As part of a larger study on implementing outpatient palliative care, this study aimed to understand patients' and carepartners' knowledge and perceptions of palliative care, and their palliative care needs and preferences prior to the implementation.

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Importance: Parkinson disease and related disorders (PDRD) are the fastest growing neurodegenerative illness in terms of prevalence and mortality. As evidence builds to support palliative care (PC) for PDRD, studies are needed to guide implementation.

Objective: To determine whether PC training for neurologists and remote access to a PC team improves outcomes in patients with PDRD in community settings.

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Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by high heritability rates. Widespread brain cortical alterations have been reported in BD patients, mostly involving the frontal, temporal and parietal regions. Importantly, also unaffected relatives of BD patients (BD-RELs) present abnormalities in cortical measures, which are not influenced by disease-related factors, such as medication use and illness duration.

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