Retrospective analysis of seroprevalence in a cohort of university students of Rome (Italy) between September 2020 and July 2021.

Background: the reopening of Universities in a COVID-19 pandemic context represented a potential source of virus transmission among students.

Objectives: to measure the SARS-CoV-2 real circulation among university students attending the University of Rome 'Niccolò Cusano' by seroprevalence analysis.

Design: retrospective study based on a point-of-care (POC) SARS-CoV-2 rapid qualitative serological screening performed on asymptomatic students attending the University.

The impact of performance feedback reports on physician ordering behavior in the use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).

Purpose: The increased utilization, and potential overutilization, of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is a well-recognized issue within emergency departments (EDs). The objective of this study is to determine the impact of performance feedback reports on CTPA ordering behavior among ED physicians.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of the impact of individualized performance feedback reports on the ordering behavior of physicians working at two high-volume community EDs in Ontario, Canada.

Thyroid hormones regulate cardiac repolarization and QT-interval related gene expression in hiPSC cardiomyocytes.

Prolongation of cardiac repolarization (QT interval) represents a dangerous and potentially life-threatening electrical event affecting the heart. Thyroid hormones (THs) are critical for cardiac development and heart function. However, little is known about THs influence on ventricular repolarization and controversial effects on QT prolongation are reported.

Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) in severe COVID-19 patients: role of T3 on the Na/K pump gene expression and on hydroelectrolytic equilibrium.

Background: Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) can be detected in many critical illnesses. Recently, we demonstrated that this condition is frequently observed in COVID-19 patients too and it is correlated with the severity the disease. However, the exact mechanism through which thyroid hormones influence the course of COVID-19, as well as that of many other critical illnesses, is not clear yet and treatment with T4, T3 or a combination of both is still controversial.

Causes of early postpartum complications that result in visits to the emergency department.

Objective: This study aimed to review the reasons why postpartum women present to the emergency department (ED) over a short term (≤10 days post-delivery) and to identify the risk factors associated with early visits to the ED.

Methods: This retrospective chart review included all women who delivered at a regional health system (William Osler Health System, WOHS) in 2018 and presented to the WOHS ED within 10 days after delivery. Baseline descriptive statistics were used to examine the patient demographics and identify the timing of the postpartum visit.

Utilization of CT angiography of the head and neck in the era of endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective study.

Purpose: To describe the impact of a new institutional Code Stroke protocol on ordering volume of head and neck CT angiographies (CTA), and to determine the number and proportion of these studies that resulted in an endovascular or surgical intervention.

Methods: Clinical and administrative data was collected on all head and neck CTAs ordered within the ED at two high-volume community hospitals and an affiliated urgent care centre during the 6-year period between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. Of those patients who underwent CTA, we identified those who were then transferred to a regional stroke centre for consideration of EVT and those who underwent carotid endarterectomy or stenting within 14 days.

Generation and characterization of the human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line NCUFi001-A from a patient carrying KCNQ1 G314S mutation.

In this study we describe the generation and characterization of an human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line from a long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) patient carrying the KCNQ1 c.940 G > A (p.Gly314Ser) mutation.

Utilization of serum D-dimer assays prior to computed tomography pulmonary angiography scans in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism among emergency department physicians: a retrospective observational study.

Background: A variety of evidence-based algorithms and decision rules using D-Dimer testing have been proposed as instruments to allow physicians to safely rule out a pulmonary embolism (PE) in low-risk patients.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of D-Dimer utilization among emergency department (ED) physicians and its impact on positive yields and utilization rates of Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA).

Methods: Data was collected on all CTPA studies ordered by ED physicians at three sites during a 2-year period.

Identification of a novel RUNX2 gene mutation and early diagnosis of CCD in a cleidocranial dysplasia suspected Iranian family.

This research resulted in the identification and submission of a novel RUNX2 gene mutation in the affected members of the studied pedigree. Mutation screening is an effective method for the early diagnosis of CCD in the affected individuals.

Physician Initial Assessment Times Based on CTAS Scores: Are We Meeting the Recommendations?

The Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale prioritizes patient care in the emergency department (ED) by setting recommendations for physician initial assessment (PIA) times. However, adherence to the recommended PIA times may not be possible due to increasing ED visits, overcrowding and patient boarding in the ED. We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients who visited four community EDs from January 2016 to December 2017 and found that the overall compliance with the recommended PIA times was low.

Neurovascular manifestations in connective tissue diseases: The case of Marfan Syndrome.

Patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are suspected to be at higher risk for cerebrovascular involvement, such as intracranial aneurysms, dissections and strokes, than the general population. Particularly, Marfan Syndrome (MFS) has been reported as associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular alterations. Literature data report different prevalence of intracranial aneurysms in MFS, ranging from 4 % to 29 %, suggesting a role of genetic cause that involves the regulation of the TGF-β signaling.

An enormous Italian pedigree of Marfan syndrome with a novel mutation in the FBN1 gene.

We characterize a large Italian family presenting with Marfan syndrome (MFS), where the same NM_000138.4:c.6872-1G > T splice site mutation in the FBN1 gene was detected in 37 affected individuals with different pathological phenotypes.

Variability in practice patterns among emergency physicians in the evaluation of patients with a suspected diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Purpose: To describe the inter-physician variability in the utilisation rate and diagnostic yield of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) among a group of emergency department (ED) physicians working in a similar clinical environment.

Methods: We collected data on all CTPA studies ordered by ED physicians at three affiliated sites during a 2-year period between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017. For each physician, we calculated individual CTPA utilisation rate (total number of CTPAs ordered per 1000 ED visits) and diagnostic yield (percentage of CTPAs that were positive for PE).

Voltammetric sensing of oxacillin by using a screen-printed electrode modified with molecularly imprinted polyaniline, gold nanourchins and graphene oxide.

An imprinted electrochemical sensor was developed for the determination of the antibiotic oxacillin (OXC). A screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was modified with gold nanourchin and graphene oxide, and then aniline was electro-polymerized in the presence of OXC to obtain a molecular imprint on the SPCE. The morphologies in sequential modification processes and the electrochemical behavior of the modified SCPE were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry.

Mutation analysis of the FBN1 gene in a cohort of patients with Marfan Syndrome: A 10-year single center experience.

Background: Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is a chronic, life-threatening, autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in the FBN1 gene, coding for fibrillin-1. All organ systems may be affected, but particularly the cardiovascular system, eyes, and skeleton. Mortality generally results from cardiovascular complications, mainly aortic dissection.

Time of Transfer of Admitted Patients from the ED: A Contributor to ED Boarding in High-Volume Community Hospitals.

The twin challenges of bed boarding and "hallway medicine" have emerged in recent years as key healthcare issues. Many hospitals, challenged with increasing demand and limited resources, have tried to find efficiencies within their operations. One such strategy is that of early morning discharges and expedited bed turnaround times.

Emergency department boarding: a descriptive analysis and measurement of impact on outcomes.

Objectives: Delays in transfer of admitted patients boarded in the emergency department (ED) to an inpatient bed is a major driver of ED overcrowding. We sought to identify explanatory factors behind ED boarding as well as the impact of boarding on total inpatient length of stay (IP LOS) and inpatient mortality.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-centre observational study during the period between January 1 and December 31, 2015 at a very high volume community hospital.

Galectin-3: One Molecule for an Alphabet of Diseases, from A to Z.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) regulates basic cellular functions such as cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, growth, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. It is not surprising, therefore, that this protein is involved in the pathogenesis of many relevant human diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, chronic inflammation and scarring affecting many different tissues. The papers published in the literature have progressively increased in number during the last decades, testifying the great interest given to this protein by numerous researchers involved in many different clinical contexts.

Comparative analysis of diagnostic performance, feasibility and cost of different test-methods for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology.

Since it is impossible to recognize malignancy at fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in indeterminate thyroid nodules, surgery is recommended for all of them. However, cancer rate at final histology is <30%. Many different test-methods have been proposed to increase diagnostic accuracy in such lesions, including Galectin-3-ICC (GAL-3-ICC), BRAF mutation analysis (BRAF), Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) alone and GEC+BRAF, mutation/fusion (M/F) panel, alone, M/F panel+miRNA GEC, and M/F panel by next generation sequencing (NGS), FDG-PET/CT, MIBI-Scan and TSHR mRNA blood assay.

Combined clinical and ultrasound follow-up assists in malignancy detection in Galectin-3 negative Thy-3 thyroid nodules.

The use of galectin-3 ThyroTest in the preoperative evaluation of cytologically indeterminate (Thy-3) thyroid nodules has been largely validated by retrospective and prospective multicentre studies. Here we report the results of galectin-3 ThyroTest routinely applied in the management of Thy-3 nodules in combination with clinical and ultrasonography (US) examination, in which galectin-3 positive nodules were directly referred to surgery whereas galectin-3 negative lesions were considered for clinical and US long-term follow-up. A cohort of 331 patients, bearing 340 thyroid Thy-3 nodules, was enrolled and subjected to galectin-3 expression analysis.