Anatomy-aware computed tomography-to-ultrasound spine registration.

Background: Ultrasound (US) has demonstrated to be an effective guidance technique for lumbar spine injections, enabling precise needle placement without exposing the surgeon or the patient to ionizing radiation. However, noise and acoustic shadowing artifacts make US data interpretation challenging. To mitigate these problems, many authors suggested using computed tomography (CT)-to-US registration to align the spine in pre-operative CT to intra-operative US data, thus providing localization of spinal landmarks.

Circulating Endothelial Cell Kinetic in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Who Receive Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Introduction: Neoangiogenesis has a crucial role in multiple myeloma (MM), and circulating endothelial cells (CECs) contribute to neovascularization by inducing tumor progression and metastasis and by repairing damage to bone marrow vasculature after stem cell transplantation (HSC). We recently proved in a national multicenter study the possibility to reach a high-level standardization in CEC count and analysis based on a polychromatic flow cytometry Lyotube (BD). Our study aimed at assessing the kinetics of CECs in patients with MM undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Au-HSCT).

Genetic variants determine intrafamilial variability of SARS-CoV-2 clinical outcomes in 19 Italian families.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection results in a wide range of outcomes characterized by a high heterogeneity in both symptomatology and susceptibility to the disease. In such a perspective, COVID-19 may be considered as a multifactorial disease featured by the interaction between the environment, which is the virus itself, and the genetic profile of the host. Our analysis aimed at investigating the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 within families whose members responded in different ways to the infection, although the exposure was common to the entire group and occurred before the availability of any vaccine.

Genetic and epigenetic gene variants in the mothers of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder affected children as possible risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders.

 To assess promoter methylation levels, gene expression levels and 677C>T/1298A>C genotype and allele frequencies of the gene in 45 mothers of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder affected child/children (ADHDM) and compare it with age matched healthy control mothers (HCM). : High resolution melting analysis, quantitative real time PCR and PCR-RFLP were performed to assess methylation, gene expression and genotyping, respectively. Significance between ADHDM and HCM was assessed by linear (methylation and gene expression) and logistic regression (genotypes).