An Overview of the Biological Complexity of Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a skin disease that affects all ethnicities and genders and is characterized by the loss of pigment essentially due to the selective loss of melanocytes. Although it is generally considered a systemic disease associated with polymorphisms in genes involved in the immune response, vitiligo is also considered an oxidative imbalance-associated disease. It represents a multifactorial pathology in which some genetic predisposition and epigenetic factors coupled with some critical biochemical and molecular pathways could play a pivotal role.

The role of respiratory function tests in infants with stridor: diagnosis at glance and follow-up.

Background: Recently, the development of advanced, noninvasive methods has allowed the study of respiratory function even in uncooperative infants. To date, there is still little data on the application of this technique in infants with suspected airway obstruction.

The Aims Of Our Study Were: - To evaluate the role of respiratory function testing (PFR) in the diagnosis and follow-up of infants with stridor - To evaluate the differences between patients with inspiratory stridor and expiratory stridor.

Sharenting: characteristics and awareness of parents publishing sensitive content of their children on online platforms.

Background: The term "sharenting" describes the increasingly popular habit of parents to share photos, videos, or other information regarding their children on their social profiles, through online platforms. It is highly likely that many parents are posting content about their underage children online with little knowledge of the risks associated with this practice. This study aims to investigate whether variables such as parents' age, gender, marital status, occupation and educational level influence the practice of sharing child-related content and the degree of awareness.

Anabolic treatment for osteoporosis and fragility fracture risk: one year in review 2024.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterised by reduced bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, underlying a higher risk of fragility fractures. Several options are available for its treatment, including both anti-resorptive and anabolic agents. The present review discusses and summarises the most recent literature on anabolic treatment, with a focus on abaloparatide, and on the assessment of fragility fracture risk, with a focus on trabecular bone score.

The great challenge: bone fragility and environment.

Osteoporosis is a worldwide common disease characterised by reduced bone mass and increased risk of fractures.Many genetic variants are associated with the disease, but they account for only a small percentage of variance in individual bone mineral density and fragility fracture risk. Only recently have researchers recognised the role of a broad variety of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, which has led to a further step: how genetic and environmental factors can interact, which is the next frontier in research on bone fragility.

Bioactive pH-sensitive nanoemulsion in melanoma cell lines.

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer with elevated propensity to metastasize. One of the major critical issues in the treatment of oncological patients is represented by the development of toxicity and resistance to the available therapies. Great progress has been made in the field of nanotechnologies to limit the unwanted effects of anti-cancer treatments.

Investigating the discrimination ability of 3D convolutional neural networks applied to altered brain MRI parametric maps.

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are gradually being recognized in the neuroimaging community as a powerful tool for image analysis. Despite their outstanding performances, some aspects of CNN functioning are still not fully understood by human operators. We postulated that the interpretability of CNNs applied to neuroimaging data could be improved by investigating their behavior when they are fed data with known characteristics.

SARS-CoV-2-specific mucosal immune response in vaccinated versus infected children.

The anti-COVID-19 intramuscular vaccination induces a strong systemic but a weak mucosal immune response in adults. Little is known about the mucosal immune response in children infected or vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. We found that 28% of children had detectable salivary IgA against SARS-CoV-2 even before vaccination, suggesting that, in children, SARS-CoV-2 infection may be undiagnosed.

Age-related transcript changes in type I interferon signaling in children and adolescents with long COVID.

SARS-CoV-2 typically causes mild symptoms in children, but evidence suggests that persistent immunopathological changes may lead to long COVID (LC). To explore the interplay between LC and innate immunity, we assessed the type I interferon (IFN-I) response in children and adolescents with LC symptoms (LC; n = 28). This was compared with age-matched SARS-CoV-2 recovered participants without LC symptoms (MC; n = 28) and healthy controls (HC; n = 18).

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic: Has the Immunity Debt Been Paid Off?

Background: Our aim was to hypothesize that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the characteristics of viral bronchiolitis by comparing the last 3 epidemics with 3 pre-COVID-19 epidemics in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 637 consecutive infants (median age 3.0 ± 2.

Gender differences in vitiligo: psychological symptoms and quality of life assessment description.

Objective: Assuming that the difference exist in the manifestation of psychological suffering among genders, the purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on gender differences in vitiligo quality of life and psychological assessment.

Methods: We searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for original articles in English language. Results were screened according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA checklist).

Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns in Veneto Region: Population Vaccination Centers as Support for the Traditional Outpatient Model.

The extraordinary vaccination campaigns of the COVID-19 pandemic era put organizational and operational systems to the test in numerous territorial contexts. In the Veneto region, the activation of population vaccination centers (CVPs) guaranteed the provision of vaccines to mountain areas. These centers, drive-in and building-based, improved the efficiency of dose administration in relation to similar conditions where healthcare workers (HCWs) were routinely involved in clinics.

Acute Bronchiolitis: The Less, the Better?

Background: Acute bronchiolitis is a viral infection of the lower respiratory tract affecting infants aged under 12 months, variably presenting with respiratory distress, diffuse crackles and inflammatory wheezing. The main causative agent is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The diagnosis is clinical and treatment mainly supportive.

A Single Center Observational Study on Clinical Manifestations and Associated Factors of Pediatric Long COVID.

Children with SARS-CoV-2 are mostly mild symptomatic, but they may develop conditions, such as persisting symptoms, that may put them at greater risk of complications. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency and the presence of risk factors for persisting COVID-19 symptoms in children. We carried out a prospective observational study of the clinical manifestation of Long COVID at the Department of Maternal Infantile Science of a tertiary University hospital in Rome.

LRP5 high bone mass (Worth-type autosomal dominant endosteal hyperostosis): case report and historical review of the literature.

Purpose: LRP5 high bone mass (HBM) is an autosomal dominant endosteal hyperostosis caused by mutations of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene. Alternative names included "autosomal dominant osteosclerosis" and "Worth disease." The aim of the paper is to provide an historical overview of a disorder whose literature is complicated and confusing due to the past use of several denominations and lack of reviews.

Osteoporosis and gut microbiota, radiofrequency echographic multispectrometry and machine learning: one year in review 2023.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone disease with a relevant burden of mortality and comorbidity, especially due to fragility fractures occurring as a result of reduced bone mineral density. In this review we provide a critical digest of the most recent literature regarding the relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporosis, and discuss the role of radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry (REMS) and machine learning in the diagnostic work-up and prevention of osteoporosis.

Lung function after SARS-CoV-2 infection: A prospective cohort study in children.

Introduction: Although impaired lung function after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been described in adults, it is unclear whether lung function might be altered in children, especially among asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. In this study, we report the results of lung function testing performed after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large pediatric population.

Methods: The study included 589 patients with previous confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection aged 0-18 years.

Preliminary Clinical and Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis Data on Selexipag Efficacy for the Treatment of Digital Vasculopathy in Systemic Sclerosis.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is burdened by Raynaud phenomenon (RP) and digital ulcers (DUs), and sometimes standard vasoactive therapies are ineffective or contraindicated. Selexipag is an oral selective IP prostacyclin receptor agonist approved for the treatment of SSc-related pulmonary arterial hypertension. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and instrumental efficacy of selexipag in SSc digital vasculopathy.

Is oropharyngoesophageal scintigraphy the method of choice for assessing dysphagia in systemic sclerosis? A single center experience.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of oropharyngoesophageal scintigraphy (OPES) in the assessment of dysphagia in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and to compare OPES results with those of barium esophagogram.

Methods: Adult SSc patients who underwent OPES for the assessment of dysphagia were enrolled. OPES was performed with both liquid and semisolid boluses and provided information regarding oropharyngeal transit time, esophageal transit time (ETT), oropharyngeal retention index (OPRI), esophageal retention index (ERI), and site of bolus retention.

Comparison of different forms of Raynaud's phenomenon by LASCA proximal-distal gradient perfusion.

Objective: To evaluate finger proximal-distal gradient (PDG) perfusion in subjects with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP), then making comparisons with systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Consecutive adult PRP subjects were enrolled, along with an equal number of SSc and HC. Peripheral blood perfusion of the hands was assessed by laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA).

Systemic sclerosis: one year in review 2022.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterised by microvasculopathy, immune dysregulation, and skin and visceral organ fibrosis. Every year novel insights into the pathogenesis, organ involvement and treatment of this severe disease are published in the scientific community.In this review we report an overview of some of the most relevant contributions published in 2021.

Multimodal MRI-Based Whole-Brain Assessment in Patients In Anoxoischemic Coma by Using 3D Convolutional Neural Networks.

Background: There is an unfulfilled need to find the best way to automatically capture, analyze, organize, and merge structural and functional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to ultimately extract relevant signals that can assist the medical decision process at the bedside of patients in postanoxic coma. We aimed to develop and validate a deep learning model to leverage multimodal 3D MRI whole-brain times series for an early evaluation of brain damages related to anoxoischemic coma.

Methods: This proof-of-concept, prospective, cohort study was undertaken at the intensive care unit affiliated with the University Hospital (Toulouse, France), between March 2018 and May 2020.

SCD5-dependent inhibition of SPARC secretion hampers metastatic spreading and favors host immunity in a TNBC murine model.

Dysregulated fatty acid metabolism interacts with oncogenic signals, thereby worsening tumor aggressiveness. The stearoyl-CoA desaturating enzymes, SCD1 and SCD5, convert of saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids. While SCD1 is frequently overexpressed in tumor cells and has been widely studied, SCD5 has both limited expression and poor characterization.

Caring more about food: The unexpected positive effect of the Covid-19 lockdown on household food management and waste.

Over half of the total amount of food wasted in Europe concerns household food waste which is mainly due to incorrect food management habits and behaviour. During the Covid-19 outbreak, food management and consumption habits changed dramatically due to the tough lockdown restrictions imposed by governments to reduce infection. This study investigated how these dramatic changes in the daily lives of consumers influenced the generation of food waste at household level.