Topographical Quantification of Hyper-Reflective Foci May Predict the Development of Macular Atrophy in Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was o examine the optical coherence tomographic (OCT) characteristics of hyper-reflective foci (HRF) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and to assess the potential of HRF as a predictive factor for the development of macular atrophy following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 61 treatment-naïve eyes diagnosed with exudative AMD and type 1 macular neovascularization (MNV). The HRF was identified in the inner retina and outer retina layers, and the treatment response of HRF was documented.

Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry to Capture Protein Network Dynamics of Cell Membranome.

Interactions among proteins are fundamental in driving functions and activities that regulate cell biology, mechanotransduction, and cell-to-cell communication/recognition. Recently, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for interaction discovery and characterization, driving the enlightenment of novel binding partners otherwise undetected. Covalent linkages of two amino acid residues of proteins (or within complexes) in close proximity can be identified by MS, thus providing structural insights such as distance restraints or unraveling interaction dynamics.

Evaluation of sirtuin 1 as a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients with limb-threatening ischemia.

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) significantly increases the risk of major adverse limb events (MALE) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after lower extremity revascularization (LER). This study aims to identify novel biomarkers that help to further reduce the risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications. In this prospective, nonrandomized, observational study, baseline serum levels of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) were assessed in 147 diabetic patients scheduled for LER due to CLTI, and participants were followed for the occurrence of MALE and MACE over 12 months.

Orofacial Clefts and Maternal Risk Factors: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Background/objectives: Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are some of the most common congenital anomalies worldwide. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the association of OFCs with selected maternal characteristics.

Methods: Data on isolated non-syndromic cases of OFCs were extracted from the population-based registry of congenital anomalies of Tuscany.

Hypothyroidism in Patients with Down Syndrome: Prevalence and Association with Congenital Heart Defects.

This population-based study aimed to assess the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and overt hypothyroidism (OH) and their association with congenital heart defects (CHDs) in patients with Down syndrome (DS). The population included all live births residing in Tuscany (Italy) diagnosed with DS recorded in the Registry of Congenital Defects and in the Registry of Rare Diseases of Tuscany in the years 2003-2017. The prevalence of CH and OH in DS patients was calculated by sex and by period.

The Association of Prenatal Diagnoses with Mortality and Long-Term Morbidity in Children with Specific Isolated Congenital Anomalies: A European Register-Based Cohort Study.

Objectives: To compare 5-year survival rate and morbidity in children with spina bifida, transposition of great arteries (TGA), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) or gastroschisis diagnosed prenatally with those diagnosed postnatally.

Methods: Population-based registers' data were linked to hospital and mortality databases.

Results: Children whose anomaly was diagnosed prenatally (n = 1088) had a lower mean gestational age than those diagnosed postnatally (n = 1698) ranging from 8 days for CDH to 4 days for TGA.

Higher risk of cerebral palsy, seizures/epilepsy, visual- and hearing impairments, cancer, injury and child abuse in children with congenital anomalies: Data from the EUROlinkCAT study.

Aim: The aim is to examine the risk of cerebral palsy, seizures/epilepsy, visual- and hearing impairments, cancer, injury/poisoning and child abuse in children with and without a congenital anomaly up to age 5 and 10 years.

Methods: This is a population-based data linkage cohort study linking information from the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies network (EUROCAT) and birth registries to hospital discharge databases. We included 91 504 live born children with major congenital anomalies born from 1995 to 2014 from nine EUROCAT registries in five countries and 1 960 727 live born children without congenital anomalies (reference children).

Medication use during pregnancy and the risk of gastroschisis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Objectives: The aetiology of gastroschisis is considered multifactorial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether the use of medications during pregnancy, is associated with the risk of gastroschisis in offspring.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched from 1st January 1990 to 31st December 2020 to identify observational studies examining the association between medication use during pregnancy and the risk of gastroschisis.

Creating a population-based cohort of children born with and without congenital anomalies using birth data matched to hospital discharge databases in 11 European regions: Assessment of linkage success and data quality.

Linking routinely collected healthcare administrative data is a valuable method for conducting research on morbidity outcomes, but linkage quality and accuracy needs to be assessed for bias as the data were not collected for research. The aim of this study was to describe the rates of linking data on children with and without congenital anomalies to regional or national hospital discharge databases and to evaluate the quality of the matched data. Eleven population-based EUROCAT registries participated in a EUROlinkCAT study linking data on children with a congenital anomaly and children without congenital anomalies (reference children) born between 1995 and 2014 to administrative databases including hospital discharge records.

Causes of death in children with congenital anomalies up to age 10 in eight European countries.

Background: Congenital anomalies (CAs) increase the risk of death during infancy and childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of using death certificates to estimate the burden of CAs on mortality for children under 10 years old.

Methods: Children born alive with a major CA between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2014, from 13 population-based European CA registries were linked to mortality records up to their 10th birthday or 31 December 2015, whichever was earlier.

Survival, hospitalisation and surgery in children born with Pierre Robin sequence: a European population-based cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate survival, hospitalisations and surgical procedures for children born with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) across Europe.

Design: Multicentre population-based cohort study.

Setting: Data on 463 live births with PRS from a population of 4 984 793 from 12 EUROCAT congenital anomaly registries.

Colonization Slightly Affects Gut Microbiota and Hematological Parameters in Clinically Healthy Dogs.

() is a worldwide cause of acute diarrheal disease both in humans and animals. The primary aim of this study was to investigate possible variations in gut microbiota in a population of asymptomatic dogs ( = 31), naturally infected or not by . Gut microbiota and the hematological, biochemical, and fecal parameters related to intestinal function were investigated.

Identification of Appropriate Endogenous Controls for Circulating miRNA Quantification in Working Dogs under Physiological Stress Conditions.

Cell-free miRNAs, called circulating miRNAs (cmiRNAs), can act in a paracrine manner by facilitating a diversity of signaling mechanisms between cells. Real-time qPCR is the most accepted method for quantifying miRNA expression levels. The use of stable miRNA endogenous control (EC) for qPCR data normalization allows an accurate cross-sample gene expression comparison.

[SENTIERI - Epidemiological Study of Residents in National Priority Contaminated Sites. Sixth Report].

Introduction Adn Objectives: The Sixth Report presents the results of the "SENTIERI Project: implementation of the permanent epidemiological surveillance system of populations residing in Italian Sites of Remediation Interest", promoted and financed by the Italian Ministry of Health (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - CCM Project 2018). The aim of this study is to update the mortality and hospitalization analyses concerning the 6,227,531 inhabitants (10.4% of the Italian population) residing in 46 contaminated sites (39 of national interest and 7 of regional interest).

European study showed that children with congenital anomalies often underwent multiple surgical procedures at different ages across Europe.

Aim: Children with congenital anomalies often require surgery but data on the burden of surgery for these children are limited.

Methods: A population-based record-linkage study in Finland, Wales and regions of Denmark, England, Italy and Spain. A total of 91 504 children with congenital anomalies born in 1995-2014 were followed to their tenth birthday or the end of 2015.

Accuracy of congenital anomaly coding in live birth children recorded in European health care databases, a EUROlinkCAT study.

Electronic health care databases are increasingly being used to investigate the epidemiology of congenital anomalies (CAs) although there are concerns about their accuracy. The EUROlinkCAT project linked data from eleven EUROCAT registries to electronic hospital databases. The coding of CAs in electronic hospital databases was compared to the (gold standard) codes in the EUROCAT registries.

Profile of Drug Utilization in Patients with Rare Diseases in Tuscany, Italy: A Population-Based Study.

Patients with rare diseases (RDs) generally have delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, which lead to inappropriate care or the need to modify treatment during the course of the disease. The medical care of RD patients can be further complicated by the presence of comorbidities. In this population-based study, we evaluated the prevalence, intensity of use, and consumption of drugs prescribed to RD patients residing in Tuscany (Italy) in the years 2008-2018.

Small intestinal submucosa-derived extracellular matrix as a heterotopic scaffold for cardiovascular applications.

Structural cardiac lesions are often surgically repaired using prosthetic patches, which can be biological or synthetic. In the current clinical scenario, biological patches derived from the decellularization of a xenogeneic scaffold are gaining more interest as they maintain the natural architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) after the removal of the native cells and remnants. Once implanted in the host, these patches can induce tissue regeneration and repair, encouraging angiogenesis, migration, proliferation, and host cell differentiation.

Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate Reduces the Need for Antiarrhythmics during Acute-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Emergency and Critical Care.

Several studies have suggested the potential role of Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO) for the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) but, in clinical practice, the use of magnesium is not standardized although it is largely used for the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias. Objectives. We evaluated the role of MgSO infusion in association with flecainide in cardioversion of patients presenting in ED with symptomatic AF started less than 48 h before.

Correlation between retinal vessel rarefaction and psychometric measures in an older Southern Italian population.

Objective: To explore the linear association between inner retinal layers thickness and macular capillary density compared to variations of global cognition evaluated by psychometric measures in a cohort of Mediterranean subjects aged 65+ years.

Materials And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 574 participants aged 65 years+ drawn from a population-based Southern Italian study. All subjects underwent neurological evaluations, including global cognitive screening, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and frontal assessment battery (FAB), together with an ophthalmic examination including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-Angiography.

Gastrostomy and congenital anomalies: a European population-based study.

Objective: To report and compare the proportion of children with and without congenital anomalies undergoing gastrostomy for tube feeding in their first 5 years.

Methods: A European, population-based data-linkage cohort study (EUROlinkCAT). Children up to 5 years of age registered in nine EUROCAT registries (national and regional) in six countries and children without congenital anomalies (reference children) living in the same geographical areas were included.

Hospital length of stay among children with and without congenital anomalies across 11 European regions-A population-based data linkage study.

Background: Congenital anomalies are a leading cause of childhood morbidity, but little is known about the long-term outcomes.

Objective: To quantify the burden of disease in childhood for children with congenital anomalies by assessing the risk of hospitalisation, the number of days spent in hospital and proportion of children with extended stays (≥10 days).

Methods: European population-based record-linkage study in 11 regions in eight countries including children with congenital anomalies (EUROCAT children) and without congenital anomalies (reference children) living in the same regions.

Healthcare Burden of Rare Diseases: A Population-Based Study in Tuscany (Italy).

Patients with rare diseases (RDs) need tailored, continuous, and multidisciplinary hospital care. This retrospective cohort study aimed to analyse the healthcare burden of RD patients using a multi-database approach, by linking the data of the Rare Diseases Registry of Tuscany with the regional hospital discharge database. The study population included 21,354 patients diagnosed with a RD between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2017.