Publications by authors named "Novelli L"

Background: Advancing the retrograde microcatheter (MC) into the antegrade guide catheter during retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be challenging or impossible, preventing guidewire externalization.

Objectives: To detail and evaluate all the techniques focused on wiring to achieve intubation of the distal tip of a microcatheter, balloon, or stent with an antegrade or retrograde guidewire, aiming to reduce complications by minimizing tension on fragile collaterals during externalization and enabling rapid antegrade conversion in various clinical scenarios.

Methods: We describe the two main techniques, tip-in and rendezvous, and their derivatives such a facilitated tip-in, manual MC-tip modification, tip-in the balloon, tip-in the stent, deep dive rendezvous, catch-it and antegrade microcatheter probing.

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Understanding how one brain region exerts influence over another in vivo is profoundly constrained by models used to infer or predict directed connectivity. Although such neural interactions rely on the anatomy of the brain, it remains unclear whether, at the macroscale, structural (or anatomical) connectivity provides useful constraints on models of directed connectivity. Here, we review the current state of research on this question, highlighting a key distinction between inference-based effective connectivity and prediction-based directed functional connectivity.

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Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) are frequently identified during coronary angiography and remain the most challenging subset of coronary artery lesions to treat; however, advancements in techniques and materials have greatly improved success rates. Various crossing algorithms have been developed to standardise the approach to CTO interventions based on angiographic criteria. Antegrade wiring is typically the initial strategy of choice, particularly in cases of short and straight CTOs with tapered proximal cap.

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  • Predictors of severe COVID-19 cases, specifically the ROX index, were analyzed in a study involving 227 patients hospitalized in Italy during the second pandemic wave, focusing on its ability to predict treatment failures like intubation or death.
  • The study found that older age, history of smoking, cardiovascular diseases, and a lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio at admission were linked to a higher likelihood of treatment failure.
  • The predictive value of the ROX index improved by the third day of hospitalization, with a critical cut-off value of 8.53 indicating a greater risk of treatment failure in patients on days 1 to 3.
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  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease tied to oxidative stress, which affects mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) levels and their homeostasis.
  • The study analyzed mtDNA copies and gene expression related to mitochondrial functions in blood cells from SLE patients and healthy individuals, finding significantly lower mtDNA copies and reduced expression of key mitochondrial genes in patients.
  • A positive correlation was identified between the expression of the PRKN2 gene and mtDNA copy number, highlighting the potential link between mitochondrial dysfunction and SLE progression.
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  • Low-voltage area (LVA) ablation, combined with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), is being studied as a treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), but previous clinical trials have shown mixed results.
  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of 1547 patients from 7 studies revealed that adding LVA ablation significantly reduced the chances of atrial arrhythmia recurrence after the first AF ablation procedure.
  • The study found no significant differences in procedure time, fluoroscopy time, or complication rates between those receiving LVA ablation and those who did not.
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Visual alterations under classic psychedelics can include rich phenomenological accounts of eyes-closed imagery. Preclinical evidence suggests agonism of the 5-HT2A receptor may reduce synaptic gain to produce psychedelic-induced imagery. However, this has not been investigated in humans.

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Interregional brain communication is mediated by the brain's physical wiring (i.e., structural connectivity).

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Background: There are uncertainties whether the impairment of lung diffusing capacity in COVID-19 is due to an alteration in the diffusive conductance of the alveolar membrane (Dm), or an alteration of the alveolar capillary volume (Vc), or a combination of both. The combined measurement DLNO and DLCO diffusion, owing to NO higher affinity and faster reaction rate with haemoglobin compared to CO, enables the simultaneous and rapid determination of both Vc and Dm. The aim of the present study was to better identify the precise cause of post-COVID-19 diffusion impairment.

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We present a didactic introduction to spectral dynamic causal modeling (DCM), a Bayesian state-space modeling approach used to infer effective connectivity from noninvasive neuroimaging data. Spectral DCM is currently the most widely applied DCM variant for resting-state functional MRI analysis. Our aim is to explain its technical foundations to an audience with limited expertise in state-space modeling and spectral data analysis.

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  • * Treatment options include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and biological therapies targeting TNFα or IL-17, but pain is a significant concern that remains despite treatment, especially in advanced stages.
  • * The JAK/STAT signaling pathway plays a crucial role in both the disease process and pain perception in axSpA, with new JAK inhibitors showing promise for rapid pain relief based on preclinical and clinical trial data.
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Transplantation of an organ from a donor carries an unavoidable risk of tumor transmission. The need to extend the donor pool increases the use of organs from donors with malignancies and potential disease transmission is a constant tension influencing donor suitability decisions. Current classification systems for the assessment of donor malignancy transmission risk have evolved from reports of potential transmission events in recipients to national donation and transplant surveillance agencies.

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Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is frequent in critically ill COVID-19 patients and is associated with a higher mortality risk. By increasing intrathoracic pressure, positive pressure ventilation (PPV) may reduce renal perfusion pressure by reducing venous return to the heart or by increasing renal venous congestion. This study's aim was to evaluate the association between AKI and haemodynamic and ventilatory parameters in COVID-19 patients with ARDS.

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The identification of rare genetic variants associated to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) could also help to understand the pathogenic mechanisms at the basis of the disease. In this study we have analyzed a cohort of 200 Italian SLE patients in order to explore the rare protein-coding variants in five genes (TNFAIP3, STAT4, IL10, TRAF3IP2, and HCP5) already investigated for commons variants found associated in our previous studies. Genomic DNA of 200 SLE patients was sequenced by whole exome sequencing.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of upadacitinib 15 mg daily in reducing enthesitis in psoriatic arthritis patients, comparing it to placebo and adalimumab through specific clinical trials.
  • Results showed that after 24 weeks, UPA15 significantly improved enthesitis resolution and scores on the Leeds Enthesitis Index and SPARCC index compared to placebo, with lasting benefits observed up to 56 weeks.
  • UPA15 demonstrated early improvements by 12 weeks, with over 90% of initially enthesitis-free patients remaining so, and it effectively prevented recurrence in over 80% of those who had previously experienced enthesitis.
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  • Serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin impact cognition and emotion by altering neural connections involving the amygdala, though the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
  • In a study with 24 healthy volunteers, researchers utilized fMRI to observe how psilocybin affected effective connectivity between the amygdala and key cognitive networks, revealing decreased connectivity in some networks and increased in others.
  • The findings indicate that psilocybin may temporarily disrupt signals in the amygdala, offering insight into how psychedelics could be beneficial for treating mental health disorders by targeting specific brain connectivity changes.
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  • Drug-coated balloons (DCB) show promise for treating de novo lesions in large vessels, but there is limited evidence on their effectiveness compared to drug-eluting stents (DES).
  • A study comparing 147 patients treated with DCB to 701 patients receiving DES found no significant difference in target lesion failure rates after 2 years.
  • After adjusting for patient characteristics, DCB treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of target lesion failure, primarily due to reduced need for revascularization.
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Background:  The pro-thrombotic immature or reticulated platelets (RPs) are known to be elevated in high-risk patients and in different pathological settings. It has been shown that RPs correlate with an insufficient antiplatelet response to antiplatelet agents. RPs are emerging novel predictors of adverse cardiovascular events in cardiovascular disease.

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  • The study is about a type of chemotherapy drug called anthracyclines, which can hurt the heart, and it tests a heart-protecting medicine called nebivolol to see if it can prevent this damage.
  • It involves patients with breast cancer or a specific type of lymphoma who have healthy hearts and are starting treatment with anthracyclines.
  • The trial will compare nebivolol to a placebo (like a fake medicine) over a year to see if it helps protect the heart better than not taking it.
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