Green solid lipid nanoparticles by coacervation of fatty acids: An innovative cosmetic ingredient for the delivery of anti-age compounds through the skin.

The constant exposure of the skin to internal and external stimuli drives towards skin aging and lost in skin hydration and elasticity. Chronic low-grade inflammation, called inflammaging, and oxidative stress are the leading causes of this phenomenon. Fatty acid coacervation is a preparation method for Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs), which does not employ solvents, and is associated to low energy consumption.

A new epidemic wave of Bordetella pertussis in paediatric population: impact and role of co-infections in pertussis disease.

Background: In recent months, Bordetella pertussis has reappeared after maintaining a low rate for many years. Although pertussis is usually characterized by a favorable course, several factors can contribute to the severity of the disease, such as mixed respiratory infections. In this study, we evaluate B.

Feasibility of In-Hospital Administration of a Tool to Predict Persistent Post-ICU Functional Impairment Among Older ICU Survivors: A Pilot Study.

Background: A recent international consensus conference called for the development of risk prediction models to identify ICU survivors at increased risk of each of the post-ICU syndrome domains. We previously developed and validated a risk prediction tool for functional impairment after ICU admission among older adults.

Research Question: In this pilot study, we assessed the feasibility of administering the risk prediction tool in the hospital to older adults who had just survived critical illness.

Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Acute Bronchiolitis Respiratory Failure in a Pediatric Ward: Is It a Replicable Experience?

(1) Background: Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (H-CPAP) has primarily been used in intensive care settings to treat moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis in infants. We aim to report on the feasibility of H-CPAP for selected infants with bronchiolitis in a pediatric ward. (2) Methods: A retrospective, observational, consecutive case series was studied of 26 patients who received H-CPAP on the pediatric ward from October 2022 to February 2023, including a description of patient outcomes and costs.

Pancreatic Stone Protein in the Diagnosis of Sepsis in Children Admitted to High-Dependency Care: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Blood level of pancreatic stone protein (PSP) is a promising biomarker of sepsis both in adults and children. The aim of our study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of PSP in children with suspected sepsis and to compare diagnostic performance with other sepsis biomarkers approved for clinical use, that is, procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Design: Prospective study.

Presence and Significance of Multiple Respiratory Viral Infections in Children Admitted to a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Italy.

Viral co-infections are frequently observed among children, but whether specific viral interactions enhance or diminish the severity of respiratory disease is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the type of viral mono- and co-infections by also evaluating viral correlations in 3525 respiratory samples from 3525 pediatric in/outpatients screened by the Allplex Respiratory Panel Assays and with a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-COronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test available. Overall, viral co-infections were detected in 37.

Advanced Home-Based Shoulder Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of Remote Monitoring Devices and Their Therapeutic Efficacy.

Shoulder pain represents the most frequently reported musculoskeletal disorder, often leading to significant functional impairment and pain, impacting quality of life. Home-based rehabilitation programs offer a more accessible and convenient solution for an effective shoulder disorder treatment, addressing logistical and financial constraints associated with traditional physiotherapy. The aim of this systematic review is to report the monitoring devices currently proposed and tested for shoulder rehabilitation in home settings.

Long-term outcomes after treatment of delirium during critical illness with antipsychotics (MIND-USA): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: Delirium is common during critical illness and is associated with long-term cognitive impairment and disability. Antipsychotics are frequently used to treat delirium, but their effects on long-term outcomes are unknown. We aimed to investigate the effects of antipsychotic treatment of delirious, critically ill patients on long-term cognitive, functional, psychological, and quality-of-life outcomes.

Macroscopic Biaxial Order in Multilayer Films of Bent-Core Liquid Crystals Deposited by Combined Langmuir-Blodgett/Langmuir-Schaefer Technique.

Bent-core liquid crystals, a class of mesogenic compounds with non-linear molecular structures, are well known for their unconventional mesophases, characterized by complex molecular (and supramolecular) ordering and often featuring biaxial and polar properties. In the nematic phase, their unique behavior is manifested in the formation of nano-sized biaxial clusters of layered molecules (cybotactic groups). While this prompted their consideration in the quest for nematic biaxiality, experimental evidence indicates that the cybotactic order is only short-ranged and that the nematic phase is macroscopically uniaxial.

Acute Pupillary Disorders in Children: A 10-Year Retrospective Study of 101 Patients.

Background: To date, no study has specifically examined children with acute-onset pupillary motility disorders (APMD). Especially in the Emergency Department (ED), it is crucial to distinguish benign and transient conditions from life-threatening or urgent conditions (UCs). The aim of the study is to describe the clinical characteristics of children with APMD and their association with an increased risk of UCs.

The influence of mannose-based esters on the mesophase behaviour of lyotropic liquid crystalline nanosystems as drug delivery vectors.

Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles represent an emerging class of smart, biocompatible, and biodegradable systems for the delivery of drugs. Among these, structures with complex 3D architectures such as cubosomes are of particular interest. These are non- lamellar assemblies having hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions able to carry drugs of different nature.

Accuracy of Pancreatic Stone Protein for diagnosis of sepsis in children admitted to pediatric intensive care or high-dependency care: a pilot study.

Background: Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) is one of the most promising diagnostic and prognostic markers. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of PSP, compared to C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and Procalcitonin (PCT) for sepsis diagnosis in pediatric patients. Furthermore, we explored the correlation of PSP levels with sepsis severity and organ failure measured with PELOD-2 score.

Trends in use of antipsychotics and psychoactive drugs in older patients after major surgery.

Background: Professional society guidelines recommend limiting the use of antipsychotics in older patients with postoperative delirium. How these recommendations affected the use of antipsychotics and other psychoactive drugs in the postoperative period has not been studied.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients 65 years or older without psychiatric diagnoses who underwent major surgery in community hospitals (CHs) and academic medical centers (AMCs) in the United States.

Comparative Safety Analysis of Oral Antipsychotics for In-Hospital Adverse Clinical Events in Older Adults After Major Surgery : A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Antipsychotics are commonly used to manage postoperative delirium. Recent studies reported that haloperidol use has declined, and atypical antipsychotic use has increased over time.

Objective: To compare the risk for in-hospital adverse events associated with oral haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone in older patients after major surgery.

Resource-aware construct design in mammalian cells.

Resource competition can be the cause of unintended coupling between co-expressed genetic constructs. Here we report the quantification of the resource load imposed by different mammalian genetic components and identify construct designs with increased performance and reduced resource footprint. We use these to generate improved synthetic circuits and optimise the co-expression of transfected cassettes, shedding light on how this can be useful for bioproduction and biotherapeutic applications.

Drug self-poisoning in adolescents: A report of 267 cases.

Introduction: The current study aims at describing a sample of adolescents admitted to a tertiary referral pediatric hospital for drug self-poisoning and to identify variables that could explain and predict a higher severity of intoxication.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of drug self-poisoning in adolescents admitted to the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital between January 2014 and June 2022 requiring consultation by the local Pediatric Poison Control Center (PPCC). We reported the type and class of drug ingested and correlated the clinical characteristics of the patients with their Poison Severity Score.

A Tool to Assess Competence in Critical Care Ultrasound Based on Entrustable Professional Activities.

Background: Existing assessment tools for competence in critical care ultrasound (CCUS) have limited scope and interrupt clinical workflow. The framework of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) is well suited to developing an assessment tool that is comprehensive and readily integrated into the intensive care unit (ICU) training environment.

Objective: This study sought to design an EPA-based tool to assess competence in CCUS for pulmonary and critical care fellows and to assess the validity and reliability of the tool.

Overexpression of the C4 protein of tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus increases tomato resistance to powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most important diseases of greenhouse and field-grown tomatoes. Viruses can intervene beneficially on plant performance in coping with biotic and abiotic stresses. Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) has been reported recently to induce tolerance against drought stress in tomato, and its C4 protein acts as the main causal factor of tolerance.

Symptom Assessment for Mechanically Ventilated Patients: Principles and Priorities: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Mechanically ventilated patients experience many adverse symptoms, such as anxiety, thirst, and dyspnea. However, these common symptoms are not included in practice guideline recommendations for routine assessment of mechanically ventilated patients. An American Thoracic Society-sponsored workshop with researchers and clinicians with expertise in critical care and symptom management was convened for a discussion of symptom assessment in mechanically ventilated patients.

Investigation on Modulation-Based Straightness Measurement.

The concept of a novel non-contacting technique for measuring straightness and its practical realization in a mechanical device are presented in this article. The device, called InPlanT, is based on the acquisition of the luminous signal retroreflected by a spherical glass target and impinged on a photodiode after mechanical modulation. The received signal is reduced to the sought straightness profile using dedicated software.