A Digital Phenotypic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (DANO): A Pilot Study on Sociability Changes in Patients Undergoing Treatment for Brain Malignancies.

Background: The digital phenotyping tool has great potential for the deep characterization of neurological and quality-of-life assessments in brain tumor patients. Phone communication activities (details on call and text use) can provide insight into the patients' sociability.

Methods: We prospectively collected digital-phenotyping data from six brain tumor patients.

The Cerebral Aqueduct Compliance: A Simple Morphometric Model.

Background And Objectives: This work aimed to identify different configurations of the adytum of the cerebral aqueduct suggesting its safe neuroendoscopic navigation. This concept is intimately connected to the physiological aqueductal dilatability or compliance, which is relatively ignored in the literature. A better knowledge of the extent of physiological aqueductal dilatability might better define the ideal diameter and safer features of dedicated flexible endoscopes.

Optical properties of nanostructured antiviral and anticancer drugs.

We present a computational study on the optical absorption properties of some systems of interest in the field of drug delivery. In particular we considered as drug molecules favipiravir (T705, an antiviral molecule) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU, an anticancer molecule) and, on the other hand, pure fullerenes (C, BN, GaN) and doped fullerenes (CB, CBN) are considered as nanocarriers. Some combined configurations between the drug molecules and the carrier nanostructures have been then studied.

Daily Pain Prediction Using Smartphone Speech Recordings of Patients With Spine Disease.

Background: Pain evaluation remains largely subjective in neurosurgical practice, but machine learning provides the potential for objective pain assessment tools.

Objective: To predict daily pain levels using speech recordings from personal smartphones of a cohort of patients with diagnosed neurological spine disease.

Methods: Patients with spine disease were enrolled through a general neurosurgical clinic with approval from the institutional ethics committee.

Visualization, navigation, augmentation. The ever-changing perspective of the neurosurgeon.

Introduction: The evolution of neurosurgery coincides with the evolution of visualization and navigation. Augmented reality technologies, with their ability to bring digital information into the real environment, have the potential to provide a new, revolutionary perspective to the neurosurgeon.

Research Question: To provide an overview on the historical and technical aspects of visualization and navigation in neurosurgery, and to provide a systematic review on augmented reality (AR) applications in neurosurgery.

Mobile health and neurocognitive domains evaluation through smartphones: A meta-analysis.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) have significantly advanced evaluating neurocognitive functions; but, few reports have documented whether they validate neurocognitive impairments as well as paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests.

Objective: To meta-analyze the correlation between mobile applications for neuropsychological tests and validated paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests for evaluating neurocognitive impairments.

Method: We used PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and IEEE Explorer through January 2020 to identify studies that compared mobile applications for neuropsychological tests vs.

Smartphone GPS signatures of patients undergoing spine surgery correlate with mobility and current gold standard outcome measures.

Objective: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are currently the gold standard to evaluate patient physical performance and ability to recover after spine surgery. However, PROMs have significant limitations due to the qualitative and subjective nature of the information reported as well as the impossibility of using this method in a continuous manner. The smartphone global positioning system (GPS) can be used to provide continuous, quantitative, and objective information on patient mobility.

Efficacy and safety of flexible versus rigid endoscopic third ventriculostomy in pediatric and adult populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a well-established surgical procedure for hydrocephalus treatment, but there is sparse evidence on the optimal choice between flexible and rigid approaches. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare efficacy and safety profiles of both techniques in pediatrics and adults. A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane until 11/10/2019.

Improved outcomes associated with maximal extent of resection for butterfly glioblastoma: insights from institutional and national data.

Background: Butterfly glioblastomas (bGBMs) are grade IV gliomas that infiltrate the corpus callosum and spread to bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Due to the rarity of cases, there is a dearth of information in existing literature. Herein, we evaluate clinical and genetic characteristics, associated predictors, and survival outcomes in an institutional series and compare them to a national cohort.

Over ten years overall survival in glioblastoma: A different disease?

Purpose: The reasons why a specific subset of glioblastoma (GBM) patients survive longer than others is still unclear. This study analyzed a cohort of long-term and very-long-term GBM survivors to determine which genetic alterations or patient's characteristics influence survival time.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of GBM patients treated at our institution over the last 20 years, stratifying patients in three groups: those with a survival time ≥ 36 months and < 120 months (LTS), ≥120 months (VLTS), and < 36 months, respectively.

Post-Treatment Edema after Meningioma Radiosurgery is a Predictable Complication.

Symptomatic post-treatment edema (PTE) causing seizures, focal deficits, and intracranial hypertension is a rather common complication of meningioma radiosurgery. Factors associated to the occurrence of PTE still needs to be clarified. We retrospectively analyzed our patients' data to identify factors associated with the development of symptomatic PTE.

[Morphologic evaluation of adhesive/resin cement system and fiber post: a sem investigation].

Aim: The purpose of the present paper is to carry out an SEM investigation into the adhesive cementation of quartz fibre posts in canals treated with endodontic cements containing or not containing eugenol.

Methods: Sixteen selected tooth roots were subdivided into 4 groups and prepared with the step-back technique. Group A, without canal filling and with a cemented post, was the control group; in groups B and C, the canals were closed with guttapercha, endomethasone C and eugenol, those of group D with guttapercha and AH Plus without eugenol.

[Separation and quantification of glycosaminoglycans using HPLC].

Biochemical studies of proteoglycans (PGs) involve the characterization of their polysaccharide chains. In fact, PGs display a considerable heterogeneity with respect to type and size of the saccharide chains, to the ratio of iduronic to glucuronic acid and to the degree of sulphation. Several HPLC methods have been described for separation and identification of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which usually employ molecular sieving and disaccharide analysis, after specific enzyme digestion of GAGs.

[Characterization of plasma glycosaminoglycans in hemodialysis patients].

Glycosaminoglycans are heteropolysaccharides composed of disaccharide repeating subunits, each one containing a uronic acid component (glucuronic or iduronic acid) and a hexosamine (N-acetyl-glucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine, which may be differently sulphated). The presence of GAGs in human plasma has been demonstrated in several studies; they are bound to plasma proteins through non-covalent linkages. However, very little is known about either their origin or their physiological role.

[Study of the interaction between plasma proteoglycans and LDL by means of fluorescence spectroscopy].

The relevance of the interaction between LDL and PGs in the development of atherosclerotic processes is well known. However, the exact nature of the interaction and the consequent structural and/or conformational modifications of the lipoprotein remain to be clarified. It has been demonstrated that after this interaction the LDL particle is not recognized by specific cellular receptors and enters the scavenger pathway operating in different cell types.