Gastrointestinal Dysfunction Bears on the Clinical-Biological Profile of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Gastrointestinal dysfunction (GID) accompanies any phase of Parkinson's disease (PD), underlying differential clinical-pathological trajectories.

Objective: To investigate associations between GID and peripheral immune or neurodegeneration-related markers in PD.

Methods: One-hundred-and-fourteen patients (n = 55 de novo, DN; n = 59 middle-advanced, MA) completed the Gastrointestinal Dysfunction Scale for PD (GIDS-PD), and other motor and non-motor scales; paired measurement of amyloid-β42, amyloid-β42β/β40, total-tau, phosphorylated-181-tau, total α-synuclein CSF levels, albumin ratio, and peripheral blood cell count were collected.

Clinical trial eligibility in PSP: Population representativeness and potential criteria adjustment based on PSP-NET findings.

Background: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare, heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease for which no treatment is currently available. In the context of clinical trials, the representativeness of the included patients is crucial for the generalizability of the results. Herein, we present results from a multicenter perspective study to identify the most restrictive criteria for patient selection and to assess the representativeness of eligible patients.

Sex hormones shape EEG-based functional connectivity in early-stage Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) epidemiology and clinical features are sexually dimorphic. However, there are no data based on EEG functional connectivity (FC). Likewise, the contribution of sex hormones on brain FC has never been evaluated.

Cortical Functional Connectivity Changes in the Body-First and Brain-First Subtypes of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) may precede motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) by years. According to a recent hypothesis, premotor RBD (pRBD) is a marker of the PD body-first subtype, where synucleinopathy originates from the peripheral autonomic nervous system. Conversely, in the brain-first subtype, pathology would arise in the brain.

Psychometric properties and clinical correlates of the Frontal Behaviour Inventory in progressive supranuclear palsy: data from the PSP-NET.

Objectives: Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as apathy, disinhibition and irritability, are common in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). The Frontal Behaviour Inventory (FBI) is a useful instrument for the evaluation of behavioural disorders in neurodegenerative diseases. The main goal of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of the FBI in PSP.

Artificial intelligence contouring in radiotherapy for organs-at-risk and lymph node areas.

Introduction: The delineation of organs-at-risk and lymph node areas is a crucial step in radiotherapy, but it is time-consuming and associated with substantial user-dependent variability in contouring. Artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be the solution to facilitate and standardize this work. The objective of this study is to compare eight available AI software programs in terms of technical aspects and accuracy for contouring organs-at-risk and lymph node areas with current international contouring recommendations.

A criterion for sequential Cohen-Macaulayness.

The purpose of this note is to show that a finitely generated graded module over , a field, is sequentially Cohen-Macaulay if and only if its arithmetic degree agrees with , where is a graded free -module and . This answers positively a conjecture of Lu and Yu from 2016.

LC-OCT for early diagnosis and characterization of dermatologic adverse events to oncologic drugs and correlation to histopathology.

Background: Targeted and immune therapies have recently been associated with the occurrence of multiple cutaneous toxicities, often challenging to differentiate by clinical examination alone without histology. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a non-invasive and innovative imaging technique that has been shown to be almost as effective as histology in diagnosing several skin conditions. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of LC-OCT in predicting the clinical evolution of early maculopapular eruptions related to antineoplastic targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Parental and peer influence on STEM career persistence: From higher education to first job.

This article investigates social influences that drive gender-specific differences in the degree of persistence individuals exhibit in regard to pursuing science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM), both as a field of study and as an occupation. It covers individuals' careers from entry into higher education to entry into the labor market. Following a life course perspective, I ask the following questions: (1) How stable are preferences regarding STEM subjects and occupations throughout young adulthood? (2) Are significant social ties, such as relations with friends and family members, factors that affect individuals' persistence in pursuing a STEM career throughout higher education and at entry into the labor market? Based on longitudinal data from the student cohort of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), Starting Cohort 5 (SC5), I find that mothers who have a STEM occupation encourage their daughters to choose a STEM career when the latter enter higher education, but they do not encourage them to graduate in a STEM field or to choose a STEM occupation when they enter the labor market.

Skin Imaging of Juvenile Xanthogranuloma: In Vivo Diagnosis by Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography.

A 15-year-old boy presented with a yellowish, asymptomatic nodule on the left forearm, which developed in the last year. A diagnosis of juvenile xanthogranuloma was confirmed with histopathology. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT), a new skin imaging technique, was performed prior to surgery, showing a strong correspondence with histopathological sections.

In Vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Applied to Acral Melanocytic Lesions: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

: Acral melanocytic lesions often pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for many clinicians. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is an imaging technique widely used for the assessment of skin cancers. The aim of this review is to explore the applicability of RCM for the diagnosis of nevi and melanoma on the acral sites.

Immunometabolic Signature and Tauopathy Markers in Blood Cells of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Background: Peripheral immune cells critically contribute to the clinical-pathological progression of neurodegenerative diseases and also represent a reliable frame for translational applications. However, data on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are almost scarce in this regard.

Objective: Our goal is to provide a broad biological characterization of peripheral immune cells in a selected PSP cohort.

Impact of Sprouted Chickpea Grits and Flour on Dough Rheology and Bread Features.

This study investigated the effects of incorporating sprouted chickpeas, at a 25% enrichment level, into bread production as either grits (90% of particles ≥500 µm) or flour (90% of particles ≤250 µm). The focus was to investigate the role of particle size on dough and bread. In addition to the functional, mixing and pasting properties of ingredients, gluten aggregation, mixing, extensional, leavening, and pasting properties of the blends were assessed during bread-making, as well as bread volume and texture.

HEMATOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY REFERENCE INTERVALS FOR FREE-LIVING ADULT LESSER KESTRELS () IN SOUTHERN ITALY.

The lesser kestrel () is a small falcon with a Euro-Central and Asian-Mediterranean range wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. In the second half of the 20th century, the European population experienced a steep decline and was classified as at risk; thus, its biological and ecological aspects have been widely investigated. Nonetheless, data on hematology and plasma chemistry are not yet available.

Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography: A New Skin Imaging Technique Reproducing a "Virtual Biopsy" with Evolving Clinical Applications in Dermatology.

Background: Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography is a novel technology able to reproduce a "virtual biopsy" of the skin. The aim of this review is to explore the application of line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) in various skin diseases, covering skin cancers, inflammatory and infectious skin diseases, genetic diseases, cosmetic procedures, and less common disorders.

Methods: Study selection was conducted based on LC-OCT and using pertinent MeSh terms, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines from inception to March 2024; to evaluate the quality and risk of bias of studies, Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used.

Histological features of immune cell infiltrate in lesional skin correlate with therapeutic response to dupilumab.

Over the past decade, dupilumab, a monoclonal human antibody that inhibits interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signalling, has revolutionized the therapeutic management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), facilitating long-term control of its signs and symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify histological predictors of the efficacy of dupilumab after 16 weeks of treatment in a cohort of 40 adults with moderate-to-severe AD who had undergone a skin biopsy for diagnostic purposes before treatment initiation. We found that Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) 75 and EASI 90 responses at week 16 were significantly associated with perivascular localization [odds ratio (OR) 17.