Right ventricular phenotyping in incident patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) imaging has not a definite role in risk stratification of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. We tested the hypothesis that echocardiography-derived phenotypes, depicting different degrees of RV remodeling and dysfunction, may provide additional prognostic information to current risk stratification tools.

Methods: Consecutive incident PAH patients aged ≥18 years, diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2021, underwent clinical assessment, right heart catheterization, standard echocardiography.

Correction: Mucci et al. WORKbiota: A Systematic Review about the Effects of Occupational Exposure on Microbiota and Workers' Health. 2022, , 1043.

Eleonora Tommasi was not included as an author in the original publication [...

Diatom biosilica in plasmonics: applications in sensing, diagnostics and therapeutics [Invited].

Several living organisms are able to synthesize complex nanostructures provided with peculiar physical and chemical properties by means of finely-tuned, genetically controlled biomineralization processes. Frustules, in particular, are micro- and nano-structured silica shells produced by ubiquitous diatom microalgae, whose optical properties have been recently exploited in photonics, solar energy harvesting, and biosensing. Metallization of diatom biosilica, both in the shape of intact frustules or diatomite particles, can trigger plasmonic effects that in turn can find application in high-sensitive detection platforms, allowing to obtain effective nanosensors at low cost and on a large scale.

[Pulmonary hypertension: pre- or post-capillary? The role of provocative tests in the cath lab].

The discrimination between heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) requires a multiparametric approach, eventually culminating in right heart catheterization. Solving this differential diagnosis is crucial in order to properly tailor patient treatment, with relevant clinical implications. However, it is not uncommon to be confronted with patients at intermediate or high risk of having HFpEF whose pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) falls in a grey zone in between 13 and 15 mmHg.

Type 1 diabetes is associated with significant changes of ACE and ACE2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Background And Aims: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which is a key mediator of cardiovascular homeostasis, has two main axes. The classic one, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and Angiotensin (Ang) II, promoting vasoconstriction, and the "alternative" one, including ACE2 and Ang1-7, with opposed actions to AngII. ACE2 has been identified as the main receptor of SARS-CoV2, whereby it enters the cells, leading to the downregulation of surface ACE2 and RAS tissue unbalance.

WORKbiota: A Systematic Review about the Effects of Occupational Exposure on Microbiota and Workers' Health.

The characterization of human microbiota and the impact of its modifications on the health of individuals represent a current topic of great interest for the world scientific community. Scientific evidence is emerging regarding the role that microbiota has in the onset of important chronic illnesses. Since individuals spend most of their life at work, occupational exposures may have an impact on the organism's microbiota.

Underwater Light Manipulation by the Benthic Diatom : From PAR Efficient Collection to UVR Screening.

Several species of diatoms, unicellular microalgae which constitute the main component of phytoplankton, are characterized by an impressive photosynthetic efficiency while presenting a noticeable tolerance versus exposure to detrimental UV radiation (UVR). In particular, the growth rate of the araphid diatom is not significantly affected by harsh treatments with UVR, even in absence of detectable, specific UV-absorbing pigments and even if it is not able to avoid high UV exposure by motility. In this work we applied a multi-disciplinary approach involving numerical computation, photonics, and biological parameters in order to investigate the possible role of the frustule, micro- and nano-patterned silica shell which encloses the cell, in the ability of to efficiently collect photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and to simultaneously screen the protoplasm from UVR.

Acute toxicity of decarbamoyl gonyautoxin 1&4 to mice by various routes of administration.

Saxitoxin and its derivatives, the paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), are well known to be toxic to humans, and maximum permitted levels in seafood have been established by regulatory authorities in many countries. Monitoring of PSTs is typically performed using chemical methods which quantify the concentration of the individual PST analogues, of which there are many. However, since the toxicities of analogues are different, they do not equally contribute to the overall toxicity of the sample.

Elderly patients with cancer admitted to intensive care unit: A multicenter study in a middle-income country.

Background: Very elderly critically ill patients (ie, those older than 75 or 80 years) are an increasing population in intensive care units. However, patients with cancer have encompassed only a minority in epidemiological studies of very old critically-ill patients. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and identify factors associated with hospital mortality in a cohort of patients aged 80 or older with cancer admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).

[Proposal for a standardized discharge letter after hospital stay for acute pulmonary embolism].

Pulmonary embolism represents the third leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in developed countries. It requires, in most cases, hospital treatment and always a structured follow-up program. Therefore, at the time of discharge, the communication and the transfer of information from the specialist to the general practitioner, through the discharge letter, represents a crucial opportunity.

[ANMCO Position paper: Pulmonary circulation diseases and COVID-19].

The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is causing hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, is complex and can present with a multi-organ localization. One of its worst complications is an interstitial pneumonia with acute respiratory failure also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which requires non-invasive or invasive ventilation. A severe coagulopathy with poor prognosis is found in 5-10% of cases.

Wolf-like or dog-like? A comparison of gazing behaviour across three dog breeds tested in their familiar environments.

Human-directed gazing, a keystone in dog-human communication, has been suggested to derive from both domestication and breed selection. The influence of genetic similarity to wolves and selective pressures on human-directed gazing is still under debate. Here, we used the 'unsolvable task' to compare Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs (CWDs, a close-to-wolf breed), German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) and Labrador Retrievers (LRs).

UV-shielding and wavelength conversion by centric diatom nanopatterned frustules.

Diatoms can represent the major component of phytoplankton and contribute massively to global primary production in the oceans. Over tens of millions of years they developed an intricate porous silica shell, the frustule, which ensures mechanical protection, sorting of nutrients from harmful agents, and optimization of light harvesting. Several groups of microalgae evolved different strategies of protection towards ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is harmful for all living organisms mainly through the formation of dimeric photoproducts between adjacent pyrimidines in DNA.

Bioderived Three-Dimensional Hierarchical Nanostructures as Efficient Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates for Cell Membrane Probing.

In this work, we propose the use of complex, bioderived nanostructures as efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for chemical analysis of cellular membranes. These structures were directly obtained from a suitable gold metalization of the Pseudonitzchia multistriata diatom silica shell (the so called frustule), whose grating-like geometry provides large light coupling with external radiation, whereas its extruded, subwavelength lateral edge provides an excellent interaction with cells without steric hindrance. We carried out numerical simulations and experimental characterizations of the supported plasmonic resonances and optical near-field amplification.

Diatom Frustule Morphogenesis and Function: a Multidisciplinary Survey.

Diatoms represent the major component of phytoplankton and are responsible for about 20-25% of global primary production. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution led to tens of thousands of species differing in dimensions and morphologies. In particular, diatom porous silica cell walls, the frustules, are characterized by an extraordinary, species-specific diversity.

Encoding complex valued fields using intensity.

We present an approach enabling the representation of complex values using intensity only fields. The method can be used for imaging with structured illumination and allows the study of new propagating physical quantities with the classical coherent or incoherent light field playing the role of hidden variable. This approach can further be generalized to encode higher order N-dimensional vectors and ensembles of N orthogonal fields.

Diatom Valve Three-Dimensional Representation: A New Imaging Method Based on Combined Microscopies.

The frustule of diatoms, unicellular microalgae, shows very interesting photonic features, generally related to its complicated and quasi-periodic micro- and nano-structure. In order to simulate light propagation inside and through this natural structure, it is important to develop three-dimensional (3D) models for synthetic replica with high spatial resolution. In this paper, we present a new method that generates images of microscopic diatoms with high definition, by merging scanning electron microscopy and digital holography microscopy or atomic force microscopy data.

Deletion of proton-sensing receptor GPR4 associates with lower blood pressure and lower binding of angiotensin II receptor in SFO.

Diets rich in grains and meat and low in fruits and vegetables (acid-producing diets) associate with incident hypertension, whereas vegetarian diets associate with lower blood pressure (BP). However, the pathways that sense and mediate the effects of acid-producing diets on BP are unknown. Here, we examined the impact of the deletion of an acid sensor GPR4 on BP.

Biologically enabled sub-diffractive focusing.

Evolution shows that photonic structures are a constituent part of many animals and flora. These elements produce structural color and are useful in predator-prey interactions between animals and in the exploitation of light for photosynthetic organisms. In particular, diatoms have evolved patterned hydrated silica external valves able to confine light with extraordinary efficiency.

Optical properties of diatom nanostructured biosilica in Arachnoidiscus sp: micro-optics from mother nature.

Some natural structures show three-dimensional morphologies on the micro- and nano-scale, characterized by levels of symmetry and complexity well far beyond those fabricated by best technologies available. This is the case of diatoms, unicellular microalgae, whose protoplasm is enclosed in a nanoporous microshell, made of hydrogenated amorphous silica, called frustule. We have studied the optical properties of Arachnoidiscus sp.

Cooling techniques in mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest.

: Therapeutic hypothermia has been shown to reduce brain damage due to postcardiac arrest syndrome. Actually, there is no agreement on which is the best device to perform therapeutic hypothermia. The 'ideal' device should not only 'cool' patient until 33-34°C as fast as possible, but also maintain the target temperature and reverse the therapeutic hypothermia.

Cardiovascular effects of mild hypothermia in post-cardiac arrest patients by beat-to-beat monitoring. A single centre pilot study.

Background: Data on the hemodynamic and cardiovascular effects of hypothermia in patients with cardiac arrest are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes induced by hypothermia by means of Most Care(®) (pressure recording analytical method, PRAM methodology), a beat-to-beat hemodynamic monitoring method.

Methods: We enrolled 20 patients with cardiac arrest (CA) consecutively admitted to our intensive cardiac care unit and treated with mild hypothermia (TH).

Dynamic behaviour of lactate values during mild hypothermia in patients with cardiac arrest.

Background And Methods: The present investigation was aimed at assessing the dynamic behaviour of lactate values during hypothermia in 33 patients with cardiac arrest.

Results: Fifteen patients died during intensive care stay (15/33, 45.5%).