Publications by authors named "Vecchio M"

Pineal cysts are benign, nonneoplastic lesions of the pineal gland, often identified incidentally on MRI scans. Although these cysts are usually asymptomatic, they can occasionally enlarge and compress adjacent structures, leading to neurological complications such as obstructive hydrocephalus and Parinaud's syndrome. The underlying mechanisms of pineal cyst development remain largely unclear, although inflammation - common in rheumatological conditions such as fibromyalgia - and mechanical stress have been suggested as contributing factors.

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SERPINA3, a serine protease inhibitor, is strongly associated with neuroinflammation, a typical condition of AD. Its expression is linked to microglial and astrocytic markers, suggesting it plays a significant role in modulating neuroinflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the SERPINA3 expression levels, along with CHI3L1, in various brain regions of AD patients and non-demented healthy controls (NDHC).

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: Dabrafenib and trametinib (D + T) have been approved for the treatment of stage III melanoma with BRAF V600E V600K mutations in an adjuvant setting, based on the results from the COMBI-AD trial. To provide early access to this combination therapy prior to its commercial availability in Italy, a Managed Access Program (MAP) was run in Italy from June 2018 to December 2019. : The MADAM (Maximing ADjuvAnt MAP) study is an Italian retrospective-prospective observational study that included patients who received at least one dose of D + T through the MAP.

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: Mastocytosis (MS) is a rare disease that can involve various organs, including the bone. Given the incidence of the disease in the global population, MS poses a challenge for physicians, and early therapeutic intervention in the initial stages could significantly impact the quality of life of affected patients. : The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of secondary osteoporosis in systemic mastocytosis (SM), focusing on the heterogeneity of its manifestations, the benefits of early diagnosis, and appropriate pharmacological treatment.

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Background: Walking speed, a key element of gait analysis, is essential for evaluating the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system and is typically assessed on flat surfaces, such as walkways or treadmills. While many authors have compared the differences and similarities between treadmill and overground walking, no studies have yet investigated the differences between treadmill gait analysis at self-selected speed (SS) and overground simulated speed (OS). The hypothesis is that accurate kinematic measurements depend on selecting the correct gait speed; however, a mismatch between the perceived comfortable treadmill speed and actual overground speed may affect the accuracy of treadmill gait analyses.

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Article Synopsis
  • Age-related loss of muscle strength and mass, known as sarcopenia, can negatively impact postoperative recovery in older patients, especially those with severe osteoarthritis who need knee surgery.
  • This study reviews existing literature on the effectiveness of prehabilitation and dietary supplementation in improving outcomes for older sarcopenic patients before knee arthroplasty, focusing on interventions that enhance physical function and surgical resilience.
  • Combining exercise training with nutrient supplementation may lead to better functional capacity and reduced surgical complications, highlighting the importance of addressing both sarcopenia and osteoarthritis in this demographic.
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Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting millions of people worldwide, characterized by rapid proliferation of keratinocytes, immune cell infiltration, and systemic inflammation. Over time, treatment strategies have evolved significantly from traditional topical therapies and phototherapy to advanced systemic options such as biologics and, more recently, oral small molecule drugs. This review aims to provide an in-depth examination of current psoriasis therapies, with a focus on biologics, oral small molecules, and new and emerging treatments.

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Background: The impact of the order of treatment with checkpoint inhibitors or BRAF/MEK inhibitors on the development of brain metastases in patients with metastatic unresectable V600-mutant melanoma is unknown. The SECOMBIT trial examined the impact of the order of receipt of these treatments in such patients.

Methods: In this three-arm trial, we reviewed patients without brain metastases who received the BRAF/MEK inhibitors encorafenib and binimetinib until they had progressive disease followed by the immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and nivolumab (arm A); or treatment with ipilimumab and nivolumab until they had progressive disease followed by encorafenib and binimetinib (arm B); or treatment with encorafenib and binimetinib for 8 weeks followed by ipilimumab and nivolumab until they had progressive disease followed by retreatment with encorafenib arm binimetinib (arm C).

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Psoriasis is a persistent, inflammatory condition affecting millions globally, marked by excessive keratinocyte proliferation, immune cell infiltration, and widespread inflammation. Over the years, therapeutic approaches have developed significantly, shifting from conventional topical treatments and phototherapy to more sophisticated systemic interventions such as biologics and, recently, oral small-molecule drugs. This review seeks to present a comprehensive investigation of the existing psoriasis treatment options, focusing on biologic agents, oral small molecules, and emerging treatments.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study reviews the effectiveness of proprioceptive training combined with dual-task exercises on improving gait in individuals with chronic stroke.
  • A systematic search identified 11 relevant articles out of 3075 studies, primarily involving randomized clinical trials, with a total of 393 patients analyzed.
  • The findings indicate that such training significantly enhances various gait parameters, especially when conducted three times a week over four weeks, improving walking speed and overall mobility in stroke survivors.*
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Purpose: In phase III CheckMate 238, adjuvant nivolumab significantly improved recurrence-free survival compared with ipilimumab in patients with resected stage IIIB-C/IV melanoma without a significant difference in overall survival (OS). Here, we investigate progression-free survival (PFS) and OS after postrecurrence systemic therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients 15 years or older with resected stage IIIB-C/IV melanoma were stratified by stage and tumor PD-L1 status and randomly assigned to receive nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, or ipilimumab 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses and then every 12 weeks for 1 year or until disease recurrence, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent.

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Background And Purpose: Assessing appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) mass is crucial for the diagnosis of numerous pathologies related to the decline of muscle mass in old age, such as sarcopenia, malnutrition, or cachexia. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA) radiological technique, which is the gold standard for its assessment, is particularly costly and not routinely used in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to derive computationally simple equations capable of estimating the DEXA-measured ASM at zero cost in older adult populations.

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Self-monitoring (SM) is a widely used intervention to address a myriad of problem behaviors exhibited by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities (e.g., specific learning disability).

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Background: High-flow nasal therapy is widely used in patients with respiratory failure in different clinical settings, but the effect of high-flow nasal therapy on respiratory-swallow coordination is unknown. Understanding this relationship is crucial, considering the necessity for patients to maintain adequate nutrition during daytime high-flow nasal therapy. This scoping review aims to synthesise available data on the effects of high-flow nasal therapy flow rates on swallowing function and the possible risk of aspiration during treatment, focusing on knowledge and evidence gaps.

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Literature on human trafficking suggests the vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and child sexual abuse (CSA) changes by the prevalence of certain risk factors (e.g., runaway), trafficker-used lures (e.

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Background: Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition marked by persistent pain and reduced functionality. Various therapeutic methods have been suggested to alleviate symptoms in individuals with fibromyalgia, yet the impact of diverse rehabilitation strategies remains unclear.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at assessing the efficacy of rehabilitation interventions in improving functioning in fibromyalgia patients.

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Background: Scalp EEG is one of the main tools in the clinical evaluation of epilepsy. In some cases intracranial Interictal Epileptiform Discharges (IEDs) are not visible from the scalp. Recent studies have shown the feasibility of revealing them in the EEG if their timings are extracted from simultaneous intracranial recordings, but their potential for the localization of the epileptogenic zone is not yet well defined.

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Numerous scientific papers have compared different treatment options in the management of myofascial pain syndrome. This study evaluated the efficacy of Extracorporeal ShockWave Treatment (ESWT) and mesotherapy in patients with Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) in terms of improvement in pain, functional capacity, and quality of life. A case-control study was conducted on 54 patients, who were randomized into 2 groups: group A, consisting of 27 patients, who were treated with 5 sessions of focal ESWT on a weekly basis; and group B, consisting of 27 patients, who underwent 5 sessions of mesotherapy with Thiocolchicoside fl 4 mg/2 mL and Mepivacaine fl 10 mg/1 mL on a weekly basis.

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COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that has become a serious threat to public health owing to its rapid spread from aerosols from infected people. Despite being considered a strictly human disease, there are reports in the literature about animals with confirmed presence of the virus. Owing to the scarcity of scientific literature on the potential for infection of animals and their importance for One Health, the objective of this work was to research SARS-CoV-2 RNA in felines (Felis silvestris catus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) domiciled.

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Background: Intracranial EEG data offer a unique spatio-temporal precision to investigate human brain functions. Large datasets have become recently accessible thanks to new iEEG data-sharing practices and tighter collaboration with clinicians. Yet, the complexity of such datasets poses new challenges, especially regarding the visualization and anatomical display of iEEG.

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Objective: Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is physiologically distinct from adult-onset, but it is not clear how the two diseases differ at a molecular level. In utero exposure to maternal type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known to be a specific risk factor for youth-onset T2D. DNA methylation (DNAm) changes associated with T2D but which differ between youth- and adult-onset might delineate the impacts of T2D development at different ages and could also determine the contribution of exposure to in utero diabetes.

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Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) accounts for ∼20%-25% of all skin tumors. Its precise incidence is often challenging to determine due to limited statistics and its incorporation with mucosal forms. While most cases have a favorable prognosis, challenges arise in patients presenting with locally advanced or metastatic forms, mainly appearing in immunocompromised patients, solid organ transplantation recipients, or those facing social difficulties.

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Muscle damage resulting from physical activities such as exercise triggers an immune response crucial for tissue repair and recovery. This study investigates the immune cell profiles in muscle biopsies of individuals engaged in resistance exercise (RE) and explores the impact of age and sex on the immune response following exercise-induced muscle damage. Microarray datasets from muscle biopsies of young and old subjects were analyzed, focusing on the gene expression patterns associated with immune cell activation.

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