Three-Dimensional Posture Analysis-Based Modifications After Manual Therapy: A Preliminary Study.

Manual therapies like Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) and Gentle Touch Intervention (GTI) are widely employed for improving posture and spinal alignment, but their effects as measured using advanced technologies remain underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the short-term postural effects of these interventions using a non-invasive three-dimensional rasterstereography-based approach, focusing on the cervical arrow, lumbar arrow, kyphotic angle, and lordotic angle parameters. A three-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted with 165 healthy participants.

MicroRNAs Expression Profile in MN1-Altered Astroblastoma.

Background/objectives: Astroblastoma is a rare glial neoplasm more frequent in young female patients, with unclear clinical behaviors and outcomes. The diagnostic molecular alteration is a rearrangement of the Meningioma 1 () gene. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important gene expression regulators with strong implications in biological processes.

The Invisibility of the Multiply Stigmatized Patient: Intersections of Ethnic Prejudice and Stigma of Chronic Disease in Medical Students.

Ethnic prejudice in healthcare has been widely examined, yet little is known about its intersection with stigma and prejudice based on one's health status. The present study investigates the intersections of ethnic prejudice and stigma of chronic disease in a healthcare setting as shaping unique forms of disadvantage. From an intersectional perspective, we examined whether ethnically diverse patients affected by stigmatized health conditions would be differentially perceived and cared for by prospective medical doctors.

Revisiting Diagnostic Criteria for Bilateral Vestibulopathy: A New Comprehensive Instrumental Model.

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is a disabling condition characterized by a deficit in vestibular function on both sides. Current diagnostic criteria consider instrumental data only from horizontal canals, excluding vertical canals and otolithic function, with the possibility of not including some variants of BVP. This study aims to evaluate vestibular functions in people with chronic vestibular syndrome through a comprehensive battery of tests.

Quantifying Treatments as Usual and with Technologies in Neurorehabilitation of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.

Several technologies have been introduced into neurorehabilitation programs to enhance traditional treatment of individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Their effectiveness has been widely investigated, but their adoption has not been properly quantified. The aim of this study is to assess the distribution of conventional (Treatment As Usual-TAU) and technology-aided (Treatment With Technologies-TWT) treatments conveniently grouped based on different therapeutic goals in a selected SCI unit.

Emergency laparotomy and endoscopic gastrostomy in patients on extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

Introduction: An infrequent yet known complication of ECMO is abdominal compartment syndrome requiring emergency laparotomy. Also, the need for prolonged enteral nutrition while on ECMO may require endoscopic gastrostomy to maintain adequate nutritional status. Here we describe our experience with emergency laparotomy and endoscopic gastrostomy in patients on ECMO support.

The glucocorticoid receptor elicited proliferative response in human erythropoiesis is BCL11A-dependent.

Prior evidence indicates that the erythroid cellular response to glucocorticoids (GC) has developmental specificity, namely, that developmentally more advanced cells that are undergoing or have undergone fetal to adult globin switching are more responsive to GC-induced expansion. To investigate the molecular underpinnings of this, we focused on the major developmental globin regulator BCL11A. We compared: (1) levels of expression and nuclear content of BCL11A in adult erythroid cells upon GC stimulation; (2) response to GC of CD34+ cells from patients with BCL11A microdeletions and reduced BCL11A expression, and; (3) response to GC of 2 cellular models (HUDEP-2 and adult CD34+ cells) before and after reduction of BCL11A expression by shRNA.

The influence of finishing line and luting material selection on the seating accuracy of CAD/CAM indirect composite restorations.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the seating accuracy of resin composite CAD/CAM overlay restorations, employing various preparation designs and luting materials (pre-heated composite (HC) or resin cement (RC)).

Methods: A human molar's STL file was utilized to create 100 3D-printed resin tooth replicas, randomly distributed into 5 groups (n = 20) based on finishing line preparation designs: 1) Rounded shoulder above the dental equator - DE (SA); 2) Chamfer above the DE (CA); 3) Butt joint above the DE (BJ); 4) Rounded shoulder below the DE (SB); 5) Chamfer below the DE (CB). Digital impressions were acquired for all replicas, and restorations milled using Tetric CAD (Ivoclar Vivadent).

Comparative accuracy of ChatGPT-4, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini in the Italian entrance test for healthcare sciences degrees: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are emerging educational tools for students in healthcare science. However, assessing their accuracy is essential prior to adoption in educational settings. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of predicting the correct answers from three AI chatbots (ChatGPT-4, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini) in the Italian entrance standardized examination test of healthcare science degrees (CINECA test).

Signatures and Discriminative Abilities of Multi-Omics between States of Cognitive Decline.

Dementia poses a substantial global health challenge, warranting an exploration of its intricate pathophysiological mechanisms and potential intervention targets. Leveraging multi-omic technology, this study utilizes data from 2251 participants to construct classification models using lipidomic, gut metabolomic, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic markers to distinguish between the states of cognitive decline, namely, the cognitively unimpaired state, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. The analysis identifies three CSF proteins (apolipoprotein E, neuronal pentraxin-2, and fatty-acid-binding protein), four lipids (DEDE.

Physical therapy in addition to occlusal splint in myogenic temporomandibular disorders: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Myogenic temporomandibular disorders (M-TMD) commonly involve occlusal splint (OS) therapy and musculoskeletal physiotherapy (MPT).

Objectives: To compare the effects of combining OS with MPT and education (EG) against OS and education (CG), in chronic M-TMD patients.

Methods: In this double-blind randomised controlled trial, 62 participants were assigned to either EG or CG.

Anxiety and depression in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease: relation with socio-demographic features and liver disease severity.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression traits in Italian patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and the possible relation with the severity of liver disease.

Methods: Demographic, anthropometric, clinical and laboratory parameters were collected in patients referred to a metabolic unit for a comprehensive evaluation of possible liver disease. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were evaluated by surrogate biomarkers.

Dynamic Stability, Symmetry, and Smoothness of Gait in People with Neurological Health Conditions.

Neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson's disease (PD), and severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) are leading global causes of disability and mortality. This study aimed to assess the ability to walk of patients with sTBI, stroke, and PD, identifying the differences in dynamic postural stability, symmetry, and smoothness during various dynamic motor tasks. Sixty people with neurological disorders and 20 healthy participants were recruited.

Immersive Virtual Reality for Treatment of Unilateral Spatial Neglect via Eye-Tracking Biofeedback: RCT Protocol and Usability Testing.

About one-third of stroke survivors present unilateral spatial neglect (USN) that negatively impacts the rehabilitation outcome. We reported the study protocol and usability results of an eye-tracking (ET) biofeedback immersive virtual reality (iVR) protocol. Healthy controls and stroke patients with and without USN underwent a single session of the three iVR tasks.

Management of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) under enzyme replacement therapy: An Italian model (expert opinion).

Objective: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder necessitating lifelong management to prevent severe neurological impairments. This paper synthesises clinical practices from Italian specialist centres to delineate a unified approach for administering pegvaliase, a novel enzyme replacement therapy for PKU.

Methods: Virtual meetings convened in September 2022, gathering a steering committee (SC) of experts from five Italian centres specialising in PKU.

Multi-Modal versus Uni-Modal Treatment for the Recovery of Lower Limb Motor Function in Patients after Stroke: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the multimodal treatment based on both resistance and endurance training for the recovery of lower limb function in post-stroke patients is more effective than unimodal treatment. Six electronic databases were searched. The included articles were firstly analysed for methodological quality and then quantitatively analysed for the following outcomes: endurance, knee-extensor muscle strength, gait speed, and aerobic capacity.

Sexual Disability in Low Back Pain: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Framework for Physical Therapists.

Background: The literature shows a relationship between sexual activity and low back pain (LBP). The aim of this work is to provide a theoretical framework and practical proposal for the management of sexual disability in individuals with LBP.

Methods: Based on a literature review, a team of specialized physical therapists developed a pattern for the management of LBP-related sexual disability.

Cortico-cortical stimulation and robot-assisted therapy (CCS and RAT) for upper limb recovery after stroke: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Since birth, during the exploration of the environment to interact with objects, we exploit both the motor and sensory components of the upper limb (UL). This ability to integrate sensory and motor information is often compromised following a stroke. However, to date, rehabilitation protocols are focused primarily on recovery of motor function through physical therapies.

Risk of binge eating disorder in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Purpose: Very few data exist on the association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and eating disorders. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of binge eating disorder (BED), in MASLD subjects.

Methods: Demographic, clinical investigation, anthropometric measurements and laboratory were collected in 129 patients with MASLD (34.

Liraglutide 3.0 mg and mental health: can psychiatric symptoms be associated to adherence to therapy? Insights from a clinical audit.

Introduction: Liraglutide 3.0 mg, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, is a medication approved for obesity treatment. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and binge eating, and their impact on therapy adherence.