661 results match your criteria: "Aldo Moro University of Bari[Affiliation]"

Background: Resilience is a crucial component of successful aging. However, which interventions might increase resilience in older adults is yet unclear.

Aims: This study aims to assess the feasibility and the physical and psychological effects of a technology-based multicomponent dance movement intervention that includes physical, cognitive, and sensory activation in older people living in community-dwelling and nursing home.

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  • Recent research indicates that the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) is a better marker for insulin resistance than traditional methods, showing a notable relationship with mortality risk in non-Asian populations.
  • In a study with 16,649 participants over a median follow-up of 144 months, high TyG levels were linked to increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
  • The combination of high TyG and serum uric acid levels further amplified mortality risk, highlighting the importance of monitoring both indicators for better health outcomes.
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Thyroid disease and cervical dystonia.

Parkinsonism Relat Disord

September 2024

Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. Electronic address:

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated research and development in vaccines, increasing resources and innovation while revising regulatory processes to boost production and distribution capacities.
  • This narrative review outlines the effects of COVID-19 on vaccine research, presenting a comparison of various vaccine technologies and highlighting their pros and cons.
  • With nearly 1,000 vaccine candidates current as of 2023, the review emphasizes future challenges and opportunities in immunization strategies, as public funding has largely backed COVID-19 vaccine development but is expected to decrease post-pandemic.
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  • Post COVID-19 syndrome often results in ongoing symptoms like dyspnoea (shortness of breath) and fatigue, hindering social and work reintegration.
  • A study analyzed the effects of Spa rehabilitation on these symptoms in 187 post COVID-19 patients, measuring symptom changes and examining potential influencing clinical characteristics.
  • Results showed that 88.2% of patients experienced dyspnoea improvement while 80.6% found relief from both dyspnoea and fatigue, with significant positive changes on specific assessment scales indicating improvement in physical limitations.
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Introduction: The recent surge in migration to and within the European Union and European Economic Area has brought the development of migration policy, including health policy, to the forefront of regional priorities. While migrants, in general, do not pose a health threat to the host population, specific subgroups of migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants, are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. To support public health policies in this area, the Emergency Preparedness and Management' working group of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health has conducted a systematic narrative review with the aim to comprehensively analyze the infectious disease risk within the refugee and asylum seeker populations in EU, EEA, and EU-applicant countries.

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Endothelial cells in tumor microenvironment: insights and perspectives.

Front Immunol

March 2024

Centre for Medical Sciences, University of Trento and Internal Medicine Division, Santa Chiara Hospital, Provincial Health Care Agency (APSS), Trento, Italy.

The tumor microenvironment is a highly complex and dynamic mixture of cell types, including tumor, immune and endothelial cells (ECs), soluble factors (cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors), blood vessels and extracellular matrix. Within this complex network, ECs are not only relevant for controlling blood fluidity and permeability, and orchestrating tumor angiogenesis but also for regulating the antitumor immune response. Lining the luminal side of vessels, ECs check the passage of molecules into the tumor compartment, regulate cellular transmigration, and interact with both circulating pathogens and innate and adaptive immune cells.

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Skin nerve phosphorylated α-synuclein in the elderly.

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol

March 2024

IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Bologna, Italy.

To determine the incidence of phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn) in skin nerves in very old subjects who are prone to developing incidental Lewy bodies, we prospectively performed skin biopsies on 33 elderly subjects, including 13 (>85 years old) and 20 patients (>70 years) suspected of having an acquired small fiber neuropathy. All subjects underwent neurological examination prior to the biopsy. Two screened female subjects (ages 102 and 98 years) were excluded from the study because they showed evidence of a slight bradykinetic-rigid extrapyramidal disorder on neurological examination and were not considered healthy; both showed p-syn in skin nerves.

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic in Italy led to significant reductions in surgical procedures, with elective surgeries seeing a 43.7% decrease in 2020 compared to 2019, while emergency surgeries dropped by 15.5%.
  • In 2021, although there was an overall increase in procedures, elective surgeries remained 12.4% lower than the pre-pandemic level, while urgency surgeries saw a slight increase of 3.5%.
  • The study suggests the need for a new approach to hospital care post-pandemic to improve resource management and maintain healthcare quality for citizens in the Apulian region.
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  • A study was conducted to explore the connection between thyroid diseases and idiopathic adult-onset dystonia (IAOD) by examining 1,518 patients from the Italian Dystonia Registry.
  • Out of these patients, 11% were diagnosed with hypothyroidism and 2.8% with hyperthyroidism, with the groups showing comparable demographics but a higher prevalence of women in thyroid-affected groups.
  • The research found no significant link between thyroid conditions and specific characteristics of dystonia, including its distribution and associated features, suggesting that thyroid diseases do not impact the course of IAOD.
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Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) and its variants have a pivotal role in melanin synthesis. However, MC1R has been associated to non-pigmentary pathways related to DNA-repair activities and inflammation. The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview about the role of MC1R in the skin.

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Objective: In 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported increased cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in the United States after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Our study aims to estimate the incidence of myocarditis in Apulia (Southern Italy) and the cause-effect relationship between COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and the risk of myocarditis.

Methods: The Apulian regional archive of hospital discharge forms was used to define the cases of myocarditis in Apulia, considering data from 2017 to 2022.

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Vaccination is the principal strategy for primary prevention of infection by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes different pathological conditions, up to cancer, in both males and females. However, to date, knowledge among adolescents and their parents about the HPV vaccine is still low. The aim of this quasi-experimental, multicenter study is to assess the effectiveness of a digital educational intervention, conducted by a multidisciplinary health-care team including a Community Nurse, to increase adolescents' HPV vaccination uptake, their knowledge, self-efficacy, feelings and involvement in HPV vaccine decision-making, and parents' vaccination hesitancy.

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Background: Cognitive dysfunction has been reported in idiopathic adult-onset dystonia (IAOD), but whether this is a primary or secondary component of the disorder remains uncertain.

Objective: Here, we aimed to analyze the key domains of abnormal cognitive performance in IAOD and whether this is associated with motor or mood changes.

Methods: Article selection for our critical review was guided by PRISMA guidelines (mesh terms "dystonia" and "cognitive," publication period: 2000-2022).

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Possible uses of Hunter-Schreger bands of dental enamel for automated personal identification.

Eur J Med Res

February 2024

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Rovelli 50, 71122, Foggia, Italy.

Background: Hunter-Schreger bands (HSB) are optical phenomena observed on tooth surfaces under polarized light, resulting from the intersection of enamel prisms. Anthropological studies demonstrate the prevalence of HSB in large mammals, contributing to enamel resistance. Historically, John Hunter and Schreger depicted HSB in dental literature.

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Background: Despite longstanding epidemiologic data on the association between increased serum triglycerides and cardiovascular events, the exact level at which risk begins to rise is unclear. The Working Group on Uric Acid and Cardiovascular Risk of the Italian Society of Hypertension has conceived a protocol aimed at searching for the prognostic cutoff value of triglycerides in predicting cardiovascular events in a large regional-based Italian cohort.

Methods And Results: Among 14 189 subjects aged 18 to 95 years followed-up for 11.

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Predicting Factors of Worse Prognosis in COVID-19: Results from a Cross-sectional Study on 52 Inpatients Admitted to the Internal Medicine Department.

Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets

September 2024

Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy.

Background: The initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a real need for clinicians to identify patients at risk of poor prognosis as soon as possible after hospital admission.

Aims: The study aimed to assess the role of baseline anamnestic information, clinical parameters, instrumental examination, and serum biomarkers in predicting adverse outcomes of COVID-19 in a hospital setting of Internal Medicine.

Methods: Fifty-two inpatients consecutively admitted to the Unit of Internal Medicine "Baccelli," Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria Policlinico of Bari (February 1 - May 31, 2021) due to confirmed COVID-19 were grouped into two categories based on the specific outcome: good prognosis (n=44), patients discharged at home after the acute phase of the infection; poor prognosis, a composite outcome of deaths and intensive care requirements (n=8).

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  • Classic galactosemia is an inherited liver disorder caused by a deficiency in the GALT enzyme, leading to complications even with a galactose-restricted diet.
  • A case study of a two-week-old girl identified her as a compound heterozygote with one known pathogenic variant (p.K285N) and a novel variant (p.A303D), suggesting potential pathogenicity for the latter.
  • The research underscores the variability of missense variants in galactosemia and emphasizes the need for genetic analysis to enhance patient care and understanding of the disease's molecular effects.
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Background: Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (cPAN) is a form of medium-sized vessel necrotizing vasculitis. It is a rare, skin-limited variant of polyarteritis nodosa, characterized by dermal and subcutaneous tissue involvement. The most common findings in cPAN include digital gangrene, livedo reticularis, and tender subcutaneous nodules.

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Adipose failure through adipocyte overload and autoimmunity.

Autoimmun Rev

March 2024

Centre for Medical Sciences - CISMed, University of Trento and Department of Internal Medicine, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy. Electronic address:

Metabolic syndrome poses a great worldwide threat to the health of the patients. Increased visceral adiposity is recognized as the main determinant of the detrimental clinical effects of insulin resistance. Inflammation and immune system activation in the adipose tissue (AT) have a central role in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome, but the mechanisms linking increased adiposity to immunity in the AT remain in part elusive.

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  • The study aimed to demonstrate how high-resolution ultrasound (US) can help diagnose the early signs of dactylitis, an inflammation of the fingers or toes.
  • Researchers used advanced US technology to closely match the anatomy of digit tissues with various ultrasound findings related to dactylitis.
  • The findings suggest that modern US equipment can effectively detect specific abnormalities and blood flow in the affected digits, facilitating timely and accurate diagnoses in clinical settings.*
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and extremely disabling connective-tissue autoimmune disease with a tremendous impact on the quality of life (QoL). Belimumab, a B-lymphocyte-stimulator-specific inhibitor, is the first biologic drug approved as add-on therapy in patients with active, refractory auto-antibody-positive SLE.The impact of belimumab on the QoL of SLE patients was evaluated using a generic questionnaire short-form health survey 36 (SF-36) and the disease-specific questionnaire SLE-specific quality of life (SLEQoL).

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The four-component recombinant-DNA anti-meningococcus B vaccine (4CMenB) has been approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2013. In Italy, 4CMenB is recommended since 2017 for use in infants under one year of age. Due to the strong evidence of increased risk of fever after administration, surveillance of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) is a priority for 4CMenB.

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Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the at-risk groups for whom influenza vaccination is strongly recommended. To assess the proportion of Italian HCWs with positive attitudes toward influenza vaccination, we conducted a systematic review of relevant literature and a meta-analysis. Our focus was on the influenza seasons from 2017/18 to 2021/22.

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