The influence of PER3 VNTR genotypes on the age of onset in a group of bipolar I disorder patients: an exploratory study.

Background: PER3 is a circadian gene that contains a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) which codifies for three genotypes: 4/4; 4/5; and 5/5 and is involved in non-visual response to light, a critical process associated with bipolar disorder onset. Benedetti et al. (Neurosci Lett 445(2):184-7) related this VNTR with bipolar disorder age of onset and linked genotype 5/5 with an earlier onset.

Clinical and diagnostic implications of Alzheimer's disease copathology in Lewy body disease.

Concomitant Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is a frequent event in the context of Lewy body disease (LBD), occurring in approximately half of all cases. Evidence shows that LBD patients with AD copathology show an accelerated disease course, a greater risk of cognitive decline and an overall poorer prognosis. However, LBD-AD cases may show heterogeneous motor and non-motor phenotypes with a higher risk of dementia and, consequently, be not rarely misdiagnosed.

Antitumour effects of SFX-01 molecule in combination with ionizing radiation in preclinical and in vivo models of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Background: Despite a multimodal approach including surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy, the 5-year event-free survival rate for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, remains very poor for metastatic patients, mainly due to the selection and proliferation of tumour cells driving resistance mechanisms. Personalised medicine-based protocols using new drugs or targeted therapies in combination with conventional treatments have the potential to enhance the therapeutic effects, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues in a wide range of human malignancies, with several clinical trials being started. In this study, we analysed, for the first time, the antitumour activity of SFX-01, a complex of synthetic d, l-sulforaphane stabilised in alpha-cyclodextrin (Evgen Pharma plc, UK), used as single agent and in combination with irradiation, in four preclinical models of alveolar and embryonal RMS.

Staged magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for the treatment of bilateral essential tremor and Parkinson's disease related tremor: a systematic review and critical appraisal of current knowledge.

Introduction: Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) are debilitating neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tremor as a predominant symptom, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) Thalamotomy is an innovative therapeutic option for the treatment of unilateral medically refractory tremor with fewer adverse effects compared to traditional surgical interventions. A recent CE approval allows appropriate patients to have their second side treated.

Craniofacial morphology in patients with impacted canine: a case control-study.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of maxillary canine impaction through cephalometric evaluation.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-two Caucasian patients (80 males and 102 females) with a mean age of 12.4±0.

Operational classification of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas based on unsupervised clustering of real cases by experts.

Background: There is currently no staging system for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) that is adapted to decision-making and universally used. Experts have unconscious ability to simplify the heterogeneity of clinical situations into a few relevant groups to drive their therapeutic decisions. Therefore, we have used unsupervised clustering of real cases by experts to generate an operational classification of cSCCs, an approach that was successful for basal cell carcinomas.

Cognitive safety of focused ultrasound thalamotomy for tremor: 1-year follow-up results of the COGNIFUS part 2 study.

Introduction: In the COGNitive in Focused UltraSound (COGNIFUS) study, we examined the 6-month cognitive outcomes of patients undergoing MRgFUS thalamotomy. This study endorsed the safety profile of the procedure in terms of cognitive functions that cannot be evaluated in real-time during the procedure unlike other aspects. The aim of the COGNIFUS Part 2 study was to investigate the cognitive trajectory of MRgFUS patients over a 1-year period, in order to confirm long-term safety and satisfaction.

Thonzonium bromide inhibits progression of malignant pleural mesothelioma through regulation of ERK1/2 and p38 pathways and mitochondrial uncoupling.

Background: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. Current therapies are unsatisfactory and novel cures are urgently needed. In a previous drug screening, we identified thonzonium bromide (TB) as one of the most active compounds against MPM cells.

A multi-centre longitudinal study analysing multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic raised concern amongst clinicians that disease-modifying therapies (DMT), particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and fingolimod, could worsen COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to examine DMT prescribing trends pre- and post-pandemic onset.

Methods: A multi-centre longitudinal study with 8,771 participants from MSBase was conducted.

Synergistic Activity of Temocillin and Fosfomycin Combination against KPC-Producing Clinical Isolates.

Infections caused by KPC-producing continue to pose a significant clinical challenge due to their emerging resistance to new antimicrobials. We investigated the association between two drugs whose roles have been repurposed against multidrug-resistant bacteria: fosfomycin and temocillin. Temocillin exhibits unusual stability against KPC enzymes, while fosfomycin acts as a potent "synergizer".

Characterization and morphological methods for oral biofilm visualization: where are we nowadays?

The oral microbiome represents an essential component of the oral ecosystem whose symbiotic relationship contributes to health maintenance. The biofilm represents a state of living of microorganisms surrounding themselves with a complex and tridimensional organized polymeric support and defense matrix. The substrates where the oral biofilm adhere can suffer from damages due to the microbial community metabolisms.

Early re-emerging tremor after MRgFUS thalamotomy: case-control analysis of procedural and imaging features.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify possible prognostic factors determining early tremor relapse after Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) thalamotomy in patients with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Nine patients (six ET and three PD) who underwent Vim MRgFUS thalamotomy in a single institution and developed early re-emergent tremor were analyzed. A control group of patients matched pairwise for sex, pathology, age, disease duration, and skull density ratio (SDR) was selected to compare the technical-procedural data and MR imaging evidence.

CDKL5 deficiency-related neurodevelopmental disorders: a multi-center cohort study in Italy.

CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a complex clinical condition resulting from non-functional or absent CDKL5 protein, a serine-threonine kinase pivotal for neural maturation and synaptogenesis. The disorder manifests primarily as developmental epileptic encephalopathy, with associated neurological phenotypes, such as hypotonia, movement disorders, visual impairment, and gastrointestinal issues. Its prevalence is estimated at 1 in 40,000-60,000 live births, and it is more prevalent in females due to the lethality of germline mutations in males during fetal development.

Safety and Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke Attributable to Cardiological Diseases: A Scoping Review.

There is limited evidence on the outcomes and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the context of cardiac diseases. Our study reviews MT in AIS within the context of cardiac diseases, aiming to identify existing and emerging needs and gaps. PubMed and Scopus were searched until December 31, 2023, using a combination of cardiological diseases and "mechanical thrombectomy" or "endovascular treatment" as keywords.

Exploring the interplay of atopic dermatitis severity with sleep and mental health: a case-control study in adult patients.

Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease often associated with non-atopic comorbidities. Recently, a severity-dependent relationship between AD and sleep/mental health diseases has been proposed. However, few studies investigated these comorbidities and their association with AD severity through validated questionnaires.

Enhancing stroke risk prediction in patients with transient ischemic attack: insights from a prospective cohort study implementing fast-track care.

Background And Aims: Fast-track care have been proved to reduce the short-term risk of stroke after transient ischemic attack (TIA). We aimed to investigate stroke risk and to characterize short- and long-term stroke predictors in a large cohort of TIA patients undergoing fast-track management.

Methods: Prospective study, enrolling consecutive TIA patients admitted to a Northern Italy emergency department from August 2010 to December 2017.

Protective effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in UVB-activated microglia.

Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders that has been extensively studied in recent years. Microglia, the primary immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are key players in this physiological process, demonstrating a remarkable adaptability in responding to various stimuli in the eye and the brain. Within the complex network of neuroinflammatory signals, the fatty acid N-ethanolamines, in particular N-arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA), emerged as crucial regulators of microglial activity under both physiological and pathological states.

Factors influencing physiotherapy decisions between restorative and compensatory gait rehabilitation: an Italian multicenter study.

Background And Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence physiotherapists' decision in choosing restorative or compensatory rehabilitation during gait training in people with neurological disorders (PwNDs) and the different treatments used in the approaches.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used the baseline data from an observational cohort study. We analyzed data from 83 PwNDs (65 people after stroke, 5 with multiple sclerosis, and 13 with Parkinson's disease) who underwent at least 10 sessions of physiotherapy (PT) focusing on gait function.