Rationale for Evaluating PDE4 Inhibition for Mitigating against Severe Inflammation in COVID-19 Pneumonia and Beyond.

In the absence of definitive anti-viral therapy, there is considerable interest in mitigating against severe inflammatory reactions in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia to improve survival. These reactions are sometimes termed cytokine storm. PDE4 inhibitors (PDE4i) have anti-inflammatory properties with approved indications in inflammatory skin and joint diseases as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

On-Sight and Red-Point Climbing: Changes in Performance and Route-Finding Ability in Male Advanced Climbers.

Aim: In lead climbing, the ascent of the route can be defined as on-sight or red-point. On-sight is the more challenging style since it demands greater physiological and psychological commitment. The differences between the two modes in advanced climbers have not been studied much.

Implant site preparation using ultrasonic technique vs. Conventional drilling: three-year follow-up of a split-mouth study.

The aim of this split-mouth study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic technique for implant site preparation when compared with the conventional drilling technique. A total of 98 bilateral single implants were placed in 49 patients. For each patient, traditional drilling technique was used at one side (control) and ultrasonic technique was used at the other side (test).

Biofilm Formation on Dental Implant Surface Treated by Implantoplasty: An In Situ Study.

Peri-implantitis is a biofilm-related disease whose characteristics are peri-implant tissues inflammation and bone resorption. Some clinical trials report beneficial effects after implantoplasty, namely the surgical smoothening of the implant surface, but there is a lack of data about the development of the bacterial biofilm on those smoothened surfaces. The aim of this study is to evaluate how implantoplasty influences biofilm formation.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis have higher levels of FeNO than those with only psoriasis, which may reflect a higher prevalence of a subclinical respiratory involvement.

Background: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients are often affected by numerous comorbidities. However, contrasting results have been reported with regard to the respiratory involvement in PsA patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of subclinical airway inflammation in non-smoking PsA patients compared to patients with only psoriasis using the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) as an indirect marker of airway inflammation.

The Vascular Side of Chronic Bed Rest: When a Therapeutic Approach Becomes Deleterious.

The interplay between chronic constraint and advanced aging on blood flow, shear-rate, vascular function, nitric oxide (NO)-bioavailability, microcirculation, and vascular inflammation factors is still a matter of debate. Ninety-eight individuals (Young, =28, 23±3yrs; Old, =36, 85±7yrs; Bedridden, =34, 88±6yrs) were included in the study. The bedridden group included old individuals chronically confined to bed (3.

Low back pain rehabilitation in 2020: new frontiers and old limits of our understanding.

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal condition affecting the quality of life of individuals, especially if persistent. Over the decades, a lot of work has been done in an attempt to reduce the negative impact of back pain, and help patients recover and maintain a better quality of life. New insights are coming from different fields of research, with a lot of work being done in searching for the etiology of LBP, describing the different phenotypes of symptomatic spines, and identifying factors involved in the persistence of the disease.

Clinical and Histological Findings of Post-Treatment Infection in the Presence of Vertical Root Fracture and Apical Periodontitis: Case Reports.

Apical periodontitis and vertical root fracture (VRF) might coexist in the same root, thus representing a di-agnostic challenge in endodontics. Diagnosis should be based on detailed clinical examination and precise radiographic interpretation in addition to histological examination, if needed. The histological findings of the case presented showed the possible coexistence of a VRF in the coronal third of the root and signs of apical periodontitis caused by intracanal infection in the apical third of the same root.

Single Tooth Prosthetic Restoration Through Surgical Crown Lengthening, Conservative Therapies and CAD-CAM Milled Restoration in Lithium-Disilicate. A Case Report.

Objective: The restorative treatment of a decayed, non-vital upper premolar often requires an interdisciplinary approach. Esthetics and the entity of the masticatory loads are usually affecting the choice of procedures and materials. A conservative treatment in a case with esthetic needs and functional requirements is investigated in this case report.

Cochrane Rehabilitation: 2019 annual report.

During its third year of existence, Cochrane Rehabilitation goals included to point out the main methodological issues in rehabilitation research, and to increase the Knowledge Translation activities. This has been performed through its committees and specific projects. In 2019, Cochrane Rehabilitation worked on five different special projects at different stages of development: 1) a collaboration with the World Health Organization to extract the best evidence for Rehabilitation (Be4rehab); 2) the development of a reporting checklist for Randomised Controlled Trials in rehabilitation (RCTRACK); 3) the definition of what is the rehabilitation for research purposes; 4) the ebook project; and 5) a prioritization exercise for Cochrane Reviews production.

Use of Thyroid Hormones in Hypothyroid and Euthyroid Patients; the 2019 Italian Survey.

Background: The incidence and prevalence of hypothyroidism are increasing and the threshold for the treatment of hypothyroid as well as individuals without evident thyroid disease with thyroid hormone is declining.

Objective: To investigate endocrinologists' use of thyroid hormones in hypothyroid and euthyroid patients in Italy, a country where different formulations of levothyroxine (LT4; tablet, liquid solution and soft-gel capsule) are available on the market.

Methods: Members of the Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) were invited to participate in a web-based survey investigating the topic.

Individualized Breakfast Programs or Glycogen Super-Compensation: Which Is the Better Performing Strategy? Insights from an Italian Soccer Referees Cohort.

The role of soccer referees has grown in importance in the last decades, as has attention to their performance, which may be influenced and improved with specific and evolved training programs. Today, multiple specialists are working as a team in order to develop effective training programs. Moreover, for athletes, it is becoming more and more important to be attentive to nutrition.

Efficacy of artichoke and ginger extracts with simethicone to treat gastrointestinal symptoms in endurance athletes: a pilot study.

Background: Exercise-induced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are frequently reported by athletes during training and competitions. A standardized combination of artichoke leaves and ginger root extracts has shown beneficial effects in managing GI discomfort in otherwise healthy subjects.

Methods: In this pilot study, we assessed the effectiveness of artichoke leaves and ginger root extracts combination associated with simethicone in reducing exercise-related GI symptoms in endurance athletes.

Epidemiological profile and north-south gradient driving baseline systemic involvement of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: To characterize the systemic phenotype of primary Sjögren's syndrome at diagnosis by analysing the EULAR-SS disease activity index (ESSDAI) scores.

Methods: The Sjögren Big Data Consortium is an international, multicentre registry based on worldwide data-sharing cooperative merging of pre-existing databases from leading centres in clinical research in Sjögren's syndrome from the five continents.

Results: The cohort included 10 007 patients (9352 female, mean 53 years) with recorded ESSDAI scores available.

Optimizing a clinical guidance for diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in adults: joint recommendations of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST), Italian Association of Hospital Dermatologists (ADOI), and Italian Society of Allergological, Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (SIDAPA).

Atopic dermatitis (AD) places significant burden not only on quality of life, but is also associated with considerable costs to healthcare systems. Diagnosis of AD may be challenging when it starts in adolescence or adulthood, and is further complicated as its manifestations are different from those generally seen in children. Accordingly, better definition of diagnostic criteria for adult onset AD is needed to avoid misdiagnosis and undertreatment in adult patients.

The burden of atopic dermatitis in adults in Italy.

Background: Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) generates a considerable consumption of healthcare resources and significant economic consequences for the patients and their families, healthcare systems (NHS) and society. Several studies on the burden of AD in paediatric patients are available in literature, while data in adults is scant. The purpose of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect costs of moderate to severe AD in adult patients in Italy.

Systemic manifestations of primary Sjögren's syndrome out of the ESSDAI classification: prevalence and clinical relevance in a large international, multi-ethnic cohort of patients.

Objectives: To analyse the frequency and characterise the systemic presentation of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) out of the ESSDAI classification in a large international, multi-ethnic cohort of patients.

Methods: The Big Data Sjögren Project Consortium is an international, multicentre registry based on world-wide data-sharing and cooperative merging of pre-existing clinical SS databases from leading centres in clinical research in SS from the five continents. A list of 26 organ-by-organ systemic features not currently included in the ESSDAI classification was defined according to previous studies; these features were retrospectively recorded.

Association of neurologic deficits with surgical outcomes and health-related quality of life after treatment for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression.

Background: A critical knowledge gap exists regarding the impact of neurologic deficits on surgical outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients surgically treated for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC).

Methods: This prospective, multicenter and international study analyzed the impact of the neurologic status on functional status, HRQOL, and postoperative survival. The collected data included the patient demographics, overall survival, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale, Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score, treatment details and complications and HRQOL measures, including version 2 of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36v2) and version 2.

Vitamin D in trichology: a comprehensive review of the role of vitamin D and its receptor in hair and scalp disorders.

Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of various biological systems. Beside its well-known function in calcium and phosphate metabolism, it plays a major role in pathophysiology of skin and adnexa. Indeed, vitamin D, through its receptor (VDR), decreases keratinocyte proliferation, improves their differentiation and modulates both cutaneous innate (antimicrobial activity and antigen presentation) and adaptative immunity (T and B lymphocyte function).

Essential Concepts for the Management of Metastatic Spine Disease: What the Surgeon Should Know and Practice.

Study Design: Literature review.

Objective: To provide an overview of the recent advances in spinal oncology, emphasizing the key role of the surgeon in the treatment of patients with spinal metastatic tumors.

Methods: Literature review.

Primary Bone Tumor of the Spine-An Evolving Field: What a General Spine Surgeon Should Know.

Study Design: A narrative review of the literature.

Objective: This article reviews the general principles of treatment and investigation for primary bone tumors of the spine. Furthermore, it explores the emerging alternatives.

Paraganglioma of the spine: A twenty-years clinical experience of a high volume tumor center.

Paragangliomas (PGs) are rare tumours with a reported estimated annual incidence of up to 3 per million. Spinal involvement may possible with spinal metastasis and primary extradural localizations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of a rare disease that can involve the spine and that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal injuries.