Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on functional exercise capacity and hypoxemia in patients with interstitial lung diseases: a retrospective study.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a heterogeneous group of lung disorders characterized by dyspnea on exertion, exercise-induced hypoxemia and reduced exercise tolerance. There are some evidences that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) successfully treats these manifestations. To identify if pulmonary rehabilitation can achieve a clinically significant improvement of functional exercise capacity measured by 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) and arterial blood gases analysis (ABG) in patients with ILDs.

Long-term effect of weight loss induced by bariatric surgery on asthma control and health related quality of life in asthmatic patients with severe obesity: A pilot study.

Background: The weight loss induced by bariatric surgery (BS) improves asthma clinical control evaluated usually after a short time. The long-term effects of weight loss attained by BS on asthma control and health related-quality of life (HRQoL) in patients affected by asthma and obesity are not known.

Objective: To investigate the five-year effect of weight reduction induced by BS on asthma control, quality of life and pulmonary functional parameters in severely obese intermittent or mild-to-moderate asthmatic patients.

Alterations of autophagy in the peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2B.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2B (CMT2B) disease is a dominant axonal peripheral neuropathy caused by 5 mutations in the RAB7A gene, a ubiquitously expressed GTPase controlling late endocytic trafficking. In neurons, RAB7A also controls neuronal-specific processes such as NTF (neurotrophin) trafficking and signaling, neurite outgrowth and neuronal migration. Given the involvement of macroautophagy/autophagy in several neurodegenerative diseases and considering that RAB7A is fundamental for autophagosome maturation, we investigated whether CMT2B-causing mutants affect the ability of this gene to regulate autophagy.

Development and Validation of a Predictive Model for Functional Outcome After Stroke Rehabilitation: The Maugeri Model.

Background And Purpose: Prediction of outcome after stroke rehabilitation may help clinicians in decision-making and planning rehabilitation care. We developed and validated a predictive tool to estimate the probability of achieving improvement in physical functioning (model 1) and a level of independence requiring no more than supervision (model 2) after stroke rehabilitation.

Methods: The models were derived from 717 patients admitted for stroke rehabilitation.

Pressure injuries in elderly with acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: To assess pressure injury (PI) incidence among patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an intensive coronary care unit (ICCU) and to detect the impact of specific risk factors on the development of PI in this clinical setting.

Patients And Methods: Prospective cohort study in ICCU setting. Patients admitted for AMI: patients mean age 67.

Improving performances of the knee replacement surgery process by applying DMAIC principles.

Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: The work is a part of a project about the application of the Lean Six Sigma to improve health care processes. A previously published work regarding the hip replacement surgery has shown promising results. Here, we propose an application of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control) cycle to improve quality and reduce costs related to the prosthetic knee replacement surgery by decreasing patients' length of hospital stay (LOS) METHODS: The DMAIC cycle has been adopted to decrease the patients' LOS.

Responsiveness of gait analysis parameters in a cohort of 71 CMT subjects.

Detection of worsening in the slowly progressive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is difficult. As previous clinical scales showed low responsiveness, novel outcome measures are under study, including innovative approaches such as quantitative muscle MRI and instrumented movement analysis. Since gait analysis proved able to reliably quantify CMT locomotor deficits, we aimed to explore whether it can be a sensitive-to-change outcome measure in CMT studies.

Care pathways models and clinical outcomes in Disorders of consciousness.

Objective: Patients with Disorders of consciousness, are persons with extremely low functioning levels and represent a challenge for health care systems due to their high needs of facilitating environmental factors. Despite a common Italian health care pathway for these patients, no studies have analyzed information on how each region have implemented it in its welfare system correlating data with patients' clinical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A multicenter observational pilot study was realized.

Cross-sectional analysis of a large cohort with X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX1).

Objective: To extend the phenotypic description of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX1) and to draw new genotype-phenotype relationships.

Methods: Mutations in cause the main X-linked form of CMTX (CMTX1). We report cross-sectional data from 160 patients (from 120 different families, with 89 different mutations) seen at the Inherited Neuropathies Consortium centers.

microRNA in Cardiovascular Aging and Age-Related Cardiovascular Diseases.

Over the last decades, life expectancy has significantly increased although several chronic diseases persist in the population, with aging as the leading risk factor. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, many elderlies suffer from cardiovascular problems that are much more frequent in an older, more fragile organism. In the long term, age-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) contribute to the decline of quality of life and ability to perform normal activities of daily living.

Clinical assessment of endothelial function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Flow-mediated (FMD) and nitrate-mediated dilatation (NMD) are considered non-invasive methods to assess endothelial function and surrogate markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression to evaluate the impact of COPD on FMD and NMD.

Family caregivers' opinions about interaction with the environment in consciousness disorders.

Objectives: To assess family caregivers' opinions about level of interaction with the environment in their relatives with disorders of consciousness (DOCs) and to explore psychological features of caregivers whose opinions diverge from clinicians' diagnosis.

Method: Forty-five family caregivers of 38 DOC inpatients without communication abilities answered 2 questions assessing their opinion about level of interaction with the environment in their relatives. Self-report questionnaires were used to evaluate caregivers' depression, anxiety, psychophysiological disturbances, prolonged grief disorder, coping strategies, quality of perceived needs and social support.

Psychological distress is associated with altered cognitive functioning in family caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness.

Objectives: To analyse the possible presence of reduced cognitive efficiency in family caregivers of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC).

Subjects: The participants were 27 caregivers of 25 patients with DOC admitted to the severe brain injury units of the ICS Maugeri, Institutes of Telese Terme and Sciacca, Italy.

Methods: We examined cognitive functions such as short- and long-term memory, executive functions and attention by means of standardized tests.

The anti-ageing molecule sirt1 mediates beneficial effects of cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: An exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme (CRP) is established as adjuvant therapy in heart failure (HF), nevertheless it is underutilized, especially in the elderly. While the functional and hemodynamic effects of CRP are well known, its underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully clarified. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of a well-structured 4-week CRP in patients with stable HF from a molecular point of view.

Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis of literature studies.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have an increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Common carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and carotid plaques are surrogate markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and predictors of CV events.

Methods And Results: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between COPD and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Impact of aging on cardiac sympathetic innervation measured by I-mIBG imaging in patients with systolic heart failure.

Purpose: Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) hyperactivity is a salient characteristic of chronic heart failure (HF) and contributes to the progression of the disease. Iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) imaging has been successfully used to assess cardiac SNS activity in HF patients and to predict prognosis. Importantly, SNS hyperactivity characterizes also physiological ageing, and there is conflicting evidence on cardiac I-mIBG uptake in healthy elderly subjects compared to adults.

Exercise training effects on elderly and middle-age patients with chronic heart failure after acute decompensation: A randomized, controlled trial.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of exercise training on cardiac function in heart failure (HF) patients recently suffering from acute decompensation. Radionuclide ambulatory ventricular function monitoring (VEST) was used to detect variations in cardiac hemodynamics during training period.

Methods: This was a monocentric, randomized, controlled trial.

Sleep-disordered breathing, impaired cardiac adrenergic innervation and prognosis in heart failure.

Objective: Unfavourable effects of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in heart failure (HF) are mainly mediated by impaired sympathetic activity. Few data are available on SDB and cardiac adrenergic impairment evaluated at myocardial level. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between SDB, cardiac sympathetic innervation assessed by I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (I-MIBG) imaging and prognosis in HF.

Mental simulation of drawing actions enhances delayed recall of a complex figure.

Motor simulation implies that the same motor representations involved in action execution are re-enacted during observation or imagery of actions. Neurofunctional data suggested that observation of letters or abstract paintings can elicit simulation of writing or drawing gestures. We performed four behavioural experiments on right-handed healthy participants to test whether observation of a static and complex geometrical figure implies re-enactment of drawing actions.

Non-motor involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new insight from nerve and vessel analysis in skin biopsy.

Aims: To assess cutaneous sensory and autonomic nerves and the vascular bed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We enrolled 41 patients (M = 20, aged 63.5 ± 11.

Standard EEG in diagnostic process of prolonged disorders of consciousness.

Objective: This cross-sectional study assessed the ability of standard EEG in distinguishing vegetative state (VS) from minimally conscious state plus (MCS+) or MCS minus (MCS-), and to correlate EEG features with aetiology and level of responsiveness assessed by Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R).

Methods: We analyzed background EEG activity and EEG reactivity to eye opening and closing and to tactile, acoustic, nociceptive stimuli and Intermittent Photic Stimulation (IPS) in 73 inpatients (VS=37, MCS-=11, MCS+=25), with traumatic (n=21), vascular (n=25) or anoxic (n=27) aetiology.

Results: All patients, but one, showed abnormal background activity.

Drawing Disorders in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Forms of Dementia.

Drawing is a multicomponential process that can be impaired by many kinds of brain lesions. Drawing disorders are very common in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, and can provide clinical information for the distinction of the different dementing diseases. In our review we started from an overview of the neural and cognitive bases of drawing, and from a recollection of the drawing tasks more frequently used for assessing individuals with dementia.

Structure-activity relationship study of angiotensin II analogs in terms of β-arrestin-dependent signaling to aldosterone production.

The known angiotensin II (AngII) physiological effect of aldosterone synthesis and secretion induction, a steroid hormone that contributes to the pathology of postmyocardial infarction (MI) heart failure (HF), is mediated by both Gq/11 proteins and β-arrestins, both of which couple to the AngII type 1 receptors (AT1Rs) of adrenocortical zona glomerulosa (AZG) cells. Over the past several years, AngII analogs with increased selectivity ("bias") toward β-arrestin-dependent signaling at the AT1R have been designed and described, starting with SII, the gold-standard β-arrestin-"biased" AngII analog. In this study, we examined the relative potencies of an extensive series of AngII peptide analogs at relative activation of G proteins versus β-arrestins by the AT1R.