The Economic Burden of Herpes Zoster in Individuals Aged 50 Years or Older and Those With Underlying Conditions in Italy.

Background: Risk of herpes zoster (HZ) infection increases with age and immunosuppression. We estimated the impact of HZ and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) on direct costs and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in patients ≥50 years, including those with comorbidities, as limited information exists in Italy.

Methods: This retrospective analysis used reimbursement data from local health authorities in Italy (January 2009-June 2022).

Combined semiquantitative nail-enthesis complex ultrasonography and capillaroscopy in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

This pilot study investigates distinctive features within the nail-enthesis complex among Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), Psoriasis (PSO), Rheumatoid Arthrit is (RA), and Healthy Control (HC) groups, utilizing a combined approach of ultrasound (US) and nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC). Clinical assessments and comprehensive US and NVC evaluations of the nail-enthesis complex were conducted on 72 subjects (18 PsA, 16 PSO, 19 RA, 19 HC). Unsupervised clustering models and factor analysis were employed to identify patterns and interrelationships between US and NVC parameters.

Generation of bovine decellularized testicular bio-scaffolds as a 3D platform for testis bioengineering.

Accelerating the genetic selection to obtain animals more resilient to climate changes, and with a lower environmental impact, would greatly benefit by a substantial shortening of the generation interval. One way to achieve this goal is to generate male gametes directly from embryos. However, spermatogenesis is a complex biological process that, at present, can be partially reproduced only in the mouse.

Upcycling of Enzymatically Recovered Amino Acids from Textile Waste Blends: Approaches for Production of Valuable Second-Generation Bioproducts.

Tremendous quantities of textile waste generated and primarily landfilled annually represent a huge risk of contaminating the environment, together with loss of valuable resources. Especially, blended fabrics further pose a challenge for recycling and valorization strategies, while enzymatic hydrolysis offers a highly specific and environmentally friendly solution. In this study, we demonstrate that proteases specifically hydrolyze the wool components in blends with polyester, allowing recovery of pure polyester fibers as well as amino acids and peptides as platform molecules for further valorization.

Genetic and nongenetic variation of multiple births in Austrian dual-purpose cows.

In recent decades, a general increase in multiple birth (MB) rate has been reported in both dairy and dual-purpose cattle breeds. As there is evidence that MB has negative effects on economically important traits in dairy cows, the aims of this study were to (i) investigate environmental and genetic factors affecting MB rate and (ii) assess the impact of MB on productive and nonproductive traits of the Austrian dual-purpose breeds Pinzgauer and Tyrol Grey. The dataset included 99,141 calvings of 33,791 Pinzgauer and 68,454 calvings of 19,244 Tyrol Grey cows recorded from 2000 to 2022.

Relationship between pyrimidines, purines, and fatty acids in milk of dairy cows fed distinct carbohydrate types: A metabolomic approach.

The aim of this research was to evaluate changes in the milk metabolome of dairy cows fed different carbohydrate types from silages and concentrates, with special focus on purines and pyrimidines, likely associated with the microbial activity in the rumen. Furthermore, the relationship between the milk fatty acids and pyrimidine and purine metabolism retrieved in milk was investigated for potential correlations between these 2 groups of potential milk biomarkers. Twenty-four lactating dairy cows were used in a crossover design, where each cow received 2 of 4 diets.

"Groupitizing": A Visuo-Spatial and Arithmetic Phenomenon.

When objects are grouped in space, humans can estimate numerosity more precisely than when they are randomly scattered. This phenomenon, called groupitizing, is thought to arise from the interplay of two components: the subitizing system which identifies both the number of subgroups and of items within each group, and the possibility to perform basic arithmetic operations on the subitized groups. Here we directly investigate the relative role of these two components in groupitizing via an interference (dual task) paradigm.

Anti-atherosclerotic effects of natural compounds targeting lipid metabolism and inflammation: Focus on PPARs, LXRs, and PCSK9.

A large body of evidence has shown that modulation of the nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), the liver X receptors (LXRs), the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and inflammatory processes by natural compounds has hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects. These beneficial outcomes are certainly related to the crucial function of these targets in maintaining cholesterol homeostasis and regulating systemic inflammation. Currently, the therapeutic scenario for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) offers a plethora of widely validated and functional pharmacological treatments to improve the health status of patients.

The clinical impact of conventional therapies for adults and adolescents suffering from eosinophilic esophagitis, a type 2 inflammatory chronic disease, and their economic consequences in Italy: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder marked by eosinophilic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa. Despite advances in understanding and management, optimal therapeutic strategies remain unclear, with conflicting guidelines.

Objective: We sought to evaluate effectiveness and safety of topical corticosteroids (TCSs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in managing EoE and their economic implications in Italy.

Impact of ozone concentration on the treatment effectiveness of diabetic foot syndrome: a pilot single-centre study.

Introduction: Diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) a severe complication of diabetes which can result in ulcers, infections, or tissue damage in the feet.

Aim: To compare the treatment effectiveness in patients with DFS using local O therapy depending on the O concentration.

Material And Methods: The study included 50 patients, 24 male and 26 female ones, in the age range between 39 and 84 years, with DFS.

Epidemiological, economic and humanistic burden of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Europe: A systematic literature review.

Introduction: High-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a premalignant lesion of the cervix caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. Despite ongoing primary prevention efforts, considerable burden of illness remains. This study assessed the epidemiological, economic, and humanistic burden associated with high-grade CIN among adult women in Europe.

Second-line treatment patterns and outcomes in advanced HCC after progression on atezolizumab/bevacizumab.

Background & Aims: Atezolizumab/bevacizumab (A/B) is now a standard first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the optimal second-line regimen is not known. We evaluated real-world treatment patterns and outcomes to investigate factors associated with post-progression survival (PPS).

Methods: In this multicenter, international, retrospective study, we examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced HCC who progressed on first-line A/B.

high-content screening reveals miR-429 as a protective molecule in photoreceptor degeneration.

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders characterized by progressive photoreceptor degeneration and irreversible vision loss. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with post-transcriptional regulatory properties, are known to play a major role in retinal function, both in physiological and pathological conditions. Given their ability to simultaneously modulate multiple molecular pathways, miRNAs represent promising therapeutic tools for disorders with high genetic heterogeneity, such as IRDs.

Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample.

In recent years, research on taste perception has increasingly focused on its influence on food consumption, preferences, and long-term health. While bitter and sweet tastes have been well-studied, less is known about salty and umami tastes and their effects on dietary habits. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring sensory-hedonic patterns for 'savory' stimuli, encompassing both umami and salty tastes, in a representative sample of Italian adults, with a focus on gender-specific differences.

Treatment of distal femur aseptic nonunion after lateral locking plate fixation: Results of medial custom made plating and free fibula flap transfer using CAD-CAM technology.

Background: Aim of the present paper is to report the preliminary results of CAD-CAM (Computer-Aided Design - Computer-Aided Manufacturing) technology application to distal femur nonunion treatment with free fibula flap, custom made medial plating and maintenance of a stable lateral locking plate.

Methods: Two cases of distal femur nonunion that occurred after lateral locking plating were treated and prospectively followed-up. Surgical planning followed the same preoperative protocol adopted for mandibular CAD-CAM reconstruction.

Validation of low-volume blood collection tubes for routine hematologic testing.

Background: Low-volume blood tubes offer several advantages in facilitating blood collection, reducing iatrogenic anemia and spurious hemolysis, but their clinical reliability must be validated. We planned this investigation for establishing the reliability of routine hematologic testing in low-volume tubes before their implementation into clinical practice.

Methods: Blood was drawn from 44 ostensibly healthy laboratory professionals into three blood tubes, as follows: 3.

Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in Italy: insights from the multicentric MAPSI study.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy associated with cutaneous psoriasis (PsO), first defined by Moll and Wright. Initially perceived as relatively benign, PsA is now recognized for its chronic, progressive, and destructive nature, significantly impacting patients' quality of life, similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Globally, PsA represents about 20% of cases in early arthritis clinics, posing diagnostic and management challenges.

A Novel Variant in TUBB4B Causes Progressive Cone-Rod Dystrophy and Early Onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Background: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a frequent manifestation of syndromic inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), exemplified by the very rare form of autosomal-dominant Leber congenital amaurosis with early onset deafness (LCAEOD; OMIM #617879). LCAEOD was first described in 2017 in four families segregating heterozygous missense mutations in TUBB4B, a gene encoding a β-tubulin isotype. To date, only eight more families with similar TUBB4B-associated sensorineural disease (SND) have been reported.

Multicellular PID control for robust regulation of biological processes.

This article presents the first implementation of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) biomolecular controller within a consortium of different cell populations, aimed at robust regulation of biological processes. By leveraging the modularity and cooperative dynamics of multiple engineered cell populations, we develop a comprehensive analysis of the performance and robustness of P, PD, PI and PID control architectures. Our theoretical findings, validated through experiments using the BSim agent-based simulation platform for bacterial populations, demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of our multicellular PID control strategy.

Feature-selective adaptation of numerosity perception.

Perceptual adaptation has been widely used to infer the existence of numerosity detectors, enabling animals to quickly estimate the number of objects in a scene. Here, we investigated, in humans, whether numerosity adaptation is influenced by stimulus feature changes as previous research suggested that adaptation is reduced when the colour of adapting and test stimuli did not match. We tested whether such adaptation reduction is due to unspecific novelty effects or changes of stimuli identity.

Optimizing Prostate Cancer Surgery for Seniors: Single-Port Robotic-Assisted Platform.

The Da Vinci single-port (SP) platform is being used more frequently in radical prostatectomy (RP). In this study we aimed to compare the complications and oncological outcomes of the Da Vinci SP platform in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP) between elderly and young age-groups and to further examine differences between young-old and old-old patients. Data from 193 patients who underwent SP-RARP between December 2018 and June 2024 were analyzed.

Investigating how reproductive traits in rice respond to abiotic stress.

Oryza sativa is one of the most important crops and a food source for billions of people. Anthropic global warming, soil erosion, and unstable environmental conditions affect both its vegetative and reproductive growth, and consequently the final yield of its cultivation. The reproductive phase starts with the transition of apical meristem from vegetative to reproductive, which develops into a panicle, proceeds through the differentiation of the floret, and, after fertilization, the filling of the grain.

Enantioselective Catalytic Synthesis of Inherently Chiral Calixarenes.

Since the introduction of the concept of inherent chirality by Böhmer, an important part of research focused on the asymmetric synthesis of calixarene macrocycles. However, long synthetic procedures and tedious separation strategies hampered the application of this technology in many topics of organic chemistry, including enantioselective molecular recognition and catalysis. Very recently, a new generation of enantioselective catalytic methodologies has been reported, able to provide highly functionalized, inherently chiral calixarenes in a straightforward manner.