Long-term safety and effectiveness of fenfluramine in children and adults with Dravet syndrome.

Objective: We analyzed the long-term safety and effectiveness of fenfluramine (FFA) in patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) in an open-label extension (OLE) study after participating in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or commencing FFA de novo as adults.

Methods: Patients with DS who participated in one of three RCTs or were 19 to 35 years of age and started FFA de novo were included. Key endpoints were: incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the safety population, and median percentage change in monthly convulsive seizure frequency (MCSF) from the RCT baseline to end of study (EOS) in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population.

Survey of the impact of BOLT-trial data on oncologists' and dermatologists' decision-making in treating patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumor in white populations. Multiple studies demonstrated that the aberrant activation of Hedgehog signaling is a driver of BCC development, and its blockade represents a potential therapeutic target. In Italy, clinicians can prescribe Hedgehog inhibitors (HhIs) vismodegib and sonidegib.

Breaking the cycle: Addressing the drucebo effect in lymphedema care.

The drucebo effect, a lesser-known counterpart to the nocebo effect, arises from negative perceptions specifically related to medical interventions and healthcare settings. This phenomenon can significantly influence the management of lymphedema, a chronic and often debilitating condition characterized by fluid retention and tissue swelling. The drucebo effect not only exacerbates symptom perception but also negatively impacts adherence to therapy and overall patient prognosis.

Expectancy Effects, Failure of Blinding Integrity, and Placebo Response in Trials of Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Narrative Review.

Importance: Expectancy effects are significant confounding factors in psychiatric randomized clinical trials (RCTs), potentially affecting the interpretation of study results. This narrative review is the first, to our knowledge, to explore the relationship between expectancy effects, compromised blinding integrity, and the effects of active treatment/placebo in psychiatric RCTs. Additionally, we present statistical and experimental approaches that may help mitigate the confounding impact of expectancy effects.

Management of high-surgical risk patients with acute cholecystitis following percutaneous cholecystostomy. results of an international Delphi consensus study.

Background: The management of high-surgical risk patients with moderate to severe acute cholecystitis is challenging in clinical practice. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered the gold standard for patients who do not respond to conservative treatment. However, for those unfit for surgery due to high-surgical risk, alternative treatment options such as percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) are available.

Endometriosis and cancer risk.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological benign disease. Epidemiological evidence suggests a potential association between endometriosis and cancer risk. Accumulating evidence highlighted the risk of ovarian cancer, particularly endometrioid and clear cell subtypes.

Spectroscopic Manifestation of a Weak van der Waals Interaction Between -Stilbene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Surface.

The interaction between organic molecules and nanomaterials leads to complexation or the functionalization of later and modification of their properties, which are promising for electronics, terahertz technology, photonics, medical imaging, drug delivery, and other applications. Based on theoretical and experimental (THz, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy) studies, we analyzed the main spectroscopic characteristics of a weakly bound van der Waals complex of -stilbene (TS) molecule and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Raman scattering was demonstrated to be the most effective tool to confirm complex formation, exhibiting blue-shifted TS fingerprint lines in the TS + hBN Raman spectrum with respect to the spectra of pure TS or BN.

Psychopathology in children before and after epilepsy surgery: a prospective controlled study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to prospectively assess the frequency and type of psychiatric disorders (PDs) in pediatric surgical candidates and evaluate the effects of epilepsy surgery on their psychopathological profile.

Methods: This is a prospective controlled study. Psychopathology was assessed using both diagnostic interviews and questionnaires completed by clinicians, parents, and whenever possible, patients, at baseline (T0) and 1 year after surgery in operated patients (T1) and 1 year after the first evaluation in a control group of nonoperated patients (T1).

Mechanical and Light Activation of Materials for Chemical Production.

Mechanical expansion and contraction of pores within photosynthetic organisms regulate a series of processes that are necessary to manage light absorption, control gas exchange, and regulate water loss. These pores, known as stoma, allow the plant to maximize photosynthetic output depending on environmental conditions such as light intensity, humidity, and temperature by actively changing the size of the stomal opening. Despite advances in artificial photosynthetic systems, little is known about the effect of such mechanical actuation in synthetic materials where chemical reactions occur.

Protothecosis in Dogs: A Narrative Review.

Protothecosis is a rare and unusual disease that affects both humans and animals, including dogs. The causative agents are unicellular, achlorophyllous, "yeast-like" microalgae of the genus Prototheca (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Although usually saprophytic, Prototheca may, under conditions of immunologic compromise, become pathogenic and even lethal to the host.

Preserving the Biologically Coherent Generic Concept of , 'Plant Destroyer'.

is a long-established, well known and globally important genus of plant pathogens. Phylogenetic evidence has shown that the biologically distinct, obligate biotrophic downy mildews evolved from at least twice. Since, cladistically, this renders 'paraphyletic', it has been proposed that evolutionary clades be split into multiple genera (Runge et al.

Risk of Serious Bacterial and Non-Bacterial Infections in People With MASLD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease globally. MASLD is a multisystem disease where metabolic dysfunction plays a key role in the development of MASLD and its most relevant liver-related morbidities and extrahepatic complications, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and certain types of extrahepatic cancers. Among the least examined MASLD-related extrahepatic complications, an ever-increasing number of observational studies have reported a positive association between MASLD and the risk of serious bacterial infections (SBI) requiring hospital admission.

Effect of the voxel size on the accuracy of endodontic length measurements using cone-beam computed tomography: A systematic review conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Background: The accurate determination of the working length (WL) is imperative for endodontic success.

Objectives: Our objective was to systematically analyze the available evidence on the impact of voxel size variation on the estimation of WL using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Material And Methods: An electronic search of the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria in March 2022.

Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters Associated with Double-Stranded Poly(dGdC) DNA.

Here, we demonstrate through AFM imaging and CD spectroscopy that the binding of silver ions (Ag) to poly(dGdC), a double-stranded (ds) DNA composed of two identical repeating strands, at a stoichiometry of one Ag per GC base pair induces a one-base shift of one strand relative to the other. This results in a ds nucleic acid-Ag conjugate consisting of alternating CC and GG base pairs coordinated by silver ions. The proposed organization of the conjugate is supported by the results of our Quantum Mechanical (QM) and Molecular Mechanics (MMs) calculations.

Biological Effects of Micro-/Nano-Plastics in Macrophages.

The environmental impact of plastics is worsened by their inadequate end-of-life disposal, leading to the ubiquitous presence of micro- (MPs) and nanosized (NPs) plastic particles. MPs and NPs are thus widely present in water and air and inevitably enter the food chain, with inhalation and ingestion as the main exposure routes for humans. Many recent studies have demonstrated that MPs and NPs gain access to several body compartments, where they are taken up by cells, increase the production of reactive oxygen species, and lead to inflammatory changes.

Enhanced CO Capture Using TiO Nanoparticle-Functionalized Solvent: A Study on Absorption Experiments.

The growing amount of carbon dioxide (CO) in the atmosphere significantly contributes to global warming and climate change. This study focuses on the use of aqueous potassium carbonate (KCO) solutions as a solvent for CO absorption, emphasizing the role of titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles in enhancing performance. A detailed understanding of reaction kinetics and the dynamic behavior of the absorber is crucial for optimizing the process.

Surface Grafting of Graphene Flakes with Fluorescent Dyes: A Tailored Functionalization Approach.

The controlled functionalization of graphene is critical for tuning and enhancing its properties, thereby expanding its potential applications. Covalent functionalization offers a deeper tuning of the geometric and electronic structure of graphene compared to non-covalent methods; however, the existing techniques involve side reactions and spatially uncontrolled functionalization, pushing research toward more selective and controlled methods. A promising approach is 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, successfully utilized with carbon nanotubes.

Enhancing the Morpho-Structural Stability of FAPbBr Solar Cells via 2D Nanoscale Layer Passivation of the Perovskite Interface: An In-Situ XRD Study.

Despite the huge progress achieved in the optimization of perovskite solar cell (PSC) performance, stability remains a limiting factor for technological commercialization. Here, a study on the photovoltaic, structural and morphological stability of semi-transparent formamidinium lead bromide-based PSCs is presented. This work focuses on the positive role of 2D nanoscale layer passivation, induced by perovskite surface treatment with a mixture of iso-Pentylammonium chloride (ISO) and neo-Pentylammonium chloride (NEO).

Insights into the Roles of GLP-1, DPP-4, and SGLT2 at the Crossroads of Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolic Pathophysiology.

In recent years, new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been proposed, including glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists or sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Over time, some of these agents (in particular, GLP-1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors), which were initially developed for their glucose-lowering actions, have demonstrated significant beneficial pleiotropic effects, thus expanding their potential therapeutic applications. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms, pleiotropic effects, and therapeutic potential of GLP-1, DPP-4, and SGLT2, with a particular focus on their cardiorenal benefits beyond glycemic control.