Endobronchial Suture of Tracheoesophageal Fistula Through Rigid Bronchoscopy Without Tracheostomy: A Preliminary, Observational Retrospective Study.

A tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) represents a condition characterized by abnormal communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the airways. Although the current gold-standard treatment is surgery, pre-existing clinical conditions may represent contraindications. We therefore propose a bronchoscopic approach through rigid bronchoscopy without tracheostomy for total repair in patients suffering from benign tracheoesophageal fistulas.

The Role of Incentive Spirometry in Enhanced Recovery After Lung Cancer Resection: A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Postoperative physiotherapy is a cornerstone of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs, especially following lung resection. Despite its importance, the literature lacks clear recommendations and guidelines, particularly regarding the role of incentive spirometry (IS). This study aims to determine whether incentive spirometry offers additional benefits over early ambulation alone in patients undergoing lung resection for primary lung cancer.

Could Pulsed Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging Solve the Diagnostic Dilemma of Right Atrial Masses and Pseudomasses? A Case Series and Literature Review.

Even if rarely detected, right atrial (RA) masses represent a diagnostic challenge due to their heterogeneous presentation. Para-physiological RA structures, such as a prominent Eustachian valve, Chiari's network, and lipomatous atrial hypertrophy, may easily be misinterpreted as pathological RA masses, including thrombi, myxomas, and vegetations. Each pathological mass should always be correlated with adequate clinical, anamnestic, and laboratory data.

Absorbable Powder Haemostat Use in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery.

: Significant intraoperative and postoperative blood loss are rare but possibly life-threatening complications after lung resection surgery either during open or minimally invasive procedures. Microporous Polysaccharide Haemospheres (ARISTA™AH) have demonstrated time-efficient haemostasis, lower postoperative blood volumes and a lower blood transfusion requirement, without any identified adverse events across other specialities. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of ARISTA™AH on short-term postoperative outcomes in thoracic surgery.

Pediatric Bell's Palsy: Prognostic Factors, Management Strategy, and Treatment Outcomes.

Bell's palsy (BP) is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden unilateral peripheral facial paralysis. The etiology in children remains largely unknown, and standardized management strategies are lacking. The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to evaluate clinical features, laboratory markers, and therapeutic options associated with recovery to identify potential prognostic factors and validate therapeutic strategies, with a particular focus on the role of corticosteroids and vitamin supplementation.

Cangrelor in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

: Cangrelor provides rapid platelet inhibition, making it a potential option for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, clinical data on its use after OHCA are limited. This study investigates in-hospital outcomes of cangrelor use in this population.

Echocardiography in the Ventilated Patient: What the Clinician Has to Know.

Heart and lung sharing the same anatomical space are influenced by each other. Spontaneous breathing induces dynamic changes in intrathoracic pressure, impacting cardiac function, particularly the right ventricle. In intensive care units (ICU), mechanical ventilation (MV) and therefore positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) are often applied, and this inevitably influences cardiac function.

Accuracy of Full-Arch Intraoral Scans Versus Conventional Impression: A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis and a Proposal to Standardise the Analysis of the Accuracy.

The aim of this study was to systematically revise the state of art of the accuracy of digital and conventional impressions in clinical full-arch scenarios. Electronic and manual searches were conducted up to December 2024. Only trials comparing the accuracy of digital versus conventional impressions were selected by two independent reviewers.

Assessing Malignant Risk in B3 Breast Lesions: Clinical Insights and Implications.

: B3 breast lesions, characterized by uncertain malignant potential, pose a significant challenge for clinicians. With the increasing use of preoperative biopsies, there is a need for careful management strategies, including watchful waiting, vacuum-assisted excision (VAE), and surgery. This study aims to assess the concordance between preoperative biopsy findings and postoperative histology, with a focus on evaluating the positive predictive value (PPV) for malignancy in B3 lesions.

Orthodontic Management in Pediatric Patients with Rare Diseases: Case Reports.

: The orthodontic management of pediatric patients with rare diseases, such as Ectodermal Dysplasia (ED) and Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), requires complex protocols due to dental anomalies in both the number and structure of teeth. These conditions necessitate a departure from traditional orthodontic approaches, as skeletal anchoring is often required because of these anomalies. A patient with ED, characterized by hypodontia and malformed teeth, presented with insufficient natural teeth for anchorage.

Physiological Root Resorption of Deciduous Teeth: An ATR-FTIR Approach.

: The study exploited, for the first time, Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform-InfraRed (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy on human dental pulps at different timings of root resorption (RR) to deepen the biological mechanisms occurring in deciduous teeth (De) during their replacement with permanent ones. : N:36 dental pulps from sound De were divided into the following: G0 (no RR); G1 (RR less than 1/3 of root length); G2 (RR not exceeding 2/3 of root length); and G3 (RR more than 2/3 of root length). Samples were analyzed by ATR-FTIR, and the spectral data were submitted to univariate (One-way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison tests; statistical significance set at < 0.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with LARS Synthetic Ligament: Outcomes and Failures.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in athletes, but their prevalence has also increased among adults. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is a key treatment option, with graft choice playing a critical role in recovery. The study evaluates the clinical and functional outcomes of ACLR using the Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System (LARS) in patients over 35 years old.

Predictors of Splenectomy Response in Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Multicentric Italian Study.

: Splenectomy leads to a high rate of remission in chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), but its unpredictable long-term positive outcomes and that it is a irreversible surgical approach discourage clinicians and patients. The identification of predictors of response may redefine the timing of splenectomy. In this retrospective, multicentric study we aimed to investigate clinical-histological predictors of splenectomy response in ITP patients and provide an easy-to-use score to predict splenectomy response in ITP.

An Approach to and Treatment of Indeterminate Biliary Strictures: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

This review aims to focus on what we know about the management of biliary strictures of unknown etiology, especially exploring our diagnostic armamentarium in the setting of indeterminate biliary strictures. Presently, this is a current issue that has a relevant impact both on patient prognosis, often delaying diagnosis, and on overall costs associated with repeating diagnostic procedures, sometimes performed with very expensive devices. We also focus on current biliary drainage approaches, providing an overview of therapeutic options, endoscopic or not.

Clinical Impact of Sarcopenia in the Decision-Making Process for Patients with Acute Diverticulitis.

Acute diverticulitis (AD), an inflammatory complication of diverticulosis, affects around 4% of individuals with diverticulosis, with increased incidence in older populations. This study aims to assess the impact of sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, on the clinical decision-making and outcomes of patients with AD. A retrospective study was conducted on 237 patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) between January 2014 and February 2022.

Use of Deproteinized Bovine Bone in Association with Calcium Sulphate for Alveolar Socket Preservation.

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the histomorphometry of post-extractive sites previously grafted with deproteinized bovine bone, with or without the association of a calcium sulphate preparation. The retrospective evaluation comprehended patients previously selected and treated for the extraction of one or more mono-radicular teeth, followed by an implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. Post-extractive sites had been randomly assigned to test or control group, respectively, if deproteinized bovine bone was used in association with a calcium sulphate preparation or alone.

Exploring the Hearing Improvement and Parental Stress in Children with Hearing Loss Using Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants.

This study aims to describe the stress levels experienced by parents of children with hearing loss who use conventional hearing aids or cochlear implants, and to assess the correlation between parental stress and the auditory skills acquired by the children. The study was conducted at the Policlinic "Gaetano Martino" in Messina, evaluating data from 42 pairs of parents of children using hearing aids or cochlear implants. Parents completed the LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) and the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) 18 months after the initial device (hearing aid or cochlear implant) had been activated.

Management of ERCP-Related Perforations: A Single-Center Experience.

Perforations represent rare but serious complications in ERCP. Although several therapeutic algorithms have been proposed to properly address these potentially life-threatening events, there is still no clear consensus on their management. We conducted a single-center retrospective study in order to assess the incidence of ERCP-related perforations and their management, as well as clinical outcomes.

Tendon Anomaly Identification in Prestressed Concrete Beams Based on an Advanced Monitoring MEMS and Data-Driven Detection of Structural Damage.

The growing importance of state assessments in civil engineering has led to intensive research into the development of damage identification methods based on vibrations. Natural frequencies and modal shapes have garnered great interest because modal parameters are invariant of structure. Moreover, thanks to the global nature of modal parameters, their variations are not limited to the location of the damage.

Characterization of Hazelnut Trees in Open Field Through High-Resolution UAV-Based Imagery and Vegetation Indices.

The increasing demand for hazelnut kernels is favoring an upsurge in hazelnut cultivation worldwide, but ongoing climate change threatens this crop, affecting yield decreases and subject to uncontrolled pathogen and parasite attacks. Technical advances in precision agriculture are expected to support farmers to more efficiently control the physio-pathological status of crops. Here, we report a straightforward approach to monitoring hazelnut trees in an open field, using aerial multispectral pictures taken by drones.

An Inverse FEM for Structural Health Monitoring of a Containership: Sensor Network Optimization for Accurate Displacement, Strain, and Internal Force Reconstruction.

In naval engineering, particular attention has been given to containerships, as these structures are constantly exposed to potential damage during service hours and since they are essential for large-scale transportation. To assess the structural integrity of these ships and to ensure the safety of the crew and the cargo being transported, it is essential to adopt structural health monitoring (SHM) strategies that enable real-time evaluations of a ship's status. To achieve this, this paper introduces an advancement in the field of smart sensing and SHM that improves ship monitoring and diagnostic capabilities.

Movement Disorders and Smart Wrist Devices: A Comprehensive Study.

In the medical field, there are several very different movement disorders, such as tremors, Parkinson's disease, or Huntington's disease. A wide range of motor and non-motor symptoms characterizes them. It is evident that in the modern era, the use of smart wrist devices, such as smartwatches, wristbands, and smart bracelets is spreading among all categories of people.

A Deep Learning-Based Framework Oriented to Pathological Gait Recognition with Inertial Sensors.

Abnormal locomotor patterns may occur in case of either motor damages or neurological conditions, thus potentially jeopardizing an individual's safety. Pathological gait recognition (PGR) is a research field that aims to discriminate among different walking patterns. A PGR-oriented system may benefit from the simulation of gait disorders by healthy subjects, since the acquisition of actual pathological gaits would require either a higher experimental time or a larger sample size.

Fiber Bragg Grating Thermometry and Post-Treatment Ablation Size Analysis of Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation on Ex Vivo Liver, Kidney and Lung.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes localized heat to treat tumors by inducing localized tissue thermal damage. The present study aimed to evaluate the temperature evolution and spatial distribution, ablation size, and reproducibility of ablation zones in ex vivo liver, kidney, and lung using a commercial device, i.e.

Issues and Limitations on the Road to Fair and Inclusive AI Solutions for Biomedical Challenges.

Objective: In this paper, we explore the correlation between performance reporting and the development of inclusive AI solutions for biomedical problems. Our study examines the critical aspects of bias and noise in the context of medical decision support, aiming to provide actionable solutions. Contributions: A key contribution of our work is the recognition that measurement processes introduce noise and bias arising from human data interpretation and selection.