Body schema and corporeal self-recognition in the alien hand syndrome.

Objective: The alien hand syndrome (AHS) is a rare neuropsychological disorder characterized by involuntary, yet purposeful, hand movements. Patients with the AHS typically complain about a loss of agency associated with a feeling of estrangement for actions performed by the affected limb. The present study explores the integrity of the body representation in AHS, focusing on 2 main processes: multisensory integration and visual self-recognition of body parts.

Impact of ibrutinib dose adherence on therapeutic efficacy in patients with previously treated CLL/SLL.

Ibrutinib, an oral inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), at a once-daily dose of 420 mg achieved BTK active-site occupancy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) that was maintained at 24 hours. It is unknown if intermittent interruption of ibrutinib therapy contributes to altered clinical outcomes. We therefore evaluated the effect of ibrutinib dose adherence on patient outcomes in the phase 3 RESONATE trial.

Blood trace metals in a sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis geographical cluster.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder with unknown etiology, in which genetic and environmental factors interplay to determine the onset and the course of the disease. Exposure to toxic metals has been proposed to be involved in the etiology of the disease either through a direct damage or by promoting oxidative stress. In this study we evaluated the concentration of a panel of metals in serum and whole blood of a small group of sporadic patients, all living in a defined geographical area, for which acid mine drainage has been reported.

Combined totally mini-invasive approach in necrotizing pancreatitis: a case report and systematic literature review.

Background: Currently, both the step-up approach, combining percutaneous drainage (PD) and video-assisted retroperitoneal debridement (VARD), and endoscopic transgastric necrosectomy (ETN) are mini-invasive techniques for infected necrosis in severe acute pancreatitis. A combination of these approaches could maximize the management of necrotizing pancreatitis, conjugating the benefits from both the experiences. However, reporting of this combined strategy is anecdotal.

The FAST D protocol: a simple method to rule out traumatic vascular injuries of the lower extremities.

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of a Fast Doppler protocol for the examination of an injured lower limb, namely 2-Point Fast Doppler (2PFD), in order to rapidly triage arterial lesions after penetrating trauma.

Methods: The presence of flow and the aspects of the Doppler waveform of the dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) and posterior tibial artery (PTA) of the injured lower limb (2PFD) were evaluated immediately before the execution of a standardized Color Duplex Doppler (SD) evaluation in 149 limbs of 140 patients with gunshot penetrating injuries. We considered 2PFD normal exams as the ones with triphasic patterns in both the DPA and PTA, and 2PFD pathologic exams as the ones with absent, biphasic, or monophasic flow patterns in the DPA and/or PTA.

A European multicentre study on the comparison of HCV viral loads between VERIS HCV assay and COBAS TaqMan HCV Test and RealTime HCV Assay.

Background: Beckman Coulter has developed the VERIS HCV Assay for use on the new fully automated DxN VERIS Molecular Diagnostic System for HCV viral load monitoring.

Objectives: Evaluate the clinical performance of the new quantitative VERIS HCV Assay.

Study Design: Comparison was performed on 279 plasma specimens from HCV infected patients tested with the VERIS HCV Assay and COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS Taqman HCV Test and 369 specimens tested with the VERIS HCV Assay and RealTime HCV Assay.

Trends in heart failure hospitalizations, patient characteristics, in-hospital and 1-year mortality: A population study, from 2000 to 2012 in Lombardy.

Background: This study was undertaken to evaluate trends in heat failure hospitalizations (HFHs) and 1-year mortality of HFH in Lombardy, the largest Italian region, from 2000 to 2012.

Methods: Hospital discharge forms with HF-related ICD-9 CM codes collected from 2000 to 2012 by the regional healthcare service (n=699797 in 370538 adult patients), were analyzed with respect to in-hospital and 1-year mortality; Group (G) 1 included most acute HF episodes with primary cardiac diagnosis (70%); G2 included cardiomyopathies without acute HF codes (17%); and G3 included non-cardiac conditions with HF as secondary diagnosis (13%). Patients experiencing their first HFH since 2005 were analyzed as incident cases (n=216782).

Genetic Counseling Dilemmas for a Patient with Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Frontotemporal Degeneration & Parkinson's Disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal degeneration and Parkinson's disease may be different expressions of the same neurodegenerative disease. However, association between ALS and parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS-PDC) has only rarely been reported apart from the cluster detected in Guam. We report a patient presenting with ALS-PDC in whom pathological mutations/expansions were investigated.

The genetic and clinical spectrum of a large cohort of patients with distal renal tubular acidosis.

Primary distal renal tubular acidosis is a rare genetic disease. Mutations in SLC4A1, ATP6V0A4, and ATP6V1B1 genes have been described as the cause of the disease, transmitted as either an autosomal dominant or recessive trait. Particular clinical features, such as sensorineural hearing loss, have been mainly described in association with mutations in one gene instead of the others.

The complex interplay between clinical and person-centered diabetes outcomes in the two genders.

Background: New approaches to cope with clinical and psychosocial aspects of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are needed; gender influences the complex interplay between clinical and non-clinical factors. We used data from the BENCH-D study to assess gender-differences in terms of clinical and person-centered measures in T2DM.

Methods: Clinical quality of care indicators relative to control of HbA1c, lipid profile, blood pressure, and BMI were derived from electronic medical records.

Obesity-Induced Metabolic Stress Leads to Biased Effector Memory CD4 T Cell Differentiation via PI3K p110δ-Akt-Mediated Signals.

Low-grade systemic inflammation associated to obesity leads to cardiovascular complications, caused partly by infiltration of adipose and vascular tissue by effector T cells. The signals leading to T cell differentiation and tissue infiltration during obesity are poorly understood. We tested whether saturated fatty acid-induced metabolic stress affects differentiation and trafficking patterns of CD4 T cells.

Surveillance of paediatric exposures to liquid laundry detergent pods in Italy.

Objective: To analyse paediatric exposures to pod and traditional laundry detergents in Italy and changes in exposure trends.

Methods: Analyses of a series of patients aged <5 years and exposed to laundry detergents between September 2010 and June 2015, identified by the National Poison Control in Milan.

Results: In comparison with patients exposed to traditional laundry detergents (n=1150), a higher proportion of those exposed to pods (n=1649) were managed in hospital (68% vs 42%), had clinical effects (75% vs 22%) and moderate/high severity outcomes (13% vs <1%).

Relationship among body mass index, NT-proBNP, and mortality in decompensated chronic heart failure.

Background: Obesity has been suggested to confer a survival benefit in acute heart failure. The concentrations of NT-proBNP may be reduced in patients with high body mass index (BMI).

Objectives: To investigate the relationship among BMI, NT-proBNP, and mortality risk in decompensated chronic heart failure (DCHF).

Is there a role for homeopathy in breast cancer surgery? A first randomized clinical trial on treatment with to reduce post-operative seroma and bleeding in patients undergoing total mastectomy.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of on post-operative blood loss and seroma production in women undergoing unilateral total mastectomy by administering 1000 Korsakovian dilution (1000 K).

Materials And Methods: From 2012 to 2014, 53 women were randomly assigned to or placebo and were followed up for 5 days. The main end point was the reduction in blood and serum volumes collected in drainages.

European Multicenter Study on Analytical Performance of DxN Veris System HCV Assay.

The analytical performance of the Veris HCV Assay for use on the new and fully automated Beckman Coulter DxN Veris Molecular Diagnostics System (DxN Veris System) was evaluated at 10 European virology laboratories. Precision, analytical sensitivity, specificity, and performance with negative samples, linearity, and performance with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes were evaluated. Precision for all sites showed a standard deviation (SD) of 0.

Life-threatening complications after ureteroscopy for urinary stones: survey and systematic literature review.

Introduction: Retrograde ureteroscopy (URS) has become a common procedure for the management of urinary stones. Although its efficacy and safety are well known, the literature about major complications is still poor. This study highlighted some cases of life-threatening complications after semi-rigid ureteroscopy (s-URS) or flexible ureteroscopy (f-URS).

Arterial Stiffness in Aortic Stenosis: Relationship with Severity and Echocardiographic Procedures Response.

Introduction: Aortic stenosis (AS) is more than only a degenerative disease, it could be also an atherosclerotic-like process involving the valve instead of the vessels. Little is known about the relation of arterial stiffness and AS.

Aim: We sought to determine wether pulse wave velocity (PWV), is related to AS severity and to the procedures response, both as surgical aortic-valve-replacement (AVR) and trascatheter-aortic-valve-implantation (TAVI).

Feasibility and Value of Radiographic Union Score Hip Fracture after Treatment with Intramedullary Nail of Stable Hip Fractures.

Introduction: Given the importance of fracture healing on patient outcome in clinical practice, it is critical to assess fracture healing.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the Radiographic Union Score Hip fracture after treatment with intramedullary nail of stable hip fractures.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected the data from the clinical records of our institution of the 47 patientswho had undergone intertrochanteric hip fracture treatment using an intramedullary nail.

Resting state brain connectivity patterns before eventual relapse into cocaine abuse.

According to recent theories, drug addicted patients suffer of an impaired response inhibition and salience attribution (I-RISA) together with a perturbed connectivity between the nuclei accumbens (NAcs) and the orbito-prefrontal (oPFC) and dorsal prefrontal (dPFC) cortices, brain regions associated with motivation and cognitive control. To empirically test these assumptions, we evaluated the (neuro)psychological trait and the functional organization of the resting state brain networks associated with the NAcs in 18 former cocaine abusers (FCAs), while being in drug abstinence since 5 months. The psychological data were grouped into three empirical variables related with emotion regulation, emotion awareness and strategic and controlled behaviour.