A Decades-Long Journey of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) for Chronic Neuropathic Pain Management: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been prescribed in neuropathic pain management for over 20 years. This study aims to summarize what has been published on the topic in the last 15 years and determine the appropriateness of the prescribing. It describes the pharmacological aspect of PEA, especially focusing on its pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

A genome-wide association study of European advanced cancer patients treated with opioids identifies regulatory variants on chromosome 20 associated with pain intensity.

Background: Opioids in step III of the WHO analgesic ladder are the standard of care for treating cancer pain. However, a significant minority of patients do not benefit from therapy. Genetics might play a role in predisposing patients to a good or poor response to opioids.

Human stromal cell-based protocol to generate astrocytes: a straightforward predictive strategy in neurotoxicology.

The inherent adaptability of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) to differentiate into neural lineages provides a valuable resource for investigating potential neurotoxicity in humans. By harnessing the ability of hMSCs to transform into astrocytes, we can evaluate the effects of various agents on these vital cells. Our protocol employs hMSCs sourced from umbilical cord tissue, ensuring a readily available supply of high-quality cells.

Dynamics Calculations of the Flexibility and Vibrational Spectrum of the Linear Alkane CH, Based on Machine-Learned Potentials.

Hydrocarbons are the central feedstock of fuels, solvents, lubricants, and the starting materials for many synthetic materials, and thus the physical properties of hydrocarbons have received intense study. Among these, the molecular flexibility and the power and infrared spectroscopies are the focus of this paper. These are examined for the linear alkane CH using molecular dynamics (MD) calculations and recent machine-learned potentials.

Lipoprotein(a) throughout life in women.

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a lipoprotein with multiple deleterious characteristics and is a recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. The pro-atherogenic, pro-thrombotic, and pro-inflammatory features of Lp(a) are associated not only with atherosclerotic vascular disease but also with aortic valve calcification and all-cause mortality. One of the most interesting aspects of Lp(a) is that its level is determined by genetics in more than 90% of cases, with lifestyle habits having very little influence.

Random-Sequence DNA Oligomers Make Liquid Crystals: A Case of Collective Ordering in a Superdiverse Environment.

The availability of synthetic, analytical, and predictive tools makes DNA an ideal platform, not yet considered, to investigate statistical and soft matter physics. Here we report and interpret the equilibrium collective ordering in solutions of random-sequence DNA (rsDNA) oligomers of lengths = 8 and = 12. Despite the extreme molecular diversity inherent in rsDNA solutions, which for = 12 are composed of 20 million distinct molecular species, these systems develop long-range columnar liquid crystal (LC) ordering when equilibrated at high osmotic pressure.

Maxillary Sinusitis Following Orthognathic Surgery: Should It Be Considered Odontogenic Sinusitis?

Maxillary sinusitis is a recognized complication following dental procedures, but its occurrence after orthognathic surgery, such as Le Fort osteotomies, remains less documented. This case report presents a 58-year-old female who developed unilateral maxillary sinusitis 23 years post-orthognathic surgery. The patient was asymptomatic, aside from occasional cacosmia, and was incidentally found to have sinus opacification on a computed tomography (CT) scan performed for implant-prosthetic rehabilitation.

Enhancing Efficiency in Meniscal Repair: A Novel In-House Vacuum Suction Technique for Suture Loading in Long Hollow Needles and Devices.

Background: Suture-loaded long hollow needles are used in arthroscopic surgery to pass or retrieve sutures and in meniscal repair surgeries. However, manual suture loading can be time-consuming and challenging, especially with finer sutures. We present a novel technique using vacuum suction to simplify and expedite suture loading in hollow needles and similar devices.

Italian validation of the IBD-disk tool for the assessment of disability in inflammatory bowel diseases: A cross-sectional multicenter study.

Introduction: IBD-Disk is a simple, easy-to-use, and self-administered analogue visual tool for assessing disability in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, it has not yet been validated in Italian. This study aims to validate IBD-Disk in an Italian cross-sectional multicentre study.

ASGR1 deficiency improves atherosclerosis but alters liver metabolism in ApoE mice.

The asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1), a multivalent carbohydrate-binding receptor that primarily is responsible for recognizing and eliminating circulating glycoproteins with exposed galactose (Gal) or N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) as terminal glycan residues, has been implicated in modulating the lipid metabolism and reducing cardiovascular disease burden. In this study, we investigated the impact of ASGR1 deficiency (ASGR1 on atherosclerosis by evaluating its effects on plaque formation, lipid metabolism, circulating immunoinflammatory response, and circulating N-glycome under the hypercholesterolemic condition in ApoE-deficient mice. After 16 weeks of a western-type diet, ApoE/ASGR1 mice presented lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to ApoE.

Improved glycemic and weight control with Dulaglutide addition in SGLT2 inhibitor treated obese type 2 diabetic patients at high cardiovascular risk in a real-world setting. The AWARE-2 study.

We evaluated the effects on glycemic control and body weight of a GLP1-RA in obese type 2 diabetic patients treated with SGLT2-inhibitors and other hypoglycemic agents and/or insulin, in a real-world setting. A cohort of 583 type 2 diabetic outpatients treated with a SGLT2 inhibitor and/or other anti-diabetic medications were examined. Because patients had suboptimal glycemic control, the GLP1-RA Dulaglutide was added to ongoing medications.

Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant staphylococci and mammaliicocci in the bulk tank milk of dairy cows from a livestock-dense area in northern Italy.

Staphylococcus aureus is the main etiologic agent of contagious dairy cow mastitis, while non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are the bacteria most frequently isolated from milk. Beyond their impact on animal health, NASM can harbor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes with potential for bidirectional transfer with S. aureus, and methicillin-resistant (MR) staphylococci (MRS) can raise significant One Health concerns.

Delving into Uncontrolled or Severe Asthma: Perspectives from Patients and Healthcare Professionals in a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Despite the effectiveness of inhalation therapy, uncontrolled or severe asthma remains prevalent challenges in respiratory care Narrative Medicine (NM) offers a linguistic approach to comprehending illness experiences, thereby providing a framework for advancing healthcare.

Aim: The primary aim of this study was to gather narratives from individuals grappling with severe or uncontrolled asthma and their Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), in order to explore the intricate interplay among quality of care, quality of life, psychological and social determinants, and adherence patterns.

Methods: A cross-sectional NM study was conducted in Italy from February to December 2023, encompassing 135 patients with uncontrolled or severe asthma (54.

Web discussions on cardiovascular diseases: pre-COVID-19 evaluation and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic - Web listening analysis in the Italian population.

Background: Web discussions on health issues are becoming very relevant in the general public. In this context, little information is available regarding cardiovascular diseases, which remain the first cause of morbidity, disability and mortality worldwide. The central objective of the study was to conduct a Web listening analysis on discussions about cardiovascular diseases in Italy, comparing the data relative to the 2-year pre-COVID-19 pandemic period with those collected during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (March-July 2020), with quantification of conversations on cardiovascular disease and Web-based discussions and specific evaluation of COVID-19 lockdown impact.

Cardiomyocyte and stromal cell cross-talk influences the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: a multi-level analysis uncovers DLK1-NOTCH pathway role in fibro-adipose remodelling.

Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a life-threatening, genetically determined disease primarily caused by mutations in desmosomal genes, such as PKP2. Currently, there is no etiological therapy for ACM due to its complex and not fully elucidated pathogenesis. Various cardiac cell types affected by the genetic mutation, such as cardiomyocytes (CM) and cardiac mesenchymal stromal cells (cMSC), individually contribute to the ACM phenotype, driving functional abnormalities and fibro-fatty substitution, respectively.

Integrating single nuclei and bulk RNA sequencing in rice shoot apical meristems uncovers candidate early floral transition gene networks.

We describe transcriptional dynamics at the rice shoot apex by integrating time resolved single nuclei RNA-seq with bulk RNA-seq data. In rice, short days trigger floral transition and the transcriptional reprogramming of the shoot apex to become reproductive. We integrated time-resolved bulk RNA-seq with single nuclei RNA-seq analysis to gain a refined understanding of the transcriptional programs induced at the shoot apex during floral transition.

A conserved acidic residue drives thyroxine synthesis within thyroglobulin and other protein precursors.

Thyroxine, the main hormone product of the thyroid, is produced at multiple sites within its protein precursor thyroglobulin. Each site consists of two tyrosine residues which undergo iodination and coupling, resulting in the synthesis of thyroxine at the acceptor tyrosine, where the hormone synthesis is later completed by proteolysis. Within the structurally resolved sites, the role of an essential conserved acidic residue preceding the acceptor remains elusive.

The international Hip Outcome Tool 12 questionnaire (iHOT-12): an Italian language cross-cultural adaptation and validation.

Background: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are essential for evaluating disease-related quality of life. The International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT12) assesses various aspects of hip-related symptoms, function, sports participation, and social limitations. This study aimed to adapt and validate an Italian version of the iHOT12 according to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

Development of metabolic signatures of plant-rich dietary patterns using plant-derived metabolites.

Background: Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor for human health, and plant-rich dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of non-communicable diseases in numerous studies. However, objective assessment of plant-rich dietary exposure in nutritional epidemiology remains challenging.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate metabolic signatures of the most widely used plant-rich dietary patterns using a targeted metabolomics method comprising 108 plant food metabolites.