Pathophysiology of Takotsubo Syndrome: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has been a recognized clinical entity for 31 years, since its first description in 1990. TTS is now routinely diagnosed in patients who present with acute chest pain, electrocardiographic changes, troponin elevation, unobstructed coronary arteries, and a typical pattern of circumferential left ventricular wall motion abnormalities that usually involve the apical and midventricular myocardium. Increasing understanding of this intriguing syndrome stems from wider recognition, possible increasing frequency, and a rising number of publications focused on the pathophysiology in clinical and laboratory studies.

Umbilical cord-derived Wharton's jelly for treatment of knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a non-randomized, open-label, multi-center trial.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the USA, and knee OA has the highest prevalence. Inflammation and decrease in vascularization are key factors in the degeneration of articular cartilage and the associated pain and decrease in function. To combat this process, the use of biologics including umbilical cord-derived Wharton's Jelly (UC-derived WJ) has grown.

Genetic characterization of a cohort with familial parkinsonism and cognitive-behavioral syndrome: A Next Generation Sequencing study.

Objective: To perform the genetic characterization of a cohort with familial parkinsonism and cognitive-behavioral syndrome.

Methods: A Next Generation Sequencing - based targeted sequencing of 32 genes associated to various neurodegenerative phenotypes, plus a screening for SNCA Copy Number Variations and C9orf72 repeat expansion, was applied in a cohort of 85 Italian patients presenting with parkinsonism and cognitive and/or behavioral syndrome and a positive familial history for any neurodegenerative disorder (i.e.

Cardiac surgery practice during the COVID-19 outbreak: a regionwide survey.

Background: Health systems worldwide have been overburdened by the "COVID-19 surge". Consequently, strategies to remodulate non-COVID medical and surgical care had to be developed. Knowledge of the impact of COVID surge on cardiac surgery practice is mainstem.

Quadriceps muscle group function and after total knee arthroplasty-asystematic narrative update.

Background: This article systematically summarizes the present evidences, published in the last 20 years, regarding the pre- and post-operative factors, which may influence recovery of the function of the quadriceps muscle group following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We following the PRISMA methodology, including meta-analyses and high-level evidence studies (prospective trials, and, when unavailable, retrospective studies).

Sources Of Data: Pubmed and Cochrane databases: 582 articles were identified and 54 of them were selected.

Infection control strategy and primary care assistance in Campania region during the national lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak: the experience of two tertiary emergency centers.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has markedly affected emergency care, due to sudden limitation of health care capacity by general practitioners (GP) and urgent need for infection control strategies. We evaluated the activity of the Emergency Department (ED) during the national lockdown (March 8-April 30), as well as the outcomes of our infection control strategy.

Results: Despite a reduction in access by one fifth, a proportion of febrile patients comparable to 2019 was seen (829/2492, 33.

Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke due to tandem lesions of the anterior cerebral circulation: a multicentric Italian observational study.

Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to tandem lesions (TLs) of extracranial Internal Carotid Artery and Anterior Cerebral Circulation are challenging for endovascular treatment (EVT). This study aims to evaluate feasibility, safety and efficacy of EVT for TLs' AIS, with or without emergent carotid artery stenting (eCAS), in a real-life scenario.

Methods: Retrospective review of prospectively collected non-randomized thrombectomy databases from five stroke centers between 2015 and 2019.

Long-Range Auditory Functional Connectivity in Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation.

Patients with age-related sensorineural hearing loss (HL) may benefit from auditory input amplification by using hearing aids (HAs). However, the impact of both HL- and HA-based rehabilitation on central auditory functional connectivity (FC) is not clear. Sixty-two HL (22 females, aged 64.

A multicentric quality-control study of exercise Doppler echocardiography of the right heart and the pulmonary circulation. The RIGHT Heart International NETwork (RIGHT-NET).

Purpose: This study was a quality-control study of resting and exercise Doppler echocardiography (EDE) variables measured by 19 echocardiography laboratories with proven experience participating in the RIGHT Heart International NETwork.

Methods: All participating investigators reported the requested variables from ten randomly selected exercise stress tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to evaluate the inter-observer agreement with the core laboratory.

A Case Series of Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasia.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), an extremely rare and aggressive tumor, derives from plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors and is characterized by CD4 and CD56 positivity accompanied by the expression of isolated myeloid, B- or T-cell lineage markers. Despite the recent introduction of specific targeted therapies, prognosis is still poor with a median overall survival of one year, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation remains the only curative treatment in eligible patients. In this series, we described two cases of adult BPDCN treated with high dose cytarabine and methotrexate and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or fludarabine, cytarabine, and idarubicin achieving the first a complete lasting remission, while the second only a transient improvement in skin lesions.

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Simulation Bite to Predict the Success of Oral Appliance Therapy in Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS).

Study Objectives: Oral appliances have gained their place in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) where custom-made titratable mandibular advancement devices (MAD) have become the oral appliance of choice. This study aimed to asses the value of the drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) using a MAD in the prediction of treatment outcome for OSAHS.

Methods: This is a prospective, single-center cohort study that enrolled sixty-six consecutive patients with diagnosed OSA (5 events/h < apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 50 events/h) to be treated with a custom-made titratable MAD.

Osteotomies for avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Background: In osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), blood supply is insufficient for the metabolic requirements of the bone. The initial management is conservative, and, in case of failure, surgery is indicated. Osteotomies aim to change the spatial position of the necrotic portion of the femoral head.

Small interfering RNAs in tendon homeostasis.

Background: Tenogenesis and tendon homeostasis are guided by genes encoding for the structural molecules of tendon fibres. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), acting on gene regulation, can therefore participate in the process of tendon healing.

Sources Of Data: A systematic search of different databases to October 2020 identified 17 suitable studies.

Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes, Overlapping Diseases with a Common Cytokine Signature.

Bone marrow failure (BMF) syndromes are a heterogenous group of non-malignant hematologic diseases characterized by single- or multi-lineage cytopenia(s) with either inherited or acquired pathogenesis. Aberrant T or B cells or innate immune responses are variously involved in the pathophysiology of BMF, and hematological improvement after standard immunosuppressive or anti-complement therapies is the main indirect evidence of the central role of the immune system in BMF development. As part of this immune derangement, pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in shaping the immune responses and in sustaining inflammation during marrow failure.

Fate of a coronary artery intramural haematoma complicating aortic root surgery: a case report.

Background: Coronary intramural haematoma (CIH) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication during aortic root surgery (such as Bentall procedure). Depending on its extension it can lead to cardiogenic shock. Documented reports of this complication are lacking in literature.

Computer assisted total knee arthroplasty: 2.5 years follow-up of 200 cases.

Introduction: Computer assisted surgery in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) should improve accuracy of both femoral and tibial components placement. This study evaluated the functional outcomes of computer navigated total knee arthroplasty through the Knee Society Score (KSS) and Tegner Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (TLKSS).

Materials And Methods: Between September 2007 and February 2013, 180 patients (200 knees; 109 females and 71 males; mean age: 64 years) undergoing computer-assisted TKA were recruited.

Axitinib in Ponatinib-Resistant B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Harboring a T315L Mutation.

Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with BCR-ABL1 rearrangement (Philadelphia chromosome, Ph) is a hematological aggressive disease with a fatal outcome in more than 50% of cases. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the activity of BCR-ABL1 protein have improved the prognosis; however, relapses are frequent because of acquired somatic mutations in the BCR-ABL1 kinase domain causing resistance to first, second and third generation TKIs. Axitinib has shown in vitro and ex vivo activity in blocking ABL1; however, clinical trials exploring its efficacy in ALL are missing.

Cardiovascular risk factors and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis of 45 studies and 18,300 patients.

Background: A high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors including age, male sex, hypertension, diabetes, and tobacco use, has been reported in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who experienced adverse outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: MEDLINE, Cochrane, Web of Sciences, and SCOPUS were searched for retrospective or prospective observational studies reporting data on cardiovascular risk factors and in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.