A Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PADOVA): Rationale, design, and baseline data.

Introduction: Prasinezumab was shown to potentially delay motor progression in individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) who were either treatment-naïve or on monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (MAO-Bi) therapy in the PASADENA study. We report the rationale, design, and baseline patient characteristics of the PADOVA study, designed to evaluate prasinezumab in an early-stage PD population receiving standard-of-care (SOC) symptomatic medications.

Methods: PADOVA (NCT04777331) is a Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, in which individuals with early-stage PD on SOC stable symptomatic monotherapy (levodopa or MAO-Bi) receive intravenous prasinezumab 1500 mg every 4 weeks.

Resting-State EEG Alpha Rhythms Are Related to CSF Tau Biomarkers in Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease.

Patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (ADMCI) typically show abnormally high delta (<4 Hz) and low alpha (8-12 Hz) rhythms measured from resting-state eyes-closed electroencephalographic (rsEEG) activity. Here, we hypothesized that the abnormalities in rsEEG activity may be greater in ADMCI patients than in those with MCI not due to AD (noADMCI). Furthermore, they may be associated with the diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-tau biomarkers in ADMCI patients.

Opicapone as adjunct to levodopa in treated Parkinson's disease without motor complications: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors are routinely used to manage motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD). We assessed the effect of opicapone on motor symptom severity in levodopa-treated patients without motor complications.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, 24-week, placebo-controlled study of opicapone 50 mg as adjunct to levodopa (NCT04978597).

Functional effect of adiponectin and body composition assessment in lung cancer subjects after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy.

Background: Lung cancer is a pathology with an important incidence. It is a multifactorial disease characterized by epigenetic and nutritional factors. Indeed, there is a strong association between adipose tissue and the pulmonary system, and low-grade inflammation of obese and/or overweight subjects have a pivotal role in lung cancer establishment.

Survival Outcomes of Durvalumab in Combination with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Real-World Results from a Single Italian Institution.

Introduction: The TOPAZ-1 phase III trial showed a survival benefit with durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). To understand this combination's real-world efficacy and tolerability, we conducted a retrospective analysis of its first-line treatment outcomes.

Methods: We included patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine, plus durvalumab.

A New Bis-Urea Based Cage Receptor for Anions: Synthesis, Solid State Structures and Binding Studies.

The synthesis and characterization of a novel bis-urea-based cage receptor for anions (3S,15S)-3,15,20,25-tetramethyl-1,4,6,12,14,17,20,25-octaazatricyclo[15.5.5.

Long-term safety and effectiveness of a somatropin biosimilar (Omnitrope) in children requiring growth hormone therapy: analysis of final data of Italian patients enrolled in the PATRO children study.

Purpose: Omnitrope (a somatropin biosimilar), used to treat growth disturbances, is considered to have a good safety profile in children. Here, we present the analysis of final data of the Italian cohort of the PAtients TReated with Omnitrope (PATRO) Children study.

Methods: This multicenter, open-label, longitudinal, post-marketing surveillance study enrolled eligible children during 2010-2018.

Targeting the Gut Microbiota for Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder with a heterogeneous etiology encompassing societal and behavioral risk factors in addition to genetic and environmental susceptibility. The cardiovascular consequences of diabetes account for more than two-thirds of mortality among people with T2D. Not only does T2D shorten life expectancy, but it also lowers quality of life and is associated with extremely high health expenditures since diabetic complications raise both direct and indirect healthcare costs.

A Snapshot of Vitamin D Status, Performance, Blood Markers, and Dietary Habits in Runners and Non-Runners.

Background: Vitamin D can influence athletic performance and infection risk. This study aimed to investigate vitamin D status, hematochemical factors, anthropometric and performance parameters, and dietary habits in runners (n = 23) and sedentary healthy individuals (non-runners, n = 22) during the autumn season.

Methods: Both groups had their serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (ng/mL) levels, blood and performance parameters, and dietary habits measured.

Efficacy of Action Observation Therapy on Gait, Balance and Mobility Impairments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Purpose: Action Observation Therapy (AOT) has been proposed to improve gait, balance and mobility in subjects with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. The current review aimed to investigate AOT effects in subjects with gait, balance and mobility impairments.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases from inception until May 2023.

Parkinson disease therapy: current strategies and future research priorities.

Parkinson disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurological disorder globally and poses substantial management challenges owing to progressive disability, emergence of levodopa-resistant symptoms, and treatment-related complications. In this Review, we examine the current state of research into PD therapies and outline future priorities for advancing our understanding and treatment of the disease. We identify two main research priorities for the coming years: first, slowing the progression of the disease through the integration of sensitive biomarkers and targeted biological therapies, and second, enhancing existing symptomatic treatments, encompassing surgical and infusion therapies, with the goal of postponing complications and improving long-term patient management.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Rugby Athletes: The Role of Dietary Supplements and Their Consumption.

This study investigates dietary supplement use among rugby players and their general health, focusing on prevalence and underlying motivations. Involving 92 athletes, it examines the relationship between supplement usage, motivations, and health outcomes using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey and a 24-item ad hoc questionnaire. Findings reveal a high frequency of supplement usage, motivated by desires to enhance performance, appearance, and mood.

Sustained effect of prasinezumab on Parkinson's disease motor progression in the open-label extension of the PASADENA trial.

The Phase II trial of Anti-alpha-Synuclein Antibody in Early Parkinson's Disease (PASADENA) is an ongoing double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). During the double-blind period, prasinezumab-treated individuals showed less progression of motor signs (Movement Disorders Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III) than placebo-treated individuals. We evaluated whether the effect of prasinezumab on motor progression, assessed as a change in MDS-UPDRS Part III score in the OFF and ON states, and MDS-UPDRS Part II score, was sustained for 4 years from the start of the trial.

Rethinking polyiodides: the role of electron-deficient multicenter bonds.

Despite a bicentennial history, the interest in polyiodides and related systems still flourishes. The chemical puzzle provided by the intricate nature of chemical bonding in these polyanions remains challenging these days. The advent of the halogen bond and the spreading interest in supramolecular interactions of halogen-based systems promoted further recent interest.

Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Increased Risk of Obesity: A Narrative Review.

The prevalence of obesity has become a global health concern, with significant impacts on quality of life and mortality rates. Recent research has highlighted the role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in driving the obesity epidemic. UPFs undergo extensive processing, often containing high levels of sugars, fats, and additives, while lacking essential nutrients.

The prevalence, aetiologies, and clinical consequences of tricuspid regurgitation associated with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Aims: The prevalence, the aetiologies, and the clinical features of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in the context of concomitant degenerative mitral valve (MV) disease are poorly defined. This paper aims to assess the prevalence, determinants, and clinical consequences of TR in severe degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR).

Methods And Results: Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were collected among patients with severe DMR.

Opicapone for the treatment of early wearing-off in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease: pooled analysis of patient level data from two randomized open-label studies.

Background: The wearing-off phenomenon is a key driver of medication change for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with levodopa. Common first-line options include increasing the levodopa dose or adding a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor, but there are no trials comparing the efficacy of these approaches. We evaluated the effectiveness of adjunct opicapone versus an additional 100 mg levodopa dose in PD patients with early wearing-off using pooled data from 2 randomized studies.

Yeast mixture supplementation modulates faecal microbiota and ileum morphology of weaning pigs.

Different yeast strains benefit postweaning piglets by promoting intestinal health. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a yeast mixture containing Kluyveromyces marxianus fragilis, Pichia guilliermondii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Vetoquinol italia s.r.

Novel Discrete and Imprinted Fluoride-Selective Sensors: Bridging the Gap from DMSO to Aqueous Samples.

Fluoride in drinking water has beneficial or harmful health effects depending on its concentration. This highlights the need for new low-cost and portable sensors capable of in situ monitoring of F ions. Unfortunately, achieving high levels of water compatibility and fluoride specificity remains a challenge.