Targeted animal models for preclinical assessment of cellular and gene therapies in pancreatic and liver diseases: regulatory and practical insights.

Cellular and gene therapy (CGT) products have emerged as a popular approach in regenerative medicine, showing promise in treating various pancreatic and liver diseases in numerous clinical trials. Before these therapies can be tested in human clinical trials, it is essential to evaluate their safety and efficacy in relevant animal models. Such preclinical testing is often required to obtain regulatory approval for investigational new drugs.

Automate the process of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks storage in the pathology laboratory: A proof of concept study.

Pathology laboratories are currently facing remarkable issues in the management of their archives due to the ongoing increase in the production of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks, which is often coupled with inadequate spatial and environmental storing conditions. The manual process of storage and retrieving further increases the likelihood of human-based mistakes, wastes professionals' working time, and, ultimately, widens reports signing turn-around times. In the present work, we outline the strategies underlying the development of an automated archive at the pathology services of the University of Modena.

Different patterns of neurogenic quadrilateral space syndrome: a case series of undefined posterior shoulder pain.

Background: Quadrilateral space syndrome is a painful disorder of the shoulder caused by static or dynamic entrapment of the axillary nerve and the posterior humeral circumflex artery. It was first described in 1983; however, it is an uncommon syndrome that initially presents with nonspecific shoulder pain or selective deltoid atrophy, and diagnosis is often delayed owing to its rarity. Young athletes of overhead sports are more commonly affected by this syndrome.

Probing Temperature Changes Using Nonradiative Processes in Hyperbolic Meta-Antennas.

Multilayered metal-dielectric nanostructures display both a strong plasmonic behavior and hyperbolic optical dispersion. The latter is responsible for the appearance of two separated radiative and nonradiative channels in the extinction spectrum of these structures. This unique property can open plenty of opportunities toward the development of multifunctional systems that simultaneously can behave as optimal scatterers and absorbers at different wavelengths, an important feature to achieve multiscale control of light-matter interactions in different spectral regions for different types of applications, such as optical computing or detection of thermal radiation.

Life expectancy in rare histological prostate cancer subtypes.

Survival differences in rare histological prostate cancer (PCa) subtypes relative to age-matched population-based controls are unknown. Within Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2020), newly diagnosed (2004-2015) PCa patients were identified. Relying on the Social Security Administration Life Tables (2004-2020) with 5 years of follow-up, age-matched population-based controls (Monte Carlo simulation) were simulated for each patient.

HIV prevention and missed opportunities among people with recently acquired HIV infection: Α protocol for a systematic review.

Background: Individuals who have recently acquired HIV represent a unique population because the time frame since HIV acquisition is relatively short and identification of missed HIV prevention opportunities is, therefore, closer to real time and less subject to recall bias. Identifying prevention measures used and missed opportunities for using them, can help stop further HIV transmission.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to synthesise current global evidence on uptake of HIV prevention methods among people with recently acquired HIV from 2007, the year that the concept of ART as a prevention method was first introduced.

Screening for nasal carriage of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus reduces the risk of S. aureus peritonitis in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Introduction: Screening for nasal carriage of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is associated with a reduction of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections, but conflicting results have questioned the benefit of this practice. This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of the screening program for nasal carriage of S.

Are you tuned in to others' mind? A cross-modal evaluation of affective theory of mind in people with Parkinson's disease.

Affective Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to understand other peoples' emotional states and feelings. Several studies showed impaired affective ToM abilities in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, most studies tested this ability by using single-stimulus modality tasks (visual cues).

Experience based efficient approach for DNA-led identification of highly carbonized human remains.

In case of severely burned bodies, victim identification by visual or fingerprints recognition is often prevented by altered body conditions. To overcome these circumstances, different techniques are available. Among these, the most reliable is molecular identification, especially in cases of detached body parts.

- a large-scale dataset of 3D medical shapes for computer vision.

Objectives: The shape is commonly used to describe the objects. State-of-the-art algorithms in medical imaging are predominantly diverging from computer vision, where voxel grids, meshes, point clouds, and implicit surface models are used. This is seen from the growing popularity of ShapeNet (51,300 models) and Princeton ModelNet (127,915 models).

Riders on the Storm.

This case involves a 52-year-old male, who underwent a deceased donor orthotopic liver transplant 7 months prior, presented with a 2-week history of persistent fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and mild elevation of liver enzymes. Upon hospital admission, the patient was febbrile, alert and oriented, hemodynamically stable. Laboratory exams revealed worsening leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and elevated ferritin.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children: Delphi study and consensus document about definition and epidemiology, diagnostic work-up, treatment, and follow-up.

Background: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is common in children with asthma but can be present also in children without asthma, especially athletes. Differential diagnosis includes several conditions such as exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO), cardiac disease, or physical deconditioning. Detailed medical history, clinical examination and specific tests are mandatory to exclude alternative diagnoses.

Analysis of shoulder motion with inertial sensors in Poland syndrome patients.

Purpose: Poland syndrome is a congenital malformation characterized by agenesis or hypoplasia of pectoralis muscles. There is a limited literature on how the anatomic anomalies of PS may impact the movement of the shoulder. This study analyzes the effects of absence of the pectoralis muscles on the shoulder kinematic.

Cerebral Amyloid-β Deposition, Axial Features, and Cognitive Alterations in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Treated with Bilateral STN-DBS: A Long-Term Cohort Study.

Our aim was to evaluate the possible long-term cerebral deposition of amyloid-β in patients with PD treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and its possible influence on axial and cognitive variables. Consecutive PD patients treated with bilateral STN-DBS with a long-term follow-up were included. The amyloid-β deposition was evaluated postoperatively through an 18F-flutemetamol positron emission tomography (PET) study.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Effectiveness and pH Variation of Dental Bleaching Gels and Their Effect on Enamel Surface Roughness.

: Potential adverse effects and pH-related effectiveness of bleaching agents have raised some concerns. The aim of this study was to compare three bleaching agents containing hydrogen peroxide (HP) and carbamide peroxide (CP) in terms of whitening effectiveness, pH variation, and changes in enamel surface roughness. : After controlled staining with a black tea solution, 42 human enamel specimens underwent bleaching treatment using the following agents: HP 40%; HP 35%; CP 16%.

Tunnel Technique in Bone Augmentation Procedures for Dental Implant Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.

: This systematic review aimed to compare the tunnel technique for pre-implant bone regeneration with traditional flap techniques also involving a crestal incision, in terms of procedure success, graft healing, postoperative course, patient satisfaction, and implant follow-up. : A systematic search was conducted on MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials following PRISMA guidelines, searching for comparative prospective and retrospective studies in English, published between January 2002 and April 2024. The population of interest consisted of patients with edentulous ridge atrophy requiring pre-implant bone regeneration.

Quantitative Assessment of Apically Extruded Debris During Retreatment Procedures Using Three Nickel-Titanium Rotary Systems: An In Vitro Comparative Study.

: Apical extrusion of debris can affect the success of endodontic treatments, and the specific performance of certain retreatment systems has not been studied yet. Therefore, the aim of this in vitro study was to quantitatively assess the amount of apically extruded debris produced during retreatment procedures using three rotary NiTi retreatment systems in mature non-resorbed straight roots. : Thirty extracted permanent human teeth with single straight roots were selected.

Dental Implants and Orthodontic Mini-Screws in a Patient with Undiagnosed Von Willebrand's Disease: A Case Report.

Dental implants are commonly employed to address edentulism, while orthodontic treatments often incorporate mini-screws to enhance tooth movement and provide stable anchorage. Both procedures are integral to modern dental practice and frequently interact in comprehensive care scenarios. While oral health professionals routinely assess patients' medical histories before procedures, undiagnosed coagulopathies, such as Von Willebrand Disease (VWD), can present significant challenges when invasive procedures are carried out, such as the insertion of implants or mini-implants.

Suppressing, stimulating and/or inhibiting: The evolving management of HCC patient after liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation (LT) is a curative strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the risk of HCC recurrence remains a challenging problem. In patients with HCC recurrence after LT (HCC-R_LT), the locoregional and surgical approaches are complex, and the guidelines do not report evidence-based strategies for the management of immunosuppression. In recent years, immunotherapy has become an effective option for patients with advanced HCC in pre-transplant settings.

Transcatheter Approaches to Atrial Functional Mitral Regurgitation: How Far Have We Come?

Functional mitral regurgitation (MR) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and over the past decade, the diagnosis of atrial functional mitral regurgitation (aFMR) has been increasingly observed in the elderly, especially in those with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Annular enlargement, perturbations of annular contraction, and atriogenic leaflet tethering distinguish the pathophysiology of aFMR from the one of ventricular origin. However, no consensus provides recommendations regarding the differential diagnosis and the subsequent management of aFMR.