Tregs levels and phenotype modifications during Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis course.

Introduction: T regulatory cells (Tregs) inversely correlate with disease progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and fast-progressing ALS patients have been reported to exhibit dysfunctional, as well as reduced, levels of Tregs. This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal changes in Tregs among ALS patients, considering potential clinical and biological modifiers of their percentages and concentrations. Additionally, we explored whether measures of ALS progression, such as the decline over time in the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-r) or forced vital capacity (FVC) correlated Treg levels and whether Treg phenotype varied during the course of ALS.

Elective pelvic nodal irradiation for elderly patients with high-risk prostate cancer: A more patient-oriented approach.

The role of elective pelvic nodal irradiation (EPNI) for high-risk prostate cancer (hrPC) management is still an open issue, especially for the elderly patients. It is unclear whether older patients can experience the same benefit from the treatment strategies used for younger men. Hence, in absence of solid data, it appears reasonable to pursuit a shared decision-making process so that older patients can express their informed preferences about the different treatment options.

Classification of paravertebral muscle trophism and its correlation with thoraco-lumbar fascia thickening in patients with chronic low back pain.

Objective: The aim of this work is to demonstrate how the chronicity of low back pain can modify the trophism of the paraspinal muscles, by performing an ultrasound and MRI evaluation of the paraspinal muscles in the lumbar spine and correlating it to the time of onset of low back pain.

Materials And Methods: An ultrasound evaluation was carried out in the lumbar area with a 5-17 MHz linear probe of the paraspinal muscles of the lumbar region, compared with the MRI of the lumbar spine, in patients presented to our attention for chronic low back pain (> 6 months), from January 2021 to January 2023. In each patient, two series of images were analyzed, in the coronal and sagittal planes.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of in vivo Reflectance Confocal Microscopy for Melanoma Diagnosis in a Real-World Clinical Setting.

Background: In a recent prospective, multicenter, two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT), we demonstrated that adjunctive reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in routine clinical practice provides clinical benefits, including safe melanoma detection and a 43.3% reduction in the number needed to excise (NNE).

Methods: A cost-benefit analysis was conducted based on NNEs for standard care (5.

The chemistry of halide-based solid electrolytes: unlocking advances in solid-state Li-ion batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) represent a transformative advancement in electrochemical energy storage, offering exceptional energy density, enhanced safety, and broad operational temperature ranges, making them ideal for next-generation applications. While liquid electrolytes dominate conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high conductivity and efficient electrode interface wetting, their flammability and volatility pose significant safety risks, particularly in electric vehicles and portable electronics. Solid electrolytes, a cornerstone of SSB technology, offer a promising pathway to enhance LIB energy density and safety.

Patterns of pharmacological treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation: an analysis from the prospective GLORIA-AF Registry Phase III.

Background: Polypharmacy (i.e., treatment with ≥ 5 drugs) is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and has been associated with suboptimal management and worse outcomes.

Prenatal, birth, and postnatal mediators of maternal education level and childhood obesity at five years.

Objective: To establish which prenatal, birth, and postnatal characteristics mediate the association between maternal educational level and having a child with obesity at five years.

Study Design: This is a sub analysis of a longitudinal study nested in the BMInForma (Bambini Molto In Forma) program. BMInForma is an ongoing public health multilevel intervention started in 2013 to prevent childhood obesity.

Unlocking novel T cell-based immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma through neoantigen-driven T cell receptor isolation.

Background: Tumour-infiltrating T cells can mediate both antitumour immunity and promote tumour progression by creating an immunosuppressive environment. This dual role is especially relevant in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), characterised by a unique microenvironment and limited success with current immunotherapy.

Objective: We evaluated T cell responses in patients with advanced HCC by analysing tumours, liver flushes and liver-draining lymph nodes, to understand whether reactive T cell populations could be identified despite the immunosuppressive environment.

Secondary cryofibrinogenemia is related to more severe microangiopathic involvement in systemic sclerosis: results from a retrospective observational study.

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of cryofibrinogenemia in a cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) regardless of clinical manifestations, who were admitted to our hospital and determine the associations among CF positivity, disease features and ongoing therapies. This was a monocentric and retrospective study. The inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of SSc (according to the ACR/EULAR 2013 classification criteria), regular administration of i.

Delphi consensus on the diagnostic criteria of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Purpose: To gather the current opinion among Italian gynecologists and endocrinologists regarding the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Method: A Delphi survey consisting of 26 statements was designed by a nine-member panel (consisting of members from the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) and the Experts Group AQon Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research and on PCOS (EGOI-PCOS)) and distributed to 102 experts in PCOS across the fields of gynecology and endocrinology. Consensus was defined as an agreement between at least 70% of responders.

A comparison on safety and efficacy between 24 Fr versus 18 Fr pneumatic balloon dilators for percutaneous treatment of renal stones between 10 and 20 mm: results from a contemporary cohort.

Purpose: To assess differences in safety and efficacy between 24 and 18 Fr pneumatic balloon dilators for percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) of renal stones between 10 and 20 mm.

Methods: Patients were randomized to dilatation with a 24 Fr (Group A) versus 18 Fr (Group B) Ultraxx pneumatic dilator (Cook Medical). In all procedures percutaneous puncture was performed under ultrasound guidance.

Which is easier for beginners: supine or prone position percutaneous nephrolithotomy? Assessment of the learning curve in novice urologists through a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) could be performed in both prone and supine positions. Each position has its own advantages and disadvantages. "Learning curve" is a graph that represents progress of a skill against the time needed to master the technique.

Chiral induction at the nanoscale and spin selectivity in electron transmission in chiral methylated BEDT-TTF derivatives.

Great efforts have been made in the last few decades to realize electronic devices based on organic molecules. A possible approach in this field is to exploit the chirality of organic molecules for the development of spintronic devices, an applicative way to implement the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. In this work we exploit enantiopure tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives as chiral inducers at the nanoscale.

Lettuce fortification through vitamin B-producing bacteria - proof of concept study.

Background: Vitamin B (cobalamin) can be produced de novo only by certain bacteria and archaea. It plays a crucial role in the health of animals and humans, which obtain it only through diet, mainly from animal products. This study aimed to identify endophytic bacterial strains capable of synthesizing vitamin B and enriching edible plants with it as a potential solution for vitamin B deficiency in vegetarians, vegans, and people with poor diets.

In-Hospital Outcomes after Robotic Open Radical Nephroureterectomy.

To test whether the contemporary robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RNU) is associated with more favorable in-hospital outcomes than historical RNU, relative to the same endpoints in open NU (ONU). Within the National Inpatient Sample (2008-2019), we identified RNU and ONU patients. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regression models were fitted.

Targeted Metabolomics for the Analysis of Cresol in Mouse Brain: Impact of Biological Sex and Strain.

-Cresol, an environmental contaminant and endogenous metabolite derived primarily from the conversion of l-tyrosine by intestinal microflora, is gaining increasing attention, due to its potential impact on human health. Recent studies have highlighted elevated levels of -cresol and its metabolites, including -cresyl sulfate and -cresyl glucuronide, in various populations, suggesting a correlation with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions. While the role of this compound as a uremic toxin is well established, its presence and concentration within the central nervous system (CNS) remain largely unexplored.

Cortical areas associated to higher cognition drove primate brain evolution.

Although intense research effort is seeking to address which brain areas fire and connect to each other to produce complex behaviors in a few living primates, little is known about their evolution, and which brain areas or facets of cognition were favored by natural selection. By developing statistical tools to study the evolution of the brain cortex at the fine scale, we found that rapid cortical expansion in the prefrontal region took place early on during the evolution of primates. In anthropoids, fast-expanding cortical areas extended to the posterior parietal cortex.

Return to Sport After Partum in Patients With Diastasis of the Rectus Abdominis Muscles: Ultrasound Evaluation and Rehabilitation Protocol.

Background: Diastasis rectus abdominis is a condition in which the rectus abdominis muscles separate and move laterally, causing stretching of the linea alba tissue with weakness of the abdominal wall. Although it can lead to hernia of the abdominal viscera, diastasis rectus abdominis is not a hernia in itself. This condition is common among women during pregnancy and the postpartum period and can significantly affect their quality of life and their return to sports activity.

Incidence of hospital-acquired infections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in critically ill patients in Italy: a multicentre prospective cohort study.

Background: Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria, including Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), are common causes of infections in intensive care units (ICUs) in Italy.

Objective: This prospective observational study evaluated the epidemiology, management, microbiological characterization, and outcomes of hospital-acquired CRE or CRPA infections treated in selected ICUs in Italy.

Methods: The study included patients with hospital-acquired infections due to CRE and CRPA treated in 20 ICUs from June 2021 to February 2023.

Outcome prediction for late-onset sepsis after premature birth.

Background: Our aim was to develop a quantitative model for immediately estimating the risk of death and/or brain injury in late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants, based on objective and measurable data available at the time sepsis is first suspected (i.e., time of blood culture collection).

Unveiling cellular changes in leukaemia cell lines after cannabidiol treatment through lipidomics.

The present study was aimed at revealing the metabolic changes that occurred in the cellular lipid pattern of acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia cells following treatment with cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a non-psychoactive compound present in Cannabis sativa L., which has shown an antiproliferative action in these type of cancer cells.