The Role of Therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound in Management of Malignant Double Obstruction (Biliary and Gastric Outlet): A Comprehensive Review with Clinical Scenarios.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interventions have revolutionized the management of malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) and gastric outlet obstruction (GOO), providing minimally invasive alternatives with improved outcomes. These procedures have significantly reduced the need for high-risk surgical interventions or percutaneous alternatives and have provided effective palliative care for patients with advanced gastrointestinal and bilio-pancreatic malignancies. EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) techniques, including hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS), choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS), and antegrade stenting (EUS-AS), offer high technical and clinical success rates, with a good safety profile particularly when Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is not feasible.

Stoma Acceptance Mediates Body Image Distress and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life: A Single-Center Study on Radical Cystectomy Patients with Ureterostomy.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer and subsequent radical cystectomy with ureterocutaneostomy significantly impact patients' body image and quality of life, potentially increasing the risk of adverse mental health outcomes. Acceptance may represent a psychosocial resource to buffer the effects of body image impairment on health, thereby supporting stoma adjustment and preserving quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of stoma acceptance in the relationship between body image distress and mental health.

Myopia in Children: Epidemiology, Genetics, and Emerging Therapies for Treatment and Prevention.

Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are among the most prevalent visual impairments globally, with rising incidence in children and adolescents. This review explores the epidemiology and risk factors associated with the development of refractive errors, focusing on the environmental and lifestyle factors contributing to the current surge in myopia. We provide an overview of key genetic factors and molecular pathways driving the pathogenesis of myopia and other refractive errors, emphasizing the complex interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers.

Advancing Glaucoma Treatment During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Contemporary Management Strategies and Prospective Therapeutic Developments.

The management of glaucoma in pregnancy and breastfeeding requires a careful evaluation of treatment choices to guarantee the well-being of both the mother and the developing fetus. This review explores the intricacies of controlling glaucoma in pregnant and breastfeeding women, including a comprehensive overview of existing glaucoma treatment methods, clinical guidelines, and future therapeutic approaches. The efficacy and safety profiles of traditional treatment approaches, such as topical and systemic medicines and surgical treatments, are evaluated specifically about their use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Impact of Nursing Interventions via Telephone and Email on the Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Preliminary Results of a Comparative Observational Study.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is a heterogeneous chronic condition characterized by periods of relapse and remission. Ulcerative colitis involves inflammation of the colon and rectum mucosa, while Crohn's disease causes deeper, transmural inflammation affecting all four gut layers from the mouth to the anus and can lead to complications such as fistulation. IBD significantly impacts patients' physical and psychological well-being, thus reducing their quality of life (QoL).

Chemical Profile and Promising Applications of L. Flowers.

Although edible flowers have been historically principally used due to their visual appeal and smell, the world is discovering their value as innovative and natural sources of bioactive compounds. L. (CpL), a plant from the Cucurbitaceae family, is widely cultivated for its edible fruits and flowers, which are rich in polyphenols and carotenoids-compounds known for their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Nutritional and Pharmacological Strategies for Obesity.

Purpose Of Review: This review examines the long-term efficacy and safety of various nutritional and pharmacological strategies for managing obesity. The focus is on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), very low-energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT), and pharmacological interventions such as naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide. Given the chronic nature of obesity, understanding the sustainability and impact of these treatments over time is critical.

Design, Synthesis, and Anticancer Activity of Drug-like Iron Chelators/G-Quadruplex Binders as Synergic Dual Targeting Agents.

Iron homeostasis is strictly related to numerous physiological pathways including cell cycle progression and cell growth. The newest anticancer strategies focus on either depleting the cells with a suitable chelator or increasing their loading by administering iron complexes to induce ferroptosis. Iron depletion inhibits cell proliferation, while iron overload induces the damage of guanine nucleobases in G-quadruplex structures via ROS generation, leading to genome instability.

The density histograms-derived computerized integrated index (CII) predicts mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Quantitative assessment of the extent of radiological alterations in interstitial lung diseases is a promising field of application that goes beyond the limitations of qualitative scoring. Analysis of density histograms, i.e.

Retrospective Study on Short-Term Reverse Cardiac Remodeling in Obese Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Severe obesity is closely associated with an increased risk of comorbidities and alterations in cardiac structure and function. The primary objective of this study was to investigate cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and ventricular remodeling in individuals from an obese population eligible for bariatric surgery. The secondary objective was to evaluate changes in anthropometric, clinical laboratory, and echocardiographic measurements 12 weeks after surgery compared to baseline values.

Development and Characterization of Biocompatible Cellulose-Tetraphenylethylene Hydrazone Self-Assembling Nanomicelles with Acidity-Triggered Release of Doxorubicin for Cancer Therapy.

The development of anticancer diagnostic and therapeutic strategies is of crucial importance to improve efficacy and therapeutic specificity. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of fluorescent self-assembling nanomicelles (NMs) based on a biocompatible polysaccharide (cellulose, CE) functionalized with a tetraphenyl ethylene derivative (TPEHy) and loaded with Doxorubicin (DOX) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties and pH-dependent drug release. We obtained CE-TPEHy-NMs with an average diameter of 60 ± 17 nm for unloaded NMs and 86 ± 25 nm for NMs loaded with DOX, respectively.

Report of the Italian Cohort with Activated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase δ Syndrome in the Target Therapy Era.

Background: Activated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) δ Syndrome (APDS), an inborn error of immunity due to upregulation of the PI3K pathway, leads to recurrent infections and immune dysregulation (lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity).

Methods: Clinical and genetic data of 28 APDS patients from 25 unrelated families were collected from fifteen Italian centers.

Results: Patients were genetically confirmed with APDS-1 (n = 20) or APDS-2 (n = 8), with pathogenic mutations in the PIK3CD or PIK3R1 genes.

Behavioural, cognitive, and neurophysiological effects of a synbiotic supplementation enriched with pigmented corn extract or cornstarch in drug-naïve children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A randomised, double-blind, comparison-controlled clinical trial.

Background & Aims: Considerable interest has been recently given to the potential role of the gut-brain axis (GBA) -a two-way communication network between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system- in the pathogenesis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting the potential usefulness of probiotic and synbiotic supplementations. In light of the limited available evidence, synbiotic efficacy in ADHD children not taking medications should be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a synbiotic dietary supplementation on fatty acids levels as well as on microbiota composition, behaviour, cognition, and brain function in children with ADHD.

Sex-specific differences in echocardiographic parameters of risk stratification in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: In healthy subjects, sex-differences in right heart function have already been detected for various echocardiographic parameters.

Research Question: The objective of the study was to investigate sex-differences in echocardiographic ESC/ERS risk stratification parameters and their impact on survival estimation in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Study Design And Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study with a mean follow-up time of 3.

New Concepts in Circumareolar Mastopexy: The "Star Interlocking Suture"-A Case Series.

The circumareolar approach is one of the most popular and versatile in breast surgeries. Nevertheless, this approach usually implies a closure under tension which could lead to areolar distortion, scar widening and hypertrophic scarring. To prevent these complications, different surgical adjustments to this technique have been proposed, such as the Hammond's "Interlocking Gore-Tex suture.

Addressing brain metabolic connectivity in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a novel graph theory-driven application of F-FDG-PET with antipsychotic dose correction.

Few studies using Positron Emission Tomography with F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG-PET) have examined the neurobiological basis of antipsychotic resistance in schizophrenia, primarily focusing on metabolic activity, with none investigating connectivity patterns. Here, we aimed to explore differential patterns of glucose metabolism between patients and controls (CTRL) through a graph theory-based approach and network comparison tests. PET scans with F-FDG were obtained by 70 subjects, 26 with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), 28 patients responsive to antipsychotics (nTRS), and 16 CTRL.

Clinical trial eligibility in PSP: Population representativeness and potential criteria adjustment based on PSP-NET findings.

Background: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare, heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease for which no treatment is currently available. In the context of clinical trials, the representativeness of the included patients is crucial for the generalizability of the results. Herein, we present results from a multicenter perspective study to identify the most restrictive criteria for patient selection and to assess the representativeness of eligible patients.

Leveraging deep learning for identification and segmentation of "CAF-1/p60-positive" nuclei in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples.

In the current study, we introduced a unique method for identifying and segmenting oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) nuclei, concentrating on those predicted to have significant CAF-1/p60 protein expression. Our suggested model uses the StarDist architecture, a deep-learning framework designed for biomedical image segmentation tasks. The training dataset comprises painstakingly annotated masks created from tissue sections previously stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and then restained with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for p60 protein.

Structural insights into temperature-dependent dynamics of METPsc1, a miniaturized electron-transfer protein.

The design of protein-metal complexes is rapidly advancing, with applications spanning catalysis, sensing, and bioremediation. We report a comprehensive investigation of METPsc1, a Miniaturized Electron Transfer Protein, in complex with cadmium. This study elucidates the impact of metal coordination on protein folding and structural dynamics across temperatures from 100 K to 300 K.

A pulmonary hypertension targeted algorithm to improve referral to right heart catheterization: A machine learning approach.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathophysiological problem that may involve several clinical symptoms and be linked to various respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Its diagnosis is made invasively by Right Cardiac Catheterization (RHC), which is difficult to perform routinely. Aim of the current study was to develop a Machine Learning (ML) algorithm based on the analysis of anamnestic data to predict the presence of an invasively measured PH.

Subunits Med12 and Med13 of Mediator Cooperate with Subunits SAYP and Bap170 of SWI/SNF in Active Transcription in .

SAYP and Bap170, subunits of the SWI/SNF remodeling complex, have the ability to support enhancer-dependent transcription when artificially recruited to the promoter on a transgene. We found that the phenomenon critically depends on two subunits of the Mediator kinase module, Med12 and Med13 but does not require the two other subunits of the module (Cdk8 and CycC) or other subunits of the core part of the complex. A cooperation of the above proteins in active transcription was also observed at endogenous loci, but the contribution of the subunits to the activity of a particular gene differed in different loci.

The Genus Is at Least as Well Supported as , , and . Comment on Moreyra et al. African Mountain Thistles: Three New Genera in the - Group. 2023, , 3083.

Moreyra and co-authors, in their recent paper published in , presented a desperately needed Hyb-Seq phylogeny of the genus . Through their findings, they provided a critical assessment of an earlier proposal of ours to separate sect. and into the genera and , respectively.

Role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease and Diabetes: Focus on the Intestinal Mucosa.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are a family of enzymes essential for numerous cellular processes, such as cell growth, inflammation, differentiation, immune-mediated responses and oncogenic transformation. The aim of this review is to review the literature concerning the role of several PTPs-PTPN22, PTPN2, PTPN6, PTPN11, PTPσ, DUSP2, DUSP6 and PTPRK-at the level of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease (CeD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) in both in vitro and in vivo models. The results revealed shared features, at the level of the intestinal mucosa, between these diseases characterized by alterations of different biological processes, such as proliferation, autoimmunity, cell death, autophagy and inflammation.

Graft inflow modulation in recipients with portal hypertension.

The extended application of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has revealed the problem of graft size mismatching, potentially leading to the "small-for-size syndrome" (SFSS). SFSS is a rare dysfunction that may affect a partial liver graft, characterized by coagulopathy, cholestasis, ascites, and encephalopathy. A key role in the physiopathology of SFSS is played by portal hypertension (PHT) to which a small allograft is submitted after reperfusion, resulting in sinusoidal congestion and hemorrhage.

Mild-Temperature Catalyzed Hydrosilylation for Simplified Carbohydrate Functionalization of Porous Silicon Nanoparticles.

Porous silicon is one of the most explored nanostructured materials in various biomedical applications owing to its remarkable properties. However, its inherent chemical instability mandates a robust surface modification procedure, and proper surface bioengineering is essential to ensure its effectiveness in the biomedical field. In this study, we introduce a one-pot functionalization strategy that simultaneously stabilizes porous silicon nanoparticles and decorates their surface with carbohydrates through hydrosilylation chemistry, combining mild temperatures and a Lewis acid catalyst.