Unveiling the self-assembly process of gellan-chitosan complexes through a combination of atomistic simulations and experiments.

Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), formed via the self-assembly of oppositely charged polysaccharides, are highly valued for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and hydrophilicity, offering significant potential for biotechnological applications. However, the complex nature and lack of insight at a molecular level into polyelectrolytes conformation and aggregation often hinders the possibility of achieving an optimal control of PEC systems, limiting their practical applications. To address this problem, an in-depth investigation of PECs microscopic structural organization is required.

Digital Applications for Videoterminal-Associated Dry Eye Disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) has become increasingly prevalent in the digital era, largely due to prolonged screen exposure. The excessive use of digital devices contributes to inappropriate blink frequency and dynamics, leading to ocular surface dryness and discomfort. Additionally, digital screen use has broader implications for systemic health, including visual strain, headaches, and disrupted circadian rhythms caused by blue light exposure.

Composite Anion Exchange Membranes Containing a Long-Side Chain Ionomer and Exfoliated Lamellar Double Hydroxides.

Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) are promising materials for electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. However, the main drawback of AEMs is their low durability in alkaline operating conditions. A possible solution is the use of composite ionomers containing inorganic fillers stable in a basic environment.

Exploring Nurses' and Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Coercive and Technological Measures in Mental Health: A Conceptual Framework and Study Protocol.

Background/objectives: The use of coercive measures (CMs) and security technologies (STs) in mental healthcare continues to raise ethical and practical concerns, affecting both patient and staff well-being. Mental health nurses (MHNs) and nursing students (NSs) play a key role in the decision-making process regarding these interventions. However, their attitudes, particularly toward STs, remain underexplored in Italy.

The Impact of Cardiac Telerehabilitation on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI): A Systematic Review Protocol.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an intervention to improve health and quality of life in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The use of digital technology for healthcare promotion, such as telemedicine, has received growing attention in recent years due to the possibility of offering remote and individualized cardiac rehabilitation to patients undergoing coronary interventions. However, the impact of cardiac telerehabilitation on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not fully understood.

Enlightening Hidden Nursing Care in Nurse-Led Clinics and See & Treat: An Observational Multicenter Protocol Study in Italy.

The limited and inconsistent adoption and regulation of nurse-led clinics (NLCs) and "See & Treat" (S&T) services in Italy needs to be explored considering their value towards patients' outcomes acknowledged in the literature. This study aims to explore the phenomenon of hidden nursing activities (HNAs) in these settings, hypothesizing that features and activities performed in these settings are heterogeneous across the country and widely underreported or attributed to other professionals than nurses. HNAs are hypothesized to be associated with a poor work environment climate and nurses' low job satisfaction.

Potential Toxicity of Nine Rare Earth Elements (REEs) on Marine Copepod .

The present study focused, for the first time, on the adverse effects of nine REEs on the marine copepod For this purpose, copepod mortality, immobilization, and naupliar development were assessed. Overall, the results demonstrated that all REEs tested exerted significant adverse effects on , with LC50 values ranging from 0.56 to 1.

The Effects of Smoking, Alcohol, and Dietary Habits on the Progression and Management of Spondyloarthritis.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases affecting the spine and peripheral joints, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. This narrative review examines how lifestyle factors-specifically smoking, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diet-contribute to the onset and progression of SpA. It highlights their impact on disease activity, comorbidities, radiographic damage, and treatment response.

Survival Outcomes with Regorafenib and/or Trifluridine/Tipiracil Sequencing to Rechallenge with Third-Line Regimens in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Real-World Subgroup Comparison from the ReTrITA Study.

Background: There is ongoing discussion around the optimal course of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) following the second line. Trifluridine/tipiracil (T) and regorafenib (R) have been the mainstay of therapy in this situation, as they both increased overall survival (OS) in comparison to a placebo. Despite the paucity of evidence, therapy rechallenge is also recognized as an option for practical use.

Uncommon but Significant: Onset, Characteristics and Management of Vasculitis and Connective Tissue Diseases Induced by Immunomodulators during Cancer Treatment.

The introduction of immunomodulators as adjuvant therapies in cancer treatment has represented a significant advancement in oncology, improving therapeutic response and patient survival. Emerging targets and molecules could provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients. However, these agents can induce immunological side effects, including vasculitis and connective tissue diseases, which, while uncommon, present significant clinical challenges.

Explainable machine learning on clinical features to predict and differentiate Alzheimer's progression by sex: Toward a clinician-tailored web interface.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder world-wide, presents sex-specific differences in its manifestation and progression, necessitating personalized diagnostic approaches. Current procedures are often costly and invasive, lacking consideration of sex-based differences. This study introduces an explainable machine learning (ML) system to predict and differentiate the progression of AD based on sex, using non-invasive, easily collectible predictors such as neuropsychological test scores and sociodemographic data, enabling its application in every day clinical settings.

Effectiveness of most common adjuvant wound treatments (skin substitutes, negative pressure wound therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, platelet-rich plasma/fibrin, and growth factors) for the management of hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials for the development of the Italian Guidelines for the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Syndrome.

Aim: To assess the effects of several adjuvant therapies (AT) commonly used in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The present meta-analysis was designed to support the development of the Italian Guidelines for the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Syndrome.

Methods: A Medline and Embase search were performed up to May 20th, 2024 collecting all RCTs including diabetic patients or reporting subgroup analyses on diabetic patients with DFU comparing AT with placebo/standard of care (SoC), with a duration of at least 12 weeks.

Education Programs for Informal Caregivers of Noncancer Patients in Home-Based Palliative Care: A Scoping Review.

The literature available on the topic of education programs for noncancer patients' informal caregivers (ICs) is heterogeneous and fragmented in the setting of palliative care (PC). We conducted a scoping review (ScR) to map the literature on educational programs for ICs in home-based PC, considering the available reviews, qualitative studies, observational studies, studies of validation of measurement tools, uncontrolled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, and feasibility studies. This ScR included 21 eligible records by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL databases.

Widening the infantile hypotonia with psychomotor retardation and characteristic Facies-1 Syndrome's clinical and molecular spectrum through NALCN structural analysis.

Introduction: Infantile hypotonia with psychomotor retardation and characteristic facies-1 (IHPRF1, MIM#615419) is a rare, birth onset, autosomal recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating variants in gene (MIM#611549) resulting in a loss-of-function effect.

Methods: We enrolled a new IHPRF1 patients' cohort in the framework of an international multicentric collaboration study. Using specialized pathogenicity predictors and structural analyses, we assessed the mechanistic consequences of the deleterious variants retrieved on NALCN structure and function.

Review of Albanian studies suggests the need for further efforts to counteract significant hepatitis B virus prevalence.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is categorized as one of the smallest enveloped DNA viruses and is the prototypical virus of the Hepatoviridae family. It is usually transmitted through body fluids such as blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. The majority (more than 95%) of immunocompetent adults infected with HBV spontaneously clear the infection.

Olfactory cleft brushing: A minimally invasive tool for biomarker analysis in rhinology.

Introduction: Olfactory dysfunction is a prevalent condition associated with post-viral syndromes, chronic rhinosinusitis, and neurodegenerative diseases. While olfactory cleft sampling has been investigated in neurology, its potential for assessing localized biomarkers in rhinological conditions remains underexplored. This study presents a minimally invasive nasal brushing technique specifically targeting the olfactory cleft, enabling simultaneous biomarker quantification and cytological analysis.

Water-membrane partition and the mutant selection window of antimicrobial peptides: insights from liposome studies.

The mutant selection window (MSW) is a range of antimicrobial concentrations, where some bacteria are killed, while others survive. Within this interval resistance may develop. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising class of antimicrobials that generally act by perturbing the integrity of bacterial membranes.

Prevalence of fungal colonization among patients with psoriasis in difficult-to-treat areas: impact of apremilast on mycotic burden and clinical outcomes.

Introduction: Fungi, including , may be a trigger or exacerbate psoriasis, especially in difficult to treat (DTT) areas, through the activation of IL-17/23 axis.

Methods: In this study, seventy patients with DDT psoriasis were enrolled to evaluate species and/or other opportunistic fungi colonization rate at baseline (T0) and the impact of apremilast on fungal load, clinical outcome, serum cytokine levels and biochemical serum profile of patients after 16, 24 and 52 weeks of treatment.

Results: In our population, 33 (47%) patients were colonized by spp.

Determinants of gender-equitable attitudes among adult men in a health education program: a cross-sectional study in Southern Malawi.

Background: Malawi ranks 142 out of 170 countries on the UN's Gender Inequality Index (GII). Women and men in Malawi have unequal access to and control over resources. Previous research has primarily examined gender roles and norms from a women's perspective, but few studies have investigated men's attitudes and behaviors regarding gender equality.

MRI in the evaluation of plantar plate disease: diagnostic value of the "stress test".

Introduction: The plantar plate, also called the plantar ligament, is a fibrocartilaginous structure found in the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints. Our study aimed to evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed with the patient in the standard position or with joint hyperextension (the "stress test", ST) in the study of plantar plate (PP) disease that involves metatarsophalangeal joints.

Materials And Methods: All patients underwent forefoot MRI (Atroscan C, Esaote, Genoa, Italy), operating at 0.

Giese-type alkylation of dehydroalanine derivatives via silane-mediated alkyl bromide activation.

The rising popularity of bioconjugate therapeutics has led to growing interest in late-stage functionalization (LSF) of peptide scaffolds. α,β-Unsaturated amino acids like dehydroalanine (Dha) derivatives have emerged as particularly useful structures, as the electron-deficient olefin moiety can engage in late-stage functionalization reactions, like a Giese-type reaction. Cheap and widely available building blocks like organohalides can be converted into alkyl radicals by means of photoinduced silane-mediated halogen-atom transfer (XAT) to offer a mild and straightforward methodology of alkylation.