Left ventricular elastance with resting volumetric transthoracic echocardiography identifies different phenotypes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A retrospective analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous entity including patients with different phenotypes of near normal, normal, and supernormal left ventricular (LV) function.

Objectives: To assess the value of resting LV elastance (also known as force) with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to identify HFpEF phenotypes.

Methods: In a prospective, observational, multicenter study, 2380 HFpEF patients were recruited from July 2016 to May 2024.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in women: A forgotten cardiovascular risk factor.

Sleep-disordered breathing is a highly prevalent disorder with negative impact on healthcare systems worldwide. This condition has detrimental effects on cardiovascular health and quality of life, and is frequently associated with a variety of comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, heart failure, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Nevertheless, it remains frequently undiagnosed and undertreated, especially in specific populations.

Breathomics: may it become an affordable, new tool for early diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer? An exploratory study on a cohort of 60 patients.

Objectives: Analysis of breath, specifically the patterns of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has shown the potential to distinguish between patients with lung cancer (LC) and healthy individuals (HC). However, the current technology relies on complex, expensive and low throughput analytical platforms, which provide an offline response, making it unsuitable for mass screening. A new portable device has been developed to enable fast and on-site LC diagnosis, and its reliability is being tested.

Adjunctive cenobamate in people with focal onset seizures: Insights from the Italian Expanded Access Program.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness/tolerability of adjunctive cenobamate, variations in the load of concomitant antiseizure medications (ASMs) and predictors of clinical response in people with focal epilepsy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study at 21 centers participating in the Italian Expanded Access Program. Effectiveness outcomes included retention and responder rates (≥50% and 100% reduction in baseline seizure frequency).

A deep learning approach to identify the fetal head position using transperineal ultrasound during labor.

Objectives: To develop a deep learning (DL)-model using convolutional neural networks (CNN) to automatically identify the fetal head position at transperineal ultrasound in the second stage of labor.

Material And Methods: Prospective, multicenter study including singleton, term, cephalic pregnancies in the second stage of labor. We assessed the fetal head position using transabdominal ultrasound and subsequently, obtained an image of the fetal head on the axial plane using transperineal ultrasound and labeled it according to the transabdominal ultrasound findings.

Evaluation of a New DNA Extraction Method on Challenging Bone Samples Recovered from a WWII Mass Grave.

Bones and teeth represent a common finding in ancient DNA studies and in forensic casework, even after a long burial. Genetic typing is the gold standard for the personal identification of skeletal remains, but there are two main factors involved in the successful DNA typing of such samples: (1) the set-up of an efficient DNA extraction method; (2) the identification of the most suitable skeletal element for the downstream genetic analyses. In this paper, a protocol based on the processing of 0.

Safety and efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for pre-exposure prophylaxis in kidney transplant recipients: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Immunocompromised patients show an impaired vaccine response and remain at high risk of severe COVID-19, despite vaccination. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed for prophylaxis and treatment. The combination tixagevimab/cilgavimab (AZD7442) has been authorized for emergency use as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19, but data on safety and efficacy in kidney transplant recipients during the Omicron period are limited.

A Novel NUTM1-NSMCE2 Fusion Gene in a Pediatric Chest NUT Carcinoma.

Nuclear protein of the testis carcinoma is an exceedingly rare and poorly differentiated carcinoma characterized by BDR4::NUTM1 gene translocation. Typically, the tumor affects young adults, and no standardized recommendations for therapeutic management have been available since 2022; the clinical course remains mostly dismal. We report the successful multimodal treatment of a 13-year-old boy affected by a primary chest NUT-carcinoma with a novel NUTM1 rearrangement that remains in complete continuous remission at 30 months from diagnosis.

Human Papillomavirus Carcinogenicity and the Need of New Perspectives: Thoughts from a Retrospective Analysis on Human Papillomavirus Outcomes Conducted at the Hospital University of Bari, Apulia, Italy, between 2011 and 2022.

Background: The current manuscript's aim was to determine the human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype-specific prevalence and distribution among individuals, males, and females, of different ages in the region of Apulia, Italy, highlighting the possible variables involved in the carcinogenicity mechanism. In addition, we proposed two hypothetical models of HPV's molecular dynamics, intending to clarify the impact of prevention and therapeutic strategies, explicitly modeled by recent survey data.

Methods: We presented clinical data from 9647 participants tested for either high-risk (HR) or low-risk (LR) HPV at the affiliated Bari Policlinic University Hospital of Bari from 2011 to 2022.

Longitudinal assessment of blepharospasm severity in patients with long disease duration.

Introduction: Blepharospasm (BSP) represents one of the most common idiopathic adult-onset dystonia. A few longitudinal observations indicated progression and worsening of BSP severity within 16 years of onset. Information is lacking about the trend of BSP severity in the later stages of the disease.

Effect of Music Therapy on Chemotherapy Anticipatory Symptoms in Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction: This study explores the feasibility and effects of music therapy on anticipatory nausea and vomiting, stress, pain and quality of life in adolescents undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: This is a single group, quasi-experimental study using pre/post-test design. Participants received four individual sessions of music therapy (MT), led by a certified music therapist.

Role of triglyceride-glucose index in metabolic assessment of sarcoidosis patients.

Sarcoidosis is a rare granulomatous disease that can affect any organ. It leads to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, due to biochemical pathways involved in low-grade inflammation in both diseases. The aim of our retrospective case-control study was to evaluate the utility of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a surrogate of insulin resistance, for metabolic assessment of sarcoidosis patients.

Brivaracetam use in clinical practice: a Delphi consensus on its role as first add-on therapy in focal epilepsy and beyond.

Background: Antiseizure medications remain the cornerstone of treatment for epilepsy, although a proportion of individuals with the condition will continue to experience seizures despite appropriate therapy. Treatment choices for epilepsy are based on variables related to both the individual patient and the available medications. Brivaracetam is a third-generation agent antiseizure medication.

Sclerotherapy with 3% polidocanol foam for the treatment of mucocutaneous bridges and/or residual piles after open excisional hemorrhoidectomy.

Injection sclerotherapy is an effective and safe treatment in selected cases. It might be used as the first treatment for I-III degree hemorrhoidal disease (HD), but also as a bridge therapy for more severe cases not amenable to invasive treatments. However, concerning the long-term recurrence rate, open excisional hemorrhoidectomy remains the gold standard in cases of III- and IV-degree HD.

Validation and application of a method for the quantification of 137 drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances in hair.

Introduction: In the dynamic universe of new psychoactive substances (NPS), the identification of multiple and chemically diverse compounds remains a challenge for forensic laboratories. Since hair analysis represents a gold-standard to assess the prevalence of NPS, which are commonly detected together with classical drugs of abuse (DoA), our study aimed at developing a wide-screen method to detect and quantify 127 NPS and 15 DoA on hair.

Materials And Methods: A multi-analyte ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method for the identification and quantification of 127 NPS (phenethylamines, arylcyclohexylamines, synthetic opioids, tryptamines, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, designer benzodiazepines) and 15 DoA in hair samples was developed.

Role of the Gastrocnemius Musculocutaneous with a Propeller Style Skin Flap in Knee Region Reconstruction: Indications and Pitfalls.

 Soft tissue reconstruction around the knee area is still an open question, particularly in persistent infections and multiple reoperations scenario. Flap coverage should guarantee joint mobility and protection, even when foreign materials are implanted. The chimeric harvesting of the musculocutaneous gastrocnemius flap, based on the sural artery perforators, can extend its applicability in soft tissue reconstruction of the upper leg, overcoming the drawbacks of the alternative pedicled flaps.

Adjunctive brivaracetam and sustained seizure frequency reduction in very active focal epilepsy.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of brivaracetam (BRV) according to baseline seizure frequency and past treatment history in subjects with focal epilepsy who were included in the Brivaracetam Add-On First Italian Network Study (BRIVAFIRST).

Methods: BRIVAFIRST was a 12-month retrospective, multicenter study including adults prescribed adjunctive BRV. Study outcomes included sustained seizure response (SSR), sustained seizure freedom (SSF), and the rates of treatment discontinuation and adverse events (AEs).

Acquired Hemophilia A: Bleeding Pattern and Hemostatic Therapeutic Strategies.

Acquired Hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the onset of a sudden and unexpected bleeding episode in a patient with no personal or family history of bleeding diathesis, and with a typical laboratory feature, i.e., a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time that is not otherwise explained.

Abdominal-Based Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction: How to Inset the Flap to Maximize the Aesthetic Result-A Systematic Review.

Nowadays, the ultimate goal of microsurgical breast reconstruction is not merely the effective transfer of vascularized tissue but the achievement of a natural, symmetric appearance. The aim of this present study was to systematically summarize the published evidence on abdominal-based free flap inset for breast reconstruction in order to provide principles and classification that could guide the surgeon in choosing the most appropriate inset technique based on patient and flap characteristics. A comprehensive review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, looking for articles on the insetting technique for free flap breast reconstruction.

Validation of a Brief Form of the Self-Administered Multidimensional Prognostic Index: The SELFY-BRIEF-MPI Project.

In clinical practice, self-administered and brief tools to promptly identify older people at risk of frailty are required. The Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), derived from the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) seems reliable enough to serve this purpose, but despite the several versions developed over the past 15 years, it lacks a self-administered and brief version. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the agreement between an abbreviated form of the SELFY-MPI (i.