المؤلفون: Filomena Pietrantonio, Francesco Rosiello, Matteo Ruggeri, Maria Sofia Cattaruzza, Antonio Vinci, Margherita Lordi, Enrica Cipriano

المصدر: Italian Journal of Medicine, Vol 18, Iss 2 (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Oral antiviral agents, molnupiravir, SARS-CoV- 2, COVID-19, nirmatrelvir, Medicine

الوصف: COVID-19 represents a threat for frailty patients. This study compares molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir for fragile COVID- 19 patients' efficacy, safety, and cost. An observational, prospective study allowed us to evaluate molnupiravir’s efficacy and safety in real life, compare it to a subgroup of patients treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, and analyze its cost-effectiveness. From January to December 2022, 435 patients (225 males, 220 females; median age 72 years), were enrolled; 24 patients were unvaccinated, and 280 patients had ≥2 risk factors. Molnupiravir performed better clinically and economically. Compared to literature data, in these patients, hospitalization was 2.5% vs. 6.8% (P

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://www.italjmed.org/ijm/article/view/1737Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1877-9344Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1877-9352Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/b325e475b4ef4e58977ef9a90babcdd0Test

المؤلفون: Franklin Salazar, Maria Sofia Martinez-Garcia, Angel de Castro, Nube Logroño, Maria F. Cazorla-Logroño, Jesús Guamán-Molina, Carlos Gómez

المصدر: Sustainable Futures, Vol 7, Iss , Pp 100146- (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Battery, Flight autonomy, PV System, Storage, UAV, Environmental sciences, GE1-350, Technology

الوصف: Unmanned aerial vehicles integrate propulsion systems, communication modules, and sensors, allowing an operator to perform autonomous or remote-controlled flight actions. UAVs provide important advantages for exploring remote locations due to their cost-effectiveness and versatility compared to manned aircraft. However, addressing safety and flight autonomy challenges remains necessary. This paper analyzes and proposes the integration of a photovoltaic solar system to power UAV devices. Through a brief analysis of the aerodynamic model and the wing profile, a consolidation of the solar cells has been achieved without compromising efficiency in-flight maneuvers. Furthermore, an analysis is conducted on the potential of using photovoltaic solar resources in fixed-wing aircraft. The research aims to determine the optimal wing surface area required for video surveillance applications. The current model under discussion is a glider-type system that incorporates two distinct systems, one for video transmission and the other for telemetry data acquisition. An analysis of the battery charge and discharge pattern was carried out using computer simulation tools. This analysis aimed to optimize the battery charging process by integrating photovoltaic cells. The results and conclusions of the tests are described in the final section of the paper.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188823000424Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2666-1888Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/578e2478b4f048a58ab20f6e3e366831Test

المؤلفون: Salvatore Pezzino, Maria Sofia, Chiara Mazzone, Giorgia Litrico, Marcello Agosta, Gaetano La Greca, Saverio Latteri

المصدر: Scientific Reports, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Science

الوصف: Abstract Scientific interest related to the role of gut microbiome dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has now been established and is constantly growing. Therefore, balancing dysbiosis, through probiotics, would be a potential therapy. In addition to scientific interest, on the other hand, it is important to evaluate the interest in these topics among the population. This study aimed to analyze, temporally and geographically, the public's interest in gut microbiome dysbiosis, NAFLD, and the use of gut probiotics. The most widely used free tool for analyzing online behavior is Google Trends. Using Google Trends data, we have analyzed worldwide volume searches for the terms “gut microbiome”, “dysbiosis”, “NAFLD” and “gut probiotic” for the period from 1, January 2007 to 31 December 2022. Google's relative search volume (RSV) was collected for all terms and analyzed temporally and geographically. The RSV for the term “gut microbiome” has a growth rate of more than 1400% followed, by “gut probiotics” (829%), NAFLD (795%), and “dysbiosis” (267%) from 2007 to 2012. In Australia and New Zealand, we found the highest RSV score for the term “dysbiosis” and “gut probiotics”. Moreover, we found the highest RSV score for the term “NAFLD” in the three countries: South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines. Google Trends analysis showed that people all over the world are interested in and aware of gut microbiome dysbiosis, NAFLD, and the use of gut probiotics. These data change over time and have a geographical distribution that could reflect the epidemiological worldwide condition of NAFLD and the state of the probiotic market.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/3f40d97b81124c8c8f77e83b4a7bb47bTest

المؤلفون: Alberto Benussi, Valentina Cantoni, Mario Grassi, Ilenia Libri, Maria Sofia Cotelli, Barbara Tarantino, Abhishek Datta, Chris Thomas, Nadine Huber, Sari Kärkkäinen, Sanna-Kaisa Herukka, Annakaisa Haapasalo, Massimiliano Filosto, Alessandro Padovani, Barbara Borroni

المصدر: Brain Stimulation, Vol 16, Iss 6, Pp 1666-1676 (2023)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Motor neuron disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Short interval intracortical inhibition, Clinical trial, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571

الوصف: Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease for which no curative treatment is currently available. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether cortico-spinal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could mitigate symptoms in ALS patients via a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, followed by an open-label phase. Methods: Thirty-one participants were randomized into two groups for the initial controlled phase. At baseline (T0), Group 1 received placebo stimulation (sham tDCS), while Group 2 received cortico-spinal stimulation (real tDCS) for five days/week for two weeks (T1), with an 8-week (T2) follow-up (randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled phase). At the 24-week follow-up (T3), all participants (Groups 1 and 2) received a second treatment of anodal bilateral motor cortex and cathodal spinal stimulation (real tDCS) for five days/week for two weeks (T4). Follow-up evaluations were performed at 32-weeks (T5) and 48-weeks (T6) (open-label phase). At each time point, clinical assessment, blood sampling, and intracortical connectivity measures using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were evaluated. Additionally, we evaluated survival rates. Results: Compared to sham stimulation, cortico-spinal tDCS significantly improved global strength, caregiver burden, and quality of life scores, which correlated with the restoration of intracortical connectivity measures. Serum neurofilament light levels decreased among patients who underwent real tDCS but not in those receiving sham tDCS. The number of completed 2-week tDCS treatments significantly influenced patient survival. Conclusions: Cortico-spinal tDCS may represent a promising therapeutic and rehabilitative approach for patients with ALS. Further larger-scale studies are necessary to evaluate whether tDCS could potentially impact patient survival. Clinical trial registration: NCT04293484.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X23019514Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1935-861XTest

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/852b7bd38dfd4d10bdf3cf60ff7fcc1fTest

المؤلفون: Javier Silva-Valencia, Carla Lapadula, John M. Westfall, Gabriela Gaona, Simon de Lusignan, Robert Sarkadi Kristiansson, Zheng Jye Ling, Lay Hoon Goh, Percy Soto-Becerra, Maria Sofia Cuba-Fuentes, Knut-Arne Wensaas, Signe Flottorp, Valborg Baste, William Chi-Wai Wong, Amy Pui Pui Ng, Angela Ortigoza, Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis, Christine Mary Hallinan, Paula Zingoni, Luciano Scattini, Adrian Heald, Karen Tu, Adrian Laughlin, Zhou Li, Signe Agnes Flottorp, Robert Kristiansson, Mats Martinell, Uy Hoang, Wilson Pace, Michael Kidd

المصدر: EClinicalMedicine, Vol 70, Iss , Pp 102533- (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Primary care, Big data, Mental health, Global health, Medicine (General), R5-920

الوصف: Summary: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health disorders, affecting both individuals with pre-existing conditions and those with no prior history. However, there is limited evidence regarding the pandemic's impact on mental health visits to primary care physicians. The International Consortium of Primary Care Big Data Researchers (INTRePID) explored primary care visit trends related to mental health conditions in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Norway, Peru, Singapore, Sweden, and the USA. Methods: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis in nine countries to examine changes in rates of monthly mental health visits to primary care settings from January 1st, 2018, to December 31st, 2021. Sub-group analysis considered service type (in-person/virtual) and six categories of mental health conditions (anxiety/depression, bipolar/schizophrenia/other psychotic disorders, sleep disorders, dementia, ADHD/eating disorders, and substance use disorder). Findings: Mental health visit rates increased after the onset of the pandemic in most countries. In Argentina, Canada, China, Norway, Peru, and Singapore, this increase was immediate ranged from an incidence rate ratio of 1·118 [95% CI 1.053–1.187] to 2.240 [95% CI 2.057–2.439] when comparing the first month of pandemic with the pre-pandemic trend. Increases in the following months varied across countries. Anxiety/depression was the leading reason for mental health visits in most countries. Virtual visits were reported in Australia, Canada, Norway, Peru, Sweden, and the USA, accounting for up to 40% of the total mental health visits. Interpretation: Findings suggest an overall increase in mental health visits, driven largely by anxiety/depression. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the studied countries adopted virtual care in particular for mental health visits. Primary care plays a crucial role in addressing mental ill-health in times of crisis. Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant #173094 and the Rathlyn Foundation Primary Care EMR Research and Discovery Fund.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537024001123Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2589-5370Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/6965a8c184d74e79bbcceb626e899626Test

المؤلفون: Manuela D'Arrigo, Claudia Muscarà, Maria Sofia Molonia, Francesco Cimino, Teresa Gervasi

المصدر: Journal of Functional Foods, Vol 114, Iss , Pp 106062- (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5, Caco-2 cells, Quercetin, Synergism, Nutrition. Foods and food supply, TX341-641

الوصف: Many studies reported the positive synergy between polyphenols and probiotics. Probiotics are known for their positive and beneficial effects on human intestinal health, and their interactions with polyphenolic compounds and metabolites may increase health benefits improving intestinal barrier function and modulating the gut microbiota. Here a symbiotic strategy of quercetin (QUE) and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 antimicrobial and antiadhesion properties against E. coli was evaluated on intestinal Caco-2 differentiated cells. Our study demonstrates that QUE improves LA5 auto-aggregation and LA5 and E. coli coaggregation. Additionally, LA5 decreased the adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cells mainly via exclusion antagonism than competition assay. Interestingly, QUE did not affect LA5 effects on E. coli adhesion, but synergically improved the barrier function of Caco-2 cells improving TEER values, claudin-1 expression and reducing proinflammatory COX-2 expression. Data confirmed the LA5 and QUE synergism supporting their combined use in the prevention or treatment of pathogen diseases.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464624000641Test; https://doaj.org/toc/1756-4646Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/2ed8ff33d8084c198775b94ab02b67b4Test

المؤلفون: Daniele del Re, Luigi Palla, Paolo Meridiani, Livia Soffi, Michele Tancredi Loiudice, Martina Antinozzi, Maria Sofia Cattaruzza

المصدر: Frontiers in Public Health, Vol 12 (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: COVID-19, mortality, containment measures, Italy, pandemic, EuroMOMO, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270

الوصف: IntroductionItaly was the first European country affected by COVID-19. Thanks to governmental containment measures (9 March 2020), the spread of COVID-19 was limited. However, in this context, accurate data assessment is crucial and mortality is a more reliable indicator of the virus spread compared to the count of positive cases. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact of the pandemic in different areas of Italy using the time series analysis of official deaths and excess COVID-19 deaths.MethodsMortality data (23 February–30 April 2022) by Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT) were analyzed, including four waves of COVID-19. Previous mortality data (January 2015–November 2019) were used to estimate a Poisson regression model of the pre-pandemic mortality pattern and derive the excess COVID-19 deaths as the difference between the actual deaths number and the extrapolation of the previous mortality pattern to the pandemic period, separately for Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, to compare the impact of mortality across time periods and geographical areas.ResultsEstimated excess compared with official COVID-19 mortality shows that, during the first wave, there was an underestimation of deaths. COVID-19 mortality rate almost doubled the official rate in the North (1.60‰ vs. 0.86‰) and nearly tripled it in the South (0.22‰ vs. 0.08‰). In late 2020-early 2021, official and estimated mortality curves are closer, displaying just a small gap at the start of the second wave. During the fourth wave (end of 2021-early 2022), Northern and Central Italy show reasonable agreement; the South presents a large relative underestimation of deaths (+90% increase), with a large increase in its excess deaths national quota, 9% in the first wave to 42% in the fourth.DiscussionThe results provide a measure of the COVID-19 excess deaths and an unbiased estimate of Italian mortality rates. In the first wave, the gap between official COVID-19 and excess mortality was particularly high and lockdown measures may have reduced the spread of the infection. In the fourth wave, the gap for the South increases again, probably because the healthcare system may not have coped with the prolonged pressure of the pandemic, or for a decreased compliance with the official paper-based mortality surveillance system that could be overcome in the future by digitalizing the process.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324033/fullTest; https://doaj.org/toc/2296-2565Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/5818c6dc540443b58f02f9c1d8285fffTest

المؤلفون: Chiara Mazzone, Salvatore Pezzino, Maria Sofia, Giorgia Litrico, Iacopo Sarvà, Marcello Agosta, Gaetano La Greca, Saverio Latteri

المصدر: Gastrointestinal Disorders, Vol 5, Iss 4, Pp 438-454 (2023)

مصطلحات موضوعية: obesity, bariatric surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, mini-gastric bypass, gastric bypass, bibliometric analysis, Medicine, Diseases of the digestive system. Gastroenterology, RC799-869

الوصف: Background: Obesity is an escalating concern in our society. Bariatric surgery appears to be the only feasible alternative for severe obesity. This study aims to conduct an integrative analysis of the Italian context concerning bariatric surgery, with a specific focus on the surgical procedures of sleeve gastrectomy, mini-gastric bypass, and gastric bypass. Methods: The analysis is based on bibliometric data extracted from the Scopus database to find Italian publications in this field from 2012 to 2022. Along with scientific interest, it is essential to assess the level of public interest in these topics. Google Trends is the most extensively utilized free tool for the analysis of online behavior. Using Google Trends data, we analyzed the amount of internet volume searches (Relative Search Volume = RSV) for the Italian terms “sleeve gastrectomy”, “mini-gastric bypass” and “gastric bypass”, both temporally (from 2012 to 2022 years) and geographically. Furthermore, to illustrate the Italian landscape, we compared Google Trends data with data from the Italian registry “Società Italiana di Chirurgia dell’Obesità e delle malattie metaboliche” (SICOB), which includes information about bariatric surgery procedures performed in the country. Results: Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the scientific literature on sleeve gastrectomy, mini-gastric bypass, and gastric bypass surgeries in Italy. Google Trends data has shown an increase in online public interest in these surgical procedures, from 2012 to 2022. The examination of the Google Trends information combined with the SICOB data demonstrated a remarkable association between the two data sets. Conclusions: Bariatric surgery has increased quickly in Italy in terms of scientific research and surgical interventions. The analysis of Google Trends data in conjunction with data from SICOB has revealed an interesting correlation between the two datasets therefore, Google Trends can be useful for estimating the demand for bariatric surgical procedures.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://www.mdpi.com/2624-5647/5/4/36Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2624-5647Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/e6961da79a354e2f8fa3cbc3680b1b97Test

المؤلفون: Maria Sofia Falzarano, Martina Mietto, Fernanda Fortunato, Marianna Farnè, Fernanda Martini, Pierpaolo Ala, Rita Selvatici, Francesco Muntoni, Alessandra Ferlini

المصدر: Scientific Reports, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2023)

مصطلحات موضوعية: Medicine, Science

الوصف: Abstract To gain insight on dystrophin (DMD) gene transcription dynamics and spatial localization, we assayed the DMD mRNA amount and defined its compartmentalization in myoblasts, myotubes, and skeletal muscle biopsies of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Using droplet digital PCR, Real-time PCR, and RNAscope in situ hybridization, we showed that the DMD transcript amount is extremely reduced in both DMD patients’ cells and muscle biopsies and that mutation-related differences occur. We also found that, compared to controls, DMD transcript is dramatically reduced in the cytoplasm, as up to 90% of it is localized in nuclei, preferentially at the perinuclear region. Using RNA/protein colocalization experiments, we showed that about 40% of nuclear DMD mRNA is localized in the nucleoli in both control and DMD myogenic cells. Our results clearly show that mutant DMD mRNA quantity is strongly reduced in the patients’ myogenic cells and muscle biopsies. Furthermore, mutant DMD mRNA compartmentalization is spatially unbalanced due to a shift in its localization towards the nuclei. This abnormal transcript repartition contributes to the poor abundance and availability of the dystrophin messenger in cytoplasm. This novel finding also has important repercussions for RNA-targeted therapies.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/fd59f74e0e624464966471010ea7c3fcTest

المؤلفون: Paolo Fagone, Katia Mangano, Maria Sofia Basile, José Francisco Munoz-Valle, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Ferdinando Nicoletti, Klaus Bendtzen

المصدر: Genes, Vol 15, Iss 5, p 634 (2024)

مصطلحات موضوعية: atrial fibrillation, Toll-like receptors, TLR4, computational study, Genetics, QH426-470

الوصف: In the present study, we have explored the involvement of Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) in atrial fibrillation (AF), by using a meta-analysis of publicly available human transcriptomic data. The meta-analysis revealed 565 upregulated and 267 downregulated differentially expressed genes associated with AF. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted a significant overrepresentation in immune-related pathways for the upregulated genes. A significant overlap between AF differentially expressed genes and TLR4-modulated genes was also identified, suggesting the potential role of TLR4 in AF-related transcriptional changes. Additionally, the analysis of other Toll-like receptors (TLRs) revealed a significant association with TLR2 and TLR3 in AF-related gene expression patterns. The examination of MYD88 and TICAM1, genes associated with TLR4 signalling pathways, indicated a significant yet nonspecific enrichment of AF differentially expressed genes. In summary, this study offers novel insights into the molecular aspects of AF, suggesting a pathophysiological role of TLR4 and other TLRs. By targeting these specific receptors, new treatments might be designed to better manage AF, offering hope for improved outcomes in affected patients.

وصف الملف: electronic resource

العلاقة: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/15/5/634Test; https://doaj.org/toc/2073-4425Test

الوصول الحر: https://doaj.org/article/a917f574daaa43a5a550ea3cf8e65913Test