Nanomaterials in COPD: Emerging Therapeutic and Diagnostic Frontiers with a Focus on Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although conventional therapies are effective in controlling symptoms, they remain limited in altering the course of the disease and significantly reducing the chronic inflammation and oxidative stress underlying it. In this context, nanoparticles and nanomaterials are emerging as innovative tools capable of overcoming traditional pharmacological barriers due to their ability to deliver therapeutic oligonucleotides, antioxidants, and drugs in a targeted manner, modulate immune responses, and improve the bioavailability of active compounds.

Inflammatory Crosstalk Between Type 2 Diabetes and Sarcopenia: Insights from In Silico Evaluation.

Sarcopenia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic conditions that gradually affect the elderly, often coexisting and interacting in complex ways. Sarcopenia, which is characterized by the progressive loss of muscle mass and function, is frequently observed in individuals with T2DM. Although the clinical association is well known, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Clinical relevance of bacterial and/or viral coinfection in acute bronchiolitis in an Italian neonatal unit during the 2021-2023 seasons.

Background: Acute bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in young children worldwide, and literature reports conflicting data regarding the role of coinfections.

Objective: To evaluate the possible clinical relevance of bacterial and/or viral respiratory coinfection in a cohort of newborns/infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis.

Methods: Neonates and infants younger than three months admitted to neonatal units from October 2021 to March 2023 because of acute bronchiolitis were included in this retrospective study.

Food Inhibitory Control and Reward Responsiveness in Healthy Aging.

Objectives: Living in a complex food environment, humans face numerous decisions and choices every day. These decisions necessitate cognitive resources and the ability to balance metabolic needs with gratification. This study sought to examine whether aging enhances responses to food stimuli due to reduced inhibitory control or reduces such responses due to a decline in the motivational system.

Parvovirus B19 Rebound.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is responsible for a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic infection, through mild disease, up to life-threatening one. Outbreaks are registered every 3-4 years, and a recent international alert for a new outbreak has been released. The experience of B19 virus circulation in a 600-bed tertiary care pediatric hospital in Rome from 2018 to 2024 is reported here.

Applicability of the Instrumented Pendulum Test for Assessing Limb Viscoelastic Properties in Neurological and Internal Diseases: A Narrative Review.

Background: The pendulum test was first introduced by Wartenberg as a clinical tool for neurological examination in patients with hypertonia. It was later instrumented to measure the kinematic parameters of gravity-imposed knee movements in patients with spasticity. More recently, the instrumented pendulum test has enabled the quantification of stiffness, viscosity, and damping in both the lower and upper limbs across various neurological and internal diseases.

Improving Stuttering Through Augmented Multisensory Feedback Stimulation.

Background/objectives: Stuttering is a speech disorder involving fluency disruptions like repetitions, prolongations, and blockages, often leading to emotional distress and social withdrawal. Here, we present Augmented Multisensory Feedback Stimulation (AMFS), a novel personalized intervention to improve speech fluency in people who stutter (PWS). AMFS includes a five-day intensive phase aiming at acquiring new skills, plus a reinforcement phase designed to facilitate the transfer of these skills across different contexts and their automatization into effortless behaviors.

Severe Outcomes From Suspected Human Parvovirus B19 Infection in Immunocompetent Children: The Need for Timely Recognition.

We reported a cluster of 13 previously healthy children who, over a short time frame, received care at a Level III Pediatric Hospital following emergency department (ED) presentations with severe outcomes from suspected human Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection, and the presence of PVB19 viremia at presentation. Among these patients, we identified seven cases of myocarditis, one case of acute anterior myocardial infarction due to coronary aneurysms secondary to Kawasaki disease, one case of severe anemia with pancytopenia, two cases of encephalitis, one case of septic shock with meningitis, and one case of septic shock with pancreatitis. Four children required ECMO treatment.

Predicting imitative performance through cortico-cerebellar circuits: A multivariate and effective connectivity study.

The ability to accurately imitate actions requires the contribution of the Mirror Neuron System (MNS) and of prefrontal and cerebellar regions. The present study aimed at investigating whether functional interaction between cortical areas and the cerebellum during the observation of complex bimanual actions can predict individual ability to imitate the same actions. Nineteen healthy participants underwent an fMRI task in which they observed complex bimanual action sequences (paper folding) and subsequently imitated the same sequences.

A new epidemic wave of Bordetella pertussis in paediatric population: impact and role of co-infections in pertussis disease.

Background: In recent months, Bordetella pertussis has reappeared after maintaining a low rate for many years. Although pertussis is usually characterized by a favorable course, several factors can contribute to the severity of the disease, such as mixed respiratory infections. In this study, we evaluate B.

Humoral and cellular immune response after mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in children on treatment for cancer: A pilot observational study.

Immunocompromised children are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection. We conducted a pilot prospective study to evaluate the impact of cancer treatment and stem cell transplantation on immunogenicity of two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine in pediatric patients. Humoral, B- and T-cell responses to the BNT162b2 vaccine were assessed before, after the first and the second dose in patients aged 5-12 years (n = 35) and in a group of healthy donors (HD, n = 12).

Protective Role of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic and Their -Ethanolamide Derivatives in Olfactory Glial Cells Affected by Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation.

Neuroinflammation is a symptom of different neurodegenerative diseases, and growing interest is directed towards active drug development for the reduction of its negative effects. The anti-inflammatory activity of polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), and their amide derivatives was largely investigated on some neural cells. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the protective role of both EPA and DHA and the corresponding -ethanolamides EPA-EA and DHA-EA on neonatal mouse Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs) after exposition to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation.

The Gut Microbiota Involvement in the Panorama of Muscular Dystrophy Pathogenesis.

Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are genetically heterogeneous diseases characterized by primary skeletal muscle atrophy. The collapse of muscle structure and irreversible degeneration of tissues promote the occurrence of comorbidities, including cardiomyopathy and respiratory failure. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and adipogenic cellular infiltrates that exacerbate the symptomatology of MD patients.

Hypoxia-Induced Inflammation in In Vitro Model of Human Blood-Brain Barrier: Modulatory Effects of the Olfactory Ensheathing Cell-Conditioned Medium.

Hypoxia compromises the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and increases its permeability, thereby inducing inflammation. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) garnered considerable interest due to their neuroregenerative and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential modulatory effects of OEC-conditioned medium (OEC-CM) on the response of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs), constituting the BBB, when exposed to hypoxia.

Beneficial Effects of -Derived Bioactive Compounds in the Epigenetic Program of Neurodevelopment.

Gestational diet has a long-dated effect not only on the disease risk in offspring but also on the occurrence of future neurological diseases. During ontogeny, changes in the epigenetic state that shape morphological and functional differentiation of several brain areas can affect embryonic fetal development. Many epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs control brain gene expression, both in the course of neurodevelopment and in adult brain cognitive functions.

The "Sunshine Vitamin" and Its Antioxidant Benefits for Enhancing Muscle Function.

Pathological states marked by oxidative stress and systemic inflammation frequently compromise the functional capacity of muscular cells. This progressive decline in muscle mass and tone can significantly hamper the patient's motor abilities, impeding even the most basic physical tasks. Muscle dysfunction can lead to metabolic disorders and severe muscle wasting, which, in turn, can potentially progress to sarcopenia.

Resveratrol and Vitamin D: Eclectic Molecules Promoting Mitochondrial Health in Sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss and atrophy of skeletal muscle function, often associated with aging or secondary to conditions involving systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent evidence indicates that skeletal muscle function is not only influenced by physical, environmental, and genetic factors but is also significantly impacted by nutritional deficiencies. Natural compounds with antioxidant properties, such as resveratrol and vitamin D, have shown promise in preventing mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle cells.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Emergency Hospitalizations for Acute Respiratory Infections: The Experience of a Paediatric Tertiary Care Hospital in Italy.

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a major healthcare issue in children. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic changed the epidemiology of ARIs; the aims of this study are to characterize the epidemiological trend of ARI emergency hospitalizations and virology results and to estimate the association of ARI emergency hospitalizations with respiratory viruses from January 2018 to June 2023.

Methods: This study was carried out in an Italian tertiary care children's hospital (Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital).

Presence and Significance of Multiple Respiratory Viral Infections in Children Admitted to a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Italy.

Viral co-infections are frequently observed among children, but whether specific viral interactions enhance or diminish the severity of respiratory disease is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the type of viral mono- and co-infections by also evaluating viral correlations in 3525 respiratory samples from 3525 pediatric in/outpatients screened by the Allplex Respiratory Panel Assays and with a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-COronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test available. Overall, viral co-infections were detected in 37.

Whooping Cough Cases Increase in Central Italy after COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pertussis continues to be a highly contagious respiratory infection, especially in children, with cyclical peaks of disease spread every three to five years. Here, we report relevant cases of infection between August 2023 and January 2024, and compare them with prevalence in pediatric patients admitted to the Reference Italian Pediatric Hospital, located in Rome, from January 2015 to July 2023. A total of 5464 tests for were performed during the study period, and 6.

Melatonin Enhances Neural Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are adult multipotent stem cells, able to differentiate toward neural elements other than cells of mesodermal lineage. The aim of this research was to test ASC neural differentiation using melatonin combined with conditioned media (CM) from glial cells. Isolated from the lipoaspirate of healthy donors, ASCs were expanded in a basal growth medium before undergoing neural differentiation procedures.