The influence of high maternal body mass index (≥35 kg/m) on haemodynamic parameters during pregnancy: a prospective observational study.

Background: Maternal obesity is a growing global health concern, yet its impact on maternal haemodynamic throughout pregnancy remains underexplored. We investigated haemodynamic adaptations across gestation in women with high body mass index (BMI) (≥35 kg/m) and results were compared to low-risk controls (BMI 18.5-24.

Endocrine malignancies: a still neglected issue in kidney transplantation.

Advances in kidney transplantation have made significant progress, yet challenges remain in managing both the pre- and post-transplantation phases, which have a direct impact on long-term allograft survival and comorbidities experienced by kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Among the common immunosuppression-related complications, malignancies are a notable concern, and endocrine tumors are frequently observed. These tumors exhibit heterogeneous pathogenesis, prognosis, and treatment responses but existing literature is limited, and prevalence studies often compare KTRs to the general population.

Sea urchin waste as valuable alternative source of calcium in laying hens' diet.

Annually, 3000-3500 tons of sea urchins are harvested in the Mediterranean Sea, with only their gonads being consumed (10-30% of the total weight), leaving the rest as waste. This waste, consisting of the skeleton, is rich in biominerals, mainly calcium with a small amount of magnesium, and contains potent antioxidant compounds. Considering the issues of resource overconsumption, and in line with the circular economy concept, this study explored the potential of replacing limestone-derived calcium with sea urchin waste in the diet of laying hens, which require this element to produce eggs.

Omics data integration analysis identified new biological insights into chronic antibody-mediated rejection (CAMR).

Background: In the last two decades, many studies based on omics technologies have contributed to defining the clinical, immunological, and histological fingerprints of chronic antibody-mediated rejection (CAMR), the leading cause of long-term kidney allograft failure. However, the full biological machinery underlying CAMR has only been partially defined, likely due to the fact thatsingle-omics technologies capture only specific aspects of the biological system and fail to provide a comprehensive understanding of this clinical complication.

Methods: This study integrated mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling of serum samples from 19 patients with clinical and histological evidence of CAMR and 26 kidney transplant recipients with normal graft function and histology (CTR) with transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from an independent cohort of 10 CAMR and 8 CTR patients.

Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential of botanicals bioactive product (PHYTO AX'CELL™) for an improvement of the well-being of laying hens at the peak of production.

This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of an authorized commercial standardized mixture of Artepillin-C, methyl-salicylates, flavonoids and curcuminoids (PHYTO AX'CELL™) provided intermittently during 8 weeks (wk) of trial to laying hens raised in enriched cages during the peak of the production, in the reduction of inflammation status, improving the immune response, and egg quality. In this study, 764 Lohmann LSL-White hens on the first day (d) of the 26 wk of age (T0), were randomly assigned to 2 replicated experimental groups, control and treated (n=382 each). The treatment was supplied in drinking water, as follows: 26 to 27 wk (T1, 14 d) first treatment administration at a dose of 1 mL/L (0.

Biological metasurfaces based on tailored Luria Bertani Agar growth medium formulations for photonic applications.

Biodegradable alternatives to classic solid-state components are rapidly taking place in front-end photonic systems like metamaterials, meta-surfaces and photonic crystals. From this point of view, numerous solutions have been proposed involving eco-friendly compounds. Among them, the Luria Bertani agar (LBA) growth medium has been recently proposed as a functional option with the remarkable advantage of allowing the growth of fluorescent protein expressing bacteria.

Exploring the administrative burden faced by hematologists: a comprehensive study in Italy.

Background: Administrative burdens have been identified as a major issue impacting patient care, professional practice, and the overall efficiency of healthcare systems. The aim of this study is to assess the administrative burden faced by Italian hematologists.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey that included both closed-ended quantitative questions and open-ended free text answer options was administered to 1,570 hematologists working with malignancies and members of Italian GIMEMA Foundation - Franco Mandelli ONLUS and the Italian Linfomi Foundation (FIL).

[Semaglutide in Chronic Kidney Disease: Great Enthusiasm. But How Does It Work?].

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a clinical condition characterized by the progressive loss of kidney function. 10% of the world's population is affected by this condition, which represents the fifth leading cause of death globally. Furthermore, CKD is associated with increased risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, and progression to end-stage renal disease.

Effects of prebiotics and precision biotics on performance, animal welfare and environmental impact. A review.

This review aims to analyze the recent studies about prebiotics and precision biotics, as alternatives to animal growth promoters. These substances improve intestinal health, growth performance and poultry environmental impact. Prebiotics are insoluble fibers, that have no nutritive value, but they promote the growth of positive bacteria, increase the nutrients absorption and modulate the immune response.

Hierarchical strategy for sEMG classification of the hand/wrist gestures and forces of transradial amputees.

Introduction: The myoelectric control strategy, based on surface electromyographic signals, has long been used for controlling a prosthetic system with multiple degrees of freedom. Several methods classify gestures and force levels but the simultaneous real-time control of hand/wrist gestures and force levels did not yet reach a satisfactory level of effectiveness.

Methods: In this work, the hierarchical classification approach, already validated on 31 healthy subjects, was adapted for the real-time control of a multi-DoFs prosthetic system on 15 trans-radial amputees.

Outcomes of children born to mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus exposed to hydroxychloroquine or azathioprine.

Objectives: HCQ and AZA are used to control disease activity and reduce risk of flare during pregnancy in patients with SLE. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of children born to mothers with SLE exposed to HCQ or AZA during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Methods: Women attending UK specialist lupus clinics with children ≤17 years old, born after SLE diagnosis, were recruited to this retrospective study.

A parallel classification strategy to simultaneous control elbow, wrist, and hand movements.

Background: In the field of myoelectric control systems, pattern recognition (PR) algorithms have become always more interesting for predicting complex electromyography patterns involving movements with more than 2 Degrees of Freedom (DoFs). The majority of classification strategies, used for the prosthetic control, are based on single, hierarchical and parallel linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers able to discriminate up to 19 wrist/hand gestures (in the 3-DoFs case), considering both combined and discrete motions. However, these strategies were introduced to simultaneously classify only 2 DoFs and their use is limited by the lack of online performance measures.

Control Strategies and Performance Assessment of Upper-Limb TMR Prostheses: A Review.

The evolution of technological and surgical techniques has made it possible to obtain an even more intuitive control of multiple joints using advanced prosthetic systems. Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) is considered to be an innovative and relevant surgical technique for improving the prosthetic control for people with different amputation levels of the limb. Indeed, TMR surgery makes it possible to obtain reinnervated areas that act as biological amplifiers of the motor control.

[Protocol proposal for the management of tuberculosis cases for healthcare Local Authority].

TB is still a major public health problem and a threat to global health security. In Italy, TB control is consistent with the WHO global strategy, in which the role of prevention and, within it, contacts tracing and their management are emphasized. In this work, a protocol for the correct and homogeneous management of TB cases, at local level, is described in all its phases, from reporting to contacts management.

Simultaneous sEMG Classification of Hand/Wrist Gestures and Forces.

Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals represent a promising approach for decoding the motor intention of amputees to control a multifunctional prosthetic hand in a non-invasive way. Several approaches based on proportional amplitude methods or simple thresholds on sEMG signals have been proposed to control a single degree of freedom at time, without the possibility of increasing the number of controllable multiple DoFs in a natural manner. Myoelectric control based on PR techniques have been introduced to add multiple DoFs by keeping low the number of electrodes and allowing the discrimination of different muscular patterns for each class of motion.

NFKB1 promoter polymorphism: A new predictive marker of cytomegalovirus infection after kidney transplantation.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection represents a common cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). The NF-kB signaling pathway is highly involved in the pathogenesis of CMV infection. The -94ins/delATTG functional polymorphism in the promoter of NFKB1 has been associated with low intracellular levels of the protein and high incidence of inflammatory and autoimmune disease.

Testosterone in renal transplant patients: effect on body composition and clinical parameters.

Background: Clinical studies have demonstrated that, after renal transplantation (TX), testosterone deficiency (TD) at the time of the procedure is independently associated with lower survival of the patient and graft. However, data between TD and the functional CAG polymorphism of the androgen receptor promoter (AR) are discordant. We investigated the prevalence of TD and its association with body composition, biochemical parameters, the Aging Males' Symptoms rating scale (AMS) domains and AR polymorphism.

The importance of accurate measurement of aortic stiffness in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A key driver in this pathology is increased aortic stiffness, which is a strong, independent predictor of CV mortality in this population. Aortic stiffening is a potentially modifiable biomarker of CV dysfunction and in risk stratification for patients with CKD and ESRD.

Impairment of different protein domains causes variable clinical presentation within Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and suggests intragenic molecular syndromology of TCF4.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability and a distinctive facial gestalt. It is caused by haploinsufficiency of the TCF4 gene. The TCF4 protein has different functional domains, with the NLS (nuclear localization signal) domain coded by exons 7-8 and the bHLH (basic Helix-Loop-Helix) domain coded by exon 18.

Diurnal variation and repeatability of arterial stiffness and cardiac output measurements in the third trimester of uncomplicated pregnancy.

Aim: To investigate same day repeated measures and diurnal variation of arterial stiffness, cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) during the third trimester of normal pregnancy.

Methodology: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) were recorded using the Arteriograph, while CO, SV and TPR were recorded using noninvasive cardiac output monitoring. The measurements were obtained in the third trimester of pregnancy from 21 healthy pregnant women at four time points (morning, afternoon, evening and midnight) over a 24-h period.

Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis in the Asphyxiated Cooled Infants: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis is unusual in the asphyxiated cooled infants, but reliable data regarding the incidence of this comorbidity are lacking. We assessed the incidence of sinovenous thrombosis in a population of asphyxiated cooled infants by performing routine brain magnetic resonance venography.

Methods: All asphyxiated infants who underwent therapeutic cooling at our institution completed brain magnetic resonance venography after rewarming.

Adiponectin secreted by tubular renal cells during LPS exposure worsens the cellular inflammatory damage.

The pathogenetic role of adiponectin (ADPN) in kidney failure is not yet elucidated, since in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that ADPN exerts both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects. Starting from our previous findings demonstrating that HK-2 cells express and secrete ADPN, in this study we investigated the autocrine role of ADPN in tubular inflammatory damage induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Firstly, we observed that short-term exposure to LPS enhanced ADPN protein expression as well as the adiponectin receptor ADIPOR1 mRNA content together with its signaling pathway downstream, pAMPK/pERK/pJNK, whose up-regulation status was reversed when ADPN gene knockdown occurred.

Nerve growth factor exposure promotes tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition via TGF-β1 signaling activation.

Clinical studies showed that renal expression and serum levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) are increased in renal diseases characterized by progressive fibrosis, a pathologic process in which TGF-β1 mediates most of the key events leading to tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the pathogenic role of high NGF levels has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we found that in tubular renal cells, HK-2, NGF transcriptionally up-regulated TGF-β1 expression and secretion and enhanced cell motility by activating EMT markers via its receptors, TrkA and p75(NTR).

Early subclinical rejection treated with low dose i.v. steroids is not associated to graft survival impairment: 13-years' experience at a single center.

Subclinical rejection (SCR) has been variably associated with reduced graft survival, development and progression of interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy and chronic allograft nephropathy, but data are controversial concerning SCR treatment in terms of graft survival improvement. In this single-center retrospective study, we enrolled 174 adult kidney transplant recipients with a protocol biopsy performed at 30 days after transplantation to evaluate the incidence rate and risk factors for early SCR and its impact on 10-year graft survival. Five patients showed primary non function and were excluded.

Soluble Klotho levels in adult renal transplant recipients are modulated by recombinant human erythropoietin.

Background: Data on serum soluble Klotho levels in chronic kidney disease are contradictory and even less is known after renal transplantation. Experimental studies demonstrated that recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) treatment mitigates Klotho reduction caused by renal damage. Therefore, this study aimed to determine serum Klotho levels in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and to evaluate whether rhEPO treatment can modulate, in vivo and in vitro, soluble Klotho.