Using ultrasound to define inflammatory and non-inflammatory phenotypes in difficult-to-treat psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of difficult-to-treat psoriatic arthritis (D2T-PsA) and classify patients with persistent inflammatory PsA (PIPsA) and non-inflammatory PsA (NIPsA) based on a combination of clinical and musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) evidence of inflammation.

Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted on PsA patients treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs/targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs). D2T-PsA status was characterised by an inadequate response to ≥2 classes of b/tsDMARDs and the persistence of active disease, defined as a DAPSA >14.

The role of body composition, cardiometabolic parameters, and resting substrate oxidation in protecting against metabolic syndrome in adolescents with obesity.

Purpose: The aetiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in young people involves a complex interplay between lifestyle, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk factors. The present study aimed to explore the relationships between anthropometric characteristics, body composition, cardiometabolic parameters and resting substrate metabolism in the development of MetS in severely adolescents with obesity.

Methods: Seven hundred and thirty adolescents with obesity (mean age: 14.

Study of the Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Ovarian Cancer (MICO): A Prospective Monocentric Trial.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most aggressive tumors requiring new therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy represents an opportunity, but to date, OC patients do not appear to benefit from current protocols. A better understanding of the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially in its immune components, could unveil mechanisms of immune suppression in a useful way to predict response to therapies and develop new therapeutic approaches.

Effects of 12 Months of Structured Physical Activity Program and 18-Month Follow-Up Period on Body Composition, Physical Capacities, and Physical Activity Levels in Adults with Obesity.

(1) Background: Individuals with obesity tend to stop exercising after the completion of a structured training program. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess adherence and body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity levels, and physical and mental health after a 12-month exercise program and an 18-month follow-up period in a group of male adults with obesity. (2) Methods: Thirty-four adults with obesity were evaluated before (T0) and after (T3) a 3-month combined training (COMB).

Mitochondrial Sensitivity to Submaximal [ADP] Following Bed Rest: A Novel Two-Phase Approach Associated With Fibre Types.

Background: We recently demonstrated that following a 10-day exposure to inactivity/simulated microgravity impairments of oxidative metabolism were located 'upstream' of mitochondrial function, as evaluated by maximal ADP-stimulated mitochondrial respiration (JO) determined ex vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate mitochondrial sensitivity to submaximal [ADP] by an alternative approach aimed at identifying responses associated with fibre type composition.

Methods: Isolated permeabilized vastus lateralis fibres were analysed by high-resolution respirometry in 9 young males before and after a 10-day horizontal bed rest.

The Relationship Between Training Load and Acute Performance Decrements Following Different Types of Training Sessions in Well-Trained Runners.

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between training-load (TL) metrics and the acute performance decrement (APD) measured immediately after 4 training sessions performed by well-trained runners.

Methods: On a treadmill, 12 well-trained runners (10 men and 2 women) performed an incremental test, a baseline time-to-exhaustion (TTE) test at maximal aerobic speed, and 4 randomized training sessions followed by a TTE test to measure APD. The training sessions were matched for external load (60 arbitrary units) but differed in the time spent in the 3 intensity domains.

Diffusion levels for quantitative assessment of the apparent diffusion coefficient value in prostate MRI: a proof-of-concept bicentric study.

Objectives: To investigate the performance of Diffusion levels (DLs) in diagnosing clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) when combined with the PI-RADS version 2.1.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, bicentric study included 261 men who underwent 3.

"Doctor, I Want to Be Like This!": Exploring Global Beauty Body Standards Through a Multicenter Survey.

Background: Plastic surgery aims to enhance patients' positive features and improve perceived flaws without seeking complete transformation. The body is a living organism, not a sculptural object to be reshaped at will. Aesthetic standards are influenced by subjective factors, including technology and social media's effect on self-perception and beauty ideals.

A Longitudinal Multimodal Imaging Study in Patients with Temporo-Insular Diffuse Low-Grade Tumors: How the Inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus Provides Information on Cognitive Outcomes.

Background: Tractography allows the in vivo study of subcortical white matter, and it is a potential tool for providing predictive indices on post-operative outcomes. We aim at establishing whether there is a relation between cognitive outcome and the status of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus's (IFOF's) microstructure.

Methods: The longitudinal neuropsychological data of thirty young (median age: 35 years) patients operated on for DLGG in the left temporo-insular cortex along with pre-surgery tractography data were processed.

Acceptance of Organs from Deceased Donors With Resolved or Active SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Survey From the Council of Europe.

SARS-CoV-2 infection represents a new challenge for solid organ transplantation (SOT) with evolving recommendations. A cross-sectional survey was performed (February-June 2024) to describe practices among Member States of the Council of Europe (COE) on the use of organs from deceased donors with resolved or active SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, 32 out of 47 Member States with a transplant program participated in the study.

Risk factors for infection after carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii colonization.

Purpose: Predicting infection risk in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) colonized patients may help in improving timely appropriate antibiotic therapy. This study aims to explore risk factors for developing infections in hospitalized patients with previous CRAB colonization.

Methods: We performed an observational retrospective cohort study at ASST Sette Laghi-Varese Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022.

The impact of two different rituximab-based strategies in cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis secondary to Sjögren's disease: a monocentric cohort study.

Objectives: To compare two different rituximab (RTX)-based therapeutic approaches on vasculitic and lymphoproliferative-related disease activity and on non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development in a cohort of patients affected by cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis secondary to Sjögren's disease (Sjögren-CryoVasc).

Methods: Three Sjögren-CryoVasc treatment groups were identified: 1) early RTX induction followed by maintenance; 2) late RTX induction with possible on-demand retreatment; 3) no RTX treatment. The following outcomes were evaluated: a) changes in cumulative ESSDAI, considering vasculitic-related and lymphoproliferative-related domains and changes in ESSDAI specific to each single vasculitic-related and lymphoproliferative-related domain; b) development of NHL; c) occurrence of persistent hypogammaglobulinemia associated with serious infections.

Faster steroid-free remission with tocilizumab compared to methotrexate in giant cell arteritis: a real-life experience in two reference centres.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are still the mainstay of treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Although GCs are highly effective in GCA, the high burden of toxicity of GCs as well as the disease relapse during GC tapering is well documented. To compare the efficacy and rapidity of TCZ and MTX as steroid-sparing agents in a real-life cohort of GCA patients.

Case-by-case combination of the prostate imaging reporting and data system version 2.1 with the Likert score to reduce the false-positives of prostate MRI: a proof-of-concept study.

Objectives: To retrospectively investigate whether a case-by-case combination of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS) with the Likert score improves the diagnostic performance of mpMRI for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), especially by reducing false-positives.

Methods: One hundred men received mpMRI between January 2020 and April 2021, followed by prostate biopsy.

Prognostic Value of APACHE IV Score in Patients Bridged to Heart Transplantation on ECMO.

Background: Methods for risk stratification of candidates for heart transplantation (HTx) supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are limited. We evaluated the reliability of the APACHE IV score to identify the risk of mortality in this patient subset in a multicenter study.

Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2022, 167 consecutive ECMO patients were bridged to HTx; they were divided into two groups, according to a cutoff value of APACHE IV score, obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for 90-day mortality.

SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic in a dynamic perspective.

To investigate the dynamic evolution of vaccine hesitancy toward both COVID-19 and influenza in a context characterized by the compresence of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and seasonal flu epidemics, a two times repeated cross-sectional exploratory design was performed at Udine Hospital (Italy) following a cohort of 479 adult patients with a previous history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020. Vaccine attitude was assessed through standardized telephone interviews performed at 12 and 18 months after the acute illness. The first interview reported the success of the 2020/21 seasonal influenza immunization with 46.

Recipient hepatectomy technique may affect oncological outcomes of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

To date, caval sparing (CS) and total caval replacement (TCR) for recipient hepatectomy in liver transplantation (LT) have been compared only in terms of surgical morbidity. Nonetheless, the CS technique is inherently associated with an increased manipulation of the native liver and later exclusion of the venous outflow, which may increase the risk of intraoperative shedding of tumor cells when LT is performed for HCC. A multicenter, retrospective study was performed to assess the impact of recipient hepatectomy (CS vs.

Validation of the Italian version of the ANCA-associated vasculitis patient-reported outcome (AAV-PRO) questionnaire.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was the translation and validation of the ANCA-associated vasculitis patient-reported outcome (AAV-PRO) questionnaire into Italian, denoted as AAV-PRO_ita. The secondary objective was to evaluate the impact of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) on quality of life (QoL) and work impairment in a large cohort of Italian patients.

Methods: The study design took a prospective cohort study approach.

Efficacy of colchicine in addition to anakinra in patients with recurrent pericarditis.

Aim: Anakinra, an anti IL-1 agent targeting IL-1 alfa and beta, is available for the treatment of recurrent pericarditis in cases with corticosteroid dependence and colchicine resistance after failure of conventional therapies. However, it is unclear if the combination with colchicine, a non-specific inhibitor of the inflammasome targeting the same inflammatory pathway of IL-1, could provide additional benefit to prevent further recurrences. The aim of the present observational study is to assess whether the addition of colchicine on top of anakinra could prolong the time to first recurrence and prevent recurrences better than anakinra alone.

COVID-19-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms can persist long after acute infection: a 2-year prospective study of biobehavioral risk factors and psychometric outcomes.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms 2 years after the COVID-19 acute phase and to identify biobehavioral risk factors.

Methods: This 2-year prospective study assessed adult individuals with COVID-19 via face-to-face interview and laboratory testing at onset, and via telephone interview at 2-year follow-up. Data collected included COVID-19 severity and management at onset, as well as depression, anxiety, insomnia, cognitive failure, and fatigue at follow-up using standardized assessment tools.

Efficacy and safety of colchicine for the treatment of myopericarditis.

Objective: Clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy and safety of colchicine only in simple pericarditis, excluding cases of concomitant myocarditis. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of colchicine for the treatment of the first attack of acute pericarditis with concomitant myocardial involvement.

Methods: Double-centre retrospective cohort study analysing consecutive patients admitted for first attack of pericarditis with myocarditis and treated with or without colchicine.

Antibody response and risk of reinfection over 2 years among the patients with first wave of COVID-19.

Objectives: To describe the dynamics and factors related to natural and hybrid humoral response against the SARS-CoV-2 and risk of reinfection among first-wave patients.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal study with periodic serological follow-up after acute onset of all recovered patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection cared in Udine Hospital (March-May 2020). Nucleocapsid (N) protein and spike receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) antibody tests were used to distinguish natural and vaccine-induced response.