Clinical presentation and echocardiographic characteristics of women with peripartum cardiomyopathy: Insights from the Italian Multicentre Registry.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare, life-threatening form of heart failure occurring in late pregnancy or postpartum, with variable clinical course and outcomes. We report preliminary clinical and echocardiographic findings from a national Italian registry of PPCM patients METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional Ethics Committee and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05878041).

Effects of combination therapy with SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists on CRT response and clinical outcomes in in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving chronic anti-diabetic medications: A multicenter observational study.

Background: Type-2-diabetes-mellitus (T2DM) impairs outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac-resynchronization-therapy-with-defibrillator (CRTd).While both sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have cardiovascular benefits, their combination impact in CRTd-treated T2DM patients remains unclear.

Methods: In this prospective multicenter observational study, 2,257 T2DM patients treated with CRTd were stratified into three groups: SGLT2i monotherapy (n 874), GLP-1RAs monotherapy (n 808), and combination therapy with GLP-1RAs/SGLT2i (n 575).

Prognosis of HPV-independent, p53-wild-type vulvar squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is subdivided into TP53-mutant (TP53) and HPV-associated (HPV). In recent years, a third group unrelated to TP53 mutation or HPV-association (TP53/HPV) has emerged. However, its prognosis is unclear.

The random matrix-based informative content of correlation matrices in stock markets.

Studying and comprehending the eigenvalue distribution of the correlation matrices of stock returns is a powerful tool to delve into the complex structure of financial markets. This paper deals with the analysis of the role of eigenvalues and their associated eigenvectors of correlation matrices within the context of financial markets. We exploit the meaningfulness of Random Matrix Theory with the specific aspect of the Marchenko-Pastur distribution law to separate noise from true signal, but with a special focus on giving an interpretation of what these signals mean in the financial context.

The needs and unmet needs for people living with dementia, caregivers and care workers in dementia health care systems: a systematic review.

Introduction: The prevalence and costs of dementias are rising due to demographic changes. Dementia care depends largely on informal caregivers and fragmented healthcare systems that often fail to meet the needs of people with dementia.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to identify unmet needs and barriers in European dementia care, providing a framework to improve health strategies.

Balloon-Expandable Myval Octacor Versus Self-Expanding Evolut PRO/PRO+ and Acurate Neo2: Short-Term Outcomes From Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Background: With transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) now extending to lower-risk and younger patients, optimizing procedural and hemodynamic outcomes is critical. The Myval Octacor, a new balloon-expandable valve (BEV), was developed to improve outcomes by reducing paravalvular regurgitation (PVL), minimizing pacemaker implantation (PPI) rates, and enhancing hemodynamic performance. However, limited data are available comparing Myval Octacor to contemporary self-expanding supra-annular valves (SEVs) Evolut PRO/PRO+ and Acurate Neo2.

Deep Learning Modeling to Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis From MOG Antibody-Associated Disease.

Background And Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is common in adults while myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is rare. Our previous machine-learning algorithm, using clinical variables, ≤6 brain lesions, and no Dawson fingers, achieved 79% accuracy, 78% sensitivity, and 80% specificity in distinguishing MOGAD from MS but lacked validation. The aim of this study was to (1) evaluate the clinical/MRI algorithm for distinguishing MS from MOGAD, (2) develop a deep learning (DL) model, (3) assess the benefit of combining both, and (4) identify key differentiators using probability attention maps (PAMs).

Diagnosed Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and Delta Virus in Italy in 2024: An Estimation From a National Real-World Database.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection have undergone significant changes in Italy over the past few decades, but reliable and updated prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Delta (CHD) data are lacking. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of CHB and CHD in Italy in 2024, based on real-world data.

Methods: The number of patients with a healthcare expenditure exemption for CHB (016.

Call for founding members of the European Organization For University Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (UniPRM).

Rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as a key component of health systems worldwide. To meet the growing demand for rehabilitation services, it is essential to strengthen academic capacity in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine within universities. Academic structures are critical for training future physicians and professionals, and for advancing research and innovation in rehabilitation.

Clopidogrel versus aspirin for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Aspirin monotherapy is recommended indefinitely for patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this individual patient level meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the comparative efficacy and safety of clopidogrel versus aspirin monotherapy in patients with established CAD, most of whom had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention or had acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase to identify randomised trials published from database inception to April 12, 2025, comparing clopidogrel monotherapy with aspirin monotherapy in patients with established CAD who had discontinued or never started dual antiplatelet therapy.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for cutaneous melanoma staging: A scientific review.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with high metastatic potential. Accurate staging is critical to guide therapeutic strategies and improve prognosis. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI), particularly when combined with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), has emerged as promising tool for comprehensive, radiation-free assessment of metastatic spread.

Emerging Therapeutics in COPD: Mapping Innovation to Treatable Traits.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a complex, heterogeneous condition characterized by diverse clinical phenotypes and underlying pathobiological mechanisms. Traditional "one-size-fits-all" management strategies have limited effectiveness in addressing this heterogeneity. The Treatable Traits (TTs) approach represents a precision medicine paradigm that targets specific, identifiable, and modifiable traits in individual patients, regardless of diagnostic labels.

Cystoid Macular Edema in Non-Syndromic Retinitis Pigmentosa: Associations With Causative Genes in a Large Cohort.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of cystoid macular edema (CME) in relation to the disease-causing genes in a large cohort of genetically defined patients with non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Methods: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging has been retrospectively reviewed in order to assess the presence of CME over the disease course in a cohort of 580 patients with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of non-syndromic RP.

Results: Over the course of the disease, 179 patients (30.

The challenges of caring for HDV-positive patients: a narrative medicine perspective.

Hepatitis D is considered the most severe form of viral hepatitis in humans, and chronic HDV hepatitis patients typically show a more rapid progression to cirrhosis and a higher mortality. While awareness of the disease has increased, it still remains underdiagnosed and of challenging treatment. Besides the physical toll that an HDV infection takes, the psychological impact needs to be considered when treating the infected patients.

The Complex Pathway of Conventional Investigations before the Diagnosis of Functional Motor Disorders.

Background: Functional motor disorder (FMD) is a diagnosis of inclusion based on the presence of positive signs on clinical examination, and only a few tests are validated as biomarkers for FMD identification.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the relative frequency of different types of conventional instrumental investigations (such as magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography [MRI/CT] scan, dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DaT-SPECT), electroencephalography (EEG), neurophysiological tests, and other tests) in FMD patients before diagnosis and to identify the clinical and demographic features associated with their use.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Italian Registry of Functional Motor Disorders, a multicenter initiative involving patients with a diagnosis of clinically definite FMD.

A pilot study on DNA methylation changes for non-invasive molecular diagnostics in heart failure.

Aims: The current therapeutic approach to ischaemic (IsHF) and non-ischaemic (NIsHF) heart failure (HF) mainly overlooks the underlying aetiology owing to a lack knowledge of the differential molecular pathways that contribute to HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Alterations in myocardial DNA methylation levels have been identified as potential biomarkers for HF irrespective of its aetiology. Due to the limited availability of cardiac tissues in clinics, our goal is to determine if DNA methylation changes in circulating CD4 T lymphocytes, which are strongly involved in left ventricle remodelling, can help in differentiating IsHF and NIsHF causes among patients with HFrEF and if DNA methylation levels associate with key clinical features.

When Migraine Meets People: A Qualitative Study on the Negative and Positive Influences of Episodic Migraine on Interpersonal Relationships.

Background: Episodic migraine carries a significant social burden beyond medical symptoms that disrupt interpersonal relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. This study aimed to explore its influence on interpersonal relationships from the perspective of patients.

Method: A sample of N = 20 participants, including 10 males and 10 females, with an age range of 27 to 32 years, was engaged in semi-structured interviews.

Abdominoplasty After Weight Loss in Post-bariatric Surgery: An Optimized Surgery Procedure and Clinical Protocol-A Large Single-center Study.

Introduction: Weight loss after bariatric surgery causes very important modifications to the patient's silhouette. Abdominal fat and skin excess reduction are associated with several complications. The most frequent are seroma and hematoma whereas major complications, such as pulmonary embolism, are less frequent.

Symptomatic (STB) and Asymptomatic (ATB) tuberculosis in Italy: Results from a multicenter retrospective study.

Objective: Asymptomatic tuberculosis (ATB) represents a significant proportion of tuberculosis (TB) cases. This study aimed to compare ATB and symptomatic TB (STB) cases in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, adverse events, hospital length of stay, and treatment outcomes.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 510 microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB patients across ten Italian hospitals between 2018 and 2023.

Personalized or Standard Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: PARTHENOPE Randomized Trial.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), although its optimal duration remains uncertain.

Objectives: We performed a randomized trial comparing a personalized duration of DAPT, based on a risk score, for 3-, 6-, or 24-months with a standard duration of DAPT for 12 months after PCI.

Methods: We randomly assigned 2,107 patients undergoing PCI to receive either a personalized or a standard DAPT.

An exceptional case of sudden death due to pseudo-Meigs syndrome.

Pseudo-Meigs syndrome is a rare clinical entity characterized by the triad of ascites, pleural effusion, and a benign pelvic tumor other than an ovarian fibroma. Although typically considered benign and reversible following tumor removal, the syndrome can result in severe life-threatening compromise if unrecognized or untreated. Unlike the classical Meigs syndrome, which has occasionally been associated with fatal outcomes, no deaths related to pseudo-Meigs syndrome due to benign tumors have been previously reported.

Endoscopic endonasal transclival approach for the resection of a ventral pontine cavernous malformation: illustrative case.

Background: Brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs) are rare vascular lesions, most frequently located in the pons. Their surgical management is particularly demanding due to the dense concentration within the brainstem of eloquent neural pathways and nuclei. Among various surgical routes, the endoscopic endonasal transclival approach (EETA) has been established as a valuable option for treating selected ventrally located lesions.

Amazonian arouma [Ischnosiphon arouma (Aubl.) Körn] as a novel source for cellulose-based bioplastics.

The internal stem tissues of Ischnosiphon arouma (Aubl.) Körn, an Amazonian plant whose outer cortex is traditionally used in handicrafts, are typically discarded after processing. This study explores the potential of these inner, underutilized fractions as a viable source of high-quality cellulose.

The need to prioritize "insomnia disorder" in public health agendas: "a wakeup call" position paper from European and Canadian experts in sleep and mental health.

Objective: Insomnia Disorder is a chronic mental disorder with significant impact on the population across Europe and Canada. While some countries reimburse evidence-based treatments, others fail to recognize insomnia as a chronic condition and do not provide the resources to ensure consistent care for those affected. This document serves as a position paper from sleep and mental health experts across Europe, Switzerland the UK, and Canada, emphasizing the critical need for public health systems to recognize chronic insomnia as a disorder in order to enhance support for patients.