Immunomodulatory effects of the herbicide glyphosate following occupational exposure.

Glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, has raised concerns regarding its impact on human health and the environment due to its widespread and excessive use. Adverse effects on the immune system have been reported. In this study, 26 vineyard workers in Veneto vineyards were examined before and after glyphosate applications to investigate possible immune parameter changes.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Worsens Prognosis in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.

Background: Few data are available on the impact of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Objective: We conducted a retrospective study using TriNetX to compare the outcomes of patients with IBD and those with concomitant IBD and PSC.

Methods: All patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), or indeterminate colitis with or without PSC were eligible.

The role of renal denervation for the treatment of hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease: a position paper of the Italian Society of Nephrology.

Hypertension is a clinical condition associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension is also a driver of faster disease progression. Correct and appropriate treatment with antihypertensive medication reduces the risk of cardiovascular events and slows kidney disease progression.

Distinctive Progression Patterns of Brain Structural Damage Aid Classification of Frontotemporal Dementia Variants.

Background: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses diverse clinical phenotypes, primarily characterized by behavioral and/or language dysfunction. A newly characterized variant, semantic behavioral variant FTD (sbvFTD), exhibits predominant right temporal atrophy with features bridging behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA). This study investigates the longitudinal structural MRI correlates of these FTD variants, focusing on cortical and subcortical structural damage to aid differential diagnosis and prognosis.

Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.

Objective: Despite advancements in maternity quality care worldwide, mistreatment of women during childbirth persists. Currently, there is a gap of knowledge on the occurrence of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization (WHO) European region.

Methods: Within the IMAgiNE EURO (Improving Maternal Newborn Care in the WHO European Region During COVID-19 Pandemic) study, women 18 years and older who gave birth in healthcare facilities in the WHO European region, were invited to complete an online validated questionnaire regarding quality of maternity care.

Therapeutic Implications of Biomolecular Corona on Lipid Nanoparticle-Based Gene Delivery Systems.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are widely used in drug delivery due to their low toxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and ability to facilitate endosomal escape. A critical factor influencing the in vivo behavior of LNPs is the formation of a biomolecular corona (BC) on their surface. This layer of biomolecules affects key biological processes such as targeting, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and clearance.

Finerenone according to insulin resistance in heart failure: Insights from the FINEARTS-HF trial.

Aims: The estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) is a simple, non-invasive measure of insulin resistance. In this exploratory analysis of FINEARTS-HF, we evaluated whether lower eGDR, reflecting greater insulin resistance, is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure (HF).

Methods And Results: The eGDR was calculated at baseline using waist circumference, glycated haemoglobin, and hypertension status.

Assessing sample adequacy and clinical performance of self-collected and clinician-collected HPV specimens using internal control Ct values.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is the primary method for cervical cancer screening, but reliable detection depends on adequate sample cellularity. Cycle threshold (Ct) values for the assay's internal control (IC), such as β-globin, are commonly used as proxies for adequacy, yet standardized Ct cut-offs are lacking. We aimed to contribute evidence-based thresholds for sample adequacy using real-world data.

Management of MDR/XDR severe infections in the critically ill.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to summarize current recommendations for the management of serious infections, such as bloodstream infections (BSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonia, caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens, focusing on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and emerging treatment options.

Recent Findings: Vancomycin, linezolid, and daptomycin represent the main therapeutic options for the management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections; among newer agents, ceftobiprole has recently gained approval for BSI treatment. For vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium BSIs, linezolid and daptomycin remain commonly employed despite the lack of comparative RCTs guiding treatment decisions.

Strategies for population-level identification of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 through health administrative data.

Introduction: Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) encompass several clinical outcomes, from new-onset symptoms to both acute and chronic diagnoses, including pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. Health administrative data (HAD) from health information systems allow population-level analyses of such outcomes. Our primary aim was to identify clinical conditions potentially attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the types of HAD and "diagnostic criteria" used for their detection.

European Respiratory Society statement on advanced telemedicine for obstructive sleep apnoea (e-Sleep).

Telemedicine (TM) as a means of remote patient-physician interaction is gaining popularity in nearly every field, and (respiratory) sleep medicine is no exception. Because obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a chronic condition, and requires a continuous treatment and monitoring of therapy success, telematic communications could be useful to establish diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This Statement summarises the evidence and efficacy of TM options in OSA.

Mentalization and Emotional-Cognitive Rigidity as predictors of esketamine's effects on Treatment-Resistant Depression: Findings from a prospective observational study.

Introduction: Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) remains a major challenge in the management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Esketamine, the S-enantiomer of ketamine and a glutamatergic modulator, has been approved by the FDA and EMA for TRD in 2019. Beyond its rapid antidepressant effects, esketamine may enhance neuroplasticity, facilitating the reconnection with emotional and cognitive processes, improving mentalization, social cognition and promoting resilience.

Climate Change and Consumers' Food Choices towards Sustainability: A Narrative Review.

This narrative review explores key issues surrounding climate change and diets, highlighting individual-level dynamics and structural constraints to implementing policies that prioritize sustainability through a political economy lens. Strong interconnections exist between climate change and agri-food systems. Current eating patterns are unsustainable, threatening both human and planetary health.

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.

Biodegradable stents for biliary strictures after pediatric liver transplantation: a multicenter retrospective study.

Objectives: Biodegradable biliary stents are used to treat benign biliary strictures in adults. However, there is limited data regarding their use in pediatric patients. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of biodegradable biliary stents following pediatric liver transplantation (pLT).

Face perception: a window into the social mind.

This editorial introduces a broad Collection of works highlighting the central role of faces, the richest and most complex of social stimuli, in human behaviour. The Collection covers work from various areas of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience on different aspects of face perception: The development of face perception, the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms of face perception, the role of faces in social interaction, how neurological or psychiatric conditions can affect face perception, as well as face perception in human–machine interactions involving artificial agents with face-like features. This body of work underscores the profound impact of faces on social interaction, aiming to promote dialogue among different disciplines and inspire future research in this vibrant research domain.

Maximising biodiversity potential in Europe's mines and quarries: A key role for EU Nature Restoration Regulation targets.

Amid the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the EU's Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), which aims to restore degraded areas in the coming decades, post-mining sites must be integrated into biodiversity and ecosystem recovery strategies as key contributors. While mining, quarrying, and other extractive activities have considerable environmental impacts, they also present massive opportunities to create valuable habitats, support biodiversity, guide restoration efforts, and contribute to conservation. A strong foundation of scientific and practical knowledge is already in place, yet implementation gaps persist, and regulatory frameworks remain under-utilised for restoring these degraded areas.

Calmodulinopathies: The Need for a Registry.

Calmodulinopathies are very rare genetic disorders associated with a high risk for sudden cardiac death. Disease-causing variants in 1 of the 3 identical CALM genes cause severe forms of long QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, and there are many unanswered questions concerning management and underlying mechanisms. What is currently known depends largely on the initial publications from the ICamR (International Calmodulinopathy Registry).

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.

Vericiguat for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction across the risk spectrum: an individual participant data analysis of the VICTORIA and VICTOR trials.

Background: Following completion of the VICTORIA trial, vericiguat was approved for the treatment of worsening heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and received a class IIb recommendation in European and North American guidelines. The subsequent VICTOR trial evaluated the use of vericiguat in patients with HFrEF and no recent worsening. We aimed to assess the effect of vericiguat on clinical endpoints through pooled analyses of patient-level data from the VICTORIA and VICTOR trials.

The effect of ocean alkalinity enhancement on zooplankton standing stock and community composition in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: a mesocosm study.

Ocean acidification (OA) due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions has significantly altered ocean chemistry since the industrial era. Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is an innovative strategy to mitigate excess CO, with ocean liming (OL) serving as a potential carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method, through the spreading of Ca(OH) (slaked lime) at the ocean surface. This study examined the ecological effects of OL on a natural zooplankton community from the ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea during a 14-day mesocosm experiment conducted in spring-summer.