Rodent Models of Huntington's Disease: An Overview.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation in the IT15 gene. This neurodegenerative disorder is caused by a polyglutamine repeat expansion mutation in the widely expressed huntingtin (HTT) protein. HD is characterized by the degeneration of basal ganglia neurons and progressive cell death in intrinsic neurons of the striatum, accompanied by dementia and involuntary abnormal choreiform movements. Animal models have been extensively studied and have proven to be extremely valuable for therapeutic target evaluations. They reveal the hallmark of the age-dependent formation of aggregates or inclusions consisting of misfolded proteins. Animal models of HD have provided a therapeutic strategy to treat HD by suppressing mutant HTT (mHTT). Transgenic animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Since effective therapies to cure or interrupt the course of the disease are not yet available, clinical research will have to make use of reliable animal models. This paper reviews the main studies of rodents as HD animal models, highlighting the neurological and behavioral differences between them. The choice of an animal model depends on the specific aspect of the disease to be investigated. Toxin-based models can still be useful, but most experimental hypotheses depend on success in a genetic model, whose choice is determined by the experimental question. There are many animal models showing similar HD symptoms or pathologies. They include chemical-induced HDs and genetic HDs, where cell-free and cell culture, lower organisms (such as yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish), rodents (mice, rats), and non-human primates are involved. These models provide accessible systems to study molecular pathogenesis and test potential treatments. For developing more effective pharmacological treatments, better animal models must be available and used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs.

Telemedicine in diabetic ulcer management: A pilot study with exploration of medico-legal aspects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the quality and efficiency of telemedicine in managing patients with chronic diabetic ulcers and provide an overview of the main medico-legal implications associated with telemedicine management of diabetic foot complications. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled from a diabetic foot outpatient clinic in Cyprus between March and May 2022. Participants completed a survey concerning telemedicine services, and the demographic variables and average responses to the PACIC (Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care) questions were examined using descriptive analysis. The majority of patients (84%) were male, with a mean age of 60.9 ± 13.05 years. The average PACIC score was 4.42 (min. 2.7 and max. 5.0). Voice calls were the most preferred method of telemedicine delivery, accounting for 53% of all services. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine can effectively manage chronic patients, such as those with diabetic ulcers, by reducing the burden on resources and maintaining service quality. However, healthcare professionals must be well-versed in medico-legal implications to adhere to legal and ethical guidelines, protect patient privacy, and maintain high standards of care while using telemedicine for chronic condition treatment.

Informed Consent in Paediatric Telemedicine: Challenge or Opportunity? A Scoping Review.

The fundamental importance of informed consent as a prerequisite for the lawfulness of the medical act is an indisputable cornerstone of clinical practice. However, the provision of effective information and the collection of informed consent presents important critical issues in the underage patient, even considering that in general terms he or she does not have the power to directly express consent, which must be provided by parents or legal guardians. These critical issues are amplified in the context of telemedicine. The present study aims, through a scoping review of the literature of the past 10 years, to outline the operational practices adopted in the collection of informed consent from children in the context of telemedicine and to identify solutions devised to address the critical issues related to the provision of adequate information to the child in this particular care setting. The results of the research show that the activity of delivering adequate information to the child, itself complex, is made even more complex by the particular setting of telemedicine, which, however, could be effectively exploited to facilitate communication with the child patient.

The Magnitude of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Seafarers from 1994 to 2021: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of acute cardiac events is one of the main reasons for medical consultation, disembarkation, repatriation, and death among seafarers at sea. Managing cardiovascular risk factors, particularly those that can be modified, is the key to preventing cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this review estimates the pooled prevalence of major CVD risk factors among seafarers. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of studies published between 1994 and December 2021 in four international databases, namely PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science (WOS). Each study was evaluated for methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies. The DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with logit transformations was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of major CVD risk factors. The results were reported in accordance with the Preferred Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: Out of all 1484 studies reviewed, 21 studies with 145,913 study participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. In the pooled analysis, the prevalence of smoking was found to be 40.14% (95% CI: 34.29 to 46.29%) with heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 98%, p < 0.01). The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol consumption was 45.32%, 41.67%, 18.60%, 12.70%, and 38.58%, respectively. However, the sensitivity analysis after excluding studies showed a pooled prevalence of hypertension, overweight, obesity, and diabetes mellitus of 44.86%, 41.87%, 15.99%, and 16.84%, respectively. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that smoking prevalence among seafarers had decreased significantly after 2013. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that CVD risk factors, particularly hypertension, overweight, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity, are prevalent among seafarers. These findings may serve as a guide for shipping companies and other responsible bodies in order to prevent CVD risk factors among seafarers. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022300993.

The role of digital literacy in achieving health equity in the third millennium society: A literature review.

Healthcare in the third millennium is largely delivered through systems involving the use of the technological devices and services, foremost among them telemedicine. For the adequate delivery of digital medicine services, however, it is necessary for users to be digitally literate, that is, able to consciously make use of technology. In order to understand how relevant digital literacy is in determining the effectiveness of e-Health services, we performed a traditional literature review on 3 major databases by combining the terms "Digital Literacy" and "Computer Literacy" with the terms "Telemedicine" and "Telehealth". Starting from an initial library of 1,077 papers, we selected 38 articles. At the outcome of the search, we found that digital literacy is a pivotal element in conditioning the effectiveness of telemedicine and digital medicine services in general, however, with some limitations.

Batten disease through different in vivo and in vitro models: A review.

Batten disease consists of a family of primarily autosomal recessive, progressive neuropediatric disorders, also known as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs). These pathologies are characterized by seizures and visual, cognitive and motor decline, and premature death. The pathophysiology of this rare disease is still unclear despite the years of trials and financial aids. This paper has reviewed advantages and limits of in vivo and in vitro models of Batten disease from murine and larger animal models to primitive unicellular models, until the most recently developed patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. For each model advantages, limits and applications were analyzed. The first prototypes investigated were murine models that due to their limits were replaced by larger animals. In vitro models gradually replaced animal models for practical, cost, and ethical reasons. Using induced pluripotent stem cells to study neurodegeneration is a new way of studying the disease, since they can be distinguished into differentiating elements like neurons, which are susceptible to neurodegeneration. In vivo and in vitro models have contributed to clarifying to some extent the pathophysiology of the disease. The collection and sharing of suitable human bio samples likely through biobanks can contribute to a better understanding, prevention, and to identify possible treatment strategies of Batten disease.

Effects of choline containing phospholipids on the neurovascular unit: A review.

The roles of choline and of choline-containing phospholipids (CCPLs) on the maintenance and progress of neurovascular unit (NVU) integrity are analyzed. NVU is composed of neurons, glial and vascular cells ensuring the correct homeostasis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and indirectly the function of the central nervous system. The CCPLs phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), choline alphoscerate or α-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine (α-GPC) contribute to the modulation of the physiology of the NVU cells. A loss of CCPLs contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease. Our study has characterized the cellular components of the NVU and has reviewed the effect of lecithin, of CDP-choline and α-GPC documented in preclinical studies and in limited clinical trials on these compounds. The interesting results obtained with some CCPLs, in particular with α-GPC, probably would justify reconsideration of the most promising molecules in larger attentively controlled studies. This can also contribute to better define the role of the NVU in the pathophysiology of brain disorders characterized by vascular impairment.

Factors affecting mental health of seafarers on board merchant ships: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Merchant ships represent a peculiar working environment with several challenges and risks. The specific situation on board of ships may affect the mental health of seafarers more remarkably than ashore workers. CONTENT: A systematic review of the literature has been carried out to identify the main causes of mood disorders among seafarers and the impact that these disorders have on their health. This review has analyzed the scientific literature published between January 2006 and December 2021 using the search engines PubMed, Web of Science (WoS) and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). SUMMARY: Social isolation, distance from families, fatigue, stress and long work shifts represent the main causes of mood disorders among seafarers. OUTLOOK: Strategies aimed at improving conditions of cohabitation on board, and a greater consideration of these problems are key for improving the mental health of workers at sea.

Artificial Intelligence Models in the Diagnosis of Adult-Onset Dementia Disorders: A Review.

Background: The progressive aging of populations, primarily in the industrialized western world, is accompanied by the increased incidence of several non-transmittable diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases and adult-onset dementia disorders. To stimulate adequate interventions, including treatment and preventive measures, an early, accurate diagnosis is necessary. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents a technique quite common for the diagnosis of neurological disorders. Increasing evidence indicates that the association of artificial intelligence (AI) approaches with MRI is particularly useful for improving the diagnostic accuracy of different dementia types. Objectives: In this work, we have systematically reviewed the characteristics of AI algorithms in the early detection of adult-onset dementia disorders, and also discussed its performance metrics. Methods: A document search was conducted with three databases, namely PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, and Scopus. The search was limited to the articles published after 2006 and in English only. The screening of the articles was performed using quality criteria based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) rating. Only papers with an NOS score ≥ 7 were considered for further review. Results: The document search produced a count of 1876 articles and, because of duplication, 1195 papers were not considered. Multiple screenings were performed to assess quality criteria, which yielded 29 studies. All the selected articles were further grouped based on different attributes, including study type, type of AI model used in the identification of dementia, performance metrics, and data type. Conclusions: The most common adult-onset dementia disorders occurring were Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. AI techniques associated with MRI resulted in increased diagnostic accuracy ranging from 73.3% to 99%. These findings suggest that AI should be associated with conventional MRI techniques to obtain a precise and early diagnosis of dementia disorders occurring in old age.

Telemedicine in the COVID-19 Era: A Narrative Review Based on Current Evidence.

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers have been encouraged to increase their use of telemedicine and to adopt telemedicine platforms for the majority of their clients who have chronic illnesses. Due to the outbreak itself, almost all countries worldwide were placed under emergency lockdowns. In this paper, we reviewed the literature regarding the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequentially, we identified the adoption of telemedicine in various countries worldwide and evaluated their future steps in order to increase the adoption of e-health technologies. As a result of COVID-19, the e-health agenda, especially telemedicine, has been accelerated in several countries. COVID-19 is affecting individuals' daily lives and has created major difficulties in the management of healthcare facilities for both infected and non-infected patients. A large portion of the rapid increase in the use of telemedicine can be attributed to evidence from previous pandemics as well as progress made by the field in response to COVID-19, especially in industrialized countries. A lack of effective treatment, large numbers of unvaccinated individuals, as well as social distancing and lockdown measures suggest telemedicine is the safest and most appropriate way of working with patients and doctors. In spite of this willingness, a large number of barriers need to be overcome in order for the telemedicine system to function properly and effectively throughout countries. In order for telemedicine to be sustainable and beneficial beyond the pandemic, several technical, educational, infrastructure, legal, and economic issues must be addressed and solved.

Survival of umbilicus on a superiorly based flap after fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Massive weight loss patients have a midline excess of abdominal adipose and skin tissue that contributes to an increased abdominal girth. This excess of tissue in these patients is not resolved with traditional techniques of abdominoplasty and usually the fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty technique is employed. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 22-year-old male patient came to our clinic after a massive weight loss of 170 kg, requesting an abdominoplasty for the excess adipose and skin tissue. DIAGNOSIS: Massive weight loss patient, with excess of adipose and skin tissue in the midline abdominal area. INTERVENTIONS: Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty technique was employed for treatment of massive weight loss. OUTCOMES: During the surgery, it was decided that the umbilicus blood supply via the inferior epigastric artery and median umbilical ligament needed to be ligated, to remove more tissue for better aesthetic result. The umbilicus survived on the collateral blood supply from ligamentum teres and superior epigastric collaterals. CONCLUSION/LESSONS: In this case report we review our experience treating a massive weight loss patient using a fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty technique without preserving the umbilicus blood supply via the inferior epigastric artery and median umbilical ligament. We eventually relied on the collateral blood supply from ligamentum teres and superior epigastric collaterals, something that proved advantageous both in the survival of the umbilicus on the long run despite cutting off the main blood supply, and, the removal of further excess adipocutaneous tissue for a better aesthetic outcome.

Brain and Retinal Organoids for Disease Modeling: The Importance of In Vitro Blood-Brain and Retinal Barriers Studies.

Brain and retinal organoids are functional and dynamic in vitro three-dimensional (3D) structures derived from pluripotent stem cells that spontaneously organize themselves to their in vivo counterparts. Here, we review the main literature data of how these organoids have been developed through different protocols and how they have been technically analyzed. Moreover, this paper reviews recent advances in using organoids to model neurological and retinal diseases, considering their potential for translational applications but also pointing out their limitations. Since the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) are understood to play a fundamental role respectively in brain and eye functions, both in health and in disease, we provide an overview of the progress in the development techniques of in vitro models as reliable and predictive screening tools for BBB and BRB-penetrating compounds. Furthermore, we propose potential future directions for brain and retinal organoids, in which dedicated biobanks will represent a novel tool for neuroscience and ophthalmology research.

Fourth Generation of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists: A Review on the Latest Insights.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, an emerging number of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) entered the illicit market. NPSs are designed to resemble the effects of classical drugs of abuse, reinforcing their effects and duration. Among the most abused NPS, synthetic cannabinoids are cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) that mimic the effect of the main psychotropic phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). METHODS: We herein reviewed the international literature to provide available information on the newest SCRAs generation. RESULTS: Compared to the previous SCRAs generations, the structures of the last generation result in increased affinity for and efficacy at cannabinoid CB1 receptors, which are thought to be mainly responsible for the psychoactive effects of THC and its analogues. Accordingly, these more potent cannabimimetic effects may increase the number of adverse reactions such as neurological disorders (e.g., psychosis, agitation, irritability, paranoia, confusion, and anxiety), psychiatric episodes (e.g., hallucinations, delusions, self-harm), other physical conditions (e.g., tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmia, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever) and deaths. In the last decade, more than a hundred SCRAs from different chemical classes emerged on the illicit web market. SCRAs have been thoroughly studied: they were physico-chemically characterized, and pharmaco-toxicological characteristics were investigated. The last SCRAs generations include increasingly potent and toxic compounds, posing a potential health threat to consumers. CONCLUSION: From November 2017 to February 2021, at least 20 new "fourth-generation" SCRAs were formally reported to international drug agencies. Our understanding of the neurotoxicity of these compounds is still limited due to the lack of global data, but their potency and their toxicity are likely higher than those of the previous generations.

An Optimized Decision Tree with Genetic Algorithm Rule-Based Approach to Reveal the Brain's Changes During Alzheimer's Disease Dementia.

BACKGROUND: It is desirable to achieve acceptable accuracy for computer aided diagnosis system (CADS) to disclose the dementia-related consequences on the brain. Therefore, assessing and measuring these impacts is fundamental in the diagnosis of dementia. OBJECTIVE: This study introduces a new CADS for deep learning of magnetic resonance image (MRI) data to identify changes in the brain during Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. METHODS: The proposed algorithm employed a decision tree with genetic algorithm rule-based optimization to classify input data which were extracted from MRI. This pipeline is applied to the healthy and AD subjects of the Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS). RESULTS: Final evaluation of the CADS and its comparison with other systems supported the potential of the proposed model as a novel tool for investigating the progression of AD and its great ability as an innovative computerized help to facilitate the decision-making procedure for the diagnosis of AD. CONCLUSION: The one-second time response, together with the identified high accurate performance, suggests that this system could be useful in future cognitive and computational neuroscience studies.

Hypersensitivity reaction to hyaluronic acid dermal filler after the Pfizer vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

The ongoing vaccination program in the control of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)is providing an opportunity to public health authorities to emerge from the current pandemic crisis.Covid vaccination which protects from getting Covid  may have some minor side effects and in rare cases was accompanied by severe or immediate reactions. The development of hyaluronic acid soft tissue filler delayed inflammatory reactions following COVID-19 vaccination was reported.  Treatments based on hyaluronic acid represent one of the most largely used practice of aesthetic medicine. In this we present a case of a 38-year-old female patient with a confirmed hypersensitivity reaction after having the BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer, USA). This case indicates that an adequate patient knowledge prior to hyaluronic acid injections to avoid adverse effect of a delayed-type hypersensitivity response after COVID-19 vaccination is desirable.

A multidisciplinary minimally invasive approach for the esthetics of the smile.

The aim of this work is to define a new multidisciplinary pathway for dental and gingival problems. The method consists of three different instruments that can resolve dental, labial, and periodontal imperfections with minimal invasiveness.

A Descriptive Study on the Applications of Plasma Exeresis in Dermatology.

BACKGROUND: Plasma exeresis is an aesthetic procedure used for the non-surgical treatment of a variety of skin problems. This technology allows for the improvement of skin imperfections and wrinkles and can be used to treat certain dermatological disorders. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe the demographics and postprocedural recovery experiences of patients who underwent plasma exeresis at a single clinic over a period of eight months. Additionally, data on patient satisfaction with the treatment was recorded. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants in the study included all individuals who underwent plasma exeresis at the Tsioumas Clinic in Greece over a period of eight months from September 2018 to April 2019. Frequency distribution tables were used to describe the types of cases and the number of patients who underwent plasma exeresis treatment each month. RESULTS: A total of 710 patients underwent plasma exeresis within 124 actual working days during the study period. Of these, 73.4% (n=528) were women, and 25.6% (n=182) were men. The most cases were recorded in January, March, November, and February, representing 15.5 percent, 15.4 percent, 15 percent, and 14 percent of the total cases, respectively. Over 33 percent and 18 percent of patients were treated in the upper and lower eyelids, respectively. With regard to patient satisfaction, more than 52.9 percent of the patients reported being extremely satisfied with the plasma exeresis treatment. CONCLUSION: The results from our study demonstrate that plasma exeresis is most popular in our clinic from November to March, and the upper and lower eyelids were the most frequently treated areas during the eight-month study period. While not all patients who were originally treated were able to be reached to report their level of satisfaction, the majority of the proportion of patients that were able to be contacted reported being satisfied with the treatment. Future research with more objective efficacy measurements are needed to support our findings.

First Surveillance of Violence against Women during COVID-19 Lockdown: Experience from "Niguarda" Hospital in Milan, Italy.

Violence against women emerges with tragic regularity in the daily news. It is now an evident trace of a dramatic social problem, the characteristics of which are not attributable to certain economic, cultural, or religious conditions of the people involved but affect indiscriminately, in a unanimous way, our society. The study is a survey about the number of hospital admissions due to episodes attributable to violence against women, recorded by the Niguarda Hospital in Milan in the period 1 March-30 May from 2017 to 2020. This period, in 2020, corresponds to the coronavirus Lockdown in Italy. All the medical records of the Emergency department were reviewed, and the extracted data classified in order to identify the episodes of violence against women and the features of the reported injuries and the characteristics of the victims. The data did not show an increase in the number of cases in 2020 compared to previous years, but we did find a notable increase in the severity of injuries.