Istituto Euro Mediterraneo di Scienza e Tecnologia

The intestinal inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are a group of inflammatory pathologies of the digestive line with chronicity and recurrent characteristics. The IBDs mostly recognized are the ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; they are more frequent in the industrialized countries and among the caucasian populations that among those africans or oriental. The secondary artropaties to IBD recognize a multifactorial genesis in subjects predisposed as a result genetically of environmental factors; a fundamental role of the intestinal dysbiosis they are hypothesized.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses a serious challenge to psychopharmacology, as many patients do not achieve remission despite available therapies. The persistence and recurrence of the disease in the absence of response to antidepressant treatment highlight the complex and multifactorial nature of the disease, including the dysregulation of biological processes such as oxidative stress (OS). Although the role of OS in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders has been well documented, a growing body of evidence also points to its potential significance as a biomarker of persistence and symptom severity in TRD. Furthermore, growing evidence suggests that the severity of OS may be a measure of treatment resistance in depressive disorders, shedding light on OS as a potential biomarker of symptom persistence and a therapeutic target in TRD. This article presents the current state of knowledge on the importance of OS as a modifiable risk factor for the severity, chronicity, and persistence of TRD symptoms. Integrating the latest scientific evidence, this review describes the mechanisms linking OS to the development of TRD and discusses fast-acting antidepressants extended by a non-pharmacological nutraceutical approach, which appears to fill a therapeutic gap and increase the chances of recovery for chronically ill individuals. An integrated approach aimed at reducing OS may be a key point of leverage in overcoming treatment resistance in the most severe forms of TRD, thereby contributing to modifying the course of the disease and improving prognosis, which makes this approach the most clinically useful.

Background and ObjectivesFew studies have investigated sleep features in people with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). In this study, we present a bespoke survey of individuals with AHC to characterize sleep disturbances in this condition.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was disseminated through the UK and Italian AHC family associations, addressing their registered families with at least 1 child or adult with a confirmed diagnosis of AHC by their national reference centers and who had consented to be contacted by email. The entire questionnaire implemented in the online surveys was organized into 3 main sections and included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. This scale ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach alpha statistic.ResultsForty-eight of 54 families with AHC (88.89%) filled out at least 1 item of the AHC-Sleep Questionnaire, and 36 of 54 (66.67%) completed the whole questionnaire. Eighteen of 44 people (40.91%) from our cohort reported having a problem with sleep, which was persistent for 10 of 44 (22.7%). Twenty-five of 44 people (56.82%) reported multiple arousals during a typical night, and for 9 of 25 (36%), these could be very prolonged. For 16 of 40 (40%) and 19 of 40 (47.5%), plegic spells resolved or improved, respectively, during sleep, whereas 5 of 40 (12.5%) reported no effect of sleep on these spells. The mean global PSQI score in 40 people was 5.40 (SD ± 4.69). Fifteen of 40 individuals (37.5%) had a global PSQI score ≥5. PSQI scores were significantly higher in those individuals who completed the questionnaire during summer (n = 6) compared with those who completed them during winter (n = 33) (p = 0.011, Mann-Whitney test). We found a strong correlation between AHC paroxysmal spell burden and PSQI score (Spearman r = 0.39, p < 0.01). The survey demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha of 0.88 (95% CI 0.83–0.91).DiscussionWe dissected sleep issues and reported sleep disruption, including elevated global PSQI scores, in a significant proportion of individuals with AHC. The main implication of this study is the importance of conducting comprehensive and regular assessments of sleep in both children and adults with AHC.

Purpose Virtual try-on (VTO) technology offers consumers a shopping experience comparable to direct product examination by providing detailed product information and enhancing enjoyment during online shopping. Against this backdrop, this study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate the factors influencing consumers’ attitudes toward VTO technology and their willingness to purchase online. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey of 228 Italian respondents. The proposed research model was tested through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), followed by a structural equation model (SEM) with an ordered Probit approach. Findings The results highlight the significant impact of perceived enjoyment (PE), innovativeness and perceived environmental benefits (PEBs) on consumer attitudes toward VTO and their online purchase intentions. This study underscores the role of VTO in enhancing online shopping experiences, leveraging both utilitarian and hedonic values, ultimately encouraging technology adoption. Research limitations/implications The findings offer valuable insights for retailers seeking to encourage online shopping using VTO technology, fostering PE, stimulating interest in innovative solutions and promoting responsible consumption choices. Originality/value This research extends the TAM by integrating external variables – innovativeness and PEBs – into the analysis, while accounting for the mediating role of PE on consumer behaviour.

Oxidative stress destabilizes microRNA homeostasis in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), driving apoptosis and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which contribute to age-related macular degeneration. We investigated whether Quantum Molecular Resonance (QMR®) electrostimulation, alone or combined with Patient Blood-Derived (PBD) secretoma, can reprogram the RPE miRNome and mitigate stress-induced damage. Human ARPE-19 cells were exposed to tert-butyl-hydroperoxide and treated with QMR®, PBD secretome, or their combination. The deep sequencing of small RNAs at 24 h and 72 h, followed by differential expression and pathway enrichment analyses, delineated treatment-driven miRNA signatures. Oxidative stress deregulated > 50 miRNAs, enriching pro-apoptotic, fibrotic, and inflammatory pathways. QMR® restored roughly 40% of these miRNAs and upregulated additional cytoprotective species such as miR-590-3p, a known regulator of the NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways according to validated target databases. While these observations suggest the potential involvement of inflammatory and stress-related cascades, functional assays will be required to directly confirm such effects. Secretome treatment preferentially increased anti-inflammatory miR-146a-5p and regenerative miR-204-5p while suppressing pro-fibrotic let-7f-5p. Combined QMR® + secretome triggered the broadest miRNA response, normalizing over two-thirds of stress-altered miRNAs. These changes are predicted to influence antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-fibrotic pathways, although they did not translate into additional short-term cytoprotection compared with QMR® alone. These data indicate that QMR® and PBD secretome modulate complementary miRNA programs that converge on stress response networks. This broader molecular reprogramming may reflect regulatory complementarity, but functional validation is needed to determine whether it provides benefits beyond those observed with QMR® alone. These findings offer molecular insights into potential non-invasive, cell-free strategies for retinal degeneration, although in vivo validation will be required before any clinical translation to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) therapy.

Dante's knowledge of the various fields of medieval medicine, in terms of disease patterns and pathogenetic hypotheses, is well known. At that time, Dante acquired this knowledge by attending, directly or indirectly, the lessons of Taddeo Alderotti, one of the founders of the Medical School in Bologna. Regarding Dante's attitude towards medicine and science in general, in this paper has been considered the episode of Pier della Vigna, presented in the thirteenth canto of the Inferno. This concern how the origin of the cries and lamentations is established, which come from the weeds into which the suicides had turned. A parallel has also been drawn between Dante's approach and the methods used today in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using Evidence-Based Medicine. Moreover, some hypotheses have also been ventured about the origin of this parallelism.

Introduction: This subgroup analysis of the global AURIGA study evaluated intravitreal aflibercept 2 mg (IVT-AFL) effectiveness and treatment patterns in routine practice in Italy in patients with macular oedema secondary to branch or central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO/CRVO). Methods: AURIGA (NCT03161912) was a 24-month, prospective observational study in patients for whom IVT-AFL treatment had already been prescribed by their physician. All clinical decisions were according to physician discretion and local practice. Statistical analyses were descriptive only. Results: In Italy, 152 treatment-naïve and 50 pretreated patients participated across 27 centres. Mean (95% confidence interval) change in visual acuity (VA) from baseline to month 12 in treatment-naïve patients was +10.3 (7.0, 13.6) and +12.2 (5.6, 18.8) letters for BRVO and CRVO (baseline: 55.3 ± 20.3 and 44.5 ± 25.5 letters), and pretreated patients gained +6.6 (0.3, 13.0) and +14.6 (5.5, 23.8) letters for BRVO and CRVO (baseline: 56.0 ± 15.9 and 42.2 ± 23.5 letters). In treatment-naïve patients, VA gains by M12 after a mean of 4.8 injections were maintained through M24 after a mean of 5.7 injections from baseline; in pretreated patients, M12 gains were not maintained, despite a similar mean of 5.8 injections by M24. Most injections were received within the first 6 months, with a marked reduction in injection frequency thereafter. Conclusion: Robust VA improvements were observed in treatment-naïve patients with RVO in Italy following IVT-AFL treatment for up to 24 months in routine practice, despite a low injection frequency. However, guidelines indicate that regular, proactive treatment beyond the acute stage is required to improve long-term outcomes.