Acute Myocarditis After Black Widow Spider Bite: A Case Report

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Inclisiran in lipid management: A Literature overview and future perspectives

Primary and secondary prevention protocols aim at reducing the plasma levels of lipids - with particular reference to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) plasma concentrations – in order to improve the overall survival and reduce the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events. The use of statins has been widely considered as the first-line approach in lipids management as they can dramatically impact on the cardiovascular risk profile of individuals. The introduction of ezetimibe and proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors overcame the adverse effects of statins and ameliorate the achievement of the target lipids levels. Indeed, advances in therapies promote the use of specific molecules – i.e. short strands of RNA named small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) – to suppress the transcription of genes related to lipids metabolism. Recently, the inclisiran has been developed: this is a siRNA able to block the mRNA of the PCSK9 gene. About 50% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels have been observed in randomized controlled trials with inclisiran. The aim of this review was to summarize the literature regarding inclisiran and its possible role in the general management of patients with lipid disorders and/or in primary/secondary prevention protocols

Non-plasmonic nanoantennas for surface enhanced spectroscopies with ultra-low heat conversion

Nanoplasmonics has recently revolutionized our ability to control light on the nanoscale. Using metallic nanostructures with tailored shapes, it is possible to efficiently focus light into nanoscale field 'hot spots'. High field enhancement factors have been achieved in such optical nanoantennas, enabling transformative science in the areas of single molecule interactions, highly enhanced nonlinearities and nanoscale waveguiding. Unfortunately, these large enhancements come at the price of high optical losses due to absorption in the metal, severely limiting real-world applications. Via the realization of a novel nanophotonic platform based on dielectric nanostructures to form efficient nanoantennas with ultra-low light-into-heat conversion, here we demonstrate an approach that overcomes these limitations. We show that dimer-like silicon-based single nanoantennas produce both high surface enhanced fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering, while at the same time generating a negligible temperature increase in their hot spots and surrounding environments

Exploration and Visualization of Big Graphs - The DBpedia Case Study

Increasingly, the data and information visualization is becoming strategic for the exploration and explanation of large data sets. The Big Data paradigm pushes for new ways, new technological solutions to deal with the big volume and the big variety of data today. Not surprisingly, a plethora of new tools have emerged, each of them with pros and cons, but all espousing the cause of "Bigness of Data". In this paper, we take one of this emerging tools, namely Neo4J, and stress its capabilities in order to import, query and visualize data coming from a \emph{big} case study: DBpedia. We will describe each step in this study focusing on the used strategies for overcoming the different problems mainly due to the intricate nature of the case study and its volume. We confront with both the intensional schema of DBpedia and its extensional part in order to obtain the best result in its visualization. Finally, an attempt to define some criteria to simplify the large-scale visualization of DBpedia will be made, providing some examples and considerations which have arisen. The ultimate goal of this work is to investigate techniques and approaches to get more insights from the visual representation and analytics of large graph databases

Comparison of short- and long-term effectiveness of ixekizumab and secukinumab in real-world practice

Background: Although secukinumab and ixekizumab both act by inhibiting IL-17A, some scientific evidence suggests that there are differences in efficacy between the two agents. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term effectiveness of ixekizumab and secukinumab in clinical practice. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 245 psoriatic patients receiving secukinumab or ixekizumab during the period from September 2016 to December 2019. The proportion of patients achieving PASI75, PASI90, and PASI100 at weeks 12 and 24 was calculated. We recorded the 12- and 24-month drug survival as a measure to assess long-term effectiveness. Results: A higher proportion of patients in the secukinumab group achieved PASI75, 90, and 100 at 12 weeks. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve for any reason of discontinuation showed no differences between the two groups. Instead, the multivariate analysis for ineffectiveness, adjusted for potential confounders, showed a lower drug survival rate in the secukinumab group, with an adjusted HR of 2.57 (95% CI 1.05–6.28, p 0.038). Conclusion: This real-life study demonstrated that ixekizumab and secukinumab are both highly effective in short- and long-term treatment of psoriasis, even though few differences exist concerning speed of action and long-term effectiveness

The Impact of Concomitant Proton Pump Inhibitors on Immunotherapy Efficacy Among Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

Background. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently represented a breakthrough in urothelial carcinoma (UC). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are routinely used for extended time periods in UC patients, with these agents having potentially and frequently undervalued effects on ICIs efficacy. Methods. We performed a meta-analysis aimed at investigating the impact of concomitant PPI administration on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients receiving immunotherapy for metastatic UC. Results. Two studies encompassing a total of 1015 patients were included. The pooled Hazard Ratios (HRs) for OS and PFS were 1.55 (95% CI, 1.31–1.84) and 1.43 (95% CI, 1.23–1.66), respectively, suggesting that the administration of PPIs was negatively associated with PFS and with OS in UC patients treated with ICIs. Conclusions. The current meta-analysis represents the first study to provide a systematic evaluation of the impact of concomitant PPI use in UC patients treated with ICIs. Further studies are warranted on this topic to clarify the relationship between gut microbiome, antiacid exposure, and cancer immunotherapy. In the current era of medical oncology, progress in this setting will require the collaboration of basic science and clinical research to optimize systemic treatment and to improve the outcomes of UC patients receiving ICIs