β-blockers : their new life from hypertension to cancer and migraine

The pharmacological class of \u3b2-blockers includes a plea of molecules with largely different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics with a protective effect that may span far beyond the cardiovascular system. Although all these compounds share the pharmacological blockade of the adrenergic receptors, each of them is characterized by specific pharmacological properties, including selectivity of action depending on the adrenergic receptors subtypes, intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA), lipid solubility, pharmacokinetic profile, and also other ancillary properties that impact their clinical effect. Their use in the treatment of hypertension has been extensively debated and at the moment a class indication is not present. However, in specific niche of patients, such as in those young individuals in which hypertension is mainly driven by a sympathetic hyperactivation, strong evidence pose \u3b2-Blockers as a highly reasonable \ufb01rst-line treatment. Lipophilic \u3b2-blockers, specifically propranolol and metoprolol, can cross the Blood Brain Barrier and have a Class A indication for the prophylactic treatment of migraine attacks. Moreover, since \u3b2-adrenergic receptors affect the proliferative process of both cancer and immune cells, their blockade has been associated with metastasis reduction in several epithelial and solid organ tumors posing \u3b2-Blockers as a new attractive, inexpensive and relatively safe therapeutic strategy in patients with several types of cancer. However, further dedicated prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed to determine the real efficacy of these compounds

Data from a multidisciplinary poll of 178 expert physicians on the usage of non-vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism

This data article contains data from a multidisciplinary questionnaires filled in by 178 expert physicians on the usage of non-vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and for the treatment of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). The questionnaire consists of 9 statements of clinical complex AF and VTE cases and informative campaign on antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention in AF. The data are potentially valuable for the scientific community, showing the doubts of different specialists (Internists, Pneumologists, Geriatricians, Cardiologists and Neurologists) with a large experience in prescribing oral anticoagulation in difficult AF and VTE cases (see full list of participants provided). The data obtained in some particular clinical cases such as CHA2DS2-VASc=1, comorbid coronary artery disease, frailty, advanced age, risk of falling and prior haemorrhagic stroke, can be compared with indications from published guidelines and recommendations for future insight and to be considered as a benchmark for future trials in the area or oral anticoagulation for AF and VTE.The data concerning informative campaign on antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention showed the expert panel agreement on the inclusion of self monitoring of heart rhythm by pulse taking in subjects older than 64 years of age (81% agreement, item 3); knowledge that the risk of stroke associated with AF is almost twice the risk associated with hypertension (95% agreement, item 4); knowledge that the CHA2DS2-VASc score exerts a higher influence on stroke risk compared to AF duration (92% agreement, item 5); knowledge that stroke prevention in AF with a NOAC is more effective, does not cause any higher bleeding risk, and is equally simple compared to aspirin treatment (91% agreement, item 6).Data on strategies to optimise appropriate prescription of antithrombotic therapy showed agreement on the utility of short television advertisements about the risks of stroke associated with AF (79% agreement, item 8), on a campaign encouraging regular control of cardiac rhythm by pulse taking (77% agreement, item 1), on a campaign reporting the advantages of anticoagulation over no antithrombotic therapy (98% agreement, item 2) or of NOACs over aspirin (96% agreement, item 3) or on the practical use of NOAC (93% agreement, item 6) or on stroke and bleeding risk scores (87% agreement, item 7). See Colonna et al. (2017) [1] for further interpretation and discussion

Exploring the Viability of Utilizing Treated Wastewater as a Sustainable Water Resource for Green Hydrogen Generation Using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs)

In response to the European Union's initiative toward achieving carbon neutrality, the utilization of water electrolysis for hydrogen production has emerged as a promising avenue for decarbonizing current energy systems. Among the various approaches, Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) presents an attractive solution, especially due to its potential to utilize impure water sources. This study focuses on modeling a SOEC supplied with four distinct streams of treated municipal wastewaters, using the Aspen Plus software. Through the simulation analysis, it was determined that two of the wastewater streams could be effectively evaporated and treated within the cell, without generating waste liquids containing excessive pollutant concentrations. Specifically, by evaporating 27% of the first current and 10% of the second, it was estimated that 26.2 kg/m(3) and 9.7 kg/m(3) of green hydrogen could be produced, respectively. Considering the EU's target for Italy is to have 5 GW of installed power capacity by 2030 and the mass flowrate of the analyzed wastewater streams, this hydrogen production could meet anywhere from 0.4% to 20% of Italy's projected electricity demand

Comparing the Prognostic Accuracy for All-Cause Mortality of Frailty Instruments: A Multicentre 1-Year Follow-Up in Hospitalized Older Patients

Frailty is a dynamic age-related condition of increased vulnerability characterized by declines across multiple physiologic systems and associated with an increased risk of death. We compared the predictive accuracy for one-month and one-year all-cause mortality of four frailty instruments in a large population of hospitalized older patients in a prospective multicentre cohort study