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Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-4/13 signaling pathway, effectively treats moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Common side effects include injection site reactions, conjunctivitis, and respiratory infections. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman with severe AD involving the periocular and chin regions, genital areas, arms, and legs (Eczema Area and Severity Index [EASI]: 24, itch Visual Analog Scale [VAS]: 8) who showed significant improvement after initiating dupilumab therapy. However, following ketoprofen intake for headache relief, she developed a lupus-like erythematous maculopapular rash on the periocular and malar regions. Immunological tests (ANA, ENA) and photopatch testing ruled out autoimmune or allergic causes. Dupilumab was stopped, and treatment with oral prednisone and cetirizine led to complete resolution. This case highlights a potential drug interaction between dupilumab and ketoprofen, emphasizing the need for awareness of paradoxical facial erythema reactions in patients undergoing dupilumab therapy.

Purpose of the article: The aim of this multicenter observational study is to report data from real world on the use of bimekizumab in patients aged ≥ 65 years with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Elderly patients are poorly represented in clinical trials on bimekizumab for plaque psoriasis, and real-world studies are important to guide clinical choices.Materials and methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in 33 dermatological outpatient clinics in Italy. Patients aged ≥ 65 years, with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and treated with bimekizumab were enrolled. No exclusion criteria were applied. Bimekizumab was administered following the Italian Guidelines for the management of plaque psoriasis and according to the summary of product characteristics, in adult patients who were candidates for systemic treatments. Overall, 98 subjects were included, and received bimekizumab up to week 36. Clinical and demographic data were collected before the initiation of treatment with bimekizumab. At baseline and each dermatological examination (4, 16, and 36 weeks), clinical outcomes were measured by the following parameters: (1) PASI score; (2) site-specific (scalp, palmoplantar, genital, nail) Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA). At each visit, the occurrence of any adverse events (AEs) was recorded, including serious AEs and AEs leading to bimekizumab discontinuation.Results: The mean PASI score was 16.6 ± 9.4 at baseline and significantly decreased to 4.3 ± 5.2 after 4 weeks (p

The development of applications and systems for the nuclear domain involves the interplay of many different disciplines and is, therefore, particularly complex. Additionally, these systems and their innovations have to be compliant with strict international regulations and recommendations. The scientific and industrial communities have been studying, developing and applying advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and tools in several (non-nuclear) application domains. Their encouraging results have pushed the nuclear community to pay increasing attention to the field of AI. Among the expected benefits of AI is the simplification of complex procedures, the reduction in the execution of time-consuming operations, the increase of safety levels, and the reduction in the overall cost. At the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), we have identified and have started to address several open questions, such as: where in the nuclear domain can AI-based techniques be implemented in the most productive way? What do the nuclear standards and recommendations say about its use? Can we identify some core challenges and issues common to multiple areas of the nuclear domain? In this paper we provide a first analysis and answers to the above questions and we conclude by emphasizing some cross-domain high priority challenges.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a multifactorial aetiology that involves a strict interplay between genetic factors, immune dysregulation and lifestyle. Familial forms represent around 40% of total HS cases and show an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance of the disease. In this study, we conducted a whole-exome sequence analysis on an Italian family of 4 members encompassing a vertical transmission of HS. Focusing on rare damaging variants, we identified a rare insertion of one nucleotide (c.225dupA:p.A76Sfs*21) in the DCD gene encoding for the antimicrobial peptide dermcidin (DCD) that was shared by the proband, his affected father and his 11-years old daughter. Since several transcriptome studies have shown a significantly decreased expression of DCD in HS skin, we hypothesised that the identified frameshift insertion was a loss-of-function mutation that might be associated with HS susceptibility in this family. We thus confirmed by mass spectrometry that DCD levels were diminished in the affected members and showed that the antimicrobial activity of a synthetic DCD peptide resulting from the frameshift mutation was impaired. In order to define the consequences related to a decrease in DCD activity, skin microbiome analyses of different body sites were performed by comparing DCD mutant and wild type samples, and results highlighted significant differences between the groins of mutated and wild type groups. Starting from genetic analysis conducted on an HS family, our findings showed, confirming previous transcriptome results, the potential role of the antimicrobial DCD peptide as an actor playing a crucial part in the etio-pathogenesis of HS and in the maintenance of the skin’s physiological microbiome composition; so, we can hypothesise that DCD could be used as a novel target for personalised therapeutic approach.

We report a 47 years old women affected by lymphomatoid papulosis and concomitant mucinous adenocarcinoma of the sigma. Our experience underlines the relevance of performing accurate staging investigations in all lymphomatoid papulosis patients at the time of diagnosis, even in those that are asymptomatic, like our patient, not only for correct classification but also for cancer screening. Clinicians must be aware of the increased risk of lymphomatoid papulosis patients to develop haematological malignancies and non-haematological malignancies compared to general population at the time of diagnosis and at follow-up and therefore lymphomatoid papulosis patients must regularly follow cancer screening programs.

Purpose of the article: The aim of this multicenter observational study is to report data from real world on the use of bimekizumab in patients aged ≥ 65 years with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Elderly patients are poorly represented in clinical trials on bimekizumab for plaque psoriasis, and real-world studies are important to guide clinical choices. Materials and methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in 33 dermatological outpatient clinics in Italy. Patients aged ≥ 65 years, with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and treated with bimekizumab were enrolled. No exclusion criteria were applied. Bimekizumab was administered following the Italian Guidelines for the management of plaque psoriasis and according to the summary of product characteristics, in adult patients who were candidates for systemic treatments. Overall, 98 subjects were included, and received bimekizumab up to week 36. Clinical and demographic data were collected before the initiation of treatment with bimekizumab. At baseline and each dermatological examination (4, 16, and 36 weeks), clinical outcomes were measured by the following parameters: (1) PASI score; (2) site-specific (scalp, palmoplantar, genital, nail) Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA). At each visit, the occurrence of any adverse events (AEs) was recorded, including serious AEs and AEs leading to bimekizumab discontinuation. Results: The mean PASI score was 16.6 ± 9.4 at baseline and significantly decreased to 4.3 ± 5.2 after 4 weeks (p < 0.001), and 1.1 ± 1.7 after 16 week (p < 0.001). This level of improvement was maintained after 36 weeks (p < 0.001). PASI ≤2 was recorded in 36 (36.7%) at week 4, 68% and 69.4% at week 16 and 36, respectively. By week 16, 86/98 (87.8%) patients reached PASI75, 71/98 (72.4%) obtained PASI90, and 52/98 (53.1%) PASI100. Binary logistic regression tests showed a significant association of PASI100 by week 4 with lower PASI at baseline. PASI 100 at 16 or 36 weeks was not associated with baseline PASI, obesity, age, gender, previously naïve state, and presence of psoriatic arthritis. Patients naïve to biologics at baseline had similar response to bimekizumab as non-naïve subjects. Conclusions: Bimekizumab is a suitable option for elder patients as it is effective, tolerated and has a convenient schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borreliae are divided into three groups, namely the Lyme group (LG), the Echidna-Reptile group (REPG) and the Relapsing Fever group (RFG). Currently, only Borrelia of the Lyme and RF groups (not all) cause infection in humans. Borreliae of the Echidna-Reptile group represent a new monophyletic group of spirochaetes, which infect amphibians and reptiles. In addition to a general description of the phylum Spirochaetales, including a brief historical digression on spirochaetosis, in the present review Borreliae of Lyme and Echidna-Reptile groups are described, discussing the ecology with vectors and hosts as well as microbiological features and molecular characterization. Furthermore, differences between LG and RFG are discussed with respect to the clinical manifestations. In humans, LG Borreliae are organotropic and cause erythema migrans in the early phase of the disease, while RFG Borreliae give high spirochaetemia with fever, without the development of erythema migrans. With respect of LG Borreliae, recently Borrelia mayonii, with intermediate characteristics between LG and RFG, has been identified. As part of the LG, it gives erythema migrans but also high spirochaetemia with fever. Hard ticks are vectors for both LG and REPG groups, but in LG they are mostly Ixodes sp. ticks, while in REPG vectors do not belong to that genus.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the research was to assess the performance of the method of prevention of post-operative peritoneal adhesions (PAs) (author's method) in patients of different age groups. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-five patients were in total enrolled in the study. The patients of two age groups were divided into two groups: Group 1 (treatment group), where the author's method was used on 143 patients, and Group 2 (control group) 142 patients, where was used the standard approach of prevention of intra-abdominal adhesions. All patients were operated in an urgent order on adhesive intestinal obstruction (AIO). The patients previously had surgery on AIO one to 3 times. Within each group, sick children and adults were identified. The gender distribution was comparable in both groups. RESULTS: The recurrence of AIO was significantly less in Group 1 than in Group 2 (1.4% and 6.3%, respectively, p<0.05). A separate study of the results of treatment in the age aspect in groups showed some features. Among children the AIO relapse rate in study Groups 1 and 2: Early AIO-in 1 (0.86%) and 2 (1.8%) patients, respectively; late AIO-in 1 (0.86%) and 4 (3.5%), patients, respectively. Among adults who didn't have relapse AIO during the follow-up period in Group 1. The AIO relapse rate in Group 2: Early AIO - in 1 (3.5%) and late AIO-2 (6.9%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed author's method for preventing AIO recurrence has shown its effectiveness among patients with adhesive AIO. Besides, using this method in children to reduce the AIO relapse rate by more than thrice; in adult patients, to prevent the development of clinically significant signs of PA and normalize the patient's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inferior part of the parietal lobe (IPL) is known to play a very important role in sensorimotor integration. Neurons in this region code goal-related motor acts performed with the mouth, with the hand and with the arm. It has been demonstrated that most IPL motor neurons coding a specific motor act (e.g., grasping) show markedly different activation patterns according to the final goal of the action sequence in which the act is embedded (grasping for eating or grasping for placing). Some of these neurons (parietal mirror neurons) show a similar selectivity also during the observation of the same action sequences when executed by others. Thus, it appears that the neuronal response occurring during the execution and the observation of a specific grasping act codes not only the executed motor act, but also the agent's final goal (intention).In this work we present a biologically inspired neural network architecture that models mechanisms of motor sequences execution and recognition. In this network, pools composed of motor and mirror neurons that encode motor acts of a sequence are arranged in form of action goal-specific neuronal chains. The execution and the recognition of actions is achieved through the propagation of activity bursts along specific chains modulated by visual and somatosensory inputs.The implemented spiking neuron network is able to reproduce the results found in neurophysiological recordings of parietal neurons during task performance and provides a biologically plausible implementation of the action selection and recognition process.Finally, the present paper proposes a mechanism for the formation of new neural chains by linking together in a sequential manner neurons that represent subsequent motor acts, thus producing goal-directed sequences.

A growing body of evidence in cognitive science and neuroscience is pointing towards the existence of a deep interconnection between cognition, perception and action. According to this embodied perspective language understanding is based on a mental simulation process involving a sensory-motor matching system known as the mirror neuron system. However, the precise dynamics underling the relation between language and action are not yet well understood. In fact, experimental studies are not always coherent as some report that language processing interferes with action execution while others find facilitation. In this work we present a detailed neural network model capable of reproducing experimentally observed influences of the processing of action-related sentences on the execution of motor sequences. The proposed model is based on three main points. The first is that the processing of action-related sentences causes the resonance of motor and mirror neurons encoding the corresponding actions. The second is that there exists a varying degree of crosstalk between neuronal populations depending on whether they encode the same motor act, the same effector or the same action-goal. The third is the fact that neuronal populations’ internal dynamics, which results from the combination of multiple processes taking place at different time scales, can facilitate or interfere with successive activations of the same or of partially overlapping pools.