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Background: According to the European Society for Clinical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines, the therapeutic algorithm for early-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is primarily based on grading and histotype. Adjuvant chemotherapy is usually recommended for high-grade tumors and for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB-IC; however, overtreatment remains a concern. Conversely, patients truly at higher risk of recurrence currently lack access to additional therapeutic strategies., Patients and Methods: This study presents a descriptive analysis of early-stage EOC patients who were prospectively sequenced and stratified into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups based on clinicopathological features. Oncogenic alterations were identified using OncoKB and classified according to the ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets (ESCAT) Tier I-III. The prevalence of molecular findings was first reported for each risk subgroup, followed by an analysis on the cohort of patients who experienced relapse., Results: A total of 180 patients with FIGO stage I-II EOC were enrolled between January 2022 and December 2023; 126 patients (70%) had at least one ESCAT Tier I-III alteration (including 51% high risk, 35% intermediate risk, and 14% low risk); among them, approximately one-quarter (26%, 95% confidence interval 19% to 35%) had an ESCAT Tier I alteration. BRCA1 and BRCA2 alterations were observed in about one-quarter of patients, with BRCA2 often co-altered with POLE mutations (55%, P = 2.1 × 10 -4 ). Notably, almost all BRCA1 variants were found in high-risk patients. BRAF V600E mutation (ESCAT IC) was found in 2.4% of patients. PIK3CA variants were the most common Tier IIIA alterations found in 59% of patients. Among those who experienced recurrence, 60% had at least one ESCAT Tier I-III alteration, with PIK3CA mutations being the most frequent., Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential for actionable alterations in most early-stage EOC patients and support the exploration of chemotherapy-free regimens for low- to intermediate-risk groups, as well as targeted maintenance therapy for high-risk individuals., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The "Sign-tracker/Goal-tracker" (ST/GT) is an animal model of individual differences in learning and motivational processes attributable to distinctive conditioned responses to environmental cues. While GT rats value the reward-predictive cue as a mere predictor, ST rats attribute it with incentive salience, engaging in aberrant reward-seeking behaviors that mirror those of impulse control disorders. Given its potential clinical value, the present study aimed to map such model onto humans and investigated resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of individuals categorized as more disposed to sign-tracking or goal-tracking behavior. To do so, eye-tracking was used during a translationally informed Pavlovian paradigm to classify humans as STs (n = 36) GTs (n = 35) or as Intermediates (n = 33), depending on their eye-gaze towards the reward-predictive cue or the reward location. Using connectivity and network-based approach, measures of resting state functional connectivity and centrality (role of a node as a hub) replicated preclinical findings, suggesting a major involvement of subcortical areas in STs, and dominant cortical involvement in GTs. Overall, the study strengthens the translational value of the ST/GT model, with important implications for the early identification of vulnerable phenotypes for psychopathological conditions such as substance use disorder., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder largely investigated in the neurologic field. Recently, neuroimaging studies have been conducted in order to investigate cerebral morphologic alterations in ASD patients, demonstrating an atypical brain development before the clinical manifestations of the disorder. Cortical Thickness (CT) and Local Gyrification Index (LGI) distribution for ASD children were investigated in this study, with the aim to evaluate possible relationship between brain measures and individual characteristics (i.e., IQ and verbal ability). 3D T1-w sequences from 129 ASD and 58 age-matched Healthy Controls (HC) were acquired and processed in order to assess CT and LGI for each subject. Intergroup differences between ASD and HC were investigated, including analyses of 2 ASD subgroups, split according to patient verbal ability and IQ. When compared to HC, ASD showed increased CT and LGI within several brain areas, both as an overall group and as verbal ability an IQ subgroups. Moreover, when comparing language characteristics of the ASD subjects, those patients with verbal ability exhibit significant CT and LGI increase was found within the occipital lobe of right hemisphere. No significant results occurred when comparing ASD patients according to their IQ value. These results support the hypothesis of abnormal brain maturation in ASD since early childhood with differences among clinical subgroups suggesting different anatomical substrates underlying an aberrant connectivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Napolitano, Guerrera, Lucignani, Parrillo, Baldassari, Bottino, Moltoni, Espagnet, Talamanca, Valeri and Vicari.)

Objective: The goal of this work is to show how to implement a mixed reality application (app) for neurosurgery planning based on neuroimaging data, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of its design., Methods: Our workflow explains how to handle neuroimaging data, including how to load morphological, functional and diffusion tensor imaging data into a mixed reality environment, thus creating a first guide of this kind. Brain magnetic resonance imaging data from a paediatric patient were acquired using a 3 T Siemens Magnetom Skyra scanner. Initially, this raw data underwent specific software pre-processing and were subsequently transformed to ensure seamless integration with the mixed reality app. After that, we created three-dimensional models of brain structures and the mixed reality environment using Unity™ engine together with Microsoft® HoloLens 2™ device. To get an evaluation of the app we submitted a questionnaire to four neurosurgeons. To collect data concerning the performance of a user session we used Unity Performance Profiler., Results: The use of the interactive features, such as rotating, scaling and moving models and browsing through menus, provided by the app had high scores in the questionnaire, and their use can still be improved as suggested by the performance data collected. The questionnaire's average scores were high, so the overall experiences of using our mixed reality app were positive., Conclusion: We have successfully created a valuable and easy-to-use neuroimaging data mixed reality app, laying the foundation for more future clinical uses, as more models and data derived from various biomedical images can be imported., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Vertical hemispherotomy is an effective treatment for many drug-resistant encephalopathies with unilateral involvement. One of the main factors influencing positive surgical results and long-term seizure freedom is the quality of disconnection. For this reason, perfect anatomical awareness is mandatory during each step of the procedure. Although previous groups attempted to reproduce the surgical anatomy through schematic representations, cadaveric dissections, and intraoperative photographs and videos, a comprehensive understanding of the approach may still be difficult, especially for less experienced neurosurgeons. In this work, we reported the application of advanced technology for three-dimensional (3D) modeling and visualization of the main neurova-scular structures during vertical hemispherotomy procedures. In the first part of the study, we built a detailed 3D model of the main structures and landmarks involved during each disconnection phase. In the second part, we discussed the adjunctive value of augmented reality systems for the management of the most challenging etiologies, such as hemimegalencephaly and post-ischemic encephalopathy. We demonstrated the contribution of advanced 3D modeling and visualization to enhance the quality of anatomical representation and interaction between the operator and model according to a surgical perspective, optimizing the quality of presurgical planning, intraoperative orientation, and educational training.

Liver and liver/kidney transplantation are increasingly used in methylmalonic aciduria, but little is known on their impact on CNS. The effect of transplantation on neurological outcome was prospectively assessed in six patients pre- and post-transplant by clinical evaluation and by measuring disease biomarkers in plasma and CSF, in combination with psychometric tests and brain MRI studies. Primary (methylmalonic- and methylcitric acid) and secondary biomarkers (glycine and glutamine) significantly improved in plasma, while they remained unchanged in CSF. Differently, biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction (lactate, alanine, and related ratios) significantly decreased in CSF. Neurocognitive evaluation documented significant higher post-transplant developmental/cognitive scores and maturation of executive functions corresponding to improvement of brain atrophy, cortical thickness, and white matter maturation indexes at MRI. Three patients presented post-transplantation reversible neurological events, which were differentiated, by means of biochemical and neuroradiological evaluations, into calcineurin inhibitor-induced neurotoxicity and metabolic stroke-like episode. Our study shows that transplantation has a beneficial impact on neurological outcome in methylmalonic aciduria. Early transplantation is recommended due to the high risk of long-term complications, high disease burden, and low quality of life., (© 2023 SSIEM.)

Background: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a severe pathology, and no unique predictive biomarker has been identified. Our aims are to identify associations of perinatal and outcome parameters with morphological anomalies and ADC values from MRI. The secondary aims are to define a predictive ADC threshold value and detect ADC value fluctuations between MRIs acquired within 7 days (MR0) and at 1 year (MR1) of birth in relation to perinatal and outcome parameters., Methods: Fifty-one term children affected by moderate HIE treated with hypothermia and undergoing MRI0 and MRI1 were recruited. Brain MRIs were evaluated through the van Rooij score, while ADC maps were co-registered on a standardized cerebral surface, on which 29 ROIs were drawn. Statistical analysis was performed in Matlab, with the statistical significance value at 0.05., Results: ADC0 < ADC1 in the left and right thalami, left and right frontal white matter, right visual cortex, and the left dentate nucleus of children showing abnormal perinatal and neurodevelopmental parameters. At ROC analysis, the best prognostic ADC cut-off value was 1.535 mm 2 /s × 10 -6 (sensitivity 80%, specificity 86%) in the right frontal white matter. ADC1 > ADC0 in the right visual cortex and left dentate nucleus, positively correlated with multiple abnormal perinatal and neurodevelopmental parameters. The van Rooij score was significantly higher in children presenting with sleep disorders., Conclusions: ADC values could be used as prognostic biomarkers to predict children's neurodevelopmental outcomes. Further studies are needed to address these crucial topics and validate our results. Early and multidisciplinary perinatal evaluation and the subsequent re-assessment of children are pivotal to identify physical and neuropsychological disorders to guarantee early and tailored therapy.

Contrast media are widely diffused in biomedical imaging, due to their relevance in the diagnosis of numerous disorders. However, the risk of adverse reactions, the concern of potential damage to sensitive organs, and the recently described brain deposition of gadolinium salts, limit the use of contrast media in clinical practice. In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to biomedical imaging has led to the development of 'virtual' and 'augmented' contrasts. The idea behind these applications is to generate synthetic post-contrast images through AI computational modeling starting from the information available on other images acquired during the same scan. In these AI models, non-contrast images (virtual contrast) or low-dose post-contrast images (augmented contrast) are used as input data to generate synthetic post-contrast images, which are often undistinguishable from the native ones. In this review, we discuss the most recent advances of AI applications to biomedical imaging relative to synthetic contrast media.

The effects of one of the main components of fish oil, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on prostaglandin (PG) and Ca2+ signaling pathways were examined in intact mucosa and freshly isolated crypt cells of rabbit descending colon. Preincubation of serosal mucosa for 20 min with 1 microM DHA fully suppressed the short-circuit and transepithelial conductance increase induced by serosal addition of 10 microM arachidonic acid (AA). DHA at 1 microM also prevented the Cl- secretion promoted by 10 microM AA, as estimated by unidirectional 36Cl flux measurements (net flux = 0.68 +/- 0.30 versus -1.91 +/- 0.20 microEq/hr/cm2, four experiments, p < 0.001), whereas it did not affect the electrophysiological and ion flux responses to PGE2. Addition of 1 microM DHA to the serosal side of the mucosa also inhibited the PG cascade activation elicited by AA (PG synthesis and second messenger cAMP increase). In vitro assays of colonic cyclooxygenase activity showed that 1 microM DHA inhibited (with a 20-min lag) cyclooxygenase activity to the same extent as 5 microM indomethacin (approximately 82% and 80%, respectively). DHA also affected the Ca2+ signaling pathway; in isolated crypt cells, the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) dropped by 49 +/- 7.6% (mean +/- standard error, six experiments) after incubation with 1 microM DHA. The sustained phase of the [Ca2+]i response to 500 nM concentrations of the intracellular Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin was also inhibited within 150 sec upon 1 microM DHA addition (141 +/- 5.8 versus 243 +/- 8.2 nM [Ca2+]i mean +/- standard error, eight experiments, p < 0.01). The [Ca2+]i-lowering effect of DHA, which was not achieved by incubation with other free fatty acids, was not prevented by removal of Na+ from the incubation medium (-46 +/- 4.3% versus -47 +/- 3.8%, mean +/- standard error, four experiments), nor it was mediated by cAMP-, protein kinase C-, or calmodulin-dependent mechanisms. The incubation of highly purified basolateral membranes of crypt cells with 1 microM DHA for 1 min produced a 5-fold increase (IC50 = 0.25 microM) in the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase activity (34.3 +/- 2.73 versus 6.02 +/- 0.50 nmol/mg of protein/min, mean +/- standard error, four experiments, p < 0.0001), thus indicating that the DHA effects on the Ca2+ pathway were mediated mainly by an increase in plasma membrane Ca2+ pump activity. These findings suggest that DHA is a powerful modulator of the cellular response to activation of PG and Ca2+ signaling pathways.

Antiflammins are synthetic peptides with sequence homology to proteins inhibitory for phospholipase A2. The effects of antiflammins on chloride secretion induced by the calcium ionophore A23187, arachidonic acid (AA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were investigated in distal rabbit colonic mucosa mounted in Ussing-type chambers. 100 nM AF-2 (antiflammin 2, peptide HDMNKVLDL) fully prevented the increase in Isc, net chloride secretion, tissue PGE2 and second messenger cAMP induced by 5 microM A23187. AF-1 (antiflammin 1, peptide MQMKKVLDS) also inhibited, although to a lesser extent, the A23187-mediated increase in Isc. AF-2 inhibition began at doses of 100 nM (delta Isc -0.20 +/- 0.08, microEq h-1 cm-2, mean +/- S.E.M., N = 3) and was maximal at doses comprised between 200 and 250 nM (delta Isc -0.51 +/- 0.12, microEq h-1 cm-2, mean +/- S.E.M., N = 3). AF-2 also inhibited the increase in Isc and chloride secretion induced by the incubation with 10 microM AA and bradykinin but it was ineffective when tissues were stimulated with 10 microM PGE2. 100 nM AF-2 brought about an inhibition of the increase in AA-mediated increases in PGs and cAMP comparable to that of 10 microM of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. In vitro assay of colonic cyclooxygenase activity showed that 100 nM AF-2 and AF-1 inhibited cyclooxygenase activity (73 and approximately 30%, respectively), but they did not modify the in vitro activity of porcine phospholipase A2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A series of omega-dialkylaminoalkyl esters of N-phenyl aminethiocarboximidic acids was prepared by reaction of N-phenyl 1-pyrrolidine, 1-piperidine, 4-morpholine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-quinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-isoquinoline, 10-phenothiazine, N-phenyl-2-pyridylamine and N-benzyl-2-pyridylamine-carbothioamides (prepared in situ from the appropriate secondary amine and phenyl isothiocyanate) with a number of omega-chloroalkyldialkylamines in anhydrous DMF or THF solution in the presence of sodium hydride. Good yields of the above esters were obtained provided that sodium hydride was added initially or after the formation of 3,3-disubstituted 1-phenylthiourea, according to the nature of the secondary amine. Some esters showed in mice local anesthetic activity comparable with that of lidocaine, as well as moderate hypoglycemic, antiarrhythmic, analgesic, antiacetylcholine, H1-antithistamine and platelet antiaggregating activities.

The synthesis of a series of N-substituted O-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl)oximes of 1,3,3-trimethyl-5-endo-(1-piperidinyl or 4-morpholinyl)-2-oxabicyclo [2.2.2]octan-6-ones is described. Some of these ethers showed strong local anesthetic activity in mice and platelet antiaggregating activity in vitro comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid, as well as moderate hypotensive, antiarrhythmic and analgesic activities in rats and mice.

The synthesis of [(1-methyl-1H-indazol-4-yl)oxy]acetic acid 4, 1-methyl-1H-indazole-4-acetic acid 9, 2-(1-methyl-1H-indazol-4-yl)propanoic acid 15 and [[(1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-methyl-4H-indazol-4-ylidene)amino]oxy]acet ic acid 16, as well as of amides and esters derived from 4 and 9, starting from 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-methyl-4H-indazol-4-one is described. Some of the above compounds showed weak antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and hypotensive activities in rats and mice, as well as moderate platelet antiaggregating effects in vitro.

The synthesis of 2-substituted 4-phenyl-5-(3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyrimidines 4 a-e by reaction of 1-(1-dimethylaminomethylene-2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol e with acetamidine, benzamidine, guanidine, guanidinaecetic acid and creatine, respectively, is described. The alpha-aminoacid derivatives 4 d and 4 e gave a series of amides 7 by coupling with primary or secondary amines in dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of diphenyl-phosphorylazide (DPPA) and triethylamine. Some compounds 4 and 7 showed a platelet antiaggregating activity in vitro superior or comparable to that of acetyl-salicylic acid, as well as moderate antihypertensive, local anesthetic, analgesic and antiinflammatory activities in rats and mice.

The synthesis in excellent yields of 1-acyl-3-furfuryl-1-phenylthioureas 2 by reacting at t less than or equal to 10 degrees C 3-furfuryl-1-phenylthiourea 1, prepared in situ from furfurylamine and phenyl isothiocyanate, with aromatic or heterocyclic acyl chlorides in pyridine solution is described. 1-Acylthioureas 2 rearranged in high yields to 3-acylthioureas 3 by treatment with sodium hydroxide in heterogeneous phase. 1,3-Diacyl-3-furfuryl-1-phenylthioureas 4 were obtained in satisfactory yields by treatment of 1 with two moles of acyl chloride as in the case of 1-monoacylation. The thiourea 1 prepared in situ reacted with iodomethane in dimethylformamide solution and in the presence of sodium hydride to give in high yield the S-methyl derivative, namely the methyl ester of N-phenyl-1-furfurylaminethiocarboximidic acid. Some acylthioureas 2 and 4 showed a platelet antiaggregating activity in vitro superior or comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid. The 1,3-diacylthiourea 4 c exhibited an appreciable anticonvulsant activity in mice and some compounds 2 and 4 moderate competitive antiacetylcholine and H1-antihistamine effects in vitro.