Futuristic Novel Therapeutic Approaches in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by systemic inflammation and joint destruction, leading to significant morbidity and reduced quality of life. Although significant progress has been made in the management of RA over the past few decades, many patients still fail to respond adequately to currently available therapies. This article aims to review the current landscape of RA treatment and explore potential novel therapeutic approaches that hold promise for the future. Advances in our understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of the disease have led to the identification of new targets and the development of innovative treatment strategies. This review focuses on emerging therapies including small molecule inhibitors, targeted biologics, cell-based therapies, and gene editing technologies that have shown potential in preclinical and early clinical trials. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of these new approaches in the treatment of RA. By elucidating the future of novel therapeutic approaches, this article provides insights that can guide clinicians and researchers in their efforts to improve outcomes for patients with RA.

Self-reported recurrent pain and medicine use among 15-year-olds: results from the HBSC Italian study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of adolescent pain varies considerably across epidemiological studies, and little information is available on pain-related behaviours among adolescents, including medicine use. The aims of this study were: [1] to examine the prevalence of recurrent pain among 15-year-old adolescents in Italy; [2] to investigate the association between recurrent pain and medicine use among boys and girls; and [3] to evaluate the consistency of these associations across Regions. METHODS: The World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative International Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2013/2014 study collected self-reported data on pain and medicine use from 13611 15-year-old adolescents in 21 Italian Regions. We used multi-level multivariate logistic regression, stratified by gender, to analyse the association between recurrent pain and medicine use for headache, stomachache, nervousness and difficulties in getting to sleep. RESULTS: On average, across all Regions, almost 45% of adolescents reported recurrent headache, more than 30% reported recurrent backache and approximately 30% reported recurrent stomachache. Although the prevalence of both pain and medicine use was much higher among girls, the association between pain and medicine use was similarly strong in adolescents of both genders. Adolescents with recurrent pain proved more likely to use medicines also for non-corresponding pain, nervousness and difficulties in getting to sleep. The association between recurrent pain and medicine use was consistent across Regions despite large inter-regional differences in the prevalence of both phenomena. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent pain in adolescence is common nationwide. Adolescents with recurrent pain are more likely to use medicines in general. Recurrent pain and medicine use should be addressed by adolescent health policies.

"OKKIO alla salute 2014" results from the Tuscan sample.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is rapidly increasing in many countries. For this reason we decided to investigate the eating habits of 8-9 years old Tuscany children, by paying attention to the frequency of their meals per day and to their food choices, also in relation to children's Body Mass Index (BMI) classes. In addition, we considered some environmental factors that could affect children eating behaviors, such as parents' BMI. METHODS: Data from the 2014 Tuscany nutritional surveillance system (part of the national periodical survey) and collected from children, parents and teachers, have been linked to study of children's eating habits. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between incorrect dietary habits and the potential predictors of overweight and obesity. RESULTS: More than half of the 2,163 children (68.64% overall, 67.61% females, 69.56% males) reported to have eaten an appropriate breakfast in the morning, while 5.9% skipped breakfast and only 33.5% of children ate an appropriate mid-morning snack. Logistic regression showed that having breakfast and especially an adequate breakfast are protective factors against obesity (OR 0.57, p<0.01; OR 0.84; p=0.03 respectively). CONCLUSION: In Tuscany Region, unhealthy dietary habits are common among children. The identified deficiencies may be a harbinger of future public health problems.

Discrepancy between clinicoradiological and surgicopathological staging in stage 1 carcinoma endometrium: Identification of risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: Carcinoma endometrium carries an excellent prognosis when diagnosed early. But controversies exist in the management of Ca endometrium confined to the uterus as to whether a complete surgical staging including lymph node dissection is needed always. This may increase unnecessary surgical morbidity for some. On the other hand, if not done it fails to recognize a subset of patients who require adjuvant treatment, thus affecting the outcome. Hence it is very important to categorize the patients to assess the need of complete surgical staging. AIM: The aim of the following study is to identify the risk factors influencing the upstaging of disease in clinicoradiologically stage 1 carcinoma endometrium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective database evaluation of all cases of clinicoradiologically stage 1 carcinoma endometrium from January 2009 to September 2012. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Done using the statistical software SPSS--version 16 for windows (SPSS Inc. 233 South Wacker Drive, 11th Floor Chicago, IL 60606-6412) Independent samples test (t-test for equality of means) were done and (two-tailed) P < 0.05--were significant. RESULTS: Carcinoma endometrium patients with grade 1, no or < 50% myometrial involvement, <2 cm size and no isthmus involvement had low risk of upstaging. CONCLUSION: Significant upstaging is seen in the present study with per-operative staging procedures. Until the standardization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and reporting, or until a more sensitive non-invasive technique is devised, staging lymphadenectomy appears to be invaluable in risk assessment and prognosis.

From Langevin to generalized Langevin equations for the nonequilibrium Rouse model.

We investigate the nature of the effective dynamics and statistical forces obtained after integrating out nonequilibrium degrees of freedom. To be explicit, we consider the Rouse model for the conformational dynamics of an ideal polymer chain subject to steady driving. We compute the effective dynamics for one of the many monomers by integrating out the rest of the chain. The result is a generalized Langevin dynamics for which we give the memory and noise kernels and the effective force, and we discuss the inherited nonequilibrium aspects.

BMI from nutritional surveillance of 8-9 years old children in Tuscany (Italy).

INTRODUCTION: The latest increase in childhood obesity focused attention on the important consequences that this phenomenon may have on public health in relationship to the increasing risk that an obese child may become an obese adult. To deal with this problem, there is necessary to assess systematically the distribution of childhood nutritional status at different levels: international, regional and local. In this paper are presented data on underweight, overweight and obesity prevalence in third grade primary school children, aged 8/9 years in Tuscany (2008) and its distribution in relationship to the demographic breadth of their place of residence. METHODS: Data from statistic sample of 2109 (1.091 males, 1.018 females), 8/9 years school-children were collected; weight and height were measured using standardised personnel and instruments. Exact month age was calculated between the data of measurement and that of birth. Body Mass Index (BMI) classes were calculated using Cole et al.'s epidemiologic cut-off for children and adolescents. Residence areas were divided into four classes based on the number of inhabitants (< 10.000; 10.000-50.000; > 50.000; > 50.000 metropolitan). RESULTS: The prevalence of underweight was 0.88% (0.76% in males and 1.01% in females), the prevalence of overweight was 23.43% (22.33% in males and 24.65% in females), the prevalence of obese was 7.95% (9.08% in males, 6.70% in females). The lowest prevalence of obese (6.46%) was found in towns with over 50.000 residents (metropolitan). CONCLUSION: The obesity prevalence in Tuscany children is still lower than that of the Italian National Survey, while the overweight prevalence it's the same. Obesity prevalence (10.71%) is higher in municipalities with low residents number (< 10.000).

General no-go condition for stochastic pumping.

The control of chemical dynamics requires understanding the effect of time-dependent transition rates between states of chemomechanical molecular configurations. Pumping refers to generating a net current, e.g., per period in the time dependence, through a cycle of consecutive states. The work of artificial machines or synthesized molecular motors depends on it. In this paper we give short and simple proofs of no-go theorems, some of which appeared before but here with essential extensions to non-Markovian dynamics, including the study of the diffusion limit. It allows to exclude certain protocols in the working of chemical motors where only the depth of the energy well is changed in time and not the barrier height between pairs of states. We also show how pre-existing steady state currents are, in general, modified with a multiplicative factor when this time dependence is turned on.

Assessment of dental maturity of Brazilian children aged 6 to 14 years using Demirjian's method.

UNLABELLED: Dental maturity, often expressed as dental age, is an indicator of the biological maturity of growing children. A method for the assessment of dental maturity was first described by Demirjian, and is widely used and accepted, mainly because of its ability to compare different ethnic groups. This is possible, as the maturity scoring system proposed by the method is universal in application, although the conversion to dental age depends on the population considered. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to apply Demirjian's method to Brazilian children aged 6-14 years in order to obtain dental maturity curves for each sex, to compare this data with that obtained by Demirjian, and to determine whether there is a significant correlation between dental maturity and body mass index. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the orthopantomograms, height and weight measurements of 689 healthy children. Curves of dental maturity of males and females were constructed. RESULTS: When compared to the French-Canadian sample of Demirjian, Brazilian males and females were 0.681 years and 0.616 years, respectively, more advanced in dental maturity. There was no significant correlation between dental maturity and body mass index.

Assessment of dental maturity of Brazilian children aged 6 to 14 years using Demirjian`s method / Avaliação da maturidade dental de crianças brasileiras de 6 a 14 anos usando o método Demirjian's

Dental maturity, often expressed as dental age, is an indicator of the biological maturity of growing children. A method for the assessment of dental maturity was first described by Demirjian, and is widely used and accepted, mainly because of its ability to compare different ethnic groups. This is possible, as the maturity scoring system proposed by the method is universal in application, although the conversion to dental age depends on the population considered. Objectives: The aim of this study was to apply Demirjian`s method to Brazilian children aged 6-14 years in order to obtain dental maturity curves for each sex, to compare this data with that obtained by Demirjian, and to determine whether there is a significant correlation between dental maturity and body mass index. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the orthopantomograms, height and weight measurements of 689 healthy children. Curves of dental maturity of males and females were constructed. Results: When compared to the French-Canadian sample of Demirjian, Brazilian males and females were 0ú681 years and 0ú616 years, respectively, more advanced in dental maturity. There was no significant correlation between dental maturity and body mass index