Potential Impact of Physical Activity on Measures of Well-Being and Quality of Life in People with Rare Diseases: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Italy.

Background: Rare diseases constitute a heterogeneous group of approximately 7000-8000 conditions, distinguished by their low prevalence. Collectively, they present a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that rare diseases affect approximately 10% of the global population, which places a significant burden on individuals, families, and society.

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix for Modeling Cardiac Extracellular Microenvironment.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) forms most of the tissue microenvironment and is in a constant and dynamic equilibrium with cells. The decellularization process employs physical or chemical methods, or a combination of them, to remove the cellular components of tissues and organs while preserving the architecture and composition of the ECM. Depending on the methodology used, the decellularized ECM (dECM) is then suitable for research or clinical applications.

Production of Cardiac Extracellular Matrix from Adult Human Fibroblasts for Culture Dish Coating.

The myocardium is composed of cardiomyocytes and an even greater number of fibroblasts, the latter being responsible for extracellular matrix production. From the early stages of heart development throughout the lifetime, in both normal and pathological conditions, the composition of the extracellular matrix changes and influences myocardium structure and function. The purpose of the method described here is to obtain the substrate for the culture of cardiac cells in vitro (termed cardiac ECM), mimicking the myocardial extracellular matrix in vivo.

Cardiac-derived extracellular matrix: A decellularization protocol for heart regeneration.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a fundamental component of the heart, guiding vital cellular processes during organ homeostasis. Most cardiovascular diseases lead to a remarkable remodeling of the ECM, accompanied by the formation of a fibrotic tissue that heavily compromises the heart function. Effective therapies for managing fibrosis and promoting physiological ECM repair are not yet available.

Cell Toxicity Study of Antiseptic Solutions Containing Povidone-Iodine and Hydrogen Peroxide.

The increasing incidence of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) has led to a growing interest in developing strategies to prevent and treat this severe complication. The surgical site's application of antiseptic solutions to eliminate contaminating bacteria and eradicate the bacterial biofilm has been increasing over time. Even though it has been proven that combining antimicrobials could enhance their activities and help overcome acquired microbial resistance related to the topical use of antibiotics, the toxicity of integrated solutions is not well described.

Poor Nutritional Status and Dynapenia Are Highly Prevalent in Post-Acute COVID-19.

Poor nutritional status is common (estimated prevalence 5-69%) in acute coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and has been associated with hospitalization, the need for intensive care, and mortality. Body composition (BC) and muscle function have also been related in such patients to poor disease outcomes. As the evidence in the literature is limited, a cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the frequency of malnutrition in a cohort of post-acute COVID-19 patients referred to a rehabilitation center after hospital discharge.

Human Cardiac Progenitor Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Exhibit Promising Potential for Supporting Cardiac Repair .

Although human Cardiac Progenitor Cells (hCPCs) are not retained by host myocardium they still improve cardiac function when injected into ischemic heart. Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that hCPC beneficial effects are induced by paracrine action on resident cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an intriguing mechanism of cell communication based on the transport and transfer of peptides, lipids, and nucleic acids that have the potential to modulate signaling pathways, cell growth, migration, and proliferation of recipient cells.

Body Composition and Bioelectrical-Impedance-Analysis-Derived Raw Variables in Pole Dancers.

Few data are available on the body composition of pole dancers. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a method that is used to estimate fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM), while raw BIA variables, such as the impedance ratio (IR) and phase angle (PhA), are markers of body cell mass and the ratio between extracellular and total body water. The aim of this study was to evaluate the body composition of pole dancers compared to controls, in particular, those raw BIA variables that are considered as markers of muscle composition.

Raw bioelectrical impedance analysis variables (phase angle and impedance ratio) are significant predictors of hand grip strength in adolescents and young adults.

Objectives: Musculoskeletal fitness and body composition are major components of health-related physical fitness that are expected to be linked to each other. The aim of this study was to explore the association of musculoskeletal fitness (expressed as hand grip strength [HGS]) and raw bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) variables and other predictors in the second and third decades of life.

Methods: Four groups of healthy normal-weight and overweight participants were studied: 130 male adolescents (age 16.

Decellularization for the Preparation of Highly Preserved Human Acellular Skin Matrix for Regenerative Medicine.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) provides biophysical and biochemical stimuli to support self-renewal, proliferation, survival, and differentiation of surrounding cells due to its content of diverse bioactive molecules. Due to these characteristics, the ECM has been recently considered a promising candidate for the creation of biological scaffolds to boost tissue regeneration. Emerging studies have demonstrated that decellularized human tissues could resemble the native ECM in their structural and biochemical profiles, preserving the three-dimensional (3D) architecture and the content of fundamental biological molecules.

Bioelectrical impedance (BIA)-derived phase angle in adults with obesity: A systematic review.

Background & Aims: Bioimpedance analysis-derived phase angle (PhA), as marker of body cell mass and cell integrity, might be altered in obesity, a condition which is characterized by alterations in muscle structure and function. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate whether and to which extent PhA varies in individuals/patients with excess body weight focusing on: a) changes in PhA due to obesity; b) changes in PhA after bariatric interventions or training programs.

Methods: According to PRISMA criteria, a systematic literature search until February 2021 using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed.

Correlation between Official and Common Field-Based Fitness Tests in Elite Soccer Referees.

Official tests are used to assess the fitness status of soccer referees, and their results correlate with match performance. However, FIFA-approved tests expose the referees to high physical demands and are difficult to implement during the sportive year. The aim of our study was to evaluate the correlation between the 6 × 40-m sprint and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (IR1) official tests and other field-based tests that require no or little equipment, are not time-consuming, and impose low physical demands.

Effect of Video Observation and Motor Imagery on Simple Reaction Time in Cadet Pilots.

Neuromotor training can improve motor performance in athletes and patients. However, few data are available about their effect on reaction time (RT). We investigated the influence of video observation/motor imagery (VO/MI) on simple RT to visual and auditory stimuli.

Brachial Plexus Injuries in Sport Medicine: Clinical Evaluation, Diagnostic Approaches, Treatment Options, and Rehabilitative Interventions.

The brachial plexus represents a complex anatomical structure in the upper limb. This "network" of peripheral nerves permits the rearrangement of motor efferent fibers, coming from different spinal nerves, in several terminal branches directed to upper limb muscles. Moreover, afferent information coming from different cutaneous regions in upper limb are sorted in different spinal nerves through the brachial plexus.

The Microenvironment of Decellularized Extracellular Matrix from Heart Failure Myocardium Alters the Balance between Angiogenic and Fibrotic Signals from Stromal Primitive Cells.

Cardiac adverse remodeling is characterized by biological changes that affect the composition and architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The consequently disrupted signaling can interfere with the balance between cardiogenic and pro-fibrotic phenotype of resident cardiac stromal primitive cells (CPCs). The latter are important players in cardiac homeostasis and can be exploited as therapeutic cells in regenerative medicine.

A low-cost scalable 3D-printed sample-holder for agitation-based decellularization of biological tissues.

Decellularized extracellular matrix is one of the most promising biological scaffold supporting in vitro tissue growth and in vivo tissue regeneration in both preclinical research and clinical practice. In case of thick tissues or even organs, conventional static decellularization methods based on chemical or enzymatic treatments are not effective in removing the native cellular material without affecting the extracellular matrix. To overcome this limitation, dynamic decellularization methods, mostly based on perfusion and agitation, have been proposed.

Compact and tunable stretch bioreactor advancing tissue engineering implementation. Application to engineered cardiac constructs.

Physical stimuli are crucial for the structural and functional maturation of tissues both in vivo and in vitro. In tissue engineering applications, bioreactors have become fundamental and effective tools for providing biomimetic culture conditions that recapitulate the native physical stimuli. In addition, bioreactors play a key role in assuring strict control, automation, and standardization in the production process of cell-based products for future clinical application.

Guidelines for Physical Activity-A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Their Application in the General Population. Have We Achieved Our Goal?

National and international healthcare organizations propose guidelines for physical activity worldwide, defining its characteristics. These guidelines' practical applications are difficult to estimate, since they are not fully followed. The aim of the present cross-sectional observational study was to assess awareness about guidelines for physical activity and to evaluate their practical applications in a sample of the Italian population.

Decellularized Human Dermal Matrix as a Biological Scaffold for Cardiac Repair and Regeneration.

The complex and highly organized environment in which cells reside consists primarily of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that delivers biological signals and physical stimuli to resident cells. In the native myocardium, the ECM contributes to both heart compliance and cardiomyocyte maturation and function. Thus, myocardium regeneration cannot be accomplished if cardiac ECM is not restored.

Effectiveness of Tai Chi on Balance Improvement in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Balance impairments are a relevant problem in patients with diabetes, and interventions to manage this issue represent a public health need. This study reviewed the literature about the effectiveness of Tai Chi on balance improvement in patients with type 2 diabetes. Springerlink, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were screened.

Isolation of Adult Human Dermal Fibroblasts from Abdominal Skin and Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Non-Integrating Method.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be considered, to date, a promising source of pluripotent cells for the management of currently untreatable diseases, for the reconstitution and regeneration of injured tissues and for the development of new drugs. Despite all the advantages related to the use of iPSCs, such as the low risk of rejection, the lessened ethical issues, and the possibility to obtain them from both young and old patients without any difference in their reprogramming potential, problems to overcome are still numerous. In fact, cell reprogramming conducted with viral and integrating viruses can cause infections and the introduction of required genes can induce a genomic instability of the recipient cell, impairing their use in clinic.

Tendinopathy: Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Options, and Role of Nutraceutics. A Narrative Literature Review.

Tendinopathies are very common in general population and a huge number of tendon-related procedures take place annually worldwide, with significant socio-economic repercussions. Numerous treatment options are commonly used for tendon disorders. Besides pharmacological and physical therapy, nutrition could represent an additional tool for preventing and treating this complex pathology that deserve a multidisciplinary approach.

Diversity of dermal fibroblasts as major determinant of variability in cell reprogramming.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult somatic cells genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Notwithstanding their autologous origin and their potential to differentiate towards cells of all three germ layers, iPSC reprogramming is still affected by low efficiency. As dermal fibroblast is the most used human cell for reprogramming, we hypothesize that the variability in reprogramming is, at least partially, because of the skin fibroblasts used.

Surface functionalization of polyurethane scaffolds mimicking the myocardial microenvironment to support cardiac primitive cells.

Scaffolds populated with human cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) represent a therapeutic opportunity for heart regeneration after myocardial infarction. In this work, square-grid scaffolds are prepared by melt-extrusion additive manufacturing from a polyurethane (PU), further subjected to plasma treatment for acrylic acid surface grafting/polymerization and finally grafted with laminin-1 (PU-LN1) or gelatin (PU-G) by carbodiimide chemistry. LN1 is a cardiac niche extracellular matrix component and plays a key role in heart formation during embryogenesis, while G is a low-cost cell-adhesion protein, here used as a control functionalizing molecule.

Optimization of Human Myocardium Decellularization Method for the Construction of Implantable Patches.

Cardiac tissue engineering by means of synthetic or natural scaffolds combined with stem/progenitor cells is emerging as the response to the unsatisfactory outcome of approaches based solely on the injection of cells. Parenchymal and supporting cells are surrounded, in vivo, by a specialized and tissue-specific microenvironment, consisting mainly of extracellular matrix (ECM) and soluble factors incorporated in the ECM. Since the naturally occurring ECM is the ideal platform for ensuring cell engraftment, survival, proliferation, and differentiation, the acellular native ECM appears by far the most promising and appealing substrate among all biomaterials tested so far.