Advancing titanium dioxide coated photocatalytic depolluting surfaces: Leveraging ASINA's roadmap for safer and sustainable solutions.

This report, the second of its kind from ASINA project, aims at providing a roadmap with quantitative metrics for Safe(r) and (more) Sustainable by Design (SSbD) solutions for titanium dioxide (TiO) nanomaterials (NMs). We begin with a brief description of ASINA's methodology across the product lifecycle, highlighting the quantitative elements, such as the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). We then propose a decision support tool for implementing SSbD objectives across various dimensions-functionality, cost, environment, and human health safety.

Efficacy of Tildrakizumab for the Treatment of Difficult-to-Treat Areas: Scalp, Nail, Palmoplantar and Genital Psoriasis.

Tildrakizumab, an IL-23 inhibitor, is effective and safe for the improvement of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis. However, little evidence is available on the use of this biologic in psoriasis in difficult-to-treat locations. In this retrospective analysis, we treated patients with 100 mg tildrakizumab at Day 0, after 4 weeks and every 12 weeks thereafter.

Microwave-Assisted Vacuum Synthesis of TiO Nanocrystalline Powders in One-Pot, One-Step Procedure.

A new method for fast and simple synthesis of crystalline TiO nanoparticles with photocatalytic activity was developed by carrying out a classic sol-gel reaction directly under vacuum. The use of microwaves for fast heating of the reaction medium further reduces synthesis times. When the solvent is completely removed by vacuum, the product is obtained in the form of a powder that can be easily redispersed in water to yield a stable nanoparticle suspension, exhibiting a comparable photocatalytic activity with respect to a commercial product.

[Nutritional and Functional assessment of peritoneal dialysis patients in the clinical practice: Report from MITO-DP Group].

Nutritional abnormalities and physical inactivity are risk factors of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with ESRD. Identify and define malnutrition, in particular protein-energy depletion (PEW), is an important task in the management of renal patients. The aim of this multicenter observational study was to implement the assessment of nutritional status and functional capacity in patients on peritoneal dialysis, including tests and validated methods which are relatively easy to apply in daily clinical practice.

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Degenerative Disk Disease and Spondylolisthesis Grade I: Minimally Invasive Versus Open Surgery.

Background: Interbody fusion represents an efficient surgical treatment in degenerative lumbar disease, achieving satisfying outcome in >90% of cases. Various studies have affirmed the advantages of percutaneous and minimally invasive techniques with regard to minimized damage on soft tissues during surgical procedure, but their efficacy in comparison with the classic open surgical procedures has not yet been demonstrated.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study.

[Promoting the quality of health surveillance of workers exposed to wood dust, with particular care to NPSC, in the territory of the Health Agency of Florence].

Wood dust can cause occupational-related naso-sinusal cancer, characterized by a latency period of about 40 years. The Tuscany Cancer Registry estimates that cases of NPSC are from 20-25 per year into the Region (33% related to wood dust). These neoplasms are surgically treatable at early-stage and, for this reason, a rapid endoscopic diagnosis is considered to be reasonably useful for prognostic issues.

Complications incidence in the treatment of early onset scoliosis with growing spinal implants.

Early onset scoliosis (EOS) surgery based on growing spinal implants can lead to several complications. Aim of the study was to identify strategies to prevent those complications. A retrospective review was conducted to identify all pediatric patients affected by EOS surgically treated with growing rod or Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) at our division between 2006 and 2011.

Surgical treatment for scoliosis associated with rare disease.

This is a retrospective study of 11 patients, 7 females and 4 males, treated at Our Department for an early onset scoliosis (EOS) associated with rare syndromes with growing spinal implants (Growing Rod or VEPTR-like) from 2006 to 2011. Mean follow-up was 24 months (range, 12 to 36). The mean age at surgery was 7.

Surgical treatment of neuromuscular scoliosis: current techniques.

41 consecutive patients surgically treated at Our Department by posterior only instrumented fusion from January 1995 to January 2009 were reviewed. There were 20 females and 21 males with a mean age of 15.8 years (range, 10 to 38).

Thoracic pedicle subtraction osteotomy in the treatment of severe pediatric deformities.

The traditional surgical treatment of severe spinal deformities, both in adult and pediatric patients, consisted of a 360° approach. Posterior-based spinal osteotomy has recently been reported as a useful and safe technique in maximizing kyphosis and/or kyphoscoliosis correction. It obviates the deleterious effects of an anterior approach and can increase the magnitude of correction both in the coronal and sagittal plane.

The prevention of neural complications in the surgical treatment of scoliosis: the role of the neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring.

Iatrogenic spinal cord injury is the most feared complication of scoliosis surgery. The importance of combined somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and motor evoked potentials (MEP) monitoring during spine surgery is well known. The current authors retrospectively evaluated the results of neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring (IOM) in a large population of patients who underwent surgical treatment for spinal deformity.

Treatment of scoliosis in patients affected with Prader-Willi syndrome using various techniques.

Background: The incidence of spinal deformity in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is high, with 86% of these patients found to have a significant structural scoliosis; however, there are very few case reports describing surgical treatment for this deformity.

Methods: The authors reviewed a case series consisting of 6 patients who underwent spine surgery for scoliosis. Children's mean age at index surgery was 12 years and 10 months (range, 10 to 15 yrs).

Angiotensin receptor blocker telmisartan improves insulin sensitivity in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is common among patients on dialysis and is worse among patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) than among patients on hemodialysis. In this study we tested the hypothesis that administration of telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, might improve insulin sensitivity in patients on PD.

Method: This was a crossover study of 30 nondiabetic patients with end-stage renal disease being treated with PD.

Thoracoplasty in the surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

A consecutive series of 40 adolescents surgically treated between 1998-2001, by posterior spinal fusion and thoracoplasty were compared with a similar group of 40 adolescents treated in the same period by posterior only segmental fusion. Clinical and radiographic analysis was performed, including the SRS-30 questionnaire and Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT). Minimum five years follow-up was requested.

An innovative diagnostic procedure of vertebral deformities without exposure to X-rays.

The objective of the study was to compare standard manual X-ray measurements of vertebral deformities and values obtained from the Ortelius 800. 52 Patients (41 females and 11 males: mean age 20.35 years) with adolescent vertebral deformities, was studied.

Surgical treatment for scoliosis in Marfan syndrome.

Study Design: Review of results of patients with Marfan syndrome treated with instrumented posterior fusion alone for scoliosis.

Objective: To analyze the results of surgical treatment for scoliosis in Marfan syndrome.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have been reported in the literature on surgical treatment for scoliosis in Marfan syndrome, analyzing long-term results of posterior instrumented fusion.

Identification and characterization of functional angiotensin II receptors in human neuroblastoma cells.

The presence of specific AII receptors in 6 different human neuroblastoma cell lines was investigated using binding, cAMP and [Ca2+]i studies. We found high affinity (0.1 nM), low capacity ((1-2).

Antagonists for the human oxytocin receptor: an in vitro study.

The oxytocin antagonist [Mpa1, D-Tyr(Et)2, Thr4, Orn8]-oxytocin has been successfully used for treating premature labour. The interactions of this antagonist with neurohypophysialhormone receptors in the human myometrium were investigated. Competition curves among [3H]oxytocin, [3H]arginine vasopressin, [3H][1-(beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid)2-(O-methyl)-tyrosine, 8-arginine] vasopressin, the corresponding unlabelled peptides and a series of oxytocin antagonists including [Mpa1,D-Tyr(Et)2,Thr4,Orn8]-oxytocin were constructed from results taken from the myometrium of pregnant women and rabbits, and were analysed simultaneously using the computer program LIGAND.

Atrial natriuretic peptide and hemodynamic changes after concentrated ascitic fluid reinfusion in cirrhotic patients.

In order to assess the role, if any, of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and hemodynamic changes in diuretic response to concentrated ascitic fluid reinfusion (CAFR) in cirrhotic patients, we studied 10 patients with liver cirrhosis before and after aspiration, concentration and intravenous reinfusion of their ascitic fluid. Basal ANP levels were higher than in normal subjects, but not related to the degree of water and sodium excretion. CAFR induced a variable degree of ANP changes and diuretic response, and these two parameters were strictly correlated to each other.

Reduction of beta-endorphin levels in the amniotic fluid of heroin addicts.

Plasma levels of beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin in 18 heroin addicts were found to be similar to those in pregnant control subjects at all stages of gestation. In contrast, amniotic fluid levels of beta-endorphin were significantly lower in heroin abusers than in controls in both the first and second trimesters. Amniotic fluid levels of beta-lipotropin were reduced only in the second trimester.