Characterization of Mesenchymal and Neural Stem Cells Response to Bipolar Microsecond Electric Pulses Stimulation.

In the tissue regeneration field, stem cell transplantation represents a promising therapeutic strategy. To favor their implantation, proliferation and differentiation need to be controlled. Several studies have demonstrated that stem cell fate can be controlled by applying continuous electric field stimulation.

Enhancing cell motility via non-contact capacitively coupled electrostatic field.

Cellular motility is essential for making and maintaining multicellular organisms throughout their lifespan. Migrating cells can move either individually or collectively by a crawling movement that links the cytoskeletal activity to the adhesion surface. In vitro stimulation by electric fields can be achieved by direct, capacitive or inductive coupled setups.

Efficacy and safety of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors in patients with chronic kidney disease: meta-analysis of phase 3 randomized controlled trials.

Background: Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) are new therapeutic agents for anaemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We evaluated by meta-analysis and meta-regression the efficacy and safety of HIF-PHIs in patients with CKD-related anaemia.

Methods: We selected phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing HIF-PHIs and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in dialysis and non-dialysis patients.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Studies of a Ribbon Coil for Trans Spinal Magnetic Stimulation (TSMS) in Rats.

We propose a non-invasive Trans Spinal Magnetic Stimulation (TSMS) coil allowing for focal stimulation. The device is based on a new figure-8 ribbon design, ensuring low R0, and low heating. The two coils were designed and studied using the finite element method (FEM) coupled with NEURON and tested for efficacy on rats.

Secular Trend in GFR Decline in Non-Dialysis CKD Based on Observational Data From Standard of Care Arms of Trials.

Rationale & Objective: The standard of care (SoC) group of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is a useful setting to explore the secular trends in kidney disease progression because implementation of best clinical practices is pursued for all patients enrolled in trials. This meta-analysis evaluated the secular trend in the change of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline in the SoC arm of RCTs in chronic kidney disease (CKD) published in the last 30 years.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the SoC arms of RCTs analyzed as an observational study.

Electric field bridging-effect in electrified microfibrils' scaffolds.

The use of biocompatible scaffolds combined with the implantation of neural stem cells, is increasingly being investigated to promote the regeneration of damaged neural tissue, for instance, after a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). In particular, aligned Polylactic Acid (PLA) microfibrils' scaffolds are capable of supporting cells, promoting their survival and guiding their differentiation in neural lineage to repair the lesion. Despite its biocompatible nature, PLA is an electrically insulating material and thus it could be detrimental for increasingly common scaffolds' electric functionalization, aimed at accelerating the cellular processes.

Astrocyte Responses Influence Local Effects of Whole-Brain Magnetic Stimulation in Parkinsonian Rats.

Background: Excessive glutamatergic transmission in the striatum is implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD) progression. Astrocytes maintain glutamate homeostasis, protecting from excitotoxicity through the glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST), whose alterations have been reported in PD. Noninvasive brain stimulation using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) acts on striatal neurons and glia, inducing neuromodulatory effects and functional recovery in experimental parkinsonism.

Participants Characteristics of a Park-Based Physical Activity Intervention in an Urban Context-A Cross-Sectional Study in Bologna, Italy.

Physical inactivity, a leading risk factor for chronic diseases and premature death, is prevalent worldwide. This study focuses on participant profiles and factors influencing continued participation and physical activity (PA) levels in the "Moving Parks" PA intervention in Bologna, Italy. This intervention offers free group activities in city parks during the summer.

Assessment of pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability following twice-daily administration of molnupiravir for 10 days in healthy participants.

Molnupiravir is an orally administered, small-molecule ribonucleoside prodrug of β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) that has demonstrated potent, broad-spectrum preclinical activity against RNA viruses and has a high barrier to the development of resistance. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase I trial was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PKs), safety, and tolerability of 10.5-day administration of multiple doses of molnupiravir and its metabolites in healthy, adult participants.

Sustained Recovery of Kidney Function in Patients with ESKD under Chronic Dialysis Treatment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The prevalence of recovery of kidney function (RKF) in patients under maintenance dialysis is poorly defined mainly because of different definitions of RKF. Therefore, to gain more insights into the epidemiology of RKF, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies addressing the prevalence of sustained (at least for 30 days) RKF in patients under maintenance dialysis. Acute kidney injury (AKI) and RKF in the first 90 days of dialysis were the main exclusion criteria.

Arginine limitation causes a directed DNA sequence evolution response in colorectal cancer cells.

Utilization of specific codons varies significantly across organisms. Cancer represents a model for understanding DNA sequence evolution and could reveal causal factors underlying codon evolution. We found that across human cancer, arginine codons are frequently mutated to other codons.

Arginine limitation drives a directed codon-dependent DNA sequence evolution response in colorectal cancer cells.

Utilization of specific codons varies between organisms. Cancer represents a model for understanding DNA sequence evolution and could reveal causal factors underlying codon evolution. We found that across human cancer, arginine codons are frequently mutated to other codons.

A study of flex miniaturized coils for focal nerve magnetic stimulation.

Background: Peripheral magnetic stimulation (PMS) is emerging as a complement to standard electrical stimulation (ES) of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). PMS may stimulate sensory and motor nerve fibers without the discomfort associated with the ES used for standard nerve conduction studies. The PMS coils are the same ones used in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and lack focality and selectiveness in the stimulation.

Changes in hydration of liposome membranes exposed to nanosecond electric pulses detected by wide-field Coherent anti-Stokes Raman microspectroscopy.

Electropulsation has become a powerful technological platform for electromanipulation of cells and tissues for various medical and biotechnological applications, but the molecular changes that underlay the very first initiation step of this process have not been experimentally observed. Here, we endowed a wide-field Coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering platform with an ad-hoc electromagnetic exposure device and we demonstrated, using artificial lipid vesicles (i.e.

Dipping Status, Ambulatory Blood Pressure Control, Cardiovascular Disease, and Kidney Disease Progression: A Multicenter Cohort Study of CKD.

Rationale & Objective: Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring allows concurrent evaluation of BP control and nocturnal BP dipping status, both related to adverse outcomes. However, few studies have assessed the prognostic role of combining information on dipping status and achieved ambulatory BP in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study.

New-onset anemia and associated risk of ESKD and death in non-dialysis CKD patients: a multicohort observational study.

Background: Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its incidence in nephrology settings is poorly investigated. Similarly, the risks of adverse outcomes associated with new-onset anemia are not known.

Methods: We performed a pooled analysis of three observational cohort studies including 1031 non-anemic CKD patients with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.

Effect of a Park-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Psychological Wellbeing at the Time of COVID-19.

Practicing regular physical activity in green spaces has been invocated as a promising strategy for improving wellbeing in urban settings. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a structured park-based physical activity intervention, the “Moving Parks” project, on citizens’ wellbeing at the time of COVID-19. The intervention was carried out in six public parks in Bologna (Italy) and administered by qualified instructors (from May 2021 to September 2021).

Leucyl-tRNA synthetase is a tumour suppressor in breast cancer and regulates codon-dependent translation dynamics.

Tumourigenesis and cancer progression require enhanced global protein translation. Such enhanced translation is caused by oncogenic and tumour-suppressive events that drive the synthesis and activity of translational machinery. Here we report the surprising observation that leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LARS) becomes repressed during mammary cell transformation and in human breast cancer.

Systematic numerical assessment of occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields of transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Purpose: This study aims to perform a classification and rigorous numerical evaluation of the risks of occupational exposure in the health environment related to the administration of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment. The study investigates the numerically estimated induced electric field that occurs in the human tissues of an operator caused by exposure to the variable magnetic field produced by TMS during treatments. This could be a useful starting point for future risk assessment studies and safety indications in this context.

Numerical Evaluation of Human Body Near Field Exposure to a Vehicular Antenna for Military Applications.

Background: The use of electromagnetic (EM) technologies for military applications is gaining increasing interest to satisfy different operational needs, such as improving battlefield communications or jamming counterpart's signals. This is achieved by the use of high-power EM waves in several frequency bands (e.g.

Electric-driven membrane poration: A rationale for water role in the kinetics of pore formation.

Electroporation is a well-established technique used to stimulate cells, enhancing membrane permeability by inducing reversible membrane pores. In the absence of experimental observation of the dynamics of pore creation, molecular dynamics studies provide the molecular-level evidence that the electric field promotes pore formation. Although single steps in the pore formation process are well assessed, a kinetic model representing the mathematical description of the electroporation process, is lacking.