Assessment of the advantages and limitations of an innovative silk fibroin scaffold for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with preclinical in vitro and in vivo evaluations.

The gold standard treatment in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction involves autologous tissue transplantation, but this can have complications. Artificial grafts are an alternative, but the best option is debated. This study aimed to assess the biocompatibility and integration of a silk fibroin textile prosthesis (SF-TP) with peri-implant bone tissue and the native ACL.

International Latin American Survey on Pediatric Intestinal Failure Team.

There is little data on the experience of managing pediatric Intestinal Failure (IF) in Latin America. This study aimed to identify and describe the current organization and practices of the IF teams in Latin America and the Caribbean. An online survey was sent to inquire about the existence of IF teams that managed children on home parenteral nutrition (HPN).

In vitro cell delivery by gelatin microspheres prepared in water-in-oil emulsion.

The regeneration of injured or damaged tissues by cell delivery approaches requires the fabrication of cell carriers (e.g., microspheres, MS) that allow for cell delivery to limit cells spreading from the injection site.

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels with tunable composition as 3D cell culture systems.

Background: To date, cell cultures have been created either on 2-dimensional (2D) polystyrene surfaces or in 3-dimensional (3D) systems, which do not offer a controlled chemical composition, and which lack the soft environment encountered in vivo and the chemical stimuli that promote cell proliferation and allow complex cellular behavior. In this study, pectin-based hydrogels were developed and are proposed as versatile cell culture systems.

Methods: Pectin-based hydrogels were produced by internally crosslinking pectin with calcium carbonate at different initial pH, aiming to control crosslinking kinetics and degree.

Polyurethane foam scaffold as in vitro model for breast cancer bone metastasis.

Unlabelled: Breast cancer (BC) represents the most incident cancer case in women (29%), with high mortality rate. Bone metastasis occurs in 20-50% cases and, despite advances in BC research, the interactions between tumor cells and the metastatic microenvironment are still poorly understood. In vitro 3D models gained great interest in cancer research, thanks to the reproducibility, the 3D spatial cues and associated low costs, compared to in vivo and 2D in vitro models.

Poly-paper: a sustainable material for packaging, based on recycled paper and recyclable with paper.

Background: Until now, environmental sustainability issues are almost entirely unsolved for packaging materials. With the final aim of finding materials with a single recycling channel, cellulose fiber/poly(vinyl)alcohol composites were investigated.

Methods: After extrusion and injection molding, samples of composite with different cellulose fiber content (30%, 50% and 70% w/w) were tested.

Novel class of collector in electrospinning device for the fabrication of 3D nanofibrous structure for large defect load-bearing tissue engineering application.

Adequate porosity, appropriate pore size, and 3D-thick shape are crucial parameters in the design of scaffolds, as they should provide the right space for cell adhesion, spreading, migration, and growth. In this work, a novel design for fabricating a 3D nanostructured scaffold by electrospinning was taken into account. Helical spring-shaped collector was purposely designed and used for electrospinning PCL fibers.

Pharmacokinetics of prolonged-release tacrolimus and implications for use in solid organ transplant recipients.

Prolonged-release tacrolimus was developed as a once-daily formulation with ethylcellulose as the excipient, resulting in slower release and reduction in peak concentration (Cmax ) for a given dose compared with immediate-release tacrolimus, which is administered twice daily. This manuscript reviews pharmacokinetic information on prolonged-release tacrolimus in healthy subjects, in transplant recipients converted from immediate-release tacrolimus, and in de novo kidney and liver transplant recipients. As with the immediate-release formulation, prolonged-release tacrolimus shows a strong correlation between trough concentration (Cmin ) and area under the 24-hour time-concentration curve (AUC24 ), indicating that trough whole blood concentrations provide an accurate measure of drug exposure.

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During the last twenty years Eosinophilic Esophagitis has become one the most important causes of esophageal disfunction in children, food impactation in adolescents and young adults, therapeutic failure in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the most frecuent eosinophilic disease of the gastrointestinal tract. We present recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease based in a systematic review of the literature.

Prevention of healthcare-associated infections: knowledge among dental students in seven Italian universities.

Background: Lack of knowledge is the major reason for non-compliance with correct healthcare-associated infections (HAI) prevention procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge of the Dental School (DSS) and Dental Hygiene (DHS) students with regard to the prevention of HAI, as basic knowledge for improving and harmonizing the educational content in the different Italian Universities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an anonymous questionnaire that was completed by DSS (I, II, III, IV, and V year) in seven Universities and DHS (I, II, and III year) in three Universities.

Small diameter electrospun silk fibroin vascular grafts: Mechanical properties, in vitro biodegradability, and in vivo biocompatibility.

To overcome the drawbacks of autologous grafts currently used in clinical practice, vascular tissue engineering represents an alternative approach for the replacement of small diameter blood vessels. In the present work, the production and characterization of small diameter tubular matrices (inner diameter (ID)=4.5 and 1.

Exploiting novel sterilization techniques for porous polyurethane scaffolds.

Porous polyurethane (PU) structures raise increasing interest as scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. Understanding the effects of sterilization on their properties is mandatory to assess their potential use in the clinical practice. The aim of this work is the evaluation of the effects of two innovative sterilization techniques (i.

Nano/micro hybrid scaffold of PCL or P3HB nanofibers combined with silk fibroin for tendon and ligament tissue engineering.

A novel biodegradable nano/micro hybrid structure was obtained by electrospinning P3HB or PCL nanofibers onto a twisted silk fibroin (SF) structure, with the aim of fabricating a suitable scaffold for tendon and ligament tissue engineering. The electrospinning (ES) processing parameters for P3HB and PCL were optimized on 2D samples, and applied to produce two different nano/micro hybrid constructs (SF/ES-PCL and SF/ES-P3HB).Morphological, chemico-physical and mechanical properties of the novel hybrid scaffolds were evaluated by SEM, ATR FT-IR, DSC, tensile and thermodynamic mechanical tests.

Reactive hydroxyapatite fillers for pectin biocomposites.

In this work, a novel injectable biocomposite hydrogel is produced by internal gelation, using pectin as organic matrix and hydroxyapatite either as crosslinking agent and inorganic reinforcement. Tunable gelling kinetics and rheological properties are obtained varying the hydrogels' composition, with the final aim of developing systems for cell immobilization. The reversibility by dissolution of pectin-hydroxyapatite hydrogels is achieved with saline solutions, to possibly accelerate the release of the cells or active agents immobilized.

Injectable pectin hydrogels produced by internal gelation: pH dependence of gelling and rheological properties.

The production of injectable pectin hydrogels by internal gelation with calcium carbonate is proposed. The pH of pectin was increased with NaOH or NaHCO3 to reach physiological values. The determination of the equivalence point provided evidence that the pH can be more precisely modulated with NaHCO3 than with NaOH.

In vitro study on silk fibroin textile structure for anterior cruciate ligament regeneration.

A novel hierarchical textile structure made of silk fibroin from Bombyx mori capable of matching the mechanical performance requirements of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and in vitro cell ingrowth is described. This sericin-free, Silk Fibroin Knitted Sheath with Braided Core (SF-KSBC) structure was fabricated using available textile technologies. Micro-CT analysis confirmed that the core was highly porous and had a higher degree of interconnectivity than that observed for the sheath.

In vivo regeneration of elastic lamina on fibroin biodegradable vascular scaffold.

Purpose: There is an increasing need for vascular grafts in the field of surgical revascularization. Artificial grafts offer alternative strategies to autologous tissue, however, small caliber (diameter <6 mm) 
vascular prosthesis are associated with a high incidence of thrombosis and early failure. Despite promising results, vascular tissue engineering is not yet a clinical reality due to the complexity of this approach.

Collagen-reinforced electrospun silk fibroin tubular construct as small calibre vascular graft.

None of the replacements proposed in the literature for small-calibre blood vessels (SCBV) fully satisfies the stringent requirements that these grafts have to fulfil. Here, an electrospun silk fibroin tubular construct is hybridized with type I collagen gel to produce a biomimetic SCBV graft with physiologically relevant compliance and burst pressure and optimal cytocompatibility. The hybridization of the two polymers results in the formation of a nanofibrillar hydrated matrix, where the collagen gel enhances the mechanical properties of the SF tubular construct and improves the early response of the material to in vitro cell adhesion and proliferation.

Preparation and characterization of shape memory polymer scaffolds via solvent casting/particulate leaching.

Purpose: Porous Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) are ideal candidates for the fabrication of defect fillers, able to support tissue regeneration via minimally invasive approaches. In this regard, control of pore size, shape and interconnection is required to achieve adequate nutrient transport and cell ingrowth. Here, we assessed the feasibility of the preparation of SMP porous structures and characterized their chemico-physical properties and in vitro cell response.

New perspectives in cell delivery systems for tissue regeneration: natural-derived injectable hydrogels.

Natural polymers, because of their biocompatibility, availability, and physico-chemical properties have been the materials of choice for the fabrication of injectable hydrogels for regenerative medicine. In particular, they are appealing materials for delivery systems and provide sustained and controlled release of drugs, proteins, gene, cells, and other active biomolecules immobilized.In this work, the use of hydrogels obtained from natural source polymers as cell delivery systems is discussed.

Vaccination status and prevalence of enteric viruses in internationally adopted children. The case of Parma, Italy.

On age basis, internationally adopted children may have begun or fully completed all required vaccinations, but official documentation from original Countries is frequently insufficient. Aims of this study were to evaluate the seroprotection rate for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis and tetanus according to immunization cards in 67 children recently adopted and to test the prevalence of enterovirus on faecal specimens. Seroprotection and vaccination status were frequently inconsistent and these results confirm that immunitary surveillance is a cornerstone for the prevention of diseases for which a vaccination is available.

Effects of the magnetic resonance field on breast tissue expanders.

Background: Tissue expansion for breast reconstruction after mastectomy is a safe and effective procedure. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be requested for patients with a breast expander to evaluate concurrent diseases. The electromagnetic field of the MR can interfere with biomedical devices, resulting in potential hazards, compromising the diagnosis, or creation of artifacts.

Use of topical tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid to prevent bleeding after major surgical procedures.

Objective: To evaluate the literature describing topical use of tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid for prevention of postoperative bleeding after major surgical procedures.

Data Sources: Literature was retrieved through MEDLINE (1946-September 2011) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-September 2011) using the terms tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid, antifibrinolytic, topical, and surgical. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed.