The aim of the study is to compare improvement outcomes in patients (aged between 8 and 18 years old) with idiopathic scoliosis treated with a traditional technique with those treated with an innovative method. The study included 17 participants allocated into two groups: experimental (n = 8) and control (n = 9) groups. The first group was treated with a new method with PosturalSpine® D'Amanti method, twice a week for 30 min per session while the second group was treated with kinesitherapy and traditional tools three times week for 45 min per session.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by a type 2 pattern of inflammation. Mepolizumab was approved for the treatment of CRSwNP in 2021. However, there is a lack of real-life studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUsing the framework of an investigation of the stimuli-responsive behavior of peptide assembly on a solid surface, this study on the behavior of a chemisorbed peptide on a gold surface was performed. The studied peptide is a dimeric form of the antimicrobial peptide Trichogin GAIV, which was also modified by substituting the glycine with lysine residues, while the N-terminus octanoyl group was replaced by a lipoic one that was able to bind to the gold surface. In this way, a chemically linked peptide assembly that is pH-responsive was obtained because of the protonation/deprotonation of the sidechains of the Lys residues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Paravertebral block (PVB) is effective in controlling postoperative pain after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy but is subject to a high rate of failure because of incorrect site of injection. We compared methylene blue PVB with thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) for postoperative pain after VATS lobectomy.
Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized trial of patients undergoing VATS lobectomy; 120 patients were randomly assigned to the PVB or TEA group.
Anatomical variation of the pulmonary vessels poses challenges to thoracoscopic lung resection and may be associated with an increased risk of intraoperative bleeding and damage to pulmonary circulation. Herein, we reported a rare and dangerous variation as the partial anomalous venous drainage of the right upper lobe into the superior vena cava in a patient undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for management of lung cancer of right upper lobe. The preoperative identification of such variation by 3D computed tomography scan allowed to plan a safe and accurate resection, and to prepare additional strategies for overcome unexpected intraoperative bleeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/objectives: We aimed to establish biatrial and biventricular reference ranges using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters in SCD patients without heart damage.
Methods: This study compared CMR parameters, quantified by cine SSFP sequences, in 48 adult SCD patients without apparent cardiac involvement (defined by the absence of known risk factors, normal electrocardiogram, and no macroscopic myocardial fibrosis or significant cardiac iron on T2* CMR) to matched cohorts of 96 healthy controls and 96 thalassemia major (TM) patients without cardiac damage. Nine paediatric SCD patients were also analysed and compared to age- and gender-matched groups of nine TM patients and nine healthy subjects.
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has underscored the critical need to enhance the ONE HEALTH approach which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. In this review we report on various animal species that were infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus during the pandemic with the aim to contribute to the One Health approach. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the devastating consequences of zoonotic diseases such as COVID19 and has reiterated the critical role that the health of wildlife, domestic animals, and the environment plays in human health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, the demand for orthopedic implants has surged due to increased life expectancy, necessitating the need for materials that better mimic the biomechanical properties of human bone. Traditional metal implants, despite their mechanical superiority and biocompatibility, often face challenges such as mismatched elastic modulus and ion release, leading to complications and implant failures. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a semi-crystalline polymer with an aromatic backbone, presents a promising alternative due to its adjustable elastic modulus and compatibility with bone tissue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe integration of organic electronic materials with biological systems to monitor, interface with, and regulate physiological processes is a key area in the field of bioelectronics. Central to this advancement is the development of cell-chip coupling, where materials engineering plays a critical role in enhancing biointerfacing capabilities. Conductive polymers have proven particularly useful in cell interfacing applications due to their favorable biophysical and chemical properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMega scientific conferences increasingly suffer from the need for short and poster presentations without discussion. An alternative is to organize workshops in hotels large enough to accommodate all participants. This significantly increases the opportunities for constructive discussion during breakfasts, lunches, dinners and long evenings that can bring together experts of scientific and clinical sub-specialties and young fellows.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lung cancer is a pathology with an important incidence. It is a multifactorial disease characterized by epigenetic and nutritional factors. Indeed, there is a strong association between adipose tissue and the pulmonary system, and low-grade inflammation of obese and/or overweight subjects have a pivotal role in lung cancer establishment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the great number of experimental investigations in the area of psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology showing that endocrine, nervous, and immune systems cannot be in vivo physiologically separated, the diagnosis and therapies of the pathologies of these three functional biological systems continue to be separately performed from a clinical practice point of view. The separation between experimental and clinical medicine became dramatic after the discovery of more than 10 human molecules provided by anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity, completely devoid of any toxicity, which may be subdivided into three fundamental classes, consisting of the pineal indole, beta-carboline, and methoxy-kynuramine hormones. Moreover, human systemic diseases, including cancer, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular pathologies, despite their different pathogenesis and symptomatology, are commonly characterized by a progressive decline in the endogenous production of pineal hormones, endocannabinoids, and Ang 1-7, with a consequent inflammatory status and diminished natural resistance against cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with severe respiratory distress due to postpneumonectomy neoplastic central airway obstruction. An emergency recanalization with rigid bronchoscopy (RB) was planned. Controlled and jet ventilation are routinely used to assure ventilation during RB, but the risk of inadequate oxygenation and removal of carbon dioxide was prohibitively high in this case due to the presence of a single lung.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNowadays, Thoracic Surgery is technologically advanced; therefore, it also focuses its attention on nursing care. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of the assessment of a dedicated team of nurses (DTN) in all onco-hematological patients undergoing VATS lobectomy for lung cancer on the outcome of the patient, preventing pressure injuries, reducing perioperative stress, duration of operations, complications, and hospital stay times. We performed a single-center observational retrospective study, including 31 DTN and 760 onco-hematological patients who underwent thoracic surgery between 30 October 2018 and 30 June 2023 at "Vanvitelli" University of Naples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMilk and its derivatives are included in a balanced diet of humans as excellent sources of proteins, vitamins, and essential minerals that are functional nutrients. Knowledge about the nutritional benefits or harms due to milk consumption has been expanding in recent years. We previously explored, in rodent models, the metabolic effects of isoenergetic intake of milk derived from cows, donkeys, or humans, while the impact of goat's milk intake has remained unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPracticing physical activities or sports that involve frequent jumping and landing can strain the muscles and joints of the lower limbs, especially in those who do not have adequate physical preparation. The objective of this study was to (a) determine the correlation between ankle range of motion (ROM) and landing stability following jumps; (b) assess the association between the jump height in a counter-movement jump (CMJ) test and ankle ROM; and (c) examine the connection between stabilometry during specific jumps movements present in many sports and in ankle stabilization. Sixty-two healthy amateur volleyball players participated in the study (age: thirty-seven females and twenty-five males; age (years): 16.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to examine the effect of a training program utilizing action perception technology (PAD) tools on improving the motor reaction times and neuromuscular capabilities of the upper and lower limbs compared to a traditional training program. Twenty-four female volleyball players competing in the Italian national championship were randomized into two groups of 12 athletes each: an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). A preliminary analysis confirmed the absence of significant differences in age and anthropometric characteristics between the groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Thrombocytosis is a clinical condition generally associated with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. Thrombocytosis may be present after lung cancer resection, but the clinical significance of thrombocytosis remains unclear. Herein, we evaluated whether postoperative thrombocytosis was a negative prognostic factor in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF