Quantitative assessment of intervertebral disc glycosaminoglycan distribution by gadolinium-enhanced MRI in orthopedic patients.

Our hypothesis was that the enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) imaging protocol could be used in patients to quantify the sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) in intervertebral discs (IVD). To test this hypothesis, 23 patients with degenerative disc pathology scheduled for surgery were studied by a specific dGEMRIC protocol: each patient underwent two MRI scans, before and 3.5 hr after Gd(DTPA)2-injection of a nonconventional dose of 40 mL.

Biomechanics of the lumbar spine after dynamic stabilization.

Target of the study was to predict the biomechanics of the instrumented and adjacent levels due to the insertion of the DIAM spinal stabilization system (Medtronic Ltd). For this purpose, a 3-dimensional finite element model of the intact L3/S1 segment was developed and subjected to different loading conditions (flexion, extension, lateral bending, axial rotation). The model was then instrumented at the L4/L5 level and the same loading conditions were reapplied.

Bi-directional distraction in the treatment of micro-orbitism: a case report.

Introduction: Correction of micro-orbitism, resulting from clinical or congenital anophthalmia, has traditionally been performed by multiple segmentation of the orbital rim, orbital expanders and orbital conformers. Although distraction osteogenesis is a widely employed surgical approach in the treatment of patients with bony malformations, it has not been employed to enlarge micro-orbits.

Material And Methods: The present article describes the development of a new bi-directional orbital distractor to treat a 17-year-old patient affected by micro-orbitism, caused by clinical anophthalmia.

Computational modeling of combined cell population dynamics and oxygen transport in engineered tissue subject to interstitial perfusion.

This work presents a computational model of tissue growth under interstitial perfusion inside a tissue engineering bioreactor. The model accounts both for the cell population dynamics, using a model based on cellular automata, and for the hydrodynamic microenvironment imposed by the bioreactor, using a model based on the Lattice-Boltzmann equation and the convection-diffusion equation. The conditions of static culture versus perfused culture were compared, by including the population dynamics along with oxygen diffusion, convective transport and consumption.

Application of valence-bond techniques to the study of weakly bound complexes. The potential energy surface of the Ne-CH(4) system.

We present a comprehensive survey of the Molecular Orbital-Valence Bond (MO-VB) method, a theoretical scheme developed within the framework of the Valence Bond theory to deal with weakly bound intermolecular complexes. According to the MO-VB, the wavefunction of the system is expressed as a truncated non-orthogonal Configuration Interaction expansion, which is size extensive and a priori free of basis set superposition error. We report on the recent developments of the method, which extend the range of application of the MO-VB to intermolecular complexes with a quite large number of correlated electrons, showing that VB-based methods are nowadays a valid alternative to Molecular Orbital approaches also in this field.

Engineered tissue as a model to study cell and tissue function from a biophysical perspective.

Cells, tissues and organs function in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Ideally, cell-based models that capture both the 3D organization and multi-cellular complexity of the native system provide the most powerful tools for screening the effects of therapeutic candidates. This approach to drug discovery bridges tissue engineers, who are constructing 3D tissues, with biologists, who are studying healthy versus diseased states and to pharmacologists, who are developing screening assays.

Adjuvant diet to improve hormonal and metabolic factors affecting breast cancer prognosis.

Western lifestyle, characterized by reduced physical activity and a diet rich in fat, refined carbohydrates, and animal protein is associated with high prevalence of overweight, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and high plasma levels of several growth factors and sex hormones. Most of these factors are associated with breast cancer risk and, in breast cancer patients, with increased risk of recurrences. Recent trials have proven that such a metabolic and endocrine imbalance can be favorably modified through comprehensive dietary modification, shifting from Western to Mediterranean and macrobiotic diet.

[Determinants of depression in 111 Italian patients with systemic sclerosis].

Background: A high prevalence of depressive symptoms has been described in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but no clear association with organ involvement or objective indices of disease severity has been depicted. To date, no effort has been made to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Italian patients with SSc or to clarify their cause.

Methods: One-hundred-eleven SSc patients were asked to fill in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire, the scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (sHAQ) and two additional questions assessing the patient's familiar support and the social consequences of the patient's change in physical appearnace.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new bromine-rich pyrrole derivatives related to monodeoxypyoluteorin.

The synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new pyrrole derivatives structurally related to monodeoxypyoluteorin are described. The insertion of a keto or methylene spacer between the phenol group and the pyrroloyl moiety of brominated 2-(2'-hydroxybenzoyl)pyrroles leads to a decrease of the antibacterial activity.

Cell-based biosensors: current trends of the development.

In the last decade, a number of laboratories have developed devices that combine electronic components with living cells, including neurons. These devices can be used as cell-based biosensors or labs-on-a-chip for testing of the tumor cell sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs, detection of toxins and chemical substances and pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs. Here we review briefly the existing types of the cell-based biosensors and the strategies employed to improve these complex devices.

The effect of hydrodynamic shear on 3D engineered chondrocyte systems subject to direct perfusion.

Bioreactors allowing direct-perfusion of culture medium through tissue-engineered constructs may overcome diffusion limitations associated with static culturing, and may provide flow-mediated mechanical stimuli. The hydrodynamic stress imposed on cells within scaffolds is directly dependent on scaffold microstructure and on bioreactor configuration. Aim of this study is to investigate optimal shear stress ranges and to quantitatively predict the levels of hydrodynamic shear imposed to cells during the experiments.

Prospective performance evaluation of emergency medical services for cardiac arrest in Lombardia: is something moving forward?

Background: Limited data are available in our region on out-of-hospital treatment of cardiac arrest. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the changes implemented in the emergency system (i.e.

[Carpal tunnel syndrome among cashiers in commercial businesses].

The Check-out assistants represent a working sector at risk of Work Related Musculo Skeletal Disorders (WMSDs). The aim of our study is to evaluate carpal tunnel syndrome's incidence in check out assistants. Our search was carried out on a sample of 695 female check-out assistants,after a specific risk's valutazion witch "chec-list application", during health surveillance.

Multibody modeling of the cervical spine in the simulation of flexion-extension after disc arthroplasty.

This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) multibody model of the cervical spine implanted with an artificial disc. The model was used to predict prosthesis placement influence on the resulting cervical kinematics in a series of patients. The vertebral tract modeled was the C2-C7, and the vertebral geometries were reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) images.

Oral cyclophosphamide improves pulmonary function in scleroderma patients with fibrosing alveolitis: experience in one centre.

Lung involvement constitutes nowadays the major cause of morbidity and mortality in scleroderma patients. Pulmonary fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is thought to be the consequence of interstitial inflammation. Early diagnosis and treatment of active alveolitis is essential to prevent the deterioration of pulmonary function, improving outcome in SSc patients.

Loss in mechanical contact of cementless acetabular prostheses due to post-operative weight bearing: a biomechanical model.

The primary stability of cementless acetabular components is a prerequisite for their clinical success. The target of the present study was to analyse possible effects of post-operative joint loading on the initial mechanical stability of a press-fitted acetabular prosthesis. For this purpose, a three-dimensional finite element model of the pelvic bone with acetabular reconstruction was set-up.

Biomechanical analysis of cages for posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

Interbody fusions using intervertebral cages have become increasingly common in spinal surgery. Computational simulations were conducted in order to compare different cage designs in terms of their biomechanical interaction with the spinal structures. Differences in cage design and surgical technique may significantly affect the biomechanics of the fused spine segment, but little knowledge is available on this topic.

Biomechanics of the C5-C6 spinal unit before and after placement of a disc prosthesis.

The study consists of a biomechanical comparison between the intact C5-C6 spinal segment and the same segment implanted with the Bryan artificial disc prosthesis (Medtronic Ltd., Memphis, TN, USA), by the use of the finite element (FE) method. Our target is the prediction of the influence of prosthesis placement on the resulting mechanics of the C5-C6 spine unit.

The electronic structure of nitrilimine: absence of the carbenic form.

The electronic structure of nitrilimine HCNNH is shown to essentially be propargylic by CASSCF and Spin-Coupled (modern VB) calculations; in contrast to a recent claim, the carbenic resonance form is absent.

Prediction of the micro-fluid dynamic environment imposed to three-dimensional engineered cell systems in bioreactors.

Bioreactors allowing culture medium perfusion overcome diffusion limitations associated with static culturing and provide flow-mediated mechanical stimuli. The hydrodynamic stress imposed to cells will depend not only on the culture medium flow rate, but also on the scaffold three-dimensional (3D) micro-architecture. We developed a CFD model of the flow of culture medium through a 3D scaffold of homogeneous geometry, with the aim of predicting the shear stress acting on cells as a function of parameters that can be controlled during the scaffold fabrication process, such as the scaffold porosity and the pore size, and during the cell culture, such as the medium flow rate and the diameter of the perfused scaffold section.

Modeling evaluation of the fluid-dynamic microenvironment in tissue-engineered constructs: a micro-CT based model.

Natural cartilage remodels both in vivo and in vitro in response to mechanical stresses, hence mechanical stimulation is believed to be a potential tool to modulate extra-cellular matrix synthesis in tissue-engineered cartilage. Fluid-induced shear is known to enhance chondrogenesis in engineered cartilage constructs. The quantification of the hydrodynamic environment is a condition required to study the biochemical response to shear of 3D engineered cell systems.

Contact pressures at grafted cartilage lesions in the knee.

The use of tissue-engineered cellular constructs is currently under clinical evaluation for the surgical treatment of articular cartilage lesions in the knee. The primary failure mode in such cartilage repair techniques is related to fixation. In addition, the repair tissue is believed to be very fragile in the post-operative period, and unable to support the intra-articular loads.

Mitochondrial-DNA nucleotides G4298A and T10010C as pathogenic mutations: the confirmation in two new cases.

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies are highly variable clinically and at the genetic level. In practice, when the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of any mitochondrial-patient is sequenced, a very high number of variations are noted. The vast majority of these differences are simply polymorphisms, that is, non-pathologic, homoplasmic sequence variations; however, when a heteroplasmic variant is detected (co-existence of two different populations in the same tissue) this is clinically significant.