The role of plasma-induced surface chemistry on polycaprolactone nanofibers to direct chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) are extensively being utilized for cartilage regeneration owing to their excellent differentiation potential and availability. However, controlled differentiation of BMSCs towards cartilaginous phenotypes to heal full-thickness cartilage defects remains challenging. This study investigates how different surface properties induced by either coating deposition or biomolecules immobilization onto nanofibers (NFs) could affect BMSCs chondro-inductive behavior.

Incorporation of strontium-containing bioactive particles into PEOT/PBT electrospun scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.

The combination of biomaterials and bioactive particles has shown to be a successful strategy to fabricate electrospun scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Among the range of bioactive particles, hydroxyapatite and mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) have been widely used for their osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Yet, the comparison between the chemical and mechanical characteristics as well as the biological performances of these particle-containing scaffolds have been characterized to a limited extent.

Incorporation of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles into Collagen Formulation for 3D Electrospun Scaffolds.

Nowadays, there is an ever-increasing interest in the development of systems able to guide and influence cell activities for bone regeneration. In this context, we have explored for the first time the combination of type-I collagen and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to design magnetic and biocompatible electrospun scaffolds. For this purpose, SPIONs with a size of 12 nm were obtained by thermal decomposition and transferred to an aqueous medium via ligand exchange with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA).

Biomimetic Scaffolds Obtained by Electrospinning of Collagen-Based Materials: Strategies to Hinder the Protein Denaturation.

The use of biomaterials and scaffolds to boost bone regeneration is increasingly gaining interest as a complementary method to the standard surgical and pharmacological treatments in case of severe injuries and pathological conditions. In this frame, the selection of biomaterials and the accurate assessment of the manufacturing procedures are considered key factors in the design of constructs able to resemble the features of the native tissue and effectively induce specific cell responses. Accordingly, composite scaffolds based on type-I-collagen can mimic the composition of bone extracellular matrix (ECM), while electrospinning technologies can be exploited to produce nanofibrous matrices to resemble its architectural organization.

Additive manufactured, highly resilient, elastic, and biodegradable poly(ester)urethane scaffolds with chondroinductive properties for cartilage tissue engineering.

Articular cartilage was thought to be one of the first tissues to be successfully engineered. Despite the avascular and non-innervated nature of the tissue, the cells within articular cartilage - chondrocytes - account for a complex phenotype that is difficult to be maintained in vitro. The use of bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) has emerged as a potential solution to this issue.

Bioprinting Vasculature: Materials, Cells and Emergent Techniques.

Despite the great advances that the tissue engineering field has experienced over the last two decades, the amount of in vitro engineered tissues that have reached a stage of clinical trial is limited. While many challenges are still to be overcome, the lack of vascularization represents a major milestone if tissues bigger than approximately 200 µm are to be transplanted. Cell survival and homeostasis is to a large extent conditioned by the oxygen and nutrient transport (as well as waste removal) by blood vessels on their proximity and spontaneous vascularization in vivo is a relatively slow process, leading all together to necrosis of implanted tissues.

Assessing executive function with the D-KEFS sorting test: normative data for a sample of the Italian adult population.

One of the major problems in clinical neuropsychology is to apply ecological, easily administrable and sensitive tests that can help in the diagnosis of executive functions. In the present paper we present normative values for the D-KEFS sorting test (ST), exploring the ability of reasoning, categorization abilities, problem solving, flexibility of thinking and abstraction. We collected normative data in a group of 181 normal Italian subjects aged between 20 and 69 years old, matched for educational level.

Antibodies to beta(2)-glycoprotein I in ischemic stroke.

Antibodies to beta(2)-glycoprotein (beta(2)-GPI) have been associated with recurrent thrombotic events in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The present study investigated the prevalence of antibodies to beta(2)-GPI in an unselected group of patients with ischemic stroke. One hundred and twenty-one sera from patients with ischemic stroke and 174 control sera from patients with nonischemic neurological disorders (n = 43) and healthy subjects (n = 131) were tested for antibodies to beta(2)-GPI by a solid-phase ELISA.

beta2-Glycoprotein I - dependent anticardiolipin antibodies in ischemic stroke.

Our study was undertaken to investigate whether beta2-glycoprotein I (GPI) is relevant for enhancing anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) binding in stroke patients, in particular view of vascular risk factors and recurrence of previous cerebral ischemic events. One-hundred and twenty-one sera from patients with ischemic stroke and 154 control sera from patients with non-ischemic neurological disorders (n = 43) and healthy subjects (n = 111) were included in the study. All sera were tested for either GPI-independent aCL and GPI-dependent aCL.

[Neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve caused by giant cell arteritis].

Mononeuritis multiplex involving median or common peroneal nerves, presumed to be caused by arteritis of the vasa nervorum, is a relatively rare complication of giant cell arteritis. We present two cases of popliteal neuritis complicating temporal arteritis during corticosteroid treatment.

[Multiple cerebral infarctions in Crohn's disease. Report of a case].

Cerebrovascular occlusions are rare but well-documented complications of Crohn's disease. We report the case of a young man with regional enteritis and a history of three ischemic strokes, two of them preceded the occurrence of the bowel disease.

[Multiple gangrenous lesions of the scalp in a case of cranial arteritis].

A case of a patient with headache, visual deficiency in his left eye quickly worsening up to blindness and ischemic necrosis in the scalp regions supplied by the superficial temporal arteries, is reported. This acute gangrene began as a bandlike ischemic lesion in the temporo-parietal regions of both sides, rapidly enlarged, and acquired bizarre irregular outlines. Laboratory investigations and particularly superficial temporal artery biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Horton's temporal arteritis, in accordance with the anamnestic and clinical data assessed at admission.

[Periodic Cheyne-Stokes respiration caused by increased circulation time. Report of 2 clinical cases].

Two patients with heart failure and Cheyne-Stokes breathing are presented. We have discussed the possible physiopathological mechanism of Cheyne-Stokes breathing and clinical, instrumental and laboratory data for a correct diagnostic evaluation.

[Polyneuropathy in lithium therapy].

We hereby report a case of manic depressive psychosis. The patient had been treated for years with lithium carbonate (600 mg/die, lithium serum concentration equal to 0.7 mEq/l) and came to us under observation for a sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy with mostly axonal degeneration.