Travailler avec les familles dans le traitement à long terme des troubles schizophréniques

Dans un cadre systémique, les auteurs présentent les éléments principaux de l'intervention auprès des familles où un adulte souffrant de troubles schizophréniques chroniques suit un traitement de réadaptation psychosociale. Ils se penchent principalement sur l'influence réciproque entre les interventions axées sur les incapacités et celles qui sont orientées vers les attitudes, les convictions et la structure interactionnelle de la famille. On a de plus en plus tendance à définir la schizophrénie comme un trouble multifactoriel (ou un ensemble de troubles) que seule une vision systémique permet de comprendre (Brenner et Böker, 1989). Dans ce cadre, les troubles peuvent apparaître comme le résultat d'une interaction continue entre différents niveaux. Toute description d'un traitement de la schizophrénie devrait donc inclure les niveaux qui font l'objet d'une intervention et la nature de leur interaction. De vastes recherches démontrent que les attitudes et la nature des interactions familiales influencent l'évolution à long terme des troubles mentaux graves (Goldstein et Strachan, 1987). Pour cette raison, les interventions auprès des familles devraient occuper une place importante dans toute planification de traitement des troubles psychotiques.The authors present and discuss, within a systems frame of reference, the main aspects of family interventions with adults affected by long-term schizophrenic disorders involved in psychosocial rehabilitation. Special attention is paid to mutual influence between the interventions aimed at individual disability and those centered on family attitudes, beliefs and interactional patterns

Post-seismic effectiveness of the strengthening work carried out with GFRP applied to historical masonry buildings: the case study of the Spoleto Cathedral

The sequence of major earthquakes that has affected Italy in recent decades has required the use of new materials and innovative techniques for the security of damaged buildings. Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) represents a novelty in the field of seismic improvement techniques applicable also to historical masonry structures. The use of composite materials can respect the conservation principles of the monumental buildings. This study describes the effectiveness of the seismic improvement techniques carried out by means of FRP in the Spoleto Chatedral (Italy) after the 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake. The strengthening work concerned the making safe of damaged vault structures by means of gluing fibreglass bands (GFRP). After 20 years, during the 2016 Amatrice-Norcia earthquake, near Spoleto, the cathedral reinforced with the GFRP bands has not suffered any damage demonstrating the effectiveness of the seismic strengthening techniques

Therapeutic potential of bleomycin plus suicide or interferon-β gene transfer combination for spontaneous feline and canine melanoma

We originated and characterized melanoma cell lines derived from tumors of two feline and two canine veterinary patients. These lines reestablished the morphology, physiology and cell heterogeneity of their respective parental tumors. We evaluated the cytotoxicity of bleomycin (BLM) alone, or combined with interferon-β (IFN-β) or HSVtk/GCV suicide gene (SG) lipofection on these cells. Although the four animals presented stage III disease (WHO system), SG treated feline tumors displayed stable disease in vivo, while the canine ones exhibited partial response. Their derived cell lines reflected this behavior. Feline were significantly more sensitive than canine cells to IFN-β gene transfer. BLM improved the antitumor effects of both genes. The higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly correlated with membrane and DNA damages, emphasizing ROS intervention in apoptotic and necrotic cell death. After 3 days of BLM alone or combined with gene treatments, the colony forming capacity of two canine and one feline treatments survivor cells almost disappeared. Taken together, these results suggest that the treatments eradicated tumor initiating cells and support the clinical potential of the tested combinations.Fil: Agnetti, Lucrecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Fondello, Chiara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Villaverde, Marcela Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Glikin, Gerardo Claudio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; ArgentinaFil: Finocchiaro, Liliana Maria Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología ; Argentin

Effects of dance therapy on balance, gait and neuro-psychological performances in patients with Parkinson's disease and postural instability

Postural Instability (PI) is a core feature of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and a major cause of falls and disabilities. Impairment of executive functions has been called as an aggravating factor on motor performances. Dance therapy has been shown effective for improving gait and has been suggested as an alternative rehabilitative method. To evaluate gait performance, spatial-temporal (S-T) gait parameters and cognitive performances in a cohort of patients with PD and PI modifications in balance after a cycle of dance therapy

Combination of suicide and cytokine gene therapies as surgery adjuvant for canine mammary carcinoma

The incidence of canine mammary carcinoma varies with age, breed, and spay status, being among the main tumors appearing in intact female dogs. Thirty-six canine mammary carcinoma patients received injections of canine interferon-β (cIFN-β) and HSV-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-tk/GCV) carrying lipoplexes, into the tumor bed, immediately after surgery. Next, they started periodic subcutaneous injections of lipoplexes carrying a human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-2mixedwith allogeneicmammary carcinoma extracts. This combined strategy was safe and well tolerated. In addition, only two out of 26 patients treated with complete surgery developed a local relapse, and 0 out of 29 stage II and III patients displayed distant metastases, suggesting both local and systemic antitumor activities. The most encouraging result was the long survival times: 22 > 1 year (where 13 > 2 and 4 > 3 years), while maintaining a good quality of life. The preliminary results in five patients presenting with local disease, an additional HSV-tk/GCV plus cIFN-β gene treatment induced local antitumor activity, evidenced by four objective responses (one complete, three partial) and one stable disease. This successful outcome supports further studies to validate this approach not only for canine veterinary patients, but also for translation to human patients.Fil: Finocchiaro, Liliana Maria Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología "Dr. Ángel Roffo". Unidad de Transferencia Genética; ArgentinaFil: Spector, Agustina I. M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología "Dr. Ángel Roffo". Unidad de Transferencia Genética; ArgentinaFil: Agnetti, Lucrecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología "Dr. Ángel Roffo". Unidad de Transferencia Genética; ArgentinaFil: Arbe, María Florencia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología "Dr. Ángel Roffo". Unidad de Transferencia Genética; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Glikin, Gerardo Claudio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Oncología "Dr. Ángel Roffo". Unidad de Transferencia Genética; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

To the Heart of IFs Function: Do they Aggregate on Purpose?

Background: One of the molecular hallmarks in the development of heart failure (HF) is loss of ultrastructure within the cardiac myocyte. In addition, HF is increasingly recognized as a proteinopathy characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins similar to Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. However, despite its increasing prevalence and poor prognosis, the advances in the pharmacological treatment of HF have been limited, highlighting an urgent need for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. We reported a consistent accumulation of mono-phosporylated desmin in experimental and clinical models of HF. We also demonstrated how mono-phosphorylated desmin is more prone to cleavage and aggregation in isolated cardiac myocytes. Therefore, if on the one hand desmin cleavage could easily explain the loss of a cardiac myocyte\u2019s ultrastructure, its high abundance and propensity to aggregate make it an ideal candidate as the seed generating pre-amyloid-oligomers (PAOs) and amyloid fibrils in the heart. Methods: Using a combination of novel and established protein biochemistry techniques, we aimed at demonstrating desmin\u2019s identity as the seed starting the nucleation process which leads to the formation of cardiac PAOs and amyloid fibrils. Results: Desmin displayed common features shared by other established PAOs and fibrils (e.g. tinctorial properties) in experimental and clinical models of HF. Conclusions: The inherent propensity of intermediate filaments to aggregate, combined with the use of cardiac tissue as a model for repeated mechanical stretch, suggest that intermediate filaments aggregation could be used as a way to dissipate/scavange mechanical as well as chemical stress. We will therefore use the highly organized structure of cardiac myocytes to infer IFs function in mammalian cells

Strength on cut edge and ground edge glass beams with the failure analysis method

The aim of this work is the study of the effect of the finishing of the edge of glass when it has a structural function. Experimental investigations carried out for glass specimens are presented. Various series of annealed glass beam were tested, with cut edge and with ground edge. The glass specimens are tested in four-point bending performing flaw detection on the tested specimens after failure, in order to determine glass strength. As a result, bending strength values are obtained for each specimen. Determining some physical parameter as the depth of the flaw and the mirror radius of the fracture, after the failure of a glass element, it could be possible to calculate the failure strength of that. The experimental results were analyzed with the LEFM theory and the glass strength was analyzed with a statistical study using two-parameter Weibull distribution fitting quite well the failure stress data. The results obtained constitute a validation of the theoretical models and show the influence of the edge processing on the failure strength of the glass. Furthermore, series with different sizes were tested in order to evaluate the size effect

Alternatives to Transplantation in the Treatment of Heart Failure: New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Insights

none4siThe aim of our current special issue was to present a series of original researches and reviews on recent advances in the diagnosis, medical therapy, and surgical approaches of heart failure. As reported in the introductive review of Agnetti et al., cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the US and in westernized countries with ischemic heart disease accounting for the majority of these deaths. Paradoxically, the improvements in the medical and surgical treatments of acute coronary syndromes are leading to an increasing number of “survivors” who are then developing heart failure. Despite considerable advances in its management, the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage heart failure patients remains heart transplantation. Nevertheless, this procedure can be o ered only to a small percentage of patients who could bene t from a new heart due to the limited availability of donor organs. e authors reported in this comprehensive review the evaluation of the safety and e cacy of innovative approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of patients refrac- tory to standard medical therapy and excluded from cardiac transplantation lists.mixedNicolini, Francesco; Piepoli, Massimo F.; Agnetti, Giulio; Siniscalchi, GiuseppeNicolini, Francesco; Piepoli, Massimo F.; Agnetti, Giulio; Siniscalchi, Giusepp

New Insights in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the US and in westernized countries with ischemic heart disease accounting for the majority of these deaths. Paradoxically, the improvements in the medical and surgical treatments of acute coronary syndrome are leading to an increasing number of "survivors" who are then developing heart failure. Despite considerable advances in its management, the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage heart failure patients remains heart transplantation. Nevertheless, this procedure can be offered only to a small percentage of patients who could benefit from a new heart due to the limited availability of donor organs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of innovative approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of patients refractory to standard medical therapy and excluded from cardiac transplantation lists