The use of surface electromyography to assess transfemoral amputees : methodological and functional perspective

Aim: Surface electromyography (sEMG) has been established as a safe non-invasive method to investigate neuromuscular function. However, the use of this instrument to assess lower limbs of transfemoral amputees still presents a lack of standardization in its methods of signal acquisition and processing. The aim of this study was to review the current state of sEMG utilization to assess transfemoral amputees, the procedures adopted for the acquisition and the functional findings. Methods: This is a literature review. Five electronic databases were searched to find the studies: All relevant information of each study was extracted and registered. Methodological quality was evaluated using a customized checklist. Results: Eight studies followed the inclusion criteria and were included in this paper. Four studies did not reach more than 80% of the quality checklist, few studies fully described the methodology applied. The muscles assessed were similar in all studies, electrodes placement was determined by different criteria. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates that a few studies have used this method to assess this population and the main variable aspect is concerned to the placement of the electrodes. More researches are needed to better understand the neuromuscular behavior of amputees by using sEMG and assist future researches to develop more reproducible and reliable studies

Biological and clinical effects of abiraterone on anti-resorptive and anabolic activity in bone microenvironment

Abiraterone acetate (ABI) is associated not only with a significant survival advantage in both chemotherapy-naive and -treated patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), but also with a delay in time to development of Skeletal Related Events and in radiological skeletal progression. These bone benefits may be related to a direct effect on prostate cancer cells in bone or to a specific mechanism directed to bone microenvironment. To test this hypothesis we designed an in vitro study aimed to evaluate a potential direct effect of ABI on human primary osteoclasts/osteoblasts (OCLs/OBLs). We also assessed changes in bone turnover markers, serum carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks (CTX) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), in 49 mCRPC patients treated with ABI.Our results showed that non-cytotoxic doses of ABI have a statistically significant inhibitory effect on OCL differentiation and activity inducing a down-modulation of OCL marker genes TRAP, cathepsin K and metalloproteinase-9. Furthermore ABI promoted OBL differentiation and bone matrix deposition up-regulating OBL specific genes, ALP and osteocalcin. Finally, we observed a significant decrease of serum CTX values and an increase of ALP in ABI-treated patients.These findings suggest a novel biological mechanism of action of ABI consisting in a direct bone anabolic and anti-resorptive activity

Sleep and Tibialis Anterior Muscle Activity in Mice With Mild Hypoxia and Iron Deficiency: Implications for the Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that entails an urge to move with a circadian pattern during the evening/night. RLS may be accompanied by decreased sleep time and increased occurrence of periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS), which involve bursts of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle electromyogram (EMG). Mild hypoxia and non-anemic iron deficiency, a highly prevalent nutritional deficiency, are relatively unexplored factors in RLS pathophysiology. We tested whether mice exposed to mild hypoxia, alone or in combination with non-anemic iron deficiency, show decreased sleep time particularly in the light (rest) period and increased occurrence of TA EMG phasic events similar to human PLMS. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed diets with low or normal iron for 6 months from weaning and instrumented with electrodes to record the electroencephalogram and the EMG of both TA muscles. Mice were recorded in a whole-body plethysmograph while breathing a normoxic or mildly hypoxic (15% O2) gas mixture for 48 h. Hypoxia increased minute ventilation during sleep. The low-iron diet decreased liver and serum iron, leaving blood hemoglobin and brainstem iron levels unaffected. Hypoxia, either alone or in combination with non-anemic iron deficiency, decreased non-rapid-eye-movement (non-REM) sleep time, but this occurred irrespective of the light/dark period and was not associated with increased occurrence of TA EMG events during non-REM sleep. These results do not support the hypothesis that mild hypoxia is sufficient to cause signs of RLS, either alone or in combination with non-anemic iron deficiency, pointing to the necessity of further susceptibility factors

Prognostic significance of K-Ras mutation rate in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

none24noIntroduction: Activating mutations of K-Ras gene have a well-established role as predictors of resistance to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Their prognostic value is controversial, and no data regarding the prognostic value of mutation rate, defined as the percentage of mutated alleles/ tumor sample, are available. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of K-Ras mutation rate in a homogenous cohort of mCRC patients receiving first-line doublet plus bevacizumab. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 397 K-Ras mutant mCRC patients from 6 Italian centers, and 263 patients were fully evaluable for our analysis. K-Ras mutation rate was assessed by pyrosequencing. Patients with less than 60% of cancer cells in tumor tissue were excluded. No patients received anti-EGFR containing anticancer therapy, at any time. Median mutation rate was 40% and was adopted as cut-off. The primary and secondary endpoints were PFS and OS respectively. Results: At univariate analysis, K-Ras mutation rate higher than 40% was significantly associated with lower PFS (7.3 vs 9.1 months; P < 0.0001) and OS (21 vs 31 months; P = 0.004). A multivariate model adjusted for age at diagnosis, site of origin of tumor tissue (primary vs metastases), referral center, number of metastatic sites, and first-line chemotherapy backbone, showed that K-Ras mutation rate remained a significant predictor of PFS and OS in the whole population. Discussion: Our data demonstrate an association between K-Ras mutation rate and prognosis in mCRC patients treated with bevacizumab-containing first-line therapy. These data deserve to be verified in an independent validation set.openVincenzi B.; Cremolini C.; Sartore-Bianchi A.; Russo A.; Mannavola F.; Perrone G.; Pantano F.; Loupakis F.; Rossini D.; Ongaro E.; Bonazzina E.; Dell'Aquila E.; Imperatori M.; Zoccoli A.; Bronte G.; Maglio G.D.; Fontanini G.; Natoli C.; Falcone A.; Santini D.; Onetti-Muda A.; Siena S.; Tonini G.; Aprile G.Vincenzi, B.; Cremolini, C.; Sartore-Bianchi, A.; Russo, A.; Mannavola, F.; Perrone, G.; Pantano, F.; Loupakis, F.; Rossini, D.; Ongaro, E.; Bonazzina, E.; Dell'Aquila, E.; Imperatori, M.; Zoccoli, A.; Bronte, G.; Maglio, G. D.; Fontanini, G.; Natoli, C.; Falcone, A.; Santini, D.; Onetti-Muda, A.; Siena, S.; Tonini, G.; Aprile, G

Prognostic significance of KRAS mutation rate in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

No abstract availabl

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Биологическое и клиническое действие абиратерона на антирезорбтивную и анаболическую активность микроокружения костной ткани

Применение абиратерона ацетата (АА) сопровождается не только значимым увеличением выживаемости пациентов с метастатическим кастрационно-резистентным раком предстательной железы (мКРРПЖ), но также отдалением времени до развития рентгенологического прогрессирования заболевания. Эти преимущества относительно костных метастатических очагов могут быть связаны с непосредственным воздействием на метастатические клетки рака предстательной железы в костях или со специфическими механизмами, направленными на костное микроокружение. Чтобы проверить эти гипотезы, мы прове- ли исследование in vitro, направленное на оценку потенциального действия AA на первичные остеокласты (ОКЛ) / остеобласты (ОБЛ); in vivo оценивали изменения уровней маркеров костного метаболизма, С-концевых телопептидов коллагена 1-го типа (CTX, маркер костной резорбции) и щелочной фосфатазы (ЩФ) у 49 пациентов с мКРРПЖ, получавших AA.Наши результаты показали, что AA оказывает статистически значимое ингибирующее действие на дифференцировку и активность ОКЛ, уменьшая экспрессию ОКЛ-маркерных генов TRAP (тартратрезистентная кислая фосфатаза), образование катепсина К и матриксной металлопротеиназы-9. Кроме того, AA способствовал дифференцировке ОБЛ и отложению костной матрицы, увеличивая экспрессию специфичных для ОБЛ генов RUNX2 (фактор транскрипции-2, содержащий домен Runt), образование ЩФ и остеокальцина. Также мы наблюдали in vivo значимое снижение уровня CTX в сыворотке и повышение уровня ЩФ у пациентов, получавших AA.Эти данные позволяют предполагать новый биологический механизм действия AA, состоящий в прямом анаболическом и антирезорбтивном влиянии на костную ткань.Применение абиратерона ацетата (АА) сопровождается не только значимым увеличением выживаемости пациентов с метастатическим кастрационно-резистентным раком предстательной железы (мКРРПЖ), но также отдалением времени до развития рентгенологического прогрессирования заболевания. Эти преимущества относительно костных метастатических очагов могут быть связаны с непосредственным воздействием на метастатические клетки рака предстательной железы в костях или со специфическими механизмами, направленными на костное микроокружение. Чтобы проверить эти гипотезы, мы провели исследование in vitro, направленное на оценку потенциального действия AA на первичные остеокласты (ОКЛ) / остеобласты (ОБЛ); in vivo оценивали изменения уровней маркеров костного метаболизма, С-концевых телопептидов коллагена 1-го типа (CTX, маркер костной резорбции) и щелочной фосфатазы (ЩФ) у 49 пациентов с мКРРПЖ, получавших AA.Наши результаты показали, что AA оказывает статистически значимое ингибирующее действие на дифференцировку и активность ОКЛ, уменьшая экспрессию ОКЛ-маркерных генов TRAP (тартратрезистентная кислая фосфатаза), образование катепсина К и матриксной металлопротеиназы-9. Кроме того, AA способствовал дифференцировке ОБЛ и отложению костной матрицы, увеличивая экспрессию специфичных для ОБЛ генов RUNX2 (фактор транскрипции-2, содержащий домен Runt), образование ЩФ и остеокальцина. Также мы наблюдали in vivo значимое снижение уровня CTX в сыворотке и повышение уровня ЩФ у пациентов, получавших AA.Эти данные позволяют предполагать новый биологический механизм действия AA, состоящий в прямом анаболическом и антирезорбтивном влиянии на костную ткань

Measurement of the inclusive jet cross-section in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV using 4.5 fb−1 of data with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive jet cross-section is measured in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb−1 collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. Jets are identified using the anti-kt algorithm with radius parameter values of 0.4 and 0.6. The double-differential cross-sections are presented as a function of the jet transverse momentum and the jet rapidity, covering jet transverse momenta from 100 GeV to 2 TeV. Next-to-leading-order QCD calculations corrected for non-perturbative effects and electroweak effects, as well as Monte Carlo simulations with next-to-leading-order matrix elements interfaced to parton showering, are compared to the measured cross-sections. A quantitative comparison of the measured cross-sections to the QCD calculations using several sets of parton distribution functions is performed