NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION – AN EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE FOR URBAN COMMUNITIES

The continuous growth of the urban traffic threats cities with “thrombosis“, generating social, economic and ecological long term problems. The paper outlines the positive externalities induced by the non-motorized transportation (walking, bicycling or small-wheeled transport) at individual, social and environmental level. This kind of transportation meets the requests of the urban sustainable development, being used stand-alone or as a part of an intermodal chain. Local authorities, education institutes, corporate and non-governmental organizations should be involved in challenging perceptions and attitudes toward non-motorized trips. Beside the infrastructure construction, the early education is mandatory for creating a civic culture regarding the use of non-motorized transportation. The case study in Bucharest shows out the present state concerning the use of non-motorized transportation and the barriers in using it.urban mobility, non-motorized transportation, sustainable transport barriers.

THE BENEFITS OF KINETIC PROGRAM FOR PACIENTS WITH TOTAL HIP PROSTHESIS

Background. The aim of this paper is to study the importance of kinetic treatment in the postoperative rehabilitation of muscle strength in order to restore joint range of motion (ROM), flexibility and improve gait for total hip prosthesis patients, also to relieve pain and for increase patient quality of life on long term. We consider that an individualized kinetic program is applied as early as possible for functional rehabilitation of the prosthetic hip then the socio-professional reintegration will be faster and the quality of life will increased. Methods. A retrospective study on 15 patients who underwent a rehabilitation treatment after balancing prosthesis intervention from June 2017 to February 2018 at the Calafat Rehabilitation Hospital. 12 who participate to the kinetic program (B1 group), and 3 (B2 group) who are unable to benefit from this program due to major contraindications. The evaluations were performed at admission, during the kinetic program (after 30 days) and at the end of the program (after 90 days). Results. There are significant differences between B1 group and B2. It's noted that hip joint ROM is higher for group B1 than group B2, the faster rehabilitation trend is observed for patients in group B1 due to the fact that they also work for the rehabilitation of muscle strength. The significant results of the active ROM is recorded at 90 days postoperatively, during this time the patients of the B1 lot gain a muscle hip joint strength. Conclusions. The postoperative evolution of patients with total hip prosthesis requires a complex assessment to establish the patient's functional abilities. In this study we found that within the 30 and 90 day evaluation following individualized rehab programs compared to patients who didn’t follow such a program, a feature highlighted in particular by the obvious improvement in functional abilities gait parameters at this patients

Impact of Pre-Infection COVID-19 Vaccination on the Incidence and Severity of Post-COVID Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review critically evaluated the impact of a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination on the incidence and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome and aimed to assess the potential protective effect across different vaccines and patient demographics. This study hypothesized that vaccination before infection substantially reduces the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. In October 2023, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across three databases, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, focusing on studies published up to that date. Utilizing a wide array of keywords, the search strategy adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in the Open Science Framework. The inclusion criteria comprised studies focusing on patients with a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection who developed post-COVID-19 syndrome. We included a total of 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria, analyzing more than 10 million patients with a mean age of 50.6 years, showing that the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions post-vaccination was as low as 2.4%, with a significant reduction in mortality risk (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74). The prevalence of post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms was lower in vaccinated individuals (9.5%) compared to unvaccinated (14.6%), with a notable decrease in activity-limiting symptoms (adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.48–0.73). Vaccinated patients also showed a quicker recovery and return to work (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04–1.79). The pooled odds ratio of 0.77 indicates that vaccination is associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of developing post-COVID-19 syndrome (95% CI 0.75–0.79). Despite the protective effects observed, a substantial heterogeneity among the studies was noted. In conclusion, a pre-infection COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a significant reduction in the risk and severity of post-COVID-19 syndrome. However, the observed heterogeneity across studies suggests a need for further research with standardized methods to fully comprehend vaccine efficacy against long COVID

Double-Edged Role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 Axis in Experimental Myocardial Infarction

ObjectivesHere we assess the intrinsic functions of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) using Cxcr4 heterozygous (Cxcr4+/−) mice.BackgroundMyocardial necrosis triggers complex remodeling and inflammatory changes. The chemokine CXCL12 has been implicated in protection and therapeutic regeneration after MI through recruiting angiogenic outgrowth cells, improving neovascularization and cardiac function, but the endogenous role of its receptor CXCR4 is unknown.MethodsMI was induced by ligation of the left descending artery. Langendoff perfusion, echocardiography, quantitative immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, angiogenesis assays, and cardiomyocyte analysis were performed.ResultsAfter 4 weeks, infarct size was reduced in Cxcr4+/− mice compared with wild-type mice and in respective bone marrow chimeras compared with controls. This was associated with altered inflammatory cell recruitment, decreased neutrophil content, delayed monocyte infiltration, and a predominance of Gr1low over classic Gr1high monocytes. Basal coronary flow and its recovery after MI were impaired in Cxcr4+/−mice, paralleled by reduced angiogenesis, myocardial vessel density, and endothelial cell count. Notably, no differences in cardiac function were seen in Cxcr4+/−mice compared with wild-type mice. Despite defective angiogenesis, Cxcr4+/− mouse hearts showed no difference in CXCL12, vascular endothelial growth factor or apoptosis-related gene expression. Electron microscopy revealed lipofuscin-like lipid accumulation in Cxcr4+/− mouse hearts and analysis of lipid extracts detected high levels of phosphatidylserine, which protect cardiomyocytes from hypoxic stress in vitro.ConclusionsCXCR4 plays a crucial role in endogenous remodeling processes after MI, contributing to inflammatory/progenitor cell recruitment and neovascularization, whereas its deficiency limits infarct size and causes adaptation to hypoxic stress. This should be carefully scrutinized when devising therapeutic strategies involving the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis