Biomechanical analysis of different running styles with different footwear

The aim of the stydy is to investigate the differences in running kinetics, kinematics and internal loading in different running styles with different footwearopenEmbargo per motivi di segretezza e/o di proprietà dei risultati e informazioni di enti esterni o aziende private che hanno partecipato alla realizzazione del lavoro di ricerca relativo alla tes

Biomechanical analysis of different running styles with different footwear

The aim of the stydy is to investigate the differences in running kinetics, kinematics and internal loading in different running styles with different footwea

Implementation of a subject-specific paediatric kinematic model of the knee with minimally deformable ligaments in OpenSim

Three-dimensional gait analysis, employing rigid-body motion analysis models, is commonly used for clinical decision-making, treatment, and outcome assessment in children with neuromusculoskeletal disorders, e.g. cerebral palsy. Most multi-segment rigid body models employed in biomechanics use a simplified knee hinge joint that is poorly representative of the complex tibiofemoral joint (TFJ) motion, which must compromise clinical decision-making. More complex TFJ models featuring rigid-spherical articular contacts and ligamentous constraints, with subject-specific and/or generic geometrical parameters, can estimate 6 degree-of-freedom TFJ kinematics during gait in adults [2]. However, no studies have assessed TFJ and ligament kinematics during gait using a rigid-body lower limb model incorporating a fully subject-specific paediatric kinematic knee model with articular contacts and minimally deformable ligaments. This was therefore the aim of the current study

Best methods and data to reconstruct paediatric lower limb bones for musculoskeletal modelling

In biomechanical simulations, generic linearly scaled musculoskeletal anatomies are commonly used to represent children, often neglecting or oversimplifying subject-specific features that may affect model estimates. Inappropriate bone sizing may influence joint angles due to erroneous joint centre identification. Alternatively, subject-specific image-based musculoskeletal models allow for more realistic representations of the skeletal system. To this end, statistical shape modelling (SSM) and morphing techniques may help to reconstruct bones rapidly and accurately. Specifically, the musculoskeletal atlas project (MAP) Client, which employs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or motion capture data to inform SSM and nonrigid morphing techniques, proved able to accurately reconstruct adult pelvis and femur bones. Nonetheless, to date, the above methods have never been applied to paediatric data. In this study, pelvis, femurs and tibiofibular bones of 18 typically developing children were reconstructed using the MAP Client. Ten different combinations of SSM and morphing techniques, i.e. pipelines, were developed. Generic bone geometries from the gait2392 OpenSim model were linearly scaled for comparisons. Jaccard index, root mean square distance error and Hausdorff distance were computed to quantify reconstruction accuracy. For the pelvis bone, colour maps were produced to identify areas prone to inaccuracies and hip joint centres (HJC) location was compared. Finally, per cent difference between MRI- and MAP-measured left-to-right HJC distances was computed. Pipelines informed by MRI data, alone or in combination with motion capture data, accurately reconstructed paediatric lower limb bones (i.e. Jaccard index > 0.8). Scaled OpenSim geometries provided the least accurate reconstructions. Principal component-based scaling methods produced size-dependent results, which were worse for smaller children.status: publishe

Multicentre study on resection margins in carcinoma of the oral cavity, oro-hypopharynx and larynx

Objective. The prognostic significance of the resection margins is still subject of conflicting opinions. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study on the margins in carcinoma of the oral cavity, oro-hypopharynx and larynx.Methods. A multicentre prospective study was carried out between 2015 and 2018 with the participation of 10 Italian reference hospitals. The primary objective was to evaluate local control in patients with well-defined clinical characteristics and comprehensive histopathological information.Results. During the study period, 455 patients were enrolled; the minimum follow-up was 2 years. Previous treatment, grading and fresh specimen examination were identified as risk factors for local control in multivariate analysis. On the basis of these results, it seems possible to delineate "risk profiles" for different oncological outcomes. Discussion. The prognostic significance of the margins is reduced, and other risk factors emerge, which require diversified treatment and follow-up.Conclusions. Multidisciplinary treatment with adjuvant therapy, if indicated, reduces the prognostic importance of margins. Collaboration with a pathologist is an additional favourable prognostic factor and quality indicator.An appendix with literature review is present in the online version

CDKN1B mutation and copy number variation are associated with tumor aggressiveness in luminal breast cancer

The CDKN1B gene, encoding for the CDK inhibitor p27kip1 , is mutated in defined human cancer subtypes, including breast, prostate carcinomas and small intestine neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NET). Lessons learned from SI-NET suggests that CDKN1B mutations could be subclonal, raising the question of whether a deeper sequencing approach could lead to the identification of higher numbers of patients with mutations. Here, we addressed this question and analyzed human cancer biopsies from breast (n=396), ovarian (n=110) and head and neck squamous carcinomas (n=202) patients, using an ultra-deep sequencing approach. Notwithstanding this effort, the mutation rate of CDKN1B remained substantially aligned with values from the literature, showing that essentially only hormone-receptor positive breast cancer (HR+, luminal BC) displayed CDKN1B mutations in a relevant number of cases (3%). However, the analysis of copy number variation showed that another fraction of luminal BC displayed loss (8%) or gain (6%) of the CDKN1B gene, further reinforcing the idea that the function of p27kip1 is important in this type of tumor. Intriguingly, an enrichment for CDKN1B alterations was found in samples from pre-menopausal luminal BC patients (n=227, 4%) and in circulating cell-free DNA from metastatic luminal BC patients (n=59, 8.5%), suggesting that CDKN1B alterations could correlate with tumor aggressiveness and/or occur later during disease progression. Notably, many of the identified somatic mutations resulted in p27kip1 protein truncation leading to loss of most of the protein or of its C-terminal domain. Using a gene editing approach in a luminal BC cell line, MCF-7, we observed that the expression of p27kip1 truncating mutants that lose the C-terminal domains failed to rescue most of the phenotypes induced by CDKN1B gene knock-out, indicating that the functions retained by the C-terminal portion are critical for its role as oncosuppressor, at least in luminal BC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved