Erratic calcareous deposits: Biotic formation insights and biomineralising bacterial strain isolation

The present study investigated the contribution of microbial communities in producing "living stones" and the suitability of these clasts as sources of microorganisms with biomineralisation abilities. The calcareous samples were analysed for their microbial community (16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and culturable approach) and in vitro regeneration tests. Scanning electron microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) were applied to investigate microbial aggregation structures and footprints in natural and in vitro samples. The metabarcoding unveiled amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assigned to lineages with biomineralisation abilities (e.g., Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota). The culturable approach resulted in nineteen calcifying isolates with diverse morphological, metabolic, and mineral precipitation properties. Based on mineralising properties, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Lysinbacillus fusiformis, and Microbacterium ginsengiterrae were identified at the molecular level. In vitro regeneration tests and SEM-EDX analyses confirmed the active role of the endogenous microorganisms in forming these “living stones”. These findings allow us to hypothesise an essential role of microbial precipitation in forming these “living stones”, previously described as of abiotic origin. The current study findings provide a solid scientific foundation for future investigations. The obtained bacterial isolates and their potential applications in bioremediation, construction, and cultural heritage restoration demonstrate the direct applicability of our study in sectors involving biomaterials application. Statement of significance: We studied some "living stones" that can be found worldwide and whose origin is still not completely understood. Geologists have not yet fully explained the origin of these inorganic structures that grow in size over time. The results obtained from our microbiological investigations allowed us to discover that microorganisms play a crucial role in forming these masses. In the investigations of the structures and microbial communities within the stones, we identified specific bacteria that actively contribute to forming minerals and isolated bacteria that can form biominerals. These findings deepen our understanding of natural processes involved in the formation of these structures and show their potential for several applications (e.g., building materials or cultural heritage preservation)

Effect of virtual reality rehabilitation on functional outcomes for return-to-work patients with Parkinson's disease: an umbrella review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of substantia nigra neurons with deficiency of dopamine. The main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. Rehabilitation has an important role in the treatment of this condition and virtual reality (VR) is one of the most recent tools. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this umbrella review is to evaluate the effectiveness of VR systems on gait control for return to work in patients with PD. METHODS: The electronic search, for reviews and meta-analysis studies that investigated the effectiveness of VR on gait control in PD patients, was performed through December 2021 using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, and Google Scholar. Mesh terms used were: Job integration/reintegration OR return-to-work AND Parkinson's disease AND virtual reality OR exergame. No limit on the year of publication of the article was used. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 14 articles were included in our analysis. The included evidence shows a stride length improvement in patients treated with VR compared to conventional active treatments. No difference was found in walking speed. Also, the included articles show an improvement on various measures of balance, motor function and severity of PD motor symptoms. In addition, the literature shows an improvement in the quality of life and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients undergoing VR rehabilitation training. RESULTS: he results of our study suggest that VR rehabilitation improves gait performance, particularly stride length, thus being able to provide an improvement in the quality of life and a more effective return to work training in patients with PD

Moving in an environment of induced sensorimotor incongruence does not influence pain sensitivity in healthy volunteers: A randomised within-subject experiment

Objectives: It has been proposed that in the same way that conflict between vestibular and visual inputs leads to motion sickness, conflict between motor commands and sensory information associated with these commands may contribute to some chronic pain states. Attempts to test this hypothesis by artificially inducing a state of sensorimotor incongruence and assessing self-reported pain have yielded equivocal results. To help clarify the effect sensorimotor incongruence has on pain we investigated the effect of moving in an environment of induced incongruence on pressure pain thresholds (PPT) and the pain experienced immediately on completion of PPT testing. Methods: Thirty-five healthy subjects performed synchronous and asynchronous upper-limb movements with and without mirror visual feedback in random order. We measured PPT over the elbow and the pain evoked by testing. Generalised linear mixed-models were performed for each outcome. Condition (four levels) and baseline values for each outcome were within-subject factors. Results: There was no effect of condition on PPT (p = 0.887) or pressure-evoked pain (p = 0.771). A sensitivity analysis using only the first PPT measure after each condition confirmed the result (p = 0.867). Discussion: Inducing a state of movement related sensorimotor incongruence in the upper-limb of healthy volunteers does not influence PPT, nor the pain evoked by testing. We found no evidence that sensorimotor incongruence upregulates the nociceptive system in healthy volunteer

Repeatability of Corticospinal and Spinal Measures during Lengthening and Shortening Contractions in the Human Tibialis Anterior Muscle

Elements of the human central nervous system (CNS) constantly oscillate. In addition, there are also methodological factors and changes in muscle mechanics during dynamic muscle contractions that threaten the stability and consistency of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and perpherial nerve stimulation (PNS) measures

Mirror therapy: A potential intervention for pain management.

The consequences of chronic pain and associated disabilities to the patient and to the health care system are well known. Medication is often the first treatment of choice for chronic pain, although side effects and high costs restrict long-term use. Inexpensive, safe and easy to self-administer non-pharmacological therapies, such as mirror therapy, are recommended as adjuncts to pain treatment. The purpose of this review is to describe the principles of use of mirror therapy so it can be incorporated into a health care delivery. The physiological rationale of mirror therapy for the management of pain and the evidence of clinical efficacy based on recent systematic reviews are also discussed. Mirror therapy, whereby a mirror is placed in a position so that the patient can view a reflection of a body part, has been used to treat phantom limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome, neuropathy and low back pain. Research evidence suggests that a course of treatment (four weeks) of mirror therapy may reduce chronic pain. Contraindications and side effects are few. The mechanism of action of mirror therapy remains uncertain, with reintegration of motor and sensory systems, restored body image and control over fear-avoidance likely to influence outcome. The evidence for clinical efficacy of mirror therapy is encouraging, but not yet definitive. Nevertheless, mirror therapy is inexpensive, safe and easy for the patient to self-administer

Behavioral and psychological effects of coronavirus disease-19 quarantine in patients with dementia

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and several governments planned a national quarantine in order to control the virus spread. Acute psychological effects of quarantine in frail elderly subjects with special needs, such as patients with dementia, have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess modifications of neuropsychiatric symptoms during quarantine in patients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This is a sub-study of a multicenter nation-wide survey. A structured telephone interview was delivered to family caregivers of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and vascular dementia (VD), followed regularly at 87 Italian memory clinics. Variations in behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) were collected after 1 month since quarantine declaration and associations with disease type, severity, gender, and caregiver\u2019s stress burden were analyzed. Results: A total of 4,913 caregivers participated in the survey. Increased BPSD was reported in 59.6% of patients as worsening of preexisting symptoms (51.9%) or as new onset (26%), and requested drug modifications in 27.6% of these cases. Irritability, apathy, agitation, and anxiety were the most frequently reported worsening symptoms and sleep disorder and irritability the most frequent new symptoms. Profile of BPSD varied according to dementia type, disease severity, and patients\u2019 gender. Anxiety and depression were associated with a diagnosis of AD (OR 1.35, CI: 1.12\u20131.62), mild to moderate disease severity and female gender. DLB was significantly associated with a higher risk of worsening hallucinations (OR 5.29, CI 3.66\u20137.64) and sleep disorder (OR 1.69, CI 1.25\u20132.29), FTD with wandering (OR 1.62, CI 1.12\u20132.35), and change of appetite (OR 1.52, CI 1.03\u20132.25). Stress-related symptoms were experienced by two-thirds of caregivers and were associated with increased patients\u2019 neuropsychiatric burden (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Quarantine induces a rapid increase of BPSD in approximately 60% of patients and stress-related symptoms in two-thirds of caregivers. Health services need to plan a post-pandemic strategy in order to address these emerging needs