La fonction musculaire au niveau de la hanche chez les patients présentant un conflit fémoro-acétabulaire symptomatique

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a pathomechanical process of the hip joint, which could lead to hip pain and functional disability. Aim of this thesis was to investigate hip muscle function in patients with a symptomatic FAI. Hip muscle function was first investigated before patients underwent any surgical treatment for managing FAI. It was shown that they present with reduced hip muscle strength (i.e., muscle weakness), probably due to hip muscle inhibition. Nevertheless, hip muscle weakness was not associated with exaggerated hip muscle fatigue. Hip muscle strength recovery was then evaluated in a series of patients after hip arthroscopy to treat FAI. These patients demonstrated a good recovery for all hip muscle groups, except for hip flexors. The case of a professional ice hockey player who underwent bilateral hip open surgeries for treating bilateral FAI was also documented. This report showed that iliotibial band dehiscence could occur after hip open surgery, thereby preventing hip abductor strength increase during rehabilitation and delaying the return to sport. In addition, the assessment of the rate of force development scaling factor for the hip muscles was evaluated in a group of healthy adults. This parameter seems to be promising for the evaluation of hip muscle inhibition. The testing protocol was feasible and reproducible for hip adductors, external rotators and flexors. Taken as a whole, these findings show that patients with symptomatic FAI demonstrate an impaired hip muscle function, which is however mainly resolved after surgical treatment.Le conflit fémoro-acétabulaire (femoroacetabular impingement, FAI) est une pathologie mécanique de la hanche qui peut causer des douleurs et limitations fonctionnelles. Le but de cette thèse était d’étudier la fonction musculaire au niveau de la hanche chez des patients présentant un FAI symptomatique. La fonction musculaire de la hanche a été évaluée, dans un premier temps, chez des patients avant qu’ils ne subissent une opération. Ces patients démontraient un déficit de force qui pourrait être expliqué par de l’inhibition musculaire. Cependant, ce déficit de force n’était pas associé à une plus grande fatigabilité musculaire. Dans un deuxième temps, les altérations de force musculaire ont été évaluées chez des patients ayant subi une arthroscopie de la hanche. Après l’opération, les patients récupéraient un niveau de force normal au niveau de tous les groupes musculaires de la hanche excepté les fléchisseurs. Le cas d’un joueur de hockey sur glace ayant subi une chirurgie ouverte aux deux hanches pour traiter un FAI bilatéral a aussi été décrit. On a démontré que la déhiscence de la bandelette iléo-tibiale pouvait survenir après chirurgie, empêcher l’augmentation de force musculaire des abducteurs de la hanche, et retarder la reprise du sport. Enfin, un protocole d’évaluation du taux de développement de la force normalisé, variable permettant d’estimer l’inhibition musculaire de la hanche, a été proposé chez des sujets sains. La fiabilité et reproductibilité des résultats ont été montrées au niveau des adducteurs, rotateurs externes, et fléchisseurs de la hanche. Ces résultats montrent que ces patients ont une fonction musculaire altérée au niveau de la hanche, qui est toutefois récupéré après une opération

Microscopic energy flows in disordered Ising spin systems

An efficient microcanonical dynamics has been recently introduced for Ising spin models embedded in a generic connected graph even in the presence of disorder i.e. with the spin couplings chosen from a random distribution. Such a dynamics allows a coherent definition of local temperatures also when open boundaries are coupled to thermostats, imposing an energy flow. Within this framework, here we introduce a consistent definition for local energy currents and we study their dependence on the disorder. In the linear response regime, when the global gradient between thermostats is small, we also define local conductivities following a Fourier dicretized picture. Then, we work out a linearized "mean-field approximation", where local conductivities are supposed to depend on local couplings and temperatures only. We compare the approximated currents with the exact results of the nonlinear system, showing the reliability range of the mean-field approach, which proves very good at high temperatures and not so efficient in the critical region. In the numerical studies we focus on the disordered cylinder but our results could be extended to an arbitrary, disordered spin model on a generic discrete structures.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Differences in trunk and thigh muscle strength, endurance and thickness between elite sailors and non-sailors

International audienceDinghy sailors lean their upper body over the windward side of the boat ('hiking') to keep the boat's balance and maximise its speed. Sustaining the hiking position is essential for competitive performance and this study examined sport-specific differences of muscles relevant for hiking in elite sailors. Knee extensor muscle strength as well as trunk muscle strength, muscle endurance and muscle thickness were assessed in elite dinghy sailors (n = 15) and compared to matched, non-sailing controls (n = 15). Isometric extensor strength was significantly higher in sailors at 60° (+14%) but not at 20° knee flexion. Sailors showed significantly higher trunk flexor (but not extensor) strength under isometric (+18%) and eccentric (+11%) conditions, which was associated to greater muscle thickness (rectus abdominis +40%; external oblique +26%) and higher endurance for ventral (+66%) and lateral (+61%) muscle chains compared to non-sailors. Greater muscles thickness and the particular biomechanical requirements to maintain the hiking position may drive the increases in isometric and eccentric muscle strength as well as ventral and lateral trunk endurance. The current findings identified sport-specific muscle function differences and provide performance benchmarks for muscle strength and endurance in elite sailors

Demonstration of the metaphylactic use of gamithromycin against bacterial pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease in a multicentre farm trial

On five commercial cattle rearing sites across Europe, a total of 802 young cattle at high risk of developing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) associated with the bacterial pathogens Mannheimia haemolytica or Pasteurella multocida and/or Mycoplasma bovis were enrolled into a multicentre, controlled field trial. Half were treated with a single dose of gamithromycin at 6 mg/kg bodyweight by subcutaneous injection and half received an injection of a saline placebo as the control. All animals were observed daily for 14 days for signs of BRD as defined by set criteria. The proportion of metaphylactic preventive treatment successes, defined as animals surviving to day 14 without signs of BRD, in the gamithromycin-treated group (86 per cent) was significantly (P=0.0012) higher than in the saline-treated controls (61 per cent). Morbidity among the treated animals was reduced by 64 per cent compared with the controls

Slow relaxation in microcanonical warming of a Ising lattice

We study the warming process of a semi-infinite cylindrical Ising lattice initially ordered and coupled at the boundary to a heat reservoir. The adoption of a proper microcanonical dynamics allows a detailed study of the time evolution of the system. As expected, thermal propagation displays a diffusive character and the spatial correlations decay exponentially in the direction orthogonal to the heat flow. However, we show that the approach to equilibrium presents an unexpected slow behavior. In particular, when the thermostat is at infinite temperature, correlations decay to their asymptotic values by a power law. This can be rephrased in terms of a correlation length vanishing logarithmically with time. At finite temperature, the approach to equilibrium is also a power law, but the exponents depend on the temperature in a non-trivial way. This complex behavior could be explained in terms of two dynamical regimes characterizing finite and infinite temperatures, respectively. When finite sizes are considered, we evidence the emergence of a much more rapid equilibration, and this confirms that the microcanonical dynamics can be successfully applied on finite structures. Indeed, the slowness exhibited by correlations in approaching the asymptotic values are expected to be related to the presence of an unsteady heat flow in an infinite system.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; Published in Eur. Phys. J. B (2011

Attenuation of pattern recognition receptor signaling is mediated by a MAP kinase kinase kinase

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play a key role in plant and animal innate immunity. PRR binding of their cognate ligand triggers a signaling network and activates an immune response. Activation of PRR signaling must be controlled prior to ligand binding to prevent spurious signaling and immune activation. Flagellin perception in Arabidopsis through FLAGELLIN‐SENSITIVE 2 (FLS2) induces the activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and immunity. However, the precise molecular mechanism that connects activated FLS2 to downstream MAPK cascades remains unknown. Here, we report the identification of a differentially phosphorylated MAP kinase kinase kinase that also interacts with FLS2. Using targeted proteomics and functional analysis, we show that MKKK7 negatively regulates flagellin‐triggered signaling and basal immunity and this requires phosphorylation of MKKK7 on specific serine residues. MKKK7 attenuates MPK6 activity and defense gene expression. Moreover, MKKK7 suppresses the reactive oxygen species burst downstream of FLS2, suggesting that MKKK7‐mediated attenuation of FLS2 signaling occurs through direct modulation of the FLS2 complex

Clinical Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread worldwide, significantly affecting the outcome of a highly vulnerable group such as cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical impact of COVID-19 infection on outcome and oncologic treatment of cancer patients. Patient and methods: We retrospectively enrolled cancer patients with laboratory and/or radiologic confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted to our center from February to April 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the clinical data and univariate analyses were performed to investigate the impact of anticancer treatment modifications due to COVID-19 outbreak on the short-term overall survival (OS). Results: Among 61 patients enrolled, 49 (80%) were undergoing anticancer treatment and 41 (67%) had metastatic disease. Most patients were men; median age was 68 years. Median OS was 46.6 days (40% of deaths occurred within 20 days from COVID-19 diagnosis). Among 59 patients with available data on therapeutic course, 46 experienced consequences on their anticancer treatment schedule. Interruption or a starting failure of the oncologic therapy correlated with significant shorter OS. Anticancer treatment delays did not negatively affect the OS. Lymphocytopenia development after COVID was significantly associated with worst outcome. Conclusions: COVID-19 diagnosis in cancer patients may affect their short-term OS, especially in case of interruption/starting failure of cancer therapy. Maintaining/delaying cancer therapy seems not to influence the outcome in selected patients with recent COVID-19 diagnosis

Usefulness of Presepsin (Soluble CD14 Subtype) in the Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis

Background: Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Recently, presepsin (soluble CD14 subtype) has been shown to be beneficial as sepsis marker in adults. Nevertheless, few data are available in neonates. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of presepsin as a marker of sepsis in the neonatal period. Design/Methods: All neonates with clinical signs of sepsis admitted to our Unit during a 18\uacmonths period were consecutively enrolled. CDC criteria were used to identify neonates with a suspected sepsis. The subjects enrolled in the study were then classified into 3 groups according to Goldstein's and Wynn's definitions: group 1, infection\u37e group 2, sepsis\u37e group 3, septic shock. To measure presepsin, 100 microliters of blood were collected at the following times: at the onset of clinical signs of sepsis (T0), every 12 h for the next 48 h (T1, T2, T3, T4), and at the end of antibiotic therapy (T5). C\uacreactive protein (CRP) was determined at the same times. Presepsin levels were determined using PathfastTM System (LSI Medience Corporation, Japan/Mitsubishi Chemical Europe). Results: We enrolled 110 neonates: 36 in group 1 (mean GA 34.6 wks, mean BW 2403 g), 59 in group 2 (mean GA 31 wks, mean BW 1615 g) and 15 in group 3 (mean GA 30.2 wks, mean BW 1441 g). Overall, median presepsin value was 1146 pg/ml at T0, higher than the values we previously reported in healthy neonates (PAS Meeting 2015), and decreased over time to 726 pg/ml at T5. Presepsin levels were significantly higher in neonates with sepsis and in those with septic shock than in the others at T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4 (p < .05). Additionally, neonates with septic shock had higher levels of presepsin than those with sepsis at all times. At enrollment, median presepsin value was 874 pg/ml, 1277 pg/ml, and 1928 pg/ml in group 1, 2, and 3 respectively. No significant difference was found in CRP values among the 3 groups at enrollment. The area under the ROC curve for presepsin at enrollment was 0.839 (95% CI: 0.79\uac0.88). Maximum Youden index was at a cut\uacoff value of 865 pg/ml, corresponding to 75% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Conclusions: According to our results, presepsin appears an accurate biomarker for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and it seems to be earlier than CRP in identifying sepsis and septic shock

Determining the reference range of blood presepsin in term and preterm neonates

Introduction Sepsis is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates, especially in preterm infants. Mortality can reach 60-70% in very low birth weight infants (birthweight 0.20). This reduced model explains 3.8% of the total sum of squares. After adjustment for all the factors in the model, presepsin levels appear to be significantly lower in twins (496 pg/ml \uf0b1 65.5 vs 655 pg/ml \uf0b1 11.8) and in neonates with Apgar at 1 min 658 (644 pg/ml \uf0b1 11.8 vs 774 pg/ml \uf0b1 56.2). So none of the above factors seems worth to be taken into account in determining the reference limits for presepsin blood levels in healthy term neonates. Preterm neonates. The largest differences in presepsin level are observed between small for gestational age (SGA) (903 pg/ml \uf0b1 57.1) and adequate for gestational age (AGA) neonates (703 pg/ml \uf0b1 26.7), between neonates with and without mechanical ventilation at blood sampling (1090 pg/ml \uf0b1 86.9 vs 711 pg/ml \uf0b1 24.7) and at delivery (855 pg/ml \uf0b1 87.3 vs 729 pg/ml \uf0b1 25.8), between neonates with and without venous catether (801 pg/ml \uf0b1 47.5 vs 716 pg/ml \uf0b1 28.9), between neonates who underwent blood sampling after the 4th day or before (797 pg/ml \uf0b1 46.2 vs 716 pg/ml \uf0b1 29.2), between males and females (778 pg/ml \uf0b1 35.1 vs 701 pg/ml \uf0b1 34.7). All these factors, when simultaneously introduced into a multivariable linear model, explain only 18.8% of the total sum of squares. A second multivariable linear model was fitted after removing the factors that showed the lowest effect on presepsin level (those associated with a p-value >0.50). This reduced model explains 13.4% of the total sum of squares. A third and more parsimonious multivariable linear model was fitted after removing the factors that showed the lowest effect on presepsin level (those associated with a p-value >0.20). This reduced model explains 12.3% of the total sum of squares. After adjustment for all the factors in the model, presepsin levels result to be significantly lower in AGA neonates (706 pg/ml \uf0b1 25.7 vs 890 pg/ml \uf0b1 55.0) and between neonates with and without mechanical ventilation at blood sampling (1074 pg/ml \uf0b1 85.3 vs 712 pg/ml \uf0b1 24.2). Even in this case, none of the above factors is expected to substantially affect the reference limits for presepsin blood levels in preterm neonates. Conclusion Presepsin blood levels seem to be quite independent of most of maternal and neonatal conditions examined in this study both in preterm and term neonates. The factors exerting significant effects (multiple birth and Apgar at 1 min, in term neonates, weight by gestational age and mechanical ventilation in preterm neonates) are expected to affect presepsin reference limits only to minor extent. References [1] Evaluation of a newly identified soluble CD14 subtype as a marker for sepsis. Yaegashi Y., Shirakawa K., Sato N., Suzuki Y., Kojika M., Imai S., Takahashi G., Miyata M., Furusako S., Endo S. J Infect Chemother. 2005;11:234-8. [2] CDC/NHSN surveillance definition of health care-associated infection and criteria for specific types of infection in the acute care setting. Horan T.C., Andrus M., Dudeck M.A. Am J Infect Control. 2008;36:309-32

Clinical impact of COVID-19 in a single-center cohort of a prospective study in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy

Aim: Evaluating the incidence and course of COVID-19 in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. Patients &amp; methods: We reported the influenza-like illness&nbsp;events with diagnosis of COVID-19 within the patient cohort enrolled in the prospective observational multicenter INVIDIa-2 study in the single&nbsp;center of Parma. Results: Among 53 patients, eight experienced influenza-like illness during the influenza season 2019/2020, and three&nbsp;of them had diagnosis of COVID-19. They were males, elderly, with cardiovascular disease. Radiological features of COVID-19 pneumonitis were found in all of three cases, although the pharyngeal swab resulted positive in only two. Two of these three patients died due to respiratory failure. Conclusion: Cancer patients are at high risk of severe events from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection