New Perspectives for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment. Will We Be Able to Ensure Equity to Care?

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Nutrological control and treatment of melasma in the COVID-19 pandemic: a concise systematic review

Introduction: In the skin disease scenario, hyperpigmentation (melasma) is present in about 14.5%-56% of pregnant women and 11.3%-46% of people taking oral contraceptives worldwide. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought great challenges to the treatment of melasma, as well as doubts about its worsening. Diet and nutrients for topical or oral use play an important role in the control of infectious diseases. Objective: It was to perform a concise systematic review on the occurrence, worsening, and nutrological treatment of melasma in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The present study followed a systematic review model (PRISMA). After literary search criteria using MeSH Terms, a total of 98 clinical studies were compared and submitted to eligibility analysis and, after that, 70 studies were selected. The search strategy was carried out in the databases PubMed, Embase, Ovid and Cochrane Library, Web Of Science, ScienceDirect Journals (Elsevier), Scopus (Elsevier), OneFile. Results and Conclusion: Melasma is an acquired hyperpigmentation disorder, and reactive oxygen species play an important role in the regulation of melanin synthesis. In nutrological terms, lycopene is one of the most effective oxygen neutralizers among tomato-derived carotenoids. Furthermore, hydroquinone is a compound that has been used for the treatment of hyperpigmentation by tyrosinase inhibition mechanism and can be found in wheat. Thus, an adequate knowledge of the role of nutritional supplements in dermatological diseases can be a useful tool. Based on this, there is growing interest in oral medications and dietary supplements to improve melasma. Oral medications and dietary supplements evaluated include tranexamic acid, Polypodium leucotomos extract, beta-carotenoid, melatonin, and procyanidin. Also, hydrolyzed collagen is a low molecular weight protein that has been widely used and can prevent melasma. Serum zinc levels can also predict the occurrence of melasma. Finally, there is still no report on skin darkening associated with COVID-19

Experimental abdominal sepsis: Sticking to an awkward but still useful translational model

Animal models are widely used to replicate human intra-abdominal infections. Different methodologies have been described and proposed in the scientific literature, including injection and surgical models. The aim of this review is to recapitulate the advantages and disadvantages of each method to help choose the most appropriate model for individual experimental purposes

One size does not fit all - Translating knowledge to bridge the gaps to diversity and inclusion of surgical teams

Diverse teams have proven their ability to reach superior performance and improve patients' outcomes. Nevertheless, differences in race, gender, age, nationality, skills, education, and experience act as powerful barriers to diversity and inclusion, which negatively impacts multiple healthcare organizations and limit the potential outcome of diverse teams. Knowledge Translation (KT) can help to bridge the gaps among all the various individuals involved, whether they be members of the surgical team or surgical patients

London Street Noises: A Ground-Breaking Field Recording Campaign from 1928

In a leading article by Sir Percival Philips in the UK popular newspaper, the Daily Mail, July 16, 1928, came the following headlines: “Millions Lost by Noise – Cities' Worst Plague – Menace to Nerves and Health – What is Being Done to Stop it”. The article was supported by research from Prof Henry J. Spooner, who had been researching and campaigning on the ill-effects of noise and its economic impact. The article sparked subsequent discussion and follow-up articles in the Daily Mail and its international partners. In an era of rapid technological change, that was on the cusp of implementing sound pressure measurements, the Daily Mail, in collaboration with the Columbia Gramaphone Company Ltd, experimented with sound recording technology and commentary in the field to help communicate perceived loudness and identify the sources of “unnecessary noise”. This resulted in the making of series of environmental sound recordings from five locations across central London during September 1928, the findings of which were documented and discussed in the Daily Mail at the time, and two recordings commercially released by Columbia on shellac gramophone disc. This was probably the first concerted anti-noise campaign of this type and scale, requiring huge technological efforts. The regulatory bodies and politicians of the time reviewed and improved the policies around urban noise shortly after the presentation of the recordings, which were also broadcast from the BBC both nationally and internationally, and many members of the public congratulated and thanked the Daily Mail for such an initiative. Despite its unprecedented scale and impact, and the recent scholarly attention on the history of anti-noise campaigning, this paper charts and contextualises the Daily Mail’s London Street Noise campaign for the first time. As well as historical research, this data has also been used to start a longitudinal comparative study still underway, returning to make field recordings on the site on the 80th and 90th anniversaries and during the COVID-19 lockdown, and shared on the website londonstreetnoises.co.uk

Editorial: New Frontiers for Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Decision Making and its Organizational Impacts

The purpose of the research topic call “New Frontiers for Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Decision Making and its Organizational Impacts “ was to collect the recent developments and undergoing studies in AI in surgery and surgical oncology. More in detail, the aim was to gather contributions on the advancement, deployment, use, and implementation of AI-based applications in surgical practice, understanding their potential contribution to clinical decision making. Moreover, the idea was to assess the potential impacts of such a technology on surgeons, other clinicians, patients, medical institutions, developers, and policy-makers, with an eye open to the organizational and educational consequences and opportunities

Experimental determination of the frequency and field dependence of Specific Loss Power in Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia

Magnetic nanoparticles are promising systems for biomedical applications and in particular for Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia, a promising therapy that utilizes the heat released by such systems to damage tumor cells. We present an experimental study of the physical properties that influences the capability of heat release, i.e. the Specific Loss Power, SLP, of three biocompatible ferrofluid samples having a magnetic core of maghemite with different core diameter d= 10.2, 14.6 and 19.7 nm. The SLP was measured as a function of frequency f and intensity of the applied alternating magnetic field H, and it turned out to depend on the core diameter, as expected. The results allowed us to highlight experimentally that the physical mechanism responsible for the heating is size-dependent and to establish, at applied constant frequency, the phenomenological functional relationship SLP=cH^x, with 2<x<3 for all samples. The x-value depends on sample size and field frequency/ intensity, here chosen in the typical range of operating magnetic hyperthermia devices. For the smallest sample, the effective relaxation time Teff=19.5 ns obtained from SLP data is in agreement with the value estimated from magnetization data, thus confirming the validity of the Linear Response Theory model for this system at properly chosen field intensity and frequency

Nuovi trattamenti per il dolore infiammatorio e neuropatico

New treatments for neuropathic pain Stefano Cobianchi, Institute of Neuroscience, CNR, Rome (Italy). Experiment 1: Botulinum neurotoxins. Aim. Botulinum neurotoxins have been successfully used in clinical practice for the treatment of dystonias and a number of syndromes associated to hyperfunctioning of cholinergic terminals. Recent data support the use of Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) as new therapeutic agents in pain relief. It has been demonstrated that the Botulinum neurotoxin serotype-A is able to induce analgesia in inflammatory pain conditions (1). In this study we investigated the effects of two different serotypes, A and B (BoNT/A and BoNT/B), in the development and recovering from neuropathic pain in mice subjected to the sciatic nerve ligation (Chronic Constriction Injury, Bennett and Xie model) (2, 3). Methods. Mice were subcutaneously injected into the plantar surface of both hindpaws either with BoNT/A (two doses: 7.5 or 15 pg/paw), BoNT/B (3.75 pg/paw) or saline, on different days before and after CCI. The temporal trend of neuropathy over a long time interval (80 days) was analyzed measuring the mechanical allodynic response to the Dynamic Aesthesiometer Test. Functional recovery of the injured paw was followed examining the mice walking pattern, measured by the Sciatic Static Index (SSI) (4), as well as by the weight bearing (Incapacitance test). Results. Remarkably, a single administration of BoNT/A, but not BoNT/B, was sufficient to induce antiallodynic effects starting from the day after the injection. The effect was dose-dependent and lasted for at least 3 weeks. The administration of BoNT/A before the CCI was ineffective. Furthermore, BoNT/A injection accelerated the functional recovery, enhancing the SSI scores and restoring the normal weight bearing. Conclusion. This result is particularly relevant since neuropathic pain is poorly treated by current drug therapies. The different modulatory action of the two botulinum serotypes is an important and useful result to take into account for both the study and the comprehension of the mechanisms involved in their action and for the use of the BoNTs in the clinical practice. Experiment 2: Treadmill locomotion. Aim. Treadmill locomotion is widely used for physical rehabilitative therapy. Although several studies demonstrate the positive effects of treadmill running on the functional recovery after a peripheral nerve injury (5, 6, 7), the effects on pain symptoms have not been investigated. In this study we analyzed which treadmill protocol could be effective both on functional recovery and on alleviation of neuropathic pain symptoms. Methods. The CCI model was used to induce neuropathy in mice. We measured the onset of mechanical allodynia in mice undergoing short- (1 week) or long-lasting (8 weeks) daily sessions of treadmill exercise. Functional recovery of the injured paw was examined by analyzing weight bearing of hind limb, walking track analysis and SSI. Behavioural data were correlated with data deriving from immunofluorescence staining for markers of cellular proliferation (Cdc2, GAP-43) in injured nerves and of activated glial cells (Cd11b, GFAP) in lumbar spinal cord. Results. An early mild and short-lasting treadmill exercise was effective in counteracting the development of mechanical allodynia induced by CCI and to speed up the functional recovery of injured paw, as demonstrated by the normalization of the weight bearing and of walking pattern of mice. On the contrary, long-lasting treadmill exercise did not show substantial beneficial effects compared to animals that were not subjected to treadmill. Behavioural data strongly correlated with nerve regeneration immunofluorescence markers. Only the short-lasting treadmill exercise was coupled, with an increased expression in injured sciatic nerves of Cdc2 and GAP-43. In the same mice, a reduced expression of Cd11b and GFAP-labeled glial cells was also observed in the lumbar spinal cord. Conclusion. Results show that only an immediate short-lasting exercise induces pain relief, stimulates nerve regeneration, and speeds up the complete functional recovery. When prolonged for more than a week, treadmill exercise can have deleterious effects after peripheral nerve injury. Supported by research grants FISR-CNR Neurobiotecnologia 2003 and FILAS Regione Lazio (Italy). References (1) Luvisetto S, Marinelli S, Lucchetti F, Marchi F, Cobianchi S, Rossetto O, Montecucco C, Pavone F, 2006. Botulinum neurotoxins and formalin-induced pain: central vs. peripheral effects in mice. Brain Res 1082:124. (2) Bennet GJ, Xie YK,1988. A peripheral mononeuropathy in rat that produces disorders of pain sensation like those seen in man. Pain 33:87-107. (3) Luvisetto S, Marinelli S, Cobianchi S and Pavone F, 2007. Anti-allodynic efficacy of Botulinum neurotoxin A in a model of neuropathic pain. Neurosci 145:1-4. (4) Baptista AF, de Souza Gomes JR, Oliveira JT, Santos SMG, Vannier-Santos MA, Martinez AMB, 2007. A new approach to assess function after sciatic nerve lesion in the mouse – Adaptation of the sciatic static index. J Neurosci Meth 161:259-264. (5) Marqueste T, Alliez JR, Alluin O, Jammes Y, Decherchi P, 2004. Neuromuscular rehabilitation by treadmill running or electrical stimulation after peripheral nerve injury and repair. J Appl Physiol 96:1988-1995. (6) Sabatier MJ, Redmon N, Schwartz G, English AW, 2008. Treadmill training promotes axon regeneration in injured peripheral nerves. Exp Neurol 211:489-493. (7) Seo TB, Han IS, Yoon JH, Hong KE, Yoon SJ, Namgung U, 2006. Involvement of Cdc2 in axonal regeneration enhanced by exercise training in rats. Med Sci Sports Exerc 38:1267-1276

Can the Blockchain lead to new sustainable business models?

New technologies can foster the development of new sustainable business models (SBMs). Our paper wants to investigate how the blockchain can facilitate the development of new SBMs, by analyzing some real-world case studies. Findings highlight how the characteristics of the blockchain can extend existing theories in leading to new SBMs