Guar gum/borax hydrogel: Rheological, low field NMR and release characterizations

Guar gum (GG) and Guar gum/borax (GGb) hydrogels are studied by means of rheology, Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF NMR) and model drug release tests. These three approaches are used to estimate the mesh size (ζ) of the polymeric network. A comparison with similar Scleroglucan systems is carried out. In the case of GGb, the rheological and Low Field NMR estimations of ζ lead to comparable results, while the drug release approach seems to underestimate ζ. Such discrepancy is attributed to the viscous effect of some polymeric chains that, although bound to the network to one end, can freely fluctuate among meshes. The viscous drag exerted by these chains slows down drug diffusion through the polymeric network. A proof for this hypothesis is given by the case of Scleroglucan gel, where the viscous contribution is not so significant and a good agreement between the rheological and release test approaches was found

Brief Communication: A new testing field for debris flow warning systems

Abstract. A permanent field installation for the systematic test of debris flow warning systems and algorithms has been equipped on the eastern Italian Alps. The installation was also designed to produce didactic videos and it may host informative visits. The populace education is essential and should be envisaged in planning any research on hazard mitigation interventions: this new installation responds to this requirement and offers an example of integration between technical and informative needs. The occurrence of a debris flow in 2014 allowed the first tests of a new warning system under development and to record an informative video on its performances. This paper will provide a description of the installation and an account of the first technical and informative results obtained

Role of biomechanical assessment in rotator cuff tear repair: Arthroscopic vs mini-open approach

BACKGROUND Rotator cuff (RC) tears are one of the most frequent pathologies within the shoulder girdle. Hand dominance and older age are associated with RC tears. Two different surgical procedures, the mini-open (MO) and all-arthroscopic (AA) approach, represented the standard of treatment. AIM To compare the clinical and biomechanical outcomes of two surgical techniques (AA vs MO procedure) performed to address the painful shoulder syndrome with partial or total supraspinatus tendon tear. METHODS Eighty-eight participants, 50 following RC repair with AA and 38 with MO approach, were recruited in the present cross-sectional case-control study (ORTHO-SHOULDER, Prot. 0054602). All patients underwent postoperative clinical evaluation for pain (Visual analogic scale), impairment, and disability (disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand) and limitation in daily activity (Constant-Murley score). Patients\u2019 shoulder mobility was also assessed in our Laboratory of Functional Movement through a wearable inertial sensor and surface electromyography to monitor kinematics and muscle activity during the movement on the frontal (abduction/adduction) and sagittal (flexion-extension) planes. RESULTS No statistically significant differences between the two procedures were observed in either main clinical score or range of motion. A significant increase in velocity during the movement execution and a higher contribution of upper trapezius muscles were found in the AA group compared with MO patients. CONCLUSION In terms of clinical scores, our findings were in line with previous results. However, the use of technology-based assessment of shoulder mobility has revealed significant differences between the two techniques in terms of mean velocity and pattern of muscle activation

Renewable energy and energy efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean: constraints and prospects

Includes bibliographySummary In Latin America, energy efficiency and renewable energy offer great potential for reducing the negative effects of the ever-increasing rates of energy consumption associated with economic growth and the move towards more energy-intensive societal models. Despite over two decades of discussions aimed at giving energy efficiency and renewable energy more prominent positions in the energy policies of Latin American countries, little has been achieved so far. The fact that these issues have not been integrated into energy policies reflects, to a certain extent, a failure on the part of public policy making and international cooperation to incorporate sustainable patterns of development. One of the factors underlying this state of affairs has to do with the behaviour of society as a whole. This phenomenon has a number of different facets: (i) individual versus collective behaviour; (ii) a lack of political will on the part of Governments, which is often combined with a lack of knowledge, ideology, perceptions or a lack of public support and the predominance of a liberal economic doctrine that hampers sustainable development in the energy sector; (iii) the market power and dominance wielded by electricity, gas and oil companies; and (iv) changes in the organization of energy production chains, in conjunction with the introduction of pricing and fiscal policies applying to both electrical power and fuels that have various implications for energy efficiency and the market penetration of renewable energy

Platelet Count and Volume and Pharmacological Closure with Paracetamol of Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants

Background: Low platelet count might promote resistance to pharmacological closure with indomethacin and ibuprofen of a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA). However, no studies have investigated if this occurs with paracetamol. Methods: We retrospectively assessed the correlation between platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), and plateletcrit (PCT), as well as the effectiveness of paracetamol in closing hsPDA in infants born at 23+0 –31+6 weeks of gestation who were treated with 15 mg/kg/6 h of i.v. paracetamol for 3 days. Results: We studied 79 infants: 37 (47%) Had closure after a course of paracetamol and 42 (53%) did not. Platelet count and PCT did not correlate with paracetamol success or failure in closing hsPDA, while MPV was lower at birth (10.7 ± 1.4 vs. 9.5 ± 1.1; p < 0.001) and prior to starting therapy (11.7 ± 1.9 vs. 11.0 ± 1.6; p = 0.079) in refractory infants. Regression analysis confirmed that the low MVP measured prior to starting the treatment increased the risk of hsPDA paracetamol closure failure (OR 1.664, 95% CI 1.153–2.401). Conclusions: The greater MPV correlated positively with the effectiveness of paracetamol in closing hsPDA, while platelet count and PCT did not influence closure rates. Additional studies are needed to confirm our results

AMPK Activators as Novel Drug Candidates for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), mainly represented by ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, are chronic and idiopathic diseases of the digestive tract. They incidence and prevalence is raising significantly in both developed and developing countries, thus representing a major challenge for the worldwide healthcare systems. The pharmacological armamentarium for the treatment of IBDs is far from being satisfactory, as the therapeutic success of the available drugs is still limited. Accordingly, the development of novel and effective compounds is highly requested. In this context, the serine/threonine heterotrimeric kinase AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) seems a sound target to strike. Known as the central hub of energy homeostasis in eukaryotic cells, AMPK contributes also to the modulation of immune/inflammatory cell functions. Actually, alterations in AMPK expression and/or activity play a key role in the pathophysiology of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases characterized by abnormal immune cell functions, like IBDs. Moreover, AMPK is able to improve intestinal health by enhancing para-cellular junctions, nutrient transporters, autophagy and apoptosis. Accordingly, AMPK activation represents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of intestinal inflammatory disorders. Here we describe a novel heterocyclic derivative, developed as AMPK activator. Tested in C2C12 myoblast cell lines, our compound significantly increased AMPK activity, in a concentration-dependent manner, turning out to be more effective than the well-known activator acadesine (ACA). Moreover, assayed in a mouse model of acute DNBS-induced colitis, the novel heterocycle displayed a relevant anti-inflammatory efficacy, proving to ameliorate both systemic- and tissue-related inflammatory parameters like body and spleen weight, colon length, macroscopic damage, TNF and MDA levels. Also in this case, our compound turned out to be significantly more active that the known reference ACA, thus imposing itself as a novel and valuable drug candidate for the treatment of IBDs

Copy number variations in candidate genomic regions confirm genetic heterogeneity and parental bias in Hirschsprung disease

Background: Hirschsprung Disease (HSCR) is a congenital defect of the intestinal innervations characterized by complex inheritance. Many susceptibility genes including RET, the major HSCR gene, and several linked regions and associated loci have been shown to contribute to disease pathogenesis. Nonetheless, a proportion of patients still remains unexplained. Copy Number Variations (CNVs) have already been involved in HSCR, and for this reason we performed Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH), using a custom array with high density probes. Results: A total of 20 HSCR candidate regions/genes was tested in 55 sporadic patients and four patients with already known chromosomal aberrations. Among 83 calls, 12 variants were experimentally validated, three of which involving the HSCR crucial genes SEMA3A/3D, NRG1, and PHOX2B. Conversely RET involvement in HSCR does not seem to rely on the presence of CNVs while, interestingly, several gains and losses did co-occur with another RET defect, thus confirming that more than one predisposing event is necessary for HSCR to develop. New loci were also shown to be involved, such as ALDH1A2, already found to play a major role in the enteric nervous system. Finally, all the inherited CNVs were of maternal origin. Conclusions: Our results confirm a wide genetic heterogeneity in HSCR occurrence and support a role of candidate genes in expression regulation and cell signaling, thus contributing to depict further the molecular complexity of the genomic regions involved in the Enteric Nervous System development. The observed maternal transmission bias for HSCR associated CNVs supports the hypothesis that in females these variants might be more tolerated, requiring additional alterations to develop HSCR disease

Derivati a nucleo benzo[d]isotiazol-3(2H)-one-1,1-diossido e loro impiego nel trattamento di tumori

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