Efficacia del rinforzo muscolare e degli esercizi di equilibrio in soggetti con instabilita cronica di caviglia: Revisione della letteratura

Introduzione: Circa il 50% delle distorsioni di caviglia si risolvono entro una settimana, ma si possono sviluppare sintomi persistenti come dolore, gonfiore, recidive, percezione di instabilità e ipofunzionalità. Questi sintomi prendono il nome di instabilità cronica di caviglia (CAI). Di solito, il trattamento è conservativo e interviene su diversi aspetti: ROM, forza, propriocezione, equilibrio, funzione senso-motoria e controllo posturale. Obiettivo: Dimostrare e confrontare l’efficacia del rinforzo muscolare e degli esercizi di equilibrio in soggetti con CAI valutando dolore, percezione di instabilità, forza, equilibrio statico e dinamico. Metodi di ricerca: è stata effettuata una ricerca nelle principali banche dati (PubMed, Cinhal, The Cochrane Library e PEDro). La ricerca è stata limitata a RCT pubblicati tra il 01/01/2015 e il 13/07/2019, con full text reperibile in lingua inglese o italiana e con punteggio alla PEDro Scale di almeno 5/10. Negli articoli dovevano figurare come campione i soggetti aventi almeno una CAI; come intervento e controllo almeno due tra esercizi di equilibrio, esercizi di rinforzo muscolare, placebo o nulla; come outcome la riduzione della disabilità. Risultati: 4 studi hanno soddisfatto i criteri di inclusione. Gli interventi analizzati sono l’uso di bande elastiche, di superfici instabili, tecniche PNF, salti e compiti monopodalici. Sono stati considerati come misure di outcome il dolore, la percezione di instabilità, la forza, l’equilibrio statico e dinamico. 3 articoli affermano l’efficacia del trattamento con esercizi di equilibrio, per gli esercizi di rinforzo muscolare 2 la dimostrano e 1 la smentisce. Conclusioni: Gli esercizi di equilibrio si sono dimostrati efficaci nel ridurre la sintomatologia. Sono necessari ulteriori approfondimenti per valutare l’efficacia degli esercizi con elastici, analizzare nel tempo il rischio di nuove distorsioni e sensazioni di instabilità, monitorare il mantenimento dei risultati ottenuti

Germanium wafers for strained quantum wells with low disorder

We grow strained Ge/SiGe heterostructures by reduced-pressure chemical vapor deposition on 100 mm Ge wafers. The use of Ge wafers as substrates for epitaxy enables high-quality Ge-rich SiGe strain-relaxed buffers with a threading dislocation density of (6$\pm$1)$\times$10$^5$ cm$^{-2}$, nearly an order of magnitude improvement compared to control strain-relaxed buffers on Si wafers. The associated reduction in short-range scattering allows for a drastic improvement of the disorder properties of the two-dimensional hole gas, measured in several Ge/SiGe heterostructure field-effect transistors. We measure an average low percolation density of (1.22$\pm$0.03)$\times$10$^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$, and an average maximum mobility of (3.4$\pm$0.1)$\times$10$^{6}$ cm$^2$/Vs and quantum mobility of (8.4$\pm$0.5)$\times$10$^{4}$ cm$^2$/Vs when the hole density in the quantum well is saturated to (1.65$\pm$0.02)$\times$10$^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$. We anticipate immediate application of these heterostructures for next-generation, higher-performance Ge spin-qubits and their integration into larger quantum processors

Ultra-wide bandwidth systems for the surveillance of railway crossing Areas

Level crossings are critical elements of railway networks where a large number of accidents take place every year. With the recent enforcement of new and higher safety standards for railway transportation systems, dedicated and reliable technologies for level crossing surveillance must be introduced in order to comply with the safety requirements. In this survey the worldwide problem of level crossing surveillance is addressed, with particular attention to the recent European safety regulations. In this context, the capability of detecting, localizing, and discriminating the vehicle/obstacle that might be entrapped in a level crossing area is considered of paramount importance to save lives, and at the same time avoid costly false alarms. In this article the main solutions available today are illustrated and their pros and cons discussed. In particular, the recent ultra-wide bandwidth technology, combined with proper signal processing and backhauling over the already deployed optical fiber backbone, is shown to represent a promising solution for safety improvement in level crossings

Shotgun lipidomics and mass spectrometry imaging unveil diversity and dynamics in Gammarus fossarum lipid composition

Sentinel species are playing an indispensable role in monitoring environmental pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Many pollutants found in water prove to be endocrine disrupting chemicals that could cause disruptions in lipid homeostasis in aquatic species. A comprehensive profiling of the lipidome of these species is thus an essential step toward understanding the mechanism of toxicity induced by pollutants. Both the composition and spatial distribution of lipids in freshwater crustacean Gammarus fossarum were extensively examined herein. The baseline lipidome of gammarids of different sex and reproductive stages was established by high throughput shotgun lipidomics. Spatial lipid mapping by high resolution mass spectrometry imaging led to the discovery of sulfate-based lipids in hepato-pancreas and their accumulation in mature oocytes. A diverse and dynamic lipid composition in G. fossarum was uncovered, which deepens our understanding of the biochemical changes during development and which could serve as a reference for future ecotoxicological studies.Approches Protéomique et Lipidomique pour la compréhension des mécanismes moléculaires de toxicité en lien avec l'altération du métabolisme lipidique chez l'espèce sentinelle Gammarus fossarum durant le cycle de reproductio

Mitochondrial Roles and Cytoprotection in Chronic Liver Injury

The liver is one of the richest organs in terms of number and density of mitochondria. Most chronic liver diseases are associated with the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. Hepatic mitochondria have unique features compared to other organs' mitochondria, since they are the hub that integrates hepatic metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Mitochondria are also essential in hepatocyte survival as mediator of apoptosis and necrosis. Hepatocytes have developed different mechanisms to keep mitochondrial integrity or to prevent the effects of mitochondrial lesions, in particular regulating organelle biogenesis and degradation. In this paper, we will focus on the role of mitochondria in liver physiology, such as hepatic metabolism, reactive oxygen species homeostasis and cell survival. We will also focus on chronic liver pathologies, especially those linked to alcohol, virus, drugs or metabolic syndrome and we will discuss how mitochondria could provide a promising therapeutic target in these contexts

Fine Tuning of the Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based PHB/Nanofibrillated Cellulose Biocomposites to Prevent Implant Failure Due to the Bone/Implant Stress Shielding Effect

A significant mechanical properties mismatch between natural bone and the material forming the orthopedic implant device can lead to its failure due to the inhomogeneous loads distribution, resulting in less dense and more fragile bone tissue (known as the stress shielding effect). The addition of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) to biocompatible and bioresorbable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is proposed in order to tailor the PHB mechanical properties to different bone types. Specifically, the proposed approach offers an effective strategy to develop a supporting material, suitable for bone tissue regeneration, where stiffness, mechanical strength, hardness, and impact resistance can be tuned. The desired homogeneous blend formation and fine-tuning of PHB mechanical properties have been achieved thanks to the specific design and synthesis of a PHB/PEG diblock copolymer that is able to compatibilize the two compounds. Moreover, the typical high hydrophobicity of PHB is significantly reduced when NFC is added in presence of the developed diblock copolymer, thus creating a potential cue for supporting bone tissue growth. Hence, the presented outcomes contribute to the medical community development by translating the research results into clinical practice for designing bio-based materials for prosthetic devices

Further Step in the Transition from Conventional Plasticizers to Versatile Bioplasticizers Obtained by the Valorization of Levulinic Acid and Glycerol

Valorization of glycerol and levulinicacid by a solvent-freeand mild-condition reaction to obtain a high-efficiency bioplasticizersuitable for different polymers.In the last two decades,the use of phthalates has beenrestrictedworldwide due to their well-known toxicity. Nonetheless, phthalatesare still widely used for their versatility, high plasticization effect,low cost, and lack of valuable alternatives. This study presents thefully bio-based and versatile glycerol trilevulinate plasticizer (GT)that was obtained by the valorization of glycerol and levulinic acid.The mild-conditions and solvent-free esterification used to synthesizeGT was optimized by investigating the product by Fourier transforminfrared and NMR spectroscopy. An increasing content of GT, from 10to 40 parts by weight per hundred parts of resin (phr), was testedwith poly(vinyl chloride), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(lactic acid), and poly(caprolactone),which typically present complicatedprocessability and/or mechanical properties. GT produced a significantplasticization effect on both amorphous and semicrystalline polymers,reducing their glass-transition temperature and stiffness, as observedby differential scanning calorimetry measurements and tensile tests.Remarkably, GT also decreased both the melting temperature and crystallinitydegree of semicrystalline polymers. Furthermore, GT underwent enzyme-mediatedhydrolysis to its initial constituents, envisioning a promising prospectivefor environmental safety and upcycling. Furthermore, 50% inhibitoryconcentration (IC50) tests, using mouse embryo fibroblasts,proved that GT is an unharmful alternative plasticizer, which makesit potentially applicable in the biomedical field