Building Information Communication Technology Infrastructures for Economic Development

This paper analyzes the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructures on economic development through a statistical analysis of data from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and a policy analysis of the Workforce Investment Act and Ben Franklin Technology Partners programs in Pennsylvania. In the analysis of Saint Vincent, significant relationships were found between all aspects of ICT programs and a variety of measures of economic development, with the extent of Internet subscribers showing the greatest impact. The analysis of the Pennsylvania programs found that technology-oriented workforce education programs are only successful when there is a demand for related labor skills in the job market. The overall recommendation of this paper is to continue ICT development initiatives while also developing policies that promote collaboration between the public and private sectors, promote development of new technology-based businesses, and assess technology-oriented labor needs

Small diameter vascular grafts coated with gelatin

In the field of tissue engineering, there is an increased demand for small diameter vascular grafts to treat peripheral vascular pathologies and ischemic heart diseases. The limited availability of suitable autogenous veins and the drawbacks related to the use of synthetic materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron\uc2\uae) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), especially when they are used as substitutes for small diameter vessels, have attracted several investigators turning their attention toward the fabrication of alternative biocompatible grafts. In this study, small diameter tubular grafts (2 mm), made of poly (\ucf\ub5-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) at a ratio of 1:1 (v/v) were obtained by electrospinning. With the aim to reduce water permeability, their surface was modified by dynamic coating of gelatin at 37 \uc2\ub0C for 1 h, followed by UV-irradiation. Thickness, fiber diameters, porosity, mass loss, fluid uptake, water permeability, gelatin release, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity, and hemocompatibility of gelatin-coated electrospun scaffolds (GCS) were studied and compared with uncoated scaffolds (UCS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the gelatin surface modification did not affect the 3D structure and pore interconnectivity of the scaffolds. A significant decrease in the water permeability was noticed when gelatin was used as coating agent. The results of this study highlighted the importance of a very low cost surface treatment with gelatin to improve the properties of PCL:PGS electrospun grafts. In conclusion, these gelatin-coated prostheses could be considered as a good candidate for vascular replacement in tissue engineering

Impact of leg bending in the patient-specific computational fluid dynamics of popliteal stenting

Abstract Endovascular treatment of the femoro-popliteal artery has recently become a valuable therapeutic option for popliteal arterial aneurysms. However, its efficacy remains controversial due to the relatively high rate of complications, such as stent occlusion as result of intra-stent thrombosis. The elucidation of the interplay among vessel geometrical features, local hemodynamics, and leg bending seems crucial to understand onset and progression of popliteal intra-stent thrombosis. To this aim, patient-specific computational fluid dynamic simulations were performed in order to assess the intra-stent hemodynamics of two patients endovascularly treated for popliteal arterial aneurysm by stent-grafts and experiencing intra-stent thrombosis. Both Newtonian and non-Newtonian blood rheological models were considered. Results were presented in terms of tortuosity, luminal area exposed to low ( 1.5 Pa) time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), area exposed to high (> 0.3) oscillatory shear index (OSI), and flow helicity. Study outcomes demonstrated that leg bending induced significant hemodynamic differences (> 50% increase) in both patients for all the considered variables, except for OSI in one of the two considered patients. In both leg configurations, stent-graft overlapping induced a severe discontinuity of the lumen diameter where the proximal stented zone is characterized by low tortuosity, low velocity, low helicity, low TAWSS, and high OSI; while the distal part has higher tortuosity, velocity, helicity, TAWSS, and lower OSI. Sensitivity study on applied boundary conditions showed that the different inlet velocity profiles for a given inlet waveform affect slightly the numerical solution; conversely, the shape and magnitude of the prescribed inlet waveform is determinant. Focusing on the comparison between the Newtonian and non-Newtonian blood models, the area with low TAWSS is greater in the Newtonian model for both patients, while no significant difference occurs between the surfaces with high TAWSS. GraphicAbstract Patient-specific computational fluid dynamic simulations were performed in order to assess the intra-stent hemodynamics of two patients endovascularly treated for popliteal arterial aneurysm and experiencing intra-stent thrombosis. Both Newtonian and non-Newtonian blood rheological models were considered. In both straight and bent leg configurations, stent-graft overlapping induced a severe discontinuity of the lumen diameter where the proximal stented zone is characterized by low tortuosity, low velocity, low helicity, low time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), and high oscillatory index (OSI); while the distal part has higher tortuosity, velocity, helicity, TAWSS, and lower OSI

Patient-specific computational fluid dynamics of femoro-popliteal stent-graft thrombosis

Intra-stent thrombosis is one of the major failure modes of popliteal aneurysm endovascular repair, especially when the diseased arterial segment is long and requires overlapping stent-grafts having different nominal diameters in order to accommodate the native arterial tapering. However, the interplay between stent sizing, post-operative arterial tortuosity, luminal diameter, local hemodynamics, and thrombosis onset is not elucidated, yet. In the present study, a popliteal aneurysm was treated with endovascular deployment of two overlapped stent-grafts, showing intra-stent thrombosis at one-year follow-up examination. Patient-specific computational fluid-dynamics analyses including straight- and bent-leg position were performed. The computational fluid-dynamics analysis showed that the overlapping of the stent-grafts induces a severe discontinuity of lumen, dividing the stented artery in two regions: the proximal part, affected by thrombosis, is characterized by larger diameter, low tortuosity, low flow velocity, low helicity, and low wall shear stress; the distal part presents higher tortuosity and smaller lumen diameter promoting higher flow velocity, higher helicity, and higher wall shear stress. Moreover, leg bending induces an overall increase of arterial tortuosity and reduces flow velocity promoting furtherly the luminal area exposed to low wall shear stress

Operating Parameters Optimization for the Production of Liposomes Loaded with Antibodies Using a Supercritical Fluid-Assisted Process

Encapsulation of antibodies represents a significant advance to protect and deliver these therapeutics in a controlled manner, increasing the stability requested to cover the temporal gap between particle production and their administration. Furthermore, using encapsulation, extracellular, cell surface, and intracellular targets can be reached. This work examines the feasibility of encapsulating mouse IgG isotype control antibodies within phosphatidylcholine-based liposomes using a supercritical fluid-based process called SuperLip (Supercritical-assisted Liposome formation). This process allows a continuous production of both nano- and micrometric liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency working under mild operative conditions. The effect of some operative parameters has been studied on liposome mean diameter, particle size distribution, and antibody entrapment efficiency, comparing these data with those collected working with liposomes obtained by the thin-layer hydration technique. In particular, the effect of water flow rate and of the antibody loading were studied. Antibody-loaded liposomes with mean diameters in the range between 205 and 501 nm have been obtained by using a supercritical fluid-assisted process. High entrapment efficiencies up to 94% have been calculated

The development of a new blood substitute

Trattasi di un sommario pubblicato online nel sito dell'Agenzia di divulgazione scientifica Atlas of Science, AoS Nordic AB, Moscow, Russia, riguardante l'impiego di nuovi sostituti del sangu

Mapping tissue microstructure across the human brain on a clinical scanner with soma and neurite density image metrics

Soma and neurite density image (SANDI) is an advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging biophysical signal model devised to probe in vivo microstructural information in the gray matter (GM). This model requires acquisitions that include b values that are at least six times higher than those used in clinical practice. Such high b values are required to disentangle the signal contribution of water diffusing in soma from that diffusing in neurites and extracellular space, while keeping the diffusion time as short as possible to minimize potential bias due to water exchange. These requirements have limited the use of SANDI only to preclinical or cutting‐edge human scanners. Here, we investigate the potential impact of neglecting water exchange in the SANDI model and present a 10‐min acquisition protocol that enables to characterize both GM and white matter (WM) on 3 T scanners. We implemented analytical simulations to (i) evaluate the stability of the fitting of SANDI parameters when diminishing the number of shells; (ii) estimate the bias due to potential exchange between neurites and extracellular space in such reduced acquisition scheme, comparing it with the bias due to experimental noise. Then, we demonstrated the feasibility and assessed the repeatability and reproducibility of our approach by computing microstructural metrics of SANDI with AMICO toolbox and other state‐of‐the‐art models on five healthy subjects. Finally, we applied our protocol to five multiple sclerosis patients. Results suggest that SANDI is a practical method to characterize WM and GM tissues in vivo on performant clinical scanners

Anti-Apolipoprotein A-1 auto-antibodies are active mediators of atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability

Aims Anti-Apolipoprotein A-1 auto-antibodies (anti-ApoA-1 IgG) represent an emerging prognostic cardiovascular marker in patients with myocardial infarction or autoimmune diseases associated with high cardiovascular risk. The potential relationship between anti-ApoA-1 IgG and plaque vulnerability remains elusive. Thus, we aimed to investigate the role of anti-ApoA-1 IgG in plaque vulnerability. Methods and results Potential relationship between anti-ApoA-1 IgG and features of cardiovascular vulnerability was explored both in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, we investigated anti-ApoA-1 IgG in patients with severe carotid stenosis (n = 102) and in ApoE−/− mice infused with polyclonal anti-ApoA-1 IgG. In vitro, anti-ApoA-1 IgG effects were assessed on human primary macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils. Intraplaque collagen was decreased, while neutrophil and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9 content were increased in anti-ApoA-1 IgG-positive patients and anti-ApoA-1 IgG-treated mice when compared with corresponding controls. In mouse aortic roots (but not in abdominal aortas), treatment with anti-ApoA-1 IgG was associated with increased lesion size when compared with controls. In humans, serum anti-ApoA-1 IgG levels positively correlated with intraplaque macrophage, neutrophil, and MMP-9 content, and inversely with collagen. In vitro, anti-ApoA-1 IgG increased macrophage release of CCL2, CXCL8, and MMP-9, as well as neutrophil migration towards TNF-α or CXCL8. Conclusion These results suggest that anti-ApoA-1 IgG might be associated with increased atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability in humans and mic

Hypo- and Hyper-Virulent Listeria monocytogenes Clones Persisting in Two Different Food Processing Plants of Central Italy

A total of 66 Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) isolated from 2013 to 2018 in a small-scale meat processing plant and a dairy facility of Central Italy were studied. Whole Genome Sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to assess the genetic relationships between the strains and investigate persistence and virulence abilities. The biofilm forming-ability was assessed in vitro. Cluster analysis grouped the Lm from the meat plant into three main clusters: two of them, both belonging to CC9, persisted for years in the plant and one (CC121) was isolated in the last year of sampling. In the dairy facility, all the strains grouped in a CC2 four-year persistent cluster. All the studied strains carried multidrug efflux-pumps genetic determinants (sugE, mdrl, lde, norM, mepA). CC121 also harbored the Tn6188 specific for tolerance to Benzalkonium Chloride. Only CC9 and CC121 carried a Stress Survival Islet and presented high-level cadmium resistance genes (cadA1C1) carried by different plasmids. They showed a greater biofilm production when compared with CC2. All the CC2 carried a full-length inlA while CC9 and CC121 presented a Premature Stop Codon mutation correlated with less virulence. The hypo-virulent clones CC9 and CC121 appeared the most adapted to food-processing environments; however, even the hyper-virulent clone CC2 warningly persisted for a long time. The identification of the main mechanisms promoting Lm persistence in a specific food processing plant is important to provide recommendations to Food Business Operators (FBOs) in order to remove or reduce resident Lm