Pectoral nerves blocks (PECS) and sedation: A way to avoid general anesthesia in breast surgery - A single institution early experience.

n/

Self-esterified hyaluronan hydrogels: Advancements in the production with positive implications in tissue healing

: Hyaluronan-(HA) short half-life in vivo limits its benefits in tissue repair. Self-esterified-HA is of great interest because it progressively releases HA, promoting tissue-regeneration longer than the unmodified-polymer. Here, the 1-ethyl-3-(3-diethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide(EDC)-hydroxybenzotriazole(HOBt) carboxyl-activating-system was evaluated for self-esterifying HA in the solid state. The aim was to propose an alternative to the time-consuming, conventional reaction of quaternary-ammonium-salts of HA with hydrophobic activating-systems in organic media, and to the EDC-mediated reaction, limited by by-product formation. Additionally, we aimed to obtain derivatives releasing defined molecular-weight(MW)-HA that would be valuable for tissue renewal. A 250 kDa-HA(powder/sponge) was reacted with increasing EDC/HOBt amounts. HA-modification was investigated through Size-Exclusion-Chromatography-Triple-Detector-Array-analyses, FT-IR/1H NMR and the products(XHAs) extensively characterized. Compared to conventional protocols, the set procedure is more efficient, avoids side-reactions, allows for an easier processing to diverse clinically-usable 3D-forms, leads to products gradually releasing HA under physiological conditions with the possibility to tune the MW of the biopolymer-released. Finally, the XHAs exhibit sound stability to Bovine-Testicular-Hyaluronidase, hydration/mechanical properties suitable for wound-dressings, with improvements over available matrices, and prompt in vitro wound-regeneration, comparably to linear-HA. To the best of our knowledge, the procedure is the first valid alternative to conventional protocols for HA self-esterification with advances in the process itself and in product performance

Sterols and Sphingolipids as New Players in Cell Wall Building and Apical Growth of <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i> L. Pollen Tubes

Pollen tubes are tip-growing cells that create safe routes to convey sperm cells to the embryo sac for double fertilization. Recent studies have purified and biochemically characterized detergent-insoluble membranes from tobacco pollen tubes. These microdomains, called lipid rafts, are rich in sterols and sphingolipids and are involved in cell polarization in organisms evolutionarily distant, such as fungi and mammals. The presence of actin in tobacco pollen tube detergent-insoluble membranes and the preferential distribution of these domains on the apical plasma membrane encouraged us to formulate the intriguing hypothesis that sterols and sphingolipids could be a “trait d’union” between actin dynamics and polarized secretion at the tip. To unravel the role of sterols and sphingolipids in tobacco pollen tube growth, we used squalestatin and myriocin, inhibitors of sterol and sphingolipid biosynthesis, respectively, to determine whether lipid modifications affect actin fringe morphology and dynamics, leading to changes in clear zone organization and cell wall deposition, thus suggesting a role played by these lipids in successful fertilization

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Clinical Protocol and Evaluation of Microbiota Immunity Axis

: The fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic transplant of fecal microbiota from healthy donors to patients. This practice is aimed at restoring eubiosis and rebalancing the enteric and systemic immune responses, and then eliminating pathogenic triggers of multiple disease, including neurodegenerative diseases. Alterations of gut microbiota (GM) affect the central nervous system (CNS) health, impacting neuro-immune interactions, synaptic plasticity, myelination, and skeletal muscle function. T-regulatory lymphocytes (Treg) are among the most important players in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), altering the disease course. Along with circulating neuropeptides, other immune cells, and the gut-brain axis, the GM influences immunological tolerance and controls Treg's number and suppressive functions. A double-blind, controlled, multicenter study on FMT in ALS patients has been designed to evaluate if FMT can modulate neuroinflammation, by restoring Treg number, thus modifying disease activity and progression

Parathyroidectomy eliminates arrhythmic risk in primary hyperparathyroidism, as evaluated by exercise test

Objective: To investigate whether parathyroidectomy (PTx) reverses risk factors for arrhythmias related to the QT dynamic changes evaluated during bicycle ergometry exercise test (ET). Methods: Twenty-four postmenopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) (mean age 60.0 +/- 8.4 years) and 30 sex- and age-matched controls underwent ET, echocardiography, and biochemical evaluation. The following stages were considered during ET: rest, peak exercise, and recovery. The patients were randomized to two groups: 12 underwent PTx (group A) and 12 were followed-up conservatively (group B). After 6 months, the patients were studied again. Results: Groups A and B showed no differences in mean baseline biochemical values, echocardiographic parameters, and QTc interval. PHPT patients showed an increased occurrence of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) during ET compared with controls (37.0 vs 6.6%, P=0.03). Serum calcium level was a predictor of VPBs (P=0.05). Mean value of QTc was in the normal range at baseline (group A: 401 +/- 16.9; group B: 402.25 +/- 13.5 ms) but significantly lower than controls (417.8 +/- 25.1 ms, P < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between QTc and calcium values (P=0.03). Physiological reduction of QTc interval from rest to peak exercise was not observed in PHPT patients before surgery. After PTx, group A had a significant reduction in VPBs compared with baseline (at baseline, 5 of 12 vs none of 12 patients after PTx, P=0.03) and a restored normal QT adaptation during ET. Group B showed no significant changes after a 6-month period. Conclusions: PTx reduces the occurrence of VPBs and restored the QTc adaptation during ET

Sotto la lente del genere. La sociologia italiana si racconta

Da quanto tempo e come è tematizzato il Genere nella riflessione sociologica italiana? All'interno di quali tematiche specifiche? Cosa si potrebbe fare per incrementare il peso della prospettiva gender-sensitive nella riflessione teorica, nelle pratiche di insegnamento universitario e di ricerca? Questo volume, nato a partire dalla giornata di studi "Genere, Sociologia, Università" organizzata dalla Sezione AIS-Associazione Italiana di Sociologia "Studi di Genere" nel maggio 2013, cerca di rispondere a queste domande attraverso sia un'analisi della situazione universitaria e del rapporto tra processi formativi e mercato del lavoro, sia mediante un inedito confronto che coinvolge l'Associazione Italiana di Sociologia e le sue Sezioni tematiche

SOTTO LA LENTE DEL GENERE: LA SOCIOLOGIA ITALIANA SI RACCONTA

Da quanto tempo e come è tematizzato il Genere nella riflessione sociologica italiana? All'interno di quali tematiche specifiche? Cosa si potrebbe fare per incrementare il peso della prospettiva gender-sensitive nella riflessione teorica, nelle pratiche di insegnamento universitario e di ricerca? Questo volume, nato a partire dalla giornata di studi "Genere, Sociologia, Università" organizzata dalla Sezione AIS-Associazione Italiana di Sociologia "Studi di Genere" nel maggio 2013, cerca di rispondere a queste domande attraverso sia un'analisi della situazione universitaria e del rapporto tra processi formativi e mercato del lavoro, sia mediante un inedito confronto che coinvolge l'Associazione Italiana di Sociologia e le sue Sezioni tematiche

Sotto la lente del genere. La sociologia italiana si racconta

Da quanto tempo e come \ue8 tematizzato il Genere nella riflessione sociologica italiana? All'interno di quali tematiche specifiche? Cosa si potrebbe fare per incrementare il peso della prospettiva gender-sensitive nella riflessione teorica, nelle pratiche di insegnamento universitario e di ricerca? Questo volume, nato a partire dalla giornata di studi "Genere, Sociologia, Universit\ue0" organizzata dalla Sezione AIS-Associazione Italiana di Sociologia "Studi di Genere" nel maggio 2013, cerca di rispondere a queste domande attraverso sia un'analisi della situazione universitaria e del rapporto tra processi formativi e mercato del lavoro, sia mediante un inedito confronto che coinvolge l'Associazione Italiana di Sociologia e le sue Sezioni tematiche