The use of skin traction in the adult patients with proximal femur fracture. What are the effects, advantages and disadvantages? A scoping review

Background: Hip surgery is normally the chosen therapy for proximal femur fractures. Surgery within 24–48 h after hip fracture is recommended, but surgery may not always be performed promptly. Consequently, skin-traction is applied to reduce complications. The purpose of this review is to assess both advantages and disadvantages of skin traction. Methods: A scoping review was conducted. The research question was: which are the effects of skin traction, its advantages and disadvantages in adult patients with proximal femur fractures hospitalised in orthopaedic wards? The search was done in the databases PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, DOAJ, ClinicalTrials.gov and OpenDissertation. Results: 9 records were included, skin traction effects were summarised in 7 categories: pain, pressure sores, comfort and relaxation, thromboembolism, damage from adhesive, complications and quality of care. The possible advantage is pain reduction between 24 and 60 h, the possible disadvantage is skin damage. Discussion and conclusion: The routine use of skin traction does not appear recommended, but more consistent evidence is necessary to make clinic decisions. Future RCTs could focus on the effects of skin traction 24–60 h after hospitalisation and before surgery

Aldehyde dehydrogenases and prostate cancer: Shedding light on isoform distribution to reveal druggable target

Prostate cancer represents the most common malignancy diagnosed in men, and is the second-leading cause of cancer death in this population. In spite of dedicated efforts, the current therapies are rarely curative, requiring the development of novel approaches based on innovative molecular targets. In this work, we validated aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 and 1A3 isoform expressions in different prostatic tissue-derived cell lines (normal, benign and malignant) and patient-derived primary prostate tumor epithelial cells, demonstrating their potential for therapeutic intervention using a small library of aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors. Compound 3b, 6-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-phenylimidazo [1,2-a]pyridine exhibited not only antiproliferative activity in the nanomolar range against the P4E6 cell line, derived from localized prostate cancer, and PC3 cell lines, derived from prostate cancer bone metastasis, but also inhibitory efficacy against PC3 colony-forming efficiency. Considering its concomitant reduced activity against normal prostate cells, 3b has the potential as a lead compound to treat prostate cancer by means of a still untapped molecular target

Nonlinear integral equations for finite volume excited state energies of the O(3) and O(4) nonlinear sigma-models

We propose nonlinear integral equations for the finite volume one-particle energies in the O(3) and O(4) nonlinear sigma-models. The equations are written in terms of a finite number of components and are therefore easier to solve numerically than the infinite component excited state TBA equations proposed earlier. Results of numerical calculations based on the nonlinear integral equations and the excited state TBA equations agree within numerical precision.Comment: numerical results adde

Acute kidney injury and acute kidney disease in high-dose cisplatin-treated head and neck cancer

Background: In locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-SCCHN) at least 200mg/m2 (standard dose 300 mg/m2) of cisplatin concomitant with radiotherapy represents the standard of care, both in postoperative and conservative settings. Nevertheless, high dose administration every 3 weeks is often replaced with low dose weekly cisplatin to avoid toxicities like kidney injury, though often failing to reach the therapeutic dose. Our aim was to investigate the incidence of renal impairment in the real-life setting, integrating high dose cisplatin with adequate supportive therapy, and to explore both Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Acute Kidney Disease (AKD), a recently described clinical renal syndrome that encompasses functional alterations of the kidney lasting fewer than 3 months. Methods: One hundred and nine consecutive patients affected by LA-SCCHN and treated with at least a cumulative dosage of 200 mg/m2 of cisplatin concomitant with radiotherapy were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Results: AKI was reported in 12.8% of patients, 50% of whom were stage 1 (KDIGO criteria), while 25.7% of the cohort developed AKD. Patients with baseline estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) < 90 ml/min showed a higher incidence of AKD (36.2% vs 17.7%). Hypertension, baseline eGFR, and therapy with Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors proved to be significant factors associated with both AKI and AKD. Conclusion: AKI and AKD are not rare complications of high-dose cisplatin, but an appropriate prevention strategy and accurate monitoring of patients during treatment could lead to a reduction of the burden of these conditions

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

Evaluation of microbial consortia and chemical changes in spontaneous maize bran fermentation

Sustainable exploitation of agro-industrial by-products has attracted great interest in cereal bran valorization. In this research, a polyphasic approach has been carried out to characterize maize bran at microbiological and chemical level during a sourdough like fermentation process, in order to enhance its technological and nutritional properties. Autochthonous microbiota was isolated at different refreshment steps and subjected to identification and molecular characterization. Fermentation was characterized by a rapid increase in lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, with a co-dominance, at the initial stage, of Weissella spp., Pediococcus spp. and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. At the end of the fermentation, a natural selection was produced, with the prevalence of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Kazachstania unispora. This is the first time that a specific association between LAB and yeasts is reported, during the maize bran fermentation process. Enzymatic activities related to this microbial consortium promoted a \u201cdestructuration\u201d of the fiber fraction, an increase in soluble dietary fiber and a reduction of phytic acid content. Our data also evidenced a noticeable increment in ferulic acid. The results obtained indicate that fermentation processes represent an efficient biotechnological approach to increase nutritional and functional potential of maize bran. Moreover, the characterization of microbiota involved in natural fermentation process will allow the selection of specific biotypes, with appropriate metabolic and enzymatic activities, to conduct \u201ctailored\u201d fermentation processes and improve brans or whole-meal flours from both nutritional and technological points of view

Urokinase Plasminogen Receptor and the Fibrinolytic Complex Play a Role in Nerve Repair after Nerve Crush in Mice, and in Human Neuropathies

Remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a critical step in peripheral nerve regeneration. In fact, in human neuropathies, endoneurial ECM enriched in fibrin and vitronectin associates with poor regeneration and worse clinical prognosis. Accordingly in animal models, modification of the fibrinolytic complex activity has profound effects on nerve regeneration: high fibrinolytic activity and low levels of fibrin correlate with better nerve regeneration. The urokinase plasminogen receptor (uPAR) is a major component of the fibrinolytic complex, and binding to urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) promotes fibrinolysis and cell movement. uPAR is expressed in peripheral nerves, however, little is known on its potential function on nerve development and regeneration. Thus, we investigated uPAR null mice and observed that uPAR is dispensable for nerve development, whereas, loss of uPAR affects nerve regeneration. uPAR null mice showed reduced nerve repair after sciatic nerve crush. This was a consequence of reduced fibrinolytic activity and increased deposition of endoneurial fibrin and vitronectin. Exogenous fibrinolysis in uPAR null mice rescued nerve repair after sciatic nerve crush. Finally, we measured the fibrinolytic activity in sural nerve biopsies from patients with peripheral neuropathies. We showed that neuropathies with defective regeneration had reduced fibrinolytic activity. On the contrary, neuropathies with signs of active regeneration displayed higher fibrinolytic activity. Overall, our results suggest that enforced fibrinolysis may facilitate regeneration and outcome of peripheral neuropathies

Extending a mobile device with low-cost 3D modeling and building-scale mapping capabilities, for application in architecture and archaeology

One of the most challenging problem in architecture is the automated construction of 3D (and 4D) digital models of cultural objects with the aim of implementing open data repositories, scientifically authenticated and responding to well accepted standards of validation, evaluation, preservation, publication, updating and dissemination. The realization of such an ambitious objective requires the adoption of special technological instruments. In this paper we plan to use portable devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets or PDAs eventually extended to wearable ones), extended with a small plug-in, for automatically extracting 3D models of single objects and building-scale mapping of the surrounding environment. At the same time, the device will provide the capability of inserting notes and observations. Where the instrument cannot be directly applied, for example for exploring the top of a complex building, we consider mounting our device, or using equivalent existing equipment, on a drone, in a modular approach for obtaining data de-facto interchangeable. The approach based on the expansion packs has the advantage of anticipating (or even promoting) future extensions of new mobile devices, when the spectrum of possible applications justify the corresponding increased costs. In order to experiment and verify this approach we plan to test it in two specific scenarios of the cultural heritage domain in which such devices seem particularly promising: Strada Nuova in Genoa and Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, both located in Italy

A tenuis relationship: traditional taxonomy obscures systematics and biogeography of the ‘Acropora tenuis’ (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) species complex

Molecular phylogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of corals. Recently developed phylogenomic techniques have started to resolve species-level relationships in the diverse and ecologically important genus Acropora, providing a path to resolve the taxonomy of this notoriously problematic group. We used a targeted capture dataset (2032 loci) to investigate systematic relationships within an Acropora clade containing the putatively widespread species Acropora tenuis and its relatives. Using maximum likelihood phylogenies and genetic clustering of single nucleotide polymorphisms from specimens, including topotypes, collected across the Indo-Pacific, we show ≥ 11 distinct lineages in the clade, only four of which correspond to currently accepted species. Based on molecular, morphological and geographical evidence, we describe two new species; Acropora rongoi n. sp. and Acropora tenuissima n. sp. and remove five additional nominal species from synonymy. Systematic relationships revealed by our molecular phylogeny are incongruent with traditional morphological taxonomy and demonstrate that characters traditionally used to delineate species boundaries and infer evolutionary history are homoplasies. Furthermore, we show that species within this clade have much smaller geographical ranges and, consequently, population sizes than currently thought, a finding with profound implications for conservation and management of reef corals