Postural control data from prevalent kidney transplant patients with and without history of falls

From Elsevier via Jisc Publications RouterItem not available in this repository.This article presents data from a research paper entitled “Postural balance, muscle strength, and history of falls in end-stage renal disease patients living with a kidney transplant: a cross-sectional study” available in Journal Gait and Posture [1]. In this article, we reported the minimal detectable changes at the 95% level of confidence (MDC95) of postural balance variables measured in eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions, with a stabilometric platform, in 59 kidney transplant (KT) recipients (mean age= 53.2 ± 11 years). In addition, we also performed receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to explore the ability of postural balance measures to discriminate fallers and non-fallers (history of falls: yes or no). Sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of mean center of pressure velocity (CoPv), sway area (SA), center of pressure range of displacement in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions were calculated. These data can be used by researchers aiming to design psychometric studies of postural balance in KT patients and they also provide clinicians with information on possible prioritization of outcome assessment for future fall-risk research in this clinical population.31pubpu

Digital for Heritage and Museums: Design-Driven Changes and Challenges

In the recent decade, cultural institutions have increasingly embraced digital technologies as key resources for accomplishing their mission and innovating their cultural activities. In the present work, we attempt to disentangle through a design-driven and multidisciplinary approach the challenges brought by digital transformation in the cultural heritage sector. A diversified research team has thus been involved to include scholars with different backgrounds around the common phenomenon of investigation of Digital (Cultural) Heritage, under the Design Think Thank project. The Introduction is followed by a Methodological section, which outlines the approach to select and review case studies from the exploratory literature for producing a state-of-the-art report and delineates the methodology to map the main user behaviours and needs in the digital experience of CH throughout the value chain. The research team identified three relevant and major themes for the investigation which are addressed in the Literature Review Section through the lenses of design research and practices; simultaneously, design knowledge emerges to have an agency in the transformation. The following section tries to triangulate the results from the literature review, and the mapping of users and stakeholders throughout the cultural institutions value chain, to track and highlight their role and interest in changing heritage panorama. The contribution of the present work wishes to consolidate the results gathered in the first phases of the TT, providing the design community of academics and practitioners with a theoretical contribution about digital changes and challenges of heritage and museums based on a design perspective

Hepatic pseudocystic metastasis of well-differentiated ileal neuroendocrine tumor: a case report with review of the literature

ABSTRACT: Imaging appearance of cyst-like changes is most frequently described in primary neuroendocrine lesions, especially pancreatic NETs. The imaging finding of a pseudocystic lesion of the liver puts in differential diagnosis many pathologies such as infectious diseases, simple biliary cysts up to biliary cystadenomas and eventually to primary or metastatic malignancies. Primary or metastatic hepatic malignancies with pseudocystic aspects are rare, and a pseudocystic aspect is reported only after neo-adjuvant treatment. Liver metastasis of untreated neuroendocrine tumors are usually solid and, to our knowledge, only two cases of neuroendocrine cystic hepatic metastases of ileal atypical carcinoids have been reported so far. We present a case of a 67 years old man with synchronous finding of an untreated hepatic pseudocystic lesion and an ileal mass histologically diagnosed as a well differentiated (G1) neuroendocrine tumor. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1443883503102967

Herpetic Pneumonia in Indian Ringneck Parrots (Psittacula krameri): First Report of Novel Psittacid Alphaherpesvirus-5 Infection in Europe

Simple Summary Herpesviridae is a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect many different animal species. Herpesvirus infections are common in avian species and, to date, three different alphaherpesvirus species have been recognized as causative agents of disease in Psittaciformes. However, there are reports of respiratory disease in parrots characterized by the presence of distinctive herpes-related histologic lesions, albeit with no identified etiology. Our study acknowledges the unprecedented presence of the novel Psittacid alphaherpesvirus-5 in Europe. Necropsy was performed on Indian ringneck parrots deceased after severe respiratory distress and diagnosis was achieved through histological examination, visualization of the virions by electron microscopy and genome sequencing. The pathogen has been reported only once in Australia and the present report raises the probability that its distribution is wider and it should be included in the list of pathogens threatening parrot populations. The first two European outbreaks of herpetic pneumonia caused by Psittacid alphaherpesvirus-5 were diagnosed based on gross pathology findings, histological examination, transmission electron microscopy visualization and genome sequencing. The outbreaks, characterized by high morbidity and high mortality rates, involved two parrot species, namely the Indian ringneck parrot (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria). Clinical signs observed were ruffled feathers, dyspnea, tail bobbing, open wings while breathing, depression and anorexia. Necropsy was performed on Indian ringneck parrots only, and the most evident and serious gross lesion found in all the birds was a diffuse marked consolidation of the lungs associated with parenchyma congestion and oedema. Histological examination confirmed the existence of bronchopneumonia characterized by the presence of syncytial cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies. In one bird, fibrinous airsacculitis was observed as well. Lung tissue inspection through electron microscopy revealed the presence of virus particles resembling herpesviruses. Viral DNA was extracted, amplified using primers for Alloherpesviridae DNA polymerase gene detection, and then sequenced. BLAST analysis showed a 100% identity with the only previously reported sequence of PsHV-5 (MK955929.1)

Nordic Walking can be incorporated in the exercise prescription to increase aerobic capacity, strength and quality of life for elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize and analyze the effects of Nordic Walking on physical fitness, body composition and quality of life in the elderly. METHODS: keyword "Nordic Walking" associated with "elderly" AND/OR "aging" AND/OR "old subjects" AND/OR "aged" AND/OR "older adults" were used in the onlines database Medline, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus. Only studies written in English language and published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. A meta-analysis was performed and effect sizes calculated. RESULTS: 15 studies were identified; age of participants ranged from 60 to 92 years old. Comparing with a sedentary group, effect sizes showed that Nordic Walking was able to improve dynamic balance (0.30), functional balance (0.62), muscle strength of upper (0.66) and lower limbs (0.43), aerobic capacity (0.92), cardiovascular outcomes (0.23), body composition (0.30) and lipid profile (0.67). It seemed that Nordic Walking had a negative effect on static balance (-0.72). Comparing with a walking (alone) training, effect sizes showed that Nordic Walking improved the dynamic balance (0.30), flexibility of the lower body (0.47) and quality of life (0.53). Walking training was more effective in improving aerobic capacity (-0.21). Comparing Nordic Walking with resistance training, effect sizes showed that Nordic Walking improved dynamic balance (0.33), muscle strength of the lower body (0.39), aerobic capacity (0.75), flexibility of the upper body (0.41), and the quality of life (0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Nordic Walking can be considered as a safe and accessible form of aerobic exercise for the elderly population, able to improve cardiovascular outcomes, muscle strength, balance ability and quality of life

Reliability of an isometric and isokinetic strength testing protocol of the knee and ankle in young adults

Background: Isokinetic dynamometers are becoming very common in assessing muscle strength and pathology, both in research and clinical practice, but for most of those devices reliability studies are still needed to support their extended use. The aim of this study is to assess the test-retest reliability also in health adults. Methods: Thirty adults (13 male and 17 females; mean age 25.4 ± 2.7 years) were recruited among University students. They participated to two testing sessions (7 day apart) in which they performed isokinetic and isometric strength assessment of the knee and ankle flexion and extension. Results: All variable showed an Intra-class correlation coefficient higher than 0.7 (isometric knee extension 0.96; isokinetic knee extension 0.96; isokinetic knee flexion 0.97; isometric ankle right flexion pl and flexion do 0.75-0.96; isometric ankle left flexion pl and flexion do 0.78-0.97; isokinetic ankle right flexion pl and flexion do 0.88-0.73; isokinetic ankle right flexion pl and flexion do 0.88-0.85) and paired-sample t-test showed no significant difference. Moreover, most of the recorded values were included within the upper and lower limits of agreement. Conclusion: Multi-joint evaluation system is a reliable device to assess knee and ankle isokinetic and isometric strength among healthy adults

Hoverspill: a new amphibious vehicle for responding in difficult-to-access sites

Oil spill experience often shows that response activities are hampered due to the absence of operative autonomous support capable of reaching particular sites or operate in safe and efficient conditions in areas such as saltmarshes, mudflats, river banks, cliff bottoms… This is the purpose of the so-called FP7 Hoverspill project (www.hoverspill.eu), a 3-year European project that recently reached completion: to design and build a small-size amphibious vehicle designed to ensure rapid oil spill response. The result is an air-cushion vehicle (ACV), known as Hoverspill, based on the innovative MACP (Multipurpose Air Cushion Platform) developed by Hovertech and SOA. It is a completely amphibious vehicle capable of working on land and on water, usable as a pontoon in floating conditions. Its compactness makes it easy to transport by road. The project also included the design and building of a highly effective integrated O/W Turbylec separator developed by YLEC. Spill response equipment will be loaded on-board based on a modular concept enabling the vehicle to carry out specific tasks with just the required equipmen

A circular RNA map for human induced pluripotent stem cells of foetal origin

Background Adult skin fibroblasts represent the most common starting cell type used to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (F-hiPSC) for clinical studies. Yet, a foetal source would offer unique advantages, primarily the absence of accumulated somatic mutations. Herein, we generated hiPSC from cord blood multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC-hiPSC) and compared them with F-hiPSC. Assessment of the full activation of the pluripotency gene regulatory network (PGRN) focused on circular RNA (circRNA), recently proposed to participate in the control of pluripotency. Methods Reprogramming was achieved by a footprint-free strategy. Self-renewal and pluripotency of cord blood MSC-hiPSC were investigated in vitro and in vivo, compared to parental MSC, to embryonic stem cells and to F-hiPSC. High-throughput array-based approaches and bioinformatics analyses were applied to address the PGRN. • View related content for this article Findings Cord blood MSC-hiPSC successfully acquired a complete pluripotent identity. Functional comparison with F-hiPSC showed no differences in terms of i) generation of mesenchymal-like derivatives, ii) their subsequent adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic commitment, and iii) their hematopoietic support ability. At the transcriptional level, specific subsets of mRNA, miRNA and circRNA (n = 4,429) were evidenced, casting a further layer of complexity on the PGRN regulatory crosstalk. Interpretation A circRNA map of transcripts associated to naïve and primed pluripotency is provided for hiPSC of clinical-grade foetal origin, offering insights on still unreported regulatory circuits of the PGRN to consider for the optimization and development of efficient differentiation protocols for clinical translation

Combined Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Lung: Integrative Molecular Analysis Identifies Subtypes with Potential Therapeutic Implications

Combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (CoLCNEC) is given by the association of LCNEC with adeno or squamous or any non-neuroendocrine carcinoma. Molecular bases of CoLCNEC pathogenesis are scant and no standardized therapies are defined

Chronic kidney disease, severe arterial and arteriolar sclerosis and kidney neoplasia: on the spectrum of kidney involvement in MELAS syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MELAS syndrome (MIM ID#540000), an acronym for Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis and Stroke-like episodes, is a genetically heterogeneous mitochondrial disorder with protean manifestations and occasional kidney involvement. Interest in the latter is rising due to the identification of cases with predominant kidney involvement and to the hypothesis of a link between mitochondrial DNA and kidney neoplasia.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 41-year-old male with full blown MELAS syndrome, with lactic acidosis and neurological impairment, affected by the "classic" 3243A > G mutation of mitochondrial DNA, with kidney cancer. After unilateral nephrectomy, he rapidly developed severe kidney functional impairment, with nephrotic proteinuria. Analysis of the kidney tissue at a distance from the two tumor lesions, sampled at the time of nephrectomy was performed in the context of normal blood pressure, recent onset of diabetes and before the appearance of proteinuria. The morphological examination revealed a widespread interstitial fibrosis with dense inflammatory infiltrate and tubular atrophy, mostly with thyroidization pattern. Vascular lesions were prominent: large vessels displayed marked intimal fibrosis and arterioles had hyaline deposits typical of hyaline arteriolosclerosis. These severe vascular lesions explained the different glomerular alterations including ischemic and obsolescent glomeruli, as is commonly observed in the so-called "benign" arteriolonephrosclerosis. Some rare glomeruli showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; as the patient subsequently developed nephrotic syndrome, these lesions suggest that silent ischemic changes may result in the development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis secondary to nephron loss.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Nephron loss may trigger glomerular sclerosis, at least in some cases of MELAS-related nephropathy. Thus the incidence of kidney disease in the "survivors" of MELAS syndrome may increase as the support therapy of these patients improves.</p