258 research outputs found
PEG reimplantation after Buried Bumper Syndrome: a case report
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the method of choice to provide long-term enteral nutrition for patients with impossibility to be fed orally. Although it is considered a routine and safe procedure, potential complications exist, which are generally classified into three major categories: endoscopic technical difficulties, PEG procedure-related complications and late complications associated with PEG tube use, such as buried bumper syndrome (BBS). BBS is a potentially life-threatening complication, occurring in 0.3% to 2.5% of cases. Additional complications related to BBS may present, such as wound infection, peritonitis, and necrotizing fasciitis. Once resolved the acute complication, an adequate feeding method should be prompted for the patient, among whom PEG remains of choice. After tissue inflammation, fibrosis may prevent a standard endoscopic procedure for the new implantation, therefore endoscopists should modulate procedures to obtain successful and safe results. A combined surgical-and endoscopic strategy could resolve implantation difficulties ensuring a safe and simple procedure. We present here a case of BBS complicated with abdominal wall cellulitis in a paraplegic 35-year-old-man who was admitted to our hospital. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Production of polyhydroxybutyrate by the cyanobacterium cf. Anabaena sp
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by the cyanobacterium cf. Anabaena sp. was here studied by varying the medium composition and the carbon source used to induce mixotrophic growth conditions. The highest PHB productivity (0.06 gPHB gbiomassâ1 dâ1) was observed when cultivating cf. Anabaena sp. in phosphorus-free medium and in the presence of sodium acetate (5.0 g Lâ1 concentration), after an incubation period of 7 days. A content of 40% of PHB on biomass, a dry weight of 0.1 g Lâ1, and a photosynthetic efficiency equal to the control were obtained. The cyanobacterium was then grown on a larger scale (10 L) to evaluate the characteristics of the produced PHB in relation to the main composition of the biomass (the content of proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids): after an incubation period of 7 days, a content of 6% of lipids (52% of which as unsaturated fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms), 12% of polysaccharides, 28% of proteins, and 46% of PHB was reached. The extracted PHB had a molecular weight of 3 MDa and a PDI of 1.7. These promising results demonstrated that cf. Anabaena sp. can be included among the Cyanobacteria species able to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) either in photoautotrophic or mixotrophic conditions, especially when it is grown under phosphorus-free conditions
A patient with limb girdle muscular dystrophy carries a TRIM32 deletion, detected by a novel CGH array, in compound heterozygosis with a nonsense mutation
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Atmospheric pressure non-equilibriumplasma for the production of composite materials
In the evolving field of tissue engineering, continuous advances are required
to improve scaffold design and fabrication to obtain biomimetic supports for
cell adhesion, proliferation, penetration and differentiation. Both electrospun
fibrous scaffolds and hydrogels are used in this field since they well
reproduce the structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many biological
tissues. Limitations of these two types of materials can be overcome
through their combination, by developing composite structures combining
enhanced mechanical properties (provided by the fibrous components) and
improved cell penetration (provided by the gel phase) in a superior ability to
mimic natural ECM that is constituted by both a fibrous protein network and
a hydrogel matrix. Here we develop new composite materials made of
electrospun PLLA scaffolds and poly(amidoamine) hydrogels with different
degrees of crosslinking. To promote compatibilization and good adhesion
between the two materials, surface chemical reactions between hydrogels
and PLLA mats are induced by inserting amino functional groups on
electrospun PLLA mats by means of atmospheric pressure non-thermal
plasma. Results will be presented concerning the exposure of PLLA
substrates to the plasma region generated by a Dielectric Barrier Discharge
at atmospheric pressure, driven by a HV Amplifier connected to a function
generator operating with a microsecond rise time and operated in N2.
Surface and solid-state thermo-mechanical characterizations of plasma
treated substrates and of resulting composite materials at different
crosslinking degrees are presented. Results of mechanical tests show a high
adhesion between hydrogel and plasma treated PLLA electrospun mats,
underlining the opportunity to use atmospheric non-thermal plasmas to
fabricate a composite starting from two materials otherwise physically
incompatible. Potential effects of nanofibrous-hydrogel were evaluated by
investigating pluripotent stem cells response
Autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission: an update of the Genoa experience with 159 patients
Design and in vitro study of a dual drug-loaded delivery system produced by electrospinning for the treatment of acute injuries of the central nervous system
Vascular and traumatic injuries of the central nervous system are recognized as global health priorities. A polypharmacology approach that is able to simultaneously target several injury factors by the combination of agents having synergistic effects appears to be promising. Herein, we designed a polymeric delivery system loaded with two drugs, ibuprofen (Ibu) and thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) to in vitro release the suitable amount of the anti-inflammation and the remyelination drug. As a production method, electrospinning technology was used. First, Ibuloaded micro (diameter circa 0.95â1.20 ”m) and nano (diameter circa 0.70 ”m) fibers were produced using poly(L-lactide) PLLA and PLGA with different lactide/glycolide ratios (50:50, 75:25, and 85:15) to select the most suitable polymer and fiber diameter. Based on the in vitro release results and in-house knowledge, PLLA nanofibers (mean diameter = 580 ± 120 nm) loaded with both Ibu and T3 were then successfully produced by a co-axial electrospinning technique. The in vitro release studies demonstrated that the final Ibu/T3 PLLA system extended the release of both drugs for 14 days, providing the target sustained release. Finally, studies in cell cultures (RAW macrophages and neural stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte precursor cellsâOPCs) demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and promyelinating efficacy of the dual drug-loaded delivery platform
Investigations on Radioactive Fission Product Correlations: Gamma Spectrometry Measurements on Spent Fuel Assemblies of the Garigliano Reactor. EUR 5289.
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Behçetâs disease: a retrospective survey of patients treated in Europe, on behalf of the autoimmune diseases working party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
Background: Behçetâs Disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease mostly presenting with recurrent oral and genital aphthosis, and uveitis. Patients are rarely refractory to immunosuppressive treatments. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) is a standard of care in other autoimmune diseases. Some patients with BD have been treated with aHSCT based on compassionate use.
Objectives: Evaluate the outcome of aHSCT in adult patients with BD treated in member centers of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).
Methods: Adults who received aHSCT primarily for BD were identified retrospectively in the EBMT registry and/or in published literature. Data were extracted from either medical records of the patient or from publications.
Results: Eight out of 9 cases reported to the registry and extracted data of 2 further patients from literature were analyzed. Four were female, median age at onset of BD was 24y (range 9-50). Median age at aHSCT was 32y (27-51). Patients had received median 4 (2-11) previous lines of therapy (89% corticosteroids, 50% methotrexate, anti-TNFα therapy or cyclophosphamide). All patients had active disease before mobilization. Conditioning regimen was heterogeneous. Median follow-up was 48 months (range 6-240). No treatment-related mortality was reported. This procedure induced complete remission (CR) in 80%, partial remission in 10% and lack of response in 10% of the patients. Relapse rate was 30% (2 relapses in patients in CR and 1 relapse in the patient in PR) with panuveitis (n=1), aphthosis (n=2) and arthralgia (n=1). Six patients were in CR. No late complications were reported.
Conclusion: aHSCT has an acceptable safety profile and represents a feasible and relatively effective procedure in severe and conventional treatment-resistant cases of BD and has the potential to stabilize BD in patients with life-threatening involvements
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