Síndrome doloroso del trocánter mayor.Resultados a corto plazo con el tratamiento artroscópico

Objetivo : Evaluar los resultados clínicos de la cirugía artroscópica de cadera en el tratamiento del síndrome doloroso del trocánter mayor tras fracaso del tratamiento conservador. Material y Método : Estudio prospectivo de 15 pacientes tratados mediante cirugía artroscópica de cadera por síndrome doloroso del trocánter mayor. Para valoracion clínica se utilizó la escala modificada de Harris. Resultados : La edad media de los pacien - tes fue de 53,2 años. Se detectó rotura del glúteo medio en el 73,3% de los casos. El seguimiento medio de los pacientes fue de 16,3 meses. La puntuación media de la escala modificada de Harris pasó de 55,4 puntos preope - ratoriamente a 83,8 puntos al final del seguimiento. Discusión : La artroscopia de cadera ha permitido la mejoría clínica de los pacientes con síndrome doloroso del trocánter mayor que no responde al tratamiento conservador. Un mayor seguimiento de los pacientes es preciso para confirmar la estabilidad de los resultados obtenidosObjective: Evaluate the outcomes of hip arthroscopy as a treatment for greater throcanter pain syndrome after conservative treatment failed. Material and methods: Prospective study with 15 patients under - going hip arthroscopy for greater trochanter pain syndrome. Modified Harris Hip Score scale was used for clini - cal assessment. Results: The mean age of patients was 53.2 years. Gluteus medium tears was detected in 73.3%. The average follow-up was 16.3 months. The mean modified Harris Hip score increased from 55.4 points preop to 83.8 points postoperative. Discusion: Hip arthroscopy resulted in improvement in hip functional outcome in patients with greater trochanter pain syndrome after conservative treatment failed. Further follow-up is essential to confirm the stability of the clinical outcome

Isomeric carbazolocarbazoles: synthesis, characterization and comparative study in Organic Field Effect Transistors

We report here the synthesis and characterization of a new family of isomeric carbazolocarbazole derivatives, namely carbazolo[1,2-a]carbazole, carbazolo[3,2-b]carbazoleand carbazolo[4,3-c]carbazole. Thermal, optical, electrochemical, morphological and semiconducting properties have been studied to understand the influence of geometrical isomerism on the optoelectronic properties of these compounds. Different packing patterns have been observed by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) which then correlate with the different morphologies of the evaporated thin films studied by XRD and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The effect of N-substituents has also been evaluated for one of the isomers revealing a noticeable influence on the performance as organic semiconductors in Organic Field Effect Transistors (OFETs). A good p-channel field effect has been determined for N,N′-dioctylcarbazolo[4,3-c]carbazole with a mobility of 0.02 cm2 V−1 s−1 and Ion/Ioff ratio of 106 in air. These preliminary results demonstrate the promising properties of molecular carbazolocarbazole systems which should be further explored in the area of organic semiconducting materials

Phage inducible islands in the gram-positive cocci

The SaPIs are a cohesive subfamily of extremely common phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs) that reside quiescently at specific att sites in the staphylococcal chromosome and are induced by helper phages to excise and replicate. They are usually packaged in small capsids composed of phage virion proteins, giving rise to very high transfer frequencies, which they enhance by interfering with helper phage reproduction. As the SaPIs represent a highly successful biological strategy, with many natural Staphylococcus aureus strains containing two or more, we assumed that similar elements would be widespread in the Gram-positive cocci. On the basis of resemblance to the paradigmatic SaPI genome, we have readily identified large cohesive families of similar elements in the lactococci and pneumococci/streptococci plus a few such elements in Enterococcus faecalis. Based on extensive ortholog analyses, we found that the PICI elements in the four different genera all represent distinct but parallel lineages, suggesting that they represent convergent evolution towards a highly successful lifestyle. We have characterized in depth the enterococcal element, EfCIV583, and have shown that it very closely resembles the SaPIs in functionality as well as in genome organization, setting the stage for expansion of the study of elements of this type. In summary, our findings greatly broaden the PICI family to include elements from at least three genera of cocci

Germline MC1R status influences somatic mutation burden in melanoma

The major genetic determinants of cutaneous melanoma risk in the general population are disruptive variants (R alleles) in the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. These alleles are also linked to red hair, freckling, and sun sensitivity, all of which are known melanoma phenotypic risk factors. Here we report that in melanomas and for somatic C>T mutations, a signature linked to sun exposure, the expected single-nucleotide variant count associated with the presence of an R allele is estimated to be 42% (95% CI, 15-76%) higher than that among persons without an R allele. This figure is comparable to the expected mutational burden associated with an additional 21 years of age. We also find significant and similar enrichment of non-C>T mutation classes supporting a role for additional mutagenic processes in melanoma development in individuals carrying R alleles

Sequence determinants for DNA packaging specificity in the S. aureus pathogenicity island SaPI1

The SaPIs and their relatives are a family of genomic islands that exploit helper phages for high frequency horizontal transfer. One of the mechanisms used by SaPIs to accomplish this molecular piracy is the redirection of the helper phage DNA packaging machinery. SaPIs encode a small terminase subunit that can be substituted for that of the phage. In this study we have determined the initial packaging cleavage sites for helper phage 80α, which uses the phage-encoded small terminase subunit, and for SaPI1, which uses the SaPI-encoded small terminase subunit. We have identified a 19 nt SaPI1 sequence that is necessary and sufficient to allow high frequency 80α transduction of a plasmid by a terminase carrying the SaPI1-encoded small subunit. We also show that the hybrid enzyme with the SaPI1 small terminase subunit is capable of generalized transduction.This work was performed in part under FDA's Medical Countermeasures Initiative, Contract #HHSF2232010000521 and NIH 1R56 AI081837 (to GEC). JCB was supported by the Portuguese Institute Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), PhD Fellowship SFRH/BD/66250/2009. E.K.R. was supported by the National Academies National Research Council; his contribution to this study was carried out at NICHHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, in the laboratory of the late Robert A. Weisberg. Plasmid pCN51 (in strain NRS613) and strain RN4282 (NRS145) were obtained through the Network of Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (NARSA) program supported under NIAID/NIFI contract #HHSN272200700055C

Influence of microroughness on the frictional behavior and wear response of planar saw-cut rock surfaces

Saw-cut rock surfaces, classically utilized to estimate basic friction angle of discontinuities by means of tilt test and other procedures, may seem planar to the naked eye. Nevertheless, they actually present roughness at a micrometric scale. Aiming at characterizing some of these saw-cut rock surfaces and assessing the possible implications between their microscale topography and the resulting tribological behavior, the authors of this study resorted to the 3D focus-variation technique to analyze different surface-texture parameters. Tilt tests were carried out on specimens cut on three rock types, and the involved sliding surfaces were evaluated at a microscale for different testing stages (prior to any test and after two series of repeated tests). An apparently logical inverse correlation between repeated testing and friction angle has been observed, more marked for the smoother surfaces. Higher roughness at the scale of the analysis tends to produce lower friction-angle values, as otherwise observed for mismatched natural rock surfaces. In addition, saw-cut rock surfaces present systematically negative skewness and high values of kurtosis for their height distributions, indicating the occurrence of narrow and deep pits or valleys. Directional hybrid parameters and, in particular, the root mean square (RMS) of the gradient of the surface in the direction of sliding correlates rather well with the measured sliding angle. The authors concluded that the 3D focus-variation technique represents a powerful tool to assess surface-texture parameters of saw-cut rock surfaces, in addition to being useful for understanding some features of the tribological, or wear and frictional, behavior of these type of surfaces.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RTI2018-093563-B-I0

Regenerative and resorbable PLA/HA hybrid construct for tendon/ligament tissue engineering

[EN] Tendon and ligament shows extremely limited endogenous regenerative capacity. Current treatments are based on the replacement and or augmentation of the injured tissue but the repaired tissue rarely achieve functionality equal to that of the preinjured tissue. To address this challenge, tissue engineering has emerged as a promising strategy. This study develops a regenerative and resorbable hybrid construct for tendon and ligament engineering. The construct is made up by a hollow poly-lactic acid braid with embedded microspheres carrying cells and an anti-adherent coating, with all the parts being made of biodegradable materials. This assembly intends to regenerate the tissue starting from the interior of the construct towards outside while it degrades. Fibroblasts cultured on poly lactic acid and hyaluronic acid microspheres for 6 h were injected into the hollow braid and the construct was cultured for 14 days. The cells thus transported into the lumen of the construct were able to migrate and adhere to the braid fibers naturally, leading to a homogeneous proliferation inside the braid. Moreover, no cells were found on the outer surface of the coating. Altogether, this study demonstrated that PLA/HA hybrid construct could be a promising material for tendon and ligament repair.This work was supported by AITEX (Textil Research Institute, Alcoi, Alicante, Spain) through the researching contract "Development of braided biomaterials for biomedical applications'' and also funded by AEI "RTI2018-095872-B-C21 and C22/ERDF''.Araque-Monrós, MC.; García-Cruz, DM.; Escobar-Ivirico, JL.; Gil-Santos, L.; Monleón Pradas, M.; Más Estellés, J. (2020). Regenerative and resorbable PLA/HA hybrid construct for tendon/ligament tissue engineering. Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 48(2):757-767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-019-02403-0S757767482Aktas, E., C. S. Chamberlain, E. E. Saether, S. E. 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SGLT2 inhibition potentiates the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic effects of sGC stimulation in hypertensive rats with prolonged exposure to high-fat diet

© 2022 The Authors. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This document is the Published Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00386.2021Prolonged high-fat diet (HFD) accelerates the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic dysfunction in hypertensive rats with altered renal development (ARDev). Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulation or sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition may improve cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic function in settings of hypertension and obesity. This study examined whether 6 wk treatment with an SGLT2 inhibitor (empagliflozin, 7 mg/kg/day) enhances the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic effects of a sGC stimulator (praliciguat, 10 mg/kg/day) in hypertensive rats with ARDev and prolonged exposure to HFD. Arterial pressure (AP), renal vascular resistance (RVR), fat abdominal volume (FAV), insulin resistance, leptin and triglycerides levels, and intrarenal infiltration of inflammatory cells were higher, but cardiac output and creatinine clearance were lower in hypertensive rats (n = 15) than in normotensive rats (n = 7). Praliciguat administration (n = 10) to hypertensive rats reduced (P < 0.05) AP, FAV, plasma concentrations of leptin and triglycerides, and increased (P < 0.05) cardiac output and creatinine clearance. Empagliflozin administration (n = 8) only increased (P < 0.05) glucosuria and creatinine clearance and decreased (P < 0.05) plasma leptin and triglycerides concentrations in hypertensive rats. Simultaneous administration of praliciguat and empagliflozin (n = 10) accelerated the decrease in AP, improved glucose tolerance, reduced (P < 0.05) incremental body weight gain, and decreased (P < 0.05) insulin resistance index, RVR, and the infiltration of T-CD3 lymphocytes in renal cortex and renal medulla. In summary, the combined administration of praliciguat and empagliflozin leads to a greater improvement of the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic dysfunction secondary to prolonged exposure to HFD in hypertensive rats with ARDev than the treatment with either praliciguat or empagliflozin alone.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study, to our knowledge, showing that SGLT2 inhibition potentiates the beneficial cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic effects elicited by sGC stimulation in hypertensive rats with prolonged high-fat diet. The effects of the simultaneous administration of praliciguat and empagliflozin are greater than those elicited by either one alone. The effects of the simultaneous treatment may be related to a greater reduction in the inflammatory status