The cognitive level does not interfere with recovery after robot-assisted gait training in traumatic brain injury: A 10-year cohort study

BACKGROUND: There is still no clear evidence available on the role of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and on the relationship between this intervention and cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the impact of the cognitive level at admission on functional recovery in a cohort of patients with severe TBI who received RAGT training within a multidisciplinary rehabilitation setting. METHODS: We included patients with gait disturbance due to a severe TBI. Patients were grouped into three classes according to their level of cognitive functioning (LCF) at admission (LCF 2-3; LCF 4-5-6; LCF 7-8). We collected demographics (sex, age), clinical data, and a set of outcome measures at admission and discharge. RESULTS: We registered 80 patients, 19 females and 61 males, 35.3 ± 14.85 years. Patients with a low cognitive level at admission were mostly subacute (p= 0.001). Cognitive impairment despite longer length stay in the hospital (LOS) (p= 0.001) did not preclude recovery after RAGT in terms of cognition (R2= 0.68; p< 0.0001), functional independence (R2= 0.30; p< 0.0001) and overall disability (R2= 0.32; p< 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Irrespective of their level of cognition, patients with severe TBI might benefit from RAGT during a multidisciplinary program

Regional Selection Acting on the OFD1 Gene Family

The OFD1 (oral-facial-digital, type 1) gene is implicated in several developmental disorders in humans. The X-linked OFD1 (OFD1X) is conserved in Eutheria. Knowledge about the Y-linked paralog (OFD1Y) is limited. In this study, we identified an OFD1Y on the bovine Y chromosome, which is expressed differentially from the bovine OFD1X. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that: a) the eutherian OFD1X and OFD1Y were derived from the pair of ancestral autosomes during sex chromosome evolution; b) the autosomal OFD1 pseudogenes, present in Catarrhini and Murinae, were derived from retropositions of OFD1X after the divergence of primates and rodents; and c) the presence of OFD1Y in the ampliconic region of the primate Y chromosome is an indication that the expansion of the ampliconic region may initiate from the X-degenerated sequence. In addition, we found that different regions of OFD1/OFD1X/OFD1Y are under differential selection pressures. The C-terminal half of OFD1 is under relaxed selection with an elevated Ka/Ks ratio and clustered positively selected sites, whereas the N-terminal half is under stronger constraints. This study provides some insights into why the OFD1X gene causes OFD1 (male-lethal X-linked dominant) and SGBS2 & JSRDs (X-linked recessive) syndromes in humans, and reveals the origin and evolution of the OFD1 family, which will facilitate further clinical investigation of the OFD1-related syndromes

An impressive case of alopecia universalis after COVID-19 vaccination: a coincidental finding or a consequence?

BACKGROUND: Several cutaneous manifestations in patients undergoing COVID-19 vaccination have been described in literature. CASE REPORT: Herein, we present a case of alopecia universalis that occurred after the first and second dose of Comirnaty vaccine. A bibliographic search was conducted and a total of 14 studies concerning the association were reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Given the autoimmune pathogenesis of the disease, we discussed the potential role of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination as a trigger for the development of hair loss. Physicians should be aware of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-related hair loss and properly treat this undesirable effect

Applicazioni analitiche di titolazioni pH-statiche

No abstract availabl

Gold(III) dithiocarbamate derivatives for the treatment of cancer: Solution chemistry, DNA binding, and hemolytic properties

Gold(III) compounds are emerging as a new class of metal complexes with outstanding cytotoxic properties and are presently being evaluated as potential antitumor agents. We report here on the solution and electrochemical properties, and the biological behavior of some gold(III) dithiocarbamate derivatives which have been recently proved to be one to 4 orders of magnitude more cytotoxic in vitro than the reference drug (cisplatin) and to be able to overcome to a large extent both intrinsic and acquired resistance to cisplatin itself. Their solution properties have been monitored in order to study their stability under physiological conditions; remarkably, they have shown to undergo complete hydrolysis within 1 h, the metal center remaining in the +3 oxidation state. Their DNA binding properties and ability in hemolyzing red blood cells have been also evaluated. These gold(III) complexes show high reactivity toward some biologically important isolated macromolecules, resulting in a dramatic inhibition of both DNA and RNA synthesis and inducing DNA lesions with a faster kinetics than cisplatin. Nevertheless, they also induce a strong and fast hemolytic effect (compared to cisplatin), suggesting that intracellular DNA might not represent their primary or exclusive biological target. © 2006 American Chemical Society

Monitoraggio ambientale e biologico dell'esposizione a benzene.

Presentazione dei risultati precedenti e di quelli preliminari dello studio in corso