Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome (TS)

There is evidence that motor and premotor cortex are hyperexcitable in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome (TS). We tested whether low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could normalize overactive motor cortical regions and thereby improve symptoms. Subjects with OCD or TS were treated with active rTMS to the supplementary motor area (SMA) for 10 daily sessions at 1 Hz, 100% of motor threshold, 1200 stimuli/day. Suggestions of clinical improvement were apparent as early as the first week of rTMS. At the second week of treatment, statistically significant reductions were seen in the YBOCS, YGTSS, CGI, HARS, HDRS, SAD, BDI, SCL-90, and SASS. Symptoms improvement was correlated with a significant increase of the right resting motor threshold and was stable at 3 months follow-up. Slow rTMS to SMA resulted in a significant clinical improvement and a normalization of the right hemisphere hyperexcitability, thereby restoring hemispheric symmetry in motor threshold

TCTAP A-040 Treatment of Bifurcation Lesions with Novel Drug Eluting Self-expandable Stent Axxess: Single Centre First Experience

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Ridurre l'area infartuale nello STEMI a costo zero!

Background \u2013 Postconditioning, i.e. cycles of ischaemia and reperfusion following a prolonged ischaemic insult, applied either intracoronary (culprit lesion) or on a remote organ, is an effective way to reduce infarct size. Objectives \u2013 The aim of this study was to compare 2 different methods in use to achieve cardiac postconditioning: myocardial and remote. Primary end point was the reduction in infarct size, measured by ST-segment deviation resolution and Troponin I (TnI) release curve; secondary end point was the improvement in cardiac ejection fraction evaluated by means of echocardiography at 3 months. Methods \u2013 We enrolled 78 pts randomized in 3 arms as follow: A myocardial postconditioning (29 pts), B remote postconditioning (29 pts), C control group (20 pts). Measures of efficacy were: ST-segment deviation recovery and peak TnI during hospitalization, LVEF and LVWMSI evaluated at 3 months. Results \u2013 No statistically significant differences were found between group A and B, in terms of full ST-segment deviation recovery and reduction of ST-segment deviation score (62% e 78\ub114% vs 55% e 78\ub114%, p=NS respectively) and peak TnI (130\ub141 vs 134\ub142, p=NS). The LVEF and LVWMSI differences did not achieve statistical significance (46\ub110% vs 47\ub19% b, p=NS; 51\ub19% vs 52\ub110% a, p=NS; 1.6\ub10.4 vs 1.6\ub10.4 b, p=NS; 1.3\ub10.3 vs 1.3\ub10.3 a, p=NS, group A and B respectively). All efficacy measurers were statistically significant different when both groups A and B were compared to group C. Conclusions \u2013 This study shows that remote postconditioning is non-inferior to myocardial for the prevention of reperfusion injury, and is even a safer, easier to do and faster method (no procedural time prolonged). Introduzione \u2013 Il postcondizionamento, applicando dopo ischemia prolungata cicli di ischemia e riperfusione, sia a livello della coronaria riaperta che di un organo remoto, \ue8 in grado di ridurre l\u2019area infartuale. Scopo - Confronto di efficacia tra le 2 metodiche di postcondizionamento attualmente applicate in letteratura, miocardico e remoto: end point primario la riduzione dell\u2019area infartuale, valutata mediante risoluzione della deviazione del tratto ST e curva di dismissione di Troponina I (TnI); end point secondario il miglioramento della funzione contrattile valutata mediante ecocardiografia a 3 mesi. Metodi \u2013 Sono stati arruolati 78 pz, randomizzati in 3 gruppi: A postcondizionamento miocardico (29 pz), B postcondizionamento remoto (29 pz), C controllo (20 pz). Le misure di efficacia considerate sono: risoluzione della deviazione del tratto ST e picco di TnI durante l\u2019ospedalizzazione, FEVS e LVWMSI a 3 mesi. Risultati \u2013 Non vi sono differenze statisticamente significative tra i gruppi A e B in termini di risoluzione, assoluta e percentuale, della deviazione del tratto ST (rispettivamente 62% e 78\ub114% vs 55% e 78\ub114%, p=NS) e di picco di TnI (130\ub141 vs 134\ub142, p=NS). Anche la differenza in termini di FEVS e LVWMSI non \ue8 risultata statisticamente significativa (rispettivamente 46\ub110% vs 47\ub19% pre, p=NS; 51\ub19% vs 52\ub110% post, p=NS; 1.6\ub10.4 vs 1.6\ub10.4 pre, p=NS; 1.3\ub10.3 vs 1.3\ub10.3 post, p=NS). Tutte le misure di efficacia considerate differiscono significativamente tra i gruppi A e B quando confrontati con il gruppo C. Conclusioni \u2013 I dati dimostrano la non inferiorit\ue0 del postcondizionamento remoto, pi\uf9 sicuro, facile da applicare e veloce (nessun allungamento dei tempi procedurali), rispetto al miocardico

Ridurre l'area infartuale nello STEMI a costo zero!

Background – Postconditioning, i.e. cycles of ischaemia and reperfusion following a prolonged ischaemic insult, applied either intracoronary (culprit lesion) or on a remote organ, is an effective way to reduce infarct size. Objectives – The aim of this study was to compare 2 different methods in use to achieve cardiac postconditioning: myocardial and remote. Primary end point was the reduction in infarct size, measured by ST-segment deviation resolution and Troponin I (TnI) release curve; secondary end point was the improvement in cardiac ejection fraction evaluated by means of echocardiography at 3 months. Methods – We enrolled 78 pts randomized in 3 arms as follow: A myocardial postconditioning (29 pts), B remote postconditioning (29 pts), C control group (20 pts). Measures of efficacy were: ST-segment deviation recovery and peak TnI during hospitalization, LVEF and LVWMSI evaluated at 3 months. Results – No statistically significant differences were found between group A and B, in terms of full ST-segment deviation recovery and reduction of ST-segment deviation score (62% e 78±14% vs 55% e 78±14%, p=NS respectively) and peak TnI (130±41 vs 134±42, p=NS). The LVEF and LVWMSI differences did not achieve statistical significance (46±10% vs 47±9% b, p=NS; 51±9% vs 52±10% a, p=NS; 1.6±0.4 vs 1.6±0.4 b, p=NS; 1.3±0.3 vs 1.3±0.3 a, p=NS, group A and B respectively). All efficacy measurers were statistically significant different when both groups A and B were compared to group C. Conclusions – This study shows that remote postconditioning is non-inferior to myocardial for the prevention of reperfusion injury, and is even a safer, easier to do and faster method (no procedural time prolonged). Introduzione – Il postcondizionamento, applicando dopo ischemia prolungata cicli di ischemia e riperfusione, sia a livello della coronaria riaperta che di un organo remoto, è in grado di ridurre l’area infartuale. Scopo - Confronto di efficacia tra le 2 metodiche di postcondizionamento attualmente applicate in letteratura, miocardico e remoto: end point primario la riduzione dell’area infartuale, valutata mediante risoluzione della deviazione del tratto ST e curva di dismissione di Troponina I (TnI); end point secondario il miglioramento della funzione contrattile valutata mediante ecocardiografia a 3 mesi. Metodi – Sono stati arruolati 78 pz, randomizzati in 3 gruppi: A postcondizionamento miocardico (29 pz), B postcondizionamento remoto (29 pz), C controllo (20 pz). Le misure di efficacia considerate sono: risoluzione della deviazione del tratto ST e picco di TnI durante l’ospedalizzazione, FEVS e LVWMSI a 3 mesi. Risultati – Non vi sono differenze statisticamente significative tra i gruppi A e B in termini di risoluzione, assoluta e percentuale, della deviazione del tratto ST (rispettivamente 62% e 78±14% vs 55% e 78±14%, p=NS) e di picco di TnI (130±41 vs 134±42, p=NS). Anche la differenza in termini di FEVS e LVWMSI non è risultata statisticamente significativa (rispettivamente 46±10% vs 47±9% pre, p=NS; 51±9% vs 52±10% post, p=NS; 1.6±0.4 vs 1.6±0.4 pre, p=NS; 1.3±0.3 vs 1.3±0.3 post, p=NS). Tutte le misure di efficacia considerate differiscono significativamente tra i gruppi A e B quando confrontati con il gruppo C. Conclusioni – I dati dimostrano la non inferiorità del postcondizionamento remoto, più sicuro, facile da applicare e veloce (nessun allungamento dei tempi procedurali), rispetto al miocardico

In vitro culture of Pteris vittata, an arsenic hyperaccumulating fern, for screening and propagating strains useful for phytoreme-diation

Abstract Arsenic contamination of soils and groundwater is at present one of the major emergencies in the world environmental management, and phytoremediation is a promising technology to immobilize or remove contaminants from polluted areas. The first arsenic hyperaccumulating plant, the fern Pteris vittata, was discovered only recently. It is very efficient in extracting arsenic from the soil and translocating it into its large fronds, and thus has great potential in arsenic phytoremediation. In this work, by using different hormonal formulations, we developed solid and liquid in vitro culture protocols for callus induction and maintenance, as well as for sporophyte regeneration, which are the basic tools for programmes of screening and propagation of selected strains of the fern

first intercomparison among laboratories involved in cost action tu1301 norm4building determination of natural radionuclides in ceramics

Abstract This work describes the outcomes of the COST Action-TU1301 "NORM4Building" intercomparison on the determination of natural radioactivity in ceramics. Twenty-two laboratories involved in the intercomparison are evaluated for their performance using robust statistics. The reference values of 226 Ra ( 214 Bi and 214 Pb) are determined to be 122 ± 11 Bq kg −1 and 124 ± 14 Bq kg −1 , respectively and in secular equilibrium in the uranium chain while the reference values of 232 Th ( 228 Ac) is determined to be 61 ± 6 Bq kg −1 and that of 40 K was determined to be 955 ± 40 Bq kg −1 . Although the aim of the exercise was to determine the activity concentration of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K and evaluation of the "Activity Concentration Index", laboratories were asked to report complete characterization of natural radionuclides. The results of this exercise pointed out a good performance among laboratories since the percentage of the acceptable results were above 90% for the radionuclides of interest. Based on these results, considering the systematic rejection of the results reported from a few laboratories we emphasize the need for quality control procedures