Dataset on gait patterns in degenerative neurological diseases

We collected the gait parameters and lower limb joint kinematics of patients with three different types of primary degenerative neurological diseases: (i) cerebellar ataxia (19 patients), (ii) hereditary spastic paraparesis (26 patients), and (iii) Parkinson's disease (32 patients). Sixty-five gender-age matched healthy subjects were enrolled as control group. An optoelectronic motion analysis system was used to measure time-distance parameters and lower limb joint kinematics during gait in both patients and healthy controls

The effect of postmastectomy radiation therapy on breast implants. Material analysis on silicone and polyurethane prosthesis

The pathogenic mechanism underlying capsular contracture is still unknown. It is certainly a multifactorial process, resulting from human body reaction, biofilm activation, bacteremic seeding, or silicone exposure. The scope of the present article is to investigate the effect of hypofractionated radiotherapy protocol (2.66 Gy × 16 sessions) both on silicone and polyurethane breast implants.Silicone implants and polyurethane underwent irradiation according to a hypofractionated radiotherapy protocol for the treatment of breast cancer. After irradiation implant shells underwent mechanical, chemical, and microstructural evaluation by means of tensile testing, infrared spectra in attenuated total reflectance mode, nuclear magnetic resonance, and field emission scanning electron microscopy.At superficial analysis, irradiated silicone samples show several visible secondary and tertiary blebs. Polyurethane implants showed an open cell structure, which closely resembles a sponge. Morphological observation of struts from treated polyurethane sample shows a more compact structure, with significantly shorter and thicker struts compared with untreated sample. The infrared spectra in attenuated total reflectance mode spectra of irradiated and control samples were compared either for silicon and polyurethane samples. In the case of silicone-based membranes, treated and control specimens showed similar bands, with little differences in the treated one. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra on the fraction soluble in CDCl3 support these observations. Tensile tests on silicone samples showed a softer behavior of the treated ones. Tensile tests on Polyurethane samples showed no significant differences.Polyurethane implants seem to be more resistant to radiotherapy damage, whereas silicone prosthesis showed more structural, mechanical, and chemical modifications

Harnessing the reverse cholesterol transport pathway to favor differentiation of monocyte-derived APCs and antitumor responses

Lipid and cholesterol metabolism play a crucial role in tumor cell behavior and in shaping the tumor microenvironment. In particular, enzymatic and non-enzymatic cholesterol metabolism, and derived metabolites control dendritic cell (DC) functions, ultimately impacting tumor antigen presentation within and outside the tumor mass, dampening tumor immunity and immunotherapeutic attempts. The mechanisms accounting for such events remain largely to be defined. Here we perturbed (oxy)sterol metabolism genetically and pharmacologically and analyzed the tumor lipidome landscape in relation to the tumor-infiltrating immune cells. We report that perturbing the lipidome of tumor microenvironment by the expression of sulfotransferase 2B1b crucial in cholesterol and oxysterol sulfate synthesis, favored intratumoral representation of monocyte-derived antigen-presenting cells, including monocyte-DCs. We also found that treating mice with a newly developed antagonist of the oxysterol receptors Liver X Receptors (LXRs), promoted intratumoral monocyte-DC differentiation, delayed tumor growth and synergized with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and adoptive T cell therapy. Of note, looking at LXR/cholesterol gene signature in melanoma patients treated with anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy predicted diverse clinical outcomes. Indeed, patients whose tumors were poorly infiltrated by monocytes/macrophages expressing LXR target genes showed improved survival over the course of therapy. Thus, our data support a role for (oxy)sterol metabolism in shaping monocyte-to-DC differentiation, and in tumor antigen presentation critical for responsiveness to immunotherapy. The identification of a new LXR antagonist opens new treatment avenues for cancer patients

Feierstein, Daniel, El genocidio como práctica social. Entre el nazismo y la experiencia argentina, Fondo Cultura Económica, Bs. As., 2007

FEIERSTEIN, Daniel, El genocidio como práctica social. Entre el nazismo y la experiencia argentina, Fondo Cultura Económica, Bs. As., 2007Fil: Marinozzi, Diego. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentin

El genocidio como práctica social: Entre el nazismo y la experiencia argentina

Existe una gran cantidad de trabajos que abordan el estudio de la última dictadura dentro de una perspectiva en la que se compara el caso argentino con otras experiencias traumáticas del siglo XX como fueron el holocausto, los regímenes fascistas europeos y las dictaduras del Cono Sur. En un gran porcentaje, los abordajes comparativos que se han realizado han tomado como eje central el trauma que han dejado estas experiencias. La inefabilidad del período estudiado es lo que hace equiparable a los distintos casos.   El estudio que realiza Daniel Feierstein se encuadra dentro de esta perspectiva de análisis al comparar la dictadura militar argentina (1976-1983) con la dictadura nazi

Magnetic and Mechanical Analysis of a Large Aperture 15 T Cable Test Facility Dipole Magnet

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC), is funding a large bore “Cable Test Facility Magnet” for testing advanced cables and inserts in high transverse field. This is a joint effort between the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). The background field magnet for this facility is being developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) while the cryostat and test facility will be located and operated by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). The Nb$_3$Sn dipole magnet, which will provide the transverse background field, is designed to generate a field of 15 T in a 100 × 150 mm bore at 1.9 K. The conceptual design of a block-type dipole with flared ends and a structure based on key-and-bladder technology will be introduced. The results of the magnetic and mechanical analysis will be presented

Identification of specific gait patterns in patients with cerebellar ataxia, spastic paraplegia, and Parkinson's disease. A non-hierarchical cluster analysis

BACKGROUND: Patients with degenerative neurological diseases such as cerebellar ataxia, spastic paraplegia, and Parkinson's disease often display progressive gait function decline that inexorably impacts their autonomy and quality of life. Therefore, considering the related social and economic costs, one of the most important areas of intervention in neurorehabilitation should be the treatment of gait abnormalities. This study aims to determine whether an entire dataset of gait parameters recorded in patients with degenerative neurological diseases can be clustered into homogeneous groups distinct from each other and from healthy subjects. Patients affected by three different types of primary degenerative neurological diseases were studied. These diseases were: i) cerebellar ataxia (28 patients), ii) hereditary spastic paraplegia (31 patients), and iii) Parkinson's disease (70 patients). Sixty-five gender-age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled as a control group. An optoelectronic motion analysis system was used to measure time-distance parameters and lower limb joint kinematics during gait in both patients and healthy controls. When clustering single parameters, step width and ankle joint range of motion (RoM) in the sagittal plane differentiated cerebellar ataxia group from the other groups. When clustering sets of two, three, or four parameters, several pairs, triples, and quadruples of clusters differentiated the cerebellar ataxia group from the other groups. Interestingly, the ankle joint RoM parameter was present in 100% of the clusters and the step width in approximately 50% of clusters. In addition, in almost all clusters, patients with cerebellar ataxia showed the lowest ankle joint RoM and the largest step width values compared to healthy controls, patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia, and Parkinson's disease subjects. This study identified several clusters reflecting specific gait patterns in patients with degenerative neurological diseases. In particular, the specific gait pattern formed by the increased step width, reduced ankle joint RoM, and increased gait variability, can differentiate patients with cerebellar ataxia from healthy subjects and patients with spastic paraplegia or Parkinson's disease. These abnormal parameters may be adopted as sensitive tools for evaluating the effect of pharmacological and rehabilitative treatments

República Dominicana, donde florece el café

Locutores: Susana Fevrier y Luis Diego Solorzano.Desde su llegada en 1780, la caficultura ha sido de gran importancia económica, social y ambiental en República Dominicana. Pero el reciente resurgimiento de la enfermedad de la roya en la Región, devastó los cafetales de este país. Sin embargo, gracias al trabajo conjunto del sector cafetalero, instituciones nacionales y el proyecto PROCAGICA, hoy vuelve a florecer el café y la esperanza de miles de familias productoras