Embodying functionally relevant action sounds in patients with spinal cord injury

Growing evidence indicates that perceptual-motor codes may be associated with and influenced by actual bodily states. Following a spinal cord injury (SCI), for example, individuals exhibit reduced visual sensitivity to biological motion. However, a dearth of direct evidence exists about whether profound alterations in sensorimotor traffic between the body and brain influence audio-motor representations. We tested 20 wheelchair-bound individuals with lower skeletal-level SCI who were unable to feel and move their lower limbs, but have retained upper limb function. In a two-choice, matching-to-sample auditory discrimination task, the participants were asked to determine which of two action sounds matched a sample action sound presented previously. We tested aural discrimination ability using sounds that arose from wheelchair, upper limb, lower limb, and animal actions. Our results indicate that an inability to move the lower limbs did not lead to impairment in the discrimination of lower limb-related action sounds in SCI patients. Importantly, patients with SCI discriminated wheelchair sounds more quickly than individuals with comparable auditory experience (i.e. physical therapists) and inexperienced, able-bodied subjects. Audio-motor associations appear to be modified and enhanced to incorporate external salient tools that now represent extensions of their body schema

Pathology of disappearing bone disease: a case report with immunohistochemical study.

A case of disappearing bone disease of the proximal femur is reported with histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. There was a densely packed cellular tissue, positive to endothelial antibodies, in areas of massive bone destruction. A more differentiated vascular tissue was present where trabecular cancellous or cortical bone was preserved with only focal zones of accelerated bone remodelling. The self-limited course correlates well with two phases of evolution of the histopathological lesions with neoplastic-like proliferation of endothelial cells corresponding to the rapid and massive bone destruction, and a later differentiation of the cells in mature vascular structures, but still with accelerated bone resorption which is partly compensated by appositional activity

A peristomal plaque of sudden occurrence.

Koebner phenomenon regards the formation of a psoriatic lesion after a trauma, including tattoo, insect bite or other injuries. Although this manifestation is not specific for psoriasis, physicians should be aware because early recognition may be helpful in making the diagnosis when present

Scanning electron microscopy study of bone intracortical vessels using an injection and fractured surfaces technique

The intracortical canal/vessel systems of long bones are not yet completely understood in terms of their morphology and physiology, mainly because of the difficulty of injecting the small calibre vessels and cutting the calcified matrix. Here, we apply a novel method combining perfusion of the vessels and fracture of the cortical bone to enlighten the architecture of this system. The femurs of ten rabbits were perfused with a water-soluble dye (China ink) or alcoholic glycerol solution, and the fractured cortex specimens were then examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results document: (1) the fibrillar structure of the canal surfaces; (2) the perivascular environment with cellular components in different phases of incorporation within the bone matrix; (3) previously unreported filamentous structures on the outer surface of vessels, which could be interpreted as non-myelinic nerve fibres; (4) the inner organisation of the cutting cones. Although based exclusively on morphology, these observation have some relevance to increasing knowledge of bone circulation physiology in the cortical bone

Volatile Organic Compounds Profile in White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) Caviar at Different Stages of Ripening by Multiple Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction

Caviar is considered a delicacy by luxury product consumers, but few data are available about its flavour chemistry to date. In this study, a multiple headspace-solid phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach was developed and employed to identify and quantitatively estimate key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) representative in white sturgeon (A. transmontanus) caviar at five different stages of ripening: raw eggs (t0), after 60 days (t1), 120 days (t2), 180 days (t3), and 240 days (t4) of ripening. The method showed the ability to detect and estimate the quantity of 25 flavour compounds, without any severe alteration of the matrix before the analysis and in a short time. The VOCs detected as representative in caviar samples were primarily aldehydes and alcohols, already well known as responsible of fresh fish and seafood flavours, and mainly deriving from lipid peroxidation processes and microbial activity against lipids and amino acids. We found a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the amount of total aldehydes within t0 (29.64 ng/g) and t4 (121.96 ng/g); moreover, an interesting, great arise of 3-hydroxy-2-butanone at the final stage of storage (48.17 ng/g) was recorded. Alcohols were not detected in raw eggs (t0) and then a decrease from t1 (17.77 ng/g) to t4 (10.18 ng/g) was recorded in their amount, with no statistical significance

Innovative Breakthroughs for the Treatment of Advanced and Metastatic Synovial Sarcoma

Simple Summary Synovial sarcoma (SyS) is a rare malignant soft tissue sarcoma bearing the chromosomal translocation t(X;18), which encodes the fusion oncoprotein SS18::SSX. More than 80% of the patients, mainly young in age, are initially diagnosed with localized disease with a 5-year survival rate of 70-80%. Metastatic relapse occurs in 50% of the cases. Advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease shows a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate below 10%, representing an urgent clinical issue. This review will focus on: (i) current front-line therapies; (ii) alternative treatments in second line and beyond settings; and (iii) new epigenetic and immunological strategies. The improved understanding of the SyS molecular biology coupled with the recent development of innovative technologies, such as proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) protein degraders or adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells, is offering new promising tools. Clinical trial results underline the need for accurate patient selection based on genetic and tumor immune microenvironment signatures. Synovial sarcoma (SyS) is a rare aggressive soft tissue sarcoma carrying the chromosomal translocation t(X;18), encoding the fusion transcript SS18::SSX. The fusion oncoprotein interacts with both BAF enhancer complexes and polycomb repressor complexes, resulting in genome-wide epigenetic perturbations and a unique altered genetic signature. Over 80% of the patients are initially diagnosed with localized disease and have a 5-year survival rate of 70-80%, but metastatic relapse occurs in 50% of the cases. Advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease has a 5-year survival rate below 10%, representing a critical issue. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms behind SyS and illustrates current treatments in front line, second line, and beyond settings. We analyze the use of immune check point inhibitors (ICI) in SyS that do not behave as an ICI-sensitive tumor, claiming the need for predictive genetic signatures and tumor immune microenvironment biomarkers. We highlight the clinical translation of innovative technologies, such as proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) protein degraders or adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells. Adoptive cell transfer of engineered T-cell receptor cells targeting selected cancer/testis antigens has shown promising results against metastatic SyS in early clinical trials and further improvements are awaited from refinements involving immune cell engineering and tumor immune microenvironment enhancement

Cobalt, chromium and molybdenum ions kinetics in the human body: data gained from a total hip replacement with massive third body wear of the head and neuropathy by cobalt intoxication.

6openopenPazzaglia, U; Apostoli, P; Congiu, T; Catalani, S; Marchese, M; Zarattini, G.Pazzaglia, Ugo; Apostoli, Pietro; Congiu, T; Catalani, S; Marchese, M; Zarattini, Guid

The combined cartilage growth – calcification patterns in the wing-fins of Rajidae (Chondrichthyes): A divergent model from endochondral ossification of tetrapods

The relationship between cartilage growth – mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae with X-ray morphology/morphometry, undecalcified resin-embedded, heat-deproteinated histology and scanning electron microscopy. Morphometry of the wing-fins, nine central rays of the youngest and oldest specimens documented a significant decrement of radials mean length between inner, middle and outer zones, but without a regular progression along the ray. This suggests that single radial length growth is regulated in such a way to align inter-radial joints parallel to the wing metapterygia curvature. Trans-illumination and heat-deproteination techniques showed polygonal and cylindrical morphotypes of tesserae, whose aligned pattern ranged from mono-columnar, bi-columnar, and multi-columnar up to the crustal-like layout. Histology of tessellated cartilage allowed to identify of zones of the incoming mineral deposition characterized by enhanced duplication rate of chondrocytes with the formation of isogenic groups, whose morphology and topography suggested a relationship with the impending formation of the radials calcified column. The morphotype and layout of radial tesserae were related to mechanical demands (stiffening) and the size/mass of the radial cartilage body. The cartilage calcification pattern of the batoids model shares several morphological features with tetrapods' endochondral ossification, that is, (chondrocytes' high duplication rate, alignment in rows, increased volume of chondrocyte lacunae), but without the typical geometry of the metaphyseal growth plates