Historical vignette: The first brain surgery performed by the first woman neurosurgeon in Romania, Dr. Sofia Ionescu-Ogrezeanu

Introduction. Sofia Ionescu-Ogrezeanu (b. April 25, 1920, F?lticeni - d. March 21, 2008, Bucharest), also known as the Lady of Romanian Neurosurgery, became the first woman neurosurgeon in the world after performing a brain surgery during World War II, a fact recognized as a world premiere during the 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) in Morocco, in 2005. [1] Materials and methods. Sofia Ionescu is the first woman neurosurgeon. She was born on the fields of Bucovina, in F?lticeni, and became part of the "golden team" of the Romanian neurosurgery of the pioneering period. The decisive moment of her career took place in 1944, during the war when she was forced to perform an emergency operation on a child, a victim of the bombing. The article coagulates the reports regarding the description of the first brain surgery performed by the first woman neurosurgeon with the continuous activity integrated with the field of neurosurgery. Both specialized articles, biographical books, and television interviews were used as references. Results. The operation performed in the fifth year of faculty was the first step of a journey of 47 years of neurosurgical career, practised with high morality and devotion. The sacrifice of the pioneer of the first woman neurosurgeon was recognized in the press in the country and abroad, as well as by the recognition of different titles and distinctions

PICA ischemic stroke: The importance of urgent neurosurgical treatment

The posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) has a unique anatomical complexity, which is of great clinical importance and is involved in many pathologies, such as aneurysm, ischemic stroke, neurovascular compression syndrome (NVCS), arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and brain tumour (1). PICA has a sinuous and variable trajectory, divided into 5 segments. PICA infarction usually manifests lateral bulbar syndrome and is more likely to cause mass effects. PICA frequently compresses the bulb and cranial nerves, resulting in various neurovascular compression syndromes (NVCS) (2). The ischemic stroke caused by thromboembolism in the PICA segment is accounted for more than 2% of all cases of ischemic stroke (3). Moreover, it tends to be underdiagnosed due to the symptomatology, represented usually by vertigo which mimics a possible peripheral vestibulopathy (4).  &nbsp

An Important Step in Neuroscience: Camillo Golgi and His Discoveries

Camillo Golgi (Figure 1) is one of the most prestigious personalities of modern medicine [...

EIS Characterization of Ti Alloys in Relation to Alloying Additions of Ta

The increased popularity of Ti and its alloys as important biomaterials is driven by their low modulus, greater biocompatibility, and better corrosion resistance in comparison to traditional biomaterials, such as stainless steel and Co–Cr alloys. Ti alloys are successfully used in severe stress situations, such as Ti–6Al–4V, but this alloy is related to long-term health problems and, in response, different Ti alloys composed of non-toxic and non-allergic elements such as Nb, Zr, Mo, and Ta have been developed for biomedical applications. In this context, binary alloys of titanium and tantalum have been developed and are predicted to be potential products for medical purposes. More than this, today, novel biocompatible alloys such as high entropy alloys with Ti and Ta are considered for biomedical applications and therefore it is necessary to clarify the influence of tantalum on the behavior of the alloy. In this study, various Ti–xTa alloys (with x = 5, 15, 25, and 30) were characterized using different techniques. High-resolution maps of the materials’ surfaces were generated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and atom distribution maps were obtained by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). A thorough output of chemical composition, and hence the crystallographic structure of the alloys, was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of these Ti–Ta alloys was investigated by EIS in simulated body fluid at different potentials. The passive layer resistance increases with the potential due to the formation of the passive layer of TiO2 and Ta2O5 and then decreases due to the dissolution processes through the passive film. Within the Ti–xTa alloys, Ti–25Ta demonstrates excellent passive layer and corrosion resistance properties, so it seems to be a promising product for metallic medical devices

Wilhelm von Waldeyer: Important Steps in Neural Theory, Anatomy and Citology

Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Harz is regarded as a significant anatomist who helped the entire medical world to discover and develop new techniques in order to improve patient treatment as well as decrease death rates. He discovered fascia propria recti in 1899, which is important in total mesorectal excision which improves cancer treatment as well as outcomes. He played an important role in developing the neuron theory which states that the nervous system consists of multiple individual cells, called neurons, which currently stands as the basis of the impulse transmission of neurons. Waldeyer was also interested in cytology, where he made a substantial contribution, being the first who adopted the name “Chromosome”. Therefore, he accelerated the progress of what it is now known as Genetics. In conclusion, starting from the Fascia propria recti and continuing with great discoveries in cytology and neuron theory, Wilhelm von Waldeyer represents a key person in what we today call medicine

Mn-Containing Bioactive Glass-Ceramics: BMP-2-Mimetic Peptide Covalent Grafting Boosts Human-Osteoblast Proliferation and Mineral Deposition

The addition of Mn in bioceramic formulation is gaining interest in the field of bone implants. Mn activates human osteoblast (h-osteoblast) integrins, enhancing cell proliferation with a dose-dependent effect, whereas Mn-enriched glasses induce inhibition of Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. In an effort to further optimize Mn-containing scaffolds' beneficial interaction with h-osteoblasts, a selective and specific covalent functionalization with a bioactive peptide was carried out. The anchoring of a peptide, mapped on the BMP-2 wrist epitope, to the scaffold was performed by a reaction between an aldehyde group of the peptide and the aminic groups of silanized Mn-containing bioceramic. SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and Raman studies confirmed the presence of the peptide grafted onto the scaffold. In in vitro assays, a significant improvement in h-osteoblast proliferation, gene expression, and calcium salt deposition after 7 days was detected in the functionalized Mn-containing bioceramic compared to the controls