Images in clinical medicine: gouty arthritis with osteomyelitis

Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthropathies, characterized by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the synovial membrane, articular cartilage and periarticular tissues and leading to inflammation. The natural history of articular gout is typically composed of four periods: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, episodes of acute attacks of gout (acute gouty arthritis) with asymptomatic intervals (intercritical gout), and chronic tophaceous gout. Tophi develop in 12-35% of gouty patients without adequate control of uricemia. Initially, they do not cause significant complaints or function limitation of the nearby joints. However, if they become larger, joint instability and movement range limitation, joint function impairment and bone erosions and infection at the sites of their penetration can develop.We report a case of a poorly controlled polyarticular tophaceous gout complicated by osteomyelitis

Effects of a Home-Based Lifestyle Intervention Program on Cardiometabolic Health in Breast Cancer Survivors during the COVID-19 Lockdown

This study aimed to evaluate the cardiometabolic effects of a home-based lifestyle intervention (LI) in breast cancer survivors (BCSs) during the COVID-19 lockdown. In total, 30 BCSs (women; stages 0-II; non-metastatic; aged 53.5 ± 7.6 years; non-physically active; normal left ventricular systolic function) with a risk factor for recurrence underwent a 3-month LI based on nutrition and exercise. Anthropometrics, Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity level (PAL), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), echocardiographic parameters, heart rate variability (average standard deviation of NN intervals (ASDNN/5 min) and 24 h very- (24 hVLF) and low-frequency (24 hLF)), and metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory serum biomarkers (glycemia, insulin resistance, progesterone, testosterone, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)) were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) the LI. After the LI, there were improvements in: body mass index (kg/m2: T0 = 26.0 ± 5.0, T1 = 25.5 ± 4.7; p = 0.035); diet (Mediet score: T0 = 6.9 ± 2.3, T1 = 8.8 ± 2.2; p < 0.001); PAL (MET-min/week: T0 = 647 ± 547, T1 = 1043 ± 564; p < 0.001); VO2max (mL·min-1·kg-1: T0 = 30.5 ± 5.8, T1 = 33.4 ± 6.8; p < 0.001); signs of diastolic dysfunction (participants: T0 = 15, T1 = 10; p = 0.007); AS-DNN/5 min (ms: T0 = 50.6 ± 14.4, T1 = 55.3 ± 16.7; p = 0.032); 24 hLF (ms2: T0 = 589 ± 391, T1 = 732 ± 542; p = 0.014); glycemia (mg/dL: T0 = 100.8 ± 11.4, T1 = 91.7 ± 11.0; p < 0.001); insulin resistance (HOMA-IR score: T0 = 2.07 ± 1.54, T1 = 1.53 ± 1.11; p = 0.005); testosterone (ng/mL: T0 = 0.34 ± 0.27, T1 = 0.24 ± 0.20; p = 0.003); hs-CRP (mg/L: T0 = 2.18 ± 2.14, T1 = 1.75 ± 1.74; p = 0.027). The other parameters did not change. Despite the home-confinement, LI based on exercise and nutrition improved cardiometabolic health in BCSs

UAV E DEEP LEARNING, DALL' IDENTIFICAZIONE E TRACCIAMENTO DI BERSAGLI CON OPENCV ALLE FUTURE MODALITÀ DI ABBATTIMENTO DI VELIVOLI UNMANNED

La tesi tratta dei velivoli Unmanned ovvero i velivoli senza pilota che negli ultimi anni hanno acquisito sempre più notorietà sia nell'ambito civile che in quello militare. Oltre alla descrizione del percorso evolutivo e delle varie tipologie di droni, l'attenzione della trattazione mira anche all'approfondimento di concetti base del Deep Learning passando per le reti neurali e reti neurali convoluzionali per poi approdare alla progettazione di uno script in linguaggio Python capace di identificare e tracciare i bersagli all'interno di un video. Al termine del progetto e a conclusione della tesi è stato approfondito il tema del Laser come futura arma impiegabile per l'abbattimento dei velivoli autonomi

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy of Janz: clinical observations in 60 patients

We studied 60 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). There was a high positive family history for epilepsy (33.3%). Age at onset of epilepsy ranged from 4 to 18 years with an average of 13.9 years. 88.3% of patients were seizure-free. The most effective drug was valproate. In eight patients drug withdrawal was attempted but all patients relapsed during a follow-up period of 1 year. Video-EEG studies were performed in eight newly diagnosed patients; myoclonic jerks were recorded in five patients

VALUTAZIONE DELLA RISPOSTA A LUNGO TERMINE AL VIGABATRIN NELLE EPILESSIE FARMACO-RESISTENTI: STUDIO DI 19 CASI

We studied 19 patients (pts) as compassionate case, with an age between 17 and 44 years (mean 29 ys), with a duration of epilepsy between 5 and 30 years, all with diagnosis of drug-resistant epilepsy. The pts were 13 with partial epilepsy, 3 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 2 with multifocal partial epilepsy with non progressive brain damage and 1 with Lafora disease. All pts have been followed for a period between 12 and 40 months. In 2 (10.5%) pts we observed a complete disappearance of the seizures, and in 3 (15.8%) a greater than 50% reduction in total seizure number. Tolerance to Vigabatrin was good and no patient was withdrawn because of side effects

Interventions on Gut Microbiota for Healthy Aging

: In recent years, the improvement in health and social conditions has led to an increase in the average lifespan. Since aging is the most important risk factor for the majority of chronic human diseases, the development of therapies and intervention to stop, lessen or even reverse various age-related morbidities is an important target to ameliorate the quality of life of the elderly. The gut microbiota, that is, the complex ecosystem of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role, not yet fully understood, in maintaining the host's health and homeostasis, influencing metabolic, oxidative and cognitive status; for this reason, it is also named "the forgotten endocrine organ" or "the second brain". On the other hand, the gut microbiota diversity and richness are affected by unmodifiable factors, such as aging and sex, and modifiable ones, such as diet, pharmacological therapies and lifestyle. In this review, we discuss the changes, mostly disadvantageous, for human health, induced by aging, in microbiota composition and the effects of dietary intervention, of supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, psychobiotics and antioxidants and of physical exercise. The development of an integrated strategy to implement microbiota health will help in the goal of healthy aging

Interventions on Gut Microbiota for Healthy Aging

In recent years, the improvement in health and social conditions has led to an increase in the average lifespan. Since aging is the most important risk factor for the majority of chronic human diseases, the development of therapies and intervention to stop, lessen or even reverse various age-related morbidities is an important target to ameliorate the quality of life of the elderly. The gut microbiota, that is, the complex ecosystem of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role, not yet fully understood, in maintaining the host&rsquo;s health and homeostasis, influencing metabolic, oxidative and cognitive status; for this reason, it is also named &ldquo;the forgotten endocrine organ&rdquo; or &ldquo;the second brain&rdquo;. On the other hand, the gut microbiota diversity and richness are affected by unmodifiable factors, such as aging and sex, and modifiable ones, such as diet, pharmacological therapies and lifestyle. In this review, we discuss the changes, mostly disadvantageous, for human health, induced by aging, in microbiota composition and the effects of dietary intervention, of supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, psychobiotics and antioxidants and of physical exercise. The development of an integrated strategy to implement microbiota health will help in the goal of healthy aging