THE MORPHOMETRY OF THE CORACOID PROCESS - ITS AETHIOLOGIC ROLE IN THE SUBCORACOID IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME

Abstract: Anatomical morphometric studies of the coracoid process and coraco-glenoid space were carried out on 204 dry scapulae. No statistically significant correlations were found between length, or thickness of the coracoid process, prominence of the coracoid tip, coracoid slope, coraco-glenoid distance, or position of the coracoid tip with respect to the uppermost point of the glenoid. These anatomical characteristics were independent. of the dimensions of the scapulae. Three configurations of the coraco-glenoid space were identified. Type I configuration was found in 45% of scapulae and Type II and Type III, in 34% and 21% of specimens, respectively. The lowest value of the coraco-glenoid distance were seen in Type I scapulae. Morphometric characteristics which might predispose to subcoracoid impingement were found in 4% of Type I scapulae. A total of 27 scapulae, nine with each type of configuration were submitted to CT scanning. Scapulae with a Type I configuration were found to have low values for the coraco-glenoid angle and coracoid overlap, which are known to be associated with a short coraco-humeral distance. Subjects with a Type I configuration, and severe narrowing of the coraco-glenoid space, appear to be predisposed to coraco-humeral impingement. These morphometric characteristics may be easily evaluated on CT scans

Isolation and Cryopreservation of Animal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Scientific progress in cellular and molecular biotechnology has led to the development of advanced therapies, such as gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineering. The application of stem cells as therapeutic agents has been investigated for several years in human medicine and, more recently, the same approach has been considered in the veterinary field as a novel opportunity for the treatment of animal diseases. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies seem to contribute to the healing process by several mechanisms due to their peculiar biological features. It has been shown that MSCs could effectively differentiate into the required cell type to replace the damaged tissue. Furthermore, due to their autocrine and paracrine secretory activities, these cells are a powerful source of trophic mediators, growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrix components. The clinical application of MSCs needs great amounts of cells designed for in vivo implantation that can be obtained following their in vitro isolation, serial subcultivations, cryopreservation, and thawing. These procedures could determine their feature changes which could interfere with the therapeutic outcome. For these reasons, to preserve MSCs after in vitro manipulation for future applications, standardized quality controls and a reliable long-term cryopreservation method are required

Dermoscopic and reflectance confocal microscopy features of two cases of vulvar basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant skin cancer. Its genital localization is rare, and the diagnosis in this site could be challenging. Here, we report two patients with vulvar BCC and describe their clinical, dermoscopic and in vivo and ex vivo reflectance confocal microscopic (RCM) features. Dermoscopy and RCM can be useful tools for helping the clinical diagnosis of vulvar BCC and for identifying the correct surgical margins

Exploring the larval transcriptome of the common sole (Solea solea L.)

open7noBackground The common sole (Solea solea) is a promising candidate for European aquaculture; however, the limited knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying larval development in this species has hampered the establishment of successful flatfish aquaculture. Although the fact that genomic tools and resources are available for some flatfish species, common sole genomics remains a mostly unexplored field. Here, we report, for the first time, the sequencing and characterisation of the transcriptome of S. solea and its application for the study of molecular mechanisms underlying physiological and morphological changes during larval-to-juvenile transition. Results The S. solea transcriptome was generated from whole larvae and adult tissues using the Roche 454 platform. The assembly process produced a set of 22,223 Isotigs with an average size of 726 nt, 29 contigs and a total of 203,692 singletons. Of the assembled sequences, 75.2% were annotated with at least one known transcript/protein; these transcripts were then used to develop a custom oligo-DNA microarray. A total of 14,674 oligonucleotide probes (60 nt), representing 12,836 transcripts, were in situ synthesised onto the array using Agilent non-contact ink-jet technology. The microarray platform was used to investigate the gene expression profiles of sole larvae from hatching to the juvenile form. Genes involved in the ontogenesis of the visual system are up-regulated during the early stages of larval development, while muscle development and anaerobic energy pathways increase in expression over time. The gene expression profiles of key transcripts of the thyroid hormones (TH) cascade and the temporal regulation of the GH/IGF1 (growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor I) system suggest a pivotal role of these pathways in fish growth and initiation of metamorphosis. Pre-metamorphic larvae display a distinctive transcriptomic landscape compared to previous and later stages. Our findings highlighted the up-regulation of gene pathways involved in the development of the gastrointestinal system as well as biological processes related to folic acid and retinol metabolism. Additional evidence led to the formation of the hypothesis that molecular mechanisms of cell motility and ECM adhesion may play a role in tissue rearrangement during common sole metamorphosis. Conclusions Next-generation sequencing provided a good representation of the sole transcriptome, and the combination of different approaches led to the annotation of a high number of transcripts. The construction of a microarray platform for the characterisation of the larval sole transcriptome permitted the definition of the main processes involved in organogenesis and larval growth. Keywords: Solea solea; Flatfish; Larval development; Metamorphosis; Transcriptome; Gene expressionopenSerena Ferraresso; Alessio Bonaldo; Luca Parma; Stefano Cinotti; Paola Massi; Luca Bargelloni; Pier Paolo GattaSerena Ferraresso; Alessio Bonaldo; Luca Parma; Stefano Cinotti; Paola Massi; Luca Bargelloni; Pier Paolo Gatt

Experimental comparison in sensing breast cancer mutations by signal on and signal off paper-based electroanalytical strips

Altres ajuts: the ICN2 is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya.The development of paper-based electroanalytical strips as powerful diagnostic tools has gained a lot of attention within the sensor community. In particular, the detection of nucleic acids in complex matrices represents a trending topic, especially when focused toward the development of emerging technologies, such as liquid biopsy. DNA-based biosensors have been largely applied in this direction, and currently, there are two main approaches based on target/probe hybridization reported in the literature, namely Signal ON and Signal OFF. In this technical note, the two approaches are evaluated in combination with paper-based electrodes, using a single strand DNA relative to H1047R (A3140G) missense mutation in exon 20 in breast cancer as the model target. A detailed comparison among the analytical performances, detection protocol, and cost associated with the two systems is provided, highlighting the advantages and drawbacks depending on the application. The present work is aimed to a wide audience, particularly for those in the field of point-of-care, and it is intended to provide the know-how to manage with the design and development stages, and to optimize the platform for the sensing of nucleic acids using a paper-based detection method

The Need of Multidisciplinary Approaches and Engineering Tools for the Development and Implementation of the Smart City Paradigm

This paper is motivated by the concept that the successful, effective, and sustainable implementation of the smart city paradigm requires a close cooperation among researchers with different, complementary interests and, in most cases, a multidisciplinary approach. It first briefly discusses how such a multidisciplinary methodology, transversal to various disciplines such as architecture, computer science, civil engineering, electrical, electronic and telecommunication engineering, social science and behavioral science, etc., can be successfully employed for the development of suitable modeling tools and real solutions of such sociotechnical systems. Then, the paper presents some pilot projects accomplished by the authors within the framework of some major European Union (EU) and national research programs, also involving the Bologna municipality and some of the key players of the smart city industry. Each project, characterized by different and complementary approaches/modeling tools, is illustrated along with the relevant contextualization and the advancements with respect to the state of the art

Transformation and tumorigenicity testing of simian cell lines and evaluation of poliovirus replication

The key role of cell cultures in different scientific fields is worldwide recognized, both as in vitro research models alternative to laboratory animals and substrates for biological production. However, many safety concerns rise from the use of animal/human cell lines that may be tumorigenic, leading to potential adverse contaminations in cell-derived biologicals. In order to evaluate the suitability of 13 different cell lines for Poliovirus vaccine production, safety and quality, in vitro/in vivo tumorigenicity and Poliovirus propagation properties were evaluated. Our results revealed that non-human primate cell lines CYNOM-K1, FRhK-4, 4MBr-5 and 4647 are free of tumorigenic features and represent highly susceptible substrates for attenuated Sabin Poliovirus strains. In particular, FRhK-4 and 4647 cell lines are characterized by a higher in vitro replication, resulting indicated for the use in large-scale production field

Managing behavioural problems in human-dog interactions

The management of dog behavioural problems requires the expertise of professionals such as the veterinary behaviourist. Clinical assessment of behavioural disorders allows the veterinary behaviourist to formulate a diagnosis and prescribe a behavioural and/or pharmacological therapy. The objective of such therapy is to produce a stable change in the perception of a stimulus and the resulting emotion, leading to the correction of the behavioural problem. It may be crucial to evaluate the subject's pathological state in response to the observed symptoms in order to identify the functional impairment of the pivotal neurotransmitter systems involved in the disorder. This allows selecting a suitable pharmacological treatment. In order to implement behavioural therapy, the veterinary behaviourist collaborates, where necessary, with a team of qualified canine trainers

Pseudarthrosis after instrumented and nonstrumented fusion: clinical status and reoperation rate

Several studies have shown that in patients undergoing lumbar fusion, satisfactory results may be obtained even if solid fusion is not achieved. It may be hypothesized that in patients with failed instrumented fusion the rate of satisfactory results may be even greater, since spinal instrumentation may significantly reduce vertebral motion at the operated level.This study was aimed at analysing the clinical and functional outcome in patients with pseudarthrosis after instrumented and non-instrumented fusion. Material and Methods: Fifteen patients with pseudoarthrosis after failed non-instrumented fusion (group I) and 15 who had failed instrumented (pedicle screw) fusion (group II) were followed prospectively. Thirty patients matched for age and sex, who had solid fusion were analysed as a control group (group III). A self-reported questionnaire assesssing patient satisfaction, pain severity, psychological status and functional outcome were administered. Fusion status was evaluated on standard and flexion-extension radiographs. Follow-up was carried out a minimum of two years after fusion. Results: Clinical results were rated as satisfactory in seven patients of group I and in three of group II (p<0.05); in group III 25 patients reported satisfactory results (p<0.05). Six patients in group I were fully employed compared with 4 of group II (p>0.05) and with 23 of those in group III (p<0.01). Seven patients of group I and 13 of group II underwent repeat fusion (p<0.05). Conclusions: In contrast with our hypothesis we found that pseudarthrosis is more likely to be associated with a poor outcome after instrumented than non-instrumented fusion. Moreover, a higher reoperation rate was found in patients with failed instrumented fusion than in those with no instrumentation. These findings suggest that in patients with pseudarthrosis showing persistent mobility at the operated levels the presence of pedicle screws may be an additional source of pain