Barium alginate capsules for 3D immobilisation of living cells: morphology, membrane properties and permeability

Encapsulation in a barium alginate membrane is a promising strategy to obtain a three dimensional culture of living cells: membrane properties are crucial for a realistic clinical application. A one-step encapsulation technique, recently developed for controlled release of boar semen, was employed to prepare barium alginate and protamine-alginate membranes: permeability to two model molecules (haemoglobin and glucose) was evaluated. Capsules were evaluated for technological properties and scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the external morphology of the capsules and the 3D distribution of the cells within the core. The results indicate that 3D arrangement and cell shape are maintained, capsule dimensions and mechanical properties can be modulated, as well as their permeability to model molecules such as haemoglobin and glucose

Antibiotic-loaded hydrogel coating to reduce early postsurgical infections in aseptic hip revision surgery: a retrospective, matched case-control study

Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a cause of frequent implant failure in revision hip replacement surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the onset of early postoperative infections in patients who underwent hip surgery with cementless prostheses treated with an antibiotic loaded hydrogel on their surface, in addition to systemic prophylaxis, and compare them to a control group. The secondary objective was to evaluate the onset of any local and systemic adverse effects and interference with bone ingrowth processes and functional recovery. A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients who underwent revision hip surgery by performing a 1:1 match between patients treated with an antibiotic hydrogel (ALH) and the control patients. The incidence of PJIs was assessed with a minimum of six months follow-up. Seventeen patients treated with the ALH were compared with 17 patients from the control group. No PJIs were reported in the ALH group versus the six cases encountered in the control group (p < 0.0001). No significant differences were reported with regard to prosthetic osseointegration and functional results, nor were there side effects in the ALH group. Despite the low sample size, the use of on-site prophylaxis with ALH has proven effective and safe in reducing the risk of PJIs in patients with a high risk for infections. Further studies are needed to validate these results in other implant-related surgeries

Can body mass index influence the fracture zone in the fifth metatarsal base? A retrospective review

Fifth metatarsal base fracture are common in routine orthopaedic practice [1–6]. Lawrence and Botte [7] pro- posed a classification based upon the position of the fracture line (zone 1: tuberosity, zone 2: meta-diaphyseal junction, zone 3: proximal diaphysis). Pathomechani- cally, injury patterns develop in different ways: in zone 1, a traction injury caused by peroneus brevis tendon and the lateral band of the plantar fascia determine an avul- sion fracture of the tuberosity, also called “pseudo-Jones’ “fracture; in zone 2, forced foot adduction and excessive plantar flexion determine a fracture in the metaphyseal- diaphyseal junction, also called Jones’ fracture [8, 9]; in zone 3, acute over-bearing onto the area or chronic overload determine a fracture in the proximal portion of the diaphysis, distal to the intermetatarsal joint [10, 11]. To the best of the Authors’ knowledge, no study has been published to date on the relationship between the value of Body Mass Index (BMI) and the prevalence of fractures in a specific portion of the fifth metatarsal base. The aim of this study was to define the impact of BMI on fifth metatarsal base fractures location according to Lawrence and Botte classification [7]

Magnetic resonance imaging landmarks for preoperative localization of inferior medial genicular artery: a proof of concept analysis

The joint line is a useful landmark to identify IMGAcourse during knee surgery. The IMGA course is closerto the joint line and to the border of the medial tibialplateau in females than in males. Although the interindi-vidual variability these results should be taken into ac-count when performing all surgical procedures involvingthe medial aspect of the knee. Similar interindividualdistances were observed between IMGA and semimem-branosus tendon insertion regardless of gender. How-ever, the proximity to this tendon should be consideredespecially during specific cases of ligamentous balancingin TKA procedure

Quantitative Behavioural Reasoning for Higher-order Effectful Programs: Applicative Distances (Extended Version)

This paper studies the quantitative refinements of Abramsky's applicative similarity and bisimilarity in the context of a generalisation of Fuzz, a call-by-value $\lambda$-calculus with a linear type system that can express programs sensitivity, enriched with algebraic operations \emph{\`a la} Plotkin and Power. To do so a general, abstract framework for studying behavioural relations taking values over quantales is defined according to Lawvere's analysis of generalised metric spaces. Barr's notion of relator (or lax extension) is then extended to quantale-valued relations adapting and extending results from the field of monoidal topology. Abstract notions of quantale-valued effectful applicative similarity and bisimilarity are then defined and proved to be a compatible generalised metric (in the sense of Lawvere) and pseudometric, respectively, under mild conditions

Passing to the Limit in a Wasserstein Gradient Flow: From Diffusion to Reaction

We study a singular-limit problem arising in the modelling of chemical reactions. At finite {\epsilon} > 0, the system is described by a Fokker-Planck convection-diffusion equation with a double-well convection potential. This potential is scaled by 1/{\epsilon}, and in the limit {\epsilon} -> 0, the solution concentrates onto the two wells, resulting into a limiting system that is a pair of ordinary differential equations for the density at the two wells. This convergence has been proved in Peletier, Savar\'e, and Veneroni, SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 42(4):1805-1825, 2010, using the linear structure of the equation. In this paper we re-prove the result by using solely the Wasserstein gradient-flow structure of the system. In particular we make no use of the linearity, nor of the fact that it is a second-order system. The first key step in this approach is a reformulation of the equation as the minimization of an action functional that captures the property of being a curve of maximal slope in an integrated form. The second important step is a rescaling of space. Using only the Wasserstein gradient-flow structure, we prove that the sequence of rescaled solutions is pre-compact in an appropriate topology. We then prove a Gamma-convergence result for the functional in this topology, and we identify the limiting functional and the differential equation that it represents. A consequence of these results is that solutions of the {\epsilon}-problem converge to a solution of the limiting problem.Comment: Added two sections, corrected minor typos, updated reference

Alert sign and symptoms for the early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis: analysis of patients followed by a tertiary pediatric hospital

Background Intercepting earlier suspected TB (Tuberculosis) cases clinically is necessary to reduce TB incidence, so we described signs and symptoms of retrospective cases of pulmonary TB and tried to evaluate which could be early warning signs. Methods We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of pulmonary TB cases in children in years 2005-2017; in years 2018-2020 we conducted a cohort prospective study enrolling patients < 18 years accessed to Emergency Department (ED) with signs/symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB. Results In the retrospective analysis, 226 patients with pulmonary TB were studied. The most frequently described items were contact history (53.5%) and having parents from countries at risk (60.2%). Cough was referred in 49.5% of patients at onset, fever in 46%; these symptoms were persistent (lasting >= 10 days) in about 20%. Lymphadenopathy is described in 15.9%. The prospective study enrolled 85 patients of whom 14 (16.5%) were confirmed to be TB patients and 71 (83.5%) were non-TB cases. Lymphadenopathy and contact history were the most correlated variables. Fever and cough lasting >= 10 days were less frequently described in TB cases compared to non-TB patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions In low TB endemic countries, pulmonary TB at onset is characterized by different symptoms, i.e. persistent fever and cough are less described, while more relevant are contact history and lymphadenopathy. It was not possible to create a score because signs/symptoms usually suggestive of pulmonary TB (considered in the questionnaire) were not significant risk factors in our reality, a low TB country

Lifestyle Modifications to Help Prevent Headache at a Developmental Age

Headache is the world's seventh most significant cause of disability-adjusted-life in people aged between 10 and 14 years. Therapeutic management is based on pharmacological approaches and lifestyle recommendations. Many studies show associations between each migraine-promoting lifestyle, behavioral triggers, frequency, and intensity of headaches. Nevertheless, the overall aspects of this topic lack any definitive evidence. Educational programs advise that pediatric patients who suffer from migraines follow a correct lifestyle and that this is of the utmost importance in childhood, as it will improve quality of life and assist adult patients in avoiding headache chronicity, increasing general well-being. These data are important due to the scarcity of scientific evidence on drug therapy for prophylaxis during the developmental age. The "lifestyle recommendations" described in the literature include a perfect balance between regular sleep and meal, adequate hydration, limited consumption of caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol, regular physical activity to avoid being overweight as well as any other elements causing stress. The ketogenic diet is a possible new therapeutic strategy for the control of headache in adults, however, the possible role of dietary factors requires more specific studies among children and adolescents. Educational programs advise that the improvement of lifestyle as a central element in the management of pediatric headache will be of particular importance in the future to improve the quality of life of these patients and reduce the severity of cephalalgic episodes and increase their well-being in adulthood. The present review highlights how changes in different aspects of daily life may determine significant improvements in the management of headaches in people of developmental age