Functionalized biodegradable electrospun scaffolds and nanoengineered particles as innovative tools for vascular medicine

In the Western World, atherosclerosis-related diseases, including coronary and peripheral arterial pathologies, are one of the most common cause of morbidity and mortality. In some cases, in order to restore the blood flow, preserving all the functions of the downstream tissue, is necessary to introduce an arterial bypass or substitute in the patient. If autologous veins or artery are not available for different reasons (previous harvest, anatomical defects and anomalies, disease progression, other vascular problems etc.), artificial vascular constructs are required

Cortical Motor Organization, Mirror Neurons, and Embodied Language: An Evolutionary Perspective

The recent conceptual achievement that the cortical motor system plays a crucial role not only in motor control but also in higher cognitive functions has given a new perspective also on the involvement of motor cortex in language perception and production. In particular, there is evidence that the matching mechanism based on mirror neurons can be involved in both pho-nological recognition and retrieval of meaning, especially for action word categories, thus suggesting a contribution of an action–perception mechanism to the automatic comprehension of semantics. Furthermore, a compari-son of the anatomo-functional properties of the frontal motor cortex among different primates and their communicative modalities indicates that the combination of the voluntary control of the gestural communication systems and of the vocal apparatus has been the critical factor in the transition from a gestural-based communication into a predominantly speech-based system. Finally, considering that the monkey and human premotor-parietal motor system, plus the prefrontal cortex, are involved in the sequential motor organization of actions and in the hierarchical combination of motor elements, we propose that elements of such motor organization have been exploited in other domains, including some aspects of the syntactic structure of language

Small diameter vascular grafts coated with gelatin

In the field of tissue engineering, there is an increased demand for small diameter vascular grafts to treat peripheral vascular pathologies and ischemic heart diseases. The limited availability of suitable autogenous veins and the drawbacks related to the use of synthetic materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron\uc2\uae) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), especially when they are used as substitutes for small diameter vessels, have attracted several investigators turning their attention toward the fabrication of alternative biocompatible grafts. In this study, small diameter tubular grafts (2 mm), made of poly (\ucf\ub5-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) at a ratio of 1:1 (v/v) were obtained by electrospinning. With the aim to reduce water permeability, their surface was modified by dynamic coating of gelatin at 37 \uc2\ub0C for 1 h, followed by UV-irradiation. Thickness, fiber diameters, porosity, mass loss, fluid uptake, water permeability, gelatin release, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity, and hemocompatibility of gelatin-coated electrospun scaffolds (GCS) were studied and compared with uncoated scaffolds (UCS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the gelatin surface modification did not affect the 3D structure and pore interconnectivity of the scaffolds. A significant decrease in the water permeability was noticed when gelatin was used as coating agent. The results of this study highlighted the importance of a very low cost surface treatment with gelatin to improve the properties of PCL:PGS electrospun grafts. In conclusion, these gelatin-coated prostheses could be considered as a good candidate for vascular replacement in tissue engineering

Neuronal Chains for Actions in the Parietal Lobe: A Computational Model

The inferior part of the parietal lobe (IPL) is known to play a very important role in sensorimotor integration. Neurons in this region code goal-related motor acts performed with the mouth, with the hand and with the arm. It has been demonstrated that most IPL motor neurons coding a specific motor act (e.g., grasping) show markedly different activation patterns according to the final goal of the action sequence in which the act is embedded (grasping for eating or grasping for placing). Some of these neurons (parietal mirror neurons) show a similar selectivity also during the observation of the same action sequences when executed by others. Thus, it appears that the neuronal response occurring during the execution and the observation of a specific grasping act codes not only the executed motor act, but also the agent's final goal (intention)

Microalgae growth using winery wastewater for energetic and environmental purposes

Winery wastewater (WWW), produced by winemaking activities (cleaning, transferring and storage operations), is an aqueous solution containing ethanol, organic acids, sugars, aldehydes, other microbial metabolites, soaps and detergents. Nowadays, innovative wastewater treatment processes are based on bacterial and yeast species while the role of microalgae is still unclear. Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis and Chlorella vulgaris are unicellular prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, respectively, which can be easily grown even in non-optimal conditions. Several studies reported that the amount and quality of lipids contained in microalgal cells can differ as an outcome of changes in growth conditions or growth medium characteristics (concentration of carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, iron, etc.). In this study, we investigated the influence of different concentrations of WWW (20, 40 and 60 % v/v of the medium) on the growth and chemical composition of those photosynthetic microorganisms. Microalgae were grown into vertical glass bubblers (250 mL). The biomass concentration was quantified daily by measuring the optical density at 560 and 625 nm for A. platensis and C. vulgaris, respectively. Total Carbon and total Nitrogen concentrations, both in the media (mg/L) and in microalga biomass (g/100g), were monitored by a CHNS-O analyser. In order to quantify the influence of WWW-enrich media on the lipid concentration and composition, biomass was collected at the beginning of the stationary phase and the lipid fraction was extracted. Results suggested that the two tested microalgae can growth in media enriched with WWW and the total Nitrogen concentrations decreased up to 90 and 100 % for A. platensis and C. vulgaris, respectively. In conclusion, WWW could be successfully used for the growth of the tested microalgae, leading to a reduction of the environmental impact of this wastewater

Beyond aerodigestion: exaptation of feeding-related mouth movements for social communication in human and non-human primates

Three arguments are advanced from human and non-human primate infancy research for the exaptation of ingestive mouth movements (tongue-protrusion and lip-smacking) for the purposes of social communication: Their relation to affiliative behaviours; their sensitivity to social context; and their role in social development. Although these behaviours may have an aerodigestive function, such an account of their occurrence is only partial

Similarities and differences in the functional architecture of mother-infant communication in rhesus macaque and British mother-infant dyads

Similarly to humans, rhesus macaques engage in mother-infant face-to-face interactions. However, no previous studies have described the naturally occurring structure and development of mother-infant interactions in this population and used a comparative-developmental perspective to directly compare them to the ones reported in humans. Here, we investigate the development of infant communication, and maternal responsiveness in the two groups. We video-recorded mother-infant interactions in both groups in naturalistic settings and analysed them with the same micro-analytic coding scheme. Results show that infant social expressiveness and maternal responsiveness are similarly structured in humans and macaques. Both human and macaque mothers use specific mirroring responses to specific infant social behaviours (modified mirroring to communicative signals, enriched mirroring to affiliative gestures). However, important differences were identified in the development of infant social expressiveness, and in forms of maternal responsiveness, with vocal responses and marking behaviours being predominantly human. Results indicate a common functional architecture of mother-infant communication in humans and monkeys, and contribute to theories concerning the evolution of specific traits of human behaviour

ZYGOMA IMPLANT-SUPPORTED PROSTHETIC REHABILITATION OF A PATIENT AFTER SUBTOTAL BILATERAL MAXILLECTOMY

This clinical report describes the successful implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient who underwent subtotal bilateral maxillectomy for an oral squamous cell carcinoma with a consequent wide defect interesting the whole hard palate and most of the soft palate, causing a large opening that directly connects the oral cavity to the nasal fosse bilaterally. The innovative aspect of this case is represented by the realization of a obturator prosthesis supported by just three zygoma implants. The maxillary bone had been largely excised by radical surgery. Despite the resection had a complete oncological success and the patient was free of disease after 24 months follow up, the patient experienced severe speech and deglutition deficit due to the iatrogenic large oro-antral communication. Three zygoma implants have been positioned, two trough the right maxillary bone and, owing the wide lack of bone, just one on the left side. No mucogengival surgery was necessary around the zygoma implants. The obturator prosthesis was stabilized by the three implants and the patient\u2019s oral function as well as quality of life widely improved. The results show that zygoma implants could represent a viable surgical option to obtain a satisfactory oral function rehabilitation even in case of extensive maxillary defect