BAPNE method and Neurorehabilitation in patients with severe acquired brain injury

The use of body percussion through BAPNE method in neurorehabilitation offers the possibility of studying the development of motor skills, attention, coordination, memory and social interaction of patients with neurological diseases. The experimental protocol was carried out on 52 patients with severe acquired brain injury. Patients were selected for the cut-off scores in the standard neuropsychological tests of sustained attention, divided and alert ; at least one emisoma intact, cut-off scores in the standard for procedural and semantic memory ; eyesight, hearing and speech intact. The first group of patients has supported the protocol BAPNE thogher with the traditional rehabilitation activities. The control group continued to perform exclusively the cognitive and neuromotor rehabilitation according to traditional protocols. At 6 months after administration of the protocol is expected to re-test to assess if present, the maintenance of the effects of rehabilitation obtained. Experimentation is carried out for 10 weeks following the protocol of BAPNE method in the Roboris Foundation of Rome: The research is led by three neurologists from the center of neurorehabilitation

A Regulator Role for the ATP-Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 6 Transporter in HepG2 Cells: Effect on the Dynamics of Cell-Cell and Cell-Matrix Interactions

There is growing evidence that various ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters contribute to the growth and development of tumors, but relatively little is known about how the ABC transporter family behaves in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common cancers worldwide. Cellular model studies have shown that ABCC6, which belongs to the ABC subfamily C (ABCC), plays a role in the cytoskeleton rearrangement and migration of HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells, thus highlighting its role in cancer biology. Deep knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed results could provide therapeutic insights into the tumors in which ABCC6 is modulated. In this study, differential expression levels of mRNA transcripts between ABCC6-silenced HepG2 and control groups were measured, and subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. Real-Time PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed bioinformatics; functional studies support the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed effects. The results provide valuable information on the dysregulation of fundamental cellular processes, such as the focal adhesion pathway, which allowed us to obtain detailed information on the active role that the down-regulation of ABCC6 could play in the biology of liver tumors, as it is involved not only in cell migration but also in cell adhesion and invasion

ANÁLISE TRIDIMENSIONAL DE POROSIDADE EM ROCHA ASSOCIADA À DOLOMITIZAÇÃO MULTIFÁSICA

A visualização tridimensional e a quantificação volumétrica simultânea dos poros e das fases de dolomitização multifásica em rochas carbonáticas por meio de microtomografia de raios X, integrada à petrografia, fornecem dados importantes para análise de rochas reservatório. As rochas coletadas constituem mármores e brechas dolomíticas da Formação Água Clara, porção sul do Cinturão Ribeira, Paraná, Brasil. Os mármores apresentam porosidade total mais baixa (0,2 a 0,5%) que as brechas, as quais possuem valores entre 2 e 9%. Quatro fases principais de dolomitização afetaram os mármores e as brechas estudadas. Estas fases são caracterizadas por distintos tipos texturais de dolomita. A fase 1, constituída por fragmentos de mármores, contém dolomita com granulação fina. Cimento micrítico constituído por dolomita microcristalina rica em ferro, calcita, muscovita e quartzo, na fase 2, envolve os fragmentos da fase 1. A fase 3 é constituída por dolomita em sela de granulação média à grossa, com goethita na superfície de clivagem. Essa fase ocorre em veios e cavidades, por vezes associada à calcita tardia (fase 4). A maior porcentagem de porosidade ocorre associada à dolomita em sela. A preservação de espaços vazios na precipitação destas fases é a hipótese mais provável, principalmente pela forma dos poros

Antimeningococcal and antipneumococcal vaccination determinants: A European systematic literature review

EACKGROUND: ESCULAPIO is a multicenter project, funded by the Italian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, aimed at implementing communication strategies to improve vaccination knowledge and attitudes among different target populations. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the Sicilian research unit was, in the first phase, to identify, through systematic literature revision, which vaccination determinants play a role in the uptake of recommended vaccines included in the Italian Vaccination Plan. DESIGN: A systematic literature review was carried out on studies describing the determinants underlying pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccination uptake. The analysis was limited to papers published in English from 2000 to date. RESULTS: A total of 188 (meningococcal) and 731 (pneumococcal) papers were found. After selection by publication data, country (Europe), article type (original article), target population (healthy subjects), 7 (meningococcal) and 4 ( pneumococcal) manuscripts were finally included in the analysis. For meningococcal vaccination a better socioeconomic status is related to vaccination acceptance, whereas distance from immunization service is a negative determinant. For pneumococcal vaccination the determinants related to vaccination uptake are older parental age and a strong vaccine recommendation. Conversely, when the vaccine needs to be paid for, a refusal is more likely. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that payment for vaccination is a major barrier and communication about meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccination should be targeted towards specific population groups, especially through the counseling activities by health professionals

Gain-of-function defects of astrocytic Kir4.1 channels in children with autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy

Dysfunction of the inwardly-rectifying potassium channels Kir4.1 (KCNJ10) represents a pathogenic mechanism contributing to Autism-Epilepsy comorbidity. To define the role of Kir4.1 variants in the disorder, we sequenced KCNJ10 in a sample of affected individuals, and performed genotype-phenotype correlations. The effects of mutations on channel activity, protein trafficking, and astrocyte function were investigated in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and in human astrocytoma cell lines. An in vivo model of the disorder was also explored through generation of kcnj10a morphant zebrafish overexpressing the mutated human KCNJ10. We detected germline heterozygous KCNJ10 variants in 19/175 affected children. Epileptic spasms with dysregulated sensory processing represented the main disease phenotype. When investigated on astrocyte-like cells, the p.R18Q mutation exerted a gain-of-function effect by enhancing Kir4.1 membrane expression and current density. Similarly, the p.R348H variant led to gain of channel function through hindrance of pH-dependent current inhibition. The frequent polymorphism p.R271C seemed, instead, to have no obvious functional effects. Our results confirm that variants in KCNJ10 deserve attention in autism-epilepsy, and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of autism and seizures. Similar to neurons, astrocyte dysfunction may result in abnormal synaptic transmission and electrical discharge, and should be regarded as a possible pharmacological target in autism-epilepsy. Supplementary information accompanies this paper in the files section.peer-reviewe

Combined use of serum (1,3)-\u3b2-D-glucan and procalcitonin for the early differential diagnosis between candidaemia and bacteraemia in intensive care units

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the combined performance of serum (1,3)-\u3b2-D-glucan (BDG) and procalcitonin (PCT) for the differential diagnosis between candidaemia and bacteraemia in three intensive care units (ICUs) in two large teaching hospitals in Italy. METHODS: From June 2014 to December 2015, all adult patients admitted to the ICU who had a culture-proven candidaemia or bacteraemia, as well as BDG and PCT measured closely to the time of the index culture, were included in the study. The diagnostic performance of BDG and PCT, used either separately or in combination, was assessed by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-). Changes from pre-test probabilities to post-test probabilities of candidaemia and bacteraemia were inferred from Fagan's nomograms. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six patients were included, 73 with candidaemia (44%) and 93 with bacteraemia (56%). When both markers indicated candidaemia (BDG 6580 pg/ml and PCT <2 ng/ml) they showed higher PPV (96%) compared to 79% and 66% for BDG or PCT alone, respectively. When both markers indicated bacteraemia (BDG <80 pg/ml and PCT 652 ng/ml), their NPV for candidaemia was similar to that of BDG used alone (95% vs. 93%). Discordant BDG and PCT results (i.e. one indicating candidaemia and the other bacteraemia) only slightly altered the pre-test probabilities of the two diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of PCT and BDG could be helpful in the diagnostic workflow for critically ill patients with suspected candidaemia

ANÁLISE TRIDIMENSIONAL DE ROCHAS POR MEIO DE MICROTOMOGRAFIA COMPUTADORIZADA DE RAIOS X INTEGRADA À PETROGRAFIA

A tomografia computadorizada de raios X é uma técnica não destrutiva utilizada nas geociências desde a década de 80, cuja maior limitação, na época, era a resolução. Atualmente, o avanço tecnológico possibilita a análise em microescala. Este trabalho demonstra que a integração da microtomografia à petrografia permite a análise da forma, tamanho, conectividade e volume de cavidades em púmice, auxiliando na interpretação do vulcanismo associado. O estudo de fases minerais de atenuação de raios X contrastantes em granodiorito possibilita a compreensão da distribuição e formato tridimensional dos minerais, além de quantificações automatizadas no volume. Na análise microestrutural em protomilonito é possível a obtenção de medidas de foliações, indicadores cinemáticos e microfraturamentos diretamente nas centenas de seções microtomográficas reproduzidas na análise, além de visualização tridimensional destas microestruturas. E em arenito, a visualização tridimensional da banda de deformação, concomitante à quantificação da porosidade, fornece informações essenciais para a investigação da permoporosidade e entendimento petrogenético de reservatórios fraturados. As análises apresentadas demonstram que algumas informações obtidas em análise por microscopia óptica não podem ser obtidas em uma análise de microtomografia. No entanto, esta técnica pode ser uma grande aliada da petrografia, tornando viável a análise tridimensional qualitativa e quantitativa em rochas. Palavras-chave: Microtomografia computadorizada de raios X, petrografia, microestrutural, análise tridimensional