Brain Connectivity Changes after Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Randomized Manual Placebo-Controlled Trial

The effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on functional brain connectivity in healthy adults is missing in the literature. To make up for this lack, we applied advanced network analysis methods to analyze resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, after OMT and Placebo treatment (P) in 30 healthy asymptomatic young participants randomized into OMT and placebo groups (OMTg; Pg). fMRI brain activity measures, performed before (T0), immediately after (T1) and three days after (T2) OMT or P were used for inferring treatment effects on brain circuit functional organization. Repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc analysis demonstrated that Right Precentral Gyrus (F (2, 32) = 5.995, p < 0.005) was more influential over the information flow immediately after the OMT, while decreased betweenness centrality in Left Caudate (F (2, 32) = 6.496, p < 0.005) was observable three days after. Clustering coefficient showed a distinct time-point and group effect. At T1, reduced neighborhood connectivity was observed after OMT in the Left Amygdala (L-Amyg) (F (2, 32) = 7.269, p < 0.005) and Left Middle Temporal Gyrus (F (2, 32) = 6.452, p < 0.005), whereas at T2 the L-Amyg and Vermis-III (F (2, 32) = 6.772, p < 0.005) increased functional interactions. Data demonstrated functional connectivity re-arrangement after OMT

L'accoglienza dell'ospite nelle residenze tardoantiche: nuclei di ambienti interpretabili come “appartamenti”

In questo contributo verrà approfondito il tema dell’ospitalità nell’ambito delle residenze aristocratiche tardoantiche, individuando, all’interno delle strutture abitative, nuclei di ambienti specificatamente destinati all’accoglienza dell’ospite. Nella prima parte il fenomeno verrà inquadrato negli ambiti più generali e ampiamente studiati dell'ospitalità e della pratica del convivium nella società tardoantica, dove la munificenza nei confronti dei convitati si esprime anche attraverso la predisposizione di alloggi riservati nella dimora. In questo tipo di approccio sarà fondamentale la documentazione delle fonti letterarie tardoantiche, che forniscono la testimonianza diretta da parte di esponenti dell’aristocrazia, pagani e cristiani, della pratica dell'ospitalità e delle conseguenze che questa consuetudine comporta nell'organizzazione dei percorsi e degli spazi residenziali all’interno delle dimore aristocratiche. Nella seconda parte saranno presi in considerazione alcuni casi studio significativi, fornendo una panoramica, per aree geografiche, dei settori interpretabili come appartamenti riservati agli ospiti all’interno delle ville aristocratiche tardoantiche. La parte conclusiva sarà dedicata all'esame del caso specifico dell'edificio di via Brisa a Milano, interpretabile come settore di rappresentanza/residenziale, di pertinenza del Palazzo Imperiale. The aim of this paper is to investigate the hospitality in Late Antiquity residential architecture, identifying specific sectors for the reception of guests. In the first part, the phenomenon will be framed in the more general and widely studied areas of hospitality and the practice of convivium in Late Antiquity, where the munificence towards the guests is expressed also through the arrangement of reserved lodgings in the dwelling. In this type of approach it will be fundamental  the Late Antiquity literary sources, which provide direct evidence from interpreters of aristocracy, Pagans and Christians, of the practice of hospitality and the consequences that this custom entails in the organization of paths and residential spaces within the aristocratic mansion. In the second part, some significant case studies will be considered, providing an overview, by geographical area, of the sectors that can be interpreted as apartments reserved for guests. The final part will be dedicated to the examination of the specific case of the via Brisa building in Milan, which can be interpreted as a representative / residential sector belonging to the Imperial Palace

Pavia e il suo territorio in età tardoantica: sintesi delle conoscenze alla luce dei recenti rinvenimenti

Il presente contributo propone una sintesi delle conoscenze inerenti l’assetto urbanistico di Ticinum e l’organizzazione del suo territorio in età tardoantica, epoca in cui la città, che fin dalle origini svolge un ruolo fondamentale all’interno della rete stradale romana, vede aumentare esponenzialmente la propria importanza strategica, quando prima Milano e poi Ravenna diventano capitali imperiali. Esaminando prima i rinvenimenti nel centro urbano (parte I) e poi quelli all’interno dell’ager ticinensis (parte II), è stato possibile individuare alcune aree funzionali, alla base dell’organizzazione cittadina e territoriale di Pavia in età tardoantica.This paper presents a synthesis of knowledge concerning the urban layout of Ticinum and the organization of its territory in Late Antiquity. The city, which has played a fundamental role within the Roman road network since its origins, sees a considerable increase in its strategic importance, when Milan at first and then Ravenna become imperial capitals. Through the study of discoveries around the urban center (part I) and the ager ticinensis (part II), it is possible identifying some functional areas characterizing Late Antique Pavia, both for urban space and surrounding territory

Hemoglobin Loaded Alginate Particles

Over the last few years medical and pharmaceutical industries have shown an increasing interest in alginate, an anionic polysaccharide widely distributed in the cell walls of brown algae. The present work aims at loading Human Hemoglobin (Hb) into alginate particles; the modification of some formulation parameters was carefully investigated by analysing changes on particles size and protein physicochemical properties. Particles were prepared by dropping alginate into an aqueous solution containing Hb and CaCl2, which permits the formation of particles through ionic cross- linking. Hb loaded alginate beads were obtained possessing an average diameter of about 2 mm and a protein loading of about 5%. Physicochemical characterizations showed that the protein maintained its functional ability of reversibly binding oxygen and its quaternary structure once loaded into alginate beads. In a refinement of the first formulation trials, Hb loaded alginate microparticles with diameter around 150 μm were obtained with a protein loading of about 50

Fatty Acid Ratios as Parameters to Discriminate Between Normal and Tumoral Cells and Compare Drug Treatments in Cancer Cells

The fatty acid (FA) composition of cell membranes represents a metabolic biomarker. However, the FA profile reproducibility in cell cultures remains a significant challenge. In this study, cell FA ratios are validated as metabolic markers alternative to cell FA. To this goal, cell samples belonging to cancer HeLa cells and normal 3T3 fibroblasts, from various experimental sets, are analyzed by a high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled with a photodiode array detector and evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-DAD/ELSD), and the ratios among the main FA are calculated. Principal component analysis (PCA) separately performed on FA and FA ratio data indicates similar clustering of cell samples concerning the cell type. Moreover, similar scores values t[1] and t[2] and graphical distances are calculated in the PCA plots separately performed on FA and FA ratios measured in cancer HeLa cells subjected to various antitumoral compounds. Last, PCA applied to selected FA ratios measured in various cell lines, obtained in similar experimental conditions, allows to discriminate between normal and tumoral cells. The results substantiate FA ratios as a cell-specific fingerprint, characterized by reproducibility across intra-laboratory conditions, useful for cell characterization, discrimination between normal and tumoral cells, and the comparison of different drug treatments. Practical Applications: The reproducibility of the fatty acid (FA) profile in cell cultures remains a significant challenge. Results obtained from this study improve knowledge about the role of the FA ratio profile as a cell-specific fingerprint characterized by reproducibility across intra-laboratory conditions. The characterization of the specific FA ratio profile of a cell culture, under standardized experimental conditions, can facilitate the comparative evaluation of cell data sets for nutritional, metabolic, and pharmacological studies, overcoming differences in cell culture conditions and FA extraction/analytical procedures

Cerebral Perfusion Changes After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Randomized Manual Placebo-Controlled Trial

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is a therapeutic approach aimed at enhancing the body’s self-regulation focusing on somatic dysfunctions correction. Despite evidence of OMT effectiveness, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms, as well as blood perfusion effects, are still poorly understood. The study aim was to address OMT effects on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in asymptomatic young volunteers as measured by Magnetic Resonance Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) method. Thirty blinded participants were randomized to OMT or placebo, and evaluated with an MRI protocol before manual intervention (T0), immediately after (T1), and 3 days later (T2). After T0 MRI, participants received 45 min of OMT, focused on correcting whole body somatic dysfunctions, or placebo manual treatment, consisting of passive touches in a protocolled order. After treatment, participants completed a de-blinding questionnaire about treatment perception. Results show significant differences due to treatment only for the OMT group (OMTg): perfusion decreased (compared to T0) in a cluster comprising the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the superior parietal lobule, while increased at T2 in the contralateral PCC. Furthermore, more than 60% of participants believed they had undergone OMT. The CBF modifications at T2 suggest that OMT produced immediate but reversible effects on CBF

Perspectives on polymeric nanostructures for the therapeutic application of antimicrobial peptides

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of promising anti-infective molecules but their therapeutic application is opposed by their poor bioavailability, susceptibility to protease degradation and potential toxicity. The advancement of nanoformulation technologies offers encouraging perspectives for the development of novel therapeutic strategies based on AMPs to treat antibiotic resistant microbial infections. Additionally, the use of polymers endowed per-se with antibacterial properties, stands out as an innovative approach for the development of a new generation of drug delivery systems in which an enhanced antimicrobial action could be obtained by the synergic combination of bioactive polymer matrices and drugs. Herein, the latest AMPs drug delivery research is discussed

Influence of APOE and RNF219 on Behavioral and Cognitive Features of Female Patients Affected by Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer's Disease.

The risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with the presence of the ?4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and, recently, with a novel genetic variant of the RNF219 gene. This study aimed at evaluating interactions between APOE-?4 and RNF219/G variants in the modulation of behavioral and cognitive features of two cohorts of patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD. We enrolled a total of 173 female MCI or AD patients (83 MCI; 90 AD). Subjects were screened with a comprehensive set of neuropsychological evaluations and genotyped for the APOE and RNF219 polymorphic variants. Analysis of covariance was performed to assess the main and interaction effects of APOE and RNF219 genotypes on the cognitive and behavioral scores. The analysis revealed that the simultaneous presence of APOE-?4 and RNF219/G variants results in significant effects on specific neuropsychiatric scores in MCI and AD patients. In MCI patients, RNF219 and APOE variants worked together to impact the levels of anxiety negatively. Similarly, in AD patients, the RNF219 variants were found to be associated with increased anxiety levels. Our data indicate a novel synergistic activity APOE and RNF219 in the modulation of behavioral traits of female MCI and AD patients