Introducing youth mobility and migration

The aim of this chapter is to introduce some of the conceptual tools researchers have developed to help explain young people’s spatial movement, especially in education, work and training contexts. This includes a reappraisal of the relationship between mobility and migration, seeing them as nested practices rather than distinct. The chapters also discuss how mobility is imaginatively integrated into life planning, with moving abroad while young potentially initiating a migration trajectory. This work is, we hope, an appropriate starting point for this book in establishing a starting point for mobility and arguing that what happens in the youth phase has lasting value.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Lyapunov Central Limit Theorem: Theoretical Properties and Applications in Big-Data-Populated Smart City Settings

Central Limit Theorems have a fundamental role in statistics and in a wide range of practical applications. The most famous formulation was proposed by Lindeberg–Lévy and it requires the variables to be independent and identically distributed. In the real setting these conditions are rarely matched, though. The Lyapunov Central Limit Theorem overcomes this limitation, since it does not require the same distribution of the random variables. However, the cost of this generalization is an increased complexity, moderately limiting its effective applicability. In this paper, we resume the main results on the Lyapunov Central Limit Theorem, providing an easy-to-prove condition to put in practice, and demonstrating its uniform convergence. These theoretical results are supported by some relevant applications in the field of big data in smart city settings

Assessment of myocardial sympathetic innervation by PET in patients with heart failure: a review of the most recent advances and future perspectives

Life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (VA) are a major cause of death in patients with congestive heart failure (HF). Among various factors, the sympathetic nervous system may give rise to VA in several pathophysiological pathways due to an impaired function of presynaptic sympathetic nerve terminals. Positron emission tomography (PET) with labeled catecholamine analogues represents a reliable tool to assess the sympathetic innervation activity. This review aims at summarising the most relevant and recent literature findings on the current role of PET in the evaluation of cardiac sympathetic activity in patients with heart failure. A comprehensive literature search strategy using PubMed databases was carried out looking for articles on the role of Positron emission tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in the assessment of myocardial sympathetic innervation in patients with heart failure. The literature search limited to the last 5 years retrieved 40 papers. Most of the papers dealt with PET studies with 11C-HED. 19 pre-clinical, first-in-human and clinical studies highlighting the current role of PET and future perspectives resulted eligible for inclusion in the present review. The assessment of myocardial sympathetic activity in patients with heart failure with PET will play a pivotal role in clinical practice. Its capability to predict the occurrence of life-threatening VA and the effectiveness of resynchronization therapy makes this technique ideal in the era of personalized medicine

Myrtucommulone from Myrtus communis exhibits potent anti-inflammatory effectiveness in vivo.

Myrtucommulone a nonprenylated acylphloroglucinol contained in the leaves of myrtle (Myrtus communis), has been reported to suppress the biosynthesis of eicosanoids by inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-1 in vitro and to inhibit the release of elastase and the formation of reactive oxygen species in activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Here, in view of the ability of MC to suppress typical proinflammatory cellular responses in vitro, we have investigated the effects of MC in in vivo models of inflammation. MC was administered to mice intraperitoneally, and paw edema and pleurisy were induced by the subplantar and intrapleural injection of carrageenan, respectively. MC (0.5, 1.5, and 4.5 mg/kg i.p.) reduced the development of mouse carrageenan-induced paw edema in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, MC (4.5 mg/kg i.p. 30 min before and after carrageenan) exerted anti-inflammatory effects in the pleurisy model. In particular, 4 h after carrageenan injection in the pleurisy model, MC reduced: 1) the exudate volume and leukocyte numbers; 2) lung injury (histological analysis) and neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity); 3) the lung intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and P-selectin immunohistochemical localization; 4) the cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1 β in the pleural exudate and their immunohistochemical localization in the lung; 5) the leukotriene B 4, but not prostaglandin E2, levels in the pleural exudates; and 6) lung peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactant substance) and nitrotyrosine and poly (ADP-ribose) immunostaining. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that MC exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and offer a novel therapeutic approach for the management of acute inflammation. Copyright © 2009 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

PEEK versus metal cages in posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a clinical and radiological comparative study

Background: Low back pain and sciatica represent a common disabling condition with a significant impact on the social, working and economic lives of patients. Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a surgical procedure used in degenerative spine conditions. Several types of cages were used in the TLIF procedure. Purpose: To determine whether there is a difference in terms of symptomatology improvement, return to daily activities and fusion rate between metal cages and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages. Methods: We have retrospectively reviewed 40 patients who have undergone TLIF from October 2015 to May 2016. All patients were clinically evaluated with questionnaires and were assessed with CT scan and standing X-ray films of the full-length spine. Results: We found no significant functional differences in the two groups. At 1-year follow-up, osteolysis was present in 50% of cases of the PEEK cages and in 10% cases of the metal cages. The degree of fusion at 1 year was evaluated as complete in 40% cases of the metal cages and 15% cases of the PEEK cages. Conclusions: We have found a better fusion rate and prevalence of fusion in the group treated with metal cages, reflecting the well-known osteoinductive properties of titanium and tantalum

Arthroscopic-guided balloon tibioplasty in schatzker iii tibial plateau fracture

Purpose The study aims to present the results at a mean 28-months follow-up of arthroscopic-guided balloon tibioplasty and to spot some technical tricks and some practice using tools and materials. Methods The study relates to six patients with tibial plateau fractures type Schatzker III with tibial plateau depression more than 4 mm at preoperative computed tomography scan (CT-scan). The follow-up period ranged from 22 to 33 months, with a mean of 28 months. No patients were lost to follow-up. The patients were evaluated clinically using the Rasmussen score system and Lysholm score systems at 6 to 12 and 24 months, postoperatively. Radiographic evaluations (standard X-rays) were done preoperatively at 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively while a CT-scan with 3D reconstruction was performed preoperatively, at the first day and 6 months, postoperatively. Results The mean Rasmussen clinical score at 6 months postoperatively was 26.3 while at 1-year postoperatively the mean Rasmussen clinical score was 28.33. At 2-year postoperatively the mean Rasmussen clinical score was 28.83. Statistically significant difference was found in 6-months and 2-years results (p < 0.05). CT-scan achieved the first postoperative day showed the recovery of approximately 70% of the area of the interested tibial plateau, restoring of the joint surface without articular bone free fragments. Conclusion The described surgical procedure, if correctly performed with proper indications (Schatzker III), respect the principles mentioned above and the clinical and radiological results confirm our purpose. Level of Evidence This is a therapeutic case series, level IV study

Protective role of PI3-kinase-Akt-eNOS signalling pathway in intestinal injury associated with splanchnic artery occlusion shock.

Background and purpose: Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a dynamic enzyme tightly controlled by co- and post-translational lipid modifications, phosphorylation and regulated by protein-protein interactions. Here we have pharmacologically modulated the activation of eNOS, at different post-translational levels, to assess the role of eNOS-derived NO and of these regulatory mechanisms in intestinal injury associated with splanchnic artery occlusion (SAO) shock. Experimental approach: SAO shock was induced by clamping both the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac trunk for 45 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion. During ischemia, 15 min prior to reperfusion, mice were given geldanamycin, an inhibitor of hsp90 recruitment to eNOS, or LY-294002 an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), an enzyme that initiates Akt-catalysed phosphorylation of eNOS on Ser 1179. After 30 min of reperfusion, samples of ileum were taken for histological examination or for biochemical studies. Key results: Either LY-294002 or geldanamycin reversed the increased activation of eNOS and Akt observed following SAO shock. These molecular effects were mirrored in vivo by an exacerbation of the intestinal damage. Histological damage also correlated with neutrophil infiltration, assessed as myeloperoxidase activity, and with an increased expression of the adhesion proteins: ICAM-I, VCAM, P-selectin and E-selectin. Conclusions and implications: Overall these results suggest that activation of the Akt pathway in ischemic regions of reperfused ileum is a protective event, triggered in order to protect the intestinal tissue from damage induced by ischaemia/reperfusion through a fine tuning of the endothelial NO pathway. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved

Protective Effect of Hydroxytyrosol Against Oxidative Stress Induced by the Ochratoxin in Kidney Cells: in vitro and in vivo Study

Ochratoxin-A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that is a common contaminant of food products for both humans and animals. This mycotoxin has several toxic effects. In particular, ochratoxin has significant nephrotoxic potential. In fact, OTA has been described as being responsible for naturally occurring animal and human kidney disorders. The toxicity of this mycotoxin involves the induction of the oxidative stress pathways. Therefore, in the present study, we wanted to evaluate the potential protective effects of hydroxytyrosol (HT), a phenolic constituent with potent antioxidant activity, of extra virgin olive oil in three different renal cell lines, the Madin-Darby canine kidney cell line (MDCK), a pig kidney cell line (LLC-PK1), and a rabbit kidney cell line (RK 13), and in rats. Our results clearly showed that renal cells respond to OTA exposure by reducing cell proliferation and the induction of oxidative stress. Pre-incubation of the cells with HT prevented the cellular cytotoxicity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels induced by OTA. In addition, the antioxidative activity of HT was studied by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and nitrosative stress. Finally, we investigated the capability of HT (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) to act in vivo. In rats, HT reduced oxidative stress and collagen accumulation in the kidney and counteracted the augmentations in AST, ALT, and creatinine levels following OTA induction (250 μg/kg for 90 days orally). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that HT is able to protect three renal cell lines from the damage induced by OTA and protect the kidneys of rats. Therefore, the use of this compound could be an important strategy for the treatment and prevention of this type of kidney dysfunction