Physical exercise is considered an effective means to stimulate bone osteogenesis in osteoporotic patients. The authors reviewed the current literature to define the most appropriate features of ...exercise for increasing bone density in osteoporotic patients. Two types emerged: (1) weight-bearing aerobic exercises, i.e., walking, stair climbing, jogging, and Tai Chi. Walking alone did not appear to improve bone mass; however it is able to limit its progressive loss. In fact, in order for the weight-bearing exercises to be effective, they must reach the mechanical intensity useful to determine an important ground reaction force. (2) Strength and resistance exercises: these are carried out with loading (lifting weights) or without (swimming, cycling). For this type of exercise to be effective a joint reaction force superior to common daily activity with sensitive muscle strengthening must be determined. These exercises appear extremely site-specific, able to increase muscle mass and BMD only in the stimulated body regions. Other suggested protocols are multicomponent exercises and whole body vibration. Multicomponent exercises consist of a combination of different methods (aerobics, strengthening, progressive resistance, balancing, and dancing) aimed at increasing or preserving bone mass. These exercises seem particularly indicated in deteriorating elderly patients, often not able to perform exercises of pure reinforcement. However, for these protocols to be effective they must always contain a proportion of strengthening and resistance exercises. Given the variability of the protocols and outcome measures, the results of these methods are difficult to quantify. Training with whole body vibration (WBV): these exercises are performed with dedicated devices, and while it seems they have effect on enhancing muscle strength, controversial findings on improvement of BMD were reported. WBV seems to provide good results, especially in improving balance and reducing the risk of falling; in this, WBV appears more efficient than simply walking. Nevertheless, contraindications typical of senility should be taken into account.
Literature provides unclear evidence of the effectiveness of many physiotherapy interventions on pain intensity, quality of life, and functional ability in hemophilic patients, and suggests that ...rehabilitation programs should be focused on functional goals and the disability of patients.
The aim of the present study is to present the outcome of a case series of patients with hemophilia in which a rehabilitation program has been carried out on the basis of a specific individual patient's functional impairment.
Fifty-one patients were enrolled: 32 patients (Rehab Group) received a rehabilitative treatment, 19 patients for different reasons (living far from the hospital, family problems) did not receive rehabilitation (Control Group). The rehabilitation program was planned with respect to the emergent problems: musculoskeletal pain, joint range of motion limitation, muscle flexibility, walking difficulties, the appearance of hematomas/hemartro, and postural problems. All the patients were assessed at baseline (T0), after 1 month (T1), and after 3 months (T2) through visual analogic scale for musculoskeletal pain, the Hemophilia Joint Health Score for joint range of motion, the Functional Independence Score in Hemophilia for disability, and postural assessment by visual inspection.
A significant reduction of pain and improvement of Hemophilia Joint Health Score and Functional Independence Score in Hemophilia score was found in the Rehab Group along with the follow-up. Pain in the Control Group was lower with respect to the other group at baseline and significantly decreased after 1 month.
A rehabilitation program focused on individual impairment of patients with hemophylia determined satisfying results in terms of pain control, functional, and disability improvement in 3 months follow-up.
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•OLE is generally discarded in olive oil industries, but it may be successfully recycled.•OLE inhibits the viability and promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and ...OVCAR-3 cells.•OLE increases ROS production and alters the protein levels of oxidative stress pathway related proteins.•OLE compromises mitochondrial function and causes mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) loss.•OLE affected cell viability, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction through the activation of ROS.
Breast and ovarian cancers are the leading and fifth reason for tumor death among females, respectively. Recently, many studies demonstrated antiproliferative activities of natural aliments in cancer. In this study, we investigated the antitumor potential of Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) in triple-negative breast and ovarian cancer cells.
A HPLC/DAD analysis on OLE has been performed to assess the total polyphenolics and other secondary metabolites content. HCEpiC, MDA-MB-231, and OVCAR-3 cell lines were used. MTS, Cytofluorimetric, Western Blot analysis were performed to analyze cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Fluorimetric and IncuCyte® analyses were carried out to evaluate apoptosis and mitochondrial function.
We confirmed that OLE, containing a quantity of oleuropein of 87 % of the total extract, shows anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity on MDA-MB-231 cells. For the first time, our results indicate that OLE inhibits OVCAR-3 cell viability inducing cell cycle arrest, and it also increases apoptotic cell death up-regulating the protein level of cleaved-PARP and caspase 9. Moreover, our data show that OLE treatment causes a significant decrease in mitochondrial functionality, paralleled by a reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential. Interestingly, OLE increased the level of intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) together with a decreased activity of ROS scavenging enzymes, confirming oxidative stress in both models. Our data demonstrate that mitochondrial ROS generation represented the primary mechanism of OLE antitumor activity, as pretreatment with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine prevented OLE-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
We used catalytic arene–norbornene annulation (CANAL) polymerization to synthesize high-molecular-weight (degree of polymerization 500–800 based on M n) rigid ladder polymers with methyl, ethyl, and ...isopropyl substituents that can form self-standing films. The short alkyl substitution on CANAL ladder polymers significantly impacted gas-transport properties and their chain packing as revealed by variable-temperature pure-gas permeation and high-pressure sorption experiments as well as wide-angle X-ray scattering. Interestingly, a combination of methyl and isopropyl substituents enhanced both the sorption capacity and permeation of all gases tested without compromising permselectivity. Our findings suggest that varying short alkyl substitutions on ladder polymers with high fractional free volume represents an effective strategy to tune their chain packing and fractional free volume, which can enhance permeability without compromising permselectivity.
Neurodegenerative diseases are debilitating and currently incurable conditions causing severe cognitive and motor impairments, defined by the progressive deterioration of neuronal structure and ...function, eventually causing neuronal loss. Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these disorders are essential to develop therapeutic approaches. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs implicated in gene expression regulation at the post-transcriptional level. Moreover, miRNAs are crucial for different processes, including cell growth, signal transmission, apoptosis, cancer and aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. Altered miRNAs levels have been associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS formation occur in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The crosstalk existing among oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and miRNAs dysregulation plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on this evidence, in this review, with a focus on miRNAs and their role in mitochondrial dysfunction in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
CO2 and CH4 mixed-gas solubility was measured in 3,3′-dihydroxy-4,4′-diamino-biphenyl (HAB) 2,2′-bis-(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) polyimide and in its thermally ...rearranged (TR) derivative, TR450. Due to competitive sorption effects, the solubility of both species in mixed-gas conditions is lower than the corresponding pure-gas solubility at the same fugacity. CH4 sorption is significantly affected by the presence of the second gas, while CO2 behavior is hardly altered. Therefore, the multicomponent solubility-selectivity is higher than the ideal value calculated from pure-gas sorption data, and this has a positive impact on CO2/CH4 separation properties. The multicomponent solubility data were modelled with the Non-Equilibrium Lattice Fluid (NELF) model, using only pure component parameters and binary interaction parameters obtained from pure-gas sorption data available in the literature, with no parameters determined from the mixed-gas sorption data. Although it is easier to use, the multicomponent Dual Mode Sorption (DMS) model yielded less accurate predictions of mixed-gas sorption. Mixed-gas sorption experiments and modelling, coupled with mixed-gas permeation data, enabled a better fundamental understanding of the separation properties of these materials. Unlike the case of pure-gas experiments, where diffusivity contributes more to the overall ideal selectivity, competitive sorption is the main effect governing the permselectivity of these membrane materials at multicomponent conditions. A systematic comparison with literature data on mixed-gas CO2/CH4 sorption and permeability revealed these to be generalized trends, obeyed by materials of very different chemical constitution. This finding can inform on the criteria that make polymers performing better in multicomponent scenarios, with potential impact on the design and synthesis strategies of new materials.
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•Competitive sorption enhances CO2/CH4 solubility-selectivity in HAB-6FDA and TR450.•The NELF model predicts multicomponent sorption using only pure-gas data as input.•Solution-diffusion analysis was performed to extract mixed-gas diffusivities.•The multicomponent permselectivity of glassy polymers is driven by solubility.
Parkinson is a common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, including abnormalities in the gut function, which may appear before the motor sign. To date, there ...are treatments that can help relieve Parkinson' disease (PD)-associated symptoms, but there is no cure to control the onset and progression of this disorder. Altered components of the gut could represent a key role in gut-brain axis, which is a bidirectional system between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system. Diet can alter the microbiota composition, affecting gut-brain axis function. Gut microbiome restoration through selected probiotics' administration has been reported. In this study, we investigated the effects of the novel formulation SLAB51 in PD. Our findings indicate that this probiotic formulation can counteract the detrimental effect of 6-OHDA
and
models of PD. The results suggest that SLAB51 can be a promising candidate for the prevention or as coadjuvant treatment of PD.
Objective To identify prognostic factors for pain and endometrioma recurrence after complete laparoscopic excision of endometrioma(s). Design Prospective observational study. Setting Tertiary care ...university hospital. Patient(s) One-hundred sixty-six consecutive women affected by uni- or bilateral ovarian endometrioma(s). Intervention(s) Laparoscopic conservative treatment of endometriosis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Patient demographic characteristics, surgical findings, and surgical results were prospectively recorded. Postoperative follow-ups were carried out every 3 months to identify pain and/or endometrioma recurrence for a minimum of 3 years. Result(s) Dysmenorrheal, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain recurred in 14.5%, 6%, and 5.4% of women, respectively. Prior surgery for endometriosis, adhesion extension, and use of ovarian stimulation drugs (OSD) were unfavorable prognostic factors for pain symptoms. Ovarian endometrioma recurred in 9.6% of cases; negative factors were prior surgery for endometriosis, OSD, pelvic adhesions, and high American Society for Reproductive Medicine disease scores. Postoperative pregnancy showed a significant protective effect on pain and disease recurrences. Conclusion(s) Prior surgery, presence of adhesions, and ovulation drugs are negative prognostic factors. Pregnancy has a protective effect on disease and pain recurrence.
Total hip replacement (THR) and, particularly, total knee replacement (TKR), are painful surgical procedures. Effective postoperative pain management leads to a better and earlier functional recovery ...and prevents chronic pain. Studies on the control of pain during the postoperative rehabilitation period are not common. The aim of this study is to present results of a perioperative anesthetic protocol, and a pain treatment protocol in use in the Orthopaedic and the Rehabilitation intensive units of our Hospital. 100 patients (50 THR and 50 TKR) were retrospectively included in this observational study. Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain at rest registered in the clinical sheet was retrieved for all patients and analyzed with respect to the spinal anaesthesia given for the surgery, local analgesia, analgesia protocol adopted during the postoperative days in the Orthopaedic Unit, the antalgic treatment given during the stay within the Rehabilitation Unit, the postoperative consumption of rescue pain medication, and any collateral effect due to the analgesic therapy. Patients reached standard functional abilities (walking at least 50 meters and climbing/descending stairs) at a mean length of 8 days without medication-related complications. Mean NRS during the time of stay was 1.3 ± 0.3 for THR and 1.3 ± 0.2 for TKR) and maximum mean NRS was 1.8 ± 0.5 for TKR and 1.8 ± 0.6 for THR. The use of rescue therapy in the rehabilitation guard was correlated with the mean NRS pain and the maximum NRS pain. A very good control of pain with the perioperative anesthetic protocol and pain treatment protocol in use was obtained.
An autochthonous chikungunya outbreak is ongoing near Anzio, a coastal town in the province of Rome. The virus isolated from one patient and mosquitoes lacks the A226V mutation and belongs to an East ...Central South African strain. As of 20 September, 86 cases are laboratory-confirmed. The outbreak proximity to the capital, its late summer occurrence, and diagnostic delays, are favouring transmission. Vector control, enhanced surveillance and restricted blood donations are being implemented in affected areas.
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