The aim of this study is to assess outcomes of a lateral surgical approach for proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty with NeuFlex® silicone implants for primary degenerative osteoarthritis. We ...reviewed 51 arthroplasties performed on 43 patients. The mean follow up period was 36 months (range 18–42). The average preoperative range of motion (ROM) was 38°. The average postoperative ROM was 63°. In 21/51 (41%) cases, there was an average axial deviation of 17° (range 10–30°). VAS and Quick DASH scores improved. In 5/51 (10%) cases, further surgery was required. Our lateral approach seems to be effective and minimally invasive, providing adequate exposure. Contralateral incision and contralateral ligament reinforcement should be performed, whenever necessary, to improve lateral stability.
We integrate paleoseismic data sets along the Mt. Vettore‐Mt. Bove normal fault system rupturing at the surface in the 30 October 2016 Norcia earthquake. Through the analysis of new trenches from ...this work and a review of the preexisting data, we correlate events among trench sites along antithetic and synthetic fault splays. We recognize seven M 6.5, 2016 Norcia‐type (or larger) surface‐faulting events in the last ~22 kyr, including 2016. Before 2016, one event occurred in the past two millennia (260–575 CE) and possibly corresponds to the event damaging Rome in 443 or 484/508 CE. Three previous events occurred between 10590 and 415 BCE, whereas the two oldest ones date between 19820 and 16540 BCE. The average recurrence time is 3,360–3,640 years for the last ~22 kyr and 1,220–1,970 years for the last ~4 kyr. We infer a minimum dip‐slip rate of 0.26–0.38 mm/year on the master fault in the central portion of the Mt. Vettore–Mt. Bove normal fault system and a dip‐slip rate of at least 0.10 mm/year on the southernmost portion. We infer a Middle–Late Pleistocene inception of the long‐term scarp of the investigated splays. The along‐strike variation of slip rates well reproduces the trend of the 2016 surface slip; thus, the time window exposed in the trenches is representative for the present fault activity. Based on trenching data, different earthquake rupture scenarios should be also considered for local hazard assessment.
Key Points
We integrate paleoseismic datasets along the Mt. Vettore‐Mt. Bove normal fault system rupturing on 30 October 2016, M6.5, Norcia Earthquake
Seven surface faulting events ruptured the Mt. Vettore-Mt. Bove fault systemin the past ~22 kyr
Paleoseismologic slip rates, recurrence intervals, and rupture scenarios contribute to the understanding of seismogenic processes in central pennines
Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from Quercus and Castanea were used for comparative mapping between Quercus robur (L.) and Castanea sativa (Mill.). We tested the transferability of SSRs ...developed in Quercus to Castanea and vice-versa. In total, 47% (25) of the Quercus SSRs and 63% (19) of the Castanea SSRs showed a strong amplification product in the non-source species. From these 44 putative comparative anchor tags, 19 (15 from Quercus and 4 from Castanea) were integrated in two previously established genetic linkage maps for the two genera. SSR loci were sequenced to confirm the orthology of the markers. The combined information from both genetic mapping and sequence analysis were used to determine the homeology between seven linkage groups, aligned on the basis of pairs or triplets of common markers, while two additional groups were matched using a single microsatellite marker. Orthologous loci identified between Q. robur and C. sativa will be useful as anchor loci for comparative mapping studies within the Fagaceae family.
A rational selection of probiotic microorganisms is an important challenge and requires the definition of fundamental information about the physiology and genetics of candidate strains. In this ...study, selected
Lactobacillus (
Lact.) strains already characterized in a previous study for their capability to resist low pH and to grow in conditions simulating the intestinal environment, were further investigated to explore their probiotic properties, such as the adhesion capability to intestinal human Caco-2 cell lines and their growth behaviour in the presence of various prebiotic carbohydrates. At first 25
Lactobacillus strains were characterized by pulsed field gel electrophoresis using the endonuclease
NotI. Among them, 13 strains belonging to the
Lact. plantarum-group were identified at species level by a multiplex PCR assay. Subsequently 11
Lactobacillus strains showing different PFGE restriction pattern and the best acid- and bile-resistances, were chosen to investigate their in vitro adhesion capability to human intestinal epithelial cells and their fermentation properties of five prebiotic substances (FOS, Inulin, IMO, GOS and lactulose) at a concentration of 2%. The 11 strains analysed in this study possessed good adhesion capability to Caco-2 cell layers and, in particular, the eight strains belonging to the
Lact. plantarum-group showed the higher final number of viable adhering cells. Moreover a species-related fermentative behaviour was pointed out and the strain
Lact. paracasei EL7 was the only one able to grow in the presence of all prebiotics tested. In conclusion the strains of
Lactobacillus studied in this research could be further investigated to assess possible in vivo human health benefits.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and middle-term durability of the results achieved with perineural fat grafting of painful neuromas of the upper limb. We retrospectively ...analysed eight patients, affected by eight neuromas, treated by neuroma excision and fat grafting around the proximal nerve stump. Clinical parameters, the disabilities of the arm shoulder and hand score, and the visual analogue scale were recorded at 2, 6 and 12 months after surgery.
A reduction of 23.2% was observed in the mean disabilities of the arm shoulder and hand scores at 12 months. The spontaneous baseline visual analogue scale score showed a mean improvement of 22% at 12 months, although not this was not statistically significant.
Perineural fat grafting is a quick and useful procedure and could represent a useful primary operation in the treatment of pain syndromes of neuropatic origin.
The combination of mediastinal radiotherapy (RT) and polychemotherapy (CT) regimens can produce late toxic pulmonary and cardiac
effects which often remain at the subclinical level. The aim of the ...present study was to investigate the cardiopulmonary response
to exercise in this kind of patient. Therefore, 126 patients suffering from Hodgkin's disease were investigated after a follow-up
of at least 5 years from the completion of the combined treatment. Sixty-two patients had been submitted to ABVD (doxorubicin,
bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine)-RT, 40 to ABVD-MOPP (mechloretamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone)-RT and 24
to VEBEP (vincristine, epidoxorubicin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, prednisone)-RT. The patients were divided into
three groups on the basis of respiratory function: group 1 (67 patients), normal spirometry and lung transfer function for
carbon monoxide (DLCO); group 2 (52 patients), normal spirometry and DLCO less than 80% of predicted; and group 3 (7 patients),
total lung capacity and DLCO less than 80% of predicted. The patients were submitted to respiratory function evaluation and
2D-echocardiography before exercise, and to the determination of cardiac output by the acetylene rebreathing method before
and during symptom-limited exercise on a cycloergometer using an incremental protocol. The patients of group 3 and to a lesser
extent the patients of group 2 showed, in comparison to patients of group 1, a lower tolerance to exercise, a lower oxygen
consumption, a higher respiratory rate, a lower O 2 pulse and a lower cardiac output per oxygen uptake. These data indicated an abnormal exercise physiology in the patients
with persistent pulmonary impairment, especially when the reduction of DLCO was associated with a decrease of total lung capacity.
The lower exercise capacity seems to be due to a combination of decreased cardiac performance and an impairment of gas diffusion
capacity.
Aims: Evaluation of the occurrence of most known staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes, egc (enterotoxin gene cluster) and TSST1 (toxic shock syndrome toxin 1) gene in both coagulase-positive (CPS) ...and coagulase-negative (CNS) staphylococcal strains isolated from meat and dairy products. Methods and Results: Specificity and reliability of the PCR detection methods used were ascertained by using nine reference strains of Staphylococcus (S. aureus) harbouring SE genes (seA to seE; seG, seH, seI, seM, seJ, seN and seO) and egc (containing the following sequence of genes: seO, seM, seI, ent1, ent2, seN and seG). Of 109 wild Staphylococcus spp. strains analysed, only 11 S. aureus strains were SE and/or TSST1 PCR-positive. The last 11 strains also appeared to harbour the egc. Restriction endonuclease analysis of part of the egc of both reference and wild strains showed that different variants of the egc exist. Moreover, nucleotide sequences of seG and seI indicate that the egc of the strain AB-8802 is characterized by the presence of variants of these enterotoxins (seGv and seIv). Conclusions: The occurrence of SE genes in CNS and other non-S. aureus species isolated from Napoli-type salami, raw water buffalo milk and natural whey cultures used for mozzarella cheese manufacturing is very rare. Significance and Impact of the Study: During this study it was shown that at least five different egc may exist in S. aureus. A thorough study of egc polymorphism should provide further insight into the phylogenetics of the egc.
Abstract
We provide a database of the surface ruptures produced by the 26 December 2018 Mw 4.9 earthquake that struck the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano in Sicily (southern Italy). Despite its ...relatively small magnitude, this shallow earthquake caused about 8 km of surface faulting, along the trace of the NNW-trending active Fiandaca Fault. Detailed field surveys have been performed in the epicentral area to map the ruptures and to characterize their kinematics. The surface ruptures show a dominant right-oblique sense of displacement with an average slip of about 0.09 m and a maximum value of 0.35 m. We have parsed and organized all observations in a concise database, with 932 homogeneous georeferenced records. The Fiandaca Fault is part of the complex active Timpe faults system affecting the eastern flank of Etna, and its seismic history indicates a prominent surface-faulting potential. Therefore, this database is essential for unravelling the seismotectonics of shallow earthquakes in volcanic areas, and contributes updating empirical scaling regressions that relate magnitude and extent of surface faulting.
The authors investigated immunomodulatory treatments in 15 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) (14 with childhood and one with adolescent onset RE). Positive time-limited responses were ...obtained in 11 patients using variable combinations of corticosteroids, apheresis, and high-dose IV immunoglobulins. Although surgical exclusion of the affected hemisphere is the only treatment that halts disease progression, immunomodulation can be considered when early surgery is not feasible, in late-onset patients with slower disease progression, and in the few cases of bilateral disease.
Aims: Evaluation of composition and evolution of the coagulase‐negative staphylococci (CNS) communities in two traditionally fermented sausages (salsiccia and soppressata lucana) produced in ...Basilicata, southern Italy.
Methods and Results: A culture‐dependent approach based on isolation on selective media and identification with phenotypic and molecular methods was used. Phenotypic data of 471 strains were analysed by multivariate statistical methods by using 28 strains from culture collections and 48 strains identified by molecular methods (such as 16S rDNA sequencing, species‐specific PCR assays, intergenic spacer region‐PCR and PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) as a reference. The CNS microflora of the sausages was found to be dominated by different biotypes of Staphylococcus xylosus (51·2%), followed by S. pulvereri/vitulus, S. equorum and S. saprophyticus (13·4, 10·2 and 10%, respectively). Other species (S. succinus, S. pasteuri, S. epidermidis, S. warneri and Macrococcus caseolyticus) were also present at lower levels. Identification of 25% of the isolates was impossible.
Conclusions: The composition of CNS communities varied significantly with sausage type, plant and ripening time and clear differences were found among communities of salsiccia and soppressata at the end of ripening.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Phenotypic characterization, supported by molecular and statistical analyses, can be considered a useful approach for typing a large number of isolates and for monitoring the evolution of staphylococcal communities during sausage fermentation but does not always provide a satisfactory identification of the isolates.
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