Based on a reflection on an environmental policy for the creation and implementation of parks which isruled by the dominant conservationist frame of mindthis paper aims to discuss how the top-down ...imposition contributes to the social exclusion of traditional and indigenous populations who get involved in these processes. The situation of the Pataxó of Barra Velha Indigenous Land, located in the extreme south of Bahia, who are in conflict with the managers of the National Park of Monte Pascoal for over half a century, will be approached taking into consideration the case of territorial overlapping. In addition, the author establishes a dialogue between the different conceptual and juridical perspectives of territory. In order to indicate horizontal and participatory experiences, this article also briefly addresses the case of an environmental reserve created and managed by the Pataxó people.
Abstract Background There is a lack of evidence about the most effective strategy for training gait in mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ...robotic gait training versus equal intensity treadmill training and conventional physiotherapy on walking ability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. Methods Sixty patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (Hoehn & Yahr stage 3) were randomly assigned into three groups. All patients received twelve, 45-min treatment sessions, three days a week, for four consecutive weeks. The Robotic Gait Training group ( n = 20) underwent robot-assisted gait training. The Treadmill Training group ( n = 20) performed equal intensity treadmill training without body-weight support. The Physical Therapy group ( n = 20) underwent conventional gait therapy according to the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation concept. Patients were evaluated before, after and 3 months post-treatment. Primary outcomes were the following timed tasks: 10-m walking test, 6-min walking test. Results No statistically significant difference was found on the primary outcome measures between the Robotic Gait Training group and the Treadmill Training group at the after treatment evaluation. A statistically significant improvement was found after treatment on the primary outcomes in favor of the Robotic Gait Training group and Treadmill Training group compared to the Physical Therapy group. Findings were confirmed at the 3-month follow-up evaluation. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that robotic gait training is not superior to equal intensity treadmill training for improving walking ability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.
A partir da reflexão sobre a política ambiental de criação e implantação de parques, regida pelo pensamento dominante conservacionista, pretende-se discutir como a imposição de cima para baixo ...contribui para a exclusão social das populações tradicionais e indígenas, quando envolvidas nestes processos. Será abordada a situação dos Pataxó da Terra Indígena Barra Velha, localizada no extremo sul da Bahia, em conflito com os gestores do Parque Nacional de Monte Pascoal há mais de meio século, devido à situação de sobreposição territorial. Além disso, pretende-se realizar um diálogo entre as diferentes perspectivas conceituais e jurídicas de território. A fim de indicar experiências horizontais e participativas, o presente artigo também aborda brevemente o caso de uma reserva ambiental criada e gerida pelos Pataxó.
Objectives: Purpose of this paper is to review all the phases that involved, for the first time, the SC of Hematology and the SC of Transfusion Medicine, specifically, the CSE Processing laboratory, ...in implementing an innovative operative protocol of gene immunotherapy due to the inclusion of the first patient, affected by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), stage IV, into the CAR-T therapeutic program. The program took place within the SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital of Alessandria.Methods: Firstly, lymphocytes are taken from the patient through a technique called lymphocytoapheresis and inserted into a blood bag. The blood bag is sent to the CSE Processing laboratory, where, after sampling, the following steps are carried out: cell manipulation, possible cryopreservation of the product and subsequent dispatch to specialized production centers, called: Cell Factory. In this laboratory, lymphocytes will be genetically manipulated to be able to express the CAR receptor and co-stimulating factors and, finally, expanded. After 4 weeks, the engineered lymphocytes will return as drug to the CSE Processing laboratory to be reinfused to the patient.Results: At the end of the operative procedure a report is compiled. The report is issued by the laboratory and contains all the information of interest to the clinician.Conclusions: The purpose of my annual experience as a graduate student was to describe the role of the CSE Processing laboratory within the drug production chain. Being experimental and extremely innovative, T-cell-based gene therapy cannot be considered a routine practice. The centers authorized to administer the CAR-T are identified by the Regions and must possess specific organizational and infrastructural requirements. Even the manufacturers of CAR-T therapies have a qualification path that involves inspection by the company's monitors and a final audit. The Processing laboratory, together with the Apheretic collection laboratory, Pharmacy and Hematology, obtained the qualification of "European site Qualified for KYMRIAH® (tisagenlecleucel) and YESCARTA® (axicabtagene ciloleucel)" in 2021.
Objective:
The main aim was to compare robotic gait training vs. balance training for reducing postural instability in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The secondary aim was to compare their ...effects on the level of confidence during activities of daily living requiring balance, functional mobility and severity of disease.
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
University hospital.
Subjects:
A total of 66 patients with Parkinson’s disease at Hoehn and Yahr Stage 3.
Intervention:
After balanced randomization, all patients received 12, 45-minute treatment sessions, three days a week, for four consecutive weeks. A group underwent robot-assisted gait training with progressive gait speed increasing and body-weight support decreasing. The other group underwent balance training aimed at improving postural reactions (self and externally induced destabilization, coordination, locomotor dexterity exercises).
Main measures:
Patients were evaluated before, after and one month posttreatment. Main outcome measure: Berg Balance Scale. Secondary outcomes: Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale; Timed Up and Go Test; Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.
Results:
No significant differences were found between the groups for the Berg Balance Scale either immediately after intervention (mean score in the robotic training group 51.58 ±3.94; mean score in the balance training group 51.15 ±3.46), or one-month follow-up (mean score in the robotic training group 51.03 ±4.63; mean score in the balance training group 50.97 ±4.28). Similar results were found for all the secondary outcome measures.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that robotic gait training is not superior to balance training for improving postural instability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.
Background: the European Federation of Immunogenetics excellence accreditation awarded to the Transfusion Medicine Complex Structure of the “SS. Antonio and Biagio e Cesare Arrigo” Hospital in the ...year 2000, requires all laboratories working in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to meet specific standards for guaranteeing a good level of service quality. Objectives: to evaluate the performance of the new Applied Biosystems™ SeqStudio™ Genetic Analyzer by validating the PowerPlex® 16 HS System kit (Promega Italia Srl, Milan, Italy), at the Transfusion Medicine Laboratory of the “SS. Antonio e Biagio and Cesare Arrigo” Hospital of Alessandria. Materials and Methods: three different studies were conducted: sensitivity, mixture, reproducibility, using DNA from hematology patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and DNA from blood donors. Results: the sensitivity studies using the AB SeqStudio genetic analyzer proved to be more sensitive than those used previously (AB 3130), while the values obtained in the mixture studies overlapped with the expected values and the results obtained in the reproducibility studies were replicable and the same correlation exists in the tests performed on both instruments. Conclusions: the AB SeqStudio genetic analyzer through the PowerPlex® 16 HS System kit demonstrates excellent performance in accuracy and reproducibility of results and is a better performing instrument in sensitivity than the previous analyzer.
Obiettivi: il trapianto allogenico di Cellule Staminali Ematopoietiche (CSE) è un importante trattamento per i pazienti affetti da patologie ematologiche in quanto può indurne la remissione; ...tuttavia, la recidiva di malattia è una delle cause più importanti di fallimento. L’immunoterapia adottiva rappresenta un nuovo approccio terapeutico contro i tumori ematologici, affiancandosi e a volte sostituendosi alle terapie tradizionali, quali chemioterapia e radioterapia. L’Infusione di Linfociti da Donatore (DLI), ovvero l’infusione di linfociti dello stesso donatore allogenico di CSE, rientrano all’interno di tale terapia in quanto hanno lo scopo di ripristinare le capacità difensive del sistema immunitario, rappresentando una possibilità di cura per il paziente. Presso il settore di Processazione CSE della SC Medicina Trasfusionale dell’Azienda Ospedaliera Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo di Alessandria, è stato eseguito uno studio retrospettivo in pazienti ematologici trapiantati, afferenti alla SC Ematologia, allo scopo di valutare se il monitoraggio del chimerismo, eseguito su sangue periferico, linea linfoide, linea mieloide e midollo osseo pre e post infusione di DLI potesse dare informazioni al clinico circa l’efficacia dell’immunoterapia adottiva. Materiali e Metodi: lo studio del chimerismo è stato effettuato mediante Polymerase Chain Reaction – Short Tandem Repeats (PCR-STR). Tale tecnica utilizza polimorfismi genici, gli STR, ripetizioni in tandem di piccole sequenze nucleotidiche che si ripetono n volte. Si individuano tre differenti situazioni: i) chimerismo completo, le cellule del donatore sono >90%; ii) chimerismo misto, coesistenza nel ricevente delle proprie cellule e di quelle del donatore presenti in un intervallo che va dal 20-85%; iii) chimerismo assente, ricostituzione emopoietica autologa, cellule del donatore <20%. Risultati: una prima analisi dei dati evidenzia che la distribuzione dei pazienti all’interno delle varie patologie risulta essere disomogenea. Si è quindi ritenuto di raggruppare i pazienti in base alla patologia ematologica di appartenenza. Nei pazienti affetti da Leucemia Mieloide Acuta (LMA) i dati ottenuti mostrano che 14 (54%) sono deceduti a causa di complicanze nonostante l’infusione di DLI. I restanti 12 pazienti mostrano un tasso di sopravvivenza del 46%. Nei pazienti affetti da Leucemia Linfoblastica Acuta (LLA) i dati raccolti evidenziano che 4 pazienti risultano deceduti con un tasso di mortalità pari al 50%. I restanti pazienti mostrano un tasso di sopravvivenza del 50%. Nei pazienti affetti dalle restanti patologie Linfoma di non Hodgkin (LNH), Mielodisplasia (MDS), Linfoma di Hodgkin (LH), Mieloma Multiplo (MM), Leucemia Linfoblastica Cronica (LLC). È possibile, quindi, osservare come anche nel caso di questo gruppo di patologie, la percentuale di mortalità è del 50%. I restanti pazienti mostrano un tasso di sopravvivenza del 50%. Dei 47 pazienti, 34 (72%) non hanno sviluppato Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) post DLI, mentre 13 (28%) hanno sviluppato GvHD cronica o acuta. Conclusioni: i nostri dati concordano con quelli presenti in letteratura che riportano come, dopo infusione di DLI, la remissione si attesti intorno al 15-42% per le LMA e tra il 40-60% per le LLA, mentre il tasso di mortalità sul 50% per entrambe. Per quanto riguarda le restanti patologie abbiamo osservato che nei 13 pazienti presi in esame, la percentuale di mortalità è del 50%, equiparabile al tasso di sopravvivenza. In questo gruppo di patologie, il ruolo dei DLI in letteratura, non è chiaro. Per quanto riguarda lo sviluppo di GvHD post DLI in letteratura si aggira intorno al 50-60% dei pazienti; i nostri dati mostrano un valore inferiore che si attesta intorno al 28% per quanto riguarda tutte le patologie prese in esame. L’analisi dei dati raccolti, sebbene la dimensione del campione sia ridotta e siano presenti numerose variabili ad esso correlate, ci permette comunque di confermarne l’aderenza ai lavori presenti in letteratura. Pensiamo quindi che l’infusione di DLI sia un’importante arma terapeutica all’interno delle strategie di cura a disposizione dell’ematologo.
Healthy and tasty: these attributes define edible wild (
Diplotaxis tenuifolia) and salad rocket (
Eruca sativa), for their glucosinolate profile, that was characterised by variation in some key ...components. Ample variability was also detected in other
Diplotaxis, with extremely glucosinolate-rich species, and strongly characterised profiles, revealing likely taxonomic affinities among taxa previously examined by other criteria, and suggesting potentials of exploitation.
Leaf glucosinolates of 42
Diplotaxis and 21
Eruca accessions were studied. Total content ranged from 0.25 to more than 70
g
kg
−1
dry
wt. The 13 clusters, defined on the basis of glucosinolate composition, belonged to two glucosinolate-rich groups, characterised by the prevalence of a single component, and one low-glucosinolate group, with a profile not dominated by any individual component. A sinigrin-rich cluster (
D. ibicensis,
D. berthautii,
D. ilorcitana,
D. siettiana,
D. tenuisiliqua,
D. brevisiliqua, and
D. virgata) and a gluconapin-rich cluster (
D. catholica,
D.siifolia,
D. virgata, and
D. ollivieri) included all the species previously classified in the
nigra phylogenetic lineage.
D. virgata was confirmed to be a critical taxon, with one accession slightly diverging from the others.
D. siifolia subsp.
vicentina was separated from the others in a glucobrassicin-rich cluster.
D. harra, a rather isolated representative of sub-genus
Hesperidium, clustered together
D. assurgens in a sinalbin-rich cluster. Another well defined cluster was represented by
D. brachycarpa (gluconasturtin). The two sub-species of
D. erucoides were well differentiated by their glucosinolate profile. The low glucosinolate species:
D. tenuifolia,
D. viminea,
D. cretacea,
D. muralis (subgenus
Diplotaxis), and
E. vesicaria, all previously included in the
rapa/oleracea lineage, belonged to seven less defined clusters, mainly differing on the presence/absence or the relative abundance of some components (glucoraphanin, glucolepidin, 4-hydroxy-glucobrassicin, 4-phenylbutyl gls, glucoerucin and neoglucobrassicin). The data support previous taxonomic works. Glucosinolate-rich taxa, with well characterised profiles may be suitable for industrial uses, whereas the variability of edible
D. tenuifolia and
E. vesicaria may represent a basis for breeding horticultural types.
Notwithstanding the wide range of biological and pharmacological activities reported for sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), many discrepancies are still present in the evaluation of its ...health-promoting properties. These discordances could be at least in part due to insufficient details of qualitative and quantitative composition, connected to the ample variability of this species. Furthermore, many investigations have been carried out in vitro, with few data available on the effectiveness in biological systems. In this study, the protective effect of essential oils and water-soluble extracts derived from three different cultivars of sweet basil has been evaluated in cultured cardiomyocytes. To verify the effectiveness of supplemented oils/extracts in counteracting oxidative damage, cardiomyocytes were stressed by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. The results indicate that (a) in vitro antioxidant activity is not predictive of biological activity and (b) basil can yield extracts with substantially different protective effects, in relation to composition and extraction techniques. Variation among different cultivars has also been detected.
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