Creolization describes the cultural adaptations that occur when a community moves to a new geographic setting. Exploring the consciousness of peoples defined as "creoles" who moved from the Old World ...to the New World, this collection of eighteen original essays investigates the creolization of literary forms and genres in the Americas between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.Creole Subjects in the Colonial Americasfacilitates a cross-disciplinary, intrahemispheric, and Atlantic comparison of early settlers' colonialism and creole elites' relation to both indigenous peoples and imperial regimes. Contributors explore literatures written in Spanish, Portuguese, and English to identify creole responses to such concepts as communal identity, local patriotism, nationalism, and literary expression.The essays take the reader from the first debates about cultural differences that underpinned European ideologies of conquest to the transposition of European literary tastes into New World cultural contexts, and from the natural science discourse concerning creolization to the literary manifestations of creole patriotism. The volume includes an addendum of etymological terms and critical bibliographic commentary.Contributors:Ralph Bauer, University of MarylandRaquel Chang-Rodriguez, City University of New YorkLucia Helena Costigan, Ohio State UniversityJim Egan, Brown UniversitySandra M. Gustafson, University of Notre DameCarlos Jauregui, Vanderbilt UniversityYolanda Martinez-San Miguel, University of PennsylvaniaJose Antonio Mazzotti, Tufts UniversityStephanie Merrim, Brown UniversitySusan Scott Parrish, University of MichiganLuis Fernando Restrepo, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleJeffrey H. Richards, Old Dominion UniversityKathleen Ross, New York UniversityDavid S. Shields, University of South CarolinaTeresa A. Toulouse, Tulane UniversityLisa Voigt, University of ChicagoJerry M. Williams, West Chester University
The tumor microenvironment contributes to cancer progression, in part through interactions between tumor and normal stromal cells. This study analyzed morphological and molecular changes induced in ...co-cultured human fibroblasts (HFs) and the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line. Co-cultured cell monolayers were morphologically analyzed using high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), and trans-well assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion. Proteins involved in inflammatory responses, cancer cell invasion, and angiogenesis were assessed using western blotting. HR-SEM showed progressive spatial orientation loss by fibroblasts in contact with MG-63s, while MG-63s proliferated rapidly and invaded HF space. Trans-well assays showed enhanced MG-63 migration in the presence of HFs. IL-6 expression was increased in co-cultured HFs, possibly stimulated by TNF-α. HFs do not normally express YKL-40 but did so in co-culture. Band densitometric analyses showed that increasing YKL-40 expression was followed by VEGF overexpression, especially in MG-63s. Finally, our results confirmed fibroblasts as the main matrix metalloproteinase source in this tumor microenvironment. Our study sheds new light on how tumor-stroma interactions promote tumor development and progression, and may support identification of novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
Este artículo analiza el poema LII de Trilce (1922) subrayando la importancia del lenguaje infantil utilizado por Vallejo en este como en otros textos en función de uno de los polos fundamentales de ...atracción de su poesía: el retorno a su terruño natal, Santiago de Chuco, tropo de la comunidad primordial y antesala de la unidad perdida durante la adultez y la experiencia migratoria del autor. Vallejo logra, mediante el uso del castellano local de su infancia, una teatralización del referente que le otorga a su poesía un cariz único en las letras latinoamericanas del momento
Dynamic balance plays a key role in high-impact sports, such as CrossFit, where athletes are required to maintain balance in various weightlifting exercises. The loss of balance in these ...sport-specific movements may not only affect athlete performance, but also increase the risk of injuries.
The aim of the study is to achieve greater insight into the balance and athlete position during the CrossFit training by means of inertial sensors, with a particular focus on the role of different custom foot orthoses (CFOs) in order to detect correlations with the role of the cavus foot.
A total of 42 CrossFit
athletes, aged 25 to 42 years, were enrolled in this study. One-way ANOVA tests with post-hoc analysis of variance were used to compare foot posture groups and effects of different types of customized foot orthoses.
When comparing the effects of CFOs with the respective balance basal level during the pistol squat exercise, we observed a significant (
= 0.0001) decrease in the sway area, antero-posterior displacement (APD) and medio-lateral displacement (MLD) compared to the basal using both types of CFOs.
No significant positive effects of CFOs were observed in some static tests. On the contrary, positive effects of CFOs and, in particular, postural insoles, are relevant to dynamic balance.
Adult stem cells are a promising cell source for cartilage regeneration. They resided in a special microenvironment known as the stem-cell niche, characterized by the presence of low oxygen ...concentration. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) imitates hypoxia in vitro by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (HIF-1α), which is the master regulator in the cellular adaptive response to hypoxia. In this study, the influence of CoCl2 on the chondrogenic potential of human MSCs, isolated from dental pulp, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue, was investigated. Cells were treated with concentrations of CoCl2 ranging from 50 to 400 μM. Cell viability, HIF-1α protein synthesis, and the expression of the chondrogenic markers were analyzed. The results showed that the CoCl2 supplementation had no effect on cell viability, while the upregulation of chondrogenic markers such as SOX9, COL2A1, VCAN, and ACAN was dependent on the cellular source. This study shows that hypoxia, induced by CoCl2 treatment, can differently influence the behavior of MSCs, isolated from different sources, in their chondrogenic potential. These findings should be taken into consideration in the treatment of cartilage repair and regeneration based on stem cell therapies.
Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is considered a serious public health problem due to its high prevalence and related complications, including gait and posture impairments due to ...neuropathy and vascular alterations and the subsequent increased risk of falls. The gait of patients with diabetes is characterized by alterations of the main spatiotemporal gait parameters such as gait velocity, cadence, stride time and length, which are also known to worsen with disease course. Wearable sensor systems can be used for gait analysis by providing spatiotemporal parameters and postural control (evaluated from the perspective of body sway), useful for investigating the disease progression. Thanks to their small size and low cost of their components, inertial measurement units (IMUs) are easy to wear and are cheap tools for movement analysis. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study is to review articles published in the last 21 years (from 2000 to 2021) concerning the application of wearable sensors to assess spatiotemporal parameters of gait and body postural alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus. Relevant articles were searched in the Medline database using PubMed, Ovid and Cochrane libraries. Results: One hundred and four articles were initially identified while searching the scientific literature on this topic. Thirteen were selected and analysed in this review. Wearable motion sensors are useful, noninvasive, low-cost, and objective tools for performing gait and posture analysis in diabetic patients. The IMUs can be worn at the lumber levels, tibias or feet, and different spatiotemporal parameters of movement and static posture can be assessed. Conclusions: Future research should focus on standardizing the measurement setup and selecting the most informative spatiotemporal parameters for gait and posture analysis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that strongly correlates with age and promotes the breakdown of joint cartilage and subchondral bone. There has been a surge of interest in developing ...cell-based therapies, focused particularly on the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from adult tissues. It seems that MSCs derived from synovial joint tissues exhibit superior chondrogenic ability, but their unclear distribution and low frequency actually limit their clinical application. To date, the influence of aging on synovial joint derived MSCs' biological characteristics and differentiation abilities remains unknown, and a full understanding of the mechanisms involved in cellular aging is lacking. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the presence of age-related alterations in synovial fluid MSCs and their influence on the potential ability of MSCs to differentiate toward chondrogenic phenotypes. Synovial fluid MSCs, isolated from healthy equine donors from 3 to 40 years old, were cultured in vitro and stimulated towards chondrogenic differentiation for up to 21 days. An equine model was chosen due to the high degree of similarity of the anatomy of the knee joint to the human knee joint and as spontaneous disorders develop that are clinically relevant to similar human disorders. The results showed a reduction in cell proliferation correlated with age and the presence of age-related tetraploid cells. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated the presence of morphological features correlated with aging such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and mitophagy. Alcian blue assay and real-time PCR data showed a reduction of efficiency in the chondrogenic differentiation of aged synovial fluid MSCs compared to young MSCs. All these data highlighted the influence of aging on MSCs' characteristics and ability to differentiate towards chondrogenic differentiation and emphasize the importance of considering age-related alterations of MSCs in clinical applications.
Recurrent peroneal tendon dislocation is a rare and often underrecognized condition. It may result from acute injuries, more commonly seen in athletes, or from untreated ankle sprains leading to ...chronic ankle instability. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate short- and medium-term functional outcomes of the surgical technique involving deepening of the retromalleolar groove for the management of recurrent peroneal tendon dislocation. Nine patients, one of whom had bilateral dislocation, were enrolled in this study. The study group consisted of six males and three females, with a mean age of 31.2 years. CT scans were used to measure the depth of the neo-grooves, while the EFAS score (European Foot and Ankle Society Score) and AOFAS score (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score) were used to assess functional results. The medium follow-up period was 4.8 years. CT scan data revealed a mean increase of 4.69 mm in the depth of the neo-retromalleolar groove. AOFAS scores improved from a mean preoperative value of 74.4 to 86.9 after surgery, and EFAS scores increased from a mean preoperative score of 19.7 to 31. Statistical analysis of clinical scores yielded significant results with a p-value < 0.005. All patients returned to their previous sports activities within an average time of 7.7 months, reporting no pain or limitations. There were no recurrences observed. The retromalleolar groove deepening technique demonstrated excellent results in the treatment of recurrent peroneal tendon dislocation, evidenced by significant improvements in clinical scores, functional recovery, successful return to sports, and high patient satisfaction.
Background
Extensive literature exists about the treatment of ankle osteochondral lesions, but there is no specific review of retrograde drilling, despite its common application. Indications for ...retrograde drilling are still few and are far from clear, and some evolutions of the technique have recently occurred. The aim of this review is to provide an update on actual applications and techniques of retrograde drilling for ankle osteochondral lesions.
Methods
A systematic review was carried out according to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched in June 2023. The search string focused on studies related to retrograde drilling in the treatment of ankle osteochondral lesions.
Results
Twenty-one articles for a total of 271 ankles were included in this review. The mean length of the treated lesions was 11.4 mm. Different navigation systems were used, with fluoroscopy the most commonly used. Various adjuvants were employed after drilling, with bone graft the most commonly applied. In most cases, postoperative patient satisfaction and symptom relief were reported, and no complications occurred. Retrograde drilling was found to be suitable for the treatment of subchondral cysts with intact cartilage or small lesions. Some modifications to the original technique may allow surgical indications to be extended to more complex cases.
Conclusions
Middle-term results of retrograde drilling showed postoperative satisfaction and symptom relief with both original and modified techniques. Additional research is required to investigate the long-term results.
Level of evidence
: IV.
Trial registration
: This systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (id number: CRD42022371128).
Subtalar distraction arthrodesis (SDA) is a surgical procedure designed to treat hindfoot deformities associated with isolated subtalar joint arthritis. In 1996, Fitzgibbons was the first to observe ...that, in some cases, hindfoot fusion appeared to be associated with the development of tibiotalar valgus tilt. Since then, few studies have addressed this issue. Given that hindfoot fusion can be performed using various techniques, this study investigated the potential tibiotalar joint frontal or sagittal modifications resulting from the modified Grice–Green technique. All the consecutive patients who underwent the modified Grice–Green procedure were included. The patient records were reviewed to extract demographic data. Weight-bearing foot and ankle radiographs were assessed to measure the talar tilt angle and the tibiotalar ratio on the same picture archiving and communication system by three independent observers. A total of 69 patients met the criteria for inclusion. The mean talar tilt showed no substantial changes, since the increase from 1.46 ± 1.62 preoperatively to 1.93 ± 2.19 at a minimum of 8 months postoperatively was not statistically significant (p = 0.47). The average preoperative tibiotalar ratio significantly increased from 33.4 ± 4.4% to 35 ± 4% postoperatively (p = 0.007), although remaining within the normal range, indicating a possible realignment of the posterior facet of the subtalar joint. In conclusion, this study highlights the effectiveness of the modified Grice–Green procedure in achieving a favorable realignment without impacting the ankle joint, particularly regarding tibiotalar valgus tilt.
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