Quality of Life After Ministernotomy Versus Full Sternotomy Aortic Valve Replacement

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Aortic flow after valve sparing root replacement with or without neosinuses reconstruction

Objectives

This study applied advanced 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging processing to assess differences in aortic flow dynamics after valve sparing root replacement, with and without reconstruction of the Valsalva sinuses.

Light aerobic exercise modulates executive function and cortical excitability

Single bouts of aerobic exercise can modulate cortical excitability and executive cognitive function, but less is known about the effect of light‐intensity exercise, an intensity of exercise more achievable for certain clinical populations. Fourteen healthy adults (aged 22 to 30) completed the following study procedures twice (≥7 days apart) before and after 30 min of either light aerobic exercise (cycling) or seated rest: neurocognitive battery (multitasking performance, inhibitory control and spatial working memory), paired‐pulse TMS measures of cortical excitability. Significant improvements in response times during multitasking performance and increases in intracortical facilitation (ICF) were seen following light aerobic exercise. Light aerobic exercise can modulate cortical excitability and some executive function tasks. Populations with deficits in multitasking ability may benefit from this intervention.     

Effect of a Radiotherapeutic Megavoltage Beam on Ultrasound Contrast Agents

Collateral damage to healthy surrounding tissue during conventional radiotherapy increases when deviations from the treatment plan occur. Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are a possible candidate for radiation dose monitoring. This study investigated the size distribution and acoustic response of two commercial formulations, SonoVue/Lumason and Definity/Luminity, as a function of dose on clinical megavoltage photon beam exposure (24 Gy). SonoVue samples exhibited a decrease in concentration of bubbles smaller than 7 µm, together with an increase in acoustic attenuation and a decrease in acoustic scattering. Definity samples did not exhibit a significant response to radiation, suggesting that the effect of megavoltage photons depends on the UCA formulation. For SonoVue, the influence of the megavoltage photon beam was especially apparent at the second harmonic frequency, and can be captured using pulse inversion and amplitude modulation (3.5-dB decrease for the maximum dose), which could eventually be used for dosimetry in a well-controlled environment.     

Selective induction of apoptosis in MCF7 cancer-cell by targeted liposomes functionalised with mannose-6-phosphate

Liposomes are versatile platforms to carry anticancer drugs in targeted drug delivery; they can be surface modified by different strategies and, when coupled with targeting ligands, are able to increase cellular internalisation and organelle-specific drug delivery. An interesting strategy of antitumoral therapy could involve the use of lysosomotropic ligand-targeted liposomes loaded with molecules, which can induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), leakage of cathepsins into the cytoplasm and subsequent apoptosis. We have previously demonstrated the ability of liposomes functionalised with a mannose-6-phosphate to reach lysosomes; in this research we compare the behaviour of M6P-modified and non-functionalised liposomes in MCF7 tumour cell and in HDF normal cells. With this aim, we first demonstrated by Western blotting the overexpression of mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor (M6P/IGF-II) receptor in MCF7. Then, we prepared calcein-loaded liposomes and we revealed the increased uptake of M6P-functionalised liposomes in MCF7 cells respect to HDF cells by flow cytometry analysis. Finally, we loaded functionalised and not functionalised liposomes with N-hexanoyl-d-erythro-sphingosine (C6Cer), able to initiate LMP-induced apoptosis; after having studied the stability of both vesicles in the presence of serum by Dynamic Light Scattering and Spectrophotometric turbidity measurements, we showed that ceramide-loaded M6P-liposomes significantly increased apoptosis in MCF7 with respect to HDF cells.     

Ultrasound-mediated transdermal transport of insulin in vitro through human skin using novel transducer designs

Recent studies have shown that ultrasound (US)-mediated transdermal drug delivery offers a promising potential for noninvasive drug administration. The purpose of this study was to improve low-frequency (20 kHz) US methods for enhancing the transport of insulin in vitro across human skin. The feasibility of using US produced by small, lightweight novel transducers was explored for enhancing the transport of insulin across skin. Previous investigators have used US devices such as large, heavy sonicators or commercially obtained transducers for this type of research. The experiments carried out in this study used two low-profile novel US transducer arrays, the stack and standard array, for improved transport of insulin. The stack array generated a spatial peak temporal peak intensity (I(SPTP)) of 15.4 +/- 0.6 mW/cm(2) and the standard array had an I(SPTP) of 173.7 +/- 1.2 mW/cm(2). Spectrophotometeric absorption techniques were used for determining insulin transport in vitro across human skin. Compared with passive transmission (4.1 +/- 0.5 U) over an exposure period of 1 h, the standard array facilitated over a sevenfold increase in the noninvasive transdermal transport of Humulin R insulin (45.9 +/- 12.9 U). Using Humalog insulin with the standard array, there was a fourfold increase in the US-facilitated transmission over that in the control. These promising results indicate that low-frequency US can be used in a practical device for enhanced transport across the stratum corneum.