Atherothrombosis: transposition of the models to the clinic and reciprocally

The transposition of experimental models to clinical situations in the atherothrombosis field will be illustrated by two examples: in one hand, the steps of the discovery of drugs such as ticlopidine and clopidogrel, the identification of their molecular targets on blood platelets and the pharmacological consequences of these developments; on the other hand, the setting up of a model of localized arterial thrombosis in mice, with two degrees of severity which react differentially to antithrombotic drugs. The main features of these models will be compared to clinical situations such as unstable angina and myocardial infarction.     

功能MRI：最先进方法的简要回顾和展望

功能MRI(fMRI)起始于20世纪90年代初,它能够敏感地测量由脑激发而引起的血氧浓度变化。在经历了20年的高速发展后,fMRI在大脑研究领域中已经奠定了其不可替代的地位。随着科技的进步,包括硬件、脉冲序列、实验设计以及数据分析方法上的不断更新,fMRI在下一个10年应该会有更广泛的应用。在此文中,针对现状来探讨一下相关的先进技术,例如高清功能成像、脑连接成像、多模成像;并展望将来的发展方向,例如它们在临床医学甚至在社会科学方面的应用。     

Interventional treatments for hepatic hemangioma: A state-of-the-art review

Hepatic hemangiomas (HHs) are the most common benign tumors of the liver. These tumors are mainly asymptomatic and do not require treatment. Nevertheless, there are some special cases that require therapeutic intervention, and surgery and intervention are currently the primary treatment modalities. Despite significant advances in the development of minimally invasive techniques and their popularization, interventional treatment of HH is still the preferred choice. In the present review, we discuss the pathological properties, type of blood supply, and treatment indications for HH and assess the status and progress of the existing interventional treatments.     

Peptide-based immunotherapeutic approaches to glioma: a review

Despite advances in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with malignant glioma is still very poor; therefore, the development of a novel therapeutic modality is essential. There are increasing reports demonstrating that systemic immunotherapy using dendritic cells or a peptide vaccine is capable of inducing an antiglioma response. Peptide-based immunotherapy strategies appear promising as an approach to successfully induce an antitumor immune response and prolong survival in patients with glioma without major side effects. Now, peptide-based immunotherapy could be a new treatment modality for patients with brain tumors.     

Multichannel SEMG in clinical gait analysis: a review and state-of-the-art

Background

Application of surface electromyography (SEMG) to the clinical evaluation of neuromuscular disorders can provide relevant “diagnostic” contributions in terms of nosological classification, localization of focal impairments, detection of pathophysiological mechanisms, and functional assessment.

Methods

The present review article elaborates on: (i) the technical aspects of the myoelectric signals acquisition within a protocol of clinical gait analysis (multichannel recording, surface vs. deep probes, electrode placing, encumbrance effects), (ii) the sequence of procedures for the subsequent data processing (filtering, averaging, normalization, repeatability control), and (iii) a set of feasible strategies for the final extraction of clinically useful information.

Findings

Relevant examples of SEMG application to functional diagnosis are provided.

Interpretation

Emphasis is given to the key role of SEMG along with kinematic and kinetic analysis, for non-invasive assessment of relevant pathophysiological mechanisms potentially hindering the gait function, such as changes in passive muscle–tendon properties (peripheral non-neural component), paresis, spasticity, and loss of selectivity of motor output in functionally antagonist muscles.     

Biodegradable implants in orthopaedic surgery--a review on the state-of-the-art

Until recently, internal fixation of fractured bones and joints has been managed by metal implants. Certain disadvantages of the metal implants are: the properties of the materials are stiffer than those of cortical bone and removal of the implants requires a second operation. About 40 different biodegradable polymers, copolymers and composites have been developed in order to substitute the metal implants for internal fracture fixation. First experimental and clinical results demonstrate the limitations of these new methods. The main problem of the material is the loss of mechanical strength within a time interval not long enough to guarantee bone healing. The development of sterile sinus at the site of implantation is also a problem reported by various groups. Despite some drawbacks, there are indications for the isolated or the adjuvant implantation of biodegradable materials.     

A state-of-the-art review on coir fiber-reinforced biocomposites

The coconut (Cocos nucifera) fruits are extensively grown in tropical countries. The use of coconut husk-derived coir fiber-reinforced biocomposites is on the rise nowadays due to the constantly increasing demand for sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable materials. Generally, the coconut husk and shells are disposed of as waste materials; however, they can be utilized as prominent raw materials for environment-friendly biocomposite production. Coir fibers are strong and stiff, which are prerequisites for coir fiber-reinforced biocomposite materials. However, as a bio-based material, the produced biocomposites have various performance characteristics because of the inhomogeneous coir material characteristics. Coir materials are reinforced with different thermoplastic, thermosetting, and cement-based materials to produce biocomposites. Coir fiber-reinforced composites provide superior mechanical, thermal, and physical properties, which make them outstanding materials as compared to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites. However, the mechanical performances of coconut fiber-reinforced composites could be enhanced by pretreating the surfaces of coir fiber. This review provides an overview of coir fiber and the associated composites along with their feasible fabrication methods and surface treatments in terms of their morphological, thermal, mechanical, and physical properties. Furthermore, this study facilitates the industrial production of coir fiber-reinforced biocomposites through the efficient utilization of coir husk-generated fibers.

The coir fibers could be used as prominent biocomposite materials.     

Facile green synthesis and applications of silver nanoparticles: a state-of-the-art review

In the field of nanotechnology, the development of reliable and eco-friendly methods for the synthesis of NPs is crucial. The conventional methods for the synthesis of NPs are costly, toxic, and not ecofriendly. To overcome these issues, natural sources such as plant, bacteria, fungi, and biopolymers have been used to synthesize AgNPs. These natural sources act as reducing and capping agents. The shape, size, and applications of AgNPs are prominently affected by the reaction parameters under which they are synthesized. Accessible distributed data on the synthesis of AgNPs include the impact of different parameters (temperature and pH), characterization techniques (DLS, UV-vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM and EDX), properties and their applications. This review paper discusses all the natural sources such as plants, bacteria, fungi, and biopolymers that have been used for the synthesis of AgNPs in the last ten years. AgNPs synthesized by green methods have found potential applications in a wide spectrum of areas including drug delivery, DNA analysis and gene therapy, cancer treatment, antimicrobial agents, biosensors, catalysis, SERS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current limitations and future prospects for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles by green methods are also discussed herein.

In order to overcome the challenges of conventional synthesis of NPs, natural sources such as plants, bacteria, fungi, biopolymers are used for the synthesis of AgNPs.     

Multidisciplinary approaches to gliosarcoma: A case report and review of the literature

A 58‐year‐old right‐handed man presented to our tertiary care center with gliosarcoma (GS) infiltration through the dura, skull, and soft tissue. Patient had a previous history of right temporal GS, with four intracranial surgeries prior to presentation. A multidisciplinary approach was used to treat the lesion and perform reconstruction.     

Atherothrombosis: management of patients at risk

Vascular disease is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity on a worldwide basis and represents a major social burden. Atherothrombosis, which is one of the disease processes underlying vascular disease, consists of thrombus formation superimposed upon an existing atherosclerotic lesion. A number of factors are associated with the risk of developing atherothrombotic clinical events, such as myocardial infarction (MI) or ischaemic stroke (IS). The most significant of these include a previous vascular event (such as MI or IS), hypertension, obesity, diabetes and smoking. Encouraging patients to institute lifestyle modifications such as weight loss and smoking cessation can significantly reduce the risk of experiencing a primary or secondary vascular event. Lifestyle modifications must be supplemented with pharmacological therapies if a significant risk reduction is to be achieved. Studies have shown that antihypertensives, statins and antithrombotic agents are the most successful agents in reducing vascular risk and avoiding unpredictable and life-threatening atherothrombotic events.     

Community development: a critical review of approaches to evaluation

With the growing interest in community-based initiatives, this discussion paper focuses upon the evaluation of community development. It reviews three areas and highlights the complex and contentious nature of evaluation in this field. Commencing with approaches to evaluation, it critically reviews proposed methods and suggests that, rather than provide clarity and guidance, the competing designs are confusing for the potential researcher. Second, the discussion moves to evaluative terms that are applied to community development, suggesting that there is a mismatch between professional and lay interpretations with an ultimate impact upon the validity of their measurement. It uses the terms community and empowerment to make these differences more explicit. Finally, the paper argues that, although the aim of community-based initiatives is to bring about community health gain, gauging the pervasiveness of discreet project work is testing. It concludes by suggesting that a move away from an evaluative model based upon empowerment towards one which considers health and social capital may be a way forward.     

A review and critique of psychological approaches to the burn-out phenomenon

In the 70s the concept burn-out appeared in psychological literature on the helping professions. The concept has since then been ascribed several meanings, and critical voices have been raised against the lack of clarity and consensus in the definitions. The aim of this article was to critically examine the thinking on the concept of burn-out. The helping professionals--nurses, welfare officers, psychologists, medical doctors, etc.--have expanded rapidly since the 60s. It is stated that the issues on which burn-out researchers focus deserve the attention of social scientists in general. The major limitation in the literature on burn-out is that there is little analysis of the role of society and social conditions in producing the phenomenon. It is suggested that sociological analyses may have a contribution to make here.