Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
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Development and Mechanical Testing of Synthetic 3D-Printed Models of Healthy and Metastatic Vertebrae
Get PDFExperimental characterisation of ex vivo specimens is limited by specimen availability and high costs, whereas 3D printing provides a cost-effective alternative for producing multiple replicas. This study aimed to develop a methodology for evaluating the individual and combined effects of material composition and geometry on the biomechanical performance of 3D-printed vertebrae. CT scans of healthy human vertebrae and with lytic metastases were segmented to fabricate synthetic models through Digital Anatomy Printing. Three types of 3D-printed models were produced: Healthy vertebrae, Metastatic vertebrae, and Healed vertebrae (metastatic geometry filled with healthy material). All models were tested under axial compression to measure the strength, stiffness, and strain. Repeatability across replicas was assessed as well as comparison of mechanical properties among the different vertebral types. Results showed excellent repeatability, with coefficients of variation below 5% for strength and stiffness-related parameters. The Metastatic models exhibited significant reductions in strength compared to Healthy ones, while stiffness remained similar, consistent with ex vivo data trends. Healed models highlighted the role of material composition in driving mechanical behaviour, independently of geometry. This work provides the first quantitative assessment of 3D-printed vertebrae with metastatic lesions, supporting their future potential as standardised alternatives to cadaveric testing
MCO Membranes and FGF-23: Advancing Dialysis Strategies for Better Outcomes?
No full textIn the last years, several studies have highlighted the
impact of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) on in-
creased morbidity and mortality among patients with
chronic kidney disease (CKD). FGF-23 is produced in
bone by osteocytes and plays a pivotal role in renal
handling of phosphate, vitamin D metabolism, and PTH
secretion. FGF-23 levels increase early during the course
of CKD in parallel with the decline in glomerular fil-
tration rate, leading to reductions in calcitriol and ele-
vations of PTH [1, 2]. While FGF-23 production is in-
duced by an increase in PTH, phosphate, 1,25(OH) 2 D,
and calcium, none of these classical factors fully explain
the early rise in FGF-23 observed in CKD patients, as
elevations in FGF-23 levels precede these abnormalities
in bone and mineral metabolism [3, 4]. Hence, the
derangement of mineral metabolism in CKD is not the
sole trigger for FGF-23 production
A European survey on anaerobes from paediatric blood cultures: a comparative analysis with adults
No full text: Infections caused by anaerobes are common in children. However, limited data are available on bloodstream infections caused by these bacteria in Europe. A multicentre retrospective observational study was conducted over a 4-year period (2020-2023) across 44 European hospitals to analyze all anaerobes isolated from blood cultures. The study examined the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance profiles of anaerobes identified in paediatric patients, comparing the findings with those observed in adults. Among the 14,527 total anaerobic isolates, 186 (1.3%) were detected from paediatric patients. These were predominantly Gram-positive (70%) and Gram-negative (22%) bacilli. The most prevalent species in paediatric patients were Cutibacterium acnes (24.7%), Schaalia odontolytica (9.7%), Actinomyces oris (8.1%), and Bacteroides fragilis (7.5%). Relative feature importance based on the mean SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values distinguished paediatric patients and adults based on their antibiotic resistance patterns with high accuracy. Compared to those from adult patients, Gram-positive bacilli detected in paediatric samples displayed higher resistance rates for meropenem (15% vs. 9%), metronidazole (52% vs. 24%), and vancomycin (27% vs. 6%), and lower resistance to benzylpenicillin (11% vs. 17%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (9% vs. 17%), and clindamycin (30% vs. 36%). Gram-negative bacilli in paediatric samples displayed lower resistance to benzylpenicillin (18% vs. 29%), piperacillin/tazobactam (26% vs. 33%), and clindamycin (20% vs. 27%), and they were highly susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, and metronidazole as those detected in adult patients. Bacteroides species detected in paediatric and adult patients displayed high resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam (33% vs. 39%) and clindamycin (38% vs. 29%), while they were highly susceptible to metronidazole. Compared to those from adult samples, Cutibacterium acnes in paediatric patients displayed lower resistance to benzylpenicillin (none vs. 15%) and clindamycin (17% vs. 29%). The comparison of species and susceptibility profiles of anaerobes detected in paediatric and adult patients highlighted the importance of reporting antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance data by age group
Collezioni di norme ecclesiastiche: verso un canone librario? A partire da Ver. LXI (59), LII (60)
No full textAnalisi dei mss. Ver. LXI (59) e LII (60)
The routine use of a digital tool for the tumor cell fraction quantification in molecular pathology: an international validation of QuANTUM
No full textObjective. The absolute and relative quantification of tumor cell fraction (TCF) in tissue samples for molecular pathology testing is time-consuming and poorly reproducible. Methods. Here we report the results of an international survey on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), validating the Qupath Analysis of Nuclei from Tumor to Uniform Molecular tests (QuANTUM) automated computational pipeline for TCF quantification. Results. The TCF obtained with QuANTUM is reliable, as demonstrated by the comparison with the manual counting of cells (ground truth, GT) in cell blocks, small biopsies and surgical specimens (overall correlation of 0.89). The visual evaluation of QuANTUM-processed images increased the pathologists’ agreement with GT and QuANTUM of +0.16, +0.21, +0.09 and +0.17, +0.29, +0.21 across the three sample types, respectively. An overall increase in cases classified as containing ≥100 tumor cells for all sample types was noted after QuANTUM (from 75 cases, 63% to 96 cases, 80% among cell blocks, p = 0.003). Conclusions. QuANTUM is an easy-to-use and reliable tool for the TCF assessment and its employment significantly modifies the visual estimation by pathologists, improving the assessment of NSCLC cases for molecular analysis
Plasma transfusions in neonatal intensive care units: a prospective observational study
No full textObjective: Despite lack of evidence supporting efficacy, prophylactic fresh frozen plasma and Octaplas transfusions may be administered to very preterm infants to reduce bleeding risk. International variation in plasma transfusion practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is poorly understood, therefore, we aimed to describe neonatal plasma transfusion practice in Europe. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: 64 NICUs in 22 European countries, with a 6-week study period per centre between September 2022 and August 2023. Patients: Preterm infants born below 32 weeks of gestational age. Interventions: Admission to the NICU. Main outcome measures: Plasma transfusion prevalence, cumulative incidence, indications, transfusion volumes and infusion rates and adverse effects. Results: A total of 92 of 1143 infants included (8.0%) received plasma during the study period, collectively receiving 177 transfusions. Overall prevalence was 0.3 plasma transfusion days per 100 admission days, and rates varied substantially across Europe. By day 28 of life, 13.5% (95% CI 10.0% to 16.9%) of infants received at least one plasma transfusion, accounted for competing risks of death or discharge. Transfusions were given for a broad range of indications, including active bleeding (29.4%), abnormal coagulation screen results (23.7%) and volume replacement/hypotension (21.5%). Transfusion volumes and infusion rates varied significantly; the most common volume was 15 mL/kg (range: 5-30 mL/kg) and the most common duration was 2 hours (range: 30 min to 6 hours). Conclusions: We found wide variation in plasma transfusion practices in Europe, highlighting the need for evidence to inform neonatologists in daily practice and guidelines, in particular for non-bleeding indications. Trial registration number: ISRCTN17267090
Urine luck: Environmental assessment of yellow water management in buildings for urban agriculture
Get PDFThe increasing global demand for agricultural production poses challenges to maintain the needs for critical fertilizers such as nitrogen. This study explores the potential of human urine as a source of renewable nitrogen for fertilizer production. Through a life cycle assessment, three different urine management strategies were compared: (S1) an artificial wetland, (S2) an on-site lab-scale aerobic reactor for nitrogen recovery, and (S3) a centralized wastewater treatment plant. While scenario S2 had the highest impacts in 6 out of 8 categories, an advantage in marine eutrophication was identified. S2 showed high energy demand (750 kg MJ-eq) and ecotoxicity (602 kg 1.4-DCB-eq.) mainly due to energy requirements. Nitrogen production exceeded 2.3 times the yearly nitrogen demands of the building tomato production. Upscaling S2 reduces impacts up to 2 times, lowering the payback time from 29 to 13 years. Therefore, implementing large-scale nitrogen recovery systems in cities is encouraged
I disegni di Tessenow
No full textCi sono alcuni disegni di Tessenow che mi hanno sempre incuriosito.
Anzi direi quasi che non possono non suscitare la curiosità di un
architetto. Sono disegni di piccole case. Molto spesso si vede
chiaramente la facciata simmetrica con l’iconico tetto a capanna, la
porta d’ingresso principale al centro e su entrambi i lati le finestre
ben definite. Colpisce innanzitutto la cura con cui sono disegnati gli
elementi dell’architettura e gli spazi antistanti e subito prossimi alla porta
d’ingresso. Sono, a mio parere, disegni straordinari. Come se fossero
dei piccoli teatrini allestiti per un’unica grande rappresentazione: il
ritorno a casa
Progetto DUSE: analisi preliminare dei comportamenti sedentari, delle abitudini alimentari e del benessere psicologico negli adolescenti italiani
No full textIntroduzione
Secondo i dati dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, negli ultimi decenni, l’obesità ha registrato un aumento significativo in Europa: attualmente, quasi il 60% degli adulti e circa un terzo dei bambini (29% dei maschi e 27% delle femmine) presenta sovrappeso o obesità. L’adolescenza costituisce una fase particolarmente delicata dal punto di vista nutrizionale, durante la quale è fondamentale promuovere strategie integrate di prevenzione, monitoraggio e educazione. In questo contesto si inserisce il progetto europeo DUSE, finalizzato allo sviluppo di interventi educativi innovativi volti a sensibilizzare adolescenti sull’importanza di adottare e mantenere stili di vita sani, essenziali per la prevenzione delle malattie non trasmissibili, tra cui il diabete di tipo 2. L’obiettivo dello studio è di analizzare le interazioni tra comportamenti sedentari, attività fisica, abitudini alimentari e benessere psicologico in un campione di studenti delle scuole superiori.
Materiali e Metodi
Nel quadro del progetto DUSE, è stata condotta un’analisi preliminare su un campione di 57 adolescenti di età mediana 16 anni (range 15-17) di cui 35 M, 21 F, 1 NR. Sono stati somministrati i questionari validati DAB-Q e KIDSCREEN-27. Le analisi descrittive e di regressione sono state effettuate con il software R (livello di significatività statistica p ≤ 0.05).
Risultati
I risultati evidenziano che il sesso maschile è associato a pattern alimentari più salutari, livelli inferiori di sedentarietà e maggiore stabilità del benessere psicologico, mentre il sesso femminile presenta una maggiore variabilità in tali ambiti. Inoltre, si osserva una correlazione significativa tra scelte alimentari salutari e comportamento alimentare positivo (p = 0.034). Il comportamento sedentario si conferma un predittore significativo delle abitudini alimentari (β = 0.373, p = 0.004), suggerendo che livelli più bassi di sedentarietà sono associati a comportamenti alimentari più sani. Al contrario, il benessere psicologico non risulta significativamente associato alle abitudini alimentari (β = 0.098, p = 0.578). Il modello di regressione, pur risultando statisticamente significativo, presenta una limitata capacità esplicativa, mostrando un’elevata dispersione dei dati e un ampio intervallo di confidenza; ciò suggerisce la necessità di includere ulteriori variabili per comprendere appieno i determinanti delle scelte alimentari.
Conclusioni
I dati sottolineano l'importanza di adottare un approccio olistico negli interventi preventivi, che consideri la complessità e l'interazione tra i vari determinanti dello stile di vita e del benessere. Investire nella prevenzione e promuovere buone pratiche, sin dall'adolescenza, con particolare attenzione alle abitudini alimentari, è cruciale per migliorare la qualità della vita e ridurre i costi sanitari
Embryons desséchés Freestyle su un monumento poco monumentale, cinquant’anni dopo.
No full textIl progetto si avvale di testi e immagini per riflettere sul carattere non monumentale del monumento a Pasolini. I testi sono di Luca Martignani e Matteo Bortolini con fotografie di Serena Dibiase. Il freestyle è pubblicato su Il Tascabile, Treccani, https://www.iltascabile.com/linguaggi/embryons-desseches