Search results for "biome"

Automated detection of protein unfolding events in atomic force microscopy force curves

2016

Atomic force microscopy is not only a high-resolution imaging device but also a mechanical machine, which can be used either to indent or stretch (soft) biomaterials. Due to the statistical nature of such materials (i.e., hydrogels or polymers) hundreds of force-distance curves are required to describe their mechanical properties. In this manuscript, we present an automated system for polymer unfolding detection based on continuous wavelet analysis. We have tested the automated program on elastin, which is an important protein that provides elasticity to tissues and organs. Our results show that elastin changes its mechanical behavior in the presence of electrolytes. In particular, we show …

Wireless ECG and cardiac monitoring systems: State of the art, available commercial devices and useful electronic components

2021

Abstract Wireless ElectroCardioGram (ECG) systems are employed in manifold application fields: tele-monitoring, sport applications, support to ageing people at home, fetal ECG, wearable devices and ambulatory monitoring. The presence of cables often hinders user’s free movements, alongside clinicians’ routine operations. Therefore, wireless ECG systems are desirable. This paper aims at reviewing the solutions described in the literature, besides commercially available devices and electronic components useful to setup laboratory prototypes. Several systems have been developed, different in terms of the adopted technology; when approaching the development of a wireless ECG system, some import…

Obstetric-Neonatal Care during Birth and Postpartum in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Women Infected with SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

2022

Este artículo se encuentra disponible en la siguiente URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5482 Este artículo de investigación pertenece a la colección "COVID-19 Research". En este artículo de investigación también participan: Laura Andreu-Pejó, Cristina Martínez-Porcar, Carmen Rodríguez Gonzálvez, Patricia Torrent-Ramos, Nieves Asensio-Tomás, Yolanda Herraiz-Soler, Ramon Escuriet y Desirée Mena-Tudela. This study analyses the obstetric–neonatal outcomes of women in labour with symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19. A retrospective, multicenter, observational study was carried out between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021 in eight public hospitals in the Valencian community (Spain). The…

Association between physical, psychological and social frailty and health-related quality of life among older people

2019

Abstract Background Studies on the association between frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are scarce and show contradictory results. This study aimed to evaluate the association between physical, psychological and social frailty and HRQoL among community-dwelling older people. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed with baseline data collected in 2015 from the Urban Health Centers Europe (UHCE) project in five European countries, the United Kingdom, Greece, Croatia, The Netherlands and Spain. A total of 2325 participants were included in the baseline measurements of the Urban Health Centers Europe project; 2167 participants (mean age = 79.7; SD=5.6) were included in t…

Traps N' Clots: NET-Mediated Thrombosis and Related Diseases.

2020

New intramedullary locking nail for olecranon fracture fixation--an in vitro biomechanical comparison with tension band wiring.

2010

The aim of this study was to determine the difference in displacement of a newly designed intramedullary olecranon fracture fixation device compared with multifilament tension band wiring after 4 cycles and 300 cycles of dynamic continuous loading.In eight pairs of fresh-frozen cadaver ulnae, oblique olecranon fractures were created and stabilized using either newly designed intramedullary olecranon nail or multifilament tension band wiring. The specimens were then subjected to continuous dynamic loading (from 25 N to 200 N) using matched pairs of cadaveric upper extremities. The Wilcoxon test was used to determine statistical differences of the displacement in the fracture gap.After 4 cycl…

Uncertainty quantification on a spatial Markov-chain model for the progression of skin cancer

2019

AbstractA spatial Markov-chain model is formulated for the progression of skin cancer. The model is based on the division of the computational domain into nodal points, that can be in a binary state: either in ‘cancer state’ or in ‘non-cancer state’. The model assigns probabilities for the non-reversible transition from ‘non-cancer’ state to the ‘cancer state’ that depend on the states of the neighbouring nodes. The likelihood of transition further depends on the life burden intensity of the UV-rays that the skin is exposed to. The probabilistic nature of the process and the uncertainty in the input data is assessed by the use of Monte Carlo simulations. A good fit between experiments on mi…

Silica as a morphogenetically active inorganic polymer.

2013

At present the scaffolds used for bioprinting of cells do not elicit morphogenetic responses in the cells. In the present study we approached a solution by studying the effect of an inorganic silica supplement added to an Na-alginate matrix. Bone- and osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells were embedded into this organic polymeric matrix which was additionally enriched with 400 μM prehydrolyzed TEOS [tetra-ethoxy-silane], a source of ortho-silicate. In this silica-based matrix the cells synthesized hydroxyapatite crystallites after exposure to a mineralization activation cocktail composed of β-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid and dexamethasone. The degree of hydroxyapatite synthesis, determined by sta…

MOTOR DYSFUNCTION OF THE "NON AFFECTED" LOWER LIMB: A KINEMATIC COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN HEMIPARETIC STROKE AND TOTAL KNEE PROSTHESIZED PATIENTS

2009

In patients with hemispheric stroke, abnormal motor performances are described also in the ipsilateral limbs. They may be due to a cortical reorganization in the unaffected hemisphere; moreover, also peripheral mechanisms may play a role. To explore this hypothesis, we studied motor performances in 15 patients with hemispheric stroke and in 14 patients with total knee arthroplasty, which have a reduced motility in the prosthesized leg. Using the unaffected leg, they performed five superimposed circular trajectories in a prefixed pathway on a computerized footboard, while looking at a marker on the computer screen. The average trace error was significantly different between the groups of pat…

Gut microbiota regulate hepatic von Willebrand factor synthesis and arterial thrombus formation via Toll-like receptor-2.

2016

The symbiotic gut microbiota play pivotal roles in host physiology and the development of cardiovascular diseases, but the microbiota-triggered pattern recognition signaling mechanisms that impact thrombosis are poorly defined. In this article, we show that germ-free (GF) and Toll-like receptor-2 (Tlr2)-deficient mice have reduced thrombus growth after carotid artery injury relative to conventionally raised controls. GF Tlr2-/- and wild-type (WT) mice were indistinguishable, but colonization with microbiota restored a significant difference in thrombus growth between the genotypes. We identify reduced plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF) and reduced VWF synthesis, specifically in he…