A personalized multi-channel FES controller based on muscle synergies to support gait rehabilitation after stroke

It has been largely suggested in neuroscience literature that to generate a vast variety of movements, the Central Nervous System (CNS) recruits a reduced set of coordinated patterns of muscle activities, defined as muscle synergies. Recent neurophysiological studies have recommended the analysis of muscle synergies to finely assess the patient's impairment, to design personalized interventions based on the specific nature of the impairment, and to evaluate the treatment outcomes. In this scope, the aim of this study was to design a personalized multi-channel functional electrical stimulation (FES) controller for gait training, integrating three novel aspects: (1) the FES strategy was based on healthy muscle synergies in order to mimic the neural solutions adopted by the CNS to generate locomotion; (2) the FES strategy was personalized according to an initial locomotion assessment of the patient and was designed to specifically activate the impaired biomechanical functions; (3) the FES strategy was mapped accurately on the altered gait kinematics providing a maximal synchronization between patient's volitional gait and stimulation patterns. The novel intervention was tested on two chronic stroke patients. They underwent a 4-week intervention consisting of 30-min sessions of FES-supported treadmill walking three times per week. The two patients were characterized by a mild gait disability (walking speed > 0.8 m/s) at baseline. However, before treatment both patients presented only three independent muscle synergies during locomotion, resembling two different gait abnormalities. After treatment, the number of extracted synergies became four and they increased their resemblance with the physiological muscle synergies, which indicated a general improvement in muscle coordination. The originally merged synergies seemed to regain their distinct role in locomotion control. The treatment benefits were more evident for one patient, who achieved a clinically important change in dynamic balance (Mini-Best Test increased from 17 to 22) coupled with a very positive perceived treatment effect (GRC = 4). The treatment had started the neuro-motor relearning process also on the second subject, but twelve sessions were not enough to achieve clinically relevant improvements. This attempt to apply the novel theories of neuroscience research in stroke rehabilitation has provided promising results, and deserves to be further investigated in a larger clinical study

Alien Registration- Ferrante, Anna (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/25456/thumbnail.jp

Biopower is the new black : gender refractions and reflections between panopticon and television

peer reviewedWhat can be visible of a queer body behind the bars? I will try to answer this question through the critical analysis of Orange is the New Black, a TV series produced by Netflix and based on Piper Kerman’s autobiographical novel. Imprisoned queer bodies are at the center of my analysis. Prison is the paradigm of the system of surveillance and confinement of bodies. Queer bodies are themselves a site of the exercise of power. In prison, gender non- conforming bodies are subjected to the consuetudinary discipline of sexuality and to arbitrary forms of discipline and punishment, such as the re-assignation to a non-desired gender, the duty of conforming to it, the administration of hormones, and a systematic exercise of violence. I am allowed to see behind the bars through the lens of a fictional representation in a TV show. Despite the stereotypical representation of its characters, the show explores the tension between the inmates’ desire of the inmates to escape the cage of heteronormativity and biopower' s desire (and need) for discipline. My critical reading will be framed in Angela Davis' s analysis on how gender structures prison (Davis, 2003). I will try to go further and understand how prison is a gendered institution, since gender and heteronormativity are themselves systems of surveillance and discipline (Stanley and Smith, 2011). Prison shapes bodies and disciplines gender, as well as gender informs and structures prison. The screen offers yet another and more complex perspective, acting as a lens through which we can watch the Panopticon. Discipline impacts not only on gender politics, but also on the regime of visibility for queer subjects. I want to focus on how the show stages the interplay of refractions between what can be visible and tolerable in prison and what can be tolerable and visible in the society (Foucault, 1975)

Homo Skin, Hetero Masks. A Representation of Italian Homonationalism.

In this critical observation I will focus on images produced by Italian LGBTI community representing homosexuals as regulatory agents of the fatherland and active builder of the national community. From this stand point, these images are crucial to decline an Italian perspective on homonationalism (Puar, 2007). This normative project of national belonging for LGBTI subjects is implemented with many contradictory aspects in Italy, were homosexuals are subjected to a subordinate status of citizenship, without any measure of protection against homophobia nor any kind of civil rights. An approach grounded in cultural studies and visual studies, both as interdisciplinary fields of research and critical tools, will allow me to analyze these images as cultural practice and to point out their ideological implications. Within the theoretical framework provided by Jasbir Puar through the concept of homonationalism I will introduce these images as if they were masks, performative standards of identification/representation

Parthenolide prevents resistance of MDA-MB231 cells to doxorubicin and mitoxantrone: the role of Nrf2

Triple-negative breast cancer is a group of aggressive cancers with poor prognosis owing to chemoresistance, recurrence and metastasis. New strategies are required that could reduce chemoresistance and increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy. The results presented in this paper, showing that parthenolide (PN) prevents drug resistance in MDA-MB231 cells, represent a contribution to one of these possible strategies. MDA-MB231 cells, the most studied line of TNBC cells, were submitted to selection treatment with mitoxantrone (Mitox) and doxorubicin (DOX). The presence of resistant cells was confirmed through the measurement of the resistance index. Cells submitted to this treatment exhibited a remarkable increment of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) level, which was accompanied by upregulation of catalase, MnSOD, HSP70, Bcl-2 and P-glycoprotein. Moreover, as a consequence of overexpression of Nrf2 and correlated proteins, drug-treated cells exhibited a much lower ability than parental cells to generate ROS in response to a suitable stimulation. The addition of PN (2.0 μM) to Mitox and DOX, over the total selection time, prevented both the induction of resistance and the overexpression of Nrf2 and correlated proteins, whereas the cells showed a good ability to generate ROS in response to adequate stimulation. To demonstrate that Nrf2 exerted a crucial role in the induction of resistance, the cells were transiently transfected with a specific small interfering RNA for Nrf2. Similarly to the effects induced by PN, downregulation of Nrf2 was accompanied by reductions in the levels of catalase, MnSOD, HSP70 and Bcl-2, prevention of chemoresistance and increased ability to generate ROS under stimulation. In conclusion, our results show that PN inhibited the development of the resistance toward Mitox and DOX, and suggest that these effects were correlated with the prevention of the overexpression of Nrf2 and its target proteins, which occurred in the cells submitted to drug treatment

Chapter Media and fake news: An analysis of citizens’ attitudes toward misinformation in European countries

The rapid changes determined by the rise of Internet and the recent development of social media in daily life have led to profound consequences on the quantity and quality of data made available and on the mechanisms of their dissemination. The rapid spread of on-line disinformation is one of the most discussed topic, and has been identified as one of the top-trends in modern societies by the World Economic Forum, also because of the link between these processes and political communication. Thanks to the availability of micro-data from the Flash Eurobarometer survey on “Fake news and disinformation online”, the present work aims at analyzing the attitude of European citizens toward fake news and disinformation. In a first step, cluster of citizens are identified according to their level of trust in media news, in relation to different types of media. Given the categorical nature of the variables considered, k-mode clustering is implemented. Secondly, the main determinants of news trust levels are analyzed, through regression models for categorical response variables. Preliminary results show that socio-demographic characteristics as well as technological use have an influence on trust in the media, which in turn determines different approaches on the role of institutions in tackling disinformation. The relevance of fake news in contemporary period and its potential consequences on the political side require a reflection on the role of statistical literacy and of official statistical institutes in dealing with disinformation in the post-truth era

Genetic and molecular characterization of the human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS cancer stem cell line: a possible model for studying osteosarcoma origin and stemness.

Finding new treatments targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor seems to be critical to halt cancer and improve patient survival. Osteosarcoma is an aggressive tumor affecting adolescents, for which there is no second-line chemotherapy. Uncovering new molecular mechanisms underlying the development of osteosarcoma and origin of CSCs is crucial to identify new possible therapeutic strategies. Here, we aimed to characterize genetically and molecularly the human osteosarcoma 3AB-OS CSC line, previously selected from MG63 cells and which proved to have both in vitro and in vivo features of CSCs. Classic cytogenetic studies demonstrated that 3AB-OS cells have hypertriploid karyotype with 71–82 chromosomes. By comparing 3AB-OS CSCs to the parental cells, array CGH, Affymetrix microarray, and TaqMan1 Human MicroRNA array analyses identified 49 copy number variations (CNV), 3,512 dysregulated genes and 189 differentially expressed miRNAs. Some of the chromosomal abnormalities and mRNA/miRNA expression profiles appeared to be congruent with those reported in human osteosarcomas. Bioinformatic analyses selected 196 genes and 46 anticorrelated miRNAs involved in carcinogenesis and stemness. For the first time, a predictive network is also described for two miRNA family (let-7/98 and miR-29a,b,c) and their anticorrelated mRNAs (MSTN, CCND2, Lin28B, MEST, HMGA2, and GHR), which may represent new biomarkers for osteosarcoma and may pave the way for the identification of new potential therapeutic targets

The effect of data cleaning on record linkage quality

Background: Within the field of record linkage, numerous data cleaning and standardisation techniques are employed to ensure the highest quality of links. While these facilities are common in record linkage software packages and are regularly deployed across record linkage units, little work has been published demonstrating the impact of data cleaning on linkage quality.Methods: A range of cleaning techniques was applied to both a synthetically generated dataset and a large administrative dataset previously linked to a high standard. The effect of these changes on linkage quality was investigated using pairwise F-measure to determine quality.Results: Data cleaning made little difference to the overall linkage quality, with heavy cleaning leading to a decrease in quality. Further examination showed that decreases in linkage quality were due to cleaning techniques typically reducing the variability – although correct records were now more likely to match, incorrect records were also more likely to match, and these incorrect matches outweighed the correct matches, reducing quality overall.Conclusions: Data cleaning techniques have minimal effect on linkage quality. Care should be taken during the data cleaning process

Relationship between residential aged care facility characteristics and breaches of the Australian aged care regulatory standards: Non-compliance notices and sanctions

Objectives To examine the relationship between structural characteristics of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and breaches of the aged care quality standards. Methods Facility-level analysis of audits, sanctions and non-compliance notices of all accredited Australian RACFs between 2015/16 and 2018/19. Structural factors of interest included RACF size, remoteness, ownership type and jurisdiction. Two government data sources were joined. Each outcome was analysed to calculate time trends, unadjusted rates and relative risks. Results Non-compliance notices were imposed on 369 RACFs (13%) and 83 sanctions on 75 RACFs (3%). Compared with New South Wales (NSW), non-compliance notices were less likely in Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory (NT), more likely in South Australia (SA), and comparable in Western Australia (WA), Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). RACFs with more than 100 beds and RACFs located in remote and outer regional areas (vs. major cities) also increased the likelihood of non-compliance notices. Compared with NSW, sanctions were less likely in Victoria, Queensland, NT and WA and comparable in SA, Tasmania and ACT. Additionally, the likelihood of sanctions was higher for RACFs with more than 40 beds. For both non-compliance notices and sanctions, no significant relationship was found with RACF ownership type. Conclusions We partially confirmed other Australian findings about the relationship between RACF structural characteristics and regulatory sanctions and reported new findings about non-compliance notices. Routine and standardised public reporting of RACF performance is needed to build trust that Australia\u27s latest aged care reforms have led to sustained quality improvements