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Abstract: Monitoring gas emissions from soil allow to get information on volcanic activity, hidden faults and hydrothermal dynamics. Radon activities at Stromboli were collected by means of multi-parametric real-time stations, that measure radon as well as environmental parameters. The last improvements on the detection system are presented and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: In the field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the treatment of hallux valgus (HV), different techniques have begun to emerge in the literature concerning the distal osteotomy of the first metatarsal bone, the synthesis or not of the metatarsal head, the possible association with lateral soft tissues release (LSTR) and osteotomy of the base of the first phalanx., Aim: To evaluate the role of LSTR on percutaneous HV correction, evaluating functional and radiographical results., Methods: From January 2012 to May 2016 a total of 396 patients with mild to moderate symptomatic HV treated with the MIS technique were included in this retrospective study. The technique provides no internal fixation (WOS). Patients were divided into the LSTR group and no LSTR group (LSTR N). This surgical procedure (LSTR) was reserved for insufficient HV angle (HVA) correction during fluoroscopic control. Patients were evaluated at each follow-up by two other authors after appropriate training by senior authors (first practitioners). Clinical evaluation was performed before surgery, 6 mo after surgery, and 48 mo follow-up. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analog scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate pain and function, and complications were recorded. In addition, the incidence of relapses and the degree of joint range of motion (ROM) with the association with the LSTR (capsule, adductor tendon, phalanx-sesamoid ligament, and the deep transverse metatarsal ligament) were evaluated. Radiological parameters included HVA and intermetatarsal angle (IMA). Patient satisfaction was assessed. Student t -test and Fisher exact test were used to assess statistical analysis., Results: From our study it is clear that no differences in term of HVA, VAS, IMA correction, rate of complications, and AOFAS score were found between groups, while a significant improvement of the same variables was found in each group between pre and postoperative values. A significant improvement in ROM at 6 mo ( P = 0.018) and 48 mo ( P = 0.02) of follow-up was found in LSTR N group. Complications were rare in both groups., Conclusion: LSTR procedure on percutaneous HV correction seems to increase postoperative joint stiffness with a comparable incidence of relapse and a low incidence of complications., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Revision total knee arthroplasty(rTKA) is a challenging and expensive treatment for orthopedic surgeons who have to deal with poor bone quality and bone loss. This study aims to retrospectively evaluate the clinical and radiological results of patients undergoing rTKA and porous metaphyseal sleeves in AORI type II and III bone defects., Methods: We conducted a retrospective series of continuous patients treated for mechanical failure of TKA. All patients with aseptic loosening of TKR underwent revision arthroplasty. We included only patients with AORI type IIa/b and III bone defects. The Septic revision or other grades of bone defect or patients lost at follow-up or with less than 2 years follow-up were excluded. We evaluated knee function with Oxford Knee Score (OKS) pain with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and range of motion (flex-ext), while radiological evaluation was performed to evaluate any sign of loosening., Results: The mean preoperative OKS was 13.85 +/- 5.39 (range 5 -22), and it improved to 33.89 +/- 3.98 (range 20 - 40) (p<0.00001). The mean preoperative VAS was 7.77 +/- 1.33 (range 5 - 9), and it improved to 1.89 +/- 0.92 (range 0 - 4) (p<0.00001). ROM improved from 62.23° +/- 13.71° (range 40° - 90°) to 100.53° +/- 6.93° (range 90° - 120°) (p<0.00001). No signs of loosening or implant migration were reported., Conclusions: Metaphyseal sleeves made knee revision in large bone defects reliable and effective with good results. Good implant stability was reached in all the cases treated with metaphyseal sleeves.

We identified 39 patients (23 female and 16 male) underwent hip revisions through mega-prosthesis. The most common causes were periprosthetic fractures, periprosthetic osteolysis and consequences of infected arthroplasty. The average follow-up was 5 years (2.1 to 6.5), and average age was 69 years (47 to 78). At the final follow-up all the implants resulted functional and osteointegrated. The Merle D'Aubignè and Postel hip rating scale was used for the evaluation, better results were observed in periprosthetic fractures. Postoperative complications occurred in eight patients. Thus, megaprosthesis were a reasonable surgical option in the management of major femoral defects.

Background: Within a timeframe of 8 years (2008-2016), 38 patients have undergone total hip replacement surgery for coxarthrosis or aseptic necrosis secondary to acetabulum fractures., Materials and Methods: The study included 27 males and 11 females between 42 and 70 years of age, all of whom came from other institutions. The follow-up period ranged between a minimum of 4.6 and a maximum of 9.7 years., Results: At the final follow-up, all patients were evaluated using the Merle D'Aubigne and Pastel model. Optimal results were found in all the cases. Three patients benefited from surgical revisitation with implant exchange following infection and one/two state reimplatation at seven, fourtheen et twenty-seven months respectively. Two patients benefited from cotyle revision due to chronic instability of the implant., Conclusions: The scope of the study was to present all the possible surgical difficulties that can come up with prosthetic implants. More particularly, hip implants after acetabulum fractures qualifies as a "difficult primary implant"., Competing Interests: The authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

The Authors describe a case of rapid right hip destructive septic arthritis in a 50-year-old male patient with no previous noteworthy medical history. Patient arrived to our attention following a one week history of right hip pain. Laboratory markers and imaging at presentation were negative. However, on a follow-up examination significant joint effusion was noted and joint tap was performed. Despite wide spectrum antibiotic therapy institution, significant joint damage was observed. This required surgical femoral head excision with antibiotic loaded spacer, followed by hip arthroplasty surgery 12 weeks afterwards. Complete healing of the infection and recovery of pain-free joint motion was noted at 1 year follow-up., Competing Interests: The authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript

Background: Surgical treatment of complex fractures of the distal femur in the elderly is controversial. Osteoporosis and pre-existent osteoarthritis are common comorbidities in the elderly which add to the need for early walking and rapid restoration of function and also pose significant obstacles to achievement of satisfactory results with standard fixation techniques. Recently, several authors have suggested that primary arthroplasty could be a viable alternative option to standard fixation techniques in selected patients with complex distal femur fractures., Aim: To present our experience with 11 cases of distal femur fractures treated with knee arthroplasty and large femoral resection in a population of patients over the age of 85., Methods: Data from 11 consecutive patients (10 females, 1 male) presenting with acute intra-articular supracondylar or intercondylar distal femur fractures and with pre-existent primary osteoarthritis who were treated with primary knee arthroplasty were recorded. We collected standard demographic data, comorbidities and patient reported outcomes including Visual Analogical Scale (VAS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Barthel's Index. Post-operative joint range of motion (ROM) and standard radiographic data were also collected., Results: At a mean follow-up of 23.2 mo, all of the implants were well-positioned and osteointegrated. Furthermore, all the patients were alive and walking either independently or with walking aids. There was a marked improvement in pain (VAS 4.5 postop vs 1.9 at the last follow-up), OKS score (29.5 postop vs 36.81 at the last follow-up), ROM (96.2° postop vs 102° at the last follow-up) and restoration of pre-injury ambulatory status (average Barthel Index 77.3). The radiographic evaluations showed good restoration of the articular geometry. No deaths and no complications were recorded., Conclusion: In conclusion, we believe that knee megaprosthesis in the case of complex fractures of the distal femur is a valid surgical choice. This is particularly true in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis and pre-existing osteoarthritis. It is important to note that this surgery should be performed by surgeons with proven experience in prosthetic hip and knee surgery and that a scrupulous selection of the cases is completed., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients treated with Girdlestone procedure (GP) or excision arthroplasty (EA) for periprosthetic infection with massive bone defects and undergoing revision arthroplasty., Methods: All patients treated with EA or GP for hip periprosthetic infection between 2014 and 2017 and sustaining revision arthroplasty (RA) were included in the study. Patients with less than 24 months of follow-up or less than 12 months between GP or EA and RA were excluded. Any sign of implant mobilization or periprosthetic fracture was assessed through X-ray. Patients were evaluated with D'aubignè-Postel hip score before RA and at the last follow-up. Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess differences between pre-RA surgery and last follow-up. P value was set as <0.05., Results: Twelve patients meet the inclusion criteria (mean follow-up 58+/-9.72 months). No radiographic sign of implant mobilization or periprosthetic fracture was reported. A significant difference was found for each parameter of the D'Aubigne-Postel score (p < 0.0001); none of the patients reached more than fair results in the absolute hip score. The difference between pre and post-operative global status showed a fair improvement. A significant difference was found for leg length discrepancy between pre and post RA (p<0.0001)., Conclusions: Conversion from EA or GP to RA in patients suffering from massive acetabular and femur defects is challenging; conversion procedure is able to reduce patients' disability and to improve walking ability. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Why does training on a task reduce the reaction time for performing it? New research points to changes in white matter pathways as one likely mechanism. These pathways connect remote brain areas involved in performing the task. Genetic variations may be involved in individual differences in the extent of this improvement. If white matter change is involved in improved reaction time with training, it may point the way toward understanding where and how generalization occurs. We examine the hypothesis that brain pathways shared by different tasks may result in improved performance of cognitive tasks remote from the training.

We appreciate the many comments we received on our discussion paper and believe that they reflect a recognition of the importance of this topic worldwide. We point out in this reply that there appears to be a confusion between the role of oscillations in creating white matter and other functions of oscillations in communicating between neural areas during task performance or at rest. We also discuss some mechanisms other than the enhancement of white matter that must influence reaction time. We recognize the limited understanding we have of transfer and outline some future directions designed to improve our understanding of this process.

Contextual cues associated with previous drug exposure can trigger drug craving and seeking, and form a substantial obstacle in substance use recovery. Using in vivo imaging in mice, we found that cocaine administration induced a rapid increase in the formation and accumulation of new dendritic spines, and that measures of new persistent spine gain correlated with cocaine conditioned place preference. Our data suggest that new persistent spine formation in the frontal cortex may be involved in stimulant-related learning driving appetitive behavior.

Background: Icodextrin, a glucose polymer with a polydispersity [ratio of weight-average molecular weight (Mw) to number-average molecular weight] of approximately 2.6, has been shown, compared with glucose, to provide superior ultrafiltration (UF) efficiency [ratio of UF to carbohydrate (CHO) absorbed] when used as an osmotic agent during a long-dwell peritoneal dialysis exchange. In an experimental rabbit model, we evaluated the effect of Mw on the UF and UF efficiency of glucose polymers with low polydispersity., Methods: A crossover trial in female New Zealand White rabbits (2.20 - 2.65 kg) with surgically implanted peritoneal catheters evaluated two glucose polymers at nominal concentrations of 7.5 g/dL: a 6K polymer (Mw: 6.4 kDa; polydispersity: 2.3) and a 19K polymer (Mw: 18.8 kDa; polydispersity: 2.0). Rabbits were randomized to receive either the 6K (n = 11) or the 19K (n = 12) solution during the first exchange (40 mL/kg body weight). The alternative solution was evaluated in a second exchange 3 days later. During each 4-hour dwell, the UF and total glucose polymer CHO absorbed were determined., Results: The UF was higher for the 6K (p < 0.0001) than for the 19K polymer (mean ± standard deviation: 73.6 ± 30.8 mL vs. 43.0 ± 20.2 mL), as was the amount of CHO absorbed (42.5% ± 9.8% vs. 35.7% ± 11.0%, p = 0.021). In spite of higher CHO absorption, an approximately 50% higher (p = 0.029) UF efficiency was achieved with the 6K polymer (28.3 ± 18.8 mL/g) than with the 19K polymer (19.0 ± 11.3 mL/g). The results were independent of the order of the experimental exchanges., Conclusions: Glucose polymers with low polydispersity are effective osmotic agents in a rabbit model. The low-Mw polymer was more effective at generating UF and had a higher UF efficiency, but those results came at the expense of the polymer being more readily absorbed from the peritoneal cavity.

Cornichon proteins are structurally related transmembrane proteins that have been studied in and Drosophila and yeast. In Drosophila, Cornichon (Cni) is involved in embryo polarization by the TGFalpha-related Gurken. In yeast, the Cni-related Erv14 is required for axial budding. A cargo receptor function has been proposed for Erv14 and Cni. Four mammalian Cni-like sequences have been identified. We carried out parallel functional analyses of the human Cni ortholog CNIH and Drosophila Cni in the processing and presentation of TGFalpha family proteins. Human CNIH complements the loss of Erv14 in yeast. Human CNIH and Drosophila Cni are primarily localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and associate with immature TGFalpha family proteins. Alterations of cornichon expression result in changes in transport, processing and secretion of TGFalpha proteins. In particular, increased cornichon expression retains TGFalpha proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas cornichon is required for their transport and secretion. Thus, cornichon proteins represent a functionally conserved protein family that acts in the selective transport and maturation of TGFalpha family proteins.

The incidence of osteosarcoma is increased 500-fold in patients who inherit mutations in the RB gene. To understand why the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) is specifically targeted in osteosarcoma, we studied its function in osteogenesis. Loss of pRb but not p107 or p130 blocks late osteoblast differentiation. pRb physically interacts with the osteoblast transcription factor, CBFA1, and associates with osteoblast-specific promoters in vivo in a CBFA1-dependent fashion. Association of pRb with CBFA1 and promoter sequences results in synergistic transactivation of an osteoblast-specific reporter. This transactivation function is lost in tumor-derived pRb mutants, underscoring a potential role in tumor suppression. Thus, pRb functions as a direct transcriptional coactivator promoting osteoblast differentiation, which may contribute to the targeting of pRb in osteosarcoma.

It has recently been suggested that sonophoresis, or the application of ultrasound (US) in the kilohertz range, could enhance peritoneal mass transport. To examine this hypothesis, six nephrectomized rabbits were exposed to ultrasound while under isoflurane anesthesia. An additional five also had bilateral nephrectomies and were used as a control group. Each group underwent four exchanges of 90 minutes duration with 1.5% dextrose while anesthetized. Dialysate samples were taken at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes and assayed for urea, creatinine, glucose, and protein. Blood samples were taken pre- and postexchange. In the US group, 20 kHz ultrasound was applied during exchanges 2 and 3 at 47.5 W and 95 W, respectively, using a Virsonic 475 cell disrupter acoustically coupled to the abdomen through a water column and gel-coated PVC membrane. Results were analyzed by calculating the mass transfer area coefficient (MTAC) and 90-minute D/P values for each exchange. No significant differences were observed in the absolute means of either parameter between the control and US groups. However, when exchanges 2 to 4 were normalized with respect to exchange 1, the resulting urea D/P means were less for the US exchanges compared to the control (p < 0.05). This suggests a possible decrease in transport through US application.