Flexion-extension strength of the index-thumb system in Italian population. A cross-sectional study to gather normative data.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. INTRODUCTION: Flexion (Palmar Pinch, PP-MVC and Tip Pinch, TP-MVC) and extension (E-MVC) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the index-thumb system offers a quick way to estimate the level of hands' impairment in several musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This study established normative data of PP-MVC, TP-MVC, E-MVC in the Italian population and evaluated their correlation with hand dominance, anthropometric factors, dexterity and workload level. METHODS: In our study, 303 healthy people (150F, 153M) were recruited. Participants performed PP-MVC, TP-MVC and E-MVC tests per hand, conducted by using a pinch-gauge. T-test was used to analyze MVC means between sexes and between hands. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare MVC means in male and female samples stratified by age (18-29, 30-44, 45-59, 60-74, +75). Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to determine anthropometric variables, dexterity and workload level effects on MVCs. RESULTS: Medium-to-large effect sizes of age were shown in the majority of tasks. The 30 to 44 years and then +75 years age groups showed the highest and the lowest values, respectively, for both sex and both hands. Men were meanly 50% stronger, and the dominant hand showed higher values (6-10%). MVC-tests correlated moderately with weight and height weakly with dexterity and workload level. CONCLUSIONS: After 30 to 44 years, hand strength declines in line with the normal process of aging that also entails muscle fibers and the reduction of daily activities in older adults. In relative terms, E-MVC showed the highest strength loss in the over 75 seconds. The difference between sexes was higher in E-MVC than in flexion MVCs. E-MVC seems to depend more on musculoskeletal architecture that differs from women to men, according to the highest correlation between E-MVC and anthropometric variables. Only high workload levels impacted hand strength. In heaviest occupations, no PP-MVCs differences were observed between hands.

Low Back Pain in People With Lower Limb Amputation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of low back pain (LBP) in people with lower limb amputation (LLA) and to analyze the association factors that can influence the genesis of LBP. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: It is still unclear whether LBP is more prevalent in the amputated population than in its nonamputated counterpart. Given the multifactorial nature of LBP, it is necessary to explore possible factors that can influence its presence and intensity, to build a solid background to define a better rehabilitation pathway for the management of these people. METHODS: The online questionnaire included six sections: informed consent of the study, demographic information, comorbid conditions, history of LLA, history of LBP, and acceptance of the amputation. RESULTS: Between March and June 2021, 239 participants [mean age (SD): 49.2 (11.5); female 11%] completed the survey (response rate: 32%). From the results of this study, LBP in LLA showed a prevalence of 82% postamputation and 70% in the last year. A logistic regression with a backward method showed that participants who had problems in the not affected leg presented 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.70; 2.45) times higher odds to have LBP after the amputation. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the prevalence of LBP in lower limb amputees appears to be higher than in the general population, with similar levels of pain intensity and frequency. The highest percentage of people with a sedentary lifestyle not practicing any kind of sports emphasizes the importance of educating this population on the importance of physical activity. New strategies to invest in the education of this population in terms of physical activity are needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

The Temporal Modulation of Nocebo Hyperalgesia in a Model of Sustained Pain.

Background: The direction and the magnitude of verbal suggestions have been shown to be strong modulators of nocebo hyperalgesia, while little attention has been given to the role of their temporal content. Here, we investigate whether temporal suggestions modulate the timing of nocebo hyperalgesia in an experimental model of sustained pain. Methods: Fifty-one healthy participants were allocated to one of three groups. Participants received an inert cream and were instructed that the agent had either hyperalgesic properties setting in after 5 (Nocebo 5, N5) or 30 (Nocebo 30, N30) minutes from cream application, or hydrating properties (No Expectation Group, NE). Pain was induced by the Cold Pressure Test (CPT) which was repeated before cream application (baseline) and after 10 (Test10) and 35 (Test35) minutes. Changes in pain tolerance and in HR at each test point in respect to baseline were compared between the three groups. Results: Tolerance change at Test 10 (Δ10) was greater in N5 (MED = -36.8; IQR = 20.9) compared to NE (MED = -5.3; IQR = 22.4; p < 0.001) and N30 (MED = 0.0; IQR = 23.1; p < 0.001), showing that hyperalgesia was only present in the group that expected the effect of the cream to set in early. Tolerance change at Test 35 (Δ35) was greater in N5 (MED = -36.3; IQR = 35.3; p = 0.002) and in N30 (MED = -33.3; IQR = 34.8; p = 0.009) compared to NE, indicating delayed onset of hyperalgesia in N30, and sustained hyperalgesia in N5. No group differences were found for HR. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that temporal expectations shift nocebo response onset in a model of sustained pain.

Prevalence, Characteristics, Association Factors of and Management Strategies for Low Back Pain Among Italian Amateur Cyclists: an Observational Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is a burdensome problem affecting amateur cyclists. This cross-sectional study analysed Italian amateur cycling cohort's demographic and sport-specific characteristics, the prevalence and characteristics of LBP among this population, its possible association factors, the management strategies adopted to deal with LBP and the sample's beliefs among possible LBP triggers. A web-based cross-sectional survey was created. The questionnaire included 56 questions divided into six sections, querying the sample's demographic, clinical, and cycling characteristics. Binomial logistic regression with a Wald backward method was performed to ascertain the effects of some covariates ("Sex", "Age", "Body Mass Index", "Sleep hours", "Work type", "Cycling year", "Number of training sessions per week", "Stretching sessions", "Being supervised by a coach or following a scheduled training", "Other sports practised regularly", "Number of cycling competitions per year", "Past biomechanic visits", "Specific pedal training", "LBP before cycling") on the likelihood of developing LBP in the last 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 1274 amateur cyclists answered the survey. The prevalence of LBP appeared to be 55.1%, 26.5% and 10.8% in life, in the last 12 months and the last 4 weeks, respectively. The final model of the logistic regression included the covariates "Sex", "Work type", "Cycling year", "Being supervised by a coach or following a scheduled training", "Other sports practised regularly", "Specific pedal training", "LBP before cycling", among which "Cycling year" (variable "Between 2 and 5 years" vs. "Less than 2 years", OR 0.48, 95% CI [0.26-0.89]), "Being supervised by a coach or following a scheduled training" (OR 0.53, 95% CI [0.37-0.74]), "Specific pedal training" (OR 0.69, 95% CI [0.51-0.94]), and "LBP before cycling" (OR 4.2, 95% CI [3.21-5.40]) were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LBP among Italian amateur cyclists seems to be less frequent compared to the general population. Moreover, undergoing previous specific pedal training and being supervised by a coach or following scheduled training drew a negative association with LBP development. This evidence highlights the importance of being overseen by specific sport figures that could offer a tailored evidence-based training to reach good physical level and to practise sports safely.

Effect of Plasma Treatment on the Impact Behavior of Epoxy/Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Composites: A Preliminary Study.

Hydrophobic surfaces are highly desired for several applications due to their exceptional properties such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-friction and others. Such surfaces can be prepared via numerous methods including plasma technology, a dry technique with low environmental impact. In this paper, the effect of a one-step sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) plasma treatment upon the low velocity impact behavior of basalt/epoxy composites has been investigated by using several characterization techniques. A capacitive coupled radiofrequency plasma system was used for the plasma surface treatment of basalt/epoxy composites, and suitable surface treatment conditions were experimentally investigated with respect to gas flow rate, chamber pressure, power intensity, and surface treatment time by measuring the water droplet contact angle of treated specimens. The contact angle measurements showed that treating with SF6 plasma would increase the hydrophobicity of basalt/epoxy composites; moreover, the impact results obtained on reinforced epoxy basalt fiber showed damage in a confined area and higher impact resistance for plasma-treated basalt systems.

Long period grating in double cladding fiber coated with graphene oxide as high-performance optical platform for biosensing.

In this work, the development and testing of a novel fiber-optic based label-free biosensor is presented, whose performance were verified through the detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum. The device is based on a long period grating fabricated in a double cladding fiber with a W-shaped refractive index (RI) profile. As a result, the working point of the device was tuned to the mode transition region by chemical etching of the outer fiber cladding, obtaining a significant enhancement of the RI sensitivity and an excellent visibility of the grating resonances due to the mode transition in an all-silica structure. The fiber transducer was coated with a nanometric thin layer of graphene oxide in order to provide functional groups for the covalent immobilization of the biological recognition element. A very low limit of detection of about 0.15 ng/mL was obtained during the detection of CRP in serum, and a large working range (1 ng/mL - 100 µg/mL) of clinical relevance has been also achieved.

A Clean Process for Obtaining High-Quality Cellulose Acetate from Cigarette Butts.

The main purpose of this study is to introduce a modified method for recovering and recycling huge number of cigarette butts (CBs) and convert them into a fashion product. CBs are non-biodegradable waste, generally, discarded improperly into the environment. CBs consist of cellulose acetate, which can be recovered through extraction and purification processes. CBs are the most numerically frequent form of waste in the world. A relevant portion of CBS are discarded improperly into the environment. The principal filter components are plasticized cellulose acetate fibers that have the slowest degradation rate (up to years). In fact, a limiting step is the hydrolysis of cellulose acetate polymer into cellulose and acetic acid, which is extremely slow under ambient conditions and represents a relevant environmental risk. A number of studies have been realized on recycling cigarette butts with encouraging results, and several methods have been studied, including recycling of cigarette butts in asphalt concrete and fired clay bricks, as a carbon source, sound-absorbing material, corrosion inhibitor, biofilm carrier, and many more. In this study, we propose a novel, green, low cost, simple, and efficient extraction method of cellulose acetate fibers (CA) from discarded cigarette butts (DCBs). CBs extraction procedure involves a two-step process consisting of washings in water and some subsequent washings in ethanol. The obtained samples of CA are dried at 60 °C for 60 min in the oven. The quality and properties of cellulose acetate extracted and purified are comparable to the pure cellulose acetate fiber used for cigarette butts. The preliminary results obtained on the recovered CA look promising to the use of this recovery material from cigarette butts to obtain a wide consumption fashion product, such as eyeglass frames.

Photoluminescence enhancement of graphene oxide emission by infiltration in an aperiodic porous silicon multilayer.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a photoluminescent material whose application in integrated optoelectronics has been strongly limited due to poor emission intensity and handling procedures not compatible with standard microelectronic ones. In this work, a hybrid GO-porous silicon (GO-PSi) structure is realized in order to investigate the emission properties of GO infiltrated into an aperiodic porous multilayered matrix. A photoluminescence enhancement by a factor 32, compared to the same amount of GO deposited on a flat silicon surface, is demonstrated. Photoluminescence measurements also show wavelength modulation of the emitted signal.

Evaluation of cell death after treatment with extracorporeal photopheresis.

The aim of our study is to assess the mortality of leukocytes during extracorporeal photopheresis. Sixty-three photopheresis performed on 13 patients affected by chronic GvHD were evaluated. Samples were analyzed using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer. Apoptosis and necrosis of limphomononuclear cells dramatically increased after the apheretic procedure. We found a further increase of apoptotic and necrotic limphomononuclear cells after treatment with 8-MOP and UVA (p≤0.05). Our data suggested that the immunomodulatory effects of extracorporeal photopheresis, triggered by circulating apoptotic or necrotic cells, could play an important role in the treatment of GvHD with this procedure.