Search Results (5)

Bone Strain Index (BSI), based on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), is a densitometric index of bone strength of the femur and lumbar spine. Higher BSI values indicate a higher strain applied to bone, predisposing to higher fracture risk. This retrospective, multicentric study on Italian women reports the BSI normative age-specific reference curves. A cohort of Caucasian Italian women aged 20 to 90 years was selected from three different clinical centres. Bone mineral density (BMD) and BSI measurements were obtained for the lumbar spine vertebrae (L1–L4) and for the femur (neck, trochanter and intertrochanter) using Hologic densitometers scans. The data were compared with BMD normative values provided by the densitometer manufacturer. Then, the age-specific BSI curve for the femur and lumbar spine was generated. No significant difference was found between the BMD of the subjects in this study and BMD reference data provided by Hologic (p = 0.68 for femur and p = 0.90 for lumbar spine). Spine BSI values (L1–L4) increase by 84% between 20 and 90 years of age. The mean BSI of the total femur increases about 38% in the same age range. The BSI age-specific reference curve could help clinicians improve osteoporosis patient management, allowing an appropriate patient classification according to the bone resistance to the applied loads and fragility fracture risk assessment. Full article

Green spaces are becoming increasingly important for cities due to the growing pressures of urbanization and climate change. Along with trees, shrubs, and lawns, flower beds are an important part of urban green spaces. The majority of flower beds in public spaces consist of annual and biennial flower species. Such seasonal flower beds feature eye-catching colors but require significant effort to maintain and manage. Compared to these conventional flower beds, those with herbaceous perennials are more ecologically effective and less costly to maintain, and therefore more sustainable. The aim of this research was to analyze flower beds with perennials in the public green spaces of the city of Zagreb and to develop a tool based on predefined criteria and indicators to evaluate the sustainability of flower beds. In the context of the research, sustainability meant appropriate selection of flower species based on environmental conditions (temperature, light, precipitation), species diversity, greater ground cover and extensiveness of maintenance. The research results showed that there were 327 flower beds with perennials planted in the ground. The constructed Flower Bed Sustainability Index (FBSI) showed that the majority of these perennial beds (56.3%) had a conventional character, as only 28.1% of the beds had a completely correct species selection. This result indicates that the use of perennials does not necessarily guarantee the sustainability of flower beds, since, as in the case of flower beds with seasonal flowers, it depends, among other things, on the correct selection of species adapted to local environmental conditions. The FBSI is shown to be a suitable tool for assessing the degree of sustainability of a flower bed and could be a useful tool in landscape design and management of such types of green spaces. Full article

Infectious sequelae caused by surgery are a significant problem in modern medicine due to their reduction of therapeutic effectiveness and the patients’ quality of life.Recently, new methods of local antimicrobial prophylaxis of postoperative sequelae have been actively developed. They allow high local concentrations of drugs to be achieved, increasing the antibiotic therapy’s effectiveness while reducing its side effects. We have developed and characterized antimicrobial hydrogels based on an inexpensive and biocompatible natural substance from the dairy industry—whey protein isolate—as matrices for drug delivery. The release of cefazolin from the pores of hydrogel structures directly depends on the amount of the loaded drug and occurs in a prolonged manner for three days. Simultaneously with the antibiotic release, hydrogel swelling and partial degradation occurs. The WPI hydrogels absorb solvent, doubling in size in three days and retaining cefazolin throughout the duration of the experiment. The antimicrobial activity of cefazolin-loaded WPI hydrogels against Staphylococcus aureus growth is prolonged in comparison to that of the free cefazolin. The overall cytotoxic effect of cefazolin-containing WPI hydrogels is lower than that of free antibiotics. Thus, our work shows that antimicrobial WPI hydrogels are suitable candidates for local antibiotic therapy of infectious surgical sequelae. Full article

Bacterial infections are a severe medical problem, especially in traumatology, orthopedics, and surgery. The local use of antibiotics-elution materials has made it possible to increase the effectiveness of acute infections treatment. However, the infection prevention problem remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA) “smart” films with microchamber arrays. These microchambers contain ceftriaxone as a payload in concentrations ranging from 12 ± 1 μg/cm² to 38 ± 8 μg/cm², depending on the patterned film thickness formed by the different PLA concentrations in chloroform. In addition, the release profile of the antibiotic can be prolonged up to 72 h in saline. At the same time, on the surface of agar plates, the antibiotic release time increases up to 96 h, which has been confirmed by the growth suppression of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The efficient loading and optimal release rate are obtained for patterned films formed by the 1.5 wt % PLA in chloroform. The films produced from 1.5 and 2 wt % PLA solutions (thickness—0.42 ± 0.12 and 0.68 ± 0.16 µm, respectively) show an accelerated ceftriaxone release upon the trigger of the therapeutic ultrasound, which impacted as an expansion of the bacterial growth inhibition zone around the samples. Combining prolonged drug elution with the on-demand release ability of large cargo amount opens up new approaches for personalized and custom-tunable antibacterial therapy. Full article

Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of tumors and net survival is increasing. Achieving a higher survival probability reinforces the importance of studying health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). The main aim of this work is to test the relationship between different sociodemographic, clinical and tumor-intrinsic characteristics, and treatment received with HR-QoL measured using SF-12 and the FACT/NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network/Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy) Breast Symptom Index (FBSI). Women with breast cancer recruited between 2008 and 2013 and followed-up until 2017–2018 in a prospective cohort answered two HR-QoL surveys: the SF-12 and FBSI. The scores obtained were related to woman and tumor characteristics using linear regression models. The telephone survey was answered by 1078 women out of 1685 with medical record follow-up (64%). Increases in all three HR-QoL scores were associated with higher educational level. The score differences between women with university qualifications and women with no schooling were 5.43 for PCS-12, 6.13 for MCS-12 and 4.29 for FBSI. Histological grade at diagnosis and recurrence in the follow-up displayed a significant association with mental and physical HR-QoL, respectively. First-line treatment received was not associated with HR-QoL scores. On the other hand, most tumor characteristics were not associated with HR-QoL. As breast cancer survival is improving, further studies are needed to ascertain if these differences still hold in the long run. Full article