Differential Physiological Responses Elicited by Ancient and Heritage Wheat Cultivars Compared to Modern Ones.

Although ancient, heritage, and modern wheat varieties appear rather similar from a nutritional point of view, having a similar gluten content and a comparable toxicity linked to their undigested gluten peptide, whenever the role of ancient end heritage wheat grains has been investigated in animal studies or in clinical trials, more anti-inflammatory effects have been associated with the older wheat varieties. This review provides a critical overview of existing data on the differential physiological responses that could be elicited in the human body by ancient and heritage grains compared to modern ones. The methodology used was that of analyzing the results of relevant studies conducted from 2010 through PubMed search, by using as keywords "ancient or heritage wheat", "immune wheat" (protein or peptides), and immune gluten (protein or peptides). Our conclusion is that, even if we do not know exactly which molecular mechanisms are involved, ancient and heritage wheat varieties have different anti-inflammatory and antioxidant proprieties with respect to modern cultivars. It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that the health proprieties attributed to older cultivars could be related to wheat components which have positive roles in the modulation of intestinal inflammation and/or permeability

Efficacy of adalimumab as second-line therapy in a pediatric cohort of crohn’s disease patients who failed infliximab therapy: The Italian society of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition experience

Background: Adalimumab (Ada) treatment is an available option for pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) and the published experience as rescue therapy is limited. Objectives: We investigated Ada efficacy in a retrospective, pediatric CD cohort who had failed previous infliximab treatment, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Methods: In this multicenter study, data on demographics, clinical activity, growth, laboratory values (CRP) and adverse events were collected from CD patients during follow-up. Clinical remission (CR) and response were defined with Pediatric CD Activity Index (PCDAI) score ≤10 and a decrease in PCDAI score of ≥12.5 from baseline, respectively. Results: A total of 44 patients were consecutively recruited (mean age 14.8 years): 34 of 44 (77%) had active disease (mean PCDAI score 24.5) at the time of Ada administration, with a mean disease duration of 3.4 (range 0.3–11.2) years. At 6, 12, and 18 months, out of the total of the enrolled population, CR rates were 55%, 78%, and 52%, respectively, with a significant decrease in PCDAI scores (P<0.01) and mean CRP values (mean CRP 5.7 and 2.4 mL/dL, respectively; P<0.01) at the end of follow-up. Steroid-free remission rates, considered as the total number of patients in CR who were not using steroids at the end of this study, were 93%, 95%, and 96% in 44 patients at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. No significant differences in growth parameters were detected. In univariate analysis of variables related to Ada efficacy, we found that only a disease duration >2 years was negatively correlated with final PCDAI score (P<0.01). Two serious adverse events were recorded: 1 meningitis and 1 medulloblastoma. Conclusion: Our data confirm Ada efficacy in pediatric patients as second-line biological therapy after infliximab failure. Longer-term prospective data are warranted to define general effectiveness and safety in pediatric CD patients

Surface Modification of Carbon Nanotube Networked Films with Au Nanoclusters for Enhanced N O 2 Gas Sensing Applications

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films have been deposited by using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system onto alumina substrates, provided with 6 nm thick cobalt (Co) growth catalyst for remarkably improved gas sensing, at working temperature in the range of 100–. Functionalization of the MWCNTs with nanoclusters of gold (Au) sputtering has been performed to modify the surface of carbon nanotube networked films for enhanced and specific gas detection up to sub-ppm level. It is demonstrated that the gas sensitivity of the MWCNT-based sensors depends on Au-loading used as surface-catalyst. The gas response of MWCNT-based chemiresistor is attributed top-typeconductivity in the Au-modified semiconducting MWCNTs with a very good short-term repeatability and faster recovery. The sensor temperature of maximum sensitivity of the Au-functionalized MWCNTs is found to decrease with increasing Au-loading on their surface, and continuous gas monitoring at ppb level of is effectively performed with Au-modified MWCNT chemiresistors

Cárcere, Currículo e o Cotidiano Prisional: desafios para o direito humano à educação

No Brasil, a oferta da Educação em prisões ganha novos contornos em seu desenho opaco e sombrio. Em 2010 foi publicado o documento denominado: “Diretrizes Nacionais para a oferta de educação para jovens e adultos em situação de privação de liberdade nos estabelecimentos penais.” O objetivo do documento é assegurar, segundo orientações do governo federal, elementos de uma política pública que se articule com a heterogeneidade e particularidades regionais e/ou institucionais. Sendo assim, entendemos como urgente o debate acerca da escola dentro do cárcere, partindo-se, especialmente, da discussão acerca dos dados estatísticos nacionais que apontam para uma realidade precária, no que se refere a escolarização destes sujeitos. Segundo esses dados, 66% da população carcerária brasileira (sobretudo jovens) não chegaram a concluir o Ensino Fundamental e 10,35% dos internos frequentam a escola. Nosso objetivo é analisar este documento curricular e suas implicações para os estabelecimentos  penais no que se refere à educação dentro do cárcere. Entendemos que a chegada do documento nos estabelecimentos penais, torna-se ainda mais complexa se nos pautamos pela histórica cisão existente entre o campo da Educação e o da Segurança Pública no nosso país. Temos como questão central neste artigo, problematizarmos esta relação da educação na prisão

Botulinum toxin A modifies nociceptive withdrawal reflex in subacute stroke patients

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the pattern of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) of the upper limb at rest and after injection of Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) in poststroke subacute hemiparetic patients. Methods: Fourteen patients with poststroke subacute hemiparesis underwent clinical and instrumental evaluation and BoNT-A injection. Painful electrical stimulation was applied to induce the NWR. Baseline EMG activity and NWR recordings (EMG and kinematic response) were performed at T0, one month (T1), and three months (T2) after the BoNT-A injection, as were Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Results: Comparison of results at T0, T1, and T2 revealed significant changes in the MAS score for the elbow (p < 0.001) and wrist joints (p < 0.001) and in the FIM score at T0 and T2. BoNT-A injection had a significant effect on both NWR amplitude and baseline EMG activity in the posterior deltoid (PD) and flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscles as well as in all averaged muscles. Analysis of elbow kinematics before and after treatment revealed that the reflex probability rates were significantly higher at T1 and T2 than at T0. Conclusion: Injection of BoNT-A in the subacute phase of stroke can modify both the baseline EMG activity and the NWR-related EMG responses in the upper limb muscles irrespective of the site of injection; furthermore, the reflex-mediated defensive mechanical responses, that is, shoulder extension and abduction and elbow flexion, increased after treatment. BoNT-A injection may be a useful treatment in poststroke spasticity with a potential indirect effect on spinal neurons

Nutraceuticals in the Modulation of the Intestinal Microbiota: Current Status and Future Directions

Pharmaceutical interest in the human intestinal microbiota has increased considerably, because of the increasing number of studies linking the human intestinal microbial ecology to an increasing number of non-communicable diseases. Many efforts at modulating the gut microbiota have been made using probiotics, prebiotics and recently postbiotics. However, there are other, still little-explored opportunities from a pharmaceutical point of view, which appear promising to obtain modifications of the microbiota structure and functions. This review summarizes all in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies demonstrating the possibility to positively modulate the intestinal microbiota by using probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, essential oils, fungus and officinal plants. For the future, clinical studies investigating the ability to impact the intestinal microbiota especially by using fungus, officinal and aromatic plants or their extracts are required. This knowledge could lead to effective microbiome modulations that might support the pharmacological therapy of most non-communicable diseases in a near future

Frontal and Cerebellar Atrophy Supports FTSD-ALS Clinical Continuum

Background: Frontotemporal Spectrum Disorder (FTSD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are neurodegenerative diseases often considered as a continuum from clinical, epidemiologic, and genetic perspectives. We used localized brain volume alterations to evaluate common and specific features of FTSD, FTSD-ALS, and ALS patients to further understand this clinical continuum. Methods: We used voxel-based morphometry on structural magnetic resonance images to localize volume alterations in group comparisons: patients (20 FTSD, seven FTSD-ALS, and 18 ALS) versus healthy controls (39 CTR), and patient groups between themselves. We used mean whole-brain cortical thickness (CT¯¯¯¯¯) to assess whether its correlations with local brain volume could propose mechanistic explanations of the heterogeneous clinical presentations. We also assessed whether volume reduction can explain cognitive impairment, measured with frontal assessment battery, verbal fluency, and semantic fluency. Results: Common (mainly frontal) and specific areas with reduced volume were detected between FTSD, FTSD-ALS, and ALS patients, confirming suggestions of a clinical continuum, while at the same time defining morphological specificities for each clinical group (e.g., a difference of cerebral and cerebellar involvement between FTSD and ALS). CT¯¯¯¯¯ values suggested extensive network disruption in the pathological process, with indications of a correlation between cerebral and cerebellar volumes and CT¯¯¯¯¯ in ALS. The analysis of the neuropsychological scores indeed pointed toward an important role for the cerebellum, along with fronto-temporal areas, in explaining impairment of executive, and linguistic functions. Conclusion: We identified common elements that explain the FTSD-ALS clinical continuum, while also identifying specificities of each group, partially explained by different cerebral and cerebellar involvement

barocco a randomized phase ii study of weekly paclitaxel vs cediranib olaparib with continuous schedule vs cediranib olaparib with intermittent schedule in advanced platinum resistant ovarian cancer

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