Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity: Multiple Targets and Translational Perspectives

Anthracycline cardiotoxicity remains a serious problem in pediatric and adult cancer survivors. This chapter discusses the involvement of multiple cardiac cell types in the pathogenesis of the onset and progression of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. In addition to cardiomyocytes, considered the classical cellular target, the role of cardiac fibroblasts and vascular cells together with progenitor cells of cardiac and extra-cardiac origin is addressed with a focus on oxidative stress, DNA damage, senescence, cell death, and molecular signals involved in cellular injury and response. Current strategies for primary and secondary prevention aiming at contrasting the onset of early and late doxorubicin-induced toxic events do not completely resolve the growing clinical problem. Thus, there is the necessity to understand cellular processes that operate within and beyond cardiomyocyte, to develop more effective tools for the prevention and treatment of progressive cardiomyopathy in otherwise successfully treated oncologic patients

Comparison of Bioactive Substances Content between Commercial and Wild-Type Isolates of Pleurotus eryngii

Mushrooms belonging to Pleurotus genus have been demonstrated to have important nutritional and medicinal value and their regular intake prevent many diseases, reduce the infection probability and increase immunity. In order to investigate the bioactive compounds produced by seven commercial (‘142 F’, ‘142 E’, ‘D+’, ‘V turbo’, ‘V 142’, ‘A 12’, ‘V 160’) and five wild-type (‘Albino 1107’, ‘Altamura 1603’, ‘Muro Lucano 139’, ‘Conversano 1250’, ‘Albino beige chiaro 1094’) P. eryngii isolates, the following qualitative analyses were performed: Total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity (EC50 of ABTS) and antiradical power (ARP) in fresh lyophilized and dry basidioma, and water content, -glucans and phenolic compounds in fresh samples. Standard methods were employed for each of the above mentioned aims. Total polyphenol content was diverse among the P. eryngii isolates. In particular, an elevated polyphenolic content was found in fresh lyophilized P. eryngii samples of the commercial isolates ‘V 142’ followed by ‘A 12’. The highest antiradical activity (ARP) was obtained by ‘Muro Lucano 139’ isolate. Wild P. eryngii isolates were characterized by higher water and -glucans contents compared to the commercial ones, and the highest values were registered for the ‘Albino beige chiaro 1094’ isolate. In conclusion, the present study allowed us to identify the commercial and wild-type P. eryngii isolates from the Basilicata region, with high nutritional and medicinal value based on their bioactive compounds

Personality profiles and problematic internet use in a sample of Italian adolescents

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between specific personality profiles and Internet use in a sample of Italian adolescents. Method: Four hundred thirty-two adolescents (58.3% males) with an average age of 14.41 years (SD=.95) were enrolled in the study. Participants were administered the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory – Adolescent Form (MMPI-A). A two-step cluster analysis was relied according to IAT items’ scores. Results: Participants were grouped into three clusters labeled “Regulated Internet users” (n=180), “Involved with Internet activities” (n=105), and “At risk for problematic Internet use” (n=147). Consistently, the group at-risk for problematic Internet use showed higher IAT score and MMPI-A scores than the other groups, while no differences emerged between the group of regulated Internet users and the group of those involved with Internet activities. For the group at risk for problematic Internet use, the MMPI-A Clinical Scales on Paranoia (Pa) and Schizophrenia (Sc) showed the highest elevation, indicating a MMPI-A codetype 6-8/8-6 which describes adolescents with ego immaturity, dysregulated affects and behaviors, and reduced reality testing. Conclusions: Adolescents at risk for developing a dysfunctional use of the Internet may have little insight, bizarre beliefs, grandiose thought, and a persecutory view of the external world that may limit their capacity to counteract feelings of hopelessness and anguish. They could perceive the Internet as safe environment where it is possible to express such dysregulated feelings and behaviors, and to cope with emotional distress

Students with dyslexia between school and university: Post-diploma choices and the reasons that determine them. An Italian study

Italian Dyslexia Association (Messina section); Orientation and Placement Centre -University of Messina (Italy)Although the number of students with dyslexia enrolled in Italian universities is constantly growing, their presence remains relatively limited. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the choices made by students with dyslexia in relation to university studies, and the underlying reasons for their choices. This study also compares these choices for students with and without dyslexia. In all, 440 high school students and their families agreed to take part in this project. Socio-demographic data was collected for the 47 students with dyslexia and 47 class-matched students without dyslexia, along with information on their current schools and their future educational plans. A specially developed questionnaire was used for the students, in combination with structured interviews with their families. The results show significant differences between these groups regarding both choices for university studies and the underlying motivations for these choices. Furthermore, certain psychological and emotional factors are implicated here in the decisions of the students with dyslexia regarding both university studies and their underlying reasons. Future research is needed to further investigate these factors in the educational choices of students with dyslexia.Italian Dyslexia Association (Messina section)Orientation and Placement Centre - University of Messina (Italy

Diffusion coefficient and acceleration spectrum from direct measurements of charged cosmic ray nuclei

We discuss the potentials of several experimental configurations dedicated to direct measurements of charged cosmic ray (CR) nuclei at energies \gsim 100 GeV/n. Within a two-zone propagation model for stable CRs, we calculate light primary and secondary nuclei fluxes for different diffusion and acceleration schemes. We show that the new detectors exploiting the long and ultra long duration balloon flights could determine the diffusion coefficient power index $\delta$ through the measurement of the boron-to-carbon ratio with an uncertainty of about 10-15 %, if systematic errors are low enough. Only space-based or satellite detectors will be able to determine $\delta$ with very high accuracy even in the case of important systematic errors, thanks to the higher energy reach and the less severe limitations in the exposure. We show that no uncertainties other than those on $\delta$ affect the determination of the acceleration slope $\alpha$, so that measures of light primary nuclei, such as the carbon one, performed with the same experiments, will provide valuable information on the acceleration mechanisms.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figs., Astropart. Physics, in pres

La vitrificación de ovocitos por método de mínimo volumen, método potencial para la criopreservación de la gameta femenina en bovinos

La producción de ganado vacuno es una de las explotaciones más importantes de nuestro país, siendo la de mayor relevancia en la producción pecuaria. Las biotecnologías asociadas a la reproducción permiten obtener mayores progresos genéticos y disminuir la incidencia de enfermedades de transmisión sexual, entre otras aplicaciones. La vitrificación es una biotecnología que permite la criopreservación de ovocitos y embriones. Consiste en el enfriamiento ultra rápido utilizando soluciones con alta concentración de sustancias crioprotectoras que evita la formación de cristales de hielo. Sin embargo, estas altas concentraciones de crioprotectores producen daño celular principalmente por su toxicidad y su efecto osmótico. Esta biotecnología está siendo utilizada ampliamente con éxito para la criopreservación de ovocitos y embriones humanos en las clínicas de fertilidad, habiendo desplazado en la práctica al congelamiento lento. En el bovino todavía no es utilizada de forma rutinaria, a pesar de que se ha demostrado que mejora la sobrevida embrionaria luego de la criopreservación respecto al congelamiento lento tradicional.Fil: Gutnisky, Cynthia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Morado, Sergio Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Gadze, Tomás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Donato, Antonella María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Cetica, Pablo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentin

Students with dyslexia between school and university: Post-diploma choices and the reasons that determine them. An Italian study.

Although the number of students with dyslexia enrolled in Italian universities is constantly growing, their presence remains relatively limited. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the choices made by students with dyslexia in relation to university studies, and the underlying reasons for their choices. This study also compares these choices for students with and without dyslexia. In all, 440 high school students and their families agreed to take part in this project. Socio‐demographic data was collected for the 47 students with dyslexia and 47 class‐matched students without dyslexia, along with information on their current schools and their future educational plans. A specially developed questionnaire was used for the students, in combination with structured interviews with their families. The results show significant differences between these groups regarding both choices for university studies and the underlying motivations for these choices. Furthermore, certain psychological and emotional factors are implicated here in the decisions of the students with dyslexia regarding both university studies and their underlying reasons. Future research is needed to further investigate these factors in the educational choices of students with dyslexia

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Otolaryngology Residency: A Real-Life Experience

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as been rapidly spreading worldwide. In our country, the entire Italian Healthcare System has been forced to adapt to this unprecedented condition in this century. The Head and Neck Department clinical and surgical activity was substantially reduced. In this situation, the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) residents in University Hospitals find themselves in an uncertain position; we are physicians, facing a deadly disease about which much remains unknown, but we are also trainees, and there is a high risk for our residency training to be affected. With this Letter, we would like to give a testimony of our experience and give some advices to bridge the training gap