Seasonal variation, method of determination of bovine milk stability, and its relation with physical, chemical, and sanitary characteristics of raw milk

The objective of this research was to determine the variation of milk stability evaluated with ethanol, boiling, and coagulation time tests (CTT) to identify milk components related with stability and verify the correlation between the three methods. Bulk raw milk was collected monthly at 50 dairy farms from January 2007 to October 2009 and physicochemical attributes, somatic cell (SCC), and total bacterial counts (TBC) were determined. Milk samples were classified into low, medium, and high stability to ethanol test when coagulation occurred at 72 °GL, between 74 and 78 °GL, and above 78 °GL, respectively. Univariate analysis was performed considering the effects of year, months, and interaction in a completely randomized design. Principal factor analysis and logistic regression were done. There was an interaction between months and years for stability to the ethanol test and coagulation time. All samples were stable at the boiling test. Boiling test was not related to ethanol and coagulation time tests. Coagulation time was weakly but positively correlated with ethanol test. Broken line analysis revealed that milk stability measured with CTT and ethanol tests decreased sharply when SCC attained 790,000 or 106 cell/mL of milk, respectively. Milk stability measured with ethanol test decreased when TBC was higher than 250,000 cfu/mL, while there was no inflexion point between TBC and stability measured with CTT. Milk with high stability presented lower values for acidity, TBC, and SCC but higher values for pH, lactose, protein, and CTT compared with lowstability milk. Due to the execution easiness, single-point cut-off result and low cost, we do not recommend the replacement of ethanol test for boiling or coagulation time test

Adenoma of the Ceruminous Gland (Ceruminoma)

Tumor arising from the ceruminous glands of the external ear canal (EAC) are very rare and can present a diagnostic dilemma because of their varied clinical and histologic manifestations. To our knowledge, this is the first report to present a case of ceruminoma in pediatric age. We discuss the origin of these tumors and the importance of wide excision and of the immunohistochemistry for the diagnosis

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy ameliorates osteonecrosis in patients by modulating inflammation and oxidative stress

Early stages of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVNFH) can be conservatively treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This study investigated how HBOT modulates inflammatory markers and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in patients with AVNFH. Twenty-three male patients were treated with two cycles of HBOT, 30 sessions each with a 30 days break between cycles. Each session consisted of 90 minutes of 100% inspired oxygen at 2.5 absolute atmospheres of pressure. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and ROS production were measured before treatment (T0), after 15 and 30 HBOT sessions (T1 and T2), after the 30-day break (T3), and after 60 sessions (T4). Results showed a significant reduction in TNF-α and IL-6 plasma levels over time. This decrease in inflammatory markers mirrored observed reductions in bone marrow edema and reductions in patient self-reported pain

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 expression in fibroblasts of Down syndrome subjects

Abstract Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder. It is featured by intellectual disability and is caused by trisomy 21. People with DS can develop some traits of Alzheimer disease at an earlier age than subjects without trisomy 21. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process under both normal physiological and pathological conditions. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 is a mediator of programmed-necrotic cell death and appears to be also involved in the apoptosis. The aim of the present work was to detect the intracellular distribution of PARP-1 protein using immunofluorescence techniques and the expression of PARP-1 mRNA in culture of fibroblasts of DS subjects. The analysis of the intracellular distribution of PARP-1 show a signal at the nuclear level in about 75 % of the cells of DS subjects with a slight uniformly fluorescent cytoplasm. In contrast, in about 65% of the analyzed fibroblasts of the normal subjects only a slight fluorescent was found. These observations have been confirmed by PARP-1 gene mRNA expression evaluation. The data obtained from this study strengthen the hypothesis that the over-expression of PARP-1 gene could have a role in the activation of the apoptotic pathways acting in the neurodegenerative processes in DS

COVID-19 and Pregnancy: An Updated Review about Evidence-Based Therapeutic Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant challenge for clinicians in managing pregnant women, who were at high risk of virus transmission and severe illness. While the WHO declared in May 2023 that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, it emphasized that it remains a global health threat. Despite the success of vaccines, the possibility of new pandemic waves due to viral mutations should be considered. Ongoing assessment of the safety and effectiveness of pharmacological therapies is crucial in clinical practice. This narrative review summarizes the evidence-based therapeutic strategies for pregnant women with COVID-19, considering over three years of pandemic experience. The review discusses the safety and effectiveness of various drug regimens (antivirals, anticoagulants, corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, and therapeutic gases) and procedures (prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). Drugs with contraindications, inefficacy during pregnancy, or unknown adverse effects were excluded from our evaluation. The aim is to provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive guide for managing pregnant women with COVID-19 based on lessons learned from the pandemic outbreak

Clinical relevance of DNA ploidy and proliferative activity in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma: a retrospective analysis of patients enrolled onto the Italian Cooperative Rhabdomyosarcoma Study RMS88.

Abstract: Purpose: Evaluation of the possible clinical relevance of DNA ploidy and proliferative activity assessed as S-phase fraction (SPF) in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 59 RMS patients enrolled onto the ICS-RMS88 protocol (seven botryoid, 35 embryonal, and 17 alveolar RMS), for which formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was available. Nuclear suspensions for cytometric investigation were obtained using a mechanical disaggregation, Tumors were distinguished according to their DNA index (DI) value as follows: diploid (0.9 < DI < 1.1), hyperdiploid (1.1 less than or equal to DI < 1.8 or DI greater than or equal to 2.2), and tetraploid (1.8 less than or equal to DI < 2.2); for analysis of SPF, a cutoff value of 14% was used. Results: DNA histograms were diploid in 19 (33%) cases, hyperdiploid in 29 (49%), and tetraploid in 10 (32%). One patient showed both a hyperdiploid and a tetraploid peek. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate by ploidy status was 73% in hyperdiploid patients as compared with 33% and 25% in diploid and tetraploid patients, respectively (P = .0012), A striking difference emerged when the 5-year OS for the combined diploid and tetraploid RMS groups was compared with survival of the hyperdiploid RMS group: 30% versus 73%, respectively (P = .0006). In addition, the SPF was prognostically relevant: 5-year OS by SPF less than or greater than 14% was 70% and 36%, respectively (P = .009). Multivariate analysis confirmed the importance of DNA content (P = .0006) and SPF (P = .034) in predicting survival. Conclusion: These findings confirm that ploidy and SPF are important new prognostic factors that are able to identify selected groups of patients at high risk of treatment failure, even if the tumor's presentation is favorable according to standard criteria. (C) 1997 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Neurotrophins and neurotransmitters in human palatine tonsils: An immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analysis

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Carbamazepine inhibits angiotensin I-converting enzyme, linking it to the pathogenesis of temporal lobe epilepsy

We find that a common mutation that increases angiotensin I-converting enzyme activity occurs with higher frequency in male patients suffering from refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. However, in their brains, the activity of the enzyme is downregulated. As an explanation, we surprisingly find that carbamazepine, commonly used to treat epilepsy, is an inhibitor of the enzyme, thus providing a direct link between epilepsy and the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems. Translational Psychiatry (2012) 2, e93; doi:10.1038/tp.2012.21; published online 13 March 2012INNTConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biophys, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pathol, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Neurol & Neurosurg, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Arts Sci & Humanities, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Sci & Technol, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilNove de Julho Univ UNINOVE, Dept Rehabil Sci, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Biophys, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pathol, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Neurol & Neurosurg, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Sci & Technol, BR-04023032 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Sensitivity and specificity of in vivo COVID-19 screening by detection dogs: Results of the C19-Screendog multicenter study

Trained dogs can recognize the volatile organic compounds contained in biological samples of patients with COVID-19 infection. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of in vivo SARS-CoV- 2 screening by trained dogs. We recruited five dog-handler dyads. In the operant conditioning phase, the dogs were taught to distinguish between positive and negative sweat samples collected from volunteers’ underarms in polymeric tubes. The conditioning was validated by tests involving 16 positive and 48 negative samples held or worn in such a way that the samples were invisible to the dog and handler. In the screening phase the dogs were led by their handlers to a drive-through facility for in vivo screening of volunteers who had just received a nasopharyngeal swab from nursing staff. Each volunteer who had already swabbed was subsequently tested by two dogs, whose responses were recorded as positive, negative, or inconclusive. The dogs’ behavior was constantly monitored for attentiveness and wellbeing. All the dogs passed the conditioning phase, their responses showing a sensitivity of 83-100% and a specificity of 94-100%. The in vivo screening phase involved 1251 subjects, of whom 205 had a COVID-19 positive swab and two dogs per each subject to be screened. Screeningsensitivity and specificity were respectively 91.6-97.6% and 96.3-100% when only one dog was involved, whereas combined screening by two dogs provided a higher sensitivity. Dog wellbeing was also analysed: monitoring of stress and fatigue suggested that the screening activity did not adversely impact the dogs’ wellbeing. This work, by screening a large number of subjects, strengthen recent findings that trained dogs can discriminate between COVID-19 infected and healthy human subjects and introduce two novel research aspects: i) assessement of signs of fatigue and stress in dogs during training and testing, and ii) combining screening by two dogs to improve detection sensitivity and specificity. Using some precautions to reduce the risk of infection and spillover, in vivo COVID-19 screening by a dog-handler dyad can be suitable to quickly screen large numbers of people: it is rapid, non- invasiveand economical, since it does not involve actual sampling, lab resources or waste management, and is suitable to screen large numbers of people

Evidence of the association of BIN1 and PICALM with the AD risk in contrasting European populations

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified five loci (BIN1, CLU, CR1, EXOC3L2 and PICALM) as genetic determinants of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We attempted to confirm the association between these genes and the AD risk in three contrasting European populations (from Finland, Italy and Spain). Since CLU and CR1 had already been analyzed in these populations, we restricted our investigation to BIN1, EXO2CL3 and PICALM. In a total of 2,816 AD cases and 2,706 controls, we unambiguously replicated the association of rs744373 (for BIN1) and rs541458 (for PICALM) polymorphisms with the AD risk (OR=1.26, 95% CI [1.15-1.38], p=2.9x10-7, and OR=0.80, 95% CI [0.74-0.88], p=4.6x10-7, respectively). In a meta-analysis, rs597668 (EXOC3L2) was also associated with the AD risk, albeit to a lesser extent (OR=1.19, 95% CI [1.06-1.32], p=2.0x10-3). However, this signal did not appear to be independent of APOE. In conclusion, we confirmed that BIN1 and PICALM are genetic determinants of AD, whereas the potential involvement of EXOC3L2 requires further investigation