Strategie di una Family Business Calzaturiera: il "progetto Ripicca"

Il "progetto Ripicca" mira a suggerire un modello per l'espansione dimensionale delle Family Business Calzaturiere

Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Pancreatic Islet Transplantation

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a therapeutic option for achieving physiologic regulation of plasma glucose in Type 1 diabetic patients. At the same time, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated their potential in controlling graft rejection, the most fearsome complication in organ/tissue transplantation. MSCs can interact with innate and adaptive immune system cells either through direct cell-cell contact or through their secretome including exosomes. In this review, we discuss current findings regarding the graft microenvironment of pancreatic islet recipient patients and the crucial role of MSCs operation as cell managers able to control the immune system to prevent rejection and promote endogenous repair. We also discuss how challenging stressors, such as oxidative stress and impaired vasculogenesis, may jeopardize graft outcomes. In order to face these adverse conditions, we consider either hypoxia-exposure preconditioning of MSCs or human stem cells with angiogenic potential in organoids to overcome islets' lack of vasculature. Along with the shepherding of carbon nanotubes-loaded MSCs to the transplantation site by a magnetic field, these studies look forward to exploiting MSCs stemness and their immunomodulatory properties in pancreatic islet transplantation

Dynamic markers based on blood perfusion fluctuations for selecting skin melanocytic lesions for biopsy

Skin malignant melanoma is a highly angiogenic cancer, necessitating early diagnosis for positive prognosis. The current diagnostic standard of biopsy and histological examination inevitably leads to many unnecessary invasive excisions. Here, we propose a non-invasive method of identification of melanoma based on blood flow dynamics. We consider a wide frequency range from 0.005 – 2 Hz associated with both local vascular regulation and effects of cardiac pulsation. Combining uniquely the power of oscillations associated with individual physiological processes we obtain a marker which distinguishes between melanoma and atypical nevi with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90.9%. The method reveals valuable functional information about the melanoma microenvironment. It also provides the means for simple, accurate, in vivo distinction between malignant melanoma and atypical nevi, and may lead to a substantial reduction in the number of biopsies currently undertaken

Nanotopography Induced Human Bone Marrow Mesangiogenic Progenitor Cells (MPCs) to Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) Transition

Mesangiogenic progenitor cells (MPCs) are a very peculiar population of cells present in the human adult bone marrow, only recently discovered and characterized. Owing to their differentiation potential, MPCs can be considered progenitors for mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), and for this reason they potentially represent a promising cell population to apply for skeletal tissue regeneration applications. Here, we evaluate the effects of surface nanotopography on MPCs, considering the possibility that this specific physical stimulus alone can trigger MPC differentiation toward the mesenchymal lineage. In particular, we exploit nanogratings to deliver a mechanical, directional stimulus by contact interaction to promote cell morphological polarization and stretching. Following this interaction, we study the MPC-MSC transition by i. analyzing the change in cell morphotype by immunostaining of the key cell-adhesion structures and confocal fluorescence microscopy, and ii. quantifying the expression of cell-phenotype characterizing markers by flow cytometry. We demonstrate that the MPC mesengenic differentiation can be induced by the solely interaction with the NGs, in absence of any other external, chemical stimulus. This aspect is of particular interest in the case of multipotent progenitors as MPCs that, retaining both mesengenic and angiogenic potential, possess a high clinical appeal

Somatic mutations of thymic epithelial tumors with myasthenia gravis

BackgroundThymic epithelial tumors are rare malignant neoplasms that are frequently associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, especially myasthenia gravis. GTF2I is an oncogene mutated in a subgroup of thymomas that is reputed to drive their growth. However, for GTF2I wild-type tumors, the relevant mutations remain to be identified.MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis and identified 4,208 mutations in 339 patients. We defined a panel of 63 genes frequently mutated in thymic epithelial tumors, which we used to design a custom assay for next-generation sequencing. We sequenced tumor DNA from 67 thymomas of patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent resection in our institution.ResultsAmong the 67 thymomas, there were 238 mutations, 83 of which were in coding sequences. There were 14 GTF2I mutations in 6 A, 5 AB, 2 B2 thymomas, and one in a thymoma with unspecified histology. No other oncogenes showed recurrent mutations, while sixteen tumor suppressor genes were predicted to be inactivated. Even with a dedicated assay for the identification of specific somatic mutations in thymic epithelial tumors, only GTF2I mutations were found to be significantly recurrent.ConclusionOur evaluation provides insights into the mutational landscape of thymic epithelial tumors, identifies recurrent mutations in different histotypes, and describes the design and implementation of a custom panel for targeted resequencing. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of thymic epithelial tumors and may have implications for future research and treatment strategies

estudos artísticos

Há cegueira nos pintores? A escuta e revisitação dos trabalhos que nos antecedem permite acrescentar riqueza ao presente e ao alargar as opções para as intervenções do futuro. Este é um desígnio que nos importa onde a educação artística se entrecruza com a história da arte, na perspetiva de um passado que aos criadores é uma parte do seu corpo. A arte significa-se e ressignifica-se a cada resgate de uma obra perdida, a cada descoberta de um autor menos conhecido. Há capítulos que se reabrem depois da publicação alargada de um corpus desconhecido – veja-se o caso de Claude Cahun (Doy, 2007), que possibilitou um novo entendimento dos temas de género e da autorrepresentação na arte contemporânea. Esta é uma opção de resgate, de reconhecimento, para procurar sentidos desconhecidos ou mais ou menos esquecidos. Também é uma opção que experimenta a reflexão mais demorada, recusando a política fast fashion de alguns sectores que tomam as artes como um dos apartados da secção de tendências. As obras pedem maturação, tempo para produzir efeito, latência para uma disseminação eficiente. É este o sentido dos 17 artigos selecionados para o número 7 da Revista Gama, estudos artísticos: dar a conhecer, pela voz dos próprios agentes criadores, obras e autores que é preciso visitar, reaprender, reconhecer. Reuniram-se aqui algumas possibilidades de reconhecimento, autores desconhecidos, obras agora reveladas, inéditos que são divulgados. Lança-se pontes para conhecer o percurso de autores como Villari Herrmann, Edgard da Rocha Miranda, Raymonde Carasco, Armínio Kaiser, António Alfredo, Roberto Rodrigues, entre outros autores e outras obras. Após o livro de Júlio Pomar (1986) Da cegueira dos pintores, encontramos uma justificação da Revista Gama: lançar o olhar de artistas, um olhar plástico, operativo, sobre as obras de outros artistas, para um retomar do seu conhecimento.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Staphylococcus protein A-based extracorporeal immunoadsorption and thalidomide in the treatment of skin manifestation of dermatomyositis: a case report.

Cutaneous involvement in dermatomyositis can be the prevalent component of disease, failing to respond to adequate therapies for myositis. In this case report, we describe a patient affected by dermatomyositis, characterized by prevalent skin involvement, successfully treated with Staphylococcus protein A-based extracorporeal immunoadsorption (Immunosorba, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, Bad Homburg, Germany) and thalidomide. The patient showed panniculitic ulcerative lesions of the skin, difficult to treat because of side effects or ineffectiveness of various therapies. Skin manifestations rapidly improved after introduction of immunoadsorption; The association of thalidomide allowed a good maintenance of these results until the remission of skin lesions, despite several infective complications of some residual ulcers. Considering the difficulties in the management of our patient, combined therapy with Immunosorba and thalidomide has allowed a good clinical response. If confirmed, the observed beneficial effects suggest that protein A-based immunoadsorption and thalidomide can represent an alternative option in dermatomyositis, especially when cutaneous manifestations are predominan

Pattern VEP alterations in psoriatic patients may indicate a sub clinic optic neuritis

We examined 44 subject (Group A) of both sexes (27 males and 17 females) aging between 16 and 80 (average: 45 +/- 16.6), divided into age bands, affected by mild-medium psoriasis with PASI (psoriasis area and severity index) between 1.2 and 48.6 (average: 11.2 +/- 9.7) without any other disease and we performed pattern transient VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) at the frequencies usually Used in clinical experience (73', 36' 18' check size). For a good statistic comparison we choose 55 healthy subjects (group B) divided into a L,,e hands oil which we performed the same test. Comparison of VEP parameters between psoriatic and healthy subjects. showed in group A 10 normal (22.7%) and 34 pathological (77.3%). In the latter group there are 16 subjects who show only a P100 reduced amplitude (36.3%), 3 with only increased latency (6.8%), 15 with alterations of both values (34%). The achieved data show that more than 3/4 of group A subjects have VEP alterations as index of the presence of a sub clinic optic neuritis With a probably toxic autoimmune origin due to the action of TNF alpha, of IgG, of ECP or of other cytokines (IL6, IL7, etc) that are increased in the blood of this patients. The electro physiologic monitoring of optic nerve seems to represent a good routine test to evaluate the global conditions of psoriatic patients

Efficacia di terapia con immunoassorbimento con proteina A dello stafilococco e talidomide in un caso di dermatomiosite refrattaria.

descrizione dell'efficacia di una terapia combinata con talidomide e immunoassorbimento con proteina A dello stafilococco in un caso di dermatomiosite refrattaria con severo impegno cutane