Evaluation of leukocyte depletion of packed red blood cell units and impact on clinically observed transfusion reactions

Introduction: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether there is an association between leukoreduction of packed red blood cell (pRBC) units and reduction of clinically observed transfusion reactions (TR), particularly febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTR), and better outcomes in dogs. Secondary aims were to evaluate the effects of other factors suspected to influence transfusion reaction frequency or survival, including crossmatching, use of immunosuppressive drugs, and age and number of the blood products being administered. Materials and methods: Medical data on dogs transfused with leukocyte-reduced (LR) and non-leukocyte-reduced (N-LR) pRBC units at the Animal Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Switzerland between January 1, 2007, and December 17, 2018 were searched. Before 2014, only N-LR blood were transfused. After 2014, both LR and N-LR blood were available. Results: A total of 339 canine patients were transfused with 413 pRBC units; 30.5% (126/413) were LR units and 69.5% (287/413) were N-LR. Data collected from medical records was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. In the present study, TR occurred in 19.8% of pRBC units (25/126) with LR and in 17.7% (51/287) of pRBC with N-LR; p > 0.05. FNHTR occurred in 6.3% of pRBC units (8/126) with LR and in 4.5% (13/287) of those with N-LR; p > 0.05. There was no correlation between the occurrence of TR and discharge from hospital (p > 0.05). Crossmatching, immunosuppressive therapy, and age of the blood product were not associated with the frequency of TR; p > 0.05 for all. The duration of survival days was not related to the number of transfusions dogs received. Discussion: In the present study, the leukocyte-depletion of transfused pRBC units was not associated with fewer TR nor to fewer FNHTR compared to N-LR units. Discharge of dogs from hospital was not dependent on the occurrence of TR

Long-Term Soil Gas Surveys in the Northern Part of the Modena Province Pre, During and After the 2012 Seismic Sequence

Three geochemical surveys of soil gas (CO2 and CH4 flux measurements, He, H2, CO2, CH4 and C2H6 concentrations) and isotopic analyses (δ13C–CH4, δD–CH4, δ13C–CO2) were carried out as part of a feasibility study for a natural gas storage site in the Modena Province (Northern Italy), during the 2006-2009 period. In May-June 2012, a seismic sequence (main shocks of ML 5.9 and 5.8) was occurred closely to the investigated area. Chemical and isotopic analysis were repeated in May 2012, September 2012, June 2013 and July 2014.In the 2006-2009 period, at the pre-seismic conditions, chemical composition of soil gas showed that the southern part of the studied area is CH4-dominated, whereas the northern part is CO2-dominated. Relatively anomalous fluxes and concentrations were recorded with a spotted areal distribution. Anyway, CO2 and CH4 values are within the typical range of vegetative and of organic exhalation of the cultivated soil. 2012-2013 soil gas results show CO2 values essentially unvaried with respect to pre-earthquake surveys, while the 2014 values highlight an increasing of CO2 flux in the whole study area. On the contrary, CH4 values seem to be on average higher after the seismic sequence, although with a decreasing trend in the last survey (2014). Isotopic analysis were carried out only on samples with anomalous values. The δ13C-CO2 value suggests a prevalent shallow origin of CO2 (i.e. organic and/or soil-derived) probably related to anaerobic oxidation of heavy hydrocarbons. Methane isotopic data (δ13C-CH4) indicate a typical biogenic origin (i.e. microbial hydrocarbon production) of the CH4, as recognized elsewhere in the Po Plain and surroundings. Obtained results highlight a different CO2 and CH4 behaviour before, during and after the seismic events. These variations could be produced by increasing of bacterial (e.g. peat strata) and methanogenic fermentation processes in the first meters of the soil. No hints of deep degassing can be inferred for the study area after the earthquake, as suggested by isotopic analysis. These achieved outcomes constitute the starting point for subsequent geochemical surveys, in order to assess the temporal variations and to better understand the geochemical processes related to the seismic sequence

Role of SP-1 in SDS-Induced Adipose Differentiation Related Protein Synthesis in Human Keratinocytes

Skin irritation is a complex phenomenon, and keratinocytes play an important role in it. We have recently characterized the expression and protective role of adipose differentiation related protein (ADRP) in skin irritation. In particular, ADRP expression is induced to recover functional cell membrane following the cell damage caused by skin irritants

Business Intelligence INFN : Modello Dati Multidimensionale per Ordini e Acquisti

L’obiettivo di questo elaborato è documentare le difficoltà incontrate, e le soluzioni tecniche adottate, nella creazione di un modello multidimensionale che consenta l’esplorazione dei dati di Gare e Ordini dell’INFN. Da principio ci si è concentrati sull’analisi delle fonti, tra cui il tool RDA che dal 2020 è fonte autoritativa per le gare sotto la soglia dei 40keuro. In un secondo momento, sono stati presi in esame i dati storici e sopra soglia provenienti direttamente dal sistema contabile. I due modelli sono stati uniformati per ottenere una visione coerente e consistente di tutti i dati in possesso dell’ente. Nel documento vengono utilizzati due diversi formalismi descrittivi: i diagrammi E/R (Entity Relationships) [2] e DFM (Dimensional Fact Model)[3] utilizzati, rispettivamente, nella fase di indagine dell’as is e nella progettazione multidimensionale. A seguire viene presentata l’implementazione del modello sul data warehouse della Direzione Sistemi Informativi attraverso i processi di ETL (Extract Transform Load). Infine sono riportate alcune note conclusive e i vantaggi ottenuti

Analgesia and/or anaesthesia during piglet castration – part II: practicability of farm protocols, resource efficiency and economic implications

Pain alleviation associated with castration of piglets is a debated welfare issue. This study compares practical aspects, resource efficiency and economic implications of two protocols involving both analgesia and anaesthesia compared to a control group: conventional castration without pain relief (CTRL); joint administration of azaperone and meloxicam (AZA-MEL), i.m.; procaine (PROC-MEL), s.c., and meloxicam, i.m. A total number of 356 male piglets (56 L), was involved. Labour, mortality during the lactation period and costs for procedures were analysed. The total amount of labour required for each single male piglet and the risk of recording at least one dead piglet during lactation in litters were significantly higher in AZA-MEL and PROC-MEL groups than in CTRL group (labour: 02:04 and 02:04 vs. 01:18 min, respectively, p <.001; mortality risk: (RR = 1.48; CI 95% = 1.02 12 2.16; p =.029). The cost estimated for the castration of each male piglet in CRTL group was 0.32 \u20ac, whereas was 3.14 \u20ac for AZA-MEL group and 3.30 \u20ac for PROC-MEL group. The results suggest that adopting analgesia and anaesthesia showed notable cost increases for farmers. This might be expected and justifiable when the management is improved to reach a higher standard quality, such as in the case of welfare-friendly surgical castration, but might be questionable when also considering the result of increased piglet mortality in the lactation period.HIGHLIGHTS To use meloxicam + azaperone or + procaine on farm during piglets castration, increases labour of workers by 76.8 and 56.5%, respectively. At the same time, also piglets mortality risk increases by 48% during lactation. Total costs for each male piglet castrated with meloxicam + azaperone or + procaine increased by 3.14 and 3.30 \u20ac, respectively

Performance of V3-based HIV-1 sero subtyping in HIV endemic areas

HIV-1 serosubtyping based on reactivity to peptides from the V3 region of gp120 is a low-cost and easy to perform procedure often used in geographical areas with high prevalence and incidence of HIV infection. We evaluated the performance of V3-based serotyping on 148 sera from 118 HIV-1-infected individuals living in Uganda, with estimated dates of seroconversion. Of the 148 tested samples, 68 (46.0%) specifically reacted with only one of the V3 peptides included in the test (SP), 64 (43.2%) did not react with any peptide (NR) and 16 (10.8%) reacted with two or more peptides (CR). According to the estimated seroconversion date, the large majority of samples collected early after infection belonged to the NR group. These samples had also a low Avidity Index. In contrast, samples collected later after infection belonged mainly to CR and SP groups and had also a higher avidity index. These results indicate that the performance of V3-based assays depends on maturation of HIV-specific immune response and can be significantly lowered when these tests are carried out on specimens collected from recently infected individuals

The significance of macrophage phenotype in cancer and biomaterials

The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic response of human adipose-derived stromal cells (ADScs) to mesoporous titania (TiO2) coatings produced with evaporation-induced self-assembly method (EISA) and loaded with magnesium. Our emphasis with the magnesium release functionality was to modulate progenitor cell osteogenic differentiation under standard culture conditions. Osteogenic properties of the coatings were assessed for stromal cells by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, colorimetric mitochondrial viability assay (MTT), colorimetric alkaline phosphates activity (ALP) assay and real time RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) it was shown that the surface expansion area (Sdr) was strongly enhanced by the presence of magnesium. From MTT results it was shown that ADSc viability was significantly increased on mesoporous surfaces compared to the non-porous one at a longer cell culture time. However, no differences were observed between the magnesium impregnated and non-impregnated surfaces. The alkaline phosphatase activity confirmed that ADSc started to differentiate into the osteogenic phenotype after 2 weeks of culturing. The gene expression profile at 2 weeks of cell growth showed that such coatings were capable to incorporate specific osteogenic markers inside their interconnected nano-pores and, at 3 weeks, ADSc differentiated into osteoblasts. Interestingly, magnesium significantly promoted the osteopontin gene expression, which is an essential gene for the early biomaterial-cell osteogenic interaction

Determinants of Caregiver Burden in Early-Onset Dementia

Caregivers of patients with early-onset dementia (EOD) experience high levels of burden, which is known to be affected by caregivers’ psychological features as well as by patients’ and caregivers’ demographical and social variables. Although potential clinical, demographical, and social determinants have been separately examined, it is not known how they reciprocally interact. Methods: Ninety- two consecutive patient-caregiver dyads were recruited from the Cognitive Neurology Clinics of Modena, Northern Italy. Caregivers were asked to fill in questionnaires regarding their burden, psychological distress, and family economic status. Data were analyzed with multivariable regression models and then entered in a mediation model. Results: Caregiver burden was positively related to female caregiver sex, spousal relationship to the patient, severity of patient’s behavioral symptoms, diagnostic delay, and financial distress of the family. It was negatively related to disease duration, patient’s education, region of birth, caregiver age, number of caregiver’s days off work, number of offspring, and caregiver perception of patient’s quality of life. While the effect of caregiver age, diagnostic delay, and of proxies of family or social network directly impacted on caregiver’s burden, the effect of patient’s disease duration, being a wife caregiver, financial distress, and number of caregiver’s days off work was entirely mediated by the level of caregiver psychological distress. Conclusions: Both direct actions (such as increasing social networks and shortening diagnostic delay) and indirect actions aimed at reducing psychological distress (such as increasing the number of caregiver’s days off work and financial support) should be planned to reduce caregiver’s burden