State of the art and trends of circulating cancer biomarkers.

The role of biomarkers is crucial in oncology for both early diagnosis and the personalization of cancer treatments. Tissue biomarkers have gained a central role as predictors of the response to an increasing number of anticancer agents; conversely, the clinical role of circulating biomarkers (c-TMs) is limited and has remained almost unchanged over the years. The position of guidelines is summarized and discussed with reference to the potential usefulness of c-TMs in those areas of application that cannot be covered by tissue biomarkers. The pipeline of translational research on biomarkers is briefly described; the differences among analytical validation, clinical validation, and clinical utility are discussed, emphasizing that the assessment of clinical utility is the ultimate step toward clinical use. The role of monitoring of appropriateness as a proxy indicator of how the research pipeline has actually worked is discussed, and data and c-TMs overordering rates are reported. The role and limits of guidelines to influence appropriate c-TMs ordering are discussed. The design of primary studies on c-TMs is examined, underlining that they mainly focus on clinical validation rather than on clinical utility. The role of regulatory boards is also briefly presented and discussed

Euglena gracilis Ribonucleotide Reductase THE EUKARYOTE CLASS II ENZYME AND THE POSSIBLE ANTIQUITY OF EUKARYOTE B12 DEPENDENCE

Ribonucleotide reductases provide the building blocks for DNA synthesis. Three classes of enzymes are known, differing widely in amino acid sequence but with similar structural motives and allosteric regulation. Class I occurs in eukaryotes and aerobic prokaryotes, class II occurs in aerobic and anaerobic prokaryotes, and class III occurs in anaerobic prokaryotes. The eukaryote Euglena gracilis contains a class II enzyme (Gleason, F. K., and Hogenkamp, H. P. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 4894-4899) and, thus, forms an exception. Class II enzymes depend on vitamin B(12) for their activity. We purified the reductase from Euglena cells, determined partial peptide sequences, identified its cDNA, and purified the recombinant enzyme. Its amino acid sequence and general properties, including its allosteric behavior, were similar to the class II reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii. Both enzymes belong to a distinct small group of reductases that unlike all other homodimeric reductases are monomeric. They compensate the loss of the second polypeptide of dimeric enzymes by a large insertion in the monomeric chain. Data base searching and sequence comparison revealed a homolog from the eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum as the closest relative to the Euglena reductase, suggesting that the class II enzyme was present in a common, B(12)-dependent, eukaryote ancestor

Genetics and Epigenetics of Bone Remodeling and Metabolic Bone Diseases

Bone metabolism consists of a balance between bone formation and bone resorption, which is mediated by osteoblast and osteoclast activity, respectively. In order to ensure bone plasticity, the bone remodeling process needs to function properly. Mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into the osteoblast lineage by activating different signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and the Wingless/Int-1 (Wnt)/β-catenin pathways. Recent data indicate that bone remodeling processes are also epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, and non-coding RNA expressions, such as micro-RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs. Mutations and dysfunctions in pathways regulating the osteoblast differentiation might influence the bone remodeling process, ultimately leading to a large variety of metabolic bone diseases. In this review, we aim to summarize and describe the genetics and epigenetics of the bone remodeling process. Moreover, the current findings behind the genetics of metabolic bone diseases are also reporte

A highly endemic area of Echinococcus multilocularis identified through a comparative re-assessment of prevalence in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Alto Adige (Italy: 2019-2020)

Surveillance of Echinococcus multilocularis at the edge of its range is hindered by fragmented distributional patterns and low prevalence in definitive hosts. Thus, tests with adequate levels of sensitivity are especially important for discriminating between infected and non-infected areas. In this study we reassessed the prevalence of E. multilocularis at the southern border of its distribution in Province of Bolzano (Alto Adige, northeastern Alps, Italy), to improve surveillance in wildlife and provide more accurate estimates of exposure risk. We compared the diagnostic test currently implemented for surveillance based on coproscopy and multiplex PCR (CMPCR) to a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 235 fox faeces collected in 2019 and 2020. The performances of the two tests were estimated using a scraping technique (SFCT) applied to the small intestines of a subsample (n = 123) of the same foxes as the reference standard. True prevalence was calculated and the sample size required by each faecal test for the detection of the parasite was then estimated. True prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes (14.3%) was markedly higher than reported in the last decade, which was never more than 5% from 2012 to 2018 in the same area. In addition, qPCR showed a much higher sensitivity (83%) compared to CMPCR (21%) and agreement with the reference standard was far higher for qPCR (0.816) than CMPCR (0.298) meaning that for the latter protocol, a smaller sample size would be required to detect the disease. Alto Adige should be considered a highly endemic area. Routine surveillance on definitive hosts at the edges of the E. multilocularis distribution should be applied to smaller geographic areas, and rapid, sensitive diagnostic tools using directly host faeces, such as qPCR, should be adopted

Paralympic Summer Camp: a project to promote inclusion. Authentic assessment outcomes' about a unified sport experience.

openIntegrazione, inclusione e senso di appartenenza sono alcuni dei temi più attuali in ambito scolastico e sportivo. Per questo motivo saranno i temi trattati dal presente elaborato e saranno analizzati attraverso il progetto “Paralympic Summer Camp”. Nella revisione della letteratura si tratterà dello sport e del gioco e di quanto questi siano importanti nel percorso di realizzazione di una persona. Oltre a spiegare il significato di integrazione, inclusione e senso di appartenenza, si porrà attenzione su come classificare la disabilità (ICF) e si presenterà lo Universal Design for Learning (UDL), utilizzato per descrivere delle strategie utili alla didattica inclusiva. Tali principi e teorie rappresentano la base per lo sviluppo della ricerca qui presentata: l’obiettivo principale è di comprendere quali siano i facilitatori e quali le barriere nello sviluppo di un progetto come il caso preso in esame, analizzando inoltre se le strategie proposte dall’UDL siano prese in considerazione e utilizzate nella programmazione e nello sviluppo dei progetti inclusivi. Il Paralympic Summer Camp, progetto finanziato e promosso dal Comitato Italiano Paralimpico Veneto, è il caso studio preso in esame: un camp didattico-sportivo di una settimana al quale hanno partecipato 17 ragazzi, di cui 6 con disabilità. L’obiettivo di questo Camp era cercare di includere ragazzi normodotati e con disabilità in un unico progetto nel quale lo sport e il gioco fossero elementi fondamentali per la relazione tra individui differenti e per intensificare la relazione tra questi. Per conseguire l’obiettivo sono state messe in atto delle strategie didattiche presentate nell’UDL e, per verificare il raggiungimento di tale scopo sono stati somministrati dei questionari differenti in base al ruolo dei partecipanti. I risultati emersi dall’analisi dei questionari sono stati positivi, in quanto gli obiettivi sono stati raggiunti ed è stato possibile creare un gruppo unito dove nessuno si sentisse escluso

melanoma in AYA

Population-based cohort study that aims to provide a comprehensive epidemiological and clinicopathological profile of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in adolescents and young adults (AYA). The study also addresses the cost-of-illness and the diagnostic-therapeutic performance indicators by patient age category.</p

Melanoma in older patients

Population-based cohort study that aims to provide a comprehensive clinicopathological profile of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) and indicators of diagnostic-therapeutic performance in old and very old patients.</p