Qualitative and quantitative analysis of doctor-patient interactions during andrological consultations

Although a trustworthy connection between doctor and patient is crucial in clinical practice, it could be hindered by different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Moreover, an effective doctor-patient interaction could be even more challenging in andrological fields, in which psychological and social components are predominant

Characterization and dynamics of specific T cells against nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1)-mutated peptides in patients with NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia

Nucleophosmin(NPM1)-mutated protein, a leukemia-specific antigen, represents an ideal target for AML immunotherapy. We investigated the dynamics of NPM1-mutated-specific T cells on PB and BM samples, collected from 31 adult NPM1-mutated AML patients throughout the disease course, and stimulated with mixtures of 18 short and long peptides (9-18mers), deriving from the complete C-terminal of the NPM1-mutated protein. Two 9-mer peptides, namely LAVEEVSLR and AVEEVSLRK (13.9-14.9), were identified as the most immunogenic epitopes. IFNγ-producing NPM1-mutated-specific T cells were observed by ELISPOT assay after stimulation with peptides 13.9-14.9 in 43/85 (50.6%) PB and 34/80 (42.5%) BM samples. An inverse correlation between MRD kinetics and anti-leukemic specific T cells was observed. Cytokine Secretion Assays allowed to predominantly and respectively identify Effector Memory and Central Memory T cells among IFNγ-producing and IL2-producing T cells. Moreover, NPM1-mutated-specific CTLs against primary leukemic blasts or PHA-blasts pulsed with different peptide pools could be expanded ex vivo from NPM1-mutated AML patients or primed in healthy donors. We describe the spontaneous appearance and persistence of NPM1-mutated-specific T cells, which may contribute to the maintenance of long-lasting remissions. Future studies are warranted to investigate the potential role of both autologous and allogeneic adoptive immunotherapy in NPM1-mutated AML patients

Some reflection on policy mix in the EU low carbon tax.

The EU low-carbon strategy includes different complementary policies. Potential interactions between instruments and timing of their implementation can influence the cost and likelihood of achieving the targets. We test the interactions between the three main pillars of the EU strategy through a dynamic CGE model (GDynEP) with a time horizon of 2050. Main results are: i) going for the unilateral EU carbon mitigation target without any complementary technological policy will produce large economic losses; ii) by investing in clean energy technologies (energy efficiency and renewable energy) with a carbon tax revenue recycling mechanism, these losses will substantially decrease; iii) when complementary clean energy technology policies are implemented, the optimal timing of binding targets changes; iv) the higher the contribution to clean energy technologies, the larger the economic gains in early adoption of challenging abatement targets

A dynamic assessment of instrument interaction and timing alternatives in the EU low-carbon policy mix design

International audienc

Functional cerebral activation detected by an integrated system combining CW-NIR spectroscopy and EEG

The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of correlating hemodynamic changes and neural activities in the brain by using an integrated system combining Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalographic activity (EEG). We present brain hemodynamic changes and EEG recordings obtained from four volunteers during the performance of two different sequential thumb-finger opposition tasks, with and without a related mental activity. The optical and electrical signals were recorded simultaneously on the subject forehead. The coupling of the two systems could be useful to demonstrate correlation between cognitive paradigms and hemodynamic signals

Nuovi modelli di consultazione e di interazione medico-paziente in andrologia

L’interazione tra medico e paziente è una relazione istituzionale che necessita di una comunicazione efficace per creare un rapporto di fiducia solido in grado di influire sull’aspetto decisionale e sul successo terapeutico. Tuttavia, ciò non è così facile, soprattutto in alcuni ambiti clinici delicati, come quello andrologico, e/o in presenza di background socio-culturali diversi. È pertanto fondamentale focalizzarsi su un approccio patient-centred personalizzato in base al contesto clinico.The interaction between doctor and patient is an institutional relationship that requires effective communication to create a solid relationship of trust able to influence decision-making and therapeutic success. However, this is not so easy, especially in some delicate clinical contexts, such as andrology, and/or in the presence of different socio-cultural backgrounds. It is therefore essential to focus on a patient-centred approach customised according to the clinical context

Antineoplastic effects of liposomal short interfering RNA treatment targeting BLIMP1/PRDM1 in primary effusion lymphoma

RNA interference (RNAi) has been suggested to represent a promising therapeutic approach in different disease settings. Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a plasmablastic lymphoma consistently expressing B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp-1), a pivotal transcriptional regulator during terminal differentiation of B cells into plasma cells. Here we report, for the first time, that transient knockdown of the BLIMP1 gene (also known as PR Domain Containing 1 with ZNF Domain, or PRDM1) using small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered by liposomes, induced remarkable killing in PEL cell lines. Furthermore, in a murine model of PEL, significantly prolonged survival was achieved by intraperitoneal treatment with such anti-BLIMP1 lipoplexes, while no vector-induced toxicity was observed. This effective and safe RNAi strategy, based on liposomal siRNA targeting a master transcription factor of post-germinal center B cells, may indeed be a potential treatment against plasmablastic lymphom

NPM1 mutations may reveal acute myeloid leukemia in cases otherwise morphologically diagnosed as myelodysplastic syndromes or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms

NPM1 mutations may reveal acute myeloid leukemia in cases otherwise morphologically diagnosed as myelodysplastic syndromes or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms