Combined analysis of miR-200 family and its significance for breast cancer

While the molecular functions of miR-200 family have been deeply investigated, a role for these miRNAs as breast cancer biomarkers remains largely unexplored. In the attempt to clarify this, we profiled the miR-200 family members expression in a large cohort of breast cancer cases with a long follow-up (H-CSS cohort) and in TCGA-BRCA cohort. Overall, miR-200 family was found upregulated in breast tumors with respect to normal breast tissues while downregulated in more aggressive breast cancer molecular subtypes (i.e. Luminal B, HER2 and triple negative), consistently with their function as repressors of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In particular miR-141-3p was found differentially expressed in breast cancer molecular subtypes in both H-CSS and TCGA-BRCA cohorts, and the combined analysis of all miR-200 family members demonstrated a slight predictive accuracy on H-CSS cancer specific survival at 12 years (survival c-statistic: 0.646; 95%CI 0.538-0.754)

Protocollo per il campionamento dei parametri chimico-fisici a sostegno degli elementi biologici in ambiente lacustre

Abstract not availableIl protocollo sul campionamento delle acque lacustri integra completandole le metodologie di campionamento ed analisi del fitoplancton, delle macrofite acquatiche e della fauna a macroinvertebrati in ambiente lacustre riportati nei capitoli successivi di questo Manuale. Anche questo protocollo come i precedenti segue le indicazioni della Direttiva 60/2000/CE (Water Framework Directive, WFD) e del Regolamento per la progettazione del programma di monitoraggio emanato dal Ministero dell?Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare

Coupling high-resolution measurements to a three-dimensional lake model to assess the spatial and temporal dynamics of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens in a medium-sized lake

In a medium-sized pre-alpine lake (North Italy) the cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens has strongly dominated the phytoplankton assemblage since 2000, similar to many pre-alpine lakes, despite improvements in water quality. The objective of this study was to determine the factors governing the spatial distribution of P. rubescens, including the major hydrodynamic processes and the influence of long-term reduction in nutrient concentrations during a period of climate warming. We used an intensive field campaign conducted from February 2010 to January 2011, to evaluate distributions of phytoplankton phyla, as well as P. rubescens, using spectrally resolved fluorescence measurements. These data provided highly spatially and temporally resolved phytoplankton population data suitable to calibrate and validate a coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic (ELCOM) and ecological model (CAEDYM) of the lake ecosystem. The simulations revealed the fundamental role of physiological features of P. rubescens that led to observed vertical patterns of distribution, notably a deep chlorophyll maximum, and a strong influence of lake hydrodynamic processes, particularly during high-discharge inflows in summer stratification. The simulations are used to examine growth-limiting factors that help to explain the increased prevalence of P. rubescens during re-oligotrophication

Functional and structural brain networks in posterior cortical atrophy: A two-centre multiparametric MRI study

This study identified structural and functional brain connectivity alterations in two independent samples of patients along the posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) disease course. Twenty-one PCA patients and 44 controls were recruited from two expert centres. Microstructural damage of white matter (WM) tracts was assessed using probabilistic tractography; resting state (RS) functional connectivity of brain networks was explored using a model free approach; grey matter (GM) atrophy was investigated using voxel-based morphometry. Compared with controls, common patterns of damage across PCA patients included: GM atrophy in the occipital-temporal-parietal regions; diffusion tensor (DT) MRI alterations of the corpus callosum and superior (SLF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculi (ILF) bilaterally; and decreased functional connectivity of the occipital gyri within the visual network and the precuneus and posterior cingulum within the default mode network (DMN). In PCA patients with longer disease duration and greater disease severity, WM damage extended to the cingulum and RS functional connectivity alterations spread within the frontal, dorsal attentive and salience networks. In PCA, reduced DMN functional connectivity was associated with SLF and ILF structural alterations. PCA patients showed distributed WM damage. Altered RS functional connectivity extends with disease worsening from occipital to temporo-parietal and frontostriatal regions, and this is likely to occur through WM connections. Future longitudinal studies are needed to establish trajectories of damage spreading in PCA and whether a combined DT MRI/RS functional MRI approach is promising in monitoring the disease progression. Keywords: Posterior cortical atrophy, White matter, Diffusion tensor MRI, Resting state functional connectivity, Default mode network, Visual networ

Multiparametric MRI to distinguish early onset Alzheimer's disease and behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia

This prospective study explored whether an approach combining structural [cortical thickness and white matter (WM) microstructure] and resting state functional MRI can aid differentiation between 62 early onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and 27 behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) patients. Random forest and receiver operator characteristic curve analyses assessed the ability of MRI in classifying the two clinical syndromes. All patients showed a distributed pattern of brain alterations relative to controls. Compared to bvFTD, EOAD patients showed bilateral inferior parietal cortical thinning and decreased default mode network functional connectivity. Compared to EOAD, bvFTD patients showed bilateral orbitofrontal and temporal cortical thinning, and WM damage of the corpus callosum, bilateral uncinate fasciculus, and left superior longitudinal fasciculus. Random forest analysis revealed that left inferior parietal cortical thickness (accuracy 0.78, specificity 0.76, sensitivity 0.83) and WM integrity of the right uncinate fasciculus (accuracy 0.81, specificity 0.96, sensitivity 0.43) were the best predictors of clinical diagnosis. The combination of cortical thickness and DT MRI measures was able to distinguish patients with EOAD and bvFTD with accuracy 0.82, specificity 0.76, and sensitivity 0.96. The diagnostic ability of MRI models was confirmed in a subsample of patients with biomarker-based clinical diagnosis. Multiparametric MRI is useful to identify brain alterations which are specific to EOAD and bvFTD. A severe cortical involvement is suggestive of EOAD, while a prominent WM damage is indicative of bvFTD. Keywords: Early onset Alzheimer's disease, Behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia, Diagnosis, Cortical thickness, White matter (WM) damage, Resting state functional MR

Pulmonary Embolism Presenting with Pulmonary Infarction: Update and Practical Review of Literature Data

Pulmonary infarction (PI) is a possible consequence of pulmonary embolism (PE). The real incidence of PI could be underestimated considering only non-fatal PE presentation. However, following postmortem examination, the prevalence of PI is considerably higher. This evidence suggests the necessity of proper diagnostic protocol for identifying PI. Unfortunately, PI diagnosis can sometimes be challenging, due to the overlapping of symptoms with other diseases. Nowadays, the diagnosis is mainly based on radiological evaluation, although the combination with emerging imaging techniques such as ultrasound and nuclear scanning might improve the diagnostic algorithm for PI. This review aims to summarize the available data on the prevalence of PI, the main predisposing factors for the development of PI among patients with PE, to resume the possible diagnostic tools, and finally the clinical and prognostic implications

The surgical safety checklist and patient outcomes after surgery: a prospective observational cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The surgical safety checklist is widely used to improve the quality of perioperative care. However, clinicians continue to debate the clinical effectiveness of this tool. Methods: Prospective analysis of data from the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), an international observational study of elective in-patient surgery, accompanied by a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature. The exposure was surgical safety checklist use. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. In the ISOS cohort, a multivariable multi-level generalized linear model was used to test associations. To further contextualise these findings, we included the results from the ISOS cohort in a meta-analysis. Results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We included 44 814 patients from 497 hospitals in 27 countries in the ISOS analysis. There were 40 245 (89.8%) patients exposed to the checklist, whilst 7508 (16.8%) sustained ≥1 postoperative complications and 207 (0.5%) died before hospital discharge. Checklist exposure was associated with reduced mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.49 (0.32-0.77); P<0.01], but no difference in complication rates [OR 1.02 (0.88-1.19); P=0.75]. In a systematic review, we screened 3732 records and identified 11 eligible studies of 453 292 patients including the ISOS cohort. Checklist exposure was associated with both reduced postoperative mortality [OR 0.75 (0.62-0.92); P<0.01; I2=87%] and reduced complication rates [OR 0.73 (0.61-0.88); P<0.01; I2=89%). Conclusions: Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine

Thoracic ultrasound combined with low-dose computed tomography may represent useful screening strategy in highly exposed population in the industrial city of Taranto (Italy)

ObjectivesWe validated a screening protocol in which thoracic ultrasound (TUS) acts as a first-line complementary imaging technique in selecting patients which may deserve a second-line low-dose high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan among a population of asymptomatic high-risk subjects for interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) and lung cancer. Due to heavy environmental pollution burden, the district Tamburi of Taranto has been chosen as “case study” for this purpose.MethodsFrom July 2018 to October 2020, 677 patients aged between 45 and 65 year and who had been living in the Tamburi district of Taranto for at least 10 years were included in the study. After demographic, clinical and risk factor exposition data were collected, each participant underwent a complete TUS examination. These subjects were then asked to know if they agreed to perform a second-level examination by low-dose HRCT scan.ResultsOn a total of 167 subjects (24.7%) who agreed to undergo a second-level HRCT, 85 patients (50.9%) actually showed pleuro-pulmonary abnormalities. Interstitial abnormalities were detected in a total of 36 patients on HRCT scan. In particular, 34 participants presented subpleural ILAs, that were classified in the fibrotic subtype in 7 cases. The remaining 2 patients showed non-subpleural interstitial abnormalities. Subpleural nodules were observed in 46 patients. TUS showed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 88.6% in detecting pleuro-pulmonary abnormalities in comparison with HRCT scan, with a sensitivity of 95.3%, a specificity of 81.7%, a positive predictive value of 84.4% and a negative predictive value of 94.4%. The matched evaluation of specific pulmonary abnormalities on HRTC scan (i.e., interstitial abnormalities or pulmonary nodules) with determinate sonographic findings revealed a reduction in both TUS sensibility and specificity. Focusing TUS evaluation on the assessment of interstitial abnormalities, a thickened pleural line showed a sensitivity of 63.9% and a specificity of 69.5%, hypoechoic striae showed a sensitivity of 38.9% and a specificity of 90.1% and subpleural nodules showed a sensitivity of 58.3% and a specificity of 77.1%. Regarding to the assessment of subpleural nodules, TUS showed a sensitivity of 60.9% and a specificity of 81.0%. However, the combined employment of TUS examination and HRCT scans allowed to identify 34 patients with early subpleural ILA and to detect three suspicious pulmonary nodules (of which two were intraparenchymal and one was a large subpleural mass), which revealed to be lung cancers on further investigations.ConclusionA first-line TUS examination might aid the identification of subjects highly exposed to environmental pollution, who could benefit of a second-line low-dose HRCT scan to find early interstitial lung diseases as well as lung cancer.Protocol registration codePLEURO-SCREENING-V1.0_15 Feb, 17

The high-quality draft genome of peach (Prunus persica) identifies unique patterns of genetic diversity, domestication and genome evolution

Rosaceae is the most important fruit-producing clade, and its key commercially relevant genera (Fragaria, Rosa, Rubus and Prunus) show broadly diverse growth habits, fruit types and compact diploid genomes. Peach, a diploid Prunus species, is one of the best genetically characterized deciduous trees. Here we describe the high-quality genome sequence of peach obtained from a completely homozygous genotype. We obtained a complete chromosome-scale assembly using Sanger whole-genome shotgun methods. We predicted 27,852 protein-coding genes, as well as noncoding RNAs. We investigated the path of peach domestication through whole-genome resequencing of 14 Prunus accessions. The analyses suggest major genetic bottlenecks that have substantially shaped peach genome diversity. Furthermore, comparative analyses showed that peach has not undergone recent whole-genome duplication, and even though the ancestral triplicated blocks in peach are fragmentary compared to those in grape, all seven paleosets of paralogs from the putative paleoancestor are detectable