Backward-looking and Forward-looking NDC Pension Schemes

In order to spread notional capital accrued at retirement by members of a cohort over their own life expectancies, pay-as-you-go notional-defined-contribution (payg-ndc) scheme uses multipliers (different by retirement age) called conversion coefficients. These are backward-looking (b.l.) in that they relay on survival rates observed for previous cohorts in the past. Under increasing longevity, b.l. coefficients undervalue life expectancies, thus preventing full implementation of actuarial fairness (benefits equivalent to contributions) which is the main objective of ndc scheme. They also engender chronic deficits. Forward-looking (f.l.) coefficients, relaying on forecast survival rates, can improve actuarial fairness. Nevertheless, they face a rather serious political difficulty in that forecasting tools are fallible. This explains why switching to f.l. coefficients is unable to gain social consensus. Apart from this, the paper shows that f.l. coefficients produce ‘overshooting’. In fact, they generate chronic surpluses. The paper also shows that frontloading pension profile helps sustainability because it reduces both surpluses and deficits generated, respectively, by f.l. and b.l. approaches

Gut Microbiota in Celiac Disease: Is There Any Role for Probiotics?

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder initiated by the ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. Recent data shows that changes in the gut microbiome composition and function are linked with chronic inflammatory diseases; this might also be the case for CD. The main aim of this manuscript is to discuss our present knowledge of the relationships between gut microbiota alterations and CD and to understand if there is any role for probiotics in CD therapy. PubMed was used to search for all of the studies published from November 2009 to November 2019 using key words such as “Celiac Disease” and “Microbiota” (306 articles), “Celiac Disease” and “Gastrointestinal Microbiome” (139), and “Probiotics” and “Celiac Disease” (97 articles). The search was limited to articles published in English that provided evidence-based data. Literature analysis showed that the gut microbiota has a well-established role in gluten metabolism, in modulating the immune response and in regulating the permeability of the intestinal barrier. Promising studies suggest a possible role of probiotics in treating and/or preventing CD. Nevertheless, human trials on the subject are still scarce and lack homogeneity. A possible role was documented for probiotics in improving CD-related symptoms, modulating the peripheral immune response and altering the fecal microbiota, although the results were not consistent in all of the studies. No evidence was found that probiotic administration might prevent CD onset. Knowledge of the role of intestinal bacteria in the development of CD opens new possibilities for its treatment through probiotic administration, even though further studies are needed to better clarify whether probiotics can help treat or prevent the disease and to define which probiotics to use, at what dose and for how long

Characterization of exopolysaccharides produced by seven biofilm-forming cyanobacterial strains for biotechnological applications

The molecular identification of seven biofilmforming cyanobacteria and the characterization of their exopolysaccharides were made and considered in terms of potential biotechnological applications. The studied strains were isolated from phototrophic biofilms taken from various Italian sites including a wastewater treatment plant, an eroded soil, and a brackish lagoon. The polysaccharides were characterized by use of ion exchange chromatography, circular dichroism, and cytochemical stains. All strains produced exopolysaccharides with differing ratios of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties depending on the species, the polysaccharide fraction (i.e., whether capsular or released), and the ambient conditions. It was shown that the anionic nature of the exopolysaccharides was due to the presence of carboxylic and sulfated groups and is likely the main characteristic with industrial applicability. Potential biotechnological applications are discusse

Profile and potential bioactivity of the miRNome and metabolome expressed in Malva sylvestris L. leaf and flower

Malva sylvestris L. (common mallow) is a plant species widely used in phytotherapy and ethnobotanical practices since time immemorial. Characterizing the components of this herb might promote a better comprehension of its biological effects on the human body but also favour the identification of the molecular processes that occur in the plant tissues. Thus, in the present contribution, the scientific knowledge about the metabolomic profile of the common mallow was expanded. In particular, the phytocomplex of leaves and flowers from this botanical species and the extraction capacity of different concentrations of ethanol (i.e., 95%, 70%, 50%, and 0%; v/v in ddH2O) for it were investigated by spectrophotometric and chromatographic approaches. In detail, 95% ethanol extracts showed the worst capacity in isolating total phenols and flavonoids, while all the hydroalcoholic samples revealed a specific ability in purifying the anthocyanins. HPLC–DAD system detected and quantified 20 phenolic secondary metabolites, whose concentration in the several extracts depended on their own chemical nature and the percentage of ethanol used in the preparation. In addition, the stability of the purified phytochemicals after resuspension in pure ddH2O was also proved, considering a potential employment of them in biological/medical studies which include in vitro and in vivo experiments on mammalian models. Here, for the first time, the expressed miRNome in M. sylvestris was also defined by Next Generation Sequencing, revealing the presence of 33 microRNAs (miRNAs), 10 typical for leaves and 2 for flowers. Then, both plant and human putative mRNA targets for the detected miRNAs were predicted by bioinformatics analyses, with the aim to clarify the possible role of these small nucleic acids in the common mallow plant tissues and to try to understand if they could exert a potential cross-kingdom regulatory activity on the human health. Surprisingly, our investigations revealed that 19 miRNAs out of 33 were putatively able to modulate, in the plant cells, the expression of various chromosome scaffold proteins. In parallel, we found, in the human transcriptome, a total of 383 mRNAs involved in 5 fundamental mammalian cellular processes (i.e., apoptosis, senescence, cell-cycle, oxidative stress, and invasiveness) that theoretically could be bound and regulated by M. sylvestris miRNAs. The evidence collected in this work would suggest that the beneficial properties of the use of M. sylvestris, documented by the folk medicine, are probably linked to their content of miRNAs and not only to the action of phytochemicals (e.g., anthocyanins). This would open new perspectives about the possibility to develop gene therapies based on miRNAs isolated from medicinal plants, including M. sylvestris

An unusual dysphagia for solids in a 17-year-old girl due to a lusoria artery: A case report and review of the literature

Background: Dysphagia is a condition that can have many underlying causes, often different between adults and children and its early diagnosis is crucial especially during childhood and adolescence, given the importance of proper nutritional intake to ensure adequate growth and development. Case report: We described the case of a 17-year-old girl reporting dysphagia for solids for approximately one month. No symptoms were previously referred. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed, detecting an image of ab extrinseco compression at the level of the mid-cervical oesophagus. An upper gastrointestinal tract radiography confirmed an oesophageal impression above the arch of the aorta suggestive of vascular abnormality. Computed tomography angiography and three-dimensional reconstruction techniques showed the presence of a lusoria artery that originated from the medial margin of the descending aorta and crossed the trachea and oesophagus posteriorly to the distal third. The lusoria artery was transected via a left thoracotomy and re-implanted into the right common carotid artery with complete symptom resolution. Conclusions: Dysphagia lusoria is an impairment of swallowing due to compression from an aberrant right subclavian artery. The diagnosis is always difficult, as the symptoms are often nonspecific. It is imperative to accurately identify and properly manage dysphagia in pediatric age and this is only possible with an anamnestic, clinical and instrumental process that takes into account an adequate differential diagnosis

Characterization for biofilm-forming cyanobacteria for biomass and lipid production

Aims: This work reports on one of the first attempts to use biofilm-forming cyanobacteria for biomass and lipid production. Methods and Results: Three isolates of filamentous cyanobacteria were obtained from biofilms at different Italian sites and characterized by a polyphasic approach, involving microscopic observations, ecology and genetic diversity (studying the 16S rRNA gene). The isolates were grown in batch systems and in a semi-continuous flow incubator, specifically designed for biofilms development. Culture system affected biomass and lipid production, but did not influence the fatty acid profile. The composition of fatty acids was mainly palmitic acid (>50%) and less amounts of other saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Only two isolates contained two polyunsaturated fatty acids. Conclusions: Data obtained from the flow-lane incubator system would support a more economical and sustainable use of the benthic microorganisms for biomass production. The produced lipids contained fatty acids suitable for a high-quality biodiesel production, showing high proportions of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Significance and Impact of the Study: Data seem promising when taking into account the savings in cost and time derived from easy procedures for biomass harvesting, especially when being able to obtain the co-production of other valuable by-products

Case report of a familial triple: a syndrome and review of the literature

RATIONALE: Triple-A syndrome, or Allgrove syndrome (AS), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the alacrimia, achalasia, and adrenal insufficiency triad. Alacrimia usually starts at early infancy, while achalasia and adrenal insufficiency appear later during childhood or adulthood. Some patients may also present with the so-called Double-A syndrome (i.e., alacrimia and achalasia, or alacrimia and adrenal insufficiency); adrenal insufficiency usually represents a life-threatening event due to severe hypoglycemia. Many patients may also present other associated manifestations, such as neurological disorders. We describe, here, 2 sisters of non-consanguineous parents. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 8-year-old girl was admitted to the Pediatric Care Unit of Parma after an episode characterized by seizure with loss of consciousness and generalized hypertonia lasting a few minutes. Her sister, a 6-year-old girl, presented with recurrent episodes of vomiting and failure to thrive. DIAGNOSES: Both children were investigated by laboratory tests, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and imaging. The first patient had the complete triad of AS (alacrimia, achalasia, adrenal insufficiency), while the second one presented only alacrimia and achalasia. Both resulted from a mutation in the achalasia, addisonianism, alacrimia syndrome gene. INTERVENTIONS: Both patients were treated with oral hydrocortisone for Addison disease, and with artificial tears in the first case. After many pneumatic endoscopic dilations and therapy with nifedipine, both patients underwent surgical Heller myotomy for achalasia. OUTCOMES: A rapid and favorable recovery to normal diet and with improvement of growth parameters was obtained. These cases are also compared with the literature data, reported in a brief review. LESSONS: AS is a rare multisystemic disorder. The longer diagnosis is delayed, the greater extent to which this syndrome may be life-threatening, mainly because of hypoglycemia due to adrenal insufficiency. In AS, the red-flag symptom of alacrimia should instigate investigation for achalasia, Addison disease, and achalasia, addisonianism, alacrimia syndrome gene mutation

Ribosomal stress activates eEF2K-eEF2 pathway causing translation elongation inhibition and recruitment of Terminal Oligopyrimidine (TOP) mRNAs on polysomes

The synthesis of adequate amounts of ribosomes is an essential task for the cell. It is therefore not surprising that regulatory circuits exist to organize the synthesis of ribosomal components. It has been shown that defect in ribosome biogenesis (ribosomal stress) induces apoptosis or cell cycle arrest through activation of the tumor suppressor p53. This mechanism is thought to be implicated in the pathophysiology of a group of genetic diseases such as Diamond Blackfan Anemia which are called ribosomopathies. We have identified an additional response to ribosomal stress that includes the activation of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2 kinase with a consequent inhibition of translation elongation. This leads to a translational reprogramming in the cell that involves the structurally defined group of messengers called terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) mRNAs which encode ribosomal proteins and translation factors. In fact, while general protein synthesis is decreased by the impairment of elongation, TOP mRNAs are recruited on polysomes causing a relative increase in the synthesis of TOP mRNA-encoded proteins compared to other proteins. Therefore, in response to ribosomal stress, there is a change in the translation pattern of the cell which may help restore a sufficient level of ribosomes