DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES OF MV CABLE JOINTS UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The article reports the results and the advances of the experimentation in progress at the RSE laboratories for a diagnostic analysis of the causes of failures that affect MV cable joints, especially during the summer periods. To this purpose two different ad hoc experimental set-ups, consisting of cables equipped with different types of joints to form a ring in short-circuit, have been realized. The rings, energized at rated voltage, are loaded with current to reproduce the daily load variation typical of a MV cable network. The first set-up simulated the reduced thermal conductivity of the soil during summer periods and the second, now under test, allows to simulate, in a controlled way, the presence of rain, even of considerable intensity

The scaffolding protein NHERF1 sensitizes EGFR-dependent tumor growth, motility and invadopodia function to gefitinib treatment in breast cancer cells.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients cannot be treated with endocrine therapy or targeted therapies due to lack of related receptors. These patients overexpress EGFR but are resistant to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) and anti-EGFR therapies. Mechanisms suggested for resistance to TKIs include EGFR independence, mutations and alterations in EGFR and in its downstream signalling pathways. Ligand-induced endocytosis and degradation of EGFR play important roles in the down-regulation of the EGFR signal suggesting that its activity could be regulated by targeting its trafficking. Evidence in normal cells showing that the scaffolding protein Na+/H+ Exchanger Regulatory Factor 1 (NHERF1) can associate with EGFR to regulate its trafficking, led us to hypothesize that NHERF1 expression levels could regulate EGFR trafficking and functional expression in TNBC cells and, in this way, modulate its role in progression and response to treatment. We investigated the subcellular localization of NHERF1 and its interaction with EGFR in a metastatic basal like TNBC cell model, MDA-MB-231, and the role of forced NHERF1 overexpression and/or stimulation with EGF on the sensitivity to EGFR specific TKI treatment with gefitinib. Stimulation with EGF induces an interaction of NHERF1 with EGFR to regulate its localization, degradation and function. NHERF1 overexpression is sufficient to drive its interaction with EGFR in non-stimulated conditions, inhibits EGFR degradation and increases its retention time in the plasma membrane. Importantly, NHERF1 overexpression strongly sensitized the cell to the pharmacological inhibition by gefitinib of EGFR-driven growth, motility and invadopodia-dependent ECM proteolysis. The further determination of how the NHERF1-EGFR interaction is regulated may improve our understanding of TNBC resistance to the action of existing anticancer drugs

The Effectiveness of NIV and CPAP Training on the Job in COVID-19 Acute Care Wards: A Nurses’ Self-Assessment of Skills

Background: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in COVID-19 patients outside of intensive care unit (ICU) settings was a feasible support during the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an “on the job” NIV training program provided to 66 nurses working in 3 COVID-19 wards in an Italian university hospital. Methods: A quasi-experimental longitudinal before–after study was designed. The NIV Team education program, provided by expert ICU nurses, included: 3 h sessions of training on the job during work-shifts about the management of helmet-continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Venturi systems, and NIV with oronasal and full-face masks. An eleven-item “brief skills self-report tool” was administered before and after the program to explore the perception of NIV education program attendees about their level of skills. Results: In total, 59 nurses responded to the questionnaire. There was an improvement in the skill levels of the management of Helmet-CPAP (median before training 2, inter-quartile range (IQR) 0–6; median after training 8, IQR 3–9; p < 0.0001), and mask-NIV (median before training 2, IQR 0–6; median after training 8, IQR 3–9; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Training on the job performed by expert ICU nurses can be a valuable and fast means to implement new Helmet-CPAP and mask-NIV skills outside of ICUs

Purification and In Situ Immobilization of Papain with Aqueous Two-Phase System

Papain was purified from spray-dried Carica papaya latex using aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). Then it was recovered from PEG phase by in situ immobilization or preparing cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs). The Plackett-Burman design and the central composite design (CCD) together with the response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the APTS processes. The highly purified papain (96–100%) was achieved under the optimized conditions: 40% (w/w) 15 mg/ml enzyme solution, 14.33–17.65% (w/w) PEG 6000, 14.27–14.42% (w/w) NaH2PO4/K2HPO4 and pH 5.77–6.30 at 20°C. An in situ enzyme immobilization approach, carried out by directly dispersing aminated supports and chitosan beads into the PEG phase, was investigated to recover papain, in which a high immobilization yield (>90%) and activity recovery (>40%) was obtained. Moreover, CLEAs were successfully used in recovering papain from PEG phase with a hydrolytic activity hundreds times higher than the carrier-bound immobilized papain

Effect of Colchicine vs Usual Care Alone on Intubation and 28-Day Mortality in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia have high rates of morbidity and mortality. Objective To assess the efficacy of colchicine in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Design, Setting, and Participants The Estudios Clínicos Latino América (ECLA) Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) COLCOVID trial was a multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial performed from April 17, 2020, to March 28, 2021, in adults with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection followed for up to 28 days. Participants received colchicine vs usual care if they were hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms and had severe acute respiratory syndrome or oxygen desaturation. The main exclusion criteria were clear indications or contraindications for colchicine, chronic kidney disease, and negative results on a reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 before randomization. Data were analyzed from June 20 to July 25, 2021. Interventions Patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to usual care or usual care plus colchicine. Colchicine was administered orally in a loading dose of 1.5 mg immediately after randomization, followed by 0.5 mg orally within 2 hours of the initial dose and 0.5 mg orally twice a day for 14 days or discharge, whichever occurred first. Main Outcomes and Measures The first coprimary outcome was the composite of a new requirement for mechanical ventilation or death evaluated at 28 days. The second coprimary outcome was death at 28 days. Results A total of 1279 hospitalized patients (mean [SD] age, 61.8 [14.6] years; 449 [35.1%] women and 830 [64.9%] men) were randomized, including 639 patients in the usual care group and 640 patients in the colchicine group. Corticosteroids were used in 1171 patients (91.5%). The coprimary outcome of mechanical ventilation or 28-day death occurred in 160 patients (25.0%) in the colchicine group and 184 patients (28.8%) in the usual care group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.02; P = .08). The second coprimary outcome, 28-day death, occurred in 131 patients (20.5%) in the colchicine group and 142 patients (22.2%) in the usual care group (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.70-1.12). Diarrhea was the most frequent adverse effect of colchicine, reported in 68 patients (11.3%). Conclusions and Relevance This randomized clinical trial found that compared with usual care, colchicine did not significantly reduce mechanical ventilation or 28-day mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia.Fil: Diaz, Rafael. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Instituto Cardiovascular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Orlandini, Andrés. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Instituto Cardiovascular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Castellana, Noelia. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Caccavo, Alberto. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Dirección General de Cultura y Educación. Universidad Provincial del Sudoeste; ArgentinaFil: Corral, Pablo. Universidad FASTA "Santo Tomas de Aquino"; ArgentinaFil: Corral, Gonzalo. Infectología Clínica de Mayo; ArgentinaFil: Chacón, Carolina. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Universidad Abierta Interamericana; Argentina. Unidad Coronaria de Sanatorio Delta de Rosario; Argentina. Comite de Epidemiologia y Prevención Cardiovascular de la Federación Argentina de Cardiologia; ArgentinaFil: Lamelas, Pablo. McMaster University; Canadá. Instituto Cardiovascular de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Botto, Fernando. Instituto Cardiovascular de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Díaz, María Luz. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Instituto Cardiovascular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Domínguez, Juan Manuel. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Instituto Cardiovascular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Pascual, Andrea. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; ArgentinaFil: Rovito, Carla. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; ArgentinaFil: Galatte, Agustina. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; ArgentinaFil: Scarafia, Franco. Estudios Clínicos Latino América; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Sued, Omar. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Gutierrez, Omar. Ministerio de Salud de Jujuy; ArgentinaFil: Jolly, Sanjit S.. McMaster University; CanadáFil: Miró, José M.. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Eikelboom, John. McMaster University; CanadáFil: Loeb, Mark. McMaster University; CanadáFil: Maggioni, Aldo Pietro. Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri Research Center; ItaliaFil: Bhatt, Deepak L.. Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Yusuf, Salim. McMaster University; CanadáFil: Lopez, Lorena. No especifíca;Fil: Leon de la Fuente, Ricardo Alfonso. Gobierno de la Provincia de Salta. Ministerio de Salud Pública. Hospital Papa Francisco; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Forciniti, Cristian C. G.. No especifíca;Fil: Colombo, Hugo. No especifíca;Fil: Sabas, Nicolas. No especifíca;Fil: Pilón, Leonardo. No especifíca;Fil: Steren, Adriana P.. No especifíca

Separation and purification of curcumin using novel aqueous two-phase micellar systems composed of amphiphilic copolymer and cholinium ionic liquids

Novel aqueous two-phase micellar systems (ATPMS) composed of Pluronic F68, a triblock amphiphilic copolymer, and cholinium-based ionic liquids (ILs) were formulated and applied for separation/purification of curcumin (CCM). CCM stability in the presence of ATPMS components was also evaluated. CCM is stable up to 24 h in copolymer (1.0 10.0 wt%) and ILs (0.1 3.0 M) aqueous solutions. Very mild phase separation conditions (close to room temperature) were achieved by adding cholinium ILs to the Pluronic F68 + McIlvaine buffer at pH 6.0 solution. The decrease of cloud-point temperature is dependent on the relative hydrophobicity of IL anion, [Hex] > [But] > [Prop] > [Ac] > Cl. ATPMS composed of more hydrophobic ILs ([Ch][Hex] > [Ch][But] > [Ch][Prop]) are most efficient in the partition of commercial CCM into polymeric micelles-rich phase. The best ATPMS (0.70 M [Ch][But] and 0.60 M [Ch][Hex]-based ATPMS) were then used to purify CCM from a crude extract of Curcuma longa L. Both systems were very selective to separate CCM from protein-based contaminants (selectivity values 25; purification yields 12-fold). Pluronic F68-based ATPMS are promising for selective separation of hydrophobic biomolecules by using cholinium-based ILs as adjuvants to adjust phase separation temperatures and biomolecules partition.This study was funded by the Coordination for Higher Level Graduate Improvements (CAPES/Brazil, finance code 001), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/Brazil) and the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP/Brazil, processes #2014/16424-7, #2017/10789-1, #2018/10799-0, #2018/05111-9; #2019/05624-9, and #2019/08549-8). A.M. Lopes and J.F.B. Pereira are grateful for the language revision of native speaker H.S. Pacheco Neto.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

La modellazione delle interazioni tra il sisteama territoriale e il sistema dei trasporti

Dottorato di Ricerca in Tecnologie e Pianificazione Ambientale,Scuola Pitagora in Scienze Ingegneristiche, Ciclo XXV, a.a. 2009-2012Università della Calabri

Iron metabolism in cancer progression

Iron is indispensable for cell metabolism of both normal and cancer cells. In the latter, several disruptions of its metabolism occur at the steps of tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. Noticeably, cancer cells require a large amount of iron, and exhibit a strong dependence on it for their proliferation. Numerous iron metabolism-related proteins and signaling pathways are altered by iron in malignancies, displaying the pivotal role of iron in cancer. Iron homeostasis is regulated at several levels, from absorption by enterocytes to recycling by macrophages and storage in hepatocytes. Mutations in HFE gene alter iron homeostasis leading to hereditary hemochromatosis and to an increased cancer risk because the accumulation of iron induces oxidative DNA damage and free radical activity. Additionally, the iron capability to modulate immune responses is pivotal in cancer progression. Macrophages show an iron release phenotype and potentially deliver iron to cancer cells, resulting in tumor promotion. Overall, alterations in iron metabolism are among the metabolic and immunological hallmarks of cancer, and further studies are required to dissect how perturbations of this element relate to tumor development and progression