Water monitoring with hyperspectral techniques

1 - The poor of the world depends directly on water and other natural resources for their livelihoods. Water resources must therefore be managed in a sustainable manner in order to maintain the economic, social and environmental functions and to contribute to the livelihoods of people. 2 - Advancements in sensor technologies and processing algorithms have resulted in technical capabilities that can record and identify Earth surface materials based on the interaction of electromagnetic energy with the molecular structure of the material being sensed. 3 - Non-destructive and operative methodologies (NIR and Raman) will be tested through field surveys and laboratory analysis using Aquaphotomics approach. This approach requires precise measuring and mapping capabilities at field level of key data at a sufficient level of accuracy depending on the availability of equipment that must be also operated at a cost-effective way

Alpha1-acid glycoprotein post-translational modifications: a comparative two dimensional electrophoresis based analysis

Alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) is an immunomodulatory protein expressed by hepatocytes in response to the systemic reaction that follows tissue damage caused by inflammation, infection or trauma. A proteomic approach based on two dimensional electrophoresis, immunoblotting and staining of 2DE gels with dyes specific for post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as glycosylation and phosphorylation has been used to evaluate the differential interspecific protein expression of AGP purified from human, bovine and ovine sera. By means of these techniques, several isoforms have been identified in the investigated species: they have been found to change both with regard to the number of isoforms expressed under physiological condition and with regard to the quality of PTMs (i.e. different oligosaccharidic chains, presence/absence of phosphorilations). In particular, it is suggested that bovine serum AGP may have one of the most complex pattern of PTMs among serum proteins of mammals studied so far

Protein biomarkers as indicator for water pollution in some lagoons of Sardinia (Italy)

1 - Studying the expressed proteome in mussel tissues is important to understand many different biological, physiological and ecological aspects that may be of advantage in shellfish rearing, encompassing growth cycle, food safety and traceability as well as understanding the biological effects of environmental pollution and climate change.2 - The present work attempted to accomplish a systematic characterization of the foot muscle proteome of M. galloprovincialis, to gather data about its variability in physiological conditions occurring in different environments of mussel rearing and to identify a putative set of protein biomarkers that may be significantly correlated to environmental factors.3 - A total of 360 mussels were sampled from three different lagoons of Sardinia, each one characterized by its different environmental and ecological system. According to a double latin square design, a smaller subgroup of 54 mussels that was representative of the original population was submitted to proteomics analysis and trace metals quantification. Classical and multivariate statistics was performed to correlate protein expression data to trace metal content and to environmental parameters recorded in situ.4 - A protein expression pattern of 79 protein was identified as related to the response to environmental stressors like dissolved oxygen, water acidity, temperature and trace metals.5 - The identified proteins are cytoskeletal proteins (α-tubulin, β-tubulin, myosin light chains and tropomyosin) or are involved in metabolic pathways (fructose bisphosphate aldolase), in energy pathways (cytosolic malate dehydrogenase and arginine kinase), in antioxidant defense (protein disulfide isomerase) and in protein turnover (different isoforms of the heat shock proteins Hsp70 and Hsc71); also the histone protein H2B is reported.6 - Our preliminary results show that there is correlation between the expressed protein pattern and the environmental conditions, confirming the findings of other proteomics works carried out on different mussel tissues and other marine invertebrates. Further validation procedures of the identified correlations must be accomplished in order to regard the identified proteins as biomarkers for environmental pollution and climate chang

NK cell receptors in anti-tumor and healthy tissue protection: Mechanisms and therapeutic advances

natural killer (NK) cells are integral to the innate immune system, renowned for their ability to target and eliminate cancer cells without the need for antigen presentation, sparing normal tissues. these cells are crucial in cancer immunosurveillance due to their diverse array of activating and inhibitory receptors that modulate their cytotoxic activity. however, the tumor microenvironment can suppress NK cell function through various mechanisms. over recent decades, research has focused on overcoming these tumor escape mechanisms. Initially, efforts concentrated on enhancing T cell activity, leading to impressive results with immunotherapeutic approaches aimed at boosting T cell responses. nevertheless, a substantial number of patients do not benefit from these treatments and continue to seek effective alternatives. In this context, NK cells present a promising avenue for developing new treatments, given their potent cytotoxic capabilities, safety profile, and activity against T cell- resistant tumors, such as those lacking HLA-I expression. recent advancements in immunotherapy include strategies to restore and amplify NK cell activity through immune checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, adoptive NK cell therapy, and CAR-NK cell technology. this review provides a comprehensive overview of NK cell receptors, the tumor escape mechanisms that hinder NK cell function, and the evolving field of NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy, highlighting ongoing efforts to develop more effective and targeted cancer treatment strategies

The landscape of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with novel Therapies: Secret alliances against breast cancer

this review focuses on the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the context of breast cancer (BC) management. these innovative treatments, by targeting proteins expressed on both tumor and immune cells, aim to overcome tumor-induced immune suppression and reactivate the immune system. the potential of this approach is the subject of numerous clinical studies. here, we explore the key studies and emerging therapies related to ICIs providing a detailed analysis of their specific and combined use in BC treatment

Metformin overdose causes platelet mitochondrial dysfunction in humans

Introduction. We have recently demonstrated that metformin intoxication causes mitochondrial dysfunction in several porcine tissues, including platelets. The aim of the present work was to clarify whether it also causes mitochondrial dysfunction (and secondary lactate overproduction) in human platelets, in-vitro and ex-vivo. Methods. Human platelets were incubated for 72 h with saline or increasing dose of metformin (in-vitro experiments). Lactate production, respiratory chain complex activities (spectrophotometry), mitochondrial membrane potential (flow-cytometry after staining with JC-1) and oxygen consumption (Clark-type electrode) were then measured. Platelets were also obtained from ten patients with lactic acidosis (arterial pH 6.97\ub10.18 and lactate 16\ub17 mmol/l) due to accidental metformin intoxication (serum drug level 32\ub114 mg/l) and ten healthy volunteers of similar sex and age. Respiratory chain complex activities were measured as above (ex-vivo experiments). Results. In-vitro, metformin dose-dependently increased lactate production (p<0.001), decreased respiratory chain complex I activity (p=0.009), mitochondrial membrane potential (p=0.003) and oxygen consumption (p<0.001) of human platelets. Ex-vivo, platelets taken from intoxicated patients had significantly lower complex I (p=0.045) and complex IV (p<0.001) activity compared to controls. Conclusions. Depending on dose, metformin can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and lactate overproduction in human platelets in-vitro and, possibly, in-vivo. Trial registration. NCT 0094212

The fading guardian: clinical relevance of TP53 null mutation in high-grade serous ovarian cancers

Backgroundwe evaluated the concordance between immunohistochemical p53 staining and TP53 mutations in a series of HGSOC. Moreover, we searched for prognostic differences between p53 overexpression and null expression groups.Methodspatients affected by HGSOC were included. For each case p53 immunohistochemical staining and molecular assay (Sanger sequencing) were performed. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were undertaken to determine whether the type of TP53 mutation, or p53 staining pattern influenced overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS).Results34 HGSOC were considered. All cases with a null immunohistochemical p53 expression (n=16) showed TP53 mutations (n=9 nonsense, n=4 in-frame deletion, n=2 splice, n=1 in-frame insertion). 16 out of 18 cases with p53 overexpression showed TP53 missense mutation. Follow up data were available for 33 out of 34 cases (median follow up time 15 month). We observed a significant reduction of OS in p53 null group [HR = 3.64, 95% CI 1.01-13.16].Conclusionimmunohistochemical assay is a reliable surrogate for TP53 mutations in most cases. Despite the small cohort and the limited median follow up, we can infer that HGSOC harboring p53 null mutations are a more aggressive subgroup

Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeasts: impact on wine and winemaking

Yeasts belonging to the Brettanomyces/Dekkera genus are non-conventional yeasts, which affect winemaking by causing wine spoilage all over the world. This mini-review focuses on recent results concerning the presence of Brettanomyces bruxellensis throughout the wine processing chain. Here, culture-dependent and independent methods to detect this yeast on grapes and at the very early stage of wine production are encompassed. Chemical, physical and biological tools, devised for the prevention and control of such a detrimental species during winemaking are also presented. Finally, the mini-review identifies future research areas relevant to the improvement of wine safety and sensory profiles