Volatile anesthetic agent pollution in operating rooms in a large Roman hospital. A preliminary note

Gli autori riportano i risultati di un'indagine, effettuata in alcune sale operatorie di un nosocomio romano, per determinare le concentrazioni di agenti anestetici volatili e verificare la relazione tra i diversi sistemi di bonifica ambientale presenti ed il grado di inquinamento. Vengono discussi i risultati ed individuate le possibili soluzioni del problem

Valutazione della qualità e dello stato di conservazione degli ambienti litoranei: l'esempio del pS.I.C. "Penisola del Cavallino: biotopi litoranei" (Venezia, NE-Italia)

Evaluation of quality and conservation status in coastal landscapes: the example of the Site of Community Importance “Penisola del Cavallino: biotopi litoranei”(Venice, NE Italy). Quality of coastal landscape has been estimated at two different scale: at the community level, we assessed a naturalistic value, by evaluating characteristics coming both from species (i.e. presence of endemic species) and from community itself (i.e. rarity). We also took into account the percentage of exotic and ruderal species on the total number of species of each community, as an indirect measure of alteration degree. At the landscape level, we tried to value structural and functional integrity by evaluating spatial connectivity and contrast among patches. As the plant communities of foredunes show a typical spatial zonation, the two indices have been calculated along 27 transects perpendicular to the seashore. On the basis of a digital map of the area, we measured the gamma connectivity index along each transect; we assessed both “total connectivity”, considering all the communities intersected by the transects, and “partial connectivity”, considering only the plant communitie s of foredunes, so describing spatial distribution model of coastal vegetation. Since on the backdune there is not a typical zonation of communiti es, we counted only the links between natural communities, considering anthropogenic communities as a break of natural landscape and of connectivity. I n addition, we measured the contrast index; this index evaluates the change in environmental conditions going from one community (or patch) to the neighbouring one. The different patches are included and surrounded by a matrix, consisting of “nonhabitat” at different degree of alteratio n, that may function as an impenetrable barrier for individuals or, on the contrary, may favour movements. Thus, the surrounding matrix may significant ly influence the effective isolation of habitat patches, rendering them more or less isolated than simple distance would indicate. For the contr ast computation, we utilized the naturalistic value assessed to each community on the basis of the phytosociological data. Both indices point to the extreme fragmentation of coastal landscape and to high vulnerability that characterizes all natural communities being they surrounded by a matrix hig hly contrasting. Conservation strategies should, then, concern natural habitat, their quality and their structural and functional integrity, but they should also consider the quality of surrounding matrix

Salvage neck dissection for isolated neck recurrences in head and neck tumors: Intra and postoperative complications

Background and Objectives: The current evidence regarding complications after salvage neck dissection (ND) for isolated regional recurrences (IRRs) in head and neck cancers is poor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence and differences in complication rates of salvage ND after primary surgery, radiotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, or combined treatments. Methods: This was a multicentric retrospective study on 64 patients who underwent salvage ND for IRR in three Italian institutes between 2008 and May 2020. Results: Complications were detected in 7 of the 34 patients (20.8%) and surgeons described difficult dissection in 20 patients (58.82%). Accidental vascular ligations or nervous injury during surgery were never detected. None of the variables analyzed were statistically significant in predicting the risk of complications, disease-free survival, or overall survival. Conclusions: IRR represents a rare entity among total relapses. The incidence of complications after salvage ND for IRR is higher than after primary surgery but at an acceptable rate in experienced hands. However, an adequate balance between functional and oncological outcomes is mandatory

Virtual screening for inhibitors of the human TSLP:TSLPR interaction

The pro-inflammatory cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of various allergy disorders that are mediated by type 2 helper T cell (Th2) responses, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. TSLP forms a ternary complex with the TSLP receptor (TSLPR) and the interleukin-7-receptor subunit alpha (IL-7Ra), thereby activating a signaling cascade that culminates in the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. In this study, we conducted an in silico characterization of the TSLP: TSLPR complex to investigate the drugability of this complex. Two commercially available fragment libraries were screened computationally for possible inhibitors and a selection of fragments was subsequently tested in vitro. The screening setup consisted of two orthogonal assays measuring TSLP binding to TSLPR: a BLI-based assay and a biochemical assay based on a TSLP: alkaline phosphatase fusion protein. Four fragments pertaining to diverse chemical classes were identified to reduce TSLP: TSLPR complex formation to less than 75% in millimolar concentrations. We have used unbiased molecular dynamics simulations to develop a Markov state model that characterized the binding pathway of the most interesting compound. This work provides a proof-ofprinciple for use of fragments in the inhibition of TSLP: TSLPR complexation

The PDGFRβ/ERK1/2 pathway regulates CDCP1 expression in triple-negative breast cancer

Background: CDCP1, a transmembrane protein with tumor pro-metastatic activity, was recently identified as a prognostic marker in TNBC, the most aggressive breast cancer subtype still lacking an effective molecular targeted therapy. The mechanisms driving CDCP1 over-expression are not fully understood, although several stimuli derived from tumor microenvironment, such as factors present in Wound Healing Fluids (WHFs), reportedly increase CDCP1 levels. Methods: The expression of CDCP1, PDGFR\u3b2 and ERK1/2cell was tested by Western blot after stimulation of MDA-MB-231 cells with PDGF-BB and, similarly, in presence or not of ERK1/2 inhibitor in a panel of TNBC cell lines. Knock-down of PDGFR\u3b2 was established in MDA-MB-231 cells to detect CDCP1 upon WHF treatment. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of CDCP1 and PDGFR\u3b2 in TNBC clinical samples. Results: We discovered that PDGF-BB-mediated activation of PDGFR\u3b2 increases CDCP1 protein expression through the downstream activation of ERK1/2. Inhibition of ERK1/2 activity reduced per se CDCP1 expression, evidence strengthening its role in CDCP1 expression regulation. Knock-down of PDGFR\u3b2 in TNBC cells impaired CDCP1 increase induced by WHF treatment, highlighting the role if this receptor as a central player of the WHF-mediated CDCP1 induction. A significant association between CDCP1 and PDGFR\u3b2 immunohistochemical staining was observed in TNBC specimens, independently of CDCP1 gene gain, thus corroborating the relevance of the PDGF-BB/PDGFR\u3b2 axis in the modulation of CDCP1 expression. Conclusion: We have identified PDGF-BB/PDGFR\u3b2-mediated pathway as a novel player in the regulation of CDCP1 in TNCBs through ERK1/2 activation. Our results provide the basis for the potential use of PDGFR\u3b2 and ERK1/2 inhibitors in targeting the aggressive features of CDCP1-positive TNBCs

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos (L.) Ledeb.

Viene definita la distribuzione in Italia di Kosteletzkya pentacarpos e discusso il suo stato di conservazione

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR

Relationship of edge localized mode burst times with divertor flux loop signal phase in JET

A phase relationship is identified between sequential edge localized modes (ELMs) occurrence times in a set of H-mode tokamak plasmas to the voltage measured in full flux azimuthal loops in the divertor region. We focus on plasmas in the Joint European Torus where a steady H-mode is sustained over several seconds, during which ELMs are observed in the Be II emission at the divertor. The ELMs analysed arise from intrinsic ELMing, in that there is no deliberate intent to control the ELMing process by external means. We use ELM timings derived from the Be II signal to perform direct time domain analysis of the full flux loop VLD2 and VLD3 signals, which provide a high cadence global measurement proportional to the voltage induced by changes in poloidal magnetic flux. Specifically, we examine how the time interval between pairs of successive ELMs is linked to the time-evolving phase of the full flux loop signals. Each ELM produces a clear early pulse in the full flux loop signals, whose peak time is used to condition our analysis. The arrival time of the following ELM, relative to this pulse, is found to fall into one of two categories: (i) prompt ELMs, which are directly paced by the initial response seen in the flux loop signals; and (ii) all other ELMs, which occur after the initial response of the full flux loop signals has decayed in amplitude. The times at which ELMs in category (ii) occur, relative to the first ELM of the pair, are clustered at times when the instantaneous phase of the full flux loop signal is close to its value at the time of the first ELM