Acute and long-term effects of ACE inhibition on renal haemodynamics in glomerular and interstitial nephropathies

Background Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are the drugs of choice for the treatment of hypertension in patients with non-diabetic nephropathies. However, not every trial has reported better results with ACE inhibitors (ACE-I) than with other drugs. This study investigates whether the acute and chronic effects of ACE inhibition on renal and glomerular haemodynamics are similar in glomerular and interstitial nephropathies. Methods We studied 20 hypertensive patients, on their usual diet, with mild-to-moderate chronic renal failure secondary to non-diabetic nephropathy. After a three-week wash out period, we determined plasma clearances of para-amino-hippurate and inulin before, and after acute oral administration of either enalapril or ramipril. This same test was carried out after one and two years of treatment with the same drug. Results Acute ACE inhibition causes a decrease of renal perfusion, glomerular filtration and pressure with an increase of afferent resistances. Long-term ACE inhibition is associated only with a decrease in renal perfusion, with a non-significant tendency to higher filtration fraction and lower afferent resistances. All the renal haemodynamic modifications mentioned above are present only in patients with glomerular diseases. Conclusions Renal and glomerular haemodynamic responses are not similar after acute and chronic ACE inhibition. Only patients with glomerular diseases show acute or long-term responses to ACE inhibition

Contextual influences on Italian university students during the COVID-19 lockdown: Emotional responses, coping strategies and resilience

Based on an ecological perspective on the COVID-19 lockdown experience, this study describes psychological responses among Italian university students. Our study considers three zones of the country that have differed in the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this research explores whether differences in pandemic conditions can account for their divergent psychological outcomes. The participants were 792 university students from seven different Italian universities. Students were asked to express their emotions and describe meaningful events during the lockdown in writing. Based on the grounded theory approach, this study conducted qualitative data analysis using ATLAS.ti 8.0. The core emerged categories are emotions, emotional moods and state of mind, coping strategies, and resilience. The results describing these emergent factors in relation to environmental variables highlight differences in the feeling of anxiety among individuals: anxiety was more self-focused in zones that were more affected by the lockdown, while such anxiety was more related to family and friends in less-affected zones. In addition to identifying the negative repercussions that this emergency has had, this study describes some positive outcomes, such as the elaboration of new personal perspectives that help foster individual growth and allow individuals to gain new awareness of themselves and others. The confinement due to the COVID-19 emergency measures has been a very unique experience for people, and further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of the different coping responses activated by participants during and after the lockdown

Community-Level Responses to Iron Availability in Open Ocean Plankton Ecosystems

Predicting responses of plankton to variations in essential nutrients is hampered by limited in situ measurements, a poor understanding of community composition, and the lack of reference gene catalogs for key taxa. Iron is a key driver of plankton dynamics and, therefore, of global biogeochemical cycles and climate. To assess the impact of iron availability on plankton communities, we explored the comprehensive bio-oceanographic and bio-omics data sets from Tara Oceans in the context of the iron products from two state-of-the-art global scale biogeochemical models. We obtained novel information about adaptation and acclimation toward iron in a range of phytoplankton, including picocyanobacteria and diatoms, and identified whole subcommunities covarying with iron. Many of the observed global patterns were recapitulated in the Marquesas archipelago, where frequent plankton blooms are believed to be caused by natural iron fertilization, although they are not captured in large-scale biogeochemical models. This work provides a proof of concept that integrative analyses, spanning from genes to ecosystems and viruses to zooplankton, can disentangle the complexity of plankton communities and can lead to more accurate formulations of resource bioavailability in biogeochemical models, thus improving our understanding of plankton resilience in a changing environment

Resolution Characterization of 3D cameras

Resolution analysis represents a 2D imaging topic for the use of particular targets for equipment characterization. These concepts can be extended in 3D imaging through the use of specific tridimensional target object. The core of this paper is focused on experimental characterization of seven different 3D laser scanner through the extraction of resolution, accuracy and uncertainly parameters from 3D target object. The process of every single range map defined by the same resolution leads to different results as z-resolution, optical resolution, linear and angular accuracy. The aim of this research is to suggest a characterization process mainly based on resolution and accuracy parameters that allow a reliable comparison between 3D scanner performances

Evaluation of glomerular filtration rate estimation by means of plasma clearance of iohexol in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

OBJECTIVE To evaluate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation by means of plasma clearance of iohexol (IOX) in domestic rabbits and to assess accuracy of limited-sampling models for GFR estimation. ANIMALS 6 healthy domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). PROCEDURES Each rabbit received IOX (64.7 mg/kg [0.1 mL/kg], IV), and blood samples were collected at predetermined times before and after administration. Plasma IOX concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The pharmacokinetics of IOX was determined by a noncompartmental method. For each rabbit, plasma clearance of IOX was determined by dividing the total IOX dose administered by the area under the concentration-time curve indexed to the subject's body weight. The GFR estimated from the plasma IOX concentration at 6 sampling times (referent model) was compared with that estimated from the plasma IOX concentration at 5 (model A), 4 (model B), and 3 (models C, D, and E) sampling times (limited-sampling models). RESULTS Mean ± SD GFR was 4.41 ± 1.10 mL/min/kg for the referent model and did not differ significantly from the GFR estimated by any of the limited-sampling models. The GFR bias magnitude relative to the referent model was smallest for model D in which GFR was estimated from plasma IOX concentrations at 5, 15, and 90 minutes after IOX administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that plasma clearance of IOX was a safe, reliable, accurate, and clinically feasible method to estimate GFR in domestic rabbits. Further research is necessary to refine the method

Neonatal and long-term ophthalmological findings in infants with symptomatic and asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is responsible of a high burden of neurosensory impairment in children. Objectives: To report incidence and consequences of ophthalmological abnormalities in infants with cCMV infection and better define their long-term ophthalmological management. Study design: Infants with cCMV infection were enrolled in a 6-year follow-up. Infants were classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic based on complete clinical, laboratory and instrumental evaluations. All infants underwent funduscopic evaluation in neonatal period, and yearly complete ophthalmological evaluation, including funduscopic, motility and visual acuity assessments. Results: Forty-eight infants were enrolled, 18/48 (37.5%) symptomatic and 30/48 (62.5%) asymptomatic. Mean duration of follow-up was 34.9 \ub1 22.2 vs. 34.8 \ub1 20.1 months (P = 0.98). Funduscopic abnormalities were identified in neonatal period in 7/18 (39%) symptomatic infants and in none of the infants without other clinical and instrumental abnormalities at birth (P < 0.001); chorioretinal scars were the most common finding (5/18 cases, 28%). Strabismus was detected in 1/18 (5.5%) symptomatic infants during the first years of life. Visual impairment at last follow-up evaluation was suspected or detected in 4/18 (22%) symptomatic infants and in none of the asymptomatic infants at birth (P = 0.01). Ophthalmological abnormalities were associated with other signs of central nervous system (CNS) involvement (P < 0.001). No correlation was found with the type of maternal infection. Conclusions: Ophthalmological abnormalities were common in symptomatic infants though often not associated with long-term visual impairment, and correlated with the presence of CNS involvement. Neonatal and periodical ophthalmological evaluations throughout childhood seem prudential for symptomatic babies. No ophthalmological abnormalities were detected in asymptomatic infants, who might therefore undergo more deferred evaluations

Expression of human tau in the optic nerve of mice transgenic for human mutant P301S tau.

<p>(A–C), Staining for human tau (A, green) and βIII tubulin (B, red) showed co-localisation in the axons of the optic nerve (C, overlay image of A and B; example from 1 month old mouse). (D–F), Staining for tau phosphorylated at S202/T205 (D, green) and βIII tubulin (E, red) showed co-localisation in the axons of the optic nerve (F, overlay image of D and E; example from 5 month old mouse). Arrows indicate examples of co-localisation. Scale bar, 20 µm.</p

Quantification Methodology.

<p>(A), Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival following excitotoxic injury <i>in vivo</i> was quantified using retinal flat mounts immunohistochemically labelled for NeuN. Twelve images (3 per quadrant at central, medial and peripheral locations; approximate positions defined by boxes) were captured per retina using a 40× objective; NeuN-positive nuclei were counted in each image and their average number calculated for each retina. RGC loss was calculated compared to NeuN counts from the uninjured contralateral eye. (B), Axonal transport of fluorescent cholera toxin B (CTB) in the optic nerve was quantified by measuring average fluorescence intensity across the width of the optic nerve at 100 µm intervals along the full length of each nerve. A representative image is shown, with the white lines indicating example regions where average fluorescence intensity was measured. Scale bar, 100 µm.</p