Experimental transmission of Corn Stunt Spiroplasma Present In Different Regions of Argentina

The aim was to transmit Corn stunt spiroplasma (Spiroplasma kunkelii Whitcomb) using field-collected Dalbulus maidis insects (Hemiptera-Cicadellidae), and diseased plants from places in the subtropical and temperate regions of Argentina. Field-collected D. maidis populations transmitted the spiroplasma in 39% of the cases when a density of five insects per plant was used. Transmissions were obtained from diseased plants collected in two subtropical locations. In all the symptomatic plants, the presence of spiroplasma was detected by serology and confirmed with PCR. The development of the symptoms and the pathogen titer varied between plants infected with insects from the same location, leading to the identification of two plant groups: one with severe symptoms and high pathogen titer, and the other with mild symptoms and lower titer, showing a direct relation between pathogen titer and the severity of symptomsFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y MuseoInstituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuari

Antioxidant Properties of Aminoethylcysteine Ketimine Decarboxylated Dimer: A Review

Aminoethylcysteine ketimine decarboxylated dimer is a natural sulfur-containing compound detected in human plasma and urine, in mammalian brain and in many common edible vegetables. Over the past decade many studies have been undertaken to identify its metabolic role. Attention has been focused on its antioxidant properties and on its reactivity against oxygen and nitrogen reactive species. These properties have been studied in different model systems starting from plasma lipoproteins to specific cellular lines. All these studies report that aminoethylcysteine ketimine decarboxylated dimer is able to interact both with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, peroxynitrite and its derivatives). Its antioxidant activity is similar to that of Vitamin E while higher than other hydrophilic antioxidants, such as trolox and N-acetylcysteine

APOLLO 11 Project, Consortium in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Innovative Therapies: Integration of Real-World Data and Translational Research

Introduction: Despite several therapeutic efforts, lung cancer remains a highly lethal disease. Novel therapeutic approaches encompass immune-checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapeutics and antibody-drug conjugates, with different results. Several studies have been aimed at identifying biomarkers able to predict benefit from these therapies and create a prediction model of response, despite this there is a lack of information to help clinicians in the choice of therapy for lung cancer patients with advanced disease. This is primarily due to the complexity of lung cancer biology, where a single or few biomarkers are not sufficient to provide enough predictive capability to explain biologic differences; other reasons include the paucity of data collected by single studies performed in heterogeneous unmatched cohorts and the methodology of analysis. In fact, classical statistical methods are unable to analyze and integrate the magnitude of information from multiple biological and clinical sources (eg, genomics, transcriptomics, and radiomics). Methods and objectives: APOLLO11 is an Italian multicentre, observational study involving patients with a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer (NSCLC and SCLC) treated with innovative therapies. Retrospective and prospective collection of multiomic data, such as tissue- (eg, for genomic, transcriptomic analysis) and blood-based biologic material (eg, ctDNA, PBMC), in addition to clinical and radiological data (eg, for radiomic analysis) will be collected. The overall aim of the project is to build a consortium integrating different datasets and a virtual biobank from participating Italian lung cancer centers. To face with the large amount of data provided, AI and ML techniques will be applied will be applied to manage this large dataset in an effort to build an R-Model, integrating retrospective and prospective population-based data. The ultimate goal is to create a tool able to help physicians and patients to make treatment decisions. Conclusion: APOLLO11 aims to propose a breakthrough approach in lung cancer research, replacing the old, monocentric viewpoint towards a multicomprehensive, multiomic, multicenter model. Multicenter cancer datasets incorporating common virtual biobank and new methodologic approaches including artificial intelligence, machine learning up to deep learning is the road to the future in oncology launched by this project

Acute Delta Hepatitis in Italy spanning three decades (1991–2019): Evidence for the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccination campaign

Updated incidence data of acute Delta virus hepatitis (HDV) are lacking worldwide. Our aim was to evaluate incidence of and risk factors for acute HDV in Italy after the introduction of the compulsory vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 1991. Data were obtained from the National Surveillance System of acute viral hepatitis (SEIEVA). Independent predictors of HDV were assessed by logistic-regression analysis. The incidence of acute HDV per 1-million population declined from 3.2 cases in 1987 to 0.04 in 2019, parallel to that of acute HBV per 100,000 from 10.0 to 0.39 cases during the same period. The median age of cases increased from 27 years in the decade 1991-1999 to 44 years in the decade 2010-2019 (p < .001). Over the same period, the male/female ratio decreased from 3.8 to 2.1, the proportion of coinfections increased from 55% to 75% (p = .003) and that of HBsAg positive acute hepatitis tested for by IgM anti-HDV linearly decreased from 50.1% to 34.1% (p < .001). People born abroad accounted for 24.6% of cases in 2004-2010 and 32.1% in 2011-2019. In the period 2010-2019, risky sexual behaviour (O.R. 4.2; 95%CI: 1.4-12.8) was the sole independent predictor of acute HDV; conversely intravenous drug use was no longer associated (O.R. 1.25; 95%CI: 0.15-10.22) with this. In conclusion, HBV vaccination was an effective measure to control acute HDV. Intravenous drug use is no longer an efficient mode of HDV spread. Testing for IgM-anti HDV is a grey area requiring alert. Acute HDV in foreigners should be monitored in the years to come

Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use in early acute respiratory distress syndrome : Insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Concerns exist regarding the prevalence and impact of unnecessary oxygen use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined this issue in patients with ARDS enrolled in the Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE (LUNG SAFE) study. Methods: In this secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE study, we wished to determine the prevalence and the outcomes associated with hyperoxemia on day 1, sustained hyperoxemia, and excessive oxygen use in patients with early ARDS. Patients who fulfilled criteria of ARDS on day 1 and day 2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were categorized based on the presence of hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day 1, sustained (i.e., present on day 1 and day 2) hyperoxemia, or excessive oxygen use (FIO2 ≥ 0.60 during hyperoxemia). Results: Of 2005 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 131 (6.5%) were hypoxemic (PaO2 < 55 mmHg), 607 (30%) had hyperoxemia on day 1, and 250 (12%) had sustained hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use occurred in 400 (66%) out of 607 patients with hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use decreased from day 1 to day 2 of ARDS, with most hyperoxemic patients on day 2 receiving relatively low FIO2. Multivariate analyses found no independent relationship between day 1 hyperoxemia, sustained hyperoxemia, or excess FIO2 use and adverse clinical outcomes. Mortality was 42% in patients with excess FIO2 use, compared to 39% in a propensity-matched sample of normoxemic (PaO2 55-100 mmHg) patients (P = 0.47). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use are both prevalent in early ARDS but are most often non-sustained. No relationship was found between hyperoxemia or excessive oxygen use and patient outcome in this cohort. Trial registration: LUNG-SAFE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073publishersversionPeer reviewe

Castor Oil at Classe (Ravenna-Italy): residue analysis of some late roman amphorae coming from the port

During a fire at the end of the 5th century (about 490-500), among other buildings, a warehouse of the port of Classe was completely burnt. Inside there were different ceramic materials, such as lamps, amphorae, bowls and dishes, all coming from Africa, that remained in situ, thanks to the sudden event that destroyed the warehouse (building 17). The excavations were carried out during the years 2002 - 2005 by the University of Bologna and the Soprintendenza Archeologica of Emilia-Romagna. Among the amphorae recovered there were 200 Spatheia type 1 (Bonifay 2004, type 31) and about 180 wide cylindrical amphorae dated between the end of the 5th and the first quarter of the 6th century. In order to understand what these amphorae contained, chemical analysis of residues were carried out. Ten amphorae were selected to be analyzed (five spatheia and five cylindrical amphorae). All were sampled with a small drill and analyzed in collabor ation between the Archaeometric Laboratory and the Centro di Analisi e Determinazioni Strutturali of the University of Siena with spot tests and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. The results of the analyses were surprising: regardless the form of the amphorae, some of the spatheia and of the cylindrical amphorae contained castor oil, and only two amphorae showed the markers of a possible different vegetable oil. No fish traces were present in either type of amphorae, suggesting that these spatheia were not used to transport it. Furthermore, all the amphorae showed resin or pitch traces, although almost all of them contained oil. These data point out several problems on the attribution of a specific content to amphorae types, and on the presence of an organic coating in oil containers. Furthermore, the presence of castor oil is quite interesting, as it is one of the first times that it was identified in ancient materials

Formation of 3-nitrotyrosine by riboflavin photosensitized oxidation of tyrosine in the presence of nitrite

The results of the present investigation show the susceptibility of tyrosine to undergo visible lightinduced photomodification to 3-nitrotyrosine in the presence of nitrite and riboflavin, as sensitizer. By changing H 2O by D 2O, it could be established that singlet oxygen has a minor role in the reaction. The finding that nitration of tyrosine still occurred to a large extent under anaerobic conditions indicates that the process proceeds mainly through a type I mechanism, which involves the direct interaction of the excited state of riboflavin with tyrosine and nitrite to give tyrosyl radical and nitrogen dioxide radical, respectively. The tyrosyl radicals can either dimerize to yield 3,3'-dityrosine or combine with nitrogen dioxide radical to form 3-nitrotyrosine. The formation of 3-nitrotyrosine was found to increase with the concentration of nitrite added and was accompanied by a decrease in the recovery of 3,3'-dityrosine, suggesting that tyrosine nitration competes with dimerization reaction. The riboflavin photosensitizing reaction in the presence of nitrite was also able to induce nitration of tyrosine residues in proteins as revealed by the spectral changes at 430 nm, a characteristic absorbance of 3-nitrotyrosine, and by immunoreactivity using 3-nitrotyrosine antibodies. Since riboflavin and nitrite are both present endogenously in living organism, it is suggested that this pathway of tyrosine nitration may potentially occur in tissues and organs exposed to sunlight such as skin and eye. © Springer-Verlag 2011

Some new details of the copper-hydrogen peroxide interaction

The addition of neocuproine (NC) or bathocuproine-disulphonate at the end of the autooxidation of Cu-I in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, regenerates almost entirely the O-2 consumed. Other chelating agents assayed, including o-phenanthroline, cannot replace NC in promoting the O-2 formation. O-2 is also produced by adding NC to a mixture of Cu-II and H2O2 Concomitant with the O-2 evolution, the typical absorbance of the (NC)(2)Cu-I complex appears to account for the complete reduction of Cu-II to Cu-I. It is concluded that the addition of H2O2 with Cu-II produces the equilibrium Cu-II(O2H)(-) (CdO2H)-O-I.. Addition of NC shifts the equilibrium to the right side by binding CuI. The released O-2(.-) then reacts with the remaining Cu-II yielding, in the presence of NC, the net reaction of 4 NC + 2 Cu-II + H2O2 --> 2 (NC)(2)Cu-I + O-2 + 2 H+. O-2 is also released in the absence of added NC provided the H2O2 concentration is increased. In these conditions the Cu-II(O2H)(-) complex undergoes other reactions leading to the copper-catalysed decomposition of H2O2. (C) 1997 Academic Press