Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection Increases B.1.1.7 Cross-Neutralization by Vaccinated Individuals

With the spread of new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a need to assess the protection conferred by both previous infections and current vaccination. Here we tested the neutralizing activity of infected and/or vaccinated individuals against pseudoviruses expressing the spike of the original SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1 (WH1), the D614G mutant and the B.1.1.7 variant. Our data show that parameters of natural infection (time from infection and nature of the infecting variant) determined cross-neutralization. Uninfected vaccinees showed a small reduction in neutralization against the B.1.1.7 variant compared to both the WH1 strain and the D614G mutant. Interestingly, upon vaccination, previously infected individuals developed more robust neutralizing responses against B.1.1.7, suggesting that vaccines can boost the neutralization breadth conferred by natural infection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Progression independent of relapse activity in relapsing multiple sclerosis: impact and relationship with secondary progression

Objectives: We investigated the occurrence and relative contribution of relapse-associated worsening (RAW) and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) to confirmed disability accrual (CDA) and transition to secondary progression (SP) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Relapsing-onset MS patients with follow-up > / = 5 years (16,130) were extracted from the Italian MS Registry. CDA was a 6-month confirmed increase in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. Sustained disability accumulation (SDA) was a CDA with no EDSS improvement in all subsequent visits. Predictors of PIRA and RAW and the association between final EDSS score and type of CDA were assessed using logistic multivariable regression and multivariable ordinal regression models, respectively. Results: Over 11.8 ± 5.4 years, 16,731 CDA events occurred in 8998 (55.8%) patients. PIRA (12,175) accounted for 72.3% of CDA. SDA occurred in 8912 (73.2%) PIRA and 2583 (56.7%) RAW (p < 0.001). 4453 (27.6%) patients transitioned to SPMS, 4010 (73.2%) out of 5476 patients with sustained PIRA and 443 (24.8%) out of 1790 patients with non-sustained PIRA. In the multivariable ordinal regression analysis, higher final EDSS score was associated with PIRA (estimated coefficient 0.349, 95% CI 0.120-0.577, p = 0.003). Discussion: In this real-world relapsing-onset MS cohort, PIRA was the main driver of disability accumulation and was associated with higher disability in the long term. Sustained PIRA was linked to transition to SP and could represent a more accurate PIRA definition and a criterion to mark the putative onset of the progressive phase

Analisi della competenza di ascolto in alunni di scuola media.

L'articolo presenta una ricerca condotta su alunni di scuola media per verificare gli effetti, sulle capacità di comprensione, di un intervento sperimentale sull'ascolto del radiogiornale in classe. Applicando un dettagliato schema di categorie di analisi alle risposte degli alunni, si dimostra che il progresso pre-post/test degli alunni sottoposti alla sperimentazione è significativamente superiore a quello riscontrabile negli alunni dei gruppi di controllo

Inositols Depletion and Resistance: Principal Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies

Inositols are natural molecules involved in several biochemical and metabolic functions in different organs and tissues. The term “inositols” refers to five natural stereoisomers, among which myo-Inositol (myo-Ins) is the most abundant one. Several mechanisms contribute to regulate cellular and tissue homeostasis of myo-Ins levels, including its endogenous synthesis and catabolism, transmembrane transport, intestinal adsorption and renal excretion. Alterations in these mechanisms can lead to a reduction of inositols levels, exposing patient to several pathological conditions, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hypothyroidism, hormonal and metabolic imbalances, like weight gain, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Indeed, myo-Ins is involved in different physiological processes as a key player in signal pathways, including reproductive, hormonal, and metabolic modulation. Genetic mutations in genes codifying for proteins of myo-Ins synthesis and transport, competitive processes with structurally similar molecules, and the administration of specific drugs that cause a central depletion of myo-Ins as a therapeutic outcome, can lead to a reduction of inositols levels. A deeper knowledge of the main mechanisms involved in cellular inositols depletion may add new insights for developing tailored therapeutic approaches and shaping the dosages and the route of administration, with the aim to develop efficacious and safe approaches counteracting inositols depletion-induced pathological events

The fate of CdS Quantum Dots in plants as revealed by Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) analysis

Use of Quantum Dots (QDs) is widespread and as such, the potential risk associated with their dispersion in the environment has stimulated research on interaction with potential sensitive receptors. To this end, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana wild type (wt) and two mutant lines known to be tolerant to cadmium-based CdS QDs but not CdSO4 were exposed to CdS QDs or CdSO4 at sub-inhibitory concentrations for 20 days. X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to investigate cadmium speciation in the cellular environment of the plants after treatment. After exposure to CdS QDs and CdSO4, differences in biomass were observed between wt and mutants, but the form of Cd in the treatment had a marked influence on cadmium atomic environment. The spectra of whole plant samples were found compatible with a mixed O/S coordination: while Cd-S distances did not show ample variations, Cd-O distances varied from ≈2.16 Å in samples grown with QDs to ≈2.22 Å in those grown on CdSO4. In addition, the amount of Cd-S bonds in plants grown with QDs was higher than Cd-O bonds. XAS data showed that CdS QDs were bio-transformed after their uptake; the particle original structure was modified but not totally eliminated, Cd atoms were not released as Cd(II) ions. These findings show the nanoscale specific response of plants to QDs, provide important insight to understanding nanoparticle fate in plants and in the environment, and have implications for both risk assessment and design of appropriate remediation strategies

SXR rs3842689: a prognostic factor for steroid sensitivity or resistance in pediatric idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

AIM: of the study was to analyse the impact of SXR rs3842689 polymorphism on the response to corticosteroids in pediatric idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. PATIENTS & METHODS: 66 children (56 steroid-sensitive, ten steroid-resistant) were studied for SXR gene polymorphism distribution. RESULTS: Steroid sensitive patients accounted for 96% of cases with In/In polymorphism, but only for 53% of cases with Del/Del polymorphism At odds ratio analysis, Del/Del represented a clear risk factor of steroid resistance (OR: 20.57; p = 0.009), while In/In was a favourable prognostic factor of steroid sensitivity. CONCLUSION: The analysis of SXR polymorphism is a promising tool to predict both the favourable response to corticosteroids and the risk of developing steroid resistance

Evidence of the existence of the As4S6 molecule produced by light exposure of alacranite, As8S9

<jats:p>Abstract. The As4S6 molecule, although theoretically predicted and supposed to occur in amorphous arsenic sulfides, was missing in the reported structures of crystalline As chalcogenides; the thermodynamic stable phase for this stoichiometry, in fact, is that of the mineral orpiment, which shows a layered structural arrangement based on trigonal AsS3 pyramids. Here we report the first possible occurrence of the As4S6 molecule together with the other known As4Sn (n=3, 4, 5) molecules randomly replacing each other in the crystalline structure of a new monoclinic product obtained by the light-induced alteration of the mineral alacranite, As8S9. Our findings are based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The fact that As4S6 formed in a crystalline light-induced alteration product could indicate a heretofore unknown role of this molecule in the photoinduced changes of the physico-chemical properties of both bulk glasses and thin films in the As–S system, widely studied in optics and optoelectronics. </jats:p&gt

Copper Oxide Nanomaterial Fate in Plant Tissue: Nanoscale Impacts on Reproductive Tissues

A thorough understanding of the implications of chronic low-dose exposure to engineered nanomaterials through the food chain is lacking. The present study aimed to characterize such a response in Cucurbita pepo L. (zucchini) upon exposure to a potential nanoscale fertilizer: copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. Zucchini was grown in soil amended with nano-CuO, bulk CuO (100 mg Kg−1), and CuSO4 (320 mg Kg−1) from germination to flowering (60 days). Nano-CuO treatment had no impact on plant morphology or growth nor pollen formation and viability. The uptake of Cu was comparable in the plant tissues under all treatments. RNA-seq analyses on vegetative and reproductive tissues highlighted common and nanoscale-specific components of the response. Mitochondrial and chloroplast functions were uniquely modulated in response to nanomaterial exposure as compared with conventional bulk and salt forms. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that the Cu local structure changed upon nano-CuO internalization, suggesting potential nanoparticle biotransformation within the plant tissues. These findings demonstrate the potential positive physiological, cellular, and molecular response related to nano-CuO application as a plant fertilizer, highlighting the differential mechanisms involved in the exposure to Cu in nanoscale, bulk, or salt forms. Nano-CuO uniquely stimulates plant response in a way that can minimize agrochemical inputs to the environment and therefore could be an important strategy in nanoenabled agriculture