Mathematical modelling plant signalling networks

During the last two decades, molecular genetic studies and the completion of the sequencing of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome have increased knowledge of hormonal regulation in plants. These signal transduction pathways act in concert through gene regulatory and signalling networks whose main components have begun to be elucidated. Our understanding of the resulting cellular processes is hindered by the complex, and sometimes counter-intuitive, dynamics of the networks, which may be interconnected through feedback controls and cross-regulation. Mathematical modelling provides a valuable tool to investigate such dynamics and to perform in silico experiments that may not be easily carried out in a laboratory. In this article, we firstly review general methods for modelling gene and signalling networks and their application in plants. We then describe specific models of hormonal perception and cross-talk in plants. This sub-cellular analysis paves the way for more comprehensive mathematical studies of hormonal transport and signalling in a multi-scale setting

Inference of the genetic network regulating lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Regulation of gene expression is crucial for organism growth, and it is one of the challenges in Systems Biology to reconstruct the underlying regulatory biological networks from transcriptomic data. The formation of lateral roots in Arabidopsis thaliana is stimulated by a cascade of regulators of which only the interactions of its initial elements have been identified. Using simulated gene expression data with known network topology, we compare the performance of inference algorithms, based on different approaches, for which ready-to-use software is available. We show that their performance improves with the network size and the inclusion of mutants. We then analyse two sets of genes, whose activity is likely to be relevant to lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis, by integrating sequence analysis with the intersection of the results of the best performing methods on time series and mutants to infer their regulatory network. The methods applied capture known interactions between genes that are candidate regulators at early stages of development. The network inferred from genes significantly expressed during lateral root formation exhibits distinct scale-free, small world and hierarchical properties and the nodes with a high out-degree may warrant further investigation

STRATEGIES FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF THE MAIN HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE BEEF CATTLE REARING

Italian beef cattle\u2019s rearing is mainly based on fattening imported young animal from abroad. For animals, as occur also in the humans, the adaptation to new environment and social conditions gives rise to stress condition; this situation could drive the subject to severe physiologic and psychological reactions and compromise the health. To meet the consumer needs, at the present time farmer target is to obtain high quality meat as quick as possible in order to reduce the rearing cost and to improve the animal welfare. Therefore, nutritional level and sanitary condition must be the best to stimulate the greater growth than possible. Considering that, the italian typical beef cattle rearing needs to be based on diets characterized by high energy concentrations and on sanitary programs. The correct management of vaccination, antibiotic treatment and nutrition are important both in the fattening period and in the adaptation phase. The objective of the present doctoral study was to evaluate the incidence and the severity of the health problems in the italian beef cattle rearing focusing the attention on Bovine Respiratory Disease and parasitosis. With this aim, an important part of the study was dedicated to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs administration to reduce the incidence and severity of BRD and to understand how specifics plant extracts could reduce the parasitic infestation. As mentioned, the adaptation phase is the first important critical point of the entire breeding process and any problem that occurs during this phase can compromise the entire rearing period. BRD, nutritional diseases and parasitosis cause a decrease in productive performances, an increase in pharmacological costs, technical and veterinary assistance, convenience culling, mortality, and consequently the length of breeding process and financial liabilities. In the first study it has been enquired the incidence and the importance of the more important sanitary problems of the adaptation phase in imported beef cattle related with some animal\u2019s parameters. The enquired parameters were body weight, weight loss, incidence of pulmonary disease, incidence of locomotion disease due to traumatic and nutritional causes, incidence of animals moved in sick-bay pens due to pulmonary or locomotion diseases and finally mortality and the cause of it. To analyze the parameters listed above, the weight of the animals was divided in four classes ( 451 Kg), the weight loss was divided in four classes ( 7%), the breeds was charolaise, limousine and crossbreed, and finally it has been considered the two sex. The data collected showed that pulmonary disease is inversely proportional to the body weight while the locomotion system diseases are directly proportional to that. Subjects with a low weight loss (< 2%) had a high morbidity of pulmonary disease. Female have a morbidity of the pulmonary disease higher than the male subject, primarily because the female have a body weight lower than male and there are evidence that the body weight is directly related with the weight loss and the incidence of the problems. Conversely the males are more affected by locomotion disease, probably because those subject are more competitive than the female. Limousine breed is more affected by pulmonary disease than the others, but it\u2019s also to be considered that those animals arrive from France with a body weight lower than the other imported breeds. Charolaise breed manifested high rates of locomotion disease, both traumatic and nutritional, due to the higher body weight and the higher ruminal capacity that induce to speed up the adaptation program. After the evaluation of the incidence of the main disease and the factors related, a series of subtrials were conducted in feedlots Italy to investigate the efficacy of a long acting and slow release antibiotic (gamithromycin) in the prevention and treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in newly arrived cattle. Three studies were conducted on its preventive efficacy when compared to either an untreated control, a long-acting oxytetracycline formulation or tulathromycin. The therapeutic responses to tulathromycin and gamithromycin were also compared in the therapeutic study. Preventive treatment with gamithromycin significantly reduced the morbidity due to BRD by 86%, 86% and 35% compared to the untreated control group, the oxytetracycline group and the tulathromycin group respectively. In the therapeutic trial, the number of animals that required re-treatment during the 14 days following the initial medication was significantly reduced in the gamithromycin group, compared to the positive control group. These results suggest that the dual therapeutic and preventive action of gamithromycin provides a valuable addition to the veterinarians\u2019 armamentarium for the medical management of BRD. Other than BRD, parasitic infestation is considered one of the main problems related to an increase in morbidity and bad growing performance. Cattle usually do not show clinical signs of coccidiosis unless stressed by weaning, weather, shipping or other diseases. In any case the disease can compromise the animal homeostasis and nutritional up-take worsening the weight gain. Several natural substances have capability to improve physiological and health bred animal status and some of them have anti parasite properties. The trial was managed to verify the effects of some different commercial plant extracts on growth performance and coccidia infestation in 235 newly received Charolaise beef cattle, imported from France, during the adaptation period. This trial was divided in four subtrials to test four different plant extracts or mix of them (Subtrial 1: Calendula officinalis, Castanea sativa, Plantago major, Silybum marianum, Trigonella foenum-graecum; Subtrial 2: Castanea sativa, Vitis vinifera, Citrus spp, yucca shidigera; Subtrial 3 and 4: Origanum vulgare). Plant extract mix administered in the first subtrial showed to increase growth performance, reducing damages inducted by Eimeria coccidia acting as anticoccidial. In fact both number of animals infested and number of oocysts in feces were strongly decreased. The plant extract mix used in the second subtrial showed to decrease infested animals, but the same animals emitted with the feces a greater number of oocysts, denoting higher infestation and probably greater damages. Growing performances didn\u2019t show any difference. The administration of Origanum vulgare didn\u2019t show any difference, denoting no effects on coccidia. In conclusion, the present doctoral study showed that, for a correct management of the adaptation phase, but even of the entire rearing period, it should necessary to consider some of newly received cattle\u2019s characteristics like weight at the arrival, sex and breed because are often connected with an increase of morbidity. Furthermore, the study brings out the fact that it\u2019s also very important to choose the most appropriate protocol of vaccination and antibiotic treatment to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and also to adopt specific nutritional strategies to promote a quickly reestablishment of the normal ruminal conditions after transport and to prevent coccidiosis

Editorial - A tailored approach in geriatric oncology: turning a problem into an opportunity for the elderly

No abstract availabl

O FILOSOFAR COMO CRIAÇÃO DOS SENTIDOS DA EXPERIÊNCIA

O debate sobre o ensino de Filosofia no Brasil tem se pautado em torno de uma argumentação voltada preponderantemente para a defesa daquilo que pode ser chamado de transmissão da “tradição filosófica ou, de forma mais divergente, o desenvolvimento de habilidade de pensamento. Invariavelmente essas abordagens da filosofia se convertem num exercício retórico reduzindo o filosofar numa arte literária fechada que não ilumina nem dirige a confusão que a criança e o jovem encontram-se imersos em suas experiências de vida. Pretendemos argumentar nesse artigo que a educação filosófica pode ser pensada sob outro patamar, ou seja, estabelecendo como seu objeto primário o campo contínuo, interconectado e conflituoso da experiência de vida. Para desenvolver nossa argumentação tomaremos como referência a compreensão da filosofia como uma atividade de pensamento reflexivo no âmbito social e cultural de valor indispensável uma vez que ela tem a tarefa de pensar os problemas da experiência presente tal como podemos encontrar nas principais obras de John Dewey. A filosofia passa a habitar a experiência gerando e vitalizando os sentidos lógicos, éticos, políticos

In-room test results at CNAO of an innovative PT treatments online monitor (Dose Profiler)

The use of C, He and O ions as projectiles in Particle Therapy (PT) treatments is getting more and more widespread as a consequence of their enhanced relative biological effectiveness and oxygen enhancement ratio, when compared to the protons one. The advantages related to the incoming radiation improved efficacy are requiring an accurate online monitor of the dose release spatial distribution. Such monitor is necessary to prevent unwanted damage to the tissues surrounding the tumour that can arise, for example, due to morphological changes occurred in the patient during the treatment with respect to the initial CT scan. PT treatments with ions can be monitored by detecting the secondary radiation produced by the primary beam interactions with the patient body along the path towards the target volume. Charged fragments produced in the nuclear process of projectile fragmentation can be emitted at large angles with respect to the incoming beam direction and can be detected with high efficiency in a nearly background-free environment. The Dose Profiler (DP) detector, developed within the INSIDE project, is a scintillating fibre tracker that allows an online reconstruction and backtracking of such secondary charged fragments. The construction and preliminary in-room tests performed on the DP, carried out using the 12C ions beam of the CNAO treatment centre using an anthropomorphic phantom as a target, will be reviewed in this contribution. The impact of the secondary fragments interactions with the patient body will be discussed in view of a clinical application. Furthermore, the results implications for a pre-clinical trial on CNAO patients, foreseen in 2019, will be discussed

EAACI Task force Clinical epidemiology of anaphylaxis: experts’ perspective on the use of adrenaline autoinjectors in Europe

Background Worldwide, guidelines recommend the use of adrenaline autoinjectors (AAIs) for self-medication in patients who experience severe allergic reaction. The European Medical Agency recommends the prescription of two AAIs, which should be carried by patients at all times. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines propose to prescribe a second AAI under some defined conditions. In the present study, we aimed to examine the adherence to these guidelines and prescription behavior of allergy experts regarding the number of AAIs prescribed for a given patient. Methods A standardized questionnaire was applied to the participants of the 5th International Conference of the Network of Online Registration for Anaphylaxis (NORA e. V.). Twenty-six experts (medical doctors with at least 2 years of experience in the field of anaphylaxis) answered the questions regarding the number of autoinjectors prescribed and the reasons influencing their decisions. Results Sixty-eight percent of the experts usually prescribed one AAI, while 32% prescribed two. The pediatricians and physicians with less experience tended to prescribe two autoinjectors more frequently. The experts were more likely to prescribe two adrenaline autoinjectors if the patient was a child, had a previous severe reaction, had mastocytosis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, or high body weight, or lived far from the emergency department. Conclusion Our data confirm the lack of consensus regarding the number of AAIs to prescribe. Despite the European Medical Agency recommendation, the majority of allergy experts prescribed one autoinjector per patient. However, under distinct circumstances (e.g. mastocytosis, asthma, excess body weight, a history of severe anaphylaxis, or restricted access to immediate emergency), experts tended to prescribe more AAIs, which is in accordance with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines