Donor selection for allogenic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation: clinical and ethical considerations

Allogenic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an established treatment for many diseases. Stem cells may be obtained from different sources: mobilized peripheral blood stem cells, bone marrow, and umbilical cord blood. The progress in transplantation procedures, the establishment of experienced transplant centres, and the creation of unrelated adult donor registries and cord blood banks gave those without an human leucocyte antigen- (HLA-) identical sibling donor the opportunity to find a donor and cord blood units worldwide. HSCT imposes operative cautions so that the entire donation/transplantation procedure is safe for both donors and recipients; it carries with it significant clinical, moral, and ethical concerns, mostly when donors are minors. The following points have been stressed: the donation should be excluded when excessive risks for the donor are reasonable, donors must receive an accurate information regarding eventual adverse events and health burden for the donors themselves, a valid consent is required, and the recipient’s risks must be outweighed by the expected benefits. The issue of conflict of interest, when the same physician has the responsibility for both donor selection and recipient care, is highlighted as well as the need of an adequate insurance protection for all the parties involved

Adolescent Sexual and Emotional Development: The Role of Romantic Relationships

The physiological processes occurring during adolescence, often so abrupt, threaten the permanence of the previously constructed sense of identity, questioning the patterns and representations that had governed the relations of the teenager with his body and with his relational systems. Although puberty is not only reduced to sexual transformations, definitions centered mainly on this aspect can be found in the literature. In fact, pubertal development is the acquisition disclosure index of adult reproductive capacity

A Psychological Confrontation of Adolescents on Mass Media and Religious Practices, in Tamil Nadu, South India

India is an ancient, multi-cultural-religious country. The younger generations are much influenced by Mass Media in their expression of freedom, morality and religious practices, posing a challenge to combat. The question is: whether mass media always takes the Adolescents away from religious practices or does it contribute for its betterment? Hence, we intend to verify “the Psychological confrontation of the Adolescents of Tamil Nadu on mass media and religious practices” From the results of the data analysis we are given to know that the Adolescents in Tamil Nadu counterpoise European and American Experiments in the use of Mass Media

Ectocellular enzyme activities of the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Dinophyceae)

The activities of the enzymes a and b-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase were measured in cultures of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Pav.) J. Schiller, and in field samples collected during dinoflagellate blooms in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Activities were measured using fluorogenic artificial substrates and partitioned among different size fractions. Little to no glucosidase activity was found associated with the dinoflagellate size fraction in either cultures or in field samples. A large fraction of the total aminopeptidase (LAP) activity in cultures was found in the dinoflagellate size fraction. LAP activity was positively correlated with dinoflagellate abundance and chl a, and negatively correlated with ammonium concentration. Alkaline phosphatase exhibited a strong response to P-deficiency, increasing up to 330 times in P-depleted cells compared to P-replete conditions, and decreasing after addition of phosphate. P. minimum can make a substantial contribution to ectocellular hydrolytic activity in the water column during blooms

Complex Adaptive Immunity to Enteric Fevers in Humans: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), the causative agent of typhoid fever, and S. Paratyphi A and B, causative agents of paratyphoid fever, are major public health threats throughout the world. Although two licensed typhoid vaccines are currently available, they are only moderately protective and immunogenic necessitating the development of novel vaccines. A major obstacle in the development of improved typhoid, as well as paratyphoid vaccines is the lack of known immunological correlates of protection in humans. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in understanding the complex adaptive host responses against S. Typhi. Although the induction of S. Typhi-specific antibodies (including their functional properties) and memory B cells, as well as their cross-reactivity with S. Paratyphi A and S. Paratyphi B has been shown, the role of humoral immunity in protection remains undefined. Cell mediated immunity (CMI) is likely to play a dominant role in protection against enteric fever pathogens. Detailed measurements of CMI performed in volunteers immunized with attenuated strains of S. Typhi have shown, among others, the induction of lymphoproliferation, multifunctional type 1 cytokine production and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell responses. In addition to systemic responses, the local microenvironment of the gut is likely to be of paramount importance in protection from these infections. In this review we will critically assess current knowledge regarding the role of CMI and humoral immunity following natural S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi infections, experimental challenge, and immunization in humans. We will also address recent advances regarding cross-talk between the host’s gut microbiota and immunization with attenuated S. Typhi, mechanisms of systemic immune responses, and the homing potential of S. Typhi-specific B and T cells to the gut and other tissues

Was it a fatal whiplash injury or not? Clinical forensic anatomy: a key to shed light on a case

Autopsy is the oldest method of medical investigation. Many studies underscore the need for autopsies also in the era of technical progress emphasizing the continuing discrepancies between ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnoses. The forensic pathologist (and anatomist, too) has to know in depth the anatomy and how to study it using the dissection techniques with the help of new pre and post autoptical technologies.  Forensic radiology must integrate the expertise of forensic pathologist, the challenge is to unite all disciplines by direct and intense communication. Furthermore, histology plays a fundamental role in the final diagnosis and the collection of the samples requires the correct visualization and isolation of all the supposed organ lesions.  We present a case report with a multidisciplinary method to the cadaver, about a presumed “road murder”, in which the forensic clinical anatomical approach was directed to the cause and means of death. A case of a 79 years old man victim of a frontal crash is presented. At the scene, the driver was found comatose (GCS 3) and carried to the Emergency Department. At the ED, the patient was subjected to CT scan of brain and angio CT scan, directed, in particular, to epiaortic vessels. CT scan showed a widespread ischemia of cortical and subcortical areas of pariar, occipital and cerebellar lobes; angio CT scan revealed the complete occlusion of the lumen of both vertebral arteries, at the level of the third cervical vertebra. The man died about 4 days after his admittance to the hospital. Was it a death after a whiplash injury or not? Before performing autopsy, a head and neck CT scan was carried out. Autopsy was performed 6 days later, and was carried according to a protocol for the examination of the V3 – V4 segments of the vertebral artery. Imaging first, and then autopsy, revealed completely different findings from those shown in ante mortem CT scan, that revealed the true cause of death.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Practice of Forensic Medicine: An Overview

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forensic sciences, on the one hand, contributed to gaining knowledge about different aspects of the pandemic, while on the other hand, forensic professionals were called on to quickly adapt their activities to respond adequately to the changes imposed by the pandemic. This review aims to clarify the state of the art in forensic medicine at the time of COVID-19, discussing the following: the influence of external factors on forensic activities, the impact of autopsy practice on COVID-19 and vice-versa, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples, forensic personnel activities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the global vaccination program and forensic sciences, forensic undergraduate education during and after the imposed COVID-19 lockdown, and the medico-legal implications in medical malpractice claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced different aspects of human life, and, accordingly, the practical activities of forensic sciences that are defined as multidisciplinary, involving different expertise. Indeed, the activities are very different, including crime scene investigation (CSI), external examination, autopsy, and genetic and toxicological examinations of tissues and/or biological fluids. At the same time, forensic professionals may have direct contact with subjects in life, such as in the case of abuse victims (in some cases involving children), collecting biological samples from suspects, or visiting subjects in the case of physical examinations. In this scenario, forensic professionals are called on to implement methods to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, wearing adequate PPE, and working in environments with a reduced risk of infection. Consequently, in the pandemic era, the costs involved for forensic sciences were substantially increased

Expression of a glucocorticoid receptor (D1GR1) in several tissues of the teleost fish Dicentrarchus labrax

Since glucocorticoids have a role in maintaining the homeostatic status in fish, in the present paper mRNA expression (in situ hybridization) and tissue immunohistochemical localization of a glucocorticoid receptor (DlGR1) in several Dicentrarchus labrax organs are reported. Riboprobe and specific antibodies were prepared by using the DlGR1 that has been previously cloned and sequenced from peritoneal cavity leukocytes. Both mRNA and receptor were identified in head kidney, spleen, gills, intestine, heart and liver tissues. The functional roles of DlGR1 localization are discussed

ADDICTIONS SUBSTANCE FREE DURING LIFESPAN

The addictions substance free is an umbrella definition comprises internet addiction, sexual addiction, gambling pathological, workholism, videogames and computer addiction. Actually, the technological addictions is frequent in young adolescents. The term Digital Natives indicates the children born in an information system of learning and communication different from that of the generations previous. This temporal range was strongly characterized by growing presence of technological communication toolsin daily life. The effects of hyper-exposition to technological tools tend to create a relational virtuality without a body is born,therefore, already within the family ties and during adolescence he moved to the digital socialization network. The technological object it interacts between the adolescent and the world of peers and adults, becoming the facilitator object that as the psychotropic substance, it conveys new modes of communicatio

Smart drugs and neuroenhancement: what do we know?

Introduction: Smart drugs are among the most common drugs used by students. It is estimated that they are second in incidence after cannabis. Although they are usually used for diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dementia, in most cases the use of smart drugs is illegal and without a prescription. Methodological issues: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. SCOPUS, Medline (using PubMed as a search engine), Embase, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar were used as search engines from January 1, 1980 to June 1, 2021 to evaluate the association between smart drugs and neuro-enhancement. A total of 4715 articles were collected. Of these, 295 duplicates were removed. A total of 4380 articles did not meet the inclusion criteria. In conclusion, 48 articles were included in the present systematic review. Results: Most of the studies were survey studies, 1 was a prospective longitudinal study, 1 was a cross-over study, and 1 was an experimental study in an animal model (rats). The largest group of consumers was school or university students. The most frequent reasons for using smart drugs were: better concentration, neuro enhancement, stress reduction, time optimization, increased wake time, increased free time, and curiosity. There are conflicting opinions, in fact, regarding their actual functioning and benefit, it is not known whether the benefits reported by consumers are due to the drugs, the placebo effect or a combination of these. The real prevalence is underestimated: it is important that the scientific community focus on this issue with further studies on animal models to validate their efficacy