Behavior of Ternary Mixtures of Hydrogen Bond Acceptors and Donors in Terms of Band Gap Energies

Three ternary mixtures composed by choline chloride (ChCl), ethylene glycol (EG), and a second hydrogen bond donor (HBD) as ethanol (A), 2-propanol (B), and glycerol (C) were studied in terms of composition related to the band gap energy (BGE). A Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, and in particular a Simple Lattice three-components design, was employed for determining the variation of the BGE upon the composition of each system. UV-VIS analysis and subsequent Tauc plot methodology provided the data requested from the DoE, and multivariate statistical analysis revealed a drop of the BGE in correspondence to specific binary compositions for systems A and B. In particular, a BGE of 3.85 eV was registered for the mixtures ChCl/EtOH (1:1) and ChCl/2-propanol (1:1), which represents one of the lowest values ever observed for these systems

The high frequency of manic symptoms in fibromyalgia does influence the choice of treatment?

BACKGROUND: Mood disorders were found associated with fibromyalgia (FM) and clinical studies have revealed the efficacy of antidepressant drugs in the treatment of FM. However no specific instruments to identify manic symptoms were used. OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency of anxiety and mood disorders (particularly bipolar disorders and manic symptoms) in a consecutive sample of women affected by FM using standardized diagnostic tools and to compare the prevalence of these disorders with that observed in a sample of healthy controls from the general population. METHODS: Cases: consecutive series of women (N = 37, mean age 50.1 ± 21.0) attending a Rheumatology outpatient Unit at the University of Cagliari. Controls: 148 women, drawn from the data bank of an epidemiological study matched for sex and age with controls according to a randomisation "after blocks" method. The Italian version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Simplified were carried out by physicians. Psychiatric diagnosis was formulated according to DSM-IV criteria. The Italian version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was administered to identify manic symptoms and bipolar disorders. Diagnosis of FM were carried out by rheumatologist according to the criteria of American College of Rheumatology. RESULTS: Subjects with FM showed a higher comorbidity with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder than controls. The study showed a high frequency of manic symptoms (MDQ positive) in the sample of fibromyalgic patients (59%), approximately double that found in the control sample (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of antidepressants, especially tricyclic antidepressants, in the treatment of FM. The clinical difficulty in identifying hypomanic episodes is well known particularly where previous and not present episodes are concerned as in depressive patients. These data would suggest further studies on the subject are needed and more caution also in prescribing antidepressants in a population apparently at high risk for bipolar disorders

Climate and landscape composition explain agronomic practices, pesticide use and grape yield in vineyards across Italy

Context Worldwide, organic farming is being promoted as one of the main alternatives to intensive conventional farming. However, the benefits of organic agriculture are still controversial and need to be tested across wide environmental gradients. Objective Here, we carried out an observational study to test how agronomic practices, pest management, environmental impact and yield of conventional and organic vineyards changed along wide climatic and landscape gradients across Italy. Methods We used a block design with 38 pairs of conventional and organic vineyards across Italy. Results and conclusions Most agronomic practices did not differ between conventional and organic vineyards. By contrast, landscape composition and climate were strong predictors of management in both systems. First, increasing semi-natural areas around the vineyards reduced pesticide pressure and related environmental impacts, but was also associated with lower yield. Second, irrespective of the farming system, a warm and dry climate was associated with reduced fungicide pressure. Conventional farming had a yield gain of 40% in cold and wet climate compared to organic but the yield gap disappeared in the warmest regions. Significance In both farming systems, we observed a large variability in management practices that was mainly explained by climate and landscape composition. This large variability should be considered when evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of different farming systems under contrasting environmental contexts

Adjuvant and neoadjuvant breast cancer treatments: A systematic review of their effects on mortality

Background Adjuvant and neoadjuvant breast cancer treatments can reduce breast cancer mortality but may increase mortality from other causes. Information regarding treatment benefits and risks is scattered widely through the literature. To inform clinical practice we collated and reviewed the highest quality evidence. Methods Guidelines were searched to identify adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment options recommended in early invasive breast cancer. For each option, systematic literature searches identified the highest-ranking evidence. For radiotherapy risks, searches for dose-response relationships and modern organ doses were also undertaken. Results Treatment options recommended in USA and elsewhere included chemotherapy (anthracycline, taxane, platinum, capecitabine), anti-human epidermal growth factor 2 therapy (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, trastuzumab emtansine, neratinib), endocrine therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitor, ovarian ablation/suppression with varying durations) and bisphosphonates. Radiotherapy options were after breast conserving surgery (whole breast, partial breast, tumour bed boost, regional nodes) and after mastectomy (chest wall, regional nodes). Treatment options were supported by randomised evidence, including >10,000 women for eight treatment comparisons, 1,000-10,000 for fifteen and <1,000 for one. Most treatment comparisons reduced breast cancer mortality or recurrence by 10-25%, with no increase in non-breast-cancer death. Anthracycline chemotherapy and radiotherapy increased overall non-breast-cancer mortality. Anthracycline risk was from heart disease and leukaemia. Radiation-risks were mainly from heart disease, lung cancer and oesophageal cancer, and increased with increasing heart, lung and oesophagus radiation doses respectively. Taxanes increased leukaemia risk. Aromatase inhibitors in premenopausal women increased death from second cancers. Conclusions These benefits and risks inform treatment decisions for individuals and recommendations for groups of women

Aberrant expression of CD10 and BCL6 in mantle cell lymphoma

Aims: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is characterized by distinctive histological and molecular features. Aberrant expression of BCL6 and CD10 has been reported occasionally, but the biological features of such cases are largely unknown. This study aimed to define the epidemiological, histological and cytogenetic characteristics of BCL6 and CD10-positive MCLs, also investigating possible biological features. Methods and results: A total of 165 cases of cyclin D1 and t(11;14)(q13;q34)-positive MCLs were studied for CD10 and BCL6 immunohistochemical expression, which was documented in 26 of 165 (15.8%) cases (BCL6 17 of 165; CD10 11 of 165; BCL6 and CD10 co-expression two of 165). CD10-positivity was significantly more frequent in females (63.3%; P < 0.01). Either expression correlated significantly with higher mean proliferation index and higher prevalence of MUM1 positivity (P < 0.05). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) for BCL6 (3q27) gene derangements was performed on the BCL6- and CD10-positive cases and 98 matched controls: amplifications were documented more frequently in BCL6-positive than -negative cases (50.0% versus 19.4% of cases) (P < 0.05). The mutational status of the variable immunoglobulin heavy chain genes (IGVH) was investigated by Sanger sequencing: five of the six successfully tested cases (83.3%) showed no somatic hypermutations. Conclusions: Aberrant CD10 and BCL6 expression defines a subset of MCLs with higher mean Ki-67 index and higher prevalence of MUM1 expression. BCL6 protein positivity correlates with cytogenetic aberrations involving the BCL6 gene. Although examined successfully in few cases, the high prevalence of unmutated IGVH genes also points at a pregerminal cell origin for these phenotypically aberrant cases

miRNA Stability in Frozen Plasma Samples

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a family of small non-coding ribonucleic acids that post-transcriptionally inhibits the expression of their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby acting as general gene repressors. In this study we examined the relative quantity and stability of miRNA subjected to a long period of freezing; we compared the stability of eight miRNAs in the plasma of five human healthy controls before freezing and after six and 12 months of storage at −80 °C. In addition, we examined the plasma frozen for 14 years and the amount of miRNA still available. Using a Life Technologies protocol to amplify and quantify plasma miRNAs from EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid)-treated blood, we analyzed the stability of eight miRNAs, (miR-125b-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-200b-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-579-3p, miR-212-3p, miR-126-3p, and miR-21-5p). The miRNAs analyzed showed a high stability and long frozen half-life