Role of nutraceuticals in cancer therapy.

Nutraceuticals are natural bioactive products with food value and promising therapeutic properties in several diseases. Current cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, induce unintended side effects compromising also health and well-being of patients. Emerging studies suggest that some plant-based agents may impact cellular and molecular processes underlying tumor progression. However, some of these molecules might also play an antagonistic activity against classic therapeutic agents. The aim of this article is to review the current knowledge underpinning the use of nutraceuticals in cancer prevention and therapy.</p

Gender Differences and Psychopathological Features Associated With Addictive Behaviors in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The aims of the study were to assess prevalence and gender differences of addictive behaviors (substance- and non-substance-related) in an adolescent population, and their association with psychopathological features and academic performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of high school Italian students (n\u2009=\u2009996; M\u2009=\u2009240, F\u2009=\u2009756) was examined using a self-report survey concerning sociodemographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, alcohol and substance use, perceived academic performance, activities, and behaviors (Internet use, gambling, and physical exercising). The Internet Addiction Test, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-revised Adolescent, and the Exercise Addiction Inventory-Short Form were administered to identify problematic behaviors. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for Adolescent, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, the Dissociative Experience Scale for Adolescent, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were used to investigate psychopathological dimensions. RESULTS: Frequent alcohol intake and lifetime substances consumption were more common among males. The occurrence of other addictive behaviors was 22.1% for problematic Internet use (M\u2009=\u2009F), 9.7% for at-risk/problematic gambling (M\u2009&gt;\u2009F), and 6.2% for maladaptive physical exercise (M\u2009=\u2009F). We also found an association between substance-/non-substance-related addictive behaviors and psychopathological dimensions. Addictive behaviors were more frequent among students reporting poor school performance. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a relevant prevalence of addictive behaviors in a sample of Italian high school students, with specific gender differences. We underlined the cooccurrence of substance and non-substance-related addictive behaviors, and their association with worse school performance. Dissociative proneness, anhedonia, alexithymia, and impulsivity were associated with addictive behaviors in adolescents and might represent vulnerability factors for the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. A better understanding of psychopathological features associated with addictive behaviors might be useful for the prevention/early intervention

gene expression profiling in breast cancer a clinical perspective

Gene expression profiling tests are used in an attempt to determine the right treatment for the right person with early-stage breast cancer that may have spread to nearby lymph nodes but not to distant parts of the body. These new diagnostic approaches are designed to spare people who do not need additional treatment (adjuvant therapy) the side effects of unnecessary treatment, and allow people who may benefit from adjuvant therapy to receive it. In the present review we discuss in detail the major diagnostic tests available such as MammaPrint dx, Oncotype dx, PAM50, Mammostrat, IHC4, MapQuant DX, Theros-Breast Cancer Gene Expression Ratio Assay, and their potential clinical applications

Mouse psychosocial stress reduces motivation and cognitive function in operant reward tests:A model for reward pathology with effects of agomelatine

A major domain of depression is decreased motivation for reward. Translational automated tests can be applied in humans and animals to study operant reward behaviour, aetio-pathophysiology underlying deficits therein, and effects of antidepressant treatment. Three inter-related experiments were conducted to investigate depression-relevant effects of chronic psychosocial stress on operant behaviour in mice. (A) Non-manipulated mice were trained on a complex reversal learning (CRL) test with sucrose reinforcement; relative to vehicle (VEH), acute antidepressant agomelatine (AGO, 25mg/kg p.o.) increased reversals. (B) Mice underwent chronic social defeat (CSD) or control handling (CON) on days 1-15, and were administered AGO or VEH on days 10-22. In a progressive ratio schedule motivation test for sucrose on day 15, CSD mice made fewer responses; AGO tended to reverse this effect. In a CRL test on day 22, CSD mice completed fewer reversals; AGO tended to increase reversals in CSD mice associated with an adaptive increase in perseveration. (C) Mice with continuous operant access to water and saccharin solution in the home cage were exposed to CSD or CON; CSD mice made fewer responses for saccharin and water and drank less saccharin in the active period, and drank more water in the inactive period. In a separate CSD cohort, repeated AGO was without effect on these home cage operant and consummatory changes. Overall, this study demonstrates that psychosocial stress in mice leads to depression-relevant decreases in motivation and cognition in operant reward tests; partial reversal of these deficits by AGO provides evidence for predictive validity

Insight in cognitive impairment assessed with the Cognitive Assessment Interview in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia

The Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) is an interview-based scale measuring cognitive impairment and its impact on functioning in subjects with schizophrenia (SCZ). The present study aimed at assessing, in a large sample of SCZ (n = 601), the agreement between patients and their informants on CAI ratings, to explore patients' insight in their cognitive deficits and its relationships with clinical and functional indices. Agreement between patient- and informant-based ratings was assessed by the Gwet's agreement coefficient. Predictors of insight in cognitive deficits were explored by stepwise multiple regression analyses. Patients reported lower severity of cognitive impairment vs. informants. A substantial to almost perfect agreement was observed between patients' and informants' ratings. Lower insight in cognitive deficits was associated to greater severity of neurocognitive impairment and positive symptoms, lower severity of depressive symptoms, and older age. Worse real-life functioning was associated to lower insight in cognitive deficit, worse neurocognitive performance, and worse functional capacity. Our findings indicate that the CAI is a valid co-primary measure with the interview to patients providing a reliable assessment of their cognitive deficits. In the absence of informants with good knowledge of the subject, the interview to the patient may represent a valid alternative

Arrêt 3 -Dynamique géomorphologique et évolution d'un site archéologique (Nécropole de Vollein)

Nell'ambito di una tesi di Dottorato in Scienze délia Terra [Giardino, 1995], sul versante di Quart-Croce di Fana (versante sinistro délia media Valle d'Aosta) sono state svolte indagini geologiche, geomorfologiche ed archeologiche, approfondite soprattutto nel settore circostante il sito archeologico di Vollein (Eneolitico Antico - Media Età del Bronzo), con lo scopo di ricostruire la dinamica geomorfologica del versante e comprendere le interrelazioni fra processi naturali e prodotti-attività antropiche. Il versante studiato, molto articolato per la presenza di scarpate, contropendenze e rilievi isolati, con tracce di modellamento glaciale, è modellato in unità strutturali ad assetto isoclinale polifasico tagliato da discontinuité strutturali fragili ; l'ammasso roccioso è spesso fratturato a larghe maglie, talvolta con evidenti segni di progressiva apertura delle fratture, rotazioni e traslazioni dei singoli poliedri rocciosi. L'areale interessato da questi pervasivi fenomeni copre una superficie di circa 12 km2. L'analisi degli indicatori cinematici rilevabili nel substrato roccioso e nelle formazioni superficiali, una dettagliata mappatura dei marker délia deformazione ricavabili da elementi geomorfologici e lesioni a manufatti, unitamente ai rilievi archeologici ed a misure topografiche di precisione, hanno consentito in primo luogo di precisare i mec-canismi dei fenomeni di scivolamento gravitativo ; inoltre si è compreso che, già durante l 'occupazione preistorica, era stata messa in atto una strategia per minimizzare gli effetti délia dinamica gravitativa in grado di generare rischi per la frequentazione del sito.Giardino Marco, Martinotti Giorgio, Mezzena Franco. Arrêt 3 -Dynamique géomorphologique et évolution d'un site archéologique (Nécropole de Vollein). In: Collection EDYTEM. Cahiers de géographie, numéro 3, 2005. Le quaternaire des vallées alpines. Fronts glaciaires, mouvements de versants et comblements dans les vallées de l'Arve, d'Aoste et de Suse. Livret-guide de l'excursion organisée par l'AFEQ du 2 au 4 juin 2005. pp. 104-113

Honeydew honey: biological effects on skin cells

Honey is a natural product well known by humankind and now reconsidered for its use as topical agent for wound and burn treatments. Floral honey is made by honeybees from the nectar of blossoms, while honeydew honey is prepared from secretions of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects. Chemical composition is different between blossom and honeydew honeys and there is very few information about the biological properties of honeydew honey. So, this study was specifically designed to explore the potential wound healing effects of the honeydew honey. We used in vitro scratch wound healing model consisting of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Data showed that honeydew honeys is able to increase wound closure by acting both on fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Based on our findings, honeydew honey has the potential to be useful for clinical settings