Technical note: Rapid method for determination of amino acids in milk.

A rapid method for measurement of amino acids in milk was developed and validated. The method included a first step of milk protein hydrolysis, followed by the derivatization and separation of amino acids by HPLC. Six combinations of hydrolysis agent and temperature-time conditions were compared with a reference method; derivatization procedures as well as HPLC separation were improved. Hydrolysis of milk samples with 6 N HCl at 160 degrees C for 60 min resulted in no significantly differences compared with the reference method but allowed the analysis of a greater number of milk samples in a short time. In addition, this method was characterized by high precision, low repeatability uncertainty, and high accuracy for all amino acids evaluated; the recovery mean value of the single amino acids was 98.38%. The proposed method is, therefore, accurate, simple, rapid, and suitable for large numbers of milk samples

Agenesis of internal carotid artery associated with isolated growth hormone deficiency: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Agenesis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare congenital abnormality, sporadically reported to be associated with a combined congenital hypopituitarism. Nevertheless, only a few cases have been extensively described, and none of these have been characterized by an isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we describe a 17-year old boy referred to our hospital for fatigue, decreased muscle strength and severe headache reported after the cessation of rhGH treatment for a GH deficiency diagnosed at the age of 2 years and 3 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an adenohypophyseal hypoplasia with a lack of posterior pituitary hyperintensity, whereas MRI angiography indicated the absence of a normal flow void in the left ICA. Endocrinological tests confirmed the GH deficiency (GH peak after growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) + arginine: 2.42 ng/mL) with a very low IGF-I value (31 ng/mL) and normal function of other pituitary axes. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge this is the first confirmed case of an isolated GH deficiency in a patient with ICA agenesis. The presence of an isolated pituitary deficit is unlike to be considered only as an effect of hemodynamic mechanism, suggesting a role for genetic factor(s) as a common cause of these two rare birth defects. Further studies could clarify this issue and the underlying mechanisms to better understand the etiopathogenetic characteristics of this disorder. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12902-015-0037-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Decreased C-Src Expression Enhances Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Formation

c-src deletion in mice leads to osteopetrosis as a result of reduced bone resorption due to an alteration of the osteoclast. We report that deletion/reduction of Src expression enhances osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, contributing to the increase in bone mass. Bone histomorphometry showed that bone formation was increased in Src null compared with wild-type mice. In vitro, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and nodule mineralization were increased in primary calvarial cells and in SV40-immortalized osteoblasts from Src−/− relative to Src+/+ mice. Src-antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-src) reduced Src levels by ∼60% and caused a similar increase in ALP activity and nodule mineralization in primary osteoblasts in vitro. Reduction in cell proliferation was observed in primary and immortalized Src−/− osteoblasts and in normal osteoblasts incubated with the AS-src. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR revealed upregulation of ALP, Osf2/Cbfa1 transcription factor, PTH/PTHrP receptor, osteocalcin, and pro-alpha 2(I) collagen in Src-deficient osteoblasts. The expression of the bone matrix protein osteopontin remained unchanged. Based on these results, we conclude that the reduction of Src expression not only inhibits bone resorption, but also stimulates osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, suggesting that the osteogenic cells may contribute to the development of the osteopetrotic phenotype in Src-deficient mice

Development of an innovative microcantilever-based biosensor for 17β-estradiol detection in bovine muscles: preliminary results

17β-estradiol is the most powerful substance with estrogenic effect, commonly used as illegal growth promoter in livestock production. To avoid health risks for consumers, sensitive, reliable and low-cost methods for quantification of extremely low concentrations of such carcinogenic residues in food are needed. Antibody-immobilised microcantilever resonators were proposed as innovative biosensors able to quantify an adsorbed target mass thanks to a shift in resonance frequency. Furthermore, the quantification of masses on the order of few picograms has recently shown to be successfully achievable with very high precision. In this study, we analysed the performance of our microcantilever sensors using extracted samples of bovine muscle from experimental animals, containing variable concentrations of 17β-estradiol (HPLC-MS/MS tested). Preliminary data showed that treated animals are correctly revealed, exhibiting large negative frequency shifts. More experiments, though, are needed to obtain a correct quantification of 17β-estradiol concentration

Psicologia per i soccorritori e psicologia dei soccorritori

Il contributo analizza il tema delle competenze psicologiche necessarie per agire efficacemente come soccorritori

Famiglie in emergenza tra vulnerabilit\ue0 e resilienza

Il capitolo discute il ruolo delle famiglie nei contesti critici delle emergenze

Evaluation of hepcidin level in covid-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a clinical spectrum that ranges from a mild condition to critical illness. Patients with critical illness present respiratory failure, septic shock and/or multi-organ failure induced by the so called “cytokine storm”. Inflammatory cytokines affect iron metabolism, mainly inducing the synthesis of hepcidin, a hormone peptide not routinely measured. High levels of hepcidin have been associated with the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to analyze, retrospectively, the levels of hepcidin in a group of COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Policlinico Tor Vergata of Rome, Italy. Thirty-eight patients from November 2020 to May 2021 were enrolled in the study. Based on the clinical outcome, the patients were assigned to two groups: survivors and non-survivors. Moreover, a series of routine laboratory parameters were monitored during the stay of the patients in the ICU and their levels correlated to the outcome. Statistical differences in the level of hepcidin, D-dimer, IL-6, LDH, NLR, neutrophils level, CRP, TNF-α and transferrin were observed between the groups. In particular, hepcidin values showed significantly different median concentrations (88 ng/mL vs. 146 ng/mL) between survivors and non-survivors. In addition, ROC curves analysis revealed sensitivity and specificity values of 74% and 76%, respectively, at a cut-off of 127 (ng/mL), indicating hepcidin as a good biomarker in predicting the severity and mortality of COVID-19 in ICU patients

Assessment of the Physiological Values and the Reference Histological Profile Related to Sex Steroids in Veal Calves

Among forbidden substances included in the European Union legislation, endogenous steroids constitute a challenge in the framework of veterinary Official Monitoring Plans. They can be naturally present in body fluids at variable levels depending on the species, sex and age of the animals. Considering the significant advances achieved in breeding conditions and in the selection of producing traits in meat cattle, the aim of this study was to verify by analytical method, in veal calves housed under controlled conditions, if the level of natural steroids hormones assumed as physiological are still actual. The second aim of the study was to verify if the normal histological pattern of growth promoters in target organs is influenced accordingly. Bovine male sex organs are currently analysed in the frame of the Italian histological plan to monitor illicit treatments trend, highlighting microscopic, induced alterations. The levels of 17β-estradiol and progesterone residues resulted under the Limit of Quantitation of the approved official methods and the level of testosterone resulted below the level stated in the Italian Ministerial Decree in force. Male target organs appeared within the limits of the standard histological features