Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cancer in man.

Various substances and industrial processes, surrogates of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are currently classified as human carcinogens. This paper reviews recent epidemiological studies reporting direct evidence of the carcinogenic effects of PAHs in occupationally exposed subjects. Risks of lung and bladder cancer were dose dependent when PAHs were measured quantitatively and truly nonexposed groups were chosen for comparison. These new findings suggest that the current threshold limit value of 0.2 mg/m3 of benzene soluble matter (which indicates PAH exposure) is unacceptable because, after 40 years of exposure, it involves a relative risk of 1.2-1.4 for lung cancer and 2.2 for bladder cancer

Elevated cerebral spinal fluid biomarkers in children with mucopolysaccharidosis I-H.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type-IH is a lysosomal storage disease that results from mutations in the IDUA gene causing the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Historically, children with the severe phenotype, MPS-IH (Hurler syndrome) develop progressive neurodegeneration with death in the first decade due to cardio-pulmonary complications. New data suggest that inflammation may play a role in MPS pathophysiology. To date there is almost no information on the pathophysiologic changes within the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of these patients. We evaluated the CSF of 25 consecutive patients with MPS-IH. While CSF glucose and total protein were within the normal range, we found a significantly mean elevated CSF opening pressure at 24 cm H2O (range 14-37 cm H2O). We observed a 3-fold elevation in CSF heparan sulfate and a 3-8 fold increase in MPS-IH specific non-reducing ends, I0S0 and I0S6. Cytokine analyses in CSF of children with MPS-IH showed significantly elevated inflammatory markers including: MCP-1 SDF-1a, IL-Ra, MIP-1b, IL-8, and VEGF in comparison to unaffected children. This is the largest report of CSF characteristics in children with MPS-IH. Identification of key biomarkers may provide further insight into the inflammatory-mediated mechanisms related to MPS diseases and perhaps lead to improved targeted therapies

Importance of food labeling as a means of information and traceability according to consumers

Consumption patterns have considerably changed over recent years. We are witnessing more and more frequently to a lack of information (i.e. information asymmetry) between food producers and consumers, this generate in the consumer the latter need to access information related to processes of production of food and food distribution. Decisionmaking, in absence of further information, leads consumers to pay attention to food labeling. Food labels become the only tool for consumers to acquire additional information about products in order to make the purchase decision. In today’s modern and globalized market, labels limitations can be partially overcome by using Mobile Marketing tools, such as the QR Code (Quick Response Code). Therefore the objective of this study is: (1) categorize profiles of consumers according to the importance given to various information patterns shown on food labeling; (2) discover consumer behaviors when making a purchasing decision based on food information they require in the label; (3) discover consumer profiles with regards to food quality and the use QR Code to acquire further information about food products. Two Italian regional capitals were chosen, as representative of Northern and Southern Italy, basing on the geographical division of the Country made by the ISTAT (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica). The interviews were carried out by telephone, using a questionnaire. Data collected were processed by Multidimensional Scaling We discovered eight profiles of consumers with different purchasing behaviors. Some consumer profiles, with lifestyles typical of contemporary life, use the QR Code to obtain additional information about food products. The innovative purchasing behavior identifies a consumer who is particularly interested in food quality and safety. Agri-food businesses that focus on quality productions could target the innovative profile and communicate further information trough the use of modern communication technologies

The onset of classical QCD dynamics in relativistic heavy ion collisions

The experimental results on hadron production obtained recently at RHIC offer a new prospective on the energy dependence of the nuclear collision dynamics. In particular, it is possible that parton saturation -- the phenomenon likely providing initial conditions for the multi--particle production at RHIC energies -- may have started to set in central heavy ion collisions already around the highest SPS energy. We examine this scenario, and make predictions based on high density QCD for the forthcoming 22 GeV run at RHIC.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, revte

Effect of solar radiation and flaxseed supplementation on milk production and fatty acid profile of lactating ewes under high ambient temperature

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of protection from solar radiation and whole flaxseed supplementation on milk yield and milk fatty acid profile in lactating ewes exposed to high ambient temperature. The experiment was conducted during summer and involved 40 ewes divided into 4 groups. The ewes were either exposed (not offered shade) or protected from solar radiation (offered shade). For each solar radiation treatment, ewes were supplemented with whole flaxseed or not. Milk samples from each ewe were collected at the morning and afternoon milking every week, and analyzed for pH, total protein, casein, fat, and lactose content, somatic cell count, and renneting parameters (clotting time, rate of clot formation, and clot firmness after 30min). At the beginning of the experiment, and then at d 23 and 44, milk samples were analyzed for milk fatty acids using gas chromatography. Flaxseed supplementation significantly increased milk yield, fat, protein, and casein yields, and somatic cell count, and increased fat and lactose contents of milk. A decrease of saturated fatty acids from C6:0 to C16:0 and an increase of C18:1 trans -11 and C18:2 cis- 9, trans -11 was observed in milk from flaxseed-supplemented ewes. Flaxseed supplementation decreased saturated fatty acids content and increased total monounsaturated fatty acids content, the total content of isomers of conjugated linoleic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acids content in milk. Flaxseed also increased the α-linolenic acid content of milk. As a result, milk from supplemented groups showed an increase in n-3 fatty acid content. Flaxseed supplementation decreased short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids, and increased long-chain fatty acid content of milk. On average, flaxseed supplementation increased the C18:2 cis -9, trans -11/C18:1 trans -11 Δ 9 -desaturase index starting from d 23 of the experiment, in correspondence with the highest C18:2 cis -9, trans -11 content of milk from flaxseed-supplemented ewes. Flaxseed decreased atherogenic and thrombogenic indices of milk. Protection from solar radiation during summer did not improve yield and composition of ewe milk. Nevertheless, milk from ewes exposed to solar radiation showed decreased long-chain fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids contents, and in particular, decreased vaccenic acid, rumenic acid, and total conjugated linoleic acid contents

Carcinoma sieroso papillare del peritoneo in paziente già operata di carcinoma mammario. Caso clinico

Il carcinoma sieroso papillare del peritoneo (PPSC) è un tumore raro che si riscontra più frequentemente nel sesso femminile. L?età media al momento della diagnosi è di 56 anni. Si diffonde coinvolgendo il peritoneo, la superficie delle ovaie e la pelvi. L?istologia è indistinguibile dall?analogo tumore ovarico, cioè il carcinoma sieroso papillare (PSCO). L?istogenesi del PPSC è probabilmente correlata all?epitelio celomatico embrionale. Sintomi e segni clinici tipici sono distensione addominale, costipazione, nausea, vomito, riduzione dell?appetito, malessere generale e perdita di peso. La chirurgia citoriduttiva, in aggiunta alla chemioterapia con cisplatino e ad altre terapie come l?immunoterapia e la radioterapia, aumenta la sopravvivenza dei pazienti affetti da PPSC. Viene descritto il caso di una paziente di 51 anni, già operata di carcinoma mammario, nella quale si manifestavano alcuni dei segni e sintomi descritti. L?intervento chirurgico dimostrò le localizzazioni sierose caratteristiche. Si fece una larga exeresi ma la malata morì 14 mesi dopo per la fatale progressione della malattia. English version The peritoneal papillary serous carcinoma (PPSC) is a rare tumor more frequently revealed in female. The onset mean age is 56 years. It implicate peritoneum, ovary?s surface and pelvis. The histology of this disease is similar to papillary serous carcinoma ovary (PSCO). The PPSC histogenesis is probably correlated to coelomatic embryonal epithelium. Clinical characteristics are abdominal swelling, constipation, nausea, emesis, inappetence, feel unwell, lose weight. The cytoreductive surgery and the cisplatinum chemotherapy, and other treatments like immunotherapy and radiotherapy, increase the PSCP patient survival. A case of a 51 years old patient with previous surgery for breast cancer is here described. She show some of the yet described clinical findings. At the surgery we found the typically serous peritoneal localizations. We performed a debulking, and the patient died 14 months after the operation due to the disease progression

Redox thermodynamics of B-class dye-decolorizing peroxidases

With>5000 annotated genes dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs) represent a heme b peroxidase family of broad functional diversity. Bacterial B-class DyPs are poor peroxidases of unknown physiological function. Hydrogen peroxide efficiently mediates the rapid formation of Compound I in B-class DyPs, which, however, is stable and shows modest reactivity towards organic and inorganic electron donors. To understand these characteristics, we have investigated the redox thermodynamics of the one-electron reduction of the ferric high-spin form of wild-type B-class DyP from the pathogenic bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpDyP) and the variants D143A, R232A and D143A/R232A. These distal amino acids are fully conserved in all DyPs and play important roles in Compound I formation and maintenance of the heme cavity architecture and substrate access route(s). The E°′ values of the respective redox couples Fe(III)/Fe(II) varied from −350 mV (wild-type KpDyP) to −299 mV (D143A/R232A) at pH 7.0. Variable-temperature spectroelectrochemical experiments revealed that the reduction reaction of B-class DyPs is enthalpically unfavored but entropically favored with significant differences in enthalpic and entropic contributions to E°′ between the four proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated the impact of solvent reorganization on the entropy change during reduction reaction and revealed the dynamics and restriction of substrate access channels. Obtained data are discussed with respect to the poor peroxidase activities of B-class DyPs and compared with heme peroxidases from other (super)families as well as with chlorite dismutases, which do not react with hydrogen peroxide but share a similar fold and heme cavity architecture

Sex Differences in Clinical Course and Intensive Care Unit Admission in a National Cohort of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Males have a higher risk for an adverse outcome of COVID-19. The aim of the study was to analyze sex differences in the clinical course with focus on patients who received intensive care. Research was conducted as an observational retrospective cohort study. A group of 23,235 patients from 83 hospitals with PCR-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 between 4 February 2020 and 22 March 2021 were included. Data on symptoms were retrieved from a separate registry, which served as a routine infection control system. Males accounted for 51.4% of all included patients. Males received more intensive care (ratio OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.51–1.71) and mechanical ventilation (invasive or noninvasive, OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.73–2.01). A model for the prediction of mortality showed that until the age 60 y, mortality increased with age with no substantial difference between sexes. After 60 y, the risk of death increased more in males than in females. At 90 y, females had a predicted mortality risk of 31%, corresponding to males of 84 y. In the intensive care unit (ICU) cohort, females of 90 y had a mortality risk of 46%, equivalent to males of 72 y. Seventy-five percent of males over 90 died, but only 46% of females of the same age. In conclusion, the sex gap was most evident among the oldest in the ICU. Understanding sex-determined differences in COVID-19 can be useful to facilitate individualized treatments

Age-Related Reference Intervals of the Main Biochemical and Hematological Parameters in C57BL/6J, 129SV/EV and C3H/HeJ Mouse Strains

BACKGROUND: Although the mouse is the animal model most widely used to study the pathogenesis and treatment of human diseases, reference values for biochemical parameters are scanty or lacking for the most frequently used strains. We therefore evaluated these parameters in the C57BL/6J, 129SV/EV and C3H/HeJ mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We measured by dry chemistry 26 analytes relative to electrolyte balance, lipoprotein metabolism, and muscle/heart, liver, kidney and pancreas functions, and by automated blood counter 5 hematological parameters in 30 animals (15 male and 15 female) of each mouse strain at three age ranges: 1-2 months, 3-8 months and 9-12 months. Whole blood was collected from the retro-orbital sinus. We used quality control procedures to investigate analytical imprecision and inaccuracy. Reference values were calculated by non parametric methods (median and 2.5(th) and 97.5(th) percentiles). The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for between-group comparisons. Median levels of GLU, LDH, Chol and BUN were higher, and LPS, AST, ALP and CHE were lower in males than in females (p range: 0.05-0.001). Inter-strain differences were observed for: (1) GLU, t-Bil, K+, Ca++, PO(4)- (p<0.05) and for TAG, Chol, AST, Fe++ (p<0.001) in 4-8 month-old animals; (2) for CK, Crea, Mg++, Na++, K+, Cl- (p<0.05) and BUN (p<0.001) in 2- and in 10-12 month-old mice; and (3) for WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT and PLT (p<0.05) during the 1 year life span. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicate that metabolic variations in C57BL/6J, 129SV/EV and C3H/HeJ mice after therapeutic intervention should be evaluated against gender- and age-dependent reference intervals