Identification of enzyme-producing thermophilic bacilli isolated from marine vents of Aeolian Islands (Italy)

Enzyme-producing thermophilic bacilli were isolated from different thermal sites located in and around Aeolian Islands (Italy) and characterised by both molecular and culture-based methods. Spore-forming bacteria with optimal growth from 45 to 70 °C were isolated from submarine vents and a geothermal well of Aeolian Islands (Italy). Eighteen selected strains were screened for extracellular enzyme presence by using nine substrates: Tween 20, Tween 80, tributyrin, soluble starch, xylan, dextran, carragenan, gelatine and casein. Sixteen isolates were able to grow at pH 9. The isolates were differentiated on the basis of restriction pattern of their amplified 16S rDNA (ARDRA) prior to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. On the basis of the most complete sequencing results strain V3 was identified asGeobacillus thermodenitrificans, most of isolates (10/14) was similar at high level (≥95%) to different reference strains of the speciesBacillus licheniformis. The remaining isolates, exhibiting sequence similarity below 95%, may represent novel species of the genusBacillus

The submarine hydrothermal system of Panarea (Southern Italy): biogeochemical processes at the thermal fluids-sea bottom interface

Among the submarine hydrothermal systems located off-shore the volcanic archipelago of the Eolian Islands (Southern Italy), the most active is located off the coasts of Panarea Island. Thermal waters, gases and sulphur deposits coexist at the sea bottom where hydrothermal fluids are released from both shallow and deep vents. The chemical and isotopic composition of the fluid phase shows the presence of a significant magmatic component and the physico-chemical conditions of the geothermal reservoir allow the release of reduced chemical species that are microbially mediated towards the production of organic carbon as a form of biochemical energy. Mi- croorganisms inhabiting this environment possess nutritional requirements and overall metabolic pathways ide- ally suited to such ecosystem that represents a clear example of the close connection between geosphere and biosphere. Microscopic examination of the white mat attached to rock surfaces showed the presence of Thio- thrix-like filamentous bacteria. Moderately thermophilic heterotrophic isolates were identified as strains of the genus Bacillus. Although the hydrothermal system of Panarea has to be considered a «shallow» system, it shows many characteristics that make it similar to the «deep» oceanic systems, giving a unique opportunity for improv- ing our knowledge on such an unexplored world by working at this easily accessible site

Fasting glucose and body mass index as predictors of activity in breast cancer patients treated with everolimus-exemestane: the EverExt study

Evidence on everolimus in breast cancer has placed hyperglycemia among the most common high grade adverse events. Anthropometrics and biomarkers of glucose metabolism were investigated in a observational study of 102 postmenopausal, HR + HER2- metastatic breast cancer patients treated with everolimus-exemestane in first and subsequent lines. Best overall response (BR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) were assessed across subgroups defined upon fasting glucose (FG) and body mass index (BMI). Survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Survival predictors were tested in Cox models. Median follow up was 12.4 months (1.0-41.0). The overall cohort showed increasing levels of FG and decreasing BMI (p < 0.001). Lower FG fasting glucose at BR was more commonly associated with C/PR or SD compared with PD (p < 0.001). We also observed a somewhat higher BMI associated with better response (p = 0.052). More patients in the lowest FG category achieved clinical benefit compared to the highest (p < 0.001), while no relevant differences emerged for BMI. Fasting glucose at re-assessment was also predictive of PFS (p = 0.037), as confirmed in models including BMI and line of therapy (p = 0.049). Treatment discontinuation was significantly associated with changes in FG (p = 0.014). Further research is warranted to corroborate these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms

Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Aspects of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna Earthquake (Italy)

On May 20, 2012 an earthquake of magnitude ML=5.9 struck the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy and a little portion of Lombardia Region. Successive earthquakes occurred on May 29, 2012 with ML=5.8 and ML=5.3. The earthquakes caused 27 deaths, of which 13 on industrial buildings. The damage was considerable. 12,000 buildings were severely damaged; big damages occurred also to monuments and cultural heritage of Italy, causing the collapse of 147 campaniles. The damage is estimated in about 5-6 billions of euro. To the damage caused to people and buildings, must be summed the indirect damage due to loss of industrial production and to the impossibility to operate for several months. The indirect damage could be bigger than the direct damage caused by the earthquake. The resilience of the damaged cities to the damage to the industrial buildings and the lifelines was good enough, because some industries built a smart campus to start again to operate in less of one month and structural and geotechnical guidelines were edited to start with the recovering the damage industrial buildings. In the paper a damage survey is presented and linked with the ground effects. Among these, soil amplification and liquefaction phenomena are analyzed, basing on the soil properties evaluation by field and laboratory tests. Particular emphasis is devoted to the damaged suffered by the industrial buildings and to the aspects of the remedial work linked with the shallow foundation inadequacy and to the liquefaction mitigation effects

PATTERNS OF PRECIPITATION VARIABILITY IN THE GREATER ALPINE REGION

A recently set up and homogenised new precipitation dataset for the Greater Alpine Region (GAR) is presented here with some first preliminary analyses. Climate change patterns within the study region are analysed in terms of regionally different evolutions, seasonality, and short to long-term trends. It will be shown that precipitation presents pronouncedly different variability patterns in space as well as in terms of seasonality and at different time scales

University Extension facing actual symptoms in childhood and puberty: an intervention methodology proposal

El trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar el Proyecto de Extensión “Detección e intervención de problemáticas del lazo parento-filial” del Centro de Extensión a la Comunidad de la Facultad de Psicología; y sus desagregados “Detección e intervención de problemáticas del lazo parento- filial: intervención estratégica sobre embarazo adolescente” y “Detección e intervención de problemáticas del lazo parento-filial: abordaje estratégico de síntomas actuales del despertar sexual” (Prosecretaría de Políticas Sociales, UNLP: 2014 y 2015). Partimos del reconocimiento de la vulnerabilidad en los modos actuales de presentación de los padecimientos que involucran los procesos de constitución psíquica del sujeto, atendiendo al modo particular de vinculación que establece con los otros, en especial con sus otros primordiales. Esta vulnerabilidad se evidencia en manifestaciones disruptivas, dislocadas que se presentan en distintos escenarios, dando cuenta de la precarización del lazo social: violencia entre pares y familiar, maltrato, trastornos en la alimentación, problemas en el aula, en el rendimiento escolar y en la socialización, embarazos precoces, problemáticas que se profundizan en condiciones sociomateriales adversas. El proyecto propone, por lo tanto, intervenciones en la modalidad grupal y, en caso de requerirse, abordajes individuales atendiendo a la localización del malestar y en diálogo colaborativo e interdisciplinario con actores sociales e instituciones, que puedan incidir en estas temáticas. Con dicho propósito, establecemos talleres para padres y alumnos en los colegios, y dispositivos de asesoramiento técnico para los docentes y personal de salud. Esta metodología busca propiciar herramientas en los destinatarios que puedan ser multiplicadas en diversos contextos.This work presents the way in which the Extension Team belonging to the following accredited Projects: “Detection and intervention of problematic parent-child bonds” (Center of Community Extension, Faculty of Psychology: 2011-2014; UNLP: 2015) and its disaggregated “Detection and intervention of problematic parent-child bonds: strategic interventions on adolescent pregnancy” and “Detection and intervention of problematic parent-child bonds: strategic approach of current symptoms of sexual arousal” (Pro-Secretary of Social Policies, UNLP: 2014 and 2015). We start from the recognition of the vulnerability in current modes of presentation of conditions involving the processes of subjective constitution, considering the specific link that subjects establish with the others, specially the primordial others. This vulnerability is evident in disruptive dislocated presentations that appear in different scenarios, showing the precariousness of the social bond: peer violence and family abuse, eating disorders, problems in the classroom, on school performance and the socialization, early pregnancy, problems that are deepening in sociomaterial adverse conditions. The project proposes, therefore, interventions in group mode and, if required, individual approaches taking into account the different ways in which uneasiness appears, in collaborative and interdisciplinary dialogue with social actors and institutions. For this purpose, we offer workshops for parents and students in schools, and devices of technical advice for teachers and health workers. This methodology seeks to encourage tools in the target population that can be multiplied in various contextsFacultad de Psicologí

The impact of the Hippo pathway and cell metabolism on pathological complete response in locally advanced Her2+ breast cancer: the TRISKELE multicenter prospective study

The Hippo pathway and its two key effectors, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), are consistently altered in breast cancer. Pivotal regulators of cell metabolism such as the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1 (SCD1), and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) are relevant modulators of TAZ/YAP activity. In this prospective study, we measured the tumor expression of TAZ, YAP, AMPK, SCD1, and HMGCR by immunohistochemistry in 65 Her2+ breast cancer patients who underwent trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the immunohistochemical expression of the Hippo pathway transducers and cell metabolism regulators on pathological complete response. Low expression of cytoplasmic TAZ, both alone and in the context of a composite signature identified by machine learning including also low nuclear levels of YAP and HMGCR and high cytoplasmic levels of SCD1, was a predictor of residual disease in the univariate logistic regression. This finding was not confirmed in the multivariate model including estrogen receptor > 70% and body mass index > 20. However, our findings were concordant with overall survival data from the TCGA cohort. Our results, possibly affected by the relatively small sample size of this study population, deserve further investigation in adequately sized, ad hoc prospective studies

The Hippo transducer TAZ as a biomarker of pathological complete response in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant therapy

Activation of the Hippo transducer TAZ is emerging as a novel oncogenic route in breast cancer and it has been associated with breast cancer stem cells. Additionally, TAZ expression has been linked with HER-2 positivity. We investigated the association between TAZ expression and pathological complete response in HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant therapy. TAZ was assessed in diagnostic core biopsies by immunohistochemistry. To categorize samples with low TAZ and samples with high TAZ we generated a score by combining staining intensity and cellular localization. The pathological complete response rate was 78.6% in patients with low TAZ tumors and 57.6% in patients with high TAZ tumors (p=0.082). In HER2-enriched tumors there was no significant association between TAZ and pathological complete response, whereas in the luminal B subtype the pathological complete response rate was 82.4% in tumors with low TAZ and 44.4% in tumors with high TAZ (p=0.035). This association remained statistically significant when restricting our analysis to triple-positive tumors with expression of both estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor \ue2\u89\ua5 50% (p=0.035). Results from this exploratory study suggest that the TAZ score efficiently predicts pathological complete response in Luminal B, HER2-positive breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab

DNA damage and repair biomarkers in cervical cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: An exploratory analysis

Cervical cancer cells commonly harbour a defective G1/S checkpoint owing to the interaction of viral oncoproteins with p53 and retinoblastoma protein. The activation of the G2/M checkpoint may thus become essential for protecting cancer cells from genotoxic insults, such as chemotherapy. In 52 cervical cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we investigated whether the levels of phosphorylated Wee1 (pWee1), a key G2/M checkpoint kinase, and y-H2AX, a marker of DNA double-strand breaks, discriminated between patients with a pathological complete response (pCR) and those with residual disease. We also tested the association between pWee1 and phosphorylated Chk1 (pChk1), a kinase acting upstream Wee1 in the G2/M checkpoint pathway. pWee1, y-H2AX and pChk1 were retrospectively assessed in diagnostic biopsies by immunohistochemistry. The degrees of pWee1 and pChk1 expression were defined using three different classification methods, i.e., staining intensity, Allred score, and a multiplicative score. y-H2AX was analyzed both as continuous and categorical variable. Irrespective of the classification used, elevated levels of pWee1 and y-H2AX were significantly associated with a lower rate of pCR. In univariate and multivariate analyses, pWee1 and y-H2AX were both associated with reduced pCR. Internal validation conducted through a re-sampling without replacement procedure confirmed the robustness of the multivariate model. Finally, we found a significant association between pWee1 and pChk1. The message conveyed by the present analysis is that biomarkers of DNA damage and repair may predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer. Further studies are warranted to prospectively validate these encouraging findings