Relevant and selective activity of Pancratium illyricum L. against Candida albicans clinical isolates: a combined effect on yeast growth and virulence

BACKGROUND: Alkaloids present in plants of the Amaryllidaceae family are secondary metabolites of high biological interest, possessing a wide range of pharmacological activities. In the search for new plant-derived compounds with antimicrobial activities, two alkaloid extracts obtained from bulbs and leaves of Pancratium illyricum L., a plant of the Amarillydaceae family, were tested for their effect on bacterial and yeast growth. METHODS: The broth microdilution susceptibility test was applied to study the effect of plant extracts on the growth of reference bacterial strains and Candida albicans reference and clinical isolates strains. Extracts obtained from the different parts of the plant were tested and compared with the pure components identified in the extracts. Since matrix metalloproteinase enzymes play a role in the dissemination process of Candida albicans, the effect of the bulb extract and pure alkaloids on in vitro collagenase activity was tested. Cell viability test was carried out on human embryo lung fibroblasts (HEL 299). RESULTS: Whilst both extracts did not show any inhibitory activity against neither Gram positive nor Gram negative bacteria, a strong antifungal activity was detected, in particular for the bulb extract. All clinical isolates were susceptible to the growth inhibitory activity of the bulb extract, with endpoint IC50 values ranging from 1.22 to 78 μg/mL. The pure alkaloids lycorine and vittatine, identified as components of the extract, were also assayed for their capacity of inhibiting the yeast growth, and lycorine turned very active, with endpoint IC50 values ranging from 0.89 to 28.5 μg/mL. A potent inhibition of the in vitro collagenase activity was found in the presence of the bulb extract, and this effect was much higher than that exerted by the pure alkaloids. Viability of cell lines tested was not affected by the extract. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, results suggest that the extract of Pancratium illyricum may act as antifungal agent both directly on the yeast growth and by altering the tissue invasion process

The kinematics of molecular clumps surrounding hot cores in G29.96-0.02 and G31.41+0.31

We present high angular resolution interferometric observations of the 3 and 1.3mm continuum emission, and HCO+(1-0) and SiO(2-1)v=0 lines, obtained with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory millimeter-wave array, toward two hot cores (HCs) associated with two well known ultracompact (UC) HII regions: G29.96-0.02 and G31.41+0.31. These HCs are believed to host young forming massive stars which have been suggested to be surrounded by massive rotating accretion disks. The aim of these new observations is to study the structure and kinematics of the molecular clumps surrounding the HCs and nearby UCHII regions at moderately high angular resolution. Our observations reveal that the clumps within which the HCs and UCHII regions are embedded have a complex kinematical structure. The total mass of the clumps is estimated to be in the range 1000-3000 Msun, consistent with previous findings. Our observations also show compelling evidence that the clump in G29.96-0.02 is contracting onto the HC position, suggesting that the accretion process onto the massive young stellar object embedded in the HC is still ongoing. In these objects the kinematical structure that we observe is also compatible with the presence of a massive rotating disk within the HC, even though we cannot prove this suggestion with our data. The case of G31.41+0.31 is more complicated, and our data, although consistent with the presence of an inner disk and an infalling envelope around it, do not have the required spatial resolution to resolve the different structures.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figs, A&A in pres

Nestin expression associates with poor prognosis and triple negative phenotype in locally advanced (T4) breast cancer

Nestin, an intermediate filament protein, has traditionally been noted for its importance as a neural stem cell marker. However, in recent years, expression of nestin has shown to be associated with general proliferation of progenitor cell populations within neoplasms. There is no reported study addressing nestin expression in T4 breast cancer patients. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate, through immunohistochemistry, the expression and distribution of nestin in T4 breast cancer, in order to determine its association with clinical and pathological parameters as well as with patients' outcome. Nestin was detectable in tumoral cells and in endothelial cells of blood microvessels, and it is significantly expressed in triple-negative and in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) subgroups of T4 breast tumours. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the presence of nestin in tumoral cells significantly predicted poor prognosis at 5-years survival (P=0.02) and with borderline significance at 10-years of survival (P=0.05) in T4 breast cancer patients. On the basis of these observations, we speculate that nestin expression may characterize tumours with an aggressive clinical behavior, suggesting that the presence of nestin in tumoral cells and vessels may be considered an important factor that leads to a poor prognosis. Further studies are awaited to define the biological role of nestin in the etiology of these subgroups of breast cancers

Solution of the kinetic equations governing trap filling. Consequences concerning dose dependence and dose-rate effects

The equations governing the traffic of charge carriers during the filling, by ionizing radiation, of traps and luminescence centers in an insulator are numerically solved. The numerical solution is that of a set of four simultaneous differential equations governing the time-dependent functions of concentrations of electrons and holes in the conduction and valence bands and in traps and centers. The results are more general and accurate than those reported previously since no assumptions concerning the proximity to equilibrium have to be made. Moreover, all previous calculations took into account the accumulated concentrations at the end of the irradiation, whereas we have considered an additional period of time after the excitation which allows for the relaxation of carriers in the bands. This simulates the experimental conditions more accurately because during this time any charge carriers which may have accumulated in the conduction and valence bands will relax into the traps and centers and, in doing so, will contribute to the final concentration of trapped charge. In our calculations we have allowed for this by letting the charge in the bands decay for a period of time T following the cessation of the irradiation (which occurs at time t). Thus, the level of trapped charge n is calculated at time t+ T and this is taken to be a better representation of the trapped charge density. Results were obtained for very high and very low dose rates (intensities) of the radiation. Experimental findings of the dose dependence of thermoluminescence (TL) are susceptible to analysis by the approach developed by us. By adding a competing trapping level and changing the set of equations appropriately, we get a set of five simultaneous differential equations. In this way we can test the previous approximative results yielding a superlinear filling of one of the traps. It is found that, under an appropriate choice of parameters, superlinearity emerges, although the results are not identical to those of the previous approximations. In addition, an important result to emerge from the analysis is the possible dependence of TL output on the dose rate for a constant total dose. Recent experimental results of such a dependence on TL in quartz are shown to be in general accord with the numerical results.Peer reviewedPhysic

New insights on the antifungal activity of essential oil of Salvia desoleana Atzei et Picci, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia, Italy

757-760This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), a-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine

New insights on the antifungal activity of essential oil of Salvia desoleana Atzei et Picci, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia, Italy

This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), a-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine

Prognostic prediction of the immunohistochemical expression of p16 and p53 in cutaneous melanoma: a comparison of two populations from different geographical regions

p16INK4a and p53 are tumor-suppressor genes frequently altered in various malignancies, including cutaneous melanoma. The purpose of the study was to establish the prognostic value of immunohistochemical expression of p16INK4a and p53 in sporadic cutaneous melanoma (CM) in two regions with a high-risk for melanoma in Italy and Ecuador. Immunohistochemical staining of p16 and p53 was performed in samples of primary CM from 82 patients with Stage I and II melanoma according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. Survival differences between categories of p16 or p53 expression were analyzed using the product-limit procedure (Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test). Clinical variables (gender, age, tumor location, Clark’s level, thickness) were correlated with survival and p16 or p53 expression. p16 nuclear immunoreactivity was observed in 85% of Italian patients compared to 48.7% of Ecuadorians; a small number of cases showed p53 immunoreactivity in both populations. Only nuclear p16 expression exhibited a significant correlation with survival (Italians p=0.001, Ecuadorians p=0.017) but did not appear to correlate with any clinicopathological parameter. No significant difference was observed in survival with regard to p53 expression or cytoplasmic p16. Our results demonstrate that nuclear expression of p16 can be considered a molecular prognostic factor in patients with sporadic CM and indicate its importance as a clinical marker

Plants and traditional knowledge: An ethnobotanical investigation on Monte Ortobene (Nuoro, Sardinia)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most of the traditional knowledge about plants and their uses is fast disappearing as a consequence of socio-economic and land use changes. This trend is also occurring in areas that are historically exposed to very few external influences, such as Sardinia (Italy). From 2004 to 2005, an ethnobotanical investigation was carried out in the area of Monte Ortobene, a mountain located near Nuoro, in central Sardinia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. All the records – defined as 'citations', i.e. a single use reported for a single botanical species by a single informant – were filed in a data base ('analytical table'), together with additional information: i.e. local names of plants, parts used, local frequencies, and habitats of plants, etc. In processing the data, plants and uses were grouped into general ('categories') and detailed ('secondary categories') typologies of use. Some synthetic indexes have also been used, such as Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Cultural Importance Index (CI), the Shannon-Wiener Index (H'), and Evenness Index (J).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-two plants were cited by the informants as being traditionally used in the area. These 72 'ethnospecies' correspond to 99 botanical taxa (species or subspecies) belonging to 34 families. Three-hundred and one citations, 50 secondary categories of use, and 191 different uses were recorded, most of them concerning alimentary and medicinal plants.</p> <p>For the alimentary plants, 126 citations, 44 species, and 13 different uses were recorded, while for the medicinal plants, there were 106 citations, 40 species, and 12 uses. Few plants and uses were recorded for the remaining categories. Plants and uses for each category of use are discussed. Analyses of results include the relative abundance of botanical families, wild vs. cultivated species, habitats, frequency, parts of plant used, types of use, knowledge distribution, and the different cultural importance of the species in question.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study provides examples of several interesting uses of plants in the community, which would seem to show that the custom of using wild plants is still alive in the Monte Ortobene area. However, many practices are no longer in use, and survive only as memories from the past in the minds of elderly people, and often only in one or just a few informants. This rapidly vanishing cultural diversity needs to be studied and documented before it disappears definitively.</p

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Benin, West Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer ranks as the first most frequent cancer among women in Benin. The major cause of cervical cancer now recognized is persistent infection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). In Benin there is a lack of screening programs for prevention of cervical cancer and little information exists regarding HPV genotype distribution.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cervical cells from 725 women were examined for the presence of viral DNA by means of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplex-based assay with the amplification of a fragment of L1 region and of E6/E7 region of the HPV genome, and of abnormal cytology by Papanicolaou method. The association between HPV status and Pap test reports was evaluated. Socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics were also related.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 18 different HPV types were identified, with a prevalence of 33.2% overall, and 52% and 26.7% among women with and without cervical lesions, respectively. Multiple HPV infections were observed in 40.2% of HPV-infected women. In the HPV-testing group, the odds ratio for the detection of abnormal cytology was 2.98 (95% CI, 1.83-4.84) for HPV positive in comparison to HPV negative women. High risk types were involved in 88% of infections, most notably HPV-59, HPV-35, HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-58 and HPV-45. In multiple infections of women with cytological abnormalities HPV-45 predominated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study provides the first estimates of the prevalence of HPV and type-specific distribution among women from Benin and demonstrates that the epidemiology of HPV infection in Benin is different from that of other world regions. Specific area vaccinations may be needed to prevent cervical cancer and the other HPV-related diseases.</p

Measurement of isotopic separation of argon with the prototype of the cryogenic distillation plant Aria for dark matter searches

The Aria cryogenic distillation plant, located in Sardinia, Italy, is a key component of the DarkSide-20k experimental program for WIMP dark matter searches at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. Aria is designed to purify the argon, extracted from underground wells in Colorado, USA, and used as the DarkSide-20k target material, to detector-grade quality. In this paper, we report the first measurement of argon isotopic separation by distillation with the 26&nbsp;m tall Aria prototype. We discuss the measurement of the operating parameters of the column and the observation of the simultaneous separation of the three stable argon isotopes: 36Ar , 38Ar , and 40Ar . We also provide a detailed comparison of the experimental results with commercial process simulation software. This measurement of isotopic separation of argon is a significant achievement for the project, building on the success of the initial demonstration of isotopic separation of nitrogen using the same equipment in 2019