1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 selectively modulates tolerogenic properties in myeloid but not plasmacytoid dendritic cells

1,25-Dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is an immunomodulatory agent inducing dendritic cells (DCs) to become tolerogenic. To further understand its mechanisms of action, we have examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on tolerogenic properties of blood myeloid (M-DCs) and plasmacytoid (P-DCs) human DC subsets. Exposure of M-DCs to 1,25(OH)2D3 up-regulated production of CCL22, a chemokine attracting regulatory T cells, whereas production of CCL17, the other CCR4 ligand, was reduced. 1,25(OH)2D3 also decreased IL-12p75 production by M-DCs, as expected, and inhibited CCR7 expression. 1,25(OH) 2D3 treatment markedly increased CD4+ suppressor T cell activity while decreasing the capacity of M-DCs to induce Th1 cell development. Surprisingly, 1,25(OH)2D3 did not exert any discernible effect on tolerogenic properties of P-DCs, and even their high production of IFN-α was not modulated. In particular, the intrinsically high capacity of P-DCs to induce CD4+ suppressor T cells was unaffected by 1,25(OH)2D3. Both DC subsets expressed similar levels of the vitamin D receptor, and its ligation by 1,25(OH) 2D3 similarly activated the primary response gene cyp24. Interestingly, 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in M-DCs but not P-DCs, suggesting a mechanism for the inability of 1,25(OH)2D3 to modulate tolerogenic properties in P-DCs.Fil: Penna, Giuseppe. No especifíca;Fil: Amuchastegui, Susana. No especifíca;Fil: Giarratana, Nadia. No especifíca;Fil: Daniel, Kenn C.. No especifíca;Fil: Vulcano, Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Sozzani, Silvano. No especifíca;Fil: Adorini, Luciano. No especifíca

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 selectively modulates tolerogenic properties in myeloid but not plasmacytoid dendritic cells

1,25-Dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is an immunomodulatory agent inducing dendritic cells (DCs) to become tolerogenic. To further understand its mechanisms of action, we have examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on tolerogenic properties of blood myeloid (M-DCs) and plasmacytoid (P-DCs) human DC subsets. Exposure of M-DCs to 1,25(OH)2D3 up-regulated production of CCL22, a chemokine attracting regulatory T cells, whereas production of CCL17, the other CCR4 ligand, was reduced. 1,25(OH)2D3 also decreased IL-12p75 production by M-DCs, as expected, and inhibited CCR7 expression. 1,25(OH) 2D3 treatment markedly increased CD4+ suppressor T cell activity while decreasing the capacity of M-DCs to induce Th1 cell development. Surprisingly, 1,25(OH)2D3 did not exert any discernible effect on tolerogenic properties of P-DCs, and even their high production of IFN-α was not modulated. In particular, the intrinsically high capacity of P-DCs to induce CD4+ suppressor T cells was unaffected by 1,25(OH)2D3. Both DC subsets expressed similar levels of the vitamin D receptor, and its ligation by 1,25(OH) 2D3 similarly activated the primary response gene cyp24. Interestingly, 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in M-DCs but not P-DCs, suggesting a mechanism for the inability of 1,25(OH)2D3 to modulate tolerogenic properties in P-DCs.Fil: Penna, Giuseppe. No especifíca;Fil: Amuchastegui, Susana. No especifíca;Fil: Giarratana, Nadia. No especifíca;Fil: Daniel, Kenn C.. No especifíca;Fil: Vulcano, Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Sozzani, Silvano. No especifíca;Fil: Adorini, Luciano. No especifíca

Relationship between eroded volume and main scour hole dimensions near quay walls caused by internal counter-rotating twin-propellers

The present study aims at computing and analysing the eroded sediment volumes induced by twin-propeller jets near a vertical quay wall from the main geometric characteristics of the scour hole. Two different scouring mechanisms govern the scouring process: i) the down-flow due to the interaction between the propellers jet and the wall, and ii) the direct impact of the propellers jet flow on the seabed. For this reason, the whole study area is divided into two subzones: 1) ’near the wall’ field; 2) ’far from the wall’ field. Both forward and backward rotation of the propellers during manoeuvring are analysed. The results show that, for the two manoeuvring states, the relationship between the eroded volume and the geometric characteristics of the scour hole in the near-wall subzone does not change, meaning that the backward rotation does not affect the morphology of the scour hole near the wall. Moreover, the eroded volume can be determined as a function of the maximum depth near the wall and, with higher accuracy, as a product of the three main geometric characteristics of the scour hole at any time-stage during the scour hole developmentPostprint (published version

Assessment of spatio-temporal variability of faecal pollution along coastal waters during and after rainfall events

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Manini, E., Baldrighi, E., Ricci, F., Grilli, F., Giovannelli, D., Intoccia, M., Casabianca, S., Capellacci, S., Marinchel, N., Penna, P., Moro, F., Campanelli, A., Cordone, A., Correggia, M., Bastoni, D., Bolognini, L., Marini, M., & Penna, A. Assessment of spatio-temporal variability of faecal pollution along coastal waters during and after rainfall events. Water, 14(3), (2022): 502, https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030502.More than 80% of wastewaters are discharged into rivers or seas, with a negative impact on water quality along the coast due to the presence of potential pathogens of faecal origin. Escherichia coli and enterococci are important indicators to assess, monitor, and predict microbial water quality in natural ecosystems. During rainfall events, the amount of wastewater delivered to rivers and coastal systems is increased dramatically. This study implements measures capable of monitoring the pathways of wastewater discharge to rivers and the transport of faecal bacteria to the coastal area during and following extreme rainfall events. Spatio-temporal variability of faecal microorganisms and their relationship with environmental variables and sewage outflow in an area located in the western Adriatic coast (Fano, Italy) was monitored. The daily monitoring during the rainy events was carried out for two summer seasons, for a total of five sampling periods. These results highlight that faecal microbial contaminations were related to rainy events with a high flow of wastewater, with recovery times for the microbiological indicators varying between 24 and 72 h and influenced by a dynamic dispersion. The positive correlation between ammonium and faecal bacteria at the Arzilla River and the consequences in seawater can provide a theoretical basis for controlling ammonium levels in rivers as a proxy to monitor the potential risk of bathing waters pathogen pollution.This research was funded by WATERCARE project (Water management solutions for reducing microbial environment impact in coastal areas, project ID 10044130, https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/watercare, accessed on 17 October 2021) funded by the European Union under the Interreg Italy–Croatia CBC Programme

Milk From Cow Fed With High Forage/Concentrate Ratio Diet: Beneficial Effect on Rat Skeletal Muscle Inflammatory State and Oxidative Stress Through Modulation of Mitochondrial Functions and AMPK Activity

Milk and dairy products are relevant components of daily diet and are part of dietary recommendation in many countries due to their content of key nutrients. However, the relatively high content of saturated fat of the milk and its extensive usage for every age group raises concerns about its potential negative health effects. Therefore, in the last years, several researchers dedicated their attention to milk production and quality. Milk fatty acids profile depend on cow feeding and in particular on the type of forage and concentrate and forage/concentrate ratio. It was demonstrated that feeding dairy cows with a 70/30 forage/concentrate ratio yields milk with a low ω6:ω3 ratio and high CLA levels. In this work, we demonstrated that the supplementation of rats diet with this high forage milk (HFM) results, in the skeletal muscle of these animals, in a reduced lipid content and inflammation levels, and an improved mitochondrial lipid oxidation, and redox status through modulation of AMPK activity

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Turbulent Flow Field around Horizontal Cylinders with Scour Hole

This study presents the results of an experimental investigation on the flow-structure interactions at scoured horizontal cylinders, varying the gap between the cylinder and the bed surface. A 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was used to measure the flow field in a vertical plane at the end of the scouring process. Instantaneous and ensemble-averaged velocity and vorticity fields, viscous and Reynolds stresses, and ensemble-averaged turbulence indicators were calculated. Longitudinal bed profiles were measured at the equilibrium. The results revealed that suspended and laid on cylinders behave differently from half-buried cylinders if subjected to the same hydraulic conditions. In the latter case, vortex shedding downstream of the cylinder is suppressed by the presence of the bed surface that causes an asymmetry in the development of the vortices. This implies that strong turbulent mixing processes occur downstream of the uncovered cylinders, whereas in the case of half-buried cylinders they are confined within the scour hole