IPO-V2: A prospective, multicenter, randomized, comparative clinical investigation of the effects of sulodexide in preventing cardiovascular accidents in the first year after acute myocardial infarction

AbstractObjectives. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of sulodexide, a glycosaminoglycan compound with antithrombotic properties, in preventing death and thromboembotic events after acute myocardial infarction.Background. Antithrombotic therapy has been found to play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular events and death after acute myocardial infarction. Glycosaminoglycan-containing compounds, including sulodexide, show profibrinolytic and antithrombotic properties that render them suitable for use in patients after infarction.Methods. A total of 3,986 patients who had recovered from acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either the standard therapy routinely administered at each study center, excluding antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs (control group, 1,970 patients), or the standard therapy plus sulodexide (treated group, 2,016 patients). Between 7 and 10 days after the episode of acute myocardial infarction, sulodexide was administered as a single daily 600-lipoprotein-lipase-releasing unit (LRU) intramuscular injection for the 1st month, followed by oral capsules of 500 LRU twice daily. Patients were evaluated for ≥12 months.Results. At the end of the study, 140 (7.1%) were recorded in the control group and 97 (4.8%) in the sulodexide group (32% risk reduction, p = 0.0022, chi-square test). A total of 90 patients (4.6%) in the control group had a further infarction, compared with 66 (33%) in the sulodexide group (28% risk reduction, p = 0.035). Furthermore, a reduction in left ventricular thrombus formation (evaluated by echocardiography) was observed in the sulodeside group (n = 12; 0.6%), compared with values in the control group (n = 25; 1.3%) (53% risk reduction, p = 0.027). Sulodexide was well tolerated and devoid of significant adverse events. All significant results were confirmed by “actual treatment” analyses.Conclusions. The study provides evidence that long-term therapy with sulodexide started early after an episode of acute myocardial infarction is associated with reductions in total mortality, rate of reinfarction and mural thrombus formation

Placental determinants of fetal growth: identification of key factors in the insulin-like growth factor and cytokine systems using artificial neural networks

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Changes and relationships of components of the cytokine and IGF systems have been shown in placenta and cord serum of fetal growth restricted (FGR) compared with normal newborns (AGA). This study aimed to analyse a data set of clinical and biochemical data in FGR and AGA newborns to assess if a mathematical model existed and was capable of identifying these two different conditions in order to identify the variables which had a mathematically consistent biological relevance to fetal growth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Whole villous tissue was collected at birth from FGR (N = 20) and AGA neonates (N = 28). Total RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed and then real-time quantitative (TaqMan) RT-PCR was performed to quantify cDNA for IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IL-6. The corresponding proteins with TNF-α in addition were assayed in placental lysates using specific kits. The data were analysed using Artificial Neural Networks (supervised networks), and principal component analysis and connectivity map.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The IGF system and IL-6 allowed to predict FGR in approximately 92% of the cases and AGA in 85% of the cases with a low number of errors. IGF-II, IGFBP-2, and IL-6 content in the placental lysates were the most important factors connected with FGR. The condition of being FGR was connected mainly with the IGF-II placental content, and the latter with IL-6 and IGFBP-2 concentrations in placental lysates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that further research in humans should focus on these biochemical data. Furthermore, this study offered a critical revision of previous studies. The understanding of this system biology is relevant to the development of future therapeutical interventions possibly aiming at reducing IL-6 and IGFBP-2 concentrations preserving IGF bioactivity in both placenta and fetus.</p

Poly(hydroxy acids) derived from the self-condensation of hydroxy acids: from polymerization to end-of-life options

[EN] Poly(hydroxy acids) have been gaining increasing attention in the search for novel sustainable materials to replace petrochemical polymers in packaging applications. Poly(hydroxy acids) are polyesters that are obtained using hydroxy acids as the starting materials, which are derived from renewable resources and biowaste. These biopolymers have attracted a lot of attention since some of them will be in the near future competitive in price to polyolefins, show excellent mechanical and barrier properties, and can be potentially recycled by physical and chemical routes. Most of the current poly(hydroxy acids) are mainly prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic monomers derived from hydroxy acids. However, their direct polymerization has received much less attention, while one of the advantages of hydroxy acids resides in the presence of an electrophile and a nucleophile in a single molecule that makes them ideal A-B type monomers for self-condensation. This review focuses on the preparation of poly(hydroxy acids) by the self-condensation polymerization of hydroxy acids. Moreover, their end-of-life options are also evaluated considering not only their biodegradability but also their potential to be chemically recycledThe authors thank the European Commission (EC) for financial support through the project SUSPOL-EJDH2020-ITN-2014-642671 and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) through the projects RTI2018-097249-B-C21, MAT2017-83373-R, and MAT-2016-78527-P. S. Torres-Giner also acknowledges MICI for his Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion contract (IJCI-2016-29675) and the financial support received during his stay at the Institute for Polymer Materials (POLYMAT)Gabirondo, E.; Sangroniz, A.; Etxeberria, A.; Torres-Giner, S.; Sardon, H. (2020). Poly(hydroxy acids) derived from the self-condensation of hydroxy acids: from polymerization to end-of-life options. Polymer Chemistry. 11(30):4861-4874. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0PY00088DS48614874113

Occlusione ideale contro occlusione reale: valutazione quantitativa sperimentale dei contatti occlusali

L’occlusione riveste un ruolo fondamentale nella riabilitazione protesica2, ortodontica e nella conservazione degli elementi naturali1; inoltre ha un ruolo decisivo nell’intercettazione dei disordini cranio cervico mandibolari3.Si è condotto un lavoro finalizzato a valutare le discrepanze rilevabili tra le caratteristiche di un modello occlusale ideale ed un modello occlusale riscontrabile nella realtà.Si è analizzata una realtà clinica il più ampia possibile, scegliendo un campione eterogeneo composto da un gruppo di pazienti con occlusione naturale, un gruppo di pazienti con occlusione ottenuta post trattamento ortodontico ed un gruppo con occlusione post riabilitazione protesica fissa.La metodica scelta per analizzare i modelli associa una valutazione di tipo dinamico classico: analisi quantitativa dei contatti di centrica, movimenti di lateralità e protrusiva del modello montato in articolatore, esame delle faccette di usura, ed una valutazione di tipo statico condotta utilizzando come parametri valutativi “le Sei Chiavi di Andrews”. Tipicamente questa analisi è applicata in campo ortodontico per stabilire la fase di avanzamento della terapia o a scopo valutativo alla fine del trattamento, ma vista la completezza e la contemporanea semplicità di tale analisi si è deciso di applicarla a ogni gruppo di modelli studiati. Tali Chiavi, prese singolarmente, riprendono concetti già noti, ma nel loro complesso assumono un particolare valore poiché sono rilevabili mediante punti d riferimento tangibili e sono visibili dal versante vestibolare ed occlusale. E’ stata inoltre condotta un’analisi quantitativa dei contatti occlusali rilevabili nei gruppi studiati ponendola a paragone con uno schema ideale riportato nella letteratura. La valutazione di questi parametri è finalizzata a conoscere se, ed in quale modo, l’incongruenza con il modello ideale sia indice di una situazione patologica o possa essere riconducibile ad una situazione di adattamento fisiologico compatibile con uno stato di benessere.Nel presente lavoro saranno riportati i risultati ottenuti dall’analisi quantitativa dei contatti occlusali

Catalog of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires: types’ description and general and historical notes

Se presenta un catálogo con 157 ejemplares de Castniidae pertenecientes a 12 géneros y 39 especies, conservados y preservados en el Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia (MACN). La lis-ta incluye dos ejemplares sin tipo (Paysandisia archon & Geyeria uruguayana) descritos por Hermann Burmeister y el holotipo de Castnia juturna paraguayensis (sinonimia de Castnia invaria penelope) descrito por Embrik Strand. La lista no sólo incluye ejemplares de Argentina, sino también de otros países de América. Se agregan además notas breves, detalles de las etiquetas del material recolectado y varias láminas contentivas de figuras de algunas de las especies listadas más importantes.Catalog of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires: types’ description and general and historical notes. A catalog with 157 specimens of Castniidae belonging to 12 genera and 39 species, curated and preserved in the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” (MACN) is presented herein. The list includes 2 syntype specimens (Paysandisia archon & Geyeria uruguayana) originally described by Hermann Burmeister and the holotype of Castnia juturna paraguayensis (a synonym of Castnia invaria penelope) described by Embrik Strand. This material safeguarded at the MACN includes not only specimens from Argentina, but also from other American countries. Brief notes, collecting details and plates containing figures of some of the most important listed species are also included.Fil: Rodriguez Ramirez, Joanna Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Ríos, Sergio Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Moraes, Simeao S.. Universidade Estadual Do Campinas. Instituto de Biologia. Departamento de Biologia Estructural y Funcional.; BrasilFil: Penco, Fernando C.. Universidad Maimonides. Centro de Ciencias Naturales, Ambientales y Antropologicas.; Argentina. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara; ArgentinaFil: González, Jorge M.. No especifíca

Synthesis, Modeling, and RET Protein Kinase Inhibitory Activity of 3-and 4-Substituted beta-Carbolin-1-ones

A series of beta-carbolin-2-ones and 3,10-dihydro-2H-azepino[3,4-b]indol-1-ones have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated as RET protein kinase inhibitors on the basis of their structural similarity with the prototype indolin-2-one RPI-1. Some beta-carbolin-2-ones (structure 2) showed an ability to inhibit RET enzymatic activity in vitro and proliferation of RETC634R oncogene-transformed NIH3T3 cells comparable to that of the reference compound. The docking analysis of the interaction of these compounds with the crystallographic structure of RET tyrosine kinase domain suggested a new binding interaction scheme different from the one proposed during their design. The rigid structure of the compounds of this series represents a new scaffold with potential advantages in the design of RET protein kinase inhibitors