Extruded Expanded Polystyrene Sheets Coated by TiO2 as New Photocatalitic Materials for Foodstuffs Packaging

Nanostructured, photoactive anatase TiO2 sol prepared under very mild conditions using titanium tetraisopropoxide as the precursor is used to functionalise extruded expanded polystyrene (XPS) sheets by spray-coating resulting in stable and active materials functionalised by TiO2 nanoparticles. Photocatalytic tests of these sheets performed in a batch reactor in gas–solid system under UV irradiation show their successful activity in degrading probe molecules (2-propanol, trimethylamine and ethene). Raman spectra ensure the deposition of TiO2 as crystalline anatase phase on the polymer surface. The presence of TiO2 with respect to polymer surface can be observed in SEM images coupled to EDAX mapping allowing to monitor the surface morphology and the distribution of TiO2 particles. Finally thermoforming of these sheets in industrial standard equipment leads to useful containers for foodstuffs

Cyclin-dependent-like kinase 5 is required for pain signaling in human sensory neurons and mouse models

Cyclin-dependent-like kinase 5 (Cdkl5) gene mutations lead to an X-linked disorder that is characterized by infantile epileptic encephalopathy, developmental delay and hypotonia. However, we found that a substantial percentage of these patients also report a previously unrecognised anamnestic deficiency in pain perception. Consistent with a role in nociception, we discovered that Cdkl5 is expressed selectively in nociceptive dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in mice and in iPS-derived human nociceptors. CDKL5 deficient mice display defective epidermal innervation and conditional deletion of Cdkl5 in DRG sensory neurons impairs nociception, phenocopying CDKL5 deficiency disorder in patients. Mechanistically, Cdkl5 interacts with CaMKIIα to control outgrowth as well as TRPV1-dependent signaling, which are disrupted in both Cdkl5 mutant murine DRG and human iPS-derived nociceptors. Together, these findings unveil a previously unrecognized role for Cdkl5 in nociception, proposing an original regulatory mechanism for pain perception with implications for future therapeutics in CDKL5 deficiency disorder

Promoter methylation analysis of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in glioblastoma: detection by locked nucleic acid based quantitative PCR using an imprinted gene (SNURF) as a reference

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epigenetic silencing of the <it>MGMT </it>gene by promoter methylation is associated with loss of <it>MGMT </it>expression, diminished DNA-repair activity and longer overall survival in patients with glioblastoma who, in addition to radiotherapy, received alkylating chemotherapy with carmustine or temozolomide. We describe and validate a rapid methylation sensitive quantitative PCR assay (MS-qLNAPCR) using Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) modified primers and an imprinted gene as a reference.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An analysis was made of a database of 159 GBM patients followed between April 2004 and October 2008. After bisulfite treatment, methylated and unmethylated CpGs were recognized by LNA primers and molecular beacon probes. The <it>SNURF </it>promoter of an imprinted gene mapped on 15q12, was used as a reference. This approach was used because imprinted genes have a balanced copy number of methylated and unmethylated alleles, and this feature allows an easy and a precise normalization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Concordance between already described nested MS-PCR and MS-qLNAPCR was found in 158 of 159 samples (99.4%). The MS-qLNAPCR assay showed a PCR efficiency of 102% and a sensitivity of 0.01% for LNA modified primers, while unmodified primers revealed lower efficiency (69%) and lower sensitivity (0.1%). <it>MGMT </it>promoter was found to be methylated using MS-qLNAPCR in 70 patients (44.02%), and completely unmethylated in 89 samples (55.97%). Median overall survival was of 24 months, being 20 months and 36 months, in patients with <it>MGMT </it>unmethylated and methylated, respectively. Considering <it>MGMT </it>methylation data provided by MS-qLNAPCR as a binary variable, overall survival was different between patients with GBM samples harboring <it>MGMT </it>promoter unmethylated and other patients with any percentage of <it>MGMT </it>methylation (p = 0.003). This difference was retained using other cut off values for <it>MGMT </it>methylation rate (i.e. 10% and 20% of methylated allele), while the difference was lost when 50% of <it>MGMT </it>methylated allele was used as cut-off.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We report and clinically validate an accurate, robust, and cost effective MS-qLNAPCR protocol for the detection and quantification of methylated <it>MGMT </it>alleles in GBM samples. Using MS-qLNAPCR we demonstrate that even low levels of <it>MGMT </it>promoter methylation have to be taken into account to predict response to temozolomide-chemotherapy.</p

Home-based palliative approach for people with severe multiple sclerosis and their carers: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Preliminary evidence suggests that palliative care may be useful for people with severe multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a home-based palliative approach (HPA) for people with severe MS and their carers. Methods/design: This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial with a nested qualitative study. Seventy-five severe MS-carer dyads are being randomized (at three centers, one in each area of Italy) to HPA or usual care (UC) in a 2:1 ratio. Each center has a specially trained team consisting of four professionals (physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker). The team makes a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the dyads. HPA content is then agreed on, discussed with the patient's caring physician, and delivered over six months. The intervention is not intended to replace existing services. At later visits, the team checks the HPA delivery and reviews/modifies it as necessary. Discussion: The results of our study will show whether the HPA is feasible and beneficial to people with severe MS and their carers living in the three Italian geographic areas. The nested qualitative study will add to the understanding of the strengths and limitations of the intervention

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Towards an Inductive Methodology for Ontology Alignment Through Instance Negotiation

The Semantic Web needs methodologies to accomplish actual commitment on shared ontologies among different actors in play. In this paper, we propose a machine learning approach to solve this issue relying on classified instance exchange and inductive reasoning. This approach is based on the idea that, whenever two (or more) software entities need to align their ontologies (which amounts, from the point of view of each entity, to add one or more new concept definitions to its own ontology), it is possible to learn the new concept definitions starting from shared individuals (i.e. individuals already described in terms of both ontologies, for which the entities have statements about classes and related properties); these individuals, arranged in two sets of positive and negative examples for the target definition, are used to solve a learning problem which as solution gives the definition of the target concept in terms of the ontology used for the learning process. The method has been applied in a preliminary prototype for a small multi-agent scenario (where the two entities cited before are instantiated as two software agents). Following the prototype presentation, we report on the experimental results we obtained and then draw some conclusions

Concept Formation in Expressive Description Logics

We investigate on the automated construction of terminologies from assertions in an expressive Description Logics representation like ACC. The overall unsupervised learning problem is decomposed into smaller supervised learning problems once clusters of disjoint concepts are detected. In turn, these problems are solved by means of refinement operators1