A Common Mechanism Underlying the E1A Repression and the cAMP Stimulation of the H Ferritin Transcription

Transcription of the H ferritin gene in vivo is stimulated by cAMP and repressed by the E1A oncoprotein. We report here the identification of the cis-element in the human promoter responsive to both cAMP- and E1A-mediated signals. This promoter region is included between positions -62 to -45 and binds a approximate 120-kDa transcription factor called Bbf. Bbf forms a complex in vivo with the coactivator molecules p300 and CBP. Recombinant E1A protein reduces the formation of these complexes. In vivo overexpression of p300 in HeLa cells reverses the E1A-mediated inhibition of the ferritin promoter transcription driven by Bbf. These data suggest the existence of a common mechanism for the cAMP activation and the E1A-mediated repression of H ferritin transcription

The fate of the 2√3 × 2√3R(30°) silicene phase on Ag(111)

Silicon atoms deposited on Ag(111) produce various single layer silicene sheets with different buckling patterns and periodicities. Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that one of the silicene sheets, the hypothetical √7 × √7 silicene structure, on 2√3 × 2√3 Ag(111), is inherently highly defective and displays no long-range order. Moreover, Auger and photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal its sudden death, to end, in a dynamic fating process at ∼300 °C. This result clarifies the real nature of the 2√3 × 2√3R(30°) silicene phase and thus helps to understand the diversity of the silicene sheets grown on Ag(111)

Knowledge of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection and Prevention in Pregnant Women: A Baseline, Operational Survey

Currently, the only efficient way to prevent human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in pregnancy is primary prophylaxis through hygienic measures. So, we evaluated knowledge of HCMV and its prevention in a group of pregnant women. An anonymous questionnaire with multiple-choice answers was administered to all pregnant women who were followed up at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of “Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital,” a third-level hospital in Catanzaro (Southern Italy), from November 2015 to March 2016. Previously prescribed serology results for HCMV were also evaluated. Three hundred and fifty women participated in the study and the results clearly demonstrated that knowledge of pregnant women about HCMV is poor. Moreover, prescribed screening procedures need to be optimized, since one out of three pregnant women has not been tested for HCMV or the screening was not performed adequately. For this reason, it is important to implement informative campaign in both pregnant women and providing physicians

MoO3 films grown on polycrystalline Cu: Morphological, structural, and electronic properties

In this work, the authors investigated MoO3 films with thickness between 30 nm and 1 μm grown at room temperature by solid phase deposition on polycrystalline Cu substrates. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy revealed the presence of a homogenous MoO3 film with a "grainlike" morphology, while Raman spectroscopy showed an amorphous character of the film. Nanoindentation measurements evidenced a coating hardness and stiffness comparable with the copper substrate ones, while Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and secondary electron spectroscopy displayed a pure MoO3 stoichiometry and a work function Φ MoO3 = 6.5 eV, 1.8 eV higher than that of the Cu substrate. MoO3 films of thickness between 30 and 300 nm evidenced a metallic behavior, whereas for higher thickness, the resistance-temperature curves showed a semiconducting character

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

High frequency of type I interferon auto-antibodies in a group of middle-aged HIV-infected patients: A cross-sectional exploratory study

Background: Auto-antibodies neutralizing the activity of type I interferons have been recently described in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2. They can be present even before the onset of the infection. Since type I interferons exert a dichotomous role in the pathogenesis of acute versus chronic HIV infection and auto-antibodies are often found in untreated and anti-retroviral treated HIV+ patients, we investigated whether auto-antibodies anti-type I interferons are present at high prevalence in those HIV+ patients with concomitant opportunistic infections (OIs).Methods: The analysis of auto-antibodies against two types of type I interferons (IFN-alpha 2 and IFN-omega) was performed using the ELISA test in 60 patients chronically infected by HIV who showed concomitant infections caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis or nontuberculosis mycobacterium or with active cytomegalovirus infections. Results were compared with those of 283 SARS-CoV-2 swab positive patients showing mild to severe pneumonia. A chi-square (chi(2)) test or the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test were used to compare the HIV+ patient categorical or continuous variables, respectively.Results: A high prevalence of auto-antibodies to type I interferons was found in middle-aged HIV-infected patients with concomitant OIs (11.6% vs. 5.3% in COVID-19 subjects; p < .05). No statistically differences were found for viro/immunological characteristics (CD4 and CD8 cell counts and viral load) between patients with and without type I interferons auto-antibodies.Conclusions: This study, which is the first searching auto-antibodies against type I interferons in HIV-infected patients, demonstrated that their prevalence was higher than that expected by the age of these patients. Furthermore, it indicated that these auto-antibodies are nonspecifically increased in critical SARS-CoV-2 infection but can be found also in other infections

Knowledge of human cytomegalovirus infection and prevention in pregnant women: A baseline, operational survey

Currently, the only efficient way to prevent human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in pregnancy is primary prophylaxis through hygienic measures. So, we evaluated knowledge of HCMV and its prevention in a group of pregnant women. An anonymous questionnaire with multiple-choice answers was administered to all pregnant women who were followed up at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of “Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital,” a third-level hospital in Catanzaro (Southern Italy), from November 2015 to March 2016. Previously prescribed serology results for HCMV were also evaluated. Three hundred and fifty women participated in the study and the results clearly demonstrated that knowledge of pregnant women about HCMV is poor. Moreover, prescribed screening procedures need to be optimized, since one out of three pregnant women has not been tested for HCMV or the screening was not performed adequately. For this reason, it is important to implement informative campaign in both pregnant women and providing physicians