Genotoxicity assessment of piperitenone oxide: an in vitro and in silico evaluation

Piperitenone oxide, a natural flavouring agent also known as rotundifolone, has been studied for the genotoxicity assessment by an integrated in vitro and in silico experimental approach, including the bacterial reverse mutation assay, the micronucleus test, the comet assay and the computational prediction by Toxtree and VEGA tools. Under our experimental conditions, the monoterpene showed to induce both point mutations (i.e. frameshift, base-substitution and/or oxidative damage) and DNA damage (i.e. clastogenic or aneuploidic damage, or single-strand breaks). Computational prediction for piperitenone oxide agreed with the toxicological data, and highlighted the presence of the epoxide function and the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl as possible structural alerts for DNA damage. However, improving the toxicological libraries for natural occurring compounds is required in order to favour the applicability of in silico models to the toxicological predictions. Further in vivo evaluations are strictly needed in order to evaluate the role of the bioavailability of the substance and the metabolic fate on its genotoxicity profile. To the best of our knowledge, these data represent the first evaluation of the genotoxicity for this flavour compound and suggest the need of further studies to assess the safety of piperitenone oxide as either flavour or fragrance chemicals

Histone mRNA is subject to 3’ uridylation and re-adenylation in Aspergillus nidulans

The role of post‐transcriptional RNA modification is of growing interest. One example is the addition of non‐templated uridine residues to the 3′ end of transcripts. In mammalian systems, uridylation is integral to cell cycle control of histone mRNA levels. This regulatory mechanism is dependent on the nonsense‐mediated decay (NMD) component, Upf1, which promotes histone mRNA uridylation and degradation in response to the arrest of DNA synthesis. We have identified a similar system in Aspergillus nidulans, where Upf1 is required for the regulation of histone mRNA levels. However, other NMD components are also implicated, distinguishing it from the mammalian system. As in human cells, 3′ uridylation of histone mRNA is induced upon replication arrest. Disruption of this 3′ tagging has a significant but limited effect on histone transcript regulation, consistent with multiple mechanisms acting to regulate mRNA levels. Interestingly, 3′ end degraded transcripts are also subject to re‐adenylation. Both mRNA pyrimidine tagging and re‐adenylation are dependent on the same terminal‐nucleotidyltransferases, CutA, and CutB, and we show this is consistent with the in vitro activities of both enzymes. Based on these data we argue that mRNA 3′ tagging has diverse and distinct roles associated with transcript degradation, functionality and regulation.publishe

Disorder-Induced Critical Phenomena in Hysteresis: Numerical Scaling in Three and Higher Dimensions

We present numerical simulations of avalanches and critical phenomena associated with hysteresis loops, modeled using the zero-temperature random-field Ising model. We study the transition between smooth hysteresis loops and loops with a sharp jump in the magnetization, as the disorder in our model is decreased. In a large region near the critical point, we find scaling and critical phenomena, which are well described by the results of an epsilon expansion about six dimensions. We present the results of simulations in 3, 4, and 5 dimensions, with systems with up to a billion spins (1000^3).Comment: Condensed and updated version of cond-mat/9609072,``Disorder-Induced Critical Phenomena in Hysteresis: A Numerical Scaling Analysis'

Analysis of survival rate and persistence predictors of baricitinib in real-world data from a large cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objectives: The persistence in therapy of rheumatoid arthritis drugs and particularly bDMARD is a limiting factor for their long-term use. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) may not reflect real-world contexts due to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Baricitinib, which targets both JAK1 and JAK2, has been used in Italy for several years. The aim of this multi-center study is to assess the real world persistence on therapy of baricitinib in RA patients and to identify predictive factors of baricitinib's survival rate. Methods: This is a retrospective, multicentric, Italian, longitudinal study. All patients were enrolled according to the following criteria: a) age ≥ 18 years old; b) diagnosed with RA according 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria; c) treated with baricitinib. In order to describe baricitinib clinical efficacy, the survival rate was evaluated by The Kaplan-Meier curve. Then, predictive factors of drug retention rate were assessed by performing the Cox analysis, identifying which risk factors influenced treatment persistence. Results: Overall, we included 478 patients treated with baricitinib. Among them, 380 (79.5%) were females. Baricitinib's survival rate was 94.6% at 6 months, 87.9% at 12 months, 81.7% at 24 months and 53.4% at 48 months. The Cox analysis regression showed that a higher bDMARDs/tsDMARD line of therapy seems to be a negative prognostic factor for the drug retention rate (HR 1.26 CI 95% 1.07-1.49, p = 0.006. Conclusion: Real-life study confirms baricitinib effectiveness up to 4 years, but previous treatment with bDMARDs was a negative prognostic factor for its survival rate

Outcomes of pregnancies after kidney transplantation: lessons learned from CKD. A comparison of transplanted, nontransplanted chronic kidney disease patients and low-risk pregnancies: a multicenter nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KT) may restore fertility in CKD. The reasons why materno-foetal outcomes are still inferior to the overall population are only partially known. Comparison with the CKD population may offer some useful insights for management and counselling.Aim of this study was to analyse the outcomes of pregnancy after KT, compared with a large population of non-transplanted CKD patients and with low-risk control pregnancies, observed in Italy the new millennium. METHODS: We selected 121 live-born singletons after KT (Italian study group of kidney in pregnancy, national coverage about 75%), 610 live-born singletons in CKD and 1418 low-risk controls recruited in 2 large Italian Units, in the same period (2000-2014). The following outcomes were considered: maternal and foetal death; malformations; preterm delivery; small for gestational age baby (SGA); need for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); doubling of serum creatinine or increase in CKD stage. Data were analysed according to kidney diseases, renal function (staging according to CKD-EPI), hypertension, maternal age, partity, ethnicity. RESULTS: Materno-foetal outcomes are less favourable in CKD and KT as compared with the low-risk population. CKD stage and hypertension are important determinants of results. KT patients with e-GFR >90 have worse outcomes compared with CKD stage 1 patients; the differences level off when only CKD patients affected by glomerulonephritis or systemic diseases ('progressive CKD') are compared with KT. In the multivariate analysis, risk for preterm and early-preterm delivery was linked to CKD stage (2-5 versus 1: RR 3.42 and 3.78) and hypertension (RR 3.68 and 3.16) while no difference was associated with being a KT or a CKD patient. CONCLUSIONS: The materno-foetal outcomes in patients with kidney transplantation are comparable with those of nontransplanted CKD patients with similar levels of kidney function impairment and progressive and/or immunologic kidney diseas

Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

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Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with a large heterogeneity of climates and massive mixing of the population. Almost the entire national territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Earth axial tilt to the south certainly makes Brazil one of the countries of the world with greater extent of land in proximity to the sun. The Brazilian coastline, where most of its population lives, is more than 8,500 km long. Due to geographic characteristics and cultural trends, Brazilians are among the peoples with the highest annual exposure to the sun. Epidemiological data show a continuing increase in the incidence of nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers. Photoprotection can be understood as a set of measures aimed at reducing sun exposure and at preventing the development of acute and chronic actinic damage. Due to the peculiarities of Brazilian territory and culture, it would not be advisable to replicate the concepts of photoprotection from other developed countries, places with completely different climates and populations. Thus the Brazilian Society of Dermatology has developed the Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection, the first official document on photoprotection developed in Brazil for Brazilians, with recommendations on matters involving photoprotection

Correction to: A nonsynonymous mutation in PLCG2 reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, and increases the likelihood of longevity

The IPDGC (The International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium) and EADB (Alzheimer Disease European DNA biobank) are listed correctly as an author to the article, however, they were incorrectly listed more than once