Innate immunity and hepatitis C virus infection: a microarray’s view

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces a chronic infection in more than two-thirds of HCV infected subjects. The inefficient innate and adaptive immune responses have been shown to play a major pathogenetic role in the development and persistence of HCV chronic infection. Several aspects of the interactions between the virus and the host immune system have been clarified and, in particular, mechanisms have been identified which underlie the ability of HCV to seize and subvert innate as well as adaptive immune responses. The present review summarizes recent findings on the interaction between HCV infection and innate immune response whose final effect is the downstream inefficient development of antigen-specific adaptive immunity, thereby contributing to virus persistence

Tackling Strategies for Thriving Geoscience Departments

Special sessions on thriving geosciences departments and on cyberinfrastructure in the geosciences highlighted the recent 5th AGU Meeting of Heads and Chairs of Earth and Space Science Departments. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 14th meeting of the Heads and Chairs of Programs in Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic and Related Sciences, sponsored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS),and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). “From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Advancing University Geoscience Programs in Times of Change” was a topic that drew intense interest. This panel discussion, led by Don Wuebbles (University of Illinois), included panelists Eric Betterton (University of Arizona), Judy Curry (Georgia Institute of Technology), Heather MacDonald (College of William and Mary), and Jim Kirkpatrick (University of Illinois)

Challenges in cancer vaccine development for hepatocellular carcinoma

SummaryHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy, representing the third and fifth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide in men and women, respectively.The main risk factor for the development of HCC is the hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infection; non-viral causes (e.g., alcoholism and aflatoxin) are additional risk factors.HCC prognosis is generally poor because of the low effectiveness of available treatments and the overall 5-year survival rate is approximately 5–6%.In this framework, immunotherapeutic interventions, including cancer vaccines, may represent a novel and effective therapeutic tool. However, only few immunotherapy trials for HCC have been conducted so far with contrasting results, suggesting that improvements in several aspects of the immunotherapy approaches need to be implemented.In particular, identification of novel specific tumor antigens and evaluation of most advanced combinatorial strategies could result in unprecedented clinical outcomes with great beneficial effect for HCC patients.The state of the art in immunotherapy strategies for HCC and future perspectives are reported in the present review

Synsedimentary tectonics and sedimentation in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin, Northwestern Italy

The Late Oligocene/Early Miocene tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the eastern sector of the Langhe Sub-Basin (Tertiary Piedmont Basin) is proposed and discussed. The area is located between the villages of Roccaverano and Mombaldone, along the western side of the Bormida di Spigno River Valley (see attached geologic map). Synsedimentary tectonics strongly influenced the geologic evolution of the region during the time span examined, being particularly evident at three specific "times" that were chosen as models. During "Time 1" (Late Oligocene) gentle anticlines, aligned WNW-ESE and NW-SE, started to form, affecting only hemipelagic mudstones and creating structural highs that controlled the areal distribution of both turbidites (i.e. T. Ovrano High) and a thick pelitic slump sheet (i.e. M. Pisone High). During "Time 2" (Aquitanian) the C. Mazzurini Half-Graben developed, separated by W-E and WNW-ESE growth faults from the M. Ovrano High to the north and gradually connecting, through a gently sloping ramp, with the Rocchetta High to the south. Turbidity currents and debris flows were channeled into the half-graben, while hemipelagic limestones were deposited onto the adjacent higher areas. During "Time 3" (Early Burdigalian) the depocenter of the depression shifted southward, while the half-graben evolved into a wide trough (Piantivello Trough) characterized by turbidites. Subsequently, the strongly irregular topography was progressively leveled to the quite homogeneous landscape on which the Cortemilia Formation (Late Burdigalian) was deposited

A morphometric methodology to assess planktonic foraminiferal response to environmental perturbations: the case study of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, Late Cretaceous

Dwarfism of planktonic foraminiferal specimens is recognised across several intervals subject to globally extended environmental disturbances such as the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary and the latest Cenomanian-earliest Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) in the Late Cretaceous. However, the occurrence of dwarfed specimens is generally based on the observation of a decrease in the size of specimens at the stereomicroscope without acquiring morphometric data. This approach prevents from assessing the inter-sample morphometric variation of species, reconstructing species-specific trends, and comparing data from different localities to extrapolate global from local signals. We present herein a first step toward the development of a morphometry-based methodology to assess planktonic foraminiferal response to past environmental perturbations. To perform this study, we selected OAE 2 as a target event and we focused on two species, Rotalipora cushmani (Morrow, 1934) and Whiteinella brittonensis (Loeblich & Tappan, 1961), commonly occurring in the assemblages and likely having different palaeoecological preferences. Specimens analysed are from Eastbourne (England), Clot Chevalier (SE France), and Tarfaya (core S57, Morocco). For both species, we measured selected shell parameters (i.e., the number of chambers in the last whorl, the maximum diameter and the height of the test). Our study suggests that the maximum diameter across the first chamber of the inner whorl visible in spiral view is the simplest and most objective methodology to estimate shell size variation in trochospiral planktonic foraminifera, and that this morphometric parameter is likely the most sensitive to the Cenomanian-Turonian environmental disturbances, and thus its variability through time appears worth investigating across other key-stratigraphic intervals. Moreover, this study indicates that the acquisition of morphometric data is required to accurately reconstruct planktonic foraminiferal response to environmental perturbations, because specimen dimensions show high inter-sample variability and based on the data collected in this study they do not experience the predicted size reduction

The Effect of Topical Cannabidiol on the Progression Rate of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 1426-1439, 2023. This study investigated the efficacy of topical cannabidiol (CBD) ointment in reducing localized inflammation, minimizing performance detriments, and attenuating soreness associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In a double blind randomized control trial, upper-arm circumferences, maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) for elbow flexion at 90° and 30° for college-aged participants (n = 21, age 20.8 ± 1.9 years) were assessed at baseline. Participants then performed a DOMS-inducing protocol for the biceps brachii. Topical CBD ointment and placebo (P) ointment were randomly assigned and applied 30 minutes, 24, 48 and 72 hours post the DOMS protocol. The baseline parameters and a visual analog scale (VAS) to assess perceived soreness were assessed 24, 48 and 72 hours post DOMS protocol. A 4x2 repeated measures factorial ANOVA (P \u3c 0.05) analyzed both within and between subject differences. No changes were statistically significant on any days between conditions: Upper-arm circumferences in the CBD arm (7.1 ± 5.8 cm) and in the P arm (7.3 ± 5.8 cm). MVICs were reduced at both the 90° and 30° positions (-5.9 ± 9.0 Nm (90°)); (-4.8 ± 6.5 Nm (30°)) and the P arm (-5.0 ± 10.0 Nm (90°)); (-4.6 ± 5.3 Nm (30°)). Soreness increased in both the CBD arm (6.1 ± 2.1) and the P arm (5.5 ± 2.6) over time. Topical CBD therefore did not alter any parameters vs the P treatment, thus the use of topical CBD does not attenuate the effects of DOMS

Along-Path Evolution of Biogeochemical and Carbonate System Properties in the Intermediate Water of the Western Mediterranean

A basin-scale oceanographic cruise (OCEANCERTAIN2015) was carried out in the Western Mediterranean (WMED) in summer 2015 to study the evolution of hydrological and biogeochemical properties of the most ubiquitous water mass of the Mediterranean Sea, the Intermediate Water (IW). IW is a relatively warm water mass, formed in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED) and identified by a salinity maximum all over the basin. While it flows westward, toward and across the WMED, it gradually loses its characteristics. This study describes the along-path changes of thermohaline and biogeochemical properties of the IW in the WMED, trying to discriminate changes induced by mixing and changes induced by interior biogeochemical processes. In the first part of the path (from the Sicily Channel to the Tyrrhenian Sea), respiration in the IW interior was found to have a dominant role in determining its biogeochemical evolution. Afterward, when IW crosses regions of enhanced vertical dynamics (Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Lion and Catalan Sea), mixing with surrounding water masses becomes the primary process. In the final part of the investigated IW path (the Menorca-Mallorca region), the role of respiration is further masked by the effects of a complex circulation of IW, indicating that short-term sub-regional hydrological processes are important to define IW characteristics in the westernmost part of the investigated area. A pronounced along-path acidification was detected in IW, mainly due to remineralization of organic matter. This induced a shift of the carbonate equilibrium toward more acidic species and makes this water mass increasingly less adequate for an optimal growth of calcifying organisms. The carbonate buffering capacity also decreases as IW flows through the WMED, making it more exposed to the adverse effects of a decreasing pH. The present analysis indicates that IW evolution in the sub-basins of the WMED is currently driven by complex hydrological and biogeochemical processes, which could be differently impacted by coming climate changes, in particular considering expected increases of extreme meteorological events, mainly due to the warming of the Mediterranean basin