Severe asthma features in children: A case–control online survey

Background: Very few studies have explored the distinguishing features of severe asthma in childhood in Europe, and only one study was conducted in Southern Europe. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed characterization of children with severe asthma treated in specialized pediatric asthma centers across Italy. Methods: We conducted a web-based data collection of family, environmental, clinical and laboratory characteristics of 41 patients aged 6–17 years with severe asthma, defined according to the recent guidelines of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society, and 78 age-matched peers with non-severe persistent asthma. The patients have been enrolled from 16 hospital-based pediatric pulmonology and allergy centers in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. Logistic regression analysis assessed the relationship between patients’ characteristics and severe asthma or non-severe persistent asthma. Results: Features independently and significantly associated with severe asthma included lifetime sensitization to food allergens [Odds ratio (OR), 4.73; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.21–18.53; p = 0.03], lifetime hospitalization for asthma (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.11–12.33; p = 0.03), emergency-department visits for asthma during the past year (OR = 11.98; 95% CI, 2.70–53.11; p = 0.001), and symptoms triggered by physical activity (OR = 12.78; 95% CI, 2.66–61.40; p = 0.001). Quality-of-life score was worse in patients with severe asthma than in subjects with non-severe persistent asthma (5.9 versus 6.6, p = 0.005). Self-perception of wellbeing was compromised in more than 40% of patients in both groups. Children with severe asthma had lower spirometric z scores than non-severe asthmatic peers (all p < 0.001), although 56% of them had a normal forced expiratory volume in 1 s. No differences were found between the two groups for parental education, home environment, patients’ comorbidities, adherence to therapy, exhaled nitric oxide values, and serum eosinophils and IgE. Conclusions: As expected, children with severe asthma had more severe clinical course and worse lung function than peers with non-severe persistent asthma. Unlike previous reports, we found greater sensitization to food allergens and similar environmental and personal characteristics in patients with severe asthma compared to those with non-severe persistent asthma. Psychological aspects are compromised in a large number of cases and deserve further investigation

Serum Albumin Is Inversely Associated With Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhosis

We analyzed whether serum albumin is independently associated with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis (LC) and if a biologic plausibility exists. This study was divided into three parts. In part 1 (retrospective analysis), 753 consecutive patients with LC with ultrasound-detected PVT were retrospectively analyzed. In part 2, 112 patients with LC and 56 matched controls were entered in the cross-sectional study. In part 3, 5 patients with cirrhosis were entered in the in vivo study and 4 healthy subjects (HSs) were entered in the in vitro study to explore if albumin may affect platelet activation by modulating oxidative stress. In the 753 patients with LC, the prevalence of PVT was 16.7%; logistic analysis showed that only age (odds ratio [OR], 1.024; P = 0.012) and serum albumin (OR, -0.422; P = 0.0001) significantly predicted patients with PVT. Analyzing the 112 patients with LC and controls, soluble clusters of differentiation (CD)40-ligand (P = 0.0238), soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp; P &lt; 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (P = 0.0078) were higher in patients with LC. In LC, albumin was correlated with sCD4OL (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r(s)], -0.33; P &lt; 0.001), sNox2-dp (r(s), -0.57; P &lt; 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (r(s), -0.48; P &lt; 0.0001) levels. The in vivo study showed a progressive decrease in platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and urinary 8-iso prostaglandin F2 alpha-III formation 2 hours and 3 days after albumin infusion. Finally, platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and isoprostane formation significantly decreased in platelets from HSs incubated with scalar concentrations of albumin. Conclusion: Low serum albumin in LC is associated with PVT, suggesting that albumin could be a modulator of the hemostatic system through interference with mechanisms regulating platelet activation

Melanin-like polymer layered on a nanotextured silicon surface for a hybrid biomimetic interface

The electrical transport across a biomimetic interface made up of spin coated melanin layers on nanotextured silicon surfaces with different texturing features and wetting properties is discussed. Nanotexturing allows, under certain conditions, the melanin better anchoring on a hydrophobic silicon surface, overcoming the hydrophilic melanin-hydrophobic silicon interface criticism. The feature of the electrical signal transduction across such a structure was studied by impedance spectroscopy and found to be influenced by the nano-texturing chemistry and surface morphology. The effects of a voltage pulse, as external stimulus modifying the electrical transport mechanisms and retention of the subsequently achieved carrier transport conditions have been elucidated. The results let to foresee a possible exploiting of this circuital element for bio and environmental molecules sensing

The Trigger System of the ICARUS Experiment

This paper presents the hardware architecture and the main features of the ICARUS trigger system. The ICARUS detector is a very massive liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber aimed at the study of some of the fundamental issues of astroparticle physics such as solar and atmospheric neutrino interactions, neutrinos following a Supernova explosion, neutrino oscillations with beams from particle accelerators and nucleon decay as predicted by Grand Unification Theories. The main feature of the proposed trigger design is its "segmentation," i.e:, the capability to trigger different sectors of the detector on different events allowing for the efficient detection of rare events

Annurca apple polyphenols ignite keratin production in hair follicles by inhibiting the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid oxidation

Patterned hair loss (PHL) affects around 50% of the adult population worldwide. The negative impact that this condition exerts on people’s life quality has boosted the appearance of over-the-counter products endowed with hair-promoting activity. Nutraceuticals enriched in polyphenols have been recently shown to promote hair growth and counteract PHL. Malus pumila Miller cv. Annurca is an apple native to Southern Italy presenting one of the highest contents of Procyanidin B2. We have recently shown that oral consumption of Annurca polyphenolic extracts (AAE) stimulates hair growth, hair number, hair weight and keratin content in healthy human subjects. Despite its activity, the analysis of the molecular mechanism behind its hair promoting effect is still partially unclear. In this work we performed an unprecedented metabolite analysis of hair follicles (HFs) in mice topically treated with AAE. The metabolomic profile, based on a high-resolution mass spectrometry approach, revealed that AAE re-programs murine HF metabolism. AAE acts by inhibiting several NADPH dependent reactions. Glutaminolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, glutathione, citrulline and nucleotide synthesis are all halted in vivo by the treatment of HFs with AAE. On the contrary, mitochondrial respiration, β-oxidation and keratin production are stimulated by the treatment with AAE. The metabolic shift induced by AAE spares amino acids from being oxidized, ultimately keeping them available for keratin biosynthesis

Infection with hepatitis viruses, FIB-4 index and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in southern Italy: a population-based cohort study

Abstract Background The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its association with hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, FIB-4 index and liver enzymes was assessed in an area of the province of Naples covered by a population-based cancer registry. Methods We conducted a cohort investigation on 4492 individuals previously enrolled in a population-based seroprevalent survey on HCV and HBV infections. The diagnosis of HCC was assessed through a record linkage with the cancer registry. Hepatic metabolic activity was measured through serum alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, and platelet. The FIB-4 index was used as a marker of fibrosis. We computed HCC incidence rates (IR) for 100,000 (105) person-years of observation, and multivariable hazard ratios (HR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) to assess risk factors for HCC. Results Twenty two cases of HCC were diagnosed during follow-up (IR = 63.3 cases/105). Significantly increased HCC risks were documented in individuals with higher than normal liver enzymes and low platelet count; in the 239 HCV RNA-positives (HR = 61.8, 95 % CI:13.3–286); and in the 95 HBsAg-positives (HR = 75.0) –as compared to uninfected individuals. The highest FIB-4 score was associated with a 17.6-fold increased HCC risk. Conclusions An elevated FIB-4 index turned out to be an important predictor of HCC occurrence. Although the standard method to assess hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis remains the histologic staging of liver biopsy specimen, the assessment of FIB-4 in HCV RNA-positive individuals may help in identifying the highest HCC-risk individuals who need anti-HCV treatment most urgently

Rassegna storica salernitana. N.s. A.22, n.2(2005)

La Società Salernitana di Storia Patria aderisce al progetto EleA e autorizza la pubblicazione del fascicoloN.s. A.22, n.2(2005): Cicco, G. G., L'opportunismo politico di Salerno longobarda nei confronti dell 'impero bizantino, P. 11 ; Viscido, M. C., La castagna di Acerno dai più antichi documenti al marchio Igp-Doptstoria, società, economia, P. 39 ; Caputo, V., Ancora su una importante fonte archivistica: il fondo Criminalia dell 'Archivio della Badia di Cava de' Tirreni, P. 51 ; Pingaro, C., Tra Repubblica e Monarchia: strategie del potere nel 1799 a Nocera de' Pagani, P. 75 ; Casella, M., Il seminario di Policastro nel primo Novecento, P. 113 ; Falzo, S., La concordia discorso degli intellettuali fascisti e le voci del dissenso negli anni 1925-1940, P. 145 ; Cestaro, A., Alle origini dell 'Istituto Universitario di Magistero: l'insegnamento salernitano di Mario Bendiscioli (1952-1959), P. 175 ; Scannapieco, E., Decadenza e rinascita: gli ultimi vent'anni della Biblioteca Provinciale di Salerno, P. 185 ; Gallo, I., Giuseppe Leone critico letterario (1919-1998), P. 217 ; De Simone, V., Casa Cavaselice alle Botteghelle, presunta Del Pezzo, P. 227 ; Bracco, V., D'una strada del Settecento tornata alla luce nelle campagne di Pollà, P. 237 ; Taglé, M. R., L'imbarbarimento di Poseidonia, un dramma dell'Ottocento e un caso di etruscheria, P. 245 ; Lucia, P., Un secolo di sindacalismo operaio in Italia, P. 253 ; La Torraca, U., Valla e Napoli: il dibattito filologico in età umanistica (Ravello, 22-23 settembre 2005), P. 259 ; Miletti, L., Devotionis munus. Aspetti della cultura e della scrittura d'arte di Adamo di Brema, P. 267 ; Miletti, L., XVI Seminario di Alta Cultura organizzato dall 'Istituto Internazionale di Studi Piceni.ll poema didascalico dall'antichità all'umanesimo, con particolare riguardo al tema georgico, P. 271 ; Faralli, G., XXVI Congresso Internazionale di Studi Umanistici. Arte figurativa e cultura letteraria nelle Marche fra medioevo e umanesimo, P. 275 ; Noto, M. A., Il Convegno "Dal torchio alle fiamme". Inquisizione e censura nuovi contributi alla più antica Biblioteca Provinciale d'Italia, P. 381; Abbamonte, G., Raccontare lo sport. Percorsi tra sport, letteratura e cronaca, P. 389.Sul recto del frontespizio: fasc. 44 della Nuova Serie (annata LXV dalla fondazione