New technologies to enhance quality and safety of table eggs: ultra-violet treatment and modified atmosphere packaging

In the present study the effect of ultra-violet (UV) treatment alone and in combination with 100% CO2 modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was evaluated both on the survival of naturally occurring bacteria, as well as on quality parameters of table eggs during 28 days of storage at 21\ub0C. Table eggs were collected from the conveyor belt after the UV module, and placed on carton trays. A representative number of carton trays were packed in a high barrier multilayer pouch filled with 100% CO2. All eggs were stored at 21\ub0C and analysed at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage. Eggs not treated with UV and not packed were also included. On the eggshells total colony count, total coliforms and faecal coliforms counts, as well as the detection of Salmonella spp. were investigated. Moreover, chemical-functional parameters such as weight loss, albumen pH and Haugh Unit (HU) were evaluated. The total colony count on UV treated table eggs was approximately 1 log10 CFU/g lower than untreated eggs (2.27 vs 3.29 log10 CFU/g). During storage, CO2 packed eggs maintained the initial values of HU, whereas the albumen pH decreased up to 1.5-2 points in comparison to unpacked eggs. The UV treatment was effective in reducing the total colony count on the surface of table eggs. MAP showed a great potential in maintaining/enhance the technological properties of egg constituents (higher foam stability of the albumen for meringue preparation) without significantly impacting on the microbial load of table eggs

N=2 supergravity models with stable de Sitter vacua

In the present talk I shall review the construction of N=2 supergravity models exhibiting stable de Sitter vacua. These solutions represent the first instance of stable backgrounds with positive cosmological constant in the framework of extended supergravities (N >=2). After briefly reviewing the role of de Sitter space--times in inflationary cosmology, I shall describe the main ingredients which were necessary for the construction of gauged N=2 supergravity models admitting stable solutions of this kind.Comment: Prepared for Workshop on the Quantum Structure of Spacetime and the Geometric Nature of Fundamental Interactions, Leuven, Belgium, September 13-19 200

Molecular landscape of esophageal cancer: implications for early detection and personalized therapy

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most lethal cancers and a public health concern worldwide, owing to late diagnosis and lack of efficient treatment. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) are main histopathological subtypes of EC that show striking differences in geographical distribution, possibly due to differences in exposure to risk factors and lifestyles. ESCC and EAC are distinct diseases in terms of cell of origin, epidemiology, and molecular architecture of tumor cells. Past efforts aimed at translating potential molecular candidates into clinical practice proved to be challenging, underscoring the need for identifying novel candidates for early diagnosis and therapy of EC. Several major international efforts have brought about important advances in identifying molecular landscapes of ESCC and EAC toward understanding molecular mechanisms and critical molecular events driving the progression and pathological features of the disease. In our review, we summarize recent advances in the areas of genomics and epigenomics of ESCC and EAC, their mutational signatures and immunotherapy. We also discuss implications of recent advances in characterizing the genome and epigenome of EC for the discovery of diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and development of new targets for personalized treatment and prevention

Implementing carrier screening for cystic fibrosis outside the clinic: ethical analysis in the light of the personalist view

Background. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease. Two models for screening CF are normally used: newborn screening and population-based CF carrier screening. In turn, there are three main models of population-based CF carrier screening: prenatal carrier screening, preconception carrier screening, and carrier screening outside clinical settings. Aim. To evaluate, in the light of the personalist view, the use of carrier screenings for CF outside the clinic, i.e. in non-clinical settings, such as school and workplaces.Methods. Analysis has been carried out according to the “Perso-nalist approach” (also called “Triangular model”), an ethical method for performing ethical analysis within HTA process. It includes factual, anthropological and ethical data in a ‘‘triangular’’ normative reflection process.Findings. Implementing carrier screening for cystic fibrosis outside the clinical settings allows acquisition of knowledge for informing reproductive choices, that can be considered as valuable; benefit-risk ratio seems to be not much favorable; autonomous and responsible decisions can be taken only under certain conditions; economic ad-vantage is difficult to determine; therefore, from a personalist view, implementing carrier screenings outside the clinic seems not to be ethically justified. Conclusion. In accordance with the personalist perspective, public health programs providing carrier screenings outside the clinic should not be implemented

A Dynamic Splicing Program Ensures Proper Synaptic Connections in the Developing Cerebellum

Tight coordination of gene expression in the developing cerebellum is crucial for establishment of neuronal circuits governing motor and cognitive function. However, transcriptional changes alone do not explain all of the switches underlying neuronal differentiation. Here we unveiled a widespread and highly dynamic splicing program that affects synaptic genes in cerebellar neurons. The motifs enriched in modulated exons implicated the splicing factor Sam68 as a regulator of this program. Sam68 controls splicing of exons with weak branchpoints by directly binding near the 3′ splice site and competing with U2AF recruitment. Ablation of Sam68 disrupts splicing regulation of synaptic genes associated with neurodevelopmental diseases and impairs synaptic connections and firing of Purkinje cells, resulting in motor coordination defects, ataxia, and abnormal social behavior. These findings uncover an unexpectedly dynamic splicing regulatory network that shapes the synapse in early life and establishes motor and cognitive circuitry in the developing cerebellum

A new first order formalism for k-supersymmetric Born Infeld actions: the D3-brane example

We introduce a new first order formulation of world-volume actions for p-branes with k-supersymmetry. In this language, which involves more auxiliary fields compensated by more local symmetries, the action is provided by a very compact, simple and elegant formula applicable to any supergravity background. The k-supersymmetry variation against which it is invariant is obtained from the bulk supersymmetries by means of a projector that has a simple expression in terms of the auxiliary fields. The distinctive feature of our formalism is that all fermion fields are hidden into the definition of the curvatures and the action is formally the same, in terms of these differential forms as it would be in a purely bosonic theory. Typically our new formulation enables one to discuss the correct boundary actions for non trivial supergravity Dp-brane bulk solutions like the D3-brane solution on smooth ALE manifolds with flux recently constructed in the literatureComment: 31 pages, latex, added some reference

Signaling Networks Associated with AKT Activation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): New Insights on the Role of Phosphatydil-Inositol-3 kinase

Aberrant activation of PI3K/AKT signalling represents one of the most common molecular alterations in lung cancer, though the relative contribution of the single components of the cascade to the NSCLC development is still poorly defined. In this manuscript we have investigated the relationship between expression and genetic alterations of the components of the PI3K/AKT pathway [KRAS, the catalytic subunit of PI3K (p110α), PTEN, AKT1 and AKT2] and the activation of AKT in 107 surgically resected NSCLCs and have analyzed the existing relationships with clinico-pathologic features. Expression analysis was performed by immunohistochemistry on Tissue Micro Arrays (TMA); mutation analysis was performed by DNA sequencing; copy number variation was determined by FISH. We report that activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in Italian NSCLC patients is associated with high grade (G3–G4 compared with G1–G2; n = 83; p<0.05) and more advanced disease (TNM stage III vs. stages I and II; n = 26; p<0.05). In addition, we found that PTEN loss (41/104, 39%) and the overexpression of p110α (27/92, 29%) represent the most frequent aberration observed in NSCLCs. Less frequent molecular lesions comprised the overexpression of AKT2 (18/83, 22%) or AKT1 (17/96, 18%), and KRAS mutation (7/63, 11%). Our results indicate that, among all genes, only p110α overexpression was significantly associated to AKT activation in NSCLCs (p = 0.02). Manipulation of p110α expression in lung cancer cells carrying an active PI3K allele (NCI-H460) efficiently reduced proliferation of NSCLC cells in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Finally, RNA profiling of lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) expressing a mutant allele of PIK3 (E545K) identified a network of transcription factors such as MYC, FOS and HMGA1, not previously recognised to be associated with aberrant PI3K signalling in lung cancer

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.05, 95%CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.39–3.02, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.42, 95%CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.18–0.99, p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research