Down-regulation of the Lamin A/C in neuroblastoma triggers the expansion of tumor initiating cells

Tumor-initiating cells constitute a population within a tumor mass that shares properties with normal stem cells and is considered responsible for therapy failure in many cancers. We have previously demonstrated that knockdown of the nuclear envelope component Lamin A/C in human neuroblastoma cells inhibits retinoic acid-mediated differentiation and results in a more aggressive phenotype. In addition, Lamin A/C is often lost in advanced tumors and changes in the nuclear envelope composition occur during tumor progression. Based on our previous data and considering that Lamin A/C is expressed in differentiated tissues, we hypothesize that the lack of Lamin A/C could predispose cells toward a stem-like phenotype, thus influencing the development of tumor-initiating cells in neuroblastoma. This paper demonstrates that knockdown of Lamin A/C triggers the development of a tumor-initiating cell population with self-renewing features in human neuroblastoma cells. We also demonstrates that the development of TICs is due to an increased expression of MYCN gene and that in neuroblastoma exists an inverse relationship between LMNA and MYCN expression

Influence of acetylsalicylic acid on hematotoxicity of benzene

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on benzene hematotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on rats exposed for 2, 4 and 8 weeks to benzene vapour at a conentration of 1.5 or 4.5 mmol/m3 of air (5 days per week, 6 hours per day) alone or together with ASA at the doses of 5, 150 or 300 mg/kg body weight (per os). Results: Benzene at a concentration of 4.5 mmol/m3 caused a slight lymphopenia, granulocytosis and reticulocytosis in blood. In bone marrow traits of megaloblastic renewal, presence of undifferentiated cells and giant forms of granulocytes as well as an increase in myeloperoxidase and decrease in chloroacetate esterase activity and lipids content were noted. ASA (150 and 300 mg/kg b.w.) influenced some of hematological parameters, altered by benzene intoxication. ASA limited the solvent-induced alteration in blood reticulocyte count and in the case of bone marrow in the erythroblasts count. Traits of megaloblastic renewal in bone marrow were less pronounced. Besides, higher activity of myeloperoxidase and the decrease in the level of lipids in granulocytes were noted. Conclusion: Our results suggest that ASA limited the benzene-induced hematotoxicity

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

Asymptotic Results for the Absorption Time of Telegraph Processes with Elastic Boundary at the Origin

We consider a telegraph process with elastic boundary at the origin studied recently in the literature (see e.g. Di Crescenzo et al. (Methodol Comput Appl Probab 20:333–352 2018)). It is a particular random motion with finite velocity which starts at x ≥ 0, and its dynamics is determined by upward and downward switching rates λ and μ, with λ>μ, and an absorption probability (at the origin) α ∈ (0, 1]. Our aim is to study the asymptotic behavior of the absorption time at the origin with respect to two different scalings: x → ∞ in the first case; μ → ∞, with λ = βμ for some β > 1 and x > 0, in the second case. We prove several large and moderate deviation results. We also present numerical estimates of β based on an asymptotic Normality result for the case of the second scaling

Feedback effects in simulated Stein's coupled neurons

A network consisting of two Stein-type neuronal units is analyzed under the assumption of a complete interaction between the neurons. The firing of each neuron causes a jump of constant amplitude of the membrane potential of the other neuron. The jump is positive or negative according to whether the firing neuron is excitatory or inhibitory. Making use of a simulation procedure designed by ourselves, we study the interspike intervals of the two neurons by means of their histograms, of some descriptive statistics and of empirical distribution functions. Furthermore, via the crosscorrelation function, we investigate the synchronization between the neurons firing activity in the special case when one neuron is excitatory and the other is inhibitory

On the dynamics of a pair of coupled neurons subject to alternating input rates

We present a statistical analysis of the firing activity of two coupled neuronal units that interact according to a ‘sending–receiving’ model. The membrane potential’s behavior of both units is described by the Stein equations under the additional assumption that the spikes released by the sending neuron constitute an extra excitation for the receiving one. We also assume the presence of an alternating behavior for the rates of inputs to the sending neuron. By means of ad hoc simulations, we obtain, and then discuss, some statistical results concerning the spike production times of the units within the subintervals of the alternating inputs, as well as the reaction times of the receiving neuron

On the interaction between two Stein's neuronal units.

In this paper we consider a network consisting of two Stein's neuronal units, where the effect of the firing of the first unit is a jump of the membrane potential of the second unit. We perform an analysis of the interaction between these units based on Monte-Carlo simulations performed by means of an ad-hoc procedure. Our results include the analysis of the interspike intervals under varying firing conditions as well as the number of spikes of the second neuron during the ISI's of the first neuron

Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from companion animals.

Introduction: The increasing interest for staphylococci in Veterinary medicine highlights the need to have an accurate identification of these bacteria. Furthermore, the control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) requires a dual approach aimed at reducing antimicrobial consumption and preventing transmission between animals and from animals to humans or viceversa. In this study, we have isolated Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains from infection sites of companion animals and we evaluated the degree of identity of these isolates comparing different identification methods