Longitudinal tracking of triple labeled umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stromal cells in a mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

The translational potential of cell therapy to humans requires a deep knowledge of the interaction between transplanted cells and host tissues. In this study, we evaluate the behavior of umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs), labeled with fluorescent nanoparticles, transplanted in healthy or early symptomatic transgenic SOD1G93A mice (a murine model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). The double labeling of cells with nanoparticles and Hoechst-33258 enabled their tracking for a long time in both cells and tissues. Whole-body distribution of UC-MSCs was performed by in-vivo and ex-vivo analyses 1, 7, 21 days after single intravenous or intracerebroventricular administration. By intravenous administration cells were sequestered by the lungs and rapidly cleared by the liver. No difference in biodistribution was found among the two groups. On the other hand, UC-MSCs transplanted in lateral ventricles remained on the choroid plexus for the whole duration of the study even if decreasing in number. Few cells were found in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice exclusively. No migration in brain parenchyma was observed. These results suggest that the direct implantation in brain ventricles allows a prolonged permanence of cells close to the damaged areas and makes this method of tracking reliable for future studies of efficacy

Rilevamento di Forme Geometriche in Immagini

Nel presente elaborato sono analizzati aspetti rigurdanti la termografia e l'elaborazione delle immagini mediante tecniche di rilevamento di forme geometriche. In particolare è descritta in dettaglio la trasformata di Hough e la sua implementazione per il riconoscimento di forme lineari e circolari. Nel capitolo finale è riportata l'integrazione dell'utilità di riconoscimento di forme lineari nell'applicazione software IR-Image Assistant

In Vivo Fate of Avidin-Nucleic Acid Nanoassemblies as Multifunctional Diagnostic Tools

This study describes the formulation optimization and body-cell distribution and clearance in mice of a dually fluorescent biodegradable poly avidin nanoassembly based on the novel Avidin-Nucleic-Acid-Nano-ASsembly (ANANAS) platform as a potential advancement of classic avidin/biotin-based targeted delivery. The nanoformulation circulates freely in the bloodstream; it is slowly captured by filter organs; it is efficiently deared within 24-48 h, and it is poorly immunogenic. The system displays more favorable properties than its parent monomeric avidin and it is a promising tool for diagnostic purposes for future translational aims, for which free circulation in the bloodstream, safety, multifunctionality and high composition definition are all necessary requirements. In addition, the assembly shows a time-dependent cell penetration capability, suggesting it may also function as a NP-dependent drug delivery tool. The ease of preparation together with the possibility to fine-tune the surface composition makes it also an ideal candidate to understand if and how nanoparticle composition affects its localization

Occupational Rhinitis and Bronchospastic Reaction in a Worker Exposed to Imipenem

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Features and severity of occupational asthma upon diagnosis: an Italian multicentric case review

BACKGROUND: The severity of occupational asthma (OA) at the time of diagnosis is not known. In this study we aimed to evaluate some features of the disease at the time of diagnosis, particularly looking at severity and treatment before diagnosis. METHODS: Medical records of subjects (n = 197) who had received a diagnosis of OA in six specialized centres of Northern and Central Italy in the period 1992-97 were reviewed. The severity of the disease at the time of diagnosis was determined on the basis of symptoms, peak expiratory flow (PEF, percentage predicted), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, percentage predicted), and PEF variability, following the criteria of the National Institutes of Health and World Health Organizaton (NIH/WHO) guidelines on asthma. Medications used in the month before diagnosis were recorded. RESULTS: The most common etiological agents were isocyanates (41.6%), flours (19.8%), woods (9.7%) and natural rubber latex (7.6%). The level of asthma severity (AS) was mild intermittent in 23.9% patients, mild persistent in 28.9%, moderate in 41.6%, and severe in 5.6%. Asthma severity was positively associated with current or previous smoking (P < 0.05), and was not related to atopy and current exposure. A relationship with bronchial reactivity to methacholine was shown in subjects at work. Treatment before diagnosis was consistent with the NIH/WHO guidelines in only 13.2% patients, whereas 75.6% were undertreated and 11.2% were overtreated. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we found that the majority of patients had mild asthma at the time of diagnosis and that cigarette smoking was associated with a greater severity. Moreover, the majority of patients were undertreated before etiological diagnosis

<i>In Vivo</i> Fate of Avidin-Nucleic Acid Nanoassemblies as Multifunctional Diagnostic Tools

This study describes the formulation optimization and body-cell distribution and clearance in mice of a dually fluorescent biodegradable poly avidin nanoassembly based on the novel Avidin-Nucleic-Acid-Nano-ASsembly (ANANAS) platform as a potential advancement of classic avidin/biotin-based targeted delivery. The nanoformulation circulates freely in the bloodstream; it is slowly captured by filter organs; it is efficiently cleared within 24–48 h, and it is poorly immunogenic. The system displays more favorable properties than its parent monomeric avidin and it is a promising tool for diagnostic purposes for future translational aims, for which free circulation in the bloodstream, safety, multifunctionality and high composition definition are all necessary requirements. In addition, the assembly shows a time-dependent cell penetration capability, suggesting it may also function as a NP-dependent drug delivery tool. The ease of preparation together with the possibility to fine-tune the surface composition makes it also an ideal candidate to understand if and how nanoparticle composition affects its localization

Preliminary report of the First phase of the Bergamo 2.(035) Project

Il programma di ricerca Bergamo 2.(035) – "Un nuovo concetto urbano per un nuovo mondo " - è motivato dalla necessità di concepire una vision comparative, articolata, e di lungo termine dei più rilevanti sviluppi futuri degli ambienti urbani e dei loro territori. Questa visione costituirà l’innesco di una discussione volta a definire delle linee strategiche per gestire i cambiamenti futuri e identificare le leve decisionali per affrontare le criticità più importanti. Bergamo 2.(035) è un programma di ricerca che fornisce terreno comune per una serie di progetti che, pur orientati verso una specifica applicazione o un problema, possono trarre vantaggio dalla condivisione di una visione comune. La ricerca ha individuato quattro principali tendenze relative sviluppo della città nel lungo periodo: • La Comunità della Conoscenza. Un'idea di città dove una nuova società impara come usare al meglio le risorse disponibili per soddisfare le proprie esigenze e risolvere i propri problemi. • La Comunità dei “Prosumatori”. Due fenomeni hanno avuto luogo negli ultimi anni, e potrebbero diventare una tendenza importante in futuro. Da un lato , gli individui stanno diventando consapevoli che il loro ruolo non è semplicemente di agire come consumatori, ma anche di essere produttori attivi, generando non solo ciò di cui hanno bisogno per se stessi, ma anche di presidiare la distribuzione e la vendita verso la comunità. Dall'altro , le imprese non sono semplicemente dei produttori, ma anche utilizzano e acquistano beni per la gestione delle loro attività sia attraverso collaborazioni verticali e orizzontali. • La Comunità Mobile Multilivello. Mobilità multilivello si riferisce alla tendenza diffusa e crescente di individui / informazioni / prodotti / idee di muoversi in aree geografiche a vari livelli ( locale, regionale , internazionale , ...) e in spazi collegati, con un basso impatto ambientale, e concentrandosi su aspetti sociali. • Il Ruolo Sociale delle Imprese. Immaginiamo una città in cui le imprese operano con attenzione verso questioni sociali ampie e complesse, come il benessere della comunità, la giustizia sociale, la povertà ei diritti umani . Queste tendenze saranno contestualizzate con riferimento alle città del futuro e in particolare al futuro di Bergamo. L'approccio che cerchiamo si basa sulla creazione di "Living Labs" tematici in cui saranno attivati gruppi di stakeholder per definire la “visione Bergamo 2.(035)” all’interno di un vero contesto urbano, coinvolto in un processo di creazione strutturato e sistematico . Due principali risultati sono attesi : 1. la creazione di gruppi di discussione sarà un risultato in sé, dal momento che ci aspettiamo che questi gruppi diventino i semi del cambiamento e contribuiscono ad una crescente consapevolezza dei temi chiave per la città di domani. 2. questi gruppi definiranno nuove idee e concetti da considerare nelle fasi iniziali del processo di cambiamento.The Bergamo 2.(035) – “A new urban concept for a new world” – research program is motivated by the need to conceive an articulated, long-term and comparative vision of the most relevant future developments of an urban environment and its territory. This vision would trigger the discussion and the definition of the strategic lines for mastering their trajectories and identifying the decision-making leverages to tackle the most prominent critical issues. Bergamo 2.(035) is a research program providing the foundation and common ground of a number of projects which, though oriented on a specific application area or issue, would benefit from the sharing of a common vision. The research has identified four main relevant trends in the development of cities in the long term: • The Knowledge Intensive Community. An idea of city where a new society learns how to better use the available resources to satisfy its needs and solve its problems. • The Collaborative Prosumption Community. Two phenomena took place in the last years and might become a leading trend in the future. On one hand, people are becoming aware that their role is not simply to act as consumers, but also to be active producers, generating not only what they need for themselves, but also distributing and selling to the community. On the other, companies are not simply producers but they also use and purchase goods for managing their activities through both vertical and horizontal collaborations: these activities are more and more developing towards a sustainable perspective. • The Multiscale Mobile Community. Multiscale sustainable mobility refers to the widespread and growing behavioral tendency of individuals / information / goods / ideas to move in geographic areas at different levels (local, regional, international, …) and in connected spaces, with a low environmental impact, and focusing on a social point of view. • The Social role of Enterprises. We fancy of a city where companies operate with regard to broad and complex societal issues, such as community welfare, social justice, poverty and human rights. To design our specific roadmap, we will try contextualize these trends in the future of the city and specifically in the future of Bergamo. The approach we seek is based on the establishment of thematic “living labs” where target groups of stakeholders will be stimulated to deploy the Bergamo 2.(035) vision into the real urban context, involved in a structured and systematic creation process. Two main results are expected: 1. the creation of the discussion groups is going to be a result in itself, since we expect these groups to become the initiating seeds of change and growing awareness of key topics for the city of tomorrow. 2. these groups will establish new ideas and concepts to be considered the initial steps of the roadmap

Risk of Guillain-Barr\ue9 syndrome after 2010-2011 influenza vaccination

Influenza vaccination has been implicated in Guillain Barr\ue9 Syndrome (GBS) although the evidence for this link is controversial. A case-control study was conducted between October 2010 and May 2011 in seven Italian Regions to explore the relation between influenza vaccination and GBS. The study included 176 GBS incident cases aged 6518 years from 86 neurological centers. Controls were selected among patients admitted for acute conditions to the Emergency Department of the same hospital as cases. Each control was matched to a case by sex, age, Region and admission date. Two different analyses were conducted: a matched case-control analysis and a self-controlled case series analysis (SCCS). Case-control analysis included 140 cases matched to 308 controls. The adjusted matched odds ratio (OR) for GBS occurrence within 6 weeks after influenza vaccination was 3.8 (95 % CI: 1.3, 10.5). A much stronger association with gastrointestinal infections (OR = 23.8; 95 % CI 7.3, 77.6) and influenza-like illness or upper respiratory tract infections (OR = 11.5; 95 % CI 5.6, 23.5) was highlighted. The SCCS analysis included all 176 GBS cases. Influenza vaccination was associated with GBS, with a relative risk of 2.1 (95 % CI 1.1, 3.9). According to these results the attributable risk in adults ranges from two to five GBS cases per 1,000,000 vaccinations