Surfactant and Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 in the Pathogenesis of Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a pulmonary inflammatory disorder resulting in respiratory failure that is initiated by a number of different insults to the lung. Despite very high mortality, there are still no effective treatments for this disease, and the main supportive therapy, mechanical ventilation, can further lung injury and contribute to ALI progression. The overall objective of this work was therefore to evaluate the role of two key players in the disease process, such as: i) lung surfactant, a material essential for minimizing the work of breathing and for pulmonary immunomodulation, and ii) matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), protease involved in the inflammatory response associated with ALI. The experimental approach consisted of exposing mice to different models of ALI, in order to investigate: i) the effects of exogenous surfactant administration on injury progression, ii) the role of MMP-3 in the pulmonary inflammatory response and iii) MMP-3 role in the surfactant alterations associated with ALI. The findings from this work underline the importance of a functional surfactant system in supporting the mechanics of breathing following lung injury. The data also illustrate that MMP-3 is an important contributor to the pulmonary inflammation associated with ALI. This exciting evidence has broadened the knowledge of ALI pathophysiology and identified a potential new therapeutic target –MMP-3- that could help improve the outcome of patients with this condition

Lung congestion as a hidden threat in end-stage kidney disease: a call to action

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displacements of the pipe system caused by a transient phenomenon using the dynamic forces measured in the laboratory

Background: When transporting liquids, in particularly over long distances, dynamic forces in the system can present a risk. The larger the system size, and the greater the pressure, the more harmful the impact is of such forces. Water is transported in this way for domestic, industrial, and fire-fighting purposes. One of the impulses of dynamic force application may be the transition of the pressure wave in the water hammer. Methods: In this paper, the results of measured dynamic forces and associated displacements recorded on the model caused by transient flow conditions are presented. For measured forces, the displacements of the pipe were also calculated by using the oscillation motion equations. Force measurements and displacement analyses were carried out in laboratory on the model of a simple fire protection system equipped with three nozzles. Results and Conclusions: The measurement results and calculations were used to calibrate a mathematical model created using MATLAB software

Shoreline changes near river mouth: case study of Sant'Agata River (Reggio Calabria, Italy)

The analysis of shoreline changes is very important for coastal planning and management. In territories such as Calabria (Italy), characterized by significant anthropogenic pressures and various eroded coasts, the knowledge of the shoreline changes, and the factors that influence them, is necessary for management and planning of coastal areas. In fact, shoreline position is one of the most important indicators of coastal dynamics. From this point of view recent advances in remote sensing and GIS techniques allow to estimate with great precision the shoreline changes over the years. The paper analyzes the shoreline changes near the mouth of the Sant'Agata River (Reggio Calabria, Italy), carried out through the comparison of various cartography data. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the main factors influencing the coastal dynamics in order to identify possible correlation between these factors and the shoreline changes. The analysis of these factors shows that, in this case study, the rainfall regime has a considerable influence on shoreline change. The methodology described in this paper is particularly useful for better understanding the factors that most influence the coastal balance and, therefore, is applicable to many contexts which are similar to the Sant'Agata river mouth

SHORELINE EVOLUTION NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE PETRACE RIVER, REGGIO CALABRIA, ITALY

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Cortical atrophy in chronic subdural hematoma from ultra-structures to physical properties

Several theories have tried to elucidate the mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). However, this process is complex and remains mostly unknown. In this study we performed a retrospective randomised analysis comparing the cortical atrophy of 190 patients with unilateral CSDH, with 190 healthy controls. To evaluate the extent of cortical atrophy, CT scan images were utilised to develop an index that is the ratio of the maximum diameter sum of 3 cisterns divided by the maximum diameter of the skull at the temporal lobe level. Also, we reported, for the first time, the ultrastructural analyses of the CSDH using a combination of immunohistochemistry methods and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Internal validation was performed to confirm the assessment of the different degrees of cortical atrophy. Relative Cortical Atrophy Index (RCA index) refers to the sum of the maximum diameter of three cisterns (insular cistern, longitudinal cerebral fissure and cerebral sulci greatest) with the temporal bones' greatest internal distance. This index, strongly related to age in healthy controls, is positively correlated to the preoperative and post-operative maximum diameter of hematoma and the midline shift in CSDH patients. On the contrary, it negatively correlates to the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUROC) showed that RCA index effectively differentiated cases from controls. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the newly formed CD-31 positive microvessels are higher in number than the CD34-positive microvessels in the CSDH inner membrane than in the outer membrane. Ultrastructural observations highlight the presence of a chronic inflammatory state mainly in the CSDH inner membrane. Integrating these results, we have obtained an etiopathogenetic model of CSDH. Cortical atrophy appears to be the triggering factor activating the cascade of transendothelial cellular filtration, inflammation, membrane formation and neovascularisation leading to the CSDH formation

Digital Marketing for the promotion of Made in Italy products in Russia

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Enterococchi resistenti ai glicopeptidi: selezione in vitro di varianti, identificazione e studio dei geni responsabili

Dottorato di ricerca in discipline microbiologiche. 11. ciclo. A.a. 1995-98. Tutore Stefania Stefani. Coordinatore Angelo CastroConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - Piazza Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF VELOCITY AND PRESSURE FIELD AROUND A CYLINDER AT MODERATE REYNOLDS NUMBER

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