Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: a community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility

Over the last decade, research interest in defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised manipulators of host immune function and physiology. Emerging evidence supports a role for helminth-derived EVs in these processes and highlights EVs as an important participant in cross-phylum communication. While the mammalian EV field is guided by a community-agreed framework for studying EVs derived from model organisms or cell systems [e.g., Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV)], the helminth community requires a supplementary set of principles due to the additional challenges that accompany working with such divergent organisms. These challenges include, but are not limited to, generating sufficient quantities of EVs for descriptive or functional studies, defining pan-helminth EV markers, genetically modifying these organisms, and identifying rigorous methodologies for in vitro and in vivo studies. Here, we outline best practices for those investigating the biology of helminth-derived EVs to complement the MISEV guidelines. We summarise community-agreed standards for studying EVs derived from this broad set of non-model organisms, raise awareness of issues associated with helminth EVs and provide future perspectives for how progress in the field will be achieved

LUME: A new ASI proposal for Lunar Exploration and In Situ Resource Utilization

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. This landing site has been selected for two main reasons: a) sun-light is always available to deliver the power useful to perform lander experiments and b) some easy-reachable and interesting craters are close to this region. The lander embark a sun powered ISRU plant to demonstrate O 2 extraction from lunar (ilmenite) soil and a robotic arm that can pick up lunar samples both from the soil and the rover. The nuclear powered rover is equipped with a drill system that, in the first phase of its mission, will deliver samples to be processed by the ISRU plant. In a second phase the rover will move to "de Gerlache" crater, identified as an attractive region to search for water ice. The rover drill includes an imaging VIS-NIR spectrometer dedicated to analyze the mineral composition and the water ice presence along the walls of the excavated hole. Both the orbiter and the lander will carry as payload two aquatic enclosed ecosystems (biospheres): these systems have been chosen as the best trade off between reduced requirements and easy data comprehension to evaluate space environment effects on life

LUME (LUnar Mission for Exploration): A new ASI proposal for lunar exploration and in situ resource utilization

A novel ASI Lunar mission is here proposed by a task force of Ph.D. students. After 14 th January 2004 president G.W Bush's speech, a new input to space human exploration has been given. The Moon, thanks to nearness to Earth, is identified as an important test bed for all future human missions. The task force LUME mission has been designed to fit with Italian technological capabilities leaving it open anyway for international cooperation. Three main module are foreseen: a lunar low altitude polar orbiter, a lander near the "peak of the eternal light" and a rover. The polar orbiter is equipped with a complete suite of experiments for remote sensing observation (high resolution color camera, VIS-NIR imaging spectrometer, neutron and X spectrometers and SAR radar). This will provide a lunar surface map in high spatial resolution at different wavelengths: the orbiter payload will be used both to refine the selection of the landing site and to support the rover navigation. The lander will reach the region of "peak of the eternal light", located in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. This landing site has been selected for two main reasons: a) sun-light is always available to deliver the power useful to perform lander experiments and b) some easy-reachable and interesting craters are close to this region. The lander embark a sun powered ISRU plant to demonstrate O 2 extraction from lunar (ilmenite) soil and a robotic arm that can pick up lunar samples both from the soil and the rover. The nuclear powered rover is equipped with a drill system that, in the first phase of its mission, will deliver samples to be processed by the ISRU plant. In a second phase the rover will move to "de Gerlache" crater, identified as an attractive region to search for water ice. The rover drill includes an imaging VIS-NIR spectrometer dedicated to analyze the mineral composition and the water ice presence along the walls of the excavated hole. Both the orbiter and the lander will carry as payload two aquatic enclosed ecosystems (biospheres): these systems have been chosen as the best trade off between reduced requirements and easy data comprehension to evaluate space environment effects on life

Mortality from second tumour among long-term survivors of retinoblastoma: a retrospective analysis of the Italian retinoblastoma registry.

22Survivors of retinoblastoma (Rb) are at high riskof dying from second malignant tumour. The occurrence of second malignant neoplasm (SMN) and related mortality in a cohort of 1111 cases from the Italian Retinoblastoma Registry was analysed, considering the possible role of both genetic and iatrogenic causes. Rb patients had a greater than 10-fold excess in overall mortality compared with the general population (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 10.73, 95% CI 9.00–12.80). Their excess risk attributable to cancers other than Rb was 14.93 95% CI 10.38–21.49). Survivors of hereditary Rb had an SMR for all causes of 16.25 (95% CI 13.20–20.00), whereas their SMR for all cancers was 25.72 (95% CI 17.38–38.07). Survivors of unilateral sporadic Rb had an SMR of 4.12 from all cancers (95% CI 1.55–10.98) and a much higher excess for overall mortality (SMR 13.34, 95% CI 10.74–16.56). As expected, survivors of hereditary Rb had higher mortality from cancers of the bone (SMR 391.90, 95%CI 203.90–753.20) and soft tissue (SMR 453.00, 95% CI 203.50–1008.40), small intestine (SMR 1375.50, 95% CI 344.00–5499.70), nasal cavity (SMR 13.71, 95% CI 1.93–97.35) and cancers of the brain and central nervous system (SMR 41.14, 95% CI 13.2–127.55)reservedmixedACQUAVIVA A; CICCOLALLO L; RONDELLI R; BALISTRERI A; ANCAROLA R; COZZA R; HADJISTILIANOU D; DE FRANCESCO S; P. TOTI; PASTORE G; HAUPT R; CARLI M; SANTORO N; DI CATALDO A; FIORILLO A; INDOLFI P; NUCCI P; SANDRI A; PORTA F; PORCARO AB; TAMARO P; MORGESE GAcquaviva, A; Ciccolallo, L; Rondelli, R; Balistreri, A; Ancarola, R; Cozza, R; Hadjistilianou, D; DE FRANCESCO, S; Toti, P.; Pastore, G; Haupt, R; Carli, M; Santoro, N; DI CATALDO, A; Fiorillo, A; Indolfi, P; Nucci, P; Sandri, A; Porta, F; Porcaro, Ab; Tamaro, P; Morgese,

Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: A community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility

Over the last decade, research interest in defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised manipulators of host immune function and physiology. Emerging evidence supports a role for helminth-derived EVs in these processes and highlights EVs as an important participant in cross-phylum communication. While the mammalian EV field is guided by a community-agreed framework for studying EVs derived from model organisms or cell systems [e.g., Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV)], the helminth community requires a supplementary set of principles due to the additional challenges that accompany working with such divergent organisms. These challenges include, but are not limited to, generating sufficient quantities of EVs for descriptive or functional studies, defining pan-helminth EV markers, genetically modifying these organisms, and identifying rigorous methodologies for in vitro and in vivo studies. Here, we outline best practices for those investigating the biology of helminth-derived EVs to complement the MISEV guidelines. We summarise community-agreed standards for studying EVs derived from this broad set of non-model organisms, raise awareness of issues associated with helminth EVs and provide future perspectives for how progress in the field will be achieved.Host-parasite interactio

Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: A community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility

Over the last decade, research interest in defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised manipulators of host immune function and physiology. Emerging evidence supports a role for helminth-derived EVs in these processes and highlights EVs as an important participant in cross-phylum communication. While the mammalian EV field is guided by a community-agreed framework for studying EVs derived from model organisms or cell systems [e.g., Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV)], the helminth community requires a supplementary set of principles due to the additional challenges that accompany working with such divergent organisms. These challenges include, but are not limited to, generating sufficient quantities of EVs for descriptive or functional studies, defining pan-helminth EV markers, genetically modifying these organisms, and identifying rigorous methodologies for in vitro and in vivo studies. Here, we outline best practices for those investigating the biology of helminth-derived EVs to complement the MISEV guidelines. We summarise community-agreed standards for studying EVs derived from this broad set of non-model organisms, raise awareness of issues associated with helminth EVs and provide future perspectives for how progress in the field will be achieved