The relationship between Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Coronary Artery Calcification in end - stage renal disease patients and in peritoneal dialysis patients

The Coronary Artery Calcifications in End Stage Renal Disease patients reflects the severity of the atherosclerotic vascular disease and predicts cardiovascular events. Epicardial Adipose Tissue is a biologically active organ that may play a role in the association between obesity and coronary artery disease. In the literature, there are few data regarding Epicardial Adipose Tissue in ESRD patients. Therefore, in the present discussion we aimed to investigate the relationship between EAT and CACS in Cronic Kidney Disease but especially in Peritoneal Dialysis patients

Brain modularity controls the critical behavior of spontaneous activity

The human brain exhibits a complex structure made of scale-free highly connected modules loosely interconnected by weaker links to form a small-world network. These features appear in healthy patients whereas neurological diseases often modify this structure. An important open question concerns the role of brain modularity in sustaining the critical behaviour of spontaneous activity. Here we analyse the neuronal activity of a model, successful in reproducing on non-modular networks the scaling behaviour observed in experimental data, on a modular network implementing the main statistical features measured in human brain. We show that on a modular network, regardless the strength of the synaptic connections or the modular size and number, activity is never fully scale-free. Neuronal avalanches can invade different modules which results in an activity depression, hindering further avalanche propagation. Critical behaviour is solely recovered if inter-module connections are added, modifying the modular into a more random structure.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Representation Challenges: Searching for New Frontiers of AR and AI Research

We have come to the second collection of essays that originated under the aegis of Representation Challenges and that, by reintroducing the combination of Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), explores its new frontiers

Affinity chromatography of ovine casein

Abstract Sheep milk casein was separated into two fractions: one containing α s1 -plus β- and the other α s2 plus κ-caseins by affinity chromatography on activated thiol-Sepharose 4B. Milk samples were from the Leccese breed with the most common electrophoretic pattern. Electrophoresis of the chromatographic fractions on SDS-PAGE and on starch urea gel at pH 8.6 and 1.7 clarified the electrophoretic pattern of whole casein. Acidic pH electrophoresis of the two fractions obtained by affinity chromatography may be useful for investigations on the polymorphism of the casein fractions

Representation Challenges: The Reasons of the Research

Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are technological domains that closely interact with space at architectural and urban scale in the broader ambits of cultural heritage and innovative design. The growing interest is perceivable in many fields of knowledge, supported by the rapid development and advancement of theory and application, software and devices, fueling a pervasive phenomenon within our daily lives. These technologies demonstrate to be best exploited when their application and other information and communication technology (ICT) advancements achieve a continuum. In particular, AR defines an alternative path to observe, analyze and communicate space and artifacts. Besides, AI opens future scenarios in data processing, redefining the relationship between man and computer

RpL3 promotes the apoptosis of p53 mutated lung cancer cells by down-regulating CBS and NFκB upon 5-FU treatment

5-FU is a chemotherapy drug commonly used for the treatment of human cancers; however drug resistance represents a major challenge for its clinical application. In the present study, we reporte that rpL3 induced by 5-FU treatment in Calu-6 cells represses CBS transcription and reduces CBS protein stability leading to a decrease of CBS protein levels. rpL3 also regulates negatively the activation of NFκB by preventing NFκB nuclear translocation through IκB-α up-regulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that rpL3 significantly enhances the apoptosis of 5-FU treated Calu-6 cells promoting the overexpression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and the inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. We finally demonstrate that rpL3 potentiates 5-FU efficacy inhibiting cell migration and invasion. Our results suggest that combination of rpL3 and 5-FU is a promising strategy for chemotherapy of lung cancers lacking functional p53 that are resistant to 5-FU

Invasive meningococcal disease in the Veneto region of Italy: A capture-recapture analysis for assessing the effectiveness of an integrated surveillance system

open8noBACKGROUND: Epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis has been changing since the introduction of universal vaccination programmes against meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) and meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) has now become dominant. This study aimed to analyse the cases reported in institutional data recording systems to estimate the burden of invasive meningococcal diseases (IMDs) and assess the effectiveness of surveillance in Veneto region (Italy). METHODS: Analysis was performed from 2007 to 2014 on data recorded in different systems: Mandatory Notification System, National Surveillance of Invasive Bacterial Diseases System and Laboratories Surveillance System (LSS), which were pooled into a combined surveillance system (CSS) and hospital discharge records (HDRs). A capture-recapture method was used and completeness of each source estimated. Number of cases with IMD by source of information and year, incidence of IMD by age group, case fatality rate (CFR) and distribution of meningococcal serogroups by year were also analysed. RESULTS: Combining the four data systems enabled the identification of 179 confirmed cases with IMD, achieving an overall sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI: 90.8% to 98.8%), while it was 76.7% (95% CI: 73.6% to 80.1%) for CSS and 77.2% (95% CI: 74.1% to 80.6%) for HDRs. Typing of isolates was done in 80% of cases, and 95.2% of the typed cases were provided by LSS. Serogroup B was confirmed in 50.3% of cases. The estimated IMD notification rate (cases with IMD diagnosed and reported to the surveillance systems) was 0.48/100 000 population, and incidence peaked at 6.2/100 000 in children aged <1 year old (60.9% due to MenB), and increased slightly in the age group between 15 and 19 years (1.1/100 000). A CFR of 14% was recorded (8.7% in paediatric age). CONCLUSIONS: Quality of surveillance systems relies on case ascertainment based on serological characterisation of the circulating strains by microbiology laboratories. All available sources should be routinely combined to improve the epidemiology of IMD and the information used by public health departments to conduct timely preventive measures.openBaldovin, Tatjana; Lazzari, Roberta; Cocchio, Silvia; Furlan, Patrizia; Bertoncello, Chiara; Saia, Mario; Russo, Francesca; Baldo, VincenzoBaldovin, Tatjana; Lazzari, Roberta; Cocchio, Silvia; Furlan, Patrizia; Bertoncello, Chiara; Saia, Mario; Russo, Francesca; Baldo, Vincenz

A new approach to Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemias: toward a better definition of molecular mechanisms

Hereditary hemolytic anemias (HHAs) embrace a highly heterogeneous group of chronic disorders with a highly variable clinical picture. HHA encompass (1) hyporegenerative anemias (HAs), as congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs); (2) hemolytic anemias due to red cell membrane defects (HAMDs), as hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and hereditary stomatocytosis (HST). Although the workflow to diagnose these conditions is a normal clinical practice, differential diagnosis, classification, and patient stratification among HHAs are often very difficult. Beyond achieving a definitive diagnosis, knowing the genetic basis of these patients can be valuable also for guiding treatment. Next generation sequencing (NGS) refers to non-Sanger-based high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies. This technology plays a major role either in disease gene discovery or in clinical use for establishing a genetic diagnosis. Particularly, the major current application of NGS in diagnostics is through design of disease specific panel, named targeted (t)-NGS, in which a selected fraction of genes is sequenced. The primary aim of our study was the development of a fast, accurate, reliable and cost effective diagnostic/prognostic tool for HHAs based on t-NGS. In order to assess the reliability of this approach we created a t-NGS gene panel, named RedPlex, composed by 34 loci causative or candidates of HHAs. In silico design was performed by Agilent SureDesign web tool. For each locus, all coding regions, 5’ and 3’UTRs, and 100 bp flanking splice junctions were included. Sequence length was set at 150×2 nucleotides, and the predicted target size amounted to 538 regions (239.764 kb). Targeted enrichment was performed on 32 patients from 27 unrelated families by HaloPlex Target Enrichment System. High-throughput sequencing was performed by Illumina NextSeq 500. SureCall software was used for bioinformatic and computational analyses. RedPlex panel showed high sensitivity and specificity. It was able to capture at least 99.4% of 538 target regions with high and uniform coverage. We were able to obtain a conclusive diagnosis in approximately 72% of cases. In addition, a lot of patients (39%) showed multiple disease-associated variants suggesting complex inheritance. Indeed, t-NGS approach also allows the identification of “polygenic” genotypes, which may account for the phenotypic variability among HHA patients. Thus, the secondary aim of this project was the study of the interaction between mutated genes in HHA patients. We particularly focused on the functional interaction between two CDA-related genes, GATA1 and SEC23B. The demonstration of the direct interaction of GATA1 transcription factor on the SEC23B promoter provided also an explanation of the variability of phenotypes GATA1-related by means of the crosstalk of this gene with its target SEC23B