BRCA mutation carriers' perceptions on postmenopausal hormone therapy: An Italian study

Objective To evaluate the actual perceptions of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) in BRCA mutation carriers (BRCAmc) in comparison with women from the general population.Methods Questionnaire-based study of 83 BRCAmc and a control group of 89 women without a genetic mutation. Perceptions were evaluated by specific questions and Likert scales (-5-+5).Results Present and past users of HT were more frequent in the control group (p = 0.01), with a longer time of use (p = 0.03). The preferred route of administration of HT was 'oral' (54.6%). The most frequently reported adverse effect of HT was venous thrombosis (0.8), while a protective effect on bone health was reported. No noticeable beneficial effects of HT have been recognised for hot flushes (0.2) and vaginal dryness (0.1). The most frequently perceived beneficial and adverse effects of HT were not significantly different between BRCA mutation carriers and controls. The greatest oncological fear was breast cancer (1.0). The protective role of HT on colorectal cancer was not known (0.1). These oncological impacts were mostly overestimated in BRCAmc, however this was not significant. Few BRCAmc would think of taking HT after risk-reducing surgeries.Conclusions Knowledge of the effects of HT on BRCAmc is relatively poor and they are likely to overstate its negative effects and underestimate its health benefits; however, this is not significant in comparison to the general population. More and better information should be given to BRCAmc to allow them to make informed decisions about the use of HT, especially before undergoing risk-reducing surgeries

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from an atrial fibrillation patient carrying a KCNA5 p.D322H mutation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia associated with several cardiac risk factors, but increasing evidences indicated a genetic component. Indeed, genetic variations of the atrial specific KCNA5 gene have been identified in patients with early-onset lone AF. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying AF, we reprogrammed to pluripotency polymorphonucleated leukocytes isolated from the blood of a patient carrying a KCNA5 p.D322H mutation, using a commercially available non-integrating system. The generated iPSCs expressed pluripotency markers and differentiated toward cells belonging to the three embryonic germ layers. Moreover, the cells showed a normal karyotype and retained the p.D322H mutation

Análisis de agua subterranea de uso multiple en la región semiárida pampeana

En el marco de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), los recursos hídricos y ambientales son fundamentales para el desarrollo humano. En la provincia de La Pampa el agua subterránea es de vital importancia para la población y sus actividades productivas. La investigación, el cuidado y el monitoreo de este recurso resulta indispensable, ya que la demanda de agua de los distintos sectores de la sociedad en cantidad-calidad y en tiempo-espacio es cada vez mayor para propiciar y fortalecer el desarrollo de las territorialidades y sub territorialidades de nuestro país. La calidad del agua se define según el uso al que está destinada: consumo humano, uso y consumo animal, uso de agroquímicos, riego, etc. El abastecimiento de agua en calidad adecuada representa un problema para los pequeños productores de la Región Semiárida Pampeana. Se realizaron análisis físico-químicos de un total de 62 muestras de agua subterránea recolectadas en las localidades Anguil, Uriburu y Colonia Inés y Carlota, al este del departamento Capital (La Pampa), entre los años 2016-2020. El conocimiento de los factores que determinan la calidad del agua, permitió establecer la aptitud del agua subterránea y evaluarla de acuerdo al uso que le dan los productores agropecuarios.EEA AnguilFil: Jofré, Florencia Cora. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Micaela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Giacomino, Valentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Murcia, Vanina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Kloster, Nanci Soledad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Savio, Marianela. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin

Cooperation beyond development. Rethinking international aid for the self- determination of recipient communities.

Questo articolo propone un dibattito critico e costruttivo sui temi della cooperazione negli ambienti stessi della cooperazione, soprattutto sugli obiettivi reali e apparenti, sugli effetti sortiti inconsapevolmente, e sui vincitori e vinti dell’aiuto internazionale, il tutto visto da una prospettiva socio-economica mondiale. Sono qui presentati i primi esiti di un Seminario Partecipativo tenuto proprio su tali tematiche, articolato in quattro tavoli di lavoro: autodeterminazione e reciprocità, emergenza e sviluppo, formazione, co-progettazione / progettazione partecipata.A critical and constructive debate is proposed on and inside cooperation, specifically on the real and the apparent goals, on the unaware effects, and on the winners and losers of international aid, framed in a global socio-economic perspective. The first outcomes of a recent participatory workshop on such themes are hereby illustrated, divided in four working tables: self-determination and reciprocity, emergency and development, training, and co-design / participatory design

Cell-Cycle Inhibition by Helicobacter pylori L-Asparaginase

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major human pathogen causing chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. One of the mechanisms whereby it induces damage depends on its interference with proliferation of host tissues. We here describe the discovery of a novel bacterial factor able to inhibit the cell-cycle of exposed cells, both of gastric and non-gastric origin. An integrated approach was adopted to isolate and characterise the molecule from the bacterial culture filtrate produced in a protein-free medium: size-exclusion chromatography, non-reducing gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, mutant analysis, recombinant protein expression and enzymatic assays. L-asparaginase was identified as the factor responsible for cell-cycle inhibition of fibroblasts and gastric cell lines. Its effect on cell-cycle was confirmed by inhibitors, a knockout strain and the action of recombinant L-asparaginase on cell lines. Interference with cell-cycle in vitro depended on cell genotype and was related to the expression levels of the concurrent enzyme asparagine synthetase. Bacterial subcellular distribution of L-asparaginase was also analysed along with its immunogenicity. H. pylori L-asparaginase is a novel antigen that functions as a cell-cycle inhibitor of fibroblasts and gastric cell lines. We give evidence supporting a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-related diseases and discuss its potential diagnostic application

WOOD-UP

The fundamental vision of the WOOD-UP project was to develop existing wood gasification plants in South Tyrol towards a polygenerative use in order to be able to produce not only energy but also high-quality charcoal (biochar) for the improvement of soil fertility and for climate protection. The project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF 2014–2020, was implemented by the Free University of Bolzano together with the Laimburg Research Centre. Based on the life cycle analysis (LCA) or scenario analysis of the entire production chain of wood gasification, strengths and weaknesses of the existing systems were identified with regard to their impact on the environment. Thanks to the results obtained, a number of suggestions for improvement could be formulated.; Il miglioramento verso un assetto poligenerativo degli attuali impianti altoatesini di gassificazione della biomassa legnosa, dove oltre all’energia si possa produrre biochar di qualità da impiegare in agricoltura come ammendante con effetti positivi sulla fertilità dei suoli e sulla mitigazione dei cambiamenti climatici è la visione che ha sostenuto il progetto WOOD-UP. Il progetto, finanziato con fondi FESR 2014-2020, ha visto la collaborazione tra la Libera Università di Bolzano e il Centro di Sperimentazione Laimburg. L’analisi del ciclo di vita e di scenario dell’intera filiera di gassificazione ha evidenziato elementi di forza e di debolezza dell’attuale filiera in termini di impatti ambientali e ha permesso di avanzare proposte di miglioramento sulla base dei risultati ottenuti dalla sperimentazione. ; Grundlegende Vision des Projektes WOOD-UP war die Entwicklung der bestehenden Holzvergasungsanlagen in Südtirol hin zu einer polygenerativen Nutzung, um neben Energie auch hochwertige Holzkohle (Biochar) zur Verbesserung der Bodenfruchtbarkeit und zum Klimaschutz erzeugen zu können. Das mit Mitteln aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung EFRE 2014–2020 finanzierte Projekt wurde von der Freien Universität Bozen gemeinsam mit dem Versuchszentrum Laimburg umgesetzt. Anhand der Lebenszyklusanalyse (LCA) bzw. der Szenarioanalyse der gesamten Produktionskette der Holzvergasung wurden Stärken und Schwächen der bestehenden Systeme hinsichtlich ihrer Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt aufgezeigt. Dank der erzielten Versuchsergebnisse konnte eine Reihe von Verbesserungsvorschlägen formuliert werden

Determinación de arsénico en agua: Capacidad analítica instalada en el país

Se obtuvieron 69 respuestas de laboratorios públicos y privados radicados en diferentes localidades de Argentina. Del total, 59 de ellos informan que realizan la determinación de arsénico (As) en aguas; de estos, 5 mencionan que la metodología analítica empleada permite diferenciar las especies químicas del As (arsenito (AsIII), arseniato (AsV), ácido monometilarsónico (MMA), ácido dimetilarsínico (DMA)). Desde el punto de vista de las acreditaciones de normas de calidad, 27 de los laboratorios relevados indican la participación en ensayos interlaboratorios nacionales e internacionalesFil: Olmos, Valentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica. Laboratorio de Toxicología y Química Legal; ArgentinaFil: Savio, Marianela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentin