The Aladin2 experiment: status and perspectives

Aladin2 is an experiment devoted to the first measurement of variations of Casimir energy in a rigid cavity. The main scientific motivation relies on the possibility of the first demonstration of a phase transition influenced by vacuum fluctuations. The guiding principle of the measurement, based on the behaviour of the critical field for an in-cavity superconducting film, will be only briefly recalled. In this paper, after an introduction to the long term motivations, the experimental apparatus and the results of the first measurement of sensitivity will be presented in detail, particularly in comparison with the expected signal. Last, the most important steps towards the final measurement will be discussed.Comment: Talk given by Calloni at QFEXT05 Conference in Barcelona: Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Condition

The Aladin2 experiment: sensitivity study

Aladin2 is an experiment devoted to the first measurement of variations of Casimir energy in a rigid body. The main short-term scientific motivation relies on the possibility of the first demonstration of a phase transition influenced by vacuum fluctuations while, in the long term and in the mainframe of the cosmological constant problem, it can be regarded as the first step towards a measurement of the weight of vacuum energy. In this paper, after a presentation of the guiding principle of the measurement, the experimental apparatus and sensitivity studies on final cavities will be presented

Oral chemotherapy: an innovative choice

10nonemixedBergui, L.; SCALDAFERRI, matilde; SCIORSCI, elisa; VALINOTTI, GIULIA; GHIGGIA, ADA; CAVALLO, Federica; FERRERO, Simone; Ghione, P.; CASTELLI, Lorys; TORTA, RiccardoBergui, L.; Scaldaferri, Matilde; Sciorsci, Elisa; Valinotti, Giulia; Ghiggia, Ada; Cavallo, Federica; Ferrero, Simone; Ghione, P.; Castelli, Lorys; Torta, Riccard

Psychological distress and oral chemotherapy: a pilot study.

12nonemixedL. Bergui; GHIGGIA, ADA; CAVALLO, Federica; FERRERO, Simone; SCALDAFERRI, matilde; SCIORSCI, elisa; CATTEL, Francesco; TESIO, VALENTINA; ROMEO, ANNUNZIATA; VALINOTTI, GIULIA; TORTA, Riccardo; CASTELLI, LorysL., Bergui; Ghiggia, Ada; Cavallo, Federica; Ferrero, Simone; Scaldaferri, Matilde; Sciorsci, Elisa; Cattel, Francesco; Tesio, Valentina; Romeo, Annunziata; Valinotti, Giulia; Torta, Riccardo; Castelli, Lory

Safety of Rapid Daratumumab Infusion: A Retrospective, Multicenter, Real-Life Analysis on 134 Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Background: The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab is the backbone of most anti-multiple myeloma (MM) regimens. To mitigate the risk of infusion-related reactions (IRRs), intravenous daratumumab administration requires 7 hours for the first infusion and 3.5-4 hours thereafter, thus making daratumumab-containing regimens burdensome for patients and health care resources. Preliminary data suggest that a rapid (90-minute) infusion of daratumumab is safe and does not increase IRRs. The rapid schedule was adopted by our centers since 2019. Methods: We conducted an observational multi-center, real-life study to assess the safety of rapid daratumumab infusion protocol from the third administration in relapsed MM patients receiving daratumumab alone or in combination with lenalidomide-dexamethasone or bortezomib-dexamethasone. The primary endpoint was the safety of the rapid infusion protocol, particularly in terms of IRRs. Results: A total of 134 MM patients were enrolled. IRRs occurred in 7 (5%) patients and were mostly mild (6/7 of grade 1-2), with only 1 patient experiencing a grade 3 IRR. Due to the IRRs, 5 (3.7%) patients discontinued the rapid infusions and resumed daratumumab at the standard infusion rate, while 1 patient permanently discontinued daratumumab. In 4/7 patients (57%), IRRs occurred while resuming rapid daratumumab infusions after a temporary interruption (2-4 months). No other adverse event was considered related to the rapid infusion protocol. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed the safety of rapid daratumumab infusions starting from the third administration. In case of prolonged daratumumab interruption, it is advisable to resume infusions at the standard rate (3.5 hours) before switching to the rapid infusion

Dietary magnesium alleviates experimental murine colitis through modulation of gut microbiota

Nutritional deficiencies are common in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In patients, magnesium (Mg) deficiency is associated with disease severity, while in murine models, dietary Mg supplementation contributes to restoring mucosal function. Since Mg availability modulates key bacterial functions, including growth and virulence, we investigated whether the beneficial effects of Mg supplementation during colitis might be mediated by gut microbiota. The effects of dietary Mg modulation were assessed in a murine model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis by monitoring magnesemia, weight, and fecal consistency. Gut microbiota were analyzed by 16S-rRNA based profiling on fecal samples. Mg supplementation improved microbiota richness in colitic mice, increased abundance of Bifidobacterium and reduced Enterobacteriaceae. KEEG pathway analysis predicted an increase in biosynthetic metabolism, DNA repair and translation pathways during Mg supplementation and in the presence of colitis, while low Mg conditions favored catabolic processes. Thus, dietary Mg supplementation increases bacteria involved in intestinal health and metabolic homeostasis, and reduces bacteria involved in inflammation and associated with human diseases, such as IBD. These findings suggest that Mg supplementation may be a safe and cost-effective strategy to ameliorate disease symptoms and restore a beneficial intestinal flora in IBD patients

Performance characteristics and clinical utility of an enzymatic method for the measurement of glycated albumin in plasma

Objective: The measurement of plasma glycated albumin is particularly useful in the short-middle term monitoring of glycometabolic control in diabetics. The aim of this work is to evaluate a new enzymatic method for the measurement of glycated albumin in plasma, with particular attention to some selected cases and comparison with other relevant tests (fasting plasma glucose, after glucose load, fructosamine, glycated hemoglobin). Design and methods: We have performed a multicenter study by which sample collection was performed in three different centers (Milano, Padova and Cagliari) and serum samples, frozen at 1280 \ub0C, were then delivered under dry ice to the centralized laboratory in Milano. Glycated plasma albumin was measured with reagents from Asahi Kasei Pharma (Lucica GA-L enzymatic assay; AKP, Tokyo, Japan) on a Modular P Roche system. Fructosamine was assessed by a Roche method and HbA1c (measured separately in the three centers on fresh EDTA blood) by DCCT-aligned HPLC systems. We have investigated 50 type 2 diabetics, 26 subjects with gestational diabetes, 35 subjects with thalassemia major, 10 subjects with cirrhosis, 23 patients with end-stage renal disease subjected to dialysis treatment and 32 healthy adult control subjects. Results: The main analytical performance characteristics of the new GA test were the following: (a) the within-assay reproducibility was between 3.0 and 3.9% (in terms of GA% CV, measured on 2 serum pools and 2 control materials at normal and pathological glycated albumin levels); (b) the between-assays reproducibility was from 2.8 to 4.1%; (c) the linearity was tested in the interval between 13 and 36% and found acceptable (r2=0.9932). Concerning the clinical utility of the new test, we have evaluated the relationships between GA, HbA1c, fructosamine and fasting and post-prandial glucose in several patients, as well as the changes in the abovementioned parameters in a sub-group of type 2 diabetic patients for 18 weeks as they progressed from severe hyperglycemia (HbA1c 6510.0%) toward a better glycemic control. The correlations between glycated albumin and HbA1c were as follows: (a) type 2 diabetics: r2=0.483 (good glycemic control), r2=0.577 (poor control); (b) diabetic patients under dialysis: r2=0.480; (c) liver disease: r2=0.186; (d) transfused non-diabetics with thalassemia: r2=0.004. Glycated albumin, as well as HbA1c and fructosamine, was of little value in the study of women with gestational diabetes, mainly because of the very limited glucose fluctuations in this particular category of subjects. In 11 type 2 diabetic patients under poor metabolic control, GA was better correlated with fasting plasma glucose then HbA1c (r2=0.555 vs. 0.291, respectively), and decreased more rapidly than HbA1c during intensive insulin therapy. Conclusions: The experience we have acquired with the new enzymatic test demonstrates its reproducibility and robustness. We confirm that plasma glycated albumin is better related to fasting plasma glucose with respect to HbA1c. Moreover, glycated albumin is more sensitive than HbA1c with regard to short-term variations of glycemic control during treatment of diabetic patients. This test is also very appropriate when the interpretation of HbA1c is critical

Safety of treatments for inflammatory bowel disease: Clinical practice guidelines of the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD)

Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic conditions of unknown etiology, showing a growing incidence and prevalence in several countries, including Italy. Although the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is unknown, due to the current knowledge regarding their pathogenesis, effective treatment strategies have been developed. Several guidelines are available regarding the efficacy and safety of available drug treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases. Nevertheless, national guidelines provide additional information adapted to local feasibility, costs and legal issues related to the use of the same drugs. These observations prompted the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) to establish Italian guidelines on the safety of currently available treatments for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These guidelines discuss the use of aminosalicylates, systemic and low bioavailability corticosteroids, antibiotics (metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, rifaximin), thiopurines, methotrexate, cyclosporine A, TNFα antagonists, vedolizumab, and combination therapies. These guidelines are based on current knowledge derived from evidence-based medicine coupled with clinical experience of a national working group