Renormalization group evaluation of exponents in family name distributions

According to many phenomenological and theoretical studies the distribution of family name frequencies in a population can be asymptotically described by a power law. We show that the Galton-Watson process corresponding to the dynamics of a growing population can be represented in Hilbert space, and its time evolution may be analyzed by renormalization group techniques, thus explaining the origin of the power law and establishing the connection between its exponent and the ratio between the population growth and the name production rates.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, many typos correcte

Gabapentin affects the expression of inflammatory mediators on healthy gingival cells

Gabapentin is one of the most used drugs to treat postoperative pain with antihyperalgesic properties and has a unique mechanism of action, which differentiates it from other commonly used drugs. Various studies have shown that the perioperative use of gabapentin reduces postoperative pain. In our study, fragments of gingival tissue of healthy volunteers were collected during operation. Gene expression of 29 genes was investigated in gingival fibroblasts cell culture treated with gabapentin, compared with untreated cells. Of the different chemokines and interleukins studied, only 10 were statistically significant (CCL1, CCR1, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, ILI1A, ILI1B, IL5, IL6R, TNFSF10). The overexpression of these cytokines, obtained in many studies, leads us to think that gabapentin can interact and cause post-inflammatory gingival hyperplasia, but, probably, in our study the gabapentin has not the same effect, because we used gingival fibroblasts of healthy peopl

Polymorphic variants of IGF2BP3 and SENCR have an impact on predisposition and/or progression of Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma (EWS), the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, occurs abruptly without clear evidence of tumor history or progression. Previous association studies have identified some inherited variants associated with the risk of developing EWS but a common picture of the germline susceptibility to this tumor remains largely unclear. Here, we examine the association between thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IGF2BP3, a gene that codes for an oncofetal RNA-binding protein demonstrated to be important for EWS patient's risk stratification, and five SNPs of SENCR, a long non-coding RNA shown to regulate IGF2BP3. An association between polymorphisms and EWS susceptibility was observed for three IGF2BP3 SNPs - rs112316332, rs13242065, rs12700421 - and for four SENCR SNPs - rs10893909, rs11221437, rs12420823, rs4526784 -. In addition, IGF2BP3 rs34033684 and SENCR rs10893909 variants increased the risk for female respect to male subgroup when carried together, while IGF2BP3 rs13242065 or rs76983703 variants reduced the probability of a disease later onset (> 14 years). Moreover, the absence of IGF2BP3 rs10488282 variant and the presence of rs199653 or rs35875486 variant were significantly associated with a worse survival in EWS patients with localized disease at diagnosis. Overall, our data provide the first evidence linking genetic variants of IGF2BP3 and its modulator SENCR to the risk of EWS development and to disease progression, thus supporting the concept that heritable factors can influence susceptibility to EWS and may help to predict patient prognosis

Berberine and Tinospora cordifolia exert a potential anticancer effect on colon cancer cells by acting on specific pathways

Berberine (BBR) is a natural active principle with potential antitumor activity. The compound targets multiple cell signaling pathways, including proliferation, differentiation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms behind the anticancer activity of BBR by comparing the effects of purified BBR with those of the extract of Tinospora cordifolia, a medicinal plant that produces this metabolite. The expression levels of a panel of 44 selected genes in human colon adenocarcinoma (HCA-7) cell line were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). BBR treatment resulted in a time- and dose-dependent down regulation of 33 genes differently involved in cell cycle, differentiation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The trend was confirmed across the two types of treatment, the two time points, and the different absolute dosage of BBR. These findings suggest that the presence of BBR in T. cordifolia extract significantly contributes to its antiproliferative activity

Isolation and characterization of cancer stem cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The hypothesis that a small subset of cells with characteristics of staminality is essential for the cancer onset has been widely studied in many tumors, included head-neck cancer, the seventh most common cancer in humans (1). These cells represent a small oncogenic subpopulation, with a characteristic phenotype that confers them a greater resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy (2). In this study the expression profile of some genes that differentiates cancer stem cells (CSC) from tumor cell of origin (TC) has been evaluated using Real Time PCR. Three cell lines, PE46, PE15 and HEP2, obtained from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, where placed in culture, in absence of serum and in the presence of specific growth factors, giving rise to a spheroid cell subpopulation, with characteristics belonging to CSC. CSC were isolated using a selective filtration procedure based on beads labeled with the anti-CD44, that recognize a specific antigen of CSC in head and neck cancer (1). Few genes potentially involved in the onset and progression of oral cancer, were eval- uated in Real Time PCR, in order to compare their expression in CSC respect TC. All the three cell lines showed a common expression profile among the stem cell markers, resulting in an overexpression of the CD44 and ALDH1A in the spheroid population. Many of the investigated tumor markers were highly over-expressed in CSC, like TNFα, a pro-inflammatory factor that inhibits precancerous cell death, TP63, which is associated with an increase in the malignant transformation and a poor prognosis, and S100A4, a pro-inflammatory mediator involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells. These results suggest the potential role of CSC in the tumor invasiveness. The characterization of CSC may lead to an improvement in the diagnosis and cancer therapy, allowing implementing treatments able to destroy cells which are probably involved in the process of metastasis

Studio di una frequente malformazione craniofacciale: la labiopalatoschisi ereditaria non sindromica

Dottorato di ricerca in embriologia medica. 8. ciclo. A.a. 1994-95. Coordinatore P. Carinci. Tutore M. TognonConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal