"High Expression of the ""A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease"" 19 (ADAM19), a Sheddase for TNF-alpha in the Mucosa of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases"

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past present and future ultrasonographic techniques for analyzing ovarian masses

Ultrasonography is today the method of choice for distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal pathologies. Using pattern recognition several types of tumors can be recognized according to their characteristic appearance on gray-scale imaging. Color Doppler imaging should be used only to perform a semiquantitative color score or evaluate the flow location. International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group had standardized definitions characterizing adnexal masses and suggested the use of 'simple rules' in premenopausal women. Recently, the use of 3D vascular indices has been proposed but its potential use in clinical practice is debated. Also computerized aided diagnosis algorithms showed encouraging results to be confirmed in the future

Reciprocal Regulation Between Smad7 and Sirt1 in the Gut

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mucosa, there is over-expression of Smad7, an intracellular inhibitor of the suppressive cytokine transforming growth factor-β1, due to post-transcriptional mechanisms that enhance Smad7 acetylation status thus preventing ubiquitination-mediated proteosomal degradation of the protein. IBD-related inflammation is also marked by defective expression of Sirt1, a class III NAD+-dependent deacetylase, which promotes ubiquitination-mediated proteosomal degradation of various intracellular proteins and triggers anti-inflammatory signals. The aim of our study was to determine whether, in IBD, there is a reciprocal regulation between Smad7 and Sirt1. Smad7 and Sirt1 were examined in mucosal samples of IBD patients and normal controls by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and Sirt1 activity was assessed by a fluorimetric assay. To determine whether Smad7 is regulated by Sirt1, normal or IBD lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) were cultured with either Sirt1 inhibitor (Ex527) or activator (Cay10591), respectively. To determine whether Smad7 controls Sirt1 expression, ex vivo organ cultures of IBD mucosal explants were treated with Smad7 sense or antisense oligonucleotide. Moreover, Sirt1 expression was evaluated in LPMC isolated from Smad7-transgenic mice given dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Upregulation of Smad7 was seen in both the epithelial and lamina propria compartments of IBD patients and this associated with reduced expression and activity of Sirt1. Activation of Sirt1 in IBD LPMC with Cay10591 reduced acetylation and enhanced ubiquitination-driven proteasomal-mediated degradation of Smad7, while inhibition of Sirt1 activation in normal LPMC with Ex527 increased Smad7 expression. Knockdown of Smad7 in IBD mucosal explants enhanced Sirt1 expression, thus suggesting a negative effect of Smad7 on Sirt1 induction. Consistently, mucosal T cells of Smad7-transgenic mice contained reduced levels of Sirt1, a defect that was amplified by induction of DSS colitis. The data suggest the existence of a reciprocal regulatory mechanism between Smad7 and Sirt1, which could contribute to amplify inflammatory signals in the gut

Astrophysics with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be a transformative experiment for gravitational wave astronomy as it will offer unique opportunities to address many key astrophysical questions in a completely novel way. The synergy with ground-based and other space-based instruments in the electromagnetic domain, by enabling multi-messenger observations, will add further to the discovery potential of LISA. The next decade is crucial to prepare the astrophysical community for LISA's first observations. This review outlines the extensive landscape of astrophysical theory, numerical simulations, and astronomical observations that are instrumental for modeling and interpreting the upcoming LISA datastream. To this aim, the current knowledge in three main source classes for LISA is reviewed: ultra-compact stellar-mass binaries, massive black hole binaries, and extreme or intermediate mass ratio inspirals. The relevant astrophysical processes and the established modeling techniques are summarized. Likewise, open issues and gaps in our understanding of these sources are highlighted, along with an indication of how LISA could help make progress in the different areas. New research avenues that LISA itself, or its joint exploitation with studies in the electromagnetic domain, will enable, are also illustrated. Improvements in modeling and analysis approaches, such as the combination of numerical simulations and modern data science techniques, are discussed. This review is intended to be a starting point for using LISA as a new discovery tool for understanding our Universe

An Overview of the Role of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Gut Infections and Inflammation

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a group of hematopoietic cells devoid of antigen receptors that have important functions in lymphoid organogenesis, in the defense against extracellular pathogens, and in the maintenance of the epithelial barrier. Three distinct groups of ILCs have been identified on the basis of phenotypic and functional criteria and termed ILCs1, ILCs2, and ILCs3. Specifically, ILCs1 express the transcription factor T-bet and secrete T helper type-1- (Th1-) related cytokines, ILCs2 are dependent on the transcription factor RORα and express Gata-3 and the chemokine receptor homologous molecule (CRTH2) and produce Th2-related cytokines, and ILCs3 express the transcription factor RORγt and synthesize interleukin- (IL-) 17, IL-22, and, under specific stimuli, interferon-γ. ILCs represent a relatively small population in the gut, but accumulating evidence suggests that these cells could play a decisive role in orchestrating both protective and detrimental immune responses. In this review, we will summarize the present knowledge on the distribution of ILCs in the intestinal mucosa, with particular focus on their role in the control of both infections and effector cytokine response in immune-mediated pathologies

Are specific buffer effects the new frontier of Hofmeister phenomena? Insights from lysozyme adsorption on ordered mesoporous silica

Lysozyme adsorption on mesoporous silica at pH 7.15 is buffer specific. The synergistic action of buffers and salts induces relevant effects on the charged interfaces, and thus on lysozyme loading. These findings, rising doubts on the validity of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, suggest the occurrence of Hofmeister phenomena also for buffers