RE: Few Comments on: "Musculoskeletal Applications of Elastography: A Pictorial Essay of Our Initial Experience"

author reply 25

In Silico and In Vitro Study of Antioxidant Potential of Urolithins

In this work, quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) were performed to predict the antioxidant potential of four bioactive gut microbiota metabolites of the natural polyphenols ellagitannins (ETs) and ellagic acid (EA), also known as urolithins (UROs). In order to evaluate their ability to counter the effect of oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as the hydroperoxyl radical (•OOH), different reaction mechanisms were investigated, considering water and lipid-like environments. Through our in silico results, it emerged that at physiological pH, the scavenging activity of all urolithins, except urolithin B, are higher than that of trolox and other potent antioxidants existing in nature, such as EA, α-mangostin, allicin, caffeine and melatonin. These findings were confirmed by experimental assays

Versiliaite and apuanite, two new minerals from the Apuan Alps, Italy

Abstract Two new minerals, versiliaite and apuanite, were found in the Buca delIa Vena mine on the Apuan Alps (Italy). The minerals generally occur as massive black aggregates in veinlets within layers of dolomite. Versiliaite, (Fe~::;5Znl.04Fe~~3)(Fe~~Sbn76As{j4)032S1.33' has space group Pbam or Pba2, a = 8.49

RADICAL FORMATION ON CTMP FIBERS BY ARGON PLASMA TREATMENTS AND RELATED LIGNIN CHEMICAL CHANGES

The changes at molecular level induced by cold argon plasma treat-ments on fibers obtained from chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) fibers were investigated. The radicals formed on CTMP fibers after treatments were identified and quantified by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The plasma conditions which maximize the formation of radicals on fibers were assessed: after treatment with 0.4 mbar Ar pressure and 75 W radiofrequency power, phenoxy radicals triple their concentration in only 60 s and reach a value 4 times higher than that reported for laccase-catalyzed lignin oxidation. It was found that in plasma-treated fibers, the formation of radicals competes with their coupling. This latter result leads to cross-linkages of the lignin mono-meric units and formation of new intermonomeric C-C and C-O bonds, for the first time assigned to specific molecular interactions through Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (2D-HSQC) spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy of carbon (13C-NMR). These results were confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectros-copy of phosphorous (31P-NMR). The lack of evidences of inter-fiber bond interactions, deduced from Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) data, suggests the possible application of plasma treatments for the production of wood fiber-based composites

In vitro and in vivo inhibition of breast cancer cell growth by targeting the Hedgehog/GLI pathway with SMO (GDC-0449) or GLI (GANT-61) inhibitors.

Aberrant Hedgehog (Hh)/glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) signaling has been implicated in cancer progression. Here, we analyzed GLI1, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and NF-κB expression in 51 breast cancer (ductal carcinoma) tissues using immunohistochemistry. We found a positive correlation between nuclear GLI1 expression and tumor grade in ductal carcinoma cases. Cytoplasmic Shh staining significantly correlated with a lower tumor grade. Next, the in vitro effects of two Hh signaling pathway inhibitors on breast cancer cell lines were evaluated using the Smoothened (SMO) antagonist GDC-0449 and the direct GLI1 inhibitor GANT-61. GDC-0449 and GANT-61 exhibited the following effects: a) inhibited breast cancer cell survival; b) induced apoptosis; c) inhibited Hh pathway activity by decreasing the mRNA expression levels of GLI1 and Ptch and inhibiting the nuclear translocation of GLI1; d) increased/decreased EGFR and ErbB2 protein expression, reduced p21- Ras and ERK1/ERK2 MAPK activities and inhibited AKT activation; and e) decreased the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. However, GANT-61 exerted these effects more effectively than GDC-0449. The in vivo antitumor activities of GDC-0449 and GANT- 61 were analyzed in BALB/c mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with mouse breast cancer (TUBO) cells. GDC-0449 and GANT-61 suppressed tumor growth of TUBO cells in BALB/c mice to different extents. These findings suggest that targeting the Hh pathway using antagonists that act downstream of SMO is a more efficient strategy than using antagonists that act upstream of SMO for interrupting Hh signaling in breast cancer

Photodynamic therapy for the eradication of biofilms formed by catheter associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has emerged as a major opportunistic pathogen causing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs) associated with high mortality and morbidity. In this study 18 P. aeruginosa isolates from urine of catheterized patients were evaluated for in vitro biofilm formation.All the tested strains showed the ability to form biofilm more thicker than those formed by a cohort of 29 blood culture strains belonging to the same species. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a novel antimicrobial treatment that exploits a photosensitizer (PS) and visible light to induce lethal oxidative damages in bacterial cells and could be used as local antimicrobial approach in CA-UTIs. Here we tested the susceptibility of planktonic and sessile cultures of P. aeruginosa strains, the model strain PAO1 and CA-UTI isolates, to photodynamic inactivation with a di cationic porphyrinic photosensitizer, the 5, 15-di (N-benzyl-4-pyridynium)-porphyrin di chloride.Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa is regarded as a difficult target for antimicrobial chemotherapy, satisfactory bactericidal activities on both planktonic and biofilm cultures were observed

Extraction of antibacterial active compounds from dry leaves of African plants of the Combretaceae family

The dry leaves of two African plants of the Combretaceae family, furnished by the botanist of the St. Jean de Dieu hospital of Tangueita (Benin, central Africa),were extracted with a sequence of 5 solvents with increasing polarity (from cyclohexane to water).The raw materials, obtained from these extractions following solvent evaporations, were tested for antibiotic activity against gram negative and gram positive bacterial strains. According to the results of a modified Kirby-Bauer test, no promising effect was obtained against Gram negative bacteria while interesting dose-effect activities were observed against Gram positive strains. In particular, from G. senegalensis active compounds were found in the low polarity extract (dichloromethane) which, at a concentration of 800 μg/disk (13 mm diameter disk), resulted in a grow inhibition crown of 4.7 mm and 2.6 mm on Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus MSSA, respectively. An higher amount of the aqueous extract (4760 μg/disk) also produced a good result as 5.7 mm and 5.0 mm crowns were observed. The extracts from C. micranthum showed an inhibiting effect in the more polar extracts (i.e. from ethanol and water) which gave 1 mm of grow inhibition crown on both strains at a concentration of 1000 μg/disk. The most promising extract from each plant was partially purified and then tested on some clinical relevant bacterial strains: S. aureus MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Corynebacterium striatum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophylus influenzae, Escherichia coli, obtaining a good killing effects on the Gram positive bacteria of the panel

Out-of-hospital versus in-hospital status epilepticus: the role of etiology and comorbidities

Background: To identify differences in clinical characteristics between patients with out-of-hospital and in-hospital status epilepticus (SE) onset, and to evaluate the influence of SE onset setting on 30-day mortality and SE cessation. Methods: We included consecutive patients with SE admitted from 2013 to 2021 at Modena Academic Hospital. A propensity score was performed with clinical variables unevenly distributed between the two groups. Results: 711 patients were included; 55.8% (397/711) with an out-of-hospital and 44.2% (314/711) with an in-hospital onset. Patients with in-hospital SE onset were older, had a higher frequency of comorbidities, acute and/or potentially fatal etiologies, impaired consciousness before treatment, and nonconvulsive or myoclonic SE. No difference was found in SE cessation between the groups. Patients with in-hospital SE had higher 30-day mortality (127/314, 62.9% versus 75/397, 37.1; p <0.001). In-hospital onset was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality (adjusted OR of 1.720; 95% CI: 1.107-2.674; p = 0.016). In the propensity group (n = 244), no difference was found in 30-day mortality and SE cessation between out-of-hospital and in-hospital SE onset groups (36/122, 29.5% versus 34/122, 27.9%; p=0.888; and 47/122, 38.5% versus 39/122; 32%; p = 0.347, respectively). Conclusion: In-hospital SE is associated with higher 30-day mortality without difference in SE cessation. The two groups differ considerably for age, acute and possibly fatal etiologies, comorbidities, and SE semiology. The patient location at SE onset is an important prognostic predictor. However, the increased mortality is probably unrelated to the setting of SE onset and reflects intrinsic prognostic predictors