Innate Immunity and Resistance to Tolerogenesis in Allotransplantation

The development of immunosuppressive drugs to control adaptive immune responses has led to the success of transplantation as a therapy for end-stage organ failure. However, these agents are largely ineffective in suppressing components of the innate immune system. This distinction has gained in clinical significance as mounting evidence now indicates that innate immune responses play important roles in the acute and chronic rejection of whole organ allografts. For instance, whereas clinical interest in natural killer (NK) cells was once largely confined to the field of bone marrow transplantation, recent findings suggest that these cells can also participate in the acute rejection of cardiac allografts and prevent tolerance induction. Stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), another important component of innate immunity, by endogenous ligands released in response to ischemia/reperfusion is now known to cause an inflammatory milieu favorable to graft rejection and abrogation of tolerance. Emerging data suggest that activation of complement is linked to acute rejection and interferes with tolerance. In summary, the conventional wisdom that the innate immune system is of little importance in whole organ transplantation is no longer tenable. The addition of strategies that target TLRs, NK cells, complement, and other components of the innate immune system will be necessary to eventually achieve long-term tolerance to human allograft recipients

LinguAPP: An m-Health Application for Teledentistry Diagnostics

An Android/iOS application for low-cost mobile devices to aid in dental diagnosis through questionnaire and photos is presented in this paper. The main purposes of our app lie in the ease of use even for nonexperienced users, in the limited hardware requirements that allow a wide diffusion, and in the possibility to modify the questionnaire for different pathologies. This tool was developed in about a month at the beginning of the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and is still in use in Italy to allow support to patients without going to the hospital, if not strictly necessary

Active TB screening among homeless people attending soup kitchens in Verona (Italy)

BACKGROUND: The hard-to-reach populations, including the homeless, are particularly vulnerable to the development of active tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis rates among the homeless in industrialized Countries are up to 20 times higher if compared with the general population, representing a relevant public health problem. The aim of our study was to describe the results of an active tuberculosis screening applied in order to find out suspected active TB cases among the homeless in Verona.METHODS: As part of a partnership between the non-profit association Medici per la Pace and one of the Local Health Units of Veneto Region (ULSS 9 Scaligera) in 2018, a tuberculosis screening, based on thoracic radiographs, was offered to the homeless guests of two Verona's soup kitchens.RESULT: The studied population included 139 people, and three cases of suspected active tuberculosis, all in males, were observed. Among these, two received a diagnostic confirmation of active tuberculosis (a prevalence of 1.44% - CI: 0,17 - 5,1). Moreover, radiographic patterns of tuberculosis aftermaths were found in six additional subjects.CONCLUSION: Interventions specifically dedicated to hard-to-reach populations, can be useful in identifying tuberculosis active cases and controlling the disease in low tuberculosis burden countries. In particular, the active research of subjects, the screening carried out with mobile X-ray, and also the constant caring of the patients with active disease, could be the right method to keep under control this relevant public health problem

Mechatronic face mask anti covid-19 to remotely record cardiorespiratory variables in farm’s workers engaged in jobs at high risk of infection

The most frequent prodromes of COVID-19 infection are fever, signs of respiratory diseases, cough and shortness of breath. Nevertheless, it is not infrequent that patients with COVID-19 also show cardiac symptoms. So, it is of importance to detect the prodromal symptoms of the COVID-19 infection in order to be able to make a diagnosis as quickly as possible to provide the immediate insertion of the infected people in isolation/therapy protocols. Here is presented a prototype of a smart face mask, named AG47-SmartMask that, in addition to the function of both an active and passive anti COVID-19 filter by an electro-heated filter brought to a minimum temperature of 38°C, it also allows the continuous monitoring of numerous cardio-pulmonary variables. Several specific sensors are incorporated into the mask to assess the inside mask temperature from which synchronous waving with the breathing was acquired the breath frequency, relative humidity, air pressure together and end tidal carbon dioxide percentage, and an auricular assessment of the body temperature, the heart rate and the percentage of oxygen saturation of haemoglobin. Sensors are embedded within an advanced ICT platform. To validate the AG47-SmartMask tool, were engaged twenty seven Farm’s workers of a vegetable packaging chain and they dressed the face mask device to simulate, while working, both tachypnea and cough, and the AG47-SmartMask faithfully quantified the simulated dyspnoic events

Assessing simulated arm lymphoedema by a prototype of bioimpedance spectroscopy device. Possible implication of its use in the follow up of patients who underwent extensive breast cancer surgery

The aim of this research was to enable women after breast cancer surgery, in which arms lymphoedema often occurs, to self-monitor this disease using in-home an easy-to-use-device which assesses the arm’s resistance ratio, considered an indirect, non-invasive index of increased extracellular water volume in those limbs. An homemade equipment based on the bioimpedance spectroscopy technique, was tested on 20 healthy volunteers which, by means of two ECG disposable electrodes, connected to the device both their dominant and auxiliary upper arms and changes in electrical resistance were assessed while an alternate current of low intensity and sweeping frequency from 15 to 75 kHz had be injected. In the same volunteers, an arm lymphoedema with about 100 ml excess of extracellular water was simulated by subtracting 0.8% from measured resistance values in each arm. The arms’ resistance ratio against the increasing frequency gave rise to a parabolic branch visible on a mobile phone screen and, when the arm lymphoedema was simulated, the corresponding curve appeared positioned below that of the one without oedema. The patient’s self-awareness, due to the device’s self-management, could allow these subjects to actively approach the disease while sharing their results remotely with clinical specialists by an internet connection

Development and psychometric properties of a brief measure of subjective decision quality for breast cancer treatment

Abstract Background Breast cancer patients face several preference-sensitive treatment decisions. Feelings such as regret or having had inadequate information about these decisions can significantly alter patient perceptions of recovery and recurrence. Numerous objective measures of decision quality (e.g., knowledge assessments, values concordance measures) have been developed; there are far fewer measures of subjective decision quality and little consensus regarding how the construct should be assessed. The current study explores the psychometric properties of a new subjective quality decision measure for breast cancer treatment that could be used for other preference sensitive decisions. Methods 320 women aged 20–79 diagnosed with AJCC stage 0 – III breast cancer were surveyed at two cancer specialty centers. Decision quality was assessed with single items representing six dimensions: regret, satisfaction, and fit as well as perceived adequacy of information, time, and involvement. Women rated decision quality for their overall treatment experience and surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation decisions separately. Principle components was used to explore factor structure. After scales were formed, internal consistency was computed using Cronbach’s alpha. The association of each of the four final scales with patient characteristics scores was examined by Pearson correlation. Results For overall breast cancer treatment as well as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation decisions, the six items yielded a single factor solution. Factor loadings of the six decision items were all above .45 across the overall and treatment-specific scales, with the exception of “Right for You” for chemotherapy and radiation. Internal consistency was 0.77, 0.85, 0.82, and 0.78 for the overall, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation decision quality scales, respectively. Conclusions Our measure of subjective appraisal of breast cancer treatment decisions includes 5 related elements; regret and satisfaction as well as perceived adequacy of information, time, and involvement. Future research is needed to establish norms for the measure as is further psychometric testing, particularly to examine how it is associated with outcomes such as quality of life, psychological coping and objective decision quality.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109727/1/12911_2014_Article_110.pd

Effect of beetroot juice supplementation on aerobic response during swimming

The beneficial effects of beetroot juice supplementation (BJS) have been tested during cycling, walking, and running. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether BJS can also improve performance in swimmers. Fourteen moderately trained male master swimmers were recruited and underwent two incremental swimming tests randomly assigned in a pool during which workload, oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), and aerobic energy cost (AEC) of swimming were measured. One was a control swimming test (CSW) and the other a swimming test after six days of BJS (0.5l/day organic beetroot juice containing about 5.5 mmol of NO3 -). Results show that workload at anaerobic threshold was significantly increased by BJS as compared to the CSW test (6.3 ± 1 and 6.7 ± 1.1 kg during the CSW and the BJS test respectively). Moreover, AEC was significantly reduced during the BJS test (1.9 ± 0.5 during the SW test vs. 1.7 ± 0.3 kcal·kg-1·h-1 during the BJS test). The other variables lacked a statistically significant effect with BJS. The present investigation provides evidence that BJS positively affects performance of swimmers as it reduces the AEC and increases the workload at anaerobic threshold

Consumers' willingness to pay for an animal welfare food label

Consumers increasingly rate the ethical dimensions of food production, including animal welfare, as important to them but how these concerns influence their food choices remains unclear. To address this, a Discrete Choice Experiment assesses consumers' willingness to pay for chicken meat. The study aims to understand the effects of food labels (RSPCA Assured and Red Tractor), cause-related marketing campaigns, and price on consumers' willingness to pay. Drawing on a representative sample of 401 British consumers, we estimate a mixed logit model using the hierarchical Bayesian estimation method. The results for the full sample reveal a substantial price premium associated with the animal welfare label (RSPCA Assured); however, this is less pronounced than one of the cause-related marketing campaigns. A latent class analysis identifies two distinct market segments, price sensitive and concerned consumers, which differ on socio-economic and behavioural characteristics. Amongst price sensitive consumers, willingness to pay extra for an animal welfare label is negligible. Complementary, qualitative interviews reveal consumers' difficulties in comparing the varying standards that underpin quality assurance schemes