Plasma membrane redox system in the erythrocytes of rowers: Pilot study

The oxidative stress results from a change in the physiological balance between oxidant and antioxidant species. This type of stress is a chemical change in the redox state of cells. The increased production of reactive species is related to an excessive metabolic activation, for example, from an intense physical exercise or an excessive caloric intake (1). In physiological conditions, muscle fibers are provided with an antioxidant system able to keep under control the excessive production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Integrated production of biopolymers with industrial wastewater treatment: Effects of OLR on process yields, biopolymers characteristics and mixed microbial community enrichment

The production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) using industrial wastewaters as feedstocks is a current and challenging topic. This study investigated the production of biopolymers by a mixed microbial culture under different OLRs equal to 1 kgCOD m-3d-1 (Period 1), 2 kgCOD m-3d-1 (Period 2) and 3 kgCOD m-3d-1 (Period 3). The maximum PHA content was achieved in Period 2 (0.38 gPHA gTSS-1), whereas lower values were obtained in Period 1 (0.13 gPHA gTSS-1) and Period 3 (0.26 gPHA gTSS-1). Overall, the maximum PHA productivity resulted equal to 0.08 gPHA L-1h-1 (P2), 0.05 gPHA L-1h-1 (P1) and 0.04 gPHA L-1h-1 (P3), respectively. The molecular weight of the PHA increased from Period 1 (250 kDa) to Period 2 (417 KDa) and Period 3 (463 KDa), although resulting in a slight decrease of crystallinity degree. Microbial community analysis, revealed a reduction in bacterial diversity and a progressive shift of the microbial community with the increasing OLR. Alpha-diversity indexes based on Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) at 99% identity revealed higher species richness (Taxa (S) 280) and diversity (Shannon (H) 4,06) in Period 1, whereas Period 3 was characterized by reduced richness and diversity and higher dominance (Taxa (S) 133, Shannon (H) 2,40). Based on the results obtained, it was pointed out that the OLR variation determined significant effects on the process performances, as well as on the productivity and quality of the biopolymers. This means that OLR is a key control parameter to maximize the PHA production and control the physical-chemical characteristics of the polymers

I patriarchi verdi dei Monti Sicani

Gli alberi vetusti costituiscono un segno della capacità e plasticità di adattamento di alcune specie ma sono anche spesso frutto del caso o di una considerazione particolare da parte di alcune comunità locali rispetto ad alcune piante. Sui Monti Sicani, situati nel settore centro-occidentale della Sicilia, si rileva la presenza di numerosi alberi monumentali, la cui conservazione è stata assicurata, nonostante le trasformazioni del paesaggio avvenute nel corso di un lunghissimo periodo, dalla positiva influenza delle conoscenze, tradizioni e buone pratiche delle popolazioni locali (De Gregorio, 2008). Tuttavia, ad eccezione del censimento dei grandi alberi di Sicilia (Schicchi e Raimondo, 2007), si dispone di scarsi riferimenti storico-scientifici per l’area, per cui si è ritenuto opportuno realizzare un nuovo lavoro di catalogazione e censimento degli alberi monumentali ricadenti nell’area dei Monti Sicani. Tale censimento ha preso avvio anche da segnalazioni da parte di cittadini ed istituzioni coinvolte, a diversi livelli, nella gestione e fruizione del territorio, e ha consentito di individuare le diverse tipologie di alberi monumentali al fine di identificare, oltre agli alberi isolati, ambiti in cui il concetto di monumentalità si estende non ad un elemento puntuale ma ad un raggruppamento/popolamento di individui che caratterizzano una parte del paesaggio naturale. Una volta stabilito il carattere di monumentalità, sulla base dello schema proposto da Raimondo e Schicchi (2009), si sono realizzate per ciascun patriarca verde specifiche schede comprendenti denominazione, localizzazione e parametri stazionali, descrizione e parametri dendrologici dell’albero, stato vegetativo e fitosanitario dell’esemplare, note e curiosità (Schicchi e Raimondo, 2006). Sono stati individuati 27patriarchi verdi, per la maggior parte di nuova acquisizione; inoltre sono stati raccolti ulteriori dati anche per gli individui già inseriti nel registro degli alberi monumentali della Regione Sicilia (Schicchi e Raimondo, 2007). Gli alberi censiti appartengono a specie selvatiche o coltivate da antica data, afferenti ai generi Olea, Quercus, Prunus, Pyrus, Populus, Pistacia, Sorbus, Fraxinus e Pinus, che vegetano nell'ambito di formazioni forestali a differente grado di naturalità o costituiscono “relitti” all'interno degli agro-ecosistemi tradizionali. Sulla base delle schede è stato possibile valutare gli eventuali interventi conservativi necessari, oltre il 40 % degli alberi monumentali necessita di specifici interventi di conservazione, per le loro precarie condizioni generali, spesso aggravate da rischi di origine antropica. In mancanza di una periodica attività di monitoraggio e di idonee azioni di conservazione, nell’arco di pochi decenni alcuni di questi alberi potrebbero subire danni significativi per sbrancamenti, cedimenti strutturali, attacchi parassitari ed incendi

Gestione sostenibile delle foreste Mediterranee e uso energetico delle biomasse forestali residuali

he book describes the reasons that led the Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development to take part in the PROFORBIOMED Project. They can be summarized by the need to dispose of a tool for the sustainable management of all the state-owned forests of the Region. As a matter of fact, the Project aims at developing a model of sustainable forest management, through the recovery and reuse of wood scraps from ordinary silvicultural operations, to be used for the production of power and heat inside of a process adopting natural renewable energy sources. The main actions taken and the methodologies adopted are described, as well as the principles and instruments required for the setting up and execution of the work. Some of the most relevant are: the drafting of “Forest Management Plans”, the “Short Supply Chain” and the “Biomass Traceability Protocol”, together with the application of “Best Practices” of Management and the “Monitoring of impacts” caused by the woody biomass extraction procedures. The “forest – wood – energy” chain developed and proposed is exclusively related to the territory pertaining to one municipality, and with CHP plants fed with biomass exclusively produced within the territory of each municipality, in strict compliance with the “sustainable forest management” principles, as well as with the fundamental principle of “short supply chain”. For these reasons the CHP plans proposed shall be sized according to the biomass available in each municipality, with the possibility of integrating residual forest biomass with other waste wood resources potentially available in the territory and coming from prunings in agricultural activities. Therefore, the replicable model prepared and proposed by PROFORBIOMED aims at appraising from the economic point of view a waste product, such is currently considered the residual forest biomass from the forests of Sicily, and at the same time significantly improving the natural environment, thanks to the reduction in oil consumption

Rapporto tecnico sulle attività di campionamento della “Campagna Oceanografica CISAS_1” Augusta-Priolo 19-23 ottobre 2017

Le attività di campionamento ed acquisizione dati svolte durante la campagna CISAS_1 si inseriscono in seno al progetto “Centro internazionale di studi avanzati su ambiente ed impatti su ecosistema e salute umana (CISAS)” del CNR. Tra gli obiettivi principali del progetto, lo sviluppo di una complessa e decisa azione di ricerca scientifica volta ad una profonda comprensione dei fenomeni di inquinamento ambientale e dei loro risvolti sull’ecosistema e la salute umana. Le aree di indagine del progetto sono rappresentate dai Siti di Interesse Nazionale di Priolo, Milazzo-Pace del Mela e Crotone che, per specificità e modalità di impatto antropogenico sull’ambiente, l’ecosistema e la salute umana, coprono un ampio spettro di tipologie di interesse

DISTRIBUZIONE STORICA E ATTUALE DELLE SPECIE DEL GENERE JUNIPERUS (Cupressaceae) IN SICILIA

The distribution of the three juniper species occurring in Sicily, namely Juniperus communis, J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata, was updated. The setup of a critical inventory of the vernacular plant names referring to these species has also allowed to carry out a systematic search for place names reported on ancient and recent cartographic documents and to identify other coastal juniper populations neglected by botanists or certainly extinct. This paper points out the probable extinction of several stands of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata, reported in the literature or documented by herbarium specimens. Sporadic references made in the past two centuries to the presence of J. sabina L. in Sicily and of J. communis on the Nebrodi and Erei Mountains have not been confirmed by the surveys carried out over the past decades. Finally, several occurrence and demographic data are presented concerning several unpublished or poorly known nuclei of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata; some of them have been recently discovered, such as the one near Rasocolmo on the northeastern coast of Sicily, while others, documented by herbarium specimens or already reported in old publications, had been neglected by the most recent botanical literature devoted to these conifers. Numerous field surveys enabled the authors to provide updated and detailed information on the current distribution of J. communis on Mount Etna and of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata in the coastal and hillside areas of the provinces of Caltanissetta and Ragusa, previously available information on these areas being generic, dated and fragmentary. Moreover, some populations of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa found along the sandy beaches of the Agrigento and Ragusa areas probably derive from the widespread use of this species in the reforestations carried out during the last century on the dune systems once widespread along the coast of the Strait of Sicily. All the traditional local uses of the different juniper species are reported, too. Focusing on the Sicilian territory, thanks to its interdisciplinary approach and the effort to provide a spatial-temporal perspective as complete as possible, this work may represent a replicable model for conducting similar research, aimed at reconstructing the past and potential distribution of other forest species, in order to better direct future reforestation interventions and the restoration of native vegetation on a regional scale

Synergy between inhibitors of androgen receptor and MEK has therapeutic implications in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer

Introduction: Estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with limited therapeutic options. The molecular apocrine subtype constitutes 50% of ER-tumors and is characterized by overexpression of steroid response genes including androgen receptor (AR). We have recently identified a positive feedback loop between the AR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways in the molecular apocrine subtype. In this feedback loop, AR regulates ERK phosphorylation through the mediation of ErbB2 and, in turn, ERK-CREB1 signaling regulates the transcription of AR in molecular apocrine cells. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic implications of the AR-ERK feedback loop in molecular apocrine breast cancer.Methods: We examined a synergy between the AR inhibitor flutamide and the MEK inhibitor CI-1040 in the molecular apocrine cell lines MDA-MB-453, HCC-1954 and HCC-202 using MTT cell viability and annexin V apoptosis assays. Synergy was measured using the combination index (CI) method. Furthermore, we examined in vivo synergy between flutamide and the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 in a xenograft model of the molecular apocrine subtype. The effects of in vivo therapies on tumor growth, cell proliferation and angiogenesis were assessed.Results: We demonstrate synergistic CI values for combination therapy with flutamide and CI-1040 across three molecular apocrine cell lines at four dose combinations using both cell viability and apoptosis assays. Furthermore, we show in vivo that combination therapy with flutamide and MEK inhibitor PD0325901 has a significantly higher therapeutic efficacy in reducing tumor growth, cellular proliferation and angiogenesis than monotherapy with these agents. Moreover, our data suggested that flutamide and CI-1040 have synergy in trastuzumab resistance models of the molecular apocrine subtype. Notably, the therapeutic effect of combination therapy in trastuzumab-resistant cells was associated with the abrogation of an increased level of ERK phosphorylation that was developed in the process of trastuzumab resistance.Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrate in vitro and in vivo synergies between AR and MEK inhibitors in molecular apocrine breast cancer. Furthermore, we show that combination therapy with these inhibitors can overcome trastuzumab resistance in molecular apocrine cells. Therefore, a combination therapy strategy with AR and MEK inhibitors may provide an attractive therapeutic option for the ER-/AR+ subtype of breast cancer

The potential biomarkers in predicting pathologic response of breast cancer to three different chemotherapy regimens: a case control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) has become the standard of care in locally advanced breast cancer. The identification of patient-specific tumor characteristics that can improve the ability to predict response to therapy would help optimize treatment, improve treatment outcomes, and avoid unnecessary exposure to potential toxicities. This study is to determine whether selected biomarkers could predict pathologic response (PR) of breast tumors to three different PCT regimens, and to identify a subset of patients who would benefit from a given type of treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>118 patients with primary breast tumor were identified and three PCT regimens including DEC (docetaxel+epirubicin+cyclophosphamide), VFC (vinorelbine/vincristine+5-fluorouracil+cyclophosphamide) and EFC (epirubicin+5-fluorouracil+cyclophosphamide) were investigated. Expression of steroid receptors, HER2, P-gp, MRP, GST-pi and Topo-II was evaluated by immunohistochemical scoring on tumor tissues obtained before and after PCT. The PR of breast carcinoma was graded according to Sataloff's classification. Chi square test, logistic regression and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel assay were performed to determine the association between biomarkers and PR, as well as the effectiveness of each regimen on induction of PR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a clear-cut correlation between the expression of ER and decreased PR to PCT in all three different regimens (<it>p </it>< 0.05). HER2 expression is significantly associated with increased PR in DEC regimen (<it>p </it>< 0.05), but not predictive for PR in EFC and VFC groups. No significant correlation was found between biomarkers PgR, Topo-II, P-gp, MRP or GST-pi and PR to any tested PCT regimen. After adjusted by a stratification variable of ER or HER2, DEC regimen was more effective in inducing PR in comparison with VFC and EFC regimens.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ER is an independent predictive factor for PR to PCT regimens including DEC, VFC and EFC in primary breast tumors, while HER2 is only predictive for DEC regimen. Expression of PgR, Topo-II, P-gp, MRP and GST-pi are not predictive for PR to any PCT regimens investigated. Results obtained in this clinical study may be helpful for the selection of appropriate treatments for breast cancer patients.</p