β-Glucan synthase induction in mushrooms grown on olive mill wastewaters

Beta-1-3-Glucan synthase activity and its induction by olive mill wastewaters (OMW) was studied in ten fungal strains (Auricularia auricula-judae, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii, Stropharia aeruginosa, Agrocybe aegerita, P. pulmonarius, Armillaria mellea, P. ferulae, P. ostreatus, P. nebrodensis). A microtiter-based enzymatic assay on -1-3-glucan synthase activity was carried out on all mycelia growth both on the control medium and on OMW. Among the fungi assayed, L. edodes -1-3-glucan synthase was highly enhanced in OMW. The main components of OMW, i.e. phenols and lipids, were added separately to the control medium, to highlight the mechanism of L. edodes -1-3-glucan synthase induction. A Southern blot analysis and PCR with degenerated primers were carried out to detect the presence of fks1-like genes in these Basidiomycetes. The sequences obtained from the ten Basidiomycota were remarkably similar to fks1 from Filobasidiella neoformans. Spectrofluorimetric and RT-PCR analyses of -1-3-glucan synthase were performed on the mycelia of L. edodes. In this fungus, a strong stimulation of -1-3-glucan synthase mRNA and protein was recorded in the presence of OMW and phenol

Ultrasound for Non-invasive Assessment and Monitoring of Quadriceps Muscle Thickness in Critically Ill Patients With Acute Kidney Injury

Background and aims: Critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) undergo major muscle wasting in the first few days of ICU stay. An important concern in this clinical setting is the lack of adequate tools for routine bedside evaluation of the skeletal muscle mass, both for the determination of nutritional status at admission, and for monitoring. In this regard, the present study aims to ascertain if ultrasound (US) is able to detect changes in quadriceps muscle thickness of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) over short periods of time. Methods: This is a prospective observational study with a follow-up at 5 days. All adult patients with AKI hospitalized at the Renal ICU of the Parma University Hospital over 12 months, with a hospital stay before ICU admission no longer than 72 h, and with a planned ICU stay of at least 5 days, were eligible for the study. An experienced investigator assessed quadriceps rectus femoris and vastus intermedius thickness (QRFT and QVIT) at baseline and after 5 days of ICU stay. Results: We enrolled 30 patients with 74 ± 11 years of age and APACHE II score of 22 ± 5. Muscle thickness decreased by 15 ± 13% within the first 5 days of ICU stay (P < 0.001 for all sites as compared to ICU admission). Patients with more severe muscle loss had lower probability of being discharged home (OR: 0.04, 95%CI: 0.00–0.74; P = 0.031). Conclusions: In critically ill patients with AKI, bedside muscle US identifies patients with accelerated muscle wasting

The +276 G/T Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of the Adiponectin Gene Is Associated With Coronary Artery Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE —Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the adiponectin locus (+45T>G and +276G>T) have been associated with low circulating adiponectin levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether these genetic markers are determinants of coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —A total of 376 consecutive type 2 diabetic patients were studied: 142 case subjects with coronary stenosis >50% or previous myocardial infarction and 234 control subjects with no symptoms, no electrocardiogram (ECG) signs of myocardial ischemia, and a normal ECG stress test ( n = 189) and/or ( n = 45) with coronary stenosis ≤50%. RESULTS —No association with CAD was observed for the +45 SNP ( P = 0.48). By contrast, a significant association was observed for the +276 SNP, with T/T homozygotes having a lower risk of CAD than carriers of other genotypes (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.13 [95% CI 0.037–0.46], P = 0.002). A similarly protective effect of the +276 T/T genotype was observed in 110 case and 45 control subjects for whom the CAD status had been determined by angiography (0.04 [0.006–0.30], P = 0.002).  Serum adiponectin, although clearly related to several features of the proatherogenic/insulin-resistant phenotype, was not different between control subjects and CAD patients (26 ± 17 vs. 25 ± 13 μg/ml). CONCLUSIONS —In conclusion, the +276 G>T polymorphism is a determinant of CAD risk in type 2 diabetic patients. This marker may assist in the identification of diabetic individuals at especially high risk of CAD, so that preventive programs can be targeted at these subjects

Direct sunlight facility for testing and research in HCPV

A facility for testing different components for HCPV application has been developed in the framework of “Fotovoltaico ad Alta Efficienza” (FAE) project funded by the Sicilian Regional Authority (PO FESR Sicilia 2007/2013 4.1.1.1). The testing facility is equipped with an heliostat providing a wide solar beam inside the lab, an optical bench for mounting and aligning the HCPV components, electronic equipments to characterize the I-V curves of multijunction cells operated up to 2000 suns, a system to circulate a fluid in the heat sink at controlled temperature and flow-rate, a data logging system with sensors to measure temperatures in several locations and fluid pressures at the inlet and outlet of the heat sink, and a climatic chamber with large test volume to test assembled HCPV modules

TOpic: rare and special cases, the real "Strange cases"

Introduction: The bladder hernia represents approximately 1-3% of all inguinal hernias, where patients aged more than 50 years have a higher incidence (10%). Many factors contribute to the development of a bladder hernia, including the presence of a urinary outlet obstruction causing chronic bladder distention, the loss of bladder tone, pericystitis, the perivesical bladder fat protrusion and the obesity