131 research outputs found
New insights in pediatrics in 2021: choices in allergy and immunology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, haematology, infectious diseases, neonatology, neurology, nutrition, palliative care, respiratory tract illnesses and telemedicine
In this review, we report the developments across pediatric subspecialties that have been published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics in 2021. We highlight advances in allergy and immunology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology, infectious diseases, neonatology, neurology, nutrition, palliative care, respiratory tract illnesses and telemedicine
The Utility of Capsicum annuum L. in Internal Medicine and In Dentistry: A Comprehensive Review
Capsaicin is a chili peppers extract, genus Capsicum, commonly used as a food spice. Since ancient times, Capsaicin has been used as a "homeopathic remedy" for treating a wild range of pathological conditions but without any scientific knowledge about its action. Several studies have demonstrated its potentiality in cardiovascular, nephrological, nutritional, and other medical fields. Capsaicin exerts its actions thanks to the bond with transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is a nociceptive receptor, and its activation starts with a neurosensitive impulse, responsible for a burning pain sensation. However, constant local application of Capsaicin desensitized neuronal cells and leads to relief from neuropathic pain. In this review, we analyze the potential adjuvant role of Capsaicin in the treatment of different pathological conditions either in internal medicine or dentistry. Moreover, we present our experience in five patients affected by oro-facial pain consequent to post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy, not responsive to any remedy, and successfully treated with topical application of Capsaicin. The topical application of Capsaicin is safe, effective, and quite tolerated by patients. For these reasons, in addition to the already-proven beneficial actions in the internal field, it represents a promising method for the treatment of neuropathic oral diseases
Nobiletin and xanthohumol sensitize colorectal cancer stem cells to standard chemotherapy
Colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality is mainly caused by patient refractoriness to common anti-cancer therapies and consequent metastasis formation. Besides, the notorious toxic side effects of chemotherapy are a concurrent obstacle to be tackled. Thus, new treatment approaches are needed to effectively improve patient outcomes. Compelling evidence demonstrated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for treatment failure and relapse. New natural treatment approaches showed capabilities to selectively target the CSC subpopulation by rendering them targetable by standard cytotoxic compounds. Herein we show the anti-cancer properties of the polymethoxyflavones and prenylflavonoids extracted from Citrus sinensis and Humulus lupulus, respectively. The natural biofunctional fractions, singularly and in combination, reduced the cell viability of CRC stem cells (CR-CSCs) and synergized with 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOX) chemotherapy. These phenomena were accompanied by a reduced S and G2/M phase of the cell cycle and upregulation of cell death-related genes. Notably, both phytoextracts in combination with FOX thwarted stemness features in CR-CSCs as demonstrated by the impaired clonogenic potential and decreased Wnt pathway activation. Extracts lowered the expression of CD44v6 and affected the expansion of metastatic CR-CSCs in patients refractory to chemotherapy. Together, this study highlights the importance of polymethoxyflavones and prenylflavonoids as natural remedies to aid oncological therapies
The GAPS Programme at TNG XXXVI. Measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and revising the physical and orbital parameters of the HAT-P-15, HAT-P-17, HAT-P-21, HAT-P-26, HAT-P-29 eccentric planetary systems
Context. The measurement of the spin-orbit alignment of hot Jupiters, including a range of orbital and physical properties, can provide information about the evolution of the orbits of this special class of giant planets.Aims. We aim to refine the orbital and physical parameters and determine the sky-projected planet orbital obliquity ? of five eccentric (e ? 0.1–0.3) transiting planetary systems: HAT-P-15, HAT-P-17, HAT-P-21, HAT-P-26, and HAT-P-29, whose parent stars have an effective temperature between 5100 K < Teff < 6200 K. Each of the systems hosts a hot Jupiter, except for HAT-P-26, which hosts a Neptune-mass planet.Methods. We observed transit events of these planets with the HARPS-N spectrograph, obtaining high-precision radial velocity measurements that allow us to measure the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect for each of the target systems. We used these new HARPS-N spectra and archival data, including those from Gaia, to better characterise the stellar atmospheric parameters. The photometric parameters for four of the hot Jupiters were recalculated using 17 new transit light curves, obtained with an array of medium-class telescopes, and data from the TESS space telescope. HATNet time-series photometric data were checked for the signatures of rotation periods of the target stars and their spin axis inclination.Results. From the analysis of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, we derived a sky-projected obliquity of ? = 13° ± 6°, ? = -26.3° ± 6.7°, ? = -0.7° ± 12.5°, ? = -26° ± 16°, for HAT-P-15 b, HAT-P-17 b, HAT-P-21 b, and HAT-P-29 b, respectively. Based on theoretical considerations, these small values of ? should be of primordial origin, with the possible exception of HAT-P-21. Due to the quality of the data, we were not able to fully constrain ? for HAT-P-26 b, although a prograde orbit is favoured (? = 18° ± 49°). The stellar activity of HAT-P-21 indicates a rotation period of 15.88 ± 0.02 days, which allowed us to determine its true misalignment angle ? = 25° ± 16°. Our new analysis of the physical parameters of the five exoplanetary systems returned values compatible with those existing in the literature. Using TESS and the available transit light curves, we reviewed the orbital ephemeris for the five systems and confirmed that the HAT-P-26 system shows transit timing variations, which may tentatively be attributed to the presence of a third body
Measurement of ϒ production in pp collisions at √s = 2.76 TeV
The production of ϒ(1S), ϒ(2S) and ϒ(3S)
mesons decaying into the dimuon final state is studied with
the LHCb detector using a data sample corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 3.3 pb−1 collected in proton–proton
collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 2.76 TeV. The
differential production cross-sections times dimuon branching
fractions are measured as functions of the ϒ transverse
momentum and rapidity, over the ranges pT < 15 GeV/c
and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The total cross-sections in this kinematic
region, assuming unpolarised production, are measured to be
σ (pp → ϒ(1S)X) × B
ϒ(1S)→μ+μ−
= 1.111 ± 0.043 ± 0.044 nb,
σ (pp → ϒ(2S)X) × B
ϒ(2S)→μ+μ−
= 0.264 ± 0.023 ± 0.011 nb,
σ (pp → ϒ(3S)X) × B
ϒ(3S)→μ+μ−
= 0.159 ± 0.020 ± 0.007 nb,
where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic
Study of the doubly charmed tetraquark T+cc
Quantum chromodynamics, the theory of the strong force, describes interactions of coloured quarks and gluons and the formation of hadronic matter. Conventional hadronic matter consists of baryons and mesons made of three quarks and quark-antiquark pairs, respectively. Particles with an alternative quark content are known as exotic states. Here a study is reported of an exotic narrow state in the D0D0π+ mass spectrum just below the D*+D0 mass threshold produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar T+cc tetraquark with a quark content of ccu⎯⎯⎯d⎯⎯⎯ and spin-parity quantum numbers JP = 1+. Study of the DD mass spectra disfavours interpretation of the resonance as the isovector state. The decay structure via intermediate off-shell D*+ mesons is consistent with the observed D0π+ mass distribution. To analyse the mass of the resonance and its coupling to the D*D system, a dedicated model is developed under the assumption of an isoscalar axial-vector T+cc state decaying to the D*D channel. Using this model, resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are determined to reveal important information about the nature of the T+cc state. In addition, an unexpected dependence of the production rate on track multiplicity is observed
Application of a chemiluminescence immunoassay system and GC/MS for toxicological investigations on skeletonized human remains
La problematica dei falsi positivi nei test di screening utilizzati per gli accertamenti in negativo dell’ abuso di sostanze stupefacenti in lavoratori addetti a mansioni a rischio
- …