Crosstalk between skin inflammation and adipose tissue-derived products: pathogenic evidence linking psoriasis to increased adiposity.

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder associated with several comorbid conditions. In psoriasis pathogenesis, the role of some cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-17, has been elucidated. Beside their pro-inflammatory activity, they may also affect glucose and lipid metabolism, possibly promoting insulin resistance and obesity. On the other hand, adipose tissue, secreting adipokines such as chemerin, visfatin, leptin, and adiponectin, not only regulates glucose and lipid metabolism, and endothelial cell function regulation, but it may contribute to inflammation. AREAS COVERED: This review provides an updated 'state-of-the-art' about the reciprocal contribution of a small subset of conventional cytokines and adipokines involved in chronic inflammatory pathways, upregulated in both psoriasis and increased adiposity. A systematic search was conducted using the PubMed Medline database for primary articles. Expert commentary: Because psoriasis is associated with increased adiposity, it would be important to define the contribution of chronic skin inflammation to the onset of obesity and vice versa. Clarifying the pathogenic mechanism underlying this association, a therapeutic strategy having favorable effects on both psoriasis and increased adiposity could be identified

The emerging role of cancer nanotechnology in the panorama of sarcoma

In the field of nanomedicine a multitude of nanovectors have been developed for cancer application. In this regard, a less exploited target is represented by connective tissue. Sarcoma lesions encompass a wide range of rare entities of mesenchymal origin affecting connective tissues. The extraordinary diversity and rarity of these mesenchymal tumors is reflected in their classification, grading and management which are still challenging. Although they include more than 70 histologic subtypes, the first line-treatment for advanced and metastatic sarcoma has remained unchanged in the last fifty years, excluding specific histotypes in which targeted therapy has emerged. The role of chemotherapy has not been completely elucidated and the outcomes are still very limited. At the beginning of the century, nano-sized particles clinically approved for other solid lesions were tested in these neoplasms but the results were anecdotal and the clinical benefit was not substantial. Recently, a new nanosystem formulation NBTXR3 for the treatment of sarcoma has landed in a phase 2-3 trial. The preliminary results are encouraging and could open new avenues for research in nanotechnology. This review provides an update on the recent advancements in the field of nanomedicine for sarcoma. In this regard, preclinical evidence especially focusing on the development of smart materials and drug delivery systems will be summarized. Moreover, the sarcoma patient management exploiting nanotechnology products will be summed up. Finally, an overlook on future perspectives will be provided

Metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasia treatments in patients over 70 years of age

The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) is higher in individuals ≥70 years of age (elderly) who are underrepresented in clinical trials because of comorbidities and low performance status. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of elderly patients with metastatic NEN (mNEN). Comorbidities were summarized by Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Kaplan–Meier method was applied to estimate overall survival (OS) and Cox’s proportional hazard model was used to assess the impact of known prognostic factors. We retrieved data on 145 mNEN patients aged ≥70 years seen at our center from June 2007 to March 2016. Fifty-six (38.6%) were aged ≥75 years. ECOG PS was 0 in 45.7% of cases and CCI was 0 in 41.0% and 1 in 37.4%. A total of 75.4% of patients had grade (G)1/G2 NEN and 24.6%, G3. Octreoscan/Gallium PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT were positive in 94.2% and 70.3% of cases, respectively. Median follow-up was 72.3 (53.2–85.1) months. Seventy-nine patients received first-line somatostatin analogs (SSA), 23 peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and 36 chemotherapy (CHT). Seven did not undergo first-line therapy and 102 received more than one line. Median overall survival (mOS) was 5.1 years (95% CI: 3.4–6.6). No differences in mOS were seen according to CCI. First-line PRRT patients had a mOS of 6.5 years (95% CI: 3.3–not reached (NR)), SSA 5.7 years (95% CI: 4.2–7) and CHT 5.9 years (95% CI: 0.4–NR). mOS in CHT-treated G3 patients was 1.5 years (1.0–2.5). ECOG PS and FDG PET/CT were identified as independent prognostic factors. Results suggest that the above treatments positively impacted OS in elderly mNEN patients, including those aged ≥75 years

Erythema gyratum repens induced by pegylated interferon alfa for chronic hepatitis C.

none3Rongioletti F; Fausti V; Parodi ARongioletti, Franco; Fausti, V; Parodi, Auror

Characterization and Vibro-Acoustic Modeling of Wood Composite Panels

none6noNatural fiber-filled polymers offer good mechanical properties and economic competitiveness compared to traditional materials. Wood flour is one of the most widely used fillers, and the resulting material, known as wood plastic composite (WPC), has already found a wide applicability in many industrial sectors including automotive and building construction. This paper, as a followup of a previous study on a numerical-based approach to optimize the sound transmission loss of WPC panels, presents an extensive numerical and experimental vibro-acoustic analysis of an orthotropic panel made out of WPC boards. Both structural and acoustical excitations were considered. The panel radiation efficiency and its transmission loss were modeled using analytic and semi-analytic approaches. The mechanical properties of the structure, required as input data in the prediction models, were numerically determined in terms of wavenumbers by means of finite element simulations, and experimentally verified. The accuracy of the predicted acoustic performances was assessed by comparing the numerical results with the measured data. The comparisons highlighted a significant influence of the junctions between the WPC boards, especially on the panel’s transmission loss. The radiation efficiency results were mostly influenced by the boundary conditions of the plate-like structure. This latter aspect was further investigated through a finite element analysis.openSantoni, Andrea; Bonfiglio, Paolo; Fausti, Patrizio; Marescotti, Cristina; Mazzanti, Valentina; Pompoli, FrancescoSantoni, Andrea; Bonfiglio, Paolo; Fausti, Patrizio; Marescotti, Cristina; Mazzanti, Valentina; Pompoli, Francesc

Vibro-acoustic optimisation of Wood Plastic Composite systems

“Wood Plastic Composite” or WPC is becoming increasingly popular in outdoor applications because of the advantage of a better durability in wet environments compared to natural wood. The possibility of using WPC as a sound barrier, or as façade cladding, is investigated in this paper. The sound transmission loss (TL) of an orthotropic WPC panel, obtained by coupling together several boards, is computed by means of the transfer matrix method. The plate is modelled as a thin orthotropic layer, described by frequency dependent elastic properties. A numerical procedure, based on a finite element simulation, is proposed in order to determine the stiffness properties along the principle direction of the panel. The reliability of this approach is verified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental stiffness measured on a WPC beam. The orthotropic behaviour is approximated by an elliptic interpolation of the flexural stiffness along the two principle directions, based on a simplified assumption which considers the in-plane shear modulus proportional to the orthotropic elastic moduli. The model based within the transfer matrix method framework is validated with the experimental transmission loss measured on a WPC panel in a reverberant room. Finally, the possibility of increasing the acoustic performance of WPC structures by optimising their cross-section is investigated

Caratterizzazione della rumorosità di alcuni droni in camera semi-anecoica

In questo lavoro vengono presentati i risultati delle misurazioni del rumore di alcuni droni in camera semi-anecoica. Si tratta della prima parte di una ricerca riguardante limiti e fattibilità di utilizzo dei droni per l’esecuzione di misurazioni di rumore in situazioni complesse (misurazioni in zone difficilmente accessibili, sorgenti in quota, sorgenti in movimento). Le misure hanno permesso di valutare le componenti spettrali principali e la direzionalità dell’emissione