A preclinical model for the ATLL lymphoma subtype with insights into the role of microenvironment in HTLV-1-mediated lymphomagenesis

Abstract \uef7f View references (83) Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) is a mature T cell malignancy associated with Human T cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. Among its four main clinical subtypes, the prognosis of acute and lymphoma variants remains poor. The long latency (3-6 decades) and low incidence (3-5%) of ATLL imply the involvement of viral and host factors in full-blown malignancy. Despite multiple preclinical and clinical studies, the contribution of the stromal microenvironment in ATLL development is not yet completely unraveled. The aims of this study were to investigate the role of the host microenvironment, and specifically fibroblasts, in ATLL pathogenesis and to propose a murine model for the lymphoma subtype. Here we present evidence that the oncogenic capacity of HTLV-1-immortalized C91/PL cells is enhanced when they are xenotransplanted together with human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) in immunocompromised BALB/c Rag2-/-\u3b3c -/-mice. Moreover, cell lines derived from a developed lymphoma and their subsequent in vivo passages acquired the stable property to induce aggressive T cell lymphomas. In particular, one of these cell lines, C91/III cells, consistently induced aggressive lymphomas also in NOD/SCID/IL2R\u3b3c KO (NSG) mice. To dissect the mechanisms linked to this enhanced tumorigenic ability, we quantified 45 soluble factors released by these cell lines and found that 21 of them, mainly pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, were significantly increased in C91/III cells compared to the parental C91/PL cells. Moreover, many of the increased factors were also released by human fibroblasts and belonged to the known secretory pattern of ATLL cells. C91/PL cells co-cultured with HFF showed features reminiscent of those observed in C91/III cells, including a similar secretory pattern and a more aggressive behavior in vivo. On the whole, our data provide evidence that fibroblasts, one of the major stromal components, might enhance tumorigenesis of HTLV-1-infected and immortalized T cells, thus throwing light on the role of microenvironment contribution in ATLL pathogenesis. We also propose that the lymphoma induced in NSG mice by injection with C91/III cells represents a new murine preclinical ATLL model that could be adopted to test novel therapeutic interventions for the aggressive lymphoma subtype

Bayesian Harmonic Modelling of Sparse and Irregular Satellite Remote Sensing Time Series of Vegetation Indexes: A Story of Clouds and Fires

We would like to thank the ReCAS Computing Center of the University of Bari, and, particularly, Stefano Nicotri and Giacinto Donvito for the use of facilities; in particular their Jupiter online access to the virtual environment for computation. The manuscript was proofread by Lena Rettori. We would like to thanks the contribution of the two anonymous reviewers.Vegetation index time series from Landsat and Sentinel-2 have great potential for following the dynamics of ecosystems and are the key to develop essential variables in the realm of biodiversity. Unfortunately, the removal of pixels covered mainly by clouds reduces the temporal resolution, producing irregularity in time series of satellite images. We propose a Bayesian approach based on a harmonic model, fitted on an annual base. To deal with data sparsity, we introduce hierarchical prior distribution that integrate information across the years. From the model, the mean and standard deviation of yearly Ecosystem Functional Attributes (i.e., mean, standard deviation, and peak’s day) plus the inter-year standard deviation are calculated. Accuracy is evaluated with a simulation that uses real cloud patterns found in the Peneda-Gêres National Park, Portugal. Sensitivity to the model’s abrupt change is evaluated against a record of multiple forest fires in the Bosco Difesa Grande Regional Park in Italy and in comparison with the BFAST software output. We evaluated the sensitivity in dealing with mixed patch of land cover by comparing yearly statistics from Landsat at 30m resolution, with a 2m resolution land cover of Murgia Alta National Park (Italy) using FAO Land Cover Classification System 2.We would like to acknowledge the support of H2020 Ecopotential project with Grant Agreement No. 641762 for the discussion and the set up of a first version of the algorithm not shown in this paperGeoessential an ERA-PLANET project, an action from ERA-NET-Cofund Grant, with Grant Agreement No. 689443 for the actual development of the algorithm and the writing of the paper

Internal preference mapping of milk–fruit beverages: Influence of color and appearance on its acceptability

The individual preferences of 100 consumers between 20 and 30 years old for the color of 16 milk–fruit juice beverages (MFJB) were investigated by preference mapping technique. Consumers were asked to evaluate, just by looking at the samples, how much they liked them (from “Extremely dislike” to “Extremely like”). The color of the samples was analyzed by two different instrumental techniques. Results obtained from the instrumental color measurement showed the wide diversity in hues of the beverages available in the market, and correlations between techniques proved that both of them were appropriate to analyze color. Results showed that participants preferred samples with orangish appearance instead of those with a whiter look. Anyway, punctuations given by the consumers suggest that generally, color of these products is not highly evaluated by consumers, as the best mean punctuation was 6.6.Consejería de Innovación Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía P11-AGR-778

Depression: a risk to the quality of life of the elderly

La depresión es el trastorno psicológico más frecuente en las personas de edad avanzada. El principal objetivo de este estudio fue la evaluación de la percepción de las personas de edad avanzada de su calidad de vida, así como la consulta si la depresión es un factor de riesgo para la calidad de vida o no. Este estudio es exploratorio, descriptivo, analítico, transversal y de naturaleza cuantitativa. La investigación se centra en las 1419 personas mayores que permanecen en un centro de salud en la Región Centro de Portugal. De ellos, 247 han sido escogidos al azar y de manera probabilística de las listas de registro, que forman parte de la muestra de estudio. La siguiente información, aplicada a través de entrevistas, se utilizó para la recolección de datos: un cuestionario sobre la caracterización socio-demográfica, el cuestionario de salud (SF-36) y la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica de Yesavage. Los principales resultados muestran que las personas de edad estudiadas tienen una calidad de vida razonable y los niveles más altos de depresión están relacionados con una peor calidad de vida. Este trabajo permitió reconocer que la depresión es un factor de riesgo para la calidad de vida en la edad avanzada. Por lo tanto se requiere la promoción de una buena salud mental en este grupo de edad. Un Centro de Salud es el lugar principal para racionalizar y coordinar una intervención apropiada.Depression is the most common psychological problem in elderly people. Depression is one of the most common psychological problem in the elderly people. The main objective of this study was the evaluation of the perception of the elderly people on their quality of life as well as the enquiry whether depression is a risk factor for the quality of life or not. This study is exploratory, descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional and of quantitative nature. The research is focused on the 1419 seniors who remain in a Health Center in the Central Region of Portugal. 247 of them, who have been chosen randomly and probabilistically from registration lists, form part of the study sample. The following information, applied through interviews, was used for the data collection: a questionnaire on sociodemographic characterization, the Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36) and the Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage. The main results show that the elderly people studied have a reasonable quality of life and higher levels of depression are related to a poorer quality of life. This work allowed us to recognize that depression is a risk factor for the quality of life on older age. Thus the promotion of a good mental health in this age group is required. A Health Center is the principal location to streamline and to coordinate an appropriate intervention.A depressão é um dos problemas psicológicos mais comuns no idoso. O principal objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em avaliar a perceção dos idosos sobre a sua qualidade vida, bem como, investigar se a depressão constitui um fator de risco para a qualidade de vida. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo, analítico, transversal e de natureza quantitativa. A investigação centrou-se nos 1419 idosos inscritos num Centro de Saúde da Região Centro de Portugal. Destes, 247 constituíram a amostra deste estudo, obtida de forma aleatória e probabilística, a partir das listagens dos utentes inscritos. Para a recolha de dados foi utilizado um questionário de caraterização sociodemográfica; o questionário do Estado de Saúde (SF-36) e a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica de Yesavage, aplicados através de entrevista. Como resultados principais, aponta-se que os idosos estudados evidenciam uma qualidade de vida razoável e que a níveis mais elevados de depressão corresponde pior qualidade de vida. Este trabalho permitiu reconhecer que a depressão é um fator de risco para a qualidade de vida da pessoa idosa, tornando-se necessário promover uma boa saúde mental deste grupo etário, surgindo o Centro de Saúde como o local privilegiado para dinamizar e coordenar uma adequada intervenção.peerReviewe

Mometasone furoate and fluticasone furoate are equally effective in restoring nasal epithelial barrier dysfunction in allergic rhinitis

Rinitis alérgica; Integridad epitelial; Furoato de mometasonaRinitis al·lèrgica; Integritat epitelial; Furoat de mometasonaAllergic rhinitis; Epithelial integrity; Mometasone furoateTight junction defects (TJ) have been associated with a defective epithelial barrier function in allergic rhinitis (AR). Intranasal corticosteroids are potent drugs frequently used to treat AR and are shown to restore epithelial integrity by acting on TJs and by reducing type 2 cytokine production. However, the effect of different classes of intranasal corticosteroids on the epithelial barrier has not been studied. Therefore, we compared the effect of 2 intranasal corticosteroids, ie, fluticasone furoate (FF) and mometasone furoate (MF) on epithelial barrier function. Both FF and MF similarly increased trans-epithelial electrical resistance of primary nasal epithelial cell cultures from AR patients. In a house dust mite-induced allergic asthma mouse model, FF and MF had similar beneficial effects on fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran 4 kDa mucosal permeability, eosinophilic infiltration and IL-13 levels. Both molecules increased mRNA expression of the TJ proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1, thereby restoring epithelial barrier function. Lastly, we showed that long-term FF treatment also increased expression of occludin in AR patients compared to controls. In conclusion, both FF and MF effectively restore epithelial barrier function by increasing expression of TJ proteins in AR patients.This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from GSK. BS is supported by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium

Design, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Medium Entropy Aluminium Alloys

In this work, the design, microstructures and mechanical properties of five novel non-equiatomic lightweight medium entropy alloys were studied. The manufactured alloys were based on the Al65Cu5Mg5Si15Zn5X5 and Al70Cu5Mg5Si10Zn5X5 systems. The formation and presence of phases and microstructures were studied by introducing Fe, Ni, Cr, Mn and Zr. The feasibility of CALPHAD method for the design of new alloys was studied, demonstrating to be a good approach in the design of medium entropy alloys, due to accurate prediction of the phases, which were validated via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. In addition, the alloys were manufactured using an industrial-scale die-casting process to make the alloys viable as engineering materials. In terms of mechanical properties, the alloys exhibited moderate plastic deformation and very high compressive strength up to 644 MPa. Finally, the reported microhardness value was in the range of 200 HV0.1 to 264 HV0.1, which was two to three times higher than those of commercial Al alloys.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Basque Government through the project Elkartek: KK-2017/00007 and KK-2018/00015

Knowledge-Based Classification of Grassland Ecosystem Based on Multi-Temporal WorldView-2 Data and FAO-LCCS Taxonomy

Grassland ecosystems can provide a variety of services for humans, such as carbon storage, food production, crop pollination and pest regulation. However, grasslands are today one of the most endangered ecosystems due to land use change, agricultural intensification, land abandonment as well as climate change. The present study explores the performance of a knowledge-driven GEOgraphic-Object—based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) learning scheme to classify Very High Resolution(VHR)imagesfornaturalgrasslandecosystemmapping. Theclassificationwasappliedto a Natura 2000 protected area in Southern Italy. The Food and Agricultural Organization Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) hierarchical scheme was instantiated in the learning phase of the algorithm. Four multi-temporal WorldView-2 (WV-2) images were classified by combining plant phenology and agricultural practices rules with prior-image spectral knowledge. Drawing on this knowledge, spectral bands and entropy features from one single date (Post Peak of Biomass) were firstly used for multiple-scale image segmentation into Small Objects (SO) and Large Objects (LO). Thereafter, SO were labelled by considering spectral and context-sensitive features from the whole multi-seasonal data set available together with ancillary data. Lastly, the labelled SO were overlaid to LO segments and, in turn, the latter were labelled by adopting FAO-LCCS criteria about the SOs presence dominance in each LO. Ground reference samples were used only for validating the SO and LO output maps. The knowledge driven GEOBIA classifier for SO classification obtained an OA value of 97.35% with an error of 0.04. For LO classification the value was 75.09% with an error of 0.70. At SO scale, grasslands ecosystem was classified with 92.6%, 99.9% and 96.1% of User’s, Producer’s Accuracy and F1-score, respectively. The findings reported indicate that the knowledge-driven approach not only can be applied for (semi)natural grasslands ecosystem mapping in vast and not accessible areas but can also reduce the costs of ground truth data acquisition. The approach used may provide different level of details (small and large objects in the scene) but also indicates how to design and validate local conservation policies

In vitro antioxidant capacity of tomato products: Relationships with their lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene and alpha-tocopherol contents, evaluation of interactions and correlation with reflectance measurements

Tomato products were analysed for their carotenoids and a-tocopherol contents to study the contribution of individual compounds to the antioxidant capacity and assess the existence of interactions. Besides, the applicability of reflectance measurements for the estimation of the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) was explored. Statistically significant regression coefficients were found between TEAC values and carotenoids and a-tocopherol levels. Lycopene seemed to have the highest contribution, followed by phytofluene. The results showed that the antioxidant capacity of phytofluene warrants further investigation. It was observed that there can be interactions between lycopene and atocopherol, although just the lycopene/a-tocopherol ratio cannot be used to predict the kind of interaction. More knowledge of these interactions would supply new tools for the industry to develop more optimized ingredients. Finally, the lycopene levels and TEAC values can be estimated by considering reflectance readings at certain wavelengths, which is important for field and quality control application