Sensory quality of meat from lambs fed on different diets

The whole seed of sweet lupin var. Multitalia with a protein content higher than 35% and a low content in alkaloids constitutes a good protein source alternative to soybean meal, today deriving for more than 60% from OGM (Genetically Modified Organisms) cultivation. Moreover, the poor national production and the cost of feeds for animals forces the livestock compartment to utilize alternative biomasses the availability of which highly depends on from the environment and the season

Long-term storage does not impact the quality of cryopreserved human ovarian tissue

Background: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an emerging technique, also addressed to very young cancer patients, for whom it is not possible to perform an ovarian stimulation for oocytes freezing, before gonadotoxic treatment. In this cases, ovarian tissue must be cryopreserved for a long period of time and it is very important to know if it maintains fertility function after a long period of storage. Here we aimed to assess the effect of long-term storage on preservation and viability of cryopreserved human ovarian tissue. Methods: Descriptive study of three cases of cancer patients whose cryopreserved ovarian tissue remained stored for 18 years. Long-term stored tissue was examined by histological and immunohistochemical analysis, transmission electron microscopy, TUNEL assay and LIVE/DEAD viability/citotoxicity test. Results: Ovarian tissue stored for 18 years showed a good morphology. Follicles presented negative staining for estrogen and progesterone receptors, positive staining for ki67 in granulosa cells and/or oocytes and for bcl2 in granulosa cells. Regarding stroma, patch/focal positive expression was found for estrogen receptor and ki67, diffusely positive expression for progesterone receptor and bcl2. After long-term storage, ultrastructural examination showed sub-cellular integrity of follicles and interstitial oedema foci. No apoptosis was observable by TUNEL assay. Stromal cell viability remained >97 % during the culture period. Conclusion: The evaluation of different aspects o f the tissue provides evidence that the storage time does not impact on tissue quality and gives hope especially to cancer girls, whose tissues could remain cryopreserved for a very long time

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ovarian tissue cryopreservation planning in the Bologna clinical center

Introduction: Treatment of patients with COVID-19 has been a priority by competing with the treatment of any other disease due to limited hospital resources. The current pandemic situation has focused the attention of healthcare providers around the world away from all other non-emergency health problems, including oncofertility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activity levels of ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in the our center. Methods: The study analyzed the number of patients treated for OTC in our center during three periods: pre-pandemic period: March 2019-February 2020, pandemic period: March 2020-February 2021 and post-pandemic period: March 2021-February 2022. Results: In our center routine hospital operation was completely reorganized, allowing only urgent interventions. Continuing to urgently preserve fertility during the pandemic required rapid changes to our standard practices for the care of these vulnerable patients. Despite the modifications, there was no difference in the number of OTC performed among the periods analyzed. Similarly, the number of patients who did not perform OTC was the same over the three years analyzed. Discussion: Despite the local and national restructuring of care to conserve resources and protect the community, it is significant to continue offering fertility-sparing treatment to cancer patients. This emphasis on the importance of preserving fertility despite the pandemic further highlights the essential and urgent nature of this procedure

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits doxorubicin-induced inflammation on human ovarian tissue

Chemotherapy protocol can destroy the reproductive potential of young cancer patients. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anthracycline commonly used in the treatment of numerous malignancies. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ovarian toxicity of DOX via inflammation and the possible protective effect of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Ovarian tissue of three patients was cultured with 1 \ub5g/ml DOX and/or 10 \ub5g/ml EGCG for 24 and 48 h. Levels of inflammatory factors were determined by quantitative Real-Time PCR, western blot, zimography, and multiplex bead-based immunoassay. Morphological evaluation, damaged follicle count and TUNEL assay were also performed. DOX influenced inflammatory responses by inducing a significant increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-\u3b1 (TNF-\u3b1) and cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2), of inflammatory interleukins (IL), such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), and the inflammatory proteins mediators metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP2 and MMP9). IL-8 secretion in the culture supernatants and MMP9 activity also significantly raised after DOX treatment. Moreover, a histological evaluation of the ovarian tissue showed morphological damage to follicles and stroma after DOX exposure. EGCG significantly reduced DOX-induced inflammatory responses and improved the preservation of follicles. DOX-induced inflammation could be responsible for the ovarian function impairment of chemotherapy. EGCG could have a protective role in reducing DOX-mediated inflammatory responses in human ovarian tissue

Cryopreservation of Ovarian Tissue in Pediatric Patients

Cancer treatments improve the survival rate of children and adolescents; however chemo- and radiotherapy result in gonadal damage leading to acute ovarian failure and sterility. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation allows long-term storage of primordial follicles and represents the only possibility of preserving the potential fertility in prepubertal girls. The aim of the present study is to describe our experience in ovarian tissue cryopreservation in 45 pediatric patients. The number of follicles per square millimeter of the overall section area and follicle quality were evaluated histologically. A strong negative correlation was found between age and follicular density in patients both prior to and after chemotherapy (P < 0.0001). Damage in follicular quality, that is, increased oocyte vacuolization and detachment of the oocyte from granulosa cells, was found after chemotherapy. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation, preferably performed before initiation of chemotherapy, should be offered to pediatric patients, including prepubertal girls, at risk of sterility

Improved mental representation of space in beginner orienteers.

The purpose of the present study was to monitor any improvement in orienteering skills attributable to acquiring a better mental representation of space. Two groups were examined: the experimental group, who attended 6 mo. of orienteering lessons, versus the control group, who did jogging training instead. Each group, consisting of 20 children, was tested on the Corsi Block-tapping Test, run Forward and Backward, and the Star-Butterfly Test. Pre- and post-tests were administered. In the experimental group, scores increased in mean complexity from pre- to post-test on the Forward and the Backward Corsi tests, while on the Star-Butterfly Test both time and mistakes had decreased after the training. In the control group, mean complexity and Star-Butterfly Test scores were unchanged from pre- to post-test. These results showed that after continual training in orienteering techniques, the orienteering group was able to remember and repeat sequences of events with greater precision than before the training, while these skills were unchanged in the control group after training in jogging

The use of near-infrared imaging with indocyanine green in the ovarian tissue transplantation: a case report

The request for fertility preservation has consistently increased in recent years. To our knowledge this case report is the first to describe the application of near-infrared intraoperative imaging using indocyanine green (NIR-ICG) during ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT), to assist surgeon choosing the site of implantation of ovarian fragments. OTT was performed in a 42-year-old woman using NIR-ICG to evaluate the vascularisation of peritoneal area as the site of implantation for the ovarian graft. we believe this new approach could be useful in identifying the best reimplantation site

Probing of Exosites Leads to Novel Inhibitor Scaffolds of HCV NS3/4A Proteinase

Hepatitis C is a treatment-resistant disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome is a single-stranded RNA molecule. After infection of the host cell, viral RNA is translated into a polyprotein that is cleaved by host and viral proteinases into functional, structural and non-structural, viral proteins. Cleavage of the polyprotein involves the viral NS3/4A proteinase, a proven drug target. HCV mutates as it replicates and, as a result, multiple emerging quasispecies become rapidly resistant to anti-virals, including NS3/4A inhibitors.To circumvent drug resistance and complement the existing anti-virals, NS3/4A inhibitors, which are additional and distinct from the FDA-approved telaprevir and boceprevir α-ketoamide inhibitors, are required. To test potential new avenues for inhibitor development, we have probed several distinct exosites of NS3/4A which are either outside of or partially overlapping with the active site groove of the proteinase. For this purpose, we employed virtual ligand screening using the 275,000 compound library of the Developmental Therapeutics Program (NCI/NIH) and the X-ray crystal structure of NS3/4A as a ligand source and a target, respectively. As a result, we identified several novel, previously uncharacterized, nanomolar range inhibitory scaffolds, which suppressed of the NS3/4A activity in vitro and replication of a sub-genomic HCV RNA replicon with a luciferase reporter in human hepatocarcinoma cells. The binding sites of these novel inhibitors do not significantly overlap with those of α-ketoamides. As a result, the most common resistant mutations, including V36M, R155K, A156T, D168A and V170A, did not considerably diminish the inhibitory potency of certain novel inhibitor scaffolds we identified.Overall, the further optimization of both the in silico strategy and software platform we developed and lead compounds we identified may lead to advances in novel anti-virals

Particles-vortex interactions and flow visualization in He4

Recent experiments have demonstrated a remarkable progress in implementing and use of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking techniques for the study of turbulence in He4. However, an interpretation of the experimental data in the superfluid phase requires understanding how the motion of tracer particles is affected by the two components, the viscous normal fluid and the inviscid superfluid. Of a particular importance is the problem of particle interactions with quantized vortex lines which may not only strongly affect the particle motion, but, under certain conditions, may even trap particles on quantized vortex cores. The article reviews recent theoretical, numerical, and experimental results in this rapidly developing area of research, putting critically together recent results, and solving apparent inconsistencies. Also discussed is a closely related technique of detection of quantized vortices negative ion bubbles in He4.Comment: To appear in the J Low Temperature Physic