Assessment of Apolipoprotein(a) Isoform Size Using Phenotypic and Genotypic Methods

Apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)) is the protein component that defines lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) particles and is encoded by the LPA gene. The apo(a) is extremely heterogeneous in size due to the copy number variations in the kringle-IV type 2 (KIV2) domains. In this review, we aim to discuss the role of genetics in establishing Lp(a) as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) by examining a series of molecular biology techniques aimed at identifying the best strategy for a possible application in clinical research and practice, according to the current gold standard

Anaerobic Digestion of Olive Mill Wastewater in the Presence of Biochar

Biological treatments focused on stabilizing and detoxifying olive mill wastewater facilitate agronomic reuse for irrigation and fertilization. Anaerobic digestion is particularly attractive in view of energy recovery, but is severely hampered by the microbial toxicity of olive mill wastewater. In this work, the addition of biochar to the digestion mixture was studied to improve the stability and efficiency of the anaerobic process. Kinetics and yields of biogas production were evaluated in batch digestion tests with biochar concentrations ranging from 0 to 45 g L−1. The addition of biochar reduced sensibly the lag phase for methanogenesis and increased the maximum rate of biogas generation. Final yields of hydrogen and methane were not affected. Upon addition of biochar, soluble COD removal increased from 66% up to 84%, and phenolics removal increased from 50% up to 95%. Digestate phytotoxicity, as measured by seed germination tests, was reduced compared to raw wastewater. Addition of biochar further reduced phytotoxicity and, furthermore, a stimulatory effect was observed for a twenty-fold dilution. In conclusion, biochar addition enhances the anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewaters by effectively reducing methanogenesis inhibition and digestate phytotoxicity, thus improving energy and biomass recovery

Black Garlic and Pomegranate Standardized Extracts for Blood Pressure Improvement: A Non-Randomized Diet-Controlled Study.

Recently released position papers by the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the Italian Society of Hypertension (SIIA) provide therapeutic recommendations for the use of nutraceuticals in the management of high blood pressure (BP) and hypertension, opening up new perspectives in the field. This not-randomized diet-controlled clinical study aimed to evaluate if daily dietary supplementation with black garlic and pomegranate (namely SelectSIEVE® SlowBeat) could advantageously affect BP in individuals with high-normal BP or stage I hypertension. Enrolled subjects were adhering to a Mediterranean DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet for two weeks before deciding whether to continue following Mediterranean DASH diet alone or in association with SelectSIEVE® SlowBeat. At the end of the study, dietary supplementation with SelectSIEVE® SlowBeat was associated with significant improvement in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared to baseline (Pre-treatment: SBP = 134.3 4.2 and DBP = 88.2 3.4; 4-Week Follow-up: SBP = 130.1 2.8 and DBP= 83.7 2.6). SBP improved also in comparison with control. In conclusion, the study shows that dietary supplementation with extracts from black garlic and pomegranate safely exert significant improvements in BP in healthy individuals adhering to a Mediterranean DASH diet

The influence of conjugation variables on the design and immunogenicity of a glycoconjugate vaccine against Salmonella Typhi

In recent years there have been major efforts to develop glycoconjugate vaccines based on the Vi polysaccharide that will protect against Salmonella enterica Typhi infections, particularly typhoid fever, which remains a major public health concern in low-income countries. The design of glycoconjugate vaccines influences the immune responses they elicit. Here we systematically test the response in mice to Vi glycoconjugates that differ in Vi chain length (full-length and fragmented), carrier protein, conjugation chemistry, saccharide to protein ratio and size. We show that the length of Vi chains, but not the ultimate size of the conjugate, has an impact on the anti-Vi IgG immune response induced. Full-length Vi conjugates, independent of the carrier protein, induce peak IgG responses rapidly after just one immunization, and secondary immunization does not enhance the magnitude of these responses. Fragmented Vi linked to CRM197 and diphtheria toxoid, but not to tetanus toxoid, gives lower anti-Vi antibody responses after the first immunization than full-length Vi conjugates, but antibody titres are similar to those induced by full-length Vi conjugates following a second dose. The chemistry to conjugate Vi to the carrier protein, the linker used, and the saccharide to protein ratio do not significantly alter the response. We conclude that Vi length and carrier protein are the variables that influence the anti-Vi IgG response to immunization the most, while other parameters are of lesser importance

Biochar Enhances Anaerobic Digestion of Olive Mill Wastewater

The anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewater is severely hindered by the microbial toxicity of the effluent. Successful biodegradation is usually attained only by dilution and mixing with other organic wastes. In this work the addition of biochar has been investigated as an alternative to co-digestion. In batch tests, raw olive mill wastewater selectively inhibited methanogenic bacteria even at 1:10 dilution. Acidogenesis was not affected and further biodegradation was hindered by acidification and high hydrogen partial pressure. Methanogenesis resumed after 20 days and ended after 40 days from inoculation. Overall soluble COD removal was 32.9% with a methane yield of 2.35 ± 0.27 L STP/L of digestion medium. Treatment of wastewater with 15% (w/v) poplar biochar removed 71% of inhibitory polyphenolic compounds and effectively accelerated the onset of methanogenesis, with a reduced duration of 26 days. Biochar treatment of olive mill wastewater followed by anaerobic digestion led to a higher soluble COD removal (61.6%) with a slightly decreased biogas yield of 1.62 ± 0.30 L STP/L of digestion medium

Short Vi-polysaccharide abrogates T-independent immune response and hyporesponsiveness elicited by long Vi-CRM197 conjugate vaccine

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.Polysaccharide-protein conjugates have been developed to overcome the T-independent response, hyporesponsiveness to repeated vaccination, and poor immunogenicity in infants of polysaccharides. To address the impact of polysaccharide length, typhoid conjugates made with short- and long-chain fractions of Vi polysaccharide with average sizes of 9.5, 22.8, 42.7, 82.0, and 165 kDa were compared. Long-chain-conjugated Vi (165 kDa) induced a response in both wild-type and T cell-deficient mice, suggesting that it maintains a T-independent response. In marked contrast, short-chain Vi (9.5 to 42.7 kDa) conjugates induced a response in wild-type mice but not in T cell-deficient mice, suggesting that the response is dependent on T cell help. Mechanistically, this was explained in neonatal mice, in which long-chain, but not short-chain, Vi conjugate induced late apoptosis of Vi-specific B cells in spleen and early depletion of Vi-specific B cells in bone marrow, resulting in hyporesponsiveness and lack of long-term persistence of Vi-specific IgG in serum and IgG+ antibody-secreting cells in bone marrow. We conclude that while conjugation of long-chain Vi generates T-dependent antigens, the conjugates also retain T-independent properties, leading to detrimental effects on immune responses. The data reported here may explain some inconsistencies observed in clinical trials and help guide the design of effective conjugate vaccines.Peer reviewe

La cardiomiopatia cirrotica.

I pazienti affetti da cirrosi epatica possono sviluppare una cardiopatia, alla quale si \ue8 dato il nome di \u201ccardiomiopatia cirrotica\u201d. Essa consiste in una disfunzione cardiaca cronica caratterizzata da: 1) incremento della gittata cardiaca; 2) disfunzione diastolica correlata ad un alterato rilascio diastolico a riposo; 3) ridotta contrattilit\ue0 miocardica sotto stimolo; 4) anormalit\ue0 elettrofisiologiche, in assenza di malattia cardiaca organica accertata. La cardiomiopatia cirrotica \ue8, di solito, subclinica e pu\uf2 essere riconosciuta solo attraverso il riscontro di alterazioni eco- e/o elettrocardiografiche. Tuttavia, essa pu\uf2 slatentizzarsi in occasione di eventi stressanti, quali emorragie digestive, infezioni batteriche, chirurgia maggiore, applicazione di shunt porto-cavale intraepatico transgiugulare [TIPS], od a seguito della somministrazione di farmaci vasocostrittori, situazioni che possono indurre un brusco incremento del lavoro cardiaco. Anche se non frequentemente, dopo trapianto di fegato od applicazione di TIPS \ue8 stata descritta l\u2019insorgenza di insufficienza cardiaca conclamata, che rappresenta una causa di decesso in questi contesti. Infine, la presenza di cardiomiopatia cirrotica sembra avere un valore prognostico ai fini della sopravvivenza, che se questo aspetto non \ue8 stato ancora compiutamente definito

Is the First Cut Always the Deepest?

A wonderful song by the great British singer Cat Stevens suggests that when you face the problems of life and love “the first cut is the deepest,” but this is probably not always the same, particularly in cardiovascular medicine. Arterial hypertension is probably the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Its prevalence is still progressively increasing particularly in the low-income countries where almost two-third of the hypertensive population is currently living