1,368 research outputs found
Anthracycline-induced acute cardiotoxicity in adults treated for leukaemia: Analysis of the clinico-pathological aspects of documented acute anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in patients treated for acute leukaemia at the University Hospital of ZĂĽrich, Switzerland, bet ween 1990 and 1996
Background: Acute cardiotoxicity due to anthracyclines is a rare, but life-threatening event. Interindividual sensitivity to anthracyclines is highly variable and cannot be predicted for the individual patient. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study. Medical charts and autopsy report of patients treated for acute leuke mia between 1990 and 1996 at the University Hospital of ZĂĽrich, Switzerland were reviewed and searched for anthracycline-associated acute cardiotoxicity. Patients with pre-existing heart disease known to be associated with cardiotoxicity were excluded. Results: Seven patients treated for leukemia with proven anthracycline-associated acute cardiotoxicity were included. In six patients the direct cause of death was acute cardiotoxicity due to the treatment. One patient recovered from cardiac failure but died a few months later from refractory leukemia. Clinical symptoms were those of a heart failure. Pathological findings were dilatative cardiac hypertrophy and pericardial effusion. Microscopically the typical findings of myocardial fibrosis and perinuclear vacuolisated myocytes were seen. Conclusions: The awareness of acute adverse effects on cardiac performance by anthracyclines faciliates early recognition and prevention of heart failure. Reliable tests are needed for the early diagnosis of subclinical myocardial damage in order to identify patients at ris
Rapid and efficient stable gene transfer to mesenchymal stromal cells using a modified foamy virus vector
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Stable ex vivo gene transfer to MSCs could improve the outcome and scope of MSC therapy, but current vectors require multiple rounds of transduction, involve genotoxic viral promoters and/or the addition of cytotoxic cationic polymers in order to achieve efficient transduction. We describe a self-inactivating foamy virus vector (FVV), incorporating the simian macaque foamy virus envelope and using physiological promoters, which efficiently transduces murine MSCs (mMSCs) in a single-round. High and sustained expression of the transgene, whether GFP or the lysosomal enzyme, arylsulphatase A (ARSA), was achieved. Defining MSC characteristics (surface marker expression and differentiation potential), as well as long-term engraftment and distribution in the murine brain following intracerebroventricular delivery, are unaffected by FVV transduction. Similarly, greater than 95% of human MSCs (hMSCs) were stably transduced using the same vector, facilitating human application. This work describes the best stable gene transfer vector available for mMSCs and hMSCs
Central Acceptance Testing for Camera Technologies for CTA
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is an international initiative to build
the next generation ground based very-high energy gamma-ray observatory. It
will consist of telescopes of three different sizes, employing several
different technologies for the cameras that detect the Cherenkov light from the
observed air showers. In order to ensure the compliance of each camera
technology with CTA requirements, CTA will perform central acceptance testing
of each camera technology. To assist with this, the Camera Test Facilities
(CTF) work package is developing a detailed test program covering the most
important performance, stability, and durability requirements, including
setting up the necessary equipment. Performance testing will include a wide
range of tests like signal amplitude, time resolution, dead-time determination,
trigger efficiency, performance testing under temperature and humidity
variations and several others. These tests can be performed on fully-integrated
cameras using a portable setup at the camera construction sites. In addition,
two different setups for performance tests on camera sub-units are being built,
which can provide early feedback for camera development. Stability and
durability tests will include the long-term functionality of movable parts,
water tightness of the camera housing, temperature and humidity cycling,
resistance to vibrations during transport or due to possible earthquakes,
UV-resistance of materials and several others. Some durability tests will need
to be contracted out because they will need dedicated equipment not currently
available within CTA. The planned test procedures and the current status of the
test facilities will be presented.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. In Proceedings of the 34th International Cosmic
Ray Conference (ICRC2015), The Hague, The Netherlands. All CTA contributions
at arXiv:1508.0589
Simulation of the December 2017 Flood on the Enza River using a 2D SWE code Coupled with a Levee Breach Erosion Model
The levee breach that occurred on the Enza River (Italy) on December 12th 2017 and the resulting flood are simulated with a GPU-accelerated 2D SWE code, where a simple erosion model was implemented to describe the breach evolution in detail
Salinity and Bacterial Diversity: To What Extent Does the Concentration of Salt Affect the Bacterial Community in a Saline Soil?
In this study, the evaluation of soil characteristics was coupled with a pyrosequencing analysis of the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region in order to investigate the bacterial community structure and diversity in the A horizon of a natural saline soil located in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to assess the organisation and diversity of microbial taxa using a spatial scale that revealed physical and chemical heterogeneity of the habitat under investigation. The results provided information on the type of distribution of different bacterial groups as a function of spatial gradients of soil salinity and pH. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA showed differences in bacterial composition and diversity due to a variable salt oncentration in the soil. The bacterial community showed a statistically significant spatial variability. Some bacterial phyla appeared spread in the whole area, whatever the salinity gradient. It emerged therefore that a patchy saline soil can not contain just a single microbial community selected to withstand extreme osmotic phenomena, but many communities that can be variously correlated to one or more environmental parameters. Sequences have been deposited to the SRA database and can be accessed on ID Project PRJNA241061
Distribution patterns of fungi and bacteria in saline soils
Saline soils are environments characterized by uneven temporal and spatial water distribution
and localized high concentrations of salts. Spatial distribution patterns of fungi and bacteria in
saline soils, and the link between microbial community dynamics and salts accumulation are
critical issues throughout the world (Ettema, Wardle 2002).
This study was focused on spatial distribution patterns of soil fungi and bacteria in a saline soil
located in Piana del Signore (Gela, Italy) where some ecological variables acted as shaping
factors in aboveground and belowground communities distribution. Bacterial, archaeal, and
fungal communities diversity and distribution in ten soil sites (A horizons, 0-10cm), were
characterized by 16S rDNA genes with T-RFLP method. Pyrosequencing-based analysis of the
V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region was performed to characterize the sites on the basis of bacterial
groups distribution, diversity and assemblage. To better investigate the ecological niches of
some of the main culturable species of this environment, it was carried out the isolation and
identification of the fungal flora from soil, using Warcup plating within two different salt
concentrations (NaCl 5% and 15%), combined with a metabolic screening of some
representative isolates (Di Lonardo et al., 2013).
A natural gradient of soil salinity shaped the distribution of microbial species in the environment.
The different concentration of salt (NaCl), and calcium sulfate (Ca2SO4) in soil influenced the
structure and distribution of the microbial communities even when comparing neighboring areas
within a 50 m scale.
Some bacterial phyla, together with some fungal species, appeared spread in the whole area,
independently of the salinity gradient, thus highlighting the presence of organisms with a very
different survival strategy in such an extreme environment.
In conclusion, the organization and diversity of microbial taxa at a spatial scale reflected the
scales of heterogeneity of physical and chemical properties of the habitat under investigation
Small bowel transplantation for diffuse intestinal angiomatosis
Intestinal angiomatosis is a very rare phenomenon producing lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Its most frequent causes are diverticula, congenital arteriovenous malformation, acquired angiodysplasia, ischemia, inflammation, ulceration, benign or malignant tumours and iatrogenic injury.
In this paper, the case of a 48-year-old white man is reported
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