Fluorinated nanomaterials as powerful bioimaging tools in medicine

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Price vs quantity in a duopoly supergame with nash punishments

We examine the endogenous choice between price and quantity behaviour in a duopoly supergame with product differentiation. We find that (i) if cartel profits are evenly split between firms, then only symmetric equilibria obtains; (i) if instead the additional profits available through collusion are split according to the Nash bargaining solution, there are parameter regions where all subgame perfect equilibria are asymmetric, with firms colluding in price-quantity supergames

Multiplicity results for generalized quasilinear critical Schr\"odinger equations in R^N

Multiplicity results are proved for solutions both with positive and negative energy, as well as nonexistence results, of a generalized quasilinear Schr\"odinger potential free equation in the entire R^N involving a nonlinearity which combines a power-type term at a critical level with a subcritical term, both with weights. The equation has been derived from models of several physical phenomena such as superfluid film in plasma physics as well as the self-channelling of a high-power ultra-short laser in matter. Proof techniques, also in the symmetric setting, are based on variational tools, including concentration compactness principles, to overcome lack of compactness, and the use of a change of variable in order to deal with a well defined functional

Differentiating Oneiric Stupor in Agrypnia Excitata From Dreaming Disorders

Oneiric Stupor (OS) in Agrypnia Excitata represents a peculiar condition characterized by the recurrence of stereotyped gestures such as mimicking daily-life activities associated with the reporting of a dream mentation consisting in a single oneiric scene. It arises in the context of a completely disorganized sleep structure lacking any physiological cyclic organization, thus, going beyond the concept of abnormal dream. However, a proper differential diagnosis of OS, in the complex world of the “disorders of dreaming” can become quite challenging. The aim of this review is to provide useful clinical and videopolygraphic data on OS to differentiate it from other dreaming disorders. Each entity will be clinically evaluated among the areas of dream mentation and abnormal sleep behaviors and its polygraphic features will be analyzed and distinguished from OS

Role of glutathionylation in infection and inflammation

Glutathionylation, that is, the formation of mixed disulfides between protein cysteines and glutathione (GSH) cysteines, is a reversible post-translational modification catalyzed by dierent cellular oxidoreductases, by which the redox state of the cell modulates protein function. So far, most studies on the identification of glutathionylated proteins have focused on cellular proteins, including proteins involved in host response to infection, but there is a growing number of reports showing that microbial proteins also undergo glutathionylation, with modification of their characteristics and functions. In the present review, we highlight the signaling role of GSH through glutathionylation, particularly focusing on microbial (viral and bacterial) glutathionylated proteins (GSSPs) and host GSSPs involved in the immune/inflammatory response to infection; moreover, we discuss the biological role of the process in microbial infections and related host responses

On the asymptotic derivation of Winkler-type energies from 3D elasticity

We show how bilateral, linear, elastic foundations (i.e. Winkler foundations) often regarded as heuristic, phenomenological models, emerge asymptotically from standard, linear, three-dimensional elasticity. We study the parametric asymptotics of a non-homogeneous linearly elastic bi-layer attached to a rigid substrate as its thickness vanishes, for varying thickness and stiffness ratios. By using rigorous arguments based on energy estimates, we provide a first rational and constructive justification of reduced foundation models. We establish the variational weak convergence of the three-dimensional elasticity problem to a two-dimensional one, of either a "membrane over in-plane elastic foundation", or a "plate over transverse elastic foundation". These two regimes are function of the only two parameters of the system, and a phase diagram synthesizes their domains of validity. Moreover, we derive explicit formulae relating the effective coefficients of the elastic foundation to the elastic and geometric parameters of the original three-dimensional system.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure

Chromogranin A: From Laboratory to Clinical Aspects of Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors

Background. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are characterized by having behavior and prognosis that depend upon tumor histology, primary site, staging, and proliferative index. The symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome and vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors are treated with octreotide acetate. The PROMID trial assesses the effect of octreotide LAR on the tumor growth in patients with well-differentiated metastatic midgut NETs. The CLARINET trial evaluates the effects of lanreotide in patients with nonfunctional, well-, or moderately differentiated metastatic enteropancreatic NETs. Everolimus has been approved for the treatment of advanced pancreatic NETs (pNETs) based on positive PFS effects, obtained in the treated group. Sunitinib is approved for the treatment of patients with progressive gastrointestinal stromal tumor or intolerance to imatinib, because a randomized study demonstrated that it improves PFS and overall survival in patients with advanced well-differentiated pNETs. In a phase II trial, pasireotide shows efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of patients with advanced NETs, whose symptoms of carcinoid syndrome were resistant to octreotide LAR. An open-label, phase II trial assesses the clinical activity of long-acting repeatable pasireotide in treatment-naive patients with metastatic grade 1 or 2 NETs. Even if the growth of the neoplasm was significantly inhibited, it is still unclear whether its antiproliferative action is greater than that of octreotide and lanreotide. Because new therapeutic options are needed to counter the natural behavior of neuroendocrine tumors, it would also be useful to have a biochemical marker that can be addressed better in the management of these patients. Chromogranin A is currently the most useful biomarker to establish diagnosis and has some utility in predicting disease recurrence, outcome, and efficacy of therapy

Zoonoses and information of the public: the role of media, with special reference to Italy

The significance of zoonoses varies depending on many socio\u2010economic factors and on the specific situation that prevails in a specific area. The role of the media often determines the importance given to a disease. In resource\u2010rich countries, a zoonosis may be perceived as being important due to inaccurate information that has been circulated by mass media on the risk of infection for animals and humans and on the possible use of the agent for terrorist actions. Images of sick or dead people and animals, drastic methods of control and others, can contribute to an overestimation of the significance of a disease. Information can be lacking or absent in regard to socio\u2010economic factors that clarify occurrence and also on geographic distribution. Therefore, the sensitivity of people can be influenced rapidly and negative socio\u2010economic consequences can occur. These zoonoses can be named \u2018mediaoriented (emphasised) zoonoses\u2019. On the contrary, some zoonoses are scarcely considered for several reasons, for instance: occurrence in poverty\u2010stricken areas and populations, risks of infection for people not considered important enough to deserve medical care, little interest from the media, decision\u2010makers and health services, lack of information and official reports. These zoonoses can be named \u2018neglected zoonoses\u2019. Some examples of zoonoses included in the above categories are described