Similarities and differences between myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and multiple inflammatory syndrome with cardiac involvement in children.

Despite the multiple benefits of vaccination, cardiac adverse Events Following COVID-19 Immunization (c-AEFI) have been reported. These events as well as the severe cardiac involvement reported in Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) appear more frequent in young adult males. Herein, we firstly report on the inflammatory profiles of patients experiencing c-AEFI in comparison with age, pubertal age and gender matched MIS-C with cardiac involvement.

What Can Bilingual Children Tell Us About the Developmental Relationship Between Vocabulary and Grammar?

Strong correlations between vocabulary and grammar are well attested in language development in monolingual and bilingual children. What is less clear is whether there is any directionality in the relationship between the two constructs, whether it is predictive over time, and the extent to which it is affected by language input. In the present study, we analyzed data from 100 bilingual children with English as an additional language who were tested on measures of vocabulary breadth and depth, morphology, and syntax at three time points at 6-month intervals from the age of 5 and 8.

Circulating calprotectin as a supporting inflammatory marker in discriminating SARS-CoV-2 infection: an observational study.

Objective And Design: Fecal calprotectin (CLP) is widely known for its detection in stools of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), to investigate the intestinal inflammatory status. Current research is promoting the circulating protein role as a systemic inflammatory marker. However, most studies report serum calprotectin analysis although plasma assay prevents its massive release by granulocytes.

Surfactant Interactions with Protein-Coated Surfaces: Comparison between Colloidal and Macroscopically Flat Surfaces.

Surface interactions with polymers or proteins are extensively studied in a range of industrial and biomedical applications to control surface modification, cleaning, or biofilm formation. In this study we compare surfactant interactions with protein-coated silica surfaces differing in the degree of curvature (macroscopically flat and colloidal nanometric spheres). The interaction with a flat surface was probed by means of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) while dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to study the interaction with colloidal SiO (radius 15 nm).

Extracorporeal versus intracorporeal anastomosis in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for cancer.

Introduction: This study aimed at assessing the long-term oncological outcomes of intracorporeal ileocolic anastomosis (ICA) for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for colon cancer compared with extracorporeal anastomosis (ECA).

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 149 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for colon cancer between January 2006 and December 2012.

Results: Eighty and 69 patients underwent intracorporeal and ECA, respectively.

Below-elbow or above-elbow cast for conservative treatment of extra-articular distal radius fractures with dorsal displacement: a prospective randomized trial.

Background: Distal radial fractures are common traumatic injuries, but their management remains controversial also in case of conservative treatment regarding the type of immobilisation. Hence, we conducted a two-arm, parallel-group, prospective randomised trial to compare the capacity of long casts (above-elbow) and short casts (below-elbow) to maintain the reduction of extra-articular distal radius fractures with dorsal displacement (AO/OTA classification: 2R3A2.2).

Fatty acidomics: Evaluation of the effects of thermal treatments on commercial mussels through an extended characterization of their free fatty acids by liquid chromatography - Fourier transform mass spectrometry.

An unprecedented characterization of free fatty acids (FFA) in the lipid extracts of fresh or thermally treated mussels of sp. Mytilus galloprovincialis, including up to 128 saturated, mono- or poly-unsaturated and 63 oxidized (i.e.

Listening while reading promotes word learning from stories.

Reading and listening to stories fosters vocabulary development. Studies of single word learning suggest that new words are more likely to be learned when both their oral and written forms are provided, compared with when only one form is given. This study explored children's learning of phonological, orthographic, and semantic information about words encountered in a story context.

Lamin A/C Is Required for ChAT-Dependent Neuroblastoma Differentiation.

The mouse neuroblastoma N18TG2 clone is unable to differentiate and is defective for the enzymes of the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters. The forced expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in these cells results in the synthesis and release of acetylcholine (Ach) and hence in the expression of neurospecific features and markers. To understand how the expression of ChAT triggered neuronal differentiation, we studied the differences in genome-wide transcription profiles between the N18TG2 parental cells and its ChAT-expressing 2/4 derived clone.

Genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and GSTA1 as risk factors for schizophrenia.

Oxidative damage is thought to play a role in the predisposition to schizophrenia. We determined if the polymorphisms of the GSTP1, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTA1 genes, which affect the activity of these enzymes against oxidative stress, have a role as susceptibility genes for schizophrenia, analyzing 138 schizophrenic patients and 133 healthy controls. We found that the combination of the absence of GSTM1 gene with the of the GSTM1 gene with the polymorphism GSTA1*B/*B, and the presence of the GSTT1 gene, represents a risk factor for schizophrenia, indicating that the combination of different GST polymorphisms has a role in the predisposition to schizophrenia, probably affecting the capacity of the cell to detoxify the oxidized metabolites of catecholamines.

Satraplatin (JM-216) mediates G2/M cell cycle arrest and potentiates apoptosis via multiple death pathways in colorectal cancer cells thus overcoming platinum chemo-resistance.

Purposes: Satraplatin acts as a potent inhibitor of proliferation in castration-resistant prostate cancer, yet the basic and molecular pharmacological mechanisms are still unknown in all types of cancer including colorectal cancer (CRC). In an effort to explain the mechanism of tumour sensitivity to satraplatin, the cytotoxic effects in a panel of CRC cell lines was examined with regard to their p53 genotype in comparison with oxaliplatin.

Methods: CRC cell lines were chosen to ascertain the mechanism of satraplatin-enhanced cytotoxicity.

Non-classical anticancer agents: synthesis and biological evaluation of zinc(II) heteroleptic complexes.

New heteroleptic complexes (1-8) containing Zn(II) ion coordinated to an N,N-chelating ligand (the 4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine, bpy-9) and to diketonates L such as tropoloids (Tropolone and Hinokitiol) or 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-R-5-pyrazolones have been synthesized by using different stoichiometric ratio with respect to the L ancillary ligand. The molecular structure of the bis-tropolonate derivative [(bpy-9)Zn(L)(2)] 5 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The antitumour activity of all Zn(II) complexes was tested in vitro against three different human prostate cancer cells: DU145, LNCaP and PC-3.

Synthesis, oxidant properties, and antitumoral effects of a heteroleptic palladium(II) complex of curcumin on human prostate cancer cells.

A new ionic Pd(II) complex, [(bipy)Pd(Pcurc)][CF(3)SO(3)], 1, with the metal center coordinated to two different chelating ligands, the pure curcumin (Pcurc) and the 4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), has been synthesized, fully characterized, and its antitumoral mechanism and oxidant property have been investigated. The Pd(II) complex induces both cell growth inhibition and apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells, (LnCaP, PC3, and DU145) through the production of ROS and JNK phosphorylation associated with GSTp1 down-regulation. ROS production induced by complex 1 treatment activated apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane depolarization in all prostate cancer cells, with up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 proteins.

Bioactive fragments synergically involved in the design of new generation Pt(ii) and Pd(ii)-based anticancer compounds.

New Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) complexes with the metal center coordinated to two different chelating ligands, tropolone (trop) and dihexadecyl-2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylate bipyridine (bipy), [(bipy)M(trop)][CF(3)SO(3)], have been synthesized and their biological evaluation has been performed demonstrating a remarkable cytotoxic activity in vitro against the human prostate DU145 and hormone-sensitive LNCaP cells lines. Moreover, for the Pt(ii) derivative, the molecular structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and computational analysis on the hydrolysis reaction mechanisms have been performed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, in order to correlate molecular structure, biological activity and mechanism of action of this new class of complexes based on two different bioactive fragments.

Impact of storage conditions on genetic analysis or viral load determination in clinical specimens.

Background: Storage and shipment conditions of clinical specimens affect the quality of nucleic acids and may interfere with molecular analysis. The aim of our study was to verify whether blood storage at room temperature affects single nucleotide polymorphisms analysis; moreover, we analysed the consequences of serum storage at 4°C on viral load determination of hepatitis B and C viruses.

Methods: For single nucleotide polymorphism screening, genomic DNA was extracted from EDTA whole blood samples stored at room temperature for different times, quantified photometrically, and Factor V Leiden point mutation analysis was performed.

Effects of dutasteride on the expression of genes related to androgen metabolism and related pathway in human prostate cancer cell lines.

Androgens play an important role in controlling the growth of the normal prostate gland and in the pathogenesis of benign prostate hyperplasia, and prostate cancer. Although testosterone is the main androgen secreted from the testes, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent androgen converted from testosterone by 5alpha-reductase isozymes, type I and II, is the major androgen in the prostate cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the cellular and molecular effects of dutasteride, a potent inhibitor of 5alpha-reductase type I and type II, in androgen-responsive (LNCaP) and androgen-unresponsive (DU145) human prostate cancer(PCa) cell lines.

Curcumin and cyclopalladated complexes: a recipe for bifunctional biomaterials.

The first examples of binuclear and mononuclear ortho-palladated complexes based on a functionalized 2-phenylquinoline ligand have been synthesized and fully characterized. Conjugating cyclopalladated fragments to curcumin family biologically active beta-diketones gives in one single molecule two different functionalities. The structural variations based on the curcuminoid structure have been tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity.

Valproic acid induces neuroendocrine differentiation and UGT2B7 up-regulation in human prostate carcinoma cell line.

Prostate cancer originates as an androgen-dependent hyperproliferation of the epithelial cells of the gland and it evolves in an androgen-independent, highly aggressive cancer for which no successful therapy is available to date. Neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation plays an important role in the progression of prostate cancer to an androgen-independent state with profound impact on prostate cancer (CaP) therapies. Actually, new approaches on treating advanced prostate cancer are focused on modulators of epigenetic transcriptional regulation.

Valproic acid induces apoptosis, p16INK4A upregulation and sensitization to chemotherapy in human melanoma cells.

It is known that melanoma develops as a consequence of multifactorial alterations. To date several studies indicate the effective implication of p16 as a tumor suppressor gene with a major role in either the development or progression of human melanoma. Deregulation of melanoma cell growth has been widely associated with mutations in the p16-cyclin D/cdk4-pRb pathway.