Efficacy and Safety of Oral Supplementation with Liposomal Iron in Non-Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Iron Deficiency.

Introduction: Iron deficiency is common in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD). Oral iron supplementation is recommended in these patients, but it is associated with a higher incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Liposomal iron therapy has been proposed as a new iron formulation, improving iron bioavailability with less side effects; however, few data are available in patients with NDD-CKD.

Novel Cerebello-Amygdala Connections Provide Missing Link Between Cerebellum and Limbic System.

The cerebellum is emerging as a powerful regulator of cognitive and affective processing and memory in both humans and animals and has been implicated in affective disorders. How the cerebellum supports affective function remains poorly understood. The short-latency (just a few milliseconds) functional connections that were identified between the cerebellum and amygdala-a structure crucial for the processing of emotion and valence-more than four decades ago raise the exciting, yet untested, possibility that a cerebellum-amygdala pathway communicates information important for emotion.

Autoimmune encephalitis and CSF anti-AMPA GluR3 antibodies in childhood: a case report and literature review.

Acute autoimmune encephalitis is a severe neurological disorder presenting with altered level of consciousness, confusion, irritability, headache, vomiting, and in some cases seizures. An infective event precedes by 1-2 weeks the onset of the symptoms. Cognitive impairment is considered the cardinal symptom.

High-Frequency Stimulation of Ventral CA1 Neurons Reduces Amygdala Activity and Inhibits Fear.

The hippocampus can be divided into distinct segments that make unique contributions to learning and memory. The dorsal segment supports cognitive processes like spatial learning and navigation while the ventral hippocampus regulates emotional behaviors related to fear, anxiety and reward. In the current study, we determined how pyramidal cells in ventral CA1 respond to spatial cues and aversive stimulation during a context fear conditioning task.

History of use and abuse of X-ray: the early 20th century Italian pediatrics school.

In our paper we report a brief history of the X-rays discovery and discuss the implications of their use and abuse in the Italian pedriatic schools of the early 20th century. Indeed, history of the X-ray treatment in the Italian Pediatric School has not yet been well studied. Even if the scientific experience of many physicians is well known in literature, a summary was missing.

Grisel syndrome, sigmoid sinus thrombosis and rheumatic carditis: Case report of a rare association.

Grisel's syndrome (GS) is a non traumatic atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation of C1-C2 joint. A six year old girl, 20 days after an episode of fever, developed a torticollis and a 3/6 heart murmur. The echocardiography showed a Rheumatic Carditis.

Pott Disease in a 14-year-old Girl Affected by Congenital Lamellar Ichthyosis Type 3 and Diabetes Mellitus.

Extrapulmonary manifestations of tuberculosis (TB) are particularly frequent during childhood, and usually involve the lymph nodes and the skull. They are related to predisposing immunosuppression conditions. A patient affected by diabetes mellitus type 1 (DMT1) and congenital lamellar ichthyosis type 3 came at our attention with a 4-year history of recurrent parotitis and severe back pain and inferior limb hypomobility, which had lasted for 6 months.

Low vitamin D levels are associated with the presence of serum cryoglobulins in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Background/aim: Mixed Cryoglobulinemia (MC) represents the most frequent extrahepatic manifestation of chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. Its pathogenic mechanisms involve HCV-induced chronic stimulation of B-lymphocytes. We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D (a regulator of immune response) and the presence of serum cryoglobulins in the setting of HCV infection.

The association in a two-way contingency table through log odds ratio analysis: the case of Sarno river pollution.

In this paper we are proposing a general framework for the analysis of the complete set of log Odds Ratios (ORs) generated by a two-way contingency table. Starting from the RC (M) association model and hypothesizing a Poisson distribution for the counts of the two-way contingency table we are obtaining the weighted Log Ratio Analysis that we are extending to the study of log ORs. Particularly we are obtaining an indirect representation of the log ORs and some synthesis measures.

[Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: current status and future perspectives].

In recent years, infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) was the subject of numerous studies, one side being the most frequent congenital infection in newborns and one that determines the increased incidence of sequelae distance (about one third of childhood deafness is due to CMV), and the other one of the most frequent and serious opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Of newborns with congenital infection, approximately 10% are symptomatic at birth. Of the remaining 90%, asymptomatic at birth, 10-15% will develop sequelae from a distance.

Incivility, retention and new graduate nurses: an integrated review of the literature.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of incivility on the new graduate nurse transition experience.

Background: Incivility in the work environment is a major source of dissatisfaction and new graduate nurses are especially vulnerable. Incivility contributes to the high levels of turnover associated within the first 2 years of new graduate nurse employment.

Cytogenetic and developmental toxicity of cerium and lanthanum to sea urchin embryos.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of two rare earth elements (REE), cerium and lanthanum on sea urchin embryos and sperm. Sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) embryos were reared for 72 h in Ce(IV)- or La(III)-contaminated seawater at concentrations ranging from 10(-8) to 10(-5) M. Cleaving embryos (5h post-fertilization) were submitted to cytogenetic analysis, scoring mitotic activity and a set of mitotic aberrations.

Group B streptococcal type II and III conjugate vaccines: physicochemical properties that influence immunogenicity.

Recent efforts toward developing vaccines against group B streptococci (GBS) have focused on increasing the immunogenicity of GBS polysaccharides by conjugation to carrier proteins. However, partial depolymerization of GBS polysaccharides for the production of vaccines is a difficult task because of their acid-labile, antigenically critical sialic acids. Here we report a method for the partial depolymerization of type II and III polysaccharides by mild deaminative cleavage to antigenic fragments with reducing-terminal 2,5-anhydro-d-mannose residues.

Predictive factors for successful laparoscopic splenectomy in immune thrombocytopenic purpura: study of clinical and laboratory data.

Background: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) offers better short-term results than open surgery for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), but long-term follow-up is required to ensure its efficacy. The remission rate after splenectomy ranges from 49 to 86% and the factors that predict a successful response to surgical management have not been clearly defined. The goal of this study was to determine the preoperative factors that predict a successful outcome following LS.

A randomized trial of antithrombin concentrate for treatment of heparin resistance.

Background: Heparin resistance is an important clinical problem traditionally treated with additional heparin or fresh frozen plasma. We undertook a randomized clinical trial to determine if treatment with antithrombin (AT) concentrate is effective for treating this condition.

Methods: Patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass who were considered to be heparin resistant (activated clotting time < 480 seconds after > 450 IU/kg heparin) were randomized to receive either 1000 U AT or additional heparin.

Multivalent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide conjugate vaccines employing genetically detoxified pneumolysin as a carrier protein.

A genetically detoxified pneumolysin, pneumolysoid (PLD), was investigated as a carrier protein for pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Such a CPS-PLD conjugate might provide additional protection against pneumococcal infections and resultant tissue damage. A single point mutant of pneumolysin was selected, which lacked measurable haemolytic activity, but exhibited the overall structural and immunological properties of the wild type.

Structural properties of group B streptococcal type III polysaccharide conjugate vaccines that influence immunogenicity and efficacy.

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines are influenced by three variables: (i) molecular size of the conjugate, (ii) molecular size of the polysaccharide used for conjugation, and (iii) extent of polysaccharide-to-protein cross-linking. Type III group B Streptococcus capsular polysaccharide was linked by reductive amination at multiple sites to tetanus toxoid to create a polysaccharide-protein conjugate (III-TT). A single lot of III-TT was fractionated into small, medium, and large Mr pools.

Direct and indirect methods for molar-mass analysis of fragments of the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Two methods are described for direct molar-mass measurement of low-molar-mass fragments obtained by oxidative cleavage of the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b. Absolute molar masses were determined by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with detection by multiangle laser-light-scattering photometry (MALLS) and differential refractometry (RI). The end-group structure of the polysaccharide fragments allowed the direct measurement of average chain length by quantitative 1H NMR, from which molar masses were derived.

An improved procedure for the analysis of linkage positions in 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosyl residues by the reductive-cleavage method.

The conditions of the reductive-cleavage method were modified to allow simultaneous analysis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosyl residues and monosaccharides of other classes. Methyl 2-deoxy-3,4,6-tri-O-methyl-2-(N-methylacetamido)-beta-D-glucopyran oside was found to undergo transglycosidation under reductive-cleavage conditions when the reaction was quenched with an alcohol. Transglycosidation proceeded via an oxazolinium-ion intermediate, which then acted as a glycosyl donor to form an anomerically pure product.

Analysis by the reductive-cleavage method of a polysaccharide containing 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D- and -L-galactopyranosyl residues.

Modifications of the reductive-cleavage method for the analysis of 2-acetamido sugars were tested using a polysaccharide containing alpha-linked 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-galactopyranosyl (Fuc pNAc) residues, beta-linked D-Fuc pNAc residues and 2-linked D-glucopyranosyl residues. Reductive cleavage of the fully methylated O-antigenic polysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 33358 in the presence of triethylsilane and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate, followed by quenching with methanol and subsequent acetylation, unexpectedly resulted in nearly complete cleavage of all glycosidic linkages to yield 2-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-methyl-D-glucitol (1a) and methyl 3-O-acetyl-2,6-dideoxy-4-O-methyl-2-(N-methylacetamido)-beta-D- and -L- galactopyranosides (3a and 4a) as the major products. When the reductive-cleavage reaction was quenched with (S)-2-butanol, the major FucNAc derivatives were the diastereomeric (S)-2-butyl glycosides 15a and 17a, confirming the presence of enantiomeric FucNAc residues in the repeating unit of the polysaccharide.

Synthesis and mass spectra of 4-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,3,6-tri-O-ethyl-D-glucitol and the positional isomers of 4-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-di-O-ethyl-O- methyl-D-glucitol and 4-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-O-ethyl-di-O-methyl-D-glucitol.

Reductive cleavage of fully methylated, partially O-ethylated cellulose or fully ethylated, partially O-methylated cellulose and subsequent acetylation had previously been shown to produce 4-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-, -6- O-ethyl-2,3-di-O-methyl-, -3-O-ethyl-2,6-di-O-methyl-, -2-O-ethyl-3,6-di-O- methyl-, -2,3-di-O-ethyl-6-O-methyl-, -2,6-di-O-ethyl-3-O-methyl-, -3,6-di-O- ethyl-2-O-methyl-, and -2,3,6-tri-O-ethyl-D-glucitol. Described herein is the independent synthesis of these derivatives, except for the first (which had been reported); and their 1H-n.m.