Tumor-derived G-CSF induces an immunosuppressive microenvironment in an osteosarcoma model, reducing response to CAR.GD2 T-cells.

Sarcomas are rare, mesenchymal tumors, representing about 10-15% of all childhood cancers. GD2 is a suitable target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy due to its overexpression in several solid tumors. In this preclinical study, we investigated the potential use of iCasp9.

Winter thermohaline evolution along and below the Ross Ice Shelf.

The Ross Ice Shelf floats above the southern sector of the Ross Sea and creates a cavity where critical ocean-ice interactions take place. Crucial processes occurring in this cavity include the formation of Ice Shelf Water, the coldest ocean water, and the intrusion of Antarctic Surface Water, the main driver of frontal and basal melting. During the winter, a polynya forms along the Ross Ice Shelf edge, producing a precursor to Antarctic Bottom Water known as High Salinity Shelf Water.

N-acetylaspartate mitigates pro-inflammatory responses in microglial cells by intersecting lipid metabolism and acetylation processes.

Background: Microglia play a crucial role in brain development and repair by facilitating processes such as synaptic pruning and debris clearance. They can be activated in response to various stimuli, leading to either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses associated with specific metabolic alterations. The imbalances between microglia activation states contribute to chronic neuroinflammation, a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases.

Mesophotic zone as buffer for biodiversity protection: A promising opportunity to enhance MPA effectiveness.

Coastal areas conservation strategies often left deeper habitats, such as mesophotic ones, unprotected and exposed to anthropogenic activities. In this context, an approach for including the mesophotic zone inside protection plans is proposed, considering 27 Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a model. MPAs were classified considering their bathymetries, exposure to marine heat waves (MHWs), mass mortality events (MMEs) and, using a local ecological knowledge (LEK) approach, the estimated resilience of certain sessile species after MMEs.

Clinical, histologic, and immunologic signatures of Small Fiber Neuropathy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background And Objectives: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) often causes damage to small nerve fibers, leading to distressing painful and autonomic symptoms. Despite this, Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN) remains an underrecognized complication for SLE patients. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess SFN in patients with SLE and to explore its correlations with immunologic disease features and clinical manifestations.

Small fibre neuropathy frequently underlies the painful long-COVID syndrome.

Approximately 10% to 20% of individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection may develop long-COVID syndrome, characterized by various physical and mental health issues, including pain. Previous studies suggested an association between small fibre neuropathy and pain in long-COVID cases. In this case-control study, our aim was to identify small fibre neuropathy in patients experiencing painful long-COVID syndrome.

Serum neurofilament light chain levels correlate with small fiber related parameters in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN).

Background: Recent evidence suggests that both serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels and small fiber related diagnostic variables may be valuable disease biomarkers of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN). Our study aimed to explore the relations between sNfL and small fiber related skin biopsy and quantitative sensory testing (QST) parameters in a cohort of ATTRv-PN patients and pre-symptomatic carriers.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 13 ATTRv patients and 21 pre-symptomatic carriers who underwent sNfL dosage, skin biopsy, and QST, and analyzed correlations between sNFL, intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD), and cold (CDT) and warm detection thresholds (WDT).

Life strategy of Antarctic silverfish promote large carbon export in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea.

Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum is the most abundant pelagic fish in the High Antarctic shelf waters of the Southern Ocean, where it plays a pivotal role in the trophic web as the major link between lower and higher trophic levels. Despite the ecological importance of this species, knowledge about its role in the biogeochemical cycle is poor. We determine the seasonal contribution of Antarctic silverfish to carbon flux in terms of faeces and eggs, from samples collected in the Ross Sea.

Diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with CEUS.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare, heterogeneous, highly lethal tumor of the biliary tract. Due to the lack of effective treatments, an early identification of ICC is essential to achieve the best outcome in terms of therapy and prognosis aiming for a curative intent. ICC may arise on a normal liver or with an underlying liver disease, making the diagnosis more difficult and complex.

Nerve ultrasound in Friedreich's Ataxia: enlarged nerves as a biomarker of disease severity.

Objective: In Friedreich's ataxia research, the focus is on discovering treatments and biomarkers to assess disease severity and treatment effects. Our study examines high-resolution nerve ultrasound in these patients, seeking correlations with established clinical markers of disease severity.

Method: Ten patients with Friedreich's Ataxia underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment with established scales (SARA, FARS, mFARS, INCAT, ADL 0-36, IADL).

Comparing accuracy of tomosynthesis plus digital mammography or synthetic 2D mammography in breast cancer screening: baseline results of the MAITA RCT consortium.

Aim: The analyses here reported aim to compare the screening performance of digital tomosynthesis (DBT) versus mammography (DM).

Methods: MAITA is a consortium of four Italian trials, REtomo, Proteus, Impeto, and MAITA trial. The trials adopted a two-arm randomised design comparing DBT plus DM (REtomo and Proteus) or synthetic-2D (Impeto and MAITA trial) versus DM; multiple vendors were included.

Pain associated with COVID-19 vaccination is unrelated to skin biopsy abnormalities.

Introduction: Previous clinical observations raised the possibility that COVID-19 vaccination might trigger a small-fibre neuropathy.

Objectives: In this uncontrolled observational study, we aimed to identify small fibre damage in patients complaining of generalized sensory symptoms and pain after COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: We collected clinical data, including a questionnaire for assessing autonomic symptoms (Composite Autonomic Symptom Score-31), and investigated quantitative sensory testing (QST) and skin biopsy in 15 prospectively enrolled patients with generalized sensory symptoms and pain after COVID-19 vaccination.

Predicting value for incomplete recovery in Bell's palsy of facial nerve ultrasound versus nerve conduction study.

Objective: This longitudinal study aims at assessing the predictive value of facial nerve high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) for incomplete clinical recovery in patients with Bell's palsy, the most common facial nerve disease.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 34 consecutive patients with Bell's palsy. All patients underwent neurophysiological testing (including facial nerve conduction study) and HRUS evaluations 10-15 days (T1), one month (T2), and three months (T3) after the onset of Bell's palsy.

Quantitative sensory testing and skin biopsy findings in late-onset ATTRv presymptomatic carriers: Relationships with predicted time of disease onset (PADO).

Introduction: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) presymptomatic carriers often show preclinical abnormalities at small fiber-related diagnostic tests. However, no validated biomarker is currently available to use for presymptomatic carriers' follow-up, thus helping therapeutic decision making. Our study aimed at assessing nerve conduction study (NCS), quantitative sensory testing (QST), and skin biopsy parameters in a large cohort of late-onset ATTRv presymptomatic carriers and to evaluate whether they correlated with predicted age of disease onset (PADO).

Autonomic Small-Fiber Pathology in Patients With Fibromyalgia.

In this clinical and skin biopsy study, we aimed to investigate whether fibromyalgia-associated small-fiber pathology (SFP), consisting of an intraepidermal nerve fiber loss, implies damage of dermal autonomic nerve fibers and how this damage is associated with autonomic symptoms that patients with fibromyalgia syndrome experience. Using skin biopsy, we investigated intraepidermal nerve fiber density, piloerector muscle, and sweat gland nerve fiber density (SGNFD) in 138 participants, that is, 58 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome, 48 healthy subjects, and 32 patients with small-fiber neuropathy. In patients with fibromyalgia-associated SFP, we also investigated how the different skin biopsy variables correlated with autonomic symptoms, as assessed with the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score 31 questionnaire.

Sex differences in trigeminal neuralgia: a focus on radiological and clinical characteristics.

Background: It is well established that trigeminal neuralgia is more prevalent in females than in males. Neurovascular compression with morphological changes of the trigeminal root represents the most recognized etiological factor. However, other factors may play a role in the framework of a multi-hit model.

Consensus clustering methodology to improve molecular stratification of non-small cell lung cancer.

Recent advances in machine learning research, combined with the reduced sequencing costs enabled by modern next-generation sequencing, paved the way to the implementation of precision medicine through routine multi-omics molecular profiling of tumours. Thus, there is an emerging need of reliable models exploiting such data to retrieve clinically useful information. Here, we introduce an original consensus clustering approach, overcoming the intrinsic instability of common clustering methods based on molecular data.

Sediment resuspension due to internal solitary waves of elevation in the Messina Strait (Mediterranean Sea).

By combining real-field observations and theoretical predictions, we describe role and relationships among north-propagating internal solitary waves (ISWs) generated by tidal currents in the Messina Strait (Mediterranean Sea), buoyancy deformation, sediment resuspension, and mixing effects. In particular, our results show that the presence of ISWs traveling along the Gioia Basin (north of the Strait) is not strictly related to seasonality. During winter, when the remote observation of ISWs from satellite is particularly rare due to the weak water column stratification, we observe elevation-type ISWs from hydrographic data.

Tides regulate the flow and density of Antarctic Bottom Water from the western Ross Sea.

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) stores heat and gases over decades to centuries after contact with the atmosphere during formation on the Antarctic shelf and subsequent flow into the global deep ocean. Dense water from the western Ross Sea, a primary source of AABW, shows changes in water properties and volume over the last few decades. Here we show, using multiple years of moored observations, that the density and speed of the outflow are consistent with a release from the Drygalski Trough controlled by the density in Terra Nova Bay (the "accelerator") and the tidal mixing (the "brake").

Hindering NAT8L expression in hepatocellular carcinoma increases cytosolic aspartate delivery that fosters pentose phosphate pathway and purine biosynthesis promoting cell proliferation.

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is synthesized by the mitochondrial enzyme NAT8L, which uses acetyl-CoA and aspartate as substrates. These metabolites are fundamental for bioenergetics and anabolic requirements of highly proliferating cells, thus, NAT8L modulation may impinge on the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. Specifically, aspartate represents a limiting amino acid for nucleotide synthesis in cancer.

Adaptive antioxidant response to mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation determines the proliferative outcome of cancer cells.

Alterations in lipid catabolism have been broadly described in cancer cells and show tumor-type specific effects on proliferation and cell survival. The factor(s) responsible for this heterogeneity is currently unknown and represents the main limitation in the development of therapeutic interventions that impair lipid metabolism. In this study, we focused on hexanoic acid, a medium-chain fatty acid, that can quickly boost oxidative metabolism by passively crossing mitochondrial membranes.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of neuropathic pain associated with coronavirus disease 2019.

Background And Objective: Neuropathic pain is an occasionally reported complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has received increased attention in scientific literature. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to provide information on the frequency of neuropathic pain associated with COVID-19.

Databases And Data Treatment: We systematically reviewed and analysed literature regarding neuropathic pain associated with COVID-19.