Mechanisms underlying heterologous skin scaffold-mediated tissue remodeling.

Biocompatibility of two newly developed porcine skin scaffolds was assessed after 3, 14, 21 and 90 days of implantation in rats. Both scaffolds showed absence of cells, preservation of ECM and mechanical properties comparable to non-decellularised skin before implantation. Host cell infiltration was much prominent on both scaffolds when compared to Permacol (surgical control).

Control of infectious mortality due to carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) infections are an emerging cause of death after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In allogeneic transplants, mortality rate may rise up to 60%. We retrospectively evaluated 540 patients receiving a transplant from an auto- or an allogeneic source between January 2011 and October 2015.

Work ability and health of security guards at a public University: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: to evaluate the work ability and health status of security guards at a public University.

Methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was carried with 119 security guards. The following instruments were used: Work Ability Index (WAI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, short), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), and Demand-Control-Support (DCS).

Altered expression of the bZIP transcription factor DRINK ME affects growth and reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Here we describe an uncharacterized gene that negatively influences Arabidopsis growth and reproductive development. DRINK ME (DKM; bZIP30) is a member of the bZIP transcription factor family, and is expressed in meristematic tissues such as the inflorescence meristem (IM), floral meristem (FM), and carpel margin meristem (CMM). Altered DKM expression affects meristematic tissues and reproductive organ development, including the gynoecium, which is the female reproductive structure and is determinant for fertility and sexual reproduction.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Traits Related to Plant and Grain Morphology, and Root Architecture in Temperate Rice Accessions.

Background: In this study we carried out a genome-wide association analysis for plant and grain morphology and root architecture in a unique panel of temperate rice accessions adapted to European pedo-climatic conditions. This is the first study to assess the association of selected phenotypic traits to specific genomic regions in the narrow genetic pool of temperate japonica. A set of 391 rice accessions were GBS-genotyped yielding-after data editing-57000 polymorphic and informative SNPS, among which 54% were in genic regions.

Andrographis Paniculata shows anti-nociceptive effects in an animal model of sensory hypersensitivity associated with migraine.

Administration of nitroglycerin (NTG) to rats induces a hyperalgesic condition and neuronal activation of central structures involved in migraine pain. In order to identify therapeutic strategies for migraine pain, we evaluated the anti-nociceptive activity of Andrographis Paniculata (AP), a herbaceous plant, in the hyperalgesia induced by NTG administration in the formalin test. We also analyzed mRNA expression of cytokines in specific brain areas after AP treatment.

The Assessment of Diet Quality and Its Effects on Health Outcomes Pre-pregnancy and during Pregnancy.

Overweight and obesity pre pregnancy or during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for maternal obstetric and fetal complications. Diet is one modifiable risk factor that women may be motivated to improve. General healthy eating guidelines, micronutrient sufficiency and macronutrient quantity and quality are important nutrition considerations pre and during pregnancy.

The influence of disease and comorbidity risk assessments on the survival of MDS and oligoblastic AML patients treated with 5-azacitidine: A retrospective analysis in ten centers of the "Rete Ematologica Lombarda".

5-Azacytidine is an effective therapy in high risk MDS and oligoblastic AML. This "real life" analysis was made on 185 patients treated with 5-azacytidine in 10 centers afferent to REL ("Rete Ematologica Lombarda"), a network in Lombardia region. The aim was to assess the influence of disease and comorbidity risk assessments on the survival.

Work ability and associated factors of Brazilian technical-administrative workers in education.

Background: Studies about work ability have grown in importance owing to the worldwide aging of active populations. Research has shown that measuring work ability has a predictive value in cases of long-term sickness absence and early retirement. Our goal was to analyze the work ability and associated factors of civil servants from a higher education institution in Brazil.

Outcomes of Chopart Amputation in a Tertiary Referral Diabetic Foot Clinic: Data From a Consecutive Series of 83 Hospitalized Patients.

The purpose of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the outcomes (ie, ulcer recurrence, major amputation, death) in diabetic patients undergoing Chopart amputation because of deep infection or gangrene extending to the midfoot. From 2009 to 2011, 83 patients, aged 71.4 ± 9.

Effect of the concentration of essential oil on orange peel waste biomethanization: Preliminary batch results.

The cultivation of orange (Citrus×sinensis) and its transformation is a major industry in many countries in the world, it leads to the production of about 25-30Mt of orange peel waste (OPW) per year. Until now many options have been proposed for the management of OPW but although they are technically feasible, in many cases their economic/environmental sustainability is questionable. This paper analyse at lab scale the possibility of using OPW as a substrate for anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion of tomato processing waste: Effect of alkaline pretreatment.

The objective of the work was to assess the effect of mild alkaline pretreatment on the anaerobic biodegradability of tomato processing waste (TPW). Experiments were carried out in duplicate BMP bottles using a pretreatment contact time of 4 and 24 h and a 1% and 5% NaOH dosage. The cumulative methane production during a 30 d period was recorded and modelled.

Evaluation of ADMA-DDAH-NOS axis in specific brain areas following nitroglycerin administration: study in an animal model of migraine.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is known to play a key role in migraine pathogenesis, but modulation of NO synthesis has failed so far to show efficacy in migraine treatment. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, whose levels are regulated by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH). Systemic administration of nitroglycerin (or glyceryl trinitrate, GTN) is a NO donor that consistently induces spontaneous-like headache attacks in migraneurs.

Intracarotid Infusion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease, Focusing on Cell Distribution and Neuroprotective and Behavioral Effects.

Unlabelled: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as a potential therapeutic tool for Parkinson's disease (PD) and systemic administration of these cells has been tested in preclinical and clinical studies. However, no information on survival and actual capacity of MSCs to reach the brain has been provided. In this study, we evaluated homing of intraarterially infused rat MSCs (rMSCs) in the brain of rats bearing a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesion of the nigrostriatal tract, to establish whether the toxin-induced damage is sufficient to grant MSC passage across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or if a transient BBB disruption is necessary.

Haploidentical HSCT: a 15-year experience at San Raffaele.

Hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) from HLA haploidentical family donors is a promising therapy for high-risk hematological malignancies. In the past 15 years at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, we investigated several transplant platforms and post transplant cellular-based interventions. We showed that T cell-depleted haploidentical transplantation followed by the infusion of genetically modified donor T cells (TK007 study, Eudract-2005-003587-34) promotes fast and wide immune reconstitution and GvHD control.

Post-transplantation Cyclophosphamide and Sirolimus after Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Using a Treosulfan-based Myeloablative Conditioning and Peripheral Blood Stem Cells.

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) performed using bone marrow (BM) grafts and post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has gained much interest for the excellent toxicity profile after both reduced-intensity and myeloablative conditioning. We investigated, in a cohort of 40 high-risk hematological patients, the feasibility of peripheral blood stem cells grafts after a treosulfan-melphalan myeloablative conditioning, followed by a PTCy and sirolimus-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis (Sir-PTCy). Donor engraftment occurred in all patients, with full donor chimerism achieved by day 30.