Insights on the Selection of the Coefficient of Variation to Assess Speed Fluctuation in Swimming.

The aim of this study was to compare swimming speed and speed fluctuations in front crawl between swimmers of different performance levels using discrete variables against statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The sample was composed of 34 male swimmers divided into three groups: (i) group #1-recreational swimmers; (ii) group #2-competitive swimmers aged 12 to 14 years; (iii) group #3-competitive swimmers aged 15 to 17 years. Swimming speed and speed fluctuations (calculated based on four different conditions) were used as discrete variables.

Cyto-Histological Profile of MicroRNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas.

Introduction: The repertoire of microRNAs (miRNAs) in thyroid carcinomas starts to be elucidated. Among differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs), papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent. The assessment of miRNAs expression may contribute to refine the pre-surgical diagnosis in order to obtain a personalized and more effective treatment for patients.

Comparative Cyto-Histological Genetic Profile in a Series of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas.

Introduction: Molecular tests can contribute to improve the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Tests available are expensive and not adapted to different populations.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the cyto-histological genetic profile and to evaluate the reliability of molecular tests using ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (US-FNAC) in accurately diagnosing differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) and predicting biologic behavior of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs).

Relationship between swimming speed, intra-cycle variation of horizontal speed, and Froude efficiency during consecutive stroke cycles in adolescent swimmers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between swimming speed, intra-cycle variation of horizontal speed of displacement (), and Froude efficiency (η) in front-crawl during three consecutive stroke cycles. The sample consisted of 15 boys aged 16.07 ± 0.

Unveiling the efficacy of pre-emergent application of young Eucalyptus globulus leaves as a weed control strategy: Bridging macroscopic effects and cellular responses.

Allelopathy, the inhibition of neighbouring plant growth by certain plants, can be particularly useful if applied in a targeted way for weed management. So, this study aimed to assess and characterize the herbicidal activity of fresh and dried leaves from young Eucalyptus globulus Labill. trees applied as a soil amendment.

Leaf Aqueous Extract Differentially Inhibits the Growth of Three Bacterial Tomato Pathogens.

As available tools for crop disease management are scarce, new, effective, and eco-friendly solutions are needed. So, this study aimed at assessing the antibacterial activity of a dried leaf Labill. aqueous extract (DLE) against pv.

Accumulation of Proline in Plants under Contaminated Soils-Are We on the Same Page?

Agricultural soil degradation is occurring at unprecedented rates, not only as an indirect effect of climate change (CC) but also due to intensified agricultural practices which affect soil properties and biodiversity. Therefore, understanding the impacts of CC and soil degradation on plant physiology is crucial for the sustainable development of mitigation strategies to prevent crop productivity losses. The amino acid proline has long been recognized for playing distinct roles in plant cells undergoing osmotic stress.

Untargeted metabolomic profiling of fresh and dried leaf extracts of young and mature trees indicates differences in the presence of specialized metabolites.

Aqueous extracts from leaves contain a wide variety of specialized metabolites, mainly polyphenols and appreciable amounts of volatile compounds, which are responsible for their diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and allelopathic features. For this reason, several studies have been conducted to explore the composition of leaf extracts for multiple therapeutic and commercial applications. However, so far, the available bibliographic reports only refer to the chemical composition of extracts prepared with leaves from mature trees, leaving much to clarify about the composition of juvenile eucalyptus leaf extracts.

Numerical and experimental methods used to evaluate active drag in swimming: A systematic narrative review.

In swimming, it is necessary to understand and identify the main factors that are important to reduce active drag and, consequently, improve the performance of swimmers. However, there is no up-to-date review in the literature clarifying this topic. Thus, a systematic narrative review was performed to update the body of knowledge on active drag in swimming through numerical and experimental methods.

Subpial Hemorrhage : A Distinctive Neonatal Stroke Pattern.

Background And Purpose: Subpial hemorrhage is a rare form of neonatal stroke, still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize a cohort of term and preterm neonates with subpial hemorrhages and contribute to a better knowledge of this condition.

Material And Methods: Clinical records and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging data of all neonates with subpial hemorrhage followed at a pediatric hospital between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

Salivary cortisol and eye temperature changes during endurance competitions.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of salivary cortisol (SC) and eye temperature measured by infrared thermography (IRT) as biomarkers to manage competitions more effectively and monitor horse welfare in endurance competitions. Based on previous studies, it was hypothesised that pre-exercise baseline SC and IRT would be higher in younger or less experienced horses, and that post-exercise variation from baseline would be higher in the top finishers.

Results: Salivary cortisol measured in 61 competing at qualifier 40 km and 80 km rides showed an abrupt variation (93-256% rise) of the baseline SC levels [median ± interquartile range (IQR) = 0.

Herbicidal Effects and Cellular Targets of Aqueous Extracts from Young Labill. Leaves.

Labill. is a widespread exotic species that contributes to the formation of fire-prone environments, a great concern under climate change conditions. Therefore, sustainable practices to help locals managing eucalyptus stands are needed.

Epigenomics in Hurthle Cell Neoplasms: Filling in the Gaps Towards Clinical Application.

It has been widely described that cancer genomes have frequent alterations to the epigenome, including epigenetic silencing of various tumor suppressor genes with functions in almost all cancer-relevant signalling pathways, such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell migration and DNA repair. Epigenetic alterations comprise DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs dysregulated expression and they play a significant role in the differentiation and proliferation properties of TC. In this review, our group assessed the published evidence on the tumorigenic role of epigenomics in Hurthle cell neoplasms (HCN), highlighting the yet limited, heteregeneous and non-validated data preventing its current use in clinical practice, despite the well developed assessment techniques available.

TERTp mutations and p53 expression in head and neck cutaneous basal cell carcinomas with different aggressive features.

Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (cBCC) is an economic burden to health services, due to its great morbidity and increasing incidence in old people. Infiltrative cBCCs and cBCCs with micronodular pattern are considered as more aggressive. The role of p53 expression and TERTp mutation on cBCC behavior remains to be clarified.

Genetic Determinants for Prediction of Outcome of Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) usually presents an excellent prognosis, but some patients present with aggressive metastatic disease. BRAF, RAS, and TERT promoter (TERTp) genes are altered in PTC, and their impact on patient outcomes remains controversial. We aimed to determine the role of genetic alterations in PTC patient outcomes (recurrent/persistent disease, structural disease, and disease-specific mortality (DSM)).

Translational Potential of Epigenetic-Based Markers on Fine-Needle Aspiration Thyroid Specimens.

The awareness of epigenetic alterations leading to neoplasia attracted the attention of researchers toward its potential use in the management of cancer, from diagnosis to prognosis and prediction of response to therapies. Our group has focused its attention on the epigenomics of thyroid neoplasms. Although most of the epigenetic studies have been applied on histological samples, the fact is that cytology, through fine-needle aspiration, is a primary diagnostic method for many pathologies, of which thyroid nodules are one of the most paradigmatic examples.

Prediction of disease progression and outcomes in multiple sclerosis with machine learning.

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, affecting the Central Nervous System and leading to irreversible neurological damage, such as long term functional impairment and disability. It has no cure and the symptoms vary widely, depending on the affected regions, amount of damage, and the ability to activate compensatory mechanisms, which constitutes a challenge to evaluate and predict its course. Additionally, relapsing-remitting patients can evolve its course into a secondary progressive, characterized by a slow progression of disability independent of relapses.

Mechanical thrombectomy in stroke in nonagenarians: useful or futile?

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy is the standard treatment in acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, but there is limited evidence about its efficacy in very old patients. We sought to analyse safety and effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy in nonagenarian versus octagenarian patients.

Methods: We included consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion subjected to mechanical thrombectomy, during 29 months in a tertiary center.

Development of a Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral-Flow Immunoassay for Pneumonia Serological Diagnosis at Point-of-Care.

pneumonia (PcP) is a major human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related illness, rising among immunocompromised non-HIV patients and in developing countries. Presently, the diagnosis requires respiratory specimens obtained through invasive and costly techniques that are difficult to perform in all patients or implement in all economic settings. Therefore, the development of a faster, cost-effective, non-invasive and field-friendly test to diagnose PcP would be a significant advance.

Phytotoxic effects of bulk and nano-sized Ni on Lycium barbarum L. grown in vitro - Oxidative damage and antioxidant response.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nickel oxide nanomaterial (nano-NiO) on goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) shoots grown under in vitro conditions and to determine if the nanomaterial was more harmful than its bulk counterpart, nickel (II) sulphate (NiSO). For this purpose, in vitro shoots of L.

CD6 as a therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases: successes and challenges.

The transmembrane surface glycoprotein CD6 was one of the first antigens identified on T lymphocytes. The recognition of its involvement in T-cell signaling processes heralds the potential of CD6 as a target for therapy in a number of pathologies associated with imbalances in T-cell function. Its tissue distribution, cellular expression, and overall molecular structure are well described, and the interaction with its physiological ligand CD166 has been determined to the amino-acid level.

CD6 attenuates early and late signaling events, setting thresholds for T-cell activation.

The T lineage glycoprotein CD6 is generally considered to be a costimulator of T-cell activation. Here, we demonstrate that CD6 significantly reduces early and late T-cell responses upon superantigen stimulation or TCR triggering by Abs. Measuring calcium mobilization in single cells responding to superantigen, we found that human T cells expressing rat CD6 react significantly less well compared with T cells not expressing the exogenous receptor.

CSF1R copy number changes, point mutations, and RNA and protein overexpression in renal cell carcinomas.

Renal cell carcinomas comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors. Of these, 80% are clear cell renal cell carcinomas, which are characterized by loss of 3p, often with concomitant gain of 5q22qter. Although VHL is considered the main target gene of the 3p deletions, none has been identified as the relevant target gene for the 5q gain.

Overexpression of the mitotic checkpoint genes BUB1 and BUBR1 is associated with genomic complexity in clear cell kidney carcinomas.

Background: A defective mitotic checkpoint has been proposed to contribute to chromosomal instability (CIN). We have previously shown that expression changes of the mitotic arrest deficiency (MAD) gene family plays a role in renal cell cancer (RCC) characterized by numerical chromosomal changes, namely papillary and chromophobe carcinomas, but nothing is known about the expression of mitotic checkpoint genes in the clear cell histotype (ccRCC).

Methods: We analyzed the mRNA expression levels of the major mitotic checkpoint genes of the budding uninhibited by benzimidazole family (BUB1, BUBR1, BUB3) and of the MAD gene family (MAD1, MAD2L1, MAD2L2) by real-time quantitative PCR in 39 ccRCC and in 36 normal kidney tissue samples.

Somatic mutations in mismatch repair genes in sporadic gastric carcinomas are not a cause but a consequence of the mutator phenotype.

In hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), patients' mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations cause MMR deficiency, leading to microsatellite instability (MSI-H). MSI-H is also found in a substantial fraction of sporadic gastric carcinomas (SGC), mainly due to MLH1 promoter hypermethylation, although somatic mutations in MMR genes have been described. We aimed to investigate which MMR defects are present in SGC.