Sperm Chromatin Dispersion Test Detects Sperm DNA Fragmentation Mainly Associated with Unviable Spermatozoa and Underestimates the Values with Respect to TUNEL Assay.

Several clinical laboratories assess sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF) in addition to semen analysis in male infertility diagnosis. Among tests evaluating sDF, TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) and SCD (Sperm Chromatin Dispersion) are widely used. Our lab developed a modified version of TUNEL (TUNEL/PI) able to distinguish two sperm populations (PI Brighter and PI Dimmer) differently associated with sperm viability and reproductive outcomes.

CDK9-55 guides the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in choosing the DNA repair pathway choice.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) contribute to genome instability, a key feature of cancer. DSBs are mainly repaired by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). We investigated the role of an isoform of the multifunctional cyclin-dependent kinase 9, CDK9-55, in DNA repair, by generating CDK9-55-knockout HeLa clones (through CRISPR-Cas9), which showed potential HR dysfunction.

Effects of Benzo[a]pyrene on Human Sperm Functions: An In Vitro Study.

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is considered one of the most dangerous air pollutants for adverse health effects, including reproductive toxicity. It is found both in male and female reproductive fluids likely affecting spermatozoa after the selection process through cervical mucus, a process mimicked in vitro with the swim-up procedure. In vitro effects of BaP (1, 5, 10 µM) were evaluated both in unselected and swim-up selected spermatozoa after 3 and 24 h of incubation.

Risk Influence of Some Environmental and Behavioral Factors on Air Contamination in the Operating Room: An Experimental Study.

Air contamination in operating rooms (ORs) depends on the conditions of the room and on activities therein performed. Methodologies of air quality assessment in ORs are often inadequately described in the scientific literature, and the time required for a change in status in air quality is never taken into account. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the state and the presence of human operators on air quality by implementing a precise measurement protocol that also took into account the time required for changes in the room to affect air pollution.

The hydrophilic extract from a new tomato genotype (named DHO) kills cancer cell lines through the modulation of the DNA damage response induced by Campthotecin treatment.

Introduction: DNA double-strand breaks are the most toxic lesions repaired through the non-homologous and joining (NHEJ) or the homologous recombination (HR), which is dependent on the generation of single-strand tails, by the DNA end resection mechanism. The resolution of the HR intermediates leads to error-free repair (Gene Conversion) or the mutagenic pathways (Single Strand Annealing and Alternative End-Joining); the regulation of processes leading to the resolution of the HR intermediates is not fully understood.

Methods: Here, we used a hydrophilic extract of a new tomato genotype (named DHO) in order to modulate the Camptothecin (CPT) DNA damage response.

Effects of Meteo-Climatic Factors on Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Diseases in the City of Bari, Southern Italy.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between weather conditions and hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The analysed data of CVD hospital admissions were part of the database of the Policlinico Giovanni XXIII of Bari (southern Italy) within a reference period of 4 years (2013-2016). CVD hospital admissions have been aggregated with daily meteorological recordings for the reference time interval.

Soil heavy metal contamination in an industrial area: analysis of the data collected during a decade.

Soil contamination by heavy metals has become a serious problem mainly because, above certain concentrations, all metals have adverse effects on human health. In particular, the accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils leads to elevated uptake by crops and affects food quality and safety. In this paper, we present the results of a study carried out over a decade for evaluating the impact of a new industrial settlement in an area geared to agriculture and livestock and far from urban sites.

A method for the integration of satellite vegetation activities observations and magnetic susceptibility measurements for monitoring heavy metals in soil.

We present a procedure for monitoring heavy metals in soil based on the integration of satellite and ground-based techniques, tested in an area affected by high anthropogenic pressure. High resolution multispectral satellite data were elaborated to obtain information on vegetation status. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of soils were collected as proxy variable for monitoring heavy metal presence.

Magnetic susceptibility measurements as proxy method to monitor soil pollution: the case study of S. Nicola di Melfi.

The development of in situ, cheep, noninvasive, and fast strategies for soil monitoring is a crucial task for environmental research. In this paper, we present the results of three field surveys carried out in an industrial area of Southern Italy: S. Nicola di Melfi.

Magnetic susceptibility measurements as proxy method to monitor soil pollution: development of experimental protocols for field surveys.

In the framework of the development of new methods for measuring and monitoring soil pollution, this paper deals with the use of magnetic methodologies to monitor the heavy metals presence in soils. In particular it shows a procedure for collecting magnetic susceptibility measurements in order to interpret them as proxy variable for monitoring heavy metals in soils. Magnetic measurements are carried out using a magnetic susceptibility meter with two different probes for in situ field surveys.

Metal levels in fodder, milk, dairy products, and tissues sampled in ovine farms of Southern Italy.

We measured Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, and Pb levels in samples of fodder, milk, dairy products, and tissues collected from 12 ovine farms in the regions of Campania and Calabria (Southern Italy). The areas in which the farms are located show different levels of anthropogenic pressure. The main purpose of this study is the identification and the analysis of relationships among metal concentrations observed in samples representative of different links in the food chain.

Heavy metals in ryegrass species versus metal concentrations in atmospheric particulate measured in an industrial area of Southern Italy.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of ryegrass species as active biomonitors by assessing atmospheric metal concentrations. We show a procedure for measuring atmospheric concentrations of heavy metals by means of biomonitors and present the data collected between July 1997 and October 2000 in the industrial area of Tito Scalo (Basilicata region, Southern Italy). In particular, we discuss the reproducibility of the biomonitoring measures, the influence of plant age and the correlation between metal concentrations in plants and in atmospheric particulate.