Combined approach to lysis utilizing eptifibatide and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in acute ischemic stroke-enhanced regimen stroke trial.

Background And Purpose: In a previous study, 0.3 and 0.45 mg/kg of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) were safe when combined with eptifibatide 75 mcg/kg bolus and a 2-hour infusion (0.

Pharmacological therapy of gastroesophageal reflux in preterm infants.

Although gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a very common phenomenon among preterm infants, its therapeutic management is still an issue of debate among neonatologists. A step-wise approach should be advisable, firstly promoting nonpharmacological interventions and limiting drugs to selected infants unresponsive to the conservative measures or who are suffering from severe GER with clinical complications. Despite of this, a concerning pharmacological overtreatment has been increasingly reported.

Phenolic distribution in liquid preparations of Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis idaea L.

Introduction: Liquid preparations such as tinctures and 'bud extracts' of bilberry and lingonberry are typical products used in some European countries but they have not been widely studied to date.

Objective: Our aim was to define a phytochemical profile in terms of phenolic compounds for liquid preparations of Vaccinium myrtillus L. (bilberry) and Vaccinium vitis idaea L.

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on growth and luminescence of a moderately-piezophilic luminous bacteria Photobacterium phosphoreum ANT-2200.

Bacterial bioluminescence is commonly found in the deep sea and depends on environmental conditions. Photobacterium phosphoreum ANT-2200 has been isolated from the NW Mediterranean Sea at 2200-m depth (in situ temperature of 13°C) close to the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on its growth and luminescence have been investigated under controlled laboratory conditions, using a specifically developed high-pressure bioluminescence system.

Water-protein interactions: the secret of protein dynamics.

Water-protein interactions help to maintain flexible conformation conditions which are required for multifunctional protein recognition processes. The intimate relationship between the protein surface and hydration water can be analyzed by studying experimental water properties measured in protein systems in solution. In particular, proteins in solution modify the structure and the dynamics of the bulk water at the solute-solvent interface.

NK cells from malignant pleural effusions are potent antitumor effectors: A clue for adoptive immunotherapy?

Natural killer (NK) cells exert potent antitumor activity. However, NK cells infiltrating solid tumors are severely impaired in their function. Remarkably, NK cells isolated from malignant pleural effusions kill very efficiently tumor cells upon exposure to interleukin-2, offering an important clue for the development of novel approaches for tumor immunotherapy.

Explicit consideration of baseline factors to assess recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator response with respect to race and sex.

Background And Purpose: Sex and race reportedly influence outcome after recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA). It is, however, unclear whether baseline imbalances (eg, stroke severity) or lack of response to thrombolysis is responsible. We applied balancing methods to test the hypothesis that race and sex influence outcome after rtPA independent of baseline conditions.

From single nucleotide polymorphism to transcriptional mechanism: a model for FRMD3 in diabetic nephropathy.

Genome-wide association studies have proven to be highly effective at defining relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and clinical phenotypes in complex diseases. Establishing a mechanistic link between a noncoding SNP and the clinical outcome is a significant hurdle in translating associations into biological insight. We demonstrate an approach to assess the functional context of a diabetic nephropathy (DN)-associated SNP located in the promoter region of the gene FRMD3.

A critical role for Sox9 in notch-induced astrogliogenesis and stem cell maintenance.

Notch signaling is a key regulator of cell-fate decisions and is essential for proper neuroectodermal development. There, it favors the formation of ectoderm, promotes maintenance of neural stem cells, inhibits differentiation into neurons, and commits neural progenitors to a glial fate. In this report, we explore downstream effects of Notch important for astroglial differentiation.

NK cells from malignant pleural effusions are not anergic but produce cytokines and display strong antitumor activity on short-term IL-2 activation.

NK cells are a major component of innate immunity and exert a potent antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo. However, NK cells infiltrating solid tumors have been shown to display severely impaired functional capabilities. In this study, we analyzed NK cells present in pleural effusions (PEs) of patients with primary or metastatic tumors of different origin, including mesothelioma and lung, breast, colon, gastric, bladder, and uterus carcinoma.

Risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage differ according to hemorrhage location.

Objectives: Risk factors have been described for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH); their relative contribution to lobar vs nonlobar hemorrhage location is less clear. Our purpose here was to investigate risk factors by hemorrhage location.

Methods: This case-control study prospectively enrolled subjects with first-ever spontaneous ICH and matched each with up to 3 controls by age, race, and gender.

A thickened formula does not reduce apneas related to gastroesophageal reflux in preterm infants.

Background: Apnea of prematurity (AOP) occurs frequently in preterm infants and a variable proportion of AOP can be induced by gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Conservative treatment, including dietary modifications, should be the first-line approach for both GER and GER-related apneas in this population.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a starch-thickened preterm formula (PF) in reducing the frequency of apneas related to GER.

Effect of quercetin, rutin, naringenin and epicatechin on lipid peroxidation induced in human sperm.

Quercetin, rutin, naringenin, epicatechin are flavonoids with diverse properties, including antioxidant potential. We evaluated, in vitro, the cytotoxicity of these flavonoids (20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 400 μM) in swim-up selected human sperm. Antioxidant activity was tested against tert-butylhydroperoxide induced lipid peroxidation using a C11-BODIPY(581/591) probe and transmission electron microscopy.

Outcomes of liver transplantation from hepatitis B core antibody-positive donors in viral cirrhosis patients: the prevailing negative effect of recipient hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) with grafts from hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors has been the object of recent studies, suggesting different outcomes depending on the etiology of viral cirrhosis in the recipient.

Methods: From November 2002 to December 2009, we transplanted 124 livers from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative HBcAb-positive deceased heart-beating donors to adult recipients with viral cirrhosis, classified as: HBsAg positive (group 1; n = 63); hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA positive (group 2; n = 52); and simultaneously HBsAg and HCV-RNA positive (group 3; n = 9). Immunosuppression included a calcineurin inhibitor, mycophenolate, and steroids (tapered to suspension in 6 months).

Outcomes of liver transplantation in simultaneously hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus RNA positive recipients: the deleterious effect of donor hepatitis B core antibody positivity.

Background: Recent data from Italian studies have shown excellent results of liver transplantation (LT) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients with grafts from hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors, whereas such grafts in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected recipients have displayed poorer outcomes. We investigated the results of LT with HBcAb-positive grafts in patients with ongoing HBV and HCV coinfections.

Methods: From August 1999 to December 2009, we performed 27 adult primary LTs from deceased heart-beating donors into recipients showing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)- and HCV-RNA-positivity simultaneously: 12 patients received a graft from an HBsAg-negative HBcAb-positive donor (core+D group) and 15 from an HBcAb-negative donor (core-D group).

Genome-wide association study of intracranial aneurysms confirms role of Anril and SOX17 in disease risk.

Background: Genomewide association studies have identified novel genetic factors that contribute to intracranial aneurysm (IA) susceptibility. We sought to confirm previously reported loci, to identify novel risk factors, and to evaluate the contribution of these factors to familial and sporadic IA.

Method: We utilized 2 complementary samples, one recruited on the basis of a dense family history of IA (discovery sample 1: 388 IA cases and 397 controls) and the other without regard to family history (discovery sample 2: 1095 IA cases and 1286 controls).

Using liposomes as carriers for polyphenolic compounds: the case of trans-resveratrol.

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a polyphenol found in various plants, especially in the skin of red grapes. The effect of resveratrol on human health is the topic of numerous studies. In fact this molecule has shown anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar-lowering ability and beneficial cardiovascular effects.

Metabolic response to exogenous ethanol in yeast: an in vivo statistical total correlation NMR spectroscopy approach.

In vivo NMR spectroscopy, together with selectively 13C-labelled substrates and 'statistical total correlation spectroscopy' analysis (STOCSY), are valuable tools to collect and interpret the metabolic responses of a living organism to external stimuli. In this study, we applied this approach to evaluate the effects of increasing concentration of exogenous ethanol on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentative metabolism. We show that the STOCSY analysis correctly identifies the different types of correlations among the enriched metabolites involved in the fermentation, and that these correlations are quite stable even in presence of a stressing factor such as the exogenous ethanol.

Fortification of cheese with vitamin D3 using dairy protein emulsions as delivery systems.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that is synthesized when the body is exposed to sunlight or after the consumption of fortified foods and supplements. The purpose of this research was to increase the retention of vitamin D(3) in Cheddar cheese by incorporating it as part of an oil-in-water emulsion using a milk protein emulsifier to obtain a fortification level of 280 IU/serving. Four oil-in-water vitamin D emulsions were made using sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, nonfat dry milk (NDM), or whey protein.

Linking variants from genome-wide association analysis to function via transcriptional network analysis.

We outline a strategy to use tissue-specific expression along with promoter module analysis to determine the putative functional context of candidate genes implicated in genome-wide association studies. First, genes are selected from candidate SNPs, followed by construction of a gene co-regulation network to expand the regulatory context of the candidate genes, functional analysis to determine putative functional roles, and subsequent analysis of regulatory elements. We describe these sub-strategies and variations, along with guidelines for alternatives in the overall analysis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver and metabolic syndrome in Italy: results from a multicentric study of the Italian Arteriosclerosis society.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with all the components of metabolic syndrome (MS) and might to be considered an additional component of MS itself. The Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis (SISA) in 2005 started a research project aimed to study the NAFLD, using ultrasound (US), in nondiabetic MS subjects matching at least one of the ATP III criteria for HDL-C or triglycerides [TG]. Prevalence of US-NAFLD and its associated risk factors and prevalence of hypertransaminasemia and its possible determinants were evaluated.

Intratracheal instillation of lipopolymeric vectors and the effect on mice lung physiology.

Background/aims: The current study compared the effects of intratracheal administration of different lipopolymeric vectors on lung function and histology in normal mice.

Methods: Forty-eight BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 8 groups (6/group). All animals received intratracheal instillation of the following suspensions: polymerized [(A) 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC):1,2-bis-(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DC8,9PC):1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), (B) DMPC:DC8,9PC:stearylamine (SA), (C) DMPC:DC8,9PC:myristoylcholine chloride (MCl)]; nonpolymerized [(D) DMPC:DC8,9PC:DOTAP, (E) DMPC:DC8,9PC:SA, (F) DMPC:DC8,9PC:MCl] together with plasmid DNA; vehicle (control), and pDsRed2-N1 plasmid DNA (DNA).

Surveillance for West Nile, dengue, and chikungunya virus infections, Veneto Region, Italy, 2010.

In 2010, in Veneto Region, Italy, surveillance of summer fevers was conducted to promptly identify autochthonous cases of West Nile fever and increase detection of imported dengue and chikungunya in travelers. Surveillance highlighted the need to modify case definitions, train physicians, and when a case is identified, implement vector control measures.