Trazodone, dibenzoylmethane and tauroursodeoxycholic acid do not prevent motor dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome mice.

There is no cure for Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS), a genetic multisystem disease linked to loss-of-function mutations in the SIL1 gene, encoding a BiP co-chaperone. Previously, we showed that the PERK kinase inhibitor GSK2606414 delays cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration and the onset of ataxia in the woozy mouse model of MSS. However, GSK2606414 is toxic to the pancreas and does not completely rescue the woozy phenotype.

Development of a Preclinical Double Model of Mandibular Irradiated Bone and Osteoradionecrosis in New Zealand Rabbits.

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT) plays a crucial role in head and neck (HN) cancer treatment. Nevertheless, it can lead to serious and challenging adverse events such as osteoradionecrosis (ORN). A preclinical rabbit model of irradiated bone and ORN is herein proposed, with the aim to develop a viable model to be exploited for investigating new therapeutic approaches.

In Vitro Biocompatibility Assessment of Bioengineered PLA-Hydrogel Core-Shell Scaffolds with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Bone Regeneration.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), whether used alone or together with three-dimensional scaffolds, are the best-studied postnatal stem cells in regenerative medicine. In this study, innovative composite scaffolds consisting of a core-shell architecture were seeded with bone-marrow-derived hMSCs (BM-hMSCs) and tested for their biocompatibility and remarkable capacity to promote and support bone regeneration and mineralization. The scaffolds were prepared by grafting three different amounts of gelatin-chitosan (CH) hydrogel into a 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) core (PLA-CH), and the mechanical and degradation properties were analyzed.

Starch metabolism in guard cells: At the intersection of environmental stimuli and stomatal movement.

Starch metabolism in guard cells plays a central role in regulating stomatal movement in response to light, elevated ambient CO2 and potentially other abiotic and biotic factors. Here, we discuss how various guard cell signal transduction pathways converge to promote rearrangements in guard cell starch metabolism for efficient stomatal responses, an essential physiological process that sustains plant productivity and stress tolerance. We suggest manipulation of guard cell starch dynamics as a previously overlooked strategy to improve stomatal behavior under changing environmental conditions.

Hydrogel-chitosan and polylactic acid-polycaprolactone bioengineered scaffolds for reconstruction of mandibular defects: a preclinical study with assessment of translationally relevant aspects.

Reconstruction of mandibular bone defects is a surgical challenge, and microvascular reconstruction is the current gold standard. The field of tissue bioengineering has been providing an increasing number of alternative strategies for bone reconstruction. In this preclinical study, the performance of two bioengineered scaffolds, a hydrogel made of polyethylene glycol-chitosan (HyCh) and a hybrid core-shell combination of poly (L-lactic acid)/poly ( -caprolactone) and HyCh (PLA-PCL-HyCh), seeded with different concentrations of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), has been explored in non-critical size mandibular defects in a rabbit model.

Gelatin-Based Scaffolds with Carrageenan and Chitosan for Soft Tissue Regeneration.

Motivated by the enormous potential of hydrogels in regenerative medicine, new biocompatible gelatin-based hybrid hydrogels were developed through a green process using poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether as a cross-linking agent, adding carrageenan and chitosan polysaccharides to the network to better mimic the hybrid composition of native extracellular matrix. Overall, the hydrogels show suitable structural stability, high porosity and pore interconnectivity, good swellability, and finally, biocompatibility. Their mechanical behavior, investigated by tensile and compression tests, appears to be characterized by nonlinear elasticity with high compliance values, fast stress-relaxation, and good strain reversibility with no sign of mechanical failure for compressive loading-unloading cycles at relatively high deformation levels of 50%.

4D Fabrication of Two-Way Shape Memory Polymeric Composites by Electrospinning and Melt Electrowriting.

This work presents a new method for 4D fabrication of two-way shape memory materials that are capable of reversible shapeshifting right after manufacturing, upon application of proper heating and cooling cycles. The innovative solution presented here consists in the combination of highly stretched electrospun shape memory polymer (SMP) nanofibers with a melt electrowritten elastomer. More specifically, the stretched nanofibers are made of a biocompatible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with crystallizable soft segments, undergoing melt-induced contraction and crystallization-induced elongation upon heating and cooling, respectively.

Loss of function and reduced levels of sphingolipid desaturase DEGS1 variants are both relevant in disease mechanism.

The last step of ex novo ceramide biosynthesis consists of the conversion of dihydroceramide into ceramide catalyzed by sphingolipid Δ4-desaturase DEGS1. DEGS1 variants were found to be responsible for heterogeneous clinical pictures belonging to the family of hypomyelinating leukodystrophies. To investigate the mechanisms making such variants pathogenic, we designed a procedure for the efficient detection of desaturase activity in vitro using LC-MS/MS and prepared a suitable cell model knocking out DEGS1 in HEK-293T cells through CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing (KO-DES-HEK).

Passive Surveillance as a Key Tool for African Swine Fever Eradication in Wild Boar: A Protocol to Find Carcasses Tested and Validated in the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia.

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important and serious contagious hemorrhagic viral diseases affecting domestic pigs and wild boar and is associated with high mortality rates while also having an extensive sanitary and socioeconomic impact on the international trade of animal and swine products. The early detection of the disease is often hampered by inadequate surveillance. Among the surveillance strategies used, passive surveillance of wild boars is considered the most effective method for controlling the African swine fever virus (ASFV).

New Poly(lactic acid)-Hydrogel Core-Shell Scaffolds Highly Support MSCs' Viability, Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation.

Scaffolds for tissue engineering are expected to respond to a challenging combination of physical and mechanical requirements, guiding the research towards the development of novel hybrid materials. This study introduces innovative three-dimensional bioresorbable scaffolds, in which a stiff poly(lactic acid) lattice structure is meant to ensure temporary mechanical support, while a bioactive gelatin-chitosan hydrogel is incorporated to provide a better environment for cell adhesion and proliferation. The scaffolds present a core-shell structure, in which the lattice core is realized by additive manufacturing, while the shell is nested throughout the core by grafting and crosslinking a hydrogel forming solution.

Tailoring the properties of composite scaffolds with a 3D-Printed lattice core and a bioactive hydrogel shell for tissue engineering.

The optimal performance of scaffolds for tissue engineering relies on a proper combination of their constituent biomaterials and on the design of their structure. In this work, composite scaffolds with a core-shell architecture are realized by grafting a gelatin-chitosan hydrogel onto a 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) core, aiming in particular at bone regeneration. This hydrogel was recently found to sustain osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells, leading to new bone tissue formation.

Effective root responses to salinity stress include maintained cell expansion and carbon allocation.

Acclimation of root growth is vital for plants to survive salt stress. Halophytes are great examples of plants that thrive even under severe salinity, but their salt tolerance mechanisms, especially those mediated by root responses, are still largely unknown. We compared root growth responses of the halophyte Schrenkiella parvula with its glycophytic relative species Arabidopsis thaliana under salt stress and performed transcriptomic analysis of S.

Expandable Drug Delivery Systems Based on Shape Memory Polymers: Impact of Film Coating on Mechanical Properties and Release and Recovery Performance.

Retentive drug delivery systems (DDSs) are intended for prolonged residence and release inside hollow muscular organs, to achieve either local or systemic therapeutic goals. Recently, formulations based on shape memory polymers (SMPs) have gained attention in view of their special ability to recover a shape with greater spatial encumbrance at the target organ (e.g.

Hybrid Core-Shell Polymer Scaffold for Bone Tissue Regeneration.

A great promise for tissue engineering is represented by scaffolds that host stem cells during proliferation and differentiation and simultaneously replace damaged tissue while maintaining the main vital functions. In this paper, a novel process was adopted to develop composite scaffolds with a core-shell structure for bone tissue regeneration, in which the core has the main function of temporary mechanical support, and the shell enhances biocompatibility and provides bioactive properties. An interconnected porous core was safely obtained, avoiding solvents or other chemical issues, by blending poly(lactic acid), poly(ε-caprolactone) and leachable superabsorbent polymer particles.

A survey on Apicomplexa protozoa in sheep slaughtered for human consumption.

Infections with the Apicomplexa Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, and Sarcocystis spp. are common causes of reproductive disorders in sheep. However, few epidemiological studies regarding co-infections with these three protozoa are reported in sheep in Italy.

External ophthalmomyiasis by Oestrus ovis in tourists visiting Italy. Report of three cases and a literature review.

Background: Oestrus ovis is a dipteran parasite responsible of myiasis in small ruminants and reported as the causative agent of myiasis in humans particularly in sheep farming areas. In recent years, several human cases had been reported without any previous history of exposure to livestock or visit to rural areas.

Case Presentation: We describe three clustered cases of ophthalmomyiasis externa in tourists in Sardinia and Sicily and discuss them in the light of the published literature.

Prevalence of urinary colonization by extended spectrum-beta-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae among catheterised inpatients in Italian long term care facilities.

Background: Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) play a key role in guaranteeing care to patients in developed countries. Many patients, mostly elderly, access LTCFs at some time in their lives, and their healthcare pathways often require them to move back and forth between hospital and outpatient settings. These patterns bring about new challenges regarding infection control, especially healthcare associated infections.

Purification and properties of a new S-adenosyl-L-methionine:flavonoid 4'-O-methyltransferase from carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.).

A new enzyme, S-adenosyl-l-methionine:flavonoid 4'-O-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.

Predisposition to LDL oxidation in patients with and without angiographically established coronary artery disease.

Oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) may play an important role in the mechanism of atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels. In the present study the LDL isolated from the plasmas of 73 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, 28 valvular heart disease (VHD) patients, 59 subjects affected by type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia and 71 controls was oxidatively modified by incubation with copper ions. In 15 CAD and 15 Type IIa patients and 15 controls the LDL chemical composition and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content were also measured.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and postheparin hepatic and lipoprotein lipases in obesity: relationships with plasma insulin levels.

The concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in patients with severe obesity is generally subnormal. The exact mechanism linking obesity with reduced levels of HDL cholesterol remains unclear. In this study we evaluated the postheparin plasma lipolytic enzymes lipoprotein lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) in a group of 24 obese women compared with controls and analyzed the interrelationships between insulin, postheparin lipolytic enzymes and HDL subfractions.

Pharmaceutical properties of loracarbef: the remarkable solution stability of an oral 1-carba-1-dethiacephalosporin antibiotic.

Loracarbef is an oral 1-carba-1-dethiacephalosporin antibiotic structurally related to cefaclor. Like many beta-lactam antibiotics, loracarbef exists in several hydrated crystalline forms. The pH-solubility profile curve for loracarbef monohydrate is U-shaped, resembling those of other zwitterionic cephalosporins.

Predisposition to LDL oxidation during copper-catalyzed oxidative modification and its relation to alpha-tocopherol content in humans.

The predisposition to LDL oxidation during copper-catalyzed oxidative modification and its relationship with LDL alpha-tocopherol concentration was studied in 41 control subjects. The results show that the predisposition of LDL to oxidation expressed as duration of the inhibition period and rate of the propagation period varied greatly in the controls, but did not correlate with the values of LDL alpha-tocopherol. On the contrary the experiments with alpha-tocopherol incorporated in LDL demonstrate that even small increases of incorporated alpha-tocopherol, under circumstances where other variables were probably largely unaffected, increased proportionally the length of the inhibition period and reduced the rate of the propagation period.

Synthesis, hydrolysis rates, supercomputer modeling, and antibacterial activity of bicyclic tetrahydropyridazinones.

Bicyclic tetrahydropyridazinones, such as 13, where X are strongly electron-withdrawing groups, were synthesized to investigate their antibacterial activity. These delta-lactams are homologues of bicyclic pyrazolidinones 15, which were the first non-beta-lactam containing compounds reported to bind to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). The delta-lactam compounds exhibit poor antibacterial activity despite having reactivity comparable to the gamma-lactams.

Influence of weight reduction on plasma high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in severe obesity: interrelationships with plasma insulin levels.

The influence of caloric restriction and of weight loss during a weight-maintaining diet on lipid profile and in particular on high density lipoprotein (HDL) is controversial. In this study we analyzed the effect of a period of very low caloric diet (VLCD) and of a period of hypocaloric diet followed by 30 days of weight stabilization on lipoprotein levels, especially on HDL cholesterol and its subfractions (HDL2 and HDL3) and on the summated means of glucose (sigma glucose) and insulin levels (sigma IRI) after an oral tolerance test in a group of obese females. Body weight decreased significantly during the VLCD and hypocaloric diet.