Vaccination status among COVID-19 patients and duration of Polymerase Chain Reaction test positivity: evaluation of immunization schedule and type of vaccine.

Background: The introduction of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has represented a cornerstone in the containment of the pandemic. Our aim was to assess the vaccination schedules in relation to the infection free interval and to the duration of positivity in case of infection.

Study Design: This study involves the SARS-CoV-2 infected people managed by the Local Health Authority ASL 1 Abruzzo.

Association between tongue, lips position and breathing in newborns.

Purpose: To verify the association between breathing nasal expiratory flow and posture of lips and tongue at rest, presence of repeated forward movements of the tongue and maternal complaint of respiratory difficulty in the newborn in the first days of life.

Method: A observational study was carried out in 130 babies, in a university hospital. Included newborn with Apgar score greater than or equal to 8 in exclusive breast milk.

Protocol for density gradient neutrophil isolation and flow cytometry-based characterization from human peripheral blood.

Neutrophils are the first immune responders to bacterial or viral infection and play key roles in the host immune response; however, handling and investigating fresh neutrophils can be challenging. Here, we present a protocol for isolating neutrophils from the peripheral blood of healthy donors using density gradient separation method. We describe steps for morphology analysis by cytospin and immunophenotyping by flow cytometry analysis.

Ankyloglossia in Monochorionic Diamniotic and Dichorionic Diamniotic Twins: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To determine the prevalence of ankyloglossia in diamniotic monochorionic and diamniotic dichorionic twins, as well as to verify the relationship between gender and type of pregnancy. A cross-sectional observational study, carried out with 52 pairs of dichorionic/diamniotic twins and 49 monochorionic/diamniotic pairs. The data collection was carried out through the analysis of medical records and the results of the Neonatal Screening of the Tongue Frenulum Assessment Protocol in Babies, and corresponded to the period of 2 years (2020-2022).

Effects of lingual frenotomy on breastfeeding and electrical activity of the masseter and suprahyoid muscles.

Purpose: To analyze the effects of lingual frenotomy on the breastfeeding of infants, based on the electrical activity of the masseter and suprahyoid muscles and assessment of the breastfeeding.

Methods: Observational study developed between October 2017 and June 2018 with a sample of 20 newborns and infants who attended a dental clinic and were diagnosed with ankyloglossia. Another 20 were excluded for meeting some of the following exclusion criteria: babies more than 6 months old, who were not on exclusive or mixed breastfeeding, who had other clinical impairments that interfered with breastfeeding, who had other foods introduced into their diet, who had neurological changes and/or craniofacial deformities, and/or who did not finish all the stages of the study.

Distinct subsets of neutrophils crosstalk with cytokines and metabolites in patients with sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Despite continued efforts to understand the pathophysiology of sepsis, no effective therapies are currently available. While singular components of the aberrant immune response have been investigated, comprehensive studies linking different data layers are lacking.

Effect of Lingual Frenotomy on Tongue and Lip Rest Position: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

 The tongue plays an important role in the development of craniofacial structures. At rest, the light and constant pressure of the tongue against the hard palate, counterbalanced by the pressure provided by proper lip sealing, serves as a guide for maxillary growth. Ankyloglossia makes tongue coupling against the hard palate difficult, impacting maxillary development, which may lead to breathing disorders.

Anthropometric orofacial measures of newborns and their relationship with sex, weight and height.

Purpose: To compare orofacial anthropometric measurements, with weight, height and sex of newborns.

Methods: Observational cross-sectional study carried out with 130 newborns on exclusive breastfeeding. Data collection was performed by properly trained and calibrated speech therapists.

The impact of DAMP-mediated inflammation in severe COVID-19 and related disorders.

The host response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is highly heterogeneous, ranging from mild/asymptomatic to severe. The moderate to severe forms of COVID-19 often require hospitalization, are associated with a high rate of mortality, and appear to be caused by an inappropriately exaggerated inflammatory response to the virus. Emerging data confirm the involvement of both innate and adaptive immune pathways both in protection from SARS-CoV-2, and in driving the pathology of severe COVID-19.

Position of lips and tongue in rest in newborns with and without ankyloglossia.

Purpose: Verify the position of lips and tongue at rest in newborns with and without ankyloglossia.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out with 130 newborns in University Hospital. Data collection was performed by the researcher and speech-language pathologists from the Hospital.

Surface Electromyographic Analysis of the Suprahyoid Muscles in Infants Based on Lingual Frenulum Attachment during Breastfeeding.

Muscle electrical activity analysis can aid in the identification of oral motor dysfunctions, such as those resulting from an altered lingual frenulum, which consequently impairs feeding. Here, we aim to analyze the suprahyoid muscle electrical activity of infants via surface electromyography, based on lingual frenulum attachment to the sublingual aspect of the tongue and floor of the mouth during breastfeeding. In the present study, we have studied full-term infants of both genders, aged between 1 and 4 months old.

Identification and characterization of a novel anti-inflammatory lipid isolated from Mycobacterium vaccae, a soil-derived bacterium with immunoregulatory and stress resilience properties.

Rationale: Mycobacterium vaccae (NCTC 11659) is an environmental saprophytic bacterium with anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and stress resilience properties. Previous studies have shown that whole, heat-killed preparations of M. vaccae prevent allergic airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma.

Association between ankyloglossia and breastfeeding.

Purpose: To analyze the association between ankyloglossia and breastfeeding.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken on 130 newborn infants in exclusive breastfeeding with Apgar score ≥ 8 within the first five days of life. The research was approved by the Ethics Committee on Human Research.

gametocytes display homing and vascular transmigration in the host bone marrow.

Transmission of parasites to the mosquito requires the formation and development of gametocytes. Studies in infected humans have shown that only the most mature forms of gametocytes are present in circulation, whereas immature forms accumulate in the hematopoietic environment of the bone marrow. We used the rodent model to study gametocyte behavior through time under physiological conditions.

Infected erythrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles alter vascular function via regulatory Ago2-miRNA complexes in malaria.

Malaria remains one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The clinical outcome of individuals infected with Plasmodium falciparum parasites depends on many factors including host systemic inflammatory responses, parasite sequestration in tissues and vascular dysfunction. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines promotes endothelial activation as well as recruitment and infiltration of inflammatory cells, which in turn triggers further endothelial cell activation and parasite sequestration.

An Endothelial Planar Cell Model for Imaging Immunological Synapse Dynamics.

Adaptive immunity is regulated by dynamic interactions between T cells and antigen presenting cells ('APCs') referred to as 'immunological synapses'. Within these intimate cell-cell interfaces discrete sub-cellular clusters of MHC/Ag-TCR, F-actin, adhesion and signaling molecules form and remodel rapidly. These dynamics are thought to be critical determinants of both the efficiency and quality of the immune responses that develop and therefore of protective versus pathologic immunity.

T Lymphocyte-Endothelial Interactions: Emerging Understanding of Trafficking and Antigen-Specific Immunity.

Antigen-specific immunity requires regulated trafficking of T cells in and out of diverse tissues in order to orchestrate lymphocyte development, immune surveillance, responses, and memory. The endothelium serves as a unique barrier, as well as a sentinel, between the blood and the tissues, and as such it plays an essential locally tuned role in regulating T cell migration and information exchange. While it is well established that chemoattractants and adhesion molecules are major determinants of T cell trafficking, emerging studies have now enumerated a large number of molecular players as well as a range of discrete cellular remodeling activities (e.

The effects of frenotomy on breastfeeding.

Unlabelled: Although the interference of tongue-tie with breastfeeding is a controversial subject, The use of lingual frenotomy has been widely indicated by health professionals.

Objective: To observe changes in breastfeeding patterns after lingual frenotomy concerning the number of sucks, pause length between groups of sucking and mother's complaints.

Material And Methods: Oral yes/no questions about breastfeeding symptoms and sucking/swallowing/breathing coordination were answered by the mothers of 109, 30 day old infants.

Actin foci facilitate activation of the phospholipase C-γ in primary T lymphocytes via the WASP pathway.

Wiscott Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) deficiency results in defects in calcium ion signaling, cytoskeletal regulation, gene transcription and overall T cell activation. The activation of WASP constitutes a key pathway for actin filament nucleation. Yet, when WASP function is eliminated there is negligible effect on actin polymerization at the immunological synapse, leading to gaps in our understanding of the events connecting WASP and calcium ion signaling.

Differential apicobasal VEGF signaling at vascular blood-neural barriers.

The vascular endothelium operates in a highly polarized environment, but to date there has been little exploration of apicobasal polarization of its signaling. We show that VEGF-A, histamine, IGFBP3, and LPA trigger unequal endothelial responses when acting from the circulation or the parenchymal side at blood-neural barriers. For VEGF-A, highly polarized receptor distribution contributed to distinct signaling patterns: VEGFR2, which was found to be predominantly abluminal, mediated increased permeability via p38; in contrast, luminal VEGFR1 led to Akt activation and facilitated cytoprotection.

Role of BRAFV600E in the first preclinical model of multifocal infiltrating myopericytoma development and microenvironment.

Myopericytoma (MPC) is a rare tumor with perivascular proliferation of pluripotent stem-cell-like pericytes. Although indolent, MPC may be locally aggressive with recurrent disease. The pathogenesis and diagnostic biomarkers of MPC are poorly understood.

Probing the biomechanical contribution of the endothelium to lymphocyte migration: diapedesis by the path of least resistance.

Immune cell trafficking requires the frequent breaching of the endothelial barrier either directly through individual cells ('transcellular' route) or through the inter-endothelial junctions ('paracellular' route). What determines the loci or route of breaching events is an open question with important implications for overall barrier regulation. We hypothesized that basic biomechanical properties of the endothelium might serve as crucial determinants of this process.

Soluble adhesion molecules as markers for sepsis and the potential pathophysiological discrepancy in neonates, children and adults.

Sepsis is a severe and life-threatening systemic inflammatory response to infection that affects all populations and age groups. The pathophysiology of sepsis is associated with aberrant interaction between leukocytes and the vascular endothelium. As inflammation progresses, the adhesion molecules that mediate these interactions become shed from cell surfaces and accumulate in the blood as soluble isoforms that are being explored as potential prognostic disease biomarkers.

ICAM-2 regulates vascular permeability and N-cadherin localization through ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins and Rac-1 signalling.

Background: Endothelial junctions control functions such as permeability, angiogenesis and contact inhibition. VE-Cadherin (VECad) is essential for the maintenance of intercellular contacts. In confluent endothelial monolayers, N-Cadherin (NCad) is mostly expressed on the apical and basal membrane, but in the absence of VECad it localizes at junctions.