Effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields on human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells: proteomic characterization.

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-MF) can modify the cell viability and regulatory processes of some cell types, including breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease where a role for ELF-MF cannot be excluded. ELF-MF may influence the biological properties of breast cells through molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are still unclear.

Cannabidiol, ∆-tetrahydrocannabinol, and metabolites in human blood by volumetric absorptive microsampling and LC-MS/MS following controlled administration in epilepsy patients.

Cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, antiseizure, and neuroprotective proprieties without addictive or psychotropic side effects, as opposed to Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While recreational cannabis contains higher THC and lower CBD concentrations, medical cannabis contains THC and CBD in different ratios, along with minor phytocannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other chemicals. A volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in tandem for quantification of CBD, THC and their respective metabolites: cannabidiol-7-oic acid (7-COOH-CBD); 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol (7-OH-CBD); 6-alpha-hydroxy-cannabidiol (6-α-OH-CBD); and 6-beta-hydroxycannabidiol (6-β-OH-CBD); 11- Hydroxy-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) and 11-Nor-9-carboxy-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH).

Development and Validation of MPS-Based System for Human Appearance Prediction in Challenging Forensic Samples.

Forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) provides the ability to predict the human external traits from unknown sample donors, directly from minute amounts of DNA found at the crime scene. We developed a MPS multiplex assay, with the aim of genotyping all 41 DNA markers included in the HIrisPlex-S system for simultaneous prediction of eye, hair and skin colours. Forensic samples such as blood, skeletal remains, touch DNA, saliva swab, artificially degraded samples together with individuals with known phenotypes and a set of 2800 M control DNA were sequenced on the Ion Torrent platform in order to evaluate the concordance testing results and the forensic suitability of the 41-plex MPS assay.

Human Hepatocyte 4-Acetoxy-,-Diisopropyltryptamine Metabolite Profiling by Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Coupled with High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Tryptamine intoxications and fatalities are increasing, although these novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are not controlled in most countries. There are few data on the metabolic pathways and enzymes involved in tryptamine biotransformation. 4-acetoxy-,-diisopropyltryptamine (4-AcO-DiPT) is a synthetic tryptamine related to 4-hydroxy-,-diisopropyltryptamine (4-OH-DiPT), 4-acetyloxy-,-dipropyltryptamine (4-AcO-DPT), and 4-acetoxy-,-dimethyltryptamine (4-AcO-DMT).

Visceral fat inflammation and fat embolism are associated with lung's lipidic hyaline membranes in subjects with COVID-19.

Background: Preliminary data suggested that fat embolism could explain the importance of visceral obesity as a critical determinant of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: We performed a comprehensive histomorphologic analysis of autoptic visceral adipose tissue (VAT), lungs and livers of 19 subjects with COVID-19 (COVID-19+), and 23 people without COVID-19 (controls). Human adipocytes (hMADS) infected with SARS-CoV-2 were also studied.

Designer Benzodiazepines: A Review of Toxicology and Public Health Risks.

The rising use of designer benzodiazepines (DBZD) is a cat-and-mouse game between organized crime and law enforcement. Non-prohibited benzodiazepines are introduced onto the global drug market and scheduled as rapidly as possible by international authorities. In response, DBZD are continuously modified to avoid legal sanctions and drug seizures and generally to increase the abuse potential of the DBZD.

Mycobacterium chimaera: a report of 2 new cases and literature review.

Mycobacterium chimaera is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium, member of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), which has become a global public health concern due to infection following cardiac surgery performed with contaminated heater-cooler units. M. chimaera infection is characterized by a long latency, non-specific signs and symptoms and high mortality rates.

Suitability of miRNA assessment in postmortem interval estimation.

Objective: The aim of this review was to explore recent pieces of evidence focused on the use of miRNAs for PMI estimation both in humans and animal experiments, with particular interest on the best miRNAs to use as reference/target markers in different tissues or biological fluids. MiRNAs are innovative biomarkers used in clinical and research field; they appear very attractive, being introduced in forensic research scenarios even for PMI estimation.

Materials And Methods: Data from PubMed and Scopus were analyzed from January 2013 to August 2020.

Death following extreme temperature exposure: Histological, biochemical and immunohistochemical markers.

Introduction: Defining extreme temperatures as the cause of death remains challenging. It is mostly based on circumstantial, macroscopic and microscopic features.

Methods: We retrospectively compared groups of cases of fatal hypothermia, fatal hyperthermia and non-extreme temperature-related deaths.

UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of cannabidiol metabolites in serum and urine samples. Application to an individual treated with medical cannabis.

No analytical assay is currently available for the simultaneous determination of CBD major metabolites in serum or urine samples of individuals treated with medical cannabis or CBD-based pharmaceuticals. We developed and validated a method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for quantifying cannabidiol (CBD) and its metabolites, cannabidiol-7-oic acid (7-COOH-CBD), 7- hydroxycannabidiol (7-OH-CBD), 6-alpha-hydroxycannabidiol (6-α-OH-CBD) and 6-beta-hydroxycannabidiol (6-β-OH-CBD) in serum and urine samples of an individual treated with medical cannabis. The ionization was performed by electrospray in negative mode to reach the sensitivity required to detect trace amounts, with limits of quantification ranging from 0.

Application of aquatic decomposition scores for the determination of the Post Mortem Submersion Interval on human bodies recovered from the Northern Adriatic Sea.

Purpose: The decomposition process of human bodies in marine environment is not well understood, and it is influenced by external variables related to the geographical area where the body is submerged. We report the application of two decomposition scores, the Heaton's score and the van Daalen's score, on a casuistry of human bodies recovered from the Northern Adriatic Sea. The aims of this study are to verify whether the marine environment of a Mediterranean climate area may affect the applicability of both scores and to develop a prediction model that can be applied on bodies recovered in salt water.

Assessment of the Precision ID Identity Panel kit on challenging forensic samples.

The performance of the Precision ID Identity Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was assessed on a set of 87 forensic samples with different levels of degradation for which a reference sample from the "same donor" or from a "first degree relative" was available. PCR-MPS analysis was performed with DNA input ranging from 1 ng to 12 pg and through 21-26 PCR cycles, in replicate tests, and a total number of 255 libraries were sequenced on the Ion Personal Genome Machine™ (PGM™) System. The evaluation of the molecular data allowed to set a fix threshold for locus call at 50 x which suitably worked even when low amounts of degraded DNA (12 pg) were investigated.

Searching the undetected mtDNA variants in forensic MPS data.

The efficiency of MPS in forensic mtDNA analysis has been thoroughly proven, although a reliable and well established data evaluation still remains a critical point. Numerous bioinformatics tools have been developed, but most of them require specific operating systems and high costs, while free open-source programs with user-friendly interfaces are few. In this study, 43 full mtGenomes were sequenced using the Ion Personal Genome Machine™ (PGM™) System and analyzed utilizing the plug-in Variant Caller (TVC) of the Ion Torrent Software Suite and the mtDNA-Server (mDS), a free web-based mitochondrial analysis tool for MPS data.

A Review of Synthetic Cathinone-Related Fatalities From 2017 to 2020.

Background: Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are designer analogs of the natural active principle of khat. Since their appearance on the black market in 2003, their popularity has increased annually, and they have become the most seized class of new psychoactive substances reported to the UNODC Early Warning Advisory system. The constant introduction of newly synthesized molecules makes this issue difficult to monitor.

Evaluation of the Ion AmpliSeq SARS-CoV-2 Research Panel by Massive Parallel Sequencing.

Deep knowledge of the genetic features of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to track the ongoing pandemic through different geographical areas and to design and develop early diagnostic procedures, therapeutic strategies, public health interventions, and vaccines. We describe protocols and first results of the Ion AmpliSeq™ SARS-CoV-2 Research Panel by a massively parallel sequencing (MPS) assay. The panel allows for targeted sequencing by overlapping amplicons, thereby providing specific, accurate, and high throughput analysis.

Molecular Tracing of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy in the First Three Months of the Epidemic.

The aim of this study is the characterization and genomic tracing by phylogenetic analyses of 59 new SARS-CoV-2 Italian isolates obtained from patients attending clinical centres in North and Central Italy until the end of April 2020. All but one of the newly-characterized genomes belonged to the lineage B.1, the most frequently identified in European countries, including Italy.

SARS-CoV-2 identification in lungs, heart and kidney specimens by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.

From two COVID-19-related deaths, samples of lung, heart and kidney were collected and processed for Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy (TEM and SEM) with the aim of identifying the virus. Virions of SARS-CoV-2 were found in all tissues by TEM and SEM, corroborating the hypothesis that the virus enters the cells of different organs. This is the first report identifying SARS-CoV-2 in different human tissues by TEM and SEM.

Mechanism of miR-222 and miR-126 regulation and its role in asbestos-induced malignancy.

MiR-222 and miR-126 are associated with asbestos exposure and the ensuing malignancy, but the mechanism(s) of their regulation remain unclear. We evaluated the mechanism by which asbestos regulates miR-222 and miR-126 expression in the context of cancer etiology. An 'in vitro' model of carcinogen-induced cell transformation was used based on exposing bronchial epithelium BEAS-2B cells to three different carcinogens including asbestos.

Biomedical analysis of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) of natural origin.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) can be divided into two main groups: synthetic molecules and active principles of natural origin. With respect to this latter group, a wide range of alkaloids contained in plants, mainly from Asia and South America, can be included in the class of NPS of natural origin. The majority NPS of natural origin presents stimulant and/or hallucinogenic effects (e.

Exosomal transfer of miR-126 promotes the anti-tumour response in malignant mesothelioma: Role of miR-126 in cancer-stroma communication.

MiR-126 has been shown to suppress malignant mesothelioma (MM) by targeting cancer-related genes without inducing toxicity or histopathological changes. Exosomes provide the opportunity to deliver therapeutic cargo to cancer stroma. Here, a tumour stromal model composed of endothelial cells (HUVECs), fibroblasts (IMR-90 cells), non-malignant mesothelial cells (Met-5A cells) and MM cells (H28 and MM-B1 cells) was used.