Piccolipiù, a multicenter birth cohort in Italy: protocol of the study.

Background: The fetal and infant life are periods of rapid development, characterized by high susceptibility to exposures. Birth cohorts provide unique opportunities to study early-life exposures in association with child development and health, as well as, with longer follow-up, the early life origin of adult diseases. Piccolipiù is an Italian birth cohort recently set up to investigate the effects of environmental exposures, parental conditions and social factors acting during pre-natal and early post-natal life on infant and child health and development.

Depressive symptoms in patients admitted to a semi-intensive stroke unit.

Aim of this study was to evaluate depressive symptoms in a semi-intensive Stroke Unit (SI-SU) by a scale specifically devised to assess depression in patients with stroke and to identify the symptoms better contributing to the early detection of post stroke depression (PSD). Fifty-four patients admitted to a SI-SU because of suffering from single, first-ever hemispheric stroke were enrolled. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Post Stroke Depression Rating Scale (PSDRS).

Sphingosine kinase 1 overexpression is regulated by signaling through PI3K, AKT2, and mTOR in imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cells.

Objective: As a better understanding of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis has emerged, oncogene-specific cell-signaling pathways have been successfully targeted to treat human malignances. Despite impressive advances in oncogene-directed therapeutics, genetic instability in cancer cells often manifest acquired resistance. This is particularly noted in the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapies and not more evident than for chronic myeloid leukemia.

Systemic effects of Heterobasidion annosum s.s. infection on severity of Diplodia pinea tip blight and terpenoid metabolism in Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea).

Three-year-old seedlings of Pinus pinea L. were inoculated near the stem base with one of two Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.