Targeting Glutamine Synthesis Inhibits Stem Cell Adipogenesis in Vitro.

Background/aims: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and has a metabolic role as a precursor for protein, amino sugar and nucleotide synthesis. After glucose, glutamine is the main source of energy in cells and has recently been shown to be an important carbon source for de novo lipogenesis. Glutamine is synthesized by the enzyme glutamine synthetase, a mitochondrial enzyme that is active during adipocyte differentiation suggesting a regulatory role in this process.

Cold-induced beigeing of stem cell-derived adipocytes is not fully reversible after return to normothermia.

Beige adipocytes possess the morphological and biochemical characteristics of brown adipocytes, including the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP)1. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are somatic multipotent progenitors which differentiate into lipid-laden adipocytes. Induction of MSC adipogenesis under hypothermic culture conditions (ie 32°C) promotes the appearance of a beige adipogenic phenotype, but the stability of this phenotypic switch after cells are returned to normothermic conditions of 37°C has not been fully examined.

Comparing SARS-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV and influenza pandemics.

The objective of this Personal View is to compare transmissibility, hospitalisation, and mortality rates for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with those of other epidemic coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and pandemic influenza viruses. The basic reproductive rate (R) for SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be 2·5 (range 1·8-3·6) compared with 2·0-3·0 for SARS-CoV and the 1918 influenza pandemic, 0·9 for MERS-CoV, and 1·5 for the 2009 influenza pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 causes mild or asymptomatic disease in most cases; however, severe to critical illness occurs in a small proportion of infected individuals, with the highest rate seen in people older than 70 years.

Fatigue-Induced Scapular Dyskinesis in Healthy Overhead Athletes.

Alterations of scapular kinematics affect the whole kinematic chain, potentially leading to the impingement syndrome. This is crucial in overhead sports, where athletes perform frequent and quick upper limb actions. In this manuscript, we aimed to assess the extent to which fatigue alters scapulo-thoracic and scapulo-humeral ranges of motion (RoM), as well as scapulo-humeral movement onset during different upper limb actions.

Protective and causative killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) and metalloproteinase genetic patterns associated with Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis occurrence.

Background: The cerebral innate immune system has a critical role in control processes of viral replication in the brain after primary infactivo and immunologic disregulation and inflammation has been reported as a primary determinant of pathogenesis and prognosis of subsequent HSV-1 related encephalitis (HSE). Interaction linking LTR3-activated DCs is also represented by the killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) + pathways on NK cells. Only a few studies analyzed the role of of MMP-9 activity regulating genetic polymorphism on clinical outcome of viral infections.

Immune profile of hyaluronic acid hydrogel polyethylene glycol crosslinked: An in vitro evaluation in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Neauvia hydrogel (N-Gel) is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, cross-linked with polyethylene glycol. This filler contains sodium hyaluronate at different concentrations, poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether cross-linked, glycine, and l-prolyne. Assessing any effects of N-Gel on immunity and inflammation is of crucial importance.

Luspatercept in Patients with Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Background: Patients with anemia and lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes in whom erythropoiesis-stimulating agent therapy is not effective generally become dependent on red-cell transfusions. Luspatercept, a recombinant fusion protein that binds transforming growth factor β superfamily ligands to reduce SMAD2 and SMAD3 signaling, showed promising results in a phase 2 study.

Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with very-low-risk, low-risk, or intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (defined according to the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System) with ring sideroblasts who had been receiving regular red-cell transfusions to receive either luspatercept (at a dose of 1.

Consensus communication strategies to improve doctor-patient relationship in paediatric severe asthma.

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that is very common among youth worldwide. The burden of this illness is very high not only considering financial costs but also on emotional and social functioning. Guidelines and many researches recommend to develop a good communication between physicians and children/caregiver and their parents.

Body hydration assessment using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis in neurologically impaired children.

Dehydration is common and frequently under-diagnosed in chronic malnourished children, leading to life-threatening conditions. In this pilot study we applied bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) to determine hydration status in 52 neurologically impaired (NI) paediatric patients (14.08 ± 5.

Resolving the matrilineal relationship of seven Late Bronze Age individuals from Stillfried, Austria.

In 1976 human remains of seven individuals were discovered in a storage pit located within the Late Bronze Age (9 century B.C.) settlement Stillfried an der March, Austria.

Clinical Presentation and Outcome in a Contemporary Cohort of Patients With Acute Myocarditis: Multicenter Lombardy Registry.

Background: There is controversy about the outcome of patients with acute myocarditis (AM), and data are lacking on how patients admitted with suspected AM are managed. We report characteristics, in-hospital management, and long-term outcome of patients with AM based on a retrospective multicenter registry from 19 Italian hospitals.

Methods: A total of 684 patients with suspected AM and recent onset of symptoms (<30 days) were screened between May 2001 and February 2017.

Survival and Left Ventricular Function Changes in Fulminant Versus Nonfulminant Acute Myocarditis.

Background: Previous reports have suggested that despite their dramatic presentation, patients with fulminant myocarditis (FM) might have better outcome than those with acute nonfulminant myocarditis (NFM). In this retrospective study, we report outcome and changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a large cohort of patients with FM compared with patients with NFM.

Methods: The study population consists of 187 consecutive patients admitted between May 2001 and November 2016 with a diagnosis of acute myocarditis (onset of symptoms <1 month) of whom 55 required inotropes and/or mechanical circulatory support (FM) and the remaining 132 were hemodynamically stable (NFM).

Dietary Supplementation of Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice.

(Bull.) Pers. is a medicinal mushroom capable of inducing a large number of modulatory effects on human physiology ranging from the strengthening of the immune system to the improvement of cognitive functions.

Genetic predisposition to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: Report on 500 patients from the Italian registry.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening disease affecting mostly children but also adults and characterized by hyperinflammatory features. A subset of patients, referred to as having familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), have various underlying genetic abnormalities, the frequencies of which have not been systematically determined previously.

Objective: This work aims to further our understanding of the pathogenic bases of this rare condition based on an analysis of our 25 years of experience.

Pregnancy-Related Challenges in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

The awareness of pregnancy-related physiologic changes and complications is critical for the appropriate assessment and management of pregnant patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. The overlapping features of physiologic and pathological changes, selected autoantibodies, and the use of potentially teratogenic medications can complicate their management during pregnancy. While pregnancy in lupus patients presents an additional risk to an already complex situation, in patients with no disease activity, the risk of a future pregnancy-related complication is relatively low.

The taphonomy of blood components in decomposing bone and its relevance to physical anthropology.

Objectives: The variation and persistence of blood components, in particular red blood cells (RBCs), within bone tissue during the decomposition process, especially at the early stages and in different taphonomic conditions, has never been thoroughly investigated, regardless of the fact that knowing how blood survives or degrades within bone could be of help in solving many anthropological issues, such as trauma analysis and interpretation.

Materials And Methods: This research investigated the influence of time and taphonomy on the persistence and detectability of blood components in parietal bone fragments (of different post mortem periods and taphonomic conditions) through histological (Hematoxilin and Eosin, HE) and immunohistochemical (Glycophorin A, GYPA) analyses.

Results: The immunohistochemical investigation for GYPA showed the presence of RBCs under the form of erythrocyte debris or residues otherwise morphologically unidentifiable using only HE staining.

JTSA: an open source framework for time series abstractions.

Background And Objective: The evaluation of the clinical status of a patient is frequently based on the temporal evolution of some parameters, making the detection of temporal patterns a priority in data analysis. Temporal abstraction (TA) is a methodology widely used in medical reasoning for summarizing and abstracting longitudinal data.

Methods: This paper describes JTSA (Java Time Series Abstractor), a framework including a library of algorithms for time series preprocessing and abstraction and an engine to execute a workflow for temporal data processing.

Next generation sequencing for systematic assessment of genetics of small-vessel disease and lacunar stroke.

Background: The pathogenesis of cerebral small-vessel disease (SVD) is still incompletely understood, although evidence from family and twin studies supports the hypothesis that genetic factors may contribute to SVD pathogenesis. Identification of genetic susceptibility factors for SVD may improve our knowledge on SVD pathogenesis. SVE-LA (Small Vessel and Lacunar) project is a multicenter prospective Lombardia region study aimed at applying innovative genetic technologies and accurate patient phenotyping to discover the genetic basis of SVD.

Specific inhalation challenge in the diagnosis of occupational asthma: consensus statement.

This consensus statement provides practical recommendations for specific inhalation challenge (SIC) in the diagnosis of occupational asthma. They are derived from a systematic literature search, a census of active European centres, a Delphi conference and expert consensus. This article details each step of a SIC, including safety requirements, techniques for delivering agents, and methods for assessing and interpreting bronchial responses.

Nose and lungs: one way, one disease.

It's well established that asthma, allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis are three closely related disease. In pediatrics, these conditions represent a common issue in daily practice. The scientific community has recently started to simply evaluate them as different manifestations of a common pathogenic phenomenon.

Biosensing and environmental sensing for emergency and protection e-Textiles.

The ProeTEX project introduced for the first time a complete set of smart garments integrating sensors for the physiological and environmental monitoring of emergency operators. These "smart" garments have been deeply tested in emergency-like contexts by professional rescuers, in order to assess real-time acquisition, processing and transmission of data from moving subjects while operating in harsh conditions. Here we report an overview of the main results obtained during field trials performed in 2010 by Italian and French professional firefighters, in specialized training centers, while dressing the ProeTEX prototypes.

Electrolytes for solid-state lithium rechargeable batteries: recent advances and perspectives.

This critical review presents an overview of the various classes of Li(+) conductors for use as electrolytes in lithium polymer batteries and all-solid state microbatteries. Initially, we recall the main models for ion transport and the structure-transport relationships at the basis of the observed conductivity behaviours. Emphasis is then placed on the physico-chemical and functional parameters relevant for optimal electrolytes preparation, as well as on the techniques of choice for their evaluation.

Predicting losses of balance during upright stance: evaluation of a novel approach based on wearable accelerometers.

The study of postural sway during quiet stance has proved to be a useful approach to investigate the function of the balance system. Recent studies have suggested that providing information on postural sway to vestibular patients through biofeedback may improve their balance awareness and therefore reduce their risk of falling. One drawback common to these approaches is related to timing: informing a patient about current balance conditions may not allow enough time to react and avoid a fall.