Explore the vast range of titles available.

Today industrial electroplating is mainly carried out using direct current even if the use of modulated currents could offer greats opportunities. Adjusting the amplitude and length of the current’s pulses it is possible to control grain size, porosity and homogeneity of the deposits; the use of modulated currents could also decrease the environmental impact of deposition processes as they require a much lower percentage of organic additives. The aim of this work is to assess, through both theoretical and experimental investigation, how the deposition parameters affect the various characteristics of the deposit. We used a commercial acid copper bath for the depositions performing both pulse and reverse pulse sequences. The coatings have been characterised by estimating the deposition yield, homogeneity, hardness and reflectivity. Using pulsed currents, we obtained shinier and brighter films respect to those produced with stationary currents; the deposition efficiency was also improved. Bipolar currents, on the other hand, favour more homogeneous deposits over the entire deposition area, and are less affected by the edge effect.

CdSe electrodeposition on n-Si (100) substrate was investigated in sulfuric acid solution. The behaviour and the deposition of the precursors (Cd and Se) were studied separately at first. Then, we explored both the alternated deposition, one layer by one, as well as the simultaneous co-deposition of the two elements to form the CdSe semiconductor. Varying the deposition conditions, we were able to obtain nanoparticles, or a thin film, on the surface of the electrode. The samples were then characterised microscopically and spectroscopically with SEM, XRD and XPS. Finally, we evaluated the induced photoemission of the deposit for the application in optoelectronics.

We examined 29 autopsy cases (investigated between October 2020 and February 2021) whose postmortem swabs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Twenty-two of 29 cases died while hospitalized (H), while the remaining 7 cases were not hospitalized (NH). Since we included only cases in which the time since death was known (excluding unwitnessed NH deaths), the interval between death and postmortem swab(s) was registered, with a mean NH value of 5.50 days and a mean H value of 3.98 days. The mean age of NH was 65 years, while H were older (mean age: 73 years). Twenty-eight nasopharyngeal and 27 lungs postmortem swabs were obtained and real-time reverse transcriptase‒polymerase chain reaction assay for total and replicative SARS-CoV-2 RNA and mRNA detection was performed. Although the mean death-postmortem swabs interval was higher in NH than in H, the mean viral load of NH was higher than that of H (2.53 × 1011 copies/mL vs 9.31 × 108 copies/mL). In 13/29 cases (6 NH and 7 H), indicators of active replication were found. The relationship between the presence of replicative mRNA and death without hospitalization and that between the minimum cycle threshold value of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the cycle threshold value of replicative SARS-CoV-2 mRNA were found to be statistically significant (with respective P values of 0.013 and 0.000). Therefore, especially in NH, full compliance with guidelines on biological safety in the autopsy room is essential, and no autopsy can be performed on infected cases in a structure that does not meet the established safety criteria.

Background The standard treatment for localized/locally advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) is radical surgery and peri-operative FLOT treatment (5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel), but around half patients still experience disease relapse. In gastrointestinal cancers, the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after surgery is associated with a high risk of relapse, and the lack of ctDNA clearance after post-operative treatment is strongly associated with early relapse. Therefore, liquid biopsy may guide the selection of patients with micrometastatic disease after preoperative chemotherapy and surgery for non-cross resistant regimens in the post-operative setting. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is approved in patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma after failure of at least one prior trastuzumab-based regimen. The DESTINY-Gastric01 and 02 trials showed remarkable activity and efficacy of T-DXd, thus supporting the investigation of this agent in early-stage disease to increase the chance of achieving disease eradication. Finally, the DESTINY-Gastric03 trial showed the safety profile and feasibility, with preliminary promising activity results of the combination of T-DXd with a fluoropyrimidine. Trial design TRINITY is an ongoing multicentre, randomized, open-label, interventional phase II study which will enroll approximately 46 patients with HER2-positive GEA, treated with pre-operative FLOT and radical surgery, and with the persistence of minimal residual disease detected by the Signatera™ assay in a liquid biopsy collected between 2 and 6 weeks after surgery. The trial is designed with an observational phase enrolling patients with HER2-positive GEA eligible for standard treatment with peri-operative FLOT and surgery. Eligible patients will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to the experimental treatment arm consisting of adjuvant T-DXd (6.4 mg/kg IV on day 1) plus either capecitabine (1000 mg/sqm BID orally on days 1–14) or 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/sqm continuous IV infusion on days 1–5) Q3 W for 6 cycles, or to the control arm with standard post-operative FLOT (at the same dose used during the last pre-operative cycle) for 4 cycles. Patients non-eligible for the interventional trial will continue the standard therapy and follow-up in the frame of the observational phase with collection of exploratory longitudinal liquid biopsies. The primary objective is ctDNA clearance at 1 year after randomization. Considering alpha- and beta-errors of 0.10 and 0.20 and hypothesizing a ctDNA clearance of 10% and 35% in the control and experimental arm, respectively, 23 patients per arm are required to prove the superiority of the experimental strategy. Secondary endpoints include disease-free survival, overall survival, metastases-free survival, patient-reported outcomes and safety. The trial also represents a translational platform, including extensive analysis of circulating, tissue, and immune biomarkers as exploratory endpoints. Enrollment is active and ongoing. Trial registration TRINITY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06253650).

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term effects on retinal structure and visual function of oral bromelain and curcumin supplementation in patients with inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD) complicated by persistent cystoid macular oedema (CMO). Methods: We retrospectively studied 20 eyes with genetically confirmed IRD complicated by CMO, with refractory to systemic or local treatments performed for 6 months. We collected baseline (V1) and follow-up (V2) data from these IRD-CMO patients, who were continuously supplemented with oral bromelain and curcumin for 12 months. Outcome measures were the Snellen best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) values, collected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Based on OCT scans, we classified IRD-CMO as microcystic or macrocystic, performing this sub-grouping in two eye cohorts (n = 10). Baseline median BCVA and CMT differences in both groups were verified (Mann–Whitney test). For both CMO groups, changes from V1 to V2 in median BCVA and CMT values were evaluated (Friedman test). Results: At baseline, both the median BCVA and CMT values were significantly different in both groups (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). Between V1 and V2, in the microcystic CMO group, a slightly improved median BCVA was found, whereas the median CMT was reduced; however, this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.6 and p = 0.2, respectively). In the macrocystic CMO group, a significant stable median BCVA was found from V1 to V2, with concomitant significant reduction in median CMT (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). Conclusions: Retinal structural improvement and visual function preservation were observed after oral bromelain and curcumin supplementation in macrocystic IRD-CMO. It is likely that the vasogenic component in macrocystic CMO is more responsive to nutraceutical molecules than the degenerative microcystic component.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) comprises a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by the progressive degeneration of photoreceptors, leading to night blindness and gradual loss of peripheral vision. RP is characterized by a substantial genetic heterogeneity, with more than 85 genes implicated across autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked inheritance patterns. Recent studies have identified mutations in the ARL3 gene as a causative factor in both syndromic and non-syndromic forms of RP, including autosomal dominant and recessive cases. ARL3 encodes a small GTPase that plays a crucial role in intracellular trafficking, particularly within photoreceptors. This process is critical for maintaining ciliary function and phototransduction. Here, we investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of the ARL3 c.199G>C (p.Asp67His) variant identified in individuals from a four-generation family. We show that mutant ARL3 disrupts normal protein expression and affects ciliogenesis. Clinically affected individuals showed a non-syndromic retinal degenerative RP phenotype, with marked intrafamilial heterogeneity, ranging from extensive retinal atrophy to the absence of clinical manifestation, independent of age. This report highlights the incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity associated with the ARL3 variant and emphasizes the value of combining molecular diagnostics with functional validation to expedite molecular diagnosis.

Introduction: Acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease are considered conditions that can increase the mortality and severity of COVID-19. However, few studies have investigated the impact of creatinine levels on COVID-19 progression in patients without a history of chronic kidney disease. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of creatinine levels at hospital admission on COVID-19 progression and mortality. Methods: We performed a multicenter, observational, retrospective study involving seventeen COVID-19 Units in the Campania region in southern Italy. All adult (≥18 years) patients, hospitalized with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by a positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on a naso-oropharyngeal swab, from 28 February 2020 to 31 May 2021, were enrolled in the CoviCamp cohort. Results: Evaluating inclusion/exclusion criteria, 1357 patients were included. Considering in-hospital mortality and creatinine value at admission, the best cut-off point to discriminate a death during hospitalization was 1.115 mg/dL. The logistic regression demonstrated that factors independently associated with mortality were age (OR 1.082, CI: 1.054–1.110), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (OR 1.341, CI: 1.178–1.526), and an abnormal creatinine value at admission, defined as equal to or above 1.12 mg/dL (OR 2.233, CI: 1.373–3.634). Discussion: In conclusion, our study is in line with previous studies confirming that the creatinine serum level can predict mortality in COVID-19 patients and defining that the best cut-off of the creatinine serum level at admission to predict mortality was 1.12 mg/dL.

H+/K+ ATPase Type 2 is an heteromeric membrane protein involved in cation transmembrane transport and consists of two subunits: a specific α subunit (ATP12A) and a non-specific β subunit. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence and establish the localization of ATP12A in spermatozoa from Bubalus bubalis, Bos taurus and Ovis aries. Immunoblotting revealed, in all three species, a major band (100 kDa) corresponding to the expected molecular mass. The ATP12A immunolocalization pattern showed, consistently in the three species, a strong signal at the acrosome. These results, described here for the first time in spermatozoa, are consistent with those observed for the β1 subunit of Na+/K+ ATPase, suggesting that the latter may assemble with the α subunit to produce a functional ATP12A dimer in sperm cells. The above scenario appeared to be nicely supported by 3D comparative modeling and interaction energy calculations. The expression of ATP12A during different stages of bovine sperm maturation progressively increased, moving from epididymis to deferent ducts. Based on overall results, we hypothesize that ATP12A may play a role in acrosome reactions. Further studies will be required in order to address the functional role of this target protein in sperm physiology.