Explore the vast range of titles available.

Despite the demonstrated exercise-induced increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, growing epidemiological evidence indicates that habitual, moderate physical activity reduces the incidence of several oxidative stress-based diseases. This apparent paradox can be explained taking into account that ROS produced during repeated exercise bouts may act as mild stressors able to trigger physiological and biomolecular hormetic responses through a number of redox-sensitive transcription pathways. Unfortunately, much more limited information is available from general population-based research, which could better reflect the condition of common people interested in achieving and maintaining good fitness levels. The present work aimed at investigating whether and how exercise-related habits in non-professional regular runners (n=33) can affect the systemic anti-oxidative capacity, and the resting serum levels of typical lipid peroxidation-related by-products and oxidativelydamaged proteins, in comparison with untrained sedentary individuals (n=25). We also analyzed in both groups the redox response elicited by a modified Bruce-based maximal exercise test on the same parameters. Our findings indicated that longterm regular and moderate practice of aerobic physical activity can increase antioxidant defense systems, lower the resting protein oxidation processes and reduce the immediate upregulation of lipid-targeting oxidative stress in response to an acute bout of exercise.

Barrett's epithelium (BE), defined as endoscopically visible, histologically proved intestinal-type epithelium in the esophagus, is considered the ultimate consequence of long-standing gastro(duodeno)esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Recent reports suggest that effective antireflux therapy may promote the regression of this metaplastic process. This study aimed to establish whether antireflux surgery (laparoscopic fundoplication) can induce any endoscopic and/or histologic changes in BE. Thirty-five consecutive cases of BE (11 short-segment [SBE] and 24 long-segment [LBE]) were considered. All patients underwent extensive biopsy sampling before and after surgery (mean follow-up, 28 months; range, 12–99 mo). In all cases, (a) intestinal metaplasia (IM) extension (H&E), (b) IM phenotype (high-iron diamine [HID]), and (c) Cdx2 immunohistochemical expression were histologically scored in the biopsy material obtained before and after fundoplication. After surgery, a significant decrease in IM extension and a shift from incomplete- to complete-type IM were documented in SBE. No significant changes occurred in the LBE group in terms of IM extension or histochemical phenotype. A drop in the immunohistochemical expression of Cdx2 protein was also only documented in the SBE group. Antireflux surgery significantly modifies the histologic phenotype of SBE, but not of LBE.

The potentialities of silicon as a starting material for electronic devices are well known and largely exploited, driving the worldwide spreading of integrated circuits. When nanostructured, silicon is also an excellent material for thermoelectric applications, and hence it could give a significant contribution in the fundamental fields of energy micro-harvesting (scavenging) and macro-harvesting. On the basis of recently published experimental works, we show that the power factor of silicon is very high in a large temperature range (from room temperature up to 900 K). Combining the high power factor with the reduced thermal conductivity of monocrystalline silicon nanowires and nanostructures, we show that the foreseen figure of merit ZT could be very high, reaching values well above 1 at temperatures around 900 K. We report the best parameters to optimize the thermoelectric properties of silicon nanostructures, in terms of doping concentration and nanowire diameter. At the end, we report some technological processes and solutions for the fabrication of macroscopic thermoelectric devices, based on large numbers of silicon nanowire/nanostructures, showing some fabricated demonstrators.

Background: The available classifications of gastritis are inconsistently used, possibly because none provides immediate prognostic/therapeutic information to clinicians. As histology reporting of hepatitis in terms of stage is clinically useful and widely accepted, an international group (Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA)) proposed an equivalent staging system for reporting gastric histology. Gastritis staging integrates the atrophy score (obtained by biopsy) and the atrophy topography (achieved through directed biopsy mapping). Aim: To test in a prospective cross-sectional study whether OLGA staging consistently stratified patients according to their cancer risk and provided clear prognostic/therapeutic information. Methods: OLGA staging for gastric cancer risk (0–IV) and gastritis grading (overall score of the inflammatory infiltrate, grade 1–4) were applied in 439 prospectively enrolled, consecutive, dyspeptic outpatients who underwent endoscopy with standardised biopsy sampling. Incidental neoplastic lesions and coexisting peptic ulcers were recorded. Results were presented as stage (including antral (A) and corpus (C) atrophy scores) and H pylori status (eg, A = 3; C = 2: stage IV; Hp+ve). Results: Benign conditions (including duodenal ulcers; p<0.001) consistently clustered in stages 0–II, whereas all neoplastic (invasive and non-invasive) lesions clustered in stages III–IV (p<0.001). Conclusions: Gastritis staging, combined with H pylori status, provided clinically relevant information on the overall status of the gastric mucosa with implications for prognosis, therapy and management.

Microglia and astrocytes are the main CNS glial cells responsible for the neuroinflammatory response, where they release a plethora of cytokines into the CNS inflammatory milieu. The TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) receptors and their main ligand Gas6 are regulators of this response, however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined. We investigated the ability of Gas6 to modulate the CNS glial inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a strong pro-inflammatory agent, through a qPCR array that explored Toll-like receptor signalling pathway-associated genes in primary cultured mouse microglia. We identified the Csf2 gene, encoding granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), as a major Gas6 target gene whose induction by LPS was markedly blunted by Gas6. Both the Csf2 gene induction and the suppressive effect of Gas6 on this were emulated through measurement of GM-CSF protein release by cells. We found distinct profiles of GM-CSF induction in different glial cell types, with microglia being most responsive during inflammation. Also, Gas6 markedly inhibited the LPS-stimulated nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 protein in microglia. These results illustrate microglia as a major resident CNS cellular source of GM-CSF as part of the neuroinflammatory response, and that Gas6/TAM signalling inhibits this response through suppression of NF-κB signalling.

Background:The health benefits of plant polyphenols have stimulated a growing interest in the scientific community. Their ability to influence various pathological processes has been demonstrated in several in vitro and in vivo disease models [1]. We have recently shown that polydatin, a stilbenoid and precursor of resveratrol, is capable of preventing calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal-induced arthritis in mice [2].Objectives:The aim of this study was to investigate some potential mechanisms of action associated with this anti-inflammatory effect.Methods:Acute arthritis was induced by injection of a suspension of sterile CPP crystals into the ankle joint of Balb/c mice. Animals were randomised to receive polydatin or colchicine (the control drug) according to a prophylactic protocol. Ankle swelling (primary outcome) was measured at different time points before and after CPP injection. Both joints and muscles were harvested at sacrifice. Histological parameters were assessed by H&E, safranin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Muscle damage was evaluated by H&E staining, while Kondziela’s inverted test was used to assess muscle strength. A cytokine antibody array (Ray-Biotech) was performed on the joint tissue.Results:Injection of CPP crystals into the ankle resulted in oedema with evident swelling (primary outcome), moderate areas of leukocyte infiltration, loss of homogeneity of synovial membrane structure, moderate to severe loss of proteoglycan in the superficial hyaline layer of cartilage with damage extending into the underlying region. Mice pretreated with polydatin showed reduced ankle swelling 48 hours after crystal injection, similar to that seen after colchicine pretreatment. This was associated with very limited inflammatory damage, with moderate and focal zones of proteoglycan loss and significant preservation of cartilage and bone structures. Intact cartilage and bone surfaces were observed in untreated joints. Regarding the effect on gastrocnemius muscle, CPP crystals induced leukocyte infiltration, loss of muscle fibres and eosinophilic degenerative fibres with enlarged interstitial areas due to increased muscle oedema. In PD- and colchicine-treated mice, muscle damage was limited and the musculoskeletal structure was generally preserved. The cytokine array showed the activation of different inflammatory pathways after CPP injection. PD showed to strongly influence leukocyte migration (MIP-1G, L-selectin, CXCL16, BLC), angiogenesis (VEGF, VEGF-R2, VEGF-R3, MMP-3) and resolution of inflammation (sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII).Conclusion:PD effectively prevents the acute inflammatory response to CPP crystals in mice, preserving both articular and muscular structures. The most affected pathways involve leukocyte migration and the angiogenic process.REFERENCES:[1] Oliviero F, Scanu A, Zamudio-Cuevas Y, Punzi L, Spinella P. Anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols in arthritis. J Sci Food Agric. 2018;98:1653-1659. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.8664.[2] Oliviero F, Galozzi P, Scanu A, et al. Polydatin Prevents Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal-Induced Arthritis in Mice. Nutrients. 2021;13:929. doi: 10.3390/nu13030929.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

Complementary electronics has represented the corner stone of the digital era, and silicon technology has enabled this accomplishment. At the dawn of the flexible and wearable electronics age, the seek for new materials enabling the integration of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology on flexible substrates, finds in low-dimensional materials (either 1D or 2D) extraordinary candidates. Here, we show that the main building blocks for digital electronics can be obtained by exploiting 2D materials like molybdenum disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride and 1D materials such as carbon nanotubes through the inkjet-printing technique. In particular, we show that the proposed approach enables the fabrication of logic gates and a basic sequential network on a flexible substrate such as paper, with a performance already comparable with mainstream organic technology.

Only a minority of cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) have a poor clinical outcome. Clinical outcomes and molecular aspects were assessed in: 144 DTC ≤ 40 mm without distant metastases (group 1); 50 DTC > 40 mm without distant metastases (group 2); and 46 DTC with distant metastases (group 3). Group 3 had a worse outcome than the other two groups: during the follow-up, patients more frequently had persistent disease, died, or underwent further treatment. The outcomes did not differ between groups 1 and 2. Group 3 had a higher prevalence of TERT promoter mutations than group 2 (32.6% vs 14%). Group 1 had a higher frequency of BRAF mutations than groups 2 or 3 (61.1% vs 16.0% and 26.1%, respectively), while RAS mutations were more common in group 2 than in groups 1 and 3 (16.0% vs 2.1% and 6.5%, respectively). Groups 1 and 2 shared the same outcome, but were genetically distinct. Only lymph node involvement, distant metastases, older age and (among the molecular markers) TERT promoter mutations were independent predictors of a worse outcome. Metastatic DTC had the worst outcome, while the outcome was identical for large and small non-metastatic DTC, although they showed different molecular patterns. TERT promoter mutations emerged as an independent factor pointing to a poor prognosis.

Background Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome (HPT-JT) is a rare disease caused by CDC73 germline mutations, with familial primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), ossifying jaw tumors, genito-urinary neoplasms. The present study was aimed at determining the long-term postoperative outcome of parathyroidectomy in HPT-JT. Methods A retrospective analysis of a single-center series of 20 patients from five unrelated HPT-JT families undergoing parathyroid surgery was performed. Results Pathology confirmed a single-gland involvement in 95% of cases at onset. Parathyroid carcinoma occurred in three patients undergoing en-bloc parathyroidectomy and thyroid lobectomy: parathyroid benign lesions in 17 patients undergoing subtotal parathyroidectomy for evident multiglandular involvement ( n  = 1) or selective parathyroidectomy for single-gland involvement ( n  = 16), during bilateral ( n  = 13) or targeted unilateral neck exploration ( n  = 7). At a median overall follow-up of 16 years (range 2.5–42), patients with parathyroid carcinoma had a persistent/recurrent disease in 66.6%; patients with benign lesions had recurrent pHPT in 23.5% after a prolonged disease-free period; recurrent benign pHPT occurred slightly more often in cases of discordant preoperative localization (60% vs 9%; p  = 0.06). Conclusion pHPT in HPT-JT is generally characterized by a benign and single-gland involvement, with a relatively increased risk of malignancy (15%). Parathyroid carcinoma needs extensive surgery because of high risk of permanent/recurrent disease (66.6%). In benign involvement, targeted unilateral exploration with selective parathyroidectomy may be effective in cases of concordant single-gland localization at preoperative localization imaging techniques. Bilateral neck exploration with subtotal parathyroidectomy might be preferred in cases of negative or discordant preoperative localization, because of the increased risk of multiglandular involvement and long-term recurrences (23.5%).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by pain and cartilage damage. Intra-articular (i.a) viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid (HA) is frequently used for the management of OA. Preclinical studies have reported that bisphosphonates (BPs) may have a therapeutic potential to slow down or reverse the progression of OA. Among these, alendronate (ALN) has demonstrated chondroprotective effects in both in vitro and vivo experiments. This study evaluated the effects of a novel alendronate-hyaluronic acid (ALN-HA) conjugate on an OA in vivo model induced by medial meniscus destabilization (DMM). DMM surgery was performed on the knees of Sprague Dawley rats that received, after four weeks, one intra-articular (i.a.) injection of: (1) ALN-HA; (2) HA; (3) sodium chloride (NaCl). Sham-operated rats were used as control. Allodynia was assessed by Von Frey test. Joint degeneration was evaluated eight weeks after treatment by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), histology, and immunohistochemistry. Collagen cross-linked C-telopeptides (CTX-I and CTX-II) serum levels were determined by ELISA. Paw withdrawal threshold increased in ALN-HA group when compared to rats treated with NaCl or HA. Micro-CT did not show differences between ALN-HA, HA and NaCl groups. ALN-HA injection produced significant improvements in articular cartilage degeneration showing an OARSI score lower than those of HA and NaCl, and reduced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, MMP-3, interleukin-6, vascular endothelial growth factor and Caspase-3 expression. CTX-I was reduced after ALN-HA treatment when compared to NaCl. Our results indicate that i.a. use of ALN after conjugation with HA limits OA development and progression in the rat DMM model, and may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies in OA management.