Highlights • Melanoma and mesothelioma show a statistically significant co-occurrence in the general population. • Inherited melanoma and mesothelioma predisposition is shown by individual with ...germline mutations in BAP1. • This paper reports a patient with mesothelioma who carried a germline mutation in CDKN2A , a gene involved in familial melanoma. Thus, CDKN2A may also predispose to both these tumors. • This paper also suggests that other genes could be involved in this predisposition, because families with cases of both melanoma and mesothelioma and no mutations in either BAP1 or CDKN2A are presented. • Since BAP1 and CDKN2A are somatically mutated in both cancers, our results suggest that these tumors may share common stepwise carcinogenic pathways.
Creatine as an antioxidant Sestili, Piero; Martinelli, C.; Colombo, E. ...
Amino acids,
05/2011, Letnik:
40, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Creatine monohydrate (Cr), the most diffuse supplement in the sports industry, is receiving greater attention because of its beneficial effects in a wide number of human degenerative diseases and ...conditions. These effects can be barely explained on the basis of the sole ergogenic role of the Cr/CrP system. Indeed, a wide number of research articles indicate that Cr is capable of exerting multiple, non-energy related, effects on diverse and relevant cellular targets. Among these effects, the antioxidant activity of Cr emerges as an additional mechanism which is likely to play a supportive role in the Cr-cytoprotection paradigm.
Abstract
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) currently in operation feature large mirrors and order of 1 ns time response to signals of a few photo-electrons produced by optical photons. ...This means that they are ideally suited for optical interferometry observations. Thanks to their sensitivity to visible wavelengths and long baselines optical intensity interferometry with IACTs allows reaching angular resolutions of tens to microarcsec. We have installed a simple optical setup on top of the cameras of the two 17 m diameter MAGIC IACTs and observed coherent fluctuations in the photon intensity measured at the two telescopes for three different stars. The sensitivity is roughly 10 times better than that achieved in the 1970’s with the Narrabri interferometer.
Using DFT computational methods, single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) are explored in different geometric configurations (armchair, chiral and zigzag) doped with Fe. Geometry, electronic structure ...and magnetic properties are investigated for all systems, in order to evaluate a potential application of these structures as electrocatalysts in efficient and low-cost fuel cells. In search for a better electrode material, we turn our attention on nature for help. Oxygen molecules are well-known to reveal a remarkable affinity to the heme group. Therefore, we model the adsorption/dissociative behavior of oxygen molecules on carbon nanotubes doped with Fe atoms. We analyze in detail the effect of the chiral nature of carbon nanotubes that governs their electric, magnetic and chemical behavior. Our results indicate that the dissociation phenomenon involving the armchair (5,5) Fe@CNT is more favored than other chiralities and other doped CNT systems, leading to the lowest activation barrier.
Fe-doped carbon nanotubes are proposed as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The armchair (5,5) Fe@CNT shows the lowest activation energy for the reaction and a superoxide anion radical (O
2
&z.rad;
−
) is formed in an adsorbed state.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to progressive and irreversible muscle atrophy. The diagnosis of ALS is time-consuming and complex, with the clinical and ...neurophysiological evaluation accompanied by monitoring of progression and a long procedure for the discrimination of similar neurodegenerative diseases. The delayed diagnosis strongly slows the potential development of adequate therapies and the time frame for a prompt intervention. The discovery of new biomarkers could improve the disease diagnosis, as well as the therapeutic and rehabilitative effectiveness and monitoring of the pathological progression. In this work saliva collected from 19 patients with ALS, 10 affected by Parkinson's disease, 10 affected by Alzheimer's disease and 10 healthy subjects, was analysed using Raman spectroscopy, optimizing the parameters for detailed and reproducible spectra. The statistical multivariate analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between the groups, allowing the discrimination of the disease onset. Correlation of Raman data revealed a direct relationship with paraclinical scores, identifying multifactorial biochemical modifications related to the pathology. The proposed approach showed a promising accuracy in ALS onset discrimination, using a fast and sensitive procedure that can make more efficient the diagnostic procedure and the monitoring of therapeutic and rehabilitative processes in ALS.
Dogs have been shown to use human-directed gazing behaviour and gaze alternation in numerous contexts; however, it is still unclear whether this behaviour can be considered an intentional and ...referential communicative act. In the current study, adult dogs and preverbal toddlers were tested using the classic unsolvable task paradigm, but varying the attentional stance of the participating audience (the experimenter and the caregiver). The aims were to assess (1) whether dogs and toddlers would use gaze alternation behaviour in similar manners when the task became unsolvable, and (2) whether both dogs and toddlers would take into account the attentional stance of the audience when initiating a communicative interaction. Results indicated that both toddlers and dogs increased their gaze alternation behaviour between the apparatus and caregiver when the task became unsolvable, and toddlers also showed an increase in pointing behaviour. Furthermore, both species showed a capacity to take into account the attentional stance of the audience when manifesting gaze alternation behaviours towards them. Taken together, these results suggest that gaze alternation is both an intentional and referential communicative act and that both species can take into account the need for audience attention when communicating with them.
We study the subsets
V
k
(
A
)
of a complex abelian variety
A
consisting in the collection of points
x
∈
A
such that the zero-cycle
{
x
}
-
{
0
A
}
is
k
-nilpotent with respect to the Pontryagin ...product in the Chow group. These sets were introduced recently by Voisin and she showed that
dim
V
k
(
A
)
≤
k
-
1
and
dim
V
k
(
A
)
is countable for a very general abelian variety of dimension at least
2
k
-
1
. We study in particular the locus
V
g
,
2
in the moduli space of abelian varieties of dimension
g
with a fixed polarization, where
V
2
(
A
)
is positive dimensional. We prove that an irreducible subvariety
Y
⊂
V
g
,
2
,
g
≥
3
, such that for a very general
y
∈
Y
there is a curve in
V
2
(
A
y
)
generating
A
satisfies
dim
Y
≤
2
g
-
1
.
The hyperelliptic locus shows that this bound is sharp.
The mechanism of methanol oxidation on a Au/TiO
2
catalyst was investigated by combining in situ modulation-excitation diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (MES-DRIFT) with periodic density ...functional theory (DFT). Adsorbed reaction intermediates and spectators were identified. Methanol dissociatively adsorbs as a methoxy (
CH
3
O
) species on the titania surface, and stepwise oxidizes to formate, carboxyl and CO, carbonates and CO
2
at the Au/
TiO
2
interface. The role of the metal-support interface is clearly observed experimental and theoretically according to a metal–Au-assisted Mars van Krevelen mechanism. Energy barriers were calculated for each elementary step, and the methoxy oxidation was found to be the rate-limiting step in the proposed scenario.
Background and aim: There are limited evidence based data concerning the use of azathioprine in ulcerative colitis. We aimed to compare the efficacy of azathioprine and oral 5-aminosalicylic acid in ...inducing remission of steroid dependent ulcerative colitis. Methods: Seventy two patients with steroid dependent ulcerative colitis were admitted to this investigator-blind study. Steroid dependence was defined as a requirement for steroid therapy ⩾10 mg/day during the preceding six months, with at least two attempts to discontinue the medication. The disease had to be clinically and endoscopically active at study entry, and all patients were taking systemic prednisolone (40 mg/day). Patients were randomised to receive azathioprine 2 mg/kg/day or oral 5-aminosalicylic acid 3.2 g/day, for a six month follow up period. The outcome of the treatment was defined as (1) success, indicating induction of clinical and endoscopic remission and steroid discontinuation, or (2) failure, indicating the absence of clinical and endoscopic remission and therefore the need for at least one further cycle of systemic steroids to control symptoms, apart from the initial one, or colectomy. Results: Significantly more patients in the azathioprine than in the 5-aminosalicylic acid group had clinical and endoscopic remission, and discontinued steroid therapy, both in the intention to treat (azathioprine v 5-aminosalicylic acid: 19/36 patients (53%) v 7/36 (21%); odds ratio (OR) 4.78 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57–14.5)) and per protocol (azathioprine v 5-aminosalicylic acid: 19/33 patients (58%) v 7/34 (21%); OR 5.26 (95% CI 1.59–18.1)) analysis. Conclusions: Azathioprine is significantly more effective than 5-aminosalicylic acid in inducing clinical and endoscopic remission and avoiding steroid requirement in the treatment of steroid dependent ulcerative colitis.
Nutritional strategies that optimize immunity of feedlot cattle are warranted due to increasing regulations with the use of feed-grade antimicrobials. This study evaluated physiological, health, and ...performance responses of cattle receiving a synbiotic supplement (yeast-derived prebiotic + Bacillus subtilis probiotic), which replaced feed-grade antimicrobials or were fed in conjunction with monensin during the initial 45 days in the feedlot. Angus-influenced steers (n = 256) were acquired from an auction facility on day −2, and transported (800 km) to the feedlot. Shrunk BW was recorded upon arrival (day −1). Steers were allocated to 1 of 18 pens (day 0), and pens were assigned to receive (n = 6/treatment) a free-choice diet containing: (1) monensin and tylosin (RT; 360 mg/steer daily from Rumensin and 90 mg/steer daily from Tylan; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN, USA), (2) yeast-derived ingredient and B. subtilis probiotic (CC; 18 g/steer daily of Celmanax and 28 g/steer daily of Certillus; Church and Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA), or (3) monensin in addition to yeast-derived and B. subtilis ingredients (RCC) as in RT and CC. Steers were assessed for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and DMI daily. Steer BW was recorded on days 45 and 46, and averaged for final BW. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, 17, 31, and 45. Feed intake was greater (P ≤ 0.05) in CC vs. RCC and RT during the initial 3 weeks upon feedlot arrival. No treatment differences were noted (P ≥ 0.41) for average daily gain, BW, and feed efficiency. Incidence of BRD did not differ (P = 0.77) between treatments (average 80.1%). A greater proportion (P ≤ 0.03) of RT steers diagnosed with BRD required a second antimicrobial treatment compared with CC and RCC (57.3, 37.3, and 38.6%, respectively). Removal of steers from the trial due to severe morbidity + mortality was greater (P = 0.02) in RT vs. CC (22.4 and 7.0%), and did not differ (P ≥ 0.16) among RCC (12.9%) vs. RT and CC. Plasma glucose concentrations were greater (P ≤ 0.02) in CC vs. RCC and RT on day 7. Plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids were greater (P ≤ 0.02) in RT and RCC vs. CC on day 7, and in RT vs. CC on day 17. Steers receiving the synbiotic supplement had improved response to BRD treatment, suggesting heightened immunocompetence from partially enhanced metabolism and the nutraceutical effects of B. subtilis and yeast compounds.
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