A gait-based paradigm to investigate central body representation in cervical dystonia patients

BACKGROUND

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a common adult-onset idiopathic form of dystonia characterized by an abnormal head posture caused by an excessive activity of the neck muscles. The position of the head is important to direct viewpoint in the rounding environment, and the body orientation, during gait, must be coherent with the subjective straight ahead (SSA). An alteration of the SSA, as in the case of CD patients, could affect gait when visual input is not available. The aim of this study was to probe the behavior of patients with CD during blindfolded walking, investigating the ability to walk straight ahead based only on somatosensory and vestibular information.

METHODS

In this observational cross-sectional study, patients with CD and healthy control subjects (HC) were compared. All participants were evaluated through a gait analysis during blindfolded walking on a GAITRite carpet, relying on their own sense of straightness.

RESULTS

Patients with CD showed lower values of path length (p < 0.001), a lower number of steps on the carpet (p < 0.001). A higher number of CD patients deviated during the task, walking out of the carpet, (p < 0.005) compared to HS. No relation was found between the dystonic side and the gait trajectory deviation. A significant correlation was found between pain symptom and gait performance.

CONCLUSIONS

CD patients showed dysfunctions in controlling dynamic body location during walking without visual afferences, while the dystonic side does not seem to be related to the lateral deviation of the trajectory. Our results would assume that a general proprioceptive impairment could lead to an improper body position awareness in patients with CD.

Heparin-Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Theranostic Applications

In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were engineered with an organic coating composed of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), providing heparin-based nanoparticle systems (LMWH@SPIONs). The purpose was to merge the properties of the heparin skeleton and an inorganic core to build up a targeted theranostic nanosystem, which was eventually enhanced by loading a chemotherapeutic agent. Iron oxide cores were prepared via the co-precipitation of iron salts in an alkaline environment and oleic acid (OA) capping. Dopamine (DA) was covalently linked to BSA and LMWH by amide linkages via carbodiimide coupling. The following ligand exchange reaction between the DA-BSA/DA-LMWH and OA was conducted in a biphasic system composed of water and hexane, affording LMWH@SPIONs stabilized in water by polystyrene sulfonate (PSS). Their size and morphology were investigated via dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The LMWH@SPIONs’ cytotoxicity was tested, showing marginal or no toxicity for samples prepared with PSS at concentrations of 50 µg/mL. Their inhibitory activity on the heparanase enzyme was measured, showing an effective inhibition at concentrations comparable to G4000 (N-desulfo-N-acetyl heparin, a non-anticoagulant and antiheparanase heparin derivative; Roneparstat). The LMWH@SPION encapsulation of paclitaxel (PTX) enhanced the antitumor effect of this chemotherapeutic on breast cancer cells, likely due to an improved internalization of the nanoformulated drug with respect to the free molecule. Lastly, time-domain NMR (TD-NMR) experiments were conducted on LMWH@SPIONs obtaining relaxivity values within the same order of magnitude as currently used commercial contrast agents.

Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) e waist body mass index (wBMI): Which is better?

Obesity and overfat are most commonly assessed using the body mass index (BMI), which evaluates "total obesity", without accounting for body fat distribution. Therefore, several indexes of obesity have been proposed, combining BMI with other measures or singular parameters. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of a new, simple index that takes into account both BMI and Waist Circumference (WC), Waist Body Mass Index (wBMI) in comparison to BMI, WC e Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) for the identification of overfat and obese patients identified by fat mass percentage (FM%). 2400 non diabetic patients were enrolled. From the analysis carried out it emerges that wBMI, BMI, WC and WHtR all have a statistically significant positive correlation (p-Value < 0.001) with FM%. The multivariate analysis showed the positive relationship between these four indexes and the FM. To assess the accuracy of these indices in diagnosing the condition of overfat and obesity we used the statistical analysis Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). The Area Under the Curve (AUC) derived from the ROC showed that for the male gender the indicator with the greatest discriminating capacity of the conditions of overfat and obesity was the WHtR and the wBMI for the female gender. The wBMI is therefore configured as an additional tool at the disposal of the healthcare professional aimed at framing the overfat and obese patient and monitoring him during the course of treatment. Moreover wBMI is an indicator able to provide information about the FM% constituting an accurate tool for the evaluation of the overfat and obese patient.

Electrospun Silk Fibroin Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration: Chemical, Structural, and Toxicological Implications of the Formic Acid-Silk Fibroin Interaction

The dissolution of Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) films in formic acid (FA) for the preparation of electrospinning dopes is widely exploited to produce electrospun SF scaffolds. The SILKBridge^® nerve conduit is an example of medical device having in its wall structure an electrospun component produced from an FA spinning dope. Though highly volatile, residual FA remains trapped into the bulk of the SF nanofibers. The purpose of this work is to investigate the type and strength of the interaction between FA and SF in electrospun mats, to quantify its amount and to evaluate its possible toxicological impact on human health. The presence of residual FA in SF mats was detected by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (new carbonyl peak at about 1,725 cm⁻¹) and by solid state NMR, which revealed a new carbonyl signal at about 164.3 ppm, attributed to FA by isotopic ¹³C substitution. Changes occurred also in the spectral ranges of hydroxylated amino acids (Ser and Thr), demonstrating that FA interacted with SF by forming formyl esters. The total amount of FA was determined by HS-GC/MS analysis and accounted for 247 ± 20 μmol/g. The greatest part was present as formyl ester, a small part (about 3%) as free FA. Approximately 17% of the 1,500 μmol/g of hydroxy amino acids (Ser and Thr) theoretically available were involved in the formation of formyl esters. Treatment with alkali (Na₂CO₃) succeeded to remove the greatest part of FA, but not all. Alkali-treated electrospun SF mats underwent morphological, physical, and mechanical changes. The average diameter of the fibers increased from about 440 nm to about 480 nm, the mat shrunk, became stiffer (the modulus increased from about 5.5 MPa to about 7 MPa), and lost elasticity (the strain decreased from about 1 mm/mm to about 0.8 mm/mm). Biocompatibility studies with human adult dermal fibroblasts did not show significant difference in cell proliferation (313 ± 18 and 309 ± 23 cells/mm² for untreated and alkali-treated SF mat, respectively) and metabolic activity. An in-depth evaluation of the possible toxicological impact of residual FA was made using the SILKBridge^® nerve conduit as case study, following the provisions of the ISO 10993-1 standard. The Potential Patient Daily Intake, calculated from the total amount of FA determined by HS-GC/MS, was 2.4 mg/day and the Tolerable Exposure level was set to 35.4 mg/day. This allowed to obtain a value of the Margin of Safety of 15, indicating that the amount of FA left on SF mats after electrospinning does not raise concerns for human health.

Sorption of 4-n-nonylphenol, 4-n-octylphenol, and 4-tert-octyphenol on cyclodextrin polymers

Alkylphenols are industrial pollutants commonly present in wastewater. They are difficult to eliminate by conventional treatment processes, ending up in the sludge of wastewater treatment plants. In this study, we propose to use cross-linked cyclodextrin-based polymers (ECP) as sorbents to treat three alkylphenols, namely, one nonylphenol (4-n-NP) and two octylphenols (4-n-OP and 4-tert-OP), present in aqueous solution by a batch method. The experiments were carried out with five cyclodextrin polymers (α-ECP, β-ECP, γ-ECP, α,β,γ-ECP, and HP-β-ECP). Sorption results showed that all polymers, with the exception of α-ECP, had high sorption capacities between 60 and 100% of the alkylphenols in the concentration range studied (between 25 and 100 μg/L). In all cases, HP-β-ECP has shown the highest removals, regardless of the structure of the molecule. The order obtained was HP-β-ECP >> β-ECP ~ α,β,γ-ECP >> γ-ECP > α-ECP. The 4-tert-OP compound was the best adsorbed, regardless the material and the solution studied. Sorption results also indicated that (i) the sorption efficiency decreased with the increasing of alkylphenol concentration; (ii) sodium chloride had a strong negative effect on the sorption process; and (iii) the performance remained unchanged after five sorption-regeneration cycles. The main sorption mechanism of alkylphenols occurring in ECP was the inclusion within the cyclodextrin cavities. The obtained results proved that cyclodextrin polymers could serve as efficient sorbents for the removal of alkylphenols from real effluents.

Modulation of the N13 component of the somatosensory evoked potentials in an experimental model of central sensitization in humans

The N13 component of somatosensory evoked potential (N13 SEP) represents the segmental response of dorsal horn neurons. In this neurophysiological study, we aimed to verify whether N13 SEP might reflect excitability changes of dorsal horn neurons during central sensitization. In 22 healthy participants, we investigated how central sensitization induced by application of topical capsaicin to the ulnar nerve territory of the hand dorsum modulated N13 SEP elicited by ulnar nerve stimulation. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design, we also tested whether pregabalin, an analgesic drug with proven efficacy on the dorsal horn, influenced capsaicin-induced N13 SEP modulation. Topical application of capsaicin produced an area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia, a sign of central sensitization, and increased the N13 SEP amplitude but not the peripheral N9 nor the cortical N20-P25 amplitude. This increase in N13 SEP amplitude paralleled the mechanical hyperalgesia and persisted for 120 min. Pregabalin prevented the N13 SEP modulation associated with capsaicin-induced central sensitization, whereas capsaicin application still increased N13 SEP amplitude in the placebo treatment session. Our neurophysiological study showed that capsaicin application specifically modulates N13 SEP and that this modulation is prevented by pregabalin, thus suggesting that N13 SEP may reflect changes in dorsal horn excitability and represent a useful biomarker of central sensitization in human studies.

Effects of real-time continuous glucose monitoring in type 1 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIMS

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) represented a major breakthrough in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to assess the effect of continues glucose monitoring (CGM) and flash glucose monitoring (FGM), on glycemic control in type 1 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present analysis includes randomized clinical trials comparing CGM or FGM with SMBG, with a duration of at least 12 weeks, identified in Medline or clinicaltrials.gov. The principal endpoint was HbA1c at the end of the trial. A secondary endpoint was severe hypoglycemia. Mean and 95% confidence intervals for HbA1c and Mantel-Haenzel odds ratio [MH-OR] for severe hypoglycemia were calculated, using random effect models. A sensitivity analysis was performed using fixed effect models. In addition, the following secondary endpoints were explored, using the same methods: time in range, health-related quality of life, and treatment satisfaction. Separate analyses were performed for trials comparing CGM with SMBG, and those comparing CGM + CSII and SMBG + MDI and CGM-regulated insulin infusion system (CRIS) and CSII + SMBG.

RESULTS

CGM was associated with a significantly lower HbA1c at endpoint in comparison with SMBG (- 0.24 [- 0.34, - 0.13]%); CGM was associated with a significantly lower risk of severe hypoglycemia than SMBG. Treatment satisfaction and quality of life were not measured, or not reported, in the majority of studies. FGM showed a significant reduction in the incidence of mild hypoglycemia and an increased treatment satisfaction, but no significant results are shown in HbA1c. CGM + CSII in comparison with SMBG + MDI was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c. Only two trials with a duration of at least 12 weeks compared a CRIS with SMBG + CSII; HbA1c between the two treatment arms was not statistically significant (difference in means: - 0.23 [- 0.91; 0.46]%; p = 0.52).

CONCLUSION

GCM compared to SMBG has showed a reduction in HbA1c and severe hypoglycemia in patient with type 1 diabetes. The comparison between CGM + CSII and SMBG + MDI showed a large reduction in HbA1c; it is conceivable that the effects of CSII + CGM on glycemic control additives. The only comparison available between FGM and SMBG was conducted in patients in good control.

Simultaneous Removal of Inorganic and Organic Pollutants from Polycontaminated Wastewaters on Modified Hemp-Based Felts

In this study, an adsorption process using hemp-based materials in felt form was applied to remove between 45 and 53 contaminants present in wastewater from the surface treatment industry. Several materials were compared using batch experiments, including a felt made of 100% hemp fiber (HEMP), the same felt cross-linked with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (HEMPBA), a felt coated with a maltodextrin-1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic cross-linked polymer (HEMPM), and a felt coated with hydroxypropyl-a-cyclodextrin-1,2,3,4-butanetetra-carboxylic cross-linked polymer (HEMPCD). Chemical analysis showed that HEMPBA, HEMPM and HEMPCD materials had high adsorption capacities on metals in wastewater, confirming the role of carboxylic groups. Only HEMPCD was able to remove both metals and organics, resulting in the virtual elimination of organics such as chloroform, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and nonylphenol. This result demonstrated the important role of cyclodextrin molecules in adsorption mechanism. HEMPCD also resulted in an important decrease in residual chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon of more than 83% and 53%, respectively, while the treatment with HEMP lowered them by 12% and 12%, HEMPBA by 9% and 7%, and HEMPM by 45% and 26%. Chemical abatement and toxicity mitigation have demonstrated that adsorption onto a non-conventional material could be an interesting treatment step for the detoxification of wastewater.

Enisamium is an inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase and shows improvement of recovery in COVID-19 patients in an interim analysis of a clinical trial

Pandemic SARS-CoV-2 causes a mild to severe respiratory disease called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Control of SARS-CoV-2 spread will depend on vaccine-induced or naturally acquired protective herd immunity. Until then, antiviral strategies are needed to manage COVID-19, but approved antiviral treatments, such as remdesivir, can only be delivered intravenously. Enisamium (laboratory code FAV00A, trade name Amizon®) is an orally active inhibitor of influenza A and B viruses in cell culture and clinically approved in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Here we show that enisamium can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infections in NHBE and Caco-2 cells. In vitro, the previously identified enisamium metabolite VR17-04 directly inhibits the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that VR17-04 prevents GTP and UTP incorporation. To confirm enisamium's antiviral properties, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adult, hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which needed medical care either with or without supplementary oxygen. Patients received either enisamium (500 mg per dose) or placebo for 7 days. A pre-planned interim analysis showed in the subgroup of patients needing supplementary oxygen (n = 77) in the enisamium group a mean recovery time of 11.1 days, compared to 13.9 days for the placebo group (log-rank test; p=0.0259). No significant difference was found for all patients (n = 373) or those only needing medical care (n = 296). These results thus suggest that enisamium is an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 RNA synthesis and that enisamium treatment shortens the time to recovery for COVID-19 patients needing oxygen.

Effects of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed and oregano in autochthonous goat breeds on the fatty acid profile of milk and quality of Padraccio cheese

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of linseed and oregano supplementation to the diet of goats on fatty acid profile and sensory properties of Padraccio, a typical cheese produced during spring through summer in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Extruded linseed and dried oregano inflorescences were integrated in the pelleted concentrate supplementation (500 g/head per day) in 21 grazing goats that were randomly assigned, 7 per group, to the following experimental treatments: concentrate, concentrate with addition of linseed, and concentrate with addition of linseed and oregano. Pooled milk from each group was used in cheesemaking. From a nutritional perspective, integration of extruded linseed in the goat diet improved the fatty acid profile of Padraccio cheese. Moreover, the cheese from this group evidenced the highest scoring on color, flavor, texture, and overall liking.

Design and Synthesis of Chitosan-Gelatin Hybrid Hydrogels for 3D Printable in vitro Models

The development of 3D printable hydrogels based on the crosslinking between chitosan and gelatin is proposed. Chitosan and gelatin were both functionalized with methyl furan groups. Chemical modification was performed by reductive amination with methyl furfural involving the lysine residues of gelatin and the amino groups of chitosan to generate hydrogels with tailored properties. The methyl furan residues present in both polymers were exploited for efficient crosslinking via Diels-Alder ligation with PEG-Star-maleimide under cell-compatible conditions. The obtained chitosan-gelatin hybrid was employed to formulate hydrogels and 3D printable biopolymers and its processability and biocompatibility were preliminarily investigated.

130The effect of parity on exercise physiology in women with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Introduction

Women are overrepresented amongst patients with HFpEF, however the underpinning mechanism for this asymmetric distribution is unclear. Pregnancy has been demonstrated to contribute to cardiovascular risk, and represents a potential gender specific risk factor for HFpEF.

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between parity and severity of HFpEF on invasive haemodynamic and echocardiographic studies.

Methods

Patients referred for investigation of dyspnoea with exercise right heart catheterisation from 2008–19 were included and classified as HFpEF with an ejection fraction (EF) ≥50% and a resting PCWP ≥15mmHg or exercise PCWP ≥25mmHg. All patients underwent detailed haemodynamic and echocardiographic assessment, and an obstetric history including socioeconomic data were obtained using a questionnaire.

Results

58 women were included, and categorised as having either 0–2 births, or ≥3 births, dividing the cohort equally. Women with ≥3 births achieved a lower peak exercise workload than those with 0–2 births (46 [31–68] vs. 38 [24–51] W, p=0.04). Women with ≥3 births had a greater rise in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure indexed to workload with exercise (0.5 [0.3–0.8] vs. 0.3 [0.2–0.5] mmHg/W, p=0.03), paralleled by a greater rise in right atrial pressure (10 [8–12] vs. 7 [3–11] mmHg, p=0.01), pictured. Pulmonary vascular resistance was also higher in women with ≥3 births (1.9 [1.6–2.4] vs. 1.6 [1.4–1.9] mmHg/L/min rest, p=0.046, and 1.9 [2.4–2.4] vs. 1.4 [1–1.8] mmHg/L/min exercise, p=0.024). Left ventricular ejection fraction was lower at rest (60 [57–61] vs. 63 [60–66] %, p=0.008) and during exercise (65 [62–67] vs. 68 [66–70] %, p=0.038) in women with higher parity. Otherwise, echocardiographic parameters did not differ according to parity. There were no significant differences between parity groups in baseline characteristics, including age, body mass index, systemic blood pressure, natriuretic peptides or dyspnea class. Similarly, comorbidities and socioeconomic status did not differ.

Conclusion(s)

Higher parity is associated with impairments in multiple physiologic parameters of HFpEF severity in women, including diastolic reserve, pulmonary vascular resistance, and systolic function. This may indicate a role for pregnancy in the development of HFpEF, and suggests that multiparous women should be targeted for intensification of preventative measures for HFpEF.

Claimed effects, outcome variables and methods of measurement for health claims proposed under regulation (EC) 1924/2006 and related to cognitive function in adults

Some food/food components have been the object of request of authorization to the use of health claims related to cognitive function in adults and compliant with the Regulation (EC) 1924/2006. Most of the requests have received a negative opinion by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also because of the choice of not appropriate outcome variables (OVs) and methods of measurement (MMs) selected in the trials used to substantiate the claim. This manuscript referes to the collection, collation and critical analysis of OVs and MMs related to cognitive function in adults. OVs and MMs were collected from the EFSA Guidance document and the applications for authorization of health claims pursuant to the Articles 13(5). The critical analysis of OVs and MMs, performed by a literature review, was aimed at defining their appropriateness in the context of a specific claimed effect. The results highlight the importance of an adequate choice of OVs and MMs for an effective substantiation of the claims related to cognitive functioning. The information provided in this document may serve to EFSA for updating the guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to cognitive functions, but also for a better design of randomized controlled trials aimed at substantiating such health claims.

Enhanced polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste by using mixed microbial culture

BACKGROUND

In Europe, almost 87.6 million tonnes of food waste are produced. Despite the high biological value of food waste, traditional management solutions do not consider it as a precious resource. Many studies have reported the use of food waste for the production of high added value molecules. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent a class of interesting bio-polyesters accumulated by different bacterial cells, and has been proposed for production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Nevertheless, until now, no attention has been paid to the entire biological process leading to the transformation of food waste to organic acids (OA) and then to PHA, getting high PHA yield per food waste unit. In particular, the acid-generating process needs to be optimized, maximizing OA production from OFMSW. To do so, a pilot-scale Anaerobic Percolation Biocell Reactor (100 L in volume) was used to produce an OA-rich percolate from OFMSW which was used subsequently to produce PHA.

RESULTS

The optimized acidogenic process resulted in an OA production of 151 g kg^-1 from fresh OFMSW. The subsequent optimization of PHA production from OA gave a PHA production, on average, of 223 ± 28 g kg^-1 total OA fed. Total mass balance indicated, for the best case studied, a PHA production per OFMSW weight unit of 33.22 ± 4.2 g kg^-1 from fresh OFMSW, corresponding to 114.4 ± 14.5 g kg^-1 of total solids from OFMSW. PHA composition revealed a hydroxybutyrate/hydroxyvalerate (%) ratio of 53/47 and Mw of 8∙10⁵ kDa with a low polydispersity index, i.e. 1.4.

CONCLUSIONS

This work showed how by optimizing acidic fermentation it could be possible to get a large amount of OA from OFMSW to be then transformed into PHA. This step is important as it greatly affects the total final PHA yield. Data obtained in this work can be useful as the starting point for considering the economic feasibility of PHA production from OFMSW by using mixed culture.

Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Amplifies TEGDMA-induced Apoptosis in Primary Human Pulp Cells

Cytotoxicity of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), a co-monomer of dental resinous restorative materials, is firmly established in vitro, but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we examined apoptosis and necrosis induced by TEGDMA in human primary pulp cells. The levels of apoptotic and necrotic cell populations differentially increased after exposure to increasing concentrations of TEGDMA. A two-fold increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells was induced by 1 mmol/L TEGDMA. However, a population shift among cells in apoptosis and necrosis was detected when cell cultures were exposed to 2 mmol/L TEGDMA. Inhibition of the MAP Kinase/ERK pathway had no influence on cell survival, but inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3-Kinase; Akt/protein kinase B) by LY294002 amplified TEGDMA-induced apoptosis. Moreover, Akt phosphorylation was inhibited in the presence of TEGDMA. These results suggest that depression of PI3K signaling may be a primary target in TEGDMA-induced apoptosis.

Cross-linked cyclodextrin-based material for treatment of metals and organic substances present in industrial discharge waters

In this study, a polymer, prepared by crosslinking cyclodextrin (CD) by means of a polycarboxylic acid, was used for the removal of pollutants from spiked solutions and discharge waters from the surface treatment industry. In spiked solutions containing five metals, sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and three alkylphenols (AP), the material exhibited high adsorption capacities: >99% of Co2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ were removed, between 65 and 82% of the PAHs, as well as 69 to 90% of the APs. Due to the structure of the polymer and its specific characteristics, such as the presence of carboxylic groups and CD cavities, the adsorption mechanism involves four main interactions: ion exchange, electrostatic interactions and precipitation for metal removal, and inclusion complexes for organics removal. In industrial discharge waters, competition effects appeared, especially because of the presence of calcium at high concentrations, which competed with other pollutants for the adsorption sites of the adsorbent.

Effects of different heat treatments on lysozyme quantity and antimicrobial activity of jenny milk

Thermal treatments are used to improve milk microbial safety, shelf life, and biological activity of some of its components. However, thermal treatments can reduce the nutritional quality of milk, affecting the molecular structure of milk proteins, such as lysozyme, which is a very important milk component due to its antimicrobial effect against gram-positive bacteria. Jenny milk is characterized by high lysozyme content. For this reason, in the last few years, it has been used as an antimicrobial additive in dairy products as an alternative to hen egg white lysozyme, which can cause allergic reactions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of pasteurization and condensation on the concentration and antimicrobial activity of lysozyme in jenny milk. Furthermore, lysozyme quantity and activity were tested in raw and pasteurized milk after condensation at 40 and 20% of the initial volume. Reversed-phase HPLC was performed under fluorescence detection to monitor lysozyme in milk samples. We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the tested milk against Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mojavensis, Clavibacter michiganensis, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Xanthomonas campestris, and Escherichia coli. Condensation and pasteurization did not affect the concentration or antimicrobial activity of lysozyme in jenny milk, except for B. mojaventis, which showed resistance to lysozyme in milk samples subjected to heat treatments. Moreover, lysozyme in jenny milk showed antimicrobial activity similar to synthetic antibiotics versus some gram-positive strains and also versus the gram-negative strain X. campestris.

Performance Assessment in Fingerprinting and Multi Component Quantitative NMR Analyses

An interlaboratory comparison (ILC) was organized with the aim to set up quality control indicators suitable for multicomponent quantitative analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A total of 36 NMR data sets (corresponding to 1260 NMR spectra) were produced by 30 participants using 34 NMR spectrometers. The calibration line method was chosen for the quantification of a five-component model mixture. Results show that quantitative NMR is a robust quantification tool and that 26 out of 36 data sets resulted in statistically equivalent calibration lines for all considered NMR signals. The performance of each laboratory was assessed by means of a new performance index (named Qp-score) which is related to the difference between the experimental and the consensus values of the slope of the calibration lines. Laboratories endowed with a Qp-score falling within the suitable acceptability range are qualified to produce NMR spectra that can be considered statistically equivalent in terms of relative intensities of the signals. In addition, the specific response of nuclei to the experimental excitation/relaxation conditions was addressed by means of the parameter named NR. NR is related to the difference between the theoretical and the consensus slopes of the calibration lines and is specific for each signal produced by a well-defined set of acquisition parameters.

Phase 2b, randomized, double-blind 12-week studies of TZP-102, a ghrelin receptor agonist for diabetic gastroparesis

BACKGROUND

TZP-102, a potent, oral, ghrelin receptor agonist, improved diabetic gastroparesis symptoms in Phase 2a.

METHODS

Patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes, delayed gastric half-emptying (T(1/2)), and ≥3 months gastroparesis symptoms randomized 1 : 1 : 1 to double-blind placebo, 10-mg, or 20-mg TZP-102 once daily for 12 weeks (Study TZP-102-CL-G003). Study TZP-102-CL-G004 patients randomized 1 : 1 to 10-mg TZP-102:placebo three-times-daily. Primary endpoint was change-from-baseline through Weeks 11-12 in Daily Diary of Gastroparesis Symptoms Questionnaire (GSDD) via electronic Patient Recorded Outcome device: worst severity of nausea, early satiety, bloating, and upper abdominal pain in 24 h (0 = none-to-5 = very severe). GSDD Composite Score for eligibility was ≥2.5 (Day-14-to-baseline). Patient Overall Treatment Evaluation (OTE) provided an anchor-based minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for GSDD Composite Score.

KEY RESULTS

Study TZP-102-CL-G003 enrolled 201 outpatients: females 72%; Caucasians 87%; type 2 diabetes 61%; insulin-dependent 65%; age mean ± SD 53 ± 11.3 years; HbA1c 7.8 ± 1.5%; GCSI 3.4 ± 0.7; GSDD Composite 3.6 ± 0.6; gastric T1/2 131 ± 32 min; n = 69 (10-mg), n = 66 (20-mg), n = 66 (placebo). Primary endpoint (GSDD): significant improvement in all arms, although not for TZP-102 vs placebo: mean change-from-baseline -1.7, -1.4, -1.5 (10-mg, 20-mg, placebo); Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index -1.8, -1.6, -1.5, respectively. The OTE (all patients) at Week-12 was: Patient 3.7 ± 3.2 and Physician 3.6 ± 3.0 with median score for both of 5.0 = important on scale of improvement; individual MCID was 1.61 and 0.94 for group analyses, greater than expected. Study TZP-102-CL-G004 with similar demographic/disease characteristics was prematurely terminated for efficacy futility (n = 64 with Week-4 assessments).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Efficacy of TZP-102 was not demonstrated compared with placebo in diabetic gastroparesis; however, there was substantial symptom improvement in all arms (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01452815/NCT01664637).

Validation and invalidation of systems biology models using robustness analysis

Robustness, the ability of a system to function correctly in the presence of both internal and external uncertainty, has emerged as a key organising principle in many biological systems. Biological robustness has thus become a major focus of research in Systems Biology, particularly on the engineering-biology interface, since the concept of robustness was first rigorously defined in the context of engineering control systems. This review focuses on one particularly important aspect of robustness in Systems Biology, that is, the use of robustness analysis methods for the validation or invalidation of models of biological systems. With the explosive growth in quantitative modelling brought about by Systems Biology, the problem of validating, invalidating and discriminating between competing models of a biological system has become an increasingly important one. In this review, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the tools and methods that are available for this task, and illustrate the wide range of biological systems to which this approach has been successfully applied.

A robust method to quantify low molecular weight contaminants in heparin: detection of tris(2-n-butoxyethyl) phosphate

Recently, oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) was identified in contaminated heparin preparations, which were linked to several adverse clinical events and deaths. Orthogonal analytical techniques, namely nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE), have since been applied by several authors for the evaluation of heparin purity and safety. NMR identification and quantification of residual solvents and non-volatile low molecular contaminants with USP acceptance levels of toxicity was achieved 40-fold faster than the traditional GC-headspace technique, which takes ~120 min against ~3 min to obtain a (1)H NMR spectrum with a signal/noise ratio of at least 1000/1. The procedure allowed detection of Class 1 residual solvents at 2 ppm and quantification was possible above 10 ppm. 2D NMR techniques (edited-HSQC (1)H/(13)C) permitted visualization of otherwise masked EDTA signals at 3.68/59.7 ppm and 3.34/53.5 ppm, which may be overlapping mononuclear heparin signals, or those of ethanol and methanol. Detailed NMR and ESI-MS/MS studies revealed a hitherto unknown contaminant, tris(2-n-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), which has potential health risks.

CORE-Net: exploiting prior knowledge and preferential attachment to infer biological interaction networks

The problem of reverse engineering in the topology of functional interaction networks from time-course experimental data has received considerable attention in literature, due to the potential applications in the most diverse fields, comprising engineering, biology, economics and social sciences. The present work introduces a novel technique, CORE-Net, which addresses this problem focusing on the case of biological interaction networks. The method is based on the representation of the network in the form of a dynamical system and on an iterative convex optimisation procedure. A first advantage of the proposed approach is that it allows to exploit qualitative prior knowledge about the network interactions, of the same kind as typically available from biological literature and databases. A second novel contribution consists of exploiting the growth and preferential attachment mechanisms to improve the inference performances when dealing with networks which exhibit a scale-free topology. The technique is first assessed through numerical tests on in silico random networks, subsequently it is applied to reverse engineering a cell cycle regulatory subnetwork in Saccharomyces cerevisiae from experimental microarray data. These tests show that the combined exploitation of prior knowledge and preferential attachment significantly improves the predictions with respect to other approaches.

Surface functionalization of cotton cellulose with glycidyl methacrylate and its application for the adsorption of aromatic pollutants from wastewaters

Cellulose material C1 was prepared by grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in the presence of Fenton-type reagent. This one-pot procedure provided C1 with glycidyl isobutyrate branches. Glycidyl epoxide ring opening with water turned C1-C2 material branched with glycerol isobutyrate. So, C1 surface bears hydrophobic branches ending with the glycidyl group, while C2 surface presents hydrophilic branches ending with the glycerol group. The adsorption of aromatic polluting substances like phenol (Ph), 4-nitrophenol (pNPh), 2,4-dinitrophenol (dNPh), 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid, tNPh) and 2-naphtol (BN) from their water solutions was tested with C1, C2 and with the untreated cellulose material C0. Phenol adsorption did not occur. All the other aromatic molecules were removed in different amount both by C1 and C2. C1 and C2 showed different affinities towards nitrophenols and 2-naphtol. While C1 was much more effective for removing the hydrophobic 2-naphtol, C2 had higher adsorption capacity towards the hydrophilic nitrophenols, in agreement with their branches polarity, respectively.

In ataxia-teleangiectasia betamethasone response is inversely correlated to cerebellar atrophy and directly to antioxidative capacity

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by alterations of the A-T mutated (ATM) gene. Although A-T is a non-curable disease, we, previously, documented a clear improvement of cerebellar functions during a short-term betamethasone trial. The aim of this study was to define the underlying biochemical mechanism.

METHODS

In six A-T patients receiving a short-term steroid therapy, intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were evaluated with a colorimetric assay. The lipid peroxidation level and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were evaluated using commercial assays. All the parameters were compared with the improvement of cerebellar functions expressed as delta (Delta) of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA).

RESULTS

We observed an inverse correlation between Delta SARA and the severity of cerebellar atrophy and between the latter and basal GSH values. Four of the five patients with the highest Delta SARA also had the highest GSH values. Moreover, even though basal ROS values were comparable in patients and controls, in the only patient studied at different time-points of therapy, a remarkable reduction in ROS levels was documented.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that antioxidative mechanisms play a role in favouring the improvement of cerebellar functions observed in A-T patients receiving a short-term betamethasone trial.

Cations modulate polysaccharide structure to determine FGF-FGFR signaling: a comparison of signaling and inhibitory polysaccharide interactions with FGF-1 in solution

For heparan sulfate (HS) to bind and regulate the activity of proteins, the polysaccharide must present an appropriate sequence and adopt a suitable conformation. The conformations of heparin derivatives, as models of HS, are altered via a change in the associated cations, and this can drastically modify their FGF signaling activities. Here, we report that changing the cations associated with an N-acetyl-enriched heparin polysaccharide, from sodium to copper(II), converted it from supporting signaling through the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGF-1-FGFR1c) tyrosine kinase signaling system to being inhibitory in a cell-based BaF3 assay. Nuclear magnetic resonance and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopy demonstrated that the polysaccharide conformation differed in the presence of sodium or copper(II) cations. Electron paramagnetic resonance confirmed the environment of the copper(II) ion on the N-acetyl-enriched polysaccharide was distinct from that previously observed with intact heparin, which supported signaling. Secondary structures in solution complexes of polysaccharides with FGF-1 (which either supported signaling through FGFR1c or were inhibitory) were determined by SRCD. This allowed direct comparison of the two FGF-1-polysaccharide complexes in solution, containing identical molecular components and differing only in their cation content. Subtle structural differences were revealed, including a reduction in the level of disordered structure in the inhibitory complex.