Water column distribution of zooplanktonic size classes derived from in-situ plankton profilers: Potential use to contextualize contaminant loads in plankton

Pollution is one of the main anthropogenic threats to marine ecosystems. Studies analysing the accumulation and transfer of contaminants in planktonic food webs tend to rely on samples collected in discrete water bodies. Here, we assessed the representativeness of measurements at the chlorophyll-a maximum layer during the MERITE-HIPPOCAMPE cruise for the entire water column by investigating the vertical distribution of particles and plankton obtained by in-situ optical profilers at nine stations across the Mediterranean Sea. We identified specific conditions where the interpretation of results from contaminant analyses can be improved by detailing plankton size structure and vertical distributions. First, the presence of higher than usual plankton concentrations can result in sampling issues that will affect biomass estimation within each size class and therefore bias our understanding of the contaminant dynamics. Secondly, the presence of an unsampled water layer with high zooplankton biomass might imply non-resolved contaminant pathways along the trophic structure. This study lays the basis for optimizing sampling strategy in contaminant studies.

Towards an individualized management of pubertal induction in girls with hypogonadism: insight into the best replacement outcomes from a large multicentre registry

OBJECTIVE

An evidence-based pubertal induction scheme in hypogonadal girls is still to be established. Interestingly, literature data reports suboptimal uterine longitudinal diameter (ULD) in >50% of treated hypogonadal women, negatively influencing their pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to investigate auxological and uterine outcomes of pubertal induction in girls in the light of underlying diagnosis and therapeutic schemes used.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of longitudinal data from a multicentric registry.

METHODS

Auxological, biochemical and radiological data were collected at baseline and during follow-up in 95 hypogonadal girls (chronological age>10.9 years, Tanner stage≤2) treated with transdermal 17β-oestradiol patches for at least one year. Induction was started at a median dose of 0.14 mcg/kg/day with a six-monthly increase and was considered completed for 49/95 patients who started progesterone with concomitant oestrogen adult dose.

RESULTS

At the end of induction, the achievement of the complete breast maturation was associated with 17β-oestradiol dose at progesterone introduction. ULD showed a significant correlation with 17β-oestradiol dosage. Final ULD was>65 mm in only 17/45 girls. At multiple regression analysis, pelvic irradiation represented the major determinant of reduced final ULD. After correction for uterine irradiation, ULD was associated with the 17β-oestradiol dose at progesterone introduction. Final ULD was not significantly different from the one assessed after progesterone introduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide evidence that progestins, hampering further changes in uterine volume and breast development, should be introduced only in the presence of a concomitant adequate 17β-oestradiol dose and an appropriate clinical response.

Clinical profile and outcome of cardiomyopathies in infants and children seen at a tertiary centre

INTRODUCTION

Due to their rare prevalence and marked heterogeneity, pediatric cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are little known and scarcely reported. We report the etiology, clinical profile and outcome of a consecutive cohort of children diagnosed with CMP and followed at Meyer Children's Hospital over a decade.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients consecutively referred from May 2008 to May 2019 for pediatric onset CMP (<18 years). Heart disease caused by arrhythmic disorders, toxic agents, rheumatic conditions and maternal disease were excluded.

RESULTS

We enrolled 110 patients (65 males), diagnosed at a median age of 27 [4-134] months; 35% had an infant onset (<1 year of age). A positive family history was more often associated with childhood-onset (38.8%). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; 48 patients) was the most frequent phenotype, followed by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM; 35 patients). While metabolic and idiopathic etiologies were preponderant in infants, metabolic and sarcomeric diseases were most frequent in the childhood-onset group. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) occurred in 31.8% of patients, including hospitalization for acute heart failure in 25.5% of patients, most commonly due to DCM. Overall, the most severe outcomes were documented in patients with metabolic diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

In a consecutive cohort of pediatric patients with CMP, those with infantile onset and with a metabolic etiology had the worst prognosis. Overall, MACE occurred in 41% of the entire population, most commonly associated with DCM, inborn errors of metabolism and genetic syndromes. Systematic NGS genetic testing was critical for etiological diagnosis and management.

Toxicological Evaluation of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Non-Target Organisms: Chronic Exposure on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819)

Pharmaceuticals are now considered to be established contaminants, and their presence in water poses a real risk not only to the marine ecosystem, as they may adversely affect non-target organisms that are exposed to them, but also indirectly to humans. This is particularly true for the model organism considered in this work, Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819), a suspensivore and bioaccumulating organism that enters the human food chain. Among the most commonly used over-the-counter medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs certainly feature prominently, with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) at the top. In this work, M. galloprovincialis specimens were exposed to two concentrations of ASA (10 and 100 μg/L) for 10 and 20 days to evaluate possible alterations in the decrease in regulatory volume (RVD) in digestive gland cells and cell viability of both these cells and hemocytes. In addition, the histopathological condition index of the gills and digestive gland was evaluated. The data obtained showed that chronic exposure to ASA did not alter the cell viability of hemocytes and digestive gland cells but alters the physiological mechanisms of volume regulation in the digestive gland and, in addition, a time-dose reaction to ASA in the gills and digestive gland showing numerous alterations such as lipofuscin deposits and hemocyte infiltration was found. These results confirm the potential toxicity to the marine biota, highlighting the necessity to deepen the knowledge regarding the link between over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and non-target organisms.

Mitochondrial ATP production is impaired in neural stem/progenitor cells derived from olfactory neuroepithelium of patients with schizophrenia

Introduction

Neural stem/progenitor cells derived from olfactory neuroepithelium (hereafter OE-NS/PCs) are emerging as a viable proxy and a valuable tool for translational studies on severe mental illnesses (SMI). In this respect, the use of OE-NS/PCs as a surrogate cellular model of schizophrenia (SZ) has enabled insights into cell signaling and cell cycle dynamics in this disease.

Objectives

We explored whether mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been already associated with SZ, may have a role in the altered proliferation pattern previously observed in OE-NS/PCs of SZ patients.

Methods

OE-NS/PCs were collected from 20 patients and 20 healthy controls (Hcs) by nasal brushing, cultured in proper medium and expanded. Fresh OE-NS/PCs at passage 3 of both groups underwent BrdU proliferation assays or were frozen for later use. Mitochondrial ATP production was measured in both fresh and thawed OE-NS/PCs by using the ATPlite Luminescence Assay kit.

Results

Fresh OE-NS/PCs of patients grew at a higher rate than those of HCs (M-W U=0; p<0.001), whereas the proliferation of thawed OE-NS/PCs of both groups exhibited an opposed pattern (at passage 6, p=0.002). Mitochondrial ATP production was significantly lower in OE-NS/PCs of patients than in those of HCs (M-W U=0; p=0.02), regardless of freeze-thaw conditions (M-W U=6; p=0.77).

Conclusions

Mitochondrial ATP production is negatively affected in OE-NS/PCs of SZ patients as compared to those of HCs. This evidence does not differ in fresh OE-NS/PCs and OE-NS/PCs undergoing freeze-thaw cycles, which instead perturb the proliferation pattern of SZ OE-NS/PCs.

Prevalence of adverse cardiovascular events in pediatric cardiomyopathies: an analysis of 110 patients followed at a long-standing tertiary care paediatric centre

Introduction

Pediatric cardiomyopathies (CMP) are disorders of the morphology and function of the heart, with a greater heterogeneity concerning etiology and clinical presentation than adult CMP. The assessment of etiology and genetic status is of paramount importance for prognosis, family screening, and therapeutic choices.

Purpose

To report clinical presentation, etiology, and outcome of a cohort of children diagnosed with CMP followed at tertiary care pediatric referral centre.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed clinical, laboratory and imaging data of all patients referred to our cardiomyopathy centre from May 2008 to May 2019 for pediatric CMP (&lt;18 years). CMP due to arrhythmic disorders, toxic agents' exposure, rheumatic conditions and maternal disease (i.e. maternal diabetes) were excluded. Primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: cardiovascular death, heart failure [HF] hospitalization, arrhythmic events, need for surgery or heart transplant referral).

Results

We enrolled 110 patients (65 males, age at diagnosis 67±71 months). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, N=48, 44%) was most frequent, followed by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, N=35 32%) and left ventricular non-compaction phenotype (LVNC, N=12, 11%). Mixed phenotype (N=7, 6%) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM, N=3, 3%) were less common. No cases of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) were detected. Five genotype-positive patients presented with negative clinical phenotype. A diagnosis was confirmed in all patients; the most common was sarcomere disease (30%, N=33) followed by metabolic (28%,N=31) disease, genetic syndromes (11%, N=12), neuromuscular (7,3%, N=8) diseases, and post-myocarditis cases (4,5%,N=5). Twenty-one patients (19%) were identified as idiopathic. At referral, 4,5% of children presented with NYHA class III/IV.

At 35 [14–72] months, 4 (3.7%) patients required ICD implantation, 8 (7.4%) underwent cardiac surgery, and 1 (1%) underwent heart transplant. Furthermore, 28 (26%) patients required hospitalization due to acute HF, with DCM patients being at higher risk (p&lt;0.01), 7 (6.8%) experienced arrhythmic events and 4 (3.9%) had syncope. Overall, 13 (12%) died (7 with metabolic disorders, 3 with genetic syndromes, 1 with a sarcomeric mutation, 1 post myocarditis, and 1 idiopathic).

Conclusions

In our cohort, HCM was the most common cause of pediatric CMP followed by DCM and non-compaction. MACE were present in 41% of patients. While HCM had a less severe phenotype (characterized by a higher arrhythmic burden), DCM was characterized by a higher prevalence of HF hospitalizations. DCM, inborn errors in metabolism and genetic syndromes had the worst outcome in terms mortality and heart failure long term.

Widespread availability of genetic testing provides several benefits to the clinician, confirming diagnosis in ambiguous cases and defining etiology in order to guide management and identifying relatives at risk.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Great saphenous vein reflux treatment in patients with femoral valve incompetence, the Excluded Saphenous Vein Technique (ESVT): a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To describe and evaluate feasibility and efficacy of a saphenous ablation technique performed in patients with varicose veins (VVs), great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence, and proximal femoral valve incompetence: the Excluded Saphenous Vein Technique (ESVT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with primary great saphenous and proximal femoral valve incompetence underwent ESVT. This technique is composed of selective crossectomy, GSV ligation next to the thigh incompetent tributary vein, and saphenous vein sclerosing performed from the proximal zone. Demographic, clinical and instrumental data were collected. CEAP classification was used to describe VVs severity. The primary outcome was perioperative complications. Secondary outcomes were 30-days, 6-months and 1-years GSV occlusion rate, and VVs recurrence rate.

RESULTS

During a ten months period, 104 patients were analyzed. Among these, 82 patients underwent ESVT (59 female, age 50 ± 21 years), eighty C2 and two C5, according to CEAP classification. The average length of GSV treated was 23 ± 9 cm. No intraoperative complications occurred. A 1-year follow-up analysis revealed no partial or complete saphenous recanalization, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. No VVs recurrence was detected during the follow-up period among the entire population.

CONCLUSIONS

ESVT seems to be a safe and effective treatment for primary saphenous reflux and proximal femoral valve incompetence. Further studies are needed to assess long-term results.

Pinna nobilis: A big bivalve with big haemocytes?

The fan mussel Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the biggest bivalves worldwide. Currently, no updated information is available in the literature concerning the morpho-functional aspects of haemocytes from this bivalve species. Consequently, in this study, we characterised P. nobilis haemocytes from both a morphological and functional point of view. The mean number of haemocytes was about 5 (×10(5)) cells mL haemolymph(-1), and the cell viability was about 92-100%. Two haemocyte types were distinguished under the light microscope: granulocytes (51.6%), with evident cytoplasmic granules, and hyalinocytes (48.4%), with a few granules. The granules of the granulocytes were mainly lysosomes, as indicated by the in vivo staining with Neutral Red. Haemocytes were further distinguished in basophils (83.75%), acidophils (14.75%) and neutrophils (1.5%). After adhesion to slides and fixation, the cell diameter was approximately 10 μm for granulocytes and 7 μm for hyalinocytes. The granulocytes and hyalinocytes were both positive to the Periodic Acid-Schiff reaction for carbohydrates. Only granulocytes were able to phagocytise yeast cells. The phagocytic index (6%) increased significantly up to twofold after preincubation of yeast in cell-free haemolymph, suggesting that haemolymph has opsonising properties. In addition, haemocytes produce superoxide anion and acid and alkaline phosphatases. Summarising, this preliminary study indicates that both the granulocytes and hyalinocytes circulate in the haemolymph of P. nobilis and that they are active immunocytes.

Role of the Perivascular Epithelium in the Histogenesis of Hassall's Corpuscles

Thirteen human thymuses and one thymoma were morphologically and immunohistologically investigated to define the histogenesis of Hassall's corpuscles (HCs). The following monoclonal antibodies: antisquamous cytokeratin on paraffin sections and TE-4 and TE-8 on frozen sections, were used to show the distribution of the epithelial components; PAL-E on frozen and anti-CD31 and anti-CD34 on paraffin sections detected the endothelial cell distribution. In the thymoma, epithelial onion-like structures, looking like true HCs, were found to originate from the perivascular epithelium lining dilatated spaces and some of them partially obliterated the space where the blood capillary showed thickened wall and endothelial regressive changes. Antisquamous cytokeratin stained: (1) in the thymus: subcapsular, medullary, and HC epithelial cells; (2) in the thymoma: epithelial cells lining the perivascular spaces and forming HCs. TE-4 stained: (1) in the thymus: the subcapsular and medullary epithelium; (2) in the thymoma: the epithelium lining the perivascular spaces and epithelial cells forming HCs. TE-8 stained: (1) in the thymus: HCs only; (2) in the thymoma: HCs and perivascular epithelial cells. PAL-E, CD31, and CD34, which specifically react with endothelial cells, stained remnants of capillary structures in the core of some HCs. The results indicate that: (1) corpuscular structures in thymoma originate from perivascular epithelium; (2) thymus medullary epithelial cells stained by cytokeratin and TE-4 correspond to perivascular epithelial cells whose staining is well documented in thymoma; (3) the subcapsular-perivascular epithelium and HCs represent different steps of differentiation of a single ectodermal cell lineage; (4) the PAL-E-, CD31-, and CD34-positive reaction in the core of some HCs suggests that the perivascular epithelium would be stimulated to transform into HCs as a consequence of endothelial changes with fragmentation of the capillary included in the perivascular space.

Some asymptotic properties of a two-dimensional periodogram

The two-dimensional periodogram has been proposed as an estimator of the spectral density of a real, homogeneous, random field defined over a regular lattice on the plane. In the present paper, results pertaining to the asymptotic distributional properties of such a periodogram are obtained. These results generalize some of the work of Hannan (1960), Walker (1965) and more directly Olshen (1967a,b) concerning asymptotic theory for the periodogram of a stationary time series. Although extension of asymptotic theory for one-dimensional periodograms to a parallel theory for two-dimensional periodograms is not completely straightforward (one runs into problems akin to the problems encountered in extending the theory of one-dimensional trigonometric series to two dimensions), further extensions to asymptotic theory for p-dimensional periodograms (p > 2) is easily accomplished by an obvious mimicry of the definitions, theorems and proofs for the two-dimensional case. Since the notation required for the p-dimensional case is rather cumbersome, we have chosen to give results only for two-dimensional periodograms.

Rapid impact of effective treatment on transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Effective treatment for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) rapidly renders patients non-infectious, long before conversion of sputum acid-fast smear or culture to negative. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients on treatment are currently assumed to remain infectious for months. While the resources required for prolonged hospitalization are a barrier to the scale-up of MDR-TB treatment, the safety of community treatment is clear.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the impact of treatment on infectiousness among MDR-TB patients.

METHODS

A series of five human-to-guinea pig TB transmission studies was conducted to test various interventions for infection control. Guinea pigs in adjacent chambers were exposed to exhaust air from a hospital ward occupied by mostly sputum smear- and culture-positive MDR-TB patients. The guinea pigs then underwent tuberculin skin testing for infection. Only the control groups of guinea pigs from each study (no interventions used) provide the data for this analysis. The number of guinea pigs infected in each study is reported and correlated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility relative to treatment.

RESULTS

Despite exposure to presumably infectious MDR-TB patients, infection percentages among guinea pigs ranged from 1% to 77% in the five experiments conducted. In one experiment in which guinea pigs were exposed to 27 MDR-TB patients newly started on effective treatment for 3 months, there was minimal transmission. In four other experiments with greater transmission, guinea pigs had been exposed to patients with unsuspected extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis who were not on effective treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

In this model, effective treatment appears to render MDR-TB patients rapidly non-infectious. Further prospective studies on this subject are needed.

Design evolution in total knee replacement: which is the future?

Total knee replacement (TKR) procedures have evolved in the last 40 years to guarantee improvements implants life and an excellent joint function. The goals for the future evolutions are make easier prosthesis implantation and promote precision. The demand for TKR will rise for the life length increase and for the risk factors impact increase. Design evolution in total knee replacement has to satisfy these new necessities: anatomic congruence, range of motion, less material wear and better resistance to the weight bearing and to the stresses. This paper analyzes design evolution, materials development and future purposes in total knee arthroplasty. At the beginning, TKR history is treated; then we compare several prosthetic designs developed during years. At last the paper speak about recent innovations, like CAD (computer aided design) for example, born to reach the most important goal in the future: better TKR design, is the one that better imitate natural knee characteristics, and that is able to integrate it-self with capsule-ligaments and muscle-tendons patient structures.

Cohesive behavior of soft biological adhesives: experiments and modeling

Extracellular proteins play a key role in generating and maintaining cohesion and adhesion in biological tissues. These "natural glues" are involved in vital biological processes such as blood clotting, wound healing and maintaining the structural integrity of tissues. Macromolecular assemblies of proteins can be functionally stabilized in a variety of ways in situ that include ionic interactions as well as covalent crosslinking to form protein networks that can extend both within and between tissues. Within tissues, myriad cohesive forces are required to preserve tissue integrity and function, as are additional appropriate adhesive forces at interfaces both within and between tissues of differing composition. While the mechanics of some key structural adhesive proteins have been characterized in tensile experiments at both the macroscopic and single protein levels, the fracture toughness of thin proteinaceous interfaces has never been directly measured. Here, we describe a novel and simple approach to measure the cohesive behavior and toughness of thin layers of proteinaceous adhesives. The test is based on the standard double-cantilever beam test used for engineering adhesives, which was adapted to take into account the high compliance of the interface compared with the beams. This new "rigid double-cantilever beam" method enables stable crack propagation through an interfacial protein layer, and provides a direct way to measure its full traction-separation curve. The method does not require any assumption of the shape of the cohesive law, and the results provide abundant information contributing to understanding the structural, chemical and molecular mechanisms acting in biological adhesion. As an example, results are presented using this method for thin films of fibrin-a protein involved in blood clotting and used clinically as a tissue bio-adhesive after surgery-with the effects of calcium and crosslinking by Factor XIII being examined. Finally, a simple model is proposed, demonstrating how a bell-shaped cohesive law forms during the failure of the fibrin interface based on an eight-chain model whose structure degrades and changes configuration with stress.

Stem cells based therapy in high grade glioma: why the intraventricular route should be preferred?

AIM

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) migrate in response to chemokines and possess extensive tropism for experimental glioma. Antitumor effects have been reported following intracranial and intravenous administration of gene-modified MSCs. Among the different routes for cell transplant, the intraventricular (IV) approach found very little employment in comparison with intraparenchymal, intratumoral and intravenous administration protocols. Nevertheless, IV transplantation offers advantages in terms of cells viability and distribution toward target sites, opening interesting opportunities for its clinical application.

METHODS

Using a rat glioma model, we investigated migratory capacity, tumor tropism, distribution and differentiation of MSCs following IV administration.

RESULTS

Transplanted MSCs create niches of viable cells in the subventricular zone and can be stimulated to migrate to sites of tumor infiltration. MSCs seemed not to be involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis.

CONCLUSION

We speculate that the IV route can be used to achieve a kind of reservoir of self-renewal cells, potentially active against the spread of cancer cells. Further studies are needed to shed light on MSCs distribution close to the ventricular wall, in order to define their lifespan and their capacity to migrate towards new-enhancing foci time after implantation.

Comparison of the effects of two herbicides and an insecticide on tropical freshwater plankton in microcosms

Natural plankton communities from a tropical freshwater reservoir (Combani Reservoir, Mayotte Island, Mozambique Channel) were exposed, in 20-l nutrient-enriched microcosms, to two nominal concentrations of three pesticides: the herbicides diuron (2.2 and 11 μg/l) and paraquat (10 and 40.5 μg/l) and the insecticide fenitrothion (10 and 100 μg/l), commonly used in the tropics for agriculture and disease vector control. Bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, and zooplankton communities were monitored for 5 days after exposure, and the concentrations of toxicant and major nutrients were measured. Bacterioplankton growth was noticeable in all systems and was slightly affected by pesticide at any concentration. A transitory increase in thymidine-based bacterial production was observed in diuron- and fenitrothion-treated microcosms, followed by a marked decrease in all microcosms after 5 days. The functional diversity of bacterioplankton, evaluated using BIOLOG ECO(®) microplates, was reduced by exposure to the highest pesticide concentrations. Phytoplankton was affected by pesticides in different ways. Chlorophyll biomass and biovolumes were increased by diuron addition and decreased by paraquat, whereas fenitrothion-treated microcosms remained unaffected relative to controls. Phytoplankton taxonomic diversity was decreased by paraquat and high doses of fenitrothion but was unaffected by addition of diuron. The decrease in diversity was due to a reduction in the number of species, whereas the density of small cells increased, especially after addition of paraquat. Heterotrophic flagellates were sensitive to paraquat and to the highest diuron concentration; a reduction in biomass of up to 90% was observed for 40.5 μg/l paraquat. Zooplankton, dominated by Thermocyclops decipiens and Diaphanosoma excisum, was slightly sensitive to diuron, and very sensitive to paraquat. High concentrations of the insecticide fenitrothion were effective only on young stages. The potential direct and indirect effects of pesticide contamination on such a simplified plankton food web, typical of newly constructed reservoirs, appear to differ significantly depending on the biological compartment considered. The overall sensitivity of tropical plankton is comparable to the sensitivity for temperate systems, and direct and indirect effects appeared rapidly, within 5 days of exposure.

Sensitivity of two Mesocyclops (Crustacea, Copepoda, Cyclopidae), from tropical and temperate origins, to the herbicides, diuron and paraquat, and the insecticides, temephos and fenitrothion

Ecotoxicological assessment in the tropics is based mainly on knowledge gained from temperate organisms, although many studies have shown the need for models that are more appropriate to tropical regions. The toxicity of two herbicides and two insecticides to nauplii of two freshwater zooplankton species, Mesocyclops aspericornis (von Daday in Inseln Zool Jb Syst 24:175-206, 1906) from a tropical reservoir and a Mesocyclops sp. from a temperate pond, were compared. Both strains were sensitive to paraquat, temephos and fenitrothion, tropical M. aspericornis being generally more tolerant (EC50s of 207, 1,450 and 1,840 μg L(-1) for paraquat, temephos and fenitrothion, respectively) than the temperate Mesocyclops sp. (EC50s of 152, 45 and 1,017 μg L(-1) for paraquat, temephos and fenitrothion, respectively) whereas diuron was only slightly toxic (LOEC = 446 μg L(-1) for both strains). The nauplii mortality increased with the exposure time for both species during each experiment. Further isolation of model organisms from tropical ecosystems is needed, to meet the requirements for a tropical risk assessment scheme.

Regulation of APC/CCdc20 activity by RASSF1A-APC/CCdc20 circuitry

RASSF1A is a key tumor-suppressor gene that is often inactivated in a wide variety of solid tumors. Studies have illustrated that RASSF1A plays vital roles in the regulation of cell-cycle progression and functions as a guardian of mitosis. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism of RASSF1A-dependent regulation of mitosis remains largely unclear. APC/C^Cdc20 is the master switch and regulator of mitosis. The activity of APC/C^Cdc20 is tightly controlled by phosphorylation and specific inhibitors to ensure the sequential ubiquitination of downstream targets. Here, we report on the novel finding of a regulated circuitry that controls the timely expression and hence activity of APC/C^Cdc20 during mitosis. Our study showed that RASSF1A and APC/C^Cdc20 form a molecular relay that regulates the APC/C^Cdc20 activity at early mitosis. We found that RASSF1A inhibits APC/C^Cdc20 function through its D-box motifs. Paradoxically, RASSF1A was also demonstrated to be ubiquitinated by APC/C^Cdc20in vitro and degraded at prometaphase despite of active spindle checkpoint presence. The first two unique D-boxes at the N-terminal of RASSF1A served as specific degron recognized by APC/C^Cdc20. Importantly, we found that Aurora A and Aurora B directly phosphorylate RASSF1A, a critical step by which RASSF1A switches from being an inhibitor to a substrate of APC/C^Cdc20 during the course of mitotic progression. As a result of RASSF1A degradation, APC/C^Cdc20 can then partially activate the ubiquitination of Cyclin A in the presence of spindle checkpoint. This circuitry is essential for the timely degradation of Cyclin A. To conclude, our results propose a new model for RASSF1A–APC/C^Cdc20 interaction in ensuring the sequential progression of mitosis.

A split-mouth study on microbiological profile in clinical healthy teeth and implants related to key inflammatory mediators

This split-mouth study investigated the correlation of the qualitative and quantitative bacterial composition in dental plaque around clinically healthy periodontal and peri-implant subgingival sites with the levels of selected pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the inflammatory infiltrate in the soft tissue surrounding a healthy dental implant and natural tooth in the same patient. Nine patients, all in good health and non-smokers, were studied. All of the patients were highly motivated in terms of oral hygiene and had healthy natural teeth and at least one healthy implant. After three sessions of professional oral care, clinical parameters were recorded. A sample of subgingival plaque was harvested with a sterile curette from the buccal side of the selected implants and teeth. The plaque samples were cultured to quantify the total microbiota and the number of obligate and facultative bacterial strains. Simultaneously, from the lingual/palatal aspect of the same implants and teeth the keratinized periodontal and peri-implant soft tissues were biopsied for cytokine expression and histomorphometric analysis. The tissue biopsies were halved: the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect active TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-8, and TGF-beta2 and distribution, composition, quantification of inflammation were assessed in parallel. The patients harbored no periodontopathogens and the microbiological composition of the plaque taken from implant sites did not differ from that harvested from teeth. No significant differences were seen between implants and teeth for both proand anti-inflammatory cytokines. Even the histological examination showed no significant epithelial changes, although slight perivascular lymphocytic infiltration was seen in some biopsies.

The ubiquitin-specific protease USP47 is a novel beta-TRCP interactor regulating cell survival

Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) are a subclass of cysteine proteases that catalyze the removal of ubiquitin (either monomeric or chains) from substrates, thus counteracting the activity of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Although the importance of USPs in a multitude of processes, from hereditary cancer to neurodegeneration, is well established, our knowledge on their mode of regulation, substrate specificity and biological function is quite limited. In this study we identify USP47 as a novel interactor of the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Skp1/Cul1/F-box protein beta-transducin repeat-containing protein (SCF(beta-Trcp)). We found that both beta-Trcp1 and beta-Trcp2 bind specifically to USP47, and point mutations in the beta-Trcp WD-repeat region completely abolished USP47 binding, indicating an E3-substrate-type interaction. However, unlike canonical beta-Trcp substrates, USP47 protein levels were neither affected by silencing of beta-Trcp nor modulated in a variety of processes, such as cell-cycle progression, DNA damage checkpoint responses or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway activation. Notably, genetic or siRNA-mediated depletion of USP47 induced accumulation of Cdc25A, decreased cell survival and augmented the cytotoxic effects of anticancer drugs. In conclusion, we showed that USP47, a novel beta-Trcp interactor, regulates cell growth and survival, potentially providing a novel target for anticancer therapies.

A prospective study of lifetime physical activity and prostate cancer incidence and mortality

Background:

The possible benefit of lifetime physical activity (PA) in reducing prostate cancer incidence and mortality is unclear.

Methods:

A prospective cohort of 45 887 men aged 45–79 years was followed up from January 1998 to December 2007 for prostate cancer incidence (n=2735) and to December 2006 for its subtypes and for fatal (n=190) prostate cancer.

Results:

We observed an inverse association between lifetime (average of age 30 and 50 years, and baseline age) total PA levels and prostate cancer risk. Multivariate-adjusted incidence in the top quartile of lifetime total PA decreased by 16% (95% confidence interval (CI)=2–27%) compared with that in the bottom quartile. We also observed an inverse association between average lifetime work or occupational activity and walking or bicycling duration and prostate cancer risk. Compared with men who mostly sit during their main work or occupation, men who sit half of the time experienced a 20% lower risk (95% CI=7–31%). The rate ratio linearly decreased by 7% (95% CI=1–12%) for total, 8% (95% CI=0–16%) for localised and 12% (95% CI=2–20%) for advanced prostate cancer for every 30 min per day increment of lifetime walking or bicycling in the range of 30 to 120 min per day.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that not sitting for most of the time during work or occupational activity and walking or bicycling more than 30 min per day during adult life is associated with reduced incidence of prostate cancer.

A permutation test for determining significance of clusters with applications to spatial and gene expression data

Hierarchical clustering is a common procedure for identifying structure in a data set, and this is frequently used for organizing genomic data. Although more advanced clustering algorithms are available, the simplicity and visual appeal of hierarchical clustering has made it ubiquitous in gene expression data analysis. Hence, even minor improvements in this framework would have significant impact. There is currently no simple and systematic way of assessing and displaying the significance of various clusters in a resulting dendrogram without making certain distributional assumptions or ignoring gene-specific variances. In this work, we introduce a permutation test based on comparing the within-cluster structure of the observed data with those of sample datasets obtained by permuting the cluster membership. We carry out this test at each node of the dendrogram using a statistic derived from the singular value decomposition of variance matrices. The p-values thus obtained provide insight into the significance of each cluster division. Given these values, one can also modify the dendrogram by combining non-significant branches. By adjusting the cut-off level of significance for branches, one can produce dendrograms with a desired level of detail for ease of interpretation. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by applying it to illustrative data sets.

Degradation of cyclin A is regulated by acetylation

Cyclin A accumulates at the onset of S phase, remains high during G(2) and early mitosis and is degraded at prometaphase. Here, we report that the acetyltransferase P/CAF directly interacts with cyclin A that as a consequence becomes acetylated at lysines 54, 68, 95 and 112. Maximal acetylation occurs simultaneously to ubiquitylation at mitosis, indicating importance of acetylation on cyclin A stability. This was further confirmed by the observation that the pseudoacetylated cyclin A mutant can be ubiquitylated whereas the nonacetylatable mutant cannot. The nonacetylatable mutant is more stable than cyclin A WT (cycA WT) and arrests cell cycle at mitosis. Moreover, in cells treated with histone deacetylase inhibitors cyclin A acetylation increases and its stability decreases, thus supporting the function of acetylation on cyclin A degradation. Although the nonacetylatable mutant cannot be ubiquitylated, it interacts with the proteins needed for its degradation (cdks, Cks, Cdc20, Cdh1 and APC/C). In fact, its association with cdks is increased and its complexes with these kinases display higher activity than control cycA WT-cdk complexes. All these results indicate that cyclin A acetylation at specific lysines is crucial for cyclin A stability and also has a function in the regulation of cycA-cdk activity.

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are associated with cardiovascular events in the elderly without cardiovascular disease. Results of a 15-year follow-up in a Mediterranean population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Epidemiological prospective data on cardiovascular (CV) events in elderly subjects from Mediterranean populations are lacking. We aimed to investigate 15-year incidence of CV events and to evaluate the association with CV risk factors in an elderly Mediterranean population.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The population of a small Sicilian village were enrolled, visited and a blood sample was drawn at baseline. CV events were recorded in the 15 years of follow-up. From 1351 subjects (75% of the resident population); 315 were in the age range 65-85 years; 266 subjects free from CV disease were analysed. Seventy-seven CV events were recorded in 73 out of 266 subjects, with a 19.7% rate (in 10 years). Hypertension (HTN) (hazards ratio=2.1) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (hazards ratio=1.8) were independently associated with CV events. Subjects with both DM and HTN showed a lower survival free of CV events compared to those with DM or HTN.

CONCLUSIONS

In a 15-year follow-up of an elderly Mediterranean population free from CV disease, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were related to CV events. The control of risk factors in the elderly needs to be reinforced to achieve better results in terms of CV prevention.

Skp2, a prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in metastatic melanoma

11034

Background: Skp2, a known oncogene, is overexpressed in several types of tumors and is associated with worse recurrence rate and overall survival in primary melanoma patients. Moreover, the anti-proliferative effects of Skp2 siRNA on various tumor cell lines have prompted the preclinical testing of Skp2 small molecule inhibitors. In this study, we assessed the clinical relevance and molecular mechanism(s) underlying Skp2 overexpression in metastatic melanoma patients. Methods: Skp2 protein levels were measured in 122 metastatic melanoma specimens using immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the association between Skp2 overexpression and post-recurrence survival was examined. Moreover, 22 cell lines (2 normal primary melanocytes, 2 primary immortal melanocytes, 4 primary melanoma cell lines, and 18 metastatic melanoma cell lines) were evaluated for Skp2 genomic amplification using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) arrays (Affymetrix 6.0) and Skp2 gene expression using mRNA arrays (Affymetrix U133A 2.0) and quantitative RT-PCR. We also screened 18 cell lines for Skp2 mutation by sequencing. Results: Skp2 overexpression, defined as >25% tumor cells, was associated with shorter 3-yr post-recurrence survival (37%) compared to Skp2 expression ≤25% (55%) (HR=1.89, 95%, CI= 1.04, 3.42, p=0.04). Skp2 overexpression was significantly associated with the site of melanoma metastasis: visceral (n= 12; 89%), lymph node (n=49; 36%), brain (n=15; 14%), and soft-tissue (n=36; 6%) (p<0.001). SNP array revealed genomic amplification at the Skp2 locus in 6 (33%) metastatic cell lines and one primary melanoma cell line. Skp2 genomic amplification was associated with increased transcript expression. No Skp2 mutations were identified. Conclusions: Skp2 protein overexpression is associated with worse prognosis in metastasis in melanoma. Our results also support that gene amplification, rather than a Skp2 gene mutation, may be the major mechanism responsible for Skp2 aberrant expression in metastatic melanoma.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.