1,721,018 research outputs found
Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter
Full text linkRecent studies have shown that consumers encounter various conflicting motivations that influence the prevention
of household food waste. Food choices are rooted in deep-seated judgments, such as emotions, habits,
and values, thus raising the cognitive dissonance between motivation and behavior (intention-behavior gap).
The complexity of this subject increases when considering that food waste is driven by repetitive, multiple,
and hidden individual choices and influenced by a composite set of situational factors. This study argues the
presence of a critical distance between food choices and waste generation in homes and this factual interval
(behavior-outcome gap) further affects consumer's decision-making when comparing available options. Employing
data from a three-year survey of a national representative panel of Italian consumers, this study develops
a system of regression models using path analysis methodology. The objective is to measure the relationships
between the different phases of the food consumption cycle and rank their contribution to waste. The results
suggest that the more upstream the phase, the stronger the influence on food waste generation in homes.
Purchasing emerges as the most critical choice of the consumers' food waste cycle. This gap between behavior
and outcome adds uncertainty to food decisions, which reverberates on behavioral beliefs and as a result,
leads consumers to resort to heuristics. The findings allow for the identification of a set of behavioral patterns
with implications on food waste generation. Furthermore, purchasing decisions are exposed to out-of-home
contextual factors, suggesting that food retail can affect consumer behaviors relevant to household food waste
Targeting Cancer Stem Cells: New Perspectives for a Cure to Cancer.
No full textCancer stem cells (CSCs) are present in many solid tumors. Their signaling
pathways and functions may be the key to developing new anticancer strategies
against cancer. Several studies have linked the signaling pathways’ (e.g., Wnt,
Notch, and Hedgehog pathways) aberrant activation to the development of
numerous cancers. These signaling pathways hence provide attractive targets
for further study toward new therapies. CSCs show several characteristics, such
as self-renewal, differentiation, high tumorigenicity, and resistance to anticancer
drugs. Drug resistance is the most useful in further evaluating the possibilities of
reducing tumor mass or eliminating cancer by discovering new therapies. One of
the key questions concerns the necessity of identifying superficial as well as
intracellular markers, which are essential if the drug is to respond positively to
CSCs. In recent years, CD133, CD44, ABCG2, and ALDH have been identified
as biomarkers for certain forms of CSCs. However, recent studies have contrib uted to a better understanding of CSC-specific antigens; to date, there is no
univocal characterization of antigens for CSCs. Our chapter aims to highlight
the importance of identifying new markers to develop new therapeutic strategies
against cance
“April” nel malt polmonare: un nuovo obiettivo per un migliore controllo della malattia?
No full textIntroduzione. Il linfoma della zona marginale extranodale è un sottotipo di linfoma non-Hodgkin a cellule B (NHL) che colpisce il tessuto linfoide associato alla mucosa (MALT), tipicamente con una buona prognosi, sebbene la disseminazione sistemica e la trasformazione in linfoma a cellule B di alto grado possano verificarsi. La proliferazione di questa malattia sembra essere associata ai macrofagi associati al tumore (TAM), che hanno un ruolo cruciale nello sviluppo del tumore. Recenti studi hanno anche dimostrato il ruolo di un ligando che induce la proliferazione (APRIL), una citochina cruciale nella proliferazione cellulare, come regolatore delle risposte immunitarie mediate dalle cellule B. Scopo di questo studio era analizzare i linfomi MALT polmonari attraverso la popolazione di macrofagi nel microambiente tumorale e nell'espressione di APRIL. Ciò evidenzierebbe la possibilità di analizzare ulteriormente il ruolo di APRIL e le sue interazioni con l'immunità.
Metodi. Questo è uno studio osservazionale retrospettivo. 9 pazienti sono stati sottoposti a intervento chirurgico per linfoma MALT polmonare. Un punteggio immunoistochimico è stato utilizzato per analizzare l'espressione proteica di CD163, CD68 e APRIL con un metodo semiquantitativo, valutando la positività di queste proteine. I livelli di punteggio erano: 0 (25–50%), 1 (5–25%), 2 (> 25–50%), 3 (> 50–75%) e 4 (> 75%).
Risultati. Per i nove pazienti esaminati (sei donne (69%) e tre uomini (31%)), l'immunoistochimica ha mostrato la presenza di una ricca popolazione di macrofagi nel MALT in associazione con l'espressione di APRIL. APRIL è stato distribuito prevalentemente nello stroma che circonda le cellule positive per CD68 e CD163. Il punteggio mediano sia per APRIL che per CD68 era 1 e per CD163 era 2, rivelando una percentuale più alta di cellule CD163-positive.
Conclusioni. La presenza di macrofagi nel microambiente tumorale è stata associata alla presenza di APRIL. Questo è il primo studio che rileva la presenza di APRIL nel linfoma MALT polmonare. Questa scoperta sarebbe utile per ulteriori studi che analizzino le possibili connessioni tra MALT e macrofagi per sviluppare marcatori molecolari e trattamenti su misura, evitando l'intervento chirurgico per questa malattia
A COMPARISON BETWEEN HIGH MORTALITY RISK GENES IN LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA AND PROGRESSION FREE INTERVAL (PFI) GENES IN LUAD AND LUSC: A LARGE TCGA POPULATION ANALYSIS.
No full textOBJECTIVE
In 2015 a molecular expression signature [cell cycle progression (CCP) score] has been validate by Bueno et al. to identify patients with a higher risk of cancer-related death after surgical resection of early stage (I-II) lung adenocarcinoma. Aim of our study is to define if the same 31 genes have an impact on LUAD and LUSC progression free interval (PFI), not only in early but also in locally advanced stages.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the association between the expression of 31 previously identified recurrence-related cell cycle genes and PFI. Data have been extracted from TGCA database including 741 patients from stage I to stage III affected by LUAD and LUSC. Results were reported as the hazard ratio (HR) related to a 1-unit increase in genes’ FPKM-UQ, based on sex- and age-adjusted robust Cox analysis stratified by clinical stage. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS
741 patients were analyzed. For LUAD and LUSC patients in stage I, the genes most associated with PFI are DTL (HR=1.39, p=0.0005) and CDK1 (HR=1.27, p=0.0475), respectively. For stage II patients, no gene was associated to PFI. For stage III patients, the most associated gene is PTTG1 (HR=2.08, p=0.000 and HR=2.14, p=0.0000, respectively) (Fig. 1).
CONCLUSIONS
In this study we show for the first time the most expressed genes which may have a huge impact on progression free interval (PFI) in LUAD and LUSC. This would highlight the most “sensible” genes which may need to be further investigated as “protective” against cancer
OVERALL SURVIVAL (OS) AND DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL (DFS) RELATED CELL CYCLE GENES IN LUAD AND LUSC: A LARGE RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON TCGA DATABASE.
No full textOBJECTIVES
Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Two of the most common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes are lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a landmark cancer genomics program, molecularly characterized over 20,000 the deadliest cancers in the primary cancers spanning 33 cancer types. We aim to analyze the association of 31 previously identified recurrence-related cell cycle genes on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in LUAD and LUSC, using TCGA database.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the association between the expression of these 31 recurrence-related cell cycle genes and OS and DFS. Data included 740 patients from stage I to III by LUAD or LUSC. Results were reported as the hazard ratio (HR) related to a 1-unit increase in genes’ FPKM-UQ, based on sex- and age-adjusted robust Cox analysis stratified by clinical stage. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS
740 patients were analyzed for OS, and 478 for DFS. For LUAD patients in stage I, the genes most associated with OS and DFS are DTL (HR=1.30, p=0.0083) and KIF20A (HR=1.34, p=0.0072), respectively. For LUAD stage II patients, the most impacted genes related with OS is PRC1 (HR=1.36, p=0.0033), whereas no gene was associated to DFS. For LUAD patients in stage III, the most impacted genes related with OS and DFS are PLK1 (HR=1.70, p=0.0000) and PTTG1 (HR=2.51, p=0.0230), respectively. For stage I, II and III LUSC patients, no gene was associated to OS and DFS (Figure 1).
CONCLUSIONS
We aim to highlight, through a large scale of patients, the most expressed and impacting genes on OS and DFS on LUAD and LUSC. This will be helpful to set further studies on prognostic genes profile in terms of recurrence and more tailoring therapies
Overespressione di aldeide deidrogenasi (ALDH) in pazienti recidivati per tumore fibroso solitario della pleura.
No full textIntroduzione. Il tumore fibroso solitario della pleura (SFTP) è una rara neoplasia del tessuto connettivo e il trattamento gold standard è la chirurgia. Sebbene SFTP sia generalmente benigno, il 15-20% dei pazienti sviluppa una recidiva, anche dopo 10 anni. L'espressione della proteina ALDH1A1 è stata recentemente associata a scarsa sopravvivenza globale (OS) e sopravvivenza libera da malattia (DFS) nei pazienti affetti da cancro del polmone. Lo scopo del nostro studio è quello di evidenziare l'espressione di ALDH1A1 nel tumore fibroso solitario primitivo e recidivo della pleura. Questo aiuterebbe a stratificare meglio la sua aggressività con particolare attenzione al rischio di recidiva a lungo termine.
Metodi. Abbiamo analizzato retrospettivamente 14 pazienti sottoposti a intervento chirurgico per SFTP tra il 2000 e il 2020. L'espressione della proteina ALDH1A1 è stata analizzata mediante immunoistochimica (IHC) in quattro pazienti con tumore primitivo e metastatico. Uno score è stato impostato per valutare l'espressione della proteina ALDH1A1 con un metodo semi-quantitativo basato sulla positività delle cellule tumorali: 0 (25-50%), 1 (5-25%), 2 (> 25-50%) , 3 (> 50-75%) e 4 (> 75%).
Risultati. Dieci tumori (71,4%) hanno avuto origine dalla pleura viscerale e quattro tumori (28,6%) hanno avuto origine dalla pleura parietale. L'istologia benigna è stata trovata in 13 pazienti (93%) e solo un paziente ha mostrato istologia maligna (7%). Il follow-up mediano è stato di 11,9 anni e quattro (28,6%) pazienti hanno manifestato recidiva. La mediana del punteggio ALDH1A1 era 3,5 nei quattro pazienti (28,6%) che hanno sviluppato recidiva.
Conclusioni. La possibilità di recidiva sembra dipendere non solo dalle caratteristiche istopatologiche e morfologiche, ma anche da alcuni aspetti molecolari. In particolare, il nostro studio evidenzia l'importanza del target ALDH1A1, che sembra essere espresso nella massa primitiva e recidiva, per migliorare il follow-up a lungo termine dei pazienti e per sviluppare futuri trattamenti con lo scopo di evitare recidive
Future Perspectives of Exosomal Payload of miRNAs in Lung Cancer.
No full textExosomes are nanovesicles, which were first described in 1983 as a method by
which cells disposed of their metabolic waste. Since the publication of these early
reports, exosomes have emerged as important regulators of various processes and
mechanisms that ensure the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. In cancer cells exosomes have added roles in immunomodulation, metastasis, tumor growth and
progression, chemo- and radioresistance, cell proliferation, and everything that
puts the cancer cells in a position of advantage as compared to the normal cells.
More recent studies have revealed that almost every cell type can release exo somes rich in the specific payload of bioactive molecules including miRNAs
which are integral to intercellular communication via the transfer of the payload
from the senders to the recipient cells. This chapter highlights the newly emerging
function of exosomes as miRNA carriers in lung cancer and presents new
perspectives for next-generation cancer treatments and targeted personalized
medicine
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
CANCER STEM CELLS AND CELL CYCLE GENES AS INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF RELAPSE IN NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER: SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY.
No full textObjective. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are described as resistant to chemo-radio
therapy. It has been shown that CSCs influence the disease-free
survival in patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer
(NCT04634630).
Moreover, CSCs have been assessed for the expression of a genes panel, previously validated by Bueno et al. in epithelial lung cancer cells, to predict lung cancer mortality. We recently described an overexpression of these recurrence-related genes (RG), which are cell cycle genes, in CSCs for early and locally advanced stages (IIIA) in ACL and squamous cell carcinoma (SCCL) of the lung.
This study aim to investigate CSC frequency and RG expression
as independent predictors of relapse in lung cancer. METHODS. This secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study involved 22 surgical tumor specimens from 22 patients in early (I-II) and locally advanced (IIIA) stages of ACL and SCCL. Cell population frequency analysis of ALDHhigh (CSC) and ALDHlow (cancer cells) was performed on each tumor specimen. In addition, RG expression was assessed for 31 target genes separately in ALDHhigh and ALDHlow populations. CSC frequency and RG expression were assessed as predictors of disease- free survival by Cox analysis. RESULTS. Cox analysis showed that CSC frequency and RG expression were two independent predictors of disease-free survival. CSC frequency was not related to disease-free survival in early-stage patients (HR=0.84, 95%CI=0.53-1.33, p=0.454), whereas it was a risk factor in locally advanced stage patients (HR=1.22, 95%CI=1.09-1.35, p=0.000). RG expression – if measured in CSC - was related to a higher risk of recurrence (HR=1.19, 95%CI=1.03-1.39, p=0.021). If considering RG expression measured in cancer cells, its effect on disease-free survival was lower and was not statistically significant (HR=1.12, 95%CI=0.94-1.33, p=0.196). CONCLUSIONS. This first observational study showing a connection between CSCs and lung cancer recurrence relies on data gathered from the analysis of the frequency of CSCs, directly isolated through cell sorting of primary cell suspensions derived from surgical tumor specimens. We focused on the quantification of CSCs within the tumor of each patient, measuring their frequency by cytofluorimetric analysis as a percentage of ALDHhigh cells and connecting it with the time to tumor relapse in both ADL and SCCL. CSC frequency and RG expression are independent predictors of relapse in lung cancer. Considering these results, CSCs and RG may need to be considered for both target therapy and prognosis. If these findings are confirmed in larger cohorts of patients, a better CSC characterization might be considered in further studies
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