633 research outputs found
Technological semiotic mediators in didactic to approach cosmic rays and improve students' scientific knowledge
No full textThis article describes the activities developed in the scientific path of the research project “Mathematical High School” and concerned the analysis of the data detected by the Cosmic Ray Cube (CRC), a muon detector designed in the Gran Sasso (Italy) laboratories. Due to Covid-19 the laboratories have been redesigned and calibrated to be developed remotely through e-learning platforms. The didactic impact of the activities will be illustrated in this work. It will describe not only the involvement in the development of fascinating topics not usually carried out in Italian curricula, but also the skills acquired thanks to the development of interdisciplinary themes that highlight how the different fields of the scientific worl
In systemic sclerosis TAPSE/sPAP ratio is correlated with ventilatory efficiency and exercise capacity assessed by CPET
No full textObjectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters and right ventricular echocardiographic parameters for pulmonary arterial hypertension screening in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Methods forty SSc patients were examined using CPET and resting transthoracic echocardiography. CPET parameters analyzed were minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max); echocardiographic parameters were systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and TAPSE/sPAP ratio. Results a positive correlation was observed between VE/VCO2 slope and age (r = 0.415, p < 0.01) and sPAP (r = 0.461, p < 0.01), conversely, a negative correlation was found between VE/VCO2 slope and TASPE/sPAP ratio (r = − 0.521, p = 0.001). VO2 max showed an inverse correlation with age (r = − 0.367, p < 0.05) and sPAP (r = − 0.387, p < 0.05) and a positive correlation with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (r = 0.521, p < 0.01). On stepwise linear regression analysis, VE/VCO2 slope was significantly correlated with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (β coefficient = − 0.570; p < 0.0001), as well as VO2 max was significantly correlated with TAPSE/sPAP ratio (β coefficient = 0.518; p = 0.001). Conclusion in SSc patients, TAPSE/sPAP ratio is the echocardiographic parameter of RV function which showed the best correlation with ventilatory efficiency and exercise capacity
Type 2 cytokines and scleroderma interstitial lung disease
No full text: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Type 2 (Th2) cytokines play a pivotal role in airway disease. Study aim was to evaluate serum level of Th2 interleukin (IL) and chemokine in SSc-ILD. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-11, IL-13, IL-21, IL-31 and CXCL-13 were measured by Bio-Plex Multiplex Immunoassays in 60 SSc patients and 20 healthy controls (HC). Pulmonary function tests with diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were performed in SSc patients. ILD is defined as fibrotic changes (ground glass, reticular and honeycombing), assessed by Computer-Aided Lung Informatics for Pathology Evaluation and Ratings (CALIPER) software, affecting at least 10% of the lungs. Serum levels of Th2 cytokines were higher in SSc patients than HC. A linear correlation was observed between ground glass and IL-13 (r = 0.342, p < 0.01), IL-21 (r = 0.345, p < 0.01), IL-31 (r = 0.473, p < 0.001), IL-4 (r = 0.863, p < 0.001), IL-5 (r = 0.249, p < 0.05) and peripheral blood eosinophils (r = 0.463, p < 0.001). We found a negative correlation between DLco and IL-4 (r = - 0.511, p < 0.001) and peripheral blood eosinophils (r = - 0.446, p < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, IL-4 is associated with DLco ≤ 60% of the predicted [OR 1.039 (CI 95%: 1.015-1.064), p < 0.001], whilst mRSS [OR 1.138 (CI 95%: 1.023-1.266), p < 0.05] and IL-4 [OR 1.017 (CI 95%: 1-1.034), p < 0.05] were associated with ILD. Th2 inflammation could play a key role in early phase of SSc-ILD
Interleukin-33 and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 in scleroderma cardiac involvement
No full textInterleukin (IL)-33 is part of the IL-1 family of cytokines and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is part of the family of IL-1 receptors. In systemic sclerosis (SSc), IL-33 and sST2 are involved in cardiac manifestations such as diastolic dysfunction (DD), autonomic dysfunction (AD) and right ventricular–pulmonary arterial coupling assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)/systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). Serum levels of IL33 and sST2 were assessed in 50 SSc patients and 14 healthy controls (HC). Clinical assessment, echocardiography and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis were performed in SSc patients. Serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 were significantly higher in SSc patients than HC. A linear positive correlation between modified Rodnan skin score and IL33 was observed. Serum values of sST2 were higher in SSc patients with DD than in patients without DD [15403 pg/ml (12,208–19,941) vs 8556 pg/ml (6820–11,036), p < 0.001]. sST2 showed a negative correlation with standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals (SDNN) (r = − 0.281, p < 0.05) and positive correlation with low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) (r = 0,349, p < 0.01). Negative linear correlation exists between sST2 and TAPSE/sPAP (r = − 0.398, p < 0.01). Serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 are higher in SSc patients than HC. Serum levels of sST2 are a potential marker of DD, AD and right ventricular–pulmonary arterial coupling
In systemic sclerosis patients, peripheral blood CD21low B cells and serum IL-4 and IL-21 influence joint involvement
No full textSystemic sclerosis (SSc) patients have an increased frequency of CD21low B cells and of serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-21, each possible markers of joint involvement in inflammatory arthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of CD21low B cells, IL-4, and IL-21 on joint involvement in a cohort of 52 SSc patients. The DAS28-ESR was correlated with CD21low B cells (r = 0.452, p < 0.001), IL-4 (r = 0.478, p < 0.001), and IL-21 (r = 0.415, p < 0.001). SSc patients with a DAS28-ESR > 3.2 had more CD21low B cells (12.65% (IQR: 7.11–13.79) vs. 5.08% (IQR: 3.76–7.45), p < 0.01), higher IL-4 levels (132.98 pg/mL (IQR: 99.12–164.12) vs. 100.80 pg/mL (IQR: 62.78–121.13), p < 0.05), and higher IL-21 levels (200.77 pg/mL (IQR: 130.13–302.41) vs. 98.83 pg/mL (IQR: 35.70–231.55), p < 0.01) than patients with a DAS28-ESR ≤ 3.2. The logistic regression analysis models showed that the DAI (OR: 2.158 (95% CI: 1.120; 4.156), p < 0.05) and CD21low B cells (OR: 1.301 (95% CI: 1.099; 1.540), p < 0.01), the DAI (OR: 2.060 (95% CI: 1.082; 3.919), p < 0.05) and IL-4 level (OR: 1.026 (95% CI: 1.006; 1.045), p < 0.01), and the DAI (OR: 1.743 (95% CI: 1.022; 2.975), p < 0.05) and IL-21 level (OR: 1.006 (95% CI: 1.000; 1.011), p < 0.05) were independently associated with a DAS28-ESR > 3.2. An elevated CD21low B cell percentage, IL-4 level, and IL-21 level was associated with higher articular disease activity in patients, suggesting a possible role in the pathogenesis of SSc joint involvement
Role of kinurenic acid in the systemic sclerosis renal involvement
No full text: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) subclinical renal vasculopathy is characterized by progressive increase of intrarenal stiffness and reduction of parenchymal thickness due to post ischemic fibrosis secondary to the renal Raynaud phenomenon. Aims of this study were to evaluate kinurenic acid (KYNA) serum level in SSc patients and healthy controls (HC) and to assess the role of KYNA in SSc subclinical nephropathy. Serum level of KYNA was evaluated in 52 SSc patients and 20 HC, matched for sex and age. Renal function was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and renal doppler ultrasound was performed to evaluate kidneys' morphology and indices of intrarenal stiffness. The parameters registered were renal longitudinal length, atrophy index (AI), renal sinus, parenchymal thickness, renal resistive index (RRI), pulsatile index (PI) and systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D). SSc patients had lower median value of KYNA than HC [54.43 ng/ml (IQR 44.44-63.64) vs 61.94 ng/ml (IQR 55.23-88.75), p < 0.001]. SSc patients with AI ≥ 0.70 had lower KYNA than SSc patients with AI < 0.70 [47.85 ng/ml (IQR 41.16-59.91) vs 55.5 ng/ml (IQR 49.99-67.33), p < 0.05] and a slightly significant negative linear correlation was found between KYNA and AI (r = - 0.249, p < 0.05). SSc patient with RRI ≥ 0.70 had higher KYNA than SSc patients with RRI < 0.70 [58.25 ng/ml (IQR 50.49-69.68) vs 50.07 ng/ml (IQR 42.70-56.31), p < 0.05] and a significant positive correlation was found between KYNA and RRI (r = 0.318, p < 0.05). KYNA may be used as a marker to evaluate the renal involvement in SSc patients
Reconstruction of the muon production depth with ground array data based on the TTC (Time-Track Complementarity) approach
No full textThe muon longitudinal profile along the shower axis depends on the nature of the primary particle and primary hadronic interaction with air nuclei. The measurement of muonic component inside showers generated by Very High Energy Cosmic Rays provides a very powerful tool for sensing high energy interactions between cosmic ray particles and air molecules. Fundamental parameters such as the interaction cross section, inelasticity, hadron production and multiplicity can be measured by comparing the development of shower electromagnetic component with that of muonic component. Since 1992 a method has been developed to combine the muon arrival direction in a ground based array for cosmic ray detection with their arrival delay with respect to the shower core. This combination permits to select high energy muons weakly scattered in the atmosphere and to reconstruct their height of production with good accuracy. In this paper we discuss the possibility to realize a “dual” apparatus able to detect both electromagnetic and muonic component at primary energies greater than 1017eV
Serum Adiponectin, a Novel Biomarker Correlates with Skin Thickness in Systemic Sclerosis
No full textThe aim was to evaluate the longitudinal association between basal serum adiponectin and repeated measurements of skin thickness during 12 months of follow-up in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. We enrolled SSc patients with disease duration > 2 years in a prospective observational study. Skin thickness was measured at baseline and after 12 months of follow-up with modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS). Baseline serum adiponectin was determined using a commercial ELISA kit. We enrolled 66 female SSc patients (median age 54 years, IQR 42–62 years). The median disease duration was 12 (IQR 8–16) years and median baseline serum adiponectin was 9.8 (IQR 5.6–15.6) mcg/mL. The median mRSS was 10 (IQR 6–18) at baseline and 12 (IQR 7–18) at follow-up. A significant correlation was observed between baseline serum adiponectin and disease duration (r = 0.264, p < 0.05), age (r = 0.515, p < 0.0001), baseline mRSS (r = −0.303, p < 0.05), and mRSS at follow-up (r = −0.322, p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, only mRSS at follow-up showed an inverse correlation with baseline serum adiponectin (β = −0.132, p < 0.01). The reduction in serum adiponectin levels is correlated with skin thickness
Platinum(II) Complexes Bearing Triphenylphosphine and Chelating Oximes: Antiproliferative Effect and Biological Profile in Resistant Cells
No full textPlatinum(II) complexes of the type [Pt(Cl)(PPh3){(κ2-N,O)-(1{C(R)=N(OH)-2(O)C6H4})}] with R = Me, H, (1 and 2) were synthesized and characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed for 1 the proposed (SP4-3) configuration. The study of the antiproliferative activity, performed on a panel of human tumor cell lines and on mesothelial cells, highlighted complex 2 as the most effective. In particular, it showed a remarkable cytotoxicity on ovarian carcinoma cells (A2780) and interestingly, a significant antiproliferative effect on cisplatin resistant cells (A2780cis). The investigation on the intracellular mechanism of action demonstrated for 2 a lower ability to platinate DNA with respect to cisplatin, taken as reference, and a notably higher uptake in resistant cells. A significant accumulation in mitochondria, along with the ability to induce concentration-dependent mitochondrial membrane depolarization and intracellular reactive oxygen species production, allowed us to propose a mitochondria-mediated pathway as responsible for the interesting cytotoxic profile of complex 2
Double‐J stent placement during laparoscopic ureterolithotomy. The “seagull” technique
No full textLaparoscopic ureterolithotomy (LUL) may be advocated as the primary treatment for a very large proximal ureteral stone or as one of the treatment options in case of refractory calculi from either failed ureteroscopy or ESWL. Although some debate exists over the necessity of ureteral stenting after LUL, placing a double J stent (DJ) represents an effective internal drainage method that maintains the patency of the urinary tract, prevents prolonged urinary leakage and allows for a better healing, thus preventing the narrowing of the ureteral lumen. Aim of the study is to present a new technique of double-J stent (DJ) placement during transperitoneal LUL
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