Lifestyle and dietary factors, iron status and one-carbon metabolism polymorphisms in a sample of Italian women and men attending a Transfusion Medicine Unit: a cross-sectional study.

Iron (Fe) status among healthy male and female blood donors, aged 18-65 years, is estimated. General characteristics and lifestyle factors, dietary habits and major one-carbon metabolism-related polymorphisms were also investigated. An explorative cross-sectional study design was used to examine a sample of blood donors attending the Transfusion Medicine Unit of the Verona University Hospital, Italy. From April 2016 to May 2018, 499 subjects were enrolled (255 men, 244 women, 155 of whom of childbearing age). Major clinical characteristics including lifestyle, dietary habits and Fe status were analysed. The MTHFR 677C > T, cSHMT 1420C > T, DHFR 19bp ins/del and RFC1 80G > A polymorphisms were also assayed. Mean plasma concentrations of Fe and ferritin were 16·6 µmol/l (95 % CI 16·0, 17·2) and 33·8 µg/l (95 % CI 31·5, 36·2), respectively. Adequate plasma Fe concentrations (> 10·74 µmol/l) were detected in 84·3 % and adequate ferritin concentrations (20-200 µg/l) was found in 72·5 % of the whole cohort. Among the folate-related polymorphisms analysed, carriers of the DHFR 19bp del/del mutant allele showed lower ferritin concentration when compared with DHFR 19bp ins/del genotypes. In a sample of Italian healthy blood donors, adequate plasma concentrations of Fe and ferritin were reached in a large proportion of subjects. The relationship of Fe status with lifestyle factors and folate-related polymorphisms requires more investigation to clarify further gene-nutrient interactions between folate and Fe metabolism.

Additive Manufacturing of Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) for Space Applications: A Nanosat Polymeric Structure.

Recent improvements in additive layer manufacturing (ALM) have provided new designs of geometrically complex structures with lighter materials and low processing costs. The use of additive manufacturing in spacecraft production is opening up many new possibilities in both design and fabrication, allowing for the reduction of the weight of the structure subsystems. In this aim, polymeric ALM structures can become a choice, in terms of lightweight and demisability, as far as good thermomechanical properties. Moreover, provided that fused-deposition modeling (FDM) is used, nanosats and other structures could be easily produced in space. However, the choice of the material is a crucial step of the process, as the final performance of the printed parts is strongly dependent on three pillars: design, material, and printing process. As a high-performance technopolymer, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) has been adopted to fabricate parts via ALM; however, the space compatibility of 3D-printed parts remains not demonstrated. This work aimed to realize a nanosat polymeric structure via FDM, including all the phases of the development process: thermomechanical design, raw material selection, printing process tuning, and manufacturing of a proof of concept of a technological model. The design phase includes the application of topology optimization to maximize mass saving and take full advantage of the ALM capability. 3D-printed parts were characterized via thermomechanical tests, outgassing tests of 3D-printed parts are reported confirming the outstanding performance of polyether ether ketone and its potential as a material for structural space application.

Absence of TCL1A expression is a useful diagnostic feature in splenic marginal zone lymphoma.

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) is a low-grade lymphoma showing a rather nonspecific immunophenotype. Gene expression profiling studies suggested that TCL1A could be a marker of SMZL, but reported data are conflicting. We evaluated TCL1A expression in a series of spleen and bone marrow samples involved by SMZL and correlated the findings with other immunophenotypical, morphological, and clinical data. In addition, we evaluated the expression of TCL1A in a series of spleens and lymph nodes involved by lymphomas that might mimic SMZL (13 nodal marginal zone lymphomas (NMZL), 39 follicular lymphomas (FL), 30 B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias (B-CLL), 31 mantle cell lymphomas (MCL), 1 lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma) and 15 bone marrow specimens involving hairy cell leukemia (HCL). TCL1A staining was negative in 24/31 cases of SMZL (77 %); 27/31 MCL and all B-CLL were positive for TCL1A; 32/34 cases of nodal FL (96 %) and all five splenic FL were positive for TCL1A, although at a lower intensity. Eight of 13 NMZL were positive for TCL1A, often showing a heterogeneous staining pattern. All HCL samples were strongly positive for TCL1A. No correlation was found between the pattern of splenic infiltration, TCL1A expression, and the clinical course. TCL1A-positive SMZL showed a higher rate of DBA44 staining compared to the negative ones, and this difference was statistically significant (Fisher test, single-tailed, p = 0.0397). Our data support the use of TCL1A in the panel of diagnostic markers used in the differential diagnosis of splenic low-grade B-cell lymphoma; a possible prognostic value, however, needs a larger series to be established.

A high-dose bortezomib neuropathy with sensory ataxia and myelin involvement.

Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor used in the treatment of multiple myeloma, is known to induce an axonal, dose-dependent neuropathy clinically characterized by pain, paresthesias, burning dysesthesias and numbness. In this study, we describe a patient treated with high-dose bortezomib whose main clinical feature was severe sensory ataxia. Electrodiagnostic studies showed, other than axonal changes, myelin involvement.