Repurposing the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) screening test for whole-genome sequencing of human papillomaviruses.

Simple and standardized approaches for genome analysis of human papillomavirus (HPV) by next-generation sequencing are needed. The aim of the study was to develop a protocol for direct deep sequencing of high-risk (hr) HPV strains, based on the widely used commercial Hybrid Capture 2 (QIAGEN) test, without any additional probe design. This protocol was applied to 15 HPV-positive and two HPV-negative cervical samples or cell lines and validated at the genotype level by comparing the sequencing results to those obtained using a commercial genotyping kit. The performance of our protocol, presented in this proof-of-principle study, supports its use for accurate characterization of genetic variants of hrHPV.

Electronic properties of pristine and Se doped [001] silicon nanowires: an ab initio study.

We report the results of first-principles density functional theory calculations of the properties of pristine and Se doped hydrogen passivated silicon nanowires oriented along the [001] direction. We show that the effect of confinement in the orthogonal directions is to increase the bandgap as the diameter of the nanowire is progressively reduced, as expected from the simple quantum confinement model. Moreover, we observe that the introduction of surface reconstruction before H passivation can lead to an indirect bandgap due to a shift of the valence band maximum away from the convergence point. We also study the formation energy and hyperfine parameters of Se located in different positions in a nanowire with diameter of 0.8 nm. Our results confirms a tendency to surface segregation for Se atoms, probably driven by deformations close to the nanowire surface. These deformations cause also a steep decrease in the hyperfine contact term of Se in surface positions compared to the situation when Se is placed near the axis of the nanowire. The latter values of the hyperfine contact term are instead much greater than the corresponding bulk values.

Electrostatic wipes as simple and reliable methods for influenza virus airborne detection.

The performance of an in-house protocol for virus detection on commercialized electrostatic wipes (EWs) was assessed experimentally by impregnating them with suspensions of cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and influenza virus, and by determining the recovery efficiency, repeatability, and detection limit of the protocol. The protocol was sensitive enough to detect 4 log10 gene copies of virus. At room temperature, influenza RNA was stable on EWs for at least four days. When EWs were placed high in 32 influenza-infected patients' rooms, influenza RNA was detectable in 75% (N = 24) of EWs, suggesting that EWs are simple and reliable methods for influenza virus airborne detection.

The management of emergency spinal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

AIMS: The current pandemic caused by COVID-19 is the biggest challenge for national health systems for a century. While most medical resources are allocated to treat COVID-19 patients, several non-COVID-19 medical emergencies still need to be treated, including vertebral fractures and spinal cord compression. The aim of this paper is to report the early experience and an organizational protocol for emergency spinal surgery currently being used in a large metropolitan area by an integrated team of orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. METHODS: An organizational model is presented based on case centralization in hub hospitals and early management of surgical cases to reduce hospital stay. Data from all the patients admitted for emergency spinal surgery from the beginning of the outbreak were prospectively collected and compared to data from patients admitted for the same reason in the same time span in the previous year, and treated by the same integrated team. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients (11 males and eight females, with a mean age of 49.9 years (14 to 83)) were admitted either for vertebral fracture or spinal cord compression in a 19-day period, compared to the ten admitted in the previous year. No COVID-19 patients were treated. The mean time between admission and surgery was 1.7 days, significantly lower than 6.8 days the previous year (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The structural organization and the management protocol we describe allowed us to reduce the time to surgery and ultimately hospital stay, thereby maximizing the already stretched medical resources available. We hope that our early experience can be of value to the medical communities that will soon be in the same emergency situation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(6):671-676.

Size dependence of the Mössbauer recoilless fraction in ß-Sn nanocrystals.

We study the size dependence of the Mössbauer recoilless fraction in ß-Sn nanocrystals by performing conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy at different temperatures. The Mössbauer recoilless fraction is intimately related to dynamical processes involving the nuclei during the γ-ray emission. The ß-Sn nanocrystals are embedded in a SiO(2) matrix, and they have a mean diameter ranging from 7 to 17 nm. A lowering of the recoilless fraction with decreasing cluster size is observed. The smallest nanocrystals reveal a 60% reduction of the recoilless fraction compared to the bulk value, while for the largest clusters we observe the same Mössbauer recoilless fraction as in the bulk. This suggests that the dynamical properties of the ß-Sn nanocrystals in SiO(2) approach those of the bulk for a critical mean diameter above 16 nm. The experimental results are compared with theoretical values obtained by a continuum model in which the relevant parameters are determined ab initio.

Focal extra-axial hemorrahagic mass with subdural hemorrhage secondare to extramedullary hematopoiesis in idiopathic myelodysplastic sindrome.

Idiopathic myelodysplastic syndrome is a disease characterized by a clonal stem cell disorder in which megacaryocitic and granulocytic lineages are mainly involved; extramedullary myeloid metaplasia is due to abnormal location of myeloid tissue in other organs than bone marrow. Rarely the central nervous system is involved. When it happens, it is typical to find masses around the brain and pachymeningeal thickening, but it is very rare to find it associated with subdural haemorrhage, as in the case we describe in the present article. Considering our case and the literature we can suggest that radiological images associated with the clinical history of the patient suggestive for extramedullary hematopoiesis can be sufficient for a correct diagnosis and for a radiotherapy treatment, demanding surgery in the case of diagnostic doubts, massive hemorrahages or neurological decifits caused by the focal lesions.

Oligodendroglial gliomatosis cerebri. Case report.

Gliomatosis cerebri of oligodendroglial origin is very unusual. In the present article we illustrate a case of this pathology, outlining his severity and suggesting it seems to be more aggressive than the astroglial type. We give a short focus about the diagnosis and the therapy of this neoplastic disease.

Arnold's neuralgia caused by solitary fibrous tumor. Case report.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a mesenchymal tumor which has been identified in a wide variety of localizations, including soft tissues, peritoneum, retroperitoneum, mediastinum, upper respiratory tract, nasopharyngeal sinuses, periosteum and extremities, orbit, major body cavities, intraspinal and intracranial localizations. The authors describe a case of SFT found in the neck of a young patient suffering from Arnold's neuralgia. After surgery, diagnosis of SFT was based on characteristic histopathological findings, especially on immunohistochemical positive staining for CD34 antigen. It has been described also the characteristic patterns making this diagnose sure, focusing the point that cure is possible with complete excision of the lesion.

Meningeal melanocytoma of the temporal lobe. An uncommon tumor in an unusual location. Case report.

Meningeal melanocytomas are rare pigmented tumors of the central nervous system. These tumors are benign melanotic lesions that derive from the melanocytes of the leptomeninges. They may occur anywhere in the cranial and spinal meninges; however, they are found prevalently in the posterior fossa and in the spinal cord. Their epidemiological features, natural history and response to treatment remain poorly understood, even if, in the last 2 years, some reviews have been published about it. We report a new case of intracranial supratentorial meningeal melanocytoma, in the temporal lobe, occurring in a 27-year-old man, admitted to our Institute with a long-time history of seizures. We report histological and radiological characteristics of our case, and briefly review the therapeutical options reported in literature. Preoperative neuroradiological finding is unclear; the preoperative diagnosis is usually meningioma, because of the long duration of symptomatology and the radiological appearance of the lesion as an extra-axial mass. Diagnosis of these lesions, as in our case, is made intraoperatively by the gross, jet-black appearance of the tumor and by histological examination. In spite of the benign biologic behaviour, the prognosis remains uncertain, because of the possible local recurrences. According to the results of some works of the last years, it seems appropriate to use postoperative radiotherapy for those patients with symptomatic residual, progressive or recurrent tumors not amenable to further resection.

Acute traumatic fractures to the craniovertebral junction: preliminary experience with the "MILD" score scale.

PURPOSE: Traumatic fractures to the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) are rare events requiring complex clinical management. Several classification systems are currently in use; however, recent improvements of junctional knowledge has focused attention on the role of ligaments and membranes in vertebral biomechanical stability. The aim of this study was to present our preliminary experience with the "MILD" score scale, which should allow fast and effective classification of all CVJ traumatic fractures based on vertebral instability in the acute setting. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 38 consecutive patients with 43 traumatic junctional fractures identified by computed tomography (CT) scan in the acute trauma phase. The MILD scale was applied to all fractures, and a score was obtained for each patient. All cases underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the anatomical integrity of ligaments and membranes. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (71 %) were classified as MILD type 1 (0-1 points), showed a negative MRI, and healed with conservative treatment. Eight patients (21 %) were classified as MILD type 2 (2 points) and showed modest indirect signs of ligamentous injuries. Four of these patients healed with conservative treatment, while three patients underwent surgery due to wide bone fracture fragment displacement. Three patients (8 %) were classified as MILD type 3 (3 points), all of whom showed extensive ligamentous damage and underwent surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The close association between the MILD scale and spinal instability is promising, although further studies are warranted in order to confirm our preliminary data.

A specific CBP/p300-dependent gene expression programme drives the metabolic remodelling in late stages of spermatogenesis.

Histone hyperacetylation is thought to drive the replacement of histones by transition proteins that occur in elongating spermatids (ElS) after a general shut down of transcription. The molecular machineries underlying this histone hyperacetylation remain still undefined. Here, we focused our attention on the role of Cbp and p300 in histone hyperacetylation and in the preceding late-gene transcriptional activity in ElS. A strategy was designed to partially deplete Cbp and p300 in ElS. These cells progressed normally through spermiogenesis and showed normal histone hyperacetylation and removal. However, a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis, performed in the round spermatids (RS) and ElS, revealed the existence of a gene regulatory circuit encompassing genes presenting high expression levels in pre-meiotic cells, undergoing a repressed state in spermatocytes and early post-meiotic cells, but becoming reactivated in ElS, just prior to the global shutdown of transcription. Interestingly, this group of genes was over-represented within the genes affected by Cbp/p300 knock down and were all involved in metabolic remodelling. This study revealed the occurrence of a tightly regulated Cbp/p300-dependent gene expression programme that drives a specific metabolic state both in progenitor spermatogenic cells and in late transcriptionally active spermatids and confirmed a special link between Cpb/p300 and cell metabolism programming previously shown in somatic cells.

One year variability of peak heights, heterozygous balance and inter-locus balance for the DNA positive control of AmpFℓSTR© Identifiler© STR kit.

Multivariate analyses of 205 positive control experiments in an AmpFℓSTR© Identifiler© STR kit were used to analyze the factors affecting peak heights at 16 loci. Peak heights were found to be highly correlated between loci and there was evidence for a difference in sensitivity of the two genetic analyzers in the blue channel. Heterozygous balance response at 10 loci was found to behave as a random variable following a beta-distribution with typical median values of 90%, without locus or genetic analyzer effect. Inter-locus balance at 16 loci was influenced by the blue channel effect and a temporal switch of unexplained origin. The implications of these results for the choice of minimum threshold values in quality control are discussed.

Functional characterization of ATAD2 as a new cancer/testis factor and a predictor of poor prognosis in breast and lung cancers.

Cancer cells frequently express genes normally active in male germ cells. ATAD2 is one of them encoding a conserved factor harbouring an AAA type ATPase domain and a bromodomain. We show here that ATAD2 is highly expressed in testis as well as in many cancers of different origins and that its high expression is a strong predictor of rapid mortality in lung and breast cancers. These observations suggest that ATAD2 acts on upstream and basic cellular processes to enhance oncogenesis in a variety of unrelated cell types. Accordingly, our functional studies show that ATAD2 controls chromatin dynamics, genome transcriptional activities and apoptotic cell response. We could also highlight some of the important intrinsic properties of its two regulatory domains, including a functional cross-talk between the AAA ATPase domain and the bromodomain. Altogether, these data indicate that ATAD2 overexpression in somatic cells, by acting on basic properties of chromatin, may contribute to malignant transformation.

Anomalous LO phonon lifetime in AlAs.

The temperature dependence of the frequencies and linewidths of the Raman-active longitudinal optical (LO) phonons in GaAs and AlAs have been measured. The low-temperature lifetime of the LO phonon in AlAs is found to be 9.7 ps, very close to the corresponding GaAs value of 9.5 ps. This contradicts early theoretical predictions. The agreement between theory and experiment can be restored when the accidental degeneracy between the AlAs LO phonon frequency and a feature in the two-phonon density of states is taken into account.

Intradural spinal metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma causing cauda equina syndrome.

Metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma to the spinal cord are quite rare. Intradural localization causing a cauda equina syndrome has been previously reported only in two cases. The present report details the clinical, surgical and neuroradiological findings of a third case requiring emergency surgery, and presents data available from a brief review of cases reported in the literature. From the data available in the literature, we suggest that cerebral and spinal MRI and PET imaging should be widely performed in the staging of patients treated for renal clear cell carcinoma, in order to early detect CNS involvement.

Gangliosides in various brain areas of three inbred strains of mice.

The ganglioside patterns of cerebellum, cortex, pons-medulla, hypothalamus, hippocampus and caudate nucleus of three inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J and BALB/cJ) have been analysed. All brain areas contained both the simple and complex species of gangliosides. GD1a was the major ganglioside in cortex, hippocampus and caudate nucleus whereas GT1b was the major species in cerebellum, hypothalamus and pons-medulla. In hippocampus, the percentages of GT1b and GD1a were quite similar. Pons and medulla exhibited the highest levels of GM1 (which approaches the value of GT1b) and the lowest values of GD1a. A ganglioside, which was present in highest amounts in cerebellum disappeared after alkali treatment. Highly significant differences were observed in the amounts and patterns of gangliosides among brain areas of the three strains. Highly significant differences (p less than 0.001) were also found in the ganglioside distribution of various brain areas among the strains, especially for tri- and tetrasialogangliosides between Balb and DBA. A significant difference of GM1 was observed in the cerebellum when comparing DBA with the two other strains. It is likely that the differences might be related to their relative abundances in certain cell types and for defining synaptic circuits in brain areas of some strains.