miR-200c is upregulated by oxidative stress and induces endothelial cell apoptosis and senescence via ZEB1 inhibition.

We examined the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on MicroRNAs (miRNAs) expression in endothelial cells in vitro, and in mouse skeletal muscle following acute hindlimb ischemia. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to 200 µM hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) for 8 to 24 h; miRNAs profiling showed that miR-200c and the co-transcribed miR-141 increased more than eightfold. The other miR-200 gene family members were also induced, albeit to a lower level. Furthermore, miR-200c upregulation was not endothelium restricted, and occurred also on exposure to an oxidative stress-inducing drug: 1,3-bis(2 chloroethyl)-1nitrosourea (BCNU). miR-200c overexpression induced HUVEC growth arrest, apoptosis and senescence; these phenomena were also induced by H(2)O(2) and were partially rescued by miR-200c inhibition. Moreover, miR-200c target ZEB1 messenger RNA and protein were downmodulated by H(2)O(2) and by miR-200c overexpression. ZEB1 knockdown recapitulated miR-200c-induced responses, and expression of a ZEB1 allele non-targeted by miR-200c, prevented miR-200c phenotype. The mechanism of H(2)O(2)-mediated miR-200c upregulation involves p53 and retinoblastoma proteins. Acute hindlimb ischemia enhanced miR-200c in wild-type mice skeletal muscle, whereas in p66(ShcA -/-) mice, which display lower levels of oxidative stress after ischemia, upregulation of miR-200c was markedly inhibited. In conclusion, ROS induce miR-200c and other miR-200 family members; the ensuing downmodulation of ZEB1 has a key role in ROS-induced apoptosis and senescence.

Usefulness of an assessment score to predict early stopping of exclusive breast-feeding.

Exclusive breast-feeding is recommended during the first 6 months of life. Use of simple indicators to predict early stopping of exclusive breast-feeding may be desirable in clinical practice. A breast-feeding assessment evaluated at discharge and including maternal age, previous breast-feeding experience, latching difficulty, and breast-feeding interval could be useful.

[Disability in childhood. Care and professional training regarding particularly the problems currently seen in long-term control of newborns at risk]. / La disabilita' in eta' pediatrica. Assistenza e formazione professionale con particolare riguardo ai problemi attualmente osservati nel controllo a distanza del neonato a rischio.

Children with disability are a heterogeneous population distributed between complex conditions including physical disorders, psychomotor and neurodevelopment disorders, social role and school activities limitations. Prenatal, perinatal and neonatal diseases together with disabling chronic conditions may cause childhood disability. Data from literature show a prevalence of childhood disability ranging from 5 to 20% with a wide range of severity level. The social impact of childhood disability is extremely relevant. Children with disabilities frequently require health care services and special education. VLBW (very low birth weight infants, birth weight <1500 gr) have major disabilities (10-15%) while minor disabilities can be found in 20-25% of these subjects. The first step stays in medical prevention but also an oriented training toward these problems for doctors both in pre and post-graduate formation can play a significant role. Support of society in order to understand the complexity and heterogeneity of childhood disability, through social care services, is mandatory. These measures, apparently costly, if correctly done, will be helpful for both the individual subject and the whole society, through a reduction of the disability problems and the final economy cost impact.

Morfometria en la corteza del hueso metacarpiano III en las partes proximal y distal de la diáfisis en potrillo mestizo con criollo / Morphometry in the proximal and distal cortical of the diaphysis

El objetivo del trabajo es aportar conocimientos morfológicos acerca de la corteza del hueso metacarpiano III de las partes proximal y distal de la diafisis en potrillos mestizos con criollos. Se estudiaron los huesos metacarpianos III provenientes de 30 potrillos sin problemas de aplomo, de 19 a 24 meses de edad. Se determinaron el peso y longitud de cada hueso. Se seccionó transversalmente el hueso en la parte media del tercio proximal y distal de la diafisis, donde fueron medidos: diametro del hueso y de la cavidad medular; espesores de las paredes en los cuadrantes: medial, lateral, dorsal y palmar y ademas, se evaluaron las areas total, cortical y cavidad medular. Las variables fueron analizadas estadisticamente. Los resultados muestran variaciones morfometricas, en la parte media del tercio proximal y distal de la diafisis. Se comprobó que existen diferencias significativas, entre el grosor de los cuadrantes, diametro de la cavidad medular, area cortical y area total en las partes proximal y distal de la diafisis y entre las partes proximal y distal.

[Mineral fibers and bladder cancer. Morphological and minerological investigations in a subject without professional exposure]. / Fibre minerali e carcinoma vescicale. Indagine morfologica e mineralogica in un soggetto non professionalmente esposto.

It is confirmed that occupational and paraoccupational exposure to mineral fibres, particularly asbestos fibres, plays a fundamental role in the induction of lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. The possible association with other human cancers (e.g. larynx cancer, gastro-intestinal cancer, uro-genital cancer and emolinfopoietic cancer) is not yet demonstrated, even if some mineral fibres are identified in tissues different from the lung ones, such as kidney, bladder, and some biological fluids (e.g. urine of subjects with occupational exposure to asbestos). The possibility of damage caused to tissues in consequence of exposure to low concentration of mineral fibres (e.g. environmental exposure) has still to be defined. In this work we report the results of a mineralogical study by means of scanning electron microscopy with microprobe of a case of bladder cancer in a subject without professional exposure to mineral fibres where asbestos bodies are identified by optical microscopy.

Combination antiretroviral therapy in 100 HIV-1-infected pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, combination antiretroviral therapy has substantially improved the prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection. However, at present, information regarding the effects of these regimens during pregnancy is limited. METHODS: Side-effects, vertical transmission rate and neonatal outcome associated with different combination therapies were evaluated retrospectively in a consecutive series of 100 women who attended the II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the management of HIV-1 infection in pregnancy. RESULTS: Antiretroviral treatment was initiated at a median of 16 weeks gestation with a range from pre-pregnancy until 31 weeks gestation. Twentythree women continued their pre-pregnancy therapy during the first trimester of gestation. Protease inhibitors were incorporated in 23 of the final therapeutic regimens. Twentyfive women did not receive zidovudine. Most women (97) delivered by Caesarean section and none breast-fed. Prematurity rate for the entire series was 19%. When women who actively used illicit drugs were excluded, only seven of 69 (10%) women were found to deliver prematurely. The use of protease inhibitors was limited by an elevated frequency of severe gastrointestinal disturbances. The rate of congenital malformations did not appear to differ significantly from that reported in the literature for the general population. Only one of 102 live newborns was found to be HIV-1-infected (1.0%, 95% confidence interval; 0.3-4.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings confirm the remarkable efficacy of combination antiretroviral therapy, Caesarean section and refraining from breast-feeding in lowering the rate of vertical HIV-1 transmission. Moreover, they are suggestive that combination antiretroviral therapy may not be related to major neonatal toxicity. The necessity to discontinue the therapy during the first trimester of pregnancy and to systematically incorporate zidovudine into combination regimens is discussed.

Propiedades morfométricas del metarcapiano III de potrillos mestizos / Morphometric properties of the third metacarpus III in young cross-breed horses

Las propiedades morfométricas del hueso son modeladas por fuerzan que causan alteraciones en la geometría del mismo, lo que determinan formas y dimensiones características, relacionadas con la capacidad de resistencia de este hueso a tensiones y compresiones. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar las variaciones morfométricas del metacarpiano III en la parte media de la diáfisis, estableciendo comparaciones entre ambos miembros y entre sexos. Se obtuvieron ambos huesos metacarpianos III de 30 potrillos mestizos criollos (14 hembras y 16 machos) de 19 a 24 meses. Se determinaron el peso y la longitud de cada hueso. Se seccionó transversalmente el hueso en la parte media de la diáfisis, donde se midieron: diámetro del hueso, diámetro de la cavidad medular, los espesores de las paredes en los cuadrantes medial, lateral, craneal y caudal y las áreas total, cortical y cavidad medular. Las variables fueron analizadas estadísticamente. Los resultados muestran variaciones morfométricas, de las variables estudiadas en la parte media de la diáfisis. Se comprobó que no existen diferencias entre el grosor de la pared lateral y media, en relación a las diferencias significativas halladas en los cuadrantes craneal y caudal. De la comparación de las variables entre los miembros derecho e izquierdo, se comprobó que hubo diferencias significativas en: diámetro de la cavidad medular latero-medial (p=0,001), espesor del cuadrante medial (p=0,002), áreacortical (p=0,009) y área de la cavidad medular (p=0,004). En relación al sexo no se observaron diferencias en las variables estudiadas

Charge distribution as a tool to investigate structural details. II. Extension to hydrogen bonds, distorted and hetero-ligand polyhedra.

It is shown that one of the main reasons for most failures of the methods for calculating distance-dependent bond strengths is related to the distortion of the coordination polyhedra. The charge distribution (CD) method which depends on only one universal empirical parameter (contraction parameter) is modified to include: (i) an iterative calculation of the effective coordination number (ECoN), to deal with structures containing very distorted coordination polyhedra; (ii) a specific contraction parameter to treat structures containing any type of hydrogen bond; (iii) scale factors for coordination subshells, to treat structures with hetero-ligand polyhedra. The contraction parameter for the hydrogen bonds was obtained from 119 well refined structures based on neutron diffraction data. Examples of the application of the iterative charge distribution (CD-IT) are presented to show the efficiency of the new method in dealing with distorted (including hydrogen bonding) and hetero-ligand polyhedra. In particular, analysis of a series of 74 structures with pentacoordinated cations shows that deviations from overall trends are related to structure instability. The possible failure of the method with polyionic structures and 'dynamic' structures is discussed.

Descripción histológica de la substancia cortical dorsal en la parte media de la diáfisis del metacarpiano III en yegua mestiza / Histological description of the dorsal cortical bone in the midle diaphysis of the metacarpial III in the mixed mare

El hueso es el unicó tejido capaz de adaptarse estructural y geométricamente ante presiones impuestas sobre él. Durante la vida, el hueso es afectado por procesos externos e internos. Los externos producen cambios en sus medidas y forma. Los internos remodelan su arquitectura interna. Además, los huesos son afectados por factores que incluyen edad, sexo, especie, origen y contenido de minerales. Las variaciones estructurales en la organización microscópica del tejido óseo ocurren de manera constante y consistente mediante el crecimiento y la remodelación por parte de cada especie animal. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar la estructura microscópica inorgánica del cuadrante dorsal del metacarpiano III en la parte media de la diáfisis en distintos grupos etarios. Se estudió la substancia cortical dorsal de los huesos metarcapianos III izquierdos provenientes de 30 yeguas mestizas, con edades entre 2 y 5 años. Extraídos los huesos se los liberó de los tejidos blandos. El cuadrante dorsal fue muestreado, en la parte media de la diáfisis. Posteriormente, se realizó el pulido en forma manual. Las muestras fueron observadas al microscopio de luz polarizada. Se observaron diferencias histológica en los diferentes grupos etarios. Se concluyó que se producen variaciones microscópicas de la subtancia cortical dorsal del metarcapiano III en la parte media de la diáfisis, en el transcurso de 4 años

Identification of two allotwins of mica polytypes in reciprocal space through the minimal rhombus unit.

The X-ray investigation (precession method) of the Ruiz Peak oxybiotite, which is well known for the occurrence of a large number of polytypes and twins, revealed two complex diffraction patterns, which cannot be identified as long-period polytypes. These patterns are analysed in terms of the minimal rhombus, a geometrical asymmetric unit in reciprocal space which permits the decomposition of the composite reciprocal lattice of a twin or allotwin into the reciprocal lattices of the individuals. Both the recorded patterns correspond to a 1M-2M(1) allotwin: the relative rotation between the individuals is 120 degrees in one case and 60 degrees in the other. The geometrical criteria for evaluating the presence of twinning or allotwinning are analysed through these two natural examples.

Twins and allotwins of basic mica polytypes: theoretical derivation and identification in the reciprocal space

The geometry of the diffraction pattern from twins and allotwins of the four basic mica polytypes (1M, 2M1, 3T, 2M2) is analysed in terms of the 'minimal rhombus', a geometrical asymmetric unit in reciprocal space defined by nine translationally independent reciprocal-lattice rows. The minimal rhombus contains the necessary information to decompose the reciprocal lattice of twins or allotwins into the reciprocal lattices of the individuals. The nine translationally independent reciprocal-lattice rows are divided into three types (S, D and X): rows of different type are not overlapped by the n x 60 degrees rotations about c*, which correspond to the relative rotations between pairs of twinned or allotwinned individuals. A symbolic representation of the absolute orientation of the individuals, similar to that used for layers in polytypes, is introduced. The polytypes 1M and 2M1 undergo twinning by reticular pseudo-merohedry with five pairs of twin laws: they produce twelve independent twins, of which nine can be distinguished by the minimal rhombus analysis. The 2M2 polytype has two pairs of twin laws by pseudo-merohedry, which give a single diffraction pattern geometrically indistinguishable from that of the single crystal, and three pairs of twin laws by reticular pseudo-merohedry, which give a single diffraction pattern different from that of the single crystal. The 3T polytype has three twin laws: one corresponds to complete merohedry and the other two to selective merohedry. Selective merohedry produces only partial restoration of the weighted reciprocal lattice built on the family rows and the presence of twinning can be recognized from the geometry of the diffraction pattern.

Fatty acid composition of plasma lipids in HIV-infected children. Comparison with seroreverters.

Children infected with the type-1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at risk of nutritional deficiencies leading to an impaired polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status. The aim of the present study was to compare the PUFA composition of plasma lipid classes (total lipids, phospholipids (PL), cholesteryl esters (CE) and triglycerides) in well-growing HIV-infected children with an age-matched group of HIV-seroreverter children born to infected mothers. Eighteen HIV children, of both sexes, mean age 4.6 y, most of whom under combined antiretroviral regimen, were compared with 18 seroreverters, mean age 5.4 y, comparable for demographic, anthropometric and dietary characteristics. All children had adequate growth parameters (weight and height > 3rd percentile). The plasma fatty acid content was similar in the two groups. HIV seropositive subjects showed lower linoleic acid (LA) levels in all the plasma lipid fractions, with higher 20:3n-9 and 20:5n-3 levels in PL and CE. The plasma PL triene/tetraene ratio (marker of relative LA deficiency) related positively to the viral load and negatively to the blood CD4+ lymphocyte count. Compared to age-matched seroreverter subjects, HIV-seropositive children show a lipid fatty acid status suggestive of relative LA deficiency and increased turnover of the PUFA series.

Anti-CD4 antibodies in exposed seronegative adults and in newborns of HIV type 1-seropositive mothers: a follow-up study.

In this work, an ELISA for the quantitative determination of IgG anti-CD4 autoantibodies was validated and utilized in the follow-up of two cohorts of HIV-1-exposed seronegative subjects. A serum with an arbitrarily assigned concentration of 100,000 units/ml was used as a reference, and the detection limit, inter- and intraassay variability, and analytical recovery were calculated. The study subjects included adults sexually exposed to HIV-1-infected partners and the newborns of HIV-1+ mothers who seroreverted by 18 months of age. Some of these individuals were studied over an 18- to 24-month period. The detection limit of the assay was 2000 AU/ml. Intra- and interassay variability was, respectively, 3.92 and 3.90%. Analytical recovery in an assay in which a fixed amount of anti-CD4 antibodies was added to different samples was 98%. A proportion of adults (16 of 47, 34.0%) and babies (12 of 27, 44.4%) had significantly higher concentrations of anti-CD4 antibodies. Among them, 8 adults maintained the same concentration as that found in the first determination; on the other hand, 12 babies born to seronegative mothers showed a significant increase in the concentration of anti-CD4 antibodies during their first months of life. In conclusion, anti-CD4 antibodies can be measured using a validated ELISA. They represent a serologic trait that is quantitatively conserved in HIV-1-exposed seronegative adult individuals and is actively acquired by newborns to HIV+ mothers.

[Treatment of benign uterine hemorrhage and simple endometrial hyperplasia by endometrial ablation]. / Il trattamento del sanguinamento uterino benigno e dell'iperplasia endometriale semplice mediante l'ablazione dell'endometrio.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The technique of endometrial resection by resectoscope represents a valid alternative to hysterectomy in patients with a high operating risk suffering from benign uterine bleeding and simple endometrial hyperplasia refractory to medical treatment or uterine curettage. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the validity of the resectoscopic technique of endometrial ablation. METHODS: The authors performed endometrial ablation using a loop and roller resectoscope in a group of 24 women with refractory menorrhagia which failed to respond to other techniques of first choice. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained show the good tolerability of resectoscopic surgery by the patients who, for medical reasons, represented a high operating risk if subject to laparohysterectomy.

Periodic intensity distribution (PID) of mica polytypes: symbolism, structural model orientation and axial settings.

Following a preliminary revisitation of the nomenclatures in use for mica polytypes, the properties of the periodic intensity distribution (PID) function, which represents the Fourier transform of the stacking sequence, are analysed. On the basis of the relative rotations of neighbouring layers, mica polytypes are classified into three types; for each type, the PID exists in different subspaces of the reciprocal space. A revised procedure to compute the PID, in which further restrictions on the structural model orientation are introduced, is presented. A unifying terminology based upon the most common symbols used to describe mica polytypes (RTW, Z and TS) is derived; these symbols represent the geometrical basis for the computation of the PID. Results are presented for up to four layer polytypes and are compared with the reflection conditions derived by means of Zvyagin's functions. Both the PID values and the reflection conditions are expressed in suitable axial settings and compared with previous partial reports, revealing some errors in previous analyses. A computer program to compute PID from the stacking symbols is available.

Charge distribution as a tool to investigate structural details: meaning and application to pyroxenes.

The charge distribution (CD) method, previously introduced as a development of the bond-valence (BV) approach, is applied for the first time to mineral structures, and specifically to pyroxenes. CD essentially involves the distribution of the Effective Coordination Number (ECoN) of a cation among all the neighboring anions. This distribution is then interpreted in terms of distribution of 'charges', where 'charge' represents the formal oxidation state. Differently from BV, the CD description depends upon the geometry of each coordination polyhedron, which is characterized through ECoN (a non-integer number). The contribution of each cation-oxygen bond to ECoN, labelled 'bond weight', corresponds to the bond strength in the BV method, but it is defined in terms of bond-length ratio in each polyhedron and not as a function of the cation-oxygen pair. The ratio q/Q of the formal oxidation number to the computed charge can be interpreted as a measure of the correctness of the structure (cation ratio) and of the degree of over- or under-bonding (anion ratio). A similar interpretation is not possible for the analogous quantities obtained through the BV approach. The analysis in terms of CD of the pyroxene chains (from 101 structures) shows different trends as a function of composition, temperature and pressure; in particular it shows a different behaviour of the two crystallographically independent chains of orthopyroxenes and of P2(1)/c clinopyroxenes.

Increased risk of maternal-infant hepatitis C virus transmission for women coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Italian Study Group for HCV Infection in Children.

To estimate the risk of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and identify correlates of transmission, 245 perinatally exposed singleton children followed prospectively beyond 18 months of age were studied. Overall, 28 (11.4%) of the 245 children acquired HCV infection. Transmission occurred in 3 of 80 children (3.7%) whose mothers had HCV infection alone and in 25 of 165 (15.1%; P < .01) whose mothers had concurrent infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The percentage of HIV-1-infected children was similar (22 of 165, 13.3%), but each virus was transmitted independently; only six infants (3.6%) were coinfected with HCV and HIV-1. The risk of HCV transmission was not associated with maternal HIV-1-related symptoms, intravenous drug use, prematurity, low birth weight, or breast-feeding, whereas it was lower with cesarean section than with vaginal delivery (5.6% vs. 13.9%, P = .06). This suggests that transmission occurs mainly around the time of delivery.

[Subacromial impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tear. Ultrasonography of 140 cases]. / Sindrome da conflitto sotto-acromiale e lesioni della cuffia dei rotatori. Esperienza ecografica in 140 casi.

We investigated the role of rotator cuff impingement in causing tears of supraspinatus and biceps tendons and the comparative reliability of plain radiography and sonography (US). One hundred forty patients with symptoms referrable to the rotator cuff were examined with plain radiography and US of the shoulder. US findings were correlated with MR or double contrast arthrography results in 10 patients and 39 patients were submitted to surgery (acromionplasty). Radiographic studies were performed first and diagnosed rotator cuff impingement (63 patients) caused by abnormal acromial margins or size (23 patients), by acromioclavicular joint protrusion (17 patients), by anterior acromial osteophytosis (10 patients), or by massive periarthritic calcifications (13 patients). In the same 140 patients. US showed normal cuffs in 46 cases, tendonitis in 34, calcific tendonitis in 13, partial-thickness cuff tears in 13, full-thickness cuff tears in 20 and biceps tendon tears in 14 cases. Six of 13 partial tears were studied with MRI, with 4 true positives and 2 false positives. US diagnosis was confirmed by arthrography in 4 complete tears. Twenty-nine of 39 patients undergoing acromionplasty were examined only with plain radiography and US. US accurately diagnosed all 20 massive full-thickness tears, with no false positives nor false negatives (US versus surgery and arthrography). Eleven true positives, 2 false positives and no false negative were observed in 13 partial-thickness cuff tears (US versus surgery and MRI). These findings suggest that rotator cuff US and plain radiography are easily performed, reproducible routine examinations to study the whole rotator cuff and the acromioclavicular joint in the many patients who need an accurate, safe, painless, rapid and cost-effective differential diagnosis, leaving it up to the surgeon to consider MRI or arthrography. Rotator cuff impingement tendonitis, overuse or calcific tendonitis, partial-thickness cuff tears and full-thickness tears ranging from light to severe cause similar shoulder pain and weakness on arm raising. The differential diagnosis must distinguish all these common causes of shoulder dysfunction and cuff problems from other conditions. We conclude that US and plain radiography are accurate routine tests of rotator cuff integrity and rotator cuff impingement.