Work-related injuries in young workers: an Italian multicentric epidemiological survey

Emergency departments records from 33 hospitals were reviewed to disclose work-related injuries occurred in teen-subjects living in 14 Italian cities. During January-June 2000, 317 work-related injuries were reported. Male subjects, 17 year old, working in the industrial field, resulted the most affected, probably due to the fact that among young workers this sex and age class is the most represented one. Cluster analysis identified two groups of work-related injuries: one includes mainly transportation injuries causing lower extremities or multiple body sites traumas. The other is more strictly related to specific working tasks and includes mostly traumas and cut wounds in hand/wrist and head, together with eye lesions. A more intensive supervision on the use of protective equipment, a more appropriate training in hazard recognition and safe work practices, including operation of vehicles in the work site, must be implemented to reduce work-related injuries.     

Association of PLA2 polymorphism of the ITGB3 gene with early fetal loss

To study the association between early fetal loss and the presence of the PLA2 polymorphism of the ITGB3 gene we conducted a case-control study on 98 cases (i.e., women in fertile age, who experienced at least one episode of early fetal loss) and 38 healthy controls. PLA2 polymorphism was present in 44.2% of cases and 18.4% of controls, and cases with one (n = 24) event had an odds ratio (OR) = 2.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7-10.0), with two events (n = 52) an OR = 3.8 (95% CI 1.3-11.5), and with three (n = 16) or four abortions (n = 6) had a combined OR = 4.4 (95% CI 1.2-17.0), compared to controls, indicating that PLA2 polymorphism may be implicated in an inherited form of thrombophilia, and to early fetal loss.     

A zucchini-peroxidase biosensor applied to dopamine determination

A biosensor modified with peroxidase from crude extract of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) was developed for the determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical samples. This enzyme catalyses the oxidation of dopamine to dopaminequinone, in presence of hydrogen peroxide, which the electrochemical reduction can be followed at a peak potential of -0.02 V. The recovery of dopamine from the samples ranged from 94.8% to 106% and a rectilinear analytical curve for dopamine concentration from 5.0 x 10(-4) to 3.0 x 10(-3) mol L-1 (r=0.9982) was obtained. The detection limit was 2.6x10(-5) mol L-1 and the relative standard deviation was less than 1.2% for 7.9 x 10(-4) mol L-1 dopamine in 0.1 mol L-1 phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.0 (n=10).     

BNP concentrations and cardiovascular adaptation in preterm and fullterm newborn infants

To evaluate and compare cardiovascular adaptation of 36 preterm and 34 fullterm newborns, we analyzed BNP concentration and echocardiographic parameters at day 3 of life and at day 28 (± 2). On day 3 BNP concentrations (pg/ml) resulted higher in PDA preterm group (n = 11; 125, IQR 56.1-301) than preterm without PDA (n = 25; 25.5 IQR 10.9-49; p < 0.001) than fullterms (n = 34; 55.1 IQR 23.6-82.7; p = 0.013). No difference resulted in all groups at 28 days (respectively: 12.7 IQR 4.9-23.8; 15.6 IQR 10-22; 8.9 IQR 5.6-20.6). Because of the newborns' growth, all echocardiographic parameters increased with linear relationship with body weight. On day 3 BNP concentration and echocardiographic parameters were not correlated besides LA/AO in preterms with PDA (p = 0.0015). On day 28, BNP was significantly correlated with mVTI (p = 0.019), M (p = 0.007) and LA (p = 0.005) in fullterms and only with LA (p = 0.007) in preterms.In conclusion, BNP concentrations and echocardiographic measures confirm that preterm, and fullterm newborns conduct themselves in a similar manner during the transition from foetal to post-natal circulation, reaching low levels at a month of life. The presence of PDA during first days of life has no significant impact in this adaptation. LA is the echocardiographic parameter mostly related to BNP concentration in the newborns.     

Stringent control in the archaeal genus Sulfolobus

Six Archaea belonging to the phylum Euryarchaeota were previously analyzed with respect to stringent control. Only one of the strains studied was shown to possess Bacteria-like stringent control over stable RNA accumulation; ppGpp and pppGpp production was totally lacking in all Archaea analyzed. To broaden our knowledge of stringent control in the Archaea, we examined here the accumulation of stable RNA and the production of ppGpp and pppGpp under amino acid starvation in three species of the genus Sulfolobus belonging to the Crenarchaeota, an archaeal phylum distant from the Euryarchaeota. In these species the accumulation of sRNA was arrested when aminoacylation of tRNA was inhibited by pseudomonic acid. Furthermore, stringent control of stable RNA accumulation was relaxed by some protein synthesis inhibitors that do not interfere with aminoacylation of tRNA, a feature typical of bacterial stringent control. Neither ppGpp nor pppGpp could be detected during growth or under amino acid starvation, and the intracellular GTP levels did not decrease in the course of the stringent response. These results show that: (1) stringency is widespread in wild-type thermoacidophilic archaea; (2) in the crenarchaeal species analyzed here SC depends on the deaminoacylation of tRNA; (3) in the strains analyzed ppGpp is not produced during normal growth nor during the stringent reaction; it is therefore not an effector either of SC over sRNA synthesis or of growth control. (p)ppGpp appears to be completely absent from the Archaea and thus constitutes an additional feature that distinguishes the Bacteria from the Archaea.     

Miscibility of Blends of Biodegradable Polymers and Copolymers with Different Plasticizers

Miscibility between components of different plasticizer(A)/solvent(B)/biodegradable polymer(C) ternary systems with H‐bonding has been compared. Systems were formed by two H‐donor phenolic plasticizers, 4‐nonylphenol (NP) and 4:4′‐dihydroxydiphenylmethane (BPF); an H‐acceptor solvent, epichlorohydrin (ECH); and H‐acceptor poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or poly[(3‐hydroxybutyrate)‐co‐(3‐hydroxyvalerate)] (PHBHV) copolymers. Blend miscibility is the result of the balance of three competitive H‐bondings: plasticizer self‐association (AA), plasticizer‐solvent (AB) and plasticizer‐polymer (AC) interassociations. The strength and extent of such specific interactions have been experimentally monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy either in solution or in solid state. Theoretical modelling has been conducted with a recent thermodynamic approach based on two free‐energy excess functions.

     

PIK3CA exon 20 mutations are associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients

OBJECTIVES:

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT axis is an important cell-signaling pathway that mediates cell proliferation and survival, two biological processes that regulate malignant cell growth. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA gene encodes the p110α subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase protein. There are phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA mutations in several types of human tumors, and they are frequently observed in breast cancer. However, these mutations have not been investigated in Brazilian breast cancer patients.

METHODS:

PCR-SSCP and direct DNA sequencing were performed to identify phosphatidylinositol 3-kinaseCA exon 9 and exon 20 mutations in 86 patients with sporadic breast cancer. The relationships between PIK3CA mutations and patient clinicopathological characteristics and survival were analyzed. The presence of the TP53 mutation was also examined.

RESULTS:

Twenty-three (27%) of the 86 primary breast tumors contained PIK3CA mutations. In exons 9 and 20, we identified the hotspot mutations E542K, E545K, and H1047R, and we identified two new missense mutations (I1022V and L1028S) and one nonsense (R992X) mutation. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA exon 20 mutations were associated with poor overall survival and TP53 gene mutations.

CONCLUSIONS:

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA mutations are common in tumors in Brazilian breast cancer patients, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA and TP53 mutations are not mutually exclusive. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase CA exon 20 mutations are associated with poor survival, and they may be useful biomarkers for identifying breast cancer patients with aggressive tumors and for predicting the response to treatment with PI3K pathway inhibitors.     

Quality of life in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: patients may be more accurate than physicians

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in quality of life scores and their association with therapy and survival in unselected elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Design and Methods

From February 2003 to February 2007, 113 patients aged more than 60 years with de novo acute myeloid leukemia were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Two different quality of life instruments were employed: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire – C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and a health-related quality of life questionnaire for patients with hematologic diseases (QOL-E).

Results

Forty-eight patients (42.4%) received intensive chemotherapy and 65 (57.6%) were given palliative treatments. Age greater than 70 years (P=0.007) and concomitant diseases (P=0.019) had a significant impact on treatment allocation. At diagnosis, general quality of life was affected [median QOL-E standardized score 54, interquartile range 46–70; median EORTC global score 50, interquartile range 41–66]. Most patients were given a good ECOG Performance Status (< 2), which did not correlate with the patients’ perception of quality of life. At multivariate analysis, palliative approaches (P=0.016), age more than 70 years (P=0.013) and concomitant diseases (P=0.035) each had an independent negative impact on survival. In a multivariate model corrected for age, concomitant diseases and treatment option, survival was independently predicted by QOL-E functional (P=0.002) and EORTC QLQ-C30 physical function (P=0.030) scores.

Conclusions

Quality of life could have an important role in elderly acute myeloid leukemia patients at diagnosis as a prognostic factor for survival and a potential factor for treatment decisions.