| 1. |
- Ballan, M., et al.
(author)
-
Nuclear physics midterm plan at Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL)
- 2023
-
In: European Physical Journal Plus. - 2190-5444. ; 138:8, s. 3-26
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The next years will see the completion of the radioactive ion beam facility SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) and the upgrade of the accelerators complex at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) opening up new possibilities in the fields of nuclear structure, nuclear dynamics, nuclear astrophysics, and applications. The nuclear physics community has organised a workshop to discuss the new physics opportunities that will be possible in the near future by employing state-of-the-art detection systems. A detailed discussion of the outcome from the workshop is presented in this report.
|
|
| 2. |
- Kohler, S, et al.
(author)
-
Binding of vitronectin and Factor H to Hic contributes to immune evasion of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3.
- 2015
-
In: Thrombosis and Haemostasis. - 0340-6245. ; 113:1, s. 125-142
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 strains are highly resistant to opsonophagocytosis due to recruitment of the complement inhibitor Factor H via Hic, a member of the pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) family. In this study, we demonstrated that Hic also interacts with vitronectin, a fluid-phase regulator involved in haemostasis, angiogenesis, and the terminal complement cascade as well as a component of the extracellular matrix. Blocking of Hic by specific antiserum or genetic deletion significantly reduced pneumococcal binding to soluble and immobilised vitronectin and to Factor H, respectively. In parallel, ectopic expression of Hic on the surface of Lactococcus lactis conferred binding to soluble and immobilised vitronectin as well as Factor H. Molecular analyses with truncated Hic fragments narrowed down the vitronectin-binding site to the central core of Hic (aa 151-201). This vitronectin-binding region is separate from that of Factor H, which binds to the N-terminus of Hic (aa 38-92). Binding of pneumococcal Hic was localised to the C-terminal heparin-binding domain (HBD3) of vitronectin. However, an N-terminal region to HBD3 was further involved in Hic-binding to immobilised vitronectin. Finally, vitronectin bound to Hic was functionally active and inhibited formation of the terminal complement complex. In conclusion, Hic interacts with vitronectin and simultaneously with Factor H, and both human proteins may contribute to colonisation and invasive disease caused by serotype 3 pneumococci.
|
|
| 3. |
- Schild, R., et al.
(author)
-
Disparities in treatment and outcome of kidney replacement therapy in children with comorbidities: an ESPN/ERA Registry study
- 2023
-
In: Clinical Kidney Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2048-8505 .- 2048-8513. ; 16:4, s. 745-755
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Data on comorbidities in children on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) are scarce. Considering their high relevance for prognosis and treatment, this study aims to analyse the prevalence and implications of comorbidities in European children on KRT. Methods We included data from patients <20 years of age when commencing KRT from 2007 to 2017 from 22 European countries within the European Society of Paediatric Nephrology/European Renal Association Registry. Differences between patients with and without comorbidities in access to kidney transplantation (KT) and patient and graft survival were estimated using Cox regression. Results Comorbidities were present in 33% of the 4127 children commencing KRT and the prevalence has steadily increased by 5% annually since 2007. Comorbidities were most frequent in high-income countries (43% versus 24% in low-income countries and 33% in middle-income countries). Patients with comorbidities had a lower access to transplantation {adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.74]} and a higher risk of death [aHR 1.79 (95% CI 1.38-2.32)]. The increased mortality was only seen in dialysis patients [aHR 1.60 (95% CI 1.21-2.13)], and not after KT. For both outcomes, the impact of comorbidities was stronger in low-income countries. Graft survival was not affected by the presence of comorbidities [aHR for 5-year graft failure 1.18 (95% CI 0.84-1.65)]. Conclusions Comorbidities have become more frequent in children on KRT and reduce their access to transplantation and survival, especially when remaining on dialysis. KT should be considered as an option in all paediatric KRT patients and efforts should be made to identify modifiable barriers to KT for children with comorbidities. Lay Summary Kidney transplantation (KT) is considered the optimal treatment for children who suffer from permanent kidney failure, because it leads to a lower mortality and higher quality of life compared with dialysis. Children on dialysis frequently suffer from diseases of other organs (comorbidities) that can directly lower their life expectancy and could potentially represent a barrier for transplantation, posing an additional disease burden for these children. In this study we looked at data from a large multinational registry for children with kidney failure who require kidney replacement. Using these data, we studied whether these children suffered from comorbidities and whether these impact their life expectancy or their access to KT. We found that more and more children with kidney failure suffer from comorbidities when starting kidney replacement therapy. We also found that these children have a lower access to KT and a higher mortality on dialysis compared with children without comorbidities, especially in low-income countries. After KT, children with comorbidities have a similar mortality and graft survival compared with children without comorbidities. We concluded that reduced access to a kidney transplant might represent a modifiable barrier to KT in children with comorbidities, especially in low-resource countries. We suggest that children with comorbidities in need for kidney replacement therapy should be rapidly evaluated for eligibility for KT.
|
|
| 4. |
- Spartà, R., et al.
(author)
-
8B reaction dynamics researched at HIE-ISOLDE
- 2024
-
In: Nuovo Cimento della Societa Italiana di Fisica C. - 2037-4909 .- 1826-9885. ; 47:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For the first time a measurement of 8B + 64Zn reaction has been performed at HIE-ISOLDE at CERN at energies around the Coulomb barrier, to understand how the debated halo structure of the light nucleus can affect reaction dynamics.
|
|
