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Musacchio A, Re V, Mas-Pla J, Sacchi E. EU Nitrates Directive, from theory to practice: Environmental effectiveness and influence of regional governance on its performance. Ambio 2020; 49:504-516. [PMID: 31115872 PMCID: PMC6965048 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the European Nitrate Directive (ND) being issued almost 30 years ago, groundwater nitrate contamination is still a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. In one of the areas most affected by nitrates, the Lombardy Plain (Italy), the effectiveness of the ND and the capacity of governance to support its application correctly was assessed using a socio-hydrogeological approach. Nitrate trends over 11 years show that most regions present steady or increasing concentrations, highlighting how contamination can affect previously impaired situations and supposedly resistant and resilient aquifers. Stakeholder network analysis reveals that the governance framework does not support knowledge dissemination and changes in farmers' attitudes, hindering water quality improvements. Nitrogen input needs to be reduced and manure relocation monitored. The local governance scale has a key role in enhancing ND dissemination. Reports to the EU Commission should integrate multi- or interdisciplinary evaluation of trends, including governance dynamics, alongside hydrochemical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Musacchio
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Institut Català de Recerca de l’Aigua, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Viviana Re
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Josep Mas-Pla
- Institut Català de Recerca de l’Aigua, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca de l’Aigua, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Elisa Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Calogero Caruso
- Department of Pathobiology and Medical Biotechnologies, Section of General Pathology, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134 Palermo, Italy
| | - Janardan P. Pandey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
| | - Annibale A. Puca
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
- IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
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Viaggi B, Poole D, Tujjar O, Marchiani S, Ognibene A, Finazzi S. Mid regional pro-adrenomedullin for the prediction of organ failure in infection. Results from a single centre study. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201491. [PMID: 30102716 PMCID: PMC6089425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers are widely used to confirm the presence of infection. However, it would be of the greatest importance to predict in advance the occurrence or worsening of organ dysfunction in infected patients allowing timely antibiotic escalation. This study investigates the ability of procalcitonin (PCT) and MR-proADM to predict the transition to sepsis in infected patients. The study was conducted in a neurointensive care unit over a three-month period. We included both patients with and without infection to investigate the specificity of organ dysfunction prediction in infected patients. Daily measurement of PCT and MR-proADM, SOFA, Pitt, and CPIS were performed. To measure the correlation between each biomarker and each severity score, linear mixed-effects models were developed. For each biomarker-score combination we tested the correlation of the score with the biomarker measured one and two days before, the same day, and the day after. Sixty-four critically ill patients, 31 with infection, were enrolled. The statistically significant biomarker-score combinations were PCT-SOFA, MR-proADM-SOFA, MR-proADM-Pitt, and MR-proADM-CPIS. The MR-proADM models predicting Pitt and CPIS variations with 24-hour anticipation showed the best fit. The scores increased by 0.6 ± 0.3 and 0.4 ± 0.2 for each unitary biomarker increase, respectively. The MR-proADM-SOFA combinations were equivalent when the biomarker was measured the day before or the same day (score increases were 1.5 ± 0.4 and 1.9 ± 0.4, respectively). The PCT-SOFA model had the best fit when PCT was measured the same day of the score. There was no difference in the predictive ability of the biomarker in infected and non-infected patients. This was a pivotal study conducted in a single neurointensive centre on a limited number of patients, and as such it does not provide definitive conclusions. PR-proADM predicted occurrence and worsening of organ failure in critically ill patients with and without infection. The combination with infection diagnostic biomarkers such as PCT would allow predicting evolution to sepsis in infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Viaggi
- Dept of Anesthesia, NeuroIntensive Care Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Poole
- Anesthesia and intensive care operative Unit, S. Martino Hospital, Belluno, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Omar Tujjar
- Dept of Anesthesia, Salt University Healthcare Group, Sligo University Hospital, Sligo, Ireland
| | - Silvia Marchiani
- Dept of Anesthesia, NeuroIntensive Care Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Finazzi
- GiViTI coordinating center, IRCCS, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Ranica, Bergamo, Italy
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Rao GK, Wong A, Collinge M, Sarhan J, Yarovinsky TO, Ramgolam VS, Gaestel M, Pardi R, Bender JR. T cell LFA-1-induced proinflammatory mRNA stabilization is mediated by the p38 pathway kinase MK2 in a process regulated by hnRNPs C, H1 and K. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201103. [PMID: 30048492 PMCID: PMC6065199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the β2 integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) in T cells induces stabilization of proinflammatory AU-rich element (ARE)-bearing mRNAs, by triggering the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation of the mRNA-binding and -stabilizing protein HuR. However, the mechanism by which LFA-1 engagement controls HuR localization is not known. Here, we identify and characterize four key regulators of LFA-1-induced changes in HuR activity: the p38 pathway kinase MK2 and the constitutive nuclear proteins hnRNPs C, H1 and K. LFA-1 engagement results in rapid, sequential activation of p38 and MK2. Post-LFA-1 activation, MK2 inducibly associates with both hnRNPC and HuR, resulting in the dissociation of HuR from hnRNPs C, H1 and K. Freed from the three hnRNPs, HuR translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and mediates the stabilization of labile cytokine transcripts. Our results suggest that the modulation of T cell cytokine mRNA half-life is an intricate process that is negatively regulated by hnRNPs C, H1 and K and requires MK2 as a critical activator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautham K. Rao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Albert Wong
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Mark Collinge
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Joseph Sarhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Timur O. Yarovinsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Vinod S. Ramgolam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Matthias Gaestel
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical School Hannover, Hannover,
Germany
| | - Ruggero Pardi
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele,
Milan, Italy
| | - Jeffrey R. Bender
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Cardiovascular Laboratory, New
Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Giacopuzzi E, Gennarelli M, Minelli A, Gardella R, Valsecchi P, Traversa M, Bonvicini C, Vita A, Sacchetti E, Magri C. Exome sequencing in schizophrenic patients with high levels of homozygosity identifies novel and extremely rare mutations in the GABA/glutamatergic pathways. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182778. [PMID: 28787007 PMCID: PMC5546675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding is a known risk factor for recessive Mendelian diseases and previous studies have suggested that it could also play a role in complex disorders, such as psychiatric diseases. Recent inbreeding results in the presence of long runs of homozygosity (ROHs) along the genome, which are also defined as autozygosity regions. Genetic variants in these regions have two alleles that are identical by descent, thus increasing the odds of bearing rare recessive deleterious mutations due to a homozygous state. A recent study showed a suggestive enrichment of long ROHs in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that recent inbreeding could play a role in the disease. To better understand the impact of autozygosity on schizophrenia risk, we selected, from a cohort of 180 Italian patients, seven subjects with extremely high numbers of large ROHs that were likely due to recent inbreeding and characterized the mutational landscape within their ROHs using Whole Exome Sequencing and, gene set enrichment analysis. We identified a significant overlap (17%; empirical p-value = 0.0171) between genes inside ROHs affected by low frequency functional homozygous variants (107 genes) and the group of most promising candidate genes mutated in schizophrenia. Moreover, in four patients, we identified novel and extremely rare damaging mutations in the genes involved in neurodevelopment (MEGF8) and in GABA/glutamatergic synaptic transmission (GAD1, FMN1, ANO2). These results provide insights into the contribution of rare recessive mutations and inbreeding as risk factors for schizophrenia. ROHs that are likely due to recent inbreeding harbor a combination of predisposing low-frequency variants and extremely rare variants that have a high impact on pivotal biological pathways implicated in the disease. In addition, this study confirms that focusing on patients with high levels of homozygosity could be a useful prioritization strategy for discovering new high-impact mutations in genetically complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Giacopuzzi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rita Gardella
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Valsecchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michele Traversa
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cristian Bonvicini
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emilio Sacchetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Magri
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- * E-mail:
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