Overview of Cellular Transplantation in Diabetes Mellitus: Focus on the Metabolic Outcome

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease possible to treat via several different therapeutic approaches. Since the advent of insulin in 1922, type 1 diabetes mellitus has become a chronic treatable disease. Nonetheless, type 1 diabetes mellitus can be a devastating disease when the macro- and microangiopathic complications take place after several years of illness. Starting from the eighties, pancreas/islet transplantation has become a potential innovative treatment of diabetes mellitus. The major advantage of pancreas/islet transplantation is the restoration of c-peptide cosecretion along with insulin; the major disadvantage is the need to administer immunosuppressive drugs which are diabetogenic themselves. Islet transplantation is the progenitor of more recent forms of cellular and stem cell therapies which will be reviewed herein. Cellular therapies for diabetes mellitus are still an experimental procedure. Herein we present the actual current achievements and an outlook of close future possible advancements in the area of cellular transplantation for the cure of diabetes mellitus

The student academic performance in Anatomy is related to Circadian Typology?

In human species, circadian rhythmic expression differs among individuals and may be classified with the concept of Circadian Typology (CT), which consists of three chronotypes: i) Morning-type (M-types), subjects that go to bed early and wake up early and achieve their peak of mental and physical performance in the early part of the day; ii) Evening-type (E-types), subjects that go to bed and wake up late, and perform at their best toward the end of the day, during evening hours; iii) Neither-type (N-types), subjects that show intermediate characteristics between the previous samples. Circadian preferences may change during the life span and can influence academic and sport performance and job activities [1]. We collected data considering 427 students, 294 males and 133 females (age 18-25 years), attending the School of Sport Science, University of Milan. All participants compiled the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) for the assessment of chronotype; subsequently they have been evaluated taking into consideration their anatomy test marks. The chronotype distribution of the students was: 44 M-types, 280 N-types and 103 E-types. For M-types, the result in Anatomy exam was significantly higher compared to Evening-types (p< .01). Even the comparison between M-types and N-types showed a significant difference (p< .01). Instead, the performance for E- and N-types was similar. The present results provide a clear indication of a better academic performance for M-types students compared to E-types referring to Anatomy exam. In this way, the italian academic organization seems to be less favorable for E-types

Morningness-Eveningness preferences and academic results: correlation between practical and theoretic discipline

Human beings organize most of their biological and behavioural activities according to a 24h period. The biological rhythms show differences between individuals and this variability is known as Circadian Typology (CT). Morning-types (M-types), are active early in the morning and soon reach their peak in mental and physical performance but tire early in the evening. Evening-types (E-types) find difficult to get up in the morning and require more time to reach their optimal status. Neither-types (N-types) show intermediate characteristics. Many studies indicate that age and sex may influence: morningness preference increases with age in adults, and women show a stronger trend toward morningness than men [1]. Student chronotype can represent one of the factors that may affect academic achievement. This study investigates whether the CT of the students is related to the final exam grades of two different disciplines, theoretic (Anatomy) and practical (Athletics). Anatomy and Athletics grades are good indicators of the overall academic performance of the undergraduates. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the performance in Anatomy is correlated with Athletics for the three chronotypes. Participants were recruited among students of the School of Sport Science, University of Milan. They were 427 (294 males; 133 females). They completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ): 44 students were classified as M-types, 280 as N-types and 103 as E-types. Individual performance in the final exams of Anatomy and Athletic were collected among them. M-type students achieved better results on final exams in Anatomy and Athletic than either E-type or N-type students. Moreover for M-types (R2= 0.187), it was observed a higher correlation concerning the results of the two disciplines than E-types (R2=0.0727) and N-types (R2=0.0236)

Anthropometric indices of adiposity and fasting glucose metabolism in breast cancer survivors: effects of aerobic physical activity

Adiposity and hypersinsulinemia are factors involved in cancer mortality including BC (1). Physical activity (PA) has the potential to counterbalance these risk factors. In fact, PA has been shown to produce beneficial effects on adiposity and glucose metabolism (2). We thus designed a randomized controlled trial to test the effect of an aerobic PA program on anthropometric indices of adiposity and fasting glucose metabolism in BC women included in a dietary intervention trial for prevention of BC recurrences. 42 BC women, aged 35-70 years, were randomized into an intervention (IG=19) and control group (CG=23). The IG had to participate in a 3-month active PA program that included two sessions of one-hour brisk walking per week. At baseline and after 3-month, all women were requested to undergo an anthropometric visit and to collect a blood sample for determination of fasting insulin and glucose levels. At the end of the 3-month PA a significant reduction in waist circumference (p&lt;0.05) and percentage fat mass (p&lt;0.01) were observed in IG, but not in CG. In addition, only IG increased significantly their Metabolic Equivalent of Task (METs) (p&lt;0.05). Although fasting glucose and insulin levels don’t show any significant change in either group, it is nevertheless encouraging that the two groups displayed an opposite trend as far as the changes in fasting insulin were concerned: fasting insulin shows a mean reduction (-0.9 U//ml) in the IG group and a mean increment in the CG (+0.7 U/ml). The results suggest that a standardized PA program in BC survivors reduces anthropometric indices of adiposity and may prove useful in preventing the development of hyperinsulinemic levels

Pain catastrophizing is associated with the Val66Met polymorphism of the brainderived neurotrophic factor in fibromyalgia

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a musculoskeletal chronic pain syndrome that impacts negatively patient’s daily lives. Its pathogenesis is characterized by a complex relationship between biological and psychosocial factors not fully understood yet. Pain catastrophizing is associated with FM and is an important predictor of outcomes. This study aimed to answer two questions: (i) whether the allele and genotype frequencies of BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism differs between FM patients and healthy controls (HC); and (ii) if the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is a factor that predicts pain catastrophizing in FM. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 108 FM patients and 108 HC were included. FM patients responded to the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (BP-PCS) to assess pain catastrophizing, as well as other validated tools for anxiety (The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI), depression (Beck Depression Inventory II – BDI-II) and functional aspects (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire - FIQ; Central Sensitization Inventory validated and adapted for Brazilian population - CSI-BP; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - PSQI; and Resilience Scale). All subjects were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Results: Val allele was significantly more frequent in FM patients compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Also, FM patients with Val/Val genotype showed more pain catastrophizing thoughts, and this genotype was significantly associated with magnification and rumination dimensions of BP-PCS (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant differences in levels of anxiety and symptoms of depression, years of education, and the functional situation between the FM and control groups. Conclusions: The findings show an association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with pain catastrophizing in FM, which opens new avenues to comprehend the interplay between molecular genetic characteristics and neuroplasticity mechanisms underpinning FM

Anthropometric and performance differences among playing positions between Italian and American high school football players

Height, body weight and body composition are different among American football players and this is due to the different movement demands for each playing position (1). The results of the National Football League (NFL) Combines are different for playing position and they are used by coaches and scouts to assess players’ physical abilities as a determinant of their success in the professional level (2). The purpose of this study was to examine anthropometric and performance differences among young football players of a top Italian team (Rhinos Milan) and to compare these values with the American high school football players. Participants (N=62) were categorized by position in 3 groups based on playing position: Skill players (SP) included wide receivers, cornerbacks, safeties, and running backs; Big skill players (BSP) consisted of fullbacks, linebackers, tight ends, and defensive ends; Lineman (LM) included centers, offensive guards, offensive and defensive tackles. Body weight and percentage of body fat were determined using the TANITA Body Composition Monitor BC-418 and we obtained performance results of the following Nike SPARQ Combine drills: 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 20-yard shuttle and the kneeling power ball toss (KPBT). The one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey-Kramer post-hoc test showed significant differences for all the variables among the 3 playing categories: LM had higher anthropometric and body composition values than SP (

Comparative Evaluation of Simple Indices of Graft Function After Islet Transplantation

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Oncoplastic and reconstructive surgery in SENONETWORK Italian breast centers: lights and shadows

Breast cancer (BC) poses a significant worldwide health challenge. In the year 2020, more than 2.3 million cases were detected, and there were approximately 685,000 deaths attributed to BC [1]. Although systemic treatments are gaining importance in BC management, surgery continues to be the fundamental treatment approach for the majority of early-stage patients. A prolonged discussion continues, examining the overall survival rates between mastectomy and breast-conserving therapy (BCT), yielding inconclusive results. Nevertheless, breast-conservative therapy appears to present fewer complications [2, 3]. Patients undergoing BCT experience enhanced cosmetic results and a better quality of life compared to those opting for non-reconstructed mastectom