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Complex molecules show element- and enantio-specific properties and reactivity. Here the authors demonstrate identification of the element- and enantiomer-selective motion of Ibuprofen molecule using X-ray photons at the carbon K-edge.

High-energy density extreme ultraviolet radiation delivered by the FERMI seeded free-electron laser has been used to create an exotic nonequilibrium state of matter in a titanium sample characterized by a highly excited electron subsystem at temperatures in excess of 10 eV and a cold solid-density ion lattice. The obtained transient state has been investigated through ultrafast absorption spectroscopy across the Ti M2,3-edge revealing a drastic rearrangement of the sample electronic structure around the Fermi level occurring on a time scale of about 100 fs.

A new experimental approach for near–edge ultrafast absorption spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region at the FERMI@Elettra EIS-TIMEX end-station is presented. An innovative multilayer mirror is proposed as the key element of the set-up. The multilayer structure is a tailor-made Mo/Y periodic stack tuned at the 12.2–12.6 nm wavelength range, designed and realized to probe matter under extreme conditions by focusing the tunable free electron laser radiation, without affecting the temporal beam properties. The performance of such coated mirrors has been investigated at FERMI@Elettra EIS-TIMEX and the results have been compared with those obtained using synchrotron light. Further, the focusing system has been tested by performing sub-100 fs absorption spectroscopy experiments at the L(2, 3)-edge of silicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FERMI@Elettra is a free electron-laser (FEL)-based user facility that, after two years of commissioning, started preliminary users' dedicated runs in 2011. At variance with other FEL user facilities, FERMI@Elettra has been designed to deliver improved spectral stability and longitudinal coherence. The adopted scheme, which uses an external laser to initiate the FEL process, has been demonstrated to be capable of generating FEL pulses close to the Fourier transform limit. We report on the first instance of FEL wavelength tuning, both in a narrow and in a large spectral range (fine- and coarse-tuning). We also report on two different experiments that have been performed exploiting such FEL tuning. We used fine-tuning to scan across the 1s–4p resonance in He atoms, at ≈23.74 eV (52.2 nm), detecting both UV–visible fluorescence (4p–2s, 400 nm) and EUV fluorescence (4p–1s, 52.2 nm). We used coarse-tuning to scan the M _4,5 absorption edge of Ge (∼29.5 eV) in the wavelength region 30–60 nm, measured in transmission geometry with a thermopile positioned on the rear side of a Ge thin foil.

Background: During aging, both the brain and the immune system undergo a progressive impairment of physiological functions. Microglia, the immunocompetent cells of the central nervous system, shift towards a chronic mild inflammatory state that impacts brain homeostasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by microglia transport packages of molecular information that mirror the inflammatory status of donor cells and modulate the inflammatory phenotype of recipient microglia and other cell types., Results: We demonstrated that intranasal administration of EVs derived from microglial-like BV2 cells to late adult mice (16-20 months of age) shifts microglia toward a "juvenile" morphology affecting their inflammatory profile. Mice treated with BV2-derived EVs have a reduction of anxiety-like behavior and an increased spatial learning, with sex-dependent differences. Further, BV2-derived EVs increased neuronal plasticity both in male and female mice. These findings suggest the involvement of microglial cells in vesicles-mediated anti-aging effect., Conclusions: Our data indicate that BV2-derived EVs could represent a resource to slow down age-dependent inflammation in the mouse brain., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The availability of disease-modifying therapies and newborn screening programs for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has generated an urgent need for reliable prognostic biomarkers to classify patients according to disease severity. We aim to identify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) prognostic protein biomarkers in CSF samples of SMA patients collected at baseline (T0), and to describe proteomic profile changes and biological pathways influenced by nusinersen before the sixth nusinersen infusion (T302)., Methods: In this multicenter retrospective longitudinal study, we employed an untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based proteomic approach on CSF samples collected from 61 SMA patients treated with nusinersen (SMA1 n=19, SMA2 n=19, SMA3 n=23) at T0 at T302. The Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm and pathway enrichment analysis were applied for analysis., Results: The RF algorithm, applied to the protein expression profile of naïve patients, revealed several proteins that could classify the different types of SMA according to their differential abundance at T0. Analysis of changes in proteomic profiles identified a total of 147 differentially expressed proteins after nusinersen treatment in SMA1, 135 in SMA2, and 289 in SMA3. Overall, nusinersen-induced changes on proteomic profile were consistent with i) common effects observed in allSMA types (i.e. regulation of axonogenesis), and ii) disease severity-specific changes, namely regulation of glucose metabolism in SMA1, of coagulation processes in SMA2, and of complement cascade in SMA3., Conclusions: This untargeted LC-MS proteomic profiling in the CSF of SMA patients revealed differences in protein expression in naïve patients and showed nusinersen-related modulation in several biological processes after 10 months of treatment. Further confirmatory studies are needed to validate these results in larger number of patients and over abroader timeframe., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Anxiety significantly diminishes the quality of life in older adults, and the drugs used for its treatment often come with risky side effects. Non-pharmacological protocols could be valuable, but more research is needed in this area. Environmental enrichment induces positive effects on anxiety-like behavior in young and adult animals; whether the same happens in aged animals is still elusive. The aged brain undergoes changes that contribute to make it "fragile" and consequently even mild, potentially positive stimuli can trigger dyshomeostasis, worsening rather than ameliorating functioning. Here, by combining behavioral analysis and measurement of serum and brain corticosterone levels, we show that late-life environmental enrichment can induce eustress or distress, depending on sex and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. These findings pave the way for optimizing outcomes and minimizing undesired effects in the clinical setting, underscoring the need to overcome the limits of gender medicine and emphasizing the crucial role of individually tailored therapies., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nothing to declare. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Experimental characterization of the structural, electronic and dynamic properties of dilute systems in aqueous solvents, such as nanoparticles, molecules and proteins, are nowadays an open challenge. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is probably one of the most established approaches to this aim as it is element-specific. However, typical dilute systems of interest are often composed of light elements that require extreme-ultraviolet to soft X-ray photons. In this spectral regime, water and other solvents are rather opaque, thus demanding radical reduction of the solvent volume and removal of the liquid to minimize background absorption. Here, we present an experimental endstation designed to operate a liquid flat jet of sub-micrometre thickness in a vacuum environment compatible with extreme ultraviolet/soft XAS measurements in transmission geometry. The apparatus developed can be easily connected to synchrotron and free-electron-laser user-facility beamlines dedicated to XAS experiments. The conditions for stable generation and control of the liquid flat jet are analyzed and discussed. Preliminary soft XAS measurements on some test solutions are shown., (open access.)

We study the Thomson scattering from highly oriented pyrolitic graphite excited by the extreme ultraviolet, coherent pulses of FERMI free electron laser (FEL). An apparent nonlinear behavior is observed and fully described in terms of the coherent nature of both exciting FEL beam and scattered radiation, producing an intensity-dependent enhancement of the Thomson scattering cross-section. The process resembles Dicke's superradiant phenomenon and is thus interpreted as the observation of superradiant Thomson scattering. The process also triggers the creation of coherent, low- q ([Formula: see text] 0.3 Å[Formula: see text]), low energy phonons. The experimental data and analysis provide quantitative information on the sample characteristics, absorption, scattering factor, and coherent phonon energies and populations and open the route for the investigation of the deep nature of complex materials., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Objective: To present the results of a nationwide survey among urological patients to evaluate their perception of the quality of care provided by residents., Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to patients who were referred to 22 Italian academic institutions. The survey aimed to investigate the professional figure of the urology resident as perceived by the patient., Results: A total of 2587 patients were enrolled in this study. In all, 51.6% of patients were able to correctly identify a urology resident; however, almost 40% of respondents discriminated residents from fully trained urologists based exclusively on their young age. Overall, 98.2% patients rated the service provided by the resident as at least sufficient. Urology trainees were considered by more than 50% of the patients interviewed to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness. Overall, patients showed an excellent willingness to be managed by urology residents. The percentage of patients not available for this purpose showed an increasing trend that directly correlated with the difficulty of the procedure. Approximately 5-10% of patients were not willing to be managed by residents for simple procedures such as clinical visits, cystoscopy or sonography, and up to a third of patients were not prepared to undergo any surgical procedure performed by residents during steps in major surgery, even if the residents were adequately tutored., Conclusions: Our data showed that patients have a good willingness to be managed by residents during their training, especially for medium- to low-difficulty procedures. Furthermore, the majority of patients interviewed rated the residents' care delivery as sufficient. Urology trainees were considered to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness., (© 2022 The Authors. BJU International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International.)

The interaction of intense light with matter gives rise to competing nonlinear responses that can dynamically change material properties. Prominent examples are saturable absorption (SA) and two-photon absorption (TPA), which dynamically increase and decrease the transmission of a sample depending on pulse intensity, respectively. The availability of intense soft X-ray pulses from free-electron lasers (FELs) has led to observations of SA and TPA in separate experiments, leaving open questions about the possible interplay between and relative strength of the two phenomena. Here, we systematically study both phenomena in one experiment by exposing graphite films to soft X-ray FEL pulses of varying intensity. By applying real-time electronic structure calculations, we find that for lower intensities the nonlinear contribution to the absorption is dominated by SA attributed to ground-state depletion; our model suggests that TPA becomes more dominant for larger intensities (>10 14 W/cm 2 ). Our results demonstrate an approach of general utility for interpreting FEL spectroscopies.

RNF5, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) E3 ubiquitin ligase, participates to the ER-associated protein degradation guaranteeing the protein homeostasis. Depending on tumor model tested, RNF5 exerts pro- or anti-tumor activity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the controversial role of RNF5 in neuroblastoma and melanoma, two neuroectodermal tumors of infancy and adulthood, respectively. RNF5 gene levels are evaluated in publicly available datasets reporting the gene expression profile of melanoma and neuroblastoma primary tumors at diagnosis. The therapeutic effect of Analog-1, an RNF5 pharmacological activator, was investigated on in vitro and in vivo neuroblastoma and melanoma models. In both neuroblastoma and melanoma patients the high expression of RNF5 correlated with a better prognostic outcome. Treatment of neuroblastoma and melanoma cell lines with Analog-1 reduced cell viability by impairing the glutamine availability and energy metabolism through inhibition of F 1 F o ATP-synthase activity. This latter event led to a marked increase in oxidative stress, which, in turn, caused cell death. Similarly, neuroblastoma- and melanoma-bearing mice treated with Analog-1 showed a significant delay of tumor growth in comparison to those treated with vehicle only. These findings validate RNF5 as an innovative drug target and support the development of Analog-1 in early phase clinical trials for neuroblastoma and melanoma patients.

Dear Editor, the pandemic spread of Coronavirus 2 infection (SARS-CoV-2), determining the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), had devastating consequences globally with several waves affecting social and economic life. The use of masks, physical distancing, testing of exposed or symptomatic persons, contact tracing and isolation have helped limit the transmission where they have been rigorously applied; however, these actions have proved not sufficient to limit the virus spread [...].

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R3, a rare genetic disorder affecting the limb proximal muscles, is caused by mutations in the α-sarcoglycan gene (Sgca) and aggravated by an immune-mediated damage, finely modulated by the extracellular (e)ATP/purinoceptors axis. Currently, no specific drugs are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of a selective P2X7 purinoreceptor antagonist, A438079. Sgca knockout mice were treated with A438079 every two days at 3 mg/Kg for 24 weeks. The P2X7 antagonist improved clinical parameters by ameliorating mice motor function and decreasing serum creatine kinase levels. Histological analysis of muscle morphology indicated a significant reduction of the percentage of central nuclei, of fiber size variability and of the extent of local fibrosis and inflammation. A cytometric characterization of the muscle inflammatory infiltrates showed that A438079 significantly decreased innate immune cells and upregulated the immunosuppressive regulatory T cell subpopulation. In α-sarcoglycan null mice, the selective P2X7 antagonist A438079 has been shown to be effective to counteract the progression of the dystrophic phenotype and to reduce the inflammatory response. P2X7 antagonism via selective inhibitors could be included in the immunosuppressant strategies aimed to dampen the basal immune-mediated damage and to favor a better engraftment of gene-cell therapies.

Workplace violence is a common safety concern for hospital staff. The Behaviour Safety Risk Communication and Care Planning program identifies, manages and cares for patients at risk of exhibiting unsafe behaviours. This paper reports on a mixed-methods evaluation consisting of staff surveys, focus groups and open forums, screening audits, patient interviews and assessment of effectiveness measures at five hospital sites. Staff perceptions about safety risk imposed by a patient's behaviour significantly improved after this program was implemented. Opportunities exist to improve staff adherence to screening processes and communication with patients. This study provides insight for teams implementing similar interventions., (Copyright © 2022 Longwoods Publishing.)

Charge transport processes at interfaces play a crucial role in many processes. Here, the first soft x-ray second harmonic generation (SXR SHG) interfacial spectrum of a buried interface (boron-Parylene N) is reported. SXR SHG shows distinct spectral features that are not observed in x-ray absorption spectra, demonstrating its extraordinary interfacial sensitivity. Comparison to electronic structure calculations indicates a boron-organic separation distance of 1.9 Å, with changes of less than 1 Å resulting in easily detectable SXR SHG spectral shifts (ca. hundreds of milli-electron volts).

Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive muscle wasting associated to oxidative stress and persistent inflammation. It is essential to deepen our knowledge on the mechanism connecting these two processes because current treatments for MDs have limited efficacy and/or are associated with side effects. Here, we identified the alarmin high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a functional link between oxidative stress and inflammation in MDs. The oxidation of HMGB1 cysteines switches its extracellular activities from the orchestration of tissue regeneration to the exacerbation of inflammation. Extracellular HMGB1 is present at high amount and undergoes oxidation in patients with MDs and in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 3 (LGMDR3) compared to controls. Genetic ablation of HMGB1 in muscles of DMD mice leads to an amelioration of the dystrophic phenotype as evidenced by the reduced inflammation and muscle degeneration, indicating that HMGB1 oxidation is a detrimental process in MDs. Pharmacological treatment with an engineered nonoxidizable variant of HMGB1, called 3S, improves functional performance, muscle regeneration, and satellite cell engraftment in dystrophic mice while reducing inflammation and fibrosis. Overall, our data demonstrate that the balance between HMGB1 redox isoforms dictates whether skeletal muscle is in an inflamed or regenerating state, and that the nonoxidizable form of HMGB1 is a possible therapeutic approach to counteract the progression of the dystrophic phenotype. Rebalancing the HMGB1 redox isoforms may also be a therapeutic strategy for other disorders characterized by chronic oxidative stress and inflammation., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

Introduction: Plaque incision and grafting represent the best surgical approach to the Peyronie's Disease (PD). The grafting procedures must be restricted to patients with normal preoperative status, excessive curvature and/or deformities. However, the ideal graft has not been identified yet. Buccal mucosa grafts (BMG) provided excellent short-term results, ensuring the fast return of spontaneous erections and preventing shrinkage, which is the main cause of graft failure. Another fearsome surgical complication is de novo erectile dysfunction (ED). We report our results with BMG focusing on the analysis of ultrasonographic and clinical data demonstrating buccal mucosa as determinant factor that allow to avoid complications., Materials and Methods: From 2013 to 2019 we performed at our Urology Unit 27 corporoplasties with BMG to correct complex penile curvature due to PD. Clinical, post-surgical and ultrasound follow up data were evaluated. All patients were no responders to medical treatment or previous surgical procedures. The evaluation period was 72 months. Data regarding pre-operative work-up, including IIEF (IIEF-5) questionnaire administration, detailed clinical history and penile dynamic ultrasound (PGE1-induced erection) were collected. The time of spontaneous erection resumption was recorded for each patient. To improve blood supply to the graft, a low-dose PDE5-i was prescribed for all patients for a period of two months, starting immediately after discharge. Check-ups were scheduled every 3 months, starting from 1 month after surgery. In each visit, patients underwent a penile ultrasound evaluation of graft features. After 6 and 12 months, all patients underwent a penile dynamic ultrasound for Erection Hardness Score determination, then standard ultrasound and clinical evaluation yearly. Our analyses were focused on BMG as a major determinant of the surgical success., Results: Mean age of 27 patients was 57 years (42-71) with a maximum follow up time of 72 months and minimum of 3. Site of penile curvature was dorsal in 18 (67%) patients, ventral in 2 (7%), complex in 7 (26%). The degree of the curvature was < 60° in 11 (41%) patients, > 60° in 16 (59%). Straightening of penis was reached in 100% of cases. Penile shortening resulted in 7.4% (2/27). De novo ED appeared in 2/27 cases with a post-operative rate of PDE5i users increasing from 12 to 14 patients (45% vs 52%). Ultrasound aspects of BMG, recorded at every follow up visit, results in a hypoechoic plaque with an iperechoic rim that become isoechoic over the time in all cases. No case of scars or seroma was registered. Small intra-graft cystic lesions were highlighted in 3 cases (11%)., Conclusions: BMG may represent a good choice in grafts procedures for PD surgical management. The functional results obtained by BMG procedures were related to the good anatomical characteristics of the patch and were highlighted in our series by use of penile ultrasound, during the follow up period.

This collection includes some unusual cases and how they were diagnosed and treated. Case 1: A case of a patient with primary hyperthyroidism presenting with a submucosal ureteral stone after endoscopic lithotripsy was described. After multiple endoscopic treatment, the stone was successfully removed by open ureterolithotomy recovering ureteral patency and normal renal function. Case 2: A case of burned-out testicular cancer with atypical lymphatic spread (stage II A) was presented. After right orchiectomy and complete remission of tumor markers, due to atypical metastases location and uncertain histology, the patient was treated with systemic therapy based on bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (PEB). At re-staging after chemotherapy computed tomography showed reduction of all node metastases and an observation protocol was proposed. Case 3: A patient was readmitted to hospital after 12 days from an uneventful Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer due to lower abdominal pain plus abdominal distension, nausea and constipation not responsive to medical therapy. Computed Tomography showed colon and small bowel dilatation without any evidence of anatomical or mechanical obstruction. Laparoscopic abdominal exploration confirmed bowel distension without evidence of obstructing lesions. Ogilvie's Syndrome or acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) was diagnosed. The patient fully recovered and was discharged six days after the procedure. Case 4: A case of recurrent Acute Idiopathic Scrotal Edema (AISE) was diagnosed on clinical signs together with the decisive help of pathognomonic ultrasound findings as the "fountain sign". Case 5: Small bilateral testicular nodules were diagnosed in a 30-years old patient undergoing scrotal ultrasound in follow up of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Ultrasound guided testis sparing surgery was performed demonstrating Leydig cell tumors.

T lymphocytes play a central role in antigen-specific immune responses. They modulate the function of different immune cells both through a direct contact (receptor binding) and through the secretion of cytokines. At the same time, they are deeply involved in the direct killing of aberrant target cells. T lymphocytes derive from a bone marrow precursor that migrates in the thymus where the main differentiation steps take place. Mature CD4 and CD8 single-positive cells, then, leave the thymus to reach the secondary lymphoid organs. T-cell subsets and their maturation steps can be identified mainly based on the expression of extracellular markers, intracellular transcription factors and cytokine production profiles. In this review, we report, from a cytometric point of view, an overview of the most important T-cell subpopulations and their differentiation state. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry., (© 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.)

Expanding the activity of wide bandgap semiconductors from the UV into the visible range has become a central goal for their application in green solar photocatalysis. The hybrid plasmonic/semiconductor system, based on silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) embedded in a film of CeO 2 , is an example of a functional material developed with this aim. In this work, we take advantage of the chemical sensitivity of free electron laser (FEL) time-resolved soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (TRXAS) to investigate the electron transfer process from the Ag NPs to the CeO 2 film generated by the NPs plasmonic resonance photoexcitation. Ultrafast changes (<200 fs) of the Ce N 4,5 absorption edge allowed us to conclude that the excited Ag NPs transfer electrons to the Ce atoms of the CeO 2 film through a highly efficient electron-based mechanism. These results demonstrate the potential of FEL-based TRXAS measurements for the characterization of energy transfer in novel hybrid plasmonic/semiconductor materials.

We present a case of a 27-year-old man who referred to the Emergency Department complaining scrotal pain. He mentioned a sharp penetrating scrotal trauma occurred at work. Clinical examination showed mild scrotal tenderness. The patient underwent scrotal ultrasound that showed only a suspicious foreign body in the tunica vaginalis. A scrotal surgical exploration was performed and a nail was confirmed at the level of the tunica vaginalis., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.)

Workplace violence prevention of patient behaviours is a primary safety focus in hospital settings. In response to provincial mandates, a multi-site tertiary care hospital system developed the Behaviour Safety Risk Communication and Care Planning Program. Components include patient risk screening, communication tools and care plans that outline mitigation strategies. The program has been implemented at six sites using the following strategies: educational and planning meetings, formation of steering committees, identification of champions, educational materials/training, facilitation and consultation, and audit and feedback. Our paper can guide program development and implementation in similar contexts., (Copyright © 2021 Longwoods Publishing.)

Purpose: Occupational therapist assistants and physiotherapist assistants work on inter-professional teams in both institutional and community settings to facilitate patients' rehabilitation and recovery. Examination of how the assistant role is viewed by assistants and other inter-professional team members is needed to inform how to support and sustain development of the role and associated practice relationships. Method: In this explanatory sequential-design mixed-methods study, we first surveyed rehabilitation personnel, then held focus groups at a large urban health care organization. Statistical and thematic analysis was conducted to combine the findings from both data sources. Results: A total of 89 therapists and assistants completed surveys; 30 also contributed to four focus groups. Five themes were developed that expressed the perceptions of the assistant role on inter-professional teams: (1) left out of the loop, (2) living in the grey: negotiating and navigating the assistant role, (3) who's the boss? (4) things just don't fall into your lap: pursuing professional development, and (5) (not) just the assistant: the influence of norms and attitudes and external perspectives. Conclusions: The findings describe perceptions and institutional norms of the assistant practice role. They can inform discussions on regulation and accreditation as well as professional and continuing education, and they can promote reflection on team dynamics and supervisory practices., (© Canadian Physiotherapy Association.)

A liquid carbon (l-C) sample is generated through constant volume heating exposing an amorphous carbon foil to an intense ultrashort laser pulse. Time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the C K edge is used to monitor the dynamics of the melting process revealing a subpicosecond rearrangement of the electronic structure associated with a sudden change of the C bonding hybridization. The obtained l-C sample, resulting from a nonthermal melting mechanism, reaches a transient equilibrium condition with a temperature of about 14 200 K and pressure in the order of 0.5 Mbar in about 0.3 ps, prior to hydrodynamic expansion. A detailed analysis of the atomic and electronic structure in solid-density l-C based on time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy and theoretical simulations is presented. The method can be fruitfully used for extending the experimental investigation of the C phase diagram in a vast unexplored region covering the 10^{3}-10^{4}  K temperature range with pressures up to 1 Mbar.

In muscle ATP is primarily known for its function as an energy source and as a mediator of the "excitation-transcription" process, which guarantees muscle plasticity in response to environmental stimuli. When quickly released in massive concentrations in the extracellular space as in presence of muscle membrane damage, ATP acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern molecule (DAMP). In experimental murine models of muscular dystrophies characterized by membrane instability, blockade of eATP/P2X7 receptor (R) purinergic signaling delayed the progression of the dystrophic phenotype dampening the local inflammatory response and inducing Foxp3 + T Regulatory lymphocytes. These discoveries highlighted the relevance of ATP as a harbinger of immune-tissue damage in muscular genetic diseases. Given the interactions between the immune system and muscle regeneration, the comprehension of ATP/purinerigic pathway articulated organization in muscle cells has become of extreme interest. This review explores ATP release, metabolism, feedback control and cross-talk with members of muscle inflammasome in the context of muscular dystrophies.

An extreme ultraviolet pump and visible-light probe transmission experiment in crystalline LiF, carried out at the Free Electron Laser facility FERMI, revealed an oscillating time dependence of the plasmon mode excited in the high-density high-temperature electron plasma. The effect is interpreted as a fingerprint of the electron-ion interaction: the ion motion, shaped by the electron dynamic screening, induces, in turn, electron density fluctuations that cause the oscillation of the plasmon frequency at the timescale of the ion dynamics. Fitting the high resolution transmission data with an RPA model for the temperature-dependent dielectric function, which includes electron self-energy and electron-ion coupling, confirms the interpretation of the time modulation of the plasmon mode.

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells expanded and recruited from the bone marrow to the periphery or to a specific site of inflammation/infection. MDSC have been described in different pathological conditions including cancer, infections, autoimmunity and obesity. The main function of MDSC is immunosuppression occurring through different mechanisms such as induction of immunosuppressive cells, impairment of lymphocyte homing, free radical production, depletion of amino acids critical for T cell functions, upregulation of ectoenzymes involved in adenosine production and activation of immune regulatory molecules responsible of T cell anergy. A novel immunosuppressive mechanism MDSC-mediated involves the ATP/P2X7 receptor axis that induces the release of immunosuppressive chemokines/cytokines upon triggering with ATP., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Advances in developing ultrafast coherent sources operating at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and x-ray wavelengths allow the extension of nonlinear optical techniques to shorter wavelengths. Here, we describe EUV transient grating spectroscopy, in which two crossed femtosecond EUV pulses produce spatially periodic nanoscale excitations in the sample and their dynamics is probed via diffraction of a third time-delayed EUV pulse. The use of radiation with wavelengths down to 13.3 nm allowed us to produce transient gratings with periods as short as 28 nm and observe thermal and coherent phonon dynamics in crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon nitride. This approach allows measurements of thermal transport on the ~10-nm scale, where the two samples show different heat transport regimes, and can be applied to study other phenomena showing nontrivial behaviors at the nanoscale, such as structural relaxations in complex liquids and ultrafast magnetic dynamics.