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Effective contact ( tce ) and flight ( tfe ) times, instead of ground contact ( tc ) and flight ( tf ) times, are usually collected outside the laboratory using inertial sensors. Unfortunately, tce and tfe cannot be related to tc and tf because the exact shape of vertical ground reaction force is unknown. However, using a sine wave approximation for vertical force, tce and tc as well as tfe and tf could be related. Indeed, under this approximation, a transcendental equation was obtained and solved numerically over a tce x tfe grid. Then, a multivariate polynomial regression was applied to the numerical outcome. In order to reach a root-mean-square error of 0.5 ms, the final model was given by an eighth-order polynomial. As a direct application, this model was applied to experimentally measured tce values. Then, reconstructed tc (using the model) was compared to corresponding experimental ground truth. A systematic bias of 35 ms was depicted, demonstrating that ground truth tc values were larger than reconstructed ones. Nonetheless, error in the reconstruction of tc from tce was coming from the sine wave approximation, while the polynomial regression did not introduce further error. The presented model could be added to algorithms within sports watches to provide robust estimations of tc and tf in real time, which would allow coaches and practitioners to better evaluate running performance and to prevent running-related injuries.

Canine prostatic carcinoma (PCa) is considered a relevant model for studying advanced, hormone refractory PCa in men. It has been proposed that cancer contains a minor population of cells that can selfrenew while simultaneously giving rise to tumour cells (cancer stem cells). Survivin is an acknowledged cancer therapy-resistance factor overexpressed in several tumour types, proposed as a valid cancer biomarker for human prostatic cancer for an early screening for malignancy. Sox9 is a stem cell marker expressed in several adult tissues, required for prostate development. Accumulating evidence indicates that it contributes to the development of human PCa. No studies have been published concerning the immunolocalization of survivin and Sox9 in canine prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and neoplasia.AIM: to evaluate the patterns and levels of expression of survivin and Sox9 in canine BPH and PCa, in order to correlate their expression with malignant histological features. immunhistochemistry with specific antibodies in a set of canine BPH and PCa. Survivin nuclear and rare cytoplasmic immunostaining were present among the basal/reserve cell layer of normal and hyperplastic prostatic lobules. An increase of survivin expression was observed in PCas compared with BPHs. 6/11 PCas showed rare positive nuclei, mainly among the “basaloid” neoplastic cells in the areas with a tubular-papillary arrangement. In the areas with a solid pattern the cytoplasmic immunostaining was more diffuse. Sox9 expression was absent in normal prostatic glands and in all BPHs. 6/9 cases of PCa were highly positive. Based on the role of survivin as a stem cell marker and the main role in proliferation of nuclear survivin, the positive cells among basal cell layer in normal and HBP cases could represent transit amplifying cells maintaining some stem cell proprieties. The increased survivin expression in Pcas would indicates the molecule as a valid prognostic marker. The absence of expression of Sox9 in the normal gland and all the BPHs suggests that Sox9 is not a stem cell marker of canine adult prostatic stem cells. The high expression observed in PCas clearly suggests an important role of the molecule in canine prostatic carcinogenesis and malignant progression. Further studies should be done in order to confirm this hypothesis.

Worldwide, about half the adult population is considered overweight as defined by a body mass index (BMI - calculated by body weight divided by height squared) ratio in excess of 25 kg.m-2. Of these individuals, half are clinically obese (with a BMI in excess of 30) and these numbers are still increasing, notably in developing countries such as those of the Middle East region. Obesity is a disorder characterised by increased mass of adipose tissue (excessive fat accumulation) that is the result of a systemic imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure. Although factors such as family history, sedentary lifestyle, urbanisation, income and family diet patterns determine obesity prevalence, the main underlying causes are poor knowledge about food choice and lack of physical activity3. Current obesity treatments include dietary restriction, pharmacological interventions and ultimately, bariatric surgery. The beneficial effects of physical activity on weight loss through increased energy expenditure and appetite modulation are also firmly established. Another viable option to induce a negative energy balance, is to incorporate hypoxia per se or combine it with exercise in an individual's daily schedule. This article will present recent evidence suggesting that combining hypoxic exposure and exercise training might provide a cost-effective strategy for reducing body weight and improving cardio-metabolic health in obese individuals. The efficacy of this approach is further reinforced by epidemiological studies using large-scale databases, which evidence a negative relationship between altitude of habitation and obesity. In the United States, for instance, obesity prevalence is inversely associated with altitude of residence and urbanisation, after adjusting for temperature, diet, physical activity, smoking and demographic factors.

This study compared heat shock proteins Hsp60, Hsp72 and Hsp73, along with p63 and androgen receptor (AR) immunoexpression between 16 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 11 prostatic carcinomas (PCa) in dogs. The proportion of Hsp60-positive cells was higher in PCa compared with BPH (P =0.033), whereas the frequency and intensity of Hsp73 immunostaining did not differ significantly between the two groups. Hsp72-immunostained nuclei formed a discontinuous layer along the basement membrane in BPH, whereas cells in this layer in PCa were negative or weakly positive. Hsp72 nuclear score showed significant positive associations with both p63 (P =0.016) and AR (P =0.009) scores. Double immunofluorescence revealed Hsp72-p63 and Hsp72-AR co-expressions in basal cell nuclei. Aberrant cytoplasmic p63 immunolabelling was observed in 3 of 11 PCa cases. These results suggest a role of the combined expression of Hsp72, p63 and AR in basal epithelial cells in canine BPH and PCa.

The Hermes oceanographic mission ARCO (AdRiatic COrals: 13-22 December 2008, R/V Urania) was organized by CNR-ISMAR with the goal to identify and map yellow coral (Dendrophyllia cornigera) thickets up to 1 m high at intermediate depths (ca 200 m) in the region of the Middle Adriatic Depression (MAD). Previous AMS-C14 dating of Dendrophyllia corals from this area provided a late Holocene age ; furthermore, some specimens are heavily bioeroded and encrusted by living or recently dead epifauna including polychaetes and Neopycnodonte oysters. This evidence suggests that this yellow coral is still alive in the middle Adriatic at this location. The presence of coral grounds here is well known to fishermen that avoid the area for the potential damage to their nets. During ARCO, the area known to host corals was first mapped in detail and imaged by multiswath bathymetry, chirp and side scan sonars, revealing bottom features that were interpreted as potential coral mounds. A ROV survey however did not image as expected Dendrophyllia coral thickets emerging from the muddy area draping the topographic highs between the major depressions. Instead, bottom sampling (large volume grab, gravity corer etc.) recovered a large amount of dead ‘white corals’. Before our finding, there were only a few sporadic citations of such corals at these Adriatic latitudes, summarized by Zupanovic and Jardas (1989). The ‘white corals’ are mainly the branching scleractinians Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, with subordinate Dendrophyllia cornigera, and Caryophyllia smithii ; the solitary coral Desmophyllum dianthus is rare. Encalcified Eunice parchment tubes were consistently associated with Lophelia and Madrepora frames. Although extremely well preserved and with alabastrine luster, the white corals were all dead and covered by a thin layer of mud (< 15 cm, Minicore ARCO- and gravity core ARCO-). Corals do not show Fe-Mn oxide patinas, and bioerosion or fouling is limited. Dead individuals of the cemented bivalves Neopycnodonte cochlear and, more rarely Spondylus gussonii, are occasionally found attached to Lophelia colonies. Interestingly, most ‘white corals’ are represented by individuals of unusually large size and thickness. Differently from (part at least of) Dendrophyllia colonies, the Lophelia-Madrepora thickets are possibly extinct in the MAD. They might have belonged to a coral province that established at the end of the last glacial age on topographic highs of the MAD on both sides of the Italo-Croatian midline. At present live Lophelia thriving at shallow depths is found in Norwegian fjords. It is quite remarkable that Lophelia has been found at such shallow depth in the Adriatic. Furthermore, the actual depth of recovery (ca. 200 m) should be considered as the maximum figure since at the presumed time of their life at the end of the Pleistocene, sea level was lower than present and corals possibly settled the area when it was only some 100-120 m deep. A number of Pleistocene shells were also recovered from this site, including infaunal boreal species such as the bivalves Panopea norvegica, Pseudamussium peslutrae and the vagrant gastropod Buccinum humphreysianum together with unusually large axes of the octocoral Funiculina quadrangularis. Essentially, this region of the MAD seems a frozen-in-time latest glacial seascape. On-going U/Th and AMS-C14 dating will reveal the age of these subfossil ‘white corals’. As a working hypothesis, we suggest tentatively that they were lethally impinged by a sudden silting, perhaps in response of a milder climatic pulse resulting in stronger rains and enhanced sediment transport in the Adriatic. A similar situation has been documented elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin but at deeper bathymetries (e.g., Remia and Taviani, 2005). The discovery of this large (supposedly) glacial deep water coral province in the middle Adriatic is highly significant in understanding the general spatio-temporal evolution of deep water corals in the Mediterranean basin and may help in assessing the links among the recently discovered coral provinces of the southern Adriatic and Ionian seas.

Canine prostatic carcinoma is a relevant model for human prostatic carcinoma. Survivin is proposed as a biomarker of malignancy in human prostatic cancer. Sox9 is a stem cell marker required for prostate development and expressed in several adult tissues. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the patterns and expression levels of 2 putative stem cell markers, survivin and Sox9, in canine benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic carcinoma to investigate their potential as stem cell markers. Immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies was performed on 3 samples of normal prostate gland, 18 samples of canine BPH, and 16 samples of prostatic carcinoma. The basal cell layer of normal and hyperplastic prostatic lobules had nuclear Sox9 immunolabeling and nuclear and rarely cytoplasmic survivin immunostaining, identifying them as potential stem cell markers. Significantly more frequent survivin and Sox9 expression (≥10% of nuclei) was observed in prostatic carcinoma as compared with BPH. The potential coexpression of survivin with Sox9, androgen receptor, and p63 was also investigated in selected BPH and prostatic carcinoma cases with immunofluorescence, and a partial colocalization was observed. Results indicate that Sox9 and survivin could be considered markers of stemness in canine prostate cells. Given its role in proliferation, cells in the basal cell layer with nuclear survivin expression are likely to be transit-amplifying cells that maintain some stem cell proprieties. © The Author(s) 2018.

Highlights • Prevalence of FeMV in feline colonies was higher with respect household cats. • FeMVs of this study belong to the genotype 1 and segregate into two clusters. • Isolation has been confirmed to be difficult and time consuming. • No statistically significant correlation was found between FeMV infection and TIN. • Virus histochemistry revealed immunoreactivity in lungs, kidneys and brain sections., Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) is an emerging morbillivirus first described in cats less than a decade ago. FeMV has been associated with chronic kidney disease of cats characterized by tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), although this aspect is still controversial and not demonstrated with certainty. To investigate FeMV prevalence and genomic characteristics, an epidemiological survey was conducted in a total number of 127 household cats originating from two Italian regions, Abruzzi and Emilia-Romagna. A total number of 69 cats originating from three feline colonies were also enrolled for the study. Correlation with TIN was investigated by employing a total number of 35 carcasses. Prevalence of FeMV RNA was higher in urine samples collected from cats of colonies (P = 31.8%, CI 95% 22.1–43.6) compared to household cats (P = 8.66%, CI 95% 4.9–14.9) and in young and middle-aged cats while prevalence of FeMV Abs was higher in old cats. Sequences obtained straight from infected biological samples, either partial or complete, cluster into two clades within FeMV genotype 1, distantly related to FeMV genotype 2. Immunohistochemistry analysis of kidney sections of FeMV RNA positive cats revealed immunoreactivity within epithelial cells of renal tubuli and inflammatory cells. However, statistically significant association between FeMV and renal damages, including TIN, was not demonstrated (p= 0.0695, Fisher exact test). By virus histochemistry performed with FeMV-negative feline tissues and a FeMV isolate, tropism for different cellular types such as inflammatory cells residing in blood vessels of kidney and brain, airway epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages and to a lesser extent, the central nervous system, was demonstrated. Additional studies are warranted in order to establish viral tropism and immune response during the early phases of infection and to disentangle the role of FeMV in co-infection processes.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important cell population in the bone marrow microenvironment. MSCs have the capacity to differentiate in vitro into several mesenchymal tissues including bone, cartilage, fat, tendon, muscle, and marrow stroma. This study was designed to isolate, expand, and characterize the differentiation ability of sheep bone marrow-derived MSCs and to demonstrate the possibility to permanently express a reporter gene. Bone marrow was collected from the iliac crest and mononuclear cells were separated by density gradient centrifugation. Sheep MSCs cell lines were stable characterized as CD44+ and CD34- and then transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene. The GFP expression was maintained in about half (46.6%) of cloned blastocysts produced by nuclear transfer of GFP+ sheep MSCs, suggesting the possibility to establish multipotent embryonic cells' lines carrying the fluorescent tag for comparative studies on the differentiation capacity of adult stem cells (MSCs) versus embryonic stem cells. We found that sheep MSCs under appropriate culture conditions could be induced to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblast lineages. Our results confirm the plasticity of sheep MSCs and establish the foundation for the development of a pre-clinical sheep model to test the efficiency and safety of cell replacement therapy.