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In the current study, we determined the antioxidant properties of "Greco" grape cane extracts, a typical cultivar of southern Italy. We also explored the anticancer activity of the polyphenol-rich fraction of the extract on head and neck squamous carcinoma cells (HNSCC) and investigated the underlying mechanism. Aqueous extracts were prepared at different pHs and extraction times and the total phenolic and reducing sugar contents were estimated. Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of the extracts were measured. A polyphenol-rich fraction, accounting for 6.7% by weight and characterized mainly by procyanidins and stilbenoids, was prepared from the extract obtained at pH 7 for 60 min. We demonstrated that the extract exerted a cytotoxic effect on HNSCC cell lines by inducing cell cycle arrest via cyclin downregulation and p21 upregulation, and by triggering apoptosis through caspase cascade activation, PARP-1 cleavage, and an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. We furnished evidence that the polyphenol-rich fraction played the major role in the anticancer activity of the extract. These outcomes highlighted grape canes from the "Greco" cultivar as a valuable source of polyphenols that may represent good candidates for the design of innovative adjuvant therapies in the treatment of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To present performance indicators from the second round of the Vallecamonica-Sebino HPV screening programme in women who had tested negative about four years earlier (mean 45 months). Methods: From 2010 to 2012, the target female population (aged 25–64) was invited to the first HPV screening round. In 2013–2017, women were rescreened for the second round. HPV-negative women at the first round were initially rescreened after three years. The interval was gradually increased to five years. HPV-positive women underwent cytology triage: positives were referred to colposcopy and negatives to repeat testing after one year. If HPV was persistently positive, women were referred to colposcopy, if negative, to normal interval rescreening. Results: In the second round, of 13,824 previously HPV-negative women, 598 were HPV-positive (4.3%), of whom 297 were positive at cytology triage. Of those referred to one-year HPV test, 291 complied (98.0%), 133 (50.2%) of whom were persistently positive. Total referral was 3.1% compared with 6.6% in the first round (age-adjusted relative referral 0.59, 95% CI: 0.53–0.65). There were 24 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ (three cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3+). Detection was 0.17%, compared with 0.9% in the first round. Age-adjusted relative detections were 0.25 (95% CI: 0.16–0.39) and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.05–0.61) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3+, respectively. Positive predictive value was 5.7%, compared with 14.6% in the first round. Conclusions: At second round, referral was half that at first round, while cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ detection decreased nine-fold. Consequently, positive predictive value decreased dramatically. Rescreening four years after an HPV-negative test makes the process inefficient due to the low prevalence of lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the screening programme for cervical cancer and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Valcamonica, Italy. It mentions that cytological smear was stained and interpreted for HPV positive women, colposcopy for positive cytologies, and the HPV negative were referred to repeat the test after one year. Results showed that 1633 are HPV positive, 843 are positive to cytology triage, and 356 are persistently positive.

Analyzes the long-run behavior of the Italian energy market using an evolving formulation. Effectivity of modelling the instability detected in the cointegrating relations in improving the estimates of the elasticities of substitution and of the price elasticities; Role of relative price and biased technical progress in determining energy demand dynamics.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the phenolic composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities in grape cane extracts from typical cultivars of Southern Italy. Aqueous extracts at different pHs (1–13) were prepared from "Aglianico", "Fiano", and "Greco" grape canes. The results demonstrated that an alkaline pH (13.00) produced the best polyphenol-rich extracts, as the total phenolic content was more than double when compared to the respective extracts prepared at pH 1.00. "Greco" grape canes gave the highest quantity of phenolic compounds at each pH, ranging from 42.7 ± 0.4 to 104.3 ± 3.0 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g Dry Extract (DE) from pH 1.00 to 13.00. The Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA) and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) were measured. The highest antioxidant activity was showed by "Greco" extract at pH 7.00. Seventy-five compounds were identified in the extracts by HPLC-MS with six of them described for the first time in grape canes. Procyanidins were highly abundant in extracts at pH 7.00, whereas stilbenoids were the most represented compounds at pH 13.00. Very strong antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses was recorded for the extracts at pH 7.00 and 13.00 that were active in the early stages of infection by acting directly against the viral particles. The overall results suggest that grape canes, currently underutilized, can be usefully valorised by providing active extracts to use as antioxidant and antiviral agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]