Analisi dell’anisotropia microstrutturale in materiali compositi rinforzati con fibre corte

Synchrotron light microtomography has proved to be particularly efficient in order to analyze the microstructural characteristics in terms of reinforce fibre distribution and orientation in glass fibre reinforced composites. The spatial distribution of fibre within the polymeric matrix could be detected even in case of fibre characterized by a small diameter (10 micrometers average diameter). Differences in orientation distribution within a sample could be measured using the Mean Intercept Length (MIL) and the fabric tensor. The results presented herein refer to a sample of a 30% by weight glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6, extracted form a thin plate

Pressure Modulator Radiometer (PMR) tests

The pressure modulator technique was evaluated for monitoring pollutant gases in the Earth's atmosphere of altitude levels corresponding to the mid and lower troposphere. Using an experimental set up and a 110 cm sample cell, pressure modulator output signals resulting from a range of gas concentrations in the sample cell were examined. Then a 20 cm sample cell was modified so that trace gas properties in the atmosphere could be simulated in the laboratory. These gas properties were measured using an infrared sensor

Shannon Information Theory and Molecular Biology

The role and the contribution of Shannon Information Theory to the development of Molecular Biology has been the object of stimulating debates during the last thirty years. This seems to be connected with some semantic charms associated with the use of the word \u201cinformation\u201d in the biological context. Furthermore information itself, if viewed in a broader perspective, is far from being completely defined in a fashion that overcomes the technical level at which the classical Information Theory has been conceived. This review aims at building on the acknowledged contribution of Shannon Information Theory to Molecular Biology, so as to discover if it is only a technical tool to analyze DNA and proteinic sequences, or if it can rise, at least in perspective, to a higher role that exerts an influence on the construction of a suitable model for handling the genetic information in Molecular Biology

Analisi dell’anisotropia microstrutturale in materiali compositi rinforzati con fibre corte

Synchrotron light microtomography has proved to be particularly efficient in order to analyze the microstructural characteristics in terms of reinforce fibre distribution and orientation in glass fibre reinforced composites. The spatial distribution of fibre within the polymeric matrix could be detected even in case of fibre characterized by a small diameter (10 micrometers average diameter). Differences in orientation distribution within a sample could be measured using the Mean Intercept Length (MIL) and the fabric tensor. The results presented herein refer to a sample of a 30% by weight glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6, extracted form a thin plate

analisi dell anisotropia microstrutturale in materiali compositi rinforzati con fibre corte

Synchrotron light microtomography has proved to be particularly efficient in order to analyze the microstructural characteristics in terms of reinforce fibre distribution and orientation in glass fibre reinforced composites. The spatial distribution of fibre within the polymeric matrix could be detected even in case of fibre characterized by a small diameter (10 micrometers average diameter). Differences in orientation distribution within a sample could be measured using the Mean Intercept Length (MIL) and the fabric tensor. The results presented herein refer to a sample of a 30% by weight glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6, extracted form a thin plate

A microRNA profile of human CD8(+) regulatory T cells and characterization of the effects of microRNAs on Treg cell-associated genes.

Recently, regulatory T (Treg) cells have gained interest in the fields of immunopathology, transplantation and oncoimmunology. Here, we investigated the microRNA expression profile of human natural CD8(+)CD25(+) Treg cells and the impact of microRNAs on molecules associated with immune regulation. We purified human natural CD8(+) Treg cells and assessed the expression of FOXP3 and CTLA-4 by flow cytometry. We have also tested the ex vivo suppressive capacity of these cells in mixed leukocyte reactions. Using TaqMan low-density arrays and microRNA qPCR for validation, we could identify a microRNA 'signature' for CD8(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)CTLA-4(+) natural Treg cells. We used the 'TargetScan' and 'miRBase' bioinformatics programs to identify potential target sites for these microRNAs in the 3'-UTR of important Treg cell-associated genes. The human CD8(+)CD25(+) natural Treg cell microRNA signature includes 10 differentially expressed microRNAs. We demonstrated an impact of this signature on Treg cell biology by showing specific regulation of FOXP3, CTLA-4 and GARP gene expression by microRNA using site-directed mutagenesis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, we used microRNA transduction experiments to demonstrate that these microRNAs impacted their target genes in human primary Treg cells ex vivo. We are examining the biological relevance of this 'signature' by studying its impact on other important Treg cell-associated genes. These efforts could result in a better understanding of the regulation of Treg cell function and might reveal new targets for immunotherapy in immune disorders and cancer

The TIMES Land-WEF model: An integrated analysis of the agricultural system of the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy)

The unsustainable use of natural resources, in particular soil degradation and pollution, is one of the main factors contributing to the climate and biodiversity crisis. The European Union has outlined a new European Green Deal, whose objectives include increasing the overall quality of the agri-food chain in relation to environmental sustainability, focusing on reducing the use of pesticides and increasing the share of organic in overall production. A Nexus thinking perspective is applied to analyse this topic over a 50-year time horizon (2010–2060) for the agricultural system of the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy), represented by the TIMES Land-WEF, an optimizing, bottom-up energy-technology model, built to investigate the interactions and interrelations between water, energy food and land. The novelty of this modelling approach is the choice of land use as the guiding parameter of the optimization process. The main objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy are modelled as system constraints and the scenario analysis allows to characterise their effects on the evolution of the agricultural system over the examined time. The results show that the pesticide reduction constraint leads to an increase in land use by organic crops from 24.6 % to 32.4 % in 2060. In particular, this is due to the increased contribution of cereal, forage, olive growing crops, permanent meadows and pastures, which lead to a 46 % reduction in irrigation water consumption. On the other hand, the reduction in inorganic fertilizers is not accompanied by a significant increase in organic crops, but resulted in the reduction of cereal crops

Do women with venous thromboembolism bleed more than men during anticoagulation? Data from the real-life, prospective START-Register

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent and serious disease that requires immediate and long-term anticoagulant treatment, which is inevitably associated with a risk of bleeding complications. Some studies, though not all, reported a higher risk of bleeding in female patients treated with either old anticoagulants [vitamin k antagonists (VKAs)] or recent anticoagulants [direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)]. Furthermore, analyses of clinical trials reported an abnormal vaginal bleeding in women of reproductive age treated with DOACs. This study aimed at comparing the risk of bleeding in an inception cohort of VTE women and men included in a prospective observational registry. Methods: Baseline characteristics and bleeding events occurring during anticoagulation in patients of both sexes, included in the START-Register after a first VTE, were analyzed. Results: In all, 1298 women were compared with 1290 men. Women were older and more often had renal diseases; their index events were often provoked (often by hormonal contraception and pregnancy), and more frequently presented as isolated pulmonary embolism (PE). The rate of bleeding was similar in women (2.9% patient-years) and men (2.1% patient-years), though it was higher when uterine bleeds were included (3.5% patient-years, p = 0.0141). More bleeds occurred in VKA- than DOAC-treated patients (6.4% versus 2.6%, respectively; p = 0.0013). At multivariate analysis, age ⩾ 75 years was associated with higher prevalence of bleeds. Conclusion: The occurrence of bleeding was not different between women and men during anticoagulation after VTE. Only after inclusion of vaginal/uterine bleeds, the rate of bleeding was higher in women. The incidence of bleeding was higher in women treated with VKAs. Background: The occurrence of a venous thromboembolic event (VTE, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) necessarily requires a period of at least 3–6 months of treatment with anticoagulant drugs [either vitamin k antagonists (VKA) or, more recently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)]. Anticoagulation therapy, however, is associated with a risk of bleeding that is influenced by several factors. Sex is one of these factors as some authors have hypothesized that women are at higher risk than men. Furthermore, some studies have recently found more vaginal bleeding in VTE women treated with a DOAC compared with those who received VKAs. Methods: The present study aimed to compare the frequency of bleeds occurring in women and in men who were treated with DOACs or VKAs for a first VTE event and followed in real-life conditions. Since the beginning of their anticoagulant treatment, the patients were included in a prospective, multicenter, observational registry (the START-Register), and bleeding events were recorded. Results: A total of 1298 women were compared with 1290 men. Women were older and more often were affected by renal diseases; their VTE events were often associated with risk factors (especially hormonal contraception and pregnancy) and presented as isolated pulmonary embolism. The rate of all bleeding events (including major, non-major but clinically relevant, and minor bleeds) was higher in women (3.5% patient-years) than in men (2.1% patient-years, p = 0.0141); however, the difference was no longer statistically significant after exclusion of uterine bleeds (2.9% patient years). More bleeding occurred in women receiving VKA as anticoagulant drug compared with those treated with a DOAC (6.4% versus 2.6%, respectively; p = 0.0013). At multivariate analysis, age ⩾ 75 years was associated with higher prevalence of bleeds. Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that in real-life conditions, the rate of bleeding events occurring during anticoagulation after a VTE episode is not higher in women than in men. Only after inclusion of vaginal bleeds, the rate of bleeding was higher in women. More bleeds (including vaginal bleeding) occurred in women treated with VKA than DOACs. © The Author(s), 2021