Performance of the readout system for MONOLITH

Abstract In this paper, we describe the performance of the readout system for MONOLITH developed at the LNGS. This system is based on the use of flat cables as readout elements, instead of the conventional copper strips. The advantages of flat cable strips are the good performance, the easy installation and the possibility to realize complex readout systems. The X -coordinate readout system (X-system) is composed by 15 m long, Flat Cable Strips (FCS). The distribution of the time difference between the streamer signals transmitted at both the ends of the X-system FCS has a sigma resolution of the order of 100 ps . This resolution allows the measurement of the particle direction by means of the time-of-flight technique and can be exploited to measure the Y -coordinate with a resolution in the order of 1 cm . The Y -coordinate system is composed by short FCS connected together by a flat cable acting as a bus line. It allows the installation of the electronics outside the apparatus minimizing the number of channels

Vitamin d fortification of consumption cow’s milk: Health, nutritional and technological aspects. a multidisciplinary lecture of the recent scientific evidence

Vitamin D is essential in assuring bone health at all stages of life, but its non-skeletal effects are also essential: This vitamin impacts the physiology of the immune system, skeletal muscles and adipose tissue, glucose metabolism, skin, cardiovascular and reproductive systems, neuro-cognitive functions and cell division. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency is widespread worldwide, at any age, in young and healthy subjects, as well as in pregnant women and the elderly population, due to several factors, including inadequate sunlight exposure, skin pigmentation and coverage, adiposity, lifestyle and low dietary intakes. To overcome this problem, the fortification of foods that are consumed on a daily basis, such as milk, is strongly advisable. This opinion paper aims to discuss, in a multidisciplinary way, the current evidence supporting the importance of vitamin D in health and disease and the role of milk as an optimal carrier of this vitamin, to promote adequate intakes, highlighting its unique physico-chemical characteristics linked to both fat globule membrane and casein micelle structure. Moreover, it addresses the impact of industrial processing and storage of consumption milk on the stability of these structures, thus in determining vitamin D bioavailability and the achievement of adequate intakes

Let-7g and miR-21 expression in non-small cell lung cancer: correlation with clinicopathological and molecular features

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in cancer pathogenesis and are involved in several human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study evaluated Let-7g and miR-21 expression by quantitative real-time PCR in 80 NSCLC patients and correlated the results with their main clinicopathological and molecular features. MiR-21 expression was significantly higher in NSCLC tissues compared to non-cancer lung tissues (p<0.0001), while no significant changes in Let-7g expression were observed between the tumor and normal lung tissues. Target prediction analysis led to the identification of 26 miR-21 and 24 Let-7g putative target genes that play important roles in cancer pathogenesis and progression. No significant association was observed between the analysed miRNAs and the main clinicopathological or molecular characteristics of the NSCLC patients, although both miRNAs were downregulated in squamous cell carcinomas compared to adenocarcinomas. Noteworthy, we observed a significant association between low Let-7g expression and metastatic lymph nodes at diagnosis (p=0.046), as well as between high miR-21 expression and K-Ras mutations (p=0.0003). Survival analysis did not show any significant correlation between prognosis and the analysed miRNAs, although the patients with a high Let-7g and miR-21 expression showed a significantly lower short-term progression-free survival (p=0.01 and p=0.0003, respectively) and overall survival (p=0.023 and p=0.0045, respectively). In conclusion, we showed that Let-7g and miR-21 expression was deregulated in NSCLC and we demonstrated a strong relationship between miR-21 overexpression and K-Ras mutations. Our data indicate that Let-7g and miR-21 profiling combined with the determination of K-Ras mutational status may be considered a useful biomarker for a more effective molecular characterization and clinical management of NSCLC patients

Ageing and recovering of glass RPC

The glass Resistive Plate Chambers efficiency before and after water vapour flushing have been studied. The efficiency has been observed to rapidly drop to the level of 30% after a few days. After few hours of ammonia flushing, a full recover of the device occurred. Surprisingly, further flushing with water vapour had no effect on the efficiency, suggesting a treatment before the use in an experiment and/or whenever the performance is poor. In this work experimental results on tests at high temperature (up to 55∘C), high rate (up to 100Hz/cm2) and ageing (up to 10mC/cm2) are reported

Performance of glass RPC with industrial silk-screen-printed electrodes

In this paper we describe the performance of several Glass RPCs, where the water-based graphite coating is replaced by a synthetic coating applied using the screen printing technique. As expected, the performance of the detectors is good and reproducible due to the accurate control of the coating resistivity value. The resistance of the coating to the action of mechanical and chemical agents permits an easy electrode cleaning and mounting with respect to the RPC coated with the graphite varnish. This coating, together with the use of float glass as electrode material, allows an industrial production, where the detector characteristics can be tailored as a function of the experiment requirements

Glass resistive plate chambers in the OPERA experiment

Abstract OPERA is an underground neutrino oscillation experiment to search for ν τ appearance from a pure ν μ beam produced at CERN. To flag the events due to the neutrino interactions with the rock surrounding the OPERA detector, a large VETO system, based on the use of Glass Resistive Plate Chambers (GRPC) has been realized. We describe the detectors, the tests performed before the installation in the underground laboratories and the monitor system for the water pollution in the GRPC gas mixture

Cancer Stem Cells Sensitivity Assay (STELLA) in Patients with Advanced Lung and Colorectal Cancer: A Feasibility Study.

Cancer stem cells represent a population of immature tumor cells found in most solid tumors. Their peculiar features make them ideal models for studying drug resistance and sensitivity. In this study, we investigated whether cancer stem cells isolation and in vitro sensitivity assay are feasible in a clinical setting. METHODS: Cancer stem cells were isolated from effusions or fresh cancer tissue of 23 patients who progressed after standard therapy failure. Specific culture conditions selected for immature tumor cells that express markers of stemness. These cells were exposed in vitro to chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. RESULTS: Cancer stem cells were extracted from liver metastases in 6 cases (25%), lung nodules in 2 (8%), lymph node metastases in 3 (12.5%) and pleural/peritoneal/pericardial effusion in 13 (54%). Cancer stem cells were successfully isolated in 15 patients (63%), including 14 with lung cancer (93.3%). A sensitivity assay was successfully performed in 7 patients (30.4%), with a median of 15 drugs/combinations tested (range 5-28) and a median time required for results of 51 days (range 37-95). CONCLUSION: The approach used for the STELLA trial allowed isolation of cancer stem cells in a consistent proportion of patients. The low percentage of cases completing the full procedure and the long median time for obtaining results highlights the need for a more efficient procedure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinalTrials.gov NCT01483001

KRAS has a role in acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC: an analysis on circulating tumor DNA

Abstract not availabl

Morphostructural mapping of Borealis Planitia, Mercury

Orbital data from the MESSENGER spacecraft show that a significant portion of Mercury’s northern hemisphere is covered by smooth plains, which are interpreted to be flood volcanic material and/or impact melt. The smooth plains show pervasive tectonic structures and encompass a broad raised bulge of uncertain geophysical interpretation. In this work, we focus on the mapping of all the morphostructures within the northern smooth plains, aiming at providing a useful dataset for further studies about the mapped area. The structural map is obtained through a twofold process: first with an automatic mapping, using an algorithm to identify all the lineaments from a DEM; and second with a visual inspection and classification of the results of the algorithm in a GIS environment. The final maps are drafted at two different scales, 1:300,000 and 1:600,000. With this approach, we mapped and characterized more than fifty thousand lines marking scarps on the surface, creating a database with several morphometric attributes for each of the identified scarps (e.g. length, azimuth, and height), which can be used for geostatistical study of smooth plains tectonics. Our structural map reveals that: (i) the area is broadly dominated by wrinkle ridges, ghost crater assemblages of lineaments, and scarps related to impact crater processes (e.g. radial faults, secondary crater chains, ejecta emplacement) and that (ii) the amount of strain was not evenly accommodated throughout the northern smooth plains

The Extreme Energy Events HECR array: status and perspectives

The Extreme Energy Events Project is a synchronous sparse array of 52 tracking detectors for studying High Energy Cosmic Rays (HECR) and Cosmic Rays-related phenomena. The observatory is also meant to address Long Distance Correlation (LDC) phenomena: the network is deployed over a broad area covering 10 degrees in latitude and 11 in longitude. An overview of a set of preliminary results is given, extending from the study of local muon flux dependance on solar activity to the investigation of the upward-going component of muon flux traversing the EEE stations; from the search for anisotropies at the sub-TeV scale to the hints for observations of km-scale Extensive Air Shower (EAS).Comment: XXV ECRS 2016 Proceedings - eConf C16-09-04.