Sensitivity of double resonance alignment magnetometers

We present an experimental study of the intrinsic magnetometric sensitivity of an optical/rf-frequency double resonance magnetometer in which linearly polarized laser light is used in the optical pumping and detection processes. We show that a semi-empirical model of the magnetometer can be used to describe the magnetic resonance spectra. Then, we present an efficient method to predict the optimum operating point of the magnetometer, i.e., the light power and rf Rabi frequency providing maximum magnetometric sensitivity. Finally, we apply the method to investigate the evolution of the optimum operating point with temperature. The method is very efficient to determine relaxation rates and thus allowed us to determine the three collisional disalignment cross sections for the components of the alignment tensor. Both first and second harmonic signals from the magnetometer are considered and compared

Drug design and synthesis of first in class PDZ1 targeting NHERF1 inhibitors as anticancer agents

Targeted approaches aiming at modulating NHERF1 activity, rather than its overall expression, would be preferred to preserve the normal functions of this versatile protein. We focused our attention on the NHERF1/PDZ1 domain that governs its membrane recruitment/displacement through a transient phosphorylation switch. We herein report the design and synthesis of novel NHERF1 PDZ1 domain inhibitors. These compounds have potential therapeutic value when used in combination with antagonists of β-catenin to augment apoptotic death of colorectal cancer cells refractory to currently available Wnt/β-catenin-targeted agents

A test of Local Realism with entangled kaon pairs and without inequalities

We propose the use of entangled pairs of neutral kaons, considered as a promising tool to close the well known loopholes affecting generic Bell's inequality tests, in a specific Hardy-type experiment. Hardy's contradiction without inequalities between Local Realism and Quantum Mechanics can be translated into a feasible experiment by requiring ideal detection efficiencies for only one of the observables to be alternatively measured. Neutral kaons are near to fulfil this requirement and therefore to close the efficiency loophole.Comment: 4 RevTeX page

Growth hormone- and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy evoke different responses to ischemia-reperfusion and mechanical stretch.

Objective. To compare the molecular, histological, and functional characteristics of growth hormone (GH)- and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, and their responses to ischemia-reperfusion and mechanical stretch. Design. Four groups of male Wistar rats were studied: aortic banding (n = 24, AB) or sham (n = 24, controls) for 10 weeks, and GH treatment (n = 24; 3.5 mg/kg/day, GH) or placebo (n = 24, controls) for 4 weeks. At 13 weeks, the rats were randomly subjected to: (i) assessment of basal left ventricular mRNA expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (SERCA-2), phospholamban (PLB), and Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) and collagen volume fraction (CVF) (Protocol A, 8 rats in each group); (ii) left ventricular no-flow ischemia with simultaneous evaluation of intracellular Ca2+ handling and ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) content (Protocol B, 12 rats in each group),- or (iii) left ventricular mechanical stretch for 40 min with assessment of tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA (Protocol C, 4 rats in each group). Protocol B and C were carried out in a Langendorff apparatus. Results. In Protocol A. no difference was found as to myocardial mRNA content of Ca2+ regulating proteins and CVF in GH animals vs controls. In contrast. in the AB group, myocardial mRNA expression of SERCA-2 and PLB was downregulated while that of NCX and CVF were increased vs. controls (p < 0.05). In Protocol B, recovery of left ventricular function was significantly decreased in AB vs GH goups and controls and this was associated with 1.6-fold increase in intracellular Ca2+ overload during reperfusion (p < 0.05). Baseline ATP content was similar in the four study groups, whereas PCr and Pi was lower in AB vs GH rats and controls. However, the time courses of high-energy phosphate metabolic changes did not differ during ischemia and reperfusion in the four study groups. In Protocol C, no detectable TNF-alpha mRNA level was found in the left ventricular myocardium of GH treated rats and controls at baseline, while a modest expression was noted in AB animals. Mechanical stretch resulted in de novo myocardial TNF-a mRNA expression in GH group and controls, which was dramatically increased in AB animals (approximate to 5-fold above baseline, p < 0.001). Conclusions. The data show that cardiac hypertrophy activated by short-term GH treatment confers cardioprotection compared with pressure overload with regard to molecular and histological characteristics, and responses to ischemia-reperfusion and mechanical stretch

Transparency by design : incontro interdisciplinare sul principio di trasparenza dei dati personali

Il concetto di trasparenza è uno dei principi cardine del diritto europeo e italiano a protezione dei dati personali. I Considerando del GDPR spiegano che le modalità con cui sono raccolti, consultati, utilizzati e trattati i dati personali devono essere trasparenti per l’interessato; che le informazioni e le comunicazioni relative al trattamento devono essere facilmente accessibili e comprensibili e che si dovrà utilizzare un linguaggio semplice; che determinate informazioni sono cruciali (identità del titolare del trattamento, minore età, stato di salute, opinioni politiche, preferenze sessuali eccetera) e dovranno essere “trattate” adottando certi accorgimenti. Come mettere in pratica questa normativa? Come evitare il rischio di profilazioni indesiderate, pratiche di marketing aggressivo, sottrazione di dati particolari, trattamenti discriminatori quando il trattamento dei dati non è “trasparente”

Transparency by design : incontro interdisciplinare sul principio di trasparenza dei dati personali : Venezia, 19 dicembre 2022

Il principio di trasparenza è uno dei principi cardine del diritto europeo e italiano a protezione dei dati personali. I Considerando del GDPR spiegano che le modalità con cui sono raccolti, consultati, utilizzati e trattati i dati personali devono essere trasparenti per l’interessato; che le informazioni e le comunicazioni relative al trattamento devono essere facilmente accessibili e comprensibili e che si dovrà utilizzare un linguaggio semplice; che determinate informazioni sono cruciali (identità del titolare del trattamento, minore età, stato di salute, opinioni politiche, preferenze sessuali eccetera) e dovranno essere “trattate” adottando certi accorgimenti. Come mettere in pratica questa normativa? Come evitare il rischio di profilazioni indesiderate, pratiche di marketing aggressivo, sottrazione di dati particolari, trattamenti discriminatori quando il trattamento dei dati non è “trasparente”

Prolonged survival in the absence of disease-recurrence in advanced-stage follicular lymphoma following chemo-immunotherapy: 13-year update of the prospective, multicenter randomized GITMO-IIL trial

Aprospective trial conducted in the period 2000-2005 showed no survival advantage for high-dose chemotherapy with rituximab and autograft (RHDS) versus conventional chemotherapy with rituximab (CHOP-R) as firstline therapy in 134 high-risk follicular lymphoma patients aged &lt;60 years. The study has been updated at the 13-year median follow up. As of February 2017, 88 (66%) patients were alive, with overall survival of 66.4% at 13 years, without a significant difference between R-HDS (64.5%) and CHOP-R (68.5%). To date, 46 patients have died, mainly because of disease progression (47.8% of all deaths), secondary malignancies (3 solid tumor, 9 myelodysplasia/acute leukemia; 26.1% of all deaths), and other toxicities (21.7% of all deaths). Complete remission was documented in 98 (73.1%) patients and associated with overall survival, with 13- year estimates of 77.0% and 36.8% for complete remission versus no-complete remission, respectively. Molecular remission was documented in 39 (65%) out of 60 evaluable patients and associated with improved survival. In multivariate analysis, complete remission achievement had the strongest effect on survival (P&lt;0.001), along with younger age (P=0.002) and female sex (P=0.013). Overall, 50 patients (37.3%) survived with no disease recurrence (18 CHOP-R, 32 R-HDS). This follow up is the longest reported on follicular lymphoma treated upfront with rituximab-chemotherapy and demonstrates an unprecedented improvement in survival compared to the pre-rituximab era, regardless of the use of intensified or conventional treatment. Complete remission was the most important factor for prolonged survival and a high proportion of patients had prolonged survival in their first remission, raising the issue of curability in follicular lymphoma