Intensity correlations, entanglement properties and ghost imaging in multimode thermal-seeded parametric downconversion: Theory

We address parametric-downconversion seeded by multimode pseudo-thermal fields. We show that this process may be used to generate multimode pairwise correlated states with entanglement properties that can be tuned by controlling the seed intensities. Multimode pseudo-thermal fields seeded parametric-downconversion represents a novel source of correlated states, which allows one to explore the classical-quantum transition in pairwise correlations and to realize ghost imaging and ghost diffraction in regimes not yet explored by experiments.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

An Emerging Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in Preventing Advanced-Glycation-End-Product-Mediated Damages in Diabetes

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone produced in the intestinal epithelial endocrine L cells by differential processing of the proglucagon gene. Released in response to the nutrient ingestion, GLP-1 plays an important role in maintaining glucose homeostasis. GLP-1 has been shown to regulate blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion and inhibiting glucagon secretion, gastric emptying, and food intake. These antidiabetic activities highlight GLP-1 as a potential therapeutic molecule in the clinical management of type 2 diabetes, (a disease characterized by progressive decline of beta-cell function and mass, increased insulin resistance, and final hyperglycemia). Since chronic hyperglycemia contributed to the acceleration of the formation of Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs, a heterogeneous group of compounds derived from the nonenzymatic reaction of reducing sugars with free amino groups of proteins implicated in vascular diabetic complications), the administration of GLP-1 might directly counteract diabetes pathophysiological processes (such as pancreatic β-cell dysfunction). This paper outlines evidence on the protective role of GLP-1 in preventing the deleterious effects mediated by AGEs in type 2 diabetes

Chaotic imaging in frequency downconversion

We analyze and realize the recovery, by means of spatial intensity correlations, of the image obtained by a seeded frequency downconversion process in which the seed field is chaotic and an intensity modulation is encoded on the pump field. Although the generated field is as chaotic as the seed field and does not carry any information about the modulation of the pump, an image of the pump can be extracted by measuring the spatial intensity correlations between the generated field and one Fourier component of the seed

Breast milk stem cells: four questions looking for an answer

The finding of stem/progenitor cells in the maternal milk and the discovery of their multilineage potential, associated with some evidence regarding the ability of maternal cells to cross the gastrointestinal barrier and integrate into the organs of the breastfed neonate, has opened an intriguing debate, regarding the strict relationship between mother and son in the postnatal period. In particular, thanks to the discovery of the presence in high quantities of mammary stem cells, a new vision of maternal milk is emerging, in which breastfeeding appears as an unique occasion for reinforcing the physiological development of the newborn, putting all the formulas at a different level of relevance for the neonate. In this contribution the authors try to give an answer to the following 4 questions: 1. is there heterogeneity and a hierarchy among breast milk stem cells? 2. can stem cells present in breast milk enter into the newborn organism? 3. can breast milk stem cells integrate in the neonatal organs and differentiate toward different tissues, including neurons and neuroglia? 4. could metabolomics be useful for the study of stem cells in the human milk

The Forkhead Transcription Factor Foxl2 Is Sumoylated in Both Human and Mouse: Sumoylation Affects Its Stability, Localization, and Activity

The FOXL2 forkhead transcription factor is expressed in ovarian granulosa cells, and mutated FOXL2 causes the blepharophimosis, ptosis and epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) and predisposes to premature ovarian failure. Inactivation of Foxl2 in mice demonstrated its indispensability for female gonadal sex determination and ovary development and revealed its antagonism of Sox9, the effector of male testis development. To help to define the regulatory activities of FOXL2, we looked for interacting proteins. Based on yeast two-hybrid screening, we found that FOXL2 interacts with PIAS1 and UBC9, both parts of the sumoylation machinery. We showed that human FOXL2 is sumoylated in transfected cell lines, and that endogenous mouse Foxl2 is comparably sumoylated. This modification changes its cellular localization, stability and transcriptional activity. It is intriguing that similar sumoylation and regulatory consequences have also been reported for SOX9, the male counterpart of FOXL2 in somatic gonadal tissues

Analysis of a Flexible Dual-Channel Octagonal Coil System for UHF MRI

Nowadays, MRI is focused on using ultra-high static magnetic fields (> 7 T) to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The use of high fields, on the other hand, requires novel technical solutions as well as more stringent design criteria for specific absorption rate levels, reducing radiative effect and coil resistance. In this paper, two flexible RF coils for 7 T human magnetic resonance, and 298 MHz ultra-high frequency operations were analyzed and characterized. Imaging of lower human limbs is regarded as a case study. The lumped element theory and subsequent numerical simulations were used to fine-tune the single-coil element and the dual-coil array design, respectively. Here, we demonstrate how the shape, size, configuration, and presence of the sample influence the coil performance. The penetration depth of the B 1 -field and the specific absorption rate values have been determined numerically using two numerical surface phantoms: saline and a multilayer human tissue. A preliminary study in the presence of a saline solution phantom has been carried out to develop and validate the dual-coil system. The frequency response of the dual-coil array was measured to assess its robustness when coupled to twelve human volunteers. We found that our design is robust to variations in the anatomical properties of the human thighs, and hence to coil bending. The presented approach can be useful for the implementation of flexible devices with high sensitivity levels and low specific absorption rat

Multipotent stem cells of mother's milk

In recent years the presence of stem cells (hBSCs: human breastmilkderived stem cells) and epithelial progenitors has been demonstrated in mother’s milk (MM). Stem cells present in samples of fresh MM exhibit a high degree of vitality and this makes possible the performance of cell cultures and to evaluate the differentiation capacity of the hBSCs. The most important datum that expresses the enormous potential of the use of MM stem cells is the presence of a cell population capable of differentiating into the three mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm lines. The small number of studies and MM samples analyzed and the different sampling methods applied suggest standardization in the collection, analysis and culture of MM in future studies, in consideration of the well-known extreme variability of MM composition, also from the standpoint of cells. The analysis of literature data confirms the uniqueness of MM and its enormous potential

Simultaneous Golgi-Cox and immunofluorescence using confocal microscopy

Visualization of neuronal elements is of fundamental importance in modern neuroscience. Golgi-Cox impregnation is a widely employed method that provides detailed information about morphological characteristics of neurons, but none regarding their neurochemical features. Immunocytochemical procedures, on the other hand, can provide a high degree of biochemical specificity but poorer morphological details, in particular if compared to Golgi- Cox impregnation. Hence, the combined use of these two approaches is highly desirable, especially for confocal microscopy that can exploit the advantages of both methods simultaneously. Here we show an innovative procedure of perfusion and fixation of brain tissue, that allows, by applying Golgi-Cox impregnation and immunofluorescence in the same histological section, to obtain high-quality histological material, with a very simple and inexpensive method. This procedure is based on three simple fixation steps: (1) a paraformaldehyde perfusion followed by a standard post-fixation to stabilize the subsequent immunofluorescence reaction; (2) the classical Golgi-Cox impregnation and (3) an immunofluorescence reaction in previously impregnated material. This combination allows simultaneous visualization of (a) the structural details (Golgi-Cox impregnated neurons), (b) the antigens’ characterization, (c) the anatomical interactions between discrete neuronal elements and (d) the 3D reconstruction and modeling. The method is easy to perform and can be reproducibly applied by small laboratories and expanded through the use of different antibodies. Overall, the method presented in this study offers an innovative and powerful approach to study the nervous system, especially by using confocal microscopy