Ci sono tanti modi per essere aleatori

Possiamo immaginare dei criteri che ci aiutino a distinguere sequenze binarie finite generate dal lancio ripetuto di una moneta da altre immaginate da un agente umano o simulate con una calcolatrice che usa un algoritmo deterministico? Si possono individuare proprietà caratteristiche delle sequenze delle diverse classi considerate? Intorno a queste domande abbiamo costruito un percorso, proposto in una classe terza di liceo scientifico, che ha stimolato gli alunni a riflettere criticamente sulle loro convinzioni relative alla probabilità e al caso

Magnetic resonance imaging 3t and total fibrotic volume in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

INTRODUCTION: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common renal hereditary disorder. Several authors have attempted to identify a kidney damage marker for predicting the prognosis and the effectiveness of therapy in ADPKD. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify in ADPKD, through a novel MR protocol with 3 Tesla (MRI 3Tesla), the presence of parenchymal fibrotic tissue at early stage of disease, able to correlate the glomerular filtrate and to predict the loss of the function renal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 15 ADPKD patients undergone to renal MRI 3Tesla at T0 and revaluated after follow up (T1) of 5 years. We have evaluated renal function, plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), insulin resistance and surrogate markers of atherosclerosis (carotid intima media thickness (IMT), ankle/brachial index (ABI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). RESULTS: Our study showed a significant negative correlation between total kidney volume and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during observational observation (p<0.02). Moreover, we showed a negative correlation between eGFR with Total Fibrotic Volume (TFV) (p<0.04) and Total Perfusion Volume/Total kidney Volume(<0.02). Moreover TFV was correlated positively with PAC (p<0.05), insulin values (p<0.05), ABI (p <0.05) and LVMI(p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The MRI 3Tesla, despite the high costs, could be considered an useful and non-invasive method in the evaluation of fibrotic tissue and progression of the disease in ADPKD patients. Further clinical trials on larger group are due to confirm the results of this pilot study, suggesting that MRI 3Tesla can be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of new therapeutic strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Epoetin alfa increases frataxin production in Friedreich's ataxia without affecting hematocrit.

Objective of the study was to test the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of two single doses of Epoetin alfa in patients with Friedreich's ataxia. Ten patients were treated subcutaneously with 600 IU/kg for the first dose, and 3 months later with 1200 IU/kg. Epoetin alfa had no acute effect on frataxin, whereas a delayed and sustained increase in frataxin was evident at 3 months after the first dose (+35%; P < 0.05), and up to 6 months after the second dose (+54%; P < 0.001). The treatment was well tolerated and did not affect hematocrit, cardiac function, and neurological scale. Single high dose of Epoetin alfa can produce a considerably larger and sustained effect when compared with low doses and repeated administration schemes previously adopted. In addition, no hemoglobin increase was observed, and none of our patients required phlebotomy, indicating lack of erythropoietic effect of single high dose of erythropoietin. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society

Routine invasive mediastinal staging of lung cancer in elderly patients without lymph adenopathy on pet-ct scan: Is an appropriate choice?

We have reviewed the literature to clarify if routine invasive mediastinal staging is indicated also in Stage I elderly patients screened with PET/CT scan. Nineteen papers were chosen to answer the question. Occult pN2 disease was &lt; 10% in five papers; between 10-16% in four papers; and &gt; 16% in four papers.Significant risk factors for occult pN2 disease are the SUV value of primary tumor (seven papers), central tumor (four papers), tumor &gt; 3 cm (five papers), adenocarcinoma histology (five papers) and cN1 disease(two papers). Two papers found that unexpected pN2 patients had a better survival than cN2 patients operated after induction therapy. Invasive mediastinal staging is recommended also in cN0 patients with central tumor or with peripheral tumor &gt; 3 cm

Different Response Kinetics to Temperature and Water Vapor of Acrylamide Polymers Obtained by Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Thermoresponsive polymers undergo a reversible phase transition at their lower critical solution temperature (LCST) from a hydrated hydrophilic state at temperatures below the LCST to a collapsed hydrophobic state at higher temperatures. This results in a strong response to temperature when in aqueous environment. This study shows that hydrogel thin films synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition show fast and strong response to temperature also in water vapor environment. Thin films of cross-linked poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide), p­(NIPAAm), were found to have a sharp change in thickness by 200% in water vapor at temperatures above and below the LCST. Additionally, the stimuli-responsive poly­(<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>-diethylacrylamide) was investigated and compared to results found for p­(NIPAAm). Analysis of the swelling kinetics performed with in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry with variable stage temperature shows differences for swelling and deswelling processes, and a hysteresis in the thickness profile was found as a function of temperature and of temperature change rate

Thickness-Dependent Swelling Behavior of Vapor-Deposited Smart Polymer Thin Films

In this contribution, the temperature-dependent swelling behavior of vapor-deposited smart polymer thin films is shown to depend on cross-linking and deposited film thickness. Smart polymers find application in sensor and actuator setups and are mostly fabricated on delicate substrates with complex nanostructures that need to be conformally coated. As initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) meets these specific requirements, the present work concentrates on temperature-dependent swelling behavior of iCVD poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) thin films. The transition between swollen and shrunken state and the corresponding lower critical solution temperature (LCST) was investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry in water. The films’ density in the dry state evaluated from X-ray reflectivity could be successfully correlated to the position of the LCST in water and was found to vary between 1.1 and 1.3 g/cm³ in the thickness range 30–330 nm. This work emphasizes the importance of insights in both the deposition process and mechanisms during swelling of smart polymeric structures

Opto-chemical control through thermal treatment of plasma enhanced atomic layer deposited ZnO

Properties and performance of materials are closely connected. In order to obtain piezoelectric and lasing optical quality, ZnO has to be free of defects and highly crystalline. Instead, conductivity depends upon such defects, making it not trivial to aim at a specific set of properties in a single step. In this regard, we studied in situ the effect of temperature as an additional knob to finely control such properties. In this contribution, plasma enhanced atomic layer deposited (PE-ALD) zinc oxide (ZnO) layers, deposited between 25 °C and 250 °C, were studied in situ during annealing in air, and the opto-chemical and structural characteristics of the oxides were followed as a function of temperature. In situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were adopted to identify temperature windows where major structural and optical changes in the material occurred. Two temperature regions were identified for the effusion of adsorbed gases and minor structural rearrangements (180–280 °C) and for the growth/coalescence of ZnO crystals and its densification (360–500 °C). The results were corroborated by ex situ SE, XRD, UV–Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The in situ study revealed differences among the ZnO layers deposited at different temperatures, giving additional insights on the material properties deposited by PE-ALD

The protein pheromone Er-1 of the ciliate Euplotes raikovi stimulates humanT-cell activity: Involvement of interleukin-2 system

Water-soluble protein signals (pheromones) of the ciliate Euplotes have been supposed to be functional precursors of growth factors and cytokines that regulate cell–cell interactionin multi-cellular eukaryotes.This work provides evidence that native preparations of the Euplotes raikovi pheromone Er-1 (a helical protein of 40 aminoacids) specifically increases viability, DNA synthesis, proliferation, and the production of interferon-g, tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-2, and IL-13 in human Jurkat T-cells. Also, Er-1 significantly decreases them RNA levels of the b and g subunits of IL-2 receptor(IL-2R), while them RNA levels of the a subunit appeared to be not affected. Jurkat T-cell treatments with Er-1 induced the down-regulation of the IL-2Ra subunit by a reversible and time-dependent endocytosis, and increased the levels of phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). The cell-type specificity of these effects was supported by the finding that Er-1, although unable to directly influence the growth of human glioma U373 cells, induced Jurkat cells to synthesize and release factors that, in turn, inhibited the U373 cell proliferation. Overall, these findings imply that Er-1 coupling to IL-2R and ERK immuno-enhances T-cell activity, and that this effect likely translates to an inhibition of glioma cell growth