Retrodirective transponder feasibility experiment

Test program on feasibility of digital phase measuring subsystem of pulse-coherent retrodirective transponde

Blending academic and professional learning in a university course for future e-learning specialists: The perspective of company tutors

Blended learning usually refers to the combination of online/offline instructional methods. In this paper, we describe a university course in “E-learning Psychology” designed to blend not only modes of teaching, tools, and media, but also learning contexts; specifically, academic and professional contexts. To achieve an effective blend of learning contexts, students were monitored by academic and company tutors through an instant messaging app (WhatsApp). The unique contribution of the company tutor to the blending of academic and professional contexts is explored. By qualitatively analyzing (i) process data (four WhatsApp log chats) and (ii) self-report data (interviews with six company tutors), we found that the company tutor contributed to both the traditional blended dimension (mixing online and offline) and to the blend of the academic and professional contexts. When company tutors participated in the chat, students moved from an organizational dynamic, featuring chats monitored by only the academic tutor, toward a more collaborative and reflective dynamic. The company tutors considered the opportunity to blend academic and professional contexts as the best aspect of the course for both themselves as educators/company representatives, and for the students. This paper offers insights into the ongoing discussion about what blended is—or should be—and the role of company tutors in blending educational contexts

STAT3, tumor microenvironment, and microvessel density in diffuse large B cell lymphomas

Constitutively activated STAT3 is correlated with more advanced clinical stage and overall poor survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The aim of this study was to evaluate STAT3 and Ki67 tumor cell expression, inflammatory cell infiltration, microvascular density in DLBCL bioptic specimens. RNA-scope showed that activated B cell (ABC) tissue samples contained a significant higher number of STAT3+ cells as compared to germinal center B (GCB) tissue samples. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a significant increased levels of CD3, CD8, CD68, CD163, CD34, and Ki67 positive cells in ABC patients. A positive correlation between STAT3 and CD3, CD8, CD68, and CD163 was evidenced in ABC group. In ABC group, we found also a positive correlation between CD8 and CD34 and a positive correlation between Ki67 and, CD68, and CD163. These data indicate that in ABC—as compared to GCB-DLBCL, a higher STAT3 expression is associated with a higher CD163+ TAM and CD8+ cell infiltration which induces a strong angiogenic response

A cybersecure P300-based brain-to-computer interface against noise-based and fake P300 cyberattacks

In a progressively interconnected world where the internet of things (IoT), ubiquitous computing, and artificial intelligence are leading to groundbreaking technology, cybersecurity remains an underdeveloped aspect. This is particularly alarming for brain-to-computer interfaces (BCIs), where hackers can threaten the user’s physical and psychological safety. In fact, standard algorithms currently employed in BCI systems are inadequate to deal with cyberattacks. In this paper, we propose a solution to improve the cybersecurity of BCI systems. As a case study, we focus on P300-based BCI systems using support vector machine (SVM) algorithms and EEG data. First, we verified that SVM algorithms are incapable of identifying hacking by simulating a set of cyberattacks using fake P300 signals and noise-based attacks. This was achieved by comparing the performance of several models when validated using real and hacked P300 datasets. Then, we implemented our solution to improve the cybersecurity of the system. The proposed solution is based on an EEG channel mixing approach to identify anomalies in the transmission channel due to hacking. Our study demonstrates that the proposed architecture can successfully identify 99.996% of simulated cyberattacks, implementing a dedicated counteraction that preserves most of BCI functions

PB2064 USE OF RNASCOPE TECHNOLOGY TO DETERMINE STAT-3 EXPRESSION IN HUMAN DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common and one of the most heterogeneous lymphomas. Therefore, it is critical to further stratify cases of DLBCL into biologically similar and clinically meaningful subgroups, which will not only guide prognostic assessment and facilitate therapeutic decisions, but also stimulate further research to understand the pathogenesis and develop potential novel treatments. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that exerts important biological functions related to cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, angiogenesis and immune response

PTX3 shapes profibrotic immune cells and epithelial/fibroblast repair and regeneration in a murine model of pulmonary fibrosis

The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is protective in different pathologies but was not analyzed in-depth in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Here, we have explored the influence of PTX3 in the bleomycin (BLM)-induced murine model of IPF by looking at immune cells (macrophages, mast cells, T cells) and stemness/regenerative markers of lung epithelium (SOX2) and fibro-blasts/myofibroblasts (CD44) at different time points that retrace the progression of the disease from onset at day 14, to full-blown disease at day 21, to incomplete regression at day 28. We took advantage of transgenic PTX3 overexpressing mice (Tie2-PTX3) and Ptx3 null ones (PTX3-KO) in which pulmonary fibrosis was induced. Our data have shown that PTX3 overexpression in Tie2-PTX3 compared to WT or PTX3-KO: reduced CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages and the Tryptase+ mast cells during the whole experimental time; on the contrary, CD4+ T cells are consistently present on day 14 and dramatically decreased on day 21; CD8+ T cells do not show significant differences on day 14, but are significantly reduced on day 21; SOX2 is reduced on days 14 and 21; CD44 is reduced on day 21. Therefore, PTX3 could act on the proimmune and fibrogenic microenvironment to prevent fibrosis in BLM-treated mice

Different spatial distribution of inflammatory cells in the tumor microenvironment of ABC and GBC subgroups of diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) presents a high clinical and biological heterogeneity, and the tumor microenvironment chracteristics are important in its progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor T, B cells, macrophages and mast cells distribution in GBC and ABC DLBCL subgroups through a set of morphometric parameters allowing to provide a quantitative evaluation of the morphological features of the spatial patterns generated by these inflammatory cells. Histological ABC and GCB samples were immunostained for CD4, CD8, CD68, CD 163, and tryptase in order to determine both percentage and position of positive cells in the tissue characterizing their spatial distribution. The results evidenced that cell patterns generated by CD4-, CD8-, CD68-, CD163- and tryptase-positive cell profiles exhibited a significantly higher uniformity index in ABC than in GCB subgroup. The positive-cell distributions appeared clustered in tissues from GCB, while in tissues from ABC such a feature was lower or absent. The combinations of spatial statistics-derived parameters can lead to better predictions of tumor cell infiltration than any classical morphometric method providing a more accurate description of the functional status of the tumor, useful for patient prognosis

Prostate cancer biomarkers: a practical review based on different clinical scenarios

Traditionally, diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer (PCa) have been based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, digital rectal examination (DRE), and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. Biomarkers have been introduced into clinical practice to reduce the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of low-grade PCa and increase the success of personalized therapies for high-grade and high-stage PCa. The purpose of this review was to describe available PCa biomarkers and examine their use in clinical practice. A nonsystematic literature review was performed using PubMed and Scopus to retrieve papers related to PCa biomarkers. In addition, we manually searched websites of major urological associations for PCa guidelines to evaluate available evidence and recommendations on the role of biomarkers and their potential contribution to PCa decision-making. In addition to PSA and its derivates, thirteen blood, urine, and tissue biomarkers are mentioned in various PCa guidelines. Retrospective studies have shown their utility in three main clinical scenarios: (1) deciding whether to perform a biopsy, (2) distinguishing patients who require active treatment from those who can benefit from active surveillance, and (3) defining a subset of high-risk PCa patients who can benefit from additional therapies after RP. Several validated PCa biomarkers have become commercially available in recent years. Guidelines now recommend offering these tests in situations in which the assay result, when considered in combination with routine clinical factors, is likely to affect management. However, the lack of direct comparisons and the unproven benefits, in terms of long-term survival and cost-effectiveness, prevent these biomarkers from being integrated into routine clinical use

Oral beclometasone dipropionate in the treatment of active ulcerative colitis: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

AIM: To evaluate efficacy and safety of oral beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) when added to 5-ASA in the treatment of patients with active ulcerative colitis. METHODS: In a 4-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, patients with extensive or left-sided mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis were randomized to receive oral 5-ASA (3.2 g/day) plus BDP (5 mg/day) or placebo. Clinical, endoscopic and histologic features, and haematochemical parameters were recorded at baseline and at the end of the study