HFO1234ze as Drop-in Replacement for R134a in Domestic Refrigerators: An Environmental Impact Analysis

Abstract In this paper are reported the results of an experimental comparative analysis between R134a and HFO1234ze, when they are employed as refrigerants in a domestic refrigerator. Under sub-tropical conditions, it have been measured the energy consumptions in accordance with the UNI-EN-ISO15502. For each experiment it have been estimated both the TEWI and the Life Cycle Climate Performance indexes to assess the environmental impact due to HFO1234ze when used in place of R134a

Vasculogenesis and Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction: How Relevant Is Glycemic Control?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a complication of diabetes, condition responsible for causing endothelial dysfunction (EDys) and hampering repair mechanisms. However, scarce information is available linking vasculogenesis mediated by Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) and diabetes-associated ED. Furthermore, it remains to be elucidated if glycemic control plays a role on EPCs functions, EPCs modulators, and penile vascular health. We evaluated the effects of diabetes and insulin therapy on bone marrow (BM) and circulating EPCs, testosterone, and systemic/penile Stromal Derived Factor-1 alpha (SDF-1) expression. Male Wistar rats were divided into groups: age-matched controls, 8-weeks streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetics, and insulin-treated 8-weeks diabetics. EPCs were identified by flow cytometry for CD34/CD133/VEGFR2/CXCR4 antigens. Systemic SDF-1 and testosterone levels were evaluated by ELISA. Penile SDF-1 protein expression was assessed, in experimental and human diabetic cavernosal samples, by immunohistochemical techniques. Diabetic animals presented a reduction of BM-derived EPCs and an increase in putative circulating endothelial cells (CECs) sloughed from vessels wall. These alterations were rescued by insulin therapy. In addition, glycemic control promoted an increase in systemic testosterone and SDF-1 levels, which were significantly decreased in animals with diabetes. SDF-1 protein expression was reduced in experimental and human cavernosal diabetic samples, an effect prevented by insulin in treated animals. Insulin administration rescued the effects of diabetes on BM function, CECs levels, testosterone, and plasmatic/penile SDF-1 protein expression. This emphasizes the importance of glycemic control in the prevention of diabetes-induced systemic and penile EDys, by the amelioration of endothelial damage, and increase in protective pathways.European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM Award for Medical Research 2011), and by the Portuguese Society of Andrology (Professor Alexandre Moreira Award “Research in Sexual Medicine 2013”)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“Oxaliplatin plus high dose folinic acid and 5-fluoruracil i.v. bolus (OXAFAFU) versus irinotecan plus high dose folinic acid and 5-fluoruracil i.v. bolus (IRIFAFU) in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma: Southern Italy Cooperative Oncology Group trial 0103”

PURPOSE: The primary end point of this phase III trial was to compare the response rate (RR) of oxaliplatin (OXA) plus levo-folinic acid (l-FA) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) bolus with that of irinotecan (IRI) plus l-FA and 5-FU bolus in advanced colorectal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with measurable metastatic colorectal carcinoma were randomly allocated to receive: IRI 200 mg/m(2) on day 1, l-FA 250 mg/m(2) intravenously plus 5-FU 850 mg/m(2) on day 2 (IRIFAFU); or OXA 100 mg/m(2) on day 1, l-FA 250 mg/m(2) plus 5-FU 1050 mg/m(2) on day 2 [OXAFAFU high dose (hd)]. Cycles were given every 2 weeks. After a planned interim analysis, OXA was reduced to 85 mg/m(2) and 5-FU to 850 mg/m(2) [OXAFAFU low dose (ld)]. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-four patients (IRIFAFU, 135; OXAFAFUhd, 71; OXAFAFUld, 68) were treated. Forty-two confirmed responses were achieved with IRIFAFU, 29 with OXAFAFUhd and 32 with OXAFAFUld. The response rate with OXAFAFU [44%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 35% to 52%] was significantly higher (P=0.029) than that of IRIFAFU (31%; 95% CI 23% to 40%). Occurrence of grade > or =3 neutropenia with OXAFAFUld was similar to that for IRIFAFU (29% versus 31%), while severe diarrhoea was significantly lower (12% versus 24%). Median failure-free survival (7 versus 5.8 months; P=0.046) and overall survival of patients (18.9 versus 15.6 months; P=0.032) were significantly prolonged with OXAFAFU. CONCLUSIONS: OXAFAFU was more active and less toxic than IRIFAFU, and it should be preferred in the first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients

Reassessing the faunal assemblages of the late pleistocene stratified karst filling from avetrana (Apulia, Southern Italy): The BED 8, palaeoenvironment and biochronology

The late Quaternary vertebrate deposit of the stratified karst filling from Avetrana (Apulia, Italy) was the subject of an intensive excavation campaign in 2003, followed by numerous subsequent investigations and collections of fossil remains. In this work, the biochronological implications and the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the area in the Late Pleistocene are updat-ed and improved based on the more recent observations (2012-2013). In particular, the faunal assemblage found in the uppermost stratum (bed 8) of the fossiliferous deposit is analysed where the proportion of wolf remains increases sharply against the underly-ing layers. A synthesis and a recapitulation of the vertebrate assemblages recovered in the entire stratified karst filling are also given.New observations on the preservation of the bone remains and population analyses of representative mammal species (Canis lupus, Bos primigenius, Cervus elaphus, Dama dama and Sus scrofa) show that bed 8 displays features indicating its origination in sedimentary, climatic and environmental conditions quite different from those of underlying beds. Up to bed 7, the stratified karst filling and its faunal assemblages were generated by a succession of catastrophic mass mortality events in a very short time alter-nated with moments of quiet deposition, during the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5e). Instead, bed 8 deposited over a longer timespan, probably to be placed between the beginning of last glacial period and early MIS 3, when a puddle of water or a pond was likely at the top of the residual cavity filling.Lithic artefacts recovered in bed 8 and in bed 6 only testifies the attendance of Neanderthal humans in the surrounding of Avetra-na

MRX87 family with Aristaless X dup24bp mutation and implication for polyAlanine expansions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cognitive impairments are heterogeneous conditions, and it is estimated that 10% may be caused by a defect of mental function genes on the X chromosome. One of those genes is <it>Aristaless related homeobox </it>(<it>ARX</it>) encoding a polyA-rich homeobox transcription factor essential for cerebral patterning and its mutations cause different neurologic disorders. We reported on the clinical and genetic analysis of an Italian family with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) and intra-familial heterogeneity, and provided insight into its molecular defect.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We carried out on linkage-candidate gene studies in a new MRX family (MRX87). All coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of ARX gene were analysed by direct sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>MRX87 patients had moderate to profound cognition impairment and a combination of minor congenital anomalies. The disease locus, MRX87, was mapped between DXS7104 and DXS1214, placing it in Xp22-p21 interval, a hot spot region for mental handicap. An in frame duplication of 24 bp (ARXdup24) in the second polyAlanine tract (polyA_II) in ARX was identified.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study underlines the role of ARXdup24 as a critical mutational site causing mental retardation linked to Xp22. Phenotypic heterogeneity of MRX87 patients represents a new observation relevant to the functional consequences of polyAlanine expansions enriching the puzzling complexity of ARXdup24-linked diseases.</p

Development of a portable hypoxia chamber for ultra-high dose rate laser-driven proton radiobiology applications

Background: There is currently significant interest in assessing the role of oxygen in the radiobiological effects at ultra-high dose rates. Oxygen modulation is postulated to play a role in the enhanced sparing effect observed in FLASH radiotherapy, where particles are delivered at 40-1000 Gy/s. Furthermore, the development of laser-driven accelerators now enables radiobiology experiments in extreme regimes where dose rates can exceed 10^9 Gy/s, and predicted oxygen depletion effects on cellular response can be tested. Access to appropriate experimental environments, allowing measurements under controlled oxygenation conditions, is a key requirement for these studies. We report on the development and application of a bespoke portable hypoxia chamber specifically designed for experiments employing laser-driven sources, but also suitable for comparator studies under FLASH and conventional irradiation conditions. Materials and Methods: We used oxygen concentration measurements to test the induction of hypoxia and the maintenance capacity of the chambers. Cellular hypoxia induction was verified using hypoxia inducible factor-1α immunostaining. Calibrated radiochromic films and GEANT-4 simulations verified the dosimetry variations inside and outside the chambers. We irradiated hypoxic human skin fibroblasts (AG01522B) and patient-derived glioblastoma (E2) cancer stem cells with laser-driven protons, conventional protons and reference 225 kVp X-rays to quantify DNA DSB damage and repair under hypoxia. We further measured the oxygen enhancement ratio for cell survival exposed to cyclotron-accelerated protons and X-rays in the normal fibroblast and radioresistant GBM stem cells. Results: Oxygen measurements showed that our chambers maintained a radiobiological hypoxic environment for at least 45 minutes and pathological hypoxia for up to 24 hrs after disconnecting the chambers from the gas supply. We observed a significant reduction in the 53BP1 foci induced by laser-driven protons, conventional protons and X-rays in the hypoxic cells compared to normoxic cells at 30 minutes post-irradiation. Under hypoxic irradiations, the Laser-driven protons induced significant residual DNA DSB damage in hypoxic AG01522 cells compared to the conventional dose rate protons suggesting an important impact of these extreme high dose-rate exposures. We obtained an oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) of 2.1 ± 0.108 and 2.501 ±0.125 respectively for the AG01522 and patient derived GBM stem cells for the X-rays using our hypoxia chambers for irradiation. Conclusion:We demonstrated the design and application of portable hypoxia chambers for studying cellular radiobiological endpoints after laser-driven protons at ultra-high dose, conventional protons and X-ray exposures. Good levels of reduced oxygen concentration could be maintained in the absence of external gassing to quantify hypoxic effects and the data obtained provided an indication of an enhanced residual DNA DSB damage under hypoxic conditions at ultra-high dose rate compared to the conventional protons or X-rays

HFO1234yf as a drop-in replacement for R134a in domestic refrigerators: a life cycle climate performance analysis

Based on recent surveys, about 17% of the overall energy consumption comes out from refrigeration. Nowadays the use of environmentally friendly refrigerants has become a “must” in order to mitigate the global warming. A Vapor Compression Plant (VCP) produces typically both a direct and an indirect contribution to global warming where the first one is related to the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the fraction of refrigerant charge, released accidentally in the atmosphere or not recovered when the system is scrapped. The employment of an environmental metric, in order to facilitate the choice of low GWP refrigerants, has to be implemented in VCPs. LCCP is one of the most comprehensive parameters which takes into account all the relevant indirect emissions related to the whole process of VCP and refrigerant manufacturing and their transportation. In this paper the results of an experimental comparative analysis between R134a and HFO1234yf, implemented in a domestic refrigerator, are presented. It have been measured energy consumptions under sub-tropical conditions in accordance with the UNI-EN-ISO15502. In addition a LCCP analysis, to evaluate the environmental impact due to HFO1234yf used as a substitute of R134a, is reported