REPORT ON THE DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE 4TH CENTURY SUSA (WORK IN PROGRESS)

[EN] The reconstructive study of the urban arrangement of Susa in the fourth century arise from the intention to exploit some resources derived by local studies and survey activities fulfilled by innovative methods from which the modeling of architectural heritage (AH) and virtual reconstructions are derived. The digital Segusio presented in this paper is the result of intensive discussion and exchange of data and information shared among the urban landscape documentation activities, and systems of virtual models generation, able to provide the charm of an ancient landscape. The land survey has been accomplished using aerial and terrestrial acquisition systems, mainly using digital photogrammetry from UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and terrestrial laser scanning. Results of both methods have been integrated to medium scale geographical data available from regional map repository and some processing and visualization supported by GIS (Geographical Information System) have been fulfilled. Then, starting from accurate and detailed DEM (digital elevation model) and from other architectural scale models concerning the ancient heritage, the modelling of the ancient scenery arose. The reconstruction of an ancient scene begins with an accurate account of all the evidences from the studies of materials and documentary sources. The analysis and representation of the territory, supervised with the tools of geographic data management, are therefore primarily a media of analysis, then of comparison and validation with other data. Only after these steps, the land and the built heritage models become tools of communication and education, which are the typical functions of the virtual reconstruction of ancient environments. The integration of the history of city with digital and multimedia resources will be offered to the public in the city museum housed in the restored castle of Maria Adelaide, which stands in the place where the acropolis of the city lay in ancient timesChiabrando, F.; Dezzani, L.; Prencipe, A.; Spanò, A. (2016). REPORT ON THE DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE 4TH CENTURY SUSA (WORK IN PROGRESS). En 8th International congress on archaeology, computer graphics, cultural heritage and innovation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 354-357. https://doi.org/10.4995/arqueologica8.2015.3589OCS35435

ProNGF-p75NTR axis plays a proinflammatory role in inflamed joints. A novel pathogenic mechanism in chronic arthritis

To identify the role of mature nerve growth factor (mNGF), its immature form proNGF and their receptors in arthritis inflammatio

Segmentation and Identification of Vertebrae in CT Scans Using CNN, k-Means Clustering and k-NN

The accurate segmentation and identification of vertebrae presents the foundations for spine analysis including fractures, malfunctions and other visual insights. The large-scale vertebrae segmentation challenge (VerSe), organized as a competition at the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI), is aimed at vertebrae segmentation and labeling. In this paper, we propose a framework that addresses the tasks of vertebrae segmentation and identification by exploiting both deep learning and classical machine learning methodologies. The proposed solution comprises two phases: a binary fully automated segmentation of the whole spine, which exploits a 3D convolutional neural network, and a semi-automated procedure that allows locating vertebrae centroids using traditional machine learning algorithms. Unlike other approaches, the proposed method comes with the added advantage of no requirement for single vertebrae-level annotations to be trained. A dataset of 214 CT scans has been extracted from VerSe'20 challenge data, for training, validating and testing the proposed approach. In addition, to evaluate the robustness of the segmentation and labeling algorithms, 12 CT scans from subjects affected by severe, moderate and mild scoliosis have been collected from a local medical clinic. On the designated test set from Verse'20 data, the binary spine segmentation stage allowed to obtain a binary Dice coefficient of 89.17%, whilst the vertebrae identification one reached an average multi-class Dice coefficient of 90.09%. In order to ensure the reproducibility of the algorithms hereby developed, the code has been made publicly available

Atypical Presentation of Acute Coronary Syndrome-Not ST Elevation: A Case Report

We describe the unexpected case of a 70-year-old man, with medical history of ischemic heart disease and surgery for aneurysm of abdominal aorta, who comes to the emergency department complaining of low-back pain without other symptoms or signs of organic failure. After a few hours we see a deterioration of physical conditions with pulmonary oedema, increase of blood pressure, changing in the ECG pattern, and worsening of left ventricular function with progressive increase of biomarkers for myocardial necrosis. So this pain has revealed the premature symptom of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). After a short time a subsequent cardiac arrest complicates the clinical situation. After resuscitation, the patient undergoes successfully to coronary angiography and performed a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

Lack of association between genetic variants in the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene and HPV infection

Genetic variants in the immunomodulatory gene mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2), were associated with risk, severity, and frequency of viral infections. In a case-control setting, we investigated the association of MBL2 functional polymorphisms with Human Papillomas Virus (HPV) infection. No differences between cases (HPV+) and controls (HPV-) were found in the distribution of each single genotypes or allele. Haplotype analysis did not show any difference between HPV+ and HPV- groups

Epigenetics: an Opportunity to Shape Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses

Epigenetics connects genetic and environmental factors: it includes DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and the regulation of chromatin accessibility by non-coding RNAs, all of which control constitutive or inducible gene transcription. This plays a key role in harnessing the transcriptional programs of both innate and adaptive immune cells due to its plasticity and environmental-driven nature, piloting myeloid and lymphoid cell fate decision with no change in their genomic sequence. In particular, epigenetic marks at the site of lineage specific transcription factors and maintenance of cell type-specific epigenetic modifications, referred to as "epigenetic memory", dictate cell differentiation, cytokine production and functional capacity following repeated antigenic exposure in memory T cells. Moreover, metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming occurring during a primary innate immune response leads to enhanced responses to secondary challenges, a phenomenon known as "trained immunity". Here we discuss how stable and dynamic epigenetic states control immune cell identity and plasticity in physiological and pathological conditions. Dissecting the regulatory circuits of cell fate determination and maintenance is of paramount importance for understanding the delicate balance between immune cell activation and tolerance, in healthy conditions and in autoimmune diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Ultrasonography of Quadriceps Femoris Muscle and Subcutaneous Fat Tissue and Body Composition by BIVA in Chronic Dialysis Patients

Protein Energy Wasting (PEW) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is a multifactorial condition due to specific pathology-related pathogenetic mechanisms, leading to loss of skeletal muscle mass in HD patients. Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging still represent the gold standard techniques for body composition assessment. However, their widespread application in clinical practice is difficult and body composition evaluation in HD patients is mainly based on conventional anthropometric nutritional indexes and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). Little data is currently available on ultrasound (US)-based measurements of muscle mass and fat tissue in this clinical setting. The purpose of our study is to ascertain: (1) if there are differences between quadriceps rectus femoris muscle (QRFM) thickness and abdominal/thigh subcutaneous fat tissue (SFT) measured by US between HD patients and healthy subjects; (2) if there is any correlation between QRFM and abdominal/thigh SFT thickness by US, and BIVA/conventional nutritional indexes in HD patients. We enrolled 65 consecutive HD patients and 33 healthy subjects. Demographic and laboratory were collected. The malnutrition inflammation score (MIS) was calculated. Using B-mode US system, the QRFM and SFT thicknesses were measured at the level of three landmarks in both thighs (superior anterior iliac spine, upper pole of the patella, the midpoint of the tract included between the previous points). SFT was also measured at the level of the periumbilical point. The mono frequency (50 KHz) BIVA was conducted using bioelectrical measurements (Rz, resistance; Xc, reactance; adjusted for height, Rz/H and Xc/H; PA, phase angle). 58.5% were men and the mean age was 69 (SD 13.7) years. QRFM and thigh SFT thicknesses were reduced in HD patients as compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.01). Similarly, also BIVA parameters, expression of lean body mass, were lower (p < 0.001), except for Rz and Rz/H in HD patients. The average QRFM thickness of both thighs at top, mid, lower landmarks were positively correlated with PA and body cell mass (BCM) by BIVA, while negatively correlated with Rz/H (p < 0.05). Abdominal SFT was positively correlated with PA, BCM and basal metabolic rate (BMR) (p < 0.05). Our study shows that ultrasound QRFM and thigh SFT thicknesses were reduced in HD patients and that muscle ultrasound measurements were significantly correlated with BIVA parameters

Antagonists of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Inhibit the Growth of Pituitary Adenoma Cells by Hampering Oncogenic Pathways and Promoting Apoptotic Signaling

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are intracranial tumors, often associated with excessive hormonal secretion and severe comorbidities. Some patients are resistant to medical therapies; therefore, novel treatment options are needed. Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) exert potent anticancer effects, and early GHRH antagonists were found to inhibit GHRH-induced secretion of pituitary GH in vitro and in vivo. However, the antitumor role of GHRH antagonists in PAs is largely unknown. Here, we show that the GHRH antagonists of MIAMI class, MIA-602 and MIA-690, inhibited cell viability and growth and promoted apoptosis in GH/prolactin-secreting GH3 PA cells transfected with human GHRH receptor (GH3-GHRHR), and in adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH-secreting AtT20 PA cells. GHRH antagonists also reduced the expression of proteins involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, upregulated proapoptotic molecules, and lowered GHRH receptor levels. The combination of MIA-690 with temozolomide synergistically blunted the viability of GH3-GHRHR and AtT20 cells. Moreover, MIA-690 reduced both basal and GHRH-induced secretion of GH and intracellular cAMP levels. Finally, GHRH antagonists inhibited cell viability in human primary GH- and ACTH-PA cell cultures. Overall, our results suggest that GHRH antagonists, either alone or in combination with pharmacological treatments, may be considered for further development as therapy for PAs

Ultrasonography Tight Control and Monitoring in Crohn's Disease During Different Biological Therapies: A Multicenter Study

Background & Aims Bowel ultrasonography (BUS) is a noninvasive tool for evaluating bowel activity in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. Aim of our multicenter study was to assess whether BUS helps to monitor intestinal activity improvement/resolution following different biological therapies. Methods Adult CD patients were prospectively enrolled at 16 sites in Italy. Changes in BUS parameters [i.e. bowel wall thickening (BWT), lesion length, echo pattern, blood flow changes and transmural healing (TH: normalization of all BUS parameters)] were analyzed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months of different biological therapies. Results One hundred eighty-eight out of 201 CD patients were enrolled and analyzed (116 males [62%]; median age 36 years). Fifty-five percent of patients were treated with adalimumab, 16% with infliximab, 13% with vedolizumab and 16% with ustekinumab. TH rates at 12 months were 27.5% with an NNT of 3.6. TH at 12 months after adalimumab was 26.8%, 37% after infliximab, 27.2% after vedolizumab and 20% after ustekinumab. Mean BWT improvement from baseline was statistically significant at 3 and 12 months (P Conclusions Data indicate that BUS is useful to monitor biologics-induced bowel activity improvement/resolution in CD