26 research outputs found

    Reconstruction of events recorded with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

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    Cosmic rays arriving at Earth collide with the upper parts of the atmosphere, thereby inducing extensive air showers. When secondary particles from the cascade arrive at the ground, they are measured by surface detector arrays. We describe the methods applied to the measurements of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory to reconstruct events with zenith angles less than 60o using the timing and signal information recorded using the water-Cherenkov detector stations. In addition, we assess the accuracy of these methods in reconstructing the arrival directions of the primary cosmic ray particles and the sizes of the induced showers

    Deregulated Local Protein Synthesis in the Brain Synaptosomes of a Mouse Model for Alzheimer's Disease

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    While protein synthesis in neurons is largely attributed to cell body and dendrites, the capability of synaptic regions to synthesize new proteins independently of the cell body has been widely demonstrated as an advantageous mechanism subserving synaptic plasticity. Thus, the contribution that local protein synthesis at synapses makes to physiology and pathology of brain plasticity may be more prevalent than initially thought. In this study, we tested if local protein synthesis at synapses is deregulated in the brains of TgCRND8 mice, an animal model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) overexpressing mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP). To this end, we used synaptosomes as a model system to study the functionality of the synaptic regions in mouse brains. Our results showed that, while TgCRND8 mice exhibit early signs of brain inflammation and deficits in learning, the electrophoretic profile of newly synthesized proteins in their synaptosomes was subtly different from that of the control mice. Interestingly, APP itself was, in part, locally synthesized in the synaptosomes, underscoring the potential importance of local translation at synapses. More importantly, after the contextual fear conditioning, de novo synthesis of some individual proteins was significantly enhanced in the synaptosomes of control animals, but the TgCRND8 mice failed to display such synaptic modulation by training. Taken together, our results demonstrate that synaptic synthesis of proteins is impaired in the brain of a mouse model for AD, and raise the possibility that this deregulation may contribute to the early progression of the pathology

    Dietary fat intake as risk factor for the development of diabetes: Multinational, multicenter study of the Mediterranean Group for the Study of Diabetes (MGSD)

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    OBJECTIVE - To investigate the role of dietary factors in the development of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - In the context of the Multinational MGSD Nutrition Study, three groups of subjects were studied: 204 subjects with recently diagnosed diabetes (RDM), 42 subjects with undiagnosed diabetes (UDM) (American Diabetes Association criteria - fasting plasma glucose [FPG] ≥ 126 mg/dl), and 55 subjects with impaired fasting glucose (1FG) (FPG ≥ 110 and <126 mg/dl). Each group was compared with a control group of nondiabetic subjects, matched one by one for center, sex, age, and BMI. Nutritional habits were evaluated by a dietary history method, validated against the 3-day diet diary. In RDM, the questionnaire referred to the nutritional habits before the diagnosis of diabetes. Demographic data were collected, and anthropometrical and biochemical measurements were taken. RESULTS - Compared with control subjects, RDM more frequently had a family history of diabetes (49.0 vs. 14.2%; P < 0.001), exercised less (exercise index 53.5 vs. 64.4; P < 0.01), and more frequently had sedentary professions (47.5 vs. 27.4%; P < 0.001). Carbohydrates contributed less to their energy intake (53.5 vs. 55.1%; P < 0.05), whereas total fat (30.2 ± 0.5 vs. 27.8 ± 0.5%; P < 0.001) and animal fat (12.2 ± 0.3 vs. 10.8 ± 0.3%; P < 0.01) contributed more and the plant-to-animal fat ratio was lower (1.5 ± 0.1 vs. 1.8 ± 0.1; P < 0.01). UDM more frequently, had a family history of diabetes (38.1 vs. 19.0%; P < 0.05) and sedentary professions (58.5 vs. 34.1%; P < 0.05), carbohydrates contributed less to their energy intake (47.6 ± 1.7 vs. 52.8 ± 1.4%; P < 0.05), total fat (34.7 ± 1.5 vs. 30.4 ± 1.2%; P < 0.05) and animal fat (14.2 ± 0.9 vs. 10.6 ± 0.7%; P < 0.05) contributed more, and the plant-to-animal fat ratio was lower (1.6 ± 0.2 vs. 2.3 ± 0.4; P < 0.05). IFG differed only in the prevalence of family history of diabetes (32.7 vs. 16.4%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS - Our data support the view that increased animal fat intake is associated with the presence of diabetes

    Mariangelo Accursio and Pirro Ligorio. The possibile (and interesting) genesis of CIL VI 990* and CIL VI 991*

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    This paper aims at providing a detailed analysis of two epigraphic forgeries transcribed by the notorious Renaissance architect, artist and ‘counterfeiter’ Pirro Ligorio under the lemma ‘Accursia’ in his ‘Enciclopedia del mondo antico’: CIL, VI 990* and CIL, VI 991*. In particular, we made an attempt to identify the authentic inscriptions that might have provided Ligorio with the necessary inspiration to realize these two forgeries and to shed new light on the curious choice of the nomen ‘Accursius’, which appears in both the tex
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