Ultrastructural aspects of two different mast cell populations in human healthy gingival tissue

The results of our recent microscopy studies clearly have demonstrated the constant presence of numerous metachromatic cells in healthy human gingival connective tissue. Despite the great number of studies on mast cell population in many human organs (lung, skin, uterus, and bowel), at the present time few are the studies regarding the morphostructural aspects of mast cells in the human gingiva. The aim of this study was to assess by transmission electron microscopy the presence of mast cells in the healthy human gingiva and to characterize the ultrastructural aspects of mast cells populations. 30 specimens of human gingival tissue were collected from 30 patients with informed consent. The samples were prepared for T.E.M. examination. In all the ultrathin sections observed we detected numerous and ubiquitarious mast cells. These exhibited several morphological types of cytoplasmic granules with characteristic subgranular architectural variety in shape and density. This allowed us to divide mast cells into two groups: cells with granules consisted of compact coiled scrolls, fine granular material and lattice - grating configuration, and cells containing granules with discrete scrolls formed by more concentric lamellae and particulate structure. The two ultrastructural aspects observed correspond to McTC and McT of the international literature. Therefore in the human gingival connective tissue, like in other organs, two types of mast cells are clearly present. Surprisingly, the human gingival tissue shows, like the lung, McT as the prevailing subpopulation, in contrast to the skin, uterus and gastrointestinal submucosa where McTC prevail. Dans le cadre d’une étude sur la population cellulaire du tissu conjonctif gingival humain nous avons constaté, en microscopie optique, la présence constante de nombreuses cellules metachromatiques. Pour définir la nature de telles cellules et pour en déterminer les aspects ultra-structuraux, nous avons étudié au microscope électronique à transmission 30 biopsies du tissu gingival humain, cliniquement sain. Dans tous les échantillons examinés nous avons observé de nombreux mastocytes dont le contenu granulaire nous est apparu caractérisé par un aspect « à particules » et « en rouleaux » ou bien, dans d’autres éléments cellulaires, par un aspect «en grillage». Les deux aspects ultrastructuraux décrits nous permettent de distinguer les mastocytes gingivaux en deux sous-populations, différentes comme l’ont confirmé plusieurs auteurs, selon la localisation anatomique, selon la structure intérieure et le contenu enzymatique des granules, et, enfin, selon la réaction à des substances sécrétagogues

Entangling macroscopic diamonds at room temperature: Bounds on the continuous-spontaneous-localization parameters

A recent experiment [K. C. Lee et al., Science 334, 1253 (2011)] succeeded in detecting entanglement between two macroscopic specks of diamonds, separated by a macroscopic distance, at room temperature. This impressive results is a further confirmation of the validity of quantum theory in (at least parts of) the mesoscopic and macroscopic domain, and poses a challenge to collapse models, which predict a violation of the quantum superposition principle, which is the bigger the larger the system. We analyze the experiment in the light of such models. We will show that the bounds placed by experimental data are weaker than those coming from matter-wave interferometry and non-interferometric tests of collapse models.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, v2: close to the published version, LaTe

Fireballs Loading and the Blast Wave Model of Gamma Ray Bursts

A simple function for the spectral power $P(\epsilon,t) \equiv \nu L(\nu)$ is proposed to model, with 9 parameters, the spectral and temporal evolution of the observed nonthermal synchrotron power flux from GRBs in the blast wave model. Here $\epsilon = h\nu/$m$_e$c$^2$ is the observed dimensionless photon energy and $t$ is the observing time. Assumptions and an issue of lack of self-consistency are spelled out. The spectra are found to be most sensitive to the baryon loading, expressed in terms of the initial bulk Lorentz factor $\Gamma_0$, and an equipartition term $q$ which is assumed to be constant in time and independent of $\Gamma_0$. Expressions are given for the peak spectral power $P_p(t) = P(\epsilon_p,t)$ at the photon energy $\epsilon = \epsilon_p(t)$ of the spectral power peak. A general rule is that the total fireball particle kinetic energy $E_0 \sim \Pi_0 t_d$, where $t_d \propto \Gamma_0^{-8/3}$ is the deceleration time scale and $\Pi_0 \equiv P(\epsilon_p,t_d) \propto \Gamma_0^{8/3}$ is the maximum measured bolometric power output in radiation, during which it is carried primarily by photons with energy ${\cal E}_0 = \epsilon_p(t_d) \propto q\Gamma_0^4$.Comment: 26 pages, including 4 figures, uses epsf.sty, rotate.sty; submitted to ApJ; revised version with extended introduction, redrawn figures, and correction

Hida Scan in The Follow-Up of Biliary-Enteric Anastomoses

In order to assess the patency and function of biliary-enteric anastomoses performed in our Department of Surgery, 21 patients entered the following study, provided an informed consent was obtained. All the patients were affected by benign biliary tract diseases and underwent either Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (11 cases), or side-to-side choledochoduodenostomy (10 cases). The 21 patients were evaluated with Tc-99m-HIDA scanning at intervals of 20 days–36 months after the surgical procedure (mean 14 months). The images were obtained after intravenous injection of the radioactive medium (5 mCi) and the scans were taken at 1 min (1 frame/s), 3 min (1 frame/10 s), and 56 min (1 frame/2 min). The data were analyzed by a Digital PDP 11/34 Computer System. This method allowed us to assess each individual patient for the patency of the anastomosis and, by computer analysis, to build up a profile of the timing of the passage of the radioactive medium through the anastomosis; a delayed passage across the anastomosis was always pathological

Metabolic reprogramming promotes myogenesis during aging

Sarcopenia is the age-related progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength finally leading to poor physical performance. Impaired myogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, while mitochondrial dysfunctions are thought to play a primary role in skeletal muscle loss during aging. Here we studied the link between myogenesis and metabolism. In particular, we analyzed the effect of the metabolic modulator trimetazidine (TMZ) on myogenesis in aging. We show that reprogramming the metabolism by TMZ treatment for 12 consecutive days stimulates myogenic gene expression in skeletal muscle of 22-month-old mice. Our data also reveal that TMZ increases the levels of mitochondrial proteins and stimulates the oxidative metabolism in aged muscles, this finding being in line with our previous observations in cachectic mice. Moreover, we show that, besides TMZ also other types of metabolic modulators (i.e., 5-Aminoimidazole-4-Carboxamide Ribofuranoside-AICAR) can stimulate differentiation of skeletal muscle progenitors in vitro. Overall, our results reveal that reprogramming the metabolism stimulates myogenesis while triggering mitochondrial proteins synthesis in vivo during aging. Together with the previously reported ability of TMZ to increase muscle strength in aged mice, these new data suggest an interesting non-invasive therapeutic strategy which could contribute to improving muscle quality and neuromuscular communication in the elderly, and counteracting sarcopenia

Reconstructed SPECT images of 177Lu homogeneous cylindrical phantom used for calibration and texture analysis

In a clinical contest, it is common to use dedicated phantoms to perform quality assurance test to check the performance of a SPECT system. Some of these phantoms are also used to calibrate the system for dosimetric evaluation of patients undergoing radiometabolic cancer therapy. In this work, a 3D-OSEM reconstructed Lu-177 SPECT dataset of a homogeneous cylindrical phantom is described. This dataset was acquired to investigate the variation of the SPECT calibration factor, counts convergence, noise and uniformity by varying the number of subsets and iterations. In particular, the dataset is composed of images reconstructed using five different numbers of subsets and sixteen different numbers of iterations, for a total of 80 different configurations. The dataset is suitable for comparison with other reconstruction algorithms (e.g. FBP, MLEM, etc.) and radionuclides (e.g. technetium, yttrium). In regards to the uniformity issue, the same dataset allows the user to perform radiomic investigations on the influence of the border effect on the reconstructed images

A Single Wearable Sensor for Gait Analysis in Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study

Movement monitoring in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is critical for quantifying disease progression and assessing how a subject responds to medication administration over time. In this work, we propose a continuous monitoring system based on a single wearable sensor placed on the lower back and an algorithm for gait parameters evaluation. In order to preliminarily validate the proposed system, seven PD subjects took part in an experimental protocol in preparation for a larger randomized controlled study. We validated the feasibility of our algorithm in a constrained environment through a laboratory scenario. Successively, it was tested in an unsupervised environment, such as the home scenario, for a total of almost 12 h of daily living activity data. During all phases of the experimental protocol, videos were shot to document the tasks. The obtained results showed a good accuracy of the proposed algorithm. For all PD subjects in the laboratory scenario, the algorithm for step identification reached a percentage error low of 2%, 99.13% of sensitivity and 100% of specificity. In the home scenario the Bland–Altman plot showed a mean difference of −3.29 and −1 between the algorithm and the video recording for walking bout detection and steps identification, respectively

Behaviour of adenylic and pyridinic compounds in gingival tissue after a short-term exposure to air

Biochemical variations of adenine and pyridine compounds in human gingival grafts during the period between excision and implantation have been studied. These groups of compounds are considered as «indicators» of the metabolic and energetic status of the living cells. Adenylic compounds such as ATP, ADP and AMP are involved in numerous metabolic processes as «modulators» of allosteric enzymes.NAD+ and NADP+ are involved in the carbohydrate metabolism as co-factors of many reactions of oxydoreduction. The exposure to air of the gingival tissue induces modifications in the energy state of the cells as well as in the ox-reox system. No variation is detectable in the intermediates of the pyridine compounds cycle.Dans des gencives humaines prélevées pour des greffes, ont été étudiées, à certains intervalles de temps entre le prélèvement et la greffe, les variations biochimiques des composés adényliques et pyridiniques, qui sont les «indicateurs» des conditions énergétiques et métaboliques du tissu. Des composés comme l’ATP, l’ADP et l’AMP participent à de nombreux processus métaboliques comme «modulateurs» des enzymes allostériques. NAD+ et NADP + participent au métabolisme des carbohydrates comme co-facteurs de nombreuses réactions d’oxydoréduction. Une brève exposition de la gencive à l’air provoque des changements dans le métabolisme des cellules et du système d’oxydoréduction. Il n’y a pas de variation notable dans les composés intermédiaires du cycle pyridinique

Cystic Dilation of Extrahepatic Bile Ducts in Adulthood: Diagnosis, Surgical Treatment and Long. Term Results

To evaluate the long-term results of surgery for choledohal cyst in adulthood, a series of 13 patients over the age of 16 operated on for choledochal cyst during a period of six years and followed-up for a minimum of 3 years was analyzed. Patients with type I and IVa cysts underwent extrahepatic cyst resection and Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy. Choledochoceles (type III) were managed endoscopically. No operative mortality or morbidity occurred. Type I and III cysts showed almost ideal follow-up with no sign of stricture on HIDA scan. One type IVa cyst patients developed recurrent cholangitis due to anastomotic stricture, managed percutaneously. Whenever possible, complete cyst resection and Roux-en-Y reconstruction is the treatment of choice for all extrahepatic biliary cysts. Intra- and extrahepatic dilatations are adequately treated by extrahepatic resection and careful endoscopic or radiologic surveillance. Small choledochoceles can be safely managed by endoscopic sphincterotomy