Bounding normalization time through intersection types

Non-idempotent intersection types are used in order to give a bound of the length of the normalization beta-reduction sequence of a lambda term: namely, the bound is expressed as a function of the size of the term.Comment: In Proceedings ITRS 2012, arXiv:1307.784

Pharmacological inhibition of PKCθ counteracts muscle disease in a mouse model of duchenne muscular dystrophy

Inflammation plays a considerable role in the progression of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a severe muscle disease caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene. We previously showed that genetic ablation of Protein Kinase C θ (PKCθ) in mdx, the mouse model of DMD, improves muscle healing and regeneration, preventing massive inflammation. To establish whether pharmacological targeting of PKCθ in DMD can be proposed as a therapeutic option, in this study we treated young mdx mice with the PKCθ inhibitor Compound 20 (C20). We show that C20 treatment led to a significant reduction in muscle damage associated with reduced immune cells infiltration, reduced inflammatory pathways activation, and maintained muscle regeneration. Importantly, C20 treatment is efficient in recovering muscle performance in mdx mice, by preserving muscle integrity. Together, these results provide proof of principle that pharmacological inhibition of PKCθ in DMD can be considered an attractive strategy to modulate immune response and prevent the progression of the disease

UNA CONTRIBUCIÓN PARA CONOCER EL FUERTE SAN FERNANDO DE BOCACHICA, CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, COLOMBIA

El Fuerte San Fernando de Bocachica es una de las construcciones históricas más importantes de Cartagena de Indias, el puerto estratégico de Colombia durante el periodo decolonización española. Es un monumento de gran interés, no sólo por los diversos tipos de grietas que se aprecian y las soluciones de construcciones observadas, sino también por la gran variedad ejemplar de arcos y bóvedas con que cuenta. Este artículo habla del estado general de la edificación. Una encuesta geométrica y material que se llevó a cabo desde octubre del 2012 hasta enero del 2013, así como un cuidadoso análisis de la degradación del material, de las fallas estructurales y los patrones de las grietas. Los análisis estructurales llevados a cabo en porciones significativas de la construcción, resaltaron la necesidad de intervenciones de consolidación y restauración urgentes. Concretamente, este artículo describe los primeros resultados substanciales del análisis de la habitación cuyo patrón de agrietamiento provocó una gran preocupación en los autores de la inspección: las “necesarias” (baños), una amplia sala abovedada con un plano en forma de T, cuyos problemas estructurales parecen ser el resultado de elecciones de construcción muy “pretenciosas”. A pesar de haber sido declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO, hoy el fuerte es poco visitado. Por esta razón, se propone una mejora con el fin de hacer que el fuerte se convierta en destino turístico.ABSTRACTFort “San Fernando” de Bocachica is one of the most important historical construction in Cartagena de Indias, the Columbian strategic port town during the Spanish colonial period. It is a monument of great interest not only for both the various kinds of cracks surveyed and the constructive solutions observed but also for its variety of unique arches and vaults. This article presents the overall status of the building. A geometric and materic survey was performed from October 2012 to January 2013 as well as a careful analysis of the material degradation, structural failures and crack pattern. The structural analyses carried out onsignificant portions of the construction highlighted the need for urgent consolidation and restoration interventions. Specifically, this paper describes the first substantial results on the analysis of the room whose cracking pattern caused major concerns for the authors during the inspections: the necesarias (bathroom), a wide vaulted room with a T-shaped plan, whose structural problems seem to be the result of very “pretentious” constructive choices. Despite being a UNESCO World Heritage, today the fort is poorly attended by visitors. For this reason a functional upgrading is proposed, so as to turn it into a tourist attraction

Severe bleeding from esophageal varices resistant to endoscopic treatment in a non cirrhotic patient with portal hypertension

A non cirrhotic patient with esophageal varices and portal vein thrombosis had recurrent variceal bleeding unsuccessfully controlled by endoscopy and esophageal transection. Emergency transhepatic portography confirmed the thrombosed right branch of the portal vein, while the left branch appeared angulated, shifted and stenotic. A stent was successfully implanted into the left branch and the collateral vessels along the epatoduodenal ligament disappeared. In patients with esophageal variceal hemorrhage and portal thrombosis if endoscopy fails, emergency esophageal transection or nonselective portocaval shunting are indicated. The rare patients with only partial portal thrombosis can be treated directly with stenting through an angioradiologic approach

Colorectal cancer promoter methylation alteration affects the expression of glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 4 alternative isoforms potentially relevant in colon tissue

DNA methylation alterations are early events during tumourigenesis, affecting genes involved in the crosstalk between cells and surroundings in colorectal cancer (CRC). Among these genes, GRIA4, Glutamate Ionotropic Receptor AMPA Type Subunit 4, displays hypermethylation in the promoter region, and is an early diagnostic biomarker. It is well known that methylation can also affect alternative transcription. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression, at transcript and protein level, of GRIA4 main isoforms (the canonical one and a short variant) in 23 CRC and matched normal samples, of which we previously verified the methylation status. We further predicted miRNA/transcript target interactions as a possible post-transcriptional regulation using bioinformatics tools. As expected, downregulation of both variants has been observed in tumours. Interestingly, in contrast to what observed at transcriptional level, the GluR4 protein short isoform displayed higher expression than the canonical one either in normal or tumoural tissues. This may be explained by miRNA specifically targeting the canonical isoform. Our study is the first one that shows the expression of both isoforms in colon tissues. To note, the evident expression of the short isoform suggests a functional role in intestinal cell biology

Determination of Plasma Antioxidant Power in Capillary Blood through the Innovative system PAT (Plasma Antioxidant Test)

n/