A Smart and Secure Logistics System Based on IoT and Cloud Technologies

Recently, one of the hottest topics in the logistics sector has been the traceability of goods and the monitoring of their condition during transportation. Perishable goods, such as fresh goods, have specifically attracted attention of the researchers that have already proposed different solutions to guarantee quality and freshness of food through the whole cold chain. In this regard, the use of Internet of Things (IoT)-enabling technologies and its specific branch called edge computing is bringing different enhancements thereby achieving easy remote and real-time monitoring of transported goods. Due to the fast changes of the requirements and the difficulties that researchers can encounter in proposing new solutions, the fast prototype approach could contribute to rapidly enhance both the research and the commercial sector. In order to make easy the fast prototyping of solutions, different platforms and tools have been proposed in the last years, however it is difficult to guarantee end-to-end security at all the levels through such platforms. For this reason, based on the experiments reported in literature and aiming at providing support for fast-prototyping, end-to-end security in the logistics sector, the current work presents a solution that demonstrates how the advantages offered by the Azure Sphere platform, a dedicated hardware (i.e., microcontroller unit, the MT3620) device and Azure Sphere Security Service can be used to realize a fast prototype to trace fresh food conditions through its transportation. The proposed solution guarantees end-to-end security and can be exploited by future similar works also in other sectors

MicroRNA-155 influences B-cell function through PU.1 in rheumatoid arthritis

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is an important regulator of B cells in mice. B cells have a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here we show that miR-155 is highly expressed in peripheral blood B cells from RA patients compared with healthy individuals, particularly in the IgD-CD27- memory B-cell population in ACPA+ RA. MiR-155 is highly expressed in RA B cells from patients with synovial tissue containing ectopic germinal centres compared with diffuse synovial tissue. MiR-155 expression is associated reciprocally with lower expression of PU.1 at B-cell level in the synovial compartment. Stimulation of healthy donor B cells with CD40L, anti-IgM, IL-21, CpG, IFN-α, IL-6 or BAFF induces miR-155 and decreases PU.1 expression. Finally, inhibition of endogenous miR-155 in B cells of RA patients restores PU.1 and reduces production of antibodies. Our data suggest that miR-155 is an important regulator of B-cell activation in RA

Low Sulfur Amino Acid, High Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Diet Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth

Cancer cells may acquire resistance to stress signals and reprogram metabolism to meet the energetic demands to support their high proliferation rate and avoid death. Hence, targeting nutrient dependencies of cancer cells has been suggested as a promising anti-cancer strategy. We explored the possibility of killing breast cancer (BC) cells by modifying nutrient availability. We used in vitro models of BC (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) that were maintained with a low amount of sulfur amino acids (SAAs) and a high amount of oxidizable polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs). Treatment with anti-apoptotic, anti-ferroptotic and antioxidant drugs were used to determine the modality of cell death. We reproduced these conditions in vivo by feeding BC-bearing mice with a diet poor in proteins and SAAs and rich in PUFAs (LSAA/HPUFA). Western blot analysis, qPCR and histological analyses were used to assess the anti-cancer effects and the molecular pathways involved. We found that BC cells underwent oxidative damage to DNA and proteins and both apoptosis and ferroptosis were induced. Along with caspases-mediated PARP1 cleavage, we found a lowering of the GSH-GPX4 system and an increase of lipid peroxides. A LSAA/HPUFA diet reduced tumor mass and its vascularization and immune cell infiltration, and induced apoptosis and ferroptotic hallmarks. Furthermore, mitochondrial mass was found to be increased, and the buffering of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species limited GPX4 reduction and DNA damage. Our results suggest that administration of custom diets, targeting the dependency of cancer cells on certain nutrients, can represent a promising complementary option for anti-cancer therapy

High-level HIV-1 Nef transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana using the P19 gene silencing suppressor protein of Artichoke Mottled Crinckle Virus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, different HIV antigens have been successfully expressed in plants by either stable transformation or transient expression systems. Among HIV proteins, Nef is considered a promising target for the formulation of a multi-component vaccine due to its implication in the first steps of viral infection. Attempts to express Nef as a single protein product (not fused to a stabilizing protein) in transgenic plants resulted in disappointingly low yields (about 0.5% of total soluble protein). In this work we describe a transient expression system based on co-agroinfiltration of plant virus gene silencing suppressor proteins in <it>Nicotiana benthamiana</it>, followed by a two-step affinity purification protocol of plant-derived Nef.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The effect of three gene silencing viral suppressor proteins (P25 of Potato Virus X, P19 of either Artichoke Mottled Crinckle virus and Tomato Bushy Stunt virus) on Nef transient expression yield was evaluated. The P19 protein of Artichoke Mottled Crinckle virus (AMCV-P19) gave the highest expression yield in vacuum co-agroinfiltration experiments reaching 1.3% of total soluble protein, a level almost three times higher than that previously reported in stable transgenic plants. The high yield observed in the co-agroinfiltrated plants was correlated to a remarkable decrease of Nef-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) indicating an effective modulation of RNA silencing mechanisms by AMCV-P19. Interestingly, we also showed that expression levels in top leaves of vacuum co-agroinfiltrated plants were noticeably reduced compared to bottom leaves. Moreover, purification of Nef from agroinfiltrated tissue was achieved by a two-step immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography protocol with yields of 250 ng/g of fresh tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrated that expression level of HIV-1 Nef in plant can be improved using a transient expression system enhanced by the AMCV-P19 gene silencing suppressor protein. Moreover, plant-derived Nef was purified, with enhanced yield, exploiting a two-step purification protocol. These results represent a first step towards the development of a plant-derived HIV vaccine.</p

Designing greenhouse subsystems for a lunar mission: the LOOPS - M Project

The 2020s is a very important decade in the space sector, where international cooperation is moving towards the exploration of the Moon and will lead to stable lunar settlements, which will require new, innovative, and efficient technologies. In this context, the project LOOPS–M (Lunar Operative Outpost for the Production and Storage of Microgreens) was created by students from Sapienza University of Rome with the objective of designing some of the main features of a lunar greenhouse. The project was developed for the IGLUNA 2021 campaign, an interdisciplinary platform coordinated by Space Innovation as part of the ESA Lab@ initiative. The LOOPS-M mission was successfully concluded during the Virtual Field Campaign that took place in July 2021. This project is a follow-up of the V-GELM Project, which took part in IGLUNA 2020 with the realization in Virtual Reality of a Lunar Greenhouse: a simulation of the main operations connected to the cultivation module, the HORT3 , which was already developed by ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) during the AMADEE-18 mission inside the HORTSPACE project. This paper will briefly describe the main features designed and developed for the lunar greenhouse and their simulation in a VR environment: an autonomous cultivation system able to handle the main cultivation tasks of the previous cultivation system, a bioconversion system that can recycle into new resources the cultivation waste with the use of insects as a biodegradation system, and a shield able of withstanding hypervelocity impacts and the harsh lunar environment. A wide overview of the main challenges faced, and lessons learned by the team to obtain these results, will be given. The first challenge was the initial inexperience that characterized all the team members, being for most the first experience with an activity structured as a space mission, starting with little to no know-how regarding the software and hardware needed for the project, and how to structure documentation and tasks, which was acquired throughout the year. An added difficulty was the nature of LOOPS-M, which included very different objectives that required different fields of expertise, ranging from various engineering sectors to biology and entomology. During the year, the team managed to learn how to handle all these hurdles and the organizational standpoint, working as a group, even if remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Through careful planning, hard work and the help of supervisors, the activity was carried out through reviews, up to the prototyping phase and the test campaign with a successful outcome in each aspect of the project. By the end of the year everyone involved had acquired new knowledge, both practical and theoretical, and learned how to reach out and present their work to sponsors and to the scientific community

Two Asian egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) emerge in northern Italy: Trissolcus mitsukurii (Ashmead) and Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae)

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) is a severe agricultural pest that is spreading worldwide from its original distribution in Asia. Egg parasitoids from Asia, which play a key role in the population dynamics of H. halys, are following its host along global pathways. We present the first records of Trissolcus mitsukurii in Europe, and of Trissolcus japonicus in Italy. Both discoveries were made in northern Italy, where H. halys is widely present and has reached extremely high population densities in some areas. Given the availability of their host, the distributions and populations of these exotic egg parasitoids are expected to expand, even in the absence of human intervention

CAESAR: Space Weather archive prototype for ASPIS

The project CAESAR (Comprehensive spAce wEather Studies for the ASPIS prototype Realization) is aimed to tackle all the relevant aspects of Space Weather (SWE) and realize the prototype of the scientific data centre for Space Weather of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) called ASPIS (ASI SPace Weather InfraStructure). This contribution is meant to bring attention upon the first steps in the development of the CAESAR prototype for ASPIS and will focus on the activities of the Node 2000 of CAESAR, the set of Work Packages dedicated to the technical design and implementation of the CAESAR ASPIS archive prototype. The product specifications of the intended resources that will form the archive, functional and system requirements gathered as first steps to seed the design of the prototype infrastructure, and evaluation of existing frameworks, tools and standards, will be presented as well as the status of the project in its initial stage.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, ADASS XXXII (2022) Proceeding

Synovial features of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis in clinical and ultrasound remission differ under anti-TNF therapy: A clue to interpret different chances of relapse after clinical remission?

Objective To define the synovial characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in clinical and ultrasound remission achieved by combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. Methods Patients with RA in remission (n=25) (disease activity score (DAS)&lt;1.6 for at least 6 months), patients with RA in low disease activity (LDA) (n=10) (1.6&lt;2.4 for at least 6 months) and patients with PsA in remission (n=18) (DAS&lt;1.6 and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI)=0 for at least 6 months) achieved by MTX+anti-TNF (adalimumab 40 mg or etanercept 50 mg) with power Doppler (PDUS)-negative synovial hypertrophy underwent synovial tissue biopsy. Patients with RA with high/moderate disease na\uefve to treatment (n=50) were included as a comparison group. Immunostaining for cluster designation (CD)68, CD21, CD20, CD3, CD31 and collagen was performed. Results PDUS-negative patients with RA in remission showed lower histological scores for synovial CD68+, CD20+, CD3+ cells and CD31+ vessels and collagen deposition (p&lt;0.05 for both lining and sublining) compared with PDUS-positive patients with RA with high/moderate disease. In addition, there was no significant difference in terms of lining and sublining CD68+, CD20+, CD3+, CD31+ cells and collagen comparing PDUS-negative patients with RA in remission and in LDA, respectively. On the contrary, PDUS-negative patients with PsA in remission showed higher histological scores for sublining CD68+ (p=0.02) and CD3+ cells (p=0.04) as well as CD31+ vessels (p&lt;0.001) than PDUS-negative patients with RA in remission. Conclusions PDUS-negative patients with RA in remission have comparable synovial histological features than PDUS-negative patients with RA in LDA. However, patients with PsA in remission are characterised by a higher degree of residual synovial inflammation than patients with RA in remission, despite PDUS negativity under TNF inhibition