The flank eruption history of Etna (1610-2006) as a constraint on lava flow hazard

Data of the flank eruptions of Etna from over the last 400 years were extracted from the new geological map for the lava flow extensions and vent positions, and from the catalogs of historical eruptions for the eruption durations and lava volumes. The partially or widely hidden lava fields on the new geological map were retrieved from older geological maps. The distributions of the eruption durations and lava volumes were analyzed, with the definition of six eruptive classes for use in numerical simulations. The threshold values for the eruption durations and lava volumes were set at 45 days and at 35 × 106 m3 and 100 × 106 m3, respectively. A global analysis was performed on the whole volcano to evaluate the recurrence of the classes, and to estimate for each class the ranges, means and standard deviations of the durations, volumes and elevations of the main vent. The same analysis was repeated by subdividing the volcano into three sectors, which were defined on the basis of the distribution of the eruptive fissures over the last 15 ka. The classes have different recurrences across these various sectors, and different distributions of volumes, durations and elevations of the main vent. Finally, a lava flow resurfacing map that counts the number of lava flows on each given area of the volcano over the last 400 years was compiled and then normalized

The identification of multiple thrombophilic risk factors in an infant with cerebrovascular accident

We found 1 article: Rev Neurol. 2005 Apr 16-30;40(8):479-81. [The identification of multiple thrombophilic risk factors in an infant with cerebrovascular accident] [Article in Spanish] Neves J, Costa E, Branca R, Carrilho I, Barbot J, Barbot C. Servicio de Hematología, Hospital de Crianças Maria Pia, 4050-111 Porto, Portugal. Abstract INTRODUCTION: Neonatal stroke (NNS) incidence appears to be increasing over the last years. This is believed to be a consequence of diagnostic accuracy rather than a real amplification of this entity. Nowadays, NNS incidence is estimated to be 1:4000 full newborns. CASE REPORT: Child with left middle cerebral artery territory infarction in which several thromboembolic risk factors were documented both in the child (neonatal sepsis and factor V Leiden) and his mother (lupus anticoagulant, pre-eclampsy and factor V Leiden). CONCLUSIONS: This case supports the increasing evidence in recent reports that association of multiple prothrombotic risk factors (maternal and foetal) is present in NNS genesis. This way the authors agree that wide prothrombotic study may be of crucial interest in identifying subjacent thrombophilic disease, even when an exogenous risk factor is present. PMID: 15861329 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Photodetectors fabricated from a self-assembly of a deoxyguanosine derivative

A metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) photodetector has been fabricated using as the semiconductor, a self-assembled layer of a DNA basis, namely a deoxyguanosine derivative, deposited between two gold electrodes. These were defined lithographically on a SiO2 substrate, separated by a distance of about 120 nm. The resulting self-assembled guanosine crystal has been deposited in such a way to achieve striking semiconducting properties. We show that with these conditions, the I–V characteristics are independent of the crystal orientation. The device shows a high current response (differential resistance at room temperature ranges in MΩ) which is symmetric with respect to bias sign and dependent on the illumination conditions. This behavior can be explained by taking into account the standard MSM theory and its applications as a photodetector

Kinetics of the thermal degradation of Erica arborea by DSC: Hybrid kinetic method

The scope of this work was the determination of kinetic parameters of the thermal oxidative degradation of a Mediterranean scrub using a hybrid method developed at the laboratory. DSC and TGA were used in this study under air sweeping to record oxidative reactions. Two dominating and overlapped exothermic peaks were recorded in DSC and individualized using an experimental and numerical separation. This first stage allowed obtaining the enthalpy variation of each exothermic phenomenon. In a second time, a model free method was applied on each isolated curve to determine the apparent activation energies. A reactional kinetic scheme was proposed for the global exotherm composed of two independent and consecutive reactions. In fine mean values of enthalpy variation and apparent activation energy previously determined were injected in a model fitting method to obtain the reaction order and the preexponential factor of each oxidative reaction. We plan to use these data in a sub-model to be integrated in a wildland fire spread model

WIDER Working Paper 2014/018 Producing biofuels in low-income countries: An integrated environmental and economic assessment for Tanzania

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. UNU-WIDER gratefully acknowledges the financial contributions to the research programme from the governments of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Terms of use: Documents in The World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER) was established by the United Nations University (UNU) as its first research and training centre and started work in Helsinki, Finland in 1985. The Institute undertakes applied research and policy analysis on structural changes affecting the developing and transitional economies, provides a forum for the advocacy of policies leading to robust, equitable and environmentally sustainable growth, and promotes capacity strengthening and training in the field of economic, and social policy-making. Work is carried out by staff researchers and visiting scholars in Helsinki and through networks of collaborating scholars and institutions around the world. UNU-WIDER, Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, 00160 Helsinki, Finland, wider.unu.edu The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). Publication does not imply endorsement by the Institute or the United Nations University, nor by the programme/project sponsors, of any of the views expressed. Abstract: This paper evaluates the greenhouse gas emissions and economic impacts from producing biofuels in Tanzania. Sequentially-linked models capture natural resource constraints; emissions from land use change; economywide growth linkages; and household poverty. Results indicate that there are economic incentives to convert unused lands to sugarcane-ethanol production, but only grasslands (not forests) have a reasonable carbon payback period. There are also strong socioeconomic reasons to involve smallholders in feedstock production in order to reduce rural poverty, especially since our results indicate that biofuels have little effect on food production. Yet smallholders require more land than large-scale plantations and so face more binding natural resource and emissions constraints. Overall, environmental constraints alter the economically optimal biofuel strategy for Tanzania by limiting potential poverty reduction. Unlike previous studies, our integrated assessment suggests that a mixed farming system with greater emphasis on large-scale plantations is more appropriate for producing sugarcane-ethanol in Tanzani

The effect of Gcmaf complexed with oleic acid on multiple myeloma cultures

Abstract: Deglycosylated vitamin D-binding protein-derived macrophage-activating factor (GcMAF) is known to be a strong immune stimulatory natural molecule. Data in literature demonstrate that GcMAF has a direct role in decreasing cell proliferation of different cancer cell lines. In this study we evaluate the direct effect of GcMAF complexed with oleic acid (OA-GcMAF) on human multiple myeloma cells (KMS-12- BM), as well as the effect on the same cell line of human macrophages (CRL9853) previously activated by OA-GcMAF. Cell viability and living cell number were evaluated respectively by tetrazolium dye cell viability assay and by Trypan blue staining. Interactions between activated macrophages and myeloma cells were studied by time lapse photography. Our results show that OA-GcMAF decreases the cell viability of KMS-12-BM with a dose-dependent pathway. Furthermore OA-GcMAF activates human macrophages, which in turn phagocytise myeloma cancer cells. OA-GcMAF confirms its double effect on cancer cells: a direct inhibition of their viability and, at the same time, an efficient macrophage activation leading to a significant depletion of cancer cell population. Introduction: In recent years the interest of vitamin D-binding protein-derived macrophage-activating factor (GcMAF) as a potent immunotherapeutic agent has increased. The GcMAF has been shown to be effective in stimulating murine macrophages in vitro to phagocytose human breast carcinoma cultures (1, 2), as well as inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer cells (3). It has also been the agent that has been referenced as reducing tumour burden in several clinical approaches (4, 5). In previous studies GcMAF has been used to stimulate Raw 264.7 cells (murine macrophage cell line) that were observed in vitro to phagacytose MCF-7 cells (human breast carcinoma). In this study we demonstrate the effect of GcMAF stabilized with oleic acid (OA-GcMAF) directly on KMS-12-BM multiple myeloma cells and on co-culture of stimulated human macrophages (CRL9853) and KMS-12-BM. Materials and Methods: Cell lines: KMS-12-BM: human multiple myeloma cell line was purchased from DSMZ (German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany) and cultured in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% FBS and 2mM L-Glutamine (Life Technologies, Paisley, UK). Cultures were passaged every 3-4 days. CRL9853: human spleen macrophage was purchased from ATCC (American Type Culture Collection, Teddington, UK) and routinely cultured in IMDM supplemented with 10% FBS and 2mM L-Glutamine (Life Technologies). Cultures were passaged every 3-4 days. Prior to assay, CRL9853 cells were activated culturing them for 72h in the presence of OAGcMAF at a concentration 100ng/ml in complete medium. Stimuli: OA-GcMAF, commercially available, was prepared at Immuno Biotech Ltd. (Guernsey, Channel Island) with a proprietary procedure previously described (6). Cell viability assay: Cell viability was evaluated by the reduction of a tetrazolium salt (WST-8) as an index of cell dehydrogenases’ activity. KMS-12-BM cells were seeded into a 96-well plate at a density of 3x104 cells/well in their appropriate starvation medium (without FBS). After incubation for 24h the cell line was treated for 24h with the following different concentrations of OA-GcMAF ([8-80-800 pM). At the end of the treatment, the medium was replaced with 100μl of fresh starvation medium plus 10μl of WST-8. The 96-well plate was incubated for 3h at 37°C and the optical density (O.D.) was directly measured at A450nm by Multiscan FC photometer (ThermoScientific, Milano, Italy). Cell counting – Trypan blue assay: To corroborate the results obtained by cell viability assay, a viable cell count was performed. Briefly, KMS-12-BM cells were plated into a 6-well plate at a density of 2x105 cells/well in starvation medium. After 24h incubation, human multiple myeloma cells were treated with OA-GcMAF at the increasing concentrations (8-80-800 pM) for 24h. At the end of the treatment, a volume of cell suspension was collected and the viable cell number was counted by Trypan Blue staining. Video-time lapse photography: KMS-12-BM cells were seeded into a 24-well plate at a density of 1x106 cells/well with a 1ml volume. The cells were allowed to settle for a minimum of 2h prior to the addition of the OA-GcMAF-activated CRL9853 macrophages. The staging mat was set at a temperature of 37°C and allowed to equilibrate prior to placement of the 24-well plate. The OA-GcMAF-activated CRL9853 macrophages were added to a final concentration of 5x105 cells per well in 1ml. HEPES (Fisher Scientific, Loughborough, UK) was added to each well to provide a final concentration of 25mM to stabilize the culture pH. Once activated macrophages and the HEPES were added, the 24-well plate was observed microscopically and an image selected. An initial frame was taken and a timelapse film initiated. A frame was taken every 3 minutes until filming was stopped. Results: Cell viability assay: Cell viability (Figure 1), evaluated both by tetrazolium dye cell assay (A) and by Trypan blue staining (B), decreased when KMS-12-BM cells were treated with increasing concentrations of OAGcMAF. In particular, when cells were treated with OAGcMAF (800 pM) a significant reduction (p<0.01) in cell viability was observed in comparison to the untreated control cells. Discussion: It has been shown that Gc-MAF activates Raw 264.7 murine macrophages to phagocytose and destroy MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells (1). An identical effect has been recorded for the first time with the stimulation of human macrophages CRL9853 on KMS-12-BM cell line . The OA-GcMAF-stimulated human macrophages seek out surround and phagocytose the myeloma cell lines destroying them. This demonstrates that the CRL9853 behave as postulated against KMS-12- BM cell line. In addition the effect of increased cell death in the presence of OA-GcMAF alone as indicated by direct evaluation of viable cell counts and viability assay also provides supports to the previous data generated (1). This study provides some inferred evidence to support the in vivo clinical data that has recently been published (6) providing some insight into the method of potential tumour removal by stimulated macrophages. In conclusion OA-GcMAF has demonstrated two major effects: a direct decrease of KMS-12- BM cell viability and an efficient activation of human macrophages, which become able to phagocytose and destroy the myeloma cells. The studies will be expanded further to encompass additional cancer cell lines

Quantitative Analysis of the MGMT Methylation Status of Glioblastomas in Light of the 2021 WHO Classification.

Glioblastomas with methylation of the promoter region of the O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene exhibit increased sensitivity to alkylating chemotherapy. Quantitative assessment of the MGMT promoter methylation status might provide additional prognostic information. The aim of our study was to determine a quantitative methylation threshold for better survival among patients with glioblastomas. We included consecutive patients ≥18 years treated at our department between 11/2010 and 08/2018 for a glioblastoma, IDH wildtype, undergoing quantitative MGMT promoter methylation analysis. The primary endpoint was overall survival. A total of 321 patients were included. Median overall survival was 12.6 months. Kaplan-Meier and adjusted Cox regression analysis showed better survival for the groups with 16-30%, 31-60%, and 61-100% methylation. In contrast, survival in the group with 1-15% methylation was similar to those with unmethylated promoter regions. A secondary analysis confirmed this threshold. Better survival is observed in patients with glioblastomas with ≥16% methylation of the MGMT promoter region than with &amp;lt;16% methylation. Survival with tumors with 1-15% methylation is similar to with unmethylated tumors. Above 16% methylation, we found no additional benefit with increasing methylation