Editorial: Supply networks design and management

International audienc

Evidence of ion diffusion at room temperature in microcrystals of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta superconductor

We have studied Bi-2212 microcrystals aged at ambient conditions for 40 days. Combined x-ray absorption near edge structure and x-ray fluorescence measurements with micrometer space resolution show both an increase of Cu$^{+}$ with respect to Cu$^{2+}$ and an enrichment in Cu vs Bi and Sr cation content near the sample edges in the b-axis direction. A parallel study on an electrically contacted sample has indirectly detected the O loss, observing both a resistivity increase and an increase in sample thickness near the edges. We conclude that the O out-diffusion along the b-axis is accompanied by Cu cation migration in the same direction.Comment: RevTeX 4, 10 pages, 3 figure

Axion search with a quantum-limited ferromagnetic haloscope

A ferromagnetic axion haloscope searches for Dark Matter in the form of axions by exploiting their interaction with electronic spins. It is composed of an axion-to-electromagnetic field transducer coupled to a sensitive rf detector. The former is a photon-magnon hybrid system, and the latter is based on a quantum-limited Josephson parametric amplifier. The hybrid system consists of ten 2.1 mm diameter YIG spheres coupled to a single microwave cavity mode by means of a static magnetic field. Our setup is the most sensitive rf spin-magnetometer ever realized. The minimum detectable field is $5.5\times10^{-19}\,$T with 9 h integration time, corresponding to a limit on the axion-electron coupling constant $g_{aee}\le1.7\times10^{-11}$ at 95% CL. The scientific run of our haloscope resulted in the best limit on DM-axions to electron coupling constant in a frequency span of about 120 MHz, corresponding to the axion mass range $42.4$-$43.1\,\mu$eV. This is also the first apparatus to perform an axion mass scanning by changing the static magnetic field.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Oncoplastic conservative surgery for breast cancer: long-term outcomes of our first ten years experience

The main goal of oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) is to optimize cosmetic outcomes and reduce patient morbidity, while still providing an oncologically-safe surgical outcome and extending the target population of conservative surgery. Although the growing number of reported experiences with oncoplastic surgery, few studies account for the long-term outcomes

Co-targeting of Bcl-2 and mTOR pathway triggers synergistic apoptosis in BH3 mimetics resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Several chemo-resistance mechanisms including the Bcl-2 protein family overexpression and constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling have been documented in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), encouraging targeted approaches to circumvent this clinical problem. Here we analyzed the activity of the BH3 mimetic ABT-737 in ALL, exploring the synergistic effects with the mTOR inhibitor CCI-779 on ABT-737 resistant cells. We showed that a low Mcl-1/Bcl-2 plus Bcl-xL protein ratio determined ABT-737 responsiveness. ABT-737 exposure further decreased Mcl-1, inducing apoptosis on sensitive models and primary samples, while not affecting resistant cells. Co-inhibition of Bcl-2 and the mTOR pathway resulted cytotoxic on ABT-737 resistant models, by downregulating mTORC1 activity and Mcl-1 in a proteasome-independent manner. Although Mcl-1 seemed to be critical, ectopic modulation did not correlate with apoptosis changes. Importantly, dual targeting proved effective on ABT-737 resistant samples, showing additive/synergistic effects. Together, our results show the efficacy of BH3 mimetics as single agent in the majority of the ALL samples and demonstrate that resistance to ABT-737 mostly correlated with Mcl-1 overexpression. Co-targeting of the Bcl-2 protein family and mTOR pathway enhanced drug-induced cytotoxicity by suppressing Mcl-1, providing a novel therapeutic approach to overcome BH3 mimetics resistance in ALL

Analysis of different genetics traits and their association with biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from central venous catheter infections

The aim of the present study was to characterize clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis, one of the bacterial species most often implicated in foreign-body-associated infections, for their ability to form biofilms and for the presence of mecA and IS256 element. Sixty-seven Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates, obtained from implantable medical devices, were investigated. Overall, 70% of the strains were positive for ica operon genes, 85% possessed atlE, and 46% contained aap. In 89% of the population, the Congo red agar test confirmed the correlation between the presence of ica genes and slime expression. Almost all of the strains could be classified as biofilm producers by both the crystal violet assay and microscopy. The bacterial population studied showed a very high frequency of strains positive for mecA as well as for the IS256 element. Although well-structured biofilms have been previously observed only in those strains possessing genes belonging to the ica operon, this study demonstrates that strains lacking specific biofilm-formation determinants can be isolated from catheters and can form a biofilm in vitro. Hence, different and yet-to-be identified factors may work together in the formation and organization of complex staphylococcal microbial communities and sustain infections associated with implanted medical devices

An investigation of minimisation criteria

Minimisation can be used within treatment trials to ensure that prognostic factors are evenly distributed between treatment groups. The technique is relatively straightforward to apply but does require running tallies of patient recruitments to be made and some simple calculations to be performed prior to each allocation. As computing facilities have become more widely available, minimisation has become a more feasible option for many. Although the technique has increased in popularity, the mode of application is often poorly reported and the choice of input parameters not justified in any logical way