Go East! I mercati adriatici come bacino di collaborazione e opportunit\ue0 di internazionalizzazione per le PMI del Nord Est

e Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI) che approcciano i mercati internazionali risultano condizionate da almeno due fattori inibitori: la cosiddetta \u201cliability of foreigness\u201d \u2013 con cui si intende la scarsa conoscenza degli usi, costumi, delle leggi e delle istituzioni che caratterizzano un determinato mercato \u2013 e la \u201cliability of smallness\u201d. Quest\u2019ultima \u2013 anche intesa come \u201cvincolo dimensionale\u201d e pertanto riferita alla limitata disponibilit\ue0 di risorse e competenze a supporto dei processi di internazionalizzazione \u2013 rappresenta a detta di molti uno dei principali fattori che limitano il processo di espansione internazionale della piccola impresa

Novel sequence variants of viral hexon and fibre genes in two dogs with canine adenovirus type 1-associated disease

There is little information on sequence variation of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), the aetiological agent of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH). This study reports hexon and fibre gene sequence variants of CAdV-1 in a dog with systemic ICH and a dog with the ocular form of the disease (\ue2\u80\u98blue eye\ue2\u80\u99) in Northern Italy in 2013. One of the sequence variants matched a CAdV-1 fox sequence previously detected in Italy

The Transcriptome of SH-SY5Y at Single-Cell Resolution: A CITE-Seq Data Analysis Workflow

Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq) is a recently established multimodal single cell analysis technique combining the immunophenotyping capabilities of antibody labeling and cell sorting with the resolution of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). By simply adding a 12-bp nucleotide barcode to antibodies (cell hashing), CITE-seq can be used to sequence antibody-bound tags alongside the cellular mRNA, thus reducing costs of scRNA-seq by performing it at the same time on multiple barcoded samples in a single run. Here, we illustrate an ideal CITE-seq data analysis workflow by characterizing the transcriptome of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line, a widely used model to study neuronal function and differentiation. We obtained transcriptomes from a total of 2879 single cells, measuring an average of 1600 genes/cell. Along with standard scRNA-seq data handling procedures, such as quality checks and cell filtering procedures, we performed exploratory analyses to identify most stable genes to be possibly used as reference housekeeping genes in qPCR experiments. We also illustrate how to use some popular R packages to investigate cell heterogeneity in scRNA-seq data, namely Seurat, Monocle, and slalom. Both the CITE-seq dataset and the code used to analyze it are freely shared and fully reusable for future research

Multiplex giant magnetoresistive biosensor microarrays identify interferon-associated autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

High titer, class-switched autoantibodies are a hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Dysregulation of the interferon (IFN) pathway is observed in individuals with active SLE, although the association of specific autoantibodies with chemokine score, a combined measurement of three IFN-regulated chemokines, is not known. To identify autoantibodies associated with chemokine score, we developed giant magnetoresistive (GMR) biosensor microarrays, which allow the parallel measurement of multiple serum antibodies to autoantigens and peptides. We used the microarrays to analyze serum samples from SLE patients and found individuals with high chemokine scores had significantly greater reactivity to 13 autoantigens than individuals with low chemokine scores. Our findings demonstrate that multiple autoantibodies, including antibodies to U1-70K and modified histone H2B tails, are associated with IFN dysregulation in SLE. Further, they show the microarrays are capable of identifying autoantibodies associated with relevant clinical manifestations of SLE, with potential for use as biomarkers in clinical practice

Critical role for prokineticin 2 in CNS autoimmunity

Objective: To investigate the potential role of prokineticin 2 (PK2), a bioactive peptide involved in multiple biological functions including immune modulation, in CNS autoimmune demyelinating disease. Methods: We investigated the expression of PK2 in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. We evaluated the biological effects of PK2 on expression of EAE and on development of T-cell response against myelin by blocking PK2 in vivo with PK2 receptor antagonists. We treated with PK2 immune cells activated against myelin antigen to explore the immune-modulating effects of this peptide in vitro. Results: Pk2 messenger RNA was upregulated in spinal cord and lymph node cells (LNCs) of mice with EAE. PK2 protein was expressed in EAE inflammatory infiltrates and was increased in sera during EAE. In patients with relapsing-remitting MS, transcripts for PK2 were significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared with healthy controls, and PK2 serum concentrations were significantly higher. A PK2 receptor antagonist prevented or attenuated established EAE in chronic and relapsing-remitting models, reduced CNS inflammation and demyelination, and decreased the production of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17A cytokines in LNCs while increasing IL-10. PK2 in vitro increased IFN-γ and IL-17A and reduced IL-10 in splenocytes activated against myelin antigen. Conclusion: These data suggest that PK2 is a critical immune regulator in CNS autoimmune demyelination and may represent a new target for therapy

Consolidating NASA's Arc Jets

The paper describes the consolidation of NASA's high powered arc-jet testing at a single location. The existing plasma arc-jet wind tunnels located at the Johnson Space Center were relocated to Ames Research Center while maintaining NASA's technical capability to ground-test thermal protection system materials under simulated atmospheric entry convective heating. The testing conditions at JSC were reproduced and successfully demonstrated at ARC through close collaboration between the two centers. New equipment was installed at Ames to provide test gases of pure nitrogen mixed with pure oxygen, and for future nitrogen-carbon dioxide mixtures. A new control system was custom designed, installed and tested. Tests demonstrated the capability of the 10 MW constricted-segmented arc heater at Ames meets the requirements of the major customer, NASA's Orion program. Solutions from an advanced computational fluid dynamics code were used to aid in characterizing the properties of the plasma stream and the surface environment on the calorimeters in the supersonic flow stream produced by the arc heater

Concentration for One and Two Species One-Dimensional Reaction-Diffusion Systems

We look for similarity transformations which yield mappings between different one-dimensional reaction-diffusion processes. In this way results obtained for special systems can be generalized to equivalent reaction-diffusion models. The coagulation (A + A -> A) or the annihilation (A + A -> 0) models can be mapped onto systems in which both processes are allowed. With the help of the coagulation-decoagulation model results for some death-decoagulation and annihilation-creation systems are given. We also find a reaction-diffusion system which is equivalent to the two species annihilation model (A + B ->0). Besides we present numerical results of Monte Carlo simulations. An accurate description of the effects of the reaction rates on the concentration in one-species diffusion-annihilation model is made. The asymptotic behavior of the concentration in the two species annihilation system (A + B -> 0) with symmetric initial conditions is studied.Comment: 20 pages latex, uuencoded figures at the en

On the universality of a class of annihilation-coagulation models

A class of $d$-dimensional reaction-diffusion models interpolating continuously between the diffusion-coagulation and the diffusion-annihilation models is introduced. Exact relations among the observables of different models are established. For the one-dimensional case, it is shown how correlations in the initial state can lead to non-universal amplitudes for time-dependent particles density.Comment: 18 pages with no figures. Latex file using REVTE

Coarsening dynamics of adsorption processes with diffusional relaxation

We investigate the late coarsening stages of one dimensional adsorption processes with diffusional relaxation. The nonequilibrium domain size distribution is studied by means of the field theory associated to the stochastic evolution. An exact asymptotic solution satisfying dynamical scaling is given for cluster sizes smaller than the average domain length. Our results are supported and compared with Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 5 pages, 1 Postscript figur

Cambios en los indices biológicos de la tararira, Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) en un ciclo anual en la laguna Yalca, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

The tararira is a top predator of paramount importance in Pampean lakes. The goal of this study is to assess the change of different biological indices of this species in Yalca Lake on a yearly basis. Also we attempt to determine the relationship between within indices variations and with water temperature (WT) and light hours (LH). Monthly captures were performed during 2006/2007 estimating the relative condition factor (Kn), gonadosomatic index (GSI), liposomatic index (LSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and somatosomatic index (SSI). The Kn and GSI presented significant temporal differences in both sexes, showing highest values from december to february, coincident with the reproductive cycle. The LSI displayed values close to cero not showing a stable trend, whereas the HSI presented highest and lowest values from may to july and from april to september respectively for both sexes. Finally the SSI exhibited differences between sexes with the maximum values between march and september. Males showed a positive and significant relationship between Kn and WT. In females this pattern was also noted between GSI and LH and between KN vs WT, but was negative between GSI vs SSI and SSI vs LH. We conclude that the use of different biological indices in this species allows following the maturation cycle and their associated metabolic processes being the observed variation patterns related to high seasonally physiological processes.La tararira es un depredador tope de suma importancia en los lagos pampeanos. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar el cambio anual de diferentes índices biológicos de esta especie en la laguna  Yalca. También intentamos determinar la relación entre las variaciones de los índices y con la temperatura del agua (WT) y las horas de luz (LH). Se realizaron capturas mensuales durante 2006/2007, estimando el factor de condición relativa (Kn), el índice gonadosomático (GSI), el índice liposomático (LSI), el índice hepatosomático (HSI) y el índice somatosomático (SSI). Kn y GSI presentaron diferencias temporales significativas en ambos sexos, mostrando los valores más altos desde diciembre hasta febrero, coincidiendo con el ciclo reproductivo. El LSI mostró valores cercanos a cero que no mostraron una tendencia estable, mientras que el HSI presentó valores más altos y más bajos de mayo a julio y de abril a septiembre, respectivamente, para ambos sexos. Finalmente el SSI exhibió diferencias entre sexos con los valores máximos entre marzo y septiembre. Los machos mostraron una relación positiva y significativa entre Kn y WT. En las hembras, este patrón también se observó entre GSI y LH y entre KN vs WT, pero fue negativo entre GSI vs SSI y SSI vs LH. Concluimos que el uso de diferentes índices biológicos en esta especie permite seguir el ciclo de maduración y sus procesos metabólicos asociados, siendo los patrones de variación observados relacionados con los procesos fisiológicos de alta estacionalidad