A shared database of underground utility lines for 3D mapping and GIS applications

For the purpose of facility management it is very important to have detailed and up-to-date databases of underground utility lines, but such data are not always available with adequate accuracy. Hence, the need of collecting and organizing suitable information on underground services is a fundamental issue when dealing with urban data. Besides, by analyzing the process of designing and laying new underground infrastructures it is possible to implement an efficient and cost-effective approach to integrate and update existing maps by exploiting the surveying required for the installation of new facilities. It is also important to underline that collecting all the data in a unique integrated database (and GIS) gives the possibility to share (at least at a local level) the cartographic and thematic information for an optimal management of underground networks. In this paper, a database (DB) model for archiving the underground lines data is presented. The structure of the DB has been designed by following the standard methodology for the modelling of a relational DB, going through successive phases and originating the external, conceptual and logical model. Finally, preliminary tests have been carried on for parts of the DB to verify quality parameters

Endothelial Hyper-Permeability Induced by T1D Sera Can be Reversed by iNOS Inactivation

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis that is responsible for high morbidity and mortality. Endothelial hyperpermeability, a feature of endothelial dysfunction, is an early step of atherogenesis since it favours intimal lipid uptake. Therefore, we tested endothelial leakage by loading the sera from T1D patients onto cultured human endothelial cells and found it increased by hyperglycaemic sera. These results were phenocopied in endothelial cells cultured in a medium containing high concentrations of glucose, which activates inducible nitric oxide synthase with a consequent increase of nitric oxide. Inhibition of the enzyme prevented high glucose-induced hyperpermeability, thus pointing to nitric oxide as the mediator involved in altering the endothelial barrier function. Since nitric oxide is much higher in sera from hyperglycaemic than normoglycaemic T1D patients, and the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase prevents sera-dependent increased endothelial permeability, this enzyme might represent a promising biochemical marker to be monitored in T1D patients to predict alterations of the vascular wall, eventually promoting intimal lipid accumulation

Substituted nano-hydroxyapatite toothpastes reduce biofilm formation on enamel and resin-based composite surfaces

Background: Toothpastes containing nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp) substituted with metal ions provide calcium and phosphate ions to dental hard tissues, reducing demineralization, and promoting remineralization. Few data are available about the effect of these bioactive compounds on oral microbiota. Methods: This in vitro study evaluated the influence of two commercially-available substituted n-HAp-based toothpastes (\u3b1: Zn-carbonate substituted n-HAp; \u3b2: F, Mg, Sr-carbonate substituted n-HAp) on early colonization (EC, 12 h) and biofilm formation (BF, 24 h) by oral microbiota. Controls were brushed with distilled water. Artificial oral microcosm and Streptococcus mutans biofilms were developed using human enamel and a resin-based composite (RBC) as adherence surfaces. Two test setups, a shaking multiwell plate and a modified drip-flow reactor (MDFR), were used to simulate clinical conditions during the night (low salivary flow and clearance) and daytime, respectively. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) was used to evaluate specimens\u2019 surfaces after toothpaste treatment. Fluoride release from \u3b2 toothpaste was evaluated. Viable adherent biomass was quantified by MTT assay, and biofilms\u2019 morphology was highlighted using confocal microscopy. Results: EDS showed the presence of remnants from the tested toothpastes on both adherence surfaces. \u3b2 toothpaste showed significantly lower EC and BF compared to control using the artificial oral microcosm model, while \u3b1 toothpaste showed lower EC and BF compared to control, but higher EC and BF compared to \u3b2 toothpaste. The effect shown by \u3b2 toothpaste was, to a minimal extent, due to fluoride release. Interestingly, this result was seen on both adherence surfaces, meaning that the tested toothpastes significantly influenced EC and BF even on RBC surfaces. Furthermore, the effect of toothpaste treatments was higher after 12 h than 24 h, suggesting that toothbrushing twice a day is more effective than brushing once. Conclusions: The efficacy of these treatments in reducing microbial colonization of RBC surfaces may represent a promising possibility in the prevention of secondary caries

Genomic imbalances are confined to non-proliferating cells in paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and a normal or incomplete karyotype

Copyright @ 2011 Ballabio et al.Leukaemia is often associated with genetic alterations such as translocations, amplifications and deletions, and recurrent chromosome abnormalities are used as markers of diagnostic and prognostic relevance. However, a proportion of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases have an apparently normal karyotype despite comprehensive cytogenetic analysis. Based on conventional cytogenetic analysis of banded chromosomes, we selected a series of 23 paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and performed whole genome array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) using DNA samples derived from the same patients. Imbalances involving large chromosomal regions or entire chromosomes were detected by aCGH in seven of the patients studied. Results were validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to both interphase nuclei and metaphase chromosomes using appropriate bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes. The majority of these copy number alterations (CNAs) were confirmed by FISH and found to localize to the interphase rather than metaphase nuclei. Furthermore, the proliferative states of the cells analyzed by FISH were tested by immunofluorescence using an antibody against the proliferation marker pKi67. Interestingly, these experiments showed that, in the vast majority of cases, the changes appeared to be confined to interphase nuclei in a non-proliferative status.This work was supported by a grant from Leukaemia Research UK (grant no. 0253). SJLK and RR were supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, with funding from the Department of Health’s NIHR Biomedical Research Centres funding schemeThis article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Long-Term Follow-Up of Lentigo Maligna Patients Treated with Imiquimod 5% Cream.

BACKGROUND The study investigated the long-term efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream for LM, with a focus on disease recurrence and the possible prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS) in a cohort, with long-term follow-up. METHODS Consecutive patients with histologically confirmed LM were included. Imiquimod 5% cream was applied until weeping erosion appeared on the LM-affected skin. The evaluation was performed through clinical examination and dermoscopy. RESULTS We analyzed 111 patients with LM (median age: 72 years, 61.3% women) with tumor clearance after imiquimod therapy, with a median follow-up of 8 years. The overall patient survival rates were 85.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 78.5-92.6) and 70.4% (95% CI: 60.3-80.5) at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Among the 23 patients (20.1%) with relapse at follow-up, 17 (73.9%) were treated with surgery, five (21.7%) continued imiquimod therapy, and one (4.3%) underwent both surgery and radiotherapy. After adjustment for age and LM area in multivariable models, localization of LM in the nasal region was identified as a prognostic factor for DFS (HR = 2.66; 95% CI: 1.06-6.64). CONCLUSION If surgical excision is not possible due to the patients' age/comorbidities or critical cosmetic localization, imiquimod could provide optimal outcomes with an optimal risk of relapse for the management of LM

Biological Characteristics and Medical Treatment of Breast Cancer in Young Women—A Featured Population: Results from the NORA Study

Background. The present paper described the biological characteristics and clinical behavior of young women in the cohort NORA study Patients and Methods. From 2000–2002, patients (N > 3500) were enrolled at 77 Italian hospitals. Women aged ≤50 years (N = 1013) were stratified into age groups (≤35, 36–40, 41–45, and 46–50 years). The relationship between age and patient characteristics, cancer presentation, and treatment was analyzed. Results. Younger women more frequently had tumors with ER/PgR-negative(χ2 = 7.07; P = .008), HER2 amplification (χ2 = 5.76; P = .01), and high (≥10%) Ki67 labelling index (χ2 = 9.53; P = .002). Positive nodal status, large tumors, and elevated Ki67 all associated with the choice for chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy in hormone receptor-positive patients (P < .0001). At univariate analysis, ER-ve status, chemotherapy and age resulted as the only statistically significant variables (HR = 2.02, P = .004, and >40 versus ≤40, P < .0001, resp.). At multivariate analysis, after adjustment for significant clinical and pathological factors, age remains a significant prognostic variable (HR = 0.93, P = .0021). Conclusion. This cohort study suggests that age per sè is an important prognostic factor. The restricted role of early diagnosis and the aggressive behavior of cancer in this population make necessary the application of targeted medical strategies crucial

The Interplay between TRPM7 and MagT1 in Maintaining Endothelial Magnesium Homeostasis

The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is an ubiquitous channel fused to an α-kinase domain involved in magnesium (Mg) transport, and its level of expression has been proposed as a marker of endothelial function. To broaden our present knowledge about the role of TRPM7 in endothelial cells, we generated stable transfected Human Endothelial Cells derived from the Umbilical Vein (HUVEC). TRPM7-silencing HUVEC maintain the actin fibers’ organization and mitochondrial network. They produce reduced amounts of reactive oxygen species and grow faster than controls. Intracellular Mg concentration does not change in TRPM7-silencing or -expressing HUVEC, while some differences emerged when we analyzed intracellular Mg distribution. While the levels of the plasma membrane Mg transporter Solute Carrier family 41 member 1 (SLC41A1) and the mitochondrial channel Mrs2 remain unchanged, the highly selective Magnesium Transporter 1 (MagT1) is upregulated in TRPM7-silencing HUVEC through transcriptional regulation. We propose that the increased amounts of MagT1 grant the maintenance of intracellular Mg concentrations when TRPM7 is not expressed in endothelial cells

Combined resistance to oxidative stress and reduced antenna size enhance light-to-biomass conversion efficiency in Chlorella vulgaris cultures

Background: Microalgae are efficient producers of lipid-rich biomass, making them a key component in developing a sustainable energy source, and an alternative to fossil fuels. Chlorella species are of special interest because of their fast growth rate in photobioreactors. However, biological constraints still cast a significant gap between the high cost of biofuel and cheap oil, thus hampering perspective of producing CO2-neutral biofuels. A key issue is the inefficient use of light caused by its uneven distribution in the culture that generates photoinhibition of the surface-exposed cells and darkening of the inner layers. Efficient biofuel production, thus, requires domestication, including traits which reduce optical density of cultures and enhance photoprotection. Results: We applied two steps of mutagenesis and phenotypic selection to the microalga Chlorella vulgaris. First, a pale-green mutant (PG-14) was selected, with a 50% reduction of both chlorophyll content per cell and LHCII complement per PSII, with respect to WT. PG-14 showed a 30% increased photon conversion into biomass efficiency vs. WT. A second step of mutagenesis of PG-14, followed by selection for higher tolerance to Rose Bengal, led to the isolation of pale-green genotypes, exhibiting higher resistance to singlet oxygen (strains SOR). Growth in photobioreactors under high light conditions showed an enhanced biomass production of SOR strains with respect to PG-14. When compared to WT strain, biomass yield of the pale green+ sor genotype was enhanced by 68%. Conclusions: Domestication of microalgae like Chlorella vulgaris, by optimizing both light distribution and ROS resistance, yielded an enhanced carbon assimilation rate in photobioreactor

Time-stability of a Single-crystal Diamond Detector for fast neutron beam diagnostic under alpha and neutron irradiation

Single-crystal Diamond Detectors (SDDs), due to their good charge carrier transport properties, low leakage and therefore good energy resolution, are good candidates for fast neutron measurement on pulsed spallation sources and fusion plasma experiments. Moreover, diamonds are known to be resistant to neutron irradiation. Nevertheless, measurements show transient effects during irradiation with ionizing particles, as the alpha particle calibration sources. The decrease of the detector counting rate of a counting chain and the pulse height are interpreted as due to a charge trapping inside the detector, which modifies the drift electric field. These instabilities are strongly dependent on the specific type of the interaction. Measurements have been carried out with both alpha particles in the laboratory and neutrons at the ISIS neutron spallation source. We show that these polarization effects are not permanent: the detector performances can be restored by simply inverting the detector bias high voltage. Prime Novelty Statement The measurements described in the paper were performed in order to study the polarization effect in Single-crystal Diamond Detector. This effect was observed under alpha particle and neutron irradiation. With the Transient Current Technique an interpretation of the effect is given