A new cylindrical borehole detector for radiographic imaging with muons

Muon radiography is a methodology which enables measuring the mass distribution within large objects. It exploits the abundant flux of cosmic muons and uses detectors with different technologies depending on the application. As the sensitive surface and geometric acceptance are two fundamental parameters for increasing the collection of muons, the optimization of the detectors is very significant. Here we show a potentially innovative detector of size and shape suitable to be inserted inside a borehole, that optimizes the sensitive area and maximizes the angular acceptance thanks to its cylindrical geometry obtained using plastic arc-shaped scintillators. Good spatial resolution is obtained with a reasonable number of channels. The dimensions of the detector make it ideal for use in 25 cm diameter wells. Detailed simulations based on Monte Carlo methods show great cavity detection capability. The detector has been tested in the laboratory, achieving overall excellent performance

Cognitive Function and Atrial Fibrillation: From the Strength of Relationship to the Dark Side of Prevention. Is There a Contribution from Sinus Rhythm Restoration and Maintenance?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic cardiac arrhythmia with an increasing prevalence over time mainly because of population aging. It is well established that the presence of AF increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, sudden death, and cardiovascular morbidity. In the last two decades several reports have shown an association between AF and cognitive function, ranging from impairment to dementia. Ischemic stroke linked to AF is a well-known risk factor and predictor of cognitive decline. In this clinical scenario, the risk of stroke might be reduced by oral anticoagulation. However, recent data suggest that AF may be a predictor of cognitive impairment and dementia also in the absence of stroke. Cerebral hypoperfusion, reduced brain volume, microbleeds, white matter hyperintensity, neuroinflammation, and genetic factors have been considered as potential mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of AF-related cognitive dysfunction. However, a cause-effect relationship remains still controversial. Consequently, no therapeutic strategies are available to prevent AF-related cognitive decline in stroke-free patients. This review will analyze the potential mechanisms leading to cognitive dysfunction in AF patients and examine the available data on the impact of a sinus rhythm restoration and maintenance strategy in reducing the risk of cognitive decline

Muon Radiography Investigations in Boreholes with a Newly Designed Cylindrical Detector

Muons are constantly produced in cosmic-rays and reach the Earth surface with a flux of about 160 particles per second per square meter. The abundance of muons with respect to other cosmic particles and their capability to cross dense materials with low absorption rate allow them to be exploited for large scale geological or human-made object imaging. Muon radiography is based on similar principles as X-ray radiography, measuring the surviving rate of muons escaping the target and relating it to the mass distribution inside the object. In the course of decades, after the first application in 1955, the methodology has been applied in several different fields. Muography allows us to measure the internal density distribution of the investigated object, or to simply highlight the presence of void regions by observing any excess of muons. Most of these applications require the detector to be installed below the rock being probed. In case that possible installation sites are not easily accessible by people, common instrumentation cannot be installed. A novel borehole cylindrical detector for muon radiography has been recently developed to deal with these conditions. It has been realized with a cylindrical geometry to fit typical borehole dimensions. Its design maximizes the geometrical acceptance, minimizing the dead spaces by the use of arc-shaped scintillators. The details of the construction and preliminary results of the first usage are described in this paper. © 2022 by the authors

Can early switch to rituximab-bendamustine in a patient with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma progressing during R-CHOP be considered frontline treatment?: A case report

RATIONALE: Follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (fNHL) is a neoplasm characterized by an indolent course and chemosensitivity, but also by disease recurrence. Bendamustine is often used as frontline treatment or second line. HEADING DIAGNOSIS:: fNHL. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 63-year-old Caucasian male with diagnosis of fNHL lymphoma underwent to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone associated with rituximab chemoimmunotherapy, during which interim reevaluation showed progressive disease and severe toxicity. INTERVENTIONS: Early switch to rituximab-bendamustine. OUTCOMES: This regimen was well tolerated, patient compliance was optimal, there were no delays in administration and no infectious episodes. An interim reevaluation after 3 courses revealed that the patient was fit, the blood cell count was normal, and lymphadenopathies and nocturnal sweating had completely regressed. Of note, the PET/CT scan did not show fluorodeoxyglucose pathological uptake, clearly confirming disease regression. LESSONS: Early switching to a bendamustine-rituximab-based scheme, even during conventional chemotherapy, decreases toxicity and reduces the risk of treatment interruption or delay, with favorable effects on overall response and prognosis

Plantar pain is not always fasciitis

The case is described of a patient with chronic plantar pain, diagnosed as fasciitis, which was not improved by conventional treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed flexor hallucis longus tenosynovitis, which improved after local glucocorticoid injection

The expression of inhibitor of bruton's tyrosine kinase gene is progressively up regulated in the clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia conferring resistance to apoptosis.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common B-cell malignancy with a variable clinical outcome. Biomarkers of CLL progression are required for optimising prognosis and therapy. The Inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase-isoform α (IBTKα) gene encodes a substrate receptor of Cullin 3-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase, and promotes cell survival in response to the reticulum stress. Searching for novel markers of CLL progression, we analysed the expression of IBTKα in the peripheral blood B-cells of CLL patients, before and after first line therapy causing remission. The expression of IBTKα was significantly increased in disease progression, and decreased in remission after chemotherapy. Consistently with a pro-survival action, RNA interference of IBTKα increased the spontaneous and Fludarabine-induced apoptosis of MEC-1 CLL cells, and impaired the cell cycle of DeFew B-lymphoma cells by promoting the arrest in G0/G1 phase and apoptosis. Consistently, RNA interference of IBTKα up regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic genes, including TNF, CRADD, CASP7, BNIP3 and BIRC3. Our results indicate that IBTKα is a novel marker of CLL progression promoting cell growth and resistance to apoptosis. In this view, IBTKα may represent an attractive cancer drug target for counteracting the therapy-resistance of tumour cells

Oral sodium butyrate supplementation ameliorates paclitaxel-induced behavioral and intestinal dysfunction

Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most broadly used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of several tumor types including ovarian, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, its use is limited by debilitating side effects, involving both gastrointestinal and behavioral dysfunctions. Due to growing evidence showing a link between impaired gut function and chemotherapy-associated behavioral changes, the aim of this study was to identify a novel therapeutic approach to manage PTX-induced gut and brain comorbidities. Mice were pre-treated with sodium butyrate (BuNa) for 30 days before receiving PTX. After 14 days, mice underwent to behavioral analysis and biochemical investigations of gut barrier integrity and microbiota composition. Paired evaluations of gut functions revealed that the treatment with BuNa restored PTX-induced altered gut barrier integrity, microbiota composition and food intake suggesting a gut-to-brain communication. The treatment with BuNa also ameliorated depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors induced by PTX in mice, and these effects were associated with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory outcomes. These results propose that diet supplementation with this safe postbiotic might be considered when managing PTX-induced central side effects during cancer therapy

Stand-alone Low Power Consumption FEE and DAQ for the Readout of Silicon Photomultipliers

We developed a front end electronics (FEE) and data acquisition (DAQ) system with a low power consumption, especially intended for stand-alone applications in unattended environments without standard electricity supply. The system works autonomously thanks to dedicated algorithms that are embedded. The FEE is based on the EASIROC chip, designed for the readout of Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). It digitizes the amplitude of the signals and provides time information with time of flight capability. The trigger logic is programmable and physical and accidental coincidences rates can be measured. The SiPMs temperature is controlled by thermoelectric cells. Thanks to a network of temperature and humidity sensors, a real-time software sets the optimal operating point of the SiPMs depending on external conditions and if necessary halts the system to avoid damage to the electronics. The system has been used in several muon radiography experiments