Optical Spectroscopy of the IRAS 1-Jy Sample of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

This paper discusses the optical spectroscopic properties of the IRAS 1-Jy sample of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs). One hundred and eight of the 118 1-Jy ULIGs have been observed at dlambda = 8.3 AA resolution over the wavelength range ~4500 A -- 8900 A. These data are combined with large, previously published sets of optical spectroscopic data of lower luminosity infrared galaxies to look for systematic trends with infrared luminosity over the luminosity range L_ir ~ 10^{10.5}-10^{13} L_sun. As found in previous studies, the fraction of Seyfert galaxies among luminous infrared galaxies increases abruptly above L_ir ~ 10^{12.3} L_sun --- about 50% of the galaxies with L_ir > 10^{12.3} L_sun present Seyfert characteristics. Many of the optical and infrared spectroscopic properties of the Seyfert galaxies are consistent with the presence of a genuine active galactic nucleus (AGN). About 30% of these galaxies are Seyfert 1s with broad-line regions similar to those of optical quasars. The percentage of Seyfert 1 ULIGs increases with infrared luminosity, contrary to the predictions of the standard unification model for Seyfert galaxies. Comparisons of the broad-line luminosities of optical and obscured Seyfert 1 ULIGs with those of optically selected quasars of comparable bolometric luminosity suggest that the dominant energy source in most of these ULIGs is the same as in optical quasars, namely mass accretion onto a supermassive black hole, rather than a starburst. These results are consistent with recently published ISO, ASCA, and VLBI data. (abridged)Comment: Text and 23 figures (45 pages), Tables 1 - 6 (16 pages

Histogram analysis of magnetic resonance images: evaluation of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and correlation with pathological findings in solid pancreatic tumors.

Objectives To evaluate magnetic resonance (MR)-derived whole-tumor histogram analysis parameters in predicting aggressiveness of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNENs). Methods Pre-operative MR of 169 consecutive patients with PDAC or panNEN were retrospectively analyzed. T1-/T2-weighted images and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were analyzed. Histogram-derived parameters were compared to several pathological features (grade, vascular infiltration, nodal and hepatic metastases) using Mann-Whitney U test. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by receiver operating characteristic area under curve (ROC-AUC) analysis; sensitivity and specificity were assessed for each histogram parameter. Results No significant differences were found among histogram parameters for prediction of PDACs grade. ADCentropy was significantly higher in G2-3 panNENs with ROC-AUC 0.757; sensitivity was 83.3%. ADCentropy was significantly higher in PDACs with vascular involvement (p=.022; AUC=.641), with specificity of 92.2%. ADCskewness was significantly higher in PDACs with nodal metastases (p=.027; AUC=.642), with 72% specificity. ADCkurtosis was higher in panNENs with vascular involvement, nodal and hepatic metastases (p= .008, .021, and .008; ROC-AUC= 0.820, 0.709, and 0.820); sensitivity and specificity were: 85.7/74.3%; 36.8/96.5%; and 100/62.8%. No significant differences between groups were found for other histogram-derived parameters (p >.05). Conclusions Whole-tumors histogram analysis of ADC values is a valuable tool for predicting aggressiveness of PDACs and panNENs. Our results indicate that histogram metrics related to intra-tumor heterogeneity, as ADCentropy, ADCkurtosis and ADCskewness are the most accurate parameters for the identification of PDACs and panNENs with higher biological aggressiveness. Further and larger studies are needed to incorporate the results of the histogram analysis within decision support models and to mine these data to detect possible correlations with genomic patterns

Drosophila Smad2 Opposes Mad Signaling during Wing Vein Development

In the vertebrates, the BMP/Smad1 and TGF-β/Smad2 signaling pathways execute antagonistic functions in different contexts of development. The differentiation of specific structures results from the balance between these two pathways. For example, the gastrula organizer/node of the vertebrates requires a region of low Smad1 and high Smad2 signaling. In Drosophila, Mad regulates tissue determination and growth in the wing, but the function of dSmad2 in wing patterning is largely unknown. In this study, we used an RNAi loss-of-function approach to investigate dSmad2 signaling during wing development. RNAi-mediated knockdown of dSmad2 caused formation of extra vein tissue, with phenotypes similar to those seen in Dpp/Mad gain-of-function. Clonal analyses revealed that the normal function of dSmad2 is to inhibit the response of wing intervein cells to the extracellular Dpp morphogen gradient that specifies vein formation, as measured by expression of the activated phospho-Mad protein. The effect of dSmad2 depletion in promoting vein differentiation was dependent on Medea, the co-factor shared by Mad and dSmad2. Furthermore, double RNAi experiments showed that Mad is epistatic to dSmad2. In other words, depletion of Smad2 had no effect in Mad-deficient wings. Our results demonstrate a novel role for dSmad2 in opposing Mad-mediated vein formation in the wing. We propose that the main function of dActivin/dSmad2 in Drosophila wing development is to antagonize Dpp/Mad signaling. Possible molecular mechanisms for the opposition between dSmad2 and Mad signaling are discussed

The GBT-SCA, a radiation tolerant ASIC for detector control applications in SLHC experiments

This work describes the architecture of the GigaBit Transceiver – Slow Control Adapter (GBT–SCA) ASIC suitable for the control and monitoring applications of the embedded front-end electronics in the future SLHC experiments. The GBT–SCA is part the GBT chipset currently under development for the SLHC detector upgrades. It is designed for radiation tolerance and it will be fabricated in a commercial 130 nm CMOS technology. The paper discusses the GBT-SCA architecture, the data transfer protocol, the ASIC interfaces, and its integration with the GBT optical link. The GBT–SCA is one the components of the GBT system chipset. It is proposed for the future SLHC experiments and is designed to be configurable matching different front-end system requirements. The GBT-SCA is intended for the slow control and monitoring of the embedded front end electronics and implements a point-to-multi point connection between one GBT optical link ASIC and several front end ASICs. The GBT-SCA connects to a dedicated electrical port on the GBT ASIC that provides 80 Mbps of bidirectional data traffic. If needed, more than one GBT-SCA ASIC can be connected to a GBT ASIC thus increasing the control and monitoring capabilities in the system. The GBT-SCA ASIC features several I/O ports to interface with the embedded front-end ASICs. There are 16 I2C buses, 1 JTAG controller port, 4 8- bit wide parallel-ports, a memory bus controller and an ADC to monitor up to 8 external analog signals. All these ports are accessible from the counting room electronics, via the GBT optical link system. Special design techniques are being employed to protect the operation of the GBT-SCA against radiation induced Single-Event-Upsets to a level that is compatible for the SLHC experiments. The paper will present the overall architecture of the GBTSCA ASIC describing in detail the design of the peripheral controllers for the individual I/O ports, the network controller that implements the connectivity with the GBT ASIC and will discuss the operation modes and the flow of information between the control electronics and the embedded front end ASICs

HIV awareness: A kap study among students in Italy reveals that preventive campaigns still represent a public health priority

Background. Improving knowledge about HIV/AIDS among young people is crucial for preventing new infections. The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV infection among students attending university courses related to the healthcare professions, in order to better target future preventive and informative HIV campaigns tailored for young people. Study Design. A knowledge, attitude and practices study was conducted among university students attending the following university courses in Bari (Southern Italy): Medicine and Surgery (MS), Dentistry and Dental Prostheses, Health Assistance, Motor Activities and Sports Sciences, Sciences and Technology of Herbal and Health Products, Nursing, Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, and Dietetics. Methods. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge/attitudes re/ HIV and their own sexual practices. The general part of the questionnaire requested information about age, gender, nationality, religion and marital status. The second part included questions asking about knowledge, attitude and practices with respect to HIV, which required true/false answers or graduated answers (reported as agree, quite agree, quite disagree, and disagree). Results. Four hundred students were invited to fill in the questionnaire. The response rate was 91.2% (n=365). Almost all students were aware that HIV is transmitted through sexual intercourse and blood, but only 34% knew that breastfeeding is a route of transmission. Of the respondents, 86.8% referred to previous sexual intercourse (25.8% reported using a condom in all cases of sexual intercourse, 43.5% in most cases, 18.6% rarely and 12.1 never). Sexual intercourse with casual partners was reported by 37.5% of these students and 63.9% of them did not always use a condom. Conclusions. The results of the study show that knowledge about some aspects of HIV is insufficient even though the students participating in the present study are students attending university courses related to the healthcare professions. Moreover, high-risk behaviors as the lack of the use of condom during sexual intercourse with casual partners are also common among interviewed students. Programs aimed at providing information that can prevent/reduce transmission of HIV in young people and new strategies to improve knowledge should be stressed as a public health priority

Status of the Cylindical-GEM project for the KLOE-2 Inner Tracker

The status of the R&D on the Cylindrical-GEM (CGEM) detector foreseen as Inner Tracker for KLOE-2, the upgrade of the KLOE experiment at the DAFNE phi-factory, will be presented. The R&D includes several activities: i) the construction and complete characterization of the full-size CGEM prototype, equipped with 650 microns pitch 1-D longitudinal strips; ii) the study of the 2-D readout with XV patterned strips and operation in magnetic field (up to 1.5T), performed with small planar prototypes in a dedicated test at the H4-SPS beam facility; iii) the characterization of the single-mask GEM technology for the realization of large-area GEM foils.Comment: 4 pages, 10 figures, Presented at Vienna Conference on Instrumentation (Feb 15-20, 2010, Vienna, Austria). Submitted to the Proceeding