Chondrocyte responses to neurovascular peptides, cytokines, and a 3D environment: focus on ADAMs

Chondrocyte exposure to inflammatory stimuli in several arthritic conditions, including osteoarthritis, results in the well-characterised induction of extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading proteinases, notably members of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin domains (ADAMTS) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) families. Here we briefly review the less-studied a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) family of proteinases in chondrocyte and cartilage biology. Following damage, cartilage is exposed to neurovascular peptides, and in this study we hypothesised that substance P and bradykinin, alongside inflammatory cytokines, may modulate chondrocyte steady state messenger RNA levels for the proteolytic ADAM family members as well as for key cytokines and neuropeptides. We compared chondrocytes cultured in both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D environments and found that 3D culture generally resulted in repression of expression of the genes under investigation, with the exception of anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 (IL10) which was markedly up-regulated in a 3D environment. Substance P and bradykinin had little effect on ADAM family expression but further investigation revealed that a combination of bradykinin and cytokines led to enhanced expression of ADAM28 and a synergistic up-regulation of IL6, also observed under hypoxic conditions. Overall this data reveals wider chondrocyte responses to neurovascular peptides which may have an impact in an osteoarthritis context

The mummy of Rosalia Lombardo at the end of 2022: an update on the status quaestionis and a reflection on the level of evidence

In this communication we present key new evidence on the story of the famous Salafia embalming manuscript that further clarifies the genesis of a series of studies on this topic and corroborates our assumptions published in previous articles on this matter. In the second part of the paper, we provide a concise ethical analysis of Rosalia Lombardo’s case and try to establish a level of evidence in the assessment of her preservation by comparing facts and interpretations. Finally, we call for an independent assessment of the mummy’s state of preservation and the disclosure of the full content of the Salafia manuscript. Rosali

Bioarchaeology of Human Remains in Sicily: Laws and Guidelines

The Human Embalming Project© team is currently focusing on the study of Sicilian archival documents and human bioarchaeological material. In the best spirit of the Code of Conduct of the Paleopathology Association, we would like to share information on the laws and guidelines applied in Sicily with a broader readership of colleagues

Subchondral bone in osteoarthritis: association between MRI texture analysis and histomorphometry.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) texture analysis is a method of analyzing subchondral bone alterations in osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between MR texture analysis and ground-truth subchondral bone histomorphometry at the tibial plateau. DESIGN: The local research ethics committee approved the study. All subjects provided written, informed consent. This was a cross-sectional study carried out at our institution between February and August 2014. Ten participants aged 57-84 with knee OA scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) underwent pre-operative MRI of the symptomatic knee at 3T using a high spatial-resolution coronal T1 weighted sequence. Tibial plateau explants obtained at the time of TKA underwent histological preparation to allow calculation of bone volume fraction (BV.TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and trabecular number (Tb.N). Texture analysis was performed on the tibial subchondral bone of MRI images matched to the histological sections. Regression models were created to assess the association of texture analysis features with BV.TV, Tb.Th, Tb.Sp and Tb.N. RESULTS: MRI texture features were significantly associated with BV.TV (R2 = 0.76), Tb.Th (R2 = 0.47), Tb.Sp (R2 = 0.75) and Tb.N (R2 = 0.60, all P < 0.001). Simple gray-value histogram based texture features demonstrated the highest standardized regression coefficients for each model. CONCLUSION: MRI texture analysis features were significantly associated with ground-truth subchondral bone histomorphometry at the tibial plateau.Royal College of Radiologists Pump Priming Gran

Recurrent dislocation of the patella accompanying hypotrochlea of the femur and malalignment of the patella

This case report describes a rare case of recurrent dislocation of the patella which was accompanied with trochlear dysplasia and malalignment of the patella in a 15-year-old girl. She complained of hemoarthrosis and recurrent patellar dislocation in the early knee flexion phase. Plain radiography and computed tomography (CT) showed patellar malalignment (quadriceps angle 20°) and severe dysplasia of the trochlea of the femur (sulcus angle 170°). Surgery was performed, consisting of trochleoplasty in addition to proximal and distal realignment. Trochleoplasty was undertaken using a modified Dejour technique. After surgery, the patient complained of joint contracture. Arthroscopic release of fibrous tissue relieved symptoms and obtained normal range of motion without patellar dislocation. Postoperative radiography and CT demonstrated improvement of the quadriceps angle (10°) and sulcus angle (140°)

Measurements of differential cross-sections in top-quark pair events with a high transverse momentum top quark and limits on beyond the Standard Model contributions to top-quark pair production with the ATLAS detector at √s = 13 TeV

Cross-section measurements of top-quark pair production where the hadronically decaying top quark has transverse momentum greater than 355 GeV and the other top quark decays into ℓνb are presented using 139 fb−1 of data collected by the ATLAS experiment during proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The fiducial cross-section at s = 13 TeV is measured to be σ = 1.267 ± 0.005 ± 0.053 pb, where the uncertainties reflect the limited number of data events and the systematic uncertainties, giving a total uncertainty of 4.2%. The cross-section is measured differentially as a function of variables characterising the tt¯ system and additional radiation in the events. The results are compared with various Monte Carlo generators, including comparisons where the generators are reweighted to match a parton-level calculation at next-to-next-to-leading order. The reweighting improves the agreement between data and theory. The measured distribution of the top-quark transverse momentum is used to search for new physics in the context of the effective field theory framework. No significant deviation from the Standard Model is observed and limits are set on the Wilson coefficients of the dimension-six operators OtG and Otq(8), where the limits on the latter are the most stringent to date. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Two-particle azimuthal correlations in photonuclear ultraperipheral Pb plus Pb collisions at 5.02 TeV with ATLAS

Two-particle long-range azimuthal correlations are measured in photonuclear collisions using 1.7 nb − 1 of 5.02 TeV Pb + Pb collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Candidate events are selected using a dedicated high-multiplicity photonuclear event trigger, a combination of information from the zero-degree calorimeters and forward calorimeters, and from pseudorapidity gaps constructed using calorimeter energy clusters and charged-particle tracks. Distributions of event properties are compared between data and Monte Carlo simulations of photonuclear processes. Two-particle correlation functions are formed using charged-particle tracks in the selected events, and a template-fitting method is employed to subtract the nonflow contribution to the correlation. Significant nonzero values of the second- and third-order flow coefficients are observed and presented as a function of charged-particle multiplicity and transverse momentum. The results are compared with flow coefficients obtained in proton-proton and proton-lead collisions in similar multiplicity ranges, and with theoretical expectations. The unique initial conditions present in this measurement provide a new way to probe the origin of the collective signatures previously observed only in hadronic collision

Measurement of the associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into b-quarks with a vector boson at high transverse momentum in pp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s}=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson decaying into leptons and where the Higgs boson decays to a pair is measured in the high vector-boson transverse momentum regime, above 250 GeV, with the ATLAS detector. The analysed data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of , were collected in proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of . The measured signal strength, defined as the ratio of the measured signal yield to that predicted by the Standard Model, is corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.1 (2.7) standard deviations. Cross-sections of associated production of a Higgs boson decaying into b quark pairs with a W or Z gauge boson, decaying into leptons, are measured in two exclusive vector boson transverse momentum regions, 250–400 GeV and above 400 GeV, and interpreted as constraints on anomalous couplings in the framework of a Standard Model effective field theory

Medium-Induced Modification of Z-Tagged Charged Particle Yields in Pb+Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

The yield of charged particles opposite to a Z boson with large transverse momentum ( p T ) is measured in 260     pb − 1 of p p and 1.7     nb − 1 of Pb + Pb collision data at 5.02 TeV per nucleon pair recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The Z boson tag is used to select hard-scattered partons with specific kinematics, and to observe how their showers are modified as they propagate through the quark-gluon plasma created in Pb + Pb collisions. Compared with p p collisions, charged-particle yields in Pb + Pb collisions show significant modifications as a function of charged-particle p T in a way that depends on event centrality and Z boson p T . The data are compared with a variety of theoretical calculations and provide new information about the medium-induced energy loss of partons in a p T regime difficult to measure through other channels

Search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying into a top quark and a τ-lepton in pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for pair production of third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying into a top quark and a τ-lepton is presented. The search is based on a dataset of pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. Events are selected if they have one light lepton (electron or muon) and at least one hadronically decaying τ -lepton, or at least two light leptons. In addition, two or more jets, at least one of which must be identified as containing b-hadrons, are required. Six final states, defined by the multiplicity and flavour of lepton candidates, are considered in the analysis. Each of them is split into multiple event categories to simultaneously search for the signal and constrain several leading backgrounds. The signal-rich event categories require at least one hadronically decaying τ-lepton candidate and exploit the presence of energetic final-state objects, which is characteristic of signal events. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in any of the considered event categories, and 95% CL upper limits are set on the production cross section as a function of the leptoquark mass, for different assumptions about the branching fractions into tτ and bν. Scalar leptoquarks decaying exclusively into tτ are excluded up to masses of 1.43 TeV while, for a branching fraction of 50% into tτ, the lower mass limit is 1.22 TeV