Sorption vacuum trap

Modified sorption trap for use in high vacuum systems contains provisions for online regeneration of sorbent material. Trap is so constructed that it has a number of encapsulated resistance heaters and a valving and pumping device for removing gases from heated sorbing material. Excessive downtime is eliminated with this trap

Mechanical rod peening

Tool is inexpensive and gives repeatable results. It is modified commercially-available rod-type weld slag removal gun and is pneumatically operated by regulated compressed air supply

A blast of mistakes: undiagnosed cervical ppondylolisthesis following a bomb explosion

Background: A case of spinal trauma had an unusual clinical course due to medical mistakes, from which we can learn some important lessons. Case Report: We report a case of spondylolisthesis following a bomb explosion, which went undiagnosed for a long time because of a series of mistakes that are highlighted in this article. What makes this case unique is that the spondylolisthesis developed during hospital stay, but the patient had no loss of mobility, strength, or sensitivity. Conclusions: This case shows that establishing the conditions of an organ or a body part upon admission to hospital may not be enough when a patient has suffered extensive and serious trauma, and that it is necessary to carry out more checkups over time, especially if there are new clues and symptoms

STUDY OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ANTIOXIDANT RESPONSE IN THE SGCA NULL DYSTROPHIC MOUSE MODEL

During my PhD, I mainly focus on the of dietary antioxidant and the role of oxidative stress in the progression of Muscular Dystrophy (MDs). MDs are genetic human diseases which are hallmarked by a progressive muscle wasting of variable severity, in the most severe cases this condition leads patients to wheelchair life and premature death due to respiratory and cardiac failure (Emery 2002). Mutations, in these pathologies, mainly affect the Dystrophin-associated Glycoprotein Complex (DGC); this multiprotein complex is located in the myofiber sarcolemma and links the fibers to the extracellular matrix conferring stability to fiber structure. The absence or the malfunction of the DGC leads to myofibers instability, which leads to fibers death and in time compromise muscle functionality. In the most severe cases MD patients would die of respiratory and cardiac failure. Nowadays there is no definitive treatment for MDs that can cure the root of the pathology, although among the different approaches, many efforts are directed to slow down the progression of the disease to counteract the progressive degeneration and to improve patients life quality (Cossu & Sampaolesi 2007). It is now very well established that the DGC not only plays a structural role for the myofiber stability, but also its stretch during contraction is essential for the activation of important signalling pathways. In fact, in literature is known that accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress contribute strongly to the worsening of MDs, suggesting that muscles affected by these diseases display an impairment in antioxidant signalling (Rando 1998; Rando 2002). In this study, we show that an cyanidin enriched diet is able to delay MD progression in the dystrophic mouse model Sgca null. In particular we display a morphological amelioration of muscle tissue organization, more fiber stability and rescue of muscle performance. Moreover, the antioxidant diet is able to interfere with the proinflammatory environment, typical of these pathologies. Specifically, cyanidin impairs NF-kB translocation into the myonuclei, and prevent the expression of typical pro-inflammatory genes such as TNF-\uf061 and iNOS. Furthermore, we observe an increase of the antioxidant response in dystrophic mice fed with this particular diet. We found that the transcriptional levels of antioxidant genes (i.e. HO-1 and GCLC), in this scenario, are increased through the activity a specific transcription factor known as Nrf-2. We investigate on the signalling pathway that promote Nrf-2 nuclei localization, finding that AMPK activity is the crucial factor

Effectiveness of entomopathogenic nematodes in the control of Cydia pomonella larvae in Northern Italy

Since 2006, a large scale research on the effectiveness of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) in the control of codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella, overwintering larvae has been performed on about 35 ha of pear orchards per year in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy. Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae activity was checked after spray applications of EPNs to the trunk and branches. In 2006, the treatment was applied either in spring or in autumn at different doses, before CM pupation; in 2007 the EPN treatment was applied only in autumn at 1.5 x 109 I.J. ha –1. Every year it was distributed by means of a conventional mist blower. The larval mortality was assessed directly on sentinel larvae in card boards on the trunks and indirectly on the eggs laid by the females of the first CM generation in spring. Moreover, each year, a trial was performed applying only S. carpocapsae on sentinel larvae with the aim of testing this nematode at suitable temperatures but at different water volumes. The CM sentinel larvae were effectively parasitized after autumnal EPN application. Moreover, the egg assessment demonstrated a good decrease in CM population in spring 2007, when EPNs had been applied at the best weather conditions (t° 12-14 °C and rain) in the previous autumn

Static friction on the fly: velocity depinning transitions of lubricants in motion

The dragging velocity of a model solid lubricant confined between sliding periodic substrates exhibits a phase transition between two regimes, respectively with quantized and with continuous lubricant center-of-mass velocity. The transition, occurring for increasing external driving force F_ext acting on the lubricant, displays a large hysteresis, and has the features of depinning transitions in static friction, only taking place on the fly. Although different in nature, this phenomenon appears isomorphic to a static Aubry depinning transition in a Frenkel-Kontorova model, the role of particles now taken by the moving kinks of the lubricant-substrate interface. We suggest a possible realization in 2D optical lattice experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, revtex, in print in Phys. Rev. Let

Analysis of debris from Spacelab Space Life Sciences-1

Airborne microbiological and particulate contamination generated aboard Spacelab modules is a potential safety hazard. In order to shed light on the characteristics of these contaminants, microbial and chemical/particulate analyses were performed on debris vacuumed from cabin and avionics air filters in the Space Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) module of the Space Transportation System 40 (STS-40) mission 1 month after landing. The debris was sorted into categories (e.g., metal, nonmetal, hair/fur, synthetic fibers, food particles, insect fragments, etc.). Elemental analysis of particles was done by energy dispersive analysis of x rays (metals) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (nonmetals). Scanning electron micrographs were done of most particles. Microbiological samples were grown on R2A culture medium and identified. Clothing fibers dominated the debris by volume. Other particles, all attributed to the crew, resulted from abrasions and impacts during missions operations (e.g., paint chips, plastic, electronic scraps and clothing fibers). All bacterial species identified are commonly found in the atmosphere or on the human body. Bacillus sp. was the most frequently seen bacterium. One of the bacterial species, Enterobacter agglomerans, could cause illness in crew members with depressed immune systems

Cyclic Fluctuations, Climatic Changes and Role of Noise in Planktonic Foraminifera in the Mediterranean Sea

The study of Planktonic Foraminifera abundances permits to obtain climatic curves on the basis of percentage ratio between tropical and temperate/polar forms. Climatic changes were controlled by several phenomena as: (i) Milankovitch's cycles, produced by variations of astronomical parameters such as precession, obliquity and eccentricity; (ii) continental geodynamic evolution and orogenic belt; (iii) variations of atmospheric and oceanic currents; (iv) volcanic eruptions; (v) meteor impacts. But while astronomical parameters have a quasi-regular periodicity, the other phenomena can be considered as "noise signal" in natural systems. The interplay between cyclical astronomical variations, the "noise signal" and the intrinsic nonlinearity of the ecologic system produces strong glacial or interglacial period according to the stochastic resonance phenomenon.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

The Temporal Doppler Effect: When The Future Feels Closer Than The Past

People routinely remember events that have passed and imagine those that are yet to come. The past and the future are sometimes psychologically close ( just around the corner ) and other times psychologically distant ( ages away ). Four studies demonstrate a systematic asymmetry whereby future events are psychologically closer than past events of equivalent objective distance. When considering specific times (e.g., 1 year) or events (e.g., Valentine\u27s Day), people consistently reported that the future was closer than the past. We suggest that this asymmetry arises because the subjective experience of movement through time (whereby future events approach and past events recede) is analogous to the physical experience of movement through space. Consistent with this hypothesis, experimentally reversing the metaphorical arrow of time (by having participants move backward through virtual space) completely eliminated the past-future asymmetry. We discuss how reducing psychological distance to the future may function to prepare people for upcoming action