The COBRAS/SAMBA space mission

COBRAS/SAMBA is an ESA mission designed for extensive, accurate mapping of the anisotropies of the Cosmic Background Radiation, with angular sensitivity from sub-degree scales up to and overlapping with the COBE-DMR resolution. This will allow a full identification of the primordial density perturbations which grew to form the large-scale structures observed in the present universe. The COBRAS/SAMBA maps will provide powerful tests for the inflationary model and decisive answers on the origin of cosmic structure. A combination of bolometric and radiometric instrumentation will ensure the sensitivity and wide spectral coverage required for accurate foreground discrimination. A far-Earth orbit has been selected to minimize the unwanted emission from the Earth. The project is currently in the Phase A study within the European Space Agency M3 programme

Cancer-Initiating Cells from Colorectal cancer Patients Escape from T Cell-Mediated Immunosurveillance In Vitro through Membrane-Bound IL-4

Cancer-initiating cells (CICs) that are responsible for tumor initiation, propagation, and resistance to standard therapies have been isolated from human solid tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to obtain an immunological profile of CRC-derived CICs and to identify CIC-associated target molecules for T cell immunotherapy. We have isolated cells with CIC properties along with their putative non-CIC autologous counterparts from human primary CRC tissues. These CICs have been shown to display “tumor-initiating/stemness” properties, including the expression of CIC-associated markers (e.g., CD44, CD24, ALDH-1, EpCAM, Lgr5), multipotency, and tumorigenicity following injection in immunodeficient mice. The immune profile of these cells was assessed by phenotype analysis and by in vitro stimulation of PBMCs with CICs as a source of Ags. CICs, compared with non-CIC counterparts, showed weak immunogenicity. This feature correlated with the expression of high levels of immu- nomodulatory molecules, such as IL-4, and with CIC-mediated inhibitory activity for anti-tumor T cell responses. CIC-associated IL-4 was found to be responsible for this negative function, which requires cell-to-cell contact with T lymphocytes and which is impaired by blocking IL-4 signaling. In addition, the CRC-associated Ag COA-1 was found to be expressed by CICs and to represent, in an autologous setting, a target molecule for anti-tumor T cells. Our study provides relevant information that may contribute to designing new immunotherapy protocols to target CICs in CRC patient

Solar assisted gas cooler integrated system, theoretical and experimental analysis

In recent years, concerns about the health of the Earth have increased public awareness and attention to "green" solutions. Within this framework, we present a study to investigate an innovative CO2 gas cooler which can reduce primary energy consumption. In the refrigeration industry the use of CO2 as the working fluid is increasing continuously and the opportunity to use highly efficient gas coolers is crucial for sustainable plants. LU-VE, in cooperation with Politecnico di Milano, has developed a new range of CO2 gas coolers equipped with solar photovoltaic panels which can produce a large fraction of the energy required to power the electronically commutated (EC) fans of the gas cooler. We did an intensive theoretical study, supported by an experimental campaign, to define the optimum size of the solar panels and the bank of batteries. The system is equipped with an array of batteries and a full regulation system, maximizing the number of working hours using solar energy. The paper describes the new product and the numerical model capable of predicting both the electrical energy needed by the gas cooler and that produced by the PV panels. The experimental campaign for the model validation is also illustrated. The PV panels are an integral part of the CO2 gas cooler, creating a packing device connected both mechanically and electrically to simplify installation on the work site. Finally, a techno-economic analysis is performed, to evaluate the pay-back period in different geographic areas, optimizing the configuration in terms of PV panel area and battery bank size, also considering the possibility of supplying any surplus electricity directly to the grid

P2X7 receptor modulation on microglial cells and reduction of brain infarct caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate outflow increases after an ischemic insult in the brain and may induce the expression of P2X7 receptors in resting microglia, determining its modification into an activated state. To assess the effects of P2X7 receptor blockade in preventing microglia activation and ameliorating brain damage and neurological impairment, we delivered the P2 unselective antagonist Reactive Blue 2 to rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion. In sham-operated animals, devoid of brain damage, double immunofluorescence verified the absence of P2X7 immunoreactivity on resting microglia, astrocytes, and neurons, identified, respectively, by OX-42, glial fibrillary acid protein, and neuronal nuclei (NeuN) immunoreactivity. After ischemia, vehicle-treated rats showed monolateral sensorimotor deficit and tissue damage in striatum and frontoparietal cortex. Moreover, P2X7 immunoreactivity was de novo expressed on activated microglia in infarcted and surrounding areas, as well as on a reactive form of microglia, resting in shape but P2X7 immunoreactive, present in ipsi- and contralateral cingulate and medial frontal cortex. Reactive Blue 2 improved sensorimotor deficit and restricted the volume of infarction, without preventing the expression of P2X7, but inducing it in the microglia of contralateral frontal and parietal cortex and striatum, which had lost reciprocal connections with the remote infarct area. De novo expression of P2X7 occurred in both activated and reactive microglia, suggesting their differentiated roles in the area of infarct and in remote regions. Reactive Blue 2 reduced ischemic brain damage, likely blocking the function of activated microglia in the infarct area, but in the remote brain regions promoted the expression of P2X7 on reactive microglia, developing defense and reparative processes

Overexpression of superoxide dismutase 1 protects against beta-amyloid peptide toxicity:effect of estrogen and copper chelators.

Amyloid peptides (Abeta) are major constituents of senile plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain and contribute to neurodegeneration, operating through activation of apoptotic pathways. It has been proposed that Abeta induces death by oxidative stress, possibly through the generation of peroxynitrite from superoxide and nitric oxide. Estrogen is thought to play a protective role against neurodegeneration through a variety of mechanisms including scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we have challenged with Abeta, either in the presence or in the absence of 17beta-estradiol, differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells (named line SH) and the same line overexpressing anti-oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1; named line WT). We have observed that: (1) WT cells are less susceptible than SH cells to Abeta insult; (2) caspase-3, but not caspase-1, is involved in Abeta-induced apoptosis in this system; (3) estrogen protects both lines, without significantly affecting SOD activity; and (4) copper chelators prevent Abeta-induced toxicity. Our results further support the notion that anti-oxidant therapy might be beneficial in the treatment of AD by preventing activation of selected apoptotic pathways

The role of shale content and pore-water saturation on frictional properties of simulated carbonate faults

The presence of weak phyllosilicates in mature carbonate fault zones has been invoked to explain weak faults. However, the relation between frictional strength, fault stability, mineralogical composition, and fabric of fault gouge, composed of strong and weak minerals, is poorly constrained. We used a biaxial apparatus to systematically shear different mixtures of shale (68% clay, 23% quartz and 4% plagioclase) and calcite, as powdered gouge, at room temperature, under constant normal stresses of 30, 50, 100 MPa and under room-dry and pore fluid-saturated conditions, i.e. CaCO3-equilibrated water. We performed 30 friction experiments during which velocity-stepping and slide-hold-slide tests were employed to assess frictional stability and to measure frictional healing, respectively. Our frictional data indicate that the mineralogical composition of fault gouges significantly affects frictional strength, stability, and healing as well as the presence of CaCO3-equilibrated water. Under room-dry condition, the increasing shale content determines a reduction in frictional strength, from μ = 0.71 to μ = 0.43, a lowering of the healing rates and a transition from velocity-weakening to velocity-strengthening behavior. Under wet condition, with increasing shale content we observe a more significant reduction in frictional strength (μ = 0.65–0.37), a near-zero healing and a velocity strengthening behavior. Microstructural investigations evidence a transition from localized deformation promoted by grain size reduction, in calcite-rich samples, to a more distributed deformation with frictional sliding along clay-enriched shear planes in samples with shale content greater than 50%. For faults cutting across sedimentary sequences composed of carbonates and clay-rich sediments, our results suggest that clay concentration and its ability to form foliated and interconnected networks promotes important heterogeneities in fault strength and slip behavior