The role of syn-eruptive vesiculation on explosive basaltic activity at Mt. Etna, Italy

We investigated the dynamics of explosive activity at Mt. Etna between 31 August and 15 December 2006 by combining vesicle studies in the erupted products with measurements of the gas composition at the active, summit crater. The analysed scoria clasts present large, connected vesicles with complex shapes and smaller, isolated, spherical vesicles, the content of which increases in scoriae from the most explosive events. Gas geochemistry reports CO2/SO2 and SO2/HCl ratios supporting a deep-derived gas phase for fire-fountain activity. By integrating results from scoria vesiculation and gas analysis we find that the highest energy episodes of Mt. Etna activity in 2006 were driven by a previously accumulated CO2-rich gas phase but we highlight the lesser role of syn-eruptive vesicle nucleation driven by water exsolution during ascent. We conclude that syn-eruptive vesiculation is a common process in Etnean magmas that may promote a deeper conduit magma fragmentation and increase ash formation

The role of syn-eruptive vesiculation on explosive basaltic activity at Mt. Etna, Italy

We investigated the dynamics of explosive activity at Mt. Etna between 31 August and 14 December 2006 by combining vesicle studies in the erupted products with measurements of the gas composition at the active, summit crater. The analysed scoria clasts present large, connected vesicles with complex shapes and smaller, isolated, spherical vesicles, the content of which increases in scoriae from the most explosive events. Gas geochemistry reports CO2/SO2 and SO2/HCl ratios supporting a deep-derived gas phase for fire-fountain activity. By integrating results from scoria vesiculation and gas analysis we find that the highest energy episodes of Mt. Etna activity in 2006 were driven by a previously accumulated CO2-rich gas phase but we highlight the lesser role of syn-eruptive vesicle nucleation driven by water exsolution during ascent. We conclude that syn-eruptive vesiculation is a common process in Etnean magmas that may promote a deeper conduit magma fragmentation and increase ash formatio

Structural analysis of the intrinsically disordered splicing factor Spp2 and its binding to the DEAH-box ATPase Prp2.

The spliceosome consists of five small RNAs and more than 100 proteins. Almost 50% of the human spliceosomal proteins were predicted to be intrinsically disordered or to contain disordered regions, among them the G-patch protein Spp2. The G-patch region of Spp2 binds to the DEAH-box ATPase Prp2, and both proteins together are essential for promoting the transition from the Bact to the catalytically active B* spliceosome. Here we show by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that Spp2 is intrinsically disordered in solution. Crystal structures of a complex consisting of Prp2-ADP and the G-patch domain of Spp2 demonstrate that the G-patch gains a defined fold when bound to Prp2. While the N-terminal region of the G-patch always folds into an α-helix in five different crystal structures, the C-terminal part is able to adopt two alternative conformations. NMR studies further revealed that the N-terminal part of the Spp2 G-patch, which is the most conserved region in different G-patch proteins, transiently samples helical conformations, possibly facilitating a conformational selection binding mechanism. The structural analysis unveils the role of conserved residues of the G-patch in the dynamic interaction mode of Spp2 with Prp2, which is vital to maintain the binding during the Prp2 domain movements needed for RNA translocation

Molecular characterization of an aggregation-prone variant of alpha-synuclein used to model synucleinopathies

The misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) are thought to be central events in synucleinopathies. The physiological function of aSyn has been related to vesicle binding and trafficking, but the precise molecular mechanisms leading to aSyn pathogenicity are still obscure. In cell models, aSyn does not readily aggregate, even upon overexpression. Therefore, cellular models that enable the study of aSyn aggregation are essential tools for our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern such processes. Here, we investigated the structural features of SynT, an artificial variant of aSyn that has been widely used as a model of aggregation in mammalian cell systems, since it is more prone to aggregation than aSyn. Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy we performed a detailed structural characterization of SynT through a systematic comparison with normal, unmodified aSyn. Interestingly, we found that the conformations adopted by SynT resemble those described for the unmodified protein, demonstrating the usefulness of SynT as a model for aSyn aggregation. However, subtle differences were observed at the N-terminal region involving transient intra and/or intermolecular interactions that are known to regulate aSyn aggregation. Importantly, our results indicate that disturbances in the N-terminal region of SynT, and the consequent decrease in membrane binding of the modified protein, might contribute to the observed aggregation behavior of aSyn, and validate the use of SynT, one of the few models of aSyn aggregation in cultured cells

Prevalence and management of familial hypercholesterolemia in patients with coronary artery disease: The heredity survey

Background and aims Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder characterized by high levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) predisposing to premature cardiovascular disease. Its prevalence varies and has been estimated around 1 in 200\u2013500. The Heredity survey evaluated the prevalence of potential FH and the therapeutic approaches among patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD) in which it is less well documented. Methods Data were collected in patients admitted to programs of rehabilitation and secondary prevention in Italy. Potential FH was estimated using Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) criteria. Potential FH was defined as having a total score 65 6. Results Among the 1438 consecutive patients evaluated, the prevalence of potential FH was 3.7%. The prevalence was inversely related to age, with a putative prevalence of 1:10 in those with 8) had the highest percentages of patients after an ACS (75% vs 52.5% in the whole study population). At discharge, most patients were on high intensity statin therapy, but despite this, potential FH group still had a higher percentage of patients with LDL-C levels not at target and having a distance from the target higher than 50%. Conclusions Among patients with established coronary heart disease, the prevalence of potential FH is higher than in the general population; the results suggest that a correct identification of potential FH, especially in younger patients, may help to better manage their high cardiovascular risk

Gleam: the GLAST Large Area Telescope Simulation Framework

This paper presents the simulation of the GLAST high energy gamma-ray telescope. The simulation package, written in C++, is based on the Geant4 toolkit, and it is integrated into a general framework used to process events. A detailed simulation of the electronic signals inside Silicon detectors has been provided and it is used for the particle tracking, which is handled by a dedicated software. A unique repository for the geometrical description of the detector has been realized using the XML language and a C++ library to access this information has been designed and implemented.Comment: 10 pages, Late

[Standards and outcome measures in cardiovascular rehabilitation. Position paper GICR/IACPR].

Despite major improvements in diagnostics and interventional therapies, cardiovascular diseases remain a major health care and socio-economic problem in Italy. Costs and resources required are increasing in close correlation to both the improved quality of care and to the population ageing. There is an overwhelming evidence of the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in terms of reduction in morbidity and mortality after acute cardiac events. CR services are by definition multi-factorial and comprehensive. Furthermore, systematic analysis and monitoring of the process of delivery and outcomes is of paramount importance. The aim of this position paper promoted by the Italian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (GICR-IACPR) is to provide specific recommendations to assist CR staff in the design, evaluation and development of their care delivery organization. The position paper should also assist health care providers, insurers, policy makers and consumers in the recognition of the quality of care requirements, standards and outcome measure, quality and performance indicators, and professional competence involved in such organization and programs. The position paper i) include comprehensive CR definition and indications, ii) describes priority criteria based on the clinical risk for admission to both inpatient or outpatient CR, and iii) defines components and technological, structural and organizing requirements for inpatient or outpatient CR services, with specific indicators and standards, performance measures and required professional skills. A specific chapter is dedicated to the requirements for highly specialized CR services for patients with more advanced cardiovascular diseases

Challenging the challenge: handling data in the Gigabit/s range

The ALICE experiment at CERN will propose unprecedented requirements for event building and data recording. New technologies will be adopted as well as ad-hoc frameworks, from the acquisition of experimental data up to the transfer onto permanent media and its later access. These issues justify a careful, in-depth planning and preparation. The ALICE Data Challenge is a very important step of this development process where simulated detector data is moved from dummy data sources up to the recording media using processing elements and data-paths as realistic as possible. We will review herein the current status of past, present and future ALICE Data Challenges, with particular reference to the sessions held in 2002 when - for the first time - streams worth one week of ALICE data were recorded onto tape media at sustained rates exceeding 300 MB/s.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 9 pages, PDF. PSN MOGT00