Local seismic response studies in the north-western portion of the August 24th, 2016 Mw 6.0 earthquake affected area. The case of Visso village (Central Apennines).

In this work, we investigate the possible causes of the differential damaging observed in Visso village (Central Apennines, about 28 km north from the August 24th, 2016 Mw 6.0 earthquake epicenter). Following insights from the available geological cartography at 1:10.000 scale, a preliminary geophysical survey has been performed in the damaged area in order to constrain geometries and extent of the subsoil lithotypes. Then, these results have been used to retrieve a Vs profile close to the most heavily damaged buildings. This latter has been used as input for a numerical analysis aimed at deriving the motion at the ground level in the study area. In particular, a linear equivalent simulation has been performed by means of EERA code and the waveform has been obtained convolving the time history recorded during the August 24th, 2016 mainshock at Spoleto Monteluco (SPM) site. Our preliminary results indicate a possible correlation of damaging to the thickness and shape of the geological units. Nevertheless, further analyses are necessary to highlight any 2D basin and / non- linear soil behaviour effects in order to compare them to the intrinsic buildings vulnerability, according to the EMS98 guidelines

Residual peripheral blood CD26+leukemic stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia patients during TKI therapy and during treatment-free remission

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in sustained “deep molecular response” may stop TKI treatment without disease recurrence; however, half of them lose molecular response shortly after TKI withdrawing. Well-defined eligibility criteria to predict a safe discontinuation up-front are still missing. Relapse is probably due to residual quiescent TKI-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs) supposedly transcriptionally low/silent and not easily detectable by BCR-ABL1 qRT-PCR. Bone marrow Ph+ CML CD34+/CD38− LSCs were found to specifically co-express CD26 (dipeptidylpeptidase-IV). We explored feasibility of detecting and quantifying CD26+ LSCs by flow cytometry in peripheral blood (PB). Over 400 CML patients (at diagnosis and during/after therapy) entered this cross-sectional study in which CD26 expression was evaluated by a standardized multiparametric flow cytometry analysis on PB CD45+/CD34+/CD38− stem cell population. All 120 CP-CML patients at diagnosis showed measurable PB CD26+ LSCs (median 19.20/μL, range 0.27–698.6). PB CD26+ LSCs were also detectable in 169/236 (71.6%) CP-CML patients in first-line TKI treatment (median 0.014 cells/μL; range 0.0012–0.66) and in 74/112 (66%), additional patients studied on treatment-free remission (TFR) (median 0.015/μL; range 0.006–0.76). Notably, no correlation between BCR-ABL/ABLIS ratio and number of residual LSCs was found both in patients on or off TKIs. This is the first evidence that “circulating” CML LSCs persist in the majority of CML patients in molecular response while on TKI treatment and even after TKI discontinuation. Prospective studies evaluating the dynamics of PB CD26+ LSCs during TKI treatment and the role of a “stem cell response” threshold to achieve and maintain TFR are ongoing

The upper reference limit for thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies is method-dependent: A collaborative study with biomedical industries

The determination of the upper reference limit (URL) for thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies (TPOAbs) is a contentious issue, because of the difficulty in defining the reference population. The aim of this study was to establish the URL (eURL) for TPOAbs, according to the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) guidelines and to compare them with those obtained in a female counterpart, by the use of six commercial automated platforms

LOCAL SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC SETTINGS BY 1D AND 2D NUMERICAL ANALYSES

In this study, we face the problem of local seismic response in explosive volcanic setting by using an integrated geological-geophysical-geotechnical approach in the test area of Stracciacappa maar (Sabatini Volcanic District, central Italy). Our aim is to understand if the horizontal and vertical chaotic heterogeneity typical of the volcanic deposits influence site response. The Stracciacappa maar is an active eruptive centre characterised by a crater of about 1 km in diameter and a crater floor of about 30-40 m below the rim (De Rita et al. 1983; Sottili et al. 2012). The ring is mainly composed by the pyroclastic succession belonging to the last phreatomagmatic activity. This pyroclastic succession generally bends outward the rim with low angle dip (10-20°). It consists of at least 25 metres thick alternation of decimetre- to centimetre-thick layers of fine-medium ash and small lapilli. The crater depression is filled by epiclastic debris deposits and by recent and present-day lacustrine muds. The epiclastic debris deposits, of alluvial and delta origin, consist of alternation of cm-thick reworked fine-grained and coarse-grained volcaniclastic material, dipping with low-angle (1s) motions, compared to tectonic events of equivalent magnitude (Jousset and Douglas 2007); the unscaled recording at Bronte Station (BNT in ITACA database, http://itaca.mi.ingv.it) of the ML=4.4 October 27, 2002 event was employed; 2) a high magnitude far-field “tectonic” event (tectonic scenario), whose reference spectrum was built with Ground Motion Prediction Equations (Ambraseys et al., 2005) assuming M=6.5 and distance of 70 km. These conditions are compatible with seismogenic sources located in central Apennines of Italy. Three unscaled recordings of events characterised by magnitude and distance in the range of 6-7 and 60-90 km, respectively, were extracted from ITACA database (http://itaca.mi.ingv.it), matching on average the reference spectrum Two subsoil models have been considered: a detailed model (based on distribution of the lithotypes unravelled by the geological survey) and a simplified one (obtained by grouping interfingering lithotypes resting below the lacustrine silty clays). The result show that the two models have similar response in all range of the interesting period (0.1-1.0s); the damping properties of soft clays and sands deposits in the upper meters reduce the difference in the seismic response at the surface of both models. The results suggest the possibility to simplify the heterogeneous distribution of deposits in this volcanic context for assessment of seismic response purposes. Finally, we carried out both linear and equivalent linear analyses in one-dimensional and bi-dimensional conditions, in order to investigate the bidimensional effects and the role of nonlinearity on the seismic response,. In linear case the behaviour of soils was assumed linear visco-elastic with small strain damping ratio values D0; amplification factors higher than 10 were reached at 2 Hz at soft clays surface in correspondence of the centre and western edge of the maar in bi-dimensional analysis, whereas the 2D/1D ratios were in the order of 2-3 around 2 Hz with maximum values at the maar edges. In the nonlinear analyses, the maximum amplifications dropped below 10 and the 2D effects (i.e., 2D/1D ratios) were generally lower than 2 in the whole range of frequency

Studi di teoria e storia letteraria in onore di Pieter de Meijer

The pathogenesis of the adrenocortical cancer (ACC) involves integration of molecular signals and the interplay of different downstream pathways (i.e. IGFII/IGF1R, β-catenin, Wnt, ESR1). This tumor is characterized by limited therapeutic options and unsuccessful treatments. A useful strategy to develop an effective therapy for ACC is to identify a common downstream target of these multiple pathways. A good candidate could be the transcription factor estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) because of its ability to regulate energy metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis and signalings related to cancer progression. In this study we tested the effect of ERRα inverse agonist, XCT790, on the proliferation of H295R adrenocortical cancer cell line. Results from in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that XCT790 reduced H295R cell growth. The inhibitory effect was associated with impaired cell cycle progression which was not followed by any apoptotic event. Instead, incomplete autophagy and cell death by a necrotic processes, as a consequence of the cell energy failure, induced by pharmacological reduction of ERRα was evidenced. Our results indicate that therapeutic strategies targeting key factors such as ERRα that control the activity and signaling of bioenergetics processes in high-energy demanding tumors could represent an innovative/alternative therapy for the treatment of ACC

Local seismic hazard assessment in explosive volcanic settings by 1d and 2d numerical analyses

In this study, we face the problem of local seismic response in explosive volcanic setting by using an integrated geological-geophysical-geotechnical approach in the test area of Stracciacappa maar (Sabatini Volcanic District, central Italy). Our aim is to understand if the horizontal and vertical chaotic heterogeneity typical of the volcanic deposits influence site response. The Stracciacappa maar is an active eruptive centre characterised by a crater of about 1 km in diameter and a crater floor of about 30-40 m below the rim (De Rita et al. 1983; Sottili et al. 2012). The ring is mainly composed by the pyroclastic succession belonging to the last phreatomagmatic activity. This pyroclastic succession generally bends outward the rim with low angle dip (10-20°). It consists of at least 25 metres thick alternation of decimetre- to centimetre-thick layers of fine-medium ash and small lapilli. The crater depression is filled by epiclastic debris deposits and by recent and present-day lacustrine muds. The epiclastic debris deposits, of alluvial and delta origin, consist of alternation of cm-thick reworked fine-grained and coarse-grained volcaniclastic material, dipping with low-angle (1s) motions, compared to tectonic events of equivalent magnitude (Jousset and Douglas 2007); the unscaled recording at Bronte Station (BNT in ITACA database, http://itaca.mi.ingv.it) of the ML=4.4 October 27, 2002 event was employed; 2) a high magnitude far-field “tectonic” event (tectonic scenario), whose reference spectrum was built with Ground Motion Prediction Equations (Ambraseys et al., 2005) assuming M=6.5 and distance of 70 km. These conditions are compatible with seismogenic sources located in central Apennines of Italy. Three unscaled recordings of events characterised by magnitude and distance in the range of 6-7 and 60-90 km, respectively, were extracted from ITACA database (http://itaca.mi.ingv.it), matching on average the reference spectrum Two subsoil models have been considered: a detailed model (based on distribution of the lithotypes unravelled by the geological survey) and a simplified one (obtained by grouping interfingering lithotypes resting below the lacustrine silty clays). The result show that the two models have similar response in all range of the interesting period (0.1-1.0s); the damping properties of soft clays and sands deposits in the upper meters reduce the difference in the seismic response at the surface of both models. The results suggest the possibility to simplify the heterogeneous distribution of deposits in this volcanic context for assessment of seismic response purposes. Finally, we carried out both linear and equivalent linear analyses in one-dimensional and bi-dimensional conditions, in order to investigate the bidimensional effects and the role of nonlinearity on the seismic response,. In linear case the behaviour of soils was assumed linear visco-elastic with small strain damping ratio values D0; amplification factors higher than 10 were reached at 2 Hz at soft clays surface in correspondence of the centre and western edge of the maar in bi-dimensional analysis, whereas the 2D/1D ratios were in the order of 2-3 around 2 Hz with maximum values at the maar edges. In the nonlinear analyses, the maximum amplifications dropped below 10 and the 2D effects (i.e., 2D/1D ratios) were generally lower than 2 in the whole range of frequency

Diabetes Affects Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Older Residents of Long-term Care Facilities: Data From the GeroCovid Vax Study

Objective: Type 2 diabetes may affect the humoral immune response after vaccination, but data concerning coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccines are scarce. We evaluated the impact of diabetes on antibody response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination in older residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and tested for differences according to antidiabetic treatment. Research design and methods: For this analysis, 555 older residents of LTCFs participating in the GeroCovid Vax study were included. SARS-CoV-2 trimeric S immunoglobulin G (anti-S IgG) concentrations using chemiluminescent assays were tested before the first dose and after 2 and 6 months. The impact of diabetes on anti-S IgG levels was evaluated using linear mixed models, which included the interaction between time and presence of diabetes. A second model also considered diabetes treatment: no insulin therapy (including dietary only or use of oral antidiabetic agents) and insulin therapy (alone or in combination with oral antidiabetic agents). Results: The mean age of the sample was 82.1 years, 68.1% were women, and 25.2% had diabetes. In linear mixed models, presence of diabetes was associated with lower anti-S IgG levels at 2 (β = -0.20; 95% CI -0.34, -0.06) and 6 months (β = -0.22; 95% CI -0.37, -0.07) after the first vaccine dose. Compared with those without diabetes, residents with diabetes not using insulin had lower IgG levels at 2- and 6-month assessments (β = -0.24; 95% CI -0.43, -0.05 and β = -0.30; 95% CI -0.50, -0.10, respectively), whereas no differences were observed for those using insulin. Conclusions: Older residents of LTCFs with diabetes tended to have weaker antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination. Insulin treatment might buffer this effect and establish humoral immunity similar to that in individuals without diabetes

I tumori in Italia. Rapporto 2011: La sopravvivenza dei pazienti oncologici in Italia

INTRODUCTION: population-based survival analyses are fundamental to assess the impact of public health interventions and new therapies in cancer control. This monograph updates previous reports on cancer patient survival in Italy up to the year 2007. MATERIAL AND METHODS: we extracted from the Network of Italian Cancer Registries (AIRTUM) database over 1,490,000 records of tumours diagnosed during 1990-2007 and followed up to the end of 2008, including all multiple tumours. We used the Ederer II method to estimate relative survival (RS) for 29 different types of neoplasm. Five-year relative survival rates were analysed by gender and macroarea. Trends in 5-, 10- and 15-year RS were studied by gender over six 3-year diagnostic periods, from 1990 to 2007. Conditional 5-year RS was also computed by gender and macroarea. Hybrid approaches were applied to exploit the recent survival experiences of cases diagnosed up to 2007. Adjustment for age was performed using EUROCARE weights. Additional sections describe cancer patient survival in childhood and in elderly patients and provide a comparison of cancer patient survival rates in Italy with those of other countries. RESULTS: Standardized 5-year RS for all tumours but skin in 52% for men and 61% for women. Patient survival has improved for almost all types of cancer: from 1990 to 2007 5-year RS has increased by 15% for all cancers but skin; the exceptions are some cancers with poor prognosis, where patient survival has remained basically unchanged. In males, RS was usually lower than in females, but trend analysis shows that the gap is narrowing. We also report persisting lower RS in southern Italy: 5-year RS in the South is usually from 4% to 10% lower than in the North and Centre. CONCLUSION: this study provides valuable information for all stakeholders in cancer control, both in Italy and elsewhere. Increasing survival reflects improvements in various areas of cancer control. On the other hand, delayed diagnosis and suboptimal management are consistent with the reported differences in survival within the country