Bedding control on landslides: A methodological approach for computer-aided mapping analysis

Litho-structural control on the spatial and temporal evolution of landslides is one of the major typical aspects on slopes constituted of structurally complex sequences. Mainly focused on instabilities of the earth flow type, a semi-quantitative analysis has been developed with the purpose of identifying and characterizing litho-structural control exerted by bedding on slopes and its effects on landsliding. In quantitative terms, a technique for azimuth data interpolation, Non-continuous Azimuth Distribution Methodological Approach (NADIA), is presented by means of a GIS software application. In addition, processed by NADIA, two indexes have been determined: (i) Δ, aimed at defining the relationship between the orientation of geological bedding planes and slope aspect, and (ii) C, which recognizes localized slope sectors in which the stony component of structurally complex formations is abundant and therefore operates an evolutive control of landslide masses. Furthermore, some Litho-Structural Models (LSMs) of slopes are proposed aiming at characterizing recurrent forms of structural control in the source, channel and deposition areas of gravitational movements. In order to elaborate evolutive models controlling landslide scenarios, LSMs were qualitatively related and compared with Δ and C; quantitative indexes. The methodological procedure has been applied to a lithostructurally complex area of Southern Italy where data about azimuth measurements and landslide mapping were known. It was found that the proposed methodology enables the recognition of typical control conditions on landslides in relation to the LSMs. Different control patterns on landslide shape and on style and distribution of the activity resulted for each LSM. This provides the possibility for first-order identification to be made of the spatial evolution of landslide bodies. © Author(s) 2011

The Association Between Body Composition and Acute Mountain Sickness

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Microglia-derived TNFα induces apoptosis in neural precursor cells via transcriptional activation of the Bcl-2 family member Puma

Neuroinflammation is a common feature of acute neurological conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injury, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that acute neuroinflammation can adversely affect the survival of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and thereby limit the capacity for regeneration and repair. However, the mechanisms by which neuroinflammatory processes induce NPC death remain unclear. Microglia are key mediators of neuroinflammation and when activated to induce a pro-inflammatory state produce a number of factors that could affect NPC survival. Importantly, in the present study we demonstrate that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) produced by lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia is necessary and sufficient to trigger apoptosis in mouse NPCs in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrate that microglia-derived TNFα induces NPC apoptosis via a mitochondrial pathway regulated by the Bcl-2 family protein Bax. BH3-only proteins are known to play a key role in regulating Bax activation and we demonstrate that microglia-derived TNFα induces the expression of the BH3-only family member Puma in NPCs via an NF-jB-dependent mechanism. Specifically, we show that NF-jB is activated in NPCs treated with conditioned media from activated microglia and that Puma induction and NPC apoptosis is blocked by the NF-jB inhibitor BAY-117082. Importantly, we have determined that NPC apoptosis induced by activated microglia-derived TNFα is attenuated in Puma-deficient NPCs, indicating that Puma induction is required for NPC death. Consistent with this, we demonstrate that Puma-deficient NPCs exhibit an B13-fold increase in survival as compared with wild-type NPCs following transplantation into the inflammatory environment of the injured spinal cord in vivo. In summary, we have identified a key signaling pathway that regulates neuroinflammation induced apoptosis in NPCs in vitro and in vivo that could be targeted to promote regeneration and repair in diverse neurological conditions

UV irradiated graphene-based nanocomposites: Change in the mechanical properties by local harmoniX atomic force microscopy detection

Epoxy based coatings are susceptible to ultra violet (UV) damage and their durability can be significantly reduced in outdoor environments. This paper highlights a relevant property of graphene-based nanoparticles: Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) incorporated in an epoxy-based free-standing film determine a strong decrease of the mechanical damages caused by UV irradiation. The effects of UV light on the morphology and mechanical properties of the solidified nanocharged epoxy films are investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), in the acquisition mode "HarmoniX." Nanometric-resolved maps of the mechanical properties of the multi-phase material evidence that the incorporation of low percentages, between 0.1% and 1.0% by weight, of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in the polymeric film causes a relevant enhancement in the mechanical stability of the irradiated films. The beneficial effect progressively increases with increasing GNP percentage. The paper also highlights the potentiality of AFM microscopy, in the acquisition mode "HarmoniX" for studying multiphase polymeric systems

Remote sensing monitoring of the Pietrafitta earth flows in Southern Italy. An integrated approach based on multi-sensor data

Earth flows are complex gravitational events characterised by a heterogeneous displacement pattern in terms of scale, style, and orientation. As a result, their monitoring, for both knowledge and emergency purposes, represents a relevant challenge in the field of engineering geology. This paper aims to assess the capabilities, peculiarities, and limitations of different remote sensing monitoring techniques through their application to the Pietrafitta earth flow (Southern Italy). The research compared and combined data collected during the main landslide reactivations by different ground-based remote sensors such as Robotic Total Station (R-TS), Terrestrial Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (T-InSAR), and Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), with data being derived by satellite-based Digital Image Correlation (DIC) analysis. The comparison between R-TS and T-InSAR measurements showed that, despite their different spatial and temporal resolutions, the observed deformation trends remain approximately coherent. On the other hand, DIC analysis was able to detect a kinematic process, such as the expansion of the landslide channel, which was not detected by the other techniques used. The results suggest that, when faced with complex events, the use of a single monitoring technique may not be enough to fully observe and understand the processes taking place. Therefore, the limitations of each different technique alone can be solved by a multi-sensor monitoring approach

Diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis: MRI in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Recent changes in the understanding and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) have increased the role of MRI in supporting diagnosis and disease monitoring. However, published guidelines on the use of MRI in MS do not translate easily into different clinical settings and considerable variation in practice remains. Here, informed by published guidelines for the use of MRI in MS, we identified a clinically informative MRI protocol applicable in a variety of clinical settings, from district general hospitals to tertiary centres. METHODS: MS specialists geographically representing the UK National Health Service and with expertise in MRI examined existing guidelines on the use of MRI in MS and identification of challenges in their applications in various clinical settings informed the formulation of a feasible MRI protocol. RESULTS: We identified a minimum set of MRI information, based on clinical relevance, as well as on applicability to various clinical settings. This informed the selection of MRI acquisitions for scanning protocols, differentiated on the basis of their purpose and stage of the disease, and indication of timing for scans. Advice on standardisation of MRI requests and reporting, and proposed timing and frequency of MRI scans were generated. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed MRI protocol can adapt to a range of clinical settings, aiding the impetus towards standardisation of practice and offering an example of research-informed service improvement to support optimisation of resources. Other neurological conditions, where a gap still exists between published guidelines and their clinical implementation, may benefit from this same approach

TOWARDS BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE XENOME ELUCIDATION IN PLANTS AND GREEN MICROALGAE

In only 12,000 years the Homo sapiens sapiens has completely modified the face of the Earth. The human pressure on the atmosphere, water and soil has been accelerate from the industrial revolution from which chemicals and energy have been released in the environment. Therefore, chemical environmental pollution and world climate changes are two of the main concerns that modern human must deal. Among chemicals released in the ecosystem the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) have gathered significant environment concerns for their detrimental biological effects, toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. The distribution of PAHs in the three environment compartments is related to the number of fused benzene rings. Two or three benzene rings have been occurring in the atmosphere whereas 5 or more rings are largely bounds in the soil particles. Intermediate, 4-rings, such as benz(a)anthracene (B[a]A) are partitioned between air and soil. The molecular mechanism involved to degrade PAHs into less toxic compounds by bacteria and fungi in soil has been elucidated. On the other hands, the metabolism of PAHs in plant and microalgae remain unknown. Signalling, transport, biotransformation of PAHs to less toxic molecules and compartmentalization are the main steps involved for their detoxification in photosynthetic cell. The expression of genes involved in these xenobiotics detoxification steps constitutes the xenome. The final aim of this work is to determine the B[a]A xenome in plants of tomato and in microalgae. So far, we have assessed the ability of tomato plants to grow in vitro and take up the B[a]A. Tomato seedlings were transplanted to MS medium added with 50 and 100 μg g -1 B[a]A and cultivated for 30 days. The detection of B[a]A in shoots infer a translocation from roots to shoots. However, the content of the PAH in shoots was much lower than in the root apparatus indicating that B[a]A was translocated very little from roots to shoots. The identification of microalgae species B[a]A capable of growing in presence of has been performed on 14 different species belonging to the genera Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Chlamydomonas, Ankistrodesmus, Botriococcus and Selenastrum, with six different concentrations of B[a]A. Four microalgae species showed a growth inhibition percentage less than 50% in a medium containing 43.8 μM B[a]A. The capacity to degrade B[a]A and affect the photosynthetic pigment content has been evaluated in the identified microalgae grown for 21 days in the medium containing B[a]A. The four microalgae strains reached 90% B[a]A degradation. Then, in silico analysis was carried out on C. reinhardtii proteome to identify potential laccase involved in the degradation process. Finally, the response of intracellular and extracellular activity in the absence and presence of the B[a]A was analysed by ABTS and 2,6-DMP assays

Mitochondrial apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 enhances mtDNA repair contributing to cell proliferation and mitochondrial integrity in early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of primary liver cancers. Surveillance of individuals at specific risk of developing HCC, early diagnostic markers, and new therapeutic approaches are essential to obtain a reduction in disease-related mortality. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) expression levels and its cytoplasmic localization have been reported to correlate with a lower degree of differentiation and shorter survival rate. The aim of this study is to fully investigate, for the first time, the role of the mitochondrial form of APE1 in HCC. Methods: As a study model, we analyzed samples from a cohort of patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent surgical resection. Mitochondrial APE1 content, expression levels of the mitochondrial import protein Mia40, and mtDNA damage of tumor tissue and distal non-tumor liver of each patient were analyzed. In parallel, we generated a stable HeLa clone for inducible silencing of endogenous APE1 and re-expression of the recombinant shRNA resistant mitochondrially targeted APE1 form (MTS-APE1). We evaluated mtDNA damage, cell growth, and mitochondrial respiration. Results: APE1's cytoplasmic positivity in Grades 1 and 2 HCC patients showed a significantly higher expression of mitochondrial APE1, which accounted for lower levels of mtDNA damage observed in the tumor tissue with respect to the distal area. In the contrast, the cytoplasmic positivity in Grade 3 was not associated with APE1's mitochondrial accumulation even when accounting for the higher number of mtDNA lesions measured. Loss of APE1 expression negatively affected mitochondrial respiration, cell viability, and proliferation as well as levels of mtDNA damage. Remarkably, the phenotype was efficiently rescued in MTS-APE1 clone, where APE1 is present only within the mitochondrial matrix. Conclusions: Our study confirms the prominent role of the mitochondrial form of APE1 in the early stages of HCC development and the relevance of the non-nuclear fraction of APE1 in the disease progression. We have also confirmed overexpression of Mia40 and the role of the MIA pathway in the APE1 import process. Based on our data, inhibition of the APE1 transport by blocking the MIA pathway could represent a new therapeutic approach for reducing mitochondrial metabolism by preventing the efficient repair of mtDNA

A Thalamic Reticular Circuit for Head Direction Cell Tuning and Spatial Navigation.

As we navigate in space, external landmarks and internal information guide our movement. Circuit and synaptic mechanisms that integrate these cues with head-direction (HD) signals remain, however, unclear. We identify an excitatory synaptic projection from the presubiculum (PreS) and the multisensory-associative retrosplenial cortex (RSC) to the anterodorsal thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), so far classically implied in gating sensory information flow. In vitro, projections to TRN involve AMPA/NMDA-type glutamate receptors that initiate TRN cell burst discharge and feedforward inhibition of anterior thalamic nuclei. In vivo, chemogenetic anterodorsal TRN inhibition modulates PreS/RSC-induced anterior thalamic firing dynamics, broadens the tuning of thalamic HD cells, and leads to preferential use of allo- over egocentric search strategies in the Morris water maze. TRN-dependent thalamic inhibition is thus an integral part of limbic navigational circuits wherein it coordinates external sensory and internal HD signals to regulate the choice of search strategies during spatial navigation

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Surgical Site Infection after Cardiac Surgery in the COVID-19 Era: A Case Report

Infection of surgical wounds with acid-fast bacilli, including tubercle bacilli, is rare, and is poorly described in the literature. We present the case of a 74-year-old male who developed a sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, diagnosed post-mortem. SARS-CoV-2 infection contributed to worsened clinical conditions and surgical site infection. A high degree of suspicion to avoid unnecessary treatments and progression to severe disease with dismal prognosis is necessary in these types of infections