Rapid copper acquisition by developing murine mesothelioma: Decreasing bioavailable copper slows tumor growth, normalizes vessels and promotes T cell infiltration

Copper, an essential trace element acquired through nutrition, is an important co-factor for pro-angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Decreasing bioavailable copper has been used as an antiangiogenic and anti-cancer strategy with promising results. However, the role of copper and its potential as a therapy in mesothelioma is not yet well understood. Therefore, we monitored copper levels in progressing murine mesothelioma tumors and analyzed the effects of lowering bioavailable copper. Copper levels in tumors and organs were assayed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mesothelioma tumors rapidly sequestered copper at early stages of development, the copper was then dispersed throughout growing tumor tissues. These data imply that copper uptake may play an important role in early tumor development. Lowering bioavailable copper using the copper chelators, penicillamine, trientine or tetrathiomolybdate, slowed in vivo mesothelioma growth but did not provide any cures similar to using cisplatin chemotherapy or anti-VEGF receptor antibody therapy. The impact of copper lowering on tumor blood vessels and tumor infiltrating T cells was measured using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Copper lowering was associated with reduced tumor vessel diameter, reduced endothelial cell proliferation (reduced Ki67 expression) and lower surface ICAM/CD54 expression implying reduced endothelial cell activation, in a process similar to endothelial normalization. Copper lowering was also associated with a CD4+ T cell infiltrate. In conclusion, these data suggest copper lowering is a potentially useful anti-mesothelioma treatment strategy that slows tumor growth to provide a window of opportunity for inclusion of other treatment modalities to improve patient outcomes

Containing urban expansion: Densification vs greenfield development, sociodemographic transformations and the economic crisis in a Southern European City, 2006–2015

none2noSelf-contained urban expansion is associated with accelerated (or decelerated) rates of metropolitan growth depending on the different phases of the economic cycle; self-contained growth is usually more intense during recessions. To verify such framework, a specific approach based on novel indicators of urban growth (2006–2015) was illustrated and applied to a metropolitan region in southern Europe (Athens, Greece) experiencing progressively worst economic conditions as a consequence of the 2007 crisis. This approach allows assessment of greenfield development and densification processes – intended as a specific form of brownfield development – at municipal level, with the aim to relate such patterns with the socioeconomic local context. The empirical results of this study outlined that total urban expansion decreased over time with greenfield development. The share of brownfield development in total urban expansion was relatively low in the first time interval and increased afterwards, fuelling metropolitan growth in a period characterized by a generalized decline of building activity. High per-capita income and local specialization in advanced services were characteristic traits of peri-urban districts with a particularly high rate of brownfield development. A comparative analysis of spatial patterns of greenfield and brownfield development forms a basic knowledge informing strategies that promote self-contained urban expansion.noneLuca Salvati; Giuseppe Ricciardo LamonicaSalvati, Luca; RICCIARDO LAMONICA, Giusepp

Christine Ricciardo Interview for the Veterans\u27 Voices Project

Christine Ricciardo (DOB: September 7, 1962) enlisted in the United States Air Force on January 15, 1981. She served in Texas, Mississippi, California, Japan, Greece, Maryland, and Ohio. Ricciardo attended Administrative and Courier Training, and served with the Honor Guard. She retired from the Air Force on February 1, 2001 at the rank of E-6.https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/veterans_voices/1057/thumbnail.jp

An attempt to quantify the technological change in Italy through a multisectoral framework: a comparative analysis.

From the study of the recent technological progress, it emerges, within the scholars, the idea of a fourth industrial revolution, centred on the digitalisation of the productive processes. This revolution is aimed to lead the transfer from the Human to Machine to the Machine-to-Machine Revolution. This phase is anticipated by a preparatory phase of provision of new tools for the information and communication, which constitute the instruments through which this technological advance can be realized, sometimes referred as the third industrial revolution. On the applied side, the Global competitive index ranking of 2019, evaluates the economic and technological performance of the different countries of the world. This is done based on various parameters among which Innovation Capability and ICT adoption. According to this ranking Italy is graded at the 30th place (53rd in ICT adoption and 22nd place in Innovation Capability). The aim of this work is to evaluate quantitatively, as possible, the place of the Italian economy in implementing the Information and Communication Technology, comparing the Italian outcomes with those of The Netherlands, a European country that has gained a position among other countries. The Netherlands, in fact, occupy the 4th place, behind Singapore, the United States and Hong Kong, overtaking Germany and Switzerland. Its innovation capability is at 10th place in the world and its ICT adoption is at 24th place. The analysis adopts the multisectoral Input-Output viewpoint, starting from the last available Input- Output Flow Tables retrieved from the WIOD database. This database provides a homogeneous statistical basis from which the sectoral macroeconomic results of the two countries can be conveniently compared. A preliminary comparison is centred on the sectoral composition of the main macroeconomic variables in order to identify for each macro-variable its structural content with adjustments according to the dimension of each economy. The analysis continues with the interindustry linkages determination, whose results could confirm and detail the different position of the two economies in the world ranking. A further development of this work would be moving the linkage analysis to the global value chain. To this aim, the role of linkages shift from an inter-sectoral perspective to an intercountry one. The global value chain, in fact, includes both “upstream” activities, identified by the backward linkages. Through them a country, in fact a supplier, exports intermediate goods to another country, identified as “downstream” producer, which refine the good to the aim of further export. WIOD database seem to provide convenient aggregation for both the linkage analysis and the global value chain, through import by commodity, country of origin and country of destination

Understanding, promoting and supporting LGBTQI+ diversity in legal education

Australian law schools are becoming increasingly diverse. Yet, there is very little quantitative or qualitative data on diversity in law schools and even less research examining how students’ diverse backgrounds and social identities–including their sexual orientation and gender identity–affect their law student experience. This article begins to fill this gap in the literature by reporting the findings from a study examining the law school experiences of LGBTQI+ students at all law schools within a single Australian state. The study reveals that much of the law school experience is similar for both LGBTQI+ and non-LGBTQI+ students, and that LGBTQI+ law students generally perceive law school to be an accepting and equitable environment. However, compared to their non-LGBTQI+ peers, LGBTQI+ law students self-censor more often, witness more bullying and harassment, and feel more stress when interacting with academic staff. Based on the findings from the study, the article suggests strategies law schools might consider to support LGBTQI+ diversity, visibly promote acceptance of “otherness” in tangible ways, and ensure a safe learning environment in which all students can flourish