Star formation triggered by SN explosions: an application to the stellar association of β\beta Pictoris

In the present study, considering the physical conditions that are relevant in interactions between supernova remnants (SNRs) and dense molecular clouds for triggering star formation we have built a diagram of SNR radius versus cloud density in which the constraints above delineate a shaded zone where star formation is allowed. We have also performed fully 3-D radiatively cooling numerical simulations of the impact between SNRs and clouds under different initial conditions in order to follow the initial steps of these interactions. We determine the conditions that may lead either to cloud collapse and star formation or to complete cloud destruction and find that the numerical results are consistent with those of the SNR-cloud density diagram. Finally, we have applied the results above to the $\beta-$Pictoris stellar association which is composed of low mass Post-T Tauri stars with an age of 11 Myr. It has been recently suggested that its formation could have been triggered by the shock wave produced by a SN explosion localized at a distance of about 62 pc that may have occurred either in the Lower Centaurus Crux (LCC) or in the Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL) which are both nearby older subgroups of that association (Ortega and co-workers). Using the results of the analysis above we have shown that the suggested origin for the young association at the proposed distance is plausible only for a very restricted range of initial conditions for the parent molecular cloud, i.e., a cloud with a radius of the order of 10 pc and density of the order of 20 cm$^{-3}$ and a temperature of the order of 50$-$100 K.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, to appear in MNRA

Comparison of the distribution of non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Europe

To evaluate whether some form of mild immunosuppression may influence the geographical distribution of non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), we correlated incidence rates of KS and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in individuals aged 60 or more in 18 European countries and Israel. Significant positive correlations emerged but, within highest risk countries (i.e.Italy and Israel), internal correlations were inconsistent. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

A Game based Learning Model for Entrepreneurship Education

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Leanness and squamous cell oesophageal cancer

Background: Squamous cell oesophageal cancer is one of the few neoplasms inversely related to body mass index (BMI). However, it is not clear whether this is due to cancer-related weight loss or to other correlates of leanness. Patients and methods: 395 incident, histologically confirmed cases of squamous cell oesophageal cancer and 1,066 controls, admitted for acute, non-neoplastic diseases, in Italy and Switzerland. Odds ratios (ORs) were derived from multiple logistic regression, including terms for education, tobacco, alcohol, non-alcohol energy, fruit and vegetable intake Results: The ORs for the lowest vs. the highest quartile of BMI in the year before diagnosis were 2.0 in men, 1.6 in women, and 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.9) in both sexes combined. The association with leanness was stronger in heavy smokers, but was not accounted for by smoking and drinking, nor by differences in diet. Weight change in the decade prior to diagnosis showed no linear association with risk. However, cases were not leaner than controls at age 30 (OR = 0.6 for the lowest BMI quartile) and 50 (OR = 1.1). Conclusions: Leanness appears to be an indicator of squamous cell oesophageal carcinogenesis. However, low BMI in the distant past was unrelated to oesophageal cancer ris

Characterization of the transcriptome of fast and slow muscle myotomal fibres in the pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

MDPS and EAM were supported by FAPESP, Proc. n° 12/02489-4 and 2011/09346-1. This work also received funding from CAPES, Proc. n° 2524/12. IAJ and DGDLS were supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland pooling initiative and Scottish Funding Council grant number HR09011.Background: The Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) is a member of the Characiform family native to the Prata Basin (South America) and a target for the aquaculture industry. A limitation for the development of a selective breeding program for this species is a lack of available genetic information. The primary objectives of the present study were 1) to increase the genetic resources available for the species, 2) to exploit the anatomical separation of myotomal fibres types to compare the transcriptomes of slow and fast muscle phenotypes and 3) to systematically investigate the expression of Ubiquitin Specific Protease (USP) family members in fast and slow muscle in response to fasting and refeeding. Results: We generated 0.6 Tb of pair-end reads from slow and fast skeletal muscle libraries. Over 665 million reads were assembled into 504,065 contigs with an average length of 1,334 bp and N50=2,772 bp. We successfully annotated nearly 47% of the transcriptome and identified around 15,000 unique genes and over 8000 complete coding sequences. 319 KEGG metabolic pathways were also annotated and 380 putative microsatellites were identified. 956 and 604 genes were differentially expressed between slow and fast skeletal muscle, respectively. 442 paralogues pairs arising from the teleost-specific whole genome duplication were identified, with the majority showing different expression patterns between fibres types (301 in slow and 245 in fast skeletal muscle). 45 members of the USP family were identified in the transcriptome. Transcript levels were quantified by qPCR in a separate fasting and refeeding experiment. USP genes in fast muscle showed a similar transient increase in expression with fasting as the better characterized E3 ubiquitin ligases. Conclusion: We have generated a 53-fold coverage transcriptome for fast and slow myotomal muscle in the pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) significantly increasing the genetic resources available for this important aquaculture species. We describe significant differences in gene expression between muscle fibre types for fundamental components of general metabolism, the Pi3k/Akt/mTor network and myogenesis, including detailed analysis of paralogue expression. We also provide a comprehensive description of USP family member expression between muscle fibre types and with changing nutritional status.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Leanness as early marker of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx

Summary Background: It is not clear whether the purported association of leanness with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx was due to cancer-related weight loss or to the influence of factors associated with leanness. Patients and methods: Seven hundred fifty-four incident cases of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx and 1775 controls, admitted to hospital for acute, non-neoplastic diseases, in Italy and Switzerland. Questionnaire included height, lifetime history of weight and of physical activity, waist and hip measurements, and a validated food-frequency section. Results: Leanness at diagnosis was associated with elevated risk in men (adjusted odds ratio, OR for 5-unit decrease in body-mass index, BMI = 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-2.2 in men). Male cases were significantly leaner than control subjects at the age of 30 and of 50. Thinner women also had an increased risk, but the inverse association with BMI was non linear. In both sexes, the association with leanness was restricted to smokers and moderate/heavy drinkers, but was not accounted for by drinking and smoking habits, nor by differences in physical activity or dietary habits. Conclusions: Leanness appears to be an early marker of some unknown biological effect of smoking and/or of alcohol abuse, which may contribute to the prediction of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx. Cessation of smoking and substantial reduction of alcohol intake may improve nutritional status, besides stopping carcinogen exposur

Non-pharmaceutical Interventions and the Infodemic on Twitter: Lessons Learned from Italy during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic changed expectations for information dissemination and use around the globe, challenging accepted models of communications, leadership, and social systems. We explore how social media discourse about COVID-19 in Italy was affected by the rapid spread of the virus, and how themes in postings changed with the adoption of social distancing measures and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI). We used topic modeling and social network analysis to highlight critical dimensions of conversations around COVID-19: 1) topics in social media postings about the Coronavirus; 2) the scope and reach of social networks; and 3) changes in social media content as the nation moved from partial to full social distancing. Twitter messages sent in Italy between February 11th and March 10th, 2020. 74,306 Tweets sent by institutions, news sources, elected officials, scientists and social media influencers. Messages were retweeted more than 1.2 million times globally. Non-parametric chi-square statistic with residual analysis to identify categories, chi-square test for linear trend, and Social Network Graphing. The first phase of the pandemic was dominated by social media influencers, followed by a focus on the economic consequences of the virus and placing blame on immigrants. As the crisis deepened, science-based themes began to predominate, with a focus on reducing the spread of the virus through physical distancing and business closures Our findings highlight the importance of messaging in social media in gaining the public’s trust and engagement during a pandemic. This requires credible scientific voices to garner public support for effective mitigation. Fighting the spread of an infectious disease goes hand in hand with stemming the dissemination of lies, bad science, and misdirection

Tailoring morphology and mechanical properties of PLA/PBSA blends optimizing the twin-screw extrusion processing parameters aided by a 1D simulation software

To promote sustainability, the adoption of biobased and biodegradable plastics is a compelling solution. However, the successful utilization of these materials is contingent upon achieving desired properties and the ability to scale up production processes. Particularly in the case of blend systems, synergising the advantages of different polymers is essential. Moreover, assessing processing behavior and optimizing parameters are pivotal. This study aims to improve the extrusion process parameters selection using a 1D software-assisted Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA), varying PLA/PBSA ratios, were analysed simplifying and expediting the parameters selection. Remarkably, even in the absence of compatibility agents, this work demonstrates the potential to modify the structure, thereby influencing properties and performance by manipulating the process conditions