New Synthetic Endocannabinoid as Anti-Inflammaging Cosmetic Active: an In Vitro Study on a Reconstructed Skin Model

Endocannabinoids have been recently appointed as interesting cosmetic actives in regulating inflammaging, a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, known for being involved in many senescence\u2019s manifestations, included skin aging. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-inflammaging activity of a new synthetic endocannabinoid, Isopalmide\uae, on a reconstructed skin model, on which inflammaging has been reproduced through UVA radiation and light mechanical stress. We tested Isopalmide\uae both as a single active and conveyed in a cosmetic product, in comparison with Anandamide, a well-known natural endocannabinoid with anti-inflammatory action. The anti-inflammaging activity of topically applied products has been assessed, after 6 hours of treatment post-irradiation, through the transcriptional modification of genes involved in the NF-\u3baB pathway and the epigenetic pathway targeting miRs as potential biomarkers of inflammaging: miR-21, miR-126 and miR-146a. The results confirmed the anti-inflammatory action of Anandamide which inhibits NF-\u3baB, while Isopalmide\uae showed its anti-inflammaging activity through the establishment of an inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance by maintaining NF-\u3baB inactive in the cytoplasm and active in the nucleus. The anti-inflammaging activity was shown also by the cosmetic product containing Isopalmide

A Theoretical Prediction of the Bs-Meson Lifetime Difference

We present the results of a quenched lattice calculation of the operator matrix elements relevant for predicting the Bs width difference. Our main result is (\Delta\Gamma_Bs/\Gamma_Bs)= (4.7 +/- 1.5 +/- 1.6) 10^(-2), obtained from the ratio of matrix elements, R(m_b)=/<\bar B_s^0|Q_L|B_s^0>=-0.93(3)^(+0.00)_(-0.01). R(m_b) was evaluated from the two relevant B-parameters, B_S^{MSbar}(m_b)=0.86(2)^(+0.02)_(-0.03) and B_Bs^{MSbar}(m_b) = 0.91(3)^(+0.00)_(-0.06), which we computed in our simulation.Comment: 21 pages, 7 PostScript figure

Revision of the Italian magnetic database for the Albegna basin(South Tuscany, Italy)

A comparison between ground level total magnetic field intensity anomaly map (F) of Italy and the total intensity aeromagnetic map by ENI/AGIP, had shown that an anomaly pattern for the Albegna basin (South Tuscany), quite evident from ground measurements, doesn’t show in the aeromagnetic map. Ligurian units, made of ophiolite blocks (metagabbros, basalts, serpentinites), intrusives and subordinate volcanic products, all able to trigger a strong magnetic signal, could not be excluded in the area, and for this reason the magnetic anomaly estimated by ground level measurements was not considered unreasonable. In this paper the result of a magnetic survey finalized to verify the authentic existence of such a large magnetic total intensity anomaly in the Albegna basin, is reported. On the basis of the new result, the suspected ground level total intensity anomaly in the Albegna basin, was demonstrated to be non-existent and then the Italian Magnetic Database corrected accordingly. Measurements and procedures that brought to the magnetic elements elaboration and new anomaly maps for Albegna basin, are shown here

Using Artificial Intelligence for COVID-19 Detection in Blood Exams: A Comparative Analysis

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in early March 2020. Since its early development, it has challenged health systems around the world. Although more than 12 billion vaccines have been administered, at the time of writing, it has more than 623 million confirmed cases and more than 6 million deaths reported to the WHO. These numbers continue to grow, soliciting further research efforts to reduce the impacts of such a pandemic. In particular, artificial intelligence techniques have shown great potential in supporting the early diagnosis, detection, and monitoring of COVID-19 infections from disparate data sources. In this work, we aim to make a contribution to this field by analyzing a high-dimensional dataset containing blood sample data from over forty thousand individuals recognized as infected or not with COVID-19. Encompassing a wide range of methods, including traditional machine learning algorithms, dimensionality reduction techniques, and deep learning strategies, our analysis investigates the performance of different classification models, showing that accurate detection of blood infections can be obtained. In particular, an F-score of 84% was achieved by the artificial neural network model we designed for this task, with a rate of 87% correct predictions on the positive class. Furthermore, our study shows that the dimensionality of the original data, i.e. the number of features involved, can be significantly reduced to gain efficiency without compromising the final prediction performance. These results pave the way for further research in this field, confirming that artificial intelligence techniques may play an important role in supporting medical decision-making

Aerosol optical properties at Lampedusa (Central Mediterranean) ? 2. Determination of single scattering albedo at two wavelengths for different aerosol types

International audienceAerosol optical properties were retrieved from direct and diffuse spectral irradiance measurements made by a multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) at the island of Lampedusa (35.5° N, 12.6° E), in the Central Mediterranean, in the period July 2001?September 2003. In a companion paper (Pace et al., 2005) the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent were used together with airmass backward trajectories to identify and classify different aerosol types. The MFRSR diffuse-to-direct ratio (DDR) at 415.6 nm and 868.7 nm for aerosol classified as biomass burning-urban/industrial, originating primarily from the European continent, and desert dust, originating from the Sahara, is used in this study to estimate the aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA). A detailed radiative transfer model is initialized with the measured aerosol optical depth; calculations are performed at the two wavelengths varying the SSA values until the modelled DDR matches the MFRSR observations. Sensitivity studies are performed to estimate how uncertainties on AOD, DDR, asymmetry factor (g), and surface albedo influence the retrieved SSA values. The results show that a 3% variation of AOD or DDR produce a change of about 0.02 in the retrieved SSA value at 415.6 and 868.7 nm; a ±0.06 variation of the asymmetry factor g produces a change of the estimated SSA of <0.04 at 415.6 nm, and <0.06 at 868.7 nm; finally, an increase of the assumed surface albedo of 0.05 gives very small changes (0.01?0.02) in the retrieved SSA. The calculations show that the SSA of desert dust (DD) increases with wavelength, from 0.81±0.05 at 415.6 nm to 0.94±0.05 at 868.7 nm; on the contrary, the SSA of urban/industrial (UN) aerosols decreases from 0.96±0.02 at 415.6 nm to 0.87±0.07 at 868.7 nm; the SSA of biomass burning (BB) particles is 0.82±0.04 at 415.6 nm and 0.80±0.05 at 868.7 nm. Episodes of UN aerosols occur usually in June and July; BB aerosol episodes with large AOD and long duration are observed mainly in July and August, the driest months of the year, when the development of fires is favoured

Italian Magnetic Network and magnetic reference fields at 2010.0

The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) has systematically undertaken the task of making measurements of the Earth's magnetic field in Italy. By tradition and because of the elongated geometric shape of our peninsula and islands, in Italy, a grid of more than 110 points, called the first order repeat stations, with an average spacing around 55-60 km, is in operation. Over this grid the measurements are repeated regularly, every 5 years. A survey of 131 repeat stations of the Italian Magnetic Network (including 2 observatories, 11 stations in Albania, 3 stations in Corsica and 1 in Malta) was carried out between 2009 and 2010 with the main purpose of updating our magnetic cartography. We describe the characteristics of magnetic first and second order networks, the magnetic measurements and the data reduction procedure. In agreement with the recommendations of MagNetE Committee, we report new repeat station data measured and reduced at 2010.0. An analytical expression, a second order polynomial, in latitude and longitude for the field elements, was determined, and coefficients for 2010.0 and average secular variation over the period 2005-2010, were obtained. The new maps for Italy, for D, F, H and Z at the epoch 2010.0, are shown. A selection of stations from the Italian Magnetic Network, based on their low values of anomaly with respect to a 'normal' field, is also proposed for future surveys

Cytoskeleton changes and impaired motility of monocytes at modelled low gravity

Summary.: Investigations performed in space have shown that gravity changes affect important cellular mechanisms like proliferation, differentiation, genetic expression, cytoskeletal architecture, and motility in lymphocytes, monocytes, and other mammalian cells. In particular, a dramatic depression of the mitogenic in vitro activation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes was observed at low gravity. The hypothesis of the present work is that a reduced interaction between T lymphocytes and monocytes, essential for the second signalling pathway, might be one of the reasons for the observed depression of the in vitro activation of human lymphocytes. Cell motility and with it a continuous rearrangement of the cytoskeletal network within the cell is essential for cell-to-cell contacts. Whereas nonactivated lymphocytes in suspension are highly motile at low gravity, no data are available so far on the motility of adherent monocytes. It thus can be argued that impaired monocyte locomotion and cytoskeletal changes could be responsible for a reduced interaction of monocytes with T lymphocytes. In this study, the locomotion ability of J-111 cells, an adherent monocyte cell line, attached to colloidal gold particles on coverslips and exposed to modelled low gravity in the random positioning machine was found to be severely reduced compared with that of controls and the structures of actin, tubulin, and vinculin were affecte

Subnanometer Topological Tuning of the Liquid Intrusion/Extrusion Characteristics of Hydrophobic Micropores

Intrusion (wetting)/extrusion (drying) of liquids in/from lyophobic nanoporous systems is key in many fields, including chromatography, nanofluidics, biology, and energy materials. Here we demonstrate that secondary topological features decorating main channels of porous systems dramatically affect the intrusion/extrusion cycle. These secondary features, allowing an unexpected bridging with liquid in the surrounding domains, stabilize the water stream intruding a micropore. This reduces the intrusion/extrusion barrier and the corresponding pressures without altering other properties of the system. Tuning the intrusion/extrusion pressures via subnanometric topological features represents a yet unexplored strategy for designing hydrophobic micropores. Though energy is not the only field of application, here we show that the proposed tuning approach may bring 20–75 MPa of intrusion/extrusion pressure increase, expanding the applicability of hydrophobic microporous materials

The Ross Shelf cavity water exchange variability during 1995-1998

This work aims at presenting an analysis of the evolution of the physical properties of a water column at the southern limit of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Data has been collected over a four year period (from January 1995 to July 1998) by means of an oceanographic mooring (named mooring “F”) berthed a few miles north of theRoss IceShe lf at a depth of 600 m on thecon tinental shelf. The velocity and temperature measurements have been investigated seeking for ISW (Ice Shelf Water) outflow footprints. These outflows are irregular massive injections of cold water from below the Ice Shelf, flowing mainly across the cavity floor into the Ross Sea bottom layers. The study evidenced a large number of DISW outflow events (Deep Ice Shelf Water, the coldest and densest fraction of the ISW, the actual main object of the present study), characterized by an interannual variability that could turn out to bean important co-factor in thev ariations of theplane tary heat balance and climate instability. Differences in DISW outflow timings from biennium 1995-1996, during which a jet-like behaviour was dominating (each events was only a few days long), and 1997-1998 (with a few long and rather continous cold water outflows) have been detected. Moreover, in 1996 measurements evidenced a relatively long and warm period (about 110 days from March to July) characterized by thetotal absenceof DISW outflow, this interval being morethan twice longer with respect to any other similar ones registered during 1995, 1997 and 1998, and longer that any other warm period observed in the area during the early ’80s. The estimates of cold water exchanged during the four years return a more complicated framework: 1996 behaviour seems to be closer to the 1997 than to the 1995 one, with high fluxes and high volumes. 1995 can probably be considered as the ignition of an interannual anomaly, which climax is the long warm period of spring 1996