Flash flood simulations for an Egyptian city - mitigation measures and impact of infiltration

Within this work, the impact of mitigation measures and infiltration on flash floods is investigated by using a 2D robust shallow water model including infiltration with the Green-Ampt model. The results show the combined effects of infiltration and mitigation measures as well as the effectiveness of bypass channels in addition to retention basins. Retention basins at appropriate locations could reduce the maximum water depth at critical locations by 23%, while the additional implementation of drainage channels lead to a reduction of 75%, considering also infiltration lead to a further reduction of 97%. If infiltration was considered without mitigation measures, the peak water depth was reduced by 67%. For an exceptional extreme event the measures lead to a reduction of 73% at some locations, while at other locations the overflow from retention basins due to overstraining generated even higher inundations with an increase of 58%

Respiratory Tract Infections in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Taking Vedolizumab: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) taking immunosuppressants or biologics. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the risk of respiratory infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with vedolizumab. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing vedolizumab to placebo in patients with IBD. Outcomes were the rate of respiratory tract infections (RTI), upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) among patients receiving vedolizumab as compared with placebo. Pooled rates were reported as Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Eight RCT involving 3,287 patients (1873 CD and 1415 UC) were analyzed; 2,493 patients received vedolizumab and 794 received placebo. The rates of RTI and URTI were statistically higher in vedolizumab-treated patients compared to placebo [OR = 1.63; 95% CI (1.07-2.49); OR = 1.64 95% CI (1.07-2.53) respectively]. UC patients, but not CD patients, receiving vedolizumab had a higher risk to develop RTI and URTI [OR = 1.98; 95% CI (1.41-2.77); OR = 2.02; 95% CI (1.42-2.87)] compared to placebo-treated patients. The number of LRTI was small in both treatment groups. Data confirm the good safety profile of vedolizumab even though RTI were more frequent in patients receiving vedolizumab and the risk of URTIs was significantly higher in patients with UC

Involvement of smad7 in inflammatory diseases of the gut and colon cancer

In physiological conditions, the human intestinal mucosa is massively infiltrated with various subsets of immune cells, the activity of which is tightly regulated by several counter-regulatory factors. One of these factors is transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), a cytokine produced by multiple cell types and targeting virtually all the intestinal mucosal cells. Binding of TGF-beta 1 to its receptors triggers Smad2/3 signaling, thus culminating in the attenuation/suppression of immune-inflammatory responses. In patients with Crohn's disease and patients with ulcerative colitis, the major human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and in mice with IBD-like colitis, there is defective TGF-beta 1/Smad signaling due to high levels of the intracellular inhibitor Smad7. Pharmacological inhibition of Smad7 restores TGF-beta 1 function, thereby reducing inflammatory pathways in patients with IBD and colitic mice. On the other hand, transgenic over-expression of Smad7 in T cells exacerbates colitis in various mouse models of IBD. Smad7 is also over-expressed in other inflammatory disorders of the gut, such as refractory celiac disease, necrotizing enterocolitis and cytomegalovirus-induced colitis, even though evidence is still scarce and mainly descriptive. Furthermore, Smad7 has been involved in colon carcinogenesis through complex and heterogeneous mechanisms, and Smad7 polymorphisms could influence cancer prognosis. In this article, we review the data about the expression and role of Smad7 in intestinal inflammation and cancer

Interleukin-34 promotes tumorigenic signals for colon cancer cells

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common forms of malignancy in the Western world. Accumulating evidence indicates that colon carcinogenesis is tightly controlled by tumour-associated immune cells and stromal cells, which can either stimulate or suppress CRC cell growth and survival, mainly via the production of cytokines. Interleukin-34 (IL-34), a cytokine known to regulate mainly monocyte/macrophage survival and function, is highly produced within the CRC microenvironment by several cell types, including cancer cells, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and regulates the pro-tumoural functions of such cells. In this article, we summarize the available data supporting the multiple effects of IL-34 in human CRC

Characterisation of the secondary-neutron production in particle therapy treatments with the MONDO tracking detector

Particle Therapy (PT) is a non-invasive technique that exploits charged light ions for the irradiation of tumours that cannot be effectively treated with surgery or conventional radiotherapy. While the largest dose fraction is released to the tumour volume by the primary beam, a non-negligible amount of additional dose is due to the beam fragmentation that occurs along the path towards the target volume. In particular, the produced neutrons are particularly dangerous as they can release their energy far away from the treated area, increasing the risk of developing a radiogenic secondary malignant neoplasm after undergoing a treatment. A precise measurement of the neutron flux, energy spectrum and angular distributions is eagerly needed in order to improve the treatment planning system software, so as to predict the normal tissue toxicity in the target region and the risk of late complications in the whole body. The MONDO (MOnitor for Neutron Dose in hadrOntherapy) project is dedicated to the characterisation of the secondary ultra-fast neutrons ([20-400] MeV energy range) produced in PT. The neutron tracking system exploits the reconstruction of the recoil protons produced in two consecutive (n, p) elastic scattering interactions to measure simultaneously the neutron incoming direction and energy. The tracker active media is a matrix of thin squared scintillating fibers arranged in orthogonally oriented layers that are read out by a sensor (SBAM) based on SPAD (Single-Photon Avalanche Diode) detectors developed in collaboration with the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)

MPGD Optical Read Out for Directional Dark Matter Search

The Time Projection method is an ideal candidate to track low energy release particles. Large volumes can be readout by means of a moderate number of channels providing a complete 3D reconstruction of the charged tracks within the sensitive volume. It allows the measurement not only of the total released energy but also of the energy release density along the tracks that can be very useful for particle identification and to solve the head-tail ambiguity of the tracks. Moreover, gas represents a very interesting target to study Dark Matter interactions. In gas, nuclear recoils can travel enough to give rise to tracks long enough to be acquired and reconstructed

Performance of Optically Readout GEM-based TPC with a 55Fe source

Optical readout of large Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with multiple Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) amplification stages has shown to provide very interesting performances for high energy particle tracking. Proposed applications for low-energy and rare event studies, such as Dark Matter search, ask for demanding performance in the keV energy range. The performance of such a readout was studied in details as a function of the electric field configuration and GEM gain by using a $^{55}$Fe source within a 7 litre sensitive volume detector developed as a part of the R\&D for the CYGNUS project. Results reported in this paper show that the low noise level of the sensor allows to operate with a 2~keV threshold while keeping a rate of fake-events lesser than 10 per year. In this configuration, a detection efficiency well above 95\% along with an energy resolution ($\sigma$) of 18\% is obtained for the 5.9 keV photons, demonstrating the very promising capabilities of this technique

In-room test results at CNAO of an innovative PT treatments online monitor (Dose Profiler)

The use of C, He and O ions as projectiles in Particle Therapy (PT) treatments is getting more and more widespread as a consequence of their enhanced relative biological effectiveness and oxygen enhancement ratio, when compared to the protons one. The advantages related to the incoming radiation improved efficacy are requiring an accurate online monitor of the dose release spatial distribution. Such monitor is necessary to prevent unwanted damage to the tissues surrounding the tumour that can arise, for example, due to morphological changes occurred in the patient during the treatment with respect to the initial CT scan. PT treatments with ions can be monitored by detecting the secondary radiation produced by the primary beam interactions with the patient body along the path towards the target volume. Charged fragments produced in the nuclear process of projectile fragmentation can be emitted at large angles with respect to the incoming beam direction and can be detected with high efficiency in a nearly background-free environment. The Dose Profiler (DP) detector, developed within the INSIDE project, is a scintillating fibre tracker that allows an online reconstruction and backtracking of such secondary charged fragments. The construction and preliminary in-room tests performed on the DP, carried out using the 12C ions beam of the CNAO treatment centre using an anthropomorphic phantom as a target, will be reviewed in this contribution. The impact of the secondary fragments interactions with the patient body will be discussed in view of a clinical application. Furthermore, the results implications for a pre-clinical trial on CNAO patients, foreseen in 2019, will be discussed

Scintillating fiber devices for particle therapy applications

Particle Therapy (PT) is a radiation therapy technique in which solid tumors are treated with charged ions and exploits the achievable highly localized dose delivery, allowing to spare healthy tissues and organs at risk. The development of a range monitoring technique to be used on-line, during the treatment, capable to reach millimetric precision is considered one of the important steps towards an optimization of the PT efficacy and of the treatment quality. To this aim, charged secondary particles produced in the nuclear interactions between the beam particles and the patient tissues can be exploited. Besides charged secondaries, also neutrons are produced in nuclear interactions. The secondary neutron component might cause an undesired and not negligible dose deposition far away from the tumor region, enhancing the risk of secondary malignant neoplasms that can develop even years after the treatment. An accurate neutron characterization (flux, energy and emission profile) is hence needed for a better evaluation of long-term complications. In this contribution two tracker detectors, both based on scintillating fibers, are presented. The first one, named Dose Profiler (DP), is planned to be used as a beam range monitor in PT treatments with heavy ion beams, exploiting the charged secondary fragments production. The DP is currently under development within the INSIDE (Innovative Solutions for In-beam DosimEtry in hadrontherapy) project. The second one is dedicated to the measurement of the fast and ultrafast neutron component produced in PT treatments, in the framework of the MONDO (MOnitor for Neutron Dose in hadrOntherapy) project. Results of the first calibration tests performed at the Trento Protontherapy center and at CNAO (Italy) are reported, as well as simulation studies

Extended calibration range for prompt photon emission in ion beam irradiation

Monitoring the dose delivered during proton and carbon ion therapy is still a matter of research. Among the possible solutions, several exploit the measurement of the single photon emission from nuclear decays induced by the irradiation. To fully characterize such emission the detectors need development, since the energy spectrum spans the range above the MeV that is not traditionally used in medical applications. On the other hand, a deeper understanding of the reactions involving gamma production is needed in order to improve the physic models of Monte Carlo codes, relevant for an accurate prediction of the prompt-gamma energy spectrum.This paper describes a calibration technique tailored for the range of energy of interest and reanalyzes the data of the interaction of a 80MeV/u fully stripped carbon ion beam with a Poly-methyl methacrylate target. By adopting the FLUKA simulation with the appropriate calibration and resolution a significant improvement in the agreement between data and simulation is reported.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to JINS