Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy)

: Muon radiography (muography) is an imaging technique based on atmospheric muon absorption in matter that allows to obtain two and three-dimensional images of internal details of hidden objects or structures. The technique relies on atmospheric muon flux measurements performed around and underneath the object under examination. It is a non-invasive and passive technique and thus can be thought of as a valid alternative to common prospecting techniques used in archaeological, geological and civil security fields. This paper describes muon radiography measurements, in the context of archaeological and geological studies carried out at the Temperino mine (LI, Tuscany, Italy), for the search and three-dimensional visualisation of cavities. This mine has been exploited since Etruscan times until recently (1973), and is now an active tourist attraction with public access to the tunnels. Apart from the archaeological interest, the importance of mapping the cavities within this mine lies in identifying the areas where the extraction ores were found and also in the safety issues arising from the tourist presence inside the mine. The three-dimensional imaging is achieved with two different algorithms: one involving a triangulation of two or more measurements at different locations; the other, an innovative technique used here for the first time, is based on the back-projections of reconstructed muon tracks. The latter requires only a single muographic data tacking and is to be preferred in applications where more than one site location can be difficult to access. Finally the quality of the three-dimensional muographic imaging was evaluated by comparing the results with the laser scan profiles obtained for some known cavities within the Temperino mine

Search for heavy neutral lepton production in K+ decays

A search for heavy neutral lepton production in K + decays using a data sample collected with a minimum bias trigger by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2015 is reported. Upper limits at the 10−7 to 10−6 level are established on the elements of the extended neutrino mixing matrix |Ue4| 2 and |Uμ4| 2 for heavy neutral lepton mass in the ranges 170–448 MeV/c2 and 250–373 MeV/c2, respectively. This improves on the previous limits from HNL production searches over the whole mass range considered for |Ue4|2 and above 300 MeV/c2 for |Uμ4|2

Measurement of the very rare K+→π+ννˉK^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar\nu decay

The decay K+→π+νν¯ , with a very precisely predicted branching ratio of less than 10−10 , is among the best processes to reveal indirect effects of new physics. The NA62 experiment at CERN SPS is designed to study the K+→π+νν¯ decay and to measure its branching ratio using a decay-in-flight technique. NA62 took data in 2016, 2017 and 2018, reaching the sensitivity of the Standard Model for the K+→π+νν¯ decay by the analysis of the 2016 and 2017 data, and providing the most precise measurement of the branching ratio to date by the analysis of the 2018 data. This measurement is also used to set limits on BR(K+→π+X ), where X is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle. The final result of the BR(K+→π+νν¯ ) measurement and its interpretation in terms of the K+→π+X decay from the analysis of the full 2016-2018 data set is presented, and future plans and prospects are reviewed

Kalmar City Europan 12 Competition

Come costruire una città adattiva, rispettosa del contesto naturale e delle sue dinamiche, è il tema di ricerca di questo progetto che risponde al concorso Europan 12, per il sito svedese di Kalmar, cittò universitaria svedese che prevede la sua espansione nel prossimo futuro lungo la costa

In Silico Analysis of Possible Interaction between Host Genomic Transcription Factors (TFs) and Zika Virus (ZikaSPH2015) Strain with Combinatorial Gene Regulation; Virus Versus Host—The Game Reloaded

In silico analysis is a promising approach for understanding biological events in complex diseases. Herein we report on the innovative computational workflow allowed to highlight new direct interactions between human transcription factors (TFs) and an entire genome of virus ZikaSPH2015 strain in order to identify the occurrence of specific motifs on a genomic Zika Virus sequence that is able to bind and, therefore, sequester host’s TFs. The analysis pipeline was performed using different bioinformatics tools available online (free of charge). According to obtained results of this in silico analysis, it is possible to hypothesize that these TFs binding motifs might be able to explain the complex and heterogeneous phenotype presentation in Zika-virus-affected fetuses/newborns, as well as the less severe condition in adults. Moreover, the proposed in silico protocol identified thirty-three different TFs identical to the distribution of TFBSs (Transcription Factor Binding Sites) on ZikaSPH2015 strain, potentially able to influence genes and pathways with biological functions confirming that this approach could find potential answers on disease pathogenesis

In Silico Analysis of Possible Interaction between Host Genomic Transcription Factors (TFs) and Zika Virus (ZikaSPH2015) Strain with Combinatorial Gene Regulation; Virus Versus Host—The Game Reloaded

In silico analysis is a promising approach for understanding biological events in complex diseases. Herein we report on the innovative computational workflow allowed to highlight new direct interactions between human transcription factors (TFs) and an entire genome of virus ZikaSPH2015 strain in order to identify the occurrence of specific motifs on a genomic Zika Virus sequence that is able to bind and, therefore, sequester host’s TFs. The analysis pipeline was performed using different bioinformatics tools available online (free of charge). According to obtained results of this in silico analysis, it is possible to hypothesize that these TFs binding motifs might be able to explain the complex and heterogeneous phenotype presentation in Zika-virus-affected fetuses/newborns, as well as the less severe condition in adults. Moreover, the proposed in silico protocol identified thirty-three different TFs identical to the distribution of TFBSs (Transcription Factor Binding Sites) on ZikaSPH2015 strain, potentially able to influence genes and pathways with biological functions confirming that this approach could find potential answers on disease pathogenesis

Cancer incidence and mortality for all causes in HIV-infected patients over a quarter century: a multicentre cohort study

Abstract BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess cancer incidence and mortality for all-causes and factors related to risk of death in an Italian cohort of HIV infected unselected patients as compared to the general population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective (1986-2012) cohort study on 16 268 HIV infected patients enrolled in the MASTER cohort. The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed using cancer incidence rates of Italian Cancer Registries and official national data for overall mortality. The risk factors for death from all causes were assessed using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: 1,195 cancer cases were diagnosed from 1986 to 2012: 700 AIDS-defining-cancers (ADCs) and 495 non-AIDS-defining-cancers (NADCs). ADC incidence was much higher than the Italian population (SIR = 30.8, 95% confidence interval 27.9-34.0) whereas NADC incidence was similar to the general population (SIR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-1.1). The SMR for all causes was 11.6 (11.1-12.0) in the period, and it decreased over time, mainly after 1996, up to 3.53 (2.5-4.8) in 2012. Male gender, year of enrolment before 1993, older age at enrolment, intravenous drug use, low CD4 cell count, AIDS event, cancer occurrence and the absence of antiretroviral therapy were all associated independently with risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: In HIV infected patients, ADC but not NADC incidence rates were higher than the general population. Although overall mortality in HIV infected subjects decreased over time, it is about three-fold higher than the general population at present

Liver fibrosis progression and clinical outcomes are intertwined: Role of CD4+ T-cell count and NRTI exposure from a large cohort of HIV/HCVcoinfected patients with detectable HCV-RNA A MASTER cohort study

Introduction: Patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) suffer from faster progression of liver fibrosis (LF) and have greater risk of worse clinical outcomes. We evaluated predictors and incidence of these events in a large multicentre cohort. Methods: We selected all HIV-infected patients starting a first-line combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), with detectable HCVRNA, without exposure to interferon/ribavirin, with 652 fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) classifications before cART. KaplanCMeier analysis was used to estimate incidence of clinical events (AIDS, non-AIDS related, deaths) and LF progression (via transitions: from FIB-4 class 1 to 2 or 3, from class 2 to class 3, and worsening by 0.5 point). Multivariate Cox regression was used to assess predictors, baseline, or time updated. Results: One thousand four hundred thirty-three patients were selected. Overall, 745 clinical events occurred, with an incidence of 7.6% over 9811 person-year of follow-up (PYFU) and a median survival time of 9.36 years. Incidence of LF progression from FIB-4 class 1 to 2 or 3 was 12.4%, and from FIB-4 class 2 to 3 was 7% with a median survival time of 5.67 and 10.35 years, respectively. At multivariate analyses, intravenous drug use and time-updated gamma-glutamyl transferase (\u3b3GT) were negative predictors for any outcomes, either clinical or FIB-4 progression. Higher CD4+ T-cell protected from clinical events, and lower HIV-RNA and higher CD4 + T-cell appeared to protect from FIB-4 transitions. Moreover, independently from the viro-immunological status, current FIB-4 class 3 predicted clinical events. Occurrence of AIDS and cardiovascular/kidney events were significant predictors of 0.5 point worsening and transitions of FIB-4, respectively. Prolonged exposure to nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) was a negative predictor for any outcomes. Conclusion: Both clinical and LF progression in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients depend strongly on immune status. Intravenous drug users and patients with high \u3b3GT (a possible proxy for alcohol abuse) are most-at-risk for both outcomes, as well those who had prolonged exposures to the NRTI class. Therefore, these patients should be prioritized for the access to anti-HCV therapy and a test-and-treat strategy should be implemented for early initiation of cART. Possible benefits of NRTI sparing regimens in HIV/HCVcoinfected patients should be investigated

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Induce the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Implications in Post-COVID-19 Fibrosis

The release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a process termed NETosis, avoids pathogen spread but may cause tissue injury. NETs have been found in severe COVID-19 patients, but their role in disease development is still unknown. The aim of this study is to assess the capacity of NETs to drive epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lung epithelial cells and to analyze the involvement of NETs in COVID-19. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of severe COVID-19 patients showed high concentration of NETs that correlates with neutrophils count; moreover, the analysis of lung tissues of COVID-19 deceased patients showed a subset of alveolar reactive pneumocytes with a co-expression of epithelial marker and a mesenchymal marker, confirming the induction of EMT mechanism after severe SARS-CoV2 infection. By airway in vitro models, cultivating A549 or 16HBE at air-liquid interface, adding alveolar macrophages (AM), neutrophils and SARS-CoV2, we demonstrated that to trigger a complete EMT expression pattern are necessary the induction of NETosis by SARS-CoV2 and the secretion of AM factors (TGF-beta, IL8 and IL1 beta). All our results highlight the possible mechanism that can induce lung fibrosis after SARS-CoV2 infection