Design and experimentation of communication and of a teaching sequence on atmospheric physics

Weather and climate are topical issues widely present in the media, in the public culture, in political and socio-economic agendas and also in school guidelines. Having said that, confusion and a lot of misconceptions still exist with regards to issues such as climate change, greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect, pollution, anthropogenic emissions, ozone hole, predictability of weather and climate, stationary processes, radiation fluxes and balances in the Earth system etc. These themes are poorly addressed in the actual teaching practice in secondary schools, particularly from a quantitative point of view involving the underlying laws of physics, which are necessary for the understanding and construction of correct conceptual models of phenomena. Teachers often do not feel comfortable or lack the specific background for addressing such themes quantitatively, claiming for training initiatives which happen unfortunately only as a result of sporadic and local initiatives. For historical reasons, typical of the Italian context, these themes are usually addressed in subjects like geography or natural sciences for what concerns education in formal contexts such as primary and secondary schools and universities, but their treatment and significance would greatly benefit from an interdisciplinary approach, involving also the quantitative experimental approach of physics. At the same time, teaching physics from its general principles to their application in the context of weather phenomena and climate system, would improve the engagement and interest of students, fostering cooperation among teachers of different subjects, bridging boundaries and approaches characteristic of single disciplines. This would promote an integrated view of science as the result of a process, based on the application of the scientific method to the investigation and modeling of phenomena, where also technological advancement plays an important role, rather than as a mere collection of results and knowledge. In this perspective the present work develops from the research in atmospheric physics, performed by the candidate during one year at Concordia station, Antarctica, presenting on one hand a series of physics communication initiatives designed and tested with innovative formats such as TEDx conferences, videoconferences with researchers working on the field, social platforms and traditional media, targeted to different audiences. On the other hand it presents the proposal of a teaching learning sequence based on quantitative experimental activities, demonstrations and simulations, targeted to secondary school students and pre-service teachers, integrating general physics with its applications to the atmosphere and to the climate system. The teaching learning sequence has been experimented with graduate students of the course: ''Experimental physics laboratory at high school I'', held at the Department of Physics of the University of Trento and in collaboration with IPRASE, it has been proposed in the form of a training course for physics and chemistry teachers and their technical assistants as a framework for the integration of physics and chemistry. The results of pre and post tests used as an evaluation tool of this preliminary experimentation will be presented, encouraging future developments of the sequence and further diffusion of weather and climate issues in the teaching practice through capillary pre-teachers' and teachers' training initiatives

Atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and δ 13 C values between New Zealand and Antarctica, 1998 to 2010: some puzzling results

From 1998 to 2010, during eight cruises of the M/V Italica between New Zealand and Antarctica, sets of flask air samples were collected and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations were recorded. The δ 13 C of CO 2 from the 1998 to 2003 air samples have already been published and show large interannual variability and an increasing frequency of 13 C-depleted samples. These results were related to a mosaic of areas with positive air–sea fluxes. We report here δ 13 C results from air samples collected from four further cruises. δ 13 C values obtained during the 2004/2005 cruise show an inexplicable saw-toothed distribution. Air samples from the 2005/2006 cruise have δ 13 C values which match previous sets of samples (1998 to 2004) and show more frequent and more negative isotopic events. From 2006 until 2009, further samples could not be collected. However, during December 2009 and January 2010, two more sets of air samples were collected, the δ 13 C values of which greatly differ from previous results, being absolutely homogeneous and paralleled by flat CO 2 concentrations. The results of these last two sets of air samples may be due either to fortuitous environmental conditions or to an improbable and substantial change in oceanic and atmospheric conditions in this section of the circumpolar area. Keywords: New Zealand to Antarctica, flask air samples, atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, carbon isotopic composition of CO 2 , puzzling results (Published: 5 December 2012) Citation: Tellus B 2012, 64 , 17472, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v64i0.1747

Pharmacological Treatment for Acute Traumatic Musculoskeletal Pain in Athletes

Abstract: Pain management is a crucial issue for athletes who train and compete at the highest performance levels. There are still evidence gaps for the use of analgesics for sports injuries despite the growing interest in training and competition settings. However, high-quality research is needed to determine themost appropriate and optimal timing and formulations in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and opioid management, particularly given the strictness of anti-doping regulations. Indeed, the role of pharmacological therapy in reducing acute traumatic pain in athletes should still be addressed to minimize the timing of return to sport. Therefore, the aim of this comprehensive review was to summarize the current evidence about pain management in the setting of acute injury in elite athletes, providing the most informed strategy for pain relief and performance recovery

An FTIR Spectroscopy Investigation on Different Methods of Lipid Extraction from HepG2 Cells

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Genomic and physiological resilience in extreme environments are associated with a secure attachment style

Understanding individual capability to adjust to protracted confinement and isolation may inform adaptive plasticity and disease vulnerability/resilience, and may have long-term implications for operations requiring prolonged presence in distant and restricted environments. Individual coping depends on many different factors encompassing psychological dispositional traits, endocrine reactivity and their underlying molecular mechanisms (e.g. gene expression). A positive view of self and others (secure attachment style) has been proposed to promote individual resilience under extreme environmental conditions. Here, we tested this hypothesis and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms in 13 healthy volunteers confined and isolated for 12 months in a research station located 1670 km away from the south geographic pole on the Antarctic Plateau at 3233 m above sea level. Study participants, stratified for attachment style, were characterised longitudinally (before, during and after confinement) for their psychological appraisal of the stressful nature of the expedition, diurnal fluctuations in endocrine stress reactivity, and gene expression profiling (transcriptomics). Predictably, a secure attachment style was associated with reduced psychological distress and endocrine vulnerability to stress. In addition, while prolonged confinement and isolation remarkably altered overall patterns of gene expression, such alteration was largely reduced in individuals characterised by a secure attachment style. Furthermore, increased resilience was associated with a reduced expression of genes involved in energy metabolism (mitochondrial function and oxidative phosphorylation). Ultimately, our data indicate that a secure attachment style may favour individual resilience in extreme environments and that such resilience can be mapped onto identifiable molecular substrates

Clinical expression of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in carriers of 1-3 D4Z4 reduced alleles: Experience of the FSHD Italian National Registry

OBJECTIVES: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 (FSHD1) has been genetically linked to reduced numbers ( 64 8) of D4Z4 repeats at 4q35. Particularly severe FSHD cases, characterised by an infantile onset and presence of additional extra-muscular features, have been associated with the shortest D4Z4 reduced alleles with 1-3 repeats (1-3 DRA). We searched for signs of perinatal onset and evaluated disease outcome through the systematic collection of clinical and anamnestic records of de novo and familial index cases and their relatives, carrying 1-3 DRA. SETTING: Italy. PARTICIPANTS: 66 index cases and 33 relatives carrying 1-3 DRA. OUTCOMES: The clinical examination was performed using the standardised FSHD evaluation form with validated inter-rater reliability. To investigate the earliest signs of disease, we designed the Infantile Anamnestic Questionnaire (IAQ). Comparison of age at onset was performed using the non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum or Kruskal-Wallis test. Comparison of the FSHD score was performed using a general linear model and Wald test. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the age-specific cumulative motor impairment risk. RESULTS: No patients had perinatal onset. Among index cases, 36 (54.5%) showed the first signs by 10 years of age. The large majority of patients with early disease onset (26 out of 36, 72.2%) were de novo; whereas the majority of patients with disease onset after 10 years of age were familial (16, 53.3%). Comparison of the disease severity outcome between index cases with age at onset before and over 10 years of age, failed to detect statistical significance (Wald test p value=0.064). Of 61 index cases, only 17 (27.9%) presented extra-muscular conditions. Relatives carrying 1-3 DRA showed a large clinical variability ranging from healthy subjects, to patients with severe motor impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The size of the D4Z4 allele is not always predictive of severe clinical outcome. The high degree of clinical variability suggests that additional factors contribute to the phenotype complexity

Environmental bisphenol A exposure triggers trained immunity-related pathways in monocytes

IntroductionTrained Immunity represents a novel revolutionary concept of the immunological response involving innate immune cells. Bisphenol A is a well-known endocrine disrupter, widely disseminated worldwide and accumulated in the human body. Due to the increased interest regarding the effects of plastic-derived compounds on the immune system, our purpose was to explore whether BPA was able to induce trained immunity in human primary monocytes in vitro using low environmental concentrations.Materials and methodsWe extracted BPA from the serum of 10 healthy individuals through a liquid-liquid extraction followed by a solid phase extraction and measured the concentration using an HPLC system coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. In parallel, monocytes were isolated from whole blood and acutely stimulated or trained with BPA at three different concentrations (1 nM, 10 nM, 20 nM). Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10) production were assessed after 24 hours of acute stimulation and after Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) rechallenge. A comprehensive overview of the metabolic changes after BPA acute stimulation and trained immunity induction was assessed through extracellular lactate measurements, Seahorse XFb metabolic flux analysis and ROS production.ResultsMonocytes primed with BPA showed increased pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses upon restimulation, sustained by the modulation of the immunometabolic circuits. Moreover, we proved the non-toxic effect of BPA at each experimental concentration by performing an MTT assay. Additionally, correlation analysis were performed between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines production after LPS acute stimulation or BPA-mediated trained immunity and BPA serum concentrations showing a significant association between TNF-α and BPA circulating levels.DiscussionOverall, this study pointed out for the first time the immunological effects of an environmental chemical and plastic-derived compound in the induction of trained immunity in a healthy cohort

Distribution of Exonic Variants in Glycogen Synthesis and Catabolism Genes in Late Onset Pompe Disease (LOPD)

Pompe disease (PD) is a monogenic autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants of the GAA gene encoding lysosomal alpha-glucosidase; its loss causes glycogen storage in lysosomes, mainly in the muscular tissue. The genotype-phenotype correlation has been extensively discussed, and caution is recommended when interpreting the clinical significance of any mutation in a single patient. As there is no evidence that environmental factors can modulate the phenotype, the observed clinical variability in PD suggests that genetic variants other than pathogenic GAA mutations influence the mechanisms of muscle damage/repair and the overall clinical picture. Genes encoding proteins involved in glycogen synthesis and catabolism may represent excellent candidates as phenotypic modifiers of PD. The genes analyzed for glycogen synthesis included UGP2, glycogenin (GYG1-muscle, GYG2, and other tissues), glycogen synthase (GYS1-muscle and GYS2-liver), GBE1, EPM2A, NHLRC1, GSK3A, and GSK3B. The only enzyme involved in glycogen catabolism in lysosomes is alpha-glucosidase, which is encoded by GAA, while two cytoplasmic enzymes, phosphorylase (PYGB-brain, PGL-liver, and PYGM-muscle) and glycogen debranching (AGL) are needed to obtain glucose 1-phosphate or free glucose. Here, we report the potentially relevant variants in genes related to glycogen synthesis and catabolism, identified by whole exome sequencing in a group of 30 patients with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). In our exploratory analysis, we observed a reduced number of variants in the genes expressed in muscles versus the genes expressed in other tissues, but we did not find a single variant that strongly affected the phenotype. From our work, it also appears that the current clinical scores used in LOPD do not describe muscle impairment with enough qualitative/quantitative details to correlate it with genes that, even with a slightly reduced function due to genetic variants, impact the phenotype

Reversal of Defective Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2D by Independent Modulation of Histone and PGC-1α Acetylation

Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in many muscle degenerative disorders. Here, we demonstrate that mitochondrial biogenesis was impaired in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) 2D patients and mice and was associated with impaired OxPhos capacity. Two distinct approaches that modulated histones or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 \u3b1 (PGC-1\u3b1) acetylation exerted equivalent functional effects by targeting different mitochondrial pathways (mitochondrial biogenesis or fatty acid oxidation[FAO]). The histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) changed chromatin assembly at the PGC-1\u3b1 promoter, restored mitochondrial biogenesis, and enhanced muscle oxidative capacity. Conversely, nitric oxide (NO) triggered post translation modifications of PGC-1\u3b1 and induced FAO, recovering the bioenergetics impairment of muscles but shunting the defective mitochondrial biogenesis. In conclusion, a transcriptional blockade of mitochondrial biogenesis occurred in LGMD-2D and could be recovered by TSA changing chromatin conformation, or it could be overcome by NO activating a mitochondrial salvage pathway