Network reconstruction from infection cascades

International audienc

The Eneolithic/Bronze Age Transition at Tegole di Bovino (Apulia): Geoarchaeological Evidence of Climate Change and Land-Use Shift

Human communities at the transition between the Eneolithic period and the Bronze Age had to rapidly adapt to cultural and climatic changes, which influenced the whole Mediterranean. The exact dynamics involved in this crucial passage are still a matter of discussion. As newer studies have highlighted the key role of climatic fluctuations during this period, their relationship with the human occupation of the landscape are yet to be fully explored. We investigated the infilling of negative structures at the archaeological site of Tegole di Bovino (Apulia, Southern Italy) looking at evidence of the interaction between climate changes and human strategies. The archaeological sedimentary deposits, investigated though geoarchaeological and micromorphological techniques, show the presence of natural and anthropogenic infillings inside most structures. Both human intervention and/or natural events occurred in the last phases of occupation of the site and its subsequent abandonment. The transition to unfavorable climatic conditions in the same period was most likely involved in the abandonment of the site. The possible further impact of human communities on the landscape in that period, testified by multiple other archives, might have in turn had a role in the eventual change in land use

The 3D-Printed Non-Radiating Edge Gap-Coupled Curved Patch Antenna

The use of parasitic resonant patches is a widespread technique to improve the bandwidth of microstrip patch antennas. Exploiting the free form-factor allowed by 3D-printing manufacturing technology, we present here a novel curved patch antenna layout, based on the non-radiating edge gap-coupled patch configuration. The proposed antenna is composed of a central curved patch, fed by a coaxial probe, and two gap-coupled parasitic side curved patches. This solution features a percentage impedance bandwidth of 16.3% using symmetrical parasitic side patches and 31.5% using asymmetrical side patches. A significant improvement of the bandwidth in comparison with both the standard non-radiating edge gap-coupled microstrip antenna (6.1% bandwidth) and the standard curved patch antenna (9% bandwidth) is achieved. Design and optimization of the proposed configuration are performed using the commercial software CST Studio Suite at the center frequency of 2.45 GHz. Prototypes of the symmetrical curved non-radiating edge gap-coupled patch antenna have been manufactured for the experimental verification, using a curved 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) substrate, fabricated with the commercial 3D printer PRUSA MK3S + and a 50 μ m -thick adhesive aluminum tape for the metallization. Measured results show a very good agreement with simulations

A Novel Design for Dual-Band Wearable Textile Eighth-Mode SIW Antennas

A novel wearable textile dual-band antenna configuration based on a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity is presented. The miniaturization of the antenna is achieved by exploiting the magnetic field symmetry of a square SIW cavity, reducing its size to 1/8 of the full square cavity with an eighth-mode SIW configuration. This solution is applied to the design of a wearable dual-band antenna for Long Range (LoRa) applications. The antenna operating frequency covers both the UHF LoRa bands, the European (863-870 MHz) and the North American (902-928 MHz). The proposed design provides a low-cost and compact antenna, which is easy to fabricate and ensures a very good isolation and robustness with respect to the human body proximity. The commercial software CST Studio Suite has been used for the antenna design and simulations. A prototype has been fabricated and the measured results are in good agreement with numerical simulations

The NorthStar Ambulatory Assessment in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: considerations for the design of clinical trials.

With the emergence of experimental therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), it is fundamental to understand the natural history of this disorder to properly design clinical trials. The aims of this study were to assess the effects produced on motor function by different DMD genotypes and early initiation of glucocorticoids

Cannabinoids and their therapeutic applications in mental disorders

Mental disorders represent a significant public health burden worldwide due to their high prevalence, chronically disabling nature, and substantial impact on quality of life. Despite growing knowledge of the pathological mechanisms that underlie the development of these disorders, a high percentage of patients do not respond to first-line clinical treatments; thus, there is a strong need for alternative therapeutic approaches. During the past half-century, after the identification of the endocannabinoid system and its role in multiple physiological processes, both natural and synthetic cannabinoids have attracted considerable interest as putative medications in pathological conditions such as, but not exclusive to, mental disorders. Here, we provide a summary of cannabinoid effects in support of possible therapeutic applications for major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Considering this evidence, highlighted benefits and risks of cannabinoid use in the management of these illnesses require further experimental study

Noncoding RNAs and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as miRNAs and long noncoding RNAs modulate gene transcription in response to environmental stressors and other stimuli. A role for ncRNAs in muscle pathologies has been demonstrated and further evidence suggests that ncRNAs also play a role in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Studies investigating the differential expression of miRNAs in biological fluids between DMD patients and models of dystrophin deficiency (the MDX mouse model, canine models of DMD) and controls have been published, as these have a role in fibrosis. Long noncoding RNAs are differentially expressed in DMD patients and may, in part, have a mechanism of action via targeting of miRNAs. Although many of these recent findings need to be confirmed, ncRNAs may prove to be useful as potential biomarkers of disease. However, their use as therapeutic targets in DMD remains unclear

Endogenous fatty acid ethanolamides suppress nicotine-induced activation of mesolimbic dopamine neurons through nuclear receptors.

Nicotine stimulates the activity of mesolimbic dopamine neurons, which is believed to mediate the rewarding and addictive properties of tobacco use. Accumulating evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system might play a major role in neuronal mechanisms underlying the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse, including nicotine. Here, we investigated the modulation of nicotine effects by the endocannabinoid system on dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area with electrophysiological techniques in vivo and in vitro. We discovered that pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme that catabolizes fatty acid ethanolamides, among which the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is the best known, suppressed nicotine-induced excitation of dopamine cells. Importantly, this effect was mimicked by the administration of the FAAH substrates oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), but not methanandamide, the hydrolysis resistant analog of AEA. OEA and PEA are naturally occurring lipid signaling molecules structurally related to AEA, but devoid of affinity for cannabinoid receptors. They blocked the effects of nicotine by activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α), a nuclear receptor transcription factor involved in several aspects of lipid metabolism and energy balance. Activation of PPAR-α triggered a nongenomic stimulation of tyrosine kinases, which might lead to phosphorylation and negative regulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These data indicate for the first time that the anorexic lipids OEA and PEA possess neuromodulatory properties as endogenous ligands of PPAR-α in the brain and provide a potential new target for the treatment of nicotine addictio