Thermal issues for the optical transition radiation screen for the ELI-NP compton gamma source

A high brightness electron LINAC is being built in the Compton Gamma Source at the ELI Nuclear Physics facility in Romania. To achieve the design luminosity, a train of 32 bunches, 16 ns spaced, with a nominal charge of 250 pC will collide with a laser beam in two interaction points. Electron beam spot size is measured with Optical Transition Radiation (OTR) profile monitors. In order to measure the beam properties, the OTR screens must sustain the thermal and mechanical stress due to the energy deposited by bunches. This paper is an ANSYS study of the issues due to the high energy transferred to the OTR screens. Thermal multicycle analysis will be shown; each analysis will be followed by a structural analysis in order to investigate the performance of the materia

Evidence that autophagy, but not the unfolded protein response, regulates the expression of IL-23 in the gut of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and subclinical gut inflammation.

OBJECTIVES: Interleukin (IL)-23 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The aim of the study was to clarify the mechanisms underlying the increased IL-23 expression in the gut of AS patients. METHODS: Consecutive gut biopsies from 30 HLA-B27(+) AS patients, 15 Crohn's disease (CD) patients and 10 normal subjects were obtained. Evidence for HLA-B27 misfolding was studied. Unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy were assessed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The contribution of UPR and autophagy in the regulation of IL-23 expression was evaluated in in vitro experiments on isolated lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs). RESULTS: Intracellular colocalisation of SYVN1 and FHCs but not a significant overexpression of UPR genes was observed in the gut of AS patients. Conversely, upregulation of the genes involved in the autophagy pathway was observed in the gut of AS and CD patients. Immunohistochemistry showed an increased expression of LC3II, ATG5 and ATG12 but not of SQSTM1 in the ileum of AS and CD patients. LC3II was expressed among infiltrating mononuclear cells and epithelial cells resembling Paneth cells (PC) and colocalised with ATG5 in AS and CD. Autophagy but not UPR was required to modulate the expression of IL-23 in isolated LPMCs of AS patients with chronic gut inflammation, CD patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that HLA-B27 misfolding occurs in the gut of AS patients and is accompanied by activation of autophagy rather than a UPR. Autophagy appears to be associated with intestinal modulation of IL-23 in AS

Visual claudicatio: Diagnosis with 64-slice computed tomography

We present a case of a 78-year-old male referred presented to our institution with amaurosis fugax after walking 20 steps ("visual claudicatio"). Duplex ultrasound was not able to visualize the carotid arteries. Multislice computed tomography (Sensation 64 Cardiac, Siemens, Germany) of the cerebro-vascular circulation was performed from its origin at the level of the aortic arch to the circle of Willis. The investigation demonstrated a complete occlusion of both common carotid arteries at their origin and a severe origo stenosis of both vertebral arteries. An important collateral circulation of the vertebral arteries through the minor vessels of the neck was also displayed. Both comunicans posterior arteries were small but patent. The intra-cranial arteries were patent. Multislice CT of the cerebro-vascular circulation is an optimal tool for a comprehensive evaluation when duplex ultrasound fails

Detecting User’s Behavior Shift with Sensorized Shoes and Stigmergic Perceptrons

As populations become increasingly aged, health monitoring has gained increasing importance. Recent advances in engineering of sensing, processing and artificial learning, make the development of non-invasive systems able to observe changes over time possible. In this context, the Ki-Foot project aims at developing a sensorized shoe and a machine learning architecture based on computational stigmergy to detect small variations in subjects gait and to learn and detect users behaviour shift. This paper outlines the challenges in the field and summarizes the proposed approach. The machine learning architecture has been developed and publicly released after early experimentation, in order to foster its application on real environments

Interleukin-22 and interleukin-22-producing NKp44+ natural killer cells in subclinical gut inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE: The intestinal inflammation observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterized by an overexpression of interleukin-23 (IL-23). IL-23 is known to regulate IL-22 production through lamina propria NKp44+ natural killer (NK) cells, which are thought to be involved in protective mucosal mechanisms. This study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency of NKp44+ NK cells and the expression of IL-22 in the ileum of AS patients. METHODS: Tissue NKp44+ NK cells, NKp46+ NK cells, and IL-22-producing cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Quantitative gene expression analysis of IL-22, IL-23, IL-17, STAT-3, and mucin 1 (MUC-1) was performed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on ileal samples from 15 patients with AS, 15 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 15 healthy controls. NKp44, pSTAT-3, and IL-22 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The frequency of NKp44+ but not NKp46+ NK cells was increased in the inflamed ileum of AS patients compared to CD patients and controls. The frequency of NKp46+ NK cells was significantly increased only in CD patients. Among CD4+ lymphocytes and NKp44+ NK cell subsets, the latter were the major source of IL-22 on lamina propria mononuclear cells from AS patients. Significant up-regulation of IL-22, IL-23p19, MUC-1, and STAT-3 transcripts in the terminal ileum of patients with AS was observed. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the increased IL-22 and pSTAT-3 expression in inflamed mucosa from AS and CD patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that overexpression of IL-22, together with an increased number of IL-22-producing NKp44+ NK cells, occurs in the gut of AS patients, where it appears to play a tissue-protective role

Macrophage phenotype in the subclinical gut inflammation of patients with ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE: Long-term evolution of subclinical gut inflammation to overt Crohn's disease (CD) has been described in AS patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate macrophage polarization occurring in the inflamed gut of patients with AS. METHODS: Twenty-seven HLA-B27(+) AS patients, 20 CD patients and 17 normal controls were consecutively enrolled. Classic M1 (iNOS(+)IL-10(-)), resolution phase (iNOS(+)IL-10(+)), M2 and CD14(+) macrophages were characterized by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Quantitative gene expression analysis of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-33 and STAT6 was performed by real time PCR. RESULTS: Classic M1 macrophages were expanded in CD and AS, where resolution phase macrophages predominate. A large increase in CD163(+) (M2) macrophages was observed in AS strictly correlated with the expression of IL-33, a Th2 cytokine involved in M2 polarization. Unlike in CD, CD14(+) macrophages were virtually absent in the gut of AS patients and controls. CONCLUSION: The absence of CD14(+) macrophages together with the expansion of resolution phase and M2 macrophages is the immunological signature of subclinical ileal inflammation in AS

Interleukin-36α axis is modulated in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the interleukin (IL)-36 axis in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Blood and minor labial salivary glands (MSG) biopsies were obtained from 35 pSS and 20 non-Sjögren's syndrome patients (nSS) patients. Serum IL-36α was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-36α, IL-36R, IL-36RA, IL-38, IL-22, IL-17, IL-23p19 and expression in MSGs was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and tissue IL-36α and IL-38 expression was also investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). αβ and γδ T cells and CD68(+) cells isolated from MSGs were also studied by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy analysis. IL-36α was over-expressed significantly in the serum and in the salivary glands of pSS. Salivary gland IL-36α expression was correlated with the expression levels of IL-17, IL-22 and IL-23p19. IL-38, that acts as inhibitor of IL-36α, was also up-regulated in pSS. αβ(+) CD3(+) T cells and CD68(+) cells were the major source of IL-36α in minor salivary glands of pSS. γδ T cells were not significantly expanded in the salivary glands of pSS but produced more IL-17, as their percentage correlated with the focus score. Higher expression of IL-36α and IL-36R was also demonstrated in γδ T cells isolated from pSS compared to controls. In this study we demonstrate that a significant increase in circulating and tissue levels of IL-36α occurs in pSS patients

Delivery status of the ELI-NP gamma beam system

International audienceThe ELI-NP GBS is a high intensity and monochromatic gamma source under construction in Magurele (Romania). The design and construction of the Gamma Beam System complex as well as the integration of the technical plants and the commissioning of the overall facility, was awarded to the Eurogammas Consortium in March 2014. The delivery of the facility has been planned in for 4 stages and the first one was fulfilled in October 31st 2015. The engineering aspects related to the delivery stage 1 are presented