A prototype of fine granularity lead-scintillating fiber calorimeter with imaging read out

The construction and tests performed on a smal prototype of lead-scintillating fiber calorimeter instrumented with multianode photomultipliers are reported. The prototype is 15 cm wide, 15 radiation lenghts deep and is made of 200 layers of 50 cm long fibers. One side of the calorimeter has been instrumented with an array of 3 × 5 multianode R8900-M16 Hamamatsu photomultipliers, each segmented with a matrix of 4 × 4 anodes. The read-out granularity is 240 pixels 11 × 11 mm 2 reading about 64 fibers each. They are interfaced to the 6 × 6 mm 2 pixelled photocade with truncated pyramid light guides made of BC-800 plastic, UV transparent. Moreover each photomultiplier provides also the OR information of the last 12 dynodes. This information can be useful for trigger purposes. The response of the individual anodes, their relative gain and cross-talk has been measured with a 404 nm picosecond laser illuminating only a few fibers on the opposite side of the read-out. We also present first results of the calorimeter response to cosmic rays and electron beam data collected at BTF facility in Frascati

Testosterone Enanthate: An In Vitro Study of the Effects Triggered in MG-63 Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the androgenic hormone testosterone enanthate (TE) on human MG-63 cells. MG-63 were cultured for 24 h in the presence of TE at increasing concentrations to assess its lethal dose. Therefore, the suitable concentration for a prolonged use of TE in vitro was assessed by viability assay over 9 days. Finally, MG-63 were exposed to TE for 14 days and assayed for differentiation by qPCR and Alizarin Red S staining. TE in the amount of 100 µM resulted as the maximum dose tolerated by MG-63 cells after 24 h. However, a prolonged exposure in culture TE in the amount of 100 µM showed a cytostatic effect on cell proliferation. On the contrary, TE 10 µM was tolerated by the cells and did not boost cell proliferation, but did enhance new bone formation, as revealed by COL1A1, ALPL, BGLAP, and IBSP gene expression after 3, 7, and 14 days, and calcium deposition by Alizarin Red S staining after 14 days. Based on the current study, 10 µM is the critical dose of TE that should be used in vitro to support bone differentiation of MG-63 cells

Measurement of neutron detection efficiency between 22 and 174 MeV using two different kinds of Pb-scintillating fiber sampling calorimeters

We exposed a prototype of the lead-scintillating fiber KLOE calorimeter to neutron beam of 21, 46 and 174 MeV at The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala, to study its neutron detection efficiency. This has been found larger than what expected considering the scintillator thickness of the prototype. %To check our method, we measured also the neutron %detection efficiency of a 5 cm thick NE110 scintillator. We show preliminary measurement carried out with a different prototype with a larger lead/fiber ratio, which proves the relevance of passive material to neutron detection efficiency in this kind of calorimeters

Measurement of the neutron detection efficiency of a 80% absorber - 20% scintillating fibers calorimeter

The neutron detection efficiency of a sampling calorimeter made of 1 mm diameter scintillating fibers embedded in a lead/bismuth structure has been measured at the neutron beam of the The Svedberg Laboratory at Uppsala. A significant enhancement of the detection efficiency with respect to a bulk organic scintillator detector with the same thickness is observed.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

An engineered anti-idiotypic antibody-derived killer peptide (KP) early activates swine inflammatory monocytes, CD3+CD16+ natural killer T cells and CD4+CD8α+ double positive CD8β+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes associated with TNF-α and IFN-γ secretion

This study evaluated the early modulation of the phenotype and cytokine secretion in swine immune cells treated with an engineered killer peptide (KP) based on an anti-idiotypic antibody functionally mimicking a yeast killer toxin. The influence of KP on specific immunity was investigated using porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) as ex vivo antigens. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy pigs were stimulated with KP and with a scramble peptide for 20 min, 1, 4 and 20 h or kept unstimulated. The cells were analyzed using flow cytometry and ELISA. The same time-periods were used for KP pre-incubation/co-incubation to determine the effect on virus-recalled interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secreting cell (SC) frequencies and single cell IFN-γ productivity using ELISPOT. KP induced an early dose-dependent shift to pro-inflammatory CD172α+CD14+high monocytes and an increase of CD3+CD16+ natural killer (NK) T cells. KP triggered CD8α and CD8β expression on classical CD4−CD8αβ+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and double positive (DP) CD4+CD8α+ Th memory cells (CD4+CD8α+low CD8β+low). A fraction of DP cells also expressed high levels of CD8α. The two identified DP CD4+CD8α+high CD8β+low/+high CTL subsets were associated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IFN-γ secretion. KP markedly boosted the reactivity and cross-reactivity of PRRSV type-1- and PCV2b-specific IFN-γ SC. The results indicate the efficacy of KP in stimulating Th1-biased immunomodulation and support studies of KP as an immunomodulator or vaccine adjuvant

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition in an EcPV2-positive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma of a mare

BackgroundVulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) has been recently associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) infection. Still, few reports concerning this disease are present in the literature. ObjectiveTo describe a case of naturally occurring EcPV2-induced VSCC, by investigating tumour ability in undergoing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Study designCase report. MethodsA 13-year-old Haflinger mare was referred for a rapidly growing vulvar mass. After surgical excision, the mass was submitted to histopathology and molecular analysis. Histopathological diagnosis was consistent with a VSCC. Real-time qPCR, real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-qPCR and RNAscope were carried out to detect EcPV2 infection and to evaluate E6/E7 oncogenes expression. To highlight the EMT, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed. Expression of EMT-related and innate immunity-related genes was investigated through RT-qPCR. ResultsReal-time qPCR, RT-qPCR and RNAscope confirmed EcPV2 DNA presence and expression of EcPV2 oncoproteins (E6 and E7) within the neoplastic vulvar lesion. IHC highlighted a cadherin switch together with the expression of the EMT-related transcription factor HIF1 & alpha;. With RT-qPCR, significantly increased gene expression of EBI3 (45.0 & PLUSMN; 1.62, p < 0.01), CDH2 (2445.3 & PLUSMN; 0.39, p < 0.001), CXCL8 (288.7 & PLUSMN; 0.40, p < 0.001) and decreased gene expression of CDH1 (0.3 & PLUSMN; 0.57, p < 0.05), IL12A (0.04 & PLUSMN; 1.06, p < 0.01) and IL17 (0.2 & PLUSMN; 0.64, p < 0.05) were detected. Main limitationsLack of ability to generalise and danger of over-interpretation. ConclusionThe results obtained were suggestive of an EMT event occurring within the neoplastic lesion

Influence of obesity on the correlation between laryngopharyngeal reflux and obstructive sleep apnea

A apneia obstrutiva do sono (AOS) é causada por episódios recorrentes de obstrução total ou parcial da via aérea superior com duração superior a 10 segundos durante o sono. Refluxo faringolaríngeo (RFL) é uma variante da doença do refluxo gastroesofágico que afeta a laringe e a faringe. Avaliar a influência da obesidade na relação entre RFL e AOS em pacientes com SAOS. Estudo observacional transversal retrospectivo. Foram revisados protocolos de atendimento de pacientes com AOS que incluem questionários validados para RFL como Reflux Sympton Index (RSI) e Reflux Finding Score (RSI), nasolaringofibroscopia e polissonografia. Cento e cinco pacientes foram divididos em grupo de obesos (39 pacientes) e não obesos (66 pacientes). Na avaliação das médias do RSI o grupo de não obesos foi semelhante entre pacientes com AOS leve (11,96) e moderada (11,43). No grupo de obesos a média do RSI foi de 6,7 em pacientes com AOS leve e de 11,53 em pacientes com AOS moderada a grave (p < 0,05). O subgrupo de pacientes com AOS e RFL apresenta vários fatores que promovem a inflamação da via aérea superior. Pacientes com AOS devem ser pesquisados e tratados quanto a RFL, aumentando a qualidade de vida. O RFL e a AOS se correlacionam positivamente em pacientes obesos80116The obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by recurrent episodes of partial or total obstruction of the upper airway lasting more than 10 seconds during sleep. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a variant of the disease Gastroesophageal Reflux that affects the larynx and pharynx. Objectives: Evaluate the influence of obesity on the relationship between RFL and OSAS in patients with OSA. An observational retrospective cross. We reviewed care protocol for patients with OSA that includes validated questionnaires for RFL as Sympton Reflux Index (RSI) and Reflux Finding Score (RSI), and polysomnography nasolaringofibroscopia. 105 patients were divided into obese group (39 patients) and non-obese patients (66 patients). In the evaluation of the mean RSI group of non-obese was similar between patients with mild OSA (11.96) and moderate (11.43). In the obese group the mean RSI was 6.7 in patients with mild OSA and 11.53 in patients with moderate to severe OSA (p < 0.05). The subgroup of patients with OSA and RFL have several factors that promote inflammation of the upper airway. Patients with OSA should be screened and treated as the RFL increasing the quality of life. The RFL are positively correlated and OSAS in obese patient

LIGHT/TNFSF14 regulates estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss

Bone loss induced by ovariectomy is due to the direct activity on bone cells and mesenchymal cells and to the dysregulated activity of bone marrow cells, including immune cells and stromal cells, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely known. Here, we demonstrate that ovariectomy induces the T-cell co-stimulatory cytokine LIGHT, which stimulates both osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis by modulating osteoclastogenic cytokine expression, including TNF, osteoprotegerin, and the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL). Predictably, LIGHT-deficient (Tnfsf14−/−) mice are protected from ovariectomy-dependent bone loss, whereas trabecular bone mass increases in mice deficient in both LIGHT and T and B lymphocytes (Rag−/−Tnfsf14−/−) and is associated with an inversion of the TNF and RANKL/OPG ratio. Furthermore, women with postmenopausal osteoporosis display high levels of LIGHT in circulating T cells and monocytes. Taken together, these results indicate that LIGHT mediates bone loss induced by ovariectomy, suggesting that patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis may benefit from LIGHT antagonism. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd