SMA applications in an innovative multishot deployment mechanism

An innovative Deployment and Retraction hinge Mechanism (DARM) in the frame of a technological program is examined. The mechanism includes two restraint/release devices, which enable it to be stable in its stowed or deployed position while sustaining all associated loads, and to carry its payload by remote command. The main characteristics of the DARM are as follows: deployment and retraction movements are spring actuated; the available amount of functional sequences is almost unlimited; and no use of electrical motors is made. These features were accomplished by: the application of a special kinematic scheme to the mechanical connection between the spring motor and the swivel head arm; and the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) actuators for both release and spring recharge functions. DARM is thus a mechanism which can find many applications in the general space scenario of in-orbit maintenance and servicing. In such a frame, the DARM typical concept, which has a design close to very simple one-shot deployment mechanisms, has a good chance to replace existing analog machines. Potential items that could be moved by DARM are: booms for satellite instruments; antenna reflector tips; entire antenna reflectors; and solar panels

Birds of a feather flock together and get money from the crowd

In constructing online alternative finance instruments as a new form of financial democratization and financial inclusion, this article aims at verifying the presence of similarity effect in equity crowdfunding investments. Discussion focuses on ethnic and gender similarity between the seekers and investors that sustained the project. Our analysis is based on 5,996 personal investors that have participated in 81 equity crowdfunding campaigns, on Crowdcube, a British equity crowdfunding platform from 2011 and 2016. Results show that in equity crowdfunding gender and ethnic similarities play different role based on investors’ characteristics - gender, ethnicity and the combination of two. In particular, ethnic similarity positively influence the level of amount invested by both female and male investors belonging to an ethnic minority. Even if female investors tend to prefer male company, their preference changes if a female proponent belonging to an ethnic minority runs the company. From a practical perspective, our findings shed new light on how individual characteristics can be important factor in financing situations. Results allow entrepreneurs and equity crowdfunding platforms to understand better potential investor behaviour and highlights the role of equity crowdfunding as tool for minorities’ financial inclusion and women entrepreneur empowerment

Combined Management of Groundwater Resources and Water Supply Systems at Basin Scale Under Climate Change

Water stress conditions associated with population growth, climate change, and groundwater contamination, represent a significant challenge for all stakeholders in the water sector. Increasing the resilience of Water Supply Systems (WSSs) becomes of fundamental importance: along with an adequate level of service, sustainability targets must be ensured. A long-term management strategy is strictly connected to a holistic approach, based on analyses at different scales. To this end, both groundwater modeling tools and water management models, with different spatial and temporal scales, are routinely and independently employed. Here, we propose a coupled approach combining: i) groundwater models (MODFLOW) to investigate different stress scenarios, involving climate change and anthropic activities; ii) water management models (Aquator), to assess the water resources availability and the best long-term management strategy for large-scale WSS. The management models are implemented starting from input and output flows derived by groundwater models: this leads to establish a comprehensive framework usually not defined in management models and including a quantitative characterization of the aquifer. The proposed methodology, general and applicable to any study area, is here implemented to the WSS of Reggio Emilia Province, and its main groundwater resource, the Enza aquifer, considering three different stress scenarios for groundwater models (BAU, ST1, and ST2), and for management strategies (BAU, BAURV2, ST2). Among the key results, we observe that coupling the two model types: i) allows evaluating water resources availability in connection with management rules; ii) leads to examining more realistic operation choices; iii) permits planning of infrastructures at basin scale

Pancreatic cancer-associated diabetes mellitus: an open field for proteomic applications.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with pancreatic cancer in more than 80% of the cases. Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental data indicate that pancreatic cancer causes diabetes mellitus by releasing soluble mediators which interfere with both beta-cell function and liver and muscle glucose metabolism. Methods: We analysed, by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF), a series of pancreatic cancer cell lines conditioned media, pancreatic cancer patients' peripheral and portal sera, comparing them with controls and chronic pancreatitis patients' sera. Results: MALDI-TOF analysis of pancreatic cancer cells conditioned media and patients' sera indicated a low molecular weight peptide to be the putative pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic factor. The sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of tumor samples from diabetic and non-diabetic patients revealed the presence of a 1500 Da peptide only in diabetic patients. The amino acid sequence of this peptide corresponded to the N-terminal of an S-100 calcium binding protein, which was therefore suggested to be the pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic factor. Conclusions: We identified a tumor-derived peptide of 14 amino acids sharing a 100% homology with an S-100 calcium binding protein, which is probably the pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic facto

Pancreatic cancer-derived S-100A8 N-terminal peptide: a diabetes cause?

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to identify the pancreatic cancer diabetogenic peptide. METHODS: Pancreatic tumor samples from patients with (n=15) or without (n=7) diabetes were compared with 6 non-neoplastic pancreas samples using SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: A band measuring approximately 1500 Da was detected in tumors from diabetics, but not in neoplastic samples from non-diabetics or samples from non-neoplastic subjects. Sequence analysis revealed a 14 amino acid peptide (1589.88 Da), corresponding to the N-terminal of the S100A8. At 50 nmol/L and 2 mmol/L, this peptide significantly reduced glucose consumption and lactate production by cultured C(2)C(12) myoblasts. The 14 amino acid peptide caused a lack of myotubular differentiation, the presence of polynucleated cells and caspase-3 activation. CONCLUSIONS: The 14 amino acid peptide from S100A8 impairs the catabolism of glucose by myoblasts in vitro and may cause hyperglycemia in vivo. Its identification in biological fluids might be helpful in diagnosing pancreatic cancer in patients with recent onset diabetes mellitus

Developments in Solid Tumours

AbstractChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have emerged as breakthrough therapies in patients with refractory haematologic malignancies, and the highly encouraging clinical results have fuelled expectations of implementing these strategies in other cancer types. However, a similar success of CAR-T cell treatment has not yet been observed in solid tumours. Various factors, including the immunosuppressive nature of the tumour microenvironment, hinder CAR-T cell trafficking and infiltration into scarcely accessible tumour sites, and difficulties in identifying targetable antigens with optimal expression and a good toxicity profile, limiting CAR-T dose escalation, must be overcome to achieve success in the treatment of solid cancers (Comoli et al. 2019)

Is Eriophyes mali Nalepa present in Italy?

In the last few years, blistering symptoms were observed on apple plants in commercial orchards. Blisters are commonly found on apple leaves as well as on small fruits. This symptom is compatible with that described for apple blister mites belonging to the genus Eriophyes (Eriophyidae). To assess the identity of the etiological agent, leaf blisters and buds of symptomatic apple and, as a control, pear plants were examined under the dissection microscope and eriophyoid mites were collected. Specimens were examined using both molecular and morphological approaches. The analysis of sequences confirmed that eriophyoid mites collected from symptomatic apple and pear plants are genetically different. Our analyses highlight a complex scenario inside the genus Eriophyes that is worth to be studied in more detai

Innovation and development after the earthquake in Emilia

The 2012 earthquake in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) has shaken up the collective understanding on the socioeconomic importance of a vast territory that generates almost 2% of Italian GDP. The area affected by the earthquake is characterized by the presence of important industrial and agricultural districts, and by good practices of local governance that are internationally renowned. Private and public buildings, factories, offices and retail shops, historical and cultural heritage sites have been severely damaged. Not only, but it set in motion transformations in the socio-economic system that might have unexpected consequences and that undermine the quick recovery of the local system: different agents, at different levels, taking individual and collective decisions, generate a cascade of changes that interact with its evolution path. Indeed, earthquakes pose challenges, but provide unprecedented opportunities: strategic decisions by economic and political agents, newly available financial resources, coordination or lack of coordination among main stakeholders, and so on. The following paper provides an overview of the first results of Energie Sisma Emilia research project: it aims at collecting and disseminating relevant knowledge and evidence in order to design policies. In particular, it identifies the agents propelling innovation processes, and analyses their strategies in ever-changing environment. The paper starts with a socio-economic analysis of the area struck by the earthquake, followed by the results of three of the focus groups conducted. Eventually, it illustrates a specific innovation: the introduction and implementation of the digital infrastructure “Mude”

A high definition look at the NF-Y regulome reveals genome-wide associations with selected transcription factors

NF-Y is a trimeric transcription factor (TF), binding the CCAAT box element, for which several results suggest a pioneering role in activation of transcription. In this work, we integrated 380 ENCODE ChIP-Seq experiments for 154 TFs and cofactors with sequence analysis, protein-protein interactions and RNA profiling data, in order to identify genome-wide regulatory modules resulting from the co-association of NF-Y with other TFs. We identified three main degrees of co-association with NF-Y for sequence-specific TFs. In the most relevant one, we found TFs having a significant overlap with NF-Y in their DNA binding loci, some with a precise spacing of binding sites with respect to the CCAAT box, others (FOS, Sp1/2, RFX5, IRF3, PBX3) mostly lacking their canonical binding site and bound to arrays of well spaced CCAAT boxes. As expected, NF-Y binding also correlates with RNA Pol II General TFs and with subunits of complexes involved in the control of H3K4 methylations. Co-association patterns are confirmed by protein-protein interactions, and correspond to specific functional categorizations and expression level changes of target genes following NF-Y inactivation. These data define genome-wide rules for the organization of NF-Y-centered regulatory modules, supporting a model of distinct categorization and synergy with well defined sets of TFs