Fingerprinting white marbles of archaeometric interest by means of combined SANS and USANS

We have performed a series of USANS and SANS measurements on a selected group of marble samples characterized by similar chemical composition but wide range of known metamorphic conditions. With these samples we start the building up of a data base in an attempt to correlate metamorphism and mesoscopic structure of white marbles. Experimental data have been analysed in terms of a hierarchical model. The present data highlight the importance of the structure at meso scale in identifying the provenance of the marble samples. A remarkable simple relation between the model parameters and the metamorphic degree has been found. This curve might represent a master curve to allow fingerprinting of white marbles. Also, two coloured marbles from Villa Adriana (Tivoli, Italy) have been investigated by means of the same techniques. Results obtained follow the general trend found for the white marbles

Serum low density lipoprotein subclasses in asthma

Background: The levels of serum low-density lipoproteins (LDL) have been implicated in the inflammatory cascade in a murine model of asthma. Recent findings suggest that LDL may modulate the inflammatory state of the asthmatic airways in humans. Objective: We explored whether LDL subclasses are associated with the occurrence and severity of asthma. Methods: 24 asthmatics (M/F: 11/13) and 24 healthy individuals, with normal BMI and absence of metabolic syndrome, matched for age and gender. Serum concentrations of LDL subclasses were distributed as seven bands (LDL-1 and -2 defined as large, least pro-inflammatory LDL, and LDL-3 to 7 defined as small, most pro-inflammatory LDL), using the LipoPrintª System (Quantimetrix Corporation, Redondo Beach, CA, USA). Results: LDL-1 was similar in the two groups (56 ± 16% vs. 53 ± 11, p = NS), while LDL-2 was significantly lower in asthmatics as compared to controls (35 ± 8% vs. 43 ± 10%, p = 0.0074). LDL-3 levels were two-fold higher in the asthmatics, but the difference did not reach the statistical significance (8± 7.3% vs. 4±3%, p=NS). Smaller subclasses LDL-4 to LDL-7 were undetectable in controls. In asthmatics, LDL-1 was positively associated with VC% predicted (r=+0.572, pZ0.0035) and FEV1% predicted (r=+0.492, p=+.0146). LDL-3 was inversely correlated with both VC% predicted (r =-0.535, p =0.0071) and FEV1% predicted (r =-0.465, p = 0.0222). Conclusions: The findings of this pilot study suggest a role of LDL in asthma, and advocate for larger studies to confirm the association between asthma and dyslipidemia

Desogestrel down-regulates PHOX2B and its target genes in progesterone responsive neuroblastoma cells

The paired-like homeobox 2B gene (PHOX2B) encodes a key transcription factor that plays a role in the development of the autonomic nervous system and the neural structures involved in controlling breathing. In humans, PHOX2B over-expression plays a role in the pathogenesis of tumours arising from the sympathetic nervous system such as neuroblastomas, and heterozygous PHOX2B mutations cause Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), a life-threatening neurocristopathy characterised by the defective autonomic control of breathing and involving altered CO2/H+ chemosensitivity. The recovery of CO2/H+ chemosensitivity and increased ventilation have been observed in two CCHS patients using the potent contraceptive progestin desogestrel. Given the central role of PHOX2B in the pathogenesis of CCHS, and the progesterone-mediated effects observed in the disease, we generated progesterone-responsive neuroblastoma cells, and evaluated the effects of 3-Ketodesogestrel (3-KDG), the biologically active metabolite of desogestrel, on the expression of PHOX2B and its target genes. Our findings demonstrate that, through progesterone nuclear receptor PR-B, 3-KDG down-regulates PHOX2B gene expression, by a post-transcriptional mechanism, and its target genes and open up the possibility that this mechanism may contribute to the positive effects observed in some CCHS patients

Airway Wall Thickness By HRCT Does Not Affect Airway Distensibility In Asthma And COPD

The mineral ushkovite has been analyzed using a combination of electron microscopy with EDX and vibrational spectroscopy. Chemical analysis shows the mineral contains P, Mg with very minor Fe. Thus, the formula of the studied ushkovite is Mg3 2+(PO4)2 8H2O. The Raman spectrum shows an intense band at 953 cm 1 assigned to the m1 symmetric stretching mode. In the infrared spectra complexity exists with multiple antisymmetric stretching vibrations observed, due to the reduced tetrahedral symmetry. This loss of degeneracy is also reflected in the bending modes. Strong infrared bands around 827 cm 1 are attributed to water librational modes. The Raman spectra of the hydroxyl-stretching region are complex with overlapping broad bands. Hydroxyl stretching vibrations are identified at 2881, 2998, 3107, 3203, 3284 and 3457 cm 1. The wavenumber band at 3457 cm 1 is attributed to the presence of FeOH groups. This complexity is reflected in the water HOH bending modes where a strong infrared band centered around 1653 cm 1 is found. Such a band reflects the strong hydrogen bonding of the water molecules to the phosphate anions in adjacent layers. Spectra show three distinct OH bending bands from strongly hydrogen-bonded, weakly hydrogen bonded water and non-hydrogen bonded water. Vibrational spectroscopy enhances our knowledge of the molecular structure of ushkovite

Neutron tomography in modern archaeology

The search for non invasive and non destructive techniques is fundamental when dealing with samples of great historical, cultural and artistic value as well as with samples strongly degraded. Among different techniques, Neutron Tomography NT allows a close analysis of samples of Archaeological interest without damaging them. In what follows, a few cases in which the Neutron Tomography instrument of the BENSC at HMI Berlin has been successfully applied will be show

Structural and functional differences in PHOX2B frameshift mutations underlie isolated or syndromic congenital central hypoventilation syndrome

Heterozygous mutations in the PHOX2B gene are causative of congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), a neurocristopathy characterized by defective autonomic control of breathing due to the impaired differentiation of neural crest cells. Among PHOX2B mutations, polyalanine (polyAla) expansions are almost exclusively associated with isolated CCHS, whereas frameshift variants, although less frequent, are often more severe than polyAla expansions and identified in syndromic CCHS. This article provides a complete review of all the frameshift mutations identified in cases of isolated and syndromic CCHS reported in the literature as well as those identified by us and not yet published. These were considered in terms of both their structure, whether the underlying indels induced frameshifts of either 1 or 2 steps (\u201cframe 2\u201d and \u201cframe 3\u201d mutations respectively), and clinical associations. Furthermore, we evaluated the structural and functional effects of one \u201cframe 3\u201d mutation identified in a patient with isolated CCHS, and one \u201cframe 2\u201d mutation identified in a patient with syndromic CCHS, also affected with Hirschsprung's disease and neuroblastoma. The data thus obtained confirm that the type of translational frame affects the severity of the transcriptional dysfunction and the predisposition to isolated or syndromic CCH

Alanine expansions associated with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome impair PHOX2B homeodomain-mediated dimerization and nuclear import

Heterozygous mutations of the human PHOX2B gene, a key regulator of autonomic nervous system development, lead to congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a failure in the autonomic control of breathing. Polyalanine expansions in the 20-residues region of the C terminus of PHOX2B are the major mutations responsible for CCHS. Elongation of the alanine stretch in PHOX2B leads to a protein with altered DNA binding, transcriptional activity, and nuclear localization and the possible formation of cytoplasmic aggregates; furthermore, the findings of various studies support the idea that CCHS is not due to a pure loss of function mechanism but also involves a dominant negative effect and/or toxic gain of function for PHOX2B mutations. Because PHOX2B forms homodimers and heterodimers with its paralogue PHOX2A in vitro, we tested the hypothesis that the dominant negative effects of the mutated proteins are due to non-functional interactions with the wild-type protein or PHOX2A using a co-immunoprecipitation assay and the mammalian two-hybrid system. Our findings show that PHOX2B forms homodimers and heterodimerizes weakly with mutated proteins, exclude the direct involvement of the polyalanine tract in dimer formation, and indicate that mutated proteins retain partial ability to form heterodimers with PHOX2A. Moreover, in this study, we investigated the effects of the longest polyalanine expansions on the homeodomain-mediated nuclear import, and our data clearly show that the expanded C terminus interferes with this process. These results provide novel insights into the effects of the alanine tract expansion on PHOX2B folding and activity

Artificial Intelligence for Classifying the Relationship between Impacted Third Molar and Mandibular Canal on Panoramic Radiographs

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two convolutional neural networks (CNNs), namely ResNet-152 and VGG-19, in analyzing, on panoramic images, the rapport that exists between the lower third molar (MM3) and the mandibular canal (MC), and to compare this performance with that of an inexperienced observer (a sixth year dental student). Utilizing the k-fold cross-validation technique, 142 MM3 images, cropped from 83 panoramic images, were split into 80% as training and validation data and 20% as test data. They were subsequently labeled by an experienced radiologist as the gold standard. In order to compare the diagnostic capabilities of CNN algorithms and the inexperienced observer, the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) were determined. ResNet-152 achieved a mean sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and accuracy, of 84.09%, 94.11%, 92.11%, and 88.86%, respectively. VGG-19 achieved 71.82%, 93.33%, 92.26%, and 85.28% regarding the aforementioned characteristics. The dental student's diagnostic performance was respectively 69.60%, 53.00%, 64.85%, and 62.53%. This work demonstrated the potential use of deep CNN architecture for the identification and evaluation of the contact between MM3 and MC in panoramic pictures. In addition, CNNs could be a useful tool to assist inexperienced observers in more accurately identifying contact relationships between MM3 and MC on panoramic images