Explant-derived human dental pulp stem cells enhance differentiation and proliferation potentials

Numerous stem cell niches are present in the different tissues and organs of the adult human body. Among these tissues, dental pulp, entrapped within the 'sealed niche' of the pulp chamber, is an extremely rich site for collecting stem cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the isolation of human dental pulp stem cells by the explants culture method (hD-DPSCs) allows the recovery of a population of dental mesenchymal stem cells that exhibit an elevated proliferation potential. Moreover, we highlight that hD-DPSCs are not only capable of differentiating into osteoblasts and chondrocytes but are also able to switch their genetic programme when co-cultured with murine myoblasts. High levels of MyoD expression were detected, indicating that muscle-specific genes in dental pulp cells can be turned on through myogenic fusion, confirming thus their multipotency. A perivascular niche may be the potential source of hD-DPSCs, as suggested by the consistent Ca(2+) release from these cells in response to endothelin-1 (ET-1) treatment, which is also able to significantly increase cell proliferation. Moreover, response to ET-1 has been found to be superior in hD-DPSCs than in DPSCs, probably due to the isolation method that promotes release of stem/progenitor cells from perivascular structures. The ability to isolate, expand and direct the differentiation of hD-DPSCs into several lineages, mainly towards myogenesis, offers an opportunity for the study of events associated with cell commitment and differentiation. Therefore, hD-DPSCs display enhanced differentiation abilities when compared to DPSCs, and this might be of relevance for their use in therapy

Glutamine deprivation enhances antitumor activity of 3-bromopyruvate through the stabilization of monocarboxylate transporter-1

Anticancer drug efficacy might be leveraged by strategies to target certain biochemical adaptations of tumors. Here we show how depriving cancer cells of glutamine can enhance the anticancer properties of 3-bromopyruvate, a halogenated analog of pyruvic acid. Glutamine deprival potentiated 3-bromopyruvate chemotherapy by increasing the stability of the monocarboxylate transporter-1, an effect that sensitized cells to metabolic oxidative stress and autophagic cell death. We further elucidated mechanisms through which resistance to chemopotentiation by glutamine deprival could be circumvented. Overall, our findings offer a preclinical proof-of-concept for how to employ 3-bromopyruvate or other monocarboxylic-based drugs to sensitize tumors to chemotherap

Open spaces and environmental design

The urban fabric of any human settlement can be analyzed at two levels: the built fabric and the system of empty spaces. Graphically, the two levels are contrary to each other. The first is the structure generated by the aggregation of the elementary unit that represents its governing and invariable element. It is a component that can be managed and its spatial, functional and structural entity can be controlled due to its “box like” structure. The empty system consists of public and private open spaces that form a network of relational, representative and social spaces but also an interconnecting system. So, the identification of the methods to analyze the environmental characteristics of these empty spaces and, therefore, the criteria to improve the comfort conditions of the users, is the aim of this research. The survey follows the branch of research that studies the methods of intervention in historical centers. The need to carry out project interventions in historic urban fabrics pushes the researchers to find the methods to introduce the comfort levels required by contemporary users and, at the same time, to respect the values to pass down to posterity The choice of a strategy involving a certain degree of invasiveness and reversibility depends on the designer's knowledge of the particular context of intervention For this reason, the project carried out in a context having important values, as it is a minor center, requires a detailed cognitive analysis of the site under study that, inevitably, will limit the designer's freedom. The study area is located in the Abruzzi Region, full of minor historical centers rich in deep cultural values

A sustainable solution for energy efficiency in Italian climatic contexts

In the European Union, about 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions come from buildings; therefore, the improvement of their energy performance is a strongly focused issue. In particular, the energy efficiency of the building envelope is a very important element to pay attention to. Many studies have been conducted on this field of research, and the study illustrated in this paper also belongs to this topic. In particular, this article presents a multidisciplinary method to find sustainable solutions for energy efficiency in Italian climatic contexts using the Life Cycle Cost Analysis approach. In detail, this paper defines the reference scenario and then deepens the methodology used to determine the economically optimal thickness of a specific insulating material-hemp fiber-applied to a specific type of wall-uninsulated cavity walls made of hollow bricks, which are very widespread in Italy. The analysis is developed in relation to three different regions-Piedmont, Abruzzo, and Campania. The results show that the economically optimal thickness is different for each region analyzed and demonstrates how energy efficiency strategies must be carefully weighed according to the specific conditions of the site

Sustainable development goal 11. Heritage as resource in lockdown

Following the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, Sustainable Development Goal 11 is particularly focused, because the lockdown and the imposition of the so-called “smart-working” have highlighted the existence of a strong housing crisis and the importance of technology. With regard to the first point, according to Istat's 2020 SDGs Report, about a quarter of the Italian resident population reports one or more factors of housing discomfort. In relation to the role played by technology, the need to modernize the infrastructure networks and implement smart connection systems to overpass the digital divide and to make smart-working effectively possible became evident. Therefore, this paper intends to illustrate a virtuous rehabilitation of a portion of a minor historical center, in order to implement the comfort conditions and to promote technological innovation through compatible solutions, thus contributing to the achievement of SDG 11.A seguito della crisi pandemica da Covid-19, l’Obiettivo di Sviluppo Sostenibile 11 risulta particolarmente attenzionato, perché il lockdown e l’imposizione del cosiddetto “lavoro agile” hanno messo in luce criticità legate alle carenze abitative e l’importanza della tecnologia. In merito al primo punto, secondo il Rapporto SDGs 2020 dell’Istat, circa un quarto della popolazione italiana residente riferisce uno o più fattori di disagio abitativo. In relazione al secondo, è emersa la necessità di ammodernare le reti infrastrutturali e di implementare i sistemi di connessione smart per superare il digital divide e per rendere effettivamente possibile lo smart-working. Per quanto argomentato, l’articolo che si propone intende illustrare un processo virtuoso di recupero di una porzione di un centro minore storico al fine di implementarne le condizioni di comfort e di promuoverne l’innovazione tecnologica mediante soluzioni compatibili, contribuendo così al conseguimento dell’SDG 11

Disulfide relays and phosphorylative cascades: Partners in redox-mediated signaling pathways

Modifications of specific amino-acid residues of proteins are fundamental in order to modulate different signaling processes among which the cascade of phosphorylation represents the most effective example. Recently, also, the modification of the redox state of cysteine residues of certain proteins, which is a widespread mechanism in the regulation of protein function, has been proposed to be involved in signaling pathways. Growing evidence shows that some transcription factors could be modulated by both oxidation and phosphorylation. In particular, the pathways regulated by the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases represent well-established examples of the cross talk between redox-mediated signaling and phosphorylative cascades. This review will compare the two modes of signal transduction and propose an evolutionary model of a partnership of the two mechanisms in the eukaryotic cell, with redox-mediated signals being more specific and ancestral and phosphorylative signals being more diffuse but predominant in signal propagation. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved

THE MAXIMIZATION OF THE 4TH DIMENSION OF THE BUILDING SITE

Abstract. The aim of the contribution is to elaborate the digitalization of the construction process and of the management of the construction for both the organization of work activity and safety on the building site. The BIM methodology requires a digital implementation of construction through the creation of virtual models pertaining to the various professions involved. The CoSIM, acronym for Construction Site Information Modelling, is the application of BIM in the building site and where the federated model of the design phase materializes. The goal of the methodology developed is to obtain an elevated quality standard of the project, while trying to maximise costs and time as much as possible to favour an increase in the level of safety and security on the building site. The BSS, Building Site Safety, will allow a maximization of the safety design, not only by graphically depicting work activity but also forming a digital system for the documentation of the building site. To support this, the model is integrated with a simple plug-in which contains a library of objects to use for the designing and planning of safety on site, from general information to state of emergency warning. Thanks to the combination of the CoSIM and the BSS we can have a reduction of the variant, a reduction of time and costs due to an improved planning of work activity and allows the worker to be aware of all the modalities of procedure before entering the building site

The CUORE cryostat: an infrastructure for rare event searches at millikelvin temperatures

The CUORE experiment is the world's largest bolometric experiment. The detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals, for a total mass of 742 kg. CUORE is presently taking data at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. A large custom cryogen-free cryostat allows reaching and maintaining a base temperature of about 10 mK, required for the optimal operation of the detector. This apparatus has been designed in order to achieve a low noise environment, with minimal contribution to the radioactive background for the experiment. In this paper, we present an overview of the CUORE cryostat, together with a description of all its sub-systems, focusing on the solutions identified to satisfy the stringent requirements. We briefly illustrate the various phases of the cryostat commissioning and highlight the relevant steps and milestones achieved each time. Finally, we describe the successful cooldown of CUORE

Energy Improvement in the Building Sector: An Economic Analysis Relating to the Most Common Italian Masonry

The construction sector is a major contributor to total energy consumption, therefore, it is crucial to adopt energy efficiency strategies capable of reducing energy impact in buildings. Among these strategies, exterior wall insulation is one of the most cost-effective options to achieve energy savings for both newly constructed and renovated buildings. In this paper, based on an economic analysis, we aim to determine the economically optimal thickness of insulation material to be used for retrofit interventions of masonry structures. The study analyzes 10 different insulating materials and 5 masonry structures widespread in Italy. The results show that each masonry structure requires a careful evaluation of the thickness of the insulating material to be applied in retrofit operations. Moreover, varying the type of insulating material used, even if applied to the same wall structure, there are different levels of thickness to be applied in order to optimize the performance of the structure

UAV PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR RESILIENCE MANAGEMENT IN RECONSTRUCTION PLAN OF URBAN HISTORICAL CENTRES AFTER SEISMIC EVENTS. A CASE STUDY

In the last decades, the UAV photogrammetry has been widely employed to obtain a complete and metric survey in different fields, especially when high resolution, speed of execution and safety are required. It is widely used in the construction sector and an interesting research field is their use to support the historical centres urban renewal projects, especially in post-earthquake reconstruction. In fact, the establishment of a construction site involves several intrinsic criticalities linked to the nature of the context, and especially in a post-earthquake scenario, additional problems arise beyond these critical elements. These conditions affect the preservation of historical centres, planned conservation, risk and resilience management. For this reason, it is necessary to develop innovative methodologies and strategy to plan interventions and to manage the construction sites in the historical centre after an earthquake.The use of UAV photogrammetry is a tool to support this activity in this field because it allows obtaining a complete and a high-resolution geometric survey of the areas to be reconstructed in a fast way and especially in total safety for the operators. For this reason, this study aims to illustrate a methodology that, starting from a series of preliminary surveys, supports the development of the program of reconstruction of a historic urban centre hit by an earthquake event. The aim of this research is to prevent problems, interferences and criticalities in order to increase the safety and rationality of the entire reconstruction process.</p