preliminary observations on the use of low temperatures in the cultural heritage protection

Each insect species has different temperature optima: the more this parameter deviates from these values the more the insect suffers negative consequences, up to the death. Temperature can be easily editable. Therefore, the application of low temperatures may represent a physical method for the protection of valuable cultural objects, alternative, for example, to chemical ones. In this paper we report laboratory tests results, carried out on Trogoderma inclusum LeConte (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), a species harmful to leather items such as bindings of books and mummies, in order to reach its control by applying low temperatures. The tests were conducted using specimens obtained from laboratorybreeding blocks maintained at 27 ± 2°C and 75 ± 5% R.H., in a temperaturecontrolled room of the Institute of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Piacenza. The aim of the tests was to determine the time necessary to obtain the total mortality of the different instars of development at temperatures of -10°C and -20°C. The insects, in the various instars of development of egg, larva, pupa and adult, were treated with low temperatures in two different ways: - inserting the Petri dishes containing the insects directly in the freezer without any protection, in order to obtain an immediate lowering of the temperature, and - inserting the Petri dish in a niche carved in an old book so that the lowering of the temperature is gradual. In some cases the insects were kept at +4°C for a time before the test to determine whether exposure to low temperature before treatment could induce a resistance to it. The results show that the method can be validly applied for cultural heritage objects protection, attacked by the species concerned

Valutazione del rischio elettromagnetico ai sensi del D.Lgs. 81/2008 presso l\u27Azienda Ospedaliera Mellino Mellini Chiari (Brescia)

.La relazione riferisce i risultati della campagna di misura effettuata nei giorni dal 6 al 9 giugno 2011 e successivamente il 4 e il 6 luglio 2011. La campagna ? stata preceduta da un sopralluogo (21 marzo 2011) alle strutture di competenza dell\u27Azienda Mellino Mellini (Chiari, Iseo, Rovato, Palazzolo ed Orzinuovi) per la definizione delle azioni da intraprendere per la valutazione del rischio elettromagnetico in conformit? al D.Lgs. 81/2008. Pi? specificatamente gli obiettivi della campagna di misura sono stati i seguenti. Misura dei campi elettromagnetici (EM) in punti predefiniti per la determinazione dei livelli di campo EM presenti. Determinazione dei campi elettrici, magnetici ed elettromagnetici emessi da apparecchiature elettromedicali quali magnetoterapia e radarterapia . Misura dei campi magnetici (in particolare induzione magnetica) presenti nei locali tecnici quali cabina elettrica e impianti di condizionamento. Valutazione dell\u27intensit? dell\u27induzione magnetica all\u27interno e in prossimit? di incubatrici e culle termiche (Chiari e Iseo). Valutazione delle specifiche tecniche di elettrobisturi (Blocco Operatorio di Iseo). Caratterizzazione della presenza di eventuali interferenze EM dovute alla rete wireless (reparto di terapia intensiva di cardiologia di Chiari) o da disturbi EM presenti su apparecchiature per diagnostica (neurologia di Chiari)

Role of the p53/p21 system in the response of human colon carcinoma cells to Doxorubicin

BACKGROUND: Colon adenocarcinomas are refractory to a number of widely used anticancer agents. Multifactorial mechanisms have been implicated in this intrinsically resistant phenotype, including deregulation of cell death pathways. In this regard, the p53 protein has a well established role in the control of tumor cell response to DNA damaging agents; however, the relationship between p53-driven genes and drug sensitivity remains controversial. The present study investigates the role of the p53/p21 system in the response of human colon carcinoma cells to treatment with the cytotoxic agent doxorubicin (DOX) and the possibility to modify the therapeutic index of DOX by modulation of p53 and/or p21 protein levels. METHODS: The relationship between p53 and p21 protein levels and the cytotoxic effect of DOX was investigated, by MTT assay and western blot analysis, in HCT116 (p53-positive) and HT29 (p53-negative) colon cancer cells. We then assessed the effects of DOX in two isogenic cell lines derived from HCT116 by abrogating the expression and/or function of p53 and p21 (HCT116-E6 and HCT116 p21-/-, respectively). Finally, we evaluated the effect of pre-treatment with the piperidine nitroxide Tempol (TPL), an agent that was reported to induce p21 expression irrespective of p53 status, on the cytotoxicity of DOX in the four cell lines. Comparisons of IC50 values and apoptotic cell percentages were performed by ANOVA and Bonferroni's test for independent samples. C.I. calculations were performed by the combination Index method. RESULTS: Our results indicate that, in the colon carcinoma cell lines tested, sensitivity to DOX is associated with p21 upregulation upon drug exposure, and DOX cytotoxicity is potentiated by pre-treatment with TPL, but only in those cell lines in which p21 can be upregulated. CONCLUSIONS: p21 induction may significantly contribute to the response of colon adenocarcinomas cells to DOX treatment; and small molecules that can exploit p53-independent pathways for p21 induction, such as TPL, may find a place in chemotherapeutic protocols for the clinical management of colorectal cancer, where p53 function is often lost, due to genetic or epigenetic defects or to post-transcriptional inactivating mechanisms

The analog signal processor of the Auger fluorescence detector prototype

The Auger Fluorescence Detector will allow to determine the longitudinal development of atmospheric showers in the range 10 19 –10 21 eV. A detector module comprises an array of 20 � 22 PMTs at the focal surface of a large-aperture telescope. Thirty such modules will be used. The PMTs pixel signal is variable in shape depending on the shower-eye geometry. The sky background light (BL) is also variable. We have developed an analog signal processor to obtain best energy and timing resolution despite those constrains. The Head Electronics (HE) bias the PMTs and keeps its pulsegain constant even for large BL. This is measured using a current-monitor of novel design. Both the signal pulse and the BL DC level are sent via a single twisted pair to the Analog Board (AB). The AB performs the compression of the 15–16 bit signal dynamic range into 12 bits of the FADC which follows the AB. A three-pole Bessel filter was adopted for antialiasing. The AB includes 16 bit sigma-delta chips to readout the BL DC level, and a test-pulse distribution system. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 29.4

Population Genetics of Franciscana Dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei): Introducing a New Population from the Southern Edge of Their Distribution

Due to anthropogenic factors, the franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is the most threatened small cetacean on the Atlantic coast of South America. Four Franciscana Management Areas have been proposed: Espiritu Santo to Rio de Janeiro (FMA I), São Paulo to Santa Catarina (FMA II), Rio Grande do Sul to Uruguay (FMA III), and Argentina (FMA IV). Further genetic studies distinguished additional populations within these FMAs. We analyzed the population structure, phylogeography, and demographic history in the southernmost portion of the species range. From the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences, 5 novel haplotypes were found, totalizing 60 haplotypes for the entire distribution range. The haplotype network did not show an apparent phylogeographical signal for the southern FMAs. Two populations were identified: Monte Hermoso (MH) and Necochea (NC)+Claromecó (CL)+Río Negro (RN). The low levels of genetic variability, the relative constant size over time, and the low levels of gene flow may indicate that MH has been colonized by a few maternal lineages and became isolated from geographically close populations. The apparent increase in NC+CL+RN size would be consistent with the higher genetic variability found, since genetic diversity is generally higher in older and expanding populations. Additionally, RN may have experienced a recent split from CL and NC; current high levels of gene flow may be occurring between the latter ones. FMA IV would comprise four franciscana dolphin populations: Samborombón West+Samborombón South, Cabo San Antonio+Buenos Aires East, NC+CL+Buenos Aires Southwest+RN and MH. Results achieved in this study need to be taken into account in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species.Fil: Gariboldi, María Constanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Tunez, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján; ArgentinaFil: Dejean, Cristina Beatriz. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección Antropología Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Failla, Mauricio. Fundación Cethus; ArgentinaFil: Vitullo, Alfredo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Negri, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Cappozzo, Humberto Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; Argentin

Influence of Grain Boundary Character on Creep Void Formation in Alloy 617

Alloy 617, a high temperature creep-resistant, nickel-based alloy, is being considered for the primary heat exchanger for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) which will operate at temperatures exceeding 760oC. Orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) is used to characterize the grain boundaries in the vicinity of creep voids that develop during high temperature creep tests (800-1000oC at creep stresses ranging from 20-85 MPa) terminated at creep strains ranging from 5-40%. Observations using optical microscopy indicate creep rate does not significantly influence the creep void fraction at a given creep strain. Preliminary analysis of the OIM data indicates voids tend to form on grain boundaries parallel, perpendicular or 45o to the tensile axis, while few voids are found at intermediate inclinations to the tensile axis. Random grain boundaries intersect most voids while CSL-related grain boundaries did not appear to be consistently associated with void development

Biological evaluation of alginate-based hydrogels, with antimicrobial features by Ce(III) incorporation, as vehicles for a bone substitute

In this work three different hydrogels were developed to associate, as vehicles, with the synthetic bone substitute GR-HA. One based on an alginate matrix (Alg); a second on a mixture of alginate and chitosan (Alg/Ch); and a third on alginate and hyaluronate (Alg/HA), using Ca2+ ions as cross-linking agents. The hydrogels, as well as the respective injectable bone substitutes (IBSs), were fully characterized from the physical-chemical point of view. Weight change studies proved that all hydrogels were able to swell and degrade within 72 hours at pH 7.4 and 4.0, being Alg/HA the hydrogel with the highest degradation rate (80%). Rheology studies demonstrated that all hydrogels are non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluids, and injectability tests showed that IBSs presented low maximum extrusion forces, as well as quite stable average forces. In conclusion, the studied hydrogels present the necessary features to be successfully used as vehicles of GR-HA, particularly the hydrogel Alg/HA.The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia) through the grant SFRH/BD/76237/2011 and project ENMED/0002/2010, from FEDER funds through the program COMPETE-Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade-under the project PEst-C/EME/UI0285/2011, as well as to the project I&DT BIOMAT&CELL n. 1372