Generation of non-diffractive Bessel beams by inward cylindrical traveling wave aperture distributions

International audienceThe focusing capabilities of an inward cylindrical traveling wave aperture distribution and the non-diffractive behaviour of its radiated field are analyzed. The wave dynamics of the infinite aperture radiated field is clearly unveiled by means of closed form expressions, based on incomplete Hankel functions, and their ray interpretation. The non-diffractive behaviour is also confirmed for finite apertures up to a defined limited range. A radial waveguide made by metallic gratings over a ground plane and fed by a coaxial feed is used to validate numerically the analytical results. The proposed system and accurate analysis of non-diffractive Bessel beams launched by inward waves opens new opportunities for planar, low profile beam generators at microwaves, Terahertz and optics

Male Norway rats cooperate according to direct but not generalized reciprocity rules

Funding was provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation grants 31003A_156152 and 31003A 176174 to M.T. and P2BEP3 175269 to M.K.S.Reciprocal cooperation may evolve if the costs of help are reliably compensated for by delayed returns provided in future interactions. The associated probabilities and cost–benefit ratios may vary systematically between the sexes, which often display different dispersal strategies and interaction patterns. Whereas female Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, are known to apply direct and generalized decision rules of reciprocal cooperation, the rules according to which males reciprocate favours are less well understood. Therefore, we investigated the cooperation propensity of male wild-type Norway rats. Male test rats experienced cooperating partners that provided food to them, or defecting partners that refused to provide help. Afterwards, test rats could donate food to previously experienced or unknown partners, resembling direct and generalized reciprocity paradigms, respectively. Male rats cooperated according to direct reciprocity, suggesting that this decision rule is similarly important for both sexes. However, whereas females additionally help according to generalized reciprocity, males did not apply this rule. These results suggest a sex difference in reciprocal decision rules, highlighting the potential importance of different interaction patterns and cost–benefit ratios between the sexes.PostprintPeer reviewe

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is not Related to the Prevalence of Diabetic Polyneuropathy in Diabetes

Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested as independent predictor for kidney disease and proliferative retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), while the association with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is debated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between DPN and predictive tools and ultrasonography diagnosis of NAFLD. Methods: Forty-two diabetic patients (mean age 57.83 ± 11.47 years, duration 9.44 ± 8.92 years, HbA1c 59.19 ± 13.85 mmol/mol, 27 males, 93% T2DM), underwent clinical evaluation of DPN by Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score (MDNS) and Diabetic Neuropathy Index (DNI). NAFLD was evaluated by predictive tools Fatty Liver Index (FLI) and Hepatic Steatosis Index (HIS), and confirmed by liver ultrasonography. Results: DPN was present in 22 (52.4%) participants. DPN patients were older (p=0.04) and characterized by higher prevalence of impaired urinary albumin excretion (p=0.035), hypertension (p=0.011) and dyslipidemia (p=0.041). High risk FLI and HIS scores were detected in 81% and 64.3% of subjects, while ultrasonography NAFLD was present in 31 out of 36 (85.7%%) patients (20 with mild and 11 with moderate-severe grade), resulting more frequent in females than males (93.3% versus 63.0%, p=0.032). 87 No significant difference was found in DPN prevalence in patients with NAFLD than those without (54.8 versus 45.2 %, p=0.338), also considering only high grade steatosis. No association was identified between DPN and non-invasive predictive tools of NAFLD. Conclusion: Although in a small sample of diabetic subjects, liver steatosis is not independently associated with clinical diagnosis of DPN

On the Near-Field Shaping and Focusing Capability of a Radial Line Slot Array

International audienceWe describe the design of a radial line slot array antenna with a shaped and focused near field. The antenna is designed in such a way to control the side lobe level and beamwidth of the normal component of the electric field with respect to the radiating aperture. The design procedure consists of two steps. In the first step, the requirements on the near-field pattern are provided over a focusing plane at a given distance from the radiating aperture. A set theoretic approach is then used to derive the aperture field distribution fitting the requirements over the near field. In the second step, the aperture field distribution is synthesized by accurately placing and sizing the slots of the antenna. The spillover efficiency is maximized during the design process. The antenna is centrally fed by a simple coaxial probe. The antenna design is validated by a prototype and measurements at 12.5 GHz

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Gastric Neoplastic Lesions. An Italian, Multicenter Study

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) allows removing neoplastic lesions on gastric mucosa, including early gastric cancer (EGC) and dysplasia. Data on ESD from Western countries are still scanty. We report results of ESD procedures performed in Italy. Data of consecutive patients who underwent ESD for gastric neoplastic removal were analyzed. The en bloc resection rate and the R0 resection rates for all neoplastic lesions were calculated, as well as the curative rate (i.e., no need for surgical treatment) for EGC. The incidence of complications, the one‐month mortality, and the recurrence rate at one‐year follow‐up were computed. A total of 296 patients with 299 gastric lesions (80 EGC) were treated. The en bloc resection was successful for 292 (97.6%) and the R0 was achieved in 266 (89%) out of all lesions. In the EGC group, the ESD was eventually curative in 72.5% (58/80) following procedure. A complication occurred in 30 (10.1%) patients. Endoscopic treatment was successful in all 3 perforations, whereas it failed in 2 out of 27 bleeding patients who were treated with radiological embolization (1 case) or surgery (1 case). No procedure‐related deaths at one‐month follow‐up were observed. Lesion recurrence occurred in 16 (6.2%) patients (6 EGC and 10 dysplasia). In conclusion, the rate of both en bloc and R0 gastric lesions removal was very high in Italy. However, the curative rate for EGC needs to be improved. Complications were acceptably low and amenable at endoscopy

Effect of different atmospheric and subatmospheric cooking techniques on qualitative properties and microstructure of artichoke heads

Quartered Violetto artichokes were cooked with different treatments (boiling, steaming, sous vide and vacuum cooking) at the same cooking value at the thermal centre. Then, the physical (moisture content, texture and colour), histological and chemical (phenolic, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furan content, total antioxidant capacity) features of bracts and hearts were assessed. A deeply modified microstructure was observed in boiled and steamed samples with an evident decrease in hardness both for bracts and hearts. Lightness of two anatomical parts was decreased by all the treatments (with the exception of sous vide bracts). The highest total colour difference was recorded for steamed samples, whereas the lowest was noted for sous vide samples. Steamed and sous vide artichoke exhibited the highest total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity. Sous vide samples exhibited the highest concentrations of HMF, 2-furan-methanol and 2,4-dihydroxy-2,5-dimetyl-3(2H)-furanone, whereas the by-product 5-metylfuraldheide was only detected in the steamed product

Comparison of physical, microstructural and antioxidative properties of pumpkin cubes cooked by conventional, vacuum cooking and sous vide methods

BACKGROUND Current dietary guidelines recommend five or more fruit, vegetable, and legume servings per day. Often, these products are eaten cooked, resulting in organoleptic and nutritional changes. Vacuum cooking is gaining attention as an alternative cooking technique, due to its ability to preserve or even enhance sensory and healthy properties of food. Its household application is, however, poorly explored. In this work, the effect of vacuum cooking, performed with a new patented system, was studied for the first time on pumpkin cubes and compared to sous vide and traditional steam cooking, through a multidisciplinary approach. RESULTS All the cooking treatments damaged pumpkin microstructure, leading to cell separation and plasmolysis; vacuum cooking was the most aggressive method, as confirmed by texture softening. Vacuum cooking was also the method with less impact on pumpkin color, in relation to the largest extraction of some classes of carotenoids from the broken cells. Significant polyphenol extraction, especially of gallic acid and naringenin, was instead observed for sous vide and steamed pumpkins. The total antioxidant activity, ascribable to the effect of both carotenoids and polyphenols, resulted enhanced after cooking compared to raw one mainly for cook vide samples, followed by steamed and sous vide ones. CONCLUSIONS Vacuum cooking, followed by sous vide, has often shown better performance than traditional steam cooking for pumpkin cubes. The implementation of sous vide and vacuum cooking at domestic level or in professional kitchens, and in the food industry, would allow the consumption of vegetables with improved nutritional and sensorial characteristics. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industr

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric neoplastic lesions: An Italian, multicenter study

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) allows removing neoplastic lesions on gastric mucosa, including early gastric cancer (EGC) and dysplasia. Data on ESD from Western countries are still scanty. We report results of ESD procedures performed in Italy. Data of consecutive patients who underwent ESD for gastric neoplastic removal were analyzed. The en bloc resection rate and the R0 resection rates for all neoplastic lesions were calculated, as well as the curative rate (i.e., no need for surgical treatment) for EGC. The incidence of complications, the one-month mortality, and the recurrence rate at one-year follow-up were computed. A total of 296 patients with 299 gastric lesions (80 EGC) were treated. The en bloc resection was successful for 292 (97.6%) and the R0 was achieved in 266 (89%) out of all lesions. In the EGC group, the ESD was eventually curative in 72.5% (58/80) following procedure. A complication occurred in 30 (10.1%) patients. Endoscopic treatment was successful in all 3 perforations, whereas it failed in 2 out of 27 bleeding patients who were treated with radiological embolization (1 case) or surgery (1 case). No procedure-related deaths at one-month follow-up were observed. Lesion recurrence occurred in 16 (6.2%) patients (6 EGC and 10 dysplasia). In conclusion, the rate of both en bloc and R0 gastric lesions removal was very high in Italy. However, the curative rate for EGC needs to be improved. Complications were acceptably low and amenable at endoscopy

Secreted CLIC3 drives cancer progression through its glutathione-dependent oxidoreductase activity

The secretome of cancer and stromal cells generates a microenvironment that contributes to tumour cell invasion and angiogenesis. Here we compare the secretome of human mammary normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). We discover that the chloride intracellular channel protein 3 (CLIC3) is an abundant component of the CAF secretome. Secreted CLIC3 promotes invasive behaviour of endothelial cells to drive angiogenesis and increases invasiveness of cancer cells both in vivo and in 3D cell culture models, and this requires active transglutaminase-2 (TGM2). CLIC3 acts as a glutathione-dependent oxidoreductase that reduces TGM2 and regulates TGM2 binding to its cofactors. Finally, CLIC3 is also secreted by cancer cells, is abundant in the stromal and tumour compartments of aggressive ovarian cancers and its levels correlate with poor clinical outcome. This work reveals a previously undescribed invasive mechanism whereby the secretion of a glutathione-dependent oxidoreductase drives angiogenesis and cancer progression by promoting TGM2-dependent invasion