251 research outputs found
Expression study of receptor tyrosine kinase targets of Imatinib mesylate in skull base chordomas
Chordomas are rare neoplasms arising along the axial skeleton. Up to now, the most suitable therapeutic approach is based on a combination of surgical excision and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy in not applied due to its reported low efficacy. Recently, evidence on the efficacy of Imatinib mesylate in two patients has been reported. We analyzed 14 chordoma samples for the expression of the Imatinib mesylate targets by means of RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry and found that PDGFR\u3b1 and PDGFR\u3b2 are in some cases expressed in neoplastic cells, while the stromal counterpart of the same tumor shows the above receptors. Findings on the PDGFA/PDGFB expression suggest a receptor-activated status. Our study provides new insights into the specific localization of Imatinib mesylate targets in skull base chordomas that could be taken into account for the setting up of a pharmacological treatment for this tumor
A proteomics approach to the study of bleomycin- induced lung fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most severe lung fibrotic form and very few pharmacological therapies are available at present. Key events in the onset of
the disease are the activation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and the production and release of extracellular matrix (ECM) and molecular factors.
Primary murine lung fibroblasts were isolated and their activation induced by Bleomycin (BLM) treatment. Extracellular Vesicles (EV) were isolated and protein
extracted. Released soluble proteins (Secretome) and EV-derived proteins were reduced, alkylated and trypsin digested. A nano-LC-MS/MS SWATHTM approach
was used for the proteomics analyses.
Specific proteins with a putative role in the transition from physiological to fibrotic conditions, such as several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), osteopontin
(OPN), chitinase-3-like protein1 (CHI3L1) and CD44 resulted differentially released from BLM-treated fibroblasts as compared with untreated lung fibroblasts.
Our results provide further understanding of the pathophysiological features of lung fibrosis, and suggest specific target for pharmacological treatments
Deep underground rotation measurements: GINGERino ring laser gyroscope in Gran Sasso
GINGERino is a large frame laser gyroscope investigating the ground motion in
the most inner part of the underground international laboratory of the Gran
Sasso, in central Italy. It consists of a square ring laser with a m
side. Several days of continuous measurements have been collected, with the
apparatus running unattended. The power spectral density in the seismic
bandwidth is at the level of . A maximum
resolution of is obtained with an integration time of few
hundred seconds. The ring laser routinely detects seismic rotations induced by
both regional earthquakes and teleseisms. A broadband seismic station is
installed on the same structure of the gyroscope. First analysis of the
correlation between the rotational and the translational signal are presented.Published0345027TM. Sviluppo e Trasferimento TecnologicoJCR Journa
The GINGER Project
GINGER (Gyroscopes IN General Relativity) is a project aiming at measuring the Lense-Thirring effect, at 1% level, with an experiment on earth. It is based on an array of ring-lasers, which are the most sensitive inertial sensors to measure the rotation rate of the Earth. The GINGER project is still under discussion; the experiment G-GranSasso is an R&D experiment financed by INFN Group II, it is studying the key points of GINGER and at the same time developing prototypes. In the following the signal coming out of a ring-laser and the present sensitivity are described.The prototypes GP2 and GINGERino and the preliminary results are reported. This project is inter-disciplinary since ring-lasers provide informations for the fast variation of the earth rotation rate, they are used for the rotational seismology and for top sensitivity angle metrology
A simulation tool for MRPC telescopes of the EEE project
The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project is mainly devoted to the study of the
secondary cosmic ray radiation by using muon tracker telescopes made of three
Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) each. The experiment consists of a
telescope network mainly distributed across Italy, hosted in different building
structures pertaining to high schools, universities and research centers.
Therefore, the possibility to take into account the effects of these structures
on collected data is important for the large physics programme of the project.
A simulation tool, based on GEANT4 and using GEMC framework, has been
implemented to take into account the muon interaction with EEE telescopes and
to estimate the effects on data of the structures surrounding the experimental
apparata.A dedicated event generator producing realistic muon distributions,
detailed geometry and microscopic behavior of MRPCs have been included to
produce experimental-like data. The comparison between simulated and
experimental data, and the estimation of detector resolutions is here presented
and discussed
Measurement of the atmospheric muon depth intensity relation with the NEMO Phase-2 tower
The results of the analysis of the data collected with the NEMO Phase-2
tower, deployed at 3500 m depth about 80 km off-shore Capo Passero (Italy), are
presented. Cherenkov photons detected with the photomultipliers tubes were used
to reconstruct the tracks of atmospheric muons. Their zenith-angle distribution
was measured and the results compared with Monte Carlo simulations. An
evaluation of the systematic effects due to uncertainties on environmental and
detector parameters is also included. The associated depth intensity relation
was evaluated and compared with previous measurements and theoretical
predictions. With the present analysis, the muon depth intensity relation has
been measured up to 13 km of water equivalent.Comment: submitted to Astroparticle Physic
NEMO: A Project for a km Underwater Detector for Astrophysical Neutrinos in the Mediterranean Sea
The status of the project is described: the activity on long term
characterization of water optical and oceanographic parameters at the Capo
Passero site candidate for the Mediterranean km neutrino telescope; the
feasibility study; the physics performances and underwater technology for the
km; the activity on NEMO Phase 1, a technological demonstrator that has
been deployed at 2000 m depth 25 km offshore Catania; the realization of an
underwater infrastructure at 3500 m depth at the candidate site (NEMO Phase 2).Comment: Proceeding of ISCRA 2006, Erice 20-27 June 200
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