Metabolic control of stemness and differentiation

Prove crescenti evidenziano un ruolo fondamentale per il metabolismo nella fisiologia delle cellule staminali e nella specifica del lignaggio [1, 2]. Il metabolismo, infatti, non è più considerato solo una fonte di energia né un endpoint della regolazione genica. Invece, i metaboliti e l'ambiente nutritivo sono attori attivi nel determinare la segnalazione intracellulare e le attività enzimatiche e di conseguenza modulatori del destino delle cellule staminali. Inoltre, gli intermedi metabolici del metabolismo cellulare regolano i meccanismi epigenetici, comprese le modificazioni degli istoni, la metilazione del DNA e gli RNA non codificanti, modulando in tal modo il paesaggio e lo staminali dell'epigenoma globale [3]. Questo numero speciale riunisce 9 documenti per evidenziare i recenti sviluppi nel campo.Increasing evidence highlights a pivotal role for metabolism in stem cell physiology and lineage specification [1, 2]. Metabolism, indeed, is no longer considered merely an energy source nor an endpoint of gene regulation. Instead, metabolites and the nutrient environment are active players in determining intracellular signaling and enzymatic activities and consequently modulators of stem cell fate. Moreover, metabolic intermediates of cellular metabolism regulate epigenetic mechanisms, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs, thereby modulating the global epigenome landscape and stemness [3]. This special issue brings together 9 papers to highlight recent developments in the field

Geological solutions concluded by petroleum geochemical data in Western Greece

Τα προηγούμενα χρόνια έχει πραγματοποιηθεί μια λεπτομερής γεωχημική μελέτη πετρελαίου στη Δυτική Ελλάδα. Εντοπίστηκαν αρκετοί ορίζοντες πιθανών μητρικών πετρωμάτων πετρελαίου, προσδιορίστηκε το παράθυρο πετρελαίου στις πιο σημαντικές υπολεκάνες, ενώ από τη μελέτη συσχετισμού πετρελαίων προσδιορίστηκαν οι διαφορετικές ομάδες πετρελαίου της περιοχής, που έχουν παραχθεί από τα διαφορετικά μητρικά πετρώματα υδρογονανθράκων. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτά είναι πολύ σημαντικά και απαραίτητα για την έρευνα πετρελαίου στην περιοχή. Όμως, εκτός από αυτά τα δεδομένα, κάποιες επιπλέον γεωχημικές παρατηρήσεις μπορεί να αποβούν εξίσου σημαντικές στην επίλυση ορισμένων γεωλογικών προβλημάτων της Δυτικής Ελλάδας.- Ένα πολύ σημαντικό πρόβλημα είναι η απόθεση και διατήρηση του οργανικού υλικού στις λεκάνες της Δυτικής Ελλάδας.- Η δολομιτίωση σε συνάρτηση με τη γένεση πετρελαίου είναι ένα πρόβλημα.- Ένα άλλο θέμα είναι ο υπολογισμός του πάχους που διαβρώθηκε από τους υπερκείμενους σχηματισμούς.- Ο προσδιορισμός της παλαιογεωθερμικής βαθμίδας είναι επίσης πολύ σημαντικός.Οι δύο τελευταίοι παράμετροι είναι απόλυτα απαραίτητοι για τον προσδιορισμό της ωριμότητας του οργανικού υλικού.Η μελέτη όλων των παραπάνω παραμέτρων συμπληρώνει τη γεωχημική μελέτη της Δυτικής Ελλάδας, και σε συνδυασμό με άλλες γεωλογικές μελέτες μπορεί να δώσει λύσεις σε προβλήματα που σχετίζονται με την έρευνα υδρογονανθράκων στην περιοχή.A detailed petroleum geochemical study has been performed in the previous years in the Western Greece. Several source rock horizons have been identified, the oil window has been calculated for the most significant sub-basins and the oil correlation study has distinguished the different oil groups of the area, generated from different hydrocarbon sources. These results are very significant and useful for the oil exploration. But, further to these, some more geochemical observations can also be very important on solving some geological problems of the area.- A major problem is the deposition and preservation of the organic matter in the Western Greece.- The dolomitization in relation with the oil generation is also an issue.- Another issue is the calculation of the eroded overburden formations thickness.- The Paleogeothermal gradient determination is also very important.The last two parameters are absolutely necessary for organic matter maturity calculations.The study of all the above parameters completes the geochemical study of the Western Greece, and in relation with other geological studies can provide solutions in the petroleum exploration of the area

Bi-local baryon interpolating fields with two flavours

We construct bi-local interpolating field operators for baryons consisting of three quarks with two flavors, assuming good isospin symmetry. We use the restrictions following from the Pauli principle to derive relations/identities among the baryon operators with identical quantum numbers. Such relations that follow from the combined spatial, Dirac, color, and isospin Fierz transformations may be called the (total/complete) Fierz identities. These relations reduce the number of independent baryon operators with any given spin and isospin. We also study the Abelian and non-Abelian chiral transformation properties of these fields and place them into baryon chiral multiplets. Thus we derive the independent baryon interpolating fields with given values of spin (Lorentz group representation), chiral symmetry ($U_L(2) \times U_R(2)$ group representation) and isospin appropriate for the first angular excited states of the nucleon.Comment: 15 pages, 4 tables, accepted by EPJ

Wide-angle elastic scattering and color randomization

Baryon-baryon elastic scattering is considered in the independent scattering (Landshoff) mechanism. It is suggested that for scattering at moderate energies, direct and interchange quark channels contribute with equal color coefficients because the quark color is randomized by soft gluon exchange during the hadronization stage. With this assumption, it is shown that the ratio of cross sections $R_{\overline{p} p/ p p}$ at CM angle $\theta = 90^0$ decreases from a high energy value of R_{\pbar p / pp} \approx 1/2.7, down to R_{\pbar p / pp} \approx 1/28, compatible with experimental data at moderate energies. This sizable fall in the ratio seems to be characteristic of the Landshoff mechanism, in which changes at the quark level have a strong effect precisely because the hadronic process occurs via multiple quark scatterings. The effect of color randomization on the angular distribution of proton-proton elastic scattering and the cross section ratio $R_{np/pp}$ is also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, latex2e, 4 uuencoded figures, include

Boron excess imbalances root/shoot allometry, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and sugar metabolism in apple plants

Boron (B) excess frequently impair plant performances and their productivity; in particular in arid and semi‐arid environments. In the present experiment; hydroponically‐grown ‘Granny Smith’ apple plants grafted on M9 rootstock were treated with optimal (25 μΜ) or excess (400 μΜ) B for 116 days to evaluate allometric responses of plants to B toxicity and to highlight physiological (photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence) and biochemical (pigment content and sugar metabolism) responses of apple plants to B excess. Boron accumulated principally in top > middle > basal stems and leaves of high‐B‐stressed plants. Notably, the stem dramatically accumulated a higher level of B, as an attempt to preserve leaves, especially the youngest from further B accumulation. B accumulation seriously affected photosynthesis of younger leaves and caused both stomata (reduced stomatal conductance) and biochemical (reduction of apparent CO2 use efficiency and pigment content) limitations and altered the photochemistry and energy partitioning in photosystem II. Boron excess altered leaf sugar proportion; increasing the accumulation of non‐translocating sugars such as glucose and fructose. Our dataset adds knowledge on the effect of B excess in apple tree and poses serious concerns about the possible effect of B in altering sugar metabolism; which, in turn, can strongly affect fruit production of this worldwide‐cropped species

The KLN Theorem and Soft Radiation in Gauge Theories: Abelian Case

We present a covariant formulation of the Kinoshita, Lee, Nauenberg (KLN) theorem for processes involving the radiation of soft particles. The role of the disconnected diagrams is explored and a rearrangement of the perturbation theory is performed such that the purely disconnected diagrams are factored out. The remaining effect of the disconnected diagrams results in a simple modification of the usual Feynman rules for the S-matrix elements. As an application, we show that when combined with the Low theorem, this leads to a proof of the absense of the $1/Q$ corrections to inclusive processes (like the Drell-Yan process). In this paper the abelian case is discussed to all orders in the coupling.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX, 14 figure

NNLO corrections to the total cross section for Higgs boson production in hadron-hadron collisions

We present the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) corrections to the total cross section for (pseudo-) scalar Higgs boson production using an alternative method than those used in previous calculations. All QCD partonic subprocesses have been included and the computation is carried out in the effective Lagrangian approach which emerges from the standard model by taking the limit $m_t \to \infty$ where $m_t$ denotes the mass of the top quark. Our results agree with those published earlier in the literature. We estimate the theoretical uncertainties by comparing the $K$-factors and the variation with respect to the mass factorization/renormalization scales with the results obtained by lower order calculations. We also investigate the dependence of the cross section on several parton density sets provided by different groups. Further we study which part of the coefficient functions dominates the cross section. This is of interest for the resummation of large corrections which occur near the boundary of phase space. It turns out that depending on the definition of the total cross section the latter is dominated by the the soft-plus-virtual gluon corrections represented by $\delta(1-x)$ and $(\ln^i(1-x)/(1-x))_+$ terms. PACS numbers: 12.38.-t, 12.38.Bx, 13.85.-t, 14.80.Gt.Comment: 61 pages, LaTeX, 15 postscript figures. With respect to the previous version a more thorough comparison is made between two definitions of the soft plus virtual gluon approximation. Misprints are corrected and references are changed. Figs. 8a, 9a are changed into Figs. 8,9 respectively and Figs. 8b, 9b are droppe

New anomalous trajectory in Regge theory

We show that a new Regge trajectory with \alpha_{f_1} (0) \approx 1 and slope \alpha_{f_1}'(0) \approx 0 explains the features of hadron-hadron scattering and photoproduction of the rho and phi mesons at large energy and momentum transfer. This trajectory with quantum numbers P = C = +1 and odd signature can be considered as a natural partner of the Pomeron which has even signature. The odd signature of the new exchange leads to contributions to the spin-dependent cross sections, which do not vanish at large energy. The links between the anomalous properties of this trajectory, the axial anomaly and the flavor singlet axial vector f_1 (1285) meson are discussed.Comment: 20 pages, REVTeX, 8 figures (9 eps files), version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Acoustic Response of a Layer of Spherical Inclusions with a Random or Periodic Arrangement

Starting with the classic work of Ying and Truell [1], the scattering of a plane elastic wave by an isolated elastic sphere embedded in an unbounded medium has been studied in great detail. Similarly, the propagation of an effective elastic wave in an elastic matrix containing a random or periodic distribution of inclusions has received considerable attention. By comparison, an intermediate level of microstructure — a single layer of inclusions in an elastic matrix — has received very little attention. Apart from the fact that this problem is worth studying in its own right because of its inherent value as a canonical problem in elastodynamics of materials with a microstructure, it has applications in geophysics and quantitative nondestructive evaluation

Liver transplantation as last-resort treatment for patients with bile duct injuries following cholecystectomy: A multicenter analysis

Background Liver transplantation (LT) has been used as a last resort in patients with end-stage liver disease due to bile duct injuries (BDI) following cholecystectomy. Our study aimed to identify and evaluate factors that cause or contribute to an extended liver disease that requires LT as ultimate solution, after BDI during cholecystectomy. Methods Data from 8 high-volume LT centers relating to patients who underwent LT after suffering BDI during cholecystectomy were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results Thirty-four patients (16 men, 18 women) with a median age of 45 (range 22-69) years were included in this study. Thirty of them (88.2%) underwent LT because of liver failure, most commonly as a result of secondary biliary cirrhosis. The median time interval between BDI and LT was 63 (range 0-336) months. There were 23 cases (67.6%) of postoperative morbidity, 6 cases (17.6%) of post-transplant 30-day mortality, and 10 deaths (29.4%) in total after LT. There was a higher probability that patients with concomitant vascular injury (hazard ratio 10.69, P=0.039) would be referred sooner for LT. Overall survival following LT at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years was 82.4%, 76.5%, 73.5% and 70.6%, respectively. Conclusion LT for selected patients with otherwise unmanageable BDI following cholecystectomy yields acceptable long-term outcomes