THE STRATIGRAPHIC RECORD OF OLIGOCENE-EARLY MIOCENE EVENTS AT THE SOUTH-WESTERN END OF THE PIEDMONT TERTIARY BASIN

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Melatonin and Vitamin D Interfere with the Adipogenic Fate of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent one of the cellular populations resident in adipose tissue. They can be recruited under certain stimuli and committed to become preadipocytes, and then mature adipocytes. Controlling stem cell differentiation towards the adipogenic phenotype could have a great impact on future drug development aimed at counteracting fat depots. Stem cell commitment can be influenced by different molecules, such as melatonin, which we have previously shown to be an osteogenic inducer. Here, we aimed at evaluating the effects elicited by melatonin, even in the presence of vitamin D, on ADSC adipogenesis assessed in a specific medium. The transcription of specific adipogenesis orchestrating genes, such as aP2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor \u3b3 (PPAR-\u3b3), and that of adipocyte-specific genes, including lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and acyl-CoA thioesterase 2 (ACOT2), was significantly inhibited in cells that had been treated in the presence of melatonin and vitamin D, alone or in combination. Protein content and lipid accumulation confirmed a reduction in adipogenesis in ADSCs that had been grown in adipogenic conditions, but in the presence of melatonin and/or vitamin D. Our findings indicate the role of melatonin and vitamin D in deciding stem cell fate, and disclose novel therapeutic approaches against fat depots

Hyaluronan Esters Drive Smad Gene Expression and Signaling Enhancing Cardiogenesis in Mouse Embryonic and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

BACKGROUND: Development of molecules chemically modifying the expression of crucial orchestrator(s) of stem cell commitment may have significant biomedical impact. We have recently developed hyaluronan mixed esters of butyric and retinoic acids (HBR), turning cardiovascular stem cell fate into a high-yield process. The HBR mechanism(s) remain still largely undefined. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show that in both mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and human mesenchymal stem cells from fetal membranes of term placenta (FMhMSCs), HBR differentially affected the patterning of Smad proteins, one of the major conductors of stem cell cardiogenesis. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that in both cell types HBR enhanced gene and protein expression of Smad1,3, and 4, while down-regulating Smad7. HBR acted at the transcriptional level, as shown by nuclear run-off experiments in isolated nuclei. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that HBR increased the fluorescent staining for Smad1,3, and 4, confirming that the transcriptional action of HBR encompassed the upregulation of the encoded Smad proteins. Chromatin immune precipitation and transcriptional analyses showed that HBR increased the transcription of the cardiogenic gene Nkx-2.5 through Smad4 binding to its own consensus Smad site. Treatment of mouse ES cells and FMhMSCs with HBR led to the concomitant overexpression of both Smad4 and α-sarcomeric actinin. Smad4 silencing by the aid of lentiviral-mediated Smad4 shRNA confirmed a dominant role of Smad4 in HBR-induced cardiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The use of HBR may pave the way to novel combinatorial strategies of molecular and stem cell therapy based on fine tuning of targeted Smad transciption and signaling leading to a high-throughput of cardiogenesis without the needs of gene transfer technologies

Neurological morphofunctional differentiation induced by REAC technology in PC12: a neuro protective model for Parkinson's disease

Research for the use of physical means, in order to induce cell differentiation for new therapeutic strategies, is one of the most interesting challenges in the field of regenerative medicine, and then in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease (PD) included. The aim of this work is to verify the effect of the radio electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology on the PC12 rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line, as they display metabolic features of PD. PC12 cells were cultured with a REAC regenerative tissue optimization treatment (TO-RGN) for a period ranging between 24 and 192 hours. Gene expression analysis of specific neurogenic genes, as neurogenin-1, beta3-tubulin and Nerve growth factor, together with the immunostaining analysis of the specific neuronal protein beta3-tubulin and tyrosine hydroxylase, shows that the number of cells committed toward the neurogenic phenotype was significantly higher in REAC treated cultures, as compared to control untreated cells. Moreover, MTT and Trypan blue proliferation assays highlighted that cell proliferation was significantly reduced in REAC TO-RGN treated cells. These results open new perspectives in neurodegenerative diseases treatment, particularly in PD. Further studies will be needed to better address the therapeutic potential of the REAC technology

Simultaneous CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Three PPO Genes Reduces Fruit Flesh Browning in Solanum melongena L.

[EN] Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) catalyze the oxidization of polyphenols, which in turn causes the browning of the eggplant berry flesh after cutting. This has a negative impact on fruit quality for both industrial transformation and fresh consumption. Ten PPO genes (named SmelPPO1-10) were identified in eggplant thanks to the recent availability of a high-quality genome sequence. A CRISPR/Cas9-based mutagenesis approach was applied to knock-out three target PPO genes (SmelPPO4, SmelPPO5, and SmelPPO6), which showed high transcript levels in the fruit after cutting. An optimized transformation protocol for eggplant cotyledons was used to obtain plants in which Cas9 is directed to a conserved region shared by the three PPO genes. The successful editing of the SmelPPO4, SmelPPO5, and SmelPPO6 loci of in vitro regenerated plantlets was confirmed by Illumina deep sequencing of amplicons of the target sites. Besides, deep sequencing of amplicons of the potential off-target loci identified in silico proved the absence of detectable non-specific mutations. The induced mutations were stably inherited in the T-1 and T-2 progeny and were associated with a reduced PPO activity and browning of the berry flesh after cutting. Our results provide the first example of the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in eggplant for biotechnological applications and open the way to the development of eggplant genotypes with low flesh browning which maintain a high polyphenol content in the berries.Research was financially supported by the project CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knock-out in eggplant financed by Compagnia San Paolo.Maioli, A.; Gianoglio, S.; Moglia, A.; Acquadro, A.; Valentino, D.; Milani, AM.; Prohens Tomás, J.... (2020). Simultaneous CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Three PPO Genes Reduces Fruit Flesh Browning in Solanum melongena L. Frontiers in Plant Science. 11:1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.607161S11311Andersson, M., Turesson, H., Nicolia, A., Fält, A.-S., Samuelsson, M., & Hofvander, P. (2016). Efficient targeted multiallelic mutagenesis in tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) by transient CRISPR-Cas9 expression in protoplasts. Plant Cell Reports, 36(1), 117-128. doi:10.1007/s00299-016-2062-3Bachem, C. W. B., Speckmann, G.-J., van der Linde, P. C. G., Verheggen, F. T. M., Hunt, M. D., Steffens, J. C., & Zabeau, M. (1994). Antisense Expression of Polyphenol Oxidase Genes Inhibits Enzymatic Browning in Potato Tubers. Bio/Technology, 12(11), 1101-1105. doi:10.1038/nbt1194-1101Barchi, L., Pietrella, M., Venturini, L., Minio, A., Toppino, L., Acquadro, A., … Rotino, G. L. (2019). A chromosome-anchored eggplant genome sequence reveals key events in Solanaceae evolution. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47985-wBellés, J. M., Garro, R., Pallás, V., Fayos, J., Rodrigo, I., & Conejero, V. 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Reduced polyphenol oxidase gene expression and enzymatic browning in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with artificial microRNAs. BMC Plant Biology, 14(1). doi:10.1186/1471-2229-14-62Clement, K., Rees, H., Canver, M. C., Gehrke, J. M., Farouni, R., Hsu, J. Y., … Pinello, L. (2019). CRISPResso2 provides accurate and rapid genome editing sequence analysis. Nature Biotechnology, 37(3), 224-226. doi:10.1038/s41587-019-0032-3Coetzer, C., Corsini, D., Love, S., Pavek, J., & Tumer, N. (2001). Control of Enzymatic Browning in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by Sense and Antisense RNA from Tomato Polyphenol Oxidase. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49(2), 652-657. doi:10.1021/jf001217fCong, L., & Zhang, F. (2014). Genome Engineering Using CRISPR-Cas9 System. Methods in Molecular Biology, 197-217. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1862-1_10Docimo, T., Francese, G., De Palma, M., Mennella, D., Toppino, L., Lo Scalzo, R., … Tucci, M. (2016). Insights in the Fruit Flesh Browning Mechanisms in Solanum melongena Genetic Lines with Opposite Postcut Behavior. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64(22), 4675-4685. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00662Doudna, J. A., & Charpentier, E. (2014). The new frontier of genome engineering with CRISPR-Cas9. Science, 346(6213). doi:10.1126/science.1258096Feng, Z., Zhang, B., Ding, W., Liu, X., Yang, D.-L., Wei, P., … Zhu, J.-K. (2013). Efficient genome editing in plants using a CRISPR/Cas system. Cell Research, 23(10), 1229-1232. doi:10.1038/cr.2013.114Fu, Y., Foden, J. A., Khayter, C., Maeder, M. L., Reyon, D., Joung, J. K., & Sander, J. D. (2013). High-frequency off-target mutagenesis induced by CRISPR-Cas nucleases in human cells. Nature Biotechnology, 31(9), 822-826. doi:10.1038/nbt.2623Gao, J., Wang, G., Ma, S., Xie, X., Wu, X., Zhang, X., … Xia, Q. (2014). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis in Nicotiana tabacum. Plant Molecular Biology, 87(1-2), 99-110. doi:10.1007/s11103-014-0263-0García-Fortea, E., Lluch-Ruiz, A., Pineda-Chaza, B. J., García-Pérez, A., Bracho-Gil, J. P., Plazas, M., … Prohens, J. (2020). A highly efficient organogenesis protocol based on zeatin riboside for in vitro regeneration of eggplant. BMC Plant Biology, 20(1). doi:10.1186/s12870-019-2215-yGonzález, M. N., Massa, G. A., Andersson, M., Turesson, H., Olsson, N., Fält, A.-S., … Feingold, S. E. (2020). Reduced Enzymatic Browning in Potato Tubers by Specific Editing of a Polyphenol Oxidase Gene via Ribonucleoprotein Complexes Delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 System. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10. doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.01649Guri, A., & Sink, K. C. (1988). Agrobacterium Transformation of Eggplant. Journal of Plant Physiology, 133(1), 52-55. doi:10.1016/s0176-1617(88)80083-xHahn, F., & Nekrasov, V. (2018). CRISPR/Cas precision: do we need to worry about off-targeting in plants? Plant Cell Reports, 38(4), 437-441. doi:10.1007/s00299-018-2355-9Jukanti, A. K., & Bhatt, R. (2014). Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) polyphenol oxidase multi-gene family: a phylogenetic evaluation. 3 Biotech, 5(1), 93-99. doi:10.1007/s13205-014-0195-zKarunarathna, N. L., Wang, H., Harloff, H., Jiang, L., & Jung, C. (2020). Elevating seed oil content in a polyploid crop by induced mutations in SEED FATTY ACID REDUCER genes. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 18(11), 2251-2266. doi:10.1111/pbi.13381Kaushik, P., Gramazio, P., Vilanova, S., Raigón, M. D., Prohens, J., & Plazas, M. (2017). Phenolics content, fruit flesh colour and browning in cultivated eggplant, wild relatives and interspecific hybrids and implications for fruit quality breeding. Food Research International, 102, 392-401. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2017.09.028Li, L., & Steffens, J. (2002). Overexpression of polyphenol oxidase in transgenic tomato plants results in enhanced bacterial disease resistance. Planta, 215(2), 239-247. doi:10.1007/s00425-002-0750-4Li, Z., Liu, Z.-B., Xing, A., Moon, B. P., Koellhoffer, J. P., Huang, L., … Cigan, A. M. (2015). Cas9-Guide RNA Directed Genome Editing in Soybean. Plant Physiology, 169(2), 960-970. doi:10.1104/pp.15.00783Llorente, B., Alonso, G. D., Bravo-Almonacid, F., Rodríguez, V., López, M. G., Carrari, F., … Flawiá, M. M. (2011). Safety assessment of nonbrowning potatoes: opening the discussion about the relevance of substantial equivalence on next generation biotech crops. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 9(2), 136-150. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7652.2010.00534.xLlorente, B., López, M. G., Carrari, F., Asís, R., Di Paola Naranjo, R. D., Flawiá, M. M., … Bravo-Almonacid, F. (2014). Downregulation of polyphenol oxidase in potato tubers redirects phenylpropanoid metabolism enhancing chlorogenate content and late blight resistance. Molecular Breeding, 34(4), 2049-2063. doi:10.1007/s11032-014-0162-8Ma, X., Zhang, Q., Zhu, Q., Liu, W., Chen, Y., Qiu, R., … Liu, Y.-G. (2015). A Robust CRISPR/Cas9 System for Convenient, High-Efficiency Multiplex Genome Editing in Monocot and Dicot Plants. Molecular Plant, 8(8), 1274-1284. doi:10.1016/j.molp.2015.04.007Mahanil, S., Attajarusit, J., Stout, M. J., & Thipyapong, P. (2008). Overexpression of tomato polyphenol oxidase increases resistance to common cutworm. Plant Science, 174(4), 456-466. doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2008.01.006Menin, B., Moglia, A., Comino, C., Hakkert, J. C., Lanteri, S., & Beekwilder, J. (2013). In vitrocallus-induction in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculusL. var.scolymus) as a system for the production of caffeoylquinic acids. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 88(5), 537-542. doi:10.1080/14620316.2013.11513003Mennella, G., Lo Scalzo, R., Fibiani, M., D’Alessandro, A., Francese, G., Toppino, L., … Rotino, G. L. (2012). Chemical and Bioactive Quality Traits During Fruit Ripening in Eggplant (S. melongena L.) and Allied Species. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(47), 11821-11831. doi:10.1021/jf3037424Miao, J., Guo, D., Zhang, J., Huang, Q., Qin, G., Zhang, X., … Qu, L.-J. (2013). Targeted mutagenesis in rice using CRISPR-Cas system. Cell Research, 23(10), 1233-1236. doi:10.1038/cr.2013.123Mishra, B. B., Gautam, S., & Sharma, A. (2013). Free phenolics and polyphenol oxidase (PPO): The factors affecting post-cut browning in eggplant (Solanum melongena). Food Chemistry, 139(1-4), 105-114. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.074Muktadir, M. A., Habib, M. A., Khaleque Mian, M. A., & Yousuf Akhond, M. A. (2016). Regeneration efficiency based on genotype, culture condition and growth regulators of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Agriculture and Natural Resources, 50(1), 38-42. doi:10.1016/j.anres.2014.10.001Naveed, M., Hejazi, V., Abbas, M., Kamboh, A. A., Khan, G. J., Shumzaid, M., … XiaoHui, Z. (2018). Chlorogenic acid (CGA): A pharmacological review and call for further research. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 97, 67-74. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.10.064Nonaka, S., Arai, C., Takayama, M., Matsukura, C., & Ezura, H. (2017). Efficient increase of ɣ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in tomato fruits by targeted mutagenesis. Scientific Reports, 7(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06400-yPan, C., Ye, L., Qin, L., Liu, X., He, Y., Wang, J., … Lu, G. (2016). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated efficient and heritable targeted mutagenesis in tomato plants in the first and later generations. Scientific Reports, 6(1). doi:10.1038/srep24765Peterson, B. A., Haak, D. C., Nishimura, M. T., Teixeira, P. J. P. L., James, S. R., Dangl, J. L., & Nimchuk, Z. L. (2016). Genome-Wide Assessment of Efficiency and Specificity in CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Multiple Site Targeting in Arabidopsis. PLOS ONE, 11(9), e0162169. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162169Plazas, M., López-Gresa, M. P., Vilanova, S., Torres, C., Hurtado, M., Gramazio, P., … Prohens, J. (2013). Diversity and Relationships in Key Traits for Functional and Apparent Quality in a Collection of Eggplant: Fruit Phenolics Content, Antioxidant Activity, Polyphenol Oxidase Activity, and Browning. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61(37), 8871-8879. doi:10.1021/jf402429kProhens, J., Rodríguez-Burruezo, A., Raigón, M. D., & Nuez, F. (2007). Total Phenolic Concentration and Browning Susceptibility in a Collection of Different Varietal Types and Hybrids of Eggplant: Implications for Breeding for Higher Nutritional Quality and Reduced Browning. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 132(5), 638-646. doi:10.21273/jashs.132.5.638Rommens, C. M., Ye, J., Richael, C., & Swords, K. (2006). Improving Potato Storage and Processing Characteristics through All-Native DNA Transformation. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(26), 9882-9887. doi:10.1021/jf062477lRotino, G. L., Sala, T., & Toppino, L. (2013). Eggplant. Alien Gene Transfer in Crop Plants, Volume 2, 381-409. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-9572-7_16Saini, D. K., & Kaushik, P. (2019). Visiting eggplant from a biotechnological perspective: A review. Scientia Horticulturae, 253, 327-340. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2019.04.042Sashidhar, N., Harloff, H. J., Potgieter, L., & Jung, C. (2020). Gene editing of three BnITPK genes in tetraploid oilseed rape leads to significant reduction of phytic acid in seeds. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 18(11), 2241-2250. doi:10.1111/pbi.13380Shetty, S. M., Chandrashekar, A., & Venkatesh, Y. P. (2011). Eggplant polyphenol oxidase multigene family: Cloning, phylogeny, expression analyses and immunolocalization in response to wounding. Phytochemistry, 72(18), 2275-2287. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.08.028Svitashev, S., Young, J. K., Schwartz, C., Gao, H., Falco, S. C., & Cigan, A. M. (2015). Targeted Mutagenesis, Precise Gene Editing, and Site-Specific Gene Insertion in Maize Using Cas9 and Guide RNA. Plant Physiology, 169(2), 931-945. doi:10.1104/pp.15.00793Taranto, F., Pasqualone, A., Mangini, G., Tripodi, P., Miazzi, M., Pavan, S., & Montemurro, C. (2017). Polyphenol Oxidases in Crops: Biochemical, Physiological and Genetic Aspects. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(2), 377. doi:10.3390/ijms18020377Thipyapong, P., Hunt, M. D., & Steffens, J. C. (2004). Antisense downregulation of polyphenol oxidase results in enhanced disease susceptibility. Planta, 220(1), 105-117. doi:10.1007/s00425-004-1330-6Thipyapong, P., Joel, D. M., & Steffens, J. C. (1997). Differential Expression and Turnover of the Tomato Polyphenol Oxidase Gene Family during Vegetative and Reproductive Development. Plant Physiology, 113(3), 707-718. doi:10.1104/pp.113.3.707Van Eck, J. (2018). Genome editing and plant transformation of solanaceous food crops. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 49, 35-41. doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2017.07.012Wang, Z.-P., Xing, H.-L., Dong, L., Zhang, H.-Y., Han, C.-Y., Wang, X.-C., & Chen, Q.-J. (2015). Egg cell-specific promoter-controlled CRISPR/Cas9 efficiently generates homozygous mutants for multiple target genes in Arabidopsis in a single generation. Genome Biology, 16(1). doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0715-0Wolt, J. D., Wang, K., & Yang, B. (2015). The Regulatory Status of Genome‐edited Crops. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 14(2), 510-518. doi:10.1111/pbi.12444Zhang, Q., Xing, H.-L., Wang, Z.-P., Zhang, H.-Y., Yang, F., Wang, X.-C., & Chen, Q.-J. (2018). Potential high-frequency off-target mutagenesis induced by CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis and its prevention. Plant Molecular Biology, 96(4-5), 445-456. doi:10.1007/s11103-018-0709-xZheng, N., Li, T., Dittman, J. D., Su, J., Li, R., Gassmann, W., … Yang, B. (2020). CRISPR/Cas9-Based Gene Editing Using Egg Cell-Specific Promoters in Arabidopsis and Soybean. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.0080

World Press Photo 2012: the discursive construction of the Arab Spring

O presente artigo pretende analisar a forma como o fenómeno da Primavera Árabe foi retratado nas fotografias vencedoras do concurso World Press Photo em 2012. As fotografias jornalísticas, embora se apresentem como índices do real, condicionam frequentemente a percepção dos indivíduos e influenciam as suas práticas sociais. Também as fotografias vencedoras do World Press Photo, um dos concursos mais prestigiados de fotojornalismo, em 2012 não fogem ao construtivismo discursivo que molda a representação e a percepção dos acontecimentos. A partir da análise crítica do discurso, nomeadamente dos instrumentos teóricos da semiótica barthesiana e da semiótica social de Gunther Kress e Theo van Leeuwen, procurámos interpretar as 38 fotografias vencedoras do World Press Photo 2012, a fim de reflectirmos sobre o modo como contribuíram para a compreensão da Revolta Árabe e como despertaram o nosso interesse e a nossa imaginação para o desenrolar do conflito.ABSTRACT:This article aims to analyze how the Arab Spring phenomenon was represented in the award-winning photographs of the World Press Photo contest in 2012. Although news photographs are usually seen as indexes of the real, they often limit the perception of individuals and influence their social practices. Also the winning photographs in 2012 of the World Press Photo, one of the most prestigious photojournalism contests, do not escape the discursive constructivism that shapes the representation and perception of events. Drawing from critical discourse analysis, namely from the theoretical tools of barthesian semiotics and Gunther Kress’s and Theo van Leeuwen’s social semiotics, we sought to interpret the 38 award-winning photographs of the World Press Photo contest in 2012, in order to reflect on the way they have contributed to our understanding of the Arab Revolt and aroused our interest and imagination to the unfolding of the conflict.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cytochalasin B Modulates Nanomechanical Patterning and Fate in Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Cytoskeletal proteins provide architectural and signaling cues within cells. They are able to reorganize themselves in response to mechanical forces, converting the stimuli received into specific cellular responses. Thus, the cytoskeleton influences cell shape, proliferation, and even differentiation. In particular, the cytoskeleton affects the fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are highly attractive candidates for cell therapy approaches due to their capacity for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Cytochalasin B (CB), a cyto-permeable mycotoxin, is able to inhibit the formation of actin microfilaments, resulting in direct effects on cell biological properties. Here, we investigated for the first time the effects of different concentrations of CB (0.1–10 μM) on human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) both after 24 h (h) of CB treatment and 24 h after CB wash-out. CB influenced the metabolism, proliferation, and morphology of hASCs in a dose-dependent manner, in association with progressive disorganization of actin microfilaments. Furthermore, the removal of CB highlighted the ability of cells to restore their cytoskeletal organization. Finally, atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that cytoskeletal changes induced by CB modulated the viscoelastic properties of hASCs, influencing their stiffness and viscosity, thereby affecting adipogenic fat

SATURN: A Technological Demonstration Mission for Distributed SAR Imaging

The OHB-Italia S.p.A-led consortium is in the midst of Phase B of SATURN (Synthetic AperTure radar cUbesat foRmation flyiNg), part of ALCOR, an Italian Space Agency (ASI) programme promoting the development of the next generation Italian CubeSats. SATURN is a demonstration mission that features Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology applied to a Swarm of CubeSats equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Earth Observation. MIMO is based on cooperative active sensors, where each one transmits signals and receives the illuminated common area backscatter related to the entire swarm, increasing measurement performances with a trend approximatively equal to the square of the number of sensors. The complete SATURN constellation features 16 mini-swarms, each of 3 CubeSats, spread over 4 SSOs equally spaced by 3 hours of local time. The constellation is designed to provide an average revisit time of 1.5 h and an interferometric revisit time of 1 day worldwide. The aim of this demonstration mission is to verify MIMO technology applied to SAR on a mini-swarm of 3 CubeSats in close formation on a Low Earth Down-Dusk Sun Synchronous Orbit. Using OHB-I’s M3Multi Mission Modular platform equipped with a miniaturized SAR Instrument, developed by ARESYS S.r.l. and Airbus Italia S.p.A., our mission is able to achieve a resolution of 5x5 m over a 30 km swath. Thus, SATURN enables low-cost, scalable SAR missions for affordable access to space for public and private entities, overcoming the single point of failure of one large and complex satellite. Subsequent swarms, deploying from 3 to 48 CubeSats, are expected to bring technological innovations and improve Italy’s competitiveness in the European and global Earth Observation scenario

Mosquito, Bird and Human Surveillance of West Nile and Usutu Viruses in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) in 2010

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>In 2008, after the first West Nile virus (WNV) detection in the Emilia-Romagna region, a surveillance system, including mosquito- and bird-based surveillance, was established to evaluate the virus presence. Surveillance was improved in following years by extending the monitoring to larger areas and increasing the numbers of mosquitoes and birds tested.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>A network of mosquito traps, evenly distributed and regularly activated, was set up within the surveyed area. A total of 438,558 mosquitoes, grouped in 3,111 pools and 1,276 birds (1,130 actively sampled and 146 from passive surveillance), were tested by biomolecular analysis. The survey detected WNV in 3 <em>Culex pipiens</em> pools while Usutu virus (USUV) was found in 89 <em>Cx. pipiens</em> pools and in 2 <em>Aedes albopictus</em> pools. Two birds were WNV-positive and 12 were USUV-positive. Furthermore, 30 human cases of acute meningoencephalitis, possibly caused by WNV or USUV, were evaluated for both viruses and 1,053 blood bags were tested for WNV, without any positive result.</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>Despite not finding symptomatic human WNV infections during 2010, the persistence of the virus, probably due to overwintering, was confirmed through viral circulation in mosquitoes and birds, as well as for USUV. In 2010, circulation of the two viruses was lower and more delayed than in 2009, but this decrease was not explained by the relative abundance of <em>Cx. pipiens</em> mosquito, which was greater in 2010. The USUV detection in mosquito species confirms the role of <em>Cx. pipiens</em> as the main vector and the possible involvement of <em>Ae. albopictus</em> in the virus cycle. The effects of meteorological conditions on the presence of USUV-positive mosquito pools were considered finding an association with drought conditions and a wide temperature range. The output produced by the surveillance system demonstrated its usefulness and reliability in terms of planning public health policies.</p> </div