A bayesian approach for sensor optimisation in impact identification

This paper presents a Bayesian approach for optimizing the position of sensors aimed at impact identification in composite structures under operational conditions. The uncertainty in the sensor data has been represented by statistical distributions of the recorded signals. An optimisation strategy based on the genetic algorithm is proposed to find the best sensor combination aimed at locating impacts on composite structures. A Bayesian-based objective function is adopted in the optimisation procedure as an indicator of the performance of meta-models developed for different sensor combinations to locate various impact events. To represent a real structure under operational load and to increase the reliability of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system, the probability of malfunctioning sensors is included in the optimisation. The reliability and the robustness of the procedure is tested with experimental and numerical examples. Finally, the proposed optimisation algorithm is applied to a composite stiffened panel for both the uniform and non-uniform probability of impact occurrence

Improvement of adiponectin in relation to physical performance and body composition in young obese males subjected to twenty-four weeks of training programs

Obesity and related metabolic diseases represent a worldwide health problem. The main factor predisposing to obesity is an unhealthy lifestyle including the lack of physical activity. A pivotal role in the etio-pathogenesis of obesity is carried out by adipose tissue, an endocrine organ secreting several adipokines involved in numerous metabolic and inflammatory processes. Among these, of particular importance is adiponectin, an adipokine involved in the regulation of insulin sensibility and in anti-inflammatory processes. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of 24 weeks of two different training programs polarized (POL) and threshold training (THR) on body composition, physical capacities and adiponectin expression. Thirteen male obese subjects (BMI: 32.0 ± 3.0 kg m-2) followed 24 weeks of two different training programs, POL and THR, consisting of walking or running (or a combination of the two methods) in their normal living conditions. Before (T0) and after the end of the program (T1), the assessment of body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance and the concentration of salivary and serum adiponectin was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting. Although the results obtained did not show significant differences between the two training programs, body mass and body mass index decreased by a mean of −4.46 ± 2.90 kg and 1.43 ± 0.92 kg m−2 (P < 0.05). Fat mass decreased by −4.47 ± 2.78 kg (P < 0.05). V′O2max increased by a mean of 0.20 ± 0.26 L min−1 (P < 0.05) Also, we observed an increase in saliva and in serum of adiponectin concentrations at T1 compared to T0 by 4.72 ± 3.52 μg mL−1 and 5.22 ± 4.74 ng mL−1 (P < 0.05) respectively. Finally, we found significant correlations between Δ serum adiponectin and Δ Hip (R = −0.686, P = 0.001) and between Δ salivary adiponectin and ΔWaist (R = −0.678, P = 0.011). Our results suggest that a 24 weeks training program, independently from intensity and volume, induces an amelioration of body composition and fitness performance. These improvements are associated with an increase in total and HMW adiponectin expression in both saliva and in serum

Insights into Thymus Development and Viral Thymic Infections

T-cell development in the thymus is a complex and highly regulated process, involving a wide variety of cells and molecules which orchestrate thymocyte maturation into either CD4+ or CD8+ single-positive (SP) T cells. Here, we briefly review the process regulating T-cell differentiation, which includes the latest advances in this field. In particular, we highlight how, starting from a pool of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, the sequential action of transcriptional factors and cytokines dictates the proliferation, restriction of lineage potential, T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) gene rearrangements, and selection events on the T-cell progenitors, ultimately leading to the generation of mature T cells. Moreover, this review discusses paradigmatic examples of viral infections affecting the thymus that, by inducing functional changes within this lymphoid gland, consequently influence the behavior of peripheral mature T-lymphocytes

The comprehensive clinic, laboratory, and instrumental evaluation of children with COVID-19: a 6-months prospective study

Objectives: To perform a comprehensive clinic, laboratory, and instrumental evaluation of children affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods: Children with a positive result of nasopharyngeal swab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underwent laboratory tests, anal and conjunctival swab, electrocardiography, lung, abdomen, and cardiac ultrasound. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed if abnormal basal blood pressure. Patients were followed-up for 6 months. Results: Three hundred and sixteen&nbsp;children were evaluated; 15 were finally included. Confirmed family member SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in all. Twenty-seven percent were asymptomatic. Anal and conjunctival swabs tests resulted negative in all. Patients with lower body mass index&nbsp;(BMI) presented significantly higher viral loads. Main laboratory abnormalities were: lactate dehydrogenase increasing (73%), low vitamin D levels (87%), hematuria (33%), proteinuria (26%), renal hyperfiltration (33%), and hypofiltration (13%). Two of the patients with hyperfiltration exhibited high blood pressure levels at diagnosis, and persistence of prehypertension at 6-month follow-up. No abnormalities were seen at ultrasound, excepting for one patient who exhibited B-lines at lung sonography. Immunoglobulin G seroconversion was observed in all at 1-month. Conclusions: Our study confirm that intra-family transmission is important. The significant higher viral loads recorded among patients with lower BMI, together with low vitamin D levels, support the impact of nutritional status on immune system. Renal involvement is frequent even among children with mild COVID-19, therefore prompt evaluation and identification of patients with reduced renal function reserve would allow a better stratification and management of patients. Seroconversion occurs also in asymptomatic children, with no differences in antibodies titer according to age, sex and clinical manifestations

PO-272 Leukemia-associated NPM mutations promote quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells and prevent their functional exhaustion upon oncogene-induced hyper-proliferation

Introduction Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is a heterogeneous and multi-step disease. The serial acquisition of mutations and the environmental pressure allow one or more clones to expand and contribute to the disease. In particular, 6% of AMLs are characterised by an initial mutation in the DNMT3a gene, followed by mutations in NPM (NPMc) and FLT3 loci (FLT3-ITD). We previously shown that NPMc can drive AML development in mouse model and highly cooperates with FLT3-ITD. Moreover, it has been reported that normal Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) of elderly people may bear some somatic early AML mutations and this correlate with an increased risk of hematologic diseases suggesting that mutations can shape pre-leukemic HSCs to be more prone to the acquisition of further mutations giving rise to Leukaemia Initiating Cells (LIC). While the ability of FLT3-ITD to drive HSC compartment exhaustion has been already shown, the impact of NPMc on HSCs remains unclear. Material and methods Taking advantage of the extended pre-leukemic phase of our inducible NPMc mouse model, we elucidate the role of NPMc in HSCs by functional and transcriptional analysis. Moreover, to investigate the basis of NPMc and FLT3-ITD cooperation we generate mice carrying both the conditional NPMc transgene and the FLT3-ITD constitutive mutation and, before AML onset, we analyse double mutant HSCs behaviour. Results and discussions We have found that NPMc expression lead to the expansion of the HSC compartment through the enforcement of a stem-cell transcriptional program that increases self-renewal by promoting quiescence. We then investigated how the NPMc dependent quiescence program is linked to its oncogenic function. The expression of NPMc +in the FLT3-ITD background prevents the HSCs exhaustion imposed by FLT3-ITD and restores their repopulating capacity. Accordingly, gene expression analysis revealed a strong dominance of NPMc +with the restoration of the same transcriptional program observed in the NPMc HSCs. These data strongly suggest that NPMc imposes a HSC-specific program that, in combination with the oncogenic signal provided by FLT3-ITD, allows the selection of the LIC and the occurrence of AML. Conclusion In conclusion, enforcement of quiescence might be a critical function for the maintenance of the transformed clone during both the pre-leukemic and the leukemic phase. As consequence, interfering with quiescence key determinants may eradicate the reservoir of quiescent cells responsible for disease recurrence

Steel-based applications in earthquake-prone areas

Steel-Earth project aims at distributing among technicians, engineers, design companies and standardization bodies the results of three past RFCS projects (Steel-Retro [3], Opus [2] and PrecaSteel [1]), providing useful tools for the design and for the retrofit of existing buildings. Technical documents and practical applications to case studies, regarding design of steel and composite steel/concrete buildings and innovative steel-based techniques for the retrofit of existing r.c. and masonry constructions, have been elaborated and collected into a volume distributed during the final workshop of the dissemination project. Pre-normative and background documents concerning the design of steel and composite structures and the rehabilitation of existing constructions have been prepared. A lot of attention has been paid to the analysis of the influence of overstrength factors on the seismic design of steel and composite structures. The prepared documents have been distributed to the attending people and to the members of WG 2 (CEN/TC 250/SC 8/WG 2 “Steel and Composite Structures”) during the final workshop of the project. Technical sheets, working examples and background documents have been translated into several languages (German, French, Italian, Romanian and Greek) and are free available on the website of the project (https://www.steelconstruct.com/site/), where information regarding Steel-Earth are also presented.11 Workshops in Italy, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Romania and 5 conferences in Emilia-Romagna have been organized, as well as 2 practical courses for engineers and academic people in Pavia (Italy). Flash-drives with the technical documents and applications elaborated in Steel-Earth have been distributed to the attending people

Molecular Composition of Staufen2-Containing Ribonucleoproteins in Embryonic Rat Brain

Messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) are used to transport mRNAs along neuronal dendrites to their site of translation. Numerous mRNA-binding and regulatory proteins within mRNPs finely regulate the fate of bound-mRNAs. Their specific combination defines different types of mRNPs that in turn are related to specific synaptic functions. One of these mRNA-binding proteins, Staufen2 (Stau2), was shown to transport dendritic mRNAs along microtubules. Its knockdown expression in neurons was shown to change spine morphology and synaptic functions. To further understand the molecular mechanisms by which Stau2 modulates synaptic function in neurons, it is important to identify and characterize protein co-factors that regulate the fate of Stau2-containing mRNPs. To this end, a proteomic approach was used to identify co-immunoprecipitated proteins in Staufen2-containing mRNPs isolated from embryonic rat brains. The proteomic approach identified mRNA-binding proteins (PABPC1, hnRNP H1, YB1 and hsc70), proteins of the cytoskeleton (α- and β-tubulin) and RUFY3 a poorly characterized protein. While PABPC1 and YB1 associate with Stau2-containing mRNPs through RNAs, hsc70 is directly bound to Stau2 and this interaction is regulated by ATP. PABPC1 and YB1 proteins formed puncta in dendrites of embryonic rat hippocampal neurons. However, they poorly co-localized with Stau2 in the large dendritic complexes suggesting that they are rather components of Stau2-containing mRNA particles. All together, these results represent a further step in the characterization of Stau2-containing mRNPs in neurons and provide new tools to study and understand how Stau2-containing mRNPs are transported, translationally silenced during transport and/or locally expressed according to cell needs

Cyclic vomiting syndrome in children: a nationwide survey of current practice on behalf of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP)

Background: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) is a rare functional gastrointestinal disorder, which has a considerable burden on quality of life of both children and their family. Aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic modalities and therapeutic approach to CVS among Italian tertiary care centers and the differences according to subspecialties, as well as to explore whether potential predictive factors associated with either a poor outcome or a response to a specific treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter web-based survey involving members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP). Results: A total of 67 responses were received and analyzed. Most of the respondent units cared for less than 20 patients. More than half of the patients were referred after 3 to 5 episodes, and a quarter after 5 attacks. We report different diagnostic approaches among Italian clinicians, which was particularly evident when comparing gastroenterologists and neurologists. Moreover, our survey demonstrated a predilection of certain drugs during emetic phase according to specific clinic, which reflects the cultural background of physicians. Conclusion: In conclusion, our survey highlights poor consensus amongst clinicians in our country in the diagnosis and the management of children with CVS, raising the need for a national consensus guideline in order to standardize the practice