Clustering networked funded European research activities through rank-size laws

This paper treats a well-established public evaluation problem, which is the analysis of the funded research projects. We specifically deal with the collection of the research actions funded by the European Union over the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and Horizon 2020. The reference period is 2007–2020. The study is developed through three methodological steps. First, we consider the networked scientific institutions by stating a link between two organizations when they are partners in the same funded project. In doing so, we build yearly complex networks. We compute four nodal centrality measures with relevant, informative content for each of them. Second, we implement a rank-size procedure on each network and each centrality measure by testing four meaningful classes of parametric curves to fit the ranked data. At the end of such a step, we derive the best fit curve and the calibrated parameters. Third, we perform a clustering procedure based on the best-fit curves of the ranked data for identifying regularities and deviations among years of research and scientific institutions. The joint employment of the three methodological approaches allows a clear view of the research activity in Europe in recent years

XPS characterization of niobium for RF cavities

none4A. Daccà; G. Gemme; L. Mattera; R. ParodiA., Daccà; G., Gemme; Mattera, Lorenzo; R., Parod

Ion counting efficiencies at the IGISOL facility

At the IGISOL-JYFLTRAP facility, fission mass yields can be studied at high precision. Fission fragments from a U target are passing through a Ni foil and entering a gas filled chamber. The collected fragments are guided through a mass separator to a Penning trap where their masses are identified. This simulation work focuses on how different fission fragment properties (mass, charge and energy) affect the stopping efficiency in the gas cell. In addition, different experimental parameters are varied (e. g. U and Ni thickness and He gas pressure) to study their impact on the stopping efficiency. The simulations were performed using the Geant4 package and the SRIM code. The main results suggest a small variation in the stopping efficiency as a function of mass, charge and kinetic energy. It is predicted that heavy fragments are stopped about 9% less efficiently than the light fragments. However it was found that the properties of the U, Ni and the He gas influences this behavior. Hence it could be possible to optimize the efficiency.Comment: 52 pages, 44 figure

Chloroquine supplementation increases the cytotoxic effect of curcumin against Her2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo in nude mice while counteracts it in immune competent mice

Autophagy is usually a pro-survival mechanism in cancer cells, especially in the course of chemotherapy, thus autophagy inhibition may enhance the chemotherapy-mediated anti-cancer effect. However, since autophagy is strongly involved in the immunogenicity of cell death by promoting ATP release, its inhibition may reduce the immune response against tumors, negatively influencing the overall outcome of chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effect of curcumin (CUR) against Her2/neu overexpressing breast cancer cells (TUBO) in the presence or in the absence of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). We found that TUBO cell death induced by CUR was increased in vitro by CQ and slightly in vivo in nude mice. Conversely, CQ counteracted the Cur cytotoxic effect in immune competent mice, as demonstrated by the lack of in vivo tumor regression and the reduction of overall mice survival as compared with CUR-treated mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed the presence of a remarkable FoxP3 T cell infiltrate within the tumors in CUR/CQ treated mice and a reduction of T cytotoxic cells, as compared with single CUR treatment. These findings suggest that autophagy is important to elicit anti-tumor immune response and that autophagy inhibition by CQ reduces such response also by recruiting T regulatory (Treg) cells in the tumor microenvironment that may be pro-tumorigenic and might counteract CUR-mediated anti-cancer effects

In vitro and in vivo inhibition of breast cancer cell growth by targeting the Hedgehog/GLI pathway with SMO (GDC-0449) or GLI (GANT-61) inhibitors.

Aberrant Hedgehog (Hh)/glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) signaling has been implicated in cancer progression. Here, we analyzed GLI1, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and NF-κB expression in 51 breast cancer (ductal carcinoma) tissues using immunohistochemistry. We found a positive correlation between nuclear GLI1 expression and tumor grade in ductal carcinoma cases. Cytoplasmic Shh staining significantly correlated with a lower tumor grade. Next, the in vitro effects of two Hh signaling pathway inhibitors on breast cancer cell lines were evaluated using the Smoothened (SMO) antagonist GDC-0449 and the direct GLI1 inhibitor GANT-61. GDC-0449 and GANT-61 exhibited the following effects: a) inhibited breast cancer cell survival; b) induced apoptosis; c) inhibited Hh pathway activity by decreasing the mRNA expression levels of GLI1 and Ptch and inhibiting the nuclear translocation of GLI1; d) increased/decreased EGFR and ErbB2 protein expression, reduced p21- Ras and ERK1/ERK2 MAPK activities and inhibited AKT activation; and e) decreased the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. However, GANT-61 exerted these effects more effectively than GDC-0449. The in vivo antitumor activities of GDC-0449 and GANT- 61 were analyzed in BALB/c mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with mouse breast cancer (TUBO) cells. GDC-0449 and GANT-61 suppressed tumor growth of TUBO cells in BALB/c mice to different extents. These findings suggest that targeting the Hh pathway using antagonists that act downstream of SMO is a more efficient strategy than using antagonists that act upstream of SMO for interrupting Hh signaling in breast cancer

Increased IGF-1: IGFBP-3 ratio in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The development of hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis is associated with altered synthesis and secretion of several growth factors. AIM: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the potential implication of IGF-I and its major binding protein (IGFBP-3) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in 150 healthy subjects, 40 patients with liver cirrhosis and 63 with liver cirrhosis and untreated hepatocellular carcinoma. The ratio between IGF-I and IGFBP-3 was also calculated. RESULTS: Serum IGF-I (70 ± 10 and 65 ± 7 vs. 185 ± 6.4 μg/l, P < 0.001) and IGFBP-3 levels (1225 ± 113 and 984 ± 67 vs. 3017 ± 80 μg/l, P < 0.001) were lower in patients with liver cirrhosis, without or with hepatocellular carcinoma, than in controls. Age was negatively correlated with IGF-I levels In patients with liver cirrhosis (r = -0.6; P = 0.0002) as well as in controls (r = -0.8, P < 0.0001), but not in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (r = -0.2; P = 0.2). Additionally, in patients with liver cirrhosis (r = -0.54; P = 0.0003) and more weakly in those with hepatocellular carcinoma (r = -0.24; P = 0.04) IGF-I levels were negatively correlated with liver failure measured according with Child class. Despite patients with class C hepatocellular carcinoma being older than those in the same functional class with cirrhosis (64 ± 2 vs. 57 ± 2 years, P < 0.01), they had a significantly increased IGF-I : IGFBP-3 ratio (0.18 ± 0.05 vs. 0.41 ± 0.09, P = 0.04), due mostly to increased IGF-I levels (27.1 ± 5.6 vs. 42 ± 6.2 μg/l) as IGFBP-3 levels were similar to patients with cirrhosis (734 ± 81 vs. 679 ± 83 μg/l). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a higher IGF-I : IGFBP-3 ratio than that found in patients with liver cirrhosis and a similar degree of liver failure

Characterization of a Be(p,xn) neutron source for fission yields measurements

We report on measurements performed at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) to characterize a proton-neutron converter for independent fission yield studies at the IGISOL-JYFLTRAP facility (Jyv\"askyl\"a, Finland). A 30 MeV proton beam impinged on a 5 mm water-cooled Beryllium target. Two independent experimental techniques have been used to measure the neutron spectrum: a Time of Flight (TOF) system used to estimate the high-energy contribution, and a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer able to provide precise results from thermal energies up to 20 MeV. An overlap between the energy regions covered by the two systems will permit a cross-check of the results from the different techniques. In this paper, the measurement and analysis techniques will be presented together with some preliminary results.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, also submitted as proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology 201

Arcanobacterium hemolyticum: identification and susceptibility to nine antimicrobial agents

AbstractObjective To evaluate the in vitro spectrum and activity of linezolid, a recent oxazolidinone, according to well-controlled surveillance data from 42 medical centers in 13 countries throughout Europe.Methods Participants tested the susceptibility of 125 clinical strains of enterococcal and staphylococcal species against 13 drugs using reference broth microdilution trays or the standardized disk diffusion method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Streptococcal species (n = 25 at each center) were tested against six drugs using E test (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden). Quality assurance testing was conducted using NCCLS-recommended strains and verification of resistance to linezolid and other selected agents was performed by retesting strains at the regional (Europe) and international (USA) monitor sites.Results A total of 5598 strains from throughout Europe (91% compliance) were tested. Vancomycin resistance was reported in only 0.6 and 3.0% of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium, respectively. Penicillin resistance occurred in 25.1% of Streptococcus pneumoniae; 4.9% at the high-level (≥2 mg/L). The MIC90 for linezolid was 1 mg/L for streptococci and 2 mg/L for enterococci and staphylococci. Using the US FDA- and EUCAST-recommended susceptible breakpoints for linezolid, there were no confirmed reports of linezolid resistance [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), ≥8mg/L]. The distribution of linezolid MIC values was unimodal and varied between 0.25 and 1 mg/L for streptococci (≥90% of isolates), and between 1 and 2 mg/L for staphylococci (≥90%) and enterococci (≥95%). There were no differences in linezolid susceptibility in the vancomycin-, oxacillin-, or penicillin-resistant subsets of strains when compared to susceptible organism populations.Conclusions Compared to the North American component of this study, there was substantially less vancomycin resistance among E. faecium isolates (Europe 3.0% vs. North America 63.4%). While the occurrence of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae in Europe and North America was similar (25.1% vs. 29.7%), the recovery of high-level penicillin-resistant strains was nearly three-fold higher in North America (4.9% vs. 13.2%). Only linezolid was universally active against all the tested Gram-positive isolates at ≤4mg/L