The Polito Surface Wave flat-file Database (PSWD): statistical properties of test results and some inter-method comparisons

The compilation and maintenance of experimental databases are of crucial importance in all research fields, allowing for researchers to develop and test new methodologies. In this work, we present a flat-file database of experimental dispersion curves and shear wave velocity profiles, mainly from active surface wave testing, but including also data from passive surface wave testing and invasive methods. The Polito Surface Wave flat-file Database (PSWD) is a gathering of experimental measurements collected within the past 25 years at different Italian sites. Discussion on the database content is reported in this paper to evaluate some statistical properties of surface wave test results. Comparisons with other methods for shear wave velocity measurements are also considered. The main novelty of this work is the homogeneity of the PSWD in terms of processing and interpretation methods. A common processing strategy and a new inversion approach were applied to all the data in the PSWD to guarantee consistency. The PSWD can be useful for further correlation studies and is made available as a reference benchmark for the validation and verification of novel interpretation procedures by other researchers

Study of MDT calibration constants using H8 testbeam data of year 2004

In year 2004 Atlas performed a long campaign of test beam data taking at the H8 Cern beam. Two sectors of the barrel and endcap regions of the Muon Spectrometer were exposed to the beam and large amount of data were collected in well defined and controlled operating conditions. This allowed a careful study on MDT drift properties. A better understanding of the calibration constants, of their definition and determination and of the criteria for their acceptance has been obtained. Systematic effects and time stability of the constants have also been studied

Microscopies at the nanoscale for nano-scale drug delivery systems

One of the frontier of nanoscience is undoubtedly represented by the use of nanotechnologies in the pharmaceutical research. During the last decades a big family of nanostructures that have a surface-acting action, such as NanoParticles (NPs), lipid nanocarriers and many more, have been developed to be used as Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs). However, these nanocarriers opened also new frontiers in nanometrology, requiring an accurate morphological characterization, near atomic resolution, before they are really available to clinicians to ascertain their elemental composition, to exclude the presence of contaminants introduced during the synthesis procedure and to ensure biocompatibility. Classical Transmission (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques frequently have to be adapted for an accurate analysis of formulation morphology, especially in case of hydrated colloidal systems. Specific techniques such as environmental scanning microscopy and/or cryo preparation are required for their investigation. Analytical Electron Microscopy (AEM) techniques such as Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) or Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS) are additional assets to determine the elemental composition of the systems. Here we will discuss the importance of Electron Microscopy (EM) as a reliable tool in the pharmaceutical research of the 21st century, focalizing our attention on advantages and limitations of different kind of NPs (in particular silver and carbon NPs, cubosomes) and vesicles (liposomes and niosomes)

Current nanocarrier strategies improve vitamin B12 pharmacokinetics, ameliorate patients’ lives, and reduce costs

Vitamin B12 (VitB12) is a naturally occurring compound produced by microorganisms and an essential nutrient for humans. Several papers highlight the role of VitB12 deficiency in bone and heart health, depression, memory performance, fertility, embryo development, and cancer, while VitB12 treatment is crucial for survival in inborn errors of VitB12 metabolism. VitB12 is administrated through intramuscular injection, thus impacting the patients’ lifestyle, although it is known that oral administration may meet the specific requirement even in the case of malabsorption. Furthermore, the high-dose injection of VitB12 does not ensure a constant dosage, while the oral route allows only 1.2% of the vitamin to be absorbed in human beings. Nanocarriers are promising nanotechnology that can enable therapies to be improved, reducing side effects. Today, nanocarrier strategies applied at VitB12 delivery are at the initial phase and aim to simplify administration, reduce costs, improve pharmacokinetics, and ameliorate the quality of patients’ lives. The safety of nanotechnologies is still under investigation and few treatments involving nanocarriers have been approved, so far. Here, we highlight the role of VitB12 in human metabolism and diseases, and the issues linked to its molecule properties, and discuss how nanocarriers can improve the therapy and supplementation of the vitamin and reduce possible side effects and limits

Energy loss measurement for charged particles in very thin silicon layers

The energy loss distribution f(D) of highly relativistic charged particles has been measured for thin silicon layers with thickness ranging from 5.6 to 120 mm. In this work, using an innovative method, the dependence of the energy loss distribution from the thickness of the silicon absorber has been investigated in great detail with reference to CMOS Active Pixel Sensors. The measured energy loss distributions are well-reproduced by calculations also when the target electrons binding energy is taken into account. Finally the results obtained with this method are compared with existing experimental results and theoretical data

Detonation nanodiamonds tailor the structural oeder of PEDOT chains in conductive coating layers of hybrid nanoparticles

Solid layers of PEDOT–detonation nanodiamond based nanoparticles with an exceptional structural order were produced by means of a template-free polymerization technique. As an efficient multifunctional filler, the nanocrystalline diamond has been shown to possess a high catalytic activity on the monomer polymerization rate as well as to play a fundamental role as a 3D arrangement-directing agent of the PEDOT chains at the micro- and nano-scale. SEM, TEM and TED analyses highlighted the mutual organization between PEDOT oligomers and nanodiamond grains, and the produced hierarchical effects on the arrangement of the backbones of the final polymer. Optical and Raman spectroscopy, used together with XRD diffraction to study the molecular structure and crystallographic features of the hybrid materials, pointed out that the adopted synthetic strategy enables highly conjugated and doped hybrid systems to be generated. The spatial distribution of the filler inside the polymeric matrix and the mutual connectivity of nanodiamond crystals and PEDOT segments are found to strongly improve the functional properties of the host polymer. Mechanical characterizations by advanced AFM-based techniques revealed that both indentation modulus and hardness of PEDOT/nanodiamond materials are 3 times higher than the pure PEDOT polymer, while electrical characterizations by a 4-probe method gave sheet resistance values of 1 106 U sq 1 for the nanocomposite particle

Measurement of neutron detection efficiency between 22 and 174 MeV using two different kinds of Pb-scintillating fiber sampling calorimeters

We exposed a prototype of the lead-scintillating fiber KLOE calorimeter to neutron beam of 21, 46 and 174 MeV at The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala, to study its neutron detection efficiency. This has been found larger than what expected considering the scintillator thickness of the prototype. %To check our method, we measured also the neutron %detection efficiency of a 5 cm thick NE110 scintillator. We show preliminary measurement carried out with a different prototype with a larger lead/fiber ratio, which proves the relevance of passive material to neutron detection efficiency in this kind of calorimeters

Testosterone Enanthate: An In Vitro Study of the Effects Triggered in MG-63 Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the androgenic hormone testosterone enanthate (TE) on human MG-63 cells. MG-63 were cultured for 24 h in the presence of TE at increasing concentrations to assess its lethal dose. Therefore, the suitable concentration for a prolonged use of TE in vitro was assessed by viability assay over 9 days. Finally, MG-63 were exposed to TE for 14 days and assayed for differentiation by qPCR and Alizarin Red S staining. TE in the amount of 100 µM resulted as the maximum dose tolerated by MG-63 cells after 24 h. However, a prolonged exposure in culture TE in the amount of 100 µM showed a cytostatic effect on cell proliferation. On the contrary, TE 10 µM was tolerated by the cells and did not boost cell proliferation, but did enhance new bone formation, as revealed by COL1A1, ALPL, BGLAP, and IBSP gene expression after 3, 7, and 14 days, and calcium deposition by Alizarin Red S staining after 14 days. Based on the current study, 10 µM is the critical dose of TE that should be used in vitro to support bone differentiation of MG-63 cells

Vitamin A, cancer treatment and prevention: The new role of cellular retinol binding proteins

Retinol and vitamin A derivatives influence cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis and play an important physiologic role in a wide range of biological processes. Retinol is obtained from foods of animal origin. Retinol derivatives are fundamental for vision, while retinoic acid is essential for skin and bone growth. Intracellular retinoid bioavailability is regulated by the presence of specific cytoplasmic retinol and retinoic acid binding proteins (CRBPs and CRABPs). CRBP-1, the most diffuse CRBP isoform, is a small 15 KDa cytosolic protein widely expressed and evolutionarily conserved in many tissues. CRBP-1 acts as chaperone and regulates the uptake, subsequent esterification, and bioavailability of retinol. CRBP-1 plays a major role in wound healing and arterial tissue remodelling processes. In the last years, the role of CRBP-1-related retinoid signalling during cancer progression became object of several studies. CRBP-1 downregulation associates with a more malignant phenotype in breast, ovarian, and nasopharyngeal cancers. Reexpression of CRBP-1 increased retinol sensitivity and reduced viability of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Further studies are needed to explore new therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring CRBP-1-mediated intracellular retinol trafficking and the meaning of CRBP-1 expression in cancer patients' screening for a more personalized and efficacy retinoid therapy