X-ray Diffraction Studies

Contains report on one research project.Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E

Towards a Geological Information System: the CARGeo System and the Regione Lombardia Geological Database.

In the framework of the national mapping program «CARGNew Italian Geological Map at 1:50.000 scale», Regione Lombardia is generating a detailed map (1:10.000 scale) of its territory. Surveying criteria have been carefully defined in order to produce homogeneous geological maps: geological survey has been performed at the 1:10.000 scale, and data have been stored in a GIS-oriented database. The detailed survey scale improved the geological knowledge: the new maps represent an important tool for territorial planning requirements of public administrations and engineering geologists (e.g. in hydrogeological and seismic risk evaluation). Field geologists performed data input in the geological data base by alternating field campaigns and data input throughout the year, taking advantage of periods when field activities are slackened (i.e. according to climate conditions). In this way, data entry is nearly synchronous with data collection, and field data become quickly accessible. Data entry by the field geologists on one side slows down the field activity, however, it guarantees a precise digitalization of geometric data and a correct attribute assignment, allowing to optimize working time. To allow the data entry to non-GIS-specialized users, we developed an ArcView®-VisualBasic®-MSAccess® application, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of geometric and alphanumeric data. Data base management and cartographic production are performed with ArcInfo®, through specific procedures which, after data reorganization and control (both alphanumeric and geometric), lead to the final cartographic output at different scales. The 1:10.000 geological database is migrated in the ArcSDE structure and prepared for data view, query and download (www.cartografia.regione.lombardia.it/cargweb) using ESRI (ArcIMS) tools. From the 1:10.000 geological database we derived the database for the 1:50.000 CARG maps by both automatic and manual generalization according to the CARG-APAT standards. During the different phases of the project, several problems arose, due to both project organization and data storage system (from data collection in the field to elaboration and digitalization, and, in case, to final publication). – Data collection: the survey activity was divided between «bedrock » and «quaternary» specialists. The double survey provided a high-quality geological description of the territory, but slowed the generation of the data-flow. Based on this experience, the last assigned areas are surveyed by a single geologist, under the supervision of quaternary and bedrock experts. – Users feedback: geologists are normally used to draw their maps on paper; learning how to produce electronic maps can be difficult, and the software tools have to be studied very carefully and present user friendly interfaces. Nevertheless, in our experience, a training period has to be planned, and geologists have to be supported by a GIS expert, who can understand their needs and modify the software accordingly. – System architecture: the ArcView®-VisualBasic®-MSAccess® (Windows platform) – ArcInfo® (UNIX platform) environment, revealed problems in the client-server stability of an earlier version; some unsolved troubles remain, mainly related to the network architecture. The presence in the CARG-Regione Lombardia crew of consultant geologists, experienced and trained in collection, analysis and data entry in the final database, accelerated the critical phases of: – Data base derivation from Regione Lombardia dataset to CARG-APAT standard

Role of the Cysteine in R3 Tau Peptide in Copper Binding and Reactivity

Tau is a widespread neuroprotein that regulates the cytoskeleton assembly. In some neurological disorders, known as tauopathies, tau is dissociated from the microtubule and forms insoluble neurofibrillary tangles. Tau comprises four pseudorepeats (R1-R4), containing one (R1, R2, R4) or two (R3) histidines, that potentially act as metal binding sites. Moreover, Cys291 and Cys322 in R2 and R3, respectively, might have an important role in protein aggregation, through possible disulfide bond formation, and/or affecting the binding and reactivity of redox-active metal ions, as copper. We, therefore, compare the interaction of copper with octadeca-R3-peptide (R3C) and with the mutant containing an alanine residue (R3A) to assess the role of thiol group. Spectrophotometric titrations allow to calculate the formation constant of the copper(I) complexes, showing a remarkable stronger interaction in the case of R3C (log K-f = 13.4 and 10.5 for copper(I)-R3C and copper(I)-R3A, respectively). We also evaluate the oxidative reactivity associated to these copper complexes in the presence of dopamine and ascorbate. Both R3A and R3C peptides increase the capability of copper to oxidize catechols, but copper-R3C displays a peculiar mechanism due to the presence of cysteine. HPLC-MS analysis shows that cysteine can form disulfide bonds and dopamine-Cys covalent adducts, with potential implication in tau aggregation process

Impact of routine videothoracoscopy as the first step of the planned resectiona for lung cancer. Experience of 1306 cases

We have analyzed our experience of 1306 patients with NSCLC, submitted from November 1991 to December 2007 to routine videothoracoscopy exploration, as the first step of the planned procedure, in order to evaluate its validity in obtaining precise assessment of tumor extension, verifying thoracoscopic resectability and in decreasing the rate of unnecessary thoracotomies. Thoracoscopy revealed inoperability in 58 patients (4.4%) mostly due to pleural dissemination (2.4%) or mediastinal infiltration (1.7%). Of the remaining 1248 (95.6%), 449 (34.4%) had thoracoscopic resection (230 lobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies, 230 wedge resections), 767 (58.7%) underwent open resection (592 lobectomies, 175 pneumonectomies), and 32 (2.4%) had an exploratory thoracotomy (ET). Among the 32 ETs, thoracoscopy had suspected unresectability in 7 (0.5%), had been incompletely carried out in 4 early cases (0.3%) and had been unfeasible in 21 (1.6%). In our previous series from 1980 to 1991 the E.T. rate had been 11.6%. In the present series, after the introduction of routine thoracoscopy, the E.T. rate is 2.4% and the global rate of patients correctly staged, by thoracoscopy is 73.3%, significantly better than by CT. Video exploration resulted highly reliable in excluding conditions of unresectability with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.97. We conclude that preliminary thoracoscopy is useful in obtaining correct staging, reliably evaluates resectability of the lesion and helps in decreasing unnecessary thoracotomies

Long-term mortality and incidence of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes in diabetic and nondiabetic obese patientsundergoing gastric banding: a controlled study

Background and aim: Aim of this retrospective study was to compare long-term mortality and incidence of new diseases [diabetes and cardiovascular (CV) disease] in morbidly obese diabetic and nondiabetic patients, undergoing gastric banding (LAGB) in comparison to medical treatment. Patients and methods: Medical records of obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m(2) undergoing LAGB (n = 385; 52 with diabetes) or medical treatment (controls, n = 681; 127 with diabetes), during the period 1995-2001 (visit 1)] were collected. Patients were matched for age, sex, BMI, and blood pressure. Identification codes of patients were entered in the Italian National Health System Lumbardy database, that contains life status, causes of death, as well as exemptions, drug prescriptions, and hospital admissions (proxies of diseases) from visit 1 to September 2012. Survival was compared across LAGB patients and matched controls using Kaplan-Meier plots adjusted Cox regression analyses. Results: Observation period was 13.9 +/- 1.87 (mean +/- SD). Mortality rate was 2.6, 6.6, and 10.1 % in controls at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively; mortality rate was 0.8, 2.5, and 3.1 % in LAGB patients at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Compared to controls, surgery was associated with reduced mortality [HR 0.35, 95 % CI 0.19-0.65, p < 0.001 at univariate analysis, HR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.21-0.76, p < 0.005 at adjusted analysis], similar in diabetic [HR 0.34, 95 % CI 0.13-0.87, p = 0.025] and nondiabetic [HR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.19-0.97, p = 0.041] patients. Surgery was also associated with lower incidence of diabetes (15 vs 48 cases, p = 0.035) and CV diseases (52 vs 124 cases, p = 0.048), and of hospital admissions (88 vs 197, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Up to 17 years, gastric banding is associated with reduced mortality in diabetic and nondiabetic patients, and with reduced incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Neu3 Activity Enhances Egfr Activation Without Affecting Egfr Expression

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Polyhedral units and network connectivity in calcium aluminosilicate glasses from high-energy x-ray diffraction

Structure factors for Cax/2AlxSi1-xO2 glasses (x=0,0.25,0.5,0.67) extended to a wave vector of magnitude Q= 40 1/A have been obtained by high-energy x-ray diffraction. For the first time, it is possible to resolve the contributions of Si-O, Al-O and Ca-O coordination polyhedra to the experimental atomic pair distribution functions (PDF). It has been found that both Si and Al are four-fold coordinated and so participate in a continuous tetrahedral network at low values of x. The number of network breaking defects in the form of non-bridging oxygens (NBO's) increases slowly with x until x=0.5 (NBO's ~ 10% at x=0.5). By x=0.67 the network breaking defects become significant as evidenced by the significant drop in the average coordination number of Si. By contrast, Al-O tetrahedra remain free of NBO's and fully integrated in the Al/Si-O network for all values of x. Calcium maintains a rather uniform coordination sphere of approximately 5 oxygen atoms for all values of x. The results suggest that not only Si/Al-O tetrahedra but Ca-O polyhedra, too, play a role in determining the glassy structure

The i148m Pnpla3 polymorphism influences serum adiponectin in patients with fatty liver and healthy controls

BACKGROUND: Reduced adiponectin is implicated in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and steatohepatitis (NASH), and the I148M Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) polymorphism predisposes to NAFLD and liver damage progression in NASH and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) by still undefined mechanisms, possibly involving regulation of adipose tissue function. Aim of this study was to evaluate whether the I148M PNPLA3 polymorphism influences serum adiponectin in liver diseases and healthy controls. METHODS: To this end, we considered 144 consecutive Italian patients with NAFLD, 261 with CHC, 35 severely obese subjects, and 257 healthy controls with very low probability of steatosis, all with complete clinical and genetic characterization, including adiponectin (ADIPOQ) genotype. PNPLA3 rs738409 (I148M) and ADIPOQ genotypes were evaluated by Taqman assays, serum adiponectin by ELISA. Adiponectin mRNA levels were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of 35 obese subjects undergoing bariatric surgery. RESULTS: Adiponectin levels were independently associated with the risk of NAFLD and with the histological severity of the disease. Adiponectin levels decreased with the number of 148\u2009M PNPLA3 alleles at risk of NASH both in patients with NAFLD (p\u2009=\u20090.03), and in healthy subjects (p\u2009=\u20090.04). At multivariate analysis, PNPLA3 148\u2009M alleles were associated with low adiponectin levels (<6\u2009mg/ml, median value) independently of NAFLD diagnosis, age, gender, BMI, and ADIPOQ genotype (OR 1.67, 95% c.i. 1.07-2.1 for each 148\u2009M allele). The p.148\u2009M PNPLA3 variant was associated with decreased adiponectin mRNA levels in the VAT of obese patients (p\u2009<\u20090.05) even in the absence of NASH. In contrast, in CHC, characterized by adiponectin resistance, low adiponectin was associated with male gender and steatosis, but not with PNPLA3 and ADIPOQ genotypes and viral features. CONCLUSIONS: The I148M PNPLA3 variant is associated with adiponectin levels in patients with NAFLD and in healthy subjects, but in the presence of adiponectin resistance not in CHC patients. The I148M PNPLA3 genotype may represent a genetic determinant of serum adiponectin levels. Modulation of serum adiponectin might be involved in mediating the susceptibility to steatosis, NASH, and hepatocellular carcinoma in carriers of the 148\u2009M PNPLA3 variant without CHC, with potential therapeutic implications

Focused Ion Beam Fabrication

Contains reports on thirteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-88-K-0108National Science Foundation Grant ECS 89-21728MIT Lincoln Laboratory Innovative Research ProgramSEMATECH Contract 90-MC-503Micrion Contract M08774U.S. Army Research Office Contract DAAL03-87-K-0126IBM Corporatio