X-rays affect cytoskeleton assembly and nanoparticle uptake: Preliminary results

Alterations of the cytoskeleton are commonly associated with tumor genesis and cancer progression. For this reason, the characterization of cytoskeletonassociated functions and properties is important to optimize the outcomes to classical and more recent therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and cancer nanomedicine. In such context, this work investigated the synergy between cancer nanomedicine and radiotherapy. In particular, the effects over time (24 and 48h) of two different doses of X-rays (2 and 10Gy) on spreading area, morphological parameters and the internalization mechanism of carboxylated nanoparticles in mammary epithelial cells and mammary adenocarcinoma cells were investigated

Impact of analytical treatment interruption on burden and diversification of HIV peripheral reservoir: a pilot study

Background: If analytical antiretroviral-treatment (ART) interruption (ATI) might significantly impact quantitative or qualitative peripheral-total HIV-DNA is still debated. Methods: Six chronically HIV-1 infected patients enrolled in APACHE-study were analysed for peripheral-total HIV-DNA and residual viremia, major-resistance-mutations (MRMs) and C2-V3-C3 evolution at pre-ATI (T1), during ATI (T2) and at achievement of virological success after ART-resumption (post-ATI, T3). These data were obtained at three comparable time-points in five chronically HIV-1 infected patients on suppressive ART for ≥1 year, enrolled in MODAt-study. Results: At T1, APACHE and MODAt individuals had similar peripheral-total HIV-DNA and residual viremia (p = 0.792 and 0.662, respectively), and no significant changes for these parameters were observed between T1 and T3 in both groups. At T1, 4/6 APACHE and 2/5 MODAt carried HIV-DNA MRMs. MRMs disappeared at T3 in 3/4 APACHE. All disappearing MRMs were characterized by T1 intra-patient prevalence <80%, and mainly occurred in APOBEC3-related sites. All MRMs persisted over-time in the 2 MODAt. C2-V3-C3 genetic-distance significantly changed from T1 to T3 in APACHE individuals (+0.36[0.11-0.41], p = 0.04), while no significant changes were found in MODAt. Accordingly, maximum likelihood trees (bootstrap > 70%) and genealogical sorting indices (GSI > 0.50 with p-value < 0.05) showed that T1 C2-V3-C3 DNA sequences were distinct from T2 and T3 viruses in 4/6 APACHE. Virus populations at all three time-points were highly interspersed in MODAt. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that short ATI does not alter peripheral-total HIV-DNA burden and residual viremia, but in some cases could cause a genetic diversification of peripheral viral reservoir in term of both MRMs rearrangement and viral evolution

A proof-of-concept study on the genomic evolution of Sars-Cov-2 in molnupiravir-treated, paxlovid-treated and drug-naïve patients

Little is known about SARS-CoV-2 evolution under Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, the only antivirals approved for COVID-19 treatment. By investigating SARS-CoV-2 variability in 8 Molnupiravir-treated, 7 Paxlovid-treated and 5 drug-naive individuals at 4 time-points (Days 0-2-5-7), a higher genetic distance is found under Molnupiravir pressure compared to Paxlovid and no-drug pressure (nucleotide-substitutions/site mean & PLUSMN;Standard error: 18.7 x 10(-4) & PLUSMN; 2.1 x 10(-4) vs. 3.3 x 10(-4) & PLUSMN; 0.8 x 10(-4) vs. 3.1 x 10(-4) & PLUSMN; 0.8 x 10(-4), P = 0.0003), peaking between Day 2 and 5. Molnupiravir drives the emergence of more G-A and C-T transitions than other mutations (P = 0.031). SARS-CoV-2 selective evolution under Molnupiravir pressure does not differ from that under Paxlovid or no-drug pressure, except for orf8 (dN > dS, P = 0.001); few amino acid mutations are enriched at specific sites. No RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) or main proteases (Mpro) mutations conferring resistance to Molnupiravir or Paxlovid are found. This proof-of-concept study defines the SARS-CoV-2 within-host evolution during antiviral treatment, confirming higher in vivo variability induced by Molnupiravir compared to Paxlovid and drug-naive, albeit not resulting in apparent mutation selection

Landslide detection integrated system (LaDIS) based on in-situ and satellite SAR interferometry data

An integrated system to analyze slope instabilities over vast areas through the intercomparison of measurements obtained by in-situ and persistent scatterer (PS) interferometry processing of satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, is here introduced and tentatively named landslide detection integrated system (LaDIS).The persistent scatterer pair (PSP) SAR interferometry technique has been used to process high-resolution SAR images acquired in the 2008–2011 time span by the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation, available in a 40 km × 40 km study area in the Palermo Province (Sicily region—Italy). Derived displacement rate estimates from COSMOSkyMed PS measurements have been analyzed in approximately 10% of the study area for landslide research. Within this area, according to the official landslide inventory map, extremely slow to very slow landslides are dominant, being favored by the presence of heterogeneous clay formations characterized by poor mechanical properties. To prove COSMO-SkyMedPS displacement rates an engineering-geological approach was adopted, tailored to allow a continuous and rapid updating of landslide-inventory maps; to this aim a detailed geological field work has been performed. To guarantee an independent assessment, field surveys have been carried out without sharing information derived from PS data. Almost half (49%) of the active unstable areas identified through COSMO-SkyMedPS measurements were confirmed by the fieldwork. In an additional 26% of cases the greater sensitivity of the satellite has allowed to identify movements, even if very slow, that did not show superficial evidence. A confirmation of the great potentialities of the latest generation of satellite systemsalso comes fromthe comparison with the current official landslide-inventory map, updated in 2006. Among the 58% of the total PS measurements that have been used to contour the landslides “in remote”, 84.3% falls outside the polygons of the failures detected in the existing maps,which implies a significant percentage of data to be associated to newlandslides or extension of pre-existing landslides. Advantages and drawbacks of exploiting COSMO-SkyMed X-band SAR data to study landslides over wide areas through the proposed approach are finally discussed

[Air pollution in an urban area nearby the Rome-Ciampino city airport]

OBJECTIVES: to assess air pollution spatial and temporal variability in the urban area nearby the Ciampino International Airport (Rome) and to investigate the airport-related emissions contribute. DESIGN AND SETTING: the study domain was a 64 km2 area around the airport. Two fifteen-day monitoring campaigns (late spring, winter) were carried out. Results were evaluated using several runs outputs of an airport-related sources Lagrangian particle model and a photochemical model (the Flexible Air quality Regional Model, FARM). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: both standard and high time resolution air pollutant concentrations measurements: CO, NO, NO2, C6H6, mass and number concentration of several PM fractions. 46 fixed points (spread over the study area) of NO2 and volatile organic compounds concentrations (fifteen days averages); deterministic models outputs. RESULTS: standard time resolution measurements, as well as model outputs, showed the airport contribution to air pollution levels being little compared to the main source in the area (i.e. vehicular traffic). However, using high time resolution measurements, peaks of particles associated with aircraft takeoff (total number concentration and soot mass concentration), and landing (coarse mass concentration) were observed, when the site measurement was downwind to the runway. CONCLUSIONS: the frequently observed transient spikes associated with aircraft movements could lead to a not negligible contribute to ultrafine, soot and coarse particles exposure of people living around the airport. Such contribute and its spatial and temporal variability should be investigated when assessing the airports air quality impact

La Cassa per il Mezzogiorno. Dalla salvaguardia dell’Archivio alla promozione della ricerca

l Seminario di studi La Cassa per il Mezzogiorno. Dalla salvaguardia dell’Archivio alla promozione della ricerca si è tenuto sabato 20 aprile presso l’Archivio Storico della Presidenza della Repubblica, con l'introduzione di Paola Carucci, Sovrintendente dell’Archivio Storico della Presidenza della Repubblica e interventi di Sveva Avveduto, Direttore dell’Istituto di Ricerche sulla Popolazione e sulle Politiche Sociali del CNR, Alessandro Roncaglia, Presidente della Società Italiana degli Economisti e Mario Taccolini, Vice Presidente Vicario della Società Italiana degli Storici Economici. Al centro del Seminario le relazioni del professor Giuseppe Galasso “L’interesse storico della Cassa per il Mezzogiorno” e del Presidente della SVIMEZ Adriano Giannola “La Cassa protagonista e strumento delle politiche di sviluppo” e l’intervento di Donato Marra, Segretario Generale della Presidenza della Repubblica. A seguire la tavola rotonda “Intervento straordinario nel Mezzogiorno e nuovi percorsi per la ricerca storica ed economica” a cui hanno partecipato Agostino Attanasio, Sovrintendente dell’Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Piero Barucci, Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato e Consigliere della SVIMEZ, la professoressa Lilia Costabile, Archivio Storico degli Economisti e Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Sabina De Luca, Capo Dipartimento per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione Economica, il professor Amedeo Lepore, Coordinatore del Gruppo di lavoro sulla Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, della Seconda Università di Napoli e il professor Guido Pescosolido, Università di Roma “La Sapienza” e Consigliere dell’ANIMI. Il Seminario fa parte di un progetto più ampio di recupero e valorizzazione dell’Archivio della Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, una mole immensa di documenti inediti pari a circa 50 km di lunghezza lineare, che rischiava di disperdersi, iniziato nel 2011, e si propone di fare il punto della situazione sullo stato dell’andamento del processo di recupero e valorizzazione. L’iniziativa di censire e recuperare il materiale è stata promossa dalla SVIMEZ d’intesa con l’Archivio centrale dello Stato e l’Archivio storico della Presidenza della Repubblica. Buona parte del materiale, soprattutto documenti inerenti a progetti e a interventi industriali, confluirà in un’apposita sezione dell’Archivio Centrale dello Stato a Roma, mentre i documenti di natura strettamente finanziaria saranno ospitati presso l’Archivio della Fondazione Banco di Napoli a Napoli. Trattandosi sostanzialmente di materiale inedito, una volta messa a regime, la fruizione del materiale permetterà agli studiosi di aprire nuove linee di ricerca. Fanno parte del gruppo di lavoro e di ricerca Agostino Attanasio (Sovrintendente dell’Archivio Centrale dello Stato), Stefania Cantagalli (Dirigente reggente PS/DGPRUC), Paola Carucci (Sovrintendente Archivio Storico Presidenza della Repubblica), Giulio Cecconi (Sindaco della SVIMEZ), Giorgio Centurelli (Esperto nazionale Programmazione Fondi Comunitari e Nazionali presso DPS), Agnese Claroni (Ricercatrice della SVIMEZ), Lilia Costabile (Università degli Studi di Napoli - Federico II), Michele Di Cesare (Esperto del Comitato Economico e Sociale di Bruxelles), Giuseppe Di Taranto (LUISS Guido Carli), Emanuele Felice (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona), Vittoria Ferrandino (Università degli Studi del Sannio), Adriano Giannola (Presidente della SVIMEZ), Mariano Giustino (Consigliere della SVIMEZ), Susanna Greco (Bibliotecaria della SVIMEZ), Alexander Hobel (Ricercatore), Stefania Manfrellotti (Seconda Università di Napoli), Francesco Menafra (Dirigente della ex Cassa per il Mezzogiorno), Daniela Mercurio (Punto di contatto APRE), Riccardo Padovani (Direttore della SVIMEZ), Federico Pirro (Università degli Studi di Bari), Serena Potito (Ricercatrice dell’Università Parthenope), Paola Puzzuoli (Funzionario dell'Archivio Centrale dello Stato), Paola Russillo (CdA ACPA Service), Marco Santillo (Università degli Studi di Salerno), Donatella Strangio (Università La Sapienza di Roma), Giulia Velotti (Dottore di ricerca Università Orientale di Napoli). Il gruppo di lavoro è coordinato da Amedeo Lepore, Consigliere della SVIMEZ