Searching for New Long Lived Particles in Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC

We show that heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide a promising environment to search for new long lived particles in well-motivated New Physics scenarios. One advantage lies in the possibility to operate the main detectors with looser triggers, which can increase the number of observable events by orders of magnitude if the long lived particles are produced with low transverse momentum. In addition, the absence of pileup in heavy ion collisions can avoid systematic nuisances that will be present in future proton runs, such as the problem of vertex mis-identification. Finally, there are new production mechanisms that are absent or inefficient in proton collisions. We show that the looser triggers alone can make searches in heavy ion data competitive with proton data for the specific example of heavy neutrinos in the Neutrino Minimal Standard Model, produced in the decay of B mesons. Our results suggest that collisions of ions lighter than lead, which are currently under discussion in the heavy ion community, are well-motivated from the viewpoint of searches for New Physics.Comment: Version accepted by Physical Review Letters for publication as a Letter. 6 pages, 3 figure

Selenium and Autoimmune Thyroiditis

The essential mineral, selenium, is of fundamental importance to human health. As a constituent of selenoproteins, selenium has structural and enzymic roles, in the latter context being best-known as an antioxidant and catalyst for the production of active thyroid hormone. Selenium is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system. An elevated selenium intake may be associated with reduced cancer ris

Gastrointestinal Tumors: Phytochemical and Drug Combinations Targeting the Hallmarks of Cancer

Cancer is a worldwide burden resulting in millions of deaths each year. In particular, gastrointestinal tumors are life-threatening malignancies and one of the leading reasons for death in developed countries. Phytochemicals can be found in grains, vegetables, fruits and several foods. Many phytochemicals, such as curcumin, genistein, luteolin, vitexin-2-O-xyloside, avenanthramides, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, sulforaphane, piperine and thymoquinone have been used in combination with different chemotherapeutic agents for their synergistic anticancer effects against various forms of cancer. In this review, we describe the antitumor properties and biological effects of combinations of phytochemicals and anticancer drugs against gastrointestinal tumors: colon cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer. We focus on the molecular pathways, oncoproteins and tumor suppressors modulated by the combination of phytochemicals with antitumor drugs and on the biomarkers of the hallmarks of cancer influenced by these therapeutic strategies in cancer cell lines, xenograft models and clinical trials. The increased knowledge of biomarkers and molecular pathways regulated by the combination of phytochemicals and conventional anticancer drugs in both in vitro and in vivo models will remarkably improve the efficacy of these therapeutic strategies against gastrointestinal tumors in future innovative clinical applications

Metabolic effects of 3,5-Diiodo-L-Thyronine

Thyroid hormones have been proposed as anti obesity drugs due to their effects on basal metabolism and the ability to increase energy expenditure. However, their clinical use has been strongly curbed by the concomitant onset of thyrotoxicosis. In this setting, several studies have been undertaken to assess the role of 3,5 diiodo- L-thyronine (T2), an endogenous metabolite of thyroid hormone derived from the enzymatic deiodination of triodothyronine T3. The metabolic effects of T2 are similar to those induced by T3. However, these effects appear to involve different and not welldefined mechanisms that make this molecule clinically useful as potential drug in the treatment of pathological conditions such as obesity and hepatic steatosis. The main pharmacological target of T2 appears to be the mitochondria. Therefore, the administration of T2 to obese subjects might improve the mitochondrial performance, which is generally recognized to be reduced in these subjects who must oxidize greater quantities of substrates. In this context, it can be hypothesized that T2, by acting mainly on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress, might be able to prevent and revert the tissue damages and hepatic steatosis induced by a hyperlipidic diet and a concomitant reduction in the circulating levels LDL and triglycerides as well. This review the discuss the mechanisms of action of T2 and the possible, future clinical uses of T2 analogs for the treatment lipid dysmetabolism related to obesity and overweight

Genomic and non-genomic mechanisms of action of thyroid hormones and their catabolite 3,5-diiodo-l-thyronine in Mammals

Since the realization that the cellular homologs of a gene found in the retrovirus that contributes to erythroblastosis in birds (v-erbA), i.e. the proto-oncogene c-erbA encodes the nuclear receptors for thyroid hormones (THs), most of the interest for THs focalized on their ability to control gene transcription. It was found, indeed, that, by regulating gene expression in many tissues, these hormones could mediate critical events both in development and in adult organisms. Among their eects, much attention was given to their ability to increase energy expenditure, and they were early proposed as anti-obesity drugs. However, their clinical use has been strongly challenged by the concomitant onset of toxic eects, especially on the heart. Notably, it has been clearly demonstrated that, besides their direct action on transcription (genomic eects), THs also have non-genomic eects, mediated by cell membrane and/or mitochondrial binding sites, and sometimes triggered by their endogenous catabolites. Among these latter molecules, 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (3,5-T2) has been attracting increasing interest because some of its metabolic eects are similar to those induced by T3, but it seems to be safer. The main target of 3,5-T2 appears to be the mitochondria, and it has been hypothesized that, by acting mainly on mitochondrial function and oxidative stress, 3,5-T2 might prevent and revert tissue damages and hepatic steatosis induced by a hyper-lipid diet, while concomitantly reducing the circulating levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides. Besides a summary concerning general metabolism of THs, as well as their genomic and non-genomic eects, herein we will discuss resistance to THs and the possible mechanisms of action of 3,5-T2, also in relation to its possible clinical use as a drug

Therapeutic Effectiveness of Nutrition Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Abstract It is important to prevent protein/calorie malnutrition in children with end stage liver diseases prior to transplantation. This study involved 34 patients between the ages of 10 and 156 months (mean value 25.69 months 32.2) (13 females and 21 males) on the liver transplant waiting list. Data collected as of three months before transplant and up to ten months after the procedure concerned gender, age, weight, height, Pediatric End Stage Liver Disease Score, baseline pathology, type of nutrition, type of transplant, immunosuppression, pulse steroid therapy, length of stay, and post transplant complications. Linear regression analysis showed that the length of hospital stay was 24.5 days more for females than for males, but also that intensive nutrition therapy shortens this stay for both female patients (P = 0.085) and younger patients (P = 0.023). The study population was divided into two groups according to the different nutritional therapies adopted. The Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney test evidenced that the group receiving intensive nutrition therapy grew taller compared with the group following an oral diet (mean -1.37 and Prob = 0.043); that females grew taller compared to males (mean -1.65 +/- 0.56); and that there was an increase in height among the children in the group receiving intensive nutrition therapy despite the presence (-1.37 +/- 0.56) or absence (-14.8 +/- 5.44 and Prob = 0.035) of complications, and despite the administration (-1.03 +/- 0.33) or non administration (-1.48 +/- 0.55 and Prob = 0.019) of steroids. Intensive nutrition therapy enhances the velocity of growth in height and shortens the length of hospital stay, thus optimizing the final prognosis of the baseline pathology

Preliminary Indoor Radon Measurements Near Faults Crossing Urban Areas of Mt. Etna Volcano (Italy)

The slopes of Etna are crossed by numerous active faults that traverse various towns and villages. These faults pose a two-fold problem for the local people: on one hand, they cause frequent damage to houses and breakage of roads, while on the other they constitute a preferential route for the rising of crustal and sub-crustal gases, including radon, toward the surface. Various recent studies on the volcano confirm a high level of radon degassing measured both in the soil (> 10,000 Bq/m3), and inside homes (> 2,000 Bq/m3). For this reason, we felt the need to deepen our knowledge on the radon present in the Etnean area, focusing in particular on indoor radon pollution that, as widely recognized, is among the main causes of cancer largely (but not exclusively) of the respiratory system. Firstly, since 2005 we made a broad surface survey that revealed very high radon emissions from soils near active faults on Etna. Typical background soil activity on Etna were <1,000 Bq/m3, whereas in areas of stronger soil degassing, activity values up to ~60,000 Bq/m3 were measured. Furthermore, since late 2015 we have performed continuous indoor radon monitoring inside seven houses, some of which located close to degassing faults on the eastern, southern and south-western flanks of the volcano. Indoor radon concentration varied according to the season of the year, but above all, they changed according to the geology and tectonic setting of the substratum of the monitored houses. In one case, indoor radon concentration reached 3,549 Bq/m3 and remained > 1,000 Bq/m3 for several consecutive months, highlighting a potential health problem for those living in such environments. In other cases, the construction features of the houses and/or the materials used seemed to play an important role in the mitigation of indoor radon accumulation, even in the presence of intensely degassing soils. These preliminary data demonstrate the need to deepen the studies, extending indoor radon measurements to other urban areas, in order to monitor the health hazard for the Etna population, amounting to about one million people