Bi-photon propagation control with optimized wavefront by means of Adaptive Optics

We present an efficient method to control the spatial modes of entangled photons produced through SPDC process. Bi-photon beam propagation is controlled by a deformable mirror, that shapes a 404nm CW diode laser pump interacting with a nonlinear BBO type-I crystal. Thanks to adaptive optical system, the propagation of 808nm SPDC light produced is optimized over a distance of 2m. The whole system optimization is carried out by a feedback between deformable mirror action and entangled photon coincidence counts. We also demonstrated the improvement of the two-photon coupling into single mode fibers

Breast metastasis and lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: first clinical observation

The lung Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a very rare aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with a high propensy to metastasize and very poor prognosis. We report an atypical presentation of lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was diagnosed from a metastatic nodule on the breast. Our patient is a 59 years-old woman that presented in March 2014 non productive cough. A CT scan showed multiple brain, lung, adrenal gland and liver secondary lesions; moreover, it revealed a breast right nodule near the chest measuring 1.8 cm. The breast nodule and a lung lesions were biopsied and their histology and molecular diagnosis were LCNEC of the lung. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of breast metastasis from LCNEC of the lung. Furthermore, breast metastasis from extramammary malignancy is uncommon and its diagnosis is difficult but important for proper management and prediction of prognosis. Therefore, a careful clinical history with a thorough clinical examination is needed to make the correct diagnosis. Moreover, metastasis to the breast should be considered in any patient with a known primary malignant tumor history who presents with a breast lump. Anyhow, pathological examination should be performed to differentiate the primary breast cancer from metastatic tumor. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of breast metastases may not only avoid unnecessary breast resection, more importantly it is crucial to determine an appropriate and systemic treatment

Spinodal of supercooled polarizable water

We develop a series of molecular dynamics computer simulations of liquid water, performed with a polarizable potential model, to calculate the spinodal line and the curve of maximum density inside the metastable supercooled region. After analysing the structural properties,the liquid spinodal line is followed down to T=210 K. A monotonic decrease is found in the explored region. The curve of maximum density bends on approaching the spinodal line. These results, in agreement with similar studies on non polarizable models of water, are consistent with the existence of a second critical point for water.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. To be published in Phys. Re

quantitative trait loci associated with the humoral innate immune response in chickens were confirmed in a cross between green legged partridgelike and white leghorn

Natural antibodies (NA) create a crucial barrier at the initial steps of the innate humoral immune response. The main role of NA in the defense system is to bind the pathogens at early stages of infection. Different pathogens are recognized by the presence of highly conserved antigen determinant [e. g., lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in gram-negative bacteria or lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in gram-positive bacteria]. In chickens, a different genetic background of NA binds LPS and LTA antigens, encoded by different QTL. The main objective of this work was to confirm known QTL associated with LPS and LTA NA. For this purpose a chicken reference population was created by crossing 2 breeds: a commercial layer, White Leghorn, and a Polish indigenous chicken, Green-Legged Partridgelike. The chromosomal regions analyzed harbored to GGA3, GGA5, GGA6, GGA8, GGA9, GGA10, GGA14, GGA15, GGA18, and GGAZ. The data collected consisted of the NA titers binding LPS and LTA (determined by ELISA at 12 wk of age) as well as the genotypes (30 short tandem repeat markers; average of 3 markers/chromosome, collected for generations F(0), F(1), and F(2)). The analyses were performed with 3 statistical models (paternal and maternal half-sib, line cross, and linkage analysis and linkage disequilibrium) implemented in GridQTL software (http://www.gridqtl.org.uk/). The QTL study of humoral innate immune response traits resulted in the confirmation of 3 QTL associated with NA titers binding LPS (located on GGA9, GGA18, and GGAZ) and 2 QTL associated with NA titers binding LTA (located on GGA5 and GGA14). A set of candidate genes within the regions of the validated QTL has been proposed

a quantitative trait locus for a primary antibody response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin on chicken chromosome 14 confirmation and candidate gene approach

A QTL involved in the primary antibody response toward keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was detected on chicken chromosome 14 in the experimental population, which was created by crossing commercial White Leghorn and a Polish native chicken breed (green-legged partridgelike). The current QTL location is a validation of previous experiments pointing to the same genomic location for the QTL linked to a primary antibody response to KLH. An experimental population was typed with microsatellite markers distributed over the chicken chromosome 14. Titers of antibodies binding KLH were measured for all individuals by ELISA. Statistical models applied in the Grid QTL Web-based software were used to analyze the data: a half-sib model, a line-cross model, and combined analysis in a linkage disequilibrium and linkage analysis model. Candidate genes that have been proposed were genotyped with SNP located in genes exons. Statistical analyses of single SNP associations were performed pointing out 2 SNP of an axis inhibitor protein (AXIN1) gene as significantly associated with the trait of an interest

Fracture precursors in disordered systems

A two-dimensional lattice model with bond disorder is used to investigate the fracture behaviour under stress-controlled conditions. Although the cumulative energy of precursors does not diverge at the critical point, its derivative with respect to the control parameter (reduced stress) exhibits a singular behaviour. Our results are nevertheless compatible with previous experimental findings, if one restricts the comparison to the (limited) range accessible in the experiment. A power-law avalanche distribution is also found with an exponent close to the experimental values.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Europhysics Letter

Fine mapping of loci on BTA8 associated to antibody response to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis in cattle

Paratuberculosis (ParaTB) or Johne's disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis commonly known as MAP in cattle, is a chronic gastroenteritis characterized by diarrhoea, decreased milk production and ultimately death. MAP is responsible for huge economic losses, particularly in dairy cattle herds. Susceptibility to MAP infection has been found to be heritable with heritability estimates ranging from 0.06 to 0.102. The definition of an infected animal can be based either on the presence of anti-MAP antibodies in the serum, or by direct demonstration of MAP in tissue or faeces by culture or PCR. Several studies have addressed the identification of genetic loci associated with MAP susceptibility. The objective of this study was to refine a locus associated with antibody response to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosi (MAP). Using a genome- wide association analysis, a single nucleotide polymorphism on Bos taurus autosome BTA8 namely the SNP rs43161947 at posi- tion 35398490 with a p-value of 7.02 e-05, has previously been identified by the authors as associated with MAP infection. Fine mapping of the region was conducted with 100 single nucleotide polymorphisms spanning a region between BTA8: 34422912 and BTA8: 364553881 covering 2 Mega bases (Mb) designed in to cover 1 Mb ahead and after the SNP identified on BTA8. The 2 Mb region on BTA8 was evaluated within a group of 966 Holstein cows collected from routine ParaTB screening in the province of Lodi in Italy, in an area with a high prevalence of ParaTB. Animals were defined as ParaTB positive based on the detection of serum antibodies produced in response to MAP infection using the ID-screen\uae ELISA test (ID VET Montpellier, France). Of the 966 samples, 483 were MAP antibody positive (cases) and 483 MAP antibody negative (MAP negative controls). All animals were female, and cases and MAP negative controls were from the same farm tested on the same day.Using a single marker associ- ation analysis, conducted within the R statistical environment, we identified 3 different QTLs within the 2 Mega base region, under the main QTL on BTA8 associated with antibody response to MAP, in position 34.700.000, 35.800.000 and 36.400.000 bp. This reveals the complexity of the genetic architecture of thetrait and confirms the need to further explore the genome with fine mapping approaches, or by the use of whole genome sequencing to investigate complex traits, such as disease resistance

Immunohistochemical Distribution of Serotonin Transporter (SERT) in the Optic Lobe of the Honeybee, Apis mellifera

Visual information is processed in the optic lobes, which consist of three retinotopic neuropils. These are the lamina, the medulla and the lobula. Biogenic amines play a crucial role in the control of insect responsiveness, and serotonin is clearly related to aggressiveness in invertebrates. Previous studies suggest that serotonin modulates aggression-related behaviours, possibly via alterations in optic lobe activity. The aim of this investigation was to immunohistochemically localize the distribution of serotonin transporter (SERT) in the optic lobe of moderate, docile and aggressive worker honeybees. SERT-immunoreactive fibres showed a wide distribution in the lamina, medulla and lobula; interestingly, the highest percentage of SERT immunoreactivity was observed across all the visual neuropils of the docile group. Although future research is needed to determine the relationship between the distribution of serotonin fibres in the honeybee brain and aggressive behaviours, our immunohistochemical study provides an anatomical basis supporting the role of serotonin in aggressive behaviour in the honeybee

Combinatorial Discriminant Analysis Applied to RNAseq Data Reveals a Set of 10 Transcripts as Signatures of Exposure of Cattle to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Paratuberculosis or Johne's disease in cattle is a chronic granulomatous gastroenteritis caused by infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Paratuberculosis is not treatable; therefore, the early identification and isolation of infected animals is a key point to reduce its incidence. In this paper, we analyse RNAseq experimental data of 5 ELISA-negative cattle exposed to MAP in a positive herd, compared to 5 negative-unexposed controls. The purpose was to find a small set of differentially expressed genes able to discriminate between exposed animals in a preclinical phase from non-exposed controls. Our results identified 10 transcripts that differentiate between ELISA-negative, clinically healthy, and exposed animals belonging to paratuberculosis-positive herds and negative-unexposed animals. Of the 10 transcripts, five (TRPV4, RIC8B, IL5RA, ERF, CDC40) showed significant differential expression between the three groups while the remaining 5 (RDM1, EPHX1, STAU1, TLE1, ASB8) did not show a significant difference in at least one of the pairwise comparisons. When tested in a larger cohort, these findings may contribute to the development of a new diagnostic test for paratuberculosis based on a gene expression signature. Such a diagnostic tool could allow early interventions to reduce the risk of the infection spreading

How different husbandry conditions influence hind-gut microbiome, cortisol level and behaviour in lambs?

The gut microbiota\u2013brain axis is a bidirectional pathway through which the brain regulates the activity of the gut and vice versa. The intestinal microbiota was proven to influence and be influenced by stressrelated responses caused by management conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether different husbandry conditions in lambs influenced gut microbiome (composition and diversity), cortisol level and behaviour. Fifteen Sarda breed lambs, aged 6 months, were randomly assigned to three groups of 5 animals each: Isolation (tactile and visual isolation; 3 h/day for 8 weeks); Enriched (in group in a outdoor grassy pen with a new enrichment each week; 3 h/day for 8 weeks); Control (habitual farm environment). Every week, 2 video-recordings of 1-hour each were collected respectively during and after each treatment, and analysed using a scan sampling technique (60 scans per video). Every two weeks hair was collected from the right shoulder using a shave and re-shave method. Cortisol concentration was measured by means of an ELISA test conducted on hair samples and expressed as pg/ml. At week 8 faecal material was collected directly from the rectal ampulla and immediately frozen at 1220\ub0C until DNA extraction was performed using a QIAmp DNA Stool kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). DNA quality and quantity were assessed using a NanoDrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies, Wilmington, DE, USA). The microbiota of enriched animals was clearly different from the other two groups and showed lower within group variability. During treatment, only isolated sheep showed escape attempts (23% of scans during the first week) and freezing (58% of scans during the first week). In the home pen, after treatment, lambs did not show any stress-related behaviour. After one month of treatment, hair cortisol increased only in the isolated group. In conclusion, differences in microbiome could be related to the different stimulating enrichment and addition of grass on the diet. Although, from a behavioural point of view, sheep apparently habituated to the isolation, increase in cortisol levels could be related to experiencing a stressful situation