Exploiting Sentinel-1 amplitude data for glacier surface velocity field measurements. Feasibility demonstration on baltoro glacier

The leading idea of this work is to continuously retrieve glaciers surface velocity through SAR imagery, in particular using the amplitude data from the new ESA satellite sensor Sentinel-1 imagery. These imagery key aspects are the free access policy, the very short revisit time (down to 6 days with the launch of the Sentinel-1B satellite) and the high amplitude resolution (up to 5 m). In order to verify the reliability of the proposed approach, a first experiment has been performed using Sentinel-1 imagery acquired over the Karakoram mountain range (North Pakistan) and Baltoro and other three glaciers have been investigated. During this study, a stack of 11 images acquired in the period from October 2014 to September 2015 has been used in order to investigate the potentialities of the Sentinel-1 SAR sensor to retrieve the glacier surface velocity every month. The aim of this test was to measure the glacier surface velocity between each subsequent pair, in order to produce a time series of the surface velocity fields along the investigated period. The necessary co-registration procedure between the images has been performed and subsequently the glaciers areas have been sampled using a regular grid with a 250 × 250 meters posting. Finally the surface velocity field has been estimated, for each image pair, using a template matching procedure, and an outlier filtering procedure based on the signal to noise ratio values has been applied, in order to exclude from the analysis unreliable points. The achieved velocity values range from 10 to 25 meters/month and they are coherent to those obtained in previous studies carried out on the same glaciers and the results highlight that it is possible to have a continuous update of the glacier surface velocity field through free Sentinel-1 imagery, that could be very useful to investigate the seasonal effects on the glaciers fluid-dynamics

Jugglers, magicians and orators: the role of emotions in the art of improvisation

La capacità oratoria di persuadere ricorrendo ai mezzi patetici propri del teatro è, nel mondo antico, motivo di discussione. Il diverbio riguarda la tensione fra verità e finzione, per cui l’attore recita una parte, mentre l’oratore deve raccontare fatti reali. La credibilità di un discorso dipende, dunque, dal grado di coinvolgimento emotivo, ovvero dalla capacità dell’oratore di apparire realmente convinto delle proprie tesi. In questo senso riveste un importante ruolo la tecnica immedesimativa tipica della recitazione che, grazie alla circolarità delle emozioni, permette di attivare un rapporto empatico con il pubblico. In particolare, nei manuali di retorica, laddove si intende chiarire con quali espedienti ottenere questo risultato, si ricorre all’exemplum di attori talmente commossi dalla propria parte da rimanerne scossi. L’influsso del teatro sull’oratoria, però, non si limita all’ambito propriamente performativo, ma si allarga anche ad altri settori, arrivando addirittura a condizionare l’inventio e le tecniche di composizione di un’orazione. In questo senso è emblematico il caso di Galba, raccontato nel Brutus ciceroniano (§§ 87-88): questi si immedesimava a tal punto nelle vicende da farle proprie, un procedimento analogo a quello degli attori, che “si calano” nella parte prima di andare in scena, ma soprattutto dello scrittore, che si immedesima nei protagonisti delle storie da lui create. Il contributo intende, quindi, indagare le reciproche interazioni fra passione estemporanea e acquisizione di una tecnica nell’arte dell’improvvisazione: se, infatti, recenti studi hanno messo in luce la pianificazione di una strategia comunicativa già nel momento compositivo, resta ancora da chiarire quanto la tecnica recitativa abbia influito su tali acquisizioni.   Jugglers, magicians and orators: the role of emotions in the art of improvisation One of the aspects that the art of rhetoric and acting share is the acquisition of a technique based on identification. In rhetoric manuals, whenever the modes in which the speaker can start using the technique need to be addressed and clarified, examples of actors deeply moved and shaken by their own roles are pointed out: it is a recurring topos, which highlights the reciprocity between the two artes. Through mental projections of narrated events, also known as visiones, the speaker filters the events through the eye of imagination and emotionally identifies with them: thanks to the intentional control of emotions, the speaker appears to be truly involved in the matter and gains credibility. However, the planning of emotions concerns not only the performance itself but also the inventio, the initial conception of a speech. From the analysis of the sources it is evident that improvisation and the instrumental use of the various adfectus result from a long learning process too and that in oratory nothing is left to extemporaneity. While performing, the speaker unconsciously implements a whole series of techniques that have been previously assimilated through memorization and exercise and that concern both the contents and the ways to successfully communicate them

Spheroids from equine amnion mesenchymal stem cells: an in vitro study

Background: Equine amnion mesenchymal stem cells (EAMSCs) from amnion isolated after the foal birth represented an alternative source of easy collection of mesenchymal cells used in equine regenerative medicine. Methods: These cells grown as 2D culture in α-MEM medium supplemented with EGF were differentiated in adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic cells. Half a million cells as pellet were left in 15ml tubes with the same differentiation media for 20 days. After the pellets were collected, embedded in paraffin for morphological study. Results: 2D culture showed EAMSCs with an embryonic phenotype (C-kit+, CD105+, Oct-4+) and a differentiation potential in adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic multipotent cells. By a reproducible method of 3D culture, at day 20 the Authors evidenced a formation of small aggregated spheroids gradually gathering. In cross sections the surface of spheroid evidenced flattened cells embedded in a red matrix by Alizarin staining and occasionally a core of calcium precipitation. A network of apoptotic or necrotic cells in a not mineralized matrix was present into the center of nodules. The 3D spheroids appeared larger (mean diameter of 605±53 µm for gathering spheroids and 1486±79 µm for spheroids already gathered) than those from standard monolayer cultures (mean diameter of 200 ± 73 µm). Conclusions: EAMSCs cultured in 3D method preserve their in vitro multipotent differentiation than adherent 2D culture method. These EAMSCs included in extracellular matrix not mineralized at day 20 seem to be a good source of MSCs for tissue repair and regeneration in equine medicine

Different media and supplements modulate the clonogenic and expansion properties of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background -</p> <p>Rabbits provide an excellent model for many animal and human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, for the development of new vaccines in wound healing management and in the field of tissue engineering of tendon, cartilage, bone and skin.</p> <p>The study presented herein aims to investigate the biological properties of bone marrow rabbit MSCs cultured in different conditions, in order to provide a basis for their clinical applications in veterinary medicine.</p> <p>Findings -</p> <p>MSCs were isolated from 5 New Zealand rabbits. Fold increase, CFU number, doubling time, differentiation ability and immunophenotype were analyzed.</p> <p>With the plating density of 10 cells/cm²the fold increase was significantly lower with DMEM-20%FCS and MSCs growth was significantly higher with αMEM-hEGF. The highest clonogenic ability was found at 100 cell/cm²with MSCBM and at 10 cell/cm²with M199. Both at 10 and 100 cells/cm², in αMEM medium, the highest CFU increase was obtained by adding bFGF. Supplementing culture media with 10%FCS-10%HS determined a significant increase of CFU.</p> <p>Conclusion -</p> <p>Our data suggest that different progenitor cells with differential sensitivity to media, sera and growth factors exist and the choice of culture conditions has to be carefully considered for MSC management.</p

A machine-learning based bio-psycho-social model for the prediction of non-obstructive and obstructive coronary artery disease

Background: Mechanisms of myocardial ischemia in obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), and the interplay between clinical, functional, biological and psycho-social features, are still far to be fully elucidated. Objectives: To develop a machine-learning (ML) model for the supervised prediction of obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Methods: From the EVA study, we analysed adults hospitalized for IHD undergoing conventional coronary angiography (CCA). Non-obstructive CAD was defined by a stenosis &lt; 50% in one or more vessels. Baseline clinical and psycho-socio-cultural characteristics were used for computing a Rockwood and Mitnitski frailty index, and a gender score according to GENESIS-PRAXY methodology. Serum concentration of inflammatory cytokines was measured with a multiplex flow cytometry assay. Through an XGBoost classifier combined with an explainable artificial intelligence tool (SHAP), we identified the most influential features in discriminating obstructive versus non-obstructive CAD. Results: Among the overall EVA cohort (n = 509), 311 individuals (mean age 67 ± 11&nbsp;years, 38% females; 67% obstructive CAD) with complete data were analysed. The ML-based model (83% accuracy and 87% precision) showed that while obstructive CAD was associated with higher frailty index, older age and a cytokine signature characterized by IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-33, non-obstructive CAD was associated with a higher gender score (i.e., social characteristics traditionally ascribed to women) and with a cytokine signature characterized by IL-18, IL-8, IL-23. Conclusions: Integrating clinical, biological, and psycho-social features, we have optimized a sex- and gender-unbiased model that discriminates obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. Further mechanistic studies will shed light on the biological plausibility of these associations. Clinical trial registration: NCT02737982

The Sex-Specific Detrimental Effect of Diabetes and Gender-Related Factors on Pre-admission Medication Adherence Among Patients Hospitalized for Ischemic Heart Disease: Insights From EVA Study

Background: Sex and gender-related factors have been under-investigated as relevant determinants of health outcomes across non-communicable chronic diseases. Poor medication adherence results in adverse clinical outcomes and sex differences have been reported among patients at high cardiovascular risk, such as diabetics. The effect of diabetes and gender-related factors on medication adherence among women and men at high risk for ischemic heart disease (IHD) has not yet been fully investigated.Aim: To explore the role of sex, gender-related factors, and diabetes in pre-admission medication adherence among patients hospitalized for IHD.Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Endocrine Vascular disease Approach (EVA) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02737982), a prospective cohort of patients admitted for IHD. We selected patients with baseline information regarding the presence of diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, and gender-related variables (i.e., gender identity, gender role, gender relations, institutionalized gender). Our primary outcome was the proportion of pre-admission medication adherence defined through a self-reported questionnaire. We performed a sex-stratified analysis of clinical and gender-related factors associated with pre-admission medication adherence.Results: Two-hundred eighty patients admitted for IHD (35% women, mean age 70), were included. Around one-fourth of the patients were low-adherent to therapy before hospitalization, regardless of sex. Low-adherent patients were more likely diabetic (40%) and employed (40%). Sex-stratified analysis showed that low-adherent men were more likely to be employed (58 vs. 33%) and not primary earners (73 vs. 54%), with more masculine traits of personality, as compared with medium-high adherent men. Interestingly, women reporting medication low-adherence were similar for clinical and gender-related factors to those with medium-high adherence, except for diabetes (42 vs. 20%, p = 0.004). In a multivariate adjusted model only employed status was associated with poor medication adherence (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.31–0.97). However, in the sex-stratified analysis, diabetes was independently associated with medication adherence only in women (OR 0.36; 95%CI 0.13–0.96), whereas a higher masculine BSRI was the only factor associated with medication adherence in men (OR 0.59, 95%CI 0.35–0.99).Conclusion: Pre-admission medication adherence is common in patients hospitalized for IHD, regardless of sex. However, patient-related factors such as diabetes, employment, and personality traits are associated with adherence in a sex-specific manner