ACKR2 in hematopoietic precursors as a checkpoint of neutrophil release and anti-metastatic activity

Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC—IG 15438) to R.B. and in part by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2010-2307975) to F.F. and by a grant HEALTH-F4-2011-281608 (TIMER) to A.M.. L.C. is recipient of a fellowship from Fondazione Nicola del Roscio

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Modellazione strutturale e prove sperimentali tra conservazione e sicurezza: l'area archeologica di Pompei

Conflicts between conservation and safety assume in the archaeological areas a determinant role, since the constructions to be evaluated are ruins. In these areas safeguard of heritage, safeguard of tourists and exigencies of fruition cannot coincide. An emblematic case in the Pompeii site is the safeguard of isolated constructions made of superimposed rigid blocks, such as isolated columns, groups of columns connected with a trabeation, jambs made of grey tuff cutted blocks without connections with the walls behind. The original state of the elements is often compromised by cracks, out of plane, material detach. Often the archaeological exigency is the preservation of the defects in order to record historical facts. Usually repairs are made by sealing the cracks with grout, reattaching of stone piece with mortar only or pins. The choice of the structural model to assess the seismic vulnerability of elements strongly influences the types of interventions, and this is a significant point in the case of Pompeii. In this paper the role of the mortar joint is examined with reference to the out of plane behaviour of superimposed masonry blocks. A significant role is played by the material parameters, often difficult to evaluate. The safety assessment and the comparison with the conservation need can lead to different approach to the cultural heritage with respect to ordinary constructions.I conflitti tra conservazione e sicurezza nelle aree archeologiche assumono un ruolo determinante, dato che spesso le costruzioni oggetto di valutazione sono ruderi. In queste aree la sicurezza intesa sia come tutela del bene che come tutela del visitatore e possibilità di fruizione del bene stesso sono aspetti che non sempre coincidono. Un caso particolarmente emblematico nell’area archeologica di Pompei è la conservazione di elementi strutturali isolati di notevole sviluppo verticale come colonne, gruppi di colonne con trabeazione, torri dell’acquedotto in opera laterizia, stipiti di ingresso costituiti da grossi blocchi tufacei messi in opera a secco e senza ammorsatura alle pareti retrostanti. Lo stato originale degli elementi è spesso compromesso da numerose fessurazioni, fuori piombo, distacchi e lacune, e spesso l'istanza archeologica è quella di conservare questi dissesti perché documentano dei fatti storici. Vengono di prassi effettuati dei consolidamenti con sarcitura delle lesioni, riadesione dei pezzi distaccati solo con malta o anche con perni di vario materiale. La scelta del modello strutturale per valutare la vulnerabilità sismica degli elementi, vista l’unicità del bene Pompei nel suo complesso, influenza significativamente le successive scelte di intervento. In questo lavoro verrà mostrato come tenere conto del ruolo del giunto di malta e quindi valutare il comportamento fuori piano della muratura oppure valutare soltanto l’attrito tra le due superfici dei blocchi comporta modellazioni, risultati e valutazioni di tipo diverso. Un ruolo essenziale viene giocato dalla conoscenza accurata dei parametri materiali, che spesso sono totalmente o parzialmente sconosciuti. Le successive valutazioni di sicurezza, confrontate con l’esigenza di conservazione, inducono comportamenti nei confronti del bene culturale diversi rispetto alle ordinarie costruzioni

Structural modeling and conservation of single columns in archaeological areas

Conflicts between conservation and safety assume in the archaeological areas a determinant role, since the constructions to be evaluated are ruins. In these areas safeguard of heritage, safeguard of tourists and exigencies of fruition cannot coincide. An emblematic case in the Pompeii site is the safeguard of isolated constructions made of superimposed rigid blocks, such as isolated columns, groups of columns connected with a trabeation, jambs made of grey tuff cutted blocks without connections with the walls behind. The original state of the elements is often compromised by cracks, out of plane configurations, material detach. Often the archaeological exigency is the preservation of the defects in order to record historical facts. Usually repairs are made by sealing the cracks with grout, reattaching of stone piece with mortar only or pins. The choice of the structural model to assess the seismic vulnerability of elements strongly influences the types of interventions, and this is a significant point in the case of Pompeii.In this paper the out of plane behaviour of superimposed masonry blocks is examined. A significant role is played by the material parameters, often difficult to evaluate. The safety assessment and the comparison with the conservation need can lead to different approach to the cultural heritage with respect to ordinary constructions