442 research outputs found
Author Correction: Gluten consumption and inflammation affect the development of celiac disease in at-risk children
No full textThe original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the authors Renata Auricchio, Ilaria Calabrese, Martina Galatola, Donatella Cielo, Fortunata Carbone, Marianna Mancuso, Giuseppe Matarese, Riccardo Troncone, Salvatore Auricchio & Luigi Greco which were incorrectly given as Auricchio Renata, Calabrese Ilaria, Galatola Martina, Cielo Donatella, Carbone Fortunata, Mancuso Marianna, Matarese Giuseppe, Troncone Riccardo, Auricchio Salvatore & Greco Luigi. The original article has been corrected
Capillary thinning analysis
No full textThe data analysis package is composed of three distinct scripts designed to be run in Matlab with png image files. ContactAngle.m measures the contact angle of a liquid bridge and the spreading distance on the substrate for a series of images during liquid bridge thinning. Startpoint_Symmetry finds the minimum radius for a series of liquid bridge thinning images, identifies the start and end point of thinning, and gives information about the overall symmetry of the trials. EC_binning identifies the fitting region, fits and reports relaxation time for elastocapillary thinning fluids. For all three scripts, an example dataset is provided to demonstrate script functionality.This collection of scripts is a package for analyzing extensional rheology data of liquid bridges. While this was created with Dripping-onto-Substrate datasets, this data analysis package may be useful for other liquid bridge thinning applications such as CaBER. Any pre-processing of images, such as binarizing, converting to png or cropping, can be completed with ImageJ.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. CON-75851, project 00074041. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.Lauser, Kathleen T; Calabrese, Michelle A. (2022). Capillary thinning analysis. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://doi.org/10.13020/gkz4-8z17
Corrigendum to “Esophageal motility disorders among elderly patients: An international multicenter study” [Digestive and Liver Disease 57 (2025) 1615-1621]
No full textThe authors regret that the name of author Francesco Calabrese was spelt incorrectly. The correct spelling appears above and the online article has been amended. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
The bridge: suggestions about the meaning of a pictorial motif
No full textDeveloping research begun at the Warburg Institute in 1983, this paper reflects on the construction of meaning in a work of art, through the analysis of the bridge’s function in painting. It tries to reply to some objections the author received there from Gombrich, about the chance of finding a stable content in the configuration of the bridge. Hence, the study reconsiders the concept of ‘motif’ applied to this structure. In a semiotic perspective a motif is partially independent as regards to a single textual organization, because it has a mobile and migrant feature. However, it is also partially flexible as it depends upon the same organization. The inquiry shows that bridge’s internal structure corresponds to the category of a ‘junction’, with two opposite items, ‘conjunction’ and ‘disjunction’. The development of this theoretical object can be carried out also by figures that are not ‘bridges’, in the natural sense of the word. Furthermore, its meaning does not depend upon the number of examples we can find but only upon their relevance for constructing a ‘grammar of cases’. Differently from the traditional iconographical approach, but also from panofskian iconology, the analysis moves not only towards the simple or complex content of a figure but also towards its description
An emergent strategy for characterizing urban hotspot dynamics via GPS data
No full textThe increasing volume of urban human mobility data arises unprecedented opportunities to monitor and understand city dynamics. Identifying events which do not conform to the expected patterns can enhance the awareness of decision makers for a variety of purposes, such as the management of social events or extreme weather situations [1]. For this purpose GPS-equipped vehicles provide huge amount of reliable data about urban dynamics, exhibiting correlation with human activities, events and city structure [2]. For example, in [3] the impact of a social event is evaluated by analyzing taxi traces data. Here, the authors model typical passenger flow in an area, in order to compute the probability that an event happens. Then, the event impact is measured by analyzing abnormal traffic flows in the area via Discrete Fourier Transform. In [4] GPS trajectories are mapped through an Interactive Voting-based Map Matching Algorithm. This mapping is used for off-line characterization of normal drivers’ behavior and real-time anomalies detection. Furthermore, the cause of the anomalies is found exploiting social network data. In [5] the authors employ a Multiscale Principal Component Analysis to analyze Taxi GPS data in order to detect traffic anomalies. The most of the methods in the literature can be grouped into four categories: distance-based, cluster-based, classification-based, and statistics-based [6]. Typically, due to the complexity of this kind of data, the modeling and comparison of their dynamics over time are hard to manage and parametrize [7]. In this paper, we present an innovative technique aimed to handle such complexity, providing a study of urban hotspot dynamics
The circulating miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers
No full textA large portion of the human genome transcribes RNA sequences that do not code for any proteins. The first of these sequences was identified in 1993, and the best known noncoding RNAs are microRNA (miRNAs). It is now fully established that miRNAs regulate approximately 30% of the known genes that codify proteins. miRNAs are involved in several biological processes, like cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and metastatization. These RNA products regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, modulating or inhibiting protein expression by interacting with specific sequences of mRNAs. Mature miRNAs can be detected in blood plasma, serum and also in a wide variety of biological fluids. They can be found associated with proteins, lipids as well as enclosed in exosome vesicles. We know that circulating miRNAs (C-miRNAs) can regulate several key cellular processes in tissues different from the production site. C-miRNAs behave as endogenous mediators of RNA translation, and an extraordinary knowledge on their function has been obtained in the last years. They can be secreted in different tissue cells and associated with specific pathological conditions. Significant evidence indicates that the initiation and progression of several pathologies are "highlighted" by the presence of specific C-miRNAs, underlining their potential diagnostic relevance as clinical biomarkers. Here we review the current literature on the possible use of this new class of molecules as clinical biomarkers of diseases
DIABETE E DOLORE: EFFETTO TERAPEUTICO DEI METABOLITI DEL TESTOSTERONE
No full textDiabetic neuropathy one of important complications of diabetes, is associated with neuropathic pain in about 50% of diabetic subjects. Clinical management of neuropathic pain is complex and so far unsatisfactory. To this aim in rats rendered diabetic by streptozotocin injection we have analyzed the effects of the testosterone metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 5α- androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α-diol), on nociceptive and allodynia thresholds. Moreover, molecular and functional parameters in the spinal cord related with pain modulation, such as the levels of glutamate, the expression and phosphorylation of synaptic proteins, the expression of substance P, neuroinflammatory markers and translocator protein, as well as the number of GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes have been analyzed. Finally, the levels of DHT and 3α-diol have been evaluated in spinal cord of steroid treated and untreated animals. Diabetes resulted in a significant decrease in DHT levels in the spinal cord that was reverted by DHT or 3α-diol treatments. In addition, 3α-diol treatment resulted in a significant increase in 3α-diol in the spinal cord over control values. Both steroids show analgesic properties on diabetic neuropathic pain. Interestingly, they exert their effects affecting different pain parameters and possibly by different mechanisms of action. Indeed, DHT treatment counteract the effect of diabetes on mechanical nociceptive threshold, pre- and post-synaptic components, glutamate release, astrocyte immunoreactivity and expression of interleukin-1β, while
3α-diol treatment was effective on tactile allodynia threshold, glutamate release, astrocyte immunoreactivity and the expression of substance P, toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor β-1, interleukin-1β and translocator protein. Moreover a DRG primary cell colture experiment was performed in order to demonstrate the 3α-diol specific effect GABA-A-mediated on substance P expression. Altogether these results suggest that testosterone metabolites are potential agents for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain
Relative entanglement entropies in 1 + 1-dimensional conformal field theories
No full textWe study the relative entanglement entropies of one interval between excited states of a 1+1 dimensional conformal field theory (CFT). To compute the relative entropy S(ρ1‖ρ0) between two given reduced density matrices ρ1 and ρ0 of a quantum field theory, we employ the replica trick which relies on the path integral representation of Tr(ρ1ρn−10) and define a set of R\'enyi relative entropies Sn(ρ1‖ρ0). We compute these quantities for integer values of the parameter n and derive via the replica limit, the relative entropy between excited states generated by primary fields of a free massless bosonic field. In particular, we provide the relative entanglement entropy of the state described by the primary operator i∂φ, both with respect to the ground state and to the state generated by chiral vertex operators. These predictions are tested against exact numerical calculations in the XX spin-chain finding perfect agreement. © 2017, The Author(s)
Stakeholders’ perception of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) disease risk assessment: First results from Puglia (IT), Chania (GR), Valencia and Andalucia (ES)
No full textXylella fastidiosa (Xf) is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium of the monotypic genus Xylella. It is transmitted exclusively by xylem fluid feeding sap insects. Xf is one of the most dangerous plant bacteria worldwide, causing a variety of diseases, with huge impact for agriculture, and affecting cultivated plants of high economic value (e.g., olive trees, stone fruits—plums, almonds, cherries) or wide-spread ornamental plants (e.g., myrtle-leaf milkwort, oleander). In the frame of H2020 Project XF-ACTORS, analysis of the environmental, socio-economic and governance impact and vulnerability to Xf have been carried out in selected case study areas. To reach this goal, an extensive survey was conducted with the support of a comprehensive questionnaire in Puglia (Italy), Crete (Greece), Valencia and Andalusia (Spain). Questionnaires were completed through face-to-face interviews with local farmers, decision makers, extension experts and practitioners. The survey aimed to: 1) collect the point of view and perception of people about Xf disease and the containment plans; 2) identify possible gaps in communication, understand possible weak points in the communication strategy that could hamper the application and the effectiveness of containment measures; 3) understand the network of relationships existing among stakeholders in territorial contexts; and 4) collect suggestions from local people with a view to improving the management of information related to the disease. Questions were grouped under different main criteria: Knowledge, Perception, Practices, Involvement, Effectiveness, Responsibility. A scoring procedure assigned to each question a value to assess the corresponding indexes: DKI-Disease Knowledge Index, DPI-Disease Perception Index, FPI-Farm Practices Index, INV-Involvement Index, EFF-Effectiveness Index, RES-Responsibility Index. The overall values of RISK (DKI/DPI/FPI) and GOVERNANCE (INV/EFF/RES) were then obtained. To investigate linkages (correlation and causation) between Governance and Risk (perception and management) domains as well as among their indices, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique was adopted. The proposed methodology proves to be useful to describe attitudes of respondents when facing the epidemic, as well as how they appreciate and tackle disease management. The work allows practical suggestions to be made to improve the knowledge-perception relationship that directly influences willingness to adopt preventive/control measures against the pathogen, and consequently will increase the efficiency of Xf disease management. The result of the whole analyses confirmed that the engagement of stakeholders, the involvement of expert groups (enlarged to experts in economy and social science) and an appropriate communication strategy are essential for a successful implementation of phytosanitary measures
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