In the context of in-situ geophysical methods the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is widely used for the near-surface exploration of landslide areas characterized by a complex geological ...setting. Over the last decade the technological improvements in field-data acquisition systems and the development of novel algorithms for tomographic inversion have made this technique more suitable for studying landslide areas, with a particular attention to the rotational, translational and earth-flow slides. This paper aims to present a review of the main results obtained by applying ERT for the investigation of a wide spectrum of landslide phenomena which affected various geological formations and occurred in different geographic areas. In particular, significant and representative results obtained by applying 2D and 3D ERT are analyzed highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of this geophysical technique. Finally, recent applications of the time-lapse ERT (tl-ERT) for landslide investigation and the future scientific challenges to be faced are presented and discussed.
Fatal human respiratory disease associated with the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and potentially pandemic H5N1 viruses is characterized by severe lung pathology, including pulmonary edema and ...extensive inflammatory infiltrate. Here, we quantified the cellular immune response to infection in the mouse lung by flow cytometry and demonstrate that mice infected with highly pathogenic (HP) H1N1 and H5N1 influenza viruses exhibit significantly high numbers of macrophages and neutrophils in the lungs compared to mice infected with low pathogenic (LP) viruses. Mice infected with the 1918 pandemic virus and a recent H5N1 human isolate show considerable similarities in overall lung cellularity, lung immune cell sub-population composition, and cellular immune temporal dynamics. Interestingly, while these similarities were observed, the HP H5N1 virus consistently elicited significantly higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in whole lungs and primary human macrophages, revealing a potentially critical difference in the pathogenesis of H5N1 infections. Primary mouse and human macrophages and dendritic cells were also susceptible to 1918 and H5N1 influenza virus infection in vitro. These results together indicate that infection with HP influenza viruses such as H5N1 and the 1918 pandemic virus leads to a rapid cell recruitment of macrophages and neutrophils into the lungs, suggesting that these cells play a role in acute lung inflammation associated with HP influenza virus infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Highlights • High-sucrose diet altered more gut bacterial orders and genera than high fat. • High-sucrose diet impaired spatial memory and cognitive flexibility. • Increased gut Clostridiales was ...associated with decreased cognitive flexibility. • Decreased gut Bacteroidales was associated with decreased cognitive flexibility.
▶ Present work shows design, fabrication and functional characterization of a very low cost energy autonomous, maintenance free, flexible and wearable micro thermoelectric generator (μTEG). ▶ The ...preliminary prototype integrates an array of 100 thin films thermocouples of Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3. ▶ At real operation conditions (thermal gradient of 15°C), device generates an open circuit output voltage of about 160mV, electrical output power up to 4.18nW. ▶ Deposition investigation of Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 thin films alloys on Kapton HN polyimide foil by RF magnetron co-sputtering technique is discussed. ▶ Deposition parameters have been optimized to gain perfect stoichiometric ratio and high thermoelectric power factor.
In this work we proposed design, fabrication and functional characterization of a very low cost energy autonomous, maintenance free, flexible and wearable micro thermoelectric generator (μTEG), finalized to power very low consumption electronics ambient assisted living (AAL) applications. The prototype, integrating an array of 100 thin films thermocouples of Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3, generates, at 40°C, an open circuit output voltage of 430mV and an electrical output power up to 32nW with matched load. In real operation conditions of prototype, which are believed to be very close to a thermal gradient of 15°C, the device generates an open circuit output voltage of about 160mV, with an electrical output power up to 4.18nW.
In the first part of work, deposition investigation Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 thin films alloys on Kapton HN polyimide foil by RF magnetron co-sputtering technique is discussed. Deposition parameters have been optimized to gain perfect stoichiometric ratio and high thermoelectric power factor; fabricated thermogenerator has been tested at low gradient conditioned to evaluate applications like human skin wearable power generator for ambient assisted living applications.
The proapoptotic PB1-F2 protein of influenza A viruses has been shown to contribute to pathogenesis in the mouse model. Expression of full-length PB1-F2 increases the pathogenesis of the influenza A ...virus, causing weight loss, slower viral clearance, and increased viral titers in the lungs. After comparing viruses from the Hong Kong 1997 H5N1 outbreak, one amino acid change (N66S) was found in the PB1-F2 sequence at position 66 that correlated with pathogenicity. This same amino acid change (N66S) was also found in the PB1-F2 protein of the 1918 pandemic A/Brevig Mission/18 virus. Two isogenic recombinant chimeric viruses were created with an influenza A/WSN/33 virus background containing the PB1 segment from the HK/156/97: WH and WH N66S. In mice infected with WH N66S virus there was increased pathogenicity as measured by weight loss and decreased survival, and a 100-fold increase in virus replication when compared to mice infected with the WH virus. The 1918 pandemic strain A/Brevig Mission/18 was reconstructed with a pathogenicity-reducing mutation in PB1-F2 (S66N). The resultant 1918 S66N virus was attenuated in mice having a 3-log lower 50% lethal dose and caused less morbidity and mortality in mice than the wild-type virus. Viral lung titers were also decreased in 1918 S66N-infected mice compared with wild-type 1918 virus-infected mice. In addition, both viruses with an S at position 66 (WH N66S and wt 1918) induced elevated levels of cytokines in the lungs of infected mice. Together, these data show that a single amino acid substitution in PB1-F2 can result in increased viral pathogenicity and could be one of the factors contributing to the high lethality seen with the 1918 pandemic virus.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Rituximab is a human/murine chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. It is largely used to treat B cell malignancies and has become standard in the management of B cell‑mediated diseases such as ...rheumatoid arthritis and granulomatosis with polyangitis. The effects of rituximab need to be monitored by B cell phenotyping. Evaluate possible surface markers for monitoring B cell development in response to rituximab treatment. This review discusses the literature on the B cell surface markers analysed by flow cytometry in patients treated with rituximab. A panel of biomarkers of response to treatment to monitor by flow cytometry is also suggested. B cell phenotyping is useful to predict clinical relapses after rituximab treatment. The proposed panel of biomarkers includes CD38
++
CD24
++
IgD
+/−
immature B cells and IgD
−
CD38
+/−
memory B cells. In responders, Th1/Th2 balance and tolerance cells (CD4
+
CD25
+
CD127
−/low
Treg cells and CD19
+
CD24
hi
CD38
hi
Breg cells) tend to be restored after rituximab therapy. Furthermore, in responder patients, indirect depletion of CD19
+/-
CD27
++
CD38
++
preplasma cells can be proposed as a predictor of response. Flow cytometric analysis of samples from patients treated with rituximab is a useful strategy to stratify patients according to response to treatment. Identification of B cell differentiation stages by means of a specific flow cytometry panel could improve monitoring of rituximab effects and enable non-responders to be distinguished from good responders.
•The electromagnetic induction (EMI) method for use in hydrology is briefly reviewed.•The signal stability of the GEM-300 sensor is assessed in field conditions.•Correlation among TDR and EMI ...measurements is analyzed in distinct land–soil units.•Correlations shows no dependence on the frequency used for the GEM-300.•Spatial averaged soil moisture was estimated with an accuracy <5% in a forested site.
Soil moisture is a variable of paramount importance for a number of natural processes and requires the capacity to be routinely measured at different spatial and temporal scales (e.g., hillslope and/or small catchment scale). The electromagnetic induction (EMI) method is one of the geophysical techniques potentially useful in this regard. Indeed, it does not require contact with the ground, it allows a relatively fast survey of hillslope, it gives information related to soil depth greater than few centimetres and it can also be used in wooded areas. In this study, apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and soil moisture (SM) measurements were jointly carried out by using a multi-frequency EMI sensor (GEM-300) and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) probes, respectively. The aim was to retrieve SM variations at the hillslope scale over four sites, characterized by different land-soil units, located in a small mountainous catchment in southern Italy. Repeated measurements of ECa carried out over a fixed point showed that the signal variability of the GEM-300 sensor (Std. Err. ∼0.02–0.1mS/m) was negligible. The correlation estimated between point ECa and SM, measured with both portable and buried TDR probes, varied between 0.24 and 0.58, depending on the site considered. In order to reduce the effect of small-scale variability, a spatial smoothing filter was applied which allowed the estimation of linear relationships with higher coefficient of correlation (r∼0.46–0.8). The accuracy obtained in the estimation of the temporal trend of the soil moisture spatial averages was in the range ∼4.5–7.8% v/v and up to the ∼70% of the point soil moisture variance was explained by the ECa signal. The obtained results highlighted the potential of EMI to provide, in a short time, sufficiently accurate estimate of soil moisture over large areas that are highly needed for hydrological and remote sensing applications.
FeCoCrNiMn high entropy alloy powders were employed to produce coatings on carbon steel through high pressure cold spray (at 1100 °C and 7 MPa in temperature and pressure respectively). X-ray ...diffraction of the sprayed material revealed a dense coating with the retention of the original crystallographic structure. Once splatted, particles revealed high flattening ratio with consequent excellent adhesion of the coating to the substrate. Residual stresses and hardness increased through the thickness of the coating. The cyclic behavior of the coatings was evaluated through bending tests. The cyclic bending tests were performed by linearly increase the maximum deformation at a fixed number of loading cycles. Other bending tests were conducted at fixed maximum stroke at the same deformation levels indicated for the previous test up to the coating fracture. For ach 100 cycles the test was stopped in order to observe the coating surface to gain the possibility of evaluating the aspect of the superficial fracture. The fracture surface of the coatings was observed through scanning electron microscopy in order to describe the cracking features related to the different loading conditions imposed to the coatings.
•High dense FeCoCrNiMn high entropy alloy coatings were deposited through high pressure cold spray.•High adhesion and large particles flattening reveal the optimization of the employed processing parameters.•The cyclic loading behavior of the coatings reveal high fatigue life of the sprayed material.•Transparticle and interparticle crack behavior is revealed for the produced coatings.
On 2 June 2006 the wastewater produced during the oil and gas field exploitation in High Agri Valley (southern Italy) started to be managed by disposal through pumping the fluids back into the ...subsurface at the Costa Molina 2 (CM2) injection well, located in the southeastern sector of the valley. The onset of microearthquakes (Ml ≤ 2) after 4 days at about 1.3 km SW of CM2 well suggests fluid injection induced seismicity by the diffusion of pore pressure. Moreover, the space‐time evolution of 196 high‐resolution relocated events reveals a previously unmapped NE dipping fault. We investigate the physical processes related to the fluid injection induced seismicity and delineate the previously unmapped fault by jointly analyzing seismicity data, geological observations, fluid injection data, the stratigraphic log of the CM2 well, and the electrical resistivity tomography survey carried out in the study area.
Key Points
The onset of seismicity is observed in High Agri Valley near an injection wellFluid injection induced seismicity caused by wastewater disposal is examinedThe space‐time evolution of events reveals a NE dipping fault
Highly pathogenic influenza A viruses, including avian H5N1 viruses and the 1918 pandemic virus, cause severe respiratory disease in humans and animals. Virus infection is followed by intense ...pulmonary congestion due to an extensive influx of macrophages and neutrophils, which can release large quantities of reactive oxygen species potentially contributing to the pathogenesis of lung disease. Here, the role of nitric oxide (NO), a potent signaling molecule in inflammation, was evaluated following highly pathogenic influenza virus challenge in mice. We observed higher levels of NO in mice infected with H5N1 and 1918 viruses as compared to a seasonal H1N1 virus. Mice deficient in inducible NO synthase (NOS2 —/— ) exhibited reduced morbidity, reduced mortality, and diminished cytokine production in lung tissue following H5N1 and 1918-virus challenge, compared with wild-type control mice. Furthermore, systemic treatment of mice with the NOS inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine delayed weight loss and death among 1918 virus infected mice compared to untreated control animals. This study demonstrates that NO contributes to the pathogenic outcome of H5N1 and 1918 viral infections in the mouse model.
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