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On beam tests were carried out on PbWO4 crystals. One of the aims of this work was to evaluate the contribution of the Cerenkov component to the total light yield. The difference in the timing characteristics of the fast Cerenkov signals... more
On beam tests were carried out on PbWO4 crystals. One of the aims of this work was to evaluate the contribution of the Cerenkov component to the total light yield. The difference in the timing characteristics of the fast Cerenkov signals with respect to the scintillation ones, which are emitted with a decay time of about 10 ns, can be
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The action of phosphatidylserine on the immune response has been examined in mice after the intravenous administration of phospholipid or exposing cultured splenocytes to the action of phosphatidylserine vesicles. Phosphatidylserine (5-25... more
The action of phosphatidylserine on the immune response has been examined in mice after the intravenous administration of phospholipid or exposing cultured splenocytes to the action of phosphatidylserine vesicles. Phosphatidylserine (5-25 mg/kg) reduces the T-dependent and the T-independent antibody production. This effect is observed when the phospholipid is injected before (4 h) but not after (24 h) the immunization. The decreased influence of phosphatidylserine injected 24 h before the immunization indicates the reversibility of the action of phospholipid. The effect on the immune system may in part reflect a direct interaction with lymphocytes, since phosphatidylserine (12-60 microM) decreases the production of T-cell growth factors (mainly interleukin-2) elicited by mitogens in cultured spleen cells and reduces the expression of growth factor receptors in the same cells activated by mitogens. In addition, the activity of T-helper cells is found to be reduced in mice receiving t...
Research Interests: Immune response, Macrophages, Immunopharmacology, Mice, Animals, and 3 moreMale, Lymphocytes, and Interleukin
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ABSTRACT Based on high-resolution, spatially resolved data of 10 z ~ 2 star-forming galaxies from the SINS/zC-SINF survey and LUCI data for 12 additional galaxies, we probe the excitation properties of high-z galaxies and the impact of... more
ABSTRACT Based on high-resolution, spatially resolved data of 10 z ~ 2 star-forming galaxies from the SINS/zC-SINF survey and LUCI data for 12 additional galaxies, we probe the excitation properties of high-z galaxies and the impact of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), shocks, and photoionization. We explore how these spatially resolved line ratios can inform our interpretation of integrated emission line ratios obtained at high redshift. Many of our galaxies fall in the "composite" region of the z ~ 0 [N II]/Hα versus [O III]/Hβ diagnostic (BPT) diagram, between star-forming galaxies and those with AGNs. Based on our resolved measurements, we find that some of these galaxies likely host an AGN, while others appear to be affected by the presence of shocks possibly caused by an outflow or from an enhanced ionization parameter as compared with H II regions in normal, local star-forming galaxies. We find that the Mass-Excitation (MEx) diagnostic, which separates purely star-forming and AGN hosting local galaxies in the [O III]/Hβ versus stellar mass plane, does not properly separate z ~ 2 galaxies classified according to the BPT diagram. However, if we shift the galaxies based on the offset between the local and z ~ 2 mass-metallicity relation (i.e., to the mass they would have at z ~ 0 with the same metallicity), we find better agreement between the MEx and BPT diagnostics. Finally, we find that metallicity calibrations based on [N II]/Hα are more biased by shocks and AGNs at high-z than the [O III]/Hβ/[N II]/Hα calibration. Based on observations at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), Paranal, Chile (ESO program IDs 073.B-9018, 076.A-0527, 079.A-0341, 080.A-0330, 080.A-0339, 080.A-0635, 083.A-0781,084.A-0853, 087.A-0081, 091.A.-0126) and at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mt. Graham in Arizona.
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Research Interests: Immune response, Virology, HIV, Genetic Engineering, Biological Sciences, and 19 moreHumans, Mice, Female, Animals, P-glycoprotein, Dendritic cell, Cost effectiveness, Capsid, Peripheral blood lymphocyte, Human immunodeficiency virus, Immune system, Large Scale, Amino Acid Sequence, Capsid Protein, Mucosal Immunity, Severe combined immunodeficiency, immunoglobulin G, Potato Virus X, and Molecular Sequence Data
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... observations (8), we have shown that concomitant overexpression of cyclin A and B-MYB results in the synergistic activation of the ApoJ/Clusterin promoter (Fig.7 C). In light ... 2 M. Cervellera, G. Raschella, G. Santilli, B. Tanno,... more
... observations (8), we have shown that concomitant overexpression of cyclin A and B-MYB results in the synergistic activation of the ApoJ/Clusterin promoter (Fig.7 C). In light ... 2 M. Cervellera, G. Raschella, G. Santilli, B. Tanno, A. Ventura, C. Mancini, C. Sevignani, B. Calabretta ...
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The age-related decline in T cell functions is generally considered to be due to changes in the responding alphabeta T cell populations as a result of impairment of T cell differentiation in the thymus. T cells bearing the gammadelta TCR... more
The age-related decline in T cell functions is generally considered to be due to changes in the responding alphabeta T cell populations as a result of impairment of T cell differentiation in the thymus. T cells bearing the gammadelta TCR are normally a minor subset of circulating T cells, but often the major T cell type among lymphocytes in epithelial tissues. In this paper we show that gammadelta T cells are expanded in lymph nodes of irradiated mice after syngenic bone marrow transplantation. Interestingly, these gammadelta T cells express mainly the Vgamma3 TCR, which is characteristic of dendritic epithelial T cells that can develop in athymic nude mice and may recognize self antigens. Since the peripheral expansion of Vgamma3 T lymphocytes is closely related to bone marrow age, these observations indicate that the age-related propensity to extrathymic development of Vgamma3+ gammadelta+ T lymphocytes is mainly due to stem cell dysregulation in aging. This phenomenon may contribute to T cell impairment and to the increased natural cytotoxic activity of lymphoid cells in aged mice.
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Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Histopathology, Melanoma, Male, and 4 moreBone marrow, Phenotype, Clinical Sciences, and Germ Cell
A method for measuring 222Rn concentration in water using charcoal canisters is presented. 222Rn is transferred within a few minutes from water contained in a 0.720 L bottle to a charcoal canister using a portable degassing unit. In the... more
A method for measuring 222Rn concentration in water using charcoal canisters is presented. 222Rn is transferred within a few minutes from water contained in a 0.720 L bottle to a charcoal canister using a portable degassing unit. In the laboratory, gamma counting is performed at least 10 h after sampling to determine waterborne 222Rn concentration. The results obtained with charcoal canisters are compared to measurements made with Marinelli beakers calibrated in a comparison with liquid scintillation counting. The efficiency of transferring dissolved 222Rn in water to activated charcoal is 99%, based on measurements made using Marinelli beakers. The lower limit of detection at the 95% confidence level is approximately 1 kBq m-3 for a 15 min gamma count. The system was used to measure radon concentration in mineral groundwater near Rome.
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Angiogenesis has a critical role in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma (MM); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are not completely elucidated. The new tumor-suppressor gene inhibitor of growth family member 4... more
Angiogenesis has a critical role in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma (MM); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are not completely elucidated. The new tumor-suppressor gene inhibitor of growth family member 4 (ING4) has been recently implicated in solid tumors as a repressor of angiogenesis. In this study, we found that ING4 expression in MM cells was correlated with the expression of the proangiogenic molecules interleukin-8 (IL-8) and osteopontin (OPN). Moreover, we demonstrate that ING4 suppression in MM cells up-regulated IL-8 and OPN, increasing the hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) activity and its target gene NIP-3 expression in hypoxic condition. In turn, we show that the inhibition of HIF-1alpha by siRNA suppressed IL-8 and OPN production by MM cells under hypoxia. A direct interaction between ING4 and the HIF prolyl hydroxylase 2 (HPH-2) was also demonstrated. Finally, we show that ING4 suppression in MM cells significantly increased vessel formation in vitro, blunted by blocking IL-8 or OPN. These in vitro observations were confirmed in vivo by finding that MM patients with high IL-8 production and microvascular density (MVD) have significantly lower ING4 levels compared with those with low IL-8 and MVD. Our data indicate that ING4 exerts an inhibitory effect on the production of proangiogenic molecules and consequently on MM-induced angiogenesis.
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The release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human monocytes upon stimulation with culture filtrates and heat-killed Candida albicans cells was studied. Two strains of C. albicans (a wild strain CA3 and an agerminative mutant CA2) were cultured... more
The release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human monocytes upon stimulation with culture filtrates and heat-killed Candida albicans cells was studied. Two strains of C. albicans (a wild strain CA3 and an agerminative mutant CA2) were cultured overnight at 28 degrees C in complete medium, and 10(6) cells/ml were either filtered at different time points (6, 12, 18, 24, 30 hours) or heat-killed. C. albicans preparations were then added to monolayers of monocytes isolated from healthy donors and incubated at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 atmosphere. Cell culture supernatants were collected at different time points (every 6 hrs for 30 hrs), and IL-6 content was then measured by immunometric assay. Monocytes stimulated with heat-killed C. albicans cells released IL-6 in the supernatants with values ranging from 59 to 460 pg/ml, that peaked at 24 hrs of incubation. Using heat-killed whole cells of C. albicans no major differences were observed between the two strains used in their capacity to induce ...
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Candida spp. is an important parasite for the immunocompromised host, and transplant recipients are at high risk for invasive and potentially lethal infections caused by this microorganism. The frequency of colonization at one or more... more
Candida spp. is an important parasite for the immunocompromised host, and transplant recipients are at high risk for invasive and potentially lethal infections caused by this microorganism. The frequency of colonization at one or more sites and the correlation with humoral antibodies in renal transplant recipients have been studied. Candida strains were identified by cultural and biochemical tests, and moreover serological types of C. albicans were detected. Sera antibodies have been also determined by agglutination and immunodiffusion tests. Our results indicate that about 48.8% of patients had Candida spp. at one or more sites and these yeasts may be of different species or serotypes. None of the patients has had systemic candidiasis and none of them showed any convincing clinical or pathological evidence of invasive Candida disease.
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Research Interests: Treatment Outcome, Italy, Hepatitis B, Humans, Low Dose, and 17 moreFemale, Male, Liver Transplantation, Cost effectiveness, Recurrence, Middle Aged, Cost Analysis, Retrospective Studies, Cost Saving, Liver Failure, Hepatitis B virus, Liver Disease, Lamivudine, Immunoglobulin, End Stage Liver Disease, Antiviral Agents, and Cumulant
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Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae caused an outbreak in a hospital in Rome, Italy. The clinical isolates were tested by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, plasmid... more
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae caused an outbreak in a hospital in Rome, Italy. The clinical isolates were tested by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, plasmid typing, and β-lactamase identification. The OmpK35 and OmpK36 porins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, and their genes were amplified and sequenced. Complementation experiments were performed using a recombinant unrelated ompK36 gene. An ertapenem-resistant and imipenem- and meropenem-susceptible clone was identified and assigned to the sequence type 37 lineage by MLST; it carried SHV-12 and CTX-M-15 ESBLs, did not produce the OmpK35 due to a nonsense mutation, and expressed a novel OmpK36 variant (OmpK36V). This variant showed two additional amino acids located within the L3 internal loop, one of the highly conserved domains of the protein. Two isolates of the same clone also exhibited resistance to imipenem and meropenem, due to the loss of OmpK36 expression by a nonsense mutation occurring in the ompK36V variant gene. These were the first carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates identified within the hospital. Screening for the ompK36V gene of unrelated K. pneumoniae isolates derived from patients from 2006 to 2009 demonstrated the high frequency of this gene variant as well as its association with ertapenem resistance, reduced susceptibility to meropenem, and susceptibility to imipenem.