Global adaptive output feedback controllers with application to non‐linear friction compensation

In this paper, we consider a class of non‐linear systems in which a set of constant parameters is unknown and some state variables are not available for measurement. For such systems we provide a constructive procedure for the solution of the global adaptive tracking problem with dynamic partial state feedback. We illustrate an application of the control strategy to the adaptive non‐linear friction compensation of a DC motor servomechanism. We improve previous results in tow directions: we allow for a subset of the unmeasurable states to enter in a system non‐linearly; we consider systems which are linearly parametrized with respect to a set of unknown constant parameters. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Psychological stress symptoms before and after autologous bone marrow transplantation in patients with solid tumors

This study sought to examine patterns of changes of psychological stress symptoms in autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) recipients. Forty-nine patients affected by solid tumors were assessed using the Symptom Questionnaire on admission to hospital (before high-dose chemotherapy and ABMT) and before discharge. Symptoms of anxiety and anger tended to decrease and relaxation of improve over time. Nevertheless, on admission to hospital 30-50% of the patients reported severe to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Before discharge, the prevalence was still high (20-35%). The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the need to monitor the evolution of emotional functioning of cancer patients undergoing ABMT.     

The MORPHEUS Heterogeneous Dynamically Reconfigurable Platform

Reconfigurable computing offers a wide range of low cost and efficient solutions for embedded systems. The proper choice of the reconfigurable device, the granularity of its processing elements and its memory architecture highly depend on the type of application and their data flow. Existing solutions either offer fine grain FPGAs, which rely on a hardware synthesis flow and offer the maximum degree of flexibility, or coarser grain solutions, which are usually more suitable for a particular type of data flow and applications. In this paper, we present the MORPHEUS architecture, a versatile reconfigurable heterogeneous System-on-Chip targeting streaming applications. The presented architecture exploits different reconfigurable technologies at several computation granularities that efficiently address the different applications needs. In order to efficiently exploit the presented architecture, we implemented a complete software solution to map C applications to the reconfigurable architecture. In this paper, we describe the complete toolset and provide concrete use cases of the architecture.     

Proteomics and Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Biomarker Sources in Peritoneal Dialysis in Children

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) represents the dialysis modality of choice for pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease. Indeed, compared with hemodialysis (HD), it offers many advantages, including more flexibility, reduction of the risk of hospital-acquired infections, preservation of residual kidney function, and a better quality of life. However, despite these positive aspects, PD may be associated with several long-term complications that may impair both patient’s general health and PD adequacy. In this view, chronic inflammation, caused by different factors, has a detrimental impact on the structure and function of the peritoneal membrane, leading to sclerosis and consequent PD failure both in adults and children. Although several studies investigated the complex pathogenic pathways underlying peritoneal membrane alterations, these processes remain still to explore. Understanding these mechanisms may provide novel approaches to improve the clinical outcome of pediatric PD patients through the identification of subjects at high risk of complications and the implementation of personalized interventions. In this review, we discuss the main experimental and clinical experiences exploring the potentiality of the proteomic analysis of peritoneal fluids and extracellular vesicles as a source of novel biomarkers in pediatric peritoneal dialysis.     

He ION BOMBARDMENT OF C60 FULLERENE: AN FT-IR AND RAMAN STUDY

C₆₀ fullerene films have been bombarded with He⁺ ions at 30 keV at room temperature in vacuum. The structural changes undergone by C₆₀ have been followed by both FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy was the most useful tool for this scope. It has been clearly discovered that at low radiation dose C₆₀ forms oligomers but at higher radiation doses it is converted into an amorphous carbonaceous matter. The implications of these results on the possible survival of C₆₀ fullerene in the interstellar space have been discussed briefly in connection with the previous results on the effects of various types of electromagnetic radiation over C₆₀.     

Epigenetic and Genetic Factors Related to Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Current Literature

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a progressive deformity of the spine. Scoliotic curves progress until skeletal maturity leading, in rare cases, to a severe deformity. While the Cobb angle is a straightforward tool in initial curve magnitude measurement, assessing the risk of curve progression at the time of diagnosis may be more challenging. Epigenetic and genetic markers are potential prognostic tools to predict curve progression. The aim of this study is to review the available literature regarding the epigenetic and genetic factors associated with the risk of AIS curve progression. This review was carried out in accordance with Preferential Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was carried out in January 2022. Only peer-reviewed articles were considered for inclusion. Forty studies were included; fifteen genes were reported as having SNPs with significant association with progressive AIS, but none showed sufficient power to sustain clinical applications. In contrast, nine studies reporting epigenetic modifications showed promising results in terms of reliable markers. Prognostic testing for AIS has the potential to significantly modify disease management. Most recent evidence suggests epigenetics as a more promising field for the identification of factors associated with AIS progression, offering a rationale for further investigation in this field.     

Serum-Free Cultures: Could They Be a Future Direction to Improve Neuronal Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells?

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are undifferentiated cells with multilinear potential, known for their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties. Although the scientific community is working to improve their application, concerns limit their use to repair tissues following neurological damage. One of these obstacles is represented by the use of culture media supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS), which, due to its xenogenic nature and the risk of contamination, has increased scientific, ethical and safety problems. Therefore, the use of serum-free media could improve MSC culture methods, avoiding infectious and immunogenic transmission problems as well as MSC bioprocesses, without the use of animal components. The purpose of our review is to provide an overview of experimental studies that demonstrate that serum-free cultures, along with the supplementation of growth factors or chemicals, can lead to a more defined and controlled environment, enhancing the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of MSCs.     

Potential of the Stromal Matricellular Protein Periostin as a Biomarker to Improve Risk Assessment in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) ranges from indolent to aggressive tumors that may rapidly progress and metastasize. The switch to aggressive PCa is fostered by reactive stroma infiltrating tumor foci. Therefore, reactive stroma-based biomarkers may potentially improve the early detection of aggressive PCa, ameliorating disease classification. Gene expression profiles of PCa reactive fibroblasts highlighted the up-regulation of genes related to stroma deposition, including periostin and sparc. Here, the potential of periostin as a stromal biomarker has been investigated on PCa prostatectomies by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, circulating levels of periostin and sparc have been assessed in a low-risk PCa patient cohort enrolled in active surveillance (AS) by ELISA. We found that periostin is mainly expressed in the peritumoral stroma of prostatectomies, and its stromal expression correlates with PCa grade and aggressive disease features, such as the cribriform growth. Moreover, stromal periostin staining is associated with a shorter biochemical recurrence-free survival of PCa patients. Interestingly, the integration of periostin and sparc circulating levels into a model based on standard clinico-pathological variables improves its performance in predicting disease reclassification of AS patients. In this study, we provide the first evidence that circulating molecular biomarkers of PCa stroma may refine risk assessment and predict the reclassification of AS patients.     

Modeling Lung Carcinoids with Zebrafish Tumor Xenograft

Lung carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors that comprise well-differentiated typical (TCs) and atypical carcinoids (ACs). Preclinical models are indispensable for cancer drug screening since current therapies for advanced carcinoids are not curative. We aimed to develop a novel in vivo model of lung carcinoids based on the xenograft of lung TC (NCI-H835, UMC-11, and NCI-H727) and AC (NCI-H720) cell lines and patient-derived cell cultures in Tg(fli1a:EGFP)^y1 zebrafish embryos. We exploited this platform to test the anti-tumor activity of sulfatinib. The tumorigenic potential of TC and AC implanted cells was evaluated by the quantification of tumor-induced angiogenesis and tumor cell migration as early as 24 h post-injection (hpi). The characterization of tumor-induced angiogenesis was performed in vivo and in real time, coupling the tumor xenograft with selective plane illumination microscopy on implanted zebrafish embryos. TC-implanted cells displayed a higher pro-angiogenic potential compared to AC cells, which inversely showed a relevant migratory behavior within 48 hpi. Sulfatinib inhibited tumor-induced angiogenesis, without affecting tumor cell spread in both TC and AC implanted embryos. In conclusion, zebrafish embryos implanted with TC and AC cells faithfully recapitulate the tumor behavior of human lung carcinoids and appear to be a promising platform for drug screening.