MCAM/MUC18/CD146 as a Multifaceted Warning Marker of Melanoma Progression in Liquid Biopsy

Human malignant melanoma shows a high rate of mortality after metastasization, and its incidence is continuously rising worldwide. Several studies have suggested that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 plays an important role in the progression of this malignant disease. MCAM/MUC18/CD146 is a typical single-spanning transmembrane glycoprotein, existing as two membrane isoforms, long and short, and an additional soluble form, sCD146. We previously documented that molecular MCAM/MUC18/CD146 expression is strongly associated with disease progression. Recently, we showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 and ABCB5 can serve as melanoma-specific-targets in the selection of highly primitive circulating melanoma cells, and constitute putative proteins associated with disease spreading progression. Here, we analyzed CD146 molecular expression at onset or at disease recurrence in an enlarged melanoma case series. For some patients, we also performed the time courses of molecular monitoring. Moreover, we explored the role of soluble CD146 in different cohorts of melanoma patients at onset or disease progression, rather than in clinical remission, undergoing immune therapy or free from any clinical treatment. We showed that MCAM/MUC18/CD146 can be considered as: (1) a membrane antigen suitable for identification and enrichment in melanoma liquid biopsy; (2) a highly effective molecular “warning” marker for minimal residual disease monitoring; and (3) a soluble protein index of inflammation and putative response to therapeutic treatments.     

Analysis of Wire Position and Operating Conditions on Functioning of NiTi Wires for Shape Memory Actuators

In this work an experimental-numerical approach was used to analyze the thermo-mechanical behavior of thin NiTi wires, electrically heated, finalized to defining the influence of both wire position and the operating conditions of the actuator functioning. Tests were carried out on wires having diameters of 80 and 150 ??m, loaded by constant stresses of 100 and 200 MPa and characterized by DSC and strain/temperature hysteresis measurements. Two wire positions (horizontal and vertical) were adopted in single cycle tests and designed to obtain different typologies of the heating and cooling transients. In general, the heating time was selected to reach a steady state condition while the cooling time always allowed decreasing the wire temperature to the ambient one. Data concerning strain, applied current and voltage were simultaneously acquired during the tests. Moreover, for the optimization and validation of a numerical model, for the 150 ??m wire in diameter was used, its temperature was recorded by IR thermographic system. On the basis of the collected experimental data, a simple model was tested to reproduce the experimental results and data regarding the heat exchange coefficient and wire electrical resistivity dependence on temperature were obtained. The influence of the experimental wire positioning and wire diameter on the free convection coefficient is reported and the results indicate that the heating transient is associated with different convection coefficients depending on the heating modalities.     

The amnion muscle combined graft (AMCG) conduits in nerves repair: an anatomical and experimental study on a rat model

The amnion muscle combined graft (AMCG) conduits showed good clinical results in peripheral nerves gap repair. It combines the human amniotic membrane with autologous skeletal muscle fibres. These results seem attributable to the biological characteristics of human amniotic membrane: Pluripotency, anti-inflammatory and low immunogenicity.We here evaluate the final outcome of nerve regeneration morphologically and functionally, across the AMCG compared to nerve autograft. Fourteen Wistar rats were divided into two groups: In Group A, including 6 rats, the left forelimb was treated performing a 1.5?cm length gap on median nerve that was then reconstructed with a reverse autograft. In Group B, including 8 rats, the gap was reconstructed with AMCG. Functional results were evaluated at 30, 60 and 90 days performing grasping tests. Morphological and stereological analyses were performed at T90 using high-resolution light microscopy and design-based stereology. The AMCG conduits revealed nerve fibres regeneration and functional recovery. Functional recovery was observed in both groups with AMCG conduits group showing lower values and a regeneration of median nerves with more myelinated fibres with the same axon size, but thinner myelin than the autograft group. Though the autograft remains the gold standard to restore wide nerve gaps, the AMCG conduit has proved to be effective in enabling nerve regeneration through a critical rat’s nerve gap of 15?mm. These findings empirically support the great clinical results obtained using AMCG conduit to restore traumatic nerve’s gap from 3 to 6?cm of mixed forearm nerves.

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Assessing scientific collaboration through coauthorship and content sharing

Over the past decade there have been many investigations aimed at defining the role of scientists and research groups in their coauthorship networks. Starting from the assumptions of network analysis, in this work we propose an analytical definition of a collaboration potential between authors of scientific papers based on both coauthorships and content sharing. The collaboration potential can also be considered a useful tool to investigate the relationships between a single scientist and research groups, thus allowing for the identification of characteristic “types” of scientists (integrated, independent, etc.). We computed the collaboration potential for a set of authors belonging to research groups of an institute specialized in the field of Medical Genetics. The methods presented in the paper are rather general as they can be applied to compute a collaboration potential for a network of cooperating actors in every situation in which one can qualify the content of some activities and which of them are in common among the actors of the network.     

Burnett Measurements and Virial Coefficients for the R32 + N2O System

Experimental results for the difluoromethane (R32) + nitrous oxide (N₂O) system are presented in this paper. The Burnett apparatus was calibrated using helium, and its performance was confirmed by measurements for pure N ₂O. The values of the virial coefficients for R32 were adopted from previous measurements as the same sample was used in the present study. PVTx measurements were performed for the binary R32 + N₂O system for four isotherms (303, 323, 343, and 364 K). Twenty Burnett expansions were performed in a pressure range from 5000 to 150 kPa. The second and third virial coefficients along with the cross second and third virial coefficients were derived from experimental results. Paper presented at the Seventh Asian Thermophysical Properties Conference, August 23–28, 2004, Hefei and Huangshan, Anhui, P. R. China An erratum to this article can be found at     

Enhanced optical third-harmonic generation by coupled nonlinear absorption

Combined nonlinear absorption and third-harmonic generation has resulted in enhanced harmonic output in a liquid-dye medium phase matched by anomalous dispersion. The measured absorption is employed in calculating the third-harmonic power.     

Embrittlement kinetics of N 80 steel in H2S environment

The kinetics of hydrogen embrittlement of an N 80 steel have been studied in a Na₂S-CH₃COOH solution. Determination of hydrogen content, metal density and embrittlement degree, together with acoustic-emission measurements have shown that the hydrogen distribution with-in the metal lattice is time-dependent and strongly influenced by non-metallic inclusions. The inclusions cause local stress intensification, favoring hydrogen collection in the lattice around them. Fracturing of charged specimens at different times evidences a mechanism of crack inactivation. An explanation of crack inactivation in terms of plastic deformation around inclusions due to hydrogen-dislocation interaction is suggested.     

High 1,4-cis-polybutadiene by uranium catalyst. III. Strain induced crystallization and processability

The crystallization in flow of various 1,4-cis-polybutadienes, including an extremely high cis-polybutadiene content obtained with uranium catalyst, has been studied in a capillary rheometer. The influence on the crystallization in flow of temperature, pressure, shear rate has been investigated and compared with the conditions in the flow field of a roll-mill. It is shown that when these conditions are suitable for inducing, the crystallization of the rubber, the processability at the roll-mill is substantially improved. The molecular weight distribution plays only a minor role for the highest cistactic polybutadienes. The reason of the correlation between crystallization and roll-mill processability is briefly discussed.     

Creep analysis of transversely isotropic bodies subjected to time-dependent loading

An analysis and a numerical computer program are developed for the purpose of solving creep problems for transversely isotropic bodies subjected to time-dependent loading. Plane stress, plane strain, generalized plane strain and axisymmetric situations can be analyzed. The finite element method is used as the basic numerical technique and the nonlinear effects arising from creep are included by the use of an incremental procedure. Fourth-order Runge-Kutta formulae are applied to advance the solution. The method is independent of the type of creep law used.Numerical applications are presented to demonstrate the variety of problems which can be analyzed by the program.