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The article examines some less known documentary aspects of the discovery of the mosaics ‘of the Athletes’ in the two exedra of the Baths of Caracalla in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Starting from the documents (most of them still unpublished) found in the State Archives in Rome and in the Bertoliana Library in Vicenza, the article focuses on the history of the archaeological objects kept in the storerooms of the Vatican Museums and in the Baths of Caracalla, which were given to the discoverer of the Athletes, Girolamo Egidio di Velo, as compensation for the mosaics. In this way it is possible to give a brief account of the history of the storerooms of the Vatican Museums.

For solving tasks such as recognizing a song, answering a question, or inverting a sequence of symbols, cortical microcircuits need to integrate and manipulate information that was dispersed over time during the preceding seconds. Creating biologically realistic models for the underlying computations, especially with spiking neurons and for behaviorally relevant integration time spans, is notoriously difficult. We examine the role of spike frequency adaptation in such computations and find that it has a surprisingly large impact. The inclusion of this well-known property of a substantial fraction of neurons in the neocortex – especially in higher areas of the human neocortex – moves the performance of spiking neural network models for computations on network inputs that are temporally dispersed from a fairly low level up to the performance level of the human brain.

In thiis article, the author gave very short explications for the suggestion and hypnosis. Also here are presented somee techniques and methods for their implementation.

Introduction: The use of biological therapy is becoming increasingly common in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Levels of serum TNF‐alfa and IL17 support the role of an immune system dysregulation in the pathogenesis of HS. Brodalumab targets the receptor A of IL‐17, thus having a promising role in the treatment of HS. Material and methods: A multicenter retrospective observational open‐label study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals. Adults with moderate to severe HS under treatment with brodalumab 210 mg at week 0, 1, 2 and then every 2 weeks were included and assessed at weeks 0 and 16 which was the median follow‐up time. Demographic and disease‐related variables as well as response parameters (HiSCR and IHS4) and safety data were recorded and analysed. Results: A total of 16 patients (75% males) were included in our study. 50% of patients presented an inflammatory phenotype and mean BMI was 28.37. HiSCR was achieved in 50% of patients and mean IHS4 decreased from 24.13 to 16.81 (p = 0.002). No differences were found between those who achieved HiSCR and those who did not. Grade 2 adverse events were reported in three patients with no fatal outcomes and treatment discontinuation was advised in four patients. Conclusions: Brodalumab seems to be effective and safe in patients with moderate to severe HS, even in those that did not respond to adalimumab, which, at the moment, is the only widely approved biologic for this indication. Thus, it stands as an interesting option for the treatment of HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of an obscuring torus at parsec-scale distances from the central black hole is the main ingredient for the Unified Model of active galactic nuclei (AGN), as obscured sources are thought to be seen through this structure. However, the Unified Model fails to describe a class of sources that undergo dramatic spectral changes, transitioning from obscured to unobscured and vice versa through time. The variability in these sources, which are known as changing-look AGN (CLAGN), is thought to be produced by a clumpy medium at much smaller distances than the conventional obscuring torus. ESO 323-G77 is a CLAGN that was observed in various states through the years with Chandra, Suzaku, Swift-XRT, and XMM-Newton, from unobscured (NH < 31022 cm2) to Compton-thin (NH ~ 16 1023 cm2) and even Compton-thick (NH > 1 1024 cm2), on timescales as short as one month. We present an analysis of the first NuSTAR monitoring of ESO 323-G77, consisting of five observations taken at different timescales (1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks from the first one) in 2016-2017, in which the AGN was caught in a persistent Compton-thin obscured state (NH ~ 24 1023 cm2). We find that a Compton-thick reflector is present (NH;refl = 5 1024 cm), most likely associated with the presence of the putative torus. Two ionized absorbers are unequivocally present, located within maximum radii of rmax;1 = 1:5 pc and rmax;2 = 0:01 pc. In one of the observations, the inner ionized absorber is blueshifted, indicating the presence of a possible faster (vout = 0:2c) ionized absorber, marginally detected at 3. Finally, we are able to constrain the coronal temperature and the optical depth of ESO 323-G77, obtaining kTe = 38 keV or kTe = 36 keV, and = 1:4 or = 2:8, depending on the coronal geometry assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosion isolation flap valves are one of the most used explosion protection systems in process industries; research is essential to improve them and to minimise both human and material losses when dust explosions take place. In this regard, there is little knowledge on the effect of bends in the functionality of these protective systems; hence, the main aim of this work is to bridge this gap. Large-scale dust explosions were performed, using three different types of dust: metal dust and two types of organic dust. In order to analyse the effect of bends in the functionality of these protective systems, results using a straight duct and one with bends were compared for each dust tested. In addition, the influence of the bend radius on aluminium dust explosions was also evaluated. The results indicated that the effect of bends depended on the explosive characteristics of the dust. However, for aluminium and maize starch dusts, bends led to higher pressures and flame velocities. Relevant information is provided to help decision-making when designing these valves. Moreover, such data can be used for consideration in the discussions held by the task force entrusted with developing the standard used to assess their functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICAP‐1 regulates β1‐integrin activation and cell adhesion. Here, we used ICAP‐1‐null mice to study ICAP‐1 potential involvement during immune cell development and function. Integrin α4β1‐dependent adhesion was comparable between ICAP‐1‐null and control thymocytes, but lack of ICAP‐1 caused a defective single‐positive (SP) CD8+ cell generation, thus, unveiling an ICAP‐1 involvement in SP thymocyte development. ICAP‐1 bears a nuclear localization signal and we found it displayed a strong nuclear distribution in thymocytes. Interestingly, there was a direct correlation between the lack of ICAP‐1 and reduced levels in SP CD8+ thymocytes of Runx3, a transcription factor required for CD8+ thymocyte generation. In the spleen, ICAP‐1 was found evenly distributed between cytoplasm and nuclear fractions, and ICAP‐1–/– spleen T and B cells displayed upregulation of α4β1‐mediated adhesion, indicating that ICAP‐1 negatively controls their attachment. Furthermore, CD3+‐ and CD19+‐selected spleen cells from ICAP‐1‐null mice showed reduced proliferation in response to T‐ and B‐cell stimuli, respectively. Finally, loss of ICAP‐1 caused a remarkable decrease in marginal zone B‐ cell frequencies and a moderate increase in follicular B cells. Together, these data unravel an ICAP‐1 involvement in the generation of SP CD8+ thymocytes and in the control of marginal zone B‐cell numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We took profit of the availability of large catalogs of active galact nuclei (AGNs) selected in the hard X-ray from satellite missions (e. g., INTEGRAL, Swift/BAT) to investigate the relation between the occurrence of water maser emission and the X-ray properties of the nuclei on a statistically meaningful basis. Our studies demonstrate that the hard X-ray selection may significantly enhance the maser detection rate over comparably large optical or infrared surveys. Here, we report on a recent survey to search for water maser emission with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) in a sample of heavily absorbed AGN taken from the 70 months Swift/BAT catalog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different works have recently found an increase of the average X-ray-to-radio luminosity ratio with redshift in the blazar population. We evaluate here whether the inverse Compton interaction between the relativistic electrons within the jet and the photons of the cosmic microwave background (IC/CMB) can explain this trend. Moreover, we test whether the IC/CMB model can also be at the origin of the different space density evolutions found in X-ray and radio-selected blazar samples. By considering the best statistically complete samples of blazars selected in the radio or in the X-ray band and covering a large range of redshift (0.5 ≲ z ≲ 5.5), we evaluate the expected impact of the CMB on the observed X-ray emission on each sample and then we compare these predictions with the observations. We find that this model can satisfactorily explain both the observed trend of the X-ray-to-radio luminosity ratios with redshift and the different cosmological evolutions derived from the radio and X-ray band. Finally, we discuss how currently on-going X-ray missions, like extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array , could help to further constrain the observed evolution at even higher redshifts (up to z  ∼ 6–7). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a major component in the human diet with an impact on nutritional health due to its significant intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of Albanian wheat by analysing chemical and nutrition parameters and understanding the health impact of the components in wheat flour. Five winter wheat cultivars grown during the year 2017 - 2018 on experimental fields of Agriculture Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) in Lushnja were analysed. Protein content (%N x 5.7) was determined by the Kjedahl method and lipid content was evaluated by Soxhlet extraction method utilizing n-hexane as solvent. The starch content was analyzed following the Megazyme Starch determination procedure (Megazyme International, Ireland, Ltd). The determination of the total content of tocopherols (TP) and tocotrienols (TT) in the five wheat cultivars was carried out using the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed for result elaboration. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed using StatSoft Statistica 10.0 software and the significant differences were calculated according to post - hoc Tukey's (HSD) test at p < 0.05. All cultivars showed higher level of protein content ranging from 11.39% to 12.38% and the starch content ranging from 58% to 62%. Statistical results indicated that the protein content was significantly affected by the wheat cultivars. α-Tocopherol and ß-tocotrienol were the most abundant compounds in all samples, ranging, from 9.8 mg/kg DW to 15.6 mg/kg DW and from 8.1 mg/kg to 12.7 mg/kg DW, respectively. The daily requirement of vitamin E calculated in whole flour ranges from 14.7% to 26%.By selecting the suitable wheat cultivars with high vitamin E content, we can contribute to increasing the content of vitamin E in Albanian wheat flour and supporting the problems of vitamin E deficiency in the human diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past Suzaku, XMM–Newton , and NuSTAR observations of the nearby (z = 0.03233) bright Seyfert 2 galaxy MCG-03-58-007 revealed the presence of two deep and blue-shifted iron K-shell absorption line profiles. These could be explained with the presence of two phases of a highly ionized, high column density accretion disc wind outflowing with v out1 ∼ −0.1 c and v out2 ∼ −0.2 c. Here we present two new observations of MCG-03-58-007: one was carried out in 2016 with Chandra and one in 2018 with Swift. Both caught MCG-03-58-007 in a brighter state (⁠|$F_{{\mathrm{2}-10\, keV}} \sim 4 \times 10^{-12}$|  erg cm−2 s−1) confirming the presence of the fast disc wind. The multi-epoch observations of MCG-03-58-007 covering the period from 2010 to 2018 were then analysed. These data show that the lower velocity component outflowing with v out1 ∼ −0.072 ± 0.002 c is persistent and detected in all the observations, although it is variable in column density in the range N H ∼ 3–8 × 1023 cm−2. In the 2016 Swift observation we detected again the second faster component outflowing with v out2 ∼ −0.2 c , with a column density (⁠|$N_{\mbox{H}}=7.0^{+5.6}_{-4.1}\times 10^{23}$|  cm−2), similar to that seen during the Suzaku observation. However during the Chandra observation 2 yr earlier, this zone was not present (N H < 1.5 × 1023 cm−2), suggesting that this faster zone is intermittent. Overall the multi-epochs observations show that the disc wind in MCG-03-58-007 is not only powerful, but also extremely variable, hence placing MCG-03-58-007 among unique disc winds such as the one seen in the famous QSO PDS456. One of the main results of this investigation is the consideration that these winds could be extremely variable, sometime appearing and sometime disappearing; thus to reach solid and firm conclusions about their energetics multiple observations are mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The epithelial microenvironment is involved in thymus aging, but the possible role of EphB receptors that govern the thymic epithelium development has not been investigated. Herein, we study the changes undergone by the thymus of EphB‐deficient mice throughout their life. Results: Immune alterations occurring throughout life were more severe in mutant than in wild‐type (WT) mice. Mutant thymuses exhibit lower cellularity than WT ones, as well as lower proportions of early thymic progenitors cells and double‐positive (CD4+CD8+) thymocytes, but higher of double‐negative (CD4−CD8−) and single‐positive (CD4+CD8−, CD4−CD8+) cells. Throughout life, CD4+ naïve cells decreased particularly in mutant mice. In correlation, memory T cells, largely CD8+ cells, increased. Aged thymic epithelium undergoes changes including appearance of big epithelial free areas, decrease of K8+K5− areas, which, however, contain higher proportions of Ly51+UEA1− cortical epithelial cells, in correlation with reduced Aire+ medullary epithelial cells. Also, aged thymuses particularly those derived from mutant mice exhibited increased collagen IV, fat‐storing cells, and connective cells. Conclusions: The absence of EphB accelerates the alterations undergone throughout life by both thymic epithelium and thymocytes, and the proportions of peripheral naïve and memory T cells, all of which are hallmarks of immune aging. Key Findings: EphB2 and EphB3 are involving in the thymus aging.The lack of both EphB receptors results in a more severe aged thymic phenotype.Thymic epithelial cells, thymocyte subsets and peripheral naive and memory T lymphocytes are particularly affected by the lack of the molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical Osborne wheat protein fraction (albumins, globulins, gliadins, glutenins), modified according Maes and chemical - technological characteristics, were determined in ten lines of soft wheat, collected during the summer season of 2014. The solvent, used during the process of extracting proteins from wheat flour, consisted of distilled water, 40% isopropyl alcohol, 3.85% lactic acid and 0.5% potassium hydroxide. Wheat lines investigated in the experiment was carried out as a randomized block design in 3 m2 plots with three replicates. The flour obtained from those lines of wheat has the following quality: protein: 15.05%, Zeleny Sedimentation: 47 ml and gluten index (GI): 53.95%. The protein extraction with this procedure was efficient and provided 90-99% protein recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The REX (Radio-Emitting X-ray sources) is a catalogue produced by cross-matching X-ray data from the ROSAT -PSPC archive of pointed observations and radio data from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey, aimed at the selection of blazars. From the REX catalogue, we select a well-defined and statistically complete sample of high-energy peaked BL Lac (HBL). HBL are expected to be the most numerous class of extragalactic TeV-emitting sources. Specifically, we have considered only the REX sources in the currently planned CTA extragalactic survey area satisfying specific criteria and with an optical spectroscopic confirmation. We obtain 46 HBL candidates that we called Te-REX (TeV-emitting REX). We estimate the very high-energy gamma-ray emission, in the TeV domain, using an empirical approach i.e. using specific statistical relations between gamma-rays (at GeV energies) and radio/X-rays properties observed in bright HBL from the literature. We compare the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with the sensitivities of current and upcoming Cherenkov telescopes and we predict that 14 Te-REX could be detectable with 50 h of observations of CTA and 7 of them also with current Cherenkov facilities in 50 h. By extrapolating these numbers on the total extragalactic sky, we predict that about 800 HBL could be visible in pointed CTA observations and ∼400 with current Cherenkov telescopes in 50 h. Interestingly, our predictions show that a non-negligible fraction (∼30 per cent) of the HBL that will be detectable by CTA is composed of relatively weak objects whose optical nuclear emission is swamped by the host-galaxy light and not (yet) detected by Fermi -LAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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