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Hydroxyl radical (OH) planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements were performed in the University of Virginia supersonic combustion experiment. The test section was set up in configuration A, which includes a Mach 2 nozzle, combustor, and extender section. Hydrogen fuel was injected through an unswept compression ramp at two different equivalence ratios. Through the translation of the optical system and the use of two separate camera views, the entire optically accessible range of the combustor was imaged. Single-shot, average, and standard deviation images of the OH PLIF signal are presented at several streamwise locations. The results show the development of a highly turbulent flame structure and provide an experimental database to be used for numerical model assessment.

Measurements have been conducted at the University of Virginia Supersonic Combustion Facility of the flow in a constant area duct downstream of a Mach 2 nozzle, where the airflow has first been heated to approximately 1200 K. Dual-pump CARS was used to acquire rotational and vibrational temperatures of N2 and O2 at two planes in the duct at different downstream distances from the nozzle exit. Wall static pressures in the nozzle are also reported. With a flow of clean air, the vibrational temperature of N2 freezes at close to the heater stagnation temperature, while the O2 vibrational temperature is about 1000 K. The results are well predicted by computational fluid mechanics models employing separate "lumped" vibrational and translational/rotational temperatures. Experimental results are also reported for a few percent steam addition to the air and the effect of the steam is to bring the flow to thermal equilibrium.

The paper presents the field of Visual Sociology as an approach that makes use of photographs, films, documentaries, videos, to capture and assess aspects of social life and social signals. It overviews some relevant works in the field, it deals with methodological and epistemological issues, by raising the question of the relation between the observer and the observed, and makes reference to some methods of analysis, such as those proposed by the Grounded Theory, and to some connected tools for automatic qualitative analysis, like NVivo. The relevance of visual sociology to the study of social signals lies in the fact that it can validly integrate the information, introducing a multi-modal approach in the analysis of social signals.

As the keywords of present day methodology seem to be triangulation, multi-method perspective, and connection between qualitative and quantitative approaches, visual sociology offers opportunities that were hitherto unfeasible. Visual sociology today offers the possibility of developing discourses different from the traditional ones. In fact, visual tools, from photography to videos, from documentaries to research films, open up new horizons for analysis, for which appropriate methods have been available for some time, and results that can be shared at scientific level. Religion in visual terms has become a way of expressing one's ideas through one's own visual production. Visual sociology must identify the added value it can offer in a world of images and producers of images, to come to terms with the issue of its competitiveness, not to be marginalized. Keywords: religion; visual sociology

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis and its modulation are crucial factors for the maintenance of liver health, allowing hepatocytes to die without provoking a potential harmful inflammatory response through a tightly controlled and regulated process. Since Kupffer cells play a key role in the maintenance of liver function, the aim of this study was to verify whether Kupffer cells are involved in the induction of liver apoptosis after i.v. injection of Pb(NO3)2 likely by secretion mechanisms. RESULTS: The in vivo hepatic apoptosis, induced by Pb(NO3)2 was prevented by a pre-treatment with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3), a Kupffer cells toxicant, that suppresses Kupffer cell activity and reduces to a half the apoptotic rate. In addition, in vivo Pb(NO3)2 administration deprives hepatocytes of reduced glutathione, whereas the loss of this important oxidation-preventing agent is considerably mitigated or abolished by pre-treatment with GdCl3. However, incubation of isolated hepatocytes and Kupffer cells and HepG2 cells with Pb(NO3)2 for 24 hours induced necrotic but not apoptotic cells. Apoptosis of hepatocytes and HepG2 cells was observed only after the addition of conditioned medium obtained from Kupffer cells cultured for 24 hours with Pb(NO3)2, thus indicating the secretion of soluble mediators of apoptosis by Kupffer cells. Apoptosis in the HepG2 cells was observed upon 24-hours incubation of HepG2 cells with 1 mM buthionine sulfoximine, a glutathione depleting agent, thus showing that there is an oxidative apoptogenic pathway in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: Pb(NO3)2 has, at most, a direct necrotic (but not apoptogenic) effect on hepatocytes and HepG2 cells, giving a clue about the regulatory role of Kupffer cells in the induction of liver apoptosis after a single Pb(NO3)2 injection without pre-treatment with GdCl3, probably via secreting soluble factors that trigger oxidative stress in target cells.

The present review deals with the morphological features of the removal of apoptotic cells by liver. The engulfment of cells undergoing apoptosis can be considered a specialized form of phagocytosis, playing a major role in the general tissue homeostasis in physiological and pathological conditions. In fact, defects of phagocytosis of apoptotic cells might have deleterious consequences for neighboring healthy cells, i.e., pathogenesis of inflammatory disease or dysregulation of the immune system. Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by liver is a complex phenomenon, involving multiple molecular mechanisms of recognition (i.e., lectin-like receptors and receptors for externalized phosphatydilserine) of both parenchymal (hepatocytes) and nonparenchymal (Kupffer and endothelial cells) liver cells, often operating in cooperation. The data discussed in the present review are drawn from studies of phagocytosis of apoptotic cells in the liver, carried out with in vivo and in situ adhesion experiments as well as in vitro assays. Our results indicate that the three main liver cell types (hepatocytes, Kupffer, and endothelial cells) are able to recognize and internalize apoptotic cells by means of specific receptors (galactose and mannose-specific receptor; receptor for phosphatydilserine) and by cytoskeletal reorganization that favors the engulfment of the apoptotic cells. The "flags" for the identification of apoptotic cells by the liver are modifications of the surface of dead cells, i.e., sugar residues and phosphatydilserine exposition. Vitronectin receptor is not involved in such a recognition. The adhesions between modified cell surfaces of apoptotic cells and phagocytes generate cytoplasmatic signaling pathways that drive apoptotic cells to their final fate within the phagocytes (i.e., lysosomal digestion).

In this paper we describe efforts to obtain canonical data sets to assist computational modelers in their development of models for the prediction of mixing and combustion in scramjet combustors operating in the ramjet-scramjet transition regime. The CARS technique is employed to acquire temporally and spatially resolved measurements of temperature and species mole-fraction at four planes, one upstream of an H2 fuel injector and three downstream. The technique is described and results are presented for cases with and without chemical reaction. The vibrational energy mode in the heated airstream of the combustor was observed to be frozen at near facility heater conditions and significant nonuniformities in temperature were observed, attributed to nonuniformities of temperature exiting the heater. The measurements downstream of fuel injection show development of mixing and combustion, and are already proving useful to the modelers.

Specie fra le tifoserie di calcio o di rugby, il consumo di alcol è frequente: è un modo con cui i tifosi esprimono il carattere ludico e conviviale dello sport, e pure un mezzo per incoraggiarsi reciprocamente nel comune sostegno alla squadra del cuore, ovvero nei ‘combattimenti’ –spesso solo verbali, ma talvolta, purtroppo, anche fisici e violenti– contro le tifoserie rivali. In questo capitolo di "Spirito & Spirits" l'A. saggia la consistenza dell’ipotesi che nella società “post”-moderna lo sport stia sostituendo la religione nella produzione di un clima festivo e nella realizzazione di un eccitamento generalizzato, che può essere paragonato a quell’«effervescenza collettiva» in cui, secondo la 'sociologie religieuse' di Émile Durkheim, si genera il sacro. Il capitolo intende aggiornare questo dibattito classico esplorando una delle possibili cause contemporanee dell’eccitazione collettiva che si genera durante i Campionati internazionali di calcio, i quali grazie alla diffusione nei cinque continenti delle immagini in diretta tv e new media appaiono altrettante feste globali ‘programmate’. Una di tali cause è proprio il consumo di alcolici che gli stessi mega eventi sportivi promuovono, tramite la pubblicità di birre sponsor di FIFA e di UEFA che accompagna la teletrasmissione di tali mega eventi. L'A. nota che il consumo di alcolici in occasione dei mega eventi sportivi si distingue dalle forme tradizionali di consumo sotto tre aspetti (paragrafi 1-3); poi collega tali consumi al «triangolo Sms», ovvero alla inedita configurazione sociale che da pochi anni collega sport, media e aziende sponsor (paragrafo 4); inoltre l'A. presenta alcuni risultati, quantitativi e qualitativi, ottenuti dallo SportComLab dell’Alma Mater sui consumi di junk food da parte di minori e famiglie nel Bolognese durante gli Europei di calcio, svoltisi nel giugno-luglio 2016 in Francia e seguiti in tv da ampie masse di popolazione (13-20 milioni di italiani circa per ciascuna partita disputata dagli Azzurri). In breve questo saggio intende evidenziare una causa inedita e inavvertita, ma quanto mai insidiosa, del crescente consumo di alcolici fra i minori e, in genere, di junk food in Italia e nel mondo, purtroppo finora sottovalutata perfino dalla stessa Organizzazione mondiale della Salute.

Background and aims: Primary dyslipidemias are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by abnormal levels of circulating lipoproteins. Among them, familial hypercholesterolemia is the most common lipid disorder that predisposes for premature cardiovascular disease. We set up an Italian nationwide network aimed at facilitating the clinical and genetic diagnosis of genetic dyslipidemias named LIPIGEN (LIpid TransPort Disorders Italian GEnetic Network). Methods: Observational, multicenter, retrospective and prospective study involving about 40 Italian clinical centers. Genetic testing of the appropriate candidate genes at one of six molecular diagnostic laboratories serving as nationwide DNA diagnostic centers. Results and conclusions: From 2012 to October 2016, available biochemical and clinical information of 3480 subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia identified according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) score were included in the database and genetic analysis was performed in 97.8% of subjects, with a mutation detection rate of 92.0% in patients with DLCN score >= 6. The establishment of the LIPIGEN network will have important effects on clinical management and it will improve the overall identification and treatment of primary dyslipidemias in Italy. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Background Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by elevated plasma levels of LDL-cholesterol that confers an increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Early identification and treatment of FH patients can improve prognosis and reduce the burden of cardiovascular mortality. Aim of this study was to perform the mutational analysis of FH patients identified through a collaboration of 20 Lipid Clinics in Italy (LIPIGEN Study). Methods We recruited 1592 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of definite or probable FH according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria. We performed a parallel sequencing of the major candidate genes for monogenic hypercholesterolemia (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9, APOE, LDLRAP1, STAP1). Results A total of 213 variants were detected in 1076 subjects. About 90% of them had a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. More than 94% of patients carried pathogenic variants in LDLR gene, 27 of which were novel. Pathogenic variants in APOB and PCSK9 were exceedingly rare. We found 4 true homozygotes and 5 putative compound heterozygotes for pathogenic variants in LDLR gene, as well as 5 double heterozygotes for LDLR/APOB pathogenic variants. Two patients were homozygous for pathogenic variants in LDLRAP1 gene resulting in autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia. One patient was found to be heterozygous for the ApoE variant p.(Leu167del), known to confer an FH phenotype. Conclusions This study shows the molecular characteristics of the FH patients identified in Italy over the last two years. Full phenotypic characterization of these patients and cascade screening of family members is now in progress.