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The Gambling Expectancy Questionnaire (GEQ; Gillespie et al. 2007a) is a 23-item scale assessing three positive outcome expectancies (Enjoyment/Arousal, Money, Self-Enhancement) and two negative outcome expectancies (Over-Involvement, Emotional Impact) related to gambling. It is the most used instrument to assess gambling outcome expectancies in adolescents and it has good psychometric properties. To allow a greater and more useful application of the scale, the present study aimed to modify the GEQ to make it usable with all adolescents, regardless of their gambling behaviour and to verify its psychometric properties. To that aim, the items were modified and the response scale was reduced from a seven-point to a five-point Likert scale. To verify the adequacy of the modified scale, two studies were conducted among Italian adolescents. In the first study (n = 501, 75% males, Mage = 16.74, SD = .88), after having removed four items and relocating another through explorative factor analysis, the original five-factor structure of the scale was confirmed by applying a confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability and validity evidence were also provided. The second study (n = 1894, 61% males, Mage = 15.68, SD = .71) attested its invariance across gambling behaviour status and gender. The modified version of the GEQ (GEQ – MOD) can be profitably used for research and preventive purposes with youth.

This paper presents different electric motor solutions integrated in primary flight surface actuators for aircraft applications in the field of the so called ‘More Electric Aircraft’ research and development. In particular, the motors have been designed and analyzed with a finite-element study, considering the most severe working-points in terms of thermal conditions and aerodynamic load torque demand, aiming to predict both the performance and the degradation. In addition, magnet-free motor solutions with fault-tolerant capabilities towards possible magnet demagnetization are investigated and compared in the same critical conditions. The comparison between the different motor typologies is carried out considering the thermal issues, the behavior of the motor with respect to the faults, the electromagnetic performances, and the necessity to have a market competitive product.

This paper presents a transient mathematical model for induction motors based on space harmonics and saturation effects. The model is based on the calculation of the phase-linked magnetic flux accounting for the geometry and physical dimensions of the stator and rotor windings, other than the magnetic steel saturation characteristic. The space-harmonic components of the magnetic induction are calculated at each time-step considering the currents in the stator windings and in the rotor bars as well as the rotor position. The electromagnetic torque is computed as well. The model is validated by comparison with a co-simulation approach that uses finite element calculus in transient mode. Method accuracy and effects of simplifications are investigated both in static and transient behavior. The case study and the presented results refer to a prototypal induction motor for high power electric vehicles.

Background and Rationale Some CF patients are compound heterozygous or homozygous for nonsense mutations in the CFTR gene. Mutant CFTR gene coding for transcripts with premature termination codons (PTCs) is responsible for truncated CFTR protein and for a severe form of the disease. In a precision medicine framework the “REPAIRv2” (RNA Editing for Programmable A to I Replacement v2) tool, developed in the laboratory of Dr. Feng Zhang (USA), seems a good alternative to restore the full-length CFTR protein by editing its mRNA containing PTCs. This new approach is based on the possibility of targeting a deaminase enzyme (huADAR2) to a specific Adenosine, to be edited to Inosine (G analogue), on the mutant RNA by a specific guide RNA (gRNA), complementary to the target regions, and a Cas protein. Hypothesis and objectives We applied the new CRISPR/dCas13b based molecular tool of RNA editing (REPAIRv2) to correct the premature stop codon UGA, changing to UGG, in the H2bGFPopal and CFTRW1282X mRNAs with the purpose of recovering the full-length proteins.Essential Methods We designed and cloned the gRNAs needed to target the REPAIRv2 system to the Adenine to be modified. By site-directed mutagenesis we introduced a premature stop codon, W1282X, in the CFTR cDNA. Human HeLa cells expressing the H2BGFPopal mRNA, FRT cells expressing CFTRW1282X and IB3.1 airway epithelial human cells (CFTRΔ508/W12382X) were co-transfected with the plasmids coding for the recombinant protein dCAS13b/ADAR2DD, and for the gRNAs. Fluorescence microscopy was used to analyse the editing results. Results Direct fluorescence microscopy and immunofluorescence analyses detecting the corrected proteins (H2BGFP and CFTR, respectively) suggest that the REPAIRv2 system was able, in different cell lines, to edit the H2BGFPopal and the CFTRW1282X mRNA. However, the rate of editing does not seem high. Indeed, when RNA was purified from transfected cell, retro-transcribed and amplified base correction was not detectable by standard DNA sequencing and western blot. Conclusions Collectively, our results indicate that the REPAIRv2 tool is able to edit the UGA premature stop codon present in the HeLa-H2BGFPopal cells and in engineered FRTW1282X cells harbouring the UGA PTC in the CFTR mRNA. Furthermore, the REPAIRv2 tool worked in the IB3.1 cells suggesting its ability to edit endogenous UGA premature stop codon. Anyway, enhance the delivery of the plasmids as well increase/ stabilize the target mRNA to be edited, seem necessary to improve the efficiency of REPAIRv2. References 1. Cox DBT, Gootenberg JS, Abudayyeh OO, Franklin B, Kellner MJ, Joung J, Zhang F.- RNA editing with CRISPR-Cas13. Science. 2017 Nov 24; 358 (6366):1019-1027) 2. Lentini L, Melfi R, Di Leonardo A, Spinello A, Barone G, Pace A, Palumbo Piccionello A, Pibiri I. Toward a rationale for the PTC124 (Ataluren) promoted readthrough of premature stop codons: a computational approach and GFP-reporter cell-based assay. Mol Pharm. 2014 Mar 3;11(3):653-64. Acknowledgment FFC#5/2018 funded by FFC and supported by Delegazione FFC di Palermo

This study determined the size of individual permanent teeth along with the Bolton ratios in an Italian population and compared the distribution of clinically signifi cant tooth size discrepancy (TSD) according to the Bolton and millimetric methods. Materials and Methods: Data from dental casts of 150 Italian subjects (90 females, mean age 15.9 ± 6.4 years; 60 males 14.5 ± 4.2 years) were recorded. Tooth size discrepancies were calculated considering both Bolton index (mean ± SD) and millimetric discrepancy. Results: Overall and anterior Bolton ratios (as percents) were 91.3 ± 2.0 and 77.9 ± 2.7, respectively. According to the Bolton rule, normal range was set as within the mean ± 2 SD range. The study found that 5.3% and 20.0% in the overall and anterior Bolton ratios, respectively, were out of such normality. However, greater frequencies of 52.6% and 21.4% in the overall and anterior millimetric discrepancies, respectively, were above the 1.5 mm. Merging overall and anterior millimetric discrepancies, up to 56.7% of the sample presented a value larger than or equal to 1.5 mm. No differences between the sexes were detected. Conclusions: The present study has showed signifi cant differences in the degree of TSD interpretation between Bolton Index rules and absolute millimetric discrepancy. The rule of the 2 SD range was not able to detect all the clinically relevant TSD. An underestimation of the TSD by using the current Bolton Index rule could lead to unsatisfactory fi nishing of the orthodontic treatment.

Chromosome segregation defects lead to aneuploidy which is a major feature of solid tumors. How diploid cells face chromosome mis-segregation and how aneuploidy is tolerated in tumor cells are not completely defined yet. Thus, an important goal of cancer genetics is to identify gene networks that underlie aneuploidy and are involved in its tolerance. To this aim, we induced aneuploidy in IMR90 human primary cells by depleting pRB, DNMT1 and MAD2 and analyzed their gene expression profiles by microarray analysis. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a common gene expression profile of IMR90 cells that became aneuploid. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) also revealed gene-sets/pathways that are shared by aneuploid IMR90 cells that may be exploited for novel therapeutic approaches in cancer. Furthermore, Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis identified TOP2A and KIF4A as hub genes that may be important for aneuploidy establishment.

This review focuses on the use of oxadiazoles as translational readthrough-inducing drugs (TRIDs) to rescue the functional full-length protein expression in mendelian genetic diseases caused by nonsense mutations. These mutations in specific genes generate premature termination codons (PTCs) responsible for the translation of truncated proteins. After a brief introduction on nonsense mutations and their pathological effects, the features of various classes of TRIDs will be described discussing differences or similarities in their mechanisms of action. Strategies to correct the PTCs will be presented, particularly focusing on a new class of Ataluren-like oxadiazole derivatives in comparison to aminoglycosides. Additionally, recent results on the efficiency of new candidate TRIDs in restoring the production of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein will be presented. Finally, a prospectus on complementary strategies to enhance the effect of TRIDs will be illustrated together with a conclusive paragraph about perspectives, opportunities, and caveats in developing small molecules as TRIDs.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum accounts for nearly all severe malaria cases among European travellers, even though, in areas of endemicity, Plasmodium vivax seems to cause severe malaria to a degree which is comparable with P. falciparum. Furthermore, unlike countries at high risk, the incidence of mixed infections among imported cases is very low. We report the case of a man from non-endemic country with a mixed infection diagnosed after a two-year stay in Guinea. Case Presentation: A 43-year-old male Italian patient developed hyperpyrexia and chills the day after his return to Italy. Within 7 days from fever onset, he was found unresponsive with vomiting and seizures. On admission to Emergency Room, the patient was hypotonic with flaccid tetraparesis, with a GCS score of 7. On the basis of personal and working history and clinical features, after exclusion of viral encephalitis, acute pyogenic meningitis, tubercular meningitis and pontine infarct, cerebral malaria infection was suspected. Rapid diagnostic test and peripheral blood smear were positive for plasmodium mixed infection (P. falciparum, P. vivax, Plasmodium ovale). Over the first 30 hours from admission, thrombocyte count dropped, and the patient developed disseminated intravascular coagulation. Renal failure required renal replacement therapy. Death occurred after 48 hours of ICU admission. Conclusion: The fatal course of the severe malaria with related cerebral impairment, lung and kidney failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, severe acidosis, circulatory collapse with refractory septic shock and subsequent multi organ failure was likely due to delayed medical presentation by the patient and the mixed plasmodium infection. Diagnosis could only be established nine days after onset of symptoms.

This paper focuses on the alternative current (AC) losses in hairpin winding variation due to the skin and proximity effects in synchronous brushless permanent magnet machines when supplied from a pulse width modulation (PWM) inverter. Based on a motor used in a 200kW electrical drive unit, three main methodologies are investigated to demonstrate the importance of these additional losses and how it is possible to take them into account when modeling the electrical machine performance. A more rigorous approach and two more time-efficient ones are utilized for the purpose, showing powerful ways of taking into consideration the pulse width modulation induced eddy currents losses in stator conductors since the early stages of the design process. A reduction ratio of 30:1 in computation time gives the proposed methodologies great merit not only in modeling single operating points, but over the full torque-speed characteristic, efficiency maps, and drive/duty-cycles analyses.

This paper presents different approaches proposed to evaluate eddy-current losses in hairpin wound motor fed by pulse width modulated inverter, underlining strengths and weaknesses of everyone and applying them, as test-case, to a 200kW induction motor designed for a premium electric vehicle. The first three approaches are based on the finite element analysis: the first, the more accurate one, use a transient analysis that request long execution time and high memory usage, the second is based on tool that permits rapidly to evaluate the steady state conditions imposing a sinewave current and the third uses a single-slot simplified model. The fourth approach proposes a rapid monodimensional analytic method based on hypotheses that permit to consider the superposition effects of the Eddy Current Losses of every current harmonic component. The fifth approach makes uses of the proposed analytic method by leveraging a rapid investigation of current harmonic content due to pulse width modulation based on a lumped parameter motor model. In addition, the paper discusses important considerations about the use of the hairpin technology fed by pulse width modulation that can be drawn from the analysis of the obtained results

This work describes a new technique for the induction machine analysis using finite element method. It is based on magneto-static simulations, in which both stator and rotor current are imposed as field sources. The rotor current is set in the bars using an equivalent poly-phase winding and the amplitude is derived the main concepts of the machine analytical model in the rotor field oriented reference frame. The main part of the work is the comparison with the time-domain analysis results, considered to be the benchmark, as a very accurate and exhaustive approach. The great advantage of using the new method, based on the magneto-static finite element formulation, is the dramatic reduction of the computation time, for deriving steady-state machine performance.

This paper presents the design and the verification of a brushless DC motor integrated in an actuator for aircraft application and can be inserted in the field of so called More Electric Aircraft line of though. Main challenge of More Electric Aircraft concepts is the complete substitution of traditional actuator with Electro-Mechanical Actuator, ensuring the same performance and reliability. In this paper, a brushless DC motor for primary flight surface actuator has been designed and analyzed and the comparison on performance of different motor solutions has been presented. Before the sizing of the motor, an accurate selection of the active material has been performed the actuator architecture has been deeply evaluated to identify the best compromise between performance and reliability. After the electromagnetic design, a thermal analysis has been carried out in order to verify the brushless DC motor temperatures during its operation

Computational approaches to microscopy allow high frame volumetric imaging by numerical reconstructions from 2D holographic patterns that encode the full 3D structure of the scene. Furthermore, highly efficient iterative algorithms ensure quick hologram computation for the live SLM refresh in the optical trapping system. The combination of holographic optical tweezers and a 3-axis implementation of holographic microscopy in the same setup leads to simultaneous dynamical manipulation and real-time volume reconstruction of microscopic samples. We present a novel interface to holographic optical tweezers that allows for an immersive and interactive experience of micromanipulation of colloids and living cells.

P14ARF is a tumor suppressor encoded by the CDKN2a locus that is frequently inactivated in human tumors. P14ARF protein quenches oncogene stimuli by inhibiting cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis. P14ARF functions can be played through interactions with several proteins. However, the majority of its activities are notoriously mediated by the p53 protein. Interestingly, recent studies suggest a new role of p14ARF in the maintenance of chromosome stability. Here, we deepened this new facet of p14ARF which we believe is relevant to its tumor suppressive role in the cell. To this aim, we generated a monoclonal HCT116 cell line expressing the p14ARF cDNA cloned in the piggyback vector and then induced aneuploidy by treating HCT116 cells with the CENP-E inhibitor GSK923295. P14ARF ectopic re-expression restored the near-diploid phenotype of HCT116 cells, confirming that p14ARF counteracts aneuploid cell generation/proliferation.

Notwithstanding advances in medical and surgical management of flail chest, its morbidity and mortality rates are still high. Aim of this study is to compare three approaches for parietal thoracic stabilization by analyzing both early and long-term patient outcomes.A retrospective study from January 2006 to January 2018 involving sixty-five surgical flail chest (25 plates,11 struts and 29 wires fixations) was conducted. A mean Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) was 2.38±0.82 and a mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 32.02±8.21.Struts and plates stabilizations compared with wires fixation showed an immediate restoring of the partial pressure of oxygen (90.56 mmHg vs 91.90 mmHg vs 89.23 mmHg, p = 0.021), the carbon-dioxide levels (36.00 mmHg vs 35.03 mmHg vs 38.98 mmHg, p = 0.000) and the oxygen-blood saturation (97.71% vs 98.21% vs 92.12%, p = 0.000) in the early postoperative period. Furthermore, struts and plates ensured a better recovery of daily activities up to the 3rdmonth (QoL=1.0: p0.001 in lateral flail chest and p0.02 in anterior and antero-lateral flail chest). At the 12thmonth no difference in QoL was found between the different approaches.Plate and strut fixation revealed a lower rate of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Wires stabilization was characterized for a reduction of operative time.

Swimming bacteria can be trapped for prolonged times at the surface of an impenetrable boundary. The subsequent surface confined motility is found to be very sensitive to the physico-chemical properties of the interfaces which determine the boundary conditions for the flow. The quantitative understanding of this complex dynamics requires detailed and systematic experimental data to validate theoretical models for both flagellar propulsion and interfacial dynamics. Using a combination of optical trapping and holographic imaging we study the 3D dynamics of wall entrapment of swimming bacteria that are sequentially released towards a surfactant-covered liquid-air interface. We find that an incompressible surfactant model for the interface quantitatively accounts for the observed normal and tangential speed of bacteria as they approach the boundary. Surprisingly we also find that, although bacteria circulate over the air phase in counterclockwise circular trajectories, typical of free-slip interfaces, the body axis is still tilted "nose down" as found for no-slip interfaces.

This paper presents the results obtained by the finite elements model co-simulation technique in the transient analysis of an electric drive for advanced traction applications. The case study refers to a 200kW induction motor drive designed for a premium electric vehicle in the frame of the Horizon 2020 “ReFreeDrive” project (Rare earth Free e-Drives featuring low cost manufacturing). The transient performance and the operating limits are evaluated when a field-oriented control strategy based on the lumped parameters model of the machine is used. The co-simulation involves the ANSYS/Simplorer and MATLAB/Simulink environments. The finite element motor model developed in ANSYS is controlled by the rotor flux-oriented controller with axes decoupling built in Simulink. A lumped parameters motor model is also derived to design the control parameters and implemented in Simulink for comparison respect to the co-simulation approach. The results highlight the influence of the controller detuning for the correct prediction of the voltage limit operation at steady state.

We combine two-photon lithography and optical tweezers to investigate the Brownian fluctuations and propeller characteristics of a microfabricated helix. From the analysis of mean squared displacements and time correlation functions we recover the components of the full mobility tensor. We find that Brownian motion displays correlations between angular and translational fluctuations from which we can directly measure the hydrodynamic coupling coefficient that is responsible for thrust generation. By varying the distance of the microhelices from a no-slip boundary we can systematically measure the effects of a nearby wall on the resistance matrix. Our results indicate that a rotated helix moves faster when a nearby no-slip boundary is present, providing a quantitative insight on thrust enhancement in confined geometries for both synthetic and biological microswimmers.

Numerical models of formation of alluvial stratigraphy often specify, either explicitly or implicitly, the proportion of channel and overbank sediments that are deposited during a given interval of time. However, little is known about the factors that affect the partitioning of sediment between channels and the overbank environment over long time intervals, and the fidelity with which that partition is preserved in the stratigraphic record. Here we use physical experiments to investigate the role that discharge variability plays in this partitioning in fluvial stratigraphy. We find that channels formed under constant flow conditions have low lateral mobility and act mostly as conduits for sediments to reach the shoreline. The bulk of the aggradation in this case is derived from sediment-laden flow that escapes the main channels. By contrast, including floods increases channel lateral mobility, and this change is recorded in stratigraphy as an increased proportion of channel deposits relative to overbank deposits. When variable flow is included as an input condition a large volume of in-channel deposition occurs, rendering the channels substantial contributors to stratigraphic volume on their own. The increase in channel deposit volume is driven mainly by a threefold increase in the average time that a location is subject to in-channel aggradation. Other factors include a slight increase of in-channel aggradation rates, and an increase in erosion of the overbank environment that results from energetic overbank flows. Our study shows that the character of a river's hydrograph exerts a significant influence on the proportion of channel to overbank sediment bodies in alluvial successions, which is an unexamined source of uncertainty in common stratigraphic models.

Mechanical response of biocompatible all-DNA hydrogels with tuneable properties., We present systematic characterisation by means of dynamic light scattering and particle tracking techniques of the viscosity and of the linear viscoelastic moduli, G′(ω) and G′′(ω), for two different DNA hydrogels. These thermoreversible systems are composed of tetravalent DNA-made nanostars whose sticky sequence is designed to provide controlled interparticle bonding. While the first system forms a gel on cooling, the second one has been programmed to behave as a re-entrant gel, turning again to a fluid solution at low temperature. The frequency-dependent viscous and storage moduli and the viscosity reveal the different viscoelastic behavior of the two DNA hydrogels. Our results show how little variations in the design of the DNA sequences allow tuning of the mechanical response of these biocompatible all-DNA materials.