University of Naples Federico II

About: University of Naples Federico II is a education organization based out in Naples, Campania, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 29291 authors who have published 68803 publications receiving 1920149 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II & Naples University.

High Performance Messaging on Workstations: Illinois Fast Messages (FM) for Myrinet

Abstract: In most computer systems, software overhead dominates the cost of messaging, reducing delivered performance, especially for short messages. Efficient software messaging layers are needed to deliver the hardware performance to the application level and to support tightly-coupled workstation clusters. Illinois Fast Messages (FM) 1.0 is a high speed messaging layer that delivers low latency and high bandwidth for short messages. For 128-byte packets, FM achieves bandwidths of 16.2MB/s and one-way latencies 32 µs on Myrinet-connected SPARCstations (user-level to user-level). For shorter packets, we have measured one-way latencies of 25 µs, and for larger packets, bandwidth as high as to 19.6MB/s — delivered bandwidth greater than OC-3. FM is also superior to the Myrinet API messaging layer, not just in terms of latency and usable bandwidth, but also in terms of the message half-power point (n_{\frac{1}{2}}), which is two orders of magnitude smaller (54 vs. 4,409 bytes). We describe the FM messaging primitives and the critical design issues in building a low-latency messaging layers for workstation clusters. Several issues are critical: the division of labor between host and network coprocessor, management of the input/output (I/O) bus, and buffer management. To achieve high performance, messaging layers should assign as much functionality as possible to the host. If the network interface has DMA capability, the I/Obus should be used asymmetrically, with the host processor moving data to the network and exploiting DMA to move data to the host. Finally, buffer management should be extremely simple in the network coprocessor and match queue structures between the network coprocessor and host memory. Detailed measurements show how each of these features contribute to high performance.

Antiangiogenic and antitumor activity of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor C225 monoclonal antibody in combination with vascular endothelial growth factor antisense oligonucleotide in human GEO colon cancer cells.

Abstract: Angiogenesis plays a key role in tumor growth and metastasis. The transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha)-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) autocrine pathway controls in part the production of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in cancer cells. In this study, we have evaluated the antiangiogenic and antitumor activity of monoclonal antibody (MAb) C225, an anti-EGFR chimeric human-mouse MAb, alone and in combination with a human VEGF antisense (AS) 21-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (VEGF-AS) in human GEO colon cancer cells. MAb C225 treatment determined a dose-dependent inhibition of VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-alpha production by GEO cells in vitro. Treatment with VEGF-AS caused a selective inhibition in VEGF expression by GEO cells in vitro. Treatment of immunodeficient mice bearing established, palpable GEO xenografts for 3 weeks with VEGF-AS or with MAb C225 determined a cytostatic reversible inhibition of tumor growth. In contrast, a prolonged inhibition of tumor growth was observed in all mice treated with the two agents, in combination with a significant improvement in mice survival compared with controls (P < .001), to MAb C225 (P < .001), or to VEGF-AS (P < .001) treated mice. All mice died within 4, 6, and 8 weeks after tumor cell injection in the control, VEGF-AS and MAb C225 groups, respectively. In contrast, 50% of mice treated with the combination of VEGF-AS and MAb C225 were alive at 13 weeks. Ten % of mice treated with VEGF-AS plus MAb C225 were alive at 20 weeks and had no histological evidence of GEO tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis of GEO tumor xenografts demonstrated a significant reduction of VEGF expression after treatment with VEGF-AS with a parallel reduction in microvessel count. MAb C225 treatment determined a reduction in the expression of VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-alpha with a reduction in microvessel count. Finally, a significant potentiation in inhibition of VEGF expression and little or no microvessels were observed in GEO tumors after the combined treatment with the two agents.

Introduction of Gluten, HLA Status, and the Risk of Celiac Disease in Children

Abstract: BACKGROUND The relationship between the risk of celiac disease and both the age at which gluten is introduced to a child’s diet and a child’s early dietary pattern is unclear. METHODS We randomly assigned 832 newborns who had a first-degree relative with celiac disease to the introduction of dietary gluten at 6 months (group A) or 12 months (group B). The HLA genotype was determined at 15 months of age, and serologic screening for celiac disease was evaluated at 15, 24, and 36 months and at 5, 8, and 10 years. Patients with positive serologic findings underwent intestinal biopsies. The primary outcome was the prevalence of celiac disease autoimmunity and of overt celiac disease among the children at 5 years of age. RESULTS Of the 707 participants who remained in the trial at 36 months, 553 had a standard-risk or high-risk HLA genotype and completed the study. At 2 years of age, significantly higher proportions of children in group A than in group B had celiac disease autoimmunity (16% vs. 7%, P = 0.002) and overt celiac disease (12% vs. 5%, P = 0.01). At 5 years of age, the between-group differences were no longer significant for autoimmunity (21% in group A and 20% in group B, P = 0.59) or overt disease (16% and 16%, P = 0.78 by the log-rank test). At 10 years, the risk of celiac disease autoimmunity was far higher among children with high-risk HLA than among those with standard-risk HLA (38% vs. 19%, P = 0.001), as was the risk of overt celiac disease (26% vs. 16%, P = 0.05). Other variables, including breast-feeding, were not associated with the development of celiac disease. CONCLUSIONS Neither the delayed introduction of gluten nor breast-feeding modified the risk of celiac disease among at-risk infants, although the later introduction of gluten was associated with a delayed onset of disease. A high-risk HLA genotype was an important predictor of disease. (Funded by the Fondazione Celiachia of the Italian Society for Celiac Disease; CELIPREV ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00639444.)

Aldehyde suppression of copepod recruitment in blooms of a ubiquitous planktonic diatom

Abstract: The growth cycle in nutrient-rich, aquatic environments starts with a diatom bloom that ends in mass sinking of ungrazed cells and phytodetritus. The low grazing pressure on these blooms has been attributed to the inability of overwintering copepod populations to track them temporally. We tested an alternative explanation: that dominant diatom species impair the reproductive success of their grazers. We compared larval development of a common overwintering copepod fed on a ubiquitous, early-blooming diatom species with its development when fed on a typical post-bloom dinoflagellate. Development was arrested in all larvae in which both mothers and their larvae were fed the diatom diet. Mortality remained high even if larvae were switched to the dinoflagellate diet. Aldehydes, cleaved from a fatty acid precursor by enzymes activated within seconds after crushing of the cell, elicit the teratogenic effect. This insidious mechanism, which does not deter the herbivore from feeding but impairs its recruitment, will restrain the cohort size of the next generation of early-rising overwinterers. Such a transgenerational plant-herbivore interaction could explain the recurringly inefficient use of a predictable, potentially valuable food resource--the spring diatom bloom--by marine zooplankton.

Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery.

Abstract: The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach is a minimally invasive surgical technique for the removal of sellar and parasellar lesions. The procedure is performed via an anterior sphenoidotomy. The two main characteristics of the endoscopic approach, when compared with the standard microsurgical operation, arise from the use of the endoscope as a unique optical device and from the absence of a transsphenoidal retractor. More convenient straight surgical instruments are employed, whereas bayonet-shaped tools are used in the microsurgical procedure, to avoid any interference with the light beam generated by the microscope. The standard surgical technique is composed of three main time phases: the nasal, sphenoid, and sellar phase. During the nasal phase, the scope is introduced through the chosen nostril and advanced up to the sphenoethmoid recess, where the sphenoidotomy is performed. The sphenoid phase consists of the detachment of the nasal septum from the sphenoid rostrum, the anterior sphenoidotomy, removal of the sphenoid septum or septa, and identification of the landmarks inside the sphenoid sinus. In the sellar phase, an opening of the sellar floor is performed for removal of the lesion. A wide view of the sellar environment is obtained through angled scopes to detect eventual tumor remnants. The procedure ends with the reconstruction of the sella and removal of the endoscope from the nostril, without any postoperative nasal packing.