X-ray computer scanning tomography (CT scan) is an increasingly more available technique, which has been applied to material sciences for years. Although most of its use is qualitative for gaining insights on material behavior, quantitative analysis for estimations of deterioration rates is possible.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/vx-661.html  This paper describes an unbiased, straightforward method to determine the amount of reinforcement lost to corrosion through the use of X-ray tomography without the need to remove the concrete cover. Other methods of assessment such as gravimetric analysis, half-cell potential, resistivity of mortar cover, corrosion current, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used in the same samples for comparison. While the electrical and electrochemical tests are valuable to describe the state of the samples, those demonstrated poor capacity of determining the stage of corrosion of the reinforcement in terms of amount of material lost. Electron microscopy could determine how much of the reinforcement corroded with high accuracy; however, these results are deficient in representativity, being based on a single plane of the steel. X-ray tomography, while suffering from sample size limitation, could provide quantitative information on the total volume of material lost for each sample with far higher accuracy than indirect techniques, which is significant for the forensic determination of remaining life service of structures.Elevational gradients offer special opportunities to investigate the relative role of intraspecific and interspecific trait variations in relation to stress gradients. We used an altitudinal gradient in the Mediterranean (Mt Velino, Central Italy) to study (1) how community-weighted means (CWM) and nonweighted means (CM) vary with elevation for plant height, specific leaf area, and seed mass; and (2) how variation patterns differ for inter- and intraspecific functional variability. We tested (1) if elevation influences community functional composition on the basis of the adaptive value of plant traits and (2) if the latter shows intraspecific variations according to the species' ability to cope with local conditions. We found that different traits showed different patterns, which can be linked to the function they express. Differences between communities were influenced more by differences between their traits (CM) than by the relative species coverage (CWM). Both highest and lowest elevations were the most selective due to their particularly severe climatic conditions. Intermediate elevations were the most favorable thanks to less constraining climatic conditions. Interspecific trait variability was the most relevant component, indicating a low plant ability to cope with environmental variations through phenotypic plasticity.There is increasing evidence that undesirable behaviours (UBs) in dogs can compromise the welfare of both canine companions and their carers. Veterinarians are regularly consulted about affected animals and may be asked to euthanase the more severely affected individuals. A recent study of veterinary records showed that UBs were the predominant cause of mortality in young dogs in the UK. This companion study from Australia reports the proportion of mortality due to UBs among dogs aged three years and under that attended veterinary practices from 2013 to 2018. Deidentified patient records were extracted from the VetCompass Australia database and manually assessed to reveal the prevalence and type of UBs reported. The results reveal that 29.7% of the 4341 dogs that died at three years of age or under had deaths ascribed to at least one UB, and that the most commonly reported UB was aggression. Neutered dogs had 2.5× the odds of death due to an UB compared to intact dogs, and crossbred dogs were found to have 1.43× the odds of a UB related death compared to purebred dogs. The breeds at highest risk were Australian cattle dogs (odds ratio (OR) 4.77) and American Staffordshire terriers (OR 4.69). The attending veterinarian referred behaviour cases to a behaviourist or dog trainer in 11.0% of all UB cases, and attempted pharmacological therapy in 5.9% of cases. The results reveal how often UBs affect dogs and their owners in Australia, and infer the beneficial impact that educating dog owners and veterinary professionals in modifying and managing UBs may have.Regulation of microtubule dynamics by plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) plays an essential role in cancer cell migration. However, the role of +TIPs in cancer cell invasion has been poorly addressed. Invadopodia, actin-rich protrusions specialized in extracellular matrix degradation, are essential for cancer cell invasion and metastasis, the leading cause of death in breast cancer. We, therefore, investigated the role of the End Binding protein, EB1, a major hub of the +TIP network, in invadopodia functions. EB1 silencing increased matrix degradation by breast cancer cells. This was recapitulated by depletion of two additional +TIPs and EB1 partners, APC and ACF7, but not by the knockdown of other +TIPs, such as CLASP1/2 or CLIP170. The knockdown of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) was previously proposed to similarly promote invadopodia formation as a consequence of a switch of the Src kinase from focal adhesions to invadopodia. Interestingly, EB1-, APC-, or ACF7-depleted cells had decreased expression/activation of FAK. Remarkably, overexpression of wild type FAK, but not of FAK mutated to prevent Src recruitment, prevented the increased degradative activity induced by EB1 depletion. Overall, we propose that EB1 restricts invadopodia formation through the control of FAK and, consequently, the spatial regulation of Src activity.Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients are often affected by interstitial lung disease (ILD) and, although there have been recent treatment advances, it remains the leading cause of death among SSc, with a 10-year mortality up to 40%. African Americans and subjects with diffuse cutaneous SSc or anti-topoisomerase 1 antibodies are most commonly affected. Currently, early ILD diagnosis can be made, and it is pivotal to improve the prognosis. The diagnostic mainstay test for SSc-ILD is high-resolution computed tomography for the morphology and pulmonary function tests for the functional aspects. Treatment planning and intensity are guided by the disease severity and risk of progression. Traditionally, therapy has depended on combinations of immunosuppressants, particularly cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil, which can be supplemented by targeted biological and antifibrotic therapies. Benefits have been observed in trials on hematopoietic autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with progressive SSc, whilst lung transplantation is reserved for refractory SSc-ILD cases.