Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

The role of silica in radiation induced grafting and crosslinking of silica/elastomer blends

When silica/polybutadiene and silica/styrene-butadiene are submitted to g irradiation at 77 K a scavenging of the silica radiolytic species by absorbed vinyl units takes place at the surface with concomitant grafting and crosslinking of the polymers. Key intermediate in such reactions are SiO2-bonded radicals of structure SiO2eC(CH3)CH(R)(R0). The role of silica is rationalized in terms of the following steps: a) absorption of the radiation energy in the bulk of the silica particles followed by exciton migration at the surface; b) reactions of excited groups (silanols) with absorbed vinyl units giving SiO2-bonded radicals; c) crosslinking of the polymers initiated by grafted radicals

The role of inorganic sulfur compounds in the pyrolysis of Kraft lignin

In this study we have evaluated the production of gas during lignin pyrolysis under static vacuum con-ditions, the quantity of the most important gases produced, and the role of sulfur compounds. In fact,sulfates can act as oxidizers at the high temperature of pyrolysis (>200◦C) increasing the amount of car-bon dioxide formed. This is related to the detection of reduced volatile sulfur compounds by GC–MS. Wehave evaluated the decrease in the production of CO2and of reduced sulfur species after a simple acidtreatment for the removal of inorganic sulfates from the pristine lignin. The thermovolumetric analysis(TVA) was found as effective as thermogravimetric (TGA) one for the investigation of lignin pyrolysis

Experimental characterization of oil-colophony varnishes: A preliminary study

Historically, the varnishes had the aim to protect the bowed musical instruments by the external agents and to confer them an aesthetic value. During the 17th and 18th century, in Italy, the bowed instruments, especially violins, were generally covered by a layer of varnish made with several natural materials such resins, oil or hide glue: i.e., instruments by the great violin maker Antonio Stradivari were covered often with a layer of varnish made of linseed oil and colophony in the ratio 3:1, respectively. The main aim of this work was to study the modifications that occur in those kinds of varnishes, after exposing them to some factors of degradation. In order to study the different properties of organic coatings and their suitable compositions, different mixtures of linseed oil and colophony were recreated in the laboratory following an ancient recipe: linseed oil and colophony were mixed together with different ratios (50/50 and 75/25, respectively) and then, they were applied on Maple wood samples and on glass slides for experimental purposes. In order to investigate the different external factors which cause the varnish layer degradation, samples were analyzed by different techniques before and after different ageing processes (thermo-hygrometric cycles, exposition to UV lamp and to acid vapors). Out of strong experimental evaluation, all the results suggested that the composition of 75/25 (oil: colophony) is much better as a varnish for musical instruments

110° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana - II Inter. Plant Science Conference (IPSC) - Pavia, 14 - 17 September 2015

Perenniporia meridionalis Decock & Stalpers is a wood decay macrofungus which grows on hardwoods (seldom on conifers) in Central and Southern Europe, as far as Caucasus towards East. Since the species was quite recently taxonomically revised (1), only few isolates of this species are available and literature concerning biotechnological applications is almost absent. Mycological researchers of DSTA (University of Pavia) obtained its own isolate in 2010 by means of a sporoma collected in Italy, near Iseo Lake (BS), whose identity was checked by molecular analysis (2). Enzymes of wood decay fungi can be exploited as a tool to achieve biodegradation of lignocellulosic agricultural residues aimed at sustainable production of biofuels and chemicals (3). P. meridionalis was therefore tested for the ability of growing on stems of Medicago sativa L., one of the most important plants cultured in Northern Italy. Fungal mycelium grown in liquid cultures was inoculated onto previously triturated and sterilized dried stems in Petri dishes; sterile water was added to keep the fungus hydrated; growth at 37°C was subsequently observed week by week for a month. This temperature was chosen after a preliminary growth profile test on 2% Malt Extract Agar (MEA). Incubation at 37°C resulted in a wide colonized area: even though quantitative determination was not possible, mycelium in fact appeared homogeneously woolly and substratum completely embedded. Microscopy was performed both by: a) optical microscope 100x to 1000x (Zeiss Axioplan); b) SEM (Tescan FE-SEM, MIRA XMU series) which is equipped with EDAX spectrometer, at an accelerating voltage of 15-20 kVolt in high vacuum. Observations were only partially consistent with each other, since SEM allows a much finer discrimination between fungal structures and vegetal ones. Stem appeared deeply destructured by chemical (enzymatic) degradation particularly affecting the not-lignified component. Typical structures of wood decay fungi such as abundant arboriform skeleto-binding hyphae spread as a capillary net were observed. Skeins of hyphal projections with a wide diameter clearly engaged in stem penetration were found; such projections showed sharp distal ends, while proximal ones looked bell-shaped instead. The surface of both hyphal types was often sprinkled with scarce to abundant encrustations likely to be oxalate crystals. Even in substrata poor in minerals, fungi are well known to precipitate cations (and particularly Ca2+) for several alleged functions among which pathogenesis, pH regulation, removal or reservoir of metals (4). These preliminary results show that P. meridionalis displays remarkable versatility being able to efficiently colonize and degrade a substratum unusual for a lignicolous fungus. Quantification of the degree of biodegradation of plant cell wall polymers is in progress