Avaliação do amaciamento de melão Galia 'Solar King' tratado com 1-MCP (1-metilciclopropreno) através da firmeza da polpa e tomografia de RM.

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de doses de 1-MCP (0, 100, 300 e 900 ppb) sobre o amaciamento da polpa (firmeza e tomografia de RM) e a formação da região de abscisão do pedúnculo, durante o armazenamento (24,5 ± 0,9ºC e 86,4 ± 7,9%) de melão Galia 'Solar King'. O 1-MCP atrasou a evolução de ambas as variáveis. As melhores respostas foram obtidas com 300 e 900 ppb, recomendando-se a primeira como dose econômica

The puzzling properties of the Helium White Dwarf orbiting the millisecond pulsar PSR J1911-5958A in NGC 6752

We have used phase-resolved high-resolution images and low resolution spectra taken at the ESO Very Large Telescope, to study the properties of the low-mass Helium White Dwarf companion to the millisecond pulsar \psr (hereafter COM J1911$-$5958A), in the halo of the Galactic Globular Cluster NGC 6752. The radial velocity curve confirms that \com is orbiting the pulsar and allows to derive a systemic velocity of the binary system nicely in agreement with that of NGC 6752. This strongly indicates that the system is a member of the cluster, despite its very offset position ($\sim 74$ core radii) with respect to the core. Constraints on the orbital inclination (\gapp 70^\circ) and pulsar mass ($1.2-1.5 {\rm M_\odot}$) are derived from the mass ratio $M_{PSR}/M_{COM}= 7.49\pm0.64$ and photometric properties of COM J1911$-$5958A. The light curve in B-band shows two phases of unequal brightening ($\Delta$mag$\sim 0.3$ and 0.2, respectively) located close to quadratures and superimposed on an almost steady baseline emission: this feature is quite surprising and needs to be further investigated.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in APJletter

Model Risk Management. Le prassi e il modello a tendere.

I modelli hanno assunto un ruolo pervasivo nell’operatività bancaria configurandosi come driver essenziali nel decision making sia in ambito regolamentare che gestionale, e questa considerazione, seppur con caratterizzazioni diverse, risulta valida sia per banche “significant” che “less significant”. Si evidenzia che il numero e la complessità dei modelli hanno raggiunto un livello di ampiezza tale da richiederne una gestione dedicata e strumenti specifici per evitare che la base decisionale si poggi su algoritmi, dati o elaborazioni non adeguati. Oltre alla complessità intrinseca dei modelli, si aggiunge una crescente interconnessione tra gli stessi per cui le criticità di un modello possono riverberarsi sui modelli collegati con effetti poco prevedibili. Le mutevoli condizioni di contesto (accentuate dall’emergenza Covid), hanno ulteriormente amplificato l’esigenza di ridurre la distanza tra l’identificazione delle criticità sui modelli, la presa in carico delle azioni correttive, il relativo monitoraggio e il rilascio degli interventi. Una catena di trasmissione non adeguata comporta inevitabilmente tempi di risposta più lunghi, con modelli che non sono in grado di rappresentare adeguatamente il contesto operativo

DNA methylation landscape of the genes regulating D-serine and D-aspartate metabolism in post-mortem brain from controls and subjects with schizophrenia

The spatio-temporal regulation of genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of D-serine and D-aspartate such as serine racemase (SR), D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), G72 and D-aspartate oxidase (DDO), play pivotal roles in determining the correct levels of these D-amino acids in the human brain. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of mRNA expression and DNA methylation status of these genes in post-mortem samples from hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum from patients with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls. DNA methylation analysis was performed at an ultradeep level, measuring individual epialleles frequency by single molecule approach. Differential CpG methylation and expression was detected across different brain regions, although no significant correlations were found with diagnosis. G72 showed the highest CpG and non-CpG methylation degree, which may explain the repression of G72 transcription in the brain regions considered here. Conversely, in line with the sustained SR mRNA expression in the analyzed areas, very low methylation levels were detected at this gene's regulatory regions. Furthermore, for DAO and DDO, our single-molecule methylation approach demonstrated that analysis of epiallele distribution was able to detect differences in DNA methylation representing area-specific methylation signatures, which are likely not detectable with targeted or genome-wide classic methylation analyses

Brain Plasticity in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A Patients? A Combined Structural and Diffusion MRI Study

Central nervous system involvement has been described in peripheral neuropathies, including different forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. The aim of our study was to systematically investigate possible brain structural modifications in CMT1A patients, using volumetric MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). In this prospective cross-sectional study, from May 2017 to May 2019, we acquired 3T MRI brain scans of genetically confirmed CMT1A patients and age- and sex-comparable healthy controls. Patients also underwent clinical and electrophysiological examinations assessing motor and sensory domains. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analyses were performed using a non-parametric approach based on permutations, including age and sex (and total intracranial volume for VBM) as nuisance covariates. When between-group differences emerged at VBM or TBSS analyses, the first eigenvariate was extracted from the cluster and its age- and sex-adjusted standardized residuals tested for correlation with clinical and electrophysiological variables. Twenty CMT1A patients (34.5 ± 11.1 years; M/F:11/9) were enrolled, along with 20 healthy controls (30.1 ± 10.2 years; M/F:11/9). The VBM analysis revealed clusters of significantly increased GM volume in CMT1A patients compared to healthy controls, encompassing the bilateral cerebellar lobules III-VI and the left hippocampus (all ps = 0.04), with no differences in terms of DTI metrics at the TBSS analysis. A negative correlation (r = −0.502, p = 0.03) emerged between ulnar compound motor action potential and the z-scores corresponding to the right cerebellar cluster of augmented GM volume. Our data show evidence of structural reorganization in the brain of CMT1A patients, possibly reflecting neural plasticity mechanisms in response to peripheral nerve pathology and modulating the effect of axonal degeneration on functional impairment

Spontaneous Abdominal Wall Hematoma Treated with Percutaneous Transarterial Embolization: Diagnostic Findings, Procedural Outcome, and Efficacy—A Multicenter Study

Endovascular management of abdominal wall hematomas (AWHs) is now the primary treatment option in hemodynamically stable patients, and it is often preferred to surgical interventions. The purpose of this multicentric study was to assess the safety, technical, and clinical success of percutaneous transarterial embolization (PTAE) of spontaneous AWHs to evaluate the efficacy of blind or empiric embolization compared to targeted embolization and to compare the outcome of the endovascular treatment approach in patients affected by COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively enrolled 112 patients with spontaneous AWHs who underwent PTAE, focusing on signs of bleeding at pre-procedural CTA and DSA. Patients were separated into two groups depending on whether a blind or targeted embolization approach was used. We also divided patients into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. The mean age of the study population was 68.6 ± 15.8 years. CTA and DSA revealed signs of active bleeding in 99 and 88 patients, respectively. In 21 patients, blind embolization was performed. The overall technical success rate was 99%. Clinical success was obtained in 96 patients (86%), while 16 (14%) re-bled within 96 h. One patient reported a major peri-procedural complication. The comparison between blind and targeted embolization approaches showed no statistically significant differences in the characteristics of groups and technical and clinical success rates. No significant differences were found in the procedural outcome between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. Our study confirmed that PTAE is effective for treating spontaneous AWHs, even in COVID-19 patients. It suggests that the efficacy and safety of blind embolization are comparable to targeted embolization

Gaia data release 1: Principles of the photometric calibration of the G band

Context. Gaia is an ESA cornerstone mission launched on 19 December 2013 aiming to obtain the most complete and precise 3D map of our Galaxy by observing more than one billion sources. This paper is part of a series of documents explaining the data processing and its results for Gaia Data Release 1, focussing on the G band photometry. Aims. This paper describes the calibration model of the Gaia photometric passband for Gaia Data Release 1. Methods. The overall principle of splitting the process into internal and external calibrations is outlined. In the internal calibration, a self-consistent photometric system is generated. Then, the external calibration provides the link to the absolute photometric flux scales. Results. The Gaia photometric calibration pipeline explained here was applied to the first data release with good results. Details are given of the various calibration elements including the mathematical formulation of the models used and of the extraction and preparation of the required input parameters (e.g. colour terms). The external calibration in this first release provides the absolute zero point and photometric transformations from the Gaia G passband to other common photometric systems. Conclusions. This paper describes the photometric calibration implemented for the first Gaia data release and the instrumental effects taken into account. For this first release no aperture losses, radiation damage, and other second-order effects have not yet been implemented in the calibration.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, Gaia data release 1 documentation special volum

From urn models to zero-range processes: statics and dynamics

The aim of these lecture notes is a description of the statics and dynamics of zero-range processes and related models. After revisiting some conceptual aspects of the subject, emphasis is then put on the study of the class of zero-range processes for which a condensation transition arises.Comment: Lecture notes for the Luxembourg Summer School 200

Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics of the Zero-Range Process and Related Models

We review recent progress on the zero-range process, a model of interacting particles which hop between the sites of a lattice with rates that depend on the occupancy of the departure site. We discuss several applications which have stimulated interest in the model such as shaken granular gases and network dynamics, also we discuss how the model may be used as a coarse-grained description of driven phase-separating systems. A useful property of the zero-range process is that the steady state has a factorised form. We show how this form enables one to analyse in detail condensation transitions, wherein a finite fraction of particles accumulate at a single site. We review condensation transitions in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems and also summarise recent progress in understanding the dynamics of condensation. We then turn to several generalisations which also, under certain specified conditions, share the property of a factorised steady state. These include several species of particles; hop rates which depend on both the departure and the destination sites; continuous masses; parallel discrete-time updating; non-conservation of particles and sites.Comment: 54 pages, 9 figures, review articl

Interventional Radiological Management and Prevention of Complications after Pancreatic Surgery: Drainage, Embolization and Islet Auto-Transplantation

Pancreatic surgery still remains burdened by high levels of morbidity and mortality with a relevant incidence of complications, even in high volume centers. This review highlights the interventional radiological management of complications after pancreatic surgery. The current literature regarding the percutaneous drainage of fluid collections due to pancreatic fistulas, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage due to biliary leaks and transcatheter embolization (or stent–graft) due to arterial bleeding is analyzed. Moreover, also, percutaneous intra-portal islet auto-transplantation for the prevention of pancreatogenic diabetes in case of extended pancreatic resection is also examined. Moreover, a topic not usually treated in other similar reviewsas percutaneous intra-portal islet auto-transplantation for the prevention of pancreatogenic diabetes in case of extended pancreatic resection is also one of our areas of focus. In islet auto-transplantation, the patient is simultaneously donor and recipient. Differently from islet allo-transplantation, it does not require immunosuppression, has no risk of rejection and is usually efficient with a small number of transplanted islets