Pulmonary artery thrombosis in home patient with a mild COVID-19 disease

Abstract COVID-19 has been described as the cause for a proinflammatory and hypercoagulable state that induces thrombotic vascular lesions and, in more severe cases, disseminated intravascular coagulation. Increased values of d-dimers are related to the severity of the disease and are associated with worst prognosis. Intensive care studies reported an increased risk of pulmonary embolism and venous thrombosis diseases in COVID-19 compared with the historical control group even in patients who underwent the low-molecular-weight heparin (LWMH) prophylaxis. Patients with COVID-19 who have a stable clinical condition do not require hospitalisation and are treated at home with symptomatic therapy. LWMH is reserved for those with reduced mobility. In this case report, we describe a COVID-19 patient with pulmonary artery thrombosis treated at home

A New Approach to Enhance the Strategic Impact of Digital Education in Universities and to Foster the Development of a High Performing Common EU Smart Education Ecosystem

In response to the negative COVID-19 impacts, it is urgent to support digital transformation plans at all levels of educational online activities. Fundamental it is also to support new inclusive digital pedagogical methods and skills for a resilient free adoption of digital tools for academic teachers (digital integrated learning, advanced multimedia, but also hybrid and interactive new methodologies, 3D, VR, holographic tools, etc.) and allow effective use for students, including participants with fewer opportunities: physically impaired (deaf, blind, paralytic), cognitive impaired and low-income students. This to create the condition of a more EU integrated strategy to consent the proposal for a Council Recommendation on the enabling factors for successful digital education by 2022–2025. We are following and improving the recommendations of OECD and UN, of EU Future Government 2030+, of EU’s strategy for e-Skills in the 21st Century, of KES international network and of FOME - Future of Management Education international scientific alliance. Also, some new EU Directives will imply a real digital revolution in educational processes and learning skills. So digital technologies have made this transition possible: surely, there have been a number of e-learning platforms for some years now, but their role has only in the last months gained massive relevance concurrently with the pandemic global situation. Only a few EU Universities are already ready for good quality distance learning, with tools for course management, including live sessions, interactive teaching and collaborative activities. Most EU Universities had to cope with the emergency situation that called for a quick organizational and cultural rearrangement and a change of learning strategies, which perhaps represented the most difficult step for teachers and students. Digital technologies are becoming very relevant at the EU level for teachers and students. However, the current limitations on the movement of people and teaching hours may restrict this type of delivery. For this reason, the described EDU-GATE initiative is providing a detailed European multi-sectoral analysis indicating the comparison of current situations of teaching digitalization (As-Is and To-Be analysis), together with a transversal needs’ analysis. Also, a smart innovative curriculum, including the most advanced educational design and delivering techniques, has been created for the improvement of teachers’ skills. Almost 12 innovative multimedia e-modules have been prepared, permitting effective learning activities and to share best practices in the EU

STAT5 drives abnormal proliferation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) leads to renal failure. The hallmark of ADPKD is increased epithelial proliferation, which has been proposed to be due to atypical signaling including abnormal JAK-STAT activity. However, the relative contribution of JAK-STAT family members in promoting proliferation in ADPKD is unknown. Here, we present siRNA JAK-STAT-focused screens discovering a previously unknown proliferative role for multiple JAK-STAT components (including STAT1, STAT2, STAT4, STAT5a, and STAT5b). Amongst these, we selected to study the growth hormone/growth hormone receptor/STAT5-axis because of its known role as a regulator of growth in nonrenal tissues. Loss of STAT5 function, facilitated by pharmacological inhibition or siRNAs, significantly reduced proliferation with an associated reduction in cyst growth in vitro. To study whether STAT5 is abnormally activated in vivo, we analyzed its expression using two independent mouse models of ADPKD. STAT5 was nuclear, thus activated, in renal epithelial cyst lining cells in both models. To test whether forced activation of STAT5 can modulate proliferation of renal cells in vivo, irrespective of the Pkd1 status, we overexpressed growth hormone. These mice showed increased STAT5 activity in renal epithelial cells, which correlated with de novo expression of cyclin D1, a STAT5 target gene. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that STAT5 transcriptionally activated cyclin D1 in a growth hormone-dependent fashion, thus providing a mechanism into how STAT5 enhances proliferation. Finally, we provide evidence of elevated serum growth hormone in Pkd1 mutant mice. Thus, the growth hormone/STAT5 signaling axis is a novel therapeutic target in ADPKD

All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory: Exploring the Extreme Multimessenger Universe

The All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory (AMEGO) is a probe class mission concept that will provide essential contributions to multimessenger astrophysics in the late 2020s and beyond. AMEGO combines high sensitivity in the 200 keV to 10 GeV energy range with a wide field of view, good spectral resolution, and polarization sensitivity. Therefore, AMEGO is key in the study of multimessenger astrophysical objects that have unique signatures in the gamma-ray regime, such as neutron star mergers, supernovae, and flaring active galactic nuclei. The order-of-magnitude improvement compared to previous MeV missions also enables discoveries of a wide range of phenomena whose energy output peaks in the relatively unexplored medium-energy gamma-ray band

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP FOR VISUAL AND TACTILE EVALUATION OF MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS THROUGH NAPPING® PROCEDURE

Selection and definition of materials surfaces in product design can be driven by the sensory effect conceived. Certain characteristics that can be perceived through the sense of vision can also be perceived through the sense of touch. As a consequence, the sense of touch also plays an important role in functional user-product interactions. In this paper, a specific setup dedicated to Napping® evaluation with a focus on visual and tactile modalities is presented, using untrained subjects. This procedure allows highlighting the main perceptions the subjects have about the materials. It enables to rank the sample attributes that are perceived by the subjects when different sensory modalities are used. In particular visual-tactual incongruity can be highlighted, which can be of interest in product design. For instance, with our set of materials, in tactile perception, the primary axis clearly opposes slick and scratchy perceptions. In the visual test, the samples exhibiting large features are clearly set apart from samples exhibiting no features (slick). The other samples are gathered in between. In the visuo-tactile test, a hybrid perception is observe

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Target Approach for Undiagnosed Dysglycaemia

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the field of genomics and created new opportunities for basic research. We described the strategy for the NGS validation of the "dysglycaemia panel" composed by 44 genes related to glucose metabolism disorders (MODY, Wolfram syndrome) and familial renal glycosuria using Ion AmpliSeq technology combined with Ion-PGM. Anonymized DNA of 32 previously genotyped cases with 33 different variants were used to optimize the methodology. Standard protocol was used to generate the primer design, library, template preparation, and sequencing. Ion Reporter tool was used for data analysis. In all the runs, the mean coverage was over 200x. Twenty-nine out of thirty three variants (96.5%) were detected; four frameshift variants were missed. All point mutations were detected with high sensitivity. We identified three further variants of unknown significance in addition to pathogenic mutations previously identified by Sanger sequencing. The NGS panel allowed us to identify pathogenic variants in multiple genes in a short time. This could help to identify several defects in children and young adults that have to receive the genetic diagnosis necessary for optimal treatment. In order not to lose any pathogenic variants, Sanger sequencing is included in our analytical protocol to avoid missing frameshift variants

Resolution of pulmonary artery thrombosis in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease

Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been widely described as the cause for a proinflammatory and hypercoagulable state. The inflammatory process involving the alveolar vascular endothelium in the respiratory system, is a determining factor for the onset of primary Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis (PAT) even in patients with heparin prophylactic treatment. Little is known about the efficacy of the anticoagulant therapy during the course of PAT caused by COVID-19. In this paper we describe the results obtained in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease, previously threated with prophylactic enoxaparin, who then received full Anticoagulant treatment after diagnosis of PAT. After three months Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography demonstrated a complete resolution of the vascular obstructive lesions in all patients, while all the coagulation tests were normal