Solving parity games: Explicit vs symbolic

In this paper we provide a broad investigation of the symbolic approach for solving Parity Games. Specifically, we implement in a fresh tool, called, four symbolic algorithms to solve Parity Games and compare their performances to the corresponding explicit versions for different classes of games. By means of benchmarks, we show that for random games, even for constrained random games, explicit algorithms actually perform better than symbolic algorithms. The situation changes, however, for structured games, where symbolic algorithms seem to have the advantage. This suggests that when evaluating algorithms for parity-game solving, it would be useful to have real benchmarks and not only random benchmarks, as the common practice has been

Genetic characterization of the Bardigiano horse using microsatellite markers

The study was aimed at investigating the genetic structure of the Bardigiano horse and its relationships with the Haflinger, Maremmano and Arabian breeds using 11 microsatellite markers. A total of 94 alleles were detected across the breeds, with a mean of 8.5 alleles per locus and a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.69. Compared to the other breeds, the Bardigiano horse showed quite a high genetic variability, as indicated by the mean number of alleles (7.0 vs 6.1÷7.6) and by the observed heterozygosity (0.72 vs 0.66÷0.71). Moreover, the genotype distributions in the Bardigiano groups of different sex and age were not significantly different. The overall FST value showed that the genetic differences among breeds accounted for 7.8% (P=0.001) of the total variation, and the pairwise FST values were all significant. The assignment test allocated between 96.8 and 98.9% of the individuals to the population they were collected from, with a mean probability of assignment of about 97% for all breeds, except for the Arabian, where it approached 100%. The results have highlighted that the Bardigiano breed has a high within and between breed variability, which is considerably more than could be expected by looking at its evolution history. This justifies the need for the development of additional breeding strategies to preserve the existing genetic variability

High-Definition Ultrasound Characterization of Squamous Carcinoma of the Tongue: A Descriptive Observational Study

High-definition ultrasonography is a diagnostic tool that uses sound echoes to produce images of tissues and organs. In the head and neck region, ultrasounds have been used to diagnose different types of lesions. The intraoral approach was shown to be a real-time, non-invasive way to characterize oral lesions. The tongue is the most often examined region because of its accessibility. This observational study aimed to describe the qualitative characteristics of tongue squamous cell carcinoma images obtained with high-definition intraoral ultrasound by comparing them with the corresponding histopathological sample. Twenty patients were enrolled in this study. The scans of the lesions were carried out with an 18 MHz linear ultrasound probe following the long axis of the lesion. For each lesion, five frames were selected, on which descriptive analysis was performed. A histological sample was taken and then compared to the ultrasonographic acquisition. The so-nographic appearance of the tissue layers has a good correlation between ultrasound and histolog-ical morphology, and it was easy to distinguish the tumor from the homogenous composition of the tongue tissues. Furthermore, a correlation between the structure by section and pattern of tumor margin features by ultrasound was obtained. Intraoral ultrasonography appears to be a promising technique in the non-invasive characterization of tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Further studies will be needed to improve the technique in terms of ergonomics and repeatability

Evolution of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals upon post-synthesis annealing under an inert atmosphere

Annealing a film of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) leads to the removal of surface ligands and ripening of the NCs below 200 °C

Neurological sequelae in patients with covid-19: A histopathological perspective

Background: Neuroinvasive properties of SARS-CoV-2 have allowed the hypothesis of several pathogenic mechanisms related to acute and chronic neurological sequelae. However, neu-ropathological correlates have been poorly systematically investigated, being retrieved from reports of single case or limited case series still. Methods: A PubMed search was carried out to review all publications on autopsy in subjects with “COronaVIrus Disease-19” (COVID-19). Among them, we focused on histological findings of the brain, which were compared with those from the authors’ autoptic studies performed in some COVID-19 patients. Results: Only seven studies reported histological evidence of brain pathology in patients deceased for COVID-19, including three with reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction evidence of viral infection. All these studies, in line with our experience, showed vascular-related and infection-related secondary inflammatory tissue damage due to an abnormal immune response. It is still unclear, however, whether these findings are the effect of a direct viral pathology or rather reflect a non-specific consequence of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease on the brain. Conclusions: Notwithstanding the limited evidence available and the heterogeneity of the studies, we provide a preliminary description of the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and brain sequelae. Systematic autoptic investigations are needed for accurate detection and adequate management of these patients

Effects of conventional and organic feed on the mineral composition of cultured European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a widely consumed marine fish in Mediterranean areas, and different farming techniques are applied for fish culturing to satisfy the growing demand for seafood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of conventional and organic feed on the quality of cultured European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) collected during the growth period. The concentrations of ash, moisture, essential macro-elements (Ca, K, Mg, Na and P), micro-elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn) and toxic elements (As, Cd, and Pb) were determined in feeds and in fillets of cultured fish. The results were compared to those obtained from wild sea bass. Results showed that the differences between organic diet-fed and conventional diet-fed sea basses varied in relation to the specific element measured and the growth period. The former showed higher concentration of Fe, Mg and Cr, and lower Na content. The amount of P, Na, Fe, Cu and Cr in wild sea bass was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher than that found in farmed fish. The levels of toxic elements in cultured sea bass were always within the allowed limit for fishery products. Wild samples had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher content of arsenic and lead than farmed sea bass. Cultured fish represent a valuable dietary source of essential macro- and micro-elements. Controlled rearing systems and feedings were related to a decrease in the presence of some toxic metals in cultured fish compared with wild fish

Sub-wavelength focusing of high intensities in microfibre tips

Sub-wavelength efficient intensity confinement has been demonstrated in nanostructured optical microfibre tips. Focus Ion Beam (FIB) milling was used to nanostructure gold-coated optical microfibre tips and form apertures at the apex. Simulations were carried out to optimize the device design. Enhanced transmission efficiency (higher than 10-2) was achieved in spot sizes of ~λ/10. Nanostructured microfibre tips have the potential for a number of applications including optical recording, photolithography and scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM)