A parabolic approach to the control of opinion spreading

We analyze the problem of controlling to consensus a nonlinear system modeling opinion spreading. We derive explicit exponential estimates on the cost of approximately controlling these systems to consensus, as a function of the number of agents N and the control time-horizon T. Our strategy makes use of known results on the controllability of spatially discretized semilinear parabolic equations. Both systems can be linked through time-rescalin

Cadmium and arsenic affect root development in Oryza sativa L. negatively interacting with auxin

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), non essential, but toxic, elements for animals and plants are frequently present in paddy fields. Oryza sativa L., a staple food for at least the half of world population, easily absorbs As and Cd by the root, and in this organ the pollutants evoke consistent damages, reducing/modifying the root system. Auxins are key hormones in regulating all developmental processes, including root organogenesis. Moreover, plants respond to environmental stresses, such as those caused by Cd and As, by changing levels and distribution of endogenous phytohormones. Even though the effects of Cd and As on the roots have been investigated in some species, it remains necessary to deepen the knowledge about the cross-talk between these toxic elements and auxin during root formation and development, in particular in agronomically important plants, such as rice. Hence, the research goal was to investigate the interactions between Cd and As, alone or combined, and auxin during the development of rice roots. To reach the aim, morphological, histological and histochemical analyses were carried out on seedlings, exposed or not to Cd and/or As, belonging to the wild type and transgenic lines useful for monitoring indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) localization, i.e., OsDR5:GUS, and IAA cellular influx and efflux, i.e., OsAUX1:GUS and OsPIN5b:GUS. Moreover, the transcript levels of the YUCCA2 and ASA2, IAA biosynthetic genes were also monitored in Cd and/or As exposed wild type seedlings. The results highlight that As and Cd affect cyto-histology and morphology of the roots. In particular, they alter the lateral root primordia organization and development with negative consequences on root system architecture. This is due to a disturbance of IAA biosynthesis and transport, as indicated by the altered expression of both ASA2 and YUCCA2 biosynthetic genes, and AUX1 and PIN5b transporter genes

Is the Focal Muscle Vibration an Effective Motor Conditioning Intervention? A Systematic Review

Mechanical vibration, applied to single or few muscles, can be a selective stimulus for muscle spindles, able to modify neuromuscular management, inducing short and long-term effects, are now mainly employed in clinic studies. Several studies reported as treatments with focal vibratory (FVT) can influence neuromuscular parameters also in healthy people. However, the application modalities and the consequent effects are remarkably fragmented. This paper aims to review these studies and to characterize the FVT effectiveness on long-term conditional capacities in relation to FVT characteristics. A systematic search of studies published from 1985 to 2020 in English on healthcare databases was performed. Articles had to meet the following criteria: (1) treatment based on a locally applied vibration on muscle belly or tendon; (2) healthy adults involved; (3) outcomes time analysis enduring for more than 24 h. Twelve studies were found, all of them presented an excellent quality score of 6575%. All selected papers reported positive changes, comparable with traditional long-lasting training effects. Muscle force and power were the most investigated parameters. The after-effects persisted for up to several months. Among the different FV administration modalities, the most effective seems to show a stimulus frequency of 48100 Hz, repeated more times within three-five days on a voluntary contracted muscle

Reliability of miRNA Analysis from Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

In clinical practice, patients\u2019 tissues are fixed and paraffin-embedded in order to enable histological diagnosis. Nowadays, those tissues are also used for molecular characterization. Formalin is the most used fixative worldwide, and Bouin\u2019s solution in some worldwide institutions. Among molecular targets, micro RNAs (miRNAs), the single-stranded non-coding RNAs comprised of 18 to 24 nucleotides, have been demonstrated to be resistant to fixation and paraffin-embedding processes, with consequent possible application in clinical practice. In the present study, let-7e-5p, miR-423-3p, miR-92a-1-5p, miR-30d-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-200a-3p, and miR-429 were investigated in formalin and matched Bouin\u2019s solution-fixed tissues of high grade serous ovarian cancers by means of real-time and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Micro RNAs were detectable and analyzable in both formalin- and Bouin\u2019s-fixed specimens, but on average, higher Ct values and lower copies/\u3bcL were found in Bouin\u2019s-fixed samples. Data from formalin-fixed samples correlated significantly for most targets with Bouin\u2019s ones, except for let-7e-5p and miR-155-5p. This study shows that miRNAs are analyzable in both formalin- and Bouin\u2019s-fixed specimens, with the possibility, after proper data normalization, to compare miRNA-based data from formalin-fixed samples to those of Bouin\u2019s-fixed ones

Fine-scale fern ecological responses inform on riparian forest habitat conservation status

The recognition of the ecological quality of ecosystems and habitats therein is increasingly important in the Anthropocene. However, there are still scarcely explored ways of how and what to assess to obtain a sound ecological status of habitats. Ferns are an understudied plant group, especially given their usefulness as ecological indicators. Disentangling biotic and abiotic factors that drive fine-scale fern distribution could provide insight into the quality of their habitats. We investigated the environmental factors affecting the distribution of different largely distributed fern species in Europe. We studied their presence and abundance at different life stages in a forest habitat of European priority conservation concern. Our aim was to understand whether fern species can be used as an ecological indicator group in riparian alderwood habitat. We sampled 120 plots of 50 m(2) in randomly selected transects along streams of a riparian forest habitat characterized by the presence of many fern species in the understory, controlling for the effects of geology and elevation. Within each plot, fern species were recorded, including vegetative and generative stages of each ramet (rosette of fronds). We modelled fern occurrence and abundance for the different fern life stages, and diversity indices of the fern community in relation to environmental predictors. We found that population- and community-level responses of ferns mainly depended on soil granulometry and, to a lesser extent, moss cover and stream orientation. We also found that the generative life stage compared to the vegetative adult stage benefits from different ecological characteristics for certain fern species. Alterations of the natural hydrology might lead to a general deterioration in habitat quality for ferns. We suggest that some fern species acting as early-warning species, and potentially their life stages, can be used as an ecological quality indicator for riparian forest habitats. This study deepened the understanding of the fine-scale ecology of an array of European ferns in riparian forests and provides valuable information to assist in the conservation of fern species and their populations

APPLICATION OF DUPLEX STAINLESS STEEL FOR WELDED BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Maintenance costs are a significant item in life cycle of steel bridges, becoming of paramount importance in aggressive environments. The use of duplex stainless steels for bridge decks would be a major step forward in providing durable, low maintenance structures, exploiting both their corrosion resistance and high mechanical properties, capable of meeting in full the required structural safety performances. A research project partially funded by the EU research programme RFCS (Research Fund for Coal and Steel, Bridgeplex contract RFS-CR-04040) is developing technical information on the use of duplex stainless steel in welded bridge construction via mechanical testing and numerical analyses, so as to provide indications suitable to form the basis for an upgrade of Eurocode 3 [1] and to allow a reliable Life Cycle Cost analysis for this kind of structures so as to address the best material choice for the future bridges. The project is still in progress but first results are available. This paper gives an overview of the project and summarizes results obtained, deeper detailed in other papers presented at the International Conference Duplex 2007 ([5] and [6]). In particular the paper is concerned with: · overview of critical details in a welded bridge deck and relevant data available in literature also on austenitic and austeno-ferritic steels; and · economical evaluations considering maintenance aspects and fabrication costs showing the advantages of the application of duplex stainless steel to defined bridge typologies

Diagnostic value of qualitative and strain ratio elastography in the differential diagnosis of non-palpable testicular lesions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the accuracy of qualitative and strain ratio elastography (SE) in the differential diagnosis of non-palpable testicular lesions. The local review board approved the protocol and all patients gave their consent. One hundred and six patients with non-palpable testicular lesions were consecutively enrolled. Baseline ultrasonography (US) and SE were correlated with clinical and histological features and ROC curves developed for diagnostic accuracy. The non-palpable lesions were all ≤1.5 cm; 37/106 (34.9%) were malignant, 38 (35.9%) were benign, and 31 (29.2%) were non-neoplastic. Independent risk factors for malignancy were as follows: size (OR 17.788; p = 0.002), microlithiasis (OR 17.673, p < 0.001), intralesional vascularization (OR 9.207, p = 0.006), and hypoechogenicity (OR, 11.509, p = 0.036). Baseline US had 89.2% sensitivity (95% CI 74.6-97.0) and 85.5% specificity (95% CI 75.0-92.8) in identifying malignancies, and 94.6% sensitivity (95% CI 86.9-98.5) and 87.1% specificity (95% CI 70.2-96.4) in discriminating neoplasms from non-neoplastic lesions. An elasticity score (ES) of 3 out of 3 (ES3, maximum hardness) was recorded in 30/37 (81.1%) malignant lesions (p < 0.001). An intermediate score of 2 (ES2) was recorded in 19/38 (36.8%) benign neoplastic lesions and in 22/31 (71%) non-neoplastic lesions (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001 vs. malignancies). None of the non-neoplastic lesions scored ES3. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between ES3 and malignancy (χ2 = 42.212, p < 0.001). ES1 and ES2 were predictors of benignity (p < 0.01). Overall, SE was 81.8% sensitive (95% CI 64.8-92.0) and 79.1% specific (95% CI 68.3-88.4) in identifying malignancies, and 58.6% sensitive (95% CI 46.7-69.9) and 100% specific (95% CI 88.8-100) in discriminating non-neoplastic lesions. Strain ratio measurement did not improve the accuracy of qualitative elastography. Strain ratio measurement offers no improvement over elastographic qualitative assessment of testicular lesions; testicular SE may support conventional US in identifying non-neoplastic lesions when findings are controversial, but its added value in clinical practice remains to be proven

SARS-CoV-2 and companion animals: sources of information and communication campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

This study analyzed data on the sources and the level of Italians’ awareness on the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 at the human–animal interface. Data were collected through a survey-type investigation on a representative sample of the Italian population. Forty-five percent of the interviewees were aware that companion animals could be infected by SARS-CoV-2. However, 29.8% were familiar with preventive measures to adopt to avoid viral transmission between infected humans and companion animals, and only 20.7% knew which companion animals could be at risk of infection. Higher awareness regarding the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between animals and humans (51.7%) and the measures to prevent it (33.3%) was detected among companion animals’ owners. Notably, 40.4% of interviewees were not informed at all. Television broadcasts (26.4%) represented the main source of information, while only 3.5% of the interviewees relied on veterinarians, of which 31.9% considered this source of information as the most trustworthy. Overall, 72.4% of Italians recognized that the communication campaign on COVID-19 and companion animals was inadequate. This survey highlights the need for increasing the public awareness of the risk of companion animals being infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the involvement of professionals in the public communication on zoonoses. © 2023 by the authors

Jasmonate promotes auxin-induced adventitious rooting in dark-grown Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings and stem thin cell layers by a cross-talk with ethylene signalling and a modulation of xylogenesis

Background: Adventitious roots (ARs) are often necessary for plant survival, and essential for successful micropropagation. In Arabidopsis thaliana dark-grown seedlings AR-formation occurs from the hypocotyl and is enhanced by application of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) combined with kinetin (Kin). The same IBA + Kin-treatment induces AR-formation in thin cell layers (TCLs). Auxin is the main inducer of AR-formation and xylogenesis in numerous species and experimental systems. Xylogenesis is competitive to AR-formation in Arabidopsis hypocotyls and TCLs. Jasmonates (JAs) negatively affect AR-formation in de-etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings, but positively affect both AR-formation and xylogenesis in tobacco dark-grown IBA + Kin TCLs. In Arabidopsis the interplay between JAs and auxin in AR-formation vs xylogenesis needs investigation. In de-etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings, the Auxin Response Factors ARF6 and ARF8 positively regulate AR-formation and ARF17 negatively affects the process, but their role in xylogenesis is unknown. The cross-talk between auxin and ethylene (ET) is also important for AR-formation and xylogenesis, occurring through EIN3/EIL1 signalling pathway. EIN3/EIL1 is the direct link for JA and ET-signalling. The research investigated JA role on AR-formation and xylogenesis in Arabidopsis dark-grown seedlings and TCLs, and the relationship with ET and auxin. The JA-donor methyl-jasmonate (MeJA), and/or the ET precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid were applied, and the response of mutants in JA-synthesis and -signalling, and ET-signalling investigated. Endogenous levels of auxin, JA and JA-related compounds, and ARF6, ARF8 and ARF17 expression were monitored. Results: MeJA, at 0.01 μM, enhances AR-formation, when combined with IBA + Kin, and the response of the early-JA-biosynthesis mutant dde2–2 and the JA-signalling mutant coi1–16 confirmed this result. JA levels early change during TCL-culture, and JA/JA-Ile is immunolocalized in AR-tips and xylogenic cells. The high AR-response of the late JA-biosynthesis mutant opr3 suggests a positive action also of 12-oxophytodienoic acid on AR-formation. The crosstalk between JA and ET-signalling by EIN3/EIL1 is critical for AR-formation, and involves a competitive modulation of xylogenesis. Xylogenesis is enhanced by a MeJA concentration repressing AR-formation, and is positively related to ARF17 expression. Conclusions: The JA concentration-dependent role on AR-formation and xylogenesis, and the interaction with ET opens the way to applications in the micropropagation of recalcitrant species

Characteristics of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Abkhazia (Georgia), a high-prevalence area in Eastern Europe

Although multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in Eastern Europe, the factors contributing to emergence, spread and containment of MDR-TB are not well defined. Here, we analysed the characteristics of drug-resistant TB in a cross-sectional study in Abkhazia (Georgia) between 2003 and 2005, where standard short-course chemotherapy is supplemented with individualized drug-resistance therapy. Drug susceptibility testing (DST) and molecular typing were carried out for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains from consecutive smear-positive TB patients. Out of 366 patients, 60.4% were resistant to any first-line drugs and 21% had MDR-TB. Overall, 25% of all strains belong to the Beijing genotype, which was found to be strongly associated with the risk of MDR-TB (OR 25.9, 95% CI 10.2-66.0) and transmission (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-5.0). One dominant MDR Beijing clone represents 23% of all MDR-TB cases. The level of MDR-TB did not decline during the study period, coinciding with increasing levels of MDR Beijing strains among previously treated cases. Standard chemotherapy plus individualized drug-resistance therapy, guided by conventional DST, might be not sufficient to control MDR-TB in Eastern Europe in light of the spread of "highly transmissible" MDR Beijing strains circulating in the community