To give or not to give? Lessons from the arginine paradox

Arginine is one of the 20 amino acids (AA) found in proteins and synthesized by human cells. However, arginine is also the substrate for a series of reactions leading to the synthesis of other AA and is an obligatory substrate for two enzymes with diverging actions, arginases and nitric oxide synthases (NOS), giving origin to urea and NO, respectively. NO is a very potent vasodilator when produced by endothelial NOS (eNOS). The 'arginine paradox' is the fact that, despite intracellular physiological concentration of arginine being several hundred micromoles per liter, far exceeding the 3c5 \u3bcM K(M) of eNOS, the acute provision of exogenous arginine still increases NO production. Clinically, an additional paradox is that the largest controlled study on chronic oral arginine supplementation in patients after myocardial infarction had to be interrupted for excess mortality in treated patients. Expression and activity of arginases, which produce urea and divert arginine from NOS, are positively related to exogenous arginine supplementation. Therefore, the more arginine is introduced, the more it is destroyed, eventually leading to impaired NO production. In this review, conditions influencing the low arginine concentrations found in plasma will be reviewed, revising the paradigm that simple replenishment of what is lacking will always produce beneficial consequence

The Entrainment Rate of Non‐Boussinesq Hazardous Geophysical Gas‐Particle Flows: An Experimental Model With Application to Pyroclastic Density Currents

The entrainment rate of pyroclastic density currents is investigated by large‐scale experiments. The ground flows are initiated by the impact on the terrain of a dense gas‐particle fountain issuing from a cylindrical conduit, similarly to natural volcanic events. On impact, the excess density with respect to the surrounding atmosphere was up to 11.6 kg/m3, making the currents non‐Boussinesq. A power law model of the entrainment rate is developed, which is similar to that proposed for snow avalanches by Ancey (2004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JF000052) and is verified for the Richardson's number range between 0.25 and 5.95. Rapid changes of the entrainment are caused by (i) strong accelerations at the fountain impact on the ground; (ii) break in slope; and (iii) topographic obstacles. Such changes, together with the sedimentation rate, influence flow mobility. The use of the power law is suggested for modeling the motion of unsteady hazardous geophysical mass flows such as pyroclastic density currents and snow avalanches

La progettazione integrata nell\u2019industria agro-alimentare

Il caseificio esaminato \ue8 di tipo artigianale, poich\ue9 la caseificazione avviene ancora con tecniche tradizionali ad opera di 4 addetti. I locali destinati alla produzione, ricavati nell\u2019ambito di una vecchia azienda agricola, nonostante siano stati ristrutturati, risultano scarsamente adeguati ai requisiti igienici e di sicurezza richiesti per gli edifici destinati ad attivit\ue0 alimentare. Il layout non \ue8 lineare e rende difficile lo svolgimento delle attivit\ue0. Nella scelta delle finiture si nota una certa sensibilit\ue0 aziendale nell\u2019adeguarsi ai dettami del D.L.vo 155/97, ma certe strutture costituiscono un pericolo per l\u2019igiene e la sicurezza dei lavoratori

Unconventional and conventional quantum criticalities in CeRh0.58_{0.58}Ir0.42_{0.42}In5_5

An appropriate description of the state of matter that appears as a second order phase transition is tuned toward zero temperature, {\it viz.} quantum-critical point (QCP), poses fundamental and still not fully answered questions. Experiments are needed both to test basic conclusions and to guide further refinement of theoretical models. Here, charge and entropy transport properties as well as AC specific heat of the heavy-fermion compound CeRh$_{0.58}$Ir$_{0.42}$In$_5$, measured as a function of pressure, reveal two qualitatively different QCPs in a {\it single} material driven by a {\it single} non-symmetry-breaking tuning parameter. A discontinuous sign-change jump in thermopower suggests an unconventional QCP at $p_{c1}$ accompanied by an abrupt Fermi-surface reconstruction that is followed by a conventional spin-density-wave critical point at $p_{c2}$ across which the Fermi surface evolves smoothly to a heavy Fermi-liquid state. These experiments are consistent with some theoretical predictions, including the sequence of critical points and the temperature dependence of the thermopower in their vicinity.Comment: 21+3 pages, 4+2 figures. Change the title, figures et a

Thoracoscopy in pleural effusion –two techniques: awake single-access video-assisted thoracic surgery versus 2-ports video-assisted thoracic surgery under general anesthesia

Awake single access video-assisted thoracic surgery with local anesthesia improves procedure tolerance, reduces postoperative stay and costs. MATERIALS & METHODS: Local anesthesia was made with lidocaine and ropivacaine. We realize one 20 mm incision for the 'single-access', and two incisions for the '2-trocars technique'. RESULTS: Mortality rate was 0% in both groups. Postoperative stay: 3dd ± 4 versus 4dd ± 5, mean operative time: 39 min versus 37 min (p < 0.05). Chest tube duration: 2dd ± 5 versus 3dd ± 6. COMPLICATIONS: 11/95 versus 10/79. CONCLUSION: Awake technique reduce postoperative hospital stay and chest drainage duration, similar complications and recurrence rate. The authors can say that 'awake single-access VATS' is an optimal diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of pleural effusions, but above extends surgical indication to high-risk patients

Nodular histiocytic/mesothelial hyperplasia as consequence of chronic mesothelium irritation by sub-phrenic abscess.

Nodular histiocytic/mesothelial hyperplasia (NHMH) is a benign localized alteration, first described in 1975 by Rosai in the hernia sac [1]. Few pulmonary cases have been reported in literature [2–6]. Sometimes it has been reported in the pericardium [7,8] or presenting as an inguinal mass [9]. The ‘mesothelial/monocytic incidental cardiac excrescence’, first described by Weinot et al. in 1994 [10] is now considered a similar lesion to NHMH [11]. It consists of a reactive proliferation of histiocytes and mesothelium secondary to chronic irritation and it has been observed in pleura-damaging processes, such as pneumothorax [5], or as consequence of cardiac catheterization, inflammation, mechanical or tumor stimulation [11]. The rarity of NHMH and the moderate cytological atypia often present, make this lesion difficult to diagnose. It can be easily confused with primary mesothelial lesions and neoplasms such as adenocarcinomas, granulosa cell tumors or Langerhans’ histiocytosis. We report a case of pleural NHMH in a patient with a subphrenic abscess, in which no pulmonary pathogenic noxa was evident. We hypothesize a transdiaphragmatic chronic irritation as a pathogenetic mechanism underlying NHMH

La progettazione integrata applicata a piccoli caseifici e malghe della Val Camonica

L\u2019indagine, condotta su piccole realt\ue0 casearie della Val Camonica, applicando la metodologia della \u201cprogettazione integrata\u201d, ha posto in evidenza i principali elementi critici relativi agli aspetti strutturali, ambientali e gestionali: i layout non garantiscono sufficienti condizioni igieniche, i rivestimenti non sono sufficientemente resistenti agli urti, le pendenze non agevolano il drenaggio dell\u2019acqua, alcune parti di soffitto e pareti presentano macchie d\u2019umido e muffe, le operazioni di manutenzione e pulizia di locali e apparecchi di illuminazione non sono svolte con sufficiente cura. Pertanto sulla base di quanto emerso sono stati individuati nuovi criteri progettuali al fine di ridurre l\u2019insorgenza di conflittualit\ue0 nell\u2019applicazione dei regolamenti vigenti

Identifying physical hazard for intensive pig and cattle breeding operators and defining prevention measures

The aim of this paper is to highlight the main objectives and achievements of the project "Identifying chemical, physical and biological hazards for intensive pig and cattle breeding operators and defining prevention measures", carried out by the Lombardy Region with the aim of enhancing the effects of the programme \u201cpreventive interventions in agriculture\u201d. The project has therefore strongly affected preventive policies at local and regional levels. Since primary production is "a complex system", a systematically integrated approach has been necessarily adopted, therefore different bodies and levels of government have been involved in the project in order to devise a regional integrated agricultural policy. The characteristic of the regional plan and its implementation at local level is to pursue integrated objectives in many fields: \u2022 information (registers of accidents and occupational hazards, analysis of the prevention at farm level and its evolution); \u2022 measures (definition of priorities and information campaigns); \u2022 training (production and dissemination of educational materials and manuals, setting up of communication strategies with all those involved, systematic training for public officials); \u2022 development (devising of guidelines, promotion and validation of crop and/or sector exposure/risk profiles, promotion of farm management systems taking into account prevention measures). This research project was perfectly in tune with the broader context of activities, providing essential information and contributing to the drafting of the guidelines on hygiene and safety in rural buildings "(BURL of 10/02/2006, 3 \ub0 suppl. Overtime) and to the promotion of farm management systems taking into account prevention measures. The project activities have analysed all preliminary aspects necessary to describe the production, and provide a framework to define risk factors and to identify a representative sample of the main breeding and production techniques in order to assess, even by quantitative measures, chemical, physical, biological risk factors. In particular, and to be concise, this work quantifies the main physical hazards (lighting, microclimate, noise) with detailed measurements and explains the main prevention measures put forward for intensive dairy cattle and pig farming