The shape of the liquid plain: sicilian salt flats

This paper analyzes the salt flats as a place for the mixing of knowledge and experiences that originate and substantiate life: from the application of physical, chemical and biological principles to produce salt, to economic laws to regulate sales and trade, to aspects socio-anthropological aspects underlying the life of the communities that worked in production. A patrimony of material and immaterial overlaps, generated by the redesign of a segment of territory with physical and positional characteristics median between sea and land, and in which man strives to obtain fundamental resources for his livelihood. Given the complex moment of crisis and gradual abandonment that these particular ecological, anthropological and landscape systems are going through - in an attempt to avert the impending oblivion - the action of preserving this inestimable heritage could be restarted through an overturning of the consolidated reading key: evolve from the pervasion of the traditional taxonomic conception – or the intending of the landscape as a mediation between aesthetics and science - to arrive at an analysis, supported by the graphic-perceptive tools proper to the architect, of the traces left by human events on the territory

OSAS severity is associated to decreased heart rate turbulence slope

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been associated to impaired baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) which has recently been shown to be non-invasively assessed by heart rate turbulence (HRT) analysis. Although HRT seems to be better suited than traditional heart rate variability indexes for autonomic assessment in presence of respiratory and arrhythmic disorders, very few papers addressed its evaluation in OSAS. Aim of the study is to find out whether and to which extend HRT is associated to OSAS severity. We studied HRT in polysomnographic recordings of 221 mild to severe OSAS pts. Results showed that, while HRT onset values did not significantly differ between mild (-0,78±1,50), moderate (-0,89±1,78) and severe (-0,70±1,28) pts., HRT slope significantly decreases (Kruskal-Wallis P value <0.05) from mild (3,27±2,7) to moderate (2,6±2,6) and severe (1,98±2,5) pts., with a significant Dunn's multiple comparisons post test only between mild vs. severe OSAS pts. Data indicate that the main BRS alterations do not appear in the early HRT phase triggered by transient vagal inhibition, but during the slow one, due to the sympathetic hyperactivity affecting the heart rate recovery. These findings support the conclusion that HRT assessment could have a prognostic value related to the development of cardiovascular disease in OSAS

On the use of virtual reality in software visualization: The case of the city metaphor

Background: Researchers have been exploring 3D representations for visualizing software. Among these representations, one of the most popular is the city metaphor, which represents a target object-oriented system as a virtual city. Recently, this metaphor has been also implemented in interactive software visualization tools that use virtual reality in an immersive 3D environment medium. Aims: We assessed the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality with respect to the support provided in the comprehension of Java software systems. Method: We conducted a controlled experiment where we asked the participants to fulfill program comprehension tasks with the support of (i) an integrated development environment (Eclipse) with a plugin for gathering code metrics and identifying bad smells; and (ii) a visualization tool of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality. Results: The use of the city metaphor displayed on a standard computer screen and in an immersive virtual reality significantly improved the correctness of the solutions to program comprehension tasks with respect to Eclipse. Moreover, when carrying out these tasks, the participants using the city metaphor displayed in an immersive virtual reality were significantly faster than those visualizing with the city metaphor on a standard computer screen. Conclusions: Virtual reality is a viable means for software visualization

Sudden cardiac death and coronary artery anomalies in the athletes: A narrative review

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the athletes is an unexpected dramatic event. The mechanism underneath SCD is often represented by a ventricular tachyarrhythmia arising as complication of a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, with a silent clinical course. Therefore, SCD often represents the onset manifestation of an underlying heart disease. To prevent SCD in the athletes, several international guidelines proposed pre-participation screening protocols to identify high-risk subjects. Behind atherosclerotic diseases, other structural or functional conditions have been related to SCD, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, QT-long syndrome, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, and others. Among these, the coronary artery anomalies represent almost the 20% of all cases. The coronary artery anomalies can be classified into anomalies of origin, course and termination and can be isolated or associated with other congenital cardiac defects. Some of them are rarely symptomatic. Others could impair heart function and determine SCD. Some others determine secondary cardiovascular diseases such as increased risk of endocarditis, secondary aortic valve diseases, myocardial ischemia, and others. Innovative diagnostic and therapeutic options allowed to recognize the different coronary artery anomalies, preventing SCD in athletes. The aim of this review was to analyse coronary artery anomalies to understand their implications in SCD in athletes

CRT-146 Follow-up Results And Health-related Quality-of-life After Implantation Of Left Ventricular Passive Containment Device For Heart Failure And Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Se refiere al protagonismo de los medios en problemas de corrupción gubernamental y la desgastada credibilidad de los medios ante el público y la ciudadanía. Otro artículo ilustra los cambios de actitud latentes en medios nuevos y tradicionales. En la agenda política latinoamericana la reforma de las comunicaciones es prioritaria. La evolución de los medios en tan crucial para la sociedad que ningún sector afectado puede ser excluido de la gestión de reforma. Un módulo especial se dedica a la divulgación científica y tecnológica en América Latina y a la formación de periodistas especializados. Dos artículos más exploran algunos algunos aspectos de la contradictoria crisis que afecta al cine latinoamericano

Angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) as a novel modulator of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis synovium

Abstract Despite increasing evidence suggesting that angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) may regulate tissue inflammation, no study has yet analyzed its possible implication in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovitis. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of AT2R in synovial tissue and cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA patients. AT2R expression was strongly increased in RA compared with osteoarthritis (OA) synovium, as well as in in cultured RA-FLS respect to OA-FLS and healthy FLS. Treatment with pro-inflammatory cytokines was able not only to boost AT2R expression in RA-FLS and OA-FLS, but also to induce its de novo expression in healthy FLS. The stimulation of AT2R with the specific agonist CGP42112A significantly reduced gene expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 and activation of NF-κB in RA-FLS, while opposite effects were elicited by AT2R small interfering RNA. Moreover, AT2R agonism efficiently decreased RA-FLS proliferation and migration either at baseline or under pro-inflammatory cytokine challenge. In conclusion, AT2R is strongly expressed in key effector cells of rheumatoid synovitis, namely RA-FLS, and the activation of AT2R with a specific agonist may effectively dampen their pro-inflammatory and aggressive behavior. AT2R agonism might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with RA

Comparative histology of the human and teleost fish thymus / Histologia Comparativa de timo de humanos e peixes teleósteos

Thymus is considered a key component of the vertebrates’ immune system. It is an organ that is only found in these animals whose development may be accompanied through the evolutionary scale, being considered as a facilitator and regulator in the interaction of lymphoid cells and lymphoid organs. In this study not only a morphological but also functional homology were demonstrated, in that it affects the immune system, of the humans and teleost fish thymus. The material of study was composed of the thymus tissue samples of humans who were donated by the Department of Pathology of Hospital Parmenio Piñero, Buenos Aires Argentina belonging to two patients with ages between 6 and 8 years, as well as specimens of fish from different origins. The thymic tissue samples were submitted to histological analysis, immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Through the data shown here it is possible to consider that, both in fish as in humans, there are two tracks in the modulation of the immune response, an afferent pathway that begins with the presentation of the antigen and an efferent pathway through which  the result of the lymphocytes, antibodies stimulation  or other effector mechanisms are canalized. In these two phases both in humans and in fish, a mixed population of lymphocytes, the differentiation of lymphocytes in the thymus and the T4 lymphocytes production, play a fundamental role in the success of the immune response. Keywords:

2D-2C Particle Image Velocimetry analysis of contra-rotating propellers hydrodynamics

Contra-rotating propellers represent a non-conventional approach for marine propulsion whose main advantage lies in the increase of propulsive efficiency. This is achieved by recovering part of the energy loss due to the rotational flow generated by a single propeller by means of a contra-rotating downstream propeller. The hydrodynamics of such configuration is quite complex due to the interaction between upstream and downstream propellers and a deep understanding of their features is critical to driving the design phase. In this work a methodology based on planar (2D-2C) Particle Velocimetry is presented to investigate on the flow in the wake of two contra-rotating propellers. An ad-hoc mixed hardware and software phase-locking technique is developed in order to analyze the contribution of each propeller to the overall hydrodynamics of the system

Correlation between Oral Lichen Planus and Viral Infections Other Than HCV: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES This review aimed to evaluate the correlation between viral infections (HPV, EBV, HSV-1, CMV) other than HCV and oral lichen planus to assess if there is sufficient evidence to establish if these viruses can play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the literature using different search engines (PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library), employing MeSH terms such as "oral lichen planus" and "OLP" in conjunction with other terms. We utilized the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) method to define our study eligibility criteria. RESULTS A total of 43 articles of the 1219 results initially screened were included in the study. We allocated the 43 selected items into four groups, according to each related virus: HPV, EBV, HSV-1, and CMV. CONCLUSIONS Heterogeneous results neither confirm nor exclude a direct correlation between the investigated viral infections and oral lichen planus etiopathogenesis and its feasible malignant transformation. Many viral agents can cause oral lesions and act as cancerizing agents. Future studies could be desirable to produce comparable statistical analyses and enhance the quantity and quality of the outcomes to promote the translation of research into clinical practice

Human Cardiac Progenitor Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Exhibit Promising Potential for Supporting Cardiac Repair in Vitro

Although human Cardiac Progenitor Cells (hCPCs) are not retained by host myocardium they still improve cardiac function when injected into schemic heart. Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that hCPC beneficial effects are induced by paracrine action on resident cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an intriguing mechanism of cell communication based on the transport and transfer of peptides, lipids, and nucleic acids that have the potential to modulate signaling pathways, cell growth, migration, mand proliferation of recipient cells. We hypothesize that EVs are involved in the paracrine effects elicited by hCPCs and held accountable for the response of the infarcted myocardium to hCPC-based cell therapy. To test this theory, we collected EVs released by hCPCs isolated from healthy myocardium and evaluated the effects they elicited when administered to resident hCPC and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) isolated from patients with post-ischemic end-stage heart failure. Evidence emerging from our study indicated that hCPC-derived EVs impacted upon proliferation and survival of hCPCs residing in the ischemic heart and regulated the synthesis and deposition of extracellular-matrix by CFs. These findings suggest that beneficial effects exerted by hCPC injection are, at least to some extent, ascribable to the delivery of signals conveyed by EVs