Ricci almost solitons

We introduce a natural extension of the concept of gradient Ricci soliton: the Ricci almost soliton. We provide existence and rigidity results, we deduce a-priori curvature estimates and isolation phenomena, and we investigate some topological properties. A number of differential identities involving the relevant geometric quantities are derived. Some basic tools from the weighted manifold theory such as general weighted volume comparisons and maximum principles at infinity for diffusion operators are discussed

Measuring the SUSY Breaking Scale at the LHC in the Slepton NLSP Scenario of GMSB Models

We report a study on the measurement of the SUSY breaking scale sqrt(F) in the framework of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB) models at the LHC. The work is focused on the GMSB scenario where a stau is the next-to-lightest SUSY particle (NLSP) and decays into a gravitino with lifetime c*tau_NLSP in the range 0.5 m to 1 km. We study the identification of long-lived sleptons using the momentum and time of flight measurements in the muon chambers of the ATLAS experiment. A realistic evaluation of the statistical and systematic uncertainties on the measurement of the slepton mass and lifetime is performed, based on a detailed simulation of the detector response. Accessible range and precision on sqrt(F) achievable with a counting method are assessed. Many features of our analysis can be extended to the study of different theoretical frameworks with similar signatures at the LHC.Comment: 28 pages, 12 figures (18 eps files). Revised version v2(published in JHEP): Some important corrections and additions to v

Sustainable fish feeds with insects and probiotics positively affect freshwater and marine fish gut microbiota.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing agricultural industry in the world. Fishmeal is an essential component of commercial fish diets, but its long-term sustainability is a concern. Therefore, it is important to find alternatives to fishmeal that have a similar nutritional value and, at the same time, are affordable and readily available. The search for high-quality alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil has interested researchers worldwide. Over the past 20 years, different insect meals have been studied as a potential alternate source of fishmeal in aquafeeds. On the other hand, probiotics—live microbial strains—are being used as dietary supplements and showing beneficial effects on fish growth and health status. Fish gut microbiota plays a significant role in nutrition metabolism, which affects a number of other physiological functions, including fish growth and development, immune regulation, and pathogen resistance. One of the key reasons for studying fish gut microbiota is the possibility to modify microbial communities that inhabit the intestine to benefit host growth and health. The development of DNA sequencing technologies and advanced bioinformatics tools has made metagenomic analysis a feasible method for researching gut microbes. In this review, we analyze and summarize the current knowledge provided by studies of our research group on using insect meal and probiotic supplements in aquafeed formulations and their effects on different fish gut microbiota. We also highlight future research directions to make insect meals a key source of proteins for sustainable aquaculture and explore the challenges associated with the use of probiotics. Insect meals and probiotics will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the long-term sustainability and profitability of aquaculture

Novel platinum agents and mesenchymal stromal cells for thoracic malignancies : state of the art and future perspectives

Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma represent two of the most intriguing and scrutinized thoracic malignancies, presenting interesting perspectives of experimental development and clinical applications. Areas covered: In advanced non-small cell lung cancer, molecular targeted therapy is the standard firstline treatment for patients with identified driver mutations; on the other hand, chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients without EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangement or those with unknown mutation status. Once considered an ineffective therapy in pulmonary neoplasms, immunotherapy has been now established as one of the most promising therapeutic options. Mesenchymal stromal cells are able to migrate specifically toward solid neoplasms and their metastatic localizations when injected intravenously. This peculiar cancer tropism has opened up an emerging field to use them as vectors to deliver antineoplastic drugs for targeted therapies. Expert opinion: Molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy are the new alternatives to standard chemotherapy. Mesenchymal stromal cells are a new promising tool in oncology and\u2014although not yet utilized in the clinical practice, we think they will represent another main tool for cancer therapy and will probably play a leading role in the field of nanovectors and molecular medicine

Asymmetric Hydrogenation vs Transfer Hydrogenation in the Reduction of Cyclic Imines

A comparison between the two most common reduction approaches for obtaining chiral amines, asymmetric hydrogenation (AH) versus asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH), was accomplished by using iridium complexes based on atropoisomeric diphosphines and cyclic diamines as ligands respectively. Seven substrates, different in electronic and steric properties, were screened applying both reduction methods. For AH the best results in terms of enantioselectivity (e.e. up to 64%) were obtained by using [Ir(COD)(TetraMe-BITIOP)]Cl in the presence of DCDMH as additive. ATH was carried out with [IrCp*(CAMPY)Cl]Cl as catalyst, allowing the obtainment of the products with appreciable e.e. (up to 76%)

Non-invasive anatomic and functional imaging of vascular inflammation and unstable plaque

Over the last several decades, basic cardiovascular research has significantly enhanced our understanding of pathobiological processes leading to formation, progression, and complications of atherosclerotic plaques. By harnessing these advances in cardiovascular biology, imaging has advanced beyond its traditional anatomical domains to a tool that permits probing of particular molecular structures to image cellular behaviour and metabolic pathways involved in atherosclerosis. From the nascent atherosclerotic plaque to the death of inflammatory cells, several potential molecular and micro-anatomical targets for imaging with particular selective imaging probes and with a variety of imaging modalities have emerged from preclinical and animal investigations. Yet, substantive barriers stand between experimental use and wide clinical application of these novel imaging strategies. Each of the imaging modalities described herein faces hurdles—for example, sensitivity, resolution, radiation exposure, reproducibility, availability, standardization, or costs. This review summarizes the published literature reporting on functional imaging of vascular inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques emphasizing those techniques that have the greatest and/or most immediate potential for broad application in clinical practice. The prospective evaluation of these techniques and standardization of protocols by multinational networks could serve to determine their added value in clinical practice and guide their development and deploymen

Wide-targeted gene expression infers tissue-specific molecular signatures of lipid metabolism in fed and fasted fish

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of the most important species for Mediterranean aquaculture. It is therefore crucial to establish appropriate feeding management regimens and to gain better knowledge of nutritional requirements for this species, exploring not only new feed ingredients and feeding strategies, but also understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the metabolism of nutrients. Accordingly, transcriptomic analysis represents a useful nutrigenomic discovery tool for identifying the molecular basis of biological responses to nutrition as well as nutritional biomarkers in fish. This study evaluated how the transcriptional activity of genes controlling lipid metabolism in European sea bass were modulated in a tissue-specific manner in response to fasting and refeeding. Such approach focused on a panel of 29 genes in which desaturases, elongases, triacylglycerol lipases, fatty acid-binding proteins, β-oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation enzymes, phospholipid-related enzymes, and transcription factors that regulate lipid homeostasis were represented. Fasting activated the lipolytic machinery in adipose tissue, liver and muscle of European sea bass, whereas markers of lipogenesis were downregulated in liver and adipose tissue. Genes involved in phospholipid and oxidative metabolism were differentially regulated in liver and skeletal muscle of fasted European sea bass. However, 12 days of refeeding were sufficient, for the most part, to reverse the expression of key genes. Overall, our data clearly showed a tissue-specific regulation of lipid-related genes according to the different metabolic capabilities of each tissue, being the brain the most refractory organ to changes in nutrient and energy availability and liver the most responsive tissue.This research was partly funded by AQUAEXCEL EU 7 FP Project (Grant Agreement 262336): Trans National Access Grant to S.R. for accessing to IATS-CSIC facilities. This work has been partly funded under the EU seventh Framework Program by the ARRAINA Project N288925: Advanced Research Initiatives for Nutrition & Aquaculture.Peer Reviewe