Enumeration of RNA structures by Matrix Models

We enumerate the number of RNA contact structures according to their genus, i.e. the topological character of their pseudoknots. By using a recently proposed matrix model formulation for the RNA folding problem, we obtain exact results for the simple case of an RNA molecule with an infinitely flexible backbone, in which any arbitrary pair of bases is allowed. We analyze the distribution of the genus of pseudoknots as a function of the total number of nucleotides along the phosphate-sugar backbone.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 2 figure

Hyperbolic Balance Laws with a Non Local Source

This paper is devoted to hyperbolic systems of balance laws with non local source terms. The existence, uniqueness and Lipschitz dependence proved here comprise previous results in the literature and can be applied to physical models, such as Euler system for a radiating gas and Rosenau regularization of the Chapman-Enskog expansion.Comment: 26 page

Influence of hand position on the near-effect in 3D attention

Voluntary reorienting of attention in real depth situations is characterized by an attentional bias to locations near the viewer once attention is deployed to a spatially cued object in depth. Previously this effect (initially referred to as the ‘near-effect’) was attributed to access of a 3D viewer-centred spatial representation for guiding attention in 3D space. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the near-bias could have been associated with the position of the response-hand, always near the viewer in previous studies investigating endogenous attentional shifts in real depth. In Experiment 1, the response-hand was placed at either the near or far target depth in a depth cueing task. Placing the response-hand at the far target depth abolished the near-effect, but failed to bias spatial attention to the far location. Experiment 2 showed that the response-hand effect was not modulated by the presence of an additional passive hand, whereas Experiment 3 confirmed that attentional prioritization of the passive hand was not masked by the influence of the responding hand on spatial attention in Experiment 2. The pattern of results is most consistent with the idea that response preparation can modulate spatial attention within a 3D viewer-centred spatial representation

Traps of multi-level governance. Lessons from the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Italy

During recent decades, different patterns of multi-level governance (MLG) have spread across Europe as a consequence of Europeanisation of public policies, which have increasingly adopted decentralized and participatory procedures conceived as a tool of more effective and accountable policy-making. It appears, however, that the implementation of operational designs based on MLG may be rather problematic and it does not necessarily bring to the expected performance improvements. Referring to the case of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), which conceives the creation of new multi-level institutional settings as a key tool for enacting a new holistic approach to water management and protection, this article explores the difficulties that the implementation of such settings has brought in Italy, despite some favorable pre-conditions existing in the country. Evidence is provided that along with institutional and agency variables, the implementation effectiveness of MLG arrangements promoted by the EU can be challenged by their inherent characteristics

Evolving spectrum of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: Implications for Sports Cardiology

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic heart muscle disease, structurally characterized by progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the normal myocardium and clinically by ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Predominantly thanks to the use of cardiac magnetic resonance, we have learnt that the spectrum of the disease encompasses not only the classical right ventricular phenotype, but also biventricular and left dominant variants. Sport activity contributes to the phenotypic expression and progression of ACM and may trigger life-threatening VAs and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We conducted a review of the literature about ACM and its implications in Sport Cardiology and summarized the main findings in this topic. Early identification of affected athletes through preparticipation screening (PPS) is fundamental but, while classical right-ventricular or biventricular phenotypes are usually suspected because of electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiographic abnormalities, variants with predominant left ventricular involvement are often characterized by normal ECG and unremarkable echocardiography. Usually the only manifestations of such variants are exercise-induced VAs and for this reason exercise testing may empower the diagnostic yield of the PPS. Patients with ACM are not eligible to competitive sports activity, but low-to-moderate intensity physical activity under medical supervision is possible in most cases

Yang-Mills Integrals

Two results are presented for reduced Yang-Mills integrals with different symmetry groups and dimensions: the first is a compact integral representation in terms of the relevant variables of the integral, the second is a method to analytically evaluate the integrals in cases of low order. This is exhibited by evaluating a Yang-Mills integral over real symmetric matrices of order 3.Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages, references added and minimal change

Time to appropriate antibiotic therapy is a predictor of outcome in patients with bloodstream infection caused by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) are associated with high mortality. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between time to administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy and the outcome of patients with BSI due to KPC-Kp hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: An observational study was conducted in the ICUs of two academic centers in Italy. Patients with KPC-Kp bacteremia hospitalized between January 2015 to December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was the relationship between time from blood cultures (BC) collection to appropriate antibiotic therapy and 30-day mortality. The secondary outcome was to evaluate the association of different treatment regimens with 30-day mortality and a composite endpoint (30-day mortality or nephrotoxicity). A Cox regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with 30-day mortality was performed. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients with KPC-Kp BSI were included. The most common sources of infection were intra-abdominal (23.5%), urinary tract (20.6%), and skin and skin structure (17.6%). The 30-day mortality was 45%. Median time to appropriate antibiotic therapy was shorter in patients who survived (8.5\u2009h [IQR 1-36]) versus those who died (48\u2009h [IQR 5-108], p\u2009=\u20090.014). A propensity score matching showed that receipt of an in vitro active therapy within 24\u2009h from BC collection was associated with lower 30-day mortality (HR\u2009=\u20090.36, 95% CI: 0.188-0.690, p\u2009=\u20090.0021). At Cox regression analysis, factors associated with 30-day mortality were primary bacteremia (HR 2.662 [95% CI 1.118-6.336], p\u2009=\u20090.027), cardiovascular disease (HR 2.196 [95% CI 1.082-4.457], p\u2009=\u20090.029), time (24-h increments) from BC collection to appropriate therapy (HR 1.382 [95% CI 1.132-1.687], p\u2009=\u20090.001), SOFA score (HR 1.122 [95% CI 1.036-1.216], p\u2009=\u20090.005), and age (HR 1.030 [95% CI 1.006-1.054], p\u2009=\u20090.012). Ceftazidime-avibactam-containing regimens were associated with reduced risk of composite endpoint (30-day mortality OR nephrotoxicity) (HR 0.231 [95% CI 0.071-0.745], p\u2009=\u20090.014) compared to colistin-containing regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Time to appropriate antibiotic therapy is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in patients with KPC-Kp BSI. Appropriate antibiotic therapy should begin within 24\u2009h from the collection of BC

Covid-19 as a breakdown in the texture of social practices

A lot of things need to be repaired and a lot of relationships are in need of a knowledgeable mending. Can we start to talk/write about them? This invitation - sent by one of the authors to the others - led us, as feminist women in academia, to join together in an experimental writing about the effects of COVID-19 on daily social practices and on potential (and innovative) ways for repairing work in different fields of social organization. By diffractively intertwining our embodied experiences of becoming together-with Others, we foreground a multiplicity of repair (care) practices COVID-19 is making visible. Echoing one another, we take a stand and say that we need to prevent the future from becoming the past. We are not going back to the past; our society has already changed and there is a need to cope with innovation and repairing practices that do not reproduce the past.Funding Agencies|European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programmeEuropean Research Council (ERC) [715950]</p

A phase II study of sequential chemotherapy with docetaxel after the weekly PELF regimen in advanced gastric cancer. A report from the Italian group for the study of digestive tract cancer

In advanced gastric cancer, we investigated feasibility and activity of sequential chemotherapy with docetaxel after an intensive weekly regimen consisting of cisplatin, epidoxorubicin, fluorouracil, leucovorin (PELF) plus filgrastim. Chemotherapy-naive patients with relapsed or metastatic gastric cancer received 8 weekly administrations of chemotherapy with cisplatin 40 mg/m2, fluorouracil 500 mg/m2,epi-doxorubicin 35 mg/m2, 6S-steroisomer of leucovorin 250 mg/m2and glutathione 1.5 g/m2. On the other days filgrastim 5 μg kg–1was administered by subcutanous injection. Subsequently, patients with partial response or stable disease received 3 cycles of docetaxel 100 mg/m2every 3 weeks. 40 patients have been enrolled and they are evaluable for response and toxicity. After the PELF regimen, 3 patients achieved complete response, 13 patients showed partial response, 21 patients had stable disease and 3 patients progressed (40% response rate; 95% CI 25% to 55%). After docetaxel, 9 out 34 patients improved the outcome (26.5%); 7 patients with stable disease achieved partial response and 2 patients with partial response achieved complete response. The overall response rate in the 40 patients was 57.5% (95% CI, 42.5% to 72.5%). The PELF regimen did not cause any grade IV toxicity, the most frequent grade III acute side-effects were thrombocytopenia and vomiting which occurred in the 10% of 320 PELF cycles. Docetaxel caused grade III–IV neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in the 10% and the 19% of cycles respectively. Fatigue was a frequent side-effect during both PELF and docetaxel chemotherapy. The sequential application of docetaxel after PELF chemotherapy gained major objective responses with manageable toxicity. This strategy is worth of further investigation in the setting of palliative or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co