Celebrating Cercignani's conjecture for the Boltzmann equation

Cercignani's conjecture assumes a linear inequality between the entropy and entropy production functionals for Boltzmann's nonlinear integral operator in rarefied gas dynamics. Related to the field of logarithmic Sobolev inequalities and spectral gap inequalities, this issue has been at the core of the renewal of the mathematical theory of convergence to thermodynamical equilibrium for rarefied gases over the past decade. In this review paper, we survey the various positive and negative results which were obtained since the conjecture was proposed in the 1980s.Comment: This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Carlo Cercignani, powerful mind and great scientist, one of the founders of the modern theory of the Boltzmann equation. 24 pages. V2: correction of some typos and one ref. adde

The contribution of iot to the implementation of preventive conservation according to european standards: The case study of the “cannone” violin and its historical copy

One of the main goals of preventive conservation (PC) is to reduce the risk of possible damage produced by the interaction between tangible heritage objects and their conservation environments. This work aims to introduce the European standard EN 15757:2010 as a potential tool for implementing effective museum PC, and it details the potential contributions of both active environmental control and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in this regard. An application of this strategy is proposed by means of a case study of the conservation of two historical violins, part of a small but significant museum collection in the City of Genoa dedicated to Paganini, whose value is inestimable. According to the standard, monitoring of environmental parameters was carried out for more than four years in the Paganini Hall of Palazzo Doria-Tursi Museum. A remote-control system was implemented, installing digital sensors in the room and in the two showcases. The data were continuously collected through an integrated platform for supervision, monitoring and shared management, based on web-cloud-IoT technology. The analysis of climate data and the assessment of the “historic climate” led to the installation of an active control system on the display cases of the “Cannone” violin and its historical copy. The intervention resulted in a cost-effective improvement in the conservation conditions of the two objects, with an efficient system of warning and safety alarms and a protocol of resolution actions still active and ongoing. The application of IoT systems in monitoring and controlling the indoor climate of heritage collections facilitated the care of the objects at a cost reduction for the institution

Human ether-à-go-go-related potassium channel: exploring SAR to improve drug design

hERG is best known as a primary anti-target, the inhibition of which is responsible for serious side effects. A renewed interest in hERG as a desired target, especially in oncology, was sparked because of its role in cellular proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we survey the most recent advances regarding hERG by focusing on SAR in the attempt to elucidate, at a molecular level, off-target and on-target actions of potential hERG binders, which are highly promiscuous and largely varying in structure. Understanding the rationale behind hERG interactions and the molecular determinants of hERG activity is a real challenge and comprehension of this is of the utmost importance to prioritize compounds in early stages of drug discovery and to minimize cardiotoxicity attrition in preclinical and clinical studies. We report how the understanding of SAR and the informed use of reliable data and models are pivotal to modulate the interplay with hERG channels

Increasing prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Tuscany, Italy

Background and rationale: An increase of prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been reported in several countries, especially taking into account a long-term evaluation. This increasing trend often reflects improved case identification and ascertainment due to the refinement of diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study was to update the prevalence rate of MS in Tuscany (central Italy) as of 2017, and to assess if there has been an increasing trend of prevalence in this Region considering a short period of analysis, from 2014 to 2017. Methods: To capture prevalent cases, a case-finding algorithm based on administrative data, previously created and validated, was used. As data sources, we considered hospital discharge records, drug-dispensing records, disease-specific exemptions from copayment to health care, home and residential long-term care, and inhabitant registry. Results: As of January 1, 2017, 7809 cases were identified, of which 69.4% were females and 30.6% were males. Considering temporal variation, an increasing trend was observed, with standardized rates rising from 189.2 in 2014 to 208.7 per 100,000 in 2017. Conclusions: Results confirm that prevalence increases every year, probably mainly due to the difference between incidence and mortality, resulting in an increasing trend. Moreover, administrative data may accurately identify MS patients in a routinary way and monitor this cohort along disease care pathways