Cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19 patients, a new scenario for an old concern. The fragile balance between infections and autoimmunity

On 7 January 2020, researchers isolated and sequenced in China from patients with severe pneumonitis a novel coronavirus, then called SARS-CoV-2, which rapidly spread worldwide, becoming a global health emergency. Typical manifestations consist of flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, and dyspnea. However, in about 20% of patients, the infection progresses to severe interstitial pneumonia and can induce an uncontrolled host-immune response, leading to a life-threatening condition called cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS represents an emergency scenario of a frequent challenge, which is the complex and interwoven link between infections and autoimmunity. Indeed, treatment of CRS involves the use of both antivirals to control the underlying infection and immunosuppressive agents to dampen the aberrant pro-inflammatory response of the host. Several trials, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of immunosuppressants commonly used in rheumatic diseases, are ongoing in patients with COVID-19 and CRS, some of which are achieving promising results. However, such a use should follow a multidisciplinary approach, be accompanied by close monitoring, be tailored to patient’s clinical and serological features, and be initiated at the right time to reach the best results. Autoimmune patients receiving immunosuppressants could be prone to SARS-CoV-2 infections; however, suspension of the ongoing therapy is contraindicated to avoid disease flares and a consequent increase in the infection risk

Design of an innovative polymerase chain reaction device based on buoyancy driven flow

This paper was presented at the 2nd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2009), which was held at Brunel University, West London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IPEM, the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics, the Process Intensification Network, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) plays a central role in the field of molecular biology. The miniaturization of PCR systems is promising as it potentially minimizes costly reagent consumption and time required for analysis. In PCR microdevices a sample solution is usually handled by external pumps. An alternative solution relies on temperature-induced density difference in the presence of a body force to induce buoyancy driven flow. This alternative method is easy to be used and does not require expensive setup, but, to date, the thermo-fluid-dynamic field in the micro-channels still needs to be optimized. The present study focuses on the design of micro-channels, having innovative and optimized shapes to obtain proper fluid actuation and DNA sample amplification within buoyancy driven flow PCR devices. A parametric study is carried out by means of computational thermal fluid dynamic modeling: several channel geometry configurations were compared in terms of time required for analysis, temperature distribution and priming volume. The advantages and disadvantages of such configurations are discussed

Hygro-Mechanical Behavior of Red Spruce in Tension Parallel to the Grain

The principal objective of the project was to provide a reliable testing protocol for determination of the material-level (e.g. local and decoupled from the artifacts of the test protocol) mechano-sorptive properties of wood in the longitudinal direction that could be used for modeling of the long-term structural response of wood and wood composite elements. The method also involves determination of the hygro-mechanical characteristics of free shrinkage and swelling and short-term viscoelastic characteristics from reference tests performed on matched specimens. Tensile creep tests in the longitudinal direction at varying climate conditions were performed on small (1-mm x 25-mm x 300-mm) clear specimens of red spruce (Picea rubra). All tests were conducted in a temperature-controlled environment. Optical deformation measurement techniques were used. Strains were calculated by comparing successive digital images using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) principles. The mechano-sorptive component of total strains measured on the loaded specimens was separated by: 1) subtracting free shrinkage/swelling measured on matched reference specimens; and 2) subtraction of the magnitude of viscoelastic creep measured separately on matched specimens at constant MC (in 'dry' and 'wet' conditions). The results confirmed earlier findings reported in the literature by other researchers that the effect of cumulative moisture content change on mechano-sorptive compliance is not linear. However, no fundamentally different governing mechanisms during the first and consecutive moisture cycles were observed. The effects of applied stress level and initial moisture content on the mechano-sorptive response of wood in tension were found insignificant at the 95% confidence level. The experimentally determined mechano-sorptive compliances were expressed in terms of generalized rheological model equations with cumulative moisture content change (rather than time) as the independent variable. Based on these findings, a minimal testing protocol was proposed for routine determination of hygro-mechanical characteristics for other structurally important species

Reducing the operational cost of cloud data centers through renewable energy

The success of cloud computing services has led to big computing infrastructures that are complex to manage and very costly to operate. In particular, power supply dominates the operational costs of big infrastructures, and several solutions have to be put in place to alleviate these operational costs and make the whole infrastructure more sustainable. In this paper, we investigate the case of a complex infrastructure composed of data centers (DCs) located in different geographical areas in which renewable energy generators are installed, co-located with the data centers, to reduce the amount of energy that must be purchased by the power grid. Since renewable energy generators are intermittent, the load management strategies of the infrastructure have to be adapted to the intermittent nature of the sources. In particular, we consider EcoMultiCloud, a load management strategy already proposed in the literature for multi-objective load management strategies, and we adapt it to the presence of renewable energy sources. Hence, cost reduction is achieved in the load allocation process, when virtual machines (VMs) are assigned to a data center of the considered infrastructure, by considering both energy cost variations and the presence of renewable energy production. Performance is analyzed for a specific infrastructure composed of four data centers. Results show that, despite being intermittent and highly variable, renewable energy can be effectively exploited in geographical data centers when a smart load allocation strategy is implemented. In addition, the results confirm that EcoMultiCloud is very flexible and is suited to the considered scenario

Computational and experimental investigation of mixing in microchannels

This paper was presented at the 2nd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2009), which was held at Brunel University, West London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IPEM, the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics, the Process Intensification Network, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.Mixing is a key process for the successful of all chemical or biochemical reactions, so effective micromixers represent essential components for micro total analysis systems (μTAS) or lab-on-a-chip. In the present study a combined computational and experimental approach was adopted to evaluate how the efficiency of a Y-mixer can be enhanced by modifying its downstream geometry. Three different geometries were studied and compared: Y-straight channel, Y-sine channel and Y-wrinkled wall channel. For each of them the influence of perfusing flow rates and channel cross section aspect ratio was investigated. Physical prototypes were built using a simple technique based on a xerographic process, and their mixing performance was experimentally evaluated. Computational models of the designed micromixers were generated: the Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible Newtonian fluid and the advection-diffusion equation were solved with an uncoupled approach by means of the finite volume method. The computational and experimental results were critically compared, revealing Y-wrinkled wall mixer as the best performer among those considered and suggesting criteria of possible improvements and optimization

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis risk and liver disease.

Objective. Evaluate the incidence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with liver disease in the peritransplant period. Materials and Methods. This IRB approved study retrospectively reviewed patients requiring transplantation for cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or both from 2003 to 2013. Records were reviewed identifying those having gadolinium enhanced MRI within 1 year of posttransplantation to document degree of liver disease, renal disease, and evidence for NSF. Results. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI was performed on 312 of 837 patients, including 23 with severe renal failure (GFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 cm(2)) and 289 with GFR > 30. Two of 23 patients with renal failure developed NSF compared to zero NSF cases in 289 patients with GFR > 30 (0/289; P < 0.003). High dose gadodiamide was used in the two NSF cases. There was no increased incidence of NSF with severe liver disease (1/71) compared to nonsevere liver disease (1/241; P = 0.412). Conclusion. Renal disease is a risk factor for NSF, but in our small sample our evidence suggests liver disease is not an additional risk factor, especially if a low-risk gadolinium agent is used. Noting that not all patients received high-risk gadolinium, a larger study focusing on patients receiving high-risk gadolinium is needed to further evaluate NSF risk in liver disease in the peritransplant period

STAR FORMATION ACTIVITY IN A YOUNG GALAXY CLUSTER AT Z=0.866

The galaxy cluster RX J1257+4738 at z = 0.866 is one of the highest redshift clusters with a richness of multi-wavelength data, and is thus a good target to study the star formation-density relation at early epochs. Using a sample of spectroscopically confirmed cluster members, we derive the star-formation rates (SFRs) of our galaxies using two methods: (1) the relation between SFR and total infrared luminosity extrapolated from the observed Spitzer Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer 24 μm imaging data; and (2) spectral energy distribution fitting using the MAGPHYS code, including eight different bands. We show that, for this cluster, the SFR-density relation is very weak and seems to be dominated by the two central galaxies and the SFR presents a mild dependence on stellar mass, with more massive galaxies having higher SFR. However, the specific SFR (SSFR) decreases with stellar mass, meaning that more massive galaxies are forming fewer stars per unit of mass, and thus suggesting that the increase in star-forming members is driven by cluster assembly and infall. If the environment is somehow driving the star formation, one would expect a relation between the SSFR and the cluster centric distance, but that is not the case. A possible scenario to explain this lack of correlation is the contamination by infalling galaxies in the inner part of the cluster, which may be on their initial pass through the cluster center. As these galaxies have higher SFRs for their stellar mass, they enhance the mean SSFR in the center of the cluste