Proper holomorphic mappings between symmetrized ellipsoids

We characterize the existence of proper holomorphic mappings in the special class of bounded $(1,2,...,n)$-balanced domains in $\mathbb{C}^n$, called the symmetrized ellipsoids. Using this result we conclude that there are no non-trivial proper holomorphic self-mappings in the class of symmetrized ellipsoids. We also describe the automorphism groupof these domains.Comment: 10 pages, some modification

N-(3-Ethoxy-phenyl)-4-pyrrolidin-1-yl-3-trifluoromethyl-benzamide (EPPTB) prevents 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM)-induced neuroprotection against kainic acid toxicity

Thyroid hormone and thyroid hormone metabolites, including 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) and 3-iodothyroacetic acid (TA1), activate AKT signaling in hippocampal neurons affording protection from excitotoxic damage. We aim to explore whether the mechanism of T1AM neuroprotection against kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity included the activation of the trace amine associated receptor isoform 1 (TAAR1), one of T1AM targets. Rat organotypic hippocampal slices were exposed to vehicle (Veh) or to 5 μM kA for 24 h in the absence or presence of 0.1, 1 and 10 μM T1AM or to 0.1, 1 and 10 μM T1AM and 1 μM N-(3-Ethoxy-phenyl)-4-pyrrolidin-1-yl-3-trifluoromethyl-benzamide (EPPTB), the only available TAAR1 antagonist, or to 1 μM T1AM in the absence or in the presence of 10 μM LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks). Cell death was evaluated by measuring propidium iodide (PI) levels of fluorescence 24 h after treatment. In parallel, the expression levels of p-AKT and p-PKA were evaluated by Western blot analysis of slice lysates. The activity of mitochondrial monoamine oxidases (MAO) was assayed fluorimetrically. 24 h exposure of slices to T1AM resulted in the activation of AKT and PKA. KA exposure induced cell death in the CA3 region and significantly reduced p-AKT and p-PKA levels. The presence of 1 and 10 μM T1AM significantly protected neurons from death and conserved both kinase levels with the essential role of AKT in neuroprotection. Furthermore, EPPTB prevented T1AM-induced neuroprotection, activation of PKA and AKT. Of note, in the presence of EPPTB T1AM degradation by MAO was reduced. Our results indicate that the neuroprotection offered by T1AM depends, as for TA1, on AKT activation but do not allow to conclusively indicate TAAR1 as the target implicated. Graphical abstrac

3-iodothyronamine affects thermogenic substrates’ mobilization in brown adipocytes

We investigated the effect of 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) on thermogenic substrates in brown adipocytes (BAs). BAs isolated from the stromal fraction of rat brown adipose tissue were exposed to an adipogenic medium containing insulin in the absence (M) or in the presence of 20 nM T1AM (M+T1AM) for 6 days. At the end of the treatment, the expression of p-PKA/PKA, p-AKT/AKT, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-CREB/CREB, p-P38/P38, type 1 and 3 beta adrenergic receptors (β1–β3AR), GLUT4, type 2 deiodinase (DIO2), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) were evaluated. The effects of cell conditioning with T1AM on fatty acid mobilization (basal and adrenergic-mediated), glucose uptake (basal and insulin-mediated), and ATP cell content were also analyzed in both cell populations. When compared to cells not exposed, M+T1AM cells showed increased p-PKA/PKA, p-AKT/AKT, p-CREB/CREB, p-P38/P38, and p-AMPK/AMPK, downregulation of DIO2 and β1AR, and upregulation of glycosylated β3AR, GLUT4, and adiponectin. At basal conditions, glycerol release was higher for M+T1AM cells than M cells, without any significant differences in basal glucose uptake. Notably, in M+T1AM cells, adrenergic agonists failed to activate PKA and lipolysis and to increase ATP level, but the glucose uptake in response to insulin exposure was more pronounced than in M cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that BAs conditioning with T1AM promote a catabolic condition promising to fight obesity and insulin resistance

approach to a water safety plan for recreational waters disinfection of a drainage pumping station as an unconventional point source of fecal contamination

Abstract In the context of the management of bathing water quality, the intermittent contamination of rainwater drainage pumps (unconventional point sources) could be controlled by peracetic acid disinfection. Thus, a field experimental study was carried out to set up a water safety plan, determining the monitoring parameters and the critical limit for corrective actions. With a 0.5 mg/l dosage, the average logarithmic microbial reduction was 0.50 ± 0.48 for Escherichia coli (EC) and 0.43 ± 0.54 for intestinal enterococci. Among the chemical and physical parameters that could be monitored in real time, the oxidation–reduction potential was the only one able to predict the microbial concentration discharged from a drainage pump and the logarithmic abatement of EC. Considering the possible impact of this source on bathing waters in terms of additional risk of gastrointestinal infections, the critical limit for continuous monitoring was established using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model

Laboratory data integration into medical record

Laboratory Information System, integrated with the Hospital Information System, has been developed at the G.Pasquinucci Hospital, section of Institute of Clinical Physiology of National Research Council (CNR), specialized in adult and paediatric cardiac surgery. The aim was to automate the testing process from clinical departments to laboratory and back into medical record. Laboratory workflow consists of three parts: (a) test ordering by clinical staff, printing bar-coded ID labels and transmitting orders by network to laboratory; (b) processing test requests and controlling identified specimens by laboratory staff, providing work orders to analytical instruments and validation of results authorizing delivery into the hospital clinical repository; (c) consulting test results in clinical departments by referring physicians through the electronic medical record. This year the system has been used on adult patients processing 135000 laboratory tests concerning chemistry, haematology, coagulation and immunology