The 1-eigenspace for matrices in GL2(Zℓ)

Fix some prime number ℓ and consider an open subgroup G either of GL2(Zℓ) or of the normalizer of a Cartan subgroup of GL2(Zℓ). The elements of G act on (Z/ℓnZ)2for every n ≥ 1 and also on the direct limit, and we call 1-eigenspace the group of fixed points. We partition G by considering the possible group structures for the 1-eigenspace and show how to evaluate with a finite procedure the Haar measure of all sets in the partition. The results apply to all elliptic curves defined over a number field, where we consider the image of the ℓ-adic representation and the Galois action on the torsion points of order a power of ℓ

Giant coronary sinus aneurysm secondary to right coronary arteriovenous fistula leading to pseudo-mitral stenosis

We herein report a case in which a right coronary to coronary sinus arteriovenous fistula determined progressive aneurysmatic dilatation of the coronary sinus. Severe compression of the left atrium ensued. This led to a clinical and instrumental picture similar to that observed in severe mitral stenosis

Breathing New Life into Historical Instruments. How to Monitor Corrosion

‘To play or to display’ is the dilemma that museums have to face, given the increasing trend towards historically informed performance. Brass instruments can suffer corrosion both during and after playing due to the high humidity inside them. To forestall or at least reduce corrosion, drying with a fan has been chosen as a preventive measure. The state of corrosion inside the tuning slides of the instruments was determined with a specially developed electrochemical sensor. The results of the project show that drying with a fan indeed reduces ongoing corrosion, when compared to a group of instruments played without preventive measures that showed an increasing corrosion rate over time

Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Clues for Differences in Pathogenicity between Hysterothylacium aduncum, Anisakis simplex sensu stricto and Anisakis pegreffii.

Ascaridoid nematodes are widespread in marine fishes. Despite their major socioeconomic importance, mechanisms associated to the fish-borne zoonotic disease anisakiasis are still obscure. RNA-Seq and de-novo assembly were herein applied to RNA extracted from larvae and dissected pharynx of Hysterothylacium aduncum (HA), a non-pathogenic nematode. Assembled transcripts in HA were annotated and compared to the transcriptomes of the zoonotic species Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (AS) and Anisakis pegreffii (AP). Approximately 60,000,000 single-end reads were generated for HA, AS and AP. Transcripts in HA encoded for 30,254 putative peptides while AS and AP encoded for 20,574 and 20,840 putative peptides, respectively. Differential gene expression analyses yielded 471, 612 and 526 transcripts up regulated in the pharynx of HA, AS and AP. The transcriptomes of larvae and pharynx of HA were enriched in transcripts encoding collagen, peptidases, ribosomal proteins and in heat-shock motifs. Transcripts encoding proteolytic enzymes, anesthetics, inhibitors of primary hemostasis and virulence factors, anticoagulants and immunomodulatory peptides were up-regulated in AS and AP pharynx. This study represents the first transcriptomic characterization of a marine parasitic nematode commonly recovered in fish and probably of negligible concern for public health

An assay system to evaluate riboflavin/UV-A corneal phototherapy efficacy in a porcine corneal organ culture model

The purpose of this study is to investigate the response of a porcine corneal organ cultures to the riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of induced lesions. A porcine corneal organ culture model has been established. Corneal alterations in the stroma were valuated setting an assay system, based on an automated image analysis method able to quantify the damaged (brightness values), within of the 24 regions of interest (ROIs) in which the corneal section has been divided and integrating the data analysis with a multi-aspect approach. Three group of corneas have been analyzed: (healthy, injured and injured-and-treated group). Our study revealed a significant effect of the riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of porcine corneas after induced lesions. The injured corneas had significant differences of brightness values in comparison to treated (p< 0.00) and healthy (p<0.001) corneas whereas the treated and healthy corneas showed not significant difference (p = 0.995). Riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy shows a significant effect in the restoring the brightness values of damaged corneas to the values of healthy corneas, suggesting treatment restores the injury healing of corneas after lesions. Our assay system may be compared to clinical diagnostic method such as the OCT imaging for in vivo damaged ocular structures investigations

An Assay System to Evaluate Riboflavin/UV-A Corneal Phototherapy Efficacy in a Porcine Corneal Organ Culture Model

The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of porcine corneal organ cultures to riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of induced lesions. A porcine corneal organ culture model was established. Corneal alterations in the stroma were evaluated using an assay system, based on an automated image analysis method able to (i) localize the holes and gaps within the stroma and (ii) measure the brightness values in these patches. The analysis has been performed by dividing the corneal section in 24 regions of interest (ROIs) and integrating the data analysis with a "multi-aspect approach." Three group of corneas were analyzed: healthy, injured, and injured-and-treated. Our study revealed a significant effect of the riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy in the injury healing of porcine corneas after induced lesions. The injured corneas had significant differences of brightness values in comparison to treated (p < 0.00) and healthy (p < 0.001) corneas, whereas the treated and healthy corneas showed no significant difference (p = 0.995). Riboflavin/UV-A phototherapy shows a significant effect in restoring the brightness values of damaged corneas to the values of healthy corneas, suggesting treatment restores the injury healing of corneas after lesions. Our assay system may be compared to clinical diagnostic methods, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, for in vivo damaged ocular structure investigations

Comparative study of two methods for rare earth elements analysis in human urine samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

The application of rare earth elements (REEs) in several areas, including hightech technology, agriculture, medicine, and fuels, has made them an essential component of our everyday life. This extensive use of REEs in several technologies is expected to potentially impact human health. Even if several studies investigated the levels of REEs in human matrices, until now no standard method has been established for analyzing these elements in human matrices. The sample analysis should be of high quality, and the methods should be validated properly to ensure the quality of the procedure and traceability of the analytical data. In this research, we compared the validation and effectiveness of two different methods of sample preparation for human urine samples: a simple dilution of the sample (DIL) was compared with microwave assisted-acid decomposition (MIN) for tracing REE levels in human urine samples. The analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The working conditions have been set in high-sensitivity mode. Accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by spiking the sample matrix with known concentrations of analyte standards. Both methods showed adequate precision of repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility, with the DIL method showing better precision of both repeatability and reproducibility than the MIN method. The CVr% values of repeatability range from 1.5 to 12% for the DIL and from 8.4 to 16% for the MIN method. The CVr% values of reproducibility range from 6.2–23% for the DIL and from 8.6 to 24% for the MIN method. REE recoveries for both methods were very close to 100%. Both methods proved to be effective for the determination of REE levels in human urine matrices

Charlson comorbidity index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and undertreatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors predict in-hospital mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the omicron dominant period

Purpose: To investigate the clinical predictors of in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection during the Omicron period. Methods: All consecutive hospitalized laboratory‐confirmed COVID-19 patients between January and May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent accurate physical, laboratory, radiographic and echocardiographic examination. Primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Results: 74 consecutive COVID-19 patients (80.0 ± 12.6 yrs, 45.9% males) were included. Patients who died during hospitalization (27%) and those who were discharged alive (73%) were separately analyzed. Compared to patients discharged alive, those who died were significantly older, with higher comorbidity burden and greater prevalence of laboratory, radiographic and echographic signs of pulmonary and systemic congestion. Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (OR 1.76, 95%CI 1.07-2.92), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.10-1.39) and absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) therapy (OR 0.01, 95%CI 0.00-0.22) independently predicted the primary endpoint. CCI ≥7 and NLR ≥9 were the best cut-off values for predicting mortality. The mortality risk for patients with CCI ≥7, NLR ≥9 and not in ACEI/ARBs therapy was high (86%); for patients with CCI &lt;7, NLR ≥9, with (16.6%) or without (25%) ACEI/ARBs therapy was intermediate; for patients with CCI &lt;7, NLR &lt;9 and in ACEI/ARBs therapy was of 0%. Conclusions: High comorbidity burden, high levels of NLR and the undertreatment with ACEI/ARBs were the main prognostic indicators of in-hospital mortality. The risk stratification of COVID-19 patients at hospital admission would help the clinicians to take care of the high-risk patients and reduce the mortality

Design, Synthesis, and in Vitro Evaluation of 4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)piperazine-Based Compounds Targeting Tyrosinase

Melanin biosynthesis is enzymatically regulated by tyrosinase (TYR, EC 1.14.18.1), which is efficiently inhibited by natural and synthetic phenols, demonstrating potential therapeutic application for the treatment of several human diseases. Herein we report the inhibitory effects of a series of (4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)arylmethanone derivatives, that were designed, synthesised and assayed against TYR from Agaricus bisporus (AbTYR). The best inhibitory activity was predominantly found for compounds bearing selected hydrophobic ortho-substituents on the aroyl moiety (IC50 values in the range of 1.5–4.6 μM). They proved to be more potent than the reference compound kojic acid (IC50=17.8 μM) and displayed competitive mechanism of inhibition of diphenolase activity of AbTYR. Docking simulation predicted their binding mode into the catalytic cavities of AbTYR and the modelled human TYR. In addition, these compounds displayed antioxidant activity combined with no cytotoxicity in MTT tests. Notably, the best inhibitor affected tyrosinase activity in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells, thus demonstrating anti-melanogenic activity