Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

To understand neurological complications of COVID-19 better both acutely and for recovery, we measured markers of brain injury, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 hospitalised participants; 111 with acute sera (1–11 days post-admission) and 92 convalescent sera (56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses). Here we show that compared to 60 uninfected controls, tTau, GFAP, NfL, and UCH-L1 are increased with COVID-19 infection at acute timepoints and NfL and GFAP are significantly higher in participants with neurological complications. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) are associated with both altered consciousness and markers of brain injury. Autoantibodies are more common in COVID-19 than controls and some (including against MYL7, UCH-L1, and GRIN3B) are more frequent with altered consciousness. Additionally, convalescent participants with neurological complications show elevated GFAP and NfL, unrelated to attenuated systemic inflammatory mediators and to autoantibody responses. Overall, neurological complications of COVID-19 are associated with evidence of neuroglial injury in both acute and late disease and these correlate with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses acutely

Earthen mortars in Cremona:characterization and firs hypothesis of dating

The buildings of the Middle Age or of the Modern Era in Cremona, even if they show a great complexity are characterized by the almost exclusive use of clay mortars , often also for the plasters, and even for the brick vaults, until the second half of the nineteenth century. There are other similar cases in Lombardy, but here it is clear that it is not a poor substitute of the lime mortar, but a conscious choice: lime, especially in peacetime, was easily available. The estimates and descriptions - especially in nineteenth-century , when they became more thorough, showing respect to the lime mortar a very negligible saving, since this clay - plastic, as to the sources said - requires a long and accurate handling. The confirmations of the hypothesis of the rare but attentive recent literature (Bonazzi Fieni, 1995, Fieni 1998). The availability of additional samples within the stratigraphic units of which it is possible to set an absolute dating and a better understanding of the processes suggest additional analytical tests on clay minerals present: the questions are numerous, e.g. the presence of lime and its function, the origin and role of the sands, the subsequent supply points near the town, the possible difference from bricks clay. It is necessary to determine whether the variation of time or the type of position corresponds to vary the specific characteristics of the mortar. The frost blocks the building site that uses lime mortars, the clay would allow more time. The properties of certain clay minerals to adsorb water may be useful in many respects in a climate where the relative humidity is high. The empirical knowledge would allow the exploitation of a country resource. Also in analytical methodologies to answer these questions also require special attention

Is the increase in childhood asthma coming to an end? Findings from three surveys of schoolchildren in Rome, Italy.

MAY ISSU

Liguria

Risultati dei lavori di ricerca effettuati dal 1999 al 2001 nell'ambito del Programma Europeo Raphael finanziato dalla Commissione Europea DG