Convective Excitation of Inertial Modes in Binary Neutron Star Mergers

We present the first very long-term simulations (extending up to ~140 ms after merger) of binary neutron star mergers with piecewise polytropic equations of state and in full general relativity. Our simulations reveal that at a time of 30-50 ms after merger, parts of the star become convectively unstable, which triggers the excitation of inertial modes. The excited inertial modes are sustained up to several tens of milliseconds and are potentially observable by the planned third-generation gravitational-wave detectors at frequencies of a few kilohertz. Since inertial modes depend on the rotation rate of the star and they are triggered by a convective instability in the postmerger remnant, their detection in gravitational waves will provide a unique opportunity to probe the rotational and thermal state of the merger remnant. In addition, our findings have implications for the long-term evolution and stability of binary neutron star remnantsComment: 6 pages, 4 figure

G-convergence of elliptic and parabolic operators depending on vector fields

We consider sequences of elliptic and parabolic operators in divergence form and depending on a family of vector fields. We show compactness results with respect to G-convergence, or H-convergence, by means of the compensated compactness theory, in a setting in which the existence of affine functions is not always guaranteed, due to the nature of the family of vector fields

Homozygous mutation in the prokineticin-receptor2 gene (Val274Asp) presenting as reversible Kallmann syndrome and persistent oligozoospermia: case report.

Prokineticin 2 (Prok2) or prokineticin-receptor2 (Prok-R2) gene mutations are associated with Kallmann syndrome (KS). We describe a new homozygous mutation of Prok-R2 gene in a man displaying KS with an apparent reversal of hypogonadism. The proband, offspring of consanguineous parents, presented at age 19 years with absent puberty, no sense of smell, low testosterone and gonadotrophin levels. Magnetic resonance imaging showed olfactory bulb absence. The patient achieved virilization and spermatogenesis with gonadotrophin administration. Two years after discontinuing hormonal therapy, he maintained moderate oligozoospermia and normal testosterone levels. Prok2 and Prok- R2 gene sequence analyses were performed. The proband had a homozygous mutation in Prok-R2 exon 2 that harbours the c.T820>A base substitution, causing the introduction of an aspartic acid in place of valine at position 274 (Val274Asp). His mother had the same mutation in heterozygous state. This report describes a novel homozygous mutation of Prok-R2 gene in a man with variant KS, underlying the role of Prok-R2 gene in the olfactory and reproductive system development in humans. Present findings indicate that markedly delayed activation of gonadotrophin secretion may occur in some KS cases with definite gene defects, and that oligozoospermia might result from a variant form of reversible hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism

The corner failure in a masonry building damaged by the 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquake sequence

Although still poorly investigated, the failure of corners is a frequent event in masonry buildings and clearly recognizable in the aftermath of a seismic event. It is characterized by the formation of a masonry wedge, mainly due to the thrust of roof elements in addition to inertial forces, and it generally involves rocking-sliding motion along the cracks on the interlocked orthogonal walls. In this paper, the case study of the corner failure in a masonry building located in Visso (Italy) is analyzed. The building was seriously damaged by the seismic events of August 24th, 2016 and October 26th and 30th, 2016. In particular, one of the free corners at the first storey completely collapsed. The seismic capacity with respect to the onset of this failure mode is analyzed by means of a refined macro-block model and by adopting the linear kinematic approach of limit analysis, accounting for frictional resistances and the thrust of roof elements. The key aspect of the proposed approach is the introduction of a criterion to evaluate the contribution of the actual frictional resistances depending on the inclination angles of the crack lines. Moreover, the loads transmitted from the roof to the walls are defined by assuming simplified static conditions according to the typology of the hipped roof. Lastly, the achieved results are compared to the seismic demand obtained by adopting the Italian Technical Standards for Constructions, both the earlier version (2008) and the current one (2018), together with that obtained using in situ recorded floor accelerations

Asymptotic Behaviours in Fractional Orlicz–Sobolev Spaces on Carnot Groups

In this article, we define a class of fractional Orlicz–Sobolev spaces on Carnot groups, and in the spirit of the celebrated results of Bourgain–Brezis–Mironescu and of Maz’ya–Shaposhnikova, we study the asymptotic behaviour of the Orlicz functionals when the fractional parameter goes to 1 and 0

Autologous Fat Grafting Reduces Pain in Irradiated Breast: A Review of Our Experience

Introduction. Pain syndromes affect women after conservative and radical breast oncological procedures. Radiation therapy influences their development. We report autologous fat grafting therapeutical role in treating chronic pain in irradiated patients. Materials and Methods. From February 2006 to November 2014, we collect a total of 209 patients who meet the definition of "Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome" (PMPS) and had undergone mastectomy with axillary dissection (113 patients) or quadrantectomy (96 patients). Both procedures were followed by radiotherapy. We performed fat grafting following Coleman's procedure. Mean amount of adipose tissue injected was 52\u2009cc (\ub18.9\u2009cc) per breast. Seventy-eight in 209 patients were not treated surgically and were considered as control group. Data were gathered through preoperative and postoperative VAS questionnaires; analgesic drug intake was recorded. Results. The follow-up was at 12 months (range 11.7-13.5 months). In 120 treated patients we detected pain decrease (mean \ub1 SD point reduction, 3.19 \ub1 2.86). Forty-eight in 59 patients stopped their analgesic drug therapy. Controls reported a mean \ub1 SD decrease of pain of 1.14 \ub1 2.72. Results showed that pain decreased significantly in patients treated (p < 0.005, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Conclusion. Our 8-year experience confirms fat grafting effectiveness in decreasing neuropathic pain

Galectin-9 Regulates Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Gouty Inflammation Through the Modulation of Treg/Th17 Ratio

Gout is caused by depositing monosodium urate (MSU) crystals within the articular area. The infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes drives the initial inflammatory response followed by lymphocytes. Interestingly, emerging evidence supports the view that in situ imbalance of T helper 17 cells (Th17)/regulatory T cells (Treg) impacts the subsequent damage to target tissues. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a modulator of innate and adaptive immunity with both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions, dependent upon its expression and cellular location. However, the specific cellular and molecular mechanisms by which Gal-9 modulates the inflammatory response in the onset and progression of gouty arthritis has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we sought to comprehensively characterise the functional role of exogenous Gal-9 in an in vivo model of MSU crystal-induced gouty inflammation by monitoring in situ neutrophils, monocytes and Th17/Treg recruited phenotypes and related cyto-chemokines profile. Treatment with Gal-9 revealed a dose-dependent reduction in joint inflammation scores, knee joint oedema and expression of different pro-inflammatory cyto-chemokines. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis highlighted a significant modulation of infiltrating inflammatory monocytes (CD11b+/CD115+/LY6-Chi) and Th17 (CD4+/IL-17+)/Treg (CD4+/CD25+/FOXP-3+) cells following Gal-9 treatment. Collectively the results presented in this study indicate that the administration of Gal-9 could provide a new therapeutic strategy for preventing tissue damage in gouty arthritic inflammation and, possibly, in other inflammatory-based diseases