Effects of forcing in three dimensional turbulent flows

We present the results of a numerical investigation of three-dimensional homogeneous and isotropic turbulence, stirred by a random forcing with a power law spectrum, $E_f(k)\sim k^{3-y}$. Numerical simulations are performed at different resolutions up to $512^3$. We show that at varying the spectrum slope $y$, small-scale turbulent fluctuations change from a {\it forcing independent} to a {\it forcing dominated} statistics. We argue that the critical value separating the two behaviours, in three dimensions, is $y_c=4$. When the statistics is forcing dominated, for $y<y_c$, we find dimensional scaling, i.e. intermittency is vanishingly small. On the other hand, for $y>y_c$, we find the same anomalous scaling measured in flows forced only at large scales. We connect these results with the issue of {\it universality} in turbulent flows.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Resveratrol treatment reduces the appearance of tubular aggregates and improves the resistance to fatigue in aging mice skeletal muscles

Resveratrol (RES) is a polyphenolic compound found in grapes, peanuts, and in some berries. RES has been reported to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative properties, and to target mitochondrial- related pathways in mammalian cells and animal models. Therefore, RES is currently advised as supplement in the diet of elderly individuals. Although it is hypothesized that some of RES beneficial actions likely arise from its action on the skeletal muscle, the investigation of RES effects on this tissue remains still elusive. This study reports the effects of a 0,04% RES-supplemented diet for six months, on the skeletal muscle properties of C57/ BL6 aging mice. The analysis of the morphology, protein expression, and functional-mechanical properties of selected skeletal muscles in treated compared to control mice, revealed that treated animals presented less tubular aggregates and a better resistance to fatigue in an ex-vivo contraction test, suggesting RES as a good candidate to reduce age-related alterations in muscle

Somatotropic gene response to recombinant growth hormone treatment in buffalo leucocytes

The use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) to increase milk yield in cows is banned in some countries. In others, where it is authorised, it has triggered harsh debates on labelling of dairy products. If many studies have been performed on bovines, there is a lack of information on buffaloes, which are sometimes treated with rbGH and re­present an important economical resource for dairy products in some countries. Analytical methods with legal value for surveillance of rbGH treatments do not yet exist. Research on gene expression biomarkers is one of the most promising approaches to this purpose. For this reason, we treated five buffaloes for 10 weeks with a sustained-release formulation of rbGH and analysed the response of 20 somatotropic axis genes in leucocytes by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overall changes in gene expression levels were of low magnitude and sometimes affected by the ‘time’ factor. Only the IGFBP-1 gene showed a significant under-expression (about two-fold; p &lt;0.001) in treated animals. Taken together, these results give evidence that expression analysis of the somatotropic axis genes in leuco­cytes is little helpful for discrimination of rbGH-treated buffaloes, but do not exclude that another array of genes could provide useful patterns of variation

Selection of Biomarkers from Differentially Expressed Genes in Leukocytes of Buffalos Treated with Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin: The Importance of Sample Size for Reliable Discriminating Systems

The research on biomarkers to detect livestock treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) is still an open issue. In fact, beyond undertaking confirmation methods, there is the need to develop simple and inexpensive screening tests. In this direction, some proposals have been forwarded, mostly involving the measurement of circulating molecules, whereas the possibility of using biomarkers related to gene expression is a field under investigation. The present study was carried out on sixteen buffalos, eight of which treated with rbST. Blood samples were collected six times during the treatment to investigate on the presence of differentially expressed genes in leukocytes. Analysis with the microarray technique was performed on two sampling moments, in order to obtain a first selection of genes. Further analysis was carried out by real time RT-PCR, in order to create a discriminating linear system. A study on the variation of the error related to the number of samples included in statistics was also performed. Results showed that, including an increasing number of samples to build the discriminating algorithm, the b-error grows and tends to stabilize on 6.5%. This study clearly shows the paramount importance of including a proper number of samples to obtain reliable algorithms

Subjects who developed SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM after vaccination show a longer humoral immunity and a lower frequency of infection

Background: We have previously shown that eliciting SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM after vaccination is associated with higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing IgG. This study aims to assess whether IgM development is also associated with longer-lasting immunity. Methods: We analysed anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG and IgM (IgG-S, IgM-S), and anti-nucleocapsid IgG (IgG-N) in 1872 vaccinees at different time points: before the first dose (D1; w0), before the second dose (D2; w3) at three (w6) and 23 weeks (w29) after D2; moreover, 109 subjects were further tested at the booster dose (D3, w44), at 3 weeks (w47) and 6 months (w70) after D3. Two-level linear regression models were used to evaluate the differences in IgG-S levels. Findings: In subjects who had no evidence of a previous infection at D1 (non-infected, NI), IgM-S development after D1 and D2 was associated with higher IgG-S levels at short (w6, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.0001) and long (w29, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001) follow-up. Similar IgG-S levels were observed after D3. The majority (28/33, 85%) of the NI subjects who had developed IgM-S in response to vaccination did not experience infection. Interpretation: The development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM-S following D1 and D2 is associated with higher IgG-S levels. Most individuals who developed IgM-S never became infected, suggesting that IgM elicitation may be associated with a lower risk of infection. Funding: "Fondi Ricerca Corrente" and "Progetto Ricerca Finalizzata" COVID-2020 (Italian Ministry of Health); FUR 2020 Department of Excellence 2018-2022 (MIUR, Italy); the Brain Research Foundation Verona

The Clinical Impact of the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index on the Length of Hospital Stay of Patients with Pulmonary Embolism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND The Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) is an extensively validated prognostic score, but impact analyses of the PESI on management strategies, outcomes and health care costs are lacking. Our aim was to assess whether the adoption of the PESI for patients admitted to an internal medicine ward has the potential to safely reduce the length of hospital stay (LOS). METHODS We carried out a multicenter randomized controlled trial, enrolling consecutive adult outpatients diagnosed with acute PE and admitted to an internal medicine ward. Within 48 h after diagnosis, the treating physicians were randomized, for every patient, to calculate and report the PESI in the clinical record form on top of the standard of care (experimental arm) or to continue routine clinical practice (standard of care). The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT03002467. RESULTS This study was prematurely stopped due to slow recruitment. A total of 118 patients were enrolled at six internal medicine units from 2016 to 2019. The treating physicians were randomized to the use of the PESI for 59 patients or to the standard of care for 59 patients. No difference in the median LOS was found between the experimental arm (8, IQR 6-12) and the standard-of-care arm (8, IQR 6-12) (p = 0.63). A pre-specified secondary analysis showed that the LOS was significantly shorter among the patients who were treated with DOACs (median of 8 days, IQR 5-11) compared to VKAs or heparin (median of 9 days, IQR 7-12) (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The formal calculation of the PESI in the patients already admitted to internal medicine units did not impact the length of hospital stay

Biopsychosocial model of resilience in young adults with multiple sclerosis (BPS-ARMS): an observational study protocol exploring psychological reactions early after diagnosis

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common neurological disease causing disability in young adults, is widely recognised as a major stress factor. Studies have shown that the first years after the diagnosis are distressing in terms of adjustment to the disease and that MS negatively affects patients' psychological well-being, quality of life (QoL) and social functioning. However, the links between disease-specific variables at diagnosis, resilience and psychological adjustment of patients with MS remain largely unexplored, especially in adolescents and young adults. This observational study aims to fill the gap of knowledge on biopsychosocial characteristics and resilience of young adults with MS to evaluate the relationship among these variables and to develop a biopsychosocial model of resilience. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Biological and clinical characteristics of young adults newly diagnosed with MS will be investigated by collecting clinical information, performing neurological examinations, MRI and analysing cerebrospinal fluid and blood biomarkers (eg, measures of inflammation), body composition, gut microbiota and movement/perceptual markers. Psychosocial characteristics (eg, psychological distress, coping strategies), QoL, psychological well-being and resilience will be assessed by self-report questionnaires. Comparative statistics (ie, analysis of variance or unpaired samples t-test, correlation and regression analyses) will be applied to evaluate the relationship among biological, psychological and social factors. The results are expected to allow a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of resilience in young patients with MS and to inform resilience interventions, tailored to young patients' specific needs, aiming to reduce the risk of maladaptive reactions to the disease and to improve psychological well-being and QoL. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Verona University Hospital Ethics Committee (approval number: 2029CESC). The findings will be disseminated through scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media and specific websites. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03825055)

Covid-19 And Rheumatic Autoimmune Systemic Diseases: Role of Pre-Existing Lung Involvement and Ongoing Treatments

The Covid-19 pandemic may have a deleterious impact on patients with autoimmune systemic diseases (ASD) due to their deep immune-system alterations

Off-label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real-world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction Information on the off-label use of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on- vs off-label LAIs and predictors of off-label First- or Second-Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off- or on-label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off-label group. Results SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on- and off-label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off-label prescription. In the off-label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off-label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co-morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns