Sars‐cov‐2 and public transport in Italy

Although direct contact is considered the main mode of transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2, environmental factors play an important role. In this study, we evaluated the presence of SARS‐ CoV‐2 on bus and train surfaces. From the buses, we took samples from the following areas: handrails used to enter or exit the bus, stop request buttons and handles next to the seats. From the trains, the sampled surfaces were handrails used to enter or exit the train, door open/close buttons, handles next to the seats, tables and toilet handles. SARS‐CoV‐2 was detected on 10.7% of the tested surfaces overall, 19.3% of bus surfaces and 2% of train surfaces (p < 0.0001). On the buses, the most contaminated surfaces were the handles near the seats (12.8%), followed by door open/close buttons (12.5%) and handrails (10.5%). Of the five analyzed transport companies, bus companies were the most contaminated, in particular, companies C (40%) and B (23.3%). A greater number of positive samples were found among those taken at 10:00 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. (45% and 40%, respectively). The presence of the virus on many bus surfaces highlights how the sanitation systems on public transport currently in use are not sufficient to limit the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2

Deregulated expression of aurora kinases is not a prognostic biomarker in papillary thyroid cancer patients.

Abstract A number of reports indicated that Aurora-A or Aurora-B overexpression represented a negative prognostic factor in several human malignancies. In thyroid cancer tissues a deregulated expression of Aurora kinases has been also demonstrated, butno information regarding its possible prognostic role in differentiated thyroid cancer is available. Here, weevaluated Aurora-A and Aurora-B mRNA expression and its prognostic relevance in a series of 87 papillary thyroid cancers (PTC), with a median follow-up of 63 months. The analysis of Aurora-A and Aurora-B mRNA levels in PTC tissues, compared to normal matched tissues, revealed that their expression was either up-or down-regulatedin the majority of cancer tissues. In particular, Aurora-A and Aurora-B mRNA levels were altered, respectively, in 55 (63.2%) and 79 (90.8%) out of the 87 PTC analyzed. A significant positive correlation between Aurora-A and Aurora-B mRNAswas observed (p=0.001). The expression of both Aurora genes was not affected by the BRAF(V600E) mutation. Univariate, multivariate and Kaplan-Mayer analyses documented the lack of association between Aurora-A or Aurora-B expression and clinicopathological parameterssuch as gender, age, tumor size, histology, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and BRAF status as well asdisease recurrences or disease-free interval. Only Aurora-B mRNA was significantly higher in T(3-4) tissues, with respect to T(1-2) PTC tissues. The data reported here demonstrate that the expression of Aurora kinases is deregulated in the majority of PTC tissues, likely contributing to PTC progression. However, differently from other human solid cancers, detection of Aurora-A or Aurora-B mRNAs is not a prognostic biomarker inPTC patients

Open Surgery for Sportsman’s Hernia a Retrospective Study

Sportsman’s hernia is a painful syndrome in the inguinal area occurring in patients who play sports at an amatorial or professional level. Pain arises during sport, and sometimes persists after activity, representing an obstacle to sport resumption. A laparoscopic/endoscopic approach is proposed by many authors for treatment of the inguinal wall defect. Aim of this study is to assess the open technique in terms of safety and effectiveness, in order to obtain the benefit of an open treatment in an outpatient management. From October 2017 to July 2019, 34 patients underwent surgery for groin pain syndrome. All cases exhibited a bulging of the inguinal posterior wall. 14 patients were treated with Lichtenstein technique with transversalis fascia plication and placement of a polypropylene mesh fixed with fibrin glue. In 20 cases, a polypropylene mesh was placed in the preperitoneal space. The procedure was performed in day surgery facilities. Early or late postoperative complications did not occur in both groups. All patients returned to sport, in 32 cases with complete pain relief, whereas 2 patients experienced mild residual pain. The average value of return to sport was 34.11 ± 8.44 days. The average value of return to play was 53.82 ± 11.69 days. With regard to postoperative pain, no substantial differences between the two techniques were detected, and good results in terms of the resumption of sport were ensured in both groups. Surgical treatment for sportsman’s hernia should be considered only after the failure of conservative treatment. The open technique is safe and allows a rapid postoperative recovery

Interindividual variation and consistency of migratory behavior in the Eurasian woodcock

Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101\ub0E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior

Multiscale study of mononuclear Co-II SMMs based on curcuminoid ligands

This work introduces a novel family of Co-II species having a curcuminoid (CCMoid) ligand, 9Accm, attached, namely [Co(9Accm)(2)(py)(2)] (1) and [Co(9Accm)(2)(2,2'-bpy)] (2), achieved in high yields by the use of a microwave reactor, and exhibiting two different arrangements for the 9Accm ligands, described as 'cis'(2) and 'trans'(1). The study of the similarities/differences of the magnetic, luminescent and surface behaviors of the two new species, 1 and 2, is the main objective of the present work. The determined single-crystal structures of both compounds are the only Co-II-CCMoid structures described in the literature so far. Both compounds exhibit large positive D values, that of 1 (D = +74 cm(-1)) being three times larger than that of 2 (D = +24 cm(-1)), and behave as mononuclear Single-Molecule Magnets (SMMs) in the presence of an external magnetic field. Their similar structures but different anisotropy and SMM characteristics provide, for the first time, deep insight on the spin-orbital effects thanks to the use of CASSCF/NEVPT2 calculations implementing such contributions. Further magnetic studies were performed in solution by means of paramagnetic H-1 NMR, where both compounds (1 and 2) are stable in CDCl3 and display high symmetry. Paramagnetic NMR appears to be a useful diagnostic tool for the identification of such molecules in solution, where the resonance values found for the methine group (-CH-) of 9Accm vary significantly depending on the cis or trans disposition of the ligands. Fluorescence studies show that both systems display chelation enhancement of quenching (CHEQ) with regard to the free ligand, while 1 and 2 display similar quantum yields. Deposition of 1-2 on HOPG and Si(100) surfaces using spin-coating was studied using AFM; UV photoemission experiments under the same conditions display 2 as the most robust system. The measured occupied density of states of 2 with UV photoemission is in excellent agreement with theoretical DFT calculations

The ruptured Achilles tendon: operative and non-operative treatment options

The Achilles tendon is the strongest and thickest tendon in the human body. Like any other tendon in the body, however, it is susceptible to rupture. Many surgeons advocate early operative repair of the ruptured Achilles tendon, citing decreased re-rupture rates and improved functional outcome. Waiting for surgical repair for longer than one month may lead to inferior functional results postoperatively. Non-operative treatment has higher re-rupture rates as compared to surgically repaired tendons, but may be the treatment of choice in some patients. While for many years, patients were rigidly immobilized in a non-weightbearing cast for 6–8 weeks postoperatively, newer studies have shown excellent results with early weightbearing, and this is quickly becoming the standard of care amongst many physicians

Euclid Preparation. TBD. Impact of magnification on spectroscopic galaxy clustering

In this paper we investigate the impact of lensing magnification on the analysis of Euclid's spectroscopic survey, using the multipoles of the 2-point correlation function for galaxy clustering. We determine the impact of lensing magnification on cosmological constraints, and the expected shift in the best-fit parameters if magnification is ignored. We consider two cosmological analyses: i) a full-shape analysis based on the $\Lambda$CDM model and its extension $w_0w_a$CDM and ii) a model-independent analysis that measures the growth rate of structure in each redshift bin. We adopt two complementary approaches in our forecast: the Fisher matrix formalism and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. The fiducial values of the local count slope (or magnification bias), which regulates the amplitude of the lensing magnification, have been estimated from the Euclid Flagship simulations. We use linear perturbation theory and model the 2-point correlation function with the public code coffe. For a $\Lambda$CDM model, we find that the estimation of cosmological parameters is biased at the level of 0.4-0.7 standard deviations, while for a $w_0w_a$CDM dynamical dark energy model, lensing magnification has a somewhat smaller impact, with shifts below 0.5 standard deviations. In a model-independent analysis aiming to measure the growth rate of structure, we find that the estimation of the growth rate is biased by up to $1.2$ standard deviations in the highest redshift bin. As a result, lensing magnification cannot be neglected in the spectroscopic survey, especially if we want to determine the growth factor, one of the most promising ways to test general relativity with Euclid. We also find that, by including lensing magnification with a simple template, this shift can be almost entirely eliminated with minimal computational overhead

Energy consumption in chemical fuel-driven self-assembly

Nature extensively exploits high-energy transient self-assembly structures that are able to perform work through a dissipative process. Often, self-assembly relies on the use of molecules as fuel that is consumed to drive thermodynamically unfavourable reactions away from equilibrium. Implementing this kind of non-equilibrium self-assembly process in synthetic systems is bound to profoundly impact the fields of chemistry, materials science and synthetic biology, leading to innovative dissipative structures able to convert and store chemical energy. Yet, despite increasing efforts, the basic principles underlying chemical fuel-driven dissipative self-assembly are often overlooked, generating confusion around the meaning and definition of scientific terms, which does not favour progress in the field. The scope of this Perspective is to bring closer together current experimental approaches and conceptual frameworks. From our analysis it also emerges that chemically fuelled dissipative processes may have played a crucial role in evolutionary processes

Natural Variation of Model Mutant Phenotypes in Ciona intestinalis

BACKGROUND: The study of ascidians (Chordata, Tunicata) has made a considerable contribution to our understanding of the origin and evolution of basal chordates. To provide further information to support forward genetics in Ciona intestinalis, we used a combination of natural variation and neutral population genetics as an approach for the systematic identification of new mutations. In addition to the significance of developmental variation for phenotype-driven studies, this approach can encompass important implications in evolutionary and population biology. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we report a preliminary survey for naturally occurring mutations in three geographically interconnected populations of C. intestinalis. The influence of historical, geographical and environmental factors on the distribution of abnormal phenotypes was assessed by means of 12 microsatellites. We identified 37 possible mutant loci with stereotyped defects in embryonic development that segregate in a way typical of recessive alleles. Local populations were found to differ in genetic organization and frequency distribution of phenotypic classes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Natural genetic polymorphism of C. intestinalis constitutes a valuable source of phenotypes for studying embryonic development in ascidians. Correlating genetic structure and the occurrence of abnormal phenotypes is a crucial focus for understanding the selective forces that shape natural finite populations, and may provide insights of great importance into the evolutionary mechanisms that generate animal diversity

Carbon sequestration potential and physicochemical properties differ between wildfire charcoals and slow-pyrolysis biochars

Pyrogenic carbon (PyC), produced naturally (wildfire charcoal) and anthropogenically (biochar), is extensively studied due to its importance in several disciplines, including global climate dynamics, agronomy and paleosciences. Charcoal and biochar are commonly used as analogues for each other to infer respective carbon sequestration potentials, production conditions, and environmental roles and fates. The direct comparability of corresponding natural and anthropogenic PyC, however, has never been tested. Here we compared key physicochemical properties (elemental composition, δ13C and PAHs signatures, chemical recalcitrance, density and porosity) and carbon sequestration potentials of PyC materials formed from two identical feedstocks (pine forest floor and wood) under wildfire charring- and slow-pyrolysis conditions. Wildfire charcoals were formed under higher maximum temperatures and oxygen availabilities, but much shorter heating durations than slow-pyrolysis biochars, resulting in differing physicochemical properties. These differences are particularly relevant regarding their respective roles as carbon sinks, as even the wildfire charcoals formed at the highest temperatures had lower carbon sequestration potentials than most slow-pyrolysis biochars. Our results challenge the common notion that natural charcoal and biochar are well suited as proxies for each other, and suggest that biochar’s environmental residence time may be underestimated when based on natural charcoal as a proxy, and vice versa