Exact controllability of infinite dimensional systems with controls of minimal norm

The paper deals with the exact controllability of a semilinear system in a separable Hilbert space. A bounded linear part is considered and a linear control introduced. The state space is compactly embedded in a Banach space and the nonlinear term is continuous in its state variable in the norm of the Banach space. An infinite sequence of finite dimen- sional controllability problems is introduced and the solution is obtained by a limiting procedure. To the best of our knowledge, the method is new in controllability theory. An application to an integro-differential system in euclidean spaces completes the discussion

Chemical investigation and screening of anti-proliferative activity on human cell lines of pure and nano-formulated lavandin essential oil

Lavandin essential oil (LEO), a natural sterile hybrid obtained by crossbreeding L. angustifolia × L. latifolia, is mainly composed by active components belonging to the family of terpenes endowed with relevant anti-proliferative activity, which can be enhanced by proper application of nanotechnology. In particular, this study reports the chemical characterization and the screening of the anti-proliferative activity on different human cell lines of pure and nano-formulated lavandin essential oil (EO). LEO and its formulation (NanoLEO) were analyzed by HS/GC-MS (Headspace/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) to describe and compare their chemical volatile composition. The most abundant compounds were linalool and 1,8-cineole (LEO: 28.6%; 27.4%) (NanoLEO: 60.4%; 12.6%) followed by α-pinene (LEO: 9.6%; NanoLEO: 4.5%), camphor (LEO: 6.5%; NanoLEO: 7.0%) and linalyl acetate (LEO: 6.5%; NanoLEO: 3.6%). The cytotoxic effects of LEO and NanoLEO were investigated on human neuroblastoma cells (SHSY5Y), human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7), human lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CCRF CEM), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) and one normal breast epithelial cell (MCF10A) by the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide)-assay. Caco-2, MCF7 and MCF10A normal cells resulted more resistant to the treatment with LEO, while CCRF-CEM and SHSY5Y cells were more sensitive. The antiproliferative effect of LEO resulted amplified when the essential oil was supplied as nanoformulation, mainly in Caco-2 cells. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations were carried out on Caco-2 cells to outline at ultrastructural level possible affections induced by LEO and NanoLEO treatments

Morbidity and Mortality in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Undergoing Diagnostic Surgical Lung Biopsy

Morbidity and Mortality In Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Undergoing Diagnostic Surgical Lung Biopsy.Previous studies have shown conflicting results about safety of surgical lung biopsy (SLB) in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. Study design: we performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent SLB between 2003 and 2013 at the University Hospital of Modena (Italy), to assess morbidity and mortality among patients with UIP/IPF , as compared to patients with other diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (non UIP/IPF). Results: we analyzed 73 patients with (n=29) and without (n=44) UIP/IPF, in which medical history, histology, and survival status were collected. UIP/IPF was diagnosed according to international guidelines. In 59 patients lung biopsy was performed via video-assisted thoracoscopy; in 14 patients thoracotomy was conducted. No intraoperative complications were observed. Postoperative complications were not significantly different between groups and consisted of fever (n=1 in UIP/IPF group; n=4 in non-UIP/IPF group), pneumothorax (n=1 in non-UIP/IPF), pleural effusion (n=1 in non-UIP/IPF), and acute exacerbation (n=1 in both groups, who died). There was no 30-day, 60-day and 90-day mortality. Conclusions: we conclude that surgical lung biopsy can be safely performed in patients with suspected UIP/IPF

Continuous right ventricular end diastolic volume and right ventricular ejection fraction during liver transplantation: A multicenter study

Cardiac preload is traditionally considered to be represented by its filling pressures, but more recently, estimations of end diastolic volume of the left or right ventricle have been shown to better reflect preload. One method of determining volumes is the evaluation of the continuous right ventricular end diastolic volume index (cRVEDVI) on the basis of the cardiac output thermodilution technique. Because preload and myocardial contractility are the main factors determining cardiac output during liver transplantation (LTx), accurate determination of preload is important. Thus, monitoring of cRVEDVI and cRVEF should help with fluid management and with the assessment of the need for inotropic and vasoactive agents. In this multicenter study, we looked for possible relationships between the stroke volume index (SVI) and cRVEDVI, cRVEF, and filling pressures at 4 predefined steps in 244 patients undergoing LTx. Univariate and multivariate autoregression models (across phases of the surgical procedure) were fitted to assess the possible association between SVI and cRVEDVI, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), and central venous pressure (CVP) after adjustment for cRVEF (categorized as 40%). SVI was strongly associated with both cRVEDVI and cRVEF. The model showing the best fit to the data was that including cRVEDVI. Even after adjustment for cRVEF, there was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) relationship between SVI and cRVEDVI with a regression coefficient (slope of the regression line) of 0.25; this meant that an increase in cRVEDVI of 1 mL m(-2) resulted in an increase in SVI of 0.25 mL m(-2). The correlations between SVI and CVP and PAOP were less strong. We conclude that cRVEDVI reflected preload better than CVP and PAOP

Effects of an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program in elderly patients with obesity

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of an intensive inpatient multidimensional rehabilitation program (MRP), including diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy, in elderly patients with severe obesity. Methods: Forty-four elderly patients (old; age 69.3 \ub1 3.5 years, BMI 41.9 \ub1 14.9) were analyzed against 215 younger patients (young; age 48.2 \ub1 18.5 years, BMI 43.9 \ub1 9.4), who were used as controls. All patients underwent MRP, based on group therapy guided by a multidisciplinary team (physicians, dietitians, exercise trainers, psychologists). We evaluated changes in anthropometry, cardiovascular risk factors, physical fitness, quality of life, and eating behavior. Results: After 3 weeks of MRP, we observed a reduction in body weight (old -3.8%, young -4.3%), BMI (old -3.9%, young -4.4%), waist circumference (old -3.4%, young -4.1%), total cholesterol (old -14.0%, young -15.0%), and fasting glucose (old -8.3%, young -8.1%), as well as improved performance in the Six-Minute-Walk Test (old +28.7%, young +15.3%), chair-stand test (old +24.8%, young +26.9%), and arm-curl test (old +15.2%, young +27.3%). Significant improvement was registered in all other analyzed domains. Conclusion: Our 3-week MRP provided significant clinical and functional improvement, which was similar between elderly and younger patients with severe obesity. In the long-term, this may be translated into better quality of life, through better management of obesity-associated morbidities and reduced frailty

HadA is an atypical new multifunctional trimeric coiled-coil adhesin of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius, which promotes entry into host cells.

Summary The Oca (Oligomeric coiled-coil adhesin) family is a subgroup of the bacterial trimeric autotrans- porter adhesins, which includes structurally related proteins, such as YadA of Yersinia entero- colitica and NadA of Neisseria meningitidis. In this study, we searched in silico for novel members of this family in bacterial genomes and identified HadA (Haemophilus adhesin A), a trimeric autotransporter expressed only by Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius causing Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF), a fulminant septicemic disease of children. By comparative genomics and sequence analysis we predicted that the hadA gene is harboured on a mobile genetic element unique to BPF isolates. Biological analysis of HadA in the native background was limited because this organism is not amenable to genetic manipulation. Alternatively, we demonstrated that expression of HadA confers to a non-invasive Escherichia coli strain the ability to adhere to human cells and to extracellular matrix proteins and to induce in vitro bacterial aggregation and microcolony formation. Intriguingly, HadA is pre- dicted to lack the typical N-terminal head domain of Oca proteins generally associated with cellular receptor binding. We propose here a structural model of the HadA coiled-coil stalk and show that the N-terminal region is still responsible of the binding activity and a KGD motif plays a role. Interestingly, HadA promotes bacterial entry into mammalian cells. Our results show a cytoskeleton re-arrangement and an involvement of clathrin in the HadA-mediated internalization. These data give new insights on the structure-function relationship of oligomeric coiled-coil adhesins and suggest a potential role of this protein in the pathogenesis of BPF

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition improves vascular endothelial dysfunction in a rat model of endotoxic shock: Role of inducible nitric-oxide synthase and oxidative

ABSTRACT We investigated whether cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2) and decreased NO availability contribute to endothelial dysfunction in endotoxemic rats. The involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also evaluated. Rats were injected with Salmonella-derived lipopolysaccharide or saline. After 6 h, endothelial function of mesenteric resistance arteries was evaluated. In controls, acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation was inhibited by the nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor N G -monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and unaffected by 5,5-dimethyl-3-(3-fluorophenyl)-4-(4-methylsulphonyl)-phenyl-2(5H)-furanone (DFU) (COX-2 inhibitor). In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats, the response to ACh was blunted compared with controls, less sensitive to L-NMMA, and enhanced by DFU. COX-2 blockade also improved the inhibitory effect of L-NMMA on cholinergic relaxation. SC-560 [5-(4-clorophenyl)-1-(4-metoxyphenyl)-3-trifluoromethylpirazole] (COX-1 inhibitor) did not modify the response to ACh in both groups. LPS-induced endothelial dysfunction was unaffected by the thromboxane A 2 (TxA 2 ) receptor antagonist SQ-29548 (7-[3-[[2-[(phenylamino) hept-2-yl]-[1S(1alpha,2alpha(Z),3alpha,4alpha)]-5-heptenoic acid). In vivo inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibition by S-methylisothiourea partly attenuated LPS-induced endothelial dysfunction. The antioxidants ascorbic acid and superoxide dismutase normalized endothelium-dependent relaxation and restored the inhibitory action of L-NMMA on ACh. Responses to sodium nitroprusside were similar in both groups. In LPS-treated rats, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed a marked increase in mesenteric iNOS and COX-2 expressions, whereas endothelial nitric-oxide synthase and COX-1 were unchanged. LPS-induced COX-2 overexpression was reduced but not abrogated by S-methylisothiourea. LPS-induced COX-2 upregulation was also documented by immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, mesenteric resistance vessels from endotoxemic rats show impaired endothelial function due to reduced NO availability, a condition that is partly ascribable to an iNOS-dependent enhanced COX-2 expression, whereas TxA 2 does not seem to be involved. Oxidative stress is the main mechanism responsible for reduced NO availability, and COX-2 might act as a source of ROS

Effects of an Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Program in Elderly Patients with Obesity

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of an intensive inpatient multidimensional rehabilitation program (MRP), including diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy, in elderly patients with severe obesity. Methods: Forty-four elderly patients (old; age 69.3 ± 3.5 years, BMI 41.9 ± 14.9) were analyzed against 215 younger patients (young; age 48.2 ± 18.5 years, BMI 43.9 ± 9.4), who were used as controls. All patients underwent MRP, based on group therapy guided by a multidisciplinary team (physicians, dietitians, exercise trainers, psychologists). We evaluated changes in anthropometry, cardiovascular risk factors, physical fitness, quality of life, and eating behavior. Results: After 3 weeks of MRP, we observed a reduction in body weight (old –3.8%, young –4.3%), BMI (old –3.9%, young –4.4%), waist circumference (old –3.4%, young –4.1%), total cholesterol (old –14.0%, young –15.0%), and fasting glucose (old –8.3%, young –8.1%), as well as improved performance in the Six-Minute-Walk Test (old +28.7%, young +15.3%), chair-stand test (old +24.8%, young +26.9%), and arm-curl test (old +15.2%, young +27.3%). Significant improvement was registered in all other analyzed domains. Conclusion: Our 3-week MRP provided significant clinical and functional improvement, which was similar between elderly and younger patients with severe obesity. In the long-term, this may be translated into better quality of life, through better management of obesity-associated morbidities and reduced frailty

National trends in total cholesterol obscure heterogeneous changes in HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio : a pooled analysis of 458 population-based studies in Asian and Western countries

Background: Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and non-HDL cholesterol have opposite associations with coronary heart disease, multi-country reports of lipid trends only use total cholesterol (TC). Our aim was to compare trends in total, HDL and nonHDL cholesterol and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in Asian and Western countries. Methods: We pooled 458 population-based studies with 82.1 million participants in 23 Asian and Western countries. We estimated changes in mean total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio by country, sex and age group. Results: Since similar to 1980, mean TC increased in Asian countries. In Japan and South Korea, the TC rise was due to rising HDL cholesterol, which increased by up to 0.17 mmol/L per decade in Japanese women; in China, it was due to rising non-HDL cholesterol. TC declined in Western countries, except in Polish men. The decline was largest in Finland and Norway, at similar to 0.4 mmol/L per decade. The decline in TC in most Western countries was the net effect of an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decline in non-HDL cholesterol, with the HDL cholesterol increase largest in New Zealand and Switzerland. Mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio declined in Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, by as much as similar to 0.7 per decade in Swiss men (equivalent to similar to 26% decline in coronary heart disease risk per decade). The ratio increased in China. Conclusions: HDL cholesterol has risen and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio has declined in many Western countries, Japan and South Korea, with only a weak correlation with changes in TC or non-HDL cholesterol.Peer reviewe

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: A pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

© The Author(s) 2018. Background: Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods: We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20-29 years to 70-79 years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probittransformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results: In 2005-16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the highincome Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions: Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups