The nature and evolution of Nova Cygni 2006

AIMS: Nova Cyg 2006 has been intensively observed throughout its full outburst. We investigate the energetics and evolution of the central source and of the expanding ejecta, their chemical abundances and ionization structure, and the formation of dust. METHOD: We recorded low, medium, and/or high-resolution spectra (calibrated into accurate absolute fluxes) on 39 nights, along with 2353 photometric UBVRcIc measures on 313 nights, and complemented them with IR data from the literature. RESULTS: The nova displayed initially the normal photometric and spectroscopic evolution of a fast nova of the FeII-type. Pre-maximum, principal, diffuse-enhanced, and Orion absorption systems developed in a normal way. After the initial outburst, the nova progressively slowed its fading pace until the decline reversed and a second maximum was reached (eight months later), accompanied by large spectroscopic changes. Following the rapid decline from second maximum, the nova finally entered the nebular phase and formed optically thin dust. We computed the amount of formed dust and performed a photo-ionization analysis of the emission-line spectrum during the nebular phase, which showed a strong enrichment of the ejecta in nitrogen and oxygen, and none in neon, in agreement with theoretical predictions for the estimated 1.0 Msun white dwarf in Nova Cyg 2006. The similarities with the poorly investigated V1493 Nova Aql 1999a are discussed.Comment: in press in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Thymic Dendritic Cells Express Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Generate Nitric Oxide in Response to Self- and Alloantigens

Thymocytes maturing in the thymus undergo clonal deletion/apoptosis when they encounter self- or allo-Ags presented by dendritic cells (DCs). How this occurs is a matter of debate, but NO may play a role given its ability of inducing apoptosis of these cells. APC (a mixed population of macrophages (Mφ) and DCs) from rat thymus expressed high levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and produced large amounts of NO in basal conditions whereas iNOS expression and NO production were very low in thymocytes. Analysis by FACS and by double labeling of cytocentrifuged preparations showed that DCs and MΦ both express iNOS within APC. Analysis of a purified preparation of DCs confirmed that these cells express high levels of iNOS and produce large amounts of NO in basal conditions. The capacity of DCs to generate NO was enhanced by exposure to rat albumin, a self-protein, and required a fully expressed process of Ag internalization, processing, and presentation. Peptides derived from portions of class II MHC molecules up-regulate iNOS expression and NO production by DCs as well, both in self and allogeneic combinations, suggesting a role of NO in both self and acquired tolerance. We also found that NO induced apoptosis of rat double-positive thymocytes, the effect being more evident in anti-CD3-stimulated cells. Altogether, the present findings might suggest that DC-derived NO is at least one of the soluble factors regulating events, in the thymus, that follow recognition of self- and allo-Ags

Automated Analysis of Large-Scale NMR Data Generates Metabolomic Signatures and Links Them to Candidate Metabolites.

Identification of metabolites in large-scale <sup>1</sup> H NMR data from human biofluids remains challenging due to the complexity of the spectra and their sensitivity to pH and ionic concentrations. In this work, we tested the capacity of three analysis tools to extract metabolite signatures from 968 NMR profiles of human urine samples. Specifically, we studied sets of covarying features derived from principal component analysis (PCA), the iterative signature algorithm (ISA), and averaged correlation profiles (ACP), a new method we devised inspired by the STOCSY approach. We used our previously developed metabomatching method to match the sets generated by these algorithms to NMR spectra of individual metabolites available in public databases. On the basis of the number and quality of the matches, we concluded that ISA and ACP can robustly identify ten and nine metabolites, respectively, half of which were shared, while PCA did not produce any signatures with robust matches

Improving splenic conservation rate after trauma by applying a protocol for non-operative management and follow-up: A propensity-score analysis

Background: There are shared guidelines about Non-Operative Management (NOM) of splenic injuries, but some unanswered questions remain. The aim of the present study is to establish the usefulness of a standardized protocol for management and follow-up of NOM patients with splenic injuries. Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study including patients with major blunt trauma (ISS.15) with splenic injuries managed between January 1st 2014 and December 31st 2016 in two Italian I level Trauma Centers: one with a standardized management and follow-up protocol for NOM (Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, BH), and the other without it (ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, PG23H). Comparison between patients' outcomes were performed and a propensity score model was calculated. Results: 47 patients managed in BH and 49 patients in PG23H were included. In BH, a higher proportion of patients was treated with NOM (72.3 % vs. 53.1 %, p ¼ 0.051). There was no difference in complication rate and mortality in patients treated with NOM in the two hospitals. A borderline significant trend to a higher NOM failure rate in PG23H was found (BH 0.0 % vs. PG23H 11.3 %, p ¼ 0.076). The total splenic conservation rate was significantly higher in BH (BH 72.3 % vs. PG23H 46.9 %, p ¼ 0.011). After the Propensity Score based matching, 72 patients were included and the total splenic conservation rate was significantly higher in BH (BH: 77.8 % vs. PG23H: 50.9 %, p ¼ 0.014). Conclusions: The application of a protocol for in-hospital management and follow-up for NOM of patients with splenic injury could decrease the NOM failure rate and improve splenic conservation rate

Relationship between the prevalence of Dibothriocephalus latus(Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) and the load of Escherichia coli: New findings in a neglected fish-borne parasitic zoonosis

The sub-Alpine lakes of Switzerland, Italy and France have long been reported as an endemic area of diphyllobothriosis, a parasitic zoonosis aused by Dibothriocephalus latus. With this study, we explored the hypothesis for a relationship between the prevalence of D. latus in Perca fluviatilis and the Escherichia coli load in lake water. To do this, we identified eleven sampling sites in three areas (north, centre and south) of Lake Iseo (north Italy) to determine E. coli load and the prevalence of D. latus in P. fluviatilis. Prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of D. latus infestation ranged from 0% (95% CI: 0.71–0.0) in Sarnico (southern area) to 20% (95% CI: 33.0–11.2) in Pisogne (northern area). There were significant differences in prevalence be-tween the sites (χ2= 31.12; p- value= .0006) and in E. coli load (Kruskal–Wallis test; p- value= .0005). There was decreasing gradient of E. coli load and prevalence of D. latus infestation from north to south. A significant positive correlation (r= .881; p- value= .003) was found between E. coli load and prevalence of D. latus. Also, linear regression showed a significant relationship between E. coli load and prevalence of infestation (R2= .775). Our findings offer an explanation for the link between E. coliload in water and D. latus prevalence. The potential factors in this link are the ef-ficiency of the local wastewater treatment plant, the bathymetric profile of the lake and the life cycle of D. latus, which is mainly affected by light and water temperature.KEYWORDSItaly, Lake Iseo, Perca fluviatilis, prevalence of infestation, wastewater treatment plant, the bathymetric profile of the lake and the life cycle of D. latus, which is mainly affected by light and water temperature

MONET: a toolbox integrating top-performing methods for network modularization.

We define a disease module as a partition of a molecular network whose components are jointly associated with one or several diseases or risk factors thereof. Identification of such modules, across different types of networks, has great potential for elucidating disease mechanisms and establishing new powerful biomarkers. To this end, we launched the 'Disease Module Identification (DMI) DREAM Challenge', a community effort to build and evaluate unsupervised molecular network modularization algorithms. Here, we present MONET, a toolbox providing easy and unified access to the three top-performing methods from the DMI DREAM Challenge for the bioinformatics community. MONET is a command line tool for Linux, based on Docker and Singularity containers; the core algorithms were written in R, Python, Ada and C++. It is freely available for download at https://github.com/BergmannLab/MONET.git. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

The unusual isolation of carnobacteria in eyes of healthy salmonids in high‑mountain lakes

Carnobacteria are common bacteria in cold and temperate environments; they are also reported during fsh mortality events. In a previous study, carnobacteria were isolated from the eyes of healthy wild salmonids from a high-mountain lake. To better understand these fndings, salmonids were captured from three high-mountain lakes (Lower and Upper Balma Lake, Rouen Lake; northwest Italy) during August 2019 and subjected to bacteriological and histological examination. Although all were healthy, 8.7% (Lower Balma Lake), 24% (Upper Balma Lake), and 32.6% (Rouen Lake) were positive for carnobacteria colonization of the eyes. A Trojan-horse efect was hypothesized to explain carnobacteria isolation in the eye. This immune-escaping macrophage-mediated mechanism has been identifed in other Gram-positive bacteria. Biochemical, molecular, and phylogenetic analysis were carried out on isolated bacteria (Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and C. divergens). Based on previous references for carnobacteria isolated from fsh, C. maltaromaticum strains were tested for the pisA precursor gene of the bacteriocin piscicolin 126. Carnobacterium maltaromaticum strains were found to display genotypic heterogeneity and a low percentage of pisA positive amplifcation. Features of geomorphology, geographic isolation, and microbiota common to the three lakes are thought to be possibly related to our fndings. Moreover, terrestrial insects collected from the lake shoreline and the stomach contents were screened for the presence of carnobacteria. The salmonids in these high-mountain environments feed mainly on terrestrial insects, which are considered possible vectors for carnobacteria that might catabolize the exoskeleton chitin. All insects tested negative for carnobacteria, but as a small number of samples were analyzed, their role as possible vectors of infection cannot be excluded. Further studies are needed to corroborate our research hypothesis

A year in heart failure : an update of recent findings

Major changes have occurred in these last years in heart failure (HF) management. Landmark trials and the 2021 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HF have established four classes of drugs for treatment of HF with reduced ejection fraction: angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors or an angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitor, beta‐blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitors, namely, dapagliflozin or empagliflozin. These drugs consistently showed benefits on mortality, HF hospitalizations, and quality of life. Correction of iron deficiency is indicated to improve symptoms and reduce HF hospitalizations. AFFIRM‐AHF showed 26% reduction in total HF hospitalizations with ferric carboxymaltose vs. placebo in patients hospitalized for acute HF (P = 0.013). The guanylate cyclase activator vericiguat and the myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil improved outcomes in randomized placebo‐controlled trials, and vericiguat is now approved for clinical practice. Treatment of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was a major unmet clinical need until this year when the results of EMPEROR‐Preserved (EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic HFpEF) were issued. Compared with placebo, empagliflozin reduced by 21% (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 0.90; P < 0.001), the primary outcome of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization. Advances in the treatment of specific phenotypes of HF, including atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, cardiac amyloidosis, and cancer‐related HF, also occurred. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic still plays a major role in HF epidemiology and management. All these aspects are highlighted in this review

Optical evolution of Nova Ophiuchi 2007 = V2615 Oph

The moderately fast Nova Oph 2007 reached maximum brightness on March 28, 2007 at V=8.52, B-V=+1.12, V-Rc=+0.76, V-Ic=+1.59 and Rc-Ic=+0.83, after fast initial rise and a pre-maximum halt lasting a week. Decline times were t(V,2)=26.5, t(B,2)=30, t(V,3)=48.5 and t(B,3)=56.5 days. The distance to the nova is d=3.7 kpc, the height above the galactic plane z=215 pc, the reddening E(B-V)=0.90 and the absolute magnitude at maximum M(V,max)=-7.2 and M(B,max)=-7.0. The spectrum four days before maximum resembled a F6 super-giant, in agreement with broad-band colors. It later developed into that of a standard 'FeII'-class nova. Nine days past maximum, the expansion velocity estimated from the width of H$\alpha$ emission component was 730 km/s, and the displacement from it of the principal and diffuse enhanced absorption systems were 650 and 1380 km/s, respectively. Dust probably formed and disappeared during the period from 82 to 100 days past maximum, causing (at peak dust concentration) an extinction of Delta B=1.8 mag and an extra Delta E(B-V)=0.44 reddening.Comment: accepted in press by MNRA