Level m stratifications of versal deformations of p-divisible groups

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$. Let $c,d,m$ be positive integers. Let $D$ be a $p$-divisible group of codimension $c$ and dimension $d$ over $k$. Let \scrD be a versal deformation of $D$ over a smooth $k$-scheme \scrA which is equidimensional of dimension $cd$. We show that there exists a reduced, locally closed subscheme \grs_D(m) of \scrA that has the following property: a point y\in\scrA(k) belongs to \grs_D(m)(k) if and only if y^*(\scrD)[p^m] is isomorphic to $D[p^m]$. We prove that \grs_D(m) is {\it regular and equidimensional} of {\it dimension} $cd-\dim(\pmb{\text{Aut}}(D[p^m]))$. We give a proof of {\it Traverso's formula} which for $m>>0$ computes the codimension of \grs_D(m) in \scrA (i.e., $\dim(\pmb{\text{Aut}}(D[p^m]))$) in terms of the Newton polygon of $D$. We also provide a criterion of when \grs_D(m) satisfies the {\it purity property} (i.e., it is an affine \scrA-scheme). Similar results are proved for {\it quasi Shimura $p$-varieties of Hodge type} that generalize the special fibres of good integral models of Shimura varieties of Hodge type in unramified mixed characteristic $(0,p)$.Comment: 35 pages. Accepted (in final form) for publication in J. Alg. Geo

Choroidal Abnormalities Detected by Near-Infrared Imaging (NIR) in Pediatric Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)

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A Case of Neurotrophic Keratopathy Concomitant to Brain Metastasis

We report a case of a 63-year-old Caucasian female referred to the cornea service of Clinica Oculistica with a neurotrophic corneal ulcer, decreased corneal sensitivity, absent corneal reflex, and decreased lacrimation. The medical record review was relevant for mastectomy and adjuvant therapy for breast cancer complicated by pontocerebellar angle metastasis. Eye patching and application of antibiotic and vitamin ointments were prescribed at first, without a significant improvement. Thus, treatment with autologous serum was started. In about two weeks, the cornea recovered and visual acuity improved with a residual corneal scarring. Finally, we should mention that, in our case, the main cause of the neurotrophic corneal ulcer could be identified in the previous trigeminal damage at the pontocerebellar angle and trigeminal ganglion. Sensory nerves play an important regulatory role via neuro-mediators on corneal wound healing, as denervation may interfere with cellular metabolism and inhibit mitosis, leading to an epithelial defect even with no direct damage

Frecuencia de las fracturas en los huesos que conforman la articulación carpal en caballos pura sangre inglés con claudicación del miembro anterior

La presente investigación se llevo a cabo en la Clínica Veterinaria del Hipódromo de Monterrico, Lima, donde se tuvo como objetivo determinar la frecuencia de fractura de los huesos de la articulación carpal de los caballos purasangre de carrera durante los años 2002, 2003 y 2004. Se utilizo placas radiográficas de 390 animales, de las cuales algunas se obtuvieron de la base de datos de la clínica y en otros casos se tomo directamente las radiografías. Paso siguiente se procedió a determinar los factores asociados a este tipo de fracturas, estos fueron: Tipo de pista (arena o césped), Distancia de la carrera (corta, larga o intermedia), el miembro anterior afectado (derecho o izquierdo), sexo de los animales, edad y finalmente tipo de la fractura (tipo astilla, bloque o fractura del carpo accesorio); determinando sus significancia estadística. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizo la formula de prevalencia y la prueba de Chi cuadrado. Al final de la investigación se determino que la prevalencia total de fracturas de los huesos de la articulación carpal fue del 23 %, estando esta cifra muy por debajo de las cifras descritas por otros autores. En conclusión podemos decir que el porcentaje de fracturas observadas es alto por lo que se deben de tomar las medidas del caso para disminuirla.The present investigation took place in the Veterinary Clinic, at the Monterrico racetrack, where the objective was to determinate the frequency of the carpal joint in Thoroughbreds, during the years 2002, 2003 and 2004. Radiographs of 390 animals were used, some taken from the clinic archive and some taken directly. The next step was to determine factors associated with this kind of injury, classificated as follows: Track surface (Dirt or Turf), Distance of the race (Speed race, mid distance and long distance), sex of the animals, age and finally fracture type (chip fracture, slab fracture and the accessorial carpal bon fracture.), determinating its statistic significance. For the data analysis the prevalence formula and the chi square test. At the end of the study a 23% of prevalence was found, a much smaller number compared with other studies. Therefore we can say that the prevalence found is slightly high, so some attention to this injury should be taken. Keywords: Corpus, radiographs, fractures, jointTesi

Life cycle sustainability analysis of resource recovery from waste management systems in a circular economy perspective Key Findings from This Special Issue

The generation and management of waste are gaining increasing attention worldwide as two main focuses of the environmental strategies and policies developed to date at the European level [...

Cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery in a patient with previous severe iritis following argon laser peripheral iridoplasty

This report describes a patient who had exaggerated responses to different inflammatory stimuli represented by laser and incisional surgery, respectively. These separate episodes should have a common link represented by a genetic predisposition to abnormal release of proinflammatory mediators within the eye. This 51-year old Hispanic woman showed a narrow iridocorneal angle with plateau iris configuration. Nd-YAG laser peripheral iridotomy was successfully performed to both eyes. No substantial changes in the iridotrabecular angle occurred despite patent iridotomies, thus confirming the diagnosis of plateau iris configuration. Argon laser iridoplasty was then performed to the right eye, while the left eye was scheduled for a later session. A severe inflammatory reaction within the anterior chamber developed after tapering of a one-week course of steroid therapy. Phacoemulsification of the lens was performed some months later when no signs of inflammation were detectable; no intraoperative complications occurred during surgery and an intraocular lens was placed. Cystoid macular edema developed four weeks after surgery despite no apparent risk factors, and resolved completely after anti-inflammatory medical therapy. Based on this case report, the unusual occurrence of severe iritis after laser treatment should be regarded as a risk factor for any other incisional or nonincisional procedures because it might indicate that the patient’s ocular tissues are prone to release of abnormally elevated proinflammatory mediators. Although further studies are needed to confirm this predisposition, prophylactic adjunctive topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration after cataract surgery should be considered in such cases in order to prevent potentially sight-threatening conditions

A novel method to compute the contact surface area between an organ and cancer tissue

With "contact surface area" (CSA) we refers to the area of contact between a tumor and an organ. This indicator has been identified as a predictive factor for surgical peri-operative parameters, particularly in the context of kidney cancer. However, state-of-the-art algorithms for computing the CSA rely on assumptions about the tumor shape and require manual human annotation. In this study, we introduce an innovative method that relies on 3D reconstructions of tumors and organs to provide an accurate and objective estimate of the CSA. Our approach consists of a segmentation protocol for reconstructing organs and tumors from Computed Tomography (CT) images and an algorithm leveraging the reconstructed meshes to compute the CSA. With the aim to contributing to the literature with replicable results, we provide an open-source implementation of our algorithm, along with an easy-to-use graphical user interface to support its adoption and widespread use. We evaluated the accuracy of our method using both a synthetic dataset and reconstructions of 87 real tumor-organ pairs

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine retinal safety concerns during COVID-19 outbreak

Purpose: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared by the World Health Organization a global pandemic. Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been largely adopted in the clinical setting for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, their known retinal toxicity has raised some safety concerns, especially considering the higher-dosage employed for COVID-19 patients as compared with their suggested posology for their usual indications, including systemic lupus erythematosus and other rheumatic diseases. In this review, we will discuss the optimal dosages recommended for COVID-19 patients when treated with HCQ and CQ. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase and Scopus, by using the following search terms: "chloroquine retinal toxicity" and "hydroxychloroquine retinal toxicity" alone or in combination with "coronavirus", "COVID-19", " SARS-CoV-2 infection " from inception to August 2020. Results: Although there is still no consistent evidence about HCQ/CQ retinal toxicity in patients with COVID-19, these possible drug-related retinal adverse events may represent a major safety concern. For this reason, appropriate screening strategies, including telemedicine, should be developed in the near future. Conclusion: A possible future clinical perspective for patients with COVID-19 treated with HCQ/CQ could reside in the multidisciplinary collaboration between ophthalmologists monitoring the risk of HCQ/CQ-related retinal toxicity and those physicians treating COVID-19 infection

Faricimab for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Nowadays; intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs are considered the first-line therapeutic strategy for treating macular exudative diseases; including wet age-related macular degeneration (w-AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Despite the important clinical achievements obtained by anti-VEGF drugs in the management of w-AMD and DME; some limits still remain; including high treatment burden; the presence of unsatisfactory results in a certain percentage of patients and long-term visual acuity decline due to complications such as macular atrophy and fibrosis. Targeting the angiopoietin/Tie (Ang/Tie) pathway beyond the VEGF pathway may be a possible therapeutic strategy; which may has the potential to solve some of the previous mentioned challenges. Faricimab is a new; bispecific antibody targeting both VEGF-A and the Ang-Tie/pathway. It was approved by FDA and; more recently; by EMA for treating w-AMD and DME. Results from phase III trials TENAYA and LUCERNE (w-AMD) and RHINE and YOSEMITE (DME) have shown the potential of faricimab to maintain clinical efficacy with more prolonged treatment regimens compared to aflibercept (12 or 16 weeks) with a a good safety profile