Melting of Partially Fluorinated Graphene: From Detachment of Fluorine Atoms to Large Defects and Random Coils

The melting of fluorographene is very unusual and depends strongly on the degree of fluorination. For temperatures below 1000 K, fully fluorinated graphene (FFG) is thermo-mechanically more stable than graphene but at T$_m\approx$2800 K FFG transits to random coils which is almost twice lower than the melting temperature of graphene, i.e. 5300 K. For fluorinated graphene (PFG) up to 30 % ripples causes detachment of individual F-atoms around 2000 K while for 40-60 % fluorination, large defects are formed beyond 1500 K and beyond 60% of fluorination F-atoms remain bonded to graphene until melting. The results agree with recent experiments on the dependence of the reversibility of the fluorination process on the percentage of fluorination.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Trichinella spiralis (Owen, 1835) Raillet, 1895 : Aspectos morfológicos y biológicos en modelo experimental del ratón

La reproducción de un parásito en un animal, permite obtener conocimientos sobre la enfermedad y la biología del mismo. Se utilizó al ratón como modelo experimental de trichinellosis y se estudiaron las características morfológicas y biológicas de Trichinella spiralis según los siguientes objetivos: Obtener parámetros morfológicos de adultos; Estimar la fecundidad como Nº de Huevos/hembra al 5º día post-infestación; Observar la disposición, tamaño y forma de los huevos en el útero; Hallar una ecuación para predecir el número de huevos/hembra y Estimar el porcentaje de Efectividad Potencial de la infestación experimental. Tres ratones BALB/c se inocularon oralmente con larvas L1 de T. spiralis. A los 5 días post-infestación se extrajeron los intestinos. Se investigó la presencia y el número de parásitos en el contenido y en la mucosa intestinal. El número de parásitos en los distintos materiales biológicos se determinó por recuento en cámara según la técnica de Mc Master modificada. La morfología y morfometría se realizó sobre 30 ejemplares de T. spiralis de cada sexo, obtenidos por digestión artificial de la totalidad del intestino delgado de cada ratón. Los machos de T. spiralis midieron 1,04 mm ± 0,04 de largo por 0,04 mm de ancho; las hembras 1,84 mm ± 0,136 de largo por 0,04 mm de ancho. Largo del útero: 1,35 mm ± 0,147. La fecundidad media fue 147 Huevos/hembra. En la parte anterior del útero, los huevos se observaron de mayor tamaño (diámetro: 18,6 μm) y ordenados en una fila; en la parte media anterior fueron pleomórficos y ubicados en tres o cuatro hileras (diámetro: 17,5 μm) y en la parte media posterior, esféricos (diámetro: 1,049 μm) y dispuestos desordenadamente. En la parte posterior del útero no se observaron huevos. La Efectividad Potencial de la infestación experimental fue 55,6% ± 4,6. No se pudo obtener una ecuación para predecir el número de huevos/hembra. La descripción de T. spiralis en las condiciones experimentales establecidas aportar un modelo basal, a partir del cual sería posible referenciar cambios que pudieran ocurrir en los parámetros evaluados, en estudios con fármacos, probióticos o cualquier sustancia de uso terapéutico o profiláctico en trichinellosis.Playback of parasitosis in an animal can gain knowledge about the disease and the biology of the parasite. We used the mouse as an experimental model of trichinellosis and studied the morphological and biological characteristics of Trichinella spiralis by the following objectives: Get morphological parameters of adults; estimate fertility as No. of eggs / female 5th day post-infestation; Watch the order, size and shape of the eggs in the uterus; Find an equation to predict the number of eggs / female and estimate the percentage of potential effectiveness of experimental infestation. Three BALB / c mice orally inoculated with L1 larvae of T. spiralis. At 5 days post-infection, the intestines were removed. We investigated the presence and the number of parasites in the content and in the intestinal mucosa. The number of parasites in various biological materials was determined by counting in camera according to the modified McMaster technique. The morphology and morphometry was performed on 30 specimens of T. spiralis of each sex, obtained by digestion of the whole artificial intestine of each mouse. The male T. spiralis measured 0.04 ± 1.04 mm long and 0.04 mm wide, females 0.136 ± 1.84 mm long and 0.04 mm wide. Uterus Length: 1.35 mm ± 0.147. Mean fecundity was 147 eggs / female. In the front of the uterus, eggs were observed cuboidal (diameter: 18.6 mm) and arranged in a row, in the middle above were pleomorphic and located in three or four rows (diameter: 17.5 mm) and in the posterior mean, spherical (diameter: 1,049 mm) and arranged haphazardly. In the back of the uterus eggs were not observed. The potential effectiveness of the experimental infection was 55.6% ± 4.6. Could not get an equation to predict the number of eggs / female. The description of T. spiralis in experimental conditions would provide a baseline model, from which it would be possible to reference changes that might occur in the parameters evaluated in studies of drugs, or any substance probiotic therapeutic or prophylactic use in trichinellosis.Asociación Parasitológica Argentin

Feasibility and safety of low-flow extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal to facilitate ultra-protective ventilation in patients with moderate acute respiratory distress sindrome

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation with a tidal volume (V(T)) of 6 mL/kg/predicted body weight (PBW), to maintain plateau pressure (P(plat)) lower than 30 cmH(2)O, does not completely avoid the risk of ventilator induced lung injury (VILI). The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and feasibility of a ventilation strategy consisting of very low V(T) combined with extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO(2)R). METHODS: In fifteen patients with moderate ARDS, V(T) was reduced from baseline to 4 mL/kg PBW while PEEP was increased to target a plateau pressure – (P(plat)) between 23 and 25 cmH(2)O. Low-flow ECCO(2)R was initiated when respiratory acidosis developed (pH < 7.25, PaCO(2) > 60 mmHg). Ventilation parameters (V(T), respiratory rate, PEEP), respiratory compliance (C(RS)), driving pressure (DeltaP = V(T)/C(RS)), arterial blood gases, and ECCO(2)R system operational characteristics were collected during the period of ultra-protective ventilation. Patients were weaned from ECCO(2)R when PaO(2)/FiO(2) was higher than 200 and could tolerate conventional ventilation settings. Complications, mortality at day 28, need for prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and data on weaning from both MV and ECCO(2)R were also collected. RESULTS: During the 2 h run in phase, V(T) reduction from baseline (6.2 mL/kg PBW) to approximately 4 mL/kg PBW caused respiratory acidosis (pH < 7.25) in all fifteen patients. At steady state, ECCO(2)R with an average blood flow of 435 mL/min and sweep gas flow of 10 L/min was effective at correcting pH and PaCO(2) to within 10 % of baseline values. PEEP values tended to increase at V(T) of 4 mL/kg from 12.2 to 14.5 cmH(2)O, but this change was not statistically significant. Driving pressure was significantly reduced during the first two days compared to baseline (from 13.9 to 11.6 cmH(2)O; p < 0.05) and there were no significant differences in the values of respiratory system compliance. Rescue therapies for life threatening hypoxemia such as prone position and ECMO were necessary in four and two patients, respectively. Only two study-related adverse events were observed (intravascular hemolysis and femoral catheter kinking). CONCLUSIONS: The low-flow ECCO(2)R system safely facilitates a low volume, low pressure ultra-protective mechanical ventilation strategy in patients with moderate ARDS

Melting of Partially Fluorinated Graphene: From Detachment of Fluorine Atoms to Large Defects and Random Coils

The melting of fluorographene is very unusual and depends strongly on the degree of fluorination. For temperatures below 1000 K, fully fluorinated graphene (FFG) is thermo-mechanically more stable than graphene but at T m ≈ 2800 K FFG transits to random coils which is almost twice lower than the melting temperature of graphene, i.e. 5300 K. For fluorinated graphene (PFG) up to 30% ripples causes detachment of individual F-atoms around 2000 K while for 40-60% fluorination, large defects are formed beyond 1500 K and beyond 60% of fluorination F-atoms remain bonded to graphene until melting. The results agree with recent experiments on the dependence of the reversibility of the fluorination process on the percentage of fluorination.Fil: Singh, Sandeep Kumar. Universiteit Antwerpen. Department of Physics; BélgicaFil: Costamagna, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario. Instituto de Física de Rosario (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Ingeniería y Agrimensura; ArgentinaFil: Neek Amal, M.. Universiteit Antwerpen. Department of Physics; BélgicaFil: Peeters, F. M.. Universiteit Antwerpen. Department of Physics; Bélgic

The future of Cybersecurity in Italy: Strategic focus area

This volume has been created as a continuation of the previous one, with the aim of outlining a set of focus areas and actions that the Italian Nation research community considers essential. The book touches many aspects of cyber security, ranging from the definition of the infrastructure and controls needed to organize cyberdefence to the actions and technologies to be developed to be better protected, from the identification of the main technologies to be defended to the proposal of a set of horizontal actions for training, awareness raising, and risk management