In questo articolo vengono riportati alcuni aspetti relativi alla cattura ed all'utilizzo della anidride carbonica, mediante applicazione delle biotecnologie basate sulle microalghe. In particolare vengono riportati i principali sistemi impiegati per la coltivazione di questi organismi fotoautotrofi ed i più rilevanti parametri di progettazione.

Wilensky reported his lessons from severe covid-19 experience1. In science, an objective view is important for solving a problem. In the world, many nations have different individual past and on-going lessons through the covid experience. From the viewpoint of human perspective, the number of deaths due to the covid pandemic should be used for grading the success of individual policies. Successful policies can provide a pleasant lesson to their citizens while the unsuccessful policy can bring harsh lessons to them. According to the worldometer, the successful policy based on digital fence using smart phones is implemented by Taiwan where isolating-all-at-risk strategy has been used2. The successful policy was deduced by their past lessons from SARS3. Taiwan has cumulative seven deaths due to the covid-19 with a population of 23.8 million. Since we have no vaccine and no effective therapy against the covid-19, isolating-all-at-risk in real time is one and only one effective policy against the pandemic. The US has an enough capability to perform the best similar policy for mitigating the pandemic.References:1.October 22, 2020 N Engl J Med 2020; 383:e96 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp20232042. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/coronavirus-apps/taiwan.php3. WHO, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),https://www.who.int/health-topics/severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome

Background & aims: Chronic liver disease is associated with malnutrition that negatively impacts a patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We evaluated the short-term effect of whey protein supplementation on the HRQoL and nutritional and functional status of patients waiting for liver transplantation (LT). Methods: This was a double-blind randomized clinical trial with patients waiting for LT who were randomized into two groups: WP (whey protein supplementation) and the control (casein supplementation). Both groups received 40g (20g in the morning and 20 g in the evening) for 15 days. Nutritional and functional status were evaluated. Energy balance (EB) was calculated as the difference between energy intake (24-hour recall) and total energy expenditure. The chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) was used to assess HRQoL. All measurements were performed before and after the intervention. Results: Fifty-six patients were evaluated. Malnutrition was present in 56.9% of patients, and it was directly associated with a poor HRQoL (p<0.05). No improvement on the nutritional and functional status was observed, in either group after protein supplementation. HRQoL improved after WP and casein supplementation, with no differences between groups (p>0.05). Patients who met protein requirements and had a positive EB demonstrated a higher HRQoL score (4.9) (p<0.05), without between-group differences. Conclusion: Malnutrition substantially reduces HRQoL. Short-term WP or casein supplementation improved the HRQoL.

Objectives: Otorhinolaryngological conditions seem to be more frequent in children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), including allergic rhinitis, but, to our best knowledge, there are no studies showing if the frequency of these conditions is superior in children with EoE. The aim of this study is to determine whether otorhinolaryngological manifestations are more prevalent in these children. Design: Case control study Setting: Tertiary referral Paediatric Hospital of Lisbon, Portugal. Participants: Children with EoE (cases) and children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis but not diagnosed with EoE or other eosinophilic disorders (controls). Main outcome measures: Complete otorhinolaryngological evaluation of children under an observation protocol with questions about ear, nose and throat symptoms, and previous medical history; physical examination and the CARAT kids questionnaire to evaluate the level of control of children’s rhinitis. Results: This study included 45 children. The study group consisted of 15 children diagnosed with EoE and the control group consisted of 30 cases with allergic rhinitis. Both groups included 6 to 17 years old children. There were no differences concerning gender, age, total CARAT kids score or CARAT kids score for questions for upper and lower respiratory tract (p>0.05). When otorhinolaryngological symptoms were analysed separately there were no statistically significant differences between case and control groups (p>0.05), except for dysphagia (p=0,036) which was more prevalent in the case group. There were no significant differences related to the number of symptoms reported, frequency of asthma, otorhinolaryngological surgeries in the past, drug allergies, and documented hearing loss (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in laryngopharyngeal changes seen as markers for laryngopharyngeal reflux between both groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: Apparently, otorhinolaryngological conditions are not more prevalent in children diagnosed with EoE, but future larger studies are needed to confirm our findings. Yet, Otorhinolaryngologists must be aware of this condition since early referral of children with symptoms related to EoE such as dysphagia and atopy to a Gastroenterology appointment can speed up diagnosis and treatment, potentially reducing long-term sequelae.

Abstract Introduction: One stop neck lump clinics (OSNLC) are gaining popularity worldwide especially in the UK hospitals following NICE recommendation. The main aim of this speciality clinic is quick diagnosis and early management while simultaneously improving patient experience. Objectives: To analyse and compare the efficacy of OSNLC and general ENT/Head and neck clinic with specifics to number of appointments required for formulating management plan and number of ‘one stop’ visits. Design: Retrospective observational study Setting: Regional Head and Neck Cancer Center (Secondary care hospital) Participants: Patients referred by General practitioner with symptoms of neck lump Main outcome measures: Patients seen in general ENT/Head and neck and OSNLC in 2 phases to understand the difference in number of appointments, one stop visits, requirement of Ultrasound and efficiency of Fine needle aspiration. Results and Conclusions: Improved efficacy of OSNLC was noted as patients seen in clinic required lesser number of appointments, reached a faster diagnosis and management plan when compared to patients seen in general ENT clinic.

Key Points • Sepsis is associated with high morbidity and mortality and is a known complication of infections of the head and neck. Screening for sepsis should be conducted on admission in order to identify patients at risk and provide early intervention. • Our audit on an ENT ward in a district general hospital found that sepsis screening is poor, however this can be improved further by education and visual reminders such as poster or a clerking proforma. • The most common head and neck infections admitted to a district general hospital were tonsillitis, peritonsillar cellulitis and peritonsillar abscesses. • The incidence of sepsis as a complication of head and neck infections is very rare if diagnosed according to the updated qSOFA criteria. • Using SIRS criteria may result in falsely high rates of diagnosis of sepsis and may lead to excessive and inappropriate clinical management in patients who could otherwise be managed less aggressively.

We consider a generalization of the standard Beris-Edwards system modeling incompressible liquid crystal flows of nematic type. This couples a Navier-Stokes system for the fluid velocity with an evolution equation for the Q-tensors variable describing the direction of liquid crystal molecules. The convergence at infinite time for global solutions is studied and we prove that whole trajectory goes to a single equilibrium by using a Lojasiewicz-Simon's result.

In this paper, we consider the Cauchy problem for one nonclassical, third-order, partial differential equation with gradient non-linearity $|\nabla u(x,t)|^q$. The solution to this problem is understood in a weak sense. We show that for $1“3/2$ the existence of the only local-in-time weak solution of Cauchy’s problem.If $3/2”

Background: Small Aortic Annulus (AA) is big issue during Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR) necessitating replacement of an undersized prosthetic valve especially with Double Valve Replacement (DVR). Despite that small aortic valve prostheses can lead to Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch (PPM), there remains reluctance to perform aortic root enlargement (ARE) procedures fearing from morbidity and mortality. Objective: To evaluate clinical and echocardiographic outcomes in patients with small aortic annulus undergoing double valve replacement. Methods: The study included 100 consecutive patients underwent DVR for combined rheumatic aortic and mitral valve diseases, between Jan. 2016 and Sept. 2020. Only (50) patients had ARE with DVR. ARE was performed using an autologous or bovine pericardium or Dacron patch by Nicks or Manouguian procedures. The estimated postoperative end-points were mortality, effective orifice areas (EOA), mean aortic pressure gradient and valve-related complications. The least postoperative follow-up period was 6 months. Results: The study included 30 male and 70 female patients with mean age of 35±20 years, body surface area (BSA) of 1.7 ±0.3 m2, aortic annulus diameter was 20±1.4 mm, aortic orifice area was 0.8±0.1 cm2, and mean pressure gradient 85±2.5 mmHg. During follow-up period, there was a mild to moderate paravalvular leak (1%) with, (1%) heart block, and residual gradient on prosthetic aortic valve; that was all in DVR alone. Conclusion: Enlargement of aortic root by Nicks or Manouguian technique is safe and effective in patients with small aortic annulus undergoing double valve replacements.

Coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease represent a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite technological advancements in percutaneous interventions, surgical revascularization remains the preferred strategy in patients with left main or multivessel disease and in those with complex lesions with high SYNTAX score. As a result, an increasing number of older patients with diffuse atherosclerotic extracoronary disease are referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Cerebrovascular complications after isolated coronary surgery occurs in 1-5% of patients; the magnitude of injury ranges from overt neurologic lesions with varying degree of permanent disability to “asymptomatic” cerebral events detected by dedicated neuro-imaging, nevertheless associated with significant long term cognitive and functional decline. Thromboembolic events due to manipulation of an atherosclerotic aorta are universally recognized as the leading etiology of early postoperative stroke following CABG. Coronary bypass surgery performed on an arrested heart relies on considerable aortic instrumentation associated with significant atheroembolic risk especially in older patients presenting with diffuse aortic calcifications. Surgical techniques to deal with a calcified ascending aorta during isolated coronary surgery have evolved over the last forty years. Moving away from aggressive aortic debridement or replacement, surgeons have developed strategies aimed to minimize aortic manipulation: from pump-assisted beating heart surgery with the use of composite grafts to complete avoidance of aortic manipulation with “anaortic” off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, a safe and effective approach in significantly reducing the risk of intraoperative stroke.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) are abnormal connections between a coronary artery and cardiac chambers or with other vessels. CAF occurs in about 0.1% of adult patients and most commonly affects the right heart. We present a rare case of left circumflex coronary artery aneurysm with fistula to the left ventricle.

Objective We profile the maternal and fetal response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women and make an assessment of passive immunity to the neonate, Design Multicentre prospective study. Setting Dublin, Ireland Methods RT-PCR for viral RNA via a nasopharyngeal swab was performed using the Cobas SARS-CoV-2 6800 platform. Maternal, and fetal serological antibody response, via umbilical cord bloods, was measured using both the Elecsys® immunoassay, Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG Assay and the IgM Architect assay. Main outcome Measure Prevalence of RT PCR positive SARS-CoV-2. Assessment of IgM and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology antibodies. Results Ten of twenty three symptomatic women had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a nasopharyngeal swab. Five (5/23, 21.7%) demonstrated serological evidence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and seven (30.4%, 7/23) were positive for IgM antibodies. In the asymptomatic cohort, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in RNA was 0.16% (1/608). IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 1·67% (10/598, 95% CI 0·8%-3·1%) and IgM in 3·51% (21/598, 95% CI 2·3–5·5%). Nine women had repeat testing between post baseline. Four (4/9, 44%) remained IgM positive, one IgG positive. IgG anti SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detectable in cord bloods from babies born to five seropositive women who delivered during the study. Conclusion Using two independent serological assays, we present a comprehensive illustration of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy, and show a low prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2. Transplacental migration of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was identified in cord blood of women who demonstrated antenatal anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, raising the possibility of passive immunity.

Introduction :The transverse vaginal septum or vaginal septum is a rare abnormality of the female genital tract with an incidence of between 1/2100 and 1/72001. The most common etiology is a defect in the fusion and/or channelling of the urogenital sinus and Mullerian conductors2. The transverse vaginal septum can develop anywhere in the vagina, and its most common locations are in the lower part of the vagina according to the latest publications, so 72% of the septums are in the lower part of the vagina, 22% in the central part and 6% in the upper part of the vagina3. These septa are usually no more than 1 cm thick and usually have an eccentric perforation which allows for vaginal discharge. These structural obstacles can completely obstruct the vagina and can cause haematocolpos associated with cyclic pelvic pain shortly after menarche in adolescent girls. Haematocolpos is defined as an accumulation of menstrual blood in the vaginal cavity4. The diagnosis of a vaginal septum is based on a careful clinical gynaecological examination and especially on ultrasound scan via the abdomen or transrectal or even transperineal ultrasound and in more complex cases an MRI scan. The treatment is surgical and should be carried out as early as possible, as its management after puberty is associated with a high rate of vaginal stenosis5.

On the basis of mathematical modeling of allergic rhinitis, hay fever diseases the analysis of dynamics of its prevalence in the 2000-2013 was conducted. Based on the results of the analysis of morbidity with the use of modern methods of evidence-based medicine was compiled prognosis of allergic rhinitis, hay fever in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2023. According to the results of the prognosis it can be calculated in advance the need for medications, treatments and preventive processes, diagnosis of diseases of allergic rhinitis, hay fever. These tests were proved by the expected incidence rates of some regions and the whole of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2023. It is proved that the studies comply with the objectives of improving the diagnosis and treatment of disease of allergic rhinitis, hay fever in inpatient and outpatient conditions and improvement in the field of drug supply and improve the efficiency of the treatment process.

Mildew severely reduces soybean yield and quality, and pods are the first line of defense against pathogens. Maize-soybean intercropping (MSI) reduces mildew incidence on soybean pods; however, the reason remains unclear. Previous studies confirmed the key function of soy isoflavone in soybean mildew resistance, while changing light (CL) from maize shading is the most important environmental feature in MSI. CL also regulates isoflavone biosynthesis in soybean seeds. We hypothesized that CL affects isoflavone accumulation in soybean pods, impacting their disease resistance. In the present study, shading treatments were applied during different developmental stages of soybean plants according to various CL environments under MSI. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging (CFI) and classical evaluation methods confirmed that CL, especially vegetative stage shading (VS), enhances pod resistance to mildew. Further metabolomic analyses and exogenous inhibitor experiments revealed the important relationship between jasmonic acid (JA) and isoflavone biosynthesis, which has a synergistic effect on the enhanced resistance of CL-treated pods to mildew. VS promoted the biosynthesis and accumulation of constitutive isoflavones upstream of the isoflavone pathway, such as aglycones and glycosides, in soybean pods. When mildew infects pods, endogenous JA signaling stimulates the biosynthesis of downstream inducible malonylated isoflavones and glyceolin to improve pod resistance.

Resolving intractable phylogenetic relationships often requires simultaneously analyzing a large number of coding and noncoding orthologous loci. To gather both coding and noncoding data, traditional sequence capture methods require custom-designed commercial probes. Here, we develop a cost-effective sequence capture method based on homemade probes, to capture thousands of coding and noncoding orthologous loci simultaneously, suitable for all organisms. This approach, called “FLc-Capture”, synthesizes biotinylated full-length cDNAs from mRNA as capture probes, eliminates the need for costly commercial probe design and synthesis. To demonstrate the utility of FLc-Capture, we prepared full-length cDNA probes from mRNA extracted from a common colubrid snake. We performed capture experiments with these homemade cDNA probes and successfully obtained thousands of coding and noncoding genomic loci from 24 Colubridae species and 12 distantly related snake species of other families. The average capture specificity of FLc-Capture across all test snake species is 35%, similar to the previously published EecSeq method. We constructed two phylogenomic data sets, one including 1,075 coding loci (~817,000 bp) and another including 1,948 noncoding loci (~1,114,000 bp), to study the phylogeny of Colubridae. Both data sets yielded highly similar and well-resolved trees, with 85% of nodes having > 95% bootstrap support. Our experimental tests indicated that FLc-Capture is a flexible, fast, and cost-effective sequence capture approach for simultaneously gathering coding and noncoding phylogenomic data sets to study intractable phylogenetic questions. We anticipate that this method can provide a new data collection tool for the evolutionary biologists working in the era of high-throughput sequencing.

In this paper, nickel-based alloy ZSGH4169 was used as the test material and the fretting fatigue test of standard test pieces was carried out to study the variation rule of its fretting fatigue life under different temperatures and loads. The results show that the fretting fatigue life of ZSGH4169 decreases with the increase of temperature and load. Through fracture analysis under different working conditions, it can be seen that ZSGH4169 fretting fatigue failure form is basically the same, the crack expands in the form of transgranular fracture propagation. Temperature and load have significant influence on the depth of fretting fatigue crack initiation zone and the fatigue band spacing in the propagation zone, which affects its fretting fatigue life. According to the analysis of crack initiation and propagation path, the crack initiation angle of fretting fatigue crack is mainly affected by temperature. With the increase of temperature, the crack initiation angle increases, however the load has little influence on the crack initiation angle.

Il metodo Delphi è un metodo di indagine iterativo che utilizza le risposte (tipicamente costituito da opinioni) di un questionario standardizzato fornite da un gruppo di esperti (detto panel) per risolvere un problema, in genere di natura decisionale o previsionale . Si svolge in un certo numero di iterazioni, o meglio round, durante i quali il gruppo di controllo che gestisce il processo, fornisce ai partecipanti del “panel” una sintesi statistica delle risposte date durante il round precedente. Gli intervistati non comunicano tra loro e rispondono in forma anonima ad un questionario, risolvendo diversi problemi tipici delle dinamiche decisionali di gruppo.L’obiettivo principale del Delphi è la convergenza di opinioni ovvero, di fronte a un problema, facilitare il raggiungimento di decisioni comuni il più possibile condivise. La convergenza di opinioni va intesa, dunque, come un processo di strutturazione della comunicazione che convoglia più pareri validi sulla questione trattata verso delle conclusioni che vengono il più possibile condivise.Esistono numerosi metodi per la convergenza di opinioni e, fra questi, il metodo Delphi è storicamente considerato il capostipite.

Interactions of organisms with their environment are complex and environmental regulation at different levels of biological organization is often non-linear. Therefore, the genotype to phenotype continuum requires study at multiple levels of organization. While studies of transcriptome regulation are now common for many species, quantitative studies of environmental effects on proteomes are needed. Here we report the generation of a data-independent acquisition (DIA) assay library that enables simultaneous targeted proteomics of thousands of Oreochromis niloticus kidney proteins using a label- and gel-free workflow that is well suited for ecologically relevant field samples. We demonstrate the usefulness of this DIA assay library by discerning environmental effects on the kidney proteome of O. niloticus. Moreover, we demonstrate that the DIA assay library approach generates data that are complimentary rather than redundant to transcriptomics data. Transcript and protein abundance differences in kidneys of tilapia acclimated to freshwater and brackish water (25 g/kg) were correlated for 2114 unique genes. A high degree of non-linearity in salinity-dependent regulation of transcriptomes and proteomes was revealed suggesting that the regulation of O. niloticus renal function by environmental salinity relies heavily on post-transcriptional mechanisms. The application of functional enrichment analyses using STRING and KEGG to DIA assay datasets is demonstrated by identifying myo-inositol metabolism, antioxidant and xenobiotic functions, and signaling mechanisms as key elements controlled by salinity in tilapia kidneys. The DIA assay library resource presented here can be adopted for other tissues and other organisms to study proteome dynamics during changing ecological contexts.

How important is the hCG value for predicting dactinomycin failure after methotrexate failure for the low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a commentary.hCG for predicting dactinomycin failure in ChinaXiaodong Wu,1 Weiguo Lu,1,2Tao Shen,1Weidong Fei, 3 Lili Chen,1 Xing Xie,1,4 Jiale Qin,2,5 1Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China2Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China3Department of pharmaceutics, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China4Women’s Reproductive Health Research Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China5Department of Ultrasound, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaCorrespondence to: Jiale Qin, PhDAddress: Department of Ultrasound, Women’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 1, Xueshi Road, Hangzhou 310006, ChinaTelephone number: 86-0571-87061501E-mail: qinjiale@zju.edu.cn

Supravalvular aortic stenosis is a type of congenital heart disease in which membrane-like stenosis rarely occurs. Herein, we present the case of a 52-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital because of palpitation. Two-dimensional echocardiography and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography showed supravalvular membrane-like stenosis with aortic insufficiency. The patient underwent surgery, with the ascending aortic fiber stenosis ring removed intraoperatively. She was followed up closely after discharge[If there is no word count limitation, please provide the implication of this case.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) accumulates phenolic compounds (PhCs), which play a key role in tolerance to environmental stress. The influence of irradiance and atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on the accumulation and localization of PhCs in barley leaves was examined for two varieties with different tolerances to oxidative stress. PhC localization was visualized using Naturstoff reagent A and fluorescence microscopy. Close relationships were found between fluorescence-determined localization of PhCs in barley leaves and PhC content estimated using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy detection. High intensity light had the strongest effect on the accumulation of PhCs, but total PhC content converged at elevated [CO2], minimizing the differences between high and low irradiance. PhCs localized preferentially near the surfaces of leaves, but under low light, increasing allocation of PhCs deeper mesophyll layers was observed. The PhC profile was very different between barley varieties. Our research presents novel evidence that [CO2] modulates the accumulation of PhCs accumulation in barley leaves. Mesophyll cells, rather than epidermal cells, were most responsive to environmental stimuli in terms of PhC accumulation. The relatively tolerant variety accumulated significantly more hydroxycinnamic acids, indicating these PhCs may play a more prominent role in oxidative stress prevention.

Viridans group streptococci (VGS) are an important cause of sepsis in children with cancer. Penicillin-resistance amongst VGS isolates is increasing. At our institution, vancomycin is added to standard empiric therapy for febrile neutropaenia in patients at high-risk of VGS sepsis. We reviewed effectiveness of this risk-stratified approach by examining episodes of VGS bacteraemia over three years. In 19 VGS bloodstream infection episodes, 100% of isolates from high-risk patients and 78.9% of all episodes were susceptible to risk-stratified empiric antibiotics. Based on blood culture time-to-positivity, empiric vancomycin can be safely discontinued in stable patients with no growth at 24 hours.

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in childhood, and despite advances in cancer treatment, there are still cases of relapse and death secondary to resistance to chemotherapy or apoptosis. One of the mechanisms is the activation of the IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway that leads to the expression of genes that interfere with apoptosis. Pentoxifylline (PTX) can block phosphorylation of IκB, thus preventing the NF-κB activity, therefore the activation of anti-apoptotic genes. Procedure: Controlled versus placebo, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Pediatric patients with ALL during induction therapy were assigned either to pentoxifylline or the placebo group. Bone marrow aspirates were performed on day-1, day-8, day-15, and day-22. We performed flow MRD, determination of apoptosis by annexin-V/propidium iodide test, and senescence by β-galactosidase activity. Results: PTX group had higher percentage of apoptotic cells on day-8 (41.3% vs 19.4%, p=0.029), and day-15 (35.0% vs 14.2%, p <0.01). No difference was observed in the senescence determinations. On day-8, the PTX group showed MRD of 0.25% vs 18.2% (p <0.01) in the placebo group; at day-15 the PTX group showed MRD of 0.09% vs 1.4% (p=0.02). Patients with MRD <0.01% at day-8 had 3-year OS of 81.6% vs 58.3% (p=0.03); at day-15 patients with MRD <0.01% at day-8 had 3-year OS of 77.9% vs 54.5% (p=0.03). Conclusion: PTX group showed a MRD <0.01% earlier, on day-8 and 15, and presented a higher percentage of apoptotic cells. In the entire cohort, patients with MRD <0.01% on day 8 or 15 showed better OS.