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Background Anterior Chamber bleeding without vitreous hemorrhage had been described after the removal of 23G vitrectomy cannulas. We report the case of an anterior chamber bleeding after an intravitreal Dexamethasone implant.Case Report One patient with macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion in a vitrectomized eye underwent an intravitreal Dexamethasone implant. After the injection the patient suffered from anterior chamber bleeding without signs of vitreous hemorrhage. The complication resolved with a conservative treatment.Conclusion Anterior Chamber bleeding is a possible complication of dexamethasone implant, that can be treated in a conservative way.

Dimensionality plays an essential role in determining the nature and properties of a physical system. This is particularly evident in quantum systems, where interactions and fluctuations are enhanced in lower dimensions, leading to various different quantum effects. Here we show that strongly interacting ultracold bosons perceive their dimensionality as either one or two, depending on whether they are probed on short or long distances, respectively. We probe this dimensional crossover using a thorough analysis of the momentum distribution to study the characteristic decay of the one-body correlation function in the two dimensionalities and track how the decay is modified during the crossover. We find a varying two-slope structure, which substantiates the main result. These observations demonstrate how quantum properties in the strongly correlated regime evolve in the dimensional crossover as a result of the interplay between dimensionality, interactions and temperature.

Until recently, the field of speaker diarization was dominated by cascaded systems. Due to their limitations, mainly regarding overlapped speech and cumbersome pipelines, end-to-end models have gained great popularity lately. One of the most successful models is end-to-end neural diarization with encoder-decoder based attractors (EEND-EDA). In this work, we replace the EDA module with a Perceiver-based one and show its advantages over EEND-EDA; namely obtaining better performance on the largely studied Callhome dataset, finding the quantity of speakers in a conversation more accurately, and faster inference time. Furthermore, when exhaustively compared with other methods, our model, DiaPer, reaches remarkable performance with a very lightweight design. Besides, we perform comparisons with other works and a cascaded baseline across more than ten public wide-band datasets. Together with this publication, we release the code of DiaPer as well as models trained on public and free data.

Abstract:In anticipation of Russell’s new introduction to his 1925 second edition of Principia Mathematica, Jean Nicod wrote a letter which is reproduced in Russell’s Autobiography. In the letter, Nicod wrote: “Since you are re-publishing Principia, I may remind you that I have proved both Permutation and Association by help of the other three primitive props (Tautology, Addition, and the syllogistic prop.), where I only changed the order of some letters. It is in the Memoir I wrote for the b.a. degree. I have entirely forgotten how it is done.” In this paper, I surmise what Nicod had in mind.

Background/Purpose Inverted Inner Limiting Membrane (ILM)-flap approach can fail in the treatment of Optic disc pit maculopathy (ODPM). We report a surgical technique involving human amniotic membrane (hAM) patch implant to treat unresolved ODPM after inverted (ILM)-flap technique.Case Report One patient with decreased visual acuity (1 LogMar) after unsuccessful inverted ILM-flap technique to treat ODPM, underwent hAM patch implant and was evaluated. A surgical approach including a 2 mm size graft patch of hAM implantation over the optic disc pit followed by fluid–air exchange was performed. A gas endotamponade was finally used. The patient was instructed to maintain face-down position for the first three days after surgery. The hAM patch remained detectable over the pit for the entire 6-months follow-up. The ODPM gradually resolved and visual acuity partially recovered to 0.17 LogMar during follow-up. No postoperative complications or recurrence were reported.Conclusion hAM patch implant may be effective to manage ODPM after unsuccessful inverted ILM-flap.

The Solar Physics Group at the INAF-Turin Astrophysical Observatory (OATo) is actually involved in different Space Weather (SW) projects and missions. In particular, this Group is currently providing for the ESA SWESNET portal two new data analysis tools aimed at (1) the automated identification of magnetic flux ropes from the in situ data (CME magnetic effectiveness tool) and (2) the automated identification and arrival prediction of CMEs from remote sensing and in situ data (CME propagation and forecast tool). The Group is also developing numerical tools for future applications of interest for SW under the project SWELTO-Space WEather Laboratory in Turin Observatory. Moreover, the Group is participating in two SW missions, and in particular in Helianthus (research and development project on solar photonic propulsion for early SW warnings) and Selene (Solar Exploration by Lunar Eclipsing with Nanosatellites Experiment). In addition to this, the Group is leading or is involved in other “SW enabling science” projects, and in particular the Metis coronagraph on-board ESA Solar Orbiter mission, the ASPIICS coronagraph on-board ESA PROBA-3 mission, and the CorMag coronagraph on-board HEMERA stratospheric balloon. In this framework, the OATo Solar Physics Group is working on fundamental research on “SW enabling science”, dealing with the origin and acceleration of solar wind and Coronal Mass Ejections with remote-sensing data, and their interplanetary propagation and evolution with in situ data.

The computational discovery of novel materials has been one of the main motivations behind research in theoretical chemistry for several decades. Despite much effort, this is far from a solved problem, however. Among other reasons, this is due to the enormous space of possible structures and compositions that could potentially be of interest. In the case of inorganic materials, this is exacerbated by the combinatorics of the periodic table since even a single-crystal structure can in principle display millions of compositions. Consequently, there is a need for tools that enable a more guided exploration of the materials design space. Here, generative machine learning models have recently emerged as a promising technology. In this work, we assess the performance of a range of deep generative models based on reinforcement learning, variational autoencoders, and generative adversarial networks for the prototypical case of designing Elpasolite compositions with low formation energies. By relying on the fully enumerated space of 2 million main-group Elpasolites, the precision, coverage, and diversity of the generated materials are rigorously assessed. Additionally, a hyperparameter selection scheme for generative models in chemical composition space is developed.

In most industrialized countries, temporary and non-standard forms of employment have become a pervasive feature of the labor market. At the firm level, however, their diffusion is less uniform than expected. While some firms exhibit high propensity to use non-standard labor, others make no use of it. The most conventional explanations (market uncertainty, production regimes, competitive pressure) fail to account for such heterogeneity. In this article, the authors develop an alternative explanation that links non-standard employment to the firm-specific availability of managerial resources: Whenever the latter are relatively scarce, firms make larger use of non-standard labor to reduce coordination and operating costs. Using a linked employer–employee panel of manufacturing firms from the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), the authors provide empirical support for this explanation. The result is robust to different estimation strategies and controlling for alternative drivers of non-standard employment. This finding suggests that the use of non-standard labor is motivated by the firm’s needs to compensate for specific managerial scarcities.

Endoscopic transnasal access to the skull base, both for treatment and reconstruction, can cause olfactory morbidity. Knowing the main consequences of this intervention is essential to have objective criteria for decision-making regarding the appropriate surgical technique.

Genetic testing for pathogenic COL4A3–5variants is usually undertaken to investigate the cause of persistent hematuria, especially with a family history of hematuria or kidney function impairment. Alport syndrome experts now advocate genetic testing for persistent hematuria, even when a heterozygous pathogenic COL4A3or COL4A4is suspected, and cascade testing of their first-degree family members because of their risk of impaired kidney function. The experts recommend too that COL4A3or COL4A4heterozygotes do not act as kidney donors. Testing for variants in the COL4A3–COL4A5genes should also be performed for persistent proteinuria and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome due to suspected inherited FSGS and for familial IgA glomerulonephritis and kidney failure of unknown cause.

The purpose of this study is to analyze exposure to the time-varying magnetic field caused by worker movements in a 3-T clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Measurements of the static magnetic field (B) in the proximity of the MRI scanner were performed to create a detailed map of the spatial gradient of B, in order to indicate the areas at high risk of exposure. Moreover, a personal exposure recording system was used in order to analyze and compare exposure to the static magnetic field during different routine procedures in MRI. We found that for all of the performed work activities, exposure was compliant with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection levels. However, our findings confirm that there is great variability of exposure between different workers and suggest the importance of performing personal exposure measurements and of detailed knowledge of the magnetic field spatial distribution.

In this paper, we study the existence of interlocking complementarities between job design and labour contract at the firm level. Using a formal model, we show that firms face two organizational equilibria: one in which job designs with high routine task intensity are matched with a large use of non-standard contracts; and the other in which low routine task intensity combines with a small use of non-standard contracts. These complementarities exist because while non-standard contracts allow firm to adjust to external shocks, they also provide little incentive to invest in firm-specific knowledge. We test this prediction using linked-employer-employee data from the Emilia-Romagna region. The evidence is consistent with our theory: the use of non-standard contracts is positively associated with routine task intensity at the firm level. This result holds controlling for a wide range of firm-specific and contextual covariates and it is robust to alternative estimation methods (OLS, panel and IV).

Background: Nursing home (NH) residents have been dramatically affected by COVID-19, with extremely high rates of hospitalization and mortality. Aims: To describe the features and impact of an assistance model involving an intermediate care mobile medical specialist team (GIROT, Gruppo Intervento Rapido Ospedale Territorio) aimed at delivering “hospital-at-nursing home” care to NH residents with COVID-19 in Florence, Italy. Methods: The GIROT activity was set-up during the first wave of the pandemic (W1, March–April 2020) and became a structured healthcare model during the second (W2, October 2020–January 2021). The activity involved (1) infection transmission control among NHs residents and staff, (2) comprehensive geriatric assessment including prognostication and geriatric syndromes management, (3) on-site diagnostic assessment and protocol-based treatment of COVID-19, (4) supply of nursing personnel to understaffed NHs. To estimate the impact of the GIROT intervention, we reported hospitalization and infection lethality rates recorded in SARS-CoV-2-positive NH residents during W1 and W2. Results: The GIROT activity involved 21 NHs (1159 residents) and 43 NHs (2448 residents) during W1 and W2, respectively. The percentage of infected residents was higher in W2 than in W1 (64.5% vs. 38.8%), while both hospitalization and lethality rates significantly decreased in W2 compared to W1 (10.1% vs 58.2% and 23.4% vs 31.1%, respectively). Discussion: Potentiating on-site care in the NHs paralleled a decrease of hospital admissions with no increase of lethality. Conclusions: An innovative “hospital-at-nursing home” patient-centred care model based on comprehensive geriatric assessment may provide a valuable contribution in fighting COVID-19 in NH residents.

Sustainability issues challenge most conventional approaches to policy design and implementation. One broader concern is how to create the conditions for the desired sustainability options to be realized. In this pursuit, policy design has several tasks to accomplish, such as strengthening governance, promoting learning, and enabling self-organization. The case study presented in this paper is an example of this undertaking. It is part of activities carried out at IRES Piemonte for supporting the sustainability-oriented transport plan of the Piedmont region in Italy. It deals with the development of an ICT tool to address the following question: given the list of the transport plan’s interventions which ones are more likely to be a successful package and achieve the desired goals most effectively? The paper outlines the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of the tool and illustrates the main results of an application which involved participants from different regional departments.

The present paper aims to contribute to the solution of the problem of sustainable financing for agricultural enterprises. Farmers face new challenges: the bureaucratization of public and private funding, the risk of over-debt in case of natural adverse events. Intelligent use of blockchain in loan agreements with assistance from trade associations and insurance for pecuniary losses due to adverse events can be an answer.

The recent Chandos House meeting of the Alport Variant Collaborative extended the indications for screening for pathogenic variants in the COL4A5, COL4A3and COL4A4genes beyond the classical Alport phenotype (haematuria, renal failure; family history of haematuria or renal failure) to include persistent proteinuria, steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), familial IgA glomerulonephritis and end-stage kidney failure without an obvious cause. The meeting refined the ACMG criteria for variant assessment for the Alport genes (COL4A3–5). It identified ‘mutational hotspots’ (PM1) in the collagen IV α5, α3 and α4 chains including position 1 Glycine residues in the Gly-X-Y repeats in the intermediate collagenous domains; and Cysteine residues in the carboxy non-collagenous domain (PP3). It considered that ‘well-established’ functional assays (PS3, BS3) were still mainly research tools but sequencing and minigene assays were commonly used to confirm splicing variants. It was not possible to define the Minor Allele Frequency (MAF) threshold above which variants were considered Benign (BA1, BS1), because of the different modes of inheritances of Alport syndrome, and the occurrence of hypomorphic variants (often Glycine adjacent to a non-collagenous interruption) and local founder effects. Heterozygous COL4A3and COL4A4variants were common ‘incidental’ findings also present in normal reference databases. The recognition and interpretation of hypomorphic variants in the COL4A3–COL4A5genes remains a challenge.

This is a 57–year–old male patient suffering from multiple cardiovascular risk factors: obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, active smoker. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Stage 2 chronic kidney disease. Peripheral vascular disease with previous bilateral thromboendarterectomy and percutaneous revascularization of the lower limbs. Stable angina for which three years ago he underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to left anterior descending artery combined with saphenous vein grafts to the main obtuse marginal branch. The patient presented with Acute Coronary Syndrome non ST–segment elevation myocardial infarction (N–STEMI), intermittent episodes of chest pain due to mild exertion in the previous days. Antero–lateral ST depression and inverted T waves, associated with a mild reduction in left ventricular systolic function due to hypokinesia of the antero–lateral walls and increased troponin values were present. Coronary angiography documented patency of the LIMA graft without evidence of any culprit lesions on the coronary branches. However, selective angiography documented a sub–occlusion of the proximal left subclavian artery (Figure 1). A computed tomography scan confirmed a hyperdense calcified plaque occluding 95% of the origin of the left subclavian artery. The patient then underwent angioplasty with stenting of the left subclavian artery (Figure 2). Subclavian coronary steal syndrome usually presents with exertional angina, but rarely can cause Acute Coronary Syndrome. During coronary angiography performed for Acute Coronary Syndrome and in the absence of detection of clear coronary culprit lesions, selective angiography of the subclavian artery may confirm the suspicion of coronary steal syndrome.

We report the surgical management of a spontaneous and recurrent nasal fistula using a temporoparietal fascial flap for definitive treatment after several failed attempts to close the fistula by conventional approaches. Two formalin-fixed cadaveric human heads were also dissected to study the anatomy and surgical technique involved in the design of the temporoparietal fascial flap.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Evidence from observational and randomized controlled studies showing the potential benefits of green tea on lowering CVD risk has been emerging rapidly during the past few decades. These benefits include reduced risk for major cardiovascular events, lowering of blood pressure, decreased LDL cholesterol levels and weight loss. At the same time, the understanding of the physiological mechanisms behind these alterations is advancing. Consumption of green tea originated from China thousands of years ago, but since then, it expanded all over the world. Recent advances in understanding the role of tea polyphenols, mainly catechins, as mediators of tea’s health benefits, have caused the emergence of various types of green tea extracts (GTE) on the market. While taking green tea is generally considered safe, there are concerns about the safety of using tea extracts. The present article reviews the current evidence of green tea consumption leading to reduced CVD risk, its potential biological mechanisms and the safety of using GTE.

The idea that performing a proper succession of imaging tests and techniques allows an accurate and early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, avoiding the need to perform the myocardial biopsy, is becoming increasingly popular. Furthermore, being imaging techniques non-invasive, it is possible to perform the follow-up of the pathology through repeated image acquisitions. In the present review, the various innovative imaging methodologies are presented, and it is discussed how they have been applied for early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA), also to distinguish the two most frequent subtypes in CA: immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) and transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR); this allows to perform the therapy in a targeted and rapid manner.

The extant blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus is a small-sized, tropical to warm-temperate carcharhinid shark occurring along the western Atlantic coasts from North Carolina (USA) through the Gulf and Caribbean regions to Uruguay. Here, we report on two carcharhinid teeth from lower Pliocene (4.07–3.76 Ma) strata of the Upper Onzole Formation exposed in the vicinities of Camarones (northwestern Ecuador). These specimens are assigned to C. acronotus, of which they apparently represent the first occurrence in the Pacific Ocean. The blacknose shark is regarded as the sister group of the whitenose shark Nasolamia velox, an idiosyncratic carcharhinid that currently inhabits the eastern Pacific coasts from Baja California (Mexico) to Peru; furthermore, the divergence between C. acronotus and N. velox has been recently estimated at about 3.7 Ma, which matches well the final phases of formation of the Isthmus of Panama. In light of these data, our Ecuadorian specimens might document an early Pliocene phase in which the newly originated C. acronotus occurred West of the then-fading Panamanian Seaway, possibly as a consequence of occasional dispersal through the latter. Alternatively, they might represent the teeth of an as yet unnamed C. acronotus-like carcharhine, from which the the morphologically conservative C. acronotus and the highly autapomorphic N. velox later arose by vicariance as the Isthmus of Panama rose. A survey of the fossil record of these two taxa does not falsify either hypothesis. Further research on the fossil chondrichthyans from the Cenozoic marine successions of Ecuador will hopefully shed new light on this issue and, more generally, on the role played by the closure of the Panamanian Seaway as a macroevolutionary trigger in the late Cenozoic marine realm.

Strong connections exist between R-loops (three-stranded structures harbouring an RNA:DNA hybrid and a displaced single-strand DNA), genome instability and human disease1–5. Indeed, R-loops are favoured in relevant genomic regions as regulators of certain physiological processes through which homeostasis is typically maintained. For example, transcription termination pause sites regulated by R-loops can induce the synthesis of antisense transcripts that enable the formation of local, RNA interference (RNAi)-driven heterochromation6. Pause sites are also protected against endogenous single-stranded DNA breaks by BRCA17. Hypotheses about how DNA repair is enacted at pause sites include a role for RNA, which is emerging as a normal, albeit unexplained, regulator of genome integrity8. Here we report that a species of single-stranded, DNA-damage-associated small RNA (sdRNA) is generated by a BRCA1–RNAi protein complex. sdRNAs promote DNA repair driven by the PALB2–RAD52 complex at transcriptional termination pause sites that form R-loops and are rich in single-stranded DNA breaks. sdRNA repair operates in both quiescent (G0) and proliferating cells. Thus, sdRNA repair can occur in intact tissue and/or stem cells, and may contribute to tumour suppression mediated by BRCA1.

The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in the early stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still disappointing and the prediction of treatment outcome quite difficult. Recently, through a transcriptomic approach, we evidenced a role of PNNand KCNQ1OT1gene expression in predicting response to fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III CRC patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate in an independent cohort of stages IIIII CRC patients our previous findings. PNNand KCNQ1OT1mRNA expression levels were evaluated in 74 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor and matched normal mucosa samples obtained by stages IIIII CRC patients treated with fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy. PININ, the protein encoded by PNN, was immunohistochemically evaluated in 15 tumor and corresponding normal mucosa samples, selected on the basis of a low, medium, or high mRNA expression tumor/mucosa ratio. PNNand KCNQ1OT1mRNA mean expression levels were significantly higher in tumor compared with normal tissues. Patients with high PNNor KCNQ1OT1tumor mRNA levels according to ROC-based cutoffs showed a shorter disease-free survival (DFS) compared with patients with low tumor mRNA gene expression. Also, patients with tumor mRNA expression values of both genes below the identified cutoffs had a significantly longer DFS compared with patients with the expression of one or both genes above the cutoffs. In a representative large cohort of stages IIIII CRC untreated patients retrieved from GEO datasets, no difference in DFS was observed between patients with high and low PNNor KCNQ1OT1gene expression levels. These data confirm our previous findings and underscore the relevance of PNNand KCNQ1OT1expression in predicting DFS in early stages of CRC treated with fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy. If further validated in a prospective case series, both biomarkers could be used to identify patients who benefit from this treatment and to offer alternative chemotherapy regimens to potential unresponsive patients. In relation to the suggested biological role of PNNand KCNQ1OT1in CRC, they might also be exploited as potential therapeutic targets.

Museums have identified Web 2.0 as the ideal tool for the achievement of their objectives of promoting culture and involving users; indeed, it offers the conditions to allow the exchange between the interested parties. In the literature, while the use of websites by traditional museums has been extensively studied, a gap emerges with regard to the description and the use of the websites by particular museums which are hosted in working hospitals. The paper aim is to assess the prospective of a website for further the relationship and communication between the Santa Maria Nuova museum and its digital audience. The data highlighted the achievement of excellent results in terms of audience and involvement through the website, although this reality is still very young (only three years of activity) and there are ample possibilities for its digital development.

Abstract:Principia Mathematica *38 introduces what it calls “Relations and Classes Derived from a Double Descriptive Function”. The notion of a relation-e (relation in extension) so derived is called an operation, and of course all dyadic relation-e theorems rely ultimately on the comprehension axiom schema for relations in intension given at * 12.11. But in attempting to give a general pattern of definition, * 38 uses the odd-looking “x?y” which lends itself to the misconception that ? is itself an operation sign. The informal summary makes matters worse, writing “E! (x?y)” which is ungrammatical. This paper argues that with a, ß and µ as relation-e variables and D, E, and P as class variables, operations are comprehended by wffs such as “P = x? y”, “µ = a?ß” and “P = R?S”. Relying on triadic relations-e, I explain how the sign ? can be entirely avoided using comprehension. Along the way, puzzling cases such as [inline-graphic 01i] and [inline-graphic 02i] are resolved.

In this work, it was proposed to study the feasibility of biodiesel production, from residues of vegetable oils used in domestic activities, employing (CaCO3) shells prepared like calcium oxide (CaO) as catalysts, in a batch reaction unit, on bench scale, installed at IPEN-CNEN/SP. This unit is capable of operating with high pressure hydrogen gas (up to 200bar) and high temperature (up to 500°C, using microwave - MW (2.450MHz, with up to 2kW continuous and 8kW pulsed) and conventional heating – (electric) MC. In the tests, the oil load (mL), type and mass of catalyst, with or without hydrogen gas pressure (bar), temperature (°C), reaction time (h), microwave power (W), the speed of the load (rpm) agitation and the conventional heating were evaluated. The analytical determinations of the samples were carried out by means of density, gas chromatography (GC) and X-ray fluorescence. Data were collected in order to be compared with other methodologies, already used in the literature. The purpose of this work was to analyze the efficiency of the use of these types of catalysts and oils in the production of biodiesel, as an alternative technology. The Ca and CaO contents found in the pink shell, before and after the calcination, were 36.2% and 98.8%, respectively. The best result obtained for the density was 0.875182g/cm3, for the test with 4g of calcined shell catalyst and reaction of 1h. As to the methyl ester content, the highest result was 95.33%, in a test with 4g of catalyst and reaction of 3h. In the non-calcined shell test (22.5g), although the amount of mass used was much larger (5% of the oil mass), the ester content was very low, 2.11%.

Nasal obstruction is one of the most prevalent complaints in the population. The main causes of nasal obstruction are inflammatory, infectious or anatomical alterations. Anatomical alterations include nasal septum deviation, turbinate hypertrophy, and nasal valve insufficiency (external and/or internal). The diagnosis of nasal valve insufficiency remains a clinical one and is based on inspection and palpation of the nose, evaluating both its static and dynamic functions. The literature presents several options for the correction of external nasal valve insufficiency. These are chosen according to the choice and experience of each surgeon.