Sil, Amit, Hamilton, Lewis, Morris, James M. F., Daaoub, Abdalghani H. S., Burrows, James H. H., Robertson, Craig M., Luzyanin, Konstantin, Higgins, Simon J., Sadeghi, Hatef, Nichols, Richard J., Sangtarash, Sara, and Vezzoli, Andrea
Subjects
MOLECULAR electronics, ELECTRON configuration, MOLECULAR orbitals, NANOWIRES, DENSITY functional theory
Abstract
Open‐shell materials bearing multiple spin centres provide a key route to efficient charge transport in single‐molecule electronic devices. They have narrow energy gaps, and their molecular orbitals align closely to the Fermi level of the metallic electrodes, thus allowing efficient electronic transport and higher conductance. Maintaining and stabilising multiple open‐shell states—especially in contact with metallic electrodes—is however very challenging, generally requiring a continuous chemical or electrochemical potential to avoid self‐immolation of the open‐shell character. To overcome this issue, we designed, synthesised, and measured the conductance of a series of bis(indeno) fused acenes, where stability is imparted by a close‐shell quinoidal conformation in resonance with the diradical electronic configuration. We show here that these compounds have anti‐ohmic behaviour, with conductance increasing with increasing molecular length, at an unprecedented rate and across the entire bias window (±1.3V ${\pm 1.3\ V}$). Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations support our findings, showing the rapidly narrowing HOMO–LUMO gap, unique to these diradicaloid structures, is responsible for the observed behaviour. Our results provide a framework for achieving efficient transport in neutral compounds and demonstrate the promise that diradicaloid materials have in single‐molecule electronics, owing to their great stability and unique electronic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ward, Jonathan S., Vezzoli, Andrea, Wells, Charlie, Bailey, Steven, Jarvis, Samuel P., Lambert, Colin J., Robertson, Craig, Nichols, Richard J., and Higgins, Simon J.
There are several binding groups used within molecular electronics for anchoring molecules to metal electrodes (e.g., R−SMe, R−NH2, R−CS2−, R−S−). However, some anchoring groups that bind strongly to electrodes have poor/unknown stability, some have weak electrode coupling, while for some their binding motifs are not well defined. Further binding groups are required to aid molecular design and to achieve a suitable balance in performance across a range of properties. We present an in‐depth investigation into the use of carbodithioate esters as contact groups for single‐molecule conductance measurements, using scanning tunnelling microscopy break junction measurements (STM‐BJ) and detailed surface spectroscopic analysis. We demonstrate that the methyl carbodithioate ester acts as an effective contact for gold electrodes in STM‐BJ measurements. Surface enhanced Raman measurements demonstrate that the C=S functionality remains intact when adsorbed on to gold nanoparticles. A gold(I) complex was also synthesised showing a stable C=S→AuI interaction from the ester. Comparison with a benzyl thiomethyl ether demonstrates that the C=S moiety significantly contributes to charge transport in single‐molecule junctions. The overall performance of the CS2Me group demonstrates it should be used more extensively and has strong potential for the fabrication of larger area devices with long‐term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Sil, Amit, Alsaqer, Munirah, Spano, Chiara E., Larbi, Adam, Higgins, Simon J., Robertson, Craig M., Graziano, Mariagrazia, Sangtarash, Sara, Nichols, Richard J., Sadeghi, Hatef, and Vezzoli, Andrea
CHILDREN with cerebral palsy, LEARNING disabilities, DROOLING, DYSLEXIA, RANDOM forest algorithms, PHONOLOGICAL awareness, CONTRAST sensitivity (Vision), COGNITIVE training, ATTENTION control
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the prevalence and clinical manifestations of reading, writing, and mathematics disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We explored how the clinical profile of these children differed from those with specific learning disorders (SLDs), taking into account several factors, particularly IQ scores, neuropsychological aspects, and the presence of a visual impairment. Method: A prospective cross‐sectional study was conducted in 42 children with CP (mean age 9 years 8 months; SD = 2 years 2 months) and 60 children with SLDs (mean age 10 years; SD = 1 year 7 months). Clinical characteristics, neuromotor and cognitive profiles, neuropsychological aspects (speech performance, academic skills, visual attention, phonological awareness, working memory), and signs of visual impairment (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual field, oculomotor functions) were assessed. A machine learning approach consisting of a random forest algorithm, where the outcome was the diagnosis and the covariates were the clinical variables collected in the sample, was used for the analyses. Results: About 59% of the children with CP had reading, writing, or mathematics disorders. Children with CP with learning disorders had a low performance IQ, normal phonological awareness, and working memory difficulties, whereas children with SLDs had normal performance IQ, impaired phonological awareness, and mild working memory difficulties. There were no differences in verbal IQ between the two groups. Interpretation: Learning disorders are frequently associated with CP, with different clinical characteristics, compared with SLDs. Assessment of academic skills is mandatory in these children, even if the IQ is normal. At school age, specific interventions to promote academic skills in children with CP could be a major rehabilitative goal. What this paper adds: Reading, writing, and mathematics disorders in cerebral palsy have specific clinical characteristics.Their underlying mechanisms differ from those described in specific learning disorders.Working memory impairment can be considered a hallmark of learning disorders in children with cerebral palsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Qiao, X., Sil, A., Sangtarash, S., Smith, S. M., Wu, C., Robertson, C. M., Nichols, R. J., Higgins, S. J., Sadeghi, H., and Vezzoli, A.
Subjects
CHEMICAL shift (Nuclear magnetic resonance), NANOWIRES, MOLECULAR structure, NUCLEAR magnetic resonance spectroscopy, MOLECULAR electronics
Abstract
Existing modelling tools, developed to aid the design of efficient molecular wires and to better understand their charge‐transport behaviour and mechanism, have limitations in accuracy and computational cost. Further research is required to develop faster and more precise methods that can yield information on how charge transport properties are impacted by changes in the chemical structure of a molecular wire. In this study, we report a clear semilogarithmic correlation between charge transport efficiency and nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts in multiple series of molecular wires, also accounting for the presence of chemical substituents. The NMR data was used to inform a simple tight‐binding model that accurately captures the experimental single‐molecule conductance values, especially useful in this case as more sophisticated density functional theory calculations fail due to inherent limitations. Our study demonstrates the potential of NMR spectroscopy as a valuable tool for characterising, rationalising, and gaining additional insights on the charge transport properties of single‐molecule junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
High‐index Mie‐resonant dielectric nanostructures provide a new framework to manipulate light at the nanoscale. In particular their local field confinement together with their inherently low losses at frequencies below their bandgap energy allows to efficiently boost and control linear and nonlinear optical processes. Here, nanoantennas composed of a thin indium‐tin oxide (ITO) layer in the center of a dielectric gallium phosphide (GaP) nanodisc are investigated. While the linear response is similar to that of a pure GaP nanodisc, it is shown that second harmonic generation is enhanced across a broadband wavelength range. On the other hand, third harmonic generation is only marginally enhanced around the epsilon‐near‐zero wavelength of ITO. Linear and nonlinear finite‐difference time‐domain simulations show that despite the high refractive index contrast leading to strong field confinement inside the antenna's ITO layer, the nanogap enhancement effect is mitigated by the low nonlinear volume of the nanogap layer and the antenna's behavior at the harmonic wavelength. Measurement of ITO and GaP nonlinear susceptibilities additionally show a comparative advantage for harmonic generation in GaP. These investigations deliver insights on the mechanisms at play in nonlinear nanogap antennas and their potential applications as nanoscale devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Jago, David, Liu, Chongguang, Daaoub, Abdalghani H. S., Gaschk, Emma, Walkey, Mark C., Pulbrook, Thea, Qiao, Xiaohang, Sobolev, Alexandre N., Moggach, Stephen A., Costa‐Milan, David, Higgins, Simon J., Piggott, Matthew J., Sadeghi, Hatef, Nichols, Richard J., Sangtarash, Sara, Vezzoli, Andrea, and Koutsantonis, George A.
The most common conditions with symptomatic joint hypermobility are hypermobile Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). Diagnosing these overlapping connective tissue disorders remains challenging due to the lack of established causes and reliable diagnostic tests. hEDS is diagnosed applying the 2017 diagnostic criteria, and patients with symptomatic joint hypermobility but not fulfilling these criteria are labeled as HSD, which is not officially recognized by all healthcare systems. The 2017 criteria were introduced to improve diagnostic specificity but have faced criticism for being too stringent and failing to adequately capture the multisystemic involvement of hEDS. Herein, we retrospectively evaluated 327 patients from 213 families with a prior diagnosis of hypermobility type EDS or joint hypermobility syndrome based on Villefranche and Brighton criteria, to assess the effectiveness of the 2017 criteria in distinguishing between hEDS and HSD and document the frequencies of extra‐articular manifestations. Based on our findings, we propose that the 2017 criteria should be made less stringent to include a greater number of patients who are currently encompassed within the HSD category. This will lead to improved diagnostic accuracy and enhanced patient care by properly capturing the diverse range of symptoms and manifestations present within the hEDS/HSD spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Tilmann, Benjamin, Huq, Tahiyat, Possmayer, Thomas, Dranczewski, Jakub, Nickel, Bert, Zhang, Haizhong, Krivitsky, Leonid, Kuznetsov, Arseniy I., de S. Menezes, Leonardo, Vezzoli, Stefano, Sapienza, Riccardo, and Maier, Stefan A.
Subjects
THIRD harmonic generation, GALLIUM phosphide, NANOFILMS, SECOND harmonic generation, NONLINEAR optics, HARMONIC generation
Abstract
Gallium phosphide (GaP) is a promising material for nanophotonics, given its large refractive index and a transparency over most of the visible spectrum. However, since easy phase‐matching is not possible with bulk GaP, a comprehensive study of its nonlinear optical properties for harmonic generation, especially when grown as thin films, is still missing. Here, second harmonic generation is studied from epitaxially grown GaP thin films, demonstrating that the absolute conversion efficiencies are comparable to a bulk wafer over the pump wavelength range from 1060 to 1370 nm. Furthermore, the results are compared to nonlinear simulations, and the second order nonlinear susceptibility is extracted, showing a similar dispersion and magnitude to that of the bulk material. Furthermore, the third order nonlinear susceptibility of amorphous GaP thin films is extracted from third harmonic generation to be more than one order of magnitude larger than that of the crystalline material, and generation of up to the fifth harmonic is reported. The results show the potential of crystalline and amorphous thin films for nonlinear optics with nanoantennas and metasurfaces, particularly in the visible to near infrared part of the spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Numerous optical phenomena and applications have been enabled by nanophotonic structures. Their current fabrication from high refractive index dielectrics, such as silicon (Si) or gallium phosphide (GaP), pose restricting fabrication challenges while metals, relying on plasmons and thus exhibiting high ohmic losses, limit the achievable applications. An emerging class of layered, so‐called van der Waals (vdW), crystals is presented as a viable nanophotonics platform in this work. The dielectric response of 11 mechanically exfoliated thin‐film (20–200 nm) vdW crystals is extracted, revealing high refractive indices up to n = 5, pronounced birefringence up to Δn = 3, sharp absorption resonances, and a range of transparency windows from ultraviolet to near‐infrared. Nanoantennas are subsequently fabricated on silicon dioxide (SiO2) and gold, utilizing the compatibility of vdW thin films with a variety of substrates. Pronounced Mie resonances are observed due to the high refractive index contrast on SiO2, leading to a strong exciton‐photon coupling regime as well as largely unexplored high‐quality‐factor, hybrid Mie‐plasmon modes on gold. Additional vdW‐material‐specific degrees of freedom in fabrication are further demonstrated by realizing nanoantennas from stacked twisted crystalline thin‐films, enabling control of nonlinear optical properties, and post‐fabrication nanostructure transfer, important for nano‐optics with sensitive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Daaoub, Abdalghani, Morris, James M. F., Béland, Vanessa A., Demay‐Drouhard, Paul, Hussein, Amaar, Higgins, Simon J., Sadeghi, Hatef, Nichols, Richard J., Vezzoli, Andrea, Baumgartner, Thomas, and Sangtarash, Sara
Subjects
MOLECULAR electronics, CHEMICAL structure, ELECTRODES, SPINE
Abstract
Most studies in molecular electronics focus on altering the molecular wire backbone to tune the electrical properties of the whole junction. However, it is often overlooked that the chemical structure of the groups anchoring the molecule to the metallic electrodes influences the electronic structure of the whole system and, therefore, its conductance. We synthesised electron‐accepting dithienophosphole oxide derivatives and fabricated their single‐molecule junctions. We found that the anchor group has a dramatic effect on charge‐transport efficiency: in our case, electron‐deficient 4‐pyridyl contacts suppress conductance, while electron‐rich 4‐thioanisole termini promote efficient transport. Our calculations show that this is due to minute changes in charge distribution, probed at the electrode interface. Our findings provide a framework for efficient molecular junction design, especially valuable for compounds with strong electron withdrawing/donating backbones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Protection in the region has rapidly become a favoured durable solution to refugee situations and the hallmark of all current policies. These initiatives reflect changes in humanitarian approaches that have taken place over the past decades as the focus has shifted towards the resilience of crisis‐affected communities and the need to enable their self‐reliance. Despite the strong logic that this change will bring about more dignified solutions, the approach is easily instrumentalized. This instrumentalization is particularly evident where resilience humanitarianism meets security‐migration politics. This paper focuses on the efforts of the European Union and a number of its member states to advance so‐called protection in the region. The paper reviews the characteristics of these policies, highlights a number of risks and defines some known and lesser known implications of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Herrer, Lucia, Naghibi, Saman, Marín, Ivan, Ward, Jonathan S., Bonastre, Jose María, Higgins, S. J., Martín, Santiago, Vezzoli, Andrea, Nichols, Richard John, Serrano, José Luis, and Cea, Pilar
Subjects
NANOWIRES, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ATOMIC force microscopy, NUCLEAR magnetic resonance, MICROENCAPSULATION
Abstract
Future applications of single‐molecular and large‐surface area molecular devices require a thorough understanding and control of molecular junctions, interfacial phenomena, and intermolecular interactions. In this contribution the concept of single‐molecule junction and host‐guest complexation to sheath a benchmark molecular wire–namely 4,4′‐(1,4‐phenylenebis(ethyne‐2,1‐diyl))dianiline – with an insulating cage, pillar[5]arene 1,4‐diethoxy‐2‐ethyl‐5‐methylbenzene is presented. The insertion of one guest molecular wire into one host pillar[5]arene is probed by 1H‐NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), whilst the self‐assembly capabilities of the amine‐terminated molecular wire remain intact after complexation as demonstrated by XPS (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscopy). Encapsulation of the molecular wire prevents the formation of π‐ π stacked dimers and permits the determination of the true single molecule conductance with increased accuracy and confidence, as demonstrated here by using the STM–BJ technique (scanning tunneling microscopy– break junction). This strategy opens new avenues in the control of single‐molecule properties and demonstrates the pillararenes capabilities for the future construction of arrays of encapsulated single‐molecule functional units in large‐surface area devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Fetta, Anna, Crotti, Elisa, Campostrini, Elena, Bergonzini, Luca, Cesaroni, Carlo Alberto, Conti, Francesca, Di Pisa, Veronica, Gentile, Valentina, Mondardini, Maria Cristina, Vezzoli, Cesare, Giordano, Lucio, and Cordelli, Duccio Maria
Abstract
Febrile infection‐related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a prolonged refractory status epilepticus (SE) that develops among healthy individuals after a febrile infection. FIRES treatment is challenging due to its poor response to antiseizure medications (ASMs) and anesthetic drugs. The use of cannabidiol (CBD) as an adjunctive treatment has been suggested, albeit data about its role in the acute phase is lacking. This report describes the use of purified CBD in the acute phase of two pediatric cases of FIRES and their long‐term outcome. Both children were treated with several ASMs, immunomodulators, anesthetics, and nonpharmacological treatment (ketogenic diet). CBD was administered, as an adjunctive treatment, through nasogastric tube about 30 days after onset. SE resolved within 3 days of reaching the target dose and both were seizure‐free for 1 year after. Although it is difficult to define the extent to which each previous therapy contributed to recovery, in both cases CBD therapy was a turning point, reinforcing its potential role as add‐on treatment in the acute phase of FIRES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
This article discusses the case of a 38-year-old male patient with severe psoriasis and Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a genetic neuromuscular disorder. The patient had been experiencing walking difficulties due to psoriatic lesions on his feet and knees. After consultation with a neurologist, the patient was started on anti-interleukin-23 (IL-23) biologic therapy with risankizumab, which resulted in complete remission of psoriasis and resolution of walking difficulties. The article also mentions that psoriasis patients may have a higher likelihood of developing neurological disorders, and while some psoriasis treatments have been associated with severe neurological side effects, IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors appear to be relatively safe. Further studies are needed to confirm these observations. [Extracted from the article]
Key Clinical Message: We present the case of a 41‐year‐old man patient diagnosed with solitary left kidney with few cysts. He has a family history of unilateral renal agenesis (URA) but no for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Genetic testing revealed PKD1 gene intron 11 heterozygous nucleotide variant c.2854‐23G>T, but no gene mutation implicated in URA. Just eight cases of ADPKD with one kidney have been recorded globally. PC1 and PC2 disruption, causing primary cilia malformation or absence resulting in relevant in the first embryonic development alteration. Cillia's crucial significance in many diseases will require more research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Co-infection with other STDs was observed in 35% of patients, with gonorrhoea being the most commonly reported. All patients had skin manifestations, with 33% reporting skin lesions before developing systemic signs/symptoms (mean: 7 days before, IQR: 1-10). All patients recovered within 21 days, except for one patient who experienced recurrent lesions and required a second isolation period. [Extracted from the article]
BULLOUS pemphigoid, REPORTING of diseases, COVID-19, AUTOIMMUNE diseases, MEDICAL personnel, COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
In summary, this international registry showed a rather stable disease activity in the majority of AIBD patients following COVID-19 infection. Death occurred in nine patients (13%) with a mean age of 84.3 years; 6 of the 9 patients (67%) of them died during hospitalization for COVID-19 infection. Respectively, the change in disease activity of AIBD before and after COVID-19 infection is shown in Figure 1d. 1 TABLE Reported systemic treatment for AIBD before and after COVID-19 infection. [Extracted from the article]
Much research found that economic inequality—the dispersion of incomes distribution among individuals in a society—affects subjective well‐being (SWB). As a meta‐analysis has shown, the association between economic inequality, commonly measured by the Gini index, and individuals' SWB is weak and not significant. Psychosocial research suggests that the situational perception, rather than objective reality, has a greater impact on individuals. Our aim was to investigate whether and how objective and subjective measures of economic inequality affect the subjective individuals' well‐being, both in its affective and cognitive components. A representative Italian sample (N = 1446, 51% women; average age = 42.42 years, SD = 12.87) answered an online survey. Multilevel regressions detected a negative and significant effect of the inequality perception on well‐being. In contrast, the Gini index showed no effect. Two psychological mechanisms explain the association between perceived inequality and well‐being: Perceived anger toward inequality and individuals' economic vulnerability. The parallel mediation models showed that the effect of perceived inequality is conveyed by cognitive (economic vulnerability) and emotional (anger) processing of inequality. Findings also highlighted the role of the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Objective: To evaluate the differences in olfactory sensitivity, nutritional habits, levels of modulators of feeding and smell, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures and metabolic assays between two groups of participants with stage I and II obesity and reciprocal relationships between these parameters.Methods: Eighteen participants with stage I (11 female; mean age = 54.3 ± 13.1 years) and 20 participants with stage II (10 female; mean age = 54.5 ± 11.9) obesity underwent a food frequency questionnaire and Sniffin' Sticks® test battery, anthropometric parameters, and BIA measurements as well as metabolic assays (including plasma levels of leptin, insulin, ghrelin, glucose, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and usual laboratory parameters).Results: The stage II obesity participants demonstrated significant higher levels of insulin and leptin and lower levels of ghrelin and IGF-1, a reduction in odor identification (OI) and in total olfactory score, and an increase in visceral and total fat percentage. Among a mosaic of multiple correlations, ghrelin was found to positively correlate with OI and leptin negatively with odor discrimination.Conclusion: The present study expands the notions positing the olfactory perception - and its connections with metabolic cues, foods habits and BIA measures - changes across the two most important obesity stages. This could ameliorate clinical and research deepening of obesity-related olfactory behavior with possible consequences on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of onset and development of obesity, thus opening possible future strategies involving multidisciplinary contributions.Level Of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:2028-2035, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
*PRIMARY school teachers, *CLASSROOMS, *TEACHER development, *METHODOLOGY, *RESEARCH
Abstract
Background: Approaches to teacher professional development, such as learning designs (LDs), can facilitate primary school teachers' appropriation of literacy technology in the classroom. LDs are detailed learning activities and interventions designed by teachers to plan their use of technology. Methods: Using a creative design methodology to carry out a series of LD workshops with teachers, we aimed to understand how primary school teachers envision learning and teaching with two distinct technologies designed to support children's reading skills: a game and an e‐reader. Employing systematic qualitative content analysis, we compared LDs developed by teachers for each technology. Results: Our study shows that while principles of teacher instruction are consistently incorporated across the LDs, the design of each technology plays an important role in how teachers plan their students' learning and focal reading skills. Further, teachers' perception of the technology is as important as the features of the design. Compared with the e‐reader, the game is perceived as an individual practice activity with less opportunities to learn with peers. Finally, across both technologies, teachers envision supporting additional literacy skills, beyond those designed in the technology, highlighting the importance of explicitly facilitating LDs intended to foster within‐subject learning. Conclusions: These findings raise a new set of considerations on how to support teachers to design literacy learning and teaching activities with technology, and also offer a new methodological approach to facilitate LDs in future research and teacher training. Highlights: What is already known about this topicProfessional development supports teachers to appropriate literacy technologies in the classroom.The learning design approach has been shown to facilitate professional development by placing teachers in the role of the designer.The learning design approach can support and complement existing pedagogical approaches in the classroom, as well as to foster socio‐constructivist learning. What this paper addsIn the context of literacy, teachers rely on the learning aims of the technology and its pedagogical approach to determine how and what their students will learn.Teachers embed learning with peers when the technology aligns with existing social practice in the classroom.Teachers reappropriate literacy technology designed to support reading skills to extend into other literacy skills, such as writing and oral language. Implications for theory, policy or practiceThe paper offers a learning design methodology to support teachers in creating activities that integrate literacy technologies in the classroom.The methodology includes strategies that support teachers to embed learning with peers alongside reflecting a broad coverage of literacy learning objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Najman, Yani, Sobel, Edward R., Millar, Ian, Luan, Xiwu, Zapata, Sebastian, Garzanti, Eduardo, Parra, Mauricio, Vezzoli, Giovanni, Zhang, Peng, Wa Aung, Day, Paw, Saw Mu Tha Lay, and Lwin, Thae Naung
Abstract
The West Burma Terrane (WBT) is a small terrane bounded to the east by the Asian Sibumasu Block and to the west by the Indo‐Burman Ranges (IBR), the latter being an exhumed accretionary prism that formed during subduction of Indian oceanic lithosphere beneath Asia. Understanding the geological history of the WBT is important for reconstruction of the closure history of the Tethys Ocean and India‐Asia collision. Currently there are major discrepancies in the proposed timings of collision between the WBT with both India and Asia; whether the WBT collided with India or Asia first is debated, and proposed timings of collisions stretch from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic. We undertook a multi‐technique provenance study involving petrography, detrital zircon U‐Pb and Hf analyses, rutile U‐Pb analyses and Sr‐Nd bulk rock analyses on sediments of the Central Myanmar Basins of the WBT. We determined that the first arrival of Asian material into the basin occurred after the earliest late Eocene and by the early Oligocene, thus placing a minimum constraint on the timing of WBT‐Asia collision. Our low temperature thermochronological study of the IBR records two periods of exhumation, in the early‐middle Eocene, and at the Oligo‐Miocene boundary. The Eocene event may be associated with the collision of the WBT with India. The later event at the Oligo‐Miocene boundary may be associated with changes in wedge dynamics resulting from increased sediment supply to the system; however a number of other possible causes provide equally plausible explanations for both events. Plain Language Summary: Closure of the ancient Tethys Ocean by collision of various continental fragments culminated in the formation of the Himalayan mountain belt. A knowledge of the timing of collision of the various terranes is important to reconstruct the geological history of the region. The timing of the collision of the West Burma Terrane with both India and Asia is debated. We show that material eroded from Asia is first recorded in the Central Myanmar Basin of the West Burma Terrane after the earliest late Eocene and by the early Oligocene, providing a minimum time of docking of these continental fragments. We show two periods of exhumation of the exhumed accretionary prism of the Indo‐Burman Ranges, in the early‐middle Eocene and at the Oligo‐Miocene boundary. These events may be associated with the collision of the West Burma Terrane and India, and changes in wedge dynamics, respectively, but other causes are equally plausible. Key Points: First arrival of Asian detritus into the Central Myanmar Basin occurred after the earliest late Eocene and by the early Oligocene, thus constraining the time of WBT‐Asia collisionOur low temperature thermochronological study of the Indo‐Burman Ranges indicates exhumation in the early‐mid Eocene and around the Oligo‐Miocene boundary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Integrating radical (open‐shell) species into non‐cryogenic nanodevices is key to unlocking the potential of molecular electronics. While many efforts have been devoted to this issue, in the absence of a chemical/electrochemical potential the open‐shell character is generally lost in contact with the metallic electrodes. Herein, single‐molecule devices incorporating a 6‐oxo‐verdazyl persistent radical have been fabricated using break‐junction techniques. The open‐shell character is retained at room temperature, and electrochemical gating permits in situ reduction to a closed‐shell anionic state in a single‐molecule transistor configuration. Furthermore, electronically driven rectification arises from bias‐dependent alignment of the open‐shell resonances. The integration of radical character, transistor‐like switching, and rectification in a single molecular component paves the way to further studies of the electronic, magnetic, and thermoelectric properties of open‐shell species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
RARE earth metals, EROSION, HEAVY minerals, SUTURE zones (Structural geology), SEDIMENTS, SEDIMENT control
Abstract
The Yarlung Tsangpo, draining the Himalayan‐Tibetan orogen along the Indus‐Yarlung suture zone, receives detritus from the deformed remnants of both Indian margin to the south and Asian margin to the north. High resolution petrographic, heavy‐mineral and geochemical datasets, combined with published geochronological data, allow us to monitor compositional changes, estimate erosion rates and investigate lithologic, climatic and anthropic controls on sediment fluxes along this large sediment‐routing system entirely developed within high mountain areas. Sediment generated from the Lhasa Block along the southern margin of Asia is characterized by abundant feldspar and volcanic rock fragments, amphibole‐dominated transparent heavy mineral suite and high concentrations of K, Rb, Be, Th and Pb. Himalayan‐derived sand, instead, is characterized by sedimentary to low‐rank metasedimentary rock fragments, poor transparent heavy mineral suite dominated by durable recycled (zircon, tourmaline) or metamorphic minerals (chloritoid, garnet) and high Ca concentration. Sand from the ophiolitic suture is distinguished by serpentinite grains and mafic volcanic or metavolcanic detritus, transparent heavy mineral suite including olivine, Cr‐spinel, enstatite and clinopyroxene, and high Mg, Cr, Ni and low rare earth elements. Himalayan detritus is prominent in Yarlung Tsangpo upper reaches, whereas detritus from the Lhasa Block becomes progressively predominant in the middle and lower reaches. Provenance budgets based on integrated petrographic, heavy‐mineral and geochemical datasets indicate that ca. 83% of the detritus is supplied by the Lhasa Block and the rest mostly from the Himalaya (ca. 12%) and subordinately from the ophiolitic suture (5%). A low average erosion rate of ca. 0.06 mm/a was estimated for the Yarlung Tsangpo catchment upstream of the Namche Barwa syntaxis, which resulted from dry climate, relatively mild average relief and sediment storage in wide valley tracts of the middle and lower reaches. The decrease in sediment flux recorded in recent decades is mainly ascribed to growing human activities, which are becoming a prominent control on sediment generation and transportation even in the high‐mountain area of South Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Background: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, an increasing number of chilblain‐like lesions (ChLL) have been increasingly reported worldwide. To date, the causal link between ChLL and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has not been unequivocally established. Methods: In this case series, we present demographic, clinical, laboratory, and histopathological information regarding 27 young patients with a clinical diagnosis of ChLL who referred to the Dermatology Unit of Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy, from 1 April 2020 to 1 June 2020. Results: The mean age was 14.2 years, and 21 patients (78%) experienced mild systemic symptoms a median of 28 days before the onset of cutaneous lesions. ChLL mostly involved the feet (20 patients – 74%). Among acral lesions, we identified three different clinical patterns: (i) chilblains in 20 patients (74%); (ii) fixed erythematous macules in 4 children (15%); (iii) erythrocyanosis in 3 female patients (11%). Blood examinations and viral serologies, including parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), and coxsackievirus were normal in all. Three patients (11%) underwent nasopharyngeal swab for RT‐PCR for SARS‐CoV‐2 showing only 1 positive. Histopathological examinations of 7 skin biopsies confirmed the clinical diagnosis of chilblains; vessel thrombi were observed only in 1 case. Our findings failed to demonstrate the direct presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in skin biopsies, both with real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH). Limitations: Limited number of cases, unavailability of laboratory confirmation of COVID‐19 in all patients, potential methodological weakness, and latency of skin biopsies in comparison to cutaneous lesions onset. Conclusions: These observations may support the hypothesis of an inflammatory pathogenesis rather than the presence of peripheral viral particles. Although, we could not exclude an early phase of viral endothelial damage followed by an IFN‐I or complement‐mediated inflammatory phase. Further observations on a large number of patients are needed to confirm this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Central Argentina from the Pampean flat‐slab segment to northern Patagonia (27°–41°S) represents a classic example of a broken retroarc basin with strong tectonic and climatic control on fluvial sediment transport. Combined with previous research focused on coastal sediments, this actualistic provenance study uses framework petrography and heavy‐mineral data to trace multistep dispersal of volcaniclastic detritus first eastwards across central Argentina for up to ca. 1,500 km and next northwards for another 760 km along the Atlantic coast. Although detritus generated in the Andes is largely derived from mesosilicic volcanic rocks of the cordillera, its compositional signatures reflect different tectono‐stratigraphic levels of the orogen uplifted along strike in response to varying subduction geometry as well as different character and crystallization condition of arc magmas through time and space. River sand, thus, changes from feldspatho‐litho‐quartzose or litho‐feldspatho‐quartzose in the north, where sedimentary detritus is more common, to mostly quartzo‐feldspatho‐lithic in the centre and to feldspatho‐lithic in the south, where volcanic detritus is dominant. The transparent‐heavy‐mineral suite changes markedly from amphibole ≫ clinopyroxene > orthopyroxene in the north, to amphibole ≈ clinopyroxene ≈ orthopyroxene in the centre and to orthopyroxene ≥ clinopyroxene ≫ amphibole in the south. In the presently dry climate, fluvial discharge is drastically reduced to the point that even the Desaguadero trunk river has become endorheic and orogenic detritus is dumped in the retroarc basin, reworked by winds and temporarily accumulated in dune fields. During the Quaternary, instead, much larger amounts of water were released by melting of the Cordilleran ice sheet or during pluvial events. The sediment‐laden waters of the Desaguadero and Colorado rivers then rushed from the tract of the Andes with greatest topographic and structural elevation, fostering alluvial fans inland and flowing in much larger valleys than today towards the Atlantic Ocean. Sand and gravel supply to the coast was high enough not only to promote rapid progradation of large deltaic lobes but also to feed a cell of littoral sediment transport extending as far north as the Río de la Plata estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
This article presents a detailed petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical study of clay, silt, sand and fine gravel generated in the Paraná–Etendeka large igneous province, once united and today exposed in contrasting climatic and orographic conditions on conjugate sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The comparison between low‐relief wetter Uruguay and steeper hyper‐dry Namibia allows to investigate the influence of weathering on basalt‐derived sediments spanning in grain size from <2 μm to >2000 μm. In Namibia, as in Uruguay, X‐ray diffraction analyses of mud samples from streams draining basaltic lavas show only smectitic clay minerals. Macroscopic and microscopic observations indicate that sand is composed in variable proportions of glassy to lathwork volcanic rock fragments, plagioclase and augitic clinopyroxene with minor pigeonite, and gravel dominantly consists of volcanic clasts with chalcedony or quartz geodes occurring locally. Geochemical data highlight the strong grain‐size dependence of weathering intensity. Whereas fine gravel closely reflects source‐rock composition in both Namibia and Uruguay, and mobile elements in sand are moderately depleted, αAlE indices increase notably in silt and reach maximum in clay, with mobility sequence Na >> Ca ≥ Mg > Sr > K. Differences in sand versus mud generation potential in the two regions are prominent. Namibian rivers draining the dry Etendeka Plateau carry purely volcaniclastic sand, whereas streams draining even exclusively the Paraná lava field carry sediments containing invariably significant and even overwhelming amounts of recycled quartz, testifying to the much greater sand‐generation potential of the very‐locally‐exposed underlying, interbedded or overlying quartz‐rich sandstones and loess deposits. Smectite is dominant throughout the Uruguay River catchment, even in the lower course where sand is pure quartzose and pyroxene negligible. A comparison with basaltic provinces worldwide indicates that, especially in low‐relief wet regions where weathering is intense, basalt generates gravel, very minor sand and abundant smectite. Kaolinite forms where chemical leaching is extreme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Large sediment masses are transferred over many hundreds of kilometres along the coast of passive continental margins worldwide. The relevance of such a phenomenon for source‐to‐sink studies, environmental issues, and coastal management remains largely unperceived. This study traces the paths of volcaniclastic sand along ca 2170 km of the Argentine coast and documents a 760 km long cell of littoral transport extending from the formerly larger Río Colorado delta to the edge of the Río de la Plata mouth. During deglaciation stages and humid periods of the Pleistocene, a much greater sediment volume than today was transferred by the Desaguadero and Colorado rivers from the highest‐relief tract of the Andean Cordillera to the Atlantic Ocean. Amphibole‐rich sand originally supplied by the Río Desaguadero is being recycled today from Pampean lowlands to feed the beaches along Río de la Plata southern shores, whereas pure quartzose sand of Río Paraná is found only adjacent to its prograding delta. Augite‐rich sand supplied by the Río Colorado is dominant along the coast of the Buenos Aires Province, where it mixes locally with coarser‐grained quartz‐rich detritus recycled in the urbanized Mar del Plata area. Hypersthene‐rich sand of the Río Negro is dispersed both north and south of the mouth, where heavy‐mineral‐rich lag deposits are formed in areas of accelerated erosion and retreating sea cliffs. Changes of mineralogical signatures during long‐distance littoral transport are largely ascribed to local supply from coastal erosion or hydrodynamic effects rather than to selective breakdown of labile grains. Whereas the relative abundance of amphibole and pyroxene is largely independent of transport distance, olivine is depleted both in the northern part of the Colorado littoral cell and south of the Río Negro mouth, which is chiefly ascribed to dilution by recycling of Neogene sediments that have undergone early intrastratal dissolution rather than to mechanical loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Parietti, M., Carugno, A., Gianatti, A., Sena, P., Quaglino, P., and Vezzoli, P.
Subjects
LOBULAR carcinoma, METASTATIC breast cancer, AROMATASE inhibitors, LITERATURE reviews
Abstract
Occult primitive tumour
Lobular breast cancer
+
+
-
Anastrozole (1 mg/day)
24 months of treatment, complete response
Seldloev et al. [8]
2019
82
T4N1M1 tumour in the left breast with skin involvement. Ductal carcinomas are more frequently associated with CM than lobular carcinomas.5 We present the case of a 67-year-old woman who was diagnosed with T3N0M0 breast cancer in the left-sided breast in 2004. [Extracted from the article]
In the struggle with COVID-19, art offered a way to face the solitude of the lockdown. The focus of this paper is primarily on Caravaggio's painting The Seven Works of Mercy, with references to other paintings to amplify some aspects of the artist's approach to life and his uniqueness in the artistic landscape of his time. Darkness was part of Caravaggio's research for spiritual truth and by entering the stories of his life and exploring the tales told through imaginative expression in his paintings, it is possible to understand his process of exploration of ancestral darkness. The author uses her imagination to reflect on how art can help to contact the profound fears buried in the unconscious which are now being awakened by the pandemic. The contemplation of this painting facilitated the emergence of emotions related to the darkness of our time, with the discovery that empathy and mercy offer a way to come to terms with the pandemic. This approach demands a different understanding of reality with Caravaggio's dark creative world becoming a companion that permits the exploration of what is not yet thinkable in daily life. Images accompany the author's research that relies on her imagination and amplifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Paknia, M., Ballato, P., Heidarzadeh, G., Cifelli, F., Hassanzadeh, J., Vezzoli, G., Mirzaie Ataabadi, M., Ghassemi, M. R., and Mattei, M.
Abstract
The intermontane Tarom Basin of NW Iran (Arabia‐Eurasia collision zone) is located at the transition between the Iranian Plateau (IP) to the SW and the Alborz Mountains to the NE. This basin was filled by upper Cenozoic synorogenic red beds that retain first‐order information on the erosional history of adjacent topography, the vertical growth of the plateau margin and its orogen perpendicular expansion. Here, we perform a multidisciplinary study including magnetostratigraphy, sedimentology, geochronology and sandstone petrography on these red beds. Our data show that Eocene arc volcanism in the region terminated at 38‐36 Ma, while intrabasinal synorogenic sedimentation (endorheic conditions) occurred from at least 16.2 to <7.6 Ma, implying that the red beds are stratigraphically equivalent to the Upper Red Formation. After 7.6 Ma, the basin experienced intrabasinal deformation, uplift and erosion with the establishment of external drainage. Fluvial connectivity with the Caspian Sea, however, was interrupted by at least four episodes of basin aggradation. During endorheic conditions, the basin fill did not reach the elevation of the plateau interior and hence the Tarom Basin was never integrated into the plateau. Furthermore, our provenance data indicate that the northern margin of the basin (Alborz Mountains) experienced a greater magnitude of Miocene deformation and erosional exhumation than the southern one (IP margin). This agrees with recent Moho depth estimates, suggesting that crustal shortening and thickening cannot be responsible for the vertical growth of the northern margin of the IP, and hence surface uplift must have been driven by deep‐seated processes. Key Points: The red beds of the Tarom Basin are > ∼16.2 to < ∼7.6‐My‐old and are stratigraphically equivalent to the Upper Red FormationOver the last 38‐36 Ma the basin experienced alternating stages of internal and external drainage without being integrated in the plateauDeep seated processes rather than shortening and thickening are responsible for the vertical growth of the Iranian Plateau margin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A variety of pathophysiological mechanisms are implicated in Huntington's disease (HD). Among them, reduced cholesterol biosynthesis has been detected in the HD mouse brain from pre‐symptomatic stages, leading to diminished cholesterol synthesis, particularly in the striatum. In addition, systemic injection of cholesterol‐loaded brain‐permeable nanoparticles ameliorates synaptic and cognitive function in a transgenic mouse model of HD. To identify an appropriate treatment regimen and gain mechanistic insights into the beneficial activity of exogenous cholesterol in the HD brain, we employed osmotic mini‐pumps to infuse three escalating doses of cholesterol directly into the striatum of HD mice in a continuous and rate‐controlled manner. All tested doses prevented cognitive decline, while amelioration of disease‐related motor defects was dose‐dependent. In parallel, we found morphological and functional recovery of synaptic transmission involving both excitatory and inhibitory synapses of striatal medium spiny neurons. The treatment also enhanced endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis and clearance of mutant Huntingtin aggregates. These results indicate that cholesterol infusion to the striatum can exert a dose‐dependent, disease‐modifying effect and may be therapeutically relevant in HD. Synopsis: The study shows that striatal infusion of cholesterol is able to improve behavioral, synaptic and neuropathological abnormalities in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Prevention of cognitive decline was achieved regardless of the dose of cholesterol infused in the striatum.Motor defects were prevented in a dose‐dependent manner.Synaptic transmission and morphology of striatal medium spiny neurons were normalized.Endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis was stimulated in glial cells.Mutant Huntingtin aggregates were decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Polyoxometalates have been proposed in the literature as nanoelectronic components, where they could offer key advantages with their structural versatility and rich electrochemistry. Apart from a few studies on their ensemble behaviour (as monolayers or thin films), this potential remains largely unexplored. We synthesised a pyridyl‐capped Anderson–Evans polyoxometalate and used it to fabricate single‐molecule junctions, using the organic termini to chemically "solder" a single cluster to two nanoelectrodes. Operating the device in an electrochemical environment allowed us to probe charge transport through different oxidation states of the polyoxometalate, and we report here an efficient three‐state transistor behaviour. Conductance data fits a quantum tunnelling mechanism with different charge‐transport probabilities through different charge states. Our results show the promise of polyoxometalates in nanoelectronics and give an insight on their single‐entity electrochemical behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Amicone, S., Croce, E., Castellano, L., and Vezzoli, G.
Subjects
PLAINS, MATERIALS management, TIME measurements
Abstract
The study analyses through an interdisciplinary approach the wattle‐and‐daub building technique used on the Po Plain of northern Italy, focusing on the archaeological evidence from the Etruscan site of Forcello, near Bagnolo San Vito (Mantua) (540–375 bce). Wattle and daub is widespread across different times and periods, and is particularly common in regions such as the Po Plain, where stone sources for construction are not immediately available. Thanks to a combined archaeometric, geological and anthracological study, the paper provides new insights on a fifth‐century bce building structure from Forcello. The findings reveal information on the life history of this feature, including its construction, maintenance and final destruction. The research also sheds a new light on the wattle‐and‐daub technique and on the interaction between people and the Po Plain Etruscan palaeoenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Vincent, Stephen J., Somin, Mark L., Carter, Andrew, Vezzoli, Giovanni, Fox, Matthew, and Vautravers, Benoit
Abstract
The Greater Caucasus form the northernmost deformation front of the Arabia‐Eurasia collision zone. Earlier thermochronometric studies on the crystalline core of the western Greater Caucasus highlighted an abrupt along‐strike increase in cooling ages to the west of Mt. Elbrus. Twenty‐eight thermochronometric analyses conducted as part of this study confirm this pattern. Overall Cenozoic exhumation was restricted to less than 5–7 km, with slow to moderate punctuated Oligo‐Miocene cooling. Cooling rates increased during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. These are most rapid east of Mt. Elbrus, where they probably increased later than farther west (at c. 5 Ma rather than 10–8 Ma). Differential cooling rates do not appear to be driven by lateral variations in tectonic shortening. The region undergoing rapid young cooling does coincide, however, with an area of mantle‐sourced Late Miocene and younger magmatism. Thermal relaxation or overprinting is ruled out because geomorphic and modern sediment flux data mirror the thermochronometric trends. The buoyancy effects of demonstrable mantle upwelling are capable of causing the magnitude of exhumation‐related cooling recorded in this study, but typically act over wavelengths of several 100 km. We suggest that lithospheric heterogeneities are responsible for modulating the shorter wavelength differences in exhumation rate documented here. These heterogeneities may include the continuation of the same structures responsible for the eastern margin of the Stavropol High to the north of the Caucasus, although further work is required. Similar abrupt variations in mantle‐supported uplift and exhumation modulated by crustal structure may occur in other mountain belts worldwide. Key Points: There is a marked lateral change in the Cenozoic cooling history of the crystalline core of the western Greater CaucasusThe region with young cooling ages (between Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Kazbek) coincides with an area of mantle‐sourced Late Miocene and younger magmatismIf driven by buoyancy forces, cooling must be partitioned over short wavelengths by lithospheric heterogeneities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Haas, Hein, Czaika, Mathias, Flahaux, Marie‐Laurence, Mahendra, Edo, Natter, Katharina, Vezzoli, Simona, and Villares‐Varela, María
Subjects
IMMIGRATION policy, RHETORIC & politics, INTERNATIONAL law, SOCIAL development, DATA analysis
Abstract
This paper synthesizes insights from new global data on the effectiveness of migration policies. It investigates the complex links between migration policies and migration trends to disentangle policy effects from structural migration determinants. The analysis challenges two central assumptions underpinning the popular idea that migration restrictions have failed to curb migration. First, post‐WWII global migration levels have not accelerated, but remained relatively stable while most shifts in migration patterns have been directional. Second, post‐WWII migration policies have generally liberalized despite political rhetoric suggesting the contrary. While migration policies are generally effective, "substitution effects" can limit their effectiveness, or even make them counterproductive, by geographically diverting migration, interrupting circulation, encouraging unauthorized migration, or prompting "now or never" migration surges. These effects expose fundamental policy dilemmas and highlight the importance of understanding the economic, social, and political trends that shape migration in sometimes counterintuitive, but powerful, ways that largely lie beyond the reach of migration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Angiolini, L, Zanchi, A, Zanchetta, S, Nicora, A, Vezzoli, G, ZANCHI, ANDREA MARCO, ZANCHETTA, STEFANO, VEZZOLI, GIOVANNI, Angiolini, L, Zanchi, A, Zanchetta, S, Nicora, A, Vezzoli, G, ZANCHI, ANDREA MARCO, ZANCHETTA, STEFANO, and VEZZOLI, GIOVANNI
Abstract
Based on its Permian-Triassic stratigraphic and biotic evolution, we correlate the SE Pamir to the Karakoram terrane,and we consider them equivalent, along with the Central Pamir, to the Qiantang Terrane of Tibet, all of Palaeozoic Gondwanan ancestry. We prove the occurrence of a marked Cimmerian unconformity, documented by lowermost Jurassic deposits suturing intensively faulted and folded Permian and Triassic units, which suggests that the South Pamir collided around the T-J boundary with the Central Pamir along the Rushan-Pshart suture. Collision of the Karakoram to the South Pamir happened slightly later along the Wakhan-Tirich Boundary Zone. Progressive time shifting of deformation can be related to the complex setting of the Cimmerian belt, which was subdivided into minor blocks by incipient oceanic basins, providing strong crustal mobility
Najman, Y, Allen, R, Willett, E, Carter, A, Barfod, D, Garzanti, E, Wijbrans, J, Bickle, M, Vezzoli, G, Ando', S, Oliver, G, Uddin, M, Willett, E. A. F, GARZANTI, EDUARDO, Bickle, M. J, VEZZOLI, GIOVANNI, ANDO', SERGIO, Uddin, M. J., Najman, Y, Allen, R, Willett, E, Carter, A, Barfod, D, Garzanti, E, Wijbrans, J, Bickle, M, Vezzoli, G, Ando', S, Oliver, G, Uddin, M, Willett, E. A. F, GARZANTI, EDUARDO, Bickle, M. J, VEZZOLI, GIOVANNI, ANDO', SERGIO, and Uddin, M. J.
Abstract
The Cenozoic sedimentary succession of Bangladesh provides an archive of Himalayan erosion. However, its potential as an archive is currently hampered by a poor lithostratigaphic framework with limited age control. We focus on the Hatia Trough of the Bengal Basin and the adjacent fold belt of the Chittagong Hill Tracts which forms the outermost part of the west-propagating Indo- Burmese wedge. We present a basin-wide seismic stratigraphic framework for the Neogene rocks, calibrated by biostratigraphy, which divides the succession into three seismically distinct and region- ally correlatable Megasequences (MS). MS1 extends to NN15-NN16 (ca. 2.5–3.9 Ma), MS2 to NN19-NN20 (ca. 0.4–1.9 Ma) and MS3 to present day. Our seismic mapping, thermochronological analyses of detrital mineral grains, isotopic analyses of bulk rock, heavy mineral and petrographic data, show that the Neogene rocks of the Hatia Trough and Chittagong Hill Tracts are predomi- nantly Himalayan-derived, with a subordinate arc-derived input possibly from the Paleogene Indo- Burman Ranges as well as the Trans-Himalaya. Our seismic data allow us to concur with previous work that suggests folding of the outer part of the west-propagating wedge only commenced recently, within the last few million years. We suggest that it could have been the westward encroachment and final abutment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts fold belt onto the already-uplifted Shillong Plateau that caused diversion of the palaeo-Brahmaputra to the west of the plateau as the north-east drainage route closed.
Based on its Permian-Triassic stratigraphic and biotic evolution, we correlate the SE Pamir to the Karakoram terrane, and we consider them equivalent, along with the Central Pamir, to the Qiantang Terrane of Tibet, all of Palaeozoic Gondwanan ancestry. We prove the occurrence of a marked Cimmerian unconformity, documented by lowermost Jurassic deposits suturing intensively faulted and folded Permian and Triassic units, which suggests that the South Pamir collided around the T-J boundary with the Central Pamir along the Rushan-Pshart suture. Collision of the Karakoram to the South Pamir happened slightly later along the Wakhan-Tirich Boundary Zone. Progressive time shifting of deformation can be related to the complex setting of the Cimmerian belt, which was subdivided into minor blocks by incipient oceanic basins, providing strong crustal mobility. Terra Nova, 25, 352–360, 2013
Ferri, Nicolò, Algethami, Norah, Vezzoli, Andrea, Sangtarash, Sara, McLaughlin, Maeve, Sadeghi, Hatef, Lambert, Colin J., Nichols, Richard J., and Higgins, Simon J.
Single‐molecule junctions that are sensitive to compression or elongation are an emerging class of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Although the molecule–electrode interface can be engineered to impart such functionality, most studies to date rely on poorly defined interactions. We focused on this issue by synthesizing molecular wires designed to have chemically defined hemilabile contacts based on (methylthio)thiophene moieties. We measured their conductance as a function of junction size and observed conductance changes of up to two orders of magnitude as junctions were compressed and stretched. Localised interactions between weakly coordinating thienyl sulfurs and the electrodes are responsible for the observed effect and allow reversible monodentate⇄bidentate contact transitions as the junction is modulated in size. We observed an up to ≈100‐fold sensitivity boost of the (methylthio)thiophene‐terminated molecular wire compared with its non‐hemilabile (methylthio)benzene counterpart and demonstrate a previously unexplored application of hemilabile ligands to molecular electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Bianchini, Elisabetta, Bruno, Rosa Maria, Di Lascio, Nicole, Vezzoli, Alessandra, Mrakic‐Sposta, Simona, Corciu, Anca Irina, Comassi, Mario, and Pratali, Lorenza
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of participation in an Ironman distance triathlon competition on arterial function by ultrasound, in relation to cardiac function and body water content. Methods: Twenty‐eight male triathletes participating in an Ironman distance competition underwent carotid, femoral, and cardiac ultrasound examinations. Moreover, the presence of extravascular lung water was identified by lung echo B‐lines (echogenic coherent wedge‐shaped signal with a narrow origin from the hyperechoic pleural line) at rest and within 20 minutes of arrival. Results: At the end of the competition, athletes showed an increased heart rate (mean ± SD, from 60.2 ± 13.1 to 82.8 ± 15.6 beats/min; P < .0001) and unchanged mean blood pressure (from 93 ± 14 to 91 ± 10 mm Hg; P > .05) in the presence of negligible dehydration (total body water from 48.0 ± 4.0 to 46.5 ± 3.9 kg; P > .05). Cardiac output increased (from 5.5 ± 1.2 to 6.7 ± 2.4 L/min; P < .05) in the presence of an unchanged stroke volume (from 64 ± 14 to 59 ± 16 mL; P > .05) and unchanged left ventricular elastance (from 1.52 ± 0.48 to 1.39 ± 0.48 mm Hg/mL/m2; P > .05). The mean carotid diameter increased (from 7.19 ± 0.65 to 7.61 ± 0.76 mm; P < .05), whereas the mean femoral diameter was unchanged at the end of the competition (from 10.41 ± 0.83 to 10.49 ± 0.82 mm; P > .05). Carotid intima‐media thickness was significantly reduced (from 537 ± 70 to 495 ± 70 μm; P < .05), whereas B‐lines increased significantly after the competition (from 1 [0–4] to 12 [5–23]; P < .0001). Conclusions: These data suggest different acute functional adaptation in central arteries with respect to peripheral leg vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Semeraro, Francesco, Russo, Andrea, Morescalchi, Francesco, Gambicorti, Elena, Vezzoli, Sara, Parmeggiani, Francesco, Romano, Mario R., and Costagliola, Ciro
Subjects
HEAVY oil, LONGITUDINAL method, RETINAL detachment, DINOPROSTONE, INFLAMMATION
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the inflammation associated with the use of standard silicone oil (polydimethylsiloxane; PDMS) and heavy silicone oil (HSO) Densiron‐68™ in patients undergoing vitrectomy for retinal detachment. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was performed involving 35 patients scheduled to undergo vitrectomy for retinal detachment. Patients received PDMS or Densiron‐68™ HSO according to superior or inferior retinal localization of the tears, respectively. For assessing the inflammation, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α) levels were evaluated in the aqueous. Results: Thirty‐five eyes of 35 patients completed the study: 20 eyes received HSO, and 15 eyes received PDMS. The mean aqueous PGE2 level was significantly higher in HSO patients than in PDMS patients (869.16 ± 242.83 pg/ml versus 369.38 ± 209.7 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.0001). The mean aqueous IL‐1α level was also significantly higher in HSO patients than in PDMS patients (81.40 ± 36.9 pg/ml versus 40.8 ± 32.5 pg/ml, respectively; p = 0.002). In HSO, a moderate positive correlation between the endotamponade duration and both PGE2 (r = 0.44; p = 0.05) and IL‐1α (r = 0.48; p = 0.033) levels was observed. In PDMS, a strong positive correlation between the endotamponade duration and both PGE2 (r = 0.89; p < 0.0001) and IL‐1α (r = 0.68; p = 0.006) levels was observed. Conclusion: Although both HSO and PDMS yielded favourable success rates in the surgical treatment of complicated retinal detachments, HSO triggered a more severe inflammatory reaction, in a time‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ruth Allen, Mike J. Bickle, Eduardo Garzanti, Jan R. Wijbrans, Sergio Andò, M J Uddin, Giovanni Vezzoli, Dan N. Barfod, Yani Najman, Graham J H Oliver, Edward A F Willett, Andrew Carter, Najman, Y, Allen, R, Willett, E, Carter, A, Barfod, D, Garzanti, E, Wijbrans, J, Bickle, M, Vezzoli, G, Ando', S, Oliver, G, Uddin, M, and Geology and Geochemistry
Subjects
Petrography, Paleontology, Heavy mineral, Trough (geology), Geology, Sedimentary rock, GEO/02 - GEOLOGIA STRATIGRAFICA E SEDIMENTOLOGICA, Fold (geology), Structural basin, Himalayan erosion, sedimentary rocks, Bengal Basin, Neogene, Paleogene
Massimo, De Giorgio, Stefano, Vezzoli, Eric, Cohen, Elia, Armellini, Maria Grazia, Lucà, Giulianna, Verga, Domenico, Pinelli, Roberto, Nani, Maria Grazia, Valsecchi, Laura, Antolini, Michele, Colledan, Stefano, Fagiuoli, Mario, Strazzabosco, De Giorgio, M, Vezzoli, S, Cohen, E, Armellini, E, Lucà, M, Verga, G, Pinelli, D, Nani, R, Valsecchi, M, Antolini, L, Colledan, M, Fagiuoli, S, and Strazzabosco, M
Transplantation is the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) meeting the Milan criteria. HCC and chronic liver diseases have distinct natural histories for which an equitable transplant policy must account. We enrolled and prospectively followed at a single center 206 consecutive HCC patients that presented within the Milan criteria. Patients were treated per the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) algorithm; 95% received resection, ablation, or transarterial chemoembolization. The median follow-up was 16 months. Progression occurred in 84 patients, and 8 patients died. Risk factors for the time to disease progression (death or progression beyond T2) were analyzed in 170 patients with a complete data set. Risk factors with the strongest relationship to progression included tumor diameter and tumor persistence/recurrence after local therapy (hazard ratios of 1.51 and 2.75, respectively, when transplanted patients were censored at the time of transplantation and hazard ratios of 1.53 and 3.66, respectively, when transplantation was counted as an event; P < or = 0.0001). To evaluate the current Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception, we compared the expected progression rate (PR) with our observed PR in 133 stage T2 patients. The current policy resulted in a large overestimation of the PR for T2 HCC and an unsatisfactory performance [Harrell's concordance index (C index) = 0.60, transplant censored; C index = 0.55, transplant as progression]. Risk factors for progression that were identified by univariate analysis were considered for multivariate analysis. With these risk factors and the patients' natural MELD scores, an adjusted model applicable to organ allocation was generated, and this decreased the discrepancy between the expected and observed PRs (C index = 0.66, transplant censored; C index = 0.69, transplant as progression). In conclusion, the current MELD exception largely overestimates progression in T2 patients treated according to the BCLC guidelines. The tumor response to resective or ablative treatment can predict tumor progression beyond the Milan criteria, and it should be taken into account in models designed to prioritize organ allocation
Abstract: The northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae), is the primary blood‐feeding ectoparasite found on poultry in the U.S.A. Three experiments were conducted in vitro to test the acaricidal properties of cade, garlic, lavender, lemongrass, pine and thyme essential oils against NFM, and to evaluate whether these effects are altered by adjusting oil application rates and application modality (direct vs. vapour contact). Applied at the rate of 0.21 mg/cm2, the essential oils of cade, thyme, lemongrass and garlic resulted in higher NFM mortality at 24 h post‐application than lavender and pine oils, and the untreated and ethanol‐treated controls. Cade and thyme were the most consistent and fast‐acting of the essential oils in terms of toxicity to NFM. Cade applied at 0.21 mg/cm2 and 0.11 mg/cm2 and thyme applied at 0.21 mg/cm2 were effective in eliminating NFM within 2 h through direct contact. The modality of application did not affect the efficacy of cade and thyme essential oils. The results suggest that essential oils may be utilized as alternatives to chemical pesticides and could be used as fumigants for the control of NFM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]