ACE2 Is an Adjacent Element of Atherosclerosis and COVID-19 Pathogenesis

COVID-19 is a highly contagious new infection caused by the single-stranded RNA Sars-CoV-2 virus. For the first time, this infection was recorded in December 2019 in the Chinese province of Wuhan. The virus presumably crossed the interspecies barrier and passed to humans from a bat. Initially, the disease was considered exclusively in the context of damage to the respiratory system, but it quickly became clear that the disease also entails serious consequences from various systems, including the cardiovascular system. Among these consequences are myocarditis, myocardial damage, subsequent heart failure, myocardial infarction, and Takotsubo syndrome. On the other hand, clinical data indicate that the presence of chronic diseases in a patient aggravates the course and outcome of coronavirus infection. In this context, the relationship between COVID-19 and atherosclerosis, a condition preceding cardiovascular disease and other disorders of the heart and blood vessels, is particularly interesting. The renin-angiotensin system is essential for the pathogenesis of both coronavirus disease and atherosclerosis. In particular, it has been shown that ACE2, an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, plays a key role in Sars-CoV-2 infection due to its receptor activity. It is noteworthy that this enzyme is important for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. Disruptions in its production and functioning can lead to various disorders, including atherosclerosis.     

Experimental investigation of friction-base isolation

Structural vibration control is one of the main goals of civil engineers involved in the structural safety and reliability of buildings situated in regions susceptible to earthquakes. Friction-base isolators have been adopted as a means of passive control. The purpose of this experimental investigation is to measure the response statistics in the presence of base friction and other friction sources. The experimental model emulates a single-floor building supported on four leaf springs, subjected to band limited random excitation. Two different types of model base are considered, a friction base and a frictionless base. In both cases, friction can also be applied at two sides of the models main mass against the direction of its motion. Excitation and response transducer signals are processed to estimate excitation and response statistics in the presence and in the absence of top mass friction. Measured statistics include mean squares, autocorrelation functions, power spectra, and probability density functions. The dependence of the mean square response on the excitation level in the presence of friction reveals linear and nonlinear regimes, as well as a drift in the response due to dry friction. Above a certain excitation level the response-excitation relationship displays nonlinearity. A transition from narrow band to wide band response spectra is observed when friction is applied to the systems top mass. Analytical and Monte Carlo simulation results are compared with those measured experimentally based on a constant friction force.     

Integrated Agro-Economic Approach to Deficit Irrigation on Lettuce Crops in Sicily (Italy)

The effect of four different irrigation levels on the marketable yield and economic return of summer-growth lettuce was evaluated during 2005 and 2006 in Eastern Sicily, Italy. The viability of deficit irrigation was evaluated by estimating optimum applied water levels. Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was estimated by combining pan evaporation measures and the Penman–Monteith approach (ET0-PM). The highest marketable yield of lettuce was recorded for plots receiving 100% ET0-PM. For deficit irrigated plots, reductions in crop production were ascribed to a decrease in lettuce weight. Crop coefficients equal to 1 determined maximum crop production values. Crop water use efficiency was maximum at a 100% ET0-PM level of water applied, corresponding to yield of 0.3?t?ha?1?mm?1. Irrigation water use efficiency reached its maximum at a 40% ET0-PM level, with values of 0.54 and 0.44?t?ha?1?mm?1 during 2005 and 2006, respectively. Water applied and marketable yield of lettuce showed a significant quadratic relationship. Cost functions had a quadratic form during 2005 and a linear form during 2006. In the land-limiting condition the optimal economic levels fit the agronomic ones well. In the water-limiting condition, ranges of water deficit of 15–44% and 74–94% were as profitable as full irrigation, thus contributing to appreciable water savings.     

Evaluation of the effect of preload force on resonance frequencies for a traveling wave ultrasonic motor

In this paper, a novel method of numerical computation of the natural frequencies, depending on the most important running parameters for an ultrasonic motor, is described. The analyzed configuration by the Space Division of Alenia Spazio, Rome, within an Italian Space Agency (ASI) development program, is the flexural traveling wave one. The dynamic equations for the stator and the rotors of the ultrasonic motor are assumed into a differential system, whose equations are coupled by terms that represent interface generalized forces. In order to calculate natural frequencies of the motor-coupled terms of the equations are worked out with respect to the variables of the degrees of freedom. Hence, the mass, damping, and stiffness matrix for the whole system are obtained, then resonance frequencies, depending on the most important running parameters such as axial preload of the motor, are calculated. The results are compared with numerical ones, obtained by a finite element modeling (FEM) model, showing a good agreement.     

Comparison among three boundary element methods for torsion problems: CPM,CVBEM, LEM

This paper provides solutions for De Saint-Venant torsion problem on a beam with arbitrary and uniform cross-section. In particular three methods framed into complex analysis have been considered: Complex Polynomial Method (CPM), Complex Variable Boundary Element Method (CVBEM) and Line Element-less Method (LEM), recently proposed. CPM involves the expansion of a complex potential in Taylor series, computing the unknown coefficients by means of collocation points on the boundary. CVBEM takes advantage of Cauchy's integral formula that returns the solution of Laplace equation when mixed boundary conditions on both real and imaginary parts of the complex potential are known. LEM introduces the expansion in the double-ended Laurent series involving harmonic polynomials, proposing an element-free weak form procedure, by imposing that the square of the net flux of the shear stress across the border is minimized with respect to the series coefficients. These methods have been compared with respect to numerical efficiency and accuracy. Numerical results have been correlated with analytical and approximate solutions that can be already found in literature.     

Manganese-Labeled Alginate Hydrogels for Image-Guided Cell Transplantation

Cell transplantation has been studied extensively as a therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders. However, to date, its effectiveness remains unsatisfactory due to low precision and efficacy of cell delivery; poor survival of transplanted cells; and inadequate monitoring of their fate in vivo. Fortunately, different bio-scaffolds have been proposed as cell carriers to improve the accuracy of cell delivery, survival, differentiation, and controlled release of embedded stem cells. The goal of our study was to establish hydrogel scaffolds suitable for stem cell delivery that also allow non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We focused on alginate-based hydrogels due to their natural origin, biocompatibility, resemblance to the extracellular matrix, and easy manipulation of gelation processes. We optimized the properties of alginate-based hydrogels, turning them into suitable carriers for transplanted cells. Human adipose-derived stem cells embedded in these hydrogels survived for at least 14 days in vitro. Alginate-based hydrogels were also modified successfully to allow their injectability via a needle. Finally, supplementing alginate hydrogels with Mn ions or Mn nanoparticles allowed for their visualization in vivo using manganese-enhanced MRI. We demonstrated that modified alginate-based hydrogels can support therapeutic cells as MRI-detectable matrices.     

Vaccination against Atherosclerosis: Is It Real?

Atherosclerosis has been known in medicine for several centuries. As early as 1755, the Swedish anatomist Albrecht von Haller used the term “atheroma” to describe vascular lesions. Atherosclerosis may originate from an unbalanced diet or bad habits, and is mainly found in developed countries. Clinical trials have been conducted to establish the causes of atherosclerosis, and also to develop treatments for this disease. However, prevention of the disease has always been better than treatment, so vaccination may be the key to saving thousands of lives. The creation of a vaccine may be directly related to the study of autoimmune processes occurring in the body, immunity. This review considers the issues related to the involvement of the immune response in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Modern concepts of atherogenesis, immune inflammation in atherosclerosis, and potential vaccine targets are also discussed. There is a particular focus on experimental and clinical data supporting the development of immune therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk.     

Signal-to-Noise Analysis of the Differential Open Photoacoustic Helmholtz Cell

When open photoacoustic cells are considered, attenuation of external noise is a serious issue. This paper describes how mechanical dimensions of a differential open photoacoustic Helmholtz cell influence its signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. The analysis was performed by means of computer simulations based on the loss-improved transmission line model. This research showed that the mechanical parameters noticeably affect the signal-to-noise ratio. According to the presented results, optimal selection of the dimensions is a factor which can substantially improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the examined photoacoustic cell. Due to the very good acoustic properties of the cell, it should be possible to obtain an S/N ratio of over 100 dB.     

A simple, general procedure for purifying restriction endonucleases

A simple, general method for purifying restriction endonucleases is described. The method employs precipitation of nucleic acids from crude extracts with polyethyleneimine followed by affinity chromatography on columns of heparin covalently linked to agarose. Most of the sixteen enzymes tested could be purified to a degree sufficient for DNA sequencing work by this method sometimes supplemented by at most one step of ion exchange chromatography.