Ecological succession on 3D printed ceramic artificial reefs.

The global degradation of natural coral reefs requires innovative approaches to their conservation and restoration. This study investigates the efficacy of using parametric design tools in 3D software and 3D-printed terracotta structures in artificial reef (AR) design. Three ARs were deployed in the northern Gulf of Aqaba in 2019.

Extraction and characterization of collagen from the skin of Amazonian freshwater fish pirarucu.

The need to fully exploit fishing resources due to increasing production and consequent waste generation requires research to promote the sustainability of the fishing industry. Fish waste from the industry is responsible for relevant environmental contamination. However, these raw materials contain high amounts of collagen and other biomolecules, being attractive due to their industrial and biotechnological applicability.

Microwave background temperature at a redshift of 6.34 from HO absorption.

Distortions of the observed cosmic microwave background provide a direct measurement of the microwave background temperature at redshifts from 0 to 1 (refs. ). Some additional background temperature estimates exist at redshifts from 1.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulins replacement therapy in secondary antibody deficiencies: Real life evidence as compared to primary antibody deficiencies.

Secondary antibody deficiencies (SAD) may require immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT). While the intravenous route (IVIG) is broadly considered effective in SAD, the use of subcutaneous immunoglobulins (SCIG) is mainly adopted from the experience in primary antibody deficiencies (PAD), where SCIG have been shown to perform as effective as IVIG. However, evidence-based data on SCIG administration in SAD patients are still insufficient.

Real life picture of the use of intravenous immunoglobulins in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: Results of a multicentric study.

Background: despite the absence of specific guidelines, the treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins (IvIg) is considered effective in patients with refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of IvIg and define the possible profile of IIM patients candidate to IvIg treatment.

Methods: we performed a retrospective study of IIM pts.

Gravitational Test beyond the First Post-Newtonian Order with the Shadow of the M87 Black Hole.

The 2017 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of the central source in M87 have led to the first measurement of the size of a black-hole shadow. This observation offers a new and clean gravitational test of the black-hole metric in the strong-field regime. We show analytically that spacetimes that deviate from the Kerr metric but satisfy weak-field tests can lead to large deviations in the predicted black-hole shadows that are inconsistent with even the current EHT measurements.

Energy Transfer Systems for In Vivo Tracking.

With recent advances, fluorescent imaging has gained momentum as an important tool for in vivo imaging. FRET systems consist of molecules that absorb in the near-infrared region which are efficient candidates for in vivo imaging, basic research, and clinical applications. Nontoxic, photostable fluorophores, such as fluorescent proteins and dyes, can successfully be used to visualize spatial and temporal dynamics of living cells.

Influence of Antisynthetase Antibodies Specificities on Antisynthetase Syndrome Clinical Spectrum Time Course.

Antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) is a rare clinical condition that is characterized by the occurrence of a classic clinical triad, encompassing myositis, arthritis, and interstitial lung disease (ILD), along with specific autoantibodies that are addressed to different aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (ARS). Until now, it has been unknown whether the presence of a different ARS might affect the clinical presentation, evolution, and outcome of ASSD. In this study, we retrospectively recorded the time of onset, characteristics, clustering of triad findings, and survival of 828 ASSD patients (593 anti-Jo1, 95 anti-PL7, 84 anti-PL12, 38 anti-EJ, and 18 anti-OJ), referring to AENEAS (American and European NEtwork of Antisynthetase Syndrome) collaborative group's cohort.

Gas Accretion within the Dust Cavity in AB Aur.

AB Aur is a Herbig Ae star hosting a well-known transitional disk. Because of its proximity and low inclination angle, it is an excellent object to study planet formation. Our goal is to investigate the chemistry and dynamics of the molecular gas component in the AB Aur disk, and its relation with the prominent horseshoe shape observed in continuum mm emission.

Assessment of swallowing function with oro-pharyngeal-esophageal scintigraphy in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Background: Swallowing impairment is frequently present in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), and it represents an important cause of morbidity, dramatically reducing the quality of life of patients. Moreover, dysphagia is associated to a worst prognosis. Unfortunately, no standardized instrumental techniques for the assessment of the upper gastrointestinal tract in IIM patients are available.

Cardiometabolic risk and subclinical vascular damage assessment in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a challenge for the clinician.

Objectives: A high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), not fully explained by the prevalence of traditional risk factors only, is reported in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). Thus, we investigated if novel markers of CVD risk, like carotid diameter and advanced glycated end products, can better predict increased CVD risk in IIM patients.

Methods: We studied 43 consecutive patients diagnosed with IIM.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: state of the art on clinical practice guidelines [corrected].

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) encompass a heterogeneous group of rare autoimmune diseases characterised by muscle weakness and inflammation, but in antisynthetase syndrome arthritis and interstitial lung disease are more frequent and often inaugurate the disease. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been proposed for IIMs, but they are sparse and heterogeneous. This work aimed at identifying: i) current available CPGs for IIMs, ii) patients ' and clinicians' unmet needs not covered by CPGs.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with CVID Under Different Schedules of Immunoglobulin Administration: Prospective Multicenter Study.

Objective: We assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in CVID adults receiving different schedules of immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) by intravenous (IVIG), subcutaneous (SCIG), and facilitated (fSCIG) preparations. For these patients, IgRT schedule was chosen after a period focused on identifying the most suitable individual option.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-seven participants were enrolled in a prospective, observational, 18-month study.

One year in review 2018: idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a group of chronic autoimmune systemic diseases affecting the skeletal muscle and other organs. IIMs are also a complex group of diseases, in some cases, difficult to manage. Literature on IIMs has been growing fairly rapidly and keeping up-to-date on such a topic is of utmost importance for any rheumatologist who looks after IIM patients.

Nailfold Capillaroscopy Characteristics of Antisynthetase Syndrome and Possible Clinical Associations: Results of a Multicenter International Study.

Objective: To describe nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) features of patients with antisynthetase syndrome (AS) and to investigate possible correlations with clinical and serological features of the disease.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed NVC images of 190 patients with AS [females/males 3.63, mean age 49.

Histopathology of the muscle in rheumatic diseases.

The presence of muscular symptoms is common in rheumatological clinical practice, but often the differential diagnosis between muscular involvement in connective tissue diseases, vasculitis and drug-induced myopathy may be difficult. In addition to clinical assessment, laboratory analysis and instrumental examinations, muscle biopsy may help to clarify the diagnosis in patients with muscular involvement. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical analysis of the current medical literature on muscular histopathology, to help clinicians to identify when to perform muscular biopsy and to provide a practical guide to a better understanding of the pathology report.

The use of rituximab in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: description of a monocentric cohort and review of the literature.

Rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeted against CD20, has been used to treat refractory inflammatory myopathies (IIM). The primary objective of this study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of RTX in reducing disease activity in patients with IIM refractory to conventional therapy. Secondary aim was the evaluation of adverse events (AE) during the treatment period.

One year in review 2017: idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Every year new concepts about pathogenesis, serology, diagnosis and treatment in inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) have been provided. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarise the most relevant literature contributions published over the last year about these complex and rare diseases.

Sub-arcsecond imaging of the water emission in Arp 220.

Aims: Extragalactic observations of water emission can provide valuable insights into the excitation of the interstellar medium. In particular they allow us to investigate the excitation mechanisms in obscured nuclei, i.e.

Muscular vasculitis confined to lower limbs: description of two case reports and a review of the literature.

Muscular involvement is common during systemic vasculitides, such as polyarteritis nodosa. However, in rare cases, muscular involvement can be the only clinically evident feature of the disease. The clinical pattern of isolated muscular vasculitis may mimic several other inflammatory muscle disorders, such as idiopathic inflammatory myositis, and may represent a challenge in differential diagnosis.

Probing the Cold Dust Emission in the AB Aur Disk: A Dust Trap in a Decaying Vortex?

One serious challenge for planet formation is the rapid inward drift of pebble-sized dust particles in protoplanetary disks. Dust trapping at local maxima in the disk gas pressure has received much theoretical attention but still lacks observational support. The cold dust emission in the AB Aur disk forms an asymmetric ring at a radius of about 120 au, which is suggestive of dust trapping in a gas vortex.

Characterization of digestive enzymes from captive Brazilian flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus.

Knowledge of specific enzyme activity, along with animal habits and digestive capacity is essential in formulating an appropriate diet for any species. In this study, we evaluated and characterized the activity of digestive enzymes present in the liver, intestine, and stomach of Paralichthys orbignyanus. The effects of pH and temperature on enzyme activity were also evaluated via the use of specific substrates.

Timing of onset affects arthritis presentation pattern in antisyntethase syndrome.

Objectives: To evaluate if the timing of appearance with respect to disease onset may influence the arthritis presentation pattern in antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD).

Methods: The patients were selected from a retrospective large international cohort of ASSD patients regularly followed-up in centres referring to AENEAS collaborative group. Patients were eligible if they had an antisynthetase antibody testing positive in at least two determinations along with arthritis occurring either at ASSD onset (Group 1) or during the course of the disease (Group 2).

Complex Organic Molecules tracing shocks along the outflow cavity in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104.

We report on subarcsecond observations of complex organic molecules (COMs) in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126+4104 with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer in its most extended configurations. In addition to the simple molecules SO, HNCO and HCO, we detect emission from CHCN, CHOH, HCOOH, HCOOCH, CHOCH, CHCHCN, CHCOCH, NHCN, and (CHOH). SO and HNCO present a X-shaped morphology consistent with tracing the outflow cavity walls.