We report on several features in the energy spectrum from an ultralow-noise germanium detector operated deep underground. By implementing a new technique able to reject surface events, a number of ...cosmogenic peaks can be observed for the first time. We discuss an irreducible excess of bulklike events below 3 keV in ionization energy. These could be caused by unknown backgrounds, but also dark matter interactions consistent with DAMA/LIBRA. It is not yet possible to determine their origin. Improved constraints are placed on a cosmological origin for the DAMA/LIBRA effect.
Although the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of long COVID condition are still debated, there is growing evidence that autonomic dysfunction may play a role in the long-term complications ...or persisting symptoms observed in a significant proportion of patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, studies focused on autonomic dysfunction have primarily been conducted in adults, while autonomic function has not yet been investigated in pediatric subjects. In this study, for the first time, we assessed whether pediatric patients with long COVID present abnormalities in autonomic cardiac function. Fifty-six long COVID pediatric patients (mean age 10.3 ± 3.8 y) and 27 age-, sex-, and body surface area-matched healthy controls (mean age 10.4 ± 4.5y) underwent a standard 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) and 24-h ECG Holter monitoring. Autonomic cardiac function was assessed by time-domain and frequency-domain heart rate variability parameters. A comprehensive echocardiographic study was also obtained by two-dimensional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. Data analysis showed that pediatric patients with long COVID had significant changes in HRV variables compared to healthy controls: significantly lower r-MSSD (root mean square of successive RR interval differences, 47.4 ± 16.9 versus 60.4 ± 29.1,
p
= 0.02), significant higher values VLF (very low frequency, 2077.8 ± 1023.3 versus 494.3 ± 1015.5 ms,
p
= 0.000), LF (low frequency, 1340.3 ± 635.6 versus 354.6 ± 816.8 ms,
p
= 0.000), and HF (high frequency, 895.7 ± 575.8 versus 278.9 ± 616.7 ms,
p
= 0.000). No significant differences were observed between the two groups both in systolic and diastolic parameters by echocardiography.
Conclusion
: These findings suggest that pediatric patients with long COVID have an imbalance of cardiac autonomic function toward a relative predominance of parasympathetic tone, as already reported in adult patients with long COVID. Further studies are needed to clarify the clinical significance of this autonomic dysfunction and demonstrate its role as a pathophysiological mechanism of long COVID, paving the way for effective therapeutic and preventive strategies.
What is Known:
• Long Covid in children has been described globally, but studies have mostly focused on collecting the temporal evolution of persisting symptoms.
What is New:
• Cardiac autonomic imbalance toward a relative predominance of parasympathetic tone is a mechanism underlying Long Covid in children, as also described in adults.
A claim for evidence of dark matter interactions in the DAMA experiment has been recently reinforced. We employ a new type of germanium detector to conclusively rule out a standard isothermal ...galactic halo of weakly interacting massive particles as the explanation for the annual modulation effect leading to the claim. Bounds are similarly imposed on a suggestion that dark pseudoscalars might lead to the effect. We describe the sensitivity to light dark matter particles achievable with our device, in particular, to next-to-minimal supersymmetric model candidates.
We report the characterization of two planet candidates detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), TOI-1199 b and TOI-1273 b, with periods of 3.7 and 4.6 days, respectively. ...Follow-up observations for both targets, which include several ground-based light curves, confirmed the transit events. High-precision radial velocities from the SOPHIE spectrograph revealed signals at the expected frequencies and phases of the transiting candidates and allowed mass determinations with a precision of 8.4% and 6.7% for TOI-1199 b and TOI-1273 b, respectively. The planetary and orbital parameters were derived from a joint analysis of the radial velocities and photometric data. We find that the planets have masses of 0.239 ± 0.020 M J and 0.222 ± 0.015 M J and radii of 0.938 ± 0.025 R J and 0.99 ± 0.22 R J , respectively. The grazing transit of TOI-1273 b translates to a larger uncertainty in its radius, and hence also in its bulk density, compared to TOI-1199 b. The inferred bulk densities of 0.358 ± 0.041 g cm −3 and 0.28 ± 0.11 g cm −3 are among the lowest known for exoplanets in this mass range, which, considering the brightness of the host stars ( V ≈11 mag), render them particularly amenable to atmospheric characterization via the transit spectroscopy technique. The better constraints on the parameters of TOI-1199 b provide a transmission spectroscopy metric of 134 ± 17, making it the better suited of the two planets for atmospheric studies.
Machine learning algorithms present a robust alternative for building Intrusion Detection Systems due to their ability to recognize attacks in computer network traffic by recognizing patterns in ...large amounts of data. Typically, classifiers are trained for this task. Together, ensemble learning algorithms have increased the performance of these detectors, reducing classification errors and allowing computer networks to be more protected. This research presents a comprehensive Systematic Review of the Literature where works related to intrusion detection with ensemble learning were obtained from the most relevant scientific bases. We offer 188 works, several compilations of datasets, classifiers, and ensemble algorithms, and document the experiments that stood out in their performance. A characteristic of this research is its originality. We found two surveys in the literature specifically focusing on the relationship between ensemble techniques and intrusion detection. We present for the last eight years covered by this survey a timeline-based view of the works studied to highlight evolutions and trends. The results obtained by our survey show a growing area, with excellent results in detecting attacks but with needs for improvement in pruning for choosing classifiers, which makes this work unprecedented for this context.
The Antarctic bacterium
Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis
TAC125 is a model organism of cold-adapted bacteria. The interest in the study of this psychrophilic bacterium stems from its capability either ...as a non-conventional system for production of recombinant protein and as a rich source of bioactive compounds. To further explore the biotechnological ability of
P. haloplanktis
TAC125, we have developed a synthetic medium, containing D-gluconate and L-glutamate (GG), which allows the bacterium to grow even at subzero temperatures.
P. haloplanktis
TAC125 growing in GG medium at low temperature displays growth kinetic parameters which confirm its spectacular adaptation to cold environment and subzero lifestyle, paving the way to the definition of the underlying molecular strategies. Moreover, in this paper, we report the setup of a finely regulated gene expression system inducible by D-galactose to produce recombinant protein in GG synthetic medium at temperatures as low as −2.5 °C. Thanks to the combination of the novel medium and the new expression system, we obtained for the first time the production of a recombinant protein at subzero temperature, thus providing an innovative strategy for the recombinant production of “difficult” proteins.
Abstract Aim To investigate the outcome and pattern of survivals of rectal cancer patients presenting a complete or nearly complete tumor response after neo-adjuvant treatment. Methods Young surgeons ...<40 years old affiliated to the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (YSICO) from 13 referral centers for colorectal cancer treatment, were invited to participate a retrospective study. Records from patients treated from 2005 to 2015 with a pathological diagnosis of ypT0/ypTis were retrieved and pooled in a common data-base for statistical purposes. All clinical and pathological variables were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted with the end-point of survivals. Results Two hundreds and sixty-one patients were analyzed including 237 ypT0 and 24 ypTis. Nodal positive patients were 8.7%. More than sixty-six percent of the patients did not perform adjuvant chemotherapy, with a statistical difference comparing N0 versus N+ patients (66.8% vs 40.9%, p 0.02). Mean follow-up was of 47.6 months. Twenty-two relapses were observed, 91.6% at a distant site. The mean time to recurrence was of 35.3 months. On univariate analysis, the use of adjuvant chemotherapy correlated with better OS exclusively in ypT0N + patients and not in ypT0N0. Univariate and multivariate analyses documented nodal positivity as the only prognostic factor correlated with a worse OS. Conclusion Recurrences were mostly diagnosed at a distant site and within the third year of follow-up. Nodal positivity was the only variable independently correlated with a worse OS. Univariate analysis documented a benefit for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy treatment exclusively in ypT0N + rectal cancers.