Right cervical aortic arch is a rare malformation in which a right-sided aortic arch is unusually long, forms a loop, descends, and crosses behind the oesophagus to continue as a left descending aorta. We present a case of right cervical aortic arch associated with anomaly of epiaortic vessels and aortic obstruction, surgically treated with extra-anatomic bypass graft between ascending and descending aorta.

Northeast Arctic cod, saithe and haddock are among the most important fisheries resources in Europe, largely shipped to various continental markets. The present study aimed to map the presence and distribution of larvae of parasitic nematodes in the Anisakidae family which are of socioeconomic and public health concern. Fishes were sourced from commercial catches during winter or spring in the southern Barents Sea. Samples of fish were inspected for nematodes using the UV-press method while anisakid species identification relied on sequencing of the mtDNA cox2 gene. Anisakis simplex (s.s.) was the most prevalent and abundant anisakid recorded, occurring at high infection levels in the viscera and flesh of cod and saithe, while being less abundant in haddock. Contracaecum osculatum (s.l.) larvae, not found in the fish flesh, showed moderate-to-high prevalence in saithe, haddock and cod, respectively. Most Pseudoterranova spp. larvae occurred at low-to-moderate prevalence, and low abundance, in the viscera (Pseudoterranova bulbosa) and flesh (Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.s.) and Pseudoterranova krabbei) of cod, only 2 P. decipiens (s.s.) appeared in the flesh of saithe. Body length was the single most important host-related factor to predict overall abundance of anisakid larvae in the fish species. The spatial distribution of Anisakis larvae in the fish flesh showed much higher abundances in the belly flaps than in the dorsal fillet parts. Trimming of the flesh by removing the belly flaps would reduce larval presence in the fillets of these gadid fish species by 86–91%.

In this study, we analyzed the estimated frequency of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) spontaneous twins in Lombardy during the period 2007−2017. This is a population-based study using the regional healthcare utilization databases of the Lombardy Region. The total number of spontaneous twin deliveries, in separate strata of like and unlike sex, was obtained. Moreover, estimates of DZ and MZ twin births were calculated using Weinberg’s method. The standardized rates (SRs), adjusted for maternal age, of DZ and MZ twin births were computed according to calendar period. The twinning rates were calculated among strata of parity and maternal age. Finally, DZ:MZ ratio was calculated. Among the 734,278 spontaneous deliveries, 9176 (12.5 out of 1000 births) couples of twins were identified. In the three periods considered (i.e. 2007−2010, 2011−2014 and 2015−2017), no trend in the SRs of MZ twins was observed, respectively 0.41 (95% CI [0.40, 0.43]), 0.43 (95% CI [0.42, 0.45]) and 0.43 (95% CI[0.42, 0.45]). Differently, a slightly decreasing trend was observed in DZ twins SRs, respectively 0.87 (95% CI [0.84, 0.89]), 0.81 (95% CI [0.79, 0.83]), and 0.78 (95% CI [0.76, 0.80]). As concerns parity and maternal age, the rate of DZ twin births was consistently higher in nulliparae women aged 35 years or more. In our cohort, despite the increase of maternal age, a decline of spontaneous twin births emerged, especially due to the downward trend of DZ twins.

In this paper we define a family of preferential attachment models for random graphs with fitness in the following way: independently for each node, at each time step a random fitness is drawn according to the position of a moving average process with positive increments. We will define two regimes in which our graph reproduces some features of two well-known preferential attachment models: the Bianconi–Barabási and Barabási–Albert models. We will discuss a few conjectures on these models, including the convergence of the degree sequence and the appearance of Bose–Einstein condensation in the network when the drift of the fitness process has order comparable to the graph size.

Congenital left ventricular aneurysm is a rare anomaly consisting of an extroflection from left ventricular walls with a wide connection. Most left ventricular aneurysms are asymptomatic and diagnosed as incidental finding, but can be associated with complications during follow-up. We present a case of congenital left ventricular aneurysm at the level of the interventricular septum with secondary remodelling of the left ventricle.

The time-of-flight technique coupled with semiconductor detectors is a powerful instrument to provide real-time characterization of ions accelerated because of laser–matter interactions. Nevertheless, the presence of strong electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) generated during the interactions can severely hinder its employment. For this reason, the diagnostic system must be designed to have high EMP shielding. Here we present a new advanced prototype of detector, developed at ENEA-Centro Ricerche Frascati (Italy), with a large-area (15 mm × 15 mm) polycrystalline diamond sensor having 150 μm thickness. The tailored detector design and testing ensure high sensitivity and, thanks to the fast temporal response, high-energy resolution of the reconstructed ion spectrum. The detector was offline calibrated and then successfully tested during an experimental campaign carried out at the PHELIX laser facility ( ${E}_L\sim$ 100 J, ${\tau}_L = 750$ fs, ${I}_L\sim \left(1{-}2.5\right)\times {10}^{19}$ W/cm2) at GSI (Germany). The high rejection to EMP fields was demonstrated and suitable calibrated spectra of the accelerated protons were obtained.

Porous materials have many applications for laser–matter interaction experiments related to inertial confinement fusion. Obtaining new knowledge about the properties of the laser-produced plasma of porous media is a challenging task. In this work, we report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the time-dependent measurement of the reflected light of a terawatt laser pulse from the laser-produced plasma of low-Z foam material of overcritical density. The experiments have been performed with the ABC laser, with targets constituted by foam of overcritical density and by solid media of the same chemical composition. We implemented in the MULTI-FM code a model for the light reflection to reproduce and interpret the experimental results. Using the simulations together with the experimental results, we indicate a criterion for estimating the homogenization time of the laser-produced plasma, whose measurement is challenging with direct diagnostic techniques and still not achieved.

EU spending—more than €1.800 billion for the next seven years—is spread over a large number of programs and financial mechanisms. Implemented under the Commission’s responsibility, its day-to-day management is mostly ensured by a plurality of actors, in particular by member states’ nominated bodies. This unique context places the responsibility to undertake influential audit work that could support the EU achieving longterm benefits on the European Court of Auditors (ECA). In this respect, this Article highlights a number of issues. First, this Article discusses the annual audit opinion, to which the ECA devotes at least 40% of its audit capacity—about 400 auditors—despite the limited assurance it provides. This Article argues that the audit opinion should focus on the operation of the Commission’s internal control framework and enlarge its scope to “value for money,” thus fostering responsibility at management level and sustaining the emergence of a performance culture. Furthermore, to fully capture the synergies, the risks of double funding and competition between different programs pursuing similar objectives—for example, through cohesion, transport, energy, and research spending—the ECA should undertake a scrutiny across its audit chambers’ thematic responsibilities. The ECA should also consider increasing the number of member states covered by its performance reports. Moreover, the ECA’s recommendations would benefit from an indication about their importance, and their followup should be extended at member states’ level. Finally, this Article welcomes the ECA’s intention to assess the added value of EU spending as compared to national spending alone, hence opening up the prospect of an ECA performance “assurance” assessment.

Let X be a topologically stratified space, p be any perversity on X and k be a field. We show that the category of p-perverse sheaves on X, constructible with respect to the stratification and with coefficients in k, is equivalent to the category of finite-dimensional modules over a finite-dimensional algebra if and only if X has finitely many strata and the same holds for the category of local systems on each of these. The main component in the proof is a construction of projective covers for simple perverse sheaves.

A survey on Anisakis simplex (sensu stricto (s.s.)) from blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou, in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean revealed the occurrence of high infection levels of third larval stages in visceral organs and flesh. Larvae were genetically identified with a multilocus approach as A. simplex (s.s.). Histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural observations were conducted on 30 M. poutassou specimens. Gonads, pyloric caeca and flesh harboured encapsulated larvae of A. simplex (s.s.) but no intense host reaction was encountered around the parasite in the above organs. In the liver, the most infected organ, the larvae co-occurred with the coccidian Goussia sp. Within the granuloma around the A. simplex (s.s.) larvae, two concentric layers were recognized, an inner mostly comprising electron-dense epithelioid cells and an outer layer made of less electron-dense epithelioid cells. Macrophages and macrophage aggregates (MAs) were abundant out of the granulomas, scattered in parenchyma, and inside the MAs, the presence of engulfed Goussia sp. was frequent. In liver tissue co-infected with Goussia sp. and A. simplex (s.s.), hepatocytes showed cytoplasmic rarefaction and acute cell swelling. Results suggest that the host-induced encapsulation of A. simplex (s.s.) larvae is a strategic compromise to minimize collateral tissue damage around the larval infection sites, to facilitate the survival of both parasite and host.

This paper studies retirement and child support policies in a small, open, overlapping-generations economy with PAYG social security and endogenous retirement and fertility decisions. It demonstrates that neither fertility nor retirement choices necessarily coincide with socially optimal allocation, because agents do not take into account the externalities of fertility and the elderly labor supply in the economy as a whole. It shows that governments can realize the first-best allocation by introducing a child allowance scheme and a subsidy to incentivize the labor supply of older workers. As an alternative to subsidizing the elderly labor supply, we show that the first-best allocation can also be achieved by controlling the retirement age. Finally, the model is simulated in order to study whether the policies devoted to realizing the social optimum in a market economy could be a Pareto improvement.