Treatment of Electrical Storm with Amiodarone in Brugada Syndrome- an Unexpected Protective Effect

We are reporting on a 53 year old man with proven Brugada syndrome and ICD implantation for resuscitation in context of polymorphic VT. After recurrent arrhythmia he was treated with Amiodarone. This showed to have a protective effect despite various reports suggesting avoiding Amiodarone in Brugada syndrome

Double Scalar-Tensor Gravity Cosmologies

We investigate homogeneous and isotropic cosmological models in scalar-tensor theories of gravity where two scalar fields are nonminimally coupled to the geometry. Exact solutions are found, by Noether symmetries, depending on the form of couplings and self-interaction potentials. An interesting feature is that we deal with the Brans-Dicke field and the inflaton on the same ground since both are nonminimally coupled and not distinguished {\it a priori} as in earlier models. This fact allows to improve dynamics to get successful extended inflationary scenarios. Double inflationary solutions are also discussed.Comment: LaTex file, 18 pages, no figures, 2 tables, to appear in Grav. & Cos

Neurotrophic factors and corneal nerve regeneration

The cornea has unique features that make it a useful model for regenerative medicine studies. It is an avascular, transparent, densely innervated tissue and any pathological changes can be easily detected by slit lamp examination. Corneal sensitivity is provided by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve that elicits protective reflexes such as blinking and tearing and exerts trophic support by releasing neuromediators and growth factors. Corneal nerves are easily evaluated for both function and morphology using standard instruments such as corneal esthesiometer and in vivo confocal microscope. All local and systemic conditions that are associated with damage of the trigeminal nerve cause the development of neurotrophic keratitis, a rare degenerative disease. Neurotrophic keratitis is characterized by impairment of corneal sensitivity associated with development of persistent epithelial defects that may progress to corneal ulcer, melting and perforation. Current neurotrophic keratitis treatments aim at supporting corneal healing and preventing progression of corneal damage. Novel compounds able to stimulate corneal nerve recovery are in advanced development stage. Among them, nerve growth factor eye drops showed to be safe and effective in stimulating corneal healing and improving corneal sensitivity in patients with neurotrophic keratitis. Neurotrophic keratitis represents an useful model to evaluate in clinical practice novel neuro-regenerative drugs

Neutrino Oscillations in Brans-Dicke Theory of Gravity

Flavor oscillations of neutrinos are analyzed in the framework of Brans-Dicke theory of gravity. We find a shift of quantum mechanical phase of neutrino proportional to $G_N\Delta m^2$ and depending on the parameter $\omega$. Consequences on atmospheric, solar and astrophysical neutrinos are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, LATEX file, to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Dark energy from Neutrinos and Standard Model Higgs potential

If neutrino mass is a function of the Higgs potential then minimum of the total thermodynamic potential $\Omega$ (which is the Higgs potential minus the neutrino pressure) can shift from the standard electro-weak vev $v=246.2$ GeV by a small amount which depends on the neutrino pressure. If the neutrino mass is a very steep function of the Higgs field then the equilibrium thermodynamic potential can act like the dark energy with $\omega \simeq -1$. Choosing the neutrino mass as logarithmic function of the Higgs field and a heavy mass scale, we find that the correct magnitude of the cosmological density of the present universe $\rho_\lambda \simeq (0.002 eV)^4$ is obtained by choosing the heavy mass at the GUT scale.Comment: 12 page