  We comment on some apparently weak points in the novel strategies recently
developed by various authors aiming at a proof of the Riemann hypothesis. After
noting the existence of relevant previous papers where similar tools have been
used, we refine some of these strategies. It is not clear at the moment if the
problems we point out here can be resolved rigorously, and thus a proof of the
RH be obtained, along the lines proposed. However, a specific suggestion of a
procedure to overcome the encountered difficulties is made, what constitutes a
step towards this goal.
