Development and performance evaluation of an electromagnetic tracking system for surgery navigation

In Image Guided Surgery (IGS), an electromagnetic tracking system is used nowadays to locate surgical instruments in the patient's anatomical 3D model. In this work we illustrate the development and the evaluation of a new Electromagnetic Tracking system (EMTS) able to provide a large tracking volume. The innovation of this proposed EMTS consists in the development of the Field Generator (FG), which includes five properly designed coils. Attention has been paid to the magnetic field generated by each coil in order to comply with the safety limits imposed by IEEE Stds C95.1 and C95.6. The simultaneous transmission of the five coils is possible thanks to a suitable frequency division multiplexing. To validate the proposed design, a detailed noise analysis was performed with several experimental tests in different working conditions with the aim of evaluating measurement errors. Actual performance of the system in reconstructing sensor position has been quantified by using a suitable interpolation technique. In particular, mean position error and standard deviation were evaluated for different distances of magnetic sensor from field generato

Glucose regulates insulin mitogenic effect by modulating SHP-2 activation and localization in JAr cells.

The glucose effect on cell growth has been investigated in the JAr human choriocarcinoma cells. When JAr cells were cultured in the presence of 6 mm glucose (LG), proliferation and thymidine incorporation were induced by serum, epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor 1 but not by insulin. In contrast, at 25 mm glucose (HG), proliferation and thymidine incorporation were stimulated by insulin, serum, epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor 1 to a comparable extent, whereas basal levels were 25% lower than those in LG. HG culturing also enhanced insulin-stimulated insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) tyrosine phosphorylations while decreasing basal phosphorylations. These actions of glucose were accompanied by an increase in cellular tyrosine phosphatase activity. The activity of SHP-2 in HG-treated JAr cells was 400% of that measured in LG-treated cells. SHP-2 co-precipitation with IRS1 was also increased in HG-treated cells. SHP-2 was mainly cytosolic in LG-treated cells. However, HG culturing largely redistributed SHP-2 to the internal membrane compartment, where tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS1 predominantly localizes. Further exposure to insulin rescued SHP-2 cytosolic localization, thereby preventing its interaction with IRS1. Antisense inhibition of SHP-2 reverted the effect of HG on basal and insulin-stimulated insulin receptor and IRS1 phosphorylation as well as that on thymidine incorporation. Thus, in JAr cells, glucose modulates insulin mitogenic action by modulating SHP-2 activity and intracellular localization

Role of the ribosome‐associated protein PY in the cold‐shock response of E scherichia coli

Protein Y ( PY ) is an E scherichia coli cold‐shock protein which has been proposed to be responsible for the repression of bulk protein synthesis during cold adaptation. Here, we present in vivo and in vitro data which clarify the role of PY and its mechanism of action. Deletion of yfiA , the gene encoding protein PY , demonstrates that this protein is dispensable for cold adaptation and is not responsible for the shutdown of bulk protein synthesis at the onset of the stress, although it is able to partially inhibit translation. In vitro assays reveal that the extent of PY inhibition changes with different mRNA s and that this inhibition is related to the capacity of PY of binding 30S subunits with a fairly strong association constant, thus stimulating the formation of 70S monomers. Furthermore, our data provide evidence that PY competes with the other ribosomal ligands for the binding to the 30S subunits. Overall these results suggest an alternative model to explain PY function during cold shock and to reconcile the inhibition caused by PY with the active translation observed for some mRNA s during cold shock. E scherichia coli responds to cold stress by entering an acclimation phase during which protein synthesis slows down considerably with the exception of a specific set of genes (cold‐shock genes) whose expression is stimulated. In this article, we have investigated in vivo and in vitro the role of PY , a protein that is associated with the ribosome throughout the cold acclimation phase. Our data indicate that protein PY can affect translation initiation but is not responsible for turning off bulk protein synthesis during the cold stress.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97494/1/mbo368-sup-0001-FigureS1-S3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97494/2/mbo368.pd

Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri (ANMCO) scientific statement on the simplification of the drug regimen for secondary cardiovascular prevention

: The issue of suboptimal drug regimen adherence in secondary cardiovascular prevention presents a significant barrier to improving patient outcomes. To address this, the utilization of drug combinations, specifically single pill combinations (SPCs) and polypills, was proposed as a strategy to simplify treatment regimens. This approach aims to enhance treatment accessibility, affordability, and adherence, thereby reducing healthcare costs and improving patient health. The document is an Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri (ANMCO) scientific statement on simplifying drug regimens for secondary cardiovascular prevention. It discusses the underuse of treatments despite available, effective, and accessible options, highlighting a significant gap in secondary prevention across different socio-economic statuses and countries. The statement explores barriers to implementing evidence-based treatments, including patient, healthcare provider, and system-related challenges. The paper also reviews international guidelines, the role of SPCs and polypills in clinical practice, and their economic impact, advocating for their use in secondary prevention to improve patient outcomes and adherence

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Measurements of the pp → ZZ production cross section and the Z → 4ℓ branching fraction, and constraints on anomalous triple gauge couplings at √s = 13 TeV

Four-lepton production in proton-proton collisions, pp -> (Z/gamma*)(Z/gamma*) -> 4l, where l = e or mu, is studied at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1). The ZZ production cross section, sigma(pp -> ZZ) = 17.2 +/- 0.5 (stat) +/- 0.7 (syst) +/- 0.4 (theo) +/- 0.4 (lumi) pb, measured using events with two opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pairs produced in the mass region 60 4l) = 4.83(-0.22)(+0.23) (stat)(-0.29)(+0.32) (syst) +/- 0.08 (theo) +/- 0.12(lumi) x 10(-6) for events with a four-lepton invariant mass in the range 80 4GeV for all opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pairs. The results agree with standard model predictions. The invariant mass distribution of the four-lepton system is used to set limits on anomalous ZZZ and ZZ. couplings at 95% confidence level: -0.0012 < f(4)(Z) < 0.0010, -0.0010 < f(5)(Z) < 0.0013, -0.0012 < f(4)(gamma) < 0.0013, -0.0012 < f(5)(gamma) < 0.0013

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good