Positron emission tomography imaging of tumor cell metabolism and application to therapy response monitoring

Cancer cells do reprogram their energy metabolism to enable several functions, such as generation of biomass including membrane biosynthesis, and overcoming bioenergetic and redox stress. In this article, we review both established and evolving radioprobes developed in association with positron emission tomography (PET) to detect tumor cell metabolism and effect of treatment. Measurement of enhanced tumor cell glycolysis using 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose is well established in the clinic. Analogs of choline, including [(11)C]choline and various fluorinated derivatives are being tested in several cancer types clinically with PET. In addition to these, there is an evolving array of metabolic tracers for measuring intracellular transport of glutamine and other amino acids or for measuring glycogenesis, as well as probes used as surrogates for fatty acid synthesis or precursors for fatty acid oxidation. In addition to providing us with opportunities for examining the complex regulation of reprogramed energy metabolism in living subjects, the PET methods open up opportunities for monitoring pharmacological activity of new therapies that directly or indirectly inhibit tumor cell metabolism

Continuous Hands-off Control by CLOT Norm Minimization

In this paper, we consider hands-off control via minimization of the C LOT (Combined L -One and Two) norm. The maximum hands-off control is the L 0 -optimal (or the sparsest) control among all feasible controls that are bounded b y a specified value and transfer the state from a given initial state to the origin within a fixed time dura tion. In general, the maximum hands-off control is a bang-off-bang control taking value s of ± 1 and 0. For many real applications, such discontinuity in the control is not desirable. To ob tain a continuous but still relatively sparse control, we propose to use the CLOT norm, a conv ex combination of L 1 and L 2 norms. We show by numerical simulation that the CLOT control is con tinuous and much sparser (i.e. has longer time duration on which the control takes 0) than the conventional EN (elastic net) control, which is a convex combination of L 1 and squared L 2 norms

The IWB for the construction of formal thinking: proposals for prospective primary teachers concerning motion, electrical and magnetic phenomena

The Interactive Whiteboard is a multimedia tool that has a continuous increasing diffusion in schools, but, too often, it is used to a simple transposition of activities designed for other multimedia tools. The development of specific designed activities centered on the development of learning process as regards the methods of teaching and the contents of the specific disciplines is needed. In teaching/learning physics, IWB can become a tool for conceptual modeling. In this paper, examples of activities designed for primary school pupils are discussed in relation with motion, electrostatic, magnetism phenomena evidencing the role of simple tools of the IWB to stimulate the formalization and the collaborative discussion between pupils

La LIM per favorire l\u2019apprendimento: proposte di attivit\ue0 per futuri insegnanti primari sui fenomeni elettrostatici e magnetici,

La lavagna Interattiva Multimediale (LIM) sta diffondendosi nelle scuole e si hanno i primi risultati sul suo impiego in classe, che troppo spesso riguardano il trasferimento in ambiente LIM di attivit\ue0 proprie di altri strumenti multimediali. Serve sviluppare contributi propri della LIM per favorire il processo di apprendimento sia in merito ai metodi dell\u2019attivit\ue0 didattica sia in merito ai contenuti degli specifici campi disciplinari. Il processo di modellizzazione e costruzione del pensiero formale in fisica \ue8 uno di questi. Vengono proposti due esempi di attivit\ue0 su elettrostatica ed elettromagnetismo destinati alla scuola di base, che impiegano semplici strumenti della LIM per stimolare alla formalizzazione anche attraverso la discussione collaborativa delle problematiche. Esse sono state proposte per una prima validazione a futuri insegnanti di scuola primaria

Light-Weight Structural Optimization Through Biomimicry, Machine Learning, and Inverse Design

In load-bearing lightweight architectures, cellular materials were frequently utilized. While octahedron, tetrahedron, and octet truss lattice truss were built for lightweight architectures with stretching and flexural dominance, it can be believed that new cells could easily be designed that might perform much better than the present ones in terms of mechanical and architectural characteristics. Machine learning-based structure scouting and design improvisation for better mechanical performance is a growing field of study. Additionally, biomimicry—the science of imitating nature’s elements—offers people a wealth of resources from which to draw motivation as they work to create a better quality of life. Here, utilizing machine learning approaches, novel lattice truss unit cellular architectures with enhanced architectural characteristics were designed. An inverse design methodology employing generative adversarial networks is suggested to investigate and improvise the lightweight lattice truss unit cellular architectures. The proposed framework was utilized to identify various lattice truss unit cellular architectures with load carrying capacities 40–120% greater than those of octet unit cells. A further 130–160% raise in buckling load bearing capacity was made possible by substituting porous biomimicry columns for the solid trusses in the light-weight lattice truss unit cellular architectures. This dissertation\u27s main goal is to investigate various improvisation strategies for creating lightweight architectures, particularly when using data analysis and machine learning methods. Lightweight cellular architectures with thin-walls and lattice truss unit cellular architectures with improved shape memory capabilities were created using the knowledge gleaned from numerous of the research projects mentioned in the preceding paragraphs load-bearing architectures and devices, lightweight architecture with shape memory and with better strength, better stretchability, and better elastic stress recovery are widely desired. As compared to the bulk shape memory polymeric cylinders, the cellular architectures with thin walls show 200% betterer elastic stress recovery that is normalized with respect to base designs. The architectural improvisation of many other additional designs and practical implementation can be accomplished using the inverse design framework

L'uso dei Clicker per il personale coinvolgimento degli studenti di scienze della formazione nellâ apprendimento della fisica

Le TIC offrono strumenti per realizzare ambienti didattici in cui si attiva il necessario coinvolgimento personale degli studenti per realizzare efficaci percorsi di apprendimento. Nel contesto dei corsi di Didattica della Fisica sono stati realizzati moduli formativi su diverse tematiche di fisica basati sull’integrazione di diversi strumenti multimediali e in particolare utilizzando risponditori automatici personali (Clicker). Se ne discutono le potenzialità generali nella formazione in fisica di base presentando i casi di elettrostatica, elettromagnetismo, fluidi

Developing Algorithms for Quantifying the Super Resolution Microscopic Data: Applications to the Quantification of Protein-Reorganization in Bacteria Responding to Treatment by Silver Ions

Histone-like nucleoid structuring proteins (HNS) play significant roles in shaping the chromosomal DNA, regulation of transcriptional networks in microbes, as well as bacterial responses to environmental changes such as temperature fluctuations. In this work, the intracellular organization of HNS proteins in E. coli bacteria was investigated utilizing super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, which surpasses conventional microscopy by 10–20 fold in spatial resolution. More importantly, the changes of the spatial distribution of HNS proteins in E. coli, by addition of silver ions into the growth medium were explored. To quantify the spatial distribution of HNS in bacteria and its changes, an automatic method based on Voronoi diagram was implemented. The HNS proteins localized in super-resolution fluorescence microscopy were segmented and clustered based on several quantitative parameters, such as molecular areas, molecular densities, and mean inter-molecular distances of the k-th rank, all of which were computed from the Voronoi diagrams. These parameters, as well as the associated clustering analysis, allowed us to quantify how the spatial organization of HNS proteins responds to silver, and provided insight into understanding how microbes adapt to new environments

Managing the symptoms of neuropathic pain: An exploration of patients' experiences

The debilitating effects of chronic neuropathic pain on everyday life are considerable but little is known about how individual sufferers manage these effects. Virtually nothing is known about what patients prefer, what measures they take themselves, when, or in what combinations. The aim of this study was to explore patients’ reports of how they managed their neuropathic pain symptoms. Three focus groups including 10 participants were used to generate qualitative data on both individual and shared experiences of managing their symptoms of neuropathic pain. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, identifying categories and broader themes of importance to patients. The most common management strategy was the use of conventional medications, often associated with poor effectiveness and unpleasant side-effects. Complementary and alternative medicine was ineffective but many found resting or retreating helpful. They exhibited a repeated cycle of seeking help to manage the pain, with each unsuccessful attempt followed by new attempts. Some had tried to accept their pain, but there was insufficient psychological, social, emotional and practical support to allow them to do this successfully. This exploratory study provides a basis from which to develop a larger study to validate and extend the findings. Other issues meriting research are the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapies for those with neuropathic pain; and an exploration and subsequent evaluation of different types of social, practical and emotional support needed to help live with neuropathic pain