Using simplified indices to forecast the seismic vulnerability of New Zealand unreinforced masonry churches

Unreinforced masonry churches are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because they are often deteriorated and damaged, they were built with comparatively low strength materials, they are heavy, and the connections between the various structural components are often insufficient to resist loads generated during earthquakes. A simplified method for seismic assessment of large span masonry churches is presented and data from 44 churches located in Italy, Portugal and Spain are used to provide lower bound limits for different simplified geometrical indexes. Subsequently, the proposed thresholds are validated with data from the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes, including 48 clay brick and stone unreinforced masonry churches. Finally, data collected for 40 unreinforced masonry churches in Wellington and Dunedin are used to identify churches in these cities requiring priority detailed seismic evaluation

Image Processing Technique for Authentication of Indian Paper Currency

As we all know day by day the technology is getting better and better, the production of counterfeit currency has been rapidly increasing. The counterfeit currency problem is faced by almost all countries. Since the real economy is affected, it has affected the economy of the country. Even when the drastic step of demonetization was taken in 2016 to overcome counterfeit currency, this problem did not end.  The only one solution for this problem for a common man is to detect the fake currency, by using the fake currency detector machine. These machines are used in banks and large scale business, but for small scale businesses or for a common man  these machines are not affordable. There are lot of  researches taking place on this matter by using deep learning, image processing and machine learning techniques. This paper  gives  the complete methodology of fake note detector machine,  which is affordable even for a common man.  By  implementing the applications of image processing  techniques  we  can  find  out whether  the  currency  notes  are  fake  or not.  Image  processing  technique  consists  of  a  number  of operations  that  can  be  performed  on  an  image,  some  of  which  include  image  segmentation,  edge detection,  gray  scale  conversion,  pre-processing etc.  The  proposed  system  will detect the  counterfeit currency of new denominations by distinguishing each denomination based on its size and depending on the features of each currency the comparison takes place. Based on the features matched, it detects whether the currency is counterfeit or not. The system have advantages like simplicity, reliability and cost effective. Which is affordable by a common man since the common man is the one who will be effected most, when the counterfeit currency are circulated in the market because he has to pay the real value of that currency

Application of particle filters to regional-scale wildfire spread

European Conference on Thermophysical Properties (ECTP)European Conference on Thermophysical Properties (ECTP), Porto, PORTUGALPorto, PORTUGAL, SEP 05-05, 2014SEP 05-05, 2014International audienceThis paper demonstrates the capability of particle filters for sequentially improving the simulation and forecast of wildfire propagation as new fire front observations become available. Particle filters, also called Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods, fit into the domain of inverse modeling procedures, where measurements are incorporated (assimilated) into a computational model so as to formulate some feedback information on the uncertain model state variables and/or parameters, through representations of their probability density functions (PDF). Based on a simple sampling importance distribution and resampling techniques, particle filters combine Monte Carlo samplings with sequential Bayesian filtering problems. This study compares the performance of the Sampling Importance Resampling (SIR) and of the Auxiliary Sampling Importance Resampling (ASIR) filters for the sequential estimation of a progress variable and of vegetation parameters of the Rate Of fire Spread (ROS) model, which are all treated as state variables. They are applied to a real-world case corresponding to a reduced-scale controlled grassland fire experiment for validation; results indicate that both the SIR and the ASIR filters are able to accurately track the observed fire fronts, with a moderate computational cost. Particle filters show, therefore, their good ability to predict the propagation of controlled fires and to significantly increase fire simulation accuracy. While still at an early stage of development, this data-driven strategy is quite promising for regional-scale wildfire spread forecasting

In vivo function of the murid herpesvirus-4 ribonucleotide reductase small subunit

The difficulty of eliminating herpesvirus carriage makes host entry a key target for infection control. However, its viral requirements are poorly defined. Murid herpesvirus-4 (MuHV-4) can potentially provide insights into gammaherpesvirus host entry. Upper respiratory tract infection requires the MuHV-4 thymidine kinase (TK) and ribonucleotide reductase large subunit (RNR-L), suggesting a need for increased nucleotide production. However, both TK and RNR-L are likely to be multifunctional. We therefore tested further the importance of nucleotide production by disrupting the MuHV-4 ribonucleotide reductase small subunit (RNR-S). This caused a similar attenuation to RNR-L disruption: despite reduced intra-host spread, invasive inoculations still established infection, whereas a non-invasive upper respiratory tract inoculation did so only at high dose. Histological analysis showed that RNR-S−, RNR-L− and TK− viruses all infected cells in the olfactory neuroepithelium but unlike wild-type virus then failed to spread. Thus captured host nucleotide metabolism enzymes, up to now defined mainly as important for alphaherpesvirus reactivation in neurons, also have a key role in gammaherpesvirus host entry. This seemed to reflect a requirement for lytic replication to occur in a terminally differentiated cell before a viable pool of latent genomes could be established

A contemporary dose selection algorithm for stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of brain metastases - An initial report.

Indications and treatment goals for SRS have changed since the publication of RTOG 90-05. We present initial retrospective outcomes from a new dose selection algorithm in use at our institution felt to be more contemporary with doses being used in the radiosurgery community today and report our local control and toxicity outcomes. This dose selection algorithm will be subject to a forthcoming prospective phase 2 trial.To evaluate safety and efficacy of an institutional dose selection algorithm in the treatment of brain metastases (BM) with single fraction radio-surgery (SRS).The medical records of 65 patients with ≤10 BM treated with GK at our institution between April 2012 and October 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. The prescription doses used in this study ranged from 16-22Gy and were based upon RTOG 90-05 guideline doses subsequently modified at our institution depending on lesion number, lesion volume, institutional experience and prior history of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Primary endpoint was local recurrence (LR) with additional outcomes measured including distant intracranial recurrence (DIR), death without local recurrence (DWLR) and alive and disease free (ADF). Fine Gray competing risk analysis was used to examine factors affecting local recurrence.Median follow up was 8.9 months (range 1.0-29.6months) and 12 month overall survival was 37% (95% CI 24.9-49.1%). Overall local recurrence rate was 7.7%. On competing risks regression analysis, no variable was significantly associated with local recurrence, including previous whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), (SHR 1.21 [95%CI 0.13-11.5], p=0.87 and radioresistant versus radiosensitive histology (SHR 0.51 [95% CI 0.06-7.73], p=0.55). No patient developed grade 3 or higher neurotoxicity at 12 months following GK.Initial local control and toxicity results from our institutional dose selection algorithm are reported here. Comparison of our results with RTOG 90-05 is difficult due to significant differences in the patient population and their treatments. The applicability of this algorithm merits further investigation across multiple centers for the purpose of treatment and clinical trial standardization in single fraction SRS and will be the subject of a forthcoming phase 2 prospective study within our own institution

A Clinically Relevant Variant of the Human Hydrogen Sulfide-Synthesizing Enzyme Cystathionine β -Synthase: Increased CO Reactivity as a Novel Molecular Mechanism of Pathogenicity?

The human disease classical homocystinuria results from mutations in the gene encoding the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate- (PLP-) dependent cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), a key enzyme in the transsulfuration pathway that controls homocysteine levels, and is a major source of the signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). CBS activity, contributing to cellular redox homeostasis, is positively regulated by S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) but fully inhibited upon CO or NO• binding to a noncatalytic heme moiety. Despite extensive studies, the molecular basis of several pathogenic CBS mutations is not yet fully understood. Here we found that the ferrous heme of the reportedly mild p.P49L CBS variant has altered spectral properties and markedly increased affinity for CO, making the protein much more prone than wild type (WT) CBS to inactivation at physiological CO levels. The higher CO affinity could result from the slightly higher flexibility in the heme surroundings revealed by solving at 2.80-Å resolution the crystallographic structure of a truncated p.P49L. Additionally, we report that p.P49L displays impaired H2S-generating activity, fully rescued by PLP supplementation along the purification, despite a minor responsiveness to AdoMet. Altogether, the results highlight how increased propensity to CO inactivation of an otherwise WT-like variant may represent a novel pathogenic mechanism in classical homocystinuria

Mechanistic convergence and shared therapeutic targets in Niemann‐Pick disease

Niemann‐Pick disease type C (NPC) and Tangier disease are genetically and clinically distinct rare inborn errors of metabolism. NPC is caused by defects in either NPC1 or NPC2; whereas Tangier disease is caused by a defect in ABCA1. Tangier disease is currently without therapy, whereas NPC can be treated with miglustat, a small molecule inhibitor of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis that slows the neurological course of the disease. When a Tangier disease patient was misdiagnosed with NPC and treated with miglustat, her symptoms improved. This prompted us to consider whether there is mechanistic convergence between these two apparently unrelated rare inherited metabolic diseases. In this study, we found that when ABCA1 is defective (Tangier disease) there is secondary inhibition of the NPC disease pathway, linking these two diseases at the level of cellular pathophysiology. In addition, this study further supports the hypothesis that miglustat, as well as other substrate reduction therapies, may be potential therapeutic agents for treating Tangier disease as fibroblasts from multiple Tangier patients were corrected by miglustat treatment

Proton Beam Therapy in the Reirradiation Setting of Brain and Base of Skull Tumour Recurrences

The therapeutic management of local tumour recurrence after a first course of radical radiotherapy is always complex. Surgery and reirradiation carry increased morbidity due to radiation-induced tissue changes. Proton beam therapy (PBT) might be advantageous in the reirradiation setting, thanks to its distinct physical characteristics. Here we systematically reviewed the use of PBT in the management of recurrent central nervous system (CNS) and base of skull (BoS) tumours, as published in the literature. The research question was framed following the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) criteria: the population of the study was cancer patients with local disease recurrence in the CNS or BoS; the intervention was radiation treatment with PBT; the outcomes of the study focused on the clinical outcomes of PBT in the reirradiation setting of local tumour recurrences of the CNS or BoS. The identification stage resulted in 222 records in Embase and 79 in Medline as of March 2023. Sixty-eight duplicates were excluded at this stage and 56 were excluded after screening as not relevant, not in English or not full-text articles. Twelve full-text articles were included in the review and are presented according to the site of disease, namely BoS, brain or both brain and BoS. This review showed that reirradiation of brain/BoS tumour recurrences with PBT can provide good local control with acceptable toxicity rates. However, reirradiation of tumour recurrences in the CNS or BoS setting needs to consider several factors that can increase the risk of toxicities. Therefore, patient selection is crucial. Randomised evidence is needed to select the best radiation modality in this group of patients

Proton Beam Therapy in the Oligometastatic/Oligorecurrent Setting: Is There a Role? A Literature Review

Background: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with conventional photon radiotherapy (XRT) are well-established treatment options for selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. The use of PBT for SABR-SRS is attractive given the property of a lack of exit dose. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role and current utilisation of PBT in the oligometastatic/oligorecurrent setting. Methods: Using Medline and Embase, a comprehensive literature review was conducted following the PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) criteria, which returned 83 records. After screening, 16 records were deemed to be relevant and included in the review. Results: Six of the sixteen records analysed originated in Japan, six in the USA, and four in Europe. The focus was oligometastatic disease in 12, oligorecurrence in 3, and both in 1. Most of the studies analysed (12/16) were retrospective cohorts or case reports, two were phase II clinical trials, one was a literature review, and one study discussed the pros and cons of PBT in these settings. The studies presented in this review included a total of 925 patients. The metastatic sites analysed in these articles were the liver (4/16), lungs (3/16), thoracic lymph nodes (2/16), bone (2/16), brain (1/16), pelvis (1/16), and various sites in 2/16. Conclusions: PBT could represent an option for the treatment of oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease in patients with a low metastatic burden. Nevertheless, due to its limited availability, PBT has traditionally been funded for selected tumour indications that are defined as curable. The availability of new systemic therapies has widened this definition. This, together with the exponential growth of PBT capacity worldwide, will potentially redefine its commissioning to include selected patients with oligometastatic/oligorecurrent disease. To date, PBT has been used with encouraging results for the treatment of liver metastases. However, PBT could be an option in those cases in which the reduced radiation exposure to normal tissues leads to a clinically significant reduction in treatment-related toxicities