Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy: neuropsychological and behavioural outcome

Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (BMEI) is a rare syndrome of idiopathic generalized epilepsies with onset below 3 years of age. It has been reported that BMEI is associated with a good prognosis, however, recently some studies suggest less favourable neuropsychological outcome. We report a long-term follow-up of seven patients with BMEI. Seizure outcome and neuropsychological, cognitive, and behavioural evolution were discussed for each of them. At the end of follow-up, 86% of children showed neuropsychological and intellectual disorders: two children had mental retardation, three patients achieved a borderline IQ and one normal but low IQ. All but one displayed neuropsychological disabilities including fine motor skill deficits, attention deficits, and language impairment and learning disorders. Our clinical data and the previous reports suggest that the early onset of the seizures may be one of the main factors of the illness giving rise to a less favourable outcome. Additional interacting factors such as delayed start of treatment, and efficacy of the drugs may play an important role, too. We believe that BMEI does not exert, different from some epileptic encephalopathies, a quick destroying effect but may interfere with the growth of developing functions, which results in long-term neuropsychological disabilities

Toward shrimp without chemical additives: A combined freezing-MAP approach

Abstract The combined effects of freezing and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) containing two different gas mixtures (100% N2 or 50% N2–50% CO2) on the chemical properties and melanosis of deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) was investigated and compared to both a traditional sulfiting treatment and vacuum packaging (VP). Changes in pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) levels, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) levels and melanosis were measured over a one-year storage period. Treatment with sodium sulfite solution before storage raised the pH and TVB-N levels rapidly, whereas both the MAP and VP samples exhibited minor increases in pH and TVB-N levels during the first six months of storage. Additionally, shrimp packed in MAP conditions, especially those packaged in 100% N2, showed completely inhibited lipid oxidation (TBA levels remained very close to those of the sulfited samples) during the storage period. The melanosis scores revealed that the samples packed in 100% N2 maintained natural color for up to six months of storage. These data suggest that the use of modified atmosphere packaging in combination with freezing during shrimp processing could be a safe and effective alternative to artificial additives

Physical Optics Solution for the Scattering of a Partially-coherent Wave from a Statistically Rough Material Surface

The scattering of a partially-coherent wave from a statistically rough material surface is investigated via derivation of the scattered field cross-spectral density function. Two forms of the cross-spectral density are derived using the physical optics approximation. The first is applicable to smooth-to-moderately rough surfaces and is a complicated expression of source and surface parameters. Physical insight is gleaned from its analytical form and presented in this work. The second form of the cross-spectral density function is applicable to very rough surfaces and is remarkably physical. Its form is discussed at length and closed-form expressions are derived for the angular spectral degree of coherence and spectral density radii. Furthermore, it is found that, under certain circumstances, the cross-spectral density function maintains a Gaussian Schell-model form. This is consistent with published results applicable only in the paraxial regime. Lastly, the closed-form cross-spectral density functions derived here are rigorously validated with scatterometer measurements and full-wave electromagnetic and physical optics simulations. Good agreement is noted between the analytical predictions and the measured and simulated results. © 2013 Optical Society of Americ

Examining the Validity of Using a Gaussian Schell-Model Source To Model the Scattering of A Fully Coherent Gaussian Beam From A Rough Impedance Surface

Military applications that use adaptive optics (AO) often require a point source beacon at the target to measure and correct for wavefront aberrations introduced by atmospheric turbulence. However, turbulence prevents the formation of such a point beacon. The extended beacons that are created instead have finite spatial extents and exhibit varying degrees of spatial coherence. Modeling these extended beacons using a Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) form for the autocorrelation function would be a convenient approach due to the analytical tractability of Gaussian functions. We examine the validity of using such a model by evaluating the field scattered from a rough impedance surface using a full-wave computational technique called the method of moments (MoM). The MoM improves the fidelity of the analysis since it captures all the physics of the laser-target interaction, such as masking, shadowing, multiple reflections, etc. Two rough-surface targets with different roughness statistics are analyzed. The simulation results are verified with experimental bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurements. It is seen that for rough surfaces, in general, the scattered-field autocorrelation function is not of a GSM form. However, under certain conditions, modeling an extended beacon as a GSM source is legitimate. This analysis will aid in understanding the behavior of extended beacons and how they affect the overall performance of an AO system

Design, Development, and In-flight Testing of a Pointer/tracker for In-flight Experiments to Measure Aero-optical Effects over a Scaled Turret

We address the design, development, and testing of a pointer/tracker as a probe beam for the purpose of making high-speed, aero-optical measurements of the flow over a scaled beam director turret. The tracker uses retro-reflection of the probe beam off of a Reflexite annulus surrounding the turret. The constraints of the design required a near-total-commercial off the shelf system that could be quickly installed and removed in a rented aircraft. Baseline measurements of environmental vibrations are used to predict pointing performance; mitigation of line-of-sight jitter on the probe beam is achieved through passive isolation and the design of relay optics. Accommodation of ambient light is made with the use of wavelength filters and track algorithms. Postanalysis of measured data is compared to design estimates

Investigation on Metal–Oxide Graphene Field-Effect Transistors With Clamped Geometries

In this work, we report on the design, fabrication and characterization of Metal-Oxide Graphene Field-effect Transistors (MOGFETs) exploiting novel clamped gate geometries aimed at enhancing the device transconductance. The fabricated devices employ clamped metal contacts also for source and drain, as well as an optimized graphene meandered pattern for source contacting, in order to reduce parasitic resistance. Our experimental results demonstrate that MOGFETs with the proposed structure show improved high frequency performance, in terms of maximum available gain and transition frequency values, as a consequence of the higher equivalent transconductance obtained

MEDITS 2008 nella sub area geografica 16 (GSA 16, Stretto di Sicilia): relazione biologica

La campagna scientifica Medits, nell’ambito del Programma nazionale Italiano per la raccolta dei dati alieutici (Reg. CE n°199/2008 e n°665/2008), ha l’obiettivo generale di valutare la distribuzione, l’abbondanza e la composizione per taglia delle specie oggetto di pesca presenti nei mari Italiani. L’Istituto di ricerche per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), sede di Mazara del Vallo, del Consiglio nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), effettua campagne di ricerca in mare nella GSA 16 (FAO, 2001) dello Stretto di Sicilia, tramite rete a strascico (trawl survey), sin dalla primavera del 1985, con l’obiettivo generale di studiare l’abbondanza ed i cicli vitali delle risorse demersali e di stimarne lo stato di sfruttamento

XIPE: the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer

X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a small mission with a launch in 2017 but not selected. XIPE is composed of two out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD) filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus and two additional GPDs filled with pressurized Ar-DME facing the sun. The Minimum Detectable Polarization is 14 % at 1 mCrab in 10E5 s (2-10 keV) and 0.6 % for an X10 class flare. The Half Energy Width, measured at PANTER X-ray test facility (MPE, Germany) with JET-X optics is 24 arcsec. XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE (Brazil).Comment: 49 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables. Paper published in Experimental Astronomy http://link.springer.com/journal/1068

Piano di Lavoro Nazionale Raccolta Dati Alieutici 2017-2019 Rapporto tecnico annuale

Campionamento biologico delle specie demersali e dei piccoli pelagici (GSA16

Canagliflozin and Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease in Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention Groups

Background: Canagliflozin reduces the risk of kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, but effects on specific cardiovascular outcomes are uncertain, as are effects in people without previous cardiovascular disease (primary prevention). Methods: In CREDENCE (Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes With Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation), 4401 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were randomly assigned to canagliflozin or placebo on a background of optimized standard of care. Results: Primary prevention participants (n=2181, 49.6%) were younger (61 versus 65 years), were more often female (37% versus 31%), and had shorter duration of diabetes mellitus (15 years versus 16 years) compared with secondary prevention participants (n=2220, 50.4%). Canagliflozin reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67-0.95]; P=0.01), with consistent reductions in both the primary (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.49-0.94]) and secondary (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.69-1.06]) prevention groups (P for interaction=0.25). Effects were also similar for the components of the composite including cardiovascular death (HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.61-1.00]), nonfatal myocardial infarction (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.59-1.10]), and nonfatal stroke (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.56-1.15]). The risk of the primary composite renal outcome and the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure were also consistently reduced in both the primary and secondary prevention groups (P for interaction >0.5 for each outcome). Conclusions: Canagliflozin significantly reduced major cardiovascular events and kidney failure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, including in participants who did not have previous cardiovascular disease