Unilateral condylar hyperplasia: a thee-dimensional CBCT morphometric and volumetric evaluation of mandibular condyle by open-source softwares : Hiperplasia condilar unilateral: Evaluación morfométrica y volumétrica en TCHC tridimensional del cóndilo mandibular mediante softwares de código abierto

SUMMARY: Unilateral condylar hyperplasia (UCH) is an alteration of the mandibular condyle growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate condyle volume, surface area, and Morphological Index (MI) differences between the affected condyle and an unaffected one in patients with UCH, evaluated through 3D reconstructions cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images by two open-source softwares. A retrospective cross-sectional study of 16 patients with a certain UCH, 9 females and 7 males with mean age 25.13 ± 6.8 years was made. The image obtained from the CBCT of each condyle were reconstructed using the open-source software 3D SLICER 4.6 ®. The volumetric and area measurements of the 3D reconstruction of the mandibular condyle were made using the open-source software NETFABB basic 5.0 ®. The mean condylar volume of the hyperplastic condyles was 2.07 ± 1.51 cm3 and the non-hyperplastic condyles was 1.16 ± 0.82 cm3 (p<0.05). The mean area surface of the hyperplastic condyle was 11.77 ± 3.71 cm2 and the non-hyperplasic condyle mean was 8.05 ± 2.17 cm2 (p < 0.05). The mean area surface difference was 3.72 ± 3.57 cm2 (28.0 %). The MI of the hyperplastic condyle was 1.8 ± 0.3 mm and the non-affected condyle was 1.3 ± 0.6 mm (p < 0.05). The use of open-source software for 3D reconstruction with manual segmentation for evaluation of the volume and the condylar surface is a valid tool available to the clinic in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with condylar hyperplasia. © 2021, Universidad de la Frontera. All rights reserved

Voltage Control in Low-Voltage Grids Using Distributed Photovoltaic Converters and Centralized Devices

This paper studies the application of distributed and centralized solutions for voltage control in low voltage (LV) grids with high photovoltaic (PV) penetration. In traditional LV grids, the coordination of distributed PV converters and a centralized device would require massive investments in new communication and control infrastructures. The alternative of exploiting distributed PV converters for voltage control is discussed, showing that it can help to stabilize the voltage in the grid connection points also without coordination between them and/or with a centralized unit. The goal of this paper is to investigate how the setup of the voltage controllers inside PV inverters affects the operation of these controllers taking into account the limits for reactive power injection. In addition, the interaction of distributed PV converters with centralized devices (static var compensators and on load tap changers) is analyzed to assess whether additional benefits may come in these cases

A power and energy procedure in operating photovoltaic systems to quantify the losses according to the causes

Recently, after high feed-in tariffs in Italy, retroactive cuts in the energy payments have generated economic concern about several grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems with poor performance. In this paper the proposed procedure suggests some rules for determining the sources of losses and thus minimizing poor performance in the energy production. The on-site field inspection, the identification of the irradiance sensors, as close as possible the PV system, and the assessment of energy production are three preliminary steps which do not require experimental tests. The fourth step is to test the arrays of PV modules on-site. The fifth step is to test only the PV strings or single modules belonging to arrays with poor performance (e.g., I-V mismatch). The sixth step is to use the thermo-graphic camera and the electroluminescence at the PV-module level. The seventh step is to monitor the DC racks of each inverter or the individual inverter, if equipped with only one Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT). Experimental results on real PV systems show the effectiveness of this procedure

Community assessment to advance computational prediction of cancer drug combinations in a pharmacogenomic screen

The effectiveness of most cancer targeted therapies is short-lived. Tumors often develop resistance that might be overcome with drug combinations. However, the number of possible combinations is vast, necessitating data-driven approaches to find optimal patient-specific treatments. Here we report AstraZeneca’s large drug combination dataset, consisting of 11,576 experiments from 910 combinations across 85 molecularly characterized cancer cell lines, and results of a DREAM Challenge to evaluate computational strategies for predicting synergistic drug pairs and biomarkers. 160 teams participated to provide a comprehensive methodological development and benchmarking. Winning methods incorporate prior knowledge of drug-target interactions. Synergy is predicted with an accuracy matching biological replicates for >60% of combinations. However, 20% of drug combinations are poorly predicted by all methods. Genomic rationale for synergy predictions are identified, including ADAM17 inhibitor antagonism when combined with PIK3CB/D inhibition contrasting to synergy when combined with other PI3K-pathway inhibitors in PIK3CA mutant cells.Peer reviewe

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

EGFR mutation analysis on circulating free DNA in NSCLC: a single-center experience

importance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our aim is to establish if EGFR mutational status change on cfDNA has predictive value that can impact clinical management of NSCLC patients care. Methods This study included 30 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Blood samples were collected at diagnosis (T0) and in 19 patients during therapy (T1). Results Concordance between T0 and T1 EGFR mutation status for patients evaluable for both samples (n = 19) was 79%, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 55.5\u2013100.0) and specificity of 60.0% (95% CI: 26.2\u201386.8). For the patients in oncological therapy with targeted drug and with T1 sample available (n = 18), survival outcomes were evaluated. For both mutationnegative T0 and T1 patients, 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) was 66.7% (95% CI: 27.2\u2013100.0) and 12-month overall survival (OS) was 100% (95% CI: 1.00\u20131.00); for patients mutated both at T0 and T1, PFS was 22.2% (95% CI: 6.5\u201375.4%) and OS was 55.6% (95% CI: 20.4\u201396.1%). Conclusion EGFR mutation status can be assessed using cfDNA for routine purposes and longitudinal assessment of plasma mutation is an easy approach to monitor the therapeutic response or resistance onset