Late Evaluation of Silent Cerebral Ischemia Detected by Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging after Filter-Protected Carotid Artery Stenting

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Postoperative diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) often discloses new lesions after carotid artery stent placement (CAS), most of them asymptomatic. Our aim was to investigate the fate of these silent ischemic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 110 patients undergoing protected transfemoral CAS, 98 of whom underwent DWI before and after the intervention. Patients in whom DWI disclosed silent postoperative lesions also had delayed MR imaging. Preoperative, postoperative, and delayed scans were compared. RESULTS: Of the 92 patients without postoperative symptoms, DWI disclosed 33 new silent ischemic lesions in 14 patients (15.2%), 13 of whom (30 lesions) underwent delayed MR imaging after a mean follow-up of 6.2 months. In 8 of these 13 patients (61%), MR imaging disclosed 12 persistent lesions (12/30, 40%). The reversibility rate depended significantly on the location (cortical versus subcortical) and size (0–5 versus 5–10 mm) of the lesions ( P χ 2 test). CONCLUSIONS: Because many silent ischemic lesions seen on postoperative DWI after CAS reverse within months, the extent of permanent CAS-related cerebral damage may be overestimated

Factors related to leader implementation of a nationally disseminated community-based exercise program: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The benefits of community-based health programs are widely recognized. However, research examining factors related to community leaders' characteristics and roles in implementation is limited.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to use a social ecological framework of variables to explore and describe the relationships between socioeconomic, personal/behavioral, programmatic, leadership, and community-level social and demographic characteristics as they relate to the implementation of an evidence-based strength training program by community leaders. Eight-hundred fifty-four trained program leaders in 43 states were invited to participate in either an online or mail survey. Corresponding community-level characteristics were also collected. Programmatic details were obtained from those who implemented. Four-hundred eighty-seven program leaders responded to the survey (response rate = 57%), 78% online and 22% by mail.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 487 respondents, 270 implemented the program (55%). One or more factors from each category – professional, socioeconomic, personal/behavioral, and leadership characteristics – were significantly different between implementers and non-implementers, determined by chi square or student's <it>t</it>-tests as appropriate. Implementers reported higher levels of strength training participation, current and lifetime physical activity, perceived support, and leadership competence (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between implementation and fitness credentials/certification (p = 0.003), program-specific self-efficacy (p = 0.002), and support-focused leadership (p = 0.006), and a negative association between implementation and educational attainment (p = 0.002).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Among this sample of trained leaders, several factors within the professional, socioeconomic, personal/behavioral, and leadership categories were related to whether they implemented a community-based exercise program. It may benefit future community-based physical activity program disseminations to consider these factors when selecting and training leaders.</p

Modeling and multi-temporal characterization of total suspended matter by the combined use of sentinel 2-MSI and landsat 8-OLI Data: The Pertusillo lake case study (Italy)

The total suspended matter (TSM) variability plays a crucial role in a lake's ecological functioning and its biogeochemical cycle. Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Instrument (OLI) data offer unique opportunities for investigating certain in-water constituents (e.g., TSM and chlorophyll-a) owing to their spatial resolution (10-60 m). In this framework, we assessed the potential of MSI-OLI combined data in characterizing the multi-temporal (2014-2018) TSM variability in Pertusillo Lake (Basilicata region, Southern Italy). We developed and validated a customized MSI-based TSM model (R2 = 0.81) by exploiting ground measurements acquired during specific measurement campaigns. The model was then exported as OLI data through an intercalibration procedure (R2 = 0.87), allowing for the generation of a TSM multi-temporal MSI-OLI merged dataset. The analysis of the derived multi-year TSM monthly maps showed the influence of hydrological factors on the TSM seasonal dynamics over two sub-regions of the lake, the west and east areas. The western side is more influenced by inflowing rivers and water level fluctuations, the effects of which tend to longitudinally decrease, leading to less sediment within the eastern sub-area. The achieved results can be exploited by regional authorities for better management of inland water quality and monitoring systems

Novel transglutaminase 1 mutations in patients affected by lamellar ichthyosis

Lamellar Ichthyosis (LI) is a form of congenital ichthyosis that is caused by mutations in the TGM1 gene that encodes for the transglutaminase 1 (TG1) enzyme. Functional inactivation of TG1 could be due to mutations, deletion or insertions. In this study, we have screened 16 patients affected by LI and found six new mutations: two transition/transversion (R37G, V112A), two nonsense mutations and two putative splice site both leading to a premature stop codon. The mutations are localized in exons 2 (N-terminal domain), 5, 11 (central catalytic domain), and none is located in the two beta-barrel C-terminal domains. In conclusion, this study expands the current knowledge on TGM1 mutation spectrum, increasing the characterization of mutations would provide more accurate prenatal genetic counselling for parents at-risk individuals

An increased burden of rare exonic variants in NRXN1 microdeletion carriers is likely to enhance the penetrance for autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a complex polygenic background, but with the unique feature of a subset of cases (~15%-30%) presenting a rare large-effect variant. However, clinical interpretation in these cases is often complicated by incomplete penetrance, variable expressivity and different neurodevelopmental trajectories. NRXN1 intragenic deletions represent the prototype of such ASD-associated susceptibility variants. From chromosomal microarrays analysis of 104 ASD individuals, we identified an inherited NRXN1 deletion in a trio family. We carried out whole-exome sequencing and deep sequencing of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in this family, to evaluate the burden of rare variants which may contribute to the phenotypic outcome in NRXN1 deletion carriers. We identified an increased burden of exonic rare variants in the ASD child compared to the unaffected NRXN1 deletion-transmitting mother, which remains significant if we restrict the analysis to potentially deleterious rare variants only (P = 6.07 7 10-5 ). We also detected significant interaction enrichment among genes with damaging variants in the proband, suggesting that additional rare variants in interacting genes collectively contribute to cross the liability threshold for ASD. Finally, the proband's mtDNA presented five low-level heteroplasmic mtDNA variants that were absent in the mother, and two maternally inherited variants with increased heteroplasmic load. This study underlines the importance of a comprehensive assessment of the genomic background in carriers of large-effect variants, as penetrance modulation by additional interacting rare variants to might represent a widespread mechanism in neurodevelopmental disorders

Human peopling of Italian intramontane basins: The early Middle Pleistocene site of Pagliare di Sassa (L’Aquila, central Italy)

Multidisciplinary investigations at Pagliare di Sassa (L’Aquila, central Italy) suggest that the local succession accumulated from the late Early to the early Middle Pleistocene in a lacustrine environment. In the upper part, clastic sediments are part of an alluvial fan prograding into the lake, grading to a braided fluvial system. The pollen record confirms that a significant glacial phase occurred just before the onset of the Jaramillo inversion. These data, coupled with evidence from the nearby but earlier Madonna della Strada sequence, allow reconstruction of part of the environmental evolution of L’Aquila basin before the Jaramillo Subchron. The mammal species of Pagliare di Sassa include Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis, mostly of open environments, already present at Madonna della Strada. The faunal turnover characterizing the Early to Middle Pleistocene transition is indicated by the appearances of taxa typical of the Italian early to middle Galerian faunas, such as Praemegaceros verticornis, together with Megaloceros savini. The occurrence of Mimomys savini together with Microtus ex gr. Microtus hintonigregaloides suggests that this assemblage is earlier than the Isernia La Pineta fauna. A flint implement and a fragmentary herbivore femur with impact scars probably linked to human activity give evidence of the human peopling of intramontane basins of the Apennine chain since the early Middle Pleistocene.Published170-1782.2. Laboratorio di paleomagnetismoJCR Journalrestricte

Measurement of B(B-->X_s {\gamma}), the B-->X_s {\gamma} photon energy spectrum, and the direct CP asymmetry in B-->X_{s+d} {\gamma} decays

The photon spectrum in B --> X_s {\gamma} decay, where X_s is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of (382.8\pm 4.2) \times 10^6 e^+ e^- --> \Upsilon(4S) --> BBbar events collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II collider. The spectrum is used to measure the branching fraction B(B --> X_s \gamma) = (3.21 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.08)\times 10^{-4} and the first, second, and third moments = 2.267 \pm 0.019 \pm 0.032 \pm 0.003 GeV,, )^2> = 0.0484 \pm 0.0053 \pm 0.0077 \pm 0.0005 GeV^2, and )^3> = -0.0048 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0004 GeV^3, for the range E_\gamma > 1.8 GeV, where E_{\gamma} is the photon energy in the B-meson rest frame. Results are also presented for narrower E_{\gamma} ranges. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A_{CP}(B --> X_{s+d} \gamma) is measured to be 0.057 \pm 0.063. The spectrum itself is also unfolded to the B-meson rest frame; that is the frame in which theoretical predictions for its shape are made.Comment: 37 pages, 19 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. No analysis or results have changed from previous version. Some changes to improve clarity based on interactions with Phys. Rev. D referees, including one new Figure (Fig. 13), and some minor wording/punctuation/spelling mistakes fixe

Cross Sections for the Reactions e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-, K+ K- pi0pi0, and K+ K- K+ K- Measured Using Initial-State Radiation Events

We study the processes e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-gamma, K+ K- pi0pi0gamma, and K+ K- K+ K-gamma, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 84000, 8000, and 4200 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 454 fb-1 of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the \epem center-of-mass energy, so that the K+ K- pi+pi- data can be compared with direct measurements of the e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi- reaction. No direct measurements exist for the e+e- --> K+ K-pi0pi0 or e+e- --> K+ K-K+ K- reactions, and we present an update of our previous result with doubled statistics. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and extract their cross sections. In particular, we perform a more detailed study of the e+e- --> phi(1020)pipigamma reaction, and confirm the presence of the Y(2175) resonance in the phi(1020) f0(980) and K+K-f0(980) modes. In the charmonium region, we observe the J/psi in all three final states and in several intermediate states, as well as the psi(2S) in some modes, and measure the corresponding product of branching fraction and electron width.Comment: 35 pages, 42 figure