320 research outputs found
Dolichopoda cave crickets from Peloponnese (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae): molecular and morphological investigations reveal four new species for Greece
Three species belonging to the genus Dolichopoda (Orthoptera; Rhaphidopohoridae) are known so far from the
Peloponnese, all endemic to the area. In particular, D. matsakisi is known from two mountains in the North, while D.
dalensi is present in the east region. The third species, D. unicolor, is distributed in the southern part of the Peloponnese,
inhabiting caves on Mt Taygetos and Mani Peninsula. Recently, extensive sampling work in most of the Peloponnese has
led to the discovery of new taxa, morphologically differentiated by the above three known species.
To investigate the delimitation of the Peloponnesian species of Dolichopoda, we performed both morphological and
molecular analyses. Morphological analysis was carried out by considering diagnostic characters generally used to distinguish different taxa, as the shape of epiphallus in males and the subgenital plate in females. Molecular analysis was
performed by sequencing three mitochondrial genes, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and COI, and one nuclear gene, 28S rRNA.
Results from both morphological and molecular analyses were used to revise the taxonomic arrangement of the
Peloponnesian species. On the whole, we were able to distinguish seven lineages of Peloponnesian Dolichopoda species,
of which D. kofinasi n.sp., D.epidavrii n.sp., D. poseidonica n.sp., and D. propanti n.sp. are described as new species
Superconducting Heater Cryotron-Based Reconfigurable Logic Towards Cryogenic IC Camouflaging
Superconducting electronics are among the most promising alternatives to
conventional CMOS technology thanks to the ultra-fast speed and ultra-high
energy efficiency of the superconducting devices. Having a cryogenic control
processor is also a crucial requirement for scaling the existing quantum
computers up to thousands of qubits. Despite showing outstanding speed and
energy efficiency, Josephson junction-based circuits suffer from several
challenges such as flux trapping leading to limited scalability, difficulty in
driving high impedances, and so on. Three-terminal cryotron devices have been
proposed to solve these issues which can drive high impedances (>100 k{\Omega})
and are free from any flux trapping issue. In this work, we develop a
reconfigurable logic circuit using a heater cryotron (hTron). In conventional
approaches, the number of devices to perform a logic operation typically
increases with the number of inputs. However, here, we demonstrate a single
hTron device-based logic circuit that can be reconfigured to perform 1-input
copy and NOT, 2-input AND and OR, and 3-input majority logic operations by
choosing suitable biasing conditions. Consequently, we can perform any
processing task with a much smaller number of devices. Also, since we can
perform different logic operations with the same circuit (same layout), we can
develop a camouflaged system where all the logic gates will have the same
layout. Therefore, this proposed circuit will ensure enhanced hardware security
against reverse engineering attacks.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Machine Learning-powered Compact Modeling of Stochastic Electronic Devices using Mixture Density Networks
The relentless pursuit of miniaturization and performance enhancement in
electronic devices has led to a fundamental challenge in the field of circuit
design and simulation: how to accurately account for the inherent stochastic
nature of certain devices. While conventional deterministic models have served
as indispensable tools for circuit designers, they fall short when it comes to
capture the subtle yet critical variability exhibited by many electronic
components. In this paper, we present an innovative approach that transcends
the limitations of traditional modeling techniques by harnessing the power of
machine learning, specifically Mixture Density Networks (MDNs), to faithfully
represent and simulate the stochastic behavior of electronic devices. We
demonstrate our approach to model heater cryotrons, where the model is able to
capture the stochastic switching dynamics observed in the experiment. Our model
shows 0.82% mean absolute error for switching probability. This paper marks a
significant step forward in the quest for accurate and versatile compact
models, poised to drive innovation in the realm of electronic circuits
Cardiovascular Reasons for Access to a Tertiary Oncological Emergency Service: The CARILLON Study
Background: The prevalence of acute cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in cancer patients is steadily increasing and represents a significant reason for admission to the emergency department (ED). Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study, enrolling consecutive patients with cancer presenting to a tertiary oncological ED and consequently admitted to the oncology ward. Two groups of patients were identified based on main symptoms that lead to ED presentation: symptoms potentially related to CVD vs. symptoms potentially not related to CVD. The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence of symptoms potentially related to CVD in this specific setting and to evaluate the prevalence of definite CV diagnoses at discharge. Secondary endpoints were new intercurrent in-hospital CV events occurrence, length of stay in the oncology ward, and mid-term mortality for all-cause. Results: A total of 469 patients (51.8% female, median age 68.0 [59.1–76.3]) were enrolled. One hundred and eighty-six out of 469 (39.7%) presented to the ED with symptoms potentially related to CVD. Baseline characteristics were substantially similar between the two study groups. A discharge diagnosis of CVD was confirmed in 24/186 (12.9%) patients presenting with symptoms potentially related to CVD and in no patients presenting without symptoms potentially related to CVD (p < 0.01). During a median follow-up of 3.4 (1.2–6.5) months, 204 (43.5%) patients died (incidence rate of 10.1 per 100 person/months). No differences were found between study groups in terms of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–1.12), new in-hospital CV events (HR: 1.03, 95% CI 0.77–1.37), and length of stay (p = 0.57). Conclusions: In a contemporary cohort of cancer patients presenting to a tertiary oncological ED and admitted to an oncology ward, symptoms potentially related to CVD were present in around 40% of patients, but only a minority were actually diagnosed with an acute CVD
Rathke's cleft cyst associated with pituitary granulomatosis with polyangiitis : an unusual combination of hypothalamus-pituitary region pathologies
The authors present an unusual case of a patient suffering from visual deficit due to pituitary granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) associated with Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC). The patient was referred to our Neurosurgery Department presenting right eye amaurosis, third cranial nerve palsy, and left temporal hemianopsia. Magnetic resonance imaging documented a sellar or suprasellar lesion with solid and cystic components. The dura mater of the skull base was also strongly enhanced. The patient underwent surgery. Histologic examination revealed RCC associated with pituitary GPA. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of concomitant pituitary GPA and RCC. Pituitary involvement in GPA is rare, usually diagnosed in hormonal dysfunctions. The patient in case first presented optic chiasm compression, probably due to inflammation of both the pituitary gland and the previously asymptomatic RCC. We focus on the symptoms that led us to diagnose GPA pituitary involvement and on the peculiar and unusual Magnetic resonance imaging of the case presented
Cognitive safety of eight-hours adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) in Parkinson's disease
Meningite ricorrente in bambino con cisti dermoide sacrale a sede intra ed extradurale e seno dermico
Digital biomarker-based individualized prognosis for people at risk of dementia
Background: Research investigating treatments and interventions for cognitive decline fail due to difficulties in accurately recognizing behavioral signatures in the presymptomatic stages of the disease. For this validation study, we took our previously constructed digital biomarker-based prognostic models and focused on generalizability and robustness of the models. Method: We validated prognostic models characterizing subjects using digital biomarkers in a longitudinal, multi-site, 40-month prospective study collecting data in memory clinics, general practitioner offices, and home environments. Results: Our models were able to accurately discriminate between healthy subjects and individuals at risk to progress to dementia within 3 years. The model was also able to differentiate between people with or without amyloid neuropathology and classify fast and slow cognitive decliners with a very good diagnostic performance. Conclusion: Digital biomarker prognostic models can be a useful tool to assist large-scale population screening for the early detection of cognitive impairment and patient monitoring over time
Angiogenesis in human brain tumors : screening of drug response through a patient-specific cell platform for personalized therapy
Gliomas are the most common brain tumors, with diverse biological behaviour. Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive and with the worst prognosis, is characterized by an intense and aberrant angiogenesis, which distinguishes it from low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and benign expansive lesions, as meningiomas (MNGs). With increasing evidence for the importance of vascularization in tumor biology, we focused on the isolation and characterization of endothelial cells (ECs) from primary GBMs, LGGs and MNGs. Gene expression analysis by Real-Time PCR, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis, tube-like structures formation and vascular permeability assays were performed. Our results showed a higher efficiency of ECs to form a complex vascular architecture, as well as a greater impairment of a brain blood barrier model, and an overexpression of pro-angiogenic mediators in GBM than in LGG and MNG. Furthermore, administration of temozolomide, bevacizumab, and sunitinib triggered a different proliferative, apoptotic and angiogenic response, in a dose and time-dependent manner. An increased resistance to temozolomide was observed in T98G cells co-cultured in GBM-EC conditioned media. Therefore, we developed a novel platform to reproduce tumor vascularization as "disease in a dish", which allows us to perform screening of sensitivity/resistance to drugs, in order to optimize targeted approaches to GBM therapy
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