13 research outputs found
T-cell activation in two cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome after receiving amoxicillin-clavulanic acid
An efficient GUI-based clustering software for simulation and Bayesian cluster analysis of single-molecule localization microscopy data
Ligand binding of membrane proteins triggers many important cellular signaling events by the
lateral aggregation of ligand-bound and other membrane proteins in the plane of the plasma
membrane. This local clustering can lead to the co-enrichment of molecules that create an
intracellular signal or bring sufficient amounts of activity together to shift an existing equilibrium
towards the execution of a signaling event. In this way, clustering can serve as a cellular switch.
The underlying uneven distribution and local enrichment of the signaling cluster’s constituting
membrane proteins can be used as a functional readout. This information is obtained by combining
single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with cluster algorithms that can reliably and reproducibly
distinguish clusters from fluctuations in the background noise to generate quantitative data on
this complex process.
Cluster analysis of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy data has emerged as a proliferative
field, and several algorithms and software solutions have been put forward. However, in most
cases, such cluster algorithms require multiple analysis parameters to be defined by the user,
which may lead to biased results. Furthermore, most cluster algorithms neglect the individual
localization precision connected to every localized molecule, leading to imprecise results. Bayesian cluster analysis has been put forward to overcome these problems, but so far, it
has entailed high computational cost, increasing runtime drastically. Finally, most software is
challenging to use as they require advanced technical knowledge to operate.
Here we combined three advanced cluster algorithms with the Bayesian approach and
parallelization in a user-friendly GUI and achieved up to an order of magnitude faster processing
than for previous approaches. Our work will simplify access to a well-controlled analysis of
clustering data generated by SMLM and significantly accelerate data processing. The inclusion
of a simulation mode aids in the design of well-controlled experimental assays
Hepatitis C virus: determinants of patients' management costs
While Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a significant economic burden for healthcare providers, limited evidence is available on determinants of resources absorption, both in treatment-experienced and treatment-naĂŻve HCV patients. The present study aimed to investigate the principal determinants of HCV management costs.4-8 November 201
Gender and Advanced Urothelial Cancer: Outcome, Efficacy and Toxicity following Chemotherapy
Background and Objectives: The incidence of urothelial cancer in males is higher than in females; however, females have a higher risk of recurrence and progression. The aim of our study was to report the effect of gender on the oncological outcome in advanced urothelial cancer. Materials and Methods: In our retrospective study, all patients had undergone primary surgical treatment for urothelial cancer and were affected by stage IV disease at the time of chemotherapy. Response to therapy and toxicity were evaluated. Subgroups were analyzed for tumour presentation, first- and second-line treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. Seventy-five patients, 18 (24%) females and 57 (76%) males, were considered. Investigation into the distribution of individual characteristics according to gender revealed a significant difference only for smoking, with a prevalence of smokers in women (p = 0.029). At the end of follow-up, OS was higher in females (27.5% vs. 17.4%; p = 0.047). Smoking did not significantly influence OS (p = 0.055), while univariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that males had a higher risk of death (HR = 2.28, 95% CI 0.99–129 5.25), with borderline statistical significance (p = 0.053). Men showed higher PFS than women both after first-line (p = 0.051) and second-line chemotherapy (p = 0.018), with a lower risk of progression (HR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10–0.86; p = 0.026). No differences were found between genders with regard to toxicity. Conclusions. In our series, PFS rates following first- and second-line therapies for advanced urothelial carcinoma confirmed that females have a greater risk of progression than males
New olfactometric findings in Parkinson's disease
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate in Parkinson's disease-affected patients a correlation between hyposmia and gastrointestinal dysfunction and their possible identical etiopathogenesis.
DESIGN:
Retrospective cohort study.
SETTING:
ENT and neurology departments (Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy).
PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 78 patients with diagnosis of PD according to the UK Brain Bank criteria.
INCLUSION CRITERIA:
informed consent and olfactory testing executed; exclusion criteria: signs of dementia according to the DSM-IV criteria; Mini Mental State Examination score 6426; head trauma; central neurological disorders, nasal or systemic diseases potentially affecting olfactory function. Motor condition was assessed by means of Hoehn and Yahr staging and by section III of the Unified PD Rating Scale, performed off and on medications.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
The patients underwent olfactory evaluation (TDI score), after rhinomanometry with nasal decongestion. A total of 25 non-motor symptoms were evaluated through an interview.
RESULTS:
Olfactory dysfunction was objectively found in 91.0% of patients, a percentage higher than the subjective hyposmia reported (55.1%) P = 0.0001. Seven patients (9.0%) were normosmic, 49 (62.8%) hyposmic and 22 (28.2%) anosmic. Subjective hyposmia, constipation, bloating and dyspepsia differed across groups, being higher in anosmic and hyposmic ones than in the normosmic group. P value was 640.05 for each symptom. Despite the original results, this study has the limitation of being based on subjective ratings by a relatively limited group of patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
Hyposmia and gastrointestinal symptoms are correlated, and this would support a possible common origin; the CNS could be reached through two different pathways, both starting in the peripheral nervous system
Epitaxy of Nanocrystalline Silicon Carbide on Si(111) at Room Temperature
Silicon carbide (SiC) has unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. A factor strongly limiting SiC-based technologies is the high-temperature synthesis. In this work, we provide unprecedented experimental and theoretical evidence of 3C-SiC epitaxy on silicon at room temperature by using a buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) supersonic beam. Chemical processes, such as C(60) rupture, are activated at a precursor kinetic energy of 30-35 eV, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This result paves the way for SiC synthesis on polymers or plastics that cannot withstand high temperatures
Epitaxy of nanocrystalline Silicon Carbide on Si(111) at Room Temperature
Silicon carbide (SiC) has unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. A factor strongly limiting SiC-based technologies is the high-temperature synthesis. In this work, we provide unprecedented experimental and theoretical evidence of 3C-SiC epitaxy on silicon at room temperature by using a buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) supersonic beam. Chemical processes, such as C(60) rupture, are activated at a precursor kinetic energy of 30-35 eV, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. This result paves the way for SiC synthesis on polymers or plastics that cannot withstand high temperatures