Stochastic Calculus of Wrapped Compartments

The Calculus of Wrapped Compartments (CWC) is a variant of the Calculus of Looping Sequences (CLS). While keeping the same expressiveness, CWC strongly simplifies the development of automatic tools for the analysis of biological systems. The main simplification consists in the removal of the sequencing operator, thus lightening the formal treatment of the patterns to be matched in a term (whose complexity in CLS is strongly affected by the variables matching in the sequences). We define a stochastic semantics for this new calculus. As an application we model the interaction between macrophages and apoptotic neutrophils and a mechanism of gene regulation in E.Coli

Time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy as a management tool for late-maturing nectarine supply chain

The absorption coefficient of the fruit flesh at 670 nm (mu(a)), measured at harvest by time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS) is a good maturity index for early nectarine cultivars. A kinetic model has been developed linking the mu(a), expressed as the biological shift factor to softening during ripening. This allows shelf life prediction for individual fruit from the value of mu(a) at harvest and the fruit categorization into predicted softening and usability classes. In this work, the predictive capacity of a kinetic model developed using mu(a) data at harvest and firmness data within 1-2 d after harvest for a late maturing nectarine cultivar ('Morsiani 90') was tested for prediction and classification ability. Compared to early maturing cultivars, mu(a) at harvest had low values and low variability, indicating advanced maturity, whereas firmness was similar. Hence, fruit were categorized into six usability classes (from 'transportable-hard' to 'ready-to-eat-very soft') basing on mu(a) limits established analyzing firmness data in shelf life after harvest. The model was tested by comparing the predicted firmness and class of usability to the actual ones measured during ripening and its performance compared to that of models based on data during the whole shelf life at 20 degrees C after harvest and after storage at 0 degrees C and 4 degrees C. The model showed a classification ability very close to that of models based on data of the whole shelf life, and was able to correctly segregate the 'ready-to-eat-transportable', 'transportable' and 'transportable-hard' classes for ripening at harvest and after storage at 0 degrees C, and the 'ready-to-eat-very soft' and 'ready-to-eat-soft' classes for ripening after storage at 4 degrees C, with lower performance of models for fruit after storage at 4 degrees C respect to those of the other two ripening

Studies on classification models to discriminate ‘Braeburn’ apples affected by internal browning using the optical properties measured by time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy

This work aimed at studying the feasibility of time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS) to nondestructively detect internal browning (IB) in ‘Braeburn’ apples through the development of classification models based on absorption (ua) and scattering (us') properties of the pulp.This research was carried out in two seasons: in 2009, apples were measured by TRS at 670 nm and inthe 740–1040 nm spectral range on four equidistant points around the equator, whereas in 2010 appleswere measured by TRS at 670 nm and at 780 nm on eight equidistant points. The values of the absorption coefficients measured in the 670–940 nm range increased with IB devel-opment. On the contrary, us'780 was higher in healthy fruit than in IB ones. The ua780 also significantlyincreased with IB severity, showing high values when IB affected the pulp tissues compared to the coreones. Also ua670 changed with IB development, but it was not able to clearly discriminate healthy fruitfrom IB ones because its value was also affected by the chlorophyll content of the pulp. The absorption and scattering coefficients were used as explanatory variables in the linear discriminant analysis in order to classify each apple tissue as healthy or IB; then the models obtained were used forfruit classification. The best classification performance was obtained in 2010 using ua780 and us'780and considering the IB position within the fruit: 90% of healthy fruit and 71% of IB fruit were correctly classified. By using all the ua measured in the 670–1040 nm range plus the us'780, IB fruit classification was slightly better while healthy fruit classification was worse. The better result of 2010 was due tothe increased number of TRS measurement points that allowed better exploration of the fruit tissues. However, the asymmetric nature of this disorder makes detection difficult, especially when the disorderis localized in the inner part of the fruit (core) or when it occurs in spots. A different TRS set-up (position and distance of fibers, time resolution) should be studied in order to reach the deeper tissue within the fruit in order to improve browning detection

Multimodal treatment for local recurrent malignant gliomas: resurgery and/or reirradiation followed by chemotherapy

The therapeutic management of recurrent malignant gliomas (MGs) is not determined. Therefore, the efficacy of a multimodal approach and a combination systemic therapy was investigated. A retrospective analysis of 26 MGs patients at first relapse treated with multimodal therapy (chemotherapy plus surgery and/or reirradiation) or chemotherapy alone was performed. Second-line chemotherapy consisted of fotemustine (FTM) in combination with bevacizumab (BEV) (cFTM/BEV) or followed by third-line BEV (sFTM/BEV). Subgroup analyses were performed. Multimodal therapy provided a higher overall response rate (ORR) (73 vs. 47%), disease control rate (DCR) (82 vs. 67%), median progression-free survival (mPFS) (11 vs. 7 months; P=0.08) and median overall survival (mOS) (13 vs. 8 months; P=0.04) compared with chemotherapy. Concomitant FTM/BEV resulted in higher ORR (84 vs. 36%), DCR (92 vs. 57%), mPFS (10 vs. 5 months; P=0.22) and mOS (11 vs. 5.2 months; P=0.15) compared with sFTM/BEV. Methylated patients did not experience additional survival benefits with multimodality treatment but had higher mPFS (10 vs 7.1 months; P=0.33) and mOS (11 vs. 8 months; P=0.33) with cFTM/BEV. Unmethylated patients experienced the greatest survival benefit with the multimodal approach (mPFS: 10 vs. 5 months; mOS 11 vs 6 months; both P=0.02) and cFTM/BEV (mPFS: 5 vs. 2 months; mOS 6 vs. 3.2 months; both P=0.01). In conclusion, in recurrent MGs, multimodal therapy and cFTM/BEV provide survival and response benefits. Methylated patients benefit from a cFTM/BEV but not from a multimodal approach. Notably, unmethylated patients had the highest survival benefit with the two strategies

Partial block by riluzole of muscle sodium channels in myotubes from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

International audienceDenervated muscles undergo fibrillations due to spontaneous activation of voltage-gated sodium (Na(+)) channels generating action potentials. Fibrillations also occur in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Riluzole, the only approved drug for ALS treatment, blocks voltage-gated Na(+) channels, but its effects on muscle Na(+) channels and fibrillations are yet poorly characterized. Using patch-clamp technique, we studied riluzole effect on Na(+) channels in cultured myotubes from ALS patients. Needle electromyography was used to study fibrillation potentials (Fibs) in ALS patients during riluzole treatment and after one week of suspension. Patients were clinically characterized in all recording sessions. In myotubes, riluzole (1 μM, a therapeutic concentration) reduced Na(+) current by 20%. The rate of rise and amplitude of spikes evoked by depolarizing stimuli were also reduced. Fibs were detected in all patients tested during riluzole treatment and riluzole washout had no univocal effect. Our study indicates that, in human myotubes, riluzole partially blocks Na(+) currents and affects action potentials but does not prevent firing. In line with this in vitro finding, muscle Fibs in ALS patients appear to be largely unaffected by riluzole

Optical properties, ethylene production and softening in mango fruit

Firmness decay, chlorophyll breakdown and carotenoid accumulation, controlled by ethylene, are major ripening events in mango fruit. Pigment content and tissue structure affect the optical properties of the mesocarp, which can be measured nondestructively in the intact fruit by time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy (TRS). This work is aimed at improving the maturity assessment in mango ( Mangifera indica L. cv Haden) from Brazil, using TRS absorption in both the carotenoid and chlorophyll regions in order to develop a model for fruit ripening. Scattering and absorption in the 540-900. nm spectral range by TRS, ethylene production and respiration rate, and firmness, were measured in one day on each individual fruit of a sample covering the range of maturity. The fruit displayed a variability which was attributed to the different biological age. Absorption spectra showed two peaks at 540 and 670. nm, corresponding respectively to the tail of carotenoid absorption and to chlorophyll- a absorption. Carotenoids increased substantially only in fruit where chlorophyll had almost disappeared. The absorptions at 540 and 670. nm, which described the maturity state of each fruit relative to the range of each wavelength, were combined in one index of biological age (biological shift factor) for each fruit and used in logistic models of ethylene increase and firmness decay respectively. The model explained about 80% of the variability in ethylene production rate. A similar result was obtained for firmness when scattering was added in the model. The combination of absorption at 540 and 670. nm measured by TRS in the intact fruit can be used to classify mango fruit according to maturity and to predict the ripening of individual fruit

Quality and nutraceutical properties of mango fruit: influence of cultivar and biological age assessed by Time‐resolved Reflectance Spectroscopy

The content and composition of the main antioxidants in the pulp of mangoes depend also on cultivar and maturity degree, the latter being non-destructively evaluated by the absorption coefficient measured by Time-resolved Reflectance Spectroscopy (TRS) at 540 nm (µa540). Aiming at evaluating the levels of antioxidants [carotenoids (CAR), phenols (TPC), ascorbic acid (AA)] and antioxidant capacity (TAC) in relation to µa540 maturity class, selected ‘Haden’ and ‘Palmer’ mangoes were measured for µa540 by TRS, classified based on µa540 value as less (LeM), medium (MeM) and more (MoM) mature and analyzed for pulp firmness, pulp color (a*, h°, Yellowness Index), CAR (total and composition by HPLC-DAD), TPC, AA and TAC. ‘Palmer’ fruit had higher TPC, AA and TAC than ‘Haden’ mangoes. On average MoM fruit showed higher TPC, total CAR, total all‐trans‐violaxanthin esters and all‐trans‐β‐carotene than MeM and LeM fruit. LeM fruit did not have compounds belonging to the 9‐cis‐violaxanthin group, while cis‐β‐cryptoxanthin was approx. 19% of total carotenoids. In MoM mangoes the main carotenoid was all‐trans‐β-carotene (53%), followed by total all‐trans‐violaxanthin esters (30%), 9‐cis‐violaxanthin group (8%) and cis‐β‐cryptoxanthin (6%). The µa540 significantly correlated (r=0.78‐0.94) with total CAR, all‐trans‐β‐carotene, all‐trans‐violaxanthin no.3 (both cultivars), TPC, all‐trans‐violaxanthin no.1, no.2, no.6 (‘Haden’), and 9‐cis‐violaxanthin no.2, no.3 (‘Palmer’). Our results indicate that TRS is suitable to non-destructively measure the pulp color of mangoes and to sort fruit with different ripening degree and nutraceutical properties

Repeatability and reproducibility of post-mortem central corneal thickness measurements using a portable optical coherence tomography system in humans: a prospective multicenter study

To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of post-mortem central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements made by the portable iVue spectra-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography OCT (Optovue Inc, Fremont, CA) system in humans, and to prospectively establish the time-course of CCT after death. In a prospective multicenter setting, CCT measurements were obtained from 58 human eyes at the following 16 time-points after death: immediately (within 2 h), and at each hour by the next 17 h. The range of CCT values for each subject was determined and longitudinal data were used to illustrate the variation in open and close eye mode. All measurements were made by two independent and well-trained examiners for session. Main outcome measures were intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), repeatability and reproducibility coefficients, and coefficients of variation of the average central (0-2 mm). Overall, a total of 5,568 OCT measurements were performed by examiners. The repeatability coefficient varied from 0.3 to 1.7% and the reproducibility coefficient varied from 0.3 to 1.6% throughout the entire experimental time frame. Furthermore, the values of the different ICCs were also high during the different postmortem intervals, thus demonstrating the excellent repeatability and reproducibility of the present OCT approach. When CCT measurements were analyzed longitudinally, corneal thickness showed different behavior based on the open or close eye mode. The present study demonstrates that portable OCT imaging can be reliably used for corneal pachymetric measurements in supine subjects and during the post mortem period, i.e. without visual fixation and normal physiology/architecture of examined tissues

Strumenti rotanti in lega nichel-titanio per il ritrattamento: un'analisi pre-clinica

RiassuntoIntroduzioneL'impiego di strumenti in lega nichel-titanio (NiTi) per la rimozione dei materiali da otturazione è stato di recente prospettato con soddisfacenti risultati. Obiettivo di questo lavoro è valutare due sistemi di strumenti meccanici rotanti in lega NiTi per il ritrattamento.Materiali e metodiSono stati selezionati 60 elementi dentali monoradicolati (premolari superiori e inferiori) privi di carie e fratture, estratti per motivi parodontali. Una volta sagomati, detersi e otturati mediante condensazione verticale della guttaperca, gli elementi sono stati suddivisi in due gruppi omogenei denominati rispettivamente R-Endo e D-Endo. Gli strumenti impiegati per eseguire i ritrattamenti nei due gruppi sono stati, rispettivamente, i sistemi R-Endo e D-Endo, impiegati secondo le norme descritte dai produttori; al fine di rendere omogenee le zone apicali di strumentazione in entrambi i gruppi, sono state rifinite, rispettivamente, nel gruppo R-Endo con il file Rs e nel gruppo D-Endo con un Protaper F3 (entrambi ISO 30 in punta). Sono stati valutati i tempi di raggiungimento e di rifinitura del limite apicale di strumentazione, l'estrusione di detriti apicali alla fine della strumentazione per il ritrattamento, il diametro apicale medio al termine della fase di ritrattamento, le fratture di strumenti, i blocchi all'avanzamento degli strumenti in direzione apicale e infine i residui radiograficamente apprezzabili all'interno dei canali radicolari al termine della procedura di ritrattamento. I dati sono stati analizzati statisticamente mediante analisi della varianza (ANOVA) con una significatività posta a p <0,05; i dati qualitativi sono stati analizzati mediante test U di Mann-Whitney con una significatività posta a p <0,05.RisultatiIl tempo medio di sagomatura per la tecnica R-Endo è stato di 6,2 minuti, mentre quello per la metodica D-Endo è stato di 5,1. Tale differenza è risultata significativa (p=0,0003). La quantità di detriti espulsi apicalmente è stata pari a 0,024g nel gruppo R-Endo e di 0,031g nel gruppo D-Endo. Il diametro medio apicale nel gruppo R-Endo è stato di 26,4 ISO, quello nel gruppo D-Endo di 28,1. Questa differenza non è risultata statisticamente significativa. Il numero di fratture di strumenti è stato pari a due nel gruppo D-Endo e a uno nel gruppo R-Endo, mentre abbiamo verificato un'errata progressione nel limite apicale (trasporto o falsa strada) in tre casi nel gruppo R-Endo e in due casi nel gruppo D-Endo. La differenza non è risultata statisticamente significativa. Tutti i campioni hanno dimostrato la presenza di residui di guttaperca all'interno dei canali apprezzabili radiograficamente.ConclusioniI sistemi per ritrattamento presi in esame, pur non essendo, in termini assoluti, altamente efficaci, hanno dimostrato di poter raggiungere il limite apicale di strumentazione in tempi ragionevolmente brevi, di avere pochi effetti collaterali e di produrre una sagomatura del limite apicale rispettosa dell'anatomia. Entrambe le metodiche hanno tuttavia dimostrato, in senso assoluto, un'incompleta rimozione del contenuto intracanalare del materiale da otturazione.SummaryIntroductionEndodontic files made in nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys have been used not only for shaping procedures, but also for retreatment shaping purposes with satisfactory clinical results. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of two NiTi file systems in retreatment.Material and methodsSixty monorooted teeth – upper and lower premolars – caries-free and without any fracture, extracted for periodontal reasons, were carefully selected. After a normal root canal treatment finished by vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha, these teeth were randomly divided into two homogeneous groups, namely R-Endo and D-Endo. The NiTi files for retratment were respectively R-Endo files and D-Endo; the whole shaping procedure during the retreatment phase was accomplished according to the manufacturer's instructions, except at the end of the retreatment. At that point, to make tha final shaping comparable the R-Endo group had an apical finishing with the Rs instrument, while the D-Endo group had the same final instrumentation by Protaper F3 (both ISO 30 at the tip). In the study, the time needed to reach the apical terminus, the weight of debris extruded from the apical foramen, the mean apical size in the two groups, instruments blocks and fractures and finally the presence of residual gutta-percha into the root canals after the whole retreatment procedure were addressed. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a significance level p<0.05 and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test with the same level of significance.ResultsThe mean shaping time was respectively 6.2minutes in the R-Endo group and 5.1minutes in the D-Endo group (p=0.0003). The amount of debris extruded beyond the apical terminus was 0.024g in the R-Endo group and 0.031g in the D-Endo group; no statistically significance was reported. The mean apical size was 26.4 ISO in the R-Endo group and 28.1 in the D-Endo group; again, no significant difference was shown. In the D-Endo group two instruments fractured, whereas in the R-Endo group only one instrument fractured and three cases were dropped for canal blockage. In these cases as well no statistically significant difference was reported. All the samples in both groups showed a remarkable presence of gutta-percha into the root canals at the end of the retreatment procedure.ConclusionsBoth retreatment system file groups were effective, reaching the apical part of the root canal in relatively short times with a low percentage of instrument breakage or intracanal blocks; the amount of debris was similar and the anatomy of the apical part was carefully preserved. However, the incomplete removal of filling debris was observed in all the samples