Valve disease in chronic venous disorders: a quantitative ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy and stereology

INTRODUCTION: The ultrastructure of venous valves and walls in chronic venous disease was investigated. METHODS: Consecutive patients were categorised into one of three groups (group A: patients with C1 venous disease in accordance with CEAP (Clinical severity, Etiology, Anatomy, Pathophysiology); group B: C2 and C3; group C: C4, C5 and C6). The terminal or preterminal valve and adjacent vessel wall was harvested from the great saphenous vein. Sections were examined with a transmission electron microscope. The volumes of elastin and of collagen per unit surface area of valve were assessed, as well as the surface endothelium of valve and vessel wall. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 17 patients. The elastin ratio was analysed by means of stereology. Mean values were: in group A, 0.45 μm3/m2; in group B, 0.67 μm3/m2; in group C, 0.97 μm3/m2. The ratio was similar for collagen (A, 15.7 μm3/m2; B, 26.8 μm3/m2; C, 30.1 μm3/m2). Surface analysis of the valve endothelium and the adjacent vessel wall endothelium showed a trend towards increasing damage with more severe disease. CONCLUSIONS: With progression of venous disease, the valve elastin content, assessed morphologically, seems to increase, and the endothelium of the venous valve and the vein wall tend to show more damage

First Demonstration of a Pixelated Charge Readout for Single-Phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs) have been selected for the future long-baseline Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). To allow LArTPCs to operate in the high-multiplicity near detector environment of DUNE, a new charge readout technology is required. Traditional charge readout technologies introduce intrinsic ambiguities, combined with a slow detector response, these ambiguities have limited the performance of LArTPCs, until now. Here, we present a novel pixelated charge readout that enables the full 3D tracking capabilities of LArTPCs. We characterise the signal to noise ratio of charge readout chain, to be about 14, and demonstrate track reconstruction on 3D space points produced by the pixel readout. This pixelated charge readout makes LArTPCs a viable option for the DUNE near detector complex.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Spillovers of Prosocial Motivation: Evidence from an Intervention Study on Blood Donors

Spillovers of prosocial motivation can enhance the provision of public goods, and have implications for the cost-benefit analysis of policy interventions. We analyze a large-scale intervention among dyads of pre- registered blood donors. A quasi-random phone call provides the instrument for identifying endogenous and exogenous social interaction. The phone call has a strong effect on the recipient's propensity to donate. Between 40% and 44% of that behavioral impulse is transmitted within dyads due to motivational spillovers. This creates a significant social multiplier to policy interventions, with estimates ranging between 1.6 and 1.8. There is no evidence for exogenous social interaction

Power tests of a string of magnets comprising a full cell of the Superconducting Super Collider

In this paper we describe the operation and testing of a string of magnets comprising a full cell of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). The full cell configuration composed of ten dipoles, two quadrupoles, and three spool pieces is the longest SSC magnet string ever tested. Although the tests of the full cell were undertaken after the SSC project was marked for termination, their completion was deemed necessary and useful to future efforts at other accelerator laboratories utilizing Superconducting magnets. The focus of this work is on the electrical and cryogenic performance of the string components and the quench protection system with an emphasis on solving some of the questions concerning electrical performance raised during the previous two experimental runs involving a half cell configuration

A role for ColV plasmids in the evolution of pathogenic Escherichia coli ST58.

Escherichia coli ST58 has recently emerged as a globally disseminated uropathogen that often progresses to sepsis. Unlike most pandemic extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), which belong to pathogenic phylogroup B2, ST58 belongs to the environmental/commensal phylogroup B1. Here, we present a pan-genomic analysis of a global collection of 752 ST58 isolates from diverse sources. We identify a large ST58 sub-lineage characterized by near ubiquitous carriage of ColV plasmids, which carry genes encoding virulence factors, and by a distinct accessory genome including genes typical of the Yersiniabactin High Pathogenicity Island. This sub-lineage includes three-quarters of all ExPEC sequences in our study and has a broad host range, although poultry and porcine sources predominate. By contrast, strains isolated from cattle often lack ColV plasmids. Our data indicate that ColV plasmid acquisition contributed to the divergence of the major ST58 sub-lineage, and different sub-lineages inhabit poultry, swine and cattle

A Comprehensive Approach for the Diagnosis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia-Experiences from the First 100 Patients of the PCD-UNIBE Diagnostic Center

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease characterized by dyskinetic cilia. Respiratory symptoms usually start at birth. The lack of diagnostic gold standard tests is challenging, as PCD diagnostics requires different methods with high expertise. We founded PCD-UNIBE as the first comprehensive PCD diagnostic center in Switzerland. Our diagnostic approach includes nasal brushing and cell culture with analysis of ciliary motility via high-speed-videomicroscopy (HSVM) and immunofluorescence labeling (IF) of structural proteins. Selected patients undergo electron microscopy (TEM) of ciliary ultrastructure and genetics. We report here on the first 100 patients assessed by PCD-UNIBE. All patients received HSVM fresh, IF, and cell culture (success rate of 90%). We repeated the HSVM with cell cultures and conducted TEM in 30 patients and genetics in 31 patients. Results from cell cultures were much clearer compared to fresh samples. For 80 patients, we found no evidence of PCD, 17 were diagnosed with PCD, two remained inconclusive, and one case is ongoing. HSVM was diagnostic in 12, IF in 14, TEM in five and genetics in 11 cases. None of the methods was able to diagnose all 17 PCD cases, highlighting that a comprehensive approach is essential for an accurate diagnosis of PCD

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described

An Algebraic Theory for Data Linkage

There are countless sources of data available to governments, companies, and citizens, which can be combined for good or evil. We analyse the concepts of combining data from common sources and linking data from different sources. We model the data and its information content to be found in a single source by an ordered partial monoid, and the transfer of information between sources by different types of morphisms. To capture the linkage between a family of sources, we use a form of Grothendieck construction to create an ordered partial monoid that brings together the global data of the family in a single structure. We apply our approach to database theory and axiomatic structures in approximate reasoning. Thus, ordered partial monoids provide a foundation for the algebraic study for information gathering in its most primitive form

Context-dependent combination of sensor information in Dempster–Shafer theory for BDI

© 2016, The Author(s). There has been much interest in the belief–desire–intention (BDI) agent-based model for developing scalable intelligent systems, e.g. using the AgentSpeak framework. However, reasoning from sensor information in these large-scale systems remains a significant challenge. For example, agents may be faced with information from heterogeneous sources which is uncertain and incomplete, while the sources themselves may be unreliable or conflicting. In order to derive meaningful conclusions, it is important that such information be correctly modelled and combined. In this paper, we choose to model uncertain sensor information in Dempster–Shafer (DS) theory. Unfortunately, as in other uncertainty theories, simple combination strategies in DS theory are often too restrictive (losing valuable information) or too permissive (resulting in ignorance). For this reason, we investigate how a context-dependent strategy originally defined for possibility theory can be adapted to DS theory. In particular, we use the notion of largely partially maximal consistent subsets (LPMCSes) to characterise the context for when to use Dempster’s original rule of combination and for when to resort to an alternative. To guide this process, we identify existing measures of similarity and conflict for finding LPMCSes along with quality of information heuristics to ensure that LPMCSes are formed around high-quality information. We then propose an intelligent sensor model for integrating this information into the AgentSpeak framework which is responsible for applying evidence propagation to construct compatible information, for performing context-dependent combination and for deriving beliefs for revising an agent’s belief base. Finally, we present a power grid scenario inspired by a real-world case study to demonstrate our work

Pride and popcorn: consuming the idea of community at film screenings in the Turkish diaspora

A range of studies have revealed the interrelatedness of identity construction, community formation and media among diasporas, mostly focusing on domestic contexts. Seeking to add further nuance to the understanding of the social lives of diasporas, we concentrate on media culture in the public environment of the film theatre. The significance of diasporic film consumption is investigated through a local audience study of Turkish film screenings in Antwerp. The phenomenon of the screenings was analysed through a multi-method approach, including 536 questionnaires among audiences, 19 in-depth interviews and 3 group interviews, along with previous findings (on distribution and exploitation) of the same project. The results show that Turkish films are almost exclusively attended by people with Turkish roots, creating a Turkish diasporic space within the boundaries of the urban and the public. The audience study shows that the screenings fulfil a major social role but also affect understandings of community