Building a personal symbolic space model from GSM CellID Positioning Data

Série : Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol. 7The context in which a person uses a mobile context-aware application can be described by many dimensions, including the, most popular, location and position. Some of the data used to describe these dimensions can be acquired directly from sensors or computed by reasoning algorithms. In this paper we propose to contextualize the mobile user of context-aware applications by describing his/her location in a symbolic space model as an alternative to the use of a position represented by a pair of coordinates in a geometric absolute referential. By exploiting the ubiquity of GSM networks, we describe a method to progressively create this symbolic and personal space model, and propose an approach to compute the level of familiarity a person has with each of the identified places. The validity of the developed model is evaluated by comparing the identified places and the computed values for the familiarity index with a ground truth represented by GPS data and the detailed agenda of a few persons

Hypertension in response to IL-6 during pregnancy: role of AT1-receptor activation

BACKGROUND: Increases in interleukin 6 (IL-6) and agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-AA) are proposed to be important links between placental ischemia and hypertension in preeclampsia. METHODS: The purpose of this study was to determine whether IL-6 (5 ng/day), infused into normal pregnant (NP) rats, increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) and AT1-AA. MAP was analyzed in the presence and absence of an angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonist, losartan, L. RESULTS: MAP and AT1-AA increased from 102 ± 2 to 118 ± 4 mmHg and 0.7 ± 0.3 NP to 14.1 ± 1.4 chronotropic units with chronic IL-6 infusion. MAP responses to IL-6 were abolished in losartan pretreated rats (85 ± 4 in NP + L vs 85 ± 3 mmHg in IL-6 + L). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that IL-6 stimulates AT1-AA and that activation of the AT1R mediates IL-6 induced hypertension during pregnancy

CD4(+) T cells play a critical role in mediating hypertension in response to placental ischemia

Similar to preeclamptic women, hypertension in the chronic Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Rat Model Of Preeclampsia (RUPP) is associated with increased CD4+ T cells, cytokines, sFlt-1 and agonistic autoantibodies to the AngII receptor (AT1-AA). We examined the effect inhibition of T cell co-stimulation in RUPP rats treated with (A) (abatacept, 250 mg/kg, infused i.v. at gestation day 13), on hypertension and sFlt-1, TNF-alpha and AT1-AA. RUPP surgical procedure was performed on day 14. On day 19 MAP increased from 94+2 mmHg in Normal Pregnant (NP) to 123 +/- 3 mmHg in RUPP control rats. This response was attenuated by Abatacept, MAP was 104 +/- 2 mmHg in RUPP +/- A, and 96 +/- 2 mmHg NP +/- A. Percent circulating CD4+ T cells were 66 +/- 3% in RUPPs compared to 55 +/- 3% NP rats (p<0.04) but were normalized in RUPP +/- A rats (54 +/- 3%). The twofold increase in TNF alpha seen in RUPPs (277 +/- 47 pg/ml) was decreased to 80 +/- 18 pg/ml in RUPP+A. Placental sFlt-1 was reduced 70 % to 151 +/- 28 in RUPP +/- A compared 488 +/- 61 pg/ml in RUPP (p<0.001). AT1-AA decreased from 20 +/- 0.8 bpm in control RUPP to 6 +/- 0.7 bpm in RUPP +/- A. We next determined the effect of RUPP in causing hypertension in pregnant T cell deficient rats by examining MAP in NP (123 +/- 5 mmHg) and RUPP athymic nude rats (123 +/- 7 mmHg). In the absence of T cells, hypertension in response to placental ischemia was completely abolished. Collectively these data indicate that CD4+ Tcells in response to placental ischemia play an important role in the pathophysiology of hypertension associated with preeclampsia

Pancreaticobiliary Malignancies in the Emergency Room: Management of Acute Complications and Oncological Emergencies

Background Management of pancreaticobiliary (PB) malignancies remains a clinical challenge. In this review, we focus on the management of oncological emergencies in PB malignancies and the potential complication of associated therapeutic interventions. Methods Biobliographic review of current evidence on the management of oncological emergencies, their potential complications, as well as synthesis of recommendations was performed. The pathogenesis, frequency, related symptoms as well as appropriate investigations are presented. Results The oncologic emergencies in PB patients were summarised in six categories: (1) hematological (including febrile neutropaenia, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathies), (2) gastrointestinal (gastric outlet and biliary obstruction, gastrointestinal bleeding), (3) thromboembolic events, (4) ascites, (5) metabolic disorders and (6) neurologic complications. The pathogenesis, frequency, related symptoms as well as appropriate investigations are also presented. Conclusion Patients with PB malignancies are at increased risk of a wide variation of medical emergencies. Clinical knowledge, early recognition and collaboration with the relevant specialties are critical to manage these complications effectively, tailoring overall management around the actual prognosis and individuals’ expectations

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European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society 2023 guidance paper for functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour syndromes.

This ENETS guidance paper aims to provide practical advice to clinicians for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of functioning syndromes in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NET). A NET-associated functioning syndrome is defined by the presence of a clinical syndrome combined with biochemical evidence of inappropriately elevated hormonal levels. Different hormonal syndromes can be encountered in pancreatic NET patients, including insulinoma, gastrinoma as well as the rare glucagonoma, VIPoma, ACTHoma, PTHrPoma, carcinoid syndrome, calcitoninoma, GHRHoma and somatostatinoma. The recommendations provided in this paper focus on the biochemical, genetic and imaging work-up as well as therapeutic management of the individual hormonal syndromes in well-differentiated, grade 1-3, functioning NET with the primary tumour originating in the pancreas, and for specific subtypes also in the duodenum

Heterocellular OSM-OSMR signalling reprograms fibroblasts to promote pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal malignancy with a complex microenvironment. Dichotomous tumour-promoting and -restrictive roles have been ascribed to the tumour microenvironment, however the effects of individual stromal subsets remain incompletely characterised. Here, we describe how heterocellular Oncostatin M (OSM) - Oncostatin M Receptor (OSMR) signalling reprograms fibroblasts, regulates tumour growth and metastasis. Macrophage-secreted OSM stimulates inflammatory gene expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which in turn induce a pro-tumourigenic environment and engage tumour cell survival and migratory signalling pathways. Tumour cells implanted in Osm-deficient (Osm(−/−)) mice display an epithelial-dominated morphology, reduced tumour growth and do not metastasise. Moreover, the tumour microenvironment of Osm(−/−) animals exhibit increased abundance of α smooth muscle actin positive myofibroblasts and a shift in myeloid and T cell phenotypes, consistent with a more immunogenic environment. Taken together, these data demonstrate how OSM-OSMR signalling coordinates heterocellular interactions to drive a pro-tumourigenic environment in PDA

RNA interference therapeutics targeting angiotensinogen ameliorate preeclamptic phenotype in rodent models

Preeclampsia, with the hallmark features of new-onset hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation, is a major cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Studies have demonstrated a role for the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in its pathogenesis; however, small-molecule RAS blockers are contraindicated because of fetal toxicity. We evaluated whether siRNA targeting maternal hepatic angiotensinogen (Agt) could ameliorate symptoms of preeclampsia without adverse placental or fetal effects in 2 rodent models. The first model used a cross of females expressing human Agt with males expressing human renin, resulting in upregulation of the circulating and uteroplacental RAS. The second model induced ischemia/reperfusion injury and subsequent local and systemic inflammation by surgically reducing placental blood flow midgestation (reduced uterine perfusion pressure [RUPP]). These models featured hypertension, proteinuria, and fetal growth restriction, with altered biomarkers. siRNA treatment ameliorated the preeclamptic phenotype in both models, reduced blood pressure, and improved intrauterine growth restriction, with no observed deleterious effects on the fetus. Treatment also improved the angiogenic balance and proteinuria in the transgenic model, and it reduced angiotensin receptor activating antibodies in both. Thus, an RNAi therapeutic targeting Agt ameliorated the clinical sequelae and improved fetal outcomes in 2 rodent models of preeclampsia

A Comparison of Stimulus Set Size on Tact Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Previous studies on skill acquisition have taught targets in stimulus sets composed of different numbers of stimuli. Although the rationale for selection of a stimulus set size is not clear, the number of target stimuli trained within a set is a treatment decision for which there is limited empirical support. The current investigation compared the efficiency of tact training in 4 stimulus set sizes, each of which included 12 stimuli grouped into (a) 4 sets of 3 stimuli, (b) 3 sets of 4 stimuli, (c) 2 sets of 6 stimuli, and (d) 1 set of 12 stimuli. Results of all 4 participants with autism spectrum disorder show tact training with larger (i.e., 6 and 12) stimulus set sizes was more efficient than training with smaller (i.e., 3 and 4) stimulus set sizes