Propranolol as first-line treatment for life-threatening diffuse infantile hepatic hemangioma: a case report

[No abstract available

Optimal fault-tolerant placement of relay nodes in a mission critical wireless network

The operations of many critical infrastructures (e.g., airports) heavily depend on proper functioning of the radio communication network supporting operations. As a result, such a communication network is indeed a mission-critical communication network that needs adequate protection from external electromagnetic interferences. This is usually done through radiogoniometers. Basically, by using at least three suitably deployed radiogoniometers and a gateway gathering information from them, sources of electromagnetic emissions that are not supposed to be present in the monitored area can be localised. Typically, relay nodes are used to connect radiogoniometers to the gateway. As a result, some degree of fault-tolerance for the network of relay nodes is essential in order to offer a reliable monitoring. On the other hand, deployment of relay nodes is typically quite expensive. As a result, we have two conflicting requirements: minimise costs while guaranteeing a given fault-tolerance. In this paper address the problem of computing a deployment for relay nodes that minimises the relay node network cost while at the same time guaranteeing proper working of the network even when some of the relay nodes (up to a given maximum number) become faulty (fault-tolerance). We show that the above problem can be formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) as well as a Pseudo-Boolean Satisfiability (PB-SAT) optimisation problem and present experimental results com- paring the two approaches on realistic scenarios

Differences between computed tomoghaphy and surgical findings in acute complicated diverticulitis

Summary Background/Objective: A preoperative reliable classification system between clinical and computed tomography (CT) findings to better plan surgery in acute complicated diverticulitis (ACD) is lacking. We studied the inter-observer agreement of CT scan data and their concordance with the preoperative clinical findings and the adherence with the intraoperative status using a new classification of diverticular disease (CDD). Methods: 152 patients operated on for acute complicated diverticulitis (ACD) were retrospectively enrolled. All patients were studied with CT scan within 24 h before surgery and CT images were blinded reanalyzed by 2 couples of radiologists (A/B). Kappa value evaluated the inter-observer agreement between radiologists and the concordance between CDD, preoperative clinical findings and findings at operation. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate the predicting values of CT classification and CDD stage at surgery on postoperative outcomes. Results: Overall inter-observer agreement for the CDD was high, with a kappa value of 0.905 (95% CI Z 0.850e0.960) for observers A and B, while the concordance between radiologica

Ultrasound assisted osmotic dehydration of organic cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccus): Study on quality parameters evolution during storage.

Cranberries are appreciated for their high amount of antioxidants such as flavonoids, anthocyanins,phenolic acids, carotenoids and vitamins. However, due to their sour and tart taste they request to beprocessed into sweeter dried fruits in order to be acceptable for the consumers. The aim of this work wasto analyse the effect of ultrasound assisted osmotic dehydration on mass transfer parameters and onquality characteristics during storage of cranberries. Ultrasound treatment was performed at the fre-quency of 21 kHz for 30 min in three osmotic solutions - 61.5% sucrose, 30% sucrose with an addition of0.1% of steviol glycosides and 40% trehalose on cut in half cranberries. Afterwards, the cranberry sampleswere subjected to osmotic dehydration process at 40C for 72 h. The osmodehydrated samples both withor without ultrasound pre-treatment were collected and stored at 10C in climatic chamber in micro-perforated plastic bags (PLA) for 8 weeks. The weight reduction, dry matter, water activity, colour, andmicrobiological analysis were performed after 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks of storage. The obtained resultsindicated that ultrasound application significantly affected the mass transfer parameters during osmotictreatment, as well as it did the type of osmotic solution used. Thermal analysis showed variations insugar melting temperature and enthalpy as a result of osmotic treatment and storage. During the storage,lower weight loss and higher lightness were observed in US pre-treated samples. The sample thatpreserved the best chemico-physical and microbiological characteristics during storage was the onetreated with 61.5% sucrose solution, due to its lowest water activity

Potential of Natural Antimicrobials for the Production of Minimally Processed Fresh-Cut Apples

Background: Minimally processed fruit are susceptible to microbial spoilage and loss of sensory quality. In this experimental work, in order to increase the shelf-life and to maintain quality parameter (texture and colour) of sliced apples (Malus communis, var. Golden delicious), the use of natural antimicrobials was proposed. Materials and methods: Natural antimicrobials were purposed to produce fresh-cut apples. Hexanal, citral, and combinations of hexanal+citral, citron essential oil+carvacrol, citral+2-(E)-hexenal, citral+citron essential oil and hexanal+2- (E)-hexenal were used in dipping step. After treatment, sample were stored at 6°C in ordinary atmosphere. During storage, yeast and lactic acid bacteria were monitored. Also volatile and electronic nose profiles, colour and texture analyses were considered. The samples were compared with a control (apples dipped in ascorbic and citric acid solution). Results: Yeast cell loads showed that natural antimicrobials changed naturally occurring yeast growth parameters. The combination of citron+carvacrol prolonged the yeast lag phase of 6 d comparing with control, while citral and hexanal+2-(E)- hexenal decreased the maximum reached yeast cell load and growth rate, respectively. After 8 d, samples with hexanal+2-(E)- hexenal and citral showed equivalent or even better quality attributes compared to the controls, suggesting that this approach is a useful tool for fresh-cut apple production. Highlight: Natural antimicrobial can be useful for the dipping of minimally processed apples Citral and hexanal+2-(E)-hexenal prolonged the apples shelf-life. Apples treated with Citral and hexanal+2-(E)-hexenal had good quality attributes

Antibodies against Immature Virions Are Not a Discriminating Factor for Dengue Disease Severity

Humoral immunity plays an important role in controlling dengue virus (DENV) infection. Antibodies (Abs) developed during primary infection protect against subsequent infection with the same dengue serotype, but can enhance disease following secondary infection with a heterologous serotype. A DENV virion has two surface proteins, envelope protein E and (pre)-membrane protein (pr)M, and inefficient cleavage of the prM protein during maturation of progeny virions leads to the secretion of immature and partially immature particles. Interestingly, we and others found that historically regarded non-infectious prM-containing DENV particles can become highly infectious in the presence of E- and prM-Abs. Accordingly, we hypothesized that these virions contribute to the exacerbation of disease during secondary infection. Here, we tested this hypothesis and investigated the ability of acute sera of 30 DENV2-infected patients with different grades of disease severity, to bind, neutralize and/or enhance immature DENV2. We found that a significant fraction of serum Abs bind to the prM protein and to immature virions, but we observed no significant difference between the disease severity groups. Furthermore, functional analysis of the Abs did not underscore any specific correlation between the neutralizing/enhancing activity towards immature DENV2 and the development of more severe disease. Based on our analysis of acute sera, we conclude that Abs binding to immature virions are not a discriminating factor in dengue pathogenesis

A study of CP violation in B-+/- -> DK +/- and B-+/- -> D pi(+/-) decays with D -> (KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+) final states

A first study of CP violation in the decay modes $B^\pm\to [K^0_{\rm S} K^\pm \pi^\mp]_D h^\pm$ and $B^\pm\to [K^0_{\rm S} K^\mp \pi^\pm]_D h^\pm$, where $h$ labels a $K$ or $\pi$ meson and $D$ labels a $D^0$ or $\overline{D}^0$ meson, is performed. The analysis uses the LHCb data set collected in $pp$ collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis is sensitive to the CP-violating CKM phase $\gamma$ through seven observables: one charge asymmetry in each of the four modes and three ratios of the charge-integrated yields. The results are consistent with measurements of $\gamma$ using other decay modes

Study of forward Z + jet production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

A measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$+jet production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Results are shown with two jet transverse momentum thresholds, 10 and 20 GeV, for both the overall cross-section within the fiducial volume, and for six differential cross-section measurements. The fiducial volume requires that both the jet and the muons from the Z boson decay are produced in the forward direction ($2.0<\eta<4.5$). The results show good agreement with theoretical predictions at the second-order expansion in the coupling of the strong interaction.A measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$+jet production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Results are shown with two jet transverse momentum thresholds, 10 and 20 GeV, for both the overall cross-section within the fiducial volume, and for six differential cross-section measurements. The fiducial volume requires that both the jet and the muons from the Z boson decay are produced in the forward direction ($2.0<\eta<4.5$). The results show good agreement with theoretical predictions at the second-order expansion in the coupling of the strong interaction

Measurement of Upsilon production in collisions at root s=2.76 TeV

The production of $\Upsilon(1S)$, $\Upsilon(2S)$ and $\Upsilon(3S)$ mesons decaying into the dimuon final state is studied with the LHCb detector using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.3 $pb^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=2.76$ TeV. The differential production cross-sections times dimuon branching fractions are measured as functions of the $\Upsilon$ transverse momentum and rapidity, over the ranges $p_{\rm T} Upsilon(1S) X) x B(Upsilon(1S) -> mu+mu-) = 1.111 +/- 0.043 +/- 0.044 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(2S) X) x B(Upsilon(2S) -> mu+mu-) = 0.264 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.011 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(3S) X) x B(Upsilon(3S) -> mu+mu-) = 0.159 +/- 0.020 +/- 0.007 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic