Learning an unknown transformation via a genetic approach

Recent developments in integrated photonics technology are opening the way to the fabrication of complex linear optical interferometers. The application of this platform is ubiquitous in quantum information science, from quantum simulation to quantum metrology, including the quest for quantum supremacy via the boson sampling problem. Within these contexts, the capability to learn efficiently the unitary operation of the implemented interferometers becomes a crucial requirement. In this letter we develop a reconstruction algorithm based on a genetic approach, which can be adopted as a tool to characterize an unknown linear optical network. We report an experimental test of the described method by performing the reconstruction of a 7-mode interferometer implemented via the femtosecond laser writing technique. Further applications of genetic approaches can be found in other contexts, such as quantum metrology or learning unknown general Hamiltonian evolutions

IL-27, but not IL-35, inhibits neuroinflammation through modulating GM-CSF expression

IL-27 and IL-35 are heterodimeric cytokines, members of the IL-12 family and considered to have immunomodulatory properties. Their role during neuroinflammation had been investigated using mutant mice devoid of either one of their subunits or lacking components of their receptors, yielding conflicting results. We sought to understand the therapeutic potential of IL-27 and IL-35 delivered by gene therapy in neuroinflammation. We constructed lentiviral vectors expressing IL-27 and IL-35 from a single polypeptide chain, and we validated in vitro their biological activity. We injected IL-27 and IL-35-expressing lentiviral vectors into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of mice affected by experimental neuroinflammation (EAE), and performed clinical, neuropathological and immunological analyses. Both cytokines interfere with neuroinflammation, but only IL-27 significantly modulates disease development, both clinically and neuropathologically. IL-27 protects from autoimmune inflammation by inhibiting granulocyte macrophages colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) expression in CD4+ T cells and by inducing program death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in both CNS-resident and CNS-infiltrating myeloid cells. We demonstrate here that IL-27 holds therapeutic potential during neuroinflammation and that IL-27 inhibits GM-CSF and induces pd-l1 mRNA in vivo

Transperineal Laser Ablation for Focal Therapy of Localized Prostate Cancer: 12-Month Follow-up Outcomes from a Single Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction and objectives: to evaluate the oncological and functional outcomes of transperineal laser ablation (TPLA) as the focal therapy for localized prostate cancer (PCa) after a 12-month follow-up. Materials and methods: patients with low- and intermediate-risk localized PCa were prospectively treated with focal TPLA between July 2021 and December 2022. The inclusion criteria were the following: clinical stage < T2b; PSA < 20 ng/mL; International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade ≤ 2; MRI-fusion biopsy-confirmed lesion classified as PI-RADS v2.1 ≥ 3. Intra-, peri-, and post-operative data were collected. Variables including age, PSA, prostate volume (PVol), Charlson’s Comorbidity Index (CCI), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) with QoL score, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire—Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire—Ejaculatory Dysfunction Short Form (MSHQ-EjD) were collected at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months after TPLA. Post-operative mpMRI was performed at 3 and 12 months. Finally, all patients underwent prostatic re-biopsy under fusion guidance at 12 months. The success of this technique was defined as no recurrence in the target treated lesion at the 12-month follow up. Results: Twenty-four patients underwent focal TPLA. Baseline features were age [median 67 years (IQR 12)], PSA [5.7 ng/mL (3.9)], PVol [49 mL (27)], CCI [0 (0)], IPSS [11 (9)], IPSS-QoL [2 (2)], IIEF-5 [21 (6)], ICIQ-SF [0 (7)], MSHQ-EjD ejaculation domain [14 (4)] and bother score [0 (2)]. Median operative time was 34 min (IQR 12). Median visual analogue scale (VAS) 6 h after TPLA was 0 (IQR 1). The post-operative course was regular for all patients, who were discharged on the second post-operative day and underwent catheter removal on the seventh post-operative day. No patient had incontinence at catheter removal. A significant reduction in PSA (p = 0.01) and an improvement in IPSS (p = 0.009), IPSS-QoL (p = 0.02) and ICIQ-SF scores (p = 0.04) compared to baseline were observed at the 3-month follow-up. Erectile and ejaculatory functions did not show any significant variation during the follow-up. No intra- and peri-operative complications were recorded. Three Clavien–Dindo post-operative complications were recorded (12%): grade 1 (two cases of urinary retention) and grade 2 (one case of urinary tract infection). At the 12-month follow-up, eight patients showed mpMRI images referable to suspicious recurrent disease (PIRADS v2.1 ≥ 3). After re-biopsy, 7/24 patients’ (29%) results were histologically confirmed as PCa, 3 of which were recurrences in the treated lesion (12.5%). The success rate was 87.5%. Conclusions: the focal TPLA oncological and functional results seemed to be encouraging. TPLA is a safe, painless, and effective technique with a good preservation of continence and sexual outcomes. Recurrence rate at 12 months was about 12.5%

MYELOID MICROVESICLES ARE A MARKER AND THERAPEUTIC TARGET FOR NEUROINFLAMMATION

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Orthorexia Nervosa and Diabetes: investigation of orthorexic behaviour in association to diabetes

reservedBackground: L’Ortoressia Nervosa, termine coniato da Steven Bratman, è stata definita come preoccupazione eccessiva e ricorrente circa l’alimentazione sana e la qualità del cibo. È caratterizzata da aspetti comportamentali, emotivi e credenze che portano ad una attenzione selettiva e pervasiva nella scelta e preparazione degli alimenti, ricorrenza a diete molto ristrette e ricerca dei cibi con i giusti valori nutrizionali e non contaminati. La ricerca di un’alimentazione sana è centrale soprattutto in soggetti che, in presenza di una malattia cronica, necessitano di escludere determinate categorie di cibi per poter vivere in salute. Tra questi vi è il diabete, malattia cronica caratterizzata da elevati livelli di glucosio nel sangue, causati dal malfunzionamento dell’insulina, ormone prodotto dal pancreas che permette l’utilizzo del glucosio come fonte energetica. Tra i suoi interventi terapeutici vi è la ricostituzione di uno stile di vita adeguato, partendo proprio dalle abitudini alimentari per mantenere i valori di glucosio e lipidi plasmatici nella norma. Il presente studio intende indagare se esiste un’associazione tra comportamento ortoressico e diabete (attraverso l'analisi della differenza tra le medie di GS e GC) e se dieta ed evitamento di cibi fungano da fattori di rischio dell'ortoressia nervosa. Metodo: Sono stati somministrati questionari online a 83 soggetti (GS=25, GC=58) di età compresa tra 18 e 50, con un numero di donne superiore al numero di uomini (donne = 83%; uomini = 14%). La prima parte dell’analisi dati si è focalizzata sui dati demografici; successivamente si è passati all’analisi dei risultati ottenuti ai questionari indaganti il comportamento ortoressico, sintomi di depressione, ansia e stress, la presenza del worry, ossessioni e/o compulsioni, sintomatologia di disturbo alimentare e ansia per la salute (statistica descrittiva e differenza tra le medie), prendendo in considerazione, oltre i due gruppi (GS e GC), anche soggetti a dieta e non a dieta (dieta SI= 60, dieta NO= 23) e coloro che evitano o non evitano cibi (Evitamento SI= 42, Evitamento NO= 41). Risultati: Si riscontrano risultati significativi tra GS e GC nell’HAI (ES = 0.6334 (medium)). Nella differenza tra medie di soggetti a dieta e non a dieta, punteggi significativi sono emersi nell’EHQ-21 (Totale ES = 1.5806 (large); Convinzioni ES = 0.8892 (large); Problemi ES = 1.3514 (large); Emozioni ES = 0.8682 (large)) e nell’EDI (DT ES = 0.7549 (medium); B ES = 0.4359 (small). Nella differenza tra medie di soggetti che evitano o non evitano cibi, si riscontrano valori significativi nell’EHQ-21 (Totale ES = 0.6082 (medium); Problemi ES = 0.5836 (medium)), nell’EDI (DT ES = 0.7435 (medium); BD ES = 0.5836 (medium), nell’OCI-R (Ordering ES = 0.4826 (small)) e nel DASS (Depressione ES = 0.4263 (small); Stress ES = 0.6079 (medium)). Conclusioni: non è stato possibile riscontrare un’associazione significativa tra comportamento ortoressico e presenza di diabete. I soggetti diabetici hanno però evidenziato alti livelli di ansia per la salute. D’altra parte, nell’estensione dell’indagine ai soggetti a dieta e tendenti all’evitamento di cibi, quanto emerso dall’analisi suggerisce un’associazione più forte tra tali fattori e il rischio di insorgenza di Ortoressia Nervosa

Robot-assisted re-do sacrohysteropexy after anterior abdominal wall hysteropexy

We report the case of a 49-year-old woman who came to our institution complaining of bowel constipation and bladder outlet obstruction due to the recurrence of a pelvic prolapse after anterior abdominal wall hysteropexy performed 1 year before

Learning an unknown transformation via a genetic approach

Abstract Recent developments in integrated photonics technology are opening the way to the fabrication of complex linear optical interferometers. The application of this platform is ubiquitous in quantum information science, from quantum simulation to quantum metrology, including the quest for quantum supremacy via the boson sampling problem. Within these contexts, the capability to learn efficiently the unitary operation of the implemented interferometers becomes a crucial requirement. In this letter we develop a reconstruction algorithm based on a genetic approach, which can be adopted as a tool to characterize an unknown linear optical network. We report an experimental test of the described method by performing the reconstruction of a 7-mode interferometer implemented via the femtosecond laser writing technique. Further applications of genetic approaches can be found in other contexts, such as quantum metrology or learning unknown general Hamiltonian evolutions

Genetic algorithms to learn an unknown linear transformation

Integrated photonics enabled the capability to implement complex interferometers with a large number of modes. The applications of this experimental toolbox can be found in different quantum information tasks, including quantum walks and simulation [1], quantum metrology [2], up to the implementation of Boson Sampling [3-6], one of the most promising candidates to reach experimentally the regime where a quantum device solves a computational problem faster than its classical counterpart. Both from a fundamental aspect and for characterization purposes, it becomes crucial to identify tools allowing to learn the action of an unknown transformation