Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Approach to 12-(Aryl)indolo[1,2- c ]quin­azolin-6(5 H )-ones

A straightforward one-pot approach to the synthesis of challenging 12-arylindolo[1,2-c]quinazolin-6(5H)-ones is described. Starting from readily available o-(o-aminophenylethynyl)trifluoroacetanilides, palladium-catalyzed aminoarylation of the triple bond with ArI, ArBr, and ArN2 +BF4 – is followed by cyclization of the resulting N-trifluoro­acetyl-2-(o-aminophenyl)-3-aryl indole. This sequential reaction provides the title compounds by means of a rare elimination of trifluoromethane

Preliminary Assessment of Two Simultaneous and Proportional Myocontrol Methods for 3-DoFs Prostheses Using Incremental Learning

Despite progressive developments over the last decades, current upper limb prostheses still lack a suitable control able to fully restore the functionalities of the lost arm. Traditional control approaches for prostheses fail when simultaneously actuating multiple Degrees of Freedom (DoFs), thus limiting their usability in daily-life scenarios. Machine learning, on the one hand, offers a solution to this issue through a promising approach for decoding user intentions but fails when input signals change. Incremental learning, on the other hand, reduces sources of error by quickly updating the model on new data rather than training the control model from scratch. In this study, we present an initial evaluation of a position and a velocity control strategy for simultaneous and proportional control over 3-DoFs based on incremental learning. The proposed controls are tested using a virtual Hannes prosthesis on two healthy participants. The performances are evaluated over eight sessions by performing the Target Achievement Control test and administering SUS and NASA-TLX questionnaires. Overall, this preliminary study demonstrates that both control strategies are promising approaches for prosthetic control, offering the potential to improve the usability of prostheses for individuals with limb loss. Further research extended to a wider population of both healthy subjects and amputees will be essential to thoroughly assess these control paradigms

Vestibular disability/handicap in Fibromyalgia : a questionnaire study

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a poorly understood, central pain processing disorder characterized by a broad range of symptoms, such as chronic pain, sleep disruption, chronic fatigue, and psychosomatic symptoms. In addition, recent studies have shown that FM patients also experience dizziness. We aimed to establish a prevalence rate of vestibular symptoms in a population of FM patients through a battery of questionnaires investigating socio-demographic, clinical and psychological characteristics, combined with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ). A total of 277 respondents, officially diagnosed with FM, completed the full study, while 80 controls were also included for DHI and SVQ questionnaires. We found that FM participants were significantly affected by vestibular symptoms, which correlated with FM-associated pain and non-pain symptoms. The dizziness reported by FM participants showed peculiar features suggesting an FM-intrinsic mechanism of vestibular dysfunction, possibly linked to migraine and dysautonomia conditions. Correlations between dizziness and depressive mood (or neuroticism), revealed an impact of dizziness on psychological status, leading to depressive reactions and interpersonal difficulties, and possibly involving a noxious, self-sustained stress condition. In conclusion, data showed a manifesting dizziness condition in FM patients that warrants careful clinical attention due to its possible inherent role in the syndrome

Three-dimensional graphene on a nano-porous 4H-SiC backbone: a novel material for food sensing applications

Sensors which are sensitive to volatile organic compounds and thus able to monitor the conservation state of food, are precious because they work non-destructively and allow to avoid direct contact with the food, ensuring hygienic conditions. In particular, the monitoring of rancidity would solve a widespread issue in food storage. The sensor discussed here is produced utilizing a novel three-dimensional arrangement of graphene, which is grown on a crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) wafer previously porousified by chemical etching. This approach allows a very high surface-to.volume ratio. Furthermore, the structure of the sensor surface features a large amount of edges, dangling bounds, and active sites, which make the sensor, on a chemically robust skeleton, chemically active, particularly to hydrogenated molecules. The interaction of the sensor with such compounds is read out by measuring the sensor resistance in a four wire configuration. The sensor performance has been assessed on three hazelnut samples: sound hazelnuts, spoiled hazelnuts, and stink bug hazelnuts. A resistance variation of about DeltaR = 0.13 (0.02) Ohm between sound and damaged hazelnuts has been detected. Our measurements confirm the ability of the sensor to discriminate between sound and damaged hazelnuts. The sensor signal is stable for days, providing the possibility to use this sensor for the monitoring of the storage state of fats and foods in general.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures 1 tabl

Evaluation of the impact of transient interruption of antiangiogenic treatment using ultrasound-based techniques in a murine model of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Development of escape pathways from antiangiogenic treatments was reported to be associated with enhanced tumor aggressiveness and rebound effect was suggested after treatment stop. Aim of the study was to evaluate tumor response simulating different conditions of administration of antiangiogenic treatment (transient or definitive treatment stop) in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Subcutaneous tumors were created by inoculating 5 7 10(6) Huh7 cells into the right flank of 14 nude mice. When tumor size reached 5-10 mm, mice were divided in 3 groups: group 1 was treated with placebo, group 2 was treated with sorafenib (62 mg/kg via gavage) but temporarily suspended from day +5 to +9, whereas in group 3 sorafenib was definitively stopped at day +5. At day +13 all mice were sacrificed, collecting masses for Western-Blot analyses. Volume was calculated with B-mode ultrasonography at day 0, +5, +9, +11 and +13. VEGFR2-targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound using BR55 (Bracco Imaging) was performed at day +5 and +13 and elastonosography (Esaote) at day +9 and +11 to assess tumor stiffness. RESULTS: Median growth percentage delta at day +13 versus day 0 was 197% (115-329) in group 1, 81% (48-144) in group 2 and 111% (27-167) in group 3. Median growth delta at day +13 with respect to day +5 was 79% (48-127), 37% (-14128) and 81% (15-87) in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Quantification of targeted-CEUS at day +13 showed higher values in group 3 (509 Arbitrary Units AI, range 293-652) than group 1 (275 AI, range 191-494) and group 2 (181 AI, range 63-318) (p=0.033). Western-Blot analysis demonstrated higher VEGFR2 expression in group 3 with respect to group 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: A transient interruption of antiangiogenic treatment does not impede restoration of tumor response, while a definitive interruption tends to stimulate a rebound of angiogenesis to higher level than without treatment

Human case of autochthonous West Nile virus lineage 2 infection in Italy, September 2011.

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PLUMED: a portable plugin for free-energy calculations with molecular dynamics

Here we present a program aimed at free-energy calculations in molecular systems. It consists of a series of routines that can be interfaced with the most popular classical molecular dynamics (MD) codes through a simple patching procedure. This leaves the possibility for the user to exploit many different MD engines depending on the system simulated and on the computational resources available. Free-energy calculations can be performed as a function of many collective variables, with a particular focus on biological problems, and using state-of-the-art methods such as metadynamics, umbrella sampling and Jarzynski-equation based steered MD. The present software, written in ANSI-C language, can be easily interfaced with both fortran and C/C++ codes.Comment: to be submitted to Computer Physics Communication