Adaptive refinement and selection process through defect localization for reconstructing an inhomogeneous refraction index

We consider the iterative reconstruction of both the internal geometry and the values of an inhomogeneous acoustic refraction index through a piecewise constant approximation. In this context, we propose two enhancements intended to reduce the number of parameters to reconstruct, while preserving accuracy. This is achieved through the use of geometrical informations obtained from a previously developed defect localization method. The first enhancement consists in a preliminary selection of relevant parameters, while the second one is an adaptive refinement to enhance precision with a low number of parameters. Each of them is numerically illustrated

Una Revisión Sistemática en los Marcos de Trabajo de Desarrollo Software en las MiPyMEs Productoras de Software

Resumen: Una revisión sistemática es considerada como un método o protocolo que permite sintetizar investigaciones científicas de diversas áreas, la Ingeniería de Software no es la excepción. En este artículo se presenta este protocolo aplicado en la búsqueda de publicaciones relacionadas con las adaptaciones a los marcos de trabajo de desarrollo de software llevadas a cabo en MiPyMEs desarrolladoras de software, en el período comprendido de 1995 al 2013, centrándose en tendencias, países y sectores que publican; así como en los modelos, metodologías, estándares, procesos técnicos, procesos de implementación y procesos de reúso del software. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los países con mayor número de publicaciones sobre el tópico seleccionado son Estados Unidos y Reino Unido, que en su conjunto suman 21%; y que otros países suman el 79% restante. Se observa que el sector con mayor número de publicaciones es el sector educativo con 76%, seguido por los centros de investigación con 18% y el sector privado con el 6%. El modelo de procesos y la metodología más utilizados son CMMi con 33% e IDEAL con 22%, respectivamente. Los estándares más utilizados, con el 18% cada uno, son el ISO/IEC 15504 y CORBA; y los procesos del ciclo de vida del software mayormente abordados son: análisis de requisitos del sistema con un 33% y construcción con un 29%. Palabras Clave: MiPyME, revisión sistemática, modelos, metodologías, estándares de desarrollo de software, procesos técnicos, procesos de implementación, procesos de reúso del software

Determining the shape of defects in non-absorbing inhomogeneous media from far-field measurements

International audienceWe consider non-absorbing inhomogeneous media represented by some refraction index. We have developed a method to reconstruct, from far-field measurements, the shape of the areas where the actual index differs from a reference index. Following the principle of the Factorization Method, we present a fast reconstruction algorithm relying on far field measurements and near field values, easily computed from the reference index. Our reconstruction result is illustrated by several numerical test cases

Grisel’s syndrome, a rare cause of anomalous head posture in children: a case report

BACKGROUND: Anomalous head posture (AHP) or torticollis is a relatively common condition in children. Torticollis is not a diagnosis, but it is a sign of underlying disease. Grisel’s syndrome (GS) is a rare condition of uncertain etiology characterized by a nontraumatic atlanto-axial subluxation (AAS), secondary to an infection in the head and neck region. It has not been considered, in ophthalmological papers, as a possible cause of AHP. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of AAS secondary to an otitis media is studied. The children showed neck pain, head tilt, and reduction in neck mobility. The patient had complete remission with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy and muscle relaxants. Signs of GS should always be taken into account during ophthalmological examination (recent history of upper airway infections and/or head and neck surgeries associated to a new onset of sudden, painful AHP with normal ocular exam). In such cases it is necessary to require quick execution of radiological examinations (computer tomography and/or nuclear magnetic resonance), which are essential to confirm the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: GS is a multidisciplinary disease. We underline the importance of an accurate orthoptic and ophthalmological examination. Indeed, early detection and diagnosis are fundamental to achieve proper management, avoid neurological complications and lead to a good prognosis

Atlanto-axial rotatory fixation in a girl with Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome

We report a 15-year-old girl who presented with spinal malsegmentation, associated with other skeletal anomalies. The spinal malsegmentation was subsequently discovered to be part of the spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome. In addition, a distinctive craniocervical malformation was identified, which included atlanto-axial rotatory fixation. The clinical and the radiographic findings are described, and we emphasise the importance of computerised tomography to characterize the craniocervical malformation complex. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report of a child with spondylocarpotarsal synostosis associated with atlanto-axial rotatory fixation

Controlling Activity and Selectivity Using Water in the Au-Catalysed Preferential Oxidation of CO in H\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

Industrial hydrogen production through methane steam reforming exceeds 50 million tons annually and accounts for 2–5% of global energy consumption. The hydrogen product, even after processing by the water–gas shift, still typically contains ∼1% CO, which must be removed for many applications. Methanation (CO + 3H2 → CH4 + H2O) is an effective solution to this problem, but consumes 5–15% of the generated hydrogen. The preferential oxidation (PROX) of CO with O2 in hydrogen represents a more-efficient solution. Supported gold nanoparticles, with their high CO-oxidation activity and notoriously low hydrogenation activity, have long been examined as PROX catalysts, but have shown disappointingly low activity and selectivity. Here we show that, under the proper conditions, a commercial Au/Al2O3 catalyst can remove CO to below 10 ppm and still maintain an O2-to-CO2 selectivity of 80–90%. The key to maximizing the catalyst activity and selectivity is to carefully control the feed-flow rate and maintain one to two monolayers of water (a key CO-oxidation co-catalyst) on the catalyst surface

Conserved white-rot enzymatic mechanism for wood decay in the Basidiomycota genus Pycnoporus

White-rot (WR) fungi are pivotal decomposers of dead organic matter in forest ecosystems and typically use a large array of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes to deconstruct lignocellulose. However, the extent of lignin and cellulose degradation may vary between species and wood type. Here, we combined comparative genomics, transcriptomics and secretome proteomics to identify conserved enzymatic signatures at the onset of wood-decaying activity within the Basidiomycota genus Pycnoporus. We observed a strong conservation in the genome structures and the repertoires of protein-coding genes across the four Pycnoporus species described to date, despite the species having distinct geographic distributions. We further analysed the early response of P. cinnabarinus, P. coccineus and P. sanguineus to diverse (ligno)-cellulosic substrates. We identified a conserved set of enzymes mobilized by the three species for breaking down cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. The co-occurrence in the exo-proteomes of H2O2-producing enzymes with H2O2-consuming enzymes was a common feature of the three species, although each enzymatic partner displayed independent transcriptional regulation. Finally, cellobiose dehydrogenase-coding genes were systematically co-regulated with at least one AA9 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase gene, indicative of enzymatic synergy in vivo. This study highlights a conserved core white-rot fungal enzymatic mechanism behind the wood-decaying process.Peer reviewe

Genetic Dissection of Acute Ethanol Responsive Gene Networks in Prefrontal Cortex: Functional and Mechanistic Implications

Background Individual differences in initial sensitivity to ethanol are strongly related to the heritable risk of alcoholism in humans. To elucidate key molecular networks that modulate ethanol sensitivity we performed the first systems genetics analysis of ethanol-responsive gene expression in brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral midbrain) across a highly diverse family of 27 isogenic mouse strains (BXD panel) before and after treatment with ethanol. Results Acute ethanol altered the expression of ~2,750 genes in one or more regions and 400 transcripts were jointly modulated in all three. Ethanol-responsive gene networks were extracted with a powerful graph theoretical method that efficiently summarized ethanol\u27s effects. These networks correlated with acute behavioral responses to ethanol and other drugs of abuse. As predicted, networks were heavily populated by genes controlling synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Several of the most densely interconnected network hubs, including Kcnma1 and Gsk3β, are known to influence behavioral or physiological responses to ethanol, validating our overall approach. Other major hub genes like Grm3, Pten and Nrg3 represent novel targets of ethanol effects. Networks were under strong genetic control by variants that we mapped to a small number of chromosomal loci. Using a novel combination of genetic, bioinformatic and network-based approaches, we identified high priority cis-regulatory candidate genes, including Scn1b,Gria1, Sncb and Nell2. Conclusions The ethanol-responsive gene networks identified here represent a previously uncharacterized intermediate phenotype between DNA variation and ethanol sensitivity in mice. Networks involved in synaptic transmission were strongly regulated by ethanol and could contribute to behavioral plasticity seen with chronic ethanol. Our novel finding that hub genes and a small number of loci exert major influence over the ethanol response of gene networks could have important implications for future studies regarding the mechanisms and treatment of alcohol use disorders

Gold nanoparticles supported on magnesium oxide for CO oxidation

Au was loaded (1 wt%) on a commercial MgO support by three different methods: double impregnation, liquid-phase reductive deposition and ultrasonication. Samples were characterised by adsorption of N2 at -96°C, temperature-programmed reduction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Upon loading with Au, MgO changed into Mg(OH)2 (the hydroxide was most likely formed by reaction with water, in which the gold precursor was dissolved). The size range for gold nanoparticles was 2-12 nm for the DIM method and 3-15 nm for LPRD and US. The average size of gold particles was 5.4 nm for DIM and larger than 6.5 for the other methods. CO oxidation was used as a test reaction to compare the catalytic activity. The best results were obtained with the DIM method, followed by LPRD and US. This can be explained in terms of the nanoparticle size, well known to determine the catalytic activity of gold catalysts