Extended 1D Method for Coherent Synchrotron Radiation including Shielding

Coherent Synchrotron Radiation can severely limit the performance of accelerators designed for high brightness and short bunch length. Examples include light sources based on ERLs or FELs, and bunch compressors for linear colliders. In order to better simulate Coherent Synchrotron Radiation, the established 1-dimensional formalism is extended to work at lower energies, at shorter bunch lengths, and for an arbitrary configuration of multiple bends. Wide vacuum chambers are simulated by means of vertical image charges. This formalism has been implemented in the general beam dynamics code "Bmad" and its results are here compared to analytical approximations, to numerical solutions of the Maxwell equations, and to the simulation code "elegant"

A New Seismic-Geotechnical Strong Motion Approach

We have developed a new approach to estimate site-specific strong motion due to earthquakes on specific faults or source zones. It combines seismologic and geotechnical studies. It entails obtaining records of small earthquakes at the site, both at the surface and downhole in bedrock, as well as performing geotechnical dynamic site characterization. This new approach has the dual result of providing an optimized definition of the dynamic geotechnical site properties and providing calculated free-field, strong motion estimates. The procedure is demonstrated at the Painter Street Bridge site in Rio Dell, CA, for which we provide a range of surface motions corresponding to an earthquake of magnitude 7 on the subducting plate underlying this region. These calculated motions bracket the records of the Petrolia event (M = 7) measured near the site

An RLL-Constrained LDPC Coded Recording System Using Deliberate Flipping and Flipped-Bit Detection

International audienceIn this paper, a low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded recording system is investigated, for which the run-length-limited (RLL) constraint is satisfied by deliberate flipping at the write side and by estimating the flipped bits at the read side. Two approaches are proposed for enhancing the error performance of such a system. The first approach is to alleviate the negative effect of incorrect estimation of the flipped bits by adjusting the soft information. The second approach is to increase the likelihood of the correct detection of flipped bits by designing a flipped-bit detection algorithm that utilizes both the RLL constraint and the parity-check constraint of the LDPC code. These two approaches can be combined to obtain significant improvement in performance over previously proposed methods

Pan-parastagonospora comparative genome analysis-effector prediction and genome evolution

We report a fungal pan-genome study involving Parastagonospora spp., including 21 isolates of the wheat (Triticum aestivum) pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum, 10 of the grass-infecting Parastagonospora avenae, and 2 of a closely related undefined sister species. We observed substantial variation in the distribution of polymorphisms across the pan-genome, including repeat-induced point mutations, diversifying selection and gene gains and losses.We also discovered chromosome-scale inter and intraspecific presence/absence variation of some sequences, suggesting the occurrence of one or more accessory chromosomes or regions that may play a role in host-pathogen interactions. The presence of known pathogenicity effector loci SnToxA, SnTox1, and SnTox3 varied substantially among isolates. Three P. nodorum isolates lacked functional versions for all three loci, whereas three P. avenae isolates carried one or both of the SnTox1 and SnTox3 genes, indicating previously unrecognized potential for discovering additional effectors in the P. nodorum-wheat pathosystem. We utilized the pangenomic comparative analysis to improve the prediction of pathogenicity effector candidates, recovering the three confirmed effectors among our top-ranked candidates. We propose applying this pan-genomic approach to identify the effector repertoire involved in other host-microbe interactions involving necrotrophic pathogens in the Pezizomycotina

Cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an important device-based, non-pharmacological approach that has shown, in large randomized trials, to improve left ventricular (LV) function and reduce both morbidity and mortality rates in selected patients affected by advanced heart failure (HF): New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III–IV, reduced LV systolic function with an ejection fraction (EF) ≤35%, QRS duration ≥120 ms, on optimal medical therapy, and who were in sinus rhythm. For the first time, the latest ESC and AHA/ACC/HRS Guidelines have considered atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, who constitute an important subgroup of HF patients, as eligible to receive CRT. Nevertheless, these Guidelines did not include a strategy for defining differentiated approaches according to AF duration or burden. In this review, the authors explain in which way AF may interfere with adequate CRT delivery, how to manage different AF burden, and finally present a brief overview on the effects of CRT in AF patients

The modulation of topoisomerase I-mediated DNA cleavage and the induction of DNA–topoisomerase I crosslinks by crotonaldehyde-derived DNA adducts

Crotonaldehyde is a representative α,β-unsaturated aldehyde endowed of mutagenic and carcinogenic properties related to its propensity to react with DNA. Cyclic crotonaldehyde-derived deoxyguanosine (CrA-PdG) adducts can undergo ring opening in duplex DNA to yield a highly reactive aldehydic moiety. Here, we demonstrate that site-specifically modified DNA oligonucleotides containing a single CrA-PdG adduct can form crosslinks with topoisomerase I (Top1), both directly and indirectly. Direct covalent complex formation between the CrA-PdG adduct and Top1 is detectable after reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride, which is consistent with the formation of a Schiff base between Top1 and the ring open aldehyde form of the adduct. In addition, we show that the CrA-PdG adduct alters the cleavage and religation activities of Top1. It suppresses Top1 cleavage complexes at the adduct site and induces both reversible and irreversible cleavage complexes adjacent to the CrA-PdG adduct. The formation of stable DNA–Top1 crosslinks and the induction of Top1 cleavage complexes by CrA-PdG are mutually exclusive. Lastly, we found that crotonaldehyde induces the formation of DNA–Top1 complexes in mammalian cells, which suggests a potential relationship between formation of DNA–Top1 crosslinks and the mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of crotonaldehyde

Diagnostic challenge for ovarian malignant melanoma in premenopausal women: Primary or metastatic?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the ovary, metastatic malignant melanoma may be confused with primary malignant melanoma and presents a diagnosis challenge. Most cases are associated with disseminated diseases and poor prognosis. We present this case report of a metastatic ovarian malignant melanoma simulating primary ovarian cancer.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>A 45-year-old premenopausal woman was incidentally found to have an abdominal mass, 3 years after removal of a cutaneous melanoma lesion. Ultrasound and CT scan revealed left two solid masses, which were found to be an ovarian tumor at laparotomy. Left oophorectomy was performed. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry showed melanoma metastasis to the ovary. Nine months later, the patient developed epilepsy and confusion. Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed unique Wright frontal lobe lesion. She underwent stereotactic radio surgery and dacarbazine monotherapy. For months later, the patient is died from disseminate disease progression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ovarian metastasis is an unusual presentation of cutaneous melanoma and the prognosis was dismal. As illustrated by this case report, a differential diagnosis of a metastatic malignant melanoma must be considered.</p