Software errors and complexity: An empirical investigation

The distributions and relationships derived from the change data collected during the development of a medium scale satellite software project show that meaningful results can be obtained which allow an insight into software traits and the environment in which it is developed. Modified and new modules were shown to behave similarly. An abstract classification scheme for errors which allows a better understanding of the overall traits of a software project is also shown. Finally, various size and complexity metrics are examined with respect to errors detected within the software yielding some interesting results

Autoantibodies in inflammatory arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic chronic inflammatory disease characterized by extensive synovitis resulting in erosions of articular cartilage and marginal bone with joint destruction. The lack of immunological tolerance in RA represents the first step toward the development of autoimmunity. Susceptible individuals, under the influence of environmental factors, such as tobacco smoke, and silica exposure, develop autoimmune phenomena that result in the presence of autoantibodies. HLA and non-HLA haplotypes play a major role in determining the development of specific autoantibodies differentiating anti-citrullinated antibodies (ACPA)-positive and negative RA patients. Rheumatoid factor (RF) and ACPA are the serological markers for RA, and during the preclinical immunological phase, autoantibody titers increase with a progressive spread of ACPA antigens repertoire. The presence of ACPA represents an independent risk factor for developing RA in patients with undifferentiated arthritis or arthralgia. Moreover, anti-CarP antibodies have been identified in patients with RA as well as in individuals before the onset of clinical symptoms of RA. Several autoantibodies mainly targeting post-translational modified proteins have been investigated as possible biomarkers to improve the early diagnosis, prognosis and response to therapy in RA patients. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is distinguished from RA by infrequent positivity for RF and ACPA, together with other distinctive clinical features. Actually, specific autoantibodies have not been described. Recently, anti-CarP antibodies have been reported in sera from PsA patients with active disease. Further investigations on autoantibodies showing high specificity and sensibility as well as relevant correlation with disease severity, progression, and response to therapy are awaited in inflammatory arthritides

A study of maternal competence in preterm birth condition, during the transition from hospital to home: An early intervention program’s proposal

The study was conducted with 104 mothers (average age 32.5 years, SD 6.1) of preterm infants (very and moderately preterm but still healthy) to monitor the perceived maternal role competence from the time of hospitalisation to post-discharge, in order to define an intervention program to support mothers during this transition. A targeted Q-Sort tool (Maternal Competence Q-Sort in preterm birth) was applied at two different times as a self-observation tool for parenting competence in neonatology. A tendency towards dysregulation of the maternal role competence was detected, mainly in terms of low self-assessment and was found to worsen during post-discharge, particularly with regard to caregiving ability. This study suggests the importance of accompanying parenting competence in preterm birth conditions, not only during hospitalisation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but also following discharge in order to promote the development of premature infants. This paper reports in the last part a specific integrated psychoeducational intervention program (psychologist and nurses), which we defined precisely in light of the suggestions offered by the study data on perceived maternal competence created with the Q-sort

Convolutional architectures for virtual screening

Background: A Virtual Screening algorithm has to adapt to the different stages of this process. Early screening needs to ensure that all bioactive compounds are ranked in the first positions despite of the number of false positives, while a second screening round is aimed at increasing the prediction accuracy. Results: A novel CNN architecture is presented to this aim, which predicts bioactivity of candidate compounds on CDK1 using a combination of molecular fingerprints as their vector representation, and has been trained suitably to achieve good results as regards both enrichment factor and accuracy in different screening modes (98.55% accuracy in active-only selection, and 98.88% in high precision discrimination). Conclusion: The proposed architecture outperforms state-of-the-art ML approaches, and some interesting insights on molecular fingerprints are devised

Restoration of peripheral blood natural killer and B cell levels in patients affected by rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis during etanercept treatment

Etanercept (ETN) is an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α agent used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Few studies focused on the effects of anti-TNF-α on peripheral blood cells. We aimed to evaluate peripheral blood cells in RA and PsA patients during ETN treatment and to explore their relationships with disease activity. RA (n = 82) and PsA (n = 32) patients who started ETN were included into the study and evaluated prospectively before the beginning of ETN therapy and after 14, 22, 54 and 102 weeks. Patients were studied in terms of disease activity score on 28 joints (DAS28), clinical response and laboratory findings. Natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells were characterized by immunophenotyping. Both the RA and the PsA patients showed reduced NK and B cell count before ETN treatment compared with controls. A negative correlation was demonstrated between DAS28 and B cell count in RA patients at baseline. Sustained significant increase of NK and B cells up to normal levels was observed in RA and PsA patients along ETN treatment. Increase of NK cell count was associated with a good-moderate clinical response to ETN in both RA and PsA patients. During ETN treatment peripheral blood NK and B cells levels were restored in RA and PsA patients. Correlations between NK and B cells with disease activity were observed, suggesting that those effects could be mediated by ETN treatment.Etanercept (ETN) is an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α agent used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Few studies focused on the effects of anti-TNF-α on peripheral blood cells. We aimed to evaluate peripheral blood cells in RA and PsA patients during ETN treatment and to explore their relationships with disease activity. RA (n = 82) and PsA (n = 32) patients who started ETN were included into the study and evaluated prospectively before the beginning of ETN therapy and after 14, 22, 54 and 102 weeks. Patients were studied in terms of disease activity score on 28 joints (DAS28), clinical response and laboratory findings. Natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells were characterized by immunophenotyping. Both the RA and the PsA patients showed reduced NK and B cell count before ETN treatment compared with controls. A negative correlation was demonstrated between DAS28 and B cell count in RA patients at baseline. Sustained significant increase of NK and B cells up to normal levels was observed in RA and PsA patients along ETN treatment. Increase of NK cell count was associated with a good-moderate clinical response to ETN in both RA and PsA patients. During ETN treatment peripheral blood NK and B cells levels were restored in RA and PsA patients. Correlations between NK and B cells with disease activity were observed, suggesting that those effects could be mediated by ETN treatment

Il PON Reti e Mobilità e gli obiettivi di Sostenibilità: il ruolo del Piano di Monitoraggio Ambientale

The National Operative Program (PON) “Reti e mobilità” has been approved by European Commission on the 7th of December 2007. The strategic approach of the PON, exclusively devoted to the socalled “convergence regions” of Italy (Campania, Calabria, Sicilia, Puglia), aims to: 1. improve the modal balance by an economic, social and environmental perspective; 2. develop the inter-modality in order to move towards the integration of convergence area into the network of the European transport system; 3. improve the mobility and the accessibility, also to reduce the traffic congestion; 4. increase the efficiency related to security standards, to management techniques and to the quality of transportation services in the sector of freight; 5. guarantee the reduction of environmental impacts through a global improvement of the efficiency of the transport systems. In such a way it is clear that the PON “Reti e mobilità” takes greatly into account the Sustainability principles recognized at European scale as attested by the budget, namely over the 70% of the entire fund, associated with low-impacts infrastructures (railways and harbors). The PON has been submitted to the SEA procedure, following what the 2001/42/CE Directive establishes. The Environmental Report of PON devotes great attention to the monitoring activity as shown by the reported recommendation about the need for adequate measures for the environmental monitoring, also in order to apply corrective measures during the implementation of the program. By this point of view, a first and important step has been the elaboration of the “Environmental Monitoring Plan” (EMP) that represents the main methodological document for the following implementation of the monitoring activity. This paper, after a brief presentation of the program and of the objectives of Sustainability that the Programs aims to pursue through the realization of specific projects, is devoted to introduce the Environmental Monitoring Plan of the PON that has been approved by the Ministry of the Infrastructures and Transport -in charge as Management Authority of the PON- in February 2011. In detail, the PMA represents the tool through which, the Management Authority, that has specific responsibilities and functions in terms of monitoring and environmental assessment of the program, controls the significant impacts on the environment caused by the implementation of the PON and verify the level of achievement of the established objectives of environmental sustainability. The structure of EMP is based on three main aspects: 1) the adoption of the results of other interesting experiences carried out by experts institutions on the topic; 2) an approach favoring the creation of an “integrated” monitoring system with the others Operative Programs activated at regional scale; 3) the implementation of a cooperation and shared process with all the directly-involved actors

Long-term ustekinumab therapy of psoriasis in patients with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren syndrome. Report of two cases and review of literature

Background: Inteleukin (IL)12 and IL23 are two main cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disease. IL12 is produced by macrophages and B lymphocytes and mediates differentiation of Th1 lymphocytes, while IL23 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine essential for the differentiation of Th17 cells. Ustekinumab is a human monoclonal antibody directed against the p40 protein subunit shared by IL12 and IL23, therefore it blocks the signal transmission of both cytokines. Main observations: We present two cases and discuss the long-term efficacy of ustekinumab as a treatment of psoriasis in patients affected by autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome, who presented with severe psoriasis after anti-TNF treatment. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, these are the first cases reported in the literature describing the long-term good efficacy of ustekinumab not only on paradoxical forms of psoriasis induced by anti-TNF-α drugs, but also on the articular involvement in a patient affected by RA and in a patient affected by Sjögren syndrome

Green tea and pomegranate extract administered during critical moments of the production cycle improves blood antiradical activity and alters cecal microbial ecology of broiler chickens

Phytobiotics are usually tested in feed and throughout the production cycle. However, it could be beneficial to evaluate their effects when administered only during critical moments, such as changes in feeding phases. The aim of the trial was to investigate the effect of a commercial plant extract (PE; IQV-10-P01, InQpharm Animal Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on growth performance, blood antiradical activity and cecal microbiome when administered in drinking water to broiler chickens during the post-hatching phase and at each change of diet. In the experiment, 480 1-day-old male broiler chicks were assigned to two groups in a 50-day trial. Broilers received drinking water (C) or drinking water plus PE (T) at a rate of 2 mL/L on days 0 to 4, 10\u201311 and 20\u2013 21. PE did not affect performance and water intake, while total antiradical activity was improved (p < 0.05). A greater abundance of lactic acid bacteria (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05) was found in the T group and the result was confirmed at a lower taxonomic level with higher Lactobacillaceae abundance (FDR < 0.05). Our findings suggest that PE administration during critical moments of the production cycle of broiler chickens may exert beneficial effects at a systemic level and on gut microbial ecology

Evaluation of Clinical and Ultrasonographic Parameters in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Treated with Adalimumab: A Retrospective Study

Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and US-PD parameters in PsA during adalimumab treatment. Methods. A retrospective study has been conducted in forty patients affected by moderate-to-severe peripheral PsA. Clinical, laboratory, and US-PD evaluations were performed at baseline, after 4, 12, and 24 weeks of treatment. They included erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), visual analogue scale (VAS), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) modified for Spondyloarthritis, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score, the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS 28), and US-PD assessment. US-PD findings were scored according to a semiquantitative scale (ranging 0–3) for synovial proliferation (SP), joint effusion (SE), bone erosions (BE), and PD. Results. Data obtained for clinical, laboratory findings and US-PD evaluation showed statistical significant improvement in all the measures performed except for BE. A significant parallel decrease in SE, SP, and PD values were demonstrated. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that US-PD is a valid technique in monitoring the response to adalimumab in moderate-to-severe PsA