Case Report: Morphologic and Functional Characteristics of Intestinal Mucosa in a Child With Short Bowel Syndrome After Treatment With Teduglutide: Evidence in Favor of GLP-2 Analog Safety

Teduglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analog employed in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) to reduce the need of parenteral nutrition in these patients, by virtue of its effects on enteric function. The experimental studies reported that the stimulating action of GLP-2 on epithelial turnover implies the potential development of dysplastic and neoplastic lesion. However, the clinical trials could not detect preneoplastic lesions on histologic material, and in a recent pilot study the occurrence of polyps was similar before and after treatment and included only low-grade dysplastic lesions. Another clue in GLP-2 function in stimulating mucosal restore is its enhancement through cooperation with epidermal growth factor (EGF). In this study, we analyzed gastroscopy and colonoscopy samplings from a child successfully weaned off parenteral nutrition with teduglutide. Villous and crypt structure was regular both in duodenal and in colonic samplings; in properly oriented villi, villus/crypt ratio was regular. The absorptive epithelium demonstrated a regular morphology. No atypia was detected in enterocytes, along epithelial structures. At the ultrastructural analysis, only a few enterocytes with vacuolized cytoplasm were observed. An S-phase marker Ki67 stained nuclei in the transitional amplifying zone, while nuclei stained by the cell cycle regulatory proteins p21 and p27 were placed in the differentiated epithelium of the duodenal villi and colonic crypts, as in the control cases. The counts of enterocytes immunostained with the same antisera, evaluated with image analysis software, were in the range of control cases. The ratio of the number of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signals/the number of centromere probe of chromosome 7 (CEP7) signals was less than 2. The findings available from this single patient are consistent with good preservation of functional capability of intestinal epithelium after treatment with GLP-2, given the histologic and ultrastructural features of enterocytes. In addition, the findings from cell cycle regulatory proteins immunolocalization and quantitative analysis show that cell renewal machinery in our case is comparable to control cases. The gene of the receptor EGFR is regularly expressed in enteric epithelium of our case. Morphologic and functional data from our patient improve evidence in favor of the safety of GLP-2 employ in SBS

Climate mitigation models need to become circular : let's start with the construction sector

ABSTRACT: Circular Economy (CE) is presented today as the way forward to achieving a sustainable and carbon-neutral society. Yet, circularity assessment tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), and Supply and value-chain analysis are currently disconnected from the models used to advise bodies that steer sustainability-driven policies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate mitigation models (henceforth climate models) are used in policy discussions and international negotiations to track GHG emissions and identify pathways towards a low-carbon economy. One example is the JRC-EU-TIMES model developed by the International Energy Agency or the PRIMES model, which is the backbone of the energy and climate policy of the European Union (EU). These climate models are inherently suitable for representing only linear patterns of economic activity, where GHG emissions are modelled per economic sector (primary energy resource extraction, final energy generation, energy, and materials used in industry, buildings, etc.).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An artificial intelligence-based collaboration approach in industrial IoT manufacturing : key concepts, architectural extensions and potential applications

The digitization of manufacturing industry has led to leaner and more efficient production, under the Industry 4.0 concept. Nowadays, datasets collected from shop floor assets and information technology (IT) systems are used in data-driven analytics efforts to support more informed business intelligence decisions. However, these results are currently only used in isolated and dispersed parts of the production process. At the same time, full integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in all parts of manufacturing systems is currently lacking. In this context, the goal of this manuscript is to present a more holistic integration of AI by promoting collaboration. To this end, collaboration is understood as a multi-dimensional conceptual term that covers all important enablers for AI adoption in manufacturing contexts and is promoted in terms of business intelligence optimization, human-in-the-loop and secure federation across manufacturing sites. To address these challenges, the proposed architectural approach builds on three technical pillars: (1) components that extend the functionality of the existing layers in the Reference Architectural Model for Industry 4.0; (2) definition of new layers for collaboration by means of human-in-the-loop and federation; (3) security concerns with AI-powered mechanisms. In addition, system implementation aspects are discussed and potential applications in industrial environments, as well as business impacts, are presented

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Households’ vulnerability from trade in Vietnam

This paper assesses vulnerability from trade in Vietnam by presenting an extended version of Ligon and Schechter’s (2003) Vulnerability as low Expected Utility (VEU) measure. It uses the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys (VHLSS) panel data covering the period 2002–06. The empirical results show that risk-induced vulnerability and heterogeneity in trade exposure matter in determining household overall vulnerability and that this is not linked to the actual manifestation of shocks. Although it does not represent, by any means, an argument against free trade, this work is relevant for policymaking since it contributes to deepen our knowledge on the subtle links between trade openness and vulnerability and informs us about suitable instruments to accompany it

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI