A semantic web approach for built heritage representation

In a built heritage process, meant as a structured system of activities aimed at the investigation, preservation, and management of architectural heritage, any task accomplished by the several actors involved in it is deeply influenced by the way the knowledge is represented and shared. In the current heritage practice, knowledge representation and management have shown several limitations due to the difficulty of dealing with large amount of extremely heterogeneous data. On this basis, this research aims at extending semantic web approaches and technologies to architectural heritage knowledge management in order to provide an integrated and multidisciplinary representation of the artifact and of the knowledge necessary to support any decision or any intervention and management activity. To this purpose, an ontology-based system, representing the knowledge related to the artifact and its contexts, has been developed through the formalization of domain-specific entities and relationships between them

Biosensors for Biomolecular Computing: a Review and Future Perspectives

Biomolecular computing is the field of engineering where computation, storage, communication, and coding are obtained by exploiting interactions between biomolecules, especially DNA, RNA, and enzymes. They are a promising solution in a long-term vision, bringing huge parallelism and negligible power consumption. Despite significant efforts in taking advantage of the massive computational power of biomolecules, many issues are still open along the way for considering biomolecular circuits as an alternative or a complement to competing with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) architectures. According to the Von Neumann architecture, computing systems are composed of a central processing unit, a storage unit, and input and output (I/O). I/O operations are crucial to drive and read the computing core and to interface it to other devices. In emerging technologies, the complexity overhead and the bottleneck of I/O systems are usually limiting factors. While computing units and memories based on biomolecular systems have been successfully presented in literature, the published I/O operations are still based on laboratory equipment without a real development of integrated I/O. Biosensors are suitable devices for transducing biomolecular interactions by converting them into electrical signals. In this work, we explore the latest advancements in biomolecular computing, as well as in biosensors, with focus on technology suitable to provide the required and still missing I/O devices. Therefore, our goal is to picture out the present and future perspectives about DNA, RNA, and enzymatic-based computing according to the progression in its I/O technologies, and to understand how the field of biosensors contributes to the research beyond CMOS

Crystal structures reveal transient <scp>PERK</scp> luminal domain tetramerization in endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling

Stress caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) elicits a cellular unfolded protein response (UPR) aimed at maintaining protein-folding capacity. PERK, a key upstream component, recognizes ER stress via its luminal sensor/transducer domain, but the molecular events that lead to UPR activation remain unclear. Here, we describe the crystal structures of mammalian PERK luminal domains captured in dimeric state as well as in a novel tetrameric state. Small angle X-ray scattering analysis (SAXS) supports the existence of both crystal structures also in solution. The salient feature of the tetramer interface, a helix swapped between dimers, implies transient association. Moreover, interface mutations that disrupt tetramer formation in vitro reduce phosphorylation of PERK and its target eIF2α in cells. These results suggest that transient conversion from dimeric to tetrameric state may be a key regulatory step in UPR activation. Synopsis Activation of unfolded protein response (UPR) upon ER stress involves key regulatory roles of ER-luminal sensor/transducer domains in UPR signaling factors. Structural and functional analyses of the PERK luminal domain reveal a novel tetrameric arrangement, whose transient formation may be an important step in UPR activation. Crystal structure of human PERK luminal domain shows a novel tetramer arrangement. Crystal structure of mouse PERK luminal domain is captured in dimeric form. Biophysical analysis confirm that both mouse and human proteins exist as dimers as well as tetramers in solution. Mutations that disrupt tetramerization in solution reduce phosphorylation of PERK and its target eIF2α in cells. Structural and functional analyses of the PERK luminal domain reveal a novel tetrameric arrangement, whose transient formation may be an important step in activation of the unfolded protein response

Improving plan quality and consistency by standardization of dose constraints in prostate cancer patients treated with CyberKnife.

Treatment plans for prostate cancer patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are often challenging due to the proximity of organs at risk. Today, there are no objective criteria to determine whether an optimal treatment plan has been achieved, and physicians rely on their personal experience to evaluate the plan's quality. In this study, we propose a method for determining rectal and bladder dose constraints achievable for a given patient's anatomy. We expect that this method will improve the overall plan quality and consistency, and facilitate comparison of clinical outcomes across different institutions. The 3D proximity of the organs at risk to the target is quantified by means of the expansion-intersection volume (EIV), which is defined as the intersection volume between the target and the organ at risk expanded by 5 mm. We determine a relationship between EIV and relevant dosimetric parameters, such as the volume of bladder and rectum receiving 75% of the prescription dose (V75%). This relationship can be used to establish institution-specific criteria to guide the treatment planning and evaluation process. A database of 25 prostate patients treated with CyberKnife SBRT is used to validate this approach. There is a linear correlation between EIV and V75% of bladder and rectum, confirming that the dose delivered to rectum and bladder increases with increasing extension and proximity of these organs to the target. This information can be used during the planning stage to facilitate the plan optimization process, and to standardize plan quality and consistency. We have developed a method for determining customized dose constraints for prostate patients treated with robotic SBRT. Although the results are technology specific and based on the experience of a single institution, we expect that the application of this method by other institutions will result in improved standardization of clinical practice

Euler-Bessel and Euler-Fourier Transforms

We consider a topological integral transform of Bessel (concentric isospectral sets) type and Fourier (hyperplane isospectral sets) type, using the Euler characteristic as a measure. These transforms convert constructible \zed-valued functions to continuous $\real$-valued functions over a vector space. Core contributions include: the definition of the topological Bessel transform; a relationship in terms of the logarithmic blowup of the topological Fourier transform; and a novel Morse index formula for the transforms. We then apply the theory to problems of target reconstruction from enumerative sensor data, including localization and shape discrimination. This last application utilizes an extension of spatially variant apodization (SVA) to mitigate sidelobe phenomena

Tuberculosis burden in stage 5 chronic kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis therapy at Livingstone Hospital, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) is currently the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. Patients who receive dialysis are particularly vulnerable to TB infection owing to immune dysfunction. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of incidence data on dialysis patients infected with TB in high-burden countries, such as South Africa (SA).Objectives. To determine the incidence of TB in prevalent chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD-5D) patients on dialysis at a single centre in Eastern Cape Province, SA, and to identify the risk factors associated with TB infection.Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all consenting CKD-5D patients between April 2010 and March 2014 at Livingstone Hospital Renal Unit, Port Elizabeth, the Eastern Cape. TB was defined as definite or probable according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and the cohort was split into those who developed TB (TB+) and those who did not (TB−).Results. One hundred and eleven patients were enrolled – predominantly black Africans (73%) and women (53%); the mean age (standard deviation (SD)) was 42 (9.8) years. The prevalence of HIV infection was 11%, all patients were receiving antiretroviral treatment and all had suppressed viral loads. Sixty-eight patients were on haemodialysis and 43 on peritoneal dialysis. Nineteen patients were diagnosed with 20 episodes of TB; 14 cases were pulmonary TB and 6 cases extrapulmonary TB. Of the patients with TB, 2 were HIV-infected, 7 (35%) were definite TB cases and 13 (65%) were probable cases. The calculated incidence rate was 4 505/100 000 patient years. Only informal housing (30% in TB+ v. 12% in TB−; p=0.042) and a history of hospitalisation (90% v. 76%, respectively; p=0.042) were significantly associated with a diagnosis of TB.Conclusions. Dialysis patients in the Eastern Cape region of SA are at extremely high risk of acquiring TB, with an incidence rate 4.1 times that of the local population and &gt;5 times that of the general SA population. Only informal housing and a history of hospitalisation were identified as positive risk factors for TB in this young population with a low HIV prevalence. Isoniazid prophylaxis in this high-risk group might be of benefit, but further studies are required to inform such treatment

NEW MOHO MAP OF ITALY

In complex tectonics regions, seismological, geophysical, and geodynamic modeling require accurate definition of the Moho geometry. Various active and passive seismic experiments performed in the central Mediterranean region revealed local information on the Moho depth, in some cases used to produce interpolated maps. In this paper, we present a new and original map of the 3-D Moho geometry obtained by integrating selected high-quality controlled source seismic and teleseismic receiver function data. The very small cell size makes the retrieved model suitable for detailed regional studies, crustal corrections in teleseismic tomography, advanced 3-D ray tracing in regional earthquake location, and local earthquake tomography. Our results show the geometry of three different Moho interfaces: the European, Adriatic-Ionian, and Tyrrhenian. The three distinct Moho are fashioned following the Alpine and Apennines subduction, collision, and back-arc spreading and show medium- to high-frequency topographic undulations reflecting the complexity of the geodynamic evolution