DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEMS AND THEARAPEUTIC BEHAVIOUR IN CHILDREN WITH NEUROBLASTOMA

No abstrac

LIPID METABOLISM IN DIABETICS WITH AND WITHOUT BLOOD PRESSURE INCREASE

No abstrac

LIPID METABOLISM IN DIABETIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT BLOOD PRESSURE INCREASE

No abstrac

Brain age estimation at tract group level and its association with daily life measures, cardiac risk factors and genetic variants

Abstract Brain age can be estimated using different Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) modalities including diffusion MRI. Recent studies demonstrated that white matter (WM) tracts that share the same function might experience similar alterations. Therefore, in this work, we sought to investigate such issue focusing on five WM bundles holding that feature that is Association, Brainstem, Commissural, Limbic and Projection fibers, respectively. For each tract group, we estimated brain age for 15,335 healthy participants from United Kingdom Biobank relying on diffusion MRI data derived endophenotypes, Bayesian ridge regression modeling and 10 fold-cross validation. Furthermore, we estimated brain age for an Ensemble model that gathers all the considered WM bundles. Association analysis was subsequently performed between the estimated brain age delta as resulting from the six models, that is for each tract group as well as for the Ensemble model, and 38 daily life style measures, 14 cardiac risk factors and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging features and genetic variants. The Ensemble model that used all tracts from all fiber groups (FG) performed better than other models to estimate brain age. Limbic tracts based model reached the highest accuracy with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 5.08, followed by the Commissural ( $$\hbox {MAE}=5.23$$ MAE = 5.23 ), Association ( $$\hbox {MAE}=5.24$$ MAE = 5.24 ), and Projection ( $$\hbox {MAE}=5.28$$ MAE = 5.28 ) ones. The Brainstem tracts based model was the less accurate achieving a MAE of 5.86. Accordingly, our study suggests that the Limbic tracts experience less brain aging or allows for more accurate estimates compared to other tract groups. Moreover, the results suggest that Limbic tract leads to the largest number of significant associations with daily lifestyle factors than the other tract groups. Lastly, two SNPs were significantly (p value $$< 5\hbox {E}{-}8$$ < 5 E - 8 ) associated with brain age delta in the Projection fibers. Those SNPs are mapped to HIST1H1A and SLC17A3 genes

Optical photometric and spectral study of the new FU Orionis object V2493 Cygni (HBC 722)

Aims. We present new results from optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruptive pre-main sequence star V2493 Cyg (HBC 722). The object has continued to undergo significant brightness variations over the past few months and is an ideal target for follow-up observations. Methods. We carried out CCD BVRI photometric observations in the field of V2493 Cyg (“Gulf of Mexico”) from August 1994 to April 2012, i.e. at the pre-outburst states and during the phases of the outburst. We acquired high, medium, and low resolution spectroscopy of V2493 Cyg during the outburst. To study the pre-outburst variability of the target and construct its historical light curve, we searched for archival observations in photographic plate collections. Both CCD and photographic observations were analyzed using 15 comparison stars in the field of V2493 Cyg. Results. The pre-outburst photographic and CCD photometric observations of V2493 Cyg show low-amplitude light variations typical of T Tauri stars. The recent photometric data show a slow light decrease from October 2010 to June 2011 followed by an increase in brightness that continued until early 2012. The spectral observations of V2493 Cyg are typical of FU Orionis stars absorption spectra with strong P Cyg profiles of Hα and Na I D lines. On the basis of photometric monitoring performed over the past two years, the spectral properties at the maximal light, as well as the shape of long-term light curves, we confirm that the observed outburst of V2493 Cyg is of FU Orionis type

The Volatile Fraction of Comets as Quantified at Infrared Wavelengths - An Emerging Taxonomy and Implications for Natal Heritage

It is relatively easy to identify the reservoir from which a given comet was ejected. But dynamical models demonstrate that the main cometary reservoirs (Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud) each contain icy bodies that formed in a range of environments in the protoplanetary disk, and the Oort Cloud may even contain bodies that formed in disks of sibling stars in the Sun s birth cluster. The cometary nucleus contains clues to the formative region(s) of its individual components. The composition of ices and rocky grains reflect a range of processes experienced by material while on the journey from the natal interstellar cloud core to the cometary nucleus. For that reason, emphasis is placed on classifying comets according to their native ices and dust (rather than orbital dynamics). Mumma & Charnley [1] reviewed the current status of taxonomies for comets and relation to their natal heritage

YETI observations of the young transiting planet candidate CVSO 30 b

CVSO 30 is a unique young low-mass system, because, for the first time, a close-in transiting and a wide directly imaged planet candidates are found around a common host star. The inner companion, CVSO 30 b, is the first possible young transiting planet orbiting a previously known weak-lined T-Tauri star. With five telescopes of the 'Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative' (YETI) located in Asia, Europe and South America we monitored CVSO 30 over three years in a total of 144 nights and detected 33 fading events. In two more seasons we carried out follow-up observations with three telescopes. We can confirm that there is a change in the shape of the fading event between different observations and that the fading event even disappears and reappears. A total of 38 fading event light curves were simultaneously modelled. We derived the planetary, stellar, and geometrical properties of the system and found them slightly smaller but in agreement with the values from the discovery paper. The period of the fading event was found to be 1.36 s shorter and 100 times more precise than the previous published value. If CVSO 30 b would be a giant planet on a precessing orbit, which we cannot confirm, yet, the precession period may be shorter than previously thought. But if confirmed as a planet it would be the youngest transiting planet ever detected and will provide important constraints on planet formation and migration time-scales.Comment: 14 pages (20 with appendix), 7 figures (16 with appendix), 6 tables (7 with appendix

Increased expression of integrin-linked kinase is associated with shorter survival in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) promotes tumor growth and invasion. Increased ILK expression is correlated with progression of several tumor types, but the expression of ILK has not been investigated in patients with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). METHODS: We investigated ILK expression in patients with NSCLC by means of immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: ILK expression was significantly associated with tumor grade, T status, lymph node metastasis and stage. (p = 0.0169 for tumor grade; p = 0.0006 for T status; p = 0.0002 for lymph node metastasis; p < 0.0001 for stage). The 5-year survival rates for patients with strong and weak or no ILK expression levels were 20% and 59%, respectively: the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis of survival revealed that ILK expression, T status, N status and vascular invasion were statistically significant prognostic factors (p = 0.0218 for ILK; p = 0.0046 for T status; p < 0.0001 for N status; p < 0.0001 for vascular invasion). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that increased expression of ILK is a poor prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC