Use of near-infrared light to reduce symptoms associated with restless legs syndrome in a woman: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We describe a potential new treatment option for patients suffering from restless legs syndrome. Contemporary treatment for restless legs syndrome consists mostly of dopaminergic drugs that leave some patients feeling nauseated and dizzy. A non-invasive, drug-free option would open new doors for patients suffering from restless legs syndrome.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 69-year-old Caucasian woman met International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group criteria for the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome. She had been afflicted with restless legs syndrome for over 30 years and tried many of the available pharmaceutical remedies without success. For this study she received 30-minute treatment sessions with near-infrared light, three times a week for four weeks. The restless legs syndrome rating scale was used to track symptom changes; at baseline she scored "27" on the 0 to 40 point scale, which is considered to be "severe". Our patient was almost symptom free at week two, indicated by a score of "2" on the rating scale. By week four she was completely symptom free. The symptoms slowly returned during week three post treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings suggest that near-infrared light may be a feasible method for treating patients suffering from restless legs syndrome. Undesirable side-effects from medication are non-existent. This study might revive the neglected vascular mechanism theory behind restless legs syndrome and encourage further research into this area.</p

Large Tandem, Higher Order Repeats and Regularly Dispersed Repeat Units Contribute Substantially to Divergence Between Human and Chimpanzee Y Chromosomes

Comparison of human and chimpanzee genomes has received much attention, because of paramount role for understanding evolutionary step distinguishing us from our closest living relative. In order to contribute to insight into Y chromosome evolutionary history, we study and compare tandems, higher order repeats (HORs), and regularly dispersed repeats in human and chimpanzee Y chromosome contigs, using robust Global Repeat Map algorithm. We find a new type of long-range acceleration, human-accelerated HOR regions. In peripheral domains of 35mer human alphoid HORs, we find riddled features with ten additional repeat monomers. In chimpanzee, we identify 30mer alphoid HOR. We construct alphoid HOR schemes showing significant human-chimpanzee difference, revealing rapid evolution after human-chimpanzee separation. We identify and analyze over 20 large repeat units, most of them reported here for the first time as: chimpanzee and human ~1.6 kb 3mer secondary repeat unit (SRU) and ~23.5 kb tertiary repeat unit (~0.55 kb primary repeat unit, PRU); human 10848, 15775, 20309, 60910, and 72140 bp PRUs; human 3mer SRU (~2.4 kb PRU); 715mer and 1123mer SRUs (5mer PRU); chimpanzee 5096, 10762, 10853, 60523 bp PRUs; and chimpanzee 64624 bp SRU (10853 bp PRU). We show that substantial human-chimpanzee differences are concentrated in large repeat structures, at the level of as much as ~70% divergence, sizably exceeding previous numerical estimates for some selected noncoding sequences. Smeared over the whole sequenced assembly (25 Mb) this gives ~14% human--chimpanzee divergence. This is significantly higher estimate of divergence between human and chimpanzee than previous estimates.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, 12 tables. Published in Journal of Molecular Evolutio

Identification and reconstruction of low-energy electrons in the ProtoDUNE-SP detector

Measurements of electrons from $\nu_e$ interactions are crucial for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) neutrino oscillation program, as well as searches for physics beyond the standard model, supernova neutrino detection, and solar neutrino measurements. This article describes the selection and reconstruction of low-energy (Michel) electrons in the ProtoDUNE-SP detector. ProtoDUNE-SP is one of the prototypes for the DUNE far detector, built and operated at CERN as a charged particle test beam experiment. A sample of low-energy electrons produced by the decay of cosmic muons is selected with a purity of 95%. This sample is used to calibrate the low-energy electron energy scale with two techniques. An electron energy calibration based on a cosmic ray muon sample uses calibration constants derived from measured and simulated cosmic ray muon events. Another calibration technique makes use of the theoretically well-understood Michel electron energy spectrum to convert reconstructed charge to electron energy. In addition, the effects of detector response to low-energy electron energy scale and its resolution including readout electronics threshold effects are quantified. Finally, the relation between the theoretical and reconstructed low-energy electron energy spectrum is derived and the energy resolution is characterized. The low-energy electron selection presented here accounts for about 75% of the total electron deposited energy. After the addition of lost energy using a Monte Carlo simulation, the energy resolution improves from about 40% to 25% at 50~MeV. These results are used to validate the expected capabilities of the DUNE far detector to reconstruct low-energy electrons.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure

Impact of cross-section uncertainties on supernova neutrino spectral parameter fitting in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment

A primary goal of the upcoming Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is to measure the $\mathcal{O}(10)$ MeV neutrinos produced by a Galactic core-collapse supernova if one should occur during the lifetime of the experiment. The liquid-argon-based detectors planned for DUNE are expected to be uniquely sensitive to the $\nu_e$ component of the supernova flux, enabling a wide variety of physics and astrophysics measurements. A key requirement for a correct interpretation of these measurements is a good understanding of the energy-dependent total cross section $\sigma(E_\nu)$ for charged-current $\nu_e$ absorption on argon. In the context of a simulated extraction of supernova $\nu_e$ spectral parameters from a toy analysis, we investigate the impact of $\sigma(E_\nu)$ modeling uncertainties on DUNE's supernova neutrino physics sensitivity for the first time. We find that the currently large theoretical uncertainties on $\sigma(E_\nu)$ must be substantially reduced before the $\nu_e$ flux parameters can be extracted reliably: in the absence of external constraints, a measurement of the integrated neutrino luminosity with less than 10\% bias with DUNE requires $\sigma(E_\nu)$ to be known to about 5%. The neutrino spectral shape parameters can be known to better than 10% for a 20% uncertainty on the cross-section scale, although they will be sensitive to uncertainties on the shape of $\sigma(E_\nu)$. A direct measurement of low-energy $\nu_e$-argon scattering would be invaluable for improving the theoretical precision to the needed level.Comment: 25 pages, 21 figure

Desempenho ocupacional das famílias cuidadoras de pessoas com transtornos mentais atendidas em dispositivo de atenção psicossocial

With the process of psychiatric institutionalization, treatment of people with mental disorders, characterized by long before psychiatric hospitalizations, chronicity and social exclusion, went on to defend the humanized care, the integration of the individual in the family and society. The family of the person with a mental disorder, for a considerable time was excluded from the assistance provided to his family. He is currently an important partner of care, since most people who were treated in closed institutions, today live daily with their caregivers, at home. However, families often are not prepared to act as caretakers of close family members with mental disorders, and thus experience a context of overloads in everyday life. It is not uncommon the fact they have not with satisfactory support to deal with the complex situation of caring for a relative who needs care at length in daily life. This research aims to describe the areas of occupational performance (work, rest and sleep, leisure and social participation), the caregivers families before and after the mental illness of his family and the repercussions of this fact in daily life and living conditions of family caregivers; Identify among the areas of occupational performance (work, rest and sleep, leisure and social participation), those considered most important for family caregivers, and the strategies used by them for the development of these areas, with a view to changes in their daily lives and their living conditions. This is a qualitative, critical and reflective study. Approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) of the University Hospital Lauro Wanderley the Federal University of Paraíba, in the period from July 2014 to February 2015. The instrument for data collection was semi-structured interviews. Data collection took place in October and November 2014, after receiving the assent of the CEP. The material was subjected to the analysis of data according to Minayo (2008), following three methodological steps: pre-analysis, material exploration, processing of data and interpretation. The research findings revealed that with regard to the areas of occupational performance (work, rest and sleep, leisure and social participation) of family before becoming caregivers, four of them worked before the mental illness of their relatives and family, by the will of spouse, only performed housework. With regard to rest and sleep, the five family caregivers, two reported not enjoy a good rest and sleep before getting sick of your family, a fact surely occasioned negative impact on the dynamics of your everyday life . The other three caregivers had a good rest and sleep. It was identified that the leisure of the caregivers in this study, before the mental illness of the family, was designed and related to diverse aspects. The five family caregivers interviewed reported an active social participation, whether in church, community groups, in the family. With regard to the areas of occupational performance after mental illness the family, all family caregivers have had to stop work activities outside the home to care for relatives with mental disorders. The rest and sleep of them had to suffer. The leisure and social participation of family caregivers were determined by dynamic behavior of their relatives with mental disorders. With regard to the areas of occupational performance considered the most important by family caregivers, they elected two: rest and sleep and social participation. With the completion of this study, we can see the relevance of the intervention of health workers, because through dialogue and more systematic follow-up to these families, you can help minimize the impact of a life in organized care and overloads generated by these care and so contribute to improving the quality of life of families and caregivers also of users with mental disorders.Com o processo de desinstitucionalização psiquiátrica, o tratamento das pessoas com transtornos mentais antes caracterizados por longas internações psiquiátricas, cronificação e exclusão social, passou a defender o cuidado humanizado, a reinserção do indivíduo na família e na sociedade. A família da pessoa com transtorno mental, durante tempo considerável foi excluída da assistência prestada ao seu familiar. Atualmente é uma importante parceira do cuidado, pois muitas pessoas que eram tratadas em instituições fechadas, hoje convivem diariamente com seus cuidadores, no domicílio. Porém, as famílias, muitas vezes, não estão preparadas para atuar como cuidadoras desses familiares com transtornos mentais, e assim vivenciam um contexto de sobrecargas no cotidiano. Não é raro o fato de não contarem com suporte satisfatório para lidar com a complexa situação de cuidar de um familiar, o qual necessita de cuidados durante um tempo considerável no cotidiano. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo descrever as áreas de desempenho ocupacional (trabalho; descanso e sono; lazer e participação social), das famílias cuidadoras, antes e após o adoecimento mental dos seus familiares e as repercussões desse fato no cotidiano e nas condições de vida dos familiares cuidadores; Identificar dentre as áreas de desempenho ocupacional (trabalho; descanso e sono; lazer e participação social), as que são consideradas mais importantes para os familiares cuidadores, e as estratégias utilizadas por eles para o desenvolvimento dessas áreas, com vistas a mudanças no seu cotidiano e nas suas condições de vida. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, crítico e reflexivo. Aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa (CEP) do Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, desenvolvido no período de julho de 2014 a fevereiro de 2015. O instrumento para coleta de dados foi a entrevista semiestruturada. A coleta de dados aconteceu nos meses de outubro e novembro de 2014, após recebimento do parecer favorável do CEP. O material foi submetido a análise de dados segundo Minayo (2008), seguindo três passos metodológicos: pré-análise, exploração do material, tratamento dos dados obtidos e interpretação. Os achados da pesquisa revelaram que no tocante às áreas de desempenho ocupacional (trabalho, descanso e sono, lazer e participação social) dos familiares antes de se tornarem cuidadores, quatro delas trabalhavam antes do adoecimento mental de seus familiares e uma familiar, por vontade do esposo, só realizava trabalhos domésticos. No que diz respeito ao descanso e sono, das cinco cuidadoras familiares, duas relataram não desfrutarem de um bom descanso e sono, antes do processo de adoecimento do seu familiar, fato este, com certeza, que ocasionava repercussões negativas na dinâmica de seu dia a dia. As outras três cuidadoras apresentavam bom descanso e sono. Identificou-se que o lazer das cuidadoras desse estudo, antes do adoecimento mental do familiar, era concebido e relacionado a aspectos diversificados. As cinco cuidadoras familiares entrevistadas relataram uma participação social atuante, seja na igreja, nos grupos comunitários e na família. No que diz respeito às áreas de desempenho ocupacional após o adoecimento mental do familiar, todas as cuidadoras familiares tiveram de interromper as atividades de trabalho fora de casa para cuidar de familiares com transtornos mentais. O descanso e sono delas apresentavam-se prejudicados. O lazer e a participação social das cuidadoras familiares eram determinados pela dinâmica de comportamento dos seus familiares com transtornos mentais. No concernente às áreas de desempenho ocupacional consideradas as mais importantes pelas cuidadoras familiares, estas elegeram duas: descanso e sono e participação social. Com a realização desse estudo, percebe-se a relevância da intervenção dos trabalhadores da saúde, pois mediante o diálogo e acompanhamento mais sistemático a essas famílias, pode-se contribuir para minimizar o impacto de uma vida organizada em cuidados e sobrecargas geradas por esses cuidados e assim colaborar para a melhoria da qualidade de vida das famílias cuidadoras e também dos usuários com transtornos mentais

Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Supported by F. Hoffmann–La Roche

Highly-parallelized simulation of a pixelated LArTPC on a GPU

The rapid development of general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) is allowing the implementation of highly-parallelized Monte Carlo simulation chains for particle physics experiments. This technique is particularly suitable for the simulation of a pixelated charge readout for time projection chambers, given the large number of channels that this technology employs. Here we present the first implementation of a full microphysical simulator of a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) equipped with light readout and pixelated charge readout, developed for the DUNE Near Detector. The software is implemented with an end-to-end set of GPU-optimized algorithms. The algorithms have been written in Python and translated into CUDA kernels using Numba, a just-in-time compiler for a subset of Python and NumPy instructions. The GPU implementation achieves a speed up of four orders of magnitude compared with the equivalent CPU version. The simulation of the current induced on 10^3 pixels takes around 1 ms on the GPU, compared with approximately 10 s on the CPU. The results of the simulation are compared against data from a pixel-readout LArTPC prototype