Functional adaptivity for digital library services in e-infrastructures: the gCube approach

We consider the problem of e-Infrastructures that wish to reconcile the generality of their services with the bespoke requirements of diverse user communities. We motivate the requirement of functional adaptivity in the context of gCube, a service-based system that integrates Grid and Digital Library technologies to deploy, operate, and monitor Virtual Research Environments defined over infrastructural resources. We argue that adaptivity requires mapping service interfaces onto multiple implementations, truly alternative interpretations of the same functionality. We then analyse two design solutions in which the alternative implementations are, respectively, full-fledged services and local components of a single service. We associate the latter with lower development costs and increased binding flexibility, and outline a strategy to deploy them dynamically as the payload of service plugins. The result is an infrastructure in which services exhibit multiple behaviours, know how to select the most appropriate behaviour, and can seamlessly learn new behaviours

A Testing Based Extraction Algorithm for Identifying Significant Communities in Networks

A common and important problem arising in the study of networks is how to divide the vertices of a given network into one or more groups, called communities, in such a way that vertices of the same community are more interconnected than vertices belonging to different ones. We propose and investigate a testing based community detection procedure called Extraction of Statistically Significant Communities (ESSC). The ESSC procedure is based on p-values for the strength of connection between a single vertex and a set of vertices under a reference distribution derived from a conditional configuration network model. The procedure automatically selects both the number of communities in the network and their size. Moreover, ESSC can handle overlapping communities and, unlike the majority of existing methods, identifies “background” vertices that do not belong to a well-defined community. The method has only one parameter, which controls the stringency of the hypothesis tests. We investigate the performance and potential use of ESSC and compare it with a number of existing methods, through a validation study using four real network data sets. In addition, we carry out a simulation study to assess the effectiveness of ESSC in networks with various types of community structure, including networks with overlapping communities and those with background vertices. These results suggest that ESSC is an effective exploratory tool for the discovery of relevant community structure in complex network systems

Aqua­{6,6′-dimeth­oxy-2,2′-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]diphenolato}(4-hydroxy­benzoato)manganese(III)

The title compound, [Mn(C18H18N2O4)(C7H5O3)(H2O)], was synthesized by a template reaction of ethane-1,2-diamine and 3-methoxy­salicylaldehyde in presence of manganese(II) 4-hydroxy­benzoate. The Jahn–Teller-distorted manganese(III) centre has an octa­hedral geometry. Extensive O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions generate a two-dimensional sheet structure parallel to (103)

Trattamento con ormone della crescita in età pediatrica. Importanza dell’aderenza alla terapia nelle varie indicazioni, con particolare riferimento alla sindrome di Turner

Riassunto L’ormone della crescita ricombinante (recombinant human Growth Hormone - rhGH) viene utilizzato da 30 anni per il trattamento di varie forme di bassa statura. Tuttavia, ancora oggi vi è un’ampia variabilità di risposta alla terapia con GH, tanto che un cospicuo numero di pazienti mostra una insoddisfacente risposta alla terapia, non raggiungendo una statura adulta normale. Da qui la necessità di un’ottimizzazione della terapia con GH e, soprattutto, di un’analisi dei vari fattori che intervengono nella risposta alla terapia stessa. Uno di questi fattori può essere la scarsa aderenza al trattamento. È stata infatti dimostrata una correlazione diretta tra il grado di aderenza e la velocità di crescita. Diversi studi hanno cercato di valutare la prevalenza della non-aderenza alla terapia con GH in età pediatrica, che risulta essere molto variabile (dal 5 all’82%), a seconda dei metodi e delle definizioni utilizzate. L’elevata frequenza, talvolta riscontrata, di scarsa aderenza alla terapia può essere dovuta al fatto che il trattamento con GH è cronico e deve essere somministrato durante differenti stadi di sviluppo del bambino, fino all’adolescenza. Numerosi fattori possono ostacolare l’aderenza alla terapia con GH nei pazienti pediatrici, come difficoltà legate al farmaco o problemi cognitivi/ emozionali. Da qui la necessità di ottimizzare la compliance, individuando degli interventi efficaci per migliorare l’aderenza alla terapia. Discutendo dell’aderenza al trattamento con ormone della crescita, una menzione particolare deve essere fatta alla sindrome di Turner, in cui la dimensione psico-sociale, considerata in tutta la sua complessità, ha un ruolo fondamentale e l’aspetto della compliance deve essere particolarmente monitorato da parte del pediatra endocrinologo. Concludendo, affrontare il problema della scarsa aderenza alla terapia con ormone della crescita in età pediatrica è fondamentale al fine di migliorare il risultato del trattamento. La valutazione dell’aderenza dovrebbe essere effettuata impiegando misure oggettive e dovrebbero essere individuati interventi efficaci per migliorare i risultati in termini di efficacia e contenimento dei costi

The Role of Hla Genes in Immune Response, Disease Susceptibility, and Social Behaviours: A Comprehensive Review

Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHC), which assist to code for proteins that distinguish between self and non-self, are significantly influenced by the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes. Particularly important in the suppression of immune response are the HLA genes. The bulk of the genes in the MHC region shows considerable variation. The two most important functions of HLA molecules are selection of T cell accumulation and the formation and control of immunological responses. The causes of HLA-G gene-associated illnesses and the underlying mechanisms are still up for dispute. The HLA-G gene has an impact on social behaviour as well. Numerous polymorphisms have been connected to heightened susceptibility to the beginning of autoimmune illnesses as well as heightened disease severity. The lifetime of some HLA genes is shorter.Genetic background, environmental circumstances, and certain polymorphisms have been linked to increased illness severity. certain HLA genes have shorter life spans than others, and vice versa. The major functional elements of HLA-G in both normal and autoimmune disorders are summarized in this study

Endocrine Autoimmunity in Association with Female Infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive after a year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, affecting 10-15% of couples. Advanced age, obesity, and certain medications can hinder fertility. Endocrine autoimmunity is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to female infertility, often complicating various gynecological conditions. Autoimmune issues involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal glands, and ovaries can impact fertility. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for diagnosing infertility, with a crucial focus on identifying potential endocrine disorders. Here we discuss how to identify endocrine autoimmune patients with ovulatory dysfunction. Women must be advised about limiting factors to be avoided, to protect their fertility. A comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms, coupled with appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, is crucial for effectively managing this complex condition and helping women achieve their reproductive goals

In vitro efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato against unfed Amblyomma parvum (Acari: Ixodidae).

Amblyomma parvum Aragão (Acari: Ixodidae) is a tick species found with wide distribution in the Neotropical region. Even though it is a wildlife-related tick, it is also a frequent parasite of domestic animals, is aggressive to human beings and may harbor pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, it is a target species for control on domestic animals, particularly those at the rural?wildlife interface. Herein, the efficacy of two isolates (E9 and IBCB 425) of an entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato, already evaluated for ticks that parasitize domestic animals, was tested against unfed A. parvum adults. Both isolates displayed high acaricidal efficacy after immersion in fungal conidial suspensions for 5 min. Isolate E9 killed all ticks by the 7th day post-treatment, and isolate IBCB 425 did so by the 11th day. Tick mortality of 80 and 90% was achieved as early as the 3rd and 4th days, respectively, with both treatments. Thus, if a commercial M. anisopliae s.l. acaricide against domestic animal ticks is developed, it would also be effective against A. parvum