2,250 research outputs found
Zebrafish and other aquatic models in Mediterranean labs; THE ZEBRAFISH MODEL IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Flow-Diversion Treatment of Unruptured Saccular Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Polymorphism of Beta2-Adrenoceptor and Regular Use of Formoterol in Asthma: Preliminary Results
Polymorphism at codon 16 of the beta2-adrenoceptor (beta2-AR) affects the responsiveness to salmeterol in asthmatics. Data concerning formoterol are more controversial in the literature. The aim of this study was to verify whether homozygous for arginine-16 (ArgArg16) and homozygous for glycine-16 (GlyGly16) genotypes differently influence the long-term responsiveness to formoterol. Twenty-nine patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, in stable clinical conditions, underwent genotyping at codon 16 of the beta2-AR by RFLP-PCR assay. The effects of a 4-week monotherapy with formoterol (12 μg BID) were tested on the peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability and the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) slope of the dose-response curve to salbutamol. Variability in PEF significantly increased during the 4-week treatment period in 14 patients with GlyGly16, but not in 15 patients with ArgArg16 and ArgGly16 (P=0.032). The FEV1 slope of the dose-response curve to salbutamol decreased after the 4-week treatment period in GlyGly16, but not in pooled ArgArg16 and ArgGly16 patients. This study provides preliminary evidence that tolerance to formoterol develops more frequently in asthmatics with GlyGly16 genotype. If confirmed in a larger population, this finding might be useful in choosing the bronchodilator therapy on the basis of genetic polymorphism of the beta2-AR
Null Models of Economic Networks: The Case of the World Trade Web
In all empirical-network studies, the observed properties of economic
networks are informative only if compared with a well-defined null model that
can quantitatively predict the behavior of such properties in constrained
graphs. However, predictions of the available null-model methods can be derived
analytically only under assumptions (e.g., sparseness of the network) that are
unrealistic for most economic networks like the World Trade Web (WTW). In this
paper we study the evolution of the WTW using a recently-proposed family of
null network models. The method allows to analytically obtain the expected
value of any network statistic across the ensemble of networks that preserve on
average some local properties, and are otherwise fully random. We compare
expected and observed properties of the WTW in the period 1950-2000, when
either the expected number of trade partners or total country trade is kept
fixed and equal to observed quantities. We show that, in the binary WTW,
node-degree sequences are sufficient to explain higher-order network properties
such as disassortativity and clustering-degree correlation, especially in the
last part of the sample. Conversely, in the weighted WTW, the observed sequence
of total country imports and exports are not sufficient to predict higher-order
patterns of the WTW. We discuss some important implications of these findings
for international-trade models.Comment: 39 pages, 46 figures, 2 table
Zebrafish and other aquatic models in Mediterranean labs; ZEBRAFISH, KILLIFISH, OCTOPUS... AND BEYOND
Integrand reduction of one-loop scattering amplitudes through Laurent series expansion
We present a semi-analytic method for the integrand reduction of one-loop
amplitudes, based on the systematic application of the Laurent expansions to
the integrand-decomposition. In the asymptotic limit, the coefficients of the
master integrals are the solutions of a diagonal system of equations, properly
corrected by counterterms whose parametric form is konwn a priori. The Laurent
expansion of the integrand is implemented through polynomial division. The
extension of the integrand-reduction to the case of numerators with rank larger
than the number of propagators is discussed as well.Comment: v2: Published version: references and two appendices added. v3:
Eq.(6.11) corrected, Appendix B updated accordingl
Wigner-function theory and decoherence of the quantum-injected optical parametric amplifier
Recent experimental results demonstrated the generation of a quantum
superpositon (MQS), involving a number of photons in excess of 5x10^4, which
showed a high resilience to losses. In order to perform a complete analysis on
the effects of de-coherence on this multiphoton fields, obtained through the
Quantum Injected Optical Parametric Amplifier (QIOPA), we invesigate
theoretically the evolution of the Wigner functions associated to these states
in lossy conditions. Recognizing the presence of negative regions in the
W-representation as an evidence of non-classicality, we focus our analysis on
this feature. A close comparison with the MQS based on coherent states allows
to identify differences and analogies.Comment: 29 pages, 25 figure
Distribution Free Estimation of Spatial Autoregressive Binary Choice Panel Data Models
Neurological assessment of newborns with spinal muscular atrophy identified through neonatal screening
The possibility to identify patients with spinal muscular atrophy through neonatal screenings has highlighted the need for clinical assessments that may systematically evaluate the possible presence of early neurological signs. The aim of this study was to use the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) and a module specifically designed for floppy infants to assess the possible variability of neurological findings in infants identified through neonatal screening. The infants included in this study were identified as part of a pilot study exploring neonatal screening in two Italian regions. A neurological examination was performed using the HNNE and an additional module developed for the assessment of floppy infants. Seventeen infants were identified through the screening. One patient had 1 SMN2 copy, 9 had 2 copies, 3 had 3, and 4 had more than 3 copies. Nine of the 17 infants (53%) had completely normal results on both scales, 3 had minimal signs, and the other 5 had more obvious clinical signs. The number of SMN2 copies was related to the presence of abnormal neurological signs (p = 0.036) but two SMN2 copies were associated with variable clinical signs as they were found in some infants with respectively normal examination or obvious severe early signs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination of both scales increases the possibility to detect neonatal neurological signs and to define different early patterns of involvement also identifying paucisymptomatic patients.What is Known:• The use of new therapeutic options in presymptomatic SMA patients leads to a dramatic reduction of the onset and severity of the diesease.• The already existing tools commonly used in Type I SMA (HINE and CHOP-intend) may not be suitable to identify minor neurological signs in the neonatal period.What is New:• Combining the HNNE and the floppy infant module, we were able to identify early neurological signs in SMA infants identified through newborn screening and may help to predict the individual therapeutic outcome of these patients.• Iinfants with 2 SMN2 copies identified through the screening had a more variable neonatal examination compared to those with three or more copies, in agreement with similar findings in older infants
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