Isthmocele in a retroflexed uterus: a report of an unrecognized case

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Inverse System Design Using Machine Learning: The Raman Amplifier Case

A wide range of highly-relevant problems in programmable and integrated photonics, optical amplification, and communication deal with inverse system design. Typically, a desired output (usually a gain profile, a noise profile, a transfer function or a similar continuous function) is given and the goal is to determine the corresponding set of input parameters (usually a set of input voltages, currents, powers, and wavelengths). We present a novel method for inverse system design using machine learning and apply it to Raman amplifier design. Inverse system design for Raman amplifiers consists of selecting pump powers and wavelengths that would result in a targeted gain profile. This is a challenging task due to highly-complex interaction between pumps and Raman gain. Using the proposed framework, highly-accurate predictions of the pumping setup for arbitrary Raman gain profiles are demonstrated numerically in C and C+L-band, as well as experimentally in C band, for the first time. A low mean (0.46 and 0.35 dB) and standard deviation (0.20 and 0.17 dB) of the maximum error are obtained for numerical (C+L-band) and experimental (C-band) results, respectively, when employing 4 pumps and 100 km span length. The presented framework is general and can be applied to other inverse problems in optical communication and photonics in general

Spinal vascular lesions: anatomy, imaging techniques and treatment

Vascular lesions of the spinal cord are rare but potentially devastating conditions whose accurate recognition critically determines the clinical outcome. Several conditions lead to myelopathy due to either arterial ischemia, venous congestion or bleeding within the cord. The clinical presentation varies, according with the different aetiology and mechanism of damage

Supporting Fair and Efficient Emergency Medical Services in a Large Heterogeneous Region

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are crucial in delivering timely and effective medical care to patients in need. However, the complex and dynamic nature of operations poses challenges for decision-making processes at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. This paper proposes an action-driven strategy for EMS management, employing a multi-objective optimizer and a simulator to evaluate potential outcomes of decisions. The approach combines historical data with dynamic simulations and multi-objective optimization techniques to inform decision-makers and improve the overall performance of the system. The research focuses on the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy. The region encompasses various landscapes and demographic situations that challenge fairness and equity in service access. Similar challenges are faced in other regions with comparable characteristics. The Decision Support System developed in this work accurately models the real-world system and provides valuable feedback and suggestions to EMS professionals, enabling them to make informed decisions and enhance the efficiency and fairness of the system

An atlas of chromatoid body components

The genome of male germ cells is actively transcribed during spermatogenesis to produce phase-specific protein-coding mRNAs and a considerable amount of different noncoding RNAs. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granule-mediated RNA regulation provides a powerful means to secure the quality and correct expression of the requisite transcripts. Haploid spermatids are characterized by a unique, unusually large cytoplasmic granule, the chromatoid body (CB), which emerges during the switch between the meiotic and post-meiotic phases of spermatogenesis. To better understand the role of the CB in male germ cell differentiation, we isolated CBs from mouse testes and revealed its full RNA and protein composition. We showed that the CB is mainly composed of RNA-binding proteins and other proteins involved RNA regulation. The CB was loaded with RNA, including pachytene piRNAs, a diverse set of mRNAs, and a number of uncharacterized long noncoding transcripts. The CB was demonstrated to accumulate nascent RNA during all the steps of round spermatid differentiation. Our results revealed the CB as a large germ cell-specific RNP platform that is involved in the control of the highly complex transcriptome of haploid male germ cells

DNA methylation profiling reveals common signatures of tumorigenesis and defines epigenetic prognostic subtypes of canine Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Epigenetic deregulation is a hallmark of cancer characterized by frequent acquisition of new DNA methylation in CpG islands. To gain insight into the methylation changes of canine DLBCL, we investigated the DNA methylome in primary DLBCLs in comparison with control lymph nodes by genome-wide CpG microarray. We identified 1,194 target loci showing different methylation levels in tumors compared with controls. The hypermethylated CpG loci included promoter, 5'-UTRs, upstream and exonic regions. Interestingly, targets of polycomb repressive complex in stem cells were mostly affected suggesting that DLBCL shares a stem cell-like epigenetic pattern. Functional analysis highlighted biological processes strongly related to embryonic development, tissue morphogenesis and cellular differentiation, including HOX, BMP and WNT. In addition, the analysis of epigenetic patterns and genome-wide methylation variability identified cDLBCL subgroups. Some of these epigenetic subtypes showed a concordance with the clinical outcome supporting the hypothesis that the accumulation of aberrant epigenetic changes results in a more aggressive behavior of the tumor. Collectively, our results suggest an important role of DNA methylation in DLBCL where aberrancies in transcription factors were frequently observed, suggesting an involvement during tumorigenesis. These findings warrant further investigation to improve cDLBCL prognostic classification and provide new insights on tumor aggressiveness

Midterm follow-up after embolization of intracranial aneurysms proximal to the circle of Willis with the Silk Vista flow diverter: the I-MAMA registry

Purpose: The aim of this registry was to assess technical success, procedural safety and mid- to long-term follow-up results of the Silk Vista “Mama” (SVM) flow diverter (BALT, Montmorency, France) for the treatment of proximal intracranial aneurysms. Methods: Between August 2020 and March 2022, data from nine Italian neurovascular centres were collected. Data included patients’ clinical presentation, aneurysms’ size, location and status, technical details, overall complications and mid- to long-term angiographic follow-up. Results: Forty-eight aneurysms in 48 patients were treated using the SVM. Most aneurysms were small (≤ 10 mm: no. 29, 60%) and unruptured (no. 31, 65%); 13 aneurysms were recurrent after coiling or clipping. 37/48 aneurysms involved the internal carotid artery (77%). Optimal opening and complete wall apposition of the device were achieved in 46 out of 48 cases (96%). Four intra- or periprocedural complications occurred (two thrombotic complications successfully resolved, one cerebellar ischemia, one perirenal hematoma), without new neurological deficit. No significant intra-stent stenosis or stent displacement was observed during follow-up. No FD-related morbidity nor mortality was reported. At midterm (6–12 months) to long-term (> 12 months) follow-up, complete aneurysm occlusion (OKM D) was achieved in 76% of cases. Eighty-eight percent of patients had complete aneurysm occlusion or entry remnant (OKM D + C). Conclusions: Our experience suggests that the new generation of low-profile SVM flow diverter for the treatment of proximal intracranial aneurysms is safe and effective, with low rates of intraprocedural complications and acceptable mid- to long-term occlusion rate

Multifrequency monitoring of the blazar 0716+714 during the GASP-WEBT-AGILE campaign of 2007

Since the CGRO operation in 1991-2000, one of the primary unresolved questions about the blazar gamma-ray emission has been its possible correlation with the low-energy (in particular optical) emission. To help answer this problem, the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) consortium has organized the GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) to provide the optical-to-radio monitoring data to be compared with the gamma-ray detections by the AGILE and GLAST satellites. This new WEBT project started in early September 2007, just before a strong gamma-ray detection of 0716+714 by AGILE. We present the GASP-WEBT optical and radio light curves of this blazar obtained in July-November 2007, about various AGILE pointings at the source. We construct NIR-to-UV spectral energy distributions (SEDs), by assembling GASP-WEBT data together with UV data from the Swift ToO observations of late October. We observe a contemporaneous optical-radio outburst, which is a rare and interesting phenomenon in blazars. The shape of the SEDs during the outburst appears peculiarly wavy because of an optical excess and a UV drop-and-rise. The optical light curve is well sampled during the AGILE pointings, showing prominent and sharp flares. A future cross-correlation analysis of the optical and AGILE data will shed light on the expected relationship between these flares and the gamma-ray events.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, to be published in A&A (Letters); revised to match the final version (changes in Fig. 5 and related text

Experimental Demonstration of Multidimensional Switching Nodes for All-Optical Data Center Networks

This paper reports on a novel ring-based data center architecture composed of multidimensional switching nodes. The nodes are interconnected with multicore fibers and can provide switching in three different physical, hierarchically overlaid dimensions (space, wavelength, and time). The proposed architecture allows for scaling in different dimensions while at the same time providing support for connections with different granularity. The ring topology reduces the number of different physical links required, leading to simplified cabling and easier link management, while optical bypass holds the prospect of low latency and low-power consumption. The performance of the multidimensional switching nodes has been investigated in an experimental demonstration comprising three network nodes connected with multicore fibers. Both high capacity wavelength connections and time-shared subwavelength connections have been established for connecting different nodes by switching in different physical dimensions. Error-free performance (BER < 10-9) has been achieved for all the connections with various granularity in all the investigated switching scenarios. The scalability of the system has been studied by increasing the transmission capacity to 1 Tbit/s/core equivalent to 7 Tbit/s total throughput in a single seven-core multicore fiber. The error-free performance (BER < 10-9) for all the connections confirms that the proposed architecture can meet the existing demands in data centers and accommodate the future traffic growth