Design and development of a multipurpose, boresighted star tracker

Design and development of boresighted star tracke

Quantum spin Hall effect in bound states in continuum

Moving the polarization of the incident wave along a meridian of the Poincaré sphere, experimentally we show that the coupling with the fundamental Bloch's surface waves of the mode, provide a spatially coherent, macroscopic spinmomentum locked propagation along the symmetry axes of the PhCM. This novel mechanism of light-spin manipulation enables a versatile implementation of spin-optical structures that may pave the way to novel strategies for light spin technology and photonic multiplatform implementations

Ketogenic diet-induced weight loss is associated with an increase in vitamin d levels in obese adults

Vitamin D is an important micronutrient involved in several processes. Evidence has shown a strong association between hypovitaminosis D and cardio-metabolic diseases, including obesity. A ketogenic diet has proven to be very effective for weight loss, especially in reducing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a ketogenic diet-induced weight loss on vitamin D status in a population of obese adults. We enrolled 56 obese outpatients, prescribed with either traditional standard hypocaloric Mediterranean diet (SHMD) or very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured by chemiluminescence. The mean value of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in the whole population at baseline was 17.8 +/- 5.6 ng/mL, without differences between groups. After 12 months of dietetic treatment, in VLCKD patients serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased from 18.4 +/- 5.9 to 29.3 +/- 6.8 ng/mL (p < 0.0001), vs 17.5 +/- 6.1 to 21.3 +/- 7.6 ng/mL (p = 0.067) in the SHMD group (for each kilogram of weight loss, 25(OH)D concentration increased 0.39 and 0.13 ng/mL in the VLCKD and in the SHMD groups, respectively). In the VLCKD group, the increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations was strongly associated with body mass index, waist circumference, and fatty mass variation. In a multiple regression analysis, fatty mass was the strongest independent predictor of serum 25(OH)D concentration, explaining 15.6%, 3.3%, and 9.4% of its variation in the whole population, in SHMD, and VLCKD groups, respectively. We also observed a greater reduction of inflammation (evaluated by high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) values) and a greater improvement in glucose homeostasis, confirmed by a reduction of HOMA values, in the VLCKD versus the SHMD group. Taken together, all these data suggest that a dietetic regimen, which implies a great reduction of fat mass, can improve vitamin D status in the obese

The Efficacy of Commercial Tooth Storage Media for Maintaining the Viability of Human Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts

Aim To evaluate Save‐A‐Tooth (SAT), EMT Toothsaver (EMT) and Hank\u27s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) for their influence on the viability and proliferative capacity of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs). Methodology Primary HPDLFs were seeded into 96‐well cell culture plates and exposed to SAT, EMT, HBSS and water (negative control) for 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h at room temperature (22 °C). After each exposure time, cell viability was measured through quantifying adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using a luminescent dye. The proliferative capacity was also quantified using the PrestoBlue assay after 12 or 24 h storage in each medium. The data were analysed statistically by two‐way anova and post hoc Least Significant Difference (LSD) test (P \u3c 0.05). The morphology of the cells after 12 h storage was also investigated through live/dead viability/cytotoxicity kit together with fluorescence microscopy. Results There was no significant difference in cell viability amongst HBSS, SAT and EMT groups up to 6 h. SAT was effective in maintaining cell viability only up to 12 h and then became detrimental to HPDLF; after 24 h, the effectiveness of SAT in maintaining cell viability was similar to that of water (P \u3e 0.05). Amongst all the media, only EMT could maintain the proliferative capacity of HPDLFs significantly higher than the negative control, that is water (P \u3c 0.05) after 24 h storage. Conclusion EMT maintained the proliferative capacity of HPDLFs after 24 h storage

BRSMG 780Frr: cultivar de soja transgênica.

A brsmg 780rr é sua nova opção em soja transgênica para o manejo da ferrugem asiática. Alta produtividade e resistência moderada à ferrugem asiática. Grupo de maturidade. Regiões edafoclimáticas de adaptação (REC 303 - MG Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba). Reação a doenças. Características médias. População de plantas e ciclo em solos férteis. Manejo da ferrugem asiática.bitstream/item/57490/1/BRSMG780Frr.pdf1 folder

ACHALASIA TREATMENT IMPROVES SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: VALIDATION OF AN ACHALASIA SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE

Background and aim: Therapies for achalasia aim to patients’ symptom relief, but they affect patient’s quality of life (QoL), too. An ad hoc question- naire evaluating both achalasia-related symptoms and disease related QoL is lacking. Aim: To validate a disease specific QoL questionnaire in perspectively evaluated Italian achalasia patients. Material and methods: 22 consecutive achalasia patients (4 men, age range 19–86 years) were included in the study. At baseline a structured question- naire was used to evaluate both esophageal symptoms and disease specific QoL. Questionnaire graded achalasia-related symptoms severity (dysphagia for solids and liquids, food regurgitation, chest pain, nocturnal cough) from 0 to 3, based on their impact on daily activities. Also a disease specific QoL was evaluated by a self administred questionnaire, the AE-18, that investigated four domains (physical, psychological and social functioning, and sleep dis- turbance). Scores for each item range from 1 (“always”) to 5 (“never”); higher scores corresponding to better quality of life. All patients were questioned before, 1 and 6 months after a specific t reatment regimen, that according to patients clinical status consisted in pneumatic dilation, botulinum toxin injection or surgical myotomy. Results: Patients within each specific treatment groups were the following (3/22 surgical myotomy, 14/22 pneumatic dilation and 5/22 Botox injections, respectively. In the table are reported the baseline demographics and achalasia- related symptoms’ severity and QoL (data are expressed as mean ± SD) within each treatments group. Table 1 Surgery group Dilation group Botox group p Age at diagnosis 42.3 ± 6.5 42.3 ± 13 81.8 ± 4.8 < 0.001 Age at onset of symptoms 39.3 ± 7.5 40.3 ± 12.4 80.8 ± 5.6 < 0.001 Dysphagia for solids 2.7 ± 0.6 2.2 ± 0.7 2.2 ± 0.5 0.5 Dysphagia for liquids 2.0 ± 1.0 2.1 ± 0.7 2.2 ± 0.5 0.9 Regurgitation of undigested food 1.0 ± 1.7 0.7 ± 0.8 0.6 ± 1.3 0.8 Chest pain 0.7 ± 1.1 1.1 ± 1.1 1.0 ± 1.4 0.8 Nocturnal cough 1.3 ± 1.5 1.3 ± 1.2 1.0 ± 1.4 0.9 AE-18 total score 54 ± 14 53 ± 12 53 ± 11 0.9 At both 1 and 6 months of the follow-up, the severity mean scores of dysphagia achalasia-related symptoms severity were significantly reduced compared to baseline (p < 0.05). Similarly, the AE-18 total score was significantly improved (p < 0.001). Conclusions: We showed that therapy-induced improvement of achalasia- related symptoms correlate with a significant improvement of patients quality of life as assessed by a specific questionnaire

Spatial clustering and its effect on perceived clustering, numerosity, and dispersion

Human observers are able to estimate the numerosity of large sets of visual elements. The occupancy model of perceived numerosity in intermediate numerical ranges is based on overlapping regions of influence. The key idea is that items within a certain range count for less than their actual numerical value and more so the closer they are to their neighbours. Therefore occupancy is sensitive to the grouping of elements, but there are other spatial properties of configurations that could also influence perceived numerosity, such as: area of convex hull, occupancy area, total degree of connectivity, and local clustering For all indices apart from convex hull, we varied the radius of the area that defined neighbours. We tested perceived numerosity using a fixed number of elements placed at random within a circular region. Observers compared two patterns (presented in two intervals) and chose the one that appeared more numerous. The same observers performed two other separate tasks in which they judged which pattern appeared more dispersed or more clustered. In each pair of images, the number was always the same (22, 28, 34, or 40 items), because we were interested in which "appeared" more numerous on the basis of spatial configuration. The results suggest that estimates of numerosity, dispersion, and clustering are based on different spatial information, that there are alternative approaches to quantifying clustering, and that in all cases clustering is linked to a decrease in perceived numerosity. The alternative measures have different properties and different practical and computational advantages.</p

BAFF Index and CXCL13 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid associate respectively with intrathecal IgG synthesis and cortical atrophy in multiple sclerosis at clinical onset

Abstract Background B lymphocytes are thought to play a relevant role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology. The in vivo analysis of intrathecally produced B cell-related cytokines may help to clarify the mechanisms of B cell recruitment and immunoglobulin production within the central nervous system (CNS) in MS. Methods Paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum specimens from 40 clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of MS or early-onset relapsing-remitting MS patients (CIS/eRRMS) and 17 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed for the intrathecal synthesis of IgG (quantitative formulae and IgG oligoclonal bands, IgGOB), CXCL13, BAFF, and IL-21. 3D-FLAIR, 3D-DIR, and 3D-T1 MRI sequences were applied to evaluate white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) lesions and global cortical thickness (gCTh). Results Compared to HC, CIS/eRRMS having IgGOB (IgGOB+, 26 patients) had higher intrathecal IgG indexes ( p \u2009<\u20090.01), lower values of BAFF Index (11.9\u2009\ub1\u20096.1 vs 17.5\u2009\ub1\u20095.2, p \u2009<\u20090.01), and higher CSF CXCL13 levels (27.7\u2009\ub1\u200933.5 vs 0.9\u2009\ub1\u20091.5, p \u2009<\u20090.005). In these patients, BAFF Index but not CSF CXCL13 levels inversely correlated with the intrathecal IgG synthesis ( r \u2009>\u20090.5 and p \u2009<\u20090.05 for all correlations). CSF leukocyte counts were significantly higher in IgGOB+ compared to IgGOB\u2212 ( p \u2009<\u20090.05) and HC ( p \u2009<\u20090.01), and correlated to CSF CXCL13 concentrations ( r 0.77, p \u2009<\u20090.001). The gCTh was significantly lower in patients with higher CSF CXCL13 levels (2.41\u2009\ub1\u20090.1 vs 2.49\u2009\ub1\u20090.1\ua0mm, p \u2009<\u20090.05), while no difference in MRI parameters of WM and GM pathology was observed between IgGOB+ and IgGOB\u2212. Conclusions The intrathecal IgG synthesis inversely correlated with BAFF Index and showed no correlation with CSF CXCL13. These findings seem to indicate that intrathecally synthesized IgG are produced by long-term PCs that have entered the CNS from the peripheral blood, rather than produced by PCs developed in the meningeal follicle-like structures (FLS). In this study, CXCL13 identifies a subgroup of MS patients characterized by ..