Learnings from Pilot Implementation of Smart City by a Brazilian Energy Utility

This chapter describes the experience acquired during the implementation of a smart grid pilot project in a Brazilian utility. Learnings in the area of smart metering, telecommunication, information systems and project management are presented. A special focus on Brazilian specificities is given as well as on the management of innovative projects

Treatment of Radius Curvus in a Young Dog with Association of Radial Physeal Stapling, Ulnar Ostectomy and Transarticular Dynamic External Fixator Techniques

Background: Radius curvus is a clinical manifestation of the premature closure of the distal ulnar physis and the most common physeal disease in dogs, representing 63% of all physeal injuries. There are few reports indicating the technique of stapling for treatment of radius curvus in squeletically immature dogs. The aim of this study is to report a case of radius curvus in a young dog successfully treated with a combination of 3 surgical tecniques: 1- Stapling the medial and cranial portions of the distal radial physis; 2- Oblique osteotomy of the proximal ulna and ostectomy of the distal ulna, and 3- Dynamic external skeletal fixation in the elbow joint.Case: A 5-month-old female dog was referred to the University Veterinary Hospital with a history of left thoracic limb deformity for 2 weeks. There was a history of possible traumatic event on the front limb, in addition to providing nutritional supplements daily. In the radiographic evaluation the changes were identified in the left thoracic limb: shortening of the ulna, procurvatum and medial angulation of the distal radius, increased joint space and articular incongruity of the elbow joint. The dog was subjected to surgical treatment by the combination of three main surgical techniques. For the stapling of the distal radial physis the surgical approach on the cranial-medial surface of the distal radius was made. Two surgical staples were positioned in the distal radial physis. Thereafter a caudal approach was made to the distal region of the ulnar diaphysis for the distal ostectomy of the ulna. A bone segment of 1 cm in length of the distal ulnar diaphysis was removed. Another caudal approach was made to the proximal region of the ulnar diaphysis and a proximal oblique osteotomy of the ulna was performed. For the dynamic external skeletal fixation in the elbow joint two Steinmann pins were inserted. The first pin was proximal to the supracondilar foramen of the humerus and the second pin was caudal to the trochlear notch of the ulna, both parallel to the joint surface. To create a dynamic system, the pin tips were connected with elastic rubber bands on the medial and lateral sides of the elbow joint. Clinical and radiographic revaluation were made at 15, 30 and 60 days after surgery. Total correction of the limb deviation was achieved at 60 days postoperative. Two years after the surgical procedure, the owner was contacted and reported that the dog was very well and with no change in the operated limb.Discussion: The most common cause of premature closure of the distal ulnar physis is trauma. Due to the proper conical shape of the distal ulnar physis, there is more predisposition to the compression of the germinative cells in traumatic events, leading to radius curvus disease. Another cause of the radius curvus is the nutritional disbalances. In the reported case the patient had both predisponent factors, although unilateral limb involvement suggested trauma with primary causative agent. The treatment included the interruption of the supplementation of the diet associated with surgical techniques. The stapling of the distal radial physis is usually indicated for mild angular valgus deviation. In the current case the technique was applied with success regardless of the higher grade of radial deviation. Generally, the ulnar ostectomy is preferred to the osteotomy, since it reduces the rate of ulnar osteosynthesis, ensuring that the restrictive effect of the ulna upon the radial growth does not restart. In the reported case the ulnar ostectomy was associated with ulnar osteotomy to achieve a more effective result. Furthermore, the proximal ulnar osteotomy is usually indicated when elbow subluxation is present. In the current case the joint congruence was improved with the use of the dynamic external skeletal fixator

Clinical-pathological and sociodemographic factors associated with the distant metastasis and overall survival of oral cavity and oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of clinical-pathological and sociodemographic factors on the prevalence of distant metastasis (DM) and overall survival in patients with oral cavity and oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC). Cross-sectional study based on the records of 404 OOSCC patients evaluated for DM, covering the period 2000-2014. We analysed the influence of age, sex, level of schooling, primary tumor subsite, treatment, marital status, family history of cancer, history of smoking and alcohol consumption, type of health care coverage (private vs. public) and overall survival. Findings were submitted to Fisher?s exact test, Pearson?s chi-squared test, Mantel-Cox log-rank testing and multinomial and Cox regression analysis (SPSS v. 20.0; p65 years (p=0.046), indigenous/brown racial type (p=0.045), palliative treatment (p=0.035) and DM (p=0.048). Lymph node metastasis independently increased the prevalence of DM and, along with male sex, older age, brown racial type and palliative treatment, was independently associated with poor prognosis in patients with OOSCC

Yoga jam: remixing Kirtan in the Art of Living

Yoga Jam are a group of musicians in the United Kingdom who are active members of the Art of Living, a transnational Hindu-derived meditation group. Yoga Jam organize events—also referred to as yoga raves and yoga remixes—that combine Hindu devotional songs (bhajans) and chants (mantras) with modern Western popular musical genres, such as soul, rock, and particularly electronic dance music. This hybrid music is often played in a clublike setting, and dancing is interspersed with yoga and meditation. Yoga jams are creative fusions of what at first sight seem to be two incompatible phenomena—modern electronic dance music culture and ancient yogic traditions. However, yoga jams make sense if the Durkheimian distinction between the sacred and the profane is challenged, and if tradition and modernity are not understood as existing in a sort of inverse relationship. This paper argues that yoga raves are authenticated through the somatic experience of the modern popular cultural phenomenon of clubbing combined with therapeutic yoga practices and validated by identifying this experience with a reimagined Vedic tradition

Clinically Translatable Cell Tracking and Quantification by MRI in Cartilage Repair Using Superparamagnetic Iron Oxides

Background: Articular cartilage has very limited intrinsic regenerative capacity, making cell-based therapy a tempting approach for cartilage repair. Cell tracking can be a major step towards unraveling and improving the repair process of these therapies. We studied superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIO) for labeling human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) regarding effectivity, cell viability, long term metabolic cell activity, chondrogenic differentiation and hBMSC secretion profile. We additionally examined the capacity of synovial cells to endocytose SPIO from dead, labeled cells, together with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for intra-articular visualization and quantification of SPIO labeled cells. Methodology/Prinicipal Findings: Efficacy and various safety aspects of SPIO cell labeling were determined using appropriate assays. Synovial SPIO re-uptake was investigated in vitro by co-labeling cells with SPIO and green fluorescent protein (GFP). MRI experiments were performed on a clinical 3.0T MRI scanner. Two cell-based cartilage repair techniques were mimicked for evaluating MRI traceability of labeled cells: intra-articular cell injection and cell implantation in cartilage defects. Cells were applied ex vivo or in vitro in an intra-articular environment and immediately scanned. SPIO labeling was effective and did not impair any of the studied safety aspects, including hBMSC secretion profile. SPIO from dead, labeled cells could be taken up by synovial cells. Both injected and implanted SPIO-labeled cells could accurately be visualized by MRI in a clinically relevant sized joint model using clinically applied cell doses. Finally, we quantified the amount of labeled cells seeded in cartilage defects using MR-based relaxometry. Conclusions: SPIO labeling appears to be safe without influencing cell behavior. SPIO labeled cells can be visualized in an intra-articular environment and quantified when seeded in cartilage defects.Biomechanical EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin

COMRADES determines in vivo RNA structures and interactions.

The structural flexibility of RNA underlies fundamental biological processes, but there are no methods for exploring the multiple conformations adopted by RNAs in vivo. We developed cross-linking of matched RNAs and deep sequencing (COMRADES) for in-depth RNA conformation capture, and a pipeline for the retrieval of RNA structural ensembles. Using COMRADES, we determined the architecture of the Zika virus RNA genome inside cells, and identified multiple site-specific interactions with human noncoding RNAs.This work was supported by Cancer Research UK (C13474/A18583, C6946/A14492) and the Wellcome Trust (104640/Z/14/Z, 092096/Z/10/Z) to E.A.M. O.Z. was supported by the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP, LT000558/2015), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO, ALTF1622-2014), and the Blavatnik Family Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. G.K. and M.G. were supported by Wellcome Trust grant 207507 and UK Medical Research Council. A.T.L.L. and J.C.M. were supported by core funding from Cancer Research UK (award no. 17197 to JCM). J.C.M was also supported by core funding from EMBL. I.G. and L.W.M. were supported by the Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Science to I.G. (207498/Z/17/Z). I.J.M., L.F.G. and J.S.-G. were supported by grants R01GM104475 and R01GM115649 from NIGMS. C.K.K was supported by City University of Hong Kong Projects 9610363 and 7200520, Croucher Foundation Project 9500030 and Hong Kong RGC Projects 9048103 and 9054020. C.-F.Q. was supported by the NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Fund 81522025 and the Newton Advanced Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Sciences, UK

The Intensity of IUGR-Induced Transcriptome Deregulations Is Inversely Correlated with the Onset of Organ Function in a Rat Model

A low-protein diet applied during pregnancy in the rat results in intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) fetuses. In humans, IUGR is associated with increased perinatal morbidity, higher incidence of neuro-developmental defects and increased risk of adult metabolic anomalies, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Development and function of many organs are affected by environmental conditions such as those inducing fetal and early postnatal growth restriction. This phenomenon, termed “fetal programming” has been studied unconnectedly in some organs, but very few studies (if any) have investigated at the same time several organs, on a more comparative basis. However, it is quite probable that IUGR affects differentially most organ systems, with possible persistent changes in gene expression. In this study we address transcriptional alterations induced by IUGR in a multi-organ perspective, by systematic analysis of 20-days rat fetuses. We show that (1) expressional alterations are apparently stronger in organs functioning late in foetal or postnatal life than in organs that are functioning early (2) hierarchical classification of the deregulations put together kidney and placenta in one cluster, liver, lungs and heart in another; (3) the epigenetic machinery is set up especially in the placenta, while its alterations are rather mild in other organs; (4) the genes appear deregulated in chromosome clusters; (5) the altered expression cascades varies from organ to organ, with noticeably a very significant modification of the complement and coagulation cascades in the kidney; (6) we found a significant increase in TF binding site for HNF4 proteins specifically for liver genes that are down-regulated in IUGR, suggesting that this decrease is achieved through the action of HNF transcription factors, that are themselves transcriptionnally induced in the liver by IUGR (x 1.84 fold). Altogether, our study suggests that a combination of tissue-specific mechanisms contributes to bring about tissue-driven modifications of gene cascades. The question of these cascades being activated to adapt the organ to harsh environmental condition, or as an endpoint consequence is still raised

Identification of Arx transcriptional targets in the developing basal forebrain

Mutations in the aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) gene are associated with multiple neurologic disorders in humans. Studies in mice indicate Arx plays a role in neuronal progenitor proliferation and development of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and olfactory bulbs. Specific defects associated with Arx loss of function include abnormal interneuron migration and subtype differentiation. How disruptions in ARX result in human disease and how loss of Arx in mice results in these phenotypes remains poorly understood. To gain insight into the biological functions of Arx, we performed a genome-wide expression screen to identify transcriptional changes within the subpallium in the absence of Arx. We have identified 84 genes whose expression was dysregulated in the absence of Arx. This population was enriched in genes involved in cell migration, axonal guidance, neurogenesis, and regulation of transcription and includes genes implicated in autism, epilepsy, and mental retardation; all features recognized in patients with ARX mutations. Additionally, we found Arx directly repressed three of the identified transcription factors: Lmo1, Ebf3 and Shox2. To further understand how the identified genes are involved in neural development, we used gene set enrichment algorithms to compare the Arx gene regulatory network (GRN) to the Dlx1/2 GRN and interneuron transcriptome. These analyses identified a subset of genes in the Arx GRN that are shared with that of the Dlx1/2 GRN and that are enriched in the interneuron transcriptome. These data indicate Arx plays multiple roles in forebrain development, both dependent and independent of Dlx1/2, and thus provides further insights into the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathology of mental retardation and epilepsy phenotypes resulting from ARX mutations

Systematic Identification of Balanced Transposition Polymorphisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

High-throughput techniques for detecting DNA polymorphisms generally do not identify changes in which the genomic position of a sequence, but not its copy number, varies among individuals. To explore such balanced structural polymorphisms, we used array-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) to conduct a genome-wide screen for single-copy genomic segments that occupy different genomic positions in the standard laboratory strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S90) and a polymorphic wild isolate (Y101) through analysis of six tetrads from a cross of these two strains. Paired-end high-throughput sequencing of Y101 validated four of the predicted rearrangements. The transposed segments contained one to four annotated genes each, yet crosses between S90 and Y101 yielded mostly viable tetrads. The longest segment comprised 13.5 kb near the telomere of chromosome XV in the S288C reference strain and Southern blotting confirmed its predicted location on chromosome IX in Y101. Interestingly, inter-locus crossover events between copies of this segment occurred at a detectable rate. The presence of low-copy repetitive sequences at the junctions of this segment suggests that it may have arisen through ectopic recombination. Our methodology and findings provide a starting point for exploring the origins, phenotypic consequences, and evolutionary fate of this largely unexplored form of genomic polymorphism