Showing papers by "University of Cagliari published in 2011"
National Institutes of Health1, Cardiff University2, Erasmus University Rotterdam3, VU University Amsterdam4, University of Manchester5, University College London6, University of Helsinki7, University of Oulu8, Georgetown University9, Johns Hopkins University10, Illumina11, University Hospital of Wales12, University of Eastern Finland13, University of Miami14, University of Turin15, University of Cagliari16, The Catholic University of America17, Microsoft18, University of Toronto19, University of Würzburg20, University of Washington21, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board22
TL;DR: The chromosome 9p21 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD) locus contains one of the last major unidentified autosomal-dominant genes underlying these common neurodegenerative diseases, and a large hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of C9ORF72 is shown.
3,784 citations
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary1, University of St. Gallen2, Charité3, Sahlgrenska University Hospital4, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center5, University of Alberta6, Mayo Clinic7, McGill University8, University of Cagliari9, Cleveland Clinic10, Sapienza University of Rome11, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust12
TL;DR: A framework exists on a framework for the definition and classification of cancer cachexia, a multifactorial syndrome defined by an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and leads to progressive functional impairment.
Abstract: Summary To develop a framework for the definition and classification of cancer cachexia a panel of experts participated in a formal consensus process, including focus groups and two Delphi rounds. Cancer cachexia was defined as a multifactorial syndrome defined by an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass (with or without loss of fat mass) that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and leads to progressive functional impairment. Its pathophysiology is characterised by a negative protein and energy balance driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and abnormal metabolism. The agreed diagnostic criterion for cachexia was weight loss greater than 5%, or weight loss greater than 2% in individuals already showing depletion according to current bodyweight and height (body-mass index [BMI] 2 ) or skeletal muscle mass (sarcopenia). An agreement was made that the cachexia syndrome can develop progressively through various stages—precachexia to cachexia to refractory cachexia. Severity can be classified according to degree of depletion of energy stores and body protein (BMI) in combination with degree of ongoing weight loss. Assessment for classification and clinical management should include the following domains: anorexia or reduced food intake, catabolic drive, muscle mass and strength, functional and psychosocial impairment. Consensus exists on a framework for the definition and classification of cancer cachexia. After validation, this should aid clinical trial design, development of practice guidelines, and, eventually, routine clinical management.
3,548 citations
TL;DR: Meta-analyses of all data provided compelling evidence that ABCA7 and the MS4A gene cluster are new Alzheimer's disease susceptibility loci and independent evidence for association for three loci reported by the ADGC, which, when combined, showed genome-wide significance.
Abstract: We sought to identify new susceptibility loci for Alzheimer's disease through a staged association study (GERAD+) and by testing suggestive loci reported by the Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Consortium (ADGC) in a companion paper. We undertook a combined analysis of four genome-wide association datasets (stage 1) and identified ten newly associated variants with P ≤ 1 × 10−5. We tested these variants for association in an independent sample (stage 2). Three SNPs at two loci replicated and showed evidence for association in a further sample (stage 3). Meta-analyses of all data provided compelling evidence that ABCA7 (rs3764650, meta P = 4.5 × 10−17; including ADGC data, meta P = 5.0 × 10−21) and the MS4A gene cluster (rs610932, meta P = 1.8 × 10−14; including ADGC data, meta P = 1.2 × 10−16) are new Alzheimer's disease susceptibility loci. We also found independent evidence for association for three loci reported by the ADGC, which, when combined, showed genome-wide significance: CD2AP (GERAD+, P = 8.0 × 10−4; including ADGC data, meta P = 8.6 × 10−9), CD33 (GERAD+, P = 2.2 × 10−4; including ADGC data, meta P = 1.6 × 10−9) and EPHA1 (GERAD+, P = 3.4 × 10−4; including ADGC data, meta P = 6.0 × 10−10).
1,771 citations
Saint Louis University1, University of Barcelona2, University of Alberta3, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg4, Boston University5, Uppsala University Hospital6, University of East Anglia7, University of California, San Francisco8, Duke University9, Western General Hospital10, National Institutes of Health11, Tufts University12, Kagoshima University13, University of California, Los Angeles14, SOCAR15, University of Cagliari16, Sapienza University of Rome17, Tufts Medical Center18, Tampa General Hospital19, University of Toulouse20, Charité21, Stony Brook University Hospital22
TL;DR: It is concluded that "Sarcopenia, ie, reduced muscle mass, with limited mobility" should be considered an important clinical entity and that most older persons should be screened for this condition.
845 citations
23 Dec 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the LHCb simulation application, Gauss, consists of two independent phases, the generation of the primary event and the tracking of particles produced in the experimental setup.
Abstract: The LHCb simulation application, Gauss, consists of two independent phases, the generation of the primary event and the tracking of particles produced in the experimental setup. For the LHCb experimental program it is particularly important to model B meson decays: the EvtGen code developed in CLEO and BABAR has been chosen and customized for non-coherent B production as occuring in pp collisions at the LHC. The initial proton-proton collision is provided by a different generator engine, currently PYTHIA 6 for massive production of signal and generic pp collisions events. Beam gas events, background events originating from proton halo, cosmics and calibration events for different detectors can be generated in addition to pp collisions. Different generator packages as available in the physics community or specifically developed in LHCb are used for the different purposes. Running conditions affecting the generated events such as the size of the luminous region, the number of collisions occuring in a bunch crossing and the number of spill-over events from neighbouring bunches are modeled via dedicated algorithms appropriately configured. The design of the generator phase of Gauss will be described: a modular structure with well defined interfaces specific to the various tasks, e.g. pp collisions, particle decays, selections, etc. has been chosen. Different implementations are available for the various tasks allowing selecting and combining them as most appropriate at run time as in the case of PYTHIA 6 for pp collisions or HIJING for beam gas. The advantages of such structure, allowing for example to adopt transparently new generators packages, will be discussed.
631 citations
K. Aamodt1, A. Abrahantes Quintana, Dagmar Adamová2, Andrew Marshall Adare3 +938 more•Institutions (80)
TL;DR: In this paper, the centrality dependence of the chargedparticle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2: 76 TeV is presented.
Abstract: The centrality dependence of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2: 76 TeV is presented. The charged-particle density normalized per participating nucleon pair increases by about a factor of 2 from peripheral (70%-80%) to central (0%-5%) collisions. The centrality dependence is found to be similar to that observed at lower collision energies. The data are compared with models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions.
553 citations
French Institute of Health and Medical Research1, University of Antwerp2, University of Eastern Finland3, University of Cantabria4, Spanish National Research Council5, University of Pisa6, Pasteur Institute7, University of Milan8, University of Cagliari9, Paris Descartes University10, Hospital Universitario La Paz11, University of Bologna12, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza13, University of Bari14, University of Florence15, University of Milano-Bicocca16, University of Pittsburgh17
TL;DR: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) dependent lifetime risks (LTRs) for Alzheimer Disease (AD) are currently not accurately known and odds ratios alone are insufficient to assess these risks as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) dependent lifetime risks (LTRs) for Alzheimer Disease (AD) are currently not accurately known and odds ratios alone are insufficient to assess these risks. We calculated AD LTR in 7351 cases and 10 132 controls from Caucasian ancestry using Rochester (USA) incidence data. At the age of 85 the LTR of AD without reference to APOE genotype was 11% in males and 14% in females. At the same age, this risk ranged from 51% for APOE44 male carriers to 60% for APOE44 female carriers, and from 23% for APOE34 male carriers to 30% for APOE34 female carriers, consistent with semi-dominant inheritance of a moderately penetrant gene. Using PAQUID (France) incidence data, estimates were globally similar except that at age 85 the LTRs reached 68 and 35% for APOE 44 and APOE 34 female carriers, respectively. These risks are more similar to those of major genes in Mendelian diseases, such as BRCA1 in breast cancer, than those of low-risk common alleles identified by recent GWAS in complex diseases. In addition, stratification of our data by age groups clearly demonstrates that APOE4 is a risk factor not only for late-onset but for early-onset AD as well. Together, these results urge a reappraisal of the impact of APOE in Alzheimer disease.
551 citations
TL;DR: Alcoholism is a particularly severely stigmatized mental disorder and possible reasons for the differences between the stigma of alcoholism and of other mental diseases and the consequences for targeted anti-stigma initiatives are discussed.
Abstract: Aims: Stigma is likely to aggravate the severe medical and social consequences of alcohol dependence. We aim to explore the characteristics of the alcohol dependence stigma by comparing it with the stigma of other conditions. Methods: On the basis of a systematic literature search, we identified 17 representative population studies published before July 2010 that examine aspects of the stigma of alcoholism and simultaneously of other mental, medical or social conditions. Seven surveys were located in Europe, five in North America, three in New Zealand and one each in Brazil and Ethiopia, respectively. Results: Compared with people suffering from other, substance-unrelated mental disorders, alcohol-dependent persons are less frequently regarded as mentally ill, are held much more responsible for their condition, provoke more social rejection and more negative emotions, and they are at particular risk for structural discrimination. Only with regard to being a danger, they are perceived to be at a similarly negative level to that of people suffering from schizophrenia. Conclusion: Alcoholism is a particularly severely stigmatized mental disorder. Cultural differences are likely, but under-researched. We discuss possible reasons for the differences between the stigma of alcoholism and of other mental diseases and the consequences for targeted anti-stigma initiatives.
537 citations
11 Jul 2011
TL;DR: The first measurement of the triangular v3, quadrangular v4, and pentagonal v5 charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions is reported, and a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.
Abstract: We report on the first measurement of the triangular nu(3), quadrangular nu(4), and pentagonal nu(5) charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We show that the triangular flow can be described in terms of the initial spatial anisotropy and its fluctuations, which provides strong constraints on its origin. In the most central events, where the elliptic flow nu(2) and nu(3) have similar magnitude, a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which is often interpreted as a Mach cone response to fast partons. We show that this structure can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.
515 citations
TL;DR: A novel paradigm of "social network of intelligent objects", namely the Social Internet of Things (SIoT), based on the notion of social relationships among objects is introduced, and a preliminary architecture for the implementation of SIoT is presented.
Abstract: The actual development of the Internet of Things (IoT) needs major issues related to things' service discovery and composition to be addressed. This paper proposes a possible approach to solve such issues. We introduce a novel paradigm of "social network of intelligent objects", namely the Social Internet of Things (SIoT), based on the notion of social relationships among objects. Following the definition of a possible social structure among objects, a preliminary architecture for the implementation of SIoT is presented. Through the SIoT paradigm, the capability of humans and devices to discover, select, and use objects with their services in the IoT is augmented. Besides, a level of trustworthiness is enabled to steer the interaction among the billions of objects which will crowd the future IoT.
488 citations
TL;DR: An escalating number of compounds with cannabinoid receptor activity are currently being found as ingredients of Spice, of which almost nothing is known in terms of pharmacology, toxicology, and safety.
Abstract: Synthetic cannabinoids are functionally similar to delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive principle of cannabis, and bind to the same cannabinoid receptors in the brain and peripheral organs. From 2008, synthetic cannabinoids were detected in herbal smoking mixtures sold on websites and in “head shops” under the brand name of Spice Gold, Yucatan Fire, Aroma, and others. Although these products (also known as “Spice drugs” or “legal highs”) do not contain tobacco or cannabis, when smoked they produce effects similar to THC. Intoxication, withdrawal, psychosis and death have been recently reported after consumption, posing difficult social, political and health challenges. More than 140 different Spice products have been identified to date. The ability to induce strong cannabis-like psychoactive effects, along with the fact that they are readily available on the Internet, still legal in many countries, marketed as natural safe substances, and undetectable by conventional drug screening tests, has rendered these drugs very popular and particularly appealing to young and drug-naive individuals seeking new experiences. An escalating number of compounds with cannabinoid receptor activity are currently being found as ingredients of Spice, of which almost nothing is known in terms of pharmacology, toxicology and safety. Since legislation started to control the synthetic cannabinoids identified in these herbal mixtures, many new analogs have appeared on the market. New cannabimimetic compounds are likely to be synthesized in the near future to replace banned synthetic cannabinoids, leading to a “dog chasing its tail” situation. Spice smokers are exposed to drugs that are extremely variable in composition and potency, and are at risk of serious, if not lethal, outcomes. Social and health professionals should maintain a high degree of alertness for Spice use and its possible psychiatric effects in vulnerable people.
TL;DR: It is shown how Hofmeister effects depend on an interplay between specific surface chemistry, surface charge density, pH, buffer, and counterion with polarisabilities and ion size, and how the most recent theories on surface hydration combined with hydrated nonelectrostatic potentials may predict experimental zeta potentials and hydration forces.
Abstract: The classical Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory of colloids, and corresponding theories of electrolytes, are unable to explain ion specific forces between colloidal particles quantitatively. The same is true generally, for surfactant aggregates, lipids, proteins, for zeta and membrane potentials and in adsorption phenomena. Even with fitting parameters the theory is not predictive. The classical theories of interactions begin with continuum solvent electrostatic (double layer) forces. Extensions to include surface hydration are taken care of with concepts like inner and outer Helmholtz planes, and “dressed” ion sizes. The opposing quantum mechanical attractive forces (variously termed van der Waals, Hamaker, Lifshitz, dispersion, nonelectrostatic forces) are treated separately from electrostatic forces. The ansatz that separates electrostatic and quantum forces can be shown to be thermodynamically inconsistent. Hofmeister or specific ion effects usually show up above ≈10−2 molar salt. Parameters to accommodate these in terms of hydration and ion size had to be invoked, specific to each case. Ionic dispersion forces, between ions and solvent, for ion–ion and ion–surface interactions are not explicit in classical theories that use “effective” potentials. It can be shown that the missing ionic quantum fluctuation forces have a large role to play in specific ion effects, and in hydration. In a consistent predictive theory they have to be included at the same level as the nonlinear electrostatic forces that form the skeletal framework of standard theory. This poses a challenge. The challenges go further than academic theory and have implications for the interpretation and meaning of concepts like pH, buffers and membrane potentials, and for their experimental interpretation. In this article we overview recent quantitative developments in our evolving understanding of the theoretical origins of specific ion, or Hofmeister effects. These are demonstrated through an analysis that incorporates nonelectrostatic ion–surface and ion–ion dispersion interactions. This is based on ab initio ionic polarisabilities, and finite ion sizes quantified through recent ab initio work. We underline the central role of ionic polarisabilities and of ion size in the nonelectrostatic interactions that involve ions, solvent molecules and interfaces. Examples of mechanisms through which they operate are discussed in detail. An ab initio hydration model that accounts for polarisabilities of the tightly held hydration shell of “cosmotropic” ions is introduced. It is shown how Hofmeister effects depend on an interplay between specific surface chemistry, surface charge density, pH, buffer, and counterion with polarisabilities and ion size. We also discuss how the most recent theories on surface hydration combined with hydrated nonelectrostatic potentials may predict experimental zeta potentials and hydration forces.
Proceedings Article•
17 Nov 2011TL;DR: This paper assumes that the adversary has control over some training data, and aims to subvert the SVM learning process, and proposes a strategy to improve the robustness of SVMs to training data manipulation based on a simple kernel matrix correction.
Abstract: In adversarial classication tasks like spam ltering and intrusion detection, malicious adversaries may manipulate data to thwart the outcome of an automatic analysis. Thus, besides achieving good classication performances, machine learning algorithms have to be robust against adversarial data manipulation to successfully operate in these tasks. While support vector machines (SVMs) have shown to be a very successful approach in classication problems, their eectiveness in adversarial classication tasks has not been extensively investigated yet. In this paper we present a preliminary investigation of the robustness of SVMs against adversarial data manipulation. In particular, we assume that the adversary has control over some training data, and aims to subvert the SVM learning process. Within this assumption, we show that this is indeed possible, and propose a strategy to improve the robustness of SVMs to training data manipulation based on a simple kernel matrix correction.
University of Dundee1, University of Göttingen2, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven3, University of Hamburg4, University of Cologne5, University of Toronto6, University of Nottingham7, St Thomas' Hospital8, VU University Amsterdam9, University of Southampton10, Ghent University11, University College London12, University of Cagliari13, University of Zurich14
TL;DR: A guidelines group of the European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders (EUNETHYDIS) has reviewed the literature, recruited renowned clinical subspecialists and consulted as a group to examine concerns about the safety of ADHD medications.
Abstract: The safety of ADHD medications is not fully known. Concerns have arisen about both a lack of contemporary-standard information about medications first licensed several decades ago, and signals of possible harm arising from more recently developed medications. These relate to both relatively minor adverse effects and extremely serious issues such as sudden cardiac death and suicidality. A guidelines group of the European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders (EUNETHYDIS) has therefore reviewed the literature, recruited renowned clinical subspecialists and consulted as a group to examine these concerns. Some of the effects examined appeared to be minimal in impact or difficult to distinguish from risk to untreated populations. However, several areas require further study to allow a more precise understanding of these risks.
University of Paris1, Radboud University Nijmegen2, University of Basel3, Sapienza University of Rome4, Ghent University5, Federal University of Paraná6, University of Florence7, University of Giessen8, University of Genoa9, University of Zurich10, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli11, University of Pécs12, University of California, Los Angeles13, Medical University of Białystok14, Charité15, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy16, Charles University in Prague17, Istanbul University18, Complutense University of Madrid19, University of Geneva20, Medical University of Silesia21, University of Düsseldorf22, University of Ljubljana23, Marche Polytechnic University24, Medical University of Vienna25, Lund University26, University of Cologne27, University of Pisa28, University College London29, University of Tübingen30, James Cook University Hospital31, University of Coimbra32, University of Copenhagen33, University of Münster34, Russian Academy35, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy36, Hanyang University37, Thomas Jefferson University38, Utrecht University39, University of Connecticut40, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven41, University of Zagreb42, Heidelberg University43, University of Cagliari44, University of São Paulo45, University College Dublin46, University of Verona47, Wrocław Medical University48, Université catholique de Louvain49, Dresden University of Technology50
TL;DR: A core set of preliminary items considered as important for the very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis were identified in a Delphi exercise among 110 experts in the field of SSc.
Abstract: Objective: To identify a core set of preliminary items considered as important for the very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: A list of items provided by European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Scleroderma Trial and Research(EUSTAR) centres were subjected to a Delphi exercise among 110 experts in the field of SSc. In round 1, experts were asked to choose the items they considered as the most important for the very early diagnosis of SSc. In round 2, experts were asked to reconsider the items accepted after the first stage. In round 3, the clinical relevance of selected items and their importance as measures that would lead to an early referral process were rated using appropriateness scores. Results: Physicians from 85 EUSTAR centres participated in the study and provided an initial list of 121 items. After three Delphi rounds, the steering committee, with input from external experts, collapsed the 121 items into three domains containing seven items, developed as follows: skin domain (puffy fingers/puffy swollen digits turning into sclerodactily);vascular domain (Raynaud's phenomenon, abnormal capillaroscopy with scleroderma pattern) and laboratory domain (antinuclear, anticentromere and antitopoisomerase-I antibodies). Finally, the whole assembly of EUSTAR centres ratified with a majority vote the results in a final face-to-face meeting. Conclusion: The three Delphi rounds allowed us to identify the items considered by experts as necessary for the very early diagnosis of SSc. The validation of these items to establish diagnostic criteria is currently ongoing in a prospective observational cohort.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the local variation in regulation to determine the effect of entry barriers on sectoral performance and found that entry barriers are associated with substantially larger profit margins and lower productivity of incumbent retailers.
Abstract: The 1998 reform of the Italian retail trade sector delegated the regulation of entry of large stores to the regional governments. We use the local variation in regulation to determine the eects of entry barriers on sectoral performance. We address the endogeneity of entry barriers through local xed eects and using political variables as instruments. We also control for dierences in trends and for area-wide shocks. We nd that entry barriers are associated with substantially larger prot margins and lower productivity of incumbent rms. Liberalizing entry has a positive eect on investment in ICT, increases employment and compresses labor costs in large shops. In areas with more stringent entry regulation, lower productivity coupled with larger margins results in higher consumer prices. JEL classication: L5, L11, L81
TL;DR: This study supports the generalizability of EVT predictions--including the "lost" Expectancy × Value interaction, which mysteriously disappeared from published research more than 25 years ago.
Abstract: Expectancy-value theory (EVT) is a dominant theory of human motivation. Historically, the Expectancy × Value interaction, in which motivation is high only if both expectancy and value are high, was central to EVT. However, the Expectancy × Value interaction mysteriously disappeared from published research more than 25 years ago. Using large representative samples of 15-year-olds (N = 398,750) from 57 diverse countries, we attempted to solve this mystery by testing Expectancy × Value interactions using latent-variable models with interactions. Expectancy (science self-concept), value (enjoyment of science), and the Expectancy × Value interaction all had statistically significant positive effects on both engagement in science activities and intentions of pursuing scientific careers; these results were similar for the total sample and for nearly all of the 57 countries considered separately. This study, apparently the strongest cross-national test of EVT ever undertaken, supports the generalizability of EVT ...
Griffith University1, Agricultural Research Service2, United States Forest Service3, United States Department of Agriculture4, Bureau of Meteorology5, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ6, University College London7, University of Regina8, Australian National University9, Wageningen University and Research Centre10, Macaulay Institute11, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory12, Catalan Institute for Water Research13, University of Cagliari14, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research15, Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research16, University of Twente17
TL;DR: The authors provide a set of best practice recommendations concerned with promoting design for ease of use, design for usefulness, establishing trust and credibility, promoting EDSS acceptance, and starting simple and small in functionality terms to help facilitate the achievement of desirable social and environmental outcomes.
Abstract: Despite the perceived value of DSS in informing environmental and natural resource management, DSS tools often fail to be adopted by intended end users. By drawing together the experience of a global group of EDSS developers, we have identified and assessed key challenges in EDSS development and offer recommendations to resolve them. Challenges related to engaging end users in EDSS development emphasise the need for a participatory process that embraces end users and stakeholders throughout the design and development process. Adoption challenges concerned with individual and organisational capacities to use EDSS and the match between EDSS and organisational goals can be overcome through the use of an internal champion to promote the EDSS at different levels of a target organisation; co-ordinate and build capacity within the organisation, and; ensure that developers maintain focus on developing EDSS which are relatively easy and inexpensive to use and update (and which are perceived as such by the target users). Significant challenges exist in relation to ensuring EDSS longevity and financial sustainability. Such business challenges may be met through planning and design that considers the long-term costs of training, support, and maintenance; revenue generation and licensing by instituting processes which support communication and interactions; and by employing software technology which enables easy model expansion and re use to gain an economy of scale and reduce development costs. A final group of perhaps more problematic challenges relate to how the success of EDSS ought to be evaluated. Whilst success can be framed relatively easily in terms of interactions with end users, difficulties of definition and measurability emerge in relation to the extent to which EDSS achieve intended outcomes. To tackle the challenges described, the authors provide a set of best practice recommendations concerned with promoting design for ease of use, design for usefulness, establishing trust and credibility, promoting EDSS acceptance, and starting simple and small in functionality terms. Following these recommendations should enhance the achievement of successful EDSS adoption, but more importantly, help facilitate the achievement of desirable social and environmental outcomes.
TL;DR: Low 25(OH)vitamin D levels are associated with the presence of NAFLD independently from metabolic syndrome, diabetes and insulin-resistance profile, and Fatty Liver Index inversely correlated with low 25( OH) vitamin D regardless sex, age and HOMA-IR.
Abstract: Background
Hypovitaminosis D has been recently recognized as a worldwide epidemic. Since vitamin D exerts significant metabolic activities, comprising free fatty acids (FFA) flux regulation from the periphery to the liver, its deficiency may promote fat deposition into the hepatocytes. Aim of our study was to test the hypothesis of a direct association between hypovitaminosis D and the presence of NAFLD in subjects with various degree of insulin-resistance and related metabolic disorders.
TL;DR: The role of metabolomics in gaining mechanistic insight into cardiac disease processes, and in the search for novel biomarker screens for diseases or follow drug efficacy is explored.
Abstract: Metabolomics is emerging as a powerful tool for the investigation of the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. In this Review, the authors discuss advances in the use of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, particularly in field of lipidomics, and in the search for novel biomarkers of cardiac disease. Metabolomics represents a paradigm shift in metabolic research, away from approaches that focus on a limited number of enzymatic reactions or single pathways, to approaches that attempt to capture the complexity of metabolic networks. Additionally, the high-throughput nature of metabolomics makes it ideal to perform biomarker screens for diseases or follow drug efficacy. In this Review, we explore the role of metabolomics in gaining mechanistic insight into cardiac disease processes, and in the search for novel biomarkers. High-resolution NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry are both highly discriminatory for a range of pathological processes affecting the heart, including cardiac ischemia, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. We also discuss the position of metabolomics in the range of functional-genomic approaches, being complementary to proteomic and transcriptomic studies, and having subdivisions such as lipidomics (the study of intact lipid species). In addition to techniques that monitor changes in the total sizes of pools of metabolites in the heart and biofluids, the role of stable-isotope methods for monitoring fluxes through pathways is examined. The use of these novel functional-genomic tools to study metabolism provides a unique insight into cardiac disease progression.
TL;DR: The authors analyzed how the structure of executive compensation affects the risk choices made by bank CEOs for a sample of acquiring US banks and employed the Merton distance to default model to show that CEOs with higher pay-risk sensitivity engage in risk-inducing mergers.
TL;DR: This work tries to visualize how field based studies in ethnobiology and especially medical ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology run the risk of repeating information and knowledge and illustrates the importance of differentiating and acknowledging the origin, transmission and rationale of plant use made by humans.
TL;DR: The use of a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a simple model system (a charge regulated spherical colloidal particle in NaCl salt solutions), that includes these ion specific interactions, allows the opposite trends observed for isoelectric point and isoionic point of BSA to be explained.
Abstract: The points of zero charge/potential of proteins depend not only on pH but also on how they are measured. They depend also on background salt solution type and concentration. The protein isoelectric point (IEP) is determined by electrokinetical measurements, whereas the isoionic point (IIP) is determined by potentiometric titrations. Here we use potentiometric titration and zeta potential (ζ) measurements at different NaCl concentrations to study systematically the effect of ionic strength on the IEP and IIP of bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solutions. It is found that high ionic strengths produce a shift of both points toward lower (IEP) and higher (IIP) pH values. This result was already reported more than 60 years ago. At that time, the only available theory was the purely electrostatic Debye-Huckel theory. It was not able to predict the opposite trends of IIP and IEP with ionic strength increase. Here, we extend that theory to admit both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic (NES) dispersion interactions. The use of a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a simple model system (a charge regulated spherical colloidal particle in NaCl salt solutions), that includes these ion specific interactions, allows us to explain the opposite trends observed for isoelectric point (zero zeta potential) and isoionic point (zero protein charge) of BSA. At higher concentrations, an excess of the anion (with stronger NES interactions than the cation) is adsorbed at the surface due to an attractive ionic NES potential. This makes the potential relatively more negative. Consequently, the IEP is pushed toward lower pH. But the charge regulation condition means that the surface charge becomes relatively more positive as the surface potential becomes more negative. Consequently, the IIP (measuring charge) shifts toward higher pH as concentration increases, in the opposite direction from the IEP (measuring potential).
TL;DR: The authors examined to what extent increased parent reports of autistic traits in some children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are the result of ADHD-related symptoms or qualitatively similar to the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Abstract: We examined to what extent increased parent reports of autistic traits in some children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are the result of ADHD-related symptoms or qualitatively similar to the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Results confirm the presence of a subgroup of children with ADHD and elevated ratings of core ASD traits (ADHD+) not accounted for by ADHD or behavioral symptoms. Further, analyses revealed greater oppositional behaviors, but not greater ADHD severity or anxiety, in the ADHD+ subgroup compared to those with ADHD only. These results highlight the importance of specifically examining autistic traits in children with ADHD for better characterization in studies of the underlying physiopathology and treatment.
TL;DR: In this article, reinforcement steel embedded in six different concrete mixes was exposed to chloride by wetting/drying cycles and various parameters were continuously monitored during more than 1 year, and the most dominant influencing parameter was the steel/concrete interface since corrosion initiated on the lower side of the rebar (with respect to casting direction).
TL;DR: Higher-Order Sliding Modes are presented as a tool to remove discontinuity from the control action, to deal with higher relative degree systems and to improve the accuracy of the real sliding mode behavior when the discrete time implementation is considered.
TL;DR: The intrinsic mechanism of 2-dimensional electron confinement at the n-type SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interface as a function of the sheet carrier density n(s) is described via advanced first-principles calculations.
Abstract: We describe the intrinsic mechanism of 2-dimensional electron confinement at the $n$-type ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}$ interface as a function of the sheet carrier density ${n}_{s}$ via advanced first-principles calculations. Electrons localize spontaneously in Ti $3{d}_{xy}$ levels within a thin ($\ensuremath{\lesssim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$) interface-adjacent ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ region for ${n}_{s}$ lower than a threshold value ${n}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{14}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. For ${n}_{s}g{n}_{c}$ a portion of charge flows into Ti $3{d}_{xz}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}{d}_{yz}$ levels extending farther from the interface. This intrinsic confinement can be attributed to the interface-induced symmetry breaking and localized nature of Ti $3d$ ${t}_{2g}$ states. The sheet carrier density directly controls the binding energy and the spatial extension of the conductive region. A direct, quantitative relation of these quantities with ${n}_{s}$ is provided.
TL;DR: The presence of time-spaced tephra beds in Quaternary Mediterranean successions represents an additional, independent tool for dating and correlating different sedimentary archives as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The identification and characterisation of high-frequency climatic changes during the Holocene requires natural archives with precise and accurate chronological control, which is usually difficult to achieve using only 14C chronologies. The presence of time-spaced tephra beds in Quaternary Mediterranean successions represents an additional, independent tool for dating and correlating different sedimentary archives. These tephra layers are potentially useful for resolving long-standing issues in paleoclimatology and can help towards correlating terrestrial and marine paleoclimate archives. Known major tephras of regional extent derive from central and southern Italy, the Hellenic Arc, and from Anatolia. A striking feature of major Holocene tephra deposition events in the Mediterranean is that they are clustered rather than randomly distributed in time. Several tephra layers occurred at the time of the S1 sapropel formation between c. 8.4 and 9.0 ka BP (Mercato, Gabellotto-Fiumebianco/E1, Cappadocia) and ot...
TL;DR: This pulsar PSR J1719−1438, a 5.7-millisecond pulsar detected in a recent survey with the Parkes 64-meter radio telescope, is shown to be in a binary system with an orbital period of 2.2 hours.
Abstract: Millisecond pulsars are thought to be neutron stars that have been spun-up by accretion of matter from a binary companion. Although most are in binary systems, some 30% are solitary, and their origin is therefore mysterious. PSR J1719−1438, a 5.7-millisecond pulsar, was detected in a recent survey with the Parkes 64-meter radio telescope. We show that this pulsar is in a binary system with an orbital period of 2.2 hours. The mass of its companion is near that of Jupiter, but its minimum density of 23 grams per cubic centimeter suggests that it may be an ultralow-mass carbon white dwarf. This system may thus have once been an ultracompact low-mass x-ray binary, where the companion narrowly avoided complete destruction.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors hypothesized that job autonomy and intrinsic motivation were key exogenous variables positively related to affective commitment, which in turn is negatively related to turnover intention, by performing a mediating role.
Abstract: Drawing on Self-Determination and Work Characteristics theories, we hypothesized that job autonomy and intrinsic motivation were key exogenous variables positively related to affective commitment, which in turn is negatively related to turnover intention, by performing a mediating role. A sample of 442 nurses has been involved in this research. Through the cross-validation technique, the results showed that the hypotheses of this study were supported and affective commitment completely mediated the relationships between job autonomy, intrinsic work motivation and turnover intention. These findings have important implications for healthcare organizations by helping to promote effective work environments and major opportunities of responsibility to workers to develop their own activity. Conclusions were examined considering practical implications for organizations, employees and the need for further researches.