Search

Background: Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is typically asymmetric. Case reports suggest that left-hemisphere CBS (lhCBS) is associated with major language impairment, and right-hemisphere CBS (rhCBS) is associated with major visuospatial deficits, but no group study has ever verified these observations. In our study, we enrolled 49 patients with CBS, classified them as lhCBS or rhCBS based on asymmetry of hypometabolism on brain FDG-PET and compared their cognitive and behavioural profiles. Methods: We defined asymmetry of hypometabolism upon visual inspection of qualitative PET images and confirmed it through paired comparison of left- and right-hemisphere FDG uptake values. The two groups were also matched for severity of hypometabolism within the more affected and more preserved hemispheres, to unravel differences in the cognitive profiles ascribable specifically to each hemisphere's functional specializations. All patients were assessed for memory, language, executive and visuospatial deficits, apraxia, neglect, dyscalculia, agraphia and behavioural disturbances. Results: LhCBS (n. 26) and rhCBS (n. 23) patients did not differ for demographics, disease duration and severity of global cognitive impairment. The two cognitive profiles were largely overlapping, with two exceptions: Digit span forward was poorer in lhCBS, and visual neglect was more frequent in rhCBS. Conclusions: After balancing out patients for hemispheric hypometabolism, we did not confirm worse language or visuospatial deficits in, respectively, lhCBS and rhCBS. However, verbal short-term memory was more impaired in lhCBS, and spatial attention was more impaired in rhCBS. Both of these functions reflect the functional specialization of the left and right fronto-parietal pathways, i.e. of the main loci of neurodegeneration in CBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Spatial cognition (SC) is one of the earliest cognitive domains to be impaired in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), resulting in spatial disorientation and becoming lost even in familiar surroundings as later dementia symptoms. To date, few studies have identified initial alterations of spatial navigation (SN) in the premorbid AD phase by real-world paradigms, and none have adopted an innovative technological apparatus to better detect gait alterations as well as physiological aspects correlated to spatial disorientation (SD). The present study aimed at exploring initial SN defects in patients with prodromal AD via a naturalistic task by using a sensory garment. (2) Methods: 20 community-dwelling patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to AD and 20 age/education controls were assessed on their sequential egocentric and allocentric navigation abilities by using a modified version of the Detour Navigation Test (DNT-mv). (3) Results: When compared to controls, patients with MCI due to AD exhibited higher wrong turns (WT) and moments of hesitation (MsH) in the DNT-mv, reflecting difficulties both in sequential egocentric and allocentric navigation, depending on hippocampal deterioration. Moreover, they reported more complaints about their SN competencies and lower long-term visuospatial memory abilities than controls. Remarkably, WTs and MsH manifested in the allocentric naturalistic task of the DNT-mv were associated with autonomic nervous system alteration pertaining to cardiac functioning in the whole sample. (4) Conclusions: Naturalistic navigation tests of hippocampal function using a continuous non-invasive monitoring device can provide early markers of spatial disorientation in patients with MCI due to AD. Future studies should develop cognitive remediation techniques able to enhance SC residual abilities in patients at high risk of conversion into dementia and ecological paradigms to be replicated on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We validated in the clinical setting a putative clinical marker for a biological diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) due to amyloid previously identified in an autopsy cohort and including impaired (score ≤4) digit span (DS) as index of phonological loop dysfunction and broadened criteria for logopenic PPA. In 29 PPA patients with an amyloid-positive (A+) biomarker and 28 PPA patients with an amyloid-negative (A−) biomarker, Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis showed moderate specificity (71%) but insufficient sensitivity (41%) for the proposed marker. Specificity was particularly poor (58%) for the discrimination between A+ PPA and the A− subgroup with nonfluent PPA. DS may be compromised in both logopenic and nonfluent PPA, whose loci of neurodegeneration lie at the 2 ends of the left fronto-parieto-temporal system that underpins phonology. An Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) correlation analysis between DS score and metabolism on brain 18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography also showed a major contribution of the left frontal cortex to impaired span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Late‐onset (LO) and early‐onset (EO) dementia show neurobiological and clinical differences. Clinical and 18fluoro‐deoxy‐glucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) features of LO and EO posterior cortical atrophy (LO_PCA, EO_PCA), the visual variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD), were compared. LO_PCA patients were also compared with a group of patients with LO typical AD (tAD). Methods: Thirty‐seven LO_PCA patients (onset age ≥ 65 years), 29 EO_PCA patients and 40 tAD patients who all underwent a standard neuropsychological battery were recruited; PCA patients were also assessed for the presence of posterior signs and symptoms. Brain FDG‐PET was available in 32 LO_PCA cases, 23 EO_PCA cases and all tAD cases, and their scans were compared with scans from 30 healthy elderly controls. Within the entire PCA sample FDG uptake was also correlated with age at onset as a continuous variable. Results: The main difference between the two PCA groups was a higher prevalence of Bálint–Holmes symptoms in EO cases, which was associated with the presence of severe bilateral occipito‐temporo‐parietal hypometabolism, whilst LO_PCA patients showed reduction of FDG uptake mainly in the right posterior regions. The latter group also showed mesial temporal hypometabolism, similarly to the tAD group, although with a right rather than left lateralization. Correlation analysis confirmed the association between older age and decreased limbic metabolism and between younger age and decreased left parietal metabolism. Conclusions: The major involvement of the temporal cortex in LO cases and of the parietal cortex in EO cases reported previously within the AD spectrum holds true also for the visual variant of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is becoming an increasing issue, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent the engine of such a phenomenon. This review aims to identify the origin of GHG emissions and focus in detail on the ones related to (petro) chemical industries. The industrial sector is the primary GHG emitter among all the other anthropogenic sources. The chemical industry is the first in charge of that (having accounted for about 6.5% of the global GHG emissions in 2018). Thought-provoking data such as yearly productivities and emission factors related to the predominant chemicals prompt the reader to acquire a sense of the critical activities responsible for carbon-intensive emissions, which should be the first to be decarbonized. Specifically, ammonia synthesis and steam cracking resulted in the most polluting processes of the chemical industry, being responsible for the release of about 440 and 228 Mt-CO2,eq/y, respectively, in 2020. The same approach also applies to oil refining. Due to the massive amounts of oil barrels produced daily, oil refining is a key player in industrial GHG emissions (about 3% of the global emissions in 2018). Indeed, in 2020, refineries emitted nearly 1313 Mt-CO2,eq/y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to establish empirically to what extent reduced glucose uptake in the precuneus, posterior cingulate and/or temporo-parietal cortex (PCTP), which is thought to indicate brain amyloidosis in patients with dementia or MCI due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD), permits to distinguish amyloid-positive from amyloid-negative patients with non-classical AD phenotypes at the single-case level. We enrolled 127 neurodegenerative patients with cognitive impairment and a positive (n. 63) or negative (n. 64) amyloid marker (cerebrospinal fluid or amy-PET). Three rating methods of FDG-PET scan were applied: purely qualitative visual interpretation of uptake images (VIUI), and visual reading assisted by a semi-automated and semi-quantitative tool: INLAB, provided by the Italian National Research Council, or Cortex ID Suite, marketed by GE Healthcare. Fourteen scans (11.0%) patients remained unclassified by VIUI or INLAB procedures, therefore, validity values were computed on the remaining 113 cases. The three rating approaches showed good total accuracy (77–78%), good to optimal sensitivity (81–93%), but poorer specificity (62–75%). VIUI showed the highest sensitivity and the lowest specificity, and also the highest proportion of unclassified cases. Cases with asymmetric temporo-parietal hypometabolism and a progressive aphasia or corticobasal clinical profile, in particular, tended to be rated as AD-like, even if biomarkers indicated non-amyloid pathology. Our findings provide formal support to the value of PCTP hypometabolism for single-level diagnosis of amyloid pathophysiology in atypical AD, but also highlight the risk of qualitative assessment to misclassify patients with non-AD PPA or CBS underpinned by asymmetric temporo-parietal hypometabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Analysis of subtypes of picture naming errors produced by patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have seldom been investigated yet may clarify the cognitive and neural underpinnings of naming in the AD spectrum.Objective: To elucidate the neurocognitive bases of picture naming in AD through a qualitative analysis of errors.Methods: Over 1000 naming errors produced by 70 patients with amnestic, visuospatial, linguistic, or frontal AD were correlated with general cognitive tests and with distribution of hypometabolism on FDG-PET.Results: Principal component analysis identified 1) a Visual processing factor clustering visuospatial tests and unrecognized stimuli, pure visual errors and visual-semantic errors, associated with right parieto-occipital hypometabolism; 2) a Concept-Lemma factor grouping language tests and anomias, circumlocutions, superordinates, and coordinates, correlated with left basal temporal hypometabolism; 3) a Lemma-Phonology factor including the digit span and phonological errors, linked with left temporo-parietal hypometabolism. Regression of brain metabolism on individual errors showed that errors due to impairment of basic and higher-order processing of object visual attributes, or of their interaction with semantics, were related with bilateral occipital and left occipito-temporal dysfunction. Omissions and superordinates were linked to degradation of broad and basic concepts in the left basal temporal cortex. Semantic-lexical errors derived from faulty semantically- and phonologically-driven lexical retrieval in the left superior and middle temporal gyri. Generation of nonwords was underpinned by impairment of phonology within the left inferior parietal cortex.Conclusion: Analysis of individual naming errors allowed to outline a comprehensive anatomo-functional model of picture naming in classical and atypical AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is one of the most used tests for the screening of global cognition in patients with neurological and medical disorders. Norms for the Italian version of the test were published in the 90 s; more recent norms were published in 2020 for Southern Italy only. In the present study, we computed novel adjustment coefficients, equivalent scores and cut-off value for Northern Italy (Lombardia and Veneto) and Italian speaking Switzerland.Methods: We recruited 361 healthy young and old (range: 20-95 years) individuals of both sexes (men: 156, women: 205) and from different educational levels (range: 4-22 years). Neuropsychiatric disorders and severe medical conditions were excluded with a questionnaire and cognitive deficits and were ruled out with standardized neuropsychological tests assessing the main cognitive domains. We used a slightly modified version of MMSE: the word 'fiore' was replaced with 'pane' in verbal recalls to reduce the common interference error 'casa, cane, gatto'. The effect of socio-demographic features on performance at MMSE was assessed via multiple linear regression, with test raw score as dependent variable and sex, logarithm of 101-age and square root of schooling as predictors.Results: Mean raw MMSE score was 28.8 ± 1.7 (range: 23-30). Multiple linear regression showed a significant effect of all socio-demographic variables and reported a value of R2 = 0.26. The new cut off was ≥ 26 /30.Conclusion: We provide here updated norms for a putatively more accurate version of Italian MMSE, produced in a Northern population but potentially valid all over Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of low-frequency (≤1.4 GHz) radio emission from stellar and planetary systems can lead to new insights into stellar activity, extrasolar space weather, and planetary magnetic fields. In this work, we investigate three large field-of-view surveys at 74 MHz, 150 MHz, and 1.4 GHz, as well as a myriad of multiwavelength ancillary data, to search for radio emission from about 2600 stellar objects, including about 800 exoplanetary systems, 600 nearby low-mass stars, and 1200 young stellar objects located in the Taurus and Upper Scorpius star-forming regions. The selected sample encompasses stellar spectral types from B to L and distances between 5 and 300 pc. We report the redetection of five stars at 1.4 GHz, one of which also shows emission at 150 MHz. Four of these are low- and intermediate-mass young stars, and one is the evolved star α Sco. We also observe radio emission at the position of a young brown dwarf at 1.4 GHz and 150 MHz. However, due to the large astrometric uncertainty of radio observations, a follow-up study at higher angular resolution would be required to confirm whether the observed emission originates from the brown dwarf itself or a background object. Notably, all of the selected radio sources are located in nearby star-forming regions. Furthermore, we use image stacking and statistical methods to derive upper limits on the average quiescent radio luminosity of the families of objects under investigation. These analyses provide observational constraints for large-scale searches for current and ongoing low-frequency radio emissions from stars and planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silk is a natural engineering material with a unique set of properties. The major constituent of silk is fibroin, a protein widely used in the biomedical field because of its mechanical strength, toughness and elasticity, as well as its biocompatibility and biodegradability. The domestication of silkworms allows large amounts of fibroin to be extracted inexpensively from silk cocoons. However, the industrial extraction process has drawbacks in terms of sustainability and the quality of the final medical product. The heterologous production of fibroin using recombinant DNA technology is a promising approach to address these issues, but the production of such recombinant proteins is challenging and further optimization is required due to the large size and repetitive structure of fibroin's DNA and amino acid sequence. In this review, we describe the structure–function relationship of fibroin, the current extraction process, and some insights into the sustainability of silk production for biomedical applications. We focus on recent advances in molecular biotechnology underpinning the production of recombinant fibroin, working toward a standardized, successful and sustainable process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hybrid-green ammonia partially uses green hydrogen by electrolysis as feedstock. • Feeding green hydrogen to the Haber process lowers the reforming load and emissions. • The retrofitting allows decarbonization degrees up to −20 % without operative issues. • Renewable grid (I) vs. on-site photovoltaics (II) electric supply options were assessed. • The most competitive configuration is Option I in the USA and Option II in the EU. This paper analyzes the retrofitting of a conventional, "gray" ammonia plant for its partial decarbonization. Specifically, the retrofitting involves the hybridization of the process by providing a certain amount of green hydrogen (i.e. by water electrolysis) for the ammonia synthesis to reduce the demand for the original gray hydrogen route (i.e. by fossil-based steam reforming) and consequently reduce CO 2 emissions. As such green hydrogen is produced through an electrolyzer that consumes renewable electric energy, two design configurations are considered: (Option I) the supply of clean electricity from renewable sources; (Option II) the generation of clean electricity by an in-house photovoltaic power plant. Once having analyzed the advantages and limitations of the hybrid plant layouts, the ammonia production costs achieved by the three simulated plants (i.e. the reference "gray" plant and the two hybrid alternatives) are estimated by considering the United States (USA) and European Union (EU) market quotations in 2022 and previsions for 2030 and 2050. The main outcomes are that (i) hybrid-green ammonia proves to be a feasible, environmentally friendly retrofitting option for the ammonia production industry, showing production costs that are no more than 36 % higher than gray ammonia; and (ii) Option I achieves better cost-effectiveness than Option II in the USA, while the opposite happens in the EU. Specifically, the resulting 10 %-green-on-average hybrid-green ammonia production costs range between +0.3 % (EU-2022) and +30.8 % (USA-2022) for Option I , and between −1.3 % (EU-2022) and +35.3 % (USA-2022) for Option II , compared to the reference gray ammonia plant. (iii) Lastly, the projected (i.e. in 2030 and 2050) CO 2 avoidance costs associated with hybrid-green ammonia configurations exceed 400 USD/t CO2 in the USA and 500 USD/t CO2 in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A near-infrared image sensor with monolithically integrated Ge photodiodes is demonstrated. The technology for the integration of the Ge photodiodes into the CMOS process is outlined, and the measurement results of test-diodes and the full imager are discussed in detail. The heterojunction-photodiodes show a quantum efficiency of about 30% up to a wavelength of 1500 nm. A tensile strain of 0.17% was measured in the epitaxial Ge layer, which is in good agreement with the optically measured direct bandgap absorption edge of 1580 nm. The image sensor can be operated at room temperature or with moderate cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been extensive research into the development of selective trust in testimony, but little is known about the development of selective trust in promises. The present research investigates children's (N = 264) selective trust in others' promises to help. In Study 1, 6-year-olds selectively trusted speakers who had previously kept a promise. In Study 2, 5-year-olds displayed selective trust for speakers who had previously kept a prosocial promise (promise to help). In Study 3, 5-year-olds trusted a speaker, who kept a prosocial promise, over a helper. These data suggest that from the age of 5 children show selective trust in others' promises using prosociality, promise keeping, or both to inform their judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with pure alexia often have visual field defects such as right homonymous hemianopia. Relatively few attempts have been made to develop criteria to differentiate pure alexia from hemianopic alexia. In this Commentary we provide concrete suggestions to distinguish the two disorders. We also report on additional assessments with two previously reported cases for whom the diagnosis of pure alexia was called into question and an alternative proposal was offered that the reading deficits were instead due to hemianopia. We show that the results of clinical and neuropsychological tests do not support the account that the reading impairment was caused by the visual field defect. In particular, for both cases, the right homonymous hemianopia was not complete, and a split-field reading task demonstrated an inability also to read words presented in the intact left visual field. In conclusion, pure alexics may indeed show fairly modest word-length effects; however, the presence of right homonymous hemianopia and a non-extreme gradient of reading speed alone are not sufficient grounds to put in doubt the diagnosis. We propose that a fuller clinical and neuropsychological examination taking into account the possible confounding effects of the visual field defects will help to distinguish pure alexia from hemianopic alexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Cognitively stimulating life experiences and activities are deemed to moderate the clinical impact of brain damage progressively building a neural and cognitive reserve (CR). CR has been studied extensively in various neurodegenerative disorders, but not in corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Methods: Using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8, years of education, as a determinant of CR, was correlated with tracer uptake on positron emission tomography with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose, as a marker of neurodegeneration, in 35 patients with various phenotypes of CBD, including a cognitive–motor composite score or symptoms duration as covariates for controlling disease stage. Results: A cluster of relative hypometabolism was found associated with higher education in the left inferior regions of pre‐ and post‐rolandic gyri and insula, which represent typical loci of neurodegeneration in CBD regardless of clinical presentation. Conclusions: The present findings extend to CBD the evidence gathered in other neurodegenerative disorders that a higher CR has a protective effect against the clinical manifestations of brain degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are the most common forms of dementia. It is well known that memory deficits in AD are different from those in VaD and FTD, especially with respect to cued recall. The aim of this clinical study was to compare the memory performance in 15 AD, 10 VaD and 9 FTD patients and 20 normal controls by means of a 24-item Grober-Buschke test [8]. The patients' groups were comparable in terms of severity of dementia. We considered free and total recall (free plus cued) both in immediate and delayed recall and computed an Index of Sensitivity to Cueing (ISC) [8] for immediate and delayed trials. We assessed whether cued recall predicted the subsequent free recall across our patients' groups. We found that AD patients recalled fewer items from the beginning and were less sensitive to cueing supporting the hypothesis that memory disorders in AD depend on encoding and storage deficit. In immediate recall VaD and FTD showed a similar memory performance and a stronger sensitivity to cueing than AD, suggesting that memory disorders in these patients are due to a difficulty in spontaneously implementing efficient retrieval strategies. However, we found a lower ISC in the delayed recall compared to the immediate trials in VaD than FTD due to a higher forgetting in VaD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A criterion is proposed to identify runaway conditions of a tubular reactor. • Temperatures and flowrates measurements allows to detect runaway situations. • The proposed approach is kinetic-free. • The proposed criterion has been validated through some industrial data. The intensification of fast and exothermic reaction processes is an important development trend of the chemical industry, because of productivity, safety and product quality reasons. Whenever the reaction can be performed in tubular rather than in stirred tank reactors, a number of additional advantages can be achieved, in terms of a higher conversion as well as of an improved heat transfer efficiency per unit volume. In these cases, however, the reactor must be designed and operated so as to prevent its pseudo-adiabatic behavior, which makes the system sensitive to even normal fluctuations of the process variables as well as to the design parameters, with unpredictable effects on the process performances. In this work a general experimental procedure is presented, through which the sensitive behavior of a tubular reactor can be detected through local temperature and flowrate measurements, even in the absence of a detailed kinetic characterization of the system. The developed approach has a higher responsiveness compared with the existing criteria and can be easily adopted for finetuning the operating conditions of a running reactor as well as for the design of a new one. The proposed method has been validated through experimental data, both in the non-sensitive and sensitive regimes, of a well-known catalytic process of the chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of vacancies and impurities in semiconductors plays a crucial role in determining their electrical, optical, and thermal properties. This study aims to clarify the nature of the interaction between positrons and ionized p-type impurities, emphasizing the similarities they share with the interaction between holes and this type of impurity. An overall strategy for investigating defects in semiconductor crystals that exhibit a combination of vacancies and p-type impurities is presented. By using positron annihilation spectroscopy, in particular, Doppler broadening of the annihilation radiation, we quantify the concentration of vacancies in epitaxial Si crystals grown by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The vacancy number densities that we find are (1.2 ± 1.0) × 1017 cm−3 and (3.2 ± 1.5) × 1020 cm−3 for growth rates of 0.27 and 4.9 nm/s, respectively. Subsequent extended annealing of the Si samples effectively reduces the vacancy density below the sensitivity threshold of the positron technique. Secondary ion mass spectrometry indicates that the boron doping remains unaffected during the annealing treatment intended for vacancy removal. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between vacancies and ionized impurities with positrons in semiconductor crystals. The obtained results contribute to advance the control and understanding of material properties in heterostructures by emphasizing the significance of managing vacancy and dopant concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anhedonia is the inability to experience physical or social pleasure. Its physical component is hypothesised to be due to dysfunction of a dopaminergic frontotemporal-subcortical circuit and has never been investigated as a possible affective complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to formally assess prevalence and correlates of physical anhedonia in PD patients compared with normal controls. Twenty five people with PD and 25 matched controls were administered a psychometric battery exploring mainly executive functions and mood. Hedonic tone was assessed using Chapman's Physical Anhedonia Scale. PD patients also underwent MRI linear measurement of frontal structures. Anhedonia levels were significantly higher in PD patients with respect to controls, although not extremely elevated; prevalence rate was 40% for parkinsonians, while no anhedonics were found among controls. Clinical, neuropsychological, and quantitative neuroradiological features did not show any significant correlation with physical anhedonia. Physical anhedonia appears to be a relatively frequent, although mild, affective disturbance of PD, independent from neurological, frontal, and depressive aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidurals provide excellent analgesia for cardiac surgery and may reduce complications. However, their use has been tempered because of concern of the rare, but serious complication of epidural haematoma. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of epidural on survival and the risk estimate of epidural haematoma. Methods: A systematic reviewof the literature (Pubmed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Register) and a meta-analysis of the available randomized and case-matched studies were performed to estimate the effect on survival. An international, directed and viral anonymous survey was performed to identify the incidence of haematomas with a corresponding estimate of the number of epidurals performed. Results: Of 66 randomized and case-matched studies, 57 trials including 6383 patients reported the incidence of all-cause mortality at the longest follow up available, with a significant reduction with epidurals (59/3123 [1.9%] vs 108/3260 [3.3%] in the control arm, RR 0.65 [95% CI 0.48-0.86], P=0.003, NNT=70). No epidural haematoma was reported in these 66 trials (3320 epidurals). All other literature revealed nine haematomas in 13 100 patients. Through the anonymous, web-based, viral, international survey, we identified 16 further, non-published, epidural haematomas from 72 400 positioned epidurals. Therefore, a total of 25 haematomas have been identified from an estimate of 88 820 positioned epidurals, producing an estimated risk of 1:3552 (95% CI 1:2552-1:5841). Conclusions: The use of epidural analgesia in cardiac surgery is associated with a reduction in mortality (NNT=70), and with an estimated risk of epidural haematoma of 1:3552. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the photon energy dependence of photo-induced inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in Pt/GaAs and Pt/Ge Schottky junctions. The experimental results are compared with a spin driftdiffusion model, which highlights the role played by the different spin lifetime in the two semiconductors, in determining the energy dependence of the ISHE signal detected in the Pt layer. The good qualitative agreement between experiments and modelling indicates that photo-induced ISHE can be used as a tool to characterize spin lifetime in semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed scores obtained at the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) by 20 patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and contrasted it with 20 patients having Alzheimer disease (AD). Patients with hallucinations and delusions were not included due to the high probability of a diagnosis of Lewy body disease. Prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) was 95% in the PCA group, the most frequent being apathy and anxiety. Cluster analysis on NPI subscales highlighted a behavioral subsyndrome characterized by agitated temper and irritability. Depression, anxiety, and apathy did not cluster with any other BPSD nor with each other. The PCA group showed a significantly higher proportion of anxious patients and worse anxiety score than patients with AD. No correlation was found between NPI data and demographic, clinical, or neuropsychological features nor were there significant differences for the same variables between anxious and nonanxious cases with PCA. In agreement with anecdotal reports, anxiety seems particularly relevant in PCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we replicated a previous experiment investigating visuo-spatial short term memory binding in young and older healthy individuals, in the attempt to verify the pattern of impairment that can be observed in normal elderly for short term memory for single items vs short term memory for bindings. Assessing a larger sample size (25 young and 25 older subjects), using a more appropriate measure of accuracy for a change detection task ( A ′), and adding the evaluation of speed of performance, we confirmed that old normals show a decline in short term memory for bindings of shape and colour that is of comparable extent, and not major, to the decline in memory for single shapes and single colours. The absence of a specific deficit of short term memory for conjunctions of surface features seems to distinguish cognitive ageing from Alzheimer’s Disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology is introduced, the Collision Rate Method (CRM), to calculate the friction coefficient of power-law aggregates across the entire momentum-transfer regime. The friction coefficient is calculated via the ratio of two fictitious particle-aggregate collision rates evaluated in the continuum and slip-flow regimes. The effective collision rates are obtained from the numerical solution of the Laplace equation with Robin boundary condition. The methodology was justified by comparing the slip correction factor of straight-chains composed of up to 50 spherical monomers with literature results. We determined the validity of the CRM to lie in an extended slip-flow regime, the maximum monomer Knudsen number being 2. We calculated the adjusted-sphere radius, the radius of a sphere with the same slip correction factor as the chain, in slip flow. We found it to be weakly dependent on flow conditions, as specified by the carrier-gas mean free path, a dependence that leads to a weak effect on calculated slip correction factors. The CRM was combined with the Adjusted-Sphere Method to extend its validity to all Knudsen numbers. Excellent agreement of calculated, straight-chain, slip correction factors with literature values was obtained for monomer Knudsen numbers up to 100. Various characteristic length scales, geometric (equivalent volume radius, radius of gyration) and dynamic (equivalent hydrodynamic and mobility radii), were calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies identified a poor-prognosis stem/serrated/mesenchymal (SSM) transcriptional subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC). We noted that genes upregulated in this subtype are also prominently expressed by stromal cells, suggesting that SSM transcripts could derive from stromal rather than epithelial cancer cells. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed CRC expression data from patient-derived xenografts, where mouse stroma supports human cancer cells. Species-specific expression analysis showed that the mRNA levels of SSM genes were mostly due to stromal expression. Transcriptional signatures built to specifically report the abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), leukocytes or endothelial cells all had significantly higher expression in human CRC samples of the SSM subtype. High expression of the CAF signature was associated with poor prognosis in untreated CRC, and joint high expression of the stromal signatures predicted resistance to radiotherapy in rectal cancer. These data show that the distinctive transcriptional and clinical features of the SSM subtype can be ascribed to its particularly abundant stromal component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of geometric properties and particle size on mobility properties of fractal-like aggregates was studied in the mass and momentum-transfer transition regimes. Two methodologies were investigated. The Collision Rate Method (CRM) that determines the slip correction factor through the ratio of two fictitious Brownian particle-aggregate effective collision rates, and the Adjusted Sphere Method (ASM) that assumes the existence of a virtual, flow-independent adjusted sphere with the same slip correction factor as the aggregate over the entire transition regime. The simulated fractal-like aggregates were synthetic as they were generated via a cluster–cluster agglomeration algorithm. The CRM was used to calculate the adjusted-sphere radius of various aggregates: we found it to be weakly dependent on the monomer Knudsen number for Kn greater than 0.5. Numerical expressions for the aggregate orientationally-averaged projected area and the adjusted-sphere radius are proposed. Both expressions depend on geometric, non-ensemble averaged quantities: the radius of gyration and the number of monomers. The slip correction factor and the mobility radius of DLCA and RLCA aggregates were calculated using the ASM: for a given number of monomers, fractal dimension and prefactor, and Knudsen number their values were approximately constant (averaged over aggregate realizations). A fractal-like scaling law based on the mobility radius was found to hold. The mobility fractal dimension and prefactor were determined for different aggregates. The hydrodynamic radius, proportional to the friction coefficient, and the dynamic shape factor of DLCA and RLCA aggregates were also calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Power-law clusters were created by a cluster–cluster agglomeration algorithm. [•] The fractal prefactor describes local monomer distribution. [•] The fractal dimension is an indicator of a cluster’s large-scale structure. [•] We propose an accurate expression for the calculation of the hydrodynamic radius. [•] The calculated hydrodynamic radius is independent of cluster statistical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Movement Disorders Society (MDS) formulated diagnostic criteria and assessment guidelines for the screening of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). We carried out a validation of the cognitive measures suggested in the screening algorithm (i.e. the Mini Mental State Examination – MMSE – total score, serial 7s subtraction, 3-word recall, pentagons copy, and one minute letter fluency) in 86 patients with PD. Thirty-six percent of participants were diagnosed with dementia using the MDS algorithm, but with the Dementia Rating Scale instead of the MMSE. The original MDS procedure misclassified 11 patients (12.8%) as false negatives and 3 (3.5%) as false positives, leading to 65% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The main reason for misdiagnoses was insensitivity of the MMSE total score. Three attempts were made to reach a better screening performance, which warrants high sensitivity more than high specificity: 1. exclusion of the MMSE total score as a diagnostic requirement; 2. determination of a better cut off through Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis; 3. replacement of the MMSE with the equally undemanding, but more PD-specific, Mini Mental Parkinson. The first two strategies generally yielded high sensitivity, but poor specificity. The best outcome was achieved using a Mini Mental Parkinson total score <27 as cognitive criterion: sensitivity was 87% and negative predictive value was 90%; however, specificity was only 67%. Our findings seem to suggest that MDS practical guidelines are specific, but might benefit from the use of more PD-oriented tools than the MMSE in terms of sensitivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The detection of cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD), at the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) stage, has prognostic and treatment implications. The Movement Disorders Society (MDS) has recently published criteria and guidelines for the diagnosis of possible and probable PD-MCI. In the present study we assessed the ability of the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) to discriminate possible PD-MCI cases from patients with PD-dementia (PDD) and from cognitively intact PD subjects. Hundred-and-thirteen consecutive PD patients underwent the MMSE, the Dementia Rating Scale and an interview on independence in daily living, and were classified as cognitively intact (n = 49), or as possible PD-MCI (n = 33) or PDD (n = 31), according to MDS criteria. Logistic regression analysis was carried out with PD-MCI diagnosis (yes/no) as an outcome variable, and age, education and the SCOPA-Cog total score as covariates. Classification of cases according to the regression model was used for constructing Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Area Under the Curve (AUC) was 0.92 [95% CI 0.86–0.98], for the differential diagnosis between PD-MCI and cognitively normal patients, and 0.97 [95% CI 0.80–1.00], for the differential diagnosis between PD-MCI and PDD. Sensitivity and specificity were 90% and 73% for the PD-MCI versus no cognitive impairment differentiation, at the cutpoint ≥24, and 93% and 97% for the PD-MCI versus PDD discrimination, at the cutpoint ≥17. The SCOPA-Cog is a quick and psychometrically sound PD-specific scale. Our findings support its use for the screening of possible PD-MCI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rotation of drawings has been described in focal brain lesions,at copywhen the dorsal visual stream is involved,at recallin patients with memory or frontal dysfunction. In the present study Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure performance was reviewed in 445 consecutive patients with mild cognitive impairment or degenerative dementia; a smaller sample (n= 243) had also performed the recall trial. Rotation was present in 19 cases overall: at copy in 11, at recall in 7, and at recall on a first assessment and at copy on retest in 1 last patient. Rotation at copy was often associated with neuropsychological and metabolic imaging evidence of parietal dysfunction, supporting previous evidence that rotationat copymight be due to an impairment of object perception processes within the dorsal visual stream. Rotation at recall seemed to be related predominantly to executive deficits, but no specific hypothesis on its cognitive origin can be advanced based on the present data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MiniMental Parkinson (MMP) has been derived from the MiniMental State Examination (MMSE) for the screening of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease by adding subtests that were focused on executive and visuo-spatial impairment more than on memory or language deficits. In this multicenter study, the psychometric and validity properties of the MMP have been evaluated in 69 cognitively intact and 52 cognitively impaired patients with Parkinson's disease, classified according to their performance at the Dementia Rating Scale. The MMP showed better metrics and convergent validity, and higher screening ability. However, its performance was not fully satisfying in terms of data distribution, coefficient of variation and specificity, and Receiver Operating Characteristic curves did not show clear cut superiority of either scale at their best sensitivity-specificity trade off. The MMP seems to be slightly preferable to the MMSE only at a cut off that favours sensitivity with respect to specificity, for screening purposes. The test is simple and quick, but has limitations in terms of validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'applause sign' is a motor perseveration described in focal and neurodegenerative disorders and characterized by fronto-subcortical dysfunction. Most previous formal investigations focused on Parkinson's disease or progressive supranuclear palsy. We assessed the prevalence of the applause sign in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), with the aim to verify its contribution to the differential diagnosis. We enrolled 20 patients with AD, 20 with LBD, 16 with CBS, and ten with PCA, and 30 healthy controls. The three clap test (TCT) was used to elicit the applause sign, and was scored by raters blinded to the diagnosis. Correlation with motor (extrapyramidal) and cognitive measures was also performed. A maximum 40 % prevalence of a positive applause sign was found in the two parkinsonian syndromes, which could be discriminated from the two cortical groups with a positive predictive value of 82 % and a negative predictive value of 55 %. According to our findings, a diagnosis of LBD or CBS, rather than of AD or PCA, is highly probable in the presence of an abnormal TCP, but cannot be ruled out based on a negative result. No relevant correlates emerged that could clarify the origin and nature of the applause sign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane adhesives are commonly used to laminate multilayer packaging materials for food. Since these materials are in direct contact with the food, compounds could migrate from adhesive into it. For this reason, it is important to identify all the potential migrants and verify their migration. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry analyses and ChemSpider database are used to identify the potential migrants from polyurethane adhesives, and these techniques were demonstrated to be very powerful and useful tools for this purpose. Migration tests were carried out using Tenax® as food simulant. Nine out of fifteen non-volatile compounds, identified in the cured adhesives, migrated. Most of them were identified as cyclic compounds, adipic based, which is the most commonly used monomer to make the polyester/polyol resins for polyurethane bi-component adhesives. In this work, the use of EvOH layer in several multilayer materials to minimize or avoid migration was evaluated too. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a variety of analyses of the turbulent dynamics of the boundary of a photodissociation region (PDR) in the Carina Nebula using high resolution ALMA observations. Using principal component analysis, we suggest that the turbulence in this molecular cloud is driven at large scales. Analysis of the centroid velocity structure functions indicate that the turbulence is dominated by shocks rather than local (in k -space) transport of energy. We further find that length-scales in the range 0.02–0.03 pc are important in the dynamics of this cloud and this finding is supported by analysis of the dominant emission structure length-scale. These length-scales are well resolved by the observational data and we conclude that the apparent importance of this range of scales is physical in origin. Given that it is also well within the range strongly influenced by ambipolar diffusion, we conclude that it is not primarily a product of turbulence alone, but is more likely to be a result of the interplay between gravity and turbulence. Finally, through comparison of these results with previous observations of H2 emission from the Western Wall, we demonstrate that observations of a PDR can be used to probe the internal structure of the undisturbed portion of a molecular cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesives used in food packaging to glue different materials can provide several substances as potential migrants, and the identification of potential migrants and migration tests are required to assess safety in the use of adhesives. Solid-phase microextraction in headspace mode and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and ChemSpider and SciFinder databases were used as powerful tools to identify the potential migrants in the polyurethane (PU) adhesives and also in the individual plastic films (polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene/ethyl vinyl alcohol). Migration tests were carried out by using Tenax® and isooctane as food simulants, and the migrants were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. More than 63 volatile and semivolatile compounds considered as potential migrants were detected either in the adhesives or in the films. Migration tests showed two non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) coming from PU adhesives that migrated through the laminates into Tenax® and into isooctane. Identification of these NIAS was achieved through their mass spectra, and 1,6-dioxacyclododecane-7,12-dione and 1,4,7-trioxacyclotridecane-8,13-dione were confirmed. Caprolactam migrated into isooctane, and its origin was the external plastic film in the multilayer, demonstrating real diffusion through the multilayer structure. Comparison of the migration values between the simulants and conditions will be shown and discussed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally determine a spin-dependent band-gap renormalization of 60 &mgr;eV, and the hole spin relaxation dynamics in highly excited, strained Ge/SiGe quantum wells using a differential pump-probe technique which exploits the indirect nature of the band structure. Compressive strain lifts the degeneracy between heavy-and light-hole subbands, and both are addressed individually with our spectrally and polarization-resolved approach. We calculate that in our quantum wells, contrary to bulk Ge, we excite almost pure spin eigenstates so that a hole spin polarization exceeding 80% is obtained. A hole spin relaxation time of 2.1 ps is observed at 10 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy 1.3 mm continuum observations of the T Tauri star LkCa 15, which resolve the circumstellar dust continuum emission on angular scales between 0".2 and 3", corresponding to 28-420 AU at the distance of the star. The observations resolve the inner gap in the dust emission and reveal an asymmetric dust distribution in the outer disk. By comparing the observations with theoretical disk models, we calculate that 90% of the dust emission arises from an azimuthally symmetric ring that contains about 5 x 10-4 M⊙ of dust. A low surface-brightness tail that extends to the northwest out to a radius of about 300 AU contains the remaining 10% of the observed continuum emission. The ring is modeled with a rather flat surface density profile between 40 and 120 AU, while the inner cavity is consistent with either a sharp drop of the 1.3 mm dust optical depth at about 42 AU or a smooth inward decrease between 3 and 85 AU. We show that early science Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations will be able to disentangle these two scenarios. Within 40 AU, the observations constrain the amount of dust between 10-6 and 7 Earth masses, where the minimum and maximum limits are set by the near-infrared spectral energy distribution modeling and by the millimeter-wave observations of the dust emission, respectively. In addition, we confirm the discrepancy in the outer disk radius inferred from the dust and gas, which corresponds to 150 AU and 900 AU, respectively. We cannot reconcile this difference by adopting an exponentially tapered surface density profile as suggested for other systems, but we instead suggest that the gas surface density in the outer disk decreases less steeply than that predicted by model fits to the dust continuum emission. The lack of continuum emission at radii larger than 120 AU suggests a drop of at least a factor of five in the dust-to-gas ratio or in the dust opacity. We show that a sharp dust opacity drop of this magnitude is consistent with a radial variation of the grain size distribution as predicted by existing grain growth models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A methodology to calculate the friction coefficient of an aggregate in the continuum regime is proposed. The friction coefficient and the monomer shielding factors, aggregate-average or individual, are related to the molecule-aggregate collision rate that is obtained from the molecular diffusion equation with an absorbing boundary condition on the aggregate surface. Calculated friction coefficients of straight chains are in very good agreement with previous results, suggesting that the friction coefficients may be accurately calculated from the product of the collision rate and an average momentum transfer, the latter being independent of aggregate morphology. Langevin-dynamics simulations show that the diffusive motion of straight-chain aggregates may be described either by a monomer-dependent or an aggregate-average random force, if the shielding factors are appropriately chosen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The availability of new data sources on human mobility is opening new avenues for investigating the interplay of social networks, human mobility and dynamical processes such as epidemic spreading. Here we analyze data on the time-resolved face-to-face proximity of individuals in large-scale real-world scenarios. We compare two settings with very different properties, a scientific conference and a long-running museum exhibition. We track the behavioral networks of face-to-face proximity, and characterize them from both a static and a dynamic point of view, exposing differences and similarities. We use our data to investigate the dynamics of a susceptible–infected model for epidemic spreading that unfolds on the dynamical networks of human proximity. The spreading patterns are markedly different for the conference and the museum case, and they are strongly impacted by the causal structure of the network data. A deeper study of the spreading paths shows that the mere knowledge of static aggregated networks would lead to erroneous conclusions about the transmission paths on the dynamical networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nosocomial infections place a substantial burden on health care systems and represent one of the major issues in current public health, requiring notable efforts for its prevention. Understanding the dynamics of infection transmission in a hospital setting is essential for tailoring interventions and predicting the spread among individuals. Mathematical models need to be informed with accurate data on contacts among individuals. Methods and Findings: We used wearable active Radio-Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) to detect face-to-face contacts among individuals with a spatial resolution of about 1.5 meters, and a time resolution of 20 seconds. The study was conducted in a general pediatrics hospital ward, during a one-week period, and included 119 participants, with 51 health care workers, 37 patients, and 31 caregivers. Nearly 16,000 contacts were recorded during the study period, with a median of approximately 20 contacts per participants per day. Overall, 25% of the contacts involved a ward assistant, 23% a nurse, 22% a patient, 22% a caregiver, and 8% a physician. The majority of contacts were of brief duration, but long and frequent contacts especially between patients and caregivers were also found. In the setting under study, caregivers do not represent a significant potential for infection spread to a large number of individuals, as their interactions mainly involve the corresponding patient. Nurses would deserve priority in prevention strategies due to their central role in the potential propagation paths of infections. Conclusions: Our study shows the feasibility of accurate and reproducible measures of the pattern of contacts in a hospital setting. The obtained results are particularly useful for the study of the spread of respiratory infections, for monitoring critical patterns, and for setting up tailored prevention strategies. Proximity-sensing technology should be considered as a valuable tool for measuring such patterns and evaluating nosocomial prevention strategies in specific settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquisition of independence from anchorage to the extracellular matrix is a critical event for onset and progression of solid cancers. To identify and characterize new genes conferring anchorage independence, we transduced MCF10A human normal breast cells with a retroviral cDNA expression library and selected them by growth in suspension. Microarray analysis targeted on library-derived transcripts revealed robust and reproducible enrichment, after selection, of cDNAs encoding the scaffolding adaptor Gab2. Gab2 was confirmed to strongly promote anchorage-independent growth when overexpressed. Interestingly, downregulation by RNA interference of endogenous Gab2 in neoplastic cells did not affect their adherent growth, but abrogated their growth in soft agar. Gab2-driven anchorage independence was found to specifically involve activation of the Src-Stat3 signaling axis. A transcriptional ‘signature’ of 205 genes was obtained from GAB2-transduced, anchorage-independent MCF10A cells, and found to contain two main functional modules, controlling proliferation and cell adhesion/migration/invasion, respectively. Extensive validation on breast cancer data sets showed that the GAB2 signature provides a robust prognostic classifier for breast cancer metastatic relapse, largely independent from existing clinical and genomic indicators and from estrogen receptor status. This work highlights a pivotal role for GAB2 and its transcriptional targets in anchorage-independent growth and breast cancer metastatic progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study, experimentally and theoretically, the dynamics of non-volatile particles emitted from a diesel EURO 3 light-duty vehicle along the transfer tube that conducts exhaust fumes from the tailpipe to the dilution tunnel. Particle agglomeration, diffusional and thermophoretic transport are modeled. For turbulent, but moderate, Reynolds numbers and under steady-state conditions we map the combustion-generated nanoparticle dynamics onto a one-dimensional dynamics of aerosol particles in an ageing chamber. The aggregate fractal dimension, determined self-consistently by comparing mass distributions, varied from 2 to 2.3. The relative importance of aerosol processes is estimated by defining appropriate characteristic time scales. Agglomeration and convection by the bulk motion of the fluid are the dominant processes for inlet number concentrations of the order of and transfer-tube lengths of 6–9m. Thermophoretic losses are calculated to be non-negligible. For modern vehicles with particulate filters agglomeration is estimated to be negligible, whereas thermophoresis may be significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The "frontal aging hypothesis" predicts that brain senescence affects predominantly the prefrontal regions. Preliminary evidence has recently been gathered in favour of an age-related change in a typically frontal process, i.e. decision making, using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), but overall findings have been conflicting. Following the traditional scoring method, coupled with a qualitative analysis, in the present study we compared IGT performance of 40 young (mean age: 27.9 ± 4.7) and 40 old (mean age: 65.4 ± 8.6) healthy adults and of 18 patients affected by frontal lobe dementia of mild severity (mean age: 65.1 ± 7.4, mean MMSE score: 24.1 ± 3.9). Quantitative findings support the notion that decision making ability declines with age; moreover, it approximates the impairment observed in executive dysfunction due to neurodegeneration. Results of the qualitative analysis did not reach statistical significance for the motivational and learning decision making components considered, but approached significance for the attentional component for elderly versus young normals, suggesting a possible decrease in the ability to maintain sustained attention during complex and prolonged tasks as the putative deficit underlying impaired decision making in normal aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systematic search for genes whose gain-of-function by exogenous expression confers an advantage in cell-based selective screenings is a powerful method for unbiased functional exploration of the genome, and has the potential to disclose new targets for cancer therapy. A major limit of this approach resides in the labor-intensive cloning of resistant cells, identification of the integrated genes and validation of their ability to confer a selective advantage. Moreover, the selection has to be drastic and genes conferring a limited advantage are typically missed. Results: We developed a new functional screening strategy based on transduction of mammalian cells of a given species with an expression library from another species, followed by one-shot quantitative tracing with DNA microarrays of all library-derived transcripts before and after selection. In this way, exogenous transcripts enriched after selection, and therefore likely to confer resistance, are readily detected. We transduced a retroviral cDNA expression library from mouse testis into human and canine cells, and optimized the use of commercial murine gene expression arrays for species-specific detection of library-derived transcripts. We then conducted a functional screening by growing library-transduced canine MDCK cells in suspension, to enrich for cDNAs conferring anchorage independence. Notably, these cells show partial resistance to loss of anchorage, and the selection can be of limited stringency, compromising approaches based on clonal selection or anyway requiring high stringency. Microarray analysis revealed reproducible enrichment after three weeks of growth on polyhema for seven genes, among which the Hras proto-oncogene and Sox5. When individually transduced into MDCK cells, Sox5 specifically promoted anchorage-independent growth, thereby confirming the validity and specificity of the approach. Conclusion: The procedure described here brings substantial advantages to the field of expression cloning, being faster, more systematic and more sensitive. Indeed, this strategy allowed identification and validation of genes promoting anchorage-independent growth of epithelial cells under selection conditions not amenable to conventional expression cloning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) requires caregivers to rate decline in patients' cognitive and functional performance and has never been used for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: We contrasted the discriminative and predictive power of the IQCODE with that of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a verbal episodic memory measure, the Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), in 45 patients with MCI (mean (SD) age at baseline: 71.6 (4.7) years) and 30 outpatients with dementia (70.5 (6.3) years) attending the Neuropsychology Service, St Gerardo Hospital, and compared them with 55 cognitively intact elderly people (70.7 (7.1) years). Patients with MCI were followed up for at least 2 years or until conversion to dementia. Results: In total, 24 patients with MCI (53.3%) had converted to dementia at follow up (mean (SD) duration of follow up 17.0 (7.3) months for converters and 35.0 (7.1) months for non-converters). At baseline, the ability to differentiate patients with MCI from healthy controls was similar for the IQCODE (area under the curve (AUC) 0.86) and the MMSE (AUC 0.84; z=0.53, not significant). As predictors of conversion to dementia, a trend favouring the IQCODE (AUC 0.86) with respect to immediate (AUC 0.74) and delayed (AUC 0.75) recall on the RAVLT was apparent (z=1.36, p=0.087 versus immediate recall, z=1.51, p = 0.064 versus delayed recall). The independent predictive ability of IQCODE and memory scores was evaluated through logistic regression, and the questionnaire alone yielded the best correct classification of 81%. Conclusions: The IQCODE is an informant based measure of cognitive decline that may provide a relevant contribution to the diagnostic and prognostic investigation of patients with MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a method to produce thin SiGe virtual substrates suitable for electronic applications. This method is based on the gas phase process of low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The strain-relaxed buffers are characterized by X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We find threading dislocation densities lower than 3×108 cm−2 and a surface rms roughness of 1.8nm, for a buffer thickness of 500nm. Room temperature electrical results are also presented, which are competitive with those obtained on SiGe buffers produced by other methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Comparison between current and premorbid memory ability may be of help when trying to make a timely diagnosis of cognitive decline in questionable dementia. In the present study, we evaluated the possibility of estimating episodic verbal memory scores at the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) from an irregular words reading task held to resist to deterioration, that is the Italian analogue of the NART, the TIB (Test d'Intelligenza Breve - brief intelligence test). A regression analysis was performed in a large sample of healthy elderly, using RAVLT scores as dependent variable and TIB score, MMSE score, age and education as predictors. We failed to find a relationship between the two tests that was strong enough for a reliable estimation of memory ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the potential of low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (LEPECVD) for the fabrication of strained Si and Ge heterostructures and devices. The technique is shown to be equally applicable to the formation of relaxed SiGe buffer layers, and to entire heterostructures including strained modulation doped channels. Pure Ge channels on Ge-rich linearly graded buffers are shown to exhibit low-temperature hole mobilities up to 120,000 cm2 V−1 s−1, limited by remote impurity and background impurity scattering rather than interface roughness scattering. Strained-Si modulation-doped field-effect transistors (n-MODFETs) with excellent frequency response have been fabricated by combining LEPECVD and MBE for buffer layer and active layer growth, respectively. Maximum oscillation frequencies of n-MODFETs above 140 GHz have been achieved for active layer stacks both on buffers linearly graded to a Ge fraction of 40% at a rate of 10% per micron, and on constant composition buffers which are 10 times thinner. The use of a thin buffer results in significantly less device self-heating. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]