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1. Learning Multi-agent Multi-machine Tending by Mobile Robots

Author

Abdalwhab, Abdalwhab, Beltrame, Giovanni, Kahou, Samira Ebrahimi, and St-Onge, David

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Machine Learning
Abstract

Robotics can help address the growing worker shortage challenge of the manufacturing industry. As such, machine tending is a task collaborative robots can tackle that can also highly boost productivity. Nevertheless, existing robotics systems deployed in that sector rely on a fixed single-arm setup, whereas mobile robots can provide more flexibility and scalability. In this work, we introduce a multi-agent multi-machine tending learning framework by mobile robots based on Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) techniques with the design of a suitable observation and reward. Moreover, an attention-based encoding mechanism is developed and integrated into Multi-agent Proximal Policy Optimization (MAPPO) algorithm to boost its performance for machine tending scenarios. Our model (AB-MAPPO) outperformed MAPPO in this new challenging scenario in terms of task success, safety, and resources utilization. Furthermore, we provided an extensive ablation study to support our various design decisions., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures

Published
2024

2. Active Semantic Mapping and Pose Graph Spectral Analysis for Robot Exploration

Author

Zhang, Rongge, Bong, Haechan Mark, and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

Exploration in unknown and unstructured environments is a pivotal requirement for robotic applications. A robot's exploration behavior can be inherently affected by the performance of its Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) subsystem, although SLAM and exploration are generally studied separately. In this paper, we formulate exploration as an active mapping problem and extend it with semantic information. We introduce a novel active metric-semantic SLAM approach, leveraging recent research advances in information theory and spectral graph theory: we combine semantic mutual information and the connectivity metrics of the underlying pose graph of the SLAM subsystem. We use the resulting utility function to evaluate different trajectories to select the most favorable strategy during exploration. Exploration and SLAM metrics are analyzed in experiments. Running our algorithm on the Habitat dataset, we show that, while maintaining efficiency close to the state-of-the-art exploration methods, our approach effectively increases the performance of metric-semantic SLAM with a 21% reduction in average map error and a 9% improvement in average semantic classification accuracy., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

Published
2024

3. The impact of the microvascular resistance on the measures of stenosis severity

Author

Atkins, Tam, Freidoonimehr, Navid, Beltrame, John, Zeitz, Christopher, and Arjomandi, Maziar

Subjects
Physics - Medical Physics
Abstract

The relationship between measures of stenosis and microvascular resistance is of importance due to medical decisions being based on these values. This research investigates the impact of varying microvascular resistance on fractional flow reserve (FFR) and hyperaemic stenosis resistance (hSR). Microvascular resistance is classified using hyperaemic microvascular resistance (hMR). Additionally, hMR using the upstream pressure value (hMRPa) has also been calculated and is compared to hMR measured conventionally. Tests were conducted at three different degrees of stenosis (quantified by percent area) in a coronary flow circuit with varying downstream resistance to simulate the microvasculature. Pressure and flow values are recorded across the stenosed section, allowing for calculation of the diagnostic indexes. Results indicate that for a constant degree of stenosis, FFR would increase with increasing microvascular resistance while hSR would remain almost constant. hMRPa was found to approach hMR as the stenosis severity decreased, and the pressure gradient decreased. In the results shown here, with sufficiently high downstream resistance, an 84% stenosis could produce an FFR value over 0.8. This result suggests that there is the potential for misdiagnosis of the severity of stenosis when combined with elevated microvascular resistance. Consequently, decisions on the clinical significance of a stenosis, classified by FFR, need to consider the effect of the microvascular resistance., Comment: 25 pages including cover page. 9 figures in body and 2 in Appendix

Published
2024

4. LiDAR-based Real-Time Object Detection and Tracking in Dynamic Environments

Author

Du, Wenqiang and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

In dynamic environments, the ability to detect and track moving objects in real-time is crucial for autonomous robots to navigate safely and effectively. Traditional methods for dynamic object detection rely on high accuracy odometry and maps to detect and track moving objects. However, these methods are not suitable for long-term operation in dynamic environments where the surrounding environment is constantly changing. In order to solve this problem, we propose a novel system for detecting and tracking dynamic objects in real-time using only LiDAR data. By emphasizing the extraction of low-frequency components from LiDAR data as feature points for foreground objects, our method significantly reduces the time required for object clustering and movement analysis. Additionally, we have developed a tracking approach that employs intensity-based ego-motion estimation along with a sliding window technique to assess object movements. This enables the precise identification of moving objects and enhances the system's resilience to odometry drift. Our experiments show that this system can detect and track dynamic objects in real-time with an average detection accuracy of 88.7\% and a recall rate of 89.1\%. Furthermore, our system demonstrates resilience against the prolonged drift typically associated with front-end only LiDAR odometry. All of the source code, labeled dataset, and the annotation tool are available at: https://github.com/MISTLab/lidar_dynamic_objects_detection.git

Published
2024

5. Variable Time Step Reinforcement Learning for Robotic Applications

Author

Wang, Dong and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

Traditional reinforcement learning (RL) generates discrete control policies, assigning one action per cycle. These policies are usually implemented as in a fixed-frequency control loop. This rigidity presents challenges as optimal control frequency is task-dependent; suboptimal frequencies increase computational demands and reduce exploration efficiency. Variable Time Step Reinforcement Learning (VTS-RL) addresses these issues with adaptive control frequencies, executing actions only when necessary, thus reducing computational load and extending the action space to include action durations. In this paper we introduce the Multi-Objective Soft Elastic Actor-Critic (MOSEAC) method to perform VTS-RL, validating it through theoretical analysis and experimentation in simulation and on real robots. Results show faster convergence, better training results, and reduced energy consumption with respect to other variable- or fixed-frequency approaches.

Published
2024

6. MOSEAC: Streamlined Variable Time Step Reinforcement Learning

Author

Wang, Dong and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning, Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

Traditional reinforcement learning (RL) methods typically employ a fixed control loop, where each cycle corresponds to an action. This rigidity poses challenges in practical applications, as the optimal control frequency is task-dependent. A suboptimal choice can lead to high computational demands and reduced exploration efficiency. Variable Time Step Reinforcement Learning (VTS-RL) addresses these issues by using adaptive frequencies for the control loop, executing actions only when necessary. This approach, rooted in reactive programming principles, reduces computational load and extends the action space by including action durations. However, VTS-RL's implementation is often complicated by the need to tune multiple hyperparameters that govern exploration in the multi-objective action-duration space (i.e., balancing task performance and number of time steps to achieve a goal). To overcome these challenges, we introduce the Multi-Objective Soft Elastic Actor-Critic (MOSEAC) method. This method features an adaptive reward scheme that adjusts hyperparameters based on observed trends in task rewards during training. This scheme reduces the complexity of hyperparameter tuning, requiring a single hyperparameter to guide exploration, thereby simplifying the learning process and lowering deployment costs. We validate the MOSEAC method through simulations in a Newtonian kinematics environment, demonstrating high task and training performance with fewer time steps, ultimately lowering energy consumption. This validation shows that MOSEAC streamlines RL algorithm deployment by automatically tuning the agent control loop frequency using a single parameter. Its principles can be applied to enhance any RL algorithm, making it a versatile solution for various applications.

Published
2024

7. Hierarchies define the scalability of robot swarms

Author

Varadharajan, Vivek Shankar, Soma, Karthik, Dyanatkar, Sepand, Lajoie, Pierre-Yves, and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

The emerging behaviors of swarms have fascinated scientists and gathered significant interest in the field of robotics. Traditionally, swarms are viewed as egalitarian, with robots sharing identical roles and capabilities. However, recent findings highlight the importance of hierarchy for deploying robot swarms more effectively in diverse scenarios. Despite nature's preference for hierarchies, the robotics field has clung to the egalitarian model, partly due to a lack of empirical evidence for the conditions favoring hierarchies. Our research demonstrates that while egalitarian swarms excel in environments proportionate to their collective sensing abilities, they struggle in larger or more complex settings. Hierarchical swarms, conversely, extend their sensing reach efficiently, proving successful in larger, more unstructured environments with fewer resources. We validated these concepts through simulations and physical robot experiments, using a complex radiation cleanup task. This study paves the way for developing adaptable, hierarchical swarm systems applicable in areas like planetary exploration and autonomous vehicles. Moreover, these insights could deepen our understanding of hierarchical structures in biological organisms., Comment: 31 Pages, 7 Figures. Supplementary material attached to the paper

Published
2024

8. Learning Control Barrier Functions and their application in Reinforcement Learning: A Survey

Author

Guerrier, Maeva, Fouad, Hassan, and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Machine Learning, Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science - Robotics, Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Systems and Control
Abstract

Reinforcement learning is a powerful technique for developing new robot behaviors. However, typical lack of safety guarantees constitutes a hurdle for its practical application on real robots. To address this issue, safe reinforcement learning aims to incorporate safety considerations, enabling faster transfer to real robots and facilitating lifelong learning. One promising approach within safe reinforcement learning is the use of control barrier functions. These functions provide a framework to ensure that the system remains in a safe state during the learning process. However, synthesizing control barrier functions is not straightforward and often requires ample domain knowledge. This challenge motivates the exploration of data-driven methods for automatically defining control barrier functions, which is highly appealing. We conduct a comprehensive review of the existing literature on safe reinforcement learning using control barrier functions. Additionally, we investigate various techniques for automatically learning the Control Barrier Functions, aiming to enhance the safety and efficacy of Reinforcement Learning in practical robot applications.

Published
2024

9. RedactBuster: Entity Type Recognition from Redacted Documents

Author

Beltrame, Mirco, Conti, Mauro, Guglielmin, Pierpaolo, Marchiori, Francesco, and Orazi, Gabriele

Subjects
Computer Science - Cryptography and Security
Abstract

The widespread exchange of digital documents in various domains has resulted in abundant private information being shared. This proliferation necessitates redaction techniques to protect sensitive content and user privacy. While numerous redaction methods exist, their effectiveness varies, with some proving more robust than others. As such, the literature proposes several deanonymization techniques, raising awareness of potential privacy threats. However, while none of these methods are successful against the most effective redaction techniques, these attacks only focus on the anonymized tokens and ignore the sentence context. In this paper, we propose RedactBuster, the first deanonymization model using sentence context to perform Named Entity Recognition on reacted text. Our methodology leverages fine-tuned state-of-the-art Transformers and Deep Learning models to determine the anonymized entity types in a document. We test RedactBuster against the most effective redaction technique and evaluate it using the publicly available Text Anonymization Benchmark (TAB). Our results show accuracy values up to 0.985 regardless of the document nature or entity type. In raising awareness of this privacy issue, we propose a countermeasure we call character evasion that helps strengthen the secrecy of sensitive information. Furthermore, we make our model and testbed open-source to aid researchers and practitioners in evaluating the resilience of novel redaction techniques and enhancing document privacy.

Published
2024

10. From the Lab to the Theater: An Unconventional Field Robotics Journey

Author

Imran, Ali, Varadharajan, Vivek Shankar, Braga, Rafael Gomes, Bouteiller, Yann, Abdalwhab, Abdalwhab Bakheet Mohamed, Di-Giacomo, Matthis, Mercader, Alexandra, Beltrame, Giovanni, and St-Onge, David

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics
Abstract

Artistic performances involving robotic systems present unique technical challenges akin to those encountered in other field deployments. In this paper, we delve into the orchestration of robotic artistic performances, focusing on the complexities inherent in communication protocols and localization methods. Through our case studies and experimental insights, we demonstrate the breadth of technical requirements for this type of deployment, and, most importantly, the significant contributions of working closely with non-experts.

Published
2024

11. Cosmological forecasts from the combination of Stage-IV photometric galaxy surveys and the magnification from forthcoming GW observatories

Author

Beltrame, Matteo, Bonici, Marco, and Carbone, Carmelita

Subjects
Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Abstract

In this work we have investigated the synergy between Stage-IV galaxy surveys and future GW observatories for constraining the underlying cosmological model of the Universe, focussing on photometric galaxy clustering, cosmic shear and GW magnification as cosmological probes. We have implemented a Fisher matrix approach for the evaluation of the full $6\times2$pt statistics composed by the angular power spectra of the single probes together with their combination. For our analysis, we have in particular considered dynamical dark energy and massive neutrino scenarios. We have found that the improvement to galaxy survey performance is below 1\%, in the case $\ell^{\rm GW}_{\rm max}=100$ and a luminosity distance error of $\sigma_{d_L}/d_L=10\%$. However, when extending the analysis to $\ell^{\rm GW}_{\rm max}=1000$, we find that the GW magnification improves the galaxy survey performance on all the cosmological parameters, reducing their errors by $3\%$-$5\%$, when $\sigma_{d_L}/d_L=10\%$, and by $10\%$-$18\%$ when $\sigma_{d_L}/d_L=1\%$, especially for $M_\nu$, $w_0$ and $w_a$. However, here our analysis is unavoidably optimistic: a much more detailed and realistic approach will be needed, especially by including systematic effects. But we can conclude that, in the case of future gravitational wave observatories the inclusion of the gravitational wave magnification can improve Stage-IV galaxy surveys performance on constraining the underlying cosmological model of the Universe., Comment: 33 pages, 14 figures

Published
2024

12. Reinforcement Learning with Elastic Time Steps

Author

Wang, Dong and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Machine Learning
Abstract

Traditional Reinforcement Learning (RL) policies are typically implemented with fixed control rates, often disregarding the impact of control rate selection. This can lead to inefficiencies as the optimal control rate varies with task requirements. We propose the Multi-Objective Soft Elastic Actor-Critic (MOSEAC), an off-policy actor-critic algorithm that uses elastic time steps to dynamically adjust the control frequency. This approach minimizes computational resources by selecting the lowest viable frequency. We show that MOSEAC converges and produces stable policies at the theoretical level, and validate our findings in a real-time 3D racing game. MOSEAC significantly outperformed other variable time step approaches in terms of energy efficiency and task effectiveness. Additionally, MOSEAC demonstrated faster and more stable training, showcasing its potential for real-world RL applications in robotics.

Published
2024

13. Deployable Reinforcement Learning with Variable Control Rate

Author

Wang, Dong and Beltrame, Giovanni

Subjects
Computer Science - Robotics, Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence
Abstract

Deploying controllers trained with Reinforcement Learning (RL) on real robots can be challenging: RL relies on agents' policies being modeled as Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), which assume an inherently discrete passage of time. The use of MDPs results in that nearly all RL-based control systems employ a fixed-rate control strategy with a period (or time step) typically chosen based on the developer's experience or specific characteristics of the application environment. Unfortunately, the system should be controlled at the highest, worst-case frequency to ensure stability, which can demand significant computational and energy resources and hinder the deployability of the controller on onboard hardware. Adhering to the principles of reactive programming, we surmise that applying control actions only when necessary enables the use of simpler hardware and helps reduce energy consumption. We challenge the fixed frequency assumption by proposing a variant of RL with variable control rate. In this approach, the policy decides the action the agent should take as well as the duration of the time step associated with that action. In our new setting, we expand Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) to compute the optimal policy with a variable control rate, introducing the Soft Elastic Actor-Critic (SEAC) algorithm. We show the efficacy of SEAC through a proof-of-concept simulation driving an agent with Newtonian kinematics. Our experiments show higher average returns, shorter task completion times, and reduced computational resources when compared to fixed rate policies., Comment: Paper for AAAI-DAI 2024 workshop

Published
2024

14. The Fenice project to evaluate and improve the quality of healthcare in high-dependency care units: results after the first year

Author

Porta, Giovanni, Signorini, Fabiola, Converso, Marcella, Cavalot, Giulia, Caramello, Valeria, Rossi, Carlotta, Aprà, Franco, Beltrame, Angela, Boccuzzi, Adriana, Boverio, Riccardo, Calci, Mario, Castaldo, Ersilia, Covella, Michele, Cuppini, Patrizia, Ghilardi, Giulia Irene, Mirante, Enrico, Noto, Paola, Pierpaoli, Lucia, Parpaglia, Paolo Pinna, Ricchiardi, Alberto, Zanetti, Michele, Zatelli, Daniela, Nattino, Giovanni, and Bertolini, Guido

Published
2024
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19. Decrease of haemoconcentration reliably detects hydrostatic pulmonary oedema in dyspnoeic patients in the emergency department – a machine learning approach

Author

Francesco Gavelli, Luigi Mario Castello, Xavier Monnet, Danila Azzolina, Ilaria Nerici, Simona Priora, Valentina Giai Via, Matteo Bertoli, Claudia Foieni, Michela Beltrame, Mattia Bellan, Pier Paolo Sainaghi, Nello De Vita, Filippo Patrucco, Jean-Louis Teboul, and Gian Carlo Avanzi

Subjects
Pulmonary edema, Lung water, Haemoconcentration, Haemodilution, Augmented intelligence, Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid, RC86-88.9
Abstract

Abstract Background Haemoglobin variation (ΔHb) induced by fluid transfer through the intestitium has been proposed as a useful tool for detecting hydrostatic pulmonary oedema (HPO). However, its use in the emergency department (ED) setting still needs to be determined. Methods In this observational retrospective monocentric study, ED patients admitted for acute dyspnoea were enrolled. Hb values were recorded both at ED presentation (T0) and after 4 to 8 h (T1). ΔHb between T1 and T0 (ΔHbT1-T0) was calculated as absolute and relative value. Two investigators, unaware of Hb values, defined the cause of dyspnoea as HPO and non-HPO. ΔHbT1-T0 ability to detect HPO was evaluated. A machine learning approach was used to develop a predictive tool for HPO, by considering the ability of ΔHb as covariate, together with baseline patient characteristics. Results Seven-hundred-and-six dyspnoeic patients (203 HPO and 503 non-HPO) were enrolled over 19 months. Hb levels were significantly different between HPO and non-HPO patients both at T0 and T1 (p

Published
2024
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20. Sexual violence against children and adolescents in Paraná State: geospatial analysis and main socioeconomic indicators

Author

Carolina Sartini Stocco, Tiago Francisco Meleiro Zubiolo, Matheus Henrique Arruda Beltrame, and Cátia Millene Dell'Agnolo

Subjects
Sex offenses, Child abuse, Child abuse, sexual, Public health surveillance, Abuse notification, Pediatrics, RJ1-570
Abstract

Objective: Child sexual violence is a multidimensional problem of many contemporary societies, affecting people of all sexes, social stratum and age groups. Offenses involving children and adolescents are more serious, given their total or partial dependence on parents and caregivers. Information on child sexual violence in Brazil is found in raw form and without detail. The objective was to compare the information with social and economic data in the state of Paraná. Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective study of secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) on cases of sexual violence involving victims aged 0 to 19 years. Results are presented according to notification characteristics. The authors applied exploratory spatial data analysis to assess spatial autocorrelations and investigated relationships by the ordinary least squares regression model. Results: Between 2017 and 2021, there were 13,403 reports of child sexual violence in Paraná State, Brazil. Most victims (82.8%) were female and aged between 10 and 14 years. The majority of sexual violence cases (67.8%) occurred in the home environment. The highest rates on a population basis were observed in the North Central and Greater Curitiba regions, mainly in cities with higher population density and with higher rates of other types of violence. Conclusion: The results provide data that can promote a broader understanding of the distribution of sexual violence and the state and associated variations. It is expected to improve the provision of care for victims of child sexual violence and assist in strategic planning to prevent future offenses.

Published
2024
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21. MRI features of breast cancer immunophenotypes with a focus on luminal estrogen receptor low positive invasive carcinomas

Author

Carla Chizuru Tajima, Fernanda Pini Sapata Gonçalves Arruda, Victor Chequer Mineli, Julianna Moura Ferreira, Barbara Beltrame Bettim, Cynthia Aparecida Bueno de Toledo Osório, Marina Sonagli, and Almir Galvão Vieira Bitencourt

Subjects
Breast cancer, Estrogen receptors, Magnetic resonance imaging, Triple-negative breast neoplasms, Medicine, Science
Abstract

Abstract To compare the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of different immunophenotypes of breast carcinoma of no special type (NST), with special attention to estrogen receptor (ER)-low-positive breast cancer. This retrospective, single-centre, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study included 398 patients with invasive breast carcinoma. Breast carcinomas were classified as ER-low-positive when there was ER staining in 1–10% of tumour cells. Pretreatment MRI was reviewed to assess the tumour imaging features according to the 5th edition of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. Of the 398 cases, 50 (12.6%) were luminal A, 191 (48.0%) were luminal B, 26 (6.5%) were luminal ER-low positive, 64 (16.1%) were HER2-overexpressing, and 67 (16.8%) were triple negative. Correlation analysis between MRI features and tumour immunophenotype showed statistically significant differences in mass shape, margins, internal enhancement and the delayed phase of the kinetic curve. An oval or round shape and rim enhancement were most frequently observed in triple-negative and luminal ER-low-positive tumours. Spiculated margins were most common in luminal A and luminal B tumours. A persistent kinetic curve was more frequent in luminal A tumours, while a washout curve was more common in the triple-negative, HER2-overexpressing and luminal ER-low-positive immunophenotypes. Multinomial regression analysis showed that luminal ER-low-positive tumours had similar results to triple-negative tumours for almost all variables. Luminal ER-low-positive tumours present with similar MRI findings to triple-negative tumours, which suggests that MRI can play a fundamental role in adequate radiopathological correlation and therapeutic planning in these patients.

Published
2024
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25. Consumption of interesterified palm oil leads inflammation of white adipose tissue and triggers metabolic disturbances in mice on a high-fat diet

Author

Bruna Cadete Martins, Mayara da Silva Ribeiro, Ananda Vitoria Silva Teixeira, Thamara Cherem Peixoto, Patrícia Cristina Lisboa, Fabiane Ferreira Martins, Vanessa Souza-Mello, and Julio Beltrame Daleprane

Subjects
Obesity, Interesterified fat, Insulin resistance, Hepatic steatosis, Medicine, Science
Abstract

Abstract Growing obesity is linked to shifts in dietary patterns, particularly the increased intake of ultra-processed high-fat foods. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of interesterified palm oil consumption on glucose homeostasis, adipose tissue remodeling, and hepatic lipogenesis in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (n = 15): the control group (C) fed a standard diet (4% soybean oil), the high-fat group (HF) (23.8% lard), the high palm oil fat group (HFP) (23.8% palm oil), and the high interesterified palm fat group (HFI) (23.8% interesterified palm oil) for 8 weeks (all groups received 50% energy from lipids). The HFI group exhibited higher body mass than the HF group (+ 11%, P

Published
2024
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26. Integrated approach to generate artificial samples with low tumor fraction for somatic variant calling benchmarking

Author

Aldo Sergi, Luca Beltrame, Sergio Marchini, and Marco Masseroli

Subjects
Bioinformatics, DNA sequencing, Low-fraction variant calling, Somatic variant analysis, Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, R858-859.7, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

Abstract Background High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has become the gold standard approach for variant analysis in cancer research. However, somatic variants may occur at low fractions due to contamination from normal cells or tumor heterogeneity; this poses a significant challenge for standard HTS analysis pipelines. The problem is exacerbated in scenarios with minimal tumor DNA, such as circulating tumor DNA in plasma. Assessing sensitivity and detection of HTS approaches in such cases is paramount, but time-consuming and expensive: specialized experimental protocols and a sufficient quantity of samples are required for processing and analysis. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new computational approach specifically designed for the generation of artificial datasets suitable for this task, simulating ultra-deep targeted sequencing data with low-fraction variants and demonstrating their effectiveness in benchmarking low-fraction variant calling. Results Our approach enables the generation of artificial raw reads that mimic real data without relying on pre-existing data by using NEAT, a fine-grained read simulator that generates artificial datasets using models learned from multiple different datasets. Then, it incorporates low-fraction variants to simulate somatic mutations in samples with minimal tumor DNA content. To prove the suitability of the created artificial datasets for low-fraction variant calling benchmarking, we used them as ground truth to evaluate the performance of widely-used variant calling algorithms: they allowed us to define tuned parameter values of major variant callers, considerably improving their detection of very low-fraction variants. Conclusions Our findings highlight both the pivotal role of our approach in creating adequate artificial datasets with low tumor fraction, facilitating rapid prototyping and benchmarking of algorithms for such dataset type, as well as the important need of advancing low-fraction variant calling techniques.

Published
2024
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27. Correction to: Essential oil of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) reduces infection and proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii in BeWo cells with induction of autophagy and death of tachyzoites through a mechanism similar to necrosis

Author

Paulina Nunes, Angélica, dos Santos, Yasmin Munhoz, da Silva Sanfelice, Raquel Arruda, Marcia Concato‑Lopes, Virgínia, Felipe Silva, Taylon, Tomiotto‑Pellissier, Fernanda, Lazarin‑Bidoia, Danielle, Regina Beltrame Machado, Rayanne, de Barros, Luiz Daniel, Luis Garcia, João, Conchon‑Costa, Ivete, Rogério Pavanelli, Wander, Katsuko Takayama Kobayashi, Renata, de Freitas Barbosa, Bellisa, Amália Vieira Ferro, Eloisa, and Nazareth Costa, Idessania

Published
2024
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28. Essential oil of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) reduces infection and proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii in BeWo cells with induction of autophagy and death of tachyzoites through a mechanism similar to necrosis

Author

Nunes, Angélica Paulina, dos Santos, Yasmin Munhoz, da Silva Sanfelice, Raquel Arruda, Concato-Lopes, Virgínia Marcia, Silva, Taylon Felipe, Tomiotto-Pellissier, Fernanda, Lazarin-Bidoia, Danielle, Machado, Rayanne Regina Beltrame, de Barros, Luiz Daniel, Garcia, João Luis, Conchon-Costa, Ivete, Pavanelli, Wander Rogério, Kobayashi, Renata Katsuko Takayama, de Freitas Barbosa, Bellisa, Ferro, Eloisa Amália Vieira, and Costa, Idessania Nazareth

Published
2024
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29. Novel diagnostic approaches and management of coronary microvascular dysfunction

Author

Graziella Pompei, Nandine Ganzorig, Christos P. Kotanidis, Mohammad Alkhalil, Carlos Collet, Aish Sinha, Divaka Perera, John Beltrame, and Vijay Kunadian

Subjects
Ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries, Coronary microvascular dysfunction, Microvascular angina, Coronary flow reserve, Index of microvascular resistance, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270
Abstract

The mechanism underlying ischaemic heart disease (IHD) has been primarily attributed to obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). However, non-obstructive coronary arteries are identified in >50% of patients undergoing elective coronary angiography, recently leading to growing interest in the investigation and management of angina/ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA/INOCA). INOCA is an umbrella term encompassing a multiple spectrum of possible pathogenetic entities, including coronary vasomotor disorders which consist of two major endotypes: coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and vasospastic angina. Both conditions can coexist and be associated with concomitant obstructive CAD. Particularly, CMD refers to myocardial ischaemia due to reduced vasodilatory capacity of coronary microcirculation secondary to structural remodelling or impaired resting microvascular tone (functional) or a combination of both. CMD is not a benign condition and is more prevalent in women presenting with chronic coronary syndrome compared to men. In this setting, an impaired coronary flow reserve has been associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. ANOCA/INOCA patients also experience impaired quality of life and associated increased healthcare costs. Therefore, research in this scenario has led to better definition, classification, and prognostic stratification based on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The development and validation of non-invasive imaging modalities, invasive coronary vasomotor function testing and angiography-derived indices provide a comprehensive characterisation of CMD. The present narrative review aims to summarise current data relating to the diagnostic approach to CMD and provides details on the sequence that therapeutic management should follow.

Published
2024
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30. Concurrent product layout design optimization and dependency management using a modified NSGA-III approach

Author

Yann-Seing Law-Kam Cio, Giovanni Beltrame, Aurelian Vadean, Abolfazl Mohebbi, and Sofiane Achiche

Subjects
genetic algorithms, modularization algorithm, product-related dependencies, greenhouse design, design optimization, design structure matrix, Mechanical engineering and machinery, TJ1-1570
Abstract

The complexity of mechatronic systems has increased with the significant advancements of technology in their components which makes their design more challenging. This is due to the need for incorporating expertise from different domains as well as the increased number and complexity of components integrated into the product. To alleviate the burden of designing such products, many industries and researchers are attracted to the concept of modularization which is to identify a subset of system components that can form a module. To achieve this, a novel product-related dependency management approach is proposed in this paper with the support of an augmented design structure matrix. This approach makes it possible to model positive and negative dependencies and to compute the combination potency between components to form modules. This approach is then integrated into a modified non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III to concurrently optimize the design and identify the modules. The methodology is exemplified through the case study of a layout design of an automatic greenhouse. By applying the proposed methodology to the case study, it was possible to generate concepts that decreased the number of modules from 9 down to 4 while ensuring the optimization of the design performance.

Published
2024
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31. Haptoglobin concentrations in cows with history of natural bracken fern chronic ingestion

Author

Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos Schmidt, Carolina Dutra Minozzo, João Henrique Perotta, Rosangela Locatelli-Dittrich, Olair Carlos Beltrame, Juliana Sperotto Brum, Peter David Eckersall, and Ivan Roque de Barros Filho

Subjects
Pteridium spp., haptoglobin, cattle, hematuria, acute phase proteins, Agriculture, Agriculture (General), S1-972
Abstract

ABSTRACT: Bracken ferns (Pteridium spp.) have been associated with intoxication in cattle and is the cause of bovine enzootic hematuria (BEH) characterized by intermittent hematuria, anemia, and poor body condition. Acute phase proteins have not previously been investigated in detail in BEH. Thus, this investigation determined serum concentrations of haptoglobin, selected hematological (complete blood count and fibrinogen), biochemical (total serum protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, and creatine kinase), and urinary analytes, in 50 Nelore cows from farms with history of natural bracken fern chronic ingestion in the southern region of Brazil. Twenty-nine cows had macrohematuria and 21 microhematuria. From the 29 cows with macrohematuria, 13 had a countless number of erythrocytes per high power macroscopic field and anemia. All cows had dipstick proteinuria. Median haptoglobin concentrations were elevated for 47 BEH cows with a 3.9-fold increase, suggesting a chronic inflammatory response while the number of total leukocytes and segmented neutrophils were above the reference intervals for 14 cows. Besides inflammation, there is a hypothesis that bracken fern could cause hemolysis in the circulation. Therefore, there could be a larger acute phase reaction but much of the haptoglobin was being removed as it was being produced. In our study, increases in haptoglobin, creatine kinase, hyperglobulinemia and anemia were found in cows with BEH, contributing to the understanding of the chronic inflammatory response which could be associated with neoplastic lesions in the urinary bladder caused by long-term and repeated ingestion of Pteridium species.

Published
2024
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34. Caminhografia urbana: experimentando a cidade de maneira criativa e imersiva

Author

Eduardo Rocha, Taís Beltrame dos Santos, and Paula Pedreira Del Fiol

Subjects
caminhografia urbana, mapeamento coletivo, cartografia, escrita coletiva, extensão universitária, Special aspects of education, LC8-6691
Abstract

Caminhografia é o ato de caminhar e cartografar concomitantemente. Uma prática que vem sendo desenvolvida pelo grupo de pesquisa, ensino e extensão, Cidade+Contemporanidade que vive ao sul do Brasil, na cidade de Pelotas. O artigo apresenta a metodologia da caminhografia sendo exercitada no exercício de uma tarde que recorre parte as microrregiões Colina do Sol y Treptow, em Pelotas, onde amplia-se o olhar a partir do encontro, do jogo e da escrita coletiva. Evidenciam-se as potências da caminhografia, principalmente no sentido pedagógico de experimentar a cidade e suas múltiplas camadas.

Published
2024
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35. Tandem lesions associate with angiographic progression of coronary artery stenoses

Author

Kyle B. Franke, Nicholas J. Montarello, Adam J. Nelson, Jessica A. Marathe, Dennis T.L. Wong, Rosanna Tavella, Margaret Arstall, Christopher Zeitz, Matthew I. Worthley, John F. Beltrame, and Peter J. Psaltis

Subjects
Atherosclerosis, Coronary artery disease, Quantitative coronary angiography, Plaque progression, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background: Although the clinical factors associated with progression of coronary artery disease have been well studied, the angiographic predictors are less defined. Objectives: Our objective was to study the clinical and angiographic factors that associate with progression of coronary artery stenoses. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing multiple, clinically indicated invasive coronary angiograms with an interval greater than 6 months, between January 2013 and December 2016. Lesion segments were analysed using Quantitative Coronary Angiography (QCA) if a stenosis ≥ 20 % was identified on either angiogram. Stenosis progression was defined as an increase ≥ 10 % in stenosis severity, with progressor groups analysed on both patient and lesion levels. Mixed-effects regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with progression of individual stenoses. Results: 199 patients were included with 881 lesions analysed. 108 (54.3 %) patients and 186 (21.1 %) stenoses were classified as progressors. The median age was 65 years (IQR 56–73) and the median interval between angiograms was 2.1 years (IQR 1.2–3.0). On a patient level, age, number of lesions and presence of multivessel disease at baseline were each associated with progressor status. On a lesion level, presence of a stenosis downstream (OR 3.07, 95 % CI 2.04–4.63, p

Published
2024
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37. Test–retest reliability and agreement of remote home-based functional capacity self-administered assessments in community-dwelling, socially isolated older adults

Author

Rodrigo Villar, Thomas Beltrame, Gabriela Ferreira dos Santos, Anderson Saranz Zago, Danilo Sales Bocalini, and Francisco Luciano Pontes Júnior

Subjects
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, R858-859.7
Abstract

Objectives To determine the test–retest reliability and agreement of home-based functional capacity self-administered assessments in socially isolated older adults. Methods Fourteen community-dwelling older adults (eight females, 67.9 ± 7.7 years) volunteered for this study. Before testing, participants were screened online for eligibility and received instructional videos explaining test set-up and execution. Participants underwent the 30-second sit-to-standing test, gait speed tests at the usual pace, and timed-up-and-go tests administered 4 weeks apart. For the 30-second sit-to-standing protocol, participants were instructed to repeatedly sit and stand from a chair (with a height of ∼ 43 cm and without armrests) for 30 s, with the number of repetitions recorded. In the gait speed test protocol, participants were instructed to walk at their usual and comfortable pace, with the time taken recorded (seconds). In the timed-up-and-go, participants stood up from a chair, walked as fast as possible for 3 m, circled a marked point, and returned to the chair to sit down, completing the test, with the score recorded (seconds). A trained researcher conducted the scoring virtually via synchronous video. Results 30-second sit-to-standing, gait speed test, and timed-up-and-go showed excellent mean coefficient of variation values (2.0–4.9), small standard error of measurement (0.08–1.27), excellent intraclass coefficient (0.97–0.99), very strong correlations (0.97–0.99) and good agreement between the two days of testing. Conclusion Self-administered functional capacity tests performed by older adults at home were reliable with good agreement. Healthcare professionals and older adults should take advantage of simple remote self-administered assessments performed at home to evaluate older adults’ health status.

Published
2024
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38. Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital with and without respiratory symptoms

Author

Barbara Wanjiru Citarella, Christiana Kartsonaki, Elsa D. Ibáñez-Prada, Bronner P. Gonçalves, Joaquin Baruch, Martina Escher, Mark G. Pritchard, Jia Wei, Fred Philippy, Andrew Dagens, Matthew Hall, James Lee, Demetrios James Kutsogiannis, Evert-Jan Wils, Marília Andreia Fernandes, Bharath Kumar Tirupakuzhi Vijayaraghavan, Prasan Kumar Panda, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Shinichiro Ohshimo, Arie Zainul Fatoni, Peter Horby, Jake Dunning, Jordi Rello, Laura Merson, Amanda Rojek, Michel Vaillant, Piero Olliaro, Luis Felipe Reyes, S.A. Moharam, Sabriya Abdalasalam, Alaa Abdalfattah Abdalhadi, Naana Reyam Abdalla, Walaa Abdalla, Almthani Hamza Abdalrheem, Ashraf Abdalsalam, Saedah Abdeewi, Esraa Hassan Abdelgaum, Mohamed Abdelhalim, Mohammed Abdelkabir, Israa Abdelrahman, Sheryl Ann Abdukahil, Lamees Adil Abdulbaqi, Salaheddin Abdulhamid, Widyan Abdulhamid, Nurul Najmee Abdulkadir, Eman Abdulwahed, Rawad Abdunabi, Ryuzo Abe, Laurent Abel, Ahmed Mohammed Abodina, Amal Abrous, Lara Absil, Kamal Abu Jabal, Nashat Abu Salah, Abdurraouf Abusalama, Tareg Abdallah Abuzaid, Subhash Acharya, Andrew Acker, Elisabeth Adam, Safia Adem, Manuella Ademnou, Francisca Adewhajah, Diana Adrião, Anthony Afum-Adjei Awuah, Melvin Agbogbatey, Saleh Al Ageel, Aya Mustafa Ahmed, Musaab Mohammed Ahmed, Shakeel Ahmed, Zainab Ahmed Alaraji, Abdulrahman Ahmed Elhefnawy Enan, Reham Abdelhamid Ahmed Khalil, Ali Mostafa Ahmed Mohamed Abdelaziz, Kate Ainscough, Eka Airlangga, Tharwat Aisa, Ali Aisha, Bugila Aisha, Ali Ait Hssain, Younes Ait Tamlihat, Takako Akimoto, Ernita Akmal, Chika Akwani, Eman Al Qasim, Ahmed Alajeeli, Ahmed Alali, Razi Alalqam, Aliya Mohammed Alameen, Mohammed Al-Aquily, Zinah A. Alaraji, Khalid Albakry, Safa Albatni, Angela Alberti, Osama Aldabbourosama, Tala Al-dabbous, Amer Aldhalia, Abdulkarim Aldoukali, Senthilkumar Alegesan, Marta Alessi, Beatrice Alex, Kévin Alexandre, Abdulrahman Al-Fares, Asil Alflite, Huda Alfoudri, Qamrah Alhadad, Hoda Salem Alhaddad, Maali Khalid Mohamed Abdalla Alhasan, Ahmad Nabil Alhouri, Hasan Alhouri, Adam Ali, Imran Ali, Maha TagElser Mohammed Ali, Syed Ali Abbas, Yomna Ali Abdelghafar, Naseem Ali Sheikh, Kazali Enagnon Alidjnou, Mahmoud Aljadi, Sarah Aljamal, Mohammed Alkahlout, Akram Alkaseek, Qabas Alkhafajee, Clotilde Allavena, Nathalie Allou, Lana Almasri, Abdulrahman Almjersah, Raja Ahmed Alqandouz, Walaa Alrfaea, Moayad Alrifaee, Rawan Alsaadi, Yousef Al-Saba'a, Entisar Alshareea, Eslam Alshenawy, Aneela Altaf, João Melo Alves, João Alves, Rita Alves, Joana Alves Cabrita, Maria Amaral, Amro Essam Amer, Nur Amira, Amos Amoako Adusei, John Amuasi, Roberto Andini, Claire Andrejak, Andrea Angheben, François Angoulvant, Sophia Ankrah, Séverine Ansart, Sivanesen Anthonidass, Massimo Antonelli, Carlos Alexandre Antunes de Brito, Ardiyan Apriyana, Yaseen Arabi, Irene Aragao, Francisco Arancibia, Carolline Araujo, Antonio Arcadipane, Patrick Archambault, Lukas Arenz, Jean-Benoît Arlet, Christel Arnold-Day, Lovkesh Arora, Rakesh Arora, Elise Artaud-Macari, Diptesh Aryal, Angel Asensio, Elizabeth A. Ashley, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Sheharyar Ashraf, Abir Ben Ashur, Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Namra Asif, Mohammad Asim, Grace Assi, Jean Baptiste Assie, Amirul Asyraf, Fouda Atangana, Ahmed Atia, Minahel Atif, Asia Atif Abdelrhman Abdallahrs, Anika Atique, Moad Atlowly, AM Udara Lakshan Attanyake, Johann Auchabie, Hugues Aumaitre, Adrien Auvet, Abdelmalek Awad Ali Mohammed, Eyvind W. Axelsen, Ared Ayad, Ahmed Ayman Hassan Helmi, Laurène Azemar, Mohammed Azizeldin, Cecile Azoulay, Hakeem Babatunde, Benjamin Bach, Delphine Bachelet, Claudine Badr, Roar Bævre-Jensen, Nadia Baig, John Kenneth Baillie, J Kevin Baird, Erica Bak, Agamemnon Bakakos, Nazreen Abu Bakar, Hibah Bileid Bakeer, Ashraf Bakri, Andriy Bal, Mohanaprasanth Balakrishnan, Irene Bandoh, Firouzé Bani-Sadr, Renata Barbalho, Nicholas Yuri Barbosa, Wendy S. Barclay, Saef Umar Barnett, Michaela Barnikel, Helena Barrasa, Cleide Barrigoto, Marie Bartoli, Joaquín Baruch, Romain Basmaci, Muhammad Fadhli Hassin Basri, AbdAlkarim Batool, Denise Battaglini, Jules Bauer, Diego Fernando Bautista Rincon, Denisse Bazan Dow, Abigail Beane, Alexandra Bedossa, Ker Hong Bee, Husna Begum, Sylvie Behilill, Albertus Beishuizen, Aleksandr Beljantsev, David Bellemare, Anna Beltrame, Beatriz Amorim Beltrão, Marine Beluze, Nicolas Benech, Lionel Eric Benjiman, Suzanne Bennett, Luís Bento, Jan-Erik Berdal, Lamis Berdeweel, Delphine Bergeaud, Hazel Bergin, Giulia Bertoli, Lorenzo Bertolino, Simon Bessis, Sybille Bevilcaqua, Karine Bezulier, Amar Bhatt, Krishna Bhavsar, Isabella Bianchi, Claudia Bianco, Sandra Bichoka, Farah Nadiah Bidin, Felwa Bin Humaid, Mohd Nazlin Bin Kamarudin, Muhannud Binnawara, Zeno Bisoffi, Patrick Biston, Laurent Bitker, Mustapha Bittaye, Jonathan Bitton, Pablo Blanco-Schweizer, Catherine Blier, Frank Bloos, Mathieu Blot, Filomena Boccia, Laetitia Bodenes, Debby Bogaert, Anne-Hélène Boivin, Ariel Bolanga, Isabela Bolaños, Pierre-Adrien Bolze, François Bompart, Aurelius Bonifasius, Joe Bonney, Diogo Borges, Raphaël Borie, Hans Martin Bosse, Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers, Lila Bouadma, Olivier Bouchaud, Sabelline Bouchez, Damien Bouhour, Kévin Bouiller, Laurence Bouillet, Camile Bouisse, Latsaniphone Bountthasavong, Anne-Sophie Boureau, John Bourke, Maude Bouscambert, Aurore Bousquet, Marielle Boyer-Besseyre, Maria Boylan, Fernando Augusto Bozza, Axelle Braconnier, Cynthia Braga, Timo Brandenburger, Filipa Brás Monteiro, Luca Brazzi, Dorothy Breen, Patrick Breen, David Brewster, Kathy Brickell, Tessa Broadley, Helen Brotherton, Alex Browne, Nicolas Brozzi, Sonja Hjellegjerde Brunvoll, Marjolein Brusse-Keizer, Petra Bryda, Nina Buchtele, Polina Bugaeva, Marielle Buisson, Danilo Buonsenso, Erlina Burhan, Donald Buri, Aidan Burrell, Ingrid G. Bustos, Denis Butnaru, André Cabie, Susana Cabral, Joana Cabrita, Eder Caceres, Cyril Cadoz, Rui Caetano Garcês, Kate Calligy, Jose Andres Calvache, João Camões, Valentine Campana, Paul Campbell, Josie Campisi, Cecilia Canepa, Mireia Cantero, Janice Caoili, Pauline Caraux-Paz, Sheila Cárcel, Filipa Cardoso, Filipe Cardoso, Nelson Cardoso, Sofia Cardoso, Simone Carelli, Nicolas Carlier, Thierry Carmoi, Gayle Carney, Inês Carqueja, Marie-Christine Carret, François Martin Carrier, Ida Carroll, Gail Carson, Maire-Laure Casanova, Mariana Cascão, Siobhan Casey, José Casimiro, Bailey Cassandra, Silvia Castañeda, Nidyanara Castanheira, Guylaine Castor-Alexandre, Ivo Castro, Ana Catarino, François-Xavier Catherine, Paolo Cattaneo, Roberta Cavalin, Giulio Giovanni Cavalli, Alexandros Cavayas, Adrian Ceccato, Masaneh Ceesay, Shelby Cerkovnik, Minerva Cervantes-Gonzalez, Muge Cevik, Anissa Chair, Catherine Chakveatze, Adrienne Chan, Meera Chand, Jean-Marc Chapplain, Charlotte Charpentier, Julie Chas, Muhammad Mobin Chaudry, Jonathan Samuel Chávez Iñiguez, Anjellica Chen, Yih-Sharng Chen, Léo Chenard, Matthew Pellan Cheng, Antoine Cheret, Thibault Chiarabini, Julian Chica, Suresh Kumar Chidambaram, Leong Chin Tho, Catherine Chirouze, Davide Chiumello, Sung-Min Cho, Bernard Cholley, Danoy Chommanam, Marie-Charlotte Chopin, Yock Ping Chow, Ting Soo Chow, Nathaniel Christy, Hiu Jian Chua, Jonathan Chua, Jose Pedro Cidade, José Miguel Cisneros Herreros, Anna Ciullo, Jennifer Clarke, Rolando Claure-Del Granado, Sara Clohisey, Cassidy Codan, Caitriona Cody, Jennifer Coles, Megan Coles, Gwenhaël Colin, Michael Collins, Pamela Combs, Jennifer Connolly, Marie Connor, Anne Conrad, Elaine Conway, Graham S. Cooke, Hugues Cordel, Amanda Corley, Sabine Cornelis, Alexander Daniel Cornet, Arianne Joy Corpuz, Andrea Cortegiani, Grégory Corvaisier, Camille Couffignal, Sandrine Couffin-Cadiergues, Roxane Courtois, Stéphanie Cousse, Juthaporn Cowan, Rachel Cregan, Gloria Crowl, Jonathan Crump, Claudina Cruz, Marc Csete, Ailbhe Cullen, Matthew Cummings, Gerard Curley, Elodie Curlier, Colleen Curran, Paula Custodio, Ana da Silva Filipe, Charlene Da Silveira, Al-Awwab Dabaliz, John Arne Dahl, Darren Dahly, Umberto D'Alessandro, Peter Daley, Zaina Dalloul, Heidi Dalton, Jo Dalton, Seamus Daly, Juliana Damas, Joycelyn Dame, Cammandji Damien, Nick Daneman, Jorge Dantas, Frédérick D'Aragon, Gillian de Loughry, Diego de Mendoza, Etienne De Montmollin, Rafael Freitas de Oliveira França, Ana Isabel de Pinho Oliveira, Rosanna De Rosa, Cristina De Rose, Thushan de Silva, Peter de Vries, Jillian Deacon, David Dean, Alexa Debard, Bianca DeBenedictis, Marie-Pierre Debray, Nathalie DeCastro, William Dechert, Romain Decours, Eve Defous, Isabelle Delacroix, Alexandre Delamou, Eric Delaveuve, Karen Delavigne, Nathalie M. Delfos, Ionna Deligiannis, Andrea Dell'Amore, Christelle Delmas, Pierre Delobel, Corine Delsing, Elisa Demonchy, Emmanuelle Denis, Dominique Deplanque, Pieter Depuydt, Diane Descamps, Mathilde Desvallées, Santi Dewayanti, Pathik Dhangar, Alpha Diallo, Souleymane Taran Diallo, Sylvain Diamantis, André Dias, Fernanda Dias Da Silva, Rodrigo Diaz, Juan Jose Diaz, Priscila Diaz, Bakary K. Dibba, Kévin Didier, Jean-Luc Diehl, Wim Dieperink, Jérôme Dimet, Vincent Dinot, Fara Diop, Alphonsine Diouf, Yael Dishon, Cedric Djadda, Félix Djossou, Annemarie B. Docherty, Helen Doherty, Arjen M. Dondorp, Christl A. Donnelly, Yoann Donohue, Sean Donohue, Peter Doran, Céline Dorival, Eric D'Ortenzio, Yash Doshi, Phouvieng Douangdala, James Joshua Douglas, Renee Douma, Nathalie Dournon, Joanne Downey, Mark Downing, Thomas Drake, Aoife Driscoll, Ibrahim Kwaku Duah, Claudio Duarte Fonseca, Vincent Dubee, François Dubos, Audrey Dubot-Pérès, Alexandre Ducancelle, Toni Duculan, Susanne Dudman, Abhijit Duggal, Paul Dunand, Mathilde Duplaix, Emanuele Durante-Mangoni, Lucian Durham, III, Bertrand Dussol, Juliette Duthoit, Xavier Duval, Anne Margarita Dyrhol-Riise, Sim Choon Ean, Ada Ebo, Marco Echeverria-Villalobos, Michael Edelstein, Siobhan Egan, Linn Margrete Eggesbø, Khadeja Ehzaz, Carla Eira, Mohammed El Sanharawi, Marwan El Sayed, Mohammed Elabid, Mohamed Bashir Elagili, Subbarao Elapavaluru, Mohammad Elbahnasawy, Sohail Elboshra, Brigitte Elharrar, Jacobien Ellerbroek, Merete Ellingjord-Dale, Hamida ELMagrahi, Mohammad Muatasm Elmubark, Loubna Elotmani, Lauren Eloundou, Philippine Eloy, Basma Elshaikhy, Tarek Elshazly, Wafa Elsokni, Aml Ahmed Eltayeb, Iqbal Elyazar, Zarief Kamel Emad, Hussein Embarek, Isabelle Enderle, Tomoyuki Endo, Gervais Eneli, Chan Chee Eng, Ilka Engelmann, Vincent Enouf, Olivier Epaulard, Haneen Esaadi, Mariano Esperatti, Hélène Esperou, Catarina Espírito Santo, Marina Esposito-Farese, Rachel Essaka, Lorinda Essuman, João Estevão, Manuel Etienne, Anna Greti Everding, Mirjam Evers, Isabelle Fabre, Marc Fabre, Ismaila Fadera, Asgad Osman Abdalla Fadlalla, Amna Faheem, Arabella Fahy, Cameron J. Fairfield, Zul Fakar, Komal Fareed, Pedro Faria, Ahmed Farooq, Hanan Fateena, Mohamed Fathi, Salem Fatima, Karine Faure, Raphaël Favory, Mohamed Fayed, Niamh Feely, Jorge Fernandes, Susana Fernandes, François-Xavier Ferrand, Eglantine Ferrand Devouge, Joana Ferrão, Mário Ferraz, Benigno Ferreira, Isabel Ferreira, Bernardo Ferreira, Sílvia Ferreira, Nicolas Ferriere, Céline Ficko, Claudia Figueiredo-Mello, William Finlayson, Thomas Flament, Tom Fletcher, Aline-Marie Florence, Letizia Lucia Florio, Brigid Flynn, Deirdre Flynn, Jean Foley, Victor Fomin, Tatiana Fonseca, Patricia Fontela, Karen Forrest, Simon Forsyth, Denise Foster, Giuseppe Foti, Berline Fotso, Erwan Fourn, Robert A. Fowler, Marianne Fraher, Diego Franch-Llasat, Christophe Fraser, John F. Fraser, Marcela Vieira Freire, Ana Freitas Ribeiro, Craig French, Caren Friedrich, Ricardo Fritz, Stéphanie Fry, Nora Fuentes, Masahiro Fukuda, G. Argin, Valérie Gaborieau, Rostane Gaci, Massimo Gagliardi, Jean-Charles Gagnard, Amandine Gagneux-Brunon, Abdou Gai, Sérgio Gaião, Linda Gail Skeie, Adham Mohamed Galal Mohamed Ramadan, Phil Gallagher, Carrol Gamble, Yasmin Gani, Arthur Garan, Rebekha Garcia, Julia Garcia-Diaz, Esteban Garcia-Gallo, Navya Garimella, Denis Garot, Valérie Garrait, Basanta Gauli, Anatoliy Gavrylov, Alexandre Gaymard, Johannes Gebauer, Eva Geraud, Louis Gerbaud Morlaes, Nuno Germano, Malak Ghemmeid, Praveen Kumar Ghisulal, Jade Ghosn, Marco Giani, Tristan Gigante, Elaine Gilroy, Guillermo Giordano, Michelle Girvan, Valérie Gissot, Gezy Giwangkancana, Daniel Glikman, Petr Glybochko, Eric Gnall, Geraldine Goco, François Goehringer, Siri Goepel, Jean-Christophe Goffard, Jin Yi Goh, Brigitta Golács, Jonathan Golob, Kyle Gomez, Joan Gómez-Junyent, Marie Gominet, Alicia Gonzalez, Patricia Gordon, Isabelle Gorenne, Laure Goubert, Cécile Goujard, Tiphaine Goulenok, Margarite Grable, Jeronimo Graf, Edward Wilson Grandin, Pascal Granier, Giacomo Grasselli, Lorenzo Grazioli, Christopher A. Green, Courtney Greene, William Greenhalf, Segolène Greffe, Domenico Luca Grieco, Matthew Griffee, Fiona Griffiths, Ioana Grigoras, Albert Groenendijk, Fassou Mathias Grovogui, Heidi Gruner, Yusing Gu, Jérémie Guedj, Martin Guego, Anne-Marie Guerguerian, Daniela Guerreiro, Romain Guery, Anne Guillaumot, Laurent Guilleminault, Maisa Guimarães de Castro, Thomas Guimard, Marieke Haalboom, Daniel Haber, Ali Hachemi, Abdurrahman Haddud, Nadir Hadri, Wael Hafez, Fakhir Raza Haidri, Fatima Mhd Rida Hajij, Sheeba Hakak, Adam Hall, Sophie Halpin, Shaher Hamdan, Abdelhafeez Hamdi, Jawad Hameed, Ansley Hamer, Raph L. Hamers, Rebecca Hamidfar, Bato Hammarström, Naomi Hammond, Terese Hammond, Lim Yuen Han, Matly Hanan, Rashan Haniffa, Kok Wei Hao, Hayley Hardwick, Ewen M. Harrison, Janet Harrison, Samuel Bernard Ekow Harrison, Alan Hartman, Sulieman Hasan, Mohammad Ali Nabil Hasan, Mohd Shahnaz Hasan, Junaid Hashmi, Madiha Hashmi, Amoni Hassan, Ebtisam Hassanin, Muhammad Hayat, Ailbhe Hayes, Leanne Hays, Jan Heerman, Lars Heggelund, Ahmed Helmi, Ross Hendry, Martina Hennessy, Aquiles Rodrigo Henriquez-Trujillo, Maxime Hentzien, Diana Hernandez, Andrew Hershey, Liv Hesstvedt, Astarini Hidayah, Eibhlin Higgins, Rupert Higgins, Samuel Hinton, Hiroaki Hiraiwa, Haider Hirkani, Hikombo Hitoto, Antonia Ho, Yi Bin Ho, Alexandre Hoctin, Isabelle Hoffmann, Wei Han Hoh, Oscar Hoiting, Rebecca Holt, Jan Cato Holter, Juan Pablo Horcajada, Ikram Houas, Mabrouka Houderi, Catherine L. Hough, Stuart Houltham, Jimmy Ming-Yang Hsu, Jean-Sébastien Hulot, Abby Hurd, Iqbal Hussain, Aliae Mohamed Hussein, Mahmood Hussein, Fatima Ibrahim, Bashir Ibran, Samreen Ijaz, M. Arfan Ikram, Carlos Cañada Illana, Patrick Imbert, Muhammad Imran Ansari, Rana Imran Sikander, Hugo Inácio, Carmen Infante Dominguez, Yun Sii Ing, Mariachiara Ippolito, Vera Irawany, Sarah Isgett, Tiago Isidoro, Nadiah Ismail, Margaux Isnard, Mette Stausland Istre, Junji Itai, Daniel Ivulich, Danielle Jaafar, Salma Jaafoura, Hamza Jaber, Julien Jabot, Clare Jackson, Abubacarr Jagne, Stéphane Jaureguiberry, Denise Jaworsky, Florence Jego, Anilawati Mat Jelani, Synne Jenum, Ruth Jimbo-Sotomayor, Ong Yiaw Joe, Ruth Noemí Jorge García, Silje Bakken Jørgensen, Cédric Joseph, Mark Joseph, Swosti Joshi, Mercé Jourdain, Philippe Jouvet, Anna Jung, Hanna Jung, Dafsah Juzar, Ouifiya Kafif, Florentia Kaguelidou, Neerusha Kaisbain, Thavamany Kaleesvran, Sabina Kali, Karl Trygve Kalleberg, Smaragdi Kalomoiri, Muhammad Aisar Ayadi Kamaluddin, Armand Saloun Kamano, Zul Amali Che Kamaruddin, Nadiah Kamarudin, Kavita Kamineni, Darshana Hewa Kandamby, Kong Yeow Kang, Darakhshan Kanwal, Dyah Kanyawati, Mohamed Karghul, Pratap Karpayah, Todd Karsies, Daisuke Kasugai, Kevin Katz, Christy Kay, Lamees Kayyali, Seán Keating, Pulak Kedia, Andrea Kelly, Aoife Kelly, Claire Kelly, Niamh Kelly, Sadie Kelly, Yvelynne Kelly, Maeve Kelsey, Kalynn Kennon, Sommay Keomany, Maeve Kernan, Younes Kerroumi, Sharma Keshav, Shams Khail, Sarah Khaled, Imrana Khalid, Antoine Khalil, Irfan Khan, Quratul Ain Khan, Sushil Khanal, Abid Khatak, Krish Kherajani, Michelle E. Kho, Denisa Khoo, Ryan Khoo, Saye Khoo, Muhammad Nasir Khoso, Amin Khuwaja, Khor How Kiat, Yuri Kida, Peter Kiiza, Beathe Kiland Granerud, Anders Benjamin Kildal, Jae Burm Kim, Antoine Kimmoun, Detlef Kindgen-Milles, Nobuya Kitamura, Eyrun Floerecke Kjetland Kjetland, Paul Klenerman, Rob Klont, Gry Kloumann Bekken, Stephen R. Knight, Robin Kobbe, Paa Kobina Forson, Chamira Kodippily, Malte Kohns Vasconcelos, Sabin Koirala, Mamoru Komatsu, Franklina Korkor Abebrese, Volkan Korten, Stephanie Kouba, Mohamed Lamine Kourouma, Karifa Kourouma, Arsène Kpangon, Karolina Krawczyk, Ali Kredan, Vinothini Krishnan, Sudhir Krishnan, Oksana Kruglova, Anneli Krund, Pei Xuan Kuan, Ashok Kumar, Deepali Kumar, Ganesh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Dinesh Kuriakose, Ethan Kurtzman, Demetrios Kutsogiannis, Galyna Kutsyna, Ama Kwakyewaa Bedu-Addo, Sylvie Kwedi, Konstantinos Kyriakoulis, Marie Lachatre, Marie Lacoste, John G. Laffey, Nadhem Lafhej, Marie Lagrange, Fabrice Laine, Olivier Lairez, Sanjay Lakhey, Marc Lambert, François Lamontagne, Marie Langelot-Richard, Vincent Langlois, Eka Yudha Lantang, Marina Lanza, Cédric Laouénan, Samira Laribi, Delphine Lariviere, Stéphane Lasry, Sakshi Lath, Naveed Latif, Youssef Latifeh, Odile Launay, Didier Laureillard, Yoan Lavie-Badie, Andy Law, Cassie Lawrence, Teresa Lawrence, Minh Le, Clément Le Bihan, Cyril Le Bris, Georges Le Falher, Lucie Le Fevre, Quentin Le Hingrat, Marion Le Maréchal, Soizic Le Mestre, Gwenaël Le Moal, Vincent Le Moing, Hervé Le Nagard, Ema Leal, Marta Leal Santos, Biing Horng Lee, Heng Gee Lee, Su Hwan Lee, Jennifer Lee, Todd C. Lee, Yi Lin Lee, Gary Leeming, Bénédicte Lefebvre, Laurent Lefebvre, Benjamin Lefèvre, Sylvie LeGac, Merili-Helen Lehiste, Jean-Daniel Lelievre, François Lellouche, Adrien Lemaignen, Véronique Lemee, Anthony Lemeur, Gretchen Lemmink, Ha Sha Lene, Jenny Lennon, Rafael León, Marc Leone, Tanel Lepik, Quentin Lepiller, François-Xavier Lescure, Olivier Lesens, Mathieu Lesouhaitier, Amy Lester-Grant, Andrew Letizia, Sophie Letrou, Bruno Levy, Yves Levy, Claire Levy-Marchal, Katarzyna Lewandowska, Erwan L'Her, Gianluigi Li Bassi, Janet Liang, Ali Liaquat, Geoffrey Liegeon, Kah Chuan Lim, Wei Shen Lim, Chantre Lima, Bruno Lina, Lim Lina, Andreas Lind, Maja Katherine Lingad, Guillaume Lingas, Sylvie Lion-Daolio, Keibun Liu, Marine Livrozet, Patricia Lizotte, Antonio Loforte, Navy Lolong, Leong Chee Loon, Diogo Lopes, Dalia Lopez-Colon, Anthony L. Loschner, Paul Loubet, Bouchra Loufti, Guillame Louis, Silvia Lourenco, Lara Lovelace-Macon, Lee Lee Low, Marije Lowik, Jia Shyi Loy, Jean Christophe Lucet, Carlos M. Luna, Olguta Lungu, Miles Lunn, Liem Luong, Nestor Luque, Dominique Luton, Olavi Maasikas, Moïse Machado, Sara Machado, Gabriel Macheda, Mustafa Magzoub, Rafael Mahieu, Sophie Mahy, Ana Raquel Maia, Lars S. Maier, Oumou Maiga Ascofare, Mylène Maillet, Thomas Maitre, Nimisha Abdul Majeed, Maximilian Malfertheiner, Nadia Malik, Paddy Mallon, Fernando Maltez, Denis Malvy, Victoria Manda, Laurent Mandelbrot, Frank Manetta, Julie Mankikian, Edmund Manning, Aldric Manuel, Veronika Maráczi, Ceila Maria Sant′Ana Malaque, Flávio Marino, Samuel Markowicz, Ana Marques, Catherine Marquis, Laura Marsh, Brian Marsh, Megan Marshal, John Marshall, Celina Turchi Martelli, Dori-Ann Martin, Emily Martin, Guillaume Martin-Blondel, Alessandra Martinelli, F. Eduardo Martinez, Martin Martinot, Alejandro Martín-Quiros, Ana Martins, João Martins, Nuno Martins, Caroline Martins Rego, Gennaro Martucci, Olga Martynenko, Eva Miranda Marwali, Marsilla Marzukie, David Maslove, Sabina Mason, Sobia Masood, Fatma Masoud, Moise Massoma, Palmer Masumbe, Mohd Basri Mat Nor, Moshe Matan, Henrique Mateus Fernandes, Meghena Mathew, Christina Mathew, Mathieu Mattei, Laurence Maulin, Juergen May, Javier Maynar, Mayfong Mayxay, Thierry Mazzoni, Lisa Mc Sweeney, Colin McArthur, Naina McCann, Peter McCanny, Aine McCarthy, Anne McCarthy, Colin McCloskey, Rachael McConnochie, Sherry McDermott, Sarah E. McDonald, Aine McElroy, Samuel McElwee, Natalie McEvoy, Allison McGeer, Kenneth A. McLean, Paul McNally, Bairbre McNicholas, Edel Meaney, Cécile Mear-Passard, Maggie Mechlin, Nastia Medombou, Omar Mehkri, Ferruccio Mele, Luis Melo, Kashif Ali Memon, João João Mendes, Ogechukwu Menkiti, Kusum Menon, France Mentré, Alexander J. Mentzer, Emmanuelle Mercier, Noémie Mercier, Antoine Merckx, Mayka Mergeay-Fabre, Blake Mergler, António Mesquita, Roberta Meta, Osama Metwally, Agnès Meybeck, Dan Meyer, Alison M. Meynert, Vanina Meysonnier, Mehdi Mezidi, Céline Michelanglei, Isabelle Michelet, Efstathia Mihelis, Vladislav Mihnovit, Duha Milad Abdullah, Jennene Miller, Hugo Miranda-Maldonado, Nor Arisah Misnan, Nik Nur Eliza Mohamed, Nouralsabah Mohamed, Tahira Jamal Mohamed, Alaa Mohamed Ads, Ahmed Reda Mohamed Elsayed Abdelhalim, Libya Mohammed, Shrouk Fawze Mohammed Mostafa, Manahil Omer Abdelrahman Mohammedahmed, Omer Abdullah Mohammedelhassan, Asma Moin, Walaa Mokhtar, Elena Molinos, Brenda Molloy, Mary Mone, Agostinho Monteiro, Claudia Montes, Giorgia Montrucchio, Sarah Moore, Shona C. Moore, Lina Morales Cely, Marwa Morgom, Lucia Moro, Catherine Motherway, Ana Motos, Hugo Mouquet, Clara Mouton Perrot, Julien Moyet, Suleiman Haitham Mualla, Mohamed Muftah, Aisha Kalsoom Mufti, Ng Yong Muh, Mo'nes Muhaisen, Dzawani Muhamad, Jimmy Mullaert, Fredrik Müller, Karl Erik Müller, Daniel Munblit, Syed Muneeb Ali, Nadeem Munir, Laveena Munshi, Aisling Murphy, Patrick Murray, Marlène Murris, Srinivas Murthy, Himed Musaab, Alamin Mustafa, Mus'ab Mustafa, Dana Mustafa, Himasha Muvindi, Dimitra Melia Myrodia, Farah Nadia Mohd-Hanafiah, Behzad Nadjm, Dave Nagpal, Alex Nagrebetsky, Blanka Nagybányai-Nagy, Herwin Nanda Boudoin, Mangala Narasimhan, Nageswaran Narayanan, Prashant Nasa, Rashid Nasim Khan, Ahmad Nasrallah, Adel Gerges Nassif Metri, Alasdair Nazerali-Maitland, Nadège Neant, Holger Neb, Nikita Nekliudov, Matthew Nelder, Erni Nelwan, Raul Neto, Emily Neumann, Wing Yiu Ng, Pauline Yeung Ng, Anthony Nghi, Duc Nguyen, Orna Ni Choileain, Niamh Ni Leathlobhair, Nerissa Niba, Alistair D. Nichol, Prompak Nitayavardhana, Stephanie Nonas, Nurul Amani Mohd Noordin, Nurul Faten Izzati Norharizam, Anita North, Alessandra Notari, Mahdad Noursadeghi, Adam Nowinski, Saad Nseir, Leonard Numfor, Nurnaningsih Nurnaningsih, Dwi Utomo Nusantara, Elsa Nyamankolly, Anders Benteson Nygaard, Fionnuala O. Brien, Annmarie O. Callaghan, Annmarie O'Callaghan, Giovanna Occhipinti, Derbrenn OConnor, Max O'Donnell, Lawrence Ofori-Boadu, Tawnya Ogston, Takayuki Ogura, Tak-Hyuk Oh, Sophie O'Halloran, Katie O'Hearn, Sally-Ann Ohene, João Oliveira, Larissa Oliveira, Piero L. Olliaro, Cinderella Omar Rageh Elnaggar, Alsarrah Ali Mohammed Omer, Pierre Ondobo, David S.Y. Ong, Jee Yan Ong, Wilna Oosthuyzen, Anne Opavsky, Peter Openshaw, Saijad Orakzai, Claudia Milena Orozco-Chamorro, Jamel Ortoleva, Mohamed Osama Elsayed Soliman, Javier Osatnik, Linda O'Shea, Miriam O'Sullivan, Eman Othman, Siti Zubaidah Othman, Nadia Ouamara, Rachida Ouissa, Micheal Owusu, Ama Akyampomaa Owusu-Asare, Eric Oziol, Maïder Pagadoy, Justine Pages, Amanda Palacios, Massimo Palmarini, Giovanna Panarello, Hem Paneru, Lai Hui Pang, Mauro Panigada, Nathalie Pansu, Aurélie Papadopoulos, Rachael Parke, Melissa Parker, Jérémie Pasquier, Bruno Pastene, Fabian Patauner, Drashti Patel, Mohan Dass Pathmanathan, Luís Patrão, Patricia Patricio, Lisa Patterson, Rajyabardhan Pattnaik, Christelle Paul, Mical Paul, Jorge Paulos, William A. Paxton, Jean-François Payen, Sandra L. Peake, Kalaiarasu Peariasamy, Giles J. Peek, Florent Peelman, Nathan Peiffer-Smadja, Vincent Peigne, Mare Pejkovska, Paolo Pelosi, Ithan D. Peltan, Rui Pereira, Daniel Perez, Thomas Perpoint, Antonio Pesenti, Vincent Pestre, Lenka Petrou, Michele Petrovic, Ventzislava Petrov-Sanchez, Frank Olav Pettersen, Gilles Peytavin, Richard Odame Philips, Ooyanong Phonemixay, Soulichanya Phoutthavong, Michael Piagnerelli, Walter Picard, Olivier Picone, Maria de Piero, Djura Piersma, Carlos Pimentel, Raquel Pinto, Catarina Pires, Lionel Piroth, Ayodhia Pitaloka, Chiara Piubelli, Riinu Pius, Simone Piva, Laurent Plantier, Hon Shen Png, Julien Poissy, Ryadh Pokeerbux, Sergio Poli, Georgios Pollakis, Diane Ponscarme, Diego Bastos Porto, Andra-Maris Post, Douwe F. Postma, Pedro Povoa, Diana Póvoas, Jeff Powis, Sofia Prapa, Viladeth Praphasiri, Sébastien Preau, Christian Prebensen, Jean-Charles Preiser, Anton Prinssen, Gamage Dona Dilanthi Priyadarshani, Lucia Proença, Sravya Pudota, Bambang Pujo Semedi, Mathew Pulicken, Peter Puplampu, Gregory Purcell, Luisa Quesada, Vilmaris Quinones-Cardona, Else Quist-Paulsen, Mohammed Quraishi, Fadi Qutishat, Maia Rabaa, Christian Rabaud, Ebenezer Rabindrarajan, Aldo Rafael, Marie Rafiq, Abdelrahman Ragab, Mutia Rahardjani, Arslan Rahat Ullah, Ahmad Kashfi Haji Ab Rahman, Rozanah Abd Rahman, Fernando Rainieri, Giri Shan Rajahram, Pratheema Ramachandran, Nagarajan Ramakrishnan, José Ramalho, Ahmad Afiq Ramli, Blandine Rammaert, Grazielle Viana Ramos, Asim Rana, Rajavardhan Rangappa, Ritika Ranjan, Christophe Rapp, Aasiyah Rashan, Thalha Rashan, Ghulam Rasheed, Menaldi Rasmin, Indrek Rätsep, Cornelius Rau, Tharmini Ravi, Ali Raza, Andre Real, Stanislas Rebaudet, Sarah Redl, Brenda Reeve, Attaur Rehman, Muhammad Osama Rehman Khalid, Dag Henrik Reikvam, Renato Reis, Jonathan Remppis, Martine Remy, Hongru Ren, Hanna Renk, Anne-Sophie Resseguier, Matthieu Revest, Oleksa Rewa, Maria Ines Ribeiro, Antonia Ricchiuto, David Richardson, Denise Richardson, Laurent Richier, Siti Nurul Atikah Ahmad Ridzuan, Ana L. Rios, Asgar Rishu, Patrick Rispal, Karine Risso, Maria Angelica Rivera Nuñez, Chiara Robba, André Roberto, Stephanie Roberts, Charles Roberts, David L. Robertson, Olivier Robineau, Anna Roca, Ferran Roche-Campo, Paola Rodari, Simão Rodeia, Bernhard Roessler, Claire Roger, Pierre-Marie Roger, Roberto Roncon-Albuquerque, Jr., Mélanie Roriz, Manuel Rosa-Calatrava, Michael Rose, Dorothea Rosenberger, Andrea Rossanese, Matteo Rossetti, Patrick Rossignol, Carine Roy, Benoît Roze, Desy Rusmawatiningtyas, Clark D. Russell, Maeve Ryan, Steffi Ryckaert, Aleksander Rygh Holten, Isabela Saba, Sairah Sadaf, Musharaf Sadat, Valla Sahraei, Abdurraouf Said, Nadia Saidani, Pranya Sakiyalak, Fodé Bangaly Sako, Moamen Salah, Ali Alaa Salah Eldin Mohamed Abbas, Nawal Salahuddin, Leonardo Salazar, Jodat Saleem, Mohammed Saleh Alyasiri, Talat Ahmed Abu Salem, Gabriele Sales, Charlotte Salmon Gandonniere, Hélène Salvator, Dana Samardali, Shaden Samardali, Yehia Samir Shaaban Aly Orabi, Emely Sanchez, Olivier Sanchez, Kizy Sanchez de Oliveira, Angel Sanchez-Miralles, Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu, Gyan Sandhu, Zulfiqar Sandhu, Pierre-François Sandrine, Oana Săndulescu, Marlene Santos, Shirley Sarfo-Mensah, Bruno Sarmento Banheiro, Iam Claire E. Sarmiento, Benjamine Sarton, Ankana Satya, Sree Satyapriya, Rumaisah Satyawati, Egle Saviciute, Yen Tsen Saw, Justin Schaffer, Tjard Schermer, Arnaud Scherpereel, Marion Schneider, János Schnur, Stephan Schroll, Michael Schwameis, Gary Schwartz, Janet T. Scott, James Scott-Brown, Nicholas Sedillot, Tamara Seitz, Jaganathan Selvanayagam, Mageswari Selvarajoo, Malcolm G. Semple, Rasidah Bt Senian, Eric Senneville, Claudia Sepulveda, Filipa Sequeira, Tânia Sequeira, Ary Serpa Neto, Ellen Shadowitz, Syamin Asyraf Shahidan, Hamza Shahla, Laila Shalabi, Haitam Shames, Anuraj Shankar, Shaikh Sharjeel, Pratima Sharma, Catherine A. Shaw, Victoria Shaw, John Robert Sheenan, Dr. Rajesh Mohan Shetty, Rohan Shetty, Mohiuddin Shiekh, Nobuaki Shime, Keiki Shimizu, Sally Shrapnel, Shubha Kalyan Shrestha, Pramesh Sundar Shrestha, Hoi Ping Shum, Nassima Si Mohammed, Ng Yong Siang, Moses Siaw-Frimpong, Jeanne Sibiude, Bountoy Sibounheuang, Nidhal Siddig, Atif Siddiqui, Maqsood Ahmed Siddiqui, Louise Sigfrid, Fatoumata Sillah, Piret Sillaots, Catarina Silva, Maria Joao Silva, Rogério Silva, Benedict Sim Lim Heng, Wai Ching Sin, Dario Sinatti, Mahendra Singh, Punam Singh, Pompini Agustina Sitompul, Karisha Sivam, Vegard Skogen, Sue Smith, Benjamin Smood, Coilin Smyth, Morgane Snacken, Dominic So, Tze Vee Soh, Lene Bergendal Solberg, Joshua Solomon, Tom Solomon, Emily Somers, Agnès Sommet, Myung Jin Song, Rima Song, Tae Song, Jack Song Chia, Arne Søraas, Albert Sotto, Edouard Soum, Ana Chora Sousa, Marta Sousa, Maria Sousa Uva, Vicente Souza-Dantas, Mamadou Saliou Sow, Alexandra Sperry, Elisabetta Spinuzza, B. P. Sanka Ruwan Sri Darshana, Shiranee Sriskandan, Sarah Stabler, Thomas Staudinger, Stephanie-Susanne Stecher, Trude Steinsvik, Ymkje Stienstra, Birgitte Stiksrud, Eva Stolz, Amy Stone, Anca Streinu-Cercel, Adrian Streinu-Cercel, Geoff Strong, Ami Stuart, David Stuart, Richa Su, Decy Subekti, Gabriel Suen, Jacky Y. Suen, Prasanth Sukumar, Asfia Sultana, Charlotte Summers, Dubravka Supic, Deepashankari Suppiah, Magdalena Surovcová, Atie Suwarti, Andrey Svistunov, Sarah Syahrin, Augustina Sylverken, Konstantinos Syrigos, Jaques Sztajnbok, Konstanty Szuldrzynski, Shirin Tabrizi, Fabio S. Taccone, Lysa Tagherset, Shahdattul Mawarni Taib, Sara Taleb, Cheikh Talla, Jelmer Talsma, Renaud Tamisier, Maria Lawrensia Tampubolon, Kim Keat Tan, Yan Chyi Tan, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Taku Tanaka, Hayato Taniguchi, Huda Taqdees, Arshad Taqi, Coralie Tardivon, Yousef Tarek Kamal Mostafa, Ali Tarhabat, Pierre Tattevin, M Azhari Taufik, Hassan Tawfik, Tze Yuan Tee, João Teixeira, Sofia Tejada, Marie-Capucine Tellier, Sze Kye Teoh, Vanessa Teotonio, François Téoulé, Olivier Terrier, Nicolas Terzi, Hubert Tessier-Grenier, Adrian Tey, Alif Adlan Mohd Thabit, Anand Thakur, Zhang Duan Tham, Suvintheran Thangavelu, Elmi Theron, Vincent Thibault, Simon-Djamel Thiberville, Benoît Thill, Jananee Thirumanickam, Niamh Thompson, Shaun Thompson, Emma C. Thomson, David Thomson, Mathew Thorpe, Surain Raaj Thanga Thurai, Ryan S. Thwaites, Paul Tierney, Vadim Tieroshyn, Peter S. Timashev, Jean-François Timsit, Noémie Tissot, Fiona Toal, Jordan Zhien Yang Toh, Maria Toki, Kristian Tonby, Sia Loong Tonnii, Marta Torre, Antoni Torres, Margarida Torres, Rosario Maria Torres Santos-Olmo, Hernando Torres-Zevallos, Aboubacar Tounkara, Michael Towers, Fodé Amara Traoré, Tony Trapani, Cécile Tromeur, Ioannis Trontzas, Tiffany Trouillon, Jeanne Truong, Christelle Tual, Sarah Tubiana, Helen Tuite, Alexis F. Turgeon, Jean-Marie Turmel, Lance C.W. Turtle, Anders Tveita, Pawel Twardowski, Makoto Uchiyama, PG Ishara Udayanga, Andrew Udy, Roman Ullrich, Alberto Uribe, Asad Usman, Effua Usuf, Timothy M. Uyeki, Cristinava Vajdovics, Piero Valentini, Luís Val-Flores, Stijn Van de Velde, Marcel van den Berge, Machteld van der Feltz, Job van der Palen, Paul van der Valk, Nicky Van Der Vekens, Peter Van der Voort, Sylvie Van Der Werf, Laura van Gulik, Jarne Van Hattem, Carolien van Netten, Ilonka van Veen, Noémie Vanel, Henk Vanoverschelde, Michael Varrone, Shoban Raj Vasudayan, Charline Vauchy, Pavan Kumar Vecham, Shaminee Veeran, Aurélie Veislinger, Sebastian Vencken, Sara Ventura, Annelies Verbon, José Ernesto Vidal, César Vieira, Deepak Vijayan, Judit Villar, Pierre-Marc Villeneuve, Andrea Villoldo, Gayatri Vishwanathan, Benoit Visseaux, Hannah Visser, Chiara Vitiello, Manivanh Vongsouvath, Harald Vonkeman, Fanny Vuotto, Suhaila Abdul Wahab, Noor Hidayu Wahab, Nadirah Abdul Wahid, Marina Wainstein, Laura Walsh, Wan Fadzlina Wan Muhd Shukeri, Chih-Hsien Wang, Steve Webb, Katharina Weil, Tan Pei Wen, Hassi Wesam, Sanne Wesselius, T. Eoin West, Murray Wham, Bryan Whelan, Nicole White, Paul Henri Wicky, Aurélie Wiedemann, Surya Otto Wijaya, Keith Wille, Sue Willems, Bailey Williams, Patricia J. Williams, Virginie Williams, Jessica Wittman, Calvin Wong, Xin Ci Wong, Yew Sing Wong, Teck Fung Wong, Natalie Wright, Lim Saio Xian, Ioannis Xynogalas, Siti Rohani Binti Mohd Yakop, Masaki Yamazaki, Elizabeth Yarad, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Nicholas Yee Liang Hing, Abdelrahman Yehia Mahmoud Abdelaal, Cécile Yelnik, Chian Hui Yeoh, Stephanie Yerkovich, Touxiong Yiaye, Toshiki Yokoyama, Hodane Yonis, Obada Yousif, Saptadi Yuliarto, Akram Zaaqoq, Marion Zabbe, Gustavo E. Zabert, Kai Zacharowski, Masliza Zahid, Maram Zahran, Nor Zaila Binti Zaidan, Maria Zambon, Miguel Zambrano, Alberto Zanella, Nurul Zaynah, Hiba Zayyad, Alexander Zoufaly, and David Zucman

Subjects
COVID-19, Non-respiratory symptoms, Respiratory symptoms, Risk factors, Mortality, Science (General), Q1-390, Social sciences (General), H1-99
Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory illness; however, many patients present to hospital without respiratory symptoms. The association between non-respiratory presentations of COVID-19 and outcomes remains unclear. We investigated risk factors and clinical outcomes in patients with no respiratory symptoms (NRS) and respiratory symptoms (RS) at hospital admission. Methods: This study describes clinical features, physiological parameters, and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, stratified by the presence or absence of respiratory symptoms at hospital admission. RS patients had one or more of: cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose or wheezing; while NRS patients did not. Results: Of 178,640 patients in the study, 86.4 % presented with RS, while 13.6 % had NRS. NRS patients were older (median age: NRS: 74 vs RS: 65) and less likely to be admitted to the ICU (NRS: 36.7 % vs RS: 37.5 %). NRS patients had a higher crude in-hospital case-fatality ratio (NRS 41.1 % vs. RS 32.0 %), but a lower risk of death after adjusting for confounders (HR 0.88 [0.83–0.93]). Conclusion: Approximately one in seven COVID-19 patients presented at hospital admission without respiratory symptoms. These patients were older, had lower ICU admission rates, and had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality after adjusting for confounders.

Published
2024
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39. O SISTEMA DE ASILO DA UNIÃO EUROPEIA E AS CRIANÇAS DESACOMPANHADAS: ENTRE A PROTEÇÃO E O CONTROLE MIGRATÓRIO - DOI: 10.12818/P.0304-2340.2023v83p17

Author

Aline Beltrame de Moura and Carla Lerin

Subjects
Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence, K1-7720
Abstract

O presente artigo trata de analisar as políticas adotadas pelo sistema de asilo da União Europeia e como estas se aplicam à proteção das crianças desacompanhadas que migram de forma forçada de um país terceiro para a União Europeia, haja vista sua vulnerabilidade frente aos riscos que enfrentam. Para tanto, foram utilizados o método de abordagem dedutivo, e a técnica de pesquisa bibliográfica, com a utilização de marcos teóricos como Bhabha e Jubilut, e documental com documentos disponibilizados pela própria União Europeia em seus sites oficiais. Assim, primeiramente será tratado acerca do atual contexto migratório infantil de países terceiros para a União Europeia, especificamente das crianças que migram desacompanhadas. Posteriormente, serão abordadas as políticas migratórias do Sistema Europeu Comum de Asilo, dando destaque ao Regulamento de Dublin III, que traz regras para a definição do Estado Membro responsável pelo processamento do pedido de asilo, em seguida, será analisado o funcionamento do sistema comum de asilo sob a ótica da proteção das crianças desacompanhadas. Por fim, conclui-se que não obstante a política migratória da União Europeia se fundamentar em princípios de direitos humanos, ela estabelece um sistema de proteção que é utilizado como instrumento de controle migratório.

Published
2024
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40. Problemática Suicida. Un Estudio Descriptivo de los Ingresos por Guardia en Hospital General de la Ciudad de Paraná Entre 2018 y 2022

Author

Marcelo Rodriguez Rodriguez, María Paula Nesa, María Fernanda Correa, Sabrina García Abib, Norma María del Rosario Vera, María Lucía Beltrame, Sofía Elena Herrero, and Mariana Ojeda

Subjects
suicidio, autolesiones, hospital, Psychology, BF1-990
Abstract

La problemática suicida es un problema de salud pública. El presente trabajo se realizó en el contexto de los ingresos por guardia del Hospital San Martín de Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina que tuviese alguno de los siguientes motivos de consulta: intento de suicidio, conductas autolesivas sin intencionalidad de muerte e intentos de suicidio en contexto de consumo problemático de sustancias en el período 2018 – 2022. Los objetivos fueron: describir la frecuencia de motivos de consulta dentro de la problemática suicida en el período 2018-2022; evaluar la asociación entre los motivos de consulta y el año de ingreso; los motivos de consulta y el sexo; los motivos de consulta y la edad de los sujetos; y describir los factores protectores y de riesgo. Se trabajó con 893 historias clínicas, las cuales correspondían a 295 varones (33%) y 598 mujeres (67%) de entre 15 y 93 años (M= 31.16 DS= 14.76). Se utilizó un cuestionario confeccionado por expertos en la temática en salud mental del hospital. Se obtuvieron frecuencias y se calcularon Chi cuadrados de Pearson para evaluar la asociación entre variables categóricas. Se halló asociación entre motivo de consulta y año de ingreso, con aumento de frecuencia de autolesiones sin intencionalidad de muerte en 2022; un aumento de intentos de suicidios en contexto de consumo problemático en 2021. Se observó asociación entre motivo de consulta y edad con un aumento de intento de suicidios en jóvenes y un aumento de autolesiones sin intencionalidad de muerte en la adultez media. Se observó asociación entre motivo de consulta y edad. Como factor de riesgo se destaca la presencia de factores vitales estresantes y como factores protectores se destaca el apoyo familiar, aunque disminuye en adolescentes y jóvenes la escolarización, y el apoyo de pares.

Published
2024
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41. Reviewing the essential roles of remote phenotyping, GWAS and explainable AI in practical marker-assisted selection for drought-tolerant winter wheat breeding

Author

Ignacio Chang-Brahim, Lukas J. Koppensteiner, Lorenzo Beltrame, Gernot Bodner, Anna Saranti, Jules Salzinger, Phillipp Fanta-Jende, Christoph Sulzbachner, Felix Bruckmüller, Friederike Trognitz, Mina Samad-Zamini, Elisabeth Zechner, Andreas Holzinger, and Eva M. Molin

Subjects
drought tolerance, GWAS, MAS, plant breeding, winter wheat, XAI, Plant culture, SB1-1110
Abstract

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) plays a crucial role in crop breeding improving the speed and precision of conventional breeding programmes by quickly and reliably identifying and selecting plants with desired traits. However, the efficacy of MAS depends on several prerequisites, with precise phenotyping being a key aspect of any plant breeding programme. Recent advancements in high-throughput remote phenotyping, facilitated by unmanned aerial vehicles coupled to machine learning, offer a non-destructive and efficient alternative to traditional, time-consuming, and labour-intensive methods. Furthermore, MAS relies on knowledge of marker-trait associations, commonly obtained through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), to understand complex traits such as drought tolerance, including yield components and phenology. However, GWAS has limitations that artificial intelligence (AI) has been shown to partially overcome. Additionally, AI and its explainable variants, which ensure transparency and interpretability, are increasingly being used as recognised problem-solving tools throughout the breeding process. Given these rapid technological advancements, this review provides an overview of state-of-the-art methods and processes underlying each MAS, from phenotyping, genotyping and association analyses to the integration of explainable AI along the entire workflow. In this context, we specifically address the challenges and importance of breeding winter wheat for greater drought tolerance with stable yields, as regional droughts during critical developmental stages pose a threat to winter wheat production. Finally, we explore the transition from scientific progress to practical implementation and discuss ways to bridge the gap between cutting-edge developments and breeders, expediting MAS-based winter wheat breeding for drought tolerance.

Published
2024
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42. TriNet: Exploring More Affordable and Generalisable Remote Phenotyping with Explainable Deep Models

Author

Lorenzo Beltrame, Jules Salzinger, Lukas J. Koppensteiner, and Phillipp Fanta-Jende

Subjects
deep learning, yellow rust, wheat breeding, XAI, multispectral data, UAV, Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics, TL1-4050
Abstract

In this study, we propose a scalable deep learning approach to automated phenotyping using UAV multispectral imagery, exemplified by yellow rust detection in winter wheat. We adopt a high-granularity scoring method (1 to 9 scale) to align with international standards and plant breeders’ needs. Using a lower spatial resolution (60 m flight height at 2.5 cm GSD), we reduce the data volume by a factor of 3.4, making large-scale phenotyping faster and more cost-effective while obtaining results comparable to those of the state-of-the-art. Our model incorporates explainability components to optimise spectral bands and flight schedules, achieving top-three accuracies of 0.87 for validation and 0.67 and 0.70 on two separate test sets. We demonstrate that a minimal set of bands (EVI, Red, and GNDVI) can achieve results comparable to more complex setups, highlighting the potential for cost-effective solutions. Additionally, we show that high performance can be maintained with fewer time steps, reducing operational complexity. Our interpretable model components improve performance through regularisation and provide actionable insights for agronomists and plant breeders. This scalable and explainable approach offers an efficient solution for yellow rust phenotyping and can be adapted for other phenotypes and species, with future work focusing on optimising the balance between spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions.

Published
2024
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43. Electromagnetic–Structural Finite Element Analysis of Copper and Aluminum Windings in Power Transformers under Short-Circuit Conditions

Author

Richard Gonçalves Cornelius, Betina Luísa Lenhard, Leonardo Hautrive Medeiros, Herber Cuadro Fontoura, Cristian Hans Correa, Rodinei Carraro, Rafael Concatto Beltrame, Tiago dos Santos, Tiago Bandeira Marchesan, and Vitor Cristiano Bender

Subjects
electromagnetic forces, mechanical stresses, finite element analysis, power transformers, short-circuit conditions, Technology
Abstract

Electromagnetic forces can lead to the structural failure of power transformers due to extreme loading conditions, vibration, and/or fatigue. Therefore, studying the nature and the magnitude of these forces is a key task in the design and failure analysis of such important equipment. Keeping this issue in mind, this work aims at conducting a numerical analysis in order to evaluate the mechanical stresses and displacements of windings in power transformers due to the action of electromagnetic forces. With this purpose, a finite element model is developed considering electromagnetic and mechanical effects assuming short-circuit conditions. The study compares the cases employing copper and aluminum windings with header tap, in different temperatures. The model developed in this work is verified against analytical solutions. The numerical calculations allow for performing a detailed analysis in terms of the distribution of both displacements and stresses along the windings, which is of great relevance for identifying critical structural points and avoiding structural failure. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate that the finite element model is a useful tool for the structural design of power transformers that allow for investigating and optimizing key aspects before manufacturing.

Published
2024
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44. Tropheryma whipplei Colonization in Adults and Children: A Prospective Study

Author

Lucia Moro, Giorgio Zavarise, Giada Castagna, Elena Pomari, Francesca Perandin, Chiara Piubelli, Cristina Mazzi, and Anna Beltrame

Subjects
Whipple disease, carrier, colonization, molecular diagnosis, epidemiology, PCR, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

We conducted a prospective cohort study at the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital in Negrar di Valpolicella from 2019 to 2021 to investigate the duration of T. whipplei colonization. In addition, the correlation between persistent colonization and the continent of origin, current treatment regimen, clinical manifestations, and parasite coinfection was evaluated. The cohort included subjects who were tested in a previous study (years 2014–2016) and found to be positive for T. whipplei DNA in fecal samples. Thirty-three subjects were enrolled in a prospective study between 2019 and 2021. Feces, saliva, urine, and blood were collected at baseline and after 12 months. Medical history, current treatment, and symptoms were recorded. Among them, 25% showed persistent intestinal or oral colonization, 50% had no colonization at both visits, and 25% had intermittent colonization. No association was found between persistent T. whipplei colonization and subjects’ continent of origin, current treatment regimen, initial clinical manifestations, and parasite coinfection. The longest duration of persistent T. whipplei intestinal colonization exceeded six years, with 11 subjects presenting persistent positivity for more than three years, including 1 minor. Our research was limited by the lack of a strain-specific identification of T. whipplei that made it impossible to distinguish between persistence of the same T. whipplei strain, reinfection from household exposure, or infection by a new strain. Larger prospective studies are needed to further explore the implications of this persistence and determine the key factors influencing the duration of colonization and its potential health impacts.

Published
2024
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45. Microstructure and mechanical properties of geopolymers with different dolomitic lime contents

Author

Allan Guimarães Borçato, Neusa Aparecida Munhak Beltrame, Tassiane Apolinário de Oliveira, and Ronaldo Alves de Medeiros-Junior

Subjects
geopolymer, metakaolin, dolomitic lime, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, Building construction, TH1-9745
Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the effect of dolomitic lime incorporation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of metakaolin-based geopolymers activated by alkaline solution. Five geopolymer mixtures were prepared with the addition of 0.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% dolomitic lime. The microstructure of the geopolymers was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD). The compressive strength of the mixtures ranged between 53.2 and 63.0 MPa after 28 days of ambient curing. SEM/EDS analyses showed that the main phases formed were the N-A-S-H gel together with the C-A-S-H and N-M-A-S-H gels in the mixtures with dolomitic lime. In summary, the results showed that the incorporation of dolomitic lime can significantly improve the microstructure and properties of geopolymers.

Published
2024
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46. Platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) regulates neuronal maturation and synaptic transmission during postnatal retinal development

Author

Barbara Dalmaso, Andre Mauricio Passos Liber, Dora Fix Ventura, Sonia Jancar, and Carolina Beltrame Del Debbio

Subjects
PAF receptor, retina, retinal development, retinal neurogenesis, electroretinography, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
Abstract

IntroductionPlatelet-activating factor (PAF), PAF receptor (PAFR), and PAF- synthesis/degradation systems are involved in essential CNS processes such as neuroblast proliferation, differentiation, migration, and synaptic modulation. The retina is an important central nervous system (CNS) tissue for visual information processing. During retinal development, the balance between Retinal Progenitor Cell (RPC) proliferation and differentiation is crucial for proper cell determination and retinogenesis. Despite its importance in retinal development, the effects of PAFR deletion on RPC dynamics are still unknown.MethodsWe compared PAFR knockout mice (PAFR−/−) retinal postnatal development proliferation and differentiation aspects with control animals. Electrophysiological responses were analyzed by electroretinography (ERG).Results and discussionIn this study, we demonstrate that PAFR−/− mice increased proliferation during postnatal retinogenesis and altered the expression of specific differentiation markers. The retinas of postnatal PAFR−/− animals decreased neuronal differentiation and synaptic transmission markers, leading to differential responses to light stimuli measured by ERG. Our findings suggest that PAFR signaling plays a critical role in regulating postnatal RPC cell differentiation dynamics during retinal development, cell organization, and neuronal circuitry formation.

Published
2024
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47. High pathogenicity avian influenza A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in a captive Tibetan black bear (Ursus thibetanus): investigations based on paraffin-embedded tissues, France, 2022

Author

Pierre Bessière, Nicolas Gaide, Guillaume Croville, Manuela Crispo, Maxime Fusade-Boyer, Yanad Abou Monsef, Malorie Dirat, Marielle Beltrame, Philippine Dendauw, Karin Lemberger, Jean-Luc Guérin, and Guillaume Le Loc'h

Subjects
influenza, zoonotic infections, epidemiology, Microbiology, QR1-502
Abstract

ABSTRACTHigh pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) H5Nx of clade 2.3.4.4b have been circulating increasingly in both wild and domestic birds in recent years. In turn, this has led to an increase in the number of spillover events affecting mammals. In November 2022, an HPAIV H5N1 caused an outbreak in a zoological park in the south of France, resulting in the death of a Tibetan black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and several captive and wild bird species. We detected the virus in various tissues of the bear and a wild black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) found dead in its enclosure using histopathology, two different in situ detection techniques, and next-generation sequencing, all performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Phylogenetic analysis performed on the hemagglutinin gene segment showed that bear and gull strains shared 99.998% genetic identity, making the bird strain the closest related strain. We detected the PB2 E627K mutation in minute quantities in the gull, whereas it predominated in the bear, which suggests that this mammalian adaptation marker was selected during the bear infection. Our results provide the first molecular and histopathological characterization of an H5N1 virus infection in this bear species.IMPORTANCEAvian influenza viruses are able to cross the species barrier between birds and mammals because of their high genetic diversity and mutation rate. Using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we were able to investigate a Tibetan black bear's infection by a high pathogenicity H5N1 avian influenza virus at the molecular, phylogenetic, and histological levels. Our results highlight the importance of virological surveillance programs in mammals and the importance of raising awareness among veterinarians and zookeepers of the clinical presentations associated with H5Nx virus infection in mammals.

Published
2024
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48. Vasospastic angina: a review on diagnostic approach and management

Author

Kenny Jenkins, Graziella Pompei, Nandine Ganzorig, Sarah Brown, John Beltrame, and Vijay Kunadian

Subjects
Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Vasospastic angina (VSA) refers to chest pain experienced as a consequence of myocardial ischaemia caused by epicardial coronary spasm, a sudden narrowing of the vessels responsible for an inadequate supply of blood and oxygen. Coronary artery spasm is a heterogeneous phenomenon that can occur in patients with non-obstructive coronary arteries and obstructive coronary artery disease, with transient spasm causing chest pain and persistent spasm potentially leading to acute myocardial infarction (MI). VSA was originally described as Prinzmetal angina or variant angina, classically presenting at rest, unlike most cases of angina (though in some patients, vasospasm may be triggered by exertion, emotional, mental or physical stress), and associated with transient electrocardiographic changes (transient ST-segment elevation, depression and/or T-wave changes). Ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is not a benign condition, as patients are at elevated risk of cardiovascular events including acute coronary syndrome, hospitalization due to heart failure, stroke and repeat cardiovascular procedures. INOCA patients also experience impaired quality of life and associated increased healthcare costs. VSA, an endotype of INOCA, is associated with major adverse events, including sudden cardiac death, acute MI and syncope, necessitating the study of the most effective treatment options currently available. The present literature review aims to summarize current data relating to the diagnosis and management of VSA and provide details on the sequence that treatment should follow.

Published
2024
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49. Long-term exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl 126 induces liver fibrosis and upregulates miR-155 and miR-34a in C57BL/6 mice.

Author

Fernanda Torres Quitete, Ananda Vitória Silva Teixeira, Thamara Cherem Peixoto, Bruna Cadete Martins, Geórgia Correa Atella, Angela de Castro Resende, Daniela de Barros Mucci, Fabiane Martins, and Julio Beltrame Daleprane

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

Environmental pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), act as endocrine disruptors and impair various physiological processes. PCB 126 is associated with steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and other hepatic injuries. These disorders can be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of miRNAs in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with exposure to PCB 126. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to PCB 126 (5 μmol/kg of body weight) for 10 weeks. The PCB group showed lipid accumulation in the liver in the presence of macro- and microvesicular steatosis and fibrosis with increased inflammatory and profibrotic gene expression, consistent with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). PCB exposure also upregulated miR-155 and miR-34a, which induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation in the liver and reduce the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, which, in turn, impairs lipid oxidation and hepatic steatosis. Therefore, the present study showed that PCB 126 induced NASH via potential mechanisms involving miR-155 and miR-34a, which may contribute to the development of new diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies.

Published
2024
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50. Designing, development and validation of an app to reduce the response time of the emergency medical services.

Author

Júlia Loverde Gabella, Iago Amado Peres Gualda, Isadora Laguila Altoé, Matheus Henrique Arruda Beltrame, Pedro Henrique Aguillar da Silva, Dalton Breno Costa, Fernando César Grossi Paggi, Sérgio Sanches Fabres Filho, Miyoko Massago, Luiz Gustavo de Paulo, Marcos Rogério Bitencourt, Anjni Patel Joiner, João Ricardo Nickenig Vissoci, and Luciano de Andrade

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

IntroductionDelays in prehospital care attributable to the call-taking process can often be traced back to miscommunication, including uncertainty around the call location. Geolocation applications have the potential to streamline the call-taking process by accurately identifying the caller's location.ObjectiveTo develop and validate an application to geolocate emergency calls and compare the response time of calls made via the application with those of conventional calls made to the Brazilian Medical Emergency System (Serviço de Atendimento Médico de Urgência-SAMU).MethodsThis study was conducted in two stages. First, a geolocating application for SAMU emergency calls (CHAMU192) was developed using a mixed methods approach based on design thinking and subsequently validated using the System Usability Scale (SUS). In the second stage, sending time of the geolocation information of the app was compared with the time taken to process information through conventional calls. For this, a hypothetical case control study was conducted with SAMU in the Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. A control group of 350 audio recordings of emergency calls from 2019 was compared to a set of test calls made through the CHAMU192 app. The CHAMU192 group consisted of 201 test calls in Maringá. In test calls, the location was obtained by GPS and sent to the SAMU communication system. Comparative analysis between groups was performed using the Mann-Whitney test.ResultsCHAMU192 had a SUS score of 90, corresponding to a "best imaginable" usability rating. The control group had a median response time of 35.67 seconds (26.00-48.12). The response time of the CHAMU192 group was 0.20 (0.15-0.24).ConclusionThe use of the CHAMU192 app by emergency medical services could significantly reduce response time. The results demonstrate the potential of app improving the quality and patient outcomes related to the prehospital emergency care services.

Published
2024
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