Creating an Holistic Emergency Alert Management Platform

ABSTRACT

Extreme natural events require effective emergency procedures to minimize adverse effects on a region’s population and economy. Such procedures typically involve the effort of several different teams of first responders (e.g., fire fighters, public administrations, police departments, utility companies), hence coordination is fundamental to the effectiveness of the response to the emergency that must be supported with adequate infrastructures. Nonetheless, first responders often rely on manual processes, in the life cycle of extreme events, which do not change consistently with the type of shock or affected population. The aim of this paper is to present a technology transfer process to improve both the emergency alert process and the knowledge of disaster-type safety procedures through the implementation of a proposed platform. We also highlight a pilot application on a post-disaster case study—the province of L’Aquila (Abruzzi) in Italy.     

p53 mutation and chemoresistance in oral-maxillofacial squamous cell carcinoma. Role of p53 in the cell cycle control and in the modulating action of chemotherapeutic agents

p53 is a "tumor suppressor gene" with a basic function in the cellular cycle control and subsequently in the induction of the neoplastic process. p53 found changed in the majority of malignant human tumors. In the oral and maxillofacial cancers p53 mutations varies from 4% to 60% of the cases. Researches in vitro in tumors of the colon-rectum, breast, lung, ovary, testicle, bladder and in leukaemia, show a correlation between p53 overexpression (mutation) and resistance to the anti-tumor agents. The functional connection between the p53 and the chemotherapic drugs action which cause a direct DNA damage, is the apoptosis, a physiologic mechanism activated by p53 for regulating cell growth but also indispensable for the cytotoxic effects (apoptosis is an irreversible process culminating in cell death). Loss of the p53 activity (mutation) in the tumoral cells determines non-activation of the apoptosis and the drug resistance. These results have led to early clinical applications. In the breast cancers the p53 is already utilized as chemoresistance marker, directing the therapy, if changed to alternative drugs (Taxolo) which have a p53-independent action. Even into cell lung cancers a retroviral vector containing the wild-type p53 gene was produced to mediate transfer of wild-type p53, noting tumor regression. In oral and maxillofacial tumors surgery is elective. It is emphasized that, in advanced cancers, it is included in multimode protocols where the neoadjuvant chemotherapy has an important clinical function, with precise indications. The possibility to determine previously the p53 "status" in the cancer cells by genetic study, may give a specific factor of screening, indicative of the tumor chemoresponse, together with other well-known prognostic factors, with advantage for the therapeutic programming and especially for the known surgical treatment.     

A variable elimination method to improve the parsimony of MLR models using the successive projections algorithm

The successive projections algorithm (SPA) is a variable selection technique designed to minimize collinearity problems in multiple linear regression (MLR). This paper proposes a modification to the basic SPA formulation aimed at further improving the parsimony of the resulting MLR model. For this purpose, an elimination procedure is incorporated to the algorithm in order to remove variables that do not effectively contribute towards the prediction ability of the model as indicated by an F-test. The utility of the proposed modification is illustrated in a simulation study, as well as in two application examples involving the analysis of diesel and corn samples by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the number of variables selected by SPA can be reduced without significantly compromising prediction performance. In addition, SPA is favourably compared with classic Stepwise Regression and full-spectrum PLS. A graphical user interface for SPA is available at www.ele.ita.br/kawakami/spa/.     

Hierarchical mechanochemical switches in angiostatin

We wish to propose a novel mechanism by which the triggering of a biochemical signal can be controlled by the hierarchical coupling between a protein redox equilibrium and an external mechanical force. We have characterized this mechanochemical mechanism in angiostatin, and we have evidence that it can switch the access to partially unfolded structures of this protein. We have identified a metastable intermediate that is specifically accessible under thioredoxin-rich reducing conditions, like those met by angiostatin on the surface of a tumor cell. The structure of the same intermediate accounts for the unexplained antiangiogenic activity of angiostatin. These findings demonstrate a new link between redox biology and mechanically regulated processes.     

The acute effect of smoking on cutaneous microcirculation blood flow in habitual smokers and nonsmokers

BACKGROUND: The current study was undertaken to evaluate the quantitative estimation of cytologic features on aspirated smears for the preoperative differential diagnosis of follicular lesions of the thyroid. METHODS: The subjects were 60 patients with follicular lesions of the thyroid (including 20 follicular carcinomas, 15 follicular adenomas, and 25 adenomatous goiters) whose histopathologic explorations were conducted fully postoperatively. Using a microscope connected to a computerized video system, the mean nuclear area, the mean nuclear perimeter, the circular rate, the largest to the smallest dimension ratio (LS ratio) of the nuclei, and the coefficient of variation of the nuclear area (NACV) were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: Among the quantitative morphometric parameters of nuclei, the circular rate was significantly higher in the group with adenomatous goiters than those with follicular carcinomas (P < 0.00001) and adenomas (P < 0.005). The group with follicular carcinomas had a higher LS ratio than the group with adenomatous goiters (P < 0.0005). The NACV value increased as the malignant potential of the lesion increased and showed significant differences between the groups. When a NACV of 21.5% was chosen as the cutoff point, the incidence of malignancy was significantly higher in patients with high NACV values than in those with low NACV values (P < 0.00001). Using this borderline value, it was possible to distinguish malignant from benign diseases with a sensitivity of 85.0%, a specificity of 82.5%, and an accuracy of 83.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative quantitative estimations of cytologic nuclear features are useful for the preoperative differential diagnosis of follicular lesions of the thyroid.     

Direct versus Indirect Method for Identifying FRP-to-Concrete Interface Relationships

Several proposals have been carried out for modeling a fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP)-to-concrete interface whose behavior is not completely described by fracture energy value, which could often be derived in closed form. Although the bilinear formulation is one of the most widely accepted relationships, neither standard testing procedures nor well-established calibration and identification techniques are currently available. The present paper mainly deals with the latter aspect and is basically aimed at examining the differences possibly arising from adopting either direct or indirect techniques for identifying the interface relationship. In particular, after an outline of the analytical formulation of both mentioned identification methods, their application is proposed considering a set of experimental results already utilized by other authors in similar studies. Besides the expected superiority of the indirect procedure in identifying the interface relationship, emphasis is placed on the fact that such a procedure is quite unaffected by the possible reduction in the number of experimental data considered in calibrating the interface relationship.     

Copper and brass aged at open circuit potential in slightly alkaline solutions

Surface oxide films were grown on 99.99% copper and brass (copper–zinc alloy, Cu77Zn21Al2) in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ borax solution at open circuit potential and were characterized using various experimental techniques. The composition of the passive films formed in situ on the different materials was studied using differential reflectance spectroscopy. The thickness of the oxide layers on copper and brass was compared by chronopotentiometric curves and potentiodynamic reductions. The electrical properties of each oxide were analyzed by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Their influence on the oxygen reduction reaction was also investigated using voltammetry hydrodynamic tools such as the rotating disk electrode. The results show that the incorporation of Zn to Cu in brass changes the composition and the thickness of the surface film. The films grown on brass tend to be thicker but less resistive and Zn compounds incorporate to the film. This is supported by results from reflectance and impedance spectroscopy. The kinetics of oxygen reduction is strongly inhibited on oxidized electrodes, particularly in the case of brass. The global number of exchanged electrons remains close to four and seems to be independent of the presence of surface oxides.     

Analysis and Interpretation of the Impact of Missense Variants in Cancer

Large scale genome sequencing allowed the identification of a massive number of genetic variations, whose impact on human health is still unknown. In this review we analyze, by an in silico-based strategy, the impact of missense variants on cancer-related genes, whose effect on protein stability and function was experimentally determined. We collected a set of 164 variants from 11 proteins to analyze the impact of missense mutations at structural and functional levels, and to assess the performance of state-of-the-art methods (FoldX and Meta-SNP) for predicting protein stability change and pathogenicity. The result of our analysis shows that a combination of experimental data on protein stability and in silico pathogenicity predictions allowed the identification of a subset of variants with a high probability of having a deleterious phenotypic effect, as confirmed by the significant enrichment of the subset in variants annotated in the COSMIC database as putative cancer-driving variants. Our analysis suggests that the integration of experimental and computational approaches may contribute to evaluate the risk for complex disorders and develop more effective treatment strategies.     

Optimal ("stent-like") acute angiographic results pursuable by traditional PTCA

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken: 1) to assess the efficacy of traditional PTCA in affording "optimal" initial dilatation (OID) of coronary stenoses (as assessed by on-line quantitative angiography) defined as a post-procedure residual lumen narrowing < or = 20%; 2) to determine clinical and angiographic correlates of these types of successes. BACKGROUND: Recent reports have shown that acute angiographic results achieved by traditional PTCA, resembling those obtainable by elective stenting, carry low risks of restenosis. However, safety and the ability of conventional PTCA to consistently provide acute stent-like results are still practically unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a "standardized" procedural protocol intended to optimize acute angiographic results, 878 consecutive non-selected patients, 750 men and 128 women aged 29-78 years (mean 60.5 yrs) underwent PTCA on 1054 lesions. Compliant balloons reaching nominal dimensions at 6 atm and predicted balloon-artery ratios of 0.92-1.05 (mean 1.02) were used. An inflation pressure of 5 atm was gradually and slowly applied initially (usually sufficient to reach the point of plaque fracture). Inflation times of 60 seconds and step-increases in inflation pressure of 1 atm were subsequently utilized, until a large lumen with smooth contours (the nearest to normal) or any wall damage were detected by angiographic tests performed at each step. Inflations were stopped when, even in the presence of sub-optimal dilatation, the inflation pressure of 14 atm was reached (which usually corresponded to an effective balloon/artery ratio < 1.15). RESULTS: Overall traditional primary successes were 830 (94.5%) for patients and 1001 (95%) for lesions. Major complications, without mortality, were 24 (2.7%). CABS was necessary in 17 patients (1.9%) while acute myocardial infarction occurred in 7 patients (0.8%). OID was obtained in 65.4% of the treated lesions: 77.9% in type A, 73.9% in B1, 54.0% in B2 and 32.5% in C lesion subgroups of the AHA/ACC classification scheme. Multivariate analysis showed that no clinical variables significantly influenced OID. Lesion-related variables such as chronic occlusion, diffuse disease, length > 10 mm, heavily calcified and markedly angulated lesions emerged as (negative) determinants of success. CONCLUSIONS: Acute stent-like angiographic results are obtainable by conventional PTCA in a consistent percentage of eligible coronary lesions. Following a safe modality of balloon-stress application in performing angioplasty, probability of safely achieving OID of coronary stenoses is related to specific angiographic lesion characteristics.