Highlights • 513 seized cocaine samples were analyzed through FT-IR with chemometrics. • The seized cocaine separates between salt and base through HCA and PCA. • The adulterants were qualitatively ...predicted through PCA and mixture analysis. • Groups with samples from different seizures were formed by HCA. • PLS-DA and SVM-DA classified correctly all seized cocaine between salt and base.
Background and objectives
The ataxias are a challenging group of neurological diseases due the aetiological heterogeneity and the complexity of the genetic subtypes. This guideline focuses on the ...heredodegenerative ataxias. The aim is to provide a peer‐reviewed evidence‐based guideline for clinical neurologists and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with ataxia.
Methods
This guideline is based on systematic evaluations of the relevant literature and on three consensus meetings of the task force.
Diagnosis
If acquired causes are ruled out, and if the disease course is rather slowly progressive, a (heredo)degenerative disease is likely. A positive family history gives much guidance. In the case of a dominant family history, first line genetic screening is recommended for spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 17 (level B), and in Asian patients also for dentatorubral‐pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). In the case of recessive disease, a stepwise diagnostic work‐up is recommended, including both biochemical markers and targeted genetic testing, particularly aimed at Friedreich's ataxia, ataxia telangiectasia, ataxia due to vitamin E deficiency, polymerase gamma gene (POLG gene, various mutations), autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix−Saguenay (ARSACS) and ataxia with oculomotor apraxia (AOA) types 1 and 2. If family history is negative, we still advise to screen for the more common dominant and recessive ataxias. In addition, if onset is below 45 years we recommend the full work‐up for recessive ataxias; if onset is above 45 years we recommend to screen for fragile X mental retardation 1 FMR1 premutations (good practice points). In sporadic cases with an onset after 30 years, a diagnosis of multiple system atrophy should be considered (good practice point). In particular the genetic work‐up will change over the upcoming years due to the diagnostic utility of new techniques such as gene panel diagnostics based on next generation sequencing for routine work‐up, or even whole exome and genome sequencing for selected cases.
Treatment
Some of the rare recessive ataxias are treatable, but for most of the heredodegenerative ataxias treatment is purely symptomatic. Idebenone is not effective in Friedreich's ataxia (level A). Riluzole (level B) and amantadine (level C) might provide symptomatic relief, irrespective of exact etiology. Also, varenicline for SCA3 patients (level B) can be considered. There is level Class II evidence to recommend physiotherapy, and Class III data to support occupational therapy.
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Digital technologies enable a thorough analysis of Architectural Heritage, offering various representations that provide different levels of documentation and knowledge-based conservation tools. This ...paper presents a methodological approach that leverages three digital representations related to three levels of documentation: Virtual Tour Informational Modelling, Point Cloud Informational Modelling, and Historical Building Information Modelling. Their characteristics and potential are compared, focusing on the effectiveness in supporting the analysis process, and the management of future conservation works. Furthermore, the dichotomy between 2D and 3D representations of AH is tackled, emphasizing the need to align with the conservation strategies, timeline, and budget constraints. It also discusses the integration of heterogeneous data and various digital representations to address the challenges in AH preventive conservation and management, resulting in the proposal of a sustainable documentation workflow to support the conservation process.
This paper discusses the use of point cloud segmentation, both automatic and semi-automatic, in heritage conservation processes, with the aim of consciously integrating traditional and innovative ...methods. Thus, the research explores the potential of open-source software tools for semi-automatic point-cloud segmentation in enriching heritage knowledge and contributing to the inspection of its state of conservation. This ensures a 3D geometric view of reality and enables the identification of criticalities that may not be visible to the naked eye through colorimetric attributes. The study was conducted on Villa Leonardi, a historical house located in the city of Treia in the Marche Region (Italy) as a pilot test. The investigation focused on the east and south elevations of the building, which were suitable for two distinct trials: a semi-automatic procedure for analyzing the quality of mortar joints in an exposed masonry, and a semi-automatic procedure for mapping alterations and decay in a plastered masonry. To validate the results, manual and semi-automatic maps were compared using both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Qualitative assessment involved overlay and visual analysis, while quantitative assessment involved transforming the segmented point cloud into a mesh and calculating the resulting surface area. The critical interpretation of the two trials revealed both advantages and disadvantages; overall, experimentation highlighted the added value that advanced digital process can bring to the issue of heritage preservation.
The paper stresses the potential of digital technology in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH), focusing on Architectural Heritage (AH) conservation and management process. It presents a workflow ...based on non-parametric automatic 3D modeling and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) authoring to combine geometry and semantic information. The goal of such a methodology is to overcome time-consuming manual tasks that still limit the Historical Building Information Modelling (HBIM), which nevertheless proves to be one of the most effective digital tools for the conservation and management of AH in the medium to long term. The proposed workflow consists of five steps: the 3D survey campaign and raw data processing, the semantic annotation of images according to different information layers, the annotation transfer from images to the point cloud representing the studied architecture, the obtained Point Cloud Information Model (PCIM) automatic segmentation and 3D mesh wrapping, and finally the IFC generation for the HBIM representation. This unconventional digital chain was tested to support the knowledge representation of Villa Leonardi, an historical house in the Marche Region (Italy). The final output is a 3D model of the building, automatically processed from digital survey data, and semantically enriched thanks to the material consistency and decay analysis carried out and annotated on spherical panoramas. The effectiveness of this approach was proven in the conservation project for the façades of the house: enriched data on materials and decay supported an action plan of restoration works, which was then recorded in the HBIM model, thus permitting time and cost control.
Kidney cancer is a common urologic malignancy with either laparoscopic (LPN) or robotic partial nephrectomy as therapeutic options of choice for localized tumors. However, renal resection and ...suturing are challenging steps of the procedure that can lead to complications such as prolonged warm ischemia, bleeding, and urinary fistulas. LPN with a diode laser is an efficient technique due to its cutting and/or coagulation attributes. Surprisingly, key laser features such as wavelength and power remain undefined. Using a large porcine model, we evaluated the laser range of wavelength and power in a clamp-free LPN and compared it to the established gold-standard LPN technique (i.e., cold-cutting and suturing). By analyzing surgery duration, bleeding, presence of urine leak, tissue damage related to the resected renal fragment and the remaining organ, hemoglobin levels, and renal function, we show that an optimized experimental diode laser clamp-free LPN (wavelength, 980 nm; power, 15 W) had shorter surgery time with less bleeding, and better postoperative renal function recovery when compared to the well-established technique. Together, our data indicate that partial nephrectomy with a diode laser clamp-free LPN technique is an improved alternative to the gold-standard technique. Therefore, translational clinical trials towards human patient applications are readily feasible.
This paper aims to develop a strategy for architectural knowledge modeling in order to actively support the built heritage conservation process by fostering collaboration among stakeholders and ...interoperability between datasets. The integration of two modeling systems, one ontology-based and one in BIM environment, seems to be the right way to meet this objective: the former is rather exhaustive to represent the semantic contents of conservation activities, especially non-geometrical data, the latter is absolutely suitable to represent the logic of the construction, above all geometrical-constructive aspects typical of any architectural organism. Thus, this study proposes a side-by-side approach to synchronize these different ways of representing reality by managing the complexity of cultural heritage on the one hand and of technology tools, such as information systems, on the other. The proposed methodology was tested on the city walls of San Ginesio (Macerata, Italy) and included different steps considering the in-use technologies (notably geomatics and information technologies) as key enablers to acquire, hierarchically order, model and enrich the knowledge of that heritage site. The result is a knowledge-led strategy moving from survey to HBIM implementation, as a way to enhance representation and management in architectural heritage processes.
To develop a reliable and valid clinical scale measuring the severity of ataxia.
The authors devised the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and tested it in two trials of 167 and ...119 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia.
The mean time to administer SARA in patients was 14.2 +/- 7.5 minutes (range 5 to 40). Interrater reliability was high, with an intraclass coefficient (ICC) of 0.98. Test-retest reliability was high with an ICC of 0.90. Internal consistency was high as indicated by Cronbach's alpha of 0.94. Factorial analysis revealed that the rating results were determined by a single factor. SARA ratings showed a linear relation to global assessments using a visual analogue scale, suggesting linearity of the scale (p < 0.0001, r(2) = 0.98). SARA score increased with the disease stage (p < 0.001) and was closely correlated with the Barthel Index (r = -0.80, p < 0.001) and part IV (functional assessment) of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS-IV) (r = -0.89, p < 0.0001), whereas it had only a weak correlation with disease duration (r = 0.34, p < 0.0002).
The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia is a reliable and valid measure of ataxia, making it an appropriate primary outcome measure for clinical trials.
Accessibility to next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has enabled the profiling of microbial communities living in distinct habitats. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing is widely used ...for microbiota profiling with NGS technologies. Since most used NGS platforms generate short reads, sequencing the full-length 16S rRNA gene is impractical. Therefore, choosing which 16S rRNA hypervariable region to sequence is critical in microbiota profiling studies. All nine 16S rRNA hypervariable regions are taxonomically informative, but due to variability in profiling performance for specific clades, choosing the ideal 16S rRNA hypervariable region will depend on the bacterial composition of the habitat under study. Recently, NGS allowed the identification of microbes in the urinary tract, and urinary microbiota has become an active research area. However, there is no current study evaluating the performance of different 16S rRNA hypervariable regions for male urinary microbiota profiling. We collected urine samples from male volunteers and profiled their urinary microbiota by sequencing a panel of six amplicons encompassing all nine 16S rRNA hypervariable regions. Systematic comparisons of their performance indicate V1V2 hypervariable regions better assess the taxa commonly present in male urine samples, suggesting V1V2 amplicon sequencing is more suitable for male urinary microbiota profiling. We believe our results will be helpful to guide this crucial methodological choice in future male urinary microbiota studies.
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