Context. High resolution spectroscopy at high signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) is one the key techniques of the quantitative study of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. Observations at near-infrared ...wavelengths with fiber-fed spectrographs coupled to extremely large telescopes are particularly important to tackle the ultimate goal of detecting biosignatures in rocky planets. Aims. To achieve high S/Ns in fiber-fed spectrogrpahs, the systematic noise effects introduced by the fibers must be properly understood and mitigated. In this paper we concentrate on the effects of modal noise in multimode fibers. Methods. Starting from our puzzling on-sky experience with the GIANO-TNG spectrometer we set up an infrared high resolution spectrometer in our laboratory and used this instrument to characterize the modal noise generated in fibers of different types (circular and octagonal) and sizes. Our experiment includes two conventional scrambling systems for fibers: a mechanical agitator and an optical double scrambler. Results. We find that the strength of the modal noise primarily depends on how the fiber is illuminated. It dramatically increases when the fiber is under-illuminated, either in the near field or in the far field. The modal noise is similar in circular and octagonal fibers. The Fourier spectrum of the noise decreases exponentially with frequency; i.e., the modal noise is not white but favors broad spectral features. Using the optical double scrambler has no effect on modal noise. The mechanical agitator has effects that vary between different types of fibers and input illuminations. In some cases this agitator has virtually no effect. In other cases, it mitigates the modal noise, but flattens the noise spectrum in Fourier space; i.e., the mechanical agitator preferentially filters the broad spectral features. Conclusions. Our results show that modal noise is frustratingly insensitive to the use of octagonal fibers and optical double scramblers; i.e., the conventional systems used to improve the performances of spectrographs fed via unevenly illuminated fibers. Fiber agitation may help in some cases, but its effect has to be verified on a case-by-case basis. More generally, our results indicate that the design of the fiber link feeding a spectrograph should be coupled with laboratory measurements that reproduce, as closely as possible, the conditions expected at the telescope.
SHANK3 (also called PROSAP2) genetic haploinsufficiency is thought to be the major cause of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS). PMS is a rare genetic disorder that causes a ...severe form of intellectual disability (ID), expressive language delays and other autistic features. Furthermore, a significant number of SHANK3 mutations have been identified in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and SHANK3 truncating mutations are associated with moderate to profound ID. The Shank3 protein is a scaffold protein that is located in the postsynaptic density (PSD) of excitatory synapses and is crucial for synapse development and plasticity. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms associated with the ASD-like behaviors observed in Shank3Δ11
mice, in which exon 11 has been deleted. Our results indicate that Shank3 is essential to mediating metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5)-receptor signaling by recruiting Homer1b/c to the PSD, specifically in the striatum and cortex. Moreover, augmenting mGlu5-receptor activity by administering 3-Cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide ameliorated the functional and behavioral defects that were observed in Shank3Δ11
mice, suggesting that pharmaceutical treatments that increase mGlu5 activity may represent a new approach for treating patients that are affected by PMS and SHANK3 mutations.
Thanks to recent technological advances, measuring real-world interactions by the use of mobile devices and wearable sensors has become possible, allowing researchers to gather data on human social ...interactions in a variety of contexts with high spatial and temporal resolution. Empirical data describing contact networks have thus acquired a high level of detail that may yield new insights into the dynamics of infection transmission between individuals. At the same time, such data bring forth new challenges related to their statistical description and analysis, and to their use in mathematical models. In particular, the integration of highly detailed empirical data in computational frameworks designed to model the spread of infectious diseases raises the issue of assessing which representations of the raw data work best to inform the models. There is an emerging need to strike a balance between simplicity and detail in order to ensure both generalizability and accuracy of predictions. Here, we review recent work on the collection and analysis of highly detailed data on temporal networks of face-to-face human proximity, carried out in the context of the SocioPatterns collaboration. We discuss the various levels of coarse-graining that can be used to represent the data in order to inform models of infectious disease transmission. We also discuss several limitations of the data and future avenues for data collection and modelling efforts in the field of infectious diseases.
Since children with chronic diseases represent a primary target for immunization strategies, it is important that their immunization coverage and timeliness of vaccines is optimal. We performed a ...study to measure immunization coverage and timeliness of vaccines in children with type 1 diabetes, HIV infection, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and neurological diseases. A total of 275 children aged 6 months–18 years were included in the study. Coverage for diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP), polio (Pol), and hepatitis B (HBV) vaccines approximated 85% at 24 months, while measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) coverage was 62%. Immunization coverage for seasonal influenza was 59%. The analysis of timeliness revealed that there was heterogeneity among children with different chronic diseases. A proportional hazard model showed that children with HIV infection had the longest time to complete three doses of DTP, Pol, and HBV, and those with neurological diseases received the first dose of MMR later than the other categories. Causes of missing or delayed vaccination mostly included a concurrent acute disease. Children with chronic diseases should be strictly monitored for routine and recommended vaccinations, and health care providers and families should be properly informed to avoid false contraindications.
Summary
Background
The food challenge test (FCT) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of food allergy. This procedure is time consuming, costly and can induce potentially severe symptoms. An ideal ...in vitro test should allow to avoid the FCT.
Objective
To assess the clinical performance of microarray for specific IgE (sIgE) detection in children with challenge‐proven/excluded cow's milk (CM) or hen's egg (HE) allergy.
Methods
One‐hundred and four children with suspected IgE‐mediated hypersensitivity to CM or HE were studied. In all patients, skin prick test, ImmunoCAP, microarray and FCT were performed.
Results
The microarray components Bos d 8 for CM (27/58 patients) and Gal d 1 (20/46 patients) and Gal d 2 (24/46) for HE were the most frequently recognized allergens. Using the FCT results as the reference parameter, sIgE to Bos d 8 and Gal d 1 had the highest area under the curves. These were not significantly different from those obtained using the ImmunoCAP. Use of 95% clinical decision points (CDP) for sIgE to Bos d 8 and Gal d 1 resulted in higher negative predictive values (78% and 79%, respectively) than those obtained with the ImmunoCAP (57% and 59%).
Conclusions
Our results show that in children with suspected CM or HE allergy, the microarray has a good ability to predict the FCT results. In a clinical application perspective, the microarray could be used as a second‐level assay, if the ImmunoCAP sIgE is <95% CDP. This approach would lead to a decrease in the number of the FCT to be performed, as well as of positive FCTs with a subsequent decrease in severe reaction risk.
Cite this as: L. E. D'Urbano, K. Pellegrino, M. C. Artesani, S. Donnanno, R. Luciano, C. Riccardi, A. E. Tozzi, L. Ravà, F. De Benedetti and G. Cavagni, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 1561–1570.
Whether viral coinfections cause more severe disease than Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) alone remains
unclear. We compared clinical disease severity and sought clinical and demographic ...differences between infants with B. pertussis infection alone and those with respiratory viral coinfections. We also analyzed how respiratory infections were distributed during the 2 years study.
We enrolled 53 infants with pertussis younger than 180 days (median age 58 days, range 17–109 days, 64.
1% boys), hospitalized in the Pediatric Departments at “Sapienza” University Rome and Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital from August 2012 to November 2014. We tested in naso-pharyngeal washings B. pertussis and 14 respiratory viruses with real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Clinical data were obtained from hospital records and demographic characteristics collected using a structured questionnaire.
28/53 infants had B. pertussis alone and 25 viral coinfection: 10 human rhinovirus (9 alone and 1 in coinfection
with parainfluenza virus), 3 human coronavirus, 2 respiratory syncytial virus. No differences were observed in clinical disease severity between infants with B. pertussis infection alone and those with coinfections. Infants with B. pertussis alone were younger than infants with coinfections, and less often breastfeed at admission.
In this descriptive study, no associations between clinical severity and pertussis with or without
co-infections were found.
Policlinico Umberto I: protocol 213/14, 3085/13.02.2014, retrospectively registered.
Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital: protocol n. RF-2010-2317709.
Highlights • In this retrospective observational study carried out in Italy, 62 patients with refractory epilepsy of various origins (8 patients aged < 12 years) started treatment with perampanel as ...add-on therapy with exclusion of primary idiopathic generalized epilepsy. • At a median follow-up of 6.6 months, treatment with perampanel was associated with an overall response rate (reduction in seizures frequency ≥ 50% vs. baseline) in half of patients with 5% of patients becoming seizure free. The overall number of seizures significantly decreased from baseline to follow-up. • Adverse events (mainly consisting of behavioral disturbances, dizziness and sedation) occurred in 19 patients (30.6%). • Four patients (9.7%) stopped medication beacause of lack of efficacy and 10 for adverse events, 6 of them for aggravation of seizures. • These preliminary data indicate that perampanel was effective in children and adolescents with refractory epilepsies, and exhibited an acceptable safety profile.
The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of enteric pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among hospitalized children in a large Italian hospital, to measure the incidence ...of coinfections, and to compare the clinical characteristics of those infected with one versus multiple agents. A prospective study was conducted from March 2010 to April 2011 at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, Italy. All patients between 1 month and 16 years of age admitted to the Pediatric Department with a diagnosis of AGE were eligible for enrollment. Two stool samples for each patient were tested for gastrointestinal pathogens. We summarized the clinical severity of episodes, describing the duration of diarrhea, duration and frequency of vomiting, fever, and severity of dehydration. All the patients underwent medical evaluation with estimation of dehydration. One or more etiological agents were detected in 151 out of 232 patients (65.1 %), while we did not detect any etiological agent in 81 (34.9 %). Rotavirus was detected in 96 (63.6 %), adenovirus in 17 (11.2 %), norovirus in 7 (4.6 %), toxin-producing
Clostridium difficile
in 23 (15.2 %),
Salmonella
spp. in 15 (9.9 %, B group in 12/15 and D group in 3/15),
C. perfringens
in 12 (7.9 %),
Campylobacter
spp. in 6 (4 %), and verotoxigenic
Escherichia coli
(VTEC) in 2 (1.3 %). In 27 children out of 151 (17.9 %), we found evidence of coinfection. Coinfection with rotavirus and toxin-producing
C. difficile
was the most common (63 %). Children with coinfection had a more severe clinical presentation and had a higher probability to be severely dehydrated, independently of age and living community type.
Despite great advances in describing Bordetella pertussis infection, the role of the host microbiota in pertussis pathogenesis remains unexplored. Indeed, the microbiota plays important role in ...defending against bacterial and viral respiratory infections. We investigated the nasopharyngeal microbiota in infants infected by B. pertussis (Bp), Rhinovirus (Rv) and simultaneously by both infectious agents (Bp + Rv). We demonstrated a specific nasopharyngeal microbiome profiles for Bp group, compared to Rv and Bp + Rv groups, and a reduction of microbial richness during coinfection compared to the single infections. The comparison amongst the three groups showed the increase of Alcaligenaceae and Achromobacter in Bp and Moraxellaceae and Moraxella in Rv group. Furthermore, correlation analysis between patients' features and nasopharyngeal microbiota profile highlighted a link between delivery and feeding modality, antibiotic administration and B. pertussis infection. A model classification demonstrated a microbiota fingerprinting specific of Bp and Rv infections. In conclusion, external factors since the first moments of life contribute to the alteration of nasopharyngeal microbiota, indeed increasing the susceptibility of the host to the pathogens' infections. When the infection is triggered, the presence of infectious agents modifies the microbiota favoring the overgrowth of commensal bacteria that turn in pathobionts, hence contributing to the disease severity.
Context. Detailed chemical abundances of Galactic stars are needed in order to improve our knowledge of the formation and evolution of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Aims. We took advantage of the GIANO ...archive spectra to select a sample of Galactic disc stars in order to derive their chemical inventory and to compare the abundances we derived from these infrared spectra to the chemical pattern derived from optical spectra. Methods. We analysed high-quality spectra of 40 stars observed with GIANO. We derived the stellar parameters from the photometry and the Gaia data-release 2 (DR2) parallax; the chemical abundances were derived with the code MyGIsFOS. For a subsample of stars we compared the chemical pattern derived from the GIANO spectra with the abundances derived from optical spectra. We derived P abundances for all 40 stars, increasing the number of Galactic stars for which phosphorus abundance is known. Results. We could derive abundances of 14 elements, 8 of which are also derived from optical spectra. The comparison of the abundances derived from infrared and optical spectra is very good. The chemical pattern of these stars is the one expected for Galactic disc stars and is in agreement with the results from the literature. Conclusions. GIANO is providing the astronomical community with an extremely useful instrument, able to produce spectra with high resolution and a wide wavelength range in the infrared.
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