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Ortega Quinlan posted an update 6 months, 3 weeks ago
The Ising model is a model for pairwise interactions between binary variables that has become popular in the psychological sciences. It has been first introduced as a theoretical model for the alignment between positive (1) and negative (-1) atom spins. In many psychological applications, however, the Ising model is defined on the domain 0, 1 instead of the classical domain While it is possible to transform the parameters of the Ising model in one domain to obtain a statistically equivalent model in the other domain, the parameters in the two versions of the Ising model lend themselves to different interpretations and imply different dynamics, when studying the Ising model as a dynamical system. In this tutorial paper, we provide an accessible discussion of the interpretation of threshold and interaction parameters in the two domains and show how the dynamics of the Ising model depends on the choice of domain. Finally, we provide a transformation that allows one to transform the parameters in an Ising model in one domain into a statistically equivalent Ising model in the other domain.Chemical and spectroscopic investigation of the bulbs of Drimia pancration resulted in the isolation of one known flavonol (1), never isolated from this plant species, and of three previously described steroidal saponins (2-4), but whose configuration at their stereogenic centres was not clearly determined. By mean of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, nuclear overhauser effects (NOE) and two-dimensional NMR spectra the full stereochemical structures of compounds 2-4 were proved and all the 1H and 13C signals were assigned. Furthermore, the methanol and butanol extracts of D. pancration were tested against adults of Stegobium paniceum beetles. Despite the non-significant results regarding the repellent activity and contact toxicity, promising results were obtained from the feeding tests.The leaves of Polydora serratuloides, with the synonym Vernonia perrottetii are widely used as purgative agents for gastrointestinal problems, and other members of Vernonieae have been used in African traditional medicine for decades. A new sesquiterpene lactone of the keto-hirsutinolide type, 13-acetoxy-1(4β),5(6)β-diepoxy-8α-(senecioyloxy)-3-oxo-1,7(11)-germacradiene-12,6-olide 1, was isolated from the hexane extract of its leaves, in addition to the known 13-acetoxy-1,4β-epoxy-8α-(senecioyloxy)-3-oxo-1,5,7(11)-germacratriene-12,6-olide 2. Three common flavonoids (apigenin 3, luteolin 4 and velutin 5) were also isolated. The antibacterial and quorum sensing inhibitory activities of compounds 1 and 2 and crudes extracts showed limited activity on Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, with no activity on Gram negative bacteria. However, quorum sensing (QSI) experiments indicated that 1 and 2, and the four crude extracts had interesting inhibitory activity on the biosensor organism, Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 in the range of 0.33-5.25 mg mL-1, with compound 1 being the most effective at 0.33 mg mL-1.PURPOSE To describe a patient with epithelial downgrowth after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty. METHODS Case report. RESULTS A 73-year-old woman underwent triple Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty for cataract and corneal edema secondary to Fuchs endothelial dystrophy in the left eye elsewhere. Three years later, Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty was performed at our department due to graft failure. One month after the operation, her vision improved to 20/32 and maintained stable. At the 14-month visit, her visual acuity decreased, and a routine examination revealed epithelial downgrowth at the posterior surface of the cornea and partly beneath the graft, accompanied by presumed graft rejection. Therefore, repeat Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty with epithelial scraping and intracameral injection of 5-fluorouracil was indicated. She recovered 20/25 vision by 1 month after the surgery. However, small sheet-like epithelial downgrowth recurred 1 month later. The epithelial downgrowth was limited to the peripheral margin of the Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty graft and did not affect the visual axis. Epithelial downgrowth showed “islands” with connection between epithelial downgrowth and clear corneal incision on anterior segment optical coherence tomography images. Histopathologic evaluation of the removed Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty graft confirmed conjunctival epithelium as the source. Under close observation at the current 4-year follow-up, the epithelial downgrowth remained stable and localized and her vision increased to 20/20. CONCLUSION Epithelial downgrowth can occur after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty. The limited progression of epithelial downgrowth in this patient suggests that this condition after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty even in the recurrence stage may cause less damage than expected and may only need to be observed closely if no progression occurs.Background Nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is the most common form of bladder cancer, with high rates of disease recurrence and progression. Current treatment for high-risk NMIBC involves Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy, but treatment options are limited for patients with recurrent or BCG-unresponsive disease. Aberrant programmed death 1 signaling has been implicated in BCG resistance and bladder cancer recurrence and progression, and pembrolizumab has shown efficacy in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-risk NMIBC. selleck chemicals llc Aim To describe the rationale and design for the randomized, comparator-controlled Phase III KEYNOTE-676 study, which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in combination with BCG in patients with persistent/recurrent high-risk NMIBC after BCG induction therapy. Trial registration number NCT03711032.The Canadian Association of Radiologists and Osteoporosis Canada currently endorse a fracture risk prediction tool called CAROC. It has been used in Canada since 2005 with an update in 2010. It is an integral part of bone mineral densitometry reporting across the country. New osteoporosis guidelines from Osteoporosis Canada (OC) are expected in the near future. There has been pressure on radiologists to report fracture risk using an alternative fracture risk prediction platform called FRAX. In addition, OC collaborated in the development of the Canadian FRAX model and has been copromoting both FRAX and CAROC, raising the prospect that new guidelines may seek to replace CAROC with FRAX for fracture risk determination. A number of concerns have been raised about FRAX, including (1) FRAX has not released its algorithms to the public domain with the consequence that it is impossible to verify results for an individual patient; (2) FRAX has incorrectly claimed that it was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has used this affiliation to promote itself until recently ordered by the WHO to desist; (3) FRAX requires collection of additional clinical information beyond that needed for CAROC, and this patient-reported medical data is prone to substantial error; and (4) despite claims to the contrary, there are no valid studies comparing FRAX to CAROC.