Pets as the main source of two zoonotic species of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex in Switzerland, Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii and Arthroderma benhamiae

In cases of highly inflammatory dermatophytosis in humans, it is important to identify the possible source of animal transmission in order to prevent recurrence, family outbreaks or rapidly progressing epidemics. A survey of dermatophytes in pets during a 14-month period in Switzerland revealed, in addition to Microsporum canis, two different species of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, Arthroderma benhamiae and Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, all causing inflammatory dermatophytoses. Arthroderma benhamiae was only and frequently isolated from guinea pigs. Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii was isolated mainly from European short hair cats, but also from dogs and in one case from a pure-bred cat. Ninety-three percent of the cats carrying A. vanbreuseghemii were hunters and all had skin lesions. In contrast, cats with skin lesions that were strictly indoors were found to be almost exclusively infected by M. canis. Therefore, it can be suspected that infection with A. vanbreuseghemii occurred during hunting and that the natural source of this dermatophyte is either soil or an animal other than the cat, most probably a rodent.

Electroencephalographic source imaging: a prospective study of 152 operated epileptic patients.

Electroencephalography is mandatory to determine the epilepsy syndrome. However, for the precise localization of the irritative zone in patients with focal epilepsy, costly and sometimes cumbersome imaging techniques are used. Recent small studies using electric source imaging suggest that electroencephalography itself could be used to localize the focus. However, a large prospective validation study is missing. This study presents a cohort of 152 operated patients where electric source imaging was applied as part of the pre-surgical work-up allowing a comparison with the results from other methods. Patients (n = 152) with >1 year postoperative follow-up were studied prospectively. The sensitivity and specificity of each imaging method was defined by comparing the localization of the source maximum with the resected zone and surgical outcome. Electric source imaging had a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 88% if the electroencephalogram was recorded with a large number of electrodes (128-256 channels) and the individual magnetic resonance image was used as head model. These values compared favourably with those of structural magnetic resonance imaging (76% sensitivity, 53% specificity), positron emission tomography (69% sensitivity, 44% specificity) and ictal/interictal single-photon emission-computed tomography (58% sensitivity, 47% specificity). The sensitivity and specificity of electric source imaging decreased to 57% and 59%, respectively, with low number of electrodes (<32 channels) and a template head model. This study demonstrated the validity and clinical utility of electric source imaging in a large prospective study. Given the low cost and high flexibility of electroencephalographic systems even with high channel counts, we conclude that electric source imaging is a highly valuable tool in pre-surgical epilepsy evaluation.

Marine organisms: an alternative source of potentially valuable natural products

This paper recalls the outcoming of marine natural products research and reviews a selection of marirne bioactive metabolites in current use together with promising trends in marine pharmacology.

Metallic renal artery MR imaging stent: artifact-free lumen visualization with projection and standard renal MR angiography.

A cardiac-triggered free-breathing three-dimensional (3D) balanced fast field-echo projection renal magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic sequence was investigated for in-stent lumen visualization of a dedicated metallic renal artery stent. Fourteen prototype stents were deployed in the renal arteries of six pigs (in two pigs, three stents were deployed). Projection renal MR angiography was compared with standard contrast material-enhanced 3D breath-hold MR angiography. Artifact-free in-stent lumen visualization was achieved with both projection MR angiography and contrast-enhanced MR angiography. These promising results warrant further studies for visualization of in-stent restenosis.

Purification and activity standardisation of a (166m)Ho solution.

As part of a project to use the long-lived (T(1/2)=1200a) (166m)Ho as reference source in its reference ionisation chamber, IRA standardised a commercially acquired solution of this nuclide using the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence and 4pigamma (NaI) methods. The (166m)Ho solution supplied by Isotope Product Laboratories was measured to have about 5% Europium impurities (3% (154)Eu, 0.94% (152)Eu and 0.9% (155)Eu). Holmium had therefore to be separated from europium, and this was carried out by means of ion-exchange chromatography. The holmium fractions were collected without europium contamination: 162h long HPGe gamma measurements indicated no europium impurity (detection limits of 0.01% for (152)Eu and (154)Eu, and 0.03% for (155)Eu). The primary measurement of the purified (166m)Ho solution with the 4pi (PC) beta-gamma coincidence technique was carried out at three gamma energy settings: a window around the 184.4keV peak and gamma thresholds at 121.8 and 637.3keV. The results show very good self-consistency, and the activity concentration of the solution was evaluated to be 45.640+/-0.098kBq/g (0.21% with k=1). The activity concentration of this solution was also measured by integral counting with a well-type 5''x5'' NaI(Tl) detector and efficiencies computed by Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT code. These measurements were mutually consistent, while the resulting weighted average of the 4pi NaI(Tl) method was found to agree within 0.15% with the result of the 4pibeta-gamma coincidence technique. An ampoule of this solution and the measured value of the concentration were submitted to the BIPM as a contribution to the Système International de Référence.

Sistema de monitorització Open Source: projecte d'empresa per Computer Technology Catalunya

L’objectiu del projecte consisteix en l’estudi, simulació i implantació d’un conjunt d’aplicacions que permeten tenir un control sobre possibles problemes que puguin succeir a la nostra xarxa. Aquest projecte és la solució als problemes de detecció d’errors en el funcionament de les infraestructures de networking de les que disposen els nostres clients.

La "source des signes" existe-t-elle ? Réception des récits de miracle dans l'évangile de Jean.

(Résumé de l'ouvrage) A travers l'étude d'un corpus littéraire, constitué par le quatrième Evangile et les trois épîtres de Jean, il est possible de retracer l'histoire d'une tradition théologique originale et du groupe social qui en fut le porteur, la communauté johannique.

Open source framework for trucks fleet control (client)

Aquest projecte desenvolupa la part client d'una aplicació per controlar una flota de camions. Està implementada per funcionar sobre un dispositiu mòbil que funcioni amb el sistema operatiu Android.

Gestió Documental Open Source per Agresso CRM

Estudi i integració d'una aplicació Open Source especialitzada en la gestió documental amb Agresso CRM. L'objectiu d'aquesta aplicació és oferir nova funcionalitat a la gestió documental inicial i augmentar-ne les seves capacitats. Per tal de dur-lo a terme s’ha fet una recerca i un estudi d'aplicacions Open Source especialitzades en la gestió documental. Entre les aplicacions estudiades s'ha escollit KnowledgeTree pel desenvolupament de la integració, ja que era la que responia d’una manera més satisfactòria als requisits.

Creació automàtica de gràfics estadístics a partir de dades de soroll d’Europa amb tecnologies Open Source en el visor Noise Map Viewer de l’ETC-LUSI

El projecte ha consistit en la creació de gràfics estadístics de soroll d’Europa de forma automàtica amb tecnologies Open Source dins el visor Noise Map Viewer per Europa de l’ETC-LUSI. La llibreria utilitzada per fer aquest procés ha estat JFreeChart i el llenguatge de programació utilitzat ha estat Java (programació orientada a objectes) dins l’entorn de desenvolupament integrat Eclipse. La base de dades utilitzada ha estat PostgreSQL. Com a servidors s’han fet servir Apache (servidor HTTP) i Tomcat (servidor contenidor d’aplicacions). Un cop acabat el procés s’ha integrat dins de MapFish canviant el codi JavaScript corresponent de la web original.

CAT (Curator Archiving Tool): improving access to web archives

PADICAT is the web archive created in 2005 in Catalonia (Spain ) by the Library of Catalonia (BC ) , the National Library of Catalonia , with the aim of collecting , processing and providing permanent access to the digital heritage of Catalonia . Its harvesting strategy is based on the hybrid model ( of massive harvesting . SPA top level domain ; selective compilation of the web site output of Catalan organizations; focused harvesting of public events) . The system provides open access to the whole collection , on the Internet . We consider necessary to complement the current search for new and visualization software with open source software tool, CAT ( Curator Archiving Tool) , composed by three modules aimed to effectively managing the processes of human cataloguing ; to publish directories where the digital resources and special collections ; and to offer statistical information of added value to end users. Within the framework of the International Internet Preservation Consortium meeting ( Vienna 2010) , the progress in the development of this new tool, and the philosophy that has motivated his design, are presented to the international community.

3D visualization software to analyze topological outcomes of topoisomerase reactions.

The action of various DNA topoisomerases frequently results in characteristic changes in DNA topology. Important information for understanding mechanistic details of action of these topoisomerases can be provided by investigating the knot types resulting from topoisomerase action on circular DNA forming a particular knot type. Depending on the topological bias of a given topoisomerase reaction, one observes different subsets of knotted products. To establish the character of topological bias, one needs to be aware of all possible topological outcomes of intersegmental passages occurring within a given knot type. However, it is not trivial to systematically enumerate topological outcomes of strand passage from a given knot type. We present here a 3D visualization software (TopoICE-X in KnotPlot) that incorporates topological analysis methods in order to visualize, for example, knots that can be obtained from a given knot by one intersegmental passage. The software has several other options for the topological analysis of mechanisms of action of various topoisomerases.