TLR2 and TLR4 in Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury refers to the tissue damage which occurs when blood supply returns to tissue after a period of ischemia and is associated with trauma, stroke, myocardial infarction, and solid organ transplantation. Although the cause of this injury is multifactorial, increasing experimental evidence suggests an important role for the innate immune system in initiating the inflammatory cascade leading to detrimental/deleterious changes. The Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) play a central role in innate immunity recognising both pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns and have been implicated in a range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In this paper, we summarise the current state of knowledge linking TLR2 and TLR4 to I/R injury, including recent studies which demonstrate that therapeutic inhibition of TLR2 has beneficial effects on I/R injury in a murine model of myocardial infarction

Aortic valve replacement in octogenarians

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background and Aims</p> <p>As our population ages and life expectancy increases the number of people aged over 80 and more referred for cardiac surgery is growing. This study sought to identify the outcome of aortic valve replacement (AVR) in octogenarians.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>68 patients aged 80 years or more underwent AVR at the Freeman Hospital, between April 2001 and April 2004. A retrospective review of the notes and outcomes from the patients' GP and the NHS strategic tracking service was performed. 54% (37) underwent isolated AVR whilst 46% (31) underwent combined AVR and CABG.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Follow up was 100% complete. The mean age was 83.1 ± s.d. 2.9 years, a mean gradient of 83 ± s.d. 31 mmHg and mean AVA of 0.56 cm². The mean additive EuroSCORE was 8.6 ± s.d. 1.2, the logistic EuroSCORE mean 12.0 ± s.d. 5.9. In hospital 30 day mortality was 13 %. Survival was 80% at 1 year and 78% at 2 years. Median follow up was for 712 days. Stepwise logistic regression identified chronic obstructive airways disease as an independent predictor of mortality (p < 0.05). Survival was not adversely affected by the addition of coronary artery bypass grafts to aortic valve replacement, the presence of peripheral vascular disease, hypertension or diabetes. In this study duration of cross clamp or bypass time were not found to reach significance as independent predictors of mortality.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study demonstrates that the operative mortality for AVR in the over eighties is good, whilst the mid to long term outcome is excellent There is a very low attrition rate with those undergoing the procedure living as long than their age matched population. This study confirms AVR is a safe, acceptable treatment for octogenarians with excellent mid term outcomes.</p

Game Workers and the Empire: Unionisation in the UK Video Game Industry

This article investigates some of the key debates that have emerged within the nascent union organising project Game Workers Unite, with a specific focus on its UK branch (GWU UK). The analysis is based on a period of participatory observation and a series of interviews with board members of GWU UK. This article evaluates Game Workers Unite (GWU) in relation to other recent attempts at unionising the game industry. It concludes that the strategies adopted to counter the hyper-visibility and individualisation of the game worker are key contributions of GWU in contemporary video game labour. This article draws on the work of Dyer-Witheford and de Peuter (2009) Games of empire: Global capitalism and video games to evaluate the historical specificity of GWU and the importance of the organisation for the contemporary video game industry

Using Case-Based Reasoning to Predict Marathon Performance and Recommend Tailored Training Plans

The 28th International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning (ICCP 2020), Salamanca, Spain (held online due to coronavirus outbreak), 8-12 June 2020Training for the marathon, especially a first marathon, is always a challenge. Many runners struggle to find the right balance between their workouts and their recovery, often leading to sub-optimal performance on race-day or even injury during training. We describe and evaluate a novel case-based reasoning system to help marathon runners as they train in two ways. First, it uses a case-base of training/workouts and race histories to predict future marathon times for a target runner, throughout their training program, helping runners to calibrate their progress and, ultimately, plan their race-day pacing. Second, the system recommends tailored training plans to runners, adapted for their current goal-time target, and based on the training plans of similar runners who have achieved this time. We evaluate the system using a dataset of more than 21,000 unique runners and 1.5 million training/workout sessions.Science Foundation IrelandInsight Research Centre2020-10-06 JG: PDF replaced with correct versio

Effect of a Low–Resource-Intensive Lifestyle Modification Program Incorporating Gymnasium-Based and Home-Based Resistance Training on Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Australian Adults

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a low–resource-intensive lifestyle modification program incorporating resistance training and to compare a gymnasium-based with a home-based resistance training program on diabetes diagnosis status and risk

H.E.S.S. observations of gamma-ray bursts in 2003-2007

Very-high-energy (VHE; >~100 GeV) gamma-rays are expected from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in some scenarios. Exploring this photon energy regime is necessary for understanding the energetics and properties of GRBs. GRBs have been one of the prime targets for the H.E.S.S. experiment, which makes use of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) to detect VHE gamma-rays. Dedicated observations of 32 GRB positions were made in the years 2003-2007 and a search for VHE gamma-ray counterparts of these GRBs was made. Depending on the visibility and observing conditions, the observations mostly start minutes to hours after the burst and typically last two hours. Results from observations of 22 GRB positions are presented and evidence of a VHE signal was found neither in observations of any individual GRBs, nor from stacking data from subsets of GRBs with higher expected VHE flux according to a model-independent ranking scheme. Upper limits for the VHE gamma-ray flux from the GRB positions were derived. For those GRBs with measured redshifts, differential upper limits at the energy threshold after correcting for absorption due to extra-galactic background light are also presented.Comment: 9 pages, 4 tables, 3 figure

Discovery of VHE gamma-rays from the high-frequency-peaked BL Lac object RGB J0152+017

Aims: The BL Lac object RGB J0152+017 (z=0.080) was predicted to be a very high-energy (VHE; > 100 GeV) gamma-ray source, due to its high X-ray and radio fluxes. Our aim is to understand the radiative processes by investigating the observed emission and its production mechanism using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) experiment. Methods: We report recent observations of the BL Lac source RGB J0152+017 made in late October and November 2007 with the H.E.S.S. array consisting of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Contemporaneous observations were made in X-rays by the Swift and RXTE satellites, in the optical band with the ATOM telescope, and in the radio band with the Nancay Radio Telescope. Results: A signal of 173 gamma-ray photons corresponding to a statistical significance of 6.6 sigma was found in the data. The energy spectrum of the source can be described by a powerlaw with a spectral index of 2.95+/-0.36stat+/-0.20syst. The integral flux above 300 GeV corresponds to ~2% of the flux of the Crab nebula. The source spectral energy distribution (SED) can be described using a two-component non-thermal synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) leptonic model, except in the optical band, which is dominated by a thermal host galaxy component. The parameters that are found are very close to those found in similar SSC studies in TeV blazars. Conclusions: RGB J0152+017 is discovered as a source of VHE gamma-rays by H.E.S.S. The location of its synchrotron peak, as derived from the SED in Swift data, allows clearly classification it as a high-frequency-peaked BL Lac (HBL).Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letters (5 pages, 4 figures

High frequency statistical arbitrage via the optimal thermal causal path

We consider the problem of identifying similarities and causality relationships in a given set of financial time series data streams. We develop further the “Optimal Thermal Causal Path” method, which is a non-parametric method proposed by Sornette et al. The method considers the mismatch between a given pair of time series in order to identify the expected minimum energy path lead-lag structure between the pair. Traders may find this a useful tool for directional trading, to spot arbitrage opportunities. We add a curvature energy term to the method and we propose an approximation technique to reduce the computational time. We apply the method and approximation technique on various market sectors of NYSE data and extract the highly correlated pairs of time series. We show how traders could exploit arbitrage opportunities by using the method

Erasmus Language students in a British University – a case study

Students’ assessment of their academic experience is actively sought by Higher Education institutions, as evidenced in the National Student Survey introduced in 2005. Erasmus students, despite their growing numbers, tend to be excluded from these satisfaction surveys, even though they, too, are primary customers of a University. This study aims to present results from bespoke questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with a sample of Erasmus students studying languages in a British University. These methods allow us insight into the experience of these students and their assessment as a primary customer, with a focus on language learning and teaching, university facilities and student support. It investigates to what extent these factors influence their levels of satisfaction and what costs of adaptation if any, they encounter. Although excellent levels of satisfaction were found, some costs affect their experience. They relate to difficulties in adapting to a learning methodology based on a low number of hours and independent learning and to a guidance and support system seen as too stifling. The results portray this cohort’s British University as a well-equipped and well-meaning but ultimately overbearing institution, which may indicate that minimising costs can eliminate some sources of dissatisfaction