Upper limits on the isotropic diffuse flux of cosmic PeV photons from Carpet-2 observations

Isotropic diffuse gamma-ray flux in the PeV energy band is an important tool for multimessenger tests of models of the origin of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos and for new-physics searches. So far, this flux has not yet been observed. Carpet-2 is an air-shower experiment capable of detecting astrophysical gamma rays with energies above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the upper limits on the isotropic gamma-ray flux from Carpet-2 data obtained in 1999-2011 and 2018-2022. These results, obtained with the new statistical method based on the shape of the muon-number distribution, summarize Carpet-2 observations as the upgraded installation, Carpet-3, starts its operation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, JETPL.cls; V2: references added, version accepted by JETP Letter

Gestational age-related patterns of AMOT methylation are revealed in preterm infant endothelial progenitors.

Preterm birth is associated with altered angiogenesis and with increased risk of cardiovascular dysfunction and hypertension at adulthood. We previously demonstrated that in preterm newborns circulating cord blood endothelial progenitor cells (ECFC), responsible for angio/vasculogenesis, are reduced in number and display altered angiogenic properties. Altered angiogenic function was associated with a decreased expression of pro-angiogenic genes, among which the AMOT gene which is a strong positive regulator of angiogenesis. Such dysregulation may be related to epigenetic factors. In this study we analyse the methylation profiling of the AMOT gene during development, through a comparative analysis of the cord blood ECFC of preterm newborns and their term counterpart. We used both cloning-sequencing and pyrosequencing experiments to perform a comparative analysis of the DNA methylation profile of the promoter CpG island of AMOT gene in the cord blood ECFC of 16 preterm newborns (28-35 weeks gestational age-GA) and 15 term newborns (>37 weeks GA). Twenty nine clones (obtained from 2 term newborns) and forty clones (obtained from 3 preterm newborns) were sequenced. The AMOT gene methylation rate was significantly higher in preterm compared to term newborns (4.5% versus 2.5% respectively: χ2 = 3.84; P = 1.8 10-02). Bisulfite pyrosequencing identified four CpG dinucleotides with significantly higher methylation levels in preterm newborns. This CpG-targeted methylation significantly decreased with increasing gestational age. These findings highlight importance of pro-angiogenic AMOT gene methylation in ECFC, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms may control the regulation of angiogenesis during development. Therefore they pave the way to specific short term and long term complications of preterm birth by altered angiogenesis

Building professional discourse in emerging markets: Language, context and the challenge of sensemaking

Using ethnographic evidence from the former Soviet republics, this article examines a relatively new and mainly unobserved in the International Business (IB) literature phenomenon of communication disengagement that manifests itself in many emerging markets. We link it to the deficiencies of the local professional business discourse rooted in language limitations reflecting lack of experience with the market economy. This hampers cognitive coherence between foreign and local business entities, adding to the liability of foreignness as certain instances of professional experience fail to find adequate linguistic expression, and complicates cross-cultural adjustments causing multi-national companies (MNCs) financial losses. We contribute to the IB literature by examining cross-border semantic sensemaking through a retrospectively constructed observational study. We argue that a relative inadequacy of the national professional idiom is likely to remain a feature of business environment in post-communist economies for some time and therefore should be factored into business strategies of MNCs. Consequently, we recommend including discursive hazards in the risk evaluation of international projects

Tactile thermal oral stimulation increases the cortical representation of swallowing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dysphagia is a leading complication in stroke patients causing aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and increased mortality. Current strategies of swallowing therapy involve on the one hand modification of eating behaviour or swallowing technique and on the other hand facilitation of swallowing with the use of pharyngeal sensory stimulation. Thermal tactile oral stimulation (TTOS) is an established method to treat patients with neurogenic dysphagia especially if caused by sensory deficits. Little is known about the possible mechanisms by which this interventional therapy may work. We employed whole-head MEG to study changes in cortical activation during self-paced volitional swallowing in fifteen healthy subjects with and without TTOS. Data were analyzed by means of synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) and the group analysis of individual SAM data was performed using a permutation test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to the normal swallowing task a significantly increased bilateral cortical activation was seen after oropharyngeal stimulation. Analysis of the chronological changes during swallowing suggests facilitation of both the oral and the pharyngeal phase of deglutition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the present study functional cortical changes elicited by oral sensory stimulation could be demonstrated. We suggest that these results reflect short-term cortical plasticity of sensory swallowing areas. These findings facilitate our understanding of the role of cortical reorganization in dysphagia treatment and recovery.</p

Ten-year long-term outcomes of conventional and eversion carotid endarterectomy. Multicenter study

Aim. To analyze the immediate and long-term outcomes of eversion and conventional carotid endarterectomy (CE) with patch angioplasty.Material and methods. For the period from February 1, 2006 to September 1, 2021, the present retrospective multicenter open comparative study included 25106 patients who underwent CE. Depending on the technique of operation, the following groups were formed: group 1 (n=18362) — eversion CE; group 2 (n=6744) — conventional CE with patch angioplasty. The long-term follow-up period was 124,7±53,8 months.Results. In the hospital postoperative period, the groups were comparable in incidence of all complications: lethal outcome (group 1: 0,19%, n=36; group 2: 0,17%, n=12; p=0,89; odds ratio (OR) =1,1; 95% confidence interval (CI) =0,57- 2,11); myocardial infarction (MI) (group 1: 0,15%, n=28; group 2: 0,13%, n=9; p=0,87; OR=1,14; 95% CI=0,53-2,42); stroke (group 1: 0,33%, n=62; group 2: 0,4%, n=27; p=0,53; OR=0,84; 95% CI=0,53-1,32); bleeding with hematoma formation (group 1: 0,39%, n=73; group 2: 0,41%, n=28; p=0,93; OR=0,95; 95% CI=0,61-1,48); internal carotid artery (ICA) thrombosis (group 1: 0,05%, n=11; group 2: 0,07%, n=5, p=0,9; OR=0,8; 95% CI=0,28-2,32). In the long-term follow-up, the groups were comparable only in MI incidence: group 1: 0,56%, n=103; group 2: 0,66%, n=45; p=0,37; OR=0,84; 95% CI=0,59-1,19. All other complications were more frequent after conventional CE with patch angioplasty: all-cause death (group 1: 2,7%, n=492; group 2: 9,1%, n=616; p&lt;0,0001; OR=0,27; 95% CI=0,24-0,3); lethal ischemic stroke (group 1: 1,0%, n=180; group 2: 5,5%, n=371; p&lt;0,0001; OR=0,17; 95% CI=0,14-0,21); non-lethal ischemic stroke (group 1: 0,62%, n=114; group 2: 7,0%, n=472; p&lt;0,0001; OR=0,08; 95% CI=0,06-0,1); ICA restenosis &gt;60%, requiring re-revascularization (group 1: 1,6%, n=296; group 2: 12,6%, n=851; p&lt;0,0001; OR=0,11; 95% CI=0,09-0,12). Thus, the composite endpoint (lethal ischemic stroke + non-lethal ischemic stroke + MI) after conventional CE with patch angioplasty was more than 6 times higher than this parameter of eversion CE: group 1: 2,2%, n=397; group 2: 13,2%, n=888; p&lt;0,0001; OR=0,14; 95% CI=0,12-1,16.Conclusion. Conventional CE with patch angioplasty is not prefer for cerebral revascularization in the presence of hemodynamically significant ICA stenosis due to the high prevalence of deaths, stroke, and ICA restenosis in the long-term follow-up

An initial comparative map of copy number variations in the goat (Capra hircus) genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The goat (<it>Capra hircus</it>) represents one of the most important farm animal species. It is reared in all continents with an estimated world population of about 800 million of animals. Despite its importance, studies on the goat genome are still in their infancy compared to those in other farm animal species. Comparative mapping between cattle and goat showed only a few rearrangements in agreement with the similarity of chromosome banding. We carried out a cross species cattle-goat array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) experiment in order to identify copy number variations (CNVs) in the goat genome analysing animals of different breeds (Saanen, Camosciata delle Alpi, Girgentana, and Murciano-Granadina) using a tiling oligonucleotide array with ~385,000 probes designed on the bovine genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified a total of 161 CNVs (an average of 17.9 CNVs per goat), with the largest number in the Saanen breed and the lowest in the Camosciata delle Alpi goat. By aggregating overlapping CNVs identified in different animals we determined CNV regions (CNVRs): on the whole, we identified 127 CNVRs covering about 11.47 Mb of the virtual goat genome referred to the bovine genome (0.435% of the latter genome). These 127 CNVRs included 86 loss and 41 gain and ranged from about 24 kb to about 1.07 Mb with a mean and median equal to 90,292 bp and 49,530 bp, respectively. To evaluate whether the identified goat CNVRs overlap with those reported in the cattle genome, we compared our results with those obtained in four independent cattle experiments. Overlapping between goat and cattle CNVRs was highly significant (P < 0.0001) suggesting that several chromosome regions might contain recurrent interspecies CNVRs. Genes with environmental functions were over-represented in goat CNVRs as reported in other mammals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We describe a first map of goat CNVRs. This provides information on a comparative basis with the cattle genome by identifying putative recurrent interspecies CNVs between these two ruminant species. Several goat CNVs affect genes with important biological functions. Further studies are needed to evaluate the functional relevance of these CNVs and their effects on behavior, production, and disease resistance traits in goats.</p

Understanding the retinal basis of vision across species

The vertebrate retina first evolved some 500 million years ago in ancestral marine chordates. Since then, the eyes of different species have been tuned to best support their unique visuoecological lifestyles. Visual specializations in eye designs, large-scale inhomogeneities across the retinal surface and local circuit motifs mean that all species' retinas are unique. Computational theories, such as the efficient coding hypothesis, have come a long way towards an explanation of the basic features of retinal organization and function; however, they cannot explain the full extent of retinal diversity within and across species. To build a truly general understanding of vertebrate vision and the retina's computational purpose, it is therefore important to more quantitatively relate different species' retinal functions to their specific natural environments and behavioural requirements. Ultimately, the goal of such efforts should be to build up to a more general theory of vision

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS