Editorial: New insights into understanding and managing NAFLD

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem disease with complications related to the metabolic syndrome and with a diverse histopathological spectrum ranging from simple steatosis, also termed fatty liver (NAFL) without significant inflammation to steatohepatitis (NASH) with varying stages of fibrosis and, ultimately, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Since NAFLD is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, causing a considerable health burden, there is an increasing number of research groups that are deeply interested in the identification of risk factors involved in the progression of the liver damage, the characterization of new biomarkers with utility for its non-invasive diagnosis and the recognition of novel molecular targets for its treatment.Fil: Escribano, Óscar. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Frances, Daniel Eleazar Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Fisiología Experimental. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Fisiología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Yolanda F.. Valbiotis; FranciaFil: Egea, Javier. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. Hospital Universitario de la Princesa; EspañaFil: González Rodríguez, Águeda. Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas; Argentina. Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Españ

Ammonia or methanol would enable subsurface liquid water in the Martian South Pole

The notion of liquid water beneath the ice layer at the south polar layered deposits of Mars is an interesting possibility given the implications for astrobiology, and possible human habitation. A body of liquid water located at a depth of 1.5 km has been inferred from radar data in the South Polar Cap. However, the high temperatures that would facilitate the existence of liquid water or brine at that depth are not consistent with estimations of heat flow that are based on the lithosphere's flexure. Attempts to reconcile both issues have been inconclusive or otherwise unsuccessful. Here, we analyse the possible role of subsurface ammonia and methanol in maintaining water in a liquid state at subsurface temperatures that are compatible with the lithosphere strength. Our results indicate that the presence of these compounds at the base of the south polar layered deposits can reconcile the existence of liquid water with previous estimations of surface heat flow

Plasma cytokines as potential biomarkers of kidney damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder characterized by an exacerbated expression of cytokines and chemokines in different tissues and organs. Renal involvement is a significant contributor to the morbidity and mortality of systemic lupus erythematosus, and its diagnosis is based on renal biopsy, an invasive procedure with a high risk of complications. Therefore, the development of alternative, non-invasive diagnostic tests for kidney disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is a priority. Aim: To evaluate the plasma levels of a panel of cytokines and chemokines using multiplex xMAP technology in a cohort of Colombian patients with active and inactive systemic lupus erythematosus, and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers of renal involvement. Results: Plasma from 40 systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis patients and 80 lupus nephritis patients with different levels of renal involvement were analyzed for 39 cytokines using Luminex xMAP technology. Lupus nephritis patients had significantly increased plasma eotaxin, TNF-a, interleukin-17-a, interleukin-10, and interleukin-15 as compared to the systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis group. Macrophage-derived chemokine, growth regulated oncogene alpha, and epidermal growth factor were significantly elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis patients when compared to lupus nephritis individuals. Plasma eotaxin levels allowed a discrimination between systemic lupus erythematosus non-nephritis and lupus nephritis patients, for which we performed a receiver operating characteristic curve to confirm. We observed a correlation of eotaxin levels with active nephritis (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index). Our data indicate that circulating cytokines and chemokines could be considered good predictors of renal involvement in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus

Serendipitous discovery of a dusty disc around WDJ181417.84-735459.83

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3836Spectroscopic observations of white dwarfs reveal that many of them are polluted by exoplanetary material, whose bulk composition can be uniquely probed this way. We present a spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the DA white dwarf WDJ181417.84$-$735459.83, an object originally identified to have a strong infrared excess in the 2MASS and WISE catalogues that we confirmed to be intrinsic to the white dwarf, and likely corresponding to the emission of a dusty disc around the star. The finding of Ca, Fe and Mg absorption lines in two X-SHOOTER spectra of the white dwarf, taken 8 years apart, is further evidence of accretion from a dusty disc. We do not report variability in the absorption lines between these two spectra. Fitting a blackbody model to the infrared excess gives a temperature of 910$\pm50$ K. We have estimated a total accretion flux from the spectroscopic metal lines of $|\dot{\rm M}| = 1.784 \times 10^{9}\,$g s$^{-1}$.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Conceptual design of the early implementation of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) with AGATA

The NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) project aims at the construction of a new high-efficiency compact neutron detector array to be coupled with large (Formula presented.) -ray arrays such as AGATA. The application of NEDA ranges from its use as selective neutron multiplicity filter for fusion-evaporation reaction to a large solid angle neutron tagging device. In the present work, possible configurations for the NEDA coupled with the Neutron Wall for the early implementation with AGATA has been simulated, using Monte Carlo techniques, in order to evaluate their performance figures. The goal of this early NEDA implementation is to improve, with respect to previous instruments, efficiency and capability to select multiplicity for fusion-evaporation reaction channels in which 1, 2 or 3 neutrons are emitted. Each NEDA detector unit has the shape of a regular hexagonal prism with a volume of about 3.23l and it is filled with the EJ301 liquid scintillator, that presents good neutron- (Formula presented.) discrimination properties. The simulations have been performed using a fusion-evaporation event generator that has been validated with a set of experimental data obtained in the 58Ni + 56Fe reaction measured with the Neutron Wall detector array

High Hepatitis B Prevalence and Vaccination Needs Among Transgender Women and Men Sex Workers in Barcelona, Spain

Background. Transgender women sex workers (TWSWs) and men sex workers (MSWs) are especially vulnerable to acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We aimed to describe HBV prevalence (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] and core antibody [HBcAb]) and associated risk factors for HBV exposure (HBcAb), to assess vaccination status and risk factors for no prior vaccination, and to compare HBV prevalence and vaccination status between TWSWs and MSWs. Methods. The SexCohort study was advertised to TWSWs and MSWs through several communication channels. At cohort entry through 2 community-based organizations in Barcelona, the study population was screened for HBV and other sexually transmitted infections, and an epidemiological questionnaire was administered (n = 271). Results. Overall, 93.0% of participants were migrants, mostly from South and Central American countries. HBsAg prevalence was 1.9% (TWSWs, 2.4%; vs MSWs, 0.9%; P = .42), and previous exposure to HBV was 31.8% (TWSWs, 38.5%; vs MSWs, 20.8%; P = .002). Over 5 years of sex work (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 9.35), prior exposure to Treponema pallidum (aOR, 3.49), and treatment with anxiolytic drugs (aOR, 3.23) were associated with HBV exposure. Overall, 33.7% of participants exhibited immunity from vaccination (TWSWs, 30.8%; vs MSWs, 38.61%; P < .001), while 34.4% were candidates to HBV vaccination (TWSWs, 30.8%; vs MSWs, 40.6%; P < .001). Never having been on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (odds ratio [OR], 4.23) and non-Spanish origin (OR, 5.00) were associated with no prior HBV vaccination. Conclusions. There is a need to reinforce screening and vaccination programs aimed at TWSWs and MSWs as integrated services offered at the community centers commonly accessed by these populations