Gaussian stationary processes over graphs, general frame and maximum likelihood identification

In this paper, using spectral theory of Hilbertian operators, we study ARMA Gaussian processes indexed by graphs. We extend Whittle maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters for the corresponding spectral density and show their asymptotic optimality

Numerical simulation of colloidal dispersion filtration: description of critical flux and comparison with experimental results

During filtration via membrane processes, colloids accumulate at the porous surface leading to fouling phenomena. In this study, a rigorous simulation of momentum and mass transfer using CFD modelling has been developed to describe such an accumulation during cross flow filtration. These simulations integrate detailed modeling of physicochemical properties specific to colloidal dispersions (because of the surface interactions (repulsive and attractive) occurring between the colloids particles). These interactions are accounted for via the experimental variation of the colloidal osmotic pressure with volume fraction (associated with a variation in the diffusion coefficient) which are fitted by a relationship integrated into the CFD code. It contains a description of the colloidal phase transition leading to the formation of a condensed phase (deposit or gel layer) from the accumulated dispersed phase (concentration polarization). It is then possible to determine the critical flux which separates filtration conditions below which mass accumulation is reversible (in the dispersed phase) and above which it is irreversible (in the condensed phase). The computed value of critical flux is compared with that determined experimentally for a dispersion of latex particles

A New syndrome of the charolais neonatal calf : paralysis in gastroenteritis

Un nouveau syndrome diarrhéique associé à des symptômes nerveux généraux et locomoteurs a été identifié en Charoláis chez des veaux de moins de deux semaines d’âge. Il présente des analogies avec une maladie congénitale liée à un trouble du métabolisme des aminoacides ramifiés mais le rôle plus probable de colibacilles produisant des cytotoxines neu rotoxiques est à confirmer.A new diarrheic syndrome associated with general and locomotor nervous symptoms has been identified in the charoláis area in calves under 2 weeks of age. This condition presents some similarities to a congenital disease related to impaired branched-aminoacid metabolism, but the more probable involvment of neurotoxic cytotoxin-producing E. Coli bacteria remains to be confirmed

Comparison of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and randomly amplified DNA polymorphism analysis for typing extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

The incidence and transmission patterns of extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital were investigated over a 3-year period. K. pneumoniae isolates were characterized by antibiotic susceptibility, capsular serotyping, plasmid profiles, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of genome macrorestriction patterns with XbaI, and the results were compared with those obtained by typing with the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns. The discriminatory power of RAPD typing was evaluated for three primers. The incidence of isolation of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae was 2.5 cases per 1,000 admissions to the ICU versus 0.35 cases per 1,000 admissions to other units (relative risk, 7.03; 95% confidence interval, 3.89 to 12.69). Infection developed in 53% of evaluable patients. Thirty-six percent of the cases were possibly acquired in other institutions. Isolates from ICU patients were subdivided into six capsular serotypes and into four clonal groups based on antibiotype, plasmid content, and PFGE and RAPD patterns. Two clones were associated with clusters of cross-infection, involving 5 and 12 patients, respectively. Following implementation of contact isolation precautions, the incidence of nosocomial acquisition of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae decreased from 0.55 to 0.26 cases per 1,000 admissions (P = 0.03). PFGE and RAPD analysis showed concordant results and comparable discrimination for differentiation between groups of epidemiologically related strains of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae. More subclonal variants were determined among epidemic clones by PFGE analysis than by RAPD analysis. Both methods are useful for typing K. pneumoniae strains in epidemiological investigations, although RAPD analysis is more efficient

The role of pasteurella spp and of Mycoplasma bovis in respiratory diseases in young cattle

Lors des essais terrains d’un traitement antibiotique chez des veaux d’éle vage atteints de maladies respiratoires, la flore trachéobronchique a été inven toriée à différentes périodes : à l’arrivée, avant traitement et après guérison. Le rôle de l’association synergique Mycoplasma bovis - Pasteurella haemoly- tica Al apparaît clairement. Les conditions d’élevage et la participation de certains virus (RSV) sont encore des éléments importants de la pathogénèse et du pronostic des bronchopneumonies infectieuses enzootiques.When we tried an antibiotic treatment on clinical trials on weaner calves with respiratory diseases, tracheobronchial flora was examined at different moments : on the day of the arrival, before treatment and after recovery. The role of the synergistic association of Mycoplasma bovis / Pasteurella haemo- lytica A1 in the development of troubles appears to be confirmed. Bad breeding conditions and the participation of a virus (RSV) are important components of pathogenesis and prognosis of bovine Endemic Infectious Broncho pneumonia

A feasibility randomised controlled trial of a motivational interviewing-based intervention for weight loss maintenance in adults

Background Obesity has significant health and NHS cost implications. Relatively small reductions in weight have clinically important benefits, but long-term weight loss maintenance (WLM) is challenging. Behaviour change interventions have been identified as key for WLM. Motivation is crucial to supporting behaviour change, and motivational interviewing (MI) has been identified as a successful approach to changing health behaviours. The study was designed as an adequately powered, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT); however, owing to recruitment issues, the study became a feasibility trial. Objectives To assess recruitment, retention, feasibility, acceptability, compliance and delivery of a 12-month intervention to support WLM. Secondary objectives were to assess the impact of the intervention on body mass index (BMI) and other secondary outcomes. Design Three-arm individually randomised controlled trial comprising an intensive arm, a less intensive arm and a control arm. Setting Community setting in South Wales and the East Midlands. Participants Individuals aged 18�70 years with a current or previous BMI of ??30 kg/m2 who could provide evidence of at least 5% weight loss during the previous 12 months. Intervention Participants received individually tailored MI, which included planning and self-monitoring. The intensive arm received six face-to-face sessions followed by nine telephone sessions. The less intensive arm received two face-to-face sessions followed by two telephone sessions. The control arm received a leaflet advising them on healthy lifestyle. Main outcome measures Feasibility outcomes included numbers recruited, retention and adherence. The primary effectiveness outcome was BMI at 12 months post randomisation. Secondary outcomes included waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity, proportion maintaining weight loss, diet, quality of life, health service resource usage, binge eating and well-being. A process evaluation assessed intervention delivery, adherence, and participants� and practitioners� views. Economic analysis aimed to assess cost-effectiveness in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Results A total of 170 participants were randomised. Retention was good (84%) and adherence was excellent (intensive, 83%; less intensive, 91%). The between-group difference in mean BMI indicated the intensive arm had BMIs 1.0?kg/m2 lower than the controls [95% confidence interval (CI) �2.2 kg/m2 to 0.2?kg/m2]. Similarly, a potential difference was found in weight (average difference of 2.8?kg, 95% CI �6.1 kg to 0.5?kg). The intensive arm had odds of maintaining on average 43% [odds ratio(OR) 1.4, 95% CI 0.6 to 3.5] higher than controls. None of these findings were statistically significant. Further analyses controlling for level of adherence indicated that average BMI was 1.2?kg/m2 lower in the intensive arm than the control arm (95% CI �2.5?kg/m2 to 0.0?kg/m2). The intensive intervention led to a statistically significant difference in weight (mean �3.7?kg, 95% CI �7.1?kg to �0.3?kg). The other secondary outcomes showed limited evidence of differences between groups. The intervention was delivered as planned, and both practitioners and participants were positive about the intervention and its impact. Although not powered to assess cost-effectiveness, results of this feasibility study suggest that neither intervention as currently delivered is likely to be cost-effective in routine practice. Conclusion This is the first trial of an intervention for WLM in the UK, the intervention is feasible and acceptable, and retention and adherence were high. The main effectiveness outcome showed a promising mean difference in the intensive arm. Owing to the small sample size, we are limited in the conclusions we can draw. However, findings suggest that the intensive intervention may facilitate long-term weight maintenance and, therefore, further testing in an effectiveness trial may be indicated. Research examining WLM is in its infancy, further research is needed to develop our understanding of WLM and to expand theory to inform the development of interventions to be tested in rigorously designed RCTs with cost-effectiveness assessed

Time-dependent visibility modelling of a relativistic jet in the X-ray binary MAXI J1803-298

Tracking the motions of transient jets launched by low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is critical for determining the moment of jet ejection, and identifying any corresponding signatures in the accretion flow. However, these jets are often highly variable and can travel across the resolution element of an image within a single observation, violating a fundamental assumption of aperture synthesis. We present a novel approach in which we directly fit a single time-dependent model to the full set of interferometer visibilities, where we explicitly parameterise the motion and flux density variability of the emission components, to minimise the number of free parameters in the fit, while leveraging information from the full observation. This technique allows us to detect and characterize faint, fast-moving sources, for which the standard time binning technique is inadequate. We validate our technique with synthetic observations, before applying it to three Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the black hole candidate LMXB MAXI J1803-298 during its 2021 outburst. We measured the proper motion of a discrete jet component to be $1.37\pm0.14$ mas/hr, and thus we infer an ejection date of MJD $59348.08_{-0.06}^{+0.05}$, which occurs just after the peak of a radio flare observed by the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-Millimeter Array (ALMA), while MAXI J1803-298 was in the intermediate state. Further development of these new VLBI analysis techniques will lead to more precise measurements of jet ejection dates, which, combined with dense, simultaneous multi-wavelength monitoring, will allow for clearer identification of jet ejection signatures in the accretion flow.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables; Accepted for publication in MNRA

A restricted spectrum of missense KMT2D variants cause a multiple malformations disorder distinct from Kabuki syndrome

Purpose: To investigate if specific exon 38 or 39 KMT2D missense variants (MVs) cause a condition distinct from Kabuki syndrome type 1 (KS1). Methods: Multiple individuals, with MVs in exons 38 or 39 of KMT2D that encode a highly conserved region of 54 amino acids flanked by Val3527 and Lys3583, were identified and phenotyped. Functional tests were performed to study their pathogenicity and understand the disease mechanism. Results: The consistent clinical features of the affected individuals, from seven unrelated families, included choanal atresia, athelia or hypoplastic nipples, branchial sinus abnormalities, neck pits, lacrimal duct anomalies, hearing loss, external ear malformations, and thyroid abnormalities. None of the individuals had intellectual disability. The frequency of clinical features, objective software-based facial analysis metrics, and genome-wide peripheral blood DNA methylation patterns in these patients were significantly different from that of KS1. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that these MVs perturb KMT2D secondary structure through an increased disordered to ɑ-helical transition. Conclusion: KMT2D MVs located in a specific region spanning exons 38 and 39 and affecting highly conserved residues cause a novel multiple malformations syndrome distinct from KS1. Unlike KMT2D haploinsufficiency in KS1, these MVs likely result in disease through a dominant negative mechanism.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access it via the publisher's site.16-17/10/Newlife - The Charity for Disabled Children FS/13/32/30069/BHF_/British Heart Foundation/United Kingdom 72160007/Chile's National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research MR/K011154/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdompre-prin

A novel insertion mutation in the cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein-1 (CDMP1) gene underlies Grebe-type chondrodysplasia in a consanguineous Pakistani family

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Grebe-type chondrodysplasia (GCD) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by severe acromesomelic limb shortness with non-functional knob like fingers resembling toes. Mutations in the cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein 1 (<it>CDMP1</it>) gene cause Grebe-type chondrodysplasia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Genotyping of six members of a Pakistani family with Grebe-type chondrodysplasia, including two affected and four unaffected individuals, was carried out by using polymorphic microsatellite markers, which are closely linked to <it>CDMP1 </it>locus on chromosome 20q11.22. To screen for a mutation in <it>CDMP1 </it>gene, all of its coding exons and splice junction sites were PCR amplified from genomic DNA of affected and unaffected individuals of the family and sequenced directly in an ABI Prism 310 automated DNA sequencer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Genotyping results showed linkage of the family to <it>CDMP1 </it>locus. Sequence analysis of the <it>CDMP1 </it>gene identified a novel four bases insertion mutation (1114insGAGT) in exon 2 of the gene causing frameshift and premature termination of the polypeptide.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We describe a 4 bp novel insertion mutation in <it>CDMP1 </it>gene in a Pakistani family with Grebe-type chondrodysplasia. Our findings extend the body of evidence that supports the importance of <it>CDMP1 </it>in the development of limbs.</p

Super-Aggregations of Krill and Humpback Whales in Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctic Peninsula

Ecological relationships of krill and whales have not been explored in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), and have only rarely been studied elsewhere in the Southern Ocean. In the austral autumn we observed an extremely high density (5.1 whales per km2) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding on a super-aggregation of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in Wilhelmina Bay. The krill biomass was approximately 2 million tons, distributed over an area of 100 km2 at densities of up to 2000 individuals m−3; reports of such ‘super-aggregations’ of krill have been absent in the scientific literature for >20 years. Retentive circulation patterns in the Bay entrained phytoplankton and meso-zooplankton that were grazed by the krill. Tagged whales rested during daylight hours and fed intensively throughout the night as krill migrated toward the surface. We infer that the previously unstudied WAP embayments are important foraging areas for whales during autumn and, furthermore, that meso-scale variation in the distribution of whales and their prey are important features of this system. Recent decreases in the abundance of Antarctic krill around the WAP have been linked to reductions in sea ice, mediated by rapid climate change in this area. At the same time, baleen whale populations in the Southern Ocean, which feed primarily on krill, are recovering from past exploitation. Consideration of these features and the effects of climate change on krill dynamics are critical to managing both krill harvests and the recovery of baleen whales in the Southern Ocean