Association between longer hospitalization and development of de novo donor specific antibodies in simultaneous liver–kidney transplant recipients

© 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Background:De novo Donor Specific Antibodies (DSA) are considered as a risk factor for the kidney allograft outcomes in recipients after simultaneous liver–kidney transplantation (SLKT). We hypothesized that length of hospital stay (LOS) might be associated with de novo DSA development of due to the increased likelihood of receiving blood transfusions with reduced immunosuppressive regimens. Methods: This study is a single-center, retrospective cohort study consisting of 85 recipients who underwent SLKT from 2009 to 2018 in our hospital. We divided the patients into two groups according to LOS [long hospital stay (L) group (LOS \u3e14 days) and short hospital stay (S) group (LOS ≤14 days)]. Propensity score (PS) has been created using logistic regression to predict LOS greater than median of 14 days. The association between the presence of de novo DSA and LOS was assessed by logistic regression models adjusted for PS. Results: The mean age at transplantation of the entire cohort was 55.5 ± 10.1 years. Sixty percent of the recipients were male and Caucasian. Median LOS in (L) group was three-fold longer than (S) group [L: median 30 days (IQR: 21–52), S: median 8.5 days (IQR: 7–11)]. Eight patients developed de novo DSA after SLKT (9.4%), all of them were in (L) group. Longer LOS was significantly associated with higher risk of development of de novo DSA in unadjusted (OR+ each 5 days: 1.09, 95% CI:1.02–1.16) and PS adjusted (OR+ each 5 days: 1.11, 95% CI:1.02–1.21) analysis. Conclusion: Longer hospitalization is significantly associated with the development of de novo DSA in SLKT

“I'm Still Fighting for the Two of Us”: How Partners of UK Veterans Construct Their Experience of Living with Combat‐Related Trauma

There has been little qualitative research into the experiences of UK partners of veterans with PTSD. This study therefore aimed to explore how partners constructed their experiences of living with the condition. Fifteen female partners of male UK veterans were recruited and interviewed. Using a social constructionist thematic analysis, five themes were constructed: the women's need to subdue own emotional and behavioral responses; dilemmas about whether the veteran was unwell or ‘bad’; attempts at negotiating multiple roles; challenging the narrative of veterans as heroes; and the relational struggle with the transition to nonmilitary life. This study highlighted the importance of considering the veteran as existing within a relational and cultural context, and the need to include partners in therapeutic interventions

Methane in the atmosphere of the transiting hot Neptune GJ436b?

We present an analysis of seven primary transit observations of the hot Neptune GJ436b at 3.6, 4.5 and $8~\mu$m obtained with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. After correcting for systematic effects, we fitted the light curves using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. Combining these new data with the EPOXI, HST and ground-based $V, I, H$ and $K_s$ published observations, the range $0.5-10~\mu$m can be covered. Due to the low level of activity of GJ436, the effect of starspots on the combination of transits at different epochs is negligible at the accuracy of the dataset. Representative climate models were calculated by using a three-dimensional, pseudo-spectral general circulation model with idealised thermal forcing. Simulated transit spectra of GJ436b were generated using line-by-line radiative transfer models including the opacities of the molecular species expected to be present in such a planetary atmosphere. A new, ab-initio calculated, linelist for hot ammonia has been used for the first time. The photometric data observed at multiple wavelengths can be interpreted with methane being the dominant absorption after molecular hydrogen, possibly with minor contributions from ammonia, water and other molecules. No clear evidence of carbon monoxide and dioxide is found from transit photometry. We discuss this result in the light of a recent paper where photochemical disequilibrium is hypothesised to interpret secondary transit photometric data. We show that the emission photometric data are not incompatible with the presence of abundant methane, but further spectroscopic data are desirable to confirm this scenario.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, Astrophysical Journal in pres

‘You’re just chopped off at the end’: Retired servicemen’s identity work struggles in the military to civilian transition

Promoting positive transition to retirement and cultural adaption for ex-service personnel has been identified as a priority for both social-science research and for public health policy in the UK. The Royal British Legion (RBL) aims to provide support to service and retired service personnel, but to date the transition to retirement experiences of older (60-plus) ex- service personnel remain under-researched. In this article, we employ a symbolic interactionist theoretical framework to examine older servicemen’s experiences and identity challenges post-retirement from the British armed forces. Data were collected primarily through semi-structured, focus-group interviews with 20 former servicemen. Here, we focus specifically upon the challenges encountered by these ex-servicemen in the retirement transition from military to civilian life, a time of identity flux of sociological interest. To navigate this period of identity change and challenge, many participants constructed a ‘modified military self’ through involvement with the RBL as a key social support network. For many retired personnel the RBL offered a form of identification and group identity that resonated strongly with earlier experiences of comradeship in the military

A qualitative exploration of the experiences of veterans who are serving sentences in custody

The focus on veterans in research is not a novel topic; however, the majority of studies are related to trauma, employment, mental health, suicide, and substance misuse. The Criminal Justice System involvement with veterans is a topic that has yet to be examined to a great extent. This study, conducted with adult male prisoners, elicited information from six veterans regarding their experiences of being in the armed forces, leaving the armed forces and becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System. Responses were evaluated using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and three main themes were identified: “you’re baptised into the army”, ‘them and us,’ and ‘operational mind set’; each of which comprised a number of superordinate themes. The research highlights that, although it is important to acknowledge the heterogenic nature of this group, it is equally important to note that much of their thinking and behaviour may be similar to those that have not had these experiences. As such, there is a need to reduce the notion that they are separate and different to other prisoners, requiring different treatment. The study highlights that many of the Offending Behaviour Programmes and interventions already available to prisoners would be appropriate for this group. The current research supports the merit in creating a service in prisons that will allow for ex-servicemen to meet together and access the support that is available to them. The implications of the research are discussed further

Observation of the full 12-hour-long transit of the exoplanet HD80606b. Warm-Spitzer photometry and SOPHIE spectroscopy

We present new observations of a transit of the 111-day-period exoplanet HD80606b. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope and its IRAC camera on the post-cryogenic mission, we performed a 19-hour-long photometric observation of HD80606 that covers the full transit of 13-14 January 2010. We complement this photometric data by new spectroscopic observations that we simultaneously performed with SOPHIE at Haute-Provence Observatory. This provides radial velocity measurements of the first half of the transit that was previously uncovered with spectroscopy. This new data set allows the parameters of this singular planetary system to be significantly refined. We obtained a planet-to-star radius ratio R_p/R_* = 0.1001 +/- 0.0006 that is slightly lower than the one measured from previous ground observations. We detected a feature in the Spitzer light curve that could be due to a stellar spot. We also found a transit timing about 20 minutes earlier than the ephemeris prediction; this could be caused by actual TTVs due to an additional body in the system or by underestimated systematic uncertainties. The sky-projected angle between the spin-axis of HD80606 and the normal to the planetary orbital plane is found to be lambda = 42 +/- 8 degrees thanks to the fit of the Rossiter-McLaughlin anomaly. This allows scenarios with aligned spin-orbit to be definitively rejected. Over the twenty planetary systems with measured spin-orbit angles, a few of them are misaligned; this is probably the signature of two different evolution scenarios for misaligned and aligned systems, depending if they experienced or not gravitational interaction with a third body. As in the case of HD80606b, most of the planetary systems including a massive planet are tilted; this could be the signature of a separate evolution scenario for massive planets in comparison with Jupiter-mass planets.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&

SN2014J gamma rays from the 56^56Ni decay chain

R. Diehl, et al., “SN2014J gamma rays from the 56Ni decay chain”, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 574, January 2015. The version of record is available online at: https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2015/02/aa24991-14/aa24991-14.html Reproduced with Permission from Astronomy and Astrophysics, © ESO 2015.Context. The detection and measurement of gamma-ray lines from the decay chain of 56Ni provides unique information about the explosion in supernovae. SN2014J at 3.3 Mpc is a sufficiently-nearby supernova of type Ia so that such measurements have been feasible with the gamma-ray spectrometer SPI on ESA’s INTEGRAL gamma-ray observatory. Aims. The 56Ni freshly produced in the supernova is understood to power the optical light curve, because it emits gamma rays upon its radioactive decay first to 56Co and then to 56Fe. Gamma-ray lines from 56Co decay are expected to become directly visible through the white dwarf material several weeks after the explosion, as they progressively penetrate the overlying material of the supernova envelope, which is diluted as it expands. The lines are expected to be Doppler-shifted or broadened from the kinematics of the 56Ni ejecta. We aim to exploit high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with the SPI spectrometer on INTEGRAL toward constraining the 56Ni distribution and kinematics in this supernova. Methods. We use the observations with the SPI spectrometer on INTEGRAL, together with an improved instrumental background method. Results. We detect the two main lines from 56Co decay at 847 and 1238 keV, which are significantly Doppler-broadened, and at intensities (3.65 ± 1.21) × 10-4 and (2.27 ± 0.69) × 10-4 ph cm-2 s-1, respectively, at their brightness maximum. We measure their rise toward a maximum after about 60–100 days and a decline thereafter. The intensity ratio of the two lines is found to be consistent with expectations from 56Co decay (0.62 ± 0.28 at brightness maximum, the expected ratio is 0.68). We find that the broad lines seen in the late, gamma-ray transparent phase are not representative of the early gamma-ray emission, and notice instead that the emission spectrum is complex and irregular until the supernova is fully transparent to gamma rays, with progressive uncovering of the bulk of 56Ni. We infer that the explosion morphology is not spherically symmetric, both in the distribution of 56Ni and in the unburnt material which occults the 56Co emission. After we compare light curves from different plausible models, the resulting 56Ni mass is determined to be 0.49 ± 0.09 M⊙.Peer reviewe

Oncostatin M promotes STAT3 activation, VEGF production, and invasion in osteosarcoma cell lines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously demonstrated that both canine and human OSA cell lines, as well as 8 fresh canine OSA tumor samples, exhibit constitutive phosphorylation of STAT3, and that this correlates with enhanced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2). While multiple signal transduction pathways can result in phosphorylation of STAT3, stimulation of the cytokine receptor gp130 through either IL-6 or Oncostatin M (OSM) is the most common mechanism through which STAT3 is activated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of IL-6 and OSM stimulation on both canine and human OSA cell lines to begin to determine the role of these cytokines in the biology of OSA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to interrogate the consequences of OSM and IL-6 stimulation of OSA cell lines. OSA cells were stimulated with OSM and/or hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and the effects on MMP2 activity (gel zymography), proliferation (CyQUANT), invasion (Matrigel transwell assay), and VEGF production (Western blotting, ELISA) were assessed. The small molecule STAT3 inhibitor LLL3 was used to investigate the impact of STAT3 inhibition following OSM stimulation of OSA cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that the OSM receptor (OSMR), but not IL-6 or its receptor, is expressed by all human and canine OSA cell lines and canine OSA tumor samples; additionally, OSM expression was noted in all tumor samples. Treatment of OSA cell lines with OSM induced phosphorylation of STAT3, Src, and JAK2. OSM stimulation also resulted in a dose dependent increase in MMP2 activity and VEGF expression that was markedly reduced following treatment with the small molecule STAT3 inhibitor LLL3. Lastly, OSM stimulation of OSA cell lines enhanced invasion through Matrigel, particularly in the presence of rhHGF. In contrast, both OSM and HGF stimulation of OSA cell lines did not alter their proliferative capacity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data indicate OSM stimulation of human and canine OSA cells induces STAT3 activation, thereby enhancing the expression/activation of MMP2 and VEGF, ultimately promoting invasive behavior and tumor angiogenesis. As such, OSM and its receptor may represent a novel target for therapeutic intervention in OSA.</p

Photometric and spectroscopic observations, and abundance tomography modelling of the Type Ia supernova SN 2014J located in M82

Spectroscopic and photometric observations of the nearby Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) SN 2014J are presented. Spectroscopic observations were taken −8 to +10 d relative to Bband maximum, using FRODOSpec, a multipurpose integral-field unit spectrograph. The observations range from 3900 to 9000 Å. SN 2014J is located in M82 which makes it the closest SN Ia studied in at least the last 28 yr. It is a spectroscopically normal SN Ia with high-velocity features.Wemodel the spectra of SN 2014J with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code, using the abundance tomography technique. SN 2014J is highly reddened, with a host galaxy extinction of E(B − V) = 1.2 (RV = 1.38). It has a �m15(B) of 1.08 ± 0.03 when corrected for extinction. As SN 2014J is a normal SN Ia, the density structure of the classical W7 model was selected. The model and photometric luminosities are both consistent with B-band maximum occurring on JD 245 6690.4 ± 0.12. The abundance of the SN 2014J behaves like other normal SN Ia, with significant amounts of silicon (12 per cent by mass)and sulphur (9 per cent by mass) at high velocities (12 300 km s−1) and the low-velocity ejecta (v < 6500 km s−1) consists almost entirely of 56Ni. Key words: radiative transfer – techniques: spectroscopic – supernovae: general – supernovae: individual: SN 2014J