Extracorporeal liver assist device to exchange albumin and remove endotoxin in acute liver failure: Results of a pivotal pre-clinical study

Background & AimsIn acute liver failure, severity of liver injury and clinical progression of disease are in part consequent upon activation of the innate immune system. Endotoxaemia contributes to innate immune system activation and the detoxifying function of albumin, critical to recovery from liver injury, is irreversibly destroyed in acute liver failure. University College London-Liver Dialysis Device is a novel artificial extracorporeal liver assist device, which is used with albumin infusion, to achieve removal and replacement of dysfunctional albumin and reduction in endotoxaemia. We aimed to test the effect of this device on survival in a pig model of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure.MethodsPigs were randomised to three groups: Acetaminophen plus University College London-Liver Dialysis Device (n=9); Acetaminophen plus Control Device (n=7); and Control plus Control Device (n=4). Device treatment was initiated two h after onset of irreversible acute liver failure.ResultsThe Liver Dialysis Device resulted in 67% reduced risk of death in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure compared to Control Device (hazard ratio=0.33, p=0.0439). This was associated with 27% decrease in circulating irreversibly oxidised human non-mercaptalbumin-2 throughout treatment (p=0.046); 54% reduction in overall severity of endotoxaemia (p=0.024); delay in development of vasoplegia and acute lung injury; and delay in systemic activation of the TLR4 signalling pathway. Liver Dialysis Device-associated adverse clinical effects were not seen.ConclusionsThe survival benefit and lack of adverse effects would support clinical trials of University College London-Liver Dialysis Device in acute liver failure patients

Efeitos da poluição por petróleo na estrutura da folha de Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsch ex Endl., Podocarpaceae Effects of oil pollution on leaf structure of Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsch ex Endl., Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus lambertii, popularmente conhecida como pinheiro-bravo é uma Podocarpaceae típica da região Sul do Brasil, família que se distingue de outras coníferas por possuir uma estrutura de suporte para o óvulo denominada "epimatium". O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar, por meio de parâmetros morfológicos e anatômicos, os efeitos da poluição por petróleo na estrutura das folhas de Podocarpus lambertii Klotzsch ex Endl. (Podocarpaceae), popularmente conhecida por pinheiro-bravo. As folhas foram coletadas no município de Araucária, Paraná, Brasil, na Refinaria de petróleo Presidente Getúlio Vargas (REPAR) um ano após exposição à poluição provocada pelo derramamento de petróleo. Esta espécie foi selecionada, porque além de ser nativa, apresentou um comportamento diferenciado dentre as demais diante da poluição. Folhas de nove indivíduos (seis expostos ao petróleo e três controle) foram coletadas. Foram avaliadas em microscopia fotônica as dimensões foliares (comprimento, largura e área foliar), a espessura dos tecidos e a densidade estomática. Os dados obtidos foram analisados estatisticamente. Nos indivíduos expostos à poluição, a superfície foliar foi menor, a densidade estomática e espessura dos tecidos foliares foram maiores quando comparados aos indivíduos controle. Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que P. lambertti reagiu quando de sua exposição à poluição por petróleo.<br>Podocarpus lambertii, locally known as "pinheiro-bravo", is a typical Podocarpaceae from Southern Brazil. This family is the most diverse of conifers; it has a distinguishing characteristic, namely the presence of an ovule support structure, called an epimatium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oil pollution on the leaf structure of P. lambertii through morphology and anatomy. Leaves were collected in Araucária Municipality, Paraná, Brazil, at the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Petroleum Refinery one year after they had been exposed to pollution by an oil spill. This species was studied because besides being a native species, it behaved differently from the other species when faced with pollution. Nine individuals were selected (six exposed to pollution and three controls). We analyzed the leaf surface (length, width and leaf area), tissue thickness and stomatal density using light microscopy. The data were statistically analyzed. Leaf anatomy was rather variable. The individuals that were exposed to pollution had smaller leaf surfaces, while stomatal density and thickness of leaf tissues were greater when compared to the control

Search for intermediate-mass black hole binaries in the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo

International audienceIntermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) span the approximate mass range 100−105 M⊙, between black holes (BHs) that formed by stellar collapse and the supermassive BHs at the centers of galaxies. Mergers of IMBH binaries are the most energetic gravitational-wave sources accessible by the terrestrial detector network. Searches of the first two observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo did not yield any significant IMBH binary signals. In the third observing run (O3), the increased network sensitivity enabled the detection of GW190521, a signal consistent with a binary merger of mass ∼150 M⊙ providing direct evidence of IMBH formation. Here, we report on a dedicated search of O3 data for further IMBH binary mergers, combining both modeled (matched filter) and model-independent search methods. We find some marginal candidates, but none are sufficiently significant to indicate detection of further IMBH mergers. We quantify the sensitivity of the individual search methods and of the combined search using a suite of IMBH binary signals obtained via numerical relativity, including the effects of spins misaligned with the binary orbital axis, and present the resulting upper limits on astrophysical merger rates. Our most stringent limit is for equal mass and aligned spin BH binary of total mass 200 M⊙ and effective aligned spin 0.8 at 0.056 Gpc−3 yr−1 (90% confidence), a factor of 3.5 more constraining than previous LIGO-Virgo limits. We also update the estimated rate of mergers similar to GW190521 to 0.08 Gpc−3 yr−1.Key words: gravitational waves / stars: black holes / black hole physicsCorresponding author: W. Del Pozzo, e-mail: [email protected]† Deceased, August 2020