Performance and simulated moment uncertainties of an ion spectrometer with asymmetric 2π field of view for ion measurements in space

Space plasma instruments provide 3D particle velocity distribution functions. Because of telemetry limitations, these cannot be transmitted in high time resolution and the plasma needs to be characterized by moments of the velocity distribution function. These moment uncertainties have vital effects on the reliability and accuracy of onboard plasma moments. We assess the measurement accuracy for magnetosheath and solar wind ions using an ion spectrometer with an asymmetric field of view designed for the all-sky measurement of low-energy ions in the magnetosheath and solar wind. We focus on moment uncertainties for the ideal spectrometer, not considering the background counts, which may have considerable effects on the uncertainties in real life. To obtain number density, bulk velocity, and temperature, different orders of moments are integrated assuming a Maxwellian velocity distribution. Based on the design specifications, we use simulations to estimate systematic and random errors for typical plasma conditions. We find that the spectrometer resolution is adequate for determining the density of solar wind (∼7% error) and magnetosheath ions (∼4% error). The resolution is also adequate for determining the temperature of solar wind (∼10% error) and magnetosheath ions (∼2% error). For high speed flows with a bulk velocity of 750 km/s and a temperature of 20 eV, the maximum density and temperature errors become 9% and 7%, respectively. The bulk velocity errors are less than 2% for all cases. The contributions of heavy ions to the systematic errors are less than 5% for magnetosheath ions and less than 8% for solar wind ions

Secretion of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin by non-small cell lung cancer: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We describe a case of non-small cell lung cancer that was found to stain positive for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin on immunohistochemistry. Only a few case reports have described lung cancers that secrete beta-human chorionic gonadotropin.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 68-year-old Caucasian man presented with symptoms of weakness, fatigue and weight loss for the past two months. On examination, he was found to have generalized lymphadenopathy, and radiologic workup revealed numerous metastases in the lungs, liver and kidneys. Biopsy of the supraclavicular lymph node revealed metastatic large cell lung cancer with beta-human chorionic gonadotropin hormone positivity. The serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin level was 11,286 mIU/ml (upper limit of normal, 0.5 mIU/ml in non-pregnant females). He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung non-small cell lung cancer. The patient refused chemotherapy. He was discharged home with hospice care.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The markedly elevated serum values of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin initially prompted the medical team to investigate germinal tumors. In the presence of a negative testicular ultrasound, workup was performed to find an extratesticular source of the tumor. Finally, the diagnosis was made with a tissue biopsy. This case illustrates that atypical markers can be seen in many cancers, emphasizing the role of immunohistochemistry and tissue biopsy in establishing the diagnosis.</p

Tackling tuberculosis: insights from an international TB Summit in London

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a grave predicament to the world as it is not merely a scientific challenge but a socio-economic burden as well. A prime cause of mortality in human due to an infectious disease; the malady and its cause, Mycobacterium tuberculosis have remained an enigma with many questions that remain unanswered. The ability of the pathogen to survive and switch between varied physiological states necessitates a protracted therapeutic regimen that exerts an excessive strain on low-resource countries. To complicate things further, there has been a significant rise of antimicrobial resistance. Existing control measures, including treatment regimens have remained fairly uniform globally for at least half a century and require reinvention. Overcoming the societal and scientific challenges requires an increase in dialog to identify key regions that need attention and effective partners with whom successful collaborations can be fostered. In this report, we explore the discussions held at the International TB Summit 2015 hosted by EuroSciCon, which served as an excellent platform for researchers to share their recent findings. Ground-breaking results require outreach to affect policy design, governance and control of the disease. Hence, we feel it is important that meetings such as these reach a wider, global audience

Phellodendron and Citrus extracts benefit cardiovascular health in osteoarthritis patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of this clinical study was to assess the potential benefit of a dietary supplement, NP 06-1, on cardiovascular protective properties in overweight and normal weight adults diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An 8-week, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was conducted with four groups, comparing the effects of NP 06-1 to placebo in overweight and normal weight subjects diagnosed with primary osteoarthritis of the knee. NP 06-1 (a combination of two botanical extracts; <it>Phellodendron amurense </it>bark and <it>Citrus sinensis </it>peel) or matching placebo was given in a dose of two capsules (370 mg each) twice daily. The outcome measures reported are lipid levels, weight, BMI, blood pressure and fasting glucose. Analyses of variance were used to compare changes of physiological measures over the trial period and between groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty (80) subjects were enrolled and 45 subjects completed the study. No serious adverse events were reported. NP 06-1 administration was associated with a general improvement in lipid levels. Both the overweight and normal weight treatment groups had significant reductions in triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, as well as a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol compared to their respective control groups.</p> <p>Overall there were decreases in blood pressure in both overweight and normal weight treatment groups compared to respective placebo groups. There was also a significant decrease in fasting glucose levels in the overweight treatment group compared to the start of the study and to the overweight placebo group. There was no change in fasting blood sugar for the normal weight groups.</p> <p>Both overweight and normal weight treatment groups lost a significant amount of weight compared to their respective placebo groups. The overweight treatment group lost an average of 5% body weight after 8 weeks, which was associated with a significant loss in BMI over time.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this pilot study NP 06-1 had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors; namely lipid levels, blood pressure and fasting glucose levels. Administration of NP 06-1 was also associated with weight loss.</p

Alpha-particle-induced complex chromosome exchanges transmitted through extra-thymic lymphopoiesis in vitro show evidence of emerging genomic instability

Human exposure to high-linear energy transfer α-particles includes environmental (e.g. radon gas and its decay progeny), medical (e.g. radiopharmaceuticals) and occupational (nuclear industry) sources. The associated health risks of α-particle exposure for lung cancer are well documented however the risk estimates for leukaemia remain uncertain. To further our understanding of α-particle effects in target cells for leukaemogenesis and also to seek general markers of individual exposure to α-particles, this study assessed the transmission of chromosomal damage initially-induced in human haemopoietic stem and progenitor cells after exposure to high-LET α-particles. Cells surviving exposure were differentiated into mature T-cells by extra-thymic T-cell differentiation in vitro. Multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridisation (M-FISH) analysis of naïve T-cell populations showed the occurrence of stable (clonal) complex chromosome aberrations consistent with those that are characteristically induced in spherical cells by the traversal of a single α-particle track. Additionally, complex chromosome exchanges were observed in the progeny of irradiated mature T-cell populations. In addition to this, newly arising de novo chromosome aberrations were detected in cells which possessed clonal markers of α-particle exposure and also in cells which did not show any evidence of previous exposure, suggesting ongoing genomic instability in these populations. Our findings support the usefulness and reliability of employing complex chromosome exchanges as indicators of past or ongoing exposure to high-LET radiation and demonstrate the potential applicability to evaluate health risks associated with α-particle exposure.This work was supported by the Department of Health, UK. Contract RRX95 (RMA NSDTG)

Microbial ligand costimulation drives neutrophilic steroid-refractory asthma

Funding: The authors thank the Wellcome Trust (102705) and the Universities of Aberdeen and Cape Town for funding. This research was also supported, in part, by National Institutes of Health GM53522 and GM083016 to DLW. KF and BNL are funded by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, BNL is the recipient of an European Research Commission consolidator grant and participates in the European Union FP7 programs EUBIOPRED and MedALL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Sporadic fatal insomnia in a young woman: A diagnostic challenge: Case Report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sporadic fatal insomnia (sFI) and fatal familial insomnia (FFI) are rare human prion diseases.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>We report a case of a 33-year-old female who died of a prion disease for whom the diagnosis of sFI or FFI was not considered clinically. Following death of this patient, an interview with a close family member indicated the patient's illness included a major change in her sleep pattern, corroborating the reported autopsy diagnosis of sFI. Genetic tests identified no prion protein (PrP) gene mutation, but neuropathological examination and molecular study showed protease-resistant PrP (PrP^res) in several brain regions and severe atrophy of the anterior-ventral and medial-dorsal thalamic nuclei similar to that described in FFI.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In patients with suspected prion disease, a characteristic change in sleep pattern can be an important clinical clue for identifying sFI or FFI; polysomnography (PSG), genetic analysis, and nuclear imaging may aid in diagnosis.</p

Altered Trabecular Bone Structure and Delayed Cartilage Degeneration in the Knees of Collagen VI Null Mice

Mutation or loss of collagen VI has been linked to a variety of musculoskeletal abnormalities, particularly muscular dystrophies, tissue ossification and/or fibrosis, and hip osteoarthritis. However, the role of collagen VI in bone and cartilage structure and function in the knee is unknown. In this study, we examined the role of collagen VI in the morphology and physical properties of bone and cartilage in the knee joint of Col6a1−/− mice by micro-computed tomography (microCT), histology, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning microphotolysis (SCAMP). Col6a1−/− mice showed significant differences in trabecular bone structure, with lower bone volume, connectivity density, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness but higher structure model index and trabecular separation compared to Col6a1+/+ mice. Subchondral bone thickness and mineral content increased significantly with age in Col6a1+/+ mice, but not in Col6a1−/− mice. Col6a1−/− mice had lower cartilage degradation scores, but developed early, severe osteophytes compared to Col6a1+/+mice. In both groups, cartilage roughness increased with age, but neither the frictional coefficient nor compressive modulus of the cartilage changed with age or genotype, as measured by AFM. Cartilage diffusivity, measured via SCAMP, varied minimally with age or genotype. The absence of type VI collagen has profound effects on knee joint structure and morphometry, yet minimal influences on the physical properties of the cartilage. Together with previous studies showing accelerated hip osteoarthritis in Col6a1−/− mice, these findings suggest different roles for collagen VI at different sites in the body, consistent with clinical data

Giant cell tumor of the uterus: case report and response to chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumor (GCT) is usually a benign but locally aggressive primary bone neoplasm in which monocytic macrophage/osteoclast precursor cells and multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells infiltrate the tumor. The etiology of GCT is unknown, however the tumor cells of GCT have been reported to produce chemoattractants that can attract osteoclasts and osteoclast precursors. Rarely, GCT can originate at extraosseous sites. More rarely, GCT may exhibit a much more aggressive phenotype. The role of chemotherapy in metastatic GCT is not well defined. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of an aggressive GCT of the uterus with rapidly growing lung metastases, and its response to chemotherapy with pegylated-liposomal doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and bevacizumab, along with a review of the literature. CONCLUSION: Aggressive metastasizing GCT may arise in the uterus, and may respond to combination chemotherapy

Kidins220/ARMS Is a Novel Modulator of Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity in Hippocampal GABAergic Neurons

Kidins220 (Kinase D interacting substrate of 220 kDa)/ARMS (Ankyrin Repeat-rich Membrane Spanning) is a scaffold protein highly expressed in the nervous system. Previous work on neurons with altered Kidins220/ARMS expression suggested that this protein plays multiple roles in synaptic function. In this study, we analyzed the effects of Kidins220/ARMS ablation on basal synaptic transmission and on a variety of short-term plasticity paradigms in both excitatory and inhibitory synapses using a recently described Kidins220 full knockout mouse. Hippocampal neuronal cultures prepared from embryonic Kidins220−/− (KO) and wild type (WT) littermates were used for whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of spontaneous and evoked synaptic activity. Whereas glutamatergic AMPA receptor-mediated responses were not significantly affected in KO neurons, specific differences were detected in evoked GABAergic transmission. The recovery from synaptic depression of inhibitory post-synaptic currents in WT cells showed biphasic kinetics, both in response to paired-pulse and long-lasting train stimulation, while in KO cells the respective slow components were strongly reduced. We demonstrate that the slow recovery from synaptic depression in WT cells is caused by a transient reduction of the vesicle release probability, which is absent in KO neurons. These results suggest that Kidins220/ARMS is not essential for basal synaptic transmission and various forms of short-term plasticity, but instead plays a novel role in the mechanisms regulating the recovery of synaptic strength in GABAergic synapses