Functional associations of pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis and emphysema with hypersensitivity pneumonitis

BACKGROUND: Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) has been described in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) yet its functional implications are unclear. Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) has occasionally been described in never-smokers with HP, but epidemiological data regarding its prevalence is sparse. CTs in a large HP cohort were therefore examined to identify the prevalence and effects of PPFE and emphysema. Methods: 233 HP patients had CT extents of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and emphysema quantified to the nearest 5%. Lobar percentage pleural involvement of PPFE was quantified on a 4-point categorical scale: 0 = absent, 1 = affecting 33%. Marked PPFE reflected a total lung score of ≥3/18. Results were evaluated against FVC, DLco and mortality. RESULTS: Marked PPFE prevalence was 23% whilst 23% of never-smokers had emphysema. Following adjustment for patient age, gender, smoking status, and ILD and emphysema extents, marked PPFE independently linked to reduced baseline FVC (p = 0.0002) and DLco (p = 0.002) and when examined alongside the same covariates, independently linked to worsened survival (p = 0.01). CPFE in HP demonstrated a characteristic functional profile of artificial lung volume preservation and disproportionate DLco reduction. CPFE did not demonstrate a worsened outcome when compared to HP patients without emphysema beyond that explained by CT extents of ILD and emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: PPFE is not uncommon in HP, and is independently associated with impaired lung function and increased mortality. Emphysema was identified in 23% of HP never-smokers. CPFE appears not to link to a malignant microvascular phenotype as outcome is explained by ILD and emphysema extents

CYP2E1PstI/RsaI polymorphism and interaction with tobacco, alcohol and GSTs in gastric cancer susceptibility: A meta-analysis of the literature.

Studies investigating the association between cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) 5'-flanking region (PstI/RsaI) polymorphism and gastric cancer risk report conflicting results. The rationale for this meta-analysis was to determine whether CYP2E1*2 (c2) variant allele of CYP2E1 increases gastric cancer risk, especially by interacting with smoking, alcohol and other metabolic gene polymorphisms. Two investigators independently searched the Medline and Embase databases. A qualitative scoring of papers was applied to their evaluation. Authors of the identified papers were contacted to obtain data on the mentioned co-exposures. A measurement of the biological interaction among two putative risk factors was estimated by the attributable proportion (AP) due to interaction. We identified 13 case-control studies, which included 2066 gastric cancer cases and 2754 controls. Using the random effects model, we found no association between PstI/RsaI genotype and gastric cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.18) for c2 allele carriers and OR = 1.36 (95% CI: 0.82-2.25) for c2 homozygotes compared with homozygotes wild-type]. When only high-quality scored studies were considered, a statistically significant increased risk appeared among Asians [OR = 1.50 (95% CI: 1.16-1.94) for c2 carriers and OR = 2.62 (95% CI: 1.23-5.57) for c2 homozygotes]. No interaction was detected between CYP2E1-smoking/alcohol (AP = 0), while an AP of 60% appeared for individuals both c2 homozygotes and glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) null compared with both homozygotes wild-type. This meta-analysis suggests that the CYP2E1 PstI/RsaI polymorphism may be a risk factor for gastric cancer in Asians, and that a synergic relation among GSTM1 and CYP2E1 may account for a proportion of gastric cancer cases

Serum interleukin 6 is predictive of early functional decline and mortality in interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis

16siBiomarkers of progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) are needed to allow early therapeutic intervention in patients with scleroderma-associated disease (SSc-ILD).reservedmixedDe Lauretis, Angelo; Sestini, Piersante; Pantelidis, Panagiotis; Hoyles, Rachel; Hansell, David M; Goh, Nicole S L; Zappala, Christopher J; Visca, Dina; Maher, Toby M; Denton, Christopher P; Ong, Voon H; Abraham, David J; Kelleher, Peter; Hector, Laureen; Wells, Athol U; Renzoni, Elisabetta ADe Lauretis, Angelo; Sestini, Piersante; Pantelidis, Panagiotis; Hoyles, Rachel; Hansell, David M; Goh, Nicole S. L; Zappala, Christopher J; Visca, Dina; Maher, Toby M; Denton, Christopher P; Ong, Voon H; Abraham, David J; Kelleher, Peter; Hector, Laureen; Wells, Athol U; Renzoni, Elisabetta A

First Measurement of the Total Inelastic Cross-Section of Positively-Charged Kaons on Argon at Energies Between 5.0 and 7.5 GeV

International audienceProtoDUNE Single-Phase (ProtoDUNE-SP) is a 770-ton liquid argon time projection chamber that operated in a hadron test beam at the CERN Neutrino Platform in 2018. We present a measurement of the total inelastic cross section of charged kaons on argon as a function of kaon energy using 6 and 7 GeV/$c$ beam momentum settings. The flux-weighted average of the extracted inelastic cross section at each beam momentum setting was measured to be 380$\pm$26 mbarns for the 6 GeV/$c$ setting and 379$\pm$35 mbarns for the 7 GeV/$c$ setting

Supernova Pointing Capabilities of DUNE

International audienceThe determination of the direction of a stellar core collapse via its neutrino emission is crucial for the identification of the progenitor for a multimessenger follow-up. A highly effective method of reconstructing supernova directions within the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is introduced. The supernova neutrino pointing resolution is studied by simulating and reconstructing electron-neutrino charged-current absorption on $^{40}$Ar and elastic scattering of neutrinos on electrons. Procedures to reconstruct individual interactions, including a newly developed technique called ``brems flipping'', as well as the burst direction from an ensemble of interactions are described. Performance of the burst direction reconstruction is evaluated for supernovae happening at a distance of 10 kpc for a specific supernova burst flux model. The pointing resolution is found to be 3.4 degrees at 68% coverage for a perfect interaction-channel classification and a fiducial mass of 40 kton, and 6.6 degrees for a 10 kton fiducial mass respectively. Assuming a 4% rate of charged-current interactions being misidentified as elastic scattering, DUNE's burst pointing resolution is found to be 4.3 degrees (8.7 degrees) at 68% coverage

Supernova Pointing Capabilities of DUNE

International audienceThe determination of the direction of a stellar core collapse via its neutrino emission is crucial for the identification of the progenitor for a multimessenger follow-up. A highly effective method of reconstructing supernova directions within the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is introduced. The supernova neutrino pointing resolution is studied by simulating and reconstructing electron-neutrino charged-current absorption on $^{40}$Ar and elastic scattering of neutrinos on electrons. Procedures to reconstruct individual interactions, including a newly developed technique called ``brems flipping'', as well as the burst direction from an ensemble of interactions are described. Performance of the burst direction reconstruction is evaluated for supernovae happening at a distance of 10 kpc for a specific supernova burst flux model. The pointing resolution is found to be 3.4 degrees at 68% coverage for a perfect interaction-channel classification and a fiducial mass of 40 kton, and 6.6 degrees for a 10 kton fiducial mass respectively. Assuming a 4% rate of charged-current interactions being misidentified as elastic scattering, DUNE's burst pointing resolution is found to be 4.3 degrees (8.7 degrees) at 68% coverage

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations

First Measurement of the Total Inelastic Cross-Section of Positively-Charged Kaons on Argon at Energies Between 5.0 and 7.5 GeV

International audienceProtoDUNE Single-Phase (ProtoDUNE-SP) is a 770-ton liquid argon time projection chamber that operated in a hadron test beam at the CERN Neutrino Platform in 2018. We present a measurement of the total inelastic cross section of charged kaons on argon as a function of kaon energy using 6 and 7 GeV/$c$ beam momentum settings. The flux-weighted average of the extracted inelastic cross section at each beam momentum setting was measured to be 380$\pm$26 mbarns for the 6 GeV/$c$ setting and 379$\pm$35 mbarns for the 7 GeV/$c$ setting

Performance of a modular ton-scale pixel-readout liquid argon time projection chamber

International audienceThe Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements, and provide comparisons to detector simulations