1,265 research outputs found
Alignment of the medial tibial plateau affects the rate of joint space narrowing in the osteoarthritic knee
SummaryObjectiveTo determine, in serial fixed-flexion (FF) radiographs of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), the importance of, and basis for, the effect of alignment of the medial tibial plateau (MTP), as determined by the inter-margin distance (IMD), on joint space narrowing (JSN).MethodsBaseline and 12-month X-rays of 590 knees with Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) 2/3 OA from the public-release dataset of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) were assigned to subgroups based upon IMD at baseline (IMDBL) and the difference between IMDBL and IMD12mos. Relationships of JSN to IMDBL and to the difference between IMDBL and IMD12mos were evaluated.ResultsIn all 590 knees, mean JSN was 0.13±0.51mm (P<0.0001) and MTP alignment and replication of IMDBL in the 12-month film were, in general, poor. JSN was significantly (P=0.012) more rapid in Subgroup A (IMDâ€1.70mm at both time points) than in Subgroup B (both IMDs>1.70mm): 0.15±0.43; 0.08±0.47. Within Subgroup B we identified a subset, Subgroup B1, in which, although alignment was poor at both time points, the large IMDBL was, by chance, highly reproduced by IMD12mos (difference between the two IMDs=0.01±0.27mm, NS). JSN in Subgroup B1 was 0.06±0.41mm and did not differ from that in other knees of Subgroup B (P=0.87). The standardized response mean (SRM) in all 590 knees and Subgroups A, B and B1 was 0.25, 0.34, 0.17 and 0.06, respectively. Independent of IMDBL, JSN correlated significantly with the difference between the IMDs in the two radiographs (r=0.17, P=0.0001).ConclusionSkewed MTP alignment in serial films and poor replication of IMDBL in the follow-up exam affect JSN measurement. The magnitude of change in joint space width (JSW) related to the poor quality of alignment that is common with the FF view jeopardizes accurate evaluation of JSN
Neuropeptide AF and FF modulation of adipocyte metabolism. Primary insights from functional genomics and effects on beta-adrenergic responsiveness.
The presence of a neuropeptide AF and FF receptor (NPFF-R2) mRNA in human adipose tissue (Elshourbagy, N. A., Ames, R. S., Fitzgerald, L. R., Foley, J. J., Chambers, J. K., Szekeres, P. G., Evans, N. A., Schmidt, D. B., Buckley, P. T., Dytko, G. M., Murdock, P. R., Tan, K. B., Shabon, U., Nuthulaganti, P., Wang, D. Y., Wilson, S., Bergsma, D. J., and Sarau, H. M. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 25965-25971) suggested these peptides, principally recognized for their pain modulating effects, may also impact on adipocyte metabolism, an aspect that has not been explored previously. Our aim was thus to obtain more insights into the actions of these peptides on adipocytes, an approach initially undertaken with a functional genomic assay. First we showed that 3T3-L1 adipocytes express both NPFF-R1 and NPFF-R2 transcripts, and that NPAF binds adipocyte membranes with a nanomolar affinity as assessed by surface plasmon resonance technology. Then, and following a 24-h treatment with NPFF or NPAF (1 microm), we have measured using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR the mRNA steady state levels of already well characterized genes involved in key pathways of adipose metabolism. Among the 45 genes tested, few were modulated by NPFF ( approximately 10%) and a larger number by NPAF ( approximately 27%). Interestingly, NPAF increased the mRNA levels of beta2- and beta3-adrenergic receptors (AR), and to a lesser extent those of beta1-ARs. These variations in catecholamine receptor mRNAs correlated with a clear induction in the density of beta2- and beta3-AR proteins, and in the potency of beta-AR subtype-selective agonists to stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity. Altogether, these data show that NPFF-R1 and NPFF-R2 are functionally present in adipocytes and suggest that besides their well described pain modulation effects, NPAF and to a lesser extent NPFF, may have a global impact on body energy storage and utilization
The prominent role of the heaviest fragment in multifragmentation and phase transition for hot nuclei
The role played by the heaviest fragment in partitions of multifragmenting
hot nuclei is emphasized. Its size/charge distribution (mean value,
fluctuations and shape) gives information on properties of fragmenting nuclei
and on the associated phase transition.Comment: 11 pages, Proceedings of IWND09, August 23-25, Shanghai (China
Outcomes of listing for lung and heartâlung transplantation in pulmonary hypertension: comparative experience in France and the UK
\ua9 The authors 2024.Background Lung or heartâlung transplantation (LT/HLT) for severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) as the primary disease indication carries a high risk of waiting list mortality and post-transplant complications. France and the UK both have coordinated PH patient services but with different referral pathways for accessing LT services. Methods We conducted a comparative analysis of adult PH patients listed for LT/HLT in the UK and France. Results We included 211 PH patients in France (2006â2018) and 170 in the UK (2010â2019). Cumulative incidence of transplant, delisting and waiting list death within 3 years were 81%, 4% and 11% in France versus 58%, 10% and 15% in the UK (p<0.001 for transplant and delisting; p=0.1 for death). Median nonpriority waiting time was 45 days in France versus 165 days in the UK (p<0.001). High-priority listing occurred in 54% and 51% of transplanted patients respectively in France and the UK (p=0.8). Factors associated with achieving transplantation related to recipientsâ height, male sex, clinical severity and priority listing status. 1-year post-transplant survival was 78% in France and 72% in the UK (p= 0.04). Conclusion Access to transplantation for PH patients is better in France than in the UK where more patients were delisted due to clinical deterioration because of longer waiting time. High rates of priority listing occurred in both countries. Survival for those achieving transplantation was slightly better in France. Ensuring optimal outcomes after transplant listing for PH patients is challenging and may involve early listing of higher risk patients, increasing donor lung utilisation and improving allocation rules for these specific patients
Yield scaling, size hierarchy and fluctuations of observables in fragmentation of excited heavy nuclei
Multifragmentation properties measured with INDRA are studied for single
sources produced in Xe+Sn reactions in the incident energy range 32-50 A MeV
and quasiprojectiles from Au+Au collisions at 80 A MeV. A comparison for both
types of sources is presented concerning Fisher scaling, Zipf law, fragment
size and fluctuation observables. A Fisher scaling is observed for all the
data. The pseudo-critical energies extracted from the Fisher scaling are
consistent between Xe+Sn central collisions and Au quasi-projectiles. In the
latter case it also corresponds to the energy region at which fluctuations are
maximal. The critical energies deduced from the Zipf analysis are higher than
those from the Fisher analysis.Comment: 30 pages, accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics A, references
correcte
Fragment properties of fragmenting heavy nuclei produced in central and semi-peripheral collisions
Fragment properties of hot fragmenting sources of similar sizes produced in
central and semi-peripheral collisions are compared in the excitation energy
range 5-10 AMeV. For semi-peripheral collisions a method for selecting compact
quasi-projectiles sources in velocity space similar to those of fused systems
(central collisions) is proposed. The two major results are related to
collective energy. The weak radial collective energy observed for
quasi-projectile sources is shown to originate from thermal pressure only. The
larger fragment multiplicity observed for fused systems and their more
symmetric fragmentation are related to the extra radial collective energy due
to expansion following a compression phase during central collisions. A first
attempt to locate where the different sources break in the phase diagram is
proposed.Comment: 23 pages submitted to NP
OpenFluDB, a database for human and animal influenza virus
Although research on influenza lasted for more than 100 years, it is still one of the most prominent diseases causing half a million human deaths every year. With the recent observation of new highly pathogenic H5N1 and H7N7 strains, and the appearance of the influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 swine-like lineage, a collaborative effort to share observations on the evolution of this virus in both animals and humans has been established. The OpenFlu database (OpenFluDB) is a part of this collaborative effort. It contains genomic and protein sequences, as well as epidemiological data from more than 27 000 isolates. The isolate annotations include virus type, host, geographical location and experimentally tested antiviral resistance. Putative enhanced pathogenicity as well as human adaptation propensity are computed from protein sequences. Each virus isolate can be associated with the laboratories that collected, sequenced and submitted it. Several analysis tools including multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis and sequence similarity maps enable rapid and efficient mining. The contents of OpenFluDB are supplied by direct user submission, as well as by a daily automatic procedure importing data from public repositories. Additionally, a simple mechanism facilitates the export of OpenFluDB records to GenBank. This resource has been successfully used to rapidly and widely distribute the sequences collected during the recent human swine flu outbreak and also as an exchange platform during the vaccine selection procedure. Database URL: http://openflu.vital-it.ch
Online Monitoring of the Osiris Reactor with the Nucifer Neutrino Detector
Originally designed as a new nuclear reactor monitoring device, the Nucifer
detector has successfully detected its first neutrinos. We provide the second
shortest baseline measurement of the reactor neutrino flux. The detection of
electron antineutrinos emitted in the decay chains of the fission products,
combined with reactor core simulations, provides an new tool to assess both the
thermal power and the fissile content of the whole nuclear core and could be
used by the Inter- national Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) to enhance the
Safeguards of civil nuclear reactors. Deployed at only 7.2m away from the
compact Osiris research reactor core (70MW) operating at the Saclay research
centre of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA),
the experiment also exhibits a well-suited configuration to search for a new
short baseline oscillation. We report the first results of the Nucifer
experiment, describing the performances of the 0.85m3 detector remotely
operating at a shallow depth equivalent to 12m of water and under intense
background radiation conditions. Based on 145 (106) days of data with reactor
ON (OFF), leading to the detection of an estimated 40760 electron
antineutrinos, the mean number of detected antineutrinos is 281 +- 7(stat) +-
18(syst) electron antineutrinos/day, in agreement with the prediction 277(23)
electron antineutrinos/day. Due the the large background no conclusive results
on the existence of light sterile neutrinos could be derived, however. As a
first societal application we quantify how antineutrinos could be used for the
Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures - Version
Fifteen years SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics: life science databases, tools and support.
The SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (www.isb-sib.ch) was created in 1998 as an institution to foster excellence in bioinformatics. It is renowned worldwide for its databases and software tools, such as UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, PROSITE, SWISS-MODEL, STRING, etc, that are all accessible on ExPASy.org, SIB's Bioinformatics Resource Portal. This article provides an overview of the scientific and training resources SIB has consistently been offering to the life science community for more than 15 years
The Scientific Performance of the Microchannel X-ray Telescope on board the SVOM Mission
The Microchannel X-ray Telescope (MXT) will be the first focusing X-ray
telescope based on a "Lobster-Eye" optical design to be flown on Sino-French
mission SVOM. SVOM will be dedicated to the study of Gamma-Ray Bursts and more
generally time-domain astrophysics. The MXT telescope is a compact (focal
length ~ 1.15 m) and light (< 42 kg) instrument, sensitive in the 0.2--10 keV
energy range. It is composed of an optical system, based on micro-pore optics
(MPOs) of 40 micron pore size, coupled to a low-noise pnCDD X-ray detector. In
this paper we describe the expected scientific performance of the MXT
telescope, based on the End-to-End calibration campaign performed in fall 2021,
before the integration of the SVOM payload on the satellite.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronom
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