The interaction between diabetes, body mass index, hepatic steatosis, and risk of liver resection: insulin dependent diabetes is the greatest risk for major complications

Background. This study aimed to assess the relationship between diabetes, obesity, and hepatic steatosis in patients undergoing liver resection and to determine if these factors are independent predictors of major complications. Materials and Methods. Analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing liver resection between 2005 and 2012 was undertaken. Background liver was assessed for steatosis and classified as <33% and ≥33%. Major complications were defined as Grade III–V complications using theindo-Clavien classification. Results. 504 patients underwent liver resection, of whom 56 had diabetes and 61 had steatosis ≥33%. Median BMI was 26kg/m2 (16–54kg/m 2). 94 patients developed a major complication (18.7%). BMI ≥ 25kg/m2

Using a multivariate approach to define Irish metiers in the Irish Sea

There is an increasing need to take into account a “mixed fisheries” approach in management, assessment and sampling of fish stocks. To do this effectively it is necessary for groups of fishing trips with homogeneous fishing patterns or tactics to be defined into métiers. Presented here is the result of an Irish case study analysis in applying multivariate statistics to declared logbook landings to define Irish fleet métiers operating in the Irish Sea. Established multivariate statistical procedures, a combination of factorial and cluster analysis, were applied to five variables; landing profile, vessel length category, gear, mesh size range and month. The investigation has shown this methodology to be a suitable tool in identifying métiers without prior assumptions and enabled data to be described from a multivariate statistical perspective providing useful and informative results. In total twenty-two métiers were identified and defined from 2003 landings data, and a further 5 groups were formed to include trips which could not be assigned to a métier. Definitions were applied to 2003-2005 landings and effort data to examine their dynamics and stability. The dominant métier (in terms of effort and trips) contained high proportions of landed Nephrops taken by bottom otter trawlers using 70-89mm meshes. The effort in this métier was fairly stable over time. The greatest increases in effort and trip allocation occurred within métiers employing pots and traps for crustacean species. A small number of minor métiers (in terms of landings and effort) became obsolete over the three years examined. The effects of recent management measures are likely to have contributed to declines in the numbers of trips and effort in some métiers. For example, days-at-sea, limited mobile gears such as bottom otter trawls and beam trawls with ≥100mm mesh, have declined. Such changes within métiers over recent years have contributed to a deeper understanding of fleet dynamics in the Irish Sea. This analysis has identified and highlighted a segment of polyvalent Irish fishing vessels, which move between several métiers within a year. The definition of métiers can be used to enhance the Irish sampling programme in the Irish Sea by developing a finer scale, métier based, stratification of sampling. This in turn enables increased precision and robustness of national assessment data thus improving assessments and management advice. Defining métiers will prove advantageous in developing mixed fisheries assessments and advice.Funder: Marine Institut

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals Under Investigation for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused global disruption and a significant loss of life. Existing treatments that can be repurposed as prophylactic and therapeutic agents could reduce the pandemic's devastation. Emerging evidence of potential applications in other therapeutic contexts has led to the investigation of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals for COVID-19. Such products include vitamin C, vitamin D, omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, and zinc, all of which are currently under clinical investigation. In this review, we critically appraise the evidence surrounding dietary supplements and nutraceuticals for the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. Overall, further study is required before evidence-based recommendations can be formulated, but nutritional status plays a significant role in patient outcomes, and these products could help alleviate deficiencies. For example, evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with greater incidence of infection and severity of COVID-19, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may hold prophylactic or therapeutic value. A growing number of scientific organizations are now considering recommending vitamin D supplementation to those at high risk of COVID-19. Because research in vitamin D and other nutraceuticals and supplements is preliminary, here we evaluate the extent to which these nutraceutical and dietary supplements hold potential in the COVID-19 crisis

Ability or luck: A systematic review of interpersonal attributions of success

The role of luck in success has a relatively minor, albeit consistent history in academic discourse, with a striking lack of literature engaging with notions of luck within occupational environments. Elucidating why people attribute their own success to luck over ability has predominated in the literature, with interpersonal attributions receiving less attention. Here, we center on systematically summarizing the evidence on interpersonal attributions of success as a function of ability or luck, with a particular focus on whether these differs by gender and race. The perception of the success of others from different sociodemographic groups, and how it is attributed, is a crucial leverage point for inclusion and diversity. Particularly as women and ethnic groups continue to be systematically disadvantaged in the workforce. Ignoring the role of luck conceals and augments privilege, even if not deliberately or consciously invoked. Using the Prisma protocol, this review offers evidence from experiments, published between 1970 and 2020, derived from five electronic bibliographic databases; Business Source Complete; PsychINFO; Scopus; Web of Science; and Google Scholar. There were a limited number of studies on gender that found an effect, but with few exceptions, the papers that pertain to race converged on the understanding that interpersonal attributions of success were predicated on this immutable factor. Such that black individuals were more often viewed as lucky in their success and less able, which translates to lesser opportunity and reward. Decades of research have pointed to individuals making systematic attribution errors in success by gender and race; this review only partially substantiates this consensus and provides narrow support for the view that those believed to be the most talented in society may merely be the luckiest. We add to evidence that context matters

CV19017

This report provides the results of the seventh underwater television on the ‘Porcupine Bank Nephrops grounds’ ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 16. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, CTD and other ecosystem data. In total 65 UWTV stations were successfully completed in a randomised 6 nautical mile isometric grid covering the full spatial extent of the stock. The mean burrow density observed in 2019, adjusted for edge effect, was 0.14 burrows/m². The final krigged abundance estimate was 1010 million burrows with a relative standard error of 5% and an estimated stock area of 7,130 km2. The 2019 abundance estimate was 9.5% lower than in 2018. Using the 2019 estimate of abundance and updated stock data implies catches between 2127 and 2637 tonnes in 2020 that correspond to the F ranges in the EU multi annual plan for Western Waters (assuming that all catch is landed). Four species of sea-pen; Virgularia mirabilis, Funiculina quadrangularis, Pennatula phosphorea and the deepwater sea-pen Kophobelemnon stelliferum were observed during the survey. Trawl marks were also observed on 31% of the stations surveyed

Improve mechanical properties of high pressure die cast Al9Si3Cu alloy via dislocation enhanced precipitation

EPSRC UK in the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineering (The EPSRC Centre—LiME)

CV14014

This report provides the main results and findings of the ninth annual underwater television survey on the ‘Smalls grounds’ ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 22. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, CTD and other ecosystem data. A total of 52 stations UWTV stations were carried out over an isometric grid at 4.5nmi or 8.3km intervals. The krigged burrow abundance estimate for the Smalls ground increased by 22% relative to 2013 and was the highest in the 9 year time series. The final abundance estimate was 1,622 million with a CV of 8% which is well below the upper limit of 20% recommended by SGNEPS 2012. Using the 2014 estimate of abundance and recent mean weight and discard data would imply total catches at Fmsy in 2015 of 3,797t. This implies landings of 3,409 tonnes. Temperature on the seabed varied by 2oC over the Nephrops ground with coldest values around 9.4oC in the deepest part of the area. Only one species of sea pen Virgilaria mirabilis was recorded as present at 46% of the stations surveyed. Trawl marks were observed at 28% of the stations surveyed

Lack of association between KIR and HLA-C type and susceptibility to idiopathic bronchiectasis

SummaryIntroductionIdiopathic bronchiectasis is a poorly defined disease characterised by persistent inflammation, infection and progressive lung damage. Natural killer (NK) cells provide a major defense against infection, through the interaction of their surface receptors, including the activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I molecules. Homozygosity for HLA-C has been shown in a single study to confer increased genetic susceptibility to idiopathic bronchiectasis. We aimed to assess whether the KIR and HLA repertoire, alone or in combination, may influence the risk of developing idiopathic bronchiectasis, in an independent replication study.MethodsIn this prospective, observational, case-control association study, 79 idiopathic bronchiectasis patients diagnosed following extensive aetiological investigation were compared with 98 anonymous, healthy, age, sex and ethnically-matched controls attending blood donor sessions in the same geographical location. DNA extraction was performed according to standardised techniques. Determination of presence or absence of KIR genes was performed by a sequence specific oligonucleotide probe method. Allele frequencies for the proposed KIR, HLA-B and HLA-C risk alleles both individually and in combinations were compared.ResultsWe found no significant differences in allele frequency between the idiopathic bronchiectasis and control samples, whether considering HLA-C group homozygosity alone or in combination with the KIR type.DiscussionOur results do not show an association between HLA-C and KIR and therefore do not confirm previous positive findings. This may be explained by the lower frequency of HLA-C1 group homozygosity in the control population of the previous study (27.2%), compared to 42.3% in our study, which is consistent with the genetic profiling of control groups across the UK. The previous positive association study may therefore have been driven by an anomalous control group. Further larger prospective multicentre replication studies are needed to determine if an association exists