Alien Registration- Lumsden, Joseph E. (South Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/20088/thumbnail.jp

Impact of metabolic syndrome on the outcomes of superficial femoral artery interventions

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is an epidemic in the United States and is associated with early onset of atherosclerosis, increased thrombotic events, and increased complications after cardiovascular intervention. MetSyn is found in ∼50% of patients with peripheral vascular disease. However, its impact on peripheral interventions is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine the outcomes of superficial femoral artery (SFA) interventions in patients with and without MetSyn.MethodsA database of patients undergoing endovascular treatment of SFA disease between 1999 and 2009 was retrospectively queried. MetSyn was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the following criteria: blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg/≥85 mm Hg; triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL; high-density lipoprotein ≤50 mg/dL for women and ≤40 mg/dL for men; fasting blood glucose ≥110 mg/dL; or body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed to assess time-dependent outcomes. Factor analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazard model for time-dependent variables.ResultsA total of 1018 limbs in 738 patients (64% male, average age 67 years) underwent endovascular treatment for symptomatic SFA disease with 45% of patients meeting the criteria for MetSyn. MetSyn patients were more likely to be female (P = .001), to present with critical ischemia (rest pain/tissue loss: 55% MetSyn vs 45% non-MetSyn; P = .001), have poorer ambulatory status (P = .001), and have more advanced SFA lesions (TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II C/D: 51% vs 11%; P = .001) and worse tibial runoff (P = .001). MetSyn patients required more complex interventions (P = .0001). There was no difference in mortality and major adverse cardiac events, but systemic complications (4% vs 1%; P = .001) and major adverse limb events (12% vs 7%; P = .0009) were significantly higher in the MetSyn group. Immediate postprocedural hemodynamic improvement, resolved or improved symptoms, and restoration of impaired ambulation were equivalent in both groups. Early failure (<6 months) was more common in those with MetSyn. At 5 years, primary, assisted primary, and secondary patencies were not affected by the presence of MetSyn. The presence of MetSyn was associated with a decrease in clinical efficacy, decreased freedom from recurrent symptoms, and decreased freedom from major amputation at 5 years.ConclusionsMetSyn is present in nearly half of the patients presenting with SFA disease. These patients present with more advanced disease and have poorer symptomatic and functional outcomes compared with those patients without MetSyn

The Nature of LINERs

We present $J$-band ($1.15-1.35 \mu$m) spectroscopy of a sample of nine galaxies showing some degree of LINER activity (classical LINERs, weak-[O {\sc i}] LINERs and transition objects), together with $H$-band spectroscopy for some of them. A careful subtraction of the stellar continuum allows us to obtain reliable [Fe {\sc ii}]$1.2567 \mu$m/Pa$\beta$ line ratios. We conclude that different types of LINERs (i.e., photoionized by a stellar continuum or by an AGN) cannot be easily distinguished based solely on the [Fe {\sc ii}]$1.2567 \mu$m/Pa$\beta$ line ratio. The emission line properties of many LINERs can be explained in terms of an aging starburst. The optical line ratios of these LINERs are reproduced by a model with a metal-rich H {\sc ii} region component photoionized with a single stellar temperature $T_* = 38,000$K, plus a supernova remnant (SNR) component. The [Fe {\sc ii}] line is predominantly excited by shocks produced by SNRs in starbursts and starburst-dominated LINERs, while Pa$\beta$ tracks H {\sc ii} regions ionized by massive young stars. The contribution from SNRs to the overall emission line spectrum is constrained by the [Fe {\sc ii}]$1.2567 \mu$m/Pa$\beta$ line ratio. Although our models for aging starbursts are constrained only by these infrared lines, they consistently explain the optical spectra of the galaxies also. The LINER-starburst connection is tested by predicting the time dependence of the ratio of the ionizing luminosity ($L_{\rm ion}$) to the supernova rate (SNr), $L_{\rm ion}$/(SNr). We predict the relative number of starbursts to starburst-dominated LINERs (aging starbursts) and show that it is in approximate agreement with survey findings for nearby galaxies.Comment: Accepted in ApJ (19 pages, 8 figures, uses emulateapj.sty

Accuracy of five algorithms to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis.

Algorithms to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness) are often complex due to the unsatisfactory sensitivity and/or specificity of available tests, and typically include a screening (serological), confirmation (parasitological) and staging component. There is insufficient evidence on the relative accuracy of these algorithms. This paper presents estimates of the accuracy of five algorithms used by past Médecins Sans Frontières programmes in the Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Uganda

Phase transitions in LaFeAsO: structural, magnetic, elastic, and transport properties, heat capacity and Mossbauer spectra

We present results from a detailed experimental investigation of LaFeAsO, the parent material in the series of "FeAs" based oxypnictide superconductors. Upon cooling this material undergoes a tetragonal-orthorhombic crystallographic phase transition at ~160 K followed closely by an antiferromagnetic ordering near 145 K. Analysis of these phase transitions using temperature dependent powder X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements is presented. A magnetic moment of ~0.35 Bohr magnetons per iron is derived from Mossbauer spectra in the low temperature phase. Evidence of the structural transition is observed at temperatures well above the structural transition (up to near 200 K) in the diffraction data as well as the polycrystalline elastic moduli probed by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy measurements. The effects of the two phase transitions on the transport properties (resistivity, thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, Hall coefficient), heat capacity, and magnetization of LaFeAsO are also reported, including a dramatic increase in the magnitude of the Hall coefficient below 160 K. The results suggest that the structural distortion leads to a localization of carriers on Fe, producing small local magnetic moments which subsequently order antiferromagnetically upon further cooling. Evidence of strong electron-phonon interactions in the high-temperature tetragonal phase is also observed.Comment: Revised and expanded magnetization and Mossbauer spectroscopy section. Clarified sample preparation description. This paper contains some results from arXiv:0804.0796. 10 figure

A DNA Vaccine against Chikungunya Virus Is Protective in Mice and Induces Neutralizing Antibodies in Mice and Nonhuman Primates

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne alphavirus indigenous to tropical Africa and Asia. Acute illness is characterized by fever, arthralgias, conjunctivitis, rash, and sometimes arthritis. Relatively little is known about the antigenic targets for immunity, and no licensed vaccines or therapeutics are currently available for the pathogen. While the Aedes aegypti mosquito is its primary vector, recent evidence suggests that other carriers can transmit CHIKV thus raising concerns about its spread outside of natural endemic areas to new countries including the U.S. and Europe. Considering the potential for pandemic spread, understanding the development of immunity is paramount to the development of effective counter measures against CHIKV. In this study, we isolated a new CHIKV virus from an acutely infected human patient and developed a defined viral challenge stock in mice that allowed us to study viral pathogenesis and develop a viral neutralization assay. We then constructed a synthetic DNA vaccine delivered by in vivo electroporation (EP) that expresses a component of the CHIKV envelope glycoprotein and used this model to evaluate its efficacy. Vaccination induced robust antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses, which individually were capable of providing protection against CHIKV challenge in mice. Furthermore, vaccine studies in rhesus macaques demonstrated induction of nAb responses, which mimicked those induced in convalescent human patient sera. These data suggest a protective role for nAb against CHIKV disease and support further study of envelope-based CHIKV DNA vaccines

Visualization and 3D Reconstruction of Flame Cells of Taenia solium (Cestoda)

BACKGROUND: Flame cells are the terminal cells of protonephridial systems, which are part of the excretory systems of invertebrates. Although the knowledge of their biological role is incomplete, there is a consensus that these cells perform excretion/secretion activities. It has been suggested that the flame cells participate in the maintenance of the osmotic environment that the cestodes require to live inside their hosts. In live Platyhelminthes, by light microscopy, the cells appear beating their flames rapidly and, at the ultrastructural, the cells have a large body enclosing a tuft of cilia. Few studies have been performed to define the localization of the cytoskeletal proteins of these cells, and it is unclear how these proteins are involved in cell function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Parasites of two different developmental stages of T. solium were used: cysticerci recovered from naturally infected pigs and intestinal adults obtained from immunosuppressed and experimentally infected golden hamsters. Hamsters were fed viable cysticerci to recover adult parasites after one month of infection. In the present studies focusing on flame cells of cysticerci tissues was performed. Using several methods such as video, confocal and electron microscopy, in addition to computational analysis for reconstruction and modeling, we have provided a 3D visual rendition of the cytoskeletal architecture of Taenia solium flame cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We consider that visual representations of cells open a new way for understanding the role of these cells in the excretory systems of Platyhelminths. After reconstruction, the observation of high resolution 3D images allowed for virtual observation of the interior composition of cells. A combination of microscopic images, computational reconstructions and 3D modeling of cells appears to be useful for inferring the cellular dynamics of the flame cell cytoskeleton

Factors influencing the higher incidence of tuberculosis among migrants and ethnic minorities in the UK.

Migrants and ethnic minorities in the UK have higher rates of tuberculosis (TB) compared with the general population. Historically, much of the disparity in incidence between UK-born and migrant populations has been attributed to differential pathogen exposure, due to migration from high-incidence regions and the transnational connections maintained with TB endemic countries of birth or ethnic origin. However, focusing solely on exposure fails to address the relatively high rates of progression to active disease observed in some populations of latently infected individuals. A range of factors that disproportionately affect migrants and ethnic minorities, including genetic susceptibility, vitamin D deficiency and co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus and HIV, also increase vulnerability to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) or reactivation of latent infection. Furthermore, ethnic socio-economic disparities and the experience of migration itself may contribute to differences in TB incidence, as well as cultural and structural barriers to accessing healthcare. In this review, we discuss both biological and anthropological influences relating to risk of pathogen exposure, vulnerability to infection or development of active disease, and access to treatment for migrant and ethnic minorities in the UK

Mutations in the histone methyltransferase gene KMT2B cause complex early-onset dystonia.

Histone lysine methylation, mediated by mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) proteins, is now known to be critical in the regulation of gene expression, genomic stability, cell cycle and nuclear architecture. Despite MLL proteins being postulated as essential for normal development, little is known about the specific functions of the different MLL lysine methyltransferases. Here we report heterozygous variants in the gene KMT2B (also known as MLL4) in 27 unrelated individuals with a complex progressive childhood-onset dystonia, often associated with a typical facial appearance and characteristic brain magnetic resonance imaging findings. Over time, the majority of affected individuals developed prominent cervical, cranial and laryngeal dystonia. Marked clinical benefit, including the restoration of independent ambulation in some cases, was observed following deep brain stimulation (DBS). These findings highlight a clinically recognizable and potentially treatable form of genetic dystonia, demonstrating the crucial role of KMT2B in the physiological control of voluntary movement.Funding for the project was provided by the Wellcome Trust for UK10K (WT091310) and DDD Study. The DDD study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund [grant number HICF-1009-003] - see www.ddduk.org/access.html for full acknowledgement. This work was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute and the Common Fund, NIH Office of the Director. This work was supported in part by the German Ministry of Research and Education (grant nos. 01GS08160 and 01GS08167; German Mental Retardation Network) as part of the National Genome Research Network to A.R. and D.W. and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (AB393/2-2) to A.R. Brain expression data was provided by the UK Human Brain Expression Consortium (UKBEC), which comprises John A. Hardy, Mina Ryten, Michael Weale, Daniah Trabzuni, Adaikalavan Ramasamy, Colin Smith and Robert Walker, affiliated with UCL Institute of Neurology (J.H., M.R., D.T.), King’s College London (M.R., M.W., A.R.) and the University of Edinburgh (C.S., R.W.)