Precise Masses and Orbits for Nine Radial Velocity Exoplanets

Radial velocity (RV) surveys have discovered hundreds of exoplanetary systems but suffer from a fundamental degeneracy between planet mass $M_p$ and orbital inclination $i$. In this paper we break this degeneracy by combining RVs with complementary absolute astrometry taken from the Gaia EDR3 version of the cross-calibrated Hipparcos-Gaia Catalog of Accelerations (HGCA). We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo orbit code $\tt orvara$ to simultaneously fit literature RVs and absolute astrometry from the HGCA. We constrain the orbits, masses, and inclinations of nine single and massive RV companions orbiting nearby G and K stars. We confirm the planetary nature of six companions: HD 29021 b ($4.47_{-0.65}^{+0.67}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), HD 81040 b ($7.24_{-0.37}^{+1.0}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), HD 87883 b ($6.31_{-0.32}^{+0.31}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), HD 98649 b ($9.7_{-1.9}^{+2.3}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), HD 106252 b ($10.00_{-0.73}^{+0.78}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), and HD 171238 b ($8.8_{-1.3}^{+3.6}\,M_{\rm Jup}$). We place one companion, HD 196067 b ($12.5_{-1.8}^{+2.5}\,M_{\rm Jup}$) on the planet-brown dwarf boundary, and two companions in the low mass brown dwarf regime: HD 106515 Ab ($18.9_{-1.4}^{+1.5}\,M_{\rm Jup}$), and HD 221420 b (${20.6}_{-1.6}^{+2.0}\,M_{\rm Jup}$). The brown dwarf HD 221420 b, with a semi-major axis of ${9.99}_{-0.70}^{+0.74}$ AU, a period of ${27.7}_{-2.5}^{+3.0}$ years, and an eccentricity of $0.162_{-0.030}^{+0.035}$ represents a promising target for high-contrast imaging. The RV orbits of HD 87883 b, HD 98649 b, HD 171238 b, and HD 196067 b are not fully constrained yet because of insufficient RV data. We find two possible inclinations for each of these orbits due to difficulty in separating prograde from retrograde orbits, but we expect this will change decisively with future Gaia data releases

Amides do not always work: observation of guest binding in an amide-functionalised porous host

An amide-functionalised metal organic frame-work (MOF) material, MFM-136, shows a high CO2 uptake of 12.6 mmol g-1 at 20 bar and 298 K. MFM-136 is the first example of acylamide pyrimidyl isophthalate MOF without open metal sites, and thus provides a unique platform to study guest bind-ing, particularly the role of free amides. Neutron diffraction reveals that, surprisingly, there is no direct binding between the adsorbed CO2/CH4 molecules and the pendant amide group in the pore. This observation has been confirmed un-ambiguously by inelastic neutron spectroscopy. This suggests that introduction of functional groups solely may not neces-sarily induce specific guest-host binding in porous materials, but it is a combination of pore size, geometry, and functional group that leads to enhanced gas adsorption properties

Regulation of cellular sterol homeostasis by the oxygen responsive noncoding RNA lincNORS

We hereby provide the initial portrait of lincNORS, a spliced lincRNA generated by the MIR193BHG locus, entirely distinct from the previously described miR-193b-365a tandem. While inducible by low O2 in a variety of cells and associated with hypoxia in vivo, our studies show that lincNORS is subject to multiple regulatory inputs, including estrogen signals. Biochemically, this lincRNA fine-tunes cellular sterol/steroid biosynthesis by repressing the expression of multiple pathway components. Mechanistically, the function of lincNORS requires the presence of RALY, an RNA-binding protein recently found to be implicated in cholesterol homeostasis. We also noticed the proximity between this locus and naturally occurring genetic variations highly significant for sterol/steroid-related phenotypes, in particular the age of sexual maturation. An integrative analysis of these variants provided a more formal link between these phenotypes and lincNORS, further strengthening the case for its biological relevance

The role of the prostate cancer gene 3 urine test in addition to serum prostate-specific antigen level in prostate cancer screening among breast cancer, early-onset gene mutation carriers

Objective: To evaluate the additive value of the prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) urine test to serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in prostate cancer (PC) screening among breast cancer, early-onset gene (BRCA) mutation carriers. This study was performed among the Dutch participants of IMPACT, a large international study on the effectiveness of PSA screening among BRCA mutation carriers. Materials and methods: Urinary PCA3 was measured in 191 BRCA1 mutation carriers, 75 BRCA2 mutation carriers, and 308 noncarriers. The physicians and participants were blinded for the results. Serum PSA level≥3.0. ng/ml was used to indicate prostate biopsies. PCA3 was evaluated (1) as an independent indicator for prostate biopsies and (2) as an indicator for prostate biopsies among men with an elevated

Characterizing Emerging Canine H3 Influenza Viruses.

The continual emergence of novel influenza A strains from non-human hosts requires constant vigilance and the need for ongoing research to identify strains that may pose a human public health risk. Since 1999, canine H3 influenza A viruses (CIVs) have caused many thousands or millions of respiratory infections in dogs in the United States. While no human infections with CIVs have been reported to date, these viruses could pose a zoonotic risk. In these studies, the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) network collaboratively demonstrated that CIVs replicated in some primary human cells and transmitted effectively in mammalian models. While people born after 1970 had little or no pre-existing humoral immunity against CIVs, the viruses were sensitive to existing antivirals and we identified a panel of H3 cross-reactive human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) that could have prophylactic and/or therapeutic value. Our data predict these CIVs posed a low risk to humans. Importantly, we showed that the CEIRS network could work together to provide basic research information important for characterizing emerging influenza viruses, although there were valuable lessons learned

Unique Structure and Dynamics of the EphA5 Ligand Binding Domain Mediate Its Binding Specificity as Revealed by X-ray Crystallography, NMR and MD Simulations

10.1371/journal.pone.0074040PLoS ONE89-POLN

Supplement: "Localization and broadband follow-up of the gravitational-wave transient GW150914" (2016, ApJL, 826, L13)

This Supplement provides supporting material for Abbott et al. (2016a). We briefly summarize past electromagnetic (EM) follow-up efforts as well as the organization and policy of the current EM follow-up program. We compare the four probability sky maps produced for the gravitational-wave transient GW150914, and provide additional details of the EM follow-up observations that were performed in the different bands

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice