Effect of density of state on isotope effect exponent of two-band superconductors

The exact formula of Tc's equation and the isotope effect exponent of two-band s-wave superconductors in weak-coupling limit are derived by considering the influence of two kinds of density of state : constant and van Hove singularity. The pairing interaction in each band consisted of 2 parts : the electron-phonon interaction and non-electron-phonon interaction are included in our model. We find that the interband interaction of electron-phonon show more effect on isotope exponent than the intraband interaction and the isotope effect exponent with constant density of state can fit to an experimental data,MgB2, and high-Tc superconductors, better than van Hove singularity density of state.Comment: 11 pages. accepted in Physica

Fixed priority scheduling with pre-emption thresholds and cache-related pre-emption delays: integrated analysis and evaluation

Commercial off-the-shelf programmable platforms for real-time systems typically contain a cache to bridge the gap between the processor speed and main memory speed. Because cache-related pre-emption delays (CRPD) can have a significant influence on the computation times of tasks, CRPD have been integrated in the response time analysis for fixed-priority pre-emptive scheduling (FPPS). This paper presents CRPD aware response-time analysis of sporadic tasks with arbitrary deadlines for fixed-priority pre-emption threshold scheduling (FPTS), generalizing earlier work. The analysis is complemented by an optimal (pre-emption) threshold assignment algorithm, assuming the priorities of tasks are given. We further improve upon these results by presenting an algorithm that searches for a layout of tasks in memory that makes a task set schedulable. The paper includes an extensive comparative evaluation of the schedulability ratios of FPPS and FPTS, taking CRPD into account. The practical relevance of our work stems from FPTS support in AUTOSAR, a standardized development model for the automotive industry

Successful combined surgical approach in a rare case of retrotracheal goitre in a patient with anatomical impediments

Diving goitres can descend the cervical region expanding directly into the thoracic cavity. In most cases, diving goitres extend into the anterosuperior compartment, but they may also extend behind the trachea. We herein present a case of a male patient with retrotracheal goitre and history of left thyroid lobectomy and median sternotomy for thoracic aortic aneurysm repair with graft placement. After detailed preoperative evaluation, the patient underwent surgical resection of the mass through a combined approach; the existing cervical incision and a right posterolateral mini-thoracotomy. The postoperative course of the patient was uncomplicated. One year after surgery, the patient is asymptomatic and disease-free. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 166–169

Management and outcome of patients with established coronary artery disease: the Euro Heart Survey on coronary revascularization

Aims The purpose of the Euro Heart Survey Programme of the European Society of Cardiology is to evaluate to which extent clinical practice endorses existing guidelines as well as to identify differences in population profiles, patient management, and outcome across Europe. The current survey focuses on the invasive diagnosis and treatment of patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results Between November 2001 and March 2002, 7769 consecutive patients undergoing invasive evaluation at 130 hospitals (31 countries) were screened for the presence of one or more coronary stenosis >50% in diameter. Patient demographics and comorbidity, clinical presentation, invasive parameters, treatment options, and procedural techniques were prospectively entered in an electronic database (550 variables+29 per diseased coronary segment). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were evaluated at 30 days and 1 year. Out of 5619 patients with angiographically proven coronary stenosis (72% of screened population), 53% presented with stable angina while ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was the indication for coronary angiography in 16% and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina in 30%. Only medical therapy was continued in 21%, whereas mechanical revascularization was performed in the remainder [percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 58% and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 21%]. Patients referred for PCI were younger, were more active, had a lower risk profile, and had less comorbid conditions. CABG was performed mostly in patients with left main lesions (21%), two- (25%), or three-vessel disease (67%) with 4.1 diseased segments, on average. Single-vessel PCI was performed in 82% of patients with either single- (45%), two- (33%), or three-vessel disease (21%). Stents were used in 75% of attempted lesions, with a large variation between sites. Direct PCI for STEMI was performed in 410 cases, representing 7% of the entire workload in the participating catheterization laboratories. Time delay was within 90 min in 76% of direct PCI cases. In keeping with the recommendations of practice guidelines, the survey identified under-use of adjunctive medication (GP IIb/IIIa receptor blockers, statins, and angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors). Mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year were low in all subgroups. MACE primarily consisted of repeat PCI (12%). Conclusion The current Euro Heart Survey on coronary revascularization was performed in the era of bare metal stenting and provides a global European picture of the invasive approach to patients with CAD. These data will serve as a benchmark for the future evaluation of the impact of drug-eluting stents on the practice of interventional cardiology and bypass surger

The relationship between transmission time and clustering methods in Mycobacterium tuberculosis epidemiology

YesBackground: Tracking recent transmission is a vital part of controlling widespread pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multiple methods with specific performance characteristics exist for detecting recent transmission chains, usually by clustering strains based on genotype similarities. With such a large variety of methods available, informed selection of an appropriate approach for determining transmissions within a given setting/time period is difficult. Methods: This study combines whole genome sequence (WGS) data derived from 324 isolates collected 2005–2010 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a high endemic setting, with phylodynamics to unveil the timing of transmission events posited by a variety of standard genotyping methods. Clustering data based on Spoligotyping, 24-loci MIRU-VNTR typing, WGS based SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) and core genome multi locus sequence typing (cgMLST) typing were evaluated. Findings: Our results suggest that clusters based on Spoligotyping could encompass transmission events that occurred almost 200 years prior to sampling while 24-loci-MIRU-VNTR often represented three decades of transmission. Instead, WGS based genotyping applying low SNP or cgMLST allele thresholds allows for determination of recent transmission events, e.g. in timespans of up to 10 years for a 5 SNP/allele cut-off. Interpretation: With the rapid uptake of WGS methods in surveillance and outbreak tracking, the findings obtained in this study can guide the selection of appropriate clustering methods for uncovering relevant transmission chains within a given time-period. For high resolution cluster analyses, WGS-SNP and cgMLST based analyses have similar clustering/timing characteristics even for data obtained from a high incidence setting.ERC grant [INTERRUPTB; no. 311725] to BdJ, FG and CJM; an ERC grant to TS [PhyPD; no. 335529]; an FWO PhD fellowship to PM [grant number 1141217N]; the Leibniz Science Campus EvolLUNG for MM and SN; the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) for TAK, MM, CU, PB and SN; a SNF SystemsX grant (TBX) to JP and TS and a Marie Heim-Vögtlin fellowship granted to DK by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government – department EWI

Effects and Implications of Wearing a Face Mask on Cardiopulmonary Performance During Exercise

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted the use of a face mask (FM) to minimize the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. The use of an FM being an accepted precautionary measure to reduce viral transmission, there is a need for examining the physiological effects of wearing an FM, specifically during exercise. PURPOSE: To assess the impact of wearing a surgical FM on cardiopulmonary parameters and exercise performance. METHODS: Nine males and 9 females (age = 21.6 ± 2.5 yrs; BMI = 24.4 ± 3.1 kg/m2) participated in 2 laboratory visits where they completed a graded maximal exercise test using a modified Bruce Protocol. Participants were randomized to which laboratory visit they would complete first, with face mask (WFM) or without face mask (WOFM), which were performed at least 48 hours apart. Expired gases, blood pressure, heart rate, blood O2 saturation including perfusion index, and the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were measured and compared between the WFM and WOFM trials at 6 different intensities (rest, 40%, 55%, 70%, 80%, and 100% VO2max), using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in VO2 (p = 0.001 and n2 = 0.73) between the WFM (38.5 ± 6.8 mL/kg/min) and WOFM (44.3 ± 7.4 mL/kg/min) trials only at the 100% VO2max intensity, where significantly lower values were also found during the WFM trial for respiratory rate (40.0 ± 6.8 vs 47.8 ± 8.9 bpm, p = 0.001, n2 = 0.62), respiratory exchange ratio (1.07 ± 0.08 vs 1.14 ± 0.64, p = 0.001, n2 = 0.52), and the partial pressure of expired oxygen (125.7 ± 3.5 vs 129.4 ± 3.1 mmHg, p = 0.0001, n2 = 0.54). In contrast, the partial pressure of expired carbon dioxide (32.8 ± 3.1 vs 30.8 ± 3.3 mmHg, p = 0.01, n2 = 0.33) was significantly higher during the WFM trial only at 100% VO2max intensity. No other parameters significantly differed at any of the intensities. CONCLUSION: Oxygen consumption was lower with face masks only as participants advanced from 80% to maximal effort. Notably, participants had a slower respiratory rate and exhaled a higher concentration of carbon dioxide with face masks. This result suggests that expired carbon dioxide accumulated under the face masks and participants subsequently rebreathed this expired carbon dioxide. There is no evidence that suggests exercise below 80% of VO2max while wearing face masks will cause any concerning changes in cardiopulmonary parameters. However, it is recommended that future studies examine how different types of face masks may affect cardiopulmonary function during exercise in a variety of subject populations

Percutaneous treatment with Mitraclip for functional mitral regurgitation: medium-term follow up according to left ventricular function

Background: Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is a bad prognosis condition despite optimal medical treatment. Nowadays there is an open debate about the surgical versus percutaneous treatment. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the mid-term follow up clinical outcomes of patients with FMR treated with MitraClip((R)) system, according to their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: Data was obtained from two experienced centers in transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR). All consecutive cases of severe FMR undergoing TMVR in both centers with the same inclusion criteria were included prospectively in this study and followed-up. Periodical follow-ups with clinical and echocardiographic evaluation were scheduled from the baseline procedure, at 3 months and then yearly. Results: From October 2015 to October 2019, a total of 119 patients with FMR at 2 centers in Spain underwent TMVR with the MitraClip((R)) procedure and were included in this study. The mean age was 73.8+/-8.9 years old and 32 patients (26.9%) were female. A 39.5% of cases [47] had a LVEF 30% (group 2). There was a similar distribution in cardiovascular risk factors, age and other diseases. All MitraClip((R)) implantations were elective and procedural success was achieved in 110 patients (92.4%) with a similar distribution between the groups. There were no differences in procedural time and the number of implanted clips. The median follow-up was 22.6 months (IQR, 11.43-34.98 months). The primary combined endpoint occurred in the 41.6% of the global cohort, 57.5% in group 1 and 30.99% in group 2 (P=0.036). LVEF was associated to the main event in the multivariate analysis (HR 2.09, 95% CI: 1.12-3.89; P=0.02). Conclusions: The MitraClip edge-to-edge technique is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of FMR. In this study, patients with LVEF >30% treated with Mitraclip presented better clinical cardiovascular outcomes than those with a LVEF </=30%. Regardless clinical outcomes, at the end of the follow-up, there was a sustained reduction in MR grades and an important improvement in NYHA functional class

Non-human TRIM5 variants enhance recognition of HIV-1-infected cells by CD8+ T cells

Tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5) restricts human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) in a species-specific manner by uncoating viral particles while activating early innate responses. Although the contribution of TRIM5 proteins to cellular immunity has not yet been studied, their interactions with the incoming viral capsid and the cellular proteasome led us to hypothesize a role for them. Here, we investigate whether the expression of two non-human TRIM5 orthologs, rhesus TRIM5α (RhT5) and TRIM-cyclophilin A (TCyp), both of which are potent restrictors of HIV-1, could enhance immune recognition of infected cells by CD8+ T cells. We illustrate how TRIM5 restriction improves CD8+ T cell-mediated HIV-1 inhibition. Moreover, when TRIM5 activity was blocked by the non-immunosuppressive analog of cyclosporin A, SmBz-CsA, we found a significant reduction in CD107a/MIP1β expression in HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells. This finding underscores the direct link between TRIM5 restriction and activation of CD8+ T-cell responses. Interestingly, cells expressing RhT5 induced stronger CD8+ T-cell responses through the specific recognition of the HIV-1 capsid by the immune system. The underlying mechanism of this process may involve TRIM5-specific capsid recruitment to cellular proteasomes and increase peptide availability for loading and presentation of HLA class I antigens. In summary, we identified a novel function for non-human TRIM5 variants in cellular immunity. We hypothesise that TRIM5 can couple innate viral sensing and CD8+ T-cell activation to increase species barriers against retrovirus infection. IMPORTANCE: New therapeutics to tackle HIV-1 infection should aim to combine rapid innate viral sensing and cellular immune recognition. Such strategies could prevent seeding of the viral reservoir and the immune damage that occurs during acute infection. The non-human TRIM5 variants, rhesus TRIM5α (RhT5) and TRIM-cyclophilin A (TCyp), are attractive candidates owing to their potency in sensing HIV-1 and blocking its activity. Here, we show that expression of RhT5 and TCyp in HIV-1-infected cells improves CD8+ T cell-mediated inhibition through the direct activation of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. We found that the potency in CD8+ activation was stronger for RhT5 variants and capsid-specific CD8+ T-cells in a mechanism that relies on TRIM5-dependent particle recruitment to cellular proteasomes. This novel mechanism couples innate viral sensing with cellular immunity in a single protein and could be exploited to develop innovative therapeutics for control of HIV-1 infection