Synthesis of sources with Markovian features

We realize the design and synthesis of partially coherent secondary sources illuminating an ensemble of mobile transmittances in a tandem array. The motion states of the transmittances are random variables which are synchronized by means of the conditional probability density function whose control allows generating sources whose light emission corresponds with a Markov chain. The experimental results are shown

Solid-State Hydrolysis (SSH) Improves the Nutritional Value of Plant Ingredients in the Diet of Mugil cephalus

The possibility of improving the nutritional quality of plant byproducts (brewers’ spentgrain and rice bran) through an enzyme treatment was tested in a formulated feed for grey mullet(Mugil cephalus). The enzyme treatment was carried out by Solid-State Hydrolysis (SSH) using acommercial preparation including carbohydrases and phytase. A feed prepared without the treatmentand a commercial feed for carp were used as controls. In a preliminary short-term trial carried out atlaboratory facilities, fish receiving the enzyme-treated feed showed significant improvement in bothFCR and SGR when compared to those obtained with the untreated diet, although both experimentaldiets presented worse values than those obtained with the commercial feed. Different metabolicindicators including higher values of muscle glycogen and plasmatic triglycerides supported thepositive effect of the enzyme treatment on the nutritional condition of the fish over those fed on thediet containing non-treated ingredients. Results of growth and feed efficiency that were obtainedin a second long-term trial developed for 148 days under real production conditions evidenced theequivalence among the experimental and commercial diets and confirmed that enzyme pretreatmentof plant ingredients by SSH may be a useful procedure to improve the nutritive value of highfiber plant byproducts when included in practical diets for this species and others with similarnutritional features

Soluble AXL is a novel blood marker for early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and differential diagnosis from chronic pancreatitis

Background: Early diagnosis is crucial for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The AXL receptor tyrosine kinase is proteolytically processed releasing a soluble form (sAXL) into the blood stream. Here we explore the use of sAXL as a biomarker for PDAC. Methods: AXL was analysed by immunohistochemistry in human pancreatic tissue samples. RNA expression analysis was performed using TCGA/GTEx databases. The plasma concentrations of sAXL, its ligand GAS6, and CA19-9 were studied in two independent cohorts, the HMar cohort (n = 59) and the HClinic cohort (n = 142), including healthy controls, chronic pancreatitis (CP) or PDAC patients, and in a familial PDAC cohort (n = 68). AXL expression and sAXL release were studied in PDAC cell lines and murine models. Findings: AXL is increased in PDAC and precursor lesions as compared to CP or controls. sAXL determined in plasma from two independent cohorts was significantly increased in the PDAC group as compared to healthy controls or CP patients. Patients with high levels of AXL have a lower overall survival. ROC analysis of the plasma levels of sAXL, GAS6, or CA19-9 in our cohorts revealed that sAXL outperformed CA19-9 for discriminating between CP and PDAC. Using both sAXL and CA19-9 increased the diagnostic value. These results were validated in murine models, showing increased sAXL specifically in animals developing PDAC but not those with precursor lesions or acinar tumours. Interpretation: sAXL appears as a biomarker for early detection of PDAC and PDAC–CP discrimination that could accelerate treatment and improve its dismal prognosis. Funding: This work was supported by grants PI20/00625 (PN), RTI2018-095672-B-I00 (AM and PGF), PI20/01696 (MG) and PI18/01034 (AC) from MICINN-FEDER and grant 2017/SGR/225 (PN) from Generalitat de Catalunya. © 2021 The Author(s

A randomized study of nutritional supplementation in patients with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration

The purpose of this study is evaluate the efficacy and safety of medicinal products con-taining the original Age-Related Eye Disease group (AREDS) formulation at doses approved in Europe (EU, control group; n = 59) with a product that adds DHA, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol and hydroxytyrosol to the formula (intervention group; n = 50). This was a multicenter, random-ized, observer-blinded trial conducted in patients aged 50 years or older diagnosed with unilateral exudative Age related Macular Degeneration AMD. At month 12, the intervention did not have a significant differential effect on visual acuity compared with the control group, with an estimated treatment difference in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) of -1.63 (95% CI -0.83 to 4.09; p = 0.192). The intervention exhibited a significant and, in most cases, relevant effect in terms of a reduction in some inflammatory cytokines and a greater improvement in the fatty acid profile and serum lutein and zeaxantin concentration. In patients with unilateral wet AMD, the addition of lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, hydroxytyrosol and DHA to the AREDS EU recommended doses in the short-term did not have a differential effect on visual acuity compared to a standard AREDS EU formula but, in addition to improving the fatty acid profile and increasing carotenoid serum levels, may provide a beneficial effect in improving the proinflammatory and proangiogenic profile of patients with AMD. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Complete response to gemtuzumab ozogamicin in a patient with refractory mast cell leukemia

Mast cell (MC) leukemia (MCL) is a subtype of systemic mastocytosis (SM) defined by the World Health Organization as ⩾ 20% of MCs in the bone marrow (BM) aspirate, with (leukemic variant) or without (aleukemic variant) ⩾ 10% of MCs in peripheral blood (PB). The European/American Consensus Group on Mastocytosis has recently proposed a new subclassification of MCL that distinguishes acute vs chronic MCL based on the presence vs absence of organ damage, respectively.Peer Reviewe

Multiple myeloma and SARS-CoV-2 infection : clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of inpatient mortality

There is limited information on the characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) hospitalized with COVID-19. This retrospective case series investigated 167 patients reported from 73 hospitals within the Spanish Myeloma Collaborative Group network in March and April, 2020. Outcomes were compared with 167 randomly selected, contemporary, age-/sex-matched noncancer patients with COVID-19 admitted at six participating hospitals. Among MM and noncancer patients, median age was 71 years, and 57% of patients were male; 75 and 77% of patients, respectively, had at least one comorbidity. COVID-19 clinical severity was moderate-severe in 77 and 89% of patients and critical in 8 and 4%, respectively. Supplemental oxygen was required by 47 and 55% of MM and noncancer patients, respectively, and 21%/9% vs 8%/6% required noninvasive/invasive ventilation. Inpatient mortality was 34 and 23% in MM and noncancer patients, respectively. Among MM patients, inpatient mortality was 41% in males, 42% in patients aged >65 years, 49% in patients with active/progressive MM at hospitalization, and 59% in patients with comorbid renal disease at hospitalization, which were independent prognostic factors on adjusted multivariate analysis. This case series demonstrates the increased risk and identifies predictors of inpatient mortality among MM patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Physics of Neutron Star Crusts

The physics of neutron star crusts is vast, involving many different research fields, from nuclear and condensed matter physics to general relativity. This review summarizes the progress, which has been achieved over the last few years, in modeling neutron star crusts, both at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. The confrontation of these theoretical models with observations is also briefly discussed.Comment: 182 pages, published version available at <http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2008-10

HE-LHC: The High-Energy Large Hadron Collider – Future Circular Collider Conceptual Design Report Volume 4

In response to the 2013 Update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (EPPSU), the Future Circular Collider (FCC) study was launched as a world-wide international collaboration hosted by CERN. The FCC study covered an energy-frontier hadron collider (FCC-hh), a highest-luminosity high-energy lepton collider (FCC-ee), the corresponding 100 km tunnel infrastructure, as well as the physics opportunities of these two colliders, and a high-energy LHC, based on FCC-hh technology. This document constitutes the third volume of the FCC Conceptual Design Report, devoted to the hadron collider FCC-hh. It summarizes the FCC-hh physics discovery opportunities, presents the FCC-hh accelerator design, performance reach, and staged operation plan, discusses the underlying technologies, the civil engineering and technical infrastructure, and also sketches a possible implementation. Combining ingredients from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the high-luminosity LHC upgrade and adding novel technologies and approaches, the FCC-hh design aims at significantly extending the energy frontier to 100 TeV. Its unprecedented centre-of-mass collision energy will make the FCC-hh a unique instrument to explore physics beyond the Standard Model, offering great direct sensitivity to new physics and discoveries