1,157 research outputs found
Steps towards collective sustainability in biomedical research
The optimism surrounding multistakeholder research initiatives does not match the clear view of policies that are needed to exploit the potential of these collaborations. Here we propose some action items that stem from the integration between research advancements with the perspectives of patient-advocacy organizations, academia, and industry
Multivariate regression based convolutional neural network model for fundus image quality assessment
Modeling BrainâHeart Crosstalk Information in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury
Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an extremely heterogeneous and complex pathology that requires the integration of different physiological measurements for the optimal understanding and clinical management of patients. Information derived from intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring can be coupled with information obtained from heart rate (HR) monitoring to assess the interplay between brain and heart. The goal of our study is to investigate events of simultaneous increases in HR and ICP and their relationship with patient mortality. Methods: In our previous work, we introduced a novel measure of brainâheart interaction termed brainâheart crosstalks (ctnp), as well as two additional brainâheart crosstalks indicators [mutual information (mict) and average edge overlap (Ïct)] obtained through a complex network modeling of the brainâheart system. These measures are based on identification of simultaneous increase of HR and ICP. In this article, we investigated the relationship of these novel indicators with respect to mortality in a multicenter TBI cohort, as part of the Collaborative European Neurotrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI high-resolution work package. Results: A total of 226 patients with TBI were included in this cohort. The data set included monitored parameters (ICP and HR), as well as laboratory, demographics, and clinical information. The number of detected brainâheart crosstalks varied (mean 58, standard deviation 57). The KruskalâWallis test comparing brainâheart crosstalks measures of survivors and nonsurvivors showed statistically significant differences between the two distributions (p values: 0.02 for mict, 0.005 for ctnp and 0.006 for Ïct). An inverse correlation was found, computed using the point biserial correlation technique, between the three new measures and mortality: â 0.13 for ctnp (p value 0.04), â 0.19 for Ïct (p value 0.002969) and â 0.09 for mict (p value 0.1396). The measures were then introduced into the logistic regression framework, along with a set of input predictors made of clinical, demographic, computed tomography (CT), and lab variables. The prediction models were obtained by dividing the original cohort into four age groups (16â29, 30â49, 50â65, and 65â85 years of age) to properly treat with the age confounding factor. The best performing models were for age groups 16â29, 50â65, and 65â85, with the deviance of ratio explaining more than 80% in all the three cases. The presence of an inverse relationship between brainâheart crosstalks and mortality was also confirmed. Conclusions: The presence of a negative relationship between mortality and brainâheart crosstalks indicators suggests that a healthy brainâcardiovascular interaction plays a role in TBI.Peer reviewe
Production of Therapeutically Relevant Indolizidine Alkaloids in Securinega suffruticosa In Vitro Shoots Maintained in Liquid Culture Systems
Structural model of cytosolic N-terminus of a2-subunit isoform of V-ATPase: Identification and characterization of two binding interfaces for cytohesin-2
The Fornax Deep Survey (FDS) with the VST. XI. The search for signs of preprocessing between the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group
Context. Galaxies either live in a cluster, a group, or in a field environment. In the hierarchical framework, the group environment bridges the field to the cluster environment, as field galaxies form groups before aggregating into clusters. In principle, environmental mechanisms, such as galaxy-galaxy interactions, can be more efficient in groups than in clusters due to lower velocity dispersion, which lead to changes in the properties of galaxies. This change in properties for group galaxies before entering the cluster environment is known as preprocessing. Whilst cluster and field galaxies are well studied, the extent to which galaxies become preprocessed in the group environment is unclear. Aims: We investigate the structural properties of cluster and group galaxies by studying the Fornax main cluster and the infalling Fornax A group, exploring the effects of galaxy preprocessing in this showcase example. Additionally, we compare the structural complexity of Fornax galaxies to those in the Virgo cluster and in the field. Methods: Our sample consists of 582 galaxies from the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group. We quantified the light distributions of each galaxy based on a combination of aperture photometry, SĂ©rsic+PSF (point spread function) and multi-component decompositions, and non-parametric measures of morphology. From these analyses, we derived the galaxy colours, structural parameters, non-parametric morphological indices (Concentration C; Asymmetry A, Clumpiness S; Gini G; second order moment of light M20), and structural complexity based on multi-component decompositions. These quantities were then compared between the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group. The structural complexity of Fornax galaxies were also compared to those in Virgo and in the field. Results: We find significant (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test p-value < α = 0.05) differences in the distributions of quantities derived from SĂ©rsic profiles (gâČârâČ, râČâiâČ, Re, and ÎŒÌe,râČ), and non-parametric indices (A and S) between the Fornax main cluster and Fornax A group. Fornax A group galaxies are typically bluer, smaller, brighter, and more asymmetric and clumpy. Moreover, we find significant cluster-centric trends with râČâiâČ, Re, and ÎŒÌe,râČ, as well as A, S, G, and M20 for galaxies in the Fornax main cluster. This implies that galaxies falling towards the centre of the Fornax main cluster become fainter, more extended, and generally smoother in their light distribution. Conversely, we do not find significant group-centric trends for Fornax A group galaxies. We find the structural complexity of galaxies (in terms of the number of components required to fit a galaxy) to increase as a function of the absolute râČ-band magnitude (and stellar mass), with the largest change occurring between â14 mag âČMrâČ âČ â19 mag (7.5 âČ log10(M*/Mâ) âČ 9.7). This same trend was found in galaxy samples from the Virgo cluster and in the field, which suggests that the formation or maintenance of morphological structures (e.g., bulges, bar) are largely due to the stellar mass of the galaxies, rather than the environment they reside in. Full Tables 2, 3, and I.1 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/647/A10
The VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey: Exploring the Outskirts and Intra-cluster Regions of Galaxies in the Low-surface-brightness Regime
The VST Early-type GAlaxy Survey (VEGAS) is a deep, multi-band (u, g, r, i)
imaging survey, carried out with the 2.6-metre VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at
ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. VEGAS combines the wide (1-square-degree)
OmegaCAM imager and long integration times, together with a specially designed
observing strategy. It has proven to be a gold mine for studies of features at
very low surface brightness, down to levels of mu_g~27-30 magnitudes
arcsec^(-2), over 5-8 magnitudes fainter than the dark sky at Paranal. In this
article we highlight the main science results obtained with VEGAS observations
of galaxies across different environments, from dense clusters of galaxies to
unexplored poor groups and in the field.Comment: Published in The Messenger, vol. 183, p. 25-2
IFNAR1-Signalling Obstructs ICOS-mediated Humoral Immunity during Non-lethal Blood-Stage Plasmodium Infection
Funding: This work was funded by a Career Development Fellowship (1028634) and a project grant (GRNT1028641) awarded to AHa by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). IS was supported by The University of Queensland Centennial and IPRS Scholarships. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Galaxy populations in the Hydra i cluster from the VEGAS survey:I. Optical properties of a large sample of dwarf galaxies
At ~50 Mpc, the Hydra I cluster of galaxies is among the closest cluster in
the z=0 Universe, and an ideal environment to study dwarf galaxy properties in
a cluster environment. We exploit deep imaging data of the Hydra I cluster to
construct a new photometric catalog of dwarf galaxies in the cluster core,
which is then used to derive properties of the Hydra I cluster dwarf galaxies
population as well as to compare with other clusters. Moreover, we investigate
the dependency of dwarf galaxy properties on their surrounding environment. The
new Hydra I dwarf catalog contains 317 galaxies with luminosity between
-18.5<<-11.5 mag, a semi-major axis larger than ~200 pc (a=0.84 arcsec),
of which 202 are new detections, previously unknown dwarf galaxies in the Hydra
I central region. We estimate that our detection efficiency reaches 50% at the
limiting magnitude =-11.5 mag, and at the mean effective surface
brightness =26.5 mag/. We present the standard
scaling relations for dwarf galaxies and compare them with other nearby
clusters. We find that there are no observational differences for dwarfs
scaling relations in clusters of different sizes. We study the spatial
distribution of galaxies, finding evidence for the presence of substructures
within half the virial radius. We also find that mid- and high-luminosity
dwarfs (<-14.5 mag) become on average redder toward the cluster center,
and that they have a mild increase in with increasing clustercentric
distance, similar to what is observed for the Fornax cluster. No clear
clustercentric trends are reported with surface brightness and S\'ersic index.
Considering galaxies in the same magnitude-bins, we find that for high and
mid-luminosity dwarfs (<-13.5 mag) the g-r color is redder for the
brighter surface brightness and higher S\'ersic n index objects.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 25 pages, 21 figure
British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma
These guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) were commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology liver section. The guideline writing committee included a multidisciplinary team of experts from various specialties involved in the management of CCA, as well as patient/public representatives from AMMF (the Cholangiocarcinoma Charity) and PSC Support. Quality of evidence is presented using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) format. The recommendations arising are to be used as guidance rather than as a strict protocol-based reference, as the management of patients with CCA is often complex and always requires individual patient-centred considerations
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