Ten-Year Analysis of Bacterial Colonisation and Outcomes of Major Burn Patients with a Focus on Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A retrospective descriptive study included patients admitted with severe burns over the course of 10 years (2008–2018). Across all patients, there were 39 different species of bacteria, with 23 species being Gram-negative and 16 being Gram-positive bacteria, with also five different species of fungi cultured. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most commonly isolated organism, with 57.45% of patients having a positive culture. There was a significant difference in the number of P. aeruginosa isolated from patients that acquired their burns at work, in a garden, inside a vehicle, in a garage or in a public place. In patients that were positive for P. aeruginosa, the number of operations was higher (2.4) and the length of stay was significantly increased (80.1 days). Patients that suffered from substance abuse demonstrated significantly higher numbers of isolated P. aeruginosa (14.8%). Patients that suffered from both mental health illness and substance abuse demonstrated significantly higher numbers of P. aeruginosa isolated (18.5%). In the P. aeruginosa-negative group, there were significantly fewer patients that had been involved in a clothing fire. Furthermore, in the P. aeruginosa-negative patient cohort, the mortality rate was significantly higher (p = 0.002). Since the incidence of P. aeruginosa was also associated with a decreased mortality rate, it may be that patients admitted to hospital for shorter periods of time were less likely to be colonised with P. aeruginosa. This study demonstrates novel factors that may increase the incidence of P. aeruginosa isolated from burn patients

Theory of mind in utterance interpretation: the case from clinical pragmatics

The cognitive basis of utterance interpretation is an area that continues to provoke intense theoretical debate among pragmatists. That utterance interpretation involves some type of mind-reading or theory of mind (ToM) is indisputable. However, theorists are divided on the exact nature of this ToM-based mechanism. In this paper, it is argued that the only type of ToM-based mechanism that can adequately represent the cognitive basis of utterance interpretation is one which reflects the rational, intentional, holistic character of interpretation. Such a ToM-based mechanism is supported on conceptual and empirical grounds. Empirical support for this view derives from the study of children and adults with pragmatic disorders. Specifically, three types of clinical case are considered. In the first case, evidence is advanced which indicates that individuals with pragmatic disorders exhibit deficits in reasoning and the use of inferences. These deficits compromise the ability of children and adults with pragmatic disorders to comply with the rational dimension of utterance interpretation

Heterosexual HIV-1 infectiousness and antiretroviral use : systematic review of prospective studies of discordant couples

Background: Recent studies have estimated the reduction in HIV-1 infectiousness with antiretroviral therapy (ART), but high-quality studies such as randomized controlled trials, accompanied by rigorous adherence counseling, are likely to overestimate the effectiveness of treatment-as-prevention in real-life settings. Methods: We attempted to summarize the effect of ART on HIV transmission by undertaking a systematic review and meta-analysis of HIV-1 infectiousness per heterosexual partnership (incidence rate and cumulative incidence over study follow-up) estimated from prospective studies of discordant couples. We used random-effects Poisson regression models to obtain summary estimates. When possible, the analyses were further stratified by direction of transmission (man-to-woman or woman-to-man) and economic setting (high- or low-income countries). Potential causes of heterogeneity of estimates were explored through subgroup analyses. Results: Fifty publications were included. Nine allowed comparison between ART and non-ART users within studies (ART-stratified studies), in which summary incidence rates were 3.6/100 person-years (95% confidence interval = 2.0-6.5) and 0.2/100 person-years (0.07-0.7) for non-ART- and ART-using couples, respectively (P < 0.001), constituting a 91% (79-96%) reduction in per-partner HIV-1 incidence rate with ART use. The 41 studies that did not stratify by ART use provided estimates with high levels of heterogeneity (I2 statistic) and few reported levels of ART use, making interpretation difficult. Nevertheless, estimates tended to be lower with ART use. Infectiousness tended to be higher for low-income than high-income settings, but there was no clear pattern by direction of transmission (man-to-woman and woman-to-man). Conclusions: ART substantially reduces HIV-1 infectiousness within discordant couples, based on observational studies, and could play a major part in HIV-1 prevention efforts. However, the non-zero risk from partners receiving ART demonstrates that appropriate counseling and other risk-reduction strategies for discordant couples are still required. Additional estimates of ART effectiveness by adherence level from real-life settings will be important, especially for persons starting treatment early without symptoms

MicroRNA-18a targeting of the STK4/MST1 tumour suppressor is necessary for transformation in HPV positive cervical cancer

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a major cause of malignancy worldwide. They are the aetiological agents of almost all cervical cancers as well as a sub-set of other anogenital and head and neck cancers. Hijacking of host cellular pathways is essential for virus pathogenesis; however, a major challenge remains to identify key host targets and to define their contribution to HPV-driven malignancy. The Hippo pathway regulates epithelial homeostasis by down-regulating the function of the transcription factor YAP. Increased YAP expression has been observed in cervical cancer but the mechanisms driving this increase remain unclear. We found significant down-regulation of the master Hippo regulatory kinase STK4 (also termed MST1) in cervical disease samples and cervical cancer cell lines compared with healthy controls. Re-introduction of STK4 inhibited the proliferation of HPV positive cervical cells and this corresponded with decreased YAP nuclear localization and decreased YAP-dependent gene expression. The HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins maintained low STK4 expression in cervical cancer cells by upregulating the oncomiR miR-18a, which directly targeted the STK4 mRNA 3’UTR. Interestingly, miR-18a knockdown increased STK4 expression and activated the Hippo pathway, significantly reducing cervical cancer cell proliferation. Our results identify STK4 as a key cervical cancer tumour suppressor, which is targeted via miR-18a in HPV positive tumours. Our study indicates that activation of the Hippo pathway may offer a therapeutically beneficial option for cervical cancer treatment

Al servicio del rey. Sobre la carta real diplomática de la Corona de Aragón (1336-1458)

The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the morphological evolution of the royal diplomatic letter in the Crown of Aragon between the reigns of Peter the Ceremonious and Alfonso the Magnanimous. During this period, the form taken by this document was adapted to its contents and those in receipt of it, according to the principles of the Ars dictaminis, without relinquishing its material and textual simplicity in the process. With its adaptation to the communicative requirements of the monarchy, the royal diplomatic letter became an instrument of governance that helped to strengthen royal power and anticipated mechanisms that would be fully developed during the Early Modern Period.El objetivo de este artículo es reconstruir la evolución morfológica de la carta real diplomática catalanoaragonesa entre los reinados de Pedro el Ceremonioso y Alfonso el Magnánimo. A lo largo de este período, esta tipología documental, siguiendo los principios del Ars dictaminis, adaptó sus características externas e internas a las acciones jurídicas que contenía y a sus destinatarios, sin renunciar por ello a su simplicidad material y textual. Con su adecuación a las necesidades comunicativas de la monarquía, la carta real diplomática se convirtió en un instrumento de gobierno que contribuyó al fortalecimiento del poder real y anticipó formas que alcanzarán su pleno desarrollo en época moderna

Real-time in situ dynamic sub-surface imaging of multi-component electrodeposited films using event mode neutron reflectivity

Exquisite control of the electrodeposition of metal films and coatings is critical to a number of high technology and manufacturing industries, delivering functionality as diverse as anti- corrosion and anti-wear coatings, electronic device interconnects and energy storage. The frequent involvement of more than one metal motivates the capability to control, maintain and monitor spatial disposition of the component metals, whether as multilayers, alloys or composites. Here we investigate the deposition, evolution and dissolution of single and two- component metal layers involving Ag, Cu, and Sn on Au substrates immersed in the deep eutectic solvent (DES) Ethaline. During galvanostatically controlled stripping of the metals from two-component systems the potential signature in simultaneous thickness electrochemical potential (STEP) measurements provides identification of the dissolving metal; coulometric assay of deposition efficiency is an additional outcome. When combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) frequency responses, the mass change:charge ratio provides oxidation state data; this is significant for Cu in the high chloride environment provided by Ethaline. The spatial distribution (solvent penetration and external roughness) of multiple components in bilayer systems is provided by specular neutron reflectivity (NR). Significantly, the use of recently established event mode capability shortens the observational timescale of the NR measurements by an order of magnitude, permitting dynamic in situ observations on practically useful timescales. Ag,Cu bilayers of both spatial configurations give identical STEP signatures indicating that, despite the extremely low layer porosity, thermodynamic constraints (rather than spatial accessibility) dictate reactivity; thus, surprisingly, Cu dissolves first in both instances. Sn penetrates the Au electrode on the timescale of deposition; this can be prevented by interposing a layer of either Ag or Cu

Resolution of impact-related microstructures in lunar zircon: A shock-deformation mechanism map

The microstructures of lunar zircon grains from breccia samples 72215, 73215, 73235, and 76295 collected during the Apollo 17 mission have been characterized via optical microscopy, cathodoluminescence imaging, and electron backscatter diffraction mapping. These zircon grains preserve deformation microstructures that show a wide range in style and complexity. Planar deformation features (PDFs) are documented in lunar zircon for the first time, and occur along {001}, {110}, and {112}, typically with 0.1–25 µm spacing. The widest PDFs associated with {112} contain microtwin lamellae with 65°/ misorientation relationships. Deformation bands parallel to {100} planes and irregular low-angle ( misorientation axes. This geometry is consistent with a dislocation glide system with {010} during dislocation creep. Nonplanar fractures, recrystallized domains with sharp, irregular interfaces, and localized annealing textures along fractures are also observed. No occurrences of reidite were detected. Shock-deformation microstructures in zircon are explained in terms of elastic anisotropy of zircon. PDFs form along a limited number of specific {hkl} planes that are perpendicular to directions of high Young’s modulus, suggesting that PDFs are likely to be planes of longitudinal lattice damage. Twinned {112} PDFs also contain directions of high shear modulus. A conceptual model is proposed for the development of different deformation microstructures during an impact event. This “shock-deformation mechanism map” is used to explain the relative timing, conditions, and complexity relationships between impact-related deformation microstructures in zircon

Double-Barred Galaxies: I. A Catalog of Barred Galaxies with Stellar Secondary Bars and Inner Disks

I present a catalog of 67 barred galaxies which contain distinct, elliptical stellar structures inside their bars. Fifty of these are double-barred galaxies: a small-scale, "inner" or "secondary" bar is embedded within a large-scale, "outer" or "primary" bar. I provide homogenized measurements of the sizes, ellipticities, and orientations of both inner and outer bars, along with with global parameters for the galaxies. The other 17 are classified as "inner-disk" galaxies, where a large-scale bar harbors an inner elliptical structure which is aligned with the galaxy's outer disk. Four of the double-barred galaxies also possess inner disks, located in between the inner and outer bars. While the inner-disk classification is ad-hoc -- and undoubtedly includes some inner bars with chance alignments (five such probable cases are identified) -- there is good evidence that inner disks form a statistically distinct population, and that at least some are indeed disks rather than bars. In addition, I list 36 galaxies which may be double-barred, but for which current observations are ambiguous or incomplete, and another 23 galaxies which have been previously suggested as potentially being double-barred, but which are probably *not*. False double-bar identifications are usually due to features such as nuclear rings and spirals being misclassified as bars; I provide some illustrated examples of how this can happen.Comment: LaTeX, 25 pages, 6 EPS figures. Typos fixed and title slightly altered; accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics. Version with full-resolution figures available at http://www.iac.es/galeria/erwin/research