Non-reciprocal interactions spatially propagate fluctuations in a 2D Ising model

Motivated by the anisotropic interactions between fish, we implement spatially anisotropic and therefore non-reciprocal interactions in the 2D Ising model. First, we show that the model with non-reciprocal interactions alters the system critical temperature away from that of the traditional 2D Ising model. Further, local perturbations to the magnetization in this out-of-equilibrium system manifest themselves as traveling waves of spin states along the lattice, also seen in a mean-field model of our system. The speed and directionality of these traveling waves are controllable by the orientation and magnitude of the non-reciprocal interaction kernel as well as the proximity of the system to the critical temperature.Comment: 4 figure

Entropy Production Rate is Maximized in Non-Contractile Actomyosin

The actin cytoskeleton is an active semi-flexible polymer network whose non-equilibrium properties coordinate both stable and contractile behaviors to maintain or change cell shape. While myosin motors drive the actin cytoskeleton out-of-equilibrium, the role of myosin-driven active stresses in the accumulation and dissipation of mechanical energy is unclear. To investigate this, we synthesize an actomyosin material in vitro whose active stress content can tune the network from stable to contractile. Each increment in activity determines a characteristic spectrum of actin filament fluctuations which is used to calculate the total mechanical work and the production of entropy in the material. We find that the balance of work and entropy does not increase monotonically and, surprisingly, the entropy production rate is maximized in the non-contractile, stable state. Our study provides evidence that the origins of system entropy production and activity-dependent dissipation arise from disorder in the molecular interactions between actin and myosinComment: 31 pages, 5 figure

Antithrombotic treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndromes: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey

The management of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a patient with existing atrial fibrillation (AF) often presents a management dilemma both in the acute phase and post-ACS, since the majority of AF patients will already be receiving oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention and will require further antithrombotic treatment to reduce the risk of in-stent thrombosis or recurrent cardiac events. Current practice recommendations are based largely on consensus option as there is limited evidence from randomized controlled trials. Prior to the launch of the new European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document, a survey was undertaken to examine current clinical management of these patients across centres in Europe. Forty-seven centres submitted valid responses, with the majority (70.2%) being university hospitals. This EHRA survey demonstrated overall the management of ACS in AF patients is consistent with the available guidance. Most centres would use triple therapy for a short duration (4 weeks) and predominantly utilize a strategy of OAC (vitamin K antagonist, VKA or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant, NOAC) plus aspirin and clopidogrel, followed by dual therapy [(N)OAC plus clopidogrel] until 12 months post-percutaneous coronary intervention, followed by (N)OAC monotherapy indefinitely. Where NOAC was used in combination with antiplatelet(s), the lower dose of the respective NOAC was preferred, in accordance with current recommendations

Arthroscopic washout of the ankle for septic arthritis in a three-month-old boy

There is no report of athroscopic treatment for septic arthritis of the ankle in infants. We report a case of successful management of septic arthritis of the ankle in a three-month-old boy by arthroscopic washout. Arthroscopic washout may be a useful treatment for septic arthritis in young infants when performed early after onset

Non-invasive Predictors of Human Cortical Bone Mechanical Properties: T2-Discriminated 1H NMR Compared with High Resolution X-ray

Recent advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have enabled clinical imaging of human cortical bone, providing a potentially powerful new means for assessing bone health with molecular-scale sensitivities unavailable to conventional X-ray-based diagnostics. To this end, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution X-ray signals from human cortical bone samples were correlated with mechanical properties of bone. Results showed that 1H NMR signals were better predictors of yield stress, peak stress, and pre-yield toughness than were the X-ray derived signals. These 1H NMR signals can, in principle, be extracted from clinical MRI, thus offering the potential for improved clinical assessment of fracture risk

RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)