Immunoglobulin E-an Innocent Bystander in Host Defense?

Peer reviewe

Editorial : Updates on the pathogenesis of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID)

Non peer reviewe

What symptoms best predict severe distress in an online survey of UK health and social care staff facing COVID-19: development of the two-item Tipping Point Index

Objectives: COVID-19 has altered standard thresholds for identifying anxiety and depression. A brief questionnaire to determine when individuals are at a tipping point for severe anxiety or depression would greatly help decisions about when to seek assessment or treatment. Design: Data were collected as part of the Frontline-COVID Study, a cross-sectional national online survey with good coverage of health and social care settings. New questionnaire items reflecting when coping was actually breaking down were compared with standard measures of severe anxiety and depression. Data were collected between 27 May and 23 July 2020. Setting: The majority of participants worked in hospitals (53%), in nursing or care homes (15%), or in other community settings (30%). Participants: Of 1194 qualifying respondents, 1038 completed the six tipping point items. Respondents included nurses, midwives, doctors, care workers, healthcare assistants, allied healthcare professionals and other non-medical staff. Over 90% were white and female. Main outcome measures: Threshold for severe anxiety according to the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 or moderately severe depression according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results: Answering yes to one of two simple questions (‘Over the last week have you been often feeling panicky or on the point of losing control of your emotions?’, ‘Over the last week have you felt complete hopelessness about the future?’) demonstrated very high sensitivity (0.95, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.97) and negative predictive value (0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.98). Answering yes to both questions yielded high specificity (0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.92) and positive predictive value (0.72, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.77). Results were replicated in two random subsamples and were consistent across different genders, ethnic backgrounds, and health or social care settings. Conclusions: Answering two simple yes/no questions can provide simple and immediate guidance to assist with decisions about whether to seek further assessment or treatment. Data availability statement: Anonymised data that support the findings of this study are available from TG upon reasonable request. The data have not been made publicly available due to their personal and sensitive nature

Electronic structure and chemical bonding in Ti2AlC investigated by soft x-ray emission spectroscopy

The electronic structure of the nanolaminated transition metal carbide Ti2AlC has been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. The measured Ti L, C K and Al L emission spectra are compared with calculated spectra using ab initio density-functional theory including dipole matrix elements. The detailed investigation of the electronic structure and chemical bonding provides increased understanding of the physical properties of this type of nanolaminates. Three different types of bond regions are identified; the relatively weak Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization 1 eV below the Fermi level, and the Ti 3d - C 2p and Ti 3d - C 2s hybridizations which are stronger and deeper in energy are observed around 2.5 eV and 10 eV below the Fermi level, respectively. A strongly modified spectral shape of the 3s final states in comparison to pure Al is detected for the buried Al monolayers indirectly reflecting the Ti 3d - Al 3p hybridization. The differences between the electronic and crystal structures of Ti2AlC, Ti3AlC2 and TiC are discussed in relation to the number of Al layers per Ti layer in the two former systems and the corresponding change of the unusual materials properties.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; PACS:78.70.En, 71.15.Mb, 71.20.-

Pupil Size Variation Related to Oral Report of Affective Pictures

AbstractThe goal of the experiment was to establish pupil size variations while viewing and reporting 48 affective (IAPS) pictur es. The experiment consisted of 44 students. Pictures appeared on the screen for 20 secs in random order. After reporting the SAM (Self-Assessment Manikin), the participants orally reported on the pictures. In the phase of picture viewing, the unpleasant pictures revealed larger pupillary responses than neutral and pleasant pictures (p<.001). The mean pupil size was at its great est also during the reporting of unpleasant pictures (p< .001). Results indicated that the differences in pupil size variations endure from the viewing phase to the reporting phase of pictures

Novel cytoskeletal mutations with immunodeficiency : Why is the raven like a writing desk?

Non peer reviewe

Aerosol formation and growth rates from chamber experiments using Kalman smoothing

Bayesian state estimation in the form of Kalman smoothing was applied to differential mobility analyser train (DMA-train) measurements of aerosol size distribution dynamics. Four experiments were analysed in order to estimate the aerosol size distribution, formation rate, and size-dependent growth rate, as functions of time. The first analysed case was a synthetic one, generated by a detailed aerosol dynamics model and the other three chamber experiments performed at the CERN CLOUD facility. The estimated formation and growth rates were compared with other methods used earlier for the CLOUD data and with the true values for the computer-generated synthetic experiment. The agreement in the growth rates was very good for all studied cases: estimations with an earlier method fell within the uncertainty limits of the Kalman smoother results. The formation rates also matched well, within roughly a factor of 2.5 in all cases, which can be considered very good considering the fact that they were estimated from data given by two different instruments, the other being the particle size magnifier (PSM), which is known to have large uncertainties close to its detection limit. The presented fixed interval Kalman smoother (FIKS) method has clear advantages compared with earlier methods that have been applied to this kind of data. First, FIKS can reconstruct the size distribution between possible size gaps in the measurement in such a way that it is consistent with aerosol size distribution dynamics theory, and second, the method gives rise to direct and reliable estimation of size distribution and process rate uncertainties if the uncertainties in the kernel functions and numerical models are known.Bayesian state estimation in the form of Kalman smoothing was applied to differential mobility analyser train (DMA-train) measurements of aerosol size distribution dynamics. Four experiments were analysed in order to estimate the aerosol size distribution, formation rate, and size-dependent growth rate, as functions of time. The first analysed case was a synthetic one, generated by a detailed aerosol dynamics model and the other three chamber experiments performed at the CERN CLOUD facility. The estimated formation and growth rates were compared with other methods used earlier for the CLOUD data and with the true values for the computer-generated synthetic experiment. The agreement in the growth rates was very good for all studied cases: estimations with an earlier method fell within the uncertainty limits of the Kalman smoother results. The formation rates also matched well, within roughly a factor of 2.5 in all cases, which can be considered very good considering the fact that they were estimated from data given by two different instruments, the other being the particle size magnifier (PSM), which is known to have large uncertainties close to its detection limit. The presented fixed interval Kalman smoother (FIKS) method has clear advantages compared with earlier methods that have been applied to this kind of data. First, FIKS can reconstruct the size distribution between possible size gaps in the measurement in such a way that it is consistent with aerosol size distribution dynamics theory, and second, the method gives rise to direct and reliable estimation of size distribution and process rate uncertainties if the un-certainties in the kernel functions and numerical models are known.Peer reviewe

Size and location of radish 1 chromosome regions carrying the fertility restorer Rfk1 gene in spring turnip rape

In spring turnip rape (Brassica rapa L. spp. oleifera) the most promising F1 hybrid system would be the Ogu-INRA CMS/Rf system. A Kosena fertility restorer gene Rfk1, homologue of the Ogura restorer gene Rfo, was successfully transferred from oilseed rape into turnip rape and that restored the fertility in female lines carrying Ogura cms. The trait was, however, unstable in subsequent generations. The physical localization of the radish chromosomal region carrying the Rfk1 gene was investigated using 8 GISH (genomic in situ hybridization) and BAC-FISH (bacterial artificial chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization) methods. The metaphase chromosomes were hybridized using radish DNA as the genomic probe and BAC64 probe, which is linked with Rfo gene. Both probes showed a signal in the chromosome spreads of the restorer line 4021-2 Rfk of turnip rape but not in the negative control line 4021B. The GISH analyses clearly showed that the turnip rape restorer plants were either monosomic (2n=2x=20+1R) or disomic (2n=2x=20+2R) addition lines with one or two copies of a single alien chromosome region originating from radish. In the BAC-FISH analysis, double dot signals were detected in sub-terminal parts of the radish chromosome arms showing that the fertility restorer gene Rfk1 was located in this additional radish chromosome. Detected disomic addition lines were found to be unstable for turnip rape hybrid production. Using the BAC-FISH analysis, weak signals were sometimes visible in two chromosomes of turnip rape and a homologous region of Rfk1 in chromosome 9 of the B. rapa A genome was verified with BLAST analysis. In the future this homologous area in A genome could be substituted with radish chromosome area carrying the Rfk1 gene.Comment: "The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com". http://www.springer.com/open+access/authors+rights?SGWID=0-176704-12-683201-0 non-commercial pre-print servers like arXiv.org can ... be updated with the author's accepted version. ... Acknowledgement ... accompanied by the text "The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Androgen deprivation and SARS-CoV-2 in men with prostate cancer

Non peer reviewe