Supernovae - Optical Precursors of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

The probability of observing "supernova - gamma-ray burst" (GRB) pair events and recurrent GRBs from one galaxy in a time interval of several years has been estimated. Supernova explosions in binary systems accompanied by the formation of a short-lived pair of compact objects can be the sources of such events. If a short GRB is generated during the collision of a pair, then approximately each of ~300 short GRBs with redshift z must have an optical precursor - a supernova in the observer's time interval <2(1+z)yr. If the supernova explosion has the pattern of a hypernova, then a successive observation of long and short GRBs is possible. The scenario for the generation of multiple GRBs in collapsing galactic nuclei is also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure; this paper has the e-precursor arXiv:1101.3298 [astro-ph.HE

'OH MY GOD! BUY IT!' A multimodal discourse analysis of the discursive strategies used by Chinese ecommerce live-streamer Austin Li

Ecommerce livestreaming, also known as live commerce or social commerce, has taken off over the past two years in East Asia and is showing the tendency of going global. Intrigued by the phenomenal success of ecommerce livestream, we concentrate on analyzing the most prominent and illustrative ex- ample of Chinese ecommerce live-streamer Austin Li. Through this individual case study, we aim to investigate discursive strategies employed in ecommerce livestreaming and reveal resources specific to this new media genre. Guided by multimodal discourse analysis, our research first accommodates the socio-eco- nomic context of Li’s success to warrant social situatedness in interpreting data. After that we move into analyzing his discourse employed in livestreaming. Re- search findings suggest that in attention economy, Li strategically utilizes his male gender as a resource in trying on lipsticks for female customers. His dis- course in multiple modes serves to build consumer trust and propagate products. An in-depth analysis of his discursive strategies indicates that, ecommerce livestreaming as a new form of advertising not only shares commonalities with traditional advertisement discourse but also embodies affordances that are spe- cific to livestreaming platforms. To be more specific, livestreaming is featured with delimitation of time, real-time interactivity, and video-aided communica- tion. These affordances enable Li to adopt more interactive and personalized per- suasive discourse than conventional advertisement

High frequency of BRCA1, but not CHEK2 or NBS1 (NBN), founder mutations in Russian ovarian cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A significant portion of ovarian cancer (OC) cases is caused by germ-line mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. BRCA testing is cheap in populations with founder effect and therefore recommended for all patients with OC diagnosis. Recurrent mutations constitute the vast majority of BRCA defects in Russia, however their impact in OC morbidity has not been yet systematically studied. Furthermore, Russian population is characterized by a relatively high frequency of CHEK2 and NBS1 (NBN) heterozygotes, but it remains unclear whether these two genes contribute to the OC risk.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study included 354 OC patients from 2 distinct, geographically remote regions (290 from North-Western Russia (St.-Petersburg) and 64 from the south of the country (Krasnodar)). DNA samples were tested by allele-specific PCR for the presence of 8 founder mutations (BRCA1 5382insC, BRCA1 4153delA, BRCA1 185delAG, BRCA1 300T>G, BRCA2 6174delT, CHEK2 1100delC, CHEK2 IVS2+1G>A, NBS1 657del5). In addition, literature data on the occurrence of BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2 and NBS1 mutations in non-selected ovarian cancer patients were reviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BRCA1 5382insC allele was detected in 28/290 (9.7%) OC cases from the North-West and 11/64 (17.2%) OC patients from the South of Russia. In addition, 4 BRCA1 185delAG, 2 BRCA1 4153delA, 1 BRCA2 6174delT, 2 CHEK2 1100delC and 1 NBS1 657del5 mutation were detected. 1 patient from Krasnodar was heterozygous for both BRCA1 5382insC and NBS1 657del5 variants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Founder BRCA1 mutations, especially BRCA1 5382insC variant, are responsible for substantial share of OC morbidity in Russia, therefore DNA testing has to be considered for every OC patient of Russian origin. Taken together with literature data, this study does not support the contribution of CHEK2 in OC risk, while the role of NBS1 heterozygosity may require further clarification.</p

The additional value of patient-reported health status in predicting 1-year mortality after invasive coronary procedures: A report from the Euro Heart Survey on Coronary Revascularisation

Objective: Self-perceived health status may be helpful in identifying patients at high risk for adverse outcomes. The Euro Heart Survey on Coronary Revascularization (EHS-CR) provided an opportunity to explore whether impaired health status was a predictor of 1-year mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing angiographic procedures. Methods: Data from the EHS-CR that included 5619 patients from 31 member countries of the European Society of Cardiology were used. Inclusion criteria for the current study were completion of a self-report measure of health status, the EuroQol Questionnaire (EQ-5D) at discharge and information on 1-year follow-up, resulting in a study population of 3786 patients. Results: The 1-year mortality was 3.2% (n = 120). Survivors reported fewer problems on the five dimensions of the EQ-5D as compared with non-survivors. A broad range of potential confounders were adjusted for, which reached a p<0.10 in the unadjusted analyses. In the adjusted analyses, problems with self-care (OR 3.45; 95% CI 2.14 to 5.59) and a low rating (≤ 60) on health status (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.47 to 3.94) were the most powerful independent predictors of mortality, among the 22 clinical variables included in the analysis. Furthermore, patients who reported no problems on all five dimensions had significantly lower 1-year mortality rates (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.81). Conclusions: This analysis shows that impaired health status is associated with a 2-3-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with CAD, independent of other conventional risk factors. These results highlight the importance of including patients' subjective experience of their own health status in the evaluation strategy to optimise risk stratification and management in clinical practice

Liver Cirrhosis as the Outcome of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Associated with PNPLA3 Gene RS738409 Polymorphism

Relevance: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common liver disease worldwide. Although the disease usually has a favorable, asymptomatic course, in some cases it can occur in the form of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and some patients may develop cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. There are more and more foreign studies proving the relationship of genetic factors with the progression of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, information about this association in the Russian Federation remains scarce.Goal of the study: to assess the prevalence of patatinlike phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene variants in patients with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related cirrhosis of the liver in the Russian population sample and the effect of the mutation on the course of the disease.Materials and methods: We formed three groups of patients. Group I included 30 patients with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related cirrhosis of the liver. Group II included 46 patients with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at the non-cirrhotic stage. Group III included 25 healthy volunteers. A retrospective analysis of patient history data was performed. We analyzed the results of biochemical blood tests, coagulogram, and ultrasound examination of abdominal organs from the medical records of patients in groups I and II. Patients from groups I and II were additionally examined using hepatic shear elastometry using the aixplorer multiwave ultrasound system (SuperSonic Imagine, USA). Alleles of the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene were detected using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism.Results. During the study, we obtained statistically reliable links between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the presence of a mutation in the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene (RR-2.171; 95% CI: 1.131-4.170; χ2=6.730769; p=0.00948), between liver cirrhosis and the presence of a mutation in the PNPLA3 gene (RR-4.011; 95% CI: 1.558-10.324; p=0.0003), and the relationship between the frequency of occurrence of the GG genotype of the patatin-like phospholipase domaincontaining protein 3 gene with increasing the stage of liver fibrosis in the Russian population sample.Conclusion: The patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 gene polymorphism rs738409 is a factor in the progression of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to high stages of fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. Detecting of this polymorphism in patients with NAFLD in Russian population may be useful for identifying high-risk groups for disease progression