Skin Imprinting in Silica Plates: A Potential Diagnostic Methodology for Leprosy Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which primarily infects macrophages and Schwann cells, affecting skin and peripheral nerves. Clinically, the most common form of identification is through the observation of anesthetic lesions on skin; however, up to 30% of infected patients may not present this clinical manifestation. Currently, the gold standard diagnostic test for leprosy is based on skin lesion biopsy, which is invasive and presents low sensibility for suspect cases. Therefore, the development of a fast, sensible and noninvasive method that identifies infected patients would be helpful for assertive diagnosis. The aim of this work was to identify lipid markers in leprosy patients directly from skin imprints, using a mass spectrometric analytical strategy. For skin imprint samples, a 1 cm² silica plate was gently pressed against the skin of patients or healthy volunteers. Imprinted silica lipids were extracted and submitted to direct-infusion electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS). All samples were differentiated using a lipidomics-based data workup employing multivariate data analysis, which helped electing different lipid markers, for example, mycobacterial mycolic acids, inflammatory and apoptotic molecules were identified as leprosy patients’ markers. Otherwise, phospholipids and gangliosides were pointed as healthy volunteers’ skin lipid markers, according to normal skin composition. Results indicate that silica plate skin imprinting associated with ESI-HRMS is a promising fast and sensible leprosy diagnostic method. With a prompt leprosy diagnosis, an early and effective treatment could be feasible and thus the chain of leprosy transmission could be abbreviated

Population birth data and pandemic readiness in Europe

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic exposed multiple shortcomings in national and international capacity to respond to an infectious disease outbreak. It is essential to learn from these deficiencies to prepare for future epidemics. One major gap is the limited availability of timely and comprehensive population-based routine data about COVID-19's impact on pregnant women and babies. As part of the Horizon 2020 PHIRI (Population Health Information Research Infrastructure) project on the use of population data for COVID-19 surveillance, the Euro-Peristat research network investigated the extent to which routine information systems could be used to assess the effects of the pandemic by constructing indicators of maternal and child health and of COVID-19 infection. The Euro-Peristat network brings together researchers and statisticians from 31 countries to monitor population indicators of perinatal health in Europe and periodically compiles data on a set of 10 core and 20 recommended indicators.Horizon 2020 Framework Programm

Epidemiological characteristics, practice of ventilation, and clinical outcome in patients at risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome in intensive care units from 16 countries (PRoVENT): an international, multicentre, prospective study

Background Scant information exists about the epidemiological characteristics and outcome of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) at risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and how ventilation is managed in these individuals. We aimed to establish the epidemiological characteristics of patients at risk of ARDS, describe ventilation management in this population, and assess outcomes compared with people at no risk of ARDS. Methods PRoVENT (PRactice of VENTilation in critically ill patients without ARDS at onset of ventilation) is an international, multicentre, prospective study undertaken at 119 ICUs in 16 countries worldwide. All patients aged 18 years or older who were receiving mechanical ventilation in participating ICUs during a 1-week period between January, 2014, and January, 2015, were enrolled into the study. The Lung Injury Prediction Score (LIPS) was used to stratify risk of ARDS, with a score of 4 or higher defining those at risk of ARDS. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients at risk of ARDS. Secondary outcomes included ventilatory management (including tidal volume [VT] expressed as mL/kg predicted bodyweight [PBW], and positive end-expiratory pressure [PEEP] expressed as cm H2O), development of pulmonary complications, and clinical outcomes. The PRoVENT study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01868321. The study has been completed. Findings Of 3023 patients screened for the study, 935 individuals fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these critically ill patients, 282 were at risk of ARDS (30%, 95% CI 27–33), representing 0·14 cases per ICU bed over a 1-week period. VT was similar for patients at risk and not at risk of ARDS (median 7·6 mL/kg PBW [IQR 6·7–9·1] vs 7·9 mL/kg PBW [6·8–9·1]; p=0·346). PEEP was higher in patients at risk of ARDS compared with those not at risk (median 6·0 cm H2O [IQR 5·0–8·0] vs 5·0 cm H2O [5·0–7·0]; p<0·0001). The prevalence of ARDS in patients at risk of ARDS was higher than in individuals not at risk of ARDS (19/260 [7%] vs 17/556 [3%]; p=0·004). Compared with individuals not at risk of ARDS, patients at risk of ARDS had higher in-hospital mortality (86/543 [16%] vs 74/232 [32%]; p<0·0001), ICU mortality (62/533 [12%] vs 66/227 [29%]; p<0·0001), and 90-day mortality (109/653 [17%] vs 88/282 [31%]; p<0·0001). VT did not differ between patients who did and did not develop ARDS (p=0·471 for those at risk of ARDS; p=0·323 for those not at risk). Interpretation Around a third of patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU were at risk of ARDS. Pulmonary complications occur frequently in patients at risk of ARDS and their clinical outcome is worse compared with those not at risk of ARDS. There is potential for improvement in the management of patients without ARDS. Further refinements are needed for prediction of ARDS

Search for supersymmetry in hadronic final states with missing transverse energy using the variables αT and b-quark multiplicity in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues ([email protected]) on 2014-05-27T11:30:34Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:48:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84883824987.pdf: 1540579 bytes, checksum: be6bbff5192436d9fcdbc367ffd1650e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:30:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-09-01 An inclusive search for supersymmetric processes that produce final states with jets and missing transverse energy is performed in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 11.7 fb-1 collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. In this search, a dimensionless kinematic variable, αT, is used to discriminate between events with genuine and misreconstructed missing transverse energy. The search is based on an examination of the number of reconstructed jets per event, the scalar sum of transverse energies of these jets, and the number of these jets identified as originating from bottom quarks. No significant excess of events over the standard model expectation is found. Exclusion limits are set in the parameter space of simplified models, with a special emphasis on both compressed-spectrum scenarios and direct or gluino-induced production of third-generation squarks. For the case of gluino-mediated squark production, gluino masses up to 950-1125 GeV are excluded depending on the assumed model. For the direct pair-production of squarks, masses up to 450 GeV are excluded for a single light first- or second-generation squark, increasing to 600 GeV for bottom squarks. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the CMS collaboration. CERN, Geneva Yerevan Physics Institute, Yerevan Institut für Hochenergiephysik der OeAW, Wien National Centre for Particle and High Energy Physics, Minsk Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles Ghent University, Ghent Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve Université de Mons, Mons Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas, Rio de Janeiro Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo Universidade Federal do ABC, São Paulo Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Sofia University of Sofia, Sofia Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology Peking University, Beijing Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota Technical University of Split, Split University of Split, Split Institute Rudjer Boskovic, Zagreb University of Cyprus, Nicosia Charles University, Prague Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of the Arab Republic of Egypt Egyptian Network of High Energy Physics, Cairo National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn Department of Physics University of Helsinki, Helsinki Helsinki Institute of Physics, Helsinki Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta DSM/IRFU CEA/Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole Polytechnique IN2P3-CNRS, Palaiseau Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Universite de Strasbourg, Universite de Haute Alsace Mulh CNRS/IN2P3, Strasbourg CNRS-IN2P3, Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne Institute of High Energy Physics and Informatization Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi I. Physikalisches Institut RWTH Aachen University, Aachen III. Physikalisches Institut A RWTH Aachen University, Aachen III. Physikalisches Institut B RWTH Aachen University, Aachen Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Hamburg University of Hamburg, Hamburg Institut für Experimentelle Kernphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (INPP) NCSR Demokritos, Aghia Paraskevi University of Athens, Athens University of Ioánnina, Ioánnina KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, Budapest Institute of Nuclear Research ATOMKI, Debrecen University of Debrecen, Debrecen Panjab University, Chandigarh University of Delhi, Delhi Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - EHEP, Mumbai Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - HECR, Mumbai Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran INFN Sezione di Bari, Bari Università di Bari, Bari Politecnico di Bari, Bari INFN Sezione di Bologna, Bologna Università di Bologna, Bologna INFN Sezione di Catania, Catania Università di Catania, Catania INFN Sezione di Firenze, Firenze Università di Firenze, Firenze INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati INFN Sezione di Genova, Genova Università di Genova, Genova INFN Sezione di Milano-Bicocca, Milano Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milano INFN Sezione di Napoli, Napoli Università di Napoli 'Federico II', Napoli Università della Basilicata (Potenza), Napoli Università G. 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Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow State Research Center of Russian Federation Institute for High Energy Physics, Protvino Faculty of Physics and Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences University of Belgrade, Belgrade Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo Instituto de Física de Cantabria (IFCA) CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN, Geneva Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen Institute for Particle Physics ETH Zurich, Zurich Universität Zürich, Zurich National Central University, Chung-Li National Taiwan University (NTU), Taipei Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Cukurova University, Adana Physics Department Middle East Technical University, Ankara Bogazici University, Istanbul Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul National Scientific Center Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology, Kharkov University of Bristol, Bristol Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot Imperial College, London Brunel University, Uxbridge Baylor University, Waco The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Boston University, Boston Brown University, Providence University of California, Davis, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside, Riverside University of California, San Diego, La Jolla University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder Cornell University, Ithaca Fairfield University, Fairfield Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia University of Florida, Gainesville Florida International University, Miami Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago The University of Iowa, Iowa City Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore The University of Kansas, Lawrence Kansas State University, Manhattan Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore University of Maryland, College Park Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge University of Minnesota, Minneapolis University of Mississippi, Oxford University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo Northeastern University, Boston Northwestern University, Evanston University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame The Ohio State University, Columbus Princeton University, Princeton University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Purdue University, West Lafayette Purdue University Calumet, Hammond Rice University, Houston University of Rochester, Rochester The Rockefeller University, New York Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway University of Tennessee, Knoxville Texas A and M University, College Station Texas Tech University, Lubbock Vanderbilt University, Nashville University of Virginia, Charlottesville Wayne State University, Detroit University of Wisconsin, Madison Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paul