Foreground Predictions for the Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectrum from Measurements of Faint Inverted Radio Sources at 5 GHz

We present measurements of a population of matched radio sources at 1.4 and 5 GHz down to a flux limit of 1.5 mJy in 7 sq. degs. of the NOAO Deep Field South. We find a significant fraction of sources with inverted spectral indices that all have 1.4 GHz fluxes less than 10 mJy, and are therefore too faint to have been detected and included in previous radio source count models that are matched at multiple frequencies. Combined with the matched source population at 1.4 and 5 GHz in 1 sq. deg. in the ATESP survey, we update models for the 5 GHz differential number counts and distributions of spectral indices in 5 GHz flux bins that can be used to estimate the unresolved point source contribution to the cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies. We find a shallower logarithmic slope in the 5 GHz differential counts than in previously published models for fluxes < 100 mJy as well as larger fractions of inverted spectral indices at these fluxes. Because the Planck flux limit for resolved sources is larger than 100 mJy in all channels, our modified number counts yield at most a 10% change in the predicted Poisson contribution to the Planck temperature power spectrum. For a flux cut of 5 mJy with the South Pole Telescope and a flux cut of 20 mJy with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope we predict a ~30% and ~10% increase, respectively, in the radio source Poisson power in the lowest frequency channels of each experiment relative to that predicted by previous models.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, includes ApJ proof correction

Pattern of risks of rheumatoid arthritis among patients using statins: A cohort study with the clinical practice research datalink.

We examined the association between statin use and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with special focus on describing the patterns of risks of RA during statin exposure in a large population-based cohort in the United Kingdom. In the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, patients aged ≥40 years with at least one prescription of statins (1995-2009) were selected, and matched by age (+/-5 years), sex, practice and date of first prescription of statins to non-users. The follow-up period of statin use was divided into periods of current, recent and past exposure, with patients moving between these three exposure categories over time. Time-dependent Cox models were used to derive hazard ratios (HRs) of RA, adjusted for disease history and previous drug use. The study population included 1,023,240 patients, of whom 511,620 were statin users. No associations were found between RA and current (HRadj,1.06;99%CI:0.88-1.27) or past statin users (HRadj,1.18;99%CI:0.88-1.57). However, in patients who currently used statins, hazard rates were increased shortly after the first prescription of statins and then gradually decreased to baseline level. The risk of developing RA was increased in recent statin users, as compared to non-users (HRadj,1.39;99%CI:1.01-1.90). The risk of RA is substantially increased in the first year after the start of statins and then diminishes to baseline level. These findings may suggest that statins might accelerate disease onset in patients susceptible to develop RA, but in other patients, statins are probably safe and well tolerated, even after prolonged use. Alternatively, we cannot rule out that confounding by cardiovascular risk factors and ascertainment bias may have influenced the findings

Mutations in TITF-1 are associated with benign hereditary chorea

Benign hereditary chorea (BHC) (MIM 118700) is an autosomal dominant movement disorder. The early onset of symptoms (usually before the age of 5 years) and the observation that in some BHC families the symptoms tend to decrease in adulthood suggests that the disorder results from a developmental disturbance of the brain. In contrast to Huntington disease (MIM 143100), BHC is non-progressive and patients have normal or slightly below normal intelligence. There is considerable inter- and intrafamilial variability, including dysarthria, axial dystonia and gait disturbances. Previously, we identified a locus for BHC on chromosome 14 and subsequently identified additional independent families linked to the same locus. Recombination analysis of all chromosome 14-linked families resulted initially in a reduction of the critical interval for the BHC gene to 8.4 cM between markers D14S49 and D14S278. More detailed analysis of the critical region in a small BHC family revealed a de novo deletion of 1.2 Mb harboring the TITF-1 gene, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor essential for the organogenesis of the lung, thyroid and the basal ganglia. Here we report evidence that mutations in TITF-1 are associated with BHC

Accelerated hand bone mineral density loss is associated with progressive joint damage in hands and feet in recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: To investigate whether accelerated hand bone mineral density (BMD) loss is associated with progressive joint damage in hands and feet in the first year of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether it is an independent predictor of subsequent progressive total joint damage after 4 years. Methods: In 256 recent-onset RA patients, baseline and 1-year hand BMD was measured in metacarpals 2-4 by digital X-ray radiogrammetry. Joint damage in hands and feet were scored in random order according to the Sharp-van der Heijde method at baseline and yearly up to 4 years. Results: 68% of the patients had accelerated hand BMD loss (>-0.003 g/cm(2)) in the first year of RA. Hand BMD loss was associated with progressive joint damage after 1 year both in hands and feet with odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals [CI]) of 5.3 (1.3-20.9) and 3.1 (1.0-9.7). In univariate analysis, hand BMD loss in the first year was a predictor of subsequent progressive total joint damage after 4 years with an OR (95% CI) of 3.1 (1.3-7.6). Multivariate analysis showed that only progressive joint damage in the first year and anti-citrullinated protein antibody positivity were independent predictors of long-term progressive joint damage. Conclusions: In the first year of RA, accelerated hand BMD loss is associated with progressive joint damage in both hands and feet. Hand BMD loss in the first year of recent-onset RA predicts subsequent progressive total joint damage, however not independent of progressive joint damage in the first year.Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease

Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible route to school.MethodsChildren (n = 184; 86 boys, 98 girls; age range: 8–12 years) from seven schools in suburban municipalities in the Netherlands participated in the study. Actual walking and cycling routes to school were measured with a GPS-device that children wore during an entire school week. Measurements were conducted in the period April–June 2014. Route characteristics for both actual and shortest routes between home and school were determined for a buffer of 25m from the routes and divided into four categories: Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, traffic areas), Aesthetics (presence of greenery/natural water ways along route), Traffic (safety measures such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed bumps) and Type of street (pedestrian, cycling, residential streets, arterial roads). Comparison of characteristics of shortest and actual routes was performed with conditional logistic regression models.ResultsMedian distance of the actual walking routes was 390.1m, whereas median distance of actual cycling routes was 673.9m. Actual walking and cycling routes were not significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Children mainly traveled through residential areas on their way to school (>80% of the route). Traffic lights were found to be positively associated with route choice during ATS. Zebra crossings were less often present along the actual routes (walking: OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.05–0.58; cycling: OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.14–0.67), and streets with a high occurrence of accidents were less often used during cycling to school (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43–0.76). Moreover, percentage of visible surface water along the actual route was higher compared to the shortest routes (walking: OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.07; cycling: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.05).DiscussionThis study showed a novel approach to examine built environmental exposure during active transport to school. Most of the results of the study suggest that children avoid to walk or cycle along busy roads on their way to school.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-016-0373-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Multi-centre, randomised non-inferiority trial of early treatment versus expectant management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants (the BeNeDuctus trial):statistical analysis plan

Abstract Background Controversy exists about the optimal management of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. A persistent PDA is associated with neonatal mortality and morbidity, but causality remains unproven. Although both pharmacological and/or surgical treatment are effective in PDA closure, this has not resulted in an improved neonatal outcome. In most preterm infants, a PDA will eventually close spontaneously, hence PDA treatment potentially increases the risk of iatrogenic adverse effects. Therefore, expectant management is gaining interest, even in the absence of convincing evidence to support this strategy. Methods/design The BeNeDuctus trial is a multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial assessing early pharmacological treatment (24–72 h postnatal age) with ibuprofen versus expectant management of PDA in preterm infants in Europe. Preterm infants with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks and an echocardiographic-confirmed PDA with a transductal diameter of > 1.5 mm are randomly allocated to early pharmacological treatment with ibuprofen or expectant management after parental informed consent. The primary outcome measure is the composite outcome of mortality, and/or necrotizing enterocolitis Bell stage ≥ IIa, and/or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, all established at a postmenstrual age of 36 weeks. Secondary short-term outcomes are comorbidity and adverse events assessed during hospitalization and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome assessed at a corrected age of 2 years. This statistical analysis plan focusses on the short-term outcome and is written and submitted without knowledge of the data. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NTR5479. Registered on October 19, 2015, with the Dutch Trial Registry, sponsored by the United States National Library of Medicine Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02884219 (registered May 2016) and the European Clinical Trials Database EudraCT 2017-001376-28

LSST Science Book, Version 2.0

A survey that can cover the sky in optical bands over wide fields to faint magnitudes with a fast cadence will enable many of the exciting science opportunities of the next decade. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will have an effective aperture of 6.7 meters and an imaging camera with field of view of 9.6 deg^2, and will be devoted to a ten-year imaging survey over 20,000 deg^2 south of +15 deg. Each pointing will be imaged 2000 times with fifteen second exposures in six broad bands from 0.35 to 1.1 microns, to a total point-source depth of r~27.5. The LSST Science Book describes the basic parameters of the LSST hardware, software, and observing plans. The book discusses educational and outreach opportunities, then goes on to describe a broad range of science that LSST will revolutionize: mapping the inner and outer Solar System, stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, the structure of the Milky Way disk and halo and other objects in the Local Volume, transient and variable objects both at low and high redshift, and the properties of normal and active galaxies at low and high redshift. It then turns to far-field cosmological topics, exploring properties of supernovae to z~1, strong and weak lensing, the large-scale distribution of galaxies and baryon oscillations, and how these different probes may be combined to constrain cosmological models and the physics of dark energy.Comment: 596 pages. Also available at full resolution at http://www.lsst.org/lsst/sciboo

Lower incidence rates but thicker melanomas in Eastern Europe before 1992: A comparison with Western Europe

The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of melanoma across Europe with regard to Breslow thickness and body-site distribution. Incidence data from Cancer Incidence in 5 Continents and the EUROCARE-melanoma database were used: 28 117 melanoma cases from 20 cancer registries in 12 European countries, diagnosed between 1978 and 1992. Regression analysis and general linear modelling were used to analyse the data. Melanomas in Eastern Europe were on average 1.4 mm thicker (P<0.05) than in Western Europe and appeared more often on the trunk. From 1978 to 1992, their Breslow thickness had decreased in Western but not Eastern Europe. There was a latitude gradient in incidence, with highest rates in southern regions in Eastern Europe and an inverse gradient in Western Europe, with highest rates in the North. Mortality:incidence ratios were less favourable in southern parts across Europe, especially in Eastern Europe. If Eastern European populations copy the sunbathing behaviour of the West it is likely that in the near future a higher melanoma incidence can be expected there

Different paths to the modern state in Europe: the interaction between domestic political economy and interstate competition

Theoretical work on state formation and capacity has focused mostly on early modern Europe and on the experience of western European states during this period. While a number of European states monopolized domestic tax collection and achieved gains in state capacity during the early modern era, for others revenues stagnated or even declined, and these variations motivated alternative hypotheses for determinants of fiscal and state capacity. In this study we test the basic hypotheses in the existing literature making use of the large date set we have compiled for all of the leading states across the continent. We find strong empirical support for two prevailing threads in the literature, arguing respectively that interstate wars and changes in economic structure towards an urbanized economy had positive fiscal impact. Regarding the main point of contention in the theoretical literature, whether it was representative or authoritarian political regimes that facilitated the gains in fiscal capacity, we do not find conclusive evidence that one performed better than the other. Instead, the empirical evidence we have gathered lends supports to the hypothesis that when under pressure of war, the fiscal performance of representative regimes was better in the more urbanized-commercial economies and the fiscal performance of authoritarian regimes was better in rural-agrarian economie

Selectivity of F-18-FLT and F-18-FDG for differentiating tumor from inflammation in a rodent model

Increased glucose metabolism of inflammatory tissues is the main source of false-positive F-18-FDG PET findings in oncology. It has been suggested that radiolabeled nucleosides might be more tumor specific. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we compared the biodistribution of 3'-deoxy-3'-F-18-fluorothymidine (FLT) and F-18-FDG in Wistar rats that bore tumors (C6 rat glioma in the right shoulder) and also had sterile inflammation in the left calf muscle (induced by injection of 0.1 mL of turpentine). Twenty-four hours after turpentine injection, the rats received an intravenous bolus (30 MBq) of either F-18-FLT (n = 5) or F-18-FDG (n = 5). Pretreatment of the animals with thymidine phosphorylase (>1,000 U/kg, intravenously) before injection of F-18-FLT proved to be necessary to reduce the serum levels of endogenous thymidine and achieve satisfactory tumor uptake of radioactivity. Results: Tumor-to-muscle ratios of F-18-FDG at 2 h after injection (13.2 +/- 3.0) were higher than those of F-18-FLT (3.8 +/- 1.3). F-18-FDG showed high physiologic uptake in brain and heart, whereas F-18-FLT was avidly taken up by bone marrow. F-18-FDG accumulated in the inflamed muscle, with 4.8 +/- 1.2 times higher uptake in the affected thigh than in the contralateral healthy thigh, in contrast to F-18-FLT, for which this ratio was not significantly different from unity (1.3 +/- 0.4). Conclusion; In F-18-FDG PET images, both tumor and inflammation were visible, but F-18-FLT PET showed only the tumor. Thus, the hypothesis that F-18-FLT has a higher tumor specificity was confirmed in our animal model