Congenital anomalies from a physics perspective. The key role of "manufacturing" volatility

Genetic and environmental factors are traditionally seen as the sole causes of congenital anomalies. In this paper we introduce a third possible cause, namely random "manufacturing" discrepancies with respect to ``design'' values. A clear way to demonstrate the existence of this component is to ``shut'' the two others and to see whether or not there is remaining variability. Perfect clones raised under well controlled laboratory conditions fulfill the conditions for such a test. Carried out for four different species, the test reveals a variability remainder of the order of 10%-20% in terms of coefficient of variation. As an example, the CV of the volume of E.coli bacteria immediately after binary fission is of the order of 10%. In short, ``manufacturing'' discrepancies occur randomly, even when no harmful mutation or environmental factors are involved. Not surprisingly, there is a strong connection between congenital defects and infant mortality. In the wake of birth there is a gradual elimination of defective units and this screening accounts for the post-natal fall of infant mortality. Apart from this trend, post-natal death rates also have humps and peaks associated with various inabilities and defects.\qL In short, infant mortality rates convert the case-by-case and mostly qualitative problem of congenital malformations into a global quantitative effect which, so to say, summarizes and registers what goes wrong in the embryonic phase. Based on the natural assumption that for simple organisms (e.g. rotifers) the manufacturing processes are shorter than for more complex organisms (e.g. mammals), fewer congenital anomalies are expected. Somehow, this feature should be visible on the infant mortality rate. How this conjecture can be tested is outlined in our conclusion.Comment: 43 pages, 9 figure

Natural succession and clearcutting as drivers of environmental heterogeneity and beta diversity in North American boreal forests

<div><p>Clear-cutting alters natural ecosystem processes by reducing landscape heterogeneity. It is the dominant harvesting technique across the boreal zone, yet understanding of how environmental heterogeneity and beta diversity are structured in forest ecosystems and post-clear cut is lacking. We use ground-dwelling arthropods as models to determine how natural succession (progression from deciduous to mixed to coniferous cover types) and clear-cutting change boreal forests, exploring the role of environmental heterogeneity in shaping beta diversity across multiple spatial scales (<i>between-cover types</i> and <i>between-stands of the same cover type</i> (1600 to 8500 m), <i>between-plots</i> (100 to 400 m) and <i>within-plots</i> (20 to 40 m)). We characterise environmental heterogeneity as variability in combined structural, vegetational and soil parameters, and beta diversity, as variability in assemblage composition. Clear-cutting homogenised forest environments across all spatial scales, reducing total environmental heterogeneity by 35%. Arthropod beta diversity reflected these changes at larger scales suggesting that environmental heterogeneity is useful in explaining beta diversity both <i>between-cover types</i> and <i>between-stands</i> of the same cover type. However, at smaller scales, <i>within-</i> and <i>between-plots</i> spider beta diversity reflected the lower environmental heterogeneity in regenerating stands, whereas staphylinid and carabids assemblages were not homogenised 12 years post-harvest. Differences in environmental heterogeneity and staphylinid beta diversity between cover types were also important at small scales. In regenerating stands, we detected a subtle yet notable effect of pre-felling cover type on environmental heterogeneity and arthropods, where pre-felling cover type accounted for a significant amount of variance in beta diversity, indicating that biological legacies (e.g. soil pH reflecting pre-harvest conditions) may have a role in driving beta diversity even 12 years post-harvest. This study highlights the importance of understanding site history when predicting impacts of change in forest ecosystems. Further, to understand drivers of beta diversity we must identify biological legacies shaping community structure.</p></div

Lyman-alpha and CIII] Emission in z=7-9 Galaxies: Accelerated Reionization Around Luminous Star Forming Systems?

We discuss new Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopic observations of four luminous galaxies at z~7-9 selected to have intense optical line emission by Roberts-Borsani et al. (2016). Previous follow-up has revealed Lyman-alpha in two of the four galaxies. Our new MOSFIRE observations confirm that Lyman-alpha is present in the entire sample. We detect Lyman-alpha emission in COS-zs7-1, confirming its redshift as z=7.154, and we detect Lyman-alpha in EGS-zs8-2 at z=7.477, verifying a tentative detection presented in an earlier study. The ubiquity of Lyman-alpha in this sample is puzzling given that the IGM is likely significantly neutral over 7<z<9. To investigate this result in more detail, we have initiated a campaign to target UV metal emission in the four Lyman-alpha emitters as a probe of both the radiation field and the velocity offset of Lyman-alpha. Here we present the detection of intense CIII] emission in EGS-zs8-1, a galaxy from this sample previously shown to have Lyman-alpha at z=7.73. Photoionization models indicate that an intense radiation field and low metallicity are required to reproduce the intense CIII] and optical line emission. We argue that this extreme radiation field is likely to affect the local environment, increasing the transmission of Lyman-alpha through the galaxy. Moreover, the centroid of CIII] indicates that Lyman-alpha is redshifted from the systemic value by 340 km/s. This velocity offset is larger than that seen in less luminous systems, providing an additional explanation for the transmission of Lyman-alpha emission through the IGM. Since the transmission is further enhanced by the likelihood that such systems are also situated in the densest regions with the largest ionized bubbles, the visibility of Lyman-alpha at z>7 is expected to be strongly luminosity-dependent, with the most effective transmission occurring in systems with intense star formation.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS, 13 pages, 8 figure

The macrofilaricidal efficacy of repeated doses of ivermectin for the treatment of river blindness

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin is the cornerstone of efforts to eliminate human onchocerciasis by 2020 or 2025. The feasibility of elimination crucially depends on the effects of multiple ivermectin doses on Onchocerca volvulus. A single ivermectin (standard) dose clears the skin-dwelling microfilarial progeny of adult worms (macrofilariae) and temporarily impedes the release of such progeny by female macrofilariae, but a macrofilaricidal effect has been deemed minimal. Multiple doses of ivermectin may cumulatively and permanently reduce the fertility and shorten the lifespan of adult females. However, rigorous quantification of these effects necessitates interrogating longitudinal data on macrofilariae with suitably powerful analytical techniques. Methods: Using a novel mathematical modeling approach, we analyzed, at an individual participant level, longitudinal data on viability and fertility of female worms from the single most comprehensive multiple-dose clinical trial of ivermectin, comparing 3-monthly with annual treatments administered for 3 years in Cameroon

Diagnosis and in vitro antidermatophytic sensitivity of the ethanolic extract of Euphorbia tirucall / Diagnóstico e sensibilidade antidermatófita in vitro do extrato etanólico de Euphorbia tirucalli

Dermatophytosis is the most common mycosis, accounting for 5 to 10% of all superficial mycoses. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract of Euphorbia tirucalli on clinical isolates of dermatophytes obtained from 2 patients with signs and symptoms consistent with dermatophyte infection. Two dermatophyte etiologic agents, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. tonsurans, were isolated from these patients. In vitro antifungal sensitivity showed that the ethanolic extract of E. tirucalli possesses antifungal activity against these strains of interest, with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 125 and 250 g/mL, respectively. According to the phytochemical profile of this extract supported by infrared analysis, the antibiotic activity was attributed to the presence of flavonoids and tannins, phytoconstituents generally recognized for their pharmacological potential

Biomechanics-based graph matching for augmented CT-CBCT

International audiencePurpose: Augmenting intraoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with preoperative computed tomography (CT) data in the context of image-guided liver therapy. The expected benefit is an improved visualization of tu-mor(s), vascular system and other internal structures of interest. Method: An automatic elastic registration based on matching of vascular trees extracted from both the preoperative and intraoperative images. Although methods dedicated to non-rigid graph matching exist, they are not efficient when large in-traoperative deformations of tissues occur, as is the case during the liver surgery. The contribution is an extension of the graph matching algorithm using Gaussian process regression (GPR) [1]: First, an improved GPR matching is introduced by imposing additional constraints during the matching when the number of hypothesis is large; like the original algorithm, this extended version does not require a manual initialization of matching. Second, a fast biomechanical model is employed to make the method capable of handling large deformations. Results: The proposed automatic intraoperative augmentation is evaluated on both synthetic and real data. that the algorithm is capable of handling large deformations , thus being more robust and reliable than previous approaches. Moreover, the time required to perform the elastic registration is compatible with the intraopera-tive navigation scenario. Conclusion: A biomechanics-based graph matching method, which can handle large deformations and augment intraoperative CBCT, is presented and evaluated

Geographic information metadata — an outlook from the international standardization perspective

Geographic information metadata provides a detailed description of geographic information resources. Well before digital data emerged, metadata were shown in the margins of paper maps to inform the reader of the name of the map, the scale, the orientation of the magnetic North, the projection used, the coordinate systems, the legend, and so on. Metadata were used to communicate practical information for the proper use of maps. When geographic information entered the digital era with geographic information systems, metadata was also collected digitally to describe datasets and the dataset collections for various purposes. Initially, metadata were collected and saved in digital files by data producers for their own specific needs. The sharing of geographic datasets that required producers to provide metadata with the dataset to guide proper use of the dataset—map scale, data sources, extent, datum, coordinate reference system, etc. Because of issues with sharing and no common understanding of metadata requirements, the need for metadata standardization was recognized by the geographic information community worldwide. The ISO technical committee 211 was created in 1994 with the scope of standardization in the field of digital geographic information to support interoperability. In the early years of the committee, standardization of metadata was initiated for di erent purposes, which culminated in the ISO 19115:2003 standard. Now, there are many ISO Geographic information standards that covers the various aspect of geographic information metadata. This paper traces an illustration of the development and evolution of the requirements and international standardization activities of geographic information metadata standards, profiles and resources, and how these attest to facilitating the discovery, evaluation, and appropriate use of geographic information in various contexts.http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijgiam2020Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Effect of high-intensity statin therapy on atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related coronary arteries (IBIS-4): a serial intravascular ultrasonography study

Aim The effect of long-term high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of high-intensity statin therapy on plaque burden, composition, and phenotype in non-infarct-related arteries of STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and results Between September 2009 and January 2011, 103 STEMI patients underwent intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and radiofrequency ultrasonography (RF-IVUS) of the two non-infarct-related epicardial coronary arteries (non-IRA) after successful primary PCI. Patients were treated with high-intensity rosuvastatin (40 mg/day) throughout 13 months and serial intracoronary imaging with the analysis of matched segments was available for 82 patients with 146 non-IRA. The primary IVUS end-point was the change in per cent atheroma volume (PAV). After 13 months, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) had decreased from a median of 3.29 to 1.89 mmol/L (P < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels had increased from 1.10 to 1.20 mmol/L (P < 0.001). PAV of the non-IRA decreased by −0.9% (95% CI: −1.56 to −0.25, P = 0.007). Patients with regression in at least one non-IRA were more common (74%) than those without (26%). Per cent necrotic core remained unchanged (−0.05%, 95% CI: −1.05 to 0.96%, P = 0.93) as did the number of RF-IVUS defined thin cap fibroatheromas (124 vs. 116, P = 0.15). Conclusion High-intensity rosuvastatin therapy over 13 months is associated with regression of coronary atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related arteries without changes in RF-IVUS defined necrotic core or plaque phenotype among STEMI patient