ABSTRACT We report the discovery of an extremely red planetary-mass companion to 2MASS J22362452+4751425, a 0.6 M late-K dwarf likely belonging to the ∼120 Myr AB Doradus moving group. 2M2236+4751 b ...was identified in multi-epoch NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging at Keck Observatory at a separation of , or 230 20 AU in projection at the kinematic distance of 63 5 pc to its host star. Assuming membership in the AB Dor group, as suggested from its kinematics, the inferred mass of 2M2236+4751 b is 11-14 MJup. Follow-up Keck/OSIRIS K-band spectroscopy of the companion reveals strong CO absorption similar to other faint red L dwarfs and lacks signs of methane absorption, despite having an effective temperature of 900-1200 K. With a (J-K)MKO color of 2.69 0.12 mag, the near-infrared slope of 2M2236+4751 b is redder than all of the HR 8799 planets and instead resembles the 23 Myr isolated planetary-mass object PSO J318.5-22, implying that similarly thick photospheric clouds can persist in the atmospheres of giant planets at ages beyond 100 Myr. In near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams, 2M2236+4751 b is located at the tip of the red L dwarf sequence and appears to define the "elbow" of the AB Dor substellar isochrone separating low-gravity L dwarfs from the cooler young T dwarf track. 2M2236+4751 b is the reddest substellar companion to a star and will be a valuable benchmark to study the shared atmospheric properties of young low-mass brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets.
Asclepias syriaca L. (common milkweed) is known to contain sufficient amounts of cardiac glycosides, which are known to be toxic to humans. Nonetheless, it is traditionally used for food by Native ...Americans, including the Myaamia people of Indiana and Oklahoma. In order to test the hypothesis that traditional horticultural and culinary practices prevent the Myaamia from ingesting toxic levels of cardiac glycosides, we have determined the level of glycosides (digitoxin equivalent) in A. syriaca 1) in various parts of the plant, 2) at various heights for pre-reproductive plants, and 3) before and after cooking according to traditional Myaamia procedures. Plants were grown, harvested, dried, ground, and extracted twice with ethanol. The amount of digitoxin-equivalent glycoside in plant extract was determined spectrophotometrically using 2,2’,4,4’-tetranitrodiphenyl, a selective derivatizing agent. We find that all parts of the plant contain significant levels of cardiac glycosides at all stages of growth. Plants harvested as young shoots for food, the common practice of the Myaamia, contain slightly lower levels of cardiac glycosides when compared to the leaves and stems of older, taller plants. Moreover, the toxicity is significantly reduced by the traditional Myaamia cooking procedure—a repeated boiling with several changes of water. Therefore, it appears as though the risk of glycoside poisoning from traditional Myaamia use of milkweed for food is moderated by their harvesting practice and traditional cooking procedure.
Chronic bronchitis (CB) is one of the classic phenotypes of COPD. The aims of our study were to investigate genetic variants associated with COPD subjects with CB relative to smokers with normal ...spirometry, and to assess for genetic differences between subjects with CB and without CB within the COPD population.
We analyzed data from current and former smokers from three cohorts: the COPDGene Study; GenKOLS (Bergen, Norway); and the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints (ECLIPSE). CB was defined as having a cough productive of phlegm on most days for at least 3 consecutive months per year for at least 2 consecutive years. CB COPD cases were defined as having both CB and at least moderate COPD based on spirometry. Our primary analysis used smokers with normal spirometry as controls; secondary analysis was performed using COPD subjects without CB as controls. Genotyping was performed on Illumina platforms; results were summarized using fixed-effect meta-analysis.
For CB COPD relative to smoking controls, we identified a new genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 11p15.5 (rs34391416, OR = 1.93, P = 4.99 × 10-8) as well as significant associations of known COPD SNPs within FAM13A. In addition, a GWAS of CB relative to those without CB within COPD subjects showed suggestive evidence for association on 1q23.3 (rs114931935, OR = 1.88, P = 4.99 × 10-7).
We found genome-wide significant associations with CB COPD on 4q22.1 (FAM13A) and 11p15.5 (EFCAB4A, CHID1 and AP2A2), and a locus associated with CB within COPD subjects on 1q23.3 (RPL31P11 and ATF6). This study provides further evidence that genetic variants may contribute to phenotypic heterogeneity of COPD.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00608764, NCT00292552.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
CONTEXT The yield of in-hospital stool cultures performed more than 72 hours
after admission is low, and a commonly used policy dictates that laboratories
reject these cultures to save costs. ...However, enteropathogenic bacteria other
than Clostridium difficile (EPB) may cause nosocomial illness that would be missed by use of such
a "3-day rule." OBJECTIVE To develop guidelines for hospital use of stool cultures that are sensitive
to clinically relevant cases of sporadic and epidemic nosocomial diarrhea. DESIGN Five-part study that incorporated a derivation sample based on retrospective
chart review and a prospective cohort study (including cost savings analysis),
and a validation sample based on retrospective chart review. SETTING Four European academic health care centers. PATIENTS Derivation sample: 1735 adult inpatients from whom 3416 stool cultures
were obtained during a 19-month period (1995-1997) and 68 adult inpatients
for whom EPB were grown from stool cultures during a 10-year period (1988-1998);
validation sample: 65 patients with sporadic isolation of EPB (1993-1998),
56 patients involved in 2 nosocomial Salmonella outbreaks
(1992 and 1997), and 330 patients who had stool cultures performed (1998). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Performance of derived criteria in detecting pathogenic bacteria and
outbreaks and reducing total number of stool cultures performed. RESULTS Stool cultures grew EPB in 3.3% of samples obtained ≤72 hours after
admission and 0.5% of samples obtained thereafter (P<.001).
Isolation of EPB >72 hours after admission was not associated with clinical
symptoms or signs but was associated with community-acquired diarrhea (24%),
age 65 years or older with preexisting comorbid disease (25%), neutropenia
(13%), HIV infection (10%), and nondiarrheal manifestations of enteric infections
(16%). Twelve percent were asymptomatic carriers. These characteristics were
used to create criteria for selecting patients for whom stool cultures would
be indicated. These criteria were applied post hoc to a series of 1025 stool
cultures; the number of stool cultures would have been reduced by 52% and
no clinically significant cases would have been missed. Annual savings to
a 355-bed institution would be approximately $7800 for reagent costs and 75
hours of technician time. In the validation samples, only 2 patients of 65
who had EPB would not have been identified, and neither required treatment.
If the 3-day rule had been applied, 52 cases would not have been identified,
28 of which required antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION Our modified 3-day rule for use in selecting cases for stool culture
is sensitive to sporadic and epidemic cases of nosocomial diarrhea in hospitalized
adults.
The Mallee region preserves legacies of past environmental changes, an understanding of which illuminates our understanding of the present and constrains some options for the future. An amazing ...record of sea level changes spanning the last 6 million years provides a template against which later developments of lacustrine and aeolian changes are defined in spatial and temporal contexts. The preserved shorelines of Plio-Pleistocene Parilla Sand provide a virtual contour map of Plio-Pleistocene landscapes clearly displaying effects of later tectonics. Development of acidic lateritic soil profiles of the Karoonda Surface progressed synchronously with tectonic interruption of drainage to form the large freshwater lake, Lake Bungunnia about 3.5 million years ago. Lake Bungunnia cut a southern overflow channel to the sea excavating the Douglas Depression until uplift on the Padthaway Ridge reached near 60 m AHD. Overflow ceased, the lake temporarily became a closed system with development of alkaline facies in the west, the Bungunnia Limestone. Climates throughout this time remained wet and relatively warmer than today. A later outlet in the south-west drained the lake about 5-700,000 years ago. Major environmental changes are recorded in the transition from low energy, siliceous Parilla Sand to high energy Bridgewater calcarenites near 1.3 ma (millions of years). Pliocene 20-40 ka (thousands of years) cyclic sea level oscillations were followed by 100 ka full glacial cycles near 1 million years ago. Later expansions of aridity in dune fields and associated calcretes are superimposed on a previously humid controlled landscape. High discharge Murray River incision on the dry lake floor preserves a pattern of high amplitude variability (big wet to big dry) far exceeding anything in younger sequences. Dune fields of the Big Desert, Sunset and Little Desert expanded to the east. Wet and dry events of the last glacial cycle (last 120,000 years) preceded maximum aridity of the glacial maximum near 20 ka. The arrival of people near 60-50 ka introduced an entirely new agent of change into the already fragile Mallee landscapes. The scene was set for the much later arrival of Europeans, the impact of which is now superimposed on 6 million years of natural environmental change. The lessons from one are essential to a better understanding of the other.
The SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) is a prospective cohort study that enrolled 2981 participants with the goal of identifying new chronic obstructive ...pulmonary disease (COPD) subgroups and intermediate markers of disease progression. Individuals with COPD and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience impaired quality of life and more frequent exacerbations. COPD severity also associates with computed tomography scan-based emphysema and alterations in airway dimensions.
The objective was to determine whether the combination of lung function and structure influences the risk of OSA among current and former smokers.
Using 2 OSA risk scores, the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire (BSQ), and the DOISNORE50
(DIS), 1767 current and former smokers were evaluated for an association of lung structure and function with OSA risk.
The study cohort's mean age was 63 years, BMI was 28 kg/m2, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 74.8% predicted. The majority were male (55%), White (77%), former smokers (59%), and had COPD (63%). A high-risk OSA score was reported in 36% and 61% using DIS and BSQ respectively. There was a 9% increased odds of a high-risk DIS score (odds ratio OR=1.09, 95% confidence interval CI:1.03-1.14) and nominally increased odds of a high-risk BSQ score for every 10% decrease in FEV1 %predicted (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 0.998-1.09). Lung function-OSA risk associations persisted after additionally adjusting for lung structure measurements (%emphysema, %air trapping, parametric response mapping for functional small airways disease, , mean segmental wall area, tracheal %wall area, dysanapsis) for DIS (OR=1.12, 95%CI:1.03-1.22) and BSQ (OR=1.09, 95%CI:1.01-1.18).
Lower lung function independently associates with having high risk for OSA in current and former smokers. Lung structural elements, especially dysanapsis, functional small airways disease, and tracheal %wall area strengthened the effects on OSA risk.
ObjectivesInforming research participants of the results of studies in which they took part is viewed as an ethical imperative. However, there is little guidance in the literature about how to do ...this. The Fluoxetine Or Control Under Supervision trial randomised 3127 patients with a recent acute stroke to 6 months of fluoxetine or placebo and was published in the Lancet on 5 December 2018. The trial team decided to inform the participants of the results at exactly the same time as the Lancet publication, and also whether they had been allocated fluoxetine or placebo. In this report, we describe how we informed participants of the results.DesignIn the 6-month and 12-month follow-up questionnaires, we invited participants to provide an email address if they wished to be informed of the results of the trial. We re-opened our trial telephone helpline between 5 December 2018 and 31 March 2019.SettingUK stroke services.Participants3127 participants were randomised. 2847 returned 6-month follow-up forms and 2703 returned 12-month follow-up forms; the remaining participants had died (380), withdrawn consent or did not respond.ResultsOf those returning follow-up questionnaires, a total of 1845 email addresses were provided and a further 50 people requested results to be sent by post. Results were sent to all email and postal addresses provided; 309 emails were returned unrecognised. Seventeen people replied, of whom three called the helpline and the rest responded by email.ConclusionIt is feasible to disseminate results of large trials to research participants, though only around 60% of those randomised wanted to receive the results. The system we developed was efficient and required very little resource, and could be replicated by trialists in the future.Trial registration numberISRCTN83290762; Post-results.
Previous studies have established a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with COPD, but the relationship between vitamin D levels and COPD exacerbations remains controversial. In ...addition, the effect of vitamin D levels on imaging characteristics remains mostly unexplored. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal follow up data from the COPDGene Study, we assessed the association between vitamin D levels on respiratory symptoms, exacerbations, and imaging characteristics. We hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency will be associated with worse respiratory-related outcomes.
Current and former smokers between ages 45-80 were enrolled the COPDGene Study. Subjects completed questionnaires, spirometry, six-minute walk test, and chest computed tomography scans. A subset of subjects had measurement of serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum concentration less than 20 ng/mL. Longitudinal follow up was conducted via a web-based or telephone questionnaire.
Vitamin D levels were measured on 1544 current and former smokers, of which 981 subjects had sufficient vitamin D levels and 563 subjects had vitamin D deficiency. Subjects with vitamin D deficiency were younger with increased likelihood of being African American, being current smokers, having a lower percent predicted FEV
, and having COPD. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with worse quality of life, increased dyspnea, decreased exercise tolerance, and increased frequency of severe exacerbations. Vitamin D deficiency was also associated with increased segmental airway wall thickness on chest CT scans.
Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, decreased functional status, increased frequency of severe exacerbations, as well as airway wall thickening on chest CT scans. Further research is needed to determine the potential impact of vitamin D supplementation to improve disease outcomes.
We extend a new formalism, which allows correlated electron-ion dynamics to be applied to the problem of open boundary conditions. We implement this at the first moment level (allowing heating of ...ions by electrons) and observe the expected cooling in the classical part of the ionic kinetic energy and current-induced heating in the quantum contribution. The formalism for open boundaries should be easily extended to higher moments of the correlated electron-ion fluctuations.
PDF
