Summary
Background
Enterocyte damage is the hallmark of coeliac disease (CD) resulting in malabsorption. Little is known about the recovery of enterocyte damage and its clinical consequences. Serum ...intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I‐FABP) is a sensitive marker to study enterocyte damage.
Aims
To evaluate the severity of enterocyte damage in adult‐onset CD and its course upon a gluten‐free diet (GFD). Furthermore, the correlation among enterocyte damage, CD autoantibodies and histological abnormalities during the course of disease is studied.
Methods
Serum I‐FABP levels were determined in 96 biopsy‐proven adult CD patients and in 69 patients repeatedly upon a GFD. A total of 141 individuals with normal antitissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA‐tTG) levels served as controls. I‐FABP levels were related to the degree of villous atrophy (Marsh grade) and IgA‐tTG.
Results
I‐FABP levels were elevated in untreated CD (median 691 pg/mL) compared with controls (median 178 pg/mL, P < 0.001) and correlated with Marsh grade (r = 0.265, P < 0.05) and IgA‐tTG (r = 0.403, P < 0.01). Upon a GFD serum levels decreased significantly, however, not within the range observed in controls, despite the common observed normalisation of IgA‐tTG levels and Marsh grade. CD patients with elevated I‐FABP levels nonresponding to GFD showed persistent histological abnormalities.
Conclusions
Enterocyte damage assessed by serum I‐FABP correlates with the severity of villous atrophy in coeliac disease at the time of diagnosis. Although enterocyte damage improves upon treatment, substantial enterocyte damage persists despite absence of villous atrophy and low IgA‐tTG levels in the majority of cases. Elevated I‐FABP levels nonresponding to gluten‐free diet are indicative of histological abnormalities and warrant further evaluation.
Radioactive ^{27}Mg (t_{1/2}=9.5 min) was implanted into GaN of different doping types at CERN's ISOLDE facility and its lattice site determined via β^{-} emission channeling. Following ...implantations between room temperature and 800 °C, the majority of ^{27}Mg occupies the substitutional Ga sites; however, below 350 °C significant fractions were also found on interstitial positions ∼0.6 Å from ideal octahedral sites. The interstitial fraction of Mg was correlated with the GaN doping character, being highest (up to 31%) in samples doped p type with 2×10^{19} cm^{-3} stable Mg during epilayer growth, and lowest in Si-doped n-GaN, thus giving direct evidence for the amphoteric character of Mg. Implanting above 350 °C converts interstitial ^{27}Mg to substitutional Ga sites, which allows estimating the activation energy for migration of interstitial Mg as between 1.3 and 2.0 eV.
IMPORTANCE: Preventing relapse for adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first remission is the most common indication for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. The presence of AML ...measurable residual disease (MRD) has been associated with higher relapse rates, but testing is not standardized. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether DNA sequencing to identify residual variants in the blood of adults with AML in first remission before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant identifies patients at increased risk of relapse and poorer overall survival compared with those without these DNA variants. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this retrospective observational study, DNA sequencing was performed on pretransplant blood from patients aged 18 years or older who had undergone their first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant during first remission for AML associated with variants in FLT3, NPM1, IDH1, IDH2, or KIT at 1 of 111 treatment sites from 2013 through 2019. Clinical data were collected, through May 2022, by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. EXPOSURE: Centralized DNA sequencing of banked pretransplant remission blood samples. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcomes were overall survival and relapse. Day of transplant was considered day 0. Hazard ratios were reported using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Of 1075 patients tested, 822 had FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) and/or NPM1 mutated AML (median age, 57.1 years, 54% female). Among 371 patients in the discovery cohort, the persistence of NPM1 and/or FLT3-ITD variants in the blood of 64 patients (17.3%) in remission before undergoing transplant was associated with worse outcomes after transplant (2013-2017). Similarly, of the 451 patients in the validation cohort who had undergone transplant in 2018-2019, 78 patients (17.3%) with residual NPM1 and/or FLT3-ITD variants had higher rates of relapse at 3 years (68% vs 21%; difference, 47% 95% CI, 26% to 69%; HR, 4.32 95% CI, 2.98 to 6.26; P < .001) and decreased survival at 3 years (39% vs 63%; difference, −24% 2-sided 95% CI, −39% to −9%; HR, 2.43 95% CI, 1.71 to 3.45; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant, the persistence of FLT3 internal tandem duplication or NPM1 variants in the blood at an allele fraction of 0.01% or higher was associated with increased relapse and worse survival compared with those without these variants. Further study is needed to determine whether routine DNA-sequencing testing for residual variants can improve outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
The
f
(
R
,
T
) gravity models, for which
R
is the Ricci scalar and
T
is the trace of the energy–momentum tensor, elevate the degrees of freedom of the renowned
f
(
R
) theories, by making the ...Einstein field equations of the theory to also depend on
T
. While such a dependence can be motivated by quantum effects, the existence of imperfect or extra fluids, or even a cosmological “constant” which effectively depends on
T
, the formalism can truly surpass some deficiencies of
f
(
R
) gravity. As the
f
(
R
,
T
) function is arbitrary, several parametric models have been proposed
ad hoc
in the literature and posteriorly confronted with observational data. In the present article, we use gaussian process to construct an
f
(
R
,
T
)
=
R
+
f
(
T
)
model. To apply the gaussian process we use a series of measurements of the Hubble parameter. We then analytically obtain the functional form of the function. By construction, this form, which is novel in the literature, is well-adjusted to cosmological data. In addition, by extrapolating our reconstruction to redshift
z
=
0
, we were able to constrain the Hubble constant value to
H
0
=
69.97
±
4.13
km
s
-
1
Mpc
-
1
with
5
%
precision. Lastly, we encourage the application of the functional form herewith obtained to other current problems of observational cosmology and astrophysics, such as the rotation curves of galaxies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Fortaleza (Brazil) is high endemic for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy. These three diseases share respiratory droplets through coughing or sneezing as the main ...mode of transmission but differ in incubation time, with COVID-19 having a short and leprosy a long incubation time. Consequently, contacts of a patient are at higher risk of infection and developing these diseases. There might be scope for combined preventive measures, but a better understanding of the geographical distribution and relevant socioeconomic risk factors of the three diseases is needed first. This study aims to describe the geographic distribution of COVID-19, TB and leprosy incidence and to identify common socioeconomic risk factors. The total number of new cases of COVID-19, TB and leprosy, as well as socioeconomic and demographic variables, were retrieved from official registers. The geographical distribution of COVID-19, TB and leprosy rates per neighbourhood was visualised in Quantum GIS, and spatial autocorrelation was measured with Moran's I in GeoDa. A spatial regression model was applied to understand the association between COVID-19, TB, leprosy rates, and socioeconomic factors. COVID-19 and TB showed a more homogenous distribution, whereas leprosy is located more in the south and west of Fortaleza. One neighbourhood (Pedras) in the southeast was identified as high endemic for all three diseases. Literacy was a socioeconomic risk factor for all three diseases: a high literacy rate increases the risk of COVID-19, and a low literacy rate (i.e., illiteracy) increases the risk of TB and leprosy. In addition, high income was associated with COVID-19, while low income with TB. Despite the similar mode of transmission, COVID-19, TB and leprosy show a different distribution of cases in Fortaleza. In addition, associated risk factors are related to wealth in COVID-19 and to poverty in TB and leprosy. These findings may support policymakers in developing (partially combined) primary and secondary prevention considering the efficient use of resources.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Thick brane in f ( T , B ) gravity Moreira, A. R. P.; Silva, J. E. G.; Lima, F. C. E. ...
Physical review. D,
03/2021, Letnik:
103, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In this paper we explore the five-dimensional f(T,B) teleparallel modified gravity with f1(T,B)=T+k1Bn1 and f2(T,B)=B+k2Tn2 in the brane scenario. Asymptotically, the bulk geometry converges to an ...AdS5 spacetime whose cosmological constant is produced by parameters that control torsion and the boundary term. The analysis of the energy density condition reveals a splitting brane process satisfying the weak and strong energy conditions for some values of the parameters n1,2 and k1,2. In addition, we investigate the behavior of the gravitational perturbations in this scenario. In the bulk, the torsion keeps a gapless nonlocalizable and stable tower of massive modes. Inside the brane core, the torsion produces new barriers and potential wells leading to small amplitude massive modes and a massless mode localized for some values of the parameters n1,2 and k1,2.
A simple mechanical beam steering antenna concept is proposed for ground mobile terminals of Ka-band satellite and high altitude platform (HAP) providing broadband access services. The wide-angle ...elevation beam steering is achieved by in-plane translation of a thin offset flat lens in front of a stationary primary feed while full azimuth coverage is obtained by simple 360° rotation of the lens. A new strategy is also proposed to reduce the effective F/D of the focusing system and consequently the total antenna height without increasing beam distortion: a second small flat lens is added on top of the primary feed to create a virtual focus located well below the feed phase center. The challenge is to conciliate high gain both with wide beam scanning and reduced antenna height. Design rules are presented for this antenna concept along with a 27.3-dBi gain fabricated example for the up-link Ka-band (29.5-30 GHz), with circular polarization, 0° to 50° elevation scan, better than 2.8-dB scan loss and an effective F/D of only 0.55. Both lenses are 3.35-mm thick, formed by a suitable assembly of phase shifting unit cells with less than 0.4 dB of transmission loss in simulation. The main lens dimensions are 195 mm × 145 mm and its weight is 215 g. Total antenna height, including the feed is 84 mm.
There is a need of simple, inexpensive, and reliable noninvasive testing to predict coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), where the prevalence of cardiovascular ...(CV) events and death is elevated. We analyzed the association between peripheral artery disease (PAD) and CAD in 201 patients with stage 5 CKD on dialysis using a prospective observational cohort. Diagnosis of PAD by both palpation and USD were significantly correlated. In patients with PAD diagnosed by palpation, CAD was observed in 80%, while in those diagnosed by USD, CAD was present in 79.1%. The absence of a pulse by palpation predicted CAD with a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 76%; USD showed a sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 60% to predict CAD. The risk of combined serious CV events and death was significantly higher in subjects with PAD diagnosed by palpation, but not by USD. PAD assessed by palpation also correlated with the occurrence of multivessel CAD and with the probability of coronary intervention. Both methods are moderately useful for predicting CAD, but PAD diagnosis by palpation was a better predictor of combined CV events and death and was also associated with CAD severity and likelihood of intervention.
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