To study associations between aspirin use and early and late aging macula disorder (AMD).
Population-based cross-sectional European Eye Study in 7 centers from northern to southern Europe.
In total, ...4691 participants 65 years of age and older, collected by random sampling.
Aspirin intake and possible confounders for AMD were ascertained by a structured questionnaire. Ophthalmic and basic systemic measurements were performed in a standardized way. The study classified AMD according to the modified International Classification System on digitized fundus images at 1 grading center. Nonfasting blood samples were analyzed in a single laboratory. Associations were analyzed by logistic regression.
Odds ratios (ORs) for AMD in aspirin users.
Early AMD was present in 36.4% of the participants and late AMD was present in 3.3% of participants. Monthly aspirin use was reported by 1931 (41.2%), at least once weekly by 7%, and daily use by 17.3%. For daily aspirin users, the ORs, adjusted for potential confounders, showed a steady increase with increasing severity of AMD grades. These were: grade 1, 1.26 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.08-1.46; P<0.001); grade 2, 1.42 (95% CI, 1.18-1.70), and wet late AMD, 2.22 (95% CI, 1.61-3.05).
Frequent aspirin use was associated with early AMD and wet late AMD, and the ORs rose with increasing frequency of consumption. This interesting observation warrants further evaluation of the associations between aspirin use and AMD.
The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
The yellow fever virus (YFV) epidemic in Brazil is the largest in decades. The recent discovery of YFV in Brazilian
species mosquitos highlights a need to monitor the risk of reestablishment of urban ...YFV transmission in the Americas. We use a suite of epidemiological, spatial, and genomic approaches to characterize YFV transmission. We show that the age and sex distribution of human cases is characteristic of sylvatic transmission. Analysis of YFV cases combined with genomes generated locally reveals an early phase of sylvatic YFV transmission and spatial expansion toward previously YFV-free areas, followed by a rise in viral spillover to humans in late 2016. Our results establish a framework for monitoring YFV transmission in real time that will contribute to a global strategy to eliminate future YFV epidemics.
Correlated electron intermetallic bulk systems exhibit exciting phenomena, such as unconventional superconductivity, heavy fermion behavior, magnetic ordering, and quantum criticality. However, such ...exciting properties in related systems with reduced dimensionality are rather unexplored and unpredictable. In this work, we explore the routes for synthesizing nanowires of the intermetallic antiferromagnet compound GdIn3 by an innovative method: the metallic-flux nanonucleation (MFNN). This technique allows the simultaneous synthesis of bulk GdIn3 single crystals (TN3D=45K) and their low-dimensional (LD) analogs, which nucleate with diameter d≈200nm and length l≈30μm inside pores of an Al2O3 template. Both systems were studied by means of Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. Interestingly, the metallic nanowires show a drastic suppression of the antiferromagnetic ordering to TNLD=4K. These observations suggest the presence of LD magnetic frustration in this compound and possibly open a new route to explore the role of low-dimensionality in strongly correlated materials.
•Here we employ an innovative growth method to synthesize 1Gd:3In nanowires.•The properties of both systems were studied by macro and microscopic techniques.•A drastic suppression of the bulk magnetic transition is observed in the nanowires.•This suppression is associated to a change in the magnetic RKKY exchange interaction.•Our results suggest a possible low-dimensional magnetic frustration in this compound.
Scientific interest in iron-oxides and in particular magnetite has been renewed due to the broad scope of their fascinating properties, which are finding applications in electronics and biomedicine. ...Specifically, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are gathering attraction in biomedicine. Their cores are usually constituted by a mixture of maghemite and magnetite phases. In view of this, to fine-tune the properties of an ensemble of IONPs towards their applications, it is essential to enhance mass fabrication processes towards the production of monodisperse IONPs with controlled size, shape, and stoichiometry. We exploit the vacancy sensitivity of the Verwey transition to detect the presence of magnetite. Here we provide direct evidence for the Verwey transition in an ensemble of IONPs through neutron diffraction. This transition is observed as a variation in the Fe magnetic moment at octahedral sites and, in turn, gives rise to a change of the net magnetic moment. Finally, we show this variation as the microscopic ingredient driving the characteristic kink that hallmarks the Verwey transition in thermal variation of magnetization.
We exploit the Verwey transition to detect the presence of magnetite in an ensemble of IONPs by using the thermal evolution value of the magnetic moment obtained by neutron diffraction in a mixture of maghemite and magnetite phases in their cores.
The reactive power capability of wind generation (WG) producers can be used to provide volt/voltampere reactive (var) support in electrical distribution systems. In practice, the distribution network ...operator (DNO) is not able to dispatch reactive power of all generators, and such units are referred to as nondispatchable generators. Then, the reactive power of these nondispatchable generators is not a defined value, and it should accomplish the limits settled by national grid codes. This paper addresses the optimal reactive power provision of nondispatchable WG units under a loss allocation strategy based on incremental generation use of the system (GUoS) tariffs. The optimization problem is set from generators' viewpoint aiming to find the reactive power provision that minimizes the loss charges subject to operational constraints. Optimal solutions are compared with the DNOs mandatory dispatches using a reactive optimal power flow tool. Two test systems are analyzed: a 10-kV 28 bus and 60-kV 55-bus system throughout 672 and 168 h, respectively. The proposal permits to identify which units can be dispatched by the DNO due to its effect on the network.
The international Covid19-NMR consortium aims at the comprehensive spectroscopic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA elements and proteins and will provide NMR chemical shift assignments of the ...molecular components of this virus. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes approximately 30 different proteins. Four of these proteins are involved in forming the viral envelope or in the packaging of the RNA genome and are therefore called structural proteins. The other proteins fulfill a variety of functions during the viral life cycle and comprise the so-called non-structural proteins (nsps). Here, we report the near-complete NMR resonance assignment for the backbone chemical shifts of the non-structural protein 10 (nsp10). Nsp10 is part of the viral replication-transcription complex (RTC). It aids in synthesizing and modifying the genomic and subgenomic RNAs. Via its interaction with nsp14, it ensures transcriptional fidelity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and through its stimulation of the methyltransferase activity of nsp16, it aids in synthesizing the RNA cap structures which protect the viral RNAs from being recognized by the innate immune system. Both of these functions can be potentially targeted by drugs. Our data will aid in performing additional NMR-based characterizations, and provide a basis for the identification of possible small molecule ligands interfering with nsp10 exerting its essential role in viral replication.
International sharing of cohort data for research is important and challenging. We explored the feasibility of multicohort federated analyses by examining associations between 3 pregnancy exposures ...(maternal education, exposure to green vegetation, and gestational diabetes) and offspring body mass index (BMI) from infancy to age 17 years. We used data from 18 cohorts (n = 206,180 mother-child pairs) from the EU Child Cohort Network and derived BMI at ages 0-1, 2-3, 4-7, 8-13, and 14-17 years. Associations were estimated using linear regression via 1-stage individual participant data meta-analysis using DataSHIELD. Associations between lower maternal education and higher child BMI emerged from age 4 and increased with age (difference in BMI z score comparing low with high education, at age 2-3 years = 0.03 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.00, 0.05), at 4-7 years = 0.16 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.17), and at 8-13 years = 0.24 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.26)). Gestational diabetes was positively associated with BMI from age 8 years (BMI z score difference = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.25) but not at younger ages; however, associations attenuated towards the null when restricted to cohorts that measured gestational diabetes via universal screening. Exposure to green vegetation was weakly associated with higher BMI up to age 1 year but not at older ages. Opportunities of cross-cohort federated analyses are discussed.
Starting from the structure of known β-lactam covalent human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) protease inhibitors and from the knowledge of the residues implicated in the active site of this enzyme, we ...designed a series of phenylalanine-derived 2-azetidinones bearing a 4-carboxylate moiety that could be apt for additional interactions with the guanidine group of the Arg165/Arg166 residues of the viral protease. Some compounds within this series showed anti-HCMV activity at 10−50 μM, but rather high toxicity. The presence of aromatic 1-acyl groups and a certain hydrophobic character in the region of the 4-carboxylate were stringent requirements for anti-HCMV activity. To go a step ahead into the search for effective HCMV medicines, we then envisaged a series of noncovalent inhibitors by simple deletion of the carbonyl group in the β-lactam derivatives to provide the corresponding azetidines. This led to low micromolar inhibitors of HCMV replication, with 17 and 27 being particularly promising lead compounds for further investigation, although their toxicity still needs to be lowered.
A new method for distribution access via uniform pricing for the remuneration of distribution networks is presented. The proposed approach merges in a unified framework the investments, the optimal ...network operation requirements, the effect of the price elasticity of demand, and the application of hourly pricing for demand side management purposes. Hourly uniform marginal prices-understood as tariffs of use of the network-are obtained from maximum social welfare condition sending efficient signals to the utility and consumers, related to the optimal operation of the grid and use of the energy at peak and valley hours. This method is used in the context of a Performance Based Ratemaking regulation to get model companies from operational optimized real networks. Capital fees are integrated in the marginal tariff of use, by means of the New Replacement Value concept, broadly used in yardstick competition. The model is stated as a mixed-integer linear optimization problem suitable to be solved through well-known linear programming tools. The methodology has been successfully tested in a 42-bus test distribution network.
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