Integrative analysis of multi-omics layers at single cell level is critical for accurate dissection of cell-to-cell variation within certain cell populations. Here we report scCAT-seq, a technique ...for simultaneously assaying chromatin accessibility and the transcriptome within the same single cell. We show that the combined single cell signatures enable accurate construction of regulatory relationships between cis-regulatory elements and the target genes at single-cell resolution, providing a new dimension of features that helps direct discovery of regulatory patterns specific to distinct cell identities. Moreover, we generate the first single cell integrated map of chromatin accessibility and transcriptome in early embryos and demonstrate the robustness of scCAT-seq in the precise dissection of master transcription factors in cells of distinct states. The ability to obtain these two layers of omics data will help provide more accurate definitions of "single cell state" and enable the deconvolution of regulatory heterogeneity from complex cell populations.
Abstract
This paper presents the simulated performance assessment of an artificial iris embedded on a scleral contact lens using real data from an aniridia patient. The artificial iris is based on ...guest–host liquid crystal cells (GH-LCD) in order to actively modify the transmittance of the lens and effective pupil size. Experimental validation of the GH-LCD spectrum and iris contrast (determined to be 1:2.1) enabled the development of optical models that include the effect of a small pupil on image quality and visual quality on an optical system with aniridia characteristics. Visual simulations at different light conditions (high/low photopic and mesopic) demonstrated the theoretical capacity of the customized artificial iris smart contact lens to expand the depth-of-focus and decrease the optical aberrations (in particular, the spherical aberration). The visual modelling suggests a maximum depth-of-focus value for a 2-mm pupil diameter for both eyes as follows: 3D (1,000 cd/m
2
), 2D (10 cd/m
2
) and 0.75D (1 cd/m
2
). This work demonstrates the beneficial optical effects of an active artificial iris, based on visual simulations in response to different light levels, and enables further experimental investigation on patients to validate the dynamic light attenuation and visual performance of smart contact lenses with GH-LCD.
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor of the developing sympathetic nervous system. However, the cellular origin of neuroblastoma has yet to be defined. Here we studied the single-cell transcriptomes of ...neuroblastomas and normal human developing adrenal glands at various stages of embryonic and fetal development. We defined normal differentiation trajectories from Schwann cell precursors over intermediate states to neuroblasts or chromaffin cells and showed that neuroblastomas transcriptionally resemble normal fetal adrenal neuroblasts. Importantly, neuroblastomas with varying clinical phenotypes matched different temporal states along normal neuroblast differentiation trajectories, with the degree of differentiation corresponding to clinical prognosis. Our work highlights the roles of oncogenic MYCN and loss of TFAP2B in blocking differentiation and may provide the basis for designing therapeutic interventions to overcome differentiation blocks.
Appropriate selection of electron buffer layer and understanding its impact on the photo‐generated charge transfer dynamics at the interfaces are critical to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. By ...optimizing a multilayer electron buffer composed of CdS thin film deposited on TiO2 compact layer, we obtained a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.47% for a planar solar cell of Sb2(SxSe1‐x)3 absorber. The PCE was significantly enhanced in the photovoltaic parameters of planar solar cells fabricated with single‐layer configuration: for example, PCE of 3.99% and 0.79% were obtained when either CdS or TiO2, respectively, were used. Surface photovoltage spectroscopy, transient photovoltage, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses indicated that the PCE improvement can be ascribed to a combination of 2 factors: (i) better separation and transfer of the photo‐excited free charge, provided by the beneficial energy level alignment between TiO2 and CdS layers, and (ii) sulfur passivation upon incorporation of CdS in a multilayer configuration causing a reduction in the trap states at the interface with Sb2(SxSe1‐x)3.
By optimizing a multilayer electron buffer with a device configuration of FTO/c‐TiO2/c‐CdS/Sb2(SxSe1‐x)3/C/Ag, we have obtained a power conversion efficiency of 5.47% with a Voc of 0.51 V for a planar solar cell of Sb2(SxSe1‐x)3 absorber. Moreover, a substantial reduction of recombination rate contributing toward a decrease in the trap state density at the electron buffer/Sb2(SxSe1‐x)3 interface was confirmed by transient surface photovoltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Background
The World Health Organization considers medication errors to be an issue that requires attention at all levels of care, to reduce the severe and preventable harm related to drug therapy. ...Different standards for clinical pharmaceutical practices have been proposed by various organizations across the world, where the pharmacist, as part of the multidisciplinary health team, can help improve patient safety.
Objective
To assess the impact of the introduction of a clinical pharmacy practice model on medication error in patients of a university hospital.
Setting
The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Medellín, Colombia.
Methods
A randomized, controlled cluster-wedge staggered trial with a duration of 14 months was conducted to compare the clinical pharmacy practice model with the usual care process in the hospital. Five hospital health care units were included, which were initially assigned to the control group, and after an observation period of 2 months, they were randomly assigned to the intervention group. The trial protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT03338725).
Main outcome measure
The incidence of medication errors in hospitalized patients was the main outcome measure.
Results
The incidence of medication error was 13.3% and 22.8% for the intervention group and control group, respectively. The probability of presenting a medication error was 48% lower when the patient was in the intervention group (RR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.34–0.79). The probability of presenting a medication error over time was 44% lower in the intervention group (
p
= 0.0005); meanwhile, the resolution of a medication error over time was 70% higher in the intervention group (
p
= 0. 0029).
Conclusion
The clinical pharmacy practice model, made up of strategies focused on reducing medication errors, significantly reduces medication errors in patients during hospitalization compared with usual practice. This work assessed the effect of a clinical pharmacy model on the incidence of medication errors and demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing these errors in hospitalized patients.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03338725. Registered on 9 November 2017. First patient randomized on February 2, 2018.
During the night of the discovery of an asteroid, a large number of images spaced in time, that represent an arc too short to propagate an orbit, are obtained. Initially, it is necessary to recover ...the body in the celestial vault to have more observations to determine its orbit. The first step in this process is to establish the admissible region, defined as the region in space where the object can be found. In this paper we present the calculation of the Admissible Regions from data from a single night observation, considering the geocentric and topocentric versions and restrictions such as belonging to the Solar System, the object does not belong to the Earth-Moon gravitational system, and the body is at a minimum distance from Earth. This procedure was applied in the calculation of the admissible regions of 2003 BH84, 3122 Florence, 3200 Phaethon, 555 Norma, 1738 Oosterhoff and 2006 SO375. The respective admissible regions were generated in their geocentric and topocentric variant, and the respective metric changes were made to visualize their geometric characteristics. It was found that the topocentric version generates a simpler geometry than the geocentric version, decreasing the re-observation area. It was identified that the logarithmic metric is appropriate for the study of regions near the Earth (NEO's).
microRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules that control gene expression by silencing complementary mRNA. They play a crucial role in stress response in plants, including biotic stress. Some miRNAs ...are known to respond to bacterial infection in Arabidopsis thaliana but it is currently unknown whether these responses are conserved in other plants and whether novel species-specific miRNAs could have a role in defense.
This work addresses the role of miRNAs in the Manihot esculenta (cassava)-Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis (Xam) interaction. Next-generation sequencing was used for analyzing small RNA libraries from cassava tissue infected and non-infected with Xam. A full repertoire of cassava miRNAs was characterized, which included 56 conserved families and 12 novel cassava-specific families. Endogenous targets were predicted in the cassava genome for many miRNA families. Some miRNA families' expression was increased in response to bacterial infection, including miRNAs known to mediate defense by targeting auxin-responding factors as well as some cassava-specific miRNAs. Some bacteria-repressed miRNAs included families involved in copper regulation as well as families targeting disease resistance genes. Putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) were identified in the MIRNA genes promoter region and compared to promoter regions in miRNA target genes and protein coding genes, revealing differences between MIRNA gene transcriptional regulation and other genes.
Taken together these results suggest that miRNAs in cassava play a role in defense against Xam, and that the mechanism is similar to what's known in Arabidopsis and involves some of the same families.
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