Many biological and man-made networked systems are characterized by the simultaneous presence of different sub-networks organized in separate layers, with links and nodes of qualitatively different ...types. While during the past few years theoretical studies have examined a variety of structural features of complex networks, the outstanding question is whether such features are characterizing all single layers, or rather emerge as a result of coarse-graining, i.e. when going from the multilayered to the aggregate network representation. Here we address this issue with the help of real data. We analyze the structural properties of an intrinsically multilayered real network, the European Air Transportation Multiplex Network in which each commercial airline defines a network layer. We examine how several structural measures evolve as layers are progressively merged together. In particular, we discuss how the topology of each layer affects the emergence of structural properties in the aggregate network.
Abstract Reverberation mapping accurately determines virial black hole masses only for redshifts z < 0.2 by utilizing the relationship between the H β broad-line region (BLR) size and the 5100 Å ...continuum luminosity established with ∼200 active galactic nuclei. For quasars at z ∼ 2–3 determining the BLR size is time-consuming and limited by seasonal gaps, requiring, e.g., ∼20 yr of monitoring of the C iv emission lines. In this work, we demonstrate that an efficient alternative is to use a continuum size–luminosity relation, which can be obtained up to 150 times faster than BLR sizes using photometric reverberation mapping (PRM). We outline the method and its feasibility based on simulations and propose an observational strategy that can be carried out with meter-class telescopes. In particular, we focus on the ESO La Silla 2.2 m telescope as it is suitable for an efficient PRM campaign. These observations will provide the scaling factor between the accretion disk and the BLR size (for C iv -1350 Å), which is crucial for estimating the masses of black holes at higher redshifts ( z ≳ 2–3).
•Evidence from empirical studies suggests that a range of non-pharmaceutical interventions are effective against COVID-19.•School closing was the most effective NPI, followed by workplace closing, ...business and venue closing and public event bans.•Public information campaigns and mask wearing requirements are less disruptive for the population and also proved to be effective.•There was no evidence on the effectiveness of public transport closure, testing and contact tracing strategies and quarantining or isolation of individuals.•Early implementation was associated with a higher effectiveness.
To evaluate which non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been more and less effective in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
We performed a systematic review of published and unpublished empirical studies, either observational or interventional, analysing the comparative effectiveness of NPIs against the COVID-19 pandemic. We searched Embase/Medline and medRxiv to identify the relevant literature.
We identified 34 studies. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, school closing was the most effective NPI, followed by workplace closing, business and venue closing and public event bans. Public information campaigns and mask wearing requirements were also effective in controlling the pandemic while being less disruptive for the population than other NPIs. There was no evidence on the effectiveness of public transport closure, testing and contact tracing strategies and quarantining or isolation of individuals. Early implementation was associated with a higher effectiveness in reducing COVID-19 cases and deaths, while general stringency of the NPIs was not.
In this systematic review, we found that school closing, followed by workplace closing, business and venue closing and public event bans were the most effective NPIs in controlling the spread of COVID-19. An early response and a combination of specific social distancing measures are effective at reducing COVID-19 cases and deaths. Continuous monitoring of NPIs effectiveness is needed in order to adapt decision making.
We monitored the Seyfert-1 galaxy 3C 120 between September 2014 and March 2015 at the Universitätssternwarte Bochum near Cerro Armazones in BVRIJK and a narrowband filter covering the redshifted Hα ...line. In addition we obtained a single contemporary spectrum with the spectrograph FAST at Mt. Hopkins. Compared to earlier epochs 3C 120 is about a factor of three brighter, allowing us to study the shape of the broad line region (BLR) and the dust torus in a high luminosity phase. The analysis of the light curves yields that the dust echo is rather sharp and symmetric in contrast to the more complex broad Hα BLR echo. We investigated how far this supports an optically thick bowl-shaped BLR and dust torus geometry. The comparison with several parameterizations of these models supports the following geometry: The BLR clouds lie inside the bowl closely above the bowl rim up to a halfcovering angle 0° < θ < 40° (measured against the equatorial plane). Then the BLR is spread over many isodelay surfaces, yielding a smeared and structured echo as observed. Furthermore, if the BLR clouds shield the bottom of the bowl rim against radiation from the nucleus, the hot dust emission comes essentially from the top edge of the bowl (40° < θ < 45°). Then, for small inclinations as for 3C120, the top dust edge forms a ring that largely coincides with a narrow range of isodelay surfaces, yielding the observed sharp dust echo. The scale height of the BLR increases with radial distance from the black hole (BH). This leads to luminosity dependent foreshortening effects of the lag. We discuss the implications and possible corrections of the foreshortening for the BH mass determination and consequences for the lag (size)–luminosity relationships and the difference from interferometric torus sizes.
We present a variability study of the lowest-luminosity Seyfert 1 nucleus of the galaxy NGC 4395 based on photometric monitoring campaigns in 2017 and 2018. Using 22 ground-based and space ...telescopes, we monitored NGC 4395 with a ∼5-minute cadence during a period of 10 days and obtained light curves in the ultraviolet (UV), V, J, H, and K/Ks bands, as well as narrowband H . The rms variability is ∼0.13 mag in the Swift UVM2 and V filter light curves, decreasing down to ∼0.01 mag in the K filter. After correcting for the continuum contribution to the H narrow band, we measured the time lag of the H emission line with respect to the V-band continuum as - minutes in 2017 and - minutes in 2018, depending on assumptions about the continuum variability amplitude in the H narrow band. We obtained no reliable measurements for the continuum-to-continuum lag between UV and V bands and among near-IR bands, owing to the large flux uncertainty of UV observations and the limited time baseline. We determined the active galactic nucleus (AGN) monochromatic luminosity at 5100 , , after subtracting the contribution of the nuclear star cluster. While the optical luminosity of NGC 4395 is two orders of magnitude lower than that of other reverberation-mapped AGNs, NGC 4395 follows the size-luminosity relation, albeit with an offset of 0.48 dex (≥2.5 ) from the previous best-fit relation of Bentz et al.
Influenza A virus (IAV) infection can be severe or even lethal in toddlers, the elderly and patients with certain medical conditions. Infection of apparently healthy individuals nonetheless accounts ...for many severe disease cases and deaths, suggesting that viruses with increased pathogenicity co-circulate with pandemic or epidemic viruses. Looking for potential virulence factors, we have identified a polymerase PA D529N mutation detected in a fatal IAV case, whose introduction into two different recombinant virus backbones, led to reduced defective viral genomes (DVGs) production. This mutation conferred low induction of antiviral response in infected cells and increased pathogenesis in mice. To analyze the association between low DVGs production and pathogenesis in humans, we performed a genomic analysis of viruses isolated from a cohort of previously healthy individuals who suffered highly severe IAV infection requiring admission to Intensive Care Unit and patients with fatal outcome who additionally showed underlying medical conditions. These viruses were compared with those isolated from a cohort of mild IAV patients. Viruses with fewer DVGs accumulation were observed in patients with highly severe/fatal outcome than in those with mild disease, suggesting that low DVGs abundance constitutes a new virulence pathogenic marker in humans.
Viral respiratory infections, especially acute bronchiolitis, play a key role in the development of asthma in childhood. However, most studies have focused on respiratory syncytial virus or ...rhinovirus infections and none of them have compared the long-term evolution of single versus double or multiple viral infections.
Our aim was to compare the frequency of asthma development at 6-8 years in children with previous admission for bronchiolitis associated with single versus double or multiple viral infection.
A cross-sectional study was performed in 244 children currently aged 6-8 years, previously admitted due to bronchiolitis between September 2008 and December 2011. A structured clinical interview and the ISAAC questionnaire for asthma symptoms for 6-7-year-old children, were answered by parents by telephone. Specimens of nasopharyngeal aspirate for virological study (polymerase chain reaction) and clinical data were prospectively taken during admission for bronchiolitis.
Median current age at follow-up was 7.3 years (IQR: 6.7-8.1). The rate of recurrent wheezing was 82.7% in the coinfection group and 69.7% in the single-infection group, p = 0.06. The number of wheezing-related admissions was twice as high in coinfections than in single infections, p = 0.004. Regarding the ISAAC questionnaire, 30.8% of coinfections versus 15% of single infections, p = 0.01, presented "wheezing in the last 12 months", data that strongly correlate with current prevalence of asthma. "Dry cough at night" was also reported more frequently in coinfections than in single infections, p = 0.02. The strongest independent risk factors for asthma at 6-8 years of age were: age > 9 months at admission for bronchiolitis (OR: 3.484; CI95%: 1.459-8.317, p:0.005), allergic rhinitis (OR: 5.910; 95%CI: 2.622-13.318, p<0.001), and viral coinfection-bronchiolitis (OR: 3.374; CI95%: 1.542-7.386, p:0.01).
Asthma at 6-8 years is more frequent and severe in those children previously hospitalized with viral coinfection-bronchiolitis compared with those with single infection. Allergic rhinitis and older age at admission seem also to be strong independent risk factors for asthma development in children previously hospitalised because of bronchiolitis.
Our main objective was to compare the lung function, the rate of allergic sensitization and the prevalence of asthma at 7-9 years in children hospitalized for bronchiolitis with viral coinfection ...versus single viral infection. Observational study in children with previous bronchiolitis and current age 7-9 years. Clinical data were collected. Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) determination, spirometry and skin prick test for common aeroallergens were performed. A total of 181 children hospitalized for bronchiolitis (40 coinfections and 141 single infections), with median age of 8.3 years (IQR:7.5-9.1) were included. Single-HRV-infections showed lower basal FEV1(%) than coinfections (p = 0.04) and lower z-score FEV
than single-RSV-infections (p = 0.04) or coinfections (p = 0.02). Also, single-HRV-infections had lower post-bronchodilator FEV1(%) and z-score FEV
values than coinfections (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03). Single-HRV-bronchiolitis was an independent risk factor for FEV
< 80% (p = 0.007). FeNO value > 25 ppb was detected in 21(12.5%) cases, without differences between viral groups (p = 0.768). The prevalence of allergic sensitization was similar in coinfections (31.4%) versus single infections (38.7%), (p = 0.428). The highest frequency of allergic rhinitis was observed in single-HRV patients (p = 0.004). The respiratory morbidity at 7-9 years of coinfected patients was similar to the single-HRV ones. In contrast, the likelihood of current asthma was up to 5 times higher in RSV/HRV coinfections than in the single-RSV-infections ones (p = 0.012). The respiratory morbidity at 7-9 years of age after severe bronchiolitis is significantly higher in single-HRV or viral coinfection patients that in single-RSV ones. Single-HRV-bronchiolitis is independently associated with lower lung function at school-age.
There is controversy regarding the significance of radiological consolidation in the context of COPD exacerbation (eCOPD). While some studies into eCOPD exclude these cases, consolidation is a common ...feature of eCOPD admissions in real practice. This study aims to address the question of whether consolidation in eCOPD is a distinct clinical phenotype with implications for management decisions and outcomes.
The European COPD Audit was carried out in 384 hospitals from 13 European countries between 2010 and 2011 to analyze guideline adherence in eCOPD. In this analysis, admissions were split according to the presence or not of consolidation on the admission chest radiograph. Groups were compared in terms of clinical and epidemiological features, existing treatment, clinical care utilized and mortality.
14,111 cases were included comprising 2,714 (19.2%) with consolidation and 11,397 (80.8%) without. The risk of radiographic consolidation increased with age, female gender, cardiovascular diseases, having had two or more admissions in the previous year, and sputum color change. Previous treatment with inhaled steroids was not associated. Patients with radiographic consolidation were significantly more likely to receive antibiotics, oxygen and non-invasive ventilation during the admission and had a lower survival from admission to 90-day follow-up.
Patients admitted for COPD exacerbation who have radiological consolidation have a more severe illness course, are treated more intensively by clinicians and have a poorer prognosis. We recommend that these patients be considered a distinct subset in COPD exacerbation.
Autophagy is considered to be the primary degradative pathway that takes place in all eukaryotic cells. Morphologically, the autophagy pathway refers to a process by which cytoplasmic portions are ...delivered to double-membrane organelles, called autophagosomes, to fuse with lysosomes for bulk degradation. Autophagy, as a prosurvival mechanism, can be stimulated by different types of cellular stress such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, ROS, pH, DNA damage, or ER stress, promoting adaptation of the cell to the changing and hostile environment. The functional relevance of autophagy in many diseases such as cancer or neurodegenerative diseases remains controversial, preserving organelle function and detoxification and promoting cell growth, although in other contexts, autophagy could suppress cell expansion. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a covalent and reversible posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins mediated by Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) with well-described functions in DNA repair, replication, genome integrity, cell cycle, and metabolism. Herein, we review the current state of PARP1 activation and PARylation in starvation-induced autophagy.
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