•We developed a SQI to evaluate the interaction between soil quality parameters.•The fertiliser level appeared to drive SQI results.•No effects due to cropping sequence and stubble management were ...found.•The water extractable N was particularly sensitive to soil management.•The SQI was not significantly correlated with annual grain yield.
Due to increasing land-use pressures, soil-quality assessment is in growing demand, thus a standard set of procedures to assign a soil quality index (SQI) would be beneficial. In this study, the effectiveness of different managements in upholding soil quality (for crop productivity) was compared using soil quality indicators incorporated systematically to determine a SQI. The managements included three cropping sequences (wheat based three-year crop rotation, wheat+dry bean double-cropping and continuous wheat), two stubble managements (burning vs. incorporation), and three NPK-rates (nil, intermediate and optimal). Soil physical and chemical parameters were measured, screened through principal component analysis (PCA), normalised, and then integrated into a weighted-additive SQI. Crop sequence significantly affected soil pH and had a measurable effect on plant available P, with lower pH and higher P availability for the legume-based annual rotation. Stubble incorporation enhanced the labile N pool in spring, while ashes generated from burning of residues increased the level of exchangeable cations. Changes in total N were not detectable for any management. The SQI indicated that soil quality was most affected by NPK rate. The correlation between SQI and yield was not statistically significant, suggesting that other soil quality indicators, not measured in this study, were more influential upon yield at the experimental site in 2006. The SQI obtained using the method described herein was able to synthesise the complex information contained in large multivariate data-sets, and therefore would be useful for application at regional and national scales.
We use an ensemble of surface (EPA CSN, IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET), aircraft (SEAC4RS), and satellite (MODIS, MISR) observations over the southeast US during the summer-fall of 2013 to better ...understand aerosol sources in the region and the relationship between surface particulate matter (PM) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM) with 25 25 km2 resolution over North America is used as a common platform to interpret measurements of different aerosol variables made at different times and locations. Sulfate and organic aerosol (OA) are the main contributors to surface PM2.5 (mass concentration of PM finer than 2.5 mu m aerodynamic diameter) and AOD over the southeast US. OA is simulated successfully with a simple parameterization, assuming irreversible uptake of low-volatility products of hydrocarbon oxidation. Biogenic isoprene and monoterpenes account for 60 % of OA, anthropogenic sources for 30 %, and open fires for 10 %. 60 % of total aerosol mass is in the mixed layer below 1.5 km, 25 % in the cloud convective layer at 1.5-3 km, and 15 % in the free troposphere above 3 km. This vertical profile is well captured by GEOS-Chem, arguing against a high-altitude source of OA. The extent of sulfate neutralization (f = NH4+/(2SO42- + NO3-) is only 0.5-0.7 mol mol-1 in the observations, despite an excess of ammonia present, which could reflect suppression of ammonia uptake by OA. This would explain the long-term decline of ammonium aerosol in the southeast US, paralleling that of sulfate. The vertical profile of aerosol extinction over the southeast US follows closely that of aerosol mass. GEOS-Chem reproduces observed total column aerosol mass over the southeast US within 6 %, column aerosol extinction within 16 %, and space-based AOD within 8-28 % (consistently biased low). The large AOD decline observed from summer to winter is driven by sharp declines in both sulfate and OA from August to October. These declines are due to shutdowns in both biogenic emissions and UV-driven photochemistry. Surface PM2.5 shows far less summer-to-winter decrease than AOD and we attribute this in part to the offsetting effect of weaker boundary layer ventilation. The SEAC4RS aircraft data demonstrate that AODs measured from space are consistent with surface PM2.5. This implies that satellites can be used reliably to infer surface PM2.5 over monthly timescales if a good CTM representation of the aerosol vertical profile is available.
When two sheets of graphene are stacked at a small twist angle, the resulting flat superlattice minibands are expected to strongly enhance electron-electron interactions. Here, we present evidence ...that near three-quarters (Formula: see text) filling of the conduction miniband, these enhanced interactions drive the twisted bilayer graphene into a ferromagnetic state. In a narrow density range around an apparent insulating state at Formula: see text, we observe emergent ferromagnetic hysteresis, with a giant anomalous Hall (AH) effect as large as 10.4 kilohms and indications of chiral edge states. Notably, the magnetization of the sample can be reversed by applying a small direct current. Although the AH resistance is not quantized, and dissipation is present, our measurements suggest that the system may be an incipient Chern insulator.
Objectives To develop recommendations for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) manifestations. Methods The authors compiled questions on ...prevalence and risk factors, diagnosis and monitoring, therapy and prognosis of NPSLE. A systematic literature search was performed and evidence was categorised based on sample size and study design. Results Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are at increased risk of several neuropsychiatric manifestations. Common (cumulative incidence >5%) manifestations include cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and seizures; relatively uncommon (1–5%) are severe cognitive dysfunction, major depression, acute confusional state (ACS), peripheral nervous disorders psychosis. Strong risk factors (at least fivefold increased risk) are previous or concurrent severe NPSLE (for cognitive dysfunction, seizures) and antiphospholipid antibodies (for CVD, seizures, chorea). The diagnostic work-up of suspected NPSLE is comparable to that in patients without SLE who present with the same manifestations, and aims to exclude causes unrelated to SLE. Investigations include cerebrospinal fluid analysis (to exclude central nervous system infection), EEG (to diagnose seizure disorder), neuropsychological tests (to assess cognitive dysfunction), nerve conduction studies (for peripheral neuropathy) and MRI (T1/T2, fluid-attenuating inversion recovery, diffusion-weighted imaging, enhanced T1 sequence). Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive therapy are indicated when NPSLE is thought to reflect an inflammatory process (optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, peripheral neuropathy, refractory seizures, psychosis, ACS) and in the presence of generalised lupus activity. Antiplatelet/anticoagulation therapy is indicated when manifestations are related to antiphospholipid antibodies, particularly thrombotic CVD. Conclusions Neuropsychiatric manifestations in SLE patients should be first evaluated and treated as in patients without SLE, and secondarily attributed to SLE and treated accordingly.
Abstract Since the publication of the 2012 guidelines new literature has emerged to inform decision-making. The 2016 guidelines primary panel selected a number of clinically relevant questions and ...has produced updated recommendations, on the basis of important new findings. In subjects with clinical atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, most subjects with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and those with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥ 5 mmol/L, statin therapy is recommended. For all others, there is an emphasis on risk assessment linked to lipid determination to optimize decision-making. We have recommended nonfasting lipid determination as a suitable alternative to fasting levels. Risk assessment and lipid determination should be considered in individuals older than 40 years of age or in those at increased risk regardless of age. Pharmacotherapy is generally not indicated for those at low Framingham Risk Score (FRS; <10%). A wider range of patients are now eligible for statin therapy in the FRS intermediate risk category (10%-19%) and in those with a high FRS (> 20%). Despite the controversy, we continue to advocate for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets for subjects who start therapy. Detailed recommendations are also presented for health behaviour modification that is indicated in all subjects. Finally, recommendation for the use of nonstatin medications is provided. Shared decision-making is vital because there are many areas in which clinical trials do not fully inform practice. The guidelines are meant to be a platform for meaningful conversation between patient and care provider so that individual decisions can be made for risk screening, assessment, and treatment.
Aims.
The fueling and feedback of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are important for understanding the co-evolution between black holes and host galaxies. Mergers are thought to have the capability to ...bring gas inward and ignite nuclear activity, especially for more powerful AGNs. However, there is still significant ongoing debate on whether mergers can trigger AGNs and, if they do, whether mergers are a significant triggering mechanism.
Methods.
We selected a low-redshift (0.005 <
z
< 0.1) sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and a high-redshift (0 <
z
< 0.6) sample from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey. We took advantage of the convolutional neural network technique to identify mergers. We used mid-infrared (MIR) color cut and optical emission line diagnostics to classify AGNs. We also included low excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) to investigate the connection between mergers and low accretion rate AGNs.
Results.
We find that AGNs are more likely to be found in mergers than non-mergers, with an AGN excess up to 1.81 ± 0.16, suggesting that mergers can trigger AGNs. We also find that the fraction of mergers in AGNs is higher than that in non-AGN controls, for both MIR and optically selected AGNs, as well as LERGs, with values between 16.40 ± 0.5% and 39.23 ± 2.10%, implying a non-negligible to potentially significant role of mergers in triggering AGNs. This merger fraction in AGNs increases as stellar mass increases, which supports the idea that mergers are more important for triggering AGNs in more massive galaxies. In terms of merger fraction as a function of AGN power we find a positive trend for MIR selected AGNs and a complex trend for optically selected AGNs, which we interpret under an evolutionary scenario proposed by previous studies. In addition, obscured MIR selected AGNs are more likely to be hosted in mergers than unobscured MIR selected AGNs.
We performed a multicenter, International analysis of solid organ transplant (SOT)‐related primary central nervous system (PCNS) posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). Among 84 PCNS PTLD ...patients, median time of SOT‐to‐PTLD was 54 months, 79% had kidney SOT, histology was monomorphic in 83% and tumor was EBV+ in 94%. Further, 33% had deep brain involvement, 10% had CSF involvement, while none had ocular disease. Immunosuppression was reduced in 93%; additional first‐line therapy included high‐dose methotrexate (48%), high‐dose cytarabine (33%), brain radiation (24%) and/or rituximab (44%). The overall response rate was 60%, while treatment‐related mortality was 13%. With 42‐month median follow‐up, three‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 32% and 43%, respectively. There was a trend on univariable analysis for improved PFS for patients who received rituximab and/or high‐dose cytarabine. On multivariable Cox regression, poor performance status predicted inferior PFS (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.32–5.17, p = 0.006), while increased LDH portended inferior OS (HR 4.16, 95% CI 1.29–13.46, p = 0.02). Moreover, lack of response to first‐line therapy was the most dominant prognostic factor on multivariable analysis (HR 8.70, 95% CI 2.56–29.57, p = 0.0005). Altogether, PCNS PTLD appears to represent a distinct clinicopathologic entity within the PTLD spectrum that is associated with renal SOT, occurs late, is monomorphic and retains EBV positivity.
In an international analysis of solid organ transplant recipients with primary central nervous system posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease, the authors find that the disease is associated with renal transplantation, typically occurs late and retains EBV positivity, and the dominant prognostic factor for survival is response to first‐line therapy.
Departments of Physiology and Biophysics and of Bioengineering,
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and Department of
Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
...California
Gordon, A. M.,
E. Homsher, and
M. Regnier.
Regulation of Contraction in Striated Muscle. Physiol. Rev. 80: 853-924, 2000. Ca 2+ regulation of contraction in vertebrate striated
muscle is exerted primarily through effects on the thin filament, which regulate strong cross-bridge binding to actin. Structural and biochemical studies suggest that the position of tropomyosin (Tm) and
troponin (Tn) on the thin filament determines the interaction of myosin
with the binding sites on actin. These binding sites can be
characterized as blocked (unable to bind to cross bridges), closed
(able to weakly bind cross bridges), or open (able to bind cross
bridges so that they subsequently isomerize to become strongly bound
and release ATP hydrolysis products). Flexibility of the Tm may allow
variability in actin (A) affinity for myosin along the thin filament
other than through a single 7 actin:1 tropomyosin:1 troponin
(A 7 TmTn) regulatory unit. Tm position on the actin filament is regulated by the occupancy of NH-terminal Ca 2+
binding sites on TnC, conformational changes resulting from
Ca 2+ binding, and changes in the interactions among Tn, Tm,
and actin and as well as by strong S1 binding to actin.
Ca 2+ binding to TnC enhances TnC-TnI interaction,
weakens TnI attachment to its binding sites on 1-2 actins of the
regulatory unit, increases Tm movement over the actin surface, and
exposes myosin-binding sites on actin previously blocked by Tm.
Adjacent Tm are coupled in their overlap regions where Tm movement is
also controlled by interactions with TnT. TnT also interacts with
TnC-TnI in a Ca 2+ -dependent manner. All these
interactions may vary with the different protein isoforms. The movement
of Tm over the actin surface increases the "open" probability of
myosin binding sites on actins so that some are in the open
configuration available for myosin binding and cross-bridge
isomerization to strong binding, force-producing states. In
skeletal muscle, strong binding of cycling cross bridges promotes
additional Tm movement. This movement effectively stabilizes Tm in the
open position and allows cooperative activation of additional actins in
that and possibly neighboring A 7 TmTn regulatory units. The
structural and biochemical findings support the physiological observations of steady-state and transient mechanical behavior. Physiological studies suggest the following. 1 )
Ca 2+ binding to Tn/Tm exposes sites on actin to which
myosin can bind. 2 ) Ca 2+ regulates the strong
binding of M·ADP·P i to actin, which precedes the
production of force (and/or shortening) and release of hydrolysis products. 3 ) The initial rate of force development depends
mostly on the extent of Ca 2+ activation of the thin
filament and myosin kinetic properties but depends little on the
initial force level. 4 ) A small number of strongly attached
cross bridges within an A 7 TmTn regulatory unit can activate
the actins in one unit and perhaps those in neighboring units. This
results in additional myosin binding and isomerization to strongly
bound states and force production. 5 ) The rates of the
product release steps per se (as indicated by the unloaded shortening
velocity) early in shortening are largely independent of the extent of
thin filament activation (Ca 2+ ) beyond a given baseline
level. However, with a greater extent of shortening, the rates depend
on the activation level. 6 ) The cooperativity between
neighboring regulatory units contributes to the activation by strong
cross bridges of steady-state force but does not affect the rate of
force development. 7 ) Strongly attached, cycling cross
bridges can delay relaxation in skeletal muscle in a cooperative
manner. 8 ) Strongly attached and cycling cross bridges can
enhance Ca 2+ binding to cardiac TnC, but influence skeletal
TnC to a lesser extent. 9 ) Different Tn subunit isoforms can
modulate the cross-bridge detachment rate as shown by studies with
mutant regulatory proteins in myotubes and in in vitro motility assays.
These results and conclusions suggest possible explanations for
differences between skeletal and cardiac muscle regulation and
delineate the paths future research may take toward a better
understanding of striated muscle regulation.
The ability of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to decrease transmission by blocking the acquisition of colonization has been attributed to herd immunity. We describe the role of mucosal ...immunoglobulin G (IgG) to capsular polysaccharide (CPS) in mediating protection from carriage, translating our findings from a murine model to humans. We used a flow cytometric assay to quantify antibody-mediated agglutination demonstrating that hyperimmune sera generated against an unencapsulated mutant was poorly agglutinating. Passive immunization with this antiserum was ineffective to block acquisition of colonization compared to agglutinating antisera raised against the encapsulated parent strain. In the human challenge model, samples were collected from PCV and control-vaccinated adults. In PCV-vaccinated subjects, IgG levels to CPS were increased in serum and nasal wash (NW). IgG to the inoculated strain CPS dropped in NW samples after inoculation suggesting its sequestration by colonizing pneumococci. In post-vaccination NW samples pneumococci were heavily agglutinated compared with pre-vaccination samples in subjects protected against carriage. Our results indicate that pneumococcal agglutination mediated by CPS-specific antibodies is a key mechanism of protection against acquisition of carriage. Capsule may be the only vaccine target that can elicit strong agglutinating antibody responses, leading to protection against carriage acquisition and generation of herd immunity.
Background
Stillbirth is a global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) application of the International Classification of Diseases for perinatal mortality (ICD‐PM) aims to improve data ...on stillbirth to enable prevention.
Objectives
To identify globally reported causes of stillbirth, classification systems, and alignment with the ICD‐PM.
Search strategy
We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, Global Health, and Pubmed from 2009 to 2016.
Selection criteria
Reports of stillbirth causes in unselective cohorts.
Data collection and analysis
Pooled estimates of causes were derived for country representative reports. Systems and causes were assessed for alignment with the ICD‐PM. Data are presented by income setting (low, middle, and high income countries; LIC, MIC, HIC).
Main results
Eighty‐five reports from 50 countries (489 089 stillbirths) were included. The most frequent categories were Unexplained, Antepartum haemorrhage, and Other (all settings); Infection and Hypoxic peripartum (LIC), and Placental (MIC, HIC). Overall report quality was low. Only one classification system fully aligned with ICD‐PM. All stillbirth causes mapped to ICD‐PM. In a subset from HIC, mapping obscured major causes.
Conclusions
There is a paucity of quality information on causes of stillbirth globally. Improving investigation of stillbirths and standardisation of audit and classification is urgently needed and should be achievable in all well‐resourced settings. Implementation of the WHO Perinatal Mortality Audit and Review guide is needed, particularly across high burden settings.
Funding
HR, SH, SHL, and AW were supported by an NHMRC‐CRE grant (APP1116640). VF was funded by an NHMRC‐CDF (APP1123611).
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Urgent need to improve data on causes of stillbirths across all settings to meet global targets.
Plain Language Summary
Background and methods
Nearly three million babies are stillborn every year. These deaths have deep and long‐lasting effects on parents, healthcare providers, and the society. One of the major challenges to preventing stillbirths is the lack of information about why they happen. In this study, we collected reports on the causes of stillbirth from high‐, middle‐, and low‐income countries to: (1) Understand the causes of stillbirth, and (2) Understand how to improve reporting of stillbirths.
Findings
We found 85 reports from 50 different countries. The information available from the reports was inconsistent and often of poor quality, so it was hard to get a clear picture about what are the causes of stillbirth across the world. Many different definitions of stillbirth were used. There was also wide variation in what investigations of the mother and baby were undertaken to identify the cause of stillbirth. Stillbirths in all income settings (low‐, middle‐, and high‐income countries) were most frequently reported as Unexplained, Other, and Haemorrhage (bleeding). Unexplained and Other are not helpful in understanding why a baby was stillborn. In low‐income countries, stillbirths were often attributed to Infection and Complications during labour and birth. In middle‐ and high‐income countries, stillbirths were often reported as Placental complications.
Limitations
We may have missed some reports as searches were carried out in English only. The available reports were of poor quality.
Implications
Many countries, particularly those where the majority of stillbirths occur, do not report any information about these deaths. Where there are reports, the quality is often poor. It is important to improve the investigation and reporting of stillbirth using a standardised system so that policy makers and healthcare workers can develop effective stillbirth prevention programs. All stillbirths should be investigated and reported in line with the World Health Organization standards.
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Urgent need to improve data on causes of stillbirths across all settings to meet global targets.
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