Lipid traits (total, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. DNA methylation is not only an inherited but also modifiable ...epigenetic mark that has been related to cardiovascular risk factors. Our aim was to identify loci showing differential DNA methylation related to serum lipid levels. Blood DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina Human Methylation 450 BeadChip. A two-stage epigenome-wide association study was performed, with a discovery sample in the REGICOR study (n = 645) and validation in the Framingham Offspring Study (n = 2,542). Fourteen CpG sites located in nine genes (SREBF1, SREBF2, PHOSPHO1, SYNGAP1, ABCG1, CPT1A, MYLIP, TXNIP and SLC7A11) and 2 intergenic regions showed differential methylation in association with lipid traits. Six of these genes and 1 intergenic region were new discoveries showing differential methylation related to total cholesterol (SREBF2), HDL-cholesterol (PHOSPHO1, SYNGAP1 and an intergenic region in chromosome 2) and triglycerides (MYLIP, TXNIP and SLC7A11). These CpGs explained 0.7%, 9.5% and 18.9% of the variability of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the Framingham Offspring Study, respectively. The expression of the genes SREBF2 and SREBF1 was inversely associated with methylation of their corresponding CpGs (P-value = 0.0042 and 0.0045, respectively) in participants of the GOLDN study (n = 98). In turn, SREBF1 expression was directly associated with HDL cholesterol (P-value = 0.0429). Genetic variants in SREBF1, PHOSPHO1, ABCG1 and CPT1A were also associated with lipid profile. Further research is warranted to functionally validate these new loci and assess the causality of new and established associations between these differentially methylated loci and lipid metabolism.
Background
The material and the surgical technique used to close an abdominal wall incision are important determinants of the risk of developing an incisional hernia. Optimising closure of abdominal ...wall incisions holds a potential to prevent patients suffering from incisional hernias and for important costs savings in health care.
Methods
The European Hernia Society formed a Guidelines Development Group to provide guidelines for all surgical specialists who perform abdominal incisions in adult patients on the materials and methods used to close the abdominal wall. The guidelines were developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and methodological guidance was taken from Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). The literature search included publications up to April 2014. The guidelines were written using the AGREE II instrument. An update of these guidelines is planned for 2017.
Results
For many of the Key Questions that were studied no high quality data was detected. Therefore, some strong recommendations could be made but, for many Key Questions only weak recommendations or no recommendation could be made due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Recommendations
To decrease the incidence of incisional hernias it is strongly recommended to utilise a non-midline approach to a laparotomy whenever possible. For elective midline incisions, it is strongly recommended to perform a continuous suturing technique and to avoid the use of rapidly absorbable sutures. It is suggested using a slowly absorbable monofilament suture in a single layer aponeurotic closure technique without separate closure of the peritoneum. A small bites technique with a suture to wound length (SL/WL) ratio at least 4/1 is the current recommended method of fascial closure. Currently, no recommendations can be given on the optimal technique to close emergency laparotomy incisions. Prophylactic mesh augmentation appears effective and safe and can be suggested in high-risk patients, like aortic aneurysm surgery and obese patients.
For laparoscopic surgery, it is suggested using the smallest trocar size adequate for the procedure and closure of the fascial defect if trocars larger or equal to 10 mm are used. For single incision laparoscopic surgery, we suggest meticulous closure of the fascial incision to avoid an increased risk of incisional hernias.
Experimental ion mobility measurements for the LCTPC Collaboration Cortez, A.F.V.; Santos, M.A.G.; Veenhof, R. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
08/2019, Letnik:
936
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Measuring the mobility of ions in gases is relevant in several areas, from physics to chemistry, e.g. in gaseous radiation detectors modelling and in the understanding of the pulse shape formation. ...One of these examples is the upcoming LCTPC (Linear Collider TPC) for the International Linear Collider (ILC), where a gating device will be installed at a certain distance from the gas amplification stage to neutralize the ions produced. Knowing the ion mobility will allow to calculate this distance and to ensure a high ion reduction while minimizing the thickness of the end plate. This work focuses on measurements of positive ion mobility for mixtures of interest for the LCTPC, more specifically Ar-CF4-iC4H10 (95-3-2).
A
bstract
The
Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC
(NEXT) searches for the neutrinoless double-beta (0
νββ
) decay of
136
Xe using high-pressure xenon gas TPCs with electroluminescent amplification. ...A scaled-up version of this technology with about 1 tonne of enriched xenon could reach in less than 5 years of operation a sensitivity to the half-life of 0
νββ
decay better than 10
27
years, improving the current limits by at least one order of magnitude. This prediction is based on a well-understood background model dominated by radiogenic sources. The detector concept presented here represents a first step on a compelling path towards sensitivity to the parameter space defined by the inverted ordering of neutrino masses, and beyond.
A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of ^{136}Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba^{++}) ...resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (∼2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.
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The incidence of melanoma is rising in Spain. The prognostic stages of patients with melanoma are determined by various biological factors, such as tumor thickness, ulceration, or the ...presence of regional or distant metastases. The Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) has encouraged the creation of a Spanish Melanoma Registry (REGESMEL) to evaluate other individual and health system-related factors that may impact the prognosis of patients with melanoma. The aim of this article is to introduce REGESMEL and provide basic descriptive data for its first year of operation.
REGESMEL is a prospective, multicentre cohort of consecutive patients with invasive cutaneous melanoma that collects demographic and staging data as well as individual and healthcare-related baseline data. It also records the medical and surgical treatment received by patients.
A total of 450 cases of invasive cutaneous melanoma from 19 participant centres were included, with a predominance of thin melanomas≤1mm thick (54.7%), mainly located on the posterior trunk (35.2%). Selective sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 40.7% of cases. Most cases of melanoma were suspected by the patient (30.4%), or his/her dermatologist (29.6%). Patients received care mainly in public health centers (85.2%), with tele-dermatology resources being used in 21.6% of the cases.
The distribution of the pathological and demographic variables of melanoma cases is consistent with data from former studies. REGESMEL has already recruited patients from 15 Spanish provinces and given its potential representativeness, it renders the Registry as an important tool to address a wide range of research questions.
El melanoma presenta una incidencia creciente en España. Los estadios pronósticos de los pacientes con melanoma son determinados por diversos factores biológicos, como el grosor del tumor, la ulceración o la presencia de metástasis regionales o a distancia. La Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología (AEDV) ha impulsado la creación de un Registro Español de Melanoma (REGESMEL) con el fin de evaluar otros factores de índole individual y relacionados con el Sistema Sanitario que pudieran influir en el pronóstico de los pacientes con melanoma. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar REGESMEL y proporcionar datos descriptivos básicos correspondientes a su primer año de funcionamiento.
REGESMEL es una cohorte prospectiva multicéntrica de pacientes consecutivos con melanoma cutáneo invasivo que recoge datos demográficos y de estadificación, así como datos basales individuales y relacionados con la atención sanitaria. También registra el tratamiento médico y quirúrgico recibido.
Se incluyeron 450 casos de melanoma cutáneo invasivo procedentes de 19 centros participantes, detectando un predominio de melanomas finos con un grosor≤1mm (54,7%), localizados principalmente en el tronco posterior (35,2%). La biopsia selectiva del ganglio centinela se realizó en el 40,7% los casos. La mayoría de los casos de melanoma fueron sospechados por el propio paciente (30,4%) o por dermatólogos (29,6%). Los pacientes recibieron atención principalmente en centros sanitarios públicos (85,2%), empleándose algún recurso de teledermatología en el 21,6% de los casos.
La distribución de las variables patológicas y demográficas de los casos es consistente con los datos de otros estudios. REGESMEL cuenta ya con casos de 15 provincias españolas y dada su potencial representatividad convierte el Registro en una herramienta de importancia para abordar una amplia gama de preguntas de investigación.
A
bstract
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used state-of-the-art computer vision tools that are becoming increasingly popular in high-energy physics. In this paper, we attempt to ...understand the potential of CNNs for event classification in the NEXT experiment, which will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in
136
Xe. To do so, we demonstrate the usage of CNNs for the identification of electron-positron pair production events, which exhibit a topology similar to that of a neutrinoless double-beta decay event. These events were produced in the NEXT-White high-pressure xenon TPC using 2.6 MeV gamma rays from a
228
Th calibration source. We train a network on Monte Carlo-simulated events and show that, by applying on-the-fly data augmentation, the network can be made robust against differences between simulation and data. The use of CNNs offers significant improvement in signal efficiency and background rejection when compared to previous non-CNN-based analyses.
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![[Translated article] Melano...](http://api.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/image/issn/XR4PS5YY4K/0001-7310/small "[Translated article] Melanoma Registry of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (REGESMEL): Description and Data in its First Year of Operation")