Abstract
We present a blind time-delay strong lensing (TDSL) cosmographic analysis of the doubly imaged quasar SDSS 1206+4332 . We combine the relative time delay between the quasar images, Hubble ...Space Telescope imaging, the Keck stellar velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, and wide-field photometric and spectroscopic data of the field to constrain two angular diameter distance relations. The combined analysis is performed by forward modelling the individual data sets through a Bayesian hierarchical framework, and it is kept blind until the very end to prevent experimenter bias. After unblinding, the inferred distances imply a Hubble constant H0 = 68.8$^{+5.4}_{-5.1}$ km s−1 Mpc−1, assuming a flat Λ cold dark matter cosmology with uniform prior on Ωm in 0.05, 0.5. The precision of our cosmographic measurement with the doubly imaged quasar SDSS 1206+4332 is comparable with those of quadruply imaged quasars and opens the path to perform on selected doubles the same analysis as anticipated for quads. Our analysis is based on a completely independent lensing code than our previous three H0LiCOW systems and the new measurement is fully consistent with those. We provide the analysis scripts paired with the publicly available software to facilitate independent analysis (footnote with link to www.h0licow.org). The consistency between blind measurements with independent codes provides an important sanity check on lens modelling systematics. By combining the likelihoods of the four systems under the same prior, we obtain H0 = 72.5$^{+2.1}_{-2.3}$ km s−1 Mpc−1. This measurement is independent of the distance ladder and other cosmological probes.
Summary
Background
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 20%‐40% of the general population in developed countries and is an increasingly important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. ...Electronic medical records facilitate large‐scale epidemiological studies, existing NAFLD scores often require clinical and anthropometric parameters that may not be captured in those databases.
Aim
To develop and validate a laboratory parameter‐based machine learning model to detect NAFLD for the general population.
Methods
We randomly divided 922 subjects from a population screening study into training and validation groups; NAFLD was diagnosed by proton‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy. On the basis of machine learning from 23 routine clinical and laboratory parameters after elastic net regulation, we evaluated the logistic regression, ridge regression, AdaBoost and decision tree models. The areas under receiver‐operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of models in validation group were compared.
Results
Six predictors including alanine aminotransferase, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, haemoglobin A1c, white blood cell count and the presence of hypertension were selected. The NAFLD ridge score achieved AUROC of 0.87 (95% CI 0.83‐0.90) and 0.88 (0.84‐0.91) in the training and validation groups respectively. Using dual cut‐offs of 0.24 and 0.44, NAFLD ridge score achieved 92% (86%‐96%) sensitivity and 90% (86%‐93%) specificity with corresponding negative and positive predictive values of 96% (91%‐98%) and 69% (59%‐78%), and 87% of overall accuracy among 70% of classifiable subjects in the validation group; 30% of subjects remained indeterminate.
Conclusions
NAFLD ridge score is a simple and robust reference comparable to existing NAFLD scores to exclude NAFLD patients in epidemiological studies.
Linked ContentThis article is linked to Gallacher et al and McPherson and Yip papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14217 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14234.
Summary
Background
Decompensated liver disease due to portal hypertension leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Statins can modulate intrahepatic vascular tone, but the clinical significance ...remains uncertain.
Aim
To determine the effects of statin use on the risk of liver decompensation and death among patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
Methods
We conducted a population wide cohort study using a hospital based database from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Adults with chronic viral hepatitis without prior liver decompensation were identified from 2000 to 2012 by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, diagnostic codes. Statin use was defined as a cumulative defined daily dose of >28. Landmark analysis was used to overcome immortal time bias. Propensity score weighting was further performed to minimise baseline confounders. Primary outcome was a composite of portal hypertension related liver decompensation events, with adjustment for death as a competing risk.
Results
A total of 69 184 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (2053 statin users and 67 131 statin non‐users) were identified for the 2‐year landmark analysis. After propensity score weighting of 23 baseline covariates, statin use was associated with a significant reduction in composite liver decompensation events (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.36‐0.83; P = .005), ascites (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.36‐0.92; P = .02), and a dose‐dependent decrease in death (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.76‐0.99; P = .035) relative to no statin use.
Conclusions
Patients with chronic viral hepatitis who used statins have a reduced risk of liver decompensation and death compared to non‐users in this propensity score weighted landmark analysis.
TDCOSMO Millon, M.; Galan, A.; Courbin, F. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
07/2020, Volume:
639
Journal Article, Web Resource
Peer reviewed
Open access
Time-delay cosmography of lensed quasars has achieved 2.4% precision on the measurement of the Hubble constant,
H
0
. As part of an ongoing effort to uncover and control systematic uncertainties, we ...investigate three potential sources: 1- stellar kinematics, 2- line-of-sight effects, and 3- the deflector mass model. To meet this goal in a quantitative way, we reproduced the H0LiCOW/SHARP/STRIDES (hereafter TDCOSMO) procedures on a set of real and simulated data, and we find the following. First, stellar kinematics cannot be a dominant source of error or bias since we find that a systematic change of 10% of measured velocity dispersion leads to only a 0.7% shift on
H
0
from the seven lenses analyzed by TDCOSMO. Second, we find no bias to arise from incorrect estimation of the line-of-sight effects. Third, we show that elliptical composite (stars + dark matter halo), power-law, and cored power-law mass profiles have the flexibility to yield a broad range in
H
0
values. However, the TDCOSMO procedures that model the data with both composite and power-law mass profiles are informative. If the models agree, as we observe in real systems owing to the “bulge-halo” conspiracy,
H
0
is recovered precisely and accurately by both models. If the two models disagree, as in the case of some pathological models illustrated here, the TDCOSMO procedure either discriminates between them through the goodness of fit, or it accounts for the discrepancy in the final error bars provided by the analysis. This conclusion is consistent with a reanalysis of six of the TDCOSMO (real) lenses: the composite model yields
H
0
= 74.0
−1.8
+1.7
km s
−1
Mpc
−1
, while the power-law model yields 74.2
−1.6
+1.6
km s
−1
Mpc
−1
. In conclusion, we find no evidence of bias or errors larger than the current statistical uncertainties reported by TDCOSMO.
Summary
Background
In patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)‐related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), high viral load was associated with tumour recurrence and deaths.
Aims
To investigate the effect ...of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) on the clinical outcomes after different HCC treatments.
Methods
A territory‐wide cohort study was conducted using the database from Hospital Authority. We identified CHB patients with HCC by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) diagnosis codes in 2000–2012. HCC treatments, NA use and laboratory parameters were retrieved. The primary endpoint was HCC recurrence and death. A 3‐month landmark analysis was used to evaluate the primary outcome in patients with or without NA treatment.
Results
A total of 2198 CHB patients (1230 NA‐untreated and 968 NA‐treated) with HCC, receiving at least one type of HCC treatment were included in the analysis. At a median follow‐up of 2.8 (IQR 1.4–4.9) years, tumour recurrence and death occurred in 451 (36.7%) and 578 (47.0%) untreated patients; and in 216 (22.3%) and 301 (31.1%) NA‐treated patients respectively. NA therapy reduced the risk of overall HCC recurrence adjusted sub‐hazard ratio (SHR) 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–0.80; P < 0.001. The effect was most obvious in patients undergoing resection (SHR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.37–0.91, P = 0.018). The possibility of NA therapy reducing the risk of death (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.64–1.03, P = 0.092), is most obvious in resection subgroup (HR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.41–0.99, P = 0.050) but insignificant in the other treatment groups.
Conclusion
Our findings show that nucleos(t)ide analogues treatment reduces the risk of HCC recurrence in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated by surgical resection.
Summary
Background
Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) need long‐term antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA). Animal studies suggest that some NA may increase cancer risk, but ...human data are lacking.
Aim
To investigate cancer risks in patients with or without NA treatment.
Methods
We conducted a territory‐wide cohort study using the database from Hospital Authority in Hong Kong. The diagnosis of CHB and various malignancies was based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) diagnosis codes between 2000 and 2012. Patients exposed to any of the oral NA for CHB were included. The primary outcome was incident cancers. A 3‐year landmark analysis, with follow‐up up to 7 years, was used to evaluate the relative risk of cancers in treated and untreated patients.
Results
A total of 44 494 patients (39 712 untreated and 4782 treated) were included in the analysis. During 194 890 patient‐years of follow‐up, hepatocellular carcinoma developed in 402 (1.0%) untreated patients and 179 (3.7%) treated patients, while other cancers developed in 528 (1.3%) and 128 (2.7%) patients respectively. After propensity score weighting, treated patients had similar risks of all malignancies weighted hazard ratio (wHR): 1.01, 95% CI: 0.82–1.25, P = 0.899, lung/pleural cancers (wHR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.52–1.31, P = 0.409) and urinary/renal malignancies (wHR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.38–2.81, P = 0.944) when compared with untreated patients.
Conclusions
Oral nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment does not appear to increase cancer risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Given the beneficial effect on liver outcomes, our data support the current practice of long‐term anti‐viral therapy.
Congenital factor VII (FVII) deficiency is the commonest type of the rare bleeding disorders. Very few cases of congenital FVII deficiency developed inhibitor and liver transplant is considered as ...definitive treatment. In the literature, twelve patients with congenital FVII deficiency developed inhibitors. Two had spontaneous resolution of inhibitors and one did not respond to high dose recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) and died. Regarding liver transplant in congenital FVII patients, seven patients underwent liver transplant with good prognosis. We report a 5‐year‐old girl with confirmed severe congenital FVII deficiency since neonatal period. She suffered from recurrent intracranial bleeding despite rFVIIa replacement. After auxiliary liver transplant at the age of 4, she continued to show persistent deranged clotting profile and was found to have inhibitor towards FVII. Interestingly, she was still responsive to rFVIIa replacement.
COSMOGRAIL Bonvin, V.; Chan, J. H. H.; Millon, M. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
09/2018, Volume:
616
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We present time-delay estimates for the quadruply imaged quasar PG 1115+080. Our results are based on almost daily observations for seven months at the ESO MPIA 2.2 m telescope at La Silla ...Observatory, reaching a signal-to-noise ratio of about 1000 per quasar image. In addition, we re-analyze existing light curves from the literature that we complete with an additional three seasons of monitoring with the
Mercator
telescope at La Palma Observatory. When exploring the possible source of bias we considered the so-called microlensing time delay, a potential source of systematic error so far never directly accounted for in previous time-delay publications. In 15 yr of data on PG 1115+080, we find no strong evidence of microlensing time delay. Therefore not accounting for this effect, our time-delay estimates on the individual data sets are in good agreement with each other and with the literature. Combining the data sets, we obtain the most precise time-delay estimates to date on PG 1115+080, with Δ
t
(
AB
) = 8.3
+1.5
−1.6
days (18.7% precision), Δ
t
(
AC
) = 9.9
+1.1
−1.1
days (11.1%) and Δ
t
(
BC
) = 18.8
+1.6
−1.6
days (8.5%). Turning these time delays into cosmological constraints is done in a companion paper that makes use of ground-based Adaptive Optics (AO) with the Keck telescope.
Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapy is a promising approach in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, the outcomes of existing treatments have not been satisfactory ...owing to suboptimal localization to implantation site, poor viability, low engraftment efficacy and lack of functional remodeling of the delivered cells. Therefore, adopting an effective cell delivery modality is among the biggest technological challenges for successful clinical applications of MSC-based therapy. We developed a novel microencapsulation technique producing self-assembled collagen–MSC microspheres and demonstrated that these microspheres could serve as excellent cell delivery devices as they were stable, injectable and able to provide a protective, growth- and migration-supporting matrix to MSCs. We also showed that MSCs could preserve their stem cell nature upon microencapsulation and easily be localized with retained viability upon in vivo implantation. These microspheres present novel cell delivery devices with optimal biological and functional profile that may facilitate clinical applications of MSC-based therapy.
PDF
