Background
People with intellectual disability face a number of barriers to participation in physical activity. This paper aimed to determine rates of sport and physical activity participation in an ...Australian sample of adults with intellectual disability, compared with rates of participation in the general Australian population. A secondary aim was to investigate factors that may contribute to participation of adults with intellectual disability.
Method
Participants were part of the Australian Child to Adult Development (ACAD) study, consisting of a community sample with intellectual disability (n = 305), groups of adults with autism (n = 94), Down syndrome (n = 64), fragile X syndrome (n = 52), Williams syndrome (n = 45), and Prader–Willi syndrome (n = 30). Participation in sport/physical activity was reported over the past 3 months. Rates of participation were reported for adults with intellectual disability and compared with rates in a general Australian population sample. The relationship between participation in physical activity and age, degree of intellectual disability, physical mobility, living situation, socio‐economic disadvantage, and behaviour and emotional problems were also conducted.
Results
Participants in the ACAD community sample with intellectual disability participated in sport/physical activity at lower rates than the general Australian population (42% compared with 71%). Having no physical mobility impairment was significantly associated with higher rates of participation. Those with Down syndrome participated in sport/physical activity at higher rates than the community sample with intellectual disability, while no difference in sport/physical activity participation was observed in the groups with autism or other syndromes.
Conclusion
Australian adults with intellectual disability participate in sport and physical activity at lower rates than the general population. Having a physical mobility impairment was associated with lower rates of participation. However, people living in supported accommodation were more likely to participate than those in other living situations. Having Down syndrome was associated with a higher participation rate than the community sample.
The influence of the nanosized rare earth (RE) containing precipitates on grain refinement during severe plastic deformation is investigated in detail through a study of high pressure torsion (HPT) ...processing of a solution treated and aged Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr (wt%). In the early stages of HPT deformation, dislocation generation and pile-up is promoted by the nanosized RE containing β′ precipitates. With increasing strain, the precipitates are cut by the moving dislocations and gradually dissolve into the α-Mg matrix aided by dislocations serving as diffusion channels for solute atoms. After HPT for 2 turns, the hardness reaches a maximum and on further deformation the hardness decreases although the microstructure refinement continues and the dislocation density is increasing. This is due to the continuing dissolution of precipitates, which dominates the hardness evolution at this stage. After HPT for 16 turns, the precipitates have almost completely dissolved and the average grain size is ~33 nm, which is the smallest ever reported for a Mg- or Al-based alloy. The present peak-aged Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr (wt%) alloy exhibits quite different microstructure evolution and hardening behaviour during HPT processing as compared to both the cast and the solutionized Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy.
High pressure torsion (HPT) was performed at room temperature on a Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr (wt%) alloy containing long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase with a 6.0 GPa pressure. The ...microstructure evolution and hardening mechanisms were analyzed. TEM shows that, with increasing HPT strain, the LPSO lamellar-shaped and block-shaped particles experience kink bending, fragmentation and dissolution; and eventually a supersaturated solid solution with nanosized grains is obtained. The decomposition of LPSO phase at room temperature is attributed to the high defect concentrations generated in the LPSO lamellae and blocks, and the Mg-rich phase. With equivalent strains increasing to ~6.6 (16 HPT revolutions), an exceptional grain refinement to 52 ± 2 nm is achieved, and the hardness is enhanced to 128 ± 2 HV. A quantitative model shows the hardness increase is due to the combined effects of nanosized grains, high dislocation density and dissolved alloying elements. XRD line broadening analysis, thermodynamic modelling software and elemental mapping are used to support the mechanistic interpretations.
State-of-charge (SOC) estimation is one of the most challengeable tasks for battery management system (BMS) in electric vehicles. Since the external factors (voltage, current, temperature, ...arrangement of the batteries, etc.) are complicated, the formula of SOC is difficult to deduce and the existent SOC estimation methods are not generally suitable for the same vehicle running in different road conditions. In this paper, we propose a new SOC estimation based on an optimized support vector machine for regression (SVR) with double search optimization process. Our developed method is tested by simulation experiments in the ADVISOR, with a comparison of the estimations based on artificial neural network (ANN). It is demonstrated that our method is simpler and more accurate than that based on ANN to deal with the SOC estimation task.
In the phase III CheckMate 743 study (NCT02899299), first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy in patients with unresectable malignant ...pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We report updated data with 3-year minimum follow-up.
Adults with previously untreated, histologically confirmed, unresectable MPM and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of ≤1 were randomized 1 : 1 to nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) plus ipilimumab (1 mg/kg every 6 weeks) for up to 2 years, or six cycles of platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy. This report includes updated efficacy and safety outcomes, exploratory biomarker analyses including four-gene inflammatory expression signature score, and a post hoc efficacy analysis in patients who discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs).
With a median follow-up of 43.1 months, nivolumab plus ipilimumab continued to prolong OS versus chemotherapy. Median OS was 18.1 versus 14.1 months hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.73 (0.61–0.87), and 3-year OS rates were 23% versus 15%, respectively. Three-year progression-free survival rates were 14% versus 1%, and objective response rates were 40% versus 44%. At 3 years, 28% versus 0% of responders had an ongoing response. Improved survival benefit with nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus chemotherapy was observed across subgroups, including histology. A high score of the four-gene inflammatory signature appeared to correlate with improved survival benefit with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. No new safety signals were observed with nivolumab plus ipilimumab, despite patients being off therapy for 1 year. In patients who discontinued nivolumab plus ipilimumab due to TRAEs, median OS was 25.4 months, and 34% of responders maintained their responses for ≥3 years after discontinuation.
With 3 years’ minimum follow-up, nivolumab plus ipilimumab continued to provide long-term survival benefit over chemotherapy and a manageable safety profile, supporting the regimen as standard-of-care treatment for unresectable MPM, regardless of histology.
•With a ≥3-year follow-up in CheckMate 743, nivolumab + ipilimumab continued to provide long-term OS benefit in first-line MPM.•Clinical benefits remained consistent across patient subgroups, including epithelioid versus non-epithelioid histology.•Discontinuing nivolumab + ipilimumab due to TRAEs did not negatively impact long-term benefit.•Nivolumab + ipilimumab continues to be an efficacious first-line treatment option for patients with unresectable MPM.
Background
We report a rare case of secondary acute angle closure attack because of lupus choroidopathy and accompanying polyserositis, as an initial presentation of a novel type of systemic lupus ...erythematosus in a 44-year-old woman.
Case presentation
The patient complained of eyelid oedema and chemosis with bilateral severe loss of visual acuity. Systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed based on malar rash, polyserositis, proteinuria and positive antibody titers for antinuclear antibodies, anti-DNA, antinucleosome antibodies and ribosomal RNP. Subsequently, secondary bilateral acute angle closure caused by choroidal effusions with lupus choroidopathy was diagnosed. A month after steroid and immunosuppressive drug therapy, the patient’s intraocular pressure and visual acuity returned to normal. During the subsequent year, the secondary acute angle closure did not recur and polyserositis remained under control.
Conclusions
Bilateral, secondary acute angle closure attack due to SLE choroidopathy can be an initial presentation of SLE, which is often accompanied by polyserositis. Prompt and aggressive high doses of steroids and immunosuppressive therapy are strongly recommended.
Because of the development of many-body theories of nuclear matter, the long-standing, open problem of the equation of state (EOS) of dense matter may be understood in the near future through the ...confrontation of theoretical calculations with laboratory measurements of nuclear properties & reactions and increasingly accurate observations in astronomy. In this review, we focus on the following six aspects: 1) providing a survey of the quark mean-field (QMF) model, which consistently describes a nucleon and many-body nucleonic system from a quark potential; 2) applying QMF to both nuclear matter and neutron stars; 3) extending QMF formalism to the description of hypernuclei and hyperon matter, as well as hyperon stars; 4) exploring the hadron-quark phase transition and hybrid stars by combining the QMF model with the quark matter model characterized by the sound speed; 5) constraining interquark interactions through both the gravitational wave signals and electromagnetic signals of binary merger event GW170817; and 6) discussing further opportunities to study dense matter EOS from compact objects, such as neutron star cooling and pulsar glitches.
Aims/hypothesis
Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) is a potential therapeutic target to combat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. This study aims to identify a microRNA (miRNA) targeting SIRT1 to regulate ...hepatic insulin sensitivity.
Methods
Luciferase assay combined with mutation and immunoblotting was used to screen and verify the bioinformatically predicted miRNAs. miRNA and mRNA levels were measured by real-time PCR. Insulin signalling was detected by immunoblotting and glycogen synthesis. Involvement of SIRT1 was studied with adenovirus, inhibitor and SIRT1-deficient hepatocytes. The role of
miR-181a
in vivo was explored with adenovirus and locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides.
Results
miR-181a
targets the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of
Sirt1
mRNA through a
miR-181a
binding site, and downregulates SIRT1 protein abundance at the translational level.
miR-181a
is increased in insulin-resistant cultured hepatocytes and liver, and in the serum of diabetic patients. Overexpression of
miR-181a
decreases SIRT1 protein levels and activity, and causes insulin resistance in hepatic cells. Inhibition of
miR-181a
by antisense oligonucleotides increases SIRT1 protein levels and activity, and improves insulin sensitivity in hepatocytes. Ectopic expression of
SIRT1
abrogates the effect of
miR-181a
on insulin sensitivity, and inhibition of SIRT1 activity or SIRT1 deficiency markedly attenuated the improvement in insulin sensitivity induced by antisense
miR-181a
. In addition, overexpression of
miR-181a
by adenovirus impairs hepatic insulin signalling, and intraperitoneal injection of locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides for
miR-181a
improves glucose homeostasis in diet-induced obesity mice.
Conclusions/interpretation
miR-181a
regulates SIRT1 and improves hepatic insulin sensitivity. Inhibition of
miR-181a
might be a potential new strategy for treating insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Effisayil 1 was a multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of the anti‐interleukin (IL)‐36 receptor monoclonal antibody, spesolimab, in patients presenting with a generalized ...pustular psoriasis (GPP) flare. Previously published data from this study revealed that within 1 week, rapid pustular and skin clearance were observed in patients receiving spesolimab versus placebo. In this pre‐specified subgroup analysis, the efficacy of spesolimab was evaluated according to patient demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline in patients receiving spesolimab (n = 35) or placebo (n = 18) on Day 1. Efficacy was by assessed by achievement of primary endpoint (Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Physician Global Assessment GPPGA pustulation subscore of 0 at Week 1) and key secondary endpoint (GPPGA total score of 0 or 1 at Week 1). Safety was assessed at Week 1. Spesolimab was found to be efficacious and had a consistent and favourable safety profile in patients presenting with a GPP flare, regardless of patient demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline.
This study reveals spesolimab is efficacious and has a consistent safety profile in patients presenting with a GPP flare, regardless of patient demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline.
► General validation of 0.28
M HNO
3 at 95
°C extraction for arsenic speciation in rice grains. ► Either arsenite or dimethylarsinic acid predominates in rice grains. ► Monomethylarsonic acid and two ...unknown arsenic are usually minor components in rice grains. ► Predominance of arsenite averagely 90% of inorganic arsenic in grains. ► Trace elements may potentially influence arsenic speciation in rice grains.
Arsenite and arsenate speciation was performed in 121 commercially purchased samples of 12 rice types to understand their relative relevance in rice grain. General effectiveness of a recently developed extraction protocol based on 0.28
M nitric acid at 95
°C was verified by checking the recovery of total grain arsenic and by comparing arsenic speciation in NIST-CRM-1568a, NMIJ-CRM-7503a and IMEP-107 with certificated and literature values. The arsenic speciation highlights the predominance of arsenite in 115 and dimethylarsinic acid in six samples and common minor components including arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid and two unknown arsenical species. Our data also indicate potential influences of other trace elements on As speciation in rice grain. Averagely, arsenite accounts for 90% of inorganic grain arsenic regardless of geographic origin, rice type, grain size, cultural practice and polish treatment. The high arsenite predominance indicates an elevated toxic effect of arsenic in rice than is perceived to date.
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