Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) play a critical role in type 2 immunity. Although their classical activators are known to be host epithelial-derived alarmin cytokines released from tissue damage at barrier sites during microbial infections and allergen exposures, it remains elusive whether ILC2 cells can be directly activated by microbial ligands. Here we examined a number of microbial ligands and identified lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from multiple species of Gram-negative bacteria potently stimulated the cultured human ILC2 to proliferate and produce massive amounts of type 2 effector cytokines IL-5 and IL-13. RNA-seq data revealed a remarkably similar set of type 2 immune responsive genes induced by LPS and IL-33. However, blocking IL-33 receptor signaling failed to decrease the effects of LPS. In contrast, blocking TLR4 receptor, NF-kB and JAK pathways completely abolished the growth and function of LPS-treated human ILC2. Furthermore, ILC2 cells of TLR4 deficient mice were unable to respond to LPS treatment in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, patients with allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and bacteremia had an increased number of peripheral blood ILC2 cells that correlated with elevated serum endotoxin. Collectively, these findings support a non-canonical mode of direct activation of human ILC2 cells via the LPS-TLR4-NF-kB/JAK signaling axis, which is independent of the classical IL-33-ST2 pathway. Thus, targeting TLR4 signaling pathway might be developed as an alternative approach to treat microbial infection-associated and ILC2-mediated inflammatory conditions.

Background Patients with severe asthma may present with characteristics representing overlapping phenotypes, making them eligible for more than one class of biologic. Our aim was to describe the profile of severe adult asthma patients eligible for both anti-IgE and anti-IL5/5R and to compare the effectiveness of both classes of treatment in real life. Methods This was a prospective cohort study that included adult severe asthma patients from 22 countries enrolled into the International Severe Asthma registry (ISAR) who were eligible for both anti-IgE and anti-IL5/5R. The effectiveness of anti-IgE and anti-IL5/5R was compared in a 1:1 matched cohort. Exacerbation rate was the primary effectiveness endpoint. Secondary endpoints included long-term-oral corticosteroid (LTOCS) use, asthma-related emergency room (ER) attendance and hospital admissions. Results In the matched analysis (n=350/group), the mean annualized exacerbation rate decreased by 47.1% in the anti-IL5/5R group and 38.7% in the anti-IgE group. Patients treated with anti-IL5/5R were less likely to experience a future exacerbation (adjusted IRR 0.76; 95% CI 0.64, 0.89; p<0.001) and experienced a greater reduction in mean LTOCS dose than those treated with anti-IgE (37.44% vs 20.55% reduction; p=0.023).) There was some evidence to suggest that patients treated with anti-IL5/5R experienced fewer asthma-related hospitalizations (IRR 0.64; 95% CI 0.38, 1.08), but not ER visits (IRR 0.94, 95% CI 0.61, 1.43). Conclusions In real life, both anti-IgE and anti-IL5/5R improve asthma outcomes in patients eligible for both biologic classes, however anti-IL5/5R was superior in terms of reducing asthma exacerbations and LTOCS use.

Among environmental factors affecting life - history traits of birds breeding in nest boxes, an influence of microbial communities is relatively poorly understood. In this study, nest boxes used for breeding by great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) were sampled before the start of the breeding season to assess the bacterial loads of the nest box. Samples from the entrance hole and the interior of the nest box were taken at two different study sites: an urban parkland and a natural forest. Nest boxes were sampled to check if their bacterial loads differed between habitats. The second objective of this study was to check whether the occupancy of the nest boxes during the previous season would influence the bacterial load of the nest box. To verify this prediction, two categories of nest boxes were sampled at both study sites: nest boxes occupied by any of the two tit species in the previous season for breeding and nest boxes that had remained empty that year. The bacterial load of the nest box was significantly higher in the forest study area in both the occupied and unoccupied nest boxes. The nest boxes used for breeding in the previous season had significantly higher bacterial loads, but only in the forest area. Our results suggest that the bacterial load of the nest box can vary between habitats and may be positively related to the presence of the nests in the previous breeding season.

Este conteúdo digital compõe o Giros ObPPP, uma publicação do Observatório de Populações e Políticas Públicas (ObPPP), vinculado ao Depto. C. Soc./ CLCH, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Paraná-Brasil. Trata-se de uma iniciativa de difusão científica e de debate sobre assuntos contemporâneos. Neste número, abordamos o avanço dos ataques ao território ucraniano vinculado à dimensão do ordenamento territorial e da rede de cidades da Ucrânia, buscando refletir sobre impactos da guerra, em termos humanos e materiais.  

DEM was employed to numerically reproduce the mixing process and flow behavior of different systems of spheres and cylinders, where the effects of rotation speed, aspect ratio (AR) of the cylindrical particles and mass fraction of cylindrical particles to total particles (C/T) were systematically investigated. The motion behaviors and corresponding mechanisms in improving mixing performance have been also explored from the microscopic scale. The results show that the binary mixture with AR = 1.0 gets a higher mixing rate at 40 rpm when C/T = 0.6. As the rotation speed increases, the mixture reaches a higher position and the velocity difference between spheres and cylinders increases, which leads to the flow regime transformation and then promotes the mixing process. Interlocks between particles becomes weaker and pores can be effectively filled when AR ≈ 1.0, which result in higher packing density and facilitate the transfer of force and energy.

The iron core in the circuit breaker of oil dashpot is mainly affected by the electromagnetic force, spring force and oil damping force, which can play the function of anti-time protection when overload current is excited. At low temperature, the viscosity of the methyl silicone oil damping fluid will change, and the parameters of spring and iron core will also change with temperature. The change of this parameters will lead to the change of the resultant force on the iron core, which will affect the operation time. To analyze this problem, a correlation model is established. Through the measurement of parameters at low temperature, numerical calculation, electromagnetic analysis, simulation analysis and compared with the experimental results. The study found that the viscosity of the damping fluid increases, the iron core is deformed, and the spring stiffness increases at low temperature. The influence of a single factor on the operation characteristics of the tripper is not enough to reflect its overall characteristics, and the comprehensive effect of each factor needs to be considered. After comprehensively considering all factors, the results are closer to the experimental results. The results provide a theoretical basis for the optimization design of the circuit breaker.

Cardiothoracic surgery is facing a multitude of challenges in leadership and training on the global scale, these being a complex and aging patient population, shortage of cardiac surgeons, diminishing student interest and trainee enthusiasm, increasingly challenging training obstacles and work-life imbalances, suboptimal job prospects, reports of discrimination and bullying and lack of diversity as well as gap between innovation and technology, clinical application, and training of future surgeons. The survival of cardiac surgery hinges on the leadership attracting and retaining young surgeons into the specialty. Mentoring, leading through example, recognizing the work-life imbalances, adapting to diverse and modern training models and embracing diversity with respect to gender and race, will ultimately be required to create and cultivate a nurturing environment of training and preparing future leaders. The vision for training future generations of cardiothoracic surgeons must rely heavily on strengthening the unity of the heart team. In doing so we can provide the best possible care for our patients and a most fulfilling career for the future generation of cardiac surgeons.

Objective: To determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a UK pregnancy cohort and assess associations with demographic factors and vaccination timing. Design: Observational cohort study. Setting: UK inner-city maternity centre. Sample: 960 pregnant women attending nuchal scans from July 2020-January 2022. Methods: Blood samples were tested for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins. Self-reported demographics, vaccination status and previous Covid-19 infection were extracted from health records. Multivariable regression models determined factors associated with seroprevalence and antibody titers. Main outcome measures: IgG N- and S-protein antibody titers. Results: 196/960 (20.4%) women were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive from previous infection. Of these, 70 (35.7%) self-reported previous infection. Amongst unvaccinated women, black women were most likely to be SARS-CoV-2 seropositive (aRR 1.88 [95% CI, 1.35-2.61], P < 0.001). Women from black and mixed ethnic backgrounds were least likely to have a history of vaccination with seropositivity to S-protein (aRR 0.58 [95% CI, 0.40-0.84], P = 0.004 and aRR 0.56 [95% CI, 0.34-0.92], P = 0.021 respectively). Double vaccinated, previously infected women had higher IgG S-protein antibody titers than unvaccinated, previously infected women (mean difference: 4.76, 95% CI = [2.65, 6.86], P < 0.001). Vaccination timing before vs during pregnancy did not significantly affect IgG S antibody titers (F(1, 77) = [0.07], P = 0.785). Conclusions: This inner-city pregnancy cohort demonstrates high rates of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection with women of black ethnicity having higher infection risk and lower vaccine uptake. SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers were highest among double vaccinated, previously infected women.

A document by Mohammadhosein Akhlaghpasand. Click on the document to view its contents.

The standard van Neumann computer excels at many things. However, it can be very inefficient in solving optimization problems with a large solution space. For that reason, a novel analog approach, the oscillator-based Ising machine, has been proposed as a better alternative for dealing with such problems. In this work, we review the concept of oscillator-based Ising machines. In particular, we address how optimization problems can be mapped onto such machines when the QUBO formulation is given. Furthermore, we provide an ideal circuit that can be used in combination with the wave digital concept for real-time simulated annealing. The functionality of this circuit is explained on the basis of a Lyapunov stability analysis. The latter also provides an answer for the question: when has the Ising machine solved a mapped problem? At the end, we provide emulation results demonstrating the correlation between functionality and stability of the discussed machine. These results show that mapping a problem onto an Ising machine effectively maps the solution of the problem onto an equilibrium of the phase space.

When coupled with the appropriate controller, a battery energy storage system (BESS) is the most effective energy storage technology for diminishing system fluctuations due to atmospheric and meteorological variabilities. This work proposes DC and AC side controllers, for a hybrid wind-PV-BESS connected to the grid, based on Takagi Sugeno-Fuzzy Logic Controller (TS-FLC). When unbalanced loads are connected to the Point of Common Coupling (PCC), the suggested inverter controller helps balance grid currents, reduce harmonics caused by non-linear loads, and compensate for reactive power demand by the load. The same inverter may provide active power to the grid and act as a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) as the battery’s State of Charge (SoC) reaches its maximum, so a separate converter is not necessary to get the maximum power. TS-FLC controller in various case scenarios have been tested using MATLAB and is compared to the Proportional Integral (PI) controller. Though both controllers work effectively but TS-FLC has an extra edge over PI controller and Mamdani Fuzzy controllers as per IEEE-519 standard. TS-FLC is capable of reducing source current harmonics up to 0.08% (steady - state) and 0.10% (with fault), while source current harmonics reduction with PI controller is comparatively much higher.

Due to defects of low-voltage and high-current output in new energy power generation system, it is necessary to raise the output voltage and realize further power conversion in the subsequent stage. In this paper, an innovative interleaved high step-up DC-DC converter is proposed. Considering the problems of non-common ground and limited gain in the previously proposed active network DC-DC boost converters, the active network structure is replaced by an interleaved parallel structure, in which charge pump units are employed, and a switched-capacitor unit is added to further improve the voltage gain. Finally, the experimental results of the 150W prototype show that the converter has higher gain, lower voltage stress in switch devices and higher efficiency. When the input voltage and output current are 16V and 1.25A respectively, the efficiency of the entire system can reach about 94.2%.

In the development of power electronics, stationary power converting devices like AC-DC converters and DC-AC inverters are used in various industrial areas. The performance of DC-AC inverter is enhanced using some controller techniques like PI, PR and PID, however it contains some limitations like high complexity and high switching loss. The application ranges of Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM) are wide-ranging, and it is essential to reduce its switching losses (SWLs), also it includes higher switching frequencies, high frequency harmonics generation and high attenuation. Moreover, the hard switching mechanism used by the traditional inverter design suffers from a more significant power loss, and it seems difficult to operate under high frequency. Thus, this paper presented a new design named as an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Controller with soft-switching (SS) technique to minimize the switching loss and enhance the converter efficiency. The zero voltage switching- pulse width modulation (ZVS-PWM) inverter is designed and the inverter gate pulse is tuned by ANN controller for reducing the switching losses and harmonics. The advantage of ANN is the ability to work without knowing the switching condition. For that, ANN controller is used here for reducing the switching loss in ZVS-PWM inverter. The MATLAB platform is used to implement the proposed work and the performances are analysed in terms of input current, voltage, THD, efficiency and so on. The proposed design results are compared with other existing works to exhibit the superiority of the proposed inverter design.

Cottonseed oil was hydrolyzed producing glycerin and fatty acids, which were processed in the presence of sulfuric acid diluted with methanol or ethanol producing the corresponding fatty esters. High purities of the ester mixture were achieved by proceeding during processing to remove the water by hydration with Na2SO4 and by simultaneously distilling the residual alcohol. Esterifications carried out at 60°C with methanol and at 75°C with ethanol showed that after 90 min of reaction, conversions of the fatty acid mixture of approximately 98% were obtained, which produced methyl and ethyl biodiesel with 96% and 98% purity. , respectively. A model based on the acid esterification mechanism and representing the evolution of fatty ester concentrations was adjusted to the experimental results with quantification of the orders of magnitude of the kinetic parameters. Esterifications with both alcohols occurred at specific reaction rates up to 6.54×10-1 s-1. Simultaneously, separations were carried out by distillation of alcohol and removal of water at rates of the order of 10-6 s-1. The process was intensified with both alcohols, occurring mainly due to the simultaneous distillation of the alcohol and the removal of water from the medium.

We identify four lessons, selected on a subjective basis following the analysis of the slow uptake of open science in Italy, that may be useful to scholars and research policy makers engaged in promoting the uptake of open science culture and practices in their own countries .

A document by Sabelo Dlamini. Click on the document to view its contents.

The atypical spindle cell /pleomorphic lipomatous tumor (ASPLT) was classified as a new tumor by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020. The tumor is benign and commonly occurs in the limbs. Paraspinal presentations are rare.

Objectives: Transcranial Doppler imaging (TCDI) of the cerebral arteries is the method of choice to predict patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) at risk for stroke. The present study reports TCDI follow-up of cerebral blood flow in Kuwaiti children with SCD after a 10-year interval. Methods: Twenty-one pediatric patients with SCD, aged 16.0 ± 1.6 years were initially studied when they were aged 6.5 ± 1.2 years. TCDI scanning was carried out using a phased-array transducer of 1-3 MHz through the trans-temporal window. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), time-averaged mean of the maximum velocity (TAMMV), resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were obtained in the anterior and posterior Circle of Willis vessels. Results: The follow-up indices were mostly lower than in the initial study although they remained within the normal range in all the arteries. TAMMV was less than 170 cm/s, and PSV did not exceed 200 cm/s in all vessels. The initial and follow-up TAMMV were: 77.3 ± 20.9 and 71.6 ± 9.9 in the terminal internal carotid artery, 94.3 ± 25.8 and 82 ± 18.2 in the middle cerebral artery, 76.6 ± 25.6 and 70.6 ± 10.7 in the anterior cerebral artery, and 59.1 ± 15.8 and 63.9 ± 8.5 in the posterior cerebral artery respectively. The differences between the old and follow-up data for PSV, RI, and PI were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: Kuwaiti patients with SCD appear to be largely protected from cerebral artery vasculopathy in childhood.

Livedoid Vasculopathy (LV) is a chronic condition that presents as recurrent, painful, ulcers of the lower leg, ankle, or dorsal foot. It is an uncommon disease entity. We present a case of livedoid vasculopathy in a young woman.

SARS-CoV-2 infection can manifest many rashes. However, thrombotic retiform purpura rarely occurs during COVID-19 illness. Aggressive anti-COVID-19 therapy with a high-dose steroid regimen led to rapid recovery. This immuno-thrombotic phenomenon likely represents a poor type 1 interferon response and complement activation on the endothelial surface in response to acute infection.

Despite the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in patients over the age of 50, in patients under the age of 50 it is increasing. Here we report a rare case of colocolic intussusception in a young adult male that allowed early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Ecuador has both high richness and high endemism of species which are increasingly threatened by anthropic pressures, including roads. However, research evaluating the effects of roads remains scarce, making it difficult to develop mitigation plans. Here we present the first national assessment of wildlife mortality that allow us to 1) identify species and areas where mortality occurs due to collision with vehicles and 2) reveal knowledge gaps. We bring together data from systematic surveys and citizen science efforts in Ecuador to present a dataset with >5000 wildlife roadkill records from 454 species. Systematic surveys were reported by ten studies conducted in five out of the 24 Ecuadorian provinces. Collectively they revealed 282 species with mortality rates ranging from 0.008 to 95.56 ind./km/year. The highest rates were for the yellow warbler Setophaga petechia in Galápagos (95.56 ind./km/year), the cane toad Rhinella marina in Napo (16.91 ind./km/year), and the small ground-finch Geospiza fuliginosa in Galápagos (14.11 ind./km/year). Citizen science and other no systematic monitoring provided 1705 roadkill records representing all the 24 provinces of Ecuador and 299 species. The common opossum Didelphis marsupialis, the Andean white-eared opossum Didelphis pernigra, and the yellow warbler Setophaga petechia were more commonly reported (250, 104, and 81 individuals respectively). Across all sources, we found 15 species listed as Threatened and six as Data Deficient by the IUCN. We suggest stronger research efforts on areas where mortality of endemic or threatened species could be critical for populations, such as in Galápagos. This first assessment of wildlife mortality on Ecuadorian roads represents contributions from several sectors including academia, members of the public, and government underlining the value of wider engagement and collaboration. We hope these findings and the compiled dataset will guide sustainable planning of infrastructure in Ecuador and ultimately, contribute to reduce wildlife mortality on roads.

Characterizing variation and association of plant traits is critical for understanding plant adaptation strategies and community-building mechanisms. However, little is known about the variation in leaf traits and the association between traits in desert plants of different life types. We used principal components analysis, Pearson’s correlation, phylogenetic independent contrasts, linear mixed model, and variance decomposition to explore the variation and association of ten leaf traits in 22 desert plants in the arid area. Our results showed that: (1) Interspecific variation in leaf traits contributed more to total variation than intraspecific variation. (2) Intraspecific and interspecific variation in leaf traits were different among different life forms, except for some traits that showed intraspecific variation higher than interspecific in some functional types, other traits with interspecific variation higher than intraspecific variation. (3) Desert plants have a one-dimensional leaf economic spectrum, in which shrubs are a fast acquisitive resource strategy, and herbs are a conservative resource strategy. (4) There were trade-offs between leaf traits, which were influenced by phylogeny. Our results suggest that variation of leaf traits mainly comes from interspecific variation, but intraspecific variation cannot be ignored. In addition, species with different life forms will adopt different ecological strategies to adapt to arid habitats. Therefore, we should study the variation and association of plant traits according to different functional types, in the future.

Background: α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin in whey protein account for a high proportion of milk protein and are the main allergens in cow milk. With increasing prevalance in China, there are limited data of epitope information on Chinese infants and children with cow’s milk allergy. Methods: In this study, affinity-purified polyclonal IgE/IgG antibodies from cow milk allergic subjects were used to screen a phage display library containing 12 amino acid random peptides as fusions to a coat protein, 140 unique peptide sequences were identified. The bioinformatical tools with DNAman alignment tool and Pepitope Server were used to identify linear and conformational epitopes, respectively. In addition, peptide microarrays covering α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin sequences were used to validate linear epitopes. Results: We found no significant difference in IgE and IgG epitope recognition profiles between infant and children patients. Some important regions were identified in both IgE and IgG epitopes, and some linear epitopes are components of conformational epitopes. Conclusion: The coupling of phage display with high-throughput sequencing is a potential method to identify the epitope.