pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Intermittent montelukast in children aged 10 months to 5 years with wheeze (WAIT trial): a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

SummaryBackgroundThe effectiveness of intermittent montelukast for wheeze in young children is unclear. We aimed to assess whether intermittent montelukast is better than placebo for treatment of wheeze in this age group. Because copy numbers of the Sp1-binding motif in the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) gene promoter (either 5/5, 5/x, or x/x, where x does not equal 5) modifies response to montelukast in adults, we stratified by this genotype.MethodsWe did this multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled trial between Oct 1, 2010, and Dec 20, 2013, at 21 primary care sites and 41 secondary care sites in England and Scotland. Children aged 10 months to 5 years with two or more wheeze episodes were allocated to either a 5/5 or 5/x+x/x ALOX5 promoter genotype stratum, then randomly assigned (1:1) via a permuted block schedule (size ten), to receive intermittent montelukast or placebo given by parents at each wheeze episode over a 12 month period. Clinical investigators and parents were masked to treatment group and genotype strata. The primary outcome was number of unscheduled medical attendances for wheezing episodes. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01142505.FindingsWe randomly assigned 1358 children to receive montelukast (n=669) or placebo (n=677). Consent was withdrawn for 12 (1%) children. Primary outcome data were available for 1308 (96%) children. There was no difference in unscheduled medical attendances for wheezing episodes between children in the montelukast and placebo groups (mean 2·0 [SD 2·6] vs 2·3 [2·7]; incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0·88, 95% CI: 0·77–1·01; p=0·06). Compared with placebo, unscheduled medical attendances for wheezing episodes were reduced in children given montelukast in the 5/5 stratum (2·0 [2·7] vs 2·4 [3·0]; IRR 0·80, 95% CI 0·68–0·95; p=0·01), but not in those in the 5/x+x/x stratum (2·0 [2·5] vs 2·0 [2·3]; 1·03, 0·83–1·29; p=0·79, pinteraction=0·08). We recorded one serious adverse event, which was a skin reaction in a child allocated to placebo.InterpretationOur findings show no clear benefit of intermittent montelukast in young children with wheeze. However, the 5/5 ALOX5 promoter genotype might identify a montelukast-responsive subgroup.FundingMedical Research Council (UK) and National Institute for Health Research
Mapping regional patterns of large forest fires in Wildland–Urban Interface areas in Europe

AbstractOver recent decades, Land Use and Cover Change (LUCC) trends in many regions of Europe have reconfigured the landscape structures around many urban areas. In these areas, the proximity to landscape elements with high forest fuels has increased the fire risk to people and property. These Wildland–Urban Interface areas (WUI) can be defined as landscapes where anthropogenic urban land use and forest fuel mass come into contact. Mapping their extent is needed to prioritize fire risk control and inform local forest fire risk management strategies. This study proposes a method to map the extent and spatial patterns of the European WUI areas at continental scale. Using the European map of WUI areas, the hypothesis is tested that the distance from the nearest WUI area is related to the forest fire probability. Statistical relationships between the distance from the nearest WUI area, and large forest fire incidents from satellite remote sensing were subsequently modelled by logistic regression analysis. The first European scale map of the WUI extent and locations is presented. Country-specific positive and negative relationships of large fires and the proximity to the nearest WUI area are found. A regional-scale analysis shows a strong influence of the WUI zones on large fires in parts of the Mediterranean regions. Results indicate that the probability of large burned surfaces increases with diminishing WUI distance in touristic regions like Sardinia, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, or in regions with a strong peri-urban component as Catalunya, Comunidad de Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana. For the above regions, probability curves of large burned surfaces show statistical relationships (ROC value > 0.5) inside a 5000 m buffer of the nearest WUI. Wise land management can provide a valuable ecosystem service of fire risk reduction that is currently not explicitly included in ecosystem service valuations. The results re-emphasise the importance of including this ecosystem service in landscape valuations to account for the significant landscape function of reducing the risk of catastrophic large fires
Photoproduction of ω mesons off the proton

AbstractThe differential cross sections and unpolarized spin-density matrix elements for the reaction γp→pω were measured using the CBELSA/TAPS experiment for initial photon energies ranging from the reaction threshold to 2.5 GeV. These observables were measured from the radiative decay of the ω meson, ω→π0γ. The cross sections cover the full angular range and show the full extent of the t-channel forward rise. The overall shape of the angular distributions in the differential cross sections and unpolarized spin-density matrix elements are in fair agreement with previous data. In addition, for the first time, a beam of linearly-polarized tagged photons in the energy range from 1150 MeV to 1650 MeV was used to extract polarized spin-density matrix elements.These data were included in the Bonn–Gatchina partial wave analysis (PWA). The dominant contribution to ω photoproduction near threshold was found to be the 3/2+ partial wave, which is primarily due to the sub-threshold N(1720)3/2+ resonance. At higher energies, pomeron-exchange was found to dominate whereas π-exchange remained small. These t-channel contributions as well as further contributions from nucleon resonances were necessary to describe the entire dataset: the 1/2−, 3/2−, and 5/2+ partial waves were also found to contribute significantly
On conjugate families and Jeffreys priors for von Mises–Fisher distributions

AbstractThis paper discusses characteristics of standard conjugate priors and their induced posteriors in Bayesian inference for von Mises–Fisher distributions, using either the canonical natural exponential family or the more commonly employed polar coordinate parameterizations. We analyze when standard conjugate priors as well as posteriors are proper, and investigate the Jeffreys prior for the von Mises–Fisher family. Finally, we characterize the proper distributions in the standard conjugate family of the (matrix-valued) von Mises–Fisher distributions on Stiefel manifolds
Tumor-Specific T Cells in Human Merkel Cell Carcinomas: A Possible Role for Tregs and T-Cell Exhaustion in Reducing T-Cell Responses

Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs) are rare but highly malignant skin cancers associated with a recently described polyomavirus. MCC tumors were infiltrated by T cells, including effector, central memory, and regulatory T cells. Infiltrating T cells showed markedly reduced activation as evidenced by reduced expression of CD69 and CD25. Treatment of MCC tumors in vitro with IL-2 and IL-15 led to T-cell activation, proliferation, enhanced cytokine production, and loss of viable tumor cells from cultures. Expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes showed TCR repertoire skewing and upregulation of CD137. MCC tumors implanted into immunodeficient mice failed to grow unless human T cells in the tumor grafts were depleted with denileukin diftitox, suggesting that tumor-specific T cells capable of controlling tumor growth were present in MCC. Both CD4+ and CD8+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells were frequent in MCC. Fifty percent of nonactivated T cells in MCC-expressed PD-1, a marker of T-cell exhaustion, and PD-L1 and PD-L2 were expressed by a subset of tumor dendritic cells and macrophages. In summary, we observed tumor-specific T cells with suppressed activity in MCC tumors. Agents that stimulate T-cell activity, block regulatory T cell function, or inhibit PD-1 signaling may be effective in the treatment of this highly malignant skin cancer
Human CD14dim Monocytes Patrol and Sense Nucleic Acids and Viruses via TLR7 and TLR8 Receptors

SummaryMonocytes are effectors of the inflammatory response to microbes. Human CD14+ monocytes specialize in phagocytosis and production of reactive oxygen species and secrete inflammatory cytokines in response to a broad range of microbial cues. Here, we have characterized the functions of human monocytes that lack CD14 (CD14dim) and express CD16. CD14dim monocytes were genetically distinct from natural killer cells. Gene expression analyses indicated similarities with murine patrolling Gr1dim monocytes, and they patrolled the endothelium of blood vessels after adoptive transfer, in a lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1-dependent manner. CD14dim monocytes were weak phagocytes and did not produce ROS or cytokines in response to cell-surface Toll-like receptors. Instead, they selectively produced TNF-α, IL-1β, and CCL3 in response to viruses and immune complexes containing nucleic acids, via a proinflammatory TLR7-TLR 8-MyD88-MEK pathway. Thus, CD14dim cells are bona fide monocytes involved in the innate local surveillance of tissues and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases
Kinematic discrimination of tW and tt¯ productions using initial state radiation

AbstractProduction of a single top quark provides excellent opportunity for understanding top quark physics and Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa structure of the quark sector in the Standard Model. Although an associated production with a b-quark has already been observed at the Tevatron in 2009, a single top production in association with a W gauge boson has not been observed till 2014 at the LHC, where pair production of the top quark serves as the dominant background. Due to the kinematic similarity between tW and the dominant background, it is challenging to find suitable kinematic variables that offer good signal-background separation, which naturally leads to the use of multivariate methods. In this paper, we investigate kinematic structure of tW+j channel using MT2 and invariant mass variables, and find that tW+j production could well be separated from tt¯ production with high purity at a low cost of statistics when utilizing these kinematic correlations
Effects of Vitamin D on Cardiac Function in Patients With Chronic HF The VINDICATE Study

AbstractBackgroundPatients with chronic heart failure (HF) secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are frequently deficient in vitamin D. Low vitamin D levels are associated with a worse prognosis.ObjectivesThe VINDICATE (VitamIN D treatIng patients with Chronic heArT failurE) study was undertaken to establish safety and efficacy of high-dose 25 (OH) vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation in patients with chronic HF due to LVSD.MethodsWe enrolled 229 patients (179 men) with chronic HF due to LVSD and vitamin D deficiency (cholecalciferol <50 nmol/l [<20 ng/ml]). Participants were allocated to 1 year of vitamin D3 supplementation (4,000 IU [100 μg] daily) or matching non−calcium-based placebo. The primary endpoint was change in 6-minute walk distance between baseline and 12 months. Secondary endpoints included change in LV ejection fraction at 1 year, and safety measures of renal function and serum calcium concentration assessed every 3 months.ResultsOne year of high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation did not improve 6-min walk distance at 1 year, but was associated with a significant improvement in cardiac function (LV ejection fraction +6.07% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.20 to 8.95; p < 0.0001]); and a reversal of LV remodeling (LV end diastolic diameter -2.49 mm [95% CI: -4.09 to -0.90; p = 0.002] and LV end systolic diameter -2.09 mm [95% CI: -4.11 to -0.06 p = 0.043]).ConclusionsOne year of 100 μg daily vitamin D3 supplementation does not improve 6-min walk distance but has beneficial effects on LV structure and function in patients on contemporary optimal medical therapy. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these translate to improvements in outcomes. (VitamIN D Treating patIents With Chronic heArT failurE [VINDICATE]; NCT01619891
Exact extended supersymmetry on a lattice: Twisted N=4 super-Yang–Mills in three dimensions

AbstractWe propose a lattice formulation of three-dimensional super-Yang–Mills model with a twisted N=4 supersymmetry. The extended supersymmetry algebra of all the eight supercharges is fully and exactly realized on the lattice with a modified “Leibniz rule”. The formulation we employ here is a three-dimensional extension of manifestly gauge covariant method which was developed in our previous proposal of Dirac–Kähler twisted N=2 super-Yang–Mills on two-dimensional lattice. The twisted N=4 supersymmetry algebra is geometrically realized on a three-dimensional lattice with link supercharges and the use of “shifted” (anti-)commutators. A possible solution to the recent critiques on the link formulation will be discussed
Comparing neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder using the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry Scale

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) when applied to patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n=126) or bipolar I disorder (n=76), and also to compare the cognitive impairment in both samples of patients and a control group (n=83) using the SCIP and a complete neuropsychological battery. The SCIP is a scale intended to quickly and easily assess cognitive impairment in patients with severe psychiatric disorders. The results showed firstly that, in terms of internal consistency, temporal stability, dimensional structure, and criterion-referenced validity, the SCIP provides reliable and valid scores at an equivalent level in both schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder samples. Secondly, it showed that differential cognitive impairment between the two patient groups occurs only in verbal memory, although the effect size of the difference is small. Finally, compared with the control group, cognitive impairment was present at all levels in both groups of patients using both the SCIP and the neuropsychological battery, which indicates that the SCIP is a good screening tool for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and bipolar and useful in clinical practice for healthcare professionals.ResumenEl objetivo del estudio fue comparar las propiedades psicométricas del test Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) en pacientes diagnosticados de esquizofrenia (n=126) o trastorno bipolar I (n=76). Además, el deterioro cognitivo se comparó con un grupo control (n=83) empleando el SCIP y una batería neuropsicológica completa. El test SCIP es una escala que evalúa rápida y fácilmente el deterioro cognitivo en trastornos psiquiátricos graves. En términos de consistencia interna, estabilidad temporal, estructura dimensional y validez de criterio, el SCIP proporciona resultados al mismo nivel de fiabilidad y validez en pacientes con esquizofrenia o trastorno bipolar I. Además, demostró que el deterioro cognitivo diferencial entre los dos grupos de pacientes se produce solo en la memoria verbal, aunque el tamaño del efecto de esta diferencia es pequeño. Por último, y frente al grupo control, se confirma el deterioro cognitivo a todos los niveles en ambos grupos de pacientes utilizando tanto el SCIP como la batería neuropsicológica, lo que indica que el SCIP es una buena herramienta de detección para los déficits cognitivos en esquizofrenia y trastorno bipolar, y útil en la práctica clínica habitual para profesionales de la salud
Impact of Generalized Travel Costs on Satellite Location in the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem

AbstractIn this paper we address the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem (2E-VRP), the variant of VRP where freight is delivered from depots to intermediate satellites, and then it is delivered to customers while minimizing the global routing costs of the overall two-echelon network. The goal of this work is to address more realistic situations in urban freight delivery where the travel costs are not only given by distances, but also by other components, like fixed costs for using the arcs, operational costs, and environmental costs. We introduce a generalized travel cost that may combine different components, e.g., operational, environmental, congestion, etc. We then analyze how the different components of the generalized cost affect the satellite location in the 2E-VRP and whether and under which conditions the Two-Echelon approach dominates the Single-Echelon one
Quantifying intracellular protein binding thermodynamics during mechanotransduction based on FRET spectroscopy

Mechanical force modulates myriad cellular functions including migration, alignment, proliferation, and gene transcription. Mechanotransduction, the transmission of mechanical forces and its translation into biochemical signals, may be mediated by force induced protein conformation changes, subsequently modulating protein signaling. For the paxillin and focal adhesion kinase interaction, we demonstrate that force-induced changes in protein complex conformation, dissociation constant, and binding Gibbs free energy can be quantified by lifetime-resolved fluorescence energy transfer microscopy combined with intensity imaging calibrated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Comparison with in vitro data shows that this interaction is allosteric in vivo. Further, spatially resolved imaging and inhibitor assays show that this protein interaction and its mechano-sensitivity are equal in the cytosol and in the focal adhesions complexes indicating that the mechano-sensitivity of this interaction must be mediated by soluble factors but not based on protein tyrosine phosphorylation.United States. National Institutes of Health (9P41EB015871-26A1)United States. National Institutes of Health (R01-EX017656)United States. National Institutes of Health (5 R01 NS051320)United States. National Institutes of Health (4R44EB012415-02)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CBET-0939511
Search for new phenomena in high-mass diphoton final states using 37
  fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions collected at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the
  ATLAS detector

Searches for new phenomena in high-mass diphoton final states with the ATLAS
experiment at the LHC are presented. The analysis is based on $pp$ collision
data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.7 fb$^{-1}$ at a
centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV recorded in 2015 and 2016. Searches are
performed for resonances with spin 0, as predicted by theories with an extended
Higgs sector, and for resonances with spin 2, using a warped extra-dimension
model as a benchmark model, as well as for non-resonant signals, assuming a
large extra-dimension scenario. No significant deviation from the Standard
Model is observed. Upper limits are placed on the production cross section
times branching ratio to two photons as a function of the resonance mass. In
addition, lower limits are set on the ultraviolet cutoff scale in the large
extra-dimensions model.Comment: 34 pages in total, author list starting page 18, 4 figures, 3 tables,
  published in Phys. Lett. B, All figures including auxiliary figures are
  available at
  http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HIGG-2016-17
dHybrid : a massively parallel code for hybrid simulations of space plasmas

A massively parallel simulation code, called dHybrid, has been developed to perform global scale studies of space plasma interactions. This code is based on an explicit hybrid model; the numerical stability and parallel scalability of the code are studied. A stabilization method for the explicit algorithm, for regions of near zero density, is proposed. Three-dimensional hybrid simulations of the interaction of the solar wind with unmagnetized artificial objects are presented, with a focus on the expansion of a plasma cloud into the solar wind, which creates a diamagnetic cavity and drives the Interplanetary Magnetic Field out of the expansion region. The dynamics of this system can provide insights into other similar scenarios, such as the interaction of the solar wind with unmagnetized planets
Can employment subsidies and greater labour market flexibility increase job opportunities for youth? Revisiting the Italian On-the-job Training Programme

The CFL (On-the-job Training) Programme was introduced in Italy in 1985 with the aim of reducing youth unemployment. The new programme offered employers two main advantages: it exempted them almost completely from payment of payroll taxes and it provided them with virtually the only opportunity to employ people on a basis of fixed-term contracts. The paper looks at the employment impact of the programme among a subgroup of eligible workers in the north Italian provinces of Treviso and Vicenza and finds that firms taking part increased employment more than non-participating firms by almost 5 %. Employers had a strong positive reaction to the tax subsidies and to the softening of the rigid employment code. The overall effect of the programme on youth employment in Treviso and Vicenza was however limited, registering only a 1 % increase, mainly because about 80 % of firms never participated
The effects of fibre wraps on the flexural behaviour of glulam composite sandwich beams

A novel composite sandwich structure made up of glass fibre composite skins and modified phenolic core material has been developed for civil engineering applications. The satisfactory performance of this composite sandwich material as structural panels in several building and residential projects has shown the possibility of using this material in the development of structural beams. As these composite sandwich panels are manufactured in limited thicknesses, the structural beam section could be attained by gluing a number of sandwich panels together in the flatwise or edgewise positions. An experimental study of the flexural behaviour of the glue-laminated (glulam) composite sandwich beams with different orientations of sandwich laminations was evaluated to determine the most effective use of this composite material for structural beam applications. The effects of wrapping the glulam sandwich beams with one-layer of tri-axial glass fibres on the flexural behaviour were also examined.
The glulam sandwich beams with edgewise laminations showed better structural performance compared to the beams with flatwise laminations due to the introduction of the vertical fibre composite skins. The glulam beams with edgewise sandwich laminations failed with 25% higher bending strength and almost similar bending stiffness than beams with flatwise laminations. The glulam sandwich beams with fibre wraps behaved slightly stiffer compared to the sandwich beams without wraps. In addition, the presence of fibre wraps prevented the immediate failure of the glulam beams which resulted in a higher strength and more ductile failure behaviour.