Highly siderophile elements in Earth's mantle as a clock for the Moon-forming impact.

According to the generally accepted scenario, the last giant impact on Earth formed the Moon and initiated the final phase of core formation by melting Earth's mantle. A key goal of geochemistry is to date this event, but different ages have been proposed. Some argue for an early Moon-forming event, approximately 30 million years (Myr) after the condensation of the first solids in the Solar System, whereas others claim a date later than 50 Myr (and possibly as late as around 100 Myr) after condensation.

[Organizing pneumonia during treatment with mesalazine].

Introduction: The distinction between extra-intestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis (UC) and drug-induced pneumonia can often be difficult.

Case Report: We describe the case of a 72-year-old male who presented fever and sub-acute respiratory insufficiency, after 4 months of treatment with mesalazine for ulcerative colitis (UC). Initial tests found serum C-reactive protein, eosinophil count and total IgE to be elevated.

An observational study of hospital paging practices and workflow interruption among on-call junior neurological surgery residents.

Background: Previous studies suggest that nonurgent pages comprise a substantial portion of the pages received by residents while on duty. We evaluated the number, type, and urgency of pages received and the task being performed at the time of paging by on-call junior neurosurgery residents at a large teaching hospital, with the aim of providing insight into mechanisms that can be developed to improve paging patterns and ultimately reduce physician distractions due to nonurgent communications.

Methods: For eight 12-hour call sessions, a medical student shadowed the on-call junior neurosurgery resident and recorded all pages received and the time, paging number and location, priority of the page (nonurgent, urgent, or emergency), and the activity the resident performed when the page was received.

Using registries to identify adverse events in rheumatic diseases.

The proven effectiveness of biologics and other immunomodulatory products in inflammatory rheumatic diseases has resulted in their widespread use as well as reports of potential short- and long-term complications such as infection and malignancy. These complications are especially worrisome in children who often have serial exposures to multiple immunomodulatory products. Post-marketing surveillance of immunomodulatory products in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus is currently based on product-specific registries and passive surveillance, which may not accurately reflect the safety risks for children owing to low numbers, poor long-term retention, and inadequate comparators.

The science of exoplanets and their systems.

A scientific forum on "The Future Science of Exoplanets and Their Systems," sponsored by Europlanet and the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) and co-organized by the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) of the University of Bern, was held during December 5 and 6, 2012, in Bern, Switzerland. It gathered 24 well-known specialists in exoplanetary, Solar System, and stellar science to discuss the future of the fast-expanding field of exoplanetary research, which now has nearly 1000 objects to analyze and compare and will develop even more quickly over the coming years. The forum discussions included a review of current observational knowledge, efforts for exoplanetary atmosphere characterization and their formation, water formation, atmospheric evolution, habitability aspects, and our understanding of how exoplanets interact with their stellar and galactic environment throughout their history.

Characterization of CXCR4-using HIV-1 during primary infection by ultra-deep pyrosequencing.

Objectives: R5 viruses have long been thought to account for almost all strains present in primary HIV-1 infections (PHIs), but recent studies using sensitive phenotypic assays have revealed that 3%-6.4% of subjects also harbour CXCR4-using viruses. Phenotypic assays provide only qualitative results: the presence or absence of CXCR4-using viruses.

Algorithm-based prediction of HIV-1 subtype D coreceptor use.

We compared the coreceptor tropism-predicting performance of a specific genotypic algorithm for HIV-1 subtype D and that of the geno2pheno algorithm with different cutoffs. The D-specific algorithm and geno2pheno with a false-positivity rate cutoff of 2.5% had the same concordance with the phenotypic determination.

Primary resistance of CCR5-tropic HIV-1 to maraviroc cannot be predicted by the V3 sequence.

Objectives: Resistance of HIV-1 to CCR5 antagonists can occur without coreceptor switching by mutations in envelope glycoproteins that enable virus entry using the inhibitor-bound form of CCR5. We investigated whether mutations in the V3 region of HIV-1 from subjects naive to maraviroc could be associated with primary resistance to this drug.

Methods: The frequency of CCR5-tropic HIV-1 subtype B isolates harbouring putative V3 maraviroc resistance mutations was assessed among the HIV tropism database of Toulouse University Hospital, France.

Evidence for three fluctuation channels in the spin resonance of the unconventional superconductor CeCoIn5.

Polarized inelastic neutron scattering under a magnetic field is used to get a microscopic insight into the spin resonance of the heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn(5). The resonance line shape is found to depend on the neutron polarization: Some of the spectral weight is common to the two polarization channels while the remaining part is distributed equally between them. This is evidence for the spin resonance being a degenerate mode with three fluctuation channels: A Zeeman split contribution and an additional longitudinal mode.

A survey of prescribing for the management of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy in Australasia.

Background: There is an impression of poor management of pregnancy sickness in Australia, specifically an apparent total reliance on metoclopramide, as a first-line choice.

Aims: To determine what management options are commonly used in by distributing a survey to Fellows and Diplomates of RANZCOG.

Methods: A web-based survey questionnaire distributed using an email list obtained from RANZCOG.

Analytical sensitivity of three real-time PCR assays for measuring subtype B HIV-1 RNA.

Background: Lack of HIV RNA during antiretroviral therapy (ART) is regarded as a desirable outcome. Commercial assays of HIV virus load now need to detect virus RNA concentrations below 50 c/ml and several of them have claimed a limit of detection (LOD) of 20-45 c/ml.

Objectives And Study Design: We have compared the performances of three commercial assays of HIV RNA, the Abbott RealTime HIV-1, the Qiagen Artus RG HIV-1 and the Roche Cobas Ampliprep Cobas TaqMan (CAPCTM) HIV-1 vs 2.

Planetary system disruption by Galactic perturbations to wide binary stars.

Nearly half the exoplanets found within binary star systems reside in very wide binaries with average stellar separations greater than 1,000 astronomical units (one astronomical unit (AU) being the Earth-Sun distance), yet the influence of such distant binary companions on planetary evolution remains largely unstudied. Unlike their tighter counterparts, the stellar orbits of wide binaries continually change under the influence of the Milky Way's tidal field and impulses from other passing stars. Here we report numerical simulations demonstrating that the variable nature of wide binary star orbits dramatically reshapes the planetary systems they host, typically billions of years after formation.

HIV-1 tropism and liver fibrosis in HIV-HCV co-infected patients.

Background And Aims: Hepatic stellate cells, the major producers of extracellular matrix in the liver, and hepatocytes bear CXCR4 and CCR5, the two main co-receptors for entry of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In vitro studies suggest that HIV-envelope proteins can modulate the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and fibrogenesis. We investigated the influence of HIV tropism on liver fibrosis and the concentration of HCV RNA in HIV-HCV co-infected patients.

Genotypic prediction of HIV-1 CRF01-AE tropism.

HIV-1 subtype CRF01-AE predominates in south Asia and has spread throughout the world. The virus tropism must be determined before using CCR5 antagonists. Genotypic methods could be used, but the prediction algorithms may be inaccurate for non-B subtypes like CRF01-AE and the correlation with the phenotypic approach has not been assessed.

HIV-1 dynamics and coreceptor usage in Maraviroc-treated patients with ongoing replication.

There is evidence that HIV-1 evolution under maraviroc (MVC) pressure can lead to the selection of either X4-tropic variants and/or R5-tropic, MVC-resistant isolates. However, the viral dynamics of HIV-1 variants in patients with virological failure (VF) on MVC-containing regimens remain poorly studied. Here, we investigated the V3 loop evolution of HIV-1 on MVC in relation to coreceptor usage and the nature of HIV-1 quasispecies before MVC therapy using bulk population sequences and ultradeep sequencing.

Recommendations for incorporating patient-reported outcomes into clinical comparative effectiveness research in adult oncology.

Examining the patient's subjective experience in prospective clinical comparative effectiveness research (CER) of oncology treatments or process interventions is essential for informing decision making. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are the standard tools for directly eliciting the patient experience. There are currently no widely accepted standards for developing or implementing PRO measures in CER.

Variants minoritaires du VIH-1 : détection, quantification et implications cliniques.

Success to antiretroviral HIV treatment is reduced by the presence of resistant variants. These variants can be present at very low level in the viral population and not detected by conventional assay. High throughput sequencing technologies allow the detection of minority variants present at less than 20 % and their quantification, easily and rapidly.

Phenotyping methods for determining HIV tropism and applications in clinical settings.

Purpose Of Review: HIV-1 enters CD4-expressing cells via one or both of the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4. Specific CCR5 antagonists are now in clinical use, but only for CCR5-tropic viruses. Hence, several methods have been developed for assessing HIV-1 tropism in patients who are candidates for CCR5 antagonists.

Minority variants associated with resistance to HIV-1 nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors during primary infection.

Background: Recent data suggest that subjects harbouring low-frequency variants of HIV that are resistant to non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) could suffer virological failure when treated with NNRTI-based therapy. Rilpivirine, a second-generation NNRTI, will be used in first-line regimen therapy, but the prevalence of minority variants that are resistant to rilpivirine is unknown.

Objectives: We evaluated the presence of low-frequency NNRTI resistance associated mutations (RAMs) in 27 patients with a primary HIV-1 infection.

Perioperative music or headsets to decrease anxiety.

The ambient noise of monitors, other patients, and staff in the postanesthesia care unit/operating room may elevate levels of anxiety. The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of music versus noise-blocking headphones on the level of anxiety in women undergoing gynecologic same-day surgery. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Post-operative risk factor control following internal carotid artery intervention.

Background: Patients who undergo carotid surgical interventions remain at significant risk of further vascular events post-operatively. This study evaluates the level of risk factor monitoring and control being achieved post-operatively for patients who undergo carotid surgical interventions within Southern Health and investigates the significance of patient education and patient insight in this context.

Methods: The study included all patients who underwent successful carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid angioplasty within Southern Health during the 5-year study period.

Understanding the complex phase diagram of uranium: the role of electron-phonon coupling.

We report an experimental determination of the dispersion of the soft phonon mode along [100] in uranium as a function of pressure. The energies of these phonons increase rapidly, with conventional behavior found by 20 GPa, as predicted by recent theory. New calculations demonstrate the strong pressure (and momentum) dependence of the electron-phonon coupling, whereas the Fermi-surface nesting is surprisingly independent of pressure.

Evaluation of the QIAsymphony™ SP and Artus™ RealTime extraction-quantification systems for measuring HIV-1 virus load.

Background: Automated HIV-1 RNA extraction and its quantification by real-time PCR assays provide improved sample processing and better analytical performances. The new Artus HIV-1 RealTime assay can be performed after automated extraction with the Qiagen Qiasymphony robot.

Objectives And Study Design: To evaluate the sensitivity, reproducibility, linearity, ability to detect HIV-1 subtypes of the Qiagen Qiasymphony and RealTime Artus HIV-1 assay system and to compare with the Roche Cobas Ampliprep Cobas TaqMan assay, vs 2.

Anomalous PiB enhancement in the superior sagittal and transverse venous sinuses.

Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB), an amyloid-binding positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, is widely used for imaging amyloid-β in those with and at risk for Alzheimer disease. Here, we report on an otherwise normal 68-year-old female with abnormally high and very focal PiB retention. Coregistered T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) images confirmed that the focal PiB enhancement was in the superior sagittal and transverse sinuses, outside of the adjacent cortex.

X4 tropic multi-drug resistant quasi-species detected at the time of primary HIV-1 infection remain exclusive or at least dominant far from PHI.

Our objective was to analyze the evolution of resistance mutations (RM) and viral tropism of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains detected at primary HIV-1 infection (PHI). MDR HIV strain was defined as the presence of genotypic resistance to at least 1 antiretroviral of the 3 classes. Tropism determinations (CCR5 or CXCR4) were performed on baseline plasma HIV-RNA and/or PBMC-HIV-DNA samples, then during follow-up using population-based sequencing of V3 loop and phenotypic tests.