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Background: Prophylactic pancreatic stenting is widely used by expert biliary endoscopists to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are thought to prevent PEP. Objective: To assess the use of pancreatic stenting and NSAIDs for PEP prophylaxis among endoscopists and its determinants. Design: A survey was distributed to 467 endoscopists attending a course on therapeutic digestive endoscopy. Intervention: Completed surveys were collected from 141 endoscopists performing ERCP in 29 countries (answer rate 30.2%); practices were most often located in community hospitals with an annual hospital volume of ≤500 ERCPs (in Belgium, Spain, Italy, and France in about half of cases). For all conditions listed, including needle-knife precut, previous PEP, suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, and ampullectomy, less than half of the endoscopists reported attempting prophylactic pancreatic stenting in ≥75% of cases. Thirty (21.3%) survey respondents did not perform prophylactic pancreatic stenting in any circumstance; this was mainly ascribed to lack of experience. Measurement of PEP incidence and an annual hospital volume of >500 ERCPs were independently associated with the use of prophylactic pancreatic stenting (P = .005 and P = .030, respectively). Most survey respondents (n = 118, 83.7%) did not use NSAIDs for PEP prophylaxis. This was mainly ascribed to lack of scientific evidence of its benefits. Main Outcome Measurements: Proportion of cases in which pancreatic stenting is attempted during ERCP; reasons for not using prophylactic pancreatic stenting or NSAIDs. Limitations: Survey, not an audit of practice. Conclusions: Despite scientific evidence of its benefits, use of prophylactic pancreatic stenting is not as widely adopted as previously thought; use of NSAIDs for PEP prophylaxis is marginal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electrification structures design for railway systems is a crucial and complex process, since it compounds plenty of infrastructure elements, design decisions, and calculation conditions. In this paper, an ontology-driven decision support system for designing complex railway portal frames is presented and developed. A knowledge-rules database has been also developed relying on experts knowledge and complying with railway standards. Our system outperforms the current portal frames design methods by decreasing construction time and costs. As a result, an intelligent computer-aided design tool is provided, thus facilitating the task of seeking for the optimal portal frame, which is geometrically and structurally feasible, and cost-effective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Perilipins, the major structural proteins coating the surfaces of mature lipid droplets of adipocytes, play an important role in the regulation of triacylglycerol storage and hydrolysis. We have used proteomic analysis to identify CGI-58, a member of the α/β-hydrolase fold family of enzymes, as a component of lipid droplets of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CGI-58 mRNA is highly expressed in adipose tissue and testes, tissues that also express perilipins, and at lower levels in liver, skin, kidney, and heart. Both endogenous CGI-58 and an ectopic CGI-58-GFP chimera show diffuse cytoplasmic localization in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, but localize almost exclusively to the surfaces of lipid droplets in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The localization of endogenous CGI-58 was investigated in 3T3-L1 cells stably expressing mutated forms of perilipin using microscopy. CGI-58 binds to lipid droplets coated with perilipin A or mutated forms of perilipin with an intact C-terminal sequence from amino acid 382 to 429, but not to lipid droplets coated with perilipin B or mutated perilipin A lacking this sequence. Immunoprecipitation studies confirmed these findings, but also showed co-precipitation of perilipin B and CGI-58. Remarkably, activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by the incubation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with isoproterenol and isobutylmethylxanthine disperses CGI-58 from the surfaces of lipid droplets to a cytoplasmic distribution. This shift in subcellular localization can be reversed by the addition of propanolol to the culture medium. Thus, CGI-58 binds to perilipin A-coated lipid droplets in a manner that is dependent upon the metabolic status of the adipocyte and the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of an investigation into whether or not eclipse shadow bands have an atmospheric origin are presented. Using high altitude balloon and ground-based photodiode arrays during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, data revealing the light patterns before and after totality were collected at 600 Hz. These data were then analyzed using spectrograms, which provide information on intensity fluctuations in the frequency space time domain. Both at the altitude of the balloon (~ 25 km) and on the ground, a sustained ~ 4.5 Hz signal was detected a few minutes before and after totality. This signal was coherent over a scale greater than 10 cm and detected in four separate balloon photodiodes and 16 separate ground photodiodes. At higher frequencies, up to at least 30 Hz, brief chaotic signals that were disorganized as a function of time were detected on the ground, but not at the altitude of the balloon. These higher frequency signals, which we attribute to atmospheric scintillation, appeared mostly uncorrelated over a length scale of 10 cm. Some of our ground arrays utilized red and blue filters, but neither the sustained 4.5 Hz signal nor the chaotic higher frequency signals showed a strong dependence on filter color. On the ground we made a video of the shadow bands on a scaled white screen. We judged that the bands were roughly parallel to the orientation of the bright thin crescent Sun before and after totality. Thus, if the ν ≈ 4.5 Hz frequency signal is identified with the peak-to-peak shadow band wavelength of λ ≈ 13 cm measured in the video, it can be inferred that their propagation velocity was about v ≈ 59 cm s − 1 (≈ 2.1 km h r − 1 ). Shadow band signals other than the sustained signal at ~ 4.5 Hz are consistent with atmospheric scintillation theory. These results are surprising. Based on accounts in the literature we expected to confirm the atmospheric scintillation theory of eclipse shadow bands, but instead we detected a sustained ~ 4.5 Hz signal at both high altitude and on the ground, consistent with the type of shadow band signal visual observers often report before and after totality. This signal cannot be due to atmospheric scintillation and we ran a check to make sure this signal is not an artifact of our electronics. We recommend that additional searches for eclipse shadow bands be made at high altitude in the future. • Ground and high altitude balloon based photo-diode arrays collected data around totality of solar eclipse. • Brief, chaotic signals, attributed to atmospheric scintillation found only in ground based array. • Data analyzed using spectrograms revealed sustained shadow band signal above and below the atmosphere. • The author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The mechanism of resistance in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has therapeutic implications. We comprehensively characterized emerging mechanisms of resistance in CRE between 2013 and 2016 at a health system in Northern California. A total of 38.7% (24/62) of CRE isolates were carbapenemase gene-positive, comprising 25.0% (6/24) bla OXA-48 like , 20.8% (5/24) bla KPC , 20.8% (5/24) bla NDM , 20.8% (5/24) bla SME , 8.3% (2/24) bla IMP , and 4.2% (1/24) bla VIM. Between carbapenemases and porin loss, the resistance mechanism was identified in 95.2% (59/62) of CRE isolates. Isolates expressing bla KPC were 100% susceptible to ceftazidime–avibactam, meropenem–vaborbactam, and imipenem–relebactam; bla OXA-48 like –positive isolates were 100% susceptible to ceftazidime–avibactam; and metallo β-lactamase–positive isolates were nearly all nonsusceptible to above antibiotics. Carbapenemase gene-negative CRE were 100% (38/38), 92.1% (35/38), 89.5% (34/38), and 31.6% (12/38) susceptible to ceftazidime–avibactam, meropenem–vaborbactam, imipenem–relebactam, and ceftolozane–tazobactam, respectively. None of the CRE strains were identical by whole genome sequencing. At this health system, CRE were mediated by diverse mechanisms with predictable susceptibility to newer β-lactamase inhibitors. Highlights • Lower than national CRE rate at this health care system located in Northern California. • KPC was not the predominant carbapenemase detected at this health care system. • Reduced porin protein levels were detected in CRE isolates by mass spectrometry. • CRE were predictably susceptible to ceftazidime–avibactam, imipenem–relebactam, and meropenem–vaborbactam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eremothecium coryli is a dimorphic fungus of the Saccharomycetes class. While species within this class are known to cause human infection, Eremothecium species have previously only been known as phytopathogens and never been isolated from a human sample. Here, we report the first known case of human E. coryli infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cerato-platanin protein has been identified and isolated from P. salina. • Hydrophobin protein has been identified and isolated from T. pinophilus. • CPs and HFBs are extracted from a fermented culture medium with seaweed biomass. • Self-assemble of this extracted proteins were influenced by the polysaccharides' seaweed. The marine fungi Paradendryphiela salina and Talaromyces pinophilus degrade and assimilate complex substrates from plants and seaweed. Additionally, these fungi secrete surface-active proteins, identified as cerato-platanins and hydrophobins. These hydrophobic proteins have the ability to self-assemble forming amyloid-like aggregates and play an essential role in the growth and development of the filamentous fungi. It is the first time that one cerato-platanin (CP) is identified and isolated from P. salina (PsCP) and two Class I hydrophobins (HFBs) from T. pinophilus (TpHYD1 and TpHYD2). Furthermore, it is possible to extract cerato-platanins and hydrophobins using marine fungi that can feed on seaweed biomass, and through a submerged liquid fermentation process. The propensity to aggregate of these proteins has been analyzed using different techniques such as Thioflavin T fluorescence assay, Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy. Here, we show that the formation of aggregates of PsCP and TpHYD, was influenced by the carbon source from seaweed. This study highlighted the potential of these self-assembling proteins generated from a fermentation process with marine fungi and with promising properties such as conformational plasticity with extensive applications in biotechnology, pharmacy, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of auditory scene relies on the appropriate division of the sensory input into meaningful events. The auditory system uses a sequential grouping strategy to segregate different acoustic events in the time domain. As a result of grouping, the organization of sound is expected to include acoustic events spanning different scales of time. It is unclear, however, at which moment the central auditory system begins to introduce changes in the neural representation of the auditory scene as a result of grouping different information units into a larger acoustic event. The present set of experiments examines this issue by using the mismatch negativity (MMN) component of event-related potentials. The MMN is elicited in response to changes in the previously registered auditory regularity whether or not the subject’s attention is focused on the auditory stimuli. By presenting three consecutive pairs of alternating tones in serial stimulus trains, we found that across-train repetitions of the tone elicited the MMN with inter-train intervals up to 240 ms. Beyond this interval, only within-train repetitions of the tone elicited the MMN, suggesting that pairs of tones were bound together into a single acoustic event (i.e., train of six tones) within a temporal window not much longer than 240 ms. Furthermore, a different pattern of responses was seen depending on the position of the deviant event within the train and the frequency distance between the alternating tones. These results suggest that grouping discrete auditory inputs may introduce changes in the neural representation of the auditory scene by applying rules to sounds spanning larger temporal scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]