Novel proteomics platforms, such as the aptamer-based SOMAscan platform, can quantify large numbers of proteins efficiently and cost-effectively and are rapidly growing in popularity. However, comparisons to conventional immunoassays remain underexplored, leaving investigators unsure when cross-assay comparisons are appropriate. We explored the correlation of results from immunoassays with relative protein quantification by SOMAscan. For 63 proteins assessed in two chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cohorts, Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) and COPDGene, using Myriad Rules Based Medicine (RBM) multiplex immunoassays and SOMAscan, Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from -0.13 to 0.97, with a median correlation coefficient of ∼0.5 and consistent results across cohorts. A similar range was observed for immunoassays in the population based Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and for other assays in COPDGene and SPIROMICS. Comparisons of relative qpectrometry-based aptamer confirmation or the presence of cis pQTLs may help infer the specificity of different proteomics platforms when results differ. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.High-grade and poorly differentiated thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma is the rarest entity in thymic epithelial tumours. The aim of this study is to report survival data in a multi-institutional database in comparison to data in the literature. Retrospective chart review was performed on the basis of our multi-institutional database to identify patients undergoing the resection of poorly differentiated thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma between 1991 and 2018. Relevant factors were extracted, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Twenty-one patients were identified. Five-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival were 64.6% and 51.8%, respectively. Twelve (57.1%) patients had recurrences. Due to the scarcity of data reported in the literature, our data may be used as a standard in high-grade and poorly differentiated thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma.Human insulin and its synthetic analogues are considered as life-saving drugs for people suffering from diabetes mellitus. Next to the therapeutic use, scientific and non-scientific literature (e.g. bodybuilding forums; anti-doping intelligence and investigation reports) indicate that these prohibited substances are used as performance enhancing agents. In the present report, the development and validation of a sensitive analytical strategy is described for the urinary detection of three rapid-acting insulin analogues (Lispro, Aspart, Glulisine). The method is based on sample purification by the combination of ultrafiltration and immunoaffinity purification and subsequent analysis by nano-flow liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. Next to results on different validation parameters (LOD 10 pg/ml; recovery 25-48 %; matrix effect -3-(-8) %), data on urinary elimination times, which was obtained in the frame of an administration study with the participation of healthy volunteers, is presented. The determined detection windows (~9 hours) are expected to help to evaluate current routine analytical methods and aim to aid doping authorities to set appropriate target windows for efficient testing.Do mito-nuclear interactions impact life-history traits? Rank et al. (2020) found that these genomic interactions are of great importance in wild populations of the leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis and may explain why populations are highly differentiated. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) disease has led to a wide-spread global pandemic (1). COVID-19 symptoms and mortality are disproportionately more severe in people with obesity and obesity related comorbidities (2, 3). This is of concern for the United States, where ~42% have obesity and of these, 85% have type 2 diabetes.Decidual macrophages are in close contact with trophoblast cells during placenta development, and an appropriate crosstalk between these cellular compartments is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. During different phases of gestation, macrophages undergo dynamic changes to adjust to the different stages of fetal development. Trophoblast-secreted factors are considered the main modulators responsible for macrophage differentiation and function. However, the phenotype of these macrophages induced by trophoblast-secreted factors and the factors responsible for their polarization has not been elucidated. selleck products In this study, we characterized the phenotype and function of human trophoblast-induced macrophages. Using in vitro models, we found that human trophoblast-educated macrophages were CD14+ CD206+ CD86- and presented an unusual transcriptional profile in response to TLR4/LPS activation characterized by the expression of type I IFN-β expression. IFN-β further enhances the constitutive production of soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) from trophoblast cells. PD-1 blockage inhibited trophoblast-induced macrophage differentiation. Soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) was detected in the blood of pregnant women and increased throughout the gestation. Collectively, our data suggest the existence of a regulatory circuit at the maternal fetal interface wherein IFN-β promotes sPD-L1 expression/secretion by trophoblast cells, which can then initiate a PD-L1/PD-1-mediated macrophage polarization toward an M2 phenotype, consequently decreasing inflammation. Macrophages then maintain the expression of sPD-L1 by the trophoblasts through IFN-β production induced through TLR4 ligation.Virtual reality (VR) holds tremendous potential to advance our society, expected to make impact on quality of life, energy conservation, and the economy. To bring us closer to this vision, the present paper investigates a novel communications system that integrates for the first time scalable multi-layer 360° video tiling, viewport-adaptive rate-distortion optimal resource allocation, and VR-centric edge computing and caching, to enable next generation high-quality untethered VR streaming. Our system comprises a collection of 5G small cells that can pool their communication, computing, and storage resources to collectively deliver scalable 360° video content to mobile VR clients at much higher quality. The major contributions of the paper are the rigorous design of multi-layer 360° tiling and related models of statistical user navigation, analysis and optimization of edge-based multi-user VR streaming that integrates viewport adaptation and server cooperation, and base station 360° video packet scheduling. We also explore the possibility of network coded data operation and its implications for the analysis, optimization, and system performance we pursue in this setting.