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Significance statement Our results provide the direct demonstration that nociceptive-induced gamma band oscillations (GBOs) measured at population level, one of the most promising biomarker of pain perception, reflect neural activity coupled with the spike firing of interneurons in the superficial layers of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) contralateral to the side of nociceptive stimulation. These results conclusively solve the ongoing debate about whether nociceptive-induced GBOs recorded with scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) or epidurally reflect stimulus encoding in the S1 or nocifensive behavior in the primary motor cortex (M1), and will therefore influence how experiments in pain neuroscience will be designed and interpreted. AZD1208 supplier Copyright © 2020 Yue et al.OBJECTIVES Occupational exposure to soft paper dust is associated with impaired lung function. Whether there is an increased risk for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. METHODS We studied 7870 workers from three Swedish soft paper mills, and defined high-exposed workers, as having been exposed to soft paper dust exceeding 5 mg/m3 for at least 5 years. The remaining workers were classified as 'low exposed'. Person-years at risk were calculated and stratified according to gender, age and calendar-year. The follow-up time was from 1960 to 2013. The expected numbers of deaths were calculated using the Swedish population as reference and standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% CIs were assessed. RESULTS There was an increased mortality due to obstructive lung disease (asthma and COPD), among high-exposed workers, SMR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.83, based on 23 observed cases. High-exposed workers had an increased mortality from asthma, SMR 4.13, 95% CI 1.78 to 8.14, based on eight observed cases. The increased asthma mortality was also observed among high-exposed men, SMR 4.38, 95% CI 1.42 to 10.2, based on five observed cases. The asthma mortality among low-exposed workers, both men and women, was not increased. The COPD mortality was not clearly increased among high-exposed workers (SMR 1.52, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.50). CONCLUSION High occupational exposure to soft paper dust increases the mortality due to asthma, and the results suggest that soft paper dust levels in workplaces should be below 5 mg/m3. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as prominent regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes. LncRNAs often drive the modification and maintenance of gene activation or gene silencing states via chromatin conformation rearrangements. In plants, lncRNAs have been shown to participate in gene regulation, and are essential to processes such as vernalization and photomorphogenesis. Despite their prominent functions only over a dozen lncRNAs have been experimentally and functionally characterized. Similar to its animal counterparts, the rates of sequence divergence are much higher in plant lncRNAs than in protein coding mRNAs, making it difficult to identify lncRNA conservation using traditional sequence comparison methods. Beyond this, little is known about the evolutionary patterns of lncRNAs in plants. Here, we characterized the splicing conservation of lncRNAs in Brassicaceae. We generated a whole-genome alignment of 16 Brassica species and used it to identify synthenic lncRNA orthologues. Using a scoring system trained on transcriptomes from A. thaliana and B. oleracea, we identified splice sites across the whole alignment and measured their conservation. Our analysis revealed that 17.9% (112/627) of all intergenic lncRNAs display splicing conservation in at least one exon, an estimate that is substantially higher to previous estimates of lncRNA conservation in this group. Our findings agree with similar studies in vertebrates, demonstrating that splicing conservation can be evidence of stabilizing selection. We provide conclusive evidence for the existence of evolutionary deeply conserved lncRNAs in plants and describe a generally applicable computational workflow to identify functional lncRNAs in plants. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.BACKGROUND In animal models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), angiotensin converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) and Angiotensin 1-7 [Ang-(1-7)] have been shown to have vasodilatory, anti-proliferative, anti-fibrotic and anti-hypertrophic properties. However, the status and role of the ACE2-Ang-(1-7) axis in human PAH is incompletely understood. METHODS We studied 85 patients with a diagnosis of PAH of distinct etiologies. Fifty-five healthy blood donors paired for age and sex served as controls. Blood samples were obtained from the pulmonary artery in patients with PAH during right heart catheterisation. Peripheral blood was obtained for both groups. Ang-(1-7) and angiotensin II (AngII) were measured by zone capillary electrophoresis. Aldosterone, Angiotensin-(1-9), Angiotensin A, (Ang-A) and ACE2 were measured by ELISA, and ACE2 activity was determined enzymatically. RESULTS Of the 85 patients, 47 had idiopathic PAH, 25 had PAH-associated with congenital heart disease, and 13 had PAH-associated with collaged. Copyright ©ERS 2020.As global awareness of air pollution rises, so does the imperative to provide evidence-based recommendations for strategies to mitigate its impact. While public policy has a central role in reducing air pollution, exposure can also be reduced by personal choices. Qualified evidence supports limiting physical exertion outdoors on high air pollution days and near air pollution sources, reducing near-roadway exposure while commuting, utilising air quality alert systems to plan activities, and wearing facemasks in prescribed circumstances. Other strategies include avoiding cooking with solid fuels, ventilating and isolating cooking areas, and using portable air cleaners fitted with high efficiency particulate air filters. We detail recommendations to assist providers and public health officials when advising patients and the public regarding personal-level strategies to mitigate risk imposed by air pollution, while recognising that well-designed prospective studies are urgently needed to better establish and validate interventions that benefit respiratory health in this context.