bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frailty and associated prognosis among older emergency department patients with suspected infection: A prospective, observational cohort study
Authors: Fernando Shannon M. , Guo Kevin H. , Lukasik Matthew , Rochwerg Bram , Cook Deborah J. , Kyeremanteng Kwadwo , Perry Jeffrey J.
Published: June 2020

Background

Prognosis and disposition among older emergency department (ED) patients with suspected infection remains challenging. Frailty is increasingly recognized as a predictor of poor prognosis among critically ill patients; however, its association with clinical outcomes among older ED patients with suspected infection is unknown.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study at two tertiary care EDs. We included older ED patients (≥75 years) with suspected infection. Frailty at baseline (before index illness) was explicitly measured for all patients by the treating physicians using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). We defined frailty as a CFS 5–8. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. We used multivariable logistic regression to adjust for known confounders. We also compared the prognostic accuracy of frailty with the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) criteria.

Results

We enrolled 203 patients, of whom 117 (57.6%) were frail. Frail patients were more likely to develop septic shock (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–2.51) and more likely to die within 30 days of ED presentation (aOR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.02–5.24). Sensitivity for mortality was highest among the CFS (73.1%; 95% CI, 52.2–88.4), compared with SIRS ≥ 2 (65.4%; 95% CI, 44.3–82.8) or qSOFA ≥ 2 (38.4; 95% CI, 20.2–59.4).

Conclusions

Frailty is a highly prevalent prognostic factor that can be used to risk-stratify older ED patients with suspected infection. ED clinicians should consider screening for frailty to optimize disposition in this population.
A National Spinal Muscular Atrophy Registry for Real-World Evidence
Authors: Hodgkinson Victoria L. , Oskoui Maryam , Lounsberry Joshua , M’Dahoma Saïd , Butler Emily , Campbell Craig , MacKenzie Alex , McMillan Hugh J. , Simard Louise , Vajsar Jiri , Brais Bernard , Chapman Kristine M. , Chrestian Nicolas , Crone Meghan , Dobrowolski Peter , Dojeiji Susan , Dowling James J. , Dupré Nicolas , Genge Angela , Gonorazky Hernan , Hasal Simona , Izenberg Aaron , Johnston Wendy , Leung Edward , Lochmüller Hanns , Mah Jean K. , Marerro Alier , Massie Rami , McAdam Laura , McCormick Anna , Melanson Michel , Mezei Michelle M. , Nguyen Cam-Tu E. , O’Connell Colleen , O’Ferrall Erin K. , Pfeffer Gerald , Phan Cecile , Plamondon Stephanie , Poulin Chantal , Rodrigue Xavier , Schellenberg Kerri L. , Selby Kathy , Sheriko Jordan , Shoesmith Christen , Smith Garth , Taillon Monique , Taylor Sean , Warman Chardon Jodi , Worley Scott , Korngut Lawrence
Published: June 2020

Background:

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating rare disease that affects individuals regardless of ethnicity, gender, and age. The first-approved disease-modifying therapy for SMA, nusinursen, was approved by Health Canada, as well as by American and European regulatory agencies following positive clinical trial outcomes. The trials were conducted in a narrow pediatric population defined by age, severity, and genotype. Broad approval of therapy necessitates close follow-up of potential rare adverse events and effectiveness in the larger real-world population.

Methods:

The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) undertook an iterative multi-stakeholder process to expand the existing SMA dataset to capture items relevant to patient outcomes in a post-marketing environment. The CNDR SMA expanded registry is a longitudinal, prospective, observational study of patients with SMA in Canada designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of novel therapies and provide practical information unattainable in trials.

Results:

The consensus expanded dataset includes items that address therapy effectiveness and safety and is collected in a multicenter, prospective, observational study, including SMA patients regardless of therapeutic status. The expanded dataset is aligned with global datasets to facilitate collaboration. Additionally, consensus dataset development aimed to standardize appropriate outcome measures across the network and broader Canadian community. Prospective outcome studies, data use, and analyses are independent of the funding partner.

Conclusion:

Prospective outcome data collected will provide results on safety and effectiveness in a post-therapy approval era. These data are essential to inform improvements in care and access to therapy for all SMA patients.
Determining Corticospinal Tract Injury from Stroke Using Computed Tomography
Authors: Lam Timothy K. , Cheung Daniel K. , Climans Seth A. , Black Sandra E. , Gao Fuqiang , Szilagyi Gregory M. , Mochizuki George , Chen Joyce L.
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Damage to the corticospinal tract (CST) from stroke leads to motor deficits. The damage can be quantified as the amount of overlap between the stroke lesion and CST (CST Injury). Previous literature has shown that the degree of motor deficits post-stroke is related to the amount of CST Injury. These studies delineate the stroke lesion from structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, often acquired for research. In Canada, computed tomography (CT) is the most common imaging modality used in routine acute stroke care. In this proof-of-principle study, we determine whether CST Injury, using lesions delineated from CT scans, significantly explains the variability in motor impairment in individuals with stroke.

Methods:

Thirty-seven participants with stroke were included in this study. These individuals had a CT scan within the acute stage (7 days) of their stroke and underwent motor assessments. Brain images from CT scans were registered to MRI space. We performed a stepwise regression analysis to determine the contribution of CST injury and demographic variables in explaining motor impairment variability.

Results:

Using clinically available CT scans, we found modest evidence that CST Injury explains variability in motor impairment (R2adj = 0.12, p = 0.02). None of the participant demographic variables entered the model.

Conclusion:

We show for the first time a relationship between CST Injury and motor impairment using CT scans. Further work is required to evaluate the utility of data derived from clinical CT scans as a biomarker of stroke motor recovery.
Poor Yield of Routine Transthyretin Screening in Patients with Idiopathic Neuropathy
Authors: Namiranian Dina , Chalk Colin , Massie Rami
Published: June 2020

Background and objectives:

Transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP) is caused by a mutation in the transthyretin (TTR) gene. Although classically described as rapidly progressive and life-threatening, recent studies on TTR-FAP show significant genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity depending on geographic localization. In light of new therapeutic advances and their implication for patient management, the aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of TTR-FAP within patients with idiopathic neuropathy in a North American population.

Methods:

We sequenced the TTR gene in a cohort of patients with idiopathic neuropathy. Genetic screening was performed in 110 patients from two neuromuscular clinics in Montreal, Canada.

Results:

No variants of unknown significance or pathogenic mutations were detected in the TTR gene.

Conclusion:

Our study confirms that TTR-FAP is a rare entity in our patient population, and that diagnostic yield of screening all patients with idiopathic neuropathy is very low.
Prescribing Sound: Willem Van de Wall and the Carceral Origins of American Music Therapy
Authors: Vest J. Martin
Published: June 2020

From 1921 until 1936, musician Willem Van de Wall pioneered the modern use of therapeutic music in American prisons and psychiatric institutions. His therapy was steeped in the methods and philosophy of social control, and after World War II, it shaped the professionalizing field of music therapy. Van de Wall's influence reveals an overlooked connection between modern clinical practice and the techniques of control employed in prisons and psychiatric hospitals of the early twentieth century. Given music therapy's broader impact as an element of postwar self-help culture, its relationship to social control practices also disrupts longstanding scholarly ideas about the so-called “therapeutic ethos.” The therapeutic ethos did not originate solely in efforts by the middle classes to adjust to bourgeois modernity. The case of music therapy suggests that some elements of “therapeutic culture” were always coercive and always directed toward the maintenance of race, gender, and class hierarchies.
Left Behind? Russia’s Entry Bars and Gender Relations in Tajikistan
Authors: Zotova Natalia , Cohen Jeffrey H.
Published: June 2020

Russia remains the destination of choice for Tajik migrants. Its migration policies have profound implications for migrants’ legal status and capacity to remit and return home. This article draws on ethnographic research in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and explores how the enforcement of Russia’s immigration laws affects Tajik migrants and their families. By 2016, over 300,000 Tajik migrants were issued entry bars (zapret na v’ezd) for three or more years for two or more administrative offenses, including the lack of a work permit or a residential registration and a traffic violation. Migration and the transnational lifestyle increase agency among Tajik men and women, informing gender transformations. Entry bars produce temporary constraints to spatial and social mobility as migrants readjust to well-defined gender roles in their home country. We note how immigration laws affect men and women in different ways, contextualizing the gendered effects of entry bars through the lens of gender relations and understandings of masculinity and femininity in Tajikistan. We argue that the constraints to migrants’ mobility developed by Russian migration policies inform the reconstitution of gender relations in Tajikistan.
Contentious colonies: The positional power of imperial peripheries
Authors: Viksand Sindre Gade
Published: June 2020

While structural models of empire have recently re-emerged in the theoretical debates in the field of International Relations, a lack of attention has been paid to peripheral actors therein. This is particularly true for the analysis of the peripheries’ relations with polities outside the imperial structure of which the peripheries are a part. In this article, I build a framework to better understand how these extra-imperial ties are translated into peripheral positional power. This framework is constructed on the basis of three core arguments. First, to theorise peripheral power, peripheries need to be positioned in networks outside the imperial structure. Second, the positional power of peripheries depends on the quality of the ties they have to external actors. Peripheries with dense and exclusive ties to external actors are more powerful than those with only sparse and non-exclusive ties. Third, from the different combinations of density and exclusivity arise not only variations in positional power, but also the likely strategies that are engaged in forming alliances with external actors. These logics are illustrated through the study of two cases of the diplomacy of decolonisation: the American Revolutionary War and the Angolan War of Independence.
Use of a Be-dome holder for texture and strain characterization of Li metal thin films via sin2(ψ) methodology
Authors: Rodriguez Mark A. , Harrison Katharine L. , Goriparti Subrahmanyam , Griego James J. M. , Boyce Brad L. , Perdue Brian R.
Published: June 2020

Residual strain in electrodeposited Li films may affect safety and performance in Li metal battery anodes, so it is important to understand how to detect residual strain in electrodeposited Li and the conditions under which it arises. To explore this Li films, electrodeposited onto Cu metal substrates, were prepared under an applied pressure of either 10 or 1000 kPa and subsequently tested for the presence or absence of residual strain via sin2(ψ) analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of Li films required preparation and examination within an inert environment; hence, a Be-dome sample holder was employed during XRD characterization. Results show that the Li film grown under 1000 kPa displayed a detectable presence of in-plane compressive strain (−0.066%), whereas the Li film grown under 10 kPa displayed no detectable in-plane strain. The underlying Cu substrate revealed an in-plane residual strain near zero. Texture analysis via pole figure determination was also performed for both Li and Cu and revealed a mild fiber texture for Li metal and a strong bi-axial texture of the Cu substrate. Experimental details concerning sample preparation, alignment, and analysis of the particularly air-sensitive Li films have also been detailed. This work shows that Li metal exhibits residual strain when electrodeposited under compressive stress and that XRD can be used to quantify that strain.
Systematic Review and Evaluation of Mathematical Attack Models of Human Inhalational Anthrax for Supporting Public Health Decision Making and Response
Authors: Chen Xin , Bahl Prateek , de Silva Charitha , Heslop David , Doolan Con , Lim Samsung , MacIntyre C. Raina
Published: June 2020

Background:

Anthrax is a potential biological weapon and can be used in an air-borne or mail attack, such as in the attack in the United States in 2001. Planning for such an event requires the best available science. Since large-scale experiments are not feasible, mathematical modelling is a crucial tool to inform planning. The aim of this study is to systematically review and evaluate the approaches to mathematical modelling of inhalational anthrax attack to support public health decision making and response.

Methods:

A systematic review of inhalational anthrax attack models was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. The models were reviewed based on a set of defined criteria, including the inclusion of atmospheric dispersion component and capacity for real-time decision support.

Results:

Of 13 mathematical modelling studies of human inhalational anthrax attacks, there were six studies that took atmospheric dispersion of anthrax spores into account. Further, only two modelling studies had potential utility for real-time decision support, and only one model was validated using real data.

Conclusion:

The limited modelling studies available use widely varying methods, assumptions, and data. Estimation of attack size using different models may be quite different, and is likely to be under-estimated by models which do not consider weather conditions. Validation with available data is crucial and may improve models. Further, there is a need for both complex models that can provide accurate atmospheric dispersion modelling, as well as for simpler modelling tools that provide real-time decision support for epidemic response.
Computational generation of slogans
Authors: Alnajjar Khalid , Toivonen Hannu
Published: June 2020

In advertising, slogans are used to enhance the recall of the advertised product by consumers and to distinguish it from others in the market. Creating effective slogans is a resource-consuming task for humans. In this paper, we describe a novel method for automatically generating slogans, given a target concept (e.g., car) and an adjectival property to express (e.g., elegant) as input. Additionally, a key component in our approach is a novel method for generating nominal metaphors, using a metaphor interpretation model, to allow generating metaphorical slogans. The method for generating slogans extracts skeletons from existing slogans. It then fills a skeleton in with suitable words by utilizing multiple linguistic resources (such as a repository of grammatical relations, and semantic and language models) and genetic algorithms to optimize multiple objectives such as semantic relatedness, language correctness, and usage of rhetorical devices. We evaluate the metaphor and slogan generation methods by running crowdsourced surveys. On a five-point Likert scale, we ask online judges to evaluate whether the generated metaphors, along with three other metaphors generated using different methods, highlight the intended property. The slogan generation method is evaluated by asking crowdsourced judges to rate generated slogans from five perspectives: (1) how well is the slogan related to the topic, (2) how correct is the language of the slogan, (3) how metaphoric is the slogan, (4) how catchy, attractive, and memorable is it, and (5) how good is the slogan overall. Similarly, we evaluate existing expert-made slogans. Based on the evaluations, we analyze the method and provide insights regarding existing slogans. The empirical results indicate that our metaphor generation method is capable of producing apt metaphors. Regarding the slogan generator, the results suggest that the method has successfully produced at least one effective slogan for every evaluated input.
Public acceptability of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and its associated factors in the Netherlands
Authors: Eykelenboom Michelle , van Stralen Maartje M , Olthof Margreet R , Renders Carry M , Steenhuis Ingrid HM
Published: June 2020

Objective:

To investigate the level of public acceptability of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and its associated factors.

Design:

Participants completed an online self-administered questionnaire. Acceptability of an SSB tax was measured on a seven-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Associations between acceptability and sociodemographic factors, weight status, SSB consumption and beliefs about effectiveness (e.g., ‘An SSB tax would reduce people’s SSB consumption’), appropriateness, socioeconomic and economic benefit, implementation and trust were assessed using multivariable linear regression analyses.

Setting:

The Netherlands.

Participants:

Dutch adults aged ≥18 years representative of the Dutch population for age, sex, education level and location (n 500).

Results:

Of the participants, 40 % supported and 43 % opposed an SSB tax in general. Moreover, 42 % supported (43 % opposed) an SSB tax as a strategy to reduce overweight, and 55 % supported (32 % opposed) an SSB tax if revenue is used for health initiatives. Participants with a low education level (B = –0·82, 95 % CI –1·31, –0·32), overweight (B = –0·49, 95 % CI –0·89, –0·09), moderate or high SSB consumption (B = –0·86, 95 % CI –1·30, –0·43 and B = –1·01, 95 % CI –1·47, –0·56, respectively) and households with adolescents (B = –0·57, 95 % CI –1·09, –0·05) reported a lower acceptability of an SSB tax than their counterparts. Beliefs about effectiveness, appropriateness, socioeconomic and economic benefit, implementation and trust were associated with acceptability (P < 0·001).

Conclusions:

Public acceptability of an SSB tax tends to be higher if revenue is used for health initiatives. The factors associated with acceptability should be taken into consideration.
Characterizing Boundedness in Chase Variants
Authors: DELIVORIAS STATHIS , LECLÈRE MICHEL , MUGNIER MARIE-LAURE , ULLIANA FEDERICO
Published: June 2020

Existential rules are a positive fragment of first-order logic that generalizes function-free Horn rules by allowing existentially quantified variables in rule heads. This family of languages has recently attracted significant interest in the context of ontology-mediated query answering. Forward chaining, also known as the chase, is a fundamental tool for computing universal models of knowledge bases, which consist of existential rules and facts. Several chase variants have been defined, which differ on the way they handle redundancies. A set of existential rules is bounded if it ensures the existence of a bound on the depth of the chase, independently from any set of facts. Deciding if a set of rules is bounded is an undecidable problem for all chase variants. Nevertheless, when computing universal models, knowing that a set of rules is bounded for some chase variant does not help much in practice if the bound remains unknown or even very large. Hence, we investigate the decidability of the k-boundedness problem, which asks whether the depth of the chase for a given set of rules is bounded by an integer k. We identify a general property which, when satisfied by a chase variant, leads to the decidability of k-boundedness. We then show that the main chase variants satisfy this property, namely the oblivious, semi-oblivious (aka Skolem), and restricted chase, as well as their breadth-first versions.
Constraining star formation timescales with molecular gas and young star clusters
Authors: Grasha Kathryn , Calzetti Daniela
Published: June 2020

Star formation provides insight into the physical processes that govern the transformation of gas into stars. A key missing piece in a predictive theory of star formation is the link between scales of individual stars and star clusters up to entire galaxies. LEGUS is now providing the information to test the overall organization and spatial evolution of star formation. We present our latest findings of using star clusters from LEGUS combined with ALMA CO observations to investigate the transition from molecular gas to star formation in local galaxies. This work paves the way for future JWST observations of the embedded phase of star formation, the last missing ingredient to connect young star clusters and their relation with gas reservoirs. Multi-wavelength studies of local galaxies and their stellar and gas components will help shed light on early phases of galaxy evolution and properties of the ISM at high-z.
Discovery of the most distant star-forming and quenched galaxies in the universe
Authors: Finkelstein Steven L.
Published: June 2020

While the high-redshift component of the CANDELS survey was designed with the z ∼ 6–8 era in mind, these data do probe the far-UV of galaxies at even higher redshift. A few studies have ventured this far out, and have published conflicting results - some continue to find significant star-formation, while others conclude there is a steep decline in this quantity. Here I report on a new search for z = 9–10 galaxies, making significant use of the Spitzer/IRAC data in the CANDELS fields. We have discovered a larger number of galaxies in this epoch than previous works, implying the UV luminosity function, and thus the SFR density, may not evolve as steeply as previously thought. This implies that star-formation begins early in the universe. I will also report on a new study searching for the earliest quenched galaxies at 3 < z < 5, which are not predicted by models, yet may exist if galaxies form very early, and thus can approach their quenching phase quicker.
Massive quasar host galaxies in the reionisation epoch
Authors: Venemans Bram P. , Walter Fabian , Neeleman Marcel , Novak Mladen , Decarli Roberto
Published: June 2020

Luminous quasars are powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes. Such luminous quasars have been discovered up to the highest redshifts,z> 7. Here we discuss recent observations of the host galaxies of luminous quasars atz≳ 6. We do not find a correlation between ongoing black hole growth and star-formation rate in the high redshift quasars, possibly indicating that black holes and their hosts do not co-evolve. We further show that even with high spatial resolution observations of the gas kinematics, dynamical mass estimates remain highly uncertain and should be used with caution.
A sub-kiloparsec-scale view of un-lensed submillimeter galaxies
Authors: Tadaki Ken-ichi , Iono Daisuke
Published: June 2020

Submillimeter galaxies at z > 3 building up their central cores through compact starbursts with an effective radius of 1–2 kpc. Our ALMA high-resolution observations reveal off-center gas clumps in a submillimeter galaxy at z = 4.3, COSMOS-AzTEC-1, as well as a rotation-dominated disk. Exploiting the kinematic properties and the spatial distribution of gas mass surface density, we find that the starburst disk is gravitationally unstable. This result is consistent with a scenario where in-situ clumps are formed through disk instability. On the other hand, we find evidence for an ex-situ clump that does not corotate with the starburst disk. The accretion of such a non-corotating clump could stimulate violent disk instability, driving gas inflows into the central regions of the galaxy. Our results suggest that compact cores are formed through an extreme starburst due to a gravitational instability, triggered by non-corotating clumps.
PAHs and star formation in ELAIS N1 as seen by AKARI
Authors: Kovács Tímea , Burgarella Denis , Kaneda Hidehiro , Dániel Cs. Molnár , Oyabu Shinki , Pinter Sandor , Viktor Toth L.
Published: June 2020

We have examined the relationship between star formation and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by fitting the spectral energy distributions (SED) of AKARI selected galaxies. PAHs are excited by the ultraviolet (UV) photons of young stars and can trace star formation in galaxies, but they are disassociated by the strong UV radiation in starbursts. AKARI covered the mid-infrared, where the PAHs emit their radiation, with a high density of photometric bands. These observations allow us to estimate the star formation rate and the PAH mass fraction of the dust in galaxies. In the future the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will also make measurements in this wavelength range. This research can therefore be considered as a pathfinder to similar studies that will come later from JWST observations.
Constraints on the production and escape of ionizing radiation from the emission-lines of metal-poor star-forming galaxies
Authors: Plat A. , Charlot S. , Bruzual G. , Feltre A. , Vidal-Garca A. , Morisset C. , Chevallard J.
Published: June 2020

To understand how the nature of the ionizing sources and the leakage of ionizing photons in high-redshift galaxies can be constrained from their emission-line spectra, we compare emission-line models of star-forming galaxies including leakage of ionizing radiation, active galactic nuclei (AGN) and radiative shocks, with observations of galaxies at various redshifts with properties expected to approach those of primeval galaxies.
FADO: A novel self-consistency spectral population synthesis tool for the exploration of galaxy evolution at high redshift
Authors: Michel Gomes Jean
Published: June 2020

Despite significant progress over the past decades, all state-of-the-art population synthesis (PS) codes suffer from deficiencies limiting their potential of gaining sharp insights into the star formation history (SFH) and Chemical Enrichment History (CEH) of star-forming galaxies, i.e. the neglect of nebular continuum and, the lack of a mechanism to ensure consistency between the best-fitting SFH and the observed nebular characteristics (ONC; Balmer-lines, Balmer/Paschen jumps). These introduce biases in their recovered physical properties (stellar mass M* and sSFR). FADO is a novel self-consistent PS code employing genetic optimization, publicly available (http://www.spectralsynthesis.org), capable of identifying the SFH & CEH that reproduce the ONC of a galaxy, alleviating degeneracies in the spectral fits. The current version of FADO (v1.b) uses standard BPT emission-line ratios for the classification of low redshift (z) galaxies. Whereas this permits a reliable distinction between star-forming, Composite, Seyfert and LINERs, it is inapplicable to many intermediate-z galaxies. We present an adaptation of FADO (version v1.c) to classify higher z galaxies employing the “Blue Diagram” (e.g., Lamareille 2010) for which the most prominent blue emission-lines (< [OIII]5007Å) are observable while the Hα and [NII] are inaccessible. FADO v1.c was applied to synthetic spectra simulating the evolution of galaxies formed at higher-z with different SFHs. FADO can recover the physical and evolutionary properties of galaxies, such as M* and mean age/metallicity, with an accuracy significantly better than purely-stellar codes. An outline of FADO v1.c and applications to local and intermediate-z galaxies will be presented.
Large reservoirs of turbulent diffuse gas around high-z starburst galaxies
Authors: Falgarone E. , Vidal-Garca A. , Godard B. , Zwaan M. A. , Herrera C. , Ivison R. J. , Bergin E. , Andreani P. M. , Omont A. , Walter F.
Published: June 2020

Starburst galaxies at z ∼ 2 – 4 are among the most intensely star-forming galaxies in the universe. The way they accrete their gas to form stars at such high rates is still a controversial issue. ALMA has detected the CH+ (J = 1-0) line in emission and/or absorption in all the gravitationally lensed starburst galaxies targeted so far at z ∼ 3. Its unique spectroscopic and chemical properties enable CH+ to highlight the sites of most intense dissipation of mechanical energy. The absorption lines reveal highly turbulent, massive reservoirs of low-density molecular gas. The broad emission lines, arising in myriad UV-irradiated molecular shocks, reveal powerful galactic winds. The CH+ lines therefore probe the fate of prodigious energy releases, due to infall and/or outflows, and primarily stored in turbulence before being radiated by cool molecular gas. The turbulent reservoirs act as mass and energy buffers over the duration of the starburst phase.
An ALMA view of galaxies in the Epoch of Reionisation
Authors: Smit Renske
Published: June 2020

In the past decade hundreds of galaxies have been identified in the Epoch of Reionisation, selected from their rest-frame UV light. Only a handful of these sources, however, have spectroscopic redshift determinations and we have limited understanding of their physical properties. ALMA is currently transforming this field by providing the first view of the dust obscured star-formation, the kinematics of these sources, the cool gas traced by [CII] and highly ionised gas traced by [OIII]. In this talk I will discuss new and recent results on the UV-bright galaxy population during the first billion years of cosmic time and what they imply for their observational and physical properties.
Unveiling the nature of the brightest z > 6 galaxies with ALMA and JWST
Authors: Bowler Rebecca
Published: June 2020

The very brightest z > 6 galaxies are ideal laboratories for studying the physical properties of star-forming objects into the epoch of reionization. Selected from degree-scale, ground-based fields, these rare objects provide a key insight into early dust production and may harbour faint AGN. Targeted follow-up of small samples have unexpectedly shown both Lyman-alpha emission and other rest-frame UV lines (e.g CIV and HeII), suggesting unique star-formation conditions (or AGN) at early times. Furthermore, ALMA observations have revealed that 75% of the star-formation in these galaxies may be obscured. I will talk about HST/ALMA follow-up of bright z ∼ 7 LBGs in COSMOS and present new results from even brighter samples from z = 6 – 9 selected over ∼ 5 deg2. The power of both ALMA and JWST, coupled with the intrinsic luminosity of these sources, will provide a unique insight into the formation and evolution of vigorously star-forming galaxies in the first billion years.
A VLT/MUSE analysis of HeIIλ1640 emitters at z = 2 – 4
Authors: Nanayakkara Themiya
Published: June 2020

In the quest to study early star-formation physics in the universe, one of the most sought after tracers is HeIIλ1640, with its presence in the lack of other metal emission/absorption lines generally being interpreted as evidence for metal-poor stellar populations. HeII ionizing photons are produced via sources of hard ionizing radiation and requires photons with energies ⩾ 54.4eV, however, traditional stellar population models lack sufficient ionising photons to match with current observations. Our analysis of z = 2 – 4 HeIIλ1640 emitters from deep 10-30h pointings from MUSE has shown that ISM properties inferred from multiple rest-UV diagnostics are not compatible with requirements necessary to reproduce HeIIλ1640 equivalent-widths. Thus, we have used latest generation of single, rotational, and binary stellar population models with realistic dust physics to explore rest-UV emission line diagnostics and link with H and He+ ionisation photon production efficiencies (ξion (H,He+)) in a variety of stellar/gas metallicities and star-formation histories. I will discus our latest results and show that including ‘exotic’ stellar phenomena such as extreme low-metallicity binary stars, X-ray binaries, and dust dissociation physics may be necessary to lessen the tension between models and observations.
A rapidly evolving quasar population at the epoch of reionzation
Authors: Fan Xiaohui
Published: June 2020

I will present results from our on-going large area survey of high-redshift quasars, which has discovered more than 20 new quasars at z > 6.5, at the epoch of reionization, forming the first large statistical sample of EoR quasars. I will discuss the rapid evolution of quasar density at that epoch, which suggests that we are witnessing the emergence of the first supermassive black hole population. I will also present multiwavelength followup observation results, especially from ALMA and Chandra, which reveals a diverse environment of quasar activities and yields new insights into the supermassive black hole/massive galaxy co-evolution.
Spatially resolving the relics: The inferring the physics driving the quenching of massive galaxies from kinematics at z ∼ 1 and beyond
Authors: Bezanson Rachel
Published: June 2020

Today's massive elliptical galaxies are primarily red-and-dead, dispersion supported ellipticals. The physical process(es) driving the shutdown or ‘quenching’ of star formation in these galaxies remains one of the least understood aspects of galaxy formation and evolution. Although today's spiral and elliptical galaxies exhibit a clear bimodality in their structures, kinematics, and stellar populations, it may be that the quenching and structural transformation do no occur simultaneously. In this talk I will present evidence that early quiescent galaxies, observed much closer to their quenching epoch at z ∼ 1, retain significant rotational support (∼ twice as much as local ellipticals). This suggests that the mechanisms responsible for shutting down star formation do not also have to destroy ordered motion in massive galaxies; the increased dispersion support could occur subsequently via hierarchical growth and minor merging. I will discuss this evidence in conjunction with recent ALMA studies of the dramatic range in molecular gas reservoirs of recently quenched high redshift galaxies to constrain quenching models. Finally, I will discuss prospects for extending spatially resolved spectroscopic studies of galaxies immediately following quenching with JWST and eventually 30-m class telescopes.
Resolving on 100 pc-scales the UV-continuum in Lyman-emitters between redshift 2 to 3 with gravitational lensing
Authors: Ritondale Elisa
Published: June 2020

Lyman-alpha emitting (LAE) galaxies are thought to be predominantly responsible for the re-ionisation of the Universe and are, as such, one of the most studied star-forming galaxy populations. Current optical and narrow-band studies are limited by the angular resolution of the observations and the considerable investment in telescope time. Strong gravitational lensing is an extremely powerful method that can be used to overcome these limitations. In my talk I will present a study on the first homogeneous sample of 17 lensed Lyman-alpha emitters at redshift 2 < z < 3. By taking advantage of the lensing magnification, I was able to access the detailed structure of this high redshift star-forming galaxies, finding that they have radii ranging from 0.2 to 1.8 kpc and have a complex and clumpy morphology, with a median ellipticity of 0.49. This is consistent with disk-like structures of star-formation, which would rule out models where the Lyman-alpha emission is only seen perpendicular to the disk, and favours those clumpy models for the escape lines of sight for Lyman-alpha photons. We also find that the star formation rates range from 0.3 to 8.5 Mȯ/yr and that these galaxies tend to be very compact. The lower limit to their intrinsic size is about a factor of two smaller than that found for non-lensed LAEs, which highlights the power of gravitational lensing and sophisticated lens modelling techniques for resolving such objects in the high redshift Universe.
Galaxies at high z: The MUSE revolution
Authors: Bacon Roland
Published: June 2020

Spectroscopic observations of galaxies at high redshift has recently been revolutionised by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument in operation at the VLT since 2014. Thanks to its unrivalled capabilities, MUSE has been able to increase by an order of magnitude the number of spectroscopic redshifts in these fields. The most spectacular increase is at high redshift (z > 3), where MUSE was able to detect thousands of Lyman-alpha emitters. In the deepest exposures, MUSE is even able to goes beyond the limiting magnitude of the deepest HST exposures. These observations have led to a breakthrough in our understanding of the high redshift universe: e.g. the discovery of Lyman-alpha emission from the circumgalactic medium around individual galaxies, the role and property of low mass galaxies. In this talk I will present the latest results obtained with the MUSE observations of the Hubble deep and ultra-deep fields.
Toward a new understanding of disk galaxy formation
Authors: Kassin Susan
Published: June 2020

One of the most important open issues in astronomy is the assembly of galactic disks. Over the last decade this has been addressed with large surveys of the internal kinematics of galaxies spanning the last 10 billion years of the universe. I will discuss recent results from the field that show the kinematic assembly of disk galaxies since a redshift of 2.5, including recent deep 10–30 hour observations by my group with the DEIMOS spectrograph on Keck. These results strongly challenge traditional analytic models of galaxy formation and provide an important benchmark for simulations. Furthermore, I will discuss our plans for extending measurements to higher redshifts with future instruments such as the JWST's NIRSpec IFU and the E-ELT's MOSAIC and HARMONI IFUs. From mock JWST and E-ELT observations of simulated galaxies, we are learning that interpreting these observations of galaxies in the early universe, when merging is frequent, is not necessarily straightforward.
Microwave absorption study of dried banana leaves-based single-layer microwave absorber
Authors: Pattanayak Soumya Sundar , Laskar S. H. , Sahoo Swagatadeb
Published: June 2020

The ever-increasing use of electronic devices leads to a dangerous upsurge in the emission of microwave radiation; this has drawn appreciable concern in the fabrication of eco-friendly microwave absorber (MA) and it can be a prospective alternative. Present work, in the quest for possible alternatives, explores carbon-rich agricultural residues such as dry banana leaves as a microwave-absorbing material. The variation of microwave absorption efficiency with an increase in the percentage of resin has been already reported. An extensive study on the microwave absorption efficiency of dried banana leaves with sample preparation and reflectivity analysis by hardware measurement, and simulative analysis using CST microwave studio suite for different thicknesses in the frequency range of 1–20 GHz has been also explored in the present work. Single-layer MA thickness variation establishes different microwave absorption performance.
Black Carbon and Precipitation: An Energetics Perspective
Authors: Sand M. , Samset B. H. , Tsigaridis K. , Bauer S. E. , Myhre G.
Published: June 2020

Black carbon (BC) aerosols influence precipitation through a range of processes. The climate response to the presence of BC is however highly dependent on its vertical distribution. Here, we analyze the changes in the energy budget and precipitation impacts of adding a layer of BC at a range of altitudes in two independent global climate models. The models are run with atmosphere‐only and slab ocean model setup to analyze both fast and slow responses, respectively. Globally, precipitation changes are tightly coupled to the energy budget. We decompose the precipitation change into contributions from absorption of solar radiation, atmospheric longwave radiative cooling, and sensible heat flux at the surface. We find that for atmosphere‐only simulations, BC rapidly suppresses precipitation, independent of altitude, mainly because of strong atmospheric absorption. This reduction is offset by increased atmospheric radiative longwave cooling and reduced sensible heat flux at the surface, but not of sufficient magnitude to prevent reduced precipitation. On longer timescales, when the surface temperature is allowed to respond, we find that the precipitation increase associated with surface warming can compensate for the initial reduction, particularly for BC in the lower atmosphere. Even though the underlying processes are strikingly similar in the two models, the resulting change in precipitation and temperature by BC differ quite substantially.
JGR: Space Physics Seeks Submissions on Underrepresented Topics
Authors: Balikhin Michael
Published: June 2020

Under a new editor in chief, the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics is encouraging more scientific papers on space instrumentation, numerical models, and solar physics.
Crustal Deformation in Southern California Constrained by Radial Anisotropy From Ambient Noise Adjoint Tomography
Authors: Wang Kai , Jiang Chengxin , Yang Yingjie , Schulte‐Pelkum Vera , Liu Qinya
Published: June 2020

We build a new radially anisotropic shear wave velocity model of Southern California based on ambient noise adjoint tomography to investigate crustal deformation associated with Cenozoic evolution of the Pacific‐North American plate boundary. Pervasive positive radial anisotropy (4%) is observed in the crust east of the San Andreas Fault (SAF), attributed to subhorizontal alignment of mica/amphibole foliation planes resulting from significant crustal extension. Substantial negative anisotropy (6%) is revealed in the middle/lower crust west of the SAF, where high shear wave speeds are also observed. The negative anisotropy could result from steeply dipping amphibole schists in a shear zone developed during Laramide flat slab subduction. Alternatively, it could be caused by the crystal preferred orientation (CPO) of plagioclase, whose fast axis aligns orthogonally to a presumed subhorizontal foliation. The latter new mechanism highlights potentially complex CPO patterns resulting from different lithospheric mineralogy, as suggested by laboratory experiments on xenoliths from the region.
Joint Modeling of Crop and Irrigation in the central United States Using the Noah‐MP Land Surface Model
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Barlage Michael , Chen Fei , Li Yanping , Helgason Warren , Xu Xiaoyu , Liu Xing , Li Zhenhua
Published: June 2020

Representing climate‐crop interactions is critical to Earth system modeling. Despite recent progress in modeling dynamic crop growth and irrigation in land surface models (LSMs), transitioning these models from field to regional scales is still challenging. This study applies the Noah‐MP LSM with dynamic crop‐growth and irrigation schemes to jointly simulate the crop yield and irrigation amount for corn and soybean in the central United States. The model performance of crop yield and irrigation amount are evaluated at county‐level against the USDA reports and USGS water withdrawal data, respectively. The bulk simulation (with uniform planting/harvesting management and no irrigation) produces significant biases in crop yield estimates for all planting regions, with root‐mean‐square‐errors (RMSEs) being 28.1% and 28.4% for corn and soybean, respectively. Without an irrigation scheme, the crop yields in the irrigated regions are reduced due to water stress with RMSEs of 48.7% and 20.5%. Applying a dynamic irrigation scheme effectively improves crop yields in irrigated regions and reduces RMSEs to 22.3% and 16.8%. In rainfed regions, the model overestimates crop yields. Applying spatially varied planting and harvesting dates at state‐level reduces crop yields and irrigation amount for both crops, especially in northern states. A “nitrogen‐stressed” simulation is conducted and found that the improvement of irrigation on crop yields is limited when the crops are under nitrogen stress. Several uncertainties in modeling crop growth are identified, including yield‐gap, planting date, rubisco capacity, and discrepancies between available data sets, pointing to future efforts to incorporating spatially varying crop parameters to better constrain crop growing seasons.
Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalizations in US preterm infants after the 2014 change in immunoprophylaxis guidance by the American Academy of Pediatrics
Authors: Krilov Leonard R. , Anderson Evan J.
Published: June 2020

Palivizumab is the only licensed and effective immunoprophylaxis (IP) available to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in high-risk infants including infants born at ≤35 weeks’ gestational age (wGA). In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics stopped recommending IP for otherwise healthy 29–34 wGA infants, stating that their risk of RSV hospitalization (RSVH) was similar to term infants. Recent studies have demonstrated a significant decline in IP use after 2014 that was accompanied by an increased risk of RSVH in 29–34 wGA infants vs term infants. Severity and healthcare utilization of RSVH were high among 29–34 wGA infants. In 2018, the National Perinatal Association developed guidelines advocating IP use in all ≤32 wGA infants and 32–35 wGA infants with additional risk factors. Risk factor predictive models can identify infants who are at risk for RSVH and promote cost-effective use of palivizumab until new methods of RSV prevention become available.
Alien ectomycorrhizal plants differ in their ability to interact with co-introduced and native ectomycorrhizal fungi in novel sites
Authors: Vlk Lukáš , Tedersoo Leho , Antl Tomáš , Větrovský Tomáš , Abarenkov Kessy , Pergl Jan , Albrechtová Jana , Vosátka Miroslav , Baldrian Petr , Pyšek Petr , Kohout Petr
Published: June 2020

Alien plants represent a potential threat to environment and society. Understanding the process of alien plants naturalization is therefore of primary importance. In alien plants, successful establishment can be constrained by the absence of suitable fungal partners. Here, we used 42 independent datasets of ectomycorrhizal fungal (EcMF) communities associated with alien Pinaceae and Eucalyptus spp., as the most commonly introduced tree species worldwide, to explore the strategies these plant groups utilize to establish symbioses with EcMF in the areas of introduction. We have also determined the differences in composition of EcMF communities associated with alien ectomycorrhizal plants in different regions. While alien Pinaceae introduced to new regions rely upon association with co-introduced EcMF, alien Eucalyptus often form novel interactions with EcMF species native to the region where the plant was introduced. The region of origin primarily determines species composition of EcMF communities associated with alien Pinaceae in new areas, which may largely affect invasion potential of the alien plants. Our study shows that alien ectomycorrhizal plants largely differ in their ability to interact with co-introduced and native ectomycorrhizal fungi in sites of introduction, which may potentially affect their invasive potential.