bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of inclined intermediate Sheet Pile on Seepage Properties Under Hydraulic Structure Using SEEP/W Program
Authors: Salim Ibtihal H. , Othman Burkan Saeed
Published: February 2021

This paper is intended to study the effect of using incline intermediate sheet pile and finding the effect of change for its angle, besides the upstream and downstream piles rest in homogeneous soil layer on the seepage, uplift pressure exit gradient at toe of hydraulic structure using computer program SEEP/W software. From the software test carried out many cases, in beginning, finding the best distance between the three sheet piles then finding the best depth of three sheet piles finally using the angle for incline intermediate sheet pile (θ=30,45,60,90,120,135,150) degree in three cases for first and last sheet piles when the angle of them (θ=30,60,90)degree. Also for each run the quantity of uplift pressure, exit gradient and discharge at toe of hydraulic structure were determined to develop an empirical equations. Depended on the software program tests were carried out with three different value of each following parameter: upstream sheet pile depth, downstream sheet pile depth, intermediate sheet pile depth, upstream sheet pile angle, downstream sheet pile angle and four different value of distance between the sheet piles, then it carried out with seven different value of intermediate sheet pile angle, all of them with using constant upstream head and permeability for soil layer.
Nonlinearity of initiating and extinguishing boundaries of DBDs with airflows
Authors: TANG Miao , TANG Jingfeng , ZHOU Desheng , YU Daren
Published: February 2021

Various applications of volume dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) with airflows have attracted significant attention such as in the fields of plasma medicine, surface modification, ozone synthesis, etc. In this work, the nonlinearity characteristics of DBDs in initiating and extinguishing boundaries with airflows are experimentally investigated. It is found that the difference between initiating pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) and extinguishing PRFs is affected by the addition of airflows. A hysteresis region is produced between these two PRFs. A topological rule of Thom’s classification theorem is proposed to investigate the hysteresis phenomenon of discharges with airflows. It is concluded that the discharge state is dependent on the operation route. The discharge state would transit from initiating to extinguishing, or in the opposite direction, while passing along a specific operation route. Based on the topological method, two nonlinear laws of discharge structure transition under the typical operation routes are predicted and verified in the discharge experiments.
Local 𝐶^{1,𝛽}-regularity at the boundary of two dimensional sliding almost minimal sets in ℝ³
Authors: Fang Yangqin
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we will give a

C

1
,
β

C^{1,\beta }

-regularity result on the boundary for two dimensional sliding almost minimal sets in

R

3

\mathbb {R}^3

. This effect may apply to the regularity of the soap films at the boundary, and may also lead to the existence of a solution to the Plateau problem with sliding boundary conditions proposed by Guy David in the case that the boundary is a 2-dimensional smooth submanifold.
LeMans’s gontological argument
Authors: Kearns Stephen
Published: February 2021

LeMans’s gontological argument aims to prove the non-existence of God on the basis that it is possible to conceive of a being that is greater than any actual thing. If God were actual, then it would be possible to conceive of something greater than God. As this is not possible, God does not exist.
A novel assay for serum creatinine using a creatine kinase cycling reaction
Authors: Ueda Shigeru , Sakasegawa Shin-ichi
Published: February 2021

For assaying serum creatinine, the enzymatic method is regarded as accurate. However, a reliable measurement of low levels is problematic. We have developed a new method that utilizes an enzymatic cycling reaction involving creatine kinase (CK) in the presence of excess ATP and IDP and implicated the application to a serum creatinine assay by incorporating with creatininase. Here, we evaluated applying the CK cycling method to a serum creatinine assay. In this study, we focused on assessing whether an accurate measurement could be achieved, especially in the reference interval and the lower concentration range. The effective sensitivity of the assay using 30 U/mL CK was approximately 4-fold greater than that of a commercial reagent. Under these conditions, 0.19 mg/dL of creatinine was accurately detected. The correlation coefficient of the comparison study with an existing commercial reagent was 0.995. Moreover, the effect of the increased signal intensity on accuracy and precision was assured.
ASimulatoR: splice-aware RNA-Seq data simulation
Authors: Manz Quirin , Tsoy Olga , Fenn Amit , Baumbach Jan , Völker Uwe , List Markus , Kacprowski Tim
Published: February 2021

A plethora of tools exist for RNA-Seq data analysis with a focus on alternative splicing (AS). However, appropriate data for their comparative evaluation is missing. The R package ASimulatoR simulates gold standard RNA-Seq datasets with fine-grained control over the distribution of AS events, which allow for evaluating alternative splicing tools, e.g. to study the effect of sequencing depth on the performance of AS event detection.

Availability and implementation

ASimulatoR is freely available at https://github.com/biomedbigdata/ASimulatoR as an R package under GPL-3 license.
Whole-Brain Functional Dynamics Track Depressive Symptom Severity
Authors: Goodman Zachary T , Bainter Sierra A , Kornfeld Salome , Chang Catie , Nomi Jason S , Uddin Lucina Q
Published: February 2021

Depressive symptoms are reported by 20% of the population and are related to altered functional integrity of large-scale brain networks. The link between moment-to-moment brain function and depressive symptomatology, and the implications of these relationships for clinical and community populations alike, remain understudied. The present study examined relationships between functional brain dynamics and subclinical-to-mild depressive symptomatology in a large community sample of adults with and without psychiatric diagnoses. This study used data made available through the Enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample; 445 participants between 18 and 65 years of age completed a 10-min resting-state functional MRI scan. Coactivation pattern analysis was used to examine the dimensional relationship between depressive symptoms and whole-brain states. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms were associated with increased frequency and dwell time of the default mode network, a brain network associated with self-referential thought, evaluative judgment, and social cognition. Furthermore, increased depressive symptom severity was associated with less frequent occurrences of a hybrid brain network implicated in cognitive control and goal-directed behavior, which may impair the inhibition of negative thinking patterns in depressed individuals. These findings demonstrate how temporally dynamic techniques offer novel insights into time-varying neural processes underlying subclinical and clinically meaningful depressive symptomatology.
Green HPLC–DAD and HPTLC Methods for Quantitative Determination of Binary Mixture of Pregabalin and Amitriptyline Used for Neuropathic Pain Management
Authors: Naguib Ibrahim A , Ali Nesma A , Elroby Fadwa A , Elghobashy Mohamed R
Published: February 2021

First analytical methods were herein developed for determination of pregabalin (PGB) and amitriptyline (AMT) as an active binary mixture used for management of neuropathic pain whether in pure forms or in human biological fluids (plasma/urine). First method is green high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC–DAD) after derivatization of PGB with ninhydrin (NIN) on a reversed-phase C18 column using a mobile phase consisting of ethanol:water (97:3%, v/v) pumped isocratically at 0.8 mL/min; AMT were scanned at 215 nm, whereas PGB–NIN was scanned at 580 nm. Second method is High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), where PGB and AMT were separated on silica gel HPTLC F254 plates, using ethanol:ethyl acetate:acetone:ammonia solution (8:2:1:0.05, by volume) as a developing system. AMT peaks were scanned at 220 nm, whereas PGB peaks were visualized by spraying 3% (w/v) ethanolic NIN solution and scanning at 550 nm. Linear calibration curves were obtained for human plasma and urine spiked with PGB and AMT over the ranges of 5–100 μg/mL and 0.2–2.5 μg/band for PGB, and 1–100 μg/mL and 0.1–2.0 μg/band for AMT for HPLC–DAD and HPTLC methods, respectively. The suggested methods were validated according to Food and Drug Administration guidelines for bioanalytical methods validation and they can be applied for routine therapeutic drug monitoring for the concerned drugs.
How to Test Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccines Ethically Even After One Is Available
Authors: Eyal Nir , Lipsitch Marc
Published: February 2021

Although vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have now been found safe and efficacious, there remains an urgent global health need to test both these vaccines and additional vaccines against the same virus. Under variable conditions, either standard or unusual designs would for both familiar and often-missed reasons make continued testing possible and ethical.
Modelling to Quantify the Likelihood that Local Elimination of Transmission has Occurred Using Routine Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis Surveillance Data
Authors: Davis Christopher N , Castaño María Soledad , Aliee Maryam , Patel Swati , Miaka Erick Mwamba , Keeling Matt J , Spencer Simon E F , Chitnis Nakul , Rock Kat S
Published: February 2021

Background

The gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) elimination programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) routinely collects case data through passive surveillance and active screening, with several regions reporting no cases for several years, despite being endemic in the early 2000s.

Methods

We use mathematical models fitted to longitudinal data to estimate the probability that selected administrative regions have already achieved elimination of transmission (EOT) of gHAT. We examine the impact of active screening coverage on the certainty of model estimates for transmission and therefore the role of screening in the measurement of EOT.

Results

In 3 example health zones of Sud-Ubangi province, we find there is a moderate (>40%) probability that EOT has been achieved by 2018, based on 2000–2016 data. Budjala and Mbaya reported zero cases during 2017–18, and this further increases our respective estimates to 99.9% and 99.6% (model S) and to 87.3% and 92.1% (model W). Bominenge had recent case reporting, however, that if zero cases were found in 2021, it would substantially raise our certainty that EOT has been met there (99.0% for model S and 88.5% for model W); this could be higher with 50% coverage screening that year (99.1% for model S and 94.0% for model W).

Conclusions

We demonstrate how routine surveillance data coupled with mechanistic modeling can estimate the likelihood that EOT has already been achieved. Such quantitative assessment will become increasingly important for measuring local achievement of EOT as 2030 approaches.
Survey Design to Monitor Drug Efficacy for the Control of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis and Schistosomiasis
Authors: Coffeng Luc E , Levecke Bruno , Hattendorf Jan , Walker Martin , Denwood Matthew J
Published: February 2021

Background

Control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis relies heavily on regular preventive chemotherapy. Monitoring drug efficacy is crucial to provide early warning of treatment failures. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a survey design in which only egg-positive individuals are retested after treatment. Although this practice makes more efficient use of resources, it may lead to biased drug efficacy estimates.

Methods

We performed a simulation study to assess the potential for bias when evaluating drug efficacy using the World Health Organization–recommended survey design, and to identify alternative designs for evaluating drug efficacy that are less affected by bias. These designs were also based on selection of egg-positive individuals, but involve retesting them a second time at baseline and up to 2 times at follow-up. The utility of the different designs was compared fairly by constraining them to the same budget.

Results

The standard procedure of selecting egg-positive individuals can introduce a substantial positive bias in drug efficacy due to regression toward the mean, particularly when infection levels or drug efficacy are low. This bias was completely eliminated by using a second baseline sample, conditionally on the first sample being excluded from analysis. Precision of estimates can be improved by increasing the number of thick smears and/or samples per person at follow-up, despite fewer individuals being tested within the same budget.

Conclusions

We present optimized survey designs to monitor drug efficacy in field settings, which are highly relevant for sustained control of soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis, as well as onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.
Evaluating the Diagnostic Test Accuracy of Molecular Xenomonitoring Methods for Characterizing Community Burden of Lymphatic Filariasis
Authors: Pryce Joseph , Reimer Lisa J
Published: February 2021

Background

Molecular xenomonitoring (MX), the detection of pathogen DNA in mosquitoes, is a recommended approach to support lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination efforts. Potential roles of MX include detecting presence of LF in communities and quantifying progress towards elimination of the disease. However, the relationship between MX results and human prevalence is poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis from all previously conducted studies that reported the prevalence of filarial DNA in wild-caught mosquitoes (MX rate) and the corresponding prevalence of microfilaria (mf) in humans. We calculated a pooled estimate of MX sensitivity for detecting positive communities at a range of mf prevalence values and mosquito sample sizes. We conducted a linear regression to evaluate the relationship between mf prevalence and MX rate.

Results

We identified 24 studies comprising 144 study communities. MX had an overall sensitivity of 98.3% (95% confidence interval, 41.5–99.9%) and identified 28 positive communities that were negative in the mf survey. Low sensitivity in some studies was attributed to small mosquito sample sizes (<1000) and very low mf prevalence (<0.25%). Human mf prevalence and mass drug administration status accounted for approximately half of the variation in MX rate (R2 = 0.49, P < .001). Data from longitudinal studies showed that, within a given study area, there is a strong linear relationship between MX rate and mf prevalence (R2 = 0.78, P < .001).

Conclusions

MX shows clear potential as tool for detecting communities where LF is present and as a predictor of human mf prevalence.
Potato plant spheres and to a lesser extent the soil type influence the proportion and diversity of bacterial isolates with in vitro antagonistic activity towards Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Elsayed Tarek R , Grosch Rita , Smalla Kornelia
Published: February 2021

Ralstonia solanacearum biovar2-race3 (Rs r3b2) is an epidemic soil-borne bacterial phytopathogen causing brown rot disease in potato. In this study, we assessed how three soil types stored at the same field site influenced the proportion and diversity of bacterial isolates with in vitro antagonistic activity towards Rs in bulk soil and different potato plant spheres (rhizosphere, endorhiza and endocaulosphere; ecto- and endosphere of seed and yield tubers). In general, the plate counts observed for each sample type were not significantly different. A total of 96 colonies per sample type was picked and screened for in vitro antagonistic activity against Rs. Antagonists were obtained from all bulk soils and plant spheres with the highest proportion obtained from the endorhiza and endocaulosphere of potato plants. BOX-PCR fingerprints of antagonists showed that some were specific for particular plant spheres independent of the soil type, while others originated from different plant spheres of a particular soil type. The majority of antagonists belonged to Pseudomonas. A high proportion of antagonists produced siderophores, and interestingly antagonists from potato tubers frequently carried multiple antibiotic production genes. Our data showed an enrichment of bacteria with genes or traits potentially involved in biocontrol in the rhizosphere and in endophytic compartments. We report that the proportion and diversity of in vitro antagonists towards Rs isolated from bulk soil and different spheres of potato plants grown under field conditions in three different soil types was mainly shaped by the plant sphere and to a lesser extent by the soil type. Bacteria with antagonistic activity towards Ralstonia solanacearum were isolated from all plant spheres and bulk soils but their proportion was highest in endophytic compartments
A New Transgenic Mouse Line for Imaging Mitochondrial Calcium Signals
Authors: Redolfi Nelly , Greotti Elisa , Zanetti Giulia , Hochepied Tino , Fasolato Cristina , Pendin Diana , Pozzan Tullio
Published: February 2021

Mitochondria play a key role in cellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Dysfunction in the organelle Ca2+ handling appears to be involved in several pathological conditions, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac failure and malignant transformation. In the past years, several targeted green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs) have been developed to study Ca2+ dynamics inside mitochondria of living cells. Surprisingly, while there is a number of transgenic mice expressing different types of cytosolic GECIs, few examples are available expressing mitochondria-localized GECIs, and none of them exhibits adequate spatial resolution. Here we report the generation and characterization of a transgenic mouse line (hereafter called mt-Cam) for the controlled expression of a mitochondria-targeted, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Cameleon, 4mtD3cpv. To achieve this goal, we engineered the mouse ROSA26 genomic locus by inserting the optimized sequence of 4mtD3cpv, preceded by a loxP-STOP-loxP sequence. The probe can be readily expressed in a tissue-specific manner upon Cre recombinase-mediated excision, obtainable with a single cross. Upon ubiquitous Cre expression, the Cameleon is specifically localized in the mitochondrial matrix of cells in all the organs and tissues analyzed, from embryos to aged animals. Ca2+ imaging experiments performed in vitro and ex vivo in brain slices confirmed the functionality of the probe in isolated cells and live tissues. This new transgenic mouse line allows the study of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics in different tissues with no invasive intervention (such as viral infection or electroporation), potentially allowing simple calibration of the fluorescent signals in terms of mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]).
Imaging upper mantle anisotropy with teleseismicP-wave delays: insights from tomographic reconstructions of subduction simulations
Authors: VanderBeek Brandon P , Faccenda Manuele
Published: February 2021

Despite the well-established anisotropic nature of Earth’s upper mantle, the influence of elastic anisotropy on teleseismic P-wave imaging remains largely ignored. Unmodelled anisotropic heterogeneity can lead to substantial isotropic velocity artefacts that may be misinterpreted as compositional heterogeneities. Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of inverting P-wave delay times for the strength and orientation of seismic anisotropy. However, the ability of P-wave delay times to constrain complex anisotropic patterns, such as those expected in subduction settings, remains unclear as synthetic testing has been restricted to the recovery of simplified block-like structures using ideal self-consistent data (i.e. data produced using the assumptions built into the tomography algorithm). Here, we present a modified parametrization for imaging arbitrarily oriented hexagonal anisotropy and test the method by reconstructing geodynamic simulations of subduction. Our inversion approach allows for isotropic starting models and includes approximate analytic finite-frequency sensitivity kernels for the simplified anisotropic parameters. Synthetic seismic data are created by propagating teleseismic waves through an elastically anisotropic subduction zone model created via petrologic-thermomechanical modelling. Delay times across a synthetic seismic array are measured using conventional cross-correlation techniques. We find that our imaging algorithm is capable of resolving large-scale features in subduction zone anisotropic structure (e.g. toroidal flow pattern and dipping fabrics associated with the descending slab). Allowing for arbitrarily oriented anisotropy also results in a more accurate reconstruction of isotropic slab structure. In comparison, models created assuming isotropy or only azimuthal anisotropy contain significant isotropic and anisotropic imaging artefacts that may lead to spurious interpretations. We conclude that teleseismic P-wave traveltimes are a useful observable for probing the 3-D distribution of upper mantle anisotropy and that anisotropic inversions should be explored to better understand the nature of isotropic velocity anomalies particularly in subduction settings.
The costs of scaling up HIV and syphilis testing in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Adawiyah Rabiah al , Saweri Olga P M , Boettiger David C , Applegate Tanya L , Probandari Ari , Guy Rebecca , Guinness Lorna , Wiseman Virginia
Published: February 2021

Around two-thirds of all new HIV infections and 90% of syphilis cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Testing is a key strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIV and syphilis. Decision-makers in LMICs face considerable uncertainties about the costs of scaling up HIV and syphilis testing. This paper synthesizes economic evidence on the costs of scaling up HIV and syphilis testing interventions in LMICs and evidence on how costs change with the scale of delivery. We systematically searched multiple databases (Medline, Econlit, Embase, EMCARE, CINAHL, Global Health and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database) for peer-reviewed studies examining the costs of scaling up HIV and syphilis testing in LMICs. Thirty-five eligible studies were identified from 4869 unique citations. Most studies were conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa (N = 17) and most explored the costs of rapid HIV in facilities targeted the general population (N = 19). Only two studies focused on syphilis testing. Seventeen studies were cost analyses, 17 were cost-effectiveness analyses and 1 was cost–benefit analysis of HIV or syphilis testing. Most studies took a modelling approach (N = 25) and assumed costs increased linearly with scale. Ten studies examined cost efficiencies associated with scale, most reporting short-run economies of scale. Important drivers of the costs of scaling up included testing uptake and the price of test kits. The ‘true’ cost of scaling up testing is likely to be masked by the use of short-term decision frameworks, linear unit-cost projections (i.e. multiplying an average cost by a factor reflecting activity at a larger scale) and availability of health system capacity and infrastructure to supervise and support scale up. Cost data need to be routinely collected alongside other monitoring indicators as HIV and syphilis testing continues to be scaled up in LMICs.
Professionalism, perfidy and personal circumstance in the life of Marchamont Nedham
Authors: Macadam Joyce
Published: February 2021

Marchamont Nedham, the English revolutionary journalist, for whom ostentatious side-changing became an occupational hazard, has earned a reputation among both contemporaries and many historians for perfidy and venality. This article proposes another interpretation of his career. A close contextualization of his canon of works and his professional circumstances with the varying political climates shows that his apparent changes of allegiance can be explained by his long-standing attachments to political patrons. Such fidelity is also evident in his duty to his family and in his personal friendships. His career exemplified professionalism, rational pragmatism and loyalty, often in difficult circumstances.
Barbados, Jamaica and the development of news culture in the mid seventeenth century
Authors: Greenspan Nicole
Published: February 2021

This article examines the production and circulation of news across the British Atlantic, focusing on two main events: the royalist rebellion at Barbados (1650-2) and the conquest of Jamaica (1655). Royalists and commonwealth supporters alike cast the rising on Barbados as an extension of the wars of the 1640s and early 1650s, which moved beyond England, Scotland, and Ireland into the Atlantic world. The conquest of Jamaica offered a new war against a different enemy, Spain, and a new imperial vision. Together, the Barbados rebellion and Jamaica conquest allow us to examine role of news in shaping political, military, and imperial goals.
Maternal age at birth and daughter’s fecundability
Authors: Basso Olga , Willis Sydney K , Hatch Elizabeth E , Mikkelsen Ellen M , Rothman Kenneth J , Wise Lauren A
Published: February 2021

STUDY QUESTION

Do daughters of older mothers have lower fecundability?

SUMMARY ANSWER

In this cohort study of North American pregnancy planners, there was virtually no association between maternal age ≥35 years and daughters’ fecundability.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Despite suggestive evidence that daughters of older mothers may have lower fertility, only three retrospective studies have examined the association between maternal age and daughter’s fecundability.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Prospective cohort study of 6689 pregnancy planners enrolled between March 2016 and January 2020.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) is an ongoing pre-conception cohort study of pregnancy planners (age, 21-45 years) from the USA and Canada. We estimated fecundability ratios (FR) for maternal age at the participant’s birth using multivariable proportional probabilities regression models.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Daughters of mothers ≥30 years were less likely to have previous pregnancies (or pregnancy attempts) or risk factors for infertility, although they were more likely to report that their mother had experienced problems conceiving. The proportion of participants with prior unplanned pregnancies, a birth before age 21, ≥3 cycles of attempt at study entry or no follow-up was greater among daughters of mothers <25 years. Compared with maternal age 25–29 years, FRs (95% CI) for maternal age <20, 20–24, 30–34, and ≥35 were 0.72 (0.61, 0.84), 0.92 (0.85, 1.00), 1.08 (1.00, 1.17), and 1.00 (0.89, 1.12), respectively.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Although the examined covariates did not meaningfully affect the associations, we had limited information on the participants’ mother. Differences by maternal age in reproductive history, infertility risk factors and loss to follow-up suggest that selection bias may partly explain our results.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our finding that maternal age 35 years or older was not associated with daughter’s fecundability is reassuring, considering the trend towards delayed childbirth. However, having been born to a young mother may be a marker of low fecundability among pregnancy planners.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

PRESTO was funded by NICHD Grants (R21-HD072326 and R01-HD086742) and has received in-kind donations from Swiss Precision Diagnostics, FertilityFriend.com, Kindara.com, and Sandstone Diagnostics. Dr Wise is a fibroid consultant for AbbVie, Inc.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

n/a
The End of Human Rights Dynamism? Judgments of the ECtHR on ‘Hot Returns’ and Humanitarian Visas as a Focal Point of Contemporary European Asylum Law and Policy
Authors: Thym Daniel
Published: February 2021

Two controversial rulings of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) deserve global attention, since they declined to scrutinize on human rights grounds the prevalent move towards enhanced border controls and externalization practices that define European asylum law and policy at this juncture. In ND and NT, judges deemed the Spanish policy of ‘hot returns’, without access to basic procedural guarantees, of those climbing border fences to be compatible with human rights. A few weeks later, the Grand Chamber thwarted enduring hopes for judicial innovation in MN when it reasserted a ‘primarily territorial’ understanding of State jurisdiction and declared inadmissible the claim of a Syrian family from the war-torn town of Aleppo to a humanitarian visa. While the decision on humanitarian visas means that ‘non-arrival’ policies cannot usually be challenged, critical inspection of the ND and NT judgment displays a confounding combination of restrictive arguments and dynamic elements beneath the surface of a seemingly clear-cut outcome. This lack of judicial precision, which was bound to cause heated debate about the practical implications of the judgment, reflects the basic tension between the prohibition of refoulement and the absence of a right to asylum in classic accounts of international refugee law. It will be argued that the judicial vindication of the Spanish ‘hot returns’ policy does not call into question non-refoulement obligations; it aims at identifying graded procedural standards for different categories of refugees and migrants. By contrast, the novel insistence on the abstract availability of legal channels of entry presents itself as a humanitarian fig leaf for the acceptance of strict control practices. At an intermediate level of abstraction, the two rulings mark a watershed moment, indicating the provisional endpoint of an impressive period of interpretative dynamism on the part of the ECtHR, which has played a critical role in the progressive evolution of international refugee and human rights law over the past three decades. Experts in asylum law who have become accustomed to supranational courts advancing the position of individuals will benefit from the insights of constitutional theory and the social sciences to rationalize why the former vigour has given way to a period of hesitation and potential standstill, at least in Europe. This analysis employs the perspective of strategic litigation to discuss contextual factors hindering the continued dynamism of human rights jurisprudence in Europe at this juncture.
Ramified Covering Maps and Stability of Pulled-back Bundles
Authors: Biswas Indranil , Parameswaran A J
Published: February 2021

Let $f\,:\,C\,\longrightarrow \,D$ be a nonconstant separable morphism between irreducible smooth projective curves defined over an algebraically closed field. We say that $f$ is genuinely ramified if ${\mathcal O}_D$ is the maximal semistable subbundle of $f_*{\mathcal O}_C$ (equivalently, the induced homomorphism $f_*\,:\, \pi _1^{\textrm{et}}(C)\,\longrightarrow \, \pi _1^{\textrm{et}}(D)$ of étale fundamental groups is surjective). We prove that the pullback $f^*E\,\longrightarrow \, C$ is stable for every stable vector bundle $E$ on $D$ if and only if $f$ is genuinely ramified.
Emergence of aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia-positive enterococci with non-high-level gentamicin resistance mediated by IS1216V: adaptation to decreased aminoglycoside usage in Taiwan
Authors: Chen You-Han , Lin Shang-Yi , Lin Yu-Tzu , Tseng Sung-Pin , Chang Chen-Chia , Yu Song-Yih , Hung Wei-Wen , Jao Ya-Ting , Lin Chun-Yu , Chen Yen-Hsu , Hung Wei-Chun
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To explore the mechanisms mediating the different levels of gentamicin resistance in enterococci.

Methods

Susceptibility testing with gentamicin and PCR of resistance determinants were performed in 149 enterococcal isolates. Genetic relatedness was characterized by MLST and PFGE analysis. Sequences of the aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia gene and its surrounding environment were determined by Illumina sequencing. Stability assays of gentamicin resistance were carried out to evaluate the probability of loss of the high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) phenotype.

Results

A total of 17 (11.4%) aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia-positive enterococcal isolates (2 Enterococcus faecalis and 15 Enterococcus faecium) with non-HLGR phenotype were found. MLST analysis revealed that the 2 E. faecalis belonged to ST116 and ST618, while all the 15 E. faecium belonged to clonal complex 17. Sequence analysis demonstrated that IS1216V was inserted into the 5′-end of aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia, leading to loss of HLGR phenotype. Three IS1216V insertion types were found, and type II and III were frequently found in E. faecium. Interestingly, a total of 38 aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia-positive E. faecium with HLGR phenotype also had type II or type III IS1216V insertion. Sequencing of the aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia-positive HLGR E. faecium E37 revealed that an intact aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia was located adjacent to IS1216V-disrupted aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia. In a non-antibiotic environment, E37 tended to lose HLGR phenotype with a probability of 1.57 × 10−4, which was largely attributed to homologous recombination between the intact and disrupted aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′′)-Ia.

Conclusions

This is first study to elucidate that the E. faecium is capable of changing its HLGR phenotype, which may contribute to adaptation to hospital environments with decreased usage of gentamicin.
Mental Health Resource Use Among Patients Undergoing Curative Intent Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Authors: Raphael Michael J , Griffiths Rebecca , Peng Yingwei , Gupta Sumit , Siemens D Robert , Soares Claudio N , Booth Christopher M
Published: February 2021

Background

Patients with bladder cancer may experience mental health distress. Mental health-care service (MHS) use can quantify the magnitude of the problem.

Methods

The Ontario Cancer Registry was used to identify all patients with bladder cancer treated with curative-intent cystectomy or radiotherapy in Ontario, Canada (2004-2013). Population-level databases were used to identify MHS use (visits to general practitioner, psychiatrist, emergency department, or hospitalization). Generalized estimating equations were used to compare rates of MHS use. Baseline, peritreatment, and posttreatment MHS use were defined as visits from 2 years to 3 months before, 3 months before to 3 months after, and from 3 months after to 2 years after start of treatment, respectively.

Results

From 2004 to 2013, 4296 patients underwent cystectomy (n = 3332) or curative-intent radiotherapy (n = 964). Compared with baseline, the rate of MHS use was higher in the peritreatment (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48 to 1.82) and posttreatment periods (aRR = 1.45, 95% CI =1.30 to 1.63). By 2 years posttreatment, 24.6% (95% CI = 23.4% to 25.9%) of all patients had MHS use. Patients with baseline MHS use had substantially higher MHS use in the peritreatment (aRR = 5.77, 95% CI = 4.86 to 6.86) and posttreatment periods (aRR = 4.58, 95% CI = 3.78 to 5.55). Female patients had higher use MHS use overall, but males had a higher incremental increase in the posttreatment period compared with baseline (2-sided Pinteraction = .02). Male patients had a statistically significant increase in MHS use following surgery or radiotherapy, whereas female patients only had an increase following surgery.

Conclusions

MHS use is common among patients undergoing treatment for bladder cancer, particularly in the peritreatment period. Screening for mental health concerns in this population is warranted.
Cutting the line: manipulation of plant immunity by bacterial type III effector proteases
Authors: Mooney Brian C , Mantz Melissa , Graciet Emmanuelle , Huesgen Pitter F
Published: February 2021

Pathogens and their hosts are engaged in an evolutionary arms race. Pathogen-derived effectors promote virulence by targeting components of a host’s innate immune system, while hosts have evolved proteins that sense effectors and trigger a pathogen-specific immune response. Many bacterial effectors are translocated into host cells using type III secretion systems. Type III effector proteases irreversibly modify host proteins by cleavage of peptide bonds and are prevalent among both plant and animal bacterial pathogens. In plants, the study of model effector proteases has yielded important insights into the virulence mechanisms employed by pathogens to overcome their host’s immune response, as well as into the mechanisms deployed by their hosts to detect these effector proteases and counteract their effects. In recent years, the study of a larger number of effector proteases, across a wider range of pathogens, has yielded novel insights into their functions and recognition. One key limitation that remains is the lack of methods to detect protease cleavage at the proteome-wide level. We review known substrates and mechanisms of plant pathogen type III effector proteases and compare their functions with those of known type III effector proteases of mammalian pathogens. Finally, we discuss approaches to uncover their function on a system-wide level.
Unravelling the physics of multiphase AGN winds through emission line tracers
Authors: Richings Alexander J , Faucher-Giguère Claude-André , Stern Jonathan
Published: February 2021

Observations of emission lines in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) often find fast (∼1000 km s−1) outflows extending to kiloparsec scales, seen in ionized, neutral atomic and molecular gas. In this work we present radiative transfer calculations of emission lines in hydrodynamic simulations of AGN outflows driven by a hot wind bubble, including non-equilibrium chemistry, to explore how these lines trace the physical properties of the multiphase outflow. We find that the hot bubble compresses the line-emitting gas, resulting in higher pressures than in the ambient interstellar medium or that would be produced by the AGN radiation pressure. This implies that observed emission line ratios such as [O iv]$_{25 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ / [Ne ii]$_{12 \, \rm {\mu m}}$, [Ne v]$_{14 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ / [Ne ii]$_{12 \, \rm {\mu m}}$, and [N iii]$_{57 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ / [N ii]$_{122 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ constrain the presence of the bubble and hence the outflow driving mechanism. However, the line-emitting gas is under-pressurized compared to the hot bubble itself, and much of the line emission arises from gas that is out of pressure, thermal and/or chemical equilibrium. Our results thus suggest that assuming equilibrium conditions, as commonly done in AGN line emission models, is not justified if a hot wind bubble is present. We also find that ≳50 per cent of the mass outflow rate, momentum flux, and kinetic energy flux of the outflow are traced by lines such as [N ii]$_{122 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ and [Ne iii]$_{15 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ (produced in the 10$^{4} \, \rm {K}$ phase) and [C ii]$_{158 \, \rm {\mu m}}$ (produced in the transition from 10$^{4} \, \rm {K}$ to 100 K).
Mapping the inhomogeneous Universe with standard sirens: degeneracy between inhomogeneity and modified gravity theories
Authors: Kalomenopoulos Marios , Khochfar Sadegh , Gair Jonathan , Arai Shun
Published: February 2021

The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) and an accompanying electromagnetic (E/M) counterpart have been suggested as a future probe for cosmology and theories of gravity. In this paper, we present calculations of the luminosity distance of sources taking into account inhomogeneities in the matter distribution that are predicted in numerical simulations of structure formation. In addition, we show that inhomogeneities resulting from clustering of matter can mimic certain classes of modified gravity theories, or other effects that dampen GW amplitudes, and deviations larger than $\delta \nu \sim \mathcal {O}(0.1)\ (99{{\ \rm per\ cent}}\ \rm {C.L.})$ to the extra friction term ν, from zero, would be necessary to distinguish them. For these, we assume mock GWs sources, with known redshift, based on binary population synthesis models, between redshifts z = 0 and z = 5. We show that future GW detectors, like Einstein Telescope or Cosmic Explorer, will be needed for strong constraints on the inhomogeneity parameters and breaking the degeneracy between modified gravity effects and matter anisotropies by measuring ν at $5 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $1 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ level with 100 and 350 events, respectively.
Exploring the relation between dust mass and galaxy properties using Dusty SAGE
Authors: Triani Dian P , Sinha Manodeep , Croton Darren J , Dwek Eli , Pacifici Camilla
Published: February 2021

We explore the relation between dust and several fundamental properties of simulated galaxies using the Dusty SAGE semi-analytic model. In addition to tracing the standard galaxy properties, Dusty SAGE also tracks cold dust mass in the interstellar medium (ISM), hot dust mass in the halo, and dust mass ejected by feedback activity. Based on their ISM dust content, we divide our galaxies into two categories: ISM dust-poor and ISM dust-rich. We split the ISM dust-poor group into two subgroups: halo dust-rich and dust-poor (the latter contains galaxies that lack dust in both the ISM and halo). Halo dust-rich galaxies have high outflow rates of heated gas and dust and are more massive. We divide ISM dust-rich galaxies based on their specific star formation rate (sSFR) into star-forming and quenched subgroups. At redshift z = 0, we find that ISM dust-rich galaxies have a relatively high sSFR, low bulge-to-total (BTT) mass ratio, and high gas metallicity. The high sSFR of ISM dust-rich galaxies allows them to produce dust in the stellar ejecta. Their metal-rich ISM enables dust growth via grain accretion. The opposite is seen in the ISM dust-poor group. Furthermore, ISM dust-rich galaxies are typically late-types, while ISM dust-poor galaxies resemble the early-type population, and we show how their ISM content evolves from being dust-rich to dust-poor. Finally, we investigate dust production from z = 3 to z = 0 and find that all groups evolve similarly, except for the quenched ISM dust-rich group.
A hierarchical clustering method for quantifying satellite abundance
Authors: Xi Chengyu , Taylor James E
Published: February 2021

We present a new method for quantifying the abundance of satellites around field galaxies and in groups. The method is designed to work with samples such as photometric redshift catalogues, that do not have full spectroscopic coverage, but for which some redshift or distance information is available. It consists of identifying the galaxies most likely to be centrals, and using the clustering signal around them as a template to iteratively decompose the full population into satellite and central populations. Thus, it is similar to performing crowded-field photometry by using isolated stars to determine the point spread function of the image. The method does not identify individual satellites or centrals conclusively, but assigns a probability to each galaxy of being one or the other. Averaged over a large sample, it provides a statistical estimate of satellite abundance, even in crowded fields with large redshift uncertainties. We test the method using data from the COSMOS field, which includes a large set of local objects with accurate photometric redshifts. We measure satellite abundance as a function of central stellar or halo mass, as well as the satellite luminosity function, and find results consistent with previous studies, but extending over a broader range of central masses. We also consider a number of possible systematic uncertainties in the method, and show that they are generally smaller than our random errors. Having presented the method in this paper, we will use it to study the properties of the satellite populations in a forthcoming one.
A comparative analysis of Galactic extinction at low Galactic latitudes
Authors: Schröder A C , van Driel W , Kraan-Korteweg R C
Published: February 2021

We use near-infrared (J − K) colours of bright 2MASS galaxies, measured within a  7- arcsec-radius aperture, to calibrate the Schlegel, Finkbeiner & Davis DIRBE/IRAS Galactic extinction map at low Galactic latitudes (|b| < 10°). Using 3460 galaxies covering a large range in extinction (up to AK$=1{_{.}^{\rm m}}15$ or E(B − V) $\simeq 3{_{.}^{\rm m}}19$), we derive a correction factor f = 0.83 ± 0.01 by fitting a linear regression to the colour-extinction relation, confirming that the Schlegel et al. maps overestimate the extinction. We argue that the use of only a small range in extinction (e.g., AK$\lt 0{_{.}^{\rm m}}4$) increases the uncertainty in the correction factor and may overestimate it. Our data confirm the Fitzpatrick extinction law for the J- and K-band. We also tested four all-sky extinction maps based on Planck satellite data. All maps require a correction factor as well. In three cases, the application of the respective extinction correction to the galaxy colours results in a reduced scatter in the colour-extinction relation, indicating a more reliable extinction correction. Finally, the large galaxy sample allows an analysis of the calibration of the extinction maps as a function of Galactic longitude and latitude. For all but one extinction map, we find a marked offset between the Galactic Centre and Anticentre region, but not with the dipole of the cosmic microwave background. Based on our analysis, we recommend the use of the GNILC extinction map by Planck Collaboration XLVIII with a correction factor f = 0.86 ± 0.01.
A comparison of quasar emission reconstruction techniques for z ≥ 5.0 Lyman α and Lyman β transmission
Authors: Bosman Sarah E I , Ďurovčíková Dominika , Davies Frederick B , Eilers Anna-Christina
Published: February 2021

Reconstruction techniques for intrinsic quasar continua are crucial for the precision study of Lyman α (Ly α) and Lyman β (Ly β) transmission at z > 5.5, where the λ < 1215 Å emission of quasars is nearly completely absorbed. While the number and quality of spectroscopic observations have become theoretically sufficient to quantify Ly α transmission at 5.0 < z < 6.0 to better than $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, the biases and uncertainties arising from predicting the unabsorbed continuum are not known to the same level. In this paper, we systematically evaluate eight reconstruction techniques on a unified testing sample of 2.7 < z < 3.5 quasars drawn from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. The methods include power-law extrapolation, stacking of neighbours, and six variants of principal component analysis (PCA) using direct projection, fitting of components, or neural networks to perform weight mapping. We find that power-law reconstructions and the PCA with fewest components and smallest training sample display the largest biases in the Ly α forest (${-}9.58{{\ \rm per\ cent}}/{+}8.22{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, respectively). Power-law extrapolations have larger scatters than previously assumed of ${+}13.1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}/{-}13.2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ over Ly α and ${+}19.9{{\ \rm per\ cent}}/{-}20.1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ over Ly β. We present two new PCAs that achieve the best current accuracies of $9{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for Ly α and $17{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for Ly β. We apply the eight techniques after accounting for wavelength-dependent biases and scatter to a sample of 19 quasars at z > 5.7 with IR X-Shooter spectroscopy, obtaining well-characterized measurements for the mean flux transmission at 4.7 < z < 6.3. Our results demonstrate the importance of testing and, when relevant, training, continuum reconstruction techniques in a systematic way.