bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NaI revisited: Theoretical investigation of predissociation via ultrafast XUV transient absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Kobayashi Yuki , Zeng Tao , Neumark Daniel M. , Leone Stephen R.
Published: November 2019

Avoided crossings can trigger abrupt changes of electronic character and redirect the outcomes of photochemical reactions. Here, we report a theoretical investigation into core-level spectroscopic probing of predissociation dynamics of sodium iodide (NaI), a prototype system for studies of avoided-crossing dynamics. The elegant femtochemistry work of Zewail and co-workers pioneered the real-time dynamics of NaI, detecting the Na atoms bursting forth from the avoided crossing and the residual NaI molecules oscillating inside the quasibound potential. The simulated results show that core-level spectroscopy not only observes these integrated outcomes but also provides a direct measure of the abrupt switching of electronic character at the avoided crossing. The valence and core-excited electronic structures of NaI are computed by spin-orbit general multiconfigurational quasidegenerate perturbation theory, from which core-level absorption spectra of the predissociation dynamics are constructed. The wave-packet motion on the covalent potential is continuously mapped as shifts in the absorption energies, and the switching between the covalent and ionic character at the avoided crossing is characterized as the sharp rise and fall of the Na+ signal. The Na+ signal is found to be insensitive to the wave-packet motion in the asymptotic part of the ionic potential, which, in turn, enables a direct measure of the nonadiabatic crossing probability excluding the effect of wave-packet broadening.
Magnetocaloric properties and critical behavior of Co2Cr1−xMnxAl Heusler alloys
Authors: Nehla Priyanka , Anand V. K. , Klemke Bastian , Lake Bella , Dhaka R. S.
Published: November 2019

We study the magnetocaloric effect and critical behavior of Co2Cr1−xMnxAl (x=0.25, 0.5, 0.75) Heusler alloys across the ferromagnetic (FM) transition temperature (TC). The Rietveld refinement of x-ray diffraction patterns exhibit a single phase cubic structure for all the samples. The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility χ(T) data show a systematic enhancement in the Curie temperature and effective magnetic moment with the Mn concentration, which is consistent with the Slater–Pauling behavior. The M(H) isotherms also exhibit the FM ordering, and the analysis of χ(T) data indicates the nature of the phase transition to be a second order, which is further supported by scaling of the entropy curves and the Arrott plot. Interestingly, the Mn substitution causes an increase in the magnetic entropy change and, hence, a large relative cooling power for possible applications in multistage magnetic refrigerators. In order to understand the nature of the magnetic phase transition, we examine the critical exponents β, γ, δ for the x=0.75 sample by the modified Arrott plot and the critical isotherm analysis, which is further confirmed by the Kouvel-Fisher method and Widom scaling relation, respectively. The estimated values of β=0.507, γ=1.056, δ=3.084 are found to be close to the mean field theoretical values. The renormalized isotherms (m vs h) corresponding to these exponent values collapse into two branches, above and below TC that validates our analysis. Our results suggest the existence of long-range FM interactions, which decays slower than power law as J(r)∼r−4.5 for a three-dimensional mean-field theory.
Reliability of charge carrier recombination data determined with charge extraction methods
Authors: Kniepert Juliane , Paulke Andreas , Perdigón-Toro Lorena , Kurpiers Jona , Zhang Huotian , Gao Feng , Yuan Jun , Zou Yingping , Le Corre Vincent M. , Koster L. Jan Anton , Neher Dieter
Published: November 2019

Charge extraction methods are popular for measuring the charge carrier density in thin film organic solar cells and to draw conclusions about the order and coefficient of nongeminate charge recombination. However, results from such studies may be falsified by inhomogeneous steady state carrier profiles or surface recombination. Here, we present a detailed drift-diffusion study of two charge extraction methods, bias-assisted charge extraction (BACE) and time-delayed collection field (TDCF). Simulations are performed over a wide range of the relevant parameters. Our simulations reveal that both charge extraction methods provide reliable information about the recombination order and coefficient if the measurements are performed under appropriate conditions. However, results from BACE measurements may be easily affected by surface recombination, in particular for small active layer thicknesses and low illumination densities. TDCF, on the other hand, is more robust against surface recombination due to its transient nature but also because it allows for a homogeneous high carrier density to be inserted into the active layer. Therefore, TDCF is capable to provide meaningful information on the order and coefficient of recombination even if the model conditions are not exactly fulfilled. We demonstrate this for an only 100 nm thick layer of a highly efficient nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) blend, comprising the donor polymer PM6 and the NFA Y6. TDCF measurements were performed as a function of delay time for different laser fluences and bias conditions. The full set of data could be consistently fitted by a strict second order recombination process, with a bias- and fluence-independent bimolecular recombination coefficient k2 = 1.7 × 10−17 m3 s−1. BACE measurements performed on the very same layer yielded the identical result, despite the very different excitation conditions. This proves that recombination in this blend is mostly through processes in the bulk and that surface recombination is of minor importance despite the small active layer thickness.
A simpler way to thermally characterize 2D materials
Authors: Patrick Chris
Published: November 2019

New method simultaneously measures in-plane and out-of-plane thermal transport of anisotropic 2D materials that have device-enhancing potential.
Translation and Translatio in the New Rhetoric Project’s Rediscovery of Rhetoric
Authors: Bolduc Michelle
Published: November 2019

This article, an excerpt from my forthcoming book, Translation and the Rediscovery of Rhetoric, traces the surprising role of translation and of translatio (the medieval trope referring to the transfer of knowledge across time and space) in the story of Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca’s turn to rhetoric. Neither Perelman nor Olbrechts-Tyteca were well versed in the French tradition of rhetoric as poetics. However, in two lectures Perelman gave late in his life, he offered a surprising description of the influence of Jean Paulhan, the French literary critic and long-time director of the Nouvelle Revue française, and of thirteenth-century Italian author and notary Brunetto Latini, on the turn to rhetoric. In addition, this essay situates these lectures as a critical response to the claim made by three important French thinkers, Paul Ricoeur, Roland Barthes, and Gérard Genette, that they had recovered rhetoric for the study of expression and thus as poetics.
Tetraspanin CD82 interaction with cholesterol promotes extracellular vesicle–mediated release of ezrin to inhibit tumour cell movement
Authors: Huang Chao , Hays Franklin A. , Tomasek James J. , Benyajati Siribhinya , Zhang Xin A.
Published: November 2019

Tumour metastasis suppressor KAI1/CD82 inhibits tumour cell movement. As a transmembrane protein, tetraspanin CD82 bridges the interactions between membrane microdomains of lipid rafts and tetraspanin‐enriched microdomains (TEMs). In this study, we found that CD82 and other tetraspanins contain cholesterol recognition/interaction amino‐acid consensus (CRAC) sequences in their transmembrane domains and revealed that cholesterol binding of CD82 determines its interaction with lipid rafts but not with TEMs. Functionally, CD82 needs cholesterol binding to inhibit solitary migration, collective migration, invasion and infiltrative outgrowth of tumour cells. Importantly, CD82–cholesterol/–lipid raft interaction not only promotes extracellular release of lipid raft components such as cholesterol and gangliosides but also facilitates extracellular vesicle (EV)–mediated release of ezrin–radixin–moesin (ERM) protein Ezrin. Since ERM proteins link actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane, we show for the first time that cell movement can be regulated by EV‐mediated releases, which disengage the plasma membrane from cytoskeleton and then impair cell movement. Our findings also conceptualize that interactions between membrane domains, in this case converge of lipid rafts and TEMs by CD82, can change cell movement. Moreover, CD82 coalescences with both lipid rafts and TEMs are essential for its inhibition of tumour cell movement and for its enhancement of EV release. Finally, our study underpins that tetraspanins as a superfamily of functionally versatile molecules are cholesterol‐binding proteins.

Abbreviations:Ab: antibody; CBM: cholesterol‐binding motif; CCM: cholesterol consensus motif; CRAC/CARC: cholesterol recognition or interaction amino‐acid consensus; CTxB: cholera toxin B subunit; ECM: extracellular matrix; ERM: ezrin, radixin and moesin; EV: extracellular vesicles; FBS: foetal bovine serum; mAb: monoclonal antibody; MST: microscale thermophoresis; pAb: polyclonal antibody; and TEM: tetraspanin‐enriched microdomain
Standardised quantitative radioiodine SPECT/CT Imaging for multicentre dosimetry trials in molecular radiotherapy
Authors: Gregory Rebecca A , Murray Iain , Gear Jonathan , Leek Francesca , Chittenden Sarah , Fenwick Andrew , Wevrett Jill , Scuffham James , Tipping Jill , Murby Brian , Jeans Steve , Stuffins Martha , Michopoulou Sofia , Guy Matthew , Morgan Darren , Hallam Aida , Hall David , Polydor Heather , Brown Colin , Gillen Gerry , Dickinson Nathan , Brown Sarah , Wadsley Jonathan , Flux Glenn
Published: November 2019

The SEL-I-METRY trial (EudraCT No 2015-002269-47) is the first multicentre trial to investigate the role of 123I and 131I SPECT/CT-based tumour dosimetry to predict response to radioiodine therapy. Standardised dosimetry methodology is essential to provide a robust evidence-base for absorbed dose–response thresholds for molecular radiotherapy (MRT). In this paper a practical standardised protocol is used to establish the first network of centres with consistent methods of radioiodine activity quantification.

Nine SPECT/CT systems at eight centres were set-up for quantitative radioiodine imaging. The dead-time of the systems was characterised for up to 2.8 GBq 131I. Volume dependent calibration factors were measured on centrally reconstructed images of 123I and 131I in six (0.8–196 ml) cylinders. Validation of image quantification using these calibration factors was performed on three systems, by imaging a 3D-printed phantom mimicking a patient’s activity distribution. The percentage differences between the activities measured in the SPECT/CT image and those measured by the radionuclide calibrator were calculated. Additionally uncertainties on the SPECT/CT-based activities were calculated to indicate the limit on the quantitative accuracy of this method.

For systems set-up to image high 131I count rates, the count rate versus activity did not peak below 2.8 GBq and fit a non-paralysable model. The dead-times and volume-dependent calibration factors were comparable between systems of the same model and crystal thickness. Therefore a global calibration curve could be fitted to each. The errors on the validation phantom activities’ were comparable to the measurement uncertainties derived from uncertainty analysis, at 10% and 16% on average for 123I and 131I respectively in a 5 cm sphere.

In conclusion, the dead-time and calibration factors varied between centres, with different models of system. However, global calibration factors may be applied to the same system model with the same crystal thickness, to simplify set-up of future multi-centre MRT studies.
Effects of noble metal doping on hydrogen sensing performances of monolayer MoS2
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Chen Kai , Zhao Qiang , Huang Mei , Ouyang Xiaoping
Published: November 2019

To develop a new kind of hydrogen sensor based on monolayer MoS2, we investigated effects of noble metal doping on hydrogen sensing performances of the monolayer MoS2 by using the first principles calculation method. The Cu, Pd, and Pt doping decrease the adsorption energy of a hydrogen molecule on the monolayer MoS2, while Ag and Au doping have little effect on the adsorption energy. The adsorption energy change indicates that the Cu, Pd, and Pt doping strengthen the interaction between the hydrogen molecule and the monolayer MoS2. The density of states shows that the hybridization of H s, noble metals d, S p, and Mo d orbitals contributes to the adsorption of the hydrogen molecule on the noble metal doped monolayer MoS2. The changes in bader charge and charge density difference indicate that noble metal doping increases the charge transfer between the hydrogen molecule and the monolayer MoS2. All of the results demonstrate that noble metal doping can improve the hydrogen sensing performances of the monolayer MoS2, especially the Pd and Pt doping.
Local Perturbations of Cortical Excitability Propagate Differentially Through Large-Scale Functional Networks
Authors: Rosenthal Zachary P , Raut Ryan V , Yan Ping , Koko Deima , Kraft Andrew W , Czerniewski Leah , Acland Benjamin , Mitra Anish , Snyder Lawrence H , Bauer Adam Q , Snyder Abraham Z , Culver Joseph P , Raichle Marcus E , Lee Jin-Moo
Published: November 2019

Electrophysiological recordings have established that GABAergic interneurons regulate excitability, plasticity, and computational function within local neural circuits. Importantly, GABAergic inhibition is focally disrupted around sites of brain injury. However, it remains unclear whether focal imbalances in inhibition/excitation lead to widespread changes in brain activity. Here, we test the hypothesis that focal perturbations in excitability disrupt large-scale brain network dynamics. We used viral chemogenetics in mice to reversibly manipulate parvalbumin interneuron (PV-IN) activity levels in whisker barrel somatosensory cortex. We then assessed how this imbalance affects cortical network activity in awake mice using wide-field optical neuroimaging of pyramidal neuron GCaMP dynamics as well as local field potential recordings. We report 1) that local changes in excitability can cause remote, network-wide effects, 2) that these effects propagate differentially through intra- and interhemispheric connections, and 3) that chemogenetic constructs can induce plasticity in cortical excitability and functional connectivity. These findings may help to explain how focal activity changes following injury lead to widespread network dysfunction.
Long-term Mortality and Epilepsy in Patients After Brain Abscess: A Nationwide Population-Based Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Bodilsen Jacob , Dalager-Pedersen Michael , van de Beek Diederik , Brouwer Matthijs C , Nielsen Henrik
Published: November 2019

Background

We aimed to determine the long-term risks of mortality and new-onset epilepsy after brain abscess.

Methods

Using nationwide population-based medical registries, we examined all patients with first-time brain abscess in Denmark, 1982–2016. Comparison cohorts individually matched on age, sex, and residence were identified, as were siblings of all study participants. Next, we computed cumulative incidences and hazard rate ratios (HRRs) with 95% confidence intervals of mortality and new-onset epilepsy among study populations.

Results

We identified 1384 brain abscess patients (37% females) with a median follow-up time of 5.9 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.1–14.2). The 1-year, 2–5 year, and 6–30 year mortality of patients after brain abscess was 21%, 16%, and 27% as compared to 1%, 6%, and 20% for population controls. Cox regression analyses adjusted for Charlson comorbidity index score showed 1-year, 2–5 year, and 6–30 year HRRs of 17.5 (13.9–22.0), 2.61 (2.16–3.16), and 1.94 (1.62–2.31). The mortality in brain abscess patients was significantly increased regardless of sex or age group except among subjects 80 years or older, and in both previously healthy individuals and immunocompromised persons.

Among the 30-day survivors of brain abscess (median follow-up 7.6 years [IQR 2.2–15.5]), new-onset epilepsy occurred in 32% compared to 2% in matched population controls. Cause-specific Cox regression analysis adjusted for stroke, head trauma, alcohol abuse, and cancer showed 1-year, 2–5 year, and 6–30 year HRRs for new-onset epilepsy of 155 (78.8–304), 37.7 (23.0–59.9), and 8.93 (5.62–14.2).

Conclusions

Brain abscess is associated with an increased long-term risk of mortality and new-onset epilepsy for several years after infection.
Prevalence of clinical, pathological and molecular features of glomerular basement membrane nephropathy caused byCOL4A3orCOL4A4mutations: a systematic review
Authors: Matthaiou Andreas , Poulli Tsielestina , Deltas Constantinos
Published: November 2019

Background

Patients heterozygous for COL4A3 or COL4A4 mutations show a wide spectrum of disease, extending from familial isolated microscopic haematuria, as a result of thin basement membranes (TBMs), to autosomal dominant Alport syndrome (ADAS) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Many patients are mentioned in the literature under the descriptive diagnosis of TBM nephropathy (TBMN), in which case it actually describes a histological finding that represents the carriers of autosomal recessive Alport syndrome (ARAS), a severe glomerulopathy, as most patients reach ESRD at a mean age of 25 years.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature review for patients with heterozygous COL4A3/A4 mutations with the aim of recording the spectrum and frequency of pathological features. We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase and Scopus) using the keywords ‘Autosomal Dominant Alport Syndrome’ OR ‘Thin Basement Membrane Disease’ OR ‘Thin Basement Membrane Nephropathy’. We identified 48 publications reporting on 777 patients from 258 families.

Results

In total, 29% of the patients developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 15.1% reached ESRD at a mean age of 52.8 years. Extrarenal features and typical Alport syndrome (AS) findings had a low prevalence in patients as follows: hearing loss, 16%; ocular lesions, 3%; basement membrane thickening, 18.4%; and podocyte foot process effacement, 6.9%. Data for 76 patients from 54 families emphasize extensive inter- and intrafamilial heterogeneity, with age at onset of ESRD ranging between 21 and 84 years (mean 52.8).

Conclusions

The analysis enabled a comparison of the clinical course of patients with typical ARAS or X-linked AS with those with heterozygous COL4A mutations diagnosed with TBMN or ADAS. Despite the consequence of a potential ascertainment bias, an important outcome is that TBM poses a global high risk of developing severe CKD, over a long follow-up, with a variable spectrum of other findings. The results are useful to practicing nephrologists for better evaluation of patients.
Post-Post-Truth: An Adaptationist Theory of Journalistic Verism
Authors: Godler Yigal
Published: November 2019

In the age of post-truth, media studies find themselves trapped between the desire to restore journalism’s authority as a veristic (truth-seeking) institution and the lack of a coherent, applicable and consensual theory of truth. In order to develop such a theory of truth, this study bases itself on a detailed picture of how a sample of mainstream Israeli journalists covered 20 cases of factual controversies, drawing on journalists’ own accounts of their work, an independent analysis of documents they relied on, as well as their published output. Findings show that during actual situations of coverage journalists’ operative conceptions of truth match, at a minimum, the theories of coherence, correspondence and pragmatism. I argue that a novel adaptationist theory of truth may not only provide an adequate description of journalists’ actual pursuit of truth, but also contribute to their reflexivity vis-à-vis the inevitable context-dependence of their own veristic criteria.
Mothers’ and fathers’ cognitive and affective responses to epigenetics concepts
Authors: Hollister Brittany M , Yaremych Haley E , Goldring Megan R , Persky Susan
Published: November 2019

Advances in our understanding of epigenetics present new opportunities to improve children’s health through the counseling of parents about epigenetics concepts. However, it is important to first evaluate how parents respond to this type of information and determine the consequences of educating parents about epigenetics. We have taken an initial step toward this goal by assessing parental responses to an epigenetics learning module. Parents (n = 190, 126 mothers) responded to pre- and post-module survey questions. Prior to the module, parents reported that mothers’ lifestyles prior to conception were more important for children’s health than fathers’ lifestyles prior to conception (t = 4.49, df = 316.5, P < 0.0001). However, after the module, there was no difference between ratings of the importance of mothers’ and fathers’ preconception lifestyles (t = 1.18, df = 319.8, P = NS). Furthermore, after viewing the module, parents increased their ratings of the importance of both mothers’ (t = −5.65, df = 294.8, P < 0.0001) and father’s (t = −9.01, df = 287.2, P < 0.0001) preconception lifestyles for child health. After viewing the module, most parents reported feelings of guilt and negativity regarding epigenetics (78 and 55%, respectively). When compared with lean parents, parents with overweight more often reported feelings of guilt (χ2 =10.27, P = 0.001). This work represents an important first step in evaluating parental responses to epigenetics concepts.
The impact of an automated antibiotic stewardship intervention for the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia utilizing the electronic health record
Authors: Brotherton Amy L , Rab Saira , Kandiah Sheetal , Kriengkauykiat Jane , Wong Jordan R
Published: November 2019

Background

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) management bundles have been shown to improve performance measures and clinical outcomes. SAB bundles often require direct intervention by infectious diseases (ID) physicians or antibiotic stewardship programme (ASP) members or pharmacists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an automated, real-time ASP intervention utilizing clinical decision support (CDS) in the electronic health record (EHR) for the management of SAB.

Methods

A retrospective, single-centre quasi-experimental study of hospitalized patients with known SAB was conducted. The intervention was the implementation of a hard-stop best practice advisory (BPA) alert that would prompt physicians to use an electronic order set, on identification of SAB, with management recommendations, including ID consultation. The primary outcome was overall adherence to six institutional ASP SAB bundle elements. Secondary outcomes included both clinical and process outcomes.

Results

A total of 227 patients were included, 111 in the pre-intervention and 116 in the post-intervention period. Completion of all six bundle elements improved by 27.2% in the post-intervention group (29.7% versus 56.9%, P < 0.001). BPA activation and order-set utilization occurred in 95.7% and 57.8% in the post-intervention group, respectively. Composite outcome of 30 day mortality or 90 day readmission with SAB complication decreased in the post-intervention group by 9.6% (24.3% versus 14.7%, P = 0.092).

Conclusions

Optimization of CDS within the EHR, using real-time BPA alert and order set, demonstrated an immediate, sustainable intervention that improved adherence to institutional performance measures for SAB management without direct prospective audit with intervention and feedback.
Section 2 Mangled: FTC v Qualcomm on the Duty to Deal, Price Squeezes, and Exclusive Dealing
Authors: Edwards Lindsey M , Ginsburg Douglas H , Wright Joshua D
Published: November 2019

Judge Koh handed down a sweeping opinion in May 2019 condemning as antitrust violations many of Qualcomm’s licensing practices related to its patented chips and standard-essential technology used in mobile devices. The district court opinion significantly expands the scope of liability for refusals to deal and for non-predatory pricing, further eroding the longstanding symmetrical approach to antitrust enforcement regardless of the kind of property involved. We find three glaring errors in the district court opinion. First, the court expands the exception to the general rule permitting refusals to deal, as laid out in Aspen Skiing, well beyond the outer boundary of Section 2 by inappropriately inferring a prior course of dealing and erroneously finding a willingness to sacrifice profits. Secondly, the district court accepted a price squeeze theory—characterized by the FTC as a ‘tax’ on OEMs transacting with Qualcomm’s rivals—directly contrary to the Supreme Court’s holding in linkLine. Thirdly, the court erroneously concluded that Qualcomm’s exclusive dealing arrangements with Apple violate the Sherman Act, despite a glaring failure by the FTC to prove substantial foreclosure, contrary to modern antitrust precedent and economic theory. The district court’s inappropriate extension of antitrust liability in three separate areas of well-settled antitrust doctrine is remarkable and threatens to upend important precedent that has successfully guided business conduct for many years. Further, the remedy transforms the role of antitrust courts from adjudicators to central planners, a role for which the Trinko Court expressly stated they are ill suited. The decision invites plaintiffs to use the Sherman Act to reach conduct that has been generally shielded from antitrust liability. That invitation is ill advised and should be rejected by the Ninth Circuit, and if necessary, the Supreme Court.
Molecular bases of responses to abiotic stress in trees
Authors: Estravis-Barcala Maximiliano , Mattera María Gabriela , Soliani Carolina , Bellora Nicolás , Opgenoorth Lars , Heer Katrin , Arana María Verónica
Published: November 2019

Trees are constantly exposed to climate fluctuations, which vary with both time and geographic location. Environmental changes that are outside of the physiological favorable range usually negatively affect plant performance and trigger responses to abiotic stress. Long-living trees in particular have evolved a wide spectrum of molecular mechanisms to coordinate growth and development under stressful conditions, thus minimizing fitness costs. The ongoing development of techniques directed at quantifying abiotic stress has significantly increased our knowledge of physiological responses in woody plants. However, it is only within recent years that advances in next-generation sequencing and biochemical approaches have enabled us to begin to understand the complexity of the molecular systems that underlie these responses. Here, we review recent progress in our understanding of the molecular bases of drought and temperature stresses in trees, with a focus on functional, transcriptomic, epigenetic, and population genomic studies. In addition, we highlight topics that will contribute to progress in our understanding of the plastic and adaptive responses of woody plants to drought and temperature in a context of global climate change.
High-energy gamma-ray sources in the VVV survey – I. The blazars
Authors: Pichel Ana , Donoso Laura G , Baravalle Laura D , Alonso M Victoria , Rovero Adrián C , Beamín Juan C , Minniti Dante , Cabral Juan B , Sánchez Bruno , Coldwell Georgina , Masetti Nicola
Published: November 2019

There is a lack of blazar detections in the galactic plane area, even in the most recent blazar catalogues, mainly due to incompleteness resulting from interstellar dust and stellar contamination of our Galaxy. The VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey (VVV) aims to map variable sources towards the galactic plane in the near-infrared (IR). There are three catalogued and one candidate blazars in the VVV area, which are also detected by Fermi-LAT in the gamma-ray band and by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) at mid-IR wavelengths. We study the physical properties of these blazars in order to use them as a reference that would allow us to find counterparts of other unidentified gamma-ray sources in the future. All four sources have VVV counterparts, and two of them, 5BZUJ1731−3003 and 5BZQJ1802−3940 are also associated with WISE sources. They present very different properties compared with stellar or extragalactic objects. Their VVV Ks light curves show significant variability, and are characterized using a machine learning analysis. In particular, the blazar 5BZQJ1802−3940, a flat spectrum radio quasar, exhibits the smallest uncertainties in the Fermi-LAT position and it is a bright WISE source. Its near-IR properties in the colour–magnitude and colour–colour diagrams are very different from the stars and extragalactic objects in the field. It has the highest amplitude in the Ks differential light curve and fractional variability amplitude. This pilot study will allow us to search for and identify other blazars hidden behind the Galactic plane using the VVV survey data base.
Formation of close binaries by disc fragmentation and migration, and its statistical modelling
Authors: Tokovinin Andrei , Moe Maxwell
Published: November 2019

Joint statistics of periods and mass ratios of close binaries and its dependence on primary mass can be explained by assuming that seed binary companions are formed by disc fragmentation at random intervals during assemblage of stellar mass and migrate inwards as they accrete from the circumbinary disc. A toy model based on simple prescriptions for the companion growth and migration reproduces such aspects of close solar-mass binaries as the distribution of binary periods P, the brown dwarf desert at short P, the nearly uniform distribution of mass ratios, and a population of equal-mass binaries (twins) that decreases linearly in frequency with log P. For massive stars, the model predicts a large fraction of early mergers, a distribution of log P with a negative slope, and a mass-ratio distribution that is also uniform but with a substantially reduced twin fraction. By treating disc fragmentation as a stochastic process, we also reproduce the observed properties of compact triples. Success of our toy model suggests that most close binaries and compact triples indeed formed by disc fragmentation followed by accretion-driven inward migration.
Charge-exchange emission and cold clumps in multiphase galactic outflows
Authors: Wu Kinwah , Li Kaye Jiale , Owen Ellis R , Ji Li , Zhang Shuinai , Branduardi-Raymont Graziella
Published: November 2019

Large-scale outflows from starburst galaxies are multiphase, multicomponent fluids. Charge-exchange lines that originate from the interfacing surface between the neutral and ionized components are a useful diagnostic of the cold dense structures in the galactic outflow. From the charge-exchange lines observed in the nearby starburst galaxy M82, we conduct surface-to-volume analyses and deduce that the cold dense clumps in its galactic outflow have flattened shapes, resembling a hamburger or a pancake morphology rather than elongated shapes. The observed filamentary H α features are therefore not prime charge-exchange line emitters. They are stripped material torn from the slow-moving dense clumps by the faster moving ionized fluid, which are subsequently warmed and stretched into elongated shapes. Our findings are consistent with numerical simulations that have shown that cold dense clumps in galactic outflows can be compressed by ram pressure, and also progressively ablated and stripped before complete disintegration. We have shown that some clumps could survive their passage along a galactic outflow. These are advected into the circumgalactic environment, where their remnants would seed condensation of the circumgalactic medium to form new clumps. The infall of these new clumps back into the galaxy and their subsequent re-entrainment into the galactic outflow form a loop process of galactic material recycling.
A model for core formation in dark matter haloes and ultra-diffuse galaxies by outflow episodes
Authors: Freundlich Jonathan , Dekel Avishai , Jiang Fangzhou , Ishai Guy , Cornuault Nicolas , Lapiner Sharon , Dutton Aaron A , Macciò Andrea V
Published: November 2019

We present a simple model for the response of a dissipationless spherical system to an instantaneous mass change at its centre, describing the formation of flat cores in dark matter haloes and ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) from feedback-driven outflow episodes in a specific mass range. This model generalizes an earlier simplified analysis of an isolated shell into a system with continuous density, velocity, and potential profiles. The response is divided into an instantaneous change of potential at constant velocities due to a given mass-loss or mass-gain, followed by energy-conserving relaxation to a new Jeans equilibrium. The halo profile is modelled by a two-parameter function with a variable inner slope and an analytic potential profile, which enables determining the associated kinetic energy at equilibrium. The model is tested against NIHAO cosmological zoom-in simulations, where it successfully predicts the evolution of the inner dark matter profile between successive snapshots in about 75 per cent of the cases, failing mainly in merger situations. This model provides a simple understanding of the formation of dark matter halo cores and UDGs by supernova-driven outflows, and a useful analytic tool for studying such processes.
Cosmological constraints from cosmic shear two-point correlation functions with HSC survey first-year data
Authors: Hamana Takashi , Shirasaki Masato , Miyazaki Satoshi , Hikage Chiaki , Oguri Masamune , More Surhud , Armstrong Robert , Leauthaud Alexie , Mandelbaum Rachel , Miyatake Hironao , Nishizawa Atsushi J , Simet Melanie , Takada Masahiro , Aihara Hiroaki , Bosch James , Komiyama Yutaka , Lupton Robert , Murayama Hitoshi , Strauss Michael A , Tanaka Masayuki
Published: November 2019

We present measurements of cosmic shear two-point correlation functions (TPCFs) from Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC) first-year data, and derive cosmological constraints based on a blind analysis. The HSC first-year shape catalog is divided into four tomographic redshift bins ranging from $z=0.3$ to 1.5 with equal widths of $\Delta z =0.3$. The unweighted galaxy number densities in each tomographic bin are 5.9, 5.9, 4.3, and $2.4\:$arcmin$^{-2}$ from the lowest to highest redshifts, respectively. We adopt the standard TPCF estimators, $\xi _\pm$, for our cosmological analysis, given that we find no evidence of significant B-mode shear. The TPCFs are detected at high significance for all 10 combinations of auto- and cross-tomographic bins over a wide angular range, yielding a total signal-to-noise ratio of 19 in the angular ranges adopted in the cosmological analysis, $7^{\prime }<\theta <56^{\prime }$ for $\xi _+$ and $28^{\prime }<\theta <178^{\prime }$ for $\xi _-$. We perform the standard Bayesian likelihood analysis for cosmological inference from the measured cosmic shear TPCFs, including contributions from intrinsic alignment of galaxies as well as systematic effects from PSF model errors, shear calibration uncertainty, and source redshift distribution errors. We adopt a covariance matrix derived from realistic mock catalogs constructed from full-sky gravitational lensing simulations that fully account for survey geometry and measurement noise. For a flat $\Lambda$ cold dark matter model, we find $S\,_8 \equiv \sigma _8\sqrt{\Omega _{\rm m}/0.3}=0.804_{-0.029}^{+0.032}$, and $\Omega _{\rm m}=0.346_{-0.100}^{+0.052}$. We carefully check the robustness of the cosmological results against astrophysical modeling uncertainties and systematic uncertainties in measurements, and find that none of them has a significant impact on the cosmological constraints.
Gender diversity training in Canadian paediatric postgraduate medical education: A needs assessment survey
Authors: Marr Alexa , Tang Ken , Feder Stephen H , Khatchadourian Karine , Lawson Margaret L , Robinson Amy
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Evaluate the current state of postgraduate medical education on gender diversity in Canadian paediatric residency programs, exploring both resident and program director perceptions.

Background

Primary care providers are seeing more gender diverse children and youth in their offices, along with an exponential growth in referrals to Canadian specialty clinics and potential for significant mental health comorbidities. Gender-affirming support and management have been shown to improve overall outcomes. There is no mandatory curriculum on gender diversity for Canadian paediatric residency programs.

Methods

Cross-sectional online surveys in English and French distributed to program directors (PDs) and paediatric residents in the 17 Canadian paediatric residency programs. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Response rate was 88.2% from PDs and 24.5% from paediatric residents. Among PDs, 14.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.3, 22.3) reported a formal curriculum for gender diversity teaching. Sixty-four per cent (53.3, 75.2) of PDs estimated their residents received ≤ 2 hours teaching on gender diversity. Residents reported comfort levels ≤ 50% on specific topics. Among residents, 73.8% (67.9, 79.6) reported that mandatory time in a gender diversity clinic would be the most effective teaching tool while PDs favoured an online module (66.7% [58.2, 75.1]). Barriers to more teaching included lack of time in a busy curriculum. Over 90% of resident indicated that more teaching on gender diversity is required.

Conclusions

Significant variability in education on gender diversity is seen amongst Canadian paediatric residency programs. Discussion regarding a formal paediatric curriculum on gender diversity is needed.
Chronic Pain and Sleep Disturbances: A Pragmatic Review of Their Relationships, Comorbidities, and Treatments
Authors: Husak Aubrey J , Bair Matthew J
Published: November 2019

Objective

The objective of this review is to answer three questions: 1) How are chronic pain severity and pain duration affected in patients with chronic pain and sleep disturbances that occur simultaneously? 2) What are common comorbidities and pain-related symptoms seen in patients with chronic pain and sleep disturbances? and 3) What are potentially effective pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment options for both conditions?

Methods

Ovid Medline and PubMed were searched. Search terms included sleep wake disorder, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, treatment outcome, psychotherapy, complementary therapies, and therapeutics. Studies that assessed outcomes between individuals with chronic pain and those with concurrent chronic pain and sleep disturbances were included. Randomized controlled clinical trials of treatments for both conditions were included.

Results

Sixteen studies indicated that patients with both chronic pain and sleep disturbances have greater pain severity, longer duration of pain, greater disability, and are less physically active than those without sleep disturbances. Patients with both conditions are more likely to have concurrent depression, catastrophizing, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Thirty-three randomized controlled trials assessed treatment for both chronic pain and sleep disturbances. Pregabalin was the most frequently studied medication, showing improvement in pain and sleep symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia showed long-term improvement in sleep for patients with chronic pain.

Conclusions

Individuals with chronic pain and sleep disturbances have greater symptom severity, longer duration of symptoms, more disability, and additional comorbidities. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments may be useful in the treatment of concurrent chronic pain and sleep disturbances, but further study is needed.
Anesthesiologist Specialization and Use of General Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Cobb B.T. , Lane-Fall M.B. , Month R.C. , Onuoha O.C. , Srinivas S.K. , Neuman M.D.
Published: November 2019

(Anesthesiology. 2019;130(2):237–246)

Neuraxial anesthesia (ie, spinal or epidural anesthesia), rather than general anesthesia, is recommended for most women undergoing cesarean delivery. There are a paucity of data regarding the role of obstetric anesthesiologist specialization in influencing anesthesia choice and outcomes for cesarean delivery. Knowledge of associations of anesthesia subspecialist care (compared with generalist anesthesiologist care) and patterns of anesthesia use may improve staffing in health systems, inform accreditation standards, and determine future purchasing by health care payers. This study compared use of general anesthesia for cesarean delivery among patients cared for by generalist versus obstetric-specialized anesthesiologists.
Comparison Between General, Spinal, Epidural, and Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery: A Network Meta-analysis
Authors: Kim W.H. , Hur M. , Park S.K. , Yoo S. , Lim T. , Yoon H.K. , Kim J.T. , Bahk J.H.
Published: November 2019

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2019;37:5–15)

As the rate of cesarean deliveries has increased in the United States, the choice of anesthesia for this surgery has been discussed at length. Although spinal anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic choice of many anesthesiologists, general anesthesia is still used in circumstances such as time constraints or neuraxial anesthesia failure. Numerous studies have assessed neonatal outcomes with the various anesthetic techniques available, but direct comparisons of all 4 commonly used techniques are lacking. Therefore, this study used the network meta-analysis statistical technique, which allows comparisons of different drugs and treatments that have not previously been directly compared through randomized controlled trials. The aim of this network meta-analysis was to determine which anesthetic technique is associated with the best maternal and neonatal outcomes during cesarean delivery.
Structural Factors Shape the Effects of the Opioid Epidemic on Pregnant Women and Infants
Authors: Kozhimannil K.B. , Admon L.K.
Published: November 2019

(JAMA. 2019;321(4):352–353)

Understanding the context of drug use is important to fully understanding the opioid epidemic, and with it, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS is associated with opioid exposure and manifests with hyperirritability at birth, difficulty feeding, and respiratory problems. NAS occurs alongside prescription as well as nonprescription opioid use, including buprenorphine and methadone prescribed to pregnant women for the treatment of opioid addiction. New insights on the structural, social, and community factors that influence neonatal outcomes were described in a recent report by Patrick and colleagues, which examined county-level data from 8 states.
The Relationship Between Blood Loss and Post-CD Hemoglobin (Hb), and Whether Their Correlation Varies According to Type of Measurement
Authors: Fedoruk K. , Seligman K.M. , Carvalho B. , Butwick A.J.
Published: November 2019

(Anesth Analg. 2019;128(5):926–932)

Although postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a strong independent risk factor for postpartum anemia following a cesarean delivery (CD), relatively little is known about the relationship between overall blood loss and post-CD hemoglobin (Hb) levels. This study investigated whether such a relationship could be used to predict postpartum anemia.
Capsaicin-induced Pain and Sensation in the Postpartum Period
Authors: Street L.M. , Harris L. , Curry R.S. , Eisenach J.C.
Published: November 2019

(Br J Anaesth. 2019;122(1):103–110)

As observed in previous studies, a more rapid recovery from pain in the postoperative weeks following a cesarean delivery occurs than in other standard surgical procedures. Peripheral and central oxytocin release increases at the time of delivery and persists throughout lactation. A role for oxytocin in modulating pain neurotransmission is suggested by the recovery of animals from hypersensitivity after surgery in the postpartum period by the injection of intrathecal antagonists of oxytocin action. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether endogenous pain sensitization or inhibition was altered in postpartum women compared with an age-matched control group.
Affordable and Low-maintenance Obstetric Devices
Authors: Ayres-de-Campos D. , Stones W. , Theron G.
Published: November 2019

(Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2019;146(1):25–28)

Health budget restrictions among low- resource and medium-resource countries can limit important resources for obstetric care, in turn having a negative impact on maternal and fetal outcomes. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee acquired information on different low-maintenance essential obstetric devices.
A Prospective Observational Study of the Change in Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation During Cesarean Delivery in Women Receiving Phenylephrine Prophylaxis for Spinal Hypotension
Authors: Kornilov E. , Orbach-Zinger S. , Hoshen M. , Weiniger C.F. , Fein S. , Fireman S. , Firman S. , Aviram A. , Eidelman L.A.
Published: November 2019

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2019;37:29–35)

During cesarean delivery (CD) performed under spinal anesthesia, the incidence of hypotension has been reported to be as high as 70% to 80%. Previous studies have shown that this spinal-induced hypotension leads to decreased regional cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2), and treatment with ephedrine has returned ScO2 to baseline levels. In current practice, though, a prophylactic phenylephrine infusion is frequently used to prevent spinal hypotension during CD. There has been limited research on the effect of phenylephrine on ScO2. This prospective, observational cohort study was performed to investigate the change in ScO2 using near infrared spectroscopy in women receiving a prophylactic phenylephrine infusion during CD under spinal anesthesia.
Maternal and Newborn Outcomes With Elective Induction of Labor at Term
Authors: Souter V. , Painter I. , Sitcov K. , Caughey A.B.
Published: November 2019

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;220:273.e1–273.e11)

Induction of labor has been compared with expectant management of pregnancy in several studies and found to be associated with a lower rate of cesarean delivery and reduced perinatal death and morbidity. Two recent randomized controlled trials have found no increase or a decrease in cesarean birth rate in women who were induced at term, but these studies focused on specific age groups and may not speak to outcomes in the general population. This study aimed to compare neonatal and maternal outcomes in women undergoing elective induction of labor at 39 weeks gestation or beyond with the outcomes of women whose pregnancies were managed expectantly.
The Impact of Extending the Second Stage of Labor to Prevent Primary Cesarean Delivery on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes
Authors: Zipori Y. , Grunwald O. , Ginsberg Y. , Beloosesky R. , Weiner Z.
Published: November 2019

(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;220(2):191.e1–191.e7)

Vaginal delivery is associated with lower morbidity and mortality than cesarean delivery (CD). Labor dystocia, or abnormal descent of the fetal head, is an indication for primary CD in one third of all CDs. Traditionally, labor dystocia has been defined in relation to the Friedman curve; however, there is a growing argument that adherence to the Friedman curve may not be best practice. In 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) allowed an additional 1 hour of pushing before diagnosing second-stage arrest. The aim of this study was to compare the mode of delivery and maternal and fetal outcomes before and after the ACOG/SMFM recommendations were implemented.