bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of empagliflozin on decongestion in acute heart failure: the EMPULSE trial
Authors: Biegus Jan , Voors Adriaan A , Collins Sean P , Kosiborod Mikhail N , Teerlink John R , Angermann Christiane E , Tromp Jasper , Ferreira Joao Pedro , Nassif Michael E , Psotka Mitchell A , Brueckmann Martina , Salsali Afshin , Blatchford Jonathan P , Ponikowski Piotr
Published: October 2022

Aims

Effective and safe decongestion remains a major goal for optimal management of patients with acute heart failure (AHF). The effects of the sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin on decongestion-related endpoints in the EMPULSE trial (NCT0415775) were evaluated.

Methods and results

A total of 530 patients hospitalized for AHF were randomized 1:1 to either empagliflozin 10 mg once daily or placebo for 90 days. The outcomes investigated were: weight loss (WL), WL adjusted for mean daily loop diuretic dose (WL-adjusted), area under the curve of change from baseline in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, hemoconcentration, and clinical congestion score after 15, 30, and 90 days of treatment. Compared with placebo, patients treated with empagliflozin demonstrated significantly greater reductions in all studied markers of decongestion at all time-points, adjusted mean differences (95% confidence interval) at Days 15, 30, and 90 were: for WL −1.97 (−2.86, −1.08), −1.74 (−2.73, −0.74); −1.53 (−2.75, −0.31) kg; for WL-adjusted: −2.31 (−3.77, −0.85), −2.79 (−5.03, −0.54), −3.18 (−6.08, −0.28) kg/40 mg furosemide i.v. or equivalent; respectively (all P < 0.05). Greater WL at Day 15 (i.e. above the median WL in the entire population) was associated with significantly higher probability for clinical benefit at Day 90 (hierarchical composite of all-cause death, heart failure events, and a 5-point or greater difference in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score change from baseline to 90 days) with the win ratio of 1.75 (95% confidence interval 1.37, 2.23; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Initiation of empagliflozin in patients hospitalized for AHF resulted in an early, effective and sustained decongestion which was associated with clinical benefit at Day 90.
Lagging X chromatids specify the orientation of asymmetric organelle partitioning in XX spermatocytes ofAuanema rhodensis
Authors: Al-Yazeedi Talal , Xu Emily L , Kaur Jasmin , Shakes Diane C , Pires-daSilva Andre
Published: October 2022

The unequal partitioning of molecules and organelles during cell division results in daughter cells with different fates. An extreme example is female meiosis, in which consecutive asymmetric cell divisions give rise to 1 large oocyte and 2 small polar bodies with DNA and minimal cytoplasm. Here, we test the hypothesis that during an asymmetric cell division during spermatogenesis of the nematode Auanema rhodensis, the late segregating X chromatids orient the asymmetric partitioning of cytoplasmic components. In previous studies, the secondary spermatocytes of wild-type XO males were found to divide asymmetrically to generate functional spermatids that inherit components necessary for sperm viability and DNA-containing residual bodies that inherit components to be discarded. Here we extend that analysis to 2 novel contexts. First, the isolation and analysis of a strain of mutant XX pseudomales revealed that such animals have highly variable patterns of X-chromatid segregation. The pattern of late segregating X chromatids nevertheless predicted the orientation of organelle partitioning. Second, while wild-type XX hermaphrodites were known to produce both 1X and 2X sperm, here, we show that spermatocytes within specific spermatogonial clusters exhibit 2 different patterns of X-chromatid segregation that correlate with distinct patterns of organelle partitioning. Together this analysis suggests that A. rhodensis has coopted lagging X chromosomes during anaphase II as a mechanism for determining the orientation of organelle partitioning.
Crime, Disorder, and Territorial Stigmatization: Older Adults Living in Deprived Neighborhoods
Authors: Taei Afsaneh , Jönson Håkan , Granbom Marianne
Published: October 2022

Background and Objectives

The existence of social problems, crime, and a diminishing sense of community are acknowledged challenges to residents of deprived neighborhoods. In research on deprived neighborhoods in Sweden, the perspectives of young residents and adults of working age dominate. This study explores how older adults in deprived neighborhoods in Sweden experience crime and disorder, and how they adapt and respond to these problems and the neighborhood’s poor reputation.

Research Design and Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 older adults who had lived 5 years or more in deprived areas of two cities in Sweden. Data were analyzed using Hirschman’s theory of exit, voice, and loyalty with a thematic analysis.

Results

Most residents had positive things to say about their homes and neighborhoods, even if criminal acts such as shootings, drug dealing, arson, burglary, and knife attacks were part of everyday life. The residents attempted to manage these events with various strategies. Exit strategies included relocation and forms of adaptation and detachment. They used several voice strategies to actively try to solve the problems and engage with the community. Loyalty strategies—and relativizing—were used to defend their neighborhood reputation.

Discussion and Implications

The findings show we should move on from generalized notions of older adults as passive victims of their environment and highlight that some older adults are active agents in building communities in deprived neighborhoods. City improvement programs should extend support to older adults who wish to engage. Approaches are identified which may strengthen older adults’ contributions in such neighborhoods.
Magnetic on-time transient electromagnetic method (MoTEM) for imaging magnetic susceptibility
Authors: Melo Aline , Li Yaoguo
Published: October 2022

We present the magnetic on-time transient electromagnetic (MoTEM) method for obtaining information about subsurface magnetic susceptibility from transient electromagnetic (TEM) measurements. The method uses the primary field produced by a TEM system as the inducing magnetic field and extracts from the measured late on-time response the magnetic responses produced by the subsurface magnetic susceptibility. The method assumes that the transmitter waveform is long enough to allow for the dissipation of eddy currents until the electric conductivity effect becomes negligible towards the end of the on-time transmission and that the measured magnetic field or its time derivative is dominantly the response to magnetic susceptibility. Using numerical simulations, we study the dissipation of the field produced by the conductivity anomaly for different times of the transmitter waveform and demonstrate that the signal becomes dominated by the susceptibility anomaly (MoTEM signal) at late on-time for both moving and fixed-loop sources. We present observational evidence for the presence of MoTEM responses by showing that they can be identified in field data measured from a fixed-loop ground TEM survey over the ultramafic units in the Raglan nickel belt. Our study lays the foundation for the MoTEM method, demonstrates that it can be realized with existing TEM acquisition systems, and provides the guidance for new system development. The MoTEM response could enable the mapping and imaging of subsurface susceptibility from the airborne EM data and, therefore, has the potential to double the information content in such data by imaging both conductivity and magnetic susceptibility.
Ancestry-specific high-risk gene variant profiling unmasks diabetes-associated genes
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Chen Weiping , Chen Guanjie , Flannick Jason , Fikse Emma , Smerin Glenda , Degner Katherine , Yang Yanqin , Xu Catherine ,   Consortium AMP-T2D-GENES, Li Yulong , Hanover John A , Simonds William F
Published: October 2022

How ancestry-associated genetic variance affects disparities in the risk of polygenic diseases and influences the identification of disease-associated genes warrants a deeper understanding. We hypothesized that the discovery of genes associated with polygenic diseases may be limited by the overreliance on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genomic investigation, as most significant variants identified in genome-wide SNP association studies map to introns and intergenic regions of the genome. To overcome such potential limitations, we developed a gene-constrained, function-based analytical method centered on high-risk variants (hrV) that encode frameshifts, stopgains or splice site disruption. We analyzed the total number of hrV per gene in populations of different ancestry, representing a total of 185 934 subjects. Using this analysis, we developed a quantitative index of hrV (hrVI) across 20 428 genes within each population. We then applied hrVI analysis to the discovery of genes associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a polygenic disease with ancestry-related disparity. HrVI profiling and gene-to-gene comparisons of ancestry-specific hrV between the case (20 781 subjects) and control (24 440 subjects) populations in the T2DM national repository identified 57 genes associated with T2DM, 40 of which were discoverable only by ancestry-specific analysis. These results illustrate how a function-based, ancestry-specific analysis of genetic variations can accelerate the identification of genes associated with polygenic diseases. Besides T2DM, such analysis may facilitate our understanding of the genetic basis for other polygenic diseases that are also greatly influenced by environmental and behavioral factors, such as obesity, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease.
A splicing silencer inSMN2intron 6 is critical in spinal muscular atrophy
Authors: Wang Li , Ji Yinfeng , Chen Yuqing , Bai Jialin , Gao Peng , Feng Pengchao
Published: October 2022

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a fatal neuromuscular disease caused by homozygous deletions or mutations of the SMN1 gene. SMN2 is a paralogous gene of SMN1 and a modifying gene of SMA. A better understanding of how SMN2 exon 7 splicing is regulated helps discover new therapeutic targets for SMA therapy. Based on an antisense walk method to map exonic and intronic splicing silencers (ESSs and ISSs) in SMN2 exon 7 and the proximal regions of its flanking introns, we identified one ISS (ISS6-KH) at upstream of the branch point site in intron 6. By using mutagenesis-coupled RT-PCR with SMN1/2 minigenes, immunochromatography, overexpression and siRNA-knockdown, we found this ISS consists of a bipartite hnRNP A1 binding cis-element and a poly-U sequence located between the proximal hnRNP A1 binding site (UAGCUA) and the branch site. Both HuR and hnRNP C1 proteins promote exon 7 skipping through the poly-U stretch. Mutations or deletions of these motifs lead to efficient SMN2 exon 7 inclusion comparable to SMN1 gene. Furthermore, we identified an optimal antisense oligonucleotide that binds the intron six ISS and causes striking exon 7 inclusion in the SMN2 gene in patient fibroblasts and SMA mouse model. Our findings demonstrate that this novel ISS plays an important role in SMN2 exon 7 skipping and highlight a new therapeutic target for SMA therapy.
Genetic stock identification reveals greater use of an oceanic feeding ground around the Faroe Islands by multi-sea winter Atlantic salmon, with variation in use across reporting groups
Authors: O'Sullivan Ronan James , Ozerov Mikhail , Bolstad Geir H , Gilbey John , Jacobsen Jan Arge , Erkinaro Jaakko , Rikardsen Audun H , Hindar Kjetil , Aykanat Tutku
Published: October 2022

While it is known that the oceans around the Faroe Islands support an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feeding ground, the relative use of this resource by different age classes and populations remains largely unexplored. Using genetic stock identification and run–reconstruction modelling, we observed a consistent pattern whereby the proportion of multi-sea winter salmon (MSW—fish that have spent multiple winters at sea) for a reporting group was substantially greater around the Faroes than the MSW proportion among that group’s corresponding pre-fisheries abundance. Surprisingly, MSW fish from Ireland and the United Kingdom were as likely to occur around the Faroes as were MSW fish from more north-eastern regions. While 1SW salmon (single sea-winter fish) from Ireland and the United Kingdom as well as Southern Norway occurred in similar proportions around the Faroes, 1SW fish from the north-eastern regions were virtually absent. Our results indicate that the oceans around the Faroes host a predominantly MSW feeding ground and use of this resource varies across age classes and reporting groups. Furthermore, these results suggest that MSW fish from some reporting groups preferentially migrate to the Faroes. Variation in spatial resource use may help buffer salmon populations against localized negative changes in marine conditions via portfolio effects.
Embracing Aporia: Exploring Arts-Based Methods, Pain, “Playfulness,” and Improvisation in Research on Gender and Social Violence
Authors: Forcer Stephen , Shutt Helen , Martin Laura S , Coetzee Marie-Heleen , Ibrahim Aisha Fofana , Fitzmaurice Susan
Published: October 2022

This article explores the role of play and playfulness—as both methodological and analytical tools—in research on social violence. While play may seem antithetical to both discussions on methods and to studying social violence, we found that actually paying attention to such elements was in fact very productive. This article draws on a series of participatory workshops that engaged theater, dance, and comedy, which were held in Sierra Leone in 2021 that explored various social dimensions of sexual and gender-based violence in rural communities. The “fun” components that are so frequently dismissed in favor of more flat and binary research helped us better understand the complex, and often painful, emotions of women in these communities. We pay particular attention to how singing, which was not originally part of the research plan, became critical to engaging these women on discussions of social violence. We argue that researchers should be more aware and open to the prospects that “play,” “fun,” and improvisation have to offer in research processes, and how such components can themselves be absolutely critical to how we conduct and analyze research, as well as engage with participants, even in relation to sensitive subject matter.
Contrariety re-encountered: nonstandard contraries and internal negation**
Authors: Humberstone Lloyd
Published: October 2022

This discussion explores the possibility of distinguishing a tighter notion of contrariety evident in the Square of Opposition, especially in its modal incarnations, than as that binary relation holding statements that cannot both be true, with or without the added rider ‘though can both be false’. More than one theorist has voiced the intuition that the paradigmatic contraries of the traditional Square are related in some such tighter way—involving the specific role played by negation in contrasting them—that distinguishes them from other pairs of incompatible statements constructed from the same conceptual materials. Prominent among examples, these other nonstandard pairs are the ‘new contraries’ presented by Robert Blanché’s hexagon(s) of opposition. With special, though not exclusive, attention to these cases, we investigate whether contrariety in the distinguished sense can be captured by adding to the incompatibility condition the further demand that the pair of statements concerned can be represented as the results of applying some sentence operator to the content in its scope, for one of the pair, and, for the other, the application of that same operator to the negation of that content. For one of the two cases, a Blanché case, of nonstandard contrariety singled out for attention, the question of whether such a representation is available is settled at the end of Section 4, and then in a more satisfying way in Section 5, though for the other case, noticed by Peter Simons, the question remains open, after some tentative discussion in one subsection, 6.2, of an Appendix (Section 6).
Diel Periodicity in Males of the Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as Revealed by Automated Camera Traps
Authors: Burks Charles S , Hengst Foster S , Wilson Houston , Wenger Jacob A
Published: October 2022

Navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), is a key pest of walnuts, pistachio, and almonds in California. Pheromone mating disruption using timed aerosol dispensers is an increasingly common management technique. Dispenser efficiency may be increased by timing releases with the active mating period of navel orangeworm. Past work found that the peak time of sexual activity for navel orangeworm females is 2 h before sunrise when temperatures are above 18°C. Inference of male responsiveness from data collected in that study was limited by the necessity of using laboratory-reared females as a source of sex pheromone emission to attract males and the inherent limitations of human observers for nocturnal events. Here we used camera traps baited with artificial pheromone to observe male navel orangeworm mating response in the field over two field seasons. Male response to synthetic pheromone exhibited diel patterns broadly similar to females, i.e., they were active for a brief period of 2–3 h before dawn under summer conditions and began responding to pheromone earlier and over a longer period of time during spring and fall. But contrary to the previous findings with females, some males were captured at all hours of the day and night, and there was no evidence of short-term change of pheromone responsiveness in response to temperature. Environmental effects on the response of navel orangeworm males to an artificial pheromone source differ in important ways from the environmental effects on female release of sex pheromone.
The Effects of Light Wavelength and Trapping Habitat on Surveillance of Culicoides Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Alabama
Authors: Zhang Xinmi , Mathias Derrick K
Published: October 2022

In the southeastern United States, biting midges transmit agents of hemorrhagic diseases that are enzootic among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), Artiodactyla: Cervidae). Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), the only confirmed vector of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV) in the United States, is rarely collected in the Southeast, implying that other Culicoides Latreille species act as vectors. Despite multiple surveillance studies, the influence of trapping habitat and light wavelength on Culicoides sampling has yet to be investigated in Alabama. This study sampled Culicoides species at a deer research facility using CO2-baited CDC light traps with three distinct wavelengths. Traps were rotated within three habitats to examine impacts of habitat type and light wavelength on Culicoides abundance and parity status. For most species, midges were more abundant in a pine forest compared to a hardwood-forest riparian zone or a lightly wooded area adjacent to a seasonal pond. The pine forest generally had negative effects on parity status, suggesting that most females in this habitat were foraging for their first bloodmeal. Ultraviolet (UV) black-light (350 nm–360 nm) attracted more midges than incandescent light or UV LED light (385 nm–395 nm), but wavelength had less of an effect on parity than habitat. This study indicates that light wavelength and habitat significantly influence Culicoides sampling outcomes, and that when collecting parous females is desired (e.g., EHDV/BTV surveillance), targeting areas around oviposition sites may be a better strategy than trapping where midges are most abundant.
The stellar populations of quiescent ultra-diffuse galaxies from optical to mid-infrared spectral energy distribution fitting
Authors: Buzzo Maria Luisa , Forbes Duncan A , Brodie Jean P , Romanowsky Aaron J , Cluver Michelle E , Jarrett Thomas H , Laine Seppo , Couch Warrick J , Gannon Jonah S , Ferré-Mateu Anna , Okabe Nobuhiro
Published: October 2022

We use spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to place constraints on the stellar population properties of 29 quiescent ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) across different environments. We use the fully Bayesian routine PROSPECTOR coupled with archival data in the optical, near, and mid-infrared from Spitzer and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer under the assumption of an exponentially declining star formation history. We recover the stellar mass, age, metallicity, dust content, star formation time scales, and photometric redshifts (photo-zs) of the UDGs studied. Using the mid-infrared data, we probe the existence of dust in UDGs. Although its presence cannot be confirmed, we find that the inclusion of small amounts of dust in the models brings the stellar populations closer to those reported with spectroscopy. Additionally, we fit the redshifts of all galaxies. We find a high accuracy in recovering photo-zs compared to spectroscopy, allowing us to provide new photo-z estimates for three field UDGs with unknown distances. We find evidence of a stellar population dependence on the environment, with quiescent field UDGs being systematically younger than their cluster counterparts. Lastly, we find that all UDGs lie below the mass–metallicity relation for normal dwarf galaxies. Particularly, the globular cluster (GC)-poor UDGs are consistently more metal-rich than GC-rich ones, suggesting that GC-poor UDGs may be puffed-up dwarfs, while most GC-rich UDGs are better explained by a failed galaxy scenario. As a byproduct, we show that two galaxies in our sample, NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4, share equivalent stellar population properties, with ages consistent with 8 Gyr. This finding supports formation scenarios where the galaxies were formed together.
A scaling relation in [C ii]-detected galaxies and its likely application in cosmology
Authors: Wu Yi-Han , Gao Yu , Wang Jun-Feng
Published: October 2022

We identify and investigate a possible correlation between the $\rm {[C\,II]} \,158{-}{\mu }m$ luminosity and linewidth in the $\rm {[C\,II]}$-detected galaxies. Observationally, the strength of the $\rm {[C\,II]}\, 158{-}{\mu }m$ emission line is usually stronger than that of the carbon monoxide (CO) emission line and this $\rm {[C\,II]}$ line has been used as another tracer of the galactic characteristics. Moreover, many $\rm {[C\,II]}$-detected galaxies are identified in z > 4. Motivated by previous studies of the CO luminosity–full width at half-maximum correlation relation (LFR) and the available new $\rm {[C\,II]}$ measurements, we compile samples of the $\rm {[C\,II]}$-detected galaxies in the literature and perform the linear regression analysis. The $\rm {[C\,II]}$ LFR is confirmed at a robust level. We also demonstrate the possible application of the $\rm {[C\,II]}$ LFR by utilizing it on the distance measurement of the high-z galaxy. As a result, we extend the cosmic spatial scale beyond the redshift z of 7. With the outcome of the distance measurement, we constrain the cosmology parameters in the Chevallier–Polarski–Linder model, which considers the evolution of dark energy. Consequently, the uncertainties of the w0 and wa are reduced significantly when the measured distance data of the $\rm {[C\,II]}$-detected galaxies are included in the cosmological parameter constraint, exemplifying the potential of using the $\rm {[C\,II]}$-detected galaxies as a tracer to constrain the cosmological parameters.
Filament formation via collision-induced magnetic reconnection – formation of a star cluster
Authors: Kong Shuo , Whitworth David J , Smith Rowan J , Hamden Erika T
Published: October 2022

A collision-induced magnetic reconnection (CMR) mechanism was recently proposed to explain the formation of a filament in the Orion A molecular cloud. In this mechanism, a collision between two clouds with antiparallel magnetic fields produces a dense filament due to the magnetic tension of the reconnected fields. The filament contains fiber-like sub-structures and is confined by a helical magnetic field. To show whether the dense filament is capable of forming stars, we use the arepo code with sink particles to model star formation following the formation of the CMR-filament. First, the CMR-filament formation is confirmed with arepo. Secondly, the filament is able to form a star cluster after it collapses along its main axis. Compared to the control model without magnetic fields, the CMR model shows two distinctive features. First, the CMR-cluster is confined to a factor of ∼4 smaller volume. The confinement is due to the combination of the helical field and gravity. Secondly, the CMR model has a factor of ∼2 lower star formation rate. The slower star formation is again due to the surface helical field that hinders gas inflow from larger scales. Mass is only supplied to the accreting cluster through streamers.
Ionizing feedback effects on star formation in globular clusters with multiple stellar populations
Authors: Yaghoobi A , Rosdahl J , Calura F , Khalaj P , Haghi H
Published: October 2022

Using 3D radiation-hydrodynamical simulations, we study the effects of ionizing radiation on the formation of second-generation (SG) stars in globular clusters (GCs) with multiple stellar populations. In particular, we focus on massive ($10^7 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) and young (40-Myr old) GCs. We consider stellar winds from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, ram pressure, gas accretion on to the cluster, and photo-ionization feedback of binary stars. We find that the stellar luminosity is strong enough to warm and ionize the intracluster medium, but it does not lead to a significant gas expulsion. The cluster can thus retain the ejecta of AGB stars and the accreted pristine gas. In addition, efficient cooling occurs in the central region of the cluster within $50\, \mathrm{Myr}$ from the formation of first generation stars, leading to the formation of SG stars. Our results indicate that the inclusion of photo-ionization does not suppress SG formation, but rather delays it by about $\sim 10\, \mathrm{Myr}$. The time delay depends on the density of the pristine gas, so that a denser medium exhibits a shorter delay in star formation. Moreover, photo-ionization leads to a modest decrease in the total SG mass, compared to a model without it.
Do unequal-mass binary black hole systems have larger χeff? Probing correlations with copulas in gravitational-wave astronomy
Authors: Adamcewicz Christian , Thrane Eric
Published: October 2022

The formation history of binary black hole systems is imprinted on the distribution of their masses, spins, and eccentricity. While much has been learned studying these parameters in turn, recent studies have explored the joint distribution of binary black hole parameters in two or more dimensions. Most notably, it has recently been argued that binary black hole mass ratio and effective inspiral spin χeff are anticorrelated. We point out a previously overlooked subtlety in such 2D population studies: in order to conduct a controlled test for correlation, one ought to fix the two marginal distributions – lest the purported correlation be driven by improved fit in just one dimension. We address this subtlety using a tool from applied statistics: the copula density function. We use the previous work correlating mass ratio and χeff as a case study to demonstrate the power of copulas in gravitational-wave astronomy while scrutinizing their astrophysical inferences. Our findings, however, affirm their conclusions that binary black holes with unequal component masses exhibit larger χeff (98.7 per cent credibility). We conclude by discussing potential astrophysical implications of these findings as well as prospects for future studies using copulas.
The influence of the porosity of dust particles on the amplitude of the change in the brightness of a comet
Authors: Wesołowski Marcin , Gronkowski Piotr , Kossacki Konrad J
Published: October 2022

The paper presents a new approach to determining the change in the brightness of a comet during an outburst. It was investigated how the porosity of the dust particle translates into an increase in comet brightness during an outburst. It has been shown that the greater the porosity of a given particle, the greater the scattering efficiency, which directly translates into a greater amplitude of the change in the cometary brightness. In the case of dense aggregates with porosity ψ = 0.05, the brightness rate varies from −0.74 to −4.24 mag. In the case of porous agglomerates, the porosity of which is in the range from 0.30 to 0.90, the brightness change ranges from −0.91 to −6.66 mag.
RAiSE: simulation-based analytical model of AGN jets and lobes
Authors: Turner Ross J , Yates-Jones Patrick M , Shabala Stanislav S , Quici Benjamin , Stewart Georgia S C
Published: October 2022

We present an analytical model for the evolution of extended active galactic nuclei (AGNs) throughout their full lifecycle, including the initial jet expansion, lobe formation, and eventual remnant phases. A particular focus of our contribution is on the early jet expansion phase, which is traditionally not well captured in analytical models. We implement this model within the Radio AGN in Semi-Analytic Environments (RAiSE) framework, and find that the predicted radio source dynamics are in good agreement with hydrodynamic simulations of both low-powered Fanaroff-Riley Type-I and high-powered Type-II radio lobes. We construct synthetic synchrotron surface brightness images by complementing the original RAiSE model with the magnetic field and shock-acceleration histories of a set of Lagrangian tracer particles taken from an existing hydrodynamic simulation. We show that a single set of particles is sufficient for an accurate description of the dynamics and observable features of Fanaroff-Riley Type-II radio lobes with very different jet parameters and ambient density profile normalizations. Our new model predicts that the lobes of young (≲10 Myr) sources will be both longer and brighter than expected at the same age from existing analytical models, which lack a jet-dominated expansion phase; this finding has important implications for interpretation of radio galaxy observations. The RAiSE code, written in python, is publicly available on github and pypi.
The Magellanic Edges Survey – IV. Complex tidal debris in the SMC outskirts
Authors: Cullinane L R , Mackey A D , Da Costa G S , Koposov S E , Erkal D
Published: October 2022

We use data from the Magellanic Edges Survey (MagES) in combination with Gaia EDR3 to study the extreme southern outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), focussing on a field at the eastern end of a long arm-like structure which wraps around the southern periphery of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Unlike the remainder of this structure, which is thought to be comprised of perturbed LMC disc material, the aggregate properties of the field indicate a clear connection with the SMC. We find evidence for two stellar populations in the field: one having properties consistent with the outskirts of the main SMC body, and the other significantly perturbed. The perturbed population is on average ∼0.2 dex more metal-rich, and is located ∼7 kpc in front of the dominant population with a total space velocity relative to the SMC centre of ∼230 km s−1 broadly in the direction of the LMC. We speculate on possible origins for this perturbed population, the most plausible of which is that it comprises debris from the inner SMC that has been recently tidally stripped by interactions with the LMC.
Mechanical effects: challenges for high-field superconducting magnets
Authors: Zhang Xingyi , Qin Jinggang
Published: October 2022

Due to its clean products and sufficient raw materials, fusion energy is expected to become one of the main solutions of the energy crisis and ensuring the sustainable development of human society, which is a long-term strategic frontier field. The promise of fusion energy is to constrain the motion of high-temperature plasma by the high magnetic field generated by superconducting magnets, and then achieve controllable thermonuclear fusion. Fusion power is proportional to the fourth power of the magnetic field strength. Thus, future commercial fusion reactors need a higher magnetic field as the basis for sustainable development [1].

In order to verify the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy, China, the United States, the European Union, Russia et al. have jointly participated in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Fusion Test Reactor (ITER), which is expected to produce the first plasma discharge by 2025 [2]. Currently, China is leading the world in many fields of fusion energy research. For example, the experimental advanced superconducting Tokamak (EAST) whole-superconducting Tokamak located at the Institute of Plasma Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences has achieved a repeatable world record of stable plasma operation at 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds, which provides a solid foundation for ITER and also China's future Independent Building Fusion Reactor (https://www.cas.cn/syky/202105/t20210528_4790357.shtml). Prof. Jiangang Li, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, participated in and completed the design and construction of EAST plasma facing componments (PFCs) engineering by the support of the national ‘9th five-year plan’ major scientific and technological infrastructure, and presided over the completion of the national ‘11th five-year plan’ major scientific and technological infrastructure—EAST auxiliary heating system project. He also hosted the national ‘13th five-year plan’ major scientific and technological infrastructure—Integrated Research Facility for Critical Systems of fusion reactor comprehensive research facility for fusion technology (CRAFT). Many important scientific and technological problems have been solved and overcome by Prof. Li and his co-workers, which puts China's plasma physics research and fusion engineering technology at the forefront of global engineering.
Computational simulations of the effects of gravity on lymphatic transport
Authors: Li Huabing , Wei Huajian , Padera Timothy P , Baish James W , Munn Lance L
Published: October 2022

Physical forces, including mechanical stretch, fluid pressure, and shear forces alter lymphatic vessel contractions and lymph flow. Gravitational forces can affect these forces, resulting in altered lymphatic transport, but the mechanisms involved have not been studied in detail. Here, we combine a lattice Boltzmann-based fluid dynamics computational model with known lymphatic mechanobiological mechanisms to investigate the movement of fluid through a lymphatic vessel under the effects of gravity that may either oppose or assist flow. Regularly spaced, mechanical bi-leaflet valves in the vessel enforce net positive flow as the vessel walls contract autonomously in response to calcium and nitric oxide (NO) levels regulated by vessel stretch and shear stress levels. We find that large gravitational forces opposing flow can stall the contractions, leading to no net flow, but transient mechanical perturbations can re-establish pumping. In the case of gravity strongly assisting flow, the contractions also cease due to high shear stress and NO production, which dilates the vessel to allow gravity-driven flow. In the intermediate range of oppositional gravity forces, the vessel actively contracts to offset nominal gravity levels or to modestly assist the favorable hydrostatic pressure gradients.
Antipsychotic Maintenance Treatment for Patients With Schizophrenia: The Need for Placebo-Controlled Trials and The Risk of Paradigm Shifts
Authors: Lawrence Ryan E
Published: October 2022

Background and Hypothesis

There is limited evidence guiding clinicians and patients on how long to continue antipsychotic medication beyond the first 1–2 years of treatment. Data from long-term (beyond 2 years) placebo-controlled trials would be informative but would be resource-intensive and technically difficult to obtain. Philosophy and history offer perspective on whether schizophrenia researchers should invest in such trials.

Study Design

Essay.

Results

In Descartes’ model of science, knowledge grows by accumulation and evolves from simpler toward more complex areas. From this perspective, the most important questions are when and how to build this evidence base. In Kuhn’s model of science, paradigm shifts can occur that reframe which questions and answers are meaningful. From this perspective, the question of whether to invest in long-term placebo-controlled trials is especially important. An historical review of schizophrenia over the past century indicates that major paradigm shifts have occurred regarding schizophrenia treatments, what counts as evidence, and the definition of schizophrenia.

Conclusions

While long-term placebo-controlled trials would add value within the current paradigm, if a paradigm shift occurs there is a risk that this value would not be maintained in the new paradigm.
Investigation of Asymptomatic Infection of Phellinus noxius in Herbaceous Plants
Authors: Chen Chia-Yu , Wu Zong-Chi , Liu Tse-Yen , Yu Shiang-Shiuan , Tsai Jyh-Nong , Tsai Yu-Chang , Tsai Isheng J. , Chung Chia-Lin
Published: October 2022

The white-rot fungus Phellinus noxius is known to cause brown root rot disease (BRRD) in woody trees and shrubs. To understand the pathogenicity of P. noxius in herbaceous plants, we investigated 23 herbaceous weed and turfgrass species in 32 BRRD-infested sites in Taiwan and/or tested them by artificial inoculation. In the field survey, P. noxius was isolated from seven symptomless herbaceous species (i.e., Typhonium blumei, Paspalum conjugatum, Paspalum distichum, Oplismenus compositus, Bidens pilosa, Digitaria ciliaris, and Zoysia matrella). Potted plant inoculation assays suggested that P. noxius is able to infect Artemisia princeps, O. compositus, and Z. matrella but not Axonopus compressus, Eremochloa ophiuroides, Ophiopogon japonicus, or Cynodon dactylon. A. princeps plants wilted within 2 weeks postinoculation, but inoculated O. compositus and Z. matrella were asymptomatic, and P. noxius could be isolated from only inoculated sites. The colonization of P. noxius in the cortex and vascular cylinder of roots was visualized by paraffin sectioning and trypan blue staining of juvenile seedlings grown on water agar. To evaluate the effect of replantation for the remediation of BRRD-infested sites, P. noxius-inoculated wood strips were buried in soil with or without vegetation. After 4 weeks, P. noxius could be detected only in the bare soil group. For the control of BRRD, the herbaceous hosts should be removed around the diseased trees/stumps and non-host turfgrasses (e.g., A. compressus, E. ophiuroides, O. japonicus, or C. dactylon) planted to accelerate the degradation of P. noxius.
Findings From Implementing a Patient Experience Survey in a Quality Measurement System for Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment Facilities in 6 States
Authors: Zuckerbraun Sara , Eicheldinger Celia , Barch Daniel , Mark Tami , Seibert Julie , Thornburg Vanessa , Carley-Baxter Lisa
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Patient experience surveys (PESs) are an important component of determining the quality of health care. There is an absence of PES data available to people seeking to identify higher quality substance use disorder treatment providers. Our project aimed to correct this by implementing a PES for substance use disorder treatment providers and publicly disseminating PES information.

Methods

We created a population frame of all addiction providers in 6 states. Providers were asked to disseminate a survey invitation letter directing patients to a survey Web site. No personally identifiable information was exchanged. We developed a 10-question survey, reflecting characteristics National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have identified as reflecting higher-quality addiction treatment.

Results

Nineteen percent of facilities participated; among participating facilities, 9627 patients completed the survey. Patient experience varied significantly by facility with the percentage of a facility’s patients who chose the most positive answer varying widely. We calculated that between-facility reliability will meet or exceed 0.80 for facilities with 20 or more responding patients. We searched for but did not find evidence of data falsification.

Conclusions

This cost-efficient survey protocol is low burden for providers and patients. Results suggest significant differences in quality of care among facilities, and facility-level results are important to provide to consumers when they evaluate the relative patient-reported quality of facilities. The data are not designed to provide population-based statistics. As more facilities and patients per facility participate, public-facing PES data will be increasingly useful to consumers seeking to compare and choose facilities.
Associations Between Distinct Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and Receipt of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Frost Madeline C. , Hawkins Eric J. , Glass Joseph E. , Hallgren Kevin A. , Williams Emily C.
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Among people with opioid use disorder (OUD), having a co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) is associated with lower likelihood of receiving OUD treatment medications (MOUD). However, it is unclear how distinct co-occurring SUDs are associated with MOUD receipt. This study examined associations of distinct co-occurring SUDs with initiation and continuation of MOUD among patients with OUD in the national Veterans Health Administration (VA).

Methods

Electronic health record data were extracted for outpatients with OUD who received care August 1, 2016, to July 31, 2017. Analyses were conducted separately among patients without and with prior-year MOUD receipt to examine initiation and continuation, respectively. SUDs were measured using diagnostic codes; MOUD receipt was measured using prescription fills/clinic visits. Adjusted regression models estimated likelihood of following-year MOUD receipt for patients with each co-occurring SUD relative to those without.

Results

Among 23,990 patients without prior-year MOUD receipt, 12% initiated in the following year. Alcohol use disorder (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–0.90) and cannabis use disorder (aIRR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70–0.87) were negatively associated with initiation. Among 11,854 patients with prior-year MOUD receipt, 83% continued in the following year. Alcohol use disorder (aIRR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.97), amphetamine/other stimulant use disorder (aIRR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90–0.99), and cannabis use disorder (aIRR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98) were negatively associated with continuation.

Conclusions

In this study of national VA outpatients with OUD, those with certain co-occurring SUDs were less likely to initiate or continue MOUD. Further research is needed to identify barriers related to specific co-occurring SUDs.
Cage Obliquity and Radiological Outcomes in Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion
Authors: Park Ki-Hoon , Chung Hee-Woong , Lee Han-Dong , Jeon Chang-Hoon , Koh Jeong-hyun , Chung Nam-Su
Published: October 2022

Study Design.

Retrospective radiological study.

Objective.

This study aimed to examine whether cage obliquity affects radiological outcomes in oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF).

Summary of Background Data.

The OLIF cage enters the disk space in the oblique direction and is then turned to the true orthogonal orientation. However, orthogonal cage placement is often hindered by cage rotation limitations. Few studies have examined the degree of cage obliquity and its effects in OLIF.

Materials and Methods.

This study involved 171 levels in 118 consecutive patients who underwent OLIF between L2–L3 and L4–L5 with a minimum two-year follow-up. Cage obliquity was divided into three groups on postoperative axial computed tomography images; cage obliquity <10° (group 1), cage obliquity ≥10° and <20° (group 2), and cage obliquity ≥20° (group 3). The radiological outcomes included anterior/posterior disk height, intervertebral disk angle, foraminal height, fusion, and cage subsidence. Postoperative complications related to cage obliquity were examined.

Results.

The mean cage obliquity of the 171 cages was 11.3±6.9°. Cage obliquity was greater at the L4–L5 level (13.4±6.4°) than at other levels (L2–L3 and L3–L4: 6.5±7.0° and 10.1±6.2°, respectively) (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in radiological outcomes among the groups. There were two cases of postoperative contralateral neurological symptoms in group 3.

Conclusions.

Our study showed that the orthogonal cage rotation in OLIF achieved adequate lateral cage placement. Although accurate cage rotation can be limited at the lower lumbar segments, radiological outcomes were not affected by cage obliquity.
The association of hormone therapy with blood pressure control in postmenopausal women with hypertension: a secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials
Authors: Jiang Xuezhi , Aragaki Aaron K. , Nudy Matthew , Manson JoAnn E. , Shadyab Aladdin H. , Wild Robert A. , Valdiviezo Carolina , Gass Margery , Martin Lisa Warsinger , Pan Kathy , Stefanick Marcia L. , Robbins John A. , Schnatz Peter F.
Published: October 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) on blood pressure control in postmenopausal women with hypertension.

Methods

The Women's Health Initiative HT clinical trials were double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled studies of women aged 50 to 79 years testing the effects of HT (conjugated equine estrogens [CEE, 0.625 mg/d] or CEE + medroxyprogesterone acetate [MPA; 2.5 mg/d]) on risks for coronary heart disease and invasive breast cancer, the primary outcomes for efficacy and safety, respectively. This secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative HT trials examined a subsample of 9,332 women with hypertension (reported ever taking pills to treat hypertension or were taking antihypertensive medication) at baseline. Blood pressure was measured at baseline and up to 10 annual follow-up visits during the planned study phase. Antihypertensive medications were inventoried at baseline and years 1, 3, 6, and 9 during the study, and self-reported during extended follow-up: 2009-2010 and 2012-2013, which occurred median of 13 and 16 years after randomization, respectively. The intervention effect was estimated through year 6. Cumulative follow-up included all visits.

Results

Compared with placebo, CEE-alone had significantly (P = 0.02) higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) by mean (95% confidene interval [CI]) = 0.9 (0.2-1.5) mm Hg during the intervention phase. For cumulative follow-up, the CEE arm was associated with increased SBP by mean (95% CI) = 0.8 (0.1-1.4) mm Hg (P = 0.02). Furthermore, CEE + MPA relative to placebo was associated with increased SBP by mean (95% CI) = 1.8 (1.2-2.5) mm Hg during the intervention phase (P < 0.001). For cumulative follow-up, the CEE + MPA arm was associated with increased SBP by mean (95% CI) = 1.6 (1.0-2.3) mm Hg (P < 0.001). The mean number of antihypertensive medications taken at each follow-up visit did not differ between randomization groups during the intervention or long-term extended follow-up of 16 years.

Conclusion

There was a small but statistically significant increase in SBP in both CEE-alone and CEE + MPA arms compared with placebo during both the intervention and cumulative follow-up phases among postmenopausal women with hypertension at baseline. However, this increase in SBP was not associated with an increased antihypertensive medication use over time among women randomized to HT compared with placebo.