bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cause of Death in Neonates With Neurological Insults in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Insights From A MITS Pilot Study
Authors: Mathew Mary , Lewis Leslie , Sreenivas Athira , Purkayastha Jayashree
Published: September 2021

Background

Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) of organs has been used as an alternative to complete diagnostic autopsy in countries where refusal for autopsy in newborns is common for sociocultural reasons. There is a paucity of literature regarding the diagnostic utility of MITS of the brain after death in neonates with neurological insults, especially in India.

Methods

This was a prospective, preliminary single-center tertiary care hospital study in India, focused specifically on MITS of the brain after neonatal death as a diagnostic tool to identify the various neurological insults. All neonatal deaths with neurological symptoms occurring within the first 30 days of life were enrolled, irrespective of the suspected clinical diagnosis.

Results

Sixteen neonates were enrolled after death for MITS of the brain, performed for diagnostic purposes, during the study period from February 2020 to March 2021. Their gestational ages ranged from 26 to 38 weeks. All neonates had either a history of seizures and/or respiratory distress or clinical evidence of sepsis and were on ventilator support. Histopathology in all 16 neonates showed evidence of anoxia, with or without reactive astrogliosis or microgliosis. In 5 neonates with cranial ultrasound evidence of brain hemorrhage, MITS of the brain showed intraventricular hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, or intraparenchymal white matter microhemorrhages. Premortem blood culture–proven sepsis was seen in 9 neonates. In all cases (100%), MITS had a good diagnostic yield and was useful to establish the neurological insult in the brain.

Conclusions

MITS of the brain provides an accurate and adequate diagnosis and can be an alternative to complete diagnostic autopsy for establishing the cause of death due to neurological insults, especially in low-resource settings where obtaining consent for more invasive procedure is often challenging.
Long-term impact of COVID-19 among maintenance haemodialysis patients
Authors: Chawki Sylvain , Buchard Albert , Sakhi Hamza , Dardim Karim , El Sakhawi Karim , Chawki Mokhtar , Boulanger Henri , Kofman Tomek , Dahmane Djamal , Rieu Philippe , Attaf David , Ahriz-Saksi Salima , Masoumi Afshin , Diddaoui Ali Zineddine , Fromentin Luc , Michaut Patrick , Nebbad Rachida , Desassis Jean-François , Nicolet Laurence , Sohier-Attias Julie , Besson Frederic , Boula Remy , Hafi Ali , Ghazali Abderrahmane , Lamriben Larbi , Arezki Adem , Dupuis Emmanuel , Rifard Mohamad-Khair , Joly Dominique , Attias Philippe , El Karoui Khalil
Published: September 2021

Background

Maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients have a high risk of initial mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, long-term consequences of this disease in the MHD population are poorly described. We report the clinical presentation, outcome and long-term follow-up of MHD patients affected by COVID-19 in a multicentric cohort from the Paris, France area.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical presentation and long-term follow-up of MHD patients affected by COVID-19 in 19 MHD centres in the Paris, France area.

Results

In this cohort of 248 patients with an initial mortality rate of 18%, age, comorbidities, dyspnoea and previous immunosuppressive treatment were associated with death at <30 days. Among the 203 surviving patients following the acute phase, long-term follow-up (median 180 days) was available for 189 (93%) patients. Major adverse events occurred in 30 (16%) patients during follow-up, including 12 deaths (6%) after a median of 78 days from onset of symptoms. Overall, cardiovascular events, infections and gastrointestinal bleeding were the main major adverse events. Post-COVID-19 cachexia was observed in 25/189 (13%) patients. Lower initial albuminaemia was significantly associated with this cachexia. No reinfection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was observed.

Conclusions

This work demonstrates the long-term consequences of COVID-19 in MHD patients, highlighting both initial and long-term severity of the disease, including severe cachexia.
Septal myectomy complicated by an embolic stroke in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a case report
Authors: Butt Muhammad Umer , Alameh Anas , Bashir Hanad , Jabri Ahmad
Published: September 2021

Background

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is estimated to affect 1 out of every 500 adults in the USA. One of its main complications is left ventricular outflow obstruction, which may require surgical septal myectomy in severe cases. We report a rare complication of postoperative septal akinesis leading to thrombus formation presenting as an acute ischaemic stroke.

Case summary

A 48-year-old woman presented with acute stroke 2 years after surgical septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Diagnostic workup identified an intraventricular thrombus arising in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). After comprehensive evaluation, it was determined that the thrombus development was a complication of the prior septal myectomy causing focal septal akinesis. Treatment with anticoagulation resulted in improvement of neurological symptoms and resolution of the intraventricular thrombus.

Discussion

This case illustrates the rarity and unusual presentation of an intracardiac thrombus that arises from septal myectomy site. A thrombus arising in the LVOT, which is characterized by high gradient laminar flow, is highly unusual. This suggests microscopic and macroscopic alteration in the ventricular septal wall structure, as evident by the septal wall akinesis seen on echocardiography. Recognition of this complication is critical to the selection of appropriate anticoagulation as secondary stroke prevention in these patients.
Metformin therapy is not associated with the lower prevalence of ascending aortic aneurysm in diabetic patients
Authors: Vignac Maxime , Ntika Stelia , Olsson Christian , Franco-Cereceda Anders , Björck Hanna M
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVES

Metformin therapy has previously been associated with reduced abdominal aortic aneurysm growth rate in diabetic patients and shown to suppress the formation and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm in normoglycemic mice. Here, we investigated the association between Metformin treatment and prevalence of aneurysm in the ascending aorta (AscAA).

METHODS

A total of 734 patients undergoing open-heart surgery for AscAA and/or aortic valve disease were studied. Diabetes status and medication use were self-reported by the patients in a systematic questionnaire. Aortic dilatation was defined as an aortic root or ascending aortic diameter ≥4.0 cm. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were assessed as a measure of systemic inflammation.

RESULTS

We could confirm the inverse association between diabetes and AscAA prevalence (16% vs 43.9%, for diabetic and non-diabetic patients, respectively; Odds ratio 0.243; 95% CI, 0.129–0.460, P < 0.001). Furthermore, in diabetic patients, Metformin treatment was associated with lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. There was, however, no difference in the prevalence of AscAA among diabetic patients with and without Metformin treatment (16% vs 16% for treated and non-treated patients, respectively; OR 1.039; 95% CI 0.26–4.19, P = 0.957).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data do not support a protective effect of Metformin therapy in AscAA formation.

Subj collection

161, 173
Communicative data-driven learning: a two-year pilot study
Authors: Hirata Yoko , Thompson Paul
Published: September 2021

With the development of language corpora, linguists have been able to identify how often specific words, phrases, and expressions are used, and in which contexts. However, applications of corpora in the wider domain of language teaching have remained limited. This article presents an approach to utilizing corpora, combining principles from communicative language teaching and data-driven learning, and based on a two-year action-research-based trial of the approach with a monolingual class at a Japanese university. Beginning with learner training in their L1, students learned to analyse concordance lines and were given the opportunity to recontextualize and conceptualize any identified language patterns and features through realistic communicative activities. While challenges remain in relation to the effectiveness of learner training and the preparation of suitable concordance lines, students were found to have increased their fluency and accuracy, and to have made improvements to their speaking confidence and complexity.
Does Family Economic Strain Reduce Child Educational Achievement? A Longitudinal Assessment Using the Great Recession in Ireland
Authors: Layte Richard
Published: September 2021

Although the association between family social position and children’s educational achievement has been repeatedly shown, evidence of what explains this association has been more elusive. We put forward two broad theories which have come to dominate the literature: the ‘family investments model’ (FIM) and the ‘family stress model’ (FSM). Using longitudinal cohort data from Growing Up in Ireland, a nationally representative cohort study of young people and propensity score methods to adjust for selection bias, we show that a family’s experience of economic strain can significantly reduce child attainment in state exams at age 15. Together, FIM and FSM measures explain between 36 per cent and 47 per cent of the effect of change in economic strain, but the variables associated with FSM explain more of the effect for economic strain than change in the variables associated with FIM. These results add to mounting evidence that psycho-social processes are at least as important, if not more important than human capital processes in explaining the effects of low resources on child health, education, and social development.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy via left bundle branch pacing vs. optimized biventricular pacing with adaptive algorithm in heart failure with left bundle branch block: a prospective, multi-centre, observational study
Authors: Chen Xueying , Ye Yang , Wang Zhongkai , Jin Qinchun , Qiu Zhaohui , Wang Jingfeng , Qin Shengmei , Bai Jin , Wang Wei , Liang Yixiu , Chen Haiyan , Sheng Xia , Gao Feng , Zhao Xianxian , Fu Guosheng , Ellenbogen Kenneth A , Su Yangang , Ge Junbo
Published: September 2021

Aims

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) via left bundle branch pacing (LBBP-CRT) compared with optimized biventricular pacing (BVP) with adaptive algorithm (BVP-aCRT) in heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% (HFrEF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Methods and results

One hundred patients with HFrEF and LBBB undergoing CRT were prospectively enrolled in a non-randomized fashion and divided into two groups (LBBP-CRT, n = 49; BVP-aCRT, n = 51) in four centres. Implant characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were accessed at baseline and during 6-month and 1-year follow-up. The success rate for LBBP-CRT and BVP-aCRT was 98.00% and 91.07%. Fused LBBP had the greatest reduced QRS duration compared to BVP-aCRT (126.54 ± 11.67 vs. 102.61 ± 9.66 ms, P < 0.001). Higher absolute left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and △LVEF was also achieved in LBBP-CRT than BVP-aCRT at 6-month (47.58 ± 12.02% vs. 41.24 ± 10.56%, P = 0.008; 18.52 ± 13.19% vs. 12.89 ± 9.73%, P = 0.020) and 1-year follow-up (49.10 ± 10.43% vs. 43.62 ± 11.33%, P = 0.021; 20.90 ± 11.80% vs. 15.20 ± 9.98%, P = 0.015, P = 0.015). There was no significant difference in response rate between two groups while higher super-response rate was observed in LBBP-CRT as compared to BVP-aCRT at 6 months (53.06% vs. 36.59%, P = 0.016) and 12 months (61.22% vs. 39.22%, P = 0.028) during follow-up. The pacing threshold was lower in LBBP-CRT at implant and during 1-year follow-up (both P < 0.001). Procedure-related complications and adverse clinical outcomes including heart failure hospitalization and mortality were not significantly different in two groups.

Conclusions

The feasibility and efficacy of LBBP-CRT demonstrated better electromechanical resynchronization and higher clinical and echocardiographic response, especially higher super-response than BVP-aCRT in HFrEF with LBBB.
EvolvedBmp6enhancer alleles drive spatial shifts in gene expression during tooth development in sticklebacks
Authors: Stepaniak Mark D. , Square Tyler A. , Miller Craig T.
Published: September 2021

Mutations in enhancers have been shown to often underlie natural variation but the evolved differences in enhancer activity can be difficult to identify in vivo. Threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) are a robust system for studying enhancer evolution due to abundant natural genetic variation, a diversity of evolved phenotypes between ancestral marine and derived freshwater forms, and the tractability of transgenic techniques. Previous work identified a series of polymorphisms within an intronic enhancer of the Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (Bmp6) gene that are associated with evolved tooth gain, a derived increase in freshwater tooth number that arises late in development. Here, we use a bicistronic reporter construct containing a genetic insulator and a pair of reciprocal two-color transgenic reporter lines to compare enhancer activity of marine and freshwater alleles of this enhancer. In older fish, the two alleles drive partially overlapping expression in both mesenchyme and epithelium of developing teeth, but the freshwater enhancer drives a reduced mesenchymal domain and a larger epithelial domain relative to the marine enhancer. In younger fish, these spatial shifts in enhancer activity are less pronounced. Comparing Bmp6 expression by in situ hybridization in developing teeth of marine and freshwater fish reveals similar evolved spatial shifts in gene expression. Together, these data support a model in which the polymorphisms within this enhancer underlie evolved tooth gain by shifting the spatial expression of Bmp6 during tooth development, and provide a general strategy to identify spatial differences in enhancer activity in vivo.
Building the Cathedral of Democracy: Frankfurt’s Paulskirche in Hitler’s Shadow
Authors: Demshuk Andrew
Published: September 2021

After Nazi horrors disgraced German nationalism, Frankfurt’s Paulskirche became an ideal monument through which to redeem the German nation. In 1848, the first democratic German parliament convened here to debate the contours of a united, politically liberal German nation-state, only to be dispersed by reactionary forces. In 1944, the Paulskirche burned. Out of this shell, postwar politicians, intellectuals and architects fashioned a veritable ‘cathedral of democracy’ in which to celebrate the ‘better Germany’ now reborn. This article analyses formative issues at stake as the ruin was reconstructed into a sacred site for national identity after Hitler. At the same time that the Paulskirche provoked debates about whether modernist or traditional architectural styles were properly ‘democratic’ or represented an ‘authoritarian’ false path after Hitler, onlookers were disturbed that though few of the architects had been party members, most had worked for Hitler, deployed an aesthetic reminiscent of Nazism and applied tyrannical planning methods. For the greater good of ‘German democracy’, the city also confiscated the church from its Protestant congregation. Subsequent feuds about whether the Paulskirche should keep its 1948 aesthetics or be retrofitted to look as it had in 1848 served as ideological ‘events’ that once more questioned what the ‘German nation’ should represent after Hitler. At a time of overwhelming material suffering, Germans poured resources and energy into proving in physical space that Germany had a democratic past, present and future. However, debates about how that democratic tradition should architecturally manifest itself conjured shadows from the Nazi past.
Influence of the microstructure on stress-dependent P-wave anisotropy in sandstone
Authors: Shen Haimeng , Li Xiaying , Li Qi
Published: September 2021

To understand the factors that affect the stress-dependent P-wave velocity anisotropy, a method is proposed to simulate anisotropic microcracks and minerals based on the discrete element method (DEM). Laboratory triaxial tests and numerical simulations were performed on sandstone samples with bedding orientations parallel and perpendicular to the maximum principal stress. The ellipse fitting method was applied to analyse the variation in P-wave anisotropy. The micromechanism of stress-dependent P-wave anisotropy was revealed. The evolution of microcracks is the main reason for the change in P-wave anisotropy under compression. As the confining pressure increases, the magnitude of the P-wave anisotropy is reduced. The weakening of the P-wave anisotropy results from the decrease in the number of open microcracks. Under deviatoric stress loading, the P-wave anisotropy of the bedding-parallel sample in the axial direction is strengthened. Anisotropy reversal occurs in the bedding-normal sample. The microcrack behaviour depends on the direction of maximum principal stress. The variation in microcrack anisotropy induced by stress controls the evolution of P-wave velocity anisotropy. The stress at which anisotropic reversal occurs depends on the preferred orientation mineral. The DEM model offers the unique ability to directly examine the variation in microstructure anisotropy that causes the change in P-wave anisotropy.
Possible future scenarios for two major Arctic Gateways connecting Subarctic and Arctic marine systems: I. Climate and physical–chemical oceanography
Authors: Drinkwater Kenneth F , Harada Naomi , Nishino Shigeto , Chierici Melissa , Danielson Seth L , Ingvaldsen Randi B , Kristiansen Trond , Hunt George L , Mueter Franz , Stiansen Jan Erik
Published: September 2021

We review recent trends and projected future physical and chemical changes under climate change in transition zones between Arctic and Subarctic regions with a focus on the two major inflow gateways to the Arctic, one in the Pacific (i.e. Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and the Chukchi Sea) and the other in the Atlantic (i.e. Fram Strait and the Barents Sea). Sea-ice coverage in the gateways has been disappearing during the last few decades. Projected higher air and sea temperatures in these gateways in the future will further reduce sea ice, and cause its later formation and earlier retreat. An intensification of the hydrological cycle will result in less snow, more rain, and increased river runoff. Ocean temperatures are projected to increase, leading to higher heat fluxes through the gateways. Increased upwelling at the Arctic continental shelf is expected as sea ice retreats. The pH of the water will decline as more atmospheric CO2 is absorbed. Long-term surface nutrient levels in the gateways will likely decrease due to increased stratification and reduced vertical mixing. Some effects of these environmental changes on humans in Arctic coastal communities are also presented.
Phytoplankton primary production: 14C-in situ and 14C-incubator methods compared
Authors: Larsson Ulf , Nyberg Svante , Walve Jakob
Published: September 2021

We estimated phytoplankton depth-integrated primary production rates at an open sea station in the northern Baltic Proper in 2004–2009 by parallel in situ and ship-board incubations in an “ICES incubator”. Observations were strongly linearly related (r2 = 0.67, p < 0.00001) and produced similar seasonal signals, but incubator estimates were significantly lower in spring (∼5–20%, March–May) and summer (∼30%, June–August), but not in autumn (September–October). Incubator PBmax was significantly lower in all seasons (∼10, 23, and 14% in spring, summer, and autumn), and the initial slope of the PB/E-curve (αB) was two-thirds of in-situ αB in spring and autumn, and half in summer, but not significantly different in autumn, and had an order of magnitude lower standard deviation. Parallel incubations of mixed 0–10 m hose samples at discrete depths in situ and in the incubator gave similar differences in PBmax and αB. This strongly suggests that the main factor causing the lower photosynthesis rates in the incubator was light quality, since all other potential sources of variability were similar. However, we cannot rule out that the lower incubator PBmax was partly due to insufficient light compared to in situ, particularly in summer. Our results suggest that a major challenge to the harmonization of 14C in situ, and artificial light and deck incubator measurements, is to simulate spectral composition changes with depth or, alternatively, use phytoplankton action spectra or constructed action spectra that are less complicated and time-consuming to establish (Kyewalyanga et al., 1997).
Continuity of Singular Kähler–Einstein Potentials
Authors: Guedj Vincent , Guenancia Henri , Zeriahi Ahmed
Published: September 2021

In this note, we investigate some regularity aspects for solutions of degenerate complex Monge–Ampère equations (DCMAE) on singular spaces. First, we study the Dirichlet problem for DCMAE on singular Stein spaces, showing a general continuity result. A consequence of our results is that Kähler–Einstein potentials are continuous at isolated singularities. Next, we establish the global continuity of solutions to DCMAE when the reference class belongs to the real Néron–Severi group. This yields in particular the continuity of Kähler–Einstein potentials on any irreducible Calabi–Yau variety.
The Ethics of Human Challenge Trials Using Emerging Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 Variants
Authors: Rohrig Abie , Eyal Nir
Published: September 2021

The world’s first coronavirus disease 2019 human challenge trial using the D614G strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is underway in the United Kingdom. The Wellcome Trust is funding challenge stock preparation of the Beta and Delta variant for a follow-up human challenge trial, and researchers at hVIVO are considering conducting these trials. However, little has been written thus far about the ethical justifiability of human challenge trials with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. We explore 2 specific characteristics of some variants that may initially be thought to make such trials unethical and conclude that SARS-CoV-2 variant challenge trials can remain ethical.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professionals towards people living with lymphoedema caused by lymphatic filariasis, podoconiosis and leprosy in northern Ethiopia
Authors: Dellar Rachael , Ali Oumer , Kinfe Mersha , Tesfaye Abraham , Fekadu Abebaw , Davey Gail , Semrau Maya , Bremner Stephen
Published: September 2021

Background

Podoconiosis, lymphatic filariasis and leprosy are highly stigmatised neglected tropical diseases that cause lymphoedema. Their enormous impacts on health-related quality of life, mental health and economic productivity can be significantly reduced by morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services, but to deliver such services requires appropriate training of healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of rural Ethiopian healthcare professionals towards people with lymphoedema as a way to assess training needs.

Methods

This study used questionnaires to quantitatively assess KAP towards people with lymphoedema among rural healthcare professionals in northwest Ethiopia before and 12 months after a short training intervention.

Results

Questionnaires were administered to 14 health professionals at baseline and 21 at follow-up. At baseline, 71% (10/14) were found to hold at least one stigmatising attitude towards lymphoedema patients, compared with 66% (14/21) at follow-up. Large gaps in knowledge were noted, with many unable to identify ways of treating/preventing the diseases.

Conclusions

This study showed high proportions of healthcare workers holding stigmatising views and lacking essential knowledge about lymphoedema. To maximise the impact of MMDP interventions, further research is urgently needed to understand how to address these issues.
Identification of antibiotics triggering the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes by SXT/R391 elements using a dedicated high-throughput whole-cell biosensor assay
Authors: Guilloteau Hélène , Pradalier Cédric , Roman Véronica L , Bellanger Xavier , Billard Patrick , Merlin Christophe
Published: September 2021

Background

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are widely involved in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and some of them, such as the integrative and conjugative element SXT, are even induced by specific antibiotics at sub-lethal concentrations.

Objectives

This work explores collateral effects of a broad range of antibiotics on the mobility of the SXTMO10 element using a specifically designed high-throughput screening test.

Methods

Twenty-five promoters involved in the mobility of SXT and six artificial constitutive promoters were transcriptionally fused to luxCDABE bioluminescent genes and introduced into Escherichia coli strains with or without SXT to build whole-cell biosensors for a large-scale screening involving 48 antibiotics. A bioluminescent assay implementing a classical agar diffusion approach was coupled to an automated data processing pipeline developed to extract and analyse luminescence data from over 2000 antibiotic/biosensor combination profiles.

Results

In addition to quinolones previously reported as inducing the expression of SXT mobility genes, we found that specific antibiotics belonging to other classes, such as imipenem and azithromycin, also behave as inducers. The use of a control set of constitutive biosensors also revealed an unexpected intricate relationship between cell respiration and light production that allowed the identification of antibiotics interfering with the respiration process.

Conclusions

The effect of antibiotics goes beyond the interaction with their primary cell targets and may lead to adverse effects such as triggering the dissemination of resistance by MGEs, sometimes in unpredictable ways. Identifying such MGE-triggering antibiotics is of prime importance for better controlling collateral effects during therapy.
Avoidance Behavior to Guava Leaf Volatile Oil by Three Medically Important Mosquito Vectors
Authors: Jhaiaun Pairpailin , Panthawong Amonrat , Sukkanon Chutipong , Chareonviriyaphap Theeraphap
Published: September 2021

Volatile organic compounds from various plants have received popular interest as one of the vector control tools due to their eco-friendliness and insect-repellent activities. In this study, an excito-repellency assay system was used to examine the noncontact repellency, contact excitation, and knockdown (KD) effects of guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) oil against Anopheles minimus (Theobald), Anopheles epiroticus (Linton & Harbach), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say). The organic components of guava oil were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis with dl-limonene (17.4%), cymene (5.49%), and α-terpinene (5.20%) as the major constituents. At concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0%, 100% escape of An. minimus was recorded in the contact assay and 96–98% escape in the noncontact assay. Guava oil stimulated potent irritant (92% escape) and repellent (61–86% escape) effects against Cx. quinquefasciatus. A lower repellency action was observed against An. epiroticus (17–20% escape). No KD effect was observed for guava oil against An. minimus and Cx. quinquefasciatus at any concentration. However, An. epiroticus was more prone to KD effects, with the highest percentage KD (44% in nonescape group) observed with 5.0% guava oil in the noncontact assay. Mortalities of 35% and 11% were observed for An. epiroticus in the nonescape groups in the contact and noncontact assays, respectively. Concentrations of 1.0% and 2.5% guava oil led to <2% mortality in An. minimus. Our findings highlight guava oil as a promising plant-based mosquito repellent that can be included in insecticide formulations for future mosquito control programs.
Real-World Use of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy: Intensification Among Older Canadian Men With de Novo Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Authors: Wallis Christopher J D , Malone Shawn , Cagiannos Ilias , Morgan Scott C , Hamilton Robert J , Basappa Naveen S , Ferrario Cristiano , Gotto Geoffrey T , Fernandes Ricardo , Niazi Tamim , Noonan Krista L , Saad Fred , Hotte Sebastien J , Hew Huong , Chan Katherine F Y , Wyllie Laura Park , Shayegan Bobby
Published: September 2021

Background

Despite the wealth of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of treatment intensification beyond androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) among patients with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), little is known of its real-world use. This study examined the real-world uptake of ADT treatment intensification among older men in a large Canadian province.

Methods

We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study using province-wide linked administrative data in Ontario, Canada. Patients 66 years of age and older with de novo mCSPC were included and their treatment with conventional ADT-based regimens, ADT plus next-generation androgen receptor axis–targeted therapy, and ADT plus docetaxel were identified and stratified by time.

Results

From 2014 to 2019, 3556 patients were identified with de novo mCSPC. Most patients (n = 2794 [78.6%]) were treated with a conventional ADT regimen, whereas 399 (11.2%) patients received ADT intensification with docetaxel and 52 (1.5%) patients received abiraterone acetate plus prednisone. In a time-stratified analysis of ADT intensification before and after the pivotal AA+P trial (LATITUDE), AA+P uptake increased from 0.5% to 3.0%, whereas docetaxel use dropped from 12.0% to 10.0%. The median survival of the study population was 18 months (interquartile range = 10-31).

Conclusions

The majority of patients with de novo mCSPC are treated with ADT alone in the Canadian real-world setting, despite randomized clinical trial evidence of benefit with the use of ADT-intensified regimens. As ADT treatment intensification is substantially underused, better understanding of the barriers to treatment and targeted education to address them are needed.
Collusion as Environmental Protection—An Economic Assessment
Authors: Veljanovski Cento
Published: September 2021

This article examines the relationship between the environment, sustainability, and European competition law. It shows that the European Commission’s decisional practice not to exempt anticompetitive agreements under Article 101(3) TFEU is because it selectively prosecutes hardcore cartels. The alleged ‘sustainability gap’ in EU antitrust is, therefore, more apparent than real. It is also shown that the Commission has adopted an efficient enforcement approach given the institutional and budgetary constraints it faces. On the other hand, the Commission’s guidelines on Article 101 TFEU lack coherence and consistency with its overarching Treaty obligations. The pros and cons of expanding Article 101(3) TFEU to take account of the third-party environmental and public policy factors are examined.
Native woody legumes respond more negatively to extreme drought than invasive ones
Authors: Lu Zhengkuan , Zhang Xue , Zhang Hongxiang , Liu Yanjie
Published: September 2021

Plant invasion potentially will be affected by increased extreme drought events and deposition of atmospheric N. However, results from previous research indicate that it is not clear as to how extreme drought, N deposition and their interaction affect alien plant invasion, in particular for the invasive woody legumes. We conducted a greenhouse experiment with three invasive and three native woody species of legumes (Fabaceae). We grew plants in extreme drought and in well-watered conditions combined with low and high levels of N and compared plant height, number of leaves and biomass production and allocation. Growth of native woody legumes was suppressed more by extreme drought than that of invasive woody legumes. Although an increase in soil N availability decreased the root mass fraction of plants of all species, it did not affect their overall performance. We found that invasive woody legumes can tolerate the adverse effects of the prolonged extreme drought better than native woody legumes. These results enhance our understanding of the effects of drought due to climate change on the invasion of alien woody legumes.
What do we know about parasitic plants and the leaf economic spectrum?
Authors: Haynes Audrey F
Published: September 2021

The leaf economic spectrum (LES) quantifies correlations between key leaf traits across vascular plants and distills much of the variation in these traits to a single axis. The LES, remarkable in its near universality, has been extensively researched across a variety of contexts. However, parasitic plants relationship to the LES framework remains relatively unexplored. Because the LES is, in part, driven by physiological tradeoffs in the acquisition of carbon (C), in theory heterotrophy in parasitic plants, which supplants some of the essential functions of leaves, could lead to departures from the LES. Using global leaf trait data from the TRY database, this work assessed the overall representation of parasitic plants in the TRY database, then compared the LES suite of leaf traits in parasitic plants to their non-parasitic counterparts. Despite their unique physiology, parasitic plants did not deviate dramatically from the LES, although there were examples of differences in position on the LES and relationships among traits. Perhaps more importantly, parasitic plants are not well represented in the TRY database, making any conclusions here premature.
Childhood Cancer Survivors and Distance Education Challenges: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Carey Lisa B , Ruble Kathy , Paré-Blagoev Juliana , Milla Kimberly , Thornton Clifton P , Henegan Sydney , Jacobson Lisa A
Published: September 2021

Objective

Pediatric cancer survivors have historically struggled to receive adequate educational supports. In Spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced an emergency switch from traditional in-person education models to distance education, but little information is available regarding experiences of pediatric survivors’ coping with schooling since that time.

Methods

This article presents exploratory mixed methods findings from a quality improvement project including qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey conducted with parents of pediatric oncology survivors identified through neuropsychological assessment, and the use of school-based services as having educationally relevant neurocognitive impacts of disease or treatment. The interviews explored experiences of education and instructional delivery during the COVID-19 school closures in spring of 2020 and the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year and served as the foundation for a quantitative survey to determine the generalizability of findings.

Results

Qualitative interviews highlighted 3 emergent themes regarding the shared experiences of distance schooling for children with cancer during the COVID-19 school closures: (a) attention, (b) mental health, and (c) access to instruction. A follow-up quantitative survey supported the qualitative findings and their generalizability to the schooling experiences of other children with cancer during the pandemic.

Conclusion

This article describes and explores each theme and offers suggestions for pediatric supports and changes to provider service delivery (including weblinks to access project-developed resources) as a result of ongoing pandemic-related schooling needs.
The Ghosts of Lilith: haunting narratives of witness and the postcolonial poetry of Shivanee Ramlochan
Authors: Darroch Fiona , Jasper Alison
Published: September 2021

This article discusses some of the themes and implications of Lilith’s story. After setting the figure of Lilith in an historical context of Sumerian demonology and first millennium CE Babylonian midrash, we reflect on the current critical, feminist, postcolonial, and poetic up-take of this curious tale of Adam’s first wife. We consider how Lilith’s story appears in these readings, woven through migrated narratives of loss and trauma drawn from widely different communities, as a thread of ghostly witness to suffering and resilience within the everyday lives of women and others who have been bound by heteropatriarchal and colonial tropes and traditions, to the materiality of the body in birth, vulnerability to violence and death. Briefly illustrating Lilith as expressed in George MacDonald’s Lilith (1895), we draw on the work of Gayatri Spivak and Mayra Rivera to explore contemporary traces of Lilith’s presence in the writings ofAlicia Ostriker and, especially, Trinidadian poet, Shivanee Ramlochan. In reference to Ramlochan’s debut collection, Everyone Knows I am a Haunting (2017) we consider how Lilith is used to challenge these limiting tropes and traditions, giving value to complex identities and material existences that resist efforts to impose silence or contest memories that trouble and unsettle.
Black hole fuelling in galaxy mergers: a high-resolution analysis
Authors: Prieto Joaquin , Escala Andrés , Privon George C , d’Etigny Juan
Published: September 2021

Using parsec scale resolution hydrodynamical adaptive mesh refinement simulations, we have studied the mass transport process throughout a Galactic merger. The aim of such study is to connect both the peaks of mass accretion rate on to the BHs and star formation bursts with both gravitational and hydrodynamic torques acting on the galactic gaseous component. Our merger initial conditions were chosen to mimic a realistic system. The simulations include gas cooling, star formation, supernovae feedback, and AGN feedback. Gravitational and hydrodynamic torques near pericentre passes trigger gas funneling to the nuclei that is associated with bursts of star formation and black hole growth. Such episodes are intimately related with both kinds of torques acting on the galactic gas. Pericentres trigger both star formation and mass accretion rates of ∼few $(1\!-\!10)\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$ yr−1. Such episodes last $\sim \, (50\!-\!75)$ Myr. Close passes also can produce black hole accretion that approaches and reaches the Eddington rate, lasting ∼few Myrs. Our simulation shows that both gravitational and hydrodynamic torques are enhanced at pericentre passes with gravitational torques tending to have higher values than the hydrodynamic torques throughout the merger. We also find that in the closest encounters, hydrodynamic and gravitational torques can be comparable in their effect on the gas, the two helping in the redistribution of both angular momentum and mass in the galactic disc. Such phenomena allow inward mass transport on to the BH influence radius, fuelling the compact object and lighting up the galactic nuclei.
Ionizing radiation from AGNs at z > 3.3 with the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey and the CFHT Large Area U-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS)
Authors: Iwata Ikuru , Sawicki Marcin , Inoue Akio K , Akiyama Masayuki , Micheva Genoveva , Kawaguchi Toshihiro , Kashikawa Nobunari , Gwyn Stephen , Arnouts Stephane , Coupon Jean , Desprez Guillaume
Published: September 2021

We use deep and wide imaging data from the CFHT Large Area U-band Deep Survey (CLAUDS) and the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) to constrain the ionizing radiation (Lyman Continuum, LyC) escape fraction from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z ∼ 3–4. For 94 AGNs with spectroscopic redshifts at 3.3 < z < 4.0, we use their U/i-band flux ratios to estimate LyC transmission of individual AGNs. The distribution of their LyC transmission shows values lower than the range of LyC transmission values for IGM of the same redshift range, which suggests that LyC escape fraction of AGNs at z > 3.3 is considerably lower than unity in most cases. We do not find any trend in LyC transmission values depending on their UV luminosities. Based on the photometry of stacked images we find the average flux ratio of LyC and non-ionizing UV photons escaping from the objects (fLyC/fUV)out = 0.182 ± 0.043 for AGNs at 3.3 < z < 3.6, which corresponds to LyC escape fraction fesc = 0.303 ± 0.072 if we assume a fiducial intrinsic SED of AGN. Based on the estimated LyC escape fraction and the UV luminosity function (UVLF) of AGNs, we argue that UV-selected AGNs’ contribution to the LyC emissivity at the epoch is minor, although the size of their contribution largely depends on the shape of the UVLF.
Semi-analytic forecasts for JWST – V. AGN luminosity functions and helium reionization at z = 2–7
Authors: Yung L Y Aaron , Somerville Rachel S , Finkelstein Steven L , Hirschmann Michaela , Davé Romeel , Popping Gergö , Gardner Jonathan P , Venkatesan Aparna
Published: September 2021

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) forming in the early universe are thought to be the primary source of hard ionizing photons contributing to the reionization of intergalactic helium. However, the number density and spectral properties of high-redshift AGN remain largely unconstrained. In this work, we make use of physically informed models calibrated with a wide variety of available observations to provide estimates for the role of AGN throughout the Epoch of Reionization. We present AGN luminosity functions in various bands between z = 2 and 7 predicted by the well-established Santa Cruz semi-analytic model, which includes modelling of black hole accretion and AGN feedback. We then combine the predicted AGN populations with a physical spectral model for self-consistent estimates of ionizing photon production rates, which depend on the mass and accretion rate of the accreting supermassive black hole. We then couple the predicted comoving ionizing emissivity with an analytic model to compute the subsequent reionization history of intergalactic helium and hydrogen. This work demonstrates the potential of coupling physically motivated analytic or semi-analytic techniques to capture multiscale physical processes across a vast range of scales (here, from AGN accretion discs to cosmological scales). Our physical model predicts an intrinsic ionizing photon budget well above many of the estimates in the literature, meaning that helium reionization can comfortably be accomplished even with a relatively low escape fraction. We also make predictions for the AGN populations that are expected to be detected in future James Webb Space Telescope surveys.
Lyman-α transmission properties of the intergalactic medium in the CoDaII simulation
Authors: Gronke Max , Ocvirk Pierre , Mason Charlotte , Matthee Jorryt , Bosman Sarah E I , Sorce Jenny G , Lewis Joseph , Ahn Kyungjin , Aubert Dominique , Dawoodbhoy Taha , Iliev Ilian T , Shapiro Paul R , Yepes Gustavo
Published: September 2021

The decline in abundance of Lyman-α (Lyα) emitting galaxies at z ≳ 6 is a powerful and commonly used probe to constrain the progress of cosmic reionization. We use the CoDaII simulation, which is a radiation hydrodynamic simulation featuring a box of ∼94 comoving Mpc side length, to compute the Lyα transmission properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at z ∼ 5.8 to 7. Our results mainly confirm previous studies, i.e. we find a declining Lyα transmission with redshift and a large sightline-to-sightline variation. However, motivated by the recent discovery of blue Lyα peaks at high redshift, we also analyse the IGM transmission on the blue side, which shows a rapid decline at z ≳ 6 of the blue transmission. This low transmission can be attributed not only to the presence of neutral regions but also to the residual neutral hydrogen within ionized regions, for which a density even as low as $n_{\rm HI}\sim 10^{-9}\, \mathrm{cm}^{-3}$ (sometimes combined with kinematic effects) leads to a significantly reduced visibility. Still, we find that $\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of sightlines towards M1600AB ∼ −21 galaxies at z ∼ 7 are transparent enough to allow a transmission of a blue Lyα peak. We discuss our results in the context of the interpretation of observations.
Comparison of the characteristics of magnetars born in death of massive stars and merger of compact objects with swift gamma-ray burst data
Authors: Zou Le , Liang En-Wei , Zhong Shu-Qing , Yang Xing , Zheng Tian-Ci , Cheng Ji-Gui , Deng Can-Min , Lü Hou-Jun , Wang Shan-Qin
Published: September 2021

Assuming that the shallow-decaying phase in the early X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is attributed to the dipole radiations (DRs) of a newborn magnetar, we present a comparative analysis for the magnetars born in death of massive stars and merger of compact binaries with long and short GRB (lGRB and sGRB) data observed with the Swift mission. We show that the typical braking index (n) of the magnetars is ∼3 in the sGRB sample, and it is ∼4 for the magnetars in the lGRB sample. Selecting a sub-sample of the magnetars whose spin-down is dominated by DRs (n ≲ 3) and adopting a universal radiation efficiency of 0.3, we find that the typical magnetic field strength (Bp) is 1016 G versus 1015 G and the typical initial period (P0) is ∼20 ms versus 2 ms for the magnetars in the sGRBs versus lGRBs. They follow the same relation between P0 and the isotropic GRB energy as $P_0\propto E_{\rm jet}^{-0.4}$. We also extend our comparison analysis to superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) and stable pulsars. Our results show that a magnetar born in merger of compact stars tends to have a stronger Bp and a longer P0 by about one order of magnitude than that born in collapse of massive stars. Its spin-down is dominated by the magnetic DRs as old pulsars, being due to its strong magnetic field strength, whereas the early spin-down of magnetars born in massive star collapse is governed by both the DRs and gravitational wave (GW) emission. A magnetar with a faster rotation speed should power a more energetic jet, being independent of its formation approach.
A joint occultation and speckle investigation of the binary star TYC 1947-290-1 and of the asteroid (87) Sylvia
Authors: Dyachenko V , Richichi A , Obolentseva M , Beskakotov A , Maksimov A , Mitrofanova A , Balega Yu
Published: September 2021

We report on the occultation of the star TYC 1947-290-1 by the asteroid (87) Sylvia. While asteroidal occultations occurring at fixed professional-level locations are relatively rare and are only recently starting to be observed with sufficiently high time resolution and sensitivity, they have the capability to measure sub-milliarcsecond angular diameters. The event described here was especially outstanding because the star was revealed to be a small-separation binary (≈10 mas at discovery), while at the same time the asteroid is not only one of the largest in size but it also has two satellite moons. The observations were carried out at the Russian 6-m telescope in 2019 December, and initially consisted of both a fast photometric series of the occultation itself, as well as of extensive speckle interferometry of the star and asteroid in the time immediately before and after the occultation. Subsequently, we obtained speckle data of TYC 1947-290-1 over a period of 1 yr after the event. We are able to present a detailed study of the binary star including measurements of the angular diameter of the stellar components, their geometry, and relative fluxes over several bandpasses, and to provide an accurate determination of the size of (87) Sylvia. We emphasize that we have been able to obtain the smallest ever directly measured stellar diameter, below the 100 micro-arcsecond level. Our data are also suitable for imaging of the asteroid by speckle holography, a task which we intend to carry out in a separate work.