bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dementia Caregiving During the “Stay-at-Home” Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Savla Jyoti , Roberto Karen A , Blieszner Rosemary , McCann Brandy Renee , Hoyt Emily , Knight Aubrey L
Published: August 2020

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess family caregivers’ primary appraisal of stressors related to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, secondary appraisal of resources and support availability, and use of coping strategies as predictors of perceived role overload during the stay-at-home phase of the pandemic.

Method

Telephone interviews with 53 family caregivers of persons with dementia from rural Virginia 2 weeks after enactment of the governor’s stay-at-home order using structured and open-ended questions were conducted.

Results

Caregivers who were more concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic were at greater odds of experiencing high role overload than those who recognized positive aspects of the pandemic, as were those who received insufficient support from family and friends.

Discussion

Use of the transactional model of stress responses yielded important insights about families coping with dementia. Caregivers’ perceptions of the pandemic’s impact varied, with differential effects on their well-being.
What Is Successful Aging in Lesbian and Bisexual Women? Application of the Aging-Well Model
Authors: Jabson Tree Jennifer M , Patterson Joanne G , Beavers Daniel P , Bowen Deborah J
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Most evidence concerning aging ignores women’s sexual orientation, yet sexual orientation-related discrimination across the life course may influence older lesbian and bisexual women’s risk for poorer health. Understanding aging-well in this group is vital to development, testing, and implementation of evidence-based health promotion programming and services for aging sexual minority women.

Method

Data were from the Women’s Health Initiative (N = 15,691; heterosexual n = 15,002, lesbian n = 440, bisexual n = 249) extension study. Multivariable linear and logistic regression tested associations between sexual orientation and indicators of successful, effective, and optimal aging-well in age-stratified groups of women (60–74 and 75+).

Results

Lesbians aged 60–74 were more likely (odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16, 2.18) to report good self-mastery, more social support (b = 2.92, 95% CI, 1.99, 3.85), and greater likelihood of enjoying life (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06, 2.01) compared with heterosexual women. Bisexual women aged 75+ reported increased personal growth (b = 1.09, 95% CI 0.23, 1.95) compared to heterosexuals. While lesbians aged 75+ had greater likelihood of living in a nursing home (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.01, 3.82) and were less likely to be happy at least most of the time (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.49, 0.99), they reported greater self-mastery (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.06, 2.26) than their heterosexual peers.

Discussion

Aging-well is not the same for all women. Health promotion programs may consider maximizing sexual minority women’s internal and external resources—including social supports, self-mastery, and personal growth—to promote wellness in older age.
Loss of epigenetic polarity is a hallmark of hematopoietic stem cell aging
Authors: Mejia-Ramirez Eva , Geiger Hartmut , Florian M Carolina
Published: August 2020

Changes of polarity in somatic stem cells upon aging or disease lead to a functional deterioration of stem cells and consequently loss of tissue homeostasis, likely due to changes in the mode (symmetry versus asymmetry) of stem cell divisions. Changes in polarity of epigenetic markers (or ‘epi-polarity’) in stem cells, which are linked to alterations in chromatin architecture, might explain how a decline in the frequency of epipolar stem cells can have a long-lasting impact on the function of especially aging stem cells. The drift in epipolarity might represent a novel therapeutic target to improve stem cell function upon aging or disease. Here we review basic biological principles of epigenetic polarity, with a special focus on epipolarity and aging of hematopoietic stem cells.
Defining the Path Forward for Biomarkers to Address Unmet Needs in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Honig Gerard , Heller Caren , Hurtado-Lorenzo Andrés
Published: August 2020

Despite major advances in the inflammatory bowel diseases field, biomarkers to enable personalized and effective management are inadequate. Disease course and treatment response are highly variable, with some patients experiencing mild disease progression, whereas other patients experience severe or complicated disease. Periodic endoscopy is performed to assess disease activity; as a result, it takes months to ascertain whether a treatment is having a positive impact on disease progression. Minimally invasive biomarkers for prognosis of disease course, prediction of treatment response, monitoring of disease activity, and accurate diagnosis based on improved disease phenotyping and classification could improve outcomes and accelerate the development of novel therapeutics. Rapidly developing technologies have great potential in this regard; however, the discovery, validation, and qualification of biomarkers will require partnerships including academia, industry, funders, and regulators. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation launched the IBD Biomarker Summit to bring together key stakeholders to identify and prioritize critical unmet needs; prioritize promising technologies and consortium approaches to address these needs; and propose harmonization approaches to improve comparability of data across studies. Here, we summarize the outcomes of the 2018 and 2019 meetings, including consensus-based unmet needs in the clinical and drug development context. We highlight ongoing consortium efforts and promising technologies with the potential to address these needs in the near term. Finally, we summarize actionable recommendations for harmonization, including data collection tools for improved consistency in disease phenotyping; standardization of informed consenting; and development of guidelines for sample management and assay validation. Taken together, these outcomes demonstrate that there is an exceptional alignment of priorities across stakeholders for a coordinated effort to address unmet needs of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases through biomarker science.
Type I and II Interferon Signatures Can Predict the Response to Anti-TNF Agents in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Involvement of the Microbiota
Authors: Mavragani Clio P , Nezos Adrianos , Dovrolis Nikolas , Andreou Nikolaos-Panayiotis , Legaki Evangelia , Sechi Leonardo A , Bamias Giorgos , Gazouli Maria
Published: August 2020

Background

Anti-TNF agents have been a cornerstone of IBD therapy; however, response to treatment has been variable, and clinically applicable biomarkers are urgently needed. We hypothesized that the type I and type II interferon (IFN) signatures may be a confounding factor for response to antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment via interactions with the host and its gut microbiota.

Methods

Peripheral blood from 30 IBD patients and 10 healthy controls was subjected to real-time quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for type I and type II IFN genes (IFNGs), both at baseline and after treatment with anti-TNF. Correlation between IFN signatures and microbiota composition was also determined for a subgroup of patients and controls.

Results

At baseline, type I IFN score was significantly higher in IBD patients (P = 0.04 vs controls). Responders to subsequent anti-TNF treatment had significantly lower baseline scores for both type I and II IFN signatures (P < 0.005 vs nonresponders for both comparisons). During treatment with anti-TNF, the expression of type I and II IFNGs was significantly elevated in responders and decreased in nonresponders. In addition, changes in IFN signatures correlated to specific alterations in the abundance of several microbial taxa of the gut microbiome.

Conclusions

Baseline expression of type I and II IFN signatures and their kinetics during anti-TNF administration significantly correlate to treatment responses in IBD patients. Peripheral blood IFN signatures may serve as clinically meaningful biomarkers for the identification of subgroups of patients with favorable response to anti-TNF treatment. Additionally, the distinct synergies between different IFN types and microbiota might help drive therapeutic intervention.
A combined approach to treat heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia before heart transplant
Authors: Sandoval Elena , Lozano Miquel , Pereda Daniel , Quintana Eduard , Cid Joan , García-Álvarez Ana , Fernández-Cisneros Alejandro , Castellá Manuel
Published: August 2020

Heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia (HIT) complicates the management of patients in need for mechanical circulatory support awaiting heart transplantation. The limited available treatment options are fraught with complications and limitations in their applicability. We report on the combined use of therapeutic plasma exchange therapy and intravenous immunoglobulin, used in 3 consecutive heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia-positive patients on temporary mechanical circulatory support awaiting urgent heart transplant. This combined approach allowed us to use heparin safely.
Vascular plug oversizing to treat an endoleak after hybrid surgery of the aortic arch
Authors: Molinari Alessandro C L , Leo Enrico , Muzzarelli Lorenzo , Rossi Giovanni
Published: August 2020

A patient with prior ascending aortic replacement for a type A acute dissection and a bovine arch presented with an asymptomatic chronic dissecting innominate artery aneurysm extending to both carotid arteries. As the patient refused redo open surgery, we performed a hybrid procedure with reverse extra-anatomic aortic arch debranching and a fenestrated endograft. The aneurysm was still partially perfused due to an endoleak and corrected 1 week later with vascular plugs.
Annexin V positive microvesicles are elevated and correlate with flow rate in patients receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Siegel Patrick M , Hentschel Dominik , Bojti István , Wengenmayer Tobias , Helbing Thomas , Moser Martin , Duerschmied Daniel , Trummer Georg , Bode Christoph , Diehl Philipp
Published: August 2020

OBJECTIVES

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is used in critically ill patients requiring haemodynamic support. Microvesicles (MV) are released by activated blood cells acting as mediators of intercellular communication. We aimed to determine MV count and composition over time in patients with VA-ECMO and explore what drives MV formation.

METHODS

VA-ECMO patients and healthy controls were recruited prospectively, and blood was taken at different time points (day 0, 1, 3 after ECMO placement and after explantation) for MV analysis.

RESULTS

Annexin V positive MV were increased in patients (n = 14, mean age = 61.4 ± 9.0 years, 11 males, 3 females) compared to healthy controls (n = 6, Annexin V positive MV count per millilitre day 1 versus healthy controls: 2.3 × 106 vs 1.3 × 105, P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients had higher proportions of endothelial and leukocyte MV [leukocyte MV day 1 versus healthy controls (%): 32.8 vs 17.5, P = 0.001; endothelial MV day 1 versus healthy controls (%): 10.5 vs 5.5, P = 0.01]. Annexin V positive and leucocyte MV correlated with the flow rate (r = 0.46, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients on VA-ECMO have increased levels of circulating MV and a changed MV composition. Our data support the hypothesis that MV release may be driven by higher flow rate and cellular activation in the extracorporeal circuit leading to poor outcomes in these patients.

Clinical trial registration number

German Clinical Trials Register—ID: DRKS00011106
Prevalence of integrase strand transfer inhibitor resistance mutations in antiretroviral-naive HIV-1-infected individuals in Cameroon
Authors: Wenk Benjamin M , Mbunkah Herbert A , Nsanwe Ndi N , Mbu Eyongetah T , Besong Lydia M , Sama Bella A , Orock Emmanuel , Leemann Christine , Metzner Karin J
Published: August 2020

Objectives

In Cameroon, the integrase (IN) strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) dolutegravir was recently introduced for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Since pretreatment HIV-1 drug resistance can jeopardize the success of ART, and considering the high heterogeneity of circulating HIV-1 subtypes in Cameroon, we investigated the prevalence of pretreatment HIV-1 resistance to INSTIs.

Methods

Fingerprick dried blood spot samples were collected from 339 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected individuals between 2015 and 2016 in four hospitals in Cameroon. Universal primers were designed to amplify the HIV-1 IN region from amino acid 1 to 276. Amplicons were sequenced with Illumina next-generation sequencing and analysed with the Polymorphism Analysis Sequencing (PASeq) platform, using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database to interpret HIV-1 drug resistance mutations (DRMs).

Results

The amplification/sequencing success rate was 75.2% with 255/339 sequences obtained. Applying a cut-off of 1%, major DRMs to INSTIs were detected in 13 (5.1%) individuals, but only 1 individual harboured an INSTI DRM (E92G) at a nucleotide frequency ≥15%. However, 140/255 (54.9%) individuals harboured polymorphic accessory INSTI DRMs, mainly at high frequencies. In line with that observation, HIV-1 subtype diversity among individuals was high.

Conclusions

Pretreatment HIV-1 resistance to INSTIs was low in the study sites, which supports the use of INSTIs in Cameroon. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to assess the impact of polymorphic accessory INSTI DRMs on INSTI-based ART regimens.
Evaluation of the dietary vitamin A requirement of finishing steers via systematic depletion and repletion, and its effects on performance and carcass characteristics
Authors: Wellmann Kimberly B , Kim Jongkyoo , Urso Phil M , Smith Zachary K , Johnson Bradley J
Published: August 2020

A randomized complete block design experiment with 30 yearling crossbred steers (initial average body weight [BW] = 297.6 ± 32.8 kg) fed a steam-flaked corn-based diet was used to evaluate finishing performance and carcass characteristics when provided with different concentrations of vitamin A (Rovimix A 1000; DSM Nutritional Products Ltd., Sisseln, Switzerland) subsequent to a depletion phase. Steers were blocked by BW (n = 5 blocks; 6 steers per block), assigned to pens (n = 2 steers per pen), and randomly assigned to one of the following dietary treatments: no added vitamin A (0IU; 0.0 IU/kg dry matter [DM] basis of additional vitamin A), vitamin A supplemented at the estimated National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) requirement (2,200IU; 2,200 IU/kg of dietary DM of additional vitamin A), and vitamin A supplemented at 5× the estimated requirement (11,000IU; 11,000 IU/kg of dietary DM of additional vitamin A). The basal diet included minimal vitamin A activity (<200 IU of vitamin A activity/kg of dietary DM) via the provitamin A, beta-carotene. After all animals underwent a 91-d vitamin A depletion period, additional vitamin A was top-dressed at feeding via a ground corn carrier. Liver biopsy samples, BW, and blood were obtained on days −91, −35, 0, 28, 56, 84, and 112. Final BW was collected prior to shipping on day 112. Carcass data were collected by trained personnel upon harvest. Sera and liver samples were used to monitor circulating vitamin A and evaluate true vitamin A status of the cattle. Vitamin A status did not affect interim average daily gain or feed efficiency (G:F; P > 0.05). Throughout the duration of the study, dry matter intake for the 0IU cattle was depressed (P = 0.01). Differences were not observed across treatments for hot carcass weight, rib eye area, back fat thickness, kidney–pelvic–heart fat %, marbling score, or dressing percent (P ≥ 0.10). A treatment × day interaction occurred for both (P < 0.01) sera retinol and liver retinol during phase 2 of the trial. The treatments and sera retinol concentrations were incorporated into a repletion model, resulting in an estimation of liver retinol changes (P < 0.01; R2 = 0.682). However, models used to evaluate depleted animals were less effective. The current NASEM recommended that vitamin A requirement of 2,200 IU/kg is adequate for repletion of vitamin A status of feedlot steers.
How Does Religion Affect Consumer Response to Failure and Recovery by Firms?
Authors: Hyodo Jamie D , Bolton Lisa E
Published: August 2020

How might religion influence consumer behavior in the marketplace? The present research proposes that failure and subsequent firm recovery efforts represent a domain that may be particularly sensitive to religion. Specifically, we demonstrate that religion salience promotes a more positive response to failure when accompanied by recovery. This effect is due to heightened forgiveness, a religious value held by many major world religions, which is triggered by signals of firm repentance. In a series of eight studies, theorizing is extended to the moderating roles of both religiosity (with implications for the religion–forgiveness discrepancy) and recovery content (comparing apology vs. compensation) and evidence of generalizability across several major religious affiliations is provided. This research highlights the importance of religion salience to marketers operating in failure–recovery contexts.
Gonad dose assessment in paediatric kidney nuclear medicine test using Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Lee Dong-Yeon , Kye Yong-Uk , Kim Hyo-Jin , Kim Jeung-Kee , Kang Yeong-Rok
Published: August 2020

In this study, we evaluated the effect of radiation dose on gonads during paediatric kidney nuclear medicine tests. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the distribution and effects of radiation were physically evaluated by displaying the distribution path of the source in the human body over time. In particular, the evaluation of doses in children, who are sensitive to radiation during nuclear medicine tests that use internal exposure among several types of medical exposures, was conducted to obtain data for the management of medical exposures. Our results indicated that under normal kidney function, the dose received by the target kidney was 0.430 mGy/mCi, which is ~6% higher than the dose suggested by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). Furthermore, when kidney function was compromised, the dose estimated was 0.726 mGy/mCi, which is ~2% lower than the dose suggested by the ICRP. In the male and female gonads, namely the testicles and ovaries, the doses received were 0.359 mGy/mCi and 0.394 mGy/mCi, respectively, under normal kidney function. Similarly, under abnormal kidney function, the doses ranged from 0.187 to 0.353 mGy/mCi and 0.238 to 0.388 mGy/mCi in the male and female gonads, respectively.
Aggressive angiomyxoma to 57-year old man
Authors: Kirkilessis George , Kakavia Kyriaki , Bougiouklis Dimitrios , Papadopoulos Anestis , Lampropoulos Charalampos , Kirkilessis Ioannis
Published: August 2020

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor occurring usually in women of reproductive age in pelvic-perineum region. These myofibroblastic tumors rarely affect men and non-pelvic-perineum anatomical sites. There are few literature references for aggressive angiomyxoma in men. We describe a case of a 57-year old male with aggressive angiomyxoma of the scrotum and its management.
Polarimetry of the superluminous transient ASASSN-15lh
Authors: Maund J R , Leloudas G , Malesani D B , Patat F , Sollerman J , de Ugarte Postigo A
Published: August 2020

ASASSN-15lh is the intrinsically brightest transient observed to date. Despite being the subject of concerted photometric and spectroscopic observing campaigns, there is still significant debate about the true nature of this transient and the mechanism responsible for its great luminosity. Here we report five epochs of imaging polarimetry and two epochs of spectropolarimetry conducted with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS) polarimeter, spanning +28–91 d (rest frame) with respect to the light-curve maximum. The overall level of polarization across this period is seen to be low ${\sim} 0.5\!-\!0.8 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, however at +51.6 d, approximately corresponding to a dip in the ultraviolet (UV) photometric light curve, the polarization is seen to briefly rise to $1.2{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the observed V band. We discuss this behaviour in the context of previous polarimetric observations of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) and tidal disruption events (TDEs). Although the level of polarization could be consistent with polarization observed for SLSNe, the behaviour around the UV light-curve dip could also be consistent with a TDE observed almost edge on.
The evolution of neutral hydrogen over the past 11 Gyr via H i 21 cm absorption
Authors: Grasha Kathryn , Darling Jeremy , Leroy Adam K , Bolatto Alberto D
Published: August 2020

We present the results of a blind search for intervening H i 21 cm absorption towards 260 radio sources in the redshift range 0 < z < 2.74 with the Green Bank Telescope. The survey has the sensitivity to detect sub-damped Ly α (DLA) systems for H i spin temperatures Ts/f = 100 K, and despite the successful re-detection of 10 known 21 cm absorbers in the sample, we detect no new absorption lines in the full survey. Sources detected in 21 cm absorption were also searched for hydroxyl (OH) 18 cm absorption and we re-detect 1667 MHz OH absorption towards PKS 1830-211. We searched for intervening H i 21 cm absorption along the line of sight in each source achieving a total redshift coverage of Δz = 88.64 (comoving absorption path of ΔX = 159.5) after removing regions affected by radio frequency interference. We compute a 95 per cent confidence upper limit on the column density frequency distribution f(NH i) and set a statistical constraint on the spin temperature Ts in the range 100–1000 K, consistent with prior redshifted optical DLA surveys and H i 21 cm emission observations at the same redshifts. We infer a value for the cosmological mass density of neutral gas, ΩH i. Through comparison with prior ΩH i measurements, we place a statistical constraint on the mean spin temperature of Ts/f = 175 K. Our derived ΩH i values support a relative mild evolution in ΩH i over the last 11 Gyr and are consistent with other methods that measure ΩH i.
The GALAH survey: characterization of emission-line stars with spectral modelling using autoencoders
Authors: Čotar Klemen , Zwitter Tomaž , Traven Gregor , Bland-Hawthorn Joss , Buder Sven , Hayden Michael R , Kos Janez , Lewis Geraint F , Martell Sarah L , Nordlander Thomas , Stello Dennis , Horner Jonathan , Ting Yuan-Sen , Žerjal Maruša ,   the GALAH collaboration
Published: August 2020

We present a neural network autoencoder structure that is able to extract essential latent spectral features from observed spectra and then reconstruct a spectrum from those features. Because of the training with a set of unpeculiar spectra, the network is able to reproduce a spectrum of high signal-to-noise ratio that does not show any spectral peculiarities, even if they are present in an observed spectrum. Spectra generated in this manner were used to identify various emission features among spectra acquired by multiple surveys using the HERMES spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian telescope. Emission features were identified by a direct comparison of the observed and generated spectra. Using the described comparison procedure, we discovered 10 364 candidate spectra with varying intensities (from partially filled-in to well above the continuum) of the Hα/Hβ emission component, produced by different physical mechanisms. A fraction of these spectra belong to the repeated observation that shows temporal variability in their emission profile. Among the emission spectra, we find objects that feature contributions from a nearby rarefied gas (identified through the emission of [N ii] and [S ii] lines) that was identified in 4004 spectra, which were not all identified as having Hα emission. The positions of identified emission-line objects coincide with multiple known regions that harbour young stars. Similarly, detected nebular emission spectra coincide with visually prominent nebular clouds observable in the red all-sky photographic composites.
Local group star formation in warm and self-interacting dark matter cosmologies
Authors: Lovell Mark R , Hellwing Wojciech , Ludlow Aaron , Zavala Jesús , Robertson Andrew , Fattahi Azadeh , Frenk Carlos S , Hardwick Jennifer
Published: August 2020

The nature of the dark matter can affect the collapse time of dark matter haloes, and can therefore be imprinted in observables such as the stellar population ages and star formation histories of dwarf galaxies. In this paper, we use high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of Local Group-analogue (LG) volumes in cold dark matter (CDM), sterile neutrino warm dark matter (WDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models with the eagle galaxy formation code to study how galaxy formation times change with dark matter model. We are able to identify the same haloes in different simulations, since they share the same initial density field phases. We find that the stellar mass of galaxies depends systematically on resolution, and can differ by as much as a factor of 2 in haloes of a given dark matter mass. The evolution of the stellar populations in SIDM is largely identical to that of CDM, but in WDM early star formation is instead suppressed. The time at which LG haloes can begin to form stars through atomic cooling is delayed by ∼200 Myr in WDM models compared to CDM. It will be necessary to measure stellar ages of old populations to a precision of better than 100 Myr, and to address degeneracies with the redshift of reionization – and potentially other baryonic processes – in order to use these observables to distinguish between dark matter models.
Forward modelling the multiwavelength properties of active galactic nuclei: application to X-ray and WISE mid-infrared samples
Authors: Georgakakis Antonis , Ruiz Angel , LaMassa Stephanie M
Published: August 2020

An empirical forward-modelling framework is developed to interpret the multiwavelength properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and provide insights into the overlap and incompleteness of samples selected at different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The core of the model are observationally derived probabilites on the occupation of galaxies by X-ray-selected AGN. These are used to seed mock galaxies drawn from stellar-mass functions with accretion events and then associate them with spectral energy distributions that describe both the stellar and AGN emission components. This approach is used to study the complementarity between X-ray and WISE mid-infrared AGN selection methods. We first show that the basic observational properties of the X-ray and WISE AGN (magnitude and redshift distributions) are adequately reproduced by the model. We then infer the level of contamination of the WISE selection and show that this is dominated by non-AGN at redshifts z < 0.5. These are star-forming galaxies that scatter into the WISE AGN selection wedge because of photometric uncertainties affecting their colours. Our baseline model shows a sharp drop in the number density of heavily obscured AGN above the Compton-thick limit in the WISE bands. The model also overpredicts by a factor of 1.5 the fraction of X-ray associations in the WISE AGN selection box compared to observations. This suggests a population of X-ray faint sources that is not reproduced by the model. This discrepancy is discussed in the context of either heavily obscured or intrinsically X-ray weak AGN. Evidence is found in favour of the latter.
Estimating the outcomes of common envelope evolution in triple stellar systems
Authors: Comerford T A F , Izzard R G
Published: August 2020

We present a new model describing the evolution of triple stars that undergo common envelope evolution, using a combination of analytical and numerical techniques. The early stages of evolution are driven by dynamical friction with the envelope, which causes the outer triple orbit to shrink faster than the inner binary. In most cases, this leads to a chaotic dynamical interaction between the three stars, culminating in the ejection of one of the stars from the triple. This ejection and resulting recoil on the remnant binary are sufficient to eject all three stars from the envelope, which expands and dissipates after the stars have escaped. These results have implications for the properties of post-common envelope triples: they may only exist in cases where the envelope was ejected before the onset of dynamical instability, the likelihood of which depends on the initial binary separation and the envelope structure. In cases where the triple becomes dynamically unstable, the triple does not survive and the envelope dissipates without forming a planetary nebula.
How accurately can we measure the baryon acoustic oscillation feature?
Authors: Ruggeri Rossana , Blake Chris
Published: August 2020

Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) represent one of the cleanest probes of dark energy, allowing for tests of the cosmological model through the measurement of distance and expansion rate from a 3D galaxy distribution. The signal appears at large scales in the correlation function where linear theory applies, allowing for the construction of accurate models. However, due to the lower number of modes available at these scales, sample variance has a significant impact on the signal, and may sharpen or widen the underlying peak. Therefore, equivalent mock realizations of a galaxy survey present different errors in the position of the peak when uncertainties are estimated from the posterior probability distribution corresponding to the individual mocks. Hence, the posterior width, often quoted as the error in BAO survey measurements, is subject to sample noise. A different definition of the error is provided by the asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimator, which involves the average over multiple realizations, and is not subject to sample noise. In this work, we reanalyse the main galaxy survey data available for BAO measurements and quantify the impact of the noise component on the error quoted for BAO measurements. We quantify the difference between three definitions of the error: the confidence region computed from a single posterior, the average of the variances of many realizations, and the Fisher matrix prediction assuming a Gaussian likelihood. We also explore the impact of a ‘detectability prior’ based on the significance of the BAO detection.
Two-fluid simulations of the magnetic field evolution in neutron star cores in the weak-coupling regime
Authors: Castillo F , Reisenegger A , Valdivia J A
Published: August 2020

In a previous paper, we reported simulations of the evolution of the magnetic field in neutron star (NS) cores through ambipolar diffusion, taking the neutrons as a motionless uniform background. However, in real NSs, neutrons are free to move, and a strong composition gradient leads to stable stratification (stability against convective motions) both of which might impact on the time-scales of evolution. Here, we address these issues by providing the first long-term two-fluid simulations of the evolution of an axially symmetric magnetic field in a neutron star core composed of neutrons, protons, and electrons with density and composition gradients. Again, we find that the magnetic field evolves towards barotropic ‘Grad–Shafranov equillibria’, in which the magnetic force is balanced by the degeneracy pressure gradient and gravitational force of the charged particles. However, the evolution is found to be faster than in the case of motionless neutrons, as the movement of charged particles (which are coupled to the magnetic field, but are also limited by the collisional drag forces exerted by neutrons) is less constrained, since neutrons are now allowed to move. The possible impact of non-axisymmetric instabilities on these equilibria, as well as beta decays, proton superconductivity, and neutron superfluidity, are left for future work.
The cosmic web through the lens of graph entropy
Authors: García-Alvarado M V , Li X-D , Forero-Romero J E
Published: August 2020

We explore the information theory entropy of a graph as a scalar to quantify the cosmic web. We find entropy values in the range between 1.5 and 3.2 bits. We argue that this entropy can be used as a discrete analogue of scalars used to quantify the connectivity in continuous density fields. After showing that the entropy clearly distinguishes between clustred and random points, we use simulations to gauge the influence of survey geometry, cosmic variance, redshift space distortions, redshift evolution, cosmological parameters, and spatial number density. Cosmic variance shows the least important influence while changes from the survey geometry, redshift space distortions, cosmological parameters, and redshift evolution produce larger changes of the order of 10−2 bits. The largest influence on the graph entropy comes from changes in the number density of clustred points. As the number density decreases, and the cosmic web is less pronounced, the entropy can diminish up to 0.2 bits. The graph entropy is simple to compute and can be applied both to simulations and observational data from large galaxy redshift surveys; it is a new statistic that can be used in a complementary way to other kinds of topological or clustering measurements.
Observations in statistically homogeneous, locally inhomogeneous cosmological toy models without FLRW backgrounds
Authors: Koksbang S M
Published: August 2020

We study observations in toy models that constitute exact cosmological solutions to the Einstein equation. These models are statistically homogeneous but locally inhomogeneous, without an a priori introduced Friedmann–Lemaître–Roberston–Walker (FLRW) background and with ‘structures’ evolving fairly slowly. The mean redshift–distance relation and redshift drift along 500 light rays in each of two models are compared with relations based on spatial averages. The relations based on spatial averages give a good reproduction of the mean redshift–distance relation, although most convincingly in the model where the kinematical backreaction and average spatial curvature cancel each other to a subpercentage precision. In both models, the mean redshift drift clearly differs from the drift of the mean redshift. This indicates that redshift drift could be an important tool for testing the backreaction conjecture as redshift drift appears to distinguish between local and global effects. The method presented for computing the redshift drift is straightforward to generalize and can thus be utilized to fairly easily compute this quantity in a general space–time.
A missense mutation in the CSTF2 gene that impairs the function of the RNA recognition motif and causes defects in 3′ end processing is associated with intellectual disability in humans
Authors: Grozdanov Petar N , Masoumzadeh Elahe , Kalscheuer Vera M , Bienvenu Thierry , Billuart Pierre , Delrue Marie-Ange , Latham Michael P , MacDonald Clinton C
Published: August 2020

CSTF2 encodes an RNA-binding protein that is essential for mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation (C/P). No disease-associated mutations have been described for this gene. Here, we report a mutation in the RNA recognition motif (RRM) of CSTF2 that changes an aspartic acid at position 50 to alanine (p.D50A), resulting in intellectual disability in male patients. In mice, this mutation was sufficient to alter polyadenylation sites in over 1300 genes critical for brain development. Using a reporter gene assay, we demonstrated that C/P efficiency of CSTF2D50A was lower than wild type. To account for this, we determined that p.D50A changed locations of amino acid side chains altering RNA binding sites in the RRM. The changes modified the electrostatic potential of the RRM leading to a greater affinity for RNA. These results highlight the significance of 3′ end mRNA processing in expression of genes important for brain plasticity and neuronal development.
Cannabis Use and the Onset of Cigarette and E-cigarette Use: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study Among Youth in the United States
Authors: Weinberger Andrea H , Zhu Jiaqi , Lee Joun , Xu Shu , Goodwin Renee D
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Cigarette use is declining among youth in the United States, whereas cannabis use and e-cigarette use are increasing. Cannabis use has been linked with increased uptake and persistence of cigarette smoking among adults. The goal of this study was to examine whether cannabis use is associated with the prevalence and incidence of cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use among U.S. youth.

Methods

Data included U.S. youth ages 12–17 from two waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (Wave 1 youth, n = 13 651; Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, n = 10 081). Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between Wave 1 cannabis use and (1) Wave 1 prevalence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 youth and (2) Wave 2 incidence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth. Analyses were run unadjusted and adjusted for demographics and internalizing/externalizing problem symptoms.

Results

Wave 1 cigarette and e-cigarette use were significantly more common among youth who used versus did not use cannabis. Among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, Wave 1 cannabis use was associated with significantly increased incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use by Wave 2.

Conclusions

Youth who use cannabis are more likely to report cigarette and e-cigarette use, and cannabis use is associated with increased risk of initiation of cigarette and e-cigarette use over 1 year. Continued success in tobacco control—specifically toward reducing smoking among adolescents—may require focusing on cannabis, e-cigarette, and cigarette use in public health education, outreach, and intervention efforts.

Implications

These data extend our knowledge of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth by showing that cannabis use is associated with increased prevalence and incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth, relative to youth who do not use cannabis. The increasing popularity of cannabis use among youth and diminished perceptions of risk, coupled with the strong link between cannabis use and tobacco use, may have unintended consequences for cigarette control efforts among youth.
Pubic Osteomyelitis: Epidemiology and Factors Associated with Management Failure in Two French Reference Centers
Authors: Ferry Tristan , Becker Agathe , Valour Florent , Perpoint Thomas , Boussel Loic , Ruffion Alain , Laurent Frederic , Senneville Eric , Chidiac Christian ,   Lyon BJI Study group
Published: August 2020

Background

Pubic osteomyelitis (PO) is a neglected bone and joint infections (BJI), as its management is still poorly codified. We aim to describe PO epidemiology and to look for factors associated with management failure.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study in two French reference centers including patients with PO in 2010–2016. Treatment failure was defined by clinical (persistence or recurrence of clinical signs) and/or microbiological failure. Factors associated with treatment failure were determined by univariate Cox analysis (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval calculation). Kaplan–Meier curve was compared between groups by log-rank test.

Results

Twenty-five patients were included over 13 years (median age 67 years; 19 men, median ASA score 3). Six (24 %) had a PO from haematogenous origin. Those were all monomicrobial infection, due to S.aureus, mostly identified in young patients without comorbidities, especially in athletes. No surgery was required if no abcess or bone sequestrum were found. Nineteen patients (76 %) had a post-operative chronic PO (developed from 1 month to 11 years after a pelvic surgery); 15 of them had history of pelvic cancer (60%); 12 received radiotherapy at the site of infection (48 %). Infection was polymicrobial in 68 % of cases, including 32 % of cases with multidrug-resistant pathogens. A clinical success was recorded in only 14 patients (56%). Treatment failure was always noticed in chronic post-operative forms. Potential risk factors associated with failure management were: pelvic cancer history (HR 3.8;  P = 0,089); pelvic radiotherapy history (HR 2.9; P = 0.122); clinical sinus tract (HR 5.1; P = 0,011); infection with multidrug-resistant bacteria (HR 2.8; P = 0,116), and polymicrobial infection (HR 70.5; P = 0,090).

Conclusion

Our study highlights predominant chronic complex post-operative forms of PO. They are mostly plurimicrobial, sometimes associated with multi-drug resistance, occurring in fragile patients with pelvic cancer. It frequently leads to complex antibiotherapy, with important risk of relapse. Aggressive surgical procedure with large bone resection is frequently required in patients who underwent pelvic radiotherapy.

Disclosures

T. Ferry, HERAEUS: Consultant, Speaker honorarium. E. Senneville, 1959: Board Member and Consultant, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium
Liturgy, Patristic Learning, and Christian Formation
Authors: Maloy Rebecca
Published: August 2020

This chapter explores the role of liturgy and chant in the bishops’ project of cultural renewal, from the perspectives of both production and reception. The author looks to the textual culture of Visigothic Iberia for clues as to why the compilers of chants reworked scripture in particular ways, exploring how scripture and patristic texts were read, understood, and disseminated by members of the clerical elite who were likely to have produced the chants. The focus then turns to Christian education and formation in Visigothic Iberia, yielding insight into the tools that monks, clergy, and laity are likely to have brought to the understanding of these chants.
The Melodic Language
Authors: Maloy Rebecca
Published: August 2020

This chapter posits a set of principles that underlie the melodic grammar of the Old Hispanic melodies though close analysis of its neumes. In the Old Hispanic notation, certain neumes and neume combinations were used to signal particular structural points in the melodies, pointing to a distinctive culture of musical literacy associated with the rite in the tenth and eleventh centuries. By examining the contexts in which these neumes occur, the author identifies melodic repetitions, and posits which neume patterns served as cadences and openings. Through this analysis, a sophisticated melodic grammar emerges. The melodies are closely tethered to aspects of the text, such as syntax, accent, and syllable division. While melodic variety and individuality are core traits of the repertory, the creators of the chants drew on a large vocabulary of standard melodic formulas, combining it in ever varying ways.
Sounding Prophecy
Authors: Maloy Rebecca
Published: August 2020

This chapter considers the relationship between the melodies and the semantic content of the texts, thus bearing on the contentious question of whether chant melodies can relate to textual meaning. In the case of the sacrificia, the answer is a resounding yes. Central to this argument is the understanding of textual meaning established in Chapter 3. The author considers the occasion on which the text was sung, its meaning in biblical exegesis, and how and why the creators of the text reworked the biblical source. On this basis, I show that the melodies employ certain strategies of musical rhetoric to fashion a particular understanding of the text. The sacrificia thus pose a challenge to a long-standing belief that chant melodies are indifferent to the texts’ semantic content. On the contrary: their creators possessed an erudite knowledge of biblical interpretation, reworking biblical passages to foreground their Christian interpretation and deploying melody as a rhetorical device to shape how the text was heard. The melodies highlight images of liturgical or doctrinal importance, and underline the strategic reworking of the biblical text. Although the existing melodies do not date from the Visigothic period, it is probable that melody contributed to the bishops’ goals of forming a Nicene Christian kingdom and society.
Al-Huda Onsite and Online
Authors: Sanyal Usha
Published: August 2020

In Chapter 8 I discuss how concretely social change occurs at the level of the everyday among a geographically dispersed set of Muslim women studying the Qur’an. I closely analyse Al-Huda’s messages for women in terms of family and community relationships through examination of Farhat Hashmi’s use of language over an extended period (the mid-1990s to 2005). Seeing Hashmi in terms of ‘cultural translation’, I try to understand how she makes the seventh century context of the Qur’an relevant to the lives of twenty-first-century Pakistani women in the diaspora. The chapter also examines both onsite classes in Mississauga, Toronto, and online classes through the lens of other teachers—referring to them as teacher-learners, to highlight their continuing engagement in Islamic learning—especially Taimiyyah Zubair, and the work of the Testing Center in Hurst, Texas, without which the online classes would not be possible.
Sin in the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles
Authors: Siker Jeffrey
Published: August 2020

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is the lamb of God whose sacrificial death will provide the ultimate forgiveness of sin. John equates sin with the failure of people to believe that Jesus is God’s son and messiah sent to save the world. By identifying Jesus as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, John’s Gospel conflates the meaning of Passover (celebrating freedom from slavery with the sacrifice of the paschal lamb) with the meaning of Yom Kippur (celebrating freedom from sin with the ritual of the scape goat who bares away sin). The story of the healing of the man born blind (John 9) also makes it clear that the religious leaders who oppose Jesus are spiritually blind and remain in their sins. By contrast, the man born blind not only recovers his physical sight, but has gained salvific spiritual sight through his growing recognition of Jesus as God’s son.
Reasons, Institutions, Authorities
Authors: Suttle Oisin
Published: August 2020

This chapter examines the logic of exceptions in World Trade Organization (WTO) law, and their relation to the reasons that apply to members, and to the authority of WTO law and adjudicators. Many exceptions can be understood as qualifying rules, in order that those rules should better track the reasons that apply to those subject to them. However, others are better explained as reflecting the limits of law’s authority: at least sometimes, exceptions identify areas wherein the law falls silent, not because its subjects necessarily have reasons to act otherwise than in accordance with the unqualified rule, but rather because they have good claims to decide for themselves whether they should so act. Joseph Raz’s service conception of authority is applied to develop an account of the grounds, scope, and limits of WTO law’s authority, which account is in turn applied to explain three specific sets of exceptions or quasi-exceptions: the GATT Article XX General Exceptions, the trade remedies rules, and the ‘non-exception-exceptions’ for domestic regulation deviating from international standards.
Old Gallo-Romance, periodization, and the left periphery
Authors: Wolfe Sam
Published: August 2020

This chapter seeks to reappraise the value of periodization for both early French and Occitan, by analysing a range of syntactic changes including verb placement, inversion effects, the structure of the left periphery, the null subject system and the particle SI. On this basis, it is argued that in syntactic terms there is some value in assigning the label ‘middle’ to a particular period in the history of French, whereas there is minimal empirical basis to assign the same label to a particular stage in the history of Occitan. Overall in terms of comparative Romance syntactic typology this is linked to the fact that medieval and modern Occitan are syntactically closer to the ‘southern’ Romance prototype than French.