bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of drug compliance on health care costs in newly-diagnosed dementia: a nation-wide analysis
Authors: Oh S T , Han K T , Choi W J , Park J
Published: November 2019

Background

The cost-effectiveness of both cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine by delaying nursing home placement has been supported by numerous studies. The importance of sustained pharmacological treatment in dementia has been relatively less recognized by public health policies compared to early diagnosis. We investigated the effect of the drug (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine) compliance on the health care costs in newly-diagnosed dementia.

Methods

National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database which covers the entire population of South Korea was used for analysis. Health care expenditure of patients newly-diagnosed with dementia in between 2012 and 2014 was investigated for 3 to 5 years. For drug compliance, we used Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) that indicates the percentage of time a patient has access to medication. Multivariate linear regression analysis including generalized estimated equation and gamma distribution was used for statistical analysis.

Results

We identified 252,594 patients who were both prescribed with cognitive enhancers and newly diagnosed with dementia. When initial MPR increased 20%, total health care costs decreased 8.4% (RR = 0.916, 95%; CI 0.914 to 0.916). Same relationship was shown with medical costs related to dementia, admission to a general hospital, and emergency room visits. When MPR increased 20% compared to the previous year, the total health care costs, admission to a general hospital, emergency room visits, and admission to a nursing hospital decreased.

Conclusions

This population-based retrospective cohort study provides evidence that patients newly-diagnosed with dementia who showed higher initial drug compliance or maintained antidementia drugs (Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine) would benefit in total health-care costs.

Key messages

Public health care policies should not only focus on early diagnosis in dementia, but also recognize the importance of adherence to cognitive enhancers. To maximize the positive pharmacoeconomic effect of early diagnosis of dementia, it is important to sustain adequate drug compliance to cognitive enhancers.
Anaemia under-reporting in a hospital setting in Italy
Authors: Lucaroni F , Morciano L , Morucci L , Duggento A , Cerone G , Ambrosone C , Palombi L
Published: November 2019

Background

Anaemia is a common occurrence in the general population, affecting nearly one in three people worldwide, with peaks in the elderly and those with chronic diseases or micronutrient deficiency.

If recognised, anaemia can often be treated through micronutrient administration, thus an early recognition of the disorder has a significant return in terms of Public Health and of investment.

Methods

Hospitalisation records from a large sample of ordinary admissions over a year (2016) were retrospectively analysed, in order to assess the impact of hospital stay on anaemia prevalence, defined according to WHO criteria. Prevalence was estimated by both haemoglobin levels and anaemia-related description codes (ICD9CM) at discharge.

Furthermore, the main diagnoses associated with loss of haemoglobin were investigated, using binary logistic regression.

Results

Over the 15,624 ordinary admissions, we found the prevalence rate of anaemia was 47.2% at hospital admission, increasing to 63.9% at discharge.

During hospital stay, a mean reduction of 0.323 g/dl (SD ± 1.39) haemoglobin was recorded, in particular those with neurological, circulatory, and haematological diseases (p < 0.001). By comparing the two diagnostic criteria, a great under-reporting occurred in 85.3% patients with haemoglobin levels predictive for anaemia at hospital discharge.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the importance of correctly identifying anaemia in the hospital setting as a main Public Health concern. Since haemoglobin loss is recorded during hospital stay, we propose measuring haemoglobin levels not only at admission, but also at discharge, and to enhance proper ICD9CM code inclusion in discharge records. The achievement of both these good practices would have a double effect: to properly inform all the stakeholders and to allow more than half hospital patients, those with haemoglobin levels predictive for anaemia but without specific ICD9CM code at discharge, to be cured in the proper setting.

Key messages

Anaemia often remained misidentified during hospitalisation, thus inducing a decrease in mean inpatients haemoglobin levels and a consequent increase of anaemia prevalence at discharge. Despite this worsening during hospital stay, a significant underreporting was recorded: 85.3% patients with Hb levels predictive for anaemia at hospital discharge had no specific ICD9CM code.
Avoidable hospitalization in Milan’s metropolitan area: inequalities and comparison with OECD cities
Authors: Pongiglione B , Torbica A , Gusmano M
Published: November 2019

Background

The largest cities on the world face the unprecedented challenge of meeting the needs of a population that lives longer, has declining birthrates, and is altering the demographic profile on which social welfare programs have long been premised. This work is part of an international project aimed at comparing health and social care systems in megacities worldwide. We study access to healthcare in the metropolitan area of Milan to quantify avoidable hospital care and social inequalities within this world city, and compare Milan with other OECD megacities.

Methods

Two sources of data are combined: individual-level hospital discharge data to measure hospitalization for ambulatory-care sensitive conditions (ACSC), and municipality-level data collected from the national office for statistics. First, we performed an ecological analysis using a linear model for ACSC hospitalization rates to detect the risk factors in the municipality where the patient resides. Then, to identify both individual and area-level variations in population health, we use multilevel logistic regression model.

Results

Age-adjusted ACSC hospitalization rates continuously declined from 2005 to 2016, from 16% to 10.7%. Municipality-level risk factors include proportion of residents aged 65+ and proportion of foreigner residents. The individual-level predictors of ACSC hospitalization include being male, being single, having co-morbidities and low education. This association is only modestly attenuated when patient’s area-level characteristics are accounted.

Conclusions

We observed declining trends in ACSC hospitalizations and identified some patient’s as well as area-level characteristics related to avoidable hospitalization. Understanding whether ACSC hospitalization has dropped due to improvements in population health and access to healthcare or as part of the overall reduction in hospitalization rates needs to be further explored.

Key messages

Effective primary care can reduce hospitalization for preventable and chronic conditions. This work identifies individual and ecological factors related to avoidable hospitalization in urban settings. Policies to improve access to healthcare, tackle inequalities and reduce hospitalization costs may be more effective if targeted on individuals considering and the environment in which they live.
Genetic Support for Longevity-Enhancing Drug Targets: Issues, Preliminary Data, and Future Directions
Authors: McCorrison Jamison , Girke Thomas , Goetz Laura H , Miller Richard A , Schork Nicholas J
Published: November 2019

Interventions meant to promote longevity and healthy aging have often been designed or observed to modulate very specific gene or protein targets. If there are naturally occurring genetic variants in such a target that affect longevity as well as the molecular function of that target (eg, the variants influence the expression of the target, acting as “expression quantitative trait loci” or “eQTLs”), this could support a causal relationship between the pharmacologic modulation of the target and longevity and thereby validate the target at some level. We considered the gene targets of many pharmacologic interventions hypothesized to enhance human longevity and explored how many variants there are in those targets that affect gene function (eg, as expression quantitative trait loci). We also determined whether variants in genes associated with longevity-related phenotypes affect gene function or are in linkage disequilibrium with variants that do, and whether pharmacologic studies point to compounds exhibiting activity against those genes. Our results are somewhat ambiguous, suggesting that integrating genetic association study results with functional genomic and pharmacologic studies is necessary to shed light on genetically mediated targets for longevity-enhancing drugs. Such integration will require more sophisticated data sets, phenotypic definitions, and bioinformatics approaches to be useful.
A Comparison of Variances in Age Cohorts to Understand Longevity in African Americans
Authors: Whitfield Keith E , Forrester Sarah , Thorpe Roland J
Published: November 2019

Background

African American life expectancy at age 65 is about 2 years less than that of Caucasians, but by age 85, African Americans may have a longevity advantage. One possible explanation for this cross-over effect is that African Americans who make it to the oldest ages have done so by handling stressful contextual and health disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to examine possible within group cohort differences that lead to exceptional longevity among older African Americans.

Methods

Data came from three cohorts of older African Americans: the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging (BSBA-PCA), and the Study of Longevity and Stress in African American Families (SOLSAA). Of the 533 participants, we compared two age cohorts (60–79 and 80+) with an average age of 73.2 (SD = 8.33) and 26.3% are men. Variables included measures of stress, depression, coping, cognition, and health indicators.

Results

The variance for depression and average peak expiratory flow (APEF) was significantly larger for the older cohort but after controlling for demographic factors, the measure of depressive symptoms was not. The Alpha Span test showed a significant difference with the older cohort having larger variances after controlling for demographic factors.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that there are changes in the characteristics of who makes it to later life, but counter to our hypothesis, there was greater variability in the oldest group relative to the younger.
Accelerating the Search for Interventions Aimed at Expanding the Health Span in Humans: The Role of Epidemiology
Authors: Newman Anne B , Kritchevsky Stephen B , Guralnik Jack M , Cummings Steven R , Salive Marcel , Kuchel George A , Schrack Jennifer , Morris Martha Clare , Weir David , Baccarelli Andrea , Murabito Joanne M , Ben-Shlomo Yoav , Espeland Mark A , Kirkland James , Melzer David , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: November 2019

Background

Extensive work in basic and clinical science suggests that biological mechanisms of aging are causally related to the development of disease and disability in late life. Modulation of the biological mechanisms of aging can extend both life span and health span in animal models, but translation to humans has been slow.

Methods

Summary of workshop proceedings from the 2018–2019 Epidemiology of Aging Workshop hosted by the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute on Aging.

Results

Epidemiologic studies play a vital role to progress in this field, particularly in evaluating new risk factors and measures of biologic aging that may influence health span, as well as developing relevant outcome measures that are robust and relevant for older individuals.

Conclusions

Appropriately designed epidemiological studies are needed to identify targets for intervention and to inform study design and sample size estimates for future clinical trials designed to promote health span.
Temporal changes in the growth of a crustacean species, Portunus armatus, in a temperate marine embayment: evidence of density dependence
Authors: Marks Rachel , Hesp S Alex , Johnston Danielle , Denham Ainslie , Loneragan Neil
Published: November 2019

Growth is a key attribute influencing population dynamics and fishery production, and understanding factors that affect the growth of individuals in a population is essential in fisheries science and management. This study analyses 18 years of fishery-independent trawl data to determine the relationships among temperature, density, primary productivity and growth of the blue swimmer crab, Portunus armatus, in a temperate marine embayment. Growth was modelled using mixture distribution analyses and cohort-specific seasonal growth curves to estimate the size of crabs at the age of 0.5 and 1.5 years. Growth was highly seasonal, with size-at-age increasing during the austral summer periods and slowing/ceasing during the cooler winter months. The results from the mixture models were used to estimate the mean size of the 0.5- and 1.5-year-old crabs in each year. Linear models showed that the mean size of adult P. armatus at 1.5 years was negatively related to the density of juvenile (0.5 year) crabs in the previous year (i.e. the same cohort) and chlorophyll a concentrations in this year. Increased chlorophyll a levels may increase the survival of larval and megalopal P. armatus, leading to density-dependent effects such as increased competition among juveniles for food and spatial resources, and ultimately, reduced growth.
The Predominance of Strain Replacement Among Enterobacteriaceae Pairs With Emerging Carbapenem Resistance During Hospitalization
Authors: Ding Baixing , Shen Zhen , Qin Xiaohua , Yang Yang , Xu Xiaogang , Guo Qinglan , Hu Fupin , Wang Minggui
Published: November 2019

Isolates of Enterobacteriaceae collected from the same patient can lose carbapenem susceptibility during antimicrobial therapy, but little attention has been given to how this conversion takes place. In the current study, we retrospectively analyzed microbiological and clinical data from patients with enterobacterial infections at a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. After screening 4795 patients and 7120 Enterobacteriaceae isolates over the 3-year study period, we found the change from carbapenem susceptible to carbapenem resistant in 41 pairs of isolates, of which 35 pairs (85.4%) were K. pneumoniae and 25 (61.0%) were from the same anatomic sites. Thirty-six isolate pairs showed different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns between the carbapenem-susceptible and the corresponding resistant strain, and 5 pairs displayed identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Thirty-three (91.7%) of the 36 pairs of Enterobacteriaceae isolates were carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae with blaKPC-2, and 28 pairs (90.3%) of K. pneumoniae isolates had different sequence types (STs), with ST11 the most common ST found in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates. Forty of the 41 patients had received antimicrobial therapy such as carbapenems, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones, before the isolation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. These results demonstrated that strain replacement is the main cause of emerging carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae during hospitalization. The loss of carbapenem susceptibility was not mainly due to in vivo development of carbapenem resistance.
A combined strategy of feature selection and machine learning to identify predictors of prediabetes
Authors: De Silva Kushan , Jönsson Daniel , Demmer Ryan T
Published: November 2019

Objective

To identify predictors of prediabetes using feature selection and machine learning on a nationally representative sample of the US population.

Materials and Methods

We analyzed n = 6346 men and women enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2014. Prediabetes was defined using American Diabetes Association guidelines. The sample was randomly partitioned to training (n = 3174) and internal validation (n = 3172) sets. Feature selection algorithms were run on training data containing 156 preselected exposure variables. Four machine learning algorithms were applied on 46 exposure variables in original and resampled training datasets built using 4 resampling methods. Predictive models were tested on internal validation data (n = 3172) and external validation data (n = 3000) prepared from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2012. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Predictors were assessed by odds ratios in logistic models and variable importance in others. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) prediabetes screening tool was the benchmark to compare model performance.

Results

Prediabetes prevalence was 23.43%. The CDC prediabetes screening tool produced 64.40% AUROC. Seven optimal (≥ 70% AUROC) models identified 25 predictors including 4 potentially novel associations; 20 by both logistic and other nonlinear/ensemble models and 5 solely by the latter. All optimal models outperformed the CDC prediabetes screening tool (P < 0.05).

Discussion

Combined use of feature selection and machine learning increased predictive performance outperforming the recommended screening tool. A range of predictors of prediabetes was identified.

Conclusion

This work demonstrated the value of combining feature selection with machine learning to identify a wide range of predictors that could enhance prediabetes prediction and clinical decision-making.
Analysis for Alpha-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone and Its 2-Oxo-PVP Metabolite in Plasma by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Andrenyak David M , Moody David E , Crites Jonathan M , Baumann Michael H
Published: November 2019

Alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (alpha-PVP), a novel psychoactive substance, has widespread recreational use. This with interest in its pharmacological effects creates a need for methods that measure alpha-PVP concentrations. We therefore developed an LC–MS-MS method that can quantitate alpha-PVP and 2-oxo-PVP in rat plasma using a 0.1-mL sample volume. Addition of internal standards (2.5 ng/mL alpha-PVP-d8/2-oxo-PVP-d6) was followed by liquid–liquid extraction with 1-chlorobutane:acetonitrile (4:1), evaporation and reconstitution with 0.1% formic acid. Extracts were analyzed by LC–MS-MS using an Agilent 1100 HPLC and a Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum Access MS-MS, with a YMC ODS-AQ, 50 mm × 2 mm, 3 μm column. The mobile phase was 0.1% formic acid:acetonitrile gradient at a 0.2-mL/minute flow rate with positive ion electrospray. SRM was used for the analysis with transitions: alpha-PVP, 232 → 91; alpha-PVP-d8, 240 → 91; 2-oxo-PVP, 246 → 91; 2-oxo-PVP-d6, 252 → 91. Alpha-PVP and 2-oxo-PVP eluted at 6.4 and 8.9 min. Calibrators range from 0.25 to 500 ng/mL. Accuracy and precision evaluated quality control samples prepared at 0.75, 10 and 400 ng/mL. The intra-assay evaluation also included the 0.25-ng/mL LOQs prepared in six different blank plasma sources. The intra-assay accuracy ranged from 88.9 to 117.8% of the target, and the intra-assay precision ranged from 0.9 to 16.0%. The inter-assay accuracy ranged from 98.7 to 110.7% of the target, and the inter-assay precision ranged from 4.5 to 12.0%. Extraction recovery was at least 52% for alpha-PVP and 67% for 2-oxo-PVP. Ionization recoveries were at least 64% for alpha-PVP and 82% for 2-oxo-PVP. These losses did not adversely affect assay performance. Alpha-PVP and 2-oxo-PVP controls were stable at room temperature for up to 24 h and frozen for at least 36 days. Alpha-PVP and 2-oxo-PVP were also stable in processed samples (extracts) stored at room temperature for at least 24 days. The procedure was used to analyze rat plasma samples from a pharmacokinetic study.
Metabolomics Profiling and AKR Characterization During Paurometabolous Development of Corythucha ciliata (Hemiptera: Tingidae)
Authors: Li Du , Dewer Youssef , Qu Cheng , Li Fengqi , Luo Chen
Published: November 2019

The sycamore lace bug, Corythucha ciliata (Say) is an invasive pest infesting trees of the genus Platanus. Both adults and nymphs damage the foliage of sycamore trees. Nymphs cannot survive in low temperatures; however, the sycamore lace bug overwinters as adults. In this study, we analyzed the metabolite profiles of this pest to determine significantly regulated metabolites during paurometabolous development from nymphs to adults. The identification of metabolites is essential to convert analytical data into meaningful biological knowledge. A total of 62 metabolites were identified using GC-MS. Among them, 29 different metabolites showed differences in content among nymphs, adult females (AF), and adult males (AM). Five of the 29 metabolites, including caffeic acid, D-glucose, D-mannose, glycerol and aminooxyacetic acid, were significantly increased and nine of them were significantly decreased during the developmental stages from nymph to adult. In addition, we identified three novel aldo-keto reductase (AKR) genes that may play a significant role in the control of glycerol biosynthesis. Moreover, the characteristics and expression levels of these genes were analyzed. This study will provide us with the necessary information to improve our understanding of the changes in metabolites in C. ciliata during paurometabolous development.
Mother, wife, or worker: Life course and motivations of remarried Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong
Authors: To Clara Wai-Chun
Published: November 2019

Studies on international marriage examining the motives in women’s marriage and migration decisions have indicated the limitations of the distinction between categories of migrants for marriage and migrant workers. Gender ideologies and immigration policies have accounted for women’s diverse motivations of transnational marriage; however, studies have focused on women in their first marriage, leaving those of remarried women, whose marital and migration decisions are often linked to the welfare and life trajectories of their children underexamined. Systematic investigations of institutional factors other than immigration policies in both receiving and sending countries, particularly post-Socialist societies, that affect their marital and migration decisions, remain limited. This article highlights the significance of life course, families, and gendered institutions in understanding the migratory flows of remarried immigrant wives. Based on in-depth interviews with remarried Mainland Chinese women in Hong Kong, the study argues that the effects of the labour market, local patriarchy, kinship system, and migration control mechanisms in post-Socialist China and Hong Kong on their remarital decisions vary depending on women’s life courses. Their decisions are embedded in their most salient family relationships, particularly young and adolescent biological children, which are interconnected within specific socio-historical contexts. The study contributes to research on gender and migration by demonstrating the heterogeneity of marriage migrants who are not merely wives or workers but also mothers of diverse life courses and the differential effects of gendered institutions on their remarital and migration decisions.
Aspergillosis in albatrosses
Authors: Melo Aryse Martins , Silva Filho Rodolfo Pinho da , Poester Vanice Rodrigues , Fernandes Cristina Gevehr , von Groll Andrea , Stevens David A , Sabino Raquel , Xavier Melissa Orzechowski
Published: November 2019

Aspergillosis is a respiratory fungal disease of importance in captive marine birds. The aim of this study was to describe the occurrence of aspergillosis in Thalassarche melanophris during rehabilitation events and to identify the etiological agent. All the albatrosses that were received for rehabilitation and died within a 2-year period were included in the study. The proportionate mortality rate caused by aspergillosis was 21.4% (3/14). One of the etiological agents was Aspergillus flavus/oryzae lineage, and the other was A. fumigatus sensu stricto. Our study suggests that aspergillosis can act as a limiting factor in the rehabilitation of albatrosses.
Extended main sequence turnoffs in open clusters as seen by Gaia – II. The enigma of NGC 2509
Authors: de Juan Ovelar M , Gossage S , Kamann S , Bastian N , Usher C , Cabrera-Ziri I , Dotter A , Conroy C , Lardo C
Published: November 2019

We investigate the morphology of the colour–magnitude diagram (CMD) of the open cluster NGC 2509 in comparison with other Galactic open clusters of similar age using Gaia photometry. At ${\sim}900\,\rm {Myr}$ Galactic open clusters in our sample all show an extended main sequence turnoff (eMSTO) with the exception of NGC 2509, which presents an exceptionally narrow CMD. Our analysis of the Gaia data rules out differential extinction, stellar density, and binaries as a cause for the singular MSTO morphology in this cluster. We interpret this feature as a consequence of the stellar rotation distribution within the cluster and present the analysis with mesa Isochrones and Stellar Tracks (MIST) stellar evolution models that include the effect of stellar rotation on which we based our conclusion. In particular, these models point to an unusually narrow range of stellar rotation rates (Ω/Ωcrit, ZAMS = [0.4, 0.6]) within the cluster as the cause of this singular feature in the CMD of NGC 2509. Interestingly, models that do not include rotation are not as good at reproducing the morphology of the observed CMD in this cluster.
The Milky Way’s disc of classical satellite galaxies in light of Gaia DR2
Authors: Pawlowski Marcel S , Kroupa Pavel
Published: November 2019

We study the correlation of orbital poles of the 11 classical satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, comparing results from previous proper motions with the independent data by Gaia DR2. Previous results on the degree of correlation and its significance are confirmed by the new data. A majority of the satellites co-orbit along the Vast Polar Structure, the plane (or disc) of satellite galaxies defined by their positions. The orbital planes of eight satellites align to <20° with a common direction, seven even orbit in the same sense. Most also share similar specific angular momenta, though their wide distribution on the sky does not support a recent group infall or satellites-of-satellites origin. The orbital pole concentration has continuously increased as more precise proper motions were measured, as expected if the underlying distribution shows true correlation that is washed out by observational uncertainties. The orbital poles of the up to seven most correlated satellites are in fact almost as concentrated as expected for the best-possible orbital alignment achievable given the satellite positions. Combining the best-available proper motions substantially increases the tension with ΛCDM cosmological expectations: <0.1 per cent of simulated satellite systems in IllustrisTNG contain seven orbital poles as closely aligned as observed. Simulated systems that simultaneously reproduce the concentration of orbital poles and the flattening of the satellite distribution have a frequency of <0.1 per cent for any number of k > 3 combined orbital poles, indicating that these results are not affected by a look-elsewhere effect. This compounds the Planes of Satellite Galaxies Problem.
Establishing a new technique for discovering large-scale structure using the ORELSE survey
Authors: Hung D , Lemaux B C , Gal R R , Tomczak A R , Lubin L M , Cucciati O , Pelliccia D , Shen L , Le Fèvre O , Wu P-F , Kocevski D D , Mei S , Squires G K
Published: November 2019

The Observations of Redshift Evolution in Large-Scale Environments (ORELSE) survey is an ongoing imaging and spectroscopic campaign initially designed to study the effects of environment on galaxy evolution in high-redshift (z ∼ 1) large-scale structures. We use its rich data in combination with a powerful new technique, Voronoi tessellation Monte Carlo (VMC) mapping, to search for serendipitous galaxy overdensities at 0.55 < z < 1.37 within 15 ORELSE fields, a combined spectroscopic footprint of ∼1.4 deg2. Through extensive tests with both observational data and our own mock galaxy catalogues, we optimize the method’s many free parameters to maximize its efficacy for general overdensity searches. Our overdensity search yielded 402 new overdensity candidates with precisely measured redshifts and an unprecedented sensitivity down to low total overdensity masses ($\mathcal {M}_{\mathrm{ tot}}\gtrsim5\times 10^{13}$ M⊙). Using the mock catalogues, we estimated the purity and completeness of our overdensity catalogue as a function of redshift, total mass, and spectroscopic redshift fraction, finding impressive levels of both 0.92/0.83 and 0.60/0.49 for purity/completeness at z = 0.8 and z = 1.2, respectively, for all overdensity masses at spectroscopic fractions of ∼20 per cent. With VMC mapping, we are able to measure precise systemic redshifts, provide an estimate of the total gravitating mass, and maintain high levels of purity and completeness at z ∼ 1 even with only moderate levels of spectroscopy. Other methods (e.g. red-sequence overdensities and hot medium reliant detections) begin to fail at similar redshifts, which attests to VMC mapping’s potential to be a powerful tool for current and future wide-field galaxy evolution surveys at z ∼ 1 and beyond.
Variable star classification using multiview metric learning
Authors: Johnston K B , Caballero-Nieves S M , Petit V , Peter A M , Haber R
Published: November 2019

Comprehensive observations of variable stars can include time domain photometry in a multitude of filters, spectroscopy, estimates of colour (e.g. U-B), etc. When the objective is to classify variable stars, traditional machine learning techniques distill these various representations (or views) into a single feature vector and attempt to discriminate among desired categories. In this work, we propose an alternative approach that inherently leverages multiple views of the same variable star. Our multiview metric learning framework enables robust characterization of star categories by directly learning to discriminate in a multifaceted feature space, thus, eliminating the need to combine feature representations prior to fitting the machine learning model. We also demonstrate how to extend standard multiview learning, which employs multiple vectorized views, to the matrix-variate case which allows very novel variable star signature representations. The performance of our proposed methods is evaluated on the UCR Starlight and LINEAR data sets. Both the vector and matrix-variate versions of our multiview learning framework perform favourably – demonstrating the ability to discriminate variable star categories.
Anisotropic electron populations in BL Lac jets: consequences for the observed emission
Authors: Tavecchio F , Sobacchi E
Published: November 2019

We investigate the impact on the properties of high-energy emitting BL Lac objects of a population of electrons with an anisotropic momentum distribution. We adopt a simple phenomenological description of the anisotropy, in which the most energetic electrons have a small pitch angle and the least energetic electrons are isotropic, as proposed by Sobacchi & Lyubarsky (2019). We explore (i) a simple model that assumes a phenomenological shape for the electron energy distribution, and (ii) a self-consistent scheme in which the electrons follow a distribution which is the result of the balance between injection and radiative losses (we include the effects of the anisotropy on the synchrotron cooling rate). Considering the BL Lac object Mkn 421 as representative of the entire class, we show that in both cases the emission can be satisfactorily reproduced under equipartition between the magnetic field and the relativistic electrons. This is in better agreement with the idea that jets are launched as Poynting dominated flows with respect to the standard isotropic scenario, which requires both a low magnetization and a low radiative efficiency to reproduce the observed emission. The hard spectrum predicted for the inverse Compton continuum at TeV energies could be used as a potential test of the anisotropic model.
VLBI observations of the G25.65+1.05 water maser superburst
Authors: Burns R A , Orosz G , Bayandina O , Surcis G , Olech M , MacLeod G , Volvach A , Rudnitskii G , Hirota T , Immer K , Blanchard J , Marcote B , van Langevelde H J , Chibueze J O , Sugiyama K , Kim Kee-Tae , Val‘tts I , Shakhvorostova N , Kramer B , Baan W A , Brogan C , Hunter T , Kurtz S , Sobolev A M , Brand J , Volvach L
Published: November 2019

This paper reports observations of a 22 GHz water maser ‘superburst’ in the G25.65+1.05 massive star-forming region, conducted in response to an alert from the Maser Monitoring Organisation (M2O). Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations using the European VLBI Network (EVN) recorded a maser flux density of 1.2 × 104 Jy. The superburst was investipgated in the spectral, structural, and temporal domains and its cause was determined to be an increase in maser path length generated by the superposition of multiple maser emitting regions aligning in the line of sight to the observer. This conclusion was based on the location of the bursting maser in the context of the star-forming region, its complex structure, and its rapid onset and decay.
An nl-model with radiative transfer for hydrogen recombination line masers
Authors: Prozesky Andri , Smits Derck P
Published: November 2019

Atomic hydrogen masers occur in recombination plasmas in sufficiently dense H ii regions. These hydrogen recombination line (HRL) masers have been observed in a handful of objects to date and the analysis of the atomic physics involved has been rudimentary. In this work a new model of HRL masers is presented which uses an nl-model to describe the atomic populations interacting with free-free radiation from the plasma, and an escape probability framework to deal with radiative transfer effects. The importance of including the collisions between angular momentum quantum states and the free-free emission in models of HRL masers is demonstrated. The model is used to describe the general behaviour of radiative transfer of HRLs and to investigate the conditions under which HRL masers form. The model results show good agreement with observations collected over a broad range of frequencies. Theoretical predictions are made regarding the ratio of recombination lines from the same upper quantum level for these objects.
Order-disorder phase transition in black-hole star clusters. II. A scale-free cluster
Authors: Tremaine Scott
Published: November 2019

The supermassive black holes found at the centres of galaxies are often surrounded by dense star clusters. The ages of these clusters are generally longer than the resonant-relaxation time and shorter than the two-body relaxation time over a wide range of radii. We explore the thermodynamic equilibria of such clusters using a simple self-similar model. We find that the cluster exhibits a phase transition between a high-temperature spherical equilibrium and a low-temperature equilibrium in which the stars are on high-eccentricity orbits with nearly the same orientation. In the absence of relativistic precession, the spherical equilibrium is metastable below the critical temperature and the phase transition is first-order. When relativistic effects are important, the spherical equilibrium is linearly unstable below the critical temperature and the phase transition is continuous. A similar phase transition has recently been found in a model cluster composed of stars with a single semimajor axis. The presence of the same phenomenon in two quite different cluster models suggests that lopsided equilibria may form naturally in a wide variety of black-hole star clusters.
The Role of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in Surgical Neuro-Oncology: Series of 100 Consecutive Patients
Authors: Shah Ashish H , Semonche Alexa , Eichberg Daniel G , Borowy Veronica , Luther Evan , Sarkiss Christopher A , Morell Alexis , Mahavadi Anil K , Ivan Michael E , Komotar Ricardo J
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is an adjuvant treatment for intracranial lesions that are treatment refractory or in deep or eloquent brain. Initial studies of LITT in surgical neuro-oncology are limited in size and follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

To present our series of LITT in surgical neuro-oncology to better evaluate procedural safety and outcomes.

METHODS

An exploratory cohort study of all patients receiving LITT for brain tumors by a single senior neurosurgeon at a single center between 2013 and 2018. Primary outcomes included extent of ablation (EOA), time to recurrence (TTR), local control at 1-yr follow-up, and overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included complication rate. Outcomes were compared by tumor subtype. Predictors of outcomes were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 91 patients underwent 100 LITT procedures; 61% remain alive with 72% local control at median 7.2 mo follow-up. Median TTR and OS were 31.9 and 16.9 mo, respectively. For lesion subtypes, median TTR (months, not applicable [N/A] if <50% rate observed), local control rates at 1-yr follow-up, and median OS (months) were the following: dural-based lesions (n = 4, N/A, 75%, 20.7), metastases (n = 45, 55.9, 77.4%, 16.9), newly diagnosed glioblastoma (n = 11, 31.9, 83.3%, 32.3), recurrent glioblastoma (n = 14, 5.6, 24.3%, 7.3), radiation necrosis (n = 20, N/A, 67.2%, 16.4), and other lesions (n = 6, 12.3, 80%, 24.4). TTR differed by tumor subtype (P = .02, log-rank analysis). EOA predicted local control (P = .009, multivariate proportional hazards regression); EOA > 85% predicted longer TTR (P = .006, log-rank analysis). Complication rate was 4%.

CONCLUSION

Our series of LITT in surgical neuro-oncology, 1 of the largest to date, further evidences its safety and outcomes profile.
Faces of Resistance: Using Real-world Patients and Their Advocates to Teach Medical Students about Antimicrobial Stewardship
Authors: Nori Priya , Cowman Kelsie , Jezek Amanda , Nosanchuk Joshua D , Slosar-Cheah Magdalena , Sarwar Uzma , Bartash Rachel , Ostrowsky Belinda
Published: November 2019

We engaged medical students with antimicrobial stewardship (AS) and resistance (AMR) through patient stories and a panel on AMR advocacy with experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Students were surveyed on their perceptions about AS and AMR (response rate=139/166, 84%).
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Early-onset and Late-onset Adenovirus Infections in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Bruminhent Jackrapong , Worawichawong Suchin , Tongsook Chutatip , Pasomsub Ekawat , Boongird Sarinya , Watcharananan Siriorn P
Published: November 2019

Background

Adenovirus (ADV) infection after kidney transplantation (KT) causes significant morbidity. Patient characteristics and outcomes of ADV infection in KT recipients were investigated.

Methods

All adult KT recipients with ADV infection between January 2015 and June 2019 were included. ADV infection/disease was defined as detection of ADV DNA in clinical specimens/plus symptoms. Clinical and laboratory findings, treatments, and outcomes were assessed.

Results

ADV infection was diagnosed in 24/751 KT recipients (3.2%). Twenty (83%) were male with a median age of 47 years (IQR 36–58). Fifteen (63%) underwent deceased donor KT, and 13 (54%) received induction therapy. Twenty-one (88%) and four (17%) patients developed hemorrhagic cystitis and disseminated disease, respectively. There were equal distributions of early-onset (EOI) (< 3 months) and late- onset (LOI) (> 3 months) infections. Patients who were diagnosed with EOI had lower median absolute lymphocyte counts compared to those with LOI (735/mm3 [IQR 543–1123] vs. 1122/mm3 [IQR 784–1344], p = 0.04). All achieved resolution after reduction of their immunosuppression regimen and 13 (54%) received cidofovir therapy. Eighteen (75%) developed allograft dysfunction, of which 67% were transient. One (4%) underwent nephrectomy for allograft failure and 1 (4%) died (non-ADV-related). Patients with EOI were more likely to receive cidofovir therapy (75% vs. 33%, p = 0.04) and develop other opportunistic infections (75% vs. 8%, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

ADV infection after KT typically involves a genitourinary system and transiently impairs an allograft function. Those who developed early infection tend to have more lymphopenia, co-infection and receiving antiviral therapy.
Increasing socioeconomic disparities in tobacco smoking decline among French adolescents (2000–2017)
Authors: Janssen Eric , Le Nézet Olivier , Shah Jalpa , Chyderiotis Sandra , Brissot Alex , Philippon Antoine , Legleye Stéphane , Spilka Stanislas
Published: November 2019

Background

This paper studies the evolution of transitions from first cigarette use to daily use by socioeconomic status (SES) among French adolescents over the course of 17 years, in a context of decreasing prevalence of tobacco use.

Methods

A total of 182 266 adolescents participated in the nationally representative ESCAPAD survey at nine different time points between 2000 and 2017. Discrete time-event analysis was used to model the transition to daily cigarette use as a function of SES, gender, age at onset and the use of other psychoactive substances.

Results

Although lifetime cigarette smoking and daily cigarette smoking decreased significantly over the studied time span, suggesting a positive impact of prevention policies, disadvantaged adolescents were consistently more prone to engage in daily cigarette smoking, more so in 2017 than 15 years earlier. In the same time span, transitions from initiation to daily cigarette smoking have shortened, with an accelerated pace among underprivileged adolescents.

Conclusions

Accelerated transitions from initiation to daily cigarette use are a prevalent trend among disadvantaged adolescents in France. Efforts to mitigate the impact of marketing strategies and to promote health literacy should be pursued to reduce social inequalities in health.
One-Year Stability of Frontoparietal Cognitive Control Network Connectivity in Recent Onset Schizophrenia: A Task-Related 3T fMRI Study
Authors: Smucny Jason , Lesh Tyler A , Zarubin Vanessa C , Niendam Tara A , Ragland J Daniel , Tully Laura M , Carter Cameron S
Published: November 2019

Kraepelinian theory posits that schizophrenia (SZ) is a degenerative disorder that worsens throughout the lifespan. Behavioral studies of cognition have since challenged that viewpoint, particularly in the early phases of illness. Nonetheless, the extent to which cognition remains functionally stable during the early course of illness is unclear, particularly with regard to task-associated connectivity in cognition-related brain networks. In this study, we examined the 1-year stability of the frontoparietal control network during the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) from a new baseline sample of 153 participants scanned at 3T, of which 29 recent onset individuals with SZ and 42 healthy control (HC) participants had follow-up data available for analysis. Among individuals that had both baseline and follow-up data, reduced functional connectivity in SZ was observed between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior parietal cortex (SPC) during the high control (B cue) condition. Furthermore, this deficit was stable over time, as no significant time × diagnosis interaction or effects of time were observed and intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.6 in HCs and SZ. Previous 1.5T findings showing stable deficits with no evidence of degeneration in performance or DLPFC activation in an independent SZ sample were replicated. Overall, these results suggest that the neuronal circuitry supporting cognitive control is stably impaired during the early course of illness in SZ across multiple levels of analysis with no evidence of functional decline.
Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans as a Phytopathogenic Model to Study the Immune System of Sorghum bicolor
Authors: Tuleski Thalita Regina , Kimball Jennifer , do Amaral Fernanda P. , Pereira Tomas P. , Tadra-Sfeir Michelle Zibetti , de Oliveira Pedrosa Fabio , Maltempi de Souza Emanuel , Balint-Kurti Peter , Monteiro Rose Adele , Stacey Gary
Published: November 2019

Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans is the causal agent of red stripe disease (RSD) and mottle stripe disease of sorghum and sugarcane, respectively. In all, 63 genotypes of Sorghum bicolor were inoculated with H. rubrisubalbicans, with 59 showing RSD symptoms. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population identified several QTL associated with variation in resistance to RSD. RNA sequencing analysis identified a number of genes whose transcript levels were differentially regulated during H. rubrisubalbicans infection. Among those genes that responded to H. rubrisubalbicans inoculation were many involved in plant–pathogen interactions such as leucine-rich repeat receptors, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, calcium-binding proteins, transcriptional factors (ethylene-responsive element binding factor), and callose synthase. Pretreatment of sorghum leaves with the pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) molecules flg22 and chitooctaose provided protection against subsequent challenge with the pathogen, suggesting that PAMP-triggered immunity plays an important role in the sorghum immunity response. These data present baseline information for the use of the genetically tractable H. rubrisubalbicans–sorghum pathosystem for the study of innate immunity and disease resistance in this important grain and bioenergy crop. Information gained from the use of this system is likely to be informative for other monocots, including those more intractable for experimental study (e.g., sugarcane).
Reactions of Soybean Germplasm Accessions to Six Phakopsora pachyrhizi Isolates from the United States
Authors: Paul Chandra , Motter Hélder Z. , Walker David R.
Published: November 2019

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd. & P. Syd., is one of the most economically important foliar diseases of soybean. Resistant cultivars could reduce yield losses and management costs but considerable pathogenic diversity exists among populations of the fungus; thus, resistance to a range of pathotypes is essential. Seedling and detached-leaf assays were conducted to characterize the resistance of 55 soybean plant introductions (PIs) to six purified isolates of P. pachyrhizi originating from the southern United States. In the greenhouse resistance assays, the differentials Hyuuga (PI 506764) and PI 471904 and accessions PI 224268, PI 567025A, PI 567039, PI 567046A, and DT 2000 (PI 635999) were resistant to all six isolates, including Florida isolates from 2011 and 2012 that were able to defeat resistance conditioned by the Rpp1 through Rpp4 genes. Twenty-six other PIs were resistant to four or five of the six isolates. In the detached-leaf assays, eight accessions developed reddish-brown reactions to all six isolates, with an average of only 0.23 to 0.55 uredinia/lesion. These included Hyuuga, DT 2000, two differentials with a resistance allele at the Rpp5 locus, and accessions PI 224268, PI 423960B, PI 567025A, and PI 567046A. Many of the resistant accessions have subsequently been reported to have a resistance allele at the Rpp3 locus, and two others have resistance genes at the Rpp4 or Rpp6 locus. This study provided new information about resistance reaction phenotypes that can be useful for understanding mechanisms of resistance, which Rpp genes and alleles could be combined to obtain broader and more durable rust resistance in soybean cultivars, and pathotype diversity among the six isolates used.