bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimizing the zenith angle dependence of cosmic ray muons from Charm particles in the knee region: simulation study
Authors: Ismail A. Haj , AbdelKader A.
Published: February 2023

The muonic component of air showers is one of the most abundant component of charged particles arriving at the Earth’s surface, and able to penetrate deeply underground, and is very sensitive to the primary mass and energy of the initial cosmic particle. Atmospheric muons are produced in the propagation of different components of extensive air showers. Therefore, variations in the muon ratio, defined as the number of positive over negative charged muons, must be well understood. In this paper, we study the variation of the muon charge ratio of cosmic muons at different zenith angles, and we study the contribution of charm particles in producing atmospheric muons using Monte Carlo showers initiated by two cosmic primaries, proton and iron, with four energies [10 PeV, 100 PeV, 1 EeV, 10 EeV], in the zenith range of [0° to 60°].
Grimoire1 of the MAGIC telescopes
Authors: Manganaro Marina
Published: February 2023

The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes are a system of two Cherenkov telescopes located on the Canary island of La Palma (Spain), at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, and operating in stereo mode since 2009. Their design and dedicated trigger system allows to reach an energy threshold of 50 GeV, which can be lowered to 15 GeV when using the Sum-Trigger-II. This made it possible to observe sources at the limit of detection for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (z∼1) and to deeply study the Geminga pulsar tail emission. A strategy of alert follow-ups from other facilities and the fast repositioning of the telescopes made possible the detection of the first neutrino associated with a blazar and of gamma-ray bursts in the very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-ray band, respectively. Moreover, the discovery of GRB190114C allowed a test of general relativity through the study of the Lorentz Invariant Violation. Recently MAGIC observed the first VHE gamma-ray nova, RS Ophiuchi, revealing that protons are accelerated to hundreds of gigaelectronvolts in the nova shock. In this talk we will go through the MAGIC recent highlights in the study of galactic and extragalactic sources, spanning from multimessenger astronomy to astroparticle and fundamental physics.
Search for dark matter with IACTs and the Cherenkov Telescope Array
Authors: Morselli Aldo
Published: February 2023

In the last decades an incredible amount of evidence for the existence of dark matter (DM) has been accumulating. At the same time, many efforts have been undertaken to try to identify what dark matter is made of. Indirect searches look at places in the Universe where dark matter is known to be abundant and seek for possible annihilation or decay signatures. Indirect searches with the Fermi Gamma ray Space Telescope and Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) are playing a crucial role in constraining the nature of the DM particle through the study of their annihilation into gamma rays from different astrophysical structures. In this talk I will review the status of the search with IACTs and I will describe the sensitivity projections for dark matter searches on the various targets taking into account the latest instrument response functions expected for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) together with estimations for the systematic uncertainties from diffuse astrophysical and cosmic-ray backgrounds.
The Crystal Eye X and gamma-ray detector for space missions
Authors: Garufi F. , Abba A. , Anastasio A. , Barbarino G. , Barbato F. , Boiano A. , de Asmundis R. , De Mitri I. , Ferrentino L. , Guarino F. , Guida R. , Vanzanella A. , Wu L.
Published: February 2023

Crystal Eye idea comes from the analysis of two gravitational waves events: GW170817 and GW190425. Both events were referred to neutron star mergers. In the first case Fermi-GBM and INTEGRAL claimed the detection of a short Gamma Ray Burst (GRB 170817A) and in order to follow up and target the GW electromagnetic counterparts, a huge effort has been made by other satellites and ground-based experiments. In the second case, only INTEGRAL claimed the detection of a faint GRB (GRB 190425) while Fermi satellite was in Earth occultation. Crystal Eye is a space-based X and γ ray all-sky monitor sensitive in the 10 keV - 30 MeV energy range. In its baseline configuration, it consists of a hemisphere, made by 112 pixels, with a wide (about 6 sr) field of view (FOV), a full sky coverage and a very large effective area (6 times Fermi-GBM at 1 MeV) in the energy range of interest. Given the pixel structure – a two-layer crystal scintillator and a plastic scintillator veto layer – and the hemispherical design, Crystal Eye concentrate the pointing capability of a γ-ray telescope and the sky coverage of an all-sky monitor in a single detector. Moreover, the use of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) at the place of traditional PMs, besides being a challenge for their qualification for space missions, allows a more compact and less power-consuming design. A Crystal Eye pathfinder has been designed and realized to be tested in view of the mission on the Space Rider by ESA. The prototype is made by 4 pixels. The mission is aimed at testing in the space environment the LYSO crystals, the MPPC-arrays and the DAQ board.
Selected results from IceCube
Authors: Montaruli Teresa
Published: February 2023

Neutrino astronomy saw its birth with the discovery by IceCube of a difFuse flux at energies above 60 TeV with intensity comparable to a predicted upper limit to the flux from extra-galactic sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). While such an upper limit corresponds to the case of calorimetric sources, in which cosmic rays lose all their energy into photo-pion production, the first statistically significant coincident observation between neutrinos and gamma-rays was observed from a blazar of intriguing nature. A very-high-energy muon event, of most probable neutrino energy of 290 TeV for an E
−2.13 spectrum, alerted other observatories triggering a large amount of investigations in many bands of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. A high gamma-ray state from the blazar was revealed soon after the event and in a follow up to about 40 days. A posteriori observations also in the optical and in the radio indicated a rise of the flux from the TXS 0506+056 blazar. A previous excess of events of duration of more than 100 d was observed by IceCube with higher significance than the alert itself. These observations triggered more complex modelling than simple one zone proton synchrotron models for proton acceleration in jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and more observations across the EM spectrum.

A second evidence was a steady excess of about 50 neutrino events with reconstructed soft spectrum in a sample of lower energy well reconstructed muon events than the alert event. A hot spot was identified in a catalogue of 110 gamma-ray intense emitters and starburst galaxies in a direction compatible to NGC 1068 with significance of 2.9σ. NGC 1068 hosts a mildly relativistic jet in a starburst galaxy, seen not from the jet direction but rather through the torus. This Seyfert II galaxy is at only 14.4 Mpc from the Earth. The source turned out to be also the hottest spot of an all-sky search. Analysed cumulatively, the catalogue excess was 3.3σ with the contribution of NGC 1068 and TXS 0506+056, as expected, and other 2 sources, PKS 1424+240, and GB6 J1542+6129, with similar features to TXS 0506+056, indicating that they might all be Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs).

While all these observations and the directions of the measured events contributing to diffuse fluxes hint to their extra-galactic origin, a few percent level contribution might be the end of a lower energy ‘granted’ flux of neutrinos from interactions of cosmic rays in the Galactic Plane. This relevant observation is at the reach of IceCube and other neutrino telescopes. These aspects were discussed at the conference and are summarised in this write up.
KM3NeT/ARCA Sensitivity for Constraining Starburst Galaxies
Authors: Ambrosone A. , Ibnsalih W. I. , Marinelli A. , Miele G. , Migliozzi P. , Musone M. R.
Published: February 2023

The expectation for detecting with the KM3NeT/ARCA telescope, signals from Starburst Galaxies, both as diffuse signal and as point-like excess, is presented. A recent theoretical model was used for the diffused flux. The model, which has been developed by authors of this contribution, takes into account a “blending” of spectral indices to describe the spectral energy distribution. For the point-like search approach, the most promising local starburst galaxies to be observed as point-like neutrino excesses were considered: NGC 1068, the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Circinus Galaxy. For the diffuse analysis, the sensitivity for two ARCA building blocks is provided, considering both track and shower events, in the range of 100GeV − 100PeV. For the point-like analysis, the sensitivity for two ARCA building blocks is provided considering only track events. ARCA has the potential to constrain the selected phenomenological scenarios, showing the minimum of the sensitivity where the theoretical spectral energy distributions are expected to peak. This could provide evidence of the link between star-forming processes and hadronic emissions.
Hyper-Kamiokande detector and its capabilities in astrophysical neutrino search
Authors: Ruggeri Alan Cosimo
Published: February 2023

Hyper-Kamiokande (Hyper-K) is a next generation underground large water Cherenkov detector. Its tank will be filled with 260000 metric tons of ultra-pure water with a fiducial volume of 0.19 Mtons, which is about 8 times larger than that of its predecessor Super-Kamiokande. In its water volume, Cherenkov light will be produced by neutrino interactions and detected by newly developed photo sensors installed in a dedicated frame.

Two different kinds of photo-detectors systems are considered for Hyper-K: 20-inch PMT and multi-PMT (mPMT). In particular, the mPMT system consists of a pressure sealed vessel with 19 3-inch PMTs installed inside. This configuration was implemented for the first time in the KM3NeT experiment, and has been demonstrated to improve the Hyper-K physics capabilities [1, 2].

Hyper-K will be located in the Kamioka mine (Japan), where a dedicated cavern under a 600m-high mountain is being excavated for the installation of the detector. With its fruitful physics research program, Hyper-K will play a highly significant role in the next neutrino physics frontier, in particular for the CP violation, and including the neutrino astrophysics program, providing important information from its measurements.

The physics potential of the Hyper-K neutrino astrophysics program will be discussed in this contribution.
Search for gravitational waves associated with Gamma Ray Bursts during the LIGO-Virgo run O3b
Authors: Di Girolamo T.
Published: February 2023

We present the search for gravitational waves associated with Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi and Swift satellites during the second part of the third observing run (O3b) of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, from 2019 November 1 to 2020 March 27. This search is carried out with two different methods, a modelled search targeting compact binary mergers with at least one neutron star, which is used for 17 short GRBs, and a search for generic transients, used for all the 86 GRBs. We find no statistically significant gravitational wave signal associated with any of these GRBs. Considering several source types and signal morphologies, we set lower bounds on the estimated distance to each GRB.
Einstein Telescope, the future generation of ground based gravitational wave detectors
Authors: Grado Aniello
Published: February 2023

The second-generation gravitational wave detectors Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo have shown their breakthrough capability to shed light on our understanding of the Universe. Although the steady increase in sensitivity, these detectors will hit in the future limitations due to their hosting infrastructures. This is the reason why a new generation of gravitational wave detectors are under studies. The Einstein Telescope (ET) is a planned European 3
rd
generation gravitational Wave (GW) Observatory, a new research infrastructure designed to host a detector capable to observe the entire Universe using gravitational waves. ET will be a multi-interferometer observatory aiming to increase a factor ten the sensitivity of previous generation detectors. We will give an overview of the project, describe the main scientific goals and the technological challenges that must be overcome to reach the expected sensitivity.
Per un pugno di libri … scientifici : a divulgation project for high-school students
Authors: Burgio G F , Aramo C , Cicalò C , Colalillo R , Fanti V , Nannini A , Pacini G , Piparo G , Pirrone S , Sasso C , Scotti V , Serri G , Tricomi A
Published: February 2023

We discuss the project “Per un pugno di libri … scientifici”, aimed at bringing the young generations closer to scientific culture through reading divulgation books about physics. The project, which is addressed to high-school students, is sponsored by INFN and other national and regional research institutions, along with physics departments of some Italian universities.
Performance of CMS Tracker Alignment during LHC Run 2 and Commissioning towards Run 3
Authors: Pramod Lakshmi
Published: February 2023

The CMS experiment’s innermost detector, the tracker, is designed to accurately measure the momentum of charged particles and reconstruct the primary vertices. As the operating conditions during data-taking change frequently, movements may occur in the substructures of the tracker, thereby necessitating regular updating of the detector geometry to describe the position, orientation, and curvature of the tracker modules. The process of determining the new geometry parameters is called tracker alignment. Tracker alignment is performed numerous times throughout the data-taking period using reconstructed tracks from collisions and cosmic rays data and further fine-tuned once the data collection is completed. The strategies for and the performance of the tracker alignment during Run 2 (2016-2018) will be presented, emphasising the ultimate accuracy achieved with the legacy reprocessing. The data-driven techniques used to derive the alignment parameters and the methods used to validate the alignment performance will be reviewed. Finally, the preparations of CMS towards tracker alignment during Run 3 (2022-2025)–in particular, the very first alignment performed after the LHC Long Shutdown 2, with cosmic ray muons and collision data at

s

=
900

GeV–will be discussed.
Seeking more robust early warning signals for climate tipping points: the Ratio of Spectra method (ROSA)
Authors: Clarke Joseph J , Huntingford Chris , Ritchie Paul D L , Cox Peter M
Published: February 2023

Potential tipping points in the Earth System present challenges for society and ecosystems, especially as the global warming thresholds at which these may be triggered remain uncertain. Fortunately, a theory of `critical slowing down' has been developed which could warn of approaching tipping points. Applications of this theory often implicitly assume stationary white-noise forcing, itself requiring a clean separation between forced trends and variability, which is especially difficult under contemporary climate change. This paper proposes a modified method to derive early warning signal in a system, such as the climate, which is forced by time correlated processes. The method looks at the Ratio of Spectra (ROSA) of a system state variable relative to a forcing variable. We demonstrate the ROSA method on an idealised forced dynamical system, before applying it to a particular challenging example from the Earth System: dieback of the Amazon rainforest. We show that ROSA identifies more examples of abrupt transitions in the Amazon than conventional early warning signals in state-of-the-art CMIP6 Earth System Models.
A framework to identify critical dynamics of water quality for diagnosing river basin ecosystem resilience and management
Authors: Li Zhuo , Wang Linlin , Lun Fei , Hu Qiyuan , Xu Yueqing , Sun Danfeng
Published: February 2023

This study proposed a novel framework to identify critical water quality dynamics as early warning signals for diagnosing changes in the resilience of river basin ecosystems. We established empirical linkages between the theoretical background of three resilience capacities (robustness, adaptability and transformability) and water quality dynamics. Then, the processes of resilience degradation and their risk transfer or accumulation have been identified based on the shifts among different states. The methods of time-domain analysis and frequency-domain analysis were integrated into this framework, aiming to identify gradual and transient responses of water quality and its periodic fluctuation characteristics at multiple temporal scales. The time-domain analysis methods obtained the trend, cumulative periodic fluctuation of water quality by extracting the key characteristic parameters from the time-series data. The wavelet transform methods were introduced into the frequency-domain analysis to reveal the water quality fluctuation patterns at specific temporal scales. We tested the proposed framework in a typical agriculture-intensive watershed in eastern China. The results showed that this framework can be effectively used to identify three resilience states of river basin ecosystems. The degraded resilience regions were mainly distributed in the downstream area, which was influenced by their specific land use/cover and different agricultural soil health conditions. Particularly, urban sewage discharge was the main cause of periodic fluctuation in water quality time series at multiple high-frequency scales. The theoretical background of resilience capacities was elaborated in non-equilibrium dynamics before resilience degradation. Thus, this novel framework could reveal the pollution processes and driving mechanisms in different river reaches, and it also can provide adaptive management suggestions according to resilience dynamics traits.
Assessing the co-benefits of urban greening coupled with rainwater harvesting management under current and future climates across USA cities
Authors: Zhang Ziyan , Dobson Barnaby , Moustakis Yiannis , Meili Naika , Mijic Ana , Butler Adrian , Athanasios Paschalis
Published: February 2023

Globally, urban areas face multiple challenges owing to climate change. Urban greening (UG) is an excellent option for mitigating flood risk and excess urban heat. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems can cope with plant irrigation needs and urban water management. In this study, we investigated how UG and RWH work together to mitigate environmental risks. By incorporating a new RWH module into the urban ecohydrological model Urban Tethys-Chloris (UT&C), we tested different uses of intervention approaches for 28 cities in the USA, spanning a variety of climates, population densities, and urban landscapes. UT&C was forced by the latest generation convection-permitting climate model simulations of the current (2001–2011) and end-of-century (RCP8.5) climate. Our results showed that neither UG nor RWH, through the irrigation of vegetation, could significantly contribute to mitigating the expected strong increase in 2 m urban canyon temperatures under a high-emission scenario. RWH alone can sufficiently offset the intensifying surface flood risk, effectively enhance water saving, and support UG to sustain a strong urban carbon sink, especially in dry regions. However, in these regions, RWH cannot fully fulfill plant water needs, and additional measures to meet irrigation demand are required to maximize carbon sequestration by urban vegetation.
Conversion of cassava rhizome into efficient carbonaceous adsorbents for removal of dye in water
Authors: Phuriragpitikhon J , Pluamjai K , Fuangchoonuch W , Chuenchom L
Published: February 2023

The development of sustainable adsorbent materials for removing pollutants from water is of great interest for environmental remediation and human safety. This work presents the beneficial use of cassava rhizome (CR) to produce economical and efficient carbonaceous adsorbents for dye removal. CR derived activated carbons (AC) and magnetic AC were fabricated by one-pot hydrothermal carbonization in the presence of ZnCl2 and ZnCl2/FeCl3 respectively, followed by pyrolysis at 800 °C. Porosity tuning and degree of magnetization of as-prepared carbons were achieved by varying the amount of ZnCl2 and FeCl3 as an activating agent and source of magnetic particles respectively. The result indicated that the optimal condition to obtain ACs with a high SBET (1405 m2/g) and the largest mesopore volume (0.54 cm3/g) was using the weight ratio of ZnCl2 to CR of 3 (3AC). While, the magnetic mesoporous carbon with the highest SBET (554 m2/g) was yielded when addition of FeCl3 into the reaction mixture with a FeCl3 to ZnCl2 weight ratio of 1(3AC-1M). 3AC and 3AC-1M were tested as adsorbents to investigate the adsorption efficiency of methylene blue (MB) in water. The adsorption behavior of MB on 3AC and 3AC-1M were monolayer adsorption based on the Langmuir isotherm model with R2 of 0.9993 and 0.9953, respectively. 3AC showed the MB adsorption capacity of 274 mg/g which is comparable to that of commercial ACs. 3AC-1M that adsorbs MB with the maximum capacity of 102 mg/g, was separated from aqueous solution easily using an external magnet. This study demonstrates that the carbon precursors from biomass waste as CR can be conveniently converted into efficient carbonaceous adsorbents and functionalized for example by adding magnetic properties into the carbon structure to enable manipulations in industrial operations.
Synthesis and biodegradation of polymer blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and natural rubber
Authors: Chanasit Wankuson , Martla Mananya , Umsakul Kamontam
Published: February 2023

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as an ideal choice of biomaterial for specific applications. In this study, PHA was synthesized and purified from Pseudomonas mendocina PSU. These obtained PHA was then determined its monomer composition and found that 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) was a major component, in addition, the molecular weight were also investigated. The average Mw was 8.39 ×104 when grown in MSM supplemented with glycerol whereas the melting temperature was 172 °C. To improve mechanical and biodegradation properties of PHB, blending with suitable well defined polymers such as natural rubbers (NR) has been performed by blending poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [(PHB)] with and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) using two different blending methods e.g. solvent blending and melting blending in a ratio of PHB to ENR of 70:30. The polymer blends were further investigated their biodegradation by soil burial test and rubber-degrading consortium. The results clearly showed that in soil burial test, the most rapid biodegradation was PHB from P. mendocina PSU which reached to 34.10%weight loss whereas the biodegradation of polymers by rubber-degrading bacteria, interestingly the highest percentages of weight loss about 13% was obtained in PHB-ENR blend films from melt blending followed by PHB-ENR blend films from solvent blending, NR, PHB from P. mendocina PSU and ENR, respectively. In addition, the physical changes in all tested samples were observed.
Pathways to sustain atolls under rising sea levels through land claim and island raising
Authors: Brown Sally , Nicholls Robert J , Bloodworth Alan , Bragg Oliver , Clauss Audrey , Field Stuart , Gibbons Laura , Pladaitė Milda , Szuplewski Malcolm , Watling James , Shareef Ali , Khaleel Zammath
Published: February 2023

Low-lying atoll nations (e.g. the Maldives, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands) are highly vulnerable to climate change, especially sea-level rise (SLR). Stringent climate change mitigation will slow but not stop SLR, which will continue for centuries, mandating additional long-term adaptation. At the same time, urbanisation is concentrating population in a few centres, especially around capital islands which creates additional pressure as most atoll nations are ‘land-poor’. This paper demonstrates how structural adaptation using land claim and island raising can be utilised within an adaptation pathway approach to sustain enough islands and land area above rising sea levels to satisfy societal and economic needs over multiple centuries.

This approach is illustrated using the Maldives, especially around the capital and its environs (Greater Malé). Raising, expanding and connecting ‘urban’ islands can provide multiple benefits. Significant developments have already occurred in Greater Malé and further developments there and for other urban centres in the Maldives are expected. Migration to urban centres, especially Malé, is widespread and this adaptation approach assumes this trend continues, implying many other islands are depopulated or abandoned. Tourism is core to the Maldives economy and tourist islands require a different ambience to urban islands. They could be sustained with sympathetic soft engineering reinforcing the natural processes that produce atolls. While land advance and island raising provides a technical solution for SLR, any application must also address the additional policy, human, physical, engineering and economic/financial challenges that are raised. Nonetheless, by aligning adaptation through land advance/raising with existing development trends, atoll nations have the potential to persist and prosper for many centuries even as sea levels inevitably rise. This provides a realistic alternative to widespread assumptions about forced migration and ultimate national abandonment. The lessons here may find wider application to other small island settings and even mainland coasts.
Neuronal NLRP3 inflammasome mediates spreading depolarization-evoked trigeminovascular activation
Authors: Chen Pin-Yu , Yen Jiin-Cherng , Liu Tzu-Ting , Chen Szu-Ting , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Chen Shih-Pin
Published: February 2023

Spreading depolarization (SD), the underlying mechanism of migraine aura, may trigger the opening of the pannexin 1 (PANX1) pore to sustain the cortical neuroinflammatory cascades involved in the genesis of headache. Yet, the mechanism underlying SD-evoked neuroinflammation and trigeminovascular activation remains incompletely understood.

We characterized the identity of inflammasome activated following SD-evoked PANX1 opening. Pharmacological inhibitors targeting PANX1 or NLRP3 as well as genetic ablation of Nlrp3 and Il1b were applied to investigate the molecular mechanism of the downstream neuroinflammatory cascades. In addition, we examined whether SD-triggered microglial activation facilitates neuronal NLRP3-mediated inflammatory cascades. Pharmacological inhibition of toll-like receptors TLR2/4, the potential receptors of the damage-associated molecular pattern HMGB1, was further employed to interrogate the neuron-microglia interplay in SD-induced neuroinflammation.

We found that NLRP3 but not NLRP1 or NLRP2 inflammasome was activated following PANX1 opening after single or multiple SDs evoked by either KCl topical application or non-invasively with optogenetics. The SD-evoked NLRP3 inflammasome activation was observed exclusively in neurons but not microglia or astrocytes. Proximity ligation assay demonstrated that the assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome occurred as early as 15 min after SD. Genetic ablation of Nlrp3 or Il1b or pharmacological inhibition of PANX1 or NLRP3 ameliorated SD-induced neuronal inflammation, middle meningeal artery dilatation, calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in trigeminal ganglion and c-Fos expression in trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Moreover, multiple SDs induced microglial activation subsequent to neuronal NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which in turn orchestrated with neurons to mediate cortical neuroinflammation, as demonstrated by decreased neuronal inflammation after pharmacological inhibition of microglia activation or blockade of the TLR2/4 receptors.

To conclude, single or multiple SDs evoked activation of neuronal NLRP3 inflammasomes and its downstream inflammatory cascades to mediate cortical neuroinflammation and trigeminovascular activation. In the context of multiple SDs, the cortical inflammatory processes could be facilitated by SD-evoked microglia activation. These findings may implicate the potential role of innate immunity in migraine pathogenesis.
Copeptin improves prediction of treatment response in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Sailer Clara Odilia , Gaisl Odile , Beglinger Svetlana , Frech-Dörfler Martina , Sommer Vivienne , Lüthy Maya Horst , Christ-Crain Mirjam
Published: February 2023

Objective

One of the main medical treatment options for monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) is the vasopressin analog desmopressin. But not all children respond to desmopressin treatment, and no reliable treatment predictor has yet been established. We hypothesize that plasma copeptin, a surrogate marker for vasopressin, can be used to predict treatment response to desmopressin in children with MNE.

Design/Methods

In this prospective observational study, we included 28 children with MNE. At baseline, we assessed the number of wet nights, morning, and evening plasma copeptin, and plasma sodium and started treatment with desmopressin (120 µg daily). Desmopressin was increased to 240 µg daily if clinically necessary. The primary endpoint was reduction in the number of wet nights following 12 weeks of treatment with desmopressin using plasma copeptin ratio (evening/morning copeptin) at baseline.

Results

Eighteen children responded to desmopressin treatment at 12 weeks, while 9 did not. A copeptin ratio cutoff of 1.34 (sensitivity 55.56%, specificity 94.12%, area under the curve 70.6%, P = .07) was best at predicting treatment response, with a lower ratio indicating a better treatment response. In contrast, neither the number of wet nights at baseline (P = .15) nor serum sodium (P = .11) alone or in combination with plasma copeptin improved outcome prediction.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that, of our investigated parameters, plasma copeptin ratio is the best predictor for treatment response in children with MNE. Plasma copeptin ratio could thus be useful to identify children with the highest benefit of desmopressin treatment and improve individualized treatment of MNE.
Clinical impact of right ventricular pacing burden in patients with post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement permanent pacemaker implantation
Authors: Tsushima Takahiro , Al-Kindi Sadeer , Palma Dallan Luis Augusto , Fares Anas , Yoon Sung-Han , Wheat Heather L , Attizzani Guilherme F , Baeza Cristian R , Pelletier Marc P , Arruda Mauricio S , Mackall Judith A , Thal Sergio G
Published: February 2023

Aims

Patients who undergo permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have a worse outcome. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of worse outcomes in patients with post-TAVR PPM implantation.

Methods and results

This is a single-centre, retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent post-TAVR PPM implantation from 11 March 2011 to 9 November 2019. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by landmark analysis with cut-off at 1 year after the PPM implantation. Of the 1389 patients underwent TAVR during the study duration and a total of 110 patients were included in the final analysis. Right ventricular pacing burden (RVPB) ≥ 30% at 1 year was associated with a higher likelihood of heart failure (HF) readmission [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 6.333; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.417–28.311; P = 0.016] and composite endpoint of overall death and/or HF (aHR: 2.453; 95% CI: 1.040–5.786; P = 0.040). The RVPB ≥30% at 1 year was associated with higher atrial fibrillation burden (24.1 ± 40.6% vs. 1.2 ± 5.3%; P = 0.013) and a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (−5.0 ± 9.8% vs. + 1.1 ± 7.9%; P = 0.005). The predicting factors of the RVPB ≥30% at 1 year were the presence of RVPB ≥40% at 1 month and the valve implantation depth measured from non-coronary cusp ≥4.0 mm (aHR: 57.808; 95% CI: 12.489–267.584; P < 0.001 and aHR: 6.817; 95% CI: 1.829–25.402; P = 0.004).

Conclusions

The RVPB ≥30% at 1 year was associated with worse outcomes. Clinical benefit of minimal RV pacing algorithms and biventricular pacing needs to be investigated.
Usefulness of delivery catheter on accurate right ventricular septal pacing: Mt FUJI trial
Authors: Naruse Yoshihisa , Sano Makoto , Kurebayashi Nobutake , Morikawa Shuji , Tsurumi Naoki , Shiozawa Tomoyuki , Takano Shintaro , Ogano Michio , Kimura Kei , Miyajima Keisuke , Sugiura Ryo , Henmi Ryuta , Muto Masahiro , Hosoya Natsuko , Hasebe Hideyuki , Mizukami Akira , Iguchi Keisuke , Atsumi Akiko , Odagiri Keiichi , Kiyama Yumi , Maekawa Yuichiro ,   the Mt FUJI trial investigators, Yoshinobu Kato , Hideki Saito , Daichi Isomura , Kazuki Ito , Ayako Okazaki , Yasuyo Takashima , Tomoyuki Watanabe , Yoshitaka Kawaguchi , Yasushi Wakabayashi , Yohei Takayama , Kohei Sawasaki , Jun Tanabe , Soushi Moriya , Go Ishikawa , Daigo Takahashi , Ryota Nishio , Kentaro Yasuda , Taketo Sonoda , Shoichiro Yatsu , Jun Shitara , Hideki Wada , Manabu Ogita , Satoru Suwa , Yumiko Joko , Takashi Ogane , Tomotaka Suzuki , Tomoya Iwawaki , Naoya Inoue , Tuyoshi Urushida , Masao Saotome , Hayato Ohtani , Kenichiro Suwa , Satoshi Mogi , Taro Narumi , Tomoaki Sakakibara , Yutaro Kaneko
Published: February 2023

Aims

Although the delivery catheter system for pacemaker-lead implantation is a new alternative to the stylet system, no randomized controlled trial has addressed the difference in right ventricular (RV) lead placement accuracy to the septum between the stylet and the delivery catheter systems. This multicentre prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to prove the efficacy of the delivery catheter system for accurate delivery of RV lead to the septum.

Methods and results

In this trial, 70 patients (mean age 78 ± 11 years; 30 men) with pacemaker indications of atrioventricular block were randomized to the delivery catheter or the stylet groups. Right ventricular lead tip positions were assessed using cardiac computed tomography within 4 weeks of pacemaker implantation. Lead tip positions were classified into RV septum, anterior/posterior edge of the RV septal wall, and RV free wall. The primary endpoint was the success rate of RV lead tip placement to the RV septum.

Results

Right ventricular leads were implanted as per allocation in all patients. The delivery catheter group had higher success rate of RV lead deployment to the septum (78 vs. 50%; P = 0.024) and narrower paced QRS width (130 ± 19 vs. 142 ± 15 ms P = 0.004) than those in the stylet group. However, there was no significant difference in procedure time [91 (IQR 68–119) vs. 85 (59–118) min; P = 0.488] or the incidence of RV lead dislodgment (0 vs. 3%; P = 0.486).

Conclusion

The delivery catheter system can achieve a higher success rate of RV lead placement to the RV septum and narrower paced QRS width than the stylet system.

Trial registration number

jRCTs042200014 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs042200014)
Single and cumulative exposure to psychosocial work conditions and mental health among young adults
Authors: de Groot Samira , Veldman Karin , Amick Benjamin C , Bültmann Ute
Published: February 2023

Background

The consequences of a single point-in-time compared to cumulative exposure to psychosocial work conditions (PWCs) for young adults’ mental health have received relatively little attention. This study investigates (i) the associations between single and cumulative exposure to adverse PWCs at ages 22 and 26 with mental health problems (MHPs) among young adults at age 29 and (ii) the effect of early life MHPs on MHPs at age 29.

Methods

Data were used from 362 participants in the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a Dutch prospective cohort study with 18-year follow-up. PWCs were assessed at ages 22 and 26 with the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Internalizing (i.e. depressive and somatic complaints, anxiety) and externalizing MHPs (i.e. aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour) were measured by the Youth/Adult Self-Report at ages 11, 13, 16, 19, 22 and 29. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between single and cumulative exposure to PWCs and MHPs.

Results

Single exposure to high work demands at ages 22 or 26 and high-strain jobs at age 22 were associated with internalizing problems at age 29; the association attenuated after adjustment for early life internalizing problems but remained significant. No associations were found between cumulative exposures and internalizing problems. No associations were found between single or cumulative exposures to PWCs and externalizing problems at age 29.

Conclusions

In view of the mental health burden in working populations our findings call for early implementation of programmes targeting both work demands and MHPs to keep young adults working.
Children with problem-drinking parents in a Swedish national sample: is the risk of harm related to the severity of parental problem drinking?
Authors: Ramstedt Mats , Raninen Jonas , Larm Peter , Livingston Michael
Published: February 2023

Background

The aim of this paper is to examine the link between severity in exposure to parental problem drinking in a Swedish national population sample of children aged 15–16 years. Specifically, we assessed whether the risk of poor health, poor relationships and a problematic school situation increase with severity in exposure to parental problem drinking.

Methods

National population survey from 2017 with a representative sample of 5 576 adolescents born in 2001. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). A short version of The Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, CAST-6, was used to identify children with problem-drinking parents. Health status, social relations and school situation were assessed by well-established measures.

Results

The risk of having poor health, poor school performance and poor social relations increased with severity of parental problem drinking. The risk was lowest among children least severely affected (Crude models ranged from OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.4 to OR: 2.2, 95% CI 1.8–2.6) and highest among children most severely affected (Crude models ranges from OR: 1.7, 95% CI 1.3–2.1 to OR: 6.6, 95% CI 5.1–8.6). The risk became lower when adjusting for gender and socioeconomic position but were still higher compared to children without problem-drinking parents.

Conclusions

Appropriate screening and intervention programs are necessary for children with problem-drinking parents especially when exposure is severe but also at mild forms of exposure.
Deviations in the Z:A ratio disrupt sexual development in the eri silkmoth, Samia cynthia ricini
Authors: Yoshido Atsuo , Marec František
Published: February 2023

Moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) have sex chromosome systems with female heterogamety, and 2 models, W-dominance and Z-counting, have been proposed to determine sex. The W-dominant mechanism is well known in Bombyx mori. However, little is known about the Z-counting mechanism in Z0/ZZ species. We investigated whether ploidy changes affect sexual development and gene expression in the eri silkmoth, Samia cynthia ricini (2n = 27♀/28♂, Z0♀/ZZ♂). Tetraploid males (4n = 56, ZZZZ) and females (4n = 54, ZZ) were induced by heat and cold shock, and then, triploid embryos were produced by crosses between diploids and tetraploids. Two karyotypes (3n = 42, ZZZ and 3n = 41, ZZ) were identified in triploid embryos. Triploid embryos with 3 Z chromosomes showed male-specific splicing of the S. cynthia doublesex (Scdsx) gene, whereas 2-Z triploid embryos showed both male- and female-specific splicing. From larva to adult, 3-Z triploids showed a normal male phenotype, except for defects in spermatogenesis. However, abnormal gonads were observed in 2-Z triploids, which showed both male- and female-specific Scdsx transcripts not only in the gonads but also in somatic tissues. Two-Z triploids were thus obviously intersexes, suggesting that sexual development in S. c. ricini depends on the Z:A ratio and not only on the Z number. Moreover, mRNA-seq analyses in embryos showed that relative levels of gene expression are similar between samples with different doses of Z chromosomes and autosome sets. Our results provide the first evidence that ploidy changes disrupt sexual development but have no effect on the general mode of dosage compensation in Lepidoptera.
Parallel expansion and divergence of an adhesin family in pathogenic yeasts
Authors: Smoak Rachel A , Snyder Lindsey F , Fassler Jan S , He Bin Z
Published: February 2023

Opportunistic yeast pathogens arose multiple times in the Saccharomycetes class, including the recently emerged, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Candida auris. We show that homologs of a known yeast adhesin family in Candida albicans, the Hyr/Iff-like (Hil) family, are enriched in distinct clades of Candida species as a result of multiple, independent expansions. Following gene duplication, the tandem repeat–rich region in these proteins diverged extremely rapidly and generated large variations in length and β-aggregation potential, both of which are known to directly affect adhesion. The conserved N-terminal effector domain was predicted to adopt a β-helical fold followed by an α-crystallin domain, making it structurally similar to a group of unrelated bacterial adhesins. Evolutionary analyses of the effector domain in C. auris revealed relaxed selective constraint combined with signatures of positive selection, suggesting functional diversification after gene duplication. Lastly, we found the Hil family genes to be enriched at chromosomal ends, which likely contributed to their expansion via ectopic recombination and break-induced replication. Combined, these results suggest that the expansion and diversification of adhesin families generate variation in adhesion and virulence within and between species and are a key step toward the emergence of fungal pathogens.
Role of Perceived Physical and Mental Fatigability Severity on Prospective, Recurrent, and Injurious Fall Risk in Older Men
Authors: Welburn Sharon C , Fanning Erin E , Cauley Jane A , Brown Patrick J , Strotmeyer Elsa S , Boudreau Robert M , Bear Todd M , Moored Kyle D , Cawthon Peggy M , Stone Katie L , Glynn Nancy W
Published: February 2023

Background

Falls occur annually in 25% of adults aged ≥65 years. Fall-related injuries are increasing, highlighting the need to identify modifiable risk factors.

Methods

Role of fatigability on prospective, recurrent, and injurious fall risk was examined in 1 740 men aged 77–101 years in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study. The 10-item Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale measured perceived physical and mental fatigability (0–50/subscale) at Year 14 (2014–16); established cut-points identified men with more severe perceived physical (≥15, 55.7%), more severe mental (≥13, 23.7%) fatigability, or having both (22.8%). Prospective, recurrent (≥2), and injurious falls were captured by triannual questionnaires ≥1 year after fatigability assessment; risk of any fall was estimated with Poisson generalized estimating equations, and likelihood of recurrent/injurious falls with logistic regression. Models adjusted for age, health conditions, and other confounders.

Results

Men with more severe physical fatigability had a 20% (p = .03) increased fall risk compared with men with less physical fatigability, with increased odds of recurrent and injurious falls, 37% (p = .04) and 35% (p = .035), respectively. Men with both more severe physical and mental fatigability had a 24% increased risk of a prospective fall (p = .026), and 44% (p = .045) increased odds of recurrent falling compared with men with less severe physical and mental fatigability. Mental fatigability alone was not associated with fall risk. Additional adjustment for previous fall history attenuated associations.

Conclusions

More severe fatigability may be an early indicator to identify men at high risk for falls. Our findings warrant replication in women, as they have higher rates of fatigability and prospective falls.
Prospective Memory Function Predicts Future Cognitive Decline and Incident Dementia
Authors: Browning Catherine A , Thompson Claire L , Kochan Nicole A , Brodaty Henry , Sachdev Perminder S , Henry Julie D
Published: February 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to test whether prospective memory (PM) was an early cognitive marker of future cognitive decline and incident dementia using longitudinal data spanning 8 years from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study.

Methods

At baseline, 121 participants aged 72–91 years were tested in PM using a validated PM task, Virtual Week, which included time- and event-based tasks presented with varying regularity. Responses were scored “Correct” if completed accurately and “Missed” if the target was not remembered at any time. Measures of cognition were taken at baseline and 2-year intervals over 8 years. Dementia diagnoses were made by expert consensus panels using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. Linear mixed models and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze the data, controlling for potential confounds.

Results

Both decreased PM accuracy and missed PM responses were associated with rate of cognitive decline measured by Mini-Mental State Examination over 8 years and global cognitive decline over 4 years. Risk of incident dementia increased with poorer baseline PM ability and missed responses. These effects remained significant after controlling for baseline cognition and were strongest for event-based and regular PM tasks.

Discussion

PM is a sensitive early marker of future cognitive decline and risk of incident dementia. PM tasks supported by spontaneous retrieval (event-based) and those with lower retrospective memory demands (regular tasks) function as particularly sensitive predictors. In other words, deficits in performing less effortful PM tasks best predicted cognitive decline. These findings may encourage clinicians to incorporate PM tasks in clinical assessments.
Socially active neighborhoods: construct operationalization for aging in place, health promotion and psychometric testing
Authors: Asiamah Nestor , Bateman Andrew , Hjorth Peter , Khan Hafiz T A , Danquah Emelia
Published: February 2023

From the year 2003 when the first walkability scale was published to date, person-environment fit models and empirical research, some of which was published in Health Promotion International, have encapsulated healthy communities in ‘neighborhood walkability’. While there is no doubt that neighborhood walkability positively influences health-seeking behaviors and health, recent models suggest that their measurement and conceptualization have not emphasized the role played by psychosocial and personal factors in aging in place. Thus, the development of scales measuring human ecosystem factors has not recognized all critical factors suited for older adults. In this paper, we aim to draw on relevant literature to frame a more holistic construct, hereby referred to as Socially Active Neighborhoods (SAN), that would better support aging in place in older populations. Through a narrative review based on a systematic search of the literature, we define the scope of SAN and delineate some contextual implications for gerontology, health promotion and psychometric testing. SAN, unlike neighborhood walkability in its current measurement and conceptualization, incorporates critical theory-informed psychosocial factors (i.e. safety and disability friendliness of neighborhood infrastructure) that can encourage older adults with physiological and cognitive limitations to maintain physical and social activities as well as health in later life. The SAN is the result of our adaptation of key person-environment models, including the Context Dynamics in Aging (CODA) framework, that recognizes the role of context in healthy aging.