We report the analysis of additional multiband photometry and spectroscopy and new adaptive optics (AO) imaging of the nearby planetary microlensing event TCP J05074264+2447555 (Kojima-1), which was ...discovered toward the Galactic anticenter in 2017 (Nucita et al.). We confirm the planetary nature of the light-curve anomaly around the peak while finding no additional planetary feature in this event. We also confirm the presence of apparent blending flux and the absence of significant parallax signal reported in the literature. The AO image reveals no contaminating sources, making it most likely that the blending flux comes from the lens star. The measured multiband lens flux, combined with a constraint from the microlensing model, allows us to narrow down the previously unresolved mass and distance of the lens system. We find that the primary lens is a dwarf on the K/M boundary (0.581 0.033 M ) located at 505 47 pc, and the companion (Kojima-1Lb) is a Neptune-mass planet (20.0 2.0 M⊕) with a semimajor axis of au. This orbit is a few times smaller than those of typical microlensing planets and is comparable to the snow-line location at young ages. We calculate that the a priori detection probability of Kojima-1Lb is only ∼35%, which may imply that Neptunes are common around the snow line, as recently suggested by the transit and radial velocity techniques. The host star is the brightest among the microlensing planetary systems (Ks = 13.7), offering a great opportunity to spectroscopically characterize this system, even with current facilities.
Purpose
To qualitatively explore the perceived impact of a 12-week rehabilitative intervention for oesophago-gastric cancer survivors on their physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Methods
Of the 21 ...participants who completed the intervention, 19 took part in a semi-structured focus group interview. Four audio-taped focus groups were held, ranging in size from two to eight participants. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using a descriptive qualitative approach.
Results
At recruitment, participants were 23.5 ± 15.2 months post-surgery and all had suboptimal fitness levels. Participants reported improvements in their physical capacity and ability to carry out activities of daily living during the intervention. These improvements led to increased confidence and social connectivity. Other participants were a valuable source of information and reassurance, while support from family members was variable. Future interventions should educate participants on how to maintain gains achieved during the intervention.
Conclusions
Participating in an exercise-based multidisciplinary rehabilitative intervention reduces isolation and helps oesophago-gastric cancer survivors to safely negotiate their physical, emotional and social needs as they move further down the path of recovery.
Background. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent childhood disorder with symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. EEG neurofeedback training (NFT) is ...a new intervention modality based on operant conditioning of brain activity, which helps reduce symptoms of ADHD in children. Methods and Procedures. To examine the efficacy of NFT in children with ADHD, an experimental longitudinal design with pre-post comparison was adopted. A total of 30 children in the age range of 6 to 12 years diagnosed as ADHD with or without comorbid conditions were assigned to treatment group (TG; n = 15) and treatment as usual group (TAU; n = 15). TG received EEG-NFT along with routine clinical management and TAU received routine clinical management alone. Forty sessions of theta/beta NFT at the C3 scalp location, 3 to 4 sessions in a week for a period of 3.5 to 5 months were given to children in TG. Children were screened using sociodemographic data and Binet-Kamat test of intelligence. Pre-and postassessment tools were neuropsychological tests and behavioral scales. Follow-up was carried out on 8 children in TG using parent-rated behavioral measures. Results. Improvement was reported in TG on cognitive functions (sustained attention, verbal working memory, and response inhibition), parent- and teacher-rated behavior problems and on academic performance rated by teachers. Follow-up of children who received NFT showed sustained improvement in ADHD symptoms when assessed 6 months after receiving NFT. Conclusion. The present study suggests that NFT is an effective method to enhance cognitive deficits and helps reduce ADHD symptoms and behavior problems. Consequently, academic performance was found to be improved in children with ADHD. Improvement in ADHD symptoms induced by NFT were maintained at 6-month follow-up in children with ADHD.
Wind energy development is rapidly increasing within breeding and wintering ranges of many grassland birds in North America. Despite recognized environmental benefits of such development, wind farms ...have the potential to negatively impact bird communities. Using an area-search method, we surveyed grassland birds within a matrix of pastures, hay fields, and agricultural lands at a wind facility in north-central Texas during the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11. We used binary logistic regression to examine the effect of distance from wind turbines on plot occupancy for species that did not show significant habitat associations. In contrast, for species with significant habitat associations, we used a two-step process to test for displacement. First, we identified suitable plots using a niche modeling approach in Maxent. Second, we used binary logistic regression to examine whether distance to turbine influenced the occupancy of those plots. Sprague’s Pipit
Anthus
spragueii
, Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus
sandwichensis
, and meadowlarks
Sturnella
sp. showed no evidence for displacement. In contrast, the Le Conte’s Sparrow
Ammodramus
leconteii
, was significantly more likely to occupy suitable plots as distance from the nearest turbine increased. Mean plot occupancy for the Le Conte’s Sparrow was more than four times lower in plots <200 m from the nearest wind turbine compared to those that were >400 m away. Our study highlights the need to investigate displacement at the level of individual species. Our data also suggest that species dependent on cryptic predator evasion strategies may be displaced from wind turbines and this idea warrants further investigation.
We developed a simple and reliable genetic method to determine sex in bats from the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the introns ...within the zinc‐finger‐X (Zfx) and zinc‐finger‐Y (Zfy) genes. We designed primers to produce size variation between the Zfx and Zfy products that could be visualized using gel electrophoresis. Using an example from our wind‐wildlife research, we show how sex data generated using this method are superior to sex data based on external morphology. Our method allows for the generation of sex data across a wide range of bats that can be used to address key questions in wildlife forensics, behavioural ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology.
Several lines of evidence suggest that neurotrophin administration may be of some therapeutic benefit in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. However, a third of sensory neurons do not express ...receptors for the neurotrophins. These neurons are of small diameter and can be identified by the binding of the lectin IB4 and the expression of the enzyme thiamine monophosphatase (TMP). Here we show that these neurons express the receptor components for glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signaling (RET, GFRalpha-1, and GFRalpha-2). In lumbar dorsal root ganglia, virtually all IB4-labeled cells express RET mRNA, and the majority of these cells (79%) also express GFRalpha-1, GFRalpha-2, or GFRalpha-1 plus GFRalpha-2. GDNF, but not nerve growth factor (NGF), can prevent several axotomy-induced changes in these neurons, including the downregulation of IB4 binding, TMP activity, and somatostatin expression. GDNF also prevents the slowing of conduction velocity that normally occurs after axotomy in a population of small diameter DRG cells and the A-fiber sprouting into lamina II of the dorsal horn. GDNF therefore may be useful in the treatment of peripheral neuropathies and may protect peripheral neurons that are refractory to neurotrophin treatment.
Two-dimensional (2-D) codes for optical CDMA (OCDMA) are increasingly important because the code set size (cardinality) of such codes is large and the codes have good spectral efficiency, especially ...when compared to linear or direct sequence codes. As an example, the 2-D codes described in this paper (that use intensity modulation and direct detection, IM/DD) have a cardinality of 32, and their spectral efficiency is /spl sim/0.5 bit/s/Hz when a guard-time is used to avoid intersymbol interference. The cardinality is readily increased to 64-80, using the techniques described in the paper. The next best 2-D codes of comparable cardinality that use IM/DD tend to have a lower spectral efficiency (going like 1/K, where K is the cardinality) because they do not support multiple entries per row or per column of the code matrix. To improve on the spectral efficiency of the codes described in this paper, bipolar codes must be considered. Two-dimensional codes or matrices can be generated from pseudoorthogonal (PSO) sequences by means of simple quasigraphical operations. Important results of this construction are that both the cardinality and the spectral efficiency or information spectral density of the set of matrices is higher than that of the generating set of sequences. The matrices can be interpreted (implemented) as space/time (S/T) or wavelength/time (W/T) matrix codes for OCDMA applications. The resultant matrix codes are robust, have high information spectral density, and are effective wavelength multipliers. This paper describes the design and construction of the matrices; analyzes their performance from a communications viewpoint; describes their use as codes for the asynchronous, concurrent communication of multiple users; and analyzes the bit error rate performance based on capturing and modeling a typical network topology and performing a numerical modeling of the system.
We may expect butterflies as ectotherms to have particularly active life‐history stages that occur in the warmest and lightest times of the year; however, there are temperate species that are active ...when climatic conditions seem unfavourable and photoperiod short, such as the Taylor's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori). For such species, studies suggest that even subtle changes to microclimate can potentially impact populations. Thus, understanding how in situ variations in microclimate influence the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly could provide much needed insights into more effective management. We conducted a series of surveys that explored (i) adult habitat use, (ii) final instar larval distribution and (iii) adult movement up to and across site boundaries at two sites in Oregon, USA, in 2010 and 2011. We found that in situ habitat use by the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly was strongly influenced by microclimate. Both adult activities and final instar larvae distribution were clustered within the warmest areas of the sites. Moreover, adults did not use up to 59% and larva up to 90% of their sites, despite vegetation structure and composition being uniform. More specifically, butterfly habitat use increased with increasing ground temperatures, and we found that areas with the highest ground temperatures were more exposed to direct sunlight. Similarly, we found that butterflies tended to only move through sunlit site boundaries. We conclude that the Taylor's checkerspot is sensitive to changes in its thermal environment at fine spatial scales. Our results highlight the importance of microclimate as an indicator of habitat quality, and establishing the thermal criteria in which species of concern exists may provide valuable insights into the implications of climate change.
ABSTRACT
The 3‐year survival after small bowel transplantation (SBTx) has improved to between 73% and 88%. Impaired venous access for parenteral nutrition can be an indication for SBTx in children ...with chronic intestinal failure.
Aim:
To report our experience in management of children with extreme end‐stage venous access.
Subjects:
The study consisted of 6 children (all boys), median age of assessment 27 months (range, 13‐52 months), diagnosed with total intestinal aganglionosis (1), protracted diarrhea (1), and short bowel syndrome (4), of which gastroschisis (2) and malrotation with midgut volvulus (2) were the causes. All had a documented history of more than 10 central venous catheter insertions previously. All had venograms, and 1 child additionally had a magnetic resonance angiogram to evaluate venous access. Five of 6 presented with thrombosis of the superior vena cava (SVC) and/or inferior vena cava.
Methods:
Venous access was reestablished as follows: transhepatic venous catheters (5), direct intra‐atrial catheter via midline sternotomy (4), azygous venous catheters (2), dilatation of left subclavian vein after passage of a guide wire and then placing a catheter to reach the right atrium (1), radiological recanalization of the SVC and placement of a central venous catheter in situ (1), and direct puncture of SVC stump(1). Complications included serous pleural effusion after direct intra‐atrial line insertion, which resolved after chest drain insertion (1), displacement of transhepatic catheter needing repositioning (2), and SVC stent narrowing requiring repeated balloon dilatation.
Outcome:
Four children with permanent intestinal failure on assessment were offered SBTx, 3 of which were transplanted and were established on full enteral nutrition; the family of 1 child declined the procedure. In the remaining 2 children in whom bowel adaptation was still a possibility, attempts were made to provide adequate central venous access as feeds and drug manipulations were undertaken. One of them received liver and SBTx nearly 3 years after presenting with end‐stage central venous access, because attempts to achieve independence from parenteral nutrition had failed. The other child died immediately after a transhepatic venous catheter placement, possibly from a nutritional depletion syndrome as no physical cause of death was found. Direct intra‐atrial catheters in transplanted children proved to be adequate for the management of uncomplicated transplantation, although the usual infusion protocol had to be modified considerably, and the lack of access would have been critical if massive blood transfusion had been required during the transplant procedure.
Conclusion:
It was possible to reestablish central venous access in all cases. However, this was time consuming and difficult to assemble a skilled team consisting of one of more: surgeon, cardiologist, interventional radiologist, and transplant anesthetist. Small bowel transplantation is easier and safer with adequate central venous access, and we advocate liaison with an SBTx center at an early stage.
More than one dose of measles vaccine is necessary for the sustained control of measles. The aerosol route is thought to be more immunogenic for booster doses than traditional subcutaneous ...injections, so we did a randomised comparative trial of aerosol and subcutaneous measles vaccines in South African schoolchildren.
4327 schoolchildren (aged 5–14 years), assigned by block randomisation of classrooms, received standard titre doses of either Schwarz or Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccines subcutaneously or by aerosol. Blood samples for antibody assay were collected before vaccination, at 1 month, and 1 year after vaccination. The main endpoints (antibody titres at 1 month and 1 year) were compared between groups.
992 children had antibody titre data available for all timepoints. 14 (3·6%) of 385 children who received Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine by aerosol were seronegative 1 year after vaccination, compared with 28 (8·6%) of 326 children who received Edmonston-Zagreb subcutaneous vaccine and 39 (13·9%) of 281 children who received Schwarz subcutaneous vaccine. At 1 month, 326 (84·7%) children who received aerosol Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine had sero-converted, compared with 257 (78·8%) who received subcutaneous Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine and 176 (62·6%) who received subcutaneous Schwarz vaccine. At 1 month, only 116 (22·7%) of 511 children in the Schwarz aerosol group had seroconverted; this aerosol vaccine had no detectable potency after 2 min of nebulisation. There were no serious side-effects: about 5% of children in each group had a rash within 2 weeks of vaccination.
An aerosol vaccination method that uses currently available devices and a suitably stable vaccine is effective and acceptable. This form of delivery is adaptable to mass campaigns, avoids the risks associated with injections, and could help measles eradication.
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