Abstract
Background
The year 2020 was marked by the new coronavirus pandemic, resulting in millions of cases and deaths, placing healthcare workers at high risk of infection.
Aims
The aim of this ...study was to describe the role of an occupational health service during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in an oncologic hospital and characterize the most likely sources of viral infection.
Methods
The information of all healthcare workers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection from 11 March to 15 December 2020 was collected through an epidemiological survey conducted during contact tracing. The data extracted included gender, age, comorbidities, occupational group, source of infection, clinical presentation, duration of the disease, need for hospitalization and persistent or late symptoms after disease or upon returning to work.
Results
Out of a total of 2300 workers, 157 were infected, consisting of nurses (36%), nurse assistants (33%) and diagnostic and therapeutic professionals (10%). Physicians and administrative staff accounted for 8% each. The most frequently reported source of infection was occupational (43%), owing to worker-to-worker transmission (45%) and patient-to-worker transmission (36%). The most frequent moments of infection perceived corresponded to the removal of protective equipment during meals and moments of rest in the staff and changing rooms.
Conclusions
The study revealed that occupational transmission from patients and colleagues might be an important source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers. Spread between colleagues accounted for 45% of the occupational source infections reported. Implementing physical distancing measures and limiting the number of people in changing and rest rooms could significantly reduce infection and related absenteeism.
Abstract
We report the discovery of four close-in transiting exoplanets (HATS-50b through HATS-53b), discovered using the HATSouth three-continent network of homogeneous and automated telescopes. ...These new exoplanets belong to the class of hot Jupiters and orbit G-type dwarf stars, with brightness in the range
V
= 12.5–14.0 mag. While HATS-53 has many physical characteristics similar to the Sun, the other three stars appear to be metal-rich (
), larger, and more massive. Three of the new exoplanets, namely HATS-50b, HATS-51b, and HATS-53b, have low density (HATS-50b:
,
; HATS-51b:
,
; HATS-53b:
,
) and similar orbital periods (
days,
days,
days, respectively). Instead, HATS-52b is more dense (mass
and radius
) and has a shorter orbital period (
days). It also receives an intensive radiation from its parent star and, consequently, presents a high equilibrium temperature (
K). HATS-50 shows a marginal additional transit feature consistent with an ultra-short-period hot super Neptune (upper mass limit 0.16
), which will be able to be confirmed with TESS photometry.
•Bai (2017) incorrectly calculated first differences when assessing the relationship between broadband speed and employment rate.•When corrected, the reported finding of a positive association ...between broadband speed and employment no longer holds.
In a 2017 Information Economics and Policy article, Bai (2017) used a pooled first-differenced regression to find a positive relationship between broadband availability and the county-level employment rate for 8 states between 2011 and 2014. Upon further investigation, these results were driven by an error that inappropriately calculated differences across counties (and years) in the dataset. This error has been acknowledged by the author. When corrected, the specification in the original paper produces no statistical significance for any of the broadband variables of interest. Thus, the reported finding of a positive association between broadband speed and employment is not valid. This updated result is in agreement with several other studies using the first-differenced methodology and county-level data from the U.S., and suggests that more work needs to be done to refine existing models and units of analysis to uncover the relationship (if one exists) between broadband speed and employment.
Insect-borne plant viruses usually alter the interactions between host plant and insect vector in ways conducive to their transmission ('host manipulation hypothesis'). Most studies have tested this ...hypothesis with persistently and non-persistently transmitted viruses, while few have examined semi-persistently transmitted viruses. The crinivirus Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) is semi-persistently transmitted virus by whiteflies, and has been recently reported infecting potato plants in Brazil, where Bemisia tabaci Middle East Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) is a competent vector. We investigated how ToCV infection modifies the interaction between potato plants and B. tabaci in ways that increase the likelihood of ToCV transmission, in two clones, one susceptible ('Agata') and the other moderately resistant (Bach-4) to B. tabaci. Whiteflies alighted and laid more eggs on ToCV-infected plants than mock-inoculated plants of Bach-4. When non-viruliferous whiteflies were released on ToCV-infected plants near mock-inoculated plants, adults moved more intensely towards non-infected plants than in the reverse condition for both clones. Feeding on ToCV-infected plants reduced egg-incubation period in both clones, but the egg-adult cycle was similar for whiteflies fed on ToCV-infected and mock-inoculated plants. Our results demonstrated that ToCV infection in potato plants alters B. tabaci behaviour and development in distinct ways depending on the host clone, with potential implications for ToCV spread.
We present ground-based high-precision observations of the transit of WASP-17b using the multiband photometer ULTRACAM on ESO's New Technology Telescope (NTT) in the context of performing ...transmission spectrophotometry of this highly inflated exoplanet. Our choice of filters (SDSS u
′, g
′ and r
′ bands) is designed to probe for the presence of opacity sources in the upper atmosphere. We find evidence for a wavelength dependence in the planet radius in the form of enhanced absorption in the SDSS r
′ band, consistent with a previously detected broad sodium feature. We present a new independent measurement of the planetary radius at R
pl = 1.97 ± 0.06R
J
, which confirms this planet as the most inflated exoplanet known to date. Our measurements are most consistent with an atmospheric profile devoid of enhanced TiO opacity, previously predicted to be present for this planet.
Context. The multi-planetary system HD 106315 was recently found in K2 data. The planets have periods of Pb ~ 9.55 and Pc ~ 21.06 days, and radii of rb = 2.44 ± 0.17 R⊕ and rc = 4.35 ± 0.23 R⊕ . The ...brightness of the host star (V = 9.0 mag) makes it an excellent target for transmission spectroscopy. However, to interpret transmission spectra it is crucial to measure the planetary masses. Aims. We obtained high precision radial velocities for HD 106315 to determine the mass of the two transiting planets discovered with Kepler K2. Our successful observation strategy was carefully tailored to mitigate the effect of stellar variability. Methods. We modelled the new radial velocity data together with the K2 transit photometry and a new ground-based partial transit of HD 106315c to derive system parameters. Results. We estimate the mass of HD 106315b to be 12.6 ± 3.2 M⊕ and the density to be 4.7 ± 1.7 g cm-3, while for HD 106315c we estimate a mass of 15.2 ± 3.7 M⊕ and a density of 1.01 ± 0.29 g cm-3. Hence, despite planet c having a radius almost twice as large as planet b, their masses are consistent with one another. Conclusions. We conclude that HD 106315c has a thick hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope. A detailed investigation of HD 106315b using a planetary interior model constrains the core mass fraction to be 5–29%, and the water mass fraction to be 10–50%. An alternative, not considered by our model, is that HD 106315b is composed of a large rocky core with a thick H–He envelope. Transmission spectroscopy of these planets will give insight into their atmospheric compositions and also help constrain their core compositions.
We report six new inflated hot Jupiters (HATS-25b through HATS-30b) discovered using the HATSouth global network of automated telescopes. The planets orbit stars with V magnitudes in the range of ...~12-14 and have masses in the largely populated 0.5MJ-0.7M sub(J) region of parameter space but span a wide variety of radii, from 1.17R sub(J) to 1.75R sub(J). HATS-25b, HATS-28b, HATS-29b, and HATS-30b are typical inflated hot Jupiters (Rp= 1.17-1.26R sub(J)) orbiting G-type stars in short period (P= 3.2-4.6 days) orbits. However, HATS-26b (Rp= 1.75R sub(J), P= 3.3024 days) and HATS-27b (Rp= 1.50R sub(J), P= 4.6370 days) stand out as highly inflated planets orbiting slightly evolved F stars just after and in the turn-off points, respectively, which are among the least dense hot Jupiters, with densities of 0.153 g cm super(-3) and 0.180 g cm super(-3), respectively. All the presented exoplanets but HATS-27b are good targets for future atmospheric characterization studies, while HATS-27b is a prime target for Rossiter-McLaughlin monitoring in order to determine its spin-orbit alignment given the brightness (V= 12.8) and stellar rotational velocity (v sin iapproximate 9.3 km s super(-1)) of the host star. These discoveries significantly increase the number of inflated hot Jupiters known, contributing to our understanding of the mechanism(s) responsible for hot Jupiter inflation.
Resection can potentially cure resectable pancreatic cancer (PaC) and significantly prolong survival in some patients. This large-scale international study aimed to investigate variations in ...resection for PaC in Europe and USA and determinants for its utilisation.
Data from six European population-based cancer registries and the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database during 2003-2016 were analysed. Age-standardised resection rates for overall and stage I-II PaCs were computed. Associations between resection and demographic and clinical parameters were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models.
A total of 153 698 records were analysed. In population-based registries in 2012-2014, resection rates ranged from 13.2% (Estonia) to 21.2% (Slovenia) overall and from 34.8% (Norway) to 68.7% (Denmark) for stage I-II tumours, with great international variations. During 2003-2014, resection rates only increased in USA, the Netherlands and Denmark. Resection was significantly less frequently performed with more advanced tumour stage (ORs for stage III and IV versus stage I-II tumours: 0.05-0.18 and 0.01-0.06 across countries) and increasing age (ORs for patients 70-79 and ≥80 versus those <60 years: 0.37-0.63 and 0.03-0.16 across countries). Patients with advanced-stage tumours (stage III-IV: 63.8%-81.2%) and at older ages (≥70 years: 52.6%-59.5%) receiving less frequently resection comprised the majority of diagnosed cases. Patient performance status, tumour location and size were also associated with resection application.
Rates of PaC resection remain low in Europe and USA with great international variations. Further studies are warranted to explore reasons for these variations.
Abstract
Studies of cool white dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood have placed a limit on the age of the Galactic disc of 8-9 billion years. However, determining their cooling ages requires the ...knowledge of their effective temperatures, masses, radii and atmospheric composition. So far, these parameters could only be inferred for a small number of ultracool white dwarfs for which an accurate distance is known, by fitting their spectral energy distributions in conjunction with a theoretical mass-radius relation. However, the mass-radius relation remains largely untested, and the derived cooling ages are hence model dependent. Here we report direct measurements of the mass and radius of an ultracool white dwarf in the double-lined eclipsing binary SDSS J013851.54−001621.6. We find M
WD = 0.529 ± 0.010 M⊙ and R
WD = 0.0131 ± 0.0003 R⊙. Our measurements are consistent with the mass-radius relation and we determine a robust cooling age of 9.5 billion years for the 3570 K white dwarf. We find that the mass and radius of the low-mass companion star, M
sec = 0.132 ± 0.003 M⊙ and R
sec = 0.165 ± 0.001 R⊙, are in agreement with evolutionary models. We also find evidence that this >9.5 Gyr old M5 star is still active, far beyond the activity lifetime for a star of its spectral type. This is likely caused by the high tidally enforced rotation rate of the star. The companion star is close to filling its Roche lobe and the system will evolve into a cataclysmic variable in only 70 Myr. Our direct measurements demonstrate that this system can be used to calibrate ultracool white dwarf atmospheric models.
Design, planning, and management of the urban soundscape require various interacting fields of knowledge given the fact that it is the human person that experiences and provides meaning to the urban ...places and their acoustic environments. The process of environmental perception involves contextual information that conditions people's responses and outcomes through the relationship between the variables Person, Activity, and Place. This research focuses on the interaction between Person and Place and its impact on responses and outcomes from listeners with different geographical origin and background. Laboratory studies were conducted in the cities of Lisbon (Portugal) and Bogotá (Colombia), where local listeners were introduced to known and unknown acoustic environments. Sound data recorded in the two cities allowed comparison of responses and outcomes of the listeners according to the Person-Place Interaction, leading to different meanings depending on the contextual variables. The results clearly show a relationship between site, acoustic environment, soundscape, Person-Place Interaction, and meaning of the place. This information can be useful for urban technicians and designers dealing with planning and management of urban soundscapes.
PDF
