Planck intermediate results Aghanim, N; Ashdown, M; Aumont, J ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
03/2017, Volume:
599
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The characterization of the Galactic foregrounds has been shown to be the main obstacle in thechallenging quest to detect primordial B-modes in the polarized microwave sky. We make use of the ...Planck-HFI 2015 data release at high frequencies to place new constraints on the properties of the polarized thermal dust emission at high Galactic latitudes. Here, we specifically study the spatial variability of the dust polarized spectral energy distribution (SED), and its potential impact on the determination of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r. We use the correlation ratio of the C super(BB) sub(scriptl) angular power spectra between the 217 and 353GHz channels as a tracer of these potential variations, computed on different high Galactic latitude regions, ranging from 80% to 20% of the sky. The new insight from Planck data is a departure of the correlation ratio from unity that cannot be attributed to a spurious decorrelation due to the cosmic microwave background, instrumental noise, or instrumental systematics. The effect is marginally detected on each region, but the statistical combination of all the regions gives more than 99% confidence for this variation in polarized dust properties. In addition, we show that the decorrelation increases when there is a decrease in the mean column density of the region of the sky being considered, and we propose a simple power-law empirical model for this dependence, which matches what is seen in the Planck data. We explore the effect that this measured decorrelation has on simulations of the BICEP2-Keck Array/Planck analysis and show that the 2015 constraints from these data still allow a decorrelation between the dust at 150 and 353GHz that is compatible with our measured value. Finally, using simplified models, we show that either spatial variation of the dust SED or of the dust polarization angle are able to produce decorrelations between 217 and 353GHz data similar to the values we observe in the data.
The mechanisms involved in hypothermia and fever during systemic inflammation (SI) remain largely unknown. Our data support the contention that brain-mediated mechanisms are different in hypertension ...during SI. Considering that, clinically, it is not easy to assess all mechanisms involved in cardiovascular and thermoregulatory control during SI, the present study sheds light on these integrated mechanisms that may be triggered simultaneously in septic hypertensive patients. The result obtained demonstrate that, in lipopolysaccharide-induced SI, an increased hypothermia is observed in neurogenic hypertension, which is caused by reduced hypothalamic prostaglandin E
production and increased heat loss in conscious rats. Therefore, the results of the present study provide useful insight for clinical trials evaluating the thermoregulatory outcomes of septic patients with hypertension.
Hypertension is a prevalent disease characterized by autonomic-induced elevated and sustained blood pressure levels and abnormal body core temperature (Tb) regulation. The present study aimed to determine the brain-mediated mechanisms involved in the thermoregulatory changes observed during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation (SI; at a septic-like model) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). We combined Tb and skin temperature (Tsk) analysis, assessment of prostaglandin (PG) E
levels (the proximal mediator of fever) in the anteroventral region of the hypothalamus (AVPO; an important site for Tb control), oxygen consumption analysis, cardiovascular recordings, assays of inflammatory markers, and evaluation of oxidative stress in the plasma and brain of male Wistar rats and SHR that had received LPS (1.5 mg kg
) or saline. LPS induced hypothermia followed by fever in Wistar rats, whereas, in SHR, a maintained hypothermia without fever were observed. These thermoregulatory responses were associated with an increased heat loss in SHR compared to Wistar rats. We measured LPS-induced increased PGE
levels in the AVPO in Wistar rats, but not in SHR. The LPS-induced drop in blood pressure was higher in SHR than in Wistar rats. Furthermore, LPS-induced plasma and brain regions involved in autonomic control: nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) cytokine surges were blunted, whereas oxidative stress was higher in SHR. LPS-induced SI leads to blunted cytokine surges both systemically (plasma) and centrally (NTS and RVLM) and reduced hypothalamic PGE
production, which are all associated with increased hypothermia mediated by increased heat loss, but not by heat production, in SHR.
ABSTRACT
We present JWST/NIRSpec observations of a highly magnified star candidate at a photometric redshift of zphot ≃ 4.8, previously detected in JWST/NIRCam imaging of the strong lensing (SL) ...cluster MACS J0647+7015 (z = 0.591). The spectroscopic observation allows us to precisely measure the redshift of the host arc at zspec = 4.758 ± 0.004, and the star’s spectrum displays clear Lyman- and Balmer-breaks commensurate with this redshift. A fit to the spectrum suggests a B-type super-giant star of surface temperature $T_{\mathrm{eff,B}}\simeq 15\, 000$ K with either a redder F-type companion ($T_{\mathrm{eff,F}}\simeq 6\, 250$ K) or significant dust attenuation (AV ≃ 0.82) along the line of sight. We also investigate the possibility that this object is a magnified young globular cluster rather than a single star. We show that the spectrum is in principle consistent with a star cluster, which could also accommodate the lack of flux variability between the two epochs. However, the lack of a counter image and the strong upper limit on the size of the object from lensing symmetry, r ≲ 0.5 pc, could indicate that this scenario is somewhat less likely – albeit not completely ruled out by the current data. The presented spectrum seen at a time when the Universe was only ∼1.2 Gyr old showcases the ability of JWST to study early stars through extreme lensing.
Introduction
Mood disorders are frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and a favorable effect of safinamide on mood has been observed. We aimed to analyze the effectiveness of safinamide on mood as a ...secondary objective from the SAFINONMOTOR (an open-label study of the effectiveness of SAFInamide on NON-MOTOR symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease) study.
Methods
SAFINONMOTOR is a prospective open-label single-arm study conducted in five centers from Spain. Patients with PD were required to have at baseline a Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) total score of at least 40. In this analysis, the changes from V1 (baseline) to V4 (6 months ± 1 month) in the BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory-II), NMSS mood/apathy domain, and PDQ-39 (Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39) emotional well‐being domain were analyzed. Depression was identified and classified (DSM-IV and Judd criteria) at baseline and at the end of follow-up as major depression (MD), minor depression (mD), subthreshold depression (subD), and non-depression (nonD).
Results
Fifty patients with PD were included (age 68.5 ± 9.12 years; 58% women; 6.4 ± 5.1 years from diagnosis) and 44 patients (88%) completed the follow-up at 6 months. The BDI-II total score was reduced by 35.9% (from 15.88 ± 10.46 at V1 to 10.18 ± 6.76 at V4;
p
< 0.0001). A significant decrease in the NMSS mood/apathy domain and PDQ-39 emotional well‐being domain was observed as well (
p
< 0.0001). At baseline, 52% of the patients presented MD, 34% mD, 12% subD, and 2% nonD whereas at V4 the percentages were 31.8%, 34.1%, 22.7%, and 11.4%, respectively (
p
= 0.029).
Conclusions
Safinamide improves mood in patients with PD at 6 months.
Abstract
Background
Infant-mortality rates have been declining in many low- and middle-income countries, including Brazil. Information on causes of death and on socio-economic inequalities is scarce.
...Methods
Four birth cohorts were carried out in the city of Pelotas in 1982, 1993, 2004 and 2015, each including all hospital births in the calendar year. Surveillance in hospitals and vital registries, accompanied by interviews with doctors and families, detected fetal and infant deaths and ascertained their causes. Late-fetal (stillbirth)-, neonatal- and post-neonatal-death rates were calculated.
Results
All-cause and cause-specific death rates were reduced. During the study period, stillbirths fell by 47.8% (from 16.1 to 8.4 per 1000), neonatal mortality by 57.0% (from 20.1 to 8.7) and infant mortality by 62.0% (from 36.4 to 13.8). Perinatal causes were the leading causes of death in the four cohorts; deaths due to infectious diseases showed the largest reductions, with diarrhoea causing 25 deaths in 1982 and none in 2015. Late-fetal-, neonatal- and infant-mortality rates were higher for children born to Brown or Black women and to low-income women. Absolute socio-economic inequalities based on income—expressed in deaths per 1000 births—were reduced over time but relative inequalities—expressed as ratios of mortality rates—tended to remain stable.
Conclusion
The observed improvements are likely due to progress in social determinants of health and expansion of health care. In spite of progress, current levels remain substantially greater than those observed in high-income countries, and social and ethnic inequalities persist.
Abstract
Background
Few low-middle-income countries have data from comparable birth cohort studies spanning over time. We report on the methods used by the Pelotas cohorts (1982, 1993, 2004 and 2015) ...and describe time trends in sociodemographic characteristics of the participant families.
Methods
During the four study years, all maternity hospitals in the city were visited daily, and all urban women giving birth were enrolled. Data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were collected using standardized questionnaires, including data on maternal and paternal skin colour, age and schooling, maternal marital status, family income and household characteristics. The analyses included comparisons of time trends and of socioeconomic and ethnic group inequalities.
Results
Despite a near 50% increase in the city’s population between 1982 and 2015, the total number of births declined from 6011 to 4387. The proportion of mothers aged ≥35 years increased from 9.9% to 14.8%, and average maternal schooling from 6.5 standard deviation (SD) 4.2 to 10.1 (SD 4.0) years. Treated water was available in 95.3% of households in 1982 and 99.3% in 2015. Three-quarters of the families had a refrigerator in 1982, compared with 98.3% in 2015. Absolute income-related inequalities in maternal schooling, household crowding, household appliances and access to treated water were markedly reduced between 1982 and 2015. Maternal skin colour was associated with inequalities in age at childbearing and schooling, as well as with household characteristics.
Conclusions
During the 33-year period, there were positive changes in social and environmental determinants of health, including income, education, fertility and characteristics of the home environment. Socioeconomic inequality was also reduced.
Cerebral malaria (CM) is debilitating and sometimes fatal. Disease severity has been associated with poor treatment access, therapeutic complexity and drug resistance and, thus, alternative therapies ...are increasingly necessary. In this study, the effect of the administration of Agaricus blazei, a mushroom of Brazilian origin in a model of CM caused by Plasmodium berghei, strain ANKA, was investigated in mice.
C57BL/6 mice were pre-treated with aqueous extract or fractions of A. blazei, or chloroquine, infected with P. berghei ANKA and then followed by daily administration of A. blazei or chloroquine. Parasitaemia, body weight, survival and clinical signs of the disease were evaluated periodically. The concentration of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines, histopathology and in vitro analyses were performed.
Mice treated with A. blazei aqueous extract or fraction C, that shows antioxidant activity, displayed lower parasitaemia, increased survival, reduced weight loss and protection against the development of CM. The administration of A. blazei resulted in reduced levels of TNF, IL-1β and IL-6 production when compared to untreated P. berghei-infected mice. Agaricus blazei (aqueous extract or fraction C) treated infected mice displayed reduction of brain lesions. Although chloroquine treatment reduced parasitaemia, there was increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and damage in the CNS not observed with A. blazei treatment. Moreover, the in vitro pretreatment of infected erythrocytes followed by in vivo infection resulted in lower parasitaemia, increased survival, and little evidence of clinical signs of disease.
This study strongly suggests that the administration of A. blazei (aqueous extract or fraction C) was effective in improving the consequences of CM in mice and may provide novel therapeutic strategies.
Ethnic minority groups in Western countries face an increased risk of psychotic disorders. Causes of this long-standing public health inequality remain poorly understood. We investigated whether ...social disadvantage, linguistic distance and discrimination contributed to these patterns.
We used case-control data from the EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study, carried out in 16 centres in six countries. We recruited 1130 cases and 1497 population-based controls. Our main outcome measure was first-episode ICD-10 psychotic disorder (F20-F33), and exposures were ethnicity (white majority, black, mixed, Asian, North-African, white minority and other), generational status, social disadvantage, linguistic distance and discrimination. Age, sex, paternal age, cannabis use, childhood trauma and parental history of psychosis were included as a priori confounders. Exposures and confounders were added sequentially to multivariable logistic models, following multiple imputation for missing data.
Participants from any ethnic minority background had crude excess odds of psychosis odds ratio (OR) 2.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69-2.43, which remained after adjustment for confounders (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.31-1.98). This was progressively attenuated following further adjustment for social disadvantage (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.22-1.89) and linguistic distance (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.95-1.57), a pattern mirrored in several specific ethnic groups. Linguistic distance and social disadvantage had stronger effects for first- and later-generation groups, respectively.
Social disadvantage and linguistic distance, two potential markers of sociocultural exclusion, were associated with increased odds of psychotic disorder, and adjusting for these led to equivocal risk between several ethnic minority groups and the white majority.
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•Cassava starch could adequately microencapsulate Siparuna guianensis essential oil.•Microencapsulation increased the stability of S. guianensis essential oil.•Microparticles of S. ...guianensis essential oil showed prolonged larvicidal activities.•Essential oil microencapsulated particles had low toxicity on zebrafish embryos.
Due to the production facilities and great functionalities, the starch extracted from Cassava plants' (Manihot esculenta Crantz) roots is one of the most abundant and inexpensive raw materials used in food- and non-food industries. The utilization of starches to encapsulate plant essential oils is a relevant advance in the control of insect pests, including mosquitoes that transmit human diseases. The starch-based microencapsulation of essential oils reduces the degradation and volatilization of active components, providing more sustainable and environmentally friendly activities. Here, we investigated the potential of cassava-based starch microparticle preparations containing the essential oil of a Neotropical plant (Siparuna guianensis Aublet) to control larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. Moreover, the selectivity of the most efficient microparticles preparation was evaluated on zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio), an aquatic non-target organism. The characterization of encapsulated microparticles was achieved by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our results revealed an encapsulation efficiency of 82.8 % to 95.3 %, with an average particle diameter of 8.56 μm. Cassava starch microencapsulation reduced the essential oil degradation and enhanced (up to 8 days) the persistent lethal activities (over 50 %) against both species' mosquito larvae compared to the pure essential oil. Furthermore, the exposure of aquatic non-target organisms (embryos of D. rerio) revealed these microparticles' adequate selectivity. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that cassava starch-based microparticles exhibit promising functionality as carriers for essential oils with mosquitocidal activities.
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