SN 2021zny: an early flux excess combined with late-time oxygen emission suggests a double white dwarf merger event

We present a photometric and spectroscopic analysis of the ultra-luminous and slowly evolving 03fg-like Type Ia SN 2021zny. Our observational campaign starts from $\sim5.3$ hours after explosion (making SN 2021zny one of the earliest observed members of its class), with dense multi-wavelength coverage from a variety of ground- and space-based telescopes, and is concluded with a nebular spectrum $\sim10$ months after peak brightness. SN 2021zny displayed several characteristics of its class, such as the peak brightness ($M_{B}=-19.95$ mag), the slow decline ($\Delta m_{15}(B) = 0.62$ mag), the blue early-time colours, the low ejecta velocities and the presence of significant unburned material above the photosphere. However, a flux excess for the first $\sim1.5$ days after explosion is observed in four photometric bands, making SN 2021zny the third 03fg-like event with this distinct behavior, while its $+313$ d spectrum shows prominent [O I] lines, a very unusual characteristic of thermonuclear SNe. The early flux excess can be explained as the outcome of the interaction of the ejecta with $\sim0.04\:\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ of H/He-poor circumstellar material at a distance of $\sim10^{12}$ cm, while the low ionization state of the late-time spectrum reveals low abundances of stable iron-peak elements. All our observations are in accordance with a progenitor system of two carbon/oxygen white dwarfs that undergo a merger event, with the disrupted white dwarf ejecting carbon-rich circumstellar material prior to the primary white dwarf detonation.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

INCIDENCE OF TRAVELERS’ DIARRHEA AMONG JAPANESE VISITING THAILAND

A cross-sectional survey of 327 Japanese short-term travelers (≤3 weeks) arriving in Bangkok, Thailand was conducted to assess the incidence of travelers’ diarrhea (TD) as well as their symptoms and treatment-seeking behaviors. The incidence of the first episode of TD (FTD) was ascertained retrospectively by questionnaire. Reported by 69 travelers, FTD clustered within the first 8 days of arrival in Thailand, and the incidence rate varied from 2% to 8% with the highest incidence on the third day.Cumulative probability of FTD was 19% for those arriving in Thai directly from Japan, 42 % for those arriving via Southeast Asia, and 25% for those arriving via other regions at Day 7 by the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Log rank test revealed a higher FTD risk for travelers arriving via other Southeast Asian countries than for those arriving directly from Japan (P < 0.005). Of all the 69 FTD episodes, 33% had classic TD defined as ≥3 unformed stools per 24 hours with at least one accompanying symptom, 49% had moderate TD defined as ≤2 unformed stools with at least one additional symptom or more unformed stools without additional symptoms, and 17% had mild TD defined as with ≤ 2 unformed stools without additional symptoms. Cumulative probability of FTD at Day 7 was 12% for classic TD, 25% for classic plus moderate TD and 30% for all the TD. More than 38% of travelers with diarrhea took medicine brought from Japan. Among travelers with classic TD, 35% bought medicine in Thailand, whereas 47-50% of travelers with moderate and mild TD took only rest without any treatment

Nonallele-specific Silencing of Mutant and Wild-type Huntingtin Demonstrates Therapeutic Efficacy in Huntington's Disease Mice

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by mutant huntingtin (htt) protein, and there are currently no effective treatments. Recently, we and others demonstrated that silencing mutant htt via RNA interference (RNAi) provides therapeutic benefit in HD mice. We have since found that silencing wild-type htt in adult mouse striatum is tolerated for at least 4 months. However, given the role of htt in various cellular processes, it remains unknown whether nonallele-specific silencing of both wild-type and mutant htt is a viable therapeutic strategy for HD. Here, we tested whether cosilencing wild-type and mutant htt provides therapeutic benefit and is tolerable in HD mice. After treatment, HD mice showed significant reductions in wild-type and mutant htt, and demonstrated improved motor coordination and survival. We performed transcriptional profiling to evaluate the effects of reducing wild-type htt in adult mouse striatum. We identified gene expression changes that are concordant with previously described roles for htt in various cellular processes. Also, several abnormally expressed transcripts associated with early-stage HD were differentially expressed in our studies, but intriguingly, those involved in neuronal function changed in opposing directions. Together, these encouraging and surprising findings support further testing of nonallele-specific RNAi therapeutics for HD

Everyday Discrimination, Diabetes-Related Distress, and Depressive Symptoms Among African Americans and Latinos with Diabetes

It is not known how discrimination might affect diabetes-related distress (DRD), an important correlate of diabetes outcomes. We examined correlates of discrimination and the influence of discrimination on DRD and depressive symptoms (DS) for African Americans and Latinos with type 2 diabetes. We analyzed survey data (n = 157) collected at enrollment into a diabetes management intervention. Using multiple linear regression, we examined correlates of discrimination and the association between discrimination and DRD and DS. Discrimination was significantly associated with higher DRD for Latinos (b 1.58, 95 % CI 1.08, 2.31, p < 0.05), but not significant for African Americans (b 0.96, 95 % CI 0.59, 1.57). Discrimination was marginally significantly associated with more DS for Latinos (b 1.43, 95 % CI 0.97, 2.12, p < 0.10), but not significant for African Americans (b 1.21, 95 % CI 0.87, 1.70). These findings suggest the need to address stressors unique to racial/ethnic minorities to improve diabetes-related outcomes