Extraspinal sciatica revealing late metastatic disease from parotid carcinoma

Sciatica is a clinical symptom usually caused by a disk herniation and less often by other conditions such as tumors, infections, or inflammatory diseases. We report the case of a woman in whom sciatica led to the identification of a large pelvic metastasis from a carcinoma of the parotid gland

Dynamical vs spectator models of (pseudo-)conformal Universe

We discuss two versions of the conformal scenario for generating scalar cosmological perturbations: a spectator version with a scalar field conformally coupled to gravity and carrying negligible energy density, and a dynamical version with a scalar field minimally coupled to gravity and dominating the cosmological evolution. By making use of the Newtonian gauge, we show that (i) no UV strong coupling scale is generated below $M_{Pl}$ due to mixing with metric perturbations in the dynamical scenario, and (ii) the dynamical and spectator models yield identical results to the leading non-linear order. We argue that these results, which include potentially observable effects like statistical anisotropy and non-Gaussianity, are characteristic of the entire class of conformal models. As an example, we reproduce, within the dynamical scenario and working in comoving gauge, our earlier result on the statistical anisotropy, which was originally obtained within the spectator approach.Comment: 13 page

A combinatorial approach to the set-theoretic solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation

A bijective map $r: X^2 \longrightarrow X^2$, where $X = \{x_1, ..., x_n \}$ is a finite set, is called a \emph{set-theoretic solution of the Yang-Baxter equation} (YBE) if the braid relation $r_{12}r_{23}r_{12} = r_{23}r_{12}r_{23}$ holds in $X^3.$ A non-degenerate involutive solution $(X,r)$ satisfying $r(xx)=xx$, for all $x \in X$, is called \emph{square-free solution}. There exist close relations between the square-free set-theoretic solutions of YBE, the semigroups of I-type, the semigroups of skew polynomial type, and the Bieberbach groups, as it was first shown in a joint paper with Michel Van den Bergh. In this paper we continue the study of square-free solutions $(X,r)$ and the associated Yang-Baxter algebraic structures -- the semigroup $S(X,r)$, the group $G(X,r)$ and the $k$- algebra $A(k, X,r)$ over a field $k$, generated by $X$ and with quadratic defining relations naturally arising and uniquely determined by $r$. We study the properties of the associated Yang-Baxter structures and prove a conjecture of the present author that the three notions: a square-free solution of (set-theoretic) YBE, a semigroup of I type, and a semigroup of skew-polynomial type, are equivalent. This implies that the Yang-Baxter algebra $A(k, X,r)$ is Poincar\'{e}-Birkhoff-Witt type algebra, with respect to some appropriate ordering of $X$. We conjecture that every square-free solution of YBE is retractable, in the sense of Etingof-Schedler.Comment: 34 page

Detection of lensing substructure using ALMA observations of the dusty galaxy SDP.81

We study the abundance of substructure in the matter density near galaxies using ALMA Science Verification observations of the strong lensing system SDP.81. We present a method to measure the abundance of subhalos around galaxies using interferometric observations of gravitational lenses. Using simulated ALMA observations, we explore the effects of various systematics, including antenna phase errors and source priors, and show how such errors may be measured or marginalized. We apply our formalism to ALMA observations of SDP.81. We find evidence for the presence of a $M=10^{8.96\pm 0.12} M_{\odot}$ subhalo near one of the images, with a significance of $6.9\sigma$ in a joint fit to data from bands 6 and 7; the effect of the subhalo is also detected in both bands individually. We also derive constraints on the abundance of dark matter subhalos down to $M\sim 2\times 10^7 M_{\odot}$, pushing down to the mass regime of the smallest detected satellites in the Local Group, where there are significant discrepancies between the observed population of luminous galaxies and predicted dark matter subhalos. We find hints of additional substructure, warranting further study using the full SDP.81 dataset (including, for example, the spectroscopic imaging of the lensed carbon monoxide emission). We compare the results of this search to the predictions of $\Lambda$CDM halos, and find that given current uncertainties in the host halo properties of SDP.81, our measurements of substructure are consistent with theoretical expectations. Observations of larger samples of gravitational lenses with ALMA should be able to improve the constraints on the abundance of galactic substructure.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, Comments are welcom

Commission 51: Bioastronomy

published_or_final_versio

Evolution of the Dust Coma in Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Before 2009 Perihelion

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is the main target of ESA's Rosetta mission and will be encountered in May 2014. As the spacecraft shall be in orbit the comet nucleus before and after release of the lander {\it Philae}, it is necessary necessary to know the conditions in the coma. Study the dust environment, including the dust production rate and its variations along its preperihelion orbit. The comet was observed during its approach to the Sun on four epochs between early-June 2008 and mid-January 2009, over a large range of heliocentric distances that will be covered by the mission in 2014. An anomalous enhancement of the coma dust density was measured towards the comet nucleus. The scalelength of this enhancement increased with decreasing heliocentric distance of the comet. This is interpreted as a result of an unusually slow expansion of the dust coma. Assuming a spherical symmetric coma, the average amount of dust as well as its ejection velocity have been derived. The latter increases exponentially with decreasing heliocentric distance (\rh), ranging from about 1 m/s at 3 AU to about 25-35 m/s at 1.4 AU. Based on these results we describe the dust environment at those nucleocentric distances at which the spacecraft will presumably be in orbit. Astronomy and Astrophysics, in pressComment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Does inequality have a silver lining? Municipal income inequality and obesity in Mexico

Income inequality and obesity are both widespread socioeconomic issues, particularly salient in middle-income countries. This article seeks to detect the relationship between local income inequality and excess weight in Mexico, using robust municipal income inequality measures generated through small area estimation method and instrumental variable multilevel estimations. Our results emphasize a negative impact of municipal income inequality on individual bodyweight, especially for women. We also explore the potential channels through which income inequality may decrease bodyweight. Three-stage least squares estimations highlight that the social capital pathway, the public policy pathway and the psychological pathway help to explain the negative effect of inequality on excess weight. Our results are fairly robust to alternative inequality measures and nutritional indicators. © 2021 Elsevier Lt

Towards a better understanding of the benefits and risks of country food consumption using the case of walruses in Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada)

Food insecurity affects Inuit communities. One solution is to consume locally harvested foods, named country foods. However, some country foods are not eaten as often as before, and pressures including contaminants and environmental changes threaten the health of Arctic fauna, thus its suitability for local consumption. By combining Inuit Knowledge with laboratory data, our study assessed the benefits and risks of walrus consumption by Inuit in Nunavik, Québec, Canada. It aimed to increase understanding of: 1) the hunt of healthy Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus); 2) the safe preparation of walruses; 3) the nutritional benefits and risks of consuming walruses. To do so, we interviewed 34 hunters and Elders from Nunavik. Levels of mercury, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and selenium were evaluated from locally harvested walruses. Through the Nunavik Trichinellosis Prevention Program, a total of 755 Atlantic walrus samples, collected between 1994 and 2013, were tested for Trichinella nativa. Information on botulism was reviewed. While interviews informed on how to select healthy walruses and prepare them for consumption, laboratory analyses revealed that walruses had elevated levels of omega-3 fatty acids and selenium but low levels of mercury compared to some other wildlife. Only 3% of the 755 walruses were infected with T. nativa. Most walruses' infections were found within individuals from the South East Hudson Bay stock, where Inuit have thus decided to stop hunting since mid-2000s. Finally, although the number of outbreaks of trichinellosis related to the consumption of walruses has significantly reduced in Nunavik, botulism could continue to be an issue when igunaq (i.e. aged walrus) is not properly prepared. With the support of the Nunavik Trichinellosis Prevention Program and transmission of Inuit knowledge on igunaq preparation, the consumption of Atlantic walruses has the potential to help address issues related to food insecurity in Nunavik in the future

Critical changes in hypothalamic gene networks in response to pancreatic cancer as found by single-cell RNA sequencing

OBJECTIVE: Cancer cachexia is a devastating chronic condition characterized by involuntary weight loss, muscle wasting, abnormal fat metabolism, anorexia, and fatigue. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this syndrome remain poorly understood. In particular, the hypothalamus may play a central role in cachexia, given that it has direct access to peripheral signals because of its anatomical location and attenuated blood–brain barrier. Furthermore, this region has a critical role in regulating appetite and metabolism. METHODS: To provide a detailed analysis of the hypothalamic response to cachexia, we performed single-cell RNA-seq combined with RNA-seq of the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) in a mouse model for pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: We found many cell type-specific changes, such as inflamed endothelial cells, stressed oligodendrocyes and both inflammatory and moderating microglia. Lcn2, a newly discovered hunger suppressing hormone, was the highest induced gene. Interestingly, cerebral treatment with LCN2 not only induced many of the observed molecular changes in cachexia but also affected gene expression in food-intake decreasing POMC neurons. In addition, we found that many of the cachexia-induced molecular changes found in the hypothalamus mimic those at the primary tumor site. CONCLUSION: Our data reveal that multiple cell types in the MBH are affected by tumor-derived factors or host factors that are induced by tumor growth, leading to a marked change in the microenvironment of neurons critical for behavioral, metabolic, and neuroendocrine outputs dysregulated during cachexia. The mechanistic insights provided in this study explain many of the clinical features of cachexia and will be useful for future therapeutic development