A Compact Multi-Planet System With A Significantly Misaligned Ultra Short Period Planet

We report the discovery of a compact multi-planet system orbiting the relatively nearby (78pc) and bright ($K=8.9$) K-star, K2-266 (EPIC248435473). We identify up to six possible planets orbiting K2-266 with estimated periods of P$_b$ = 0.66, P$_{.02}$ = 6.1, P$_c$ = 7.8, P$_d$ = 14.7, P$_e$ = 19.5, and P$_{.06}$ = 56.7 days and radii of R$_P$ = 3.3 R$_{\oplus}$, 0.646 R$_{\oplus}$, 0.705 R$_{\oplus}$, 2.93 R$_{\oplus}$, 2.73 R$_{\oplus}$, and 0.90 R$_{\oplus}$, respectively. We are able to confirm the planetary nature of two of these planets (d & e) from analyzing their transit timing variations ($m_d= 8.9_{-3.8}^{+5.7} M_\oplus$ and $m_e=14.3_{-5.0}^{+6.4} M_\oplus$), confidently validate the planetary nature of two other planets (b & c), and classify the last two as planetary candidates (K2-266.02 & .06). From a simultaneous fit of all 6 possible planets, we find that K2-266 b's orbit has an inclination of 75.32$^{\circ}$ while the other five planets have inclinations of 87-90$^{\circ}$. This observed mutual misalignment may indicate that K2-266 b formed differently from the other planets in the system. The brightness of the host star and the relatively large size of the sub-Neptune sized planets d and e make them well-suited for atmospheric characterization efforts with facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope and upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. We also identify an 8.5-day transiting planet candidate orbiting EPIC248435395, a co-moving companion to K2-266.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables, Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journa

Work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in two villages of Southern China: a cross-sectional survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pesticide poisoning is an important health problem among Chinese farm workers, but there is a paucity of pesticide poisoning data from China. Using the WHO standard case definition of a possible acute pesticide poisoning, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of acute work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in Southern China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A stratified sample of 910 pesticide applicators from two villages in southern China participated in face-to-face interviews. Respondents who self-reported having two or more of a list of sixty-six symptoms within 24 hours after pesticide application were categorized as having suffered acute pesticide poisoning. The association between the composite behavioral risk score and pesticide poisoning were assessed in a multivariate logistic model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 80 (8.8%) pesticide applicators reported an acute work-related pesticide poisoning. The most frequent symptoms among applicators were dermal (11.6%) and nervous system (10.7%) symptoms. Poisoning was more common among women, farmers in poor areas, and applicators without safety training (all p < 0.001). After controlling for gender, age, education, geographic area and the behavioral risk score, farmers without safety training had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.22 (95% CI: 1.86-5.60). The likelihood of acute pesticide poisoning was also significantly associated with number of exposure risk behaviors. A significant "dose-response" relationship between composite behavioral risk scores calculated from 9 pesticides exposure risk behaviors and the log odds of pesticide poisoning prevalence was seen among these Chinese farmers (R²= 0.9246).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study found that 8.8% of Chinese pesticide applicators suffered acute pesticide poisoning and suggests that pesticide safety training, safe application methods, and precautionary behavioral measures could be effective in reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning.</p

Oral anticoagulant re-initiation following intracerebral hemorrhage in non-valvular atrial fibrillation: Global survey of the practices of neurologists, neurosurgeons and thrombosis experts

<div><p>Background</p><p>While oral anticoagulants (OACs) are highly effective for ischemic stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains the most feared complication of OAC. Clinical controversy remains regarding OAC resumption and its timing for ICH survivors with atrial fibrillation because the balance between risks and benefits has not been investigated in randomized trials.</p><p>Aims/Hypothesis</p><p>To survey the practice of stroke neurologists, thrombosis experts and neurosurgeons on OAC re-initiation following OAC-associated ICH.</p><p>Methods</p><p>An online survey was distributed to members of the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Canadian Stroke Consortium, NAVIGATE-ESUS trial investigators (Clinicatrials.gov identifier NCT02313909) and American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Demographic factors and 11 clinical scenarios were included.</p><p>Results</p><p>Two hundred twenty-eight participants from 38 countries completed the survey. Majority of participants were affiliated with academic centers, and >20% managed more than 15 OAC-associated ICH patients/year. Proportion of respondents suggesting OAC anticoagulant resumption varied from 30% (for cerebral amyloid angiopathy) to 98% (for traumatic ICH). Within this group, there was wide distribution in response for timing of resumption: 21.4% preferred to re-start OACs after 1–3 weeks of incident ICH, while 25.3% opted to start after 1–3 months. Neurosurgery respondents preferred earlier OAC resumption compared to stroke neurologists or thrombosis experts in 5 scenarios (p<0.05 by Kendall’s tau).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Wide variations in current practice exist among management of OAC-associated ICH, with decisions influenced by patient- and provider-related factors. As these variations likely reflect the lack of high quality evidence, randomized trials are direly needed in this population.</p></div

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Chemotherapy induces Notch1-dependent MRP1 up-regulation, inhibition of which sensitizes breast cancer cells to chemotherapy

Background Multi-drug Resistance associated Protein-1 (MRP1) can export chemotherapeutics from cancer cells and is implicated in chemoresistance, particularly as is it known to be up-regulated by chemotherapeutics. Our aims in this study were to determine whether activation of Notch signalling is responsible for chemotherapy-induced MRP1 expression Notch in breast cancers, and whether this pathway can be manipulated with an inhibitor of Notch activity. Methods MRP1 and Notch1 were investigated in 29 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer, using immunohistochemistry on matched biopsy (pre-NAC) and surgical samples (post-NAC). Breast epithelial cell cultures (T47D, HB2) were treated with doxorubicin in the presence and absence of functional Notch1, and qPCR, siRNA, Western blots, ELISAs and flow-cytometry were used to establish interactions. Results In clinical samples, Notch1 was activated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Wilcoxon signed-rank p < 0.0001) and this correlated with induction of MRP1 expression (rho = 0.6 p = 0.0008). In breast cell lines, doxorubicin induced MRP1 expression and function (non-linear regression p < 0.004). In the breast cancer line T47D, doxorubicin activated Notch1 and, critically, inhibition of Notch1 activation with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT abolished the doxorubicin-induced increase in MRP1 expression and function (t-test p < 0.05), resulting in enhanced cellular retention of doxorubicin and increased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis (t-test p = 0.0002). In HB2 cells, an immortal but non-cancer derived breast cell line, Notch1-independent MRP1 induction was noted and DAPT did not enhance doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Conclusions Notch inhibitors may have potential in sensitizing breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutics and therefore in tackling chemoresistance

A Compact Multi-planet System with a Significantly Misaligned Ultra Short Period Planet

We report the discovery of a compact multi-planet system orbiting the relatively nearby (78 pc) and bright (K = 8.9) K-star, K2-266 (EPIC 248435473). We identify up to six possible planets orbiting K2-266 with estimated periods of P_b = 0.66, P_(.02) = 6.1, P_c = 7.8, P_d = 14.7, P_e = 19.5, and P_(.06) = 56.7 days, and radii of R_P = 3.3 R_⊕, 0.646 R_⊕, 0.705 R_⊕, 2.93 R_⊕, 2.73 R_⊕, and 0.90 R_⊕, respectively. We are able to confirm the planetary nature of two of these planets (d and e) by analyzing their transit timing variations ( (m_d = 8.9^(+5.7)_(−3.8) M_⊕ and m_e = 14.3^(+6.4)_(−5.0) M_⊕), confidently validate the planetary nature of two other planets (b and c), and classify the last two as planetary candidates (K2-266.02 and .06). From a simultaneous fit of all six possible planets, we find that K2-266 b's orbit has an inclination of 75fdg32 while the other five planets have inclinations of 87°–90°. This observed mutual misalignment may indicate that K2-266 b formed differently from the other planets in the system. The brightness of the host star and the relatively large size of the sub-Neptune sized planets d and e make them well-suited for atmospheric characterization efforts with facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope and upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. We also identify an 8.5 day transiting planet candidate orbiting EPIC 248435395, a co-moving companion to K2-266

Heliophysics and Amateur Radio:Citizen Science Collaborations for Atmospheric, Ionospheric, and Space Physics Research and Operations

The amateur radio community is a global, highly engaged, and technical community with an intense interest in space weather, its underlying physics, and how it impacts radio communications. The large-scale observational capabilities of distributed instrumentation fielded by amateur radio operators and radio science enthusiasts offers a tremendous opportunity to advance the fields of heliophysics, radio science, and space weather. Well-established amateur radio networks like the RBN, WSPRNet, and PSKReporter already provide rich, ever-growing, long-term data of bottomside ionospheric observations. Up-and-coming purpose-built citizen science networks, and their associated novel instruments, offer opportunities for citizen scientists, professional researchers, and industry to field networks for specific science questions and operational needs. Here, we discuss the scientific and technical capabilities of the global amateur radio community, review methods of collaboration between the amateur radio and professional scientific community, and review recent peer-reviewed studies that have made use of amateur radio data and methods. Finally, we present recommendations submitted to the U.S. National Academy of Science Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024–2033 for using amateur radio to further advance heliophysics and for fostering deeper collaborations between the professional science and amateur radio communities. Technical recommendations include increasing support for distributed instrumentation fielded by amateur radio operators and citizen scientists, developing novel transmissions of RF signals that can be used in citizen science experiments, developing new amateur radio modes that simultaneously allow for communications and ionospheric sounding, and formally incorporating the amateur radio community and its observational assets into the Space Weather R2O2R framework. Collaborative recommendations include allocating resources for amateur radio citizen science research projects and activities, developing amateur radio research and educational activities in collaboration with leading organizations within the amateur radio community, facilitating communication and collegiality between professional researchers and amateurs, ensuring that proposed projects are of a mutual benefit to both the professional research and amateur radio communities, and working towards diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities

Young, healthy males and females present cardiometabolic protection against the detrimental effects of a 7-day high-fat high-calorie diet

Purpose: High-fat, high-calorie (HFHC) diets have been used as a model to investigate lipid-induced insulin resistance. Short-term HFHC diets reduce insulin sensitivity in young healthy males, but to date, no study has directly compared males and females to elucidate sex-specific differences in the effects of a HFHC diet on functional metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Eleven males (24 ± 4 years; BMI 23 ± 2 kg.m−2; V̇O2 peak 62.3 ± 8.7 ml.min−1.kg−1FFM) were matched to 10 females (25 ± 4 years; BMI 23 ± 2 kg.m−2; V̇O2 peak 58.2 ± 8.2 ml.min−1.kg−1FFM). Insulin sensitivity, measured via oral glucose tolerance test, metabolic flexibility, arterial stiffness, body composition and blood lipids and liver enzymes were measured before and after 7 days of a high-fat (65% energy) high-calorie (+ 50% kcal) diet. Results: The HFHC diet did not change measures of insulin sensitivity, metabolic flexibility or arterial stiffness in either sex. There was a trend towards increased total body fat mass (kg) after the HFHC diet (+ 1.8% and + 2.3% for males and females, respectively; P = 0.056). In contrast to females, males had a significant increase in trunk to leg fat mass ratio (+ 5.1%; P = 0.005). Conclusion: Lean, healthy young males and females appear to be protected from the negative cardio-metabolic effects of a 7-day HFHC diet. Future research should use a prolonged positive energy balance achieved via increased energy intake and reduced energy expenditure to exacerbate negative metabolic and cardiovascular functional outcomes to determine whether sex-specific differences exist under more metabolically challenging conditions