The qualitative method for a humanisation of research

Huge progress in scientific research, added to vast investments, have allowed to develop vaccines against the virus responsible for Sars-Cov-2 in times unimaginable, until recently (1). The use of these vaccines has documented their high efficacy and very low risk of adverse events. Undergoing vaccination campaigns around the world are changing the history of the COVID-19 pandemic. Never before has scientific research been a topic of widespread interest as in this period. [...]

Reconstructing the projected gravitational potential of Abell 1689 from X-ray measurements

Context. Galaxy clusters can be used as cosmological probes, but to this end, they need to be thoroughly understood. Combining all cluster observables in a consistent way will help us to understand their global properties and their internal structure. Aims. We provide proof of the concept that the projected gravitational potential of galaxy clusters can directly be reconstructed from X-ray observations. We also show that this joint analysis can be used to locally test the validity of the equilibrium assumptions in galaxy clusters. Methods. We used a newly developed reconstruction method, based on Richardson-Lucy deprojection, that allows reconstructing projected gravitational potentials of galaxy clusters directly from X-ray observations. We applied this algorithm to the well-studied cluster Abell 1689 and compared the gravitational potential reconstructed from X-ray observables to the potential obtained from gravitational lensing measurements. [...] Results. Assuming spherical symmetry and hydrostatic equilibrium, the potentials recovered from gravitational lensing and from X-ray emission agree very well beyond 500 kpc. Owing to the fact that the Richardson-Lucy deprojection algorithm allows deprojecting each line of sight independently, this result may indicate that non-gravitational effects and/or asphericity are strong in the central regions of the clusters. Conclusions. We demonstrate the robustness of the potential reconstruction method based on the Richardson-Lucy deprojection algorithm and show that gravitational lensing and X-ray emission lead to consistent gravitational potentials. Our results illustrate the power of combining galaxy-cluster observables in a single, non-parametric, joint reconstruction of consistent cluster potentials that can be used to locally constrain the physical state of the gas.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted in A&

Understanding research impact

Across the globe, numerous kid-ney transplant candidates and donors are linking up in often complicated ways to facilitate more transplants through exchange pro-grams, or swaps. The largest swap so far, which was orchestrated by the National Kidney Registry (NKR) and involved 60 lives and 30 kid-neys, was described recently in The New York Time

COVID-19 related lockdown: a trigger from the pre-melancholic phase to catatonia and depression, a case report of a 59 year-old man

Background: The pre-melancholic model described by Tellenbach may provide a common model for understanding the psychological implications of the lockdown. In this case report, we describe a rare catatonic status as a psychological implication linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, a really unique global situation. Case presentation: B is a 59 year-old man with mute psychiatric anamnesis whose mother suffered from a major depressive disorder. As the lockdown began, he started to develop concerns about his family’s economic condition. According to his wife, he could see no end to the epidemic and no future at all. Moving from this, he started to show a severe and rapidly progressive depression and to develop mood congruent delusions. In addition, he had increasing anhedonia, apathy, starvation and insomnia. This turned in the end into a catatonic-like state, along with a deep desire to die. Admitted to the psychiatry ward in a state of mutism, he was discharged after 15 days with a diagnosis of “Major depressive disorder, single severe episode with no psychotic behavior”. He was treated with Sertraline, Olanzapine and Lorazepam. Conclusions: Our aim is to draw attention to the effect of the lockdown upon a Tellenbach-like personality structure. Identifying this type of pre-morbid personality structure could help clinicians understand and treat some cases of patients with severe major depressive disorders elicited by the COVID-19 pandemic