Observed Effect of Magnetic Fields on the Propagation of Magnetoacoustic Waves in the Lower Solar Atmosphere

We study Hinode/SOT-FG observations of intensity fluctuations in Ca II H-line and G-band image sequences and their relation to simultaneous and co-spatial magnetic field measurements. We explore the G-band and H-line intensity oscillation spectra both separately and comparatively via their relative phase differences, time delays and cross-coherences. In the non-magnetic situations, both sets of fluctuations show strong oscillatory power in the 3 - 7 mHz band centered at 4.5 mHz, but this is suppressed as magnetic field increases. A relative phase analysis gives a time delay of H-line after G-band of 20\pm1 s in non-magnetic situations implying a mean effective height difference of 140 km. The maximum coherence is at 4 - 7 mHz. Under strong magnetic influence the measured delay time shrinks to 11 s with the peak coherence near 4 mHz. A second coherence maximum appears between 7.5 - 10 mHz. Investigation of the locations of this doubled-frequency coherence locates it in diffuse rings outside photospheric magnetic structures. Some possible interpretations of these results are offered.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure

The association between cardiovascular risk factors and major cardiovascular diseases decreases with increasing frailty levels in geriatric outpatients

BACKGROUND: Frailty marks a process of increasing dysregulation of physiological systems which increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. This study examines the hypothesis that the association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) becomes stronger with increasing frailty severity. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 339 older adults (55.2% women; aged 75.2 ± 9.1 years) from an outpatient geriatric clinic from a middle-income country. The frailty index (FI) was calculated as the proportion of 30 possible health deficits. We assessed hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, sedentarism and smoking as CVRF (determinants) and myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure as CVD. Poisson regression models adjusted for age, sex, and education was applied to estimate the association between frailty as well as CVRF (independent variables) with CVD (dependent variable). RESULTS: Of the 339 patients, 18,3% were frail (FI ≥ 0.25) and 32.7% had at least one CVD. Both frailty and CVRF were significantly associated with CVD (PR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05; p = 0.001, and PR = 1.46, 95% 1.24 to 1.71; p < 0.001, respectively) adjusted for covariates. The strength of the association between CVRF and CVD decreased with increasing frailty levels, as indicated by a significant interaction term of frailty and CVRF (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Frailty and CVRF are both associated with CVD, but the impact of CVRF decreases in the presence of frailty. When confirmed in longitudinal studies, randomized controlled trials or causal inference methods like Mendelian randomization should be applied to assess whether a shift from traditional CVRF to frailty would improve cardiovascular outcome in the oldest old

Svestka's Research: Then and Now

Zdenek Svestka's research work influenced many fields of solar physics, especially in the area of flare research. In this article I take five of the areas that particularly interested him and assess them in a "then and now" style. His insights in each case were quite sound, although of course in the modern era we have learned things that he could not readily have envisioned. His own views about his research life have been published recently in this journal, to which he contributed so much, and his memoir contains much additional scientific and personal information (Svestka, 2010).Comment: Invited review for "Solar and Stellar Flares," a conference in honour of Prof. Zden\v{e}k \v{S}vestka, Prague, June 23-27, 2014. This is a contribution to a Topical Issue in Solar Physics, based on the presentations at this meeting (Editors Lyndsay Fletcher and Petr Heinzel

Measurement of the scintillation time spectra and pulse-shape discrimination of low-energy beta and nuclear recoils in liquid argon with DEAP-1

The DEAP-1 low-background liquid argon detector was used to measure scintillation pulse shapes of electron and nuclear recoil events and to demonstrate the feasibility of pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) down to an electron-equivalent energy of 20 keV. In the surface dataset using a triple-coincidence tag we found the fraction of beta events that are misidentified as nuclear recoils to be $<1.4\times 10^{-7}$ (90% C.L.) for energies between 43-86 keVee and for a nuclear recoil acceptance of at least 90%, with 4% systematic uncertainty on the absolute energy scale. The discrimination measurement on surface was limited by nuclear recoils induced by cosmic-ray generated neutrons. This was improved by moving the detector to the SNOLAB underground laboratory, where the reduced background rate allowed the same measurement with only a double-coincidence tag. The combined data set contains $1.23\times10^8$ events. One of those, in the underground data set, is in the nuclear-recoil region of interest. Taking into account the expected background of 0.48 events coming from random pileup, the resulting upper limit on the electronic recoil contamination is $<2.7\times10^{-8}$ (90% C.L.) between 44-89 keVee and for a nuclear recoil acceptance of at least 90%, with 6% systematic uncertainty on the absolute energy scale. We developed a general mathematical framework to describe PSD parameter distributions and used it to build an analytical model of the distributions observed in DEAP-1. Using this model, we project a misidentification fraction of approx. $10^{-10}$ for an electron-equivalent energy threshold of 15 keV for a detector with 8 PE/keVee light yield. This reduction enables a search for spin-independent scattering of WIMPs from 1000 kg of liquid argon with a WIMP-nucleon cross-section sensitivity of $10^{-46}$ cm$^2$, assuming negligible contribution from nuclear recoil backgrounds.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

Prevalence of dementia subtypes in a developing country: a clinicopathological study

OBJECTIVES: To assess the distribution of dementia subtypes in Brazil using a population-based clinicopathological study. METHOD: Brains from deceased individuals aged ≥50 years old were collected after the next of kin signed an informed consent form and provided information through standardized questionnaires. Post-mortem clinical diagnoses were established in consensus meetings, and only cases with moderate or severe dementia or without cognitive impairment were included in the analysis. Immunohistochemical neuropathological examinations were performed following the universally accepted guidelines. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was made when there were at least both a moderate density of neuritic plaques (Consortium to Establish a Register for Alzheimer's disease B or C) and Braak stage III for neurofibrillary tangle distribution. For the diagnosis of vascular dementia, at least three zones or strategic areas had to be affected by infarcts, lacunae, or microinfarcts. RESULTS: From 1,291 subjects, 113 cases were classified as having moderate or severe dementia, and 972 cases were free of cognitive impairment. The neuropathological diagnoses of the dementia sub-group were Alzheimer's disease (35.4%), vascular dementia (21.2%), Alzheimer's disease plus vascular dementia (13.3%), and other causes of dementia (30.1%). Small-vessel disease, which alone was not considered sufficient for a vascular dementia diagnosis, was present in 38.9% of all of the dementia cases and in 16.8% of the group without cognitive impairment (odds ratio = 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-5.51), adjusted for age, sex, and education. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high frequencies of vascular dementia and small-vessel disease in the dementia sub-group constitute relevant findings for public health initiatives because control of vascular risk factors could decrease the prevalence of dementia in developing countries

Reproductive Isolation and Ecological Niche Partition among Larvae of the Morphologically Cryptic Sister Species Chironomus riparius and C. piger

Background One of the central issues in ecology is the question what allows sympatric occurrence of closely related species in the same general area? The non-biting midges Chironomus riparius and C. piger, interbreeding in the laboratory, have been shown to coexist frequently despite of their close relatedness, similar ecology and high morphological similarity. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to investigate factors shaping niche partitioning of these cryptic sister species, we explored the actual degree of reproductive isolation in the field. Congruent results from nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial haplotype analyses indicated complete absence of interspecific gene-flow. Autocorrelation analysis showed a non-random spatial distribution of the two species. Though not dispersal limited at the scale of the study area, the sister species occurred less often than expected at the same site, indicating past or present competition. Correlation and multiple regression analyses suggested the repartition of the available habitat along water chemistry gradients (nitrite, conductivity, CaCO3), ultimately governed by differences in summer precipitation regime. Conclusions We show that these morphologically cryptic sister species partition their niches due to a certain degree of ecological distinctness and total reproductive isolation in the field. The coexistence of these species provides a suitable model system for the investigation of factors shaping the distribution of closely related, cryptic species

Frequency of LATE neuropathologic change across the spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology: combined data from 13 community-based or population-based autopsy cohorts

Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) and Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic change (ADNC) are each associated with substantial cognitive impairment in aging populations. However, the prevalence of LATE-NC across the full range of ADNC remains uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, neuropathologic, genetic, and clinical data were compiled from 13 high-quality community- and population-based longitudinal studies. Participants were recruited from United States (8 cohorts, including one focusing on Japanese–American men), United Kingdom (2 cohorts), Brazil, Austria, and Finland. The total number of participants included was 6196, and the average age of death was 88.1 years. Not all data were available on each individual and there were differences between the cohorts in study designs and the amount of missing data. Among those with known cognitive status before death (n = 5665), 43.0% were cognitively normal, 14.9% had MCI, and 42.4% had dementia—broadly consistent with epidemiologic data in this age group. Approximately 99% of participants (n = 6125) had available CERAD neuritic amyloid plaque score data. In this subsample, 39.4% had autopsy-confirmed LATE-NC of any stage. Among brains with “frequent” neuritic amyloid plaques, 54.9% had comorbid LATE-NC, whereas in brains with no detected neuritic amyloid plaques, 27.0% had LATE-NC. Data on LATE-NC stages were available for 3803 participants, of which 25% had LATE-NC stage > 1 (associated with cognitive impairment). In the subset of individuals with Thal Aβ phase = 0 (lacking detectable Aβ plaques), the brains with LATE-NC had relatively more severe primary age-related tauopathy (PART). A total of 3267 participants had available clinical data relevant to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and none were given the clinical diagnosis of definite FTD nor the pathological diagnosis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP). In the 10 cohorts with detailed neurocognitive assessments proximal to death, cognition tended to be worse with LATE-NC across the full spectrum of ADNC severity. This study provided a credible estimate of the current prevalence of LATE-NC in advanced age. LATE-NC was seen in almost 40% of participants and often, but not always, coexisted with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology

World-Wide FINGERS Network: A global approach to risk reduction and prevention of dementia

© 2020 The Authors. Alzheimer\u27s & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Alzheimer\u27s Association Reducing the risk of dementia can halt the worldwide increase of affected people. The multifactorial and heterogeneous nature of late-onset dementia, including Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), indicates a potential impact of multidomain lifestyle interventions on risk reduction. The positive results of the landmark multidomain Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) support such an approach. The World-Wide FINGERS (WW-FINGERS), launched in 2017 and including over 25 countries, is the first global network of multidomain lifestyle intervention trials for dementia risk reduction and prevention. WW-FINGERS aims to adapt, test, and optimize the FINGER model to reduce risk across the spectrum of cognitive decline—from at-risk asymptomatic states to early symptomatic stages—in different geographical, cultural, and economic settings. WW-FINGERS aims to harmonize and adapt multidomain interventions across various countries and settings, to facilitate data sharing and analysis across studies, and to promote international joint initiatives to identify globally implementable and effective preventive strategies

Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-based interventions that enable public health researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to implement strategies that can mitigate diseases. It can also facilitate more rigorous monitoring of progress towards national and international health targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. For three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has filled that need. A global network of collaborators contributed to the production of GBD 2021 by providing, reviewing, and analysing all available data. GBD estimates are updated routinely with additional data and refined analytical methods. GBD 2021 presents, for the first time, estimates of health loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The GBD 2021 disease and injury burden analysis estimated years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries using 100 983 data sources. Data were extracted from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, censuses, household surveys, disease-specific registries, health service contact data, and other sources. YLDs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific prevalence of sequelae by their respective disability weights, for each disease and injury. YLLs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific deaths by the standard life expectancy at the age that death occurred. DALYs were calculated by summing YLDs and YLLs. HALE estimates were produced using YLDs per capita and age-specific mortality rates by location, age, sex, year, and cause. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for all final estimates as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles values of 500 draws. Uncertainty was propagated at each step of the estimation process. Counts and age-standardised rates were calculated globally, for seven super-regions, 21 regions, 204 countries and territories (including 21 countries with subnational locations), and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Here we report data for 2010 to 2021 to highlight trends in disease burden over the past decade and through the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Global DALYs increased from 2·63 billion (95% UI 2·44–2·85) in 2010 to 2·88 billion (2·64–3·15) in 2021 for all causes combined. Much of this increase in the number of DALYs was due to population growth and ageing, as indicated by a decrease in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates of 14·2% (95% UI 10·7–17·3) between 2010 and 2019. Notably, however, this decrease in rates reversed during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with increases in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates since 2019 of 4·1% (1·8–6·3) in 2020 and 7·2% (4·7–10·0) in 2021. In 2021, COVID-19 was the leading cause of DALYs globally (212·0 million [198·0–234·5] DALYs), followed by ischaemic heart disease (188·3 million [176·7–198·3]), neonatal disorders (186·3 million [162·3–214·9]), and stroke (160·4 million [148·0–171·7]). However, notable health gains were seen among other leading communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases. Globally between 2010 and 2021, the age-standardised DALY rates for HIV/AIDS decreased by 47·8% (43·3–51·7) and for diarrhoeal diseases decreased by 47·0% (39·9–52·9). Non-communicable diseases contributed 1·73 billion (95% UI 1·54–1·94) DALYs in 2021, with a decrease in age-standardised DALY rates since 2010 of 6·4% (95% UI 3·5–9·5). Between 2010 and 2021, among the 25 leading Level 3 causes, age-standardised DALY rates increased most substantially for anxiety disorders (16·7% [14·0–19·8]), depressive disorders (16·4% [11·9–21·3]), and diabetes (14·0% [10·0–17·4]). Age-standardised DALY rates due to injuries decreased globally by 24·0% (20·7–27·2) between 2010 and 2021, although improvements were not uniform across locations, ages, and sexes. Globally, HALE at birth improved slightly, from 61·3 years (58·6–63·6) in 2010 to 62·2 years (59·4–64·7) in 2021. However, despite this overall increase, HALE decreased by 2·2% (1·6–2·9) between 2019 and 2021. Interpretation: Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of causes of health loss is crucial to understanding its impact and ensuring that health funding and policy address needs at both local and global levels through cost-effective and evidence-based interventions. A global epidemiological transition remains underway. Our findings suggest that prioritising non-communicable disease prevention and treatment policies, as well as strengthening health systems, continues to be crucially important. The progress on reducing the burden of CMNN diseases must not stall; although global trends are improving, the burden of CMNN diseases remains unacceptably high. Evidence-based interventions will help save the lives of young children and mothers and improve the overall health and economic conditions of societies across the world. Governments and multilateral organisations should prioritise pandemic preparedness planning alongside efforts to reduce the burden of diseases and injuries that will strain resources in the coming decades. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation