Unpacking overuse of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer to inform de-implementation strategies

Peer reviewe

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

AN OVERVIEW OF TRACKING APPROACH FOR THE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

A solar panel is consisting of solar cells to generate electricity. The output of the panel relies upon on different factors like semiconductor utilized in manufacturing of solar cell, type of solar cell, tilt angle of the solar collector, environmental factors like wind, dust, shading etc. in this document characterization of the solar panel and its behavior at various tilt angles is studied. For a fixed installed solar panel, it is very essential to mount a panel at an angle in which the collector will receive the maximum radiations. Therefore the tilt angle primarily based overall performance of the panel is checked. While automation is introduced, a solar panel can be made to rotate in direction of the sun called solar tracker. Subsequently a solar tracker usually tries to adjust its position in perpendicular to the sun. A water pumping application is designed for remote place where grid connected supply is not available. This report offers information about characterization and behavior of solar panel at different tilt angles, overall performance of solar tracker to increase the output of the panel and pumping application that can be designed for agriculture or household use

Financing the Sustainable Development Goals through ESG ETFs: An Investor’s Perspective

ABSTRACT Sustainable Finance is a widely used term in the finance domain that considers environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations while investing. Sustainable finance aims to create an impact by investing in organizations that contribute to social and environmental causes. ESG ETFs are many financial instruments that aim to pool investors’ funds in companies that strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations. This chapter seeks to address the potential of sustainability of ESG ETFs and how many of these contribute to SDGs?” It also quantifies their returns, discerns the association between the demographic profile of the respondents & investors’ perspectives towards ESG ETFs, and determines the factors that influence the investment in ESG ETFs based on sustainability. The study used primary and secondary data from Asset Management Companies (AMCs) and International organizations working on the SDGs. The study emphasizes the potential of ESG ETFs for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. It highlights the double-edged benefits to investors, and society, generated through these financial instruments and increases the consciousness of the investment fraternity towards the attainment of the SDGs Keywords: AMCs, ESG, ETF, SDGs, Sustainabilit

Diversification in the mountains: a generic reappraisal of the Western Ghats endemic gecko genus Dravidogecko Smith, 1933 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with descriptions of six new species

Chaitanya, R., Giri, Varad B., Deepak, V., Datta-Roy, Aniruddha, Karanth, Praveen (2019): Diversification in the mountains: a generic reappraisal of the Western Ghats endemic gecko genus Dravidogecko Smith, 1933 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with descriptions of six new species. Zootaxa 4688 (1): 1-56, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4688.1.

A new genus and species of natricine snake from northeast India

Giri, Varad B., Gower, David J., Das, Abhijit, Lalremsanga, H.T., Lalronunga, Samuel, Captain, Ashok, Deepak, V. (2019): A new genus and species of natricine snake from northeast India. Zootaxa 4603 (2): 241-264, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4603.2.

FIGURE 5 in A new genus and species of natricine snake from northeast India

FIGURE 5. Paratypes of Smithophis atemporalis gen. et. sp. nov. (specimen numbers given in first row). Heads of preserved specimens in A) dorsal, B) ventral, C) right lateral and D) left lateral views. Scale bars 10 mm