A very luminous, highly extinguished, very fast nova - V1721 Aquilae

Fast novae are primarily located within the plane of the Galaxy, slow novae are found within its bulge. Because of high interstellar extinction along the line of sight many novae lying close to the plane are missed and only the brightest seen. One nova lying very close to the Galactic plane is V1721 Aquilae, discovered in outburst on 2008 September 22. Spectra obtained 2.69 days after outburst revealed very high expansion velocities (FWHM ~6450 km/s). In this paper we have used available pre- and post-outburst photometry and post-outburst spectroscopy to conclude that the object is a very fast, luminous, and highly extinguished A_V=11.6+/-0.2) nova system with an average ejection velocity of ~3400 km/s. Pre-outburst near-IR colours from 2MASS indicate that at quiescence the object is similar to many quiescent CNe and appears to have a main sequence/sub-giant secondary rather than a giant. Based on the speed of decline of the nova and its emission line profiles we hypothesise that the axis ratio of the nova ejecta is ~1.4 and that its inclination is such that the central binary accretion disc is face-on to the observer. The accretion disc's blue contribution to the system's near-IR quiescent colours may be significant. Simple models of the nova ejecta have been constructed using the morphological modelling code XS5, and the results support the above hypothesis. Spectral classification of this object has been difficult owing to low S/N levels and high extinction, which has eliminated all evidence of any He/N or FeII emission within the spectra. We suggest two possibilities for the nature of V1721 Aql: that it is a U Sco type RN with a sub-giant secondary or, less likely, that it is a highly energetic bright and fast classical nova with a main sequence secondary. Future monitoring of the object for possible RN episodes may be worthwhile, as would archival searches for previous outbursts.Comment: 9 pages 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. Abstract has been slightly shortened from published versio

Concomitant CIS on TURBT does not impact oncological outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy

© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018Background: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for muscle invasive bladder cancer improves all-cause and cancer specific survival. We aimed to evaluate whether the detection of carcinoma in situ (CIS) at the time of initial transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) has an oncological impact on the response to NAC prior to radical cystectomy. Patients and methods: Patients were identified retrospectively from 19 centers who received at least three cycles of NAC or induction chemotherapy for cT2-T4aN0-3M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder followed by radical cystectomy between 2000 and 2013. The primary and secondary outcomes were pathological response and overall survival, respectively. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine the independent predictive value of CIS on these outcomes. Results: Of 1213 patients included in the analysis, 21.8% had concomitant CIS. Baseline clinical and pathologic characteristics of the ‘CIS’ versus ‘no-CIS’ groups were similar. The pathological response did not differ between the two arms when response was defined as pT0N0 (17.9% with CIS vs 21.9% without CIS; p = 0.16) which may indicate that patients with CIS may be less sensitive to NAC or ≤ pT1N0 (42.8% with CIS vs 37.8% without CIS; p = 0.15). On Cox regression model for overall survival for the cN0 cohort, the presence of CIS was not associated with survival (HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.63–1.18; p = 0.35). The presence of LVI (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01–1.96; p = 0.04), hydronephrosis (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23–2.16; p = 0.001) and use of chemotherapy other than ddMVAC (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34–0.94; p = 0.03) were associated with shorter overall survival. For the whole cohort, the presence of CIS was also not associated with survival (HR 1.05 (95% CI 0.82–1.35; p = 0.70). Conclusion: In this multicenter, real-world cohort, CIS status at TURBT did not affect pathologic response to neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy. This study is limited by its retrospective nature as well as variability in chemotherapy regimens and surveillance regimens.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Endemic goitre in a rural community of KwaZulu-Natal

CITATION: Benade, J. G. et al. 1997. Endemic goitre in a rural community of KwaZulu-Natal. South African Medical Journal, 87:310-313.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaObjective. To quantify the prevalence of goitre and iodine deficiency. Setting. Ndunakazi, a rural community of approximately 8 000 people in KwaZulu-Natal. Design. A cross-sectional community-based survey and a school-based survey. Participants. The 127 mothers and 114 children aged 6 -11 years, selected during the cross-sectional survey, and 304 children aged 6 -14 years, from the school-based survey. Methods. Urinary iodine levels and thyroid size were determined and categorised according to guidelines proposed jointly by the WHO, UNICEF and the ICCIDD. Z-score anthropometric indicators were calculated, and mid-year exam marks of goitrous and non-goitrous pupils for Zulu and mathematics were compared. Results. In school-aged children, both surveys demonstrated a goitre prevalence in the 20 - 29.9% range and a median urinary iodine level in the 2 - 4.9 ug/dl range, indicating iodine deficiency of moderate severity. Goitrous subjects scored consistently worse in their Zulu exam papers than those without goitre. Stunting was not more prevalent than in the rest of KwaZulu-Natal. Iodised salt was not available in any of the three community shops. Conclusion. This level of iodine deficiency in children can adversely affect their neuropsycho-intellectual development. Factors contributing to deficient iodine intake in Ndunakazi are present in many rural areas, and South Africa cannot afford to be overly confident about the apparent absence of iodine deficiency as a public health problem.Publisher’s versio

Zanamivir Conjugated to Poly-L-Glutamine is Much More Active Against Influenza Viruses in Mice and Ferrets Than the Drug Itself

Purpose: Previously, polymer-attached zanamivir had been found to inhibit influenza A viruses in vitro far better than did small-molecule zanamivir (1) itself. The aim of this study was to identify in vitro—using the plaque reduction assay—a highly potent 1-polymer conjugate, and subsequently test its antiviral efficacy in vivo. Methods: By examining the structure-activity relationship of 1-polymer conjugates in the plaque assay, we have determined that the most potent inhibitor against several representative influenza virus strains has a neutral high-molecular-weight backbone and a short alkyl linker. We have examined this optimal polymeric inhibitor for efficacy and immunogenicity in the mouse and ferret models of infection. Results: 1 attached to poly-L-glutamine is an effective therapeutic for established influenza infection in ferrets, reducing viral titers up to 30-fold for 6 days. There is also up to a 190-fold reduction in viral load when the drug is used as a combined prophylactic/therapeutic in mice. Additionally, we see no evidence that the drug conjugate stimulates an immune response in mice upon repeat administration. Conclusions: 1 attached to a neutral high-molecular-weight backbone through a short alkyl linker drastically reduced both in vitro and in vivo titers compared to those observed with 1 itself. Thus, further development of this polymeric zanamivir for the mitigation of influenza infection seems warranted.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant U01-AI074443

An exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial of knowledge translation strategies to support evidence-informed decision-making in local governments (The KT4LG study)

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity is the most prevalent and, arguably, politically complex child health problem internationally. Governments, communities and industry have important roles to play, and are increasingly expected to deliver an evidence-informed system-wide prevention program. However, efforts are impeded by a lack of organisational access to and use of research evidence. This study aims to identify feasible, acceptable and ideally, effective knowledge translation (KT) strategies to increase evidence-informed decision making in local governments, within the context of childhood obesity prevention as a national policy priority.Methods/Design: This paper describes the methods for KT4LG, a cluster randomised controlled trial which is exploratory in nature, given the limited evidence base and methodological advances. KT4LG aims to examine a program of KT strategies to increase the use of research evidence in informing public health decisions in local governments. KT4LG will also assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The intervention program comprises a facilitated program of evidence awareness, access to tailored research evidence, critical appraisal skills development, networking and evidence summaries and will be compared to provision of evidence summaries alone in the control program. 28 local governments were randomised to intervention or control, using computer generated numbers, stratified by budget tertile (high, medium or low). Questionnaires will be used to measure impact, costs, and outcomes, and key informant interviews will be used to examine processes, feasibility, and experiences. Policy tracer studies will be included to examine impact of intervention on policies within relevant government policy documents.Discussion: Knowledge translation intervention studies with a focus on public health and prevention are very few in number. Thus, this study will provide essential data on the experience of program implementation and evaluation of a system-integrated intervention program employed within the local government public health context. Standardised programs of system, organisational and individual KT strategies have not been described or rigorously evaluated. As such, the findings will make a significant contribution to understanding whether a facilitated program of KT strategies hold promise for facilitating evidence-informed public health decision making within complex multisectoral government organisations.<br /

Infrared Properties of Cataclysmic Variables from 2MASS: Results from the 2nd Incremental Data Release

Because accretion-generated luminosity dominates the radiated energy of most cataclysmic variables, they have been ``traditionally'' observed primarily at short wavelengths. Infrared observations of cataclysmic variables contribute to the understanding of key system components that are expected to radiate at these wavelengths, such as the cool outer disk, accretion stream, and secondary star. We have compiled the J, H, and Ks photometry of all cataclysmic variables located in the sky coverage of the 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) 2nd Incremental Data Release. This data comprises 251 systems with reliably identified near-IR counterparts and S/N > 10 photometry in one or more of the three near-IR bands.Comment: 2 pages, including 1 figure. To appear in the proceedings of The Physics of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects, Goettingen, Germany. For our followup ApJ paper (in press), also see http://www.ctio.noao.edu/~hoard/research/2mass/index.htm

Elucidating pathways of Toxoplasma gondii invasion in the gastrointestinal tract: involvement of the tight junction protein occludin

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite infecting one third of the world’s population. The small intestine is the parasite’s primary route of infection, although the pathway of epithelium transmigration remains unclear. Using an in vitro invasion assay and live imaging we showed that T. gondii (RH) tachyzoites infect and transmigrate between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells in polarized monolayers without altering barrier integrity, despite eliciting the production of specific inflammatory mediators and chemokines. During invasion, T. gondii co-localized with occludin. Reducing the levels of endogenous cellular occludin with specific small interfering RNAs significantly reduced the ability of T. gondii to penetrate between and infect epithelial cells. Furthermore, an in vitro invasion and binding assays using recombinant occludin fragments established the capacity of the parasite to bind occludin and in particular to the extracellular loops of the protein. These findings provide evidence for occludin playing a role in the invasion of T. gondii in small intestinal epithelial cells

Identifying factors which influence eating disorder risk during behavioral weight management: A consensus study

This study aimed to understand clinician, researcher and consumer views regarding factors which influence eating disorder (ED) risk during behavioral weight management, including individual risk factors, intervention strategies and delivery features. Eighty-seven participants were recruited internationally through professional and consumer organizations and social media and completed an online survey. Individual characteristics, intervention strategies (5-point scale) and delivery features (important/unimportant/unsure) were rated. Participants were mostly women (n = 81), aged 35-49 y, from Australia or United States, were clinicians and/or reported lived experience of overweight/obesity and/or ED. There was agreement (64% to 99%) that individual characteristics were relevant to ED risk, with history of ED, weight-based teasing/stigma and weight bias internalization having the highest agreement. Intervention strategies most frequently rated as likely to increase ED risk included those with a focus on weight, prescription (structured diets, exercise plans) and monitoring strategies, e.g., calorie counting. Strategies most frequently rated as likely to decrease ED risk included having a health focus, flexibility and inclusion of psychosocial support. Delivery features considered most important were who delivered the intervention (profession, qualifications) and support (frequency, duration). Findings will inform future research to quantitatively assess which of these factors predict eating disorder risk, to inform screening and monitoring protocols