Alpha Element Abundances in a Large Sample of Galactic Planetary Nebulae

We present emission line strengths, abundances, and element ratios (X/O for Ne, S, Cl, and Ar) for a sample of 38 Galactic disk planetary nebulae (PNe) consisting primarily of Peimbert classification Type I. Spectrophotometry for these PNe incorporates an extended optical/near-IR range of 3600-9600 angstroms including the [S III] lines at 9069 and 9532. We have utilized Emission Line Spectrum Analyzer, a five-level atom abundance routine, to determine T_e, N_e, ionization correction factors, and total element abundances. With a compilation of data from >120 Milky Way PNe, we present results from our most recent analysis of abundance patterns in Galactic disk PNe. We have examined the alpha elements against H II regions and blue compact galaxies (H2BCG) to discern signatures of depletion or enhancement in PNe progenitor stars, particularly the destruction or production of O and Ne. We present evidence that many PNe have higher Ne/O and lower Ar/Ne ratios compared to H2BCGs within the range of 8.5-9.0 for 12 + log(O/H). This suggests that Ne is being synthesized in the low- and intermediate-mass progenitors. Sulfur abundances in PNe continue to show great scatter and are systematically lower than those found in H2BCG at a given metallicity. Although we find that PNe do show some distinction in alpha elements when compared to H2BCG, within the Peimbert classification types studied, PNe do not show significant differences in alpha elements amongst themselves, at least to an extent that would distinguish in situ nucleosynthesis from the observed dispersion in abundance ratios.Comment: 12 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables (note: tables 2-5 are available online only in machine-readable form

Comparison between Transcriptome Sequencing and 16S Metagenomics for Detection of Bacterial Pathogens in Wildlife

Background Rodents are major reservoirs of pathogens responsible for numerous zoonotic diseases in humans and livestock. Assessing their microbial diversity at both the individual and population level is crucial for monitoring endemic infections and revealing microbial association patterns within reservoirs. Recently, NGS approaches have been employed to characterize microbial communities of different ecosystems. Yet, their relative efficacy has not been assessed. Here, we compared two NGS approaches, RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and 16S-metagenomics, assessing their ability to survey neglected zoonotic bacteria in rodent populations.Methodology/Principal Findings : We first extracted nucleic acids from the spleens of 190 voles collected in France. RNA extracts were pooled, randomly retro-transcribed, then RNA-Seq was performed using HiSeq. Assembled bacterial sequences were assigned to the closest taxon registered in GenBank. DNA extracts were analyzed via a 16S-metagenomics approach using two sequencers: the 454 GS-FLX and the MiSeq. The V4 region of the gene coding for 16S rRNA was amplified for each sample using barcoded universal primers. Amplicons were multiplexed and processed on the distinct sequencers. The resulting datasets were de-multiplexed, and each read was processed through a pipeline to be taxonomically classified using the Ribosomal Database Project. Altogether, 45 pathogenic bacterial genera were detected. The bacteria identified by RNA-Seq were comparable to those detected by 16S-metagenomics approach processed with MiSeq (16S-MiSeq). In contrast, 21 of these pathogens went unnoticed when the 16S-metagenomics approach was processed via 454-pyrosequencing (16S-454). In addition, the 16S-metagenomics approaches revealed a high level of coinfection in bank voles. Conclusions/Significance :We concluded that RNA-Seq and 16S-MiSeq are equally sensitive in detecting bacteria. Although only the 16S-MiSeq method enabled identification of bacteria in each individual reservoir, with subsequent derivation of bacterial prevalence in host populations, and generation of intra-reservoir patterns of bacterial interactions. Lastly, the number of bacterial reads obtained with the 16S-MiSeq could be a good proxy for bacterial prevalence

Detection of Orientia sp. DNA in rodents from Asia, West Africa and Europe

Article Open AccessInternational audienceOrientia bacterium is the agent of the scrub typhus, a seriously neglected life-threatening disease in Asia. Here, we report the detection of DNA of Orientia in rodents from Europe and Africa. These findings have important implications for public health. Surveillance outside Asia, where the disease is not expected by sanitary services, needs to be improved

Effect of ertugliflozin on glucose control, body weight, blood pressure and bone density in type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy (VERTIS MET)

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Prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes:Insights from the DISCOVER study

We report the prevalence and change in severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in DISCOVER, a global, 3-year, prospective, observational study of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating second-line glucose-lowering therapy. CKD stages were defined according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Overall, 7843 patients from 35 countries had a baseline serum creatinine measurement. Of these (56.7% male; mean age: 58.1 years; mean eGFR: 87.5 mL/min/1.73 m2), baseline prevalence estimates for stage 0-1, 2, 3 and 4-5 CKD were 51.4%, 37.7%, 9.4% and 1.4%, respectively. A total of 5819 patients (74.2%) also had at least one follow-up serum creatinine measurement (median time between measurements: 2.9 years, interquartile range: 1.9-3.0 years). Mean eGFR decreased slightly to 85.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 over follow-up. CKD progression (increase of ≥1 stage) occurred in 15.7% of patients, and regression (decrease of ≥1 stage) in 12.0%. In summary, a substantial proportion of patients with T2D developed CKD or had CKD progression after the initiation of second-line therapy. Renal function should be regularly monitored in these patients, to ensure early CKD diagnosis and treatment

Influence of the environment on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission in star-forming regions

We investigate the emission properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in various metallicity environments with the Infrared Spectrograph on board Spitzer. Local giant H II regions are used as references as they enable access to the distinct interstellar medium components that contribute to the mid-infrared spectrum of star-forming galaxies: photodissociation regions (PDRs), photoionized gas, stellar clusters, and embedded regions. Three objects are considered: NGC 3603 in the Milky Way, 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and N 66 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. From the variations of the PAH/14 μm ratio, we find that PAHs are destroyed in the ionized gas for a radiation field such that [Ne iii]/[Ne ii] >~ 3. From the variations of the PAH/Huα ratio, we find that the PAH emission sources in the giant H II regions follow the same photodestruction law regardless of metallicity. We then compare these results with observations of starburst galaxies, Hii galaxies, and blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs). While the integrated mid-infrared spectra of BCDs are reminiscent of a warm dusty ionized gas, we observe a significant contribution to the PAH emission in starburst galaxies that is not arising from PDRs

Global patterns of comprehensive cardiovascular risk factor control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Insights from the DISCOVER study.

AIM: To investigate global patterns of cardiovascular risk factor control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). METHODS: DISCOVER is an international, observational cohort study of patients with T2D beginning second-line glucose-lowering therapy. Risk factor management was examined among eligible patients (ie, those with the risk factor) at study baseline. Inter-country variability was estimated using median odds ratios (MORs). RESULTS: Among 14 343 patients with T2D from 34 countries, the mean age was 57.4 ± 12.0 years and the median (interquartile range) duration of T2D was 4.2 (2.0-8.0) years; 11.8% had documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Among eligible patients, blood pressure was controlled in 67.5% (9284/13756), statins were prescribed in 43.7% (5775/13208), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers were prescribed in 55.6% (5292/9512), aspirin was prescribed in 53.3% of those with established ASCVD (876/1645), and 84.4% (12 102/14343) were non-smoking. Only 21.5% of patients (3088/14343) had optimal risk factor management (defined as control of all eligible measures), with wide inter-country variability (10%-44%), even after adjusting for patient and site differences (MOR 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.24-1.66). CONCLUSION: Globally, comprehensive control of ASCVD risk factors is not being achieved in most patients, with wide variability among countries unaccounted for by patient and site differences. Better country-specific strategies are needed to implement comprehensive cardiovascular risk factor control consistently in patients with T2D to improve long-term outcomes

Testing the 'zero-sum game' hypothesis: An examination of school health policy and practice and inequalities in educational outcomes

Background: There is recognition that health and education are intrinsically linked, through for example the World Health Organizations' Health Promoting Schools' (HPS) framework. Nevertheless, promoting health via schools is seen by some as a 'zero-sum game'; that is, schools have nothing to gain, and in fact may experience detriments to the core business of academic attainment as a result of focussing resources on health. Crucially, there is a paucity of evidence around the impacts of health and well-being policy and practice on attainment, with recent Cochrane reviews highlighting this gap. This study explored the 'zero-sum game' hypothesis among schools with varying levels of deprivation; that is, the role of health and wellbeing interventions in schools in reducing, or widening, socioeconomic inequality in educational attainment. Methods: Wales-wide, school-level survey data on health policies and practices, reflective of the HPS framework, were captured in 2016 using the School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ). SEQ data were linked with routinely collected data on academic attainment. Primary outcomes included attendance and attainment at Key Stages 3 and 4. Interaction terms were fitted to test whether there was an interaction between FSM,overall HPS activity, and outcomes. Linear regression models were constructed separately for high (>15% of pupils) and low (<15%) Free School Meal (FSM) schools, adjusting for confounders. Findings: The final analyses included 48 low and 49 high FSM secondary schools. Significant interactions were observed between FSM and overall HPS for KS3 attainment (b=0.28; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.47) and attendance(b=0.05; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.09), reflecting an association between health improvement activities and education outcomes among high, but not low FSM schools. There was no significant interaction for KS4 attainment (b=0.18; 95% CI: -0.22, 0.57).Interpretation: Our findings did not support the 'zero-sum game' hypothesis; in fact, among more deprived schools, there was a tendency for better attendance and attainment at Key Stage 3. Schools must equip students with the skills required for good physical, mental health and well-being in addition to academic and cognitive skills. The study included a large, nationally representative sample of secondary schools;however, the cross-sectional nature has implications for causality

Gradient of Risk and Associations With Cardiovascular Efficacy of Ertugliflozin by Measures of Kidney Function Observations From VERTIS CV

Ukraine: Olga Godlevska, Ivan Chopey, Zinaida Teliatnikova, Petro Kuskalo, Orest Abrahamovych, Borys Mankovskyi, Ivan Fushtey, Galyna Myshanych, Susanna Tykhonova, Vira Tseluyko, Olena Koval, Oleksandr Parkhomenko, Oleksandr Prokhorov, Myroslava Vayda, Larysa Martymianova, Viktoriia Zharinova, Lyudmyla Prystupa, Larysa Pererva, Oleksandr Kovalov, Lyubov Sokolova, Volodymyr Botsyurko, Vitaliy Maslyanko, Maryna Vlasenko, Tetyana Khomazyuk, Anna Kulyk, Volodymyr Synenko, Oleksandr Karpenko, Yuriy Mostovoy, Olga Gyrina, Maryna Dolzhenko, Oleksandra Donets, Inna Sorokina, Yaroslav Malynovsky, Olena Lysunets, Roman Petrovskyy, Svitlana Panina