A Tale of Two Type Ia Supernovae: The Fast-declining Siblings SNe 2015bo and 1997cn

We thank the anonymous referee for their comments. W.B.H. acknowledges support from the Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii-Manoa, funded through NSF grant #2050710. L.G. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIN) under the 2019 Ramon y Cajal program RYC2019-027683 and from the Spanish MCIN project HOSTFLOWS PID2020-115253GA-I00. M.G.M., R.G.D., and S.M.T. were funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 839090. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory under ESO program 106.2104. The work of the CSP-II has been generously supported by the National Science Foundation under grant Nos. AST-1008343, AST-1613426, AST-1613455, and AST-1613472. The CSP-II was also supported in part by the Danish Agency for Science and Technology and Innovation through a Sapere Aude Level 2 grant. E.B. was partially supported by NASA grant No. 80NSSC20K0538 J.D.L. acknowledges support from a UK Research and Innovation Fellowship (MR/T020784/1). C.R.B. acknowledges support from NSF grant Nos. AST-1008384, AST-1613426, AST-1613455, and AST-1613472. M.S and S.H. are supported by grants from the VILLUM FONDEN (grant No. 28021) and the Independent Research Fund Denmark (IRFD; 8021-00170B).We present optical and near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic observations of the fast-declining Type Ia supernova (SN) 2015bo. SN 2015bo is underluminous (MB=−17.50 ± 0.15 mag) and has a fast-evolving light curve (Δm15(B)=1.91 ± 0.01 mag and sBV=0.48 ± 0.01). It has a unique morphology in the observed V −r color curve, where it is bluer than all other supernovae (SNe) in the comparison sample. A 56Ni mass of 0.17±0.03Me was derived from the peak bolometric luminosity, which is consistent with its location on the luminosity–width relation. Spectroscopically, SN 2015bo is a cool SN in the Branch classification scheme. The velocity evolution measured from spectral features is consistent with 1991bg-like SNe. SN 2015bo has a SN twin (similar spectra) and sibling (same host galaxy), SN 1997cn. Distance moduli of μ=34.33±0.01 (stat)± 0.11 (sys) mag and μ=34.34±0.04 (stat)±0.12 (sys) mag are derived for SN 2015bo and SN 1997cn, respectively. These distances are consistent at the 0.06σ level with each other, and they are also consistent with distances derived using surface-brightness fluctuations and redshift-corrected cosmology. This suggests that fast-declining SNe could be accurate distance indicators, which should not be excluded from future cosmological analyses.Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii-ManoaNational Science Foundation (NSF) AST-1008384 AST-1613426 AST-1613455 AST-1613472Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIN) RYC2019-027683Spanish MCIN project HOSTFLOWS PID2020-115253GA-I00European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skodowska-Curie 839090 106.2104National Science Foundation (NSF) AST-1613426 AST-1613455 AST-1613472 AST-1008343Danish Agency for Science and Technology and Innovation through a Sapere Aude Level 2 grantNational Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) 80NSSC20K0538UK Research and Innovation Fellowship MR/T020784/1Villum Fonden 28021Independent Research Fund Denmark 8021-00170

Assessment of a New ROS1 Immunohistochemistry Clone (SP384) for the Identification of ROS1 Rearrangements in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: the ROSING Study

Introduction: The ROS1 gene rearrangement has become an important biomarker in NSCLC. The College of American Pathologists/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/Association for Molecular Pathology testing guidelines support the use of ROS1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a screening test, followed by confirmation with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or a molecular test in all positive results. We have evaluated a novel anti-ROS1 IHC antibody (SP384) in a large multicenter series to obtain real-world data. Methods: A total of 43 ROS1 FISH-positive and 193 ROS1 FISH-negative NSCLC samples were studied. All specimens were screened by using two antibodies (clone D4D6 from Cell Signaling Technology and clone SP384 from Ventana Medical Systems), and the different interpretation criteria were compared with break-apart FISH (Vysis). FISH-positive samples were also analyzed with next-generation sequencing (Oncomine Dx Target Test Panel, Thermo Fisher Scientific). Results: An H-score of 150 or higher or the presence of at least 70% of tumor cells with an intensity of staining of 2+ or higher by the SP384 clone was the optimal cutoff value (both with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity). The D4D6 clone showed similar results, with an H-score of at least 100 (91% sensitivity and 100% specificity). ROS1 expression in normal lung was more frequent with use of the SP384 clone (p < 0.0001). The ezrin gene (EZR)-ROS1 variant was associated with membranous staining and an isolated green signal FISH pattern (p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Conclusions: The new SP384 ROS1 IHC clone showed excellent sensitivity without compromising specificity, so it is another excellent analytical option for the proposed testing algorithm

Evolution of the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Spain between March and November 2020: SEMI-COVID national registry

Objectives: Since the results of the RECOVERY trial, WHO recommendations about the use of corticosteroids (CTs) in COVID-19 have changed. The aim of the study is to analyse the evolutive use of CTs in Spain during the pandemic to assess the potential influence of new recommendations. Material and methods: A retrospective, descriptive, and observational study was conducted on adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 in Spain who were included in the SEMI-COVID- 19 Registry from March to November 2020. Results: CTs were used in 6053 (36.21%) of the included patients. The patients were older (mean (SD)) (69.6 (14.6) vs. 66.0 (16.8) years; p < 0.001), with hypertension (57.0% vs. 47.7%; p < 0.001), obesity (26.4% vs. 19.3%; p < 0.0001), and multimorbidity prevalence (20.6% vs. 16.1%; p < 0.001). These patients had higher values (mean (95% CI)) of C-reactive protein (CRP) (86 (32.7-160) vs. 49.3 (16-109) mg/dL; p < 0.001), ferritin (791 (393-1534) vs. 470 (236- 996) µg/dL; p < 0.001), D dimer (750 (430-1400) vs. 617 (345-1180) µg/dL; p < 0.001), and lower Sp02/Fi02 (266 (91.1) vs. 301 (101); p < 0.001). Since June 2020, there was an increment in the use of CTs (March vs. September; p < 0.001). Overall, 20% did not receive steroids, and 40% received less than 200 mg accumulated prednisone equivalent dose (APED). Severe patients are treated with higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%. Conclusions: Patients with greater comorbidity, severity, and inflammatory markers were those treated with CTs. In severe patients, there is a trend towards the use of higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%

Involvement of the amino-terminal β-hairpin of the Aspergillus ribotoxins on the interaction with membranes and nonspecific ribonuclease activity

Ribotoxins are a family of potent cytotoxic proteins from Aspergillus whose members display a high sequence identity (85% for about 150 amino acid residues). The three-dimensional structures of two of these proteins, α-sarcin and restrictocin, are known. They interact with phospholipid bilayers, according to their ability to enter cells, and cleave a specific phosphodiester bond in the large subunit of ribosome thus inhibiting protein biosynthesis. Two nonconservative sequence changes between these proteins are located at the amino-terminal β-hairpin of α-sarcin, a characteristic structure that is absent in other nontoxic structurally related microbial RNases. These two residues of α-sarcin, Lys 11 and Thr 20, have been substituted with the equivalent amino acids in restrictocin. The single mutants (K11L and T20D) and the corresponding K11L/T20D double mutant have been produced in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The spectroscopic characterization of the purified proteins reveals that the overall native structure is preserved. The ribonuclease and lipid-perturbing activities of the three mutants and restrictocin have been evaluated and compared with those of α-sarcin. These proteins exhibit the same ability to specifically inactivate ribosomes, although they show different activity against nonspecific substrate analogs such as poly(A). The mutant variant K11L and restrictocin display a lower phospholipid-interacting ability correlated with a decreased cytotoxicity. The results obtained are interpreted in terms of the involvement of the amino-terminal β-hairpin in the interaction with both membranes and polyadenylic acid.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Mapping mangrove opportunities with open access data: A case study for Bangladesh

Mangroves protect coastal areas against hazards like storms or cyclones by attenuating waves and currents, and by trapping floating debris during extreme events. Bangladesh is a very vulnerable country to floods and cyclones, and part of its coastal system is thus being upgraded to a higher safety standard. These upgrades include embankment reinforcement and mangrove afforestation schemes seawards of the embankments. To further strengthen the implementation of combined green–grey infrastructure in future programs, identifying potential mangrove development sites near the polder systems is a necessary first step. We thus developed a tool to systematically identify mangrove sites throughout the coastal area based on open access data. This method identi-fies potential sites for mangrove development based on their distance from existing mangrove patches and suggests the required technique to implement the vegetation depending on the rate of coastline change. Our method showed that approximately 600 km of the coastal stretches placed seawards of embankments are within 10 km of existing mangroves, and could thus be potential sites for mangrove establishment. Out of those 600 km, we identified 140 km of coastline where the land-wards polders are particularly vulnerable to flooding. The sites with highest restoration potential and priority are located in Galachipa, Hatiya, Bhola, Manpura, Khangona, and Boro Moheshkhali. More detailed data collection and local assessments are recommended prior to executing mangrove afforestation schemes. Nevertheless, this method could serve as a useful systematic tool for feasi-bility studies that identify mangrove opportunities in data-scarce areas and help to prioritize data collection at the sites of highest interest.Hydraulic Structures and Flood RiskEnvironmental Fluid Mechanic

Characterization of a cold-active esterase from Lactobacillus plantarum suitable for food fermentations

Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacteria that can be found in numerous fermented foods. Esterases from L. plantarum exert a fundamental role in food aroma. In the present study, the gene lp-2631 encoding a putative esterase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the overproduced Lp-2631 protein has been biochemically characterized. Lp-2631 exhibited optimal esterase activity at 20 °C and more than 90% of maximal activity at 5 °C, being the first cold-active esterase described in a lactic acid bacteria. Lp-2631 exhibited 40% of its maximal activity after 2 h of incubation at 65 °C. Lp-2631 also showed marked activity in the presence of compounds commonly found in food fermentations, such as NaCl, ethanol, or lactic acid. The results suggest that Lp-2631 might be a useful esterase to be used in food fermentations. © 2014 American Chemical Society.This work was financially supported by grants AGL2011-22745 and BFU2010-17929 (MINECO), S2009/AGR-1469 (ALIBIRD) (Comunidad de Madrid), and RM2012-00004 (INIA). M. Esteban-Torres is a recipient of a JAE predoctoral fellowship from the CSIC.Peer Reviewe

Ligand Effects in Gold- and Platinum-Catalyzed Cyclization of Enynes: Chiral Gold Complexes for Enantioselective Alkoxycyclization

Phosphine and bidentate N-N ligands inhibit the Alder-ene-type cycloisomerization of enynes catalyzed by Pt(II) and favor the alkoxycyclization process. The enantioselective Pt(II)-catalyzed alkoxycyclization has been studied in the presence of chiral mono- and bidentate phosphines, as well as chiral bidentate N-N ligands. Modest levels of enantioselection (up to 50% ee) have been obtained with Tol-BINAP as ligand. The alkoxycyclizations with a catalyst formed from [Au(L)Cl]/AgX proceed more readily, and up to 94% ee's have been obtained using [(AuCl)2(Tol-BINAP)] ( 47 ) as the precatalyst. The X-ray crystal structures of Au(I) complexes 47 and chloro-(R)-2-(tert-butylsulfenyl)-1-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene gold(I) ( 39 ) show the AuCl fragments monocoordinated with the P centers of the chiral phosphine ligands