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Retrieving wind properties from the ultra-hot dayside of WASP-189 b with CRIRES +
No full textContext . The extreme temperature gradients from day- to nightside in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters generate fast winds in the form of equatorial jets or day-to-night flows. Observations of blue-shifted and red-shifted signals in the transmission and dayside spectra of WASP-189 b have sparked discussions about the nature of winds on this planet. Aims . To investigate the structure of winds in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189 b, we studied its dayside emission spectrum with CRIRES + in the spectral K band. Methods . After removing stellar and telluric lines, we used the cross-correlation method to search for a range of molecules and detected emission signals of CO and Fe. Subsequently, we employed a Bayesian framework to retrieve the atmospheric parameters relating to the temperature–pressure structure and chemistry, and incorporated a numerical model of the line profile influenced by various dynamic effects to determine the wind structure. Results . The cross-correlation signals of CO and Fe showed a velocity offset of ~6 km s −1 , which could be caused by a fast day-tonight wind in the atmosphere of WASP-189 b. The atmospheric retrieval showed that the line profile of the observed spectra is best fitted by the presence of a day-to-night wind of 4.4 −2.2 +1.8 km s −1 , while the retrieved equatorial jet velocity of 1.0 −1.8 +0.9 km s −1 is consistent with the absence of such a jet. Such a wind pattern is consistent with the observed line broadening and can explain the majority of the velocity offset, while uncertainties in the ephemerides and the effects of a hot spot could also contribute to this offset. We further retrieved an inverted temperature-pressure profile, and under the assumption of equilibrium chemistry we retrieved a C/O ratio of 0.32 −0.14 +0.41 and a metallicity of M/H = 1.40 −0.60 +1.39 . Conclusions . We showed that red-shifts of a few km s −1 in the dayside spectra could be explained by day-to-night winds. Further studies combining transmission and dayside observations could advance our understanding of WASP-189 b’s atmospheric circulation by improving the uncertainties in the velocity offset and wind parameters
Smiling after witnessing provocateur’s suffering: a facial electromyography study
No full textGerman Research Foundation 10.13039/50110000165
Impact of genetic variability on NADPH oxidase activity: An extensive genotype-phenotype assessment.
No full textGerman Research Foundation 50110000165
The effect of performance-based financing interventions on health worker motivation and job satisfaction: experimental evidence from six national pilots
No full textAbstract A long-standing concern suggests that performance-based financing (PBF) may undermine the intrinsic motivation of health workers by heightening extrinsic motivation concerns via the novel introduction of financial incentives. However, the theoretical effect of PBF on worker motivation and job satisfaction is ambiguous as these programs may also improve working conditions, staff engagement, and other factors that determine health worker morale. We use data from six evaluations of national pilots to empirically assess the effect of PBF on worker motivation and job satisfaction. In these six pilots (in Cameroon, Kyrgyz Republic, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), geographical units (or health facilities) were either randomized or quasi-experimentally assigned to receive PBF or the alternatives of direct facility financing (DFF), enhanced supervision (ES), or business-as-usual comparison arms. Baseline and endline health worker surveys were carried out in the context of these national pilots. The primary outcomes investigated here are health worker motivation and job satisfaction. Secondary outcomes include subconstructs of health worker motivation and job satisfaction extracted using exploratory factor analysis. For two countries out of six—Nigeria and Kyrgyz Republic—we find increases in overall worker motivation and null effects in the other four when contrasting PBF with the business-as-usual comparison. For five countries out of six (all but Cameroon), we find increases in job satisfaction. Further, PBF did not have any systematic motivating or demotivating effects when compared with the health system intervention alternatives of DFF and ES (each in a subset of countries), except in Nigeria where satisfaction in the PBF arm was lower when compared with DFF. All told, these results contain practically no evidence of an adverse effect of PBF on overall health worker motivation or job satisfaction and indeed suggest a beneficial impact in some country settings
Sarcopenia in Ageing and Chronic Illness: Trial Endpoints and Regulatory Issues
No full textABSTRACT In December 2024, the Society on Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (SCWD) hosted a Regulatory and Trial Update Workshop in Washington, D.C., bringing together experts from academia, industry, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This article summarizes key topics discussed during the meeting, including diagnostic challenges, emerging assessment methods, and trial endpoints. The D 3 ‐creatine dilution technique was highlighted as a promising tool for evaluating muscle mass. Additionally, the workshop addressed variability in computed tomography‐based lumbar skeletal muscle index measurements, emphasizing sources of variation at the instrument, imaging, and reader levels, as well as biological and clinical fluctuations. Discussions also focused on clinical trial endpoints for sarcopenia, particularly validated physical performance measures such as the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), habitual gait speed, stair‐climb tests, and the 6‐min walk test. Furthermore, novel therapeutic approaches were explored, including 20‐hydroxyecdysone, enobosarm, anamorelin, ponsegromab, and nutritional supplementation, alongside broader strategies targeting myostatin‐activin signalling inhibition and Akt pathway activation. During the meeting, it was made clear that from a regulatory treatment development standpoint, clinically meaningful changes in patient‐reported outcomes, physical function and/or morbidity/mortality need to be shown. If the latter is not an efficacy endpoint, safety needs to be documented. Given that the population that may be addressed in aging associated sarcopenia is vast, the safety requirement standards applied for studies may be equivalent to those of studies in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Some argued at the meeting that this would make study programs so large that from an economic standpoint only therapies that significantly impact on morbidity/mortality outcomes have a chance to be considered commercially feasible for development
Douglas-fir raises xylem safety in response to a drier climate but also increases supported leaf area
No full textABSTRACT Phenotypic plasticity in traits related to plant water relations and hydraulics is fundamental for the adjustment of trees to rapid climate change. It is not fully understood how conifers can acclimatize their hydraulic system and foliage to a reduction in water availability. For the economically important species Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), we assessed the acclimation potential to a drier climate for mature trees of a common seed source by exploring the phenotypic plasticity of 15 hydraulic and water status-related traits across a steep precipitation gradient in the North German lowlands. Branch embolism resistance (P12, P50), turgor loss point (ΨTLP), hydraulic safety margin (HSM), Huber value (Hv), foliage area, needle lifespan, and leaf mass δ18O and δ13C were measured. Across the 10 study sites, precipitation explained a large proportion of the variance in P12, P50, ΨTLP, leaf δ18O and δ13C and Hv, while its influence on foliar traits was small. P12 and P50 became more resistant by ~0.2 MPa and ΨTLP decreased by ~0.1 MPa with a precipitation reduction by 310 mm yr-1, indicating a significant increase in HSM with increasing climatic aridity; however, the extent of adjustment was small. Contrary to expectation, needle lifespan and foliage area increased, while Hv decreased, with a reduction in precipitation, suggesting greater foliage drought exposure at drier sites. We found fairly high plasticity in hydraulic and foliar traits and enhanced embolism resistance in drier climates, which might distinguish Douglas-fir from other conifers. However, the Hv reduction with decreasing precipitation suggests drought vulnerability in drier lowland regions
Biallelic ELOVL1 Variants Are Linked to Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy, Movement Disorder, and Ichthyosis
No full textAbstract Background Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are an integral component of myelin and the epidermal water barrier. Variants in genes encoding enzymes responsible for catalyzing the first and rate limiting step in the production of VLCFAs, elongation of VLCFAs (ELOVLs), underlie a novel group of metabolic disorders. Objectives The goal was to describe the clinical phenotype and disturbance in VLCFA metabolism associated with variants in the ELOV1 gene. Methods The following methods were employed: Exome sequencing, clinical phenotyping, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), metabolomics, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, fatty acid elongation assay. Results We, here, describe seven patients with autosomal recessive variants in ELOVL1 . Common clinical features included ichthyosis (5/7), developmental delay (7/7), progressive spasticity (7/7), nystagmus (5/6), and a complex movement disorder characterized by pronounced head tremor (7/7), myoclonus (6/7), and dysarthria (6/6). Brain MRI revealed non‐progressive hypomyelination (6/6) and hypoplasia of the corpus callosum (5/6). Plasma VLCFA analysis in one patient showed reduced concentrations of C24:0 and C26:0. Biochemical analysis of fibroblasts from this patient revealed elongation defects in VLCFA synthesis and dysregulation of other ELOVL enzymes. Conclusions We show that biallelic variants in ELOVL1 are associated with a unique and recognizable phenotype of hypomyelinating leukodystrophy, ichthyosis, and a complex movement disorder including progressive spasticity, head tremor, and myoclonus. Biochemical analyses confirmed a defect in VLCFA synthesis. Variants in genes encoding enzymes involved in the elongation of VLCFAs are a novel group of metabolic disorders with overlapping symptoms. © 2025 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Coronal Magnetometry with EUV Permitted Lines
No full textAbstract A major challenge in solar physics is to obtain empirical information on the magnetic field of the million-degree plasma of the solar corona. To this end, we need observables of the solar radiation sensitive to the coronal magnetic field. The most familiar observables are the polarization signals of visible and near-infrared forbidden lines of highly ionized species and some ultraviolet permitted lines, like hydrogen Ly α . While the coronal radiation in these spectral lines can only be detected for off-limb lines of sight, the coronal radiation from permitted extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lines can be observed also on the solar disk. These coronal lines are mainly collisionally excited, but it has been pointed out that some permitted EUV lines can actually be linearly polarized if their lower level carries atomic alignment, and that their linear polarization is sensitive to the orientation of the coronal magnetic field . Here we theoretically investigate the linear polarization in permitted EUV lines of a variety of ions: Fe x , Fe xi , Fe xiii , Fe xiv , Si ix , and Si x . To this end, we have developed a numerical code, which we have applied to investigate the linear polarization and magnetic sensitivity of many permitted EUV lines in a one-dimensional model of the solar corona, providing a list of the most promising lines to be further investigated for polarimetry with future space telescopes. Our next step will be to extend this work by using state-of-the-art three-dimensional coronal models.EC ∣ ERC ∣ HORIZON EUROPE European Research Counci
Multi-centric real-world effectiveness of mepolizumab in severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in Germany
No full textBackground: Within the last years, monoclonal antibodies (biologicals) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and significantly improved symptom control in otherwise refractory cases. The effectiveness of the biological mepolizumab, an IL-5 receptor antibody, has not yet been investigated extensively. This multi-centric study assesses its impact on a large German patient cohort including biological naïve and switched patients. Methodology: In this retrospective multi-centric study, patients with the diagnosis of severe CRSwNP treated with mepolizumab by German tertiary referral centers were included. Data were collected retrospectively from patient records. The change from baseline regarding patient reported symptom control, serum biomarkers, nasal polyp score (NPS), and sense of smell were analysed over a course of up to 30 months. Results: 96 patients from 8 tertiary treatment centers were included, 36.5% female, with a mean age of 54.1±14.3 years. Patient reported outcome measures, smell, and NPS improved significantly within 6 months after treatment initiation or switch from a different biological to mepolizumab. Change from baseline in outcome parameters was smaller in the switch-group, whereas comorbid asthma indicated greater treatment success. Conclusions: Our real-world data show a sustained therapeutic effect of mepolizumab in CRSwNP, including a large proportion of patients who were previously treated with a different biological. This study is the largest real-world cohort to date depicting realistic treatment and disease situations, confirming a broad range of indication for mepolizumab in severe CRSwNP