324139 research outputs found
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Amplitude analysis and branching fraction measurement of the decay D 0 → K S 0 π 0 π 0
No full textAn amplitude analysis of the decay D0→KS0π0π0 is performed to determine the relative magnitudes and phases of different intermediate processes. The analysis uses e+e− collision data collected at the center-of-mass energy of 3.773 GeV by the BESIII detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. The absolute branching fraction of D0→KS0π0π0 is measured to be (1.026 ± 0.008stat.± 0.009syst.)%. The dominant intermediate process is D0→K¯∗8920→KS0π0π0, with a branching fraction of (4.10 ± 0.10stat.± 0.07syst.) × 10−3
Genome co-adaptation and the evolution of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
No full textBackground: Antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens is a major threat to global health, rendering standard treatments ineffective and increasing the risk of severe infection or death. Resistance is often conferred by genes that are transferred horizontally among species and strains. However, for many bacteria, little is known about the genetic variation that potentiates resistance gene acquisition and accommodates acquired genes in the coadapted recipient genome. Results: Here we introduce a new bioinformatics genome-wide association study approach, Guided Omission of Linkage Disequilibrium (GOLD-GWAS). This method masks covarying alleles explained by coinheritance and genome proximity to reveal loci where covarying sequence likely represents functional linkage, consistent with epistasis. Analysing 806 Staphylococcus aureus isolate genomes, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) strains, we identified genes that covary with the presence of the acquired staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) that houses the mecA resistance gene. Conclusions: By uncovering known and new gene–gene associations, we demonstrate how resistance can involve genetic coalitions beyond well-known antimicrobial resistance genes. Understanding how genomic changes, such as extrinsic resistance cassettes, are integrated within coadapted bacterial genomes is an important step towards mitigating antimicrobial resistance evolution and identifying novel genetic targets for risk prediction, diagnosis, and therapy
A multiscale theory for network advection-reaction-diffusion
No full textMathematical network models are extremely useful to capture complex propagation processes between different regions (nodes), e.g. the spread of an infectious agent between different countries, or the transport and replication of toxic proteins across different brain regions in neurodegenerative diseases. In these models, transport is modelled at the macroscale through an operator, the so-called graph Laplacian based on the edge properties and topology, capturing the fluxes between different nodes of the network. However, this phenomenological approach fails to take into account the physical processes taking place at the microscale within the edge. A fundamental problem is then to obtain a transport operator from mechanistic principles based on the underlying transport process. Using advection-reaction-diffusion as a generic mechanism for inter-nodal exchanges, we derive a multiscale network transport model and derive the corresponding linear transport operator at the macroscale from first principles. This effective graph Laplacian is fully determined by the transport mechanisms along the edges at the microscale. We show that this operator correctly captures the transport, and we study its scaling properties with respect to edge length
Problem of identification in cosmopolitan context: empathy, conflict and balance in Surrealismo do Quotidiano by Djina
No full textDjina's debut novel, Surrealismo do Quotidiano(2014), follows an Angolan migrant in the United Kingdom on a journey of self-discovery as the protagonist tests the possibilities of cosmopolitanism. Employing the first-person, metafictional narrative, the novel traces the protagonist's confusion as she navigates the conflicts between the values and tradition of her country of origin and that of her adopted home, particularly in her interpersonal relations and in her capacity to confront mysteries. This article probes the problem of identification by examining the individual's nonconformity and a constant condition of uprootedness. While Djina presents a generally positive view of world citizenship by showing the abilities of imagination and empathy developed through transcultural experiences, the narrator's fraught position between Angolan and Western cultures forces the reader to question the limitation of cosmopolitanism
Natural resources and the public’s political trust
No full textDo natural resources affect public trust in political leaders and institutions? In this study, I use a difference-in-differences approach to investigate this question, focusing on Ghana’s discovery of high-grade offshore oil in 2007. I find that individuals living close to the oil fields became less trusting of political leaders and institutions after the discovery. The findings suggest that the oil discovery’s impact on political trust varies depending on pre-existing social and economic condi¬tions such as educational status, employment status and the level of media exposure. Additionally, individuals located near the oil fields reported more negative views about Ghana’s democracy, corruption, government performance, and economic conditions. The results suggest a potential link between increased bribe payments in these locations and declining trust
Zur Dringlichkeit der Versorgung ophthalmologischer Notfälle
No full textZusammenfassung: Bei Notfällen in der Augenheilkunde ist zwischen systemischen Notfallsituationen, die sich am Auge manifestieren, und rein okulären Notfällen zu unterscheiden. Letztere bedrohen das Sehvermögen in ganz unterschiedlichem Ausmaß und bedürfen daher ophthalmologischerseits einer differenzierten Betrachtung und Versorgung. Diese erfordert besondere Verantwortung und große Kompetenz, da alle Subdisziplinen der Augenheilkunde betroffen sein können. Nicht zuletzt wegen der demografischen Entwicklung nimmt die Anzahl der Notfallpatienten zu, was eine bessere Steuerung der Patienten erfordert
Social media is harming adolescents at a scale large enough to cause changes at the population level: World Happiness Report 2026: Chapter 3
No full textThe practical politics of cash versus maize in Malawi
No full textMalawi's procurement and distribution of maize and related agricultural inputs are marked by inefficiency, misconduct and capture. The system works for those in power but harms Malawi's people and economy. Donors have helped perpetuate this. Deep reform is required. Cash transfers may offer a politically feasible way to get there
Antimicrobial resistance as a multicultural challenge: a decolonized approach to science communication in the Global South
No full textAntimicrobial resistance (AMR), or drug-resistant infection, is a serious threat to global well-being, impacting human, animal and environmental health, and is predicted to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050 (10 million deaths annually). AMR is often termed a super-wicked problem that prevents straightforward solutions due to the systemic, multi-sectoral and multifactorial issues underlying it, posing a dilemma for AMR communication in LMICs. Antimicrobial stewardship, which consists of coordinated efforts to optimize antimicrobial use to reduce AMR, and communication for antimicrobial stewardship behaviours, are hindered by many cultural factors: subjective norms, medical pluralism, hierarchical culture, etc. This Viewpoint suggests ways and examples for how a decolonized approach can support communication around a multicultural issue such as AMR, for understanding drivers and exploring locally relevant solutions. These include recognizing systemic barriers, social norms and collective values, challenging the universalism of Western science to value local knowledge and practices, promoting local ownership of intervention design and knowledge generation, adapting to local structural norms and hierarchies, and being aware of the language problem of AMR. It is imperative that locally contextualized capacity strengthening is available to empower Global South science communication actors (researchers, academics and practitioners)
Paradoxical Expression of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in Leucocytes
No full textThe expression of the ionotropic glutamate receptors AMPAR and NMDAR has been measured on circulating leucocytes, particularly CD4+ lymphocytes, in many studies over the last two decades. As there are agonists and antagonists for these receptors that do not cross the blood brain barrier, they represent potential new avenues to target leucocytes in human disease. To determine the range of expression across pathological conditions, we compared the expression of AMPAR and NMDAR, as well as kainate receptors and metabotropic receptors, in 12 clinical studies including inflammatory autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis), breast cancer, viral infection, schizophrenia and in vitro studies. We measured the expression of AMPAR and NMDAR in freshly isolated CD4+ T cells, stimulated PBMC and myeloid cells (HL-60, THP-1 and monocyte-derived macrophages) using TaqMan qPCR. We found the gene expression of glutamate receptors to be negligible with few exceptions. We measured low but reproducible expression of GRIA3 in THP-1 pro-monocytic cells and human blood dendritic cell subsets (pDC, cDC1, cDC2). We observed that AMPA pre-treatment caused a greater inflammatory response in TNF-stimulated THP-1 cells. While these data illustrate a contradiction in the literature, the limited but reproducible expression of glutamate receptors in select immune subsets potentiates peripheral therapeutic targeting in specific disease contexts