Episodes Of Activity Research Articles

Cognitive Health Benefits of Everyday Physical Activity in a Diverse Sample of Middle-Aged Adults.

Physical activity has been associated with a wide range of health benefits including long-term benefits for cognitive and brain health. Whether episodes of everyday physical activity are associated with immediate cognitive benefits remains unknown. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether episodes of physical activity, occurring over the course of participants' daily lives, are associated with short-term improvements in cognitive health. Participants completed a 9-day ecological momentary assessment protocol involving 5 daily assessments of self-reported physical activity and ambulatory cognitive assessments of processing speed and visuospatial working memory. Data were analyzed in a multilevel modeling framework to explore changes in performance on each task associated with physical activity during the period leading up to the assessment as well as individual differences in average frequency of physical activity. Results of MLMs indicated that engaging in physical activity during the period (~3.5hr) leading up to an assessment was associated with improvements in processing speed equivalent to 4 years of cognitive aging. Such improvements were observed for both light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels. No association was observed for visuospatial working memory accuracy; however, response time during the working memory task reliably mirrored the association observed for processing speed. The short-term benefits were observed, particularly, for individuals with an overall higher frequency of reported physical activity. Our findings suggest that engaging in everyday physical activity of any intensity level may have short-term, acute benefits for cognitive health and point to new potential targets for intervention. NCT03240406.

6601 A Case of Recurrent Painless Thyroiditis and Discussion of Management

Abstract Disclosure: M.C. Slack: None. S. Grock: None. Introduction: Painless (silent) thyroiditis is characterized as a subacute and generally self-limited disease process in which patients develop transient thyrotoxicosis, which is often followed by a hypothyroid phase before entering the recovery euthyroid phase. Given high frequency of positive thyroid antibodies, it may be autoimmune-mediated; recurrence is rare. Here we present a case of recurrent painless thyroiditis and discuss management options. Clinical Case: A Korean woman was followed by endocrinology from age 38 to 60 and experienced at least seven episodes of painless thyroiditis over this time. The episodes occurred without an identifiable trigger and were not preceded by viral illness. During episodes she developed palpitations, hair loss, and dyspnea on exertion and biochemical evidence of thyrotoxicosis with TSH suppressed to <0.2 mIU/mL (normal 0.3-4.7) and elevated free T4 levels as high as 5.4 ng/dL (normal 0.8-1.7). TSI, TPO, and TSH receptor antibodies were checked during multiple episodes and resulted negative, though thyroglobulin antibody was significantly elevated. A radioactive iodine uptake scan was obtained during an active episode of thyroiditis and revealed diffusely low uptake. The patient’s episodes lasted approximately two to three months before normalization of her TSH and FT4. She had at least one instance of transient hypothyroidism after thyrotoxicosis with a TSH of 13.2 and FT4 of 0.6 which subsequently normalized 6 weeks later. The patient did not have known cardiovascular disease and DXA scans revealed mild osteopenia with the lowest T-score -1.3. RAI was considered for the patient based on the total number and increasing frequency of her episodes. She ultimately declined treatment with RAI and continues to follow with endocrinology. Clinical Lessons: While the deleterious effects of prolonged hyperthyroidism (e.g. osteoporosis, arrhythmia, cardiovascular disease) are well known, it is unclear what risk recurrent painless thyroiditis episodes pose. As there are no guidelines regarding treatment, clinical gestalt incorporating frequency and duration of episodes, as well as symptoms, is often used to determine if definitive management is indicated. There are case reports in the literature of treatment of recurrent thyroiditis with RAI ablation performed during a euthyroid state, which eliminated recurrence of episodes but did lead to permanent hypothyroidism necessitating hormone replacement. Surgical thyroidectomy may also be considered in select patients. This case highlights the challenges in treating rare cases of recurrent painless thyroiditis given the lack of research or established guidelines. It is reasonable to consider the frequency, severity, and total number of episodes, as well as patient risk factors, symptoms, and preferences when making recommendations regarding management. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Interleukin-21 and Interleukin-23 levels in familial Mediterranean Fever before and after treatment: the role of cytokines in disease pathogenesis.

In a previous study, it has been shown that the population of Th17 lymphocytes was increased in patients with FMF. IL-21 and IL-23 play significant roles in the production and differentiation of Th17 cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum levels of IL-21 and IL-23 in FMF patients both at diagnosis and after treatment, and to compare these levels with those of healthy controls. Twenty-seven newly diagnosed patients with FMF in attack-free periods and twenty-seven healthy volunteers enrolled in the study. The groups were comparable with respect to age and gender. IL-21 and IL-23 levels in serum samples from patients at the time of diagnosis, in remission after treatment, and from the control groups were analysed using the ELISA method. There was no significant difference between the cytokine levels of the patient group at the time of diagnosis and the cytokine levels of the control group (for IL-21, p: 0.28 and for IL-23, p: 0.56). Similarly, there was no significant difference between the patients' cytokine levels at the time of diagnosis and after treatment (for IL-21, p: 0.99 and for IL-23, p: 0.08). Interleukin levels at the time of diagnosis did not differ among patient groups based on the presence of clinical findings or the M694V genotype. Our results suggest that IL-21 and IL-23 do not play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, while interpreting these findings, it should be considered that patients with active episodes were excluded and cytokine levels were not measured in tissue samples.

Clues of the restarting active galactic nucleus activity of Mrk 1498 from GTC/MEGARA integral field spectroscopy data

Some giant radio galaxies selected at X-rays with active galactic nuclei (AGN) show signs of a restarted nuclear activity (old lobes plus a nuclear young radio source probed by giga-hertz peaked spectra). The study of these sources gives us insights into the AGN activity history. More specifically, the kinematics and properties of the outflows can be used as a tool to describe the activity of the source. One object in this peculiar class is Mrk\,1498, a giant low-frequency double radio source that shows extended emission in O\,III . This emission is likely related to the history of the nuclear activity of the galaxy. We investigate whether this bubble-like emission might trace an outflow from either present or past AGN activity. Using a medium-resolution spectroscopy (R\,sim \,10\,000) available with MEGARA/GTC, we derived kinematics and fluxes of the ionised gas from modelling the O\,III and Hbeta features. We identified three kinematic components and mapped their kinematics and flux. All the components show an overall blue to red velocity pattern, with similar peak-to-peak velocities but a different velocity dispersion. At a galactocentric distance of sim \,2.3\,kpc, we found a blob with a velocity up to 100\ and a high velocity dispersion (sim \,170\ that is spatially coincident with the direction of the radio jet. The observed O\,III /Hbeta line ratio indicates possible ionisation from AGN or shocks nearly everywhere. The clumpy structure visibile in HST images at kiloparsec scales show the lowest values of log O\,III /Hbeta ($<$\,1), which is likely not related to the photoionisation by the AGN. Taking optical and radio activity into account, we propose a scenario of two different ionised gas features over the radio AGN lifecycle of Mrk\,1498. The radio emission suggests at least two main radio activity episodes: an old episode at megaparsec scales (formed during a time span of sim \,100\,Myr), and a new episode from the core ($>$\,2000\,yr ago). At optical wavelengths, we observe clumps and a blob that are likely associated with fossil outflow. The latter is likely powered by past episodes of the flickering AGN activity that may have occurred between the two main radio phases.

Onset and tempo of ignimbrite flare-up volcanism in the eastern and central Mogollon-Datil volcanic field, southern New Mexico, USA

The Cenozoic ignimbrite flare-up (40–18 Ma) generated multiple volcanic fields in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico resulting from asthenospheric mantle upwelling after removal of the Farallon slab. The correlation of tuffs to one another and to source calderas within these volcanic fields is essential for determining spatiotemporal patterns in volcanism and magma geochemistry, which have been used to deduce migration of the Farallon slab at depth and associated mantle melting. However, the correlation of Eocene–Oligocene tuffs in the southwestern U.S. is difficult because of post-emplacement erosion and faulting. This study focuses on spatiotemporal patterns of the initial episode of ignimbrite flare-up activity (ca. 36.5–33.8 Ma) in the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field in south-central New Mexico, USA. We show that alkali feldspar major and trace element geochemistry is an effective tool for correlating tuffs when combined with high-precision, single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and bulk-rock geochemistry. Using these data, we correlate several tuff units and differentiate other tuffs that have the same eruption age but very different geochemistry, and we conclude that there was a broadly northwestward migration in volcanism over time. The new tuff correlations are used to investigate spatiotemporal variations in magma geochemistry, erupted volumes, and recurrence intervals during the initial episode of Mogollon-Datil volcanic field volcanism. Early-erupted tuffs restricted to the eastern Mogollon-Datil volcanic field share similarities with western U.S. topaz rhyolites, which suggests that the silicic magmas were generated by partial melting of mafic lower crustal rocks. We also find differences in the compositions, crystallinities, and mineral assemblages between the early- and late-erupted tuffs. The early-erupted tuffs tend to have single-feldspar mineralogies, lower feldspar Or contents, large negative Eu anomalies, and low-whole–rock Ba concentrations. Conversely, late-erupted tuffs have two feldspar plus quartz assemblages, lesser Eu anomalies, higher whole-rock Ba concentrations, and feldspars have higher Or contents. Thus, we suggest that for some of the early eruptions, after magmas underwent crystal fractionation in the crust, the silicic melt largely separated from the crystalline mush prior to eruption, whereas late-erupted tuff magmas underwent crystal fractionation at near the eutectic minimum and were remobilized and erupted with a larger proportion of their crystalline mush. Using our new ages, correlations, and previously published data, we find that the initial phase of Mogollon-Datil volcanic field volcanism produced at least 15 eruptions between 36.5 Ma and 33.8 Ma, with a minimum total erupted volume of ~1350 km3 and an average recurrence interval of 170 k.y. However, eruptions were generally smaller in volume (most <15 km3) than in other coeval fields, and most eruptions (n = 11) occurred in the first 1.2 m.y. (ca. 36.5–35.3 Ma) of activity. Altogether, our work sheds new light on variations in the composition, timing, and migration of volcanism during the initial phase of Mogollon-Datil volcanic field activity and highlights the utility of feldspar geochemistry in both “fingerprinting” tuffs and elucidating magma evolution.

The Complex Star Formation History of the Halo of NGC 5128 (Cen A)

NGC 5128 (Cen A) is the nearest giant elliptical galaxy and one of the brightest extragalactic radio sources in the sky, boasting a prominent dust lane and jets emanating from its nuclear supermassive black hole. In this paper, we construct the star formation history (SFH) of two small fields in the halo of NGC 5128: a northeastern field (Field 1) at a projected distance of ∼18.8 kpc from the center, and a southern field (Field 2) ∼9.9 kpc from the center. Our method is based on identifying long-period variable (LPV) stars that trace their sibling stellar population and hence historical star formation due to their high luminosity and strong variability; we identified 395 LPV stars in Field 1 and 671 LPV stars in Field 2. Even though the two fields are ∼28 kpc apart on opposite sides from the center, they show similar SFHs. In Field 1, the star formation rate (SFR) increased significantly around t ∼ 800 Myr and t ∼ 3.8 Gyr and in Field 2, the SFR increased considerably around t ∼ 800 Myr, t ∼ 3.8 Gyr, and t ∼ 6.3 Gyr, where t is the lookback time. The increase in SFR ∼800 Myr ago agrees with previous suggestions that the galaxy experienced a merger around that time. The SFH reconstructed from LPV stars supports a scenario in which multiple episodes of nuclear activity lead to episodic jet-induced star formation. While there is no catalog of LPV stars for the central part of NGC 5128, applying our method to the outer regions (for the first time in a galaxy outside the Local Group) has enabled us to put constraints on the complex evolution of this cornerstone galaxy.

Time spent on active learning activities does not necessarily correlate with student exam performance: a controlled case study.

Active learning, including student thinking and discussion in class, has been shown to increase student learning gains. However, it is less clear how instructor-level variation in the implementation and timing of active learning activities affects student gains. Our study aims to investigate the extent to which the time spent on individual episodes of active learning activities influences student performance. We hypothesized that instructors who let students spend more time on peer discussion and individual thinking on practice problems associated with particular learning objectives would have better student exam scores on exam questions addressing those objectives. To test this hypothesis, we obtained a large data set of classroom recordings and student exam scores from an introductory biology course at a large 4-year university, where three instructors shared identical teaching materials and exams for different course offerings. Contrary to our hypothesis, although the three instructors spent significantly different amounts of time on episodes of thinking and peer discussion, there was no correlation between the total time spent on active learning activities and student performance on exam questions. Linear mixed-effects modeling of the effect of the length of episodes of student thinking and discussion on exam score found that in the context of shared instructional materials, the amount of course time spent on active learning activities did not reliably predict student performance on associated exam questions. This result held true even when only considering learning objectives with high variations in performance between offerings, difficult exam questions, or exam questions requiring higher-order thinking skills. Although our study was only conducted in one course, our results imply that time spent per individual episode of student thinking or peer discussion may not be the primary factor explaining the positive effects of active learning and that it may be worthwhile to explore other factors.

Fluid-related manganese deposits at the incoming plate of the Southern Mariana subduction zone

Manganese is one of the most abundant transition metals in marine systems, controlling the behaviors of a variety of important elements in oceans worldwide. Deposited manganese minerals in marine systems mainly belong to poorly crystalline manganates or sometime tecto-manganates in the form of crusts and nodules origin from ambient bottom seawater, sediment porewater, or ascending hydrothermal fluids. Here, we report the discovery of two kinds of fluid-related manganese deposits on the incoming plate of the Southern Mariana subduction zone. Hausmannite that rich in copper and zinc with a strong negative Ce anomaly is identified in one sample. Notable features of this unusual manganese mineral indicate that reduced fluid derived from the nearby fluid discharge site reacted with original manganese oxides and then precipitated as hausmannite in the sub-oxic subsurface. However, another fluid derived sample located approximately 60 m away, shows normal hydrothermal mineral and elemental features. The atypical and diverse fluid-related manganese deposits more likely indicate multiple episodes of fluid activities at the subduction front. As bend-faults are proven to induce the fluid discharge at the outer-rise region of the incoming plate, manganese deposits in the present study suggest that an appreciable amount of manganese in the upper lithosphere of the incoming plate may be discharged into seawater through fluid activities before subduction. As such, the mass of manganese subducted into the subduction zone may be much lower than previously expected.

“I had to watch the commercial. That was annoying!” Audio-observing active parental mediation of advertising

ABSTRACT Active mediation is considered the gold standard mediation style for parents seeking to help their children cope with potentially harmful media content. However, little is known about what actually happens during active mediation episodes. In this study, we employ an interactive task on advertising formats to audio-observe parent – child interactions during active mediation episodes (n = 23 dyads). The study contributes to the body of knowledge by exploring the communicative repertoires that parents and children draw on during active mediation episodes. We show how parents and children, in exercising their agency, respond to one another by adopting the parent positions of educator, role model, investigator, and bridge builder, and the child positions of novice, informant, and cognoscente. Most of the time, the episodes follow a clear pattern according to which parents are in control of the mediation episode and children mainly react to their parents’ initiatives. However, in instances of reverse mediation, this default hierarchy is turned upside down. Here, children explain media logics and educate their parents about advertising. The structure of active mediation episodes mapped in this study will allow researchers to develop a deeper understanding of active mediation as a complex and heterogenous phenomenon.

On-Device Semi-Supervised Activity Detection: A New Privacy-Aware Personalized Health Monitoring Approach.

This paper presents an on-device semi-supervised human activity detection system that can learn and predict human activity patterns in real time. The clinical objective is to monitor and detect the unhealthy sedentary lifestyle of a user. The proposed semi-supervised learning (SSL) framework uses sparsely labelled user activity events acquired from Inertial Measurement Unit sensors installed as wearable devices. The proposed cluster-based learning model in this approach is trained with data from the same target user, thus preserving data privacy while providing personalized activity detection services. Two different cluster labelling strategies, namely, population-based and distance-based strategies, are employed to achieve the desired classification performance. The proposed system is shown to be highly accurate and computationally efficient for different algorithmic parameters, which is relevant in the context of limited computing resources on typical wearable devices. Extensive experimentation and simulation study have been conducted on multi-user human activity data from the public domain in order to analyze the trade-off between classification accuracy and computation complexity of the proposed learning paradigm with different algorithmic hyper-parameters. With 4.17 h of training time for 8000 activity episodes, the proposed SSL approach consumes at most 20 KB of CPU memory space, while providing a maximum accuracy of 90% and 100% classification rates.

Aging in Place: Toward Understanding Momentary Well-Being and Daily Satisfaction of Older People

Few studies have investigated how older people’s daily activities and characteristics of the surrounding urban environment affect their emotions and daily satisfaction. This study fills the research gap by using a paper-based survey and a smartphone ecological momentary assessment (EMA) application (with GPS tracking and pop-up surveys about activities) to study older people’s well-being in Hong Kong. Three hundred and two older adults completed the paper survey and forty-two of them further completed a six- to seven-day EMA survey. Based on a total of 1,530 activity episodes, generalized estimating equation models were developed to examine the relationship between older people’s socioeconomic background, activity participation, urban environment characteristics, and their feelings of happiness and calmness. Results show that older people’s daily life satisfaction is affected by the emotions they experienced throughout the day. In particular, a higher level of happiness was associated with socializing, leisure, and recreation activities taking place outside of the immediate neighborhood, and calmness was best achieved during passive relaxation and resting activities within the residential neighborhood. Furthermore, characteristics of the environment at activity locations are statistically significant in explaining momentary well-being. The findings support the planning for age-friendly cities and communities through encouraging older people to engage in activities outside their residential neighborhoods and designing activity locations with more leisure facilities, lower road density, and higher exposure to water bodies.

Fermi GBM Observations of the Galactic Magnetar SGR 1935+2154 during Its 2022 January Activity

The X-ray and radio burst-emitting soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1935+2154 has been the most active magnetar during the past decade, with at least one active episode each year since 2019. We report on the 2022 January activity as observed by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and present the temporal and time-integrated spectral properties of the observed 112 X-ray bursts. No radio bursts were reported during the activity. The mean burst duration is comparable to most of the previous activities but is shorter than that of 2020, during which the magnetar emitted radio bursts. The mean burst spectrum is softer than the earlier activities and a long-term softening trend since 2016 is evident and is accompanied by a rise in the mean burst fluence and blackbody emission radii. The power-law indices of the RBB2−kTBB correlation also show an evolution during 2019–2022, where the soft component started becoming steeper, whereas the hard component shows a less steep trend. The burst properties show no significant evolution within the activity, which lasted for ∼ 45 days, and none of the observed bursts showed properties reminiscent of those of the hard, long X-ray counterpart to the 2020 fast radio burst FRB 200428 from the source. We discuss the results comparatively with the 8 yr history of the source since its discovery in 2014.

Lacustrine environment evolution in the Mesozoic North Yellow Sea Basin, eastern China: Insight from the transition of Jurassic grey mudstones to Cretaceous red successions

During the Cretaceous, terrestrial red beds appear on a global scale. Previous reports have suggested that these red beds were intricately linked to hot paleoclimates and unique paleogeographic configurations. This study focuses on petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses conducted on samples that capture the transition from grey to red mudstone successions dating from the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous within the North Yellow Sea Basin, with a focus to investigate the evolution of lacustrine environments and paleoclimates during their deposition. The findings revealed four episodes of hydrothermal activity occurring during the deposition of the Jurassic grey to Cretaceous red mudstone successions. Some mudstone samples have identified positive Eu anomalies, but the hydrothermal signal may not be as strong due to the open lake environment. Hf vs La/Th and ∑REE vs La/Yb graphs indicate that most grey mudstones originated primarily from upper crustal felsic sources, while certain red mudstones contain mantle material, and the provenance of both has changed significantly. Noteworthy indicators like Sr/Ba, B/Ga, U/Th, Ni/Co, V/Cr and V/(V + Ni) values denote that the sedimentary environments of both grey and red mudstones were oxidized, deviating from conventional viewpoints. However, this deviation may stem from hydrothermal contamination impacting trace elements such as Ni, Co, and Sr. Assessment using indicators like Rb/Sr and Sr/Cu reflects a transition from a warm and wet Jurassic climate to a hot Early Cretaceous climate. Variations in lake levels, prompted by climate fluctuations, led to increased oxygenation on the lake bottoms, resulting in the deposition of red mudstones. These findings suggest a close correlation between the red mudstones and the hot climate, driven by the tectonic evolution of Eastern China. The transformation from grey to red mudstones during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods signifies a response to paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes in East Asia.

Decoding the inflammatory signature of the major depressive episode: insights from peripheral immunophenotyping in active and remitted condition, a case–control study

Depression is a prevalent and incapacitating condition with a significant impact on global morbidity and mortality. Although the immune system’s role in its pathogenesis is increasingly recognized, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the involvement of innate and adaptive immune cells. To address this gap, we conducted a multicenter case–control study involving 121 participants matched for sex and age. These participants had either an active (or current) major depressive episode (MDE) (39 cases) or a remitted MDE (40 cases), including individuals with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. We compared these 79 patients to 42 healthy controls (HC), analyzing their immunological profiles. In blood samples, we determined the complete cell count and the monocyte subtypes and lymphocyte T-cell populations using flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured a panel of cytokines, chemokines, and neurotrophic factors in the plasma. Compared with HC, people endorsing a current MDE showed monocytosis (p = 0.001), increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.002), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.003), and an altered proportion of specific monocyte subsets. CD4 lymphocytes presented increased median percentages of activation markers CD69+ (p = 0.007) and exhaustion markers PD1+ (p = 0.013) and LAG3+ (p = 0.014), as well as a higher frequency of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (p = 0.003). Additionally, patients showed increased plasma levels of sTREM2 (p = 0.0089). These changes are more likely state markers, indicating the presence of an ongoing inflammatory response during an active MDE. The Random Forest model achieved remarkable classification accuracies of 83.8% for MDE vs. HC and 70% for differentiating active and remitted MDE. Interestingly, the cluster analysis identified three distinct immunological profiles among MDE patients. Cluster 1 has the highest number of leukocytes, mainly given by the increment in lymphocyte count and the lowest proinflammatory cytokine levels. Cluster 3 displayed the most robust inflammatory pattern, with high levels of TNFα, CX3CL1, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-33, associated with the highest level of IL-10, as well as β-NGF and the lowest level for BDNF. This profile is also associated with the highest absolute number and percentage of circulating monocytes and the lowest absolute number and percentage of circulating lymphocytes, denoting an active inflammatory process. Cluster 2 has some cardinal signs of more acute inflammation, such as elevated levels of CCL2 and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IFNγ, and CXCL8. Similarly, the absolute number of monocytes is closer to a HC value, as well as the percentage of lymphocytes, suggesting a possible initiation of the inflammatory process. The study provides new insights into the immune system’s role in MDE, paving the ground for replication prospective studies targeting the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools and new therapeutic targets.

Тактические особенности использования одорологической биодетекции в целях повышения информативности процесса расследования преступлений в сфере незаконного оборота наркотиков

Purpose: based on the analysis of the current state of the use of such bio-detectors as search dogs in the police department, to establish the need to develop tactical solutions aimed at fixing the facts of the signaling behavior of search dogs during investigative actions (searches) on crimes in the field of drug trafficking to increase the information content of the investigation process. Methodology: the methodological basis of the work is presented by such methods as description, analysis, historical method, comparative legal analysis. Conclusion: fixing the fact of detecting odorous traces of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that remain in places where narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were stored by criminals earlier, but were moved, for subsequent use in the investigation when establishing "virtual" episodes of criminal activity. Scientific and practical significance: improvement of tactical techniques, procedural consolidation of "virtual" episodes, providing for the fixation and detailed description in the protocol of the investigative action of information about places where narcotic drugs could previously be in order to increase the information content of the investigation process of crimes in the field of drug trafficking. The fixation of these circumstances in conjunction with other sources of information will allow to objectify information about the duration and scope of criminal activity of the organized criminal group (C).

Agrin-Lrp4 pathway in hippocampal astrocytes restrains development of temporal lobe epilepsy through adenosine signaling

BackgroundHuman patients often experience an episode of serious seizure activity, such as status epilepticus (SE), prior to the onset of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), suggesting that SE can trigger the development of epilepsy. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein (Lrp4), a receptor for proteoglycan-agrin, has been indicated to modulate seizure susceptibility. However, whether agrin-Lrp4 pathway also plays a role in the development of SE-induced TLE is not clear.MethodsLrp4f/f mice were crossed with hGFAP-Cre and Nex-Cre mice to generate brain conditional Lrp4 knockout mice (hGFAP-Lrp4−/−) and pyramidal neuron specific knockout mice (Nex-Lrp4−/−). Lrp4 was specifically knocked down in hippocampal astrocytes by injecting AAV virus carrying hGFAP-Cre into the hippocampus. The effects of agrin-Lrp4 pathway on the development of SE-induced TLE were evaluated on the chronic seizure model generated by injecting kainic acid (KA) into the amygdala. The spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) in mice were video monitored.ResultsWe found that Lrp4 deletion from the brain but not from the pyramidal neurons elevated the seizure threshold and reduced SRS numbers, with no change in the stage or duration of SRS. More importantly, knockdown of Lrp4 in the hippocampal astrocytes after SE induction decreased SRS numbers. In accord, direct injection of agrin into the lateral ventricle of control mice but not mice with Lrp4 deletion in hippocampal astrocytes also increased the SRS numbers. These results indicate a promoting effect of agrin-Lrp4 signaling in hippocampal astrocytes on the development of SE-induced TLE. Last, we observed that knockdown of Lrp4 in hippocampal astrocytes increased the extracellular adenosine levels in the hippocampus 2 weeks after SE induction. Blockade of adenosine A1 receptor in the hippocampus by DPCPX after SE induction diminished the effects of Lrp4 on the development of SE-induced TLE.ConclusionThese results demonstrate a promoting role of agrin-Lrp4 signaling in hippocampal astrocytes in the development of SE-induced development of epilepsy through elevating adenosine levels. Targeting agrin-Lrp4 signaling may serve as a potential therapeutic intervention strategy to treat TLE.

Finding the Particularity of the Active Episode of SGR J1935+2154 during Which FRB 20200428 Occurred: Implication from Statistics of Fermi/GBM X-Ray Bursts

By using the Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor data of the X-ray bursts (XRBs) of SGR J1935+2154, we investigate the temporal clustering of the bursts and the cumulative distribution of the waiting time and fluence/flux. It is found that the bursts occurring in the episode hosting FRB 20200428 have obviously shorter waiting times than those in the other episodes. The general statistical properties of the XRBs further indicate they could belong to a self-organized critical system (e.g., starquakes), making them very similar to the earthquake phenomena. Then, according to a unified scaling law between the waiting time and energy of the earthquakes as well as their aftershocks, we implement an analogy analysis on the XRBs and find that the fast radio burst (FRB) episode owns more dependent burst events than the other episodes. It is indicated that the FRB emission could be produced by the interaction between different burst events, which could correspond to a collision between different seismic/Alfvén waves or different explosion outflows. Such a situation could appear when the magnetar enters into a global intensive activity period.

The carbon release triggered by 1.32 Ga sill emplacement and its potential environmental implications

Magmatic activity is one of the important pathways for the delivery of deep Earth carbon to the surface. The massive carbon release in this process can have significant impacts on atmospheric-oceanic environment. Previous studies have done a lot of work on the relationship between Phanerozoic magmatic activity and carbon release, but there is relatively limited attention has been given to investigating the association between Precambrian magmatic activity and carbon release. The Yanliao Large Igneous Province at 1.32 Ga exhibits extensive development of sills, and the reaction between sills and surrounding rocks triggers the release of carbon. Simultaneously, the magmatic activity during this period is considered as the final response to the breakup of the Columbia supercontinent, coinciding with the occurrence of the Mesoproterozoic Oxygenation Event To explore the connection between this magmatic activity and global carbon cycling, environmental changes and planetary evolution, nine representative stratigraphic columns are selected from the Yanliao area. We use the SILLi 1.0 1D model by utilizing the one-dimensional finite element method (FEM) to simulate and estimate the amount of carbon release triggered by sill emplacement. The simulation results indicate that the emplacement of sills increased the surrounding rock temperature and vitrinite reflectance, leading to a decrease in the total organic carbon (TOC) content. A large amount of organic carbon and inorganic carbon was released, which was initiated by the reaction between sills and surrounding rocks, with a total carbon release up to 1.24 × 1013 tons. The estimated CO2 equivalent released during this magma activity episode is expected to be greater than 4.58 × 1013. In Mesoproterozoic strata, the emplacement of sills activates carbon within the lithosphere could have implications for the global environment. Further work needs to be done in other ancient cratons that possess Lower Riphean strata to find additional evidence of the impact of this magmatic event on the Earth system. From this study, it is evident that magmatic activity during the Precambrian period could promote the activation of carbon in crustal sediments and influence global environment, which can a reference for people to understand the planetary evolution process.

Unraveling tuberculosis patient cluster transmission chains: integrating WGS-based network with clinical and epidemiological insights.

Tuberculosis remains a global health threat, and the World Health Organization reports a limited reduction in disease incidence rates, including both new and relapse cases. Therefore, studies targeting tuberculosis transmission chains and recurrent episodes are crucial for developing the most effective control measures. Herein, multiple tuberculosis clusters were retrospectively investigated by integrating patients' epidemiological and clinical information with median-joining networks recreated based on whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. Epidemiologically linked tuberculosis patient clusters were identified during the source case investigation for pediatric tuberculosis patients. Only M. tuberculosis isolate DNA samples with previously determined spoligotypes identical within clusters were subjected to WGS and further median-joining network recreation. Relevant clinical and epidemiological data were obtained from patient medical records. We investigated 18 clusters comprising 100 active tuberculosis patients 29 of whom were children at the time of diagnosis; nine patients experienced recurrent episodes. M. tuberculosis isolates of studied clusters belonged to Lineages 2 (sub-lineage 2.2.1) and 4 (sub-lineages 4.3.3, 4.1.2.1, 4.8, and 4.2.1), while sub-lineage 4.3.3 (LAM) was the most abundant. Isolates of six clusters were drug-resistant. Within clusters, the maximum genetic distance between closely related isolates was only 5-11 single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Recreated median-joining networks, integrated with patients' diagnoses, specimen collection dates, sputum smear microscopy, and epidemiological investigation results indicated transmission directions within clusters and long periods of latent infection. It also facilitated the identification of potential infection sources for pediatric patients and recurrent active tuberculosis episodes refuting the reactivation possibility despite the small genetic distance of ≤5 SNVs between isolates. However, unidentified active tuberculosis cases within the cluster, the variable mycobacterial mutation rate in dormant and active states, and low M. tuberculosis genetic variability inferred precise transmission chain delineation. In some cases, heterozygous SNVs with an allelic frequency of 10-73% proved valuable in identifying direct transmission events. The complex approach of integrating tuberculosis cluster WGS-data-based median-joining networks with relevant epidemiological and clinical data proved valuable in delineating epidemiologically linked patient transmission chains and deciphering causes of recurrent tuberculosis episodes within clusters.

A JVLA, LOFAR, e-Merlin, VLBA, and EVN study of RBS 797: can binary supermassive black holes explain the outburst history of the central radio galaxy?

The multifaceted central radio galaxy of the cluster RBS 797 shows several episodes of jet activity in multiple directions. We wish to understand the causes behind these dramatic misalignments and measure the timescales of the successive outbursts. We present a multifrequency (144 MHz -- 9 GHz) and multiscale (5 pc -- $50$ kpc) investigation of the central radio galaxy in RBS 797, by means of JVLA, LOFAR (with international stations), e-Merlin, VLBA, and EVN data. We investigate the morphological and spectral properties of the radio lobes, the jets, and the active core. We confirm the co-spatiality of the radio lobes with the four perpendicular X-ray cavities previously discovered. The radiative ages of the east-west lobes ($31.4 Myr) and of the north-south lobes ($32.1 Myr) support a coeval origin of the perpendicular outbursts, which also have similar active phase duration (sim 12 Myr). Based on the analysis of the inner north-south jets (on scales of $ kpc), we (a) confirm the S-shaped jet morphology; (b) show the presence of two hotspots per jet with a similar spectral index; and (c) estimate the age of the twisting north-south jets to be less than $ Myr. Based on these results, we determine that jet precession, with a period sim 9 Myr, half-opening angle sim circ $, and jet advance speed sim 0.01$c$, can explain the properties of the north-south jets. We also find that the synchrotron injection index has steepened from the large, older outbursts ($ to the younger S-shaped jets ($ possibly due to a transition from FR I-like to FR II-like activity. The e-Merlin, VLBA, and EVN data reveal a single, compact core at the heart of RBS 797, surrounded by extended radio emission whose orientation depends on the spatial scale sampled by the data. We explore several engine-based scenarios to explain these results. Piecing together the available evidence, we argue that RBS 797 likely hosts (or hosted) binary active supermassive black holes (SMBHs). The detection of a single component in the VLBA and EVN data is still consistent with this interpretation, since the predicted separation of the binary SMBHs (leq 0.6 pc) is an order of magnitude smaller than the resolution of the available radio data (5 pc).