“The Neuroscience of Responsibility”—Workshop Report

This is a report on the 3-day workshop “The Neuroscience of Responsibility” that was held in the Philosophy Department at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands during February 11th–13th, 2010. The workshop had 25 participants from The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Canada and Australia, with expertise in philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry and law. Its aim was to identify current trends in neurolaw research related specifically to the topic of responsibility, and to foster international collaborative research on this topic. The workshop agenda was constructed by the participants at the start of each day by surveying the topics of greatest interest and relevance to participants. In what follows, we summarize (1) the questions which participants identified as most important for future research in this field, (2) the most prominent themes that emerged from the discussions, and (3) the two main international collaborative research project plans that came out of this meeting

Patterns and mechanisms of early Pliocene warmth

About five to four million years ago, in the early Pliocene epoch, Earth had a warm, temperate climate. The gradual cooling that followed led to the establishment of modern temperature patterns, possibly in response to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 concentration, of the order of 100 parts per million, towards preindustrial values. Here we synthesize the available geochemical proxy records of sea surface temperature and show that, compared with that of today, the early Pliocene climate had substantially lower meridional and zonal temperature gradients but similar maximum ocean temperatures. Using an Earth system model, we show that none of the mechanisms currently proposed to explain Pliocene warmth can simultaneously reproduce all three crucial features. We suggest that a combination of several dynamical feedbacks underestimated in the models at present, such as those related to ocean mixing and cloud albedo, may have been responsible for these climate conditions

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

In December 2016, a panel of experts in microbiology, nutrition and clinical research was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics to review the definition and scope of prebiotics. Consistent with the original embodiment of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotic: a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This definition expands the concept of prebiotics to possibly include non-carbohydrate substances, applications to body sites other than the gastrointestinal tract, and diverse categories other than food. The requirement for selective microbiota-mediated mechanisms was retained. Beneficial health effects must be documented for a substance to be considered a prebiotic. The consensus definition applies also to prebiotics for use by animals, in which microbiota-focused strategies to maintain health and prevent disease is as relevant as for humans. Ultimately, the goal of this Consensus Statement is to engender appropriate use of the term ‘prebiotic’ by relevant stakeholders so that consistency and clarity can be achieved in research reports, product marketing and regulatory oversight of the category. To this end, we have reviewed several aspects of prebiotic science including its development, health benefits and legislation

No iron fertilization in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the last ice age

The equatorial Pacific Ocean is one of the major high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll regions in the global ocean. In such regions, the consumption of the available macro-nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate is thought to be limited in part by the low abundance of the critical micro-nutrient iron1. Greater atmospheric dust deposition2 could have fertilized the equatorial Pacific with iron during the last ice age—the Last Glacial Period (LGP) but the effect of increased ice-age dust fluxes on primary productivity in the equatorial Pacific remains uncertain. Here we present meridional transects of dust (derived from the 232Th proxy), phytoplankton productivity (using opal, 231Pa/230Th and excess Ba), and the degree of nitrate consumption (using foraminifera-bound δ15N) from six cores in the central equatorial Pacific for the Holocene (0–10,000 years ago) and the LGP (17,000–27,000 years ago). We find that, although dust deposition in the central equatorial Pacific was two to three times greater in the LGP than in the Holocene, productivity was the same or lower, and the degree of nitrate consumption was the same. These biogeochemical findings suggest that the relatively greater ice-age dust fluxes were not large enough to provide substantial iron fertilization to the central equatorial Pacific. This may have been because the absolute rate of dust deposition in the LGP (although greater than the Holocene rate) was very low. The lower productivity coupled with unchanged nitrate consumption suggests that the subsurface major nutrient concentrations were lower in the central equatorial Pacific during the LGP. As these nutrients are today dominantly sourced from the Subantarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean, we propose that the central equatorial Pacific data are consistent with more nutrient consumption in the Subantarctic Zone, possibly owing to iron fertilization as a result of higher absolute dust fluxes in this region7,8. Thus, ice-age iron fertilization in the Subantarctic Zone would have ultimately worked to lower, not raise, equatorial Pacific productivity

COP-AF

Background Higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers are associated with an increased risk of perioperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS). Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that may prevent these complications. Methods We performed an international, randomised trial at 45 sites in 11 countries. Patients aged ≥55 years and undergoing major noncardiac thoracic surgery were randomised to receive oral colchicine 0·5mg twice daily or matching placebo, starting within four hours before surgery and continuing for ten days. Healthcare providers, patients, data collectors, and adjudicators were blinded to treatment assignment. The co-primary outcomes were clinically important perioperative AF and MINS during 14 days of follow-up. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03310125). Findings We enrolled 3209 patients between February 14, 2018, and June 27, 2023. Clinically important AF developed in 103 of 1608 (6·4%) patients assigned to colchicine, and 120 of 1601 (7·5%) patients assigned to placebo, hazard ratio (HR) 0·85 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0·65-1·10), absolute risk reduction (ARR) 1·1%, 95% CI -0·7-2·8, p=0.22. MINS occurred in 295 (18·3%) patients assigned to colchicine, and 325 (20·3%) patients assigned to placebo, HR 0·89 (95% CI 0·76-1·05), ARR 2·0%, 95% CI -0·8-4·7, p=0.16. Non-infectious diarrhoea was more common in the colchicine group, 134 (8·3%) versus 38 (2·4%) events, HR 3·64 (95% CI 2·54-5·22), but did not prolong median length of hospital stay and led to only one readmission.. Interpretation In patients undergoing major noncardiac thoracic surgery, administration of colchicine did not significantly reduce the incidence of the co-primary outcomes clinically important AF or MINS. While colchicine increased the risk of mostly benign non-infectious diarrhoea, there was an encouraging trend of fewer cardiovascular events with colchicine that requires further research.Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Accelerating Clinical Trials Consortium, and others

MAGIC and Fermi-LAT gamma-ray results on unassociated HAWC sources

The HAWC Collaboration released the 2HWC catalogue of TeV sources, in which 19 show no association with any known high-energy (HE; E greater than or similar to 10 GeV) or very-high-energy (VHE; E greater than or similar to 300 GeV) sources. This catalogue motivated follow-up studies by both the Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) and Fermi-LAT (Large Area Telescope) observatories with the aim of investigating gamma-ray emission over a broad energy band. In this paper, we report the results from the first joint work between High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC), MAGIC, and Fermi-LAT on three unassociated HAWC sources: 2HWC J2006+341, 2HWC J1907+084*, and 2HWC J1852+013*. Although no significant detection was found in the HE and VHE regimes, this investigation shows that a minimum 1 degrees extension (at 95 per cent confidence level) and harder spectrum in the GeV than the one extrapolated from HAWC results are required in the case of 2HWC J1852+013*, whilst a simply minimum extension of 0.16 degrees (at 95 per cent confidence level) can already explain the scenario proposed by HAWC for the remaining sources. Moreover, the hypothesis that these sources are pulsar wind nebulae is also investigated in detail

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Una asociación florística de helechos-bennettitales en acumulaciones travertínicas del Titónico-Berriasiense (Formación Aguilar, Burgos-Palencia, España) y sus implicaciones paleoclimáticas y vegetacionales

[EN] This report describes a macrofloral fossil assemblage discovered in travertine deposits of the Tithonian-Berriasian Aguilar Formation (provinces of Palencia and Burgos, N Spain). The assemblage includes megaremains of a single species of Filicales (Cladophlebis denticulata) and of eleven taxa tentatively identified as Bennettitales (Otozamites mundae, Otozamites sp., Ptilophyllum pecten, Ptilophyllum pectiniformis, Ptilophyllum sp. cf. pectiniformis, Ptilophyllum acutifolium, Ptilophyllum sp., Pterophyllum cycadites, Pterophyllum sp. cf. thomasii, Zamites pumilio, and cf. Pseudocycas sp.). Specimens were preserved as impressions coated with a microbial film up to 5 mm thick made up of: bacteria and cyanobacteria. Based on the available sedimentological and palaeobotanical data, a dry-savannah vegetation and an arid climate were deduced. Late Jurassic macrofloras are globally scarce and have not previously been reported in Spain. Hence, the Aguilar Formation macroflora provides valuable information on the coeval phytogeography and palaeoclimate of southwestern Europe. Furthermore, the lack of floras observed so far in palaeotravertine deposits older than Pliocene in age makes this macroflora exceptional.[ES] Se describe por vez primera vez una macroflora fósil acumulada en facies travertínicas de edad Titónico-Berriasiense, correspondientes a la Formación Aguilar (provincias de Burgos y Palencia). Esta macroflora incluye una especie de Filicales (Cladophlebis denticulata) y once taxa atribuibles al Orden Bennettitales (Otozamites mundae, Otozamites sp., Ptilophyllum pecten, Ptilophyllum pectiniformis, Ptilophyllum sp. cf. pectiniformis, Ptilophyllum acutifolium, Ptilophyllum spp., Pterophyllum cycadites, Pterophyllum sp. cf. thomasi, Zamites pumilio, and cf. Pseudocycas sp.). Los ejemplares corresponden a impresiones de restos de hojas cubiertos por un velo microbiano bien preservado, de cerca de 5 mm, formado por bacterias y cianobacterias. La composición de la flora y los datos sedimentológicos permiten inferir una vegetación de sabana que se desarrollo bajo un clima árido. Las macrofloras del Jurásico Superior son escasas a escala mundial, no habiendo sido descrita ninguna en España. Por todo ello, la macroflora de la Formación Aguilar aporta una relevante información que puede contribuir a una mejor comprensión fitogeográfica y paleoclimática del suroeste de Europa en dicha edad. Además, la ausencia, a nivel global, de floras acumuladas en travertinos anteriores al Plioceno, permite considerar esta macroflora como excepcional..V. Pujalte acknowledges the support of grant CGL2005- 02770/BTE awarded by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia for the fieldwork needed for this study.Peer reviewe