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The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is one of the most areas of the world in human terms. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the subregions and countries in the IOR, drawing heavily on a new country risk assessment model developed by Abdullah Toukan, a senior associate with the Burke Chair at CSIS.

Last year, three Earth-sized planets were discovered to be orbiting the nearby Jupiter-sized star TRAPPIST-1; now, follow-up photometric observations from the ground and from space show that there are at least seven Earth-sized planets in this star system, and that they might be the right temperature to harbour liquid water on their surfaces. Seven Earth-like planets around a nearby dwarf star Michaël Gillon et al . report the results of a photometric monitoring campaign of the star TRAPPIST-1 from the ground and space. They reveal that at least seven planets with sizes and masses similar to Earth revolve around this Jupiter-sized star. These planets all have equilibrium temperatures low enough to make it possible for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. One aim of modern astronomy is to detect temperate, Earth-like exoplanets that are well suited for atmospheric characterization. Recently, three Earth-sized planets were detected that transit (that is, pass in front of) a star with a mass just eight per cent that of the Sun, located 12 parsecs away 1 . The transiting configuration of these planets, combined with the Jupiter-like size of their host star—named TRAPPIST-1—makes possible in-depth studies of their atmospheric properties with present-day and future astronomical facilities 1 , 2 , 3 . Here we report the results of a photometric monitoring campaign of that star from the ground and space. Our observations reveal that at least seven planets with sizes and masses similar to those of Earth revolve around TRAPPIST-1. The six inner planets form a near-resonant chain, such that their orbital periods (1.51, 2.42, 4.04, 6.06, 9.1 and 12.35 days) are near-ratios of small integers. This architecture suggests that the planets formed farther from the star and migrated inwards 4 , 5 . Moreover, the seven planets have equilibrium temperatures low enough to make possible the presence of liquid water on their surfaces 6 , 7 , 8 .

Background Synapse loss is an early event that precedes neuronal death and symptom onset and is considered the best neuropathological correlate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP-2) has emerged as a promising biomarker of AD-related synapse degeneration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The aim of this study was to explore the CSF profile of VAMP-2 across the AD continuum in relation to core AD biomarkers, other synaptic proteins, neurogranin (Ng) and synaptosomal-associated Protein-25 kDa (SNAP-25) and cognitive performance. Methods We developed a digital immunoassay on the Single Molecule Array platform to quantify VAMP-2 in CSF and used existing immunoassays to quantify Ng, SNAP-25 and core CSF AD biomarkers. The clinical study included 62 cognitively unimpaired AD biomarker-negative subjects and 152 participants across the AD continuum from the SPIN cohort (Sant Pau Initiative on Neurodegeneration). Cognitive measures of episodic, semantic, executive and visuospatial domains and global cognition were included. Statistical methods included χ 2 tests, spearman correlation, and ANCOVA analyses. Results The VAMP-2 assay had a good analytical performance (repeatability 8.9%, intermediate precision 10.3%). Assay antibodies detected native VAMP-2 protein in human brain homogenates. CSF concentrations of VAMP-2, neurogranin and SNAP-25 were lower in preclinical AD stage 1 compared to controls and higher at later AD stages compared to AD stage 1 and were associated with core AD biomarkers, particularly total tau (adj. r 2  = 0.62 to 0.78, p  < 0.001). All three synaptic proteins were associated with all cognitive domains in individuals on the AD continuum (adj. r 2  = 0.04 to 0.19, p  < 0.05). Conclusions Our novel digital immunoassay accurately measures VAMP-2 changes in CSF, which reflect AD biomarkers and cognitive performance across multiple domains.

Cell‐free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for response evaluation in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The current study evaluated the modified fast aneuploidy screening test‐sequencing system (mFast‐SeqS), a quick, tumor‐agnostic and affordable ctDNA assay that requires a small input of DNA, to generate a genome‐wide aneuploidy (GWA) score in mCRPC patients, and correlated this to matched metastatic tumor biopsies. In this prospective multicenter study, GWA scores were evaluated from blood samples of 196 mCRPC patients prior to treatment (baseline) with taxanes (docetaxel and cabazitaxel) and androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI; abiraterone and enzalutamide), and from 74 mCRPC patients at an early timepoint during treatment (early timepoint; median 21 days). Z‐scores per chromosome arm were tested for their association with tumor tissue genomic alterations. We found that a high tumor load in blood (GWAhigh) at baseline was associated with poor response to ARSI [HR: 2.63 (95% CI: 1.86–3.72) P < 0.001] but not to taxanes. Interestingly, GWAhigh score at the early timepoint was associated with poor response to both ARSIs [HR: 6.73 (95% CI: 2.60–17.42) P < 0.001] and taxanes [2.79 (95% CI: 1.34–5.78) P = 0.006]. A significant interaction in Cox proportional hazards analyses was seen when combining GWA status and type of treatment (at baseline P = 0.008; early timepoint P = 0.018). In summary, detection of ctDNA in blood by mFast‐SeqS is cheap, fast and feasible, and could be used at different timepoints as a potential predictor for outcome to ARSI and taxane treatment in mCRPC. mFast‐SeqS‐based genome‐wide aneuploidy scores are concordant with aneuploidy scores obtained by whole genome sequencing from tumor tissue and can predict response to ARSI treatment at baseline and, at an early time point, to ARSI and taxanes. This assay can be easily performed at low cost and requires little input of cfDNA.

Aims To systematically review the literature regarding the association between glucose variability (GV) and mood in adults with diabetes, appraise the used methods and make suggestions for future research. Methods A systematic review of literature published up to May 2019 was performed. s and full texts were screened independently in duplicate. Experimental and observational studies reporting the association between GV and mood in adults with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes were evaluated. A descriptive analysis of the extracted data was conducted, along with a quality assessment. Results Out of the 2.316 studies screened, eight studies met our criteria. Studies used a variety of measures and metrics to determine GV and mood. Four studies used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). An association between GV and mood was found in four studies when correlating either postprandial glucose rate of increase with current mood or multiday GV with mood measured retrospectively. The other four studies did not find any association. Conclusions There is no clear empirical support for a link between GV and mood in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. More rigorous research is warranted using CGM and ecological momentary assessment of mood to assess if and under what conditions an association between GV and mood exists. The literature regarding the association between glucose variability (GV) and mood in adults with diabetes is systematically reviewed. Methods used are summarized and evaluated, and suggestions for future research and clinical implications are made.

The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan plunged the country into a state of crisis. As the nation struggled to recover from a record breaking magnitude 9 earthquake and a tsunami that was as high as thirty-eight meters in some places, news trickled out that Fukushima had experienced meltdowns in three reactors. These tragic catastrophes claimed some 20,000 lives, initially displacing some 500,000 people and overwhelming Japan's formidable disaster preparedness. This book brings together the analysis and insights of a group of distinguished experts on Japan to examine what happened, how various institutions and actors responded and what lessons can be drawn from Japan’s disaster. The contributors, many of whom experienced the disaster first hand, assess the wide-ranging repercussions of this catastrophe and how it is already reshaping Japanese culture, politics, energy policy, and urban planning. 'The triple disasters of 11 March 2011 will change the face of Japan and this is the best place to understand how. This timely and excellent publication is packed with important insights into the consequences of these disasters and challenges mainstream media views and misperceptions concerning PM Kan’s disaster management.' - Sven Saaler, Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan \" One of the most impressive and memorable features of the book edited by Kingston is its tone of immediacy: the various contributors draw on many years of scholarly insight and experience to describe events and scenarios in a style of narrative that aspires beyond common journalistic analysis.\" – Keith Jackson, SOAS, University of London Jeff Kingston is Professor of History and Director of Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan. He is the author of Japan's Quiet Transformation (2004) and Contemporary Japan (2011). Introduction, Jeff Kingston Part I. Disaster: Reports from Tohoku 1. Tohoku Diary: Reportage on the Tohoku Disaster, Gerald Curtis 2. Recovery in Tohoku, John F. Morris Part II. Volunteerism, Civil Society and Media 3. From Kobe to Tohoku: The Potential and the Peril of a Volunteer Infrastructure, Simon Avenell 4. Civil Society and the Triple Disasters: Revealed Strengths and Weaknesses, Yuko Kawato, Robert Pekkanen and Yutaka Tsujinaka 5. Social Media in Disaster Japan, David H. Slater, Nishimura Keiko and Love Kindstrand 6. March 11, 2011 Online: Comparing Japanese Newspaper Websites and International News Websites, Leslie M. Tkach-Kawasaki Part III. Energy 7. Networks of Power: Institutions and Local Residents in Post-Tohoku Japan, Daniel P. Aldrich 8. Hard Choices: Japan's Post-Fukushima Energy Policy in the 21st Century, Paul J. Scalise 9. Fukushima and the Political Economy of Power Policy in Japan, Andrew Dewitt, Iida Tetsunari and Masuru Kaneko Part IV. History and Politics 10. Dealing With Disaster, Peter Duus 11. The Politics of Natural Disaster, Nuclear Crisis and Recovery, Jeff Kingston 12. Friends in Need: 'Operation Tomodachi' and the Politics of US Military Disaster Relief in Japan, Chris Ames and Yuiko Koguchi-Ames Part V. Recovery and Reconstruction 13. The Economic Fallout: Japan's Post-3/11 Challenges, Kenneth Neil Cukier 14. Ageing Society, Health Issues and Disaster: Assessing 3/11, Junko Otani 15. Thousand-Year Event: Towards Reconstructing Communities, Riccardo Tossani 16. Can Post-3/11 Japan overcome 20 years of drift? Kazuhiko Togo