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Barnard’s star is a red dwarf, and has the largest proper motion (apparent motion across the sky) of all known stars. At a distance of 1.8 parsecs 1 , it is the closest single star to the Sun; only the three stars in the α Centauri system are closer. Barnard’s star is also among the least magnetically active red dwarfs known 2 , 3 and has an estimated age older than the Solar System. Its properties make it a prime target for planetary searches; various techniques with different sensitivity limits have been used previously, including radial-velocity imaging 4 – 6 , astrometry 7 , 8 and direct imaging 9 , but all ultimately led to negative or null results. Here we combine numerous measurements from high-precision radial-velocity instruments, revealing the presence of a low-amplitude periodic signal with a period of 233 days. Independent photometric and spectroscopic monitoring, as well as an analysis of instrumental systematic effects, suggest that this signal is best explained as arising from a planetary companion. The candidate planet around Barnard’s star is a cold super-Earth, with a minimum mass of 3.2 times that of Earth, orbiting near its snow line (the minimum distance from the star at which volatile compounds could condense). The combination of all radial-velocity datasets spanning 20 years of measurements additionally reveals a long-term modulation that could arise from a stellar magnetic-activity cycle or from a more distant planetary object. Because of its proximity to the Sun, the candidate planet has a maximum angular separation of 220 milliarcseconds from Barnard’s star, making it an excellent target for direct imaging and astrometric observations in the future. Analysis of 20 years of observations of Barnard’s star from seven facilities reveals a signal with a period of 233 days that is indicative of a companion planet.

Scalable and transparent methods for risk assessment are increasingly required in criminal justice to inform decisions about sentencing, release, parole, and probation. However, few such approaches exist and their validation in external settings is typically lacking. A total national sample of all offenders (9072 released from prisoners and 6329 individuals on probation) from 2011–2012 in the Netherlands were followed up for violent and any reoffending over 2 years. The sample was mostly male (n = 574 [6%] were female prisoners and n = 784 [12%] were female probationers), and median ages were 30 in the prison sample and 34 in those on probation. Predictors for a scalable risk assessment tool (OxRec) were extracted from a routinely collected dataset used by criminal justice agencies, and outcomes from official criminal registers. OxRec’s predictive performance in terms of discrimination and calibration was tested. Reoffending rates in the Dutch prisoner cohort were 16% for 2-year violent reoffending and 44% for 2-year any reoffending, with lower rates in the probation sample. Discrimination as measured by the c-index was moderate, at 0.68 (95% CI: 0.66–0.70) for 2-year violent reoffending in prisoners and between 0.65 and 0.68 for other outcomes and the probation sample. The model required recalibration, after which calibration performance was adequate (e.g. calibration in the large was 1.0 for all scenarios). A recalibrated model for OxRec can be used in the Netherlands for individuals released from prison and individuals on probation to stratify their risk of future violent and any reoffending. The approach that we outline can be considered for external validations of criminal justice and clinical risk models.

More than 140 years ago Darwin proposed that leaf-trap of carnivorous plants could produce odor to increase prey attraction; however, even now, there is limited information on the role of flower and leaf-trap volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the attraction to pollinators and prey in carnivorous plants. Here, we recorded the floral visitors and prey of Pinguicula moranensis , a carnivorous plant with adhesive leaf-traps. In addition, the VOCs from flowers and leaf-traps were analyzed. Their role in the attraction of floral visitors and prey was experimentally tested using the skipper butterfly Thorybes dorantes and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as models, respectively. In the field, flowers of P. moranensis were only visited by butterflies and most of the prey were dipterans. Six VOCs, predominantly benzenoids, were identified from floral scent samples. Twelve VOCs were identified from leaf-trap scent samples, mainly monoterpenoids and benzenoids. In experimental conditions, D. melanogaster significantly preferred the scent given off by the leaf-trap over the clean air, whereas the main floral visitor, T. dorantes significantly preferred the floral scent source over the clean air. However, D. melanogaster did not show preferences for the leaf-trap scent compared to the flower scent. These results showed that leaf-traps and flowers of P. moranensis emitted a specific composition and relative abundance of VOCs. In addition, we experimentally showed that floral VOCs attracted the main floral visitor species and leaf-traps attracted D. melanogaster , as a potential prey. The VOCs play a relevant role in attracting pollinators and prey in carnivorous plants.

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Fasting blood glucose, fasting lipoprotein profiles, and blood pressure measurements are recommended at regular intervals to screen for classical CVD risk factors of diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia (HLD), and hypertension (HTN), respectively.ObjectivesOur objectives were 1) to perform a contemporary assessment of the trends of CVD preventive service utilization in patients with RA compared to matched non-RA comparators, 2) identify RA patient characteristics that may influence trends in preventive services utilization, and 3) assess how a diagnosis of RA alone influences approaches to CVD prevention compared to the other classical CVD risk factors.MethodsInpatient and outpatient medical records for each potential case were manually reviewed. All incident patients fulfilled the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for RA or the 2010 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/ American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. All ≥19-year-old patients with an RA diagnosis living in an 8-county region on January 1, 2015 (index date), were included and matched (1:1) by sex, age, and county to non-RA comparators. Rates of screening for the classical CVD risk factors were compared between groups using Cox models with adjustment for age, sex, and race.ResultsDM screening was more common among patients with RA ([HR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.19), as was HTN screening ([HR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.24–1.52). However, HLD screening in RA was similar to comparators ([HR] 0.99, 95%CI 0.89–1.10). RA patient characteristics that influenced classical CVD risk factor screening included: smoking history, obesity, RA duration of < 5 years, older age at the time of RA diagnosis, a higher Charlson comorbidity index, the use of >90 days of glucocorticoid therapy before the index date, the use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs before the index date, and living in the lowest quartile of the Area Deprivation Index within our cohort. Lastly, patients with RA and no classical CVD risk factors had a lower probability of undergoing DM ([HR] 0.67, 95% CI 0.57–0.78) and HLD screening ([HR] 0.65, 95% CI 0.54–0.79) than non-RA patients with one classical CVD risk factor diagnosis. HTN screening was similar between both groups ([HR] 1.01, 95% CI 0.83–1.23).ConclusionRA patients undergo CVD preventive screening at rates at least comparable to the general population. However, despite the equivalent-to-higher CVD risk, RA does not appear to be approached as aggressively as traditional CVD risk factors. (1,2) These findings demonstrate an opportunity to improve RA patient care. While EULAR provides guidance for stratifying CVD risk in patients with inflammatory joint disease, there is no equivalent guidance from American medical bodies. (3) Given our findings, clinical practice in the United States could benefit from establishing such recommendations. These recommendations should be forceful in framing RA as conferring an equivalent-to-higher CVD risk as the classical CVD risk factors.Table 1.Cumulative Incidence of Screenings5-year Cumulative Incidence, (95% CI)All RA PatientsAll Non-RA PatientsHRDM Screening94.0% (92.6 – 95.3)93.8% (92.4 – 95.2)1.10 (1.01 – 1.19)HTN Screening99.1% (98.5 – 99.8)96.3% (95.0 – 97.6)1.37 (1.24 – 1.52)HLD Screening74.3% (71.5 – 77.1)75.2% (72.5 – 78.1)0.99 (0.89 – 1.10)RA w/o CVD Risk FactorsNon-RA w/ only 1 CVD Risk FactorHRDM Screening RA w/o CVD Risk Factors = 477 Non-RA, Only 1 CVD Risk Factor (HTN or HLD) = 38291.9% (88.8 – 95.1)98.9% (98.0 – 99.9)0.67 (0.57–0.78)HTN Screening RA w/o CVD Risk Factors = 579 Non-RA, Only 1 CVD Risk Factor (HLD or DM) = 16099.6% (99.2 – 100)99.0% (97.0 – 100)1.01 (0.83–1.23)HLD Screening RA w/o CVD Risk Factors = 579 Non-RA, Only 1 CVD Risk Factor (HTN or DM) = 24871.3% (67.1 – 75.8)84.9% (78.7 – 91.6)0.65 (0.54–0.79)CI: confidence interval; HR: hazard ratioReferences[1]Liao KP., Rheumatology (Oxford). 2013[2]Solomon DH., Ann Rheum Dis. 2006[3]Agca R., Ann Rheum Dis. 2017Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsDaniel Montes: None declared, Cassondra A Hulshizer: None declared, Elena Myasoedova: None declared, John M Davis III Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Andrew Hanson: None declared, Ali Duarte-Garcia: None declared, Gabriel Figueroa-Parra: None declared, Baptiste Chevet: None declared, Cynthia S. Crowson: None declared.

High natriuretic peptide levels are associated with a poor outcome in adults with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the incremented prediction accuracy of multivariable prognostic models after adding B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and/or N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) remains unclear. We carried out a systematic review narrative analysis of added-value studies of BNP and NT-proBNP in CHF prognostication. Primary clinical studies investigating prognostic model development or validation in adult participants with CHF were included. Any studies of individual factors' association with patient outcomes, treatment efficacy, or those using patients with transplant/ventricular assist devices, ≥ 10% of patients with advanced HF, or significant comorbidities, HF secondary to congenital/reversible conditions, or ≥ 33% of patients with valvular HF were excluded. The databases MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index, and Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group Database were searched from January 1990 to February 2024. Predictive performance was measured in terms of discrimination and calibration, the added value in terms of the c-statistic difference before and after adding BNP and/or NT-proBNP to a base model, and the risk reclassification, namely, net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Risk of bias assessment used the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). Fourteen added-value studies comprising a total of 50,949 individuals were included. Both BNP and NT-proBNP consistently improved mortality prediction performance, but studies only presented separately before and after c-statistics, without formally testing for statistically significant differences. Meta-analysis was impossible due to missing data on the change in predictive performance and data heterogeneity. All studies reported discrimination. Few reported calibration, NRI, and IDI. All studies except one were deemed to be at high risk of bias, whereas 50% showed high applicability to the review question, with only 14% scoring high for applicability concern, and the rest were unclear. Improving consistency in researching and reporting the added value of natriuretic peptide testing to predict mortality in chronic heart failure patients could facilitate summarizing and interpreting the results more meaningfully. This review is a refinement of the methods and a search update of the review of added-value biomarkers in HF prognosis (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019086993).

Incauca sugar mill and the Colombian Sugar Cane Research Center (Cenicaña) determined the effect of imbibition temperature in milling extraction, analyzing Brix, sucrose, colorants, and microbial metabolites associated with the production of acids in the Farrell tandem mill. The experiments consisted of laboratory-scale tests and factory trials. In the laboratory tests, six bagasse samples from the fifth mill were macerated with 40–90 °C condensates, heated with an electrical resistance, and automatically regulated with a controller. Using a hydraulic press, juice from the bagasse samples was extracted at a controlled pressure for a fixed time, then organics acids and sucrose contents (using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) and colorants content were analyzed. Additionally, bagasse composition was determined before maceration to obtain an extraction analysis. Given the obtained laboratory results, a direct and indirect heating system was implemented for the imbibition condensates and maceration juice tanks, respectively. Samples were analyzed with and without use of the heating system, with different juice flux being used across the mill (first and final extraction and diluted). Extraction performance results in terms of Brix and sucrose were greater as the imbibition temperature increased, with maximum values between 60 and 70 °C. Additionally, the generation of microbial metabolites (lactic acid and volatile acidity) decreased after imbibition at the laboratory and industrial scales.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the use of chlorine or ozone as sanitizing agents in the water of chicken immersion chilling, using the residual levels usually applied in Brazil (1.5 ppm), comparing the effects of these treatments on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics of carcasses. Chicken carcasses were chilled in water (4°C) with similar residual levels of ozone and chlorine until reaching temperatures below 7°C (around 45 min). The stability of carcasses was assessed during 15 days of storage at 2 ± 1°C. Microbiological, surface color (L*, a*, b* parameters), pH value, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances index), and sensory evaluation (on a 9-point hedonic scale for odor and appearance) analyses were carried out. The presence of Salmonella was not detected, coagulase-positive staphylococci counts were below 10(2) CFU/ml of rinse fluid, and Escherichia coli and total coliform counts were below 10(5) CFU/ml of rinse fluid until the end of the storage period for both treatments. Psychrotrophic microorganism counts did not differ (P > 0.05) between chlorine and ozone treatments, and both values were near 10(9) CFU/ml of rinse fluid after 15 days at 4 ± 1°C. pH values did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05) or during the storage period (P > 0.05). In addition, neither chlorine nor ozone treatment showed differences (P > 0.05) in the lipid oxidation of carcasses; however, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances index of both treatments increased (P ≤ 0.05) during the storage period, reaching values of approximately 0.68 mg of malonaldehyde per kg. Samples from both treatments did not differ (P > 0.05) in their acceptance scores for odor and overall appearance, but in the evaluation of color, ozone showed an acceptance score significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than that for the chlorine treatment. In general, under the conditions tested, ozone showed results similar to the results for chlorine in the disinfection of chicken carcasses in the immersion chilling, which may indicate its use as a substitute for chlorine in poultry slaughterhouses.

PurposeAssess the utility of a hands-on workshop on abdominal wall reconstruction for teaching the posterior components separation (PCS) with transversus abdominis release.MethodsOur department has been organizing a training course on abdominal wall reconstruction for the last 6 years. It is a 2-day-long course and 10–12 surgeons with experience in abdominal wall surgery attend to every course. The first day is dedicated to theoretical lectures and two simultaneous live surgeries, and the second day there is a cadaver dissection. Feedback from the trainees was collected at the end of the workshop. A survey was sent to all the surgeons who had completed the course at least a year ago, to inquire how the course had improved their surgical practice.ResultsFrom 2013 to April 2017, we have made 15 editions of the course. A total of 192 surgeons from Europe, South Africa and Middle East attended. All the surgeons answered the survey that was carried out at the end of the course. It showed a very high level of satisfaction in more than 98% of the cases. The second survey was answered by 79 surgeons (41.15%). 96% of the surgeons had modified, after attending the course, their way of dealing with complex abdominal wall problems. Only 29% of the surgeons had made a TAR before attending the course, while 86% are performing it after attending the course and 60% do it on a regular basis. In fact, 43% of surgeons have performed more than five posterior component separations in the last year.ConclusionsA workshop of abdominal wall surgery that combines live surgery, theoretical content and a cadaver lab can be a very useful tool to expand the use of new surgical techniques.

The pineapple belongs to the family Bromeliaceae and is a slow-growing succulent monocot with a reduced superficial root system. For this reason, the interference of weeds in competition with this crop can cause significant losses to the production. One of the bases to elaborate a control strategy is the knowledge of the diversity of weeds that occur in the cultivated areas. The objective of this study was to identify the weed community during pineapple growth in a semi-arid climate region of Brazil. Weeds were collected 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 days after planting (DAP) the pineapple. These collections were made in three different plots every two months until floral induction, composed of three pineapple cultivars. The weed community found in the irrigated pineapple field, in semi-arid climate conditions, was mostly composed by species belonging to the families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Poaceae. The highest diversity of weed species was found at 60 DAP. The species Ipomoea acuminata was present throughout the development of the pineapple and showed the highest importance value index in most of the periods evaluated during the pineapple growth.

This study assessed the agronomic performance and estimate the adaptability and stability of biomass sorghum genotypes in different regions of Brazil. Twenty-five sorghum genotypes were evaluated in experiments conducted in Goiânia (Goiás State-GO), Sobral (Ceará state-CE), Jaguariúna (São Paulo State-SP), Nova Porteirinha (Minas Gerais State-MG), Planaltina (GO), Sete Lagoas (MG), Narandiba (SP), Vilhena Rondônia State (RO) and Terra Rica (Paraná State-PR), in the 2021/2022 growing season. A randomized block design was used, with three repetitions. Pooled analysis of variance was conducted for the traits plant height, flowering, dry and fresh matter yield, and dry matter content. The adjusted means were grouped by the Scott-Knott test (P < 0.05). Adaptability and stability were evaluated using Annicchiarico’s method. Biomass sorghum genotypes have a longer cycle, greater height and higher yields than their forage sorghum counterparts. The experimental hybrids 202129B014 and 202129B016 and commercial hybrid BRS 716 exhibited high dry and fresh matter yields, general adaptability and high stability for all the environments studied. RESUMO: O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho agronômico e estimar a adaptabilidade e estabilidade de genótipos de sorgo biomassa em diferentes regiões brasileiras. Foram avaliados 25 genótipos de sorgo, conduzidos em Goiânia/GO, Sobral/CE, Jaguariúna/SP, Nova Porteirinha/MG, Planaltina/GO, Sete Lagoas/MG, Narandiba/SP, Vilhena/RO e Terra Rica/PR, na Safra 2021/2022. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Foram realizadas as análises de variância conjuntas para as características altura de plantas, florescimento, produtividade de matéria verde e matéria seca, e teor de matéria seca. Com os valores de médias ajustadas, foram obtidos os agrupamentos de médias pelo teste de Scott-Knott (P < 0.05). O método utilizado para avaliar a adaptabilidade e estabilidade foi o de Annicchiarico. Os genótipos de sorgo biomassa apresentam maior ciclo, bem como altura e produtividade de biomassa que os genótipos de sorgo forrageiro. Os híbridos experimentais 202129B014 e 202129B016, bem como o híbrido comercial BRS 716, apresentam alta produtividade de matéria verde e seca, adaptabilidade geral e alta estabilidade para todos os ambientes estudados.