Initiatives (Denmark)

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration recently published the first images of the supermassive black holes in the cores of the Messier 87 and Milky Way galaxies. These observations have provided a new means to study supermassive black holes and probe physical processes occurring in the strong-field regime. We review the prospects of future observations and theoretical studies of supermassive black hole systems. Current ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) arrays like the EHT and proposed future extensions like the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope will greatly enhance the capabilities of black-hole imaging interferometry. These enhancements will open up several previously inaccessible avenues of investigation, thereby providing important new insights into the properties of supermassive black holes and their environments. This review describes the current state of knowledge for five key science cases, summarising the unique challenges and opportunities for fundamental physics investigations that future mm/sub-mm VLBI developments will enable.

Abstract Syphilis has re-emerged as a significant public health concern in the United States, with reported cases rising steadily since 2018 and reaching levels not observed since the pre-antibiotic era. Despite growing awareness among healthcare providers and public health agencies, comprehensive epidemiological analyses of the populations most affected remain limited. This retrospective descriptive study analyzed national syphilis surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 2018 and 2022. Trends in syphilis incidence were evaluated across key demographic and behavioral variables, including race and ethnicity, geographic region, sex of sexual partner, and substance use behaviors. Findings reveal persistent and widening disparities, with disproportionate increases in syphilis rates among racial and ethnic minority populations, individuals reporting substance use, and across diverse geographic regions. These results underscore the urgent need for targeted, equity-focused public health interventions and evidence-based policy responses to mitigate the ongoing syphilis epidemic in the United States.

Background:Because tertiary centres are generally situated at urban sites, it is unclear whether patients in rural areas have the same access to surgical services that patients in urban areas do. We sought to map the North American evidence landscape of how rurality affects access to medically indicated surgeries and identify system-, patient-, and provider-level barriers that preclude urban-comparable care.Methods:We carried out a systematic search adhering to PRISMA for Scoping Reviews methodology across PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, encompassing literature from the last 26 years (January 2023). Search terms included “rural population,” “health care access,” “surgical procedures,” and “health disparities.” We synthesized our findings using a narrative approach.Results:Of 13 897 identified studies, we included 71 publications, spanning a wide spectrum of surgical disciplines. Of these, 83% reported diminished and 17% reported accelerated access to surgery, and 30% reported an interaction between rurality with other social determinants of health, particularly age, sex and gender, and race and ethnicity. Of the studies that reported diminished access, top cited reasons included primary and specialist provider density, differences in patients’ socioeconomic profiles, and provision of comparable counselling during surgical decisionmaking. Strikingly, a key driver of enhanced surgical access was an absence of specialized medical interventions leading to an overreliance on surgical alternatives.Conclusion:Whether surgical access was diminished or accelerated, the net impact of rurality was a deviation from guideline-concordant care. A key implication of these findings is that reliance on surgical wait times alone can skew perception of surgical access, advocating for adoption of integrated quality-of-care metrics that better reflect access to comprehensive medical and surgical treatment programs.Contexte:Étant donné que les centres de soins tertiaires se trouvent généralement en milieu urbain, on peut se demander si l’accès aux services chirurgicaux est le même en région rurale qu’en milieu urbain. Nous avons voulu cartographier, preuve à l’appui, l’impact de la ruralité sur l’accès à des chirurgies médicalement indiquées en Amérique du Nord et identifier les obstacles, propres au système, à la patientèle et aux équipes soignantes, qui nuisent à la prestation des soins équivalents à ceux des milieux urbains.Méthodes:Nous avons procédé à une interrogation systématique (conforme à la Norme de réalisation de revue systématique de la littérature PRISMA) des bases de données PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus et Web of Science regroupant la littérature des 26 dernières années (janvier 2023). Les mots clés de langue anglaise utilisés incluaient : « rural population », « health care access », « surgical procedures » et « health disparities ». Nous avons synthétisé nos observations au moyen d’une approche narrative.Résultats:Des 13 897 études recensées, nous avons retenu 71 publications abordant un vaste éventail de disciplines chirurgicales. Parmi ces publications, 83 % faisaient état d’un accès diminué, 17 % d’un accès plus rapide à la chirurgie, et 30 % d’un lien entre la ruralité et d’autres déterminants sociaux de la santé, notamment l’âge, le sexe et le genre, ainsi que la race et l’ethnicité. Selon les études ayant fait état d’un accès diminué, les principales raisons incluaient la densité des effectifs en médecine primaire et de spécialité, les différences de profils socioéconomiques de la patientèle et l’offre d’un counselling comparable lors du processus décisionnel concernant la chirurgie. À noter, l’un des principaux facteurs d’amélioration de l’accès aux soins chirurgicaux était l’absence d’interventions médicales spécialisées associées à une dépendance indue à l’endroit des solutions chirurgicales.Conclusion:Que l’accès à la chirurgie ait été diminué ou accéléré, l’impact net de la ruralité a pris la forme d’un écart par rapport aux soins préconisés par les lignes directrices. Ces observations indiquent principalement que la dépendance à l’égard des temps d’attente en chirurgie seule peut fausser la perception quant à l’accès aux soins chirurgicaux, ce qui milite en faveur de l’adoption de paramètres de qualité de soins intégrés qui reflèteraient plus fidèlement l’accès à des programmes de traitements médicaux et chirurgicaux complets.

ABSTRACT Geopolitical transformations have drastic effects in many spheres of public life. Their most prominent manifestations are observed with regard to ethno-political conflicts and their settlement processes, particularly when they are accompanied by serious regional rearrangements. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the process of its settlement are among the most typical cases in this regard. After the 2018 change of power in Armenia, the normally developing process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement within the framework of the main principles of international law ended up in sharp upheavals, succumbing to the logic of the sharply heated West-Russia geopolitical confrontation. The formation of antagonistic relations between the Co-Chair states of the OSCE Minsk Group undermined their mediation efforts, leaving two options for the resolution of the conflict: the realization of people’s right to self-determination with the support of international community or the genocide of the Nagorno-Karabakh people. The article considers the threats of a catastrophic development of events due to changes in the positions of powerful actors regarding the conflict settlement under the influence of geopolitical transformations, as well as the possibility of preventing such a development.

<div>Abstract<p>Due to the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, novel diagnostic modalities for early diagnosis and new therapeutic strategy are urgently needed. Recently, microRNA-21 (miR-21) was reported to be strongly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer as well as in other solid cancers. We investigated the functional roles of miR-21, which have not been fully elucidated in pancreatic cancer. miR-21 expression was assessed in pancreatic cancer cell lines (14 cancer cell lines, primary cultures of normal pancreatic epithelial cells and fibroblasts, and a human normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line) and pancreatic tissue samples (25 cancer tissues and 25 normal tissues) by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR amplification. Moreover, we investigated the proliferation, invasion, and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells transfected with miR-21 precursor or inhibitor. miR-21 was markedly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells compared with nonmalignant cells, and miR-21 in cancer tissues was much higher than in nonmalignant tissues. The cancer cells transfected with the miR-21 precursor showed significantly increased proliferation, Matrigel invasion, and chemoresistance for gemcitabine compared with the control cells. In contrast, inhibition of miR-21 decreased proliferation, Matrigel invasion, and chemoresistance for gemcitabine. Moreover, miR-21 positively correlated with the mRNA expression of invasion-related genes, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, and vascular endothelial growth factor. These data suggest that miR-21 expression is increased in pancreatic cancer cells and that miR-21 contributes to the cell proliferation, invasion, and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer.[Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(5):1067–74]</p></div>

Comet C/2014 UN$_{271}$, alternative designation 'BB' after its discoverers 'Bernardinelli/Bernstein', and commonly referred to as UN$_{271}$, is an extreme case on two fronts, firstly its solar distance on discovery ($>$ 29 au) and secondly the size of its nucleus (137$\pm$ 15 km). With an aphelion distance of $\sim$33,000 au (w.r.t. the solar system barycentre) and an orbital period $\sim$2 million years, it is definitely an object from the solar system's Oort cloud, and also by a good measure the largest Oort cloud object ever observed. In situ observation of UN$_{271}$ would be of considerable scientific importance. Unlike most Oort cloud comets which have been discovered for the first time only as they near the inner solar system, UN$_{271}$ was discovered early enough to provide adequate advanced warning to plan for such a mission. In this paper we describe the various methods for reaching UN$_{271}$ during the period around its perihelion and ecliptic plane passage, with both flyby and rendezvous options; exploiting direct transfers, Jupiter powered gravitational assists (GA) or alternatively a series of GAs of the inner planets. Viable flyby and rendezvous trajectories are found, especially using the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) as the launch vehicle.

Abstract We carried out an epidemiological study of malaria in Gboko metropolis in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, North - Central Nigeria to determine the malaria prevalence, risk factors and perception to malaria control among patients attending the hospital clinics between April and June, 2021. We used Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), thin blood and thick blood film microscopy to sample the blood of 415 patients to determine specie, prevalence and intensity of malaria parasites. Also, structured questionnaire was administered to 400 individuals to obtain information on malaria management practices of the people. Chi-square test P<0.05 was used to check for relationships between prevalence of malaria and other parameters in the study. The prevalence rate was found to be (55.7%) 231/415 and all (100%) were infections of Plasmodium falciparum. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in the prevalence by age with the age groups 20-29 years having the highest prevalence of 68.9% (51/74). General Hospital Gboko recorded the highest prevalence of 74.3% (92/124) while Royal Hospital Gboko recorded the lowest prevalence of 31.6% (12/38) with a significant difference. The intensity of malaria infection showed that 45.9% (106/231) had moderate infection with no significant difference. In the administration of questionnaire, the respondents in Gboko demonstrated a good knowledge of malaria, 93.2% (373/400) opined that they have heard about malaria before. Respondents who do not sleep under LLINs recorded that 32.6% (30/92) do not have the mosquito net recorded, 17.4% (16/92) had no money to buy mosquito net while 10.9% (10/92) averred that it’s not comfortable sleeping under the net. Malaria public enlightenment efforts should be intensified to make malaria elimination not just possible but also achievable in Gboko Metropolis, Benue State.

Abstract After 43 years of repose, Taal Volcano erupted on 12 January 2020 forming hazardous base surges. Using field, remote sensing (i.e. UAV and LiDAR), and numerical methods, we gathered primary data to generate well-constrained empirical information on dune bedform characteristics, impact dynamic pressures and velocities of base surges to advance our knowledge on this hazard to understand and evaluate its consequences and risks. The base surges traveled at 50-60 km/hr near the crater and decelerated before making impact on coastal communities with dynamic pressures of at least 1.7-2.1 kPa. The base surges killed more than a thousand livestock in the southeast of Taal Volcano Island, and then traveled another 600 meters offshore. This work is a rare document of a complete, fresh and practically undisturbed base surge deposit, important in the study of dune deposits formed by volcanic, and other processes on Earth and other planets.

Observing exoplanets with small telescopes can be a challenging but rewarding undertaking. With the advent of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a student observer can become qualified to participate in this exciting MIT-led NASA program to make significant contributions to exoplanet science. This paper presents the experiences and recommendations for a student to the complete observation data required for the Ground-Based Subgroup 1 TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP). A training plan is provided along with various websites and instructional documents. Explanations on how apply the AstroImageJ (AIJ) software and procedures are described in A Practical Guide to Exoplanet Observing (Conti, 2018). Data is collected from Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) and calibrated through the OSS Pipeline. This paper deals exclusively with LCO processes and also describes how to prepare the twelvefiles required for submission to the Exoplanet Follow-up Observing Program for TESS (ExoFOP – TESS). The AstroImageJ Guide for LCO - TESS Observations (Boyce et al., 2019) that incorporates the latest TFOP SG1 Observation Guidelines (Conti, 2019) is also referenced.

Methods for direct functionalization of C-H bonds mediated by N-oxyl radicals constitute a powerful tool in modern organic synthesis. While several N-oxyl radicals have been developed to date, the lack of structural diversity for these species has hampered further progress in this field. Here we designed a novel class of N-oxyl radicals based on N-hydroxybenzimidazole, and applied them to the direct C-H functionalization reactions. The flexibly modifiable features of these structures enabled facile tuning of their catalytic performance. Moreover, with these organoradicals, we have developed a metal-free approach for the synthesis of acyl fluorides via direct C-H fluorination of aldehydes under mild conditions.