In recent years, the number of migrant deaths and disappearances in the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coasts has risen steadily. The arrival of small boats with migrants on board on the Spanish and Italian coasts has received a lot of media attention, and European Governments are investing more than in the past to stop unauthorized arrivals on their shores. Certain narratives from governments and officials of international organizations attribute these deaths to “smugglers” and the dangerous routes they take. However, this article provides evidence that the higher mortality rates are the result of changes in border controls following bilateral agreements between the European Union and Morocco after 2018. By analyzing data from official statistics, microdata, and data provided by NGOs up to 2024, it shows how the increase in the mortality rate of migrants in the Western Mediterranean is the result of changes in the management of sea rescues, the militarization and externalization of the border, and the way in which migrants attempting to cross the sea are taking more dangerous routes than in the past.

This study was designed to explore the mediating role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) in Triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index and hypertension (HTN). Study participants were selected from the 2001 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Firstly, we estimated the association between TyG index and serum 25(OH)D with HTN using a weighted multivariable logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline. Secondly, we used a generalised additive model to investigate the correlation between TyG index and serum 25(OH)D. Lastly, serum 25(OH)D was investigated as a mediator in the association between TyG index and HTN. There were 14 099 subjects in total. TyG index was positively and linearly associated with HTN risk, while serum 25(OH)D had a U-shaped relationship with the prevalence of HTN. When the serum 25(OH)D levels were lower than 57·464 mmol/l, the prevalence of HTN decreased with the increase of serum 25(OH)D levels. When serum 25(OH)D levels rise above 57·464 mmol/l, the risk of HTN increases rapidly. Based on the U-shaped curve, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were divided into two groups: < 57·464 and ≥57·464 mmol/l. According to the mediation analysis, when serum 25(OH)D levels reached < 57·464 mmol/l, the positive association between the TyG index and incident HTN was increased by 25(OH)D. When serum 25(OH)D levels reached ≥ 57·464 mmol/l, the negative association between the TyG index and incident HTN was increased by 25(OH)D. There was a mediation effect between the TyG index and HTN, which was mediated by 25(OH)D. Therefore, we found that the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and TyG index may influence the prevalence of HTN.

In the United States, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are frequently associated with healthcare encounters. From September 2021 to September 2022, 21 patients with NDM-CRE identified from urine and without healthcare exposure were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Isolates were genetically similar to healthcare-associated strains.

We establish sharp upper bounds for shifted moments of quadratic Dirichlet L-function under the generalized Riemann hypothesis. Our result is then used to prove bounds for moments of quadratic Dirichlet character sums.

This paper expresses extensive agreement with Michael Bergmann’s position in Radical Skepticism and Epistemic Intuition, but (i) offers a simpler response to the skeptic, (ii) takes issue with Bergmann’s strong claim that an “evil demon” hypothesis is as good an explanation of our sensory experiences as is the natural realist explanation, and (iii) corrects a misunderstanding about explanationists’ canons of theory preference.

This paper is concerned with the growth rate of susceptible–infectious–recovered epidemics with general infectious period distribution on random intersection graphs. This type of graph is characterised by the presence of cliques (fully connected subgraphs). We study epidemics on random intersection graphs with a mixed Poisson degree distribution and show that in the limit of large population sizes the number of infected individuals grows exponentially during the early phase of the epidemic, as is generally the case for epidemics on asymptotically unclustered networks. The Malthusian parameter is shown to satisfy a variant of the classical Euler–Lotka equation. To obtain these results we construct a coupling of the epidemic process and a continuous-time multitype branching process, where the type of an individual is (essentially) given by the length of its infectious period. Asymptotic results are then obtained via an embedded single-type Crump–Mode–Jagers branching process.

Gendered inequalities in campaign finance are generally considered an important impediment to the equal representation of women in parliament. A multivariate analysis of 11,897 Flemish candidates in the Belgian elections from 1999 to 2019 provides strong new evidence of the gender gap in campaign spending, showing that women candidates are significantly outspent by men. But this gender gap is only present after the introduction of strict quota and is limited to non-incumbents. It takes 16 years and five elections after the introduction of strict quotas before this gender gap narrows. In terms of the funding of their campaigns, women draw significantly less money from their personal wealth and receive less money from their parties when strict quotas are in place.

Allanite-(Y), ideally CaY(Al2Fe2+)(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH), is a valid species with the type locality in the Åskagen pegmatite, Värmland, Sweden. The mineral occurs as an accessory phase in the blocky zone of the NYF granitic pegmatite near Åskagen, Värmland, Sweden. It forms rims together with iimoriite-(Y), gadolinite-(Y) and allanite-(Nd) around altered crystals of thalénite-(Y). Allanite-(Y) replaced primary thalénite-(Y) during an episode of early post-magmatic hydrothermal activity. Allanite-(Y) forms euhedral crystals with size up to 1 mm, black with a vitreous lustre, conchoidal fracture and greyish brown streak. It has a Mohs hardness of ca. 6, the calculated density of 3.945 g.cm–3 and is biaxial (−) with α = 1.760(3), β = 1.799(2) and γ = 1.784(3) in 589 nm light; pleochroism is weak pale yellowish brown in all directions. Allanite-(Y) has monoclinic symmetry, with the space group P21/m, a = 8.8520(8) Å, b = 5.6959(5) Å, c = 10.0543(9) Å, β = 115.510(2)°, V = 457.52(7) Å3 and Z = 2. Crystal-chemical analysis resulted in the empirical formula: A1(Ca0.900Mn0.090Na0.010)Σ1.000A2(Y0.323Ca0.260Nd0.118Sm0.087Gd0.098Dy0.044Ce0.034Pr0.014Tb0.012Er0.005La0.003Ho0.002Yb0.001)Σ1.001M1(Al0.921Fe2+0.070Ti0.003)Σ0.994M2(Al1.000)M3(Fe2+0.638Fe3+0.262Al0.072Mg0.028)Σ1.000T1(Si1.000)T2(Si1.000)T3(Si1.003)O12.000(OH)1.000.

Allanite-(Y) belongs to the allanite group of the epidote supergroup. The closest end-member compositions of valid allanite group species are allanite-(Ce), allanite-(La) and allanite-(Nd) related via the simple exchange mechanism Y ↔ Ln. The allanite-(Y) origin during metasomatic replacement of the thalénite-(Y) was mainly affected by local system composition and structural constraints rather than Ln+Y fluoride complexation in hydrothermal solution.

For over four decades, isotretinoin has shown unparalleled efficacy in the management of severe recalcitrant acne. However, controversies exist about its psychiatric safety profile. This editorial discusses the alleged causal role of isotretinoin in the development of psychiatric adverse events in light of the best available evidence.

Bombyx mori Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (BmWARS) belongs to the family of Ic-like aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), whose specific recognition of the substrate Trp, tRNA, maintains the fidelity of protein synthesis. In this study, BmWARS was cloned and characterized from the midgut of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, resulting in an open reading frame (ORF) with a full length of 1,149 bp, which can encode 382 Aa. BmWARS is localized in the cytoplasm, and is expressed in all tissues of the silkworm, with higher expression in the testis, ovary, silk gland and malpighian tubule. The expression of BmWARS was significantly up-regulated in the midgut and silk gland after infection with Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). In addition, overexpression of BmWARS inhibited BmNPV infection and replication extremely significantly, while interference with BmWARS expression promoted BmNPV infection and replication. Analysis of the immune pathways in which BmWARS may be involved revealed that the expression of the key genes of the PI3K-Akt pathway, BmPI3K, BmAkt, BmPDK1, BmeIF4E, BmS6, and p-Akt protein was significantly reduced, whereas the expression of BmPTEN, BmFoxO, and BmCaspase9 was significantly increased in the cells that overexpressed BmWARS and were infected with BmNPV. Meanwhile, the results of the study interfering with the expression of BmWARS were completely opposite to those of the study overexpressing BmWARS. This is the first report that BmWARS has antiviral effects in Bombyx mori. Moreover, BmWARS inhibits BmNPV infection and replication in Bombyx mori cells by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.