Multidisciplinary discovery of ancient restoration using a rare mud carapace on a mummified individual from late New Kingdom Egypt

CT scans of an unnamed mummified adult from Egypt, now in the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney (NMR.27.3), reveal it to be fully sheathed in a mud shell or carapace, exposing a mortuary treatment not previously documented in the Egyptian archaeological record. The carapace was placed between layers of linen wrappings thus it was not externally visible. Radiocarbon dating of textile samples provide a range of c.1370–1113 cal BC (95.4% probability), with a median date of 1207 cal BC. When assessed against mummification techniques of the era, the individual is placed in the late 19th–20th Dynasty, at the later end of this date range. Multi-proxy analysis including μ-XRF and Raman spectroscopy of carapace fragments from the head area revealed it to consist of three layers, comprising a thin base layer of mud, coated with a white calcite-based pigment and a red-painted surface of mixed composition. Whether the whole surface of the carapace was painted red is unknown. The carapace was a form of ancient conservation applied subsequent to post-mortem damage to the body, intended to reconfigure the body and enable continued existence of the deceased in the afterlife. The carapace can also be interpreted as a form of elite emulation imitating resin shells found within the wrappings of royal bodies from this period.

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Kenyan blood donors

Background There are no data on SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Africa though the COVID-19 epidemic curve and reported mortality differ from patterns seen elsewhere. We estimated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among blood donors in Kenya. Methods We measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG prevalence by ELISA on residual blood donor samples obtained between April 30 and June 16, 2020. Assay sensitivity and specificity were 83% (95% CI 59, 96%) and 99.0% (95% CI 98.1, 99.5%), respectively. National seroprevalence was estimated using Bayesian multilevel regression and post-stratification to account for non-random sampling with respect to age, sex and region, adjusted for assay performance. Results Complete data were available for 3098 of 3174 donors, aged 15-64 years. By comparison with the Kenyan population, the sample over-represented males (82% versus 49%), adults aged 25-34 years (40% versus 27%) and residents of coastal Counties (49% versus 9%). Crude overall seroprevalence was 5.6% (174/3098). Population-weighted, test-adjusted national seroprevalence was 5.2% (95% CI 3.7, 7.1%). Seroprevalence was highest in the 3 largest urban Counties; Mombasa (9.3% [95% CI 6.4, 13.2%)], Nairobi (8.5% [95% CI 4.9, 13.5%]) and Kisumu (6.5% [95% CI 3.3, 11.2%]). Conclusions We estimate that 1 in 20 adults in Kenya had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during the study period. By the median date of our survey, only 2093 COVID-19 cases and 71 deaths had been reported through the national screening system. This contrasts, by several orders of magnitude, with the numbers of cases and deaths reported in parts of Europe and America when seroprevalence was similar.

An analysis of growth patterns of targeted therapies (TTs) using keywords from ASCO annual meeting abstracts.

e18084 Background: The number of TTs approved to treat cancer patients has increased dramatically in the past decades. We analyzed how frequently 27 oncology targets (and associated therapies) appeared in ASCO meeting abstracts since 2005 to explore if future drug development patterns could be predicted. Methods: We obtained abstracts from the ASCO Center for Research & Analytics. We used keyword abstraction to calculate the percentage of abstracts referencing 27 specific target/drug combinations each year, and we categorized them into high (HV), medium (MV), and low volume (LV) groups based on percentage in 2018. Results: Table shows data since 2012 for the HV group. The percentages of MV (BCR/ABL, CDK4/6, CD20, MEK, CTLA4, iMID, PARP, PI3K, proteasome inhibitors) and LV (BCL2, BTK, CD19, CD30, CD38, HDAC, IDH1, IDH2, and NTRK) in 2018 were less than 1.7%. The HV group was associated with more FDA-approved therapies (41) than the MV (23) and LV (13) groups. The HV and MV groups are likely enriched for more mature targets, as the median date of relevant drug approvals is earlier (11/2012 and 4/2013, respectively) than the LV group (4/2016). Growth patterns are consistent with key regulatory milestones. The number of abstracts with PD-1/PD-L1-related keywords has grown more rapidly than any other drug/target combination. This growth begins soon before FDA approvals for a diversity of relevant indications. Continued growth likely reflects ongoing clinical trials of several other PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and combinations. We identified similar growth trends for other targets just prior to key regulatory approvals. Conclusions: Our analysis revealed interesting growth patterns for key oncology target/drug combinations. Future work will explore whether we can extend the analysis to help predict the evolution of development programs for new targets. [Table: see text]

Odonata of the Kruger National Park

The number of species of dragonflies and damselflies recorded in the Kruger National, South Africa, was 103 in April 2018. This figure was based on a database containing 2,817 records of Odonata, made since 1980, from the 52 quarter degree grid cells which intersect with the Kruger National Park. Records were available for 41 of the 52 grid cells. The most frequently recorded species were Red-veined Dropwing Trithemis arteriosa (167 records) and the Orange-veined Dropwing Trithemis kirbyi (144 records), both recorded in 33 grid cells, and Southern Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta (175 records) and Broad Scarlet (141 records) both in 29 grid cells. Based on records up to April 2018, the median date of the most recent record for species was September 2017, so that half of the 103 species had been recorded during summer 2017/18. This report could be used to motivate the proclamation of the river and wetland systems of the Kruger National Park as a “Wetland of International Importance” in terms of the Ramsar Convention. Two-thirds of the Odonata of South Africa, and one-eighth of the Odonata of Africa, have been recorded in the Kruger National Park.

Bird number dynamics during the post-breeding period at the Tömörd Bird Ringing Station, western Hungary

The fieldwork, i.e. catching and ringing birds using mist-nets, was conducted at Tömörd Bird Ringing Station in western Hungary during the post-breeding migration seasons in 1998-2016. Altogether, 106,480 individuals of 133 species were ringed at the station. The aim of this paper was to publish basic information on passerine migration at this site. Migration phenology was described through annual and daily capture frequencies. Furthermore, we provide the median date of the passage, the date of the earliest or latest capture, the peak migration season within the study period, and the countries where the birds monitored at the site were ringed or recovered abroad. To compare the catching dynamics for the fifty species with total captures greater than 200, a reference period was defined: from 5 Aug. to 5 Nov. 2001-2016. Some non-passerines that are more easily caught with mist-nets or that are caught occasionally were listed as well. The two superdominant species, the European Robin and the Eurasian Blackcap, with 14,377 and 13,926 total captures, made up 27% of all ringed individuals. Among the fifty species analysed, there were ten species with a decreasing trend, five species with an increasing trend and thirty-five species with a stable (or uncertain) trend in their numbers from 2001 to 2016. The temporal pattern of migration of long-distance migrants was different from that of the medium- and short-distance migratory species.

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with or without Sorafenib Maintenance for Patients with FLT3-ITD Acute Myeloid Leukemia in CR1

Introduction: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with internal tandem duplications in the fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 receptor (FLT3-ITD) are at high risk for relapse despite allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in first remission (CR1).We have previously shown sorafenib, an oral FLT3/multikinase inhibitor, to be safe as maintenance therapy after HCT (BBMT 2014;20:2042). We performed a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of sorafenib maintenance on outcomes of adult patients with FLT3-ITD AML undergoing HCT in CR1. Methods: We identified consecutive patients (n=80) at 2 institutions with AML between 2008 and 2014, with FLT3-ITD at diagnosis, who underwent HCT in CR1. Patients given sorafenib in remission after HCT were in the "sorafenib" group, and others were the "control" group. We identified the median date of sorafenib initiation, and performed a landmark analysis including only controls alive without relapse at that date. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). We performed multivariable analysis, accounting for age >60, conditioning intensity, NPM1 status, cytogenetic risk, and donor type, to estimate the impact of sorafenib maintenance on OS, disease-free survival (DFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and time to relapse from the estimated date of sorafenib initiation. Cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) requiring systemic immunosuppression were estimated from date of transplant. Results: We identified 26 sorafenib patients and 54 control patients. Median follow up was 22.1 mo. (range, 6.3-49.8) for survivors in the sorafenib group, and 37.5 mo. (range, 12.4-88.9) in the control group (p=0.020). The median time to sorafenib was 68 days after transplant; subsequent analysis therefore included 26 sorafenib patients and 41 control patients alive without relapse at day +68. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics (Table 1). Two patients in the control group had concomitant FLT3-TKD mutations. Patients on sorafenib had improved 2-year OS compared to controls in the landmark analysis (83% vs. 58%, p=0.019, Figure 1). In multivariable analysis, sorafenib maintenance significantly improved OS (HR for death 0.146, p=0.0047) and DFS (HR 0.091, p=0.0005). Of patients alive without relapse at d+68, sorafenib maintenance was associated with improved 2-year DFS (85% vs. 52%, p=0.0047) and lower 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (9.5% vs. 41%, p=0.0065). After 68 days, 2 sorafenib patients and 4 controls developed aGVHD. There was no difference in 2-year NRM (5.7% vs. 7.6%, p=0.61) or cumulative cGVHD at 1 year (50% vs. 37%, p=0.31). Conclusions: Sorafenib maintenance after HCT is associated with significantly improved DFS and OS among patients with FLT3-ITD AML undergoing HCT in CR1, with no difference in GVHD or NRM. These findings suggest a potential benefit of sorafenib and possibly other FLT3 inhibitors after HCT for FLT3-ITD AML, and support a randomized controlled trial of FLT3 inhibition after HCT. Table 1. Patient Demographics Control n=41 Sorafenib n=26 P-value Age (median, range) 53 (25,72) 54.5 (20,74) 0.39 HCT Age (median, range) 53 (25,73) 55 (20,74) 0.44 Gender (male, %) 12 (29%) 12 (46%) 0.20 Race (white, %) 35 (85%) 24 (92%) 1.00 ECOG at Diagnosis* 0.43 0 7 (39%) 7 (50%) 1 7 (39%) 7 (50%) 2 3 (17%) 0 3 1 (6%) 0 Antecedant Disease 0.58 De Novo 32 (78%) 22 (85%) tAML 4 (10%) 3 (12%) Prior MDS or MPN 5 (12%) 1 (4%) Cytogenetic Risk 1.00 Favorable 2 (5%) 1 (4%) Intermediate 35 (88%) 23 (88%) Adverse 3 (8%) 2 (8%) NPM1 mut# 20 (74%) 14 (56%) 0.25 CEBPA mut (n) 0 2 1.00 Induction Treatment 0.37 7+3 based induction 39 (95%) 23 (88%) Other induction 2 (5%) 3 (12%) TKI prior to HCT 10 (24%) 7 (27%) 1.00 ECOG at HCT+ 0.63 0 13 (32%) 6 (25%) 1 18 (44%) 14 (58%) 2 10 (24%) 4 (17%) HCT Intensity 1.00 Myeloablative 23 (56%) 14 (54%) Reduced intensity 18 (44%) 12 (46%) Donor Type 0.49 Matched 36 (88%) 21 (81%) Mismatched 5 (12%) 5 (19%) aGVHD prophylaxis 0.61 CNI and Methotrexate 24 (59%) 17 (65%) *Diagnosis ECOG missing in 23 control and 12 sorafenib patients #NPM1 testing performed on 27 control and 25 sorafenib patients +HCT ECOG missing in 2 sorafenib patients Figure 1. Disease-free and Overall Survival for FLT3-ITD AML patients, with or without sorafenib maintenance after HCT. Landmark analysis was performed from median date of sorafenib initiation (d+68). Figure 1. Disease-free and Overall Survival for FLT3-ITD AML patients, with or without sorafenib maintenance after HCT. Landmark analysis was performed from median date of sorafenib initiation (d+68). Figure 2. Figure 2. Disclosures Off Label Use: Sorafenib for FLT3-ITD AML. Fathi:Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Research Funding; Agios: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Exelexis: Research Funding; Merck: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Ariad: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Stone:Celator: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; AROG: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Sunesis: Consultancy, Other: DSMB for clinical trial; Amgen: Consultancy; Roche/Genetech: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy. Soiffer:Gentium SpA/Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Chen:Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Trends and Variability in Severe Snowstorms East of the Rocky Mountains*

The 100 most severe snowstorms within each of six climate regions east of the Rocky Mountains were analyzed to understand how the frequency of severe snowstorms is associated with seasonal averages of other variables that may be more readily predicted and projected. In particular, temperature, precipitation, and El Niño/La Niña anomalies from 1901 to 2013 were studied. In the southern United States, anomalously cold seasonal temperatures were found to be more closely linked to severe snowstorm development than in the northern United States. The conditional probability of occurrence of one or more severe snowstorms in seasons that are colder than average is 80% or greater in regions of the southern United States, which was found to be statistically significant, while it is as low as 35% when seasonal temperatures are warmer than average. This compares with unconditional probabilities of 55%–60%. For seasons that are wetter (drier) than average, severe snowstorm frequency is significantly greater (less) in the Northern Plains region. An analysis of the seasonal timing of severe snowstorm occurrence found they are not occurring as late in the season in recent decades in the warmest climate regions when compared to the previous 75 years. Since 1977, the median date of occurrence in the last half of the cold season is six or more days earlier in the Southeast, South, and Ohio Valley regions than earlier in the twentieth century. ENSO conditions also were found to have a strong influence on the occurrence of the top 100 snowstorms in the Northeast and Southeast regions.

Monitoring Spruce Budworm with Light Traps: The Effect of Trap Position

Daily records of adult spruce budworms,Choristoneura fumiferana(Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), captured at light traps at multiple locations in New Brunswick in the 1970s, are analyzed in relation to the physical position of light traps (tree canopies or forest clearings). Captures at light traps deployed in tree canopies were 4–400 times greater than those in forest clearings, especially for males. The phenology of captures (median date or duration of flight period) did not differ in relation to trap location. Captures of both males and females in tree canopies were highly correlated with egg densities, whereas no significant relationship was observed for either sex in forest clearings. Monitoring programs for spruce budworm adults using light traps should be standardized by deploying traps in tree canopies.

Autumn Migration Of The Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia Luscinia) In Northern Hungary

Kováts D. 2012. Autumn migration of the Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) in northernHungary. Ring 34: 23-36. The autumn migration of the Thrush Nightingale was studied in Szalonna in northern Hungary in 1989-2010. Birds were mist-netted, ringed, aged, measured, weighed and fat scored. In total, 193 Thrush Nightingales were ringed during 22 years. Relations between arrival time and biometrical measurements were determined. Within the study period (6 August - 26 September) the migration curve was bimodal showing maximum on 22 August and 27 August. Immature birds arrived significantly earlier with lower body mass and shorter wing length and had more pointed wings in the first half of their passage. The distribution of fat score classes did not differ significantly between the early and late periods of the most intensive migration, although the mean of the deposited fat was the lowest during the peak of migration. Fat reserve distribution was bimodal in autumn suggesting that Thrush Nightingales probably start their journey from different breeding ranges (populations) or follow still undiscovered migration strategies of sex/age groups. The low proportion of recaptures proved that the area was not used as a stopover site or premigratory fattening area. Within 22 years of study, the median date of autumn migration of Thrush Nightingales shifted 7.9 days earlier, probably due to current climate change.

The stopover behaviour of the Garden Warbler Sylvia borin in Obudu, southeast Nigeria

The Garden Warbler breeds in the Palaearctic and migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for the non-breeding season. We studied its passage, body mass and moult at the Obudu Plateau in southeast Nigeria in October–December 2005 and December 2007–January 2008. In Nigeria, Garden Warblers in the Guinea savanna have been shown to increase body mass in October–November, preparing for migration to wintering sites further south. They begin to arrive at Obudu from mid-October and the numbers gradually increase with time; median date of passage was 3 December. This influx is clearly different from that which has been recorded for other sites in West Africa. The patterns in wing length and size-corrected body mass of individuals suggest a difference in the migration time of individuals of different sizes in the two years. Average fuel loads were lower at Obudu than has been reported in Central Nigeria. This, and the capture of moulting individuals, suggests that Garden Warblers may not embark on a longer journey southwards in mid winter, and possibly may even winter at Obudu.